John the Apostle - the second witness?
Revelation 11:3
...I will give power unto my two witnesses ...
John the Apostle
The second witness
by Ernie Wallace
The fact that there will be two witnesses is indisputable for all Bible believing,
literal translation,expositors of scripture. Also that one of these witnesses is
going to be Elijah is very well understood by this same group.There is great speculation
as to the identity of the other, which has led to much conjecture and opinion.
The identity of the second witness is not something God chose to reveal to us.
This is a matter of
curiosity, not doctrine - we should not try to establish as truth of scripture
something that God did not choose to fully inform us about.
The following is interesting and fun - but not of great consequence.
........
Regarding the verses that deal with the transfiguration - the greek word tis
is usually translated some.
Matthew 16:28
Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here,
which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
tis can also be translated as a certain one
.......
In the Gospel of John there is a dialog in the closing chapter which is often glossed over and it needn't be.
If accepted as read, John will tarry until the Lord's return.
John 21:21-24
Peter seeing him ( John ) saith to Jesus,
Lord, and what shall this man do?
Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come,
what is that to thee? follow thou me.
Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple ( John ) should not die:
yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come,
what is that to thee?
This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things:
and we know that his testimony is true.
.......
In Revelation 10:8-11
John is told that he must prophesy again -
this is immediatly followed by the discourse on the two witnesses.
............
John also has a distinct, personal relationship to Israel as seen typically in
John 19:26 and 27 in the new relationship bestowed from the cross by Jesus.
Some see another typical example in John 20:3-8. Peter and John both run to
the sepulcher ( or place of death ) - John gets there first but does not go in.
Peter enters first. In this, John is the antitype when he finally goes in (dies )
some 2000 years later as the second witness in Jerusalem. ( Revelation 11:7 )
............
There was a tradition in the early church that John is
the second witness of The Revelation
and that he is in heaven waiting to return in the tribulation.
............
Only God knows - and time will tell.
[ Matthew 16:28 - not see death ]
or