Please be aware this will be a very controversial and upsetting subject. However because I am convinced this event is imminent AND that my interpretation of the event is accurate, I feel led to write about this subject prior to its occurrence. But first thing's first. We must first understand a few prophetic references prior to addressing a particular passage of scripture located in Revelation that involves Two Candlesticks.

Let's begin...

 

What are Candlesticks? - First, let's take a look and see what the bible says candlesticks are. I should point out ahead of time -- the bible interprets itself! In other words, if an item is mentioned in one location of prophetic scripture, whether it be a goat, lamb, horn, stone, sword, star, CANDLESTICK or anything else -- IF this item exists some where else in prophetic scripture, then regardless of its new usage or backdrop, it's definition remains unchanged.

For instance, what does our Lord say a candlestick is?

Revelation 1:12 - 20 (KJV) ¹²And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;  ¹³And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man,.... ¹⁹Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;  ²⁰The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

From this passage it is certain stars are angels. Thus stars in prophecy will always be angels. Next, no matter how you slice it, candlesticks "are...churches". But is this all a candlestick is? Is it just a church? According to the words of our Lord, it seems a candlestick is not just a church, though it is definitely an inseparable part of a church. No, according to Jesus a candlestick also appears to be something that belongs to a church.

Revelation 2:5 (KJV) ⁵Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Did you catch that? According to Jesus, unless they (the body) repented, He would, "remove (their) candlestick out of it's place". In other words, this church owned a candlestick! Again, to "remove thy candlestick" suggests something that belongs to this church body. Now without becoming too spiritual (as we sometimes tend to be) what can be moved out of it's place? The answer to this question is really fairly simple! In fact if I were to show you a candle sitting on top of a candlestick holder, it might become a bit more apparent as to why both the candle and candlestick are an inseparable ensemble. Obviously it's the candle that has the light, but it's the candlestick holder where the candle sits, i.e. it's platform, structure, base, it's home that feeds the candle it's oil. Bottom line - remove the candles structure from whence it obtains it's oil and the light will eventually go out! It's that simple.

Correlation of Candle AND Candlestick - Let's take a look...

Matthew 5:14 - 16 (KJV)  ¹⁴Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  ¹⁵Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  ¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Again, it should be apparent that the candle (body) sits on top of the candlestick holder (structure/platform). Both designed for the other and inseparable.

 

What are Olive Trees? - The next item we need to decipher is an Olive Tree. What is it? Again, remember the bible interprets itself. The below scriptures show the Lord classifying Israel as a green Olive Tree...

Jeremiah 11:16 - 17 (KJV) ¹⁶The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.  ¹⁷For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.
 

And a Branch? - Jesus was the Branch,

Zechariah 6:12 (KJV) ¹²And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: 

Additional branches? - It appears we (the Gentiles) were grafted into the Olive Tree,..

Romans 11:16 - 25 (KJV)  ¹⁶For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.  ¹⁷And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;  ¹⁸Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.  ¹⁹Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.  ²⁰Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:  ²¹For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.  ²²Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.  ²³And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.  ²⁴For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?  ²⁵For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 

 

  Conclusion - Israel is an Olive Tree. Gentiles are a Wild Olive Tree. Jesus is The Branch. We are branches. Bottom line - an Olive Tree is God's people, whether "wild" (Gentile) or not (Jewish). Lastly, a branch or branches are individual people, while a tree is comparable to an entire nation or nations.

 

Two Witnesses - In the following scriptures we'll be reading about two witnesses. It's these two witnesses that will also be classified as "Olive Trees" AND "Candlesticks". Now without taking the time to explain why other interpretations assigned to these two witnesses are inaccurate, suffice to say we'll save a LOT of time if I simply proceed with what I believe to be the proper interpretation. However let me say one thing -- I believe it to be impossible for these two witnesses be two people, such as Moses and Eljjah! Enough said.

As we tackle the below scriptures, please keep in mind these two witnesses are classified as: Olive Trees, Candlesticks and Witnesses. Or properly interpreted, two Nations, that are also two platforms or homes of the church, both witnesses for God.

Lastly, I want to point out -- from the very first time I encountered this section of scripture, I interpreted it to span the entire 7 year period and that is what always troubled me. The reason? As we'll read, two witnesses prophesy in sackcloth for 3 1/2 years. But then it appears they're killed in the midst of the week, wherein they lie in the streets for another 3 1/2 years, after which, they're resurrected. To interpret this section of scripture as it appears to read, would mean at the ending of the 7 year period, a resurrection occurs. But is that possible?? If you're of a Post-trib belief, this particular passage of scripture would appear to be confirmation of such, i.e. a Post-trib rapture! Next, if you believe in a Mid-trib (as I am utterly convinced of), this passage gives the impression that scripture is contradicting itself. Why? Because as I pointed out in the book The Graph, scripture clearly states there are only TWO resurrections separated by 1000 years appart -- one of the just and one of the unjust. Case in point -- for the Lord to resurrect anyone at the ending of the 70th week, then scripture is in direct contradiction with itself IF a Mid-trib rapture is realized. In other words, are we to believe the Lord will rapture His church in the midst of the week, then make an exception (contradicting Himself) and rapture someone else (doesn't matter who) at the ending of the 7 years? Hardly.

A while back the Lord enlightened me on this entire passage. I'm walking through my kitchen (not sure why God always speaks profoundly to me when I'm in the kitchen) and He spoke to me one word, "CONCURRENT". In an instant I knew what the Lord meant! By the way and just for laughs, I never use that word "concurrent". 

Read the below and then we'll discuss.    

Revelation 11:3 - 13 (KJV) ³And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.  ⁴These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.  ⁵And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.  ⁶These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.  ⁷And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.  ⁸And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.  ⁹And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.  ¹⁰And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.  ¹¹And , and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.  ¹²And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.  ¹³And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
 

OK, can you see how it appears that two witnesses prophesy for 3 1/2 years, are killed, lie in the streets for another 3 1.2 years at which point are resurrected? Let's address some inescapable conclusions.

These are not two people. Remember what we learned? Olive Trees, Candlesticks and Witnesses -- should be interpreted as two Nations, that are also two platforms or homes of the church, both witnesses for God.

These two nations which house God's people are witnessing in sackcloth. Why in sackcloth? What happened to provoke them cloth themselves so?  Sackcloth represents an afflicted, persecuted state and deep sorrow. Thus the question - why are they in deep sorrow? Why in sackcloth for 3 1/2 years, "they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth"?? Something must have happened for two nations to be in mourning and in deep sorrow...

  "...if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed"  This is a military power - not supernatural. Remember, since these are two nations, this interpretation makes far more sense rather than two people breathing fire or an entire nation breathing fire.

Note the two Olive Trees are killed. "the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."  But these Olive Trees are nations, literally multitudes of God's people! Are we to believe these two nations in their entirety are all killed and completely destroyed? That would be virtually impossible -- to kill everyone in any two known nations.

"...they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another".  Do you know of two nations which house God's people that are hated and despised of men? I can think of a couple.

  Pay attention to this -- "after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them...and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them...And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither...they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them...the same hour was there a great earthquake,...the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven"

Did you catch that? After 3 1/2 days (years) the two Olive trees (God's People) will stand upon their feet and be called into heaven! At the same time, their enemies behold them while they're caught up into a cloud!! May I remind you? At the rapture, the whole earth see's the Lord as He comes in the clouds -- which is also where He'll call us to!  At the same time, there'll be a great earthquake as the verses above also stated! But the best part to let us know this MUST be in the midst of the week and not the end?? "the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven"  WHO IS THE REMNANT??  The twelve tribes of Israel - the 144,000 Jews!!!!  Hopefully you've read The Graph and learned why the Jews will be converted at the rapture? Note, the remnant are not converted at the ending of the week, but in the middle!!! In other words, the remnant (the 144, 000) are not getting saved at the end, but in the midst of the week. 

So, use the word the Lord gave me and run these events concurrently and what do we have? Further, ask yourself this question - "How can two witnesses be dead and prophesy at the same time?" Answer? Again, they are not two people, but two multitudes of God's people, two churches, two nations! Many will die, yet not every one will or could! This is how these two candlesticks can both prophesy, yet be dead at the same time! Let's examine:  

  We have two nations, which house God's people. These two nations at the end of their testimony are attacked and massive death befalls them. Their nation's dead bodies lie in the streets, unburied. Overwhelming sorrow ensues and they're figuratively clothed in sackcloth. These nations which are God's witnesses must protect themselves via military might. The entire duration lasts for a supposed 3 1/2 year period. At the end of this period is a great earthquake, God's people are caught up into the clouds, fear falls upon the enemies of the Lord and the remnant are frightened (144,000), yet give glory to God!

Time to ask another question -- What would stop any nation from cleaning up its dead bodies? Obviously resources are a requirement. It's sad though - think about it. If the United States can't adequately clean up after hurricane Katrina, can we expect the US to suddenly gain additional resources to clean up after a nuclear attack? Yes, that's the second, but most valid reason for dead bodies to remain in the streets. After a nuclear attack ground zero would be deemed extremely hazardous and unsafe due to radiation. Clean up efforts would be postponed until the area was considered safe, but that could take years! Of course, we could attempt a clean up prior to the area being deemed safe, but is that likely? Nope. Other than this, I see no logical reason why a nations dead bodies to remain unburied.

 

Who are the Two Olive Trees, Candlesticks? - As I see it, the devastation of the 1st Trumpet kills two nations that are hated and house God's people. However when I considered addressing the reasons why I believe they are two nations in particular, the time and effort it would take to explain why I believe they are who I think they are, seems rather pointless. Why? Because I'm convinced the 1st Trumpet is going to blow any day now! Why bother speculating? We'll know VERY SOON....

....however please be ready for the bad news.  I'm convinced one Olive Tree is the United States which is continually "standing before the God of the earth." Who do I believe is the other? Israel or Great Britain. There are valid reasons for either nation, but if I had to speculate, Great Britain better buckle up.

 

God be with us all.