Olive Trees, Candlesticks, and Witnesses

A noted Protestant Biblical scholar once said: "The Book of Revelation either finds a man mad or leaves him that way!"  Anyone who has ever read the book - or even attempted to read it - can give a nod of recognition to that statement.

In chapter 11, we are introduced to the somewhat enigmatic figures of two witnesses who prophecy for three and a half years.  That they hold the priesthood keys of Elijah is manifest by the fact that they can seal the heavens so that it won't rain.  Like Moses, they can turn rivers to blood and bring plagues upon the land.  Any man who tries to molest them is destroyed by the "fire" from their mouths.  I personally don't think this is a literal fire, but rather the word of God and His priesthood power which they obviously hold.

John again sees a temple setting and is told by the angel to measure the temple, leaving out the Court of the Gentiles.  Zachariah saw a similar vision and his account gives us a few more details about the temple setting of this part of the vision:

Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord  earth  (Zachariah 4: 11-14)

After these prophets have completed their mission, Satan and his earthly minions are finally allowed to kill them.  Their bodies lie in the streets of Jerusalem for three and a half days - a day for every year they preached.  The people, for the most part, rejoice that they are gone.  People caught up in sin do not like to be told that they are sinning.  Such a denunciation of sin isn't "politically correct!"  At the end of those three and half days, the two prophets are resurrected and taken into heaven.  Now that gets every one's attention!  Some of those who witness it actually turn to the Lord because of such an undeniable sign.

 

I came across an interesting side-note during my study this morning.  In 1832, the Prophet Joseph was reading Revelation and he asked the Lord in prayer the meanings of many of the symbols.  This was the answer given to him about the identity of the two witnesses:

Q. What is to be understood by the two witnesses, in the eleventh chapter of Revelation?
A. They are two prophets that are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days, at the time of the restoration, and to prophesy to the Jews after they are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem in the land of their fathers. (D&C 77:15)

Most non-Latter-day Saints do not believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet.  Some think he was a charlatan; some a liar; some a crazy man; some see him as bright and charismatic, but a false prophet nonetheless.  Most simply don't think about him at all.  But if he was not a prophet (and I, by the way have a testimony that he was), then he was surely a good guesser!  His writings and the scripture he brought forth are full of such "good guesses."  In 1832, he wrote confidently of the gathering of the Jews to their homeland and the rebuilding of Jerusalem as their capitol city (last year's democrat platform not withstanding.)  If you'd have asked almost anyone in those days if there would ever really be a Jewish nation again, they'd have thought you were crazy.

In 1841, Joseph sent an Apostle, Orson Hyde, to Palestine to preach and to dedicate the land for the return of the Jews.  On October 24th, he uttered this dedicatory prayer on the Mount of Olives:

"Now, O Lord! Thy servant has been obedient to the heavenly vision which Thou gavest him in his native land; and under the shadow of Thine outstretched arm, he has safely arrived in this place to dedicate and consecrate this land unto Thee, for the gathering together of Judah's scattered remnants, according to the predictions of the holy Prophets -- for the building up of Jerusalem again after it has been trodden down by the Gentiles so long, and for rearing a Temple in honor of Thy name.



The Orson Hyde Memorial Garden, Jerusalem


The first small Jewish settlements in Palestine occurred in the 1870s,  but a mass gathering of the Jews to their homeland didn't occur until after World War II.  Israel President David Ben-Gurion declared Israel to be a free and independent state in May of 1948.  To this day, there are many in the world who don't recognize Israel as a legitimate nation - many who even deny the reality of the Holocaust.  And, of course, the Jews still must rebuild their temple, which is a challenge since the Islamic mosque, the Dome of the Rock, sits on the temple mount.  But I see God's hand in all things as these final days, months, and years play out.  Those things which have been prophesied will happen in God's own time.  My challenge is to have spiritual olive oil in my lamp for the time when they do.

Text copyright Gebara Education February 2013

 

Picture of menorah and olive trees from www.dwellingintheword.wordpress.com

Picture of two witness from www.freechristianimages.com

Pictures of Orson Hyde and the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden from www.wikipedia.com