According to the Bible, there are only two people God took up – or translated – to heaven without them having died and that is Enoch and Elijah:
“And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Ge 5:22–24)
“Suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.” (2Ki 2:11)
“And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. They are “the two olive trees” and “the two lampstands”, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”[ If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. THEIR BODIES WILL LIE IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation WILL GAZE ON THEIR BODIES AND REFUSE THEM BURIAL. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. But AFTER THE THREE AND A HALF DAYS THE BREATH OF LIFE FROM GOD ENTERED THEM, AND THEY STOOD ON THEIR FEET, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on. At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.” (Re 11:3-14)
“For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth. 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 of the whole earth.” (Zc 4:10-14)
Scripture reveals that the two witnesses appear near the midpoint of the Tribulation around the time when the beast breaks his covenant with Israel and places the abomination of desolation in the holy place, spoken of by Daniel the prophet.
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Mt 24.15, 21)
We know that (a) scripture must be fulfilled; (b) scripture cannot be broken; and (c) to have the complete picture we must allow the spirit to guide us to put all the relevant parts in the right order.
The events described all happen on earth. The beast makes war on the saints, indicating they have not been raptured but have been on earth bearing witness against him. (Re 13:7) He also makes war on the woman’s seed. (Re 12:17)
Scriptural prophecy is conspicuously silent concerning the Church being raptured to heaven at any time prior to the Last Trump which is the 7th trumpet. This proves that the saints have been on earth all the time. The only saints in heaven are the ones who have died or were martyred by the beast. (Re 6:10-11)
The mistiming of the rapture as pre-Tribulation is Satan’s masterpiece of deception. This is part of his master plan to take us off guard, so that the antichrist and the false prophet will be revealed and deceive Christians. Many will not see through this deception because they believe they will be raptured before the antichrist appears, thus falling into Satan’s trap. This is in complete contradiction to scripture. (2Th 2:2)
Some believe they don’t even need to know what the Bible says, as they are just waiting to be raptured. Instead of being prepared for the tribulation, they are praying to be ‘rapture ready’ as the pre-tribulation rapture has become a counterfeit doctrine of salvation and redemption for them. But without the light of the word, believers can lose their way in the darkness of the Tribulation.
“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now lets will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” (2Th 2:7-15)
The 7th angel now sounds the 7th trumpet which heralds the imminent coming of Christ’s Kingdom on earth. (Re 11:14) It is also the time for Christ to reward his saints on earth when he comes in his kingdom bringing his rewards with him. (Re 11:18,24)
“And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” (Da 12:7)
“But in the days of the voice of the 7th angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” (Re 10:7)
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump[et]: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1Co 15:51-52)
The Bible tells us that in the Last Days, God will send his two witnesses who will stand in the holy city of Jerusalem to prophesy before the antichrist beast and his followers. They will also testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that His kingdom is coming soon.
Their witness is for the whole world but particularly for the people of Israel to turn their hearts away from the man of sin back to the true God of heaven, and to prepare them for the true Messiah, Jesus.
That the two witnesses continue to stand before the god of this world is a testimony to their chief work which is against the beast and what he claims to be. (2Th 2:4)
The beast makes war on the two prophets, and also makes war on the saints on earth. (Re 13:7) who are the remnant of the woman’s seed (Re 12:17) proving that the rapture has not yet happened.
In relation to these events described in Revelation Chapter 11, John is told by the angel standing by him to “Rise up and measure the temple of God and the altar and those that worship therein”. John is told not to include the court outside the temple because it has been given to the Gentiles and they will tread the holy city under their feet for 42 months.
“Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24)
This would imply that the temple is already in existence during the first 3½ years of the Tribulation, which would place the work of the two witnesses in the latter half of the Tribulation because they prophesy for 3½ years. Also, because after the witnesses are killed, the second and third woes follow soon after. This may also happen in conjunction with some of the trumpet and bowl judgments.
So by comparing scripture with scripture we can see that the two witnesses prophesy for 3½ years mostly during the Great Tribulation. They are clothed in sackcloth signifying the call to repentance before the coming of the Great and terrible day of the Lord in which the sun itself will be clothed in black sackcloth. (Jl 2, Ac 2, Re 6)
The 7-year tribulation marks the last period of this present age. When Christ returns the new millennial age will dawn. (Rev 20:4)
The two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands who are standing before the face of the god of this world. The two witnesses are given power to devour their enemies with supernatural fire and any that would hurt them.
They also have power to stop the rain for the 3½ years of their prophecy. They will turn water into blood, and strike the earth with all kinds of plagues similar to those of Egypt as often as they will. Their witness torments those who have rejected the Gospel of Jesus.
Many claim that the two witnesses must be Moses and Elijah because the miracles they perform are similar to the miracles performed by Moses – who turned waters into blood – and Elijah – who stopped the rain for 3½ years. But this is not what the Bible says. Also, scripture says that it is appointed to men once to die (He 9:27) and Moses has already died once so he cannot die again as one of the two witnesses who are killed. Whereas Enoch, like Elijah did not die but was taken up into heaven.
Some believe God may empower other individuals or groups in the spirit and power of Elijah: “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Lk 1:17)
Although there is no mention of others being empowered in the same way, scripture does say those who know their God will do brave exploits on behalf of the truth. This will be their witness. “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” (Da 11:32)
As the spirit does not speak of himself, but glorifies Jesus, so the two witnesses will not speak of themselves but bear witness to the coming kingdom of Christ. Due to their work many will be converted. When they finish their testimony (Re 1:9, 19:10, 22:9), the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit makes war against them, overcomes and kills them.
The world rejoices and people send gifts to one another to celebrate the death of the two witnesses, as they had been tormented by their bearing witness to the truth. The two witnesses are made out to be evil tormentors. And there is an extended period of celebration, and the inhabitants of the whole world rejoice because the enemies of mankind are no more. The beast is acclaimed as the true saviour of mankind.
Their dead bodies are not allowed to be buried and are left on the street as a public spectacle to prove the superior power of the beast. But after 3½ days, the spirit of life from God enters into them and, to the great fear and astonishment of their enemies, the two witnesses rise to their feet. Then a great voice from heaven tells them: “Come up here”. The two witnesses ascend up to heaven in a cloud in the sight of everyone. (Re 14:14)
So the two witnesses of Jesus, who are martyrs, ascend to be with him. Their work is not yet fully finished for they will have a part to play in future events. They will sit on the right and left hand of Jesus’s throne in his Kingdom on earth.
In the same hour, there is a great earthquake and a tenth part of the city falls killing 7,000 of the followers of the antichrist, including dignitaries. This is the second woe.
How then can we `test’ the Toronto Blessing? If we cannot trust personal experience or short term gains, what can we trust? The answer is basically a matter of systematic theology.
Unfortunately, systematic theology has not been a particularly strong feature of the Anglo-American scene for some time. In the English case there is hesitancy about theological systems which seem to claim too much. But as Colin Gunton has observed, there is “an important distinction between a systematic theology that aims at a SYSTEM, and one that more modestly aims at being SYSTEMATIC.” (`An English Systematic Theology?’, The Scottish Journal of Theology, Vol. 46, 1994, pp.479-496).
We need to recognize that systematic theology is a biblical concept. The reason Jesus gave for not investigating claims that he had returned to the desert or the inner room is grounded in a systematic theology about the second coming which links the SIGNIFICANCE of this event with its NATURE: “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man” (Matt 24:27).
But we also need to recognize WHAT IS the systematic theology contained in the Bible. The best key to this is, I would argue, the biblical theological approach pioneered by Donald Robinson and developed by the likes of Graham Goldsworthy, Bill Dumbrell etc. The particular feature of this approach is that it recognizes and identifies in the Bible both CONTINUITY and DEVELOPMENT. There is the continuity of ONE great theme, from start to finish and there is the DEVELOPMENT of that theme through Scripture.
Only a systematic theology allows us to give coherence to our experience and expectation of God. And more specifically, only a systematic theology allows us to recognize that whilst God CAN do anything he DOESN’T do everything – and this is fundamental to our approach to the Toronto Blessing.
Cunningly disguised 666 symbols can be found in all sorts of places today, such as the Walt Disney, Coca-Cola and Olympics logos, and many more, including the Google logo itself. More examples can easily be found online by searching for ‘hidden 666’.
Today there are Christian churches where Satan is worshipped in secret, often at night and/or in the crypt. This is not new as it also happened in Old Testament times:
“He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations. And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall. Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about. And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.”
Occult and cursed objects and symbols are often found in Christian churches
It is not unusual to find occult, which includes freemasonry (which is witchcraft) symbolism in Christian churches, in fact it is quite common. There is more about this below in the section about occult symbols.
Christian literature and even a Bible that contains false doctrine or occult symbols can be cursed to some degree depending on what it is. It is a matter of degree as to the purpose to which the literature is put and the extent to which it is an object of idolatry.
To some degree, even ‘New Age’ Bible versions can constitute cursed objects, depending on the accuracy of the translation. [There is a great deal more information available about this version of the Bible and others available on this site and elsewhere, including in the form of memes.]
For example, the “New King James” Bible is not a new version of the “King James Bible”, or anything like it. At the front of most but not all NKJV bibles there is something called a triquetra which is considered to be one of the the oldest Celtic symbols. It is supposed to be a trinity symbol or symbol of the Godhead but it is, in fact, a hidden ‘666’ one of the most powerful satanic symbols.
The ‘triquetra’ (Latin meaning ‘three-cornered’) is a Celtic trefoil knot similar to the ‘valknot’ or ‘valknut’ or ‘knot of the slain’ which is an old Norse (Viking) symbol of Odin. Odin has been said to be Satan himself and there is an ‘unholy trinity’ of Odin the father, Thor the son and the spirit of power, Tyr.
A trinity of gods also occurs in many other religions such as Hinduism with Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Or the Babylonian/Egyptian trinity of Nimrod/Osiris, and Semiramis/Ishtar/Astarte/Ashtaroth/Isis in different cultures and languages and mentioned in the Bible as “the queen of heaven”, with Tammuz who is also mentioned in the Bible:
“Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.” (Ezekiel 8:14-17)
Even crosses and crucifixes, other than a very simple and plain cross in the standard form, in particular those with a figure on them, can be cursed. This may seem surprising but crucifixes with various embellishments are used in freemasonry and most occult religions, as well as Catholicism. Upside-down or broken or bent crosses (such as is used as a crook by the Pope) are used in black magic and satanism and would be blasphemous and therefore very much cursed.
The peace symbol is not only an image of a broken cross but is, in fact, the “cross of Nero” (see 4. above) and represents a man being crucified upside-down. More information can be found about this with a Google search. This ties in with what the Bible says: “They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.” (Jer 6:14)
Even pictures of Jesus can be cursed in part because the Bible does not provide a description of what he looked like which it would have done if we were supposed to make images of Him. To what extent anything like that would be cursed would be according to the nature of the pictures, etc. For example, a Roman Catholic ‘open heart’ picture would be likely to be a great deal more cursed than, say, one of the Margaret Tarrant pictures of Jesus.
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil.” (Proverbs 8:13)
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:4-6)
“I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” (Isaiah 42:8)*
*[See the end of this article for “What is a graven image?”]
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”(Deuteronomy 30:19)
The blessings of obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)
“And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.
“Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
“The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.
“And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee. And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
“The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”
The curses of disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-28)
“But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
“Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
“The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me. The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.
“The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
“The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away.
“The Lord will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.”
One might ask: “How can things that God created be cursed when the Bible says after God created the world and everything in it, He said it was good?
That is true, but it was before man brought sin into the world and God cursed the earth:
“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 3:17-19)
Persecution Live 