Mr. Therapon,
It is apparent that not everyone will agree with you and that is their right (I am not even fully persuaded, but at least there are those who are willing to hear you out). But, how will you get people to see what you see if you choose to continue debating those who are clearly opposed instead of going forward and answering those who are trying to understand?
You are so right, brother, and I apologize. I’ve got so many people kicking at my bones and I sometimes lose perspective. if I remember correctly, you were asking for my take on Revelation five 11:5-6.
“And 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. These 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.”
Beginning with Joseph’s visions in Genesis 37 and on down through Scripture, we find that all prophetic visions are figurative. Daniel’s great image of ch.2, the 4 beasts and 2 beasts of chs. 7 & 8, the visions of Zachariah, Peter’s sheet full of unclean beasts, all our figurative! Revelation is a also vision, so it is reasonable to conclude that 11:5-6 is also
figurative so let’s look at those verses from that perspective and not all of it shows the church in a good light . . .
“And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth (“is not my word like a fire?”), and devoureth their enemies (spiritually): and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed (spiritually by not coming to the Lord). These have power to shut heaven (“whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven”), that it rain not (the water of the word) in the days aof their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood (to corrupt the Gospel with false doctrine, which we indeed have), and to smite the earth with all plagues (wars), as often as they will.”
Might as well exegete the rest of thje passage for you, too . . .
Revelation 11:7 “And when they (The Two Witnesses) shall have finished their testimony (among the Gentile nations, 1948-1967), the beast (Satan) that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make (spiritual) war against them, and shall overcome them (spiritually with materialism, false doctrine and the cares of this world), and kill them” (spiritually).
Revelation 11:8-11, NAS (Excerpts) “And their dead bodies (Greek: πτώμα, pto’-ma, by definition: a fall, a ruin, the carcass, the bones, i.e., the empty churches.) will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified (Jerusalem). And those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations (the Moslems in the surrounding lands) will look at their dead bodies (the empty churches) for three and a half days (Years of day-years, i.e., from 688AD to 1967AD) and will not permit their dead bodies (the empty churches) to be laid in a tomb (to be torn down). And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets (the Christians and Jews) tormented those who dwell on the earth” (it is torment for the lost when the gospel is preached and they refuse to repent).
