The two witnesses prophesy for 1260 days, until their testimony is done, and then they are overcome by the beast (Rev. 11:7). According to Daniel 7:21-22, the beast, whose 10 horns are 10 kings, prevails over the saints until the Ancient of Days comes, and the kingdom is given to the saints. The duration that the beast overcomes the saints is 3 1/2 years, or 42 months (Dan 7:25, Rev. 13:3-5). Jesus returns to earth to establish His rule, which the saints will share, at the end of the 70th week (Dan. 9:24-27, Rev. 20:4). If the beast overcomes the saints for 3 1/2 years ending at the Second Coming, and the two witnesses prophesy for 3 1/2 years until the beast overcomes them, then they must be prophesying during the first 3 1/2 years.

...........................................................benny

i agree...which brings about the question; why are the two witnesses needed if the church is here? some Christians would be able to tell by the signs and times that the antichrist has been revealed and would be telling anyone who would listen...but if the church is not here....and as you know, the Bible says that the antichrist could fool even us "if it were possible"...why would it not be possible to fool us...we will not be here...

good observation B

Revelation 11
The Two Witnesses
1I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. 2But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." 4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5If 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. 6These men have power to shut up the sky 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.
7Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. 8Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10The 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.

11But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12Then 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.

1I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. 2But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth............................................................................I noticed the statement of "count the worshipers there"......At the A.O.D. I do not believe that there would be anyone worshipping at the temple.....The Lord instructs the jews to flee into the wilderness when they see the Abomination Of Desolation come to pass...........many place the timing of the two wittnesses in the second half of Daniels 70th week........But take notice that when the two wittnesses are slain for thier testimony, that the world is giving gifts and making merry because these two wittnesses were slain.............The picture that I get is that at the end of Daniels 70 week, the world is not making merry or giving gifts to each other but instead the world has been gathered to fight at the battle of armegeddon.....When the two wittnesses begin to wittness for 1,260 days....I believe that they wittness in front of the temple.....anyone who would try to harm them, would be destroyed by fire coming out of thier mouths.....so the enemies of these two wittnesses would not really want to get too close to the two wittnesses, including the anti-christ. But when the testimony of these two wittnesses has been completed...The Lord allows them to be slain.....and then when that happens....the anti-christ can enter the temple and commit the A.O.D. and proclaim himself as god......so,It really does seem that these two wittnesses begin thier ministry at the very beginning of daniels 70th week.....which makes one realize that the 144,000 are sealed in the first week of Daniel also......................................benny

I would say this:

The 144,000 national Israelites are sealed just before the judgment of the tribulation of 7 years begins in chapter 8. They will not leave the earth with the living believers, but will be sealed for protection from any tribulation effects during their service. They will take the gospel first to national Israel (starting in Jerusalem - the Lord will lead them, but He will not be seen by the world) and then to the nations during the entire 7 year period. They will be the first mortal converts (first portion of believers) of the tribulation period and it is these (the many) that the Lord will confirm the 70 weeks of years covenant with by executing the 70th for the purpose of meeting the 6 objevtives scheduled for the believing remnant of national Israel in the 9th chapter of Daniel. The balance of the believing remnant part of national Israel in the nation will be those converts that flee at midweek (this is when the Lord will split the Mount of Olives to create the rift valley) to escape the beast and his followers when the nation is invaded. There will also be national Israelite converts living in the nations at the time and the beast will hunt for them after he is prohibited from reaching those who flee from "Judea" (Israel) into the Jordanian wilderness area at midweek.

The Lord's two prophets will appear in Jerusalem during the beast's rule for 42 months over Israel, Jerusalem, and the temple mount. They will operate right in his face and none will be able to harm them until they have completed their service which will be during the last 1,260 days of the 70th week. They will bring judgments against his kingdom and followers during the period and most who are martyred by the beast and his followers will have this experience during the same time frame.

The first 1,260 days of the 70th week will include the first major disaster of the destruction of MBG's "great city by the little horn (beast) and the 10 other kings. This will have enormous effects upon the world's system of commerce in addition to the devastation of the "great city" (western capitalistic holdings in general). This action will also position the beast and the 10 kings (who will be Middle Eastern based) to expand their Middle Eastern kingdom to include most of the Middle East including Egypt (south - the Egyptian leader will oppose him) and Israel by Midweek. Other nations to the far north and far east of the Middle East will oppose the ambitions of the little horn and he will go forth with great furry to destroy their military actions against him and possibly even their nations. The first 1,260 days will also include the release of satan's fallen angelics from the abyss (including Abaddon-Apolloyn, the beast who is the first beast of Revelation and who will completely possess the little horn) and from the Euphrates River. These will be under satan's command and they will assist in inflicting great harm to humans and damage upon the earth including the killing of billions.

The beast and the 10 kings will then rule principally over their divided Middle Eastern kingdom and will have a grip on world domination over the nations and their populations that are left. The beast will rule for 42 months (1,260 days) of the last half of the 70th week unopposed and will attempt to exterminate any humans who will not follow and worship him including those of both Israelite and gentile who will become believers during the tribulation period. Most will be hunted down and beheaded for refusal to submit to his cult which will be presided over by satan's false prophet. His rule will be cut short by the Lord who will execute judgment upon his kingdom and followers and destroy it in the next 30 days. These judgments are signified by the 7 vials and will culminate in the battle of Armageddon. Satan's beast and false prophet will be destroyed in the Lord's lake of fire and the little horn and followers will become bird food. Satan will be cast into the abyss and the Lord will rule a kingdom of the mortal survivors of the tribulation period on the earth for 1,000 years.

The Body of Christ will be made immortal just before the Lord brings His hour of trial (the 70th week) and they will observe the period from the heavenly state of existence. They are seen interactively in scripture several times as the tribulation events of Revelation unfold on the earth. Those who become believers during the tribulation period will either be martyred or will survive. Those martyred will be resurrected at the end of it and added to the Body of Christ as immortals. Then those who survive (this will include the 144,000 Israelites, the protected believing remnant part of Israel who flee, and the sheep of the nations) will be gathered by the Lord and will enter His millennial kingdom as mortals. These will populate His 1,000 year kingdom.

Satan (Gog) will be released from the abyss and will cause the nations (symbolically "Magog") to rebel against the Lord again at the end of His millennial reign and the Lord will then destroy all who are against Him including satan and those human spirits who will experience the second death. These tares will be gathered and burned in the lake of fire and the wheat (all believers) will be gathered into the barn (eternity - New heavens and earth).

If you need scriptures I will provide, but I assume most know them and can apply them to the above time line.

Dear Stephen,...Your reply to post #3...I have heard before....actually I had believed at one time that the two wittnesses began thier ministry in the second half of daniels 70th week......................but there is really not much in the way of scripture and/or logic that could really back that belief....as to where there is scripture combined with logic that backs my statement on post #3.........So I respectfully disagree with you post about the two wittnesses.....but I do agree with the rest of your post.............................benny

Benny,

Just a note. We do work together to gain a better understanding all of the time. Praise the Lord !!!

I see the two in the second 1,260 because the passage of their presence is given with the same time frame of the occupation of the beast and followers over Israel, Jerusalem, and the temple mount during his 42 month rule in chapter 11. This "trampling" is given first in chapter 11 and then the two witnesses appear in Jerusalem which will be under the occupation of the beast. I would say that the judgments brought on by these two prophets will be primarily against the followers of the beast during the second 1,260 days and this will require the necessity of the two prophets to have supernatural ability for protecting themselves. These two will really be the only ones on the earth who will have the capacity to contend with the beast and his supernatural powers that he will derive from satan (all other human effort will fail). The vexation that they cause will encourage the beast to kill them, but only when the Lord allows. Their ascension seems to be adjacent to the 3rd woe (7th trumpet - 7 vials) which I believe will begin at the end of the second 1,260 and extend for the next 30 days ending in the battle of Armageddon. Other than that ..... I see no specific links to the timing of their witness. Not really much to go on for this placement during the 70th week.