Thank you. I do find value in other interpretations but I am presenting here one that I've been led (by Holy Spirit) into through a lot of time in the Word. I don't mean to say so therefore it must be. I just mean to say that I'm not spit-balling ideas here. Rev 13 is meant to be read as a timeline and a narrative with important time signatures. 42 months is not something that I have ever seen meaning something greater than about 3.5 years (of man's years).

Thus the beast represents the kingdoms that will bear rule over the world from Adam until the second coming of Christ. While in the spirit, this beast is seen as a personality as in Revelation 19:20, in the physical he is represented at different ages throughout the period of human existence as different kingdoms.

Christopher Chalfant: "42 months is not something that I have ever seen meaning something greater than about 3.5 years (of man's years)" Precisely how we can error my friend, It is God's Prophetic years we are in need of seeing.

Revelation 12:6 (KJV): And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days.

There is no shortage of agreement that Israel, is the "woman" in the context of this verse. If we then consider that the end of the 1260 "days" was when Israel came out of "the wilderness" (of the people Ezekiel 20:35), or out from being scattered among the nations, returning home and declaring her independence in 1948, and subtract 1260 years ("each day for a year"), we arrive at 688 AD. The starting of construction of The Dome of The Rock.
Since that time, the "two witnesses" (Israel, God's chosen people, and The Body of Christ) were shut out of the Holy Land and it was a desolate place.

If you are willing, get more insight into the "day,year" principle by reading "The False Prophet" and "The Mathmatical Precision of God's timing" at Beholdthebeast.com for free. It will expand your knowledge to know the "seals" are opened.

peace to you and yours.

I have no disagreement about the day/years meanings in prophecy. But I am also highlighting that in Rev 13, the language Jesus used was "42 months". There are several overlapping prophecies and they can have a literal and figurative timeline . But in this narrative it is "42 months". I don't think we can use a different scripture to then expand 42 months into days and then years. We then don't see the significance of the words that Jesus actually used. So I don't see "42 months" used anywhere else in scripture to mean anything other than 42 months.

In fact I think this is why we should expect the 2 witnesses in chapter 11 to be revealed in the final 42 months of the great tribulation period.

So while it can mean 1260 years in Hosea, and for Israel - it can also mean 42 months about the woman in the wilderness in Rev 12 (expressed as time, times and half a time) or 3.5 years.

How is it that the Two Witnesses lay dead in the street for three days?

How would this apply to the Rev 13 narrative? Side note: I think we should pay close attention to the 3-headed eagle prophecy of Second Esdras. In chapter 12 of 2 Esdras, the interpretation is given and explains that it is further explanation of the Fourth Beast of Daniel. This 3 headed eagle is easily connected to the manifestation of the UK, Vatican and DC headed Beast we are contending with today.

I think you and I agree on some very important things. And that really just means that we both agree with the Word.

I don't know if it matters that we positively identify the two witnesses before they are revealed openly. But my placeholders have been Elijah and Enoch. I think we're going to soon recognize that Enoch is far more important than we have been conditioned to think.

I agree the Beast is not an individual but the two witnesses are. Another book that does not get enough attention is Second Esdras. I think I already mentioned this to you. But it shows how we can't just assign the Beast an identity and then be done with it. As many point out that in the 1st century and the fall of the 2nd temple, that many of these characters were embodied then. This should be no surprise to students of prophecy. So I think 2 Esdras helps us recognize the final manifestation of the fourth beast.

Side note, I think when you're replying you are using a new comment input box rather than the reply box. Kudos for the scripture.

1. I hit reply,... right under your Side note comment. I hope this works better.

Let us keep pressing forward and encouraging one another to Seek first His Kingdom, and know The King IS coming back soon. Amen?

Revelation 11:3 ... and I will grant authority to my two witnesses,
and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days,
clothed in sackcloth..

Taking the day-year principle of Eze 4:5-6 into consideration,
those two witnesses would have to witness for 1260 years. No one
in this age lives that long, so who can they be? The Next verse tells us who they are.

Revelation 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two
candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

Hummm ... olive trees and candlesticks. What can those figures
mean? Unless the Lord's Two Witnesses are a pair of real elderly
fruit-bearing olive trees and a couple of really ancient, oil-dripping
candlesticks, then, like it or not, we are dealing with figurative Language my brother.

So let's see if we can find biblical definitions for olive
trees and candlesticks.
To sort these figures out we probably need to apply one of the
rules of hermeneutics1. Now, hermeneutics is not a discipline we
play games with to fit our doctrines. It is a sound study of how to
interpret either the spoken word or a written document. Hermen-
eutics has some excellent, time-tested rules. Among them is the
rule of "scriptural adjacency." That rule states: When you read
something you don't understand, first study the surrounding text,
then the chapter, then the book in which that chapter appears,
then the testament that contains that book, and finally, relate the
verse to the whole Bible. That is one of the rules, and it's a very
good one. In other words ...

We don't go to the Old Testament for definitions of New
Testament figures when there are New Testament definitions
that fit perfectly! 2

In Rev 11:4 quoted above, the Two Witnesses of the Christian Era
are described as olive trees and candlesticks. To find the correct
definition for those figures, we should find the closest contextual
address which explains them. Lo and behold, right in Revelation
we find candlesticks defined:

Revelation 1:20 The 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.

so, you still think two people are witnesses? So much to know and study huh?
Praise God for His provision. Its not a mystery as some would like to say.

peace.

Zechariah 4 appears to be the reference we should look to for understanding the two witnesses.

Verse 14
"So he said, "These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.""

Two anointed ones.

We should trust that Jesus chose His words precisely. So He doesn't say "two" arbitrarily.

I've heard people argue that it represents the church and the state, Law and the Priesthood, kings and priests, Moses and Elijah spirits within organizations, etc.

I'm not unfamiliar with these concepts. But they do not satisfy the whole scripture in Rev 11 about these "Two anointed ones".

Luke 9:27 says, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

John 21:23
Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

Rev10

9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

John the disciple is one of two Witnesses