Regardless of who we believe the two witnesses to be, the fact remains that just before the return of the Lord Jesus to the earth the witnesses of God will, in addition to the customary Kingdom works of casting out devils, healing the sick, and raising the dead, perform works of judgment that will cause much suffering.

Now consider: of whom and what will the two witnesses be testifying? They will be testifying of God, of His Kingdom, His will, His way, His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus. Because of God's Person, His Kingdom, His will, His way, His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus, the last-days testimony must include not only acts of deliverance and blessing but also acts of judgment and destruction. The testimony must show the severity of God as well as the goodness of God if it is to be balanced and accurate. Can you see that?

The ministry of today in some instances is attempting to love people into the churches. It is absolutely necessary that God's love be revealed to mankind through the churches. But if the churches do not reveal also the expectations of God including presenting our body a living sacrifice, denying ourselves, taking up our cross, dying to our adamic nature and walking in the new life of righteousness, holiness, and stern obedience to the Father, we are not preparing people adequately for what they will be facing from here on out.

If we coax people into the churches by telling only about the goodness and mercy of God, at what point will we inform them they are supposed to be crucified with Christ and living by His Life? When will we present to them the concept that they are the slaves of Jesus Christ and are to live in stern obedience to Him? When will we press the truth that they have been saved for the Glory of God and not so they will have a better personality and family life and that God reserves the right to bring them through every sort of suffering without offering any explanation?

When will they be told they have to endure to the end in order to be saved?

If we promise them a life free from suffering how will they fare when God begins to chastise them?

And if we promise them a rapture to deliver them from persecution, and severe persecution comes, as happened to the Chinese Christians some years back, and they are not raptured, what will we do then with these unprepared people?

There have been palace prophets and self-seeking teachers in every generation. Let us make sure we never come under either category.

Picture the Tabernacle of the Congregation described in the Book of Exodus. Think of a barn with no roof. You open the front doors. You cannot see through to the back wall because a veil is hanging from four pillars that conceals the last third of the barn, forming a box-shaped room at the end. That is the Holy of Holies. The two-thirds of the barn you can see is the Holy Place.

Now we are going to put a ceiling on the barn. We make two large curtains of fine white linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, having figures of cherubim wrought in them. Then we couple the two large curtains with fifty gold clasps. We use these two curtains as a ceiling for the barn with the fifty gold clasps over the veil and parallel to the veil.

When we are inside the Tabernacle and look up at the ceiling we see white, blue, purple, and scarlet and figures of cherubim. The cherubim are the image of God. The white, blue, purple, and scarlet speak of the fact that Christ and His brothers are born of man (Adam means red), born of God (blue), are rulers (purple--the blend of blue and red), and will govern in righteousness (white).

To be continued.