Because of the rebellion against the Lord God of the earth, the worldly rulers and peoples will be tormented. God's anointed witnesses will interfere with their pleasures and their self-seeking. But the wicked will not be able to stop the witness, neither will Antichrist be able to stop the witness, until God is satisfied that the testimony has been given to perfection.

The saints will bring plagues on the earth, praying in the Spirit until nature cooperates with the Gospel witness.

We are reminded of Moses, of Elijah, and particularly of Elisha and the two bears (two witnesses) that killed forty-two young men (forty-two months, the period of time set aside for the invincible latter-rain testimony—II Kings 2:24).

Since the Book of Revelation is mostly symbolic representations of spiritual realities, perhaps the plagues that accompany the prophecy of the two witnesses are symbolic of spiritual events and circumstances.

It may be true that shutting heaven "that it rain not in the days of their prophecy" has, in addition to the natural application, a spiritual significance. It may indicate that the anointed saints will possess the authority and power to bind and loose in the spirit realm such that the Glory of God will be manifest and will operate only as they direct. There will be no flowing of revival except in accordance with the will of Christ expressed through the saints.

There will be no more groups of believers called by the name of Christ but "eating their own bread and wearing their own apparel," as is true today (Isaiah 4:1). There will be no more "synagogues of Satan" made up of people who claim to be "Jews" (God's people—Revelation 3:9). In that day it will be manifest that there is but one Church, one Body, one Word of testimony concerning the Person and will of Almighty God.

What would happen to the Christian witness if God clothed the true saints with glory and also gave them the power to stop the flow of spiritual life to those who call themselves Christians but who are not? Can you think of any other act of God that would enhance the testimony of Christ more than this?

Anyone can call himself a Christian now. Perhaps this will not be the case in the days to come. The power to give the Holy Spirit may be restored to God's apostles. How would this assignment of authority and power to the true saints affect the Christian witness?

The greatest single hindrance to the Christian testimony today may be the multitude of sects that call themselves Christian but that practice and speak things that are not of Christ.

If God granted great authority and power to the leaders of the churches of today the result would be a huge denomination in which self-seeking men and women strove for position. But the members of the remnant will have been cleansed beforehand of the self-seeking that has divided the Church, the one Body of Christ, into a thousand denominations, destroying the witness of Christ.

To be continued.