HI Deborah,
You wrote,
"During the first 3 and ½ years of the Covenant, God will send “Two Witnesses”, Two Prophets to preach repentance and prophecy to the Jews, urging the Jews to recognize Yeshua/Jesus as their Messiah, the one with pierced hands and feet due to his crucifixion as per Isaiah 53 and Zec 12:10. The scriptures warn (Rev 11:3-6) "They [the two prophets of God] have power to shut heaven, so no rain falls in the days of their prophecy [ 3 and ½ years]; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire." They kill anyone who tries to kill them. But after 1,260 days, (3 and ½ years) God will allow the antichrist to kill the Two Witnesses, and their bodies will be left unburied in the streets of Jerusalem. The death of the Two Witnesses will cause the world to rejoice make merry and to give gifts to each other. But 3 and ½ Days after their death, God will suddenly resurrected them and they will stand to their feet, causing great fear to abound. Then God will call them to Heaven and everyone will witness their ascension to Heaven."
Sorry, but the two witnesses' 1260 days will be the same 1260 days as the fleeing of those living in Judea (Rev. 12:6) The same time as the 42 months of trampling of Jerusalem, the same time as the 42 months of authority of the Beast, and the same 3 1/2 years those that fled will get protection: all of these five mentions of the last 3 1/2 years will be pretty much parallel: all happening at the same time.
It is a myth that the two witnesses testify in the first half.
Please notice that those living in Judea (the woman) flee in 12:6. What did Jesus say about that?
Matt 24
15When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)16Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Rev. 12:6 shows us those living in Judea doing exactly what Jesus said: FLEEING! But WHEN did Jesus tell them to flee? The very moment they see the abomination. Therefore, the abomination was JUST BEFORE Rev. 12:6.
Back up and see where:
Could not be 12:1-5 for that is a parenthesis about what Satan did when Jesus was born.
Could not be 11:16-19, for that is just praise and worship about the 7th trumpet.
Therefore, it is the 7th trumpet that "marks" the exact time of the abomination. God did not show John the abomination, but showed him what happened in heaven at the same time.
Dan 9:27 tells us that the abomination divides the week onto two halves, so the 7th trumpet is the exact midpoint of the week.
I said all that to get to this point: Rev 11: 4-13 is another parenthesis and not at all a part of John's chronology. In other words, the 7th trumpet does NOT sound after the resurrection of the two witnesses. That too is a myth.
Chapter 11 begins with the trampling: it is the Beast and his Gentile armies arriving in Jerusalem just before the abomination. (He MUST get there to abominate.) I would guess perhaps a week or two weeks before the exact midpoint.
Next, John saw the two witnesses show up. I believe they show up exactly 3 1/2 days before the 7th trumpet marks the midpoint of the week. Then, they testify for 1260 days, lay dead for 3 1/2 days, and are resurrected at the 7th vial, which ends the week. You will note that there is a tremendous earthquake when the two witnesses arise, and there is also a tremendous earthquake at the 7th vial. These two are the SAME earthquake. It is the time the Old Testament saints arise, and when God brings the atoms together for their bodies, so long dead, it will shake the entire earth so violently that the mountains will be shook down into the earth.
So in Rev 11:3, John is perhaps 3 1/2 days before the exact midpoint. But then, having introduced the two witnesses at that time, takes us on a SIDE JOURNEY, parenthesis, or rabbit trail, down the last 1260 days ONLY concerning the two witnesses. But this being a side journey or parenthesis and NOT related to chronology, when John finished with their story, in Rev. 11:14, John is STILL AT THE MIDPOINT, only now it is the EXACT midpoint, and the 7th trumpet sounds in heaven, while the Beast declares he is god in the temple.
Coop