Suppositions
Versus Truth!
                                                                                         By Pastor F. M. Riley
                                                                                         October 24, 2018
     "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good,"
                                                                                 1 Thessalonians 5:21.  
Introduction
     I have received several responses to my recent study entitled, "God's Two Witnesses."  Most of the replies have been positive, with some even thanking me for helping them to resolve some problems they have had in studying this subject.  
     However, I have also received a response or two which rejected the truth set forth in my study, based on their own suppositions.  Right here I want to thank every reader who responded, both pro and con, thereby giving me the incentive and opportunity to further the truth of God's Word.  I love God's Word, and I want our readers to love it too!
The Definition
     For the benefit of those readers who may not be familiar with the term, "supposition," I offer the following definition taken directly from the dictionary......
     Supposition.......The act of supposing; theory.  Supposing a thing is a certain way, without proof that it is that way at all.  
A Common Supposition
     I was told by a reader that it is impossible for John the Revelator to be one of God's Two Witnesses, for the Scripture is quite plain that "the beast" [anti-christ] will kill the two witnesses, Rev. 11:7.  
     Quote: "Since the inspired Word explicitly states that ".....it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment," Hebrews 9:27, then there is simply no way that John, who has already died once, could come back and have to die again," unquote.
     According to this brother's reasoning, Elijah and Enoch could be  the two witnesses since "they are the only two men in the Bible which never died,"  But, according to this brother,  there is no way John could come back and die a second time.  Oh, is that so?  
     Upon hearing this supposition for the first time, it sounds like a reasonable argument  to most of God's  people.  It really makes "good sense" doesn't it?  Dear readers, this supposition never did sound good or make good sense to me!  Why?  Because, by the grace of God, I am familiar with my Bible.  Such an argument is a mere supposition that is made by those believers who haven't paid careful attention to the truths they have read in God's Word. So let's examine this brother's supposition in the light of God's Word, and see what the Word actually teaches.......
Who Made the Appointment?
     The Lord God, having created Adam, explicitly told him while he was still in the Garden and in a state of innocence, ".....Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
     But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die," Genesis 2:16-17.  
     Now dear readers, who made man's appointment with death?  Did Adam make it, or was it made by the Lord God Himself?   The answer should be glaringly obvious to every honest reader.  I sure don't think Adam wanted to die, nor had any desire to die, not even after he had disobeyed the Lord in eating of the forbidden fruit.  
     Since it was the Lord God who made man's appointment with death, then it is only the Lord God  who has the power and Scriptural authority to break that appointment.  And He has broken that appointment  a number of times in human history, with each occasion being clearly recorded in the Bible.
The Obvious  
      We already know that the Lord God broke man's appointment with death for Enoch, Genesis 5:18-24; Hebrews 11:5.  
     Then the Lord God also broke man's appointment with death for Elijah, as recorded in 2 Kings 2:11.  
     Neither of these two men have yet experienced death, so according to this brother, Elijah can be one of God's "two witnesses," for he has never died, but no way could John be one of them, for he has already died once, and it is "appointed to man once to die!"    
     Elijah will most certainly be one of the "two witnesses,"  for the inspired Word clearly states that Elijah will be sent back to Israel ".....before that great and dreadful day of the Lord," Malachi 4:5-6.
     Dear readers, the Lord God plainly identified Elijah by his name in stating that he would be sent back to Israel.  Then shouldn't the other "witness" also be identified by his name?  Think about it!  
Others Who Died Twice
     The brother explicitly told me that only Enoch and Elijah never died, so they have to be the "two witnesse," based upon the fact that it is appointed unto man once to die.   Sorry, but this argument is a supposition, and is not  spiritual truth!  And now I purpose to tell God's people why.   Thank you for asking!
      1 Kings 17.......The Widow's son.......In this chapter Elijah the prophet prayed that the rain be stopped from falling upon the earth during the reign of wicked King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel.  Read the chapter and compare James 5:17-18.   Then to protect Elijah, the Lord God sent him into the wilderness, and sent ravens to supply his need for food.  But after the streams  upon the earth began to dry up from the prolonged drouth, the Lord told Elijah to go to "Zarepheth," where the Lord had prepared a widow to take care of Elijah during the years of drouth.  The widow had a son, whom she apparently loved very much.  During Elijah's stay at the widow's home, the son became sick and died, 17:17-20.  Elijah then prayed to the Lord God, and the soul of the widow's dead son returned back into his body, and he lived again, 17:22-23.  
     These Scriptures make it quite plain that this son of the widow died, and then was restored to life.  
     Now dear readers, tell me, where is the widow's son today?  Is he still living on the earth since some 3,000 years ago?   Obviously not!  The Bible does not give us anymore information about the widow's son, but if he lived the normal life of mankind, then he obviously grew old and eventually died a second time.  In plain English, he died twice!  Is this just  too hard for some readers to understand?
     John 11.....Lazarus.......Every reader is surely familiar with the inspired account of Lazarus in this chapter.  Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, became sick and ultimately died, 11:13-14;  11:17; 11:21; 11:32; 11:37; 11:39; 11:43-44.  I listed each of these Scriptures to emphasize that Lazarus really died, and had been dead for four days when Christ raised him back to life.  
     Now when we leave the Book of John, we read no more about Lazarus, but now after 2,000 years he is not still alive on the earth today.  So it is safe to assume that Lazarus grew old and ultimately died a second time.  Hello!
     Acts 9.....Dorcas [Tabitha].......The death of this woman occurred after the Lord Jesus had ascended back to Heaven in Acts 1:9.  Read the entire account in Acts 9:36-42.  Dorcas obviously was a believer, who lived in the city or village of Joppa.  The Scripture states that she became sick and died, 9:37.  The Apostle Peter was preaching nearby and the disciples in Joppa sent for Peter to come.  Peter came and prayed to the Lord for her to be raised from the dead, and the Lord answered Peter's prayer, by restoring Dorcas to life, 9:40-41.  
     Again, this happened nearly 2,000 years ago.  Is Dorcas still living on the earth today?  Obviously not!  At some point in her life she obviously died a second time.  
     Acts 20.....Eutychus.....Oh yes, let's not forget the account of the Apostle Paul preaching until midnight, 20:7-12.  There was a young man named Eutychus, sitting in the window of the chamber where the disciples had assembled to hear Paul preach.  As the hour of the night was late, and it was warm in the room due to the many lights, Eutychus first fell into a deep sleep, then Eutychus  fell out of the window, "...and was taken up dead, 20:9.  Paul then fell on Eutychus and embraced him, and his life came back into him.  
     Folks, Eutychus is not still living on the earth today.  At some point in his life, he died a second time.  
Other Scriptural Proof
     In the "faith" chapter of the Bible, Hebrews 11, the inspired writer is emphasizing the results of believers exercising "faith" in the Lord God.  In Hebrews 11:35, the Scripture explicitly states, "Women received their dead raised to life again..."  
     I have listed four examples of people who died "graveyard dead," and yet were restored to life.  There are other instances in the Bible of  dead people who were raised and restored to life, which I did not list, and this inspired Scripture in Hebrews 11:35 makes this clear.  
Scriptural & Logical Conclusions
     Now all of these people who died and were then restored to life have one thing in common.  At some point in their lives, they all died a second time.  None of them are still living on the earth today!  
    Therefore the argument that John the Revelator himself cannot be one of God's "two witnesses" because it is "appointed unto man once to die," is nothing more than mere supposition on the part of those who believe that man's appointment with death makes a difference in how God's Word is fulfilled.   
     Folks, Almighty God is still in charge.  He can break man's appointment with death anytime He chooses, and has done so numerous times throughout human history.  And He will do so again!  
     Let the truth of God's Word soak in.  Remember, "it is appointed to man once to die," Hebrews 9:27.  Yet when the rapture of all true believers occurs, there will be thousands of believers from nations and peoples all over the earth, who, just like Enoch and Elijah, will never die!  This should make it clear to every reader willing to deal honestly with the Scriptures, that the Lord God is in charge, and can make exceptions to man's appointment with death whenever He chooses.  
Conclusion
     Therefore, without apology to anyone,  I stand by what I felt led of the Lord to write about John himself being one of God's "two witnesses."  Any reader surely can understand that at the time John was told to "rise" [from the dead], John was not dead.
       John was also told to measure the Temple, but at that time, there was no Temple in existence for John to measure.   I would also point out that there has been no Temple built since John was told to "measure" it  in Revelation 11.
     Therefore if John is ever to fulfill what he was told to do in Rev. 11, then he has to do it in the future Tribulation period as one of God's "two witnesses."  Is this just too hard for some readers to understand?  
     Well...???  May the Lord God bless the truths of His Word to the hearts and minds of every reader.  See you folks SOON in glory.
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     Permission is granted to any true believer, or Bible believing Christian ministry to reproduce this study to share with others.  Please do!  
     My personal contact information:
POSTAL.......Pastor F. M. Riley, 14275 Co. Rd. 8120, Rolla, MO 65401
EMAIL..........francismriley34@gmail.com
PHONE........573-202-6493
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