Revelation 11: The Two Witnesses - Part 7
Before presenting historic examples of Holy Ghost testimony by those who were brought before the Roman Catholic authorities to answer for their religious crimes against the Church, a review of New Testament examples is in order.
As stated previously, Jesus had promised not only His Father and Holy Spirit would sovereignly speak through His witnesses, but He, too, would sovereignly give them a mouth and wisdom which could not be refuted by their adversaries (Matt. 10; Mark 13; Luke 12 & 21).
ACTS 4
Peter and John were arrested for preaching the Gospel. When formally confronted by the Jewish authorities, Scripture tells us, Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them……
After Peter unhesitantly confessed Christ, Scripture states, Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled…and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. For they had no ‘official’ certification by the religious authorities to do so, nor would they be getting such certification.
Like Christ’s witnesses through the centuries, Peter, John and those with them refused to be silent, preaching the truth despite the threats against life and limb.
And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them……And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Acts 6
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.
10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
These types of disputations were to be all too common between Christ’s witnesses and the Roman Catholic religious authorities through the centuries, as the Inquisitional records attest.
And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council….. And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
In this verse we have confirmation the 7 angels of the 7 churches were not literal angelic beings, but were prophets filled with the Spirit, given a mouth and wisdom; angel-messengers sent to God’s people to preach encouragement, rebuke, repentance and judgment.
Stephen’s reward for delivering his uncompromising, politically incorrect sermon was death by stoning. So, too, would Christ’s witness-messengers testifying through the ages meet with such a brutal demise.
Stephen exposed their sins of idolatry, false worship, persecution, betrayal and murder of all the prophets sent by God. This same message has been delivered time and time again by the true saints of God against the Roman Catholic Church. Stephen was put to death for his Christian witness by the very ones who claimed the true God their Father. This is exactly what Jesus prophesied (John 16:2). History attests Christ’s prophecy held true, as seen in the deaths of untold numbers of Christians since the martyrdom of Stephen.
Acts 13
6 And when they [Barnabas, Paul and John) had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him.
10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
Elymas, a sorcerer and false prophet was a Jew who claimed belief in the true God. He opposed the Gospel and those preaching it. Paul, discerning the true nature of this adversary by the power of the Holy Ghost, rebuked him, decreeing God’s judgment against him.
In like manner, Christ’s witnesses throughout the ages discerned the true nature of their Roman Catholic false prophet opponents by exposing the satanic sorcery involved in promulgating the doctrine of Transubstantiation among the throngs of naïve, ignorant, trusting Catholics.
Sadly, we are told in Revelation 9 repentant turning from such wicked idolatrous practices will not happen for most:
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Next: Examples of historic Holy Ghost witnesses for the truth.