The two cornerstones of the gospel are the law and prophecy. These are presented and affirmed in various forms in both the Old and New Testaments. Particularly as the two “olive trees” that wage the spiritual battle against great adversaries for us humans. Humans “only” have to want this for themselves.
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Law and Prophets Simultaneously
The Law and the Prophets. A fundamental standard and the ultimate “guideline” throughout the entire Gospel. Law and Prophets together form the foundation upon which everything stands. The fate of every individual depends on these principles. It is no coincidence that the Law and Prophets are highlighted, presented, and emphasized in the Bible in their various forms.
Moses – The Law
The first five books of the Bible are the first five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). They represent the Law and have therefore always been referred to as the “Torah.” The word “Torah” comes from the Hebrew and means “to teach” or “to lead.” Rather, the designation of the five books of Moses as “the Law” stems from the term “nomos,” which, however, was introduced by the Jewish scribes in the Alexandria area for their Greek translation of the Septuagint.
In addition to the creation account, where it all began, the books of Moses contain the “constitution” with the fundamental laws from the Ten Commandments. Found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 (Info).
Moses – Also a Prophet
Moses himself was already a prophet. Sent by God to free the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and lead them into the land promised to Abraham. From the very beginning, the people of Israel had always needed admonishing and corrective leadership, for the people’s “stubbornness” ultimately culminated in a desert wandering lasting four decades. Deuteronomy 9:11:
“And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.“
Moses never tired of proclaiming God’s will to the wandering people. Stubborn and stubborn as they were, Moses had a truly challenging and particularly sacrificial time during the last third of his 120-year life.
Prophets were desperately needed
The people of Israel repeatedly apostatized from the faith. They abandoned the path assigned to them, developed a life of their own, and completely failed to fulfill their most fundamental task: to observe God’s laws (obedience) and thus be a light to the Gentiles in a dark world. As long as the people remained faithful to God, they lived prosperously and thus served as an example to the ever-suspicious neighboring countries and beyond.
But the people were “stubborn.” They did not limit themselves to mere trade relations with the Gentiles; they also entered into marriages and largely adopted their idol worship. (Info).
One after another, God sent His chosen prophets to the people of Israel to repeatedly admonish them to return to the one true path. In addition to the so-called great prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, and even Malachi, there were numerous other prophets who either did not write their own writings or are not mentioned at all. But the people did not want.
Not Inability, but Unwillingness
The gospel, the good news about the possible path to salvation for every single person, is anything but complicated. It is only blown up into an impenetrable tangle by those who either don’t want to understand it or deliberately want to lead people in the wrong direction.
False preachers indeed have an easy time of it, because people’s willingness to obey God is not particularly strong. It’s as if the fall of humanity had flipped a switch that switched the “operating system” to rebellion.
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” (Jeremiah 6:16)
This resentment dragged on until the final hours, which culminated in 70 AD. The Roman general Titus conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the city and its temple. Jesus Christ not only predicted this but also lamented this end and even stated the reason.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37).
There is nothing mystical
This unwillingness runs like a thread through (almost) the entire Gospel. Nowhere is there any indication of “misunderstandings,” “lack of understanding,” or anything “mystical.” It was and remains to this day always the unwillingness to obey. Obedience, to whom and to what? God and His Law! (The Ten Commandments, not the laws of Moses – Info)
“Yes, but there is the mystery of God, as in Revelation 10:7.” Anyone who reads the entire verse will figure it out for themselves:
“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.“
The “mystery of God” is nothing other than the gospel. This also emphasizes another task of the prophets: to proclaim this very message of salvation to humanity. If someone or a church maintains an entire repertoire of “mystical” things, then this cannot be right. For “mysticism” is necessary when one cannot explain or justify a postulated doctrine. However, the standard of justification is always the Word of God.
No secrets
Jesus Christ, who was, is, and remains the same, emphasized not for nothing that He taught nothing secret or mysterious, something that only “enlightened chosen ones” could possibly understand and convey. Nor did Jesus Christ teach in a “secret circle,” John 18:20:
“Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.“
Jesus Christ also provided the principle for this, John 7:4:
“For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.“
God’s Work Through His “Olive Trees”
The Law and Prophecy. The will of God and His law, proclaimed by chosen men to humanity. These two entities appear repeatedly in both the Old and New Testaments, each in its own different form.
Zechariah 4:11-14:
“Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.“
“The Two Sons of Oil.” The Law and Prophecy. A direct parallel can be found to the “two witnesses” in Revelation 11:4:
“These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.“
These “two witnesses” are also represented as the New Testament and the Old Testament, as well as personified as Moses and Elijah (Info). Neither is wrong, for all of them are found as the Gospel. Moses as the representative of the Law, and Elijah as the prime example of prophecy and the proclamation of the Word of God. Found today in the Old and New Testaments..
Confronted by the adversary
So these “two witnesses” are the “two olive trees” standing before whom? Described in Zechariah as “the ruler of the whole earth” and in Revelation as “the god of the earth.” This “ruler” of the earth refers to the adversary, who (still) holds the scepter of this fallen world in his hand. Both witnesses, or olive trees, stand, stop the adversary. The word of God still goes out to humanity. The Battle
After the casting out of Satan and his vassals from heaven to earth, the rejoicing in heaven was correspondingly great (Revelation 12:10):
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.“
The defeat of the adversary and his followers occurred after the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Satan’s unjustified rebellion was thus proven. Even more importantly, God’s justice and, above all, His love were demonstrated. Furthermore, it is unlikely that Satan needed much time to realize that he was banished to Earth (Revelation 12:13):
“And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.“
The adversary immediately set out to persecute the still very young Christian community.
God will withdraw His Spirit
The two olive trees are the “sons of oil,” as described in Zechariah. Oil is the symbol of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit of God, who puts a stop to the adversary and his evil deeds. The spiritual battle is waged by false teachings against the pure, unadulterated gospel. That is, the law and prophecy. These two will be “put to death,” as Revelation 11 describes.
The French Revolution provides the historical model at a local level. The Bible as a whole was banned in the course of the revolution. Books and other writings were even burned. The people rejoiced, happy to finally be freed from the “gag.” However, it must be considered that this human tribulation was not actually caused by the written Word of God, but by its perversion by the Roman Catholic Church and its centuries-long tyranny. Its murderous dictatorship “in the name of Christ” came to an end in 1798… temporarily..
Two witnesses are killed
If the true Word of God were removed, this, of course, also presupposed God’s will. If God didn’t want to allow this, it wouldn’t happen. It’s that simple. There’s therefore a good reason why this will happen. From another perspective, God will withdraw His Spirit (“oil”), thereby allowing greater scope for Satan’s activities.
A clear indication of God’s intentions is provided by the “10 horns,” which represent the (pseudo-)kings of the final time. They will hand over their kingdom and rule to the (last) beast because (Revelation 17:17):
“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.“
No, God does not manipulate people’s hearts, especially not to their own detriment. Just as God “hardened” Pharaoh’s heart to prevent the people of Israel from leaving, this expresses that at some point the cup will finally overflow if the work of the Holy Spirit is continually rejected and one’s own conscience is acted upon. It’s not so easy to “blaspheme the Holy Spirit” (Info), but once this happens, there is no hope.
God just allows this?
Why does God do this and simply allow it? True to the (human) motto: “Only in times of crisis does a person’s true character become apparent,” God allows all of this so that people’s hearts, their faith (or unbelief), and thus their actions, become evident to all. People’s actions reveal their true character. People themselves justify the judgment God passes on them.
This has been true since Adam and Eve after their first fall into sin, throughout all of history, and also until the “great finale,” which, as things stand, is not far off. Thus, obedience to God has always been the “great secret” that decides between salvation and final annihilation. To this end, the “two sons of oil” (still) perform their service for God out of His love for His people.
Unbroken Relevance
Further Bible verses that reinforce the inseparable interplay of the law and the prophets and their importance to this day.
Matthew 5:17:
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.“
Matthew 7:12:
“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.“
Matthew 22:37-40:
(“Love Commandments of Jesus” – Info).
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.“
Luke 24:44:
“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.“
Acts 24:14:
“But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:“
Romans 3:21:
“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;“
Bible verses from King James Version (1611)
