The Rapture, the Two Witnesses, and the Imminent Return of Christ

One of the clearest ways Scripture points to the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ is found in the powerful imagery of the Mount of Transfiguration and its prophetic parallels.

In Matthew 17:1–2 (KJV), we read:

"And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."

Jesus takes His closest disciples to a mountain, away from the rest, and is revealed in glory. This is more than a private moment—it is a prophetic picture of what is to come. Peter, James, and John represent the believing remnant, caught up to be with the Lord, separate from the judgment about to unfold on the earth.

The Mount of Transfiguration foreshadows the rapture of the church. As Jesus revealed His glory, Moses and Elijah appeared beside Him, representing the law and the prophets. These same figures reappear in the Book of Revelation as the two witnesses.

Revelation 11:3–6 (KJV) says:

“And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies…
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not… and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues…”

These witnesses are not sent to preach the gospel of grace. They are not offering an invitation—they are declaring judgment. Clothed in sackcloth, they prophesy during the time of tribulation, bringing plagues, droughts, and fire. They are empowered by God, not to reconcile, but to convict and to judge.

This aligns with God's prophetic timeline. While today is the age of grace—marked by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the preaching of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18–20)—the time of the two witnesses will be one of wrath and righteous judgment. Their message will be one of warning, not invitation.

During their ministry, they will prophesy for 1,260 days, or three and a half years, from Jerusalem. Revelation 11:8 notes:

“And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.”

This is Jerusalem, under judgment, not blessing. And once their testimony is finished, the beast will rise, kill them, and their bodies will lie in the streets until God raises them again (Revelation 11:11–12).

This is the time of great tribulation that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:21:

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

Right now, we are still in the window of grace. But prophecy is converging. The rise of global lawlessness, the cry for peace in the Middle East, the accelerating apostasy in the church, and the stirrings in Israel are all signs that the time is near. We do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36), but we are commanded to be ready and watching.

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Call to Repentance and Gospel Message:

Friend, if you have not placed your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, the time is now. The days of grace will not last forever. The door of salvation is still open, but soon it will be shut.

Romans 3:23 says,

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Romans 6:23 warns,

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 10:9 assures us,

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Jesus died for your sins, rose again, and is returning soon. Will you be ready?