The Jewish-Roman War & the Two Witnesses in the Great Tribulation

Author: Michele at ScriptureStudy.Guide
Posted: December 21, 2022. Updated January 23, 2023.

Everything I have learned about biblical history and prophecy just fell into place when I saw this diagram:

Image source: RefuteIt.com

RefuteIt.com drew up this excellent diagram to explain a future 7-year tribulation before Jesus’ second coming, but we know the second coming has already occurred from late-66 to early-70 AD (details here). We also know that futurism of all biblical prophecy is false doctrine written by those are trying to implement a new world order and one world religion to bring the entire world under Communism (sources here and here).

So I examined the diagram above to see if I could apply it to the 7 years that included the 66-70 AD Great Tribulation, and I checked the historical accounts of that time, and it fits PERFECTLY. The guys who created the awesome diagram above have it 100% correct, they just applied it to the wrong time frame, probably not being aware of Jesus’ 2nd coming having already occurred.

Combining historical events with the above diagram showed me that Peter and Paul were the two witnesses for a literal 3 1/2 years, and they laid dead in the streets of Jerusalem for 3 1/2 days before being raised and ascending into heaven. Historical accounts can tell us the exact day that Rome caught fire, but can only guess what happened to Peter and Paul and when (and their guesses always push their false narrative, such as the Catholic church claiming their use of the upside down Satanic cross has something to do with Peter maybe being crucified upside down). But what we do know can place them in the region during the days of the two witnesses.

This article is going to provide the biblical details and historical accounts that support the above claims so we will know exactly where we are on God’s timeline.

All 7 Years Were Horrible

The dispensationalist false doctrine of futurism teaches a 7-year tribulation with 3 1/2 good years and 3 1/2 bad years. But the Great Tribulation of Matthew 24:21 consisted of 7 years that were awful for the apostate Jews and the Romans.

A Day is a Literal Day

In bible prophecy, interpreters want to turn a day into a year because of two Old Testament verses: Numbers 14:33-34a and Ezekiel 4:4-6. But I found that was not necessary to do for prophecy.

With the 63-70 AD Great Tribulation, a day was a literal day and a year was a literal year.

Dual Fulfillments?

Some people can turn the 1260-day period to a 1260-year period of tribulation for Christians during the church age by using 2 Peter 3:8 incorrectly (the word thousand G5507 there is not a number — details here).

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

2 Peter 3:8 (KJV)

That verse actually means a day is as uncountable spiritual years with the Lord. An earthly day where we have times and seasons cannot make a day to be a thousand years.

That error could be supported if we take Ecclesiastes 1:9 into account:

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (KJV)

However, one has to misuse the adjective G5507 thousand as a primary number to make a dual fulfillment of the Great Tribulation fit. G5507 is describing a spiritual age/time associated with Revelation 20 and isn’t a number that counts literal years (details in this study).

Additionally, the Great Tribulation happened to the literal House of Jacob/Israel and their Sanhedrin, city and temple from 63-70 AD. We are told that we will NEVER see another time like that again in the earth (Matthew 24:21).

Spiritual Israel is under grace and the wicked are being left to do wickedly until earth’s final day — we’ve all had tribulation during the Church Age but it wasn’t the wrath of God.

The Matthew 24 Great Tribulation like this world had never seen and will never see again happened in 63-70 AD to the literal House of Jacob/Israel and not to spiritual Israel under grace during the Church Age.

First Half of the Tribulation

The first half of the great tribulation lasted 1260 days/3.5 years and included the following:

  • The 7 Seals (Rev. 5-8)
  • The first 6 Trumpets (Rev. 8-11:14)
  • Included the 1st and 2nd woe / 5th (Rev. 9:1-12) and 6th (Rev. 9:13-11:14) Trumpets
  • The time of the Two Witnesses (Rev. 11)

The Seven Seals

Peter and Paul showed up in Jerusalem 30 days after the ekklesia had been cut off from society and had their food rations taken away for not taking the mark of the beast. They were being imprisoned for 10 days and then killed (more details below).

During this time, Peter and Paul are the two witnesses on the scene causing these 7 seals to happen. They can verbally command that something burn with fire, or a river to dry up, or it not rain, and it happens. They are making a mess of the land and the lives of those who refuse to hear the Gospel message of Christ and are trying to harm them. But many ARE being saved during the seals and are being martyred for their testimony.

The first seal was the arrival of Peter and Paul in Jerusalem in early-63 AD. This was the white horseman with the bow and the crown. The white horse is the Gospel message. The Horseman is Jesus Christ. The bow represents Paul having taken the Gospel out to the gentiles, and the crown is Peter the rock upon which Jesus’ church was built (Matthew 16:18).

The second seal was the bloody Jewish civil war. I would imagine the Jews couldn’t agree on how to handle Peter and Paul’s presence which aggravated their situation. They had split up into 4 factions — the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, Sicarii — and were slaughtering one another (source).

The third seal was extreme economic despair from the high taxes that the Romans imposed on the land.

The fourth seal was a harsh famine that killed one quarter of the Jewish population. The Zealots destroyed the 21-year supply of food that was stored up for Jerusalem to survive a famine, but they instead caused a famine for themselves when the Romans wouldn’t allow them to leave the walls of Jerusalem without being beheaded.

The fifth seal was on the ekklesia who followed Jesus Christ. Revelation 2:10 tells us they were held in prison for 10 days and then sent to their death, just for speaking the word of God and believing on Jesus Christ.

The sixth seal were earthquakes, mountains (government) and islands moved, heaven departed (Sanhedrin destroyed), sun darkened (high priest), moon turned to blood (Sanhedrin) and stars (Jerusalem citizens) fell. I also believe the earthquakes shaking the mountains and islands, as well as falling stars, could have been literal. The sun could have turned black as it did when Jesus was on the cross, and the moon could have turned red.

The seventh seal was the sealing of the 12 leaders from each tribe (144) and their tribe members, collectively called the 144,000 (not a literal 144,000… the thousand word here is spiritual and not a number – details here). This was in preparation for the Trumpet judgments which were about to sound.

Sources:
Chabad.org
JewishHistory.org
Wikipedia: The Second Temple

The First 4 Trumpets

Peter and Paul are still witnessing in Jerusalem. The angels are sounding trumpets but Peter and Paul are carrying out the works.

The first trumpet was hail and fire raining down on the land Jerusalem and surrounding areas controlled by the Jewish Sanhedrin. HISTORICAL RECORDS WHEN COMBINED WITH SCRIPTURE DEMONSTRATES THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE TWO WITNESSES. On July 19, 64 AD, a huge fire took down 10 of 14 Roman districts, sparing the 2 districts where the Christians resided … this tells me who was responsible for the fires (source).

We have an EXACT date for this raging fire that was blamed on Emperor Nero, but yet history has no clue exactly when Peter and Paul died, but they guess it was sometime after Paul was released from prison in 62 AD and before 68 AD.

This Great Tribulation period lasted from early-63 to early-70 AD, and Peter and Paul died in the middle which would have been late 65 AD, coinciding perfectly with history’s “guess” as to when Peter and Paul died. History knows when they died…. his-story is just hiding the truth.

The second trumpet was a great mountain of fire being cast into the Mediterranean Sea destroying a third of the ships. A third part of the sea became blood which caused a third of the sea life to die. I do believe this was literal, spoken out of the mouths of the two witnesses, but is hidden history.

The third trumpet was the rivers and waters being poisoned by Wormwood, a star that fell from the sky. Many men died from the poisoned waters. I believe this was a literal poisoning of their drinking water brought about by the command of Peter and Paul.

The fourth trumpet: The sun did not shine for a third part of the day, and the moon and stars did not shine for a third part of the night. These were clearly supernatural events that everyone understood to be acts of God Himself and His Christ. By turning the great lights off and on, God was showing the entire kosmos/orderly arrangement that judgment had come to His apostate people.

Trumpet 5 – The 1st Woe

Peter and Paul are still in the land causing torment for those who refuse the Gospel message and try to harm them.

Unseen spirits of the fallen ones were loosed out of the bottomless pit to empower locusts. They were commanded not to touch the grass, trees or any green thing, but only to torment those men who had received the mark of the beast.

The unbelieving Jews had all received a scratched, etched mark on their forehead (elite class) or on their right hand (commoners). Those who were marked suffered the plague of biting locusts for a literal 5 months (a locust’s lifespan is an actual 5 months). See how the bible is literal and true when we have some historical background to apply to it?

Revelation 9:7 says the LIKENESS (not “shape”) of the locusts were LIKE unto human features, but they weren’t actual human beings — warriors in battle, crowns of gold, faces of men, hair like women, breastplates — all of the powers that could be wielded by these human-like characteristics were inflicted onto the marked unbelievers by literal, actual locusts. The locusts gave them the same pain as if they were warrior men in battle.

In other words, God gave locust vessels to the fallen ones to use to torment the marked unbelieving Jews. And it does sound like the fallen ones’ spirits were as unseen banshees with long hair like women and faces like men (not literal banshees but is metaphorical for spiritual traits). We are told that this was a time like the world had never seen and WILL NEVER SEE AGAIN. This means the fallen ones were judged and thrown into the lake of fire on “this day of evil” (2 Peter 2:4, Proverbs 16:4).

Note: The fallen ones are angels and are not devils, or the serpent or dragon which are all Satan (details here).

Those redeemed saints without the mark who had not yet been killed were untouched by the possessed locusts.

The 1st woe ended after 5 months and the 2nd woe came immediately after.

Trumpet 6 – The 2nd Woe

Peter and Paul are still in Jerusalem trying to reach God’s people with the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.

Four angels with an army of 200 million were released out of the great river Euphrates. These are unseen evil spirits. The fire that came out of their mouths killed a third part of men.

We are told in Revelation 11:5 that the two witnesses’ power was fire that proceeded out of their mouths. They spoke the Gospel and those who rejected it were killed by fire by the army of evil spirits.

This killing by fire could be a spiritual death by rejecting the words of the Gospel. If so, then this means 200 million men were indwelt by evil and sealed for destruction, the same fate as Satan.

Revelation 11:10 tells us that the two witnesses are two prophets, 2 individual men, who are the two olive trees (wild Gentile branch of Paul, and natural Jew branch of Peter) and two candlesticks (Old Covenant made new, and the New Covenant under grace – the church). No other men during this time would fit that description but Peter and Paul!

When Peter and Paul’s testimony was finished, they had killed nearly half of the apostate people with fire, famine and poisoning, and burned down most of Rome. The beast/Satan himself was then allowed out of the bottomless pit to empower the apostate people, and God allowed them to kill Peter and Paul.

Peter and Paul lie dead in the streets for 3 1/2 days. The people, including the Roman Army, were rejoicing, sending gifts to one another, happy that the two men who tormented them for 42 months were finally dead.

After 3 1/2 days, Jesus came in the clouds as a warrior with lightnings, thunder and earthquakes. The Spirit of God entered Peter and Paul and they stood on their feet, to the horror of those watching. They ascended up into the clouds to meet Jesus and the Old Covenant saints. It’s possible that the 1st century martyrs who died from 31-66 AD ascended into the clouds along with Peter and Paul because their spirits were not yet in heaven during the 5th seal (Revelation 6:11).

This ended the first half of the Great Tribulation on the literal House of Jacob/Israel and the surrounding regions of Rome over which the Sanhedrin had religious and judicial power. Revelation 11:3 tells us this period lasted 1260 days which was 3 1/2 years.

The Ascension Spooked the Roman Army

Three and a half days before Peter and Paul arose and ascended into heaven in late-66 AD, the abomination (Roman Army under Castius) had received word that Peter and Paul were finally dead, so they took advantage of the opportunity to overtake the region.

History records that they invaded and took control of the surrounding areas outside of Jerusalem. They set up camp for 3 days and Castius’ next move was to breach the city walls to overtake the 2nd temple (source).

The historical accounts state that Castius checked out the situation at the wall and decided to pull out of the surrounding areas for no reason and just abandon the entire mission. Supposedly he told Emperor Nero that he was afraid his army would be overtaken by these broken and destroyed Jews, so he gave up and left, completely surrendering the areas he had already captured (source).

In all reality, this would have been the exact same time that Peter and Paul were brought back to life in the streets and ascended into heaven. I am sure this was witnessed by everyone in the region. My firm belief is that Castius and his army witnessed this ascension, and the devastating earthquakes and weather events, and abandoned the area in late-66 AD.

Nero fired Castius and hired a new army general, Vespasian. But no one dared attempt to overtake Jerusalem again for over 3 years (which was eventually Titus, Vespasian’s son, in late-69 AD).

In the meantime, the 4 factions of Jews were overtaken by the 200 million unseen evil spirit powers and were killing one another in a brutal civil war. It was a time of trouble like no other on the earth, nor will ever be on the earth again.

The Abomination of Desolation was the Warning

The ekklesia of set apart saints were warned that when they saw the abomination standing where it ought not, then they were to flee to the mountains. Luke 21:20 tells us the abomination is armies surrounding Jerusalem.

Another tip-off for the ekklesia to flee is found in Matthew 24:15 which says the abomination of desolation would be standing in the most holy spot/place. This could be referencing the armies being used by the Sanhedrin to kill Christians who they deemed blasphemous heretics, which started 30 days before Peter and Paul arrived in Jerusalem.

The Roman Army had moved into the areas surrounding Jerusalem and remained in camp for 3 days, according to historical records. They were spooked and fled, and then the ekklesia knew to flee immediately to the mountains before the wrath of God came down on the area.

The 1290 and 1335 Days

Daniel tells the people that from the time their daily (rations, food, employment?) is taken away to when the Roman Army abomination arrives will be 1290 days.

So Peter and Paul showed up in Jerusalem exactly 30 days after the Sanhedrin had begun to starve and imprison the ekklesia for not taking the mark of the beast. Peter and Paul were there for 1260 days as the two witnesses of Revelation 11.

The Roman Army moved in on day 1290 and then the saints fled to the mountains when the Roman army retreated 3 days later.

Blessed are those who “waiteth” and reach day 1335. The ekklesia were waiting in the mountains. So day 1335 was when Jesus returned to the earth because we see His Spirit (the Lamb) with them on Mount Sion (Revelation 14:1).

So there was a 45-day period between when Peter and Paul were called up into the clouds and when Jesus returned to earth.

Second Half of the Tribulation

The second half of the Great Tribulation began with the 7th Trumpet which was the second coming of Jesus Christ and the ascension of Peter and Paul and all those who were martyred during that time — this began the 3rd woe which were the 7 last plagues on the earth/region.

The second half of the Great Tribulation lasted 1260 days/3.5 years and included the following:

  • Trumpet 7 – The 3rd Woe
  • The 7 Vials/Bowls Judgments

Trumpet 7 – The 3rd Woe

The sealed ekklesia who were in Judaea were told to flee to the mountains and they did. They can be seen with a Lamb (the Spirit of Jesus Christ) on Mount Sion, rejoicing for their having been saved (Revelation 14:1-5).

In Revelation 15:1-4, we see the martyred saints in heaven rejoicing for their shed blood is about to be avenged. So we see that God’s kingdom is here on earth right now just as it is in the heavenly realm.

The messages of the 3 angels were being declared over the region, and the harvest was reaped (Revelation 14:6-20). The wheat were gathered into Christ’s barn in the mountains, and the tares were thrown into the great winepress of God for destruction. All of this was happening during the 45 days between Peter and Paul’s ascension to the second coming of Jesus which will activate the winepress. More blood is about to be spilled.

The 7 last plagues/bowls are poured out on the land of the wicked by Jesus and the righteous saints. This is Jesus’ wrath on those who literally pierced Him (Revelation 1:7).

Bowl 1: A troublesome bad sore fell on those who took the mark of the beast. A beast is a world ruling system empowered by Satan (details here and here).

Bowl 2: The sea became as blood and every living soul died in the sea. This can be literal if we consider sea creatures to have a soul/breath (not likely); or we could consider Revelation 17:15 that tells us waters are peoples and nations. So the sea/peoples became AS blood, not literal blood, and spiritually died in the sea/antichrist kingdom. This means they are marked for destruction in the lake of fire.

Bowl 3: The rivers and the waters became blood in recompense of their having shed the blood of the saints. Here the waters BECAME blood; they weren’t AS blood. The people were given blood to drink for shedding the blood of the saints. I believe the inspired word of God so know that this historical account is being kept from us.

Bowl 4: The vial was poured out on the sun to give it power to scorch the wicked people with great heat, yet they repented not.

Bowl 5: Darkness and pain was poured out upon the seat of the beast (the apostate Jewish kingdom) and they gnawed their tongues in pain. They blasphemed God because of their pain and sores but they repented not of their deeds.

Bowl 6: The vial was poured out on the great river Euphrates, completely drying it up to provide a way in for the kings of the east (the Roman army under Titus in late-69 AD).

The spirits of devils — the 200 million evil spirit army — are at work gathering the people of the entire region into the Battle of Armageddon.

Jesus announces here in Bowl 6 that He is coming like a thief (Revelation 16:15) — this will be Jesus arriving in Bowl 7 to empower the Roman Army to destroy the city.

Bowl 7: The bowl was poured out and God announced “it is done.” Jesus came as voices, lightnings, thunder, and the greatest earthquake since mankind. The great city was divided into 3 parts, and Babylon came in remembrance before God. There fell great hail weighing about 100 pounds from out of heaven, and the men blasphemed God because the hail was so great. This ends chapter 16.

Notice how the battle of Armageddon left survivors behind. This was the end of the old heaven (Sanhedrin government) and old earth (those under the law) — the Old Covenant age, not the end of the entire world which will happen in the future (see Earth was Destroyed BEFORE this Present Creation).

Here, We See Our Present Church Age

The 7 plagues/bowls ended in chapter 16 with the city being divided into 3 parts, and the beast continuing to morph in chapter 17.

In chapter 17, we know the lineage of the surviving apostate Jews, along with the Romans, created the Roman Catholic Church. The city is still in 3 parts today — financial (London), religious (Vatican), and military (Washington D.C.).

For further study on what is happening from this point on, see these studies:

Today’s Torah Jews

The people in the Old Testament no longer exist. Torah-following Jews today are illegitimate… what you see them doing today is trickery and just for show, or the naive ones are being lied to by their elders (see Zionism Exposed). They are aware that God put the final end to all of their laws and rituals in 70 AD and offered them the New Covenant through Jesus Christ. There is only ONE Covenant of God with His people (see God’s Chosen People). But they are continuing in their rebellion just like their ancestors did because God has blinded them to allow the fullness of the Gentiles to come in:

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,

Romans 11:25 (NIV)

The animal sacrifices came to a screeching halt in 31 AD, not 70 AD, when the 60-foot tall temple veil was split in two revealing God’s dwelling place. God made sure everyone knew that His presence was no longer there, and that is why Daniel 9:27 tells us that Jesus caused the sacrifices and the oblation to stop in the middle of the 70th week… because that’s when they ACTUALLY stopped (details here). Jesus’ death on the cross opened the Holy of Holies to the world, symbolically offering every person on earth a chance to be in Covenant with God through repentance and believing on Jesus Christ.

There is a huge movement on video platforms to bring people back under the old law which causes one to practice a lack of faith and trust in Jesus’ shed blood. God now writes His laws in our hearts and minds (see The Commandments & Sabbath According to Jesus). We cannot add to the work that Jesus did on the cross for us — His shed blood conquered ALL that is of this elemental earthly realm (John 16:33) and established a spiritual kingdom on this earth and in heaven (see The Kingdom of God is Here).

In Closing

Mainstream Churchianity protects the synagogue of Satan Jews by GREATLY undermining what God did when He ended the Old Covenant to bring in the New (Revelation 2:9 & 3:9). The Great Tribulation of 63-70 AD was a monumental event unlike anything this world will EVER see again, E V E R (Matthew 24:21).

I’m absolutely thrilled to have been able to place Peter and Paul in this time-frame, seeing them accomplish exactly what Scripture says the two witnesses would be doing. It’s quite remarkable… I had literal goosebumps! I knew history couldn’t just lose Paul… Jesus empowered Him to be quite the force as we see in Acts 14:19-20 when he was stoned and left for dead at Lystra but got up and walked all the way into the next city!

History says that the stone and marble 2nd temple burned for an entire day and a half… they said it was the hottest, most blazing fire that literally melted the stone (source). Only the Spirit-power of Jesus Christ Himself could burn marble and stone as if it were wood.

Not one stone was left on another, just like Matthew 24:1-2 says (Jesus is not a liar!). The wailing wall in Jerusalem is not the 2nd temple wall — the temple sat 600-feet away from that wall and nothing is there to this day (source).

The Seals, Trumpets and Bowls are DONE and ended the Old to bring in the New. We are now in the spiritual kingdom of God that comes not with observation, waiting on the elemental earth to end and all things to be all-in-all in God in the spiritual realm (1 Corinthians 15:28). For more info, see:

May the peace and grace of God and His Son Jesus Christ be with you all… amen.

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