Question
Gramps,
What references are available regarding two prophets who will be killed and left on the streets of Israel prior to the second coming?
Jerry
Answer
Jerry,
The references you ask for can be found in a couple of places. In Revelation 11:3-11 it states:
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 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.
9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
There is also reference to them in D&C 77:15:
15 Q. What is to be understood by the two witnesses, in the eleventh chapter of Revelation?
A. They are two prophets that are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days, at the time of the restoration, and to prophesy to the Jews after they are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem in the land of their fathers.
We are taught that there will be 2 prophets called to witness in the last days. They will testify for a period of 3.5 years (1,260) days. They will be prophets raised up to the Jewish nation and will preach to the Jews.
There will be many similarities between their ministry and that of Christ’s. They will preach to the Jews, they will be persecuted, they will be killed in the land of the Jews, and they will be resurrected and ascend into heaven. The difference is their power will be used to curse and destroy.
Previously, prophets were rarely allowed to use the power of God to destroy those that persecuted them. During this period of time no harm will come to them. Those that attempt to harm them will be dealt with the same fate many times over. If one were to throw a stone, they would be stoned to death, if they were to attempt to shoot them with an arrow, they would be pierced several times with arrows.
At the end of the 3.5 years, these two prophets will be slayed. Per Bruce R. McConkie:
“Satan shall slay them by the hands of his ministers, even as they slew the Lord by the hands of the Jews and the Romans who hearkened to his will. (The Millenial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man (Salt Lake Deseret Book Co. 1982)
Their bodies shall lie in the streets for a period of 3 days. During that time no one will touch them. They will have caused so much destruction among the unbelieving Jews that their death will be cause for jubilation. At the end of 3 days, these two prophets will rise and ascend to stand next to Jesus Christ. This will be much different than the resurrection of Christ. Christ appeared only to the righteous. Here even the wicked will witness them coming back to life and ascending to heaven.
This will then usher in the coming of Christ.
Gramps
