TEXT: 2 CORINTHIANS 13: 1- 3 1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word(rema) be established.

2 I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare:

3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you. (KJV)

Today I would like to deliver a message entitled “TWO OR THREE WITNESSES (2).”

We would like to learn further that God has said in advance the judgment in the end time through two or three witnesses and then the judgment to come.

The Bible says the principle that a man will be guilty by two or three witnesses when he is questioned.

DEUTERONOMY 17: 6 At the mouth of two or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. (KJV)

For example, when a man commits a sin worthy of death to kill his neighbor, the Bible says, “At the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.” On the contrary, “At the mouth of two or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death.”

Then, we know that God will execute His judgment, even the great judgment of the end time, at the mouth of two or three witnesses done beforehand.

Well, when we see the descriptions concerning the witnesses of the Old Testament, they look to us to appear all in horizontal relation. Horizontal relation means, for example, like Peter, John and James, witnesses of the same days. Not only one witness of Peter, but also two or three witnesses of John and James coming together, it is done for the judgment.

But, when Paul said on the above text, “This is the third time I am coming to you,” he said a little different thing as to “two or three witnesses in the mouth.”

He said here the third witness as to his third visit. Therefore, we know that he said the thing of two or three witnesses as vertical relation, or time relation.

So, he said that his first visit was the first witness, the second the second witness, and the third the third witness. Moreover, concerning his third visit, he said to those sinned, “If I come again, I will not spare.” That is to say, he said the judgment at his third visit.

Conclusion: With these above, we know that the Bible says as for two or three witnesses as below.

1. Two or three witnesses basically say about the witnesses or warnings through two or three different persons.

2. Two or three witnesses say also about the witnesses or warnings in different time.

3. After two or three witnesses, that is, witnesses or warnings of two or three time, the judgment is executed.

Do remember that the Bible says the above thing as to the judgment of the end time, too.

If we read the Bible, we know this principle is surely applied and is exactly shown as for the judgment.

For example, let’s think of the destruction of the Temple in the end time. Concerning the Temple, the house of God, that is, the Church, to be forsaken in the end time, the Bible said it in advance through two or three witnesses.

The first witness about this is the one of David as below.

PSALM 78: 59- 61 59 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand. (KJV)

David witnessed about the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent, to be forsaken. And the word “God forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh” was actually fulfilled among men in Shiloh. This was the historical fact.

The second witness about this is the witness of Jeremiah as below.

JEREMIAH 7: 14, 15 14 Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.

15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. (KJV)

Jeremiah witnessed for the Temple, house of God, to be forsaken and destroyed. And, we know this witness of Jeremiah was fulfilled as he witnessed.

The Temple was burned and forsaken in the attack of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. (Jeremiah Chapter 52) Interestingly, it is mentioned the destruction of the tabernacles of God at Shiloh in the description of the destruction of the Temple by Jeremiah. In short, what was happened in Shiloh is related to the destruction of the Temple of Jeremiah. That is to say, these are in the same series, one-continuous witnesses.

Furthermore, Lord Jesus Himself warned for the destruction of the Temple, which is the third witness.

MATTHEW 24: 1- 3 1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (KJV)

There are two kinds of fulfillment as for the destruction of the Temple that the Lord said here.

One was fulfilled when the Roman army attacked Jerusalem in A.D. 70. And another, as is written the end of the world here, is the destruction of the Temple, the Church, in the end time. This will be fulfilled in the end time.

Well, we know that the witnesses were warned two or three time in advance and fulfilled, if we think of the witnesses of the destruction of the Temple.

That is to say, it was fulfilled as said before that the tabernacle of Shiloh was forsaken, it was also fulfilled as said of Jeremiah that the Temple was destroyed, and it was also firstly fulfilled as the Lord said that the Temple was destroyed. Then, it is only waited for the fulfillment of the destruction of the Temple of the end time.

As I repeat, the Bible says the principle of witness as two or three witnesses as the condition for judgment on people. This is the principle of the Bible and the way of God.

For example, when a man is accused, “He killed his neighbor and guilty,” the Bible never says to make him guilty, to give death sentence, or judge him, only by, for example, the witness of Peter. It may be wrong or unsure only by that. Possibly, it may be the mistake of the first witness, Peter, to recognize other man as the criminal.

But, if not only one but also other second or the third witness, John or James, appears, then, the Bible says he is guilty and to be sufficient to be judged. The Bible never says the fourth or the fifth witness necessary to make him guilty. Conversely, it says it is sufficient to be judged, if two or three witnesses appear. And, two or three witnesses were already given as for the destruction of the Temple.

There are many aspects of the judgment of the end time. Today, we learn an aspect of the destruction of the Temple, and God will forsake the Church of His dwelling in the end time. And we see that two or three witnesses are already given to this claim through the different people or different times.

Therefore, we understand that the destruction of the Temple, the Church, that was said through two or three witnesses will surely be happened in the end time.

Well, then, we will know why it is written the witnesses of the end time on Revelation, if we understand of the two or three witnesses as above.

They witness for the coming judgment, the destruction of the Church (Temple), and because of this they will be killed by the God’s people who do not accept this word. They will do the same, as they did to Jeremiah and to Jesus who said about the destruction of the Temple and were persecuted.

But, we would like to understand this rightly and grasp His will.

Let’s do the will of the Lord in the end time.

End.