I have often wondered about that too Geri, and am very divided and admit I’m just grasping at straws here - part of me feels like the two witnesses (and yes, I am convinced one will be Elijah) will be here in the first half of the Trib and will instruct the 144,000 - the other side of me speculates that their ministry might be in the second half separate from the 144,000 and again I wrestle with this. But the reason I wrestle is because I picture it this way, if the 144,000 and the 2 witnesses are both in the first half of the trib, then when the witnesses are killed and raptured to the Lord at the mid-point, and presumably the 144,000 because we see them with the Lamb in Revelation 14, does God leave Himself without any witness on the earth for the last half of the tribulation when it is at its worst and the Jewish people need to be evangelized more than ever so? It just doesn’t jive with me that all of the witnessing would go on in the first half and then nada, zip, zero in the second half. Again, I couldn’t be dogmatic (one of my favorite sayings) but these are the things I speculate on and wrestle with. What do you think? It looks like from this passage … the Lord assigns the witnessing job to the angels and to warn the left behind not to take the mark of the beast. Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: Good call, perhaps the latter half is all angelic evangelization? That is a distinct possibility. Another one: -Fair Use-
