It is interesting that John the Baptist preached before the Lord came, at his first Coming, to prepare the hearts of God's people, and that the two witnesses also preach before the Second Coming of the Lord, also to prepare the hearts of God's people.
If we will just look at what the Bible says concerning the two witnesses it is easy to determine exactly when they will be operating relative to the other events that will take place.
We know, positively, that the two witnesses preach for three and a half years. Knowing this we can be sure that they do not die during the first three and a half years. Right? Yes!
Revelation 11:14
The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon. (NIV)
This verse immediately follows the death and "rapture" of the two witnesses in Revelation chapter eleven. If you read through Revelation you will see that the above passage appears to be out of place.
Let us examine the "woes".
Revelation 8:13
As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" (NIV)
We are told here that the last three trumpet blasts are also called woes. This is very valuable information for us as it enables us to positively determine the time of the two witnesses death and rapture.
The ninth chapter of Revelation starts out with the sounding of the fifth trumpet. This trumpet announces a plague of locust like things that torment those that do not belong to God with a scorpion like sting. During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. Revelation 9:6 Then in verse 12 we see this passage: The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come. Revelation 9:12
The sixth trumpet, (the second woe), starts in Revelation 9:13 and it results in the death of a third of mankind--Woe! that's pretty bad. Now the interesting thing about the second woe is that it ends with the death and rapture of the two witnesses, as we saw in Revelation 11:14 above.
Now what I meant about the end of the second woe seeming to be out of place is that the passage telling us of it end is way past the end of the "woe" part of the trumpet. We go to the mighty angel that starts telling us about the seventh trumpet, and then we get the story of the two witnesses, and then we see the end of the second woe. What this is telling us is that all of the other trumpet plagues occurred during the time that the two witnesses were preaching. They are probably the reason that the world hates the two witnesses so much. It is likely that they are announcing the plagues as they occur and so the world thinks that they are the cause of their troubles, when in reality it is their stubborn hearts that are the cause.
Anyway the important thing about the location of the announcement of the end of the second woe is that it tells us that the two witness died and were caught-up before the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Do you see this my reader. You must. If you do not see what I am saying you need to read and reread revelation chapters eight through then end of chapter twelve until it becomes clear.
Reading chapter twelve, it is clear that the trumpet blast occurs three and a half years before the end of the time of testing, because after the dragon is cast down he is given three and a half years to do his thing.
So, if the two witnesses preach for three and a half years they can not die during the first three and a half years, and if the trumpet blast that follows their time lasts for three and a half years then they must have died right at the midpoint of the seven year period. This is sound and clear logic and conforms to all of the passages.
What is going to happen is this: The man that we call the Antichrist signs a seven year treaty, (see Daniel 9:27), and at that time the two witnesses start their time of preaching. Three and a half years later, after the plagues of the first six trumpets, the Antichrist appears to receive a mortal wound while in Jerusalem.
Revelation 13:3-4
One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" (NIV)
He then enters the temple that will soon be built in Jerusalem and declares himself to be God. This is the abomination that causes the desolation of the temple spoken of in Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, and 2 Thessalonians 2:4, (and other places.) He then exits the temple and has the two witnesses put to death. Now remember that Paul said that the Church would see the abomination sign before the Lord comes and gathers us up to be with him in the air. We do see this sign and we see the death of the two witness, and when the two get up on their feet and hear the call from heaven, we too hear the call to "come of here" because this is the time of the catching-up of the church. This is also the start of the time of the beast. This is the start of the time called the Day of the Lord, the day of vengeance, the time of testing.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. (NIV)
Do you see that this is exactly what the above passage is saying?
