How were the 2 Witnesses Killed?
Could knowing HOW the two witnesses were killed provide more insight into the language of them "falling by the Sword?"
Ps 143:3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
Da 8:10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
Da 8:12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
Joh 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
Re 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
De 31:17 Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?
Ps 143:7 Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
Eze 39:29 Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
Pr 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Col 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Ps 37:14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
Ps 57:4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
Ps 22:20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
Ps 59:6 They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
Ps 59:7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
Pr 30:14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
Pr 12:18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword : but the tongue of the wise is health.
Ps 64:3 Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
Ps 64:4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
Pr 5:4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.
Re 8:11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
La 3:15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.
Ro 3:14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Ro 3:15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
Re 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Re 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Re 16:6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Re 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
Re 9:18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
Da 11:33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.
Eze 5:12 A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.
Conclusion:
The Bible appears to be teaching that the two witnesses, elect body, God’s Word, Law and the Prophets came into darkness at the start of the great tribulation as God hid His Face from the whole body. This darkness seems to have been in the form of the locusts, thieves, scorpions, unsaved in the body that God allowed to bring a lying, bitter tongues (false gospels) and in the process cast down the truth (two witnesses). In the same environment, God speaks of them as falling by the sword since at that time they had not yet stood upon their feet to receive revelation.