The Two Witnesses Of Revelation

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It is written:

Revelation 11:3-7-And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4  These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5  And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6  These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. 7  When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.

The Bible here teaches us about the two witnesses that will preach the Word of God during great persecution before the Second Coming.

The question of who these witnesses are is one of the most debated and discussed in Christendom. Based on verses six and seven, many believe that the two witnesses will be Moses and Elijah.

Numbers 16:28-35-And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. 29  If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. 30  But if the LORD creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the LORD.” 31  Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, 32  and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. 33  So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34  Then all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up also!” 35  And a fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.

2 Kings 1:10-12-So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. 11  Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he answered and said to him: “Man of God, thus has the king said, ‘Come down quickly!’ ” 12  So Elijah answered and said to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

James 5:17-18-Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Indeed, these Scriptures do fit perfectly with the two witnesses, and there is no doubt that there is an allusion to them here. However, the key of the identification of the witnesses seems to be John’s statement in Revelation 11 regarding the two olive trees and two lampstands:

Revelation 11:4-These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.

Here, John makes a direct reverence to the Old Testament Book of Zechariah:

Zechariah 4:1-14-Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 2  And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 3  Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” 4  So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?” 5  Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 6  So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. 7  ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ‘ ” 8  Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 9  “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. 10  For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.” 11  Then I answered and said to him, “What are these two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?” 12  And I further answered and said to him, “What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?” 13  Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 14  So he said, “These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”

Zechariah the Prophet lived during the time when the Second Temple was being rebuilt. The people had begun the project but had slacked off, and God sent two Prophets (Haggai and Zechariah) to rouse them to work again. The Prophet Zechariah here has a vision of the lampstand and the two trees.

What was the significance of the lampstand?

In the Old Testament, there was a golden lampstand that was placed in the Tabernacle.

Exodus 25:31-32-You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece. 32  And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side.

One author tells us about some of the physical and financial characteristics of this lampstand:

“God spent a significant amount of space giving regulations for the Tabernacle. He gave the Tabernacle as a fore-picture of Christ and his Church. The Tent sat inside the Court of the Tabernacle. A person entered the Tent through the Door. After a priest walked through the Door he saw to his left the Lampstand (Exodus 25: 31-40; 37: 17-24; and 39: 37). The Lampstand had seven branches. It was made from one solid lump of gold weighing a talent. A talent was over 90 pounds, or 1500 ounces, or about 1370 troy ounces. Some estimate the talent was 125 pounds. At $ 1000 U.S. per ounce, that would make it worth $ 1,250,000. The Lampstand would need to be tall enough to give light to the top of the Golden Incense Altar. This would make it at least 2.3 cubits high (3.5 feet). It is likely that the Lampstand might have been hollow for it to be that tall.” (Mark McWhorter, Shadows of the Cross: Seeing Christ and His Church in the Tabernacle, 103 (Kindle Edition); Charleston, AR; Cobb Publishing)

The Tabernacle-and all of its’ contents-were prophetic of Jesus and His church:

Hebrews 8:1-5-Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2  a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. 3  For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. 4  For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; 5  who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “SEE THAT YOU MAKE ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN.”

Hebrews 9:8-9-the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9  It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—

Hebrews 9:11-But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

Hebrews 9:23-24-Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24  For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

As such, how did the Jewish people understand the significance of the lampstand?

“Not only were aspects of the temple a figure of the entire cosmos; they also figured the people of Israel. One can make sense of this dual signification by considering Israel’s fundamental vocation: “Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation” (Exod. 19: 5–6). Israel is called to a special function, to be a priestly kingdom. A priest represents and mediates; they represent and mediate God and God’s words and ways to the nations, and they also represent and mediate all the peoples, all humanity to God. So as Israel worships as Israel, they also worship on behalf of, as representatives of, the nations and the entire created cosmos. As such, the menorah’s seven lights not only represent the planets and their reflected light, but the menorah also symbolizes Israel, the people of God. 20 The menorah is a lampstand with seven lamps, shaped like a plant, bush, or tree. Lit by the sevenfold spirit of God, Israel, like the menorah, burns with the presence and light of God but is not consumed. Israel, as it obeys the covenant, shines like a lamp before the nations with the knowledge and wisdom of God. As rabbinic tradition says, “The Menorah is testimony to the world that the Shekinah dwells amidst Yisrael.” 21”. (David L. Stubbs, Table and Temple: The Christian Eucharist and Its Jewish Roots, 95 (Kindle Edition); Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company)

The Jewish people understand the lampstand to represent the people of God!

However, as the above demonstrates, it was the people of God who were led by the Spirit of God. We see this especially in Zechariah’s vision. Notice what he says again:

Zechariah 4:2, 10-And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.…For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

The seven lamps on the lampstand are “the eyes of the Lord, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.” This is a clear reference to God’s Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Chronicles 16:9; Proverbs 15:3; Revelation 5:4).

Indeed, John himself reminds us that the lampstand stands for the people of God:

Revelation 1:20-The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

So, the lampstand represents the people of God: the church.

What about the two trees that Revelation 11 and Zechariah 4 mentions?

Revelation 11:4-These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.

Zechariah 4:13-14-Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 14  So he said, “These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”

Throughout the Book of Zechariah, there are two specially chosen people of God who were discouraged in their work. Zechariah was sent to encourage them especially. Their names were Zerubbabel and Joshua (cf. Zechariah 3:1-9; 6:11; Zechariah 4:6-10). These two “anointed ones” were called upon to stand and not be overcome with their discouragement. Historically, these two (Zerubbabel and Joshua) have often been understood as the “two olive tres” in this passage.

Yet here is what is despicably fascinating: they are referred to as God’s ‘anointed ones.’ In Hebrew, the root word used here is yitshar, and is used 23 times in the Old Testament (Numbers 18:12; Deuteronomy 7:13; 11:14; 12:17; 14:23; 18:4; 28:51; 2 Kings 18:32; 2 Chronicles 31:5; 32:28; Nehemiah 5:11; 10:37, 39; 13:5, 12; Hosea 2:8, 22; Joel 1:10; 2:19, 24; Haggai 1:11; Zechariah 4:14). The word was often used to refer the anointing of someone for Divine purposes. Notice that the two olive trees are what are responsible for keeping the lamps on the lampstand burning.

John Gill notes:

“The Targum renders the words, “these are the two sons of princes”, or “great men”. Some Jewish writers interpret them of their two Messiahs, Messiah ben Joseph, and Messiah ben David f92 . Some interpreters understand by them Enoch and Elias; others Peter and Paul; others, better, with Kimchi and Ben Melech, Joshua and Zerubbabel, the one anointed for the priesthood, and the other for the kingdom;”. (John Gill, John Gill’s Exposition on the Old Ans New Testaments, 233823-233829 (Kindle Edition); Washington, DC; OSNOVA)

Now, putting all of this together, we see that the lampstand and the two olive trees represent the people of God, especially the people of God as they preach and teach God’s Word to the world of man.

The two witnesses of Revelation 11 are simply a symbol for God’s people in the world of man.

Other evidences from the text in Revelation bear out this interpretation. Remembering that the Book of Revelation is a series of seven visions that John has-each beginning with the First Coming of Jesu, proceeding through the Christian Age, and ending with the Second Coming and starting over-we need only ask ourselves if the “two witnesses” are found in the other visions of Revelation under different symbols, with the same characteristics of the ones here described.

The two witnesses preach and teaching the Word of God, are persecuted and killed, and yet triumph over their enemies when the Lord returns.

We find the same entities described throughout Revelation, under different figures, all representing Christians! Indeed, notice how the “two witnesses” are portrayed throughout the rest of the Book of Revelation as the persecuted, praying, preaching, perishing, and prevailing people of God!

Revelation 2:10-Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Revelation 6:9-11-When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11  Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

Revelation 7:14-And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 11:3-7-And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4  These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5  And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6  These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. 7  When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.

Revelation 12:11-12-And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12  Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

Revelation 13:15-He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

Revelation 14:12-13-Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 13  Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

Revelation 16:5-6-And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. 6  For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.”

Revelation 17:6-I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

Revelation 18:20-Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”

Revelation 19:2-For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.”

Revelation 20:4-And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

The two witnesses of Revelation are a symbolic representation of the church of Christ in the world.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.