After measuring out the temple, God grants authority to two witnesses who will minister during the 42 months (or 1260 days) when the temple is trample by the nations. “Two witnesses” is based on the Jewish law required two witnesses to establish a fact (Num. 35:30, Deut. 17:6). Jesus sent out his disciples two-by-two as witnesses to the villages of Galilee (Mark 6:6-12).
The physical description of the two witnesses is drawn from various Old testament passages. They are clothed in sackcloth. Sackcloth is a coarse cloth usually made of goats’ hair and black in color and was worn as a sign of mourning (Gen 37:34; 2 Sam 3:31).
They are also described as “the two olive trees and the two lampstands.” The background for this description is Zechariah 4. Lampstand here should be understood as a menorah, a synagogue lamp that was used in the temple as well. It had a single stick in the center with three sets of arcs out from the base, for a total of seven candles. Recall that the description of Christ in chapter one talked about seven lampstands, perhaps there was one menorah with seven lights. The image in Zechariah are identified with the “two who are anointed to serve the Lord.” In the context of Zechariah, these are most likely to be identified with Zerubbabel (the governor) and Joshua (the high priest) of the post-exilic community. One major difference is that while there are two olive trees, there is only one lampstand.
“Fire” destroys their enemies. This is a difficult point to understand since there is no Old Testament reference to fire coming out of anyone to destroy enemies (although Elijah and Elisha both call fire from heaven.) Aune 2:613 lists several extra-biblical references 2 and 3 Enoch, for example.). One possibility is to see this fire as representing the word of God, as in Jeremiah 5:14, “Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes.” In 2 Samuel 22:8-9 God “breathes fire,” a metaphor of judgement, “Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.”
These two witnesses have the power to withhold rain, cause water to turn to blood, and to strike the earth with plagues during the 3 and a half years of their ministry. The power to cause drought is punitive (Aune 2:615), as with Elijah in 1 Kings 17:1, etc. Turning the water to blood is an allusion to Moses in Exodus 7:14-19), this would also cause famine. The Egyptians were struck with “every kind of plague” (1 Sam 4:8); the implication is that the same types of plagues that were present in Exodus will be available to these two witnesses.
With this in mind, who are the two witnesses? Daniel K. K. Wong surveyed a bewildering number of suggestions and sorted them into two categories symbolic, corporate and literal interpretations (“The Two Witnesses in Revelation 11” BSac 154 (1997): 344-354). As examples of symbolic interpretations, some scholars have taken these two witnesses as symbols of the law and prophets or the Old and New Testaments. Under the heading of corporate interpretations, scholars often see these two witnesses as the church as witness in the word in the present age. Sometimes the witnesses are seen as believers who suffer martyrdom (Caird, for example).
Literal interpretations of the two witnesses are two prophets active during the final conflagration, the great tribulation. Based in Malachi 4:5-6, there was a Jewish expectation that Elijah would return before the Messiah. In John 1 John the Baptist is asked if he is Elijah. Jesus called John the Baptist “the Elijah that is to come” (Matt 11:14l; 17:10-12). Peter says some think Jesus is Elijah (Matt 16:14; cf. Mark 6:15 the crowds thought that John was Elijah).
Not surprisingly, there are many possible combinations for the identity of the two witnesses. The most common suggestion is Moses and Elijah since the plagues described in Revelation 11 allude to these two Old Testament characters. In addition, they represent the Law and Prophets, as the symbolic interpretations correctly observe. Elijah and Moses met with Jesus at the Transfiguration (Matt 17). Although this is associated with dispensationalist writers (Thomas, Revelation 2:88-89), Greg Beale also sees an allusion to Moses and Elijah, although in his view the text does not anticipate a literal return of Moses and Elijah.
A second common suggestion for the two witnesses is Elijah and Enoch. A second common suggestion for the two witnesses is Elijah and Enoch. this view is at least as old as Augustine. He thought Elijah and Enoch will be killed together at “the end of the world by the Antichrist” (Ep. 193.3, 5; De gen ad litt. 9.5; cited by Aune, 2:617).Aune also draws attention to the Acts of Pilate 25 as representing the view the two witnesses are Enoch and Elijah.
I am Enoch, who pleased God and was removed here by him. And this is Elijah the Tishbite. We shall live until the end of the world. But then we shall be sent by God to withstand Antichrist and to be killed by him. And after three days we shall rise again and be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord.
Since these two characters from the Old Testament ascend to heaven. In Genesis 5 Enoch walked with God and “was no more” and in 2 Kings 2 Elijah is taken to heaven in a fiery chariot in 2 Kings 2. This view also resonates with the belief Elijah would return before the messiah. The Animal Apocalypse implies Enoch would return, although this is far from clear in 1 Enoch 90:31. In 4 Ezra 6:26 “And they shall see the men who were taken up, who from their birth have not tasted death; and the heart of the earth’s inhabitants shall be changed and converted to a different spirit.”
Which view a better interpretation of the two witnesses? Are the two witnesses symbols (either generic or for a corporate group) or two literal people? Wong makes several points that imply that these are literal people. First, the word-group for witness is normally used for persons rather than as a symbol for something. This does not mean that John could not use the term as a symbol here, he consistently used it for people in the rest of Revelation. For example, the word is applied to Jesus and Antipas, in 2:13.
Second, witnesses prophesy, an activity implies a person. The only other place in Revelation where this particular verb is used is in 10:13, where John is told that he must prophecy to many nations. This does not necessarily the two witnesses to be individuals since the corporate interpretations also see a prophetic witness as the key function of the group.
Third, the witnesses are described as speaking (v. 3, 6), they can kill their enemies (v. 5), they are heard, handled and hated (v. 3, 7, 10), have mouths, ears, and feet (5, 11-12), wear sackcloth and have dead bodies (v. 8, 9). However, the beast from the sea in Revelation 13 is described in detail yet no one argues those details imply the beast is literally a multi-headed dragon.
Since the trumpets have been using allusions to the Exodus throughout Revelation 8-9, it seems an allusion to Moses is certain. Given the association of Elijah with the eschatological age, it seems the second witness alludes to him. Although it is always possible John is predicting the literal return of these two characters, it is more likely he is following the same method as the rest of the trumpets. The pattern of the Exodus will be repeated in the future, God will send prophets like Moses and Elijah to call his people out of nations once again.
John wrote Revelation during the reign of Herod Agrippa I, before Herod beheaded his brother James. John envisioned himself and his brother as the two witnesses, but like most of Revelaltion, it didn’t come to pass.
Woodrow Nichols
antinomianuniversalism.com
Since Herod Agrippa I died in AD 44, it is almost impossible the book of Revelation was written during his reign. Since it addressed to real churches in Asia Minor, it cannot be written before those churches were founded. AD 44 is more or less before the Pauline mission, it will be ten more years at least before you have churches in the locations mentioned in Revelation 2-3.
Unless you want to say Rev 2-3 is an addition to the book at a later date, but that would difficult since the letters are integrated into the rest of the book.
Isaiah names them 44 ;1-8 .The only place in the Bible two are named & ‘called’ as witnesses!……Maranatha Shalom… old Messianic Jew
John Zebedee wrote the Revelation while his brother was still alive in the time of Caligula. He saw himself and his brother James the Great as the two witnesses, corroborated by the fact that they made a power grab while Jesus was still alive, wanting to rule at his right and left hand.
Woodrow Nichols
antinomianuniversalism.com
so Jacob who is Israel and Jesurun who is also Israel will be the two witnesses? Sounds like a riddle to me
The 2 witnesses are gentile believers, and believing Jews. AKA, myrtars. They are one and the same. The angel of revelation 11 tells us who the witnesses are, the 2 lamp stands and olive trees.
Nicolas of antioch started the Gentile churches in Asia and was in open competition with John Zebedee for influence there, referring to his competition as the Nicolaitans. Jezebel from Thyatira was likely Lydia whom Paul converted in Philippi. The later date for the Revelation is false since the RC church needed something that they always could interpret for each age that passed, whereas an early interpretation would have to be classified as false prophecy.
Woodrow Nichols
antinomianuniversalism.com
The Two Witnesses are men. They are alive right now. That means when their ministry concludes, (upon their deaths), Jesus will return in three days.
The author of this comment was born to fulfill one of the most powerful prophecies in the Bible. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Daniel 12:4. He sealed up the Bible, I am Un-sealing it!
God’s release of His “Two Witnesses” is not far away!
Many people believe that the “Two End-Time Witnesses” will be Elijah and Enoch, or Elijah and Moses.
Enoch, Elijah and Moses in their day fulfilled God’s purposes for them. Throughout history there have been certain generations in which God has “raised up” certain individuals to carry out a specific task for Him. The same will be true for the generation that we are now living in.
It is important to emphasize strongly the term “raised up.” We find throughout Scripture that the Lord “raised up” His Prophets.
One very important fact is the fact that there is no place in the Bible that states that the “Two End-Time Witnesses” are sent from Heaven. If that were the case, then it would have been clearly stated in the Bible.
Also, there is a great misconception that Enoch & Elijah did not experience death. However, that is not true. When an individual dies, their eternal Spirit leaves their physical body. Their physical body is left behind here on Earth and becomes a dead corpse.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 states that upon death that our body shall return to the Earth as dust from which the body came, and the Spirit which God has breathed into man, shall return to God.
When God took Enoch & Elijah, only their eternal Spirits went to Paradise, their physical bodies became dead corpses and remained here on Earth. The 34rd Chapter of Deuteronomy states that God Himself buried the physical body of Moses. Therefore, it becomes evident that after God took Enoch & Elijah, that just as He did with Moses, God also buried the physical bodies of Enoch & Elijah here on Earth at locations not revealed to us.
The Lord is not going to transport 2 individuals from several thousand years ago to minister to a generation that they cannot even identify with. The only way that an individual can identify with a generation, is to experience the times of the generation that they grew up in.
The Lord will do what HE has always done, which will be to “raise up” 2 individuals from a generation that they were born in, and grew up in, which in this case will be His “Two End-Time Witnesses.”
Because of the “enormity” of the task that the Lord will assign to the “Two End-Time Witnesses,” that just like Moses, the Lord will first take them through many years of a Spiritual wilderness experience which will be His method of development and training for them.
The two “End-Time Prophets” will not be newly converted Christians. They will be seasoned Prophets who have withstood the test of time.
The Bible clearly points out to us that the Lord delights in “raising up” people to fulfill a particular task that He has for them in their generation. Throughout the Bible, God shows us time and time again that He is in the “raising up” business.
In Matthew 3:9 Jesus told the Jewish people to not look back to Abraham, that God was able to “raise up” stones to fulfill His purposes.
There is zero doubt in my mind that they are alive at this present time of December, 2017. It is quite possible that at this present time of December, 2017 that they do not even know that the Lord has chosen them to be the “Two End-Time Witnesses.”
As explained earlier in this article, the “enormity” of the task that the Lord will assign to the “Two End-Time Witnesses” will require that they go through many years of a Spiritual wilderness experience which will be the Lord’s method of development and training for them.
It is my belief that at the time that the Lord reveals to them that they are the “Two End-Time Witnesses,” that HE will not immediately thrust them into functioning in their role as the “Two End-Time Witnesses.”
It is my belief that the Lord will likely reveal to them their role as the “Two End-Time Witnesses” a few months in advance or maybe even longer, before being thrust into functioning in their role as the “Two End-Time Witnesses.”
This unveiling of their assignment from the Lord may be a step by step process of coming to an understanding that they have been chosen for their role as the “Two End-Time Witnesses.”
It is my belief that the “Two End-Time Witnesses” will need to know their role a few months in advance or maybe even longer in order to fully come to terms that they have been chosen for such an “enormous” task from the Lord.
Also, they will most likely still need further development and training of a different sort from the Lord before stepping into their role as the “Two End-Time Witnesses.”
The “Two End-Time Witnesses” will bring forth God’s “message of truth” UNHINDERED in the 1st half of the final 7 years of this present Age.
In the 2nd half of the final 7 years of this present Age, the Lord will send strong delusion through the false prophet and antichrist so that those who rejected God’s “message of truth” delivered by the “2 Witnesses” in the 1st half of the final years of this present Age, should believe a lie.
The false prophet and antichrist will be able to accomplish their deception UNHINDERED because the “Two End-Time Witnesses” will have been taken out of the way at the end of their assignment in the 1st half of the final 7 years of this present Age.
It is very likely that the “Two End-Time Witnesses” will minister independently from one another during their ministry.
I have also written a couple more documents that go into greater detail about the “Two Witnesses.” If anyone should be interested, email me at: (candy33alan@aol.com) and I will email you the documents.
If John Zebedee wrote the Revelation before Herod Agrippa I cut off the head of James Zebedee, then the two brothers were meant to be the two witnesses. Remember they tried to usurp the other 10 Apostles for leadership to be at Jesus’s right and left hand.
Woodrow Nichols
antinomianuniversalism.com
My name is Alan Finch. In April of 1976, I submitted myself to the Lordship of JESUS CHRIST.
God’s main mission for the “Two Witnesses” will be that of Preparing the “Bride of Christ” which is made up Believers in Christ (the true Church) for the return of the “Bridegroom,” JESUS CHRIST. This is why that there is no “Pre-Tribulation Rapture.”
I have put together 3 documents that clearly expounds upon these 2 individuals. “The Two-End Time Witnesses”, “The Two Lampstands & The Two Olive Trees”, “The Message of the Two End-Time Witnesses.”
These documents are too lengthy to post in the comment section. If anyone is interested in reading these 3 documents, email me at: (candy33alan@aol.com), and I will be more than happy to email you the 3 copies.
Dear Alan, I have sent you an email to reseave your 3 Documents . I find what you have written to be very fascinating, and I look forward learning . Norm
They are dressed only in sackcloth , no ashes for forgiveness necessary -they have Jesus precious blood for that. You can see they must be Messianic Jews as All the signs about them are Jewish. They will have the ‘good oil’ of the olive tree[God] & enlightenment of the lampstand[Jesus] to guide them. They will be killed 1260 days after their preaching begins outside satans ABYSS [Rev11;7-8] Synagogue [Ezekiel 8] under the Dome of the Rock in JERUSALEM [the Harlot] where the evil was done to the Prophets of Old [murdered] & where God’s Messiah Son sent to redeem them of the Prophets murders was also tortured & murdered by the Beast[Judah-Matt27;25] -my family sadly-it is the reason God has turned HIS face from us almost 2000years & All that has befallen us since…..repent the time is now at hand…HE Lives
…..old Messianic Jew.
it doesnt specify what type of witnesses.
After reading through your post and what Johnson has to say in the ESV it is still hard to understand who these witnesses are and whether they are to be considered symbols or actually people. I believe with the information that you provide about the word grouping for the witnesses being used more often to describe actual people, and specifically Johns use of this word throughout Revelation meaning a person, and the witnesses prophesying which is also a human characteristic when used in the Bible, and the fact that they are described as doing things as humans do, it is safer to say that this is describing living people. After reading your post and the information written in the study Bible notes I think the best guess would be Moses and Elijah. Johnson explains that the drought described alludes to the drought in Elijah (p.2478) and obviously the blood best describes that in Moses. I also agree that this is probably not Moses and Elijah come back as themselves but more likely that two prophets will appear like them. I think is a great way for readers to understand what is to come. It will help them understand the character of the people better if they can attach it to people they have already read about.
They never had a physical death enoch and elijah
@Alan F. Please post your 3 essays on the two witnesses. Thank you
When looking at the two witnesses the evidence seems to most evidently show that the two witnesses point to being Moses and Elijah. The scripture seems to prompt for this and the reasoning you have given also helps to inform on the why for it being these two men. This the section of the two witnesses there are lots of allusions to the plagues in Egypt (Revelation 11:4-6). This is not the only place that gives allusions, like mentioned in the post Revelation 8 and 9 also allude back to Exodus. With all of this in mind then it only makes sense that Moses would be one of the witnesses that comes down and judges those on the Earth. That then leaves us with the other witness. This second witness is most commonly the prophet Elijah. This is often believed because of the eschatological age and Elijah being complimentary (Long, 2020). There are plenty of places in which we see Elijah take some type of eschatological turn. One of the ways that he is seen in an eschatological light is in 2 kings 2 where he is taken up to heaven. This is something that has only ever happened to one other person being Enoch. It was extremely rare and for it to happened would have made him highly favored in Gods eyes. From this came, also came the belief that Elijah was supposed to come before the messiah’s arrival (Long, 2020). If this is the case then it would make sense he comes again before Christ returns his final time. Whether it is Moses or Elijah, one thing remains, they are coming to the Earth and God will use them to fulfill his sovereign plan.
The identity of the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3-6 has been a prevalent question since the texts inception, with many throughout the centuries arguing for a plethora of different options, both corporate and literal. If one utilizes a symbolic or corporate interpretation, one can argue that these two witnesses refer to the testimony of the church from the Law nad the prophets, the Old and New Testament, the Word of God and the Spirit, among many other options (Long, 231). However, one should prefer a literal or individualistic interpretation of these two witnesses, understanding them as two human beings serving in a prophetic-style ministry. This is because the word-group for “witnesses” is often employed to refer to people as opposed to corporate entities, along with the profession of giving prophecy implies an individual person filling this role (Long, 233). The notion of two witnesses may also be influenced by the Jewish law, which requires at least two people to establish a fact (Num 35:30; Deut 17:6). Once one estasblishes this literal interpretation, one will question who these two witnesses are, with many commentators suggesting several different options. The most likely option is that these two figures are Elijah and Moses, as these are two extremely significant Old Testament leaders and are both associated with the Day of the Lord in Malachi 4 (Long, 232). Other options include Elijah and Enoch, Elijah and John the Baptist, Stephan and James the Just, and even simply two unknown people.
One thing I find funny is that the majority of positions taken during the 19th and early 20th century for the literal interpretation option are seemingly unanimously wrong, at least of the one’s surveyed in class. Perhaps the continued development of the historical-critical method of Biblical interpretation was necessary, as some of these interpretations are almost laughable. Proper hermeneutics seem to help avoid some of these problematic interpretations, although one should always have some sort of epistemological humility when dealing with the identity of these two witnesses, as we will never know for sure. Whether this passage should be interpreted from a preterist or futuristic perspective, the identities of these figures will continue to be mysterious.
There is debate over the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3-6. There is a clear description of what their job on Earth is. Not only is it clear what they are supposed to do, it is also clear that they will be protected. They will prophecy for 1,260 days and will wear sack cloth which is a sign of mourning. The question that people want to know is who are these two witnesses? “Literal interpretations of the two witnesses are two prophets active during the final conflagration, the great tribulation. Based in Malachi 4:5-6, there was a Jewish expectation that Elijah would return before the Messiah” (Long,2020). The literal interpretation gives evidence for two literal prophets. The symbolic approach is that the two prophets are the law and the prophets or the Old and New Testaments. Regardless of who it is, the important question is what are they going to do? They are on Earth to Prophecy God’s plan, and they are given immense power to inflict supernatural punishment on the Earth. “They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire” (Revelation 11:6 ESV). There is always speculation around different events in the Bible and who is going to perform them. This passage has room for interpretation of who these two prophets are. I am going to continue to seek out the truth in Revelation and all that this rich book has to offer regardless of certain specifics left up for interpretation.
I find topics like this rather interesting in Revelation, and I think the description is rather vague on purpose. While the allusion of both blood and drought have had me thinking about both Moses and Elijah in the past, I wonder if we may be reading too far into the topic. The initial point, being two witnesses needed to testify to the truth, seems like the point that needs more emphasis rather than the who. As we have seen earlier in Revelation, the messenger reveals when there is interpretation that is needed, such as the seven stars and seven lampstand in Revelation 1. This leads me to believe that while we may want to interpret this part of revelation, we may not need it. As we have learned with prophecy in the past, it is always fulfilled literally, just not the way we would expect it. I think this follows for the witnesses. As Garrick V. Allen examines the passage deeper and compares it to 4 Ezra, I am happy to find another instance of John’s inspiration for Revelation. While they do share some pretty big differences, they do share several conceptual similarities (107). The appearance of an unexplained person(s), journey on clouds, opposition of the nations, etc. The focus in both Revelation and 4 Ezra both show emphasis not on a named individual, but what they accomplish. This should be the main focus!
I have always believed that the two witnesses in Revelation are two literal unknown individuals who are active during part of the tribulation. I did not know that some people do not view them as literal people but as a symbol or representation of something. The most common connection that is made between the two witnesses and the Old Testament is Zechariah 4, because of the mention that they are two lampstands and the two olive trees (Rev. 11:4). This is a correct connection to make. When I read about the two witnesses a connection that appears in my mind is a connection to Jeremiah. The first connection I see is that there is a desire to kill the two witnesses, just as there was a desire to kill Jeremiah (Jer. 26:11, Rev. 11:5). I also feel that the two witnesses and Jeremiah’s ministry are similar. Jeremiah preached to an idolatrous nation who would not listen to his words (Jer. 7:27). The fact that people will celebrate when the two witnesses die lead me to believe that their message will not be well received and will be rejected by the majority of people (Rev. 11:10). There are other connections between the two witnesses and other texts, particularly 4th Ezra. “Reading 4th Ezra with the two witnesses narrative heightens the eschatological tension of the passage and contextualizes the strange behavior and abilities of these prophets” (Allen, 2019, p. 103). The themes that connect 4th Ezra and Revelation are unexplained appearances of special individuals, an association with fire, opposition, and there message is given in Jerusalem (p. 105). It is very interesting that there is this many connections between the two witnesses and many other Old Testament prophets and other texts.
I wonder if the two witnesses will be people whose lives and ministries will represent the Old and the New Covenants. Both covenants are the central to the Christian faith; we would not have our faith without them. If this is true, then perhaps the witness representing the Old Covenant will emphasize the moral Law, good works, and reverent worship according to God’s commands as the models for moral Christian living, and the New Covenant witness will emphasize grace as the means of Christian salvation. These things encompass Christianity fairly thoroughly, and obviously the Antichrist won’t be too keen on that.
I’ve always speculated about the two “witnesses” and how they would appear on the scene of the end times. Mostly their relationship with churches, though I’m not sure about the existence of the church at that point. It has always made sense to me that because only two individuals Elijah and Enoch never “died”, that God would send them back to earth to live out the rest of their lives preparing the way for the end times. This could be correlated or not, but the idea isn’t who they are but what the purpose of their mission, what this mission will look like. Will they become popular figures or will be behind the scenes, and will their ministries be effective or essentially useless. I’m more lenient to believe that their ministries will be very obvious and almost intense in nature because of the supposed abilities that they will have. If they are instead ministries instead of individuals, their mission remains the same so the form of these witnesses, to me at least doesn’t matter. If the reference to these individuals has Old Testament background then it is possible that these witnesses are literal individuals and these two will be identifiable.
This blog post was very interesting to me as it gave me more insight on the two witnesses as I have already written one of my short papers on the two witnesses. The powers the two witnesses attain are for what I believe is to gain the attention of the world. To be able to “shut up the heavens of rain”, cause plagues of every kind, and cause water to turn to blood, these are super human abilities and powers. If anyone were to observe this on Earth, it would most certainly catch everyone’s attention. Some might end up thinking they are bad people for what they might be doing while prophesying, but they cannot be hurt as in Revelations 11:5, it states “If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die”. I also wrote in my paper about who the two witnesses might be as did P.Long in this blog post. I agree with the thoughts in the blog post of the two witnesses most likely being Moses and Elijah as historically, it points towards them. As Malachi 4:55-6 states “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.” stating Elijah’s reasoning, and for Moses’s reasoning is in Exodus, as we see Moses performing many of those same miracles such as turning water to blood which is very familiar to the two witnesses.