The Two Witnesses (part 1)
“And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth. John described there being two witnesses who would prophecy or about 3 ½ years clothed in sackcloth. There were two olive trees and two lampstands who stood before the earth” (Revelation 11:3-4).
Prior to the rise of Hitler in 1933 and his infamous concentration camps that killed millions, the Jews received numerous warnings and witnessed various changes to their society. These warnings came in countless forms, though no one could have foreseen the extreme measure of the evil that was to follow. Yet some Jews did pay attention to the signs of impending disaster. Approximately 37,000 left their homes within the first year of Nazi rule. Unfortunately, many Jews considered themselves German patriots (especially WWI veterans) and were hesitant to leave their homes, thus believing that their status was only temporary and things would return to normal. Efforts to warn the international community and secure safe havens were largely unsuccessful. The 1938 Evian Conference, convened by President Roosevelt, brought together 32 nations to discuss the Jewish refugee crisis. While empathetic, most nations did not agree to open their borders, including the United States (although they did allow some Jews to enter during the Holocaust), Britain, and France. Only a few nations welcomed Jewish refugees, including the Dominican Republic and a few others. The witnesses of these events have described the horrific atrocities that took place during Hitler’s reign and say there were warnings all around. Yet many did not fully grasp the impending wickedness until it was too late, owing to cognitive dissonance.
The world is still full of wickedness, and there is a total disregard for God. Throughout the Bible, God repeatedly sent prophets to warn His people of impending judgment if they did not turn away from their wicked ways, in light of His grace and mercy. God never does anything without first issuing a warning to allow change to take place, but many refuse to listen. The Bible says: “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).
In John’s vision, he saw two witnesses who were to prophesy for approximately 3 ½ years, during the Great Tribulation, when human wickedness had no bounds. They would be clothed in sackcloth to signify mourning and judgment. This period in John’s vision is quickly approaching. The two witnesses are further described as the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before God. They were given power to bring plagues and fire upon their enemies, but ultimately killed by the Beast, only to be resurrected and ascend to heaven, signifying God's ultimate victory and the torment of those who oppose His truth. The Bible says: “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever” (Psalm 52:8). This means that the two witnesses will have a special anointing from God to do the tasks they are called to do on the earth. Some biblical scholars believe these two witnesses are two actual people sent by God, such as Moses and Elijah, among other potential prospects. Other scholars argue that the two witnesses are the church's special anointing and witnesses who proclaim God’s message in the last days. The only problem with this is that, should there be a pre-trib rapture, the church would already be gone. Nevertheless, both sides present compelling arguments. However, for the purposes of this teaching, we believe that the two witnesses will be two individuals sent by God.
The two witnesses were dressed in sackcloth. In biblical times, people wore sackcloth made of goat’s hair when in mourning. The Bible says: “In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes” (Esther 4:3). This means that the witnesses were dressed in clothes of sadness because of the sins of the wicked who would not come to repentance.
Key Aspects of Revelation 11:3-4:
- Divine Authority & Ministry: God grants these witnesses power to prophesy, bringing His message of judgment and calling for repentance.
- Symbolic Identity: The two witnesses are identified as “the two olive trees and the two lampstands,” drawing from Zechariah 4 to represent God's enabling presence and light, similar to Joshua and Zerubbabel rebuilding the Temple. (Zerubbabel (governor) and Joshua (High Priest) led the Jewish return from Babylonian exile to rebuild the Second Temple in Jerusalem under Persian rule, starting with the altar and foundation around 536 BC, facing opposition but encouraged by prophets Haggai and Zechariah to persevere until its completion decades later, fulfilling prophecy and restoring worship.)
- Duration: The two witnesses’ ministry lasts for 1,260 days (42 months or 3 ½ years), a significant period during the tribulation.
- Protection & Power: The two witnesses have power to stop rain, turn water to blood, and consume enemies with fire, demonstrating God's protection over His messengers.
- Significance of the number two: The number two emphasizes the legal requirement for multiple witnesses to establish truth. The Bible says: “One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15).
Who Are They? (Interpretations):
- Literal Individuals: Many believe they are two specific men, possibly figures like Elijah and Moses, empowered by God for this role.
- Symbolic of the Church: Others see them representing the faithful, universal Church, bearing witness to Christ's truth during the end times.
The Two Witnesses (Part 2)
“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. 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. 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 11:5-7).
John details the two witnesses being able to kill their enemies with fire from their mouths. During Elijah's time, King Ahaziah sent three sets of military officials to capture Elijah, and twice Elijah destroyed them with fire from Heaven, by a word from his mouth, an act God honored. The Bible says: “ Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’” Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men” (2 Kings 1:9-10). While some biblical scholars reject the idea that the two witnesses would be able to literally call fire down from Heaven, we can see that this was done before, and God can and will grant this act again.
Similarly, at Elijah’s request, God answered and rained down fire from Heaven to consume the sacrifice Elijah made after the prophets of Baal's attempt was unsuccessful, during the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. The Prophet Elijah cried out to God amid widespread Baal worship. He wanted the people to see the mighty hand of God at work so that they would know that no one was greater than God. He therefore asked God to withhold the rain from the earth, and the Lord granted his request, thus demonstrating that Yahweh, the true God, controls the weather, not Baal (the Canaanite god of rain); it was also judgment for Israel's idolatry, a call for repentance, and to display God's power over nature, which ended after the dramatic showdown on Mount Carmel.
The Bible says: “Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench” (1 Kings 18:37-39).
John goes on to say that they (the witnesses) had the power to stop the rain, while they prophesied during those years. The Prophet Elijah, by the hand of God, had the rain cease as well because of the idolatry taking place while Ahab was king. The Bible says: “Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years” (James 5:17). What is interesting about this 3 ½ year time frame during Elijah’s day is that once again, there will be a 3 ½ year time in which the witnesses will prophecy and be able to withhold rain the same way. This is why one of the witnesses could possibly be Elijah.
The witnesses will be able to turn the water into blood and pronounce plagues on the land. During the days of Moses, he went before Pharaoh as instructed by God in order to deliver God’s message to him. Moses told Pharaoh to let God’s people go. However, Pharaoh refused, so God sent plagues upon the land of Egypt. One of those plagues involved Moses turning the river into blood. The Bible says: “Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood” (Exodus 7:20). This was the first of ten plagues. Nine other plagues followed until the Children of Israel were finally released. The heart of mankind is hardened against God. He does not want to follow the commands of God, and just as with Pharaoh, the last days will prove to be a repeat of that same demonic spirit that is already running loose in the world.
When the two witnesses have completed their mission, the devil will be allowed to attack and kill them, but they will only be dead for a short time. Presently, the enemy is loose on the earth to destroy the body of Christ. He is against anyone who stands up for Jesus, teaches about repentance, and proclaims the good news of the Gospel. He desires to kill anyone who speaks God’s word to prevent souls from being saved. Yet, the witnesses will prophesy for 3 ½ years. What could they prophesy about for that length of time?
They will speak of the judgment that will come upon all who have not accepted Christ in their hearts. They will tell the world to repent and turn from their sins. Yet, because prophecy means to tell the future, we know what the future of the wicked will be if they do not change.
The Bible says: “But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked” (Psalm 37:38). Therefore, the wicked will not embrace the rebuke that will come from the witnesses.
The wicked will want to shut up the words coming from the two witnesses’ mouths, and the devil will make sure it happens. As we learned in the previous lesson, he was the fallen star who was given the key to the Abyss to run loose on the earth. The Bible says: “The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss” (Revelation 9:1). Therefore, the beast that John described in this text is the devil, who will kill the witnesses. However, his victory will be very short-lived. The devil often uses men to do his evil deeds, so nothing short of demon-possessed men will carry out the devil’s mission.
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