Two Witnesses - A Biblical Perspective

[TribulationSigns]

Who Are the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11?​

The Bible does NOT teach that the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 are two literal men who suddenly appear at the end of the world or even the first century. Revelation itself identifies them symbolically:

“These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.”
— Revelation 11:4

Elsewhere Scripture identifies the candlesticks as the churches (Revelation 1:20), while the olive-tree imagery is used for God's covenant people (Romans 11). Likewise, Christ calls His people His witnesses (Acts 1:8).

Therefore, the Two Witnesses represent the faithful and Chosen Church—the Elect of God bearing witness to Christ throughout the New Covenant age!

Why "two" witnesses? Because under God's law, a matter is established by the testimony of two witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15). Jesus even sent His disciples out two by two (Mark 6:7; Luke 10:1). Thus, “two” signifies the divinely established and trustworthy testimony of God's people rather than requiring us to understand them as only two individual men. We, Christians, are the witnesses of Truth. Selah.

Their Power to Prophesy for 1,260 Days​

Revelation 11:3 says:

“And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days...”

The 1,260 days are symbolic, representing the period in which the New Covenant Church is commissioned and empowered to carry the Gospel into the world for the purpose of salvation. This corresponds with Revelation 12, where the woman—the Church—is nourished by God for 1,260 days.

What is the “power” given to the witnesses?

It is the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God.

Jesus told His disciples:

“Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me...”
— Acts 1:8

This began particularly with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Acts 2 connects this with Joel's prophecy that God's servants would prophesy. Therefore, prophesying here does not mean that Christians can predict future events. God's people prophesy when, empowered by His Spirit, they faithfully proclaim the Word God has already given.

For this symbolic 1,260-day period, the Church carries the Gospel throughout the world. Through that Gospel witnessing, God secures His Elect as the church grows...UNTIL...

When Their Testimony Is Finished​

Then Revelation 11:7 says something extremely important:

“And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.”

Notice the timing: when they have "finished their testimony".

The beast cannot come out and kill their witness BEFORE God has completed the purpose for which He commissioned His witnesses. Their Gospel testimony continues UNTIL God's saving purpose through that testimony has been accomplished. Selah!

Compare Christ's words:

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
— Matthew 24:14

Therefore, their death occurs only after their testimony has been completed. God's Elect who were appointed to be gathered through the saving Gospel witness will have been accounted for. Satan cannot stop God's salvation program prematurely.

But what does it mean that the witnesses are “killed”?

It does not necessarily mean every Christian on earth will be "physically murdered."

Rather their death represents the death or silencing of their Gospel witness within the external Church which is a great city. The beast (the body of false prophets and christs) makes war against the saints and overcomes their truthful testimony with their own lies. The faithful Word that once brought living water is rejected, suppressed and finally driven out. The candlestick's light goes out.

Please understand that the true believers themselves remain spiritually alive in Christ. They are the "oil and wine" that will not harm during the Great Tribulation. Anyway what has been “killed” is their effective testimony within the apostate external congregation, right in the streets of the Great city. The street represents public and common space WITHIN external church, where that testimony had been heard. The imagery is not simply that the witneses are somewhere inside a physical city, but rather pictures them lying openly in the place where the people of that city ordinarily gather and where public testimony would be heard. In other words, inside the churches all over the world.

Why Does the Unsaved World Rejoice?​

Revelation 11:10 explains:

“And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.”

Why would anyone celebrate the disappearance of God's truthful testimony of Two Witnesses?

Because the faithful Gospel does more than say, “God loves you.”

It also confronts man with sin, repentance, judgment, and the absolute authority of God.

The Word exposes man's rebellion. It declares that man's own righteousness cannot save him. It tells him that God's law—not man's feelings, traditions, or opinions—is the final authority.

That faithful testimony torments the rebellious conscience. The enemies (professed Christians, false prophets, and christs) hate this so they are trying to silence (kill) them.

Therefore, when the faithful witness is finally silenced, the unsaved rejoice. The voice that continually testified against their sin appears to be gone. They no longer have to hear the uncomfortable testimony of God's judgment. They can preach or do whatever they like to hear in the church.

This is why Revelation specifically says they rejoice "because" the prophets had tormented them with truth and corrections.

Then Comes the Symbolic 3½ Days​

But Revelation does not end with the witnesses lying dead.

“And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.”
— Revelation 11:11

The 3½ days represent a short period of spiritual silence following the killing of their testimony. This also parallel to the half an hour of silence in Revelation 8:1. It is because God will finally judges the unfaithful church for being unfaithful and silence His Witneses. Before He judges His House, He wants His chosen Elect to come out so that they will not partake of church's plagues.

Remember the witnesses are not "spiritually dead"—they are always God's Elect and already possess eternal life. Rather, they are “dead” in the particular sense that their Gospel witness has been silenced within the city. You need to understand this first.

Then something dramatic happens:

The Spirit of life from God enters them, and they stand upon their feet.

This means their testimony becomes alive and active again.

There had been silence. Now they speak.

There had been apparent defeat. Now they stand.

There had been immobility of the Elect. Now they are prepared to move OUT of the apostate church, moved by the Spirit of Life.

The imagery parallels Ezekiel 37, where the breath of God enters the dead bones and they stand upon their feet. Revelation uses similar resurrection imagery to describe the revival and mobilization of God's faithful witnesses.

(Continue to next post - "Feet")​

 

[TribulationSigns]

Why Does Scripture Mention Their “Feet”?​

This detail is important!

Throughout Scripture, feet are associated with being sent forth with the Gospel:

“How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace...”
— Romans 10:15

And:

“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
— Ephesians 6:15

Therefore, when the Spirit causes the Two Witnesses to stand upon their feet, the picture is one of God's people becoming mobilized again. They rise from the silence imposed upon their testimony. They will not prophesy about salvation anymore but JUDGMENT against the abominations around them, warn that judgment is coming, and ultimately separate themselves from the apostate city.

“And Great Fear Fell Upon Them Which Saw Them”​

Their enemies thought they had won.

They thought the troublesome testimony had finally been silenced.

But suddenly the faithful stand again.

Those believers who had been pushed aside, ignored and accused of being unloving, judgmental, heartless, legalistic, hateful, homophobic, sexist, and treated as spiritually “dead” are now openly speaking. This time with warning and separating themselves from the apostate congregation as their enemies behold them.

That does not mean the world watches two corpses physically climb onto their feet. Rather, those who opposed the faithful see their renewed spiritual activity, warning of judgment and departure from apostate church.
And they fear.

Why?

Because their apparent victory over God's witnesses was temporary. The people they thought had been silenced are standing again by the power of God. Their departure also exposes the spiritual condition of the city they are leaving behind.

The witnesses stand, warn, and come out; those remaining behind recognize that something serious is happening. Their fear may manifest itself through anger, hatred, accusations and reviling against the saints.

So Revelation 11 is not primarily predicting two supernatural men performing miracles in Jerusalem.

It is revealing the history and final trial of Christ's witnessing Church:

The Two Witnesses = God's faithful Elect Church.

The 1,260 days = the symbolic New Covenant period of Gospel testimony.

Their power = the Holy Spirit working through God's Word.

Their testimony = the Gospel going into the world to gather God's Elect.

Their death = the silencing of faithful Gospel testimony as the beast overcomes their witness in the apostate external Church.

The world's rejoicing = relief that the Word which exposed their sin and warned of judgment has been silenced.

The 3½ days = a short symbolic period of silence and apparent defeat.

The Spirit of life entering them = God reviving their active testimony.

Standing upon their feet = God's witnesses becoming spiritually mobilized again to speak, warn, and come out of the apostate city.

Their enemies beholding them = those who opposed the truth witnessing this revival and separation with fear.

The Two Witnesses therefore cannot finally be defeated. Satan may be permitted to kill their testimony for a 3-1/2 days/half an hour, but he cannot destroy the eternal life God has placed within His Elect.

The Gospel accomplishes exactly what God sent it to accomplish. The witnesses finish their testimony. The Elect are gathered. The beast is permitted to rule in God's Church for a little season. The faithful stand again by the Spirit of God.

And then the end comes.

Therefore, the traditional Church teaching that the Two Witnesses are two literal men who will someday be physically killed by a literal beast or whatever is a false interpretation of Revelation 11. The passage is symbolic: the Two Witnesses represent the faithful Church, and their “death” represents the silencing of their truthful testimony within the apostate external congregation.

Selah!