Book of Revelation – Page 2

In the second interlude of the book of Revelation (Rev 10:1–11:13; click here for my full outline of Revelation), the two witnesses are introduced and are said to prophesy for 1,260 days (11:3–13). Revelation does not explicitly identify the two witnesses, leading some to posit they are two people and others to posit they are symbolic. Thankfully, the description of the two witnesses, their ministry, and the time period of their ministry enables us to identify them quite accurately. The Two Witnesses of Revelation is symbolic for the church between Jesus’ ascension and return. The description, time period, and the prophetic ministry of the Two Witnesses matches how the church is described throughout the book of Revelation. To determine the identity of the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11, I will first analyse Revelation’s description of the Two Witnesses, followed by an assessment of their ministry, then a few comments on the 1,260-day period of their ministry, concluding with a summary and some personal thoughts. I encourage you to read the whole article, but feel free to click on the hyperlink and jump to the section you most want to read. I. The Description of the Two Witnesses The two witnesses are described as “witnesses,” “two lampstands,” and “two olive trees.” “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.” REVELATION 11:3–4, emphasis added A. The Two Witnesses as Witnesses (μάρτυρες) The Two Witnesses are not given proper names in Revelation. However, they are called “witnesses” (μάρτυρες) from the noun μάρτυς, meaning “one who bears witness” or “one who testifies.” If we search the book of Revelation for the term μάρτυς, its cognate noun μαρτυρία, and its cognate verb μαρτυρέω (all from the μαρτυρ– word group), we discover that there are only three groups that bear witness throughout Revelation: Jesus (Rev 1:5; 3:14; 22:20) Angels (Rev 22:16) The Church (Rev 1:1–2, 9; 2:13; 6:9; 12:11, 17; 17:6; 19:10; 20:4; 22:18) As can be seen, the church is the largest group that bears witness or testifies. Most of the above references refer to the entirety of the church (Rev 6:9; 12:11, 17; 17:6; 19:10; 20:4). Some refer to individual Christians, such as John the apostle (1:1–2, 9; 22:18), or Antipas from the church at Philadelphia (2:13). If we use the book of Revelation to help us identify the Two Witnesses, we must conclude that the Two Witnesses are either John the apostle and Antipas, in which case they have already come and died in a manner unlike what Revelation 11 describes, or the Two Witnesses are symbolic for the church. That the Two Witnesses are symbolic for the church is strengthened when the rest of the evidence is weighed. Before I move on to the other descriptors of the Two Witnesses, I want to briefly address the reason for referencing two witnesses if they refer to the one church. The reference to the number two most likely does not indicate the quantity of witnesses, but is used symbolically to strengthen the imagery of the church as witnesses since evidence is to be accepted on the testimony of two or three witnesses (Num 35:30; Deut 17:6; 19:15; Matt 18:16; John 5:31; 8:17; Acts 5:32; 2 Cor 13:1; Heb 10:28; 1 Tim 5:19). I will cover the actual testimony in the below section on the ministry of the Two Witnesses. B. The Two Witnesses as Two Lampstands The reference to the Two Witnesses as two lampstands is the strongest evidence that the Two Witnesses are the church (Rev 11:4). Throughout the book of Revelation, lampstands always refer to the church, as made explicitly clear by Jesus: “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest . . . . As for the mystery of the seven stars that 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 are the seven churches.” REVELATION 1:12–13, 20, emphasis added Not including Revelation 11, whenever a lampstand is mentioned throughout the rest of Revelation, it always refers to a church or the church: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands . . . . Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” REVELATION 2:1, 5, emphasis added The fact that Jesus calls the Two Witnesses “lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth” can only mean that they refer to the church, which stands before the Lord. Richard Bauckham succinctly agrees: “If the seven lampstands are churches, so must be the two lampstands.” Richard Bauckham, Climax of Prophecy, 174 C. The Two Witnesses as Two Olive Trees Finally, the Two Witnesses are also called two olive trees (Rev 11:4). The two olive trees of Revelation 11:4 allude to the two olive trees of Zechariah 4, which refer to Zerubbabel, the ruler from the lineage of David, and Joshua, the high priest who stands before the Lord (Zech 4:13). The allusion to Zechariah 4 does not necessitate that the two witnesses be two individuals. It is possible that the allusion to Zerubbabel and Joshua focuses more on the concept of king and priest than on the quantity of persons. Revelation attests that those who comprise the church are both priests and kings. The reference to Christians as priests is explicitly stated in a number of places throughout Revelation: “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”“And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’”“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” REVELATION 1:5b–6; 5:9–10; 20:6, emphasis added Although those who comprise the church are not explicitly called “kings” in Revelation, they are said to reign (βασιλεύω) throughout Revelation. In addition to Revelation 5:10 and 20:6 quoted above, Christians are also said to reign forever in the New Jerusalem: “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” REVELATION 22:5, emphasis added As you hopefully noticed, Revelation frequently pairs the roles of priest and king throughout Revelation when referring to the church (Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6). This strengthens the likelihood that the Two Witnesses in Revelation is symbolic for the church and that Revelation 11:4 is focused on the roles of Zerubbabel and Joshua as king and priest and not the quantity of persons. Thus, it is likely that John’s allusion to the two olive trees in Zechariah 4 are meant to identify the church as kings and priests who have a special place before the Lord. D. Summary of the Description of the Two Witnesses The Two Witnesses are described as “witnesses,” “two lampstands,” and “two olive trees.” Throughout the book of Revelation, those who bear witness are primarily the church, lampstands always refer to the church, and two olive trees refers to the Two Witnesses as being both priests and kings, two things that the church is repeatedly called. The description of the Two Witnesses, then, leads to the conclusion that the Two Witnesses is symbolic for the church. II. The Ministry of the Two Witnesses The Two Witnesses are given a twofold, yet complementary, ministry: prophesy and judgment. Both of these ministries will help us better identify the Two Witnesses. Let’s look at each in turn. A. The Ministry of Prophecy The primary ministry of the Two Witnesses is clearly prophetic. When the reader is first introduced to the Two Witnesses, they are said to prophesy: “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” REVELATION 11:3, emphasis added It should be noted that throughout Revelation 11, the language of prophecy and bearing witness is used interchangeably. For example, the two “witnesses” (11:3) are called two “prophets” in 11:10; and whereas they are said to “prophesy” in 11:3, they are said to “bear witness” in 11:7. To what do the Two Witnesses bear witness or about what do the Two Witnesses prophesy? The language of bearing witness gives us the answer. Whenever the church bears witness, it bears witness about Jesus. Two good examples are: “Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony [μαρτυρία] about Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.”“And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who testified [μάρτυς] about Jesus. When I saw her, I marvelled greatly.” REVELATION 12:17; 17:6, emphasis added; also see Rev 1:1–2, 9; 2:13; 6:9; 12:11; 19:10; 20:4; 22:18 Further, bearing witness/testifying about Jesus is prophecy according to Revelation: “Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” REVELATION 19:10, emphasis added Because (a) the ministry of the Two Witnesses is bearing witness to and prophesying about Jesus (the gospel!) and (b) because the entire church bears witness to Jesus throughout the book of Revelation, it makes the most sense that the Two Witnesses are the church who bear witness to/testify about Jesus. B. The Ministry of Judgment The second ministry of the Two Witnesses is one of judgment. The Two Witnesses are said to pour forth fire from their mouths so that their enemies are consumed, shut the sky so that it does not rain, turn water into blood, and strike the earth with every plague: “And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 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 11:5 It is widely accepted (although not universally accepted) that the references to calling forth fire and shutting the sky so that it does not rain are allusions to Elijah consuming his enemies with fire and shutting the sky so that it does not rain (2 Kgs 1:1–14; 1 Kgs 17:1; Sirach 48:1, 3; cf. Luke 4:25; James 5:17). It is also widely accepted (although not universally accepted) that the references to turning water into blood and striking the earth with every plague are allusions to Moses turning the Egyptian waters into blood and casting every sort of plague (Ex 7:14–21; 9:13–14; also see 1 Sam 4:8). It should also be noted that Moses caused fire to come down from the sky to kill many Egyptians and animals in the seventh plague (Ex 9:23–25). For some interpreters of Revelation, the allusion to two individual men who were considered prophets and did mighty signs, combined with the Old Testament prophecies that predict the coming of another Elijah and another Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18; Malachi 3:23 [4:5 in English translations]), suggest that the two witnesses of Revelation 11 are also two individual men, quite possibly Elijah and Moses themselves. However, the allusions to the acts of Elijah and Moses, two of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, do not necessitate two individuals are in view in Revelation 11. Rather, the allusions to the acts of Elijah and Moses could be a way of attesting to the prophetic power of the church that they exercise in judgment against the wicked. In light of the evidence in the above sections and the evidence to come below, the allusions to the acts of Elijah and Moses as referring to the prophetic powers of judgment given to the church seems most likely. The church is given the powers of Elijah and Moses to judge the wicked who refuse to heed their testimony about Jesus, but in turn persecute them, just like Moses judged Pharaoh for not heeding his testimony and persecuting Israel and just Elijah judged Ahab and Israel for not heeding his testimony and persecuting him and a few faithful prophets. III. The Time Period of the Two Witnesses’ Ministry: 1,260 Days The ministry of the Two Witnesses lasts for 1,260 days: “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” REVELATION 11:3, emphasis added The 1,260 days in Revelation 11:3 is the same time period as the 1,260 days in Revelation 12:6, the forty-two months in 11:2 and 13:5, and the “time, times, and half a time” in 12:14. All of these time periods equal 3.5 years. Revelation is not speaking about five different 3.5-year periods, but the same time period each time. Thus, whatever one determines about the 1,260 days in Revelation 11:3 must be applied to the other four uses of this time period and vice-versa. There are three interpretive possibilities of the 3.5-year period. First, it could be a literal 3.5 years that began at Jesus’ ascension and ended 3.5 years later. Second, it could be a literal 3.5 years that begins in the future exactly 3.5 years before Jesus’ return. Third, it could be a symbolic number representing the time period between Jesus’ ascension and return. The third option is almost certainly correct. The 1,260 days, the “time, times, and half a time,” and the 42 months mentioned in Revelation chapters 11–13 all refer to the period between Jesus’ ascension and return. Thus, the 1,260 days in which the Two Witnesses prophesy is symbolic for the period in which all Christians currently live. I have an entire article supporting this interpretation found HERE, so I won’t go into the details in this article. I strongly recommend you read it, however. Since the 1,260 days is symbolic for the period between Jesus’ ascension and return, the 1,260 days cannot be a literal 3.5-year period, which means the Two Witnesses cannot be two literal people. In light of the time period of the 1,260 days covering thousands of years, the only logical explanation for the identity of the Two Witnesses is that it is symbolic for the church. Summary and Concluding Thoughts The Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 is the church. The description of the Two Witnesses matches how the church is described throughout the book of Revelation. The prophetic ministry of the Two Witnesses to bear witness to Jesus and to judge those who persecute the church is also how the church is described throughout the book of Revelation and elsewhere throughout the New Testament. Finally, the 1,260 days of the Two Witnesses’ prophetic witness is symbolic for the period between Jesus’ ascension and return, eliminating the possibility of the Two Witnesses being two actual people. Based on all the above internal evidence, the Two Witnesses is most likely symbolic for the church who has a prophetic ministry between the ascension and return of Jesus. Understanding the Two Witnesses as the church helps the modern church understand its purpose and place in the world. First, the purpose of the church is clearly to bear witness about Jesus to the world. If the church is not doing this, then it is not fulfilling its God-ordained prophetic ministry. Every church should be active in testifying about Jesus and bearing witness to the gospel. Second, the church will be hated by the world. Revelation 11 is clear that the world will reject the prophetic message of the church (i.e., the gospel) and will hate the church with extreme prejudice. This hatred culminates in a world-wide persecution of the church that will result in the murder of almost every Christian, if not every Christian: “And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.” REVELATION 11:7–10 Revelation 11 warns and prepares Christians to expect heavy persecution and to be ready to die for Jesus. Indeed, the very next chapter clearly states that all Christians should “love not their lives even unto death” (Rev 12:11). Christians must be ready to die for Jesus now, even if the heaviest of persecutions does not come until the future. Persecution will not be relegated to two people in the distant future. The world hates Christians now, so be ready to die now. So as to not end on a dreary note, Revelation 11 also guarantees that all Christians will partake in the resurrection from the dead and have ultimate victory with Jesus! “But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here!’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.” REVELATION 11:11–12