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Introduction
The Two Witnesses are two literal individuals who God will use mightily during
the future Tribulation period. Most of what we know about these mighty men of
God is found in Revelation 11. They will be prophets dressed in sackcloth
(Revelation 11:3). They will have the power to defend themselves by having fire
proceeding out of their mouths (11:5). Finally they will have the power to shut
the sky so it won't rain, turn water into blood and have any kind of plague at
their disposal (11:6).
They will prophesy for 1,260 days (11:3),
which is roughly three-and-a-half years. At the end of this period, they will be
killed by the Antichrist figure (11:7) and their bodies will lie in Jerusalem
without a burial (11:8) for three-and-a-half days (11:9). They will rise again
(11:11) and ascend to heaven in a cloud (11:12) striking fear in the inhabitants
of the earth (11:11) who rejoiced and sent each other gifts as a result of the
two witnesses' death (11:10).
Identity of the Two Witnesses
The identity of these two powerful men of God is in question. Is it Elijah and
Moses? Maybe they are Elijah and Enoch? Other people have suggested John the
Baptist, the Apostles Paul, Peter, or John. Finally some believe that the two
witnesses are just two regular people. There are several websites of people
claiming they are the two witnesses. One website has a photo of an old man with an airforce hat and it says that that is Yahweh our creator. Another website has a married couple who claim that they are the two witnesses and coincidently they are gathering their 144,000 followers...literally. I will provide these links at a later time. I on the otherhand will argue that the two witnesses are in fact Moses and Elijah.
Malachi 4:5-6 says, "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that
great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers
to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I
will come and strike the land with a curse."
This scripture presents Elijah as one of the two witnesses. He will come before
the prophesied Day of the Lord. He will be the messenger who prepares the way of
the Lord (Malachi 3:1) even though John the Baptist fulfilled this verse
partially. The Jews in Jesus' day believed that Elijah would come again and they
asked John the Baptist if he was Elijah (John 1:21). Consequently the Bible does
not identify the other witness but there are compelling clues that point us to
Moses.
Deuteronomy 18:15,18 says, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a
prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him…I will raise
up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in
his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him."
Despite the fact that Jesus Christ fulfilled this verse (Acts 3:22), the Jews in
the first century recognized that the "Prophet" was distinguishable
from the Messiah and asked John the Baptist if he was that person (John 1:21).
The Pharisees asked John, "'Why then do you baptize if you are not the
Christ [Messiah], nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?' (John 1:25)." The Prophet
is the second of the two witnesses and will be like Moses. Who can be more like
Moses than Moses himself?
Malachi 4:4 says, "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and
laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel."
Significantly in Malachi 4:4, God mentions Moses before discussing about Elijah
coming again in Malachi 4:5. Clearly Moses and Elijah are the two
witnesses of Revelation 11.
Plagues of the Two Witnesses
Revelation 11:6 reveals that the two witnesses will have the power to shut the
sky so it won't rain as well as turn water into blood. When we look at the
scriptures, we learn that Elijah and Moses are in view. The Bible shows us that
Elijah through the power of God shut the sky so that it would not rain for
three-and-a-half years in the days of King Ahab:
Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to
Ahab, 'As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will neither
be dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word' (1 Kings 17:1).
Elijah was a man just like us. 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).
The two witnesses will shut the sky for the entire time they
are prophesying, which is the same amount of days that Elijah shut the sky in
the days of old.
The two witnesses will also have the capability to turn water into blood. Exodus
7:14-24 tells us that Moses, through the power of God, turned the waters of the
Nile River into blood. Moses, on other occasions, turned the waters bitter
(Exodus 15:22-25; Exodus 32:20) as well as providing water for his fellow
thirsty Israelites out of a rock (Numbers 20). We see based on precedence that
Moses turned water into blood and this certainly increases the possibility of
Moses being one of the two witnesses.
The two witnesses will also have the power to strike the earth with every plague
as often as they want. Moses is in view because through the power of God, he
invoked ten plagues against the Egyptians in the Book of Exodus: Blood
(7:14-24); Frogs (7:25-8:15); Gnats (8:16-19); Flies (8:20-32); Dead Livestock
(9:1-7); Boils (9:8-12); Hail (9:13-35); Locusts (10:1-20); Darkness (10:21-29);
Firstborn dead (11:1-10). Moses has nine plagues (besides turning water into
blood) at his disposal. The two witnesses will strike fear and wonder over many
people. The Antichrist will no doubt dub them as troublemakers and attempt to
dispose of them, first by using others unsuccessfully (Revelation 11:5) then
taking matters into his own hands (Revelation 11:7).
Race of the Two Witnesses
Revelation 11:4 says, "These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands
that stand before the Lord of the earth." This verse seems to be taken from
Zechariah 4:14:
So he said, 'These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the
earth.'
The angel speaking to Zechariah was talking about Joshua the High Priest and
Zerubbabel the Builder, who stood in the presence of the Lord while doing their
work on the earth. Both of these men of God were Jews. Assuming that these two
men are types of the two witnesses, we can expect that the two witnesses are
Jews themselves, which qualifies Moses and Elijah. Some might object and say
that the term "Jews" only refers to those from the tribe of Judah.
However this is inaccurate because Paul on numerous occasions uses the term
"Jews" to refer to all of Israel (Romans 10:12; 1 Corinthians 10:32).
Revelation 11:1 shows us that John was commanded to measure the inner court of
the Jews in the Temple and not the outer court because it was given to the
Gentiles. Maybe this is a possible clue as to the race of the two witnesses.
They will be Jews, more generally Israelites just like the 144,000.
These verses seem to discount the theory that Enoch is one of the two witnesses.
He was a non-Jew. The times of which he lived there were neither racial nor
language divisions. Israel didn't exist and the Jewish people were not born out
of Abraham yet. These facts alone could discount Enoch as a possible candidate
but there are other reasons.
The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ
Revelation 11:4 presents the two witnesses as the "two lampstands that
stand before the Lord of the earth." This Lord is our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. This verse is another clue of the identity of the two witnesses. Matthew
17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; and Luke 9:28-36 speak about a significant event during
the ministry of Jesus Christ. This event is known as the "Transfiguration
of Jesus Christ." Jesus took three of his disciples (Peter, James, John) up
a high mountain where he was transfigured with his clothes turning very white.
Moses and Elijah appeared before them and they proceeded to talk with Jesus.
Moses and Elijah stood before the Lord of the earth at His transfiguration.
Many people miss this but why was Moses and Elijah privileged to appear when
Jesus was transfigured in His pre-Incarnation glory?
2 Peter 1:16-18 says, "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we
told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were
eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father
when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, 'This is my Son,
whom I love; with him I am well pleased.' We ourselves heard this voice that
came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain."
Not only were Peter, James, and John eyewitnesses of Jesus' majesty but also
Moses and Elijah. It is clear that Moses (who represents the Law) and Elijah
(who represents the Prophets) are the two figures most associated with the
inauguration of the Lord coming to set up His earthly kingdom. These Old
Testament figures will be called upon to be a witness of Jesus Christ unto
Israel and the rest of the unbelieving world.
Enoch and Hebrews 9:27
While there seems to be many objections to Enoch being one of the two witnesses,
Hebrews 9:27 is a verse that is used by those who believe that he is the other
witness:
Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.
This verse can be a stumbling block to those who argue that Moses will be the
other witness. But it doesn't have to be. Hebrews 9:27 is an
absolute verse and one might use it to support their theory that Enoch is the
other witness. However it is not so clear-cut. There are at least six people in
the Bible that can say that they died at least twice. They were raised from the
dead, lived a normal "second life" (if one can call it that) and then
died again. Jesus raised Lazarus (John 11:1-44); the widow's son (Luke 7:11-17);
and Jairus' daughter (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56) from the
dead. Elijah raised a widow's son from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24). Elijah's
pupil, Elisha raised a Shunammite's son from the dead (2 Kings 4:8-37). Finally
Paul raised a young man who fell out of a three-story window from the dead (Acts
20:7-12). The Antichrist will also be raised from the dead (Revelation 13:3;
17:8), wreck havoc for 42 months and then thrown alive into the Lake of Fire
(Revelation 19:20). He is another exception to the verse in Hebrews. There will
also be many people who will never die. This will happen at the rapture of the
Church (1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) where the living in
Christ will be "caught up" to be with Christ. These people will have
the distinction of never dying.
To say that Hebrews 9:27 disqualifies Moses is not accurate. While it's true
that both Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2) were taken up to heaven
while they were alive, Moses' death was shrouded in mystery Deuteronomy 34:6
tells us that God buried Moses in Moab in a secret location. Jude 9 explains
that Michael the Archangel, possibly acting through orders from God, was
probably taking Moses' body to heaven. He eventually had a dispute with
Satan over the prophet's body. Maybe God kept Moses' body in a special way for
the fulfillment of His purposes during the Tribulation.
It is also significant that Peter recognized Moses on the mountain where Jesus
was transfigured. If Moses was an disembodied spirit, then Peter would not have
recognized him. It is possible that God took Moses in precisely the same way he
took Elijah because God in His infinite wisdom knew that if He buried Moses, the
people of Israel would seek out the body in order to preserve it and venerate it
as an idol. We can be sure that the body of Moses is in heaven.
Finally look at what Donald Grey Barnhouse [see Notes] wrote in his commentary
of Revelation:
The simple fact is that the famous text on death and judgment does not refer
to physical death at all. In view of the fact that the context clearly speaks
of salvation from eternal death, a paraphrase of the misapplied verse in
Hebrews would, in my opinion, read as follows: As it is appointed unto man
once, in Adam's sin, to die spiritually, as a result of which judgment passed
upon the race, because all have sinned, so Christ was once offered to bear the
sins of many.
There is no verse in the Old Testament that demands the return of Enoch. Enoch
is a mysterious figure in the pre-Flood days who simply walked with God. He
prophesied (Jude 14) and was a man of faith (Hebrews 11:5). Moses was a prophet
on a much larger scale than Enoch (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; 32:1-43). In fact
someone (possibly God Himself) wrote, "Since then, no prophet has risen in
Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face." Moses was a lawgiver,
a writer, a mediator, and gave a test to determine whether a prophet is a true
or a false prophet (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). Moses, through the power of God,
performed many miracles and wonders (like opening the Red Sea) before his
people, the Israelites as well as the Egyptians and the pagan peoples living in
Canaan. Elijah was also a prophet who stood up to the false prophets of Baal (1
Kings 18) and even prophesied the exact details of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel's
deaths in 1 Kings 21. A widow said to Elijah in 1 Kings 17:24:
Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your
mouth is the truth.
Elijah called down fire from heaven on two occasions (1 Kings 18; 2 Kings 1),
which is similar to what the two witnesses will do even though fire will proceed
from their mouths (Revelation 11:5). Based on this Elijah passes the test of a
true prophet according to Deuteronomy 18:22. Those that believe that Enoch
is the other witness are unknowingly placing limits on God for He can do
anything. I have shown you that Moses is clearly in view. Look at the plagues of
the two witnesses. Look at the episode of the Transfiguration of Christ. It is
clear that Moses is the other witness.
What about Enoch?
Enoch serves a different purpose in the grand scheme of things. It is
significant that he was taken up before the Genesis Flood occurred. His example
serves as a type of the Church of Jesus Christ, which is raptured before the
Tribulation occurs. Many people erroneously believe that Noah is a type of the
Church but in reality he is a type of the remnant of Israel who is
supernaturally protected from the Antichrist for 1,260 days in the wilderness.
The Timing of the Two Witnesses
Now that we established the identity of the two witnesses, lets figure out
whether they will minister during the first or the second half of the seven year
Tribulation period. There is not that much heated debate over this issue but my
opinion in the past was leaning towards the former. However I saw some problems
with both views so now my theory is that they will minister during both periods
for 1,260 days. Lets look at two key verses:
Revelation 11:1-2 says, "I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was
told, 'Go and measure the temple of God and the alter, and count the worshippers
there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given
to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months."
Revelation 11:7 says, "Now when they have finished their testimony, the
beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill
them."
In the first verse John is given a rhetorical task - count the worshippers. This
is an odd task considering that the Abomination of Desolation occurs at the
midpoint of the seven-year Tribulation period. This event is defined in 2
Thessalonians 2:4 when the Antichrist defiles the Temple by placing an idol
there and declaring himself to be God. The fact that John was told to count the
worshippers gives us a clue that the scene of discussion is in the second half
of the Tribulation.
Now look at the second verse. It says that at the end of their testimony, i.e.
1,260 days the Antichrist figure (known in Revelation as the Beast) will attack
and kill them. Since the Antichrist is killed sometime towards the end of the
first half of the Tribulation, this means that the two witnesses have their
ministry in the first half as well as the second. This means that the two
witnesses' ministry happens during both halves of the Tribulation for 1,260
days. Look at the following table:
| 7
year Tribulation = 2,520 days |
| First
Half |
Second
Half |
| 1,260
days |
1,260
days |
| 2
Witnesses Ministry = 1,260 days |
| |
630 days |
630 days |
|
This is one possible scenario. The
only way we will know if we are correct is when the two witnesses arrive on the
scene fulfilling prophecy. Another proof that the two witnesses minister during
both halves is that they are supernaturally protected for 1,260 days. During the
second half of the Tribulation or the 42 months of the Antichrist, he will
overcome the believers during this time. But he will fail to destroy the two
witnesses. He will possibly send assassins to kill them but they will be
destroyed. This will make him frustrated because to him they are troublemakers
in his one world system. He will be also be frustrated because he will be able
to destroy the saints of God when they refuse his 666 mark issued by the False
Prophet but he will be unable to silence, intimidate or even destroy these two
men of God. Finally he will be so filled with hatred over them that he will
attack and overpower them himself, killing them.
Two Witnesses' Deaths
Revelation 11:7 says, "Now when they have finished their testimony, the
beast that comes from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill
them."
They will testify for 1,260 days and be supernaturally protected from any
attack. However when that period finishes the two witnesses will have no more
protection and they will be killed by the Antichrist. I believe that the
circumstances of Jesus' death will be the same in this case. Jesus did not fight
back (he even rebuked Peter for defending him in John 18:10-11) and the two
witnesses will do the same. I believe they will expect to die and even prophesy
about it. With no protection, it will be easy for the Antichrist to attack,
overpower, and kill them. The word of God is silent on how they will die at the
hands of the Antichrist. Maybe he will gun them down. Maybe they will be
crucified just like their Lord and Savior was. Maybe he will kill them
supernaturally. But one thing is for certain - they will die.
Two Witnesses' Burial or Lack Thereof
Revelation 11:8-10 says, "Their bodies will lie in the street of the great
city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was
crucified. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and
nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the
earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts,
because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth."
Revelation 11:8 hints that the two witnesses will lie dead in Jerusalem because
scripture states that it was the place where their Lord was crucified. This is
also a clue that the two prophets will minister in Jerusalem and will eventually
die there.
Revelation 11:9 reveals that the two witnesses will lie dead for three and a
half days. It will be a viewing spectacle for many people who happen to be in
Jerusalem during that time. However scripture says that practically everyone in
the world will gaze on the bodies of the two witnesses. This is a verse that
astounded many theologians for centuries until the invention of the television
in the twentieth century and twenty-four hour news networks such as CNN and Fox
News. This verse also says that everyone (unbelievers) will refuse them burial.
This part is very interesting and not too many commentators "comment"
on it. It is clear that once the Antichrist kills the two witnesses, the
decision as whether they receive a burial or not, will lie in the people of this
world. This could be a clue as to the government of the Antichrist. He will
reign supreme for 42 months so his government could possibly be a democratic
dictatorship. It is possible that the people of the world would either refuse
them burial by a massive vote on the Internet or televised mass demonstrations
throughout the world, both of which were not possible before this past century.
Revelation 11:10 tells us that the death of the two witnesses will cause many
people to celebrate because they caused much strife and tormented many. They
will send each other gifts (probably with the 666 mark, which will allow them to
buy or sell). Some might believe that this verse means that this happens around
Christmas but the vast majority in the world does not celebrate Christmas.
However, this could be a clue that the economy suffered during the 1,260
prophetic period of the two witnesses. Now that they are dead, consumer spending
and the economy will rebound. This is one possibility. What is clear
though is that unregenerate unbelievers will be joyful and ecstatic over the
death of the two prophets of God.
The Resurrection of the Two Witnesses
Revelation 11:11-12 says, "But after the three and a half days a breath of
life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck
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, while their enemies
looked on."
It will shock many people to see that the two prophets whom they taunted and
ridiculed during the time they were dead will be resurrected from the dead. In
fact scripture says that the onlookers will be struck with terror. The author
and finisher of life, God Himself, will be responsible for giving life to his
two servants. The two witnesses will hear a voice from heaven saying "Come
up here" and they will ascend to heaven just like Jesus (Acts 1:9) with
their enemies looking on in contrast to Jesus where His followers looked up.
Finally Revelation 11:13 reveals that there will be a earthquake in Jerusalem
where a tenth of the city will collapse and seven thousand people will die. This
whole incident will garner praise for God by the survivors who are terrified.
Conclusion
Scripture is clear. There is compelling evidence that the two witnesses of
Revelation 11 will be Moses and Elijah. These two prophets will minister for
1,260 days during the Tribulation, which will come upon the earth. They will
work many wonders but will mainly come in judgment. They will prophesy against
the Antichrist and seek to win many people, particularly Israel, to the Lord.
They will be killed by the Antichrist and lie dead in Jerusalem for a little
more than three days. God will resurrect them much to the terror of unregenerate
man who can't comprehend the concept of the supernatural. When it is all said
and done, God gets the glory.
Notes
1. Donald Grey Barnhouse.
Revelation: An Expositional Commentary. (Zondervan Publishing
House, 1971), 201.
2. All scriptures are taken from the New International Version (NIV) of
the scriptures.
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