Who are the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11:3? Text Of The Passage “I will empower My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” (Revelation 11:3) Immediate Context Revelation 11:1–13 sits between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments. John is told to measure the temple (vv. 1–2), then the career of the witnesses is described (vv. 3–12), and finally an earthquake and mass conversion follow (v. 13). The literal sequence and numerical markers (temple, 42 months, 1,260 days, 3 ½ days) point to real time-space events inside Daniel’s yet-future 70th week (Daniel 9:27; 12:7). Literary Form And Interpretive Approach Revelation’s symbols communicate literal realities (cf. the “seven stars” = “seven angels,” 1:20). The conservative, grammatical-historical method reads 11:3–13 as describing two actual prophets raised up by God during the Tribulation, while recognizing symbolic features (olive trees, lampstands) that have Old Testament roots. Clues Within The Passage 1. Number—“two”: corresponds to Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16 for legally sufficient testimony. 2. Prophetic attire—“sackcloth”: the garb of mourning prophets (2 Kings 1:8; Isaiah 20:2). 3. Miraculous powers—shutting the sky, turning water to blood, calling fire and plagues (Revelation 11:5–6) strongly recall Elijah and Moses. 4. Duration—1,260 days (exactly 42 × 30-day months): half of the seven-year Tribulation. 5. Death—slain by “the beast” (Antichrist) in Jerusalem, bodies exposed 3 ½ days, globally viewed, then resurrected and ascended (vv. 7–12). Old Testament BACKGROUND Zechariah 4:2–14 shows “two olive trees…two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of all the earth.” Revelation 11 borrows that imagery, linking the witnesses to Holy Spirit empowerment (oil) and covenant testimony (lampstands). Historical Opinions • Early writers: Tertullian (On the Resurrection, 23), Hippolytus (On Christ and Antichrist, 45-50) held for Elijah and Enoch. • Augustine (City of God, 20.29) and Aquinas (Summa, III Q.49 A.3) lean to the same. • The Reformers (Luther, Calvin) saw the passage as symbolic of the gospel-preaching church under persecution. • Modern conservative scholarship is split between literal Moses-Elijah and Enoch-Elijah, with a smaller number defending a purely symbolic corporate view. Candidate Pairs Examined 1. Moses & Elijah • Miracles match exactly (fire, drought: 1 Kings 17:1; 18:38; water-to-blood, plagues: Exodus 7–12). • Both appeared bodily at the Transfiguration as eschatological harbingers (Matthew 17:3). • Jewish tradition expects Elijah to precede “the great and fearful day” (Malachi 4:5–6), and some strands expect Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). • They represent the Law and the Prophets—the totality of God’s revelation. • Both experienced unusual departures: Moses’ undisclosed burial (Deuteronomy 34:5-6; Jude 9), Elijah’s translation (2 Kings 2:11). 2. Enoch & Elijah • Both never died (Genesis 5:24; 2 Kings 2:11). Hebrews 9:27 states, “it is appointed for men to die once,” suggesting they must yet die. • Enoch prophesied of end-time judgment (Jude 14-15). • Weakness: the witnesses’ plagues echo Moses, not Enoch; Scripture never links Enoch to Israelite eschatology. 3. Joshua & Zerubbabel (from Zechariah 4) • Typologically fruitful but lacks explicit New Testament connection and does not account for the listed miracles. 4. Symbolic/Corporate Views (e.g., OT & NT, law & gospel, believing remnant of Israel, the church) • Neglects the specificity of 1,260 days, death in Jerusalem, resurrection, and ascension—events that demand personal embodiment. • John distinguishes symbolic lampstands elsewhere (churches, Revelation 1:20), yet here merges symbols with literal persons. Theological Implications • God maintains a prophetic voice even amid global rebellion, vindicating His justice. • Their resurrection and public ascension echo Christ’s own, reinforcing the gospel: “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). • The earthquake and conversion of a “tenth” and “7,000” (Revelation 11:13) show divine mercy even in judgment. Objection: Hebrews 9:27 Hebrews 9:27 states a general rule, not an absolute without exception; Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter, and those raised at Christ’s crucifixion (Matthew 27:52-53) all died twice. Thus Moses, though already dead, could die again; Elijah could die once. Scientific/Historical Confidence Excavations in Jerusalem’s first-century strata reveal streets and plazas matching Revelation’s description of public display. The global viewing of their corpses—once hard to fathom—is now technologically mundane via satellite broadcast, illustrating the text’s foresight. Eschatological Timeline • First 3 ½ years: Temple worship restored (11:1-2), witnesses minister. • Mid-point: Beast kills them; world celebrates. • Three-and-a-half days later: resurrection and ascension. • Aftershock and conversions prime the seventh trumpet, leading to Christ’s visible return (Revelation 19). Practical Application Today God calls all people to heed His completed revelation—the Law and the Prophets fulfilled in Christ—and repent. The coming judgment is real; the resurrected Lord offers salvation now (Romans 10:9). As the two witnesses will be fearless, believers are to give testimony with the same boldness empowered by the Holy Spirit. Conclusion The balance of internal clues, Old Testament precedent, prophetic typology, early Christian expectation, and grammatical-historical consistency converge on the view that the two witnesses are literal, future prophets, most plausibly Moses and Elijah, commissioned by God to prophesy in Jerusalem for 1,260 days during the Tribulation, then killed, resurrected, and taken to heaven as irrefutable proof of Christ’s sovereignty and soon-coming kingdom. |
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