Who are the Two Witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11?

WHO ARE THE TWO WITNESSES MENTIONED IN REVELATION 11?

By Ezekiel Kimosop

INTRODUCTION

This question first came up during my evaluation of the cultic controversy associated with Dr. David Owuor of the Repentance & Holiness movement who claimed that he was one of the two witnesses described in Revelation 11. I have outlined my thoughts on my Facebook page on why Dr Owuor's claim is frivolous and theologically inadmissible, in my view. 

So who are the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11? 

I must admit at this point that this is a complex question that has been the subject of debates in theological circles. I acknowledge that there are dozens of conflicting answers to this question. I will attempt to offer my response based on my discernment of Scripture.

Allow me to begin with an analysis of the text and thereafter examine four leading postulations or theories touching on the identity of the two apocalyptic witnesses. I will draw a conclusion that conveys my position on the debate.

PASSAGE ANALYSIS

The two witnesses are described in Revelation 11:1-14. John is given a reed-like measuring rod and is instructed to measure the temple of God, the altar and those who worship therein. He is further instructed to ignore the outer court which has been given to the Gentiles (Rev 11:1-2). Some scholars associate this activity with God's preservation of the true church - the church within the church [ref. Ellicott's Commentary on Rev 11:1-3]. 

Other scholars believe that this is a prophetic reference to the division that is witnessed today between the Muslim and Christian cum Jewish sectors in Jerusalem. The Temple Mount is at the centre of a hot dispute between the Palestinians and the Jews. 

It is instructive that the Al Aqsa Mosque was constructed on the Temple Mount during the 400 year reign of the Ottoman Empire between AD 1516 and 1915. Israel regained control of East Jerusalem during the Arab Israeli War of 1967. 

The Bible reveals that the Gentiles would trample the holy city for forty two months (Rev 11:2). Again this is possibly in reference to the Arab occupation of the city until Israel regained control of its key sectors during the 1967 war. Some would argue that it is a definite period of three and a half years during the global reign of the Antichrist [2 Thessalonians 2:3-12]. 

God proclaims that He will give power to His two witnesses who will prophesy for 1260 days while clothed in sackcloth (Rev. 11:3). Their origin is not identified in the passage but the Greek plural masculine noun confirms that the two are male. This perhaps excludes the possibility that the church being is contemplated because she is often identified with the feminine noun being the bride of Christ.

The two witnesses will be mourning over the wickedness on earth and the coming judgment of God through the seven bowls that will follow in Revelation 16.

The mention of two olive trees and two lampstands standing before God on earth possibly symbolizes the authentic representation of God's glory by the witnesses in the same manner that the church did during its earthly ministry. This is not to suggest that these two men are mere symbols.

The imagery of the olive tree and the lampstand is portrayed in a number of Scripture passages as representing God's remnant (cf. Zech. 4:3-6; Rev. 1:13, 20; 2:1).

The two witnesses are endowed with power so that they can shut the heavens so that it doesn't rain. They were also granted power to perform dreadful miracles, including turning water into blood and commanding plagues to strike the earth (Rev. 11:5-6).

At the conclusion of their ministry, the two witnesses are finally killed by the Beast who ascended out of the bottomless pit and their bodies lie in a Jerusalem street. Notice that the wicked society of that day refused to bury the witnesses. This is a mark of open disgrace in Jewish thought!

Notice also that Jerusalem is here metaphorically described as Sodom and Egypt by reason of the scale of wickedness and apostasy prevailing at the time. It is instructive that Sodom was one of the most wicked cities in biblical history. Genesis 13:13 says "But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord." 

Egypt is identified with apostasy and stubbornness. The deaths of the two witnesses are celebrated by the wicked followers of the Beast (Rev. 11:7-10). This is evidence of their obstinacy and avowed rebellion against God and His people. 

We learn from Revelation 11:11-14 that after three and a half days, God resurrects the two witnesses and they dramatically rise to their feet. This brought great shock to the onlookers in Jerusalem.  The two witnesses are finally summoned to heaven by a loud voice and they ascended to heaven in a cloud. God releases a series of judgment shortly thereafter. 

A BRIEF EVALUATION OF THE FOUR KEY SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

The debate over the identity of the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11:4-14 has led to conflicting opinions ranging from plausible arguments to the most bizarre.

Here is my brief outline of the four popular theories. I must caution here that this article does not convey a comprehensive treatment of this question and I recommend that the reader examines scholarly sources and opinions by leading eschatology scholars and Bible commentators.

Let us now briefly examine the four theories below. 

1) MOSES AND ELIJAH

The first school of thought identifies the two witnesses with Moses and Elijah on account of their appearance during the transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew 17 and their powerful prophetic ministries recorded in Scripture. They say that the two leaders represent the law and the prophets that comprise the two critical sections of the Old Testament Scripture. 

Does this then suggest that the two men will deliberately be left out of the second resurrection described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18? 

Dispensationalists say that the Church is distinct and disconnected from Israel and that the second resurrection does not involve the Old Testament saints. If this is true, how did the twenty four elders access the presence of God before the final resurrection of Revelation 20:11-15? 

I respectfully disagree with this view.

It is instructive that the first resurrection is the resurrection of Christ on the third day following His death and burial. The second resurrection concerns believers or saints which, in my view, consists of both the Old Testament and New Testament saints. It is instructive that Hebrews 11 describes the Old Testament saints as our heroes of faith who looked forward to the coming of Christ. 

The third resurrection is described in Revelation 20:11-15. It concerns the rest of the dead.

2) ENOCH AND ELIJAH

The second school of thought considers Enoch and Elijah as the pair contemplated in Revelation 11. This is on the basis of their having been taken or caught away to heaven alive (ref. Genesis 5:24; 2Kings 2:1-19). They argue that the two saints must return from heaven to earth to "face death" in accordance with Hebrews 9:27.

This argument fails simple theological scrutiny in that Scripture resoundingly affirms that those who will be found alive at the coming of Christ will not die but will be transformed into glorified bodies in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16). Hebrews 9:27 is therefore not a stand-alone text of Scripture. It is an Old Testament truth whose authority has substantially diminished in the light of the present truth revealed in the New Testament Scripture. Not all New Testament believers do not have to face death before going to heaven. 

3) THE TWO CANNONS OF SCRIPTURE

The third theory holds that the two witnesses are merely symbolic of the two Testaments of Scripture whose witness will be available to the world during the period described in Revelation 11:11-14. However, this theory is considerably constrained by its reliance on biblical imagery. It is not consistent with the teaching of Scripture itself. There is compelling evidence from the text that real human beings rather than symbols are contemplated in the passage of Revelation 11:3-14.

Here is why...

Symbols don't preach and don't die and no symbol hears God's voice and ascends to heaven! Only the redeemed in Christ will access the presence of God upon their resurrection. This theory is perhaps the weakest of the four schools of thought. 

4) BELIVERS IN THE OLD AND NEW COVENANTS

The fourth theological hypothesis holds that the two witnesses represent believers in the twin dispensationalist tier of the revelations of law and grace and therefore symbolize the Old Testament saints and the Church, respectively. Proponents of this theory say that the two symbolize remnant of God who will witness for Christ at the time before they are martyred. 

Again this argument is fraught with theological deficiency because of its naked symbolism which can only be arrived at through sheer philosophical deductions and weak assumptions. There is strong evidence from Scripture that the church may have been caught away during this period of the tribulation. Some say that the statement of Rev. 4:1 is symbolic of the Church being caught away to heaven ahead of the tribulation period. This supposition is however not supported by Scripture. 

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

I would respectfully conclude that no matter who or what these two witnesses may be in essence, the following facts clearly stand out:

1) The passage context suggests that the two witnesses are human beings and not symbols. They are appointed by God at a time that His window of grace is still open during the great tribulation. As observed earlier, the witnesses will literally preach in Jerusalem and perform great wonders (Rev 11:4-7) and will be killed by the Beast who will ascend from the bottomless pit and will make war against them. They will be resurrected after three and half days and will ascend to heaven at the command of a voice from heaven (Rev 11:11-12).

How they will fulfill this mandate is a mystery that is best left to divine resolution.

2) God will use the two witnesses for His divine purposes since the church will possibly have been taken away at this point during the great tribulation. 

3) The fact that the identities of the two witnesses are concealed or withheld from us does not in any way weaken God's eschatological revelation in Scripture. If anything, this concealment serves His higher purposes.

In any case there are certain aspects of truth or divine illumination that God has divinely chosen to withhold from us until we appear in His presence. 1 John 3:2-3 says " Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

The Bible declares in Deuteronomy 29:29 that "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."

My concluding view is that whether these witnesses are Old Testament prophets or saints or are symbolic of the witness of the tribulation saints in their Jewish and Gentile distinctions or are sheer symbolism, God's purposes will be served by their ministry and martyrdom. 

It is therefore impossible to conclusively determine from Scripture or through any theological hypothesis as to who exactly these two witnesses are. God deliberately decided to assign some residual mystery on their identity purely for His glory.

I rest my case.



© Ezekiel Kimosop 2019