The Two Witnesses of Revelation 11

“Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court, which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for 42 months.” [1]

Measuring communicates existence, ownership, and protection. The Lord is declaring to John and to us that His people will still exist in Jerusalem even as the antichrist and his followers seem to be in control of religion in Jerusalem. John measured the temple, the altar and the worshippers. There will still be a remnant of God’s people. They will worship God in Spirit and in truth and not according to the counterfeit religion of the antichrist.

Believers in Christ are the temple of the Lord. “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” “We are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.’” “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” [2] God’s people are His temple. There will be a measurable group of proclaimers of Christ still alive and well in the last days.

In visions from God, Ezekiel and Zechariah were also told to measure the temple in their days. Why would God have them measure the temple if He did not intend to preserve the faith that it represented? Not even the gates of hell will prevail against the Messiah and His followers. [3]

Gentiles tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. Circumstances look bleak for the believers there. This time of tribulation is also mentioned in Daniel 7:25, 12:7; Revelation 12:6, 14; 13:5.

“And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.” [4]

Long ago, God had prospered His people in Jerusalem through the witness of His servants Haggai and Zechariah: “So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah...” These two witnesses reminded God’s people of His Word and testified to His mighty power. [5]

Speaking of two witnesses: Jesus sent His disciples out two by two. Jesus told them, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” Moses and the Apostle Paul said the same thing. [6]

God’s two witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days (three and half years). God calls them olive trees and lampstands. Olive trees live longer than other trees. The oil for anointing people and the oil used to keep lamps burning was made from olives. Oil and fire are symbolic of the Holy Spirit. God gave Zechariah a vision of two lamps filled continuously with oil from two olive trees. They are continuously supplied with power by the Holy Spirit. Jesus called His churches lamps. [7]

God’s two witnesses wear sackcloth. Sackcloth is a sign of mourning and repentance. Like the prophets who went before them, and like Jesus, these two witnesses mourn for the people of Jerusalem who reject the truth and believe in lies. God raised up prophets to speak to them and rescue them, but they rejected their witness for God. [8]

On the one hand, God’s two witnesses mourn for lost souls, on the other hand, fire proceeds from them and destroys those who seek to harm them. Jesus Christ has given them authority to stop rain from falling while they prophesy. They have power to turn water into blood, and to strike the earth with plagues.

We, who believe in Jesus Christ, witness for Him. After His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples, “You are witnesses of these things.” And once again. “You shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses for Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Later, the disciples identified themselves as witnesses of Jesus. “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.” [9]

The Lord duplicates the miracles of fire destroying their enemies via these two witnesses. Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. ... And there came out a fire from the Lord and consumed the 250 men...” “Elijah answered and said to the captain of 50, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume you and your 50. And there came down fire from heaven and consumed him and his 50.” [10]

Moses and Elijah are symbolic of the Law and Prophets. They are types of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Word of God and the Holy Spirit is the power of God.

“Fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies.” David prayed, “As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.” God said to Hosea, “I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth: and Your judgments are as the light that goeth forth.” The Lord told Jeremiah, “I will make My words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.” The Spirit told Zechariah, “He that touches you touches the apple of His [God’s] eye.” [11]

The Lord duplicates the miracles of halting rain, turning water to blood and calling for plagues via His two witnesses. Elijah told the antigod ruler of his nation, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” Jesus spoke of the famine that ensued as a result of Elijah’s miracle and so did James. “I tell you of a truth... in the days of Elijah... the heaven was shut up three years and six months... great famine was throughout all the land.” “Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. [12]

“When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.” [13]

By the grace of God, the two witnesses complete their mission. The devil wanted to kill them the whole time but could not. Paul spoke of God’s protection over his mission, writing, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” The beast, the antichrist, killed the earthly bodies of God’s witnesses, but did not prevent them from enjoying an eternity with the Lord whom they loved. [14]

During the days of the two witnesses, the antichrist is ruling as though he is god. The testimony of these two witnesses says otherwise. They humiliate him. He wants them cancelled.

When the two witnesses are martyred, it will seem that evil has conquered God and God’s servants, but they are wrong. They are deceived. They are believing a lie.

Think of this... we all have to die... why not die while witnessing for Christ? “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”

The world’s people rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. You know you are living in evil times when it is popular to celebrate the death of good people.

“Their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” [15]

The great city is mentioned eight times in the Book of Revelation. It is identified in some of these passages as Babylon. Babylon is a metaphor for a powerful Satanic government that rules the world. Sodom is the city that God overthrew for their wicked and perverse behaviors. God uses the name of Sodom in the Bible to refer to a group of people who are evil in His sight and about to be destroyed by Him. Egypt is a metaphor for an oppressive city that abuses God’s servants. [16]

“Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three and half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.” [17]

As the Philistines rejoiced when they captured Samson and made him serve them, so the people of the world rejoice to see God’s witnesses, His truth tellers, silenced. Jesus assured His disciples and us that the world’s celebration will be short-lived. “You shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” [18]

How did these two witnesses torment the people of the world? By speaking the truth! By doing miracles that validated that what they spoke was from God. Jesus said, “The works that I do in My Father’s Name, they bear witness of Me.” [19]

“Now after the three and half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake 7,000 people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven. [20]

“The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” God’s breath is our life. In a sense, we are living on borrowed breath. If He takes breath from us, we die. If He restores breath to us, we live again. The antichrist dealt a temporary death to God’s two witnesses. God allowed him and his followers to think that they had conquered Him and His servants, but they were wrong. God resurrected them from the dead and did so when people over all the earth could see it happen, namely, in our day and age, when we see events from all over the earth even as they are happening. [21]

There was a great earthquake when Jesus Christ arose from the dead on the third day, and there is a great earthquake when God resurrects these two witnesses from the dead. The devil and his followers have lost again.

“The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.” The second woe is the sixth group of plagues. There are seven trumpet plagues. So, there is one more yet to come. [22]

“Then the seventh angel sounded. And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’ And the 24 elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: ‘We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your Name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.’ Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thundering, an earthquake, and great hail.” [23]

The seventh trumpet is about what happens in heaven. God foretold of this event to His servant Daniel many years ago, saying, “The God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break to pieces all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” “And there was given Him [Jesus Christ] dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” “The saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.” “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and His Name one.” [24]

John sees the twenty-four elders fall on their faces and worship the Lord for using His power to reign over the earth. They worship Jesus for rewarding His prophets and saints, and for destroying those who were destroying the earth.

The 24 elders represent glorified Israel and the Church! The Lord has given them the victory, and yet He rewards them for remaining faithful to Him.

It seems that the seven seal, seven trumpet and seven bowl judgments of Revelation chapters 6-9, 15-16 are not consecutive, but parallel. They present the unfolding of God’s plans for bringing about the end of the world as we know it now and ushering in a new and better earth and heaven. The seal, trumpet and bowl judgments are mutually complementing to each other.

John sees the temple of God opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant is there. The temple is symbolic of the body of Christ and the ark is symbolic of Jesus. The lightnings, noises, thundering, an earthquake, and great hail are manifestations of God’s great power.

Praise God! One day soon, we shall see, “The kingdom of the world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. He shall reign forever and ever.” In a world full of evil, this is good news. Jesus said, “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh.” [25]

[1] Revelation 11:1-2
[2] 1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19–21
[3] Ezekiel 40:3-5; 42:15-20; Zechariah 2:1-2; Matthew 16:15-18
[4] Revelation 11:3-6
[5] Ezra 6:14
[6] Luke 10:1; Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:11
[7] Zechariah 4:2-3,14; Revelation 1:20
[8] 2 Chronicles 36:15-16; Jeremiah 9:1; Luke 19:41-42
[9] Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8; 2:32; 3:15; 13:31
[10] Numbers 16:28-35; 2 Kings 1:10-12
[11] Psalm 68:2; Hosea 6:5; Jeremiah 5:14; Zechariah 2:8
[12] 1 Kings 17:1; Luke 4:25; James 5:17-18
[13] Revelation 11:7
[14] Timothy 4:7-8
[15] Revelation 11:8
[16] Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:1, 5; 18:2, 10, 18, 21; Genesis 13:13; 19:24; Isaiah 1:10; Jeremiah 23:14; Ezekiel 16:53-55; Amos 4:11; Matthew 10:15; 2 Peter 2:6; Jude 1:7; Exodus 1:13-14; 3:7
[17] Revelation 11:9-10
[18] Judges 16:23-24; John 16:20
[19] John 10:25
[20] Revelation 11:11-13
[21] Genesis 2:7; Ezekiel 37:5-14; Hosea 6:2; Isaiah 60:8; 2 Kings 2:1
[22] Revelation 11:14; 8:2, 6, 13; 9:12; 15:1
[23] Revelation 11:15-19
[24] Daniel 2:44; 7:14, 18,22, 27; Zechariah 14:9
[25] Luke 21:28