To: Greg regarding the Two Witnesses as well as the Two Candlesticks
Rev. 11:3 “I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.”
Rev. 11:4 “These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.”
Zech. 4:12 “What are these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
I perceive that John the Revelator and Zechariah are talking about the same two persons who were both filled with the Holy Spirit from their mother’s womb. I think the golden oil represents the Holy Spirit and they were both killed for their preaching. One was the messenger and the other was the Message. John’s head was cut off and Jesus was crucified.
John came forth from the wilderness preaching repentance: the prophet Isaiah had prophesied concerning John, as well as, Jesus.
Luke 3:4 “As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
Isaiah 40:3 “The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Mark 9:11-13 “And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? And he answered and told them, Elias verily comes first, and restores all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at naught. But I say unto you, That Elias has indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.”
John [Elias] came first to prepare the way and was put in prison and then they chopped his head off so Herod could please the daughter of his brother’s wife whom he had taken for his own. He had to be taken out of the way to transfer everyone’s attention on Jesus who was healing, delivering and raising men from the dead. John had to decrease so Jesus could increase.
I don’t believe Elijah or Moses need to be resurrected in the end times to fulfill Scripture. Two witnesses are always you and the Holy Spirit that dwells in you to proclaim Jesus as Lord.
That’s my take on the Two Witness—John and Jesus. Jesus came and fulfilled Daniel 9:24-27 completely. Those 70 weeks were 490 days and ended at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit began to build that 3rd Temple made without hands but by the Holy Spirit. Zech. 4:6 “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”