1. Introduction
2. The Two Candlesticks
3. The Two Olive Trees
4. Moses and Elijah
5. Malachi and the Day of the Lord
6. Conclusion
1. Introduction
The Two Witnesses of Revelation seem to be a mystery
that has intrigued people throughout the ages. Some
say they symbolise the Old and New Covenant, some say
they are literal people, individuals such as Moses and
Elijah. Some say they are groups of people such as
Believers in Christ left to Witness in the turmoil of
the Day of the LORD. So which is it and is it possible
to determine their identity?
2. The Two Candlesticks
In the first chapter of the Book of Revelation Jesus
reveals the secret of the Seven Candlesticks He has
just introduced us and says they are the Seven earthly
Churches located outside of Israel in present day
Western Turkey:
Rev. 1:20 The
mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my
right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The
seven stars are the angels of the seven churches:
and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the
seven churches.
Although this verse speaks about seven separate
candlesticks with one candle each (a Greek cultural
context as in Matt. 5:15), it is presumable that this
is a depiction of a seven-branched Menorah candelabrum
kept burning in the Temple of Jerusalem.
Further on the Book of Revelation defines the Two
Witnesses as:
Rev. 11:4 These
are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks
standing before the God of the earth.
This is a reference to the Book of Zechariah where the
Two Witnesses are first presented:
4:2 And said unto
me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and
behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon
the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and
seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the
top thereof:
4:3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right
side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side
thereof.
...
4:11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are
these two olive trees upon the right side of the
candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
...
4:14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones,
that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.
Zech.
So in Zechariah 4 we have one candlestick with seven
branches, in the beginning of the Book of Revelation,
seven separate candlesticks and candles or lights and
then later on, two separate lights as the Two
Witnesses. So in the midst of the turmoil of the
Revelation we have two out of seven lights left, but
even these lights go out before the LORD unleashes His
full Wrath on earth: The Two Witnesses are killed,
Resurrected and called up to Heaven before the blowing
of the Seventh Trumpet (Rev. 11:7-12, 15).
Therefore the two candlesticks are most probably two
earthly Churches who get their power or the oil of the
Holy Spirit from two separate Olive Trees. They are
then blown out or martyred by the beast of
Revelation for their witnessing mission as well as the
Greek word for a witness is "martus" (plural:
martysin) or a martyr.
3. The Two Olive Trees
What about the two Olive Trees then? The two
candlestick and olive trees are said to be "standing
before the God of the earth" (Zech. 4:14, Rev. 11:4).
This is a reference to the Cherubim or the Four Living
Creatures (Rev. 4:6) standing in the midst of and
round about God's Throne in Heaven. When God's Glory
was present in the Temple of Jerusalem, these four
Cherubim were also present there (Ezek. 10:1): They
are two pure Golden Ones (Exod. 25:18) protecting with
their wings the Seat of Mercy or God's earthly
dwelling place on the Ark of the Covenant, and two
large gilt ones made out of Olive Tree protecting the
whole scene (1 Kings 6:23).
So very possibly the Two Olive Trees are the two
Cherubim located at God's Throne in Heaven who are the
source of power (or the Holy Spirit) for the two
earthly Churches who comprise of individual
believers and who also contain and are continuously
filled up with the Holy Spirit of God.
4. Moses and Elijah
What about Moses and Elijah? They can also be said to
be "standing before the Lord of the whole earth" at
Transfiguration of Christ ((Matt. 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8,
Luke 9:28-36) just before His Crucifixion.
Moses and Elijah were present at the Transfiguration
of Jesus Christ as witnesses for the Old Covenant
(Testament, Testimony or a Witness) and the New
Covenant (Testament, Testimony or a Witness): God made
the First Covenant through Moses, gave the Law, and
promised to raise up for the people of Israel a
prophet like him, whom they must listen to, which is
Jesus Christ (Acts 3:20, 22).
Elijah, on the other hand, testified about Jesus and
the New Covenant in the form of John the Baptist,
which is why the Disciples ask Jesus about Elijah
immediately after the Transfiguration, to which Jesus
replied that Elijah had "already come, but they did
not recognize him". The Disciples then knew Jesus was
referring to John the Baptist (Matt. 17:12-13).
5. Malachi and the Day of the Lord
What about Malachi's prophecy that God will send
Elijah to the Israelites "before the coming of the
great and dreadful day of the LORD" (Mal. 4:5)?
This is not in contrast with what Jesus said about
John the Baptist being Elijah: John the Baptist acted
in the Spirit and Power of Elijah and prepared the
people of Israel for the First Coming of Christ and
"turned the hearts of the fathers to the children"
(Luke 1:17, Mal. 4:6), so that the LORD wouldn't "come
and smite the earth with a curse" (Mal. 4:6). So it is
also possible that the Day of the LORD would have
happened already at the First Coming of Jesus unless
God wouldn't have sent His Son as a Humble
Servant instead of a Conquering King as He will be at
His Second Coming smiting the earth with His Wrath
(Rev. 6:17).
6. Conclusion
Nevertheless, the presence of Moses and Elijah at the
Transfiguration of Jesus may also give a hint as to
the identity of the Two Witnesses, who will also do
the same wonders as they did: they can smite the earth
with plagues (Rev. 11:6), as Moses did (Exod. 7:20),
or consume their opponents with fire (Rev. 11:5), as
Elijah did (2 Kings 1:10).
The Two Witnesses are therefore very likely the Old
and New Covenants, and their two earthly counterparts,
the churches or believers in Christ comprising of both
Israelites and Gentiles, who now together testify in
the Last Days of the Lord of the earth, Jesus Christ,
like the Cherubim over the Ark of the Covenant. They
are therefore very likely the Saints of the Most High
prophesied by Daniel, against whom the beast of
Revelation makes war and ultimately conquers them
(Dan. 7:21-32, 25, Rev. 11:7).