Two Witnesses of Revelation of Chapter 11

Created Date: 9-May-2017
That Are Witnesses During the Tribulation Period

Last updated: 1-Dec-2022
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Sections

1 Scripture Announcement 2 What is a Calendar Year in the Bible?
3 Two Witnesses Needed 4 Identity Theories of the Two Witnesses
5 Elijah, Moses or John? 6 Powers and Mission
7 A Theory By This Author on the Identity 8 Resurrection of the Two Witnesses

Preface

During the 70th Week of Daniel's seven-year period of time, there are two blocks of three and one-half years.   The first three and one-half years are a time of relative false-peace where:

The last three and one-half years are known as the Tribulation Period.  The Tribulation Period will be a very horrible time to be alive on the Earth as God will be exercising many judgments and woes against the people of the world.   See the Chronological Timeline of Events section of the Tribulation Period topic. 

At the start of the Tribulation Period there are only two categories of people on the entire Earth:

  1. Those who will accept Jesus Christ as their Savior during the Tribulation Period, and
  2. Those who will not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, will be given over to the Great Lie, which involves taking the Mark of The Beast and then
    (a) Eventual death by one of God's judgments, or
    (b) Suffering under God's judgments until the end of the Tribulation Period.

Unlike all the history in the Earth's past, there will not be a choice of staying in a place of neutrality.  Failure to not ask Jesus Christ as the person's Savior, will have the person be given over to the Great Lie.

The primary purpose of the Tribulation Period is:

  1. For the people of Israel to accept their Savior Jesus Christ, which a portion of Israel will do. 
  2. Bring an end of the ruling of the planet Earth by Lucifer.
  3. Have great numbers of people, from every place on the Earth, accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.
  4. Prepare the Earth and those People, with Salvation alive at the end of the Tribulation Period, to go into the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
    (No one without Salvation will enter the Millennial Kingdom.)

During the Tribulation Period, there will Two Witnesses selected by God to preach from Jerusalem against the Antichrist.  God also has many other witnessing representatives occurring during the Tribulation Period everywhere on the Earth. 

Excerpt from the Mark of the Beast Topic concerning the Tribulation Period:

Many Biblical Scholars have stated there will be a wonderful and great harvest of people accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior through the work of the 144,000 Witnesses, the Two Witnesses, God's Angels, witness of other Christians and also most likely event Theophanies.

The people who become Christians during the Tribulation Period will have these points apply to them:

  1. Christians located by the Antichrist's forces will be killed / martyred.  The Antichrist's forces will never have absolute power and control over the entire world but there will be world-wide worship of the beast.
  2. Not every Christian will be found and killed.   The second half of the scripture of Revelation 13:10 calls for people, who become Christians, to be patient and endure the time period.
  3. The Christians that survive, will go into the 1,000 Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ to repopulate the world, which includes the remnant of Israel hidden for 3.5 years.

Scripture Announcement

In the Book of Revelation, there are Two Witnesses that are on a mission during the Tribulation Period to:

  1. Prophecy against the Antichrist
  2. Be an embarrassment against the assertions by the Antichrist that the Antichrist is God, who can't eliminate the Two Witnesses
  3. Remind the Antichrist and the Earth of Jesus Christ immediate Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation Period. 

During their 3.5-year mission they cannot be killed, where anyone who tries to kill them will be killed.  After 3.5 years, the Two Witnesses are killed.  For their 3.5 days, their bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem, while their Spirit will be with God until they are sent back to their earthly bodies.  More on this later in this topic.

Revelation 11:3-4 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5 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.

What is a Calendar Year in the Bible

Identification of the duration of the Tribulation Period is important as it is based on a 360-day year, which the Earth formerly had prior to the Long Day of Joshua and the 2 Kings Chapter 20 Events.  After the two events, the Earth changed to a 365.25 days in a year cycle.

God has always used 360-day years in the Scriptures.  Revelation 11:3 is describing a three and one-half year period which is the second half of the Tribulation Period.

As previously stated, our current time period is using the Julian Calendar Year definition.  The calendar year is actual 364.25 days long excluding leap years.  In the Old Testament Period there were two events that changed the length of a calendar year.  See the Biblical Calendar Year topic for more information.

Revelation 11:3 days calculated is: (1200 days plus (three multiplied by twenty ~ threescore)) = 1200 + (3 X 20) = 1260 days.   (Year 1's 360 days) + (Year 2's 360 days) + (Year 3's 360's days) + (1/2 of a year's 180 days) = 1260 days.

The Two Witnesses of Revelation will be stating many things during their mission of prophesying against the Antichrist, which will also most likely contain a count-down of days left before Jesus Christ's return.

Two Witnesses Needed

God uses two witnesses in several places in the Bible and by the law, two or more witnesses are required as described in the scriptures so that a matter will be confirmed:

Deut 17:6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
Deut 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established
2 Cor 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

Examples where two witnesses were used:

Joshua 2:1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.  (Did they really do much spying?  They ended up witnessing to Rahab, the harlot, who later became part of the family bloodline of Jesus Christ because she married one of the two spies Salmon where their offspring was Boaz who married Ruth from whose son, Obed, begot Jesse the father of King David who is part of the lineage of Jesus Christ.)  

(Note: Some Biblical Scholars state the Book of Joshua is a small model of the Book of Revelation.)
Mark 6:7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

Identity Theories of the Two Witnesses

There has always been a great deal of speculation on who are these two witnesses, since the scriptural passage does not give us the identity.  For most of the history of the Church age period, often called the Fullness of the Gentiles the speculations have been primarily a few prominent scriptural persons. 

Below are the proposed theories, by many Biblical Commentaries, on the identity of the Two Witnesses:

  Identity Theory Reasons Proposed in Biblical Commentaries
1 Enoch and Elijah Both were taken up before death to Heaven and the theory is they will need to come back to earth to face death at least once.   Biblical Scholars state they went to the good compartment of Sheol because Jesus had not gone to the Cross at the time of their being taken.
2 Elijah and Moses (Elijah) had the power to call down fire from heaven and also stop rain from the earth
    (Moses) had the power to turn water into blood and also send plagues on the earth.
    Both Elijah and Moses appeared at the Mount of Transfiguration.  The Two Witnesses have similar "powers" given to them by God.
Biblical Scholars state they were both in the good compartment of Sheol because Jesus had not gone to the Cross at the time of their being taken.
3 John the Baptist and another Because he announced the coming of the Messiah and the theory is he will be called upon to once again come into this role at the second coming of Jesus Christ.
4 The Apostle John and another person. Revelation 10:11 "And they said to me, 'You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.'" 
(There is no other references to him prophesy again so it may be a clue to a future mission.)
5 Peter and Paul Martyred in Rome.
6 Modern day Theologians There have been several Televangelists have publicly announced that they are one of the two Witnesses.  Not too much credence to this theory but mentioned because of news stories possibly heard by the reader.

Two key points of the Tribulation Period's Two Witnesses, is:

  1. God has completed the Fullness of the Gentiles before the Tribulation Period starts.
  2. God has the prophecies to complete with Israel during the Tribulation Period where
    (a) Israel will recognize Jesus Christ as their Savior where the Second Coming occurs because Israel asks for Jesus Christ to return.
    (b) Jesus Christ sitting on King David's thrown. (see Luke 1:32-33 and others). 

As God works in the Tribulation Period, the Period takes on Jewish idioms in the Book of Revelation scriptures.  Some Biblical Scholars state

  1. The identity of the Two Witnesses
  2. The theoretical thought that the two men will be Jewish, who of course recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

Can we know the identity without any doubts? No

Here are some points to consider regarding any theories which show that we cannot know the identity beyond a shadow of doubt:

  1. Regarding the theory that the two witnesses are Enoch and Elijah because they were taken out of this world where they appeared to not have a bodily death. 
    (a) This is not an absolute reason as there have been many other people who have not faced death.  The question could be asked if there is a requirement anyone Raptured to come back to earth and experience a death?  The answer is "no", because there will be millions upon millions Raptured before the Tribulation Period.  Additionally, God may choose to have other Raptures. 
    (b) Another overlooked aspect is Enoch is not Jewish.  Enoch was taken out of the Earth before the Great Flood of Noah, where the Jewish Faith doesn't start a much later time.  
  2. Some people quote Hebrews 9:27 as a proof that everyone must die and then have the judgment.  The word appointed is not an absolute.  In verse 28, the scripture is dealing with judgment and the work Jesus Christ did for us which therefore has the context of verse 27 is judgment will happen.  It does not mean humankind must die to enable the Judgment to happen to them.
    Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
    Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
  3. There have been many people who have died once and then faced death a second time or were taken up. 
    Matthew 27:53-54 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many
    Acts 9:40 Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up
  4. If God would have wanted us to know the identity of the Two Witnesses, then He could have revealed it.  There are unknowns in the Bible like Revelation 10:4 "seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down"
  5. God uses many approaches to how He deals with the earth where most of the time it is a pattern.  Those who are listed in the "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews chapter 11 will show that the road used by God is not glamorous, easy and filled with riches in this life.  God's pattern in the Bible is to use the humble and meek to deliver a message and do tasks for the Glory of God.
  6. Ignoring Charlatans, there are many cases of great teachers from the pulpit, at a home group and even on TV who would want to claim an identity of being one of the "Two Witnesses" but can any of us be that pretentious and presumptuous?  The answer should be "no" and at the same time, all of us should desire that privilege in the sense of doing it for the Glory of God.  The understanding that is often missed by all of us is we can be used in a paramount, exemplary ways by God and not be required to be listed in the Scriptures. 

Elijah, Moses or Apostle John?

Before discussing the possibilities, using the scriptures, to identify the Two Witnesses identity, it needs to be stated that it is myopic for us to believe it has to be someone who hasn't died which has been a common thought by many Christians.  This belief of God selecting someone from the Old Testament period, who hasn't died, seems to be also heard quite often from Church sermons. 

During the Tribulation Period (Revelation 14:6), there will be Angels making direct contact with people alive during that horrific period, so we should put no limit God in our minds on what He will be doing during the Tribulation Period.  God will have:

Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel flying in mid heaven, having eternal good tidings to proclaim unto them that dwell on the earth, and unto every nation and tribe and tongue and people;
Matthew 27:53-54 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many

After considering the three points above, it should be noted that the identities of the Two Witnesses have merit for primarily pointing to Elijah and, Moses and as third option even the Apostle John because Elijah, Moses and Apostle John:

Here are some scriptural passages, of several, that can be mapped to Elijah, Moses and the Apostle John that point to a possible Tribulation Period assignment from God:

  Elijah will be sent before the great and dreadful day
Malachi 4:5-6 The "great and dreadful day of the Lord" is a pointer to the Tribulation Period.

5 See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.
Mathew 17:11-13 Notice that Jesus makes a reference to Elijah having a role in His appearance and His second coming.

Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
  Moses, with Elijah, meeting with Jesus Christ discussing possible future events and their assignments
Matthew 17:3 At the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ on top of the high mountain, Moses and Elijah meet with Jesus.  While we don't know the discussions that took place, it is a significant meeting that appear to me more than encouragement given to Jesus Christ.

  "there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus."
Luke 24:4 (The two men are most likely Moses and Elijah based on Matthew 17:3). 

"While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them."

  John to prophecy again.
Revelation 10:11 John, while writing about the Tribulation Period and future events is told "you must prophecy again".  John died a short-time after writing the Book of Revelation, so this prophecy is still to be fulfilled.

And they said to me, 'You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.'

Additionally, Moses is identified as the Law Giver of the Old Testament where the Tribulation Period is the climax ending for the nation of Israel.  Biblical Scholars have stated it is fitting for Moses to take a role as one of the Two Witnesses because Moses:

Many Biblical Scholars, and this author, believe that Moses did not complete his earthly mission of leading Israel, which along with the scriptural passage of Elijah and Moses meeting with Jesus Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration event have the strong possibility that Moses is one of the Two Witnesses.  Moses had a very extraordinary life handling the roles that God gave him, but Moses failed at a very important event when Israel was needing water and guidance that reflected negatively on God as being angry at Israel where God was not angry:

Numbers 20:6-12 (Moses was commanded to speak to the rock to get water.  The first time he was commanded to hit the Rock but not this time.  It was a model of Jesus Christ and His mission which Moses failed to do correctly.)

But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them. 

(Jesus Christ first mission was the servant who was hit, beaten, belittled by humanity, killed for our sins willingly.  The second mission, He comes as the Lord of Lords where Moses should have only spoke respectfully for the Rock to give its water.) 

Revelation 22:1 "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb"
Deuteronomy 3:23-26 Moses pleaded to go into the Promise Land with the Lord but was denied because of the Rock incident. 

23 “And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, 24 ‘O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? 25 Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ 26 But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again.

Powers and Mission

The powers and mission given to the Two Witnesses, where the powers are reflective of the powers held by Elijah and Moses in the Old Testament.  God always uses patterns in the scriptures.

  Mission Items
1 Prophesy for the last 3 1/2 years of the 7-year Tribulation Period.  Revelation 11:3 (Tribulation Period is also Jacobs Trouble)
2 They are part of the 70th week of the Book of Daniel's prophecy. 
3 There are witness from 12 Tribes of Israel.  There number is a 144,000 virgin men who will be witnessing to the World who will accomplishing great harvest of human-beings accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior.  The Two Witnesses, with their presence and prophecies against the Antichrist will accomplish the same great harvest to God's Glory.
4 They will be in Sackcloth as a sign of the importance to Israel, just like John the Baptist who wore Sackcloth.  Sackcloth also means separation from the world as a sign of repentance. Jonah 3:5-6; Dan.9:3; Esther 4:1; Amos 8:10; Mt.11:21
5 The Two Witnesses will turn water into blood and strike the earth with plagues at any time they dream necessary.
6 The Two Witnesses will prevent rain from falling.
7 The Two Witnesses will smite the Earth with all plagues as often as they desire.

A Theory by This Author on the Identity

If this author had to make a theory:
  1. The Two Witnesses are Moses and Elijah
  2. The Apostle John will also have a mission that the scriptures do not give us the specifics.

Resurrection of the Two Witnesses

Three and one-half days before the end of the Tribulation Period:
  1. The Two Witnesses will be murdered. 
    (a) Note that for the entire time of the Tribulation Period, the Two Witnesses could not be murdered by the Antichrist's emissaries.
    (b) As read in Revelation 11:4, anyone attempting to murder the Two Witnesses, would be killed by the same method attempted to kill the Two Witnesses.   The Two Witnesses could not be killed for the entire Tribulation Period until this point where only three and one-half days remained.
    (c) Revelation 11:7 states they will be murdered.   More on the identity of who the murderer shortly in this topic.
  2. The bodies of the Two Witnesses will be left in the location of their murder and not disturbed.
  3. The Earth's population of those who do not have Salvation, will rejoice in their deaths
    (a) Revelation 11:12 lets the reader of this verse know the bodies are never moved.
    (b) The Antichrist is possibly familiar with the Revelation 11:12 verse and prophecy, and in his arrogance will think that there is no God so the bodies must be watched by video surveillance to assure the bodies are not stolen to fool the Earth's population. 
    (c) The theory on the video surveillance, based on Revelation 11:12, is the theory that Biblical Commentaries use to explain how the whole Earth will see or watch video replayed of the Two Witness's ascensions discussed next in point #4.
  4. After three and one-half days, God will resurrect the Two Witnesses in the full-sight of the Earth's view.  God will call the revived Two Witnesses to come to Him, where the Earth's population, of those who do not have Salvation and those who do have Salvation, will also see the ascension. 
  5. For one hour after the resurrection and ascension of the Two Witnesses, there is cataclysmic events of death across the Earth, where the theory also is the video recording of the ascension will be repeatedly viewed on Satellite, Internet and Televised broadcasting that will give great horror to those who have the Mark of the Beast (the followers of the Antichrist).

Some general observational theories that this author has not seen in any Biblical Commentaries which unfortunate as the theories, if true, gives more Glory to God for showing the control God always had over any machinations of the Antichrist and Lucifer:

  1. The murder of the Two Witnesses appears to be done directly by the hand of the Antichrist as read in Revelation 11:7  
    (a) The keyword is the "beast" which is a pointer.
    (b) Biblical Commentaries, read by this author, state the interpretation of the Revelation 11:7 is an emissary of the Antichrist was the murderer, but the verse can also indicate it was done directly by the Antichrist which is this author's belief.
  2. Interestingly, the three and one-half days of the death of the Two Witnesses is the cumulative (theoretical) amount of time Jesus Christ was dead:
    (a) On the Cross,
    (b) Taken down from the Cross and being prepared for Burial,
    (c) Taken to the Tomb, and
    (d) Then the three days His body was in the Tomb.
    (Note: because of God's use of patterns in the scriptures, the question for many has been why three and one-half days, when it should be just three days?)
  3. The whole Earth being able to see the ascension of the Two Witnesses, certainly can apply to a television broadcast, but it is most likely more than that where God:
    (a) Does open a higher dimensional view into the Kingdom of God to allow "their enemies beheld them" to see into the location of God calling to the Two Witnesses.
    (b) The higher dimensional location of God calling down to the Two Witnesses, which is being also seen and heard by the enemies of Two Witnesses, informs us all that God's location and existence with Heaven is absolutely not in the known universe but outside of the universe.  Recall that in 2 Peter 3:10-13, that God will burn up the known universe, which also means God, God's Angels and All human-beings who have Salvation will be in a different location outside of the universe.   
Revelation 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."
Revelation 11:8-11 8 And their dead bodies [shall lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 11 And after three days and an half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. 13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

What to read next?

What is Salvation?  Is it is possible to lose Salvation?  We have eternal life.  Evolution is not real.  When a Christian suffers is there benefits from it.  Rewards in heaven.  Do we Tithe?  What does the 3rd Commandment tell us?  What is Grace and Mercy?  Is there an Age of Accountability?  Is there a place of unending punishment and exile form God?