Who are the two witnesses in the book of Revelation? | GotQuestions.org

Who are the two witnesses in the book of Revelation? We're going to answer that question. You can also discover more on GotQuestions .org. Revelation 11, 3 -12 contains a description of two individuals who will help accomplish God's work during the tribulation.

The Unnamed Two Witnesses in Revelation 11

I will appoint my two witnesses and they will prophesy for 1260 days, clothed in sackcloth. Nowhere does the Bible identify these two witnesses by name, although people through the years have speculated.

The two witnesses will have miraculous powers to accompany their message, and no one will be able to stop them in their work. At the end of their ministry, when they have said all they need to say, the beast will kill them and the wicked world will rejoice, allowing the bodies of the fallen prophets to lie in the streets.

Three and a half days later, however, God's two witnesses will be resurrected and, in full view of their enemies, ascend to heaven. There are three primary theories on the identity of the two witnesses in Revelation, Moses and Elijah, Enoch and Elijah, and two unknown believers.

Moses and Elijah as the Two Witnesses

Moses and Elijah are possibilities due to the specific miracles that John says the witnesses will perform. The witnesses will have the power to turn water into blood, and they'll have the power to destroy their enemies with fire.

Also giving strength to this view is the fact that Moses and Elijah both appeared with Jesus at the Transfiguration. Further, Jewish tradition expects Moses and Elijah to return, based on the prophecy of Elijah's coming in Malachi 4 -5 and God's promise to raise up a prophet like Moses, which some Jews believe necessitates Moses' return.

Enoch and Elijah as the Two Witnesses

Enoch and Elijah are seen as possibilities for the two witnesses because of the unique circumstances surrounding their exit from the world. Enoch and Elijah, as far as we know, are the only two individuals whom God has taken directly to heaven without experiencing death.

All men are appointed once to die. Neither Enoch nor Elijah have yet experienced death, and that seems to qualify them as the two witnesses, who will be killed when their job is done. In addition, both Enoch and Elijah were prophets who pronounced God's judgment.

Two Unknown Believers as the Two Witnesses

Two unknowns are seen as possibilities for the two witnesses because of the lack of specificity in Revelation 11. Scripture does not identify the two witnesses by name. God is perfectly capable of taking two ordinary believers and enabling them to perform the same signs and wonders that Moses and Elijah did.

There is nothing in Revelation 11 that requires us to assume a famous identity for the two.

Witnesses.

Zechariah 4 as a Prototype of the Two Witnesses

There is an interesting passage in Zechariah 4 that gives us a prototype of the two witnesses in Revelation. Zechariah has a vision in which he sees a solid gold lampstand. The lampstand gives its light without human maintenance, being constantly supplied by olive oil flowing from two trees.

Zechariah asks about the vision's meaning, and an angel says to him, These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth. In other words, God's power to sustain his work is flowing through two individuals set apart for the task.

In direct context, these two individuals are Joshua and Zerubbabel. We can also see a foreshadowing of Messiah here, as Jesus would combine the offices of priest and king. In the description of the two witnesses, John says, They are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, and they stand before the Lord of the earth.

The two witnesses in Revelation will have God's power flowing through them to accomplish his work. So, who are the two witnesses of Revelation? The Bible does not say. All three views presented are valid and plausible interpretations that Christians can have.

The identity of the two witnesses is not an issue Christians should be dogmatic about. That answers the question, who are the two witnesses in the book of Revelation? On our website, GotQuestions .org, you will find a deeper discussion and recommended resources.

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