The Two Witnesses

According To The Scriptures:

THE TWO WITNESSES: WHO ARE THEY?

Who are the Two Witnesses?

The process of elimination is essential in determining their identity. There is no doubt about the identity of one of the Two Witnesses. The Bible plainly states: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD" (Mal. 4:5).

Elijah matches all of the criteria for the identity of one of the Two Witnesses. Elijah was not translated and Elijah never died. He went up by a whirlwind into heaven. A person can go into heaven while flesh and blood, but a person cannot inherit heaven while flesh and blood because "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (I Cor. 15:50). A person must be translated or die and be resurrected in order to inherit the kingdom of God.

Enoch cannot be one of the Two Witnesses because "Enoch was translated that he should not see death" (Heb. 11:5), and the Two Witnesses die.

Moses cannot be one of the Two Witnesses because he has already died (Deut. 34:5), and "it is appointed unto man ONCE to die" (Heb. 9:27).

Who is the other Witness? I believe, according to the Scriptures, that the other Witness is John the Revelator. You may say, "I have read where John died." So have I (four different ways!), but not according to the Scriptures. Search the Scriptures with me.

John 21:21-23:

"Peter seeing him [John] saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man [John] do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry [live] till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple [John] should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry [live] till I come [before he dies], what is that to thee?"

While exiled on the isle of Patmos (Rev. 1:9), John (like Elijah) was caught up to heaven (Rev. 4:2). John was told, "Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings" (Rev. 10:11).

NOTE: John (like the Two Witnesses) will prophesy before the "peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings"; therefore, John matches the criteria to be identified as one of the Two Witnesses.

The Two Witnesses represent two olive trees, the true olive tree (Israel) and the wild olive tree (the New Testament churches) (Rom. 11:4, 24-25). Elijah represents Israel and John represents the New Testament churches.

The Two Witnesses represent two candlesticks (Rev. 11:4). Israel was the light of the Old Testament saints and is represented by Elijah. The church is the light of the New Testament and is represented by John.

The Two Witnesses (Elijah and John) are two prophets.

Rev. 11:3-4:

"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth."

Using the 30-day month, 1,260 days = 42 months = 3 ½ years; therefore, the Two Witnesses will prophesy 3 ½ years. Then they will be killed and their dead bodies will be seen by the whole world.

Rev. 11:7-10:

"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. 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. 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. 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."

After 3 ½ days, the Two Witnesses will be made alive by the Spirit and ascend into heaven.

Rev. 11:11-12:

"And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 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. "

NOTE: While John was on the Isle of Patmos, it would have been impossible for him to prophesy to "many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings". There is no Scriptural record that John ever did this. But when he comes back (as one of the Two Witnesses), he can prophesy and reach and be seen by the whole world with the media of today (TV and the internet) and possibly even more advanced media of that time.

SUMMARY

The true church will be "raptured" when Christ returns in the air (I Thess. 4:13-18).

The "man of sin" (a slick-tongued deceiver) will take over the world as a religious and political leader, coming in by flatteries (Dan. 11:21).

He allows Israel to rebuild their temple (Dan. 9:27). It will take 3 ½ years to build the temple.

The "man of sin" sets himself in the temple as to be "above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (II Thess. 2:4).

At this point, Israel is told to flee into "her place" (Rev. 12:14).

The Two Witnesses begin their prophecy (Rev. 11:3), and, after 3 ½ years of prophesying, they are killed (Rev. 11:7).

Their bodies lie in the street for 3 ½ days, after which they will be made alive by the Spirit (Rev. 11:8-11).

As their enemies watch, they ascend up to heaven (Rev. 11:12).

"The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev. 11:15).

What a great God we have that could see these things more than 2,000 years ago! Trust Him and He will save you!

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