The two witnesses in Revelation 11:3-12 are prophets who proclaim God’s word for a specified period of time, clothed in sackcloth (representing mourning, repentance and judgment.) Their identity has been debated for years, with three views dominating:
1) They are Moses and Elijah (since the miracles of turning water into blood or destroying enemies with fire are reminiscent of these prophets’ ministry)
2) They are Elijah and Enoch (since neither person tasted death, Genesis 5:23; 2 Kings 2:11), returned to earth to complete their ministry.
3) They are two unknown people whom God will raise up at this time to do His work. 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.
It is unwise to be dogmatic about the identity of these two witnesses, but their uncompromising witness for God provides a model for us to follow. Their apparent defeat at the hands of the Beast and their subsequent resurrection reminds us that Christ has also modelled for us a path we must all tread. As Paul reminds us, ‘as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.’ (1 Cor 15:22-23) There is a temptation for us to ‘zone out’ as we read Revelation, to be dazed by the fantastical images and numbers which overwhelm us and to feel that this can have no relevance to our daily lives. The truth is that death and resurrection are part of the fabric of life and we can have confidence that our lives are in God’s hands as much as the lives of these two witnesses. Their witness, commitment and courage (being filled with the Holy Spirit as the ‘olive tree’ analogy reminds us) should inspire us to live for Christ and to rest secure in His power.
