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And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth (Revelation 11:3, ESV).
If you have ever tried reading the Book of Revelation in one sitting, you know it’s a bit like watching a Steven Spielberg movie that he directed after drinking way too much espresso. The plot is intense, and then during the seals, trumpets, and bowls of God’s wrath, there’s an interlude in which two of the most mysterious characters in Scripture are introduced:
The Two Witnesses!
These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire (Revelation 11:4-6).
The Apostle John says they show up in sackcloth with great power and authority, though their ministry is limited to forty-two months (three and a half years). Most premillennial scholars believe this is half of the seven-year tribulation (Daniel 9:24-27). However, in typical scholarly fashion, they often disagree on whether they appear in the first or second half of that timeline.
While the timing is debated, all conclude this duo acts like a tag-team spiritual wrecking crew with the authority to cause or stop rain, call down fire from heaven, and generally turn the world upside down—the forces of the false prophet and those in rebellion against God (take that AI malware). The text even says the whole world will stare at their dead bodies for three and a half days. Then, after God breathes on them, they will stand up alive and be called directly up to heaven, meaning their sudden death and resurrection will instantly go viral on smartphones and global satellite news networks around the entire world.
And now back to the scholars, who of course can’t agree on the identity of the two witnesses. Below are the possible identities mentioned by these commentators:
1. Moses and Elijah
More believe in Moses and Elijah as a comeback team than in any of the following suggestions. Why? Because their superpowers look identical to their old resumes. Turning water into blood? Classic Moses! Shutting up the sky and calling down fire? Pure Elijah.
2. Elijah and Enoch
Since both were taken directly into heaven without dying, some point to Scripture that says, “It is appointed for man to die once” (Hebrews 9:27). In this view, they return and fulfill their earthly duties by being martyred. This view has sound reasoning, but if I were Elijah or Enoch after experiencing Paradise, I wouldn’t be anticipating my next assignment.
3. Pastor Rick Ives and Pastor Grant Edwards
There’s absolutely no Scriptural support for this view. But many Bible teachers believe that the two witnesses are neither Moses, Elijah, nor Enoch, but rather two ordinary men raised up in the last days. They will be called to witness to God’s power and necessity at a time when all earthly power seems to have succumbed to evil. If this is the right choice, then I support Pastor Rick Ives, humbly withdraw my name, and suggest Pastor Jeremy Hudson as my replacement! (*Both Pastor Rick and Pastor Jeremy were colleagues while I served at Fellowship Church – good men, deserving of honor!)
The undergirding theme of the Book of Revelation is God’s grace for all who repent. The appearing of the two witnesses will function as a miraculous sign to those who choose to comply and those who resist God, showing everyone that God alone rules the universe.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!