The Identity of The Two Witnesses

[whirlwind]

Consider the "two witnesses."

Revelation 11:3-5 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. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

I believe that understanding who the two witnesses are is being..."wakened out of sleep." One of the two witnesses is the "two olive trees" and the other of the two witnesses is the "two candlesticks." So already we have four shown and they represent many...who are they?

Zechariah 4:1-4 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?

The "candlestick all of gold," is Christ and His "seven lamps" are the "seven spirits of God," [Rev.4:5]

In the above Revelation verse the two witnesses stand before the Lord and they are both olive trees and candlesticks. In Zechariah only the olive trees are mentioned and they are on either side of the "candlestick all of gold."

4:5-6 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

His Spirit calls the olive trees and candlesticks. By His Spirit we are taught the "word of the Lord."

4:11-14 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth

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There, I believe, is Moses and Elijah...the two anointed ones...the law and the prophets. They are the "two olive branches" empyting golden oil....truth. But, they are not the two witnesses for the witnesses are olive trees and candlesticks. The branches feed the witnesses their oil/truth.

The Olive Trees

Romans 11:4-5 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Seven thousand, representing the spiritually perfect number of elect, whatever the literal number may be. They are the olive trees and they are taken from....

11:17-18 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

11:24-26 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:


One group of the two witnesses is the olive trees.....the natural (Israel) and the wild (Gentile).

The Candlesticks

Revelation 1:12-13 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

He is the "candlestick all of gold" in Zechariah. He explains who the candlesticks are....

1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

So the two witnesses are two different groups of witnesses. One group is represented by two of the seven churches/candlesticks - the two candlesticks He approved of...Smyrna and Philadelphia. The other group, the two olive trees are the wild and natural olive...Israel and Gentiles.

There are many "two" witnesses!

[Jay Dub]

I started a thread on this a while back, our thoughts are similar


The two witnesses

Rev 11:3
And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
Rev 11:4
These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.
Rev 11:5
If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.
Rev 11:6
These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

Revelation is fill with symbolism so why do we think the two witnesses are actually two people?

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord

Who are the two olive trees?

Roman 11:24
After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

Here we see that gentile believers and Jewish believers are being called olive trees. The Jewish people the natural olive tree and the gentile believers the wild olive tree. We are called natural and wild olive trees.

Zec 4:12

Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”
He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”
“No, my lord,” I said.
So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.”

Couldn't these verses also be talking about Gods people. I believe we are his anointed people, I believe we are the two olive trees and the two witnesses

The two witnesses are also called the two lampstands and in

Rev 1

The 7 lampstands are called the seven churches

again to me representing all believers

Rev 11:5
If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.

Jer 5:14

Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says: "Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes.

Here we see it is the spoken word of God that consumes our enemies

We are his witnesses. We are told to preach the word to all the world. We are to be a light sharing the good news

Rev 11:6
These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

acts 2:17
” ‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Act 2:18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
Act 2:19 I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
Act 2:20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
Act 2:21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.


What are your thought?

[whirlwind]

I started a thread on this a while back, our thoughts are similar


The two witnesses

[snip]


What are your thought?

Our thoughts are similar indeed! I would add, as extra verification....

Revelation 11:3 And I will give power unto My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.


Joshua 24:22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve Him. And they said, We are witnesses.

Isaiah 43:10-12 Ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no Saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.

Isaiah 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even My witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Luke 24:47-49 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

5:32 And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him.

10:39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

13:31 And He was seen many days of them which came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses unto the people.

1 Thessalonians 2:10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

We are His great cloud of witnesses. We are His "two witnesses." But we're not alone....

Acts 6:13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

Matthew 26:60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,

The false witnesses...thinking they do the work of the Lord....speak against us as we teach as led by the Spirit revealing the spirit of the word...not the letter. We witness in groups, in homes, in churches, on forums....they are the "synagogues" we are "put out of." That is how they "killeth you." It is not a literal killing...but you are essentially killed by being banned from teaching to that group!

John 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

That is how the two witnesses are slain (are now being slain)....

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.

[ProphecyKid]

This guys has a different opinion which i also share. please look at all the videos. He uses some history as well.

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.