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Who Are the Two Witnesses of Revelation?
By Bible Researcher Eli Kittim 🎓
The Coming Elijah & the Two Witnesses: Symbols of Christ
Let’s start from the beginning so that you could understand how various Old Testament (OT) and New Testament (NT) passages pertain to this topic. Here’s an excerpt from my book “The Little Book of Revelation,” chapter 1, pp. 60-63:
“. . . there are strong scriptural indications
that ‘Elijah’ prophetically signifies the
forthcoming Messiah. In the last book of
the Jewish scriptures, virtually the last
words of the entire OT are as follows [Mal.
4.5]:
‘Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the
prophet before the coming of the great
and terrible day of the Lord.’ “
“This is probably the single most
perplexing oracle in the Bible because the
only figure who is expected to arrive on
earth during ‘the day of the Lord’ is Jesus
Christ himself [cf. Lk. 17.30; 1 Cor. 1.7; Phil.
1.6; Col. 3.4; 1 Thess. 1.10; 2 Thess. 1.7; 1
Tim. 6.14; 2 Tim. 4.1; Titus 2.13; 1 Pet. 1.13;
5.1; 1 Jn. 2.28; Rev. 1.1]. And he is not only
known as a prophet, he is also known as the
‘Lord’ . . . [Mt. 21.11]. . . . Could it be that
the earlier Elijah narratives, from the
‘books of Kings,’ were prophesying about
the time of the end? Since no ordinary
human is either qualified or prophesied to
accomplish such extraordinary feats, we
are left with only one conclusion: the last
days’ ‘Elijah’ can be none other than the
foretold God-Messiah! In that event, this
oracle regarding Elijah can be viewed as a
subtle allegorical sign of Christ’s
incarnation ‘before the coming of the
great and terrible day of the Lord.’ . . .”
“This type of symbolism is then carried
forward into the book of Revelation where
we find two ‘last days’ witnesses who
prophesy for 1,260 days (Rev. 11.2-13). In
the text, God declares, ‘I will grant
“authority” to my two witnesses’ (Rev.
11.3, emphasis added). But let us back up
for a moment. Was it not Jesus who once
said, ‘All authority has been given to Me in
heaven and on earth’? (Mt. 28.18; cf. Rev.
18.1 . . .). Thus, the biblical jargon is
suggesting an intimate relationship
between these figures and Christ.
Returning to our vignette, the two
witnesses are also capable of performing
astonishing miracles, and just like Moses
and Jesus, they even ‘have power over the
waters to turn them into blood, and to
smite the earth with every plague, as
often as they desire’ (Rev. 11.6; 14.19-20;
19.15; Exod. 7.20). At the end of their
ministry, they are killed in a ‘city which
mystically is called Sodom and Egypt,
where also their Lord was crucified’ (Rev.
11.8). So they prophesy in the same place
where Jesus lived, and they die in the
same city where he died. We think you can
guess the rest of the script: ‘And after . . .
three . . . days the breath of life from God
came into them, and they stood on their
feet [they were resurrected]’ (Rev. 11.11).”
What Exactly Is the Day of Christ?
As I will show later, the two witnesses are symbols of the messiah. But first, in chapter 3, p. 99, of my book I try to explain the pericope of 2 Thess. 2.1-3 (NKJV), where Paul says:
“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering
together to Him, we ask you, not to be
soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by
spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us,
as though the day of Christ had come. Let
no one deceive you by any means; for that
Day will not come unless the falling away
comes first, and the man of sin is
revealed, the son of perdition . . .”
“Before we begin our analysis, it is
imperative that we provide a definition for
what Paul refers to as ‘the day of Christ.’
As the preceding segment maintains, this
unique ‘day’ concerns ‘the coming of our
Lord and our gathering together to him.’
This kind of language is used consistently
throughout scripture (cf. Acts 2.1; Mt. 24.
39-42) to represent the concept of the
‘rapture’: the ascent of the living and the
dead into heaven (1 Cor. 15.51-52; 1
Thess. 4.16-17). Hence, Paul is not simply
indicating the human manifestation of
Jesus on the world scene; rather, he is
emphasizing Christ’s postresurrection
activities that begin to have a real and
substantial impact on life as we know it.
By implication, ‘the day of Christ’
primarily signifies the risen Messiah.”
In fact, 2 Thess. 2.1 uses the exact same word for the rapture that Mt. 24.31 uses, namely, episunagógé. That’s precisely why Christ warns us, in Mt. 24.23-28, not to be overly concerned about the earthly messiah, but rather to focus on the risen messiah who comes like lightning in the sky. Thus, Christ’s earthly manifestation can be deemed to be his “unofficial” appearance, so to speak, whereas his postresurrection parousia is the one that’s scripturally regarded as his official coming. It is the ultimate event to which everything in scripture is pointing!
The Two Witnesses: Symbols of the OT & NT Messiah
In order to understand the identity of the two witnesses (δύο μαρτύρων) in Rev. 11.3-12, we must first trace them back to the Hebrew Bible from which they emerge. According to Judaism, there are two Messiahs: one is a high priest, the other is an anointed king of the Davidic line. This is what Zech. 4.14 is referring to when it says (cf. Rev. 11.4):
“These are the two anointed ones who stand
by the Lord of the whole earth.”
In an academic article (The Doctrine of the Two Messiahs in Sectarian Literature in the Time of the Second Commonwealth, Harvard Theological Review, vol. 52, issue 3, 1959, pp. 149-185), author J. Liver writes:
“The problem of the two Messiahs in
Apocryphal literature, especially in the
Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs and in
the Damascus Covenant, occupied scholars
at the beginning of the present century and
has revealed new facets with the discovery
of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Especially
pertinent to this problem are some of the
texts from Qumran Cave 1, and some
fragments from Qumran Cave 4, recently
published. We shall here endeavor to make
clear the distinctive features of these
Messiahs, their status and their tasks at the
end of days, and to elucidate the historical
setting from which the doctrine of the two
Messiahs sprang.”
However, in the NT, these 2 Messiahs are morphed into one priestly/kingly figure: Jesus the Son of God (cf. Heb. 4.14 and Mt. 2.1–2). Notice the parallels between Christ and the Two Witnesses. They are killed immediately after their testimony is proclaimed; they are killed in the same place where Jesus died; and just like Christ, they arise from the dead approximately 3 days later!
There are further parallels between Christ (Rev. 12.4--5) and the 2 witnesses (Rev. 11.7--12; cf. Acts 1.9), which are stunningly similar. The mainstream view that the 2 witnesses represent Moses and Elijah (signifying the Law and the Prophets) appears to be inaccurate. According to Heb. 9:27, each person is destined to die once, which would disqualify Moses from a second human birth. As for the purported ascension of Elijah, it seems to be a theological narrative that foreshadows the ascension of Christ.
So when we trace the identity of the two witnesses back to the OT and the context in which they appear, we find that they represent the 2 Messiahs of Rabbinic Judaism. But these 2 figures later became coalesced, commingled into one, in the figure of Jesus Christ, who’s given the titles of king and high priest in the order of Melchizedek, who is also a king and priest (Heb. 7.13-17). Therefore, the 2 witnesses appear to represent the coming Messiah: Jesus Christ!
First Comes Christ; Then Comes the Antichrist
“Keep the commandment . . . until the
appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
He [God] will bring about at the proper
time— . . . whom no man has seen” (1 Tim.
6.14-16).
On the authority of this fascinating passage, we come to realize that Jesus is not revealed according to the pseudohistorical period of the gospel narratives, but instead, he is manifested “at the proper time”: a forthcoming event frequently alluded to by the NT epistles. We know that Christ will initiate the end-time events by being the first major figure to appear on the world stage (i.e. the first horseman of Revelation). We also know that he’s born in the last days during the completion or “fullness of time” (τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου Gal.4.4; Eph. 1.9-10; see also Rev. 12.5; Heb. 1.2; 9.26b; 1 Pet. 1.20)! For further details, see my paper “WHO IS THE FIRST HORSEMAN OF THE APOCALYPSE?”: https://eli-kittim.tumblr.com/post/168159235542/who-is-the-first-horseman-of-the-apocalypse
According to 2 Thess. 2.1-3, the official coming of Christ & the rapture cannot occur until the revolt takes place and the Antichrist (AC) is revealed. This refers to the AC claiming to be God with signs & wonders (vv. 4, 9). Therefore, the basic sequence is that Christ will appear first, unobserved (Lk 17.20), followed by the apostasy and the AC. Then, and only then, can the “official” postresurrection coming of Christ & the rapture take place.
Revelation 11.4 associates the two witnesses with the 2 lamp stands or 2 messiahs of Hebrew scripture. Verse 2 discusses the abomination of desolation (aka the Great Tribulation or GT) when the nations will trample underfoot the holy city (Jerusalem) for 42 months. Verse 3 says that God will give testimony to his 2 witnesses and they’ll prophesy for 1,260 days dressed in sackcloth (mourning attire). Verse 5 says that they will perform great signs. And whoever tries to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies (cf. 2 Thess. 2.8: “the Lord will slay [him] with the breath of His mouth”). Verse 6 warns that these have great authority (exousian) to control the weather and to cause plagues. Verse 7 is the key. It says that when they complete their witness (testimony), the beast that arises out of the abyss* (AC) will make war with them, defeat them, and kill them (cf. 2 Thess. 2.7; Rev. 12.4b).
Verse 8 reveals that they’ll die in the great city which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also Christ was purportedly crucified. Verse 11 announces that after 3 and a half days the spirit of God will enter them and raise them from the dead. The 3 and a half days appear to symbolize 3 and a half years, according to the day-year principle (see Num. 14.34; Ezek. 4.5–6). So Christ seemingly rises at the end of 3 plus years. Moreover, verse 12 tells us that they hear a loud voice from heaven saying “come up here” (anabēte hōde). And they went up in the cloud. Compare Acts 1.9 where the exact same word nephelē is used for Christ’s ascension (see also Rev. 12.5). Nowhere does it say that they prophesied during the GT, as most prophecy experts teach. In fact, the text implies that they arrived first on the scene, because later on, the beast that arose out of the abyss killed them. Since the beast is not revealed until the outset of the GT, and since the 2 witnesses precede him, it means that they must prophesy prior to the GT, during the first 3 & a half years of the supposed 7-year tribulation period.
Conclusion
Christ comes first, 42 months or 1,260 days prior to the “abomination of desolation” (aka the starting point of the GT) because that’s the allotted time given to the 2 witnesses to prophesy (Rev. 11.3). Then, the beast (aka Abaddon & Apollyon, meaning “destroyer” Rev. 9.11) that comes up out of the abyss and initiates the GT will kill him. The beast is also given authority for 42 months (Rev. 13.5). However, the beast’s time slot is equivalent to the duration of the GT. By contrast, Christ’s 42 months cannot occur at the same time, otherwise the rest of the passages would contradict this chronological time frame. How so? Well, according to 2 Thess. 2.7, Christ the restrainer must first be removed before the AC can be revealed. So, Christ must come first. Furthermore, Revelation 6.2 begins with the peacemaker or the white horseman (Christ; cf. Rev. 19.11) before it gets to the second horseman who “was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another” (Rev. 6.4). And since 42 months were also allotted to Christ, his timeline is necessarily not equivalent to that of the AC.
The phrase, “the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit” (Rev. 11.7) suggests either the AC’s resurrection from the dead (Rev. 13.3, 12, 14), or nuclear war (Rev 9.2-3), or both. More specifically, Rev 9.2 equates the opening of the abyss with smoke arising and darkening the sun & the air, suggestive of nuclear explosions (cf. Zech. 14.12). And given that the AC’s authority only lasts for 42 months, it seems feasible that the AC’s resurrection occurs at the beginning of the GT. After the completion of that time period he has no further authority. Which means that Christ will die sometime around the onset of the GT (or in the midst of the 7-year tribulation period as traditionally understood). It seems, then, that toward the end of the GT Christ will resurrect & initiate the rapture!
In Rev 13.3-4, the beast dies and is subsequently resurrected, and the whole earth marvels and worships him. Christ, on the other hand, will be rejected (Lk 17.25; Jn 1.11). That’s an important clue as to who is who! Rev. 13.5 says that the AC was given authority for 42 months. So, it seems as if he’s resurrected first, and then he holds sway for 42 months. Moreover, Rev. 13.7 tells us that he wages war & defeats the saints, and that authority was given to him over every tribe and tongue and nation. In fact, Rev. 13.16 is reminiscent of the passport vaccines because it says that all, rich and poor will receive a mark (charagma) on their hand so that they may not buy or sell without this mark! Seems like we’re getting close to that time period.
If the AC already controlled all the inhabitants of the earth, he wouldn’t need to start a global war. So, if the GT is his attempt to conquer the world, then his total domination must come to an end at the completion of the 42 months. Incidentally, the verse where he defeats the saints is right next to the verse about his control over every tribe, tongue, and nation (Rev. 13.7). And everyone, except the saved, will worship him (Rev. 13.8). So it seems that all the hype starts with his resurrection. And yet we are told that his authority is limited to only 42 months. Rev 11 says that the AC will kill the witnesses (i.e. the messiah) when he comes out of the abyss (v. 7). By the way, this is the exact same time period that Christ is said to *die* as the atonement for our sins. Afterwards, he will *resurrect* and translate us to heaven (Heb. 9.26-28 NRSV):
“he has appeared once for all at the end of
the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of
himself. And just as it is appointed for
mortals to die once, and after that the
judgment, so Christ, having been offered
once to bear the sins of many, will appear
a second time, not to deal with sin, but to
save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
The Two Witnesses of Revelation 11
Eli Kittim
The Two Witnesses are Anointed with Power
In Rev. 11:4, the two witnesses on earth are said to be “the two olive trees” of the Lord. This verse is based on the Old Testament:
“These are the two anointed ones who stand
by the Lord of the whole earth.”
— Zechariah 4:14
The term “Messiah” (Gk. Christos) is derived from the Hebrew word mashiach, which means “anointed one.” So, Zechariah 4:14 cannot be talking about anyone else except the Messiah. As I will demonstrate, these two anointed witnesses could be none other than Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. And these two are one! The Holy Spirit is often called the “Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:19), the “Spirit of Jesus” (Acts 16:7), or “the Spirit of His Son” (Gal. 4:6). We know that the Messiah is the “anointed one” (Dan. 9:26). But the Holy Spirit is “anointed” as well (1 Jn 2:20, 27), and anoints Jesus with power (see Lk 4:18; Acts 10:38). The anointing takes place when Jesus and the Holy Spirit become one (during Jesus’ baptism)! It is Jesus’ rebirth, so to speak, when the Holy Spirit enters him and anoints him with power (Lk 3:22; cf. Acts 2:1-4)!
As for those thinkers who take issue with this view, claiming that the two witnesses are probably Enoch and Elijah who never died, there are three problems with their theory. First, regardless of whether a biblical character died or not, scripture makes it clear that you only live once (Heb. 9:27); there is no reincarnation. A reincarnation of Enoch or Elijah is therefore out of the question. Second, neither Enoch nor Elijah were the anointed Messiah. Third, both of these fictional characters are “types” who represent and foreshadow the Messiah. Notice the specific typology that is presented in Revelation 11 which typifies the two witnesses’ unique relation and connection to Jesus: the two witnesses are said to prophesy in the exact same place where Jesus supposedly lived, and they will die in the exact same city where Jesus allegedly died. I think you can guess the rest of the script: “But after … three … days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet” (Rev. 11:11). Just like Jesus, they’ll be miraculously raised from the dead after 3 days!
Moreover, Rev. 11:6 says that the two witnesses have tremendous authority (ἐξουσίαν) over heaven and earth to do as they please. However, only Jesus has that kind of authority. No one else! Jesus says: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Mt. 28:18):
Ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ
τῆς γῆς ·
Both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are called Witnesses
What is more, the two witnesses’ assignment is to bear witness to the truth (μαρτυρίαν; Rev. 11:7). The two persons of the Godhead who bear witness (μαρτυρήσει) to the truth on earth are Jesus and the Holy Spirit (see Jn 15:26; 18:37; Rom. 8:16; Heb. 10:15 [Μαρτυρεῖ/bears witness]). Case in point. First John 5:6 mentions the witness of the Spirit——namely, that God comes in the flesh——using the symbols of “water and blood” which represent the divinity and humanity of Jesus, thus indicating that he’s both God and man:
“This man, Jesus the Messiah, is the one
who came by water and blood—not with
water only, but with water and with blood.
The Spirit is the one who verifies this,
because the Spirit is the truth.”
Then, 1 John 5:7-8 goes on to explain that “these three [witnesses] are one”:
“For there are three witnesses
[μαρτυροῦντες] — the Spirit, the water, and
the blood—and these three are one.”
— 1 John 5:7-8
And 1 Jn 5:9 tells us that the content of this prophetic witness (ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ θεοῦ) concerns the coming of the Son of God in human form at some point in human history. The Greek verb ἐλθὼν (came) is not referring to the time of action, but rather to the Christological prophecy which is supposed to take place according to the scriptures (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3-4). So the testimony of the two witnesses of Revelation 11 is about the parousia, or the coming of Jesus to this earth! Interestingly enough, Rev. 1:5 calls Jesus “the faithful witness” (ὁ μάρτυς, ὁ πιστός). This is reiterated in Rev. 3:14 where Jesus is “the faithful and true witness.” Both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are said to be God’s two witnesses, and these two are one! Since no one else except God can do these extraordinary miracles (e.g. fire-breathing, controlling the weather & the sea [cf. Mk 4:39], causing plagues; Rev. 11:5-6), and given that the language of the Greek New Testament is pointing to the authority, anointing, and witness of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, there can be little doubt as to who these two witnesses are.
First Comes Christ; Then Comes the Antichrist
The sequence of end-time events also reveals New Testament parallels and verbal agreements that are consistent with the notion that the Messiah will come first, followed by the antichrist. Notice the same sequence in Rev. 11:7:
“And when they have finished their witness,
the beast that comes up out of the abyss
will make war with them and overcome
them and kill them.”
This is essentially the same sequence that we find in 2 Thess. 2. The restrainer must first be taken out of the way before the lawless one can be revealed (2 Thess. 2:7-8). In other words, the restrainer must be removed before the antichrist can appear on the world stage. This same motif is repeated in Rev. 12:3-4 (italics mine):
“a great red dragon, with seven heads and
ten horns [representing the Antichrist and
the final world empire] … stood before the
woman who was about to give birth, so that
when she bore her child he might devour it.”
The way Rev. 12:5 is described, it’s as if it gives us Jesus’ birth, resurrection, and ascension, minus his death (which is alluded to in verse 4):
“She gave birth to a male child, one who is to
rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her
child was caught up to God and to his
throne.”
So, in Rev. 12, the male child is born first, and then the red dragon kills it. It’s the exact same sequence in Rev. 6. First comes the peaceful white horseman “holding a bow” (representing the covenant; see Gen. 9:13 LXX) and wearing the Stephanos crown, which is typically worn by victors in Christ (Jas. 1:12; 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Pet. 5:4; Rev. 2:10; 4:4), and then comes the red horse which triggers World War III (Rev. 6:3). We find the exact same sequence in Rev. 11:7. First come the two witnesses, and then comes the beast out of the abyss to kill them. This is the antichrist who must come after Christ. It’s the exact same motif in 2 Thess. 2:7-8 in which the restrainer must be killed before the antichrist can appear.
So, there’s a running theme throughout the New Testament which repeats the same end-time sequence in all these narratives, namely, the idea that Christ comes first, followed by the Antichrist! Thus, Christ’s coming is imminent (it can happen at any time)! But how is all this possible if Christ already died two thousand years ago? It’s possible because the gospels are not historical documents that correspond to real historical events. They’re theological narratives that are largely based on the Old Testament. By contrast, the epistles, which are the more explicit and didactic portions of scripture, say that Christ will die “once for all” (Gk. ἅπαξ hapax) “at the end of the age” (Heb. 9:26b), a phrase which consistently refers to the end of the world (cf. Mt. 13:39-40, 49; 24:3; 28:20). Similarly, just as Heb. 1:2 says that the physical Son speaks to humanity in the “last days,” 1 Pet. 1:20 (NJB) demonstrates the eschatological timing of Christ’s *initial* appearance by saying that he will be “revealed at the final point of time.” In other words, Revelation 6:2, 11:3, 12:5, and 19:11 all refer to the first coming of Jesus at the end of days!
I'm sorry, I was just scrolling through the internet and saw this. WHAT IS THIS. Admittedly when I first stepped out of Christianity I could take a very polar view of things and heavily based my views on the myths, but everyone grows out of misinformation at some point. Or so I'd like to think. Or as least I like the lie. Nergal is the blazing summer sun, the seasons of war, sickness. If you don't like him you can stick to Gugulanna I suppose, or even Ereshkigal as a widow, but Nergal is not the "satan" to Ereshkigal's position or whatnot. And if this has a radical feminist group, let me say this, and say it again louder for the people in the back: A healthy marriage is not and has never been abusive. Due to the sheer amount of conflicting interpretations, you do realize you can pick which version of the myth you like best? Ereshkigal begging for mercy while being dragged down by the hair doesn't have to be your canon, or even relevant to your practice if you like a different version better? Myths weren't just stories of the gods, totally untouched by current events. They were frequently political tools. An excellent example is the Contendings of Horus and Set, in Egypt. You can interpret the works of man as the works of their gods if you like. But if Tumblr alone has taught anyone anything, it's that people can be opinionated and convinced that their way is the only way. I'm not here to tell anyone what to think. I do get my knickers in a twist over people dragging a god I honor like he's an upstart dog. I still want that Anointed book, but now I'm wondering how good it actually is.
“The Appearance of Ereškigal in Egypt,”— I am beyond livid.
Its a piece found in the devotional anthology Anointed. It is written by a Greco-Roman-Egyptian synctetist reconstructionist. Notice the lack of the words Akkadian, Sumerian, Mesopotamian, or Babylonian in that descriptor.
So they wrote a piece from Ereškigal’s perspective. To boil it down, Ereškigal is spitting on her husband Nergal, mocking him, hating him, denying that he ever ruled Irkalla. Claiming he did all these horrendous things in Egypt [Edit: Well Aten’s crimes so assisting him, I guess] so she stripped him of his possession, power, and takes all his offerings.
My stomach turned. How can you have so much hatred in your heart for a God that you write a horrendous piece in the voice of his wife. HIS WIFE. Whom he loves and she loves him.
Its just a matter of fact that in later periods the cult worship of Nergal shifted his position to that of ruler of the underworld and Ereškigal was no longer solely Queen. Thats how the Mesopotamians viewed this God and Goddess. Unless I’m missing something and Ereškigal was worshipped in Egypt where she despised her own lover.
For those interested in the myth of their marriage here: https://michi-izkur-ereshkigal.tumblr.com/post/176564264973/what-is-your-favorite-mesopotamian-myth
And if you want , read the disgusting piece of work:
The Author:
