The Two Witnesses

The Two Witnesses are two literal individuals who will appear in Jerusalem during the great tribulation to proclaim warnings and announce impending plagues. They will preach for 1,260 days, which equals 42 months or roughly three and a half years.

In biblical tradition, people wore sackcloth’s as a sign of mourning, and these two men will adopt this symbolic garment to signify the seriousness of their message. Their prophecies will include warnings about upcoming judgments and trumpet plagues.

Despite their powerful message, there will be attempts on their lives. However, God will protect them, ensuring they cannot be harmed until their divine mission is complete. When the appointed time comes, God will allow them to be killed by the Antichrist.

After their death, their bodies will be left in the street for three and a half days. During this time, people will celebrate their demise by sending gifts to one another believing they are now living in peace and safety.

But, after the three and a half days, the Two Witnesses will be miraculously resurrected in front of the entire world, and they will ascend to heaven, signaling the power of God and the fulfillment of His plan. People left on earth will hide themselves from the coming of God’s wrath.

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 proceeded out of their mouth, and devoured their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These two men have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascended 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. 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. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and was, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thundering’s, and an earthquake, and great hail (Revelation 11)

Who will be the two witnesses

The identities of the two witnesses are not explicitly stated in the Bible, leading to various interpretations. Some of the most common suggestions include:

Moses and Elijah:
- Many scholars and theologians believe the two witnesses could be Moses and Elijah, as both are significant figures in the Old Testament who performed miracles (e.g., Moses parting the Red Sea and bringing plagues, Elijah calling down fire from heaven).
- This view is supported by the fact that Elijah appeared with Moses at the Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1-3), and both figures are associated with powerful acts of prophecy and miracles.
Enoch and Elijah:
- Another possibility is that the two witnesses could be Enoch and Elijah, who are the only two individuals in the Bible who did not die but were taken directly to heaven (Enoch in Genesis 5:24 and Elijah in 2 Kings 2:11).
- Since they both escaped death, some believe they may return to fulfill the role of the witnesses.
Symbolic Figures:
- Some interpret the two witnesses symbolically, representing the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah), or even the faithful Church witnessing to the world during the Tribulation period.
- These views are less literal but focus on the theological significance of their roles as “witnesses” to God’s truth during a time of great trial.
Two Future Prophets:
- Others believe the two witnesses will be two specific, yet-to-appear prophets in the future, who will be empowered by God to testify during the end times.

Ultimately, the identity of the two witnesses remains a matter of theological debate and interpretation. Different Christian traditions and scholars have various perspectives, and the Bible does not provide enough detail to definitively identify them.