𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐞: 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬

To identify the Two Witnesses of Revelation, we must first determine what they’ll be witnessing. An answer to this can be found in Deuteronomy 19:15, from which the motif of Two Witnesses ultimately derives:

“A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.”

With that, the Two Witnesses testify against the target of the Lamb’s wrath, which I’ve shown in other essays to be first-century Judaea, the nation that crucified Christ and martyred His Saints. This is evident through passages such as:

⁃ Luke 11:49-51, “Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.”

(Parallels Revelation 6:9-11, Revelation 16:4-6, and Revelation 18:24)

⁃ Matthew 12:38-42, “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, ‘Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.’ But he answered them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.’”

(Parallels Revelation 20:12-13, and Revelation 22:12)

⁃ John 12:27-32, “‘Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, ‘This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’”

(Parallels Revelation 11:15, Revelation 12:9-12, and Revelation 20:2)

⁃ Luke 23:26-31, “As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed! Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’”

(Parallels Revelation 6:15-17 and Revelation 9:6)

⁃ Luke 10:1/3/10-12, “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go… Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves… But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”

(Parallels Revelation 11:8/13-16)

⁃ Luke 21:20-24/31-32, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled… So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place.”

(Parallels Revelation 11:2, Revelation 12:6, and Revelation 14:20)

– Matthew 3:1-3/7/10-12, “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight’… But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?… Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’”

(Parallels Revelation 14:14-15 and Revelation 11:3-10)

– James 5:1-9, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days… Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord… Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”

(Parallels Revelation 18:11-19 and Revelation 6:15-17)

– 1 John 2:18-19, “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.”

(Parallels Revelation 13:1-8, Revelation 19:20, and Revelation 20:10)

– Acts 24:24-25, “After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, ‘Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.’”

(Parallels Revelation 11:18 and Revelation 14:7)

– 1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”

(Parallels Revelation 11:13-19)

– 1 John 2:18-19, “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.”

(Parallels Revelation 1:1-3, Revelation 22:10-12, and Revelation 14:7)

– Acts 24:24-25, “After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, ‘Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.’”

(Parallels Revelation 1:1-3, Revelation 22:10-12, and Revelation 14:7)

– 1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”

(Parallels Revelation 1:1-3, Revelation 22:10-12, and Revelation 14:7)

If Jesus said that the generation he spoke to would be held responsible for all the bloodshed from Abel to the prophets and apostles, to what degree are we to be punished? Evidently, a lesser degree than first-century Judeans. This poses a dilemma for those who hold to a pre-tribulational view, as Revelation 6:9 tells that the blood of the saints pools at the altar. If the blood of the prophets and apostles are on the hands of first-century Judeans, the events of Revelation must pertain to them, not us. Accordingly, the Two Witnesses testified against the covenant breaking Judeans, who not only condemned Christ and his saints, but inherited the toll of their ancestors who condemned the prophets. 

Yet, there is another aspect to the Two Witnesses, as they also testify on behalf of Jesus Christ and validate his identity as the Lord and Saviour. How could one possibly testify to these things, other than through the Law and the Prophets? The answer is, they can’t. The Law and the Prophets attest to both the divinity of Christ and the depravity of Israel, for if they had followed the law, there would be no need for a new covenant, and if they had believed the prophets, they would not have crucified their Saviour. Ironically, first-century Judeans appealed to the Law and the Prophets as a means to persecute Christ (John 19:7, John 12:34, John 7:50-52), who not only followed the law with perfection (Matthew 5:17, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 2:22, 1 John 3:5), but also fulfilled the messianic prophecies (Genesis 49:10, Deuteronomy 18:15, Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2, Isaiah 9:1-2, Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, Psalm 69, Zechariah 9:9, Zechariah 11:12-13, Isaiah 35:5-6, Psalm 16:10, etc). In a turn of fate, Christ commissioned his Two Witnesses to testify against the Judeans and sentence them to death, which was fulfilled through the desolation of Jerusalem in 70 AD. 

Passages proving that the Law and the Prophets serve as witnesses for Christ include: 

– Romans 3:21-22, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe…”

– Acts 28:23, “When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.”

– Acts 26:22-23: “To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

– John 5:39: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.”

– Luke 24:25-27, “And he said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

Passages proving that the Law and the Prophets serve as witnesses against Israel include: 

– 2 Kings 17:13-14, “The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: ‘Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.’ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the LORD their God.”

– Amos 2:4-5, “This is what the LORD says: ‘For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not relent. Because they have rejected the law of the LORD and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, I will send fire on Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem.’”

– Malachi 4:4-6 state, “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. ‘Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.’”

Thus, the Law and the Prophets are both referred to, and appealed to, as witnesses for Christ and against Israel. Together, they comprise the only infallible God-breathed testimony, as they come directly from YHWH’s word. Nonetheless, the Law and the Prophets are embodied in two specific men: one is Moses, who embodies the Law, and two is Elijah, who embodies the Prophets. 

To begin, both these men stood before the Lord atop a mountain, which provides a foundation for understanding the transfiguration of Christ:

Witness One) Exodus 24:12, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’”

Witness Two) 1 Kings 19:9/11, “There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah…’ And he said, ‘Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.’”

The Transfiguration) Matthew 17:1-3/5, “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him… He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him…’”

The presence of Moses and Elijah with Jesus underscores the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets in Him. To add, the expectation that Moses and Elijah would come again was believed by Old Testament Israelites, so first-century Judeans likely thought of these men when they read about the Two Witnesses:

Witness One) In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses prophesied that YHWH would raise another prophet like himself: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen…”

Witness Two) In Malachi 4:4-6, YHWH states that Elijah will return before the Day of the Lord: “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.’”

Powers of the Witnesses 

The powers possessed by these Two Witnesses serve as even more evidence that they’re embodied by Moses and Elijah. Revelation 11:5-6 states, “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.”

First of all, the term “Earth” is translated from “γῆν” (gēn): soil; by extension a region. So it is not necessary that the Two Witnesses pronounce plagues upon the entirety of Earth. Rather, they bring plagues upon the “region”, which is evidently Judaea. 

As for their ability to project fire from their mouths, shut the sky so that there is drought, turn the waters into blood, and bring all kinds of plagues upon the Earth, these are blatant allusions to Moses and Elijah:

Power One) Fire from the mouth: this power is a parallel to Elijah, who through fervent belief in the power of YHWH, declared that fire would consume the prophets of Ba’al. 2 Kings 1:10 states, “But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, ‘If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.’ Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.” Though fire did not literally come out of Elijah’s mouth, it metaphorically did, as he spoke judgement upon the false prophets and fire rained upon them from heaven. In the same way, Christians are divinely authorized to speak on behalf of God and burn the disbelievers through their words. Jeremiah 5:14 states, “Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts: ‘Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.’” Yet, it is not by our own merit that the words proceeding from our mouths burn those we oppose, it is by the merit of our God, as the words we speak are directly from him. Consider Jeremiah 23:29, “Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”

Power Two) Shutting the sky: this is another parallel to Elijah, who in 1 Kings 17:1 prophesied, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” Through James 5:17-18, we are told that this period lasted three and a half years: “Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” This three and a half year period serves as a blatant parallel to the 1260 days in which the Two Witnesses prophesy (Revelation 11:3). 

Power Three) Turning water to blood: this is a parallel to Moses, who in Egypt, sent the plague of bloodied water upon Pharaoh. Exodus 7:17-21 state, “Thus says the Lord, ‘By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.’ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers, their canals and their ponds, and all their pools of water—so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’ Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.”

Power Four) Plagues: this is another parallel to Moses, who within Egypt, sent numerous plagues upon Pharaoh and his land. Examples include the plague of frogs (Exodus 8:2-7), the plague of Gnats (Exodus 8:16-19), the plague of flies (Exodus 8:20-24), the plague of livestock disease (Exodus 9:1-7), the plague of boils (Exodus 9:8-12), and the plague of hail (Exodus 9:13-35). 

Aside from the aforementioned, one more power is the ability to prophesy: “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3). This fits both Moses and Elijah, as both were Israelite prophets. 

Ultimately, there are two parallels to Elijah and two to Moses. That said, these powers are symbolic allusions to these men, and in my opinion, were not tangibly fulfilled. Moses and Elijah did not literally return or enact upon these powers, but are symbolic of the Church of Christ, which appealed to both the Law and the Prophets, Moses and Elijah, to defend their faith and glorify their God. 

In Acts 1:8, we are provided with evidence for this assertion: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” These first-century Saints not only testified to the messianic fulfillments in Christ, but also witnessed against his enemies, prophesying the decimation of Satan’s stronghold, destruction and damnation upon unbelieving sinners, the preservation of Christ’s Saints, and the inauguration of Christ’s kingdom. In this way, the Two Witnesses act through one body, being the Church (1 Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 1:22-23), which itself contains its own dichotomy, Israel and the Gentiles. 

That the Two Witnesses testify through the Church is further proven through passages such as:

– Revelation 12:10-11, “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”  Here we see that the saints overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and through their testimony, which alludes to the Two Witnesses who testify for Christ and against Satan. 

– Revelation 20:4, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” 

Yet, the Saints who comprise the Church are also witnesses in a more broad sense, in that they not only testify as witnesses, but generally witness all that happens on the Earth. Hebrews 12:1/22–24 states: “… we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”

Zerubbabel and Joshua 

Now, aside from the Law and the Prophets, Elijah and Moses, and the Church of Christ, there is yet another aspect to the Two Witnesses. Revelation 11:4 states, “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.”

This verse alludes to Zechariah 4:1-6, “And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, ‘What do you see?’ I said, ‘I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.’ And I said to the angel who talked with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’ Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ I said, ‘No, my lord.’ Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.’”

Firstly, the oil from these olive trees, which keeps the lamps burning, is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. This is indicated by the LORD, who when asked what the trees represent, says “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” More evidence that this oil represents the Holy Spirit can be found in 1 Samuel 16:12-13, where David receives the “Spirit of the Lord” after being anointed: “And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, ‘Arise, anoint him, for this is he.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.” Thus, the continual supply of oil symbolizes the sustaining and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.

As for the seven lamps of Zechariah 4, these parallel the seven lampstands in Revelation 1:12-13, “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.” Whereas Zechariah 4 refers to seven lamps, Revelation 1 speaks of seven lampstands. If the single lampstand in Zechariah 4 supported seven lamps, we can infer that each of the seven lampstands in Revelation 1 support seven lamps respectively. Thus, the vision in Zechariah 4 contains seven lamps, whereas the vision in Revelation 1 contains 49 lamps. Again, the lampstands symbolize the light of God, which is disseminated through the Holy Spirit. This implies that through Christ, to whom the Book of Revelation pertains, the Holy Spirit will be manifest to a significantly greater extent. While a select few were chosen during the Old Covenant era, billions of individuals throughout the Christian age have embraced Christ as their Lord and Savior, undergone baptism, and received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 19:5-6).

Now, the angel in Zechariah 4 explains that the vision is a message to Zerubbabel, emphasizing that the rebuilding of the Temple will be accomplished by the Spirit of God. The two olive trees represent the “two anointed ones” who stand by the Lord of the whole earth (Zechariah 4:14). These are traditionally understood to be Zerubbabel and Joshua.

Though the second “anointed one” is not explicitly stated to be Joshua the High Priest, Zechariah 3 establishes Joshua’s role and significance immediately prior to the vision in chapter 4, suggesting a continuity of thought. That Joshua is the second olive tree is also indicated by other passages regarding the second temples construction:

– Haggai 1:1, “In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest…” This reference in Haggai mentions both Zerubbabel and Joshua together, indicating their joint leadership in the post-exilic community.

– Ezra 5:2, “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.” Jeshua is another form of the name Joshua, reinforcing his prominent role alongside Zerubbabel.

Ultimately, the vision in Zechariah 4 symbolizes the spiritual and temporal leadership required in the temples rebuilding. Joshua the High Priest represents the spiritual leadership, while Zerubbabel the Governor represents the temporal or civil leadership. This vision also reassures the two anointed ones that their efforts in rebuilding the Temple are divinely sanctioned and will be accomplished through God’s Spirit, which perpetually flows through them. This is evident through the olive trees, which provide a continuous supply of oil to the lampstand, ensuring that the lamps remain lit. As the two olive trees, these men are likened to conduits through which God’s Spirit flows to sustain and guide the Church. 

So, who were Zerubbabel and Joshua, and how do they pertain to the Two Witnesses?

Joshua the High Priest: Joshua was the first High Priest to serve in the rebuilt Temple post-Babylonian exile, and led the restoration of religious practices among returning exiles. As High Priest, Joshua served as a vision of the ultimate High Priest to come, being Jesus Christ. Zechariah 3:6-8 states, “And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch.’” Of course, the branch signified by Joshua is the branch of Jesse, Jesus Christ, who finalized and epitomized the role of High Priest (Isaiah 11:1-3/4-5/10, Revelation 22:16, Hebrews 4:14-16). Joshua is the anglicized form of the name Yeshua, which was Jesus’ name in Aramaic, so he not only foreshadowed Christ in role, but in name.

Zerubbabel: Zerubbabel served as governor of Yehud (Judaea) and played a central role in rebuilding the temple post-captivity. As the progeny of King David, his leadership is symbolic of the coming Messiah and his role in the restoration of Israel. Matter fact, Zerubbabel is a direct ancestor of Jesus Christ, and can be found in the genealogies of Matthew 1:12-16 and Luke 3:27.

These men acted as two officers of the Old Covenant, overseeing different aspects of divine ministry. Through their roles, they symbolize the unification of offices in the Priest-King, Jesus Christ. They are also emblematic of the perpetual support and guidance provided by the Holy Spirit, which would fill the saints when they’re brought before the courts to testify (witness): “And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:11). 

Keep in mind, the first martyr mentioned in the New Testament is Stephen, who while filled with the Holy Spirit, witnessed against the synagogues through the Law and the Prophets: 

– Acts 6:8-15, “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.’ And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, ‘This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.’ And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”

– Acts 7:55-60, “But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Whereas Zerubbabel and Joshua played a crucial role in building the Second Temple, the Two Witnesses played a crucial role in building the ultimate temple, which would be raised up after three days (John 2:19) and never be uprooted (Matthew 16:18). The final temple is evidently the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Christ and John the Baptist

Thus, Zerubbabel and Joshua lead to the next symbolic allusion within the prophecy of Two Witnesses, being Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. 

For one, John the Baptist and Joshua both descend from Aaron, the first High Priest, and thus belong to the tribe of Levi. Yet, John the baptist also parallels Elijah, as explicitly told in passages such as:

– Luke 1:13-17, “But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

– Matthew 17:10-13, “And the disciples asked him, ‘Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?’ He answered, ‘Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.”

This is compounded by the fulfillment of Malachi 4:4-6, as told in Matthew 3:10:

“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Malachi 4:4-6)

“Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:10)

The aforementioned passages explain why Elijah and John dressed in a similar fashion:

– 2 Kings 1:8, “They answered him, ‘He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.’ And he said, ‘It is Elijah the Tishbite.’”

– Matthew 3:4, “Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.”

These garments of hair are referred to in the Bible as sackcloth, and this provides an explanation as to why the Two Prophets are clothed in sackcloth: “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” (Revelation 11:3)

On the other hand, Jesus is a descendant of Zerubbabel, and both belong to the tribe of Judah. Yet, Jesus Christ also parallels Moses, as evident through the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:15/18, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen… I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” Confirmation that this prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus Christ is found in New Testament passages such as:

– John 6:12-15, “And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’ Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”

– Acts 3:20-23, “…that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’”

– Acts 7:37, “This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’”

To add, there are many parallels between Moses and Christ:

• Both escaped ethnocide as an infant: Moses escaped Pharaoh’s edict to kill all Hebrew babies (Exodus 1:22), whereas Christ escaped Herod’s massacre of infants (Matthew 2:13-16). 
• Both are mediators of a Covenant: Moses mediated the Old Covenant between YHWH and Israel at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-20), whereas Christ mediated the New Covenant through His blood (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 9:15). 
• Both are lawgivers: Moses established the Law (Torah) given to him on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-20), whereas Christ compounded onto the Law (Matthew 5-7) and fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17).
• Both act as intercessors between YHWH and his people: Moses interceded for Israel when they sinned (Exodus 32:11-14), whereas Christ intercedes for believers as the High Priest (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34).
• Both were glorified on a mountain: Moses’ face shone with the glory of God after being on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:29-35), whereas Jesus was transfigured and His face shone like the sun on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-3).
• Both were rejected by their own people: Moses was rejected and disobeyed by Israel multiple times (Exodus 2:14, Numbers 14:2-4, etc), whereas Jesus was rejected by the people of Judaea (John 1:11, Matthew 23:37, etc).
• Both deliver their people from bondage: Moses delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12-14), whereas Christ delivers humanity from bondage to sin and its toll (Romans 6:17-18, etc).
• Both Fasted for 40 Days: Moses fasted for 40 days on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28), whereas Christ fasted for 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2).
• Both performed miraculous signs: Moses performed miracles in Egypt to deliver the Israelites (Exodus 7-11), whereas Jesus performed miracles throughout Judaea and Galilee (John 2:11, Matthew 11:4-5, etc).
• Both fed their people through miracles: Moses provided manna for Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16), whereas Jesus fed 5,000+ people with five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:13-21).
• Both symbolize death and salvation through water: Moses parted the Red Sea, leading Israel through water to salvation from Egypt (Exodus 14:21-22), whereas those baptized in the name of Jesus obtain eternal life (Mark 16:16). 
• Both instituted a Passover Lamb: Moses instituted the Passover, in which a lamb was slain to deliver the Israelites from death (Exodus 12), whereas Jesus became the Passover Lamb and was sacrificed for the sins of the world (John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 5:7, etc).

Furthermore, the parallel between the bronze serpent and Christ’s crucifixion emphasizes how Christ fulfills and surpasses the role of Moses in providing salvation. Just as Moses acted as a mediator between God and the Israelites, delivering them from physical death by instructing them to look at the bronze serpent, Jesus acts as a mediator between God and humanity, offering deliverance from spiritual death through His crucifixion. The bronze serpent was lifted up on a pole for the people to look at and be healed (Numbers 21:9). Similarly, Jesus was “lifted up” on the cross (John 3:14), and through this crucifixion, He provided atonement so that we may have eternal life. Thus, this parallel demonstrates that Christ fulfills the typological role played by Moses, yet provides a greater and more comprehensive deliverance, as he not only saves Israel from an earthly threat, but saves all who call on him from eternal damnation. 

Ultimately, both Jesus Christ and John the Baptist served as witnesses against the covenant-breaking Judeans. For Christ, this is evident through passages such as:

– Luke 11:49-51, “Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.”

– Luke 10:1/3/10-12, “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”

– Luke 13:1-5, “There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.’”

– Luke 19:41-44, “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.’”

– Luke 21:20-24/31-32, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled… So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place.” 

– Matthew 23:37-38, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate.”

– John 12:27-32, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’”

– Luke 23:26-29, “And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’”

For John, this is evident through passages such as:

– Matthew 3:1-3/7/10-12, “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

– Luke 3:7-9, “He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’”

Jesus Christ and John the Baptist also served as witnesses to the transmission of the Holy Spirit upon believers, which serves as a parallel to the two olive trees and lampstands. For Christ, this is evident through passages such as: 

– John 14:16-17, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

– John 16:7, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”

– Acts 1:4-5, “And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’”

– Acts 2:1-4, “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

For John, this is evident through passages such as: 

– Matthew 3:11, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

– John 1:33, “I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’”

That Jesus and John are one aspect of the Two Witnesses is attested to by Matthew 11:12-15, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” In this passage, Jesus refers to John as a significant figure in the transition from the Old Covenant era, symbolized by the Law and the Prophets, to the New Covenant era, which was established by the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets. By stating that “all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,” Jesus indicates that John marks the culmination of the prophetic tradition and the end of the era of the Law and the Prophets.

Conclusion on the Witnesses Identity

Thus, within the multifaceted prophecies of Revelation 11, there are five major aspects:

1. Moses and Elijah, who precede…
2. Zerubbabel and Joshua, who lead to…
3. Jesus Christ and John the Baptist, who unify…
4. Israel and the Gentiles, who preach using the…
5. Law and the Prophets.

Through the Law and the Prophets, which the Synagogue of Satan utilized to persecute Christ and his Church, we are provided with an identification of the beast with two horns (Revelation 13). This beast represents the inverse of the Two Witnesses, the bastardization of the Law and Prophets, which serve as a means to decimate New Covenant Saints. This is expounded upon in other articles on this website. 

In Part Two, I will examine the prophecies regarding these Two Witnesses and explain how they were fulfilled in the first-century AD.  If you’re interested in information corroborating this essay, I strongly recommend looking through my posts on the Great Tribulation and Beast of Revelation, which are under the “essay” tab on this website.

Part Two: Prophetic Fulfillment 

To begin, Revelation 11:1-3 states, “Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.’”

In this passage, the term “temple” is translated from ναὸν (naon), Strong’s 3485: a temple, a shrine, that part of the temple where God himself resides. This is a separate term from ἱεροῦ (hierou), Strong’s 2411: a sacred place, all precincts of the temple. Thus, the parts of the temple referred to in Revelation 11 are the shrine and altar within the inner sanctuary, where YHWH presides (1 Kings 6:20, Exodus 30:1-6). In the context of this prophecy, the inner-temple is symbolic of the one true faith and its body of believers, the Church of Jesus Christ, “in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:21-22). A parallel to this passage can be found in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”

It is only Cohen Priests who were allowed to approach the altar in the Old Covenant. Thus, the mention of Christians at the altar (Revelation 6:9, Revelation 11:1) is representative of their newly-bestowed priesthood. 1 Peter 2:5/9 attests to this by stating, “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ… But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Through these passages, we are provided with a dichotomy: the inner sanctuary and the worshippers within it represent the faith and its saints, while the outer courts represent the disbelievers and non-grafted gentiles. 

The inner sanctuary would be safeguarded from the wrath of Rome, as Christ commanded his followers to flee when they saw armies encircling them (Luke 21:20-21, Mark 13:14, Matthew 24:15-16). This is corroborated by the measuring rod, which represents boundary and order, as when God measures a city or a people, it pertains to his intention to restore, organize, and protect them. Thus, the measuring rod in Revelation 11 is an assurance that the Church would persist through the Great Tribulation and triumph over the gentiles outside its borders. 

On the other hand, the outer courts would be subject to Roman forces, which would trample Judaea and its inhabitants for 42 months. 42 months equals 3.5 years, and these 3.5 years refer to the period between the beginning of the First Jewish-Roman War in 66 AD and the desolation of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Therefore, the Two Witnesses do not postdate the Roman conquest, but are contemporary to it. If the Two Witnesses were to come after the conquest, this verse would have “and” instead of “then”, rendering Revelation 11:3 as, “then I will grant authority to my witnesses…” 

This 3.5 year period allows us to better understand Matthew 24:22, “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” See, the number seven represents totality and completion, as evident through the seven day creation in Genesis 1-2, the seven day week and seven year sabbatical cycle (Genesis 29:20/27, 41:29-30), the seven pairs of animals on Noah’s ark (Genesis 7:2), the seven day feasts (Leviticus 23:6/34), the seven lamps of the menorah (Exodus 25:31-40), the seven day conquest of Jericho (Joshua 6:15-16), Daniel’s 70 Weeks (Daniel 9:24-27), the seven churches of Asia (Revelation 1:4/20), the seven angels of the seven churches (Revelation 1:20), the seven spirits before the Lord (Revelation 1:4), the seven seals (Revelation 5:1), and the seven trumpets (Revelation 8:6). By lasting 3.5 years, which is half of seven, the tribulation was “cut short.” Essentially, if it had lasted seven years (representing fullness), there would have been a complete destruction of the Israelites and all that belonged to them. For the sake of the elect, this tribulation was cut in half, and was thus incomplete in the sense that there were survivors. 

This 3.5 year period ultimately culminated in the  fulfillment of Luke 21:23-25, “Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves…” 

Again, Revelation 11:2 tells that the court outside the temple is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. Well, the term “nations” is translated from ἔθνεσιν(ethnesin), Strong‘s 1484: a race, a tribe; specially, a foreign one. This is the same term translated as “gentiles” in Luke 21:24. Thus, the nations who trample the outer court for 42 months are the same “gentiles” who trample Jerusalem underfoot in Luke 21:23-25. 

This is key, as the time of the gentiles is one of many aspects of the “great tribulation” (Luke 21:23, Matthew 24:21). Though the conventional narrative asserts that the great tribulation is yet to be fulfilled, only thirteen verses after the “great tribulation” is mentioned, Christ states, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34). By saying this, Christ explicitly told those he spoke to that the Great Tribulation would come upon them. If the “end of the age” (Matthew 24:3) came upon Christ’s generation, it is evidently not a prophecy about the end of the Earth, but the end of the Old Covenant era: the age of Israel, in which they are chosen by YHWH, dwell in the Holy Land, and reap all the benefits of their covenantal promises. Again, 1 Corinthians 10:11 proves this to be the case, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”

The first mention of a “great tribulation” is found in Christ’s Olivet Discourse, which is not only recorded by Matthew in chapter 24, but also Mark and Luke. Luke 21:5-6 states, “And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down’” (Luke 21:5-6). Well, the temple was destroyed in 70 AD by invading Roman Legions, just 40 years after Christ gave this prophecy: within the same generation. 

Also consider that the catalyst for Christ’s proclamation in Luke 21:5-6 was an altercation with the temple officials immediately prior. Matthew 23:38 quotes Christ telling them, “Behold, your house is left to you desolate!” The house referred to is the Second Temple, which again, was left desolate by invading Roman legions in 70 AD, thus fulfilling the “abomination of desolation”. With that, a prophetic lament over the city of Jerusalem is spoken by Christ in Luke 19:41-44, “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.’”

As for the next passage of relevance, Revelation 11:7-11 states, “And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.”

The bottomless pit is representative of abysmal darkness, utter depravity, and a complete separation from GOD. It is a place of damnation, and thus represents satanic forces. As explained in the thread linked below, the beast that arises out of this pit is Rome, which not only aided in crucifying Christ, but also criminalized Christianity, persecuted the saints, and left Jerusalem desolate in 70 AD.

Thus, after 3.5 years of the outer court being trampled, Roman forces would seemingly eliminate the Two Witnesses. But, if the inner court, being the Church, fled to the wilderness as armies encircled Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15-16, Luke 21:21, Mark 13:14), how are the Two Witnesses killed in the streets of Jerusalem, “where their Lord was crucified” (Revelation 11:8)? 

There are a few ways to go about explaining this:

Interpretation A) 

The 3.5 year ministry of the witnesses represents the 3.5 year incursion by Rome, in which the curses listed in the Law and the Prophets were fulfilled. In failing to account for the New Covenant in Christ, the enemies of Israel perceived the witnesses to be dead, or in other words, obsolete and done away with. In this case, the 3.5 day death and resurrection is a symbolic allusion to Christ, who not only rose from the dead after three days (Matthew 16:21, 1 Corinthians 15:4, etc), but validated the Law and the Prophets through all that he did. Thus, the Law and the Prophets were resurrected and brought back to life through the expansion of Christendom, which brought judgement upon those who rejoiced at its apparent demise. 

Interpretation B) 

The Second Temple symbolized the glory of the Law and Prophets, and was burnt down 3.5 years into the First Jewish-Roman War. Thus, the Two Witnesses appeared to be obsolete, or symbolically dead, as the temple was left desolate and the Judaic aeon had come to a halt. However, the true temple is Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law and the prophets with perfection (Matthew 5:17, Luke 24:44). About the true temple, which is himself, Christ said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19; parallels Matthew 16:21, 1 Corinthians 15:4, etc). Thus, the three day death and resurrection of the Two Witnesses is symbolic of the apparent decimation of Israel in 70 AD, and its resurrection through Christ, who is prophetically referred to as the “servant Israel” (Isaiah 49:3). Essentially, with the desolation of Judaea and its temple, Israel appeared to be dead, yet was revived through the fulfillment of the Two Witnesses, Jesus Christ, who established a Kingdom greater than Judaea ever was. 

Throughout the 3.5 days, the nations rejoice at the destruction of the Second Temple, Judaea, and the people who inhabited it. This is for two reasons:

1. Religious implications: The paganistic heathens rejoice at the apparent decimation of monotheistic worship, as it seemingly signified the triumph of their deities over the God of Israel. Revelation 11:10 tells that the Two Witnesses had been “a torment to those who dwell on the earth.” This alludes to all the prior judgements which fell upon these nations as a result of breaking the Law of God and refusing to hearken unto the Prophets he sent. With the centre of Hebrew worship left desolate, these nations supposed that they were no longer subject to the implications of disobeying YHWH.  
2. Economic implications: With the conquest of Judaea and its capital city, the Romans were open to plunder the region, enslave roughly 100,000 Judeans, tax survivors and demand tribute, confiscate land and claim ownership of it, etc. In ‘Wars of the Jews’, Book 6, Chapters 5-6, and Book 7, Chapter 5, Flavius Josephus emphasizes the extent to which Judaea was stripped of all its treasures, materials and wealth: “While the holy house was on fire, everything was plundered that came to hand, and ten thousand of those that were caught were slain; nor was there a commiseration of any age, or any reverence of gravity, but children, and old men, and profane persons, and priests were all slain in the same manner; so that this war went round all sorts of men, and brought them to destruction, and as well those that made supplication for their lives, as those that defended themselves by fighting… And now the Romans, upon the flight of the seditious into the city, and upon the burning of the holy house itself, and of all the buildings round about it, brought their ensigns to the temple and set them over against its eastern gate; and there did they offer sacrifices to them, and there did they make Titus imperator with the greatest acclamations of joy. And now all the soldiers had such vast quantities of the spoils which they had gotten by plunder, that in Syria a pound weight of gold was sold for half its former value…” In ‘Wars of the Jews’, Book 7, Chapter 5, he adds, “Now it is impossible to describe the multitude of the shows as they deserve, and the magnificence of them all; such indeed as a man could not easily think of as performed, either by the labor of workmen, or the variety of riches, or the rarities of nature; for almost all such curiosities as the most happy men ever get by piece-meal were here one heaped on another, and those both admirable and costly in their nature; and all brought together on that day demonstrated the vastness of the dominions of the Romans; for there was here to be seen a mighty quantity of silver, and gold, and ivory, contrived into all sorts of things, and did not appear as carried along in pompous show only, but, as a man may say, running along like a river. Some parts were composed of the rarest purple hangings, and so carried along; and others accurately represented to the life what was embroidered by the arts of the Babylonians. There were also precious stones that were transparent, some set in crowns of gold, and some in other ouches, as the workmen pleased; and of these such a vast number were brought, that we could not but thence learn how vainly we imagined any of them to be rarities. The images of the gods were also carried, being as well wonderful for their largeness, as made very artificially, and with great skill of the workmen; nor were any of these images of any other than very costly materials; and many species of animals were brought, every one in their own natural ornaments. The men also who brought every one of these shows were great multitudes, and adorned with purple garments, all over interwoven with gold; those that were chosen for carrying these pompous shows having also about them such magnificent ornaments as were both extraordinary and surprising. Besides these, one might see that even the great number of the captives was not unadorned, while the variety that was in their garments, and their fine texture, concealed from the sight the deformity of their bodies. But what afforded the greatest surprise of all was the structure of the pageants that were borne along; for indeed he that met them could not but be afraid that the bearers would not be able firmly enough to support them, such was their magnitude; for many of them were so made, that they were on three or even four stories, one above another. The magnificence also of their structure afforded one both pleasure and surprise; for upon many of them were laid carpets of gold. There was also wrought gold and ivory fastened about them all; and many resemblances of the war, and those in several ways, and variety of contrivances, affording a most lively portraiture of itself. For there was to be seen a happy country laid waste, and entire squadrons of enemies slain; while some of them ran away, and some were carried into captivity; with walls of great altitude and magnitude overthrown and ruined by machines; with the strongest fortifications taken, and the walls of most populous cities upon the tops of hills seized on, and an army pouring itself within the walls; as also every place full of slaughter, and supplications of the enemies, when they were no longer able to lift up their hands in way of opposition. Fire also sent upon temples was here represented, and houses overthrown, and falling upon their owners: rivers also, after they came out of a large and melancholy desert, ran down, not into a land cultivated, nor as drink for men, or for cattle, but through a land still on fire upon every side; for the Jews related that such a thing they had undergone during this war. Now the workmanship of these representations was so magnificent and lively in the construction of the things, that it exhibited what had been done to such as did not see it, as if they had been there really present. On the top of every one of these pageants was placed the commander of the city that was taken, and the manner wherein he was taken. Moreover, there followed those pageants a great number of ships; and for the other spoils, they were carried in great plenty. But for those that were taken in the temple of Jerusalem, they made the greatest figure of them all; that is, the golden table, of the weight of many talents; the candlestick also, that was made of gold, though its construction were now changed from that which we made use of; for its middle shaft was fixed upon a basis, and the small branches were produced out of it to a great length, having the likeness of a trident in their position, and had every one a socket made of brass for a lamp at the tops of them. These lamps were in number seven, and represented the dignity of the number seven among the Jews; and the last of all the spoils, was carried the Law of the Jews. After these spoils passed by a great many men, carrying the images of Victory, whose structure was entirely either of ivory or of gold. After which Vespasian marched in the first place, and Titus followed him; Domitian also rode along with them, and made a glorious appearance, and rode on a horse that was worthy of admiration.”

Interpretation C) 

The Law and Prophets were physically embodied by the saints of Christ, who had testified in the streets of Jerusalem for 3.5 years until the city was left desolate. At the end of the siege they’d be killed off alongside the idolators. In this case, there were some Christians who decided to remain in Jerusalem warning the inhabitants, rather than fleeing to Pella. It is possible that the 3.5 day death represents the period from which the Romans succesfully laid siege to the city, to when the temple was finally burnt down. In this case, those still alive in the city would rejoice that they no longer had to hear decrees of destruction extracted from the Law and the Prophets. 

First-century Jewish Historian, Flavius Josephus, mentions that surviviors of the siege had retreated to the upper city, but still did not repent of their wrongdoings. In Wars of the Jews, Book 6, Chapter 7, he writes, “On the next day the Romans drove the [seditious] out of the lower city, and set all on fire as far as Siloam. These soldiers were indeed glad to see the city destroyed. But they missed the plunder, because the seditious had carried off all their effects, and were retired into the upper city; for they did not yet at all repent of the mischiefs they had done, but were insolent, as if they had done well; for, as they saw the city on fire, they appeared cheerful, and put on joyful countenances, in expectation, as they said, of death to end their miseries. Accordingly, as the people were now slain, the holy house was burnt down, and the city was on fire, there was nothing further left for the enemy to do.”

Yet, after these 3.5 days, the Two Witnesses were metaphorically resurrected, as the destruction was finalized with the burning of the temple, thus fulfilling what was told in the Law and the Prophets.

Interpretation D) 

The witnesses 3.5 year ministry equals the roughly 3.5 decades from Christ’s crucifixion in 32-33 AD, to the desolation of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The 3.5 days would thus equate to the 3.5-year war from 66-70 AD, in which the saints of Christ, who had proclaimed the Law and the Prophets, fled the city and could no longer be heard. With the believing evangelicals gone, the Law and the Prophets seemed to have been dead. Those in the land who disbelieved them rejoiced at the absence of these saints, who prior, condemned them and warned of impending judgement. 

Furthermore, the Zealot victory over Cestus Gallus at Beth Horan (66 AD) was interpreted as proof that YHWH was on their side. With that, the Judeans increasingly dismissed all that was told in the Law and the Prophets, believing themselves to be spared from the toll of their iniquity. 

According to this interpretation, the resurrection of the Two Witnesses was fulfilled through the desolation of Jerusalem and its temple, which was foretold by the Law and the Prophets. Whereas the obnoxious Christians who had warned them were dismissed and ridiculed, later leaving the city entirely, their warnings were actualized to an extent that the Judeans never expected. 

Now, regardless of which interpretation is correct, or whether any are, the three day death and resurrection symbolizes how the Law and the Prophets were brought back to life through Christ, who himself fulfilled all that they foretold. For centuries, the people of Israel awaited a Messiah who would bestow the prophesied blessings upon them. Some grew tired of waiting and abandoned the Law and the Prophets, thus apostatizing and turning to idolatry. Yet through Christ, both these witnesses were vindicated and brought back to life. Likewise, the Jewish faith is spiritually dead. Though they have both the Law and the Prophets, they have aimlessly wandered for millennia and awaited a messiah that will never come. It is only through Christ that the Law and the Prophets can be revitalized and validated. Without Christ in the equation, the Law and the Prophets do not add up, and those who refuse to do the math are left spiritually destitute. 

Insofar as the witnesses laying dead in the street of the symbolic Sodom and Egypt, which is identified as the great city where their Lord was crucified, we are provided with more evidence that the great tribulation is local to Judaea and occurs within Christ’s generation. This connection is made clear by the latter part of this prophecy, which explicitly ties the tribulation to Christ’s crucifixion. Thus, it is logical to conclude that the Two Witnesses deliver their prophecies against those complicit in Christ’s murder. This underscores the direct involvement of Jerusalem and its inhabitants in the bloodshed of the saviour and his saints.

The reference to Sodom and Egypt alludes to numerous passages from the Old Covenant, in which Jerusalem is likened unto them: 

– Jeremiah 23:14, “But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing:
they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”

– Isaiah 3:9, “For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.”

– Lamentations 4:6, “For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands were wrung for her.”

– Ezekiel 16:46-48, “And your elder sister is Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations within a very little time, you were more corrupt than they in all your ways. As I live, declares the Lord God, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done.”

– Isaiah 1:1-10, “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: ‘Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.’ Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil. Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence foreigners devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners. And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah. Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!’”

– Ezekiel 23:19/27, “Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt… Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your whoring brought from the land of Egypt, so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.”

– Deuteronomy 28:60, “And he will bring upon you again all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you.”

Now, Sodom’s destruction was preceded by the arrival of two angels, who upon entering the city, were met by Lot (Genesis 19:1). After being invited into Lot’s home, the wicked men of Sodom surround the house and command the angels to come outside and be sexually abused (Genesis 19:4-5). The angels intervene by striking the men of Sodom with blindness (Genesis 19:11), then instructing Lot to gather his family and flee the city (Genesis 19:12-13). Once outside the city’s borders, fire and brimstone rained from heaven and destroyed its inhabitants (Genesis 19:24-25). This served as a small-scale premonition of the Exodus. 

For one, the Israelites in Egypt comprised a faithful minority, as did Lot’s family in Sodom. Just as the oracle of YHWH was granted to Moses, the oracle of YHWH was granted to Lot. Both these men were foretold the judgement of their respective hometowns: Egypt for Moses and Sodom for Lot. Both these men were instructed to flee along with their family: tribal family in the case of Moses, direct family in the case of Lot. 

Thus, Egypt and Sodom serve as symbols for a new Exodus. Consider 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.” In this passage, Paul utilizes the motif of baptism as a means to draw a parallel between the Old Covenant Exodus and the New Covenant Exodus.

Whereas Old Covenant Israelites were baptized into Moses and led out of physical bondage, New Covenant Christians are baptized into Jesus and led out of spiritual bondage. Just as the old Exodus from Egypt led to a new nation, being Israel, the new exodus from Mystery Babylon (Apostate Jerusalem) leads to a new nation, being Christendom.

The transfiguration of Christ provides attestation to a second Exodus, as Luke 9:28-31 states, “Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” In verse 31, the term “departure” is translated from “ἔξοδον” (exodon), Strong’s 1841: an exit, going out, departure from a place; the exodus, death. Thus, Moses and Elijah, the Two Witnesses, testified to the New Exodus Christ would lead from Jerusalem. Essentially, from the old Exodus came a new nation, from that new nation came a new Messiah, and from that new Messiah came a new Exodus. Hence Revelation 18:4-5, “Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.’” 

Next we have Revelation 11:12, “Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here!’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.”

This is yet another allusion to Elijah, who was taken to heaven on a cloud in 2 Kings 2:11-12, “And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, ‘My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ And he saw him no more.” Thus, this passage compounds onto the evidence that one of the Two Witnesses are embodied by Elijah. At the same time, it indicates that the Two Witnesses, being the Law and the Prophets, would never die or cease to exist. 

Elijah is the only person in the canonical texts to never taste death, as he was taken into Heaven alive. Likewise, the Law and the Prophets would never be killed, would never be made obsolete, and would be protected and preserved through divine intervention. Isaiah 59:21 states, “‘And as for me, this is my covenant with them,’ says the Lord: ‘My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,’ says the Lord, ‘from this time forth and forevermore.’”

Next, Revelation 11:13, “And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.”

The earthquake in this passage is not literal, but hyperbolically symbolic, as it represents a major paradigm shift. Consider Haggai 2:6-7, “For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts.” Whereas earthquakes typically represent destruction, and thus bear a negative connotation, this earthquake does not break the earth to pieces. Rather, this earthquake gathers the pieces and calls all nations to the “house of glory”. To add, earthquakes cannot “shake the heavens”, but this earthquake does.

Thus, the earthquake is symbolic of a heavenly paradigm shift, in which what stood before is destroyed and everything left is made anew. This is evident through Hebrews 12:26-29, “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ This phrase, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

As for a tenth of the city falling, the concept of one-tenth, or a tithe, is mentioned several times throughout scripture. It is often associated with giving a portion of one’s resources, especially as an offering to God. Some examples of a tithe include:

– Genesis 14:20, in which Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything he recovered in battle.

– Leviticus 27:30-32, in which the Israelites are instructed to give a tenth of their produce and livestock to the Lord.

– Numbers 18:26, in which the Levites are to receive a tenth of the Israelites’ produce as their inheritance.

Tithing was not solely about giving, but also about consecration, setting apart something as holy to the Lord. In Revelation 11:13, the survivors of the earthquake who give glory to God may represent a form of spiritual consecration or repentance brought about by the event. The destruction of a tenth could be seen as a means of purifying or setting apart the people spiritually, much like how the tithe represented a portion of one’s possessions set apart for God. Ultimately, a tenth of the city falling is symbolic of Christ reclaiming Jerusalem, the set apart city. 

In regard to the 7000 people who die in this earthquake, this number is purely symbolic and represents completion, as both 1000 and 7 are applied in scripture to denote fullness.

– 1000: Psalm 50:10, Exodus 20:6, Revelation 20:2-3.

– 7: Genesis 1-2, Genesis 7:2, Genesis 29:20/27, Genesis 41:29-30, Leviticus 23:6/34, Exodus 25:31-40, Joshua 6:15-16, Daniel 9:24-27, Revelation 1:4/20, Revelation 5:1, Revelation 8:6.

This number may also serve as a woeful parallel to 1 Kings 19:18, “Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” For one, the recipient of this prophecy was Elijah, who is represented in one of the Two Witnesses. But, while Elijah’s case saw 7000 Israelites reserved, here there are 7000 Israelites sentenced to death. The contrast helps emphasize the end of the Old Covenant age and how Israel was to incur all the curses that YHWH decreed. 

Nonetheless, there were certainly survivors, and they were those who “were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.”

Next, Revelation 11:15-18, “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, ‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.’”

This excerpt proves that with the desolation of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Christ’s Kingdom had been consummated. I say consummated because a consummation is the point at which something is authenticated, finalized, fulfilled or completed. Though the seventh trumpet, which sounds after the desolation of Jerusalem, ushered in the Kingdom of Christ, this was not the beginning of his rulership.

Throughout the New Testament, Christ and his followers persistently proclaimed that the Kingdom of God had arrived (Luke 17:20-21, Matthew 12:26-28/Luke 11:20), or would arrive within that same generation (Mark 9:1/Matthew 16:28/Luke 9:27, Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:14-15, Matthew 10:7, Luke 10:9-11, Matthew 3:1-2), that all power and authority had been granted to Christ (Matthew 28:16-20, Ephesians 1:20-22, Philippians 2:9-11, 1 Peter 3:21-22, Colossians 2:9-10, Colossians 1:16-1), and that after resurrecting from the dead, he went to rule at the right hand of the father (Luke 22:63-71, Acts 2:22/25-35, Acts 7:54-60, Mark 16:9-10/14-16/19, Romans 8:34, 1 Peter 3:21-22, Ephesians 1:20-21, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 8:1-2, Hebrews 10:12-13). 

To add, in Luke 10, Christ sends his apostles to preach throughout the region and warn people that the Kingdom of God is near. When they return, he says, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Luke 10:18-19) 

This parallels Revelation 12:9-12, “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.’”

Considering all the aforementioned passages, it is evident that Christ has been ruling over the Earth since the first-century AD. Through Daniel’s prophecies of the four beasts (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Macedonia, Rome), it is also evident that Christ’s kingdom immediately succeeded the Roman conquest of Judaea. Daniel 7:17-18 states, “These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.” Thus, through the spread of Christianity in Rome, the Millennial Reign had come to fruition.

These four beasts provide a basis for understanding Revelation 11:15, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” This is an allusion to Luke 4:5-6, as Satan offers Christ the kingdoms of the world: “And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, ‘To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.’” 

Thus, the “kingdom of the world” in Revelation 11 is a reference to Satan’s kingdom, which primarily operated through the four beast empires. Accordingly, the claim that “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” is a proclamation that Satan has been defeated and his grip over Earth has been broken. 

Next, Revelation 11;19, “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.”

As with Revelation 11:1-2, the term translated here as  “temple” is ναὸς (naos), Strong’s 3485: a temple, a shrine, that part of the temple where God himself resides. Thus, this verse also utilizes the inner sanctuary as a means to symbolize the Church. 

The opening of this Heavenly temple parallels the temple veil being torn at Christ’s crucifixion (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, and Luke 23:45), which itself symbolized the removal of the barrier between YHWH and humanity, as direct access to God was made available through Christ’s sacrifice (Hebrews 10:19-22, Ephesians 2:18). It also signifies how salvation has been extended to the rest of mankind aside from Israel, as the inner sanctuary is now opened to mankind, as opposed to closed for the Levitic Priesthood. 

As for the “flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm”, this is all an allusion to the covenant given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Exodus 19:16-18 states, “On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.”

The use of similar imagery in Revelation 11:19 serves to mark a pivotal transition from the Old Covenant to the New. Just as these phenomena accompanied the giving of the Law, they now accompany the unveiling of a new divine revelation and covenant, ushered by the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets in Jesus Christ.