Let’s start with a short synopsis of the two witnesses. They prophesy for 1260 days (about 3 ½ years). People who try to harm them are destroyed by fire coming out of their mouths. The witnesses have great power to speak natural disasters into existence. At the end of the 1260 days, the beast from the Abyss kills them and they lie in public view for 3 ½ days. The fallen world rejoices. Then God breaths life into the witnesses and they come back, and the fallen world is terror stricken. They are taken into heaven followed by a tremendous earthquake that causes any survivors to praise God.
First of all, let’s look at the symbolic numbers. Two symbolizes strength. The Law of Moses declared that the testimony of two witnesses is true. Jesus validated his authority by invoking the witness of the Father. “…I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself, my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” – John 8:16-18 (NIV). So, the symbol here for the number two is strength and veracity. We’ve already established the symbolism of 3 ½ in the last post. It is an indefinite period of time, half the perfect number of 7.
Do you see any parallels in this vision and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus? It’s unmistakable! Even the ascension! John’s readers undoubtedly saw the same parallels when they read it. And the message for them was that they would be witnesses as well.
Elijah and Elisha were Old Testament versions of this story. Remember when Elijah prayed and it stopped raining for 3 ½ years? This was the power that God gave him over the evil King Ahab and his wife Jezebel. When rain fell again, Elijah realized an incredible victory in which fire fell from heaven, and he disposed of all the prophets of Baal. Jezebel was furious over this and set out to kill Elijah, so much so that he had to go into hiding. It was almost as if he were dead. But God protected him so that he was able to prophesy again. He went to heaven in a chariot of fire.
So, you see, the story of the two witnesses was not something new, but the retelling of an old story that has occurred many times in the past and will continue to be reenacted both in the lives of John’s readers and in our lives as well.
“Two witnesses” does not mean two people will emerge in the last days to preach and demonstrate God’s power; although that could certainly happen. Note that the two witnesses are the same ones referred to in Zechariah’s vision described as two olive branches that pour oil into the reservoir for the lampstand. (See Zechariah 4). So, John is not introducing a new concept, but one that all Jews were familiar with. Jewish believers could easily explain this to Gentile believers who were not steeped in Jewish history.
The concept of two witnesses was introduced by Jesus when he sent his disciples out to preach the Kingdom. He gave them power to heal the sick and perform other signs. If they entered a town that refused to receive them, they were to knock the dust from their sandals as a testimony against that town.
When Paul set out on his missionary journeys, we have no record of him doing a solo act. He always traveled with another companion. Jesus was introducing his disciples to the paradigm of the ekklesia, the Kingdom of God. It was never meant to be a solo act. The two witnesses ARE the ekklesia. Jesus modeled it in his life and ministry. He said, “I only do what the Father tells me.” “I and the Father are one.” If we are to be effective, we must be in unity with one another. Then the world will know we are Christians. And if two of you agree about anything, you can ask for it, and it will be done. (Matthew 18:19). Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there. (Matthew 18:20).
We need each other, just as Jesus needed the Father. We cannot effectively convey the message of the Kingdom; we cannot realize the power of God among us unless we are in fellowship with other believers. And I am not talking about going to a building, watching a worship show and listening to a sermon. Those things are not bad in and of themselves. But too many believers sit in a pew, staring at the backs of other believers and leave with the feeling that they have all been alone together. Social distancing showed up in church buildings long before COVID-19. Those making an impact on the fallen world, those able to channel the power of God in the lives of others, will not be lone rangers. Heck, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto as his companion! “Two are better than one…a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
So, to sum it up, the two witnesses are the ekklesia, the body of all believers, united as one, with the power and witness of the Holy Spirit, and the reenactment of the ministry, death, and resurrection of our Lord.
First of all, let’s look at the symbolic numbers. Two symbolizes strength. The Law of Moses declared that the testimony of two witnesses is true. Jesus validated his authority by invoking the witness of the Father. “…I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself, my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” – John 8:16-18 (NIV). So, the symbol here for the number two is strength and veracity. We’ve already established the symbolism of 3 ½ in the last post. It is an indefinite period of time, half the perfect number of 7.
Do you see any parallels in this vision and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus? It’s unmistakable! Even the ascension! John’s readers undoubtedly saw the same parallels when they read it. And the message for them was that they would be witnesses as well.
Elijah and Elisha were Old Testament versions of this story. Remember when Elijah prayed and it stopped raining for 3 ½ years? This was the power that God gave him over the evil King Ahab and his wife Jezebel. When rain fell again, Elijah realized an incredible victory in which fire fell from heaven, and he disposed of all the prophets of Baal. Jezebel was furious over this and set out to kill Elijah, so much so that he had to go into hiding. It was almost as if he were dead. But God protected him so that he was able to prophesy again. He went to heaven in a chariot of fire.
So, you see, the story of the two witnesses was not something new, but the retelling of an old story that has occurred many times in the past and will continue to be reenacted both in the lives of John’s readers and in our lives as well.
“Two witnesses” does not mean two people will emerge in the last days to preach and demonstrate God’s power; although that could certainly happen. Note that the two witnesses are the same ones referred to in Zechariah’s vision described as two olive branches that pour oil into the reservoir for the lampstand. (See Zechariah 4). So, John is not introducing a new concept, but one that all Jews were familiar with. Jewish believers could easily explain this to Gentile believers who were not steeped in Jewish history.
The concept of two witnesses was introduced by Jesus when he sent his disciples out to preach the Kingdom. He gave them power to heal the sick and perform other signs. If they entered a town that refused to receive them, they were to knock the dust from their sandals as a testimony against that town.
When Paul set out on his missionary journeys, we have no record of him doing a solo act. He always traveled with another companion. Jesus was introducing his disciples to the paradigm of the ekklesia, the Kingdom of God. It was never meant to be a solo act. The two witnesses ARE the ekklesia. Jesus modeled it in his life and ministry. He said, “I only do what the Father tells me.” “I and the Father are one.” If we are to be effective, we must be in unity with one another. Then the world will know we are Christians. And if two of you agree about anything, you can ask for it, and it will be done. (Matthew 18:19). Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there. (Matthew 18:20).
We need each other, just as Jesus needed the Father. We cannot effectively convey the message of the Kingdom; we cannot realize the power of God among us unless we are in fellowship with other believers. And I am not talking about going to a building, watching a worship show and listening to a sermon. Those things are not bad in and of themselves. But too many believers sit in a pew, staring at the backs of other believers and leave with the feeling that they have all been alone together. Social distancing showed up in church buildings long before COVID-19. Those making an impact on the fallen world, those able to channel the power of God in the lives of others, will not be lone rangers. Heck, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto as his companion! “Two are better than one…a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
So, to sum it up, the two witnesses are the ekklesia, the body of all believers, united as one, with the power and witness of the Holy Spirit, and the reenactment of the ministry, death, and resurrection of our Lord.
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