Studies in Revelation: The Second Interlude, the Two Witnesses (Revelation 11)

John is told to measure the temple in Jerusalem (“the holy city,” “figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified,” verses 2,8). He is not to measure the outer court, which will be trampled by the Gentiles for 42 months (three and a half years). This is the temple that the antichrist will desecrate at the beginning of this 42 months as he violates the seven-year treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27).

God appoints two witnesses, modeled it seems on Moses and Elijah (stopping the rain and turning water to blood and sending plagues), designated as “two olive trees” (Zechariah 4) and two lampstands. All who try to harm them are killed by fire that comes from their mouths. They prophecy for 1,260 days (= 42 months, three and half years) until the beast from the abyss (the antichrist) is allowed to kill them and leave their bodies in the public square for three and a half days, at which point God resurrects them and takes them up to heaven. God then sends an earthquake on the city which kills 7,000 and destroys a tenth of the city.

We suggest that these two witnesses are among the 144,000 (12,000 from each tribe of Israel) who are sealed and protected to give witness to Christ, part of the first vanguard of Jews who are saved during the Tribulation. They testify and prophecy in Jerusalem to bring Jews to faith in Christ. That they are known worldwide (the inhabitants of the earth gloat over their deaths, verse 10) may suggest a way to quickly spread news worldwide, a capability which exists today. The desire to kill them is an indication of the world’s hatred of believers during this time and of the widespread persecution and martyrdom of Christians around the world. Their resurrection is a foretaste of the resurrection that will happen after Christ returns to set up his kingdom:

⁴ I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ⁵ (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. (Revelation 20:4,5)