The coming of the two witnesses marks the beginning of the testimony program rendered to the world during the Tribulation. While some theologians place this event around the middle of the Tribulation, I believe their ministry will more likely occur at the beginning of the Tribulation.

Of course, with the Rapture, all Christians will be taken from this world at the same time, leaving only non-Christians on earth to face the imminent Tribulation. One might wonder if God has simply given up on these people, leaving them without any means to turn to Him. But God’s love never ceases, and He never forgets to leave one of His witnesses behind.

The example of Zephora in our story shows one of the ways these two prophets might encourage some people to turn to God during the terrible times to come. Revelation 11 provides a description of these two witnesses, focusing on several aspects: their identity, their prophecies, their power, their persecution, and their preservation.

Their Identity

“I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” – REVELATION 11:3

The two witnesses are not symbols of the Law and the Gospel, nor do they represent the Old and New Testaments. They are real people who will be both heard and hated. They will speak and perform miracles. And they will die, as only real people can.

The Scriptures describe them as the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth (Revelation 11:4). For John’s readers, these metaphors would have a clear and familiar link to the prophecy of Zechariah. In the vision he received, Zechariah saw a golden lampstand with seven lamps, surrounded by two olive trees producing oil to fuel the lamps (Zechariah 4:1-13). The prophet was then told that the olive trees are the two anointed ones who stand before the Lord of all the earth (Zechariah 4:14).

Zechariah was speaking of two faithful men living in his time—Joshua, the high priest, and Zerubbabel, the governor who led the restoration of the Temple. These two men were witnesses to the truth that God works not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts (Zechariah 4:6).

The book of Revelation references the lampstand and the olive trees, nodding to Joshua and Zerubbabel, the two witnesses of Zechariah 4. Like the lampstand, they shine brightly. And like the olive trees, they provide what is needed to fuel the lampstand. This metaphor indicates that the two witnesses of Revelation will shine in the darkness of the Tribulation and be filled with the Spirit of God.

But who exactly are these two witnesses? Jesus referred to these two witnesses as my two witnesses (Revelation 11:3), indicating that they have a special relationship with Him that other witnesses do not share. While prophecy scholars agree that these individuals play a unique role in the end-times narrative, they have long debated the identity of each of these two witnesses. Most believe that one of the witnesses is the prophet Elijah. Here are the reasons:

1. The prophet Malachi predicted that Elijah would come before the second coming of the Lord to prepare the way for the Messiah: “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction” (Malachi 4:5-6).

Some thought that Malachi’s prophecy was perfectly fulfilled in the person of John the Baptist. But while John came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17)—meaning that the Spirit who filled and equipped Elijah also filled and equipped John the Baptist—John was not a reincarnation of the Old Testament prophet. In fact, a group of Jews investigated and asked John directly if he was Elijah. His answer was clear: “I am not” (John 1:21). Therefore, John was not the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy.

2. Elijah was miraculously taken up to heaven (2 Kings 2:9-11), just as the two witnesses will be (Revelation 11:12).

3. The witnesses will have the same power as Elijah to shut up the heavens so it will not rain (1 Kings 17:1; Revelation 11:6).

4. Elijah called down fire from heaven (2 Kings 1:10), just as the two witnesses will do (Revelation 11:5).

5. The duration of the drought during Elijah’s time (1 Kings 17:1; Luke 4:25; James 5:17-18) is the same as the ministry of the two witnesses (Revelation 11:3, 6), which is three and a half years.

Some scholars think the second witness is Enoch, but I believe Moses is a more probable candidate for the following reasons:

1. Moses appeared with Elijah at the transfiguration of Christ (Matthew 17:3).
2. God gave Moses the ability to turn water into blood (Exodus 7:19-20), and the two witnesses will receive the same power (Revelation 11:6).
3. God preserved Moses’ body so it could be restored (Deuteronomy 34:5-7); and the bodies of the two witnesses will also be restored (Revelation 11:11).
4. Satan contended with the archangel Michael over Moses’ body (Jude 1:9). This exchange might have been an attempt by the adversary to sabotage God’s plan for the last days.
5. Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets. Since the ministry of the two witnesses will take place at the heart of the Jewish nation, it makes perfect sense that the representatives of the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) appear to the Jews.

Timothy Demy and John Whitcomb present strong arguments supporting the idea that Moses and Elijah are the two witnesses described in Revelation 11: “There are no two men in all of Israel’s history who would receive greater respect and appreciation than Moses and Elijah. Moses was sent by God to be Israel’s great liberator and the writer of the Law. Jews in the first century even thought it was Moses who gave them the manna in the wilderness (John 6:32). Then God sent Elijah to confront the people of Israel in a time of great apostasy.”

God approved of Elijah by sending fire from heaven and then a chariot of fire and horses of fire to escort him out of this world. Jews in Jesus’ day held Elijah in such high esteem that when they saw Jesus’ miracles, some concluded that Elijah had returned (Matthew 16:14).

Their Prophecies

“I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” – REVELATION 11:3

These two witnesses are true prophets, speaking by divine revelation under the authority of Christ. The duration of their prophetic testimony is limited to 1,260 days, equivalent to forty-two months or three and a half years.

We can understand the nature of their message by the description of their clothing. The witnesses are described as clothed in sackcloth, which consistently appears in the Scriptures as an outward expression of mourning and repentance. Jacob wore sackcloth when he believed Joseph had died (Genesis 37:34). David did the same when he learned that Abner had been killed (2 Samuel 3:31).

Note that, in the scenario presented at the beginning of the chapter, we took the liberty of describing the two witnesses as wearing black suits, which is the equivalent of mourning attire in our contemporary society.

The witnesses’ prophecy is directed at both Jews and Gentiles. Some believe this is why there are two witnesses. The content of their prophecy is the announcement of judgment: first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles. According to Revelation, they will preach the coming judgment daily throughout the entire three and a half years of their ministry. As required by Jewish law, their testimony is established because they are two:

“One who deserves to die shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of only one witness” (Deuteronomy 17:6).

The testimony of a single witness could be subjective, corrupt, or incomplete. But two witnesses whose testimonies agree corroborate each other’s testimony and thus confirm the truth of what they declare.

In biblical times, God often used two witnesses to validate a truth. Two angels attested to the Savior’s resurrection. Two men in white testified of His ascension. Consider also Moses and Aaron, Joshua and Caleb, Zerubbabel and Joshua, Peter and John, Paul and Silas, Timothy and Titus. The disciples were sent out two by two, and the seventy disciples were also sent out two by two. These two end-times witnesses will follow this pattern to proclaim one of the most important calls to repentance of all time…

This text is an excerpt from the book “Agents of the Apocalypse” written by David Jeremiah.

We invite you to read the next article “The Beast from the Earth.”