| Who are the two witnesses of Revelation 11?
Revelation 11:6 – They have authority to shut up heaven, that no rain may
fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have authority over the
waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of
plague as often as they desire.
Although the Bible does not specifically name these two prophets, they are
more than likely to be Enoch and Elijah. What we know is that these two
witnesses have stood before the Lord in heaven since Old Testament times
(Zechariah 4:3; Zechariah 4:11-14; Revelation 11:4). We also know that
Elijah will return before the second coming of Christ (Malachi 4:5). Both of
these prophets are mortal and will be put to death – at the end of the
tribulation or the 1260 days of prophesying (Revelation 11:3; Revelation
11:7-8).
Only Enoch and Elijah went to heaven without dying; and for them to return
to earth and take up this particular ministry fits the description of these
prophets. Enoch was the prophet who prophesied to the wicked people that
were destroyed in the flood. These people were so wicked that God repented
that He had ever made man (Genesis 6:4-7). These people were so vile that
all the imaginations of their hearts were continually wicked. This was a
time when angels and men cohabited together, and brought forth men that God
never intended to exist (Genesis 6:4; Matthew 24:37-38; Daniel 2:43). It was
against these people that Enoch prophesied, and although we do not have
certainty about his prophecy in those days (as it is described in the book
of Enoch), we do know from what was recorded in Jude that He prophesied of
the coming days: when the Lord will return with ten thousands of His saints
to execute judgment on all the ungodly; which will also take place at the
end of the 1260 days of the prophesying of these two witnesses (Jude
1:14-15).
Elijah prophesied to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a time that they
had turned their hearts from God to serve Baal-Zebub (1 Kings 16:31-33; 2
Kings 1:16). He was the prophet who called down fire upon the enemies of
Israel, and also called down fire upon the offering of the Lord in a contest
against the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:24; 1 Kings 18:36-38; 2 Kings
1:10). It was Elijah who executed the judgments and disciplines of God
because of idolatry, and shut up the heavens so that it would not rain (1
Kings 17:1; Luke 4:25; James 5:17; Deuteronomy 11:16-17; Leviticus 26:19;
Revelation 13:15). He stood during the time of Jezebel and the worship of
devils, calling the nation of Israel back to the worship of the only true
God (1 Kings 18:13; 1 Kings 19:2). Because the two prophets of Revelation 11
have the power to strike the earth with plagues, as did Moses, there have
been those who have thought that Moses should be one of these prophets.
However, Moses died; and his body was buried in Moab near Bethpeor
(Deuteronomy 34:5-6). Yet if we desire to see a model of the authority to
strike the earth with plagues, then Moses is certainly one of the most
outstanding in the Bible.
During the last three and a half years of the tribulation (or 1260 days),
they will preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus, protect Israel, and also
execute the vengeance of God. God will be at war with the nations of the
earth during this period of time, and will pour out the cup of His wrath
upon their iniquity (Revelation 15:1,7; Revelation 16:1). Although things
were terribly wicked in the days of Noah, it will be even worse in the last
days; for the fullness of the mystery of iniquity will be revealed
(Revelation 9:20-21; Revelation 14:14-19, Revelation 16:9,11; 2
Thessalonians 2:8-12). |
