4. The Symbolism of Two Witnesses from The Bible
…At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
Deuteronomy 19:15
The Old and New Testaments together establish the truth of God’s Word.
In Zechariah the vision of two olive trees and a lampstand represents God’s Word and Spirit:
And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 4:2-6
This imagery is echoed in Revelation 11:4, reinforcing the fact that the two witnesses symbolize the testimony of Scripture.
Though some people try to make these Two Witnesses as literal individuals (Moses and Elijah, Enoch and Elijah, etc.), scripture shows that they represent the Old and New Testaments. We’ll look at that view and why it doesn’t make sense in the next page. They are not literal people and are symbolic of the OT and NT:
* Both testify of Christ.
* Both have been persecuted and revived throughout history.
* Both are lampstands giving light to the world.
This perspective aligns with the theme of God’s Word standing as the ultimate testimony in the last days.