Andrews University Seminary Studies

Volume 19 | Issue 2 Article 13

1981

The Two Witnesses of Rev 11:3-12

Kenneth A. Strand

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Andrews University Seminary Studies, Summer 1981, Vol. 19, No. 2, 127-135
Copyright O 1981 by Andrews University Press.

THE TWO WITNESSES OF REV 11:3-12

KENNETH A. STRAND
Andrews University

The two witnesses of Rev 11:3-12, also designated in vs. 4 as "the

two olive trees" and "the two lampstands," have most frequently been
interpreted as representing two personages-Moses and Elijah, James
and John, Peter and Paul, or others.' The identification with Moses and
Elijah (or with their eschatological counterparts) has been especially
tempting because of the mention in vs. 6 of the witnesses' power to turn
the waters to blood and to smite the earth with every plague (reminis-
cent of Moses) and to bring drought (reminiscent of Elijah), coupled
with the Jewish belief in an eschatological return of those two prophets
(see John 1:21; 6:14; 7:40; Matt 11:14; Mark 9:ll; and also Deut 18:15-18
and Ma1 4:5).'
Another fairly common approach among recent exegetes is to see
the two witnesses as somehow representing the Christian church, or at
least some segment or aspect of it and its mission. This might be the pro-
phetic vocation of the church, the Jewish and Gentile segments of the
early Christian community, the faithful Smyrna and Philadelphia
churches, the martyrs within the whole Christian community, the
preaching and teaching ministry of the universal church, e t ~ . ~

'For a partial listing of candidates, see J. M. Ford in Revelation, AB 38 (New York,

1975), pp. 177-178.
ZAlso we are reminded of the appearance of Elijah and Moses in the transfiguration
experience (Mark 9:4), plus the fact that in our text in Rev 11:12 the ascension of the
witnesses to heaven may be reminiscent not only of Christ's ascension but of Elijah's
(2 Kgs 2: 11) and also of the tradition regarding Moses as reflected in the Assumption of
Moses (cf. Jude 9).
=Thevariety of interpretations along this line is great. Regarding the concept of "the
witness of both the Jewish and the Gentile Christians," see Vernard Eller, The Most
Revealing Book of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Mich., 1974), p. 116. For aspects of the pro-
phetic vocation or preaching and teaching ministry, see Paul S. Minear, I Saw a New
h r t h (Washington, D.C., 1968), pp. 99-103; Thomas S. Kepler, The Book of Revelation
(New York, 1957), p. 120;J. S. Considine, "The Two Witnesses: Apoc. 11:3-13," CBQ 8
(1946): 392. For other variations within this broad approach, see, e.g., G. R. Beasley-
Murray, The Book of Revelation (London, 1974), p. 184; G. B. Caird, A Commentay on
the Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York, 1966), pp. 134-135;Martin Kiddle, The
Revelation of St. John (London, 1WO), p. 183; Leon Morris, The Revelation of St. John:
An Introduction and Commentay (Grand Rapids, Mich., 1969), p. 148; and Robert H.
Mounce, The Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, Mich., 1977), p. 223.
128 KENNETH A. STRAND

Generally overlooked by interpreters in both of the foregoing

schools of interpretation is one or more of three essential considerations
that will be treated briefly in the following discussion: (1) the broad con-
textual setting for the two-witnesses pericope, (2) the dynamics of the
basic symbolism used in the pericope, and (3) the theological or the-
matic background that informs the concept of two witnesses in the book
of Revelation.

1. The Contextual Setting

The two-witnesses pericope is a portion of an "interlude" that falls

between the sixth and seventh trumpets within the seven-trumpets sec-
tion of the book of Revelation. The seven trumpets themselves are, in
turn, an integral part of a larger section that carries what might well be
called the "Exodus-from-Egypt"/"Fall-of-Babylon" motif.4 In fact, this
"Exodus-from-Egypt"/"Fall-of-Babylon" motif underlies two parallel sec-
tions of the Revelation, sections that are chiastic counterparts to each
other-Rev 8:2-14:20 and Rev 15:1-18:24.5
Moreover, both of these two broader sections are doublets. In the
first section, a septet of seven trumpets is followed by a description of
aggression by evil powers; and in the second section, a septet of seven
bowls of wrath is followed by a description of judgment on evil powers.
However, in both cases there is a "doublet" effect in another way as well:
Each section begins with five elements that are patterned after the
plagues on ancient Egypt at the time of the Israelite Exodus (the first
five trumpets and the first five bowls), and then each septet shifts the
scene to the Babylon motif by introducing "the great river Euphrates" in
the sixth trumpet and in the sixth bowl plague (9:14 and 16:12). The
Babylon motif is thereafter continued throughout the section and is
highlighted in the proclamation of Babylon's fall (14:8 and 18:2).
Diagrammatically, this twofold "doublet" structure may be set forth as
follows :

'This motif has been briefly treated earlier in my "Chiastic Structure and Some
Motifs in the Book of Revelation,"AUSS 16 (1978): 403-404, and Interpreting the Book of
Revelation, 2d ed. (Naples, Florida, 1979), p. 46.
5The overall chiastic structure of the book has been dealt with in the sources men-
tioned in n. 4, above. See especially Interpreting, chap. 5.
 TWO WITNESSES OF REV 11:3-12 129

1 2 1 2

Evil Forces Evil Forces

1-5 6,7 1-5 16,7

Exodus-from-Egypt Fall-of-Babylon Motif Exodus-from-Egypt Fail-of-Babylon Motif

Motif

1 2 1 2

Rev 8:2-14:20 Rev 15:l-18:24

Falling within the trumpets portion of the first of these sections, the
two-witnesses presentation in Rev 11 must have a direct relationship to
the meaning of both of these broader contextual items-the trumpets
themselves and the "Exodus-from-Egypt"/"Fall-of-Babylon" motif.
In a sense, these two aspects of the contextual setting merge, for the
basic significance of the trumpet symbolism is warning, and indeed
warning was present for both Egypt and Babylon in the historical ex-
periences here utilized as symbolic backgrounds or prototypes. The
plagues on Egypt spelled warning for Pharaoh and the Egyptians (and
held forth hope for the Israelites), and the prophetic warnings to
Babylon had similar significance prior to Israel's release from the
Babylonian ~ a p t i v i t yNow,
. ~ in the Christian context of Rev 11, the two
witnesses are also a source of warning-to a "new Egypt"/"new
Babylon" that is oppressing God's people.

2. Symbol Usage in Rev 11

As we analyze next the symbolism utilized in the two-witnesses
pericope of Rev 11, it is important to notice only the dynamics involved,
rather than to discuss in detail each individual symbol. As we look
broadly at the symbolism in order to ascertain these dynamics, two basic

6Regarding Egypt, see Exodus chaps. 7ff.; and regarding Babylon, see especially
Jeremiah chaps. 50 and 51. Of interest are the references to "we would have healed
Babylon" (Jer 51 :9) and "flee from the midst of Babylon" (Jer 50:8; 51:s). It should be
noted that in Revelation the paralleling section with the "Exodus-from-Egypt"/"Fall-of-
Babylon" motif (Rev 15:l-18:24)is a section where judgment is poured out on the ag-
gressor forces. Thus, the symbolisms of Revelation utilize the prophetic messages regard-
ing ancient Egypt and ancient Babylon in a twofold way: First, as warnings (in the earlier
section. Rev 8:2-14:201.and then as oronouncements of doom (in this later section). Our
I

interest herein is, of course, in the earlier section.

130 KENNETH A. STRAND

considerations come to attention immediately:

(1) As for the two witnesses themselves, they do not function as two
individual entities, but only as one entity-always in unity and in ab-
solute union. Paul Minear has aptly pointed out that "John makes no
statement which applies solely to either of the two figures separately.
Whatever is done, they do together; whatever is suffered, they suffer
together," etc.'
(2) The two witnesses constitute a symbolism drawn from several
prophetic backgrounds beyond the obvious allusions to Moses and Eli-
jah, just as in Rev 11:8 "the great city" also embraces a blend of sym-
bolic references ("Sodom," "Egypt," "where their Lord was cr~cified").~
It will be well to review this second dynamic a bit further:
The reference in Rev 11:5 to fire proceeding from the witnesses'
mouths- which reference is frequently looked upon by commentators as
related to, or derived from, Elijah's experience in calling fire from
heaven (2 Kgs 1:10, 12)-actually has a much closer parallel with
Jeremiah. The latter was told by the Lord, "I make my words a fire in
your mouth, and this people wood, and the fire shall devour them"
(Jer 5: 14).9Moreover, the reference to the two olive trees (Rev 11:4) is
reminiscent of the prophetic message through Zechariah at the time of
Zerubbabel (Zech 4). And still further, the reference earlier in the "in-
terlude" to John's eating the scroll (Rev 10:8-10) recalls a similar ex-
perience of the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 3: 1-3). Thus, several biblical per-
sonages beyond Moses and Elijah are reflected by the symbolisms used
in the two-witnesses pericope and in the interlude in which that
pericope occurs.
In fact, we might well expand our list even further by a consider-
ation of the whole contextual setting of the trumpets with their
"Exodus-from-Egypt"/"Fall-of-Babylon"motif. These trumpet

'Minear, pp. 101-102.

8With regard to Rev 11:8, Minear, p. 102, observes that the "great city" had become
"in prophetic terms all cities-Sodom, Tyre, Egypt, Babylon, Nineveh, Rome. . . ."
Although this listing goes beyond the text itself in its mention of specific places, Minear's
concept of the merging of symbolism is undoubtedly correct. In the symbolisms, there is a
sort of transcendental model that focuses on the nature and activity of "the great city."
"The great city" is, of course, elsewhere in the Revelation identified as "Babylon" (see
14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 16, 18, 19, 21).
gThe fact that commentators tend to overlook or ignore this very close parallel to
Rev 11:5 and call attention instead to the fire from heaven on King Ahaziah's messengers
is indeed puzzling. At least a somewhat closer parallel than this concerning Elijah (though
not a parallel as close as the one pertaining to Jeremiah) appears in Sir 48:l: Elijah "rose
up like fire, and his word burned like a lamp."
 TWO WITNESSES OF REV 11:s-12 131

messages would undoubtedly have brought to the minds of the ancient

readers and hearers the prophetic role of Moses and Aaron in their ap-
pearances before Pharaoh, and also the prophetic roles of various of the
prophets who proclaimed warnings relating to Babylon.
In short, the conclusion to be drawn from the foregoing discussion
is that an interpretation of the two witnesses of Rev 11 must do justice to
the facts (1) that these two witnesses are a unit, functioning and ex-
periencing everything together (whether it is their testimony itself, their
calling forth of plagues, their suffering of persecution, their temporary
death, or their resurrection and ascension); and (2) that the symbolic
backgrounds for these two witnesses are broader than simply the two
prophets Moses and Elijah.
Moreover, it should not be overlooked that the unifying element
which drew together the various prophetic personages used as a basis for
the two-witnesses symbolism was their proclamation of God's word of
warning. It would seem reasonable to expect, therefore, that God's
word of warning would have a centrality also within a section of the
book of Revelation devoted to trumpet warnings and setting forth this
two-witnesses symbolism with the dynamics described above.

3. The Thematic Background

We next consider the theological or thematic background for the

two-witnesses pericope of Rev 11:3-l2. Is there any significant two-
witnesses theology that manifests itself elsewhere in the book of Revela-
tion and that embraces the type of prophetic warning theme which we
have encountered? I would suggest that there is indeed such a
theological concept -one which is a prominent emphasis of the entire
book of Revelation and which is clearly evident elsewhere in the N T as
well.
The introductory remarks to the Revelation make evident that in
writing this book John bears witness "to the word of God and to the
testimony of Jesus Christ" (1:2). In fact, his very exile on Patmos is also
because of these two entities-"the word of God and the testimony of
Jesus" (1:9). The Christian community faced martyrdom, too, because
of the same "word of God" and "testimony of Jesus" (see Rev 20:4, and
cf. 6:9). Although in certain other passages the language varies
somewhat, a similar concept of faithfulness to two expressions of the
divine message is set forth-keeping the "commandments of God and
132 KENNETH A. STRAND

the testimony of Jesus Christ" (12:17) and having "the commandments

of God and the faith of Jesus" (14:12).
The foregoing makes clear that the "word of God" and "testimony
of Jesus" provide a concept or theme that permeates, undergirds, and
underlies the book of Revelation, the Revelation itself being said to pro-
claim this twofold divine message (1 :2). And it is of more than passing
interest that in the very interlude in which the two-witnesses passage oc-
curs, the concept of "word of God" and "testimony of Jesus" is specifi-
cally brought to view: The proclamation of the "mighty angel" of Rev
10 includes the statement that "in the days of the trumpet call to be
sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God should be fulfilled, as
announced by his servants the prophets" (10:7). Attention is thus drawn
to prophetic pre-verification of the Christian announcement.
This sort of OT prophetic confirmation or pre-verification of the
NT message is, of course, a familiar theme elsewhere in the NT. It is
enunciated, e.g., in 1 Pet 1:lO-12: "The prophets . . . searched and in-
quired about this salvation"; they predicted "the sufferings of Christ
and the glory to follow"; they ministered "not to themselves, but to you,
in the things now proclaimed to you by those who preached the gospel to
you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven." Appeal to the prophetic
pre-verification was a prominent element in the apostolic preaching
(see, e.g., Acts 2:29-32, 3: 18, etc.), and is brought to attention, too, in
such Gospel references as Luke 24:27 ("he [Christ] interpreted to them
in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself') and John 5:46 ("if
you had believed Moses, you would believe me [Christ], for he wrote of
me"). l o
Perhaps even more significant for the present discussion, however,
is the fact that this "two-witness" theology is prominent and receives
thorough-going emphasis in the Gospel of John, a work with which the
Revelation shows other close thematic affinities (such as the themes of
judgment, discipleship, the Holy Spirit, etc .). The Fourth Gospel

l0Someexegetes (such as Caird, p. 1.29) would see the statement in Rev 10:7 as refer-
ring to Christian martyrs, to the Christian gospel, or to NT prophets, rather than to the
OT prophets. The validity of this sort of interpretation may be questioned, however, in
view of the general NT emphasis on OT prophetic "pre-verification" of the gospel mission
and message, as well as on the basis of the tenor of the Apocalypse itself, which draws so
heavily on OT source materials. It is of interest to note, too, that in a work written not
much later than the Apocalypse and having the same provenience, a further specific
reference is made to O T p o p h e t s looking forward to Christ (Ign. Magn. 9); and there is
rather frequent use of the same concept by the early Christian apologists.
 TWO WITNESSES OF REV 11:3-12 133

repeatedly emphasizes that Jesus' testimony and that of the Father were
in harmony. Indeed, when challenged by his detractors to the effect
that his testimony was invalid since he testified of himself, Jesus called
attention to the law of witness in Deut 19:15, indicating that his witness
was not alone. There were two witnesses-himself and the Father -and
moreover, these two witnesses were one (see especially John 8:
13-18, 28, 38; 14:24).
Additional theological concepts that surround or are joined with
this two-witness theology in the Gospel of John -such as the Holy Spirit's
role in bringing Christ's words to the disciples (John 14:26; 15:26;
16:14),l 1 the matter of the disciples' faithfulness to the word ('John 17:8,
14), etc. -enhance the significance of the parallel with the book of
Revelation. In fact, the "word-of-God"/"word-of-Christ" entity in rela-
tionship to the disciples is set forth in striking fashion in John 17:8: "I
[Christ] have given them the words which thou [God the Father] gavest
me." Furthermore, the experience of the disciples, as set forth in
John 15:20, would be that "if they persecuted me [Christ], they will
persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also." The en-
tire book of Revelation would seem to be, in a certain sense, a commen-
tary on such statements in the Fourth Gospel. In the book of Revelation,
faithfulness to the "word of God" and to the "testimony of Jesus Christ"
separates the faithful from the faithless, and it brings about persecution
that includes John's own exile and the martyrdom of other believers (see
again Rev 1:9; 6:9; 12:17; 20:4; etc.).lP
Moreover, it should not be overlooked that this "word-of-Godw/
"testimony-of-Jesus" carries judgmental aspects in John 12:48, and that
such judgmental aspects find a parallel in the judgment-rendering

"Almost as if it were a commentary on this concept, the book of Revelation refers

repetitively to Jesus' testimony to the seven churches as being "what the Spirit says to the
churches" (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). Also, in Rev 19:10 the "testimony of Jesus" is
explicitly defined as "the Spirit of prophecy."
lPThat an atmosphere of faithful witness in the midst of suffering permeates the
Apocalypse has been generally recognized. However, an intriguing new dimension regard-
ing the sufferingjohannine community has recently been brought to light in an instructive
article by Herold Weiss, "Foot Washing in the Johannine Community," NovT 21 (1979):
298-325. Weiss's thesis is that "the Johannine community performed the act [of foot
washing] as preparation for the martyrdom their members were willing to face" (p. 300).
Of particular- interest to the present study is the relationship which Weiss sees (pp.
319-320) in the Gospel of John among cleanliness accomplished by the word of God in
1523, fruit-bearing in 15:7-8 (with a reference in vs. 8 to "my [Christ's] words" abiding "in
you"), "the instrument used for cleansing" in 13:10, and the beatitude of 13:17. The key
role of the "word" should not be overlooked, nor should the fact that these elements in-
dicate a martyrological/eschatological rather than missionary or liturgical concern.
134 KENNETH A. STRAND

power of the two witnesses of Rev 11. Also, the olive-trees/lampstands

imagery in Rev 11:4 brings to mind the Holy Spirit's activities and the
concept of light that are connected with the word of God and testimony
of Jesus as depicted in the Fourth Gospel and elsewhere in Scripture
(see, e.g., John 8:12; 12:46; 14:16-16:15; Ps 119:105; Zech 4:6).13
In summary, the book of Revelation places a pervasive emphasis on
"two witnesses" that constitute a unity in their divine activity-namely,
"the word of God" and "the testimony of Jesus Christ." This two-
witnesses concept is also expressed elsewhere in the NT, being especially
prominent in the Gospel of John, a work that manifests a number of
other close theological parallels with the book of Revelation. Moreover,
in the very "interlude" in Revelation that contains the two-witnesses
presentation, there is set forth (in Rev 10:7) the same concept of united
witness by the OT prophets and the NT message.

4 . Conclusion

We have now surveyed the contextual setting for the two-witnesses

pericope of Rev 11, finding it to be positioned within a trumpet-
warnings section of the book which embraces the symbolism of an
"Exodus-from-Egypt"/Fall-of-Babylon" motif. We have also observed
that the symbolism of two witnesses draws from the prophetic roles of
several prophets (not just two prophets) who had set forth the word of
God in prophetic warning; but it places these roles into the context of
one unified testimony and experience, rather than in the context of two
individual witnesses working separately. Finally, we have noted that in
the very book of Revelation itself, there are brought prominently to view
two such witnesses of united and unified prophetic warning, and that
these same two witnesses are integral also to NT theology depicted
elsewhere. These two witnesses are, namely, "the word of God" and "the
testimony of Jesus Christ," or what we today would call the OT pro-
phetic message and the NT apostolic witness.
In view of all of this, is it not logical to conclude that the primary
point of reference or application of the two-witnesses symbolism in

lSRegardingthe Holy Spirit's role, cf. n. 11 above. It may be well to mention that in
patristic usage, the term "Spirit of prophecy" or "prophetic Spirit" appears quite fre-
quently as a synonym for "Holy Spirit"-especially in Justin Martyr, I Apol. 6 (reference is
made to Father, Son, and "the prophetic Spirit"), 81, 33, 39, 40,41, 44 (reference is made
to "theholy Spirit of prophecy"speaking through Moses), etc. Also cf. Athenagoras, Plea
10 and 18.
 TWO WITNESSES OF REV 11 :3-12 135

Rev 11:3-12 is indeed this twofold testimony called "the word of God"
and "the testimony of Jesusn-even though secondarily there could be
reference, as well, to the church in a derivative sense as the proclaimer
of this divine message?14

"Another line of evidence (beyond the scope of this article) which may lend further
support to the conclusion reached herein has been probed extensively by a colleague, S.
Douglas Waterhouse: namely, the significance of ancient Jewish synagogue and temple
practice for the two-witnesses symbolism. Unfortunately, his results have not yet been
published. In brief, Waterhouse sees a background to Rev 11:3-12 from the practice in
Judaism of reading "law" and "prophets" lections from "the seat of Moses" and "the seat of
Elijah" to either side of the apse in the synagogue, and he compares also the significance
of the temple pillars Jachin and Boaz.
The question to be asked with regard to relevance for the symbolism in the book of
Revelation is: How did Christians approach the public reading of Scripture at this time
(toward the end of the first century)? It would indeed seem that the common practice in
this regard must have been similar to the use which we have already noted in apostolic
writing and preaching-namely, appeal to both the apostolic testimony (including the
book of Revelation itself, which according to its introduction was to be read publicly) and
the O T pre-verrjication of the Christian message.