Who are the two witnesses in Rev. 11?

Q. Who are the two witnesses spoken about in Rev. 11?

A. There has been a long debate on who these individuals are. Many think that they will be Moses and Elijah, who will come back and others think that it will be Enoch and Elijah because they didn't die. Both of these theories are highly unlikely. First , let's look at Enoch and Elijah. Both died and here are the reasons why. Hebrews said that Enoch "did not see death" but that was in regard to the second death (Jn 8.51, 11.26). In Heb 11.13 it says that all the people previously mentioned "died in faith" so that means Enoch died. In Genesis 5.24 it says that Enoch "walked with God and was not." But, compare that phrase with Psa 37.36 where it says " Yet he passed away and , lo, he was not." Psa 39.13 basically says the same thing. Also check Gen 42.13, 44.20, Matt 2.18. So, this phrase can indicate a physical death. With Elijah, it says that Elijah was taken from Elisha and the people in the whirlwind and was taken somewhere else. The Bible does not mention where but he was taken further away than the fifty men searched (2K 2.17) but did not die at that time because Elijah wrote a letter to Jehoram 10 years after the events in 2 Kings 2.1-12, but eventually Elijah died. As far being taken into heaven we know that neither Enoch or Elijah were taken there because Yeshua said that "no man has ascended into heaven" (Jn 3.13). Moses and Elijah were "seen" at the transfiguration but remember that this was a vision and not reality. It was a "picture" but not a physical reality. The vision was not to be interpreted as literal. They were still in their graves. So, Elijah and Enoch aren't the two witnesses based on the fact that they didn't die because the Scriptures say they did. We know Moses died also. Now, God can do anything He wants and can certainly bring them back from the dead but the two witnesses are going to be killed so it is unlikely that Moses, Elijah or Enoch will be resting in their heavenly reward, be "reincarnated" into human bodies and die again.

So, just who are the two witnesses? God has said that everything should be established by 2 or three witnesses. The Law and the Prophets are the witnesses that we use to establish truth and many other biblical concepts including who the Messiah is. The Law and the Prophets are "personified" by Moses and Elijah, that's why they "appeared" in the vision at the Transfiguration. They were discussing prophecy. You will also notice that in Rev 11 they perform miracles very similar to Moses and Elijah by turning water to blood and calling fire down from heaven. The concept of two witnesses has been seen in the Scriptures before. For example, there has been Moses and Aaron, Ezra and Nehemiah, Joshua and Caleb, Yeshua and John the Baptist, plus many more. Zechariah 4.11-14 describes them as being two "olive trees" meaning that they are Jewish (olive) and human (trees). When the angel was asked by Zechariah about who they were the angel said in v 14 that they are the "two anointed ones" who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth." In Hebrew, "anointed ones" means "sons of fresh oil" meaning that the two witnesses will be empowered by the Holy Spirit. These individuals will not be Moses, Elijah or Enoch but two individuals who the Lord will raise up and they will come in the spirit and power of Moses and Elijah, who symbolize the Law and the Prophets. You see, the Torah and Prophets are the two witnesses and they are "personified" by Moses and Elijah. Prophecy says that the Lord is going to send Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord (Mal 4). When Yeshua came he raised up John as a witness who came in the spirit and power of Elijah ( Lk 1.17). Yeshua said that the kingdom was being offered and that if the people accepted the Kingdom, then John was Elijah, fulfilling Mal 4. Now, he wasn't saying that John was literally Elijah "reincarnated" because John himself denied he was Elijah in John 1, but he did come in the spirit and power of Elijah and even looked like him (camel hair/leather girdle). But, what this tells you is that a witness came in the spirit and power of Elijah, but it didn't have to literally be Elijah, and that is what is going to happen in the Tribulation. Also, these two witnesses allude to the two witnesses of a Jewish wedding. One witness was assigned to the bride and one to the groom. Moses was assigned to the bride in that he brought the people out to Sinai to receive the Torah and to "meet" the groom (Jer 2.2). Elijah was assigned to the groom and brought the groom to the bride. The Torah (Moses) prepares the bride to meet the groom and the Prophets (Elijah) reveals the groom to the bride. That's why John the Baptist ( Elijah) said that he was the friend of the bridegroom who stands at the door of the bed chamber and rejoices when he hears the voice of the groom saying that the marriage has been consummated.(John 3:29) He did his job and he was successful. So, in conclusion, the two witnesses will be two Jewish men that the Lord will empower with the Holy Spirit for the first half of the Tribulation. Their ministry will be to bring Israel back to the Lord and to His Anointed One ,Yeshua. They will be killed at the exact mid-point of the Tribulation, Nisan 10, by the false messiah and be resurrected at noon on Nisan 14, Passover. They will not be Moses, Elijah or Enoch but will come in the power and spirit of Moses and Elijah.