Introduction
Many Christians today are speculating on who the two
witnesses of Revelation 11:3 are.
Some say they are Enoch and Elijah, because these two men never died,
and they must return to earth to die like the rest of mankind. Others say the two witnesses are Moses and
Elijah, because Elijah must first return before the coming of the Lord.
Rather than speculate, or attempt an educated guess,
this study will focus on what other scriptures which mention “two
witnesses.” By evaluating complimentary
scriptures that have the same language, (i.e. - “two witnesses”), and by
breaking down component parts of Revelation chapter eleven, we will be able to
make an honest determination.
Why
two witnesses?
The first use of the concept of two witnesses is in
the Old Testament. God said that a
minimum of two witnesses was necessary to judge whether a person had sinned and
done something which was worthy of death:
Duet 17:2-7
2 "If
there is found in your midst, in any of your towns, which the LORD your God is
giving you, a man or a woman who does what is evil in the sight of the LORD
your God, by transgressing His covenant,
3 and
has gone and served other gods and worshipped them, or the sun or the moon or
any of the heavenly host, which I have not commanded,
4 and
if it is told you and you have heard of it, then you shall inquire thoroughly.
And behold, if it is true and the thing certain that this detestable thing has
been done in Israel,
5 then
you shall bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil deed, to your
gates, {that is,} the man or the woman, and you shall stone them to death.
6 "On
the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put
to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.
7 "The
hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and
afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your
midst.
(NAS)
Deut 19:15-21
15 "A
single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or
any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a
matter shall be confirmed.
16 "If
a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing,
17 then
both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the LORD, before the
priests and the judges who will be {in office} in those days.
18 "And
the judges shall investigate thoroughly; and if the witness is a false witness
{and} he has accused his brother falsely,
19 then
you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you
shall purge the evil from among you.
20 "And
the rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing
among you.
21 "Thus
you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for
hand, foot for foot.
(NAS)
The two witnesses who judged whether a person’s
iniquity was worthy of death did so according to the law. By having two or three witnesses, it
prevented one witness from maliciously bringing an accusation against his
neighbor. This practice of using two or
three witnesses was part of the covenant God made with Israel. (see Deut. 17:7
above).
If someone in Israel (God’s covenant people) did what
is evil in the sight of the LORD their God, by transgressing His covenant, and
had gone and served other gods and worshipped them, then they were worthy of
death. But the transgression had to be
witnessed by a minimum of two witnesses.
Thus we establish a fundamental principle concerning
the two witnesses: Two witnesses are
needed to verify a transgression before God; two witnesses are needed to
pronounce God’s righteous judgments.
The
Two Witnesses of Rev. 11:3
There are many theories on who the two witnesses
are. Since they are mentioned in
scripture, it is only prudent to use the scripture first to determine who they
are. We can have opinions, and
feelings, but the scripture is a more sure word of prophecy.
First. let us look at the two witnesses in
Revelation, and then elsewhere in scripture:
Rev 11:1-14
1 And
there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Rise
and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship in it.
2 "And
leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it
has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for
forty-two months.
3 "And
I will grant {authority} to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve
hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."
4 These
are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of
the earth.
5 And
if anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours
their enemies; and if anyone would desire to harm them, in this manner he must
be killed.
6 These
have the power to shut up the sky, in order that rain may not fall during the
days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them
into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.
7 And
when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the
abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.
8 And
their dead bodies {will lie} in the street of the great city which mystically
is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
9 And
those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations {will} look at their
dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to
be laid in a tomb.
10 And
those who dwell on the earth {will} rejoice over them and make merry; and they
will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who
dwell on the earth.
11 And
after the three and a half days the breath of life from God came into them, and
they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were beholding
them.
12 And
they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here."
And they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them.
13 And in
that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; and seven
thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and
gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The
second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
(NAS)
Certain facts emerge from the context of revelation
chapter eleven which help determine characteristics of the two witnesses:
1. The two
witnesses prophesy during the 42 month (1260 days) period when God’s “holy city” (symbolic of either
Jerusalem, or the new Jerusalem, the church) is being tread upon by the
nations. Most likely it is referring to
the church, because of the context. This
is during the time period known as the great tribulation (Rev. 7:14)
2. The two
witnesses are “two olive trees.”
3. The two
witnesses are “two lampstands.”
4. The two
witnesses have great power during the time of their prophesying to destroy and kill their enemies with fire,
pronounce judgment on those who would harm them with the same harm, shut up the
sky from raining, turn water to blood, smite the earth with plagues, etc.
5. At the end of the 1260 days, the two
witnesses are killed by the beast
6. The two witnesses are two prophets who
tormented them who dwell on the earth
7. Their dead
bodies will lie in a “mystical” city called “Sodom & Egypt” where their Lord was crucified. This Mystical Sodom & Egypt represents
the evil world at the time of their prophesying, because Jesus was not
crucified in either Sodom or Egypt (but outside Jerusalem).
8. The two
witnesses are symbolic, and represent a large group of people because of at
their death, “the peoples and tribes
and tongues and nations {will} look at their dead bodies for three and a half
days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.” You could not have the peoples, tribes,
tongues, and nations all look at their bodies in two literal cities in a period
of 3 1/2 days. They die at the time of
the second woe, just before the third woe.
9. The two
witnesses will be raised from the dead, and ascended, as their persecutors
watch; there shall be a great
earthquake at this time also.
We can conclude a few things for certain about the
two witnesses:
·
They are not
prophesying now (at the present time) because the other events mentioned as
occurring simultaneous are not happening.
That is, there is no great judgment coming from them to kill their
enemies, no water being turned into blood, etc..
·
They are symbolic of
two groups of people through all tribes, peoples, tongues, and nations. They are not two individuals (e.g. - they
are not Enoch & Elijah).
·
These two groups of
peoples have a prophetic ministry, and a ministry of judgment. According to the law (Deu. 17:2-7; 19:15-21)
they two witnesses are God’s people bearing witness against the iniquity of the
transgressors (the nations who tread the holy city under foot).
·
The two witnesses are
“two olive trees” and “two lampstands.”
These things are symbolic, and will be further researched to reveal whom
the two witnesses represent.
Two
olive trees in Zechariah
In Zechariah, the “two olive trees” are said to be
“two anointed ones.” In Revelation
chapter eleven the two witnesses represent those whom God anoints and uses for
judgment upon the nations. We will see
some similarities between the two olive trees of Zechariah chapter three, and
the two olive trees (two witnesses) of Revelation 11:3-4.
Zech 3:6-4:14
6 And
the angel of the LORD admonished Joshua saying,
7 "Thus
says the LORD of hosts, 'If you will walk in My ways, and if you will perform
My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My
courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing {here.}
8 'Now
listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front
of you-- indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring
in My servant the Branch.
9 'For
behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes.
Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'and
I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
10 'In
that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'every one of you will invite his
neighbor to {sit} under {his} vine and under {his} fig tree.'"
CHAPTER 4
1 Then
the angel who was speaking with me returned, and roused me as a man who is
awakened from his sleep.
2 And
he said to me, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see, and
behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven
lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the
top of it;
3 also
two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its
left side."
4 Then
I answered and said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, "What
are these, my lord?"
5 So
the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, "Do you not
know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."
6 Then
he answered and said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel
saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts.
7 'What
are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel {you will become} a plain; and he
will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to
it!"'"
8 Also
the word of the LORD came to me saying,
9 "The
hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will
finish {it.} Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
10 "For
who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when
they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel-- {these are} the eyes of the
LORD which range to and for throughout the earth."
11 Then
I answered and said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right
of the lampstand and on its left?"
12 And
I answered the second time and said to him, "What are the two olive
branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden {oil}
from themselves?"
13 So
he answered me saying, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said,
"No, my lord."
14 Then
he said, "These are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of
the whole earth."
(NAS)
This prophecy is about Jesus Christ, the “branch” who
will be the “stone” with seven eyes.
The seven eyes represent the seven churches of Revelation (as we will
illustrate). Thus, this prophecy in
Zechariah fits nicely with the time period of the two witnesses of Revelation,
and will assist in developing teaching on the two olives trees.
In Zechariah three, the angel of Yahweh admonishes
Joshua the high priest. Joshua, and the
other men in this vision are called, “Joshua the high priest, you and your
friends who are sitting in front of you-- indeed they are men who are a symbol.” Joshua would symbolize Jesus (Jesus and
Joshua means the same thing in Hebrew; “Yah saves”).
The angel told Joshua God would send His “Branch” who
would remove their iniquity. This was
prophetic of the man Christ Jesus who would come as the promised Messiah.
Before Joshua is one stone with seven eyes. This
stone symbolizes Jesus with His seven church ages. We know the stone symbolizes Jesus because He is called the stone
of stumbling, and the rock of offense to Israel:
Rom 9:31-33
31 but
Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at {that} law.
32 Why?
Because {they did} not {pursue it} by faith, but as though {it were} by works.
They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
33 just
as it is written, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a
rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed."
(NAS)
Again, Jesus is the choice stone upon whom the seven
churches (seven eyes) are built. The
“seven eyes” on the stone speak of the seven churches in Revelation (seven
church ages) who are built upon Jesus the Rock:
1 Pet 2:6-10
6 For
{this} is contained in Scripture: "Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone,
a precious corner {stone} and he who
believes in Him shall not be disappointed."
7 This
precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve,
"The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner
{stone,}
8 and,
"A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense"; for they stumble because they are disobedient
to the word, and to this {doom} they were also appointed.
9 But
you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for {God's}
own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called
you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 for
you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not
received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
(NAS)
Regarding the seven eyes being the seven churches:
Rev 5:6
6 And I
saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb
standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the
seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
(NAS)
Rev 4:5
5 And
from the throne proceed flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And
{there were} seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven
Spirits of God;
(NAS)
Rev 1:20
20 "As
for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the
seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and
the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (NAS)
We have established clearly that the prophecy of
Zechariah chapters three & four are speaking of Jesus and his church. Now we will address the two olive trees
mentioned in Zech. 4:3, and 4:11. This
will prepare us for our next reference:
·
“a lampstand all of
gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven
spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; also two
olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left
side."
First we see a lampstand of gold, and it’s seven
lamps on it (with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps). We know the seven lamps are symbolic of the
light in the seven churches, as was specified in our earlier references from
Rev. 4:5 and 1:20.
Next, we see the “two olive trees” by the lampstand
and the seven lamps. One olive tree is
on the “right” of the lampstand, one olive tree is on the “left” of the
lampstand. Later in the context, the
two olive trees are also referred to as “two olive branches” in Zech. 4:11-14:
·
Then I answered and
said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand
and on its left?" And I answered
the second time and said to him, "What are the two olive branches which
are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden {oil} from
themselves?" So he answered me
saying, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my
lord." Then he said, "These
are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of the whole
earth."
The two olive trees are two branches, which are
beside two golden pipes that empty their golden oil. The golden oil represents the anointing that is poured forth, and
the two olive trees (two branches) represent those anointed ones who stand by
the Lord of “the whole earth.” The fact
that they are around the “whole earth” ties in with our earlier conclusion that
they are amongst tribes, tongues, peoples, and nations (see Rev. 11:9).
Why was one olive tree on the right, and the other
tree on the left of the lampstand?
Jesus discusses this with His disciples:
Mark 10:35-45
35 And
James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Him, saying to Him,
"Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You."
36 And He
said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
37 And
they said to Him, "Grant that we may sit in Your glory, one on Your right,
and one on {Your} left."
38 But
Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able
to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I
am baptized?"
39 And
they said to Him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The
cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism
with which I am baptized.
40 "But
to sit on My right or on {My} left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for
those for whom it has been prepared."
41 And
hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John.
42 And
calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are
recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men
exercise authority over them.
43 "But
it is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be
your servant;
44 and
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.
45 "For
even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His
life a ransom for many."
(NAS)
Jesus’ disciples wanted to be on his right and left
hand when he ruled in glory from his Father’s throne. To the Hebrew mind, this meant rulership over the nations when
Messiah would ascend to the throne of David (symbolic) and rule the nations
with a rod of iron. So...the disciples
wanted to be in a position judging the nations.
Jesus responded to their request by saying, “"But
to sit on My right or on {My} left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for
those for whom it has been prepared."
I believe Jesus is speaking of those whom it was prepared beforehand by
the Father. The first ones to begin
judging the nations is the group of believers known as the “two witnesses” (or
two olive trees). Why else would Jesus
include this statement about the Gentile rulers?
·
“You know that those
who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great
men exercise authority over them.”
The Lord then goes on to tell them that they must
become “servants” in order to be great in the kingdom of God. Thus, the two witnesses will have the
attitude of being “servants” as opposed to those who would claim to be great
men or women of God.
Our NT reference about the two olive trees will give
more insight as to who they are.
Two
olive trees in Romans
Rom 11:13-27
13 For I
speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify
my ministry,
14 if by
any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of
them.
15 For if
their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their
acceptance be but life from the dead?
16 For if
the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are
the branches.
17 And
if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were
grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness
of the olive tree,
18 do
not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not
support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You
will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in."
20 Well
said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not
be haughty, but fear.
21 For
if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
22 Therefore
consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but
toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will
be cut off.
23 And
they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is
able to graft them in again.
24 For
if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted
contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who
are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I
do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you
should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to
Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
26 And so
all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out
of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For
this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins."
(NKJ)
This context in Romans 11 reveals two kinds of olive
trees....a “wild” and a “cultivated” olive tree. The analogy is of the Gentile church (the Roman believers to whom
the letter was written) who is referred to as the wild olive tree, or branch,
which was grafted into God’s covenant by faith. The natural, or cultivated olive tree refers to Israel, who was
cut off from their covenant with God because of unbelief.
Later in the text we find that Israel shall one day
be re-established in the faith, and the covenant promises of God fulfilled to
them. Thus, the “two olive” trees can
represent both Gentile believers in Jesus (wild olive tree), and those of
Israel (the natural olive tree) who come to believe in Jesus.
We conclude then, that the two witnesses, who are two
lampstands (churches) and two olive trees (Gentile and Jewish converts to
Jesus) are the anointed ones who prophesy and pronounce God’s judgment upon the
nations during the 42 months prior to their death.
It is most likely that these two witnesses are the
same as the “remnant” of the offspring of the woman in Revelation 12:17:
Rev 12:17
17 And
the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest
of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of
Jesus.
(NAS)
The reason the remnant is most likely the same as the
two witnesses, is because the time frame is the same, and because the remnant
also ends up being killed by the beast in Rev. 13:7:
Rev 13:7
7 And
it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and
authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.
(NAS)
CONCLUSION
The two witnesses are two
lampstands...that is, two churches.
The two witnesses are two groups of
people, Gentile & Jewish converts; that is, the church of Jesus during the
42 month reign of the beast
The two witnesses are two groups of
people who are slain by the beast during the 42-month reign of the beast
The two witnesses are God’s
witnesses for judgment upon the nations during the great tribulation period
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
Two Witnesses Are Not Enoch and Elijah
The two witnesses cannot be
two men, and therefore cannot be Enoch and Elijah. This is evident by the very
nature of the verses which discuss them:
1. Their dead bodies lie in
a symbolic place called "Sodom & Egypt" where our Lord was
crucified. Jesus was not crucified in either Sodom, or Egypt, but just outside
Jerusalem at Golgotha. Therefore, the two cities have to be symbolic, and thus,
the two witnesses have to be symbolic. Egypt represents the world system, and
Sodom represents a city which was so full of sin, that God destroyed it by
fire. God will destroy more than two literal cities during the 7 plagues. The
two witnesses represent all of those who are God's people who testify as a
witness against this ungodly system during this 1260 day time period.
Rev 11:8
8 And their dead bodies {will lie} in the street of the great city which
mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
(NAS)
2. The two witnesses have
to be more than two men, because the scripture says their bodies will be viewed
by all peoples, tongues, tribes, and nations within a 3 1/2 day period. Thus,
the two witnesses symbolize God's witness against an ungodly system all over
the world. The two witnesses could not possibly be two men Enoch and Elijah.
Rev 11:9
9 And those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations {will} look at
their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead
bodies to be laid in a tomb.
(NAS)
3. The two witnesses cannot
be Enoch & Elijah, because all the inhabitants rejoice over their dead
bodies. This is not physically possible for tweo men, but IS possible if the
two witnesses represent God's people who dwell on the earth.
Rev 11:10
10 And those who dwell on the earth {will} rejoice over them and make merry;
and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented
those who dwell on the earth.
(NAS)
The Enoch and Elijah theory
is not a new one. It has been around for decades. If the two witnesses were
Enoch and Elijah, then why doesn't the scripture specifically say so? The two
olive trees are clearly two groups of people, Gentile and Israel. It
specifically says so in Romans chapter eleven:
Rev 11:4
4 These are the two olive trees...
(NAS)
Rom 11:13-26
13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle
of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of
them.
15 For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will {their}
acceptance be but life from the dead?
16 And if the first piece {of dough} be holy, the lump is also; and if the root
be holy, the branches are too.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive,
were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of
the olive tree,
18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, {remember
that} it is not you who supports the root, but the root {supports} you.
19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted
in."
20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your
faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.
22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity,
but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also
will be cut off.
23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted
in; for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were
grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall
these who are the natural {branches} be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you
be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel
until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in;
26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "The
Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob."
(NAS)
It is very clear, the two
olive trees (which are the two witnesses), are are "wild" olive tree
(Gentile believers in Jesus), and a "natural" olive tree (Jewish
believers in Jesus). They are not Enoch and Elijah. This is scriptural proof of
who and what two olive trees represent.
4. The two witnesses cannot
be two men, but rather two churches, because they are called "two
lampstands." Lampstands are specifically called "churches" in
the book of Revelation:
Rev 1:20
.....and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
(NAS)
Again, the two witnesses
are clearly called "lampstands":
Rev 11:3-4
3 "And I will grant {authority} to my two witnesses, and they will
prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the
Lord of the earth.
(NAS)
Enoch and Elijah are under the old covenant, and the church is under the new covenant. God grants His authority to Christ, and those who are in Christ, not to Old Testament patron saints. Anyhow, this is my research on the two witnesses as they pertain to the Enoch and Elijah theory.
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