The Two Witnesses: Two, Four, or More?

(Revelation 11.3-4) And I will give power unto My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, standing before the God of the earth.

Tue, Sep 30, 2003, 6:07pm

Subject: two witnesses

Hi Thomas, I'm involved in a discussion on [a particular web site] about whether the two witnesses are the two churches or two literal prophets. This is one of the things he said:

"Revelation 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. "Revelation 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. "Two olive trees = One witness "Two candlesticks = One witness "So the two prophets and two churches put together, equal the two witnesses in my opinion. Yet only the two prophets are killed, not the churches."

Does this "and" in verse 4 mean that the two olive trees and two candlesticks are different? I see it as the prophet is saying the two witnesses are the two olive trees (each being an olive tree) AND, at the same time, the two candlesticks (each being a candlestick), kinda like saying Jesus is the light of the world and the bread of life. He's both at the same time. . . . [H]ow do you see it? Your brother in Christ, S.

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