Below I comment on each verse of Revelation 11:1-13. Please first read the passage in its entirety. Look up the references as we go through this.
This interpretation of these scriptures is non-literal and what we call historical: spiritual. This is not the futurist interpretation that is commonly found now.
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
Revelation 11:1
The reed is used to make a measurement. To measure the size of something. Revelation 21:15,16. I suggest that what God is saying here is to determine the magnitude of the believers represented by the temple and the altar. These are those who we would now call Messianic believers. Compare with the following verse. Only the Jews were allowed to enter the temple. Gentiles never could.
But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
Revelation 11:2
The court is outside the temple where we find the Gentiles, the nations of the world, non-Messianic believers. So we see here two groups, Messianic and Gentile, which will become clearer below. In the second part the holy city is “trod under foot” meaning persecuted, oppressed, for a period of 42 months or about 3.5 years. The holy city are the believers. See Revelation 21:2; “new Jerusalem” is described as the “bride” of Christ. It is the people, the believers, that are persecuted.
Under standard futurist interpretation physical Jerusalem is this holy city here which is conquered by wicked earthly armies. We’ll see below what God thinks of Jerusalem, the current capital city of Israel.
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days [1260 days], clothed in sackcloth.
Revelation 11:3
So who are these two witnesses? They will be warning the world for three and a half years. If the cabal wants total control by 2025, or 2030 as the end date of the Great Reset, as they have written, then that seems to be a reasonable time to fit with this.
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Revelation 11:4
These two witnesses represent all of the Gentile (non-Jewish) believers and the Jewish (Messianic) believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Living God. Check out Zechariah 4: 2-14; Jeremiah 11:16; Romans 11:24; Revelation 1:20.
They are not two individuals but all the truly saved born again believers on Earth who are persecuted by the cabal/beast rulers of the planet. They are also the ones the Lord will empower to witness to the lost at this time.
And if any man will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth, and devours their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
Revelation 11:5
What is this fire that proceeds out of their mouths? See Jeremiah 5:14.
God will give the “two witnesses” (that is all of the true followers of Jesus) special anointing of power during the most trying times man will ever experience. The anointing will be to preach the gospel with Holy Ghost power. See the next verse. When the disciples were anointed with Holy Ghost power at Pentecost the manifestation of the Spirit appeared as, ie looked like, cloven tongues of fire. Acts 2:3,4.
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
Revelation 11:6
Power to shut heavens is like the power Elijah was given. 1 Kings 18. Look up Proverbs 25:14 and Jude 1:12. False prophets are like clouds without rain. True prophets are the opposite. They control weather. The word prophecy here means “preaching”. So the message here is that the witnesses are true prophets with God Holy Spirit power to preach the truth.
“Waters turned to blood” is symbolic for the deaths on many humans. Waters and seas often represents people and “turned to blood” means they are killed, by the power of God. Compare with Revelation 8:8; 16:4.
Like in Egypt when Moses wanted to leave with the children of Israel, the curses and plagues of the Pharaoh were turned back onto Egypt. That means more plagues on the masses. Perhaps much worse plagues than COVID will come on those who took the experimental toxic agents?
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast [Lucifer] that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Revelation 11:7
Here the witnesses have finished their witnessing (testimony) as we are approaching the End. Lucifer has really started to reveal himself now in the world. We see evil like we have never seen on a global scale. Satan was kept in the pit until God broke his chains (Revelation 17:8; 20:3,7) and let him out for a short while. He kills the believers because they refuse to worship him.
And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Revelation 11:8
The believers bodies lay in the streets all over the world, especially in the city that is the most spiritually dark of all that is Jerusalem. Read Matthew 23:37. God sent prophets, then finally His son but the Jews rejected Him. Even today they hate Jesus so much they cannot even say His name “Yeshua”. They use a curse word “Yesu” instead.
In spite of the light given the Lord calls the city of Jerusalem Sodom and Egypt, because they rejected the prophets and killed their Messiah. Jesus called them (especially the leaders, pharisees) the synagogue of Satan, liars and murderers from the beginning of time. John 8:44; Matthew 3:7; Revelation 2:9; 3:9; John 10:30-31.
In the beginning Cain killed Abel under the influence of Lucifer. The war between God and Lucifer has continued through all time and is with us still today. It is still the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews but are liars, who are the puppet masters bringing in global tyranny under the guise of a COVID medical emergency.
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not permit their dead bodies to be put in graves.
And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
Revelation 11:9,10
The believers bodies will lay in the streets three and a half days as the evil forces rejoice over their defeat. The Luciferian beast requires all to follow his (their) rules and worship his image. Those who don’t are killed (Revelation 13:15). Of course no true believer in the risen Lord Jesus will worship the beast or his image even if his church pastor tells him to do so. Nor will he take the mark of the beast or the number of his name.
The 3.5 days is half of 7, 7 being a shabua [Hebrew], or in years shemita [Hebrew]. The period here could be literally 3.5 days where the bodies of the slain witnesses are discarded as garbage, hence not given proper burial.
Could it be that as we see the world polarising now against the unvaxxed, and progressively against true Christianity so that the true believers will be hunted and killed? Communists always attempt to eliminate Christianity, which is the basis of freedom in law and our liberties.
The wicked cabal will rejoice over the death of the witnesses as they are thorn in their side. The prophets preached the truth which the Luciferians cannot stand. They hide from the light of truth.
This period here could also be a day-year equivalence, therefore meaning 3.5 years of persecution of the witnesses on earth. Their bodies are not literally lying in the streets but they are discarded as trash.
And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Revelation 11:11
As the last 3.5 year period of the 70th week of Daniel ended in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, this last 3.5 year period ends with resurrection of the dead. The “dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and the rest of us who are still alive at His come will be “caught up together” to meet Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Now note that at Christ’s resurrection the graves were opened and the believers at that time were resurrected. They went into the holy city Jerusalem and appeared to many. (Matthew 27:52,53) Here physical Jerusalem is replaced by new Jerusalem, the bride of Christ.
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying to them, Come up here. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
Revelation 11:12
God resurrects the believers into new life with new resurrection bodies. God calls them to come up to heaven in a cloud, not meaning a rain cloud but as a cloud of witnesses, and with angels. This is at the Day of the Lord, the final judgment of man. (Revelation 20:11-15)
What comes next is the wrath of the Lord (verses 13 through 18). The believers are taken out of the way to heaven and then God unleashes judgment on the earth.
And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were frightened, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Revelation 11:13
The verse describes one aspect of the wrath of God starting with the slaying of seven thousand. Seven symbolises complete. Thousand symbolises a large number. It is not an exact number and we see this used in many verses. Genesis 20:16, Joshua 23:10, Psalm 50:10.
The saved are gone, so who is this remnant? From the Greek it means “remaining ones”. But surely if they give glory to God they are saved? Well not always. Read Daniel 4:2,3. Nebachanezzar gave glory to God but he was never saved.
We know the wrath of God starts right after the saved are caught up to heaven. See also Revelation 11:18. This is nearly simultaneous with the the rapture, but just after of course.
Read Verses 14-18. God reigns in His kingdom, and the kingdoms of the earth are the Lord’s (verse 15) and He shall reign forever.
Conclusion
It looks like we as believers are the two witnesses and we have a job to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life (Ezekiel 3:17-19) right up to the end. Evil now flourishes like we have never seen before. Satan is released from the pit and rapidly trying to establish his hell on earth but we know God defeats him. Some of us will die and we boldly preach Christ in this time. Finally judgment will come and Christ will resurrect the dead and take us all to Him.
Recommended Reading
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Bible Science Forum 
15 replies on “Revelation 11: The Two Witnesses”
Horrible. The plain reading is that there are actual two witnesses and they have actual fire that proceeds from their mouths and they, and only they two, lie in the streets dead. If you start going beyond the plain reading, you are in fantasy land. I hate to be harsh, but this sort of blatant butchering of scripture must be soundly refuted.
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Taking that line of thought Revelation would make no sense. Verses 3 and 4 then would literally mean that two olive trees and two candlesticks are two witnesses. So 4 inanimate objects equal 2 animate persons. And would you suggest that olive trees and candlesticks have mouths that breath out fire. Somehow these inanimate objects are killed and lie in the street 3.5 days and then they are resurrected through God’s spirit and they are taken to heaven. Of course not. Revelation is full of allusions, allegory and metaphor and other symbolism. It is not narrative text.
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Wrong. Look closely and you will see that Revelation explains what the symbolism means where it is necessary. For example,
As for the mystery of the seven stars that 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.
Revelation 1:20
Just because there is some symbolism doesn’t mean you can make up what you think it means and it doesn’t mean that everything in it is pure symbolism and thus giving you carte blanche to make up stuff. Show me in scripture where it interprets the word witnesses as nations and then I’ll give the idea some credibility. You can’t because it’s not there.
In Revelation it describes 2 witnesses and how they are clothed and that they will prophesy. There is no symbolism there at all unless you assume it is symbolism. Symbolism is when you use other words to describe something. If God wanted to use symbolism here then why did he instead use plain, easy to understand words? A witness clothed in sack-cloth that prophesies is not symbolism. Perhaps if it had read I will send 2 bushes arrayed in flowers and they shall blossom for 1,260 days then you could claim it is symbolism.
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I agree that Revelation 1:20 tells you what the lampstands are. They are the churches in that verse. Which means the lampstands are interpreted as the believers who make up those churches. That covers the Gentile believers, The other references show that both the lampstands and the olive trees represent the messianic believers (believing Jews). Just what I have present here.
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Yes, I know and I don’t agree with you. The two witnesses are symbolic of God’s followers in these days who are filled with Holy Ghost fire as stated in the notes.
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John, reading those verses literally makes perfect sense … The way you presented it, it sounds more like something Hollywood would dream up … Agustin, the heretic that wrote “THE CITY” of GOD” thought everything made more sense by allegorizing everything … Try listening to some of these https://www.youtube.com/c/AndyWoodsBibleStudy/videos or https://www.youtube.com/c/DTBMNextGenerationTraining/videos
I don’t always agree with every detail these 2 teachers present, but, the things I do question are minor differences, nothing of consequence …
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The references I supplied Zechariah 4: 2-14; Jeremiah 11:16; Romans 11:24; Revelation 1:20 state exactly what I have written, that the two witnesses are the believers in the Living God, the true church.
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John, you wrote, ‘In the Garden Cain killed Abel under the influence of Lucifer.’
Are you saying Cain killed Abel in the Garden of Eden?
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Good point. My mistake. Should have been “in the beginning”. It was after they were expelled from the garden but still in Eden.
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My name is Alan Finch. I became a Christian in April of 1976.
So that there would be no confusion, the Lord in Revelation 11:10 states that the 2 witnesses are Prophets. Prophets have physical bodies. Only physical bodies can lie dead in the street for 3 1/2 days, and then have the Spirit of God enter into them causing them to stand upon their feet, and then ascend up to Heaven which is stated in the 11th Chapter of Revelation.
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Yes the two witnesses are prophets. All born again believers in these last days are called to be witnesses/prophets for the Lord. The witnesses in chapter 11 are symbolised by candlesticks and olive trees, so don’t tell me that they cannot be the believers giving out God’s holy gospel to the lost in these days. You cannot say it is literal when symbols are used in the actual text. Then the period of 3 1/2 days also can be symbolic as “time and times and half a time” is used for the same period in chapter 12 verse 14. The period is defined through the use of “42 months” and also “1260 days” in chapter 11 verses 3 and 4 and “1260 days” in chapter 12 verse 6.
Then there is the use of 1 day = 1 year in prophecy. Jesus uses it of the destruction of the Temple when He says that generation has been given the “sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matthew 12:39). Jonah prophesied that Ninevah had to repent or destruction would come in 40 days. But Jesus gave them the same message except it was 40 years. From 30 AD to 70 AD. They didn’t repent and thus what followed was the destruction of the Temple by General Titus.
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Absolutely correct. But don’t bother trying to convince John. He’s got his mind fixed on interpreting this in his own way despite the obvious. It saddens me that he refuses to accept instruction on this topic.
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Hi Tom, this is Alan Finch. All of the world religions (except the Christian religion) generally have the same beliefs. It is the Christian religion that has so many different beliefs.
In my 46th year as a Christian, I marvel at how the Scriptures can be so clear on a subject, and yet, Christians will come up with so many different viewpoints on what a particular Scripture is clearly stating.
I have found that today’s Christian Church has little understanding for God’s main purpose for His “Two End-Time Witnesses.” Their main purpose will not be to concentrate on the ungodly, but to restore the many Spiritual Truths to the Body of Christ that have over the centuries been replaced by man-made doctrines.
It is the Body of Christ that is of the greatest concern to the Lord. It is not about a future man-made temple in Jerusalem, rather it is about the Believer’s Temple that the Spirit of the Lord dwells in that is of the greatest concern to the Lord.
The “Two Witnesses” will be instrumental in preparing the end-time “BRIDE OF CHRIST” for His soon return.
There is nothing more important to the Lord, than His Truth. The Lord is going to make sure that His Truth is presented to the Body of Christ before His return. That is just how faithful the Lord is.
Satan knows that he cannot stop the growth of the Christian faith, so he decided to divide the Body of Christ by introducing the many man-made doctrines that is alive and well in the Christian Church today.
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With eschatology how do you decide what is “the truth”? There are different views on this and I think it is dangerous to say one view is the truth and another is man-made doctrine, meaning not the truth. After all we may be surprised what eventually unfolds.
I personally follow the line of interpretation that Martin Lloyd Jones called historical: spiritual, where on allows the Holy Spirit interpret the scriptures (the prophecy) for you in your generation.
See
https://biblescienceforum.com/2018/07/17/martin-lloyd-jones-on-the-book-of-revelation/
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Greetings,.. what you have put forth here resonates with much of what was “given” me recently.. yes.. those chosen to fulfill this prophesy throughout the earth shall preach The Truth of The Word AS A WITNESS… swinging the two edge-ed sword throughout.. cutting in His people.. cutting out those without the love of The Father in them.. A witness to strengthen & prepare His people.. and a witness against the world.. However there is a point in difference concerning the remnant.. so those slain .. bodies left in the streets.. the breath of life breathed into them .. again a witness for and against.. “come up hither”… to THEM specific.. not to ALL of the dead in Christ.. but those rather joining them under the altar slain as well for the Word of G~d & their testimony.. being the fellowservants as spoken of in Rev 6:11. Leaving the Remnant hidden as to be the faithful found alive at His returning in the clouds with ten thousands of his saints!.. and at that time the dead in Christ along with the remnant joining Him then and there in the air… Alright then.. May His Blessings & Peace be upon you and your House.. Your Brother in Christ.. Stephen..
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