Revelation 11
Zechariah 4:1-6; 4:11-14 explains that these two witnesses are the word of God in all power and might and the Holy Spirit which is the oil that is poured out on those who God anoints with His Holy Spirit. There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that are one and three that bear witness in earth as being the Holy Spirit, the word and the blood of Jesus and these three agree in one, 1 John 5:7, 8. Only God can give power to act on His word as the Holy Spirit and Jesus bare witness to Gods power and authority especially through signs and wonders.
God exercises His power and authority through those of His great commission of Matthew 28:18-20 who are sealed by the Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 1:22, who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. The sackcloth represents the anguish of Gods servants as they remain humbled before the Lord while baring witness to Gods wrath on the unrighteous as these witnesses go forth continuing to preach to the nations.
Zechariah 4 speaks of two olive trees, but only one candlestick in the Old Testament. In this study we read there are two candlesticks. The two olive trees are the two anointed ones as being the two witnesses that are the Holy Spirit whom discerns and confirms the word of God in us by teaching us all truths, John 14:26, and Jesus being the light that shines in darkness as being the word made flesh to walk among us, John 1:1-5.
John is given the understanding that the two witnesses are in comparison to the two candlesticks and two olive trees, which if you read Zechariah Chapter 4 it explains that the golden candlestick is God. The seven lamps with the seven pipes that holds the oil (anointing) is that of the seven Spirits of God given to His Church: wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, reverence, might and Spirit of the Lord, Isaiah 11:2.
The two olive trees are to groups of people. One group being natural Israel (Old Testament) as a remnant according to the election of grace have been saved as in the 144,000 taken from the twelve tribes of Israel that remained faithful to God up to a thousand generations thereafter that remain faithful, 1 Chronicles 16:13-17. The other being Gentiles (New Testament) grafted into the branch by that same grace of God that have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and sealed by His Holy Spirit, John 3:3-7; Romans 10:9, 10; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Romans Chapter 11. The two witnesses have always been those who of faith have stood by God and His law in the Old Testament and those of faith who stand by God and Jesus under the dispensation of grace in the New Testament.
The Disciples were sent out to preach to the lost sheep of Israel, Matthew 10:5, 6 and Paul to the Gentiles, Acts 22:21, and so the same with these two witnesses throughout the generations as being two groups, one taking the Gospel to the lost sheep of Israel and the other group taking the Gospel to the Gentiles until Christ returns. They will be persecuted to death as Jesus was and all the martyr's before them and their bodies will lay in the street for three and a half days and then the Spirit of life from God will enter them and they will be caught up to heaven in a cloud, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. This will all occur during the seventh trumpet sounding as I believe all events during this time will happen quickly like 1 Corinthians 15:52 says in a twinkling of an eye we will all be changed and then caught up to Jesus during the seventh trumpet call.
Key points in Rev 11 about the two witnesses:
vs. 5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 6 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.
Compare these two verses with that of 1 Kings Chapter 18 where Elijah called on the Lord and He sent fire down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice. I'm not saying Elijah is one of the two witnesses, just making a comparison of the fire called down from heaven. Here we read these have power as I believe it is the same power Elijah had when he called on God to send fire down, but here even more than fire as in stopping the rain, turning water into blood and smite the earth with plagues. This is also the same power Moses had over Pharaoh, in Exodus 7-11
vs. 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 8 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. 9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
The beast out of the bottomless pit in Rev 9:1-12 seem to be literal locust. The star John saw that fell from heaven and having the key to open the bottomless pit is Apollyon (destroyer) who is probably the same angel we read about in Revelation 20:1-3 that God gives the key to that opens the bottomless pit Satan will be shut up in. When the bottomless pit was opened locust came up out of it. In reference to smoke these locust would be to numerous to number, Judges 7:12, and look like dark smoke as they rise and swarm if you saw them from a distance. Once they became closer to your vision you would see that it wasn't smoke, but a hoard of locust. Their attributes of what God is purposing them for is what gives them their power to sting as in tormenting those who have not the seal of God on them. They are compared as scorpions that literally sting using the power of their tails as they raise them above their head.
Again we see the mention of the bottomless pit in Rev 11:7 as here it says beast. Locust can be considered beast of torment, but in this scenerio God purposes them to kill the two witnesses. Their dead bodies lie in the street of the great city that is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. The great city could be symbolic for every nation in the world as at this time in the end of days mystery Babylon with its Luciferian economic, political, military and religious system will be established in every nation on earth, as even now it is being implemented. Babylon was called the great city in Rev 14:8 and we read in Rev 19 that Jesus will destroy this great city that is called mystery Babylon.
One clue that the two witnesses are not just two people or two angels is that Jesus was not crucified in Jerusalem, but in a place called Golgotha just outside of Jerusalem, which in Aramaic means place of the skull. The second clue that it is not just two witnesses is the street is not localized or named because all the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. I believe the 3 1/2 days are a reference to the 3 1/2 years when the son of perdition takes a literal seat on the very foundation where the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. and now stands the Dome of the Rock since 691 A.D and even now is being refurbished for the man of sin who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.
My take is that the two witnesses according to Zechariah 4 and being this is a world wide event as in all nations when they come to preach during the last 3 1/2 are that of the Jews, (like the Disciples) who are to continue their commission to preach the Gospel to the lost sheep of Israel, Matthew 10:5-7 as Jews throughout the world have not yet accepted Jesus as Messiah. Paul on the other hand was called to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, Acts 22:21, as well as the Gentiles who are called at this time to preach the Gospel in all nations only to the lost Gentiles.
