Many think the two witnesses are Enoch and Elijah but if you go back to my teaching on Enoch and Elijah you will see they could not be the two witnesses that many may think.

Actually, in order to know who, the two witnesses are we must understand symbolism.

What is Symbolism?

Symbolism is a literary device that uses symbols, be they words, people, marks, locations or abstract ideas to represent something beyond the literal meaning. 

The scriptures use lots of symbolic meanings. Understanding the Two Witnesses requires you to understand symbolism with abstract thought.

Abstract Thinking

Many may not be good at abstract thinking, so this study may be tough to follow or understand.

What is abstract thinking?

What is abstract Reasoning?

Abstract reasoning, also known as abstract thinking, involves the ability to understand and think with complex concepts that, while real, are not tied to concrete experiences, objects, people, or situations. This type of reasoning involves thinking about ideas and principles that are often or hypothetical.

Revelation 11: 3-8 (KJV)

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

Attributes of the Two Witnesses (Two Olive Trees Are Symbols)

1. They were called the Two Olive Trees
2. They are also called the Two Candlesticks
3. They stand before The God of the Whole Earth

The Two Anointed Ones

Zechariah 4: 11-14

Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

Additional Attributes

1. They are Two Olive Branches
2. They are the Two Anointed Ones

Two Anointed Ones Are The Two Witnesses

How do we know that the Two anointed ones are the two witnesses? They have the same attributes.

Zechariah 4

1. They were called the Two Olive Trees
2. They are also called the Two Branches
3. They *stand before The God of The Whole Earth

*The term stand before is a reference of servitude.

We see Two Candlesticks in Revelation 11 and Two Branches in Zechariah 4 because they perform two different roles.

The Two Branches in Zech 4 are doing something you don’t see in Rev 11. 

The Two Branches are going into Two Pipes and these two pipes are feeding the candlesticks or lamp stand in the middle.

Zechariah 4: 11

What are these two Olive Trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?

Now that we understand that the two olive trees are the two witnesses, what new attributes are we given of them in Zechariah 4?

They are now Olive Trees on the right and left side of the candlestick.

You will notice that the words candlestick, lampstand, and menorah are used interchangeably but they actually all mean the same. click to look it up

The Two Functions Of The Two Trees

Zechariah 4: 12

In Zechariah 4:12, we see that the TWO TREES are compared to TWO BRANCHES that feed TWO PIPES that goes into the Menorah (Lampstand), or seven branch tree in the middle. The Olive Trees which have olives that produces olive oil illustrates the anointed one’s giving oil to the tree or menorah in the middle.

In Revelation 11:4 we see that the TWO OLIVE TREES that give oil to the menorah in the middle, also is described as two lampstands, or in some translations two candlesticks. These two lampstands represent that the TWO TREES not only provide oil to the menorah in the middle but also provides light as well. This fulfills ACTS 13:47 that Israel would be made a light to the Gentiles as well.

Acts 13:47

For this is what the Lord has commanded us. “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”

If anyone thinks God is done with Israel and it’s all about the church, Acts 13:47 says otherwise. At some point, God will awaken Israel so she will know who she is and will do it through his glory and wonder and this point the gentile nations will marvel.

Revelation 11 tells us that the TWO WITNESSES are TWO OLIVE TREES that are also TWO CANDLESTICKS. In the Greek is “lychnia”, which is TWO LAMPSTANDS.

Zechariah tells us that these TWO OLIVE TREES are also branches. The branches appear out of oil from their lamps into the CANDLESTICKS they are protecting. Notice that the TWO OLIVE TREES are on both sides of the other CANDLESTICK. What is this imagery telling us?

The menorah in the middle doesn’t have oil because Israel was supposed to be the light to the gentiles and Israel is supposed to be the two anointed who is going to bring the oil, whom are going to bring the gospel and bring the revelation to the gentiles.

Emptying Oil

Zechariah 4:12

what are these TWO OLIVE BRANCHES that through the TWO GOLDEN PIPES empty the golden oil out of themselves?

The TWO TREES or TWO WITNESSES appear to have their own oil that they are emptying into the CANDLESTICKS in the middle. This is why they are called the ANOINTED ONES.

These are the TWO ANOINTED ONES that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

The ANOINTED ONES and the TWO WITNESSES are both standing before the Lord of the whole earth.

Exactly who are the TWO WITNESSES, and who are the CANDLESTICKS (lampstand) in the middle of the trees?

Jeremiah 11: 16-17

The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

For the Lord of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.

We see in Jeremiah 11 that God planted a green olive tree representing the house of Israel and the house of Judah, but their branches were broken off because of unbelief. This ties directly to Romans 11:20

God is calling Israel a green olive tree because they were producing oil. They were an anointment on the world but because they were worshipping Baal and other wicked deeds, God broke the branches off the tree and God pronounced evil upon them.

Romans 11:20

Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Let’s look at this for better clarity

Romans 11:15-23

For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? (God is talking about Israel)

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. (In this case the root is holy “Israel” so they are producing “the branches”)

And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; (Branches broken off is Israel and the wild olive tree grafted in are gentiles)

Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: (God is telling us they were only cut off because of disbelief but they were the natural chosen ones. So because you were grafted in “gentiles”, don’t act so high and mighty because you can also be cut off. We see there will be a time in the future that God will make Israel a light to the world again)

For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. (God is also telling us just because you were grafted in, is doesn’t mean you get a free pass. Just as Israel or some of the branches were cut off, some gentiles, the grafted branches can be cut off also)

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

In this case, you may think the root is Jesus but He is not. The root is Israel. The message of the Bible is SALVATION through Jesus Christ but the Bible is also a book about a God that has a relationship with a people and due to disobedience were broken off and the gentiles (The Wild Olive Tree) were grafted in.

In case you still believe the root is Jesus I will show you that he is not.

Romans 11:16 says: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

The root, in this case, is Israel and when they were being obedient, they were holy in the eyes of God and but when they began to be disobedient and worship Baal, God cut the branches off and grafted in the gentiles. 

The word for root is 4491 in the lexicon, the same word used in Mark 11 when Jesus cursed the fig tree.

If Jesus were the root, He would not be cursing himself. Life comes from the roots and once the roots were cursed the tree was dead.

Israel wanted to be like the gentile nations and rebelled against the laws of their God. Israel was broken off from the Olive Tree. Jeremiah 11:16 and Romans 11, Israel was removed from the land of the living and became dry bones Ezekiel 37. They were deceived into abandoning their God by the Gentiles. 

How do we know the Gentile nations conspired to deceive Israel.

Jeremiah 11:19

But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

The goal of the nations was to remove God and his ways so they do not know who they are.

Psalm 83:2-5

For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

This is the reason why Pope Nicholaus in 1452 got the nations together to create the Doctrine of Discovery and enslave people of color from the continent of Africa.

Trust me, man is not clever enough to conspire a plan like this that is centuries old. This was the work of Satan whose plan is to deceive the whole world.

I have shown that the people in the modern-day land of Israel are not the people of the book that are being referenced. They are Ashkenazi Jew, from the line of Japheth not from the line of Abraham who is from the line of Seth.

To learn more on this read my post the Deception is Real

Jeremiah 11:16-17

The Lord called your name, Green Olive Tree, Lovely and of Good Fruit. With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are broken.

 “For the Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal.”

God is telling us in Jeremiah 11:16-17 that he broke off their branches from the olive tree but God also clearly states in Romans 11:15-23 that He has broken off their branches.

God is also telling the gentiles don’t boast.

God also states in verse 23
And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

There will be a time that their unbelief will be no more and it is at that time God will graft them back in.

If the two olive trees are the Northern and Southern tribes, does this mean that the two witnesses in Revelation 11 are the Northern and Southern tribes?

If they are the Northern and Southern tribes, does this mean all of Israel would be killed in the streets of Jerusalem?

I believe that it is possible that the 144,000 of all the 12 tribes of Israel represent the TWO WITNESSES or the House of Israel and the House of Judah.

This is tough to prove with 100% accuracy but you’re going to see the attributes.

Revelation 1:19-20

Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands:

The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands which you saw are the seven churches.

It appears that the TWO TREES give their oil in Zechariah 4 to the Gentile believers (seven churches). The TWO TREES represent not only Israel but also their own lamp stand, because a seven-candlestick menorah is a tree. The seven lamp stands in Revelation 1 is the Gentile church.

Gentile Churches

• Ephesus
• Smyrna
• Pergamon
• Thyatira
• Sardis
• Philadelphia (modern Alasehir)
• Laodicea

None of these represent Israel. Israel are the two trees, or two lamp stands of Zechariah 4.

Let’s not forget, Israel is to be a light to the gentiles. 

Some will ask, if the churches of Revelation 2 and 3 are Gentile churches, what about Revelation 2:9 and 3:9? Who are they talking to?

The belief is it is those Jews who lived among the Gentile nations. Just like Gentiles sojourned among the people in the land of Israel, so too did Israel sojourn among the Gentiles.

These are gentile locations that the church resided, both Jew and Gentile.

Would we say that God was only talking to Gentiles since these are Gentile cities? We know this is not the case because of what we see in Revelation 2:9 and 3:9 referring to the Jews. We also know that the first Christians were Jews. So why is the message to Gentile nations only, and not to the Israelites scattered abroad?

My view is that the TWO TREES are pouring their oil into the seven candlesticks which represents the Gentile church, which has Jewish members in it. This is the belief from Zechariah 4:12.

As we saw, the TWO WITNESSES of Revelation 11 are the Northern and Southern tribes. How then can we prove them to be the 144,000?

We have always wondered what the role of the 144,000 are, and why they are mentioned during what many call the great tribulation period? Let’s look at the sealing of the 144,000. What does the sealing mean, and why were they sealed before the final judgment on the Anti-Christ Kingdom?

The belief is they were sealed because during the time of their prophesying, they could not be killed, as we see of the two witnesses.

Revelation 7:2-4

Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:

This is 12,000 from each tribe sealed. Not 12,000 from each Gentile nation or some symbolic reference of the “church” Referring this as the church is twisting of scripture “Replacement Theology”.

After the sealing of the 144,000 we see a scene that occurs in heaven.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

Revelation 7:9-11

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

You will see that in the beginning of Revelation 7 God seals the 144,000. We see that the angels, the four living creatures, the elders were around the throne of God. We also know the 144,000 are around the throne as well.

How do we know this? We know this because Revelation 14 shows us the same scene in heaven and the 144,000 are there with the Great Multitude.

Revelation 14:1-3

Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.

Since the 144,000 were redeemed from the earth, they had to die in order to enter heaven. I explain how the mortal can’t enter heaven when I show how Enoch and Elijah were not taken to heaven.

In Revelation 7 and 14, we see the four living creatures represented and the elders. Revelation 14 puts the 144,000 in heaven with the Great Multitude. Revelation 7 shows us that these people in heaven which includes the Great Multitude and the 144,000 in heaven at the same tie. This means they came out of the Great Tribulation.

Revelation 7:14

And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

 

Revelation 14:3

They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.

And they are redeemed from the earth.

What happened to the 144,000? These are the two witnesses.

Revelation 11 shows us that the TWO WITNESSES were killed after finishing their prophesying.

Revelation 11:7-8

When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

The 144,000 aka the TWO WITNESSES or TWO TREES are killed, which is why we see the 144,000 in heaven with the Great Multitude singing a song that only they know.

What else do we know about the 144,000?

Standing Before God

Revelation 11 tells us that the Two Witnesses stand before the God of the whole earth. This means that the TWO WITNESSES are in heaven as well.

Revelation 11:4

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.

Not only do we see the TWO WITNESSES in HEAVEN standing before God, we also see the 144,000 in HEAVEN following the lamb wherever He goes.

Standing before God of the whole earth denotes servitude. Being able to serve Him at all times.

Mark 10: 35-39

The request of James and John

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” (Stand before the God of the Whole Earth)

But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.”

So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.”

These positions of authority on Jesus’ left and right side are set aside for those who it was prepared. (THE TWO WITNESSES, THE 144,000) It belongs to the one that follows the lamb where ever He goes.

This is why we see the image of the 144,000 being undefiled (pure “virgins”).

Mark 10: 40-45

And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Jesus is saying to be the greatest in the kingdom you must be a servant. 

If you want to be on His left and right hand you must serve.

What do we see the 144,000 doing?

Following the lamb to serve.

THE 144,000 Are The One’s For Whom The Right and Left Position were Prepared

They are the TWO WITNESSES clothe in sack cloth and ashes. They are the one’s who were not defiled by women. They are the one’s who follow the lamb wherever He goes. They are the one’s who stand before the THRONE of God. The 144,000 are the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11.

As I have shown, it appears that the 144,000 died during the Great Tribulation. They are called the first fruits of those redeemed from the earth. The 144,000 are the best of the first fruit harvest of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Revelation 14:4

These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

In order for the 144,000 to be the first fruit harvest of those resurrected, they must be dead first, like what we see with the TWO WITNESSES.

1Thessalonians 4: 16

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 

THE SERVANT OF THE LORD

Isaiah 49:1-4

Through this teaching it should show that the TWO WITNESSES are not only the 144,000 of the Book of Revelation, but also show that they will die and be resurrected. The 144,000 will lie dead in the streets of Jerusalem and be resurrected with all the other dead believers. The reason the 144,000 were sealed is so they will not be killed by the Anti-Christ and his army. This is why they have power to cause fire to come out of their mouths and consume all who would try to hurt them. 

The 144,000 is a representation of the House of Israel and the House of Judah aka the Northern and Southern tribes. They are the TWO OLIVE TREES that stand before God. They are the one’s that follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

Zechariah 8:23