Revelation 11:4

Context

This verse belongs to the vision given to the apostle John in Revelation 11. In the preceding verse (11:3), God says that he will give power to his "two witnesses," who will prophesy for 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth. This verse then describes the two witnesses symbolically: "These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth" (Revelation 11:4). The following verses say that the two witnesses have power to devour their enemies with fire, to shut heaven so that it does not rain, and to turn the waters into blood. The beast later kills them, but after three and a half days they come to life again and ascend to heaven.

The "candlestick" is a lampstand on which lamps were set. The imagery comes from the vision in Zechariah 4, where two olive trees stand on either side of a golden lampstand. They are explained as "the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth" (Zechariah 4:14). In the historical setting of Zechariah, they are generally understood to be the governor Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua, who led the rebuilding of the temple.

Interpretations

• Symbolic reading: Many commentators in the Reformed tradition hold this view, which takes the two witnesses to be the whole church bearing witness to the gospel until the end of the age. Its proponents point to Revelation 1:20, where the candlesticks signify churches. They also point to the requirement in the law that testimony be established by two witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15). Some also connect Zechariah's royal and priestly imagery with the church's status as kings and priests (Revelation 1:6).
• Futurist reading: Futurist interpreters, including those in dispensationalism, take the two witnesses to be two individuals who will actually appear at the end of the age. The power to shut heaven recalls Elijah, and the power to turn water into blood recalls Moses, so many interpreters identify the witnesses with these two figures. Others identify them as Enoch and Elijah, who were taken to heaven without dying. This view is traditionally traced to some of the early church fathers.
• Readings linked to historical events: Some interpretations connect the passage to conditions in first-century Jerusalem or to particular persons or movements in church history. These readings are not widely accepted.

Controversies and Issues

The verse has often been used to apply the titles "two witnesses" or "olive tree" to particular individuals. Park Tae-sun, founder of the Korean new religious movement Cheonbugyo, is widely known to have claimed that he himself was the "olive tree." The major Korean denominations have declared him a heretic. The Korean group Shincheonji likewise interprets Revelation as the "reality" fulfilled in the history of its own organization. It is known to identify figures in Revelation, such as the two witnesses, with specific individuals. These groups claim that their interpretations show the fulfillment of prophecy. The major denominations and anti-heresy counseling organizations in Korea reject these readings. They argue that the readings detach symbols from their context in order to establish the authority of particular individuals. The history of these rulings is discussed in the article Designation of Heresy.

Related Passages

• Zechariah 4:11-14
• Revelation 11:3
• Revelation 1:20
• Deuteronomy 19:15