In Rev 11,
we read of two prophets who will preach the gospel and be killed in Jerusalem,
only to be resurrected as vindication of their message. There are some (mainly
proponents of amillennial eschatology) who argue that these are not two literal
prophets, but are symbolic merely.
For example, Catholic apologist Robert Sungenis wrote:
There is one thing we need to make clear.
Because of John’s symbolic context, his use of the designation “my two
witnesses” who prophesy for the 1260 days does not refer to two individuals . .
. The number “two” is of symbolic import because it represents the preaching of
the Gospel in its legal framework. For example, Jesus sent out the seventy
disciples “two by two” (Lk 10:1). St. Paul said that he wanted to visit with
the Corinthians “three” times because of the Old Testament principle that “every
fact is confirmed by two or three witnesses” (2Co 13:1) (see also Dt 17:6, 15, 19; 1Tm 5:19; Hb 6:18; 10:28; 1Co
14:29; Jn 5:37; 8:18). (Robert A. Sungenis, The
Apocalypse of St. John [The Catholic Apologetics Study Bible II; Goleta,
Calif.: Queenship Publishing, 2007], 207, 208-9)
Responding
to the symbolic interpretation, J. Dwight Pentecost wrote:
There are several objections to these views.
(1) While it is recognized that Revelation does employ symbols, it seems a
mistake to take all that is revealed there as symbolic. The word “signify” in
Revelation 1:1 does not primarily mean “to make known by symbols” but rather refers
to an historical fact that has some spiritual significance to it. The seven “signs”
in John’s Gospel were not mere symbols, but actual historical events to which spiritual
significance was attached. The use of “signify” would not give warrant for a
non-literal interpretation here. Consistency to the literal method demands that
that which is revealed be understood literally unless the text clearly
indicates otherwise as it does for instance, in Revelation 12:3, 9. (2) Since
the other numbers in this passage are taken literally, this number two must be
taken literally also. The forty and two months (11:2), the thousand two hundred
and threescore days (11:3), are taken in a literal manner so as to be
understood to describe one-half of the seventieth week period. There seems to
be no reason not to take the three and one-half (11:9, 11) literally. Thus,
since the other numbers are not spiritualized the number two should not be
either. (3) The witnesses all perish at one point of time (11:7) so that their
testimony ceases. We know that the believing remnant, although decimated by the
activities of the Beast, will continue throughout the period unto the coming of
the Lord. The continuing witness seems to argue against identifying them with
the remnant. (4) As long as a portion of the remnant continues there would be
no cause for rejoicing (11:10). The rejoicing comes because this particular
witness has terminated. Thus the conclusion is that this does not refer to the
believing witnessing remnant, but rather to two literal individuals, who have
been specially set apart by God, called “my two witnesses” (11:3). As the two
olive trees of Zechariah had reference to Zerubbabel and Joshua, so the two
olive trees (11:4) denote two literal individuals. Their miracles, their ministry,
their ascension all seem to identify them as individual men. (J. Dwight
Pentecost, Things to Come: A Study in
Biblical Eschatology [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1964], 305)
