THE TWO WITNESSES. The meaning of the witnesses has been a stone
of stumbling to many a Biblical student. It is not difficult to see the reason.
If we are to hold to the idea that the holy city is the literal Jerusalem, then
we must make the witnesses literal men. It would be a poor interpretation that
would insist on the literal meaning of one word, and then make another word in
the same context symbolic. Thus to those who see a restoration of Jerusalem
after 1260 years of captivity, the two witnesses are real men. But surely the
language of REVELATION is not literal, as we have seen, and we must now
seek the real meaning of this symbol.
These witnesses are not men, but are
symbolic of other things, as the locust of the ninth chapter was not a literal
locust, but was symbolic of something else. Our interpretation of previous
chapters recognized the imagery in them. Likewise, if our interpretation as to
these “witnesses” is to stand critical tests, we must adhere to the original position
we took. Furthermore, the length of time given to these witnesses is one
thousand two hundred and sixty years, if we are to adhere to the commonly given
interpretation of the prophetic day. We know of no two people who have lived
that length of time since Jerusalem was destroyed. These two witnesses are what
the prophet tells us they are—“the two olive trees and the two candlesticks.”
The prophet here is using imagery, the
meaning of which was already apparent to a Jewish student, Zechariah used this
language prior to John, and the angel of the Lord told him that the two olive
trees and candlesticks are the “word of the Lord” (Zech. 4:1-6). A
candlestick is for light, but it will give no light unless there is oil, and
the olive trees were there to supply that oil.
Our introduction to these witnesses given
a further clue to what they actually are. It may be noticed from a close
reading of the text that no advance notice of them is given. It is taken for
granted that we know who they are. They are the ones to whom power would be
given to remain after the church has gone into complete apostasy, and to
continue for the same duration of time that the church will be subdued. The Gentiles
will not be able to overcome them. The word of the Lord was always given to the
church prophetically, and the church was His witness. Now, since apostasy is
going to be complete, and no divine revelation will be reaching the church, the
only witness that will be left would be the word of God that came to the
Jews and the word of God that was preserved by the Gentiles. For this
reason, I have no hesitancy in saying that after the church leaves the picture
the only witnesses that God will have left will be the Old Testament and New
Testament, and they will continue to prophesy in the streets of “the great city”
(civilization) for 1260 days of years. (George A. Njeim, Insights into the
Book of Revelation: As Illuminated by the Book of Mormon [Lawrence, Kans.:
George A. Njeim, 1970], 101-3)
