4–6 Are these two witnesses two particular
individuals, or representative figures? Revelation’s reception history provides
plenty of interpretations favouring the former, whether as two specific
eschatological figures (Moses and Elijah, or Elijah and Enoch) or as two
historical personages of the commentator’s own age. That they are recognisable
individuals seems to be confirmed by the specific allusion to Old Testament
figures in John’s description. First, they are identified as the two olive trees and the two menorahs
which stand before the Lord of the earth. John’s allusion is to Zechariah’s
vision of two olive trees flanking a seven-lamped menorah, a branch of each
pouring out olive oil into the menorah (Zech. 4:1–14, a passage which has
already influenced John’s description of the heavenly throne-room in Revelation
4). Zechariah’s angel identifies the two branches of the olive trees as ‘the
two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth’ (Zech. 4:14). In
other words, they are the prince Zerubbabel, governor of Judah after the return
from exile, and the high priest Joshua.
The further description of the activities of the two witnesses in verse
6 echoes the stories of Moses and Elijah. Like Elijah, they have power to shut up heaven, to prevent
rain from falling during the time of their prophesying (1 Kgs 17:1–7; 18:1,
41–46). Like Moses, they have power over
the waters, to turn them to blood and to strike the earth with every plague
whenever they want (echoing the plagues of Egypt: Exodus 7–12, esp. Exod.
7:14–25). Both Elijah and Moses were figures expected by Jews and early
Christians to return in the last days (e.g. Mk 1:2; Mt. 17:9–13; Acts 3:22;
based on Deut. 18:18; Mal. 4:5–6).
However, these allusions are not enough to exhaust their significance,
and there are grounds for interpreting them as representative figures. In verse
5 the power of their prophetic word is likened to fire which comes out of
their mouths and eats up their enemies. While Elijah’s ability to call down
fire from heaven (e.g. 1 Kgs 18:36) is often cited as a parallel, a closer fit
is with Jeremiah (Jer. 5:14). The fire-like breath of the Messiah (Isa. 11:4; 4 Ez. 13:10; cf. Rev. 1:16; 19:15) may
also lie in the background. In other words, a multiplicity of biblical figures
and roles, primarily prophetic, underlies the description of the witnesses
(indeed, Enoch rather than Moses was a favourite companion to Elijah for
earlier commentators, and some have detected echoes of Peter and Paul, who shed
their blood for Christ in the very heart of Nero’s Rome: Sweet 1979: 185).
Moreover, far from one being a returned Elijah and the other a prophet like
Moses, both of them exhibit all of the characteristics described. What they do,
they do together (see Strand 1981).
It is perhaps better, then, to view them as representative figures of
the prophetic ministry of the Church. The menorahs
have already been explicitly interpreted as symbolising the Christian
congregations (1:20). That there are only two
menorahs (of the complete number of seven) may point to the prophetic
ministry being reserved to only part of the Church (note the distinctive
charism of prophet at 1 Cor. 12:10, 28). On the other hand, it may be a sign
that only a fraction of the Church lives up to the Church’s prophetic vocation
(only two menorahs, the congregations of Smyrna and Philadelphia, receive
untarnished praise in Revelation 2–3). The allusion to Zerubbabel and Joshua, the two olive trees, evokes the royal
and priestly dimension of the Church, here linked to the prophetic ministry.
Similarly, the eschatological figures Moses and Elijah are appropriate models
for the Church’s witness in the last days. Indeed, they may serve as particular
inspiration for John himself: his two prophetic rivals in Pergamum and
Thyatira, ‘Balaam’ and ‘Jezebel’, are named after figures active in the times
of Moses and Elijah respectively. Finally, there may be a particular twist in
the image of the two olive trees. The olive is traditionally a symbol of peace
(e.g. Gen. 8:11; Hos. 14:6); yet little peace will be promised in the short
term for the prophetic witnessing Church. (Ian
Boxall, The Revelation of Saint John [Black's New Testament Commentary;
London: Continuum, 2006], 163-65, emphasis in original)