A verdict or judgment is delivered based upon witnesses. In scripture, two witnesses were required to substantiate a legal matter. Here we’ll take a historical look at God’s two witnesses from the Bible.
De.17:6 “On the evidence of two or three witnesses shall the condemned be put to death; not on the evidence of one witness.” De.19:15 “A single witness shall not rise up against a man; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.” It’s not limited to public courts. Jesus applied De.19:15 to disputes between church brothers in Mt.18:16. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses.” 1Ti.5:19 Paul instructed Timothy, “Don’t receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses”. So we see in both Testaments (two!) that at least two witnesses are necessary.
Jesus confirmed the need for two witnesses in Jn.8:16-18. There, Father God and Jesus Himself are as two witnesses (not one)! Even God has His unique two witnesses! The very first verse of the Bible, Ge.1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”. Is.1:2 “Listen O heavens and hear O earth, for the Lord speaks!” Moses declared in De.32:1, “Give ear O heavens and let me speak; let the earth hear the words of my mouth”. Scripture shows that heaven and earth serve as two immutable witnesses for God. And, as we’ll see below…it was the witnesses who put the condemned to death.
Moses told ancient Israel in De.30:19, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse”. Also De.4:26 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you, that you shall surely perish from the Land.” Furthermore, the law of God has its source in heaven; Christ gave it to Moses & Israel on earth. The Decalogue was written by the finger of God (Ex.31:18)! Then De.31:26-28 “Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God that it be a witness against you…Call heaven and earth to witness against them.” The Old Covenant law was authored by God in heaven for Israel on earth.
Not only did two witnesses testify, they also carried out the judgment or sentence. De.17:7 “The hand of the witnesses shall be the first to put him to death.” (also Le.24:14, Jn.8:7) They cast the first stone, as it were. God commanded natural phenomena in the heavens and the earth, as two witnesses, to execute His judgments! We read of thunder, lightning, wind, rain, hailstones, earthquakes, fire, famine carrying out His punishments. Nu.16:31-32 “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households.” Is.29:6 “From the Lord you will be punished with thunder and earthquake, with whirlwind, tempest and a consuming fire.” Ps.148:8 “Fire and hail, snow and clouds, stormy wind fulfilling His word.” The two witnesses act as God’s agents. Re.16:17-21 “There were flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, and a great earthquake. And huge hailstones came down from heaven upon men.” Also De.11:17 “The Lord will shut up the heavens so there will be no rain, and the earth won’t yield its produce, so you will perish from the Land.” The guilty put to death by heaven & earth.
So heaven and earth were two witnesses. (Earth isn’t a ‘heavenly body’ in scripture). And God’s Old Covenant law was linked to both. Words & actions aren’t hidden from the (figurative) ears & eyes of heaven and earth. Jesus prayed to Father God, Mt.6:10 “Thy will be done, in heaven as it is on earth”.
Let’s now turn our focus to two Bible characters/witnesses through whom God worked miracles…Moses and Elijah. They were witnesses for the true Deity.
Moses is the compiler, writer, transmitter (Jn.1:45) of the Law/Toráh, the first five books of the Bible. Ex.3:13-15 the true Deity was revealed to Israel through Moses. Ex.7:19-20 Moses turned water into blood, the first plague on Egypt. Other plagues from God follow in Ex.8-12. Ex.14:21 Moses was the agent to divide the water of the Reed Sea. After YHVH freed the Israelites, Moses escorted them to Mt. Sinai, Ex.19:1-3, 10-17. In Ex.30:25-30, Moses anointed with oil the tabernacle, ark and priests. The Lord did miracles, judged Egypt, and governed the Israelites through Moses and the law of God. In the end, Moses left this life in an unusual way (seemingly he wrote De.34:5-ff posthumously)!
“Elijah has been called the grandest and most romantic character Israel ever produced.” (Smith’s Bible Dictionary) Elijah was active c 900–850 BC. 2Ki.1:7-8 his unusual appearance was easily identifiable. Elijah was from the rugged highland area of Gileád in the tribe of Manasséh. He wore a hairy garment with a leather belt, and a sheepskin cloak/mantle which he wrapped around his head (1Ki.19:13).
Many miracles were performed through Elijah/Eliyáh. In 1Ki.18, he confronted King Aháb of Israel and the prophets of Báal. Fire proceeded from YHVH to consume the sacrifice, showing God’s greater power! EliYah means ‘Yahweh is El/God’…v.39 Eliyah restored knowledge of the true Deity to Israel. 1Ki.17:12-16 the oil supply miraculously continued for the widow and her son. v.21-24 her son was brought back to life! 1Ki.17:1 prior to Elijah’s encounter with the prophets of Baal, there’d been no rain for 3 ½ years (1,260 days). 1Ki.18:1-2, 40-45 finally, there’s rain (ref Ja.5:17-18, Lk.4:25)! 1Ki.19:15-16 Elijah to anoint kings of Syria & Israel. 2Ki.1:9-15 he called down fire from heaven. 2Ki.2:8 he too divided the water (as did Moses). v.11-12 in the end, Elijah was transported to heaven!
The last Old Testament (OT) prophet Malachi (or ‘My Messenger’, Mal.3:1) appeared around 450 BC. He prophesied that someday God’s messenger would come to prepare the way of the Lord (Jesus). God said, Mal.4:4-6 “Remember the law of Moses My servant. I Am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts, lest I smite the Land with a curse.”
Our OT ends with that passage about Moses & Elijah and the warning from God. That would be Elijah’s later commission. J.H. Hertz Pentateuch and Haftorahs “Elijah was traditionally regarded as the advance Messenger who would appear at Passover and announce the dawn of the Messianic era.” But first came the ‘Silent 400 Years’, when supposedly no one was given the Holy Spirit of prophecy.
Then following the so-called ‘Silent 400 Years’…the Messenger came on the scene. At the time Jesus was born, holyland Jews thought the Messiah’s coming was imminent. At the annual Passover meal, they’d even leave a door open and set a place with a wine glass at the table for the expected Elijah!
In fulfillment of Mal.3:1 & 4:6, the person who came on the scene in the 1st century AD as the expected Elijah was…John the Baptizer. Lk.1:13-17 “It is he who will go before Him [Jesus the Lord] in the spirit and power of Elijah.” John was born six months before Jesus (Lk.1:24-27).
Jesus confirmed, as scripture prophesied, that the promised Elijah would come…and he had then come! Mt.17:10-13 “I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him. Then the disciples understood He spoke about John the Baptist.” John too wore a hairy garment and leather belt, as Elijah had worn. Mt.3:1-4 “John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness. This is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet saying, ‘The voice of one crying, Make ready the way of the Lord!” ref Is.40:3, Mal.3:1. The commission given to John the Baptist as “My Messenger” came to pass, although most Jews disbelieve it was John who came as the prophesied Elijah.
John the Baptizer come as Elijah was a witness for Messiah Jesus. Jn.3:25-27 “John’s disciples came to him and said, ‘He [Jesus] about whom you witnessed.” John replied in v.28-30, “I have been sent before Him. The friend [best man] of the bridegroom rejoices greatly. This joy of mine is full. He must increase but I must decrease.” John the Baptizer was a witness for the bridegroom (groom) Jesus.
Moses and Elijah are two witnesses. The ancient Jewish wedding ceremony required two witnesses, one for bride and one for the groom. (see the topic “Wedding Pattern in Bible Holydays”.) Ex.20-ff YHVH was married to Israel at Sinai. Je.31:31-32 KJV “My covenant they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ saith the Lord.” Christ, as the pre-incarnate Word of God and Creator, was the Lord God of Israel! (see “Jesus Was The Old Testament God”.) Ex.24:6-8 the Old Covenant was as a marriage contract. v.3 the people said ‘I do’. Je.3:14 KJV “Saith the Lord, ‘I Am married to you.” Is.54:5 “Your Maker is your husband.” (He later divorced rebellious Israel, Je.3:8.) Jesus said to them in Jn.5:46, “If you believed Moses you would believe Me, for he wrote of Me”. Moses witnessed Christ’s marriage to ancient Israel. And John the Baptizer typed Elijah. The traditional two witnesses were Moses for the bride and Elijah for the groom.
It is significant that Christ and the two witnesses Moses & Elijah are the only 3 characters in the Bible who fasted 40 days! ref Mt.4:1-2, Ex.34:27-28, 1Ki.19:8-9. Also it was Moses & Elijah who appeared with Jesus in glory at the Transfiguration, Lk.9:28-33. (So real, even booths were suggested for them!) They spoke of Jesus’ soon exodus (v.31, Greek) from Jerusalem. Moses had led Israel’s ancient exodus from Egypt. (Lk.9:9 Herod had beheaded John the Baptizer as Elijah prior to the Transfiguration.)
{Sidelight: Could two totally dead people appear in glory with Jesus? Jn.3:13 only Jesus descended from heaven, died on earth, and then ascended to heaven…nobody else! (He.11:35 some, such as the widow’s son, and Lazarus Jn.11:43-44, died twice physically.) Neither Moses nor Elijah descended from heaven. Elijah’s death wasn’t witnessed and no grave is known. He was transported to heaven (2Ki.2:11-12), and was expected to come again (Mal.4:6). De.34:5-7 Moses died, but his death wasn’t witnessed and no grave is known. Targum Jonathan De.34:6 said Michael had charge over Moses’ grave. Jude 9 the devil disputed with Michael about Moses’ body (because Moses had killed an abusive Egyptian in Ex.2:11-12, or his grave could become a shrine?). In Jewish tradition, Michael resurrected Moses. JFB Commentary Jude 9 “That Moses’ body was raised, appears from his presence with Elijah and Jesus at the Transfiguration.” Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 4:8:48 “He [Moses] disappeared in a valley, although he wrote in the holy books that he died, done out of fear lest they’d say that because of his extraordinary virtue, he went to God.” Philo On the Life of Moses 2, p.291 “That he [Moses] might fly away to heaven, he was once more filled with the Holy Spirit, relating how he had died when he was not yet dead. Because he was entombed by immortal powers and wasn’t placed in the tomb of his forefathers.” Again, Luke says both Moses & Elijah were seen in glory with Jesus on the mount!}
The OT was a three-fold division: Law/Torah…Prophets/Néviim…Psalms-Writings/Ketúvim. As the word of God, these also serve as two or three witnesses! The Law and the Prophets were read every sabbath day. Jesus said in Mt.5:17, “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets”. Following are scriptures which note the Law and the Prophets: Mt.7:12, 11:13, 22:40; Lk.16:16, 24:44; Jn.1:45; Ac.13:15, 24:14, 28:23 (Da.9:10-11; Zec.7:12). Paul wrote in Ro.3:21, “The righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets”. They’re two witnesses!
Moses wrote the Law (Da.9:11), and Elijah typified the Prophets. Moses and Elijah metaphorically are composites representing the Law and all the Prophets! And Jesus is the prophet like unto Moses – De.18:15, 18; Jn.6:14, 7:40. Again, both Moses and Elijah left this life in unusual ways.
The Lord’s two witnesses are referred to in Re.11. v.1-2 God’s physical temple in the holy city Jerusalem is standing. v.3 “I will grant to my two witnesses and they shall prophesy for 1,260 days.” Pulpit Commentary Re.11:3 “Moses and Elijah are typical of the Law and the Prophets. It is not probable that two individuals are meant.” v.4 “The two olive trees and lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.” This is reminiscent of Zec.4, Zerubabbél the governor and Joshua the high priest who’d laid the second temple foundation. Moses and Elijah both did anointing, and they stand before the Lord (ref Ex.17:6, 33:21-22, 1Ki.18:15).
Re.11:5-6 the two witnesses have power pertaining to fire, drought, water to turn it to blood, plagues. Moses and Elijah had been given those powers of heaven & earth. Moses and/or Elijah divided waters and turned them to blood, brought forth plagues, called down fire, 3 ½ years of no rain. Meyer NT Commentary Re.11:5 “The features of the description derive from the histories of Elijah and Moses.” Cambridge Bible Note Re.11:6 “The verse is descriptive of the powers entrusted to Moses and Elijah.”
Moses and Elijah performed miracles done by the two witnesses of Re.11. They personify the Law and the Prophets. The Law and the Prophets are two witnesses of God’s verdict that His OT curses and punishments (e.g. De.27:16–28:68, Le.26) be executed upon Judea, Jerusalem, and the temple. Olufalahan Akintola wrote, “The two witnesses, representing the Law and the Prophets.”
Re.11:7-10 with the Jewish-Roman War and the destruction of 66-70 AD (3 ½ years), the Law and the Prophets ceased in Jerusalem. The Law and the Prophets or Old Covenant corpus lay in the street, as it were, of the city where the Lord was crucified. Ellicott Commentary “It is Jerusalem, the apostate place where the Presence of Christ is hated.” John Blake wrote, “The symbolic death of the two witnesses or the lack of the reading of the Law and the Prophets in the temple.” God’s written word with its judgments had tormented the disobedient, guilty populace. Jesus had accused them in Jn.7:19, “None of you carries out the Law”. After God’s judgment, the city & temple were destroyed/desolated.
Re.11:13 “A tenth of the city fell, 7,000 people were killed.” Harvard.edu says the size of Jerusalem then encompassed maybe 450 acres, the temple complex covered 37 acres; the estimated resident population was 60,000–80,000 people. Both Wilkinson and Wikipedia say 75,000–80,000. The temple area approached a tenth of the acreage of Jerusalem; the initial 7,000 people killed was approximately a tenth of Jerusalem’s population. The population of Rome the Beast was more than 500,000…Rome was much too large! JFB Commentary “A tenth of Jerusalem.” (see the topics “Babylon the Great’ in Revelation”, “The Last Days”, “Day of Atonement (2) – in Revelation”.)
That work of the Law and the Prophets was done! The Law and Prophets had foretold and accused the Jewish nation of apostasy. Re.11:12 the Law and Prophets returned to heaven, the source of the word of God. v.19 “The temple of God in heaven was opened and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple.” Pulpit Commentary “The ark of His covenant, a symbol pregnant with meaning to Jewish Christians.” The ark which contained the Law (De.10:1-5, 31:25-26) was now with Christ in heaven!
Christ, the Rock of Israel (1Co.10:4), is just (e.g. De.32:4, Is.30:18, Ro.3:26). Although He divorced and judged the unfaithful ancient Israelite people He loved…there is another marriage! Is.62:1-4 “For Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet. You shall no longer be called ‘Forsaken’, or your Land ‘Desolate’. With the joy of a bridegroom over a bride, your God will rejoice over you.” Re.19:6-9 is the metaphorical marriage of the Lamb Jesus, the bridegroom! He.8:10-13 although the Old Covenant ended, the New Covenant is also with Israel (and grafted-in gentiles, Ro.11:13, 17 & Re.7:9).
Moses and Elijah exemplify the Law and the Prophets…two witnesses. Christian Research Institute “Ultimately, the two witnesses form a composite image of the Law and the Prophets.” Elijah was the typological prophetic master (2Ki.2:2-3). The ark/Law comes from, and goes to, heaven. Paul wrote in 2Ti.3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God”. The word of God is His written record to His people and to all mankind…witnessed by heaven and earth! Praise God!
Bible Topic Exposition 