Revelation 11:3

And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

I will give power - or commission. There is no "power" in the Greek.

My two witnesses - `the two witnesses of me.' The article implies the two were well known.

Prophesy - preach under the Spirit's inspiration, denouncing judgments against the apostate. They are symbolized as "the two olive trees," "the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." The reference is to ; ; , where two individuals, 'the two anointed ones,' are meant-Joshua and Zerubbabel, who ministered to the Jewish Church-as the two olive trees emptied the oil out of themselves into the bowl of the candlestick. So in the final apostasy, God will raise up two inspired witnesses to minister encouragement to the afflicted, though sealed; remnant. As two candlesticks are mentioned, , but only one in Zechariah 4:1, the twofold Church, Jewish and Gentile, may be meant by the two candlesticks represented by the two witnesses; just as in Revelation 7:1, there are described first the sealed of Israel, then those of all nations. But see note, . The actions of the two witnesses are just those of Moses when witnessing for God against Pharaoh (the type of Antichrist, the last and greatest foe of Israel), turning the waters into blood, and smiting with plagues, and of Elijah (the witness for God in Israel's almost universal apostasy), a remnant of 7,000, however, being left, as the 144,000 sealed (Revelation 7:1), causing fire by his word to devour the enemy, and shutting heaven, so that it rained not for three years and six months-the very time (1,260 days) during which the two witnesses prophesy.

Moreover, "witness" and "prophesy" are usually applied to individuals, not to abstractions (cf. ). DeBurgh thinks Elijah and Moses will again appear, as Malachi 4:5, may imply (cf. ; ). Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ at the transfiguration, which foreshadowed His millennial kingdom. As to Moses, cf. ; . Elias' genius and procedure bear the same relation to Christ's second coming that John the Baptist's did to the first (Bengel). Many of the early Church thought the two witnesses Enoch and Elijah. This would avoid the difficulty of the dying a second time; for these have never yet died. Still, the turning the water to blood, and the plagues (), apply best to Moses (cf. , "the song of Moses"). The transfiguration-glory of Moses and Elias was not their permanent resurrection-state, which shall not be until Christ shall glorify His saints, for He has precedence before all in rising. An objection to this interpretation is, that those blessed servants of God would have to submit to death (Revelation 11:7), and this in Moses' case a second time, which denies. See note, Zechariah 4:11, on the two witnesses, answering to "the two olive trees." The two olive trees are channels of the oil feeding the Church, and symbol of peace. The Holy Spirit is the oil in them. Christ's witnesses, in remarkable times of the Church, have appeared in pairs: as Moses and Aaron, the inspired civil and religious authorities; Caleb and Joshua; Ezekiel the priest, and Daniel the prophet; Zerubbabel and Joshua.

In sackcloth - the garment of prophets, especially when calling people to mortification of their sins, and to repentance. Their exterior aspect accorded with their teachings: so Elijah, and John who came in his spirit and power. The sackcloth is a catchword, linking this episode, under the sixth trumpet, with the sun black as sackcloth (in righteous retribution on the apostates who rejected God's witnesses under the sixth seal ().