TRV
Translation
King James Version
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Complete Jewish Bible
These are the two olive trees and the two menorahs standing before the Lord of the earth.
Berean Standard Bible
These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.
American Standard Version
These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, standing before the Lord of the earth.
World English Bible Messianic
These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands, standing before the Lord of the earth.
Geneva Bible (1599)
These are two oliue trees, and two candlestickes, standing before the God of the earth.
Young's Literal Translation
these are the two olive trees , and the two lamp-stands that before the God of the earth do stand;
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In the KJVVerse 30,877 of 31,102
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Commentary on Revelation 11 verses 3–13
3 ¶ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
In this time of treading down, God has reserved to himself his faithful witnesses, who will not fail to attest the truth of his word and worship, and the excellency of his ways. Here observe,
I. The number of these witnesses: it is but a small number and yet it is sufficient. 1. It is but small. Many will own and acknowledge Christ in times of prosperity who will desert and deny him in times of persecution; one witness, when the cause is upon trial, is worth many at other times. 2. It is a sufficient number; for in the mouth of two witnesses every cause shall be established. Christ sent out his disciples two by two, to preach the gospel. Some think these two witnesses are Enoch and Elias, who are to return to the earth for a time: others, the church of the believing Jews and that of the Gentiles: it should rather seem that they are God's eminent faithful ministers, who shall not only continue to profess the Christian religion, but to preach it, in the worst of times.
II. The time of their prophesying, or bearing their testimony for Christ. A thousand two hundred and threescore days; that is (as many think), to the period of the reign of antichrist; and, if the beginning of that interval could be ascertained, this number of prophetic days, taking a day for a year, would give us a prospect when the end shall be.
III. Their habit, and posture: they prophesy in sackcloth, as those that are deeply affected with the low and distressed state of the churches and interest of Christ in the world.
IV. How they were supported and supplied during the discharge of their great and hard work: they stood before the God of the whole earth, and he gave them power to prophesy. He made them to be like Zerubbabel and Joshua, the two olive-trees and candlestick in the vision of Zechariah, Zac 4:2, etc. God gave them the oil of holy zeal, and courage, and strength, and comfort; he made them olive-trees, and their lamps of profession were kept burning by the oil of inward gracious principles, which they received from God. They had oil not only in their lamps, but in their vessels - habits of spiritual life, light, and zeal.
V. Their security and defence during the time of their prophesying: If any attempted to hurt them, fire proceeded out of their mouths, and devoured them, Rev 11:5. Some think this alludes to Elias's calling for the fire from heaven, to consume the captains and their companies that came to seize him, Kg2 1:12. God promised the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 5:14), Behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people shall be wood, and it shall devour them. By their praying and preaching, and courage in suffering, they shall gall and wound the very hearts and consciences of many of their persecutors, who shall go away self-condemned, and be even terrors to themselves; like Pashur, at the words of the prophet Jeremiah, Jer 20:4. They shall have that free access to God, and that interest in him, that, at their prayers, God will inflict plagues and judgments upon their enemies, as he did on Pharaoh, turning their rivers into blood, and restraining the dews of heaven, shutting heaven up, that no rain shall fall for many days, as he did at the prayers of Elias, Kg1 17:1. God has ordained his arrows for the persecutors, and is often plaguing them while they are persecuting his people; they find it hard work to kick against the pricks.
VI. The slaying of the witnesses. To make their testimony more strong, they must seal it with their blood. Here observe, 1. The time when they should be killed: When they have finished their testimony. They are immortal, they are invulnerable, till their work be done. Some think it ought to be rendered, when they were about to finish their testimony. When they had prophesied in sackcloth the greatest part of the 1260 years, then they should feel the last effect of antichristian malice. 2. The enemy that should overcome and slay them - the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit. Antichrist, the great instrument of the devil, should make war against them, not only with the arms of subtle and sophistical learning, but chiefly with open force and violence; and God would permit his enemies to prevail against his witnesses for a time. 3. The barbarous usage of these slain witnesses; the malice of their enemies was not satiated with their blood and death, but pursued even their dead bodies. (1.) They would not allow them a quiet grave; their bodies were cast out in the open street, the high street of Babylon, or in the high road leading to the city. This city is spiritually called Sodom for monstrous wickedness, and Egypt for idolatry and tyranny; and here Christ in his mystical body has suffered more than in any place in the world. (2.) Their dead bodies were insulted by the inhabitants of the earth, and their death was a matter of mirth and joy to the antichristian world, Rev 11:10. They were glad to be rid of these witnesses, who by their doctrine and example had teased, terrified, and tormented the consciences of their enemies; these spiritual weapons cut wicked men to the heart, and fill them with the greatest rage and malice against the faithful.
VII. The resurrection of these witnesses, and the consequences thereof. Observe, 1. The time of their rising again; after they had lain dead three days and a half (Rev 11:11), a short time in comparison of that in which they had prophesied. Here may be a reference to the resurrection of Christ, who is the resurrection and the life. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Or there may be a reference to the resurrection of Lazarus on the fourth day, when they thought it impossible. God's witnesses may be slain, but they shall rise again: not in their persons, till the general resurrection, but in their successors. God will revive his work, when it seems to be dead in the world. 2. The power by which they were raised: The spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet. God put not only life, but courage into them. God can make the dry bones to life; it is the Spirit of life from God that quickens dead souls, and shall quicken the dead bodies of his people, and his dying interest in the world. 3. The effect of their resurrection upon their enemies: Great fear fell upon them. The reviving of God's work and witnesses will strike terror into the souls of his enemies. Where there is guilt, there is fear; and a persecuting spirit, though cruel, is not a courageous, but a cowardly spirit. Herod feared John the Baptist.
VIII. The ascension of the witnesses into heaven and the consequences thereof, Rev 11:12, Rev 11:13. Observe, 1. Their ascension. By heaven we may understand either some more eminent station in the church, the kingdom of grace in this world, or a high place in the kingdom of glory above. The former seems to be the meaning: They ascended to heaven in a cloud (in a figurative, not in a literal sense) and their enemies saw them. It will be no small part of the punishment of persecutors, both in this world and at the great day, that they shall see the faithful servants of God greatly honoured and advanced. To this honour they did not attempt to ascend, till God called them, and said, Come up hither. The Lord's witnesses must wait for their advancement, both in the church and in heaven, till God calls them; they must not be weary of suffering and service, nor too hastily grasp at the reward; but stay till their Master calls them, and then they may gladly ascend to him. 2. The consequences of their ascension - a mighty shock and convulsion in the antichristian empire and the fall of a tenth part of the city. Some refer this to the beginning of the reformation from popery, when many princes and states fell off from their subjection to Rome. This great work met with great opposition; all the western world felt a great concussion, and the antichristian interest received a great blow, and lost a great deal of ground and interest, (1.) By the sword of war, which was then drawn; and many of those who fought under the banner of antichrist were slain by it. (2.) By the sword of the Spirit: The fear of God fell upon many. They were convinced of their errors, superstition, and idolatry; and by true repentance, and embracing the truth, they gave glory to the God of heaven. Thus, when God's work and witnesses revive, the devil's work and witnesses fall before him.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 3–13. Public domain.
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Hippolytus of RomeAD 235
Hippolytus Dogmatical and Historical Fragments
For John says, "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth." That is the half of the week whereof Daniel spake. "These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the Lord of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire will proceed out of their mouth, and devour their enemies; and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy; and have power over waters, to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their course and their testimony," what saith the prophet? "the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them," because they will not give glory to Antichrist. For this is meant by the little horn that grows up. He, being now elated in heart, begins to exalt himself, and to glorify himself as God, persecuting the saints and blaspheming Christ, even as Daniel says, "I considered the horn, and, behold, in the horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things; and he opened his mouth to blaspheme God. And that born made war against the saints, and prevailed against them until the beast was slain, and perished, and his body was given to be burned."
Victorinus of PettauAD 304
Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John
"These are the two candlesticks standing before the Lord of the earth." These two candlesticks and two olive trees He has to this end spoken of, and admonished you that if, when you have read of them elsewhere, you have not understood, you may understand here. For in Zechariah, one of the twelve prophets, it is thus written: "These are the two olive trees and two candlesticks which stand in the presence of the Lord of the earth; " that is, they are in paradise. Also, in another sense, standing in the presence of the lord of the earth, that is, in the presence of Antichrist. Therefore they must be slain by Antichrist.
TiconiusAD 390
COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:4
“These are those who stand,” it says, not those who shall stand as though they were not able to stand. In the two lampstands he signifies the church, which is fortified by the protection of the two Testaments. For in the seven angels and in the seven lampstands he designated the one church, so that when he spoke of one, he had also spoken of the others. When Zechariah who prophesied of our figure was awakened from sleep that he might behold the light of the church, he saw a single sevenform lampstand in which was declared the mystery of the sevenform church. For the two olive trees are the two Testaments, which pour out the oil of knowledge into the lampstand. And therefore the same prophet said, “He waked me, like a man that is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, ‘What do you see?’ I said, ‘Behold, I see a lampstand all out of gold, with torches upon it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips of light which are upon it, and two olive trees upon it, one on the right of the torch and one on the left.’ ” And I asked what these might be. And the angel answered and said, these seven lights are seven spirits which are “the seven eyes of the Lord that range through the whole earth.” And when I inquired of the two olive trees, he said to me, “These are the two anointed sons who are with the Lord of the whole earth.”
Primasius of HadrumetumAD 560
COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:4
He shows now that he is speaking not of future realities but of present things when he says, “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.” This refers to the church, which is illuminated and made strong by the light of the two Testaments and is equipped by the two kinds of witness that by divine inspiration is allowed in various of its members. The two lampstands represent the [one] church, but he has spoken of two because of the two Testaments or because [the church] is gathered from the circumcision and uncircumcision and exists in union with the chief cornerstone.
BedeAD 735
Commentary on Revelation
These are the two olive trees, etc. The Church, illuminated by the light of the two Testaments, always stands by the commands of the Lord. For the prophet Zechariah saw one seven-branched candlestick, and these two olive trees, that is, the Testaments, pouring oil into the candlestick. This is the Church with its unfailing oil, which makes it burn with light in the world.
Alcuin of YorkAD 804
COMMENTARY ON REVELATION
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks, that stand in the sight of the Lord of the earth. The Church, whether in those two men or in all preachers in general, is represented by the olive tree because of the unction of the Holy Spirit, and by candlesticks because of the light of faith and work. While there is one olive tree and one candlestick made up of two peoples, they are called two olive trees and two candlesticks because of the two Testaments. They stand in the sight of the Lord because they stick to their Creator through inner contemplation. Hence Elijah, whom this is taken to refer to specifically, says, The Lord liveth, in whose sight I stand. [1 Kings 17:1] With another interpretation, this may refer to Elijah and Enoch specifically, who, taken away from human eyes, stick to God in secret.
OecumeniusAD 990
Commentary on Revelation
These, he says, are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the Lord of the whole earth. Zechariah, the inspired prophet, saw a lampstand with seven lamps above it and two olive branches, but the branches stood beside two golden oil dispensers, therefore saying: "What are these two olive branches on the sides of the two golden oil dispensers?" And he heard from the angel who was speaking that "they are the two sons of oil, who stand before the Lord of all the earth." (Zech. 4:11-14) And that from this the prophet's use of the articles in the phrase "these are the two olive trees and the two lampstands" is confirmed; for this serves to indicate an agreed upon symbolism, except that here Zechariah called them "two dispensers" John called them "two lampstands." That the two branches of the olive tree, one from the Jews and the other from the Gentiles, have been interpreted as the two peoples is not unknown to the saints. Nevertheless, it is also possible that the two prophets mentioned in the current discourse are meant.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Revelation 11:4 provides a profound symbolic identification of the two mysterious witnesses introduced in the preceding verse. Described as "the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth," this verse draws heavily on Old Testament prophetic imagery to convey their divine anointing, continuous spiritual empowerment, and their authoritative role as God's commissioned representatives in a world hostile to His truth.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Revelation 11:4 is rich in Symbolism. The "two olive trees" symbolize divine anointing, continuous spiritual sustenance, and perhaps a connection to God's chosen people or specific individuals empowered by His Spirit. The "two candlesticks" (lampstands) symbolize the witnesses' role as bearers of light, truth, and prophetic testimony in a world of spiritual darkness. This imagery is a direct Allusion to Zechariah 4:11-14, where two olive trees supply oil to a lampstand, representing "the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth." The verse also employs Metaphor, as the witnesses are not merely like olive trees and candlesticks; they are these symbolic entities, embodying their functions and characteristics. This metaphorical identification deepens their significance and emphasizes their divinely appointed nature.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Revelation 11:4 powerfully connects the two witnesses to a broader biblical theology of divine empowerment and prophetic testimony. By identifying them as "olive trees" and "candlesticks," the text emphasizes their continuous spiritual anointing and their role as light-bearers for God's truth. This imagery, rooted in Zechariah's vision, underscores that God always has His chosen servants, empowered by His Spirit, to bear witness to His sovereignty and truth, even in the darkest of times. Their "standing before the God of the earth" affirms God's ultimate dominion over all creation and His active involvement in human history, ensuring that His message is proclaimed before His final judgments unfold. The witnesses serve as a testament to God's unwavering commitment to having a voice on earth, challenging humanity to repentance and revealing His righteous plan.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While the specific identity and eschatological timing of the two witnesses remain subjects of theological discussion, the principles conveyed by Revelation 11:4 offer timeless spiritual truths for all believers. We are called to be God's witnesses in the world, shining His light and proclaiming His truth. Just as the olive trees continuously supplied oil to the lampstands, we are reminded of our absolute dependence on the Holy Spirit for spiritual empowerment and sustenance in our own witness. Our ability to stand firm for truth, to speak with conviction, and to live lives that reflect God's glory is not from our own strength but from His continuous anointing. This verse challenges us to consider our posture before God – are we "standing before" Him, ready and commissioned for His purposes, allowing His light to shine through us in a world that desperately needs it?
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who are the "two witnesses" in Revelation 11?
Answer: The exact identity of the "two witnesses" is one of the most debated topics in eschatology. Common interpretations include: (1) literal individuals, often suggested to be Moses and Elijah due to their miraculous powers (e.g., turning water to blood, calling fire from heaven, Revelation 11:5-6); (2) Enoch and Elijah, as both did not experience death; or (3) symbolic representations of the church or Israel, particularly those bearing witness during the tribulation period. Regardless of their precise identity, their function is clear: they are divinely empowered individuals (or entities) who perform a powerful prophetic ministry, testifying to God's truth and judgments during a specific period of intense tribulation, as detailed in Revelation 11:3.
What is the significance of "standing before the God of the earth"?
Answer: The phrase "standing before the God of the earth" signifies several crucial aspects of the witnesses' role. First, it emphasizes their direct commission and divine authority. They are not self-appointed but are sent by God Himself. Second, it highlights their accountability to the Almighty, serving in His immediate presence. Third, it underscores God's universal sovereignty – He is not just the God of Israel, but the God of the entire earth, and the witnesses' ministry reflects His dominion over all creation. This means their message and actions are backed by the supreme authority of the universe, and their witness is global in its scope and implications.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Revelation 11:4 describes two specific end-time witnesses, the imagery and themes find their ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in Jesus Christ. He is the preeminent "olive tree," the one upon whom the Spirit descended "without measure" (John 3:34), fully anointed by God for His messianic mission. Jesus is also the ultimate "candlestick," declaring Himself to be "the light of the world" (John 8:12), illuminating the path to salvation and revealing the Father. His entire earthly ministry was a powerful witness, "standing before the God of the earth" in perfect obedience and communion, fulfilling the Father's will and demonstrating His sovereignty over all creation (Matthew 28:18). The ministry of the two witnesses, empowered by the Spirit and bearing testimony to God's truth, thus serves as a powerful echo of Christ's own prophetic work and His ongoing mission through His church, which He empowers to be His witnesses "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).