“And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3).

It is intriguing that in the previous verse the outer court had been given to the Gentiles. The apostate church, the wicked, those hurting God’s people (i.e., the red and pale horses of the second and fourth Seals), within an end-time setting, are those “Gentiles.” Since it is attached to the temple as one of its courtyards, they claim to be God’s people. They are Christian in name, but God gives or assigns the outer court – not part of the true work going on within the temple – to that people. Later in Revelation, that group will be identified by the name “Babylon!”

Here in verse 3, God “gives” again. But now a beautiful and endearing contrast is portrayed. Instead of a measuring stick or an outer court, “I will give” (doso) power to “my” witnesses. This expression is made in strong and emphatic language – as if to say, “You’re going to persecute my people for three and a half years [from verse 2]? Then I’ll give them special power for three and a half years!”

I’m awed and really want that kind of God, don’t you? He is permitting sin to reveal its true colors in this very end-time setting, but His special attention is on those loyal to Him – His two witnesses. Though He permits persecution and even martyrdom, He will soon come and remove them from this terrible world. His temple people, in spite of what they are going through, still speak or prophesy for Him. That’s the focus of the next several verses. They bravely present the Danielic prophecy from that little open book!

Jesus said He had two witnesses. Why two? The Jewish theocracy required two witnesses to validate any testimony (Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15; Numbers 35:30; cf. Hebrews 10:28). That represented a legal metaphor within a spiritual setting. Most fascinating is the tie this has to a similar legal/spiritual setting in, yes, Daniel. The “little book” is about a document called a covenant. Satan’s network tries to prevent its ratification. God sets a time limit on his antics – three and a half years.

Long before this vision Gabriel had asked when the end-time issues of sin and rebellion of the Daniel 8 little horn would happen (Daniel 8:13). Jesus, in His first personal appearance to Daniel, said that holiness would be vindicated or even be adjudicated after 2300 atonement years (Daniel 8:14). Contextually, only a part of Gabriel’s questions were answered. In Daniel 12 Jesus responds to the rest of his queries, including a new question posed by Daniel. He asked when the deliverance of God’s people and the special resurrection would occur. Jesus, in a third appearance to Daniel, said at the end of “time, times, and an half [time]” (three and a half years)! Do you sense an amazing timing prophecy unfolding?!

Verses 2 and 3 here in Revelation present an end-time three and a half year period which, again, Daniel called the “appointed time” (8:19, cf. Habakkuk 2:2-3). They are all the same time period! As we saw in our discussion of the tenth chapter, that little open book was that unsealed timing portion of Daniel. It is that message that is to go to the world by the two witnesses.

What makes it truly a legal matter? A courtroom drama is underway. The hour of judgment of the living has come [first angel’s message (Revelation 14:6-7), especially over the Sabbath issue]. That is the meaning of measuring the temple (Revelation 11:1). God has given a time limit for these legal proceedings to be completed. Satan and his representatives are trying to hurt the defense by persecuting and tampering with God’s witnesses. We know that will not set well with the Judge.

Part of the little book of Daniel involves the Sabbath (related to the “daily”) and a false Sabbath (the “abomination” and “transgression”). Jesus’ declaration in 10:6 that time would no longer be delayed had Sabbath language within its context. All these amazing links tell us, unequivocally, that when the three and a half years begin, the pivotal issue will be the Sabbath. In 10:6 Jesus is decreeing, “Let that time period begin.”

The second angel’s message declares that Babylon is fallen (a carry-through issue from Daniel 8). That coincides with the Gentiles in the outer court theme! The third angel’s message in Revelation 14 ties to the legal covenant theme of Daniel 8–12 – but it begins by a “woe” on all who identify with the false Sabbath – a “mark” of the beast.

The Sabbath recalls the Creator and His wonderful creation. After sin came in it also represented deliverance and rest from sin. This was embellished in a broader view of the Ten Commandments presented in Deuteronomy 5. Now we can see as never before the incredible links throughout Scripture, all pointing to a great restoration that comes in God’s redemptive plan right at the end of that three and a half year appointed time.

In this wonderful prophetic book, Jesus is introduced as the model “witness,” called a “faithful witness” (1:5, 3:14). Then the church is seen as a persevering witness (6:9, 12:11, 17:6, 20:4), bearing the “testimony of Jesus.” Intriguingly, John earlier talked of a forensic ministry of the Spirit (John 16:8-11) that especially tied with all these end-time judicial issues unfolded in this apocalyptic setting.

Because the persecution and witnessing is for three and a half years, it is not the long interim legal message between the two Advents of 1260 plus years that many declare. It is final-period history when the antichrist, the beast and its harlot rider will “conquer” the church (13:7) – and then be “conquered” by the church (12:11).

The witnesses are to “prophesy” with the most important message ever given to mortals. It contains the everlasting gospel, the three angels’ themes and, very specifically, what is in the little scroll. That contains a timing message that explicitly states that probation will be closed within three and a half years – forever. No mortal voice will have been asked to notify the world of a more solemn message than this. That is why they are clothed in sackcloth! Elijah (II Kings 1:8) and John the Baptist (Mark 1:6) did the same when mourning for the sins of the nation and anticipating the judgment that was pending (cf. Joel 1:8, Amos 8:10). No wonder that right after the close of probation the sun turns “black like sackcloth” (Revelation 6:12). There is then no more light that will ever shine on the rebellious world again. Sackcloth also is symbolic for being sorrowful for sin [I Chronicles 21:16, Jonah 3:5-9, Matthew 11:21 (cf. Isaiah 3:24, 22:12; Jeremiah 4:8, 6:26)]. It will be a time of sadness.

This imagery draws on the spirit of those who are sealed in Ezekiel 8:4, who sigh and cry over the sins of the people. Drawing all the Scriptural themes of sackcloth together, it is clear that these two witnesses are fearless, calling all to repentance and addressing the sin issue among God’s people.

Who are these two witnesses? Scholars with profound insight into the symbolic imagery of Revelation 10 and 11 so often revert to literalism, assigning these two especially as the returned men, Moses and Elijah. We will explore in greater detail its meaning, beginning with the next verse.