Assuming they aren't two individuals, are they two people groups? And which two are they?
Here is the overview of Revelation 11:4
- "These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth".
Christians have been taught so many different interpretations about candlesticks and olive trees that many find these verses confusing or difficult to sort out. There are some theologians who claim that these two represent the Old and New Testament Churches. But that obviously cannot be a correct interpretation because these prophecy on the New Testament side of the cross, and thus there cannot be an Old covenant Church at this time
[19]. There is only one Church at the time of their prophecy, not two Testament witnesses to whom it is 'given' to prophecy at this time. Nor can it be Biblically validated that these are literally Enoch, Moses or Elijah as has been alleged.
The number one rule when trying to understand the 'symbolism' of Revelation is to remember that, '
the Bible is it's own interpreter.' In other words, the interpretation of these passages will be found in God's Word, not in our personal conceptions or in the imaginations of our heart. We compare scripture with scripture to see what God has to say in other passages about each item of symbolism. We study to show ourselves approved unto God by examining scripture against scripture, the spiritual with the Spiritual
[19a]. By this we allow God to define His own terms. When we do this, our faithful work in Christ is rewarded and we begin to see how God consistently repeats the same symbolism throughout scripture. We learn from the text, the context, and in what sense it is used throughout. In this way we come to understand what God is illustrating by the word.
The fact is, to really understand the background of the symbolism of the candlesticks (lampstands), we have to go back to the Old Testament where the candlestick was commanded to be put in the Temple of God, and to be kept burning
continually [
tamiyd] by the service of the children of Israel. By this God was prefiguring that He is the light of the Temple of God, and that it is by the service of His servants that it will be kept burning continually. God is the true light of the Temple. And He is the tree which supplies the pure Olive oil (Spirit) for it's burning.
2nd Samuel 22:29
- "For Thou art my Lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness."
The significance in God commanding the children of Israel to keep the lamp of the Temple burning (Leviticus 24:1-3), is to show that the children of God have the work assigned them to keep light burning bright always. And this is the very same job that the Lord has given the New Testament Church today also. God's children today are commanded to keep the light burning continually, as they were commanded to do in the Old Testament congregation. We can clearly see this 'signification' as Jesus told the Church, '
Ye are the light of the world.' This is only because we are in Christ, and He is the true light of the world. And that was the same 'signification' that God was illustrating in the Old Testament ceremonial law of the lampstand (candlestick). Christ was the true focal point of it. He was the light, and they were His servants commissioned to keep it burning always. i.e., work that the light of the Lord would shine always. Unfortunately today, many have forsaken this calling, and forgotten it's history.
Exodus 27:20
- "And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring the pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the Lamp to burn always.
- In the Tabernacle of the congregation without the veil, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the Lord; it shall be a statute FOR EVER unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel."
That Hebrew word translated always is the exact same word [
tamiyd] translated continual. The children of God were to keep that light Shining brightly always in the Holy Temple. It illustrated the precious light of the Lord that shines in darkness. It was their work or service to assure it remained burning by the pure oil of the olive. All these things of the Old Testament (shewbread, spoons, lamps, bowls, etc) of the Tabernacle, were fulfilled in Christ. He was that true light of the Temple that burns continually. That veil in the Temple signifies His Flesh, and the sacrifice blood on the altar a figure of His blood. All these were fulfilled in Christ. To try and bring any of these things of the literal Temple back would be an abomination, and would imply that Christ didn't fulfill them, or that He wasn't what these types looked forward to. The literal ceremonial laws cannot be applicable today. The Candlestick is fulfilled in the light of Christ. And just as the Church takes on the name CHRIST
ian, Holy Temple, Holy City, or Olive Tree, it takes on the name of the Candlestick or the Lampstand of Christ. It is an illustration that they are in the service of keeping the light of the Holy Temple. That is because the Church is the Body of Christ. We are the reflection of Christ in the world, we are the Children of God whose job it is to go forth keeping the light of the Candlestick burning continually just as it was the job of the Old Testament Israelites to do. To this end are we called. And that is why in Revelation we see God use Candlesticks as symbolism for His Church. They illustrate the Children of God in service to the light of Christ. This is not an assumption or idle speculation, God tells us '
point blank' what the symbolism of the Candlesticks are. And He does so both in the book of Revelation, and in other books. From the very first chapter of this apocalypse of Revelation, God had revealed the mystery or secret of the symbolism of the candlestick. We need only receive His explanation of what it is an image of, rather than accept man's speculation. i.e., by that same comparing scripture with scripture and letting God be His own interpreter of His Word.
Revelation 1:20
- "the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden Candlesticks. The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches: and the seven Candlesticks are the seven Churches."
God says the mystery [
musterion], or the secret of the symbolism is revealed. The Candlestick is a symbol of God's Church. The star is a symbol of the messenger of God's Church. So here we have God from the very beginning of the book of Revelation revealing what the imagery of the Candlesticks symbolized. And yet we have theologians who, because of presuppositions or tradition, are looking for any excuse why we are not to understand this symbolism this way just a few chapters later. God interprets the symbolism for us, and He said the seven Candlesticks signified seven Churches. Perfect harmony with the rest of the scripture, because the Church is the representation of the Kingdom of Christ on earth, and it is signified as the light of the World.
And really, why should anyone be surprised at this symbolism? Despite the objections of some, Jesus used this same symbolism for the Church all during His teachings. The sound method in Biblical exegesis is achieved by checking for likeness and differences where these same terms are used throughout scripture. In that way, we find out what God means by spiritual imagery. We don't simply parrot what someone else has taught before, we bear witness to what God teaches.
Luke 8:16
- "No man when he lighteth a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a Candlestick, that they which enter in may see the Light."
Matthew 5:14
- "Ye are the light of the world, A City that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
- neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a Candlestick; and it giveth Light unto all that are in the house."
Here again, we have Jesus Christ Himself using the same Candlestick [
luchnia] to symbolize the Church, and the witnesses work in the New Testament Church as those keeping the light shinning continually, not hiding it, but bringing this light to the World. It doesn't get much plainer than this. And note that Jesus also equates the Church with a 'city' which is set upon a hill. This is the Holy city Jerusalem, the spiritual city of peace and light. And so we have conclusive indisputable evidences throughout scripture that the candlestick symbolizes the Church, the earthly representation of the light of the Lord. There is really no reason for speculation about it symbolizing anything else, unless one is predisposed to believing such ideas. For God Himself reveals the mystery on several diverse fronts.
Will this definition of the two witnesses hold true in the other images God uses for them, such as the two witnesses or the two Olive Trees? Do those also symbolize the Church which is the earthly representation of Christ? Again, we go back to the number one rule of sound hermeneutics, '
the Bible is it's own interpreter.' If we start off with no preconceived ideas about what it signifies, and search out the pertinent scriptures, it's not long before we see that the Olive tree is indeed used by God to symbolize the Church. For example in Hosea 14, speaking of Christ we read:
Hosea 14:5-7
- "I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
- His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the Olive Tree, and his smell as Lebanon."
- They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon."
The Israel of God is ultimately Christ, and the children of God who dwell under the shadow of this tree will have no scorching sun on them. When we are in Christ, we are like a green olive tree in the house of the Lord (Psalms 52:8). This is the Salvation and the hope of the Israel of God. And as we are the light of the world because Christ is the light of the world, so we are the Olive tree because Christ is this Olive tree. He is the Israel of the New Covenant in whom if we abide, we are sons of God. We can see this most clearly in a passage like Romans chapter nine or chapter eleven where the Gentile nations are grafted into New Covenant Israel, which is symbolized by the Olive tree.
Romans 11:17
- "And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;"
Clearly God is using a wild olive tree to symbolize the Gentile nations, and the natural Olive Tree to symbolize the representation of Covenant Israel into which believers are grafted. i.e., we join with Paul and the Apostles into Christ, the true Israel of God (Ephesians 2:11-19) which this Covenant tree merely represents. This is the New Covenant Church, and it is symbolized by the olive tree having Gentiles grafted into it that they become heirs (right along with the Jews) according to the promises to Israel. And so once again we see the Word of God showing just who the olive tree represents. All those Gentiles coming into this Jewish olive tree are the believers coming into the New Covenant Congregation. Those branches of the tree broken off are those of Israel who come under judgment and are blinded. The Jewish brethren who are Saved are the branches in this same tree right along with us. So we see Jewish people and Gentiles, all in the exact same olive tree of Salvation.
Likewise in Zechariah chapter four, the symbolism of two olive trees and the candlestick (lampstand) are signifying the Church.
Zechariah 4:2-6
- "And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
- And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
- So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
- Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
- Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."
The Lampstands and olive tress stand before God, not by their own power or by their own might, but by the Holy Spirit of the Lord. This again illustrating what we've been seeing of the two Witnesses. It is not by any power we have inherently, but because of the power of the Holy Spirit of God given us that we witness or have the testimony of Christ. Not by our own oil, but by the pure oil of the Olive tree. Not by our own light, but by the light of the candle. The two olive trees symbolize the anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth (Zechariah 4:14), not by their own power, but by power of God. This symbolizes the Church, anointed by the Spirit of God. Just as we read that the two Witnesses of Revelation also stand by the Lord of the earth.
Zechariah 4:14
- "Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth."
The same thing revelation chapter eleven says of the two candlestick/olive trees there. They stand before the God of the earth. They are the anointed ones, meaning they are those who are anointed by the Holy Spirit, by being in Christ. The oil for the light is not theirs, it is that given them.
1st John 2:27
- "But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."
So we have seen from God's Word that the Witnesses represent the Church, the Candlesticks represent the Church, and the Olive Tree represents the Church, and that they are the anointed ones who stand before the God of the earth. All roads are leading to the same inescapable conclusion. This imagery represents the Church.
(Continue to next post)
