The two witnesses are not symbolically exhibited, but are referred to by an elliptical metaphor, and are explained to be the "two olive-trees, and the two candlesticks." Therefore, they are not two living men, as some suppose, shown to John in vision, symbolizing analogous agents; but their nature is to be determined by a consideration of the olive-trees and candlesticks which symbolize them.
Candlesticks symbolize churches. Thus the Saviour said to John: "The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches," 1:20. When "men light a candle," they put "it on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house," Matt. 5:15. The candlestick does not originate, but sustains the light in a position to be seen and exert a beneficial influence. It is thus that the church is said to be "the light of the world," and is required to let her light "shine before men," _Ib._ vs. 14-16,--_i.e._ She is to disseminate the light committed to her; and in so doing, she becomes a _witness_ for Jesus.
The church comprises all the holy persons who have lived on earth, and is symbolized by two candlesticks, corresponding to the two dispensations of its existence. Those who lived under the former dispensation, are called "a great cloud of witnesses," Heb. 12:1. Of Christ, "give all the prophets witness," Acts 10:43. They constitute the voice of the church in that age. Under the gospel dispensation, also, Christ had chosen witnesses of himself. He said to his disciples, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth," (_Ib._ 1:8); and they said, "We are his witnesses," _Ib._ 5:32. "We are witnesses of all things which he did, ... witnesses chosen before of God," (_Ib._ 10:39-41);--"his witnesses unto the people," _Ib._ 13:31. They and their successors have "testified and preached the word of the Lord," (_Ib._ 8:25), overcoming "by the word of their testimony," (Rev. 12:11),--many of them being "slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held," 6:9. The church, one in all ages, symbolized by the two candlesticks, is thus a _witness_ of Jesus.
The two olive-trees, symbolize the other witness, which must sustain a relation to the church, analogous to that sustained by the olive-trees to the candlesticks. The declaration, that the witnesses are _the_ two olive-trees and candlesticks, implies the existence of some previous symbolization, where those objects and their relation to each other are presented. And the connection shows clearly that reference is made to the vision, wherein Zechariah beheld "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," Zech. 4:2, 3. The relation which the olive-trees sustain to the candlestick, is shown by the questions of the prophet: "What are these, my Lord?" (_Ib._ v. 4); "What are these two olive-trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? What be these two olive-branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?" _Ib._ vs. 11, 12. The office of the olive-trees, was to supply the candlestick with oil which alone enabled them to give light. The oil of the olive-tree, was burned before the Lord continually. The light committed to the church, is the truth of God's word. And thus the angel explains the meaning of the olive-trees: "This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel," (_Ib._ v. 6); "These are the two anointed ones [_mar_, sons of oil], that stand by the Lord of the whole earth," _Ib._ v. 14. And this expression, corresponding with that in Rev. 11:4, shows that this vision of Zechariah is the one referred to, and that it is explanatory of the witnesses.