Who are These Two?

Zechariah 4:12-14
(12) Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”
(13) He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”
“No, my lord,” I said.
(14) So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.”

Zechariah is told that these two are anointed to serve God. Who are these two? The book of Zechariah has two major characters. Zerubbabel the governor of Judah, a civic leader appointed by God for God’s service, Haggai 2:23 and Zechariah 4:6-7. The second major character is Joshua the high priest, the religious leader, and the spiritual leader of the community, Zechariah 3:1. Some interpreters have concluded that the two olive branches are Zerubbabel and Joshua, but are they?

While chapter four focuses on Zerubbabel and Chapter three focuses on Joshua, the two are not separate. We cannot exclude Joshua from this interpretation because while we now see the chapter demarcation, those chapters were not used by the original writer. The chapters were introduced later. Therefore, without the demarcation of chapters, Joshua becomes part of the same story as Zerubbabel.

Zerubbabel represents the secular governments. Joshua represents the religious establishment. The two institutions exist throughout time beyond the life of Zerubbabel and Joshua. These two institutions are the ones anointed to serve God. It is obvious that religious organizations serve God. What about secular governments? How are secular governments anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth?

Romans 13:1-2
(1) Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. (2) Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

The Bible teaches that secular authorities that govern us are appointed by God. We have a Christian responsibility to obey them. These civic governments create an environment that enables the church to safely operate. Therefore secular civic leaders are also anointed to serve God, the same way as religious leaders are appointed to serve God.

If there are fraud religious leaders who are not appointed by God, there are also fraud governments that have not been ordained by God. However, God has permitted them to be in place. He doesn’t approve of their methods and activities but He permits them to run the show for ultimately His own glory and their shame that they won’t escape. Who are these two in our text today? Who are these two serving God? These are, first, religious establishments and then, civic governments.

Revelation 11:3-4
(3) And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” (4) They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”
Revelation 11:7
Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.
Revelation 11:9-10
(9) For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. (10) The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

Revelation chapter eleven has got several twos that need to be interpreted. Two witnesses. Two olive trees. Two prophets. All of them refer to one and the same thing. The two have been correctly interpreted by various Bible students as representing the Old (OT) and New Testament (NT).

The OT and NT served God as witnesses to the truth that was threatened during the papal reign of 538AD to 1798AD (1260 years or prophetic days). During these 1260 years, government and church came together, the Pope who is the Bishop of Rome also became head of the Roman government, and the church and state became one thing. The truth was compromised. The government and the church that God had appointed to serve Him had now failed Him. However, God still had OT and NT as His witnesses in this era.

While God has anointed the government and the church to serve Him, when they fail for one reason or another, God’s word remains to be the reliable witness. During 1260 years the word of God was killed and replaced with human traditions, but it was not buried. It was not buried means they were still accessible.

The two prophets tormented those who live on earth. The OT and NT when correctly interpreted will torment the people of the earth who resist its truth. OT and NT are the two witnesses of our time today. They are the two witnesses we rely on when civic government and the church fail to be faithful to God.

Our safety is living lives that are in line with the two witnesses OT and NT. We must be wary when dealing with civic and religious organizations so that we don’t get misled to oppose God. The only reliable two witnesses are OT and NT. May God help us to aline our lives to the two God-given witnesses in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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