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 [pg 123] 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.
The Scriptures, as well as the church, testify of Christ: “Search the Scriptures,” said the Saviour, speaking of those then written; “they are they which testify [or bear witness] of me,” (John 5:39); and of the New Testament, he said: “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations,” Matt. 24:4. Like two olive-trees supplying the candlesticks with oil, the Scriptures of the Old, and of the New Testament give light to the church, and testify of Christ. They stand on either side of him,—the one beginning with the creation and pointing to a Messiah to come, testifying of him by types [pg 124] and shadows; and the other looking back to the death and resurrection of Christ, and cheering the heart of the believer by the evidence of his second coming at the end of the world. Thus stood within the oracle of the temple the two cherubim, which Solomon made “of olive-tree,” and whose wings met over the ark of the covenant: “He set the cherubim within the inner house, and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubim, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house,” 1 Kings 6, 27. Thus symbolized, the Scriptures and the church are Christ's two witnesses.
To prophesy, is to make known the truths of God. Thus, at the epoch of the Reformation, they were to prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues and kings, 10:11. It was to enable the witnesses to do this, that the necessary power was to be given them.
Sackcloth, is a symbol of humiliation and sorrow; and the witnesses being thus clothed, indicates that during the time specified, they should be in a despised and oppressed condition.
The one thousand two hundred and sixty days, symbolize years. God said to Israel, after the evil report of the twelve spies: [pg 125] “Your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years ... after the number of the days which ye searched the land,” Num. 14:33, 34. And to Ezekiel, “This shall be a sign to the house of Israel: Lie thou upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it, ... for I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days.... And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year,” Ezek. 4:3-6.
This period of one thousand two hundred and sixty years, is not the whole time in which the witnesses prophesy, but marks the duration of their prophesying in sackcloth. It commenced when the light of the Bible began to be obscured by the secondary place which was accorded to it in the estimation of the Papal church, and the living witnesses were no longer permitted to preach the gospel in its purity.
In A. D. 533, the Emperor Justinian, wrote a letter to the Pope declaring him to be “the head of all the holy churches,” and subjecting to his control “all the priests of the whole East.” By the edicts and mandates of Justinian, who was master of the Roman world, the supremacy of the Pope received the fullest sanction; and the highest authorities [pg 126] among the civilians and annalists of Rome, refer to these as evidence of the right of the Pope to the title of “Universal Bishop,” and date it from A. D. 533. p. [200].
With this supremacy, the power of the Papacy commenced. The Bible was permitted only in a dead language, and the faithful Christian was obliged to seek refuge in the wilderness. False doctrines obscuring the Bible, and persecuting enactments oppressing the church, clothed the witnesses in sackcloth; and thus only did they testify, till the power of the papacy was broken.
Fire proceeded out of their mouth, when they made known the fiery judgments predicted in the Scriptures against all their enemies. And they shut heaven, smite with plagues, turn water to blood, &c., when, in accordance with the inspired record, are fulfilled the predictions which, in various places, are thus symbolized.—See Rev. 15:6; 16:4, &c.
The finishing of their testimony, refers to the termination of the sackcloth period,—twelve hundred and sixty years from A. D. 533; i.e. in 1793,—if the former date is correct.