Revelation 11:5-6

And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy:

And have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

These are no ordinary preachers.

By the time we come to this part of Revelation 11, the two witnesses are no longer just mysterious figures clothed in sackcloth. Now we begin to see the kind of power the Lord places upon them. If men try to destroy them, judgment falls. They have authority to shut the heavens so rain does not come. They have power over water to turn it to blood. They can strike the earth with plagues as often as they will.

That kind of ministry points our minds in a very specific direction.

One of these men seems clearly to be Elijah. Who else in Scripture is so closely linked with fire and drought? In 2 Kings 1, Elijah called down fire in judgment. In James 5:17, we are told he prayed and the heavens gave no rain for three years and six months. Then there is the fact that Elijah never died in the ordinary way, but was taken up in a whirlwind, with a chariot of fire and horses of fire in 2 Kings 2:11. And Malachi closes the Old Testament with the promise that Elijah would come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

That is why so many believe Elijah will be one of these two witnesses. And I think that makes very good sense.

The second witness seems to point strongly to Moses. The miracles match him in a striking way. In Exodus, Moses was used by God to bring plagues upon Egypt. Water was turned to blood. The land was smitten again and again. Then there is that unforgettable scene on the Mount of Transfiguration, where it is Moses and Elijah who appear with Jesus in glory. Moses standing for the law. Elijah standing for the prophets. The law and the prophets both bearing witness to Christ.

There is also that curious note in Jude 9 about Michael the archangel disputing with the devil over the body of Moses. Scripture does not explain the reason, so we should be careful not to press the point too far. But it is one of those details that has led many to think Moses may yet have a future role in God’s prophetic program. Some would even mention John as a possibility because of Revelation 10:11, where he is told, “Thou must prophesy again,” along with the fact that Scripture gives no record of his death. That said, John 21:22-23 specifically corrects the rumor that Jesus had said John would not die, so I still think Moses remains the stronger view. 

Now, I would not be dogmatic in a way the text itself is not. Revelation 11 does not name the two witnesses outright. But I do think the signs point most strongly to Elijah and Moses.

And even more important than identifying them is seeing what their ministry says.

It says God will not be mocked.
It says God will not be silent.
It says God will still have a witness in the worst hour of human history.

These men are not soft voices in a corner. They are not timid religious figures trying to blend in. They stand in sackcloth, with heaven behind them, speaking in days when the world is deep in rebellion. The mercy of God is seen even there, because before judgment falls fully, witness still goes forth. Warning still goes out. Truth still stands in the street.