They are probably Michael and Gabriel. Consider this:
Revelations 11:1-3 “Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the court which is outside the] temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant
authority to my two witnesses…”
Where else do you find this parallel passage?
Zechariah 2:1-3 “Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold,
there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.” 3 And behold,
the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and
another angel was coming out to meet him,”
Hmmm…looks a bit suspicious here. This isn’t proof right here, but the comparisons are undeniable.
Revelations 11:4 “4 These are the
two olive trees and the two lampstands
that stand before the Lord of the earth.”
Again look at the parallel in Zechariah 4:
Zechariah 4:1-2 “He said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; 3 also
two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.”
And further on asking a second time who these olive trees are:
Zechariah 4:11-14 “11 Then I said to him, “
What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” 12 And I answered the second time and said to him, “
What are the two olive [e]branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden
oil from themselves?” 13 So he answered me, saying, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “
These are the two [f]anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.”
Now I don’t know how one cannot at least acknowledge similarities here. But how do we know they are Michael and Gabriel? Let’s go back to where we first find 2 olive trees.
1 Kings 6:23 “ Also in the inner sanctuary he made
two cherubim [angels] of olive wood, each ten cubits high.”
This is speaking of the sanctuary and what does it tell us about the earthly being an image of?
Hebrews 8:5 “who serve the copy
and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See
that you make all things
according to the pattern shown you on the mountain”
The pattern on earth was a direct replica of what it looked like in the heavenlies. Now Zacharias while performing his priestly duties was met by an angel, and what did he say?
Luke 1:19 “And the angel answered and said to him, “
I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God…”
There were only 2 angels ever named in the bible (not including lucifer). And what does Gabriel say about Michael?
Daniel 10:21 “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one
who stands firmly with me against these
forces except
Michael your prince”
Knowing there were 2 angels in the sanctuary, and Gabriel being one, Michael must be the other as this passage means they stand together against the forces. I don’t know of anywhere else in the bible of anybody, Moses, Elijah, Enoch as being referenced as the olive trees. I believe these passages speak that the two witnesses will be two angels. Gabriel and most likely Michael. Michael is the leader of God’s armies (Revelation 12:7) and his name means asked as a rhetorical question, Who is like God? Gabriel means, Strong man of God?
But the're angels, and not human? Angels can take on human form and there are many examples of such.
Genesis 18:22 “Then the
men turned away from there and went toward
Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the Lord.”
Genesis 19:1 “Now the two
angels came to
Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw
them, he rose to meet them and bowed down
with his face to the ground.”
Hebrews 13:2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
This is the cliff notes version, but I don’t see how it cannot be any clearer who the Bible points to who the two witnesses are.
