Revelation 11: A Preterist Commentary–Who are the Two Witnesses?

In the following Preterist Bible commentary on Revelation 11, the reader will be exposed to shocking and compelling Biblical and historical evidence of the historical identity of the two witnesses. According to Revelation 11, the two witnesses were to prophesy openly for 1260 days while stopping the rain during the time in which they were prophesying. These two men were then to be killed by the beast and refused burial. Interestingly, all of the above details are corroborated in first century Roman records concerning Israel’s war with Rome. Two witnesses preached for three and a half years from A.D. 66-A.D. 70 before being killed by the beast, Caesar Titus.

The Identity of the Witnesses and Historical Parallels

Though history confirms these prophecies, some questions must be answered. Why is it that in Revelation 11:4, the two witnesses are called “the two olive trees . . . that stand before the Lord of the earth.” According to Zechariah 4:11-14, the two olive trees that stand before the Lord are the king and high priest. Furthermore, why is it that in the original manuscripts, the Bible uses the singular tense when describing the deaths of the two witnesses in v. 9? Is there an error in the Bible, or is there more to the identity of the two witnesses than meets the eye?

The Case of Jesus the Son of Ananus

There was once a man who prophesied for three and a half years, was hated by the Jewish elite, was flogged by a Roman procurator “yet he did not open his mouth,” and was killed on Passover. If you answered Jesus, you are correct. But I am not speaking of the life of Jesus as it is recorded in the gospels. I am speaking of what could be the post-resurrected Jesus who may have made a brief reappearance at the Feast of Tabernacles in A.D. 62. A farmer or husbandman named Jesus the son of Ananus haunted Israel with powerful warnings of impending doom before the arrival of the Roman army.

Biblical Clues and Realized Eschatology

Was Jesus the son of Ananus Jesus Christ? After Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared to Mary looking like a farmer or gardener (John 20:15). Jesus b. Ananus was also a farmer or gardener. Revelation 10 and 11 imply that the two witnesses are Jesus Christ. Though the Book of Revelation never explicitly identifies the two witnesses as Jesus Christ it does provide many subtle clues throughout these two chapters that all point to this idea. When the collective whole of the evidence is weighed and considered, the idea that Jesus Christ is the two witnesses seems to me to be very compelling.

• The two witnesses prophesied for 1260 days.
• They were killed by the beast, Caesar Titus.
• Jesus the son of Ananus fulfills perhaps all the predictions concerning this figure.
• This would explain how one man could be two witnesses (John 8:18) especially if He came to earth twice, both times with a three and a half year ministry.

In the remainder of this commentary on Revelation 11, I present historical evidence that Jesus the son of Ananus is the two witnesses of Revelation 11. It appears to me that there can be no better candidate for the two witnesses than this man as he seems to fulfill perhaps all the predictions concerning this figure or figures as described in the text. However, most information is taken from unbiased historical records and all information is easily verifiable.