THE question often is asked, "Who will be the two witnesses of Rev. 11?" A question very easily answered, I think, when we consider the case of Moses and Elias.
First, as to Elias; the connection between him and John the Baptist, the Elias of his day (Matt. 11:1414And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. (Matthew 11:14)), coupled with the fact that John testified during the first half of the last week, and that the witnesses hereafter will prophesy through the first half of the week yet to come, surely favors the thought that Elias will be one of the witnesses.
Then, secondly, as to Moses and Elias: we read that the former of these turned the waters, of Egypt to blood, that he smote the land with different plagues: while in answer to the prayer of the latter, it rained net on the earth for three years and a half. Answering exactly to all that will occur in the days of the witnesses. These thoughts are familiar to those who have considered this subject, and to me they seem to be, I confess, very strong arguments.
And now I proceed to mention a thought of my own on this, subject, It was the law of Moses that an Israelite suspected of murder, was not to suffer death under the testimony of one witness; two at least were required to convict him. Now this seems to me to bear on the Lord's way with His people, the Jews, as a nation, in this way. The sin of murder in the Levitical law always points, it appears, to the great deed of blood of which Israel is guilty-that of putting their Messiah to death; and so, hereafter, when Jehovah is about to avenge the cause of His Son-to wreak His vengeance on the murderous nation which slew Him, still true to Himself, He will not convict them, I believe, save under the testimony of two, who actually beheld the whole scene, who saw' Jesus nailed to the tree. And what if these witnesses be Moses and Elias? The fact of their appearing on earth in the vision on the mount with the Lord, and there speaking with Him of His approaching decease that He Was to accomplish at Jerusalem, looks as though they were brought back to this earth, one from the grave, the other from heaver, in order to witness His death, and the sin of the people therein. And not only so, but hereafter in accordance with this, that they will return again to the world, in order, while the apostate Jews are bowing down to the beast, to witness against him, as well as against the nation stained with the blood of the Just One. Why, it may be asked, should Moses and Elias especially be selected by God for this purpose, above all others in Israel? The answer appears to be this, "All the prophets and the law prophesied until John," said our Lord. Now Moses being the dispenser of the law; and Elias, on the other hand, a prophet so great in the sight of the Lord, as actually to have been taken to heaven without passing "through death, it would seem that none were more suited than they to represent the law and the prophets, and convict Israel of sin in slaying their King.
In connection with this', the contention between Michael the archangel and Satan for the body of Moses is very remarkable. The Lord, as we read, took especial care of the body; He Himself buried it in a valley in the land of Moab; where, no man was suffered to know; Satan, on the Other hand, tried to possess himself of it, his object therein being, it would seem, if possible, to get one of the witnesses out of the way, and so hinder the Lord, who must ever be true to His own righteous principles, from convicting the Jews of their sin. Not that Satan, of course, had any desire to screen them from the just indignation of God. No, by no means his object in this would be Jehovah Himself, who, of course, is bound to act according to the law which He has established between Himself and His people. Could Satan by any means hinder sin—even the sin of killing the Lord—from receiving its due punishment, then God would cease to be what He is, a being "of purer eyes than to behold evil;" confusion and darkness at once would find their way into His kingdom; and so His glory, His name would be tarnished forever.
Then, again, the wicked taunt of the Jews, when Jesus in the midst of His sufferings, called on the Father, seems likewise to bear on the subject. "This man calleth for Elias. Let us see whether Elias will come to save him and take him down," said they in their folly and blindness, not well knowing what they said. But Satan, the great mover of all, who put" this impious taunt into their lips, knew the full import of these blasphemous words, it being his object to make it appear that the Lord had lost His confidence in His Father, and that now, in His extremity, He was calling on a creature for help. This, to my mind, strongly favors the thought that Elias was there, actually an eye-witness of the whole scene on Mount Calvary. And supposing he was, how wondrously gracious it was of the Lord that he was not suffered to take the Jews at their word, to take Him down from the cross, and thereby undo the whole work of redemption.