11 There actually is but one Lampstand—the Lord Jesus Christ.

The number ten often is associated with the world. The ten lamp stands of Solomon’s Temple speak of Christ being the Light of the world.

The number seven symbolizes the complete work of redemption: Naaman dipped seven times in Jordan; the blood was sprinkled seven times before the Mercy Seat; there are seven feasts of the Lord; and so forth. Therefore, the seven lamp stands of the first chapter of Revelation may be speaking of the completeness of Christ’s work of redemption in the churches in the earth.

Christ has "the seven Spirits of God" (Revelation 3:1)—the fullness of the Light and Life of God.

What about the two lamp stands? The number two signifies, as we have stated, the legality of the witness and also the double portion of authority and power that will come upon the judged-and-prepared (measured) saints in the end-time—those who are worshiping in the Temple of God at the Altar of Incense, to speak figuratively.

The fact that there now are two lamp stands, instead of the one of the fourth chapter of Zechariah, may indicate an additional truth.

Remember, there is only one Lampstand, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is only one true Light of the world.

But what has been taking place throughout the Christian Era? The main work of the Christian Era, the object of the labours of the four ministries given by the ascended Christ (the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers), is the building and perfecting of the Body of Christ, which is the body, the fullness, of the one true Lampstand.

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Ephesians 4:12) Which [the Church] is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:23)

We would submit, therefore, that the change from the one lamp stand of Zechariah, Chapter Four to the two lamp stands of Revelation, Chapter 11 signifies that in the closing days of the Church Age there will exist a counterpart, a fullness of Christ who will work together with the Lord in bearing the witness of the soon coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth.

The "second Lamp stand" is not separate from Christ but is part of Christ. It is the part of Christ’s Church, of His Body, of the Wife of the Lamb, that is on the earth during the closing period of the Church Age.

The second Lamp stand is the Church of the last days, as we understand it. The Church of the last days will be a holy remnant, being filled with unprecedented glory and then purified by the fires of the great tribulation.

The second Lamp stand will have seven lamps, as is true of the first Lamp stand. This signifies that the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the seven Spirits of God, will be given to the holy remnant of saints so the witness may be perfect and complete.

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them [the members of His Body]; that they may be one, even as we are one: (John 17:22)

The precedent for "two witnesses" who yet are one Person is found in the Gospel of John: It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. (John 8:17,18)

When Christ walked the shores of Galilee the people nearby could see only one Person. Yet there were two People walking as one. Two witnesses were present in one Person.

So it will be true in the last days that the saints will be seen as individuals. Yet there actually will be two people who are bearing witness: the saint, and also the Lord Jesus Christ who is dwelling in him.

Was it Jesus who spoke and who performed the powerful miracles or was it the Father?

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (John 14:10)

For two thousand years men have striven to bear witness of Christ. In the last days it will be Christ Himself dwelling in the members of His Body who will bear witness of Himself and of the soon coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth. Having Christ Himself bear witness will require dying to self-will and to personal ambition on the part of each saint who participates in the revival.

As far as we know, there is no scriptural basis for interpreting a lamp stand, or lamp stands, as meaning anything other than Christ or a Christ-filled church. The Lampstand is Christ. It is solid, refined gold.

Christ is the Light of the world. He has given to us to be the light (not the lights) of the world (Matthew 5:14). There is only one Lampstand, one Light of the world. Each of the members of the Body of Christ is part of the one true Light of the world, provided Christ is living and bearing witness in him. No human being is a light of the world if Christ, who is the only true Light, is not living and bearing witness in him.

As in the case of the Father and the Son, it is not we saints who are bearing witness of God, it is Christ in us who is bearing witness of God. There are two witnesses—Christ, and the members of His Body.

Also, we can do no witnessing apart from the Holy Spirit’s power, apart from the "oil" of the "Lampstand." But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost [Oil] is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

If Christ is lifted up He will draw all men to Himself. The testimony of the Christian Church always must be the revealing of Christ, who is the only true Light of the world.

Whenever the churches call attention to themselves, to their building programs, missionary activities, and so forth, they fail God.

We of the Body of Christ have but one mission in life. That mission is to reveal Christ, the Light of the world. The two witnesses of Revelation, Chapter 11 have but one mission in life. That mission is to reveal Christ, the Light of the world.

The Scripture does not give the details of the message the two witnesses will preach. It is stated that "they shall prophesy," that they will be defended spiritually until their testimony is "finished," that they will have the authority to "strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they will," and that they will torment those who dwell on the earth.

Although the message they preach is not set forth in the Book of Revelation, they are "witnesses." Witnesses of whom?—of what?

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14)

Revelation, Chapter 11 suggests that the testimony of the two witnesses will be the last earth-wide testimony to be given before the "end" comes, that is, the end of the Christian testimony in the cities of the earth. The witnesses will prophesy for 3-1/2 years and then their dead bodies will "lie in the street" for 3-1/2 days. After that they will stand on their feet and ascend into the heaven (probably into the clouds in the sky—compare Acts 1:11).

Immediately the seventh angel will sound his trumpet. It then will be time for the Lord Jesus Christ to assume ruler ship over the kingdoms of the world; for the judgment of the dead; for the issuing of rewards to the servants of Christ (Revelation 11:15-18).

Jesus stated that the Gospel of the Kingdom is to be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, and that then the end of the Christian witness would come. Since the two witnesses prophesy to all nations and then the end comes, we have grounds to believe Matthew 24:14 and Revelation, Chapter 11 are speaking of the same event.

It appears that the two witnesses will preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, the same message preached by two other witnesses—John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The message of the Gospel of the Kingdom includes the good news of salvation through the atoning blood of Christ, repentance, water baptism, the resurrection and return to earth of Christ, the establishing of the Kingdom of God as the chief government of the world, the doing of the will of God in the earth as it is in Heaven, and the supreme, unopposed Lordship of Christ over all persons everywhere.

It is important for us to realize the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is a witness to the peoples of the world. It is a testimony of both the love of God and the wrath of God.

The Divine testimony will cause some people to forsake sin and rebellion and turn to God in repentance and adoration. The same testimony will cause other people to become hardened in their sin and rebellion.

The fact that some persons have become hardened and more rebellious does not mean the Divine testimony has not been given.

It is the Lord who saves people and adds them to the Church. Every saint ought to do everything in his or her power, as the Spirit enables, to guide the lost sinner home to the family of God.

But the purpose of the Church of Christ, the Lampstand of God, is to bear witness of the love and the wrath of God, of His redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ, of the supreme Lordship of Christ, of the righteousness and holiness of God and the righteousness and holiness required of those who would enter God’s Kingdom, of the Day of Judgment that is at the door.

The Church of Christ is the Lampstand, the prophet of God among men, the light of the world, revealing the righteous deeds and the miracle-working power that proceed only from the Holy Spirit of God.

The Christian churches of our day emphasize "getting souls saved." This is to place the cart in front of the horse. The scriptural emphasis is on building the members of the Body of Christ into the Lampstand, into the Divine testimony.

The New Testament Epistles do not contain many exhortations to the saints to "get souls saved." Of course, we are concerned about the salvation of our family members, our neighbours, and all the peoples of the earth. We are not diminishing the need for the work of evangelism.

The emphasis of the Epistles is on the building of the saints, the Divine testimony in the earth. When the saints are full of holiness and power, men will see their good works and glorify God. When the Church is one in Christ in God, the world will believe God has sent Christ to be the Saviour and Lord of all men. This is scriptural.

The writings of the Apostles emphasize the building of the Body of Christ in love and holiness. The ministries of the Spirit are given for the purpose of building the saints into "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).

Christ is the Lampstand, the Testimony of God. When we are built into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ we are formed into the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Lampstand, into the Divine Testimony. The Epistles emphasize the faith and the behaviour of the saints because godly behaviour is an important part of the testimony.

Back to The Two Witnesses