Two Witnesses

Homily for Saturday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Today’s reading from the Book of Revelation is filled with symbols and images that are confusing and somewhat disturbing. The symbols and images are all taken out of the Hebrew Scriptures and brought forward into the New Testament by John of Patmos.

We are introduced to two witnesses who are referred to as two olive trees and two lampstands. At various times in the history of Biblical scholarship, these two witnesses have been identified as Joshua and Zerubbabel, or as Elijah and Moses, or as Peter and Paul.

The Prophet Zechariah tells us the story of Joshua and Zerubbabel, the religious and civic leaders respectively, who rebuilt the Temple at the end of the Babylonian captivity.

Other have called them Elijah and Moses, the representatives of the Law and the prophets, who appeared with Jesus on the occasion of his Transfiguration on Mt. Horeb.  The sacred writer tells us that those who stand against them are consumed by fire recalling the prophet who called down fire upon his enemies during the time of King Ahaziah.  Elijah also closed up the sky producing a great famine.  Moses, of course, is remembered as the one who brought the ten plagues upon Egypt during his struggle with Pharoah.

The description that is offered here also lends credence to the notion that they represent Peter and Paul, both of whom lost their lives in the defense of the Gospel during the reign on Emperor Nero who is frequently referred to as the great beast which comes forth from the deep.  Like Joshua and Zerubbabel, these two represent the new Temple, the Body of Christ, formed by the believing communities which they served. The sacred writer portrays these two as rising the dead and ascending into heaven and just as Jesus had done before them.

No matter how we read this passage or how we identify these two witnesses, the conclusion we draw from it is in complete agreement with the purpose of the Book of Revelation; namely, to reassure those who are suffering in the persecution of Rome that the final victory will be theirs.  We will join with them when we come to the end of our lives and join them where there is no more suffering, no more tears, no more sadness.