The two witnesses of Revelation, as “the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth” (Revelation 11:4), are identified for us in Zechariah 4:11-14 as “the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

In the Old Covenant, it was Israel’s priests and kings who were anointed before taking office. For instance, in Zechariah’s vision the two anointed ones were Joshua—the priest—and Zerubbabel—the governor or king. It was these two whom God employed and empowered to build His new temple.

In the New Covenant, Jesus, as the New Covenant’s promised Messiah, which means “Anointed One,” is both the “King of kings” and the “High Priest” (Revelation 17:14; 19:16; Hebrews 3:1; 4:14). It is He whom the Father employed and empowered to “raise up” His new temple in the world, which is the bride and body of Christ, the church.

• “Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.” (John 2:18-22)
• “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)

Christians, a word which actually means “anointed ones,” have been “made kings and priests unto God” by Christ (Revelation 1:6; 5:10). We have been employed and empowered by Him to build His new temple—the church—in this world.

The two witnesses of Revelation are those who “stand before the Lord of all the earth.” (Revelation 11:4; Zechariah 4:14). In the Old Testament, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of the priests, was said to have been “separated” unto the Lord, “to stand before the Lord and to minister to Him” (Deuteronomy 10:8). Likewise, the Old Testament prophets were said “to stand before the Lord” (1 Kings 17:1). This speaks to the fact that the ministries of both the priests and the prophets were dependent upon God’s continual presence and were performed under God’s all-seeing eye.

As God’s priests and prophets today, those charged with attending to God’s house, Christ’s church, and commissioned to preach Christ’s Gospel, Christians need to be continually aware of the fact that we “stand before the Lord of all the earth.” We are continually in need of His presence (John 15:5) and are continually under His all-seeing eye (Hebrews 4:13). As the Apostle Paul charged the young minister Timothy: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:1-2).

According to 2 Corinthians 5:10, all Christians, Christ’s priests and prophets, “must” someday “appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” We shall all give an account to Christ of how faithfully we ministered to Him in His church and how faithfully we preached His message in the world. How faithful are you in keeping Christ’s charge to see after His church and Christ’s commission to be a His witness to others, especially your family and friends?

Do you remember the story of how Moses killed an Egyptian? The Bible says he “looked this way and that way” before striking down a cruel Egyptian taskmaster who was “smiting” a Hebrew slave (Exodus 2:12). Like Moses, we often attempt to assure ourselves that no one is watching what we’re doing. We look this way and that way to assure ourselves of no witnesses to our unlawful behavior toward others and our unfaithfulness to God.  Still, like Moses, we forget to look up! Somebody is watching; in fact, somebody is always watching!

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