The Book of Revelation is notoriously difficult to interpret. As a result, throughout the ages people have imposed onto the text something that they want the text to mean instead of trying to unpack what the author, John the Seer intended the text to mean. The Book of Revelation has nothing to say about atomic weapons or communism! To correctly understand the book you must enter into the world of the author instead of imagining he lives in our world. With that said, the text is still hard to understand! Take this passage: Here are my two witnesses: These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If you google those words you’ll get dozens of explanations. My own thought flows from the fact that olives provided the oil that the lampstands used in the Biblical world. The olive trees provide the power, the lampstands provide the light. This might be intended to mean that we have power through the word of God and light from the community that lives out that word. And why two? Perhaps the author is reminding us that the Word of God was given to both the Jewish people and to Christians. Both testaments are sources of revelation. Even if that is not what the author intended it is still a good lesson!
