An older Catholic commentary on Revelation can be found
here. On the menu on the left of the screen, select “New Testament”, “Final Book”, “Revelation”, “Chapters”, Chapters 11-20", “Chapter 11”. The verses with commentary are indicated with blue verse numbers. Just click on the verse number to see the commentary. The commentary should appear in the lower main window.
**CHAP. XI., VER. 3. **--
My two witnesses . . . shall prophesy twelve hundred and sixty days. It is a very common interpretation, that by these two witnesses must be understood Henoch [Enoch] and Elias [Elijah], who are to come before the end of the world. It is true this is what we read in several of the ancient fathers, insomuch, that Dr. Wells, in his paraphrase, calls it the “consent of the primitive fathers,” and in his notes says, it is of “unexceptionable authority.” This opinion (at least as to Elias) is grounded on those words of the prophet Malachy, (
chap. iv. 5.)
Behold, I will send you Elias, the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and also on the words of our Saviour Christ, (
Matt. xvii. 11,) where he tells his disciples:
Elias indeed shall come, and restore all things. But I cannot say that the consent of the fathers is so unanimous as to Henoch: for we find by S. Hilary, that some thought Jeremy was to come with Elias, and he himself thought that with Elias would come Moses. See his commentary on Matt. p. 710, nov. edit. Secondly, allowing it a received opinion that Henoch and Elias are again to come before the day of judgment, yet it is not the constant doctrine of the ancient Fathers, that by these
two witnesses in this place of the Apocalypse, must be understood Henoch and Elias. S. Cyprian expounds it of two sorts of martyrs for the Catholic faith; to wit, they who suffer death, and others who only suffered imprisonment, loss of goods, and the like. Others expound it of the testimonies concerning Christ and his Church, of which some are in the Old Testament, some in the New. To these we must join all those interpreters who expound all the visions and predictions in the Apocalypse, till the 20th chapter, of the persecutions raised by the Jews; or by the heathens against the Church, which have already happened. Of these, both as to ancient Fathers and later interpreters, see Alcazar in his Prolegomena, note 6, p. 33, and note 12, p. 48. Wi. –
Two witnesses. It is commonly understood of Henoch and Elias. Ch.
:twocents: Personally, I think most of Revelation is about the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. So, I think, the two witnesses are Moses and Elijah, who represent the Law and the Prophets which testify to Jesus Christ. Their deaths, resurrection, and ascension represent the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.
