Here’s a thought from the book of Revelation 11.

Seeing that the book of Revelation is full of symbols, the two witnesses could be the People “Church” of the Word of God, Old Testament “Church” and New Testament Church, Jews and Gentiles proclaimers of the Word of God, ( The Spirit of God being the olive tree oil used to light the candle sticks or menorah.)In chapter one Jesus or the LORD said the candlesticks stood before the LORD (Spirit of the LORD).

The candlesticks were the churches, or the ecclesia of God, and the fire that burns up the adversaries, the fires of hell or lake of fire. Now this is just a thought and does not explain the whole thing, but the beast from the pit (of hell, or hellish influence) could certainly be Rome the beast, and later the Roman church being the woman who road the beast.

God’s people, the sum of the two witnesses or lights the world were both persecuted by Rome. People of God taken up to God in the Rapture later. “Come Up Here”. The Prophesy which they carried though at times “dead” could certainly not be buried. Other anti-God, Anti Christ religions used pieces of it obscuring the truth, making it of non-effect or “dead”.

This is just a thought concerning the witnesses.