During the 1260 years of the dark ages - the two witnesses that the bible identifies testify under oppression and persecution.
2 Tim 3:16 "ALL scripture is given by inspiration from God"
2Peter 1:20-21 "Holy men of old moved by the Holy Spirit - spoke from God"
Zech 4
3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the Word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth."
Ps 119:105 "Thy WORD is a Lamp unto My feet and a LIGHT unto my Path"
Heb 4:12 "The WORD of God is living and active and sharper than a two edged sword"
The two witnesses are the "Word of God" - and it was denied the people, burned, banned - chained to the pulpit... until the printing press began churning out Bibles in the language of the people - it started in the mid 15th century.
The dark ages were a time not only of the oppression of the saints - but also of suppression of the Bible.
As it turns out -- after the fall of Pagan Rome - we have the rise of Papal Rome.
Papal Rome does persecute the saints, does suppress the Bible, does dominate for 1260 years, does become larger than any of the original 10 divisions of Pagan Rome - larger in fact than all of them combined Dan 7:20, it does make claims to be equal to God Dan 8:11 "God on earth" as the Pope said - does encounter a "deadly wound" in 1798 as Rev 13 predicts - at the end of those 1260 years.
in Christ,
Bob