I believe the two witnesses are symbolic of the SpiritFilled church which will rise up against the beast, resisting his policies, denouncing his wickedness and proclaiming the coming judgment Zec 4:1-7.<p>The reasoning for this is that the testimony of two men is deemed sure Joh 8:17.<p>The fact that they witness for the same period of time (3 1/2 years) in which the GreatTribulation occurs is significant.<p>Those who reject the mark, name and number of the beast will be singled out for persecution.  <p>Since those SpiritFilled believers use every means possible to warn the people of the earth against the beast, his policies and his control, they are enemies of ^the state^.  Accordingly they will be put to death.<p>The 3 1/2 days in which they lie in the street is symbolic of the short span of time in which the beast and his followers rejoice over their ^defeat^ of Christianity.<p>The sackcloth indicates that the message they preach is one of judgment and destruction.