How do the powers in Revelation 11:6 demonstrate God's authority over creation? setting verse 11:6 in its story Revelation 11 introduces two divinely appointed witnesses who prophesy for 1,260 days. Verse 6 details the supernatural authority entrusted to them: “These witnesses have power to shut the heavens so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every plague as often as they wish.” what powers are listed • Shutting the heavens—drought • Turning waters into blood • Striking the earth with every plague, “as often as they wish” echoes of earlier Scripture • Elijah and the drought: 1 Kings 17:1; James 5:17 • Moses and the Nile turned to blood: Exodus 7:17-21 • Moses and the series of plagues: Exodus 7–12 God once used these men to confront idolatry and oppression; in Revelation He re-uses the same signs to confront a rebellious world. The repetition confirms His consistency and supreme authorship. God’s mastery over every realm of creation 1. The heavens (atmosphere & weather) – “He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning.” Job 37:11 – Power to halt rain belongs to Him and Him alone; He delegates it temporarily to His servants. 2. The waters (seas, rivers, springs) – “The earth is the LORD’s… and all who dwell in it.” Psalm 24:1 – Turning water to blood shows He controls life’s basic element, just as at Cana Jesus turned water to wine (John 2:1-11). 3. The earth (land, ecosystems, health) – Plagues touch crops, livestock, human bodies. “I form light and create darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.” Isaiah 45:7 Every sphere—sky, sea, soil—responds to its Maker, displaying that creation is no closed system but an instrument in His hand. delegated authority highlights ultimate authority • The witnesses act “as often as they wish,” yet that wish is bound to their prophetic mission. Their liberty flows from God’s commission, not personal power. • Acts 17:28 declares, “For in Him we live and move and have our being.” Even miraculous agents depend on the Sustainer. • John 5:19: “The Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it.” If the sinless Son functioned by dependence, so do His witnesses. Christ: the climactic proof Colossians 1:16-17—“All things were created through Him and for Him… in Him all things hold together.” Mark 4:39—Jesus calms the wind and waves with a word, a living demonstration that the authority glimpsed in Moses, Elijah, and the two witnesses rests fully in Christ. why it matters today • Confidence: Natural law is not an independent force; it serves God’s purposes. • Urgency: The plagues are previews of final judgment, urging repentance while mercy is offered (2 Peter 3:9). • Hope: The same power that controls drought and plague also promises a restored creation—“Behold, I make all things new.” Revelation 21:5 |
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