I want to begin with two stories. There once was a man by the name of Moses, and God used him mightily. God had called Moses to be a redeemer to the people of Israel who had been enslaved in Egypt for a number of years, and it was time for Israel to be set free and return to the land that God had promised Abraham and his descendants. God had Moses go to Pharaoh and demand that Pharaoh let Israel go. But Pharaoh did not listen, his heart was hard; partially on his own doing but also by God’s doing. Over the course of time God had Moses to call down different forms of plagues, ten in total, including: the plague of water turning into blood, plague of frogs, plague of gnats, plague of flies, the plague where Egyptian livestock died, plague of boils, plague of hail, plague of locusts, plague of darkness, and the plague of the death of every Egyptian firstborn child. And after that, Pharaoh agreed to release the people from bondage, and Israel began their exodus back to the land of Canaan, which is present day Israel.
Now we fast forward many years. After Moses there was another man whose name was Elijah. He was a prophet of God. There was also once a king named Ahab, who was the king of Israel; and Scripture tells us he was a wicked king in the sight of God. In 1 Kings 17 the prophet Elijah said to king Ahab, that in the name of the LORD who is God there would be a drought in Israel, and sure enough it did not rain for three years and six months.
You’re probably wondering why I am telling you all of this? It’s because these stories relate to where we are going. Over the past few weeks we have been taking our time studying the two witnesses who will appear during the last half of the tribulation period, which equates to 1,260 days or three-and-a-half years. So far we have learned that they have no name. We also learned they will come under the authority of Jesus. We learned that they come to bear witness about Jesus, to warn of the judgment of God, and to urge people to repent of their sins. Then, we learned if anyone would attempt to harm them, and they will, they are destined to die by fire. That sums up Revelation 11:3-5.
But now we come to verse 6 and what you are going to discover is that these two witnesses will have great power to do miraculous works to nature. And what I want to do is help you understand what they will be able to do with such miraculous power, why God would grant them such power, and how this can apply to you. But before we do, let’s pray.
Looking at verse 6, the first observation I want to point out is that these two witnesses have power. The text says, “They have the power…” I am going to make much of this little word “power” here. I may even risk being repetitive. And the reason for that is because this verse depends on you understanding that these two witnesses are powerful.
So, what does John mean when he says, “they have the power…”? More specifically, what does John mean by the word “power”? If we look at our English dictionaries, what the word “power” means is that they will have the ability to do. They will have the capacity to act. They will have the capability to accomplish something.
Going deeper, if we look at the Greek word for the word “power” here it implies that their power goes beyond the normal power any human being has. That they will be able to do far greater than any average man can do. They will have the capacity to act in a way no other man can. They will have the capability to accomplish what no other ordinary man can accomplish.
Going further, the Greek word for “power” here also tells us that this is a delegated power. That this power is not their own, but has been handed to them. That this power has been given to them. That this power has been entrusted to them. That this power has been assigned to them. That they have been authorized to have such power.
Which leads us to the question, who has given these two witnesses “power”? It only stands to reason that if the power is delegated to them, someone has to delegate it to them. If the power will be given to them, someone has to give it. If the power will be entrusted to them, someone has to entrust them with it. Someone had to assign them and authorize them to have such power to be able to do and act and accomplish what would go beyond the bounds of an ordinary man. And my question is who?
The answer to that question is Jesus. Remember, according to verse 3, these two witnesses shall come under the authority of Christ. That means this power of theirs, is God-given power. It means that God has delegated this power to them. That God has entrusted them with this power. That God has assigned and authorized them with such power.
But now the question becomes: what will these two witnesses have the power to do? What has God authorized them to do? What has God given them the capability to do? And that leads us to our next observation.
If we look at our text we see these two witnesses have God-given power to affect nature. The text says, “They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague…” So, if we look at the text carefully, we see God has given them power to affect nature in three ways.
First, God will give them the ability to cause a drought. I took the liberty to do some research on some of the implications a drought might have. According to the CDC, a drought can cause some serious public health problems such as: shortages of drinking water; poor quality in drinking water; it impacts air quality; it impacts sanitation; it impacts hygiene; it impacts food and nutrition; it can cause the rise of infectious and chronic diseases like the West Nile Virus.
Secondly, God will give them the capacity to turn water into blood. Also notice the text says “waters”, implying fresh and saltwater. What would happen is that creatures in freshwater and in the oceans would die. People would struggle with thirst and dehydration, because the water would be undrinkable. Diseases would rise. And you would likely have some of the same serious public health problems that a drought might cause.
And lastly, God will give them the capability to do any other plagues.The text says “every kind of plague”, implying that the two witnesses could do far more than just causing a drought and turning water into blood, and we don’t know what that could be. I’m assuming it means they will have the ability to affect nature in various forms, perhaps like Moses did when he was in Egypt. Perhaps what John is saying is that these two witnesses will be able to also cause a plague of frogs, gnats, flies, boils, hail, locusts and whatever else.
The point I want you to understand here is that these two witnesses are powerful. They are powerful, because God has given them power, and it’s power to affect nature in a very serious way. In fact, consider this for a moment: the definition of plague is – “an epidemic disease that causes high mortality” (www.dictionary.com) – which means the power God has given these two witnesses will seriously impact the lives of many, maybe even to the point of death.
Also notice that God has given them power to affect nature globally. Looking back at the text it states, “They have the power…to strike the earth with every kind of plague…”. Emphasis on the words “to strike the earth”. What I want you to get here is that God has given them such power that they will be able to affect nature in a region, in a country, and even throughout the entire world from where they will be in Jerusalem.
I also want you to see that they will be able to do such things for the entirety of their ministry. The text says, “They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague…” For the last half of the tribulation, they will have the God-given ability to cause a drought. For 1,260 days they will have God-given authority to turn all the water into blood. For three-and-a-half years, these two witnesses will have God-given capability to affect the world with many forms of plagues. And nothing or no one can stop them. You can only imagine how infuriating and frustrating these two witnesses must be to the Antichrist and his kingdom, and how hated they will be those who follow the Antichrist.
I also want to point out that these two witnesses will be allowed to do such mighty works as much as they choose.
The text says, “They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.” What that means is not only do they have God-given power to do such miraculous works, but God has given these two witnesses authority to perform these plagues as often as they want. They can cause a drought as often as they wish. The can can turn the water into blood as often as they desire. They can strike the earth with many other plagues as often as they choose. It means that God has granted these two witnesses to do such miracles as often as they want and when they want for the remaining tribulation.
Now, with all that said, you may wonder, why would Jesus give them power to do such miraculous works? There is a very good reason for this. The reason God has given them such power is to accompany the message they preach. What I want you to see here is that what God granted these two witnesses to do in association with the message they preached is not out of the ordinary. When Moses went to Pharaoh to preach God’s message, it was accompanied by plagues. When Elijah went to King Ahab to preach God’s word, it was accompanied by a three year drought. When Jesus came to preach the good news, the message was accompanied with many signs and wonders and miracles. And it will be the same way for these two witnesses.
But now we must ask, why will their message be accompanied with such miraculous works? The reason God has given them power to do miraculous works to accompany their message is for the glory of God. To say that differently: God will give these two witnesses power to affect nature in miraculous ways for His glory. What do I mean by that? What I mean is that God will give these two witnesses power to affect nature in miraculous ways so that the people might know there is no other God besides the Lord. This was the same reason God did what He did through Moses, Elijah, and even His only Son, Jesus.
When Moses preached his message to Pharaoh, the plagues were done so that all of Egypt might know that there is no other God besides the LORD in all of the heavens and on the earth (Exodus 9:14). When Elijah preached his message to King Ahab, the drought that came along with the message was so that Israel would know there is no other God in heaven and on the earth, besides the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob (1 Kings 17 & 18). When Jesus came to preach the gospel, the miracles he did, including his resurrection, was so that all the world would know there is no other God in the heavens or on the earth besides the God of Israel. And when these two witnesses come to proclaim their message, it will be accompanied with a mix of all these works in order to oppose the Antichrist, so that all those remaining after the rapture would know that there is only one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ.
So, why would God care for His glory to be displayed through the miraculous works of these two witnesses? Ultimately, it is for the salvation of those who are left behind. In a large part, it is so that people might know there is no other God besides the Lord, because God will not share His glory with another. But ultimately, as I said, it will be for the salvation of those who are left behind. God will display His glory through these two witnesses so that those who are left behind, might know there is no other God, and the only way to have a relationship with Him is by faith alone in Christ alone.
That is why God does everything He does in the universe – to make Himself known and so that we might know Him. God does everything He does on the planet so that all of humanity might know that He, the LORD, is God, and there is no other. And that is the purpose of these two witnesses having such power: to preach the gospel, to bear witness about Jesus, to warn of God’s coming wrath, but ultimately to make known to the world, through great and mighty works, that the LORD is God, and there is none other.
And while we’re on this subject I want to ask you all right now: do you know Him? Do you know God? I’m not asking if you know of Him, I am asking if you really know Him? My greatest concern right now in the church is that our church buildings are full of people who claim to know God, but really don’t.
So I ask again: do you really know God? If you don’t, when Jesus raptures his church, you will be left behind, and that is something you do not want. The only way you can know God is through Jesus Christ. And my appeal to you all this morning, if your answer is no, that you repent of your sins, put your faith in Jesus, and live your life in total submission to him. And if you have questions about that, you can speak with me after the service.
At the beginning of this I told you I wanted to help you understand how this can apply to you today. That’s what I want to do now. How does this apply to you here and now? What I want you to understand, you being the church, is that just as God will give these two witnesses power to do miraculous works post-rapture for His glory, God has called us, the church, to do great works pre-rapture for His glory.
Remember what Jesus said in John 14:12, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” What does that mean? Does it mean that we are going to be able to do more amazing miracles than Jesus did? No. There’s no way we can do greater works than Jesus did. Consider all that Jesus did: he raised men from the dead, he made the blind to see, he caused the lame to walk, he caused the mute to speak, he caused the deaf to hear, he healed a woman from 12 years of bleeding, he set people from demon possession, and through him God created the heavens and the earth. We cannot do greater works than Jesus did. So, what does Jesus mean then?
What Jesus means is, working in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can evangelize and preach the gospel as Jesus did in places Jesus did not go. It means, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can teach the gospel the way Jesus did in regions Jesus never went. It means, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can do deeds of mercy and acts of compassion the way Jesus did in countries Jesus had never physically been. And do it all for the glory of God the Father. That’s why Jesus said in John 14:13, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” This is the ministry of the entire church here and now, before Jesus raptures his church: to do as Jesus did, where Jesus never did it, by the power of the Spirit, for the glory of God.
That’s why Paul wrote, “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). That means the way we eat and what we drink and what we speak, should bring God praise. It means that every single thing we do from the least to the greatest, in private and in public, should be done to make God known, so that sinners can be saved!
You may ask how to do that? How do we bring glory to God in everything that we do? Paul answers that for us in Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” That means when we bring glory to Christ, we bring glory to God. It means we must live every moment of our life remembering who we represent as Christians – that we represent Jesus Christ – and we represent Him at all times. That is not a part-time ministry, it’s full time. Wherever you go, whatever you say, and whatever you do, is a representation of Jesus Christ, and therefore a representation of God the Father. And we do that to point sinners to Jesus for the glory of God.
As we draw this to a close, my question to you is this: What impression do people have of Christ when they see you? What effect do people have towards Jesus when they watch you? Does your life point to Christ? Does the way you live your life make Christ known? Does the way you live your life bring glory to God? Does the way you live your life compel people to want to know Jesus?
I ask those questions, because that is the effect your life should have on those around you. Your life, as a follower of Jesus, is not about you, it’s about the One who saved you, Jesus Christ, and making Him known to the world, for the glory of God the Father. But they are questions only you can answer. I hope your answer is yes. But if it is not, I urge you to repent and ask God to help you glorify Him, with the life He has given you.