Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 11:6
11:6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
This is about the power of two witnesses as follows:
We learn the first point, namely the power of Elijah.
The power to shut the heaven happens through the power of praying.
The matter of no rain falls means the dryness.
1 Kings 17:1,7
17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."
17:7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
1 Kings 18:1
18:1 And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth."
James 5:17
5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
If three verses are combined together, the dryness has already happened at the age of Elijah, a woman of Zarephath, and King Ahab for three and a half years.
Why did God allow the dryness to come for three and a half years? It was because King Ahab and the people of Israel were falter between two opinions for the influence of Baal.
1 Kings 18:20-22
18:20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
18:21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word.
18:22 Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
Being doubtful between God and Baal means that there is no firmness between the true and the false teaching. It causes dryness and it leads to choosing the Baal.
Elijah did not force, but let the Israel to choose.
As a result, the altar of the Lord was broken down.
1 Kings 18: 30
18:30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
It refers to the dryness in ministry, unfaithfulness until leaving the ministry, ministering to God but it is not according to the Word, disgracing the sacrifice of Christ, and the dryness in worship prayer.
The evidence of disgracing the sacrifice of Christ is keeping the false things.
As a result, Israel stayed in the dryness.
The dryness in the age of Elijah, the woman of Zarephath, and King Ahab prophesies about the physical and spiritual dryness that will happen on earth until the days when the Antichrist reigns for three and a half years that leads to suffering, perdition, falling in sins, and never arising again.
We may be happy for following God, but suddenly we can be dry and perish. We must keep watchful.
Now, the thing that we must think is the way out from the double dryness as follows:
1 Kings 18:44
18:44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, "There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!" So he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.'"
If the ruined altar is fixed, our heart is strong and of good courage and peaceful. If we pray with faith and perseverance, God will give the sign, namely 'a cloud, as small as a man's hand'.
The meanings are as follows:
God blesses us.
Revelation 11:6
11:6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
This is about the power of two witnesses as follows:
- The power to shut the heaven, so that no rain falls. This is the power of Elijah (It is explained in General Service, April 26, 2020).
- The power over waters to turn them to blood. This is the power of Moses.
We learn the first point, namely the power of Elijah.
The power to shut the heaven happens through the power of praying.
The matter of no rain falls means the dryness.
1 Kings 17:1,7
17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."
17:7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
1 Kings 18:1
18:1 And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth."
James 5:17
5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
If three verses are combined together, the dryness has already happened at the age of Elijah, a woman of Zarephath, and King Ahab for three and a half years.
Why did God allow the dryness to come for three and a half years? It was because King Ahab and the people of Israel were falter between two opinions for the influence of Baal.
1 Kings 18:20-22
18:20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
18:21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word.
18:22 Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
Being doubtful between God and Baal means that there is no firmness between the true and the false teaching. It causes dryness and it leads to choosing the Baal.
Elijah did not force, but let the Israel to choose.
As a result, the altar of the Lord was broken down.
1 Kings 18: 30
18:30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
It refers to the dryness in ministry, unfaithfulness until leaving the ministry, ministering to God but it is not according to the Word, disgracing the sacrifice of Christ, and the dryness in worship prayer.
The evidence of disgracing the sacrifice of Christ is keeping the false things.
As a result, Israel stayed in the dryness.
The dryness in the age of Elijah, the woman of Zarephath, and King Ahab prophesies about the physical and spiritual dryness that will happen on earth until the days when the Antichrist reigns for three and a half years that leads to suffering, perdition, falling in sins, and never arising again.
We may be happy for following God, but suddenly we can be dry and perish. We must keep watchful.
Now, the thing that we must think is the way out from the double dryness as follows:
- Fixing the altar that was broken down.
1 Kings 18:30
18:30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
Fixing the altar of the Lord that was broken down means as follows:- Executing the prophets of Baal and not letting one of them escape. It refers to the firmness to throw away the idolatry.
1 Kings 18:40
18:40 And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed themthere.
The idolatry refers to the false teaching, keeping the sin, or something that hinders us to obey God.
We must throw away all of them firmly, so we can love God more than anything.
Executing means ripping or crucifying the flesh that is doubtful towards God or the true teaching Word, so we can be strong and of good courage.
Being strong and of good courage means that we are not disappointed or desperate and do not leave God whatever the situation may come. We hold fast the true teaching word, live in righteousness, and do not commit sin, but we are faithful and fervent until He comes a second time. We only worship Him. - Confessing and forgiving each other, especially in the relation of husband and wife.
James 5:16-18
5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
5:18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
If we cannot confess and forgive the sin among our closest persons, then how can we unite with others who are far away from us?
If we can confess and forgive the sin each other, the blood of Jesus will erase the sin and our heart feels peace.
Do not keep the self-truth. It ruins the altar.
- Executing the prophets of Baal and not letting one of them escape. It refers to the firmness to throw away the idolatry.
- Praying to God like Elijah. It is the prayer that is answered by God.
James 5: 16b-18
5:16 The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
5:18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
The conditions are as follows:- 'The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much' means praying in righteousness and faithfulness. It is the right and strong faith.
The processes are as follows:- We must hear the true teaching word solemnly, so we can understand, believe, and it becomes the right faith in our heart.
- Doing the word. The faith without the work is dead.
Doing the word means the true teaching word is engraved in our life. It lives in our life. This is the strong faith.
15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
If there is the right and strong faith, we can be the house of prayer. Our prayer is answered by God even though we face the impossible problem.
Abraham waited the promise of God, namely having a son whose name was Isaac. He waited until he was a hundred years old and Sarah got menopause. It was impossible but Abraham had the strong faith.
When we face the impossible problem, our faith must not be weak but be stronger to God. That is the stable faith. We keep our trust in the promise of God.
That is why we must keep on listening to the word, so our faith will not be weak.
It happened to Elijah. There was nothing, but he said to king Ahab 'there is the sound of abundance of rain'.
1 Kings 18:41
18:41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain."
Elijah always listens to and obeys the true teaching word, and believes the promise of God until it is fulfilled.
We must pray with the right and stable faith, more over we always listen to the word. If the prayer is not answered yet, even it is like impossible thing, we must keep on listening to the word. - We must hear the true teaching word solemnly, so we can understand, believe, and it becomes the right faith in our heart.
- Praying solemnly or the perseverance in worship prayer.
James 5:17
5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
The perseverance in doing the Worship Prayer Service cannot be separated with the perseverance in doing the Bible Study Service and Holy Communion.
This is the perseverance in the three main services to God.
Why cannot they be separated? The teaching word and Holy Spirit encourage us to persevere in worshiping God. The prayer which is not encouraged by the teaching Word and Holy Spirit will be wrong. It will be led by the lust only.
1 Kings 18:42-44
18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,
18:43 and said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked, and said, "There is nothing." And seven times he said, "Go again."
18:44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, "There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!" So he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.'"
'seven times' refers to the perseverance.
If the prayer is not answered by God yet, it is the test of faith and perseverance for us.
For that reason, our faith and perseverance must be increased until perfect. It means that we can surrender fully and worship God. We raise our hands to God and cry out to Him as the King of kings and the Bridegroom of Heaven with saying 'Alleluia'.
1 Kings 18:39
18:39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"
Hosea 2:16
2:16 "And it shall be, in that day," Says the LORD, "That you will call Me 'My Husband,' And no longer call Me 'My Master,'
- 'The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much' means praying in righteousness and faithfulness. It is the right and strong faith.
1 Kings 18:44
18:44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, "There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!" So he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.'"
If the ruined altar is fixed, our heart is strong and of good courage and peaceful. If we pray with faith and perseverance, God will give the sign, namely 'a cloud, as small as a man's hand'.
The meanings are as follows:
- The small sign does not mean unworthy, but it gives strength, comfort, peace, and a new hope for us.
- The hands of God with a great mercy, but the servant of God sometime sees it as a small thing.
- The small sign means that the mercy hands of God are able to pour heavy rain in the twinkling of eye.
1 Kings 18:45
18:45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
The results are as follows:- The heavy rain erases the physical and spiritual dryness.
In physical things, the great mercy hands of God are able to protect and care us who are powerless in the midst of the difficulties in the world until the time when Antichrist reigns.
In spiritual things, the mercy hands of God are able to give satisfaction, so we can always give thank and never look for any satisfaction in the world, but we pray to God a lot. We are freed from Babylon, so we can enter the building of the perfect body of Christ. - The power of healing.
James 5:16
5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
The mercy hands of God are able to heal us from the impossible illness and problems. - The fruit of life renewal from carnal man to spiritual one like Jesus.
James 5:18,12
5:18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
5:12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes," be "Yes," and your "No," "No," lest you fall into judgment.
We are changed to become honest. We become the house of prayer and God always stay in our life.
When He comes a second time, we will be changed to become perfect like He is. We do not stumble in words, but we only cry out 'Alleluia' to greet His coming.
- The heavy rain erases the physical and spiritual dryness.
God blesses us.