SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:6
Estos tienen potestad de cerrar el cielo, que no llueva en los días de su profecía, y tienen poder sobre las aguas para convertirlas en sangre, y para herir la tierra con toda plaga cuantas veces quisieren.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 11:6
Verse 6. These have power to shut heaven] As Elijah did, 1 Kings xvii. 1-xviii. 46. To turn them to blood] As Moses did, Exod. vii. 19-25. They shall have power to afflict the land with plagues, similar to those which were inflicted on the Egyptians.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. These have power to shut heaven , etc.] For these have the keys of the kingdom of heaven given them, and whatever they bind or loose on earth is bound or loosed in heaven; or in other words, having the true key of knowledge in matters, both of doctrine and discipline, given them, whatever they declare, according to the word of God, to be doctrines fit to be received or rejected, and to be the ordinances of God, and matters of worship to be attended to, and what are not, should be so: and in particular, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy ; that is, on their enemies, the antichristian party; for otherwise it must rain on those to whom they minister, their prophecy itself being rain in a spiritual sense: so rain is explained of prophecy in the Targum on ( Isaiah 5:6), which paraphrases the words thus; I will command the prophets that they do not prophesy upon them prophecy: for this is to be understood not literally, since the days of their prophecy, or preaching in sackcloth, are 1260, that is, 1260 years, and which is the term and duration of antichrist's reign: wherefore, if this was the case, there must be a famine and great distress, during this long space of time; but as this is not matter of fact, so it would not comport with that plenty, luxury, and deliciousness, in which the whore of Babylon is said to live: but the words are to be taken in a spiritual sense, and to be understood of the Gospel, and doctrines of it, or the word of God, which is sometimes compared to rain, ( Deuteronomy 32:2 Isaiah 55:10,11). God is the author and giver of rain, and he only; none of the vanities, or idols of the Gentiles, can give it; has the rain a father? it has, but not on earth, only God who is in heaven; and so the Gospel is of God, and it is he only that can make men able ministers of it; the rain comes down from above, from heaven, and of the same original and descent is the Gospel, it is the voice speaking from heaven; the rain falls, according to divine direction, in one place, and not another, on one city, and not another; and so the Gospel is sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another; it is forbid here, and ordered there. Showers of rain moisten and soften the earth, and make it susceptive of seed; and the Gospel is the means of softening hard hearts, and of making them capable of receiving suitable impressions: rain refreshes the earth, revives the plants and trees, and makes them fruitful; and so the Gospel, attended with a divine blessing, refreshes drooping saints, revives the work of God in them, and is the means of filling them with all the fruits of righteousness. Now the withholding of this rain denotes a famine, not of bread, or a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the Lord; and as it is a judgment on a nation, or on a city, not to be rained upon, so it is a spiritual judgment upon a people, when God commands his clouds, his ministers, to rain no rain of the Gospel on them; and it is one of the judgments upon the antichristian party, that they have not the Gospel preached unto them, nor any dew of powerful and efficacious grace distilled on them, but are left to their blindness, darkness, and hardness of heart: and these witnesses carrying the Gospel along with them, where they prophesy and preach, is called a shutting up heaven, so that it rain not on the followers of antichrist, from whom they separate themselves, or by whom they are cast out; and this is ascribed to them, and is owing to their removal or ejection; much in the same sense as the night and darkness are to the sun's remove; that is, these follow upon it. The allusion is to the withholding of rain in the times of Elijah, one of the types of these witnesses, because of the idolatries of Ahab and Jezebel, ( <111701> Kings 17:1 18:1,41,45). In like manner is the rain of the Gospel withheld during the reign of antichrist, because of the idolatry and superstition of the apostasy. And have power over waters to turn them to blood ; by waters are meant people, multitudes, nations, and tongues, and particularly those over whom antichrist reigns, ( Revelation 17:15), and turning of them into blood designs the confusions and wars raised among them on account of the prophesying of these witnesses, and the persecutions and bloodshed which followed upon it; which eventually are the end and issue of preaching the Gospel; (see Matthew 10:34,35). The allusion is to one of the plagues of Egypt, and to Moses and Aaron, who were types of these witnesses turning the waters of Egypt into blood, ( Exodus 7:20); and answers to the second and third vials, ( Revelation 16:3,4). And to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will ; alluding to the plagues of Egypt, one of the names of Rome, or the Roman jurisdiction, in ( Revelation 11:8), and which is meant by the earth here; and referring to the rest of the seven vials poured out by these witnesses, signified by seven angels; and their having power so to do as often as they will, is to be understood of these plagues being inflicted on the inhabitants of the earth, or followers of antichrist, in answer to their prophecies and prayers, which are made according to the will of God, and so always have their effect, being such.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 3-13 - In the time of treading down, God kept his faithful witnesses to attes the truth of his word and worship, and the excellence of his ways, The number of these witnesses is small, yet enough. They prophesy i sackcloth. It shows their afflicted, persecuted state, and deep sorro for the abominations against which they protested. They are supporte during their great and hard work, till it is done. When they ha prophesied in sackcloth the greatest part of 1260 years, antichrist the great instrument of the devil, would war against them, with forc and violence for a time. Determined rebels against the light rejoice as on some happy event, when they can silence, drive to a distance, or destroy the faithful servants of Christ, whose doctrine and conduc torment them. It does not appear that the term is yet expired, and the witnesses are not a present exposed to endure such terrible outwar sufferings as in former times; but such things may again happen, an there is abundant cause to prophesy in sackcloth, on account of the state of religion. The depressed state of real Christianity may relat only to the western church. The Spirit of life from God, quickens dea souls, and shall quicken the dead bodies of his people, and his dyin interest in the world. The revival of God's work and witnesses, wil strike terror into the souls of his enemies. Where there is guilt there is fear; and a persecuting spirit, though cruel, is a cowardl spirit. It will be no small part of the punishment of persecutors, bot in this world, and at the great day, that they see the faithfu servants of God honoured and advanced. The Lord's witnesses must not be weary of suffering and service, nor hastily grasp at the reward; but must stay till their Master calls them. The consequence of their being thus exalted was a mighty shock and convulsion in the antichristia empire. Events alone can show the meaning of this. But whenever God' work and witnesses revive, the devil's work and witnesses fall befor him. And that the slaying of the witnesses is future, appears to be probable.
Greek Textus Receptus
ουτοι 3778 εχουσιν 2192 5719 εξουσιαν 1849 κλεισαι 2808 5658 τον 3588 ουρανον 3772 ινα 2443 μη 3361 βρεχη 1026 5725 υετος 5205 εν 1722 ημεραις 2250 αυτων 846 της 3588 προφητειας 4394 και 2532 εξουσιαν 1849 εχουσιν 2192 5719 επι 1909 των 3588 υδατων 5204 στρεφειν 4762 5721 αυτα 846 εις 1519 αιμα 129 και 2532 παταξαι 3960 5658 την 3588 γην 1093 παση 3956 πληγη 4127 οσακις 3740 εαν 1437 θελησωσιν 2309 5661
Vincent's NT Word Studies
6. To shut up the heaven. As Elijah, 1 Kings xvii. 1; Luke iv. 25; James v. 17.
That it rain not (ina mh brech uetov). Lit., that the rain may not wet. To turn them into blood. Compare Exod. vii. 19.
To smite (pataxai). Used by John only in Revelation, here and xix. 15. Compare Matt. xxvi. 31; Mark xiv. 27; Luke xxii. 49, 50; Acts xii. 7, 23. With all plagues (pash plhgh). Singular number. Rev., correctly, with every plague. See on Mark iii. 10. Not merely with the plagues with which Moses smote Egypt.
