Revelation 11:6 Commentary: The Two Witnesses and the Plagues of Moses and Elijah

Revelation 11:6 belongs to the interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets, a passage dense with temple imagery. The preceding verses describe a reed measuring the temple, leaving out the outer court which is “given to the nations” to be trampled for forty-two months (v.2). This sets the scene: the people of God are under pressure, yet the inner sanctuary, true worship, is protected. The two witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days (the same period as forty-two months), clothed in sackcloth (v.3). They are identified as “the two olive trees and the two lampstands” (v.4), directly recalling Zechariah 4, where the olive trees supply oil for the lampstand, symbolic of God’s Spirit empowering his witnesses.

In Jewish tradition, Elijah shut the heavens (1 Kings 17:1), and Moses turned the Nile to blood (Exodus 7:17). The plagues listed in this verse combine both roles, suggesting the witnesses carry forward the prophetic offices of law and covenant judgment. The phrase “as often as they desire” (ὁσάκις ἐὰν θελήσωσιν) uses the aorist subjunctive, indicating indefinite, sovereign choice. The cultural background of apocalyptic literature expected such figures to appear in the end times (Malachi 4:5; see also Matthew 17:11). Early readers would have understood these powers as God’s ultimate control over creation exercised through faithful prophets. The purpose is not merely to terrify but to demonstrate that God’s word, even when opposed, retains authority to bless and to judge.

The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The phrase “shut the sky” and the three actions (rain withheld, water turned to blood, earth struck with plagues) appear consistently across the major Greek manuscripts. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown mention the reading “rain shower not” (ὑετός) for emphasis, but this does not affect translation choices. The verse is textually stable.

Early Christian writers, such as Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, often identified the two witnesses as Enoch and Elijah, who were thought to return before the end. This view remained common through the medieval period. Reformation-era interpreters like Matthew Henry and Adam Clarke saw the witnesses more symbolically, representing the faithful church, especially its teaching and preaching ministry, during times of persecution. Protestant commentators emphasized the spiritual nature of the plagues, connecting them to the effect of the gospel in convicting and judging the world. In modern scholarship, both literal and symbolic readings persist, with many adopting a figural approach that sees the OT types as patterns for the church’s ongoing witness.

Three-point outline

1. Authority delegated. The word “power” (ἐξουσία) means authorized right. The witnesses do not operate on their own; they stand before the Lord of the earth (v.4). Their judgment is a sign of God’s active presence.
2. Patterns from Scripture. Every plague recalls a past deliverance. The shutting of the sky echoes Elijah; the waters turned to blood recall Moses. God works through recognizable rhythms to assure his people that he has not changed.
3. Witness through judgment. The purpose is not destruction for its own sake. The plagues accompany prophecy; they serve to call attention to the message and to vindicate the witnesses in a hostile world.

Five-point outline

1. The witnesses have divine authorization to shut the heavens.
2. They control the elements (rain, water) as agents of God’s covenant enforcement.
3. They bring judgment on those who oppose the prophetic word.
4. The clause “as often as they will” underscores sovereign freedom under God’s covering.
5. The plagues are not random; they are rooted in salvation history, reminding readers that the God who judged Egypt and brought drought in Elijah’s day is still ruling.

Illustration hooks

• A farmer praying for rain, only to watch the sky stay clear, what would it feel like if someone had authority over that? The verse presses us to ask who truly controls nature.
• During a water contamination crisis, a community is powerless. The image of turning waters to blood points to how God can (and does) unsettle the systems we rely on.
• When a lone whistleblower speaks truth that shuts down a corrupt operation, it echoes the “shutting of heaven”, a word that carries judgment and hope.

Questions your congregation is asking

• Will there really be two literal prophets who can perform these miracles?
• If the witnesses are the church, do we have power to “shut heaven” in some spiritual sense?
• How do the plagues of Revelation fit with a God who loves mercy? Are they only about judgment?

This small group guide explores Revelation 11:6 within the larger story of God’s witnesses. The two witnesses exercise dramatic power, but the focus falls on authority and witness, not raw force. Begin by reading the passage aloud, asking everyone to note the specific actions listed.

Discussion questions

1. What catches your attention most about the actions in this verse?
2. Where else in Scripture have you seen someone “shut the sky” or turn water to blood? How does that connection shape your reading of Revelation 11?
3. The Greek word for “power” here is ἐξουσία, which means authorized authority. How does that nuance change the way you understand these prophetic actions?
4. Some readers take the two witnesses as literal individuals; others see them as representing the whole church throughout history. What evidence supports each view? What is at stake in how we decide?
5. The phrase “as often as they will” suggests the witnesses control the timing of judgment. What does this say about God’s sovereignty and human participation in his plan?
6. How does knowing that the plagues recall the exodus and Elijah’s drought encourage Christians who suffer for their faith?
7. What does this passage teach us about the role of prophetic speech, even uncomfortable speech, in our own context?