1 Kings 8:35

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:

Heaven

If they pray

And turn

Hosea 14:1

General references

Haggai 1:10

Bible References

Heaven

Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab: By the living Jehovah, the God of Israel, whose servant I am, there will be no dew or rain in these years, but only at my word.

I will crush your arrogance. You will have no rain, and your land will be as hard as cement.

Jehovah will become angry with you. He will shut the sky and there will be no rain. Then the ground will not grow any crops. You will quickly disappear from this good land Jehovah is giving you.

Jehovah will open for you his good storehouse. The skies will give rain to your land in due season. It will bless all the work of your hand. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow.

Gad told David the three choices as follows: Seven years of famine could come to you and your land. You could flee from your enemies as they pursue you for three months. Or there could be a three-day plague in your land? Think it over, and decide what answer I should give the one who sent me.

Jehovah spoke his word about the drought to Jeremiah:

Son of man, suppose a country sins against me by being unfaithful to me. I will stretch out my hand (use my power) against it, cut off its food supply, send a famine to it, and destroy its people and animals.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. Test me, said Jehovah of Hosts, and see if I will open the windows of heaven and pour out showers of blessing upon you until there is no more want.

I tell you truth. There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah. There was no rain from heaven three years and six months. There came a great famine over all the land.

These (two witnesses) have power to shut the sky so that it will not rain in the days of their prophecy. They have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

If they pray

When your people Israel have sinned against you their enemies defeat them. They can turn to you and come to this Temple, humbly praying to you for forgiveness.

An enemy may defeat your people Israel because they have sinned against you. But when your people return, praise your name, pray, and plead with you in this Temple,

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and have active faith in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

That the nations might glorify God for his mercy as it is written: For this cause I will confess you to the people of the nations, and sing to your name.

And turn

When your people Israel have sinned against you their enemies defeat them. They can turn to you and come to this Temple, humbly praying to you for forgiveness.

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen because your hands are full of blood.

The people did not turn back to him who struck them, or seek Jehovah of Hosts.

That is why I will judge each of you by what you have done, people of Israel, declares the Lord Jehovah. Change the way you think and act. (Repent!) Turn away from all the rebellious things that you have done so that you will not fall into sin.

Return, O Israel, to Jehovah your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.

General references

It is because of you that the sky above you withholds the dew, and the earth below withholds its produce.