By "empower" I mean enable. The clay body of Adam could do nothing until Jesus breathed into it the breath of life.

Similarly nature can do nothing without Jesus employing it. He is the life.

He causes it to act.

When He permits evil angels to use nature to wreak havoc it is Jesus who enables nature to act accordingly. He also regulates how much damage they can cause.

The depths of the earth are the Lord's arsenal, whence were drawn weapons to be employed in the destruction of the old world. Waters gushing from the earth united with the waters from heaven to accomplish the work of desolation. Since the Flood, fire as well as water has been God's agent to destroy very wicked cities. These judgments are sent that those who lightly regard God's law and trample upon His authority may be led to tremble before His power and to confess His just sovereignty. As men have beheld burning mountains pouring forth fire and flames and torrents of melted ore, drying up rivers, overwhelming populous cities, and everywhere spreading ruin and desolation, the stoutest heart has been filled with terror and infidels and blasphemers have been constrained to acknowledge the infinite power of God. {PP 109.1}

Said the prophets of old, referring to scenes like these: "Oh that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at Thy presence, as when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make Thy name known to Thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Thy presence! When Thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, Thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at Thy presence." Isaiah 64:1-3. "The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers." Nahum 1:3, 4. {PP 109.2}

More terrible manifestations than the world has ever yet beheld, will be witnessed at the second advent of Christ. "The mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at His presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before His indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of His anger?" Nahum 1:5, 6. "Bow Thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out Thine arrows, and destroy them." Psalm 144:5, 6. {PP 109.3}

"I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke." Acts 2:19. "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great." "And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent." Revelation 16:18, 20, 21. {PP 110.1}

As lightnings from heaven unite with the fire in the earth, the mountains will burn like a furnace, and will pour forth terrific streams of lava, overwhelming gardens and fields, villages and cities. Seething molten masses thrown into the rivers will cause the waters to boil, sending forth massive rocks with indescribable violence and scattering their broken fragments upon the land. Rivers will be dried up. The earth will be convulsed; everywhere there will be dreadful earthquakes and eruptions. {PP 110.2}

Thus God will destroy the wicked from off the earth. But the righteous will be preserved in the midst of these commotions, as Noah was preserved in the ark. God will be their refuge, and under His wings shall they trust. Says the psalmist: "Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee." Psalm 91:9, 10. "In the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me." Psalm 27:5. God's promise is, "Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name." Psalm 91:14. {PP 110.3}

By "empower" I mean Jesus is the source of power that enables it to act. Nature would do nothing if Jesus did nothing. It would sit idle or, more likely, it would cease to exist (vanish, disappear). The sun shines because Jesus empowers it to shine. It cannot shine in and of itself. Clouds rain because Jesus empowers them to rain. Otherwise they would not form or rain. Rivers flow because Jesus empowers them to flow. Otherwise they would not flow. Our hearts beat because Jesus empowers them to beat. They would not beat by themselves.

Jesus uses, wields, employs the laws and forces of nature to accomplish His purposes - to make life possible on earth, to bless the worthy, and to punish sinners. He wields nature like a weapon to punish sinners:

The idea that the texts and passages in the quote posted above describe Jesus withdrawing His protection and allowing evil angels to accomplish His purposes is difficult to believe.

Now you have a problem. Who is a murderer? Someone who hates is just as much a murderer as one how as fully acted out the deed, and is deserving of the same sentence. So you do not have to kill someone to be guilty. We look at the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. ... Christ had our sickness.

Which would mean He was a sinner and needed a savior. How can a sinner be a savior? And how can someone in need of savior be a savior?

By taking upon Himself man's nature in its fallen condition, Christ did not in the least participate in its sin. He was subject to the infirmities and weaknesses of the flesh with which humanity is encompassed, "that it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the prophet Esaias, Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses." He was touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and was in all points tempted like as we are. And yet He was without a spot. {16MR 116.3}

Kland, I'm sorry my reply leads you to I think I believe Jesus created the laws of physics. Although I believe He did create them, that is not what I was trying to convey.

PS - King Saul most likely would not have killed himself if they had been successful in battle. Jesus suffered their defeat.

A: Jesus said: Luke 13:4 Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think you that they were sinners above all men that dwelled in Jerusalem? What happened MM? Did Jesus fall asleep and forget to hold up the tower?

M: No.

A: What you are saying had interesting implications for free will.

M: People are free to choose. So is Jesus. He can choose to manage the consequences of our choices.

A: You also assume that the present state of the earth is exactly as God would have it.

M: Of course He never wanted sin to happen in the first place. But He permitted it. And He is allowing the great controversy to play out according to His plan and purpose.

A: Therefore, if a rock fall off a mountain and kills you, it must be God's will.

M: Jesus is willing to allow such things to happen.

A: In the Lord's prayer, one of the things to pray for is that God's will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Why is that? It is because God's will is NOT being done on earth as it is in Heaven.

M: Jesus knows everything we need.

A: The idea that evil angels can make nature do disasters is unbiblical? That statement is unbiblical. Have you read the book of Job? Where did the great wind come that killed Job's children. I suppose you believe that the "fire of God" was fire sent by God. Evil angels did not cause any of this as you say, but the Bible record speaks differently.

M: Evil angels cannot empower, enable nature to act. They can only do with it as Jesus permits.

A: "The fact sinners sin with impunity is evidence sin cannot punish or kill sinners". Mike - this is very naive statement on sin. Speaking of the apostasy at Peor in Patriarchs and Prophets, chapter 41, EGW writes about sex sins, "Nature has affixed terrible penalties to these crimes--penalties which, sooner or later, will be inflicted upon every transgressor. It is these sins more than any other that have caused the fearful degeneracy of our race, and the weight of disease and misery with which the world is cursed. Men may succeed in concealing their transgression from their fellow men, but they will no less surely reap the result, in suffering, disease, imbecility, or death." Is it God that inflicts the penalties, or is it sin itself that causes the disease, misery, degeneracy, imbecility and death? SIN.

M: Sinning can result in sickness, injury, death. But this is not the penalty. Second death in the lake of fire is the penalty.

A: I think you picture sin as a legal problem, a breaking of the rules. Perhaps you should listen to the lecture series titled, "The Science of Sin and Salvation", on going weekly now. The past presentations are available online. The link has been posted here on the forums. The videos are here:

M: Sinning is a real problem as well as a legal one.

K: So what were you trying to convey? By saying "By "empower" I mean Jesus is the source of power that enables it to act.", how is "enabling" any different than saying He created laws of physics?

M: King Saul most likely would not have killed himself if they had been successful in battle. Jesus suffered their defeat.

K: Would you be saying the philistines had no free choice in the matter?