The exercise of authority and restraint over individuals and events. Scripture stresses that God is in sovereign control over his creation. A limited degree of control over creation is delegated to humanity.
God controls the whole world
Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:3 See also Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 102:25; Acts 17:24; Hebrews 11:3
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
God controls the affairs of heaven and earth
He gives wealth
Deuteronomy 8:18 See also 1 Chronicles 29:12
But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers even to this day.
He appoints and deposes earthly rulers
Psalm 75:6–7; Daniel 2:21, Daniel 4:17, Daniel 4:32, Daniel 5:18, Daniel 5:21, Daniel 5:26
He controls human hearts
He controls times and seasons
Genesis 8:22 See also Psalm 31:15; Daniel 2:21; Amos 4:9; Acts 1:7
As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease.”
He controls the weather
He saves those whom he wills
He fixes human destiny
Human control over creation
Genesis 1:26–28 See also Genesis 2:15, Genesis 2:19–20, Genesis 3:16–19 After the fall it became difficult for human beings to control creation.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”
Human control over earthly territories
Joshua 18:1; 2 Samuel 8:1, 2 Samuel 8:3; 2 Chronicles 17:5; Daniel 11:43
Both the godly and ungodly should control themselves
Proverbs 16:32, Proverbs 29:11; 1 Corinthians 7:9, 1 Corinthians 7:37; 2 Corinthians 10:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:4
Prophecy should be under the control of the prophets
The evil one has limited control
1 John 5:19 See also Job 1:6–7; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:13
We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.
Jesus Christ will have final control over all things
Philippians 3:21 See also 1 Corinthians 15:24–28 Jesus Christ himself will be finally made subject to God.
who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.