Healings
By D.M.M. 12/5/2013
This treatise is a summarization of a topical study which I did by studying popular Old and New Testament Bible verses from the topic of healings and, then later, the aspect of sickness. The words from Strong’s Concordance which were used are “heal”, “healed”, “healing”, “health”, and then later, “devil”, “rebuke”, “plague”, “punishment”, “nourish”, “rebuke”, “sickness”, “stripes”, “bones”, “leper”, and “disease”. Item numbers 1 through 46 refer to the healing and health items which were found. Then, it was later decided that the more negative aspects should also be studied- starting with the “devil”, and continuing through “disease”. So, generally, Item numbers 46 through 55 refer to the sickness aspect of healings. I concluded that the following were perspectives which could be used to categorize the various Bible passages:
1. God’s view of healing.
2. God’s view of illness.
3. Historical healings- Scripture.
4. Historical healings- everyday.
5. Jesus heals.
6. Sin and sickness.
7. People who healed.
8. Prayers for healing.
9. Healing the soul.
10. Methods.
I also tried to discern who, or what, was the medium which the Lord used to heal- Lord Jesus, one of the twelve, the seventy, Paul, Paul’s handkerchief, the Holy Spirit, etc.. For us, in this Grace Study, the who becomes less important than the methods for healing.
I also listed every healing incident in the Bible, since some healings are discussed in more than one place in Scripture. Please see the Healings Chart.
The following are points of note derived from my original longhand notes:
“Heal”
1.) Healing by intercessory prayer of the elders, Numbers 12:1-14, “Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. … The anger of the Lord burned against them, and He left them. When the cloud lifted from above The Tent, there stood Miriam- leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; and he said to Moses, ‘Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.’ … So Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘O Lord, please heal her!’ The Lord replied to Moses, ‘If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.’” The following points should be noted from these passages:
a.) In the Bible, sin is seen as a disgrace. In modern society, however, prudence is seen as backwards thinking, while sinners are looked up to as cultural icons. But the Lord is the judge of all. And such wicked people normally come to a swift end (Psalms 1:4-6)- not to mention their eternal destination.
b.) It was noteworthy that sickness is not discussed much in Genesis and Exodus. I see this as a statement of Moses that sickness, especially in old age, is a natural recourse of life. Also, I believe the people in Moses time wanted to give dignity to a person’s life by not ruminating on the accounts of a person’s death. Such dignity is easily lost today under the guise of freedom of speech and the press- which, in practice, has become gossip, slander, and generally tasteless discussions in order to merchandise the news.
c.) While Moses was the medium by which God intervened and healed Miriam, this healing is typical of God’s principal healing method outlined in James 5:14-18. (Please see Item#34 below.) This method logically employs the prayers offered by the elders (also see #20 below). “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”- James 5:16, KJV. And, the anointing oil, used in New Testament healings, reminds us that this work is through the Holy Spirit, per Item#26, below.
d.) Genesis 20:17&18, “Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimilech, his wife and his slave girls so that they could have children again, for the Lord had closed up every womb in Abimilech’s household because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.” So, here is an example of intercessory prayer by an elder in Abraham’s time.
e.) In Items# #20 below, we see that the shepherds are to heal the flock both spiritually and physically, as part of their grace gift of shepherding.
f.) In Items# #34 below, we see that the anointing and healing prayers of the elders constitute obedience to God’s will. And such healings and faith display Christ walking among the Church (Revelation 1:12-20, Psalms 68:18, & Item#68 & 34c of the Apostleship Section.
g.) “When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the evil spirit. ‘You deaf and mute spirit,’ He said, ‘Come out of him, and never enter him again.’ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, ‘He’s dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer.’” - Mark 9:25-29. This passage emphasizes the healing power of prayer, especially when there are demons involved. Also see the Healings Chart.
2.) I have wounded, and “I will heal”, Deuteronomy 32:39, “See now that I myself am He! There is no God besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.” I take this verse as being akin to Revelation 19:6, “The Lord omnipotent reigneth” (KJV). Diseases, famines, the sword, healings, all blessings, they all come from, and are under, God’s control. However, we can focus on that very positive and assuring phrase in which the Lord promises “I will heal”. So, when this study considered God’s perspectives towards healing and illness, the assurance of God’s will to heal is reiterated. Please see the following Scriptures:
a.) Exodus 23:20-33, “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land. I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the river. I will hand over to you the people who live in the land and you will drive them out before you. Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. Do not let them live in the land, or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.” This passage is rich in blessings and warnings. For the purposes of this study, the passage shows the mind and heart of God who emphasizes, “I will take away sickness from among you”. And, since the Church is engrafted into Israel and Israel’s promises (Romans 11:11-24), these blessing and warnings are for us. I included this passage in an expanded form, rather than merely listing verses 25 & 26, which are underlined above. I included this expanded passage to show the whole story- that healing and blessings are related to sin. I also wanted to show the snares of Satan, which are being set by Satan for those unwittingly practicing idolatry. In nominal Christianity today, there are billions who keep statues and holy pictures and prayer beads and graven images; and they use these to worship who knows what, and to pray to and through false spirits. Such people call themselves Christian, but can’t understand why they are being tormented by sickness and Satanic attack. But they have fallen pray to false teachers and the snares of Satan. And I haven’t yet mentioned those who bow down to the moon god Allah, or Buddha, or Shreva, or other obvious idols. I Corinthians 10:20-22 says, “the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” And my experience shows me that we must look closely to what supposedly Christian teachers are teaching because there is much bad teaching going out. Please understand, if a teaching sounds really good but cannot be found in Scripture, it’s probably a snare of satan. And a corollary to that statement is, if a teaching sounds really good and is spoken against in Scripture, satanic activity is certainly going on around you; and you and the others involved are under attack, usually unknowingly (II Timothy 3:16, Ezekiel 3:1-3, Ps 119:105-110, John 8:44, Galatians 4:9-11, I John 1:16, Ephesians 4:27, & 6:11-12, Matthew 7:15-17, & 23:9. Understand what God said from the beginning, “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.”- Genesis 3:1.
b.) Deuteronomy 7:15, “The Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all who hate you.”
c.) II Kings 20:5, “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord.’”
d.) Psalm 41:3, “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; He will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desires of his foes. The Lord will sustain him on his sick bed and restore him from his bed of illness.”
e.) Matthew 8:2&3, “A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said, ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.”
f.) Matthew 8:5-7, “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ‘Lord’, he said, ‘my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.’ Jesus said to him, ‘I will go and heal him.’”
So, we see herein the Lord’s attitude toward healing and sickness. The Lord loves to heal, even when the sickness is brought upon ourselves by our own sin. Item#16, below, provides formidable evidence of the Lord’s use of sickness to deal with sin. However, realizing that sin can cause sickness, we should also realize that God is not the author of sin- but rather, the great healer of sickness, and giver of life. This is what is implied in the Lord Jesus’ rebuttal to those who accused Him of healing and driving out demons by the power of Satan in Matthew 12. “Then they brought Him a demon possessed man, who was both blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebub, ‘the prince of demons’, that this fellow drives out demons.’ … And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”- Matthew 12:22-32. The Lord is implying that saying that the giver of life is the one making people sick and healing by Satan’s power is a form of blasphemy against the Son. Also see Item#24, below.
4.) Prayer by the sick believer, Psalms 6:1-7 “O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long? Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weary with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.” This is a prayer by David for his own healing. Some other prayers by the sick were as follows:
a.) Jeremiah 17:13-17, “O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the Spring of living water. Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. They keep saying to me, ‘Where is the Word of the Lord? Let it now be fulfilled.’ I have not run away from being your shepherd; you know I have not desired the day of despair. What passes my lips passes before you. Do not be a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster.” I noted that this is a personalized petition wherein Jeremiah brings up his work and obedience to the Lord.
b.) Psalms 107:17-21, “Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth his Word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.” How, then, did the Lord send forth his Word in healing? This usually required a prophet or a messenger (angel). In this day there are also words of wisdom and words of knowledge, as well as prophets and angels. This absolutely proves that God’s Word has not been “permanently enshrined in Scripture” as some have taught (per Prophecy Section, Item#1). (Also see Item#16 below- Sickness caused by sin.)
God is the believer’s Father and He loves us. I note that these are all Old Testament passages, and that God’s principle method of healing in the Church age is by intercessory prayer and anointing by the Church elders- James 5:14-15, also Item numbers 34, 16d, 26, & 32d below. Christ is God and can and will heal according to our own personal prayer, that is, without calling in the elders. However, God’s promise and prescribed method is contained in James 5:14-15.
6.) A time to heal, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” Sometimes illness is a trial from God, but afterwards, it’s time to heal.
7.) Healing the soul, Jeremiah 3:19-22 “I myself said, ‘‘How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’ I thought that you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me. But like a women unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O House of Israel,’ declares the Lord. A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and forgotten the Lord their God. ‘Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.’” If we trust Christ and turn to follow Him, He promises to heal our soul.
a.) Isaiah 6:10, “He said, ‘Go and tell this people: ‘’Be ever hearing but never understanding; be ever seeing but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.’” Many people will not be healed in their soul because they will not turn to Christ. “This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not understand.’ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. …’”- Matthew 13:13&14. (See also John 12:37-41, and Acts 28:23-28.)
b.) Isaiah 61:1&2, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” See also Luke 4:18&19.
c.) Psalms 30:11&12, “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.”
d.) Psalms 147:1-3, “Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him! The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
e.) Proverbs 12:18, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
f.) Also see Item#35- “By his wounds you have been healed.”
8.) Healing through faith and the power of the Word, Matthew 8:5-13 “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ‘Lord’, he said, ‘my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.’ Jesus said to him, ‘I will go and heal him.’ The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, He was astonished and said to those following Him, ‘I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and from the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom, will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.’ And his servant was healed at that very hour.” This is a teaching, and an example of faith and God’s Word. When faith and God’s Word come together they form a powerful formula for change and blessing. Consider the fig tree in Matthew 21:18-22: “Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, He was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it but leaves. Then He said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. ‘How did the fig tree wither so quickly?’ they asked. Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’
And it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Both of these passages help bring veracity to the healing teaching of James 5:14&15, where God’s Word (and obedience to it), prayer, and faith to be healed, all come together for healing.
9.) Healing authority given to the twelve, Matthew 10:1,7&8 “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. … As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.” This is, of course, the first sending of disciples to preach and to do the works of Light in his name. And, this sending encompasses verses 1 through 42- all of chapter 10. (Some other sendings are: the Seventy, in Item#13, below; Paul, in Item#9 of the Apostleship Section, and the Great Commission, Item#33j of the Teaching Section, and#54a of the Apostleship Section.) Some examples of healings by the twelve are as follows:
a.) Luke 9:1-6, “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: ‘Take nothing for the journey- no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.’ So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.” See also Mark 6:7-13.
b.) Acts 2:43 cites, “Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous sign were done by the apostles.”
c.) Acts 3:1-16, “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer- at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you, in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk’. Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let Him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him, as you all can see.’…” Some points from this passage are very noteworthy: 1) The healing accounts performed by the Twelve are for us an additional, practical commentary on the sending forth of the Twelve with the command to preach and heal. 2) It is not by our own power or Godliness that healing is to be accomplished. 3) It is by the power of Jesus’ name and by the faith that comes through Jesus that healing is accomplished. Note that Peter realizes that he, himself, has Christ and Christ’s healing power in him, though, when he says, “what I have I give you”.
d.) Acts 4:1-31, This passage describes the reactions and responses to the healing in Acts 3:1-16, above. Verse 8 accounts, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.’” Verse 23-31 goes on, “On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God, ‘Sovereign Lord, … Now, Lord, consider their threats and allow your servants to spread your Word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.” So, these miraculous signs and wonders helped the Church to spread the Word boldly and to have that Word received as from God- which totally agrees with the concept of “signs that accompany the Church” (Item#101 of the Word of Knowledge Section).
e.) Acts 5:12-16, “The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.” Wow! These healings and miracles that accompanied the twelve left no doubts in people’s minds that they were sent by God. Jesus Christ said, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will be doing what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”- John 14:11&12. And, even though Christ is at the Father’s right hand, He is still doing miracles through his disciples and the miracles that accompany the Church.
f.) Acts 9:32-35, “As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. ‘Aeneas’, Peter said to him, ‘Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat.’ Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.”
g.) Acts 9:36-42, “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which when translated is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, And her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, ‘Please come at once!’ Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.” I note that Peter didn’t try to utter some decree that the Lord was magically supposed to follow, but got down on his knees and prayed. I wonder what he would have asked the Lord in that prayer. I think he would have asked the Lord to let him know with certainty whether he should try to raise Tabitha; and then the Lord gave him the “green light”. There is the full power of God’s throne in prayer. I knew a good friend, a 96 year old believer, named Stanley- a prayer warrior all his life. Stanley’s friend came to visit him and asked Stanley, then bedridden, how he should pray for Stanley. Stanley told him that he was very old and he knew his days on this earth were very numbered. But, Stanley told his friend to ask the Lord that perhaps he could get up out of bed for a little while and use his legs again to walk around before he died. And Stanley and his friend prayed that prayer at that moment. It’s interesting that the next week Stanley got up and walked around on his legs for a week or two, before he again became bedridden and died at age 96.
10.) Healing on the Sabbath, Matthew 12:1-14 “At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw them, they said to Him, ‘Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.’ He answered, ‘Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread- which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that One greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.’ Going on from that place, He went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked Him, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ He said to them, ‘If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.’ Then He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.” (The account of this healing is also found in Mark 3:2-5 and Luke 6:6-11.)
Luke 14:1-6 tells of a different man whom the Lord Jesus healed on the Sabbath, “One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the Law, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?’ But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, He healed him and sent him away.” (Also see the “Sabbath” column of the Healings Chart.
A neighbor asked me, a few days ago, how as a Christian I intended to cut my grass on Sunday afternoon. Well I meant after 6 pm, after the end of the Jewish day. However, even if done on Sunday, the lawn work would not be a problem since the believer’s Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ. Regarding the “Sabbath rest for then people of God”; see Item#67 of the Evangelism Section, Item#17L of the Word of Knowledge Section, and Item#7 of the Word of Wisdom Section. But for the purposes of this healing study, this passage demonstrates two points- deep healing at the molecular level, and also reasons not to heal or be healed.
Was the man with the shriveled hand, or the man with dropsy, any more damaged at the molecular level than someone say with eczema or psoriasis- arguably not! Is healing always at the molecular level (or smaller level- atomic or nuclear)? Well, even a sore shoulder has repercussions in the bone and muscle molecules. So, I say, “Yes! Healing has to involve an actual physical problem, and therefore the molecules making up the body are involved. I also believe, though that much sickness is brought about by Satan’s work on a person’s soul. And I’ve even known people who seem to enjoy seeing doctors and being sick- what a snare of the devil! Well, this brings us to the above mentioned second point- that people (not God) have come up with reasons not to heal or be healed. I say “heal or be healed”, because an elder has an unction to heal according to James 5:14-18 (also Item#34 below), while a person needs to be healed- and ought to be healed. There’s a published story of one such occurrence involving a preacher and his wife- Elvis and Virginia Marcum, as cited by Jim Hylton on page 61-62 of his book, The Supernatural Skyline[1]. Elvis was under an unction from God to preach, but got sick. While recuperating he knew that the Lord was sending a healing. Yet, Virginia feared that such an unlikely healing would ostracize them from their ministry. Later she embraced his healing, and she and Elvis would laugh at her response. But the father of lies, satan, denies any claim of a relationship that we have with God, especially Spirit abilities such as healings, or Word of knowledge or wisdom, and especially salvation. That has been satan’s mindset since the Garden.
12.)Healing methods, Luke 5:17-26, “One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’ The Pharisees and teachers of the Law began thinking to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, ‘why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, …’ he said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, ‘We have seen remarkable things today.’” It was not my intention to study the actual methods of healing, but this passage has changed my mind; especially since such methods are easy to pick out, and logically consider as believers. Please see the Healings Chart for a listing of New Testament healings, which includes healing elements and methods, and includes Grace Study and Scripture references. The elements which we can pick out in this passage are fairly obvious, as follows:
a.) Vs 17 says, “And the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick.” This is in contrast to Luke 4:23-24, where the Lord was in his hometown and couldn’t work many miracles because of their “lack of faith” (Matthew 13:58). So, the Lord’s power is not always there for a healing. And, this study is a good place to find out why the Lord’s power is not always there for healing. Please understand that sometimes sin is causing our sickness, and sometimes it’s the sin that causes lack of faith. Even though God created us with an eternal soul, physical death and sickness are brought by sin (Romans 5:12, & 6:23). Is God, then, the author of sickness? No, no more than He is the author of sin! Item#16, below, is the item with the most Bible entries asscociated with it, of this Healings Section. And, Item#16 is entitled “Sickness caused by sin”.
b.) In verse 20 the Lord says, “Your sins are forgiven”, this shows us that his sickness was related to his sin. And, these could have been generational sins handed down to him by his forefathers (Exodus 20:5, I Peter 1:18). Now, not all sickness is caused by sin (John 9:1-4, &11:4). However, much sickness is caused by sin, and the Bible clearly states that there are serious consequences for sin (Genesis 2:17, I Corinthians 11:29&30, Ezekiel 18:4).
c.) Also in verse 20, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven’.” There is usually faith necessary in a healing, and sometimes great faith was displayed. The following are items of great faith culminating in a healing: the centurion of Matthew 8:10; demon possessed boy in Matthew 17:14-21; the tenth leper of Luke 17:19; and the blind beggar at Jericho of Luke18:42. It’s noteworthy these healings were all prior to Christ’s resurrection. And, their faith doesn’t appear greater than the faith which I’ve seen manifested in many believers of today. So, I completely don’t understand how some can say that “great faith” has become obsolete/ abolished in the modern day Church. (Also see Item #75c in the Apostleship Section.) In the healings above, we can note great faith manifested in the sick person or his representative (a parent or master), or both- see Item#24c, below.
d.) Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.” I sometimes explain salvation by grace through faith using the analogy of a rocket launcher with its trigger- wherein faith is the trigger, grace is the rocket, and God is the launcher. And so, grace is triggered by faith. This is also true beyond salvation, in other grace gifts such as healing, or other service. From Item#c, above, we can definitely see that faith can be the trigger on the grace cannon. Actually, we can build a more sophisticated grace weapon, using the rocket launcher analogy, since we can study the Scripture. The rocket launcher which I used during my military training had a scope, a trigger, the launcher, the rocket and an explosive head. So, the scope is analogous to the Scripture, which helps us to scope out the situation; and military training, both field training and class room training, is analogous to Christian training. Sight alignment, sight, picture, trigger squeeze, and a basic understanding of ballistics, necessary in firearms, are all analogous to knowledge, insight, understanding, wisdom, and prudence necessary in Christian service ( per Item#95 in the Teaching Section.) The trigger is always faith, and the launcher is God. The rocket is the release of grace proceeding from God or his throne of grace; in this case it is Jesus’ command- “Get up”. The explosive impact, through the power head, is the effect of that grace- in this case, healing. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).
e.) In verse 24 Jesus speaks the Word to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home”. We should know that the release of grace is through God’s commands at the throne- either verbally or carried on silently through his all- present and almighty Spirit.. In Revelation 3:5, John is given a view of God’s throne of charis (Hebrews 4:16). In this revelation to us, through John, God’s throne is seen not just as a glorious throne, but as functioning throne of grace. With the world population currently being approximately 7 billion, and with the physical universe being immeasurable, God’s throne of charis, which processes the day-to-day administration and special needs of all situations and events, even at the sub-nuclear level, is a place so busy and powerful that our finite minds cannot comprehend it. Our best description and understanding is that which proceeds from John’s description of what was revealed to him, “From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits (the sevenfold Spirit) of God.” Revelation 3:5. God’s Word, in and of itself is powerful. “By the Word of his mouth were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; He puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him. For he spoke; and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.” Psalm 33:6-9. So, we need to come before God’s throne of grace in prayer for a healing, just as the Word in James 5:14 says.
f.) In Item#34, below, we see that the disciples used oil and a “hands on” approach to their healing. This is not the case here. The Lord Jesus merely spoke the healing into being. However, the Bible promises are open before us, as in James 5:14; and I perceive that we already have ample unction from the Word to use in our healing needs for Christ’s work. That great woman of faith and love, Corrie Ten Boom, said that she loved to pray with her Bible opened to the page where God’s promises were found, so that she could pray more clearly. We also have an open Bible before us- whereby we can claim the promises of James 5 as elders pray over and anoint the sick with oil.
g.) We should also note that the healing of this passage was an immediate healing. The Lord didn’t say, “take him home. He’ll be fine in a few days”. He said, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Sometimes healing in this age can be a real prayer and faith battle. And, sometimes we Christians have to fight through all the bad teaching which went before us. But faith, God’s Word, and love do overcome such obstacles to miracles such as healing.
h.) I’m not a propagator of the notion of “sign gifts”. I believe that signs will always accompany Christ’s Church (Item#9a, above). Since we are not of this world (I Peter 2:11), the spiritual must dominate God’s creation, since “God is spirit” (John 4:24). The notion that God’s throne of charis has suddenly become less dependant upon grace because of the Bible’s completion is so nonsensical that it is stupefying- (Item#75c of the Apostleship Section, Item#1 of the Prophecy Section). However, this particular miracle is clearly stated as being done “that you may know that the son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”. Expanding on this, we should not presume to be God. God has reasons for sickness and suffering in this life (Isaiah 45:7). There were reasons for the paralytic’s healing, and who knows that his paralysis was “so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3). In dealing with situations and questions as to whether to intercede or not, we must understand that the Holy Spirit is always appropriate and never inappropriate, So, we should pray and ask God to show us what to do. And, we have a promise in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him”. (Also, see Item#17f3-below, regarding reasons for sickness.)
i.) Finally, it could be construed that the Lord Jesus received a Word of Knowledge that helped Him in this healing work-“the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick.” After considering that notion, though, I conclude that the Lord Jesus would never need a Word of Wisdom or Knowledge because He already has the wisdom and knowledge of the Father. And, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30). The only item that the Father knows, which the Son doesn’t know, is the hour of the Son’s return (Matthew 24:36).
13.) Healing authority given to the seventy, Luke 10:1-24 “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for a worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you’. But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. … He who listens to you listens to Me, he who rejects you rejects Me; but he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me. The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’ He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.’ Then He turned to his disciples and said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.’” To bring all this together, we should consider what it was that the prophets yearned to see and hear. I believe that the Lord Jesus is summarily saying what the prophets yearned for in the statement, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ Then we can consider the following points of what that nearness to the kingdom entailed:
a.) Power to the disciples. The seventy two (or seventy in some Greek manuscripts) are representative of all of Christ’s Church- seventy-two being divisible by twelve and seventy being symbolic of completeness. So, then, Christ is seen as also speaking to us, his Church, when He says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. And, Christ is not just sending us to our communities and throughout the globe (for those being sent across the globe), He is sending us out with power. And, notably, the recognition of this “incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19) is also the purpose of the grace study, as stated on the Grace Study Home Page: 1. Proclaim the power of God to his people (Psalm 68:34 & 35); 2. Establish sound teaching which will "prepare God's people for works of service", empowering them to "keep in step with the Spirit" (Ephesians 4:7, 11, &12; Galatians 5:25); 3. Unify the Church by bringing to light the Lord's teaching regarding grace and the gifts, thus magnifying Christ's position as "Head over everything for the Church" (Ephesians 1:22, 4: 3-7, &15; Colossians 1:18). b.) Nearness to the kingdom of God also meant a calling, with a job to do, and a sending whether to far away places or to our communities. Individuals are sent and so the entire Church is sent, since the Church is needed to support the individuals who are sent to far away places. No individual Church member is actually apart from the Church of Jesus Christ since there is only one Holy Spirit which indwells us all, and we are all members of Christ’s body, the Church- which is built up of living stones (Ephesians 4:4, I Corinthians 12:12-30, I Peter 2:5). (See Item numbers 54, 54a, & 80 of the Apostleship Section and the Great Commission in Item#86 of the Evangelism Section.)
c.) Nearness to “the Kingdom of God” also means an expectation of an immediate change of attitude and an awareness of God’s close presence and working in our lives (grace- II Peter 3:18). We are not to be merely awe struck by God’s presence in our lives, but we are to be overjoyed that we can live the excellent and abundant life (I Corinthians 12:31, John 10:10, Romans 5:17, ), that God prepared for us before we were born.
14.) Take Jesus at his Word for healing, John 4:45-54, “When He arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, for they also had been there. Once more He visited Cana in Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick in Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to Him and begged Him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. ‘Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,’ Jesus told him, ‘you will never believe.’ The royal official said, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies.’ Jesus replied, ‘You may go. Your son will live.’ The man took Jesus at his Word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time his son got better, they said to him,‘ The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.’ Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to Him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he and all his household believed. This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.” I have a brother in Christ, Joe; and Joe’s mom was in a car accident where her leg was smashed, and broken in several places. The call went out to the various Christians to pray for her because the doctors said it didn’t look like they could save the leg. To make things worse, the accident was in a distant city, with no friends or relatives near. But the Lord answered our prayer, and the woman saved her leg. A few months later, Joe’s mom asked Joe to pray because the doctors said that the infection had come back and was causing problems. Joe told her that she needn’t worry because we had already prayed and were claiming the Lord’s promise to answer prayer. The point is that Joe had already taken the Lord at his Word to answer his original prayers. (His mom’s leg is currently doing well, by the way.) James 5:14&15 gives the preferred method of healing for the Church “Is any of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.” I’m surprised that many local gatherings won’t do this. I suppose that they lack the faith which is called for in verse 15. (Also see Item#34, below.)
15.) Heal and perform miraculous signs, Acts 4:30, “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your Word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. (Wow, here’s another name for Jesus, “Holy Servant”- Acts 4:30.) After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.” This prayer for the Lord to perform miraculous signs, including healings is another example of signs that accompany the Church. (See Items# 9d & 12h above.) The signs accompany the Church because Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit accompany the Church (Also, see Item#101e of the Word of Knowledge Section.)
16.) Sickness caused by sin, Deuteronomy 28:15-35, “However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking Him. The Lord will plague you with diseases until He has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. The Lord will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. The Lord will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed. The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. Your carcasses will be food for all the birds of the air and the beast of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. The Lord will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you. You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and ravish her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit. Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them. Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand. A people that you do not know will eat what your hand and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel; oppression all your days. The sights you see will drive you mad. The Lord will afflict your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be cured, spreading from the souls of your feet up to the top of your head.” These are taken from the chapter describing the curses for disobedience, given by God, through Moses at Mount Ebal, to the second generation of Israelites seeking to enter the promised land. This passage shows that the Lord does use disease to countermand sin in a person’s life. I’m sure that this is not the Lord’s preferred method of countering sin in our lives. (The Lord would much rather that we learned about sin form Scripture and then avoided such sin- I Corinthians 10:6. However, it is easily seen by the quantity of Scripture passages which refer to sickness caused by sin, that sin has to be taken seriously as the principle cause of sickness, for humanity, and even in the Church today. “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Hebrews 12:6&7. I’ve heard people say that the judgments on Israel don’t directly apply to the Church today- and I don’t doubt this. However, it’s obvious, from the New Testament items on the Scripture list, that sin can cause illness and other maladies among believers. In fact, many believers will tell you that such trials have made them much stronger, and more effective, believers. The following is a listing of these incredible large amount of Scripture passages illustrating sickness caused by sin: Genesis 12:17 (1st reference of disease in Scripture); Exodus 12:13, 32:35; Leviticus 26:14-35; Numbers 8:19, 11:33, 14:37, 16:46-50, 25:6-9; Deuteronomy 28:58-61, 29:23-25; I Samuel 5:1-6:3, 24:21-25; II Samuel 12:14-15; II Chronicles 16:12-14, 21:12-19; Psalms 38 all, 106:15; Proverbs 14:30, 18:21; Isaiah 1:5; Jeremiah 14:11, 21:6-8, 44:13-14; Zechariah 14:12-18; Matthew 9:1-7; Luke 13:10-13; John 15:1-15* (See Item#28 below); Acts 13:6-12; I Corinthians 11:27-32*; Hebrews 4:12*; James 5:14-16*; Revelation 22:18; also Item#28 and Item#34 below.
Four items in the above list have an asterisk, and are very important verses. Let’s take a closer look at these passages since they give insight into how sickness is manifested. Such a closer look ought to get us to understand healing and how to pray for it, and avoid illness caused by sin.
a.) I Corinthians 11:26-32 says, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. There’s nothing difficult herein. There are certain practices which the Lord holds as special, and meets out judgment for those who go against Him. In another instances, occult practices are particularly called out as being detestable to the Lord- Deuteronomy 18:9-12. So, if you’d like to have good health, or other blessings from God, then avoid offending God by certain detestable practices. Here’s a list of detestable or other practices that I’ve noticed have brought health problems, or the Scripture states will bring health or similar judgments. And most. if not all of these practices are in continued use in our country today. I feel strongly, and believe, that these detestable practices are why demons are set free to torment America today. So, if you want to know why young men are shooting up public places, look no further; the sins are blatant, and the solution is waiting at the cross.
1) Dishonoring your mother or father- Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 27:16.
2) Occult practices, such as necromancy (consulting, or praying to or through the dead, also includes mediums and spiritists), divination (including “holy water”, “holy” relics, divining sticks, etc.) sorcery, interpreting omens (including astrology, card reading, ouiji boards, and hand reading, etc.), witchcraft and wizardry, casting of spells (including “the evil eye” or voodoo) sacrificing your children (including abortion)- Deuteronomy 18:9-12
3) Idolatry, including praying to or through statues, saints, or the queen of heaven (or merely setting up statues or holy pictures/ icons)- Deuteronomy 27:15, I Corinthians 10:20, Exodus 20:4-6, Jeremiah 7:5-6, Romans 1:18-25.
4) Moving your neighbor’s boundary monument- Deuteronomy 27:17. I would extended this to the greedy and swindlers- I Corinthians 5:9-11.
5) Sexual immorality, including homosexuality, and sodomy Leviticus 18:20-28, 20:13&15, Deuteronomy 22:22-26, 27:21, Romans 1:26-28, I Corinthians 5:9-11, 6:12-20, Jude 7.
6) Leading the blind astray on the road- Deuteronomy 27:18. I would extend this to mocking or otherwise abusing any person with an infirmity.
7) Injustice to an alien, the fatherless, or a widow. Exodus 22:22, Deuteronomy 10:18, 14:28-29, 27:19. Jeremiah 7:5-6.
8) Incest- Deuteronomy 27:20-23, Leviticus 18:6-18, 20:14, I Corinthians 5:1&5.
9) Obvious abuse to your body (smoking, various drugs and alcohol, gluttony, disobeying medical advice- such as playing sports on a bad knee, or carbohydrates to a diabetic)- Matthew 4:6&7, I Corinthians 3:16&17, 6:19&20.
10) Pre-meditated Murder- Deuteronomy 27:24. Proverbs 6:17
11) General disobedience to God’s Word- Deuteronomy 27:26.
12) The Seven abominable acts: “haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” Proverbs 6:16-19.
b.) John 15:1-15, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” (See Item#28 below)
c.) Hebrews 4:12&13 says, “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” I had a young Christian friend, Micah, who eventually succumbed to a blood disease. But, he had much more of a handle on the meaning of this verse than I did- I suppose because he had more time and reason for meditating on it. Micah was at that time considering a very dangerous procedure- a bone marrow transplant. Micah is the one who helped the Lord lead me to this consideration and conclusion. From just plain logic, the inclusion of the words “joints and marrow” in this verse has to mean that the cutting edge of God’s Word has an impact on our bodies- for good and evil. And, this consideration is not as deep as the concept that God can create evil - Isaiah 45:7, Colossians 1:17, I Peter 1:7, 4:12. So, God is using these trials, sickness within the innermost parts of our bodies- even our “joints and marrow”, to correct our hearts and attitudes and thoughts, transforming our hearts and attitudes and thoughts into the likeness of Christ, II Corinthians 4:17&18, I John 3:2, also I Peter 5:10, and Colossians 1:28&29.
d.) James 5:14-16, “Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” We should realize that this is the primary method which the Lord has given to his Church for intercessory healing and prayer for healing. (And I can’t see why most local gatherings don’t practice this. I suppose this is because of bad teaching through the centuries.) The passage also shows what our attitude should be concerning healing, since the passage clearly connotes that some sickness is caused by sin (as underlined above). The inclusion of the word “if”, in the above passage, adds a lot of explanation as to a Christian’s attitude toward healing. Here are some points of attitude and procedures regarding healing which I perceive from this passage:
1) At some point, hopefully, a sick person will realize that he is sick, and needs help from the Lord, the Healer- Jehovah Rophe (Exodus 15:26). Upon realizing that one is sick, he can either ask for prayer from other believers while confessing his sin- if he has sinned; or, he can call for the elders if the illness is serious, or if the person can’t get relief through prayer with the believers who are close to him. Sometimes such illness is in conjunction with demonic activity and needs a strong and experienced hand- Mark 9:14-29.
2) I note that the sick should call for local elders of his local gathering. So, having a relative call, and then having the sick person either refuse the visit, or discount the work of the elders, won’t due. And, the connotation is to call for a local elder, not some great healer, or their favorite elder from three towns away. If taught correctly, such calling for the elders would be a fairly routine thing, after realizing that prayer by a person’s close believer friends wasn’t working. And, after such methods became fairly routine, the believers would realize that this is the primary method of healing which the Lord wants to use in this age.
3) The above passage requires that “He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” This is consistent with the laying on of hands spoken of in the Great Commission- Mark 16:18. The anointing with oil is necessary, not just as a symbol of the Holy Spirit at work, but also to “fulfill all righteousness”- Matthew 3:15. The Lord says to do it, so we should do it. If there are greater reasons why the healing doesn’t come to pass, then you can say, “We did all that the Lord would have us to do.” But if you just make up a bunch of excuses why you don’t believe in James 5:14-16, then you’re merely disobeying God. And, please note the Lord says, “He (that is the sick person) should call the elders of the church (not the deacons, not your favorite Christian relative) ….”
4) It’s worth considering how sin, sickness, and healing work together herein. First the sin festers and causes sickness in a person’s soul first, and then the body. It gets so bad that the local elders must be called in for laying on of hands, prayer, and anointing. And, the situation could have been handled by confession of sin within the local gathering and prayer for sickness, before the situation got to the larger scale of calling in the elders. But, then, there’s intercession (grace) from God’s throne in which healing is dispensed (Hebrews 4:16).
17.) “With his stripes”- Jesus the only healer, Isaiah 53:5, “With his stripes we are healed” (KJV). One can certainly wrestle for a long time with the meaning of this verse. Is this healing from sin or from sickness? I think it’s both, especially considering Item#16, above, but I still wrestle with the verse. Let’s look at the entire context of Isaiah 53:4-6. “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” The question becomes, “Is healing available to Christians merely because Christ suffered in his body and his wounds paid for our illnesses?” Or, has the judgment of God upon the Lord Jesus paid for all sin, including its effect on the body- illness? The problem with this line of diagnosis is that there are things concerning Calvary that we can only wrestle with, and ultimately are to be reckoned with only by the Father and the Son. The question herein is becoming, “Was the punishment that wrought our atonement a physical punishment, including death, burial, and resurrection; or was the punishment also a punishment to Christ’s soul (Psalm 22:1&2, 69:1-21, 89:32), in that He became sin for us (II Corinthians 5:21). Well, this is a question which the Father and the Son can deal with, but I’m not able to do so- perhaps in the glory (I Corinthians 13:12). The Father and the Son know, and it’s enough to know that we can be healed- body, soul, and spirit. Some other “with his stripes“ passages are as follows:
a.) Item#35. I Peter 2:19-25 says, “For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die for sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” This is a nugget of Scripture since it directly refers to Isaiah 53:5, and immediately delves into the question of what type of healing is dealt with by Christ’s stripes. I conclude that this verse is connecting Isaiah 53:5 with Christ’s general atonement of all sin including sin’s effect on the body- illness.
b.) II Samuel 7:12-16 says, “ ‘When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you. Who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me, your throne will be established forever.’ Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.” I included this entire passage, because, in its entirety, the passage shows that the prophecy was for all of David’s offspring- not just for Solomon, and not just for the Messiah. The “one who will build a house for my name” implies Solomon. The person punished “with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men” implies Christ. Yet the passage says, “When he does wrong, I will punish him”; so, that can’t be Christ. Therefore, the only conclusion is that the Lord is speaking about all of David’s offspring as if being one. This being the case, this prophecy is then a Messianic prophecy not just of the Messiah’s throne, but also of his flogging and atonement. While the passage doesn’t say it, it is fully utilizing the concept of Christ as the Son of Man, that Messiah, the Christ, is both God and man.
c.) I Chronicles 21:22-24 says, “David said to him, ‘Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price.’ Arauna said to David, ‘Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.’ But King David replied to Arauna, ‘No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.’ So David paid Arauna six hundred shekels of gold for the site. David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.” You can read and study about the burnt offering and fellowship offering in the first few chapters of Leviticus. And, we can study many books that conclusively show that all conspicuous animal deaths in Scripture are a picture of our Lord’s work at Calvary. But this passage is important because it accentuates the price that the Lord paid to purchase our pardon. “With his stripes we are healed!” And, “I will not… sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” Sometimes, in the middle of a small transaction, such as at a check out counter, when led to share Christ, I’ll say something like, “The best deal in life is eternal life! It’s free in Jesus Christ!” But then, if I have time, I’ll say, “It’s free to us because Christ already paid for it at the Cross!” And, I think that’s a pretty good one or two line gospel message, and would give the clerk a seed to chew on later, especially if saturated with prayer. But the point is brought out in this I Chronicles 21 passage, that there was a very great price that the Lord Jesus paid, so that we could be healed from our sin. At Calvary, “by his stripes we are healed”! And with any burnt offering of Scripture being also a type of Calvary, then we see that David is speaking for Christ (prophesying) when he states that “I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” (And, this is also a solid argument that shows why “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags” before the Lord- Isaiah 64:6, and can never pay for even one sin.) So, it’s excellent to be reminded that it was by a very great price, “with his stripes”, we are healed from our sin. (Also see Psalms 89:19-37.) And, this is also, I believe, why Christ will always be know not only as the “King of Kings”, but also as “the Lamb” (Revelation 17:14).
d.) Jeremiah 8:22 says, “Is there no Balm in Gilead? Is there no Physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? “ This verse is not discussing mere physical healing, but rather, the lack of spiritual healing- even in the obvious presence of the God of Israel. To Jeremiah and the people of Israel there certainly ought to be a balm in Gilead, but Israel was being crushed by its enemies at that time.
e.) Jeremiah 17:14 says, “Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for You are the One I praise.” Isn’t it fitting and excellent, knowing the Lord, that the very One whom we call upon for healing is the same One by whose stripes we are healed- Jehovah Rophe (Exodus 15:26).
f.) Matthew 8:14-17 says, “When Jesus came into Peter’s house, He saw Peter’s mother-in –law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on Him. When evening came, many who were demon possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a Word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.’” If we really want to study healing, we need to look closely at the concepts of taking up our infirmities and carrying our diseases. This Matthew 8 passage, then, really helps explain this concept. We’d like to consider that the Lord Jesus allows healing within the Christian community through the use of prayer and anointing by the elders according to James 5:14-16, and Item 16c above. And, the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law falls neatly into that pattern. However, then the Lord took up the cause of the demon possessed, driving out the demons using a Word and healing all the sick, and this specifically to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy- “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases”. So, here are some very important points in understanding what the Lord means when the Scripture says, “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases”.
1) Infirmities and diseases defined- Referring to Matthew 8:17, Strongs[2] has “infirmities” as “asthenia” (#769) meaning feebleness or malady. While Strongs has “diseases” (sicknesses in KJV) as “anosos” (#3554) meaning disease or sickness. However, referring to the Hebrew of Isaiah, Isaiah 53:3&4, says, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; … Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows:.” In Isaiah Strongs has “sorrows” (in both underlined instances above) as “makob” ( #4341) meaning anguish or affliction; and Strongs has “grief” as “choliy” (#2483) meaning “malady, anxiety, calamity- disease, grief”. I note that Isaiah’s passage defines both sorrows and griefs as various forms of maladies, both physical or spiritual. I also note his description of the Lord Jesus as “a man of sorrows”. So, the sorrows and grief that the Lord takes up and carries for us cannot be only physical ailments; else Isaiah would be describing the Lord Jesus as a man with many physical ailments when he calls him a “man of sorrows”. So the Lord wants to take up and carry any and all of our maladies- physical, mental, and spiritual; and the Matthew passage is emphasizing the physical maladies. And, I note that Peter’s mother-in-law was healed of what could be termed a minor ailment- a fever.
2) “Took up” & “carried” defined. So, if we want the Lord Jesus to take up our infirmities and carry our disease, what do “took up” and “carried” mean? Well, we can look at the wording in Strong’s, and we can look at instances from Scripture. The Greek word for “took (up)” is “lambano” (#2983) meaning take up or get hold of, (Matthew 8:17, 13:31, 14:19, Acts 28:15, etc.). These instances usually speak of someone taking up an inanimate object intending to immediately do something with that object. The Greek word for “bare (carry)” is “bastazo” (#941) meaning take up from its base and carry. “Bastazo” was used for Judas who carried the bag (John 12:6); and it was used for Mary who bare Jesus in her womb (Luke 11:27). Instances in Scripture similar to Matthew 8:17 are Psalms 68:4&5, and Exodos 22:21&22, wherein the Lord takes up the causes of the fatherless, the widow, and the alien. I Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety (griefs) upon Him because He cares for you.” Then the ultimate burden is totally taken up and carried away by Him (II Corinthians 5:21); and the sins themselves are cast into the deepest sea of forgetfulness (Psalm 103:12 ). I was very recently sick with a virus (just getting over it), it was what we call a three day virus. I got through it in one day, because I was anointed with oil and prayed over in the dregs of the illness. But, I found out something about illnesses. I found out that, when ill, our mind loses control over our body. And, it’s this loss of control that is part of this concept Christ wants to take up and carry our illnesses. I mean if we’re not in control, then who is in control? We need someone to take up the control of our body in these illnesses. I also realized through my virus that there will come a time (if Christ doesn’t come by then) that I will have to surrender the control of my body, give up the ghost, and pass into physical death. It’s important to understand that the Lord is already in complete control of our bodies and every molecule and subatomic particle in the universe (Colossians 1:17. Also see Items #15e, 41b&g, and 180 in the Word of Knowledge Section). So, whether in sickness or in death, He’s on the throne, diligently watching out for us. However, taking up and carrying our infirmities includes something more than just maintaining the molecules of our bodies. These acts would include interceding (grace) from his throne, and going against those things which are causing us to be sick- which are often our own sin.
3) Who or what makes us sick? From Item#16, above, we can see that a principle cause of infirmities (and many other social or financial maladies- I Timothy 6:10) is our own sin. This is also obvious in the account of Matthew 12:22-37, in which a demon possessed man was made blind and deaf by the demon; but Christ healed him by the intercession/ grace work of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32). (And, as an important side note, Matthew 12:31-32 clearly warns us that we must be careful what we say about God’s Holy Spirit). The following are some other healings of people possessed of demons: a mute man in Matthew 9:32-34; the Canaanite woman’s daughter in Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30; the boy with seizures and a “deaf and mute spirit” in Matthew 17:14-21 and Mark 9:14-29 and Luke 9:37-45. These examples were of people overcome by demons. Sin, itself, not including demon possession, can also make a person sick- James 5:15, Romans 5:15, and Item#16, above. Regarding Lazarus, the Lord Jesus explained, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”(John 11:4). I’ve seen more than a few different types of situations where God is glorified in sickness. One such type is where my young, 30 year old friend, overly involved with athletics injured his knee- very common. There comes a time when young men need to stop playing athletics and take their place as leaders in society. So, God can use illnesses to close doors, thus showing us his will. Like Lazarus, sometimes a healing is glorifying to God, because it shows us his power. (And, recall that healings are to be among the signs that accompany Christ’s Church- Item#101e of the Word of Knowledge Section.) Finally, illness can be very edifying. I’ve heard testimonies of believers praising the Lord for the blessings to their family and themselves because of their serious illness. And, we have a close Christian sister who is now doing just that. (She’s went on to be with the Lord since the time of this editing, and was a testimony of faith until she passed- looking for that City not built by hands.) “These (trials) have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”- I Peter 1:7. So, the three causes of illness, which I’ve seen in Scripture and experienced, are sin, edification, and glory to God. And, the ultimate healer is Jesus Christ (Jehovah Rophe- Exodus 15:26), because the Lord is already in complete control of our bodies and every molecule and subatomic particle in the universe.
4) Why would LJC take up our infirmities and carry our diseases? Well, part of this answer is that no one else is able to do it. You might find some humanitarian or fine hospital to deal with a cure, or perhaps the symptom of your problem. However, an illness is deeper than the symptoms. Bill Gotherd, (out of Oakbrook, IL, a teacher which I studied as a new Christian) liked to point out that, in life, there are surface problems and surface causes, and there are root problems and root causes. Bill would point out that there are actually only three root causes of maladies- the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (I John 1:16). Well doctors aren’t going to be dealing with sin as a cause of illness, now are they? And, I’m certain that their bedside manner won’t include looking at illness as a means of edification or glorifying God. However, many doctors are being forced to look at healing by a higher power- due to miraculous healings. Whenever we ask “why?”, and it is concerning the Lord, the answer undoubtedly is going to rest in his character and eternal purposes. Sometimes I do something which is, at best, just a waste of time. And, when I think about why I did it, the answer is usually that it was a very carnal thing to do, and I’m just plain carnal sometimes. And, I usually have to ask the Lord for forgiveness, and He does forgive me. Praise the Lord!. However, the Lord, Himself, doesn’t have to contend with his own carnal nature. So, there are functional and important reason for his actions. The Scripture explains the following three main facets of the Lord’s work today: the saving of souls, the manifesting of his glory in his Church on earth, and his continuing maintenance of his creation as a place for mankind to inhabit. (See Item#75 in the Evangelism Section.) So, his healing and carrying of our infirmities is in conjunction and part of his work on earth- which includes manifesting his glory through signs that accompany the Church, such as healings. As well, the Lord takes up our infirnities because that is his job and (as was said), He’s the only one that can do it (Jehoveh Rophe). We are his servants and friends; so our infirmities are actually his infirmities too. How can we serve Him if we’re sick? Peter’s mother-in-law, in Matthew 8:14-15 immediately began waiting on them once she was healed. The Lord also wants us to know “his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised him from the dead and seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in this present age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:19-21). This is a great nugget of Scripture concerning this Grace Study, and my unction to proclaim the power that God gives his people the Church- See Purpose on the Grace Study homepage. Having researched and studied all these reasons, we must also realize that Christ sometimes heals and blesses for no stated reasons except to show mercy upon whom he would show mercy and compassion on whom He will have compassion (Romans 9:15). This is proved up by those healings by the Lord Jesus in which the Lord told the healed person not to tell anyone of the miracle- Mark 1:43&44, 7:36, etc.. Such mercy/ compassion healings speak against the teachings that such healings and other grace gifts were only given as “sign gifts’ in the so-called apostolic age. (Also see Item#12h, above.) Else, why would the Lord heal and then tell that person not to speak of it?
5) So, how does Christ (Jehovah Rophe) heal us? Well, in all cases, He does it through his power as our creator and maintainer of the very molecules in our body. However, we can go back to item# 3, above, and see how the Lord would undo, or at least deal with, each reason for an infirmity (that is sin, edification, and God’s glory). If sin is the issue, we know that, with Jesus’ stripes we are healed. And, though a person, or his entire ancestry, sins, the Lord can put such under the umbrella of the cross, and also the promise of his Word according to James 5:15. Concerning edification, the Lord can heal after that person or group is built up according to the Lord’s plan, and according to his purpose for such a trial. There are instances in real life, and in Scripture, where people become sick so that the Lord will be glorified through that situation- Lazarus, basic trials that change our lifestyles for Christ, and other instances. Our friend was recently diagnosed with cancer, and she’s praising God because she and all her family have been edified and brought back to seriousness in the Lord. (Please see Iten#3, immediately above.) “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.”(Ecclesiastes 7:2). And also, the Lord can change his mind, and merely heal out of mercy. This is what occurred in the life of Hezekiah (II Kings 20:1-21). So, the Lord can heal in all situations, and truly “The Lord omnipotent reigneth!” (Revelation 19:6 KJV).
19.) Some cannot be healed, Jeremiah 51:9 “We would have healed Babylon, but she cannot be healed; let us leave her and each go to his own land, for her judgment reaches to the skies, it rises as high as the clouds.” The Lord knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). So, some cannot be healed- for various reasons which God knows. Bible students will readily recognize that Babylon is a picture of world religions, and worldly accomplishments (I John 2:17), and the worship of false gods and belief in false notions which began in Shinar of Babylon (Genesis 11:1-7, Isaiah 21:9, and Revelation 17:1-7). The following are some examples wherein healing was not in the Lord’s will:
a.) Jeremiah 8:13-15. “I will take away their harvest declares the Lord. … What I have given them will be taken from them. ‘Why are we sitting here? Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there! For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish and given us poison water to drink, because we have sinned against Him. We hoped for peace but none has come, for a time of healing but there was only terror.’” By the time a prophet of God says judgment is coming, it’s probably too late to avert such wrath. I say probably because I do know of one instance when the Lord reversed a judgment which had already been prophesied. That was in the instance of Hezekiah’s illness and pending death as mentioned in Item#17f5, above. In the remainder of Jeremiah’s prophecy the Lord does much to explain why He can’t let his people’s sin go unpunished. As an example, Jeremiah 9:7-9 says, “Therefore, this is what the Lord almighty says: ‘See, I will refine and test them, for what else can I do because of the sin of my people? Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit. With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him. Should I not punish them for this?’ declares the Lord.”
b.) Jeremiah, in Chapters 14 through 17, tells of the coming judgment and captivity of Judah. And, though Jeremiah plead fervently for Judah, the Lord had already resolved to rain judgment down upon them. Jeremiah 14: 11&12 says, “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Do not pray for the well being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead I will destroy them with the sword, famine, and plague.’” Jeremiah 15:1-4 also says, “Then the Lord said to me: ‘Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go! And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.’ ‘I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,’ declares the Lord, ‘the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. I will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah King of Judah did in Jerusalem.’” So, from the perspective of this Grace Study, we should realize that sometimes judgment and discernment will be meted out by the Lord rather than mercy, no matter who is praying. It’s interesting to note that, while Hezekiah was saved from an illness in Item #17f5, above, Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh, was a butchering murderer and helped to heap all this judgment upon Judah. And, we must note that the Lord did eventually have mercy and brought Judah back to the Promised Land, after 70 years of captivity.
c.) Jeremiah 30:12-17. “This is what the Lord says, ‘Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing. There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you. All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many. Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you. But all who devour you will be devoured; all your enemies will go into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered; all who make spoil of you I will despoil. But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds.’ declares the Lord, because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.” It’s been said before by many that it is possible that a believer can fall into such a pit of lies and snares by satan that the believer will “go through hell on earth”, and yet be saved because the Lord will be faithful and cannot deny Himself- II Timothy 2:13. And, I do believe that sickness and injuries can be a big part of such misery.
d.) Jeremiah 46:1, 2, 11 &12. “This is the Word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations: Concerning Egypt: This is the message against Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: … Go up to Gilead and get balm, O Virgin daughter of Egypt. But you multiply remedies in vain; there is no healing for you. The nations will hear of your shame; your cries will fill the earth. One warrior will stumble over another; both will fall down together.” The time for judgment had come, and the Lord was not about to reverse the forces that He had put in motion, particularly for a nation still practicing all the sins of Egypt. And, since Egypt is a type, or picture, of the world to us. This is saying to us that this world will come under extreme judgment (in the tribulation), and eventually there will be a new heaven and a new Earth- II Peter 3:10.
e.) Matthew 26:39. “Going a little farther, He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” This is not normally a healing verse, but it is a teaching about trials. This verse tells us that no matter how fervently we pray, and no matter who the petitioner is, sometimes we just have to say, “Lord, your will be done!” And, sometimes, like Job, our trial has a greater benefit than we can see, or even understand- Job Chapters 38-41.
f.) II Timothy 4:20. “Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.” That’s interesting. Paul, one of the principal apostles to the Gentiles, famous for his involvement in healings, left a coworker sick. We don’t know the circumstances. However, for various reasons, the power for healing may not have been there. (See Item#12, above.)
So, there are various instances and reasons why some cannot be healed. However, this, again, is why it is so important to be obedient and to seek healings according to James 5:14, so that we are at least obedient to God. And, then, if the healing is not in his will, then we have done what was required of us. But, many healings have been accomplished through the healing and prayer explained in James 5:14.
20.) Shepherds are to heal, Ezekiel 34:2-6 “’Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter of choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak, or healed the sick, or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.” See Item#20b in the Shepherding Section. Now, it would be easy to merely claim that the healing spoken of is spiritual healing due to the onslaught of satan in the Church. However, we should consider the following obvious points:
a.) In I Peter 5:1-3 we are told that elders are to shepherd the flock which the Lord has put under our care, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who will share in the glory to be revealed: Be a shepherd of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers- not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” Okay, so it’s obvious that all elders are exhorted, by God’s Word, to shepherd God’s flock which He has put under their care. Did you ever clearly ask someone to tend to something very important for you, and then return to find the task undone and the situation a mess. What was your conclusion about that situation, and that person? It was probably that you should have never entrusted them with any responsibility.
b.) A large part the Shepherding gift and task is healing: “You have not strengthened the weak, or healed the sick, or bound up the injured.” And, all elders are called upon to do this according to I Peter 5:1-3 and James 5:14. THIS OBVIOUSLY TAKES INTO ACCOUNT PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALING. (See Item#7e, above.) However, to be frank, the elders of most Christian gathering don’t even realize that they are elders and have hired clergymen to, supposedly, do their work- which never works, and the sheep remain scattered. (See Item#40 of the Shepherding Section).
c.) There is an undeniable prophecy in Ezekiel 34:21-34 which is fulfilled in Christ and his Church, “Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and He will tend them: He will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be Prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.” (Also see Item#25 of the Shepherding Section.)
d.) In John 10:11&14 Christ identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd prophesied in Ezekiel 34, and He also differentiates Himself from false shepherds who have snuck in- not coming through Himself as the sheep gate (John 10:1-10). Since we are in Christ Jesus, and already seated with Him in the heavenly realms- Romans 6:23 & Ephesians 2:6, all mature believers are exhorted to join in shepherding the Father’s sheep, which He has placed under our care- I Peter 5:1. This continual shepherding, through Christ and the Father’s Holy Spirit, is a continual fulfillment of the Ezekiel 34:23 prophecy, above. And, the healing work commanded in James 5:14 is a large part of this shepherding work.
e.) Let’s not side step the obvious! Healing within the Church is a just plain good testimony of Christ and the Spirit’s presence in the Church. And, sometimes the illness is by Satanic attack (Luke 13:16), while other times the healing has been pre-ordained by God for his glory (John 9:3).
21.) Jesus the only healer, Mark 5:25-29 “And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus she came up behind Him in the crowd, and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed’. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ ‘You see the people crowding against you’ his disciples answered, ‘and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’’ But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told Him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’” As you can tell, this story is very deep and has a lot packed into it. The following are some comments and some other verses that relate to Jesus as the only healer:
a.) The wording used to describe the woman’s position is very akin to Satanic bondage. Verse 25 says she’s “subject to bleeding”. Verse 29 says “she felt in her body that she was freed”. And Jesus analysis of her situation stated, “Your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering”- verse 34. Does this necessarily mean that her sickness was caused by sin, as in Item#16, above, and that, further, she was in some kind of bondage to some demon? No, but anyone who has been ill for an extended period of time can tell you that getting up sick everyday is not freedom; and every illness carries its own type of bondage. Actually, the KJV, I believe does a better job on this passage when it says that she was made whole, rather than freed from suffering. Can Satan attack your body? Yes, he can according to Job 2:6&7, even Christians- but only as God would allow.
b.) The physics of healing is brought out in this passage when “Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him”- verse 30. And, the question can be asked, “Who was controlling the healing power that had gone out from Jesus upon the touch of his garment by the sick woman?” You could say, “Perhaps it was the Father!”, or “Perhaps it was the Holy Spirit!” However, looking at the situation, it was probably all persons of the Trinity working together. The Father, through his Holy Spirit, was working in the woman’s mind and soul to get her to believe, and then actually touching his garment. But, notice that the power to heal came through Jesus Christ. What about this power- “…his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…” (Ephesians 1:19&20) This power is coming from the Father through the Son, which is not the same as having come only through the Son. Three verses also bring this out- Romans 10:9, John 11:41&42, and Luke 5:17 (per above Item#12). And, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can only do what He sees the Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” We must conclude from these various Scripture perspectives that the Lord Jesus sometimes speaks for the whole Godhead (as in John 8:58 &10:18), and sometimes He splits hairs and teaches the specifics of what person of God does what. And, it’s easy to see why He would teach us so- for the same reason Paul prayed that the Ephesians would know this power (Ephesians 1:18-21), because God wants us to be powerful and reap great rewards in heaven for our service to the King.
c.) Verses 34-36 speak concerning the faith to be healed, “He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’ While Jesus was still speaking, some men come from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. ‘Your daughter is dead’, they said.’ ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’ Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’” This is no coincidence that both these miracles bring out the faith needed to be healed (also see Item#31). And, then immediately after this, the Lord Jesus goes to his home town of Nazareth, to which Mark 6:4&5 relates “Jesus said to them, ‘Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.’ He could not do many miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He was amazed at their lack of faith.’” So, we also see that having faith in Christ as the healer, and honoring God for who He really is, both, play a part in the healing process.
d.) Why can healing only be done through Jesus? That question is worth considering. First of all, God’s Word says so: “… for I am the Lord who heals you (Jehovah Rophe).”- Exodus 15:26. Also consider that it is Christ’s conscious will which holds all of us together, and controls every molecule of our body (Colossians 1:17). In order for someone else to heal you, the Lord Jesus would have to stand aside and let someone else control the molecules of your body while that some one is working on your body- and that would be impossible, because the molecules of your body would fly apart while such was going on.
So, we can conclude that Jesus is the only healer, and praise and thank Him for that.
22.) Jesus healed every disease and sickness, Matthew 4:23&24, “Jesus went throughout Galilea … healing every disease and sickness among the people.” Some people say that Jesus healed as a sign that He was the Messiah. I believe this is true, however, that’s not the whole reason why Christ healed. In Revelation 22:2, we see “On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” During the millennial reign, then, the maintaining of the life and health “of the nations” is done by God’s tree of life. Ezekiel 47:12 also says this same thing. Now, we understand that Christ, who’s very life and lifestyle declares who God is (John 1:18), came to this sin laden world 2000 years ago. And, these healings are necessary to show us that our healings and very life (John 14:6) depend upon God, whom Christ is declaring. And so, these numerous healings are not just signs, but are also manifestations of God’s character. And, these healings help us to know Him and his character- even God’s manifestation as Jehovah Rophe (Exodus 15:26). The following are other passages that help bring this out:
a.) Psalm 103:3, “Praise the lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” I like the part about crowning me with love and compassion, because lately I’ve been tuning in to the excellence of a life with Christ. As I get older, though, having my youth renewed like the eagle’s is very nice, (especially since an eagle gets its power from the wind, as a picture of the Spirit- not my own power/ effort, Isaiah 40:31. And, this Grace Study loves to proclaim the power of God to his people, the Church. (See Purpose on the Grace Study homepage.) I suppose these items could be called the “Christian benefit package”. We see herein that he heals all of our diseases as a part of our life with Him. It’s part of the benefit package, not a sign gift that became obsolete.
b.) Item #38, below. Christ had compassion on people.
c.) Matthew 8:16-17, “When evening came, many who were demon possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.’” Of course the Isaiah passage, which is quoted in Matthew 8:17, goes on to say, concerning the suffering servant (Christ), “… yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted.” Isaiah is bringing out the dichotomy and irony that the One who is both God and Messiah, and proved so by his healing ministry, is deemed as struck, smitten, and afflicted by God. And, in the final considerations we do agree with Isaiah 53:10, which says, yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause Him to suffer.” This passage is also discussed in Item# 17f, above. Also see Mark 1:32-34.
d.) Matthew 12:14-16, “But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed Him, and he healed all their sick, warning not to tell who He was.” I note that, even while seeking to keep a low profile, the Lord Jesus wouldn’t stop healing “all their sick”. Also see Mark 3:10.
e.) Matthew 14:13-14, “When Jesus heard what had happened (John the Baptist’s death), He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Again we see compassion ruling the day, and even feeding the crowd of five thousand plus. (Also see Luke 9:11.)
f.) Matthew 14:34-36, “When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to Him and begged Him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched Him were healed.” This is similar to the teaching in James 5:14, wherein the sick person “should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil”. The emphasis I’m making is that the sick (or their friends/ family) should seek out the healing, not a healer seeking out the sick. There’s a difference; and I conclude that faith makes up the greater part of that difference. See Item#34, below, and also Item #20. Also see Mark 6:56.
g.) Matthew 15:29-32, “Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled , the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and He healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.’” And so, Jesus fed the four thousand. Again we see compassion ruling the day, and even feeding the crowd of four thousand plus.
h.) Matthew 19:1-2, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of Jordan. Large crowds followed Him and He healed them there.” Again, healing was (and is) just part of who the Lord Jesus is.
i.) Matthew 21:14-15, “The blind and lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things He did and the children shouting in the temple area, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant.” This occurred after He had overturned the tables of the money changers just after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. His reply to the indignant priests and teachers fits our study herein, “’Have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.’”- vs 16. It fits our study because Christ’s explanation implies that worship of Him, and these miracles, merely proceed from his character and are to be expected. This is the same as the healings which are expected to accompany the Church. See “signs that accompany the Church” (Item#101 of the Word of Knowledge Section).
j.) Luke 4:40, “When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, He healed them.” So, He healed every one that was brought, and He laid hands on them to do this.
k.) Luke 7:21-22, “At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So He replied to the messengers, ‘Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”” The Lord sent this message to John because He knew that all these acts would prove that He came in fulfillment to Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (the blind), to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor …”- Isaiah 61:1&2. And, it should be noted that all these healings by the Lord Jesus are proofs, then and now, that he is indeed the Messiah prophesied by John, by Isaiah and by others.
l.) Mark 16:15-18, “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well.’” The Lord is still healing through his Church, and the Lord loves to do this in accompaniment to evangelism and teaching. I’ve come to the conclusion that Christian work is still accompanied by signs, and that the Lord Jesus is still the principal worker of these miracles, not the Christian worker. And, the Lord Jesus is continuing to aggressively work sign miracles, but through the believers, who become walking sign posts in their day to day Christian lives. (Also see Items # 34 & 68 of the Apostleship Section, and God's Indwelling of the Church Through Gifts, Item #g.e of the Table of Contents Section. Further, these healings occur as accompaniment to Christians because the Lord is with us, as Jehovah Rophe- the One Who Heals (Exodus 15:26).
24.) Healings by casting out a demon, Matthew 12:22-32, ““Then they brought Him a demon possessed man, who was both blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebub, ‘the prince of demons’, that this fellow drives out demons.’ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If satan drives out satan, he is divided against himself. How then, can his kingdom stand? And, if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. ” (Also see Luke 11:14-26.) Item#16 shows that sin can cause sickness. And now we see that demonic possession can also cause sickness (and sin can also lead to demon possession). So, it is logical that the demon must first be cast out for healing to occur which is clearly brought out in item#c, below. The following are additional passages involving healings which occur alongside the casting out of demons:
a.) Matthew 9:32-34, “While they were going out, a man who was demon possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, ‘Nothing like this has ever been done in Israel.’ But the Pharisees said, ‘it is by the prince of demons that He drives out demons.’” I note that it was only after the demon was driven out that the mute man spoke. It’s interesting to consider how a demon could bind up a man’s speech. Was the demon binding up his mind, or his vocal cords or the connection between the two!? I suppose not enough is known to form a conclusion- only to ask the question. And this accusation of the Lord Jesus, healing by power of satan, is pressed further by the Pharisees in Matthew 12:22-32, above.
b.) Matthew 15:21-28, “Leaving that place Jesus withdrew to the region of
c.) Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.’ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to Him and urged Him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’ The woman came and knelt before Him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said. He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she said, ‘but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” This discussion is no attempt by the woman to get cute with the Lord. She knew that she and her daughter were under satanic attack- “My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” She wanted and needed someone to intercede at the spiritual level, and she recognized the Lord Jesus as the Messiah. I hate it when I talk to someone about the Lord and they laugh as if you are talking about a cartoon show or some imaginary story. This woman realized the serious position that she and her daughter were in. Would that it was so for the lost who are all around us today, but with “no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18)! Also see Mark 7:24-30.
d.) Matthew 17:14-21, “When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before Him. ‘Lord, have mercy on my son,’ he said. He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.’ ‘O unbelieving and perverse generation,’ Jesus replied. ‘How long should I stay with you? How long should I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.’ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Faith is needed to heal, both by the agent for Christ and by the sick person or his agent- see Item#12c, above. When I read of miracles like this one, I usually ask myself the question, “Where have all those demons gone- since they were present during Christ’s life on earth?” The answer, of course, is that the demons haven’t gone anywhere. The demons are still present here on Earth, because they won’t be thrown into the bottomless pit until Christ comes again- Revelation 20. And, the conclusion I draw from these facts is that many seizures and psychiatric problems are due to demon possession and not chemical imbalance as worldly doctors would have us to believe. The proof is in the Scripture, as I don’t see any people cured of chemical imbalance in Scripture, but, in Scripture we see many demons rebuked who were causing these effects. Also of note in this account, is that the healing did not occur until the demon was removed. This account is also given in Mark 9:14-29 and Luke 9:37-45. The Mark 9 account adds, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” And some manuscripts say, “prayer and fasting”. We need more prayer warriors, and fasting prayer warriors would be better!
e.) Luke 13:10-17, “On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman you are set free from your infirmity.’ Then He put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, ‘There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.’ The Lord answered him, ‘You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?’ When He said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things He had done.” Here is an example of why we study the Bible- the spiritual events, in this situation, are determining what is happening in the world. Christ sees right through to what’s being done in the spiritual realm. And, He calls it the way it is: since by faith she is a daughter of Abraham, she belongs to Christ, who sets her free from satanic bondage which has kept her bent over, and gives her a long cold drink of the water of the Holy Spirit- who is present in the healing and in the presence and Word of Christ (Luke 1:15).
The world is filled with lies, nowadays. And, satan is truly ruling this world, which can be seen by the seemingly overwhelming power of this web of constant lies. I’ve seen in my life the worldwide expansion of electronic media, and with all this worldly wisdom comes a stifling of the truth. If I tell you to “spare the rod, and you’ll spoil the chilld”, or that homo-sexualism is the sin of sodomy, or that Islam and any statue worship are idolatry, then I could possibly be charged with a hate crime. But if I tell you that satan and his demons are still causing sickness and the insanity that comes with demon possession, then even most of my Christian friends would tell me I’m being too harsh. But, which is too harsh, to advise someone of the probable cure, or to let them wallow in the throws of demonic possession. I find it very peculiar that, while the present age is filled with mental illness, there is no mention of mental illness in the Bible, except where demon possession is cited. And, of all the healings done by Christ or the disciples, or even false teachers, we never hear of any mental illness caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. This is why I don’t believe in psychology or psychiatry. In fact, if you asked such a practitioner, they would be the first to tell you, “No! We probably can’t cure this situation. We can only help to treat it.” (usually with sedatives or halucinogens).
26.) Healing with oil, Mark 6:13, “Calling the twelve to Him, He sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. … They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them”. Here’s another of many verses that show that James 5:13&14 should be the Christian’s principle means of healing. The James passage clearly states that the elders are to anoint with oil and use prayer for healings. Now, when it was not expedient to bring oil to the scene, then the disciples merely laid hands on people and prayed (Acts 3:7, &9:17). Of course, the question comes up, “What kind of oil?” In the Tabernacle days the priests were ordered by God to mix up a certain mixture of perfumed oil (Exodus 30:22-33). But, I think even a small moistening of the finger with olive oil would work just as well in New Testament times, you see a Christian’s oil already has its sweet perfume- the finished work of Christ at the cross, the resultant presence of Christ in us (II Corinthians 2:14-17, Ephesians 5:1-2, Colossians 1:27). And, the oil is, after all, a picture of the Holy Spirit and Christ’s fragrant presence in and around us.
27.) 11th hour healing, Luke 22:51, “He touched the man’s ear and healed him.” I’m a fan of things that happen at the eleventh hour. I suppose it’s what some would call “brinksmanship”. You can discern what’ generally will come from a person by what proceeds from them at the 11th hour. In fact, the Lord Jesus position is more fully flushed out by this 11th hour incident when He says, in front of his disciples, “’Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say that it must happen in this way?’ At that time Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Am I leading a rebellion that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.’ Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.” (Matthew 26:52-56). Many people always live on the brink. My old job working for the government taught me how to work on the brink, because governments are usually short handed, at least nowadays. So, I took notice that, even while on the cross, the Lord Jesus was able to lead that thief to salvation- which is not surprising, given the magnitude of the event; but still, it happened at the man’s and Jesus’ 11th hour, just before death. And, this 11th hour healing, it happened so matter-of-factly that one would almost miss it. Such is the throne of Christ now, that blessings flow so abundantly from Him that it really is hard to keep track and properly thank and praise Him.
28.) Healing at the Bethesda pool, John 5:1-15, “Sometime later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five colored colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie- the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, He asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’ ‘Sir,’ the invalid replied, ‘I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.’ But he replied, ‘The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat, and walk.’’ So they asked him, ‘Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?’ The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.’ The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.” The point that sticks out to me in this passage is that Christ said, “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The Lord didn’t say, “something worse will happen”, but rather, “something worse may happen”. And, this point reinforces the teaching in Item#16, above regarding “Sickness caused by sin”. And in that regard, this verse is a very powerful nugget of Scripture. Another point is that Jesus shows that He is Lord also of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8), by not only healing on the Sabbath, but also commanding the man to pick up his mat and walk- and the man knew that he should immediately obey the Lord.
30.) Phillip healing in Samaria, Acts 8:1-14, “And Saul was there, giving approval to his (Stephen’s) death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the Word wherever they went. Phillip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Phillip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city. Now for some time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, ‘This man is the divine power known as the great power.’ They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. But when they believed Phillip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Phillip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.” Now Items # 1 & #18 of the Evangelism Section show that this Phillip was not the apostle Phillip, but rather Phillip the evangelist, one of the seven deacons of the Jerusalem gathering (Acts 6:5-6, & 21:8). Again, these great miracles totally agree with the concept of “signs that accompany the Church” (Item#101 of the Word of Knowledge Section, and also see Item#15 above). So, these healings and other miracles help to validate the salvation power of the gospel, because they are signs that accompany the Church.
32.) Prayer and placing of hands, Acts 28:7-8, “There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home, and for three days entertained us hospitably. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.” The following are other points brought out by Scripture concerning the laying on of hands as a very important concept and method of healing.
a.) This passage reminds me of the requirement, brought out in Item#37d of the Word of Knowledge Section, that “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” (I John 2:5)- and laying on of hands for healing is a part of this walk.
b.) Then, of course, the laying on of hands and anointing with oil accompany each other according to Item#16d3 and James 5:14-16.
c.) I suppose I can’t explain why physical touch adds to healing. But two of my favorite healing in Scripture are when Jesus touched the leper, and when, by faith the woman merely touched the hem of Jesus garment, per Item#21 above. Physical touch does add to our involvement in a situation. For this reason, we see politicians always wanting to have a photo publicized with their shirt sleeves rolled up, and themselves walking amidst a troubling situation. We can see this involvement in the picture of the offerings in Leviticus Chapters 3 and 4, wherein the offerers were to lay their hands on the head of the animal to be offered. Also see Item#45e5-6 below.
d.) Regarding healing methodology, Luke 4:40 becomes a nugget of Scripture because it says, “When the sun was setting, they brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, He healed them.” You would have to be a serious student of healing to pick up on these methodologies. And, this is why James 5:14-16 is so important, in that it makes a cohesive statement of the Scripture’s prescribed and preferred methodology of healing.
e.) In the Teaching Section, Item#175, clearly shows us that this concept of the laying on of hands is not a difficult concept to grasp. However, a Christian should not presume to be growing in Christ’s grace and knowledge (II Peter 3:18) unless he understands this, as well as other, elementary principles. The Scripture cites such elementary truths as being, “repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1&2). And, a Christian cannot presume to be a teacher without grasping these elementary concepts: “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again” Hebrews 5:11&12.
33.) Mass healings regarding Paul, Acts 28:9, “When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured.” This all happened immediately following the healing of Publius’ father, as discussed in Item#32 above. And, we don’t really know how many sick are being discussed or what type of infirmities. But we do know that God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, undoubtedly so that his gospel message would be well received, and so that people would know that he was sent by God (apostleship). Consider what happened to Paul at Ephesus, “This went on for two years, so that all Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.”- Acts 19:10&11. This similarly happened to the apostles of Jesus Christ, the twelve, per Item#9e above. I don’t doubt that in this age, if a person did apostolic work, like Paul’s group and the Twelve, he would see apostolic miracles. In fact, ask those believers sent out today, modern day apostles, and they will tell you of such miracles that accompanied them. I just went through this type of situation with a missionary family to Africa. God was working great miracles among them. But when they told this to the group that sent them, they lost their support and were forced to leave the mission field, because their sending organization didn't believe in such miracles. I tell you that the Church needs people to proclaim the power of God to his people. These lukewarm teachings are the snares and bondage of Satan. I recall a Roman Catholic once telling me that the reason the Catholics believe evangelism is obsolete is because a person is now born again through the sprinkling of the priest- infant baptism. I tell this so that it becomes obvious which direction these denials of gifts are coming from- these denials are snares and bondage from the father of lies, satan.
34.) Obedience to God’s Word concerning healing + God’s will = healing, James 5:13-18, “Is any of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” There are, of course, major points of healing in this passage. And, in case I haven’t made it clear in previous notes, this is the major teaching on healing for us in this Church age in which we dwell. Many things about this passage have been said in this Grace Study already. Some of these points and references are as follows:
a.) Item#37d of the Word of Knowledge Section points out that “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.”- I John 2:5. And, the Scripture says that certain signs will accompany the Church (Mark 16:15-20, and Item#22l, above), of which healing is one of such signs. Also see Item#274 of the Word of Knowledge Section, regarding healing as an obedience.
b.) Item#1c above accentuates the need for intercessory prayer by the elders.
c.) Item#8 above helps point out that “God’s Word, prayer, and faith to be healed and obey the Word, all come together for healing”.
d.) Item#12f points out that “we can claim the promises of James 5 as elders pray over and anoint the sick with oil”.
e.) Item#14 teaches us that the faith, called for in James 5, requires that we take Jesus at his Word for healing.
f.) Item#16d itemizes and discusses the attitudes and procedures called for in James 5:13-18.
g.) Item#20 shows that the elders, as shepherds according to I Peter 5:1, and as healing members of Christ’s body in James 5, help Christ to fulfill the prophecy of God sending his own Chief Shepherd according to Ezekiel 34:23.
h.) Item#22f emphasizes “that the sick (or their friends/ family) should seek out the healing, not a healer seeking out the sick. There’s a difference; and I conclude that faith makes up the greater part of that difference”.
i.) Item#26 focuses on the importance of the use of oil in the healing procedure; and that “the oil is, after all, a picture of the Holy Spirit and Christ’s fragrant presence in and around us”.
j.) Item#32d reiterates the importance of the laying on of hands in the methodology of healings. Also see Item#32e & 45e5-6 of this section.
James 5:13-18, then, is the operative teaching for healing in this New Testament age. Having said that, I should also point out that, if an elder of the local gathering is not readily available, then any mature Christian can be called upon to be used according to James 5, and I believe the Lord will still heal- if the healing is his will. And that can be a big “if”, because sometimes the Lord has sent illness to correct a person or the family, or otherwise work out his will. I emphasize the obedience to James 5, because, when all is said and done, at least we will have had faith and been obedient to Scripture. And, we hear of many stories of people being healed. Finally, whenever we receive answered prayer we should, after thanking the Lord, pass the story around to others so that they can share in our joy and faith- that Jesus Christ is still walking about amidst the seven golden candlesticks (Revelation 1:12-20).
38.) Healing because of compassion, Matthew 9:35-36, “Jesus went through all their towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease. When He saw the crowds He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” So, we see that the Lord healed, not just as a sign, but also because of compassion. Why else would He tell some to go and not tell anyone of their healing? (Matthew 8:4, 9:30, Mark 7:36, etc.). Also see the above Items# 17f4, and #22b, e, &g, regarding healings out of compassion. And, Items# 20d, 40 & 75b of the Shepherding Section explain why Christ was concerned with the people’s lack of shepherding. He didn’t want them “scattered” among the wolves.
39.) Gifts of healing, I Corinthians 12:7-30, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free- we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker, are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable we treat with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and given greater honor to the parts of the body that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the Church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts.” This is a very powerful passage which shows how Christ indwells the Church, his Body, in the same way that we, ourselves, are made up of the organs in our body. And we see that one of the necessary functions within Christ’s Body are “gifts of healing”. This wording, “gifts of healing”, is the same wording in the KJV and the NIV, while the American Standard Version uses the wording “gifts of healings”, and Darby’s Translation uses “gifts of healing” in verse 9 and “gifts of healings” in verses 28 & 30. My Greek Interlinear[3], in verses 9, 28 & 30 uses the two Greek words, “Charismata iamaton” in each instance. And my Greek Interlinear translates these two words as “gifts of cures” in each instance. From the grammar involved, we see two plural words, and for our consideration the plurality of the first word, “charismata” is what matters. So, Paul is explaining that each person will not have the same manifestation of the Spirit (and we know from Ephesians 4:7 that each Christian will have some grace gift). But, Paul is explaining that, to some individuals, their grace gift will be gifts of healings. I have a tendency to say that a gift of healing would be to the person receiving the healing, and a healing would be a gift of grace to a sick person. But that is not what’s meant by Paul herein. Paul is saying that some individuals will be given the ability to affect healings (plural). Paul uses the term gifts of healing/s. So, some Christians, through Christ and the Word, will be able to lay hands on various people and anoint them and such people will be healed by Christ. And, even though the elders are to be called to pray and anoint with oil, per James 5:14, many are not doing this. To be thorough in this analysis, I don’t see any disciples with the specific gift of healings, but rather, healings are sign that accompany the disciples as they go along fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission (also, see Item#34 of the Apostleship Section).
. And so, some do obey the Word and have gifts of healing, while others do not, just as I Corinthians 12 teaches. And if a person does not have such a gift, why doesn’t he? Is the reason lack of faith, or disobedience, or bad teaching, or lack of knowledge of the Word? Item#20b shows that healing is the duty of Christian shepherds. As is the case with all the other duties of a shepherd, if the shepherd disobeys the sheep will suffer.
I am also reminded of an analogy, which I sometimes see, when considering any gift- especially since gifts of healings refers to many instances of healing- wherein the believer would be able to facilitate many different healings by the Lord Jesus. I sometimes think of the Lord Jesus sitting (presumably on his throne) and he has his hand out, palm up, offering a gift. I can’t see the gift. But sometimes it is the gift of salvation, itself, being offered (Ephesians 2:8&9, Matthew 4:17), and other times it is a spiritual ability being offered (Revelation 3:20 and 3:8, also see Item#109 of the Evangelism Section). In my analogy, which sometimes pops up in my mind, I can never see whether the person takes from the Lord’s hand what is being offered, but I always know that the person should have taken the gift being offered. I often struggle with what the Lord would have me to do with the manifold resources/ blessings which He has given me here on earth. May we all be wise and take the gifts which the Lord offers to us, and use our time and efforts to store up treasures in heaven. (Matthew 6:20).
40.) Healing of the Nations, Revelation 22:1-5, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve Him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” This passage is speaking of the New Jerusalem, where the believers will dwell after Christ’s coming (Malachi 4:2, Revelation 21:3&4, I Thessalonians 4:16&17). And, in the midst of the New Jerusalem we find the tree of life, and its leaves “are for the healing of the nations”. The following are notes and questions which help me comprehend this “healing of the nations”:
a.) First of all, we should understand that we are not Taoists, who believe in talking with and meditating upon plants. The tree of life is a spiritual creation of God, which He employs to sustain the life of his creation, just as the angels, seraphim, and cherubim are heavenly creatures created by God. And we should accept that “No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” I Corinthians 2:9. So, we are not asked to understand the tree’s workings, just as Adam was not asked to understand the workings of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil- only to obey God. But since the tree’s presence connotes sickness and healing in the millennium age, it’s useful to briefly study for that purpose.
b.) I believe this tree of life is similar to and possibly the same tree of life which was described in Genesis Chapters 2 & 3. The location of Revelation 22’s tree of life is in “the middle of the great street of the city (New Jerusalem)”. Genesis shows its Tree of Life to be in the middle of the Garden of Eden (before the flood), and near to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And cherubim were placed at the East of Eden lest any person should eat of the tree and live forever. I don’t believe in trying to surmise facts that aren’t readily presented in Scripture. But if conclusions can be logically extracted from Scripture, then such conclusions must be true, since the conclusions are built upon the Word (Matthew 7:24). We see that both accounts mention eternal life as a function of each tree of life. And I also note that both instances of the tree/ trees of life are in the midst of a place made explicitly for God’s chosen to dwell, and the tree/ trees are thereby removed from the presence of sinful humanity, and even sin itself. This really makes me reverently consider what Godly life is all about. Am I really missing what God’s plan for me is? Is our carnality so bad that Our Lord still has to physically separate us from his Tree of Life? I think so. “I know that nothing good lives in me.”- Romans 7:18.
c.) Is such a tree an actual piece of vegetation, or is it some kind of spiritual tree? Well, since it’s leaves are for the healing of the nations, and since it produces fruit once a month, I note that this tree is directly under the control of God, and used for spiritual purposes- healing and life. Consider Adam’s fall and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. How does a piece of fruit manifest knowledge of good and evil? It cannot, except God is behind it, and it is therefore not merely a piece of vegetation. Regarding whether such a tree is a form of vegetation, this is the same question as has been asked of Eden’s trees. Given the innocence of man in Eden, I have always felt that Eden’s trees were a form of vegetation, albeit clearly special trees under the power and control of God. In heaven though, we are to be given a new form of knowledge, a knowledge in which the mysteries of God will be understood by us- “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” I Corinthians 13:12. Some of this knowledge, since we are believers, is already being revealed to us by God. Referring to Revelation 22:1-5, I know who the Lamb is (yet I’ve not seen Him face to face). I know about that “River of Life”; it’s God’s Holy Spirit. I know why his water is “clear as crystal”, because it’s the pure Spirit of God’s Word and the Spirit’s unpolluted work in and around us (grace)- we’ll drink of no broken cisterns there (Jeremiah 2:13). I know somewhat about this healing by the Tree of Life, and I’m trying to learn more, especially in this study. Regarding the Tree of life being an actual form of vegetation, I believe it is obviously a spiritual tree with capabilities far beyond normal vegetation, just as our incorruptible bodies (I Corinthians 15:35-58) will have capabilities far beyond our earthly bodies. And, I conclude, though, that if God can create a human brain capable of handling and initiating thoughts, then God can create spiritual vegetation capable of healing and sustaining life.
41.) Health by wisdom, Proverbs 3:1-8, 13-18, & 21-24 “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life are in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.” “My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety; your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Also, Proverbs 4:20-27 advises, “My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; keep your foot from evil.” (See Item#95 of the Teaching Section for grasp of these terms such as wisdom and understanding- while I believe judgment and discernment are a part of wisdom.) From these passages we see that a serious mindset- fearing God and seeking wisdom, understanding and Godly thinking, can bring about good health and other forms of prosperity. And really, the “how and why” are clearly explained above. The obvious question, which probably needn’t be asked, then, is, “Where does this leave a person with an ungodly and foolish worldly mindset?”
42.) Hezekiah’s healing, II Kings 20:1-11, “In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, ‘This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, ‘Remember O Lord how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.’ And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Now, Isaiah was a spiritual warrior, and while he knew the power of Isaiah’s prophetic gift, he also knew the power of prayer. And the first thing Hezekiah did was to turn to the Lord in prayer. Isaiah was no stranger to praying in crisis. When besieged and verbally threatened by Assyria’s great army, Hezekiah turned to the Lord and the Lord immediately answered his prayer, first by Isaiah’s prophecy against Assyria (Isaiah 37:21-35), and then by sending an angel into the Assyrian camp destroying 185,000 men and speeding their departure from Jerusalem. But I note the prophecy of Isaiah explains Hezekiah and Judah’s deliverance, when he says, “Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word the Lord has spoken against him:”- Isaiah 37:21-22. So, prayer along with God’s Word through Isaiah brought about some powerful events in Hezekiah’s life- the delivery of Jerusalem from Assyria, and Hezekiah’s own healing. And, I note that Isaiah, and Hezekiah the ruler, and Hezekiah’s prayers, and God’s angel form a powerful partnership in accomplishing God’s will in those situations. I still conclude that prophecy, and the grace gift of “rule”, and prayer, and angels, and a step-by-step walk with God’s Holy Spirit, are all available in our present day arsenal, and are to be used by us in accomplishing God’s will in this age. Also, see Isaiah chapter 38 and Item#180 in the Prophecy Section.
44.) Man born blind, John 9:1-41, “As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ Having said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ‘Go,’ He told him, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed and came home seeing. His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, ‘Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?’ Some claimed that he was. Others said, ‘No, he only looks like him.’ But he himself insisted, ‘I am the man’. ‘How then were your eyes opened?’ they demanded. He replied, ‘The man they call Jesus mad some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.’ ‘Where is this man?’ they said. ‘I don’t know’ he said. They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened a man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. ‘He put mud on my eyes,’ the man replied, ‘and I washed, and now I see’. Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath’. But others asked, ‘How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?’ So they were divided. Finally they turned again to the blind man, ‘What have you to say about Him? It was your eyes He opened.’ The man replied, ‘He is a prophet’. The Jews still did not believe that the man had been blind and received his sight until they sent for his parents. ‘Is this your son?’ they asked. ‘Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?’ ‘We know he is our son.’ The parents answered, and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.’ His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask Him.’ A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. ‘Give glory to God.’ they said. ‘We know this man is a sinner.’ He replied, ‘Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see!’ Then they asked him, ‘What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?’ He answered, ‘I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?’ Then they hurled insults at him and said, ‘You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.’ The man answered, ‘Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.’ To this they replied, ‘You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!’ And they threw him out. Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when He found him, He said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Who is He, sir?’ the man asked. ‘Tell me so that I may believe in Him.’ Jesus said, ‘You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the one speaking with you.’ Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshipped him. Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’ Some Pharisees who were with Him heard Him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.’” This is one of my favorite healing stories- it contains the conflict of light over darkness, and a good dose of typology. The following are some points on this beautiful passage:
a.) The last comment by the Lord Jesus reminds me of other verses on blindness. When He said, “If you were blind you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” It reminds me of Matthew 23:16-26 wherein Christ refers to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law as “blind guides”. Isaiah 59:10 says, regarding all who allow their iniquities to separate themselves from God, “Like the blind, we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead.” A couple days ago, by chance I was watching the Catholic channel on TV. The speaker was fetching up Bible verses to try to sustain his point that you cannot experience eternal life in this life by being born again, and he was trying to prove this by finding verses to show that physical death is a dreamless sleep. It was easily apparent that he knew nothing about the new nature in Christ because he had never experienced the new nature- by being born again. Well, many teachers, even evangelical Christians, struggle to understand and discern the new nature in Christ. But this fellow was so foul in his teaching about a hopeless death, that I had to turn the TV off, less lest the ghastly pall of his bad teaching should affect my soul- “blind guides” who “grope along the wall”.
b.) As was said above, there is a good dose of typology herein. And, since Christ comments on this typology in verses 39-41, we can get a firm grasp on the meaning of this teaching and typology. So, the physical situations regarding this man are compared with the spiritual teachings as follows:
1) Born blind = born in sin & shaped in iniquity (Psalm 51:5); this means that I was born blind to the things of God and to all things of the Spirit.
2) Verse 3, “’Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. …’” = the Earth is for the glory of God. Now, there were at least two very glorious events in this man’s life. First, his infirmity allowed him to show the healing power of the Lord Jesus; and his examination and questioning by the Pharisees verified his healing and brought to light the power of Christ as opposed to the shortcomings of the Pharisees’ doctrine. Second, his healing allowed the gospel to be brought out and explained through this typology of light versus darkness. So, this blind man, as a part of God’s creation, is used by the Lord to exhibit God’s glory- and we haven’t even touched on this man’s life after Christ’s resurrection, and what kind of glorious and abundant life that may have been.
3) “As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” The Lord is stating that the world without Him as the light is darkness/ night. I believe this “night” period speaks of his three days and nights in the grave. After Pentecost the Holy Spirit descends upon all believers, and the believers are told, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”- Matthew 5:14.
4) The Lord Jesus took water from his mouth, a picture of Jesus’ word, and made mud from dirt. The dirt is a picture of sin. The mixture making up the mud is, then, God’s Law and our God given conscience along with our sin and the Holy Spirit’s convicting power. The fact that the Lord Jesus applied the mud to his eyes speaks that a person about to be saved/ born anew has their sin problem paramount in their mind and engulfing their soul, while through the gospel, they search for the solution to their sin problem. The Lord’s simple instructions, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam”, is a picture of salvation by obedience to the gospel (II Thessalonians 1:8), and the “washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Sprit” (Titus 3:5).
5) Adding to all this, the Lord then instructs the Pharisees, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” This speaks to their blindness to the gospel and God’s other graces, and also the unrepentant and prideful condition of their heart. However, rather than speaking directly of their unbelief and prideful stubbornness, the Lord uses this opportunity to teach light and darkness, and spiritual blindness. We should take note of the Lord’s battle tactics herein. He could have chastised these Pharisees more brutally. Instead, He used the instance to bring his teaching of spiritual blindness and light versus darkness a little farther- probably to benefit future generations in their battles with darkness. And, I don’t mean to harp on the clergy; but, if a man claims to see more clearly than other believers, so much so that he insists on status recognition (some even using the title of “reverend”), then, isn’t that person obviously seeing less clearly than other believers. (Matthew 20:25-28). Further, I conclude, and you should too, that as long as a person claims a clergy status, their blindness remains. Aren’t pride or other snares keeping them blind to the truth of God’s grace and power to all believers?
45.) Lazarus/ resurrection, John 11:1-53, “Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is sick.’ When He heard this, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’ Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days. Then He said to his disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea.’ ‘But Rabbi,’ they said, ‘a short while ago the Jews just tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?’ Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.’ After He had said this, He went on to tell them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.’ His disciples replied, ‘Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.’ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought that He meant natural sleep. So then He told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with Him.’ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him, but Mary stayed at home. ‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha answered, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told Him, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.’ And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. ‘The Teacher is here’, she said, ‘and is asking for you.’ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Come and see, Lord’, they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not He who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ‘Take away the stone’, He said. ‘But, Lord’, said Martha the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days’. Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God’? So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When He had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go’. Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. ‘What are we accomplishing?’ they asked. ‘Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.’ Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up. ‘You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.’ (See Item#1 of the Prophecy Section, and Item#28a of the Word of Knowledge Section.) He did not say this on his own but as high priest he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life.” Of course thousands, if not millions, of chapters of books have been written about Lazarus’ resurrection, but for our study herein, the following is noted:
a.) The core issue, which is the reason why the Lord wanted to perform this miracle, is contained in verse 37, “Could not He who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Now, Christ’s healing of the man born blind was still implanted on the minds of many in Jerusalem. And, that healing was well known and investigated by the Pharisees. But, since resurrection power is in Christ’s hand, and since salvation and resurrection into eternal life is the Lord Jesus’ ultimate goal, it became important for the Lord to show all that He had, not just healing power, but resurrection power. The need for this demonstration of resurrection power is evident in verse 37 wherein some perceived that the Lord could heal even the man born blind, but death to them remained an insurmountable obstacle. But Christ proved, through Lazarus resurrection, that even death can not separate us from Christ (Romans 8:38&39).
b.) Verse 39-40: faith, glory, & power. “‘Take away the stone’, He said. ‘But, Lord’, said Martha the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days’. Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God’? So they took away the stone.” Martha is pained and can’t see the Lord’s will in all this. The Lord perceives this, and knowing that she is already a believer, tips her off that she is about to see something glorious. Those with Martha sensed an impending glorious event also, because based on the Lord’s statement “they took away the stone”. So we see Martha’s faith (albeit not completely understanding), the resurrection power of Christ’s Word, and the glory of God shown in the entire miracle (and God’s glory is being manifest through God’s plan of Christ’s impending atonement, which is continuing to unfold through Lazarus’ resurrection- John 12:17, &23-28).
c.) Verse 48: fear, not faith; law, not grace. “If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.” The one thing that always amazes me in the Lazarus story is how these unbelievers could be duped by satan, and go report to the Sanhedrin rather than accepting this great miracle as coming from God. Many times it takes courage to believe. People, especially nowadays, are afraid to leave their comfort zone, even when their comfort zone is one of very low esteem and low lifestyles. I PERCEIVE THAT THIS IS WHY PRISONERS AND OTHERS UNDER DURESS WILL EASILY SEE THE LIGHT AND BELIEVE; OTHERS WILL CLING TO THE COMFORT OF THE DARKNESS, THEN DIE IN THEIR SINS (JOHN 3:19, & 8:24). The thoughts of Christ on the cross are captured in Psalm 22. Prophetically David wrote of his Messiah’s thoughts, “Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.” (Psalms 22:12). I’ve had it explained to me that Bashan was a hill in Samaria where the wealthy aristocrats of Old Israel raised cattle. So, when David and Christ, and Christ’s interpreter- the Holy Spirit, speak of the proud bulls of Bashan, they are speaking of Israel’s aristocrats surrounding him at the cross and approving of his crucifizion. What such men, then and now, are afraid of is brought out in verse 48, and this is from my experience in my 64 years of life. Such men are afraid of losing their place in the pecking order, even though many realize that satan controls the pecking order. (Regarding pecking orders, see verse 1 of Speaking from God According to I Corinthians 14; Item#60 of the Evangelism Section; Items#10a & 20f of the Shepherding Section; Item#37, 122c, 147g, & 350 of the Prophecy Section, also Item#26b & 202 of the Teaching Section.) Some have told me, “It’s the system, Dave. It’s the system!” This fear of the world system is brought out in the Jew’s fear of the Romans power to jostle their comfort zone, even though they knew that the Romans were their spiritual and world-view enemies. Much of their false comfort comes from their dependence on the Law. This is true of the religious Jews of 100 ad, and it’s true of nominal Christians now, even evangelical Christians. It’s too comfortable to hide behind Bible verses which we think are for us, so some give up trying to keep in step with the Holy Spirit by grace (Galatians 5:25). I’ve seen my friends, many of them born into evangelical Christian families, who not only don’t see persecution, but some actually seem to be making money from their Christian affiliations and claims. I think we all need to accept and realize the fact that all we receive is from God, and be willing to risk all to accomplish what God calls us to do. So, the difference between law and grace, and between fear and faith, is not just for the 1st century Jews, nor just for unbelieving Gentiles of our day, but this is a daily challenge for all people, even me.
d.) Verse 53: the plot to kill Jesus. “So from that day on, they plotted to take his life.” The power struggle of satan’s force, and worldly principality, is in opposition to Christ’s will even today, culminating in Christ’s return to reign for a thousand years, and satan’s banishment to the abyss for that millennium (Revelation 20:1-4). Lately I’ve been brought to reconsider I John 2:16-17, “Everything in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires will pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” So, this world really consists of deception by satan and errors due to man’s fall- except for those items specifically called out in Scripture as coming from God (Romans 13:1, Matthew 7:11, Matthew 6:19-34, James 1:17, etc.). So, then, much of what we know, like, and admire in life is actually in opposition to God’s plan for us- sports, career, possessions, cultural status, TV and the media, including the internet. We must live in this world, but we should realize the world’s deception and opposition to God. “Do not love the world or anything in the world”- I John 2:15. God’s plan of restoration is brought out intensely in John’s gospel, especially in and around these passages which document Lazarus’ resurrection, also see Item#b, above. We see in John 9:22 that, because of Christ’s many miracles, “already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue”. Satan’s power is always based upon his ability to deceive, he’s the “father of lies”, John 8:44. So, God’s plan is to have his Son die for all our sin, but these Jewish leader’s being deceived by satan, merely continue in God’s plan as it develops. So, when they decide, upon Lazarus’ resurrection to plot to take Christ’s life, they are merely furthering God’s plan, John 10:17, 12:17. And, satan’s wicked nature is used to manipulate the Jews to bring about Christ’s death at Calvary- John 12:31&32, and 13:27, which ironically becomes Christ’s greatest victory. See also # 44b2.
e.) Other resurrection accounts, not including Christ’s own resurrection are as follows:
1) Jairus daughter: Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:22-43, Luke 8:40-56. I note that faith on the part of Jairus was requested by the Lord Jesus in Mark 5:36 and Luke 8:50. And faith was also coupled with Jesus’ laying on of hands, and Jesus’ Word/ command.
2) Nain widow’s son: Luke 7:14. I note that Christ’s touch of the coffin was present, along with Christ’s Word/ command.
3) Eutychus, during Paul’s late night sermon: Acts 20:9-12. Paul obviously had faith to raise Eutychus up, and he had physical touch with Eutychus. For the Word we can go back to the abundant life promises for us believers: John 14:12, 10:10, Matthew 17:19-21.
4) Dorcus: Acts 9:36-42. In this example, prayer and faith are used. Peter is not described as touching Dorcus until after she came to her senses. However, by coming to do this miracle, and by kneeling down to pray for her resurrection, he’s doing the same thing as laying hands on her. Let me explain. Going back to the Levitical sin offering (Leviticus 4:27-29), the laying on of the sinner’s hand meant that the sinner was claiming God’s power (grace) for forgiveness through God’s promise (also grace), and he’s claiming his place in God’s plan (also grace), as one of God’s own people. The laying on of hands for healing, and in these cases resurrection, doesn’t mean that people have magical hands. Rather such are merely claiming their place as God’s obedient servants and praying, or having prayed, for God to use them in his kingdom work (obviously also grace). So, the laying on of hands is actually a claiming process- claiming God’s power, and including that person in God’s plan for healing, resurrection, or commission to God’s work (Acts 13:3).
5) Elijah and the widow of Zaraphath: I Kings 17:21-22, “Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the lord, ‘O Lord my God, let this boys life (soul in KJV) return to him!’ The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life (soul) returned to him and he lived.” This passage is important because, in its simplicity, it gives the Scriptural definition of death. That is, a person is physically dead when his soul leaves his body. (Also see Genesis 2:7 & 12:13 (KJV) for a Scriptural definition of “soul”.) In this instance we also see faith, physical touch, and prayer being done. And also notice that Elijah really felt it important to identify himself with the boy before the Lord’s throne, so he cried out three times, while not just touching the boy (See Item#32c above.), but stretching himself out in full contact with him.
6) Elisha and the Shunamite woman: II Kings 4:29-37, “Elisha said to Gehazi, ‘Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff into your hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.’ But the child’s mother said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So he got up and followed her. Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, ‘The boy has not awakened.’ When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, and hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy’s body grew warm. Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, ‘Call the Shunammite.’ And he did. When she came, he said, ‘Take your son.’ She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.” Now upon reading the stories of Elijah and Elisha, we can see that their work and miracles are similar, while in a different time period. I warrant this similarity to Elisha’s request to be given a double dose of God’s Holy Spirit as that Spirit dwelt in Elijah, when he left the earth. And, I note that Elijah probably explained much of the details of his ministry and personal walk with the Lord during his time together with Elijah. And, in this resurrection miracle at Shunem, we see Elisha doing the same things that Elijah did, praying to the Lord and laying on top of the boy multiple times until the boy came to and sneezed seven times. And, I conclude, as in the case of Elijah, that Elisha’s physical contact with the boy was a form of claiming of God’s power as well as a declaration before God’s throne that Elisha was empathizing with the boy’s situation. In fact, Elisha’s miracle teaches us more about this claiming of power because Elisha sends Gehazi ahead of him to lay his staff on the boy’s head until Elisha gets to the boy. I believe that Elisha learned from Elijah’s resurrection miracle, as I did, that physical death involves the soul leaving the body. So he rushed to have his Spirit claim known before God’s throne, by having his staff placed on the boy’s head, because Elijah knew that the boy’s soul would have to return to his body in order for resurrection to occur. So, we see a little more from Elijah and Elisha’s miracles what is entailed in resurrection, even our own at Christ’s coming. Believer’s already have a reborn eternal soul, but we are waiting for Christ’s return to receive our incorruptible bodies- I Corinthians 15:35-58.
7) Believers at Calvary: “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”- Matthew 27:51-53. Wow! This is truly a large scale miracle. And, not many teachers dig into this miracle, but what a statement about Christ’s death and resurrection. I’ve always kind of put this miracle aside in my mind whenever I read this passage. But what sticks out to me now is three things. First, as was said, this truly is a great miracle displaying the awesome power of God. And I believe these resurrections happened just as a testimony to the tremendous power that was released spiritually and on earth due to the transaction of Christ paying for sin. Secondly, we should consider that the Father deliberately freed these people from the grave in order for them to testify of Christ’s resurrection power. If I casually read this passage, I might conclude that a stray bolt of resurrection power somehow hit these people, and they resurrected from the grave accidentally. Well, the probability for that happening is less than the big bang theory- in fact, such an occurrence is impossible. God knows exactly where every sub atomic particle is in each of our bodies and in the entire universe of his creation. And, the thought of a few million molecules going astray for a few days isn’t even feasible. Third, I conclude that these Old Testament believers were under specific directions from God, possibly through angels, because of the organized way that these events occurred. Note the timed sequence of events. They were resurrected “at that moment”, when Christ’s spirit left his body- Matthew 27:50-53. However, they did not enter Jerusalem until three days later “after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people”. The Greek word for “appeared’ herein is “emphanizo”- to exhibit, appear, declare plainly (Strong’s # 1718[4]). So, these souls, who had been with Abraham in Paradise (See Item#394e of the Word of Knowledge Section) were returned to earthly bodies to deliberately show people in Jerusalem the resurrection power of Jesus Christ- after Christ’s resurrection.
Finally, we should consider that, in all these great miracles, they were necessary to accomplish God’s will, and, therefore, were a deliberate part of the Lord’s kingdom work.
46.) Benefits of suffering, Romans 5:3-5, “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance: perseverance character; and character hope. And Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” The following are some verses which press further into this concept of the blessings of suffering:
a.) The suffering servant: Matthew 26:38&39, “Then He said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ Going a little farther, He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” Isaiah 53:10-12, “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, He will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
b.) Hebrews 5:8-10 is a difficult passage: “Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be high priest after the order of Melchizedeck.” Herein we see something you’ll not find anywhere else in Scripture. Here we see Jesus having to learn obedience, and through that experience being made perfect. If this wasn’t Scripture we’d almost say this is blasphemy. But, as I learned long ago, I must adjust my thinking to the Scripture, and not try to adjust the Scripture to my thinking. So, why did the Lord Jesus need to learn obedience from Calvary? What was possibly lacking in Him at that point? Well, we see an inkling of such lack at Gethsemane, “Going a little farther, He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” The Lord was willing to be obedient unto death, but until He passed through that crucible, He hadn’t done it yet. I had to learn obedience in boot camp in the Marine Corps. People have thought me strange for making such a comment. When I went to boot camp at the age of 20 years old, I was screamed at by drill instructors who made profanity into an art form, and who belittled any notion of worldly dignity outside of their own mindset. I thought even the officers were disgusting, and I grew up on the streets of Chicago! However, one concept pervaded my boot camp training, and this same concept is drummed into the minds of every military boot camp of which I’ve ever heard. That concept is obedience to orders, and knowing your chain of command. This means obeying orders, even orders which you disagree with, from a disgusting individual who you think is mentally ill. In the US Marine boot camp, if you don’t obey an order you’ll get transferred to Motivation Platoon. There, a person will be yelled at all day long, while seeking to perform menial tasks such as exercise or sanding wood for no purpose; and the only purpose for Motivation Platoon is to get the marine to understand that he must obey orders. Then, if a marine still can’t obey orders, he or she would be discharged from the Marines with a general discharge citing “unsuitable for military duty”. So, what does this have to do with our Blessed Lord at Calvary. Very simply, boot camp wasn’t that difficult if you could ignore the drill instructor’s insults and carrying on. But you had to obey some very basic orders and just get through it. And, for many, just getting through it wasn’t so easy. Regarding Calvary, then, what was lacking by Christ at that point was that He hadn’t gone through it yet. The Scripture couldn’t say that the Lord Jesus “being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!” This couldn’t yet be written in Scripture because Christ had not yet experienced death at Calvary and the agony of such suffering. And, going through such an ordeal, forces you to pick up the knowledge of such human travail and suffering. Wisdom is nice, but sometimes you need knowledge to enforce your wise concepts. This is why developers test their inventions. God knew that he would raise his Son. However, being the firstborn of the resurrection (Romans 8:29), to die and rise again, is definitely a knowledge gaining experience. And, as I’ve tried to explain to people, obeying commands and requests when you are in full agreement isn’t really teaching the power of obedience. The power of obedience comes from God since we are obeying those God has placed over us (Romans 13:1), and this especially includes surrendering to God’s will even when we don’t understand or agree. It becomes a leap of faith into the concept of Godly obedience itself. This is like the leap that Christ had to make when he said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46). And, unless Christ comes before we die, we each will have to take that leap and “give up the ghost”, albeit very quickly for some- such as in a car accident or explosion.
c.) I Peter 1:6-7, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” This verse is probably one of the most well known of Scriptures regarding the benefits of suffering. Essentially this verse is saying that, in trials, we are forced to focus on what’s most important, that is Christ’s promises and His City not made with hands- Hebrews 11:16. A friend of mine who died young had his favorite quote, Collossians 3:2, Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” But when I think of Collossians 3: 2, I usually pause and consider that there is a process which begins in Collossians 3:1, firstly: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” Then, when our heart is focused we can set our minds on things above and such focus will proceed from our hearts. And, suffering changes our hearts and we realize the severity of Christianity and our need for seriousness toward Christ’s kingdom work.
d.) I Peter 2:18-24, “Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” So, bearing up under unjust suffering brings a Godly reward, and we are following Christ’s example- which He meant for us to follow (Romans 8:36-37).
e.) I Peter 3:13-4:2, 12, 13 &19: “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also- not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand- with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him.” “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful creator and continue to do good.” I believe the Lord has set up many instances when I was berated in front of people, and He does this with others, because this brings an opportunity as stated above wherein people can see a difference between Christians and themselves, later when all the drama has settled down. Then, whatever of the gospel was shared can be deeply embedded in the minds of those witnessing the incident. And, as was mentioned in Item#c above, such trials prove up our faith. An old acquaintance of mine used to challenge people with this question, “If you were indicted for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convince a jury?”
I note the use of the words “conscious of God”, “clear conscience”, and “good conscience toward God” in I Peter 2:19, Item#d, in I Peter 3:16, Item#e, and in I Peter 3:21, Item#e. This appears to be an underlying theme of Peter’s letter. That is, to realize that we are with God in thought and action and in presence of Spirit, which is connoted by these terms “conscious” and “conscience”. And this is what grace and the abundant life is all about- a gentle walk with Christ, trying to keep in step with God’s Spirit. Also see Item#443 of the Prophecy Section. And, I should note that, in the Romans letter and Peter’s 1st letter, suffering is cited as helping to separate our souls from taking joy in this world (I John 2:15-17).
47.) The Church will drive out demons, Mark 16:15-18, “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well.’” The following is noted regarding the Church driving out demons:
a.) I note that it is only in the Lord Jesus name that we can drive out demons- who are satanically empowered. This means, not just mentioning Christ’s name, but also that it is God’s will to take such a trial away (I Corinthians 5:5, Jude 9). Sometimes a person is not ready to repent, and what good is that, to cast out such a demon? “When an evil spirit goes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”- Matthew 12:43-45.
b.) Mark 6:7-13, “Calling the twelve to Him, He sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. … They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.”
c.) Luke 9:1, “When Jesus had called the twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”
d.) Luke 9:49&50, “’Master’, said John, ‘we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.’ ‘Do not stop him’, Jesus said, ‘for whoever is not against you is for you’”.
e.) I believe that the demons that were on the earth in Jesus’ day are still on the earth, because they are eternal created beings, and Christ has not yet thrown them into the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-3). And, these demons are extremely powerful, and are not to be taken frivolously (Jude 9). Consider the story of Paul in Ephesus, “Some Jews who were driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, ‘In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out’. Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day, the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.”- (Acts 19:13-16).
f.) Given Item# e, above, the question then becomes, ‘How and when will the Church drive out demons?’ I am well enough educated, but I believe people make most of their mistakes at a very basic level, usually involving a lie of some sort- perhaps a lie by that person, or perhaps by someone else. Satan, of course is called the father of all lies- John 8:44. Since demons exist on earth and are in constant rebellion against God, they are a constant adversary against believers and non-believers alike. We can categorize demon activity among humans to help get at the truth. Such categorization, with explanations follow:
1) Subtle satanic lies. These can be very damaging, because Jesus said, “I am the way, the Truth, and the Life” John 14:6. And God’s Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17, 15:26, & 16:13). So, if what is being said, taught or practiced is not true, then where did this notion or notions come from? Not from Jesus, and not from God’s Holy Spirit! So, that only leaves satan, the “father of lies” as the source. Consider satan’s subtlety. HE WAS MORE SUBTLE THAN ANY OTHER CREATURE- Genesis 3:1. This subtlety doesn’t come to him by attitude. But rather, he was originally created by God that way, so that he could protect the holiness of God. He beguiled Eve through his subtlety (II Corinthians 11:3). And, I must accentuate that the loss through Eve’s inability to detect satan’s subtle lies was a great loss for her family and for all future generations. And the subtlety of a lie does not make such a lie ineffective, and such lies can do much damage. Sometimes I warn people by saying, “If something sounds very good, but you can’t find it taught in Scripture, watch out, because satan is more subtle than any other creature”!
2) Snares of satan. I can see, among believers and non-believers alike, many snares of satan, and some passed on as wrong teaching from generation to generation. This Grace Study ought to stand as a huge testimony that satanic snares do exist within the Church, and are doing much damage, especially in terms of loss of rewards for believers, and even loss of salvation to those who aren’t reached because believers are being held back in performance by wrong teaching. The first snare of satan mentioned in the Bible was the snare of idolatry, coming from among the people whom Israel was told to drive out- Exodus 23:33, and I Corinthians 10:20. God said that even allowing the Canaanites to live in their land, and not driving them out, would be a snare to them Exodus 34:12-14. And God wasn’t trying to restrict Israel, he was warning them in love. Because God, seeing the end from the beginning, knew exactly what path Israel was headed down- the path of idolatry. I Timothy 3:7 identifies conceit as a snare. The love of money is a snare, according to I Timothy 6:9. II Timothy 2:26 says that, generally, all bad teaching is a trap by which satan “has taken them (the unlearned) captive to do his will”. And, Ephesians 6:11 reminds us that the devil is constantly scheming against us, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Remember that snares are a type of trap that closes around you, and won’t let you go. The more you struggle with the snare, the more effective and tighter it will close around you. And the master of the snare (satan) needn’t be present for the snare to be fully effective. The snare itself will keep you trapped.
3) Blinded by satan. II Corinthians 3:7-4:7, “Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters upon stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness? For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison to the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the lord is there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the Word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” Of course, we have a tendency to summarize major points in a passage, such as that underlined above. Then we tuck that major point away in our minds as if that is the theme of the passage. But this passage isn’t really focusing on the gospel, but rather on the Church’s ministry of, and through, and around the gospel. And the blindness of unbelievers is not just to the gospel, but to the Lord’s glory being reflected through our countenances. And the glory of our ministry, which definitely includes our grace gifts, is being hid by satan not only from unbelievers, but also from believers. SATAN NOT ONLY WANTS TO DENY THE BELIEVER’S RENEWED RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH THE GOSPEL, BUT SATAN WANTS TO DENY ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND MAN- ESPECIALLY GOD’S MANIFEST GLORY IN THE CHURCH THROUGH HIS GRACE GIFTS. Here is what the Lord Jesus had to say of the clergmen of his day who were seeking to lead the Jews under their own auspices- not through God’s power, “Leave them (the Pharisees); they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit”- Matthew 15:14. Also, II Peter 1:9 says, regarding ineffective blind Christians, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his own very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is near-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” So, how effective is a blind or near-sighted Christian, near-sighted in that one cannot see ahead to what God’s will is (John 15:15)? Not very effective at all! In fact Matthew 6:13 says that such are, “… no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men”. Also see Item#44a. So then, non-believers can escape the blindness of satan by accepting and believing the glorious gospel. And also, believers are to participate in the divine nature adding to their faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love, else they are near sighted and blind and have forgotten from where they came- II Peter 1:5-9. Also see Iten#68 of the Apostleship Section, “Gifts- God’s Indwelling of the Church”.
4) Captivity. Luke 4:18 says, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Christ never freed prisoners from worldly jails while on earth! He was speaking of freedom from satan’s captivity and satan’s oppression. Regarding someone seeking to be a servant of the Lord, Paul advises, “Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”- II Timothy 2:25&26. So the trap of the devil is through delusions, misconceptions, and lies. And the devil uses these traps to trick people to do his bidding. The captivities of the Israelites are pictures/ types for the people of the Church age. Egypt is a picture of the world, with its wicked prince satan (pharaoh). While Babylon is a picture of world religion through which satan still keeps people entrapped unless they actually believe the gospel and repent. Even during the tribulation, satanic captivity will be dished out by the Beast: “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed.”- Revelation 13:10.
5) Possession. Per Scripture, one or more of satan’s demons can possess the mind and soul of a person. This is shown in Matthew 8:28-34, Matthew 9:32-34, Matthew 12:22, Matthew 15:21-28, Matthew 17:14-21, and Luke 4:3-37. I believe, and have continually been taught, that a born-again believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), and may be vexed by satan but never possessed by satan. However, a mature believer will come to recognize the lies and oppression of satan during times of testing, consigning themselves to prayer and Christian action. And, as Christians, we are warned in Ephesians 4:27, “…do not give the devil a foothold”. So, even though the devil can’t fully possess believers, he can rob us of our joy, waste a lot of our time, and even confuse and deceive to the point of extreme misery.
6) Oppression. Most of what’s been said in Items# 1-5 is oppression of various types. But, it’s good to call out what’s going on. Even though I’m older now, I still play ice hockey at a reasonable level. And, one of the philosophies of hockey is to always “press” against the other team, so that you wear them out physically and mentally causing mistakes and scoring opportunities. Well, this is also what satan and his demons are doing, and sometimes they have a full court press going on with multiple demons to try to get you to give up your faith, or your testimony, or your spiritual gift, or your finances. (And we have the same type of press in hockey. It’s merely called forechecking and backchecking. And, we’ll do anything we can in such checking to oppress the opponent until he, or they, give up the puck- and it works very well, especially when multiple players are involved. And, in fact, we used to merely refer to such intense fore and back checking merely as “the press”.) It’s good to learn to recognize satanic oppression, because prayer is usually the way out of satan’s full court press. Through prayer we can pass the ball off to the star of our team- Jesus Christ, “… who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:38). And Jesus will maneuver through these satanic deceptions like they’re not even there; and many times such traps aren’t really there, and are merely a matter of attitude or perception. But a major point is that God is with us too, and there are obviously things we can do to overcome satan’s various oppressions: faith (Ephesians 6:16 & Psalms 72:4); prayer (Ephesians 6:18, Mark 14:38); resist temptation (James 4:7, & 1:13-15); claim the power of the Word- Psalm 33:6, 119:105, II Timothy 3:16&17, John 10:35, Matthew 7:24, Is 55:10-11; stay under the protection of obedience to God and God ordained authorities Romans 13:1-7. Also, I was taught, and totally agree, that Scripture memorization, especially just before bed, will fend off satanic attacks during the night and continually- Psalms 1:1&2.
7) I conclude from all this that the Church will drive out demons by resisting the devil on any and all these fronts. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you”- James 4:7. I’ve never witnessed an exorcism, but I conclude that this would work if the believers called upon the Lord in proper prayer, and faith. But, then such people might be worse off if they were not ready, according to the above stated Item# a. Some ways that believers, merely by being a good soldier (II Timothy 2:3), can expel satan in their own lives and in others’ lives around them are the following: learn God’s way through his powerful unchanging Word- John 14:6, John 10:35, II Timothy 3:16; gain and pray for wisdom, knowledge, understanding, insight, then crave and practice prudence to get the job done (See Item#95 in the Teaching Section.); “pray without ceasing” and “… in the Spirit on all occasions”- I Thessalonians 5:17 & Ephesians 6:20.
So, we see that Christ’s Church will and can drive out demons and resist satan on all fronts. Above all we should keep our faith and know that light must eventually overcome the darkness in our earthly lives. Ephesians 6:16, John 8:12, & I John 3:2. Also see Item#24, above.
49) Effect of God’s Word on the body, Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” From Item#16c, above, I’ve concluded that the inclusion of the words “joints and marrow” in this verse has to mean that the cutting edge of God’s Word has an impact on our bodies- for good and evil. And, God is using these trials, sickness within the innermost parts of our bodies- our “joints and marrow”, to correct our hearts and attitudes and thoughts, transforming our hearts and attitudes and thoughts into the likeness of Christ. I believe that resistance to God’s Word, since such is actually resistance to the very provider and maintainer of our lives, is bound to produce a reaction in our bodies or our souls. Since God loves us, such a reaction will always be towards our betterment, in the case of a believer, even though the reaction could be a trial or chastening to us. (See Item#50, below.) To the non-believer- “Ouch”! At their judgment, they will have to give account for every Word that they heard. The following are some verses showing this:
a.) John 12:48, “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.”
b.) Pr 3:7-8, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”.
c.) Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the Rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
d.) To the non-believer, rejection of Christ’s Word can be immediately harmful to the body, eventually producing a shortened life. “Not so the wicked! For they are like the chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” Psalms 1: 4-6.
Please see Item#16c, above, regarding Hebrews 4:12.
50) Sickness and healing as motivation, Exodus 9:10 “So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on men and animals. The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians.” This is, of course, just one of the ten plagues sent upon Egypt to motivate Pharaoh to let Israel go. The Lord knew that one, or even a few plagues, would not change Pharaoh’s heart, and additionally He sought to show his mighty hand in these affairs (Exodus 7:3-5).
a.) Ex 11:1-3, “Now the Lord had said to Moses, ‘I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely. Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.’ (The Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.)”
b.) Exodus 15:26, “He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.’” (Jehovah Rophe). It's interesting to note that, in this very important verse describing the Lord Jesus as the only healer- Jehovah Rophe, the Lord is stipulating that sickness will be used as a motivator. The fact that sin disrupts God’s life sustaining power in us has got to effect our being in a negative way- both in our souls and in our bodies. Truly, this is so “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”- Romans 6:23. And, “In Him all things hold together.”- Colossians 1:16.
c.) Deuteronomy 7:12-15, “If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as He swore to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land- your grain, new wine, and oil- the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that He swore to your forefathers to give you. You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young. The Lord will keep you from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all who hate you.”
d.) Deuteronomy 28:58-61, “If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name- The Lord your God- the Lord will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolongued disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law.”
e.) Also see Item#16, above.
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51.) God’s judgment by plagues- Baal Peor, Joshua 22:17, “The whole assembly of the Lord says, ‘How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against Him now? Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord.’” From this passage we see God’s judgment by plague at Peor was consistently used by Old Testament scholars to warn against further idolatry. This is also seen in the following passages:
a.) Numbers 25:1-18, “While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to engage in sexual immorality with the Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their Gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them. The Lord said to Moses, ‘Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.’ So Moses said to Israel’s judges, ‘Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.’ Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. When Phineas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them- through the Israelite and into the woman’s body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. The Lord said to Moses, ‘Phineas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.’” This occurred well after the law was given on Sinai and these Israelites knew better. I don’t want to list how much of the Law these men decided to ignore, but the result was a massive plague upon Israel. And, the principle offense to God was spoken by Moses as ” joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor”. And yet, there are people claiming to be Christians today who think nothing of bowing down to statues of created beings which they call saints, also engaging in Mary worship- as if every believer in Christ is not already a saint. And, there are other people, calling themselves Christians, who claim that the worship of any god will get you to heaven- as if Christ’s death, burial and resurrection was for nothing. We, as believers, and also non-believers, ought to get our mind straight regarding statues and idolatry; and learn the lesson of Baal Peor. And the lesson is clearly that God jealously and zealously hates idolatry, even in its supposedly innocent forms. With the above being said, I don’t believe Christians ought to be practicing religious feasts at all. Such practices are the subtle snares and lies of statan, having crept in amongst the practices of the early Church. See Items#46f & 202 of the Teaching Section, and especially Item#188 of the Word of Knowledge Section, regarding how such paganism is affecting Christians and diluting the pure water of the Word.
b.) Numbers 31:16, “’Have you allowed all the women to live?’ he asked them. They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the Lord in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people.” Again, God takes sin, especially idolatry, very seriously, sending even plagues. And, in this instance Moses uses Baal Peor as an example of God’s swift judgment upon idolatry. And, this is the lesson that God wants us to get from Baal Peor, that God hates idolatry and will be swift in his reaction to idolatry.
c.) Psalms 106:24-31, “Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord. So He swore to them with uplifted hand that He would make them fall in the desert, make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods; they provoked the Lord to anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them. But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked. This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.” The above word, “yoked”, deserves a closer look. I’m not trying to judge these people, I’m only trying to dig out the recompense of their deeds. The Lord calls out two “wicked deeds”, “The people ate and bowed down before these gods.”- Numbers 25:2. From the New Testament (I Corinthians 8:1-13) we see that the Lord isn’t concerned with the physical act of eating, but rather the participation in the idol’s feast. And secondly, but not of least concern, they bowed down to these idols. The resultant perception from God is stated in Numbers 25:3, above, “So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.” Psalms 106:28, concludes that they “yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor”. So, how does God bless someone who is partnered with an unbeliever, or even partnered with a disobedient believer? Paul has explained the problem and solution in II Corinthians 6:14- 7:1, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the Living God. As God said, ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ ‘Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’ ‘I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’ Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminated body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” I note that Paul is not advising going back to the superficiality of the Law as a guide to “perfecting holiness”. However, in order to protect Christ’s name, Paul cites the certain acts from which the Church must separate itself. I Corinthians 5:11 says, “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.” Again, the Lord takes idolatry very seriously. From my perspective there are more idolaters on earth now than at any other time in history. Dee Brestin, in her book- Idol Lies, says that human beings are “idol making machines”. This makes Biblical sense, since Galatians 5:20 lists “idolatry and witchcraft” as fruits of the flesh as opposed to fruit of the Spirit. So, this teaching regarding the warnings of Baal Peor is very relevant for today, and regarding the many maladies that we see in the world today. If you consider the Muslims, the Hindus, the Buddhists, the pagans (and pagan wannabes- Hitler was one), the supposedly Christian statue worshipers, the American Indians who want to worship the Great Spirit, and the many other animist worshipers in Africa and the island countries, and the satan worshipers, and those practicing black arts- witches, warlocs and their respective organizations (including followers of Harry Potter), and if you take into account human population growth in the last century, then you can see my conclusion that there are more idolaters now than at any time in history. And, most would agree that these groups are growing in population and popularity around the world.
52.) Healings as fulfillment of prophecy, Luke 7:21-22, “At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So, He replied to the messengers, ‘Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.’” The Lord is citing the partial fulfillment in Him of the Isaiah 61:1&2 prophecy, which the Lord Jesus used to enlighten the Nazareth synagogue: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”- Luke 4:18&19. And some have noted that the Lord, in reciting Isaiah’s prophecy, stopped short of that part of the prophecy which declared, “and the day of vengeance of our God”. Such people conclude that day would be that Great day of the Lord- II Peter 3:112&12, I Thessalonians 5:1-3.
a.) Isaiah 42:6&7, “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open the eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. ‘I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.’” I like this verse because Isaiah is announcing prophesying of such healings, and other work by the Lord Jesus, in approximately 740 bc.
b.) Isaiah 35:4-8, “’Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you.’ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a dear, and the mute shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.” I believe this prophecy covers the Church Age and then into the millennium reign of Christ.
c.) Mark 16:17&18, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Of course, all kinds of healings have been done through the Church acting as Christ’s agent, else why would we be studying healing? Also see the above Items# 16d3, 22l, and 34a.
55.) Healing of Naaman, II Kings 5:1-15, “Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier but he had leprosy. Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. ‘By all means, go,’ the king of Aram replied. ‘I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: ‘With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy’. As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, ‘Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!’ When Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.’ So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, ‘Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.’ But Naaman went away angry and said, ‘I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?’ So he turned and went off in a rage. Naaman’s servants went to him and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!’ So he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, ‘Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant.’” There are many elements to this passage, and some are noted below. And, as in all Scripture, these verses point us to Calvary and the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. The following points are noted:
a.) The main reason why the Lord did this miracle is in the underlined verses above. He wanted many to know that Israel was the apple of his eye, and faith in the God of Israel was faith in the One True God. In that respect, the waters of the Jordan speak of God’s Holy Spirit; while the Syrian rivers spoke of the false religions of Aram/ Central Syria. And so, Naaman’s question was answered, at least spiritually, since the waters of Jordan did heal him; and so, the spiritual waters of Israel are proven better than the waters of Damascus, Abana and Pharpar.
b.) The king of Israel’s question is also an important question which is answered and needs our consideration. Since Israel is a picture of the Church, are we, nowadays, as the Church able to provide for such a request for healing? Yes, actually this study is clearly concluding that if any among you is sick, “He should call the elders of the Church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.” James 5:14-15. So, we don’t have to tear our robes and be frustrated over such maladies. We can merely obey the Scripture in that regard, and give it all to Jesus, by whose stripes we are healed (Item#17, above). (Also see above Items# 34, 16d, &19.)
c.) The Lord Jesus also had a comment regarding Naaman’s healing, “’I tell you the truth’ He continued, ‘no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed- only Naaman the Syrian.’”, Luke 4:24. This makes us consider why the little slave girl knew to point Naaman to Elisha for a healing, while the king of Israel could merely tear his robes. I conclude the slave girl was a believer, who was faithful to God, and made her eternal mark by her inclusion in this great story of faith. And, I conclude that many in Israel were not really believers and had much knowledge, but no access to grace through faith (John 8:47). In this regard, it’s peculiar that I can only find Naaman’s healing as the only healing by an Old Testament prophet, although Elijah and Elisha were both involved in raising a child from the dead, and Moses prayed for Miriam’s healing. And, that peculiarity was exactly what the Lord Jesus was pointing out in Luke 4:24, “And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed- only Naaman the Syrian.” I sense that pride is a blinder which has kept many well-meaning people disobedient to God’s Word, with many left unhealed. (Also see Item#395 in the Word of Knowledge Section.)
d.) Of course, Naaman’s story isn’t a river rating story, where the Jordan wins the contest over the rivers of Syria. Typologically, leprosy is a picture/ type of sin. So, the dipping seven times in the Jordan, is a picture of a believer’s immersion in the Holy Spirit and complete spiritual new birth, becoming like a baby. And, Naaman almost didn’t take Elisha up on his word because of pride. He wanted to do some great thing in order to be healed. But regarding salvation, God’s Word says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
e.) Naaman’s healing by God uses typology to point future generations to Christ, and pointing that Samarian generation to Israel for salvation. This method of healing in conjunction with typology reminds me of the healings of Numbers 21:4-9, in which Moses was commanded to set up a bronze snake on a pole to facilitate healings. This bronze snake on a pole then became the means for the Lord Jesus to explain, typologically, the means of being born again, per John 3:14-15. God knew that there were real reasons why Naaman was sick, and He knew there were real reasons why those grumbling Israelites, of Numbers 21, were sick. And God was not moved to merely heal these people, but rather, healed them while using the entire situation to his glory and for his purposes. This is something to consider. There are usually some easily seen reasons, good or bad, for trials which happen to people. And, sometimes the Lord’s will is to hold off from healing, even though the Lord would love to heal that person. But that’s the beauty of the Lord’s instruction in James 5:14-15; we only need to obey God, and let Him make the decision. Then, whether He heals or not, we will have been obedient and faithful.
So, Naaman’s healing is a very interesting story which points us to the cross, and to James 5:14-15 as our means of obeying God for healing, also per above Item#34g. And, if you are sick, don’t be blinded by pride; call for the elders of your church for anointing and prayer. And, if they won’t do it, weigh out whether it’s time to find a church which keeps in step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25). “Obey” is a word with a not-too-confusing meaning. It comes from the Latin “oboedire”, combining “ob” (meaning “to”, per the Online Etymology Dictionary) + “audire” (meaning “listen/ hear”). The point is that we believers in Christ need to listen to and obey God’s Word for healing, as found in the simple instructions of James 5:14-15.
Concluding this study of “healings”, it’s no surprise that the first item and the last item (Item#1 and Item#55) stick out to me as important topics, and with 20/20 hindsight I can see the Father’s hand therein. In Item#1 we see Moses reaching up in intercessory prayer as an elder and pastor to cry out for healing, just as we in the Church are told to do according to James 5:14-15. And then, through Naaman’s healing, we are reminded that pride can keep us blind to God’s grace blessings in our life, first of all in salvation (II Corinthians 4:3-4), and also in many other grace areas, even in the relatively obvious and simple obedience to the healing instructions of James 5:14-15.
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT POINTS
Lest someone misconstrue, or even deliberately twist, the results of what’s being concluded from this study, the following summary points are noted:
1.) The Scripture, which cannot be broken, according to the Lord Jesus in John 10:35, defines healing as a Spirit manifested ability ranked with prophecy and other gifts. (The above items reference this: Nos.13b, 20, 39, & 47.)
2.) Healings are noted as part of the miraculous signs that accompany the Church (Mark 16:18 and Item#34 of the Apostleship Section). However, we never see any disciple specifically healing or noted as a famous healer. Such healings were almost always done as verification of the gospel message, and verification of Christ’s presence in the Church. (The above items reference this: Nos. 9, 13, 15, 20, 26, 28, 30, 32, 33, 39, 47, & 52.)
3.) The Scripture teaches God’s preferred method of healing in James 5:14-17. (The above items reference this: Nos. 1, 4, 8, 10, 12e-f, 14, 16d, 17f3&5, 19, 20b&d, 22f, 26, 32b&d, 34, 39, & 55; also Items 37d & 274 of the Word of Knowledge Section.)
4.) The Lord can also make sick or wound in order to edify and correct us. And, many illnesses are caused by sin; and, ultimately, all illness and death are caused by someone’s sin- most obviously Adam’s sin (Exodus 20:5, Romans 5:12-14). The above items reference this: Nos. 6, 16, 19, 41, 46, 50, & 51.
5.) It is the Lord’s will to heal, because it is in his very nature. He is Jehovah Rophe, the Lord who heals. (The above items reference this: Nos.2, 7, 10, 16d1,17e&f, 19, 21d, 22, 24, 27, 34, 38, 40, 50b, & 52.)
6.) Three reasons for healings and sickness are:
a.) The Lord’s glory: Nos 2,8,9c&f,10,12,13,14,17f,21,22,24,26,30,32,33,40,44,45,52,55.
b.) Edification/ correction: Nos 1,12,16,19,24,28,41,46.
c.) Merely his compassion: Nos 1,9g,17f,21,22,24b&d,27,38,42.
7.) It is fairly easy to pick out, and logically consider, the Lord’s actual methods of healing. Please see the Healings Chart for a listing of New Testament healings, which includes healing elements and methods, and includes Grace Study and Scripture references. Certain Item Nos reference those healing methods as follows:
a.) Prayer, Nos 4, 42, 45e4-6.
b.) Faith, Nos 8, 21, 24c, 45e1-5.
c.) God’s Word, Nos 4b, 8, 9, 14, 28, 45e2-6
d.) Power, Nos 9, 12, 13a, 30.
e.) Hands & Oil, Nos 16d3, 26, 32, 45e1-6.
END HOME
[1] Jim Hylton, The Supernatural Skyline (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc. 2010) p. 61-62.
[2] James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (McLean, VA: MacDonald Publishing Company) various pages (per the reference numbers) of his Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary and his Greek Dictionary of the New Testament.
[3] Alfred Marshall, The Interlinear KJV- NIV Parallel New Testament in Greek and English (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) p. 510.
[4] James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (McLean, VA: MacDonald Publishing Company) various pages (per the reference numbers) of his Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary and his Greek Dictionary of the New Testament.
By D.M.M. 12/5/2013
This treatise is a summarization of a topical study which I did by studying popular Old and New Testament Bible verses from the topic of healings and, then later, the aspect of sickness. The words from Strong’s Concordance which were used are “heal”, “healed”, “healing”, “health”, and then later, “devil”, “rebuke”, “plague”, “punishment”, “nourish”, “rebuke”, “sickness”, “stripes”, “bones”, “leper”, and “disease”. Item numbers 1 through 46 refer to the healing and health items which were found. Then, it was later decided that the more negative aspects should also be studied- starting with the “devil”, and continuing through “disease”. So, generally, Item numbers 46 through 55 refer to the sickness aspect of healings. I concluded that the following were perspectives which could be used to categorize the various Bible passages:
1. God’s view of healing.
2. God’s view of illness.
3. Historical healings- Scripture.
4. Historical healings- everyday.
5. Jesus heals.
6. Sin and sickness.
7. People who healed.
8. Prayers for healing.
9. Healing the soul.
10. Methods.
I also tried to discern who, or what, was the medium which the Lord used to heal- Lord Jesus, one of the twelve, the seventy, Paul, Paul’s handkerchief, the Holy Spirit, etc.. For us, in this Grace Study, the who becomes less important than the methods for healing.
I also listed every healing incident in the Bible, since some healings are discussed in more than one place in Scripture. Please see the Healings Chart.
The following are points of note derived from my original longhand notes:
“Heal”
1.) Healing by intercessory prayer of the elders, Numbers 12:1-14, “Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. … The anger of the Lord burned against them, and He left them. When the cloud lifted from above The Tent, there stood Miriam- leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; and he said to Moses, ‘Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.’ … So Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘O Lord, please heal her!’ The Lord replied to Moses, ‘If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.’” The following points should be noted from these passages:
a.) In the Bible, sin is seen as a disgrace. In modern society, however, prudence is seen as backwards thinking, while sinners are looked up to as cultural icons. But the Lord is the judge of all. And such wicked people normally come to a swift end (Psalms 1:4-6)- not to mention their eternal destination.
b.) It was noteworthy that sickness is not discussed much in Genesis and Exodus. I see this as a statement of Moses that sickness, especially in old age, is a natural recourse of life. Also, I believe the people in Moses time wanted to give dignity to a person’s life by not ruminating on the accounts of a person’s death. Such dignity is easily lost today under the guise of freedom of speech and the press- which, in practice, has become gossip, slander, and generally tasteless discussions in order to merchandise the news.
c.) While Moses was the medium by which God intervened and healed Miriam, this healing is typical of God’s principal healing method outlined in James 5:14-18. (Please see Item#34 below.) This method logically employs the prayers offered by the elders (also see #20 below). “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”- James 5:16, KJV. And, the anointing oil, used in New Testament healings, reminds us that this work is through the Holy Spirit, per Item#26, below.
d.) Genesis 20:17&18, “Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimilech, his wife and his slave girls so that they could have children again, for the Lord had closed up every womb in Abimilech’s household because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.” So, here is an example of intercessory prayer by an elder in Abraham’s time.
e.) In Items# #20 below, we see that the shepherds are to heal the flock both spiritually and physically, as part of their grace gift of shepherding.
f.) In Items# #34 below, we see that the anointing and healing prayers of the elders constitute obedience to God’s will. And such healings and faith display Christ walking among the Church (Revelation 1:12-20, Psalms 68:18, & Item#68 & 34c of the Apostleship Section.
g.) “When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the evil spirit. ‘You deaf and mute spirit,’ He said, ‘Come out of him, and never enter him again.’ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, ‘He’s dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer.’” - Mark 9:25-29. This passage emphasizes the healing power of prayer, especially when there are demons involved. Also see the Healings Chart.
2.) I have wounded, and “I will heal”, Deuteronomy 32:39, “See now that I myself am He! There is no God besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.” I take this verse as being akin to Revelation 19:6, “The Lord omnipotent reigneth” (KJV). Diseases, famines, the sword, healings, all blessings, they all come from, and are under, God’s control. However, we can focus on that very positive and assuring phrase in which the Lord promises “I will heal”. So, when this study considered God’s perspectives towards healing and illness, the assurance of God’s will to heal is reiterated. Please see the following Scriptures:
a.) Exodus 23:20-33, “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land. I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the river. I will hand over to you the people who live in the land and you will drive them out before you. Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. Do not let them live in the land, or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.” This passage is rich in blessings and warnings. For the purposes of this study, the passage shows the mind and heart of God who emphasizes, “I will take away sickness from among you”. And, since the Church is engrafted into Israel and Israel’s promises (Romans 11:11-24), these blessing and warnings are for us. I included this passage in an expanded form, rather than merely listing verses 25 & 26, which are underlined above. I included this expanded passage to show the whole story- that healing and blessings are related to sin. I also wanted to show the snares of Satan, which are being set by Satan for those unwittingly practicing idolatry. In nominal Christianity today, there are billions who keep statues and holy pictures and prayer beads and graven images; and they use these to worship who knows what, and to pray to and through false spirits. Such people call themselves Christian, but can’t understand why they are being tormented by sickness and Satanic attack. But they have fallen pray to false teachers and the snares of Satan. And I haven’t yet mentioned those who bow down to the moon god Allah, or Buddha, or Shreva, or other obvious idols. I Corinthians 10:20-22 says, “the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” And my experience shows me that we must look closely to what supposedly Christian teachers are teaching because there is much bad teaching going out. Please understand, if a teaching sounds really good but cannot be found in Scripture, it’s probably a snare of satan. And a corollary to that statement is, if a teaching sounds really good and is spoken against in Scripture, satanic activity is certainly going on around you; and you and the others involved are under attack, usually unknowingly (II Timothy 3:16, Ezekiel 3:1-3, Ps 119:105-110, John 8:44, Galatians 4:9-11, I John 1:16, Ephesians 4:27, & 6:11-12, Matthew 7:15-17, & 23:9. Understand what God said from the beginning, “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.”- Genesis 3:1.
b.) Deuteronomy 7:15, “The Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all who hate you.”
c.) II Kings 20:5, “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord.’”
d.) Psalm 41:3, “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; He will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desires of his foes. The Lord will sustain him on his sick bed and restore him from his bed of illness.”
e.) Matthew 8:2&3, “A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said, ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.”
f.) Matthew 8:5-7, “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ‘Lord’, he said, ‘my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.’ Jesus said to him, ‘I will go and heal him.’”
So, we see herein the Lord’s attitude toward healing and sickness. The Lord loves to heal, even when the sickness is brought upon ourselves by our own sin. Item#16, below, provides formidable evidence of the Lord’s use of sickness to deal with sin. However, realizing that sin can cause sickness, we should also realize that God is not the author of sin- but rather, the great healer of sickness, and giver of life. This is what is implied in the Lord Jesus’ rebuttal to those who accused Him of healing and driving out demons by the power of Satan in Matthew 12. “Then they brought Him a demon possessed man, who was both blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebub, ‘the prince of demons’, that this fellow drives out demons.’ … And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”- Matthew 12:22-32. The Lord is implying that saying that the giver of life is the one making people sick and healing by Satan’s power is a form of blasphemy against the Son. Also see Item#24, below.
4.) Prayer by the sick believer, Psalms 6:1-7 “O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long? Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weary with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.” This is a prayer by David for his own healing. Some other prayers by the sick were as follows:
a.) Jeremiah 17:13-17, “O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the Spring of living water. Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. They keep saying to me, ‘Where is the Word of the Lord? Let it now be fulfilled.’ I have not run away from being your shepherd; you know I have not desired the day of despair. What passes my lips passes before you. Do not be a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster.” I noted that this is a personalized petition wherein Jeremiah brings up his work and obedience to the Lord.
b.) Psalms 107:17-21, “Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth his Word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.” How, then, did the Lord send forth his Word in healing? This usually required a prophet or a messenger (angel). In this day there are also words of wisdom and words of knowledge, as well as prophets and angels. This absolutely proves that God’s Word has not been “permanently enshrined in Scripture” as some have taught (per Prophecy Section, Item#1). (Also see Item#16 below- Sickness caused by sin.)
God is the believer’s Father and He loves us. I note that these are all Old Testament passages, and that God’s principle method of healing in the Church age is by intercessory prayer and anointing by the Church elders- James 5:14-15, also Item numbers 34, 16d, 26, & 32d below. Christ is God and can and will heal according to our own personal prayer, that is, without calling in the elders. However, God’s promise and prescribed method is contained in James 5:14-15.
6.) A time to heal, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” Sometimes illness is a trial from God, but afterwards, it’s time to heal.
7.) Healing the soul, Jeremiah 3:19-22 “I myself said, ‘‘How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’ I thought that you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me. But like a women unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O House of Israel,’ declares the Lord. A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and forgotten the Lord their God. ‘Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.’” If we trust Christ and turn to follow Him, He promises to heal our soul.
a.) Isaiah 6:10, “He said, ‘Go and tell this people: ‘’Be ever hearing but never understanding; be ever seeing but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.’” Many people will not be healed in their soul because they will not turn to Christ. “This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not understand.’ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. …’”- Matthew 13:13&14. (See also John 12:37-41, and Acts 28:23-28.)
b.) Isaiah 61:1&2, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” See also Luke 4:18&19.
c.) Psalms 30:11&12, “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.”
d.) Psalms 147:1-3, “Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him! The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
e.) Proverbs 12:18, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
f.) Also see Item#35- “By his wounds you have been healed.”
8.) Healing through faith and the power of the Word, Matthew 8:5-13 “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ‘Lord’, he said, ‘my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.’ Jesus said to him, ‘I will go and heal him.’ The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, He was astonished and said to those following Him, ‘I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and from the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom, will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.’ And his servant was healed at that very hour.” This is a teaching, and an example of faith and God’s Word. When faith and God’s Word come together they form a powerful formula for change and blessing. Consider the fig tree in Matthew 21:18-22: “Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, He was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it but leaves. Then He said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. ‘How did the fig tree wither so quickly?’ they asked. Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’
And it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Both of these passages help bring veracity to the healing teaching of James 5:14&15, where God’s Word (and obedience to it), prayer, and faith to be healed, all come together for healing.
9.) Healing authority given to the twelve, Matthew 10:1,7&8 “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. … As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.” This is, of course, the first sending of disciples to preach and to do the works of Light in his name. And, this sending encompasses verses 1 through 42- all of chapter 10. (Some other sendings are: the Seventy, in Item#13, below; Paul, in Item#9 of the Apostleship Section, and the Great Commission, Item#33j of the Teaching Section, and#54a of the Apostleship Section.) Some examples of healings by the twelve are as follows:
a.) Luke 9:1-6, “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: ‘Take nothing for the journey- no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.’ So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.” See also Mark 6:7-13.
b.) Acts 2:43 cites, “Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous sign were done by the apostles.”
c.) Acts 3:1-16, “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer- at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you, in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk’. Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let Him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him, as you all can see.’…” Some points from this passage are very noteworthy: 1) The healing accounts performed by the Twelve are for us an additional, practical commentary on the sending forth of the Twelve with the command to preach and heal. 2) It is not by our own power or Godliness that healing is to be accomplished. 3) It is by the power of Jesus’ name and by the faith that comes through Jesus that healing is accomplished. Note that Peter realizes that he, himself, has Christ and Christ’s healing power in him, though, when he says, “what I have I give you”.
d.) Acts 4:1-31, This passage describes the reactions and responses to the healing in Acts 3:1-16, above. Verse 8 accounts, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.’” Verse 23-31 goes on, “On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God, ‘Sovereign Lord, … Now, Lord, consider their threats and allow your servants to spread your Word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.” So, these miraculous signs and wonders helped the Church to spread the Word boldly and to have that Word received as from God- which totally agrees with the concept of “signs that accompany the Church” (Item#101 of the Word of Knowledge Section).
e.) Acts 5:12-16, “The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.” Wow! These healings and miracles that accompanied the twelve left no doubts in people’s minds that they were sent by God. Jesus Christ said, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will be doing what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”- John 14:11&12. And, even though Christ is at the Father’s right hand, He is still doing miracles through his disciples and the miracles that accompany the Church.
f.) Acts 9:32-35, “As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. ‘Aeneas’, Peter said to him, ‘Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat.’ Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.”
g.) Acts 9:36-42, “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which when translated is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, And her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, ‘Please come at once!’ Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.” I note that Peter didn’t try to utter some decree that the Lord was magically supposed to follow, but got down on his knees and prayed. I wonder what he would have asked the Lord in that prayer. I think he would have asked the Lord to let him know with certainty whether he should try to raise Tabitha; and then the Lord gave him the “green light”. There is the full power of God’s throne in prayer. I knew a good friend, a 96 year old believer, named Stanley- a prayer warrior all his life. Stanley’s friend came to visit him and asked Stanley, then bedridden, how he should pray for Stanley. Stanley told him that he was very old and he knew his days on this earth were very numbered. But, Stanley told his friend to ask the Lord that perhaps he could get up out of bed for a little while and use his legs again to walk around before he died. And Stanley and his friend prayed that prayer at that moment. It’s interesting that the next week Stanley got up and walked around on his legs for a week or two, before he again became bedridden and died at age 96.
10.) Healing on the Sabbath, Matthew 12:1-14 “At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw them, they said to Him, ‘Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.’ He answered, ‘Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread- which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that One greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.’ Going on from that place, He went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked Him, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ He said to them, ‘If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.’ Then He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.” (The account of this healing is also found in Mark 3:2-5 and Luke 6:6-11.)
Luke 14:1-6 tells of a different man whom the Lord Jesus healed on the Sabbath, “One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the Law, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?’ But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, He healed him and sent him away.” (Also see the “Sabbath” column of the Healings Chart.
A neighbor asked me, a few days ago, how as a Christian I intended to cut my grass on Sunday afternoon. Well I meant after 6 pm, after the end of the Jewish day. However, even if done on Sunday, the lawn work would not be a problem since the believer’s Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ. Regarding the “Sabbath rest for then people of God”; see Item#67 of the Evangelism Section, Item#17L of the Word of Knowledge Section, and Item#7 of the Word of Wisdom Section. But for the purposes of this healing study, this passage demonstrates two points- deep healing at the molecular level, and also reasons not to heal or be healed.
Was the man with the shriveled hand, or the man with dropsy, any more damaged at the molecular level than someone say with eczema or psoriasis- arguably not! Is healing always at the molecular level (or smaller level- atomic or nuclear)? Well, even a sore shoulder has repercussions in the bone and muscle molecules. So, I say, “Yes! Healing has to involve an actual physical problem, and therefore the molecules making up the body are involved. I also believe, though that much sickness is brought about by Satan’s work on a person’s soul. And I’ve even known people who seem to enjoy seeing doctors and being sick- what a snare of the devil! Well, this brings us to the above mentioned second point- that people (not God) have come up with reasons not to heal or be healed. I say “heal or be healed”, because an elder has an unction to heal according to James 5:14-18 (also Item#34 below), while a person needs to be healed- and ought to be healed. There’s a published story of one such occurrence involving a preacher and his wife- Elvis and Virginia Marcum, as cited by Jim Hylton on page 61-62 of his book, The Supernatural Skyline[1]. Elvis was under an unction from God to preach, but got sick. While recuperating he knew that the Lord was sending a healing. Yet, Virginia feared that such an unlikely healing would ostracize them from their ministry. Later she embraced his healing, and she and Elvis would laugh at her response. But the father of lies, satan, denies any claim of a relationship that we have with God, especially Spirit abilities such as healings, or Word of knowledge or wisdom, and especially salvation. That has been satan’s mindset since the Garden.
12.)Healing methods, Luke 5:17-26, “One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’ The Pharisees and teachers of the Law began thinking to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, ‘why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, …’ he said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, ‘We have seen remarkable things today.’” It was not my intention to study the actual methods of healing, but this passage has changed my mind; especially since such methods are easy to pick out, and logically consider as believers. Please see the Healings Chart for a listing of New Testament healings, which includes healing elements and methods, and includes Grace Study and Scripture references. The elements which we can pick out in this passage are fairly obvious, as follows:
a.) Vs 17 says, “And the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick.” This is in contrast to Luke 4:23-24, where the Lord was in his hometown and couldn’t work many miracles because of their “lack of faith” (Matthew 13:58). So, the Lord’s power is not always there for a healing. And, this study is a good place to find out why the Lord’s power is not always there for healing. Please understand that sometimes sin is causing our sickness, and sometimes it’s the sin that causes lack of faith. Even though God created us with an eternal soul, physical death and sickness are brought by sin (Romans 5:12, & 6:23). Is God, then, the author of sickness? No, no more than He is the author of sin! Item#16, below, is the item with the most Bible entries asscociated with it, of this Healings Section. And, Item#16 is entitled “Sickness caused by sin”.
b.) In verse 20 the Lord says, “Your sins are forgiven”, this shows us that his sickness was related to his sin. And, these could have been generational sins handed down to him by his forefathers (Exodus 20:5, I Peter 1:18). Now, not all sickness is caused by sin (John 9:1-4, &11:4). However, much sickness is caused by sin, and the Bible clearly states that there are serious consequences for sin (Genesis 2:17, I Corinthians 11:29&30, Ezekiel 18:4).
c.) Also in verse 20, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven’.” There is usually faith necessary in a healing, and sometimes great faith was displayed. The following are items of great faith culminating in a healing: the centurion of Matthew 8:10; demon possessed boy in Matthew 17:14-21; the tenth leper of Luke 17:19; and the blind beggar at Jericho of Luke18:42. It’s noteworthy these healings were all prior to Christ’s resurrection. And, their faith doesn’t appear greater than the faith which I’ve seen manifested in many believers of today. So, I completely don’t understand how some can say that “great faith” has become obsolete/ abolished in the modern day Church. (Also see Item #75c in the Apostleship Section.) In the healings above, we can note great faith manifested in the sick person or his representative (a parent or master), or both- see Item#24c, below.
d.) Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.” I sometimes explain salvation by grace through faith using the analogy of a rocket launcher with its trigger- wherein faith is the trigger, grace is the rocket, and God is the launcher. And so, grace is triggered by faith. This is also true beyond salvation, in other grace gifts such as healing, or other service. From Item#c, above, we can definitely see that faith can be the trigger on the grace cannon. Actually, we can build a more sophisticated grace weapon, using the rocket launcher analogy, since we can study the Scripture. The rocket launcher which I used during my military training had a scope, a trigger, the launcher, the rocket and an explosive head. So, the scope is analogous to the Scripture, which helps us to scope out the situation; and military training, both field training and class room training, is analogous to Christian training. Sight alignment, sight, picture, trigger squeeze, and a basic understanding of ballistics, necessary in firearms, are all analogous to knowledge, insight, understanding, wisdom, and prudence necessary in Christian service ( per Item#95 in the Teaching Section.) The trigger is always faith, and the launcher is God. The rocket is the release of grace proceeding from God or his throne of grace; in this case it is Jesus’ command- “Get up”. The explosive impact, through the power head, is the effect of that grace- in this case, healing. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).
e.) In verse 24 Jesus speaks the Word to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home”. We should know that the release of grace is through God’s commands at the throne- either verbally or carried on silently through his all- present and almighty Spirit.. In Revelation 3:5, John is given a view of God’s throne of charis (Hebrews 4:16). In this revelation to us, through John, God’s throne is seen not just as a glorious throne, but as functioning throne of grace. With the world population currently being approximately 7 billion, and with the physical universe being immeasurable, God’s throne of charis, which processes the day-to-day administration and special needs of all situations and events, even at the sub-nuclear level, is a place so busy and powerful that our finite minds cannot comprehend it. Our best description and understanding is that which proceeds from John’s description of what was revealed to him, “From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits (the sevenfold Spirit) of God.” Revelation 3:5. God’s Word, in and of itself is powerful. “By the Word of his mouth were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; He puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him. For he spoke; and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.” Psalm 33:6-9. So, we need to come before God’s throne of grace in prayer for a healing, just as the Word in James 5:14 says.
f.) In Item#34, below, we see that the disciples used oil and a “hands on” approach to their healing. This is not the case here. The Lord Jesus merely spoke the healing into being. However, the Bible promises are open before us, as in James 5:14; and I perceive that we already have ample unction from the Word to use in our healing needs for Christ’s work. That great woman of faith and love, Corrie Ten Boom, said that she loved to pray with her Bible opened to the page where God’s promises were found, so that she could pray more clearly. We also have an open Bible before us- whereby we can claim the promises of James 5 as elders pray over and anoint the sick with oil.
g.) We should also note that the healing of this passage was an immediate healing. The Lord didn’t say, “take him home. He’ll be fine in a few days”. He said, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Sometimes healing in this age can be a real prayer and faith battle. And, sometimes we Christians have to fight through all the bad teaching which went before us. But faith, God’s Word, and love do overcome such obstacles to miracles such as healing.
h.) I’m not a propagator of the notion of “sign gifts”. I believe that signs will always accompany Christ’s Church (Item#9a, above). Since we are not of this world (I Peter 2:11), the spiritual must dominate God’s creation, since “God is spirit” (John 4:24). The notion that God’s throne of charis has suddenly become less dependant upon grace because of the Bible’s completion is so nonsensical that it is stupefying- (Item#75c of the Apostleship Section, Item#1 of the Prophecy Section). However, this particular miracle is clearly stated as being done “that you may know that the son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”. Expanding on this, we should not presume to be God. God has reasons for sickness and suffering in this life (Isaiah 45:7). There were reasons for the paralytic’s healing, and who knows that his paralysis was “so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3). In dealing with situations and questions as to whether to intercede or not, we must understand that the Holy Spirit is always appropriate and never inappropriate, So, we should pray and ask God to show us what to do. And, we have a promise in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him”. (Also, see Item#17f3-below, regarding reasons for sickness.)
i.) Finally, it could be construed that the Lord Jesus received a Word of Knowledge that helped Him in this healing work-“the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick.” After considering that notion, though, I conclude that the Lord Jesus would never need a Word of Wisdom or Knowledge because He already has the wisdom and knowledge of the Father. And, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30). The only item that the Father knows, which the Son doesn’t know, is the hour of the Son’s return (Matthew 24:36).
13.) Healing authority given to the seventy, Luke 10:1-24 “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for a worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you’. But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. … He who listens to you listens to Me, he who rejects you rejects Me; but he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me. The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’ He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.’ Then He turned to his disciples and said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.’” To bring all this together, we should consider what it was that the prophets yearned to see and hear. I believe that the Lord Jesus is summarily saying what the prophets yearned for in the statement, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ Then we can consider the following points of what that nearness to the kingdom entailed:
a.) Power to the disciples. The seventy two (or seventy in some Greek manuscripts) are representative of all of Christ’s Church- seventy-two being divisible by twelve and seventy being symbolic of completeness. So, then, Christ is seen as also speaking to us, his Church, when He says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. And, Christ is not just sending us to our communities and throughout the globe (for those being sent across the globe), He is sending us out with power. And, notably, the recognition of this “incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19) is also the purpose of the grace study, as stated on the Grace Study Home Page: 1. Proclaim the power of God to his people (Psalm 68:34 & 35); 2. Establish sound teaching which will "prepare God's people for works of service", empowering them to "keep in step with the Spirit" (Ephesians 4:7, 11, &12; Galatians 5:25); 3. Unify the Church by bringing to light the Lord's teaching regarding grace and the gifts, thus magnifying Christ's position as "Head over everything for the Church" (Ephesians 1:22, 4: 3-7, &15; Colossians 1:18). b.) Nearness to the kingdom of God also meant a calling, with a job to do, and a sending whether to far away places or to our communities. Individuals are sent and so the entire Church is sent, since the Church is needed to support the individuals who are sent to far away places. No individual Church member is actually apart from the Church of Jesus Christ since there is only one Holy Spirit which indwells us all, and we are all members of Christ’s body, the Church- which is built up of living stones (Ephesians 4:4, I Corinthians 12:12-30, I Peter 2:5). (See Item numbers 54, 54a, & 80 of the Apostleship Section and the Great Commission in Item#86 of the Evangelism Section.)
c.) Nearness to “the Kingdom of God” also means an expectation of an immediate change of attitude and an awareness of God’s close presence and working in our lives (grace- II Peter 3:18). We are not to be merely awe struck by God’s presence in our lives, but we are to be overjoyed that we can live the excellent and abundant life (I Corinthians 12:31, John 10:10, Romans 5:17, ), that God prepared for us before we were born.
14.) Take Jesus at his Word for healing, John 4:45-54, “When He arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, for they also had been there. Once more He visited Cana in Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick in Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to Him and begged Him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. ‘Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,’ Jesus told him, ‘you will never believe.’ The royal official said, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies.’ Jesus replied, ‘You may go. Your son will live.’ The man took Jesus at his Word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time his son got better, they said to him,‘ The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.’ Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to Him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he and all his household believed. This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.” I have a brother in Christ, Joe; and Joe’s mom was in a car accident where her leg was smashed, and broken in several places. The call went out to the various Christians to pray for her because the doctors said it didn’t look like they could save the leg. To make things worse, the accident was in a distant city, with no friends or relatives near. But the Lord answered our prayer, and the woman saved her leg. A few months later, Joe’s mom asked Joe to pray because the doctors said that the infection had come back and was causing problems. Joe told her that she needn’t worry because we had already prayed and were claiming the Lord’s promise to answer prayer. The point is that Joe had already taken the Lord at his Word to answer his original prayers. (His mom’s leg is currently doing well, by the way.) James 5:14&15 gives the preferred method of healing for the Church “Is any of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.” I’m surprised that many local gatherings won’t do this. I suppose that they lack the faith which is called for in verse 15. (Also see Item#34, below.)
15.) Heal and perform miraculous signs, Acts 4:30, “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your Word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. (Wow, here’s another name for Jesus, “Holy Servant”- Acts 4:30.) After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.” This prayer for the Lord to perform miraculous signs, including healings is another example of signs that accompany the Church. (See Items# 9d & 12h above.) The signs accompany the Church because Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit accompany the Church (Also, see Item#101e of the Word of Knowledge Section.)
16.) Sickness caused by sin, Deuteronomy 28:15-35, “However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking Him. The Lord will plague you with diseases until He has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. The Lord will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. The Lord will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed. The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. Your carcasses will be food for all the birds of the air and the beast of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. The Lord will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you. You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and ravish her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit. Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them. Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand. A people that you do not know will eat what your hand and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel; oppression all your days. The sights you see will drive you mad. The Lord will afflict your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be cured, spreading from the souls of your feet up to the top of your head.” These are taken from the chapter describing the curses for disobedience, given by God, through Moses at Mount Ebal, to the second generation of Israelites seeking to enter the promised land. This passage shows that the Lord does use disease to countermand sin in a person’s life. I’m sure that this is not the Lord’s preferred method of countering sin in our lives. (The Lord would much rather that we learned about sin form Scripture and then avoided such sin- I Corinthians 10:6. However, it is easily seen by the quantity of Scripture passages which refer to sickness caused by sin, that sin has to be taken seriously as the principle cause of sickness, for humanity, and even in the Church today. “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Hebrews 12:6&7. I’ve heard people say that the judgments on Israel don’t directly apply to the Church today- and I don’t doubt this. However, it’s obvious, from the New Testament items on the Scripture list, that sin can cause illness and other maladies among believers. In fact, many believers will tell you that such trials have made them much stronger, and more effective, believers. The following is a listing of these incredible large amount of Scripture passages illustrating sickness caused by sin: Genesis 12:17 (1st reference of disease in Scripture); Exodus 12:13, 32:35; Leviticus 26:14-35; Numbers 8:19, 11:33, 14:37, 16:46-50, 25:6-9; Deuteronomy 28:58-61, 29:23-25; I Samuel 5:1-6:3, 24:21-25; II Samuel 12:14-15; II Chronicles 16:12-14, 21:12-19; Psalms 38 all, 106:15; Proverbs 14:30, 18:21; Isaiah 1:5; Jeremiah 14:11, 21:6-8, 44:13-14; Zechariah 14:12-18; Matthew 9:1-7; Luke 13:10-13; John 15:1-15* (See Item#28 below); Acts 13:6-12; I Corinthians 11:27-32*; Hebrews 4:12*; James 5:14-16*; Revelation 22:18; also Item#28 and Item#34 below.
Four items in the above list have an asterisk, and are very important verses. Let’s take a closer look at these passages since they give insight into how sickness is manifested. Such a closer look ought to get us to understand healing and how to pray for it, and avoid illness caused by sin.
a.) I Corinthians 11:26-32 says, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. There’s nothing difficult herein. There are certain practices which the Lord holds as special, and meets out judgment for those who go against Him. In another instances, occult practices are particularly called out as being detestable to the Lord- Deuteronomy 18:9-12. So, if you’d like to have good health, or other blessings from God, then avoid offending God by certain detestable practices. Here’s a list of detestable or other practices that I’ve noticed have brought health problems, or the Scripture states will bring health or similar judgments. And most. if not all of these practices are in continued use in our country today. I feel strongly, and believe, that these detestable practices are why demons are set free to torment America today. So, if you want to know why young men are shooting up public places, look no further; the sins are blatant, and the solution is waiting at the cross.
1) Dishonoring your mother or father- Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 27:16.
2) Occult practices, such as necromancy (consulting, or praying to or through the dead, also includes mediums and spiritists), divination (including “holy water”, “holy” relics, divining sticks, etc.) sorcery, interpreting omens (including astrology, card reading, ouiji boards, and hand reading, etc.), witchcraft and wizardry, casting of spells (including “the evil eye” or voodoo) sacrificing your children (including abortion)- Deuteronomy 18:9-12
3) Idolatry, including praying to or through statues, saints, or the queen of heaven (or merely setting up statues or holy pictures/ icons)- Deuteronomy 27:15, I Corinthians 10:20, Exodus 20:4-6, Jeremiah 7:5-6, Romans 1:18-25.
4) Moving your neighbor’s boundary monument- Deuteronomy 27:17. I would extended this to the greedy and swindlers- I Corinthians 5:9-11.
5) Sexual immorality, including homosexuality, and sodomy Leviticus 18:20-28, 20:13&15, Deuteronomy 22:22-26, 27:21, Romans 1:26-28, I Corinthians 5:9-11, 6:12-20, Jude 7.
6) Leading the blind astray on the road- Deuteronomy 27:18. I would extend this to mocking or otherwise abusing any person with an infirmity.
7) Injustice to an alien, the fatherless, or a widow. Exodus 22:22, Deuteronomy 10:18, 14:28-29, 27:19. Jeremiah 7:5-6.
8) Incest- Deuteronomy 27:20-23, Leviticus 18:6-18, 20:14, I Corinthians 5:1&5.
9) Obvious abuse to your body (smoking, various drugs and alcohol, gluttony, disobeying medical advice- such as playing sports on a bad knee, or carbohydrates to a diabetic)- Matthew 4:6&7, I Corinthians 3:16&17, 6:19&20.
10) Pre-meditated Murder- Deuteronomy 27:24. Proverbs 6:17
11) General disobedience to God’s Word- Deuteronomy 27:26.
12) The Seven abominable acts: “haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” Proverbs 6:16-19.
b.) John 15:1-15, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” (See Item#28 below)
c.) Hebrews 4:12&13 says, “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” I had a young Christian friend, Micah, who eventually succumbed to a blood disease. But, he had much more of a handle on the meaning of this verse than I did- I suppose because he had more time and reason for meditating on it. Micah was at that time considering a very dangerous procedure- a bone marrow transplant. Micah is the one who helped the Lord lead me to this consideration and conclusion. From just plain logic, the inclusion of the words “joints and marrow” in this verse has to mean that the cutting edge of God’s Word has an impact on our bodies- for good and evil. And, this consideration is not as deep as the concept that God can create evil - Isaiah 45:7, Colossians 1:17, I Peter 1:7, 4:12. So, God is using these trials, sickness within the innermost parts of our bodies- even our “joints and marrow”, to correct our hearts and attitudes and thoughts, transforming our hearts and attitudes and thoughts into the likeness of Christ, II Corinthians 4:17&18, I John 3:2, also I Peter 5:10, and Colossians 1:28&29.
d.) James 5:14-16, “Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” We should realize that this is the primary method which the Lord has given to his Church for intercessory healing and prayer for healing. (And I can’t see why most local gatherings don’t practice this. I suppose this is because of bad teaching through the centuries.) The passage also shows what our attitude should be concerning healing, since the passage clearly connotes that some sickness is caused by sin (as underlined above). The inclusion of the word “if”, in the above passage, adds a lot of explanation as to a Christian’s attitude toward healing. Here are some points of attitude and procedures regarding healing which I perceive from this passage:
1) At some point, hopefully, a sick person will realize that he is sick, and needs help from the Lord, the Healer- Jehovah Rophe (Exodus 15:26). Upon realizing that one is sick, he can either ask for prayer from other believers while confessing his sin- if he has sinned; or, he can call for the elders if the illness is serious, or if the person can’t get relief through prayer with the believers who are close to him. Sometimes such illness is in conjunction with demonic activity and needs a strong and experienced hand- Mark 9:14-29.
2) I note that the sick should call for local elders of his local gathering. So, having a relative call, and then having the sick person either refuse the visit, or discount the work of the elders, won’t due. And, the connotation is to call for a local elder, not some great healer, or their favorite elder from three towns away. If taught correctly, such calling for the elders would be a fairly routine thing, after realizing that prayer by a person’s close believer friends wasn’t working. And, after such methods became fairly routine, the believers would realize that this is the primary method of healing which the Lord wants to use in this age.
3) The above passage requires that “He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” This is consistent with the laying on of hands spoken of in the Great Commission- Mark 16:18. The anointing with oil is necessary, not just as a symbol of the Holy Spirit at work, but also to “fulfill all righteousness”- Matthew 3:15. The Lord says to do it, so we should do it. If there are greater reasons why the healing doesn’t come to pass, then you can say, “We did all that the Lord would have us to do.” But if you just make up a bunch of excuses why you don’t believe in James 5:14-16, then you’re merely disobeying God. And, please note the Lord says, “He (that is the sick person) should call the elders of the church (not the deacons, not your favorite Christian relative) ….”
4) It’s worth considering how sin, sickness, and healing work together herein. First the sin festers and causes sickness in a person’s soul first, and then the body. It gets so bad that the local elders must be called in for laying on of hands, prayer, and anointing. And, the situation could have been handled by confession of sin within the local gathering and prayer for sickness, before the situation got to the larger scale of calling in the elders. But, then, there’s intercession (grace) from God’s throne in which healing is dispensed (Hebrews 4:16).
17.) “With his stripes”- Jesus the only healer, Isaiah 53:5, “With his stripes we are healed” (KJV). One can certainly wrestle for a long time with the meaning of this verse. Is this healing from sin or from sickness? I think it’s both, especially considering Item#16, above, but I still wrestle with the verse. Let’s look at the entire context of Isaiah 53:4-6. “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” The question becomes, “Is healing available to Christians merely because Christ suffered in his body and his wounds paid for our illnesses?” Or, has the judgment of God upon the Lord Jesus paid for all sin, including its effect on the body- illness? The problem with this line of diagnosis is that there are things concerning Calvary that we can only wrestle with, and ultimately are to be reckoned with only by the Father and the Son. The question herein is becoming, “Was the punishment that wrought our atonement a physical punishment, including death, burial, and resurrection; or was the punishment also a punishment to Christ’s soul (Psalm 22:1&2, 69:1-21, 89:32), in that He became sin for us (II Corinthians 5:21). Well, this is a question which the Father and the Son can deal with, but I’m not able to do so- perhaps in the glory (I Corinthians 13:12). The Father and the Son know, and it’s enough to know that we can be healed- body, soul, and spirit. Some other “with his stripes“ passages are as follows:
a.) Item#35. I Peter 2:19-25 says, “For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die for sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” This is a nugget of Scripture since it directly refers to Isaiah 53:5, and immediately delves into the question of what type of healing is dealt with by Christ’s stripes. I conclude that this verse is connecting Isaiah 53:5 with Christ’s general atonement of all sin including sin’s effect on the body- illness.
b.) II Samuel 7:12-16 says, “ ‘When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you. Who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me, your throne will be established forever.’ Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.” I included this entire passage, because, in its entirety, the passage shows that the prophecy was for all of David’s offspring- not just for Solomon, and not just for the Messiah. The “one who will build a house for my name” implies Solomon. The person punished “with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men” implies Christ. Yet the passage says, “When he does wrong, I will punish him”; so, that can’t be Christ. Therefore, the only conclusion is that the Lord is speaking about all of David’s offspring as if being one. This being the case, this prophecy is then a Messianic prophecy not just of the Messiah’s throne, but also of his flogging and atonement. While the passage doesn’t say it, it is fully utilizing the concept of Christ as the Son of Man, that Messiah, the Christ, is both God and man.
c.) I Chronicles 21:22-24 says, “David said to him, ‘Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price.’ Arauna said to David, ‘Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.’ But King David replied to Arauna, ‘No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.’ So David paid Arauna six hundred shekels of gold for the site. David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.” You can read and study about the burnt offering and fellowship offering in the first few chapters of Leviticus. And, we can study many books that conclusively show that all conspicuous animal deaths in Scripture are a picture of our Lord’s work at Calvary. But this passage is important because it accentuates the price that the Lord paid to purchase our pardon. “With his stripes we are healed!” And, “I will not… sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” Sometimes, in the middle of a small transaction, such as at a check out counter, when led to share Christ, I’ll say something like, “The best deal in life is eternal life! It’s free in Jesus Christ!” But then, if I have time, I’ll say, “It’s free to us because Christ already paid for it at the Cross!” And, I think that’s a pretty good one or two line gospel message, and would give the clerk a seed to chew on later, especially if saturated with prayer. But the point is brought out in this I Chronicles 21 passage, that there was a very great price that the Lord Jesus paid, so that we could be healed from our sin. At Calvary, “by his stripes we are healed”! And with any burnt offering of Scripture being also a type of Calvary, then we see that David is speaking for Christ (prophesying) when he states that “I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” (And, this is also a solid argument that shows why “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags” before the Lord- Isaiah 64:6, and can never pay for even one sin.) So, it’s excellent to be reminded that it was by a very great price, “with his stripes”, we are healed from our sin. (Also see Psalms 89:19-37.) And, this is also, I believe, why Christ will always be know not only as the “King of Kings”, but also as “the Lamb” (Revelation 17:14).
d.) Jeremiah 8:22 says, “Is there no Balm in Gilead? Is there no Physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? “ This verse is not discussing mere physical healing, but rather, the lack of spiritual healing- even in the obvious presence of the God of Israel. To Jeremiah and the people of Israel there certainly ought to be a balm in Gilead, but Israel was being crushed by its enemies at that time.
e.) Jeremiah 17:14 says, “Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for You are the One I praise.” Isn’t it fitting and excellent, knowing the Lord, that the very One whom we call upon for healing is the same One by whose stripes we are healed- Jehovah Rophe (Exodus 15:26).
f.) Matthew 8:14-17 says, “When Jesus came into Peter’s house, He saw Peter’s mother-in –law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on Him. When evening came, many who were demon possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a Word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.’” If we really want to study healing, we need to look closely at the concepts of taking up our infirmities and carrying our diseases. This Matthew 8 passage, then, really helps explain this concept. We’d like to consider that the Lord Jesus allows healing within the Christian community through the use of prayer and anointing by the elders according to James 5:14-16, and Item 16c above. And, the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law falls neatly into that pattern. However, then the Lord took up the cause of the demon possessed, driving out the demons using a Word and healing all the sick, and this specifically to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy- “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases”. So, here are some very important points in understanding what the Lord means when the Scripture says, “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases”.
1) Infirmities and diseases defined- Referring to Matthew 8:17, Strongs[2] has “infirmities” as “asthenia” (#769) meaning feebleness or malady. While Strongs has “diseases” (sicknesses in KJV) as “anosos” (#3554) meaning disease or sickness. However, referring to the Hebrew of Isaiah, Isaiah 53:3&4, says, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; … Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows:.” In Isaiah Strongs has “sorrows” (in both underlined instances above) as “makob” ( #4341) meaning anguish or affliction; and Strongs has “grief” as “choliy” (#2483) meaning “malady, anxiety, calamity- disease, grief”. I note that Isaiah’s passage defines both sorrows and griefs as various forms of maladies, both physical or spiritual. I also note his description of the Lord Jesus as “a man of sorrows”. So, the sorrows and grief that the Lord takes up and carries for us cannot be only physical ailments; else Isaiah would be describing the Lord Jesus as a man with many physical ailments when he calls him a “man of sorrows”. So the Lord wants to take up and carry any and all of our maladies- physical, mental, and spiritual; and the Matthew passage is emphasizing the physical maladies. And, I note that Peter’s mother-in-law was healed of what could be termed a minor ailment- a fever.
2) “Took up” & “carried” defined. So, if we want the Lord Jesus to take up our infirmities and carry our disease, what do “took up” and “carried” mean? Well, we can look at the wording in Strong’s, and we can look at instances from Scripture. The Greek word for “took (up)” is “lambano” (#2983) meaning take up or get hold of, (Matthew 8:17, 13:31, 14:19, Acts 28:15, etc.). These instances usually speak of someone taking up an inanimate object intending to immediately do something with that object. The Greek word for “bare (carry)” is “bastazo” (#941) meaning take up from its base and carry. “Bastazo” was used for Judas who carried the bag (John 12:6); and it was used for Mary who bare Jesus in her womb (Luke 11:27). Instances in Scripture similar to Matthew 8:17 are Psalms 68:4&5, and Exodos 22:21&22, wherein the Lord takes up the causes of the fatherless, the widow, and the alien. I Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety (griefs) upon Him because He cares for you.” Then the ultimate burden is totally taken up and carried away by Him (II Corinthians 5:21); and the sins themselves are cast into the deepest sea of forgetfulness (Psalm 103:12 ). I was very recently sick with a virus (just getting over it), it was what we call a three day virus. I got through it in one day, because I was anointed with oil and prayed over in the dregs of the illness. But, I found out something about illnesses. I found out that, when ill, our mind loses control over our body. And, it’s this loss of control that is part of this concept Christ wants to take up and carry our illnesses. I mean if we’re not in control, then who is in control? We need someone to take up the control of our body in these illnesses. I also realized through my virus that there will come a time (if Christ doesn’t come by then) that I will have to surrender the control of my body, give up the ghost, and pass into physical death. It’s important to understand that the Lord is already in complete control of our bodies and every molecule and subatomic particle in the universe (Colossians 1:17. Also see Items #15e, 41b&g, and 180 in the Word of Knowledge Section). So, whether in sickness or in death, He’s on the throne, diligently watching out for us. However, taking up and carrying our infirmities includes something more than just maintaining the molecules of our bodies. These acts would include interceding (grace) from his throne, and going against those things which are causing us to be sick- which are often our own sin.
3) Who or what makes us sick? From Item#16, above, we can see that a principle cause of infirmities (and many other social or financial maladies- I Timothy 6:10) is our own sin. This is also obvious in the account of Matthew 12:22-37, in which a demon possessed man was made blind and deaf by the demon; but Christ healed him by the intercession/ grace work of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32). (And, as an important side note, Matthew 12:31-32 clearly warns us that we must be careful what we say about God’s Holy Spirit). The following are some other healings of people possessed of demons: a mute man in Matthew 9:32-34; the Canaanite woman’s daughter in Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30; the boy with seizures and a “deaf and mute spirit” in Matthew 17:14-21 and Mark 9:14-29 and Luke 9:37-45. These examples were of people overcome by demons. Sin, itself, not including demon possession, can also make a person sick- James 5:15, Romans 5:15, and Item#16, above. Regarding Lazarus, the Lord Jesus explained, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”(John 11:4). I’ve seen more than a few different types of situations where God is glorified in sickness. One such type is where my young, 30 year old friend, overly involved with athletics injured his knee- very common. There comes a time when young men need to stop playing athletics and take their place as leaders in society. So, God can use illnesses to close doors, thus showing us his will. Like Lazarus, sometimes a healing is glorifying to God, because it shows us his power. (And, recall that healings are to be among the signs that accompany Christ’s Church- Item#101e of the Word of Knowledge Section.) Finally, illness can be very edifying. I’ve heard testimonies of believers praising the Lord for the blessings to their family and themselves because of their serious illness. And, we have a close Christian sister who is now doing just that. (She’s went on to be with the Lord since the time of this editing, and was a testimony of faith until she passed- looking for that City not built by hands.) “These (trials) have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”- I Peter 1:7. So, the three causes of illness, which I’ve seen in Scripture and experienced, are sin, edification, and glory to God. And, the ultimate healer is Jesus Christ (Jehovah Rophe- Exodus 15:26), because the Lord is already in complete control of our bodies and every molecule and subatomic particle in the universe.
4) Why would LJC take up our infirmities and carry our diseases? Well, part of this answer is that no one else is able to do it. You might find some humanitarian or fine hospital to deal with a cure, or perhaps the symptom of your problem. However, an illness is deeper than the symptoms. Bill Gotherd, (out of Oakbrook, IL, a teacher which I studied as a new Christian) liked to point out that, in life, there are surface problems and surface causes, and there are root problems and root causes. Bill would point out that there are actually only three root causes of maladies- the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (I John 1:16). Well doctors aren’t going to be dealing with sin as a cause of illness, now are they? And, I’m certain that their bedside manner won’t include looking at illness as a means of edification or glorifying God. However, many doctors are being forced to look at healing by a higher power- due to miraculous healings. Whenever we ask “why?”, and it is concerning the Lord, the answer undoubtedly is going to rest in his character and eternal purposes. Sometimes I do something which is, at best, just a waste of time. And, when I think about why I did it, the answer is usually that it was a very carnal thing to do, and I’m just plain carnal sometimes. And, I usually have to ask the Lord for forgiveness, and He does forgive me. Praise the Lord!. However, the Lord, Himself, doesn’t have to contend with his own carnal nature. So, there are functional and important reason for his actions. The Scripture explains the following three main facets of the Lord’s work today: the saving of souls, the manifesting of his glory in his Church on earth, and his continuing maintenance of his creation as a place for mankind to inhabit. (See Item#75 in the Evangelism Section.) So, his healing and carrying of our infirmities is in conjunction and part of his work on earth- which includes manifesting his glory through signs that accompany the Church, such as healings. As well, the Lord takes up our infirnities because that is his job and (as was said), He’s the only one that can do it (Jehoveh Rophe). We are his servants and friends; so our infirmities are actually his infirmities too. How can we serve Him if we’re sick? Peter’s mother-in-law, in Matthew 8:14-15 immediately began waiting on them once she was healed. The Lord also wants us to know “his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised him from the dead and seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in this present age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:19-21). This is a great nugget of Scripture concerning this Grace Study, and my unction to proclaim the power that God gives his people the Church- See Purpose on the Grace Study homepage. Having researched and studied all these reasons, we must also realize that Christ sometimes heals and blesses for no stated reasons except to show mercy upon whom he would show mercy and compassion on whom He will have compassion (Romans 9:15). This is proved up by those healings by the Lord Jesus in which the Lord told the healed person not to tell anyone of the miracle- Mark 1:43&44, 7:36, etc.. Such mercy/ compassion healings speak against the teachings that such healings and other grace gifts were only given as “sign gifts’ in the so-called apostolic age. (Also see Item#12h, above.) Else, why would the Lord heal and then tell that person not to speak of it?
5) So, how does Christ (Jehovah Rophe) heal us? Well, in all cases, He does it through his power as our creator and maintainer of the very molecules in our body. However, we can go back to item# 3, above, and see how the Lord would undo, or at least deal with, each reason for an infirmity (that is sin, edification, and God’s glory). If sin is the issue, we know that, with Jesus’ stripes we are healed. And, though a person, or his entire ancestry, sins, the Lord can put such under the umbrella of the cross, and also the promise of his Word according to James 5:15. Concerning edification, the Lord can heal after that person or group is built up according to the Lord’s plan, and according to his purpose for such a trial. There are instances in real life, and in Scripture, where people become sick so that the Lord will be glorified through that situation- Lazarus, basic trials that change our lifestyles for Christ, and other instances. Our friend was recently diagnosed with cancer, and she’s praising God because she and all her family have been edified and brought back to seriousness in the Lord. (Please see Iten#3, immediately above.) “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.”(Ecclesiastes 7:2). And also, the Lord can change his mind, and merely heal out of mercy. This is what occurred in the life of Hezekiah (II Kings 20:1-21). So, the Lord can heal in all situations, and truly “The Lord omnipotent reigneth!” (Revelation 19:6 KJV).
19.) Some cannot be healed, Jeremiah 51:9 “We would have healed Babylon, but she cannot be healed; let us leave her and each go to his own land, for her judgment reaches to the skies, it rises as high as the clouds.” The Lord knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). So, some cannot be healed- for various reasons which God knows. Bible students will readily recognize that Babylon is a picture of world religions, and worldly accomplishments (I John 2:17), and the worship of false gods and belief in false notions which began in Shinar of Babylon (Genesis 11:1-7, Isaiah 21:9, and Revelation 17:1-7). The following are some examples wherein healing was not in the Lord’s will:
a.) Jeremiah 8:13-15. “I will take away their harvest declares the Lord. … What I have given them will be taken from them. ‘Why are we sitting here? Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there! For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish and given us poison water to drink, because we have sinned against Him. We hoped for peace but none has come, for a time of healing but there was only terror.’” By the time a prophet of God says judgment is coming, it’s probably too late to avert such wrath. I say probably because I do know of one instance when the Lord reversed a judgment which had already been prophesied. That was in the instance of Hezekiah’s illness and pending death as mentioned in Item#17f5, above. In the remainder of Jeremiah’s prophecy the Lord does much to explain why He can’t let his people’s sin go unpunished. As an example, Jeremiah 9:7-9 says, “Therefore, this is what the Lord almighty says: ‘See, I will refine and test them, for what else can I do because of the sin of my people? Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit. With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him. Should I not punish them for this?’ declares the Lord.”
b.) Jeremiah, in Chapters 14 through 17, tells of the coming judgment and captivity of Judah. And, though Jeremiah plead fervently for Judah, the Lord had already resolved to rain judgment down upon them. Jeremiah 14: 11&12 says, “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Do not pray for the well being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead I will destroy them with the sword, famine, and plague.’” Jeremiah 15:1-4 also says, “Then the Lord said to me: ‘Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go! And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.’ ‘I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,’ declares the Lord, ‘the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. I will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah King of Judah did in Jerusalem.’” So, from the perspective of this Grace Study, we should realize that sometimes judgment and discernment will be meted out by the Lord rather than mercy, no matter who is praying. It’s interesting to note that, while Hezekiah was saved from an illness in Item #17f5, above, Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh, was a butchering murderer and helped to heap all this judgment upon Judah. And, we must note that the Lord did eventually have mercy and brought Judah back to the Promised Land, after 70 years of captivity.
c.) Jeremiah 30:12-17. “This is what the Lord says, ‘Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing. There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you. All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many. Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you. But all who devour you will be devoured; all your enemies will go into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered; all who make spoil of you I will despoil. But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds.’ declares the Lord, because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.” It’s been said before by many that it is possible that a believer can fall into such a pit of lies and snares by satan that the believer will “go through hell on earth”, and yet be saved because the Lord will be faithful and cannot deny Himself- II Timothy 2:13. And, I do believe that sickness and injuries can be a big part of such misery.
d.) Jeremiah 46:1, 2, 11 &12. “This is the Word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations: Concerning Egypt: This is the message against Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: … Go up to Gilead and get balm, O Virgin daughter of Egypt. But you multiply remedies in vain; there is no healing for you. The nations will hear of your shame; your cries will fill the earth. One warrior will stumble over another; both will fall down together.” The time for judgment had come, and the Lord was not about to reverse the forces that He had put in motion, particularly for a nation still practicing all the sins of Egypt. And, since Egypt is a type, or picture, of the world to us. This is saying to us that this world will come under extreme judgment (in the tribulation), and eventually there will be a new heaven and a new Earth- II Peter 3:10.
e.) Matthew 26:39. “Going a little farther, He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” This is not normally a healing verse, but it is a teaching about trials. This verse tells us that no matter how fervently we pray, and no matter who the petitioner is, sometimes we just have to say, “Lord, your will be done!” And, sometimes, like Job, our trial has a greater benefit than we can see, or even understand- Job Chapters 38-41.
f.) II Timothy 4:20. “Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.” That’s interesting. Paul, one of the principal apostles to the Gentiles, famous for his involvement in healings, left a coworker sick. We don’t know the circumstances. However, for various reasons, the power for healing may not have been there. (See Item#12, above.)
So, there are various instances and reasons why some cannot be healed. However, this, again, is why it is so important to be obedient and to seek healings according to James 5:14, so that we are at least obedient to God. And, then, if the healing is not in his will, then we have done what was required of us. But, many healings have been accomplished through the healing and prayer explained in James 5:14.
20.) Shepherds are to heal, Ezekiel 34:2-6 “’Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter of choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak, or healed the sick, or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.” See Item#20b in the Shepherding Section. Now, it would be easy to merely claim that the healing spoken of is spiritual healing due to the onslaught of satan in the Church. However, we should consider the following obvious points:
a.) In I Peter 5:1-3 we are told that elders are to shepherd the flock which the Lord has put under our care, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who will share in the glory to be revealed: Be a shepherd of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers- not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” Okay, so it’s obvious that all elders are exhorted, by God’s Word, to shepherd God’s flock which He has put under their care. Did you ever clearly ask someone to tend to something very important for you, and then return to find the task undone and the situation a mess. What was your conclusion about that situation, and that person? It was probably that you should have never entrusted them with any responsibility.
b.) A large part the Shepherding gift and task is healing: “You have not strengthened the weak, or healed the sick, or bound up the injured.” And, all elders are called upon to do this according to I Peter 5:1-3 and James 5:14. THIS OBVIOUSLY TAKES INTO ACCOUNT PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALING. (See Item#7e, above.) However, to be frank, the elders of most Christian gathering don’t even realize that they are elders and have hired clergymen to, supposedly, do their work- which never works, and the sheep remain scattered. (See Item#40 of the Shepherding Section).
c.) There is an undeniable prophecy in Ezekiel 34:21-34 which is fulfilled in Christ and his Church, “Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and He will tend them: He will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be Prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.” (Also see Item#25 of the Shepherding Section.)
d.) In John 10:11&14 Christ identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd prophesied in Ezekiel 34, and He also differentiates Himself from false shepherds who have snuck in- not coming through Himself as the sheep gate (John 10:1-10). Since we are in Christ Jesus, and already seated with Him in the heavenly realms- Romans 6:23 & Ephesians 2:6, all mature believers are exhorted to join in shepherding the Father’s sheep, which He has placed under our care- I Peter 5:1. This continual shepherding, through Christ and the Father’s Holy Spirit, is a continual fulfillment of the Ezekiel 34:23 prophecy, above. And, the healing work commanded in James 5:14 is a large part of this shepherding work.
e.) Let’s not side step the obvious! Healing within the Church is a just plain good testimony of Christ and the Spirit’s presence in the Church. And, sometimes the illness is by Satanic attack (Luke 13:16), while other times the healing has been pre-ordained by God for his glory (John 9:3).
21.) Jesus the only healer, Mark 5:25-29 “And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus she came up behind Him in the crowd, and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed’. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ ‘You see the people crowding against you’ his disciples answered, ‘and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’’ But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told Him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’” As you can tell, this story is very deep and has a lot packed into it. The following are some comments and some other verses that relate to Jesus as the only healer:
a.) The wording used to describe the woman’s position is very akin to Satanic bondage. Verse 25 says she’s “subject to bleeding”. Verse 29 says “she felt in her body that she was freed”. And Jesus analysis of her situation stated, “Your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering”- verse 34. Does this necessarily mean that her sickness was caused by sin, as in Item#16, above, and that, further, she was in some kind of bondage to some demon? No, but anyone who has been ill for an extended period of time can tell you that getting up sick everyday is not freedom; and every illness carries its own type of bondage. Actually, the KJV, I believe does a better job on this passage when it says that she was made whole, rather than freed from suffering. Can Satan attack your body? Yes, he can according to Job 2:6&7, even Christians- but only as God would allow.
b.) The physics of healing is brought out in this passage when “Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him”- verse 30. And, the question can be asked, “Who was controlling the healing power that had gone out from Jesus upon the touch of his garment by the sick woman?” You could say, “Perhaps it was the Father!”, or “Perhaps it was the Holy Spirit!” However, looking at the situation, it was probably all persons of the Trinity working together. The Father, through his Holy Spirit, was working in the woman’s mind and soul to get her to believe, and then actually touching his garment. But, notice that the power to heal came through Jesus Christ. What about this power- “…his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…” (Ephesians 1:19&20) This power is coming from the Father through the Son, which is not the same as having come only through the Son. Three verses also bring this out- Romans 10:9, John 11:41&42, and Luke 5:17 (per above Item#12). And, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can only do what He sees the Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” We must conclude from these various Scripture perspectives that the Lord Jesus sometimes speaks for the whole Godhead (as in John 8:58 &10:18), and sometimes He splits hairs and teaches the specifics of what person of God does what. And, it’s easy to see why He would teach us so- for the same reason Paul prayed that the Ephesians would know this power (Ephesians 1:18-21), because God wants us to be powerful and reap great rewards in heaven for our service to the King.
c.) Verses 34-36 speak concerning the faith to be healed, “He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’ While Jesus was still speaking, some men come from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. ‘Your daughter is dead’, they said.’ ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’ Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’” This is no coincidence that both these miracles bring out the faith needed to be healed (also see Item#31). And, then immediately after this, the Lord Jesus goes to his home town of Nazareth, to which Mark 6:4&5 relates “Jesus said to them, ‘Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.’ He could not do many miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He was amazed at their lack of faith.’” So, we also see that having faith in Christ as the healer, and honoring God for who He really is, both, play a part in the healing process.
d.) Why can healing only be done through Jesus? That question is worth considering. First of all, God’s Word says so: “… for I am the Lord who heals you (Jehovah Rophe).”- Exodus 15:26. Also consider that it is Christ’s conscious will which holds all of us together, and controls every molecule of our body (Colossians 1:17). In order for someone else to heal you, the Lord Jesus would have to stand aside and let someone else control the molecules of your body while that some one is working on your body- and that would be impossible, because the molecules of your body would fly apart while such was going on.
So, we can conclude that Jesus is the only healer, and praise and thank Him for that.
22.) Jesus healed every disease and sickness, Matthew 4:23&24, “Jesus went throughout Galilea … healing every disease and sickness among the people.” Some people say that Jesus healed as a sign that He was the Messiah. I believe this is true, however, that’s not the whole reason why Christ healed. In Revelation 22:2, we see “On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” During the millennial reign, then, the maintaining of the life and health “of the nations” is done by God’s tree of life. Ezekiel 47:12 also says this same thing. Now, we understand that Christ, who’s very life and lifestyle declares who God is (John 1:18), came to this sin laden world 2000 years ago. And, these healings are necessary to show us that our healings and very life (John 14:6) depend upon God, whom Christ is declaring. And so, these numerous healings are not just signs, but are also manifestations of God’s character. And, these healings help us to know Him and his character- even God’s manifestation as Jehovah Rophe (Exodus 15:26). The following are other passages that help bring this out:
a.) Psalm 103:3, “Praise the lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” I like the part about crowning me with love and compassion, because lately I’ve been tuning in to the excellence of a life with Christ. As I get older, though, having my youth renewed like the eagle’s is very nice, (especially since an eagle gets its power from the wind, as a picture of the Spirit- not my own power/ effort, Isaiah 40:31. And, this Grace Study loves to proclaim the power of God to his people, the Church. (See Purpose on the Grace Study homepage.) I suppose these items could be called the “Christian benefit package”. We see herein that he heals all of our diseases as a part of our life with Him. It’s part of the benefit package, not a sign gift that became obsolete.
b.) Item #38, below. Christ had compassion on people.
c.) Matthew 8:16-17, “When evening came, many who were demon possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.’” Of course the Isaiah passage, which is quoted in Matthew 8:17, goes on to say, concerning the suffering servant (Christ), “… yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted.” Isaiah is bringing out the dichotomy and irony that the One who is both God and Messiah, and proved so by his healing ministry, is deemed as struck, smitten, and afflicted by God. And, in the final considerations we do agree with Isaiah 53:10, which says, yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause Him to suffer.” This passage is also discussed in Item# 17f, above. Also see Mark 1:32-34.
d.) Matthew 12:14-16, “But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed Him, and he healed all their sick, warning not to tell who He was.” I note that, even while seeking to keep a low profile, the Lord Jesus wouldn’t stop healing “all their sick”. Also see Mark 3:10.
e.) Matthew 14:13-14, “When Jesus heard what had happened (John the Baptist’s death), He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Again we see compassion ruling the day, and even feeding the crowd of five thousand plus. (Also see Luke 9:11.)
f.) Matthew 14:34-36, “When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to Him and begged Him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched Him were healed.” This is similar to the teaching in James 5:14, wherein the sick person “should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil”. The emphasis I’m making is that the sick (or their friends/ family) should seek out the healing, not a healer seeking out the sick. There’s a difference; and I conclude that faith makes up the greater part of that difference. See Item#34, below, and also Item #20. Also see Mark 6:56.
g.) Matthew 15:29-32, “Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled , the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and He healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.’” And so, Jesus fed the four thousand. Again we see compassion ruling the day, and even feeding the crowd of four thousand plus.
h.) Matthew 19:1-2, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of Jordan. Large crowds followed Him and He healed them there.” Again, healing was (and is) just part of who the Lord Jesus is.
i.) Matthew 21:14-15, “The blind and lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things He did and the children shouting in the temple area, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant.” This occurred after He had overturned the tables of the money changers just after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. His reply to the indignant priests and teachers fits our study herein, “’Have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.’”- vs 16. It fits our study because Christ’s explanation implies that worship of Him, and these miracles, merely proceed from his character and are to be expected. This is the same as the healings which are expected to accompany the Church. See “signs that accompany the Church” (Item#101 of the Word of Knowledge Section).
j.) Luke 4:40, “When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, He healed them.” So, He healed every one that was brought, and He laid hands on them to do this.
k.) Luke 7:21-22, “At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So He replied to the messengers, ‘Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”” The Lord sent this message to John because He knew that all these acts would prove that He came in fulfillment to Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (the blind), to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor …”- Isaiah 61:1&2. And, it should be noted that all these healings by the Lord Jesus are proofs, then and now, that he is indeed the Messiah prophesied by John, by Isaiah and by others.
l.) Mark 16:15-18, “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well.’” The Lord is still healing through his Church, and the Lord loves to do this in accompaniment to evangelism and teaching. I’ve come to the conclusion that Christian work is still accompanied by signs, and that the Lord Jesus is still the principal worker of these miracles, not the Christian worker. And, the Lord Jesus is continuing to aggressively work sign miracles, but through the believers, who become walking sign posts in their day to day Christian lives. (Also see Items # 34 & 68 of the Apostleship Section, and God's Indwelling of the Church Through Gifts, Item #g.e of the Table of Contents Section. Further, these healings occur as accompaniment to Christians because the Lord is with us, as Jehovah Rophe- the One Who Heals (Exodus 15:26).
24.) Healings by casting out a demon, Matthew 12:22-32, ““Then they brought Him a demon possessed man, who was both blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebub, ‘the prince of demons’, that this fellow drives out demons.’ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If satan drives out satan, he is divided against himself. How then, can his kingdom stand? And, if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. ” (Also see Luke 11:14-26.) Item#16 shows that sin can cause sickness. And now we see that demonic possession can also cause sickness (and sin can also lead to demon possession). So, it is logical that the demon must first be cast out for healing to occur which is clearly brought out in item#c, below. The following are additional passages involving healings which occur alongside the casting out of demons:
a.) Matthew 9:32-34, “While they were going out, a man who was demon possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, ‘Nothing like this has ever been done in Israel.’ But the Pharisees said, ‘it is by the prince of demons that He drives out demons.’” I note that it was only after the demon was driven out that the mute man spoke. It’s interesting to consider how a demon could bind up a man’s speech. Was the demon binding up his mind, or his vocal cords or the connection between the two!? I suppose not enough is known to form a conclusion- only to ask the question. And this accusation of the Lord Jesus, healing by power of satan, is pressed further by the Pharisees in Matthew 12:22-32, above.
b.) Matthew 15:21-28, “Leaving that place Jesus withdrew to the region of
c.) Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.’ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to Him and urged Him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’ The woman came and knelt before Him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said. He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she said, ‘but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” This discussion is no attempt by the woman to get cute with the Lord. She knew that she and her daughter were under satanic attack- “My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” She wanted and needed someone to intercede at the spiritual level, and she recognized the Lord Jesus as the Messiah. I hate it when I talk to someone about the Lord and they laugh as if you are talking about a cartoon show or some imaginary story. This woman realized the serious position that she and her daughter were in. Would that it was so for the lost who are all around us today, but with “no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18)! Also see Mark 7:24-30.
d.) Matthew 17:14-21, “When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before Him. ‘Lord, have mercy on my son,’ he said. He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.’ ‘O unbelieving and perverse generation,’ Jesus replied. ‘How long should I stay with you? How long should I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.’ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Faith is needed to heal, both by the agent for Christ and by the sick person or his agent- see Item#12c, above. When I read of miracles like this one, I usually ask myself the question, “Where have all those demons gone- since they were present during Christ’s life on earth?” The answer, of course, is that the demons haven’t gone anywhere. The demons are still present here on Earth, because they won’t be thrown into the bottomless pit until Christ comes again- Revelation 20. And, the conclusion I draw from these facts is that many seizures and psychiatric problems are due to demon possession and not chemical imbalance as worldly doctors would have us to believe. The proof is in the Scripture, as I don’t see any people cured of chemical imbalance in Scripture, but, in Scripture we see many demons rebuked who were causing these effects. Also of note in this account, is that the healing did not occur until the demon was removed. This account is also given in Mark 9:14-29 and Luke 9:37-45. The Mark 9 account adds, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” And some manuscripts say, “prayer and fasting”. We need more prayer warriors, and fasting prayer warriors would be better!
e.) Luke 13:10-17, “On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman you are set free from your infirmity.’ Then He put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, ‘There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.’ The Lord answered him, ‘You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?’ When He said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things He had done.” Here is an example of why we study the Bible- the spiritual events, in this situation, are determining what is happening in the world. Christ sees right through to what’s being done in the spiritual realm. And, He calls it the way it is: since by faith she is a daughter of Abraham, she belongs to Christ, who sets her free from satanic bondage which has kept her bent over, and gives her a long cold drink of the water of the Holy Spirit- who is present in the healing and in the presence and Word of Christ (Luke 1:15).
The world is filled with lies, nowadays. And, satan is truly ruling this world, which can be seen by the seemingly overwhelming power of this web of constant lies. I’ve seen in my life the worldwide expansion of electronic media, and with all this worldly wisdom comes a stifling of the truth. If I tell you to “spare the rod, and you’ll spoil the chilld”, or that homo-sexualism is the sin of sodomy, or that Islam and any statue worship are idolatry, then I could possibly be charged with a hate crime. But if I tell you that satan and his demons are still causing sickness and the insanity that comes with demon possession, then even most of my Christian friends would tell me I’m being too harsh. But, which is too harsh, to advise someone of the probable cure, or to let them wallow in the throws of demonic possession. I find it very peculiar that, while the present age is filled with mental illness, there is no mention of mental illness in the Bible, except where demon possession is cited. And, of all the healings done by Christ or the disciples, or even false teachers, we never hear of any mental illness caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. This is why I don’t believe in psychology or psychiatry. In fact, if you asked such a practitioner, they would be the first to tell you, “No! We probably can’t cure this situation. We can only help to treat it.” (usually with sedatives or halucinogens).
26.) Healing with oil, Mark 6:13, “Calling the twelve to Him, He sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. … They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them”. Here’s another of many verses that show that James 5:13&14 should be the Christian’s principle means of healing. The James passage clearly states that the elders are to anoint with oil and use prayer for healings. Now, when it was not expedient to bring oil to the scene, then the disciples merely laid hands on people and prayed (Acts 3:7, &9:17). Of course, the question comes up, “What kind of oil?” In the Tabernacle days the priests were ordered by God to mix up a certain mixture of perfumed oil (Exodus 30:22-33). But, I think even a small moistening of the finger with olive oil would work just as well in New Testament times, you see a Christian’s oil already has its sweet perfume- the finished work of Christ at the cross, the resultant presence of Christ in us (II Corinthians 2:14-17, Ephesians 5:1-2, Colossians 1:27). And, the oil is, after all, a picture of the Holy Spirit and Christ’s fragrant presence in and around us.
27.) 11th hour healing, Luke 22:51, “He touched the man’s ear and healed him.” I’m a fan of things that happen at the eleventh hour. I suppose it’s what some would call “brinksmanship”. You can discern what’ generally will come from a person by what proceeds from them at the 11th hour. In fact, the Lord Jesus position is more fully flushed out by this 11th hour incident when He says, in front of his disciples, “’Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say that it must happen in this way?’ At that time Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Am I leading a rebellion that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.’ Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.” (Matthew 26:52-56). Many people always live on the brink. My old job working for the government taught me how to work on the brink, because governments are usually short handed, at least nowadays. So, I took notice that, even while on the cross, the Lord Jesus was able to lead that thief to salvation- which is not surprising, given the magnitude of the event; but still, it happened at the man’s and Jesus’ 11th hour, just before death. And, this 11th hour healing, it happened so matter-of-factly that one would almost miss it. Such is the throne of Christ now, that blessings flow so abundantly from Him that it really is hard to keep track and properly thank and praise Him.
28.) Healing at the Bethesda pool, John 5:1-15, “Sometime later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five colored colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie- the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, He asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’ ‘Sir,’ the invalid replied, ‘I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.’ But he replied, ‘The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat, and walk.’’ So they asked him, ‘Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?’ The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.’ The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.” The point that sticks out to me in this passage is that Christ said, “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The Lord didn’t say, “something worse will happen”, but rather, “something worse may happen”. And, this point reinforces the teaching in Item#16, above regarding “Sickness caused by sin”. And in that regard, this verse is a very powerful nugget of Scripture. Another point is that Jesus shows that He is Lord also of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8), by not only healing on the Sabbath, but also commanding the man to pick up his mat and walk- and the man knew that he should immediately obey the Lord.
30.) Phillip healing in Samaria, Acts 8:1-14, “And Saul was there, giving approval to his (Stephen’s) death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the Word wherever they went. Phillip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Phillip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city. Now for some time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, ‘This man is the divine power known as the great power.’ They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. But when they believed Phillip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Phillip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.” Now Items # 1 & #18 of the Evangelism Section show that this Phillip was not the apostle Phillip, but rather Phillip the evangelist, one of the seven deacons of the Jerusalem gathering (Acts 6:5-6, & 21:8). Again, these great miracles totally agree with the concept of “signs that accompany the Church” (Item#101 of the Word of Knowledge Section, and also see Item#15 above). So, these healings and other miracles help to validate the salvation power of the gospel, because they are signs that accompany the Church.
32.) Prayer and placing of hands, Acts 28:7-8, “There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home, and for three days entertained us hospitably. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.” The following are other points brought out by Scripture concerning the laying on of hands as a very important concept and method of healing.
a.) This passage reminds me of the requirement, brought out in Item#37d of the Word of Knowledge Section, that “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” (I John 2:5)- and laying on of hands for healing is a part of this walk.
b.) Then, of course, the laying on of hands and anointing with oil accompany each other according to Item#16d3 and James 5:14-16.
c.) I suppose I can’t explain why physical touch adds to healing. But two of my favorite healing in Scripture are when Jesus touched the leper, and when, by faith the woman merely touched the hem of Jesus garment, per Item#21 above. Physical touch does add to our involvement in a situation. For this reason, we see politicians always wanting to have a photo publicized with their shirt sleeves rolled up, and themselves walking amidst a troubling situation. We can see this involvement in the picture of the offerings in Leviticus Chapters 3 and 4, wherein the offerers were to lay their hands on the head of the animal to be offered. Also see Item#45e5-6 below.
d.) Regarding healing methodology, Luke 4:40 becomes a nugget of Scripture because it says, “When the sun was setting, they brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, He healed them.” You would have to be a serious student of healing to pick up on these methodologies. And, this is why James 5:14-16 is so important, in that it makes a cohesive statement of the Scripture’s prescribed and preferred methodology of healing.
e.) In the Teaching Section, Item#175, clearly shows us that this concept of the laying on of hands is not a difficult concept to grasp. However, a Christian should not presume to be growing in Christ’s grace and knowledge (II Peter 3:18) unless he understands this, as well as other, elementary principles. The Scripture cites such elementary truths as being, “repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1&2). And, a Christian cannot presume to be a teacher without grasping these elementary concepts: “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again” Hebrews 5:11&12.
33.) Mass healings regarding Paul, Acts 28:9, “When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured.” This all happened immediately following the healing of Publius’ father, as discussed in Item#32 above. And, we don’t really know how many sick are being discussed or what type of infirmities. But we do know that God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, undoubtedly so that his gospel message would be well received, and so that people would know that he was sent by God (apostleship). Consider what happened to Paul at Ephesus, “This went on for two years, so that all Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.”- Acts 19:10&11. This similarly happened to the apostles of Jesus Christ, the twelve, per Item#9e above. I don’t doubt that in this age, if a person did apostolic work, like Paul’s group and the Twelve, he would see apostolic miracles. In fact, ask those believers sent out today, modern day apostles, and they will tell you of such miracles that accompanied them. I just went through this type of situation with a missionary family to Africa. God was working great miracles among them. But when they told this to the group that sent them, they lost their support and were forced to leave the mission field, because their sending organization didn't believe in such miracles. I tell you that the Church needs people to proclaim the power of God to his people. These lukewarm teachings are the snares and bondage of Satan. I recall a Roman Catholic once telling me that the reason the Catholics believe evangelism is obsolete is because a person is now born again through the sprinkling of the priest- infant baptism. I tell this so that it becomes obvious which direction these denials of gifts are coming from- these denials are snares and bondage from the father of lies, satan.
34.) Obedience to God’s Word concerning healing + God’s will = healing, James 5:13-18, “Is any of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” There are, of course, major points of healing in this passage. And, in case I haven’t made it clear in previous notes, this is the major teaching on healing for us in this Church age in which we dwell. Many things about this passage have been said in this Grace Study already. Some of these points and references are as follows:
a.) Item#37d of the Word of Knowledge Section points out that “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.”- I John 2:5. And, the Scripture says that certain signs will accompany the Church (Mark 16:15-20, and Item#22l, above), of which healing is one of such signs. Also see Item#274 of the Word of Knowledge Section, regarding healing as an obedience.
b.) Item#1c above accentuates the need for intercessory prayer by the elders.
c.) Item#8 above helps point out that “God’s Word, prayer, and faith to be healed and obey the Word, all come together for healing”.
d.) Item#12f points out that “we can claim the promises of James 5 as elders pray over and anoint the sick with oil”.
e.) Item#14 teaches us that the faith, called for in James 5, requires that we take Jesus at his Word for healing.
f.) Item#16d itemizes and discusses the attitudes and procedures called for in James 5:13-18.
g.) Item#20 shows that the elders, as shepherds according to I Peter 5:1, and as healing members of Christ’s body in James 5, help Christ to fulfill the prophecy of God sending his own Chief Shepherd according to Ezekiel 34:23.
h.) Item#22f emphasizes “that the sick (or their friends/ family) should seek out the healing, not a healer seeking out the sick. There’s a difference; and I conclude that faith makes up the greater part of that difference”.
i.) Item#26 focuses on the importance of the use of oil in the healing procedure; and that “the oil is, after all, a picture of the Holy Spirit and Christ’s fragrant presence in and around us”.
j.) Item#32d reiterates the importance of the laying on of hands in the methodology of healings. Also see Item#32e & 45e5-6 of this section.
James 5:13-18, then, is the operative teaching for healing in this New Testament age. Having said that, I should also point out that, if an elder of the local gathering is not readily available, then any mature Christian can be called upon to be used according to James 5, and I believe the Lord will still heal- if the healing is his will. And that can be a big “if”, because sometimes the Lord has sent illness to correct a person or the family, or otherwise work out his will. I emphasize the obedience to James 5, because, when all is said and done, at least we will have had faith and been obedient to Scripture. And, we hear of many stories of people being healed. Finally, whenever we receive answered prayer we should, after thanking the Lord, pass the story around to others so that they can share in our joy and faith- that Jesus Christ is still walking about amidst the seven golden candlesticks (Revelation 1:12-20).
38.) Healing because of compassion, Matthew 9:35-36, “Jesus went through all their towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease. When He saw the crowds He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” So, we see that the Lord healed, not just as a sign, but also because of compassion. Why else would He tell some to go and not tell anyone of their healing? (Matthew 8:4, 9:30, Mark 7:36, etc.). Also see the above Items# 17f4, and #22b, e, &g, regarding healings out of compassion. And, Items# 20d, 40 & 75b of the Shepherding Section explain why Christ was concerned with the people’s lack of shepherding. He didn’t want them “scattered” among the wolves.
39.) Gifts of healing, I Corinthians 12:7-30, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free- we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker, are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable we treat with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and given greater honor to the parts of the body that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the Church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts.” This is a very powerful passage which shows how Christ indwells the Church, his Body, in the same way that we, ourselves, are made up of the organs in our body. And we see that one of the necessary functions within Christ’s Body are “gifts of healing”. This wording, “gifts of healing”, is the same wording in the KJV and the NIV, while the American Standard Version uses the wording “gifts of healings”, and Darby’s Translation uses “gifts of healing” in verse 9 and “gifts of healings” in verses 28 & 30. My Greek Interlinear[3], in verses 9, 28 & 30 uses the two Greek words, “Charismata iamaton” in each instance. And my Greek Interlinear translates these two words as “gifts of cures” in each instance. From the grammar involved, we see two plural words, and for our consideration the plurality of the first word, “charismata” is what matters. So, Paul is explaining that each person will not have the same manifestation of the Spirit (and we know from Ephesians 4:7 that each Christian will have some grace gift). But, Paul is explaining that, to some individuals, their grace gift will be gifts of healings. I have a tendency to say that a gift of healing would be to the person receiving the healing, and a healing would be a gift of grace to a sick person. But that is not what’s meant by Paul herein. Paul is saying that some individuals will be given the ability to affect healings (plural). Paul uses the term gifts of healing/s. So, some Christians, through Christ and the Word, will be able to lay hands on various people and anoint them and such people will be healed by Christ. And, even though the elders are to be called to pray and anoint with oil, per James 5:14, many are not doing this. To be thorough in this analysis, I don’t see any disciples with the specific gift of healings, but rather, healings are sign that accompany the disciples as they go along fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission (also, see Item#34 of the Apostleship Section).
. And so, some do obey the Word and have gifts of healing, while others do not, just as I Corinthians 12 teaches. And if a person does not have such a gift, why doesn’t he? Is the reason lack of faith, or disobedience, or bad teaching, or lack of knowledge of the Word? Item#20b shows that healing is the duty of Christian shepherds. As is the case with all the other duties of a shepherd, if the shepherd disobeys the sheep will suffer.
I am also reminded of an analogy, which I sometimes see, when considering any gift- especially since gifts of healings refers to many instances of healing- wherein the believer would be able to facilitate many different healings by the Lord Jesus. I sometimes think of the Lord Jesus sitting (presumably on his throne) and he has his hand out, palm up, offering a gift. I can’t see the gift. But sometimes it is the gift of salvation, itself, being offered (Ephesians 2:8&9, Matthew 4:17), and other times it is a spiritual ability being offered (Revelation 3:20 and 3:8, also see Item#109 of the Evangelism Section). In my analogy, which sometimes pops up in my mind, I can never see whether the person takes from the Lord’s hand what is being offered, but I always know that the person should have taken the gift being offered. I often struggle with what the Lord would have me to do with the manifold resources/ blessings which He has given me here on earth. May we all be wise and take the gifts which the Lord offers to us, and use our time and efforts to store up treasures in heaven. (Matthew 6:20).
40.) Healing of the Nations, Revelation 22:1-5, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve Him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” This passage is speaking of the New Jerusalem, where the believers will dwell after Christ’s coming (Malachi 4:2, Revelation 21:3&4, I Thessalonians 4:16&17). And, in the midst of the New Jerusalem we find the tree of life, and its leaves “are for the healing of the nations”. The following are notes and questions which help me comprehend this “healing of the nations”:
a.) First of all, we should understand that we are not Taoists, who believe in talking with and meditating upon plants. The tree of life is a spiritual creation of God, which He employs to sustain the life of his creation, just as the angels, seraphim, and cherubim are heavenly creatures created by God. And we should accept that “No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” I Corinthians 2:9. So, we are not asked to understand the tree’s workings, just as Adam was not asked to understand the workings of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil- only to obey God. But since the tree’s presence connotes sickness and healing in the millennium age, it’s useful to briefly study for that purpose.
b.) I believe this tree of life is similar to and possibly the same tree of life which was described in Genesis Chapters 2 & 3. The location of Revelation 22’s tree of life is in “the middle of the great street of the city (New Jerusalem)”. Genesis shows its Tree of Life to be in the middle of the Garden of Eden (before the flood), and near to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And cherubim were placed at the East of Eden lest any person should eat of the tree and live forever. I don’t believe in trying to surmise facts that aren’t readily presented in Scripture. But if conclusions can be logically extracted from Scripture, then such conclusions must be true, since the conclusions are built upon the Word (Matthew 7:24). We see that both accounts mention eternal life as a function of each tree of life. And I also note that both instances of the tree/ trees of life are in the midst of a place made explicitly for God’s chosen to dwell, and the tree/ trees are thereby removed from the presence of sinful humanity, and even sin itself. This really makes me reverently consider what Godly life is all about. Am I really missing what God’s plan for me is? Is our carnality so bad that Our Lord still has to physically separate us from his Tree of Life? I think so. “I know that nothing good lives in me.”- Romans 7:18.
c.) Is such a tree an actual piece of vegetation, or is it some kind of spiritual tree? Well, since it’s leaves are for the healing of the nations, and since it produces fruit once a month, I note that this tree is directly under the control of God, and used for spiritual purposes- healing and life. Consider Adam’s fall and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. How does a piece of fruit manifest knowledge of good and evil? It cannot, except God is behind it, and it is therefore not merely a piece of vegetation. Regarding whether such a tree is a form of vegetation, this is the same question as has been asked of Eden’s trees. Given the innocence of man in Eden, I have always felt that Eden’s trees were a form of vegetation, albeit clearly special trees under the power and control of God. In heaven though, we are to be given a new form of knowledge, a knowledge in which the mysteries of God will be understood by us- “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” I Corinthians 13:12. Some of this knowledge, since we are believers, is already being revealed to us by God. Referring to Revelation 22:1-5, I know who the Lamb is (yet I’ve not seen Him face to face). I know about that “River of Life”; it’s God’s Holy Spirit. I know why his water is “clear as crystal”, because it’s the pure Spirit of God’s Word and the Spirit’s unpolluted work in and around us (grace)- we’ll drink of no broken cisterns there (Jeremiah 2:13). I know somewhat about this healing by the Tree of Life, and I’m trying to learn more, especially in this study. Regarding the Tree of life being an actual form of vegetation, I believe it is obviously a spiritual tree with capabilities far beyond normal vegetation, just as our incorruptible bodies (I Corinthians 15:35-58) will have capabilities far beyond our earthly bodies. And, I conclude, though, that if God can create a human brain capable of handling and initiating thoughts, then God can create spiritual vegetation capable of healing and sustaining life.
41.) Health by wisdom, Proverbs 3:1-8, 13-18, & 21-24 “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life are in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.” “My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety; your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Also, Proverbs 4:20-27 advises, “My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; keep your foot from evil.” (See Item#95 of the Teaching Section for grasp of these terms such as wisdom and understanding- while I believe judgment and discernment are a part of wisdom.) From these passages we see that a serious mindset- fearing God and seeking wisdom, understanding and Godly thinking, can bring about good health and other forms of prosperity. And really, the “how and why” are clearly explained above. The obvious question, which probably needn’t be asked, then, is, “Where does this leave a person with an ungodly and foolish worldly mindset?”
42.) Hezekiah’s healing, II Kings 20:1-11, “In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, ‘This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, ‘Remember O Lord how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.’ And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Now, Isaiah was a spiritual warrior, and while he knew the power of Isaiah’s prophetic gift, he also knew the power of prayer. And the first thing Hezekiah did was to turn to the Lord in prayer. Isaiah was no stranger to praying in crisis. When besieged and verbally threatened by Assyria’s great army, Hezekiah turned to the Lord and the Lord immediately answered his prayer, first by Isaiah’s prophecy against Assyria (Isaiah 37:21-35), and then by sending an angel into the Assyrian camp destroying 185,000 men and speeding their departure from Jerusalem. But I note the prophecy of Isaiah explains Hezekiah and Judah’s deliverance, when he says, “Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word the Lord has spoken against him:”- Isaiah 37:21-22. So, prayer along with God’s Word through Isaiah brought about some powerful events in Hezekiah’s life- the delivery of Jerusalem from Assyria, and Hezekiah’s own healing. And, I note that Isaiah, and Hezekiah the ruler, and Hezekiah’s prayers, and God’s angel form a powerful partnership in accomplishing God’s will in those situations. I still conclude that prophecy, and the grace gift of “rule”, and prayer, and angels, and a step-by-step walk with God’s Holy Spirit, are all available in our present day arsenal, and are to be used by us in accomplishing God’s will in this age. Also, see Isaiah chapter 38 and Item#180 in the Prophecy Section.
44.) Man born blind, John 9:1-41, “As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ Having said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ‘Go,’ He told him, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed and came home seeing. His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, ‘Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?’ Some claimed that he was. Others said, ‘No, he only looks like him.’ But he himself insisted, ‘I am the man’. ‘How then were your eyes opened?’ they demanded. He replied, ‘The man they call Jesus mad some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.’ ‘Where is this man?’ they said. ‘I don’t know’ he said. They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened a man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. ‘He put mud on my eyes,’ the man replied, ‘and I washed, and now I see’. Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath’. But others asked, ‘How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?’ So they were divided. Finally they turned again to the blind man, ‘What have you to say about Him? It was your eyes He opened.’ The man replied, ‘He is a prophet’. The Jews still did not believe that the man had been blind and received his sight until they sent for his parents. ‘Is this your son?’ they asked. ‘Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?’ ‘We know he is our son.’ The parents answered, and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.’ His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask Him.’ A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. ‘Give glory to God.’ they said. ‘We know this man is a sinner.’ He replied, ‘Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see!’ Then they asked him, ‘What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?’ He answered, ‘I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?’ Then they hurled insults at him and said, ‘You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.’ The man answered, ‘Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.’ To this they replied, ‘You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!’ And they threw him out. Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when He found him, He said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Who is He, sir?’ the man asked. ‘Tell me so that I may believe in Him.’ Jesus said, ‘You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the one speaking with you.’ Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshipped him. Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’ Some Pharisees who were with Him heard Him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.’” This is one of my favorite healing stories- it contains the conflict of light over darkness, and a good dose of typology. The following are some points on this beautiful passage:
a.) The last comment by the Lord Jesus reminds me of other verses on blindness. When He said, “If you were blind you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” It reminds me of Matthew 23:16-26 wherein Christ refers to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law as “blind guides”. Isaiah 59:10 says, regarding all who allow their iniquities to separate themselves from God, “Like the blind, we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead.” A couple days ago, by chance I was watching the Catholic channel on TV. The speaker was fetching up Bible verses to try to sustain his point that you cannot experience eternal life in this life by being born again, and he was trying to prove this by finding verses to show that physical death is a dreamless sleep. It was easily apparent that he knew nothing about the new nature in Christ because he had never experienced the new nature- by being born again. Well, many teachers, even evangelical Christians, struggle to understand and discern the new nature in Christ. But this fellow was so foul in his teaching about a hopeless death, that I had to turn the TV off, less lest the ghastly pall of his bad teaching should affect my soul- “blind guides” who “grope along the wall”.
b.) As was said above, there is a good dose of typology herein. And, since Christ comments on this typology in verses 39-41, we can get a firm grasp on the meaning of this teaching and typology. So, the physical situations regarding this man are compared with the spiritual teachings as follows:
1) Born blind = born in sin & shaped in iniquity (Psalm 51:5); this means that I was born blind to the things of God and to all things of the Spirit.
2) Verse 3, “’Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. …’” = the Earth is for the glory of God. Now, there were at least two very glorious events in this man’s life. First, his infirmity allowed him to show the healing power of the Lord Jesus; and his examination and questioning by the Pharisees verified his healing and brought to light the power of Christ as opposed to the shortcomings of the Pharisees’ doctrine. Second, his healing allowed the gospel to be brought out and explained through this typology of light versus darkness. So, this blind man, as a part of God’s creation, is used by the Lord to exhibit God’s glory- and we haven’t even touched on this man’s life after Christ’s resurrection, and what kind of glorious and abundant life that may have been.
3) “As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” The Lord is stating that the world without Him as the light is darkness/ night. I believe this “night” period speaks of his three days and nights in the grave. After Pentecost the Holy Spirit descends upon all believers, and the believers are told, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”- Matthew 5:14.
4) The Lord Jesus took water from his mouth, a picture of Jesus’ word, and made mud from dirt. The dirt is a picture of sin. The mixture making up the mud is, then, God’s Law and our God given conscience along with our sin and the Holy Spirit’s convicting power. The fact that the Lord Jesus applied the mud to his eyes speaks that a person about to be saved/ born anew has their sin problem paramount in their mind and engulfing their soul, while through the gospel, they search for the solution to their sin problem. The Lord’s simple instructions, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam”, is a picture of salvation by obedience to the gospel (II Thessalonians 1:8), and the “washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Sprit” (Titus 3:5).
5) Adding to all this, the Lord then instructs the Pharisees, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” This speaks to their blindness to the gospel and God’s other graces, and also the unrepentant and prideful condition of their heart. However, rather than speaking directly of their unbelief and prideful stubbornness, the Lord uses this opportunity to teach light and darkness, and spiritual blindness. We should take note of the Lord’s battle tactics herein. He could have chastised these Pharisees more brutally. Instead, He used the instance to bring his teaching of spiritual blindness and light versus darkness a little farther- probably to benefit future generations in their battles with darkness. And, I don’t mean to harp on the clergy; but, if a man claims to see more clearly than other believers, so much so that he insists on status recognition (some even using the title of “reverend”), then, isn’t that person obviously seeing less clearly than other believers. (Matthew 20:25-28). Further, I conclude, and you should too, that as long as a person claims a clergy status, their blindness remains. Aren’t pride or other snares keeping them blind to the truth of God’s grace and power to all believers?
45.) Lazarus/ resurrection, John 11:1-53, “Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is sick.’ When He heard this, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’ Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days. Then He said to his disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea.’ ‘But Rabbi,’ they said, ‘a short while ago the Jews just tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?’ Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.’ After He had said this, He went on to tell them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.’ His disciples replied, ‘Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.’ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought that He meant natural sleep. So then He told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with Him.’ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him, but Mary stayed at home. ‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha answered, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told Him, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.’ And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. ‘The Teacher is here’, she said, ‘and is asking for you.’ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Come and see, Lord’, they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not He who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ‘Take away the stone’, He said. ‘But, Lord’, said Martha the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days’. Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God’? So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When He had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go’. Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. ‘What are we accomplishing?’ they asked. ‘Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.’ Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up. ‘You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.’ (See Item#1 of the Prophecy Section, and Item#28a of the Word of Knowledge Section.) He did not say this on his own but as high priest he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life.” Of course thousands, if not millions, of chapters of books have been written about Lazarus’ resurrection, but for our study herein, the following is noted:
a.) The core issue, which is the reason why the Lord wanted to perform this miracle, is contained in verse 37, “Could not He who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Now, Christ’s healing of the man born blind was still implanted on the minds of many in Jerusalem. And, that healing was well known and investigated by the Pharisees. But, since resurrection power is in Christ’s hand, and since salvation and resurrection into eternal life is the Lord Jesus’ ultimate goal, it became important for the Lord to show all that He had, not just healing power, but resurrection power. The need for this demonstration of resurrection power is evident in verse 37 wherein some perceived that the Lord could heal even the man born blind, but death to them remained an insurmountable obstacle. But Christ proved, through Lazarus resurrection, that even death can not separate us from Christ (Romans 8:38&39).
b.) Verse 39-40: faith, glory, & power. “‘Take away the stone’, He said. ‘But, Lord’, said Martha the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days’. Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God’? So they took away the stone.” Martha is pained and can’t see the Lord’s will in all this. The Lord perceives this, and knowing that she is already a believer, tips her off that she is about to see something glorious. Those with Martha sensed an impending glorious event also, because based on the Lord’s statement “they took away the stone”. So we see Martha’s faith (albeit not completely understanding), the resurrection power of Christ’s Word, and the glory of God shown in the entire miracle (and God’s glory is being manifest through God’s plan of Christ’s impending atonement, which is continuing to unfold through Lazarus’ resurrection- John 12:17, &23-28).
c.) Verse 48: fear, not faith; law, not grace. “If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.” The one thing that always amazes me in the Lazarus story is how these unbelievers could be duped by satan, and go report to the Sanhedrin rather than accepting this great miracle as coming from God. Many times it takes courage to believe. People, especially nowadays, are afraid to leave their comfort zone, even when their comfort zone is one of very low esteem and low lifestyles. I PERCEIVE THAT THIS IS WHY PRISONERS AND OTHERS UNDER DURESS WILL EASILY SEE THE LIGHT AND BELIEVE; OTHERS WILL CLING TO THE COMFORT OF THE DARKNESS, THEN DIE IN THEIR SINS (JOHN 3:19, & 8:24). The thoughts of Christ on the cross are captured in Psalm 22. Prophetically David wrote of his Messiah’s thoughts, “Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.” (Psalms 22:12). I’ve had it explained to me that Bashan was a hill in Samaria where the wealthy aristocrats of Old Israel raised cattle. So, when David and Christ, and Christ’s interpreter- the Holy Spirit, speak of the proud bulls of Bashan, they are speaking of Israel’s aristocrats surrounding him at the cross and approving of his crucifizion. What such men, then and now, are afraid of is brought out in verse 48, and this is from my experience in my 64 years of life. Such men are afraid of losing their place in the pecking order, even though many realize that satan controls the pecking order. (Regarding pecking orders, see verse 1 of Speaking from God According to I Corinthians 14; Item#60 of the Evangelism Section; Items#10a & 20f of the Shepherding Section; Item#37, 122c, 147g, & 350 of the Prophecy Section, also Item#26b & 202 of the Teaching Section.) Some have told me, “It’s the system, Dave. It’s the system!” This fear of the world system is brought out in the Jew’s fear of the Romans power to jostle their comfort zone, even though they knew that the Romans were their spiritual and world-view enemies. Much of their false comfort comes from their dependence on the Law. This is true of the religious Jews of 100 ad, and it’s true of nominal Christians now, even evangelical Christians. It’s too comfortable to hide behind Bible verses which we think are for us, so some give up trying to keep in step with the Holy Spirit by grace (Galatians 5:25). I’ve seen my friends, many of them born into evangelical Christian families, who not only don’t see persecution, but some actually seem to be making money from their Christian affiliations and claims. I think we all need to accept and realize the fact that all we receive is from God, and be willing to risk all to accomplish what God calls us to do. So, the difference between law and grace, and between fear and faith, is not just for the 1st century Jews, nor just for unbelieving Gentiles of our day, but this is a daily challenge for all people, even me.
d.) Verse 53: the plot to kill Jesus. “So from that day on, they plotted to take his life.” The power struggle of satan’s force, and worldly principality, is in opposition to Christ’s will even today, culminating in Christ’s return to reign for a thousand years, and satan’s banishment to the abyss for that millennium (Revelation 20:1-4). Lately I’ve been brought to reconsider I John 2:16-17, “Everything in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires will pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” So, this world really consists of deception by satan and errors due to man’s fall- except for those items specifically called out in Scripture as coming from God (Romans 13:1, Matthew 7:11, Matthew 6:19-34, James 1:17, etc.). So, then, much of what we know, like, and admire in life is actually in opposition to God’s plan for us- sports, career, possessions, cultural status, TV and the media, including the internet. We must live in this world, but we should realize the world’s deception and opposition to God. “Do not love the world or anything in the world”- I John 2:15. God’s plan of restoration is brought out intensely in John’s gospel, especially in and around these passages which document Lazarus’ resurrection, also see Item#b, above. We see in John 9:22 that, because of Christ’s many miracles, “already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue”. Satan’s power is always based upon his ability to deceive, he’s the “father of lies”, John 8:44. So, God’s plan is to have his Son die for all our sin, but these Jewish leader’s being deceived by satan, merely continue in God’s plan as it develops. So, when they decide, upon Lazarus’ resurrection to plot to take Christ’s life, they are merely furthering God’s plan, John 10:17, 12:17. And, satan’s wicked nature is used to manipulate the Jews to bring about Christ’s death at Calvary- John 12:31&32, and 13:27, which ironically becomes Christ’s greatest victory. See also # 44b2.
e.) Other resurrection accounts, not including Christ’s own resurrection are as follows:
1) Jairus daughter: Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:22-43, Luke 8:40-56. I note that faith on the part of Jairus was requested by the Lord Jesus in Mark 5:36 and Luke 8:50. And faith was also coupled with Jesus’ laying on of hands, and Jesus’ Word/ command.
2) Nain widow’s son: Luke 7:14. I note that Christ’s touch of the coffin was present, along with Christ’s Word/ command.
3) Eutychus, during Paul’s late night sermon: Acts 20:9-12. Paul obviously had faith to raise Eutychus up, and he had physical touch with Eutychus. For the Word we can go back to the abundant life promises for us believers: John 14:12, 10:10, Matthew 17:19-21.
4) Dorcus: Acts 9:36-42. In this example, prayer and faith are used. Peter is not described as touching Dorcus until after she came to her senses. However, by coming to do this miracle, and by kneeling down to pray for her resurrection, he’s doing the same thing as laying hands on her. Let me explain. Going back to the Levitical sin offering (Leviticus 4:27-29), the laying on of the sinner’s hand meant that the sinner was claiming God’s power (grace) for forgiveness through God’s promise (also grace), and he’s claiming his place in God’s plan (also grace), as one of God’s own people. The laying on of hands for healing, and in these cases resurrection, doesn’t mean that people have magical hands. Rather such are merely claiming their place as God’s obedient servants and praying, or having prayed, for God to use them in his kingdom work (obviously also grace). So, the laying on of hands is actually a claiming process- claiming God’s power, and including that person in God’s plan for healing, resurrection, or commission to God’s work (Acts 13:3).
5) Elijah and the widow of Zaraphath: I Kings 17:21-22, “Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the lord, ‘O Lord my God, let this boys life (soul in KJV) return to him!’ The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life (soul) returned to him and he lived.” This passage is important because, in its simplicity, it gives the Scriptural definition of death. That is, a person is physically dead when his soul leaves his body. (Also see Genesis 2:7 & 12:13 (KJV) for a Scriptural definition of “soul”.) In this instance we also see faith, physical touch, and prayer being done. And also notice that Elijah really felt it important to identify himself with the boy before the Lord’s throne, so he cried out three times, while not just touching the boy (See Item#32c above.), but stretching himself out in full contact with him.
6) Elisha and the Shunamite woman: II Kings 4:29-37, “Elisha said to Gehazi, ‘Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff into your hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.’ But the child’s mother said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So he got up and followed her. Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, ‘The boy has not awakened.’ When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, and hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy’s body grew warm. Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, ‘Call the Shunammite.’ And he did. When she came, he said, ‘Take your son.’ She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.” Now upon reading the stories of Elijah and Elisha, we can see that their work and miracles are similar, while in a different time period. I warrant this similarity to Elisha’s request to be given a double dose of God’s Holy Spirit as that Spirit dwelt in Elijah, when he left the earth. And, I note that Elijah probably explained much of the details of his ministry and personal walk with the Lord during his time together with Elijah. And, in this resurrection miracle at Shunem, we see Elisha doing the same things that Elijah did, praying to the Lord and laying on top of the boy multiple times until the boy came to and sneezed seven times. And, I conclude, as in the case of Elijah, that Elisha’s physical contact with the boy was a form of claiming of God’s power as well as a declaration before God’s throne that Elisha was empathizing with the boy’s situation. In fact, Elisha’s miracle teaches us more about this claiming of power because Elisha sends Gehazi ahead of him to lay his staff on the boy’s head until Elisha gets to the boy. I believe that Elisha learned from Elijah’s resurrection miracle, as I did, that physical death involves the soul leaving the body. So he rushed to have his Spirit claim known before God’s throne, by having his staff placed on the boy’s head, because Elijah knew that the boy’s soul would have to return to his body in order for resurrection to occur. So, we see a little more from Elijah and Elisha’s miracles what is entailed in resurrection, even our own at Christ’s coming. Believer’s already have a reborn eternal soul, but we are waiting for Christ’s return to receive our incorruptible bodies- I Corinthians 15:35-58.
7) Believers at Calvary: “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”- Matthew 27:51-53. Wow! This is truly a large scale miracle. And, not many teachers dig into this miracle, but what a statement about Christ’s death and resurrection. I’ve always kind of put this miracle aside in my mind whenever I read this passage. But what sticks out to me now is three things. First, as was said, this truly is a great miracle displaying the awesome power of God. And I believe these resurrections happened just as a testimony to the tremendous power that was released spiritually and on earth due to the transaction of Christ paying for sin. Secondly, we should consider that the Father deliberately freed these people from the grave in order for them to testify of Christ’s resurrection power. If I casually read this passage, I might conclude that a stray bolt of resurrection power somehow hit these people, and they resurrected from the grave accidentally. Well, the probability for that happening is less than the big bang theory- in fact, such an occurrence is impossible. God knows exactly where every sub atomic particle is in each of our bodies and in the entire universe of his creation. And, the thought of a few million molecules going astray for a few days isn’t even feasible. Third, I conclude that these Old Testament believers were under specific directions from God, possibly through angels, because of the organized way that these events occurred. Note the timed sequence of events. They were resurrected “at that moment”, when Christ’s spirit left his body- Matthew 27:50-53. However, they did not enter Jerusalem until three days later “after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people”. The Greek word for “appeared’ herein is “emphanizo”- to exhibit, appear, declare plainly (Strong’s # 1718[4]). So, these souls, who had been with Abraham in Paradise (See Item#394e of the Word of Knowledge Section) were returned to earthly bodies to deliberately show people in Jerusalem the resurrection power of Jesus Christ- after Christ’s resurrection.
Finally, we should consider that, in all these great miracles, they were necessary to accomplish God’s will, and, therefore, were a deliberate part of the Lord’s kingdom work.
46.) Benefits of suffering, Romans 5:3-5, “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance: perseverance character; and character hope. And Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” The following are some verses which press further into this concept of the blessings of suffering:
a.) The suffering servant: Matthew 26:38&39, “Then He said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ Going a little farther, He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” Isaiah 53:10-12, “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, He will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
b.) Hebrews 5:8-10 is a difficult passage: “Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be high priest after the order of Melchizedeck.” Herein we see something you’ll not find anywhere else in Scripture. Here we see Jesus having to learn obedience, and through that experience being made perfect. If this wasn’t Scripture we’d almost say this is blasphemy. But, as I learned long ago, I must adjust my thinking to the Scripture, and not try to adjust the Scripture to my thinking. So, why did the Lord Jesus need to learn obedience from Calvary? What was possibly lacking in Him at that point? Well, we see an inkling of such lack at Gethsemane, “Going a little farther, He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” The Lord was willing to be obedient unto death, but until He passed through that crucible, He hadn’t done it yet. I had to learn obedience in boot camp in the Marine Corps. People have thought me strange for making such a comment. When I went to boot camp at the age of 20 years old, I was screamed at by drill instructors who made profanity into an art form, and who belittled any notion of worldly dignity outside of their own mindset. I thought even the officers were disgusting, and I grew up on the streets of Chicago! However, one concept pervaded my boot camp training, and this same concept is drummed into the minds of every military boot camp of which I’ve ever heard. That concept is obedience to orders, and knowing your chain of command. This means obeying orders, even orders which you disagree with, from a disgusting individual who you think is mentally ill. In the US Marine boot camp, if you don’t obey an order you’ll get transferred to Motivation Platoon. There, a person will be yelled at all day long, while seeking to perform menial tasks such as exercise or sanding wood for no purpose; and the only purpose for Motivation Platoon is to get the marine to understand that he must obey orders. Then, if a marine still can’t obey orders, he or she would be discharged from the Marines with a general discharge citing “unsuitable for military duty”. So, what does this have to do with our Blessed Lord at Calvary. Very simply, boot camp wasn’t that difficult if you could ignore the drill instructor’s insults and carrying on. But you had to obey some very basic orders and just get through it. And, for many, just getting through it wasn’t so easy. Regarding Calvary, then, what was lacking by Christ at that point was that He hadn’t gone through it yet. The Scripture couldn’t say that the Lord Jesus “being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!” This couldn’t yet be written in Scripture because Christ had not yet experienced death at Calvary and the agony of such suffering. And, going through such an ordeal, forces you to pick up the knowledge of such human travail and suffering. Wisdom is nice, but sometimes you need knowledge to enforce your wise concepts. This is why developers test their inventions. God knew that he would raise his Son. However, being the firstborn of the resurrection (Romans 8:29), to die and rise again, is definitely a knowledge gaining experience. And, as I’ve tried to explain to people, obeying commands and requests when you are in full agreement isn’t really teaching the power of obedience. The power of obedience comes from God since we are obeying those God has placed over us (Romans 13:1), and this especially includes surrendering to God’s will even when we don’t understand or agree. It becomes a leap of faith into the concept of Godly obedience itself. This is like the leap that Christ had to make when he said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46). And, unless Christ comes before we die, we each will have to take that leap and “give up the ghost”, albeit very quickly for some- such as in a car accident or explosion.
c.) I Peter 1:6-7, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” This verse is probably one of the most well known of Scriptures regarding the benefits of suffering. Essentially this verse is saying that, in trials, we are forced to focus on what’s most important, that is Christ’s promises and His City not made with hands- Hebrews 11:16. A friend of mine who died young had his favorite quote, Collossians 3:2, Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” But when I think of Collossians 3: 2, I usually pause and consider that there is a process which begins in Collossians 3:1, firstly: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” Then, when our heart is focused we can set our minds on things above and such focus will proceed from our hearts. And, suffering changes our hearts and we realize the severity of Christianity and our need for seriousness toward Christ’s kingdom work.
d.) I Peter 2:18-24, “Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” So, bearing up under unjust suffering brings a Godly reward, and we are following Christ’s example- which He meant for us to follow (Romans 8:36-37).
e.) I Peter 3:13-4:2, 12, 13 &19: “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also- not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand- with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him.” “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful creator and continue to do good.” I believe the Lord has set up many instances when I was berated in front of people, and He does this with others, because this brings an opportunity as stated above wherein people can see a difference between Christians and themselves, later when all the drama has settled down. Then, whatever of the gospel was shared can be deeply embedded in the minds of those witnessing the incident. And, as was mentioned in Item#c above, such trials prove up our faith. An old acquaintance of mine used to challenge people with this question, “If you were indicted for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convince a jury?”
I note the use of the words “conscious of God”, “clear conscience”, and “good conscience toward God” in I Peter 2:19, Item#d, in I Peter 3:16, Item#e, and in I Peter 3:21, Item#e. This appears to be an underlying theme of Peter’s letter. That is, to realize that we are with God in thought and action and in presence of Spirit, which is connoted by these terms “conscious” and “conscience”. And this is what grace and the abundant life is all about- a gentle walk with Christ, trying to keep in step with God’s Spirit. Also see Item#443 of the Prophecy Section. And, I should note that, in the Romans letter and Peter’s 1st letter, suffering is cited as helping to separate our souls from taking joy in this world (I John 2:15-17).
47.) The Church will drive out demons, Mark 16:15-18, “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well.’” The following is noted regarding the Church driving out demons:
a.) I note that it is only in the Lord Jesus name that we can drive out demons- who are satanically empowered. This means, not just mentioning Christ’s name, but also that it is God’s will to take such a trial away (I Corinthians 5:5, Jude 9). Sometimes a person is not ready to repent, and what good is that, to cast out such a demon? “When an evil spirit goes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”- Matthew 12:43-45.
b.) Mark 6:7-13, “Calling the twelve to Him, He sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. … They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.”
c.) Luke 9:1, “When Jesus had called the twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”
d.) Luke 9:49&50, “’Master’, said John, ‘we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.’ ‘Do not stop him’, Jesus said, ‘for whoever is not against you is for you’”.
e.) I believe that the demons that were on the earth in Jesus’ day are still on the earth, because they are eternal created beings, and Christ has not yet thrown them into the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-3). And, these demons are extremely powerful, and are not to be taken frivolously (Jude 9). Consider the story of Paul in Ephesus, “Some Jews who were driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, ‘In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out’. Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day, the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.”- (Acts 19:13-16).
f.) Given Item# e, above, the question then becomes, ‘How and when will the Church drive out demons?’ I am well enough educated, but I believe people make most of their mistakes at a very basic level, usually involving a lie of some sort- perhaps a lie by that person, or perhaps by someone else. Satan, of course is called the father of all lies- John 8:44. Since demons exist on earth and are in constant rebellion against God, they are a constant adversary against believers and non-believers alike. We can categorize demon activity among humans to help get at the truth. Such categorization, with explanations follow:
1) Subtle satanic lies. These can be very damaging, because Jesus said, “I am the way, the Truth, and the Life” John 14:6. And God’s Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17, 15:26, & 16:13). So, if what is being said, taught or practiced is not true, then where did this notion or notions come from? Not from Jesus, and not from God’s Holy Spirit! So, that only leaves satan, the “father of lies” as the source. Consider satan’s subtlety. HE WAS MORE SUBTLE THAN ANY OTHER CREATURE- Genesis 3:1. This subtlety doesn’t come to him by attitude. But rather, he was originally created by God that way, so that he could protect the holiness of God. He beguiled Eve through his subtlety (II Corinthians 11:3). And, I must accentuate that the loss through Eve’s inability to detect satan’s subtle lies was a great loss for her family and for all future generations. And the subtlety of a lie does not make such a lie ineffective, and such lies can do much damage. Sometimes I warn people by saying, “If something sounds very good, but you can’t find it taught in Scripture, watch out, because satan is more subtle than any other creature”!
2) Snares of satan. I can see, among believers and non-believers alike, many snares of satan, and some passed on as wrong teaching from generation to generation. This Grace Study ought to stand as a huge testimony that satanic snares do exist within the Church, and are doing much damage, especially in terms of loss of rewards for believers, and even loss of salvation to those who aren’t reached because believers are being held back in performance by wrong teaching. The first snare of satan mentioned in the Bible was the snare of idolatry, coming from among the people whom Israel was told to drive out- Exodus 23:33, and I Corinthians 10:20. God said that even allowing the Canaanites to live in their land, and not driving them out, would be a snare to them Exodus 34:12-14. And God wasn’t trying to restrict Israel, he was warning them in love. Because God, seeing the end from the beginning, knew exactly what path Israel was headed down- the path of idolatry. I Timothy 3:7 identifies conceit as a snare. The love of money is a snare, according to I Timothy 6:9. II Timothy 2:26 says that, generally, all bad teaching is a trap by which satan “has taken them (the unlearned) captive to do his will”. And, Ephesians 6:11 reminds us that the devil is constantly scheming against us, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Remember that snares are a type of trap that closes around you, and won’t let you go. The more you struggle with the snare, the more effective and tighter it will close around you. And the master of the snare (satan) needn’t be present for the snare to be fully effective. The snare itself will keep you trapped.
3) Blinded by satan. II Corinthians 3:7-4:7, “Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters upon stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness? For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison to the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the lord is there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the Word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” Of course, we have a tendency to summarize major points in a passage, such as that underlined above. Then we tuck that major point away in our minds as if that is the theme of the passage. But this passage isn’t really focusing on the gospel, but rather on the Church’s ministry of, and through, and around the gospel. And the blindness of unbelievers is not just to the gospel, but to the Lord’s glory being reflected through our countenances. And the glory of our ministry, which definitely includes our grace gifts, is being hid by satan not only from unbelievers, but also from believers. SATAN NOT ONLY WANTS TO DENY THE BELIEVER’S RENEWED RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH THE GOSPEL, BUT SATAN WANTS TO DENY ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND MAN- ESPECIALLY GOD’S MANIFEST GLORY IN THE CHURCH THROUGH HIS GRACE GIFTS. Here is what the Lord Jesus had to say of the clergmen of his day who were seeking to lead the Jews under their own auspices- not through God’s power, “Leave them (the Pharisees); they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit”- Matthew 15:14. Also, II Peter 1:9 says, regarding ineffective blind Christians, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his own very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is near-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” So, how effective is a blind or near-sighted Christian, near-sighted in that one cannot see ahead to what God’s will is (John 15:15)? Not very effective at all! In fact Matthew 6:13 says that such are, “… no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men”. Also see Item#44a. So then, non-believers can escape the blindness of satan by accepting and believing the glorious gospel. And also, believers are to participate in the divine nature adding to their faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love, else they are near sighted and blind and have forgotten from where they came- II Peter 1:5-9. Also see Iten#68 of the Apostleship Section, “Gifts- God’s Indwelling of the Church”.
4) Captivity. Luke 4:18 says, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Christ never freed prisoners from worldly jails while on earth! He was speaking of freedom from satan’s captivity and satan’s oppression. Regarding someone seeking to be a servant of the Lord, Paul advises, “Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”- II Timothy 2:25&26. So the trap of the devil is through delusions, misconceptions, and lies. And the devil uses these traps to trick people to do his bidding. The captivities of the Israelites are pictures/ types for the people of the Church age. Egypt is a picture of the world, with its wicked prince satan (pharaoh). While Babylon is a picture of world religion through which satan still keeps people entrapped unless they actually believe the gospel and repent. Even during the tribulation, satanic captivity will be dished out by the Beast: “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed.”- Revelation 13:10.
5) Possession. Per Scripture, one or more of satan’s demons can possess the mind and soul of a person. This is shown in Matthew 8:28-34, Matthew 9:32-34, Matthew 12:22, Matthew 15:21-28, Matthew 17:14-21, and Luke 4:3-37. I believe, and have continually been taught, that a born-again believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), and may be vexed by satan but never possessed by satan. However, a mature believer will come to recognize the lies and oppression of satan during times of testing, consigning themselves to prayer and Christian action. And, as Christians, we are warned in Ephesians 4:27, “…do not give the devil a foothold”. So, even though the devil can’t fully possess believers, he can rob us of our joy, waste a lot of our time, and even confuse and deceive to the point of extreme misery.
6) Oppression. Most of what’s been said in Items# 1-5 is oppression of various types. But, it’s good to call out what’s going on. Even though I’m older now, I still play ice hockey at a reasonable level. And, one of the philosophies of hockey is to always “press” against the other team, so that you wear them out physically and mentally causing mistakes and scoring opportunities. Well, this is also what satan and his demons are doing, and sometimes they have a full court press going on with multiple demons to try to get you to give up your faith, or your testimony, or your spiritual gift, or your finances. (And we have the same type of press in hockey. It’s merely called forechecking and backchecking. And, we’ll do anything we can in such checking to oppress the opponent until he, or they, give up the puck- and it works very well, especially when multiple players are involved. And, in fact, we used to merely refer to such intense fore and back checking merely as “the press”.) It’s good to learn to recognize satanic oppression, because prayer is usually the way out of satan’s full court press. Through prayer we can pass the ball off to the star of our team- Jesus Christ, “… who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:38). And Jesus will maneuver through these satanic deceptions like they’re not even there; and many times such traps aren’t really there, and are merely a matter of attitude or perception. But a major point is that God is with us too, and there are obviously things we can do to overcome satan’s various oppressions: faith (Ephesians 6:16 & Psalms 72:4); prayer (Ephesians 6:18, Mark 14:38); resist temptation (James 4:7, & 1:13-15); claim the power of the Word- Psalm 33:6, 119:105, II Timothy 3:16&17, John 10:35, Matthew 7:24, Is 55:10-11; stay under the protection of obedience to God and God ordained authorities Romans 13:1-7. Also, I was taught, and totally agree, that Scripture memorization, especially just before bed, will fend off satanic attacks during the night and continually- Psalms 1:1&2.
7) I conclude from all this that the Church will drive out demons by resisting the devil on any and all these fronts. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you”- James 4:7. I’ve never witnessed an exorcism, but I conclude that this would work if the believers called upon the Lord in proper prayer, and faith. But, then such people might be worse off if they were not ready, according to the above stated Item# a. Some ways that believers, merely by being a good soldier (II Timothy 2:3), can expel satan in their own lives and in others’ lives around them are the following: learn God’s way through his powerful unchanging Word- John 14:6, John 10:35, II Timothy 3:16; gain and pray for wisdom, knowledge, understanding, insight, then crave and practice prudence to get the job done (See Item#95 in the Teaching Section.); “pray without ceasing” and “… in the Spirit on all occasions”- I Thessalonians 5:17 & Ephesians 6:20.
So, we see that Christ’s Church will and can drive out demons and resist satan on all fronts. Above all we should keep our faith and know that light must eventually overcome the darkness in our earthly lives. Ephesians 6:16, John 8:12, & I John 3:2. Also see Item#24, above.
49) Effect of God’s Word on the body, Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” From Item#16c, above, I’ve concluded that the inclusion of the words “joints and marrow” in this verse has to mean that the cutting edge of God’s Word has an impact on our bodies- for good and evil. And, God is using these trials, sickness within the innermost parts of our bodies- our “joints and marrow”, to correct our hearts and attitudes and thoughts, transforming our hearts and attitudes and thoughts into the likeness of Christ. I believe that resistance to God’s Word, since such is actually resistance to the very provider and maintainer of our lives, is bound to produce a reaction in our bodies or our souls. Since God loves us, such a reaction will always be towards our betterment, in the case of a believer, even though the reaction could be a trial or chastening to us. (See Item#50, below.) To the non-believer- “Ouch”! At their judgment, they will have to give account for every Word that they heard. The following are some verses showing this:
a.) John 12:48, “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.”
b.) Pr 3:7-8, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”.
c.) Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the Rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
d.) To the non-believer, rejection of Christ’s Word can be immediately harmful to the body, eventually producing a shortened life. “Not so the wicked! For they are like the chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” Psalms 1: 4-6.
Please see Item#16c, above, regarding Hebrews 4:12.
50) Sickness and healing as motivation, Exodus 9:10 “So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on men and animals. The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians.” This is, of course, just one of the ten plagues sent upon Egypt to motivate Pharaoh to let Israel go. The Lord knew that one, or even a few plagues, would not change Pharaoh’s heart, and additionally He sought to show his mighty hand in these affairs (Exodus 7:3-5).
a.) Ex 11:1-3, “Now the Lord had said to Moses, ‘I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely. Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.’ (The Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.)”
b.) Exodus 15:26, “He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.’” (Jehovah Rophe). It's interesting to note that, in this very important verse describing the Lord Jesus as the only healer- Jehovah Rophe, the Lord is stipulating that sickness will be used as a motivator. The fact that sin disrupts God’s life sustaining power in us has got to effect our being in a negative way- both in our souls and in our bodies. Truly, this is so “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”- Romans 6:23. And, “In Him all things hold together.”- Colossians 1:16.
c.) Deuteronomy 7:12-15, “If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as He swore to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land- your grain, new wine, and oil- the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that He swore to your forefathers to give you. You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young. The Lord will keep you from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all who hate you.”
d.) Deuteronomy 28:58-61, “If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name- The Lord your God- the Lord will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolongued disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law.”
e.) Also see Item#16, above.
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51.) God’s judgment by plagues- Baal Peor, Joshua 22:17, “The whole assembly of the Lord says, ‘How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against Him now? Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord.’” From this passage we see God’s judgment by plague at Peor was consistently used by Old Testament scholars to warn against further idolatry. This is also seen in the following passages:
a.) Numbers 25:1-18, “While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to engage in sexual immorality with the Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their Gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them. The Lord said to Moses, ‘Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.’ So Moses said to Israel’s judges, ‘Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.’ Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. When Phineas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them- through the Israelite and into the woman’s body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. The Lord said to Moses, ‘Phineas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.’” This occurred well after the law was given on Sinai and these Israelites knew better. I don’t want to list how much of the Law these men decided to ignore, but the result was a massive plague upon Israel. And, the principle offense to God was spoken by Moses as ” joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor”. And yet, there are people claiming to be Christians today who think nothing of bowing down to statues of created beings which they call saints, also engaging in Mary worship- as if every believer in Christ is not already a saint. And, there are other people, calling themselves Christians, who claim that the worship of any god will get you to heaven- as if Christ’s death, burial and resurrection was for nothing. We, as believers, and also non-believers, ought to get our mind straight regarding statues and idolatry; and learn the lesson of Baal Peor. And the lesson is clearly that God jealously and zealously hates idolatry, even in its supposedly innocent forms. With the above being said, I don’t believe Christians ought to be practicing religious feasts at all. Such practices are the subtle snares and lies of statan, having crept in amongst the practices of the early Church. See Items#46f & 202 of the Teaching Section, and especially Item#188 of the Word of Knowledge Section, regarding how such paganism is affecting Christians and diluting the pure water of the Word.
b.) Numbers 31:16, “’Have you allowed all the women to live?’ he asked them. They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the Lord in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people.” Again, God takes sin, especially idolatry, very seriously, sending even plagues. And, in this instance Moses uses Baal Peor as an example of God’s swift judgment upon idolatry. And, this is the lesson that God wants us to get from Baal Peor, that God hates idolatry and will be swift in his reaction to idolatry.
c.) Psalms 106:24-31, “Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord. So He swore to them with uplifted hand that He would make them fall in the desert, make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods; they provoked the Lord to anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them. But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked. This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.” The above word, “yoked”, deserves a closer look. I’m not trying to judge these people, I’m only trying to dig out the recompense of their deeds. The Lord calls out two “wicked deeds”, “The people ate and bowed down before these gods.”- Numbers 25:2. From the New Testament (I Corinthians 8:1-13) we see that the Lord isn’t concerned with the physical act of eating, but rather the participation in the idol’s feast. And secondly, but not of least concern, they bowed down to these idols. The resultant perception from God is stated in Numbers 25:3, above, “So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.” Psalms 106:28, concludes that they “yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor”. So, how does God bless someone who is partnered with an unbeliever, or even partnered with a disobedient believer? Paul has explained the problem and solution in II Corinthians 6:14- 7:1, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the Living God. As God said, ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ ‘Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’ ‘I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’ Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminated body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” I note that Paul is not advising going back to the superficiality of the Law as a guide to “perfecting holiness”. However, in order to protect Christ’s name, Paul cites the certain acts from which the Church must separate itself. I Corinthians 5:11 says, “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.” Again, the Lord takes idolatry very seriously. From my perspective there are more idolaters on earth now than at any other time in history. Dee Brestin, in her book- Idol Lies, says that human beings are “idol making machines”. This makes Biblical sense, since Galatians 5:20 lists “idolatry and witchcraft” as fruits of the flesh as opposed to fruit of the Spirit. So, this teaching regarding the warnings of Baal Peor is very relevant for today, and regarding the many maladies that we see in the world today. If you consider the Muslims, the Hindus, the Buddhists, the pagans (and pagan wannabes- Hitler was one), the supposedly Christian statue worshipers, the American Indians who want to worship the Great Spirit, and the many other animist worshipers in Africa and the island countries, and the satan worshipers, and those practicing black arts- witches, warlocs and their respective organizations (including followers of Harry Potter), and if you take into account human population growth in the last century, then you can see my conclusion that there are more idolaters now than at any time in history. And, most would agree that these groups are growing in population and popularity around the world.
52.) Healings as fulfillment of prophecy, Luke 7:21-22, “At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So, He replied to the messengers, ‘Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.’” The Lord is citing the partial fulfillment in Him of the Isaiah 61:1&2 prophecy, which the Lord Jesus used to enlighten the Nazareth synagogue: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”- Luke 4:18&19. And some have noted that the Lord, in reciting Isaiah’s prophecy, stopped short of that part of the prophecy which declared, “and the day of vengeance of our God”. Such people conclude that day would be that Great day of the Lord- II Peter 3:112&12, I Thessalonians 5:1-3.
a.) Isaiah 42:6&7, “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open the eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. ‘I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.’” I like this verse because Isaiah is announcing prophesying of such healings, and other work by the Lord Jesus, in approximately 740 bc.
b.) Isaiah 35:4-8, “’Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you.’ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a dear, and the mute shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.” I believe this prophecy covers the Church Age and then into the millennium reign of Christ.
c.) Mark 16:17&18, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Of course, all kinds of healings have been done through the Church acting as Christ’s agent, else why would we be studying healing? Also see the above Items# 16d3, 22l, and 34a.
55.) Healing of Naaman, II Kings 5:1-15, “Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier but he had leprosy. Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. ‘By all means, go,’ the king of Aram replied. ‘I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: ‘With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy’. As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, ‘Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!’ When Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.’ So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, ‘Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.’ But Naaman went away angry and said, ‘I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?’ So he turned and went off in a rage. Naaman’s servants went to him and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!’ So he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, ‘Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant.’” There are many elements to this passage, and some are noted below. And, as in all Scripture, these verses point us to Calvary and the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. The following points are noted:
a.) The main reason why the Lord did this miracle is in the underlined verses above. He wanted many to know that Israel was the apple of his eye, and faith in the God of Israel was faith in the One True God. In that respect, the waters of the Jordan speak of God’s Holy Spirit; while the Syrian rivers spoke of the false religions of Aram/ Central Syria. And so, Naaman’s question was answered, at least spiritually, since the waters of Jordan did heal him; and so, the spiritual waters of Israel are proven better than the waters of Damascus, Abana and Pharpar.
b.) The king of Israel’s question is also an important question which is answered and needs our consideration. Since Israel is a picture of the Church, are we, nowadays, as the Church able to provide for such a request for healing? Yes, actually this study is clearly concluding that if any among you is sick, “He should call the elders of the Church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.” James 5:14-15. So, we don’t have to tear our robes and be frustrated over such maladies. We can merely obey the Scripture in that regard, and give it all to Jesus, by whose stripes we are healed (Item#17, above). (Also see above Items# 34, 16d, &19.)
c.) The Lord Jesus also had a comment regarding Naaman’s healing, “’I tell you the truth’ He continued, ‘no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed- only Naaman the Syrian.’”, Luke 4:24. This makes us consider why the little slave girl knew to point Naaman to Elisha for a healing, while the king of Israel could merely tear his robes. I conclude the slave girl was a believer, who was faithful to God, and made her eternal mark by her inclusion in this great story of faith. And, I conclude that many in Israel were not really believers and had much knowledge, but no access to grace through faith (John 8:47). In this regard, it’s peculiar that I can only find Naaman’s healing as the only healing by an Old Testament prophet, although Elijah and Elisha were both involved in raising a child from the dead, and Moses prayed for Miriam’s healing. And, that peculiarity was exactly what the Lord Jesus was pointing out in Luke 4:24, “And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed- only Naaman the Syrian.” I sense that pride is a blinder which has kept many well-meaning people disobedient to God’s Word, with many left unhealed. (Also see Item#395 in the Word of Knowledge Section.)
d.) Of course, Naaman’s story isn’t a river rating story, where the Jordan wins the contest over the rivers of Syria. Typologically, leprosy is a picture/ type of sin. So, the dipping seven times in the Jordan, is a picture of a believer’s immersion in the Holy Spirit and complete spiritual new birth, becoming like a baby. And, Naaman almost didn’t take Elisha up on his word because of pride. He wanted to do some great thing in order to be healed. But regarding salvation, God’s Word says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
e.) Naaman’s healing by God uses typology to point future generations to Christ, and pointing that Samarian generation to Israel for salvation. This method of healing in conjunction with typology reminds me of the healings of Numbers 21:4-9, in which Moses was commanded to set up a bronze snake on a pole to facilitate healings. This bronze snake on a pole then became the means for the Lord Jesus to explain, typologically, the means of being born again, per John 3:14-15. God knew that there were real reasons why Naaman was sick, and He knew there were real reasons why those grumbling Israelites, of Numbers 21, were sick. And God was not moved to merely heal these people, but rather, healed them while using the entire situation to his glory and for his purposes. This is something to consider. There are usually some easily seen reasons, good or bad, for trials which happen to people. And, sometimes the Lord’s will is to hold off from healing, even though the Lord would love to heal that person. But that’s the beauty of the Lord’s instruction in James 5:14-15; we only need to obey God, and let Him make the decision. Then, whether He heals or not, we will have been obedient and faithful.
So, Naaman’s healing is a very interesting story which points us to the cross, and to James 5:14-15 as our means of obeying God for healing, also per above Item#34g. And, if you are sick, don’t be blinded by pride; call for the elders of your church for anointing and prayer. And, if they won’t do it, weigh out whether it’s time to find a church which keeps in step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25). “Obey” is a word with a not-too-confusing meaning. It comes from the Latin “oboedire”, combining “ob” (meaning “to”, per the Online Etymology Dictionary) + “audire” (meaning “listen/ hear”). The point is that we believers in Christ need to listen to and obey God’s Word for healing, as found in the simple instructions of James 5:14-15.
Concluding this study of “healings”, it’s no surprise that the first item and the last item (Item#1 and Item#55) stick out to me as important topics, and with 20/20 hindsight I can see the Father’s hand therein. In Item#1 we see Moses reaching up in intercessory prayer as an elder and pastor to cry out for healing, just as we in the Church are told to do according to James 5:14-15. And then, through Naaman’s healing, we are reminded that pride can keep us blind to God’s grace blessings in our life, first of all in salvation (II Corinthians 4:3-4), and also in many other grace areas, even in the relatively obvious and simple obedience to the healing instructions of James 5:14-15.
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT POINTS
Lest someone misconstrue, or even deliberately twist, the results of what’s being concluded from this study, the following summary points are noted:
1.) The Scripture, which cannot be broken, according to the Lord Jesus in John 10:35, defines healing as a Spirit manifested ability ranked with prophecy and other gifts. (The above items reference this: Nos.13b, 20, 39, & 47.)
2.) Healings are noted as part of the miraculous signs that accompany the Church (Mark 16:18 and Item#34 of the Apostleship Section). However, we never see any disciple specifically healing or noted as a famous healer. Such healings were almost always done as verification of the gospel message, and verification of Christ’s presence in the Church. (The above items reference this: Nos. 9, 13, 15, 20, 26, 28, 30, 32, 33, 39, 47, & 52.)
3.) The Scripture teaches God’s preferred method of healing in James 5:14-17. (The above items reference this: Nos. 1, 4, 8, 10, 12e-f, 14, 16d, 17f3&5, 19, 20b&d, 22f, 26, 32b&d, 34, 39, & 55; also Items 37d & 274 of the Word of Knowledge Section.)
4.) The Lord can also make sick or wound in order to edify and correct us. And, many illnesses are caused by sin; and, ultimately, all illness and death are caused by someone’s sin- most obviously Adam’s sin (Exodus 20:5, Romans 5:12-14). The above items reference this: Nos. 6, 16, 19, 41, 46, 50, & 51.
5.) It is the Lord’s will to heal, because it is in his very nature. He is Jehovah Rophe, the Lord who heals. (The above items reference this: Nos.2, 7, 10, 16d1,17e&f, 19, 21d, 22, 24, 27, 34, 38, 40, 50b, & 52.)
6.) Three reasons for healings and sickness are:
a.) The Lord’s glory: Nos 2,8,9c&f,10,12,13,14,17f,21,22,24,26,30,32,33,40,44,45,52,55.
b.) Edification/ correction: Nos 1,12,16,19,24,28,41,46.
c.) Merely his compassion: Nos 1,9g,17f,21,22,24b&d,27,38,42.
7.) It is fairly easy to pick out, and logically consider, the Lord’s actual methods of healing. Please see the Healings Chart for a listing of New Testament healings, which includes healing elements and methods, and includes Grace Study and Scripture references. Certain Item Nos reference those healing methods as follows:
a.) Prayer, Nos 4, 42, 45e4-6.
b.) Faith, Nos 8, 21, 24c, 45e1-5.
c.) God’s Word, Nos 4b, 8, 9, 14, 28, 45e2-6
d.) Power, Nos 9, 12, 13a, 30.
e.) Hands & Oil, Nos 16d3, 26, 32, 45e1-6.
END HOME
[1] Jim Hylton, The Supernatural Skyline (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc. 2010) p. 61-62.
[2] James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (McLean, VA: MacDonald Publishing Company) various pages (per the reference numbers) of his Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary and his Greek Dictionary of the New Testament.
[3] Alfred Marshall, The Interlinear KJV- NIV Parallel New Testament in Greek and English (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) p. 510.
[4] James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (McLean, VA: MacDonald Publishing Company) various pages (per the reference numbers) of his Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary and his Greek Dictionary of the New Testament.