| CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRINE | February 2003 |
A Foregleam of Kingdom Power
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“Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.” |
WHEN JESUS BEGAN HIS ministry it was written, “This beginning of miracles did Jesus … and manifested forth his glory.”—John 2:11
When the Divine plan of salvation is properly understood, we see that Jesus not only came into the world to provide a sacrifice for sin, but he made it possible for all who turn from sin to accept his work of Atonement on their behalf. These are to consecrate themselves to God through him, to be made partakers of a heavenly calling, and, if faithful, attain “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.” (I Pet. 1:4) He came also to do a work that would completely undo the consequences of the reign of sin and death, which entered the world through one man’s disobedience. (Rom. 5:12) We read, “since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.”—I Cor. 15:21
This resurrection of the dead billions of Adam’s race is, according to the Bible, due to take place in “the last day.” Jesus intimated the correctness of Martha’s words when she said concerning her brother, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (John 11:24) Since the fall, mankind has passed through six great days of a thousand years each, under the curse, the reign of evil; and the seventh, or last, day of the great week is the thousand years of Messiah’s kingdom, when this curse of sin and death shall be lifted.
The resurrection work then to take place implies not only an awakening from death, but includes the thought of man being raised up to the perfect state from which he fell in the person of father Adam, a raising up to the perfection of human nature lost through sin. All this is implied in the Greek word anastasis, rendered ‘resurrection.’ It means a re-standing, a process of being made right under rule. Hence, the last day, or thousand-year day of Messiah’s kingdom, is spoken of by the Apostle Peter as “the times of restitution” when the earthly paradise, lost through one man’s disobedience, will be restored to the willing and obedient of mankind.—Acts 3:19-21
This work is pictured in the interesting, and very striking, miracle performed by our Master and referred to in Matthew 12:22. We could hardly think of a more graphic picture of abject misery: a man blind and dumb, “possessed with a devil [Greek, demon, one of the evil spirits]. All who saw this poor creature would surely say his condition was hopeless, that he was beyond the healing touch of the most skillful physician. So some of the soundest judgments among men, including some of the world’s poets and philosophers, have said of mankind, that, left to himself, his condition is hopeless; that neither individual nor corporate effort can deliver man from his fallen state, or even bring about tolerably happy social and moral conditions upon earth.
In due time, Jesus appeared on earth, and healed the man possessed with a demon, blind, and dumb. The Bible teaches that Jesus is again to appear—not to help a poor unfortunate one here, and another there, but—for the assistance and deliverance of all mankind. He appears this second time, not as a man on earth, but as the Lord of glory, a glorious Divine being, exercising all power in heaven and in earth. All mankind—for six thousand years dominated, some more, some less, by the spirit of the great Adversary, Satan—will be brought from under his power: he will be bound for a thousand years.—Rev. 20:1,2
Furthermore, the spiritual blindness superinduced by “the god of this world” will be removed from the minds of men (II Cor. 4:4; Isa. 35:5), and the tongues long dumb so far as sounding forth God’s praises, telling of his gracious purposes, will henceforth refuse to be silent. Isaiah, describing conditions when all systems of oppression and satanic bondage are overthrown, says, “The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.” (Isa. 14:7) Again he says, “Sing, O ye heavens; … shout, ye lower parts [conditions] of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein.” (Isa. 44:23) And again, “The Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”—Isa. 61:11
While we continue to pray for the healing of our spiritual infirmities (Ps. 103:3), let us also remember when we pray, “thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,” the healing touch of the great Physician then to be experienced by all mankind.—Matt. 6:10