Today there are many preacher types who claim to prophesy in Jesus’ name, cast out demons in His name, and do many wonders in His name (Matthew 7:22). But the episodes of healing and miracle working we see today are a far cry from what we see consistently in the scriptures. Allow me to relay some experiences of my own.
When I was around 12 yrs. old, I witnessed about four or five faith healers attempt to heal Nathaniel Westmoreland who had been crippled and in a wheelchair for over 30 years. There was terrible commotion. These men and women yelled, cried out to God, picked Nathaniel up from his wheelchair and held him for several minutes. It was quite frightening for me. Thirty minutes later, Nathaniel was back in his wheelchair, crippled as ever. He would die in this condition several years later.
I lived in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area for almost eight years which is the home to Oral Roberts University. Oral Roberts was a renowned faith healer in the mid-1900’s. Do you know what this faith healer built in the 1980’s? A hospital.
I was once invited to attend a worship service at Rhema Bible Training College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma just down from where I lived at the time. I went. After the teaching, the lady minister called anyone forward who wanted to be healed. The daily special on the healing menu for that day was gastrointestinal diseases. That’s all they were healing that day. It was not explained to me why or how that was the case. And of course, no one could verify if anyone in that grouping actually did receive healing or not.
This is normative for healing and miracle working in our day. You can watch videos all day of healing types like Benny Hinn palming people’s faces on a stage and thrusting them to the ground to be dragged away by someone else. This is supposedly a miracle working.
If you have doubts about these episodes and others that you might witness from time to time, don’t worry. You should have doubts. In the Bible, when Jesus or His disciples performed healings, the subjects were immediately healed. There were no leftover symptoms. There were no unverifiable healings performed like I witnessed at Rhema. There was no commotion that went on and on and on like with Nathaniel. This is apparent in all the healings you will read in the Bible. Notice this list of healings and the word “immediately” used to describe each one.
- Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew 8:3)
- And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. (Matthew 20:34)
- “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away. (Matthew 21:19)
- So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. (Mark 1:31)
- Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2:12)
- Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. (Mark 5:29)
- Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. (Mark 5:42)
- Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. (Mark 7:35)
- And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. (Luke 13:13)
- And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. (John 5:9)
- And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. (Acts 3:7)
- Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. (Acts 5:10)
- Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. (Acts 9:18)
- And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately. (Acts 9:24)
- “And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. (Acts 13:11)
Notice also how on many occasions there is detail given in the scriptures that demonstrates the subjects of healing were well known in the community for being sick. When these people were healed, there was great amazement, not only because the healing was immediate and abundantly obvious, but also because the subject was verifiably infirmed, crippled, sick, dead, or whatever the case may have been. Notice the biography attached to each one of these subjects of healing.
- And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. (Mark 5:2-4)
- Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. (Mark 5:25-26)
- And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. (Luke 13:11)
- Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time… (John 5:5-6)
- Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. (John 9:1) Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?” (v. 8).
- Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” (John 11:39)
- And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple… (Acts 3:2).
Why was it important to note the biography of these individuals? Because this demonstrated that an actual miracle had taken place. It was verifiable. Multiple people present knew how uncurable the individual was, which made the healing that much more amazing and certain.
This is very different from what we see at tent revivals today. People come forward, who knows who they are, they may or may not have something wrong with them, no one can tell if anything really was done, and everyone is emotionally strung out from all the commotion. As a result, the masses are taken in – hook, line, and sinker.
None of this even touches on the fact that Paul said miraculous knowledge, tongues, and prophecy would cease with the completion of God’s written revelation. If you would like to learn more about this, watch the Five Minute Bible Study video below. Test the spirits (1 John 4:1), and do not think beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6).
