Glimpses of Glory

Blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.   Psalm 72:19, NKJV

As our plane began its approach to the runway, I marveled at the way the lowering sun reflected off everything wet and metallic-streams became ribbons of molten silver, car windows flashed like golden shields, and puddles shone like shiny pennies. As a cemetery rushed toward me on the left side, I briefly noted that there were no headstones-only plates of brass, marking each grave. But I wasn't prepared for what happened next.

As we flew over, suddenly the sun exploded off the tops of hundreds of the brass markers in quick-fire succession. Bam! Bam! Bam! As the plane tilted, each marker ignited with a flash bright as a diamond. And then it was over, and our plane touched down. It happened so fast, as if in a twinkling of an eye. I had been looking out the window, dreaming about heaven, and the Lord opened the eyes of my heart to glimpse heaven's glory. I got a bird's-eye view of I Corinthians 15:51-52 when "we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-in a flash-in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."

When God Doesn't Make Sense

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When therefore He heard that he was sick, He stayed then two days longer in the place where He was.  John 11:5-6

The urgent message came to Jesus.  His good friend Lazarus was very sick and needed Him ASAP.  Surely Jesus, the One who would drop everything to go heal complete strangers, would come running to Lazarus’ town of Bethany to save the day, right?  Wrong!  When Jesus heard Lazarus was deathly ill, He purposely waited two more days before making the twenty mile journey to Bethany.  By the time He finally arrived, Lazarus was stinking dead and in the tomb four days.  

Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, both said the same thing when Jesus showed up, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21, 32).  

Undoubtedly, they were wondering WHY He didn’t come in time.  Undoubtedly, they were shell-shocked at the message He sent, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it” (John 11:4).  What in the world could that possibly mean given the fact that Lazarus died the very day Jesus uttered those words?  Is this some cruel joke?  

Is It Biblical to Believe for Healing?

The foundation for our belief in divine healing begins with the study of salvation. Our salvation through Christ Jesus is sufficient to redeem us from both the nature and curse of sin (Romans 5:12; Galatians 3:13-14; Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

The Scriptures reveal that we have been given a great salvation (Hebrews 2:3-4). C.I. Scofield gave this Biblical definition of salvation. “The Hebrew and Greek words for salvation imply the ideas of deliverance, safety, preservation, healing, and soundness. Salvation is the great inclusive word of the gospel, gathering into itself all the redemptive acts and processes: as justification, redemption, grace, propitiation, imputation, forgiveness, sanctification, and glorification.”

Gloria Copeland has taught about the connection between the Greek word for salvation soteria and the Hebrew wordshalom or “peace.” The word shalom means “completeness, wholeness, peace, health, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, absence of agitation or discord, to be complete, perfect and full.”

This covenant of salvation and peace that we have received through Christ Jesus provides complete wholeness with “nothing missing, nothing broken.” Isaiah 53:5 said the chastisement necessary to bring us this wholeness was laid upon Jesus. His peace encompasses every area of life—including physical healing.

One of the most compelling arguments for divine healing is the fact that Jesus administered healing throughout His earthly ministry. And according to the Scriptures Jesus fulfilled the will of His Father when He healed people (John 4:34; 17:4). The fact that healing is God’s will should not be surprising when we note that God has always wanted His people well (Exodus 15:26).

Healing was a fundamental component of the ministry of Jesus. Matthew 8:16-17 says, “They brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” These verses make it particularly clear that the sicknesses and infirmities that Jesus healed were not only spiritual, but also physical. And that physical healing was part of a true fulfillment of Isaiah 53:5 which says, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Also see Luke 4:18-19; I Peter 2:24).

Jesus indicated that miracle healing power was available for all who would believe on Him. In John 14:11-12 Jesus said, “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”

When Jesus sent out His disciples to minister in His name He told them to, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8) We find no indication that the disciples were ever under the impression that healing should cease. Instead, we find them ministering healing to the multitudes (Acts 5:12-16).

Healing is an essential part of the Great Commission given to us by Jesus Christ Himself. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:15-18). The healing power of the gospel is as viable today as it was in the early church.

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