When Sickness Is Conquered Forever
WHILE progress has been made in fighting some sicknesses, others have taken their place or old ones have worsened. Indeed, the hard fact is that even with the best possible environment, a balanced diet and a moral life people still get sick and die.
Nothing that even the most sincere doctors or scientists, or the best hospitals, can do will change this bleak picture. But does this mean that sickness and death will always be mankind’s lot? Will it go on and on forever?
A Guarantee That Sickness Will End
Although humans do not know how to end sickness and death, there is someone who does. That someone is the most powerful Physician in the universe. He is the One who created humans in the first place—Jehovah God. He is in the very best position to know what is wrong with mankind, and what the proper remedies are.
In his own inspired Word, the Bible, God states: “[I] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” That promise is certain to be fulfilled, for the Bible adds: “These words are faithful and true.”—Revelation 21:4, 5.
Where will this healing take place? In heaven? No, for verse 3 of Revelation chapter 21 states that God will be “with mankind” when this happens. Yes, the time is coming when humans will be healed of all their sicknesses; and even death will be conquered—forever! Similarly, Isaiah 33:24 foretells: “No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’ The people that are dwelling in the land will be those pardoned for their error.”
Yes, God knows not only full well what is wrong with mankind but also what to do about it. As the Creator of man’s body and mind, he surely has the wisdom and power required to restore perfect health to individuals. And the promises he has had recorded in the Bible are a guarantee that he will do it at the proper time. Indeed, when his chief spokesman, Jesus Christ, was on earth, God’s healing power was demonstrated. This was done in the many miraculous cures that Jesus was able to perform as God’s spokesman.—Matthew 15:30, 31.
Interestingly, even some of the opposers of Jesus had to acknowledge that he performed miraculous works. On one occasion the religious leaders of his day exclaimed: “What are we to do, because this man performs many signs?” (John 11:47) There was so much evidence that it could not be denied. What were some of those infirmities that Jesus cured?
Curing Infirmities
One of the cures Jesus performed had to do with a man who was born blind. Imagine never having been able to see! How pitiful! Yet, with the use of God’s power, Jesus healed the man and he “came back seeing.” Later, testifying before the religious leaders, this former blind man said: “From of old it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind. If this man [Jesus] were not from God, he could do nothing at all.”—John 9:1-7, 32, 33.
On another occasion Jesus met a man afflicted with the loathsome disease of leprosy. The leper begged Jesus: “If you just want to, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus touched him and said: “I want to. Be made clean.” His leprosy vanished! The news about this spread until it became difficult for Jesus even to enter a city openly.—Matthew 8:1-3.
Then there was the man who had been sick for 38 years! He was bedridden, unable to get up. Seeing him, Jesus asked: “Do you want to become sound in health?” Yes, he certainly did! Jesus then said: “Get up, pick up your cot and walk.” With that “the man immediately became sound in health, and he picked up his cot and began to walk.”—John 5:5-9.
On such occasions people often were overwhelmed with awe. One account relates: “At the sight of this the crowds were struck with fear, and they glorified God, who gave such authority to men.” But even more awed were they when they were eyewitnesses to dead ones’ being raised by Jesus! For example, when Jesus restored the life of a young girl who had died, the onlookers “were beside themselves with great ecstasy.”—Matthew 9:8; Mark 5:42.
No doubt about it, God the Creator can cure the sick and raise the dead! And He empowered Jesus, while he was on earth, to demonstrate on a small scale what would be done when God’s due time came for His great healing program to be applied to mankind. But when will this come? How?
Cures Linked to Kingdom
The honest historian Matthew recorded the following about Jesus: “He went around throughout the whole of Galilee . . . preaching the good news of the kingdom and curing every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity among the people.”—Matthew 4:23.
According to Matthew’s words, the miraculous cures by Jesus were secondary to the important message—“the good news of the kingdom.” Jesus used his miracles to demonstrate what the coming Kingdom of God would do for mankind. That is the Kingdom, or government, ruling from heaven that will bring such blessings to mankind, with Jesus himself as heavenly King. Thus, Jesus taught his disciples to pray: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.”—Matthew 6:9, 10.
Hence, when God’s heavenly government comes and rips control of this earth from all the nations that presently exercise that control, then the divine healing program will begin. But when is that to be?—Daniel 2:44.
When Will It Come?
Jesus himself foretold how we could know that we were nearing the end of this present corrupt system of things and the coming into total power of God’s Kingdom. He foretold just what this generation has suffered: world wars, food shortages, disease epidemics, increased violence. These, and many more things, form part of the great prophetic sign that Jesus and other Bible writers gave, clearly identifying our time as the one foretold.
After giving some of these signs, Jesus also said: “When you see these things occurring, know that the kingdom of God is near.” How near? He added: “Truly I say to you, This generation will by no means pass away until all things occur.”—Luke 21:10-32; Matthew 24:3-34; 2 Timothy 3:1-13.
After carefully considering the evidence of fulfilled Bible prophecy, no other conclusion can be reached than this: Before this generation passes, sickness will be conquered forever! God’s Kingdom will take control of this earth and a New Order will be ushered in to begin God’s great healing program. Then the above-quoted prophecies will indeed have their grand fulfillment: “No resident will say: ‘I am sick,’” and “death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.” What a glorious time is near at hand!
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Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead as an evidence of what he will do under God’s Kingdom rule
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A glorious time is nearing when “no resident will say: ‘I am sick’”