Healing for Life in the New World
TODAY people who are fascinated by the thought of divine healing with miracles overlook some important facts regarding it;a such as that in times past, at the very best, divine physical healing was but of temporary value; death sooner or later claimed those who had benefited from it. Also that Christians themselves did not use divine power for their own benefit but continued to suffer the ailments common to man.—Matt. 4:2-4; 1 Tim. 5:23; 2 Tim. 4:20.
They also fail to note the fact that today on the one hand non-Christians may experience as seemingly remarkable cures as do those professing to be Christians, while on the other hand the normal causes of sickness, disease and accidents, such as heredity, circumstances and carelessness, operate the same for Christians as for non-Christians. Nor is there any reason for blaming the Devil for disease and accidents that befall a Christian as though he were another Job. Job’s was a special prophetic case, and was recorded under inspiration for the benefit of others.
The outstanding miracle of divine healing of recent times God worked upon the remnant of his faithful witnesses who make up his visible theocratic organization. Particularly between 1914 and 1919, they were in a spiritually diseased and afflicted condition. They prayed to God for healing and he brought them spiritual healing and forgave them their iniquities.—Ps. 107:17-20; 147:1-3; Jer. 17:14-16, AS.
After healing those whose hopes for everlasting life were of a heavenly kind God expanded his modern spiritual health program to include men of good will, a “great crowd” of “other sheep”, to whom the hope of everlasting life on earth is extended. The spiritual healing that these are receiving is far superior to any temporary physical healing. These are getting their eyes of understanding opened so as to see the Light of life. They are getting their ears opened so that they can hear with appreciation God’s Word and heed its counsel. They are getting their spiritual vocal powers restored so that they can sing Jehovah’s fame, preach his Word and witness to his kingdom. They are receiving strength of spiritual limbs so that they can walk unfalteringly in the path of God’s righteousness through Christ Jesus.—Isaiah chapter 35.
Only those being spiritually healed now can hope to survive God’s vengeance coming upon diseased Christendom at Armageddon and enter the new world of righteousness and life. (Isa. 1:4-6, 18-20) How important, therefore, that we both partake of the ‘leaves of the trees that are for the curing of the nations’ and of “life’s water” ourselves as well as urge these same prescriptions for spiritual divine healing upon others!—Zeph. 2:1-3; Rev. 22:1-3, 17, NW.
[Footnotes]
a For a complete discussion of this subject see The Watchtower, May 1 and 15, 1951.