{"id":2410,"date":"2016-09-17T08:10:20","date_gmt":"2016-09-17T13:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/?page_id=2410"},"modified":"2022-12-20T16:33:32","modified_gmt":"2022-12-20T22:33:32","slug":"signs-wonders-and-miracles","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/the-law-is-a-stumbling-block\/signs-wonders-and-miracles","title":{"rendered":"Signs, Wonders and Miracles"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHYSICAL SIGNS VS SPIRITUAL SIGNS<\/strong>
\nFor most people, miraculous signs and wonders are attributed to God and\/or Jesus. Even people who are marginally religious can be moved to recognize the possibility that God is real when they observe events that appear to be miraculous deviations from the laws of physics that otherwise govern the natural world. They may not be religious, but most people know enough about God to accept that he is the only one who is able to alter those natural laws. Thus, miraculous signs and wonders attract the attention of both religious and nonreligious people. Even atheists have their ways of looking at miracles, but they do not include God.<\/a><\/p>\n

Given the frequent presence of signs in the Bible and the universal appeal of physical miracles, we might wonder why God warns about looking for signs<\/a>. In man’s way of thinking, it seems reasonable and appropriate that any god with supernatural powers would occasionally use those powers in miraculous ways to alert an unbelieving world to the reality that he\/she exists. With respect to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God who is commonly believed to have created the physical heavens and the physical earth, and all of the various natural laws<\/a> that keep creation running in an orderly manner, this reasoning has one serious flaw: It anticipates and even expects that the God who designed these laws would purposely break them from time to time just to make himself known to people. This thinking shows how little people really know about the invisible<\/a>, unchanging<\/a> God that they claim to worship.<\/p>\n

According to this natural way of thinking, miracles and signs are useful to God because they provide evidence that he exists and is at work in the world. Again this is faulty thinking. If this was the way that God wanted to become known, he would not cloak himself in a cloud<\/a> of mystery,<\/a> and Jesus would not have rebuked the Pharisees for looking for signs. <\/a><\/p>\n

In effect, signs and wonders are imagined to be evangelical tools that draw unbelievers to God. But man’s ways of thinking are not God’s ways<\/a>. Miracles might have some advantage to religions that exploit them, but they are of no real benefit to God because God is interested in tearing down religion<\/a>, not in building it up.<\/p>\n

We find clues about God’s way of thinking about signs and wonders when we look at the differences between faith and religion<\/a>. We see it in the story of Jesus’ encounter with Thomas after the resurrection<\/a>. There we find the principle of people being blessed even though they have not seen a miracle. This is the basic principle of faith in things not seen<\/a>. Therefore, looking for physical signs that God exists is a matter of religion — not faith.<\/p>\n

New Covenant disciples put no stock in miracles, signs and wonders because they deal with faith — not physical things or events that can be observed with natural senses. Old\/First Covenant religionists, on the other hand, see benefit in physical signs, wonders and miracles because they appear so often in the Bible. The WebBible Encyclopedia reports that one hundred and twenty-three miracles are documented in the Bible.<\/a> How is it, then, that New Covenant disciples disregard physical miracles while Old\/First Covenant religionists find them relevant and even inspiring?<\/p>\n

For the answer we must recognize that New Covenant disciples understand the FIRST THE NATURAL, THEN THE SPIRITUAL, PRINCIPLE<\/a> from which they learn that God always introduces spiritual truths through the symbolism of natural objects, events, people or places of one kind or another. This is consistent with God\u2019s practice of always speaking in parables <\/a>— even when the Bible narrative does not clearly indicate that the story is a parable.<\/a> Thus, natural things, persons or events always represent a spiritual truth or a spiritual process. They are not there to excite readers about God’s ability to change natural laws, or to create expectations that God still performs natural signs and wonders. They are there, however, to symbolically represent spiritual events that cannot be seen with natural senses.<\/p>\n

When we stop to think about it, this makes sense as a way for a spiritual God to communicate with people who are by nature oriented to natural things and who do not easily accept spiritual things<\/a>. In the Bible, God uses the language of things natural people know and understand to lead them to spiritual truth that they do not well understand.<\/a> This is the process by which God uses scripture to train us in righteousness. <\/a>Those disciples<\/a> who are willing to study and have their minds transformed<\/a> about Bible interpretations<\/a> will graduate to become New Covenant<\/a> disciples. But, Old\/First Covenant religionists who insist on the natural, human way of reading and interpreting the Bible literally, and not symbolically<\/a>, cannot and do not understand the spiritual meanings of scripture.<\/a><\/p>\n

In life, just like in the Bible, the only value of natural things or events is to point people to spiritual truth. That is why the Bible is full of mysteries<\/a> and Symbols, Signs, Types, Copies, Shadows and Patterns. <\/a>New Covenant disciples know this to be true because God has opened their spiritual eyes and ears to understanding the Bible’s deep spiritual truths found in stories of natural events.<\/a> Their perspective on time is very different from the natural way Old\/First Covenant religionists see time.<\/a><\/p>\n

The problem with seeking signs, wonders and miracles is that people fixate on the miracle but do not move on to listen to God’s voice. Thinking that they are somehow honoring God when they observe a miracle, they actually dishonor him while elevating themselves as religious observers of physical signs. They wrongly believe that they are dealing with faith, but they are only dabbling in religion which always desires to excite and titillate<\/a> the flesh.<\/p>\n

Instead of using spiritual eyes and ears <\/a>to observe spiritual events (i.e. changes of heart), religious people use their natural eyes and ears to observe physical events which appear to be abnormal, or contrary to natural laws. And when they observe these abnormal natural events, they attribute them to God with the belief that he has somehow suspended his natural laws to create a miracle for them to see. And when this happens, religious people interpret these events as evidence that God exists and that he has supernatural power to change the way the natural world works.<\/p>\n

When we stop to consider the invisible nature of God’s kingdom<\/a>, and the fact that God is invisible and unchanging<\/a>, we can see that this is totally silly, wrong thinking. Why would God who is very comfortable being invisible want to reveal himself in natural ways? Why would God who focuses on matters of the heart that cannot be observed direct people to matters of nature that can be observed? Natural things and natural events totally miss who God is and how he works, and for that reason anything natural that presumes to represent God dishonors him by ignoring his true character.<\/p>\n

And if that is not reason enough to discount signs, wonders and miracles, we can also mention that it is silly to think that God would suspend his natural laws<\/a> for any reason — even to prove to people with weak faith that he can do such things. We must always remember that faith is the substance of things not seen<\/a> and that the kingdom of God does not come with events that can be seen with natural eyes and ears<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In religion, seeking for signs and wonders is considered to be a evidence of spirituality. But, the truth is that watching for signs is only religion. Looking for signs is\u00a0walking by sight — not faith<\/a>. Signs and wonders have an important place in religion<\/a>, but are unimportant to New Covenant disciples. Signs and wonders are manifestations of the tangible, physical world, not of the spiritual world. This is the exact opposite of the nature of the spirit world which cannot be seen or touched.<\/a><\/p>\n

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GOD USES SIGNS OF CHANGE IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD TO REPRESENT SPIRITUAL CHANGE<\/strong>
\nThe Bible reports many examples of signs, wonders and miracles<\/a>. The problem is, however, that people who interpret the Bible think of these signs as literal, physical events. They do not stop to consider that the God who always speaks in parables always uses physical, natural things and events, including miracles in which the natural order of the world is altered, as lessons meant to convey spiritual truth. Thus, stories about miraculous natural events must be considered in the context of the “first the natural, then the spiritual<\/a>” principle.<\/p>\n

STUDY TIP: See Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 1, <\/a>Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 2<\/a>, Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 3<\/a>, and\u00a0Symbols, Signs, Types, Copies, Shadows and Patterns<\/a> for details of what the Bible says about how it should be interpreted.<\/p>\n

It is a gross error, therefore, to think that the miraculous events represented in the Bible are only stories about God’s power to alter the physical world. There is a spiritual story behind every natural event that testifies about God’s ability to alter the spiritual world — not the physical world.<\/p>\n

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SEEKING FOR SIGNS IS EVIL<\/strong>
\nJesus had words of harsh rebuke for people who wanted to see signs and wonders.<\/a> They were challenged by what he said, but they still had a very human need to see something physical and tangible before they would put their trust in him. Jesus called these people an \u201cevil<\/a> and adulterous<\/a> generation<\/a>\u201d. This rebuke is an important message for all generations of religious people.<\/p>\n

It is impossible to understand how God views physical signs unless we first understand the differences between faith and religion.\u00a0<\/a> With these differences in mind, we can better grasp the truth of the following scriptures: Mark 8:11-21; <\/a>Matthew 16:4.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>Matthew 12:38-41:<\/a> Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, \u201cTeacher, we wish to see a sign from you.\u201d 39 But he answered them, \u201cAn evil<\/a> and adulterous<\/a> generation<\/a> seeks for a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nin\u2019eveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.<\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: Jesus harshly rebukes the Pharisees for wanting to see a physical sign. His reply is that the sign of Jonah (i.e. spiritual death and resurrection<\/a>) is the only sign that God is at work. Because spiritual death and resurrection occurs in the heart, it cannot be directly observed in outward appearances (e.g. clothing, speech, behaviors, etc.).<\/p>\n

Reference to an evil and adulterous generation is not to a unique, singular generation or time such as the time of the Pharisees represented in the New Testament. Pharisees symbolically represent all religious leaders and false prophets in all time periods — even including modern times. See Pharisees and Scribes<\/a> for understanding of how to interpret these religious leaders.<\/p>\n

Matthew 24:1-28<\/a>\u00a0 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. <\/span> 2<\/span> But he answered them, \u201cYou see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down.\u201d <\/span> 3<\/span> As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, \u201cTell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?\u201d <\/span> 4<\/span> And Jesus answered them, \u201cTake heed that no one leads you astray. <\/span> 5<\/span> For many will come in my name, saying, \u2018I am the Christ,\u2019 and they will lead many astray. <\/span> 6<\/span> And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. <\/span> 7<\/span> For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: <\/span> 8<\/span> all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs. <\/span> 9<\/span> \u201cThen they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name\u2019s sake. <\/span> 10<\/span> And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. <\/span> 11<\/span> And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. <\/span> 12<\/span> And because wickedness is multiplied, most men\u2019s love will grow cold. <\/span> 13<\/span> But he who endures to the end will be saved. <\/span> 14<\/span> And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come. <\/span> 15<\/span> \u201cSo when you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), <\/span> 16<\/span> then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; <\/span> 17<\/span> let him who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house; <\/span> 18<\/span> and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his mantle. <\/span> 19<\/span> And alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! <\/span> 20<\/span> Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath. <\/span> 21<\/span> For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. <\/span> 22<\/span> And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. <\/span> 23<\/span> Then if any one says to you, \u2018Lo, here is the Christ!\u2019 or \u2018There he is!\u2019 do not believe it. <\/span> 24<\/span> For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. <\/span> 25<\/span> Lo, I have told you beforehand. <\/span> 26<\/span> So, if they say to you, \u2018Lo, he is in the wilderness,\u2019 do not go out; if they say, \u2018Lo, he is in the inner rooms,\u2019 do not believe it. <\/span> 27<\/span> For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man. <\/span> 28<\/span> Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.<\/span><\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: Jesus warns people against listening to false claims that God might be found in special physical locations. God cannot be anticipated to appear in any location any more than lighting can be anticipated. The reason, of course, is that evidence of God at work only exists in the heart<\/a> of New Covenant disciples who follow his spiritual laws.<\/a><\/p>\n

Luke 17:20-24 <\/a>Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, \u201cThe kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21 nor will they say, \u2018Lo, here it is!\u2019 or \u2018There!\u2019 for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: Jesus says very clearly that God will not come with any observable signs. This is consistent with the fact that the Kingdom of God is within the hearts\/spirits of people and cannot be seen.<\/p>\n

Modern day Pharisees (i.e. religious leaders) still think in terms of natural time. They do not understand that God uses time symbolically.<\/a> This stronghold of wrong thinking <\/a>predicts that Jesus will return at a unique time in the future and ignores what this scripture says about the present day location of the kingdom of God within people.<\/p>\n

22 And he said to the disciples, \u201cThe days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, \u2018Lo, there!\u2019 or \u2018Lo, here!\u2019 Do not go, do not follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day.<\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: These verses anticipate the time when individual disciples will become New Covenant disciples. They come with a clear warning not to look for physical evidence of the kingdom of God anywhere. The reference to lighting in the sky is to hearing God’s spoken voice<\/a> — not to physical lightning.<\/p>\n

What Jesus is saying, therefore, is that evidence of the coming of the kingdom of God is found only when an individual person is able to hear God’s voice. That is a unique event and time for that individual but only that person knows that it has happened. But hearing God’s voice is not, and should not be, a one-time event. It is an ongoing process in which the spirit of God speaks to the heart of a New Covenant disciple.<\/a><\/p>\n

John 4:46-54<\/a>\u00a0So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Caper\u2019na-um there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Jesus therefore said to him, \u201cUnless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.\u201d 49 The official said to him, \u201cSir, come down before my child dies.\u201d 50 Jesus said to him, \u201cGo; your son will live.\u201d The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was living. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, \u201cYesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.\u201d 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, \u201cYour son will live\u201d; and he himself believed, and all his household. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.<\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: The sign that Jesus gave was consistent with the sign of Jonah<\/a> which is that people will be spiritually resurrected from death. Since this all occurs within the hearts\/spirits of people, it cannot be observed with eyes or ears.<\/p>\n

This is discussed in detail in Death, Resurrection and New Life<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jesus was not the first to warn about following signs and wonders. God also spoke to Israel about them through Moses and Isaiah in the following scriptures:<\/p>\n

Deuteronomy 13:1-8<\/a>\u00a0 \u201cIf a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, <\/span> 2<\/span> and the sign or wonder which he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, \u2018Let us go after other gods,\u2019 which you have not known, \u2018and let us serve them,\u2019 <\/span> 3<\/span> you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. <\/span> 4<\/span> You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him, and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and cleave to him. <\/span> 5<\/span> But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from the midst of you. <\/span> 6<\/span> \u201cIf your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, \u2018Let us go and serve other gods,\u2019 which neither you nor your fathers have known, <\/span> 7<\/span> some of the gods of the peoples that are round about you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, <\/span> 8<\/span> you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him;<\/span><\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: False prophets encourage people to look for signs and wonders that can be observed in\u00a0 one way or another. For example, most say that the pleasant experience of going to church or synagogue and engaging in fellowship and singing with others is evidence that God is present in the building where the worship happens. Others anticipate the coming of the Messiah at a unique future time. In God’s view, all of this is evil, and idolatry. He warns people that they should not listen to such prophets or practice what they preach.<\/p>\n

Isaiah 7:10-16<\/a>\u00a0<\/a> Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, <\/span> 11<\/span> \u201cAsk a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.\u201d <\/span> 12<\/span><\/span> But Ahaz said, \u201cI will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: This scripture says clearly that asking for a sign is equivalent to putting God to the test \u2014 something God has commanded that we should not do.<\/a><\/p>\n

All these warnings about seeking physical, observable sign and wonders will be hard for religious people to accept because they have been taught that signs, wonders and miracles are evidence of God at work and that it is good to look for evidence of God through his works of physical creation and miracles.<\/p>\n

The desire to see God perform miracles is the reason why people pray for miracles when there seems to be no other way to resolve an impossible circumstance (e.g. physical healing, financial need, etc.). Thus people resort to asking God for a miracle when they have a problem that cannot be resolved through human effort or through use of tools (e.g. medicine, etc.) that man has created. That is why they will get excited when a seemingly spontaneous miracle occurs or when they see prayers answered.<\/p>\n

Lacking other visible evidence of God, people need something they can hold on to. Signs and wonders satisfy that need, but they are not evidence of faith which is the substance of things that cannot be seen.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>GOD DOES ONLY ONE KIND OF MIRACLE<\/strong>
\nReligious people look for physical signs and wonders in the natural world. This perspective contrasts with God’s idea of a miracle: When hearts are changed from evil and impure<\/a> to good and pure<\/a>. This is a miracle that only God can effect and he does it through the power of his spoken word<\/a>. All other kinds of signs\/wonders\/miracles represented in the Bible (e.g. healing blind<\/a>, healing the deaf<\/a>, healing the sick and lame, leprosy<\/a>, etc.) are symbolic representations of this one miracle.<\/p>\n

The kind of change he wants to see is when people abandon their affection for religion and redirect their love toward God. The ultimate evidence that such a miracle has occurred exists when people stop listening to false prophets<\/a> and listen to God’s voice<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bible stories about miraculous events always communicate the theme of death, resurrection and new life<\/a>. The following are a few examples of the ways that New Covenant disciples understand the differences between death and life:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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