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"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In MY name shall they cast out
devils (demons); 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. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into
heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every
where, the Lord working with them (co-operating), and CONFIRMING the word with
SIGNS following" (Mark 16: 17-20).
The parallel with Heb. 2: is too obvious to justify any detailed comparison, but a
word with regard to the character of these confirmatory miracles may be of service.
(1)
They were "signs following", not mere prodigies, or marvels, but signs, mighty acts
that signified something.
(2)
They were "the powers of the coming age" (Heb. 6:). Into this present evil age of
demonic control comes the power of that age when such influences will be cast out.
Into this veritable Babel comes the power of that age with its new tongues; in that age
the serpent will no longer tempt and destroy; in that age deadly things shall do no hurt;
in that age sickness shall flee away.
As an illustration of the miracle being a "sign", see the healing of the lame man by
Peter, and his own application of it to the salvation of the nation (Acts 3: and 4:). To
the Corinthians, among whom miraculous gifts abounded, the apostle wrote:
"In every thing ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as
the testimony (marturion) of Christ was confirmed (bebaioo) in you: so that ye come
behind in no gift; waiting for the coming (revelation) of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who
shall also confirm (bebaioo) you unto the end" (I Cor. 1: 5-8).
Here again Heb. 2: 3, 4 is seen, the testimony, the confirmation, the miraculous gifts,
all coming together. In II Cor. 1: 21 Paul writes:
"Now He that conforms us with you with a view to Christ, and hath anointed us, is
God" (not AV JP).
Once more confirmation and anointing come together, the anointing referring to the
baptism of the Holy Spirit. The three words, "signs, wonders, and miracles" of Heb. 2: 4
are found written of the Lord's own personal work.
"Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved (publicly attested) of God among you by miracles
and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you" (Acts 2: 22).
It will be remembered that His ministry was a confirmatory one, "to confirm the
promises made unto the fathers" (Rom. 15: 8). So the subsequent signs, wonders, and
miracles were confirmatory also. Many wonders and signs were done by the apostles
(Acts 2: 43); "a notable sign" is what the rulers called the healing of the lame man
(Acts 4: 16).
Other passages are Acts 4: 30; 5: 12; 6: 8; 8: 6, 13; and 15: 12. It will be
observed that "signs and wonders" usually go together. The "wonder" was indeed a