Miracles

WHAT IS A MIRACLE?

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2007

Most people, including many Christians, use the word "miracle" in a broad and loose fashion.

• "I forgot to set the alarm. It's a miracle I woke up on time."
• "This new computer is a miracle of human ingenuity."
• "The miracle of childbirth"
• "The miracle of modern science"

Are these really miracles? That is, do they match the biblical definition of the term? By using the word in this conventional way, have we changed how we think about the miraculous? Have we, thereby, become accustomed to or satisfied with calling miraculous something less than God intended? If so, it may affect our understanding of God and of how He works. So, what is a miracle?

The main Hebrew and Greek words that designate the miraculous are often translated "sign," Although this term can refer to the natural or the supernatural, a "sign" is a marker that points to something greater than itself. By examining how scripture uses this term, we can determine a biblical definition and adjust our own definition accordingly.

I. The biblical term for "sign" has a broad range of meaning.

A. Natural uses of "sign"

1. A sign can be tangible that points to something tangible.

• Banner —> family

Num 2:2 The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family.

2. A sign can be tangible that points to something intangible.

a. Rainbow —> covenant

Gen 9:13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

b. Circumcision —> covenant

Gen 17:11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.

c. Stones —> memorial

Josh 4:5b Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."

3. A sign can be intangible (metonymy) that points to something intangible.

a. Sabbath —> sanctification

Exod 31:13 ...You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.

b. Maturity of a child —> fall of a nation

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.... 16 But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

These uses of "sign," whether tangible or intangible, all point to something natural. The most frequent use of "sign," though, is to denote a miracle (hence, NIV's "miraculous sign"). Such instances often include the additional term "wonder"

B. Supernatural uses of "sign"

1. A miracle can be evidence of divine activity.

a. God's work in the exodus¹

Exod 7:3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt

Deut 4:34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

b. God's work in the messiah and the church²

Acts 2:22 Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.

Acts 14:3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.

God is not the only one who works in this way. The forces of evil can also perform signs and wonders in an attempt to convince people.

2. A miracle can be evidence of demonic activity.

a. Satan's work in the past

Deut 13:1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all Your heart and with all your soul.

b. Satan's work in the future

Matt 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.

2 Thess 2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,

Whether motivated by good or evil, the purpose of miracles is to confirm authority or to compel belief and obedience. To be convincing, miracles must be public events but not naturally-occurring phenomena.³ Instead, they are a supernatural interruption of nature. Consequently, miracles are unexplainable without recourse to some other worldly force, and they are not subject to scientific verification (i.e., repeatable on demand).

II. The biblical term for "sign" can have a narrow reference to miracle.

This is a much more restricted definition of the term than the one in common use today. Does it really matter, especially for believers? After all, should not everything direct our attention to God and testify of His majesty, from the beauty of a flower to the wonder of new life? The answer is "Yes" but not if it dilutes the testimony of scripture.

A. The definition must not contradict God's word.

Scripture includes many examples of the miraculous, none of which is a common or frequent occurrence, and we should fashion our use of the term accordingly. The most important references, those biblical writers repeatedly cite, concern the formation of the nation (Israel) and, later, of the church. It is difficult to overstate the importance of these two periods, for both depend upon miracles (i.e., exodus and resurrection). To employ that same term, then, in describing what is ordinary reduces the magnitude of these singular events in God's plan to the level of the mundane.⁴ Our definition must not contradict God's word. Moreover...

B. The definition must not confuse God's work.

Failing to make such a distinction also blurs together the two primary ways God exercises His sovereignty in human affairs: miracles and providence (see above).

1. Miracle is the exceptional, direct, and supernatural means by which God controls the special (i.e., specific) course of events.

• They usually occur at critical periods in history, when revelation is in question or religion is in jeopardy. At such times, His intervention is unmistakable.

2. Providence is the regular, indirect, and natural means by which God controls the general course of events.

• He moves behind the scenes, providing for our needs, arranging circumstances, and advancing His will in sundry and subtle ways. This second kind of divine involvement is more common but less obvious, although His people often do notice it. (Others call this coincidence or luck.)

So, what is a miracle? In the biblical sense of the term, a miracle is an event that has several characteristics. It is...

• Peculiar, out of the realm of normal experience
• Powerful, beyond human capabilities
• Public, confirmed by more than one witness
• Pointed, directing attention to its divine source
• Proving, validating the authority of a message or messenger
• Promotional, designed to encourage faith and obedience

This is how God uses the term and, as His representatives, this is how we should use it. Do miracles happen today? ...Yes, they do but not to the same extent as in other periods of history, so we should not feel compelled to search for them or to invent them. Our spiritual life does not suffer in their absence.⁵ God works in other ways that are less visible yet still as real and beneficial to us.⁶ ...With this definition in mind, have you ever witnessed a miracle?

Endnotes

[1] The other OT passages with these two words are:

Deut 6:22 Before our eyes the LORD sent miraculous signs and wonders—great and terrible—upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household.

Deut 7:19a You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the miraculous signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out.

Deut 26:8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders.

Deut 28:46 The[se curses] will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever. Deut 29:3 With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders.

Deut 34:11a who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt

Neh 9:10a You sent miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them.

Ps 78:43 ...he displayed his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan.

Ps 105:27 They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.

Ps 135:9 He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.

Jer 32:20 You performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, both in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours. 21 You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror.

Isaiah uses this pair to portent a significant event.

Isa 8:18 Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.

Isa 20:3 Then the LORD said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush,

[2] The other NT passages with these two words are:

John 4:48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders...you will never believe."

Acts 2:19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.... 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

Acts 4:30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

Acts 5:12a The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.

Acts 6:8 Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.

Acts 7:36 He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert.

Acts 15:12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

Rom 15:18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—19a by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit.

2 Cor 12:12 The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles—were done among you with great perseverance.

Heb 2:4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

[3] Related words have similar connotations.

Exod 15:11 Who among the gods is like you., O LORD? Who is like YOU—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

Ps 77:11b ...I will remember your miracles of long ago.... 14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. 15a With your mighty arm you redeemed your people....

Ps 78:12 He did miracles in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt....

Exod 34: 10b Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you.

Judg 6:13b Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?'

Ps 78:4b we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.... 11 They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them.... 32b In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.

Ps 106:7 When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.

"power" speaks of superhuman ability.

Matt 7:22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'

Matt 11:20 Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.... 21b If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.... 23b If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.

Matt 13:54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" ...58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Mark 6:14b Some were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him."

Mark 9:38 "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name...." 39 "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, [contra Matt 7:22 above?]

Acts 2:22 . . .Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.

Acts 6:8 Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.

Acts 8:13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

Acts 19:11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

1 Cor 12:10a to another miraculous powers.... 28 And in the church God has appointed... workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing.... 29d Do all work miracles?

2 Cor 12:12 The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles—were done among you with great perseverance.

Gal 3:5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

2 Thess 2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,

Heb 2:4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

When referring to the miraculous, both words, again, denote public, supernatural events designed to confirm authority or to compel belief and obedience.

[4] It also contradicts the importance He gives these two events as well as His desire that we keep them prominently before us.

Exod 12:14 This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance.... 25 When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' 27 then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians."

Deut 4:32 Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? 33 Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? 34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? 35 You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.

Matt 12:38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you." 39 He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

1 Cor 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

[5] As Peter writes,

2 Pet 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

[6] The next period during which miracles play a prominent role will be the events leading to the return of Jesus. At that time, the forces of evil will take a bolder stance, as God prepares to establish His kingdom.

Rev 13:13 And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14a Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth.

Rev 16:14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.