Some New Testament scholars claim that the last twelve verses of Mark’s Gospel were added at a later date. Others accept verses 9–4 but reject verses 15-20, which, they say, are not in the “earliest” or “most reliable” manuscripts. (But the reliable Textus Receptus, from which the King James Version is translated, includes them.)
Most unacceptable to these critics are the final four verses, which begin with the promise that a number of “signs” will follow those who believe, including exorcism, new languages, picking up snakes, drinking anything deadly without suffering harm, and healing the sick by laying hands on them. “Who in their right mind would deliberately handle snakes?” most people would ask. Good question. The answer is no one. But neither would anyone in his right mind deliberately drink anything deadly.
On the island of Malta, the apostle Paul accidently picked up a snake when gathering sticks, and it bit him. It must have been venomous, because the natives expected him to drop dead. When he didn’t, they said that he was a god. They saw the “sign” and almost got it right – he was a son of God (Acts 28:1-6).
Of course, by the time the snake incident took place, the “signs” Jesus had said would “follow” believers were already doing so. There is no biblical record of a believer drinking something deadly without being harmed, but this is not to say it didn’t happen, just that there is no record of such in the New Testament.
Jesus did not say that those who believe would follow signs. He said that signs would follow those who believe. But although signs naturally follow those who believe, many who don’t believe follow unnatural signs. When the Philistines won a battle against Israel and carried away the Ark of the Covenant, God struck them with tumours. They moved the Ark to other cities, but wherever they moved it there followed an outbreak of tumours. (1 Samuel 5:6-12) After seven months of suffering, the Philistines realized they had offended the God of Israel and asked their priests and diviners what they ought to do with the Ark. Should they send it back to Israel?
Yes, was the advice, but accompanied by expensive gifts that would expunge their guilt in taking it in the first place. “Build a new cart and find two cows that have just calved – cows that have never pulled a cart. Hitch the cows to the cart, put the Ark and the guilt-gifts in it, and see where the cows pull it. But keep the calves here. Now if the cows pull the cart across the border, out of our country and into Israel, we’ll know that it was the LORD who afflicted us with these tumours. If they don’t, then the whole tumor thing must be a coincidence.”
The leaders accepted their advice and quickly acted on it. Just as the priests and astrologers had suspected, the two cows that had never been yoked together or hitched to a cart set off along the road that led to the border and into Israel. The cows went lowing for the calves they had left behind.
Cows that have just calved never stray far from their separated offspring. They may graze away from them for a short time, but then will suddenly become aware of them again and hurry back to where they are – lowing loudly as they return. This is a cow’s natural instinct. It is against a cow’s natural instinct for it to pull a cart away from its calf while being aware of it. For two cows to do so would be so unnatural it would have to have been supernatural. Cows are creatures of habit and so do not adapt to change. The Philistine rulers followed the cows and the cart as far as the border. They did not believe in the God of Israel, so they had to follow the signs.
Jesus said, “These signs shall follow those who believe…” He did not say, “Those who believe shall follow these signs…” So why do some believers follow supernatural signs to find out which way the Lord is leading? The Philistine priests and astrologers recognized the God of Israel as a powerful deity. They also knew something of Israel’s history. Their advice on what should be done with the Ark included this warning to their leaders: “Why do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had plagued them, did they not let the people go?” (1 Samuel 6:6) The Philistines would not serve the God of Israel, but they had no desire to keep the Ark of the Covenant at the expense of their own lives!
The children of Israel followed signs for forty years – all the way from the Red Sea to the River Jordan. The first great sign was the parting of the Red Sea at the command of Moses. Manna from heaven for 40 years, six days a week (and twice as much on Fridays) was a sign of God’s provision – as was water from the rock. A pillar of cloud by day that became a pillar of fire by night was a reassuring sign of God’s continuing presence among His people. They followed these signs through the Wilderness. The final sign that God was with them was the parting of the River Jordan.
From then on miracles took place when the people did exactly what God told them to do. Jericho was the first miracle, and it was one of absolute obedience. At God’s command Joshua ordered the people to march around the walled city once every day for six days, without saying a word. The only sound was to come from seven ram’s horns, blown by seven priests, who walked ahead of them.
On the seventh day they were ordered to march around the city seven times, and then to shout in unison as the final blasts of the ram’s horns sounded. When they did, the entire wall of Jericho collapsed. This first victory in the Promised Land was due to a wall-falling sign that followed the obedience of the army to the word of God. It was an indication that from then on, obeying God’s word would continue to bring victory. The era of following signs was over: the era of signs following had begun. God’s miraculous provision had ceased at Jordan; from then on they would live on what they gained by conquest.
The Promised Land was a land of promises – every Israelite possessed only what he claimed with the soles of his feet. The maxim was: If you want it, stand on it! They were little different from us today, in that they were prepared to settle for less than what God had promised. Only when God told the ageing Joshua “there remains yet very much land to be possessed” did they possess all that had been promised them.
It is not wrong to expect signs – it’s just wrong to seek them, for in so doing we adopt the Philistine method – “Let’s follow the signs and see where they take us.” At best this is fatalism, and at worst it is rank unbelief.
The best case for “signs following” is that Jesus said they would and that the Book of Acts records that they did. As Mark puts it, “And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” The words “working with” are translated from the ancient Greek word “synergia”, from which “synergy” – a co-operation, a mutually beneficial working relationship – is derived. (Romans 8:28) As believers preach the word the Lord confirms it with “signs following.” We gain added insight on how this works from Hebrews 2:3, 4.
“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also bearing witness, both with signs and wonders, and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit…” The writer of Hebrews follows the same scriptural order as Mark, which is: Jesus said it; those who believe the message preach it; and the Lord confirms it with signs that follow! To which, in closing, Mark adds “Amen.” To which we add a hearty “Amen!”