" (Isaiah 35:4-6) These words
could have no application to persons who are in their graves, and must
exclusively apply to those who are living at the beginning of the
Messianic reign. Furthermore, when the dead are raised up, they will not
come forth from the graves minus arms, or legs, or other parts of the
body; but 'God will give to each a body as it pleaseth him' (1 Corinthians
15:38)--a reasonably sound body. And as a man renders himself in
obedience to righteousness, his body will develop toward perfection.
There are now on earth millions who are blind, or deaf, or lame, or
dumb, or cripples in some form; and these are the ones to whom the
Prophet refers. The kingdom being in operation, as these come to a
knowledge of God's great arrangements and obey the righteous laws under
the new covenant, they will develop new arms, legs, eyes; be given the
power of speech, and gradually develop a sound body.
[561]When these great miracles begin to be performed in the earth, then
the most skeptical, it is to be hoped, will believe that the Lord Jesus
reigns. The miracles which he performed while on earth in opening the
eyes of the blind and healing the sick were merely examples of what he
will do in his glorified condition. Because it is both unreasonable and
unscriptural to expect that the dead will come forth from their graves
in a maimed, deaf, and dumb condition; but will come forth with
reasonably sound bodies, these words of the Prophet conclusively prove
that restoration will begin with those who are living on the earth at
the beginning of the Messianic reign.
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