Don Mackintosh
An End Time Vision For Prophetic Health Ministry
I wish to tell you that soon there will be no work done in ministerial lines but medical missionary work.” – Change to Counsels on Health, 533.
This quote indicates that as we near the end of time, typical approaches to sharing the gospel will come to a close, but people will still be open to the sharing of our prophetic and gospel message as it is delivered through a medical missionary lens.
Five key dates summarize the Adventist medical missionary work. They are: 457 BC, 27 AD, 31 AD, 34 AD and 1844 AD.
Let us briefly consider the medical missionary aspect of each date:
457 BC – In this year, it was predicted that God’s Sanctuary in Jerusalem would be rebuilt. The Sanctuary was not just a place that dealt with the theological aspects of salvation, it was also the center of the nation’s health system and medical missionary work.
Those suffering with diseases came to be diagnosed and monitored at the temple. The book of Leviticus detailed multiple physical ailments and conditions that the priests were called upon to diagnose and treat. Clean drink, clean meat, clean homes, clean sexual practices were all defined. The ultimate day of cleansing was the Day of Atonement, where people could be at one with God and one another. Paul summarized the Levitical laws and their Day of Atonement focus by saying “whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31).
We are called in our day to create medical missionary centers, healing spaces and sanctuary centers within our homes and churches.
27 AD – 483 years later in the 69th year of the 490 year prophecy, Christ would begin His public ministry with three and one half years of physical acts of healing. He first went out, but then people came to Him when they learned of His power to heal disease and forgive sins.
As they were healed, He would point them to the sanctuary by saying, “Go show yourself to the priests.”
Likewise, in our day we are called to assist people struggling with physical disease. As we do so we find access to their hearts. They become open to the sharing of the gospel.
31 AD – Three and one half years into Christ’s ministry, He was “cut off” as a result of the envy of the public health officials concerning His healing ministry. He was a man of “sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). He was abandoned physically and emotionally violated by authority figures in the church and secular government. This, even though He had done nothing wrong.
On the cross He was tempted to numb his pain by partaking of weak wine. He experienced emotional and mental suffering so that He could identify and help those who suffered with the same. Isaiah 53 indicates that it is by His stripes we are healed (vs. 5).
Likewise, as we consider the cross of Christ and take up our own cross in sacrificial service for Him, hearts are touched emotionally, mentally and spiritu-ally. People become open to the gospel in amazing ways.
34 AD – After Christ’s death His disciples continued His healing ministry, even though He had been cut off.
Acts chapter one through six details how they “confirmed” His covenant of love with many through medical missionary work.
In Acts chapter one there was emotional healing in the upper room.
In Acts chapter two the preaching of Christ’s victory over death through resurrection brought hope and healing.
In Acts chapter three the man at the gate beautiful was healed. This got the attention of all Jerusalem that Christ’s healing ministry was being continued in the person of His saints.
In Acts chapter four this healing was still the focus, leading to earth shaking prayers and bold witness.
In Acts chapter five all the sick were brought to Solomon’s porch to be healed.
By Acts chapter six the testimony of this medical missionary work was so profound, that a great number of the priests believed. They saw how Stephen did not neglect the lives of the Hellenists (Greek lives matter to God) when daily distributing food.
His faithfulness and martyrdom pointed the attention of those who witnessed it to Christ’s ministry in the heavenly sanctuary in the courts above.
As a result of their medical missionary work, the entire world was reached in one generation (see Col 1:26).
1844 AD – After a predicted falling away, the period of dark ages when the healing arts would largely be lost, God promised that there would again be an awakening of medical missionary work. There would be a people who would focus the attention of people on the Christ’s cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. This people would focus on bringing cleansing on earth as He was bringing cleansing above.
They would focus on helping people eat clean foods and drink clean drink.
They would focus on helping people clean out their arteries, thus stopping, reversing and better preventing coronary artery disease.
They would help people cleanse their cognitive distortions (thoughts), bringing mental and emotional healing.
God’s end time people would in essence be sharing the life transforming prophecies of Daniel and Revelation through the lens of health. People would not only be healed physically, emotionally and mentally, but also spiritually. People would be filled with gratitude for what God had done for them and would attempt to help others experience what they had experienced.
They would create sanctuary spaces.
They would enter into them with physical acts of healing.
They would enter into them with emotional and mental acts of healing.
They would seek to reach their communities with social acts of service and care.
They would point people to the God of the sanctuary.
Their prophetic health ministry would ultimately prepare a people for the return of Christ.
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