Signs from God can provide guidance and reassurance, but how do we recognize them? Today, we’ll explore what Scripture teaches about signs and how to know if God is showing us something important in our lives.
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What Does The Bible Say About Signs
Ezekiel 33:33
“When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
These words from the book of Ezekiel remind us that signs and prophecies serve as confirmations of God’s presence and divine revelation. When the fulfillment of a sign or prophecy occurs, it serves as evidence that God’s word is true and that the message delivered is from Him.
In the context of the Christian faith, signs can also refer to miracles and wonders that Jesus and his disciples performed. These signs served to demonstrate Jesus’ divine power and authority, drawing people’s attention to His message and affirming that He is the Son of God.
Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
In this verse, we see a prophecy given by the Lord concerning the birth of Jesus Christ. The sign of a virgin conceiving and giving birth to a son was a miraculous occurrence that pointed to the coming Messiah.
Through this sign, God revealed His plan to send His Son into the world to bring salvation and reconciliation between humanity and Himself. It serves as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and His divine intervention in human history.
Matthew 24:30
“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.”
This verse speaks of a future sign, the ultimate sign of the return of Jesus Christ. When the Son of Man appears in the sky with power and glory, it will be a sign that signifies the end times and the culmination of God’s redemptive plan.
It will be a moment of great significance, causing people from all over the world to mourn and recognize the truth of Jesus’ deity and authority. This sign will mark the final judgment and the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom on earth.
Acts 2:19-20
“I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.”
In this passage, the apostle Peter quotes the prophet Joel concerning signs and wonders that would precede the day of the Lord. These signs include celestial disturbances and natural phenomena, indicating the approaching judgment of God.
These signs serve as a warning to the world, calling people to repentance and preparation for the day of the Lord. They remind us of the certainty of God’s judgment and the need to seek reconciliation with Him through faith in Jesus Christ.
John 2:11
“What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.”
This verse refers to the first miracle that Jesus performed, turning water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. This miraculous sign demonstrated Jesus’ power and revealed His divine nature to those who witnessed it.
Through this sign, Jesus manifested His glory and gave His disciples reason to believe in Him. It laid the foundation for their faith and established the credibility of Jesus’ ministry.
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 perform signs and wonders.”
In the early days of the church, God continued to confirm the message of His grace through signs and wonders performed by the apostles and early believers. These signs served as a testimony to the power and reality of God’s kingdom.
Through these miraculous acts, God demonstrated His authority and validated the preaching of His servants. They served as powerful tools for evangelism, drawing people to faith in Jesus Christ.
Mark 13:22
“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
Jesus warned his disciples about the existence of false messiahs and prophets who would perform signs and wonders with the intention of deceiving people. These signs would aim to lead people away from the truth and towards falsehood.
It serves as a reminder that not all signs and wonders are from God. Christians are called to discern the authenticity of these signs, judging them according to the truth revealed in God’s Word and the character of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:22
“Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom.”
Paul highlights the different expectations and desires of the Jewish and Greek cultures. The Jews sought signs as proof of God’s power and presence, while the Greeks sought wisdom and intellectual understanding.
As Christians, we are called to recognize that God’s wisdom and power surpass human expectations and preferences. It reminds us that our faith is not solely based on signs or wisdom but on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Exodus 4:1-5
“Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?” Then the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the LORD said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So, Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. “This,” said the LORD, “is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.””
This passage recounts the interaction between God and Moses at the burning bush. God provides Moses with signs to perform before the Israelites as evidence of the divine appointment and God’s presence.
These signs, such as Moses’ staff turning into a snake and back into a staff, were meant to convince the Israelites of Moses’ authority as God’s chosen messenger. They serve as a reminder of God’s ability to work through ordinary objects and individuals to accomplish His purposes.
John 6:2
“and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.”
Jesus’ ministry was characterized by performing signs and miracles, including healing the sick. These miracles served as visible demonstrations of His compassion, power, and divine nature, drawing people to Him.
These signs of healing provided physical, emotional, and spiritual restoration to those who encountered Jesus. They continue to point us to Jesus as the ultimate healer and source of hope in our lives.
Mark 6:52
“For they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.”
This verse comes after Jesus miraculously fed the five thousand with only five loaves of bread and two fish. The disciples, however, failed to comprehend the significance of the sign and the power at work.
It serves as a reminder that signs and miracles alone do not guarantee understanding or faith. Our hearts must be receptive and open to God’s revelation, free from hardened skepticism or unbelief.
1 Thessalonians 5:21
“Test everything; hold fast what is good.”
Paul encourages the Thessalonian believers to exercise discernment and wisdom in evaluating spiritual signs and experiences. They are instructed to test everything according to the truth of God’s Word and discern what is in alignment with His will.
It reminds us to approach signs with caution, seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit and being grounded in the teachings of Scripture to distinguish between what is genuine and what may be misleading or deceptive.
John 20:30-31
“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
John highlights that the signs recorded in his Gospel were specifically chosen to foster faith in Jesus as the Messiah and encourage belief in Him as the Son of God.
Each sign serves as an invitation to encounter Jesus and place our faith in Him. They testify to His divine identity and the purpose of His ministry, which is to offer eternal life and salvation to all who believe.
Luke 11:29-30
“As the crowds increased, Jesus said, ‘This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.'”
Jesus rebukes the people for their constant demand for signs, emphasizing that the ultimate sign they will receive is that of His resurrection, paralleling the story of Jonah.
By comparing Himself to Jonah, Jesus reveals that His death and resurrection will serve as a sign of God’s grace and invitation to repentance. It challenges us to recognize and respond to the ultimate sign of Jesus’ victory over sin and death.
Mark 16:17-18
“These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
Jesus assures His followers that signs and wonders will accompany those who believe in Him. These signs are not meant for personal validation or sensationalism but as manifestations of God’s power at work through His disciples.
These signs serve as a demonstration of God’s supernatural presence and authority, empowering believers to share the gospel, cast out demons, pray for healing, and proclaim His kingdom with boldness.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3
“If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, ‘Let us follow other gods’ (gods you have not known) ‘and let us worship them,’ you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer.”
This passage warns against false prophets who may perform signs and wonders and then lead people astray from the worship of the one true God.
It is a reminder that signs alone should not be the foundation of our faith. We must be discerning and examine the teachings and character of those who claim to have signs or visions, testing them against the truth of God’s Word.
Matthew 12:38-39
“Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”
When the religious leaders requested a sign from Jesus, He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their reliance on signs as proof.
Jesus points them to the sign of Jonah, as mentioned earlier, which foreshadowed His death and resurrection. It reminds us that signs are not meant to satisfy our curiosity or skepticism but to lead us to accept Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross.
Hebrews 2:3-4
“This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”
The author of Hebrews acknowledges the confirmation of the message of salvation through Jesus by signs, wonders, miracles, and the work of the Holy Spirit. These manifestations served as a testimony of the truth of the gospel.
They demonstrated God’s power, His endorsement of Jesus’ ministry, and the establishment of the early church. They remind us of the supernatural dimension of our faith and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Joshua 10:12-14
“On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: ‘Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.’ So, the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a human being. Surely, the LORD was fighting for Israel!”
In this remarkable account, Joshua prays for the sun and moon to stand still so that the Israelites can have enough daylight to defeat their enemies.
This sign is a demonstration of God’s sovereignty over creation, showing that He has power over natural laws. It serves as a powerful reminder of God’s willingness to intervene on behalf of His people and fight on their behalf.
1 Kings 18:36-39
“At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: ‘LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.’ Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!’”
In this dramatic confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, Elijah prays for fire from heaven to consume his offering, and God supernaturally answers his prayer.
This sign of fire falling from heaven reveals God’s power and vindicates Elijah as God’s chosen prophet. It leads the people of Israel to acknowledge the Lord as the one true God, turning their hearts back to Him.
Matthew 12:40
“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.”
In this verse, Jesus references the sign of Jonah, which is a foreshadowing of His own death and resurrection.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights before being released, Jesus would spend three days in the tomb before being resurrected. This sign emphasizes the redemptive purpose of Jesus’ death and the victory over sin and death through His resurrection.
Acts 2:43
“Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.”
The early church experienced a multitude of signs and wonders through the apostles, pointing to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit at work among them.
These signs served to inspire awe and admiration among those who witnessed them, drawing people to the truth and reality of the gospel message. They confirmed the apostles’ authority and paved the way for the rapid spread of the Christian faith.
Daniel 4:2-3
“It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.”
King Nebuchadnezzar declares the greatness of God’s signs and wonders, recognizing His sovereignty and limitless power.
These signs and wonders served as a testimony to God’s authority and kingdom. They remind us that God’s dominion extends throughout time and history, and His miracles reveal His unchanging nature and His ability to accomplish extraordinary acts.