Verses 14 and 15 say, “And when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his mother-in-law laid aside and in a fever; and He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose and ministered to Him.” Peter’s mother-in-law represents the Jews at the end of this age who will be saved by receiving the kingly Savior. At that time, during the great tribulation, in the eyes of God the Jews will be in a fever (v. 14), hot in things other than God. The kingly Savior, after the fullness of the salvation of the Gentiles, will come back to this remnant of Jews that they might be saved (Rom. 11:25-26; Zech. 12:10). Peter’s mother-in-law was healed in Peter’s house, which represents the house of Israel. At the end of this age all the remnant of the Jews will be saved in the house of Israel. They will also be saved by the kingly Savior’s direct touch (v. 15), as the Jewish leper was (v. 3).
At the end of this age salvation will come back from the Gentiles to the Jews. However, it will not come back to the scattered Jews, but to the Jews in the house of Israel. At that time the Jews will be sick of a fever. This is even true of the Jews today. So many of them are fervent in science, in finance, in education, and in all manner of worldly pursuits. But in the eyes of God all this is a fever. The temperature of the Jews today is very high in their fervency for politics, industry, agriculture, and warfare. They are represented by the feverish mother-in-law of Peter. But in their heat and fervency they neither trust in God nor care for morality. Just as the Lord healed Peter’s mother-in-law, so will He come back again at the end of this age to heal the Jews who will be fervent, burning, and sick of a fever. He will not heal them through their faith, but through His direct touch. At the Lord’s second coming, the Jews will be directly touched by His arrival and be saved.
Immediately after Peter’s mother-in-law was healed, she arose and ministered to the Lord (v. 15). This signifies that at the Lord’s coming back, the remnant of the Jews, after being saved, will arise and minister to Him in the millennium.
Verse 16 says, “And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed, and He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all those who were ill.” The words “many” and “all those” represent all the people on earth in the millennium. The millennium will be the last dispensation of the old heaven and old earth; thus it is considered the evening of the old heaven and old earth. After this “evening,” there will be a new day, that is, the new heaven and new earth with the New Jerusalem.
In the millennium, there will be to the uttermost the power to cast out demons and heal illnesses. Hence, all the demon-possessed and all the sick will be healed. The prophecies of Isaiah testify of this (Isa. 35:5-6). That will be a real restoration. The casting out of demons and the healing of the sick in this age are just a foretaste of the extensive power of the coming age. In verse 16, after the Lord had healed Peter’s mother-in-law, when evening had come, He healed many who were demon-possessed and all who were ill. This indicates that after Christ comes back and the Jews are saved, the millennium will begin. During that period of time, all sicknesses will be healed. Hence, the signs recorded in verses 2 through 17 have a dispensational significance.
Verse 17 says, “In order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, He Himself took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” All healings accomplished on fallen people are due to the Lord’s redemption. He took our infirmities and bore our diseases on His cross and accomplished full healing for us there, However, the application of healing by divine power can only be a foretaste in this age; the full taste will be accomplished in the coming age.