<p>16:18 <i>They shall pick up snakes, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no way hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover</i>- See on :17. In Old Testament times, God described His whole people as His anointed one, His Christ: &ldquo;The Lord is a strength unto his people, and he is the saving strength of his anointed&rdquo; (Ps. 28:8 RVmg.). The whole people were His anointed King, His Messiah, the anointed one. And so it is for all those today who are &ldquo;in Christ&rdquo;. Thus the prophecy about Christ personally that He would tread upon snakes and wild animals (Ps. 91:13) is quoted as being fulfilled in the disciples, who &lsquo;were&rsquo; Christ on their preaching mission (Lk. 10:19; Mk. 16:18).</p><p>Not being hurt alludes to the promise of how the restored Israel would be in Is. 43:2. Those somewhat confused men and women were now the new Israel.</p>