‘Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?’ -Acts 26:8
Of the miracles that we have looked at so far, raising the dead is perhaps a category of miracle that most of us have trouble believing is actually possible – particularly here in the Western World.
However, there are many instances of men, women and children being raised from the dead in scripture. There are at least three in the Old Testament, three during Jesus’ ministry, and three after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
In Matthew 10:8 Jesus tells his disciples to ‘Raise the Dead.’ -no other details or explanations or qualifications behind that comment – just what appears to be a very simple command.
In more modern times, under Smith Wigglesworth’s ministry, at least three different people were raised from the dead, and there were probably many more.
So, what can we learn from the case studies of raising the dead in scripture?
Elijah Raises a Dead Boy
‘Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died. Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?” But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed. Then Elijah cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?”
And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” The LORD heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said, “Your son is alive!”
Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the LORD truly speaks through you.”‘ -1 Kings 17:17-24
Notice her took the child to the private room where he was staying and stretched himself out over the child. He did this three times and cried out to the LORD. That’s some persistence. Not one, not two, but three times crying out the LORD to raise the dead!
Elisha Also Raises a Dead Boy
Later Elisha, in his generation, performs the miracle of raising a child to life, mirroring the miracle performed by his mentor Elijah before him.
‘When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the LORD. Then he lay down on the child’s body, placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child’s body began to grow warm again! Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!
Then Elisha summoned Gehazi, “Call the child’s mother!” he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, “Here, take your son!” She fell at his feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she took her son in her arms and carried him downstairs’ (See full story in 2 Kings 4:18-37)
Did you notice the similarities and differences between Elijah’s miracle and Elisha’s miracle?
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl
The story of Jesus raising the dead girl is narrated in three gospels – you can read the full account in Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:21-43 and Luke 8:40-56.
‘When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard funeral music. “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him. After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up.’
‘Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.’
The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside’
There are a few similarities between this story and that of Elijah and Elisha. Again, it’s a child who has died. Jesus tells the crowd to leave the room where He is about to work the miracle of raising her from the dead. It seems that the working of this miracle, in some cases, may require doubters to be cleared from the room.
Jesus and the Widow’s Son
‘Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped, “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother. Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people today.” And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside’ -Luke 7:11-17
There are a few miracles that Jesus performs where it says that He was ‘moved with compassion’.
Are you moved with compassion when you encounter people with desperate need?
Compassion is a good ingredient for working miracles that help others out of a bind
Raising Lazarus
John 11 gives us a full glimpse into how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Interestingly with this story, Jesus did not act as soon as he heard the news that Lazarus was desperately ill to the point of death. He waited. When he finally arrived at the scene Jesus said to Martha, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha replied, “Yes, he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
“Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them
But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”
Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.”
Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his faced wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”‘ (see full story here: John 11, 12:1, 2, 9-11)
Martha had a vague concept that the dead would be raised in the future. But she had no faith to believe that her brother could be raised in that instance.
How about you? Do you believe in the resurrection of the dead at the end of the age?
And what about now? Do you believe God could use you to raise the dead in the present time?
The Ultimate Resurrection
‘Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”’ -Matthew 28:1-10
Just like the early disciples, we are to go everywhere and proclaim in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
The Dead Come Back to Life
There are a few strange stories in the Bible and these are two of them…
‘Then Elisha died and was buried. Groups of Moabite raiders used to invade the land each spring. Once when some Israelites were burying a man, they spied a band of these raiders. So they hastily three the corpse into the tomb of Elisha and fled. But as soon as the body touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man revived and jumped to his feet!’ -2 Kings 13:20-21
‘Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people‘ -Matthew 27:50-53
There is a power that has been released that is capable of raising the dead.
The apostle Paul prays ‘that you may know his incomparable great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms’ -Ephesians 1:18-20
The power behind Christ’s resurrection is now working on our behalf!
Disciples Continued to Raise the Dead
To prove that the power that raised Jesus from the dead was still available to the disciples, God used them to raise the dead!
Here are two stories from the Book of Acts…
‘There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room. But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please come as soon as possible!”
So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them. But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he presented her to them alive.
The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord. And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a tanner of hides.’ -Acts 9:36-43
This story of Peter asking everyone to leave the room and them after prayer, taking her by the hand is very similar to the episode of Jesus raising the 12 year old girl that we read earlier.
I’ve included so many stories as it seems to be a precedent in scripture that some of those who raised the dead learnt directly from others who had done so. We don’t have that many examples here in the West so where we don’t have precedent, we rely on the promise of scripture!
The next story is a tragic-comedy involving the apostle Paul…
‘On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight. The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps. As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!” Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper, and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left. Meanwhile, the young man was taken home alive and well, and everyone was greatly relieved.’ -Acts 20:7-12
Speaking About the Resurrection of the Dead
‘When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.”’ -Acts 17:32
When some hear about the resurrection of the dead, the immediate response is to laugh in contempt. But what’s your response?
Have these stories raised your faith to believe for the raising of the dead?
Who will progress from the promise to precedent?
Who will be the first to see people raised from the dead here in Britain and the Western World in our generation?
