God Raises The Dead

ACTS 26:8 NKJ 8 "Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?

Note the present tense of this verse. It does not say God previously raised the dead or God will only raise the dead in the future.

Our God is "I AM" -- not "I WAS" or "I WILL BE" (Exodus 3:14). In other words, God is always the same and He can raise anyone from the dead at any time without breaking a sweat.

JOHN 5:21 NKJ 21 "For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.

Elijah (1 Kings 17:20-22) and Elisha (2 Kings 4:32-35) both saw the dead raised.

Even after his death, touching the bones of Elisha caused a dead man to come back to life (2 Kings 13:21). This caused the word of Elijah to be fulfilled that Elisha would have a double anointing, enabling him to do twice as many miracles as Elijah.

HEBREWS 11:35 NKJ 35 Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

Included in the faith "hall of fame" in Hebrews 11 are women who received their dead raised to life again. So it was a choice made by these women to press in and receive something extraordinary from God.

Surely this includes the women mentioned in the above accounts with Elijah and Elisha. But there could have been others!

Not only did Jesus raise someone from death three times during His earthly ministry (Luke 7:14, Luke 8:54, John 11:41-44), but in John 14:12 Jesus said those who believe on Him would also do the works that He did.

We assume that raising the dead is not in exactly the same category as healing the sick, for Scripture mentions only three people Jesus raised from death, while multitudes were healed by Him. Notice also that most of the people raised from death in Scripture were young.

During His earthly ministry Jesus also commanded His disciples to raise the dead as part of their ministry.

MATTHEW 10:8 NKJ 8 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Then in Matthew 28:18-20 (what we call the Great Commission), Jesus told His disciples to teach others to do everything He had commanded them -- even to the end of the age. So our calling today is to do exactly what Jesus commanded His first disciples to do.

MATTHEW 28:18-20 NKJ 18 Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

After the resurrection of Jesus we find both Peter (Acts 9:40) and Paul (Acts 20:10) raising someone from death.

So eight individual people are mentioned in the Bible who were raised from the dead. This does not count Jesus or the "many" mentioned in Matthew 27:52-53 who were raised after His death.

Abraham, whose faith we are to imitate (Romans 4:12,16), believed God would raise his son Isaac from death (Hebrews 11:19).

In our day, as people have begun to literally believe what the Bible says, there are numerous testimonies from around the world of people being raised from death.

Certainly, not everyone will be raised from death during this present age. Jesus did not raise every dead person to life during His earthly ministry and we are not supposed to raise everyone either. But why should we think it is a thing impossible for God to do?

Death is an enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26), and at the Name of Jesus every knee must bow (Philippians 2:9-10). As believers we have been commissioned to use the authority of Jesus' Name.

So, if you believe the Lord is directing you, use the authority of Jesus' Name to speak life to a dead body. If they don't come back, rejoice that they are in a better place, but at least you acted in faith -- which pleases God.

SAY THIS: I am a believer! I believe God can, and does, raise the dead. He is the Great I AM!