Anonymous (via GotQuestions)
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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
In addition to Jesus Himself being raised from the dead, the Bible records nine other instances of people rising from the dead (1 Kings 17:22; 2 Kings 4:33-36; 13:21; Matthew 27:52; Luke 7:11-17; 8...
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Jeff Hammond
Supporter
The power of Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, Hebrews 13:8. I was challenged by a Muslim official many years ago when I first went to Indonesia as a young preacher. He challenged me that the Bible was a lie. His evidence was Hebrews 13:8, i.e. that Jesus doesn't have the same power today and therefore the Bible is not true. What a joy it is to share that indeed Jesus is still alive and well. He has not retired! He's not in a walking chair! He's still all powerful. When you see a crippled old man in his 70's receive Christ and be immediately healed, you know that Jesus is all powerful. When you see a leg grow and the boy having to take off his shoes (one was 3 inches higher than the other) and be instantly healed, you know Jesus is still in the healing business. When you have a mother diagnosed with cancer and given 3 months to live, and she gets instantly healed and lives another 40 years, then you know that the age of miracles is still with us. I know personally two people very well who were dead, obviously dead and being prepared for burial, who were raised from the dead by the power of Jesus. One, his name is Ferdinand, died from a severe fever in the city of Gorontalo. The other, Dominggus, died from having his head 60% cut off in a jihad attack at the Doulos Bible College, Jakarta. His dead body was thrown on to the back of a military truck and taken to the morgue where he was officially pronounced dead. Three hours later he was raised from the dead and went to look at his watch but his head almost fell off. They had to put a clamp on to hold his head on. Two weeks later he walked out of the hospital totally healed. I have all the photographs. Today both Ferdinand and Dominggus are actively preaching the Gospel and I can tell that Muslim official, and doubting Christians, that Hebrews 13:8 is true - Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, today and forever!
Jeff Cokenour
Supporter
My opinion is that anything is possible with God, else he is not God. The power of Christs' resurrection was such that the tombs of dead believers in Jerusalem were opened and the formerly dead walked into the city. Jesus destroyed death - death is not a natural part of human life it's a bitter anamoly caused by sin. In the west we see few miracles because of a lack of faith, the same reason Jesus didn't do miracles in Matthew 13. Such examples aren't to be used to belittle someone for not having enough faith but to encourage us to trust in the Living God. Resurrections happen - as well as other miracles. Experience isn't always the best teacher but I've seen some pretty unbelievable, physical miracles overseas and here in America where I live. But all faith is a miracle. Our breath is a miracle. Miracles, like everything we experience are to point us to God through his glorious son, Jesus.
Mark Boanerges
Supporter
If Jesus said that 'even greater things than these will be done', then the dead can be raised in anytime, but only by the proper Godly authority working through a person who asks God the Father and/or the Son Jesus Christ to work through them. God's will be done.
Bryan Naidoo
Supporter
I think the question needs to be dealt with. It is obvious all things are possible with God, but the realty of raising the dead needs to be questioned. There are many factors one has to put in place. These factors can only be understood by one who has the mind of God. It is true there are many cases in the bible where the dead were raised, a good scholar must examine each case carefully the reason why the dead was raised. Everything written in the the bible is for our learning. Concerning the raising of the dead in the bible has a lesson we can learn. The lesson is not going around preaching and teaching that God is able to raise dead. May I ask why do people want to be raised from the dead. According to apostle Paul "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21 ASV). If a believer knows that a place had been prepared for him or her, a place where they will be forever with The Lord, why than do you want to be raised from the dead. I believe there should be a raising of the dead.....the dead that should be raised are those that are within the body of Christ and those that are in the world who are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sin. Even if a preacher exercise his faith to raise up the dead, One must ask what is the reason or the purpose behind his act.if that is done in a remote area where Christ was not preached or heard and the act causes believe to believe in the living God,the God of the Bible. Indeed we all will give God the praise. Stay blessed
Ezekiel Kimosop
Supporter
I believe that even though God can raise the dead to life today, this gift ceased with the apostolic age. There are good reasons for this. Jesus performed miracles to authenticate his Messianic calling. The apostles (under a limited number recorded in Scripture) were able to raise the dead as part of the signs and wonders that God graciously permitted them to exercises in leading people into faith in Christ. I believe that once the apostolic teachings were documented and the two cannons of scripture became available to us, there was no further need for this kind of miracles to continue unless God chose to permits them for His divine purposes. The absence of the operation of this gift today does not imply that the church is now weaker or less powerful than the New Testament church (as some teachers have claimed). It simply means that God has chosen to reveal Himself more clearly through the proclamation of the Word and by His Spirit rather than by miracles or "powerful" apostles or prophets (Hebrews 1:1-2). Every living person will some day die and await the resurrection of the dead unless Christ finds them alive on His coming (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Again Scripture is explicit that once we have served God's purposes on earth God will rest us through physical death. Psalm 90:10 says "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." However we know that those who are in Christ shall be raised to life with the faithful saints to be with the Lord. The teaching and claim to the raising of the dead is a doctrine that is largely held by some ultra-Pentecostals who argue that this gift is still in operation today but have no tangible proof of its working in the church. Whether or not one is raised to life is immaterial. Even if one is raised to life they will still die some day and if they lost their love for Christ or had no saving relationship with Jesus, then the resurrection was in vain. What should inform our evangelical effort in this world is the teaching of Jesus in John 11:25-26 where He says "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" Death is not an impediment for God's people but rather an instrument that God uses to take his children to Himself. I have heard some bible teachers claim that one can pray against what they call "premature death". No believer will ever die without God permitting it to happen and this doctrine is therefore unbiblical! We of course pray for long life but again God has the discretion over this. Those who die in the Lord have completed their work on earth and we need not worry over them (2 Timothy 4:7-8). It is perhaps for the same reason that we do not have living apostles today and any claim to this office is false and unscriptural. An apostle was an eye witness of Christ’s ministry and his resurrection. Mathias who replaced Judas was certainly an eyewitness of Christ and was therefore qualified to hold the office (Acts 1:1-21). There is no record of any further apostolic appointment in Scripture except for Paul who was not among the original twelve apostles but was later called by Christ into the apostolic ministry (Acts 9:1-28). Even though the miracle of raising the dead has ceased this does not suggest that God in His divine and infinite power cannot raise the dead or perform any other wonder today. He has simply chosen to disable the gift in the church for His own divine purposes. Rather than crave for this special gift believers should desire and exercise those gifts that the Spirit has graciously endowed upon us because they are sufficient for serving and advancing God's Kingdom and for His glory.
Vincent Mercado
Supporter
This is a short (and incomplete) list of Catholic Saints who performed miracles by raising people from the dead. St. Elizabeth of Hungary (died 1231) Bl. Margaret of Castello (died 1320) St. Nicholas of Tolentino (died 1305) St. Catherine of Siena (died 1380) St. Vincent Ferrer (died 1419) St. Patrick (died 15th century) St. Francis Xavier (died 1552) St. Teresa of Avila (died 1582) St. Rose of Lima (died 1617) St. John Bosco (died 1888) So is raising the dead still possible today? Obviously yes.
Ellen Aranza
Supporter
Why would we not believe that people are raised from the dead in these current times? Maybe because of the blindness that the enemy afflicts us with. No doubt, when healings and resurrections do occur now, the enemy does his best to keep them hidden from the public, and when the truth does get out, he does his best to make us believe it didn't, and couldn't, happen. He doesn't let the story go very far before he steals, kills, destroys. Just remember that Jesus suffered and died so that we could have LIFE, and life more abundantly.
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