Resurrection in the Old Testament - Man Resurrected by Touching Elisha's bones (2024)

This blog post is the third and final in a series exploring the resurrection stories found in the Old Testament. The first post looked at the resurrection of the widow of Zarephath's son by Elijah in 1 Kings 17. The second post examined the resurrection of the Shunammite woman's son by Elisha in 2 Kings 4. In this third and final installment, we will dive into the intriguing story of a man who was resurrected after his body came into contact with Elisha's bones, found in 2 Kings 13:20-21. This story stands out as the only instance in the Old Testament of a resurrection occurring without the direct prayer or intervention of a prophet. It begs the question - is this the only such resurrection in the entire Bible, or are there other examples of the dead being raised without the involvement of a prophet, Jesus, or one of Jesus' disciples? We will explore this question in depth, looking at the Biblical evidence and the theological implications.But first, let's examine the details of this unique resurrection narrative from 2 Kings:

The Context of Elisha's Death and BurialThis event takes place following the death of the prophet Elisha, one of the most prominent and powerful figures in the Old Testament. Elisha had been the successor to the great prophet Elijah, and he went on to perform many miracles and wonders during his long career as a servant of God. The biblical text indicates that when Elisha died, he was buried. This was a normal burial, with his body interred in a tomb or grave, as was the custom for important figures in Israelite society. There is no mention of any special preservation or embalming of Elisha's body, as was sometimes done for prominent leaders. His remains were simply committed to the earth, awaiting the day of resurrection.The Invasion of the MoabitesThe passage then notes that after Elisha's burial, "bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year." This provides important context for the strange event that follows. The nation of Moab had long been an adversary of Israel, and periodic Moabite raids and incursions were a constant threat that the Israelites had to contend with.It was during one of these Moabite incursions that the remarkable resurrection took place. The text indicates that "as a man was being buried, immediately he was thrown into the tomb of Elisha." This suggests that in the chaos and urgency of the Moabite invasion, a hasty burial was taking place, with the deceased individual being unceremoniously cast into Elisha's tomb, perhaps for lack of time or resources to prepare a proper burial site.The Resurrection at Elisha's TombAnd then comes the astounding event: "as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet." Somehow, merely coming into physical contact with the remains of the long-deceased prophet Elisha was enough to restore life to this man who had just died. He was instantly resurrected, miraculously brought back from the dead.This is a truly remarkable and perplexing occurrence. Unlike the previous two resurrection stories in the Old Testament, this one does not involve the direct intervention of a prophet, who prays to God and then commands the dead to rise. Nor is it a case of the prophet himself being resurrected, as was the case with Elijah. Rather, this resurrection seems to happen spontaneously, simply through the dead man's body touching the bones of Elisha.What are we to make of this strange and unique event? What theological significance might it hold? And is this truly the only instance in the Bible of someone being resurrected apart from the direct involvement of a prophet, Jesus, or one of his disciples? These are the key questions we will seek to address in the remainder of this blog post.Is This the Only Resurrection in the Bible Without a Prophet's Involvement?When considering this resurrection at Elisha's tomb, the first question that arises is whether this is truly a unique occurrence in the biblical record, or if there are other examples of the dead being brought back to life without the direct intervention of a prophet.The Old Testament Resurrection Stories

As we have seen, the Old Testament contains three clear resurrection accounts:1. The resurrection of the widow of Zarephath's son by Elijah (1 Kings 17)2. The resurrection of the Shunammite woman's son by Elisha (2 Kings 4)3. The resurrection at Elisha's tomb (2 Kings 13)In the first two cases, the resurrections were directly facilitated by the prayers and actions of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. But the third instance, as we have discussed, does not involve any such prophetic involvement. The man is simply resurrected by touching Elisha's bones.This certainly seems to make the resurrection at Elisha's tomb unique within the Old Testament. None of the other resurrection stories depict the dead being brought back to life without the direct intercession of a prophet.Resurrections in the New Testament

Turning to the New Testament, we find a number of additional resurrection accounts. The most prominent, of course, is the resurrection of Jesus Christ himself, which is described in all four Gospel accounts. In this case, Jesus rose from the dead through the power of God the Father, without the involvement of any human prophet or intermediary.Additionally, the Gospels record several other resurrections performed by Jesus during his earthly ministry:

In each of these instances, Jesus himself is the one who directly brings the dead back to life, through the power of God working through him.The book of Acts also records two resurrections performed by the apostles:

Here again, the resurrections are directly facilitated by the prayers and actions of the apostles, who are operating in the power of the Holy Spirit.The Biblical Evidence

Based on this survey of the resurrection accounts in both the Old and New Testaments, it appears that the resurrection at Elisha's tomb is indeed unique. It is the only instance in the entire Bible where someone is resurrected without the direct involvement of a prophet, Jesus, or one of Jesus' disciples.All the other resurrection stories, whether in the Old Testament or the New, involve a clear human mediator - a prophet, Jesus, or an apostle - who prays to God and then commands the dead to rise. But in the case of the man thrown into Elisha's tomb, there is no such human intermediary. The resurrection happens spontaneously, simply through physical contact with the prophet's bones.This raises profound theological questions about the nature of this miraculous event, and what it might reveal about the power of God and the continued efficacy of a prophet's ministry even after death. Let us explore these deeper implications in the next section.The Theological Significance of the Elisha Resurrection

The resurrection that occurred at Elisha's tomb is a profoundly mysterious and theologically significant event. As we have seen, it stands apart from all the other resurrection stories in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. What might this unique occurrence teach us about the power of God, the enduring influence of the prophets, and the mystery of life and death?The Continuing Power of Elisha's Ministry

One of the key theological insights we can glean from this story is the enduring power and influence of Elisha's prophetic ministry, even after his death. The text makes it clear that Elisha had already passed away and been buried when this resurrection took place. Yet his physical remains, his very bones, still retained the capacity to supernaturally restore life to the dead.This suggests that the anointing and spiritual power that had rested upon Elisha during his lifetime did not simply disappear with his death. There was an abiding, almost tangible spiritual force associated with the prophet's body that continued to operate even after he had departed this world.In a sense, Elisha's ministry was not limited to the span of his earthly life. Even in death, his bones possessed the capacity to bring life to the dead - a capacity that derived not from Elisha himself, but from the power of God that had so mightily worked through him.This points to an important truth about the nature of prophetic ministry in the Old Testament. The prophets were not merely human mouthpieces or conduits for God's word. Rather, they were imbued with a special spiritual anointing and authority that transcended their own mortal existence. Their ministries had a supernatural, almost immortal quality to them.And in the case of Elisha, that anointing continued to manifest even after he had been laid to rest. His very bones retained the power to resurrect the dead, demonstrating that the prophetic mantle he had carried was not diminished by his physical death.The Spontaneous Nature of the Resurrection

Another crucial theological aspect of this resurrection story is the spontaneous, almost automatic way in which the resurrection occurred. Unlike the other resurrection accounts, where the prophet or apostle had to pray, call upon God, and then command the dead to rise, this event happened simply through physical contact with Elisha's bones.There is no indication that anyone present even knew, or expected, that this would happen. The text simply states that "as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet." This suggests a remarkable, almost intrinsic power inherent in Elisha's remains, a power that did not depend on any human action or invocation, but operated independently.This has profound implications for our understanding of the nature of resurrection and the power of God. It demonstrates that God's capacity to restore life is not strictly limited to the direct, conscious involvement of a human intermediary. There is an autonomous, self-sustaining quality to the power of resurrection that can be activated simply through physical contact with something imbued with divine anointing.In the case of Elisha's bones, that anointing was so potent that it could spontaneously reanimate the dead, without any need for prayer, commands, or other overt prophetic intervention. This points to a deeper, more fundamental spiritual reality underlying the phenomenon of resurrection, a reality that transcends the particular actions of any individual prophet or servant of God.The Unique Positioning of the Old Testament Prophets

Finally, this resurrection account highlights the unique and privileged position that the Old Testament prophets occupied in relation to the power of God. As we have seen, the prophets like Elijah and Elisha were able to call upon the power of God to raise the dead through their direct prayers and actions.But with the resurrection at Elisha's tomb, we see that the prophets' ministry and anointing extended even beyond their own lifetimes. Elisha's bones, imbued with the spiritual power that had rested upon him during his life, retained the capacity to resurrect the dead.This suggests that the Old Testament prophets were not merely conduits for God's power, but in some sense repositories of it. The anointing and authority that God had vested in them did not simply evaporate when they died, but remained associated with their physical remains.In a way, the Old Testament prophets occupied a unique intermediary position between God and humanity. They were not merely human messengers, but vessels of divine power that could continue to operate even after their earthly lives had ended.This contrasts sharply with the dynamic we see in the New Testament, where the ministry of resurrection is primarily associated with Jesus himself, and then later with his apostles operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no similar enduring, almost "relic-like" quality to the physical remains of New Testament figures in the way we see with Elisha's bones.The Elisha resurrection story thus highlights the special status and privileged access to God's power that the Old Testament prophets enjoyed. It was a level of spiritual authority and anointing that transcended the normal bounds of human existence, and in the case of Elisha, persisted even beyond the grave.Conclusion

In the end, the resurrection that occurred at Elisha's tomb stands as a truly unique and theologically significant event in the biblical record. It is the only instance in Scripture where someone is raised from the dead without the direct intervention of a prophet, Jesus, or one of Jesus' disciples.This resurrection demonstrates the enduring power and authority of Elisha's prophetic ministry, even after his death. It suggests that the anointing and spiritual force that had rested upon the prophet did not simply disappear with his passing, but continued to reside in his physical remains.Moreover, the spontaneous nature of this resurrection, occurring simply through physical contact with Elisha's bones - points to a deeper, more fundamental spiritual reality underlying the power of resurrection. It shows God's capacity to restore life is sovereign, it is not strictly limited to the conscious involvement of a human intermediary, but can operate independently in certain cases.Finally, the Elisha resurrection story highlights the unique and privileged position that the Old Testament prophets occupied in relation to the power of God. They were not merely human messengers, but vessels of divine authority that could continue to manifest even beyond the grave. This contrasts with the more limited, intermediary role of the New Testament apostles and disciples.In the end, the resurrection at Elisha's tomb remains a profound and perplexing event, one that invites us to ponder the mysteries of life, death, and the enduring power of God's anointing. It is a reminder that the work of the prophets was not confined to their earthly lifetimes, but could continue to bear fruit long after they had departed this world.