How Did Elisha’s Bones Resurrect a Dead Man?

After the miracle of the resurrection, there are many other miraculous events in the Bible. Christians can easily accept many of the fantastical, the physics-defying, and the amazing moments recorded in the Bible as truth. Of course Jesus could walk on water or God could inflict 10 plagues on Egypt. If He has the power to completely forgive sins by being both God and man, He can do anything.

However, there are still moments in the Bible that elicit confusion, even among strong believers and theologians. One such moment is a brief mention in one of the historical books of the Old Testament. It records,

“Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring.  Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet” (2 Kings 13:20-22).

This complicated moment speaks to the lasting impact of the presence and power of God, a foretelling of the resurrecting power of the Lord, and it was a unique reminder to the nation of Israel to remember God’s promises.

What Is the Context for This Event?

In this passage, Israelites throw a dead person’s body into Elisha’s tomb, and that person is restored to life. Alone, that seems like a confusing passage. Knowing what is going on around these verses is important to recognize what is actually going on here.

What Did This Mean at the Time?

Elisha’s bones were not special. They had no special powers, and no relic from a prophet, apostle, or saint has any supernatural ability to perform miracles. Only God has the power to truly bring people back from the dead, so God must have been the one to do this act. The reason was to remind the nation of Israel of the prophecy of Elisha, which had not come to pass, and to remind them of His power and His promise.

Do Bones or Relics Ever Have Supernatural Power?

This resurrection should be understood along the lines of similar temporary, resurrections. This man died again. Lazarus died again. The widow of Zarapeth’s son died again. All of these resurrections, including the one recorded in this passage from 2 Kings, were signs that testified to God’s power, foretold the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the eventual resurrection of the saints into glorified bodies at the end of days.