Several times in the Bible, Jesus is called the first person to rise from the dead. But he wasn’t. Not even close. According to the Bible, lots of people rose from the dead before Jesus did.

In Old Testament times:

• According to the book of Hebrews, various judges, kings, and prophets of Israel were known to raise the dead to life.
• A witch brought back the spirit of Samuel after he had died so Saul could consult him.
• Elijah brought a dead boy back to life.
• So did Elisha.
• Elisha also made a man come back to life after Elisha was dead himself.
• Ezekiel made a pile of bones turn back into an army of whole, living people.

And during Jesus’s life:

• Jesus stated that the time had come when the dead would hear his voice and live.
• Jesus gave his disciples the power to raise the dead.
• Jesus met with Moses and Elijah, who had been dead for hundreds of years.
• Before he was resurrected himself, Jesus resurrected some other people.
• Including the daughter of a synagogue leader…
• The son of a widow…
• And his friend Lazarus.
• Jesus implied that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were living after they had died.
• As soon as Jesus died, many holy dead people came back to life.¹