- Watch the moment pastor Alph Lukau - @AlphLukau revives a 3-day -old dead man in South Africa. pic.twitter.com/N5O6ZPcRgO — SubDeliveryZone (@SubDeliveryZone) February 25, 2019 He’s being called a modern-day Lazarus. This past Sunday, Alph Lukau of Alleluia Ministries in South Africa is reported to have raised a man named Elliot from the dead.
- Watch the moment pastor Alph Lukau - @AlphLukau revives a 3-day -old dead man in South Africa. pic.twitter.com/N5O6ZPcRgO
Elliot was carried in his coffin from a hearse to Lukau for the miracle. The supposed dead man lies in the coffin with his mouth open. With onlookers gazing, mood music playing, and fans cheering, Lukau commands the man to rise and he sits up in the coffin. The crowd goes wild.
Understandably, social media has been ablaze with the event. News outlets such as the BBC have covered it. But here’s the question: did it happen? Is Elliot, as some claim, a “modern-day Lazarus”? Here are some differences between Jesus’ raising of Lazarus and Lukau’s raising of Elliot.
- Lazarus looked dead before he was raised from the dead.
Lazarus had been in his tomb for four days by the time Jesus arrives (John 11:17). All the visible signs of death would have been apparent. Martha protested the moving of the gravestone as she knew the stench of the corpse would have been unbearable (John 11:39). Lazarus was also bound in tight cloth wrapping from head to toe as was Jewish burial custom (John 11:44). He looked dead prior to being raised.
Elliot had quite a different appearance at his resurrection. He looked alive. His skin had a normal colour of someone with healthy, circulating blood. There was no gaunt appearance. In fact, it looked like he had a good workout in earlier that day, followed by a good shower, shave, and a visit to the coiffure prior to putting on the nice suit.
- Lazarus could not have survived in his circumstances.
Lazarus was in a closed tomb for four days. The entrance was closed by a heavy stone. There was no way to exit the tomb. He was without food or water during that time. There was an unbearable stench and his eyes, nose, and mouth were wrapped tightly with a cloth. Lazarus was dead.
Elliot, on the other hand, appeared from nowhere in a plush, comfortable coffin. He had allegedly been dead for three days (from the previous Friday to Sunday). It’s unsure exactly where Elliot had come from. Those who supposedly transported Elliot in the coffin had done so by scheming three separate funeral companies. The funeral directors have now filed a lawsuit against Lukau for his fraudulent stunt.
- Lazarus wasn’t moving before he was raised from the dead.
Lazarus was bound tightly in the tomb. He hadn’t moved in four days. The first time he moves is immediately following Jesus’ word when he rises from the dead (John 11:43).
Though it was claimed that the man died the Friday before that Sunday, he can be seen moving his mouth at times while laying in the coffin.
- Jesus did not speak in unintelligible utterances loudly before raising Lazarus.
The scene at Lazarus’ tomb was as real-life as it gets. Sorrow. Confusion. Despair. Weeping. And Jesus ministering to Mary and Martha (John 11:21-25). There was no exhibition of the sensational; no making unintelligible utterances to hype up a crowd. It was just Jesus praying, speaking, and raising (John 11:43). But, with this supposed resurrection, it’s much of the opposite. Hype. Emotionalism. Ecstatic unintelligible, non-linguistic utterances; all the ingredients of a 21st-century self-exhibiting, entertainment circus.
- Jesus’ enemies believed that he raised Lazarus
Lukau is in a tough place here. His enemies do not believe him. Very few believe him. That isn’t absolutely determinative, but it is indicative. The funeral company from whom the hearse was rented is also reportedly denying the claim that Elliot was stored in the mortuary over the weekend.
- Lazarus did not have a cell phone in his suit pocket.
At about 53 seconds into the video, there appears to be a cellphone in the man’s left coat pocket. With the white suit, he’s probably an Apple guy, but it’s hard to be sure. Perhaps someone assumed he needed the phone for his journey into the afterlife, similar to ancient Egyptian burial practice.
Additional differences between Jesus and Lukau could be mentioned. Jesus did not go about in exotic luxury, nor preach a heretical prosperity gospel. More could be said.
Though chicanery like this is not difficult to recognize, God’s people must be more discerning than ever. Let us continue to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints for the glory of Jesus Christ and the good of humanity.
