Expert: Roy Wallen - 2/27/2011

Question
I am presenting the following verses and would like to know if based on them, is it safe to assume that God Resurrects people by breathing the "Breath of life," into them Just as he did with Adam causing him to become a living being - In particular Ezekial seems to indicate that this would be God's method of resurrection:

       1) Ezekiel 37:4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

      2) Job 33:4 "The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life."

      3) Job 27:3 "as long as I have life within me,the breath of God in my nostrils,"

      4) Acts 17:25 "25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else."

Answer
The short answer is "no".  God does not use the miracle of resurrrection in the current age.  For the passage in Ezekiel 37, please continue to read in the chapter to gain the full context and the explanation of the vision.  Verse 11 (immediately after you stopped quoting) says that "these bones are the whole house of Israel."  Ezekiel is prophesying that Israel will be restored to its land.

Indeed, in Genesis as well as the passages you quote in Job and Acts, God provides life.  That life comes from God and, therefore, our ability to breathe comes from God.  Adam wasn't resurrected with the breath of life; rather, he was created.  When Lazarus was resurrected to display the power of God through Christ, there was no breathing into him for him to be raised (John 11).  Jesus called into the tomb for Lazarus to come out (verse 43) and he did.