Æneas (pronounced “A-nee-us”) is a man of a brief but brilliant moment in the New Testament narrative, a single figure whose miraculous healing served as a powerful sign that turned an entire region toward the Lord. His story is a pure testimony to the power of the Name of Jesus Christ working through His Apostle.
The Man Bound by Palsy
The appearance of Æneas occurs during the early ministry of the Apostle Peter, as the Gospel message began to spread outward from Jerusalem into the surrounding regions of Judea and Samaria.
The account is found in the Book of Acts:
“And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Æneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.” (Acts 9:32-33, KJV)
Æneas was a resident of Lydda, a town in the plain of Sharon, and his affliction was a severe and long-standing one. For eight agonizing years, he had been paralyzed, bound to his bed by the disease known as the palsy. His condition was a fixed, hopeless reality in the eyes of his community.
The Word of Power
The Apostle Peter, having come to Lydda to visit the believers, encountered Æneas. Unlike the healings performed by our Lord Jesus Christ, which often involved physical touch, Peter’s miracle was an authoritative declaration, invoking the power of the risen Savior:
“And Peter said unto him, Æneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.” (Acts 9:34, KJV)
Peter explicitly directed all glory away from himself, proclaiming that the healing power came solely from Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the command to “arise, and make thy bed” served two immediate and crucial purposes: it was the first, active use of his newly restored strength, and it provided undeniable proof of the miracle for all observers to witness.
The Prophetic Hotspot: A Regional Awakening
The impact of Aeneas’s instantaneous healing extended far beyond the man himself. This singular miracle did not just restore a paralyzed man to health; it sparked a spiritual revival in the local region. The physical sign authenticated the spiritual message of the Apostle Peter, leading to widespread conversion:
“And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.” (Acts 9:35, KJV)
The entire Plain of Sharon, a fertile and populous area, was affected. This event serves as a powerful demonstration that the miracles performed by the Apostles were not ends in themselves, but potent signals that testified to the truth of the Gospel, paving the way for the Lord’s return by gathering His elect.
The Return Question
The story of Aeneas, whose name is linked to a glorious transformation, is a profound illustration of the instant and complete restoration that accompanies the power of Christ. In the context of the Lord’s Return, this account offers a small, concentrated vision of the power that will transform believers at the last trump. Just as Æneas, bound for eight years by the palsy, rose immediately at the Word of Christ’s messenger, so shall the physical bodies of the faithful, regardless of their past afflictions, be raised to incorruption when the Lord descends with a shout.