I recently heard a preacher talking about how he was called to preach. He said a dead friend was sent to him and told him that God had called him to preach. I know the Bible talks about angels visiting us, but do you think God would allow someone who has died to come back and talk with us? I consider this different than when Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus. What do you think?
Since the Bible specifically prohibits communication with the dead (Deut. 18:9-11) it’s unlikely that God would send a dead person to communicate with the living. In one notable exception, God allowed Samuel to come back to speak with Saul, but only to tell him that because of his disobedience he and his sons would die the next day (1 Sam 28:16-19). Many people have dreams in which departed friends and relatives seem to appear. Maybe that’s what the preacher meant.
On the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-8) Peter, James and John were treated to a glimpse of the future, seeing Jesus in His glorified form, and Moses and Elijah in post resurrection bodies.