2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

ABSTRACT

This article delves into the timeless principles of spiritual revival and resurrection, drawing parallels between ancient Israel’s journey from lamentation to repentance in 1 Samuel 7 and the miracle of Lazarus in John 11. It emphasizes the necessity of human cooperation with divine power, the removal of idols and barriers of unbelief, the preparation of the heart through faith and obedience, and the shared responsibilities toward God and others in fostering restoration and community. Through these narratives, the path from spiritual death to abundant life is illuminated, calling for active participation in God’s redemptive work.

ISRAEL’S WOE AND BETHANY’S DESPAIR!

The spiritual condition of ancient Israel, after two decades of Philistine domination, was one of profound and weary lamentation. The sacred text states, “And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD” (1 Samuel 7:2 KJV). This was not yet the cry of true repentance; it was the groan of a people crushed by the consequences of their sin, a mourning born of misery rather than a deep sorrow for their disloyalty to God. Ellen G. White observes this critical distinction, noting, “After suffering the oppression of their enemies for twenty years, the Israelites ‘mourned after the Lord.’” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 590, 1890). Their apostasy had run its course, and they were simply tired of the bitter fruit. They had previously treated the Ark of God not as the sacred throne of the invisible King, but as a magical talisman, a good-luck charm to be deployed against their enemies. They had forgotten that its power was conditional upon their obedience, as Sr. White notes, “When the people obeyed the holy precepts, the Lord was with them to work for them by His infinite power; but when they looked upon the ark, and did not associate it with God, nor honor His revealed will by obedience to His law, it could avail them little more than a common box.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 584, 1890). This superficial faith led directly to their defeat and the capture of the Ark, plunging them into a long night of spiritual darkness where they lamented their pain far more than their rebellion. As the Scripture further supports, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10, KJV). “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 4:8, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned without Christ. Christ is the source of every right impulse” (Steps to Christ, 26, 1892). Moreover, “Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life” (Steps to Christ, 23, 1892). This superficial faith led directly to their defeat and the capture of the Ark, plunging them into a long night of spiritual darkness where they lamented their pain far more than their rebellion.

While Israel’s lament was a response to their suffering, the root cause was the idolatry that had captured their hearts, a truth Samuel addressed with surgical precision. The prophet’s call was uncompromising: “And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.” (1 Samuel 7:3–4 KJV). These were not merely statues of wood and stone; they represented a fundamental transfer of allegiance. The apostle Paul defines this spiritual reality for us when he writes, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5 KJV). An idol is anything that captures the affection, trust, or service that belongs to God alone. It is the worship of self, the craving for worldly acceptance, or the reliance on human wisdom. This was Israel’s core sin, a desire “that we also may be like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:20 KJV), a sentiment Sr. White identifies as a pervasive threat to God’s people today: “Fashion is deteriorating the intellect and eating out the spirituality of our people. Obedience to fashion is pervading and is doing more than any other power to separate our people from God.” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, 647, 1881). The strange gods of fear, doubt, and conformity must be put away before deliverance can come. As the Scripture further supports, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3, KJV). “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen” (1 John 5:21, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “God has given us many things in this life upon which to bestow our affections; but when we carry to excess that which in itself is lawful we become idolaters” (The Youth’s Instructor, October 20, 1886). Moreover, “Many who bear the name of Christians are serving other gods besides the Lord. Our Creator demands our supreme devotion, our first allegiance. Anything which tends to abate our love for God, or to interfere with the service due Him, becomes thereby an idol” (SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 1011, 1953). The strange gods of fear, doubt, and conformity must be put away before deliverance can come.

In contrast to the national decay of Israel, the story in Bethany presents a picture of personal and familial decay, culminating in the finality of physical death. The stench of hopelessness in that grieving home is palpable, captured in Martha’s brutally honest assessment of her brother’s state. When Jesus commanded the tomb to be opened, she protested with the voice of pure human reason: “Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days” (John 11:39 KJV). This was the stark, sensory evidence of irreversible corruption, a declaration that the situation was beyond all human remedy. This physical decay was a mirror of the spiritual decay of a world dead in sin, a condition the apostle describes vividly: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1 KJV). The four-day-dead Lazarus, wrapped in graveclothes, represents a spiritual state so utterly lost that only a creative act of God can reverse it. This sense of finality was not limited to Martha; it had also gripped the disciples, whose fear of returning to Judea was a form of hopelessness. They pleaded with Jesus, “Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?” (John 11:8 KJV). In their minds, returning to Judea meant certain death, a situation as final as Lazarus’s entombment. Yet, Jesus had already declared the divine purpose that transcended their despair: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby” (John 11:4 KJV). God often allows a situation to reach the point of “stench,” where all human hope is extinguished, so that His intervention cannot be mistaken for anything less than a divine, life-giving miracle. As the Scripture further supports, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6, KJV). “Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling” (Psalm 49:14, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “It is transgression of God’s law—the law of love—that has brought woe and death. Yet even amid the suffering that results from sin, God’s love is revealed” (Steps to Christ, 9, 1892). Moreover, “Let our faith pierce through every cloud of darkness and behold Him who died for the sins of the world. He has opened the gates of Paradise to all who receive and believe on Him. To them He gives power to become the sons and daughters of God” (Selected Messages, book 1, 346, 1958). God often allows a situation to reach the point of “stench,” where all human hope is extinguished, so that His intervention cannot be mistaken for anything less than a divine, life-giving miracle. But what is the foundational principle of revival that requires human cooperation?

STONE ROLLED!

A foundational principle of revival, evident in both Mizpeh and Bethany, is that divine intervention is predicated on human cooperation. God’s power is infinite, yet He chooses to work in partnership with His created beings, inviting them to participate in their own restoration. In Israel, Samuel’s instruction was clear: the promise of deliverance was conditioned on their action. “If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you” (1 Samuel 7:3 KJV). Similarly, at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus possessed the power to move the stone with a single thought, yet He commanded the onlookers, “Take ye away the stone” (John 11:39 KJV). This delegation of responsibility is not a sign of divine limitation but of divine wisdom. It honors our free will and transforms us from passive spectators into active participants in the work of salvation. Sr. White articulates this divine-human partnership with perfect clarity: “Repentance is the first step that must be taken by all who would return to God. No one can do this work for another. We must individually humble our souls before God and put away our idols. When we have done all that we can do, the Lord will manifest to us His salvation.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 590, 1890). This principle of choice is the bedrock of our relationship with God, as declared through Moses: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19 KJV). God provides the power for deliverance, but He requires from us the choice of obedience. As the Scripture states, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13, KJV). “Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:21, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “The work that we are to do is not independent of what God is to do, but a work of cooperation with God” (The Signs of the Times, May 15, 1893). Moreover, “Humanity lays hold upon divine power, Christ dwells in the heart by faith; and through cooperation with the divine, human power becomes efficient for good” (The Signs of the Times, February 7, 1900). God provides the power for deliverance, but He requires from us the choice of obedience.

Just as Israel had to put away their idols, the people at Bethany had to take away the stone, a powerful symbol for the personal barriers we erect against God’s power. This stone represents the hard, cold reality of human reason when it stands in opposition to faith. It is the fortress of unbelief, the wall of stubborn pride, or the cherished sin we refuse to relinquish. Martha gave voice to this stone when she protested, “Lord, by this time he stinketh,” allowing the physical evidence of decay to shout louder than the promise of the Lifegiver. For the disciples, their stone was fear—the paralyzing terror of being stoned themselves, which made them question the wisdom of their Master (John 11:8 KJV). The carnal mind is the quarry from which our stones of doubt and fear are hewn. It is a mindset that, as Sr. White wrote of the Jewish leaders, allows unbelief to “[close] the chambers of their mind, that no light might be admitted.” (Manuscript 47, May 20, 1897). This stone is not a passive obstacle; it is an active defense we build around our spiritual tombs because it feels safer to trust the finality of death than the vulnerability of faith. Rolling it away requires a courageous step into the miraculous reality of God. As the Scripture says, “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24, KJV). “And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “When the devil comes with his doubts and unbeliefs, shut the door of your heart. Shut your eyes so that you will not dwell upon his hellish shadow. Lift them up where they can behold the things which are eternal, and you will have strength and grace from God” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, 25, 1902). Moreover, “Let us roll back the dark shadow of doubt, casting it aside to be borne by Satan, the originator of all unbelief” (Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 534, 1977). Rolling it away requires a courageous step into the miraculous reality of God.

Accompanying the external act of removing the stone is the internal work of preparing the heart to receive God’s blessing. Samuel’s command was twofold: “put away the strange gods… and prepare your hearts unto the LORD” (1 Samuel 7:3 KJV). This preparation is not a passive waiting but an active, dynamic process of turning from doubt to faith. We see a beautiful illustration of this in Martha’s dialogue with Jesus. She begins with a heart unprepared, filled with the pain of disappointment: “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died” (John 11:21 KJV). Yet, in the very next breath, she takes a step of faith, preparing her heart for a miracle: “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee” (John 11:22 KJV). Jesus then leads her further, revealing Himself as the Resurrection and the Life, until she arrives at a full, heartfelt confession: “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world” (John 11:27 KJV). This journey from grief to confession is the very anatomy of a heart being prepared. It is a process described by Job’s friend Zophar: “If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear” (Job 11:13–15 KJV). This internal work is essential, for as Sr. White reminds us, true repentance involves “a continual reaching out of the soul after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the heart before Him.” (The Reformation Herald, Vol. 65, No. 4, Article 3). This is the preparation of the heart that makes revival possible. As the Scripture further supports, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23, KJV). “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “The words, “A new heart also will I give you,” mean, A new mind will I give you. This change of heart is always attended by a clear conception of Christian duty, an understanding of truth” (The Signs of the Times, November 22, 1905). Moreover, “The church must arouse to action. The Spirit of God can never come in until she prepares the way. There should be earnest searching of heart” (Selected Messages, book 1, 126, 1958). This is the preparation of the heart that makes revival possible. But how do these principles parallel in the stories of Mizpeh and Bethany?

MIRACLE BLUEPRINT UNVEILED!

The spiritual principles that governed the revival in Samuel’s day and the resurrection in Christ’s day are identical. They form a divine blueprint that remains relevant for every soul seeking life from death. By placing the commands from 1 Samuel alongside the events of John 11, this timeless, three-part model for revival becomes strikingly clear.

THE DIVINE BLUEPRINT FOR REVIVAL

Command in 1 Samuel 7:3–4	Fulfillment in John 11:1–44
1. Put away strange gods (Forsake anything that replaces trust in God)	– The disciples had to put away fear of returning to Judea (v. 8). – Martha had to put away disappointment and human reasoning (“Lord, if thou hadst been here…” v. 21). – The idol of self, which prioritizes personal safety and understanding over God’s will, was forsaken.
2. Prepare your hearts (Get ready to receive God’s presence and power)	– Martha made a proactive declaration of faith: “I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee” (v. 22). – The family prepared by sending for Jesus, opening the way for divine intervention (v. 3). – Thomas prepared his heart with a grim resolve to follow, even unto death (v. 16).
3. Serve Him only (Trust and follow God above all)	– The crowd served Him by obeying the illogical command to “Take ye away the stone” (v. 39, 41). – Martha and Mary served Him by acknowledging His lordship and submitting to His timing and plan. – The disciples served by following Him back into a place of danger, trusting His purpose over their fears.

The first step in this divine blueprint, “put away strange gods,” demands the surrender of our internal idols of fear and doubt. When the disciples resisted Jesus’s plan to return to Judea, pleading, “Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?” (John 11:8 KJV), they were bowing to the idol of self-preservation. Their fear for their own lives was a “strange god” that sought to usurp the authority of Christ’s divine mission. Likewise, when Martha greeted Jesus with the words, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died” (John 11:21 KJV), she was elevating the idol of her own understanding and timing above the sovereign wisdom of God. These internal idols are born from what Sr. White warns against this failure of courage, stating that a lack of firmness to stand for right at the proper time is a grievous defect in character. (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, 517-518, 1881). Therefore, putting away our “strange gods” today means we must dethrone the tyrannical rule of self, with its fears and doubts, and yield completely to the authority of Christ. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10, KJV). “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “Those who are perpetually talking doubts and demanding additional evidence to banish their cloud of unbelief do not build on the Word. Their faith rests on circumstances; they are building on self” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, 674, 1889). Moreover, “Unbelief is seldom overcome by controversy. It is rather put upon self-defense, and finds new support and excuse” (Education, 253, 1903). Therefore, putting away our “strange gods” today means we must dethrone the tyrannical rule of self, with its fears and doubts, and yield completely to the authority of Christ.

The second step, “prepare your hearts,” is not a state of passive waiting but an active, energetic work of faith. This preparation is vividly demonstrated by Martha, who, immediately after expressing her grief, makes a proactive pivot toward faith: “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee” (John 11:22 KJV). This was a conscious choice to prepare her heart for a miracle. This active preparation began even earlier, when the family made the decision to “sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick” (John 11:3 KJV). In their moment of crisis, they reached out, opening the door for divine intervention. Sr. White encourages us with this beautiful truth: “To all who are reaching out to feel the guiding hand of God, the moment of greatest discouragement is the time when divine help is nearest.” (The Desire of Ages, 528, 1898). Even the disciple Thomas, in his own way, prepared his heart. His declaration, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16 KJV), though tinged with pessimism, was a resolute commitment to follow his Lord. This is the essence of heart preparation: it is the proactive choice to believe, to reach out, and to follow, even when our feelings and fears pull us in the opposite direction. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, KJV). “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “Faith is trusting God—believing that He loves us and knows best what is for our good. Thus, instead of our own, it leads us to choose His way” (Education, 253, 1903). Moreover, “To abide in faith is to put aside feeling and selfish desires, to walk humbly with the Lord, to appropriate His promises, and apply them to all occasions, believing that the Lord hears, and will answer our prayer” (Faith I Live By, 122, 1958). This is the essence of heart preparation: it is the proactive choice to believe, to reach out, and to follow, even when our feelings and fears pull us in the opposite direction.

Finally, the call to “serve Him only” is ultimately a call to radical obedience, especially when God’s commands defy human logic. The supreme test of service for the crowd at Bethany came with Jesus’s startling command: “Take ye away the stone” (John 11:39 KJV). This was a culturally offensive and practically illogical request. To open a four-day-old tomb was to invite a gruesome sight and a foul odor, as Martha rightly pointed out. Yet, the people obeyed. “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid” (John 11:41 KJV). In that moment, they chose to serve the word of Christ over the wisdom of the world and the evidence of their senses. This act of service is a perfect parallel to Israel’s obedience in putting away their valuable, culturally ingrained idols (1 Samuel 7:4 KJV). It was a tangible “withdrawal from conformity to the world,” which Sr. White states is an absolute prerequisite for revival: “When the way is prepared for the Spirit of God, the blessing will come. Satan can no more hinder a shower of blessing from descending upon God’s people than he can close the windows of heaven that rain cannot come upon the earth.” (Selected Messages, book 1, 124, 1958). True service is measured by our willingness to obey God’s voice, even and especially when it calls us to do something that seems utterly unreasonable to the carnal mind. As the Scripture further supports, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15, KJV). “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “But obedience is the fruit of faith” (Steps to Christ, 61, 1892). Moreover, “All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses” (The Desire of Ages, 668, 1898). True service is measured by our willingness to obey God’s voice, even and especially when it calls us to do something that seems utterly unreasonable to the carnal mind. But how do these concepts reflect God’s love?

LOVE THROUGH SORROW’S VEIL!

How do these concepts, particularly the painful delay and the command to perform a difficult task, reflect God’s love? God’s love is profoundly demonstrated not in the prevention of all suffering, but in His redemptive purpose within it and His deep, personal empathy for our pain. The fact that Jesus deliberately waited two days after hearing of Lazarus’s sickness seems, on the surface, to be unloving. Yet Sr. White reveals the deeper, pedagogical love behind this act: “For their sake He permitted Lazarus to die. Had He restored him from illness to health, the miracle that is the most positive evidence of His divine character would not have been performed… He knew that because of the struggle through which they were now passing, their faith would shine forth with far greater power.” (The Youth’s Instructor, April 13, 1899). This was the love of a Master Teacher, allowing a difficult test for the purpose of strengthening His children and bringing greater glory to God. This purposeful love, however, was not detached or clinical. When Jesus finally arrived and witnessed the raw grief of the family, His own heart broke. The Scripture records, “When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled… Jesus wept.” (John 11:33, 35 KJV). He who held the power of resurrection in His hands did not stand aloof from their sorrow; He entered into it fully. He wept with those who wept, proving that He is indeed a “high priest which… can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15 KJV). This is the dual nature of divine love: it is purposeful enough to allow pain for our growth, and compassionate enough to weep with us in our pain. It is a love that seeks our highest good, which is a mature and resilient character, not merely our immediate comfort. “Our Saviour appreciated a quiet home and interested listeners. He longed for human tenderness, courtesy, and affection. Those who received the heavenly instruction He was always ready to impart were greatly blessed.” (The Desire of Ages, 524, 1898). “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:3-5, KJV). “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Hebrews 12:6, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “God is love. His love manifested toward fallen man, in the gift of his beloved Son, amazed the holy angels” (The Sufferings of Christ, 2, 1869). Moreover, “If we can bear persecution for His dear name’s sake, His love becomes a ruling power in our hearts, for we have the assurance that nothing can separate us from that love” (Testimonies to Ministers, 270, 1923). It is a love that seeks our highest good, which is a mature and resilient character, not merely our immediate comfort. But what are my personal responsibilities toward God in light of these truths?

ROLL YOUR STONE NOW!

In light of these powerful truths, what, then, are my personal responsibilities toward God? My responsibility is not to perform the miracle but to clear the path for the Miracle-Worker. The burden of resurrection belongs to God alone, but the burden of repentance and obedience is mine. My first responsibility is to engage in active, honest repentance. I must heed Samuel’s call to “put away the strange gods” (1 Samuel 7:3 KJV) from the throne of my own heart—whether they be the idols of pride, the security of worldly possessions, the fear of man, or any cherished sin that I have allowed to take God’s rightful place. Secondly, I have a responsibility to “prepare my heart” (1 Samuel 7:3 KJV) through a conscious, deliberate act of faith. This means that even when my circumstances scream of death and decay, I must choose to declare, like Martha, “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God” (John 11:27 KJV). This faith cannot be passive; it must be proven by action, for as the apostle James states, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17 KJV). This leads to my third and most crucial responsibility: radical obedience. When Christ commands me to “Take ye away the stone” (John 11:39 KJV)—to confront my unbelief, to forsake a sinful habit, to step out in faith when it seems illogical—my responsibility is simply to obey. My work is to roll away the stone; His work is to say, “Come forth.” This active obedience is the only true evidence of a converted heart. “There is no evidence of genuine repentance unless it works reformation. If he restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, confess his sins, and love God and his fellow men, the sinner may be sure that he has passed from death unto life.” (Steps to Christ, 57, 1892). “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8, KJV). “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (Deuteronomy 10:12, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “The great object of the life which God has given is not the securing of temporal advantages, but the securing of eternal privileges in the kingdom of heaven” (The Youth’s Instructor, March 25, 1886). Moreover, “This is a responsibility from which we cannot free ourselves. Our words, our acts, our dress, our deportment, even the expression of the countenance, has an influence” (Messages to Young People, 330, 1930). This active obedience is the only true evidence of a converted heart. But what are my responsibilities toward my neighbor?

LOOSE THE BONDS FREE!

Finally, what are my responsibilities toward my neighbor, my brother or sister in the faith? The story of Lazarus does not end when he walks out of the tomb. Christ’s final command in this narrative is not to Lazarus, but to the community: “Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:44 KJV). Herein lies our profound responsibility to one another. Lazarus was alive, but he was not yet free. He was still entangled in the graveclothes, the remnants of his former state of death. As a church community, our sacred duty to a newly revived soul is to help remove these bindings. These “graveclothes” are powerful symbols of the old life—the lingering habits, the crushing guilt, the labels of shame placed upon them by a condemning world, or the patterns of thinking that belong to the tomb. We are called to be agents of liberation. The apostle Paul exhorts us, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1 KJV). Our role is to help our brother or sister “stand fast” in that newfound freedom. This is a practical, hands-on ministry. It means we must “bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2 KJV). It means that when a soul is alive in Christ but still bound by their past, we are the ones commissioned to gently help unwind the graveclothes through encouragement, patient discipleship, and loving restoration. Revival is both a divine event and a community project. God gives the life, but He delegates the task of reintegration to the church family. “The cause of Christ needs careful, energetic people. There is a wide field for the Marthas, with their zeal in active religious work. But let them first sit with Mary at the feet of Jesus. Let diligence, promptness, and energy be sanctified by the grace of Christ; then the life will be an unconquerable power for good.” (The Desire of Ages, 525, 1898). As the Scripture further supports, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1, KJV). “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “The only way to grow in grace is to engage, to the extent of our ability, in helping and blessing those who need the help we can give them” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, 535, 1875). Moreover, “The spirit of unselfish labor for others gives depth, stability, and Christlike loveliness to the character and brings peace and happiness to its possessor” (Welfare Ministry, 72, 1952). Revival is both a divine event and a community project. God gives the life, but He delegates the task of reintegration to the church family. But how do we live the resurrected life as a community?

RESURRECTED LIFE THRILLS!

We stand between the living and the dead, between the Mizpehs of our world and the Bethanys of our communities. These stories are not just ancient history; they are our living mandate. We are challenged, first, to be modern-day Samuels, to stand before the church and the world and issue a clear, uncompromising call to repentance. We must have the courage to name the “strange gods” of our time—materialism, self-reliance, spiritual apathy, and worldly conformity—and call God’s people to put them away and prepare their hearts for a genuine revival of primitive godliness. As the Scripture further supports, “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11, KJV). “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” (Acts 3:19, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children” (Evangelism, 701, 1946). Moreover, “Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times” (The Great Controversy, 464, 1911). We must have the courage to name the “strange gods” of our time—materialism, self-reliance, spiritual apathy, and worldly conformity—and call God’s people to put them away and prepare their hearts for a genuine revival of primitive godliness.

We are also called to be like the crowd at the tomb, people willing to do the hard, sometimes unpleasant work of “rolling away stones.” This means we must confront unbelief in ourselves and in those we minister to, not with judgment, but with love, courage, and a faith that expects a miracle. It means we must be willing to get our hands dirty, to enter into the messy, painful realities of people’s lives and help them clear away the barriers that prevent them from hearing the life-giving voice of Christ. As the Scripture further supports, “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26, KJV). “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Isaiah 43:2, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “Faith takes God at His word, not asking to understand the meaning of the trying experiences that come” (Our High Calling, 124, 1961). Moreover, “When the devil comes with his doubts and unbeliefs, shut the door of your heart” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, 25, 1902). It means we must be willing to get our hands dirty, to enter into the messy, painful realities of people’s lives and help them clear away the barriers that prevent them from hearing the life-giving voice of Christ.

And finally, we must be ready for the moment of resurrection. When Christ calls a soul “forth” from the tomb of sin, our work has only just begun. We must joyfully and diligently accept our final commission: to “loose him, and let him go.” Our churches must become communities of grace that specialize in unbinding, not condemning. We must be experts in removing the graveclothes of the past, helping new believers walk in the full freedom and newness of life that Christ has purchased for them. This is the full cycle of revival, from repentance to resurrection to restoration. As the Scripture further supports, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32, KJV). “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Colossians 3:13, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “First meet the temporal necessities of the needy and relieve their physical wants and sufferings, and you will then find an open avenue to the heart” (Welfare Ministry, 73, 1952). Moreover, “The widow and the fatherless are the objects of the Lord’s special care” (The Ministry of Healing, 202, 1905). This is the full cycle of revival, from repentance to resurrection to restoration. But what is the eternal call that echoes through these stories?

COME FORTH ECHOES ETERNAL!

The call of God echoes with stunning consistency across the dispensations. From the national altar at Mizpeh to the personal tomb at Bethany, the principles of revival remain unchanged. God demands that we forsake our idols, prepare our hearts through faith, and serve Him through radical obedience. He calls us to partner with Him in the work of salvation, to roll away the stones that seal the tombs of human despair. In return, He promises to do what we could never do for ourselves: to speak life into that which is dead. As the Scripture further supports, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4, KJV). “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live” (John 5:25, KJV). Sr. White elucidates, “It is only as the law of God is restored to its rightful position that there can be a revival of primitive faith and godliness among His professed people” (The Great Controversy, 478, 1911). Moreover, “A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs” (Selected Messages, book 1, 121, 1958). The divine summons, “Lazarus, come forth,” did not die in the first century. It is the eternal call of the gospel, reverberating through time, still reaching into the tombs of sin, addiction, and hopelessness today. God is still calling souls out of darkness into His marvelous light. The question for us, His chosen people, is this: Will we be ready? Will we have the courage to roll away the stones? Will we have the compassion to unbind the graveclothes? The echo of “Come Forth” is both our sacred commission and our glorious hope. Let us go forth and be about our Master’s business.

“And if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11, KJV).

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