Why We Don't See the Dead Raised Today

While the power to raise the dead is a literal manifestation of God's omnipotence, its absence in the present day often stems from a lack of living faith and a departure from the specific conditions and commissions established by Christ5T 228.2+1.

The Commission and the Power

The ability to raise the dead was a specific gift granted by Christ to His representatives to confirm the divinity of the gospel message19MR 361.1+1.

• A Specific Command: When Jesus sent out the twelve and the seventy, He explicitly commanded them to heal the sick and raise the dead as they proclaimed the kingdom of heaven Matthew 10:7-8SpTB01 11.3.

• The Necessity of Faith: Such miracles were never performed for mere display but required the exercise of living faith, which opens the divine treasure house of power5T 228.2+1.

• The Purpose of Miracles: These acts were redemptive and restorative, intended to lead people to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of GodSOTW 10.1+1.

Barriers in the Modern Age

The lack of these manifestations today is linked to the spiritual condition of the professed church and the complexities of the current era.

• Departure from Truth: Many modern religious bodies have turned to human traditions and formalisms, which incrust and obscure the genuine spirit of religionARSH January 1, 1857, page 67.4.

• Hardness of Heart: Unbelief and skepticism have hardened hearts, creating a state where even repeated proofs of divine power would be resisted20MR 148.2+1.

• Spiritual Distractions: The "rush and roar" of busy life and the influence of secular media act as stones laid upon the sepulcher, making it manifold harder for spiritual life to reach the peopleAMS December 25, 1889, page 380.16+1.

• A Work of Unity: God intended teaching and healing to be inseparable, but Satan has worked to create separation in His work, hindering the revelation of God’s powerSpTB01 11.3.

The Counterfeit and the Future Hope

We must also be aware that in the last days, the absence of true miracles is contrasted by the rise of deceptive ones.

• Satanic Deception: Satan works through spiritualism to personate the dead and perform "astounding miracles" to deceive those who reject God's warnings14MR 161.4+2.

• The Ultimate Resurrection: While individual resurrections served as signs, the focus of the believer remains on the "blessed hope"—the second coming of ChristSITI October 28, 1889, page 632.12+1.

• The Final Shout: At the last trump, the Lord Himself will descend with a shout to raise all the dead in Christ, a glorious meeting where friends separated by death will be united forever 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17SR 411.2.

• Spiritual Quickening: Today, the same power that raised Lazarus is primarily focused on the work of quickening sinners from spiritual death, changing their nature and making them new in ChristSITI March 11, 1889, page 151.8+1.

While we wait for the final restoration of all things, we are encouraged to hold fast to the promises of God, knowing that His power to save and to raise the dead remains unchanged Acts 26:6-8PTUK September 20, 1894, page 597.2+1.