Read Time:8 Minute, 50 Second

By William Van Zyl

Published on January 25, 2026

I share my unique artwork with you. There are many hidden layers of meaning on the canvas. Can you identify them? I start with a compelling scenario.

Lazarus returns to the rocky site. He stands again at the mouth of the opening. His large brown eyes are scanning—meticulously.

Stone cold beneath his feet, air heavy with memory, Lazarus gazes across the land that once held his silence. This place—once his grave—now breathes with witness. The wind carries echoes of a voice that shattered death itself. He remembers the moment life rushed back into his lungs, the darkness recoiling at a command spoken with authority and compassion. The speed at which he travelled back, all the way back to the tomb.

He recalls those words which had been ringing in his head for weeks now.

“Lazarus, come forth.”

Lazarus sighs.

“What an experience, did it really happen?” Lazarus asked himself.

Before him stretches an arid, forsaken landscape—sun-scorched earth contrasted by rare glimmers of water and thin green paths of vegetation cutting through the dust. Sheep folds and corrals rest in the distance, where farm animals were once kept, and dry, dead trees stand scattered like sentinels of decay. Yet this is the very land where Jesus spoke words of life. Death did not have the final word here. Life did.

This multimedia artwork, Lazarus, captures that tension—between decay and renewal, silence and proclamation, death and resurrection—embedded into an ancient topographical map of Israel. It is both a landscape and a testimony.

IMAGE: Full view of the multi-media artwork. “Lazarus.” Can you find the man in the coffin (white coloured bandages)? Look at 4 o’clock from the middle. Small white rectangle with a person (white coloured bandages) on the inside (Lazaraus wrapped in burial cloths). See the close-ups of the artwork below. Credit: The Author.

Lazarus close-up.

About the Location: Bethany

Lazarus was raised from the dead by Yeshua (Jesus) in the ancient village of Bethany, located about two miles (3.2 km) southeast of Jerusalem, on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives.

IMAGE: The Tomb of Lazarus is a traditional place of pilgrimage located in the West Bank town of al-Eizariya, in Palestine, the biblical village of Bethany, on the southeast slope of the Mount of Olives, some 2.4 km (1.5 miles) east of Jerusalem. The tomb is the purported site of a miracle recorded in the Gospel of John in which Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Credit: Cornelia Merchant. Posted to Facebook April 28, 2024.

Today, this site is a Palestinian town known by its Arabic name, al-Eizariya (or al-Azariya), which literally means “the place of Lazarus.” The traditional Tomb of Lazarus remains a place of pilgrimage, layered with centuries of devotion. A mosque and several Christian churches now stand nearby, commemorating the miracle that transformed grief into glory.

Bethany is not only a geographic location—it is a theological landmark. It is where divine authority confronted human finality and overturned it.

The Burial Position of Lazarus as the Central Feature

In this artwork of mine, the burial site of Lazarus is fictionalised as the map’s main feature—the epicentre from which meaning radiates outward. The terrain is etched with topographical symbols, contour lines, and numerical values that mark elevation and depth, mirroring both the land’s physical geography and the spiritual descent into death followed by resurrection.

Dilapidated buildings rise from the map—formed from Plaster of Paris bandages, air-dry clay, and acrylic paint—suggesting ruins of time, memory, and mortality. Copper wire, steel wire, thin copper sheeting, upholstery nails, thin leather, brown string, tiny wooden sticks, moss, and copper wool bind the piece together, evoking both fragility and endurance. A hand-crafted paper legend (key) anchors the work, inviting the viewer to read the land as both map and metaphor.

You, too, can speak to the dead areas in your life.

When Yeshua and His Living Words Are Spoken by the Righteous, the Dead Come Alive

“The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
—John 6:63 (KJV)

The resurrection of Lazarus is not only a historical miracle—it is a living principle. The same Word that called a dead man from a tomb still carries creative power today.

1. A Relationship That Seems Lost Can Be Revived

Relationships can decay into silence, misunderstanding, or estrangement. Yet what appears dead is not beyond restoration.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
—Proverbs 18:21 (KJV)

Words of faith, forgiveness, and truth—spoken in humility—can revive what seems irreparably broken.

2. Healing for the Body Through God’s Word

A body riddled with sickness and disease is not beyond the reach of divine command.

“Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.”
—Psalm 103:3 (KJV)

When God’s Word is confessed, and healing is commanded in faith, disease and affliction must yield.

3. Light for the Mind and Soul

Mental health struggles—depression, despair, anxiety—thrive in darkness. But darkness cannot withstand the Word of God.

“The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
—John 1:5 (KJV)

The Word brings life, clarity, and hope. Where Christ speaks, darkness is dismantled.

4. Speaking Life into Finances and Work

When finances crumble, and collapse seems inevitable, life can still be spoken into businesses, livelihoods, and provision.

“But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.”
—Deuteronomy 8:18 (KJV)

In these moments, listening to the Holy Spirit is essential. He reveals areas that must be addressed immediately, guiding repentance, wisdom, and restoration.

5. From Spiritual Poverty to Awakening

A person experiencing spiritual poverty can call on the Name of the Lord and be saved from darkness and spiritual death.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
—Revelation 3:20 (KJV)

God enters the heart, bringing awakening, fellowship, and new life.

6. Deliverance from Addiction

Those bound by addiction—at the end of their strength—are not abandoned.

“Whom the Son maketh free is free indeed.”
—John 8:36 (KJV)

Calling upon the Lord brings salvation, deliverance, and restoration.

7. The Word Destroys the Works of the Devil

The Word of God carries authority over darkness, oppression, and spiritual attack.

“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
—1 John 3:8 (KJV)

No chain is stronger than His command. Deliverance is possible.

Conclusion: Speaking Life Where Death Once Ruled

The Word of God in our mouths has the power to revive areas of “death” and darkness in our lives—just as it did in Bethany.

Dear reader, if you need healing or deliverance, restoration, or spiritual awakening, or any other need, I invite you to pray. Use your words and speak to the situation.

The tomb is not the end.
The Word still calls: “Come forth.”

Sinners Prayer:

Lord, I am at the end of my tether. Please help me. I can’t go on like this anymore. I invite you into my heart. I give you my heart. Please come in and use the precious blood of Christ to cleanse me of my sins, transgressions and iniquities (behaviour patterns). I invite your Holy Spirit into my life, fill me with your presence. I submit myself entirely to You and to Your Kingdom. Guide me and lead on Your everlasting ways. I pray it in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

ADVICE: Find a Bible-believing church and attend regularly. Read your Bible daily, pray continuously, and you will have great success. HINT: Start reading the Psalms and the 4 Gospels in the New Testament.

Deliverance Prayer: Use your Authoritative Words (commanding).

I use the authority of the believer, and I speak to this mountain, this sycamore tree (name the situation in private – say it out loud), be cast into the sea. I command sickness/disease/addiction/depression/financial strain/ruined relationships (and more) to go in Jesus’ Name. I rebuke the works of the Devil, I break Satan’s power over me in Jesus’ Name. I receive my healing/deliverance/solution/restored relationship/financial breakthrough/and more. Jesus, I release your ministering angels to work on my behalf. I am free in Jesus’ Name. I have Christ and His Holy Spirit in me, and nothing that comes against me will prosper. I have received all power and authority in heaven and on earth. I use this strong key, and I command the enemy to take his hands off me. I belong to Jesus, I am part of His Kingdom, and the enemy can do me no harm. I pray this in the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

I include a gallery label for the artwork.

Gallery Wall Label:

“Lazarus.”

William Van Zyl (New Zealand)
Completed January 2026
Acrylic on canvas with multi-media components

Lazarus draws on the biblical narrative of resurrection and renewal, situated within an imagined archaeological landscape of ancient Israel. The work is constructed over an aged topographical map, incorporating contour lines, symbols, and elevation values that reference both physical terrain and spiritual depth.

Dilapidated buildings emerge from the surface, symbolising decay, memory, and the passage of time, while the fictional burial site of Lazarus serves as the compositional centre. Arid landforms contrast with traces of vegetation, suggesting a tension between desolation and life.

The layered materials—Plaster of Paris bandage, air-dry clay, acrylic paint, copper wire, moss, leather, string, nails, copper wool, steel wire, thin copper sheeting, wooden sticks, and a hand-made paper legend—create a tactile dialogue between fragility and endurance. Together, they evoke themes of death, restoration, and the transformative power of spoken word and faith.

You, too, can be free.

Video: Instagram. The Tomb of Lazarus:

dimitris_tours https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ9AlAzIXnn/

Credit: Dimitris Tours.