5:28-29 What does Jesus mean that all who are in the grave will hear His voice and shall come forth?
5:28-29 What does Jesus mean that all who are in the grave will hear His voice and shall come forth?
Jesus is responding here to the Jews who were questioning His authority to heal on the Sabbath (CP V16-27).
The word quickeneth in V21 means to make alive; to raise the dead to life (CP Ro 4:17; 8:11; 1Cor 15:22, 36; 1Pe 3:18).
Jesus was telling the Jews in 5:21, 28-29 that the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath was simply a sign of a more significant authority which He would exercise in the future.
He would raise dead people to life - some to everlasting life, some to eternal damnation. Jesus is talking about two resurrections in Jn 5:28-29: the resurrection of the righteous dead - from Abel onwards, which is called the First Resurrection, and the resurrection of the unrighteous dead (CP Dan 12:1-2).
While the two resurrections are merged into one both here and in Jn 5:28-29, there are however over 1000 years separating them (CP Rev 20:4-6).
The First Resurrection includes the rapture of the church. This is when Jesus comes again for all the saints of God - both living and dead, Old Testament and New Testament alike - to take them back to Heaven with Him (CP Jn 14:1-3; 1Cor 15:19-23, 51-54; 1Th 4:13-18).
Many Christians believe that the Old Testament saints will not be resurrected until after the Great Tribulation, but that is not correct, as these scriptures all teach. Jesus died to redeem the Old Testament saints too. They looked forward to the cross and its salvation benefits in faith, as we look back to it in faith (CP Ro 3:23-26; He 9:13-15; 11:4-5, 7-10, 13-16, 39-40).
The second resurrection is called the Second Death, or Great White Throne Judgment, when all the unrighteous dead will be cast down to hell (CP Rev 20:7-15). See also comments on Lu 21:36; Jn 14:1-3, 1Cor 15:58, Php 3:20-21, 1Th 4:17-18, 2Th 2:1-3, 2:6-8; 2Ti 2:18; Rev 1:19, 3:7-13, 20:11-15 and author's studies
The Rapture in his book Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith, and Coming Judgements of God in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1).