By: Robert Serreyn

Question? Help I am confused about John 5:28 & 29?

(John 5:28 – 29) Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, (29) And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Answer:

This two verses are EASY to be understood once you know how to understand them.

There are those THAT TRY to teach that John 5:28 & 29 is referring to the Rapture, but this is NOT TRUE.

The Christian MUST REMEMBER one important thing that the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are PRIMARILY Old Testament books), Therefore just like the Old Testament Prophets and Christians they KNEW NOTHING of the Rapture or the time period that we are now living in called the CHURCH AGE.

It is also VERY IMPORTANT for a christian TO STUDY and to have a CLEAR UNDERSTANDING of the different dispensations taught in the Word of God, IF NOT the christian will have a confused jumbled up misunderstanding of Bible Prophecy and events and when thay are suppose to take place.

A very good book on Biblical Dispensations is Titled: “Dispensational Truth by: Rev Clarence Larkin.

John 5:28-29 as follows…

– V28- For the Hour is Coming = The Second Coming of Christ at the end of the 7 Year Tribulation Period

Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.

Revelation 19:10-16 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (11) And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (12) His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. (13) And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (15) And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (16) And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

– V28 – Which all that are in the graves = Old Testament christians

– V29 – They that have done good = The Tribulation christians that have died during the 7 year Tribulation period.

– V29 – They that have done Evil = The unsaved and Lost, these people WILL NOT be brought out of Torment (hell) in the Center of the Earth until at the end of the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom and then at the Great White Throne Judgement they will receive be Judged by Christ to receive their degree of punishment in the Lake of Fire.

There is a One Thousand year GAP PERIOD OF TIME between V29a and 29b.

-V29a – They that have done good, unto the resurrection of life = Resurrection of the SAVED

These Christians (Tribulation Saints) will start out in the beginning of the Milliennial Kingdom and their life span will be expanded to live out the entire length of Christ’s 1,000 year Kingdom.

Revelation 20:4-6 – (4) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (5) But the rest of the dead ( the Unsaved) lived not again until the thousand years were finished(<- NOTE: this is at the end of the Millennial(1,000 yr) Kingdom) . This is the first resurrection. (6) Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection (Resurrection of the Saved): on such the second death (being judged at the Great White Throne Judgement and cast into the Lake of Fire) hath no power, but they (The Saved) shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years (In the Millennial Kingdom). – V29b – They that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation = Resurrection of the UNSAVED to be judged at the Great White Throne Judgement.

Revelation 20:11-15 (11) And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (Torment that is in the center of the earth) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins. the MOMENT you believe(TRUST in Christ ALONE) you recieve eternal life.

-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8

-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24

-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9

“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23

IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH