TheoRhēma (Oct 2023)
The Concept of Resurrection as Defined in John 5:25–29
Abstract
Most biblical scholars in the NT associate a spiritual view for οἱ νεκροί in John 5:25, who will be raised in the present, while they consider a literal view for οἱ ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις in John 5:28-29 who will be resurrected in the future. This paper contends for the timeline of the event of the resurrection in the lense of the ἔρχεται ὥρα concept and essential syntactical similarities of the participants of the resurrection described as οἱ νεκροί in John 5:25 and οἱ ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις in John 5:28-29. The investigation of the ἔρχεται ὥρα concept in the NT shows that purely futuristic themes like resurrection become available in the present. At the core of John’s use of ἀνάστασις lies a concrete notion of resurrection, which introduces the essence and a unique timeline of the event. A bodily resurrection in both texts should not be seen as separate events, for the future has begun in the person and presence of Christ. Like in Lazarus’s case, resurrection events in John’s day validate the future resurrection.
