John 5:28

28 Don't be surprised at this: A time is coming when all who are dead and in their graves will hear his voice.

John 5:28 Meaning and Commentary

John 5:28

Marvel not at this
Either at the cure of the man that had been diseased thirty and eight years, as some think; or at the Son of God being also the son of man, as the Syriac version suggests; or rather at the dead hearing the voice of the Son of God, and living upon it; and at his having authority to execute judgment upon all, to govern and defend his own church and people, and in the last day acquit them, and to take vengeance on his and their enemies, both now and hereafter:

for the hour is coming, in which all that are in their graves shall
hear his voice.
This respects the general resurrection; for there will be a resurrection both of the just and unjust, of all that are in their graves; and though all that are dead are not in graves, or interred in the earth, as some are in the sea; yet, because the greater part are in graves, this phrase is chosen to express the universality of the resurrection: and this is also a proof of the resurrection of the same body; for what else are in the graves but bodies? and what else can come forth from them but the same bodies? and the time is hastening on when these bodies shall be quickened, and hear the voice of the Son of God; which whether the same with the voice of the archangel in ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16 ) ; and whether an articulate voice, or a violent clap of thunder, which is the voice of God, or only the exertion of Christ's mighty power is intended, is not easy to determine, and may be needless to inquire. Certain it is, that this voice of Christ will be attended with almighty power, as the effect following upon it will show. The Jews observe ^F7, that

``there are three things which do not come into the world but "by voices"; there is the voice of a living creature, as it is written, ( Genesis 3:16 ) , "in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children", and as it is written, ( Genesis 30:22 ) , "and God hearkened to her"; and there is the voice of rains, as it is written, ( 1 Kings 18:41 ) , "for there is a voice of abundance of rain", and it is written, ( Psalms 29:3 ) , "the voice of the Lord is upon the waters"; and (Mytmh tyyht lwq) , "there is the voice of the resurrection of the dead", as it is written, ( Isaiah 40:3 ) , "the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness";''

but that was the voice of John the Baptist. It will be the voice of the Son of God that will quicken and raise the dead.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Zohar in Gen. fol. 70. 4.

John 5:28 In-Context

26 Life comes from the Father himself, and he has allowed the Son to have life in himself as well.

27 And the Father has given the Son the power to judge, because he is the Son of Man.

28 Don't be surprised at this: A time is coming when all who are dead and in their graves will hear his voice.

29 Then they will come out of their graves. Those who did good will rise and have life forever, but those who did evil will rise to be judged guilty.

30 "I can do nothing alone. I judge only the way I am told, so my judgment is fair. I don't try to please myself, but I try to please the One who sent me.