John 5:24-29| The Holy Spirit and Resurrection #12

In our last installment, we took note that the last days work of the Spirit was to be the resurrection of Israel from the dead. We demonstrated that the last days work of the Holy Spirit was to be miraculous in nature, and would include the restoration of the prophetic office, the restoration of the “Ephod” (Hosea 3:4f).

This issue can hardly be over-emphasized, so let me re-state my case:

The resurrection of John 5:24-29 would be accomplished through the last days work of the Spirit. We should note that there is broad consensus that in John 5 Jesus is drawing on Ezekiel 37 as well as Daniel 12.

The last days work of the Holy Spirit would include the restoration of the divinely inspired office of the prophets (Hosea 3/ Joel 2) who would speak with divine power, divine authority, divine inspiration.

If therefore, we do not today witness the presence of divinely inspired, divinely empowered, divinely authoritative prophets, then either the resurrection of John 5:28-29 has failed, or, that resurrection has taken place.

There is no way to divorce the presence of the prophetic office from the last days resurrection work of the Spirit. Thus, if there are no divinely empowered, authoritative prophets in the church today, then the resurrection of John 5:28-29 has taken place.

The Holy Spirit, Resurrection and the Prophetic Office: Where Are the Prophets?

I say, with all due respect, but with full confidence, there are no living, divinely inspired, authoritative prophets operative in the church today. If there are, where are they? And if there are, then those prophets should be able to demonstrate, beyond doubt, that they are truly the divinely empowered, authoritative Voice of God in the world today.

Paul said that the charismatic gifts of the Spirit were given as the guarantee, the “arrabon” of the Day of Redemption (Ephesians 1:12-13; 4:30). The Spirit was the guarantee of the resurrection itself– the resurrection of John 5! (The word arrabon is not so much “down payment” as we like to think of it, as it was guarantee. This is an important, but often overlooked fact).

So, the gifts of the Holy Spirit were the guarantee of the fulfillment and realization of the resurrection of John 5:28-29. If therefore, the resurrection of John 5:28-29 has not occurred, of necessity, the charismatic gifts of the Spirit– including the office of divinely inspired prophet– must still be operative in the church today.

However, the office of divinely inspired, authoritative prophets is not operative in the church today.

Therefore, either the Holy Spirit did not fulfill his work of guaranteeing the resurrection…

Or,

The resurrection of John 5:28-29 has taken place.

Needless to say, for those in the Amillennial, Postmillennial, and even the Dispensational world that rejects the operation if the charismatic gifts of the Spirit in the church today– and particularly the office of inspired prophet– this is incredibly significant.

For instance, Kenneth Gentry, in his book, The Charismatic Gift of Prophecy, interacting with Wayne Grudem, argued that the inspired office of prophets has ceased. Yet, he insists that the resurrection of John 5:28f has not taken place. This is totally inconsistent and fatally flawed.

To divorce the resurrection of John 5:24-29 from the last days restoration of the prophetic office is not warranted. Thus, to reiterate, if the resurrection of John 5:28-29 has not taken place, we should have today, operative in the church, inspired, authoritative, prophets. Resurrection, the Holy Spirit and the prophetic office go hand in hand.

We have more, so stay tuned!