Raised Up on the Last Day

Many Christians believe that all God’s people will be resurrected on the last day of the world, based on John 6:39: “And this is the will of him [God] who sent me [Jesus], that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it [them] up on the last day” (John 6:39).

But is that really what John meant?

First, by the late AD 50’s and 60s, the New Testament writers were proclaiming that the last hour, which is a subset of the last day, had already arrived. For example, John–the same John who uttered John 6:39–said in approximately AD 60:

“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour” (1 John 2:18; see also Rom. 13:11). Note: antichrists were people in the first century who denied that Jesus is the Messiah (1 John 2:22-23, 4:2-3; 2 John 7).

So if the last hour had already arrived by this time–and it had–then surely the last day had too. Therefore, the resurrection (John 6:39) must have happened in the first century too.

Second, to understand John 6:39, we must first answer the following question: Who was Jesus referring to? Who did Jesus say would be raised up on the last day? While Jesus does not tell us in this chapter, he does tell us in chapter 17: “They were Yours [the Father’s], and you gave them to Me [Jesus]” (John 17:6; see also John 5:46 and 8:42). These were the righteous remnant of old covenant Israel in Jesus’s day, the faithful Jews such as the apostles. These people already belonged to the Father, and the Father gave them to Jesus, who would “raise them up”–give them eternal life–on the last day (of the old covenant age).

Contrary to many commentators, Jesus is not referring (in John 6:39) to all God’s people who had ever lived and ever will live. Chapter 17 explicitly shows that Jesus is referring to the righteous remnant of Israel in that day. As further evidence of this, notice that both chapters discuss the same subject: everlasting life/eternal life. In John 6:47, Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” Likewise, in John 17:2–6, Jesus prays, “You [Father] have given Him [Jesus] authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent…They were Yours, You gave them to Me” (John 17:2–6). These people–the righteous remnant of Jews in Jesus’ day–already belonged to the Father, and the Father gave them to Jesus, who would raise them up on the last day (of the Old Covenant age).

Why did the righteous remnant of Israel need to be raised up? Because there was no salvation/eternal life under the old covenant system. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins (Heb. 10:4). So they had to be raised up from the old covenant “ministry of death” (2 Cor. 3:7) into the new covenant ministry of life (John 3:16, 11:26)! And this would officially happen on the last day of the old covenant age.

And when did the old covenant age end? When the temple fell in AD 70 (Matt. 24:2–3, 34; Heb. 8:13).

For more about the old covenant age, see my article “Are We Living in the Last Days?” Or, for a more detailed discussion, see my book The End Is Here: How the New Testament’s Prophecies Were Fulfilled.

By Alex Polyak, Director of The Bible Fulfilled, June 25, 2024