Hello DC....
Yes I can expand on this a bit.
in jn5:Jesus explains how He is sent by THE FATHER...He is the Elect servant Of The Lord from the servant song in Isa.40-54
He always does the Fathers will. Jesus reveals the Father during His earthly ministry and as the Servant He never acts independently of the Fathers will.
This is His part in the Covenant of Redemption which was made between the Father, Son, and Spirit before the world was and is revealed in time.
I am in general agreement with this though this "Covenant of Redemption you keep speaking of has still not been addressed in regards to my posts which distinguish between the Covenants. As I said in previous posts, I view all Covenants as part of the progressively revealed Redemptive Plan of God, so don't reject the use of the term, but, I do not view all Covenants to provide the same provision.
So just reiterating that point which has gone unanswered in many posts and threads.
Now in jn 5 He explains the rapture.....
Some see this as the Rapture, I do not, based on the differences we see as well as how it doesn't fit all prophetic passages dealing with Resurrection.
then in Jn 6...he explains the timing of the rapture...the last day.
So when is that Last Day?
We have several contenders, as we see a Resurrection in the middle of the Tribulation in regards to the Two Witnesses, we see a resurrection of the Tribulation Martyrs in Revelation 20 (and only believers are resurrected, and it is made clear unbelievers are not), and we see a resurrection that follows the thousand years, when the unbelievers not resurrected in the First Resurrection are raised to stand before the Great White Throne.
Which one of these is the Rapture spoken of by Christ in John 5?
He explains the objects of the rapture.....All the Father gives to Me...shall come to Me.
Agreed for the most part, though the Rapture of the Church can be distinguished from the effectual call. The general principle still applies.
He reveals the objects of God's Covenant love...
Those elected by God before the world was, He comes to die for them alone with a perfect and 100% effectual work on the cross. Then He will ascend to the throne and send the Spirit to seek and secure all those given to Him.
Agreed.
They are born from above at a point in time, made willing and able to believe savingly in the blood of the cross.
Agreed.
He then announces He will raise them up ....ON THE LAST DAY.
So which "day" is the Last Day?
One of the problems we have with making the Rapture a general resurrection is that in the Rapture...only the Church is mentioned being raised. So too with the First Resurrection.
We see that the resurrection Christ speaks about here involves both just and unjust, believer and unbeliever:
John 5:25-29
King James Version (KJV)
25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
28 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.
So the "Last Day" must be the resurrection taught in Revelation 20, right?
But which one?
Same thing in John 6:
John 6:54
King James Version (KJV)
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
This is a foundational teaching of resurrection as found in the Old Testament:
Daniel 12
King James Version (KJV)
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
So we have to know why we see several events of resurrection, yet Christ is teaching a general resurrection here.
The answer is simple: Christ is not teaching the mysteries that are unveiled through New Testament writing. What He teaches does not negate the foundational teachings, but neither do His teachings demand only one event of resurrection. He taught within the framework of the revelation provided to men in that day, and what He teaches here remains true, because the general principles, the foundational teachings...are just as valid within the framework of New Testament revelation as they were when He taught them, and as they were when they were first given.
Christ is not teaching about the Rapture here, but the general principle that men must believe in His death to obtain eternal life. This eternal life is contrasted with the life provided to the fathers, who Christ states are dead. That state of death is contrasted with the Life the Bread of Heaven came down from Heaven to provide men with Life which does not allow for death:
John 6:49-50
King James Version (KJV)
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
The Jews are trusting in heritage for their relationship with God, yet the relationship provided through the New Covenant and the Life of the Bread of Heaven contrasted with the physical provision of manna are...different. It is the difference between shadow and reality.
All that are in the graves.....believers raised to life...unbelievers to the white throne judgment......
We can see in Revelation that there is a resurrection which is only believers, the unbelievers clearly stated not to be resurrected at this time:
Revelation 20
King James Version (KJV)
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 worshipped 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 lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
So we establish that there is more than just one general resurrection of the dead as taught in the foundational principles of the Oracles of God.
So again, when is the Last Day?
How do you explain this resurrection as compared to the final resurrection of the dead...
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 delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
...?
Continued...