The Last Day: A Prophetic Insight into Resurrection Life

With persistent wars raging in the Middle East and with “news from the East and North” more than troubling (Dan. 11:40-45), we who claim our inheritance in the Good Land await the “Last Day.” Out of this death and chaos shall arise resurrection life.

This message may not be what you anticipate at your next “prophecy conference,” but it is intensely prophetic. It resonates with the very words of the prophets acclaimed by Jesus: “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’” (John 6:45). Allow me to elaborate on how and when this shall occur.

The Promise of Resurrection at the Last Day

Four times Jesus declared, “I will raise it/him up at the Last Day” in John 6:39, 40, 44, and 54. No doubt, our Lord, in His discourse in the synagogue at Capernaum, Galilee (John 6:59), declared the very purpose of His manifestation as the Bread of Life. It was to give “everlasting life” to all who would believe in and partake of Him. But how could mortal man achieve the Last Day and be raised, resurrected to everlasting life by merely believing in and partaking of Him?

If anyone, like the 5,000 fed in the earlier part of John 6:1-14, seeks miraculous bread from heaven (manna) to fill their belly or craves a supernatural sign, that person will, like the fathers who ate manna in the wilderness, perish in their superficial encounters. They ingest the provision but lack faith in the One who provides it.

The True Hunger

The first two statements by Jesus in John 6:39-40 center on the Son of the Living God. The Lord does care for the hungry; after all, didn’t He feed the 5,000? Yet, something far more profound transpires here. You might say, “This is a teaching moment.” What lesson emerges? What were the 5,000 truly after? They sought to fulfill their physical hunger. However, they also aimed to “work the works of God” (John 6:28).

Jesus intended to shift their focus from “doing” to “believing.” Indeed, the very “work of God” is and will always be “to believe in Him” whom the Father has sent (John 6:29). However, we humans are often inclined to “do” rather than truly “believe.” Simply laboring to “do God’s work” isn’t what the miracle of feeding the 5,000 was all about.

Let’s bring it home here with a personal touch. “Philip, where shall we buy bread, that these (the 5,000) may eat?” “Lord, we have 200 denarii worth of bread—and guess what—it’s not enough; we can’t buy our way out of this!”

Have you ever faced overwhelming odds similar to this? Perhaps a serious illness, a death of a loved one, financial struggles, or even a setback in education? Maybe you've faced bankruptcy or felt unwanted in your church. The challenges can feel insurmountable.

Worse yet, Philip was being tested. The Lord who tested him already knew what He intended to do, regardless of Philip’s response. Philip counted coins. Andrew, Peter’s brother, joined the conversation: “I mean, 5 barley loaves and 2 SMALL fish? You can't be serious!” Faced with feeding 5,000, their limited resources felt childlike.

Learning to Trust

Men, in general, are often defined by what they “do” for a living. They seek to provide, whether through traditional roles or welfare systems. Real disciples of Jesus might be taught by well-meaning brethren that to genuinely follow Christ, they must prepare to be “workers for the Lord.” Diligence in following is essential. However, if your understanding of “doing the work of God” rests solely on action, then you’re missing the core of the message.

Listen closely: “when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,” then “those who hear will live” (John 5:25). “Everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the Last Day” (John 6:40). Yes, “seeing is believing,” and “hearing Him—you will hear!”

As you navigate through difficulties and find your resources scarce, your first instinct may be to look inward. We all tend to do that. But He has a plan: “He Himself knew what He would do” (John 6:6). Not what Philip or Andrew could accomplish but what He would perform.

You're in the thick of it; you're desperate for resurrection life. “Everyone who SEES THE SON and believes in Him” is destined for everlasting life, to be raised up at the Last Day. This speaks to a prophetic future. Yet doesn't it often feel like He is the God of the “Last Day” amidst your trials? Your extremity often becomes God's opportunity to display His power.

The Father's Drawing

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the Last Day” (John 6:44). After you see the Son, the Father will draw you into the profound fellowship that the Son has with Him. Once your eyes are opened to the Son—understanding His nature and capabilities—you still need to be drawn into their fellowship.

In John's First Epistle, he states: “Truly, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). For there to be an Eternal Father (Isa. 9:6, “Everlasting Father”), there must be an Eternal Son. The Triune God embodies fellowship, communion, and sharing, calling us to be “partakers of the Divine Nature” (2 Peter 1:4). The word “partaker” in Greek signifies fellowship or “koinonia”—an authentic partnership reflecting the communion shared between the Son and the Father.

A New Covenant of Intimacy

The New Covenant does not extract more work from five loaves and two fish. Instead, it invites us into the unending fellowship the Father has with the Son. Why do I mention the New Covenant? Because “I will raise him up at the Last Day” is followed by the profound statement: “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’” (John 6:45). This is not a random remark. How could they be taught by God?

“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a *new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers... (Jeremiah 31:31-34). This is the depth into which the Father is drawing us. It all hinges on the New Covenant. He has always desired to be our Husband—and we His Bride, not bound by a breakable agreement but one rooted in His grace, whereby He proclaims: “I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more.”

Thus, under the New Covenant, we are not merely teaching one another about the Law. Instead, we are taught directly by the Lord to “know the Lord” Himself. Once we understand Him, we grasp His character and His Law. See the Son; be drawn by the Father!

The Call to Intimacy

What happens in our fellowship with the Son and the Father? An intimacy distinct to true Christianity emerges—“Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the Last Day” (John 6:54).

This final call to “raise him up on the Last Day” comes from our ingestion of “the flesh of the Son of Man” and drinking of “His blood.” The intimacy is undeniable. Jesus poses a question, “Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?” (John 6:61-63).

Many believers embark on “discipleship programs” to deepen their relationship with Christ, which is commendable. However, let's remember that “many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:66). Trusting in our achievements, workshops, or certifications as disciples falls short. The question remains: Have we truly believed and partaken of His body and blood? That is where the challenge lies!

Understand this: By His Spirit, you have become one with God Almighty through the nourishment of Jesus Christ. The Son, the Father, and now the Spirit—the Triune God—is your everlasting source. We are being raised by the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit (Isa. 63:11, 16).

The New Covenant Revealed

The New Covenant was declared at the Passover Preparation meal: “Jesus took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup and gave thanks, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the *New Covenant..” (Matt. 26:2729, John 6:51, 53-54).

God’s ultimate plan is an extreme intimacy where the New Covenant facilitates deep communion among the Son, the Father, and us. This is the divine teaching the Lord offers: “...they shall be taught by God”—no more shall everyone instruct their neighbors, for “they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them” (Jer. 31:34).

Conclusion: The Eternal Hope

Today, the New Covenant frames our view of God not from afar but through His body and blood. We have become His New Creation, His One New Man, underscored by the promise: “I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Eph. 2:18). God Almighty, the Father, through the body and blood of the Son, makes Himself fully available to humanity—making us instruments for His Image, awaiting that Last Day when we shall be raised up in incorruptible bodies like His glorious body: “We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed—in the moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump” (1 Cor. 15:51-52).

Is this concept complex? Yes, but it is exactly what we need amidst the chaos of this world. You may wonder how such “divine platitudes” can apply when confusion reigns. Yet this is precisely why seeing the Son, being drawn by the Father, and partaking in the Spirit are the only remedies for our present struggles. These truths provide the antidote to humanity's wounds. Whether from the greatest to the least, the door of forgiveness opens to all, regardless of status or background.

All around us, people are hungry, and we may lack the means to relieve their suffering. Yet we gain confidence in the truth of the New Covenant through His body and blood! Amen.