The Importance of John the Baptist in Eschatology

The Eschatology of John Part 7: John 1

Today we will be discussing a passage that is common to all four accounts of the gospel. Two of the four gospel accounts narrate the brith of Jesus, but all four include this passage. Welcome to the first article in our series on specific eschatological sayings in the Gospel of John.

In this series, we will be moving through John’s gospel chapter by chapter. I would like for this series to be slow and intentional. While we won’t overturn every stone, I do want to give enough details so that you can have a comprehensive understanding of John’s eschatology, which is biblical eschatology.

In the first article, we demonstrated how Paul and John shared in one eschatological hope, which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). This theme of mutual indwelling runs throughout John’s writings, and, as we shall see, is John’s definition of eternal life and resurrection.

In the next five articles, we journeyed through John by focusing on five themes which all demonstrate John’s purpose in telling his perspective of the gospel story: to impart life-giving faith to his readers.

As I’ve pointed out several times, everything we’ve discussed so far has been related to eschatology, even if the texts we examined aren’t typically considered when discussing eschatological statements of Jesus in John, such as the general resurrection predictions in John 5. Having this foundation, let’s open our Bibles to John 1 and begin.

Darkness and Death, Light and Life (1:1-18)

Key Terms in John 1:1-18

In John’s writings, including his epistles and Revelation, there are several key words we must keep track of in our study. These words come in pairs of opposites: “light” and “darkness,” “life” and “death,” and “truth” and “lies.” There are more, such as “above” and “below,” and we will point them out as we come across them.

As you read through John’s writings on your own, it is a good idea to keep track of these themes. Personally, I use symbols in the margins of my paper Bible so I can see them quickly as I flip through the pages. You might also use various colors of highlighters or pens, or you might have an electronic Bible that allows you to put distinguishing marks on passages or particular words. Note: I will occasionally include inline footnotes such as this that I want you to read but aren’t necessary to the flow of the text.

All of these major themes are introduced in what is often called the prologue of John.

Light and Darkness: verses 4-5, 7-9

Life and Death: verses 4, 12-13 (being “born of God” is analogous to “life”)

Truth and Lies: verses 14, 17-18 (the “truth” is the true identify of the Father as revealed by Jesus)

Above and Below: verses 10-11, 14 (the words “world” and “below” are often interchangeable, cf. John 8:23)

Each of these themes are related to eschatology because each of these themes convey the idea of being separated from God’s presence versus awaking to the reality of God’s life-giving presence. I use the expression “awaking to the reality of God’s life-giving presence” because “waking up” versus “falling asleep” are common ways to speak of resurrection (John 11:11-15; Romans 13:11-14; Ephesians 5:11-14).

Waking Up

As you read the following passages, pay close attention to the correlation between sleep and resurrection, but also watch out for the other themes mentioned above.

John 11:11-15 says,

After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” John 11:11–15

Romans 13:11-14 says,

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is already the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone; the day is near. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us walk decently as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in illicit sex and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:11–14

Ephesians 5:11-14 says,

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness; rather, expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly, but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:11–14

So one way to talk about eschatology is to speak of “waking up” to the Truth of who God is, that God is light and in him is no darkness. This knowledge of God, which is deeper than simply knowing about God, is the fulfillment of the one hope: Christ in you. The only Way one could know God in this way is if they were in Christ and Christ was in them.

Thus, the last book of the Bible is called the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It’s important to “reveal” who Jesus actually is because if we see Christ, we see the Father.

Hints of Covenant Eschatology

The expression “covenant eschatology” means different things to different people, but for our study, we will use this expression to convey the idea that the eschatological transformation foreseen by the prophets is best expressed as a fulfillment of the old covenant age, which brings about its end or consummation as well as the inauguration of the new covenant age.

In John 1:17, John said, “The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

Obviously, the law of Moses was an expression of God’s grace, and it was certainly true, but, as other New Testament authors affirm, it presented a veiled view of God if read without Christ (2 Corinthians 3).

The ultimate expression of grace and truth is found in the ministry of Jesus (see the overview of John for a detailed account of this). John explains what makes Jesus different: “No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (John 1:18).

Moses was a great man, a mighty leader, and he received the law from God, but he never saw God face to face. The Hebrews writer similarly says,

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being… Hebrews 1:1–3

Thus, moving from Moses as the head of the people to Christ as the new Moses means moving from an incomplete or veiled view of God to a face to face relationship with God. Since Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s very being, only he can fully reveal the blessed truth that God is love.

The transition between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is a transition into a more perfect understanding of God, which means reconciliation, life, and light. All of these, of course, are different ways of speaking of resurrection.

The Ministry of John the Baptist

Who is John the Baptist?

As John the Baptist continued baptizing people in the wilderness, he caught the attention of the priests and Levites. They wanted to know who he was. John answered by quoting a passage from Isaiah 40:3.

He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ ” as the prophet Isaiah said. John 1:23

For many of us, Isaiah 40 was not typically part of our daily devotions, but one glimpse at this chapter will reveal its importance to any study on eschatology.

Here is a small selection of passages from Isaiah 40.

Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 40:5

Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms and carry them in his bosom and gently lead the mother sheep. Isaiah 40:9–11

John’s arrival as the voice of Isaiah 40 means that the glory of God was ready to be revealed. It means that “all flesh” was about to see God’s glory together. Could this reference to all flesh seeing God’s glory be related to Joel’s promise that the Spirit of God would be poured out onto all flesh?

The second series of passages speaks of the announcement of the good news, the reward of the saints, and the arrival of God as the Chief Shepherd. If you read the overview, then you will recognize the last of these images.

The point here is that John’s identification as the voice in the wildness means that Israel’s promises were about to be fulfilled; her hope of restoration was finally within sight.

Eschatological Sayings of John

Next, we will look at two major comments John made in John 1. Unfortunately, John’s preaching isn’t as detailed in John as it is in Matthew, but the synoptics tend to contain more prophetic language in comparison to John, at least in John’s gospel account.

The Lamb of God

First, John the Baptist called Jesus the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Since the removal of sin and eschatology are closely related, we will treat this as an eschatological statement.

To see the connection between soteriology and eschatology, one could look at a number of passages, but Hebrews 9:26 will do: “But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26).

There is discussion among the commentaries as to why John combines Passover themes with sacrificial themes, since the Passover lamb wasn’t seen as an expiatory sacrifice. I don’t think that John is doing this on his own here; instead, as he does in other places, I think he is drawing from Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 45:21-22, Ezekiel describes life in restored Israel, and in this series of descriptions, he combines imagery from Passover and the Day of Atonement.

Below is an extended quotation from Contours of Pauline Theology, one of my favorite books on Paul. Feel free to skip it, but I think it is worth your time:

In Ezekiel 45:25 the prophet tells how the prince will offer an abundance of sacrifices for the sins of the people. What is significant is that these offerings are not made on the Day of Atonement. Indeed, Ezekiel never mentions the Day of Atonement in the context of the eschatological temple. What he does say is that these sacrifices will be offered during the Passover. This is of great importance. If Ezekiel, a priest who had preached against the sins of tampering with the laws of Yahweh (Ezek. 20:13–20; 23:30, 37–38), seeks to change the sacrificial system so dramatically, he can be doing only one thing: he is emphasising the importance of the Passover for dealing with the sins of the people. To make this point, he does the unthinkable and changes the law of Moses. The eschatological Passover will propitiate for the sins of the people. Indeed, Ezekiel anticipates what the Son of David himself will do, for he brought atonement right into the centre of the Passover celebration (Ezek. 45:21ff.).¹ p.161

Later in this chapter, Holland links this idea to John 1:29 as I have here.

If John depends upon Ezekiel for his eschatology in references to the living water, being born again, and the sheep and shepherd imagery, then this potential connection in John 1:29 suggests that we should keep our eyes open for future references to Ezekiel in our study of John’s eschatology.

I have heard some whom I greatly respect point out that John uses the singular “sin” in John 1:29 instead of “sins,” like in Matthew 26:28. While this is true, I’m not sure how much can be made of this point. If there is a singular “sin” which John has in mind, it could be in reference to the Original Lie introduced by the serpent in Genesis 3, but I am unconvinced that this is the intended reading of this passage.

The Holy Spirit

I recently did a ten lesson series on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I spent a lot of time in this series going through John, and there is liable to be a lot of overlap between that series and our evaluation of the eschatology of John. Still, I think it would benefit you to listen to this series with a critical ear. You can find the playlist here.

In John 1:32-34, John said,

And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One.” John 1:32–34

First, the Spirit descending like a dove might remind us once again of the creation story. In Genesis 1, the Spirit of God is pictured as a mother bird hovering over her young. Could John’s depiction of a the Spirit of God as a dove hovering over the waters of baptism be an intentional hint that the new creation was at hand?

Second, John foreshadows a future conversation by comparing his baptism “with water” to the one who would baptize with “the Holy Spirit.” In John 3 and beyond, water is used to signify the work of the Spirit, a theme that comes from Ezekiel 36—we’ll cover this in more detail in John 3.

Third, John recognizes Jesus as the Chosen One. Jesus is the Elect of God. He is the one “about whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth” (John 1:45). This last line comes from Philip. Did Philip get this, either directly or indirectly, from John?

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is important because it is linked directly to the restoration of Israel. In Acts 1, for instance, there is an interesting exchange between Jesus and his disciples:

While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:4–6

They assumed the time for restoration had come because of Jesus’s promise that they would soon be baptized by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus had taught this on a number of occasions, but there are several major passages in the Scriptures which may have correctly influenced their thinking. Here are two. As you read these, pay close attention to each passage. Read them slowly and deliberately, taking note of any Johannine themes:

Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people, and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD when I open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act, says the LORD.” Ezekiel 37:11–14

Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female slaves, in those days I will pour out my spirit. I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls. For then, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, Joel 2:28–3:1

Conclusion

In this study of the first chapter of John, we looked at two major clusters of passages which set us up for success in our study of the eschatology of John. The first cluster of verses was contained within the prologue and relate to themes of darkness, light, life, truth and the world below. The second cluster of passages dealt with the ministry of John the Baptist.

If we understand that John the Baptist is the voice of Isaiah 40:3, we realize that his arrival meant that Israel’s hope was nigh unto being realized. The comments he made concerning Jesus further solidify this fact.

Next, we turn our attention to John 2.

If you want this series to continue, please like, comment, or message me to let me know of your continued interest. Also, ask questions, point out typos, and engage in kind discussion.

1. Holland, Tom. Contours of Pauline Theology: A Radical New Survey of the Influences on Paul’s Biblical Writings. Scotland, UK: Christian Focus Publications, 2004. Print.