The Holy Spirit as the Giver of the Resurrection Life: His Eschatological Function

The Holy Spirit as Life-transforming agent

He transformed the chaos into a new organized state - in a sense he is the Creator (Genesis 1:2 “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

presumably - the Spirit’s work coninued through the creative word of God

Job (Job 33:4 “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

indicates that he was created by the Spirit, not from nothing but from human sexual relations

the Spirit also maintain his life in the womb and throughout his human existence

Psalm 104:3 “He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind;”

God send the Spirit to create all nonhuman living creatures in the sea and the land

God preserves the animals and the vegetative life, indicating a continual creative process.

the Spirit also equips people to carry out specific tasks in the service to the people of Israel (prophesying, leading, or other special roles)

Eschatological work of the Holy Spirit from the Old Testament

the Spirit is prophesied to be the creator of new life in the age to come, just as the Spirit had created life in the first creation

Ezekiel 36:26–27 “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

God will transform unbelievers into the people of God by removing “the heart of stone” and giving them “a heart of flesh,” that is, giving them “a new heart” and “a new spirit.”

this will occur in the end-time Israel, when God will restore them from unbelief and exile and cause them to live in the transformed land of promise.

Ezekiel 37:1–14 “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had …”

the passage expands on this promise

Vs. 1–10 - the picture of God putting “breath” (or “spirit” or the “Spirit”) into bones and causing flesh and sinews to grow on the bones to raise up the dead bones and form them into new people.

Vs. 11-14 - the interpretation:

the bones represent spiritually dead Israel, living in exile (“graves”) outside the land (v. 11)

God will raise the people of Israel from spiritual death (v. 12a), breathe into them and give them spiritual “life” through his “Spirit” (v. 14)

God will restore them from spiritual and physical exile back into the land (v. 12b) so that they willl “know” that it is God who has performed this (vv. 13, 14b).

Significance of the allusion:

Israel’s coming to life through God’s inbreathing is a recapitulation of God’s first act of breathing into Adam and giving him life.

Following the two-stage formation of the creation of the first man in Gen. 2:7, Ezek. 37 likewise depicts two stages of the creation of restored Israel:

the formation of bodies

God breathes life into them

a recapitulated new-creational theme, affirming that Israel’s future resurrection will be part of an act of new creation

Ezek. 37

commentators - a metaphor for Israel’s restoration to the land

also a prophecy that when God brings Israel back to the land, he will also regenerate Israel spiritually

implication:

at some later point he will complete this spiritual enlivening by performing a physical enlivening—physical resurrection

Revelation 11:11–12 “But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.”

The Spirit as life-giver

vindication of the “two witnesses” (who represent the church) and their message before the eyes of the unbelieving world

after the death of the “two witnesses”, there was a revival of life for them

In verse 11, “the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet” is based on Ezekiel 37:5 “Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.” and Ezekiel 37:10 “So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.”

What kind of resurrection is mentioned here?

actual resurrection?

figurative portrayal of a resurrection?

Ezek. 37:5, 10

part of a metaphorical picture of Israel’s end-time restoration from Babylonian captivity

but this restoration included a literal spiritual regeneration

renewal of the heart by means of God’s Spirit

Rev 11:11-12

portrays more than a “spiritual” resurrection

God’s people will be vindicated at the very end of the age

as was Christ, by physical resurrection (see on 20:12–15; 21:1–22:5)

exegetical point of Rev. 11:11–12

to convey a symbolic depiction and to underscore the figurative meaning of prophetic vindication and validation

other passages in Revelation and the NT indicate that the precise form of vindication will be through physical resurrection

John appears to understand the spiritual resurrection in that chapter to find its consummate form in physical resurrection, which also comes about through the agency of the Spirit.

The Point

the Holy Spirit is the eschatological life-giver, enabling people to enter into the ressurection life of the new creation

Ellen G. White’s comments:

Agent of Resurrection: Ellen White emphasized that the Holy Spirit is the power that will bring about the resurrection of the just. She wrote that the same Spirit that was active in the creation and the miracles of Jesus will also be responsible for raising the dead1. EG White, The Spirit of God, 9.5

Divine Power: She described the Holy Spirit as the divine power that will give life to the dry bones, referencing the vision in Ezekiel 37. This power will restore the breath of life to the deceased, enabling them to live again2. EGW, Maranatha, October 20

God shall give the righteous dead a body that will please Him, free from disease and every defect.

Preservation of Character: According to White, the spirit or character of a person is preserved by God and will be restored in the resurrection. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in this process, ensuring that individuals are resurrected with their unique identities intact. EGW, Maranatha, October 20

The Appeal: The Holy Spirit as a Life-Transforming Agent

Dear Friends,

The Holy Spirit is not just a passive presence but a dynamic, life-transforming agent. From the very beginning, the Spirit has been at work, bringing order out of chaos and breathing life into creation.

Creator and Sustainer: In Genesis 1:2, we see the Spirit of God hovering over the waters, transforming the formless and void earth into a beautifully organized world. This creative power continued through God’s word, shaping the universe and everything in it. Job acknowledges this in Job 33:4, saying, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” The Spirit not only initiates life but sustains it from conception through all stages of human existence.

Agent of Continual Creation: Psalm 104:3 illustrates how God sends the Spirit to create and sustain all living creatures, both in the sea and on land. This ongoing creative process highlights the Spirit’s role in preserving the natural world, ensuring that life continues to flourish.

Equipping for Service: The Holy Spirit also empowers individuals for specific tasks. Throughout the Old Testament, we see the Spirit equipping people to prophesy, lead, and serve in various capacities, demonstrating that the Spirit’s work is not limited to creation but extends to guiding and empowering God’s people.

Eschatological Promise: The Spirit’s transformative work is not confined to the past or present but extends into the future. In Ezekiel 36:26-27, God promises to give His people a new heart and a new spirit, replacing their heart of stone with a heart of flesh. This transformation will enable them to walk in His statutes and obey His rules. Similarly, Ezekiel 37:1-14 portrays a powerful vision of dry bones coming to life through the Spirit, symbolizing the restoration of Israel from spiritual death and exile.

A Call to Transformation: Just as the Spirit breathed life into Adam, He is ready to breathe new life into us today. The same Spirit that transformed chaos into order, that created and sustains life, is available to transform our hearts and lives. Let us open ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s work, allowing Him to renew our minds, empower our actions, and guide us into a deeper relationship with God.

Agent of Resurrection: If by chance, anyone will sleep ahead just as Ma’am Ching had gone ahead of us, let us have the hope that on that resurrection morning, the Holy Spirit will put in His breath upon the just ensuring they are resurrected with bodies free from diesease and every defect.

While waiting for the eschatological life-transforming work of the Holy Spirit, may we all experience the life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit right now, becoming new creations in Christ and living out our God-given purpose with renewed vigor and faith.

Blessings to all of you.