Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 5:29

"and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment." — John 5:29 (ASV)

This passage contains one of the few references to eschatology in John’s gospel. No chronological distinction is drawn here between the resurrection of the righteous and that of the wicked, nor is any such distinction excluded. John says little about a program, but he does emphasize the fact that Jesus will be the door to the eternal world.

The double resurrection assumes that both the righteous and the wicked will receive bodies in the future life and that presumably each body will express the character of the person who is resurrected. Some commentators claim that the resurrection of v.25 is wholly spiritual while that of vv.29–30 is physical and future. There seems to be an unnecessary distinction here (see comment on v.25), though these two verses are explicitly future. Obviously spiritual resurrection from being dead in transgressions and sins (Ephesians 2:1) must precede physical resurrection.