Verse 20 suggests the difference between those who go to meet him and those who remain on earth. To those that meet him, Jesus confirms in Verse 25 & 26, “I am the Resurrection, and the Life…whosoever liveth and believest in me shall never die….” Upon His Return, He again exhorts, “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God” (11: 40).

In 11: 43, Jesus resurrects Lazarus. He does so in a loud voice. Doesn’t this appear similar to the coming Resurrection of Israel described in 1 Thessalonians 4: 16, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout…”?

How can we definitely know that Lazarus represents Israel and that this chapter of the Bible reflects a major prophecy? It’s important to read 50-52 where Caiaphas, the high priest, makes a declaration to those Jews concerned that the Romans might come and take away or destroy their nation (Verses 45-49). Paraphrasing his comments, he says, “You know nothing at all. You don’t understand that it is better for our own welfare that one man should die for his people rather than the whole nation perishing. That he (Caiaphas) was not saying this for his own accord but being the high priest that year; he prophesied that Jesus was to die for that nation. (See also Isaiah 53: 8) And his death was not for that nation only, but also for the purpose of uniting into one body the children of God who have been scattered far and wide” (See also Isaiah 49: 6). We know Jesus died to redeem Israel, as well as bringing the offer of Salvation to the world.

Finally, it is interesting that in Verses 17 & 39, Lazarus is said to have been dead four days. If you think about it, Adam brought the curse of death upon his descendants four days before the First Advent of Christ, or four thousand years. It is also significant to Israel that it is now nearly four days, or four thousand years, since God entered into the Covenant with Abraham. Considering Adamic-Israel history, the symbolic two and four day periods were not a random choice in our inspired Scriptures.

Jesus Himself said, “in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” In His own wonderful words in John 11, He gives witness to Hosea 6: 2 that He will indeed return after 2,000 years to resurrect His believers. Whether soon, as most of us hope, or later, we can be assured it will happen, because as the Lord said in Matthew 24: 25, “Behold, I have told you before.”