Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus urges them not to be astonished, because the resurrection of the dead isn't the ultimate marvel; the greater marvel is that all who are buried, no matter how long gone or scattered, will hear his voice and be brought back. This isn't just about physical bodies; it's a demonstration of his authority over even the deepest slumber of death, a promise that all will face him.
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just healed a man on the Sabbath, and the Jewish leaders are furious, questioning his authority. Jesus responds by explaining that he only does what he sees his Father doing, asserting his divine unity with the Father and his power to give life, a power that extends even to raising the dead. He then directly addresses the crowd, explaining that an hour is coming when everyone in their graves will hear his voice and come forth.
Jesus tells us an hour is coming, but the whispers of his power are already here. What does that mean for us now?
Jesus says, 'an hour is coming,' pointing to a future, definitive resurrection. However, the context of John 5 reveals that this isn't only about a future event. Jesus has already declared, 'the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear my voice, and those who hear will live' (John 5:25).
This means that the same voice that will one day call bodies from the grave is already capable of awakening those spiritually dead in their sins. The resurrection Jesus speaks of has a dual nature: a present spiritual reality and a future physical culmination.
A Present Reality: When Jesus speaks, His words carry divine life. Those who truly hear and believe Him are experiencing a resurrection now, moving from spiritual death to spiritual life. This is the immediate work of the Gospel.
A Future Culmination: But Jesus doesn't stop there. He assures us that a future 'hour' is coming when all who are in their graves—every single person who has ever died—will hear His voice and be raised.
Who is this 'voice' that can command the dead? It's not just a sound, but the very power of God at work.
When Jesus speaks of 'his voice' in relation to raising the dead, He's referring to more than just audible sound. It's the authoritative utterance of the Son of God, imbued with the life-giving power of the Father.
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This authority comes from His unique relationship with God the Father:
This power extends to all who are in the graves, regardless of their background or how long they've been gone. Whether reduced to dust or scattered across the seas, God's sight and power encompass them all. Jesus' voice will pierce through death and time, calling each person to account.
Will everyone hear? And if so, what does that mean for the final outcome? The answer is both astounding and sobering.
The phrase 'all who are in the graves' is crucial. It emphasizes the universality of this future resurrection. Jesus isn't just calling the faithful; He's calling everyone. This resurrection is not conditional on belief or behavior; it's an unstoppable act of divine power.
This means that every single human being who has ever lived will stand before Jesus and hear His voice, compelling them from their graves.
Universal Resurrection: The text clearly states 'all' will hear. This includes believers and non-believers alike. It’s a testament to Christ's ultimate authority over life and death for every soul.
The Two Outcomes: While the resurrection itself is universal, the outcome is not. John 5:29, which immediately follows, clarifies this: some will come forth to the 'resurrection of life,' while others will come forth to the 'resurrection of condemnation.'
Jesus' voice is the call to life for those who have believed, and the call to judgment for those who have rejected Him.
Understand the original words
mnēmeion · Greek Noun
The place of burial; symbolically used in Scripture to represent the state of death or the grave from which the dead will be awakened.
This passage describes the resurrection of the body, referencing a trumpet call and the instantaneous transformation of the living and the dead, which echoes the voice that will call all from the graves.
Daniel 7:13-14This Old Testament prophecy speaks of one like a Son of Man receiving dominion and glory, and all peoples serving him, which connects to Jesus' authority as the one who will judge and raise the dead.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17This text describes the Lord descending with a loud command and the dead in Christ rising first, directly paralleling the idea of a voice calling the deceased from their tombs.
Matthew 25:31-33Jesus here describes the final judgment where all nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them like a shepherd separates sheep from goats, illustrating the universal gathering and judgment implied by hearing his voice.
Revelation 20:11-13This vision depicts a great white throne and the dead, both small and great, standing before God and being judged according to their deeds, aligning with the ultimate outcome of all hearing His voice from the graves.
barnesJohn 5:28: "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,"
Marvel not - Do not wonder or be astonished at this. The hour is coming - The "time" is approaching or will be. All that are in the graves - All the dead, of every age and nation. They are described as "in the graves." Though many have turned to their native dust and perished from human view, yet God sees them, and can regather their remains and raise them up to life. The phras…
vincentJohn 5:28: "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,"
The graves (τοῖς μνημείοις)Rev., better; tombs. Two words are used in the New Testament for the place of burial, τάφος, and μνημεῖον or μνῆμα. The former emphasizes the idea of burial (θάπτω, to bury); the latter of preserving the memory of the dead; from μιμνήσκω, to remind.
Jesus urges them not to be astonished, because the resurrection of the dead isn't the ultimate marvel; the greater marvel is that all who are buried, no matter how long gone or scattered, will hear his voice and be brought back. This isn't just about physical bodies; it's a demonstration of his authority over even the deepest slumber of death, a promise that all will face him.
Jesus has just healed a man on the Sabbath, and the Jewish leaders are furious, questioning his authority. Jesus responds by explaining that he only does what he sees his Father doing, asserting his divine unity with the Father and his power to give life, a power that extends even to raising the dead. He then directly addresses the crowd, explaining that an hour is coming when everyone in their graves will hear his voice and come forth.
Jesus has just healed a man on the Sabbath, and the Jewish leaders are furious, questioning his authority. Jesus responds by explaining that he only does what he sees his Father doing, asserting his divine unity with the Father and his power to give life, a power that extends even to raising the dead. He then directly addresses the crowd, explaining that an hour is coming when everyone in their graves will hear his voice and come forth.
"Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice" — Jesus urges them not to be astonished, because the resurrection of the dead isn't the ultimate marvel; the greater marvel is that all who are buried, no matter how long gone or scattered, will hear…
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Last reviewed October 2026