Christ, The Glorified Spirit-Lord
A Covenantal & Biblical Theological Argument for a Christocentric Reading of John 7:38
“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his [innermost being] will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37–39 (ESV)
The Problem
There is a great debate in our day about this passage in John 7 and the work of the Spirit. Many questions fill the mind of the passing reader of this statement of our Lord. Who is the one out of whose innermost being will flow rivers of living water? What does it mean that the Spirit had not yet been given? (Literally, “was not yet”). And what are the implications of this for how we understand the work of Christ and the Spirit? Were believers in the Old Testament indwelt by the Spirit? Regenerated?
While I do not wish to address all of the questions posed by this passage, I believe a covenantal and biblical theological argument for Christ as the True Temple and the Last Adam sheds great light on this passage. A Christocentric reading of John 7:38, as opposed to the traditional view focused on the believer, shines forth the glory of Chris't’s work, not only in redemption, but also in it’s application.
Feasts, Temples & Living Water
Throughout John 7, Jesus is presenting himself as the fulfillment of the Old Covenant feast of tabernacles. He is the Word from John 1:14 that has “tabernacled” among his people as the incarnate Son of God. His veiled glory is missed by his brothers, the Jews, the crowds and the religious leaders of the day. They are blind to the true glory of Christ, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.
But on the last day, the great day, of the feast Jesus removes all doubt. Aside from living in booths during the celebration, on this final and climactic day there would also have been a procession of people that would gather water that would be poured out on the alter and flow out from the temple. [1] It is in this context that Christ stands and cries out “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” It is no coincidence that this occurs on this final day. He is claiming to be the fulfillment of the feast of tabernacles, and everything that it pointed to. He is the true tabernacle and temple, the special dwelling place of God’s presence on the earth. He is also the source of life-giving drink for God’s weary people. And what is so incredible is that this imagery of a river of water flowing from the temple, bringing life to God’s people is found in the Old Testament.
The Old Testament
We read in Genesis 2 that the Garden of Eden is pictured as a garden-temple where God’s presence dwells in a special way. In verse 10, we see that out of Eden flows this river that brings life to God’s creation. In the tabernacle of the Old Testament, and the temple of Israel, there is pictured a miniature garden of Eden. In the veil and vessels of the temple, there is imagery that would bring to remembrance the garden of Eden. Lest we think this is somehow farfetched, we see the prophets pick up on this language as they describe the final, end-times dwelling place of God. They describe it as a temple, out of which flows a river that will bring life to God’s people.
In Ezekiel 47, the prophet sees a vision of this new temple of God, that is pictured with a water source that is flowing from it, bringing life to God’s people.
“Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar… And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.” Ezekiel 47:1; 9 (ESV)
In Joel 3 it says there will be a spring, or a fountain, that will go out from the house of the Lord.
“And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD and water the Valley of Shittim.” Joel 3:18 (ESV)
Zechariah says that living water will flow out of Jerusalem in the last days.
“On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.” Zechariah 14:8 (ESV)
The prophets are picturing this temple where rivers of living water are flowing out, giving life to God’s people. It is at this point that we can begin to see the fulfilment of this in the words of our Lord in John 7. He is the true, end times temple; the special dwelling place of God on the earth. That which was pointed to in the Old Testament, has come to fulfilment. He is the one, out of whose innermost being will flow rivers of living water. And this living water that is poured out, that was promised in the Old Testament, is the Spirit.
Christ, the True Temple
We see this confirmed by G.K. Beale in his book The Temple and the Church’s Mission. He brings together these themes when he says:
“Temple imagery may also be expressed when Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well that he is the source of living water which will 'spring up to eternal life for those drinking from him (John 4:10-14). Just as water had its source in the first sanctuary in Eden and flowed down and became a life-giving element, likewise Ezekiel, alluding to the Garden of Eden, prophesied that the same thing would be the case with the end-time temple to be built in the new Jerusalem (Ezek. 47:1-12): Then he brought me back to the door of the house [the holy of holies]; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east' (v. 1); 'so everything will live where the river goes' (v. 9b; so also v. 12). Joel 3:18 ('a spring will go out from the house of the LORD*) and Zechariah 14:8 (living waters will flow out of Jerusalem') prophesy the same reality. John's Apocalypse sees the consummate future fulfilment of Ezekiel's, Joel's and Zechariah's prophecies and restoration of an escalated Eden, in which a river of the water of life, clear as crystal', comes from the throne of God and of the Lamb' (Rev. 22:1), who just a few verses earlier have been identified as the 'sanctuary' (Rev. 21:22).
John 7:37-39 confirms this connection. Teaching in the temple on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus says, If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. In verse 38 Jesus alludes to the prophecy of water flowing from the temple in Ezekiel, Joel and Zechariah. The 'innermost being' from which flow rivers of living water is Jesus himself as the new holy of holies' and not the one who believes in Jesus. This is apparent, first, from recalling that the Old Testament prophecies identify the source of the water to be from the innermost part of the temple (i.e., the holy of holies) where Yahweh's presence had dwelt in the past and would dwell again in the latter-day temple. Jesus was that presence on earth. Secondly, John 7:39 interprets the living water' to be the Spirit poured out at Pentecost by Jesus himself to all those who would believe in him (see Acts 2:32-38).” [2]
John gives us the infallible interpretation, not only of Christ’s words, but the Old Testament imagery we see in the prophets. We see that this river of living water that Jesus spoke about, is the Spirit. The third person of the Triune God is the one pictured here in verse 38. The Old Testament looked forward to, and anticipated this day when God would pour our His Spirit on all flesh (Isaiah 12:3; 44:3). So we can say, the inspired interpretation of the rivers of living water is the promised Spirit that is poured out by the ascended and glorified Christ.
But John 7:39b can seem to throw us for a loop: “for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” Does this mean that the Holy Spirit did not exist before Christ’s glorification? Does this mean that the Spirit was not active before this time? Or that the Spirit did not indwell, or regenerate, Old Testament saints? The reformed understanding of saints in the Old Testament teaches that they were regenerated and indwelt by the Spirit of God, in the same way that believers in the New Testament are. But the tension remains as to how we are to understand John’s language in verse 39b. This is where we come to Christ as the Last Adam.
Christ, the Last Adam
And it is only at this point that we can begin to see the connection between Christ as the True Temple and Christ as the Last Adam. Specifically, how it relates to the pouring out of the Spirit, not as a new work, but a culmination of Christ’s accomplishment and application of salvation.
In Acts we see Peter makes the connection between Christ’s ascension and the pouring out of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. He says:
“This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” Acts 2:32–33 (ESV)
Just as in John 7, there is a direct connection between Christ’s exaltation, ascension and glorification, and the pouring out of the Spirit. So what does this have to do with Christ as the last Adam? Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 makes many parallels between the first man Adam, and the last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 22 he says, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” He is pointing to Christ, as contrasted with Adam, as the source of life-giving resurrection. But in verse 45 he connects Christ as the last Adam, with this function of life-giving Spirit. He says:
“Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 15:45 (ESV)
It is only when we begin to make this connection between the enthroned Last Adam and the pouring out of the Spirit, that we see the proper understanding of Christ’s words in John 7. Christ came, not only as the accomplisher of salvation, but as the enthroned Last Adam he applies salvation to God’s people by the Spirit. As our two-natured Redeemer, Christ is both very God and very man. He has come as the last Adam in His human nature. And by His perfect obedience and fulfilling of all righteousness He receives the promised Holy Spirit from the Father. It is this, that He pours out on His people, the church of God.
Putting these passages together, we can begin to see that there is something unique to Christ’s glorification as the Last Adam, and the pouring out of the Spirit. But this uniqueness is not one of ordo salutis benefits, but one of historia salutis reality. The pouring out of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost was not marking a new benefit for God’s people, but the definitive accomplishment and application of Christ’s redemptive work. Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. commenting on these passages says this, “The pouring out of the Spirit by Christ, as the enthroned Last Adam, is the culminating act of His once for all accomplishment of salvation.”[3]
Christ, the Glorified Spirit-Lord
So all true believers that are in Christ have the Spirit of God, regenerating and indwelling them, this river of living water. Whether you are a saint in the Old Testament, or a believer in the New Testament, all united to Christ have the Spirit. Just as we believe the death of Christ is not to be repeated, neither is the pouring out of the Spirit on Pentecost to be repeated. Just as we believe the benefits of Christ’s death were communicated and applied to Old Testament saints, even though His death had not yet occurred; in the same way, Old Testament saints were indwelt by the Spirit before the day of Pentecost.
So there is a final, climactic element to Christ’s glorification as the Last Adam and the pouring out of the Spirit. Redemption is accomplished, and the application of this redemption to God’s people is sure. Christ has poured out His Spirit. He is the true temple. He is the one out of whose innermost being will flow rivers of living water, the Spirit of Christ. And this is only possible because of the life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ as the enthroned last Adam.
God in His grace has poured out this Spirit on His church, blood bought saints in both the Old and New Testament, made up of Jew and Gentile, regenerated and indwelt by the Spirit, new creations in Christ. Christ is building His church, the temple of the living God, by the power of the Spirit (Eph 2). This Spirit not only sanctifies God’s people, but satisfies them, a never-ending source of life and strength (John 4). And this work that God has begun, He will bring to completion at the end of all things. On the day of consummation, the glorified Christ will dwell with His glorified people in the new heavens and new earth. Meredith Kline ties this all together when he says, “The resurrection marked Christ’s definitive assumption of his Spirit identity and, in the vision of Revelation 1, John saw this risen, glorified Christ as the Spirit-Lord, present to re-create all things and particularly to impart his glory to his church, the new man re-created in his image.” [6] And at the end of all things we see this reality in the Revelation of John,
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:1–5 (ESV)
This is the hope we have in Christ; that the weary and thirsty soul can find rest and satisfaction in Him alone. This is the hope we have in Christ’s exaltation; that it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit that God builds His church and applies redemption to His people. This is hope we have, and this hope will not put us to shame. Praise be to God.
By Kendall Oliver
Footnotes:
[1] Ridderbos, Herman. Gospel According to John: A Theological Commentary (Eerdmans Classic Biblical Commentaries). Translation, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997, p.272.
[2] Beale. Temple and Church’s Mission (04) by Beale, G K [Paperback (2004)]. IVP Academic, Paperback(2004), 2004, p.196-197.
[3] Reformed Forum. “Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.: Justified in the Spirit — Life-Giving Spirit (Part One).” YouTube, uploaded by Reformed Forum, 17 Oct. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wsgZkmZgfM.
[6] Kline, Meredith. Images of the Spirit. Reprint, Wipf and Stock, 1999.