Noordzij — Pneumatology
b8 — Jesus’ Signs in the Gospel of John
Pentecost and the Signs
The wedding at Cana (Sign 1) is connected by Noordzij to the Feast of Pentecost: “the third day” is no accident, but a foreshadowing of Pentecost.
And on the third day a wedding took place at Cana (John 2:1). “The third day” here is a sign of the Jewish feast of Pentecost, the feast of the third month. Its fulfillment is the new Pentecost in Acts 2, also in the third month, also a kind of “wedding,” of God’s Spirit with the “120” disciples of Jesus (Acts 1:15, 2:1-11).
Pentecost = a new wedding between God’s Spirit and the disciples. The transformation of water into wine at Cana (John 2:7-11) symbolizes this Spirit-baptism: “Filled to the brim! Fullness in the ‘six jars.’ That is no longer a Pentecost experience, but the coming of the full glory of the Feast of Tabernacles, of the full harvest. Then that ‘water’ (=Word) is changed into ‘wine’ (=Life)!”
The feeding of the five thousand (Sign 4) reinforces this Pentecostal theme:
Let the people sit down in groups of about fifty (Luke 9:14) — fifty is the number of Pentecost (Greek: pentekoste=fifty).
Noordzij explicitly establishes the connection: the number 50 (pentekoste) points to the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Healing and the Work of the Spirit
The healing at Bethesda (Sign 3) is typed as the work of grace (number five):
In Jerusalem the Lord performed this third sign at the Sheep Gate. By this gate was a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades (John 5:2). Five covered colonnades — five is the biblical number of grace, mercy.
The healing of a man who had been ill for “thirty-eight years” (John 5:5-9) is connected by Noordzij to Israel’s wilderness period: “Had not Israel wandered in the wilderness for thirty-eight years as a result of the sin of unbelief? (Deut. 2:14).”
Jesus’ word-power is manifested: “Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk’” — immediate healing by the Word. This Word = the dynamis of the Holy Spirit.
The man born blind (Sign 6) illustrates enlightenment by the Holy Spirit:
He was the true light that gives light to everyone (John 1:9).
Noordzij interprets this as: “The congenital blindness of which he speaks represents the fallen state of the natural man, who was expelled from ‘Eden’!” Healing = Spirit-given illumination (John 9:7).
Living Water — Gift of the Holy Spirit
Jesus walking on the sea (Sign 5) is explained symbolically in terms of living water (pneumatological):
Water is a picture of the Word. “Water” that flows from God is the Word that brings life (Rev. 22:1).
Noordzij makes a distinction: “water from below” = “the letter that kills” (2Cor. 3:6), but “water from God” = Word of grace, living water.
Jesus, the giver of living water, walking on the water of the ‘sea.’ His feet will carry the whole Body of Christ over all waters of death.
This is a central pneumatological truth: the Holy Spirit as giver of living water (cf. John 4:10-14, John 7:37-39).
Resurrection and Resurrection Life
The raising of Lazarus (Sign 7) is explained as a picture of Christ’s Body, filled with Spirit-life:
Lazarus is a picture of the “fullness of Christ,” of His Body of many sons. The Man of Nazareth became his life! Jesus became “I AM” for him!
Lazarus’ deliverance from his grave-clothes: “Jesus is the ‘firstborn among many brothers’ (Rom. 8:29). Yes, the whole ‘body of Christ’ will be completely set free from all the bonds of ‘death.‘”
This is connected with the sanctification and transformation of the Body by the Holy Spirit.
The eighth sign (Jesus appears at the Sea of Tiberias) concludes with:
The number eight points to new life, resurrection life. During the flood there were eight souls in the ark (Gen. 6, 1Pet. 3:10-22). In Israel all that was male had to be circumcised on the eighth day (Ex. 22:29-31).
Resurrection life = Spirit-empowered life (new life in Christ).
Number Theology and Pneumatological Meaning
Noordzij’s interpretation rests on number symbolism as the key to pneumatological truths:
- Three = completeness (three days, resurrection)
- Five = grace (five colonnades at Bethesda; five loaves)
- Six = humanity (six jars at Cana)
- Seven = fullness (seven loaves; fullness of Spirit-gifts)
- Eight = new life, resurrection life
- Fifty = Pentecost (Holy Spirit)
These numbers point to Spirit-filled and salvation-bearing realities.