To the only true God, eternal, creator of heaven and earth, be honor and glory forever. We give thanks tonight for the time that, in His grace and mercy, the Lord grants us to approach His Word. What immense love He shows us by granting us moments of revelation, grace, and mercy, so that we may align our lives with the knowledge of His Son and reach the unity of faith, growing to the stature of the perfect man.
In this teaching, we will explore the prophetic and eschatological figures of the new birth presented in the Holy Scriptures. The new birth, as we have learned through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is the new covenant established in the blood of Christ Jesus. As a covenant, God defines its terms and conditions, and humans can only accept them. This new birth gives us a new identity in Christ: we are no longer defined by what we were, but as new creatures. As Scripture says: “The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Furthermore, the new birth implies a radical regeneration, a process that eliminates every legal right that the enemy had over the person’s life and their descendants. It is an act of spiritual warfare and liberation. The apostle Paul, in “Colossians 1:13”, declares: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son”. This transfer from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light is only possible through the new birth. We are no longer under the jurisdiction of death or darkness; now we belong to the kingdom of Christ, our Lord and Savior.
The New Birth as a Prophetic and Eschatological Figure
The new birth is not a static event, but a prophetic and eschatological figure that projects a continuous message. Through the life of each man and woman who has been born again, it is proclaimed that God makes all things new, a process that will culminate when Christ returns. As stated in “Proverbs 4:18”: “The path of the just is like the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day”. This verse reflects the progressive nature of the believer, who constantly grows until the coming of Christ.
This prophetic message is not only directed to the people around us but also to spiritual principalities and powers. In “Ephesians 3:10” we read: “To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places”. These spiritual forces, described in “Ephesians 6:12” as “principalities, powers, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”, receive the testimony of God’s work through the lives of believers.
The new birth also has an eschatological character, as it points to the second coming of Christ. In “1 John 3:2” it is declared: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”. Each believer, by living the new birth, proclaims with their life the hope of Christ’s glorious appearance.
Three Prophetic and Eschatological Figures of the New Birth
Next, we will examine three biblical examples that illustrate the prophetic and eschatological figures of the new birth:
The Water Transformed into Wine (John 2:1-10)
At the wedding in Cana of Galilee, Jesus performed His first miracle by turning water into wine. This event, described in “John 2:1-10”, has profound prophetic significance. In Jewish culture, a wedding was not just a celebration, but the establishment of a new home and a spiritual union with God. The lack of wine represented a disgrace for the newlyweds, but Jesus intervened, transforming six stone jars of water, intended for ritual purification, into superior quality wine. The master of the feast exclaimed: “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now” (John 2:10).
This miracle symbolizes how the new birth rescues man and woman from disgrace, giving them a new life in Christ. Moreover, the use of ritual jars to contain the wine challenges religious traditions, teaching us that to experience God’s work, we must leave behind rigid concepts. In Christ, there is always a ‘better wine’ reserved for the future, a promise that God keeps greater blessings for what is to come, like the light of dawn that grows until the perfect day.
New Wine in New Wineskins (Matthew 9:17)
In “Matthew 9:17” Jesus teaches: “Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved”. This figure, also present in Mark 2:22 and Luke 5:38, represents the future communion between Christ and His people, symbolized by the new wine. This wine cannot be contained in old wineskins, which represent outdated mentalities or structures, as they would break.
The message is clear: the new birth requires a complete transformation. It is not about seeking personal benefits or altering God’s purpose. As Paul says in “Galatians 2:20”: “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me”. Believers must submit to Christ’s lordship, allowing their lives to reflect God’s work, not self-interests. In “Isaiah 25:8” it is promised: “He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces”, a hope that will be fully fulfilled when we walk under Christ’s will.
The Guarantee of the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14)
In “Ephesians 1:13-14” we read: “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory”. The “guarantee” is an advance of something greater that will be delivered in the future. In this case, the Holy Spirit, received through the baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), is the foretaste of the eternal inheritance that believers will receive when Christ returns.
This baptism, described in “Acts 1:4” as “the promise of the Father”, marks believers as heirs of the final redemption. Although we have not yet attained incorruption, as “1 Corinthians 15:54” says: “When this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’”. The guarantee of the Spirit assures us that what we are now is only the beginning of what we will be in Christ.
Conclusion: The Living Testimony of the New Birth
The new birth is not an end in itself, but the beginning of continuous growth that proclaims a prophetic and eschatological message. Each believer is a living testimony to God’s grace and mercy, as declared in “Psalms 19:1-2”: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge”. Although extraordinary events do not always occur, the believer’s life announces God’s sovereignty to principalities and powers.
In “1 Peter 2:9” we are reminded of our purpose: “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”. The new birth transforms us into bearers of this blessed hope, living for Christ’s glory until His return. Therefore, let us give thanks to God for life, for each day is an opportunity to proclaim His redemptive work. May the peace of Christ be with us all.
