Tuesday: Many Arose With Him
“Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many” (Matthew 27:51-53, NKJV).
What does this incredible account teach us about the resurrection of Jesus and what it accomplished?
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
An earthquake marked the death of Jesus (Matthew 27:50-51), and another one marked His resurrection (Matthew 28:2). At the moment Jesus died, “the earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people” (Matthew 27:51-53, NIV). These saints were raised glorified as witnesses of Christ’s own resurrection and as prototypes of those who will be raised at the final resurrection. Thus, right after the resurrection of Jesus, many of the Jewish people were given powerful evidence to believe in His resurrection and thus to accept Him as their Savior, which many did, including many priests (see Acts 6:7).
“During His ministry, Jesus had raised the dead to life. He had raised the son of the widow of Nain, and the ruler’s daughter and Lazarus. But these were not clothed with immortality. After they were raised, they were still subject to death. But those who came forth from the grave at Christ’s resurrection were raised to everlasting life. They ascended with Him as trophies of His victory over death and the grave. … These went into the city, and appeared unto many, declaring, Christ has risen from the dead, and we be risen with Him. Thus was immortalized the sacred truth of the resurrection.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 786.
Humanly speaking, the chief priests and elders had great advantages. They held the religious power of the nation and were even able to convince the Roman authorities and the crowds to help them with their schemes. But they forgot that “the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes” (Daniel 4:32, NASB). Their lies were contradicted and invalidated by the existence of those resurrected saints.
| No matter how bad things can get now, why can we trust in God’s ultimate victory for us as we still struggle in this fallen world? |
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I am somewhat surprised at how little press the raising of the dead received in the Bible. Can you imagine the reaction on social media if that happened today. A couple of verses and that's all. I suspect that these folk were not just resurrected so that they could die again. The explanation that they were translated is probably the most plausible even though there is no biblical evidence that happened.
While I think that this resurrection gives us hope, the fact that it only gets a mention in the biblical account probably underlines the fact that our focus should be on the present. The faithful disciples were not whisked off to heaven for eternity but were faced with the task of spreading the Gospel. It did not take long for them to realise the reality of the task they had been given, and to get to work sharing the Gospel with others.
There is Old Testament liturgical evidence to support that the risen were translated and went to Heaven with Christ. Those who rose from the grave with Christ were in fact the “First Fruit” of His Salvation Harvest.
The saints raised to life during this time went into the holy city and appeared to many people. I always thought the holy city meant heaven. The lesson describes a physical, earthly sighting. In order for the Jewish people and priests to see this and believe, they must have recognized these people as once being dead, correct? Maybe these were friends, family, well-known people they had seen buried. Otherwise, it's just people walking around, correct? This will be counterfeited in the end of time as well, correct?
The "holy city" here mentioned (Matthew 27:53) should be understood as Jerusalem, not heaven. This is where Jesus was taken as well during one of the temptations (Matthew 4:5).
Isaiah 26:19 says: Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.
If Jesus didn't arise, there would not have been any firstfruits to arise to bear witness to many in the holy city. The firstfruits are also witnesses to us that mortal children of His who deserve to die (because of our sin) can and will be brought forth from the grave just as they were. We will learn more about firstfruits later in the week.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I refer you to "Unfolding the Revelation" by Roy Allen Anderson, page 50-51: "But who are these elders? From whence did they come? They themselves declare they were redeemed from the earth (Chapter 5:9). They are, therefore, sinners saved by grace. A priest had to be chosen from among his brethren (Hebrews 2:17). These men, being priests, were the chosen representatives from every race and nation of the world. When Christ died, "many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves (Matt. 27:52, 53). Then "when He ascended up on high, He led a multitude of captives" (Ephesians 4:8, margin). It was in this sense that He became "the first born among many brethren" (Romans 8:29). When He was installed as our High Priest, He was anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows (Hebrews 1:9). Those fellows were not angels; they were men. They were His "brethren" who arose with Him from the grave. They were the antitypical wave-sheaf offering, as it were, and became the antitype of the ceremonial in the Mosaic ritual (Leviticus 23:15). Christ is our First Fruits (1 Corinthians 15:20), and He arose on the very day of the first-fruit offering. Jesus died on the fourteenth day of Nisan, the first month, and He arose on the sixteenth day, exactly, fulfilling the type.
Twenty-four priests appear with Christ in His priestly ministry. This, too, is a fulfillment of the type. In the temple service there were twenty-four courses of the Levitical priesthood. See 1 Chronicles 24:3:19; 2 Chronicles 8:14."
We can trust in God’s ultimate victory for us because we have the assurance to live again after death. Matthew 27:51–53 gives us a small sample of the resurrected saints with glorified bodies ascending to heaven with Jesus. The same will happen when the general resurrection of the dead will rise up from their graves and meet the Lord in the air at the second coming. Humanity will always struggle in a fallen and sinful world from the evidence of its results. No matter how bad things can get now in this lifetime does not compare to what awaits for the Saved when God’s kingdom and perfect government is finally established on earth.
Perhaps it has always just been read wrong:
It says there was an earthquake that caused the tombs of the "saints" to open - as earthquakes are noted for doing at times - and bodies fell out of said tombs and were seen by many passers by, and it was THEY, those walking by and seeing the bodies of those having fallen out of their tombs, due to the earthquake, who went into the city and reported it. Incredibly simple explanation that makes perfect sense without having to come up with any non scriptural "special resurrections" or that finds no other support in scripture.
"Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven but the one who descended from heaven, the Son of man." John 3:13
One would think of such an occasion had occurred of an actual "raising to life" of obviously more than one, and it was they who went into the city, there would be a reason for doing so, and other scriptural support that would clarify it.
Hi, Michael. As I read it over again, it seems to me that if we are reading it wrong, then we really can't trust anything the Bible says, in terms of narrative. Seemingly few Bible stories are repeated or "clarified." Besides, the Bible is full of miracle stories, including Enoch, Moses, and Elijah going to heaven. Why not believe this one as it reads?
The death of Christ on the cross was arguably the pivotal point in earth's history. It seems reasonable to me that it should have been marked by such a singular event. If it were merely a matter of dead bodies being thrown out of their tombs, I doubt the incident would have been considered significant enough to be worth recording.
Have a great day!
The text at Matthew 27:52, 53 concerning “the memorial tombs [that] were opened” as the result of an earthquake occurring at the time of Jesus’ death has caused considerable discussion, some holding that a resurrection occurred. However, a comparison with the texts concerning the resurrection makes clear that these verses do not describe a resurrection but merely a throwing of bodies out of their tombs, similar to incidents that have taken place in more recent times, as in Ecuador in 1949 and again in Sonsón, Colombia, in 1962, when 200 corpses in the cemetery were thrown out of their tombs by a violent earth tremor.—El Tiempo, Bogotá, Colombia, July 31, 1962.
Jesus—The Way
“Certainly This Man Was God’s Son”
At that, a violent earthquake occurs, splitting rocks. It is so powerful that tombs outside Jerusalem break open and corpses are thrown out of them. Passersby who see the dead bodies exposed enter “the holy city” and report what they just witnessed.—Matthew 12:11; 27:51-53.
The Watchtower, September 1, 1990
‘Many Bodies of the Holy Ones Were Raised Up’
‘Many Bodies of the Holy Ones Were Raised Up’
“THE earth quaked, and the rock-masses were split. And the memorial tombs were opened and many bodies of the holy ones that had fallen asleep were raised up, (and persons, coming out from among the memorial tombs after his being raised up, entered into the holy city,) and they became visible to many people.” (Matthew 27:51-53) Catholic scholar Karl Staab calls this event that occurred at Jesus’ death “most mysterious.” What happened?
Epiphanius and other early Church Fathers taught that the holy ones literally came to life and went with the resurrected Jesus to heaven. Augustine, Theophylactus, and Zigabenus believed that these dead ones received a temporary resurrection but later returned to their tombs. The latter opinion, however, “did not gain wide recognition,” comments scholar Erich Fascher. When rendering Matthew 27:52, 53, many modern Bible translations give the impression that a resurrection took place. Not so the New World Translation, which points to the effects of an earthquake. Why?
First, whoever “the holy ones” were, Matthew did not say they were raised up. He said their bodies, or corpses, were. Second, he did not say these bodies came to life. He said they were raised up, and the Greek verb e·geiʹro, meaning to “raise up,” does not always refer to a resurrection. It can, among other things, also mean to “lift out” from a pit or to “get up” from the ground. (Matthew 12:11; 17:7; Luke 1:69) The upheaval at Jesus’ death opened tombs, tossing lifeless bodies into the open. Such occurrences during earthquakes were reported in the second century C.E. by Greek writer Aelius Aristides and more recently, in 1962, in Colombia.
This view of the event harmonizes with Bible teachings. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the apostle Paul gives convincing proof of the resurrection, but he completely ignores Matthew 27:52, 53. So do all other Bible writers. (Acts 2:32, 34) The corpses raised up at Jesus’ death could not have come to life in the way Epiphanius thought, for on the third day thereafter, Jesus became “the firstborn from the dead.” (Colossians 1:18) Anointed Christians, also called “holy ones,” were promised a share in the first resurrection during Christ’s presence, not in the first century.—1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:14-17.
Most Bible commentators have difficulty explaining Mt 27 verse 53, although several of them suggest that Mt 27 verse 52 describes the opening of tombs by the earthquake and the exposing of newly buried corpses. For example, German scholar Theobald Daechsel gives the following translation: “And tombs opened up, and many corpses of saints laying at rest were lifted up.”
The facts remain that there was an earthquake that occured. Logic would indicate that tombs would, and have since, been opened and bodies exposed. To assume it to be a resurrection, and to ADD to Scripture that they were "raised to "life"" is completely out of harmony with finding Bible truth.
To assume that they went to heaven is contradictory to scripture.
Dig deeper. Context and translation do not support a "resurrection" of dead bodies to "life" of those seen and reported on, but merely an occurrence caused by, and stressing the earthquake that occured.
Michael, I appreciate your suggestion that the earthquake likely opened graves, and that corpses were cast out at that time. To analyze these texts accurately, perhaps it would be well to remember that the punctuation, sentence divisions and verse divisions are not in the original text. The KJV is as good as any word-for-word translation, but I'll suggest a paragraph division:
To me, this suggests that tombs were opened at the time of the earthquate accompanying Christ's death. The Bible often puts events next to each other that may be days, months, years or even thousands of years apart. In this case, I believe the time between the paragraphs may have been close to 36 hours.
No matter which version you read, the logical subject of "And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." is "many bodies of the saints which slept." There is no suggestion of bystanders going into the city.
The tombs were broken open, but it doesn't make much sense to me to have the saints resurrected on Friday and hanging around the tombs all Friday night, Sabbath and the following night. Rather the tombs were broken open with the earthquake, then on the morning of the first day, some faithful believers of ages past were brought back to life at the resurrection of Christ, fulfilling the "first-fruits" and wave sheaf offering symbolism of the sanctuary services. (Also called Feast of Weeks, followed 50 days later by the Feast of Pentecost, which foreshadowed the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. See Lev. 23:10-12, 15-16)
As you rightly observe, this is the only mention of the incident in the Bible, and is thus not worth a prolonged discussion. You can choose to believe what makes sense to you, and I trust others may find some light in what I have suggested.
Thank you, Inge. Your explanation is very insightful.
Thanks, Amina. I'm glad you found it so.
Sure, R.G. I agree with your understanding of this verse in the Bible. Thanks.
Well, Michael Bowman, what about Lazarus? Jesus spoke him out of his tomb after he was already starting to decompose. If Jesus could raise Lazarus before He died, He could raise bodies of dead saints via an earthquake when He did die. So, personally, the way Matthew words this event, the dead saints rose at Jesus death, but waited until Jesus rose three days later and went on to witness about Jesus' resurrection. And I also believe that Lazarus went with Jesus to be where He went like Elijah also went.
This occurrence has nothing to do with Lazarus.... Jesus raised him to life as it clearly stated and for a specific purpose.
This occurrence is talking about, in context, an earthquake that occured at Jesus' death,and includes the tearing of the curtain in the temple. The original launage does not say the bodies were raised to "life" but "raise", "came out of" the context of the graves.
But, many still follow the teaching of a "resurrection to "life"" originally taught by the. Catholic Church when deeper digging, "reasoning from the scriptures", paints a very simple picture of Bible truth
Yes, but Lazarus' resurrection happened not too long from when Jesus went to the cross, maybe just a few days as it was close to "The Passover Feast," when Jesus was crucified. Also, this is not about Elijah either, but in a sense it is, because Elijah represents those whom God will translate without dying, at Jesus' return. And not all that Catholics teach is contrary to what is in the Bible either.
But those who came forth from the grave at Christ's resurrection were raised to everlasting life. They ascended with Him as trophies of His victory over death and the grave. These, said Christ, are no longer the captives of Satan; I have redeemed them. I have brought them from the grave as the first fruits of My power, to be with Me where I am, nevermore to see death or experience sorrow. {DA 786.2}
The New World Translation (NWT) of Matthew 27:52-53 misinterprets the Greek text and distorts the intended meaning. Here are key points addressing why the NWT's translation and interpretation are incorrect:
Grammatical Misinterpretation: The Greek verb "ἐξελθόντες" (exelthontes) is in the aorist active participle, indicating that the "bodies of the saints" performed the action of coming out of the tombs. The NWT suggests that these bodies were merely exposed by the earthquake, which contradicts the active nature of the Greek participle.
Contextual Misunderstanding: The phrase "μετὰ τὴν ἔγερσιν αὐτοῦ" (meta tēn egersin autou), meaning "after his resurrection," is crucial in establishing the timeline. The NWT separates this event from the resurrection of Jesus, implying that the bodies were simply thrown out during the earthquake. However, the Greek text clearly links the resurrection of the saints to Jesus' resurrection.
Resurrection Terminology: The verb "ἠγέρθησαν" (ēgerthēsan, "they were raised") is consistently used in the New Testament to denote resurrection, not merely exposure or displacement of bodies. By downplaying this term, the NWT undermines the miraculous nature of the event.
Historical and Theological Context: Early Church Fathers, such as Epiphanius and Augustine, interpreted this passage as a literal resurrection. The argument that these saints would not have been resurrected before Jesus is addressed by understanding that their resurrection after Jesus underscores His role as the "firstborn from the dead."
Biblical Consistency: The claim that the bodies were exposed rather than resurrected conflicts with other resurrection accounts in the Bible. The Bible repeatedly describes resurrection with active verbs indicating the subjects' own actions, such as "coming out" and "appearing."
Logical Coherence: If the NWT's interpretation were correct, it would imply that the bodies remained exposed for days, which is not suggested by any other part of the text or historical context. The text indicates a sequential event where the saints were resurrected and then appeared to many in the city.
Absence of Subject Change: The Greek text does not indicate a change of subject between the "bodies of the saints" and those who "came out of the tombs." The continuous subject throughout the passage suggests that it was the resurrected saints who entered the holy city.
Contextual Harmony: The proper interpretation aligns with the surrounding context of miraculous events accompanying Jesus' death and resurrection, such as the tearing of the temple veil and the earthquake. These miracles serve to validate Jesus' divine nature and mission.
In conclusion, the NWT translation of Matthew 27:52-53 is flawed due to grammatical inaccuracies, contextual misinterpretations, and a failure to align with the broader theological framework of the New Testament. The original Greek text clearly describes a miraculous resurrection event tied to Jesus' own resurrection, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of these occurrences.
The Scriptures is very clear re the texts in Matthew 27:51-53. The word of God is sure,& so let us not doubt but believe what is clearly written especially on verses 52,53.and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.and coming out of the graves after His resurrection,they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
The darkness, the earthquake, the tearing of the temple veil from top to bottom was yet other forms of attention getting from Heaven. The temple veil was said to be the thickness of a man's hand. If all that doesn't get your attention, noting is going to. But wait, there's more in store. There's breaking news that a "zombie invasion" was now happening, around Jerusalem, except the resurrected dead weren't raised as "zombies". Dead holy men of Israel start popping up from the ground like popcorn, and going into Jerusalem.
Can you just imagine the scene? If I'm Caiphus, Herod, or Pilate, it's time to change my soiled robes. They must have been shaking as hard as the ground beneath their feet. It must have been sensory overload. It must have been an impossible weekend for sleep.
The crucifixion may seem like your life. That when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it does. Remember the saying and the the song, "it's darkest before the dawn". There's still more to come. It's Friday, dark, dark, Friday.
But Sunday is coming!