Redeemed from among men.

Matthew 27 gives us the story of Jesus’ death on the cross. There was a great earthquake, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom, and many graves of Old Testament Jews were opened.

Now, pay attention to the wording. Verse 52-53, “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose.

And came out of the graves AFTER his (Christ’s) resurrection and went into the holy city (Jerusalem) and appeared unto many.”

1 Corinthians 15:22-23, “in Christ all shall be made alive. Every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”

Now my question is, what do you think happened to these MANY saints? Did they go to heaven with the Lord? If you say yes, do you have any verses to support that thinking?

Or do you think they have remained on earth and died again?

Or do you think they have been walking around the earth doing the Lord’s work for the past 2000 years?

Last question: does anyone think these that came out of the grave can be the ones spoken of in Revelation 14:4, the “FIRSTfruits unto God (the Father) and to the Lamb.”

Now, you farmers and those who like to work the ground understand there is only one “firstfruit” in every harvest.

Your thoughts.

I have an answer if your really interested.

I'm interested!

It would be pure speculation since the Bible silent. It is more than likely that they too went to Heaven when Christ took all the OT saints from Hades to the New Jerusalem. All the saints who have passed on are presently in the New Jerusalem. See Hebrews 12.

Hay Nehemiah haven't heard from you in a while. Do you think there is any possibility that the (MANY) who were raised from the grave in Matthew 27 are the 144,000? According to Revelation 14 Jesus is standing on Mt. Zion here on earth and the 144,000 are called to him and referred to as the first fruit of the resurrection. It would have to be them there can only be one first fruit. Also, because there will be no marrying after the resurrection, they would be called virgins, and of course be without fault.

“But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:35, 44‬ ‭

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
‭‭John‬ ‭11:25-26‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27:50-53‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:19‬ ‭

“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭14:1-3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ….But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:13, 16‬ ‭

“but ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:22-24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

You know how the Bible has two testaments ? One is soecifically written by Hebrew prophets to the Hebrew people how in the ot God was only communicating with and through israel ? The people who became israel I mean abram the Hebrews descendants

well in the first testament given to isreal there’s a promise to them that he would do this when he came

“Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭37:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

this is an Old Testament promise The lord made to those people who were under the Old Testament before he came

when he came even before he died and rose look at the authority Jesus has over death

“And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.”
‭‭John‬ ‭11:43-44‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus did this other times but he was explaining to all along that he possessed all of heaven and all of earth and everything in it that all things had been given into his hands who created all things and dwelt in the heavens and later was born and lived as a man on earth died for sin and rose victorious from death and ascended back to his throne so then we see what doctrine he sent to all mankind and simply said

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, ( future tense ) and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.( present tense when Jesus spoke it )

For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. ( this parts important )

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, ( future tense at the end because it’s a reference to all people who die ) in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;

and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:24-29‬ ‭KJV‬‬


What I’m saying is the Bible clearly speaks of a resurrection of the ot israel when the messiah came and another resurrection for those under the New Testament at the end of the world.

Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭37:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

He said that seven hundred plus years before this happened

“and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27:52-53‬ ‭KJV‬‬

when we we revelations view of heaven you see a select number of isealites from the twelve tribes that’s who he said that promise to . in the nt he said there will be a resurrection of the dead at the end of the world when Jesus comes a second time to gather his elect ( the church still alive on earth ) and those who had not heard and obeyed his word but sincerely believed

Thanks for that, great post!

Since it just says they "rose from the grave", and does not specifically use the word "resurrection"- I believe they just rose from the grave back into this world and lived out the rest of their normal lives. As N6 said, it is kinda speculation, though. Can't be 100%.

It is appointed unto men to die once and then the judgment. They also walked into Jerusalem and were witnessed by many. The word Matthew uses here for resurrection in that verse means, to be raised from the dead.

Thanks for your thoughts on the subject.

That's a guarantee, not a limit.
No, that's only derived from the context. It's used for other "rousings". "Anastasis" is resurrection from the dead/ "THE resurrection".

No I do not believe this because the time lag between the resurrection and the rapture of the 144,000 is too great.

"Rapture of the 144,000" not sure what you're talking about.
IF they are, the 144,000 having resurrected bodies, time isn't even a consideration. 2000 years is nothing when compared to eternity.

Unless the 144,000 were raptured to Heaven, how could they appear before the throne of God? And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. (Rev 14:3)

There are a lot of different theories concerning Matthew 27. I understand this to have been a one-time occurrence. This was a miracle from our Creator to help those without “eyes to see” the spiritual things around them, their understanding being based on physical perception. These were the actual spirits of individuals who had already passed away and who reside now in heaven. I believe that in order to demonstrate that the prophecies concerning His Son were accurate and that the crucified man was truly Jesus the Messiah, the Christ, God permitted this one-time event. Many people had their spiritual eyes awakened and came alive on that day.
2 Corinthians 5:8: We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Ecclesiastes 12:6-7: Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

1 Corinthians 15:23 is referring to the coming of Jesus Christ and the saints/elect.

—selah

To begin, I believe these Saints were recently dead since their bodies are still intact and not completely decayed. According to historians, the ancient Jews kept bodies in a tomb for about 1 year before removing them.

As to what happened to them after they were raised from death and then seen by others. They are not resurrected bodies because Jesus had not yet resurrected. So they could be partially decayed bodies walking around. Jesus told the thief that he would be with Him in Paradise. It seems more likely these bodies made appearances and then naturally finished decaying elsewhere out of sight and mind. We only read these bodies were seen but nowhere states they interacted with people. Just by thinking what happened here, I doubt these bodies were made whole because their souls would have been where Abraham and Lazarus were at in the Parable of the rich man and Lazarus waiting for Jesus resurrection.

Regarding Matthew 27:52-53, I like what the Pulpit Commentary says on this particular point:

[quoting from Bible Hub]

"Verse 53. - Came out of (ἐξελθόντες) the graves after his resurrection. The masculine participle, not agreeing with "bodies" (σώματα), denotes the personality of the bodies of the saints, that these arose perfect in soul and body. They could not rise before Christ rose. [...<snip>...] As was said above, St. Matthew anticipates the regular sequence of events in order to complete at one view his accounts of the portents that attended the death and resurrection of Christ."

[end quoting the Pulpit Commentary at Bible Hub; bold and underline and color emphasis mine]




IOW, it is a matter of not mistakenly reading the verses separately [this (whole thing); then that (whole thing); then the next thing; etc]



I think it might be similar to how some mistakenly believe that ALL of Luke 24:33-53 occurred on His Resurrection Day

And just to add another thought here (which I've posted about before), I believe the reason it says THIS:

"And having gone forth out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many"

is to juxtapose this (what THEY did ^ ) to that of what JESUS did (also on His Resurrection Day), which He told to Mary Magdalene:

"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God" (Jn20:17)... which He did, that very day (the day of His Resurrection).



IOW, it is CONTRASTING the two [directions], if you will.


Jesus went UP (that very day); they went [horizontally, lol] "into the holy city" (that very day): a kind of "snapshot" of the future promised and prophesied EARTHLY Millennial Kingdom [age]

My understanding has always beeen that Yeshua's ascent to the Father was after forty days, but I hold out that He may have ascended that day, and came back several times until His time had come to ascend until His Second Advent.

Are you saying they were not dead? You can't be saying that.

It appears you have little knowledge of the burial practices of the ancient Jews concerning their dead, even after 100 or 1000 years. They estimate millions have been put into these burial caves around Jerusalem. A family would use these burial sites from generation to generation. When the body had decomposed, they would put their remains in ossuaries (small coffins) and place them in a small room in the same cave. Why? Because they believed in the resurrection. The ossuary of Caiaphas was found about 10 years ago and he's been dead for 1900 years.

What you are doing in your comments is, denying the power of the resurrection; limiting God's power, calling Paul a liar in his description of those raised to life incorruptible and immortal.

You wrote, "They could not rise before Christ rose."

They didn't! "They came out of the graves AFTER his (Christ's) resurrection. These are the first fruit of the resurrected unto the Father and Son. There can only be one first fruit of a harvest, a wave offering unto God. The 144,000 are called the first fruit. Therefore, those in Matthew 27 have to be the first fruits of those raised to life.

You wrote concerning this verse, "It is appointed unto men to die once and then the judgment." You said, "That's a guarantee, not a limit." In all my years, I have never read or heard anyone deny the meaning of the verse. We die once, were judged once.

Anyway, thanks for your comments.