Question: What Happened to the Resurrected Believers after Jesus' Death?
Matthew 27:52,53: "... 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."
1 Corinthians 15:20: "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."
Question: In Matthew 27:52, 53, it is said that when the Lord Jesus died on the cross, many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and that after His resurrection, those who had been raised went into the holy city and appeared to many there. How is the fact of the resurrection of these saints compatible with the Lord's title as “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20), since they were raised before Him? Furthermore, can anything be said about the nature of their bodies and whether they left the earth again through death?
Answer: According to the account in Matthew 27, it is by no means certain that these saints who had fallen asleep were raised before the Lord Jesus. Rather, the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More here seems to point to two sets of events at the time of the Lord's death: When ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More died, the veil of the templeThe house and dwelling place of God in Jerusalem in the OT. The forerunner was the tabernacle. It consisted of two main rooms, the sanctuary and the Holy of Holies,... More was torn, the earth shook, the rocks were torn asunder and the tombs opened. But then many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were also raised, and after His resurrection, they came out of the tombs and went into the holy city and appeared to many. At any rate, that seems to be the meaning of this remarkable passage. Despite the brevity of the account, it seems to indicate two focal points that do not coincide in time: first, the speech of God in powerful natural events and then the resurrection of certain saints. Through both, God bore witness to the work of His Son.
We can assume that the resurrection of these saints did not take place immediately after the Lord's death: it was only after His resurrection that they came out of the tombs and went into Jerusalem, where they were seen by many. ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Cor 15:20); these saints could not precede Him. Who these saints were, to whom they appeared, with which bodies they appeared, how and when they left the earth again – God's Word does not answer any of these questions, and we do not want to speculate about them. In any case, their resurrection is a clear indication that ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More, through death, destroyed him who had the power of death (Heb 2:14), and that death has now been swallowed up in victory for believers (1 Cor 15:54, 55).
