Hi there Mr Vinson,

I have a friend sharing with me regarding Mat 27:51-53. Told the following that the verses account for; I will make it short as possible.

(51) the curtain pertains to the old way of worship and offering and is change to instead of animal offering to God by a high Priest change to direct access to God through Jesus Christ?
(52) The earth shook and the rock split is literally an earthquake which break the ground? And as it happens the tomb broke open
(53) so that the body of the holy man can come out and which waited till Christ has risen and went to the holy city and so they preach?

MATTHEW 27:51-53
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

Was this really the tomb, meaning those men who were already buried or left in the tomb just suddenly rose up from the dead?

Please advise I am confused. Since the parable Lazarus and the rich man is explained as the dead are asleep, where are those holy people now? Were they in heaven? Or were they back to sleep? Please advise.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

C____

Yes, at the crucifixion of Christ, there were people who literally came up from the graves.

Mat 27:51-53 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.

But these people were no different than Lazarus who Christ resurrected while on the earth. Read all of Joh 11.

Joh 11:44 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.
Joh 12:9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.

Yes, Lazarus and all of the saints which slept that arose were raised in physical bodies, not spiritual bodies, and all of them eventually died again. Look how Hebrews confirms this for us.

Heb 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Ever wonder why Christ Himself says that of men born of women ‘there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist,’ but that the very same John is less than ‘he that is least in the kingdom of heaven?’

Mat 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

How can that be? It had to be this way because being in Christ and having Christ in him was not an option for John. Christ is the only way to our salvation.

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

And as it was with John the Baptist, so is it with all of ‘these saints which slept that arose’. If you read Heb 11, you’ll see that the greatest people of the Old Testament all died without inheriting the promises.

Heb 11:13 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.

Just like the rich man in the parable of Lazarus and the Rich man who saw Abraham afar off, so is it with all of these. ‘These all died in faith, not having received the promises’. They are all now sleeping the ‘sleep of death’ until they are raised a spiritual body, which for them will be at the second resurrection or Great White Throne Judgment.

Psa 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Rev 20:11-13 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

And why is it this way? Because…

Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

That ‘some better thing’ began with Christ’s resurrection. Christ is the firstfruits of them that slept, and those who arose after His resurrection are again ‘sleeping’ in their graves.

1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

Christ is the only way, only truth and only life and no man… not even the greatest born of women… can come unto the Father any other way.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Hope this clarifies this for you.