Dear Mike

How are you doing? If you could help me out with these two verses, Mat 27:52-53, it would be well appreciated. I take it that these two verses are not to be taken literally. And if not, what does it mean, if you could answer it without it taking up to much of your time. Looking forward to hearing from you. May God bless you and your family

Your brother in Christ Jesus,

K____

Hi K____,

These verses are just as literal as the resurrection of Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Mary and Martha. All of these resurrections were, like Lazarus, resurrections to physical life. Christ had also resurrected the daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue (Mar 5:22-41). There were also a few resurrections in the Old Testament. They were all resurrections to physical life. Christ alone is “the firstfruits of them that slept.” “The firstfruits of them that slept” were none of the others I have listed above.

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

Yes, there really was an earthquake when Christ died.

Mat 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Mat 27:51 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;
Mat 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Mat 27:53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Christ was in the tomb and was resurrected from the tomb and death before the other saints who had recently died were resurrected and went into the city to testify to the reality of Christ as the son of God.

And yes, the tearing of the temple veil from top to bottom was to reveal to us that in Christ there is no longer a wall of separation between us and our God. It tells us also that we are now in the “time of reformation.” We are no longer under the law of Moses. Be sure to read The Law of Moses Versus The Law of The Spirit

The resurrection of Lazarus, the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of all those saints all happened in the same seven day period. It was all a very powerful testimony of who Christ was. He really is the resurrected son of God.

I am quick to repeat that all of these resurrections, except the resurrection of Christ, were to natural flesh and blood bodies. Neither Lazarus nor any of the saints that were resurrected after His resurrection, walked through any walls appearing in rooms with “locked doors.” All but Christ had to live out life in their resurrected natural bodies and die again, “not having received the promises… that they without us should not be made perfect.”

Heb 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again:
Heb 11:13 These all [ even these resurrected dead] 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.
Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

I hope this answers your questions,

Mike