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Matthew 27:51-53

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

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Here are my questions:

• How many holy people were resurrected?
• What happened to these holy people who were raised to life?
• Did they look healthy?
• Are there any recorded accounts outside the Bible that speak to theses holy people?

When I think about "many holy people" rising from the grave and walking into the Holy City to be seen by "many people" I'm taken aback.

Let's say tomorrow, a Catholic parishioner named Joshua came to Rome and claimed to be Jesus reborn. He is scoffed at and ridiculed. The Vatican places him on trial for heresy and he's excommunicated. A mob of angry Catholics is outside the Vatican wanting this man's blood. Joshua walks calmly into the crowd and is promptly torn to pieces. At the moment of his death, there is an earthquake, an eclipse, and dead Popes rise from the grave and go throughout the city. Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, and Pope John Paul II are now walking the streets of Rome.

Everyone in that city (regardless of religious affiliation) would quickly believe the priest was indeed Jesus. If you see a man you KNOW to be dead, alive and well, walking and talking, this would be irrefutable proof of Joshua's divinity. This information would spread like wildfire. These resurrected Popes would be shown to people across the globe and conversion to Catholicism would resemble a nuclear chain reaction.

If the events of Matthew 27: 51-53 are accurate, the entirety of Jerusalem, Jews, Romans, Greeks, etc. would have all converted on the spot. But that didn't happen. This leads me to believe the passage isn't true.

Thoughts?

TPS_Report said:

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Quote:

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Matthew 27:51-53

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

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Here are my questions:

• How many holy people were resurrected?
• What happened to these holy people who were raised to life?
• Did they look healthy?
• Are there any recorded accounts outside the Bible that speak to theses holy people?

When I think about "many holy people" rising from the grave and walking into the Holy City to be seen by "many people" I'm taken aback.

Let's say tomorrow, a Catholic parishioner named Joshua came to Rome and claimed to be Jesus reborn. He is scoffed at and ridiculed. The Vatican places him on trial for heresy and he's excommunicated. A mob of angry Catholics is outside the Vatican wanting this man's blood. Joshua walks calmly into the crowd and is promptly torn to pieces. At the moment of his death, there is an earthquake, an eclipse, and dead Popes rise from the grave and go throughout the city. Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, and Pope John Paul II are now walking the streets of Rome.

Everyone in that city (regardless of religious affiliation) would quickly believe the priest was indeed Jesus. If you see a man you KNOW to be dead, alive and well, walking and talking, this would be irrefutable proof of Joshua's divinity. This information would spread like wildfire. These resurrected Popes would be shown to people across the globe and conversion to Catholicism would resemble a nuclear chain reaction.

If the events of Matthew 27: 51-53 are accurate, the entirety of Jerusalem, Jews, Romans, Greeks, etc. would have all converted on the spot. But that didn't happen. This leads me to believe the passage isn't true.

Thoughts?

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First, it says they appeared to many, not everyone. I would assume they appeared to the disciples who just witnessed their Lord crucified. It would have been an isolated event like how Moses and Elijah appeared in the mount of transfiguration. Not everyone in Jerusalem saw that, only Peter, James, and John. I assume they rose to minister to the disciples who were afraid and grieving. Then after that, they went back to sleep.

Also, don't underestimate the power of a hard heart.

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, "What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name." 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

They witnessed this sign from God themselves and still did not believe. Think of the political opposition today in America. It doesn't matter what the policy enacted is or event in the news. If it was your team, it's good. If it was the other team, it's bad. It was that kind of climate x1000.

Martin Q. Blank said:

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TPS_Report said:

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Quote:

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Matthew 27:51-53

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

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Here are my questions:

• How many holy people were resurrected?
• What happened to these holy people who were raised to life?
• Did they look healthy?
• Are there any recorded accounts outside the Bible that speak to theses holy people?

When I think about "many holy people" rising from the grave and walking into the Holy City to be seen by "many people" I'm taken aback.

Let's say tomorrow, a Catholic parishioner named Joshua came to Rome and claimed to be Jesus reborn. He is scoffed at and ridiculed. The Vatican places him on trial for heresy and he's excommunicated. A mob of angry Catholics is outside the Vatican wanting this man's blood. Joshua walks calmly into the crowd and is promptly torn to pieces. At the moment of his death, there is an earthquake, an eclipse, and dead Popes rise from the grave and go throughout the city. Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, and Pope John Paul II are now walking the streets of Rome.

Everyone in that city (regardless of religious affiliation) would quickly believe the priest was indeed Jesus. If you see a man you KNOW to be dead, alive and well, walking and talking, this would be irrefutable proof of Joshua's divinity. This information would spread like wildfire. These resurrected Popes would be shown to people across the globe and conversion to Catholicism would resemble a nuclear chain reaction.

If the events of Matthew 27: 51-53 are accurate, the entirety of Jerusalem, Jews, Romans, Greeks, etc. would have all converted on the spot. But that didn't happen. This leads me to believe the passage isn't true.

Thoughts?

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First, it says they appeared to many, not everyone. I would assume they appeared to the disciples who just witnessed their Lord crucified. It would have been an isolated event like how Moses and Elijah appeared in the mount of transfiguration. Not everyone in Jerusalem saw that, only Peter, James, and John. I assume they rose to minister to the disciples who were afraid and grieving. Then after that, they went back to sleep.

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It does say many and not everyone.

But the definition of many is: consisting of or amounting to a large but indefinite number. Additionally, the number is considered large in relation to the whole. In this case, the whole is the city of Jerusalem.

The population of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus' death is estimated to be 20,000 on the low-end. Further the population would swell considerably during holy days like... Passover. But for the sake of argument, we can stick with 20,000.

So many in this case would be less than 10,000 as that would be most, rather than many. I would argue that many in this case must be anywhere from several hundred, to 9,999.

Now when several hundred people witness these risen saints, you know they are going to send children to go get other family members and friends to come and see this miracle. More and more people will flock to the miracle. The Roman authorities would come to investigate and find men they may have executed walking, talking, and breathing. This would result in mass conversion. That's what I mean when I say it would spread like a nuclear chain reaction. This chain reaction would include Jews and gentiles alike.

Further, Jews should have been converting left and right if Jesus was the fulfillment of their messianic prophecies. Instead, Christianity was predominantly gentile within 200 years of its inception.

How did many resurrected holy people wandering the streets of Jerusalem fail to spark a wave of conversion? Seems like the entirety of Jerusalem should have accepted Jesus as messiah within a week.

Also, why is this passage only found in Matthew? It seems pretty important and something worthy of inclusion by Mark, Luke, and John.

To your first question, consider who and how many witnessed the resurrection of Jesus.

1 Cor. 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

He appeared to 12 and 500.
He appeared to apostles and disciples, nobody else.

1. The resurrection at his crucifixion could have been the same. They only appeared to disciples.
2. People may have not recognized them. Jesus' own disciples did recognize him after his resurrection.
3. Those that did witness it may not have connected the dots. They didn't with the temple curtain being torn, earthquake, or darkness for 3 hours.
4. People could have had a hard heart. They didn't want to admit what they had just done.

I personally believe option 1. Why the curtain torn? Why the dead being raised? Why an earthquake? It seems all have a purpose for occurring at Jesus' death.

To your second question, not all events are recorded in each of the gospels.

John 21:25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

John was present at the transfiguration. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were not. Yet they wrote about it and John did not. Why?

While fair and honest questions, focusing on them is missing the point - that even those who died before Christ were saved by His sacrifice, Christ has overcome death, and the saints will rise to life again.

"…we must not covet to be wise above what is written. The relating of this matter so briefly, is a plain intimation to us, that we must not look that way for a confirmation of our faith; we have a more sure word of prophecy. See Luke 16 31." - Matthew Henry

Luke 16:31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

I always thought Matthew 27:51-53 is one of the most fascinating verses in the Bible that no one talks about. The Bible just matter of factly states what events occurred at the moment of crucifixion. Can you imagine being at home when one of your deceased loved ones walked in the front door of your home? It would have been nice of the Bible provided more information about these resurrected souls.

In regard to the temple curtain being torn, it is my understanding that it was very thick and very heavy, and would take something like an earthquake to tear it in half. About 30 years ago, I heard a pastor (J.R. Church, now deceased) give a message at our church about one of his trips to the holy land. He had been on so many trips that he got to know some the officials and archeologists in Israel.

On one particular trip to Israel, he got special invitation to examine the archeological excavations taking place along the western wall of the temple. As the archeologist was leading him underground along the Western Wall, J.R. suddenly stopped when he saw something interesting on one of the foundation stones. The foundation stones were anywhere from approximately 4.5' high to as high as 15'. This particular stone he was looking at appeared to be at least 10' high, and had a crack in it from top to bottom. He had the archeologist turn around and come look at the stone. J.R. asked him, "What would cause this crack in such a large foundation stone?" The archeologist said "Earthquake", turned around and continued walking as if it wasn't significant. Later, J.R. was able to determine that this particular foundation stone was underneath and close to where the curtain of the Holy of Holies would have been!

J.R. had set up six projectors in the back of the church sanctuary, and configured them so that you had a 180 degree view of the photos he showed that day. He took a photo of this large foundation stone that had a very visible crack in it from top to bottom. It was pretty amazing to see, and was pretty convincing of the amazing events that took place that day

Ordinary Man said:

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I always thought Matthew 27:51-53 is one of the most fascinating verses in the Bible that no one talks about. The Bible just matter of factly states what events occurred at the moment of crucifixion. Can you imagine being at home when one of your deceased loved ones walked in the front door of your home? It would have been nice of the Bible provided more information about these resurrected souls.

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I think at the time it was matter of fact. Matthew is conveying events that his readers were well aware of. Many of them were there to witness it. It would be like us describing flying over Japan and dropping the atom bomb. They would be absolutely astonished that (a) we can fly and (b) we can unleash such power. It would be almost unbelievable. However, we would describe it matter of factly.