Confusing Bible Verse?!!

[LittleAngel?]

(Matthew 27 v 51 - 52) NIV

51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
51The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.

People were raised from the dead when Jesus died?

If this is the case, why was Jesus' ressurection so special?

I know v53 says they came out of the grave when Jesus was raised from the dead, so what happened to them in the 3 days between?

Were they still buried alive?

VERY confusing!!!??

 

[Kit Carson]

Well just offhand, off the cuff, the tearing or splitting of the veil in the Temple would be God. It would be because the new covenant was now in effect and the era of the old law and the priest was done with. So God did that.

I will have to ask God about the rest of it. A challenging question at the moment for sure.

Ok, as Jesus raised those on earth in physical life, so were these persons. They were brought back to life and some other towns people saw them alive. They would again die a natural death just like Lazarus did and would have done. Physical life was again brought to life. But they were not transformed as Jesus and as will be in the end time. People marveled at this just as they did when Jesus in his travels would raise someone from the dead.

Kit

 

[AbbysAunt]

Hi Little Angel,

The veil of the temple was put there to keep out anyone who was thought to be unworthy of entering into the presence of the Holy of Holies which is God, but when Jesus died on that cross and the veil was ripped...it was done by God Himself because being unworthy we now had access to Him through Jesus...we aren't seperated from Him anymore but by the precious blood of the lamb our Lord Jesus we are reconciled to Him and can come into His presence.

Those bodies of the saints who were raised again..I'm thinking it was something like how lazarus was brought back...his physical body was brought back to life so then maybe were those who were raised again when Jesus died.

His resurrection was special because death did not hold Him and just as it did not hold Him...It will not hold us because we know Him that was alive, dead and alive again and will be forever more. Noone could resurrect Him but God the Father...we are asleep or dying in our sin but then along comes Jesus and the old man is gone and He resurrects a new man...one that is free from death one that is made righteous through Him. Only God in Heaven by giving us the gift of His son could do this for us.

I will have to do some more reading of the word and praying before I can answer anymore on this. God bless you now and always!

 

[RJ]

There are many mysteries surounding God, things we just can't fully explain as much as we like to.

This incident of the raising of the Saints is another, and opinions abounds among even scholars exactly how and when this occured. For the time being, the most important events during this time can be explained because it is part of the new covenant as others have mentioned:

• The tearing of the veil in the Temple was symbolic that the veil no longer seperated us from God because he is no longer resided in the Holy of Hoiles inside a structure made by man.
• Christ's reurrection is still very important because as a believer, Christ resurrected life enters us and the Holie of Holies is inside us where he resides, bringing us salvation and the promise of eternal life.

 

[agua]

I know v53 says they came out of the grave when Jesus was raised from the dead, so what happened to them in the 3 days between?

Were they still buried alive?

VERY confusing!!!??

During the 3 days Jesus was in the tomb these saints were still dead. They were still buried dead you might say. : / We don't know which saints or how long they were dead.



Mat 27:51-53 NKJV Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, (52) and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; (53) and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.



The passage is curiously placed after Jesus' death but before before being placed in the tomb and His and resurrection. It's also curious the word used for resurrection in the passage is different than the word Matthew and the other NT writers usually used.

G1454
ἔγερσις
egersis
eg'-er-sis
From G1453; a resurgence (from death): - resurrection.

instead of the usual...

G386
ἀνάστασις
anastasis
an-as'-tas-is
From G450; a standing up again, that is, (literally) a resurrection from death (individual, general or by implication (its author)), or (figuratively) a (moral) recovery (of spiritual truth): - raised to life again, resurrection, rise from the dead, that should rise, rising again.