The Scripture records that just after Jesus death, an amazing thing occurred. A thing which really bothers me and I need to pick you guys brains for assistance. Whats up with this:
Matthew 27:52-53
The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
Were these the Old Testament saints coming out of Abraham's bosom and into heaven?
How does that concur with the end times when the dead in Christ shall rise first?
If they appeared to many, why didn't it get recorded anywhere but the Gospels?
Help me figure this one out!
Those are pretty pointed questions - are you looking to answer a skeptic, an end-times guy, or yourself?
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, I'd be careful of forcing this passage to fit somewhere prominent in a systematic scheme. The fact that it doesn't feature significantly in the later canon (you'd have a few hoops to jump through to match it with Rev 20) should reinforce this.
If I had to make a guess, it'd be that they were raised similar to Lazarus, and that they'd die again. But yeah, beats me.
I believe the account, and I think they were of the same like as Lazarus as well. However, it just seems odd that no record of all these resurrected folks has been made (at least found) by the Jews of that day.
ReplyDeleteI heard Hitchens use this as an example of why the Bible is a fairy-tale. He was the first guy I ever heard talk about it and it did seem to me as one of the stronger things an athiest could say.
Our religion is founded on the belief that God raised His Son from the dead. After three days. This death and resurrection had cosmic ramifications. Then He ascended into heaven.
ReplyDeleteWhy should the resurrections in Mt 27 would prove more difficult for the Christian to swallow (or defend) is beyond me, regardless of what Hitchens says. Might as well argue that water doesn't become wine, and hey, why don't we have anyone in history talking about this wine they had that came from water pots? None of these lesser miracles matter if the greatest miracle isn't allowed, and if the greatest miracle is allowed, then what's the big deal about water turning to wine or men coming back from the dead?