Matthew 27 gives us the story of Jesus’ death on the cross. There was a great earthquake, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom, and many graves of Old Testament Jews were opened.
Now, pay attention to the wording. Verse 52-53, “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose.
And came out of the graves AFTER his (Christ’s) resurrection and went into the holy city (Jerusalem) and appeared unto many.”
1 Corinthians 15:22-23, “in Christ all shall be made alive. Every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”
Now my question is, what do you think happened to these MANY saints? Did they go to heaven with the Lord? If you say yes, do you have any verses to support that thinking?
Or do you think they have remained on earth and died again?
Or do you think they have been walking around the earth doing the Lord’s work for the past 2000 years?
Last question: does anyone think these that came out of the grave can be the ones spoken of in Revelation 14:4, the “FIRSTfruits unto God (the Father) and to the Lamb.”
Now, you farmers and those who like to work the ground understand there is only one “firstfruit” in every harvest.
Your thoughts.
You know how the Bible has two testaments ? One is soecifically written by Hebrew prophets to the Hebrew people how in the ot God was only communicating with and through israel ? The people who became israel I mean abram the Hebrews descendants
well in the first testament given to isreal there’s a promise to them that he would do this when he came
“Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.”
Ezekiel 37:12 KJV
this is an Old Testament promise The lord made to those people who were under the Old Testament before he came
when he came even before he died and rose look at the authority Jesus has over death
“And when he thus had spoken,
he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 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.”
John 11:43-44 KJV
Jesus did this other times but he was explaining to all along that he possessed all of heaven and all of earth and everything in it that all things had been given into his hands who created all things and dwelt in the heavens and later was born and lived as a man on earth died for sin and rose victorious from death and ascended back to his throne so then we see what doctrine he sent to all mankind and simply said
“
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Verily, verily, I say unto you,
The hour is coming, ( future tense )
and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.( present tense when Jesus spoke it )
For
as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to
the Son to have life in himself; and
hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. ( this parts important )
Marvel not at this:
for the hour is coming, ( future tense at the end because it’s a reference to all people who die )
in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have
done good, unto the resurrection of life;
and
they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
John 5:24-29 KJV
What I’m saying is the Bible clearly speaks of a resurrection of the ot israel when the messiah came and another resurrection for those under the New Testament at the end of the world.
Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.”
Ezekiel 37:12 KJV
He said that seven hundred plus years before this happened
“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.”
Matthew 27:52-53 KJV
when we we revelations view of heaven you see a select number of isealites from the twelve tribes that’s who he said that promise to . in the nt he said there will be a resurrection of the dead at the end of the world when Jesus comes a second time to gather his elect ( the church still alive on earth ) and those who had not heard and obeyed his word but sincerely believed