386
386 anastasis {an-as'-tas-is}
from 450; TDNT - 1:371,60; n f
AV - resurrection 39, rising again 1, that should rise 1,
raised to life again + 1537 1; 42
1) a raising up, rising (e.g. from a seat)
2) a rising from the dead
2a) that of Christ
2b) that of all men at the end of this present age
2c) the resurrection of certain ones history who were restored
to life (Heb. 11:35)
NT:386
anastasis (an-as'-tas-is); from NT:450; a standing up again, i.e. (literally) a resurrection from death (individual, genitive case or by implication [its author]), or (figuratively) a (moral) recovery (of spiritual truth):
KJV - raised to life again, resurrection, rise from the dead, that should rise, rising again.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Resurrection has more than one meaning so it is important to know them all and how they are used in scriptural context.
One is the resurrection of Christ and he actually experienced two types of resurrections.
The first is written here:
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.
Note how it says Christ had a resurrection right after he died! He dies, the dead in the graves resurrect, and it is said they resurrected and left their graves after he resurrected. This is over 3 days before the more common type of bodily resurrection that is known when he arose and left his tomb.
Here Ignatius describes the same thing:
http://st-takla.org/books/en/ecf/001/0010171.html
Stop your ears, therefore, when any one speaks to you at variance with 788 Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was descended from David, and was also of Mary; who was truly begotten of God and of the Virgin, but not after the same manner. For indeed God and man are not the same. He truly assumed a body; for “the Word was made flesh,” 789 and lived upon earth without sin. For says He, “Which of you convicteth me of sin?” 790 He did in reality both eat and drink. He was crucified and died under Pontius Pilate. He really, and not merely in appearance, was crucified, and died, in the sight of beings in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth. By those in heaven I mean such as are possessed of incorporeal natures; by those on earth, the Jews and Romans, and such persons as were present at that time when the Lord was crucified; and by those under the earth, <b>the multitude that arose along with the Lord. For says the Scripture, “Many bodies of the saints that slept arose,” 791 their graves being opened. He descended, indeed, into Hades alone, but He arose accompanied by a multitude; and rent asunder that means 792 of separation which had existed from the beginning of the world, and cast down its partition-wall. <u>He also rose again in three days</u></b>, the Father raising Him up; and after spending forty days with the apostles, He was received up to the Father, and “sat down at His right hand, expecting till His enemies are placed under His feet.”
Matthew 27:53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
1454
1454 egersis {eg'-er-sis}
from 1453; TDNT - 2:337,195; n f
AV - resurrection 1; 1
1) a rousing, excitation
2) a rising up
3) resurrection from the dead
I will also mention that this particular word is used
one time in all of scripture. The root word is used 141 times but this version is special and only used this one time and I believe it is because this resurrection was not the same as his corpse resurrection.
The entire reason he had a corpse resurrection was to give a physical sign of the spiritual resurrection that cannot be seen. Amen?
There is over 3 days difference in the two resurrections. I believe it is fact that the dead saints were awake and in open graves when Christ's spirit resurrected and I submit that logic and the text says they got up and went into the city right then.
Matthew 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;
Matthew 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Matthew 27:53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Matthew 27:54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
I submit that all these events are written in chronological order and the "saw the earthquake, and those things that were done" proves that all those events happened on the same day and all were witnessed by others.
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.
Mat 27:54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus,
saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
Mat 27:55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
Mat 27:56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.
Mat 27:57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:
Mat 27:58
He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
All the same day! You should notice that the Roman was there to see this earthquake and the dead arose during that quake. All those "ANDS" prove a succession of chronological events.
Here we have a series of things that occurred right after he died:
1: veil torn
2: earth quake
3: rocks rent
4: Jesus resurrects
5: graves opened
6: saints arose
7: saints leave graves
8: saints enter the city
All these things happen as soon as Christ died. Since we all know the spirit returns to God right after death, then that is a resurrection.
1454
1454 egersis {eg'-er-sis}
from 1453; TDNT - 2:337,195; n f
AV - resurrection 1; 1
1) a rousing, excitation
2) a rising up
3) resurrection from the dead
His spirit experienced "a rising up" and a "rousing" when it left his dead body.
Matthew 27:54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
Here we see that the centurion "saw the earthquake, and those things that were done"