Biblical Logos Blog

Matthew 27:51-53

⁵¹ And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. ⁵² The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, ⁵³ and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

I’ve read and heard many opinions on what this event was really all about. Many of the early Church Fathers debated whether this was a resurrection to glorified bodies or mortal bodies (Jerome (c. 347–420 AD), In his Commentary on Matthew; Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) In Letter 164 (to Evodius). But, Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202 AD) in his Fragments (Fragment 28) and Against Heresies made the presumption those resurrected were in immortal bodies.

When the Word of God became one with flesh… the heavy and terrestrial [part], having been rendered immortal, was borne up into heaven by the divine nature after the resurrection.

Irenaeus was a disciple of Ploycarp who was discipled directly by the Apostle John. This early attestation to the resurrected souls being in their immortal bodies is a compelling early declaration. Let’s explore some additional biblical evidence as to why this needed to be the case.

The Church Fathers and other scholars connect this event with these passages:

Eph 4:8-10  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 

Psa 68:17-19  The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary. You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.  Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.

Isa 61:1  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 

Luk 16:22-23 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 

Also it was the fulfillment of the Feast of First Fruits

Lev 23:10-12  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.  And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD. 

1Co 15:20-23  But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.  But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 

If you have not studied the Feasts of the Lord it is a compelling study. Jesus in is first and second comings is literally fulfilling the Temple celebration Feasts prescribed in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Above we see Paul actually saying that himself. Christ resurrection was a fulfillment of the Feast of First Fruits. Notice how the Feast process was centered around the Israelites bringing in a sheaf of the harvest (barley), and the priests does a wave offering before the Lord. This is the first cutting of ripe grain from the field.

Now notice in the 1 Corinthians passage, Jesus and the rest of the sheaf are raised, fulfilling this symbolism. This connects to the righteous dead rising first at Jesus resurrection (1Co 15:20-23). Just as the First Fruits sheaf in the Leviticus celebration was a promise for the remaining harvest, Jesus and those captives who were in sheol were the fulfillment of the sheaf being raised. The captives were set free. This was a promise of the rest of the harvest of souls when Jesus returns for the Rapture (“Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.”). So just like Jesus at his resurrection was raised in a immortal body, so the rest of the sheaf was likely raised in their immortal bodies as well.

Now, one last passage that gives us more confidence that the resurrection was to immortality

1Co 15:35-44  But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?”  You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.  And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.  For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.  There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.  So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.  It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 

Here Paul clearly links the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15 we looked at above with the kind of immortal body all resurrected saints will have. I think it is now obvious. Those who were bound in Sheol (Abraham’s Bosom / captivity) waiting on their Messiah to provide the price required by God for eternal righteousness, raised in immortal bodies with Christ and like Christ at his resurrection on the day of the First Fruits celebration!

Matthew’s Gospel is the only one that mentions this resurrection of the saints. I believe this is the case, because the fulfillment of the Feast of First Fruits and the promises in Isaiah 61 and Psalm 68 were specific to the Jewish people. Just like Matthew’s Gospel was written to the Jewish people declaring Jesus is their Messiah, Matthew was demonstrating this by showing yet one more example of how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament (mitzvot / laws).