The ancient Jews buried their dead in tombs carved into the sides of hills. Many families had their own private place to bury their dead; this tradition going back hundreds of years. One day, a strange event occurred. A man was murdered, first being whipped, and then nailed to a cross to die, by those in authority in Jerusalem.
But there had been a promise of resurrection in the O.T. well before the New Testament was written. After Jesus died, there was an earthquake, and as the earth shook, many of the stones that blocked the entrance of the tombs around Jerusalem were opened, exposing the dead bodies.
What happened next is amazing. The bodies lay on the ground for 3 day, and after the Lord was raised from the dead, these bodies, were given breath, stood up, and walked into Jerusalem.
Matt.27:52-53, "The graves (of the dead) were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. And (they) came out of the graves (meaning they lived) after His (Jesus) resurrection, and went (walked away) into the holy city (Jerusalem,) and were seen by many."
1. These bodies were buried in Israel.
2. They had to be Jews, buried in the traditional Jewish style, and in the land outside of Jerusalem.
3. They had to be Jews who had lived under law, because the new covenant was still future, the Holy Spirit had not been given, and the church was still future.
They had to be faithful Jews unto God, because they are called saints.
They were made alive.
They had to take flesh on to their bones, and have life breathed into them by the Holy Spirit.
The word "arose," means to come back from the dead to life. Arose is the same word as raised. The same word that is used to describe Christ's resurrection. The Greek word itself indicates that Christ, and these saints of Matt.27, were given incorruptible bodies, as was the Saviour, never to die again.
The Lord in this resurrected state, could be seen, or not, depending on him. He could be talking with some face to face, and they would not recognize him. He could eat, drink, and yet go through closed doors. Well anyway, these are the privileges of a resurrected body.
The last thing the Bible teaches about these people who were raised from the grave, and made alive, "They went into Jerusalem, and were seen by many."
From this point on, there is no mention of their whereabouts, or what happened to them.
Now there are some who teach they died again. This cannot be, because the word "arose, risen, and rise, means to be brought to life, and in the context of never to die again, made unto God immortal creatures.
Now the question, "What happened to them?" Because they did not die again, here are our options.
1. They went into heaven.
2. They remained on earth to do the work of the Lord for the past 2000 years.
Some laugh at this, but to deny this is to limit God's power, and understanding of the future. Elijah, and Moses dead for a thousand years and more, yet seen by the apostiles, and recognized. Appearing as men, white apparel, talking, and moving about. Seen one minute, and not the next. Samuel after he had died, was raised by a witch, and spoke to king Saul, and then disappeared again.
Those in Matt.27, when they walked into the city, were seen by many, but then its as if they just vanished.
Now to claim they died again, a person would have to change the meaning of the Greek word raised, and the context in which it is used. If anyone would claim they died again, then others can argue that Jesus died again.
Did they go to heaven? The Bible only tell us they were last seen walking into Jerusalem, and witnessed by many. There is no verse that tells us Jesus took anyone into heaven with him.
Acts 2:10, "And while they (the apostles) looked steadfastly toward heaven as he (Jesus) went up.
When the Lord was taken up into heaven, two men in white apparel approached the apostles and asked them, "Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
Who were these two men? Angel's? maybe. Or maybe two of those raised in Matt.27. They are called men; they seemed to know something the apostles didn't, stating that He would return just as He had left.
Now because the Scriptures are silent, I will assume these raised in Matt.27, remained here on earth to do the Lord's work. These are my thoughts.
There have been eye-witness accounts by Christians that are strange indeed, and could have only been the work of God.
In the 67 war, an Israel tank commander was leading his tanks at the Golan Heights against an overwhelming Syrian attack of infantry, and tanks. The Israel tank commander had been wounded, and his legs were crushed by a tank. As he lay dying, and most of his men had also been wounded, or killed; the Syrians army came over the hills. It appeared to be over, nothing stood between the Syrians and Jerusalem. As the commander watched, the Syrians came to the top of the hills, and stopped.
Suddenly they dropped their weapons, the tanks turned, and they all headed back to Syria. Shortly after, Israelis reinforcements came, with the air-force, the battle was over. Something stopped the Syrian army, and no-one knew what, or who. The Israeli commander lived, and was one of the founders of the rebuilding of the new temple movement.
Years later the Israeli commander heard of an interview with the commander of the Syrian army he had fought against. The Syrian commander was asked, "Why did you not continue your attack? you had the battle won." The Syrian commander explained, "What do you mean we had it won? we were totally outnumbered by men in white garments, who were armed to the teeth. Now this is either true, or there was a mass mirage among a few thousand Syrian troops.
I have this interview on tape from the men who took part in the battle. There is another eyewitness account of Christians who were being attacked by head-hunters in Africa. The compound where the Christians were, was surrounded; suddenly the head-hunters turned and ran. Years later when the chief of the tribe, became a Christian, he was asked, "Why did you not attack?" He replied, "Because we were outnumbered by men in white garments.
In both cases, the Israeli commander, and the Christians in the compound did not see this army in white; seen only by the enemy. So who were these men in white garments? I don't know, but I am inclined to think, they were either angels, or those who were raised in Matt.27; those who remained behind to do the Lord's work, led by the Holy Spirit.
One more thing. In all my research, there is strong evidence that these in Matt.27, may be the 144,000 Jews, representing the 12 tribes in Rev.7-11. They have a great deal in common with the 144,000. If nayone desires, I can give you more Scriptural information, on their similarities.
Phil LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com
But there had been a promise of resurrection in the O.T. well before the New Testament was written. After Jesus died, there was an earthquake, and as the earth shook, many of the stones that blocked the entrance of the tombs around Jerusalem were opened, exposing the dead bodies.
What happened next is amazing. The bodies lay on the ground for 3 day, and after the Lord was raised from the dead, these bodies, were given breath, stood up, and walked into Jerusalem.
Matt.27:52-53, "The graves (of the dead) were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. And (they) came out of the graves (meaning they lived) after His (Jesus) resurrection, and went (walked away) into the holy city (Jerusalem,) and were seen by many."
1. These bodies were buried in Israel.
2. They had to be Jews, buried in the traditional Jewish style, and in the land outside of Jerusalem.
3. They had to be Jews who had lived under law, because the new covenant was still future, the Holy Spirit had not been given, and the church was still future.
They had to be faithful Jews unto God, because they are called saints.
They were made alive.
They had to take flesh on to their bones, and have life breathed into them by the Holy Spirit.
The word "arose," means to come back from the dead to life. Arose is the same word as raised. The same word that is used to describe Christ's resurrection. The Greek word itself indicates that Christ, and these saints of Matt.27, were given incorruptible bodies, as was the Saviour, never to die again.
The Lord in this resurrected state, could be seen, or not, depending on him. He could be talking with some face to face, and they would not recognize him. He could eat, drink, and yet go through closed doors. Well anyway, these are the privileges of a resurrected body.
The last thing the Bible teaches about these people who were raised from the grave, and made alive, "They went into Jerusalem, and were seen by many."
From this point on, there is no mention of their whereabouts, or what happened to them.
Now there are some who teach they died again. This cannot be, because the word "arose, risen, and rise, means to be brought to life, and in the context of never to die again, made unto God immortal creatures.
Now the question, "What happened to them?" Because they did not die again, here are our options.
1. They went into heaven.
2. They remained on earth to do the work of the Lord for the past 2000 years.
Some laugh at this, but to deny this is to limit God's power, and understanding of the future. Elijah, and Moses dead for a thousand years and more, yet seen by the apostiles, and recognized. Appearing as men, white apparel, talking, and moving about. Seen one minute, and not the next. Samuel after he had died, was raised by a witch, and spoke to king Saul, and then disappeared again.
Those in Matt.27, when they walked into the city, were seen by many, but then its as if they just vanished.
Now to claim they died again, a person would have to change the meaning of the Greek word raised, and the context in which it is used. If anyone would claim they died again, then others can argue that Jesus died again.
Did they go to heaven? The Bible only tell us they were last seen walking into Jerusalem, and witnessed by many. There is no verse that tells us Jesus took anyone into heaven with him.
Acts 2:10, "And while they (the apostles) looked steadfastly toward heaven as he (Jesus) went up.
When the Lord was taken up into heaven, two men in white apparel approached the apostles and asked them, "Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
Who were these two men? Angel's? maybe. Or maybe two of those raised in Matt.27. They are called men; they seemed to know something the apostles didn't, stating that He would return just as He had left.
Now because the Scriptures are silent, I will assume these raised in Matt.27, remained here on earth to do the Lord's work. These are my thoughts.
There have been eye-witness accounts by Christians that are strange indeed, and could have only been the work of God.
In the 67 war, an Israel tank commander was leading his tanks at the Golan Heights against an overwhelming Syrian attack of infantry, and tanks. The Israel tank commander had been wounded, and his legs were crushed by a tank. As he lay dying, and most of his men had also been wounded, or killed; the Syrians army came over the hills. It appeared to be over, nothing stood between the Syrians and Jerusalem. As the commander watched, the Syrians came to the top of the hills, and stopped.
Suddenly they dropped their weapons, the tanks turned, and they all headed back to Syria. Shortly after, Israelis reinforcements came, with the air-force, the battle was over. Something stopped the Syrian army, and no-one knew what, or who. The Israeli commander lived, and was one of the founders of the rebuilding of the new temple movement.
Years later the Israeli commander heard of an interview with the commander of the Syrian army he had fought against. The Syrian commander was asked, "Why did you not continue your attack? you had the battle won." The Syrian commander explained, "What do you mean we had it won? we were totally outnumbered by men in white garments, who were armed to the teeth. Now this is either true, or there was a mass mirage among a few thousand Syrian troops.
I have this interview on tape from the men who took part in the battle. There is another eyewitness account of Christians who were being attacked by head-hunters in Africa. The compound where the Christians were, was surrounded; suddenly the head-hunters turned and ran. Years later when the chief of the tribe, became a Christian, he was asked, "Why did you not attack?" He replied, "Because we were outnumbered by men in white garments.
In both cases, the Israeli commander, and the Christians in the compound did not see this army in white; seen only by the enemy. So who were these men in white garments? I don't know, but I am inclined to think, they were either angels, or those who were raised in Matt.27; those who remained behind to do the Lord's work, led by the Holy Spirit.
One more thing. In all my research, there is strong evidence that these in Matt.27, may be the 144,000 Jews, representing the 12 tribes in Rev.7-11. They have a great deal in common with the 144,000. If nayone desires, I can give you more Scriptural information, on their similarities.
Phil LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com
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