Why is this never discussed by Bible expositors?

[stan4257]

We are told little about the details of this. it would be impossible to answer the question with any level of certainty.

I agree. As the words have come to us they make little sense, which is why there is so much silence about them. They stand with statements like, "This day you will be in Paradise with me", words that remain in the too hard basket until the end of time when what they mean doesn't matter any more. There might even be some connection with Hebrews 11:19 and the words, figuratively speaking.

Doesn't matter.

My mind focuses on Jesus Christ, Son of God, whose resurrection is my salvation.

[patricia1]

I do not know why except for the pastor may think we know what He means. The raisin of the old testament saints are extremely important as well as the veil being rent.

Perhaps in the past it caused some kind of dissention?

I often have used this reference about the veils upon our facees that prevent us from being lead by Jesus...

[Richard_yaash]

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;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 27:51-53 KJV

The death burial & resurection of Jesus at the conclusion of the Holy Week are the gospel. Yet most pulpits save their focus on the events of that week to the Spring of the year. Then there are so many angles and texts to examine it gets a general treatment. This may not be your experience but mine in church. I have heard a lot of references to the temple veil being rent and its significance. I have never heard a live teacher address the resurection of saints that immediately follows the death of Jesus. Note as well the time lapse they do not go into the city until after Jesus' resurection 3 days later. Then we do not know if they continue their life cycle or ascend to heaven. Some of these question we can only guess at, but what is the significance and spiritual purpose of these events, and why didn't it turn the Roman world upside down?

As it is a lone verse with no 'second witness', it is hard to place a lot of authority upon it. However it can not also be ignored IMO. Beyond this, I agree with EricH.

[psalmone]

ImO the death of Jesus broke the spell of death off of these sleeping saints.

C.S.Lewis portrarys a similarity in his book "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe", where the sacrifice of Aslan broke the spell of winter off of Narnia, freeing many of the good characters who had been frozen statutes.

IMO the Word of this Liberty (in the Gospel) needs to reach some today, who may had fought bravely awaiting the ammunition of the further revelation we enjoy today.

How it works out, we should trust God to reveal.

[Guest Biblicist]

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;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 27:51-53 KJV

The death burial & resurection of Jesus at the conclusion of the Holy Week are the gospel. Yet most pulpits save their focus on the events of that week to the Spring of the year. Then there are so many angles and texts to examine it gets a general treatment. This may not be your experience but mine in church. I have heard a lot of references to the temple veil being rent and its significance. I have never heard a live teacher address the resurection of saints that immediately follows the death of Jesus. Note as well the time lapse they do not go into the city until after Jesus' resurection 3 days later. Then we do not know if they continue their life cycle or ascend to heaven. Some of these question we can only guess at, but what is the significance and spiritual purpose of these events, and why didn't it turn the Roman world upside down?

As it is a lone verse with no 'second witness', it is hard to place a lot of authority upon it. However it can not also be ignored IMO. Beyond this, I agree with EricH.

That's not quite true...

Isaiah 26:19 Your dead will come back to life;

your corpses will rise up.

Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground!

For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew,

and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits.

[jadams_4040]

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;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 27:51-53 KJV

The death burial & resurection of Jesus at the conclusion of the Holy Week are the gospel. Yet most pulpits save their focus on the events of that week to the Spring of the year. Then there are so many angles and texts to examine it gets a general treatment. This may not be your experience but mine in church. I have heard a lot of references to the temple veil being rent and its significance. I have never heard a live teacher address the resurection of saints that immediately follows the death of Jesus. Note as well the time lapse they do not go into the city until after Jesus' resurection 3 days later. Then we do not know if they continue their life cycle or ascend to heaven. Some of these question we can only guess at, but what is the significance and spiritual purpose of these events, and why didn't it turn the Roman world upside down?

The veil of the temple being rent and the saints that slept arose, means that Jesus was crucified for our sins and then ressurected for us all and now we too can attain "eternal" life, and thats what the veil being rent means, because we all can now pass thru the veil into eternal excistance because of his sacrifice and ressurection, It was all for us.

[patricia1]

I most certainly agree....J adams

[EricH]

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;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 27:51-53 KJV

The death burial & resurection of Jesus at the conclusion of the Holy Week are the gospel. Yet most pulpits save their focus on the events of that week to the Spring of the year. Then there are so many angles and texts to examine it gets a general treatment. This may not be your experience but mine in church. I have heard a lot of references to the temple veil being rent and its significance. I have never heard a live teacher address the resurection of saints that immediately follows the death of Jesus. Note as well the time lapse they do not go into the city until after Jesus' resurection 3 days later. Then we do not know if they continue their life cycle or ascend to heaven. Some of these question we can only guess at, but what is the significance and spiritual purpose of these events, and why didn't it turn the Roman world upside down?

As it is a lone verse with no 'second witness', it is hard to place a lot of authority upon it. However it can not also be ignored IMO. Beyond this, I agree with EricH.

That's not quite true...

Isaiah 26:19 Your dead will come back to life;

your corpses will rise up.

Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground!

For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew,

and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits.

The prblm is that we don't know is isaiah 26:19 is a direct prophecy regarding the matthew passage

[Richard_yaash]

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;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 27:51-53 KJV

The death burial & resurection of Jesus at the conclusion of the Holy Week are the gospel. Yet most pulpits save their focus on the events of that week to the Spring of the year. Then there are so many angles and texts to examine it gets a general treatment. This may not be your experience but mine in church. I have heard a lot of references to the temple veil being rent and its significance. I have never heard a live teacher address the resurection of saints that immediately follows the death of Jesus. Note as well the time lapse they do not go into the city until after Jesus' resurection 3 days later. Then we do not know if they continue their life cycle or ascend to heaven. Some of these question we can only guess at, but what is the significance and spiritual purpose of these events, and why didn't it turn the Roman world upside down?

As it is a lone verse with no 'second witness', it is hard to place a lot of authority upon it. However it can not also be ignored IMO. Beyond this, I agree with EricH.

That's not quite true...

Isaiah 26:19 Your dead will come back to life;

your corpses will rise up.

Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground!

For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew,

and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits.

I do understand your point Biblicist. My apologies, for I should have been clearer. There is no 'second witness' of that occurence within the NT. We could also introduce a few more verses from the prophets such as in Ezekiel 37.

The inherant problem I see, is that if we heavily emphasize this lone verse, we may have an apparent direct conflict with such as 1 Thessalonians 5 and 2 Thessalonians 2.

[eric]

A commentary from Matthew Henry for those who are interested,

The rending of the veil signified that Christ, by his death, opened a way to God. We have an open way through Christ to the throne of grace, or mercy-seat now, and to the throne of glory hereafter. When we duly consider Christ's death, our hard and rocky hearts should be rent; the heart, and not the garments. That heart is harder than a rock that will not yield, that will not melt, where Jesus Christ is plainly set forth crucified. The graves were opened, and many bodies of saints

which slept, arose. To whom they appeared, in what manner, and how they disappeared, we are not told; and we must not desire to be wise above what is written. The dreadful appearances of God in his providence, sometimes work strangely for the conviction and awakening of sinners. This was expressed in the terror that fell upon the centurion and the Roman soldiers. We may reflect with comfort on the abundant testimonies given to the character of Jesus; and, seeking to give no just cause of

offence, we may leave it to the Lord to clear our characters, if we live to Him. Let us, with an eye of faith, behold Christ and him crucified, and be affected with that great love wherewith he loved us. But his friends could give no more than a look; they beheld him, but could not help him. Never were the horrid nature and effects of sin so tremendously displayed, as on that day when the beloved Son of the Father hung upon the cross, suffering for sin, the Just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. Let us yield ourselves willingly to his service. (Mt 27:57-61)

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I hope this is of some help