Who were the people who were resurrected and appeared in Jerusalem after Jesus' resurrection?
They were some Jewish believers who had evidently been resurrected from cemeteries around Jerusalem. They came into the city after Christ Himself was resurrected and appeared, probably to their friends and relatives. These were resurrected believers given immortality, not like Lazarus who would die again, and they no doubt ascended into heaven.
Les explains that these did not come out of the grave while Christ was on the cross, but after He had been resurrected Himself, because Christ had to be the first. To fulfill the sheaf analogy, there had to be other examples of resurrection. So some Jewish believers were evidently resurrected from cemeteries around Jerusalem, came into the city, and appeared probably to their friends and relatives. Scripture is silent, so it must be assumed that since Christ in His resurrected body ascended into heaven, these saints did as well. They did not come like Lazarus to die again; they were resurrected believers given immortality and no doubt taken up into heaven. This makes the sheaf of the first fruits, the beginning of the first resurrection.
More Questions
Did the saints who were resurrected with Jesus go to heaven after appearing in Jerusalem?
Scripture is silent on the ascension of these resurrected saints, but Les assumes that just as Christ ascended in His resurrected body, these saints also were taken up into heaven.