The people who came out of the graves did so after Christ's resurrection, not while He was on the cross, and they were resurrected believers who ascended to heaven.
Les Feldick clarifies the timing: although the graves were opened at the moment of Christ's death, the saints actually came out after His resurrection, because Christ had to be the first to be resurrected. These resurrected believers appeared to many in Jerusalem and, as resurrected beings, went on up into glory, not dying again like Lazarus.
Matthew 27:50-53 — This passage directly describes the events at the crucifixion and resurrection, specifying that the saints came out of the graves after Christ's resurrection.
In Matthew 27, we read that at the moment of Jesus' death, the veil of the temple was torn, the earth quaked, and the rocks split. Verse 52 says, "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose." Verse 53 clarifies the timing: "And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." Thus, the scripture explicitly states the saints emerged after His resurrection, not during the crucifixion. The text also indicates that they went into the city and appeared to many, but it does not record what happened to them afterward.
Les Feldick explains that this event fulfilled the Old Testament picture of the firstfruits offering. Just as the priest offered a sheaf of ripened grain, Christ was the first sheaf of the resurrection harvest, and these resurrected believers were the additional stems that made up the sheaf. He stresses that Christ had to be the first to be resurrected, never to die again, and these saints were resurrected in that same way—not merely raised to die again like Lazarus. Their appearance in Jerusalem showed the power of His resurrection, and although the scripture is silent, Les concludes that they must have ascended to glory as Christ did, because they were resurrected believers.
Les Feldick points out that a common misreading is that these people came out while Christ was on the cross. However, the grammar of Matthew 27:52-53 places their emergence "after his resurrection." He emphasizes that this was necessary because Christ had to be the first to be resurrected, as no one had ever been resurrected before Him.
Les identifies them as "believing Jews," or believers who had died and were buried in the area around Jerusalem. They were brought out of their graves and went into the city, appearing to many. Their resurrection was not like the earlier raisings from the dead by prophets or Jesus Himself (such as Lazarus), because those people died again. These were true resurrections to eternal life.
The Bible does not explicitly state what happened to them afterward. Les Feldick concludes that because they were resurrected with resurrection bodies—not just raised to die again—they had to have ascended to heaven as Christ did. This is an inference from the nature of resurrection, though not explicitly stated in scripture.
Les explains that in the Old Testament, the firstfruits sheaf was made of many ripened stems of grain. Christ as the first resurrection is the first stem, but a bundle of first fruits requires many. Therefore, these resurrected saints were part of that firstfruits sheaf of the resurrection harvest, fulfilling the Old Testament picture of the wave offering.
Firstfruits Sheaf Picture
Les uses the Old Testament practice of the wave offering of ripened grain to illustrate that Christ and the resurrected saints together form the firstfruits sheaf of the resurrection harvest.
Christ First, Then Others
Les teaches that Christ had to be the first to be resurrected, and the saints from the graves were part of the firstfruits bundle, resurrected to never die again.
Resurrection Power and Ascension
Les shows that these saints came out after Christ's resurrection, appeared to many, and since they were resurrected (not just raised), they must have gone up to glory.
Timing After Resurrection
Les emphasizes that although the graves were opened at the crucifixion, the saints came out after His resurrection because Christ had to be the first.
Redemption Explained: From Law to Grace (Romans 3 & 6)
We have died with Him. But now let's go one step further. I probably haven't got that straight. But anyway, when they took Christ from the cross, what did they do with Him? Where was He placed? In the sepulcher, in the grave. He was buried. Then after the third day and the third night, what happened? He rose from the dead. Now we've got to carry this identification all the way through.
Correcting Misreading
Les recounts a question about these verses and clarifies that no one came out while Christ was on the cross; they came out after His resurrection.
What Will Our Resurrected Body Be Like? 1 Corinthians 15 Explained
They were not resurrected, they were just simply called back from the dead and they died again. But resurrection began with the Lord Jesus Himself, He was the first to ever be resurrected, and that means that He died and He arose from the dead, never again to die, and it was for all eternity.
Verse-by-Verse Timing
Les reads Matthew 27:50-53 sequentially, showing that the saints came out after His resurrection, not at the moment of death.
Matthew 27:52: And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
This verse shows that the graves were opened at the time of the earthquake, but does not state when they arose.
Matthew 27:53: And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
This verse explicitly states that the saints came out after Christ's resurrection, clarifying the timing.
No. Although the graves were opened at the moment of His death, they came out after His resurrection, as the scripture states and Les Feldick emphasizes.
No. They were resurrected in the same way as Christ, never to die again, whereas Lazarus was merely raised to mortal life and eventually died again.
The Bible doesn't say, but Les Feldick concludes they ascended to heaven in their resurrected bodies, as they were resurrected believers.
Watch the Teaching: What Does "First Resurrection" Really Mean? Bible Study