The saints came out of the graves after Jesus' resurrection because Christ had to be the first to be resurrected, and they joined Him as the firstfruits.
Matthew 27:51-53 records that graves were opened at the crucifixion, but the saints did not come out until after Jesus' resurrection. Les Feldick teaches that this was necessary because Christ was the first ever to be resurrected, and no one could precede Him. These resurrected Jewish believers, along with Christ, formed the 'sheaf of firstfruits' described in Leviticus, showing a plural harvest of those raised from the dead.
Matthew 27:52-53 — These verses directly describe the graves being opened and the saints coming out after Jesus' resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:20 — This verse identifies Christ as the firstfruits of those who slept, setting the order of resurrection.
Matthew 27:50-53 describes events at Jesus' death and resurrection. At the moment of His death, the veil of the temple was torn and the earth quaked, and verse 52 says 'the graves were opened.' But the actual coming out of the graves is delayed until after His resurrection: '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 27:52-53, KJV). The timing is explicit—they came out 'after his resurrection.' Scripture presents Jesus as 'the firstfruits of them that slept' (1 Corinthians 15:20, KJV). This establishes that no one had been resurrected in that full sense before Him. The resurrection of these saints is part of the 'order' Paul describes: 'But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming' (1 Corinthians 15:23, KJV).
Les Feldick explains that the saints in Matthew 27 did not come out of their graves while Jesus was on the cross, but only after His resurrection. He insists this order was a scriptural mandate because Christ had to be the first to be resurrected from the dead. People had been raised from the dead before—like Lazarus and those raised by Elijah and Elisha—but they died again. Christ's resurrection was the first true resurrection, and no one could precede Him. Les teaches that these resurrected saints were Jewish believers buried near Jerusalem. They came into the holy city and appeared to many. They received glorified, immortal bodies, unlike Lazarus who was restored only to die again. Because they were truly resurrected, Les says they must have ascended to heaven with Christ, even though Scripture doesn't explicitly say so. Drawing on the Old Testament feast of firstfruits, Les explains that a sheaf of grain consisted of many stalks, not just one. Christ was the firstfruit, but these saints became part of the same 'sheaf' or bundle, completing the plural firstfruits. They were a sampling of the greater harvest of resurrection to come, and together with Christ they comprise the beginning of the first resurrection.
Les Feldick says this was an absolute scriptural mandate—no one had ever been resurrected from the dead before Christ. People like Lazarus were raised back to mortal life and died again, but Christ's resurrection was the first true resurrection in the fullest sense. If the saints had come out before Jesus, it would have thrown the whole plan of God 'out of kilter,' because Christ is the firstfruits of resurrection.
Les teaches that these were Jewish believers who had been buried in the area of Jerusalem. In the Old Testament economy there were not enough Gentile believers to count, so these were evidently believing Israelites. They went into the holy city and appeared to many.
In the Old Testament feast of firstfruits, a sheaf was made of multiple stems of grain, not just one. Christ alone would have been a single stem, but these resurrected saints were gathered together with Him as a sheaf of firstfruits. They were a sampling of the resurrection harvest to come, completing the plural meaning of 'firstfruits.'
Les acknowledges that Scripture does not explicitly say they went to glory, but he teaches they had to have gone because they were resurrected—not just raised back to mortal life like Lazarus. Since Christ ascended to heaven in His resurrected body, these saints shared in that resurrection and likewise went to heaven.
Graves Opened While Christ Was on the Cross?
Les recounts someone asking about saints coming out of the grave while Christ was on the cross, which prompted him to examine Matthew 27 closely.
Christ Had to Be the First to Be Resurrected
Les explains that Christ had to be the first true resurrection; previous raisings from the dead, like Lazarus, were only restorations to mortal life.
Resurrected to Show the Power of His Resurrection
Les connects the saints coming out of the graves to the Old Testament firstfruits and says that although Scripture doesn't say they went to heaven, they had to have gone because they were truly resurrected.
After His Resurrection, Not While on the Cross
Les clarifies that the graves were opened at the crucifixion but the saints came out after Jesus' resurrection because He had to be the first.
Jewish Believers Buried Near Jerusalem
Les identifies the resurrected saints as Jewish believers from the Jerusalem area and stresses that coming out before Christ would have disrupted God's plan.
Completing the Plural Firstfruits
Les compares the resurrected saints to a sheaf of many stalks, teaching that together with Christ they form the plural firstfruits of resurrection.
Firstfruits in the Order of Resurrections
Les places the resurrected saints from Matthew 27 together with Christ as the 'First Fruits,' followed later by believers at His coming.
What Happens to Satan, the Antichrist & the Dead?
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept or have died. Now I wish I had another hour and we could qualify the firstfruits and all the rest. We can't do that in this half hour. Verse 21, for since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
Matthew 27:50-53: Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 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.
This is the central passage that records the saints coming out of their graves after Jesus' resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:20: But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
This verse emphasizes that Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection, setting the order for all others.
1 Corinthians 15:23: But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
Paul lays out the order of resurrection, with Christ first and believers at His coming.
John 11:43-44: And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
Les uses Lazarus as an example of someone raised to mortal life again, not resurrected to immortality.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22: For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
This underscores the necessity of resurrection because death came through Adam and life through Christ.
No. The graves were opened at the time of the crucifixion, but Matthew 27:53 says the saints came out 'after his resurrection.' Les Feldick stresses that Christ had to be the first to be resurrected, so no one could precede Him.
No. Les explains that Lazarus was only restored to mortal life and died again, but these saints were truly resurrected to immortality. Because they were resurrected, Les teaches they went to heaven as Christ did.
Les says they were Jewish believers buried in the area of Jerusalem. They went into the holy city and appeared to many, serving as a sample of the resurrection harvest.
Christ alone is the firstfruit, but the resurrected saints together with Him form a sheaf of firstfruits—just as the Old Testament feast took multiple stems of grain to make a sheaf. They completed the plural picture of the firstfruits of resurrection.
Watch the Teaching: What Does "First Resurrection" Really Mean? Bible Study