What happened to Matthew's zombies?

[NoraBrimstone]

I've asked this question before. They either pretend not to understand the question or they ignore it completely. Poor little Jesus-sheep.

[orangebox21]

We can't say for sure. The Bible doesn't always give us the details for every question. What we do know for sure (taken from reading below/the text): Tombs were opened by an earthquake when Jesus died. Many bodies of dead saints were raised from the dead. They came out of their graves after Christ was resurrected. They went into Jerusalem and appeared to many people. They were alive.

To speculate, they could have been taken up to heaven soon after, or they finished out their lives and died and are awaiting the final resurrection (like Lazarus).

More Detail:

---

1. Grave opened; many saints were raised and appeared to many people, Matt 27:51-53.
2. How did their resurrection occur? Why did it happen? What became of them after they were resurrected?
3. What we know for sure:
a. Tombs were opened by an earthquake when Jesus died.
b. Many bodies of dead saints were raised from the dead.
c. They came out of their graves after Christ was resurrected.
d. They went into Jerusalem and appeared to many people.
e. THEY WERE ALIVE (Not zombies: “a will-less and speechless human in the West Indies capable only of automatic movement who is held to have died and been supernaturally reanimated…a person held to resemble the so-called walking dead.”), Merriam-Webster. (According to Voodoo belief, jrp)
4. Some have speculated they ascended into heaven (McGarvey).
-Little doubt “these resurrected are symbolic, showing that the resurrection of Christ is the resurrection of the race” (TFG, 732).
5. Take a look at bodily resurrection to strengthen our understanding and our faith concerning resurrection.



I. WHAT IS BODILY RESURRECTION?
A. The Life Force is Restored to the Flesh.
1. cf. Death, Jas 2:26.
2. cf. Resurrections from the dead:
a. 1 Kgs 17:17-23: Soul (nephesh, life) came back to body.
b. 2 Kgs 4:32-35: Flesh is warm (functioning, alive) again.
c. Lk 7:15: Resurrected person could speak.
d. Lk 8:55: Normal bodily functions resumed.
e. Jno 11:14, 17, 43-44: Another ex. of full bodily function.
f. Acts 9:37, 40-41: Cognitive responses.
B. Summary of Characteristics of those Raised from the Dead:
1. They were living, Lk 24:5.

2. They had bodies, Lk 24:36-43. (Not spirits, not ghosts)
3. They were conscious, cognitive, physical activity, Jno 12:1-2.



II. WHY WERE PEOPLE RAISED FROM THE DEAD?
A. As an Act of Divine Mercy, cf. Lk 7:12-13.
B. Provide Confirming Evidence of God’s Power, Presence and Approval.
1. By this she knew Elijah was a prophet, 1 Kgs 17:24.
2. Evidence of God’s approval and presence, Lk 7:16-17.
3. Matt 27:52-53: Though not stated, we conclude the same purpose was behind these resurrections.
C. What did these Resurrections Accomplish?

-Miraculous evidence given on which faith could be built.
1. Many believed, Jno 11:45; 12:10-11, 17-18; Acts 9:42.
2. If true of Lazarus and Dorcas, why not also Matt 27:52-53?
-This is neither a deterrent from faith nor a distraction to faith; it is an opportunity to glorify God, cf. Lk 7:15-16.



III. WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE WHO WERE RESURRECTED?
A. They Continued to Live their Lives until they Died, cf. 1 Cor 15:22 (“all die”).
1. 1 Kgs 17:22: “See, your son lives!”
2. Lk 7:15: “And He presented him to his mother.”
3. Jno 12:1-2: Lazarus resumed his normal activities of life.
4. To do otherwise would defeat the purpose and lesson of resurrection!
B. What about the Saints in Matthew 27:52-53?
1. First, no direct statement of them after they “appeared to many.” (So, we would do well not to conjecture.)
2. Two possibilities:
a. If they appeared and then ascended to God’s presence (paradise) they may be viewed as demonstrating “that the sting was now taken from death, that the power of the grave was broken, that men shall rise again with their bodies and be known and recognized…” (Pulpit Commentary, XV:595). cf. 1 Cor 15:20, 22

b. If they lived out their physical lives and died, it would be as others who had been raised from the dead.

(Exception: Jesus, Acts 2:24; Col 1:18; Rev 1:18. He will resurrect our bodies, 1 Cor 15:20-22).



-Lessons for Us:
1. Christ has power over phys. and spiritual death, Jno 11:25-26.
2. We must put faith in Him and His power over death, Rev 1:18.
3. We will experience a bodily resurrection, Jno 5:28-29.
4. We must experience a spiritual resurrection to be raised to (eternal) life, Col 2:12.



Conclusion

1. Past resurrections assure us of God’s power over death. They prove Jesus is the Christ. Christians take comfort in knowing death is not the end of our existence.
2. Are you ready for your death and your resurrection?

(http://www.bibleanswer.com/afterraised.htm)

---

[Minimalist]

You know that "for sure," huh?


Jackass.

[The Valkyrie]

They went to Rome and built a place called the Vatican . . .

[Rampant.A.I.]

We can't say for sure. The Bible doesn't always give us the details for every question. What we do know for sure (taken from reading below/the text): Tombs were opened by an earthquake when Jesus died. Many bodies of dead saints were raised from the dead. They came out of their graves after Christ was resurrected. They went into Jerusalem and appeared to many people. They were alive.

To speculate, they could have been taken up to heaven soon after, or they finished out their lives and died and are awaiting the final resurrection (like Lazarus).

More Detail:

---

1. Grave opened; many saints were raised and appeared to many people, Matt 27:51-53.
2. How did their resurrection occur? Why did it happen? What became of them after they were resurrected?
3. What we know for sure:
a. Tombs were opened by an earthquake when Jesus died.
b. Many bodies of dead saints were raised from the dead.
c. They came out of their graves after Christ was resurrected.
d. They went into Jerusalem and appeared to many people.
e. THEY WERE ALIVE (Not zombies: “a will-less and speechless human in the West Indies capable only of automatic movement who is held to have died and been supernaturally reanimated…a person held to resemble the so-called walking dead.”), Merriam-Webster. (According to Voodoo belief, jrp)
4. Some have speculated they ascended into heaven (McGarvey).
-Little doubt “these resurrected are symbolic, showing that the resurrection of Christ is the resurrection of the race” (TFG, 732).
5. Take a look at bodily resurrection to strengthen our understanding and our faith concerning resurrection.



I. WHAT IS BODILY RESURRECTION?
A. The Life Force is Restored to the Flesh.
1. cf. Death, Jas 2:26.
2. cf. Resurrections from the dead:
a. 1 Kgs 17:17-23: Soul (nephesh, life) came back to body.
b. 2 Kgs 4:32-35: Flesh is warm (functioning, alive) again.
c. Lk 7:15: Resurrected person could speak.
d. Lk 8:55: Normal bodily functions resumed.
e. Jno 11:14, 17, 43-44: Another ex. of full bodily function.
f. Acts 9:37, 40-41: Cognitive responses.
B. Summary of Characteristics of those Raised from the Dead:
1. They were living, Lk 24:5.

2. They had bodies, Lk 24:36-43. (Not spirits, not ghosts)
3. They were conscious, cognitive, physical activity, Jno 12:1-2.



II. WHY WERE PEOPLE RAISED FROM THE DEAD?
A. As an Act of Divine Mercy, cf. Lk 7:12-13.
B. Provide Confirming Evidence of God’s Power, Presence and Approval.
1. By this she knew Elijah was a prophet, 1 Kgs 17:24.
2. Evidence of God’s approval and presence, Lk 7:16-17.
3. Matt 27:52-53: Though not stated, we conclude the same purpose was behind these resurrections.
C. What did these Resurrections Accomplish?

-Miraculous evidence given on which faith could be built.
1. Many believed, Jno 11:45; 12:10-11, 17-18; Acts 9:42.
2. If true of Lazarus and Dorcas, why not also Matt 27:52-53?
-This is neither a deterrent from faith nor a distraction to faith; it is an opportunity to glorify God, cf. Lk 7:15-16.



III. WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE WHO WERE RESURRECTED?
A. They Continued to Live their Lives until they Died, cf. 1 Cor 15:22 (“all die”).
1. 1 Kgs 17:22: “See, your son lives!”
2. Lk 7:15: “And He presented him to his mother.”
3. Jno 12:1-2: Lazarus resumed his normal activities of life.
4. To do otherwise would defeat the purpose and lesson of resurrection!
B. What about the Saints in Matthew 27:52-53?
1. First, no direct statement of them after they “appeared to many.” (So, we would do well not to conjecture.)
2. Two possibilities:
a. If they appeared and then ascended to God’s presence (paradise) they may be viewed as demonstrating “that the sting was now taken from death, that the power of the grave was broken, that men shall rise again with their bodies and be known and recognized…” (Pulpit Commentary, XV:595). cf. 1 Cor 15:20, 22

b. If they lived out their physical lives and died, it would be as others who had been raised from the dead.

(Exception: Jesus, Acts 2:24; Col 1:18; Rev 1:18. He will resurrect our bodies, 1 Cor 15:20-22).



-Lessons for Us:
1. Christ has power over phys. and spiritual death, Jno 11:25-26.
2. We must put faith in Him and His power over death, Rev 1:18.
3. We will experience a bodily resurrection, Jno 5:28-29.
4. We must experience a spiritual resurrection to be raised to (eternal) life, Col 2:12.



Conclusion

1. Past resurrections assure us of God’s power over death. They prove Jesus is the Christ. Christians take comfort in knowing death is not the end of our existence.
2. Are you ready for your death and your resurrection?

(http://www.bibleanswer.com/afterraised.htm)

---

Heil Jesus, lord of the Zombies!

[Minimalist]

[Rampant.A.I.]

Careful, if you keep posting scary images like that, Alpha Male might put you on ignore so he won't have nightmares!

[Minimalist]

Not an issue. I have no trouble shitting on fundies in absentia for my own amusement.

[Chad32]

The only mention of it i can recall on the spot is during a debate where William Lane Craig said he wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a historical account or apocalyptic imagery...

When in doubt... ALLEGORY.

It would be cool if there was a way to measure what percent of the Bible was considered literal versus allegorical over the ages. Was it ever 100%? Maybe it started at 75% or so and increased to 99.4% and these days it is somewhere around 42.9% real and 57.1% allegory.

It would be cool if there was just one Christian group, instead of tens of thousands, so what was meant as metaphorical or not is really hard to decide. Nowadays basically if someone can prove something is just impossible or heinous if taken literally, Christians are more likely to call it a metaphor. Still, there are people like Ken Ham who insist it's all the literal, inspired word of Yahweh. No exceptions.

[ThomM]

In Matthew's account of the crucifixion he tells us that just as the moment of Jesus' death

At that moment the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook. The rocks split. Tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs. After Jesus was raised to life, they went into the holy city. There they appeared to many people. (27:51-53)

In all my reading during years, decades, as a Christian I have never seen anyone try to deal with this question, and to be truthful I never thought of searching for an answer.

So, what did happen according to believers?

Did these "zombies" die again?

If so, how long did they live before returning to the tomb?

Or did they get taken up bodily into heaven like Elijah and Jesus in the bible's three-decker universe?

Or what?

Reading the bible is akin to reading a James Bond Novel
The existence of the gods - and James Bond are equal - they are all fictional characters created by humans

And James Bond saved the world far more times than any god in the bible did - in fact the god destroyed more often.

But - for an intelligent - educated - and logical person - expecting that such passages in the bible MIGHT be true - is comical. Why is it that there is NO mention of such things in any of the writings of the historians of the day? Remember - this is the golden age of Rome. THE bible itself mentions lots of scribes - but there were also lots of historians - some who lived in and around the supposed events - and never mention them.

Remember - according to the bible - there were MULTITUDES of followers around the christ - he was supposedly known about by Pilate and Herod.
And a living god - never bothered to leave behind proof of his existence - when even the pharaohs of Egypt were able to do that!


Actually - the catholic church - representing the majority of xtians - already has accepted evolution - and admits that the bible does not have to be believed as actual events. They even accept that the earth obits the sun now too!!!!! All you have to do is send them money - they don't care if you believe the bible or not!