After Jesus' Death

[Joyful]

Hey guys!

I have a question... What was going on in the world during the 3 days after Jesus' death? For those three days was it like the Devil had won? My roommates and I have been discussing this for awhile and the only thing we know about it is from theses verse in Matthew:

"And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many."

And we're not certain what is literal here and what is figurative.

Thanks!

[Pontifex]

It is a really good question. For the most part we are left to speculate what really happened. The verses in the Gospel of St. Matthew 27:51-53 have been debated by Theologians and Scripture Scholars. Some see the events as figurative and some see them as the literal happenings at the moment that Jesus died.

From what the centurions said (v. 54) as Jesus died, there must have been some natural disturbances as he breathed his last. "Truly this one is the Son of God."

However there is reason to believe that Matthew was adding an artistic as well as a prophetic spin on the event. The veil being torn in two has been thought to represent the passing of the old way of worshiping God and replacing it with the new one. Since the veil or curtain was probably refering to the inner one in front of the Holy of Holies, it would symbolize the pathway that Jesus has made for us into the presence of God. It also could symbolize in some way the destruction of the Temple in 70 a.d..

The Saints rising from their graves and returning to the Holy City, has been noted as symbolizing the connection between the Passion of Jesus and the future resurrection of the dead.

So with all of that said, we still do not know for sure what is literal and what is figurative, but we can safely assume that it created quite a stir in the cosmos, to say the least. Someone should write a novel on it.

Peace,

Fr. Pontifex

Edited December 12, 2003 by Pontifex