Before we take the tour of the Throne Room of Heaven, where Jesus returned after His resurrection, depicted in Revelation chapter 5, we must understand what He accomplished to make Him worthy to open the seals on the scroll, that He took from the right hand of His Father.
The religious leaders of Jesus' day stalked Him, trying to trip Him up, because they were chagrined at His impudence - healing the sick on the Sabbath and equating Himself to God. During one of their pesky pursuits, Jesus turned toward them with a steady gaze, speaking prophetically...most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life...most assuredly, I say unto you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live...John 5:24-25.
Jesus clearly prophesied to those stalking religious leaders that the hour is coming when the dead will hear His voice and live. But...the emphasis is - and now is. This meant - the dead will hear His voice and live. When will they live? The day that He is resurrected He will deliver the dead from Sheol and take them with Him to Heaven - captives will be set free. The saints of God, who died in previous generations looking forward to His redemptive appearance, will arise from their graves and go with Him to Paradise. How do I know?
A lot happened the day Jesus died that must be pondered and understood, because these events are so profound. And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised...and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many...Matt. 27:52-53.
The Roman centurion and those guarding Jesus at the moment He died on the cross, felt the ground quake beneath them, accompanied by the deafening sound of rocks splitting. Great fear must have gripped their hearts as they observed graves suddenly bursting open all around them. Out of these tombs walked the saints of God from past generations, who had been waiting for their redemption, appearing very human. They had been dead - asleep - but now were alive!
What a miraculous sign this must have been to the reality of the invisible spiritual realm of God, and the fulfillment of His prophesies! This incredible supernatural event prompted the pagan Roman centurion to say...truly this was the Son of God!...Matt. 27:54.
Three days later, while His tomb was still sealed, there was a mighty earthquake. The Roman military were guarding His tomb 24/7 at the insistence of the Sanhedrin. They wanted to make sure no one stole His body and proclaimed that He had risen from the dead.
Suddenly the ground beneath them began to shake, while once again they heard the sound of crushing granite -- the same deafening sound they heard the day Jesus died and the graves opened. Once again terror gripped the Roman guards' hearts at the sound and shaking of another earthquake. This time they saw the hands of a supernatural being - brilliant as the sun flashing beams of light - roll open the giant boulder that had securely closed the opening to Jesus' tomb...Matt. 28:2. How do I know this?
There was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it...his countenance was like lighting, and his clothing as white as snow...Matt. 28:2-3. The soldiers were terrified at this supernatural event. How do I know?
And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men...Matt. 28:4. What does this mean? These men had the duty to guard this tomb uneventfully for a long time. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a luminescent angel of God, splashing dazzling rays of light (like lightning), reached out with great ease to push open the giant boulder door, revealing the empty tomb. Not surprisingly, the soldiers shook with paralyzing terror. Apparently they lost all color from their countenance since the scripture describes them like dead men.
Once the soldiers were finally allowed to return home, can you imagine how difficult it must have been, as they attempted to describe to their families the sensational supernatural events of the past three days? What better witnesses than pagan Roman soldiers, the sinners for whom Jesus died - and had no ax to grind - to be the first witnesses to His resurrection! But eventually, the Sanhedrin bought the silence of these soldiers...Matt. 27:11-15. Money "talks" in modern times too, enabling the truth of the Bible to be distorted.
Is there Old Testament prophecy that confirms what I just shared? What did the saints who came out of the graves say, when they appeared in Jerusalem? For the answers, stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~
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