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To: Salvation

I believe your post accurately reports what He has provided us in Scripture.

Until the blood of the Cross, humans were not yet sanctified to enter into heaven, but a place had been made for them known as ‘Paradise’ or ‘Abraham’s Bosom’.

Those seen at the Resurrection, (numbered in the hundreds of reports?) (Matt 28:50)
Mat 27:50-53
(50) Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
(51) 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;
(52) And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
(53) And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.


65 posted on 12/24/2011 1:31:48 AM PST by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: All; Cvengr; Salvation
What I find interesting is " and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, (53) And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."

Notice "Bodies" not Ghosts or Spirits of the Saints.

Here is an interesting view from Haydock:

Mat 27:50-53 (50) Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. (51) 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;

(53) And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Ver. 51. The veil of the temple was rent. As there were in the temple two parts of the sanctuary, so there were two veils, or partition walls. The first sanctuary, called the holy, was separated by a veil from that part of the temple called the court of the Israelites. Into this outward sanctuary, called the holy, entered every day the priests that were in office.

The second interior sanctuary, called the holy of holies, was also separated from the outward sanctuary by another veil. And into this holy of holies, no one was to enter except the high priest, and he but once a-year. Both these veils seem to have been rent at Christ's death: and by their being broken down, was signified first, that the ceremonies of the ancient law were to be abolished by the law of Christ; and also that heaven should be open to all. --- The earth quaked. How far this earthquake was extended, is uncertain. --- The rocks were rent, and the graves were opened: and many bodies of the saints ... arose.

St. Jerome takes notice, that these saints did not rise with their bodies till after Christ was risen; and so it follows, that going out of the graves, after the resurrection, they came into the holy city, (i.e. into Jerusalem) and appeared to many. (Witham) --- This event was a prophecy of the fatal destruction that was shortly to fall upon the temple; and also, that it should henceforth give place to things more noble and sublime. It likewise shews that greatness of Christ's power. (St. Chrysostom, hom. lxxxix.)

Ver. 54. Indeed this was the Son of God. St. Mark says, that when they saw Jesus die in that manner, crying out with a loud voice, which could not be natural, and when they saw the other miracles, they were struck with fear. St. Luke says, (xxiii. 47.) that the centurion glorified God, &c. (Witham) --- It is said that this centurion, being afterwards confirmed in the faith, was honoured with the crown of martyrdom. (St. Chrysostom, hom. lxxxix.)

70 posted on 12/24/2011 2:06:31 AM PST by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass ,Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)
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