Spirtual or physical?

[nightmare sasuke]

Mat 27:50  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Mat 27:51  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;
Mat 27:52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Mat 27:53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Were these saints raised in spirtual bodies, or physical bodies?

[rvhill]

Mat 27:50  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Mat 27:51  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;
Mat 27:52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Mat 27:53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Were these saints raised in spirtual bodies, or physical bodies?

I would have to say they were spiritual bodies. A physical body does not last long in the grown. But why worry about it.

 John 3:12If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

It is a heavenly thing, and we are earthly at this time.  Let God will be done, not my will.

[Kevin]

I had emailed Mike about these same verses a while back. I think that he posted it with the emails that he gets.

[Kevin]

It will be under What happened to all the resurrected saints after Christs' death.

[Chris R]

Hello,

This scripture states clearly the "bodies" of the saints that slept arose,
so, yes these saints were raised in their bodies, And were as alive as you and me, just as Lazarus was raised from the tomb.

Most assuredly these physical bodies died again.

Chris R

[mark_from_oz]

I am studying this area of scripture myself at the moment. I have emailed Ray about it, but no reply...

The verse (Matt 27:52) says that the "bodies of the saints arose...". It does not say that the saints arose.

Picky I know, but were these people really alive again? Why was the writer of Matthew specific in mentioning the bodies of the saints, and not just say "the saints who were dead arose" or something similar?

This appears to be in contradiction to Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is reserved to men once to die, and after this, Judgment; "

Thoughts on this?

[hillsbororiver]

I am studying this area of scripture myself at the moment. I have emailed Ray about it, but no reply...

The verse (Matt 27:52) says that the "bodies of the saints arose...". It does not say that the saints arose.

Picky I know, but were these people really alive again? Why was the writer of Matthew specific in mentioning the bodies of the saints, and not just say "the saints who were dead arose" or something similar?

This appears to be in contradiction to Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is reserved to men once to die, and after this, Judgment; "

Thoughts on this?

Interesting questions for sure!

Actually this is how translators have worded this verse rather than a direct quote from Matthew, it has to be more of a paraphrase as does much of all translating from one language to another, religious or secular.

bodies4983

G4983
σῶμα
sōma
so'-mah
From G4982; the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively: - bodily, body, slave.

We also have this from the Greek Lexicon:

1. the body both of men or animals
a. a dead body or corpse
b. the living body

2. the bodies of planets and of stars (heavenly bodies)
3. is used of a (large or small) number of men closely united into one society, or family as it were; a social, ethical, mystical body
a. so in the NT of the church
4. that which casts a shadow as distinguished from the shadow itself

In regard to dying "once" I think it isn't a stretch to say at least once since we also have;

Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

If you look at this in both physical and spiritual terms we even have those who will never see physical death but will be "changed" [1Cor 15:52] from flesh and blood to spirit "in the twinkling of an eye." Yet they would still have spiritually died once as their beastly carnal man's wound finally overcame them in Christ.

Here is something else that is rather interesting

King James

Job 33:29  Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man,
Job 33:30  To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.

NIV

Job 33
29 "God does all these things to a man—
       twice, even three times-

30 to turn back his soul from the pit, 
       that the light of life may shine on him.

                           

Back to your first question, yes I absolutely believe those whose bodies were raised from the grave were just as alive as Lazarus was when he was raised from the dead.

Peace,

Joe

P.S. I see I was a bit redundant in part of my response as Chris already tied in Lazarus, I had only read the post previous to my own as I was perusing "The Most Recent Posts" section.