A TRADITIONAL TEACHING OF MATTHEW 27:50-53 WRITTEN BY BRO. LEWIS FRAYER

I am including this teaching of a traditional doctrinal example of how this is taught.  

Bro. Charles E. Cohenour 

October of 1991 written by Rev. Lewis Frayer 

MT. 27:50-53 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.

We have seen Job’s understand- ing of a future event. We have seen in Isaiah a prophecy about a resur- rection. Now, we will see in the New Testament the actual event about which these Old Testament scrip- tures were talking.

Verse 50:

YIELDED UP THE GHOST — This was Jesus NATURAL BREATH OF LIFE, NOT the Holy Ghost.

Verse 51:

VEIL OF THE TEMPLE — The veil which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the Temple.

In type, the veil represents Jesus’ flesh, and shows us that when Jesus completed what he was sent to do, he made a way for us to be reconciled to God.

HEB. 10:19-20 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.

FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM ---- Jesus had to overcome his

own carnal mind and nature.

THE EARTH DID QUAKE AND THE ROCKS RENT — This is a pic- ture of the natural graves opening up. The graves which opened were those of the Old Testament faithfuls who merited this resurrection.

Verse 52:

MANY BODIES OF THE SAINTS WHICH SLEPT AROSE — Here Job, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all those listed in Hebrews 11 resurrected from the dead.

The Bible calls them “saints.” This means that their jobs were done as far as the Law was concerned. Now they were “saints” and they had to submit to the Five-fold Ministry of the Early Rain Church.

Verse 53:

AFTER HIS RESURRECTION Jesus had to resurrect first. He was called the firstfruits of them that “slept” (or had died). This simply means that Jesus resurrected to eternal life, never to die again.

I COR. 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

THE HOLY CITY— Natural Jerusalem.

After they resurrected, these Old Testament saints made their way into the city of Jerusalem. They received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost, sat down under the Ministry of the Early Rain Church, and went on to make the Bride.

In conclusion, it should be emphasized that when these peo- ple resurrected, they resurrected in a natural body, with their hearts in the same condition towards God as when they died. They were in Jerus- alem on the Day of Pentecost, and were probably among the three thousand who received the Holy Ghost when Peter preached. They had to sit down under the Early Rain Church Ministry, overcome their carnal minds, and become per- fect, in order to be in the Bride of Jesus Christ.