 | Dr. John Click, has been the Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church for 27 years now he is the pastor emeritus. He’s a graduate of Baylor University with a BA and Southwestern Seminary with a BD. He received his DMin at Midwestern Seminary. He has served in numerous positions in the Southern Baptist Convention, including: President of the Kansas/Nebraska Convention, Executive Committee of SBC, North American Mission Board, International Mission Board, and Houston Baptist University Board. He has traveled to preach in Europe, Central and South America and the Far East. Dr. Click is the founder and first President of Harvest Communications, which is a TV production company specializing in producing teaching materials for Para- Church organizations. You may contact him for comments or questions by e-mail at: Jcclick99@aol.com. |
Religion
2007-09-01 09:59:00
Do some of the saints have to die a natural death again?
I have always thought that until the Last Judgment, only the souls are in Heaven, and following the Last Judgment, the souls of all will be reunited with their bodies. But in the Gospel of Matthew 27:52-53, we read that , at the moment of Jesus’ death, “the graves opened, and many bodies of saints who had died, were raised to life. After Jesus’ resurrection they came forth from their tombs, and entered the holy and appeared to many persons. What happened to them after this event?
Did they have to die a natural death again? Were their souls and bodies reunited and then entered Heaven?
You have asked a question for which there is no certain answer.
Many strange things happened in connection with the crucifixion and death of Jesus: Earthquake, Darkness at mid-day; Spontaneous tearing of the thick temple curtain from top-to-bottom; All the impossible events connected with the Resurrection!
These were singular events of history; and now another one...the one you describe. It is as though God was saying: “Look! I am doing something never done nor repeated. This is the central event of human history”.
Some graves opened! Then...three days later, “after His resurrection, the bodies of many saints which ‘slept’ arose and came out of the graves and went into the Holy City and appeared unto many.”
We are not told how long they appeared, nor what happened to them after this appearing. Did they go to Heaven? Return to the graves (surely not!)? Only Matthew tells this, so we get no help from other parts of the Bible.
Add this to the list of things you want to ask in Heaven.
