Rach -
Huh. I'd never considered that. It's possible. What do you do with that last part? "And appeared unto many?" Because to my way of understanding, that's the only part that could stand in the way of understanding it spiritually. Why would it tell us that these people were seen by many in heaven? Sort of seems like empty information, unless they were seen by living people. Especially considering that all through the NT there is emphasis on eye witnesses to these momentous events, events that proved Christ to be truly the Son of God.
Just wonderin'!
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"And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."
Where were the many to whom the saints appeared? They were in "the holy city," or better said...the saints, both physically dead and physically living saints....ARE the holy city. New Jerusalem, the holy city is....God's saints, His elect.
After His resurrection the
celestial bodies of the saints arose and went into the holy city.
Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will
write upon him the name of My God, and
the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from M
y God: and I will write upon him My new name.
New Jerusalem is of heaven. We, as physically living humans, can dwell in one of three places. Heaven, Earth or the Sea. Heaven is symbolic of God living, dwelling, in us. Earth is where righteous people live...not wicked and yet not saved. The Sea is masses of ungodly people.
The saints arose and appeared into the many that dwell in heaven and they are the holy city Jerusalem. It is spiritual...not literal. Did the disciples and apostles literally SEE them? I don't know. My thought is that those of God...knew they rose as His crucifixion released them from the grave.
The literal city of Jerusalem...was NOT HOLY. It was/is filled with wickedness.
The question this raises, for me, is...did the saints appear to the Disciples in the holy city and if yes...why then did some of them question His appearing? And too, in what form did they appear? It leads me into a deeper understanding of why Jesus was not recognized by many and why it is said that He....
Mark 16:12 After that
He appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
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Dodo_David said:
Hey, that's right. How would a living person know what was happening in the future New Jerusalem?
The New Jerusalem wasn't/isn't future for it is eternal. The Holy City adds new residents each day for we are the holy city Jerusalem when He dwells in us.
2 Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said,
I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.