A place of burial. A study of the word GRAVE as recorded in the New Testament proves to be very interesting.
Reading of Christ’s crucifixion in Matthew 27 many times causes some confusion:
Matthew 27:52-23 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
At 1st reading it looks like the graves opened and people arose on the day.
But reread vs 23; This happened AFTER HIS RESSURECTION
The Lord Jesus speaking to the religious leaders:
Luke 11:44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
The Lord Jesus speaking to Jews who sought to kill him:
John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
The Lord Jesus Raises Lazarus from the dead John 11.
John 11:17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
John 11:31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
John 11:38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
John 11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
The people started to believe Him:
John 12:17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.
The Apostle Paul quotes Isaiah 5:8
1 Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
Although Paul does not use the word Grave, He does talk about the dead rising (from their graves) when Christ returns in the air, at the time of the Rapture. Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
The Apostle John writes about the two witnesses during the first half of the Tribulation:
Revelation 11:9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
Fear not the Grave! True believers go to be with the Lord when they die
2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
OR are Raptured.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
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