Evidence Of A Resurrection

Q

Do you believe that when the bodies from the graves are resurrected at the rapture it will be evident to those left behind? Will there be disturbed ground at the cemeteries and empty urns? Or will there be no physical evidence indicating that the rapture has taken place?

A

The only account of a resurrection other than the Lord’s is in Matthew 27:52-53 which says,

“The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”

According to this description, it appears there was evidence at the grave sites that the people buried there had left the premises. If this is a foreshadowing of the rapture we could expect that the world would see similar indications that the dead had risen.

However, since neither of Paul’s accounts of the rapture (1 Thes. 4:16-17, 1 Cor. 15:51-52) include any description of the dead appearing to the living, we can’t be sure there will be other physical evidence of the rapture either.

Personally, I think the Matt. 27 reference is more likely a foreshadowing of the resurrection of Old Testament believers at the time of the 2nd Coming (Daniel 12:1-3), when the risen dead will go into the Millennium to live in Israel.