Re: Matt. 27:52-53. Who were the many saints who came out of their graves? I thought all that were saved before the cross were in Abraham’s bosom. It appears they received their body (was it the old or new) because they appeared unto many. Is there any indication that they ascended to heaven with Jesus, or did they die again? Was this told to give us a glimpse of the rapture?
Leviticus 23:9-11 speaks of a wave offering on the morning of the Feast of First Fruits. It was a sample of the freshly cut harvest that was brought to the temple and presented to the Lord so the full harvest would be accepted.
I believe the people mentioned in Matt. 27:52-53 were the fulfillment of this offering. They were a sample of the harvest of souls, Old Testament believers who came out of the tomb as proof of the resurrection. (Only Church Age believers participate in the Rapture.) The Bible does not say what kind of body they had, only that they were visible to men. Since there’s no mention of them dying again and they’re no longer here, it’s believed that when the Lord ascended into heaven He took them with him.