Matthew 27:52–53

“Also, the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.” (Matthew 27:52–53, NASB)

Critics argue that an event of this magnitude—the resurrection of many saints—should have been widely reported. If this truly happened, why does Matthew alone record it? Who witnessed these resurrected saints? How long did they live? Did they return to their graves? Some propose that this passage is a theological device rather than a historical event. However, a careful examination of early church reception, manuscript evidence, Jewish eschatology, non-Christian sources, and the argument from silence reveals that this passage aligns with historical expectations rather than mythological embellishment.

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1. Why Is Matthew the Sole Reporter?

The argument from silence—assuming an event did not occur because it is not widely attested—has limited value. Many major historical events rest on a single source:

• Suetonius alone records Emperor Claudius’s expulsion of Jews from Rome, yet Luke independently confirms it (The Twelve Caesars 25.4; Acts 18:2)¹.
• The eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, one of antiquity’s most catastrophic events, has sparse contemporary documentation, yet no historian doubts it².
• Pliny the Younger’s letter about Christians being executed under Trajan is unique, yet it is historically accepted³.

Ancient writers were selective in what they recorded. Matthew’s unique inclusion aligns with his Jewish audience and his emphasis on Jesus fulfilling Messianic prophecy. He frequently reports details absent from other Gospels, such as the visit of the Magi (Matt. 2:1–12) and Peter’s temple tax miracle (Matt. 17:27).

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2. Early Church Reception: Did the Fathers Accept This as Historical?

Far from being dismissed as symbolic or legendary, early Christian writers treated this event as historical reality:

• Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35–107 AD) alludes to it when discussing Christ’s power over death: “He descended, and He raised up the departed” (Letter to the Trallians 9:2)⁴.
• Irenaeus (c. 130–202 AD) references “many who rose with Him”, affirming it as an actual event (Against Heresies 5.31.2)⁵.
• Tertullian (c. 155–220 AD) affirms the event as a sign of Christ’s victory over death (On the Resurrection of the Flesh 32)⁶.
• Eusebius (c. 260–339 AD) notes that many Jewish records were lost in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, explaining the lack of additional documentation (Ecclesiastical History 3.5)⁷.
• Augustine (354–430 AD) defends bodily resurrection against skeptics, writing that miraculous resurrections are a prelude to the final resurrection (City of God 20.20)⁸.
• John Chrysostom (c. 347–407 AD), in his Homilies on Matthew, treats this passage as a literal event demonstrating Christ’s authority over death⁹.

Had early Christians viewed this as merely symbolic, we would expect theological debates over its meaning. Instead, the church fathers consistently treated it as a real event.

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3. Jewish Eschatology: Did This Fit Jewish Expectations?

The passage aligns with Jewish expectations of bodily resurrection accompanying the Messianic age:

• Daniel 12:2 predicts that “many who sleep in the dust will awake.”
• Ezekiel 37 (the vision of dry bones) describes bodily restoration as a sign of God’s kingdom.
• The Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q521) depict the Messiah raising the dead as part of His reign¹⁰.

This explains why Matthew’s audience would not find this event strange—they expected the Messiah to bring resurrection, making this passage a natural confirmation of Jesus’ identity.

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4. Debunking the “Zombie” Claim (Bart Ehrman’s Misrepresentation)

Skeptics like Bart Ehrman have mockingly referred to this passage as a “zombie apocalypse”, implying that Matthew is describing reanimated corpses aimlessly roaming the streets. However, this grossly misrepresents the text¹¹:

• Matthew explicitly says these were “saints,” not generic dead people. They were holy individuals, likely recognized by their contemporaries.
• This does not describe decayed bodies walking around. The language aligns with Jewish resurrection theology, which speaks of bodily restoration (Daniel 12:2, Ezekiel 37).
• Unlike horror-movie zombies, these saints had a purpose—they “appeared to many,” which implies witnessing, not wandering.
• Resurrections were common in the biblical narrative. Lazarus (John 11:44), Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:42), and the widow’s son (Luke 7:15) all rose physically and interacted with others.

Ehrman’s caricature of this passage is a deliberate misrepresentation, ignoring its Jewish context and theological significance.

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5. Did the Saints Die Again?

The text does not say whether these saints remained alive indefinitely, but their resurrection mirrors other biblical resurrections:

• Lazarus (John 11:44), Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:42), and the widow’s son (Luke 7:15) all died again.
• Paul teaches that Jesus alone is the “firstfruits” of the final resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20).

These saints were temporarily raised as a sign of Christ’s victory, not as a permanent resurrection into glorified bodies¹².

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A Challenge to Skeptics

If this event were merely symbolic:

• Why did early Christians accept it as real?
• Why would Matthew fabricate it while tying it directly to Jesus’ resurrection, which had hundreds of witnesses?
• If skeptics dismiss this for lack of multiple sources, do they apply the same standard to other ancient events that have a single attestation?

This passage is historically plausible, theologically consistent, and manuscript-supported. Rather than being a literary embellishment, it affirms Jesus’ resurrection as a cosmic victory over death itself.

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Footnotes:

¹ Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, 25.4; cf. Acts 18:2.
² Pliny the Younger, Letters, 6.16.
³ Ibid., 10.96.
⁴ Ignatius, Letter to the Trallians 9:2.
⁵ Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.31.2.
⁶ Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh 32.
⁷ Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.5.
⁸ Augustine, City of God 20.20.
⁹ Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew.
¹⁰ Collins, The Apocalyptic Imagination.
¹¹ Ehrman, How Jesus Became God (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2014).
¹² Keener, The Gospel of Matthew.