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Explanation for:
Matthew
27
:
51
And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent.
9
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Julius Africanus","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":3,"exegesis-text":"The deeds of the Lord on our behalf, including His restoration of our bodies and souls, the profound truths of His nature, and His resurrection, were previously proclaimed by His disciples and apostles long before our time. A profound darkness covered the earth during that period, and a mighty earthquake shook the mountains, resulting in devastation across Judea and its neighboring regions. Sallus, in his writings, attributes this darkness to a solar eclipse, though I believe he does so without substantial justification. This belief arises from the timing of the Jewish Passover, which occurs on the 14th day of the lunar month, and it was during this sacred event that our Lord endured suffering. A solar eclipse happens when the moon lies directly between the earth and the sun and can only occur between the last day of the waning moon and the first day of the new moon, that is during the new moon phase. At other times, an eclipse cannot take place—how could the moon block the sun if it is positioned behind it? Nevertheless, let us consider Sallus's perspective and align ourselves with the prevailing view, acknowledging that this extraordinary phenomenon might indeed be a solar eclipse. Phlegon states that during the reign of Tiberius, a total solar eclipse occurred while a full moon was present, lasting from the sixth to the ninth hour—this aligns with the occurrence we are examining. However, have we ever heard of a solar eclipse coinciding with an earthquake so powerful that it caused mountains to fracture? Or that the dead were resurrected during such an event, shaking the foundations of the universe? Historians have not recorded anything of this nature prior to our Lord's crucifixion. It is clear that this darkness was not simply an eclipse; even if it were one, it was orchestrated by God Himself in response to His Son's suffering on the cross."},{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"And lo, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from the top to the bottom. This tearing revealed all the hidden truths of the law and brought them to the Gentiles. In the Gospel we frequently see referenced, it states that the great barrier of the temple was split apart. Josephus Flavius recounts that the heavenly beings who once stood in the temple exclaimed, “Let us leave this dwelling.” There was a great earthquake; the rocks were broken apart; and the graves were opened. The significance of these profound signs is clear: they were manifested so that both heaven and earth, along with all creation, might bear witness to the crucifixion of our Lord. It appears to me that the earthquake and these events symbolize the faithful, who initially resembled the tombs of the dead, and later, leaving behind their former errors and hard-heartedness, recognized Him as their Savior. Many bodies of the departed saints were raised, and after His resurrection, they emerged from their graves and entered the holy city, appearing to numerous people. Just as Lazarus was raised from the dead, many of the saints were also brought back to life to testify to the resurrection of the Lord (See Jn. 11:1-44). However, although the graves were opened, the dead did not rise until after the resurrection of the Lord, affirming that He is the firstborn among the resurrected. The holy city, wherein the resurrected appeared, may refer to either the heavenly Jerusalem or the earthly Jerusalem, which was once considered holy. Likewise, Matthew is referred to as a tax collector not because he continued in that role while also being an apostle, but because he kept that name from before. The city of Jerusalem is deemed holy due to its temple and the holy of holies, distinguishing it from other cities where idols were worshipped. When it states that they appeared to many, it indicates that the resurrection was not universal but rather a specific revelation granted to a select few, allowing those honored to witness it."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"This voice tore the temple veil, opened the graves, and left the temple desolate. He did this not to bring shame upon the temple—could He, who proclaimed, ‘Do not make My Father’s house a house of commerce’ (John 2:16), truly wish to dishonor it? Rather, He intended to reveal their unworthiness to dwell within, just as He did when He renounced it, demonstrating that they were unfit, much like when He surrendered it to the Babylonians. Additionally, this event served as a preview of the impending devastation and the promise of transformation into greater and nobler things, reflecting His sovereign might. And not only were the dead raised, but the stones were released, and the earth trembled, that all may understand He has the power to darken and dismantle creation. He who loosened the stones and cast shadows upon the cosmos could just as easily have chosen to act against them had He desired. Yet, He refrained; having unleashed His fury upon the elements, He desired to redeem them through gentleness. However, they remained entrenched in their wrath. Such is the nature of envy and animosity; it is a challenging force to subdue! The boldness of their actions did not wane even then. However, after the tomb had been sealed and guarded by soldiers, He was raised, and they learned of this from the guards themselves. Still, they resorted to deception, offering bribes to silence the truth of the resurrection. Therefore, it should not surprise us that they committed such a disgraceful act; they have shown they were persistently willing to act shamelessly in every circumstance! Consider the multitude of miracles He performed, whether in heaven, on earth, or within the temple itself. Through these signs, He expressed His righteous anger and revealed that the previously unattainable would now become achievable, as the heavens opened and the true Holy of Holies was disclosed. They taunted, ‘If He is the King of Israel, let Him come down from the cross’; all the while, He was revealing that He reigns as King over the entire universe. They declared, ‘He who destroys the temple and rebuilds it in three days’; yet, He indicated that their temple would face total devastation.\\n\\nThen the earth’s stones were fractured, admonishing the folly of Israel, which failed to recognize the Spiritual Rock from which they drank while in obedience. The veil of the church was torn, revealing compassion for Christ and the genuine heavenly High Priest. The entirety of creation might have collapsed under the weight of suffering had not the great Jesus exhaled the divine Spirit, proclaiming: ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit’ (Luke 23:46)."},{"author-name":"Ephraem the Syrian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b589fc3e99eb7bb1839_Ephraem%20the%20Syrian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Refer to the commentary on Matthew 27:42 The curtain was torn, signifying that the Lord had withdrawn His kingdom from them and bestowed it upon a nation that produces fruit. Alternatively, the rending of the veil foreshadowed the impending destruction of the temple, as His Spirit had departed from it. In response to the high priest's unjust act of tearing his own garment, the Spirit tore the veil, thereby revealing the arrogance and pride of the Jewish people through creation. Just as that high priest stripped the priesthood from himself, so too did this Spirit tear the veil and take everything away with Him. Similarly, the temple into which Judas cast the silver was forsaken and demolished, and the entrance he used was itself torn apart. The hearts of the stones were shattered, yet the hearts of the Jews remained unrepentant. In the month of Arekk, the Lord triumphed over the Egyptians, while in the same month, He illuminated the Hebrew people with a pillar of fire. Instead of parting the sea, the Spirit tore the veil, allowing the King of Glory to ascend freely to the Cross on Calvary. However, as the people did not rend the temple's veil with sincere hearts, and the Jews were unwilling to open their hearts through righteous actions, creation endured suffering alongside the suffering Lord. The earth trembled, tombs were opened, and the torn veil seemed to weep, mourning the temple's imminent destruction. Just as human voices condemned Him, the voices of inanimate objects proclaimed His righteousness. Those who were silent were the humans, while the stones cried out, fulfilling the Lord's prophecy. The veil also broke open their deaf and stubborn hearts, honoring the One they rejected. Witnessing His Beloved in anguish and humiliation, the Spirit seized the curtain, the temple's adornment, and tore it apart. Or perhaps, as the firstborn saw the symbolic lamb, they were compelled to rend the veil and came forth in crowds to Him. Moreover, the prophetic spirit residing in the temple that descended to announce His arrival to humanity ascended to Heaven to proclaim the news of the Lord's ascension to the heavenly beings."},{"author-name":"Hilarius of Poitiers","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88cb92f12b3278598f946_Hilarius%20of%20Poitiers.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The moment the curtain in the temple was torn in two, the people were divided. The magnificence of the veil, along with the safeguarding of its angelic guardian, vanished.\\n\\nThe earth trembled, unable to contain the lifeless body. The stones were scattered, for the Word of God and the might of His unending goodness permeated all creation, reaching into the very heavens. The graves were opened as the gates of death were dismantled. Many of the holy ones who had passed away were resurrected, as He vanquished the shadow of death, illuminated the darkness of the grave, and nullified the power of death itself through the resurrection of the saints, who immediately saw Him. The centurion and the soldiers, having witnessed the disruption of the natural order, proclaimed Him as the Son of God."},{"author-name":"Isidore of Pelusium","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88d94130e668938c9ae9d_Isidore%20of%20Pelusium.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"The fact that the entrance to the temple's holy place was restricted by a veil indicated that a true sanctification had not yet been established through the arrival of our Lord. However, upon His tearing of the veil, He disclosed to the Gentiles the mysteries of the holy place, which had remained concealed from the Jews due to their ungratefulness, thus granting us access to the ultimate communion."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The church’s veil was made of a special fabric that hung within the temple, serving as a barrier between the inner sanctuary and the outer area. Its tearing symbolizes God's revelation that the once hidden and forbidden sanctum of the temple will now be exposed to all in its state of degradation and disdain, allowing everyone to behold it. Some interpret this act as a sign of the annulment of the letter of the law, suggesting that what was once restricted by this \\"veil\\" would now be unveiled, making known the truths that were previously enigmatic and concealed, now fulfilled in Christ. One might compare this to the Jewish tradition of tearing garments in response to blasphemy; in a similar way, the temple of God, mourning the death of the Divine, has torn its veil. Other interpretations could be explored, but this sufficiently conveys the message."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The veil of the temple was torn asunder, unveiling the mysteries concealed behind it; the physical was severed, while the spiritual was brought to light. Similarly, the sun was eclipsed, and the church’s veil was ripped, illustrating the dismay over such an unnatural occurrence, as it was customary for those who lamented to rend their garments and don dark attire. Through the earthquake and the fissures in the earth, Jesus Christ demonstrated His authority to bury His foes and entomb them in the ground; however, He refrained from doing so out of grace and for the sake of those who would come to believe and be glorified. Specifically, the church’s veil was torn to indicate that no objections could be raised against such a pronouncement. Even if they attempted to justify themselves by asserting that ordinary afflictions might involve an eclipse, an earthquake, or fractured stones, they would have been silenced by the tearing of the church’s veil, as no such example could be found. By rending the veil, God signified that divine grace had withdrawn from the temple, rendering its sacred interior, the Holy of Holies, accessible and visible to all, an event realized later with the Roman incursion. The clearest interpretation is that the inner side of the veil represented heaven, while the outer side depicted earth; thus, the tearing of the veil indicated the removal of the divide between heaven and earth—the discord between God and humanity—allowing heaven to be opened to humanity, for Jesus Christ, by shattering this barrier, restored that access to us. Ultimately, all of this stood as a manifestation of God's wrath, condemning the audacity of the Jews and heralding their impending ruin."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"\\"The veil of the temple was torn\\": this veil separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple (Ex. 26:31-33). Given that this occurred during the evening sacrifice, it is probable that another priest witnessed this extraordinary event. The Holy of Holies represented heaven, and the tearing of the veil, which concealed it, symbolized the opening of access to all through Christ's death, with Jesus entering as the pioneer (cf. Heb. 6:19 ff. Heb. 9:6 ff. Heb. 10:19 ff.). Some interpret that this tearing indicated that the temple, previously barred from the people and hidden by the veil, would now be laid bare, allowing anyone to enter and see it in its state of humiliation and dishonor. Others suggest that the significance of the veil's tearing lies in the annulment of the letter of the law, revealing what was once obscured and mysterious, now made clear through fulfillment in Christ. Additionally, it can be noted that, similar to the Jewish tradition of tearing garments in instances of blasphemy, the temple itself seemed to lament the death of God incarnate by tearing its veil (Theophilus). - “The earth shook”: this earthquake must be understood as a miraculous event, linking it to the signs that happened before and after, serving as an indication of God's wrath against those who crucified His beloved Son."}]}
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