The soldiers on guard at Jesus tomb didn't become believers, why in the hell not?

by James Mixon 12 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  James Mixon

  You are on guard at Jesus sealed tomb. All of a sudden a great earthquake occurs and an angel

  wearing a dazzling outfit descends from above like lightning and this angel single handedly rolls away

  the stone of the sealed tomb and no Jesus. You see this and fall to the ground "like dead men" scared sh--tless.

  You had a front row seat to the most important and impressive miracle of all time, but you don't however start worshiping

  the obvious God- Man. And then there's another quake where all these dead saints are walking around in the city.

  So you see all this and what do you do, run to the priest that sent you and tell them everything that happen.

  The priests tell you to "LIE" about what you saw, here's some money.

  I call BS... The angel sat on the stone folks...
• 

  Stirred

  Money first....then maybe they thought about it. Who knows? The Bible only follows their story so far.

  I can think of many different scenarios (alternate endings) that could have played out for them.
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  James Mixon

  Stirred: If I had witness that no amount of money would have stopped me from knocking

  on folks doors, you know they were JW's not Jesus followers, that's what I was told.
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  Stirred

  Fear they were demons? Fear the Roman command would torture your wife and put your kids in slavery? Death sentence to the colliseum or worse?

  The guards were soldiers who likely believed in many gods, demons, spirits, etc, and may not have understood or conncted the dots on what they witnessed. They did what they were told to do...as good soldiers fearing ramifications of death sentence for disobeying. In their off-duty time, or over grog, who knows what really was said or how experience may have changed them.

  Just my opinion....
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  James Mixon

  I see , good points. I never thought about it but I assumed there were two or maybe

  three guards, but Matt;28 says that some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priest.
• 

  The Rebel

  Not just the guards but I am surprised the entire population of Jerusalem didn't become believers.

  Matt 27: v 53 & 54 " And the graves were opened and many of the bodies of the saints which slept arose, they came out of the tombs and went in to the holy city and appeared to many people"

  So not only were the solders on guard of Jesus tomb witness to the most important miracle of all time, they would also have heard stories about the famous dead prophets of old having risen from there graves and walking around the holy city. Personally I think the event would have created quite a lot of excitement and been the social topic of the day.

  The Rebel.
• 

  Vidiot

  James Mixon - "The soldiers on guard at Jesus tomb didn't become believers, why in the hell not?"

  An oversight in the Bible's "writing department". :smirk:
• 

  Cold Steel

  Unfortunately, people don't react that way in real life. Judas saw the miraculous healings Jesus did. So did the Jews. But they weren't converted. Also, it's very likely the soldiers took a dive before the angels and the light. Miracles, though, rarely convert. In the case of Paul, he was already religious (merely misdirected). Balaam was already a prophet, had seen an angel and yet fell. The soldiers most likely weren't Jews, and at the time Jesus was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Add all this together and the soldiers most likely never saw a thing. In fact, who knows? They might have been executed.

  But...on the other hand, how do you know they didn't join the church?

  "There was an earthquake, sir! Lots of light. We lost consciousness right after we saw the angels."

  "The what?"

  "Angels. Two of them. Dressed in white. Very bright."

  "You mean you engaged them in conversation?"

  "No, sir. They glowed white. We needed sunglasses."

  "Needed what?"

  "Never mind."

  "So there was an earthquake, angels that glowed and you feel asleep."

  "Er...lost consciousness, sir."

  "Whatever."

  "Anyway, we've decided to serve God from now on!"

  "Really?"

  "Yes, sir. We've seen the light."

  "That's nice. Kill them!"

  
  
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  Heaven

  Ask yourself what is more feasible? That the laws of nature are suspended or someone greatly exaggerated this story.

  Jesus' tomb was empty. It is quite likely that his family had his body removed before the 3 days was up so that the tomb and body would not be desecrated. The guards probably helped them. There was no 'dazzling angel'.
  
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  Xanthippe

  They would have been treated as apostates from the cult of Mithras if they started believing in Jesus. They would have been shunned, crucified and then put on bread and water for a week.