And go quickly, and tell his disciples, He is risen from the dead; and lo, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
Matthew 28:7 ASV
The angel in this passage summoned the disciples to a prearranged meeting place with Christ in Galilee, upon a mountain (Matthew 26:32).
The appearance there can be identified with the one mentioned by Paul (1 Corinthians 15:6) in which Christ was seen by more than five hundred brethren at one time.
THE TEN EPIPHANIES (APPEARANCES)
- To Mary Magdalene (John and Mark)
- To the other Women (Matthew)
- To the Disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke)
- To Peter (Luke 23:24; 1 Corinthians 15:5).
- To the Ten Apostles, when Thomas was absent (John 20:20)
- To the Apostles, when Thomas was present (John 20:26)
- To the seven by the lake (John 21:1-25)
- To more than five hundred people (1 Corinthians 15:6)
- To James and all the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:7)
- To all the disciples with the Great Commission in different Words (Luke 24:44,49; Acts 1:3-8)
The first five of those appearances occurred on the day of his resurrection, and the other five later, during the interval before his ascension.
Of overriding importance is the appearance to “above five hundred brethren at one time,” mentioned by Paul who stated that many who had seen the Christ on that occasion were still living when he wrote 1 Corinthians.
It has been observed that such a statement was a monstrous error on Paul’s part unless it had been widely known as true.
His mention of it, therefore, makes it certain that his words were provable. Certainly they were never challenged by the only generation that could have done so, namely, Paul’s.
Matthew 28:5-6 ASV
