Our Lord’s Resurrection Appearances
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life .” 1 John 1:1, NIV
TEN POST-RESURRECTION APPEARANCES
The Bible records ten1 post-resurrection appearances of Jesus during the forty days following that most blessed Sunday.2 This is significant because in Biblical numerology ten is associated with completeness, perfection, and fullness in human affairs. Hence, we have ten fingers, ten toes, ten commandments, ten virgins, and ten horns on the fearsome beast. Ten is the sacred number of the tabernacle.3 While this lesson of completeness holds here, at the same time, the scriptures speak of two additional appearances following the ascension. Saul of Tarsus unexpectedly witnessed an eleventh appearance (an imperfect number) “as of one born out of due time” (1 Corinthians 15:8). This left him with impaired vision. Mankind shall witness a yet future twelfth “appearance” of our Lord (a perfect number) to I every eye” of understanding as they discern Jesus through the clouds of trouble (Revelation 1:7).4
At each of the first ten appearances only disciples were privileged witnesses: “Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us …” (Acts 10:40-41). Realistically, the total elapsed time of these appearances was around 2% of the forty days.
When considered collectively, we find a definite 7::3 structure in the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus (see the accompanying chart). Ten as the sum of seven and three is a lesson we first find in the record of Job’s children. While the natural attention of a patriarchal society is towards the seven sons as Job’s natural strength and legacy (Job 42:13-15), it is the beauty (and we trust, character) of his three daughters that created special demands on his and our attention. Like their brothers, they received a full portion of the ten-fold inheritance. Unlike their brothers, the names of Jemima, Kezia, and Keren-hapuch (the counterbalancing three-fold) are the only ones scripture preserves. If we regard the “sevenness” as the major lesson, and the “threeness” as the counterbalancing lesson with a special purpose and beauty, what is our Lord intending for us to learn?
APOSTLES – THE PRIVILEGED WITNESSES
The apostles, or “sent forth ones,” were specially privileged witnesses, being present at seven occasions where Jesus appeared. They are indeed the twelve foundations of the new Jerusalem. On the other hand, three times the Lord showed that he also is pleased to use as witnesses other believers who were not these specially “sent forth” ones. As Jesus showed on these occasions, each of our lives may be touched with his fellowship in a personal and intimate way.
MINISTRY TO THE CHURCH AND THE “GREAT COMMISSION”
On seven occasions the purpose of Jesus’ appearing was to strengthen his disciples. This stands as the great work of the gospel age which will see Christ-likeness developed in the sons of God. By way of counterbalance, on three occasions the Lord gave a “Great Commission” empowering his brethren to direct their energies outward in ministering and witnessing to the world. “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in my name” (Matthew 28:18, 19, corrected reading).
A CHRIST IN COMMUNION WITH THE ECCLESIA
On seven occasions the Lord appeared to a company of his people, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). The Lord has blessed the ecclesia arrangement, and since we all are creatures formed to be in relation with others, we also are joyful and encouraged in the company of our beloved brethren.
At the same time, on three occasions single witnesses, Mary Magdalene and the apostles Peter and James, could combine their witness to testify that the Lord will indeed also manifest himself one-on-one to his disciples both female and male (John 8:17).5 For each of us, the personal presence of Jesus has special import in this Laodicean season when he comes knocking at the door of our individual hearts (Revelation 3:20). Peter and James were unusually close to the Lord, hence his personal visit to them was not surprising. However, it might seem surprising that beloved John was omitted. It may be that he was not the recipient of a one-on-one appearance because it was important to show that sisters were also capable of receiving this special privilege. Had Mary Magdalene and all three of the closest apostles received a solo visit, the 7::3 structure of the ten appearances would be lost. In later years while on Patmos, John did have a personal vision of Jesus in a far more powerful way.
FLESH AND BLOOD CANNOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM
During seven appearances, Jesus manifested himself in a manner not alarming to the senses.6 Yet at the same time, on three occasions he showed he has the power to materialize or dematerialize. Clearly, Jesus is no longer confined to a body of flesh.
THE FAMILIAR JESUS NOT REINCARNATED
Seven times, Jesus was recognized on sight when he appeared with his familiar facial features and body of flesh. It was crucial that Jesus be recognized with his familiar features so that there would be a certain witness to his resurrection. However, for three appearances, he showed that he is no longer constrained to that form, for “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither can corruption inherit incorruption” (1 Corinthians 15:50).
Why is this so? What if Jesus were to show the power of his new nature by appearing in a different form on each occasion?
Among the Greeks, reincarnation was one of the speculative ideas of metaphysics that formed part of the standard curriculum in the academies.7 No doubt appearances in a different form on each occasion would have led the believers to accept some murky and confused doctrine of reincarnation and transmigration of the soul. Furthermore, believers would expect manifestations of the reincarnated Jesus spirit in different forms leading to even more mischief. Hence, it was crucial that the familiar Jesus manifest himself, yet at the same time that he also show evidence of no longer being constrained to that body.
“THE WORD OF LIFE … OUR HANDS HAVE HANDLED” (I JOHN 1:1)
On seven occasions there is no specific testimony of Jesus being touched. The intimacy of fellowship between Jesus and the disciples would no longer be the same until that day when these witnesses would also undergo the resurrection change. Yet on three occasions Jesus specifically invited multiple witnesses to touch him, and again, both female and male.8
THE PROMISE OF A RETURN –
A RESURRECTED CHRIST WHO EATS
A divine being has no need of drink or food to sustain life. In all ten appearances, there is no witness to drinking,9 thus fulfilling the promise that Jesus would not drink thenceforth with his beloved saints until their deliverance ‘,Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18). On seven of the ten appearances there also is no testimony to eating. Nevertheless, there is a joy in sharing food and drink which makes supping a satisfying picture of communion with our Lord both individually and as a joyful company of reunited saints. Supping is an important element of the celebration of the Lamb’s wedding where a blessing is promised even to those who are not a part of the bride class (Revelation 19:9).
On three occasions we find a direct testimony – again by multiple witnesses – to Jesus eating. The disciples needed to be able to testify that Jesus was not merely a visibly manifested spirit, or in technical terms, a “phantom.” Three other observations may prove to be a blessing:
First, when the Lord does come to us to sup (Revelation 3:20) these appearances suggest that the symbolic equivalent of bread and grilled fish should be on the menu (Luke 24:30; Luke 24:42; John 21:9). Both bread and fish are used as images of the church, suggesting that our Lord wishes for an intimacy of communion, where he is in us, and we are in him (John 6:55).
Next, in view of the careful choreography of our resurrected Lord’s visits, the wife of Cleopas is a strongly appealing candidate for the unnamed second disciple on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13- 32). This would give the sisters in the church the privilege of participating in bearing testimony to a Jesus who eats, and a Jesus who dematerializes. If this were not the case, the sisters representatively have not received the privilege of this witness, although they still enjoy the spiritual promise of Revelation 3:20.
Third, for gentile converts familiar with classical mythology, this supping would provide a powerful testimony that Jesus would return to earth. To the Greeks and Romans, the dying of the fields in fall and winter, followed by their rebirth in spring, were considered to be the consequence of maiden goddess Persephone returning to the underworld of Hades six months out of the year during the fall and winter as a consequence of eating a mere seven pomegranate seeds while in Hades.10 There was a belief going back to the Age of the Patriarchs that the moral code of the cosmos bound you to hospitality and to a return to your host if food was shared.
SUNDAY – THE RESURRECTED LORD’S DAY
Observance of the Sabbath day is the fourth commandment, and so as not to let one jot or tittle of the law fail, the church is enjoined to observe the greater antitype of this Sabbath each and every day of their lives.11 However, the final lesson to draw from the Lord’s appearances is that it establishes Sunday, by our common Roman reckoning of midnight to midnight, as the Resurrected Lord’s day.
Five, or fully half of these appearances, took place within the first eighteen hours of discovering the empty tomb on the Resurrection Sunday. For the seven times we can establish the day of the week on which an appearance occurred, six of those times are on Sunday. It was necessary that the ascension take place on a Friday, both completing another scripturally significant period of “forty” as well as serving as a counterbalance to death and disgrace on a Friday.
It is likely that in the case of the other three appearances for which we are unable to establish the weekday, some or all were Sundays by our common reckoning. Irrespective of this, the combined result of these six Sunday appearances closely followed by the experience of Pentecost Sunday fixed this day permanently in the collective consciousness of the church. Henceforth, the church looked beyond the rest at the end of the week – Saturday by Jewish reckoning – to the beginning of the new week on Sunday as the Resurrected Lord’s day. These appearances so firmly fixed the Lord’s will in the matter of gathering of his people that from this time onward the church properly has looked to Sunday as their day of worship.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
For the ten resurrection appearances of Jesus, the primary lessons are the importance of apostleship, nurturing the church, ecclesia communion, and witness to the resurrection of the Jesus the disciples knew in the flesh.
These are counterbalanced by lessons of care for the individual members of the body, commissions to preach to the world, and our Lord’s new nature in a resurrected body capable of dematerializing and taking other forms while still being capable of taste and touch. In these as in all his workings, the Lord’s hand shows purpose, structure and balance.
– Richard Doctor
1 It is noticed that on R2809 Br. Russell separates Matthew 28:16-20 and I Corinthians 15:6 into the 8th and 9th appearances, making a total of 11 appearances (Editor).
2 Robertson, AT., A Harmony of the Gospels , Harper & Rowe, N.Y. (1950).
3 Frey, A., The Tabernacle of God, Chicago Bible Students Book Republishing, PO. Box 6016, Chicago, IL 60680 (1996), p. 266
4 Russell, CT., The Time is at Hand, Studies in the Scriptures, Volume 2 (1916), p. 138.
5 In Luke 24:33-35 we learn that when Cleopas and the second disciple returned from Emmaus, they found “the eleven” and other disciples (actually, only ten apostles since Thomas was missing, John 20:24) already engaged (verse 34) in an excited ongoing discussion (λεγουταζ ”saying”) about the appearance of Jesus to Simon Peter. Then both the disciples hastily expounded on (εξηγουοιυντο, “related,” in the aorist to indicate the haste) what had happened on the road (verse 35).
6 The final departure of Jesus, where “a cloud received him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9), was not a dematerialization.
7 Plato, The Republic , Chapter 11. “The Immortality of the Soul and the Rewards of Goodness,” Section 3, “The Myth of En”
8 I have always been puzzled by our Lord’s command to Mary Magdalene: “Touch me not” (John 20:17). It seemed satisfactory that this was to direct Mary to rapidly spread the news to the other disciples. But in fact, the explanation Jesus gave was neither the need for haste, nor that touching him was improper, but rather a third explanation – that he was not yet ascended to the father. Could it be that if Mary had touched Jesus it would have confused the 7::3 structure of these appearances – and then with the touching only in the presence of multiple witnesses?
9 Acts 10:41 should be noted in this respect (Editor).
10 Persephone, the lovely daughter of Demeter (goddess of grain) and Zeus was abducted by Pluto (god of death), taken to the underworld, and forced to be his wife and queen. She was not permitted a full release from this forced marriage because “The girl shall rise to heaven on one condition – that is if no food touched her lips in Hades, for this is the law
… but [Persephone] guileless … plucked a dark pomegranate … and swallowed seven of its blood-purpled seeds … [hence] for half the year [she is] on earth, and the other half a queen with her husband.” Ovid, The Metamorphoses, Book V (trans. by Horace Gregory), Mentor Books, New York (1958), p. 155-156.
11 Russell, CT., “I Will Have Mercy, Not Sacrifice” (original in Zion’s Watchtower, April 15, 1910), R4599.