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Matthew 28:18–20 and the Other Verses of Matthew 28

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“As Moses lifted up the serpent [the serpent made of bronze described in Numbers 21:8–9] in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [uniquely born] Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

“…for by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest any man should boast.”

Above is the content of John 3:14–16 and the content of Ephesians 2:8–9, respectively. Itʼs worthwhile to refrain from receiving the mark referenced in Revelation 13:11–18 and to instead receive eternal life for free by believing that Jesus is the Savior. Before doing any Bible studying and before praying to God the Father, it is useful for a person who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior to try to think of any sins that one might have committed since one last confessed oneʼs known post-salvation sins to God the Father, and if one has indeed committed any, to then silently confess those sins to God the Father—confessing only one time for each sin—in accordance with what is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This webpage could be periodically updated. If there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, and if the original author of this webpage is amongst those people disappearing en masse, then it is possible that this webpage will no longer be updated. Also, if there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, it is worthwhile to consider the possibility that those people have exited from the earth on the occasion known as the Rapture instead of assuming that that mass disappearance involves extraterrestrials abducting those people or involves the annihilation of those people or involves anything else other than the Rapture.

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Also, it is possible that it is worthwhile to print this content in case of time periods involving lack of Internet connectivity.

When studying the Word of God, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Hebrews 4:12:

“Indeed, the Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit and of the joints and the marrow and is a critic of thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Note: The heart refers to the mind.

It is also beneficial to keep in mind the content of 2 Timothy 3:16–17 when studying the Word of God:

“All Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be mature, having been thoroughly furnished unto all good work.”

It is the responsibility of a pastor-teacher to endeavor to correctly understand the Word of God and then to accurately teach the Word of God, as per the content of 2 Timothy 2:15:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of Truth.”

A pastor-teacher is a communicator rather than a crutch on which to be leaned. In that regard, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping a pastor-teacher. Likewise, a believer should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping anyone other than the Trinity [God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit], as per Joshua 24:15, the content of which references Joshua speaking to the Israelites:

If it is disagreeable/bad/evil/wrong/wretchedness/displeasing in your sight to serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, choose for yourselves today whom you serve/worship: whether the gods ['elohiym / false gods] which your fathers have served/worshiped which were beyond the river or the gods ['elohiym / false gods] of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.

Note: Joshua, the leader of the Israelites after Joshua had been serving as the assistant of Moses while Moses was the leader of the Israelites, set the example for the Israelites. Joshua chose to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship God the Father rather than Joshua choosing to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship the lesser of multiple evils amongst multiple choices of 'elohiym [el-oh-HEEM]. The word 'elohiym with a lowercase e can refer to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges. The word 'Elohiym with a capital E refers to the Trinity. The word 'elohiym can also be used to refer to might as in mightiness. In that regard, the use of the word 'elohiym in reference to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges involves the connotation of mightiness in comparison to an average human. When a person puts oneʼs trust in and thereby serves as a devoted follower of and thus worships an angel or human, that angel or human is that personʼs false god. Regarding the foregoing, the content of Joshua 24:15 involves Joshua calling attention to the choices that the Israelites had, and that content involves Joshua permitting the Israelites to make their choices while Joshua led by example with his choice.

The gift of pastor-teacher is for the purpose of each pastor-teacher functioning as a messenger who communicates the Word of God rather than functioning as a priest between the Trinity and mankind. In that regard, the time period that can be referred to as the Church Age started fifty days after the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected, and all Church Age believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are priests. The Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest of Church Age believers, and believers should be willing to acknowledge/confess/profess to people the believersʼ faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as per Hebrews 4:14–15:

Therefore, since we have a great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the acknowledgment/confession/profession. Indeed, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek [mel-KIZ-uh-dek], who was the ruler of Salem when Abraham was still named Abram. Melchizedek was both a king and a priest, as per Genesis 14:18, which references Melchizedek greeting Abram:

Then Melchizedek king of Salem has brought out bread and wine, and he is a priest of 'El [AYL] 'Elyown [el-YOHN] / God [focusing on God the Fatherʼs power] Most High.

The Lord Jesus Christ is also both a king and a priest because the Lord is the Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, as per Hebrews 7:14–17:

Indeed, it is evident that our Lord has arisen from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. Also, it is still much more evident: that according to the similarity of Melchizedek, Another of a different type of priest arises, Who has become such not on the basis of a law of fleshly command / physical requirement but according to the power of an indestructible life. Indeed, it is attested: “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER, ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”

Note: The Lord Jesus Christ is from the tribe of Judah. Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is qualified to be a priest because He was resurrected and therefore has an indestructible body. The above content in all capital letters is a reference to Psalm 110:4.

Because a king is royalty, a king who is a priest is a royal priest. In that regard, Church Age believers are royalty because they are members of the Lord Jesus Christʼs family. Therefore, all Church Age believers are royal priests, as per 1 Peter 2:9–10:

However, you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR ACQUISITION/PRESERVATION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are GODʼS PEOPLE. You had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Note: Before the Church Age, Gentiles were not Godʼs people. In the Church Age, both Jewish and Gentile believers are Godʼs people. The content of 1 Peter 2:10 references Hosea 2:23. In that regard, Peter uses references involving Israel in the Old Testament to refer to Church Age believers.

Itʼs the message rather than the messenger that should be the focus of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Put succinctly: itʼs the message rather than the messenger. In that regard, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Revelation 22:8–9, which was written by the apostle John, who, in addition to writing The Revelation to John, wrote The Gospel According to John, The First Epistle of John, The Second Epistle of John, and The Third Epistle of John:

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things, and when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things, but he says* to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

Regarding messages, believers should use the Word of God to examine what is being communicated. That is what the Bereans who are mentioned in Acts 17:10–12 did:

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, who, when they arrived, went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all eagerness / readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore, many of them believed, and not a few prominent Greek women and men.

Note: The phrase not a few means “quite a few.”

Today, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to meet believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds on the occasion of the Rapture is one day closer than it was yesterday. The Rapture involves both deceased and living believers in the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Lord in the clouds in the atmosphere of the earth, receiving glorified immortal resurrection bodies similar to the Lord Jesus Christʼs glorified resurrection body, and going to Heaven with those resurrection bodies. Before the Rapture occurs, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in Heaven without glorified bodies. It is possible that the Rapture will occur during the time when the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh] would occur. The Feast of Trumpets was one of the seven feasts that the Israelites were supposed to celebrate each year under the regulations of the Mosaic Law. The term Mosaic Law refers to the laws communicated by Moses to the ancient Israelites. Because Moses communicated those laws, they are known collectively as the Mosaic Law. The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the Mosaic Law by being judged on the cross for the sins of humanity. Now that the Lord Jesus Christ has fulfilled the Mosaic Law, no believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are under the regulations of the Mosaic Law.

While it is possible that the Rapture will occur during the time when the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh] would occur—which is referenced as a single day in Leviticus 23:24–25 and Numbers 29:1–6 and which is what some people call Rosh Hashanah and which some people celebrate for two days—the next occurrence of which will possibly be during the time period of September 10th, 2026, at 11:51 A.M. – September 14th, 2026, at 1:08 P.M. in the Eastern Daylight Time zone or the time period of October 10th, 2026, at 11:13 A.M. – October 14th, 2026, at 12:29 P.M. in the Eastern Daylight Time zone, it is worthwhile for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to get into the habit of being prepared every day for the return of the Lord, just in case the Rapture will occur during a time other than the time of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah. Furthermore, it is worthwhile to be in the habit of being prepared for the Rapture so that if it does occur during the time of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah, one can be prepared for that time because of already being in the habit of being prepared. Examples of being prepared for the Rapture include applying the content of 1 John 1:9 whenever one sins, being unselfish, and whenever circumstances are such that an opportunity arises, sharing the gospel—the good news that believing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior Who was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity is the means by which a person is able to have eternal life. Regarding sharing the gospel, one could also have a written or printed message containing the gospel with that written or printed message located somewhere where it could be easily noticed so that if a person or people were to read or hear that written or printed message either before or after the Rapture occurs, that person or people would thereby read or hear the gospel by means of that written or printed message.

Whether the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah in 2026 would occur during September or October depends on whether barley crop in Israel in 2026 was first in a status known as abib [ah-BEEB] (also known as aviv [ah-VEEV]) in March or April, respectively. Also, if barley crop in Israel in 2026 was first in a status known as abib/aviv in February, then the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah would have occurred during the time period of August 12th, 2026, at 12:25 P.M. – August 16th, 2026, at 1:49 P.M. in the Eastern Daylight Time zone. On which day and at what time in August, September, or October the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah would start depends on the time of the last sunset over Jerusalem before the first sliver of a crescent new moon after that sunset. The crescent new moon is the illumination of a sliver of the waxing moon. The moon is waxing when it is becoming more and more illuminated after what some people refer to as the astronomical new moon, the time when there is an absence of illumination of the moon—in other words, when there is an absence of reflection of light from the moon. On which day and at what time in August, September, or October the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah would end depends on whether the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah lasts one day or two days and whether the time of day of the end of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah is at sunset, at the end of civil twilight, at the end of nautical twilight, or at the end of astronomical twilight.

Regarding information about the Rapture, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52:

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again—and we do indeed believe that Jesus died and rose again—so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. Indeed, this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive who remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep, for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with a voice of an archangel and with a trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive who remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

1 Corinthians 15:51–52

Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.

After the Rapture will be the seven-year Tribulation. The believers who will be alive on the earth when the Rapture occurs will escape the Tribulation. 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 covers that topic. In that regard, in the book 1 Thessalonians, the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 is immediately followed by the content of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11

Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you, for you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. However, you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; therefore, let us not sleep as others, but let us be alert and sober. Indeed, those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. However, since we are of day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and benevolence/goodwill, and as a helmet, the hope / absolute confidence of deliverance, for God has not destined us for wrath but for obtaining deliverance through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore, comfort one another and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Note: In this context, the day of the Lord is the time period that consists of the Rapture, the seven years of the Tribulation, and the Second Advent. In that regard, deliverance from the Tribulation is the deliverance in this context. Also, unspecified is who will be saying “Peace and safety!” In this context, sleeping refers to a lack of alertness. The alertness in this context involves being ready for the Rapture. In order to be ready for the Rapture, a believer needs to be filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and to pay attention for historical trends such as people saying “Peace and safety!” and for historical trends that match the pattern of the world being on the brink of tremendous calamities like those that will occur during the Tribulation. Regarding being filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity. After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored. The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1. Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30. In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit. Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer. After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again.

The verses of the day for September 5th are Matthew 28:18–20. The title of the book Matthew is also known as “The Gospel According to Matthew.” The book Matthew was written by the apostle Matthew.

For geographical context, below is a link to a map of Israel during the time of the Lord Jesus Christʼs First Advent (also known as the Incarnation). The First Advent was during a time when the region where Jerusalem was located was an occupied province of the Roman Empire. The name of that Roman province was Judea [joo-DEE-uh or joo-DAY-uh]. The word Judea can also be spelled Judaea or Judæa. The character æ is a ligature [LIG-uh-chuhr or LIG-uh-choor] of a and e. Before the Romans conquered the region known as Judea, the name of the country of the Jewish people was Judah. The inhabitants of Judah can be referred to as Judahites [JOO-duh-ights]. The inhabitants of Judea can be referred to as Judeans [joo-DEE-uhnz or joo-DAY-uhnz]. On that map, Judea is located in grid coordinates B6, C6, B7, and C7. For reference, Jerusalem is located at grid coordinate C6. Also, Galilee is located in grid coordinates C3 and D3.

https://Classic.NET.Bible.org/images/maps/nt1.jpg

If the above link is inaccessible, the below link can be tried instead.

https://NETBible.org/media/images/maps/nt1.jpg

Because it is useful to study verses that share the same context, below is content related to Matthew 28. The words of the Lord Jesus Christ are in red.

Note: The content of Matthew 28 describes the time period after the Lord Jesus Christ had been resurrected and before He ascended to Heaven. At that time, there were eleven disciples instead of twelve because Judas Iscariot had betrayed the Lord before the Lord was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity. Also, the Lordʼs grave is the grave referenced in Matthew 28.

In some of the below notes for Matthew 28, there are references to the Age of Israel, the Church Age, the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Second Advent, and the Millennium. With regard to the Age of Israel, the Church Age, the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Second Advent, and the Millennium, below is a synopsis of human history as categorized into time periods known as dispensations. In the below synopsis, there is the term hypostatic union [high-PUH-stat-ick YOON-yuhn]. This refers to the Lord Jesus Christ being 100% Deity and 100% humanity. The English word hypostatic is derived from the Koine [KOI-nay] Greek word ὑπόστασις [pronounced hoo-PAH-stah-sees and transliterated as hypostasis]. After the Lord Jesus Christ was judged for the sins of humanity, His body was in the grave for three days and three nights. He was then resurrected, and He was on the earth for forty days after He was resurrected. He then ascended to Heaven, and ten days after that, the Day of Pentecost [PEN-tih-kahst] occurred. The Day of Pentecost was the beginning of the Church Age. The word Pentecost is derived from the Koine Greek word πεντηκοστή [pronounced pen-tay-kah-STAY and transliterated as pentēkostē]. That word is derived from the Koine Greek word πεντήκοντα [pronounced pen-TAY-kahn-tah and transliterated as pentēkonta], which means “fifty.” Therefore, the word Pentecost is derived from the fact that that day occurred fifty days after the Lord was resurrected. In that regard, the Church Age began fifty days after the Lord was resurrected. The Church Age will end with the Rapture. The Rapture involves both deceased and living believers in the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Lord in the clouds in the atmosphere of the earth, receiving glorified immortal resurrection bodies similar to the Lord Jesus Christʼs glorified resurrection body, and going to Heaven with those resurrection bodies. Before the Rapture occurs, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in Heaven without glorified bodies. Absent from the Bible is anything specifically indicating the precise date and time when the Rapture will occur, although it is possible that the Rapture will occur during the time when the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh] would occur—which is referenced as a single day in Leviticus 23:24–25 and Numbers 29:1–6 and which is what some people call Rosh Hashanah and which some people celebrate for two days—the next occurrence of which will possibly be during the time period of September 10th, 2026, at 11:51 A.M. – September 14th, 2026, at 1:08 P.M. in the Eastern Daylight Time zone or the time period of October 10th, 2026, at 11:13 A.M. – October 14th, 2026, at 12:29 P.M. in the Eastern Daylight Time zone.

Dispensation	Start	Ending or Interruption

Age of the Gentiles	Adam	The Age of the Gentiles ended with the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

Age of Israel	Exodus	The Age of Israel was interrupted on the Day of Pentecost.

Age of the Hypostatic Union (part of the Age of Israel)	First Advent of Christ	The Age of the Hypostatic Union ended with the Ascension of Christ.

Church Age	Day of Pentecost	The Church Age will end with the Rapture of the Church.

Tribulation (Age of Israel resumed)	Rapture	The Tribulation will end with the Second Advent of Christ.

Millennium	Second Advent	The 1,000-year Millennium will end with the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers.

Eternal State	Great White Throne Judgment	The Eternal State will be never-ending.

Regarding the word judgment, the proper way to spell that word is without an e between the dg and the m. In that regard, the e of the root word judge is dropped when the suffix ment is added to that root word. The formation of the word judgment is shown below.

judge −e +ment

= judg +ment

= judgment

Another way to categorize human history is by means of civilizations. Civilizations begin only with believers. Regarding the timing of civilizations and dispensations, the first civilization began with Adam and ended on the occasion of the Great Flood (also known as the Flood). That civilization is known as the antediluvian civilization and the predulivian civilization. In that regard, the prefixes ante and pre mean “before.” Also, there are various spellings of the adjectives that refer to the time before the Flood. Those spellings include antediluvian, ante-diluvian, prediluvian, and pre-diluvian.

After the Flood, there were only eight believers on the earth: Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their sonsʼ wives. With the removal of the unbelievers from the earth on the occasion of the Flood, a new civilization was started. That civilization is known as the postdiluvian civilization (also known as the postdiluvial civilization). Regarding the terminology, the prefix post means “after,” and the adjectives diluvian and diluvial mean “having to do with a flood.” Also, there are various spellings of the adjectives that refer to the time after the Flood. Those spellings include postdiluvian, post-diluvian, postdiluvial, and post-diluvial. The postdiluvian civilization will end on the occasion of the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. On the occasion of the Second Advent, the Lord will remove all unbelievers from the earth. Their removal will be by means of physical death just as the removal of all unbelievers was by means of physical death on the occasion of the Flood. This is called the Baptism of Fire, which is either a metaphorical description because fire can be used to represent judgment or a literal reference to the use of fire in the judgment of unbelievers on the occasion of the Second Advent. The Baptism of Fire is referenced in Matthew 3:11–12; Luke 3:15–17; and 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9.

Just as a new civilization started after the Flood, so also a new civilization will start after the Baptism of Fire. That civilization is called the Millennium. The Millennium is both a civilization and a dispensation. The Eternal State is also both a civilization and a dispensation.

Matthew 28:1

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.

Note: The content of Matthew 27:56 indicates that the other Mary is the mother of James and Joseph. In this verse, the Koine [KOI-nay] Greek noun that is translated as “grave” is τάφον [pronounced TAH-fahn and transliterated as taphon]. That noun is an inflected form of the root word τάφος [pronounced TAH-fahs and transliterated as taphos]. The Koine Greek noun taphos can also be translated as “sepulcher” or “tomb.” The Lordʼs grave had been hewn out of rock, and a large stone had been rolled in front of the entrance of the grave.

Matthew 28:2

Then behold, a tremendous shaking/earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it,

Note: Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the angel used a vehicle or any equipment to descend from heaven. Regarding the usage of the word heaven in this verse, that usage refers to descending from either the atmosphere of the earth or from the part of outer space just beyond the atmosphere of the earth. In that regard, below is a summary of the different usages for the word heaven.

• The first heaven (also known as [aka] first heavens): the atmosphere of earth

• The second heaven (aka second heavens): outer space

• The Third Heaven (aka Third Heavens or simply as Heaven): the location of the throne room of God the Father

Regarding the angel descending either from the atmosphere of the earth or from the part of outer space just beyond the atmosphere of the earth, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the angel teleported to the atmosphere of the earth or to the part of outer space just beyond the atmosphere of the earth and then descended after having teleported. Also, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the angel exited from some sort of gateway to the atmosphere of the earth or to the part of outer space just beyond the atmosphere of the earth and then descended. In addition, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the angel traveled through outer space to the earth all by himself without using a vehicle or any other sort of equipment and without teleporting or going through some sort of gateway. Furthermore, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the angel traveled through outer space in some sort of large vehicle such as a spacecraft that could be referred to by means of some description such as a mother ship or a star cruiser or a battlestar or some other description. Also, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the angel traveled through outer space in some sort of large vehicle and then traveled from that large vehicle in a smaller vehicle such as a fighter craft or shuttle craft. The point of all of the foregoing is that a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should refrain from making any assumptions with regard to how the angel arrived to the earth and how the angel descended.

Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the angel used any equipment to roll away the stone. Also, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the angel touched the stone when rolling it away. Regardless of how the angel rolled away the stone, the salient point is that the stone was out of the way such that the Lordʼs followers could easily enter the grave and thereby see that the Lord had exited from the grave.

Regarding the shaking/earthquake, the occurring of that shaking/earthquake was somehow related to either the descending of the angel, the angelʼs rolling away of the stone, or both. In this verse, the Koine Greek noun that is translated as “shake” or “earthquake” is σεισμὸς [pronounced say-SMAHS and transliterated as seismos]. That noun is an inflected form of the root word σεισμός [pronounced say-SMAHS and transliterated as seismos]. The Koine Greek word seismos can be used to refer to a literal earthquake, and seismos can be used to refer to shaking. The word seismos can also be used to refer to a commotion or to a tempest, although in the context of this verse, seismos refers to either a literal earthquake or to shaking. Also, the Greek word seismos is the word from which the English word seismic [SIGHZ-mihk] is derived.

Matthew 28:3

and his appearance was like lightning—and his clothing as white as snow.

Note: Rather than the content of this verse referring to the skin of the angel looking like lightning, the content of this verse refers to the angelʼs appearance as looking like lightning; therefore, he may have been wearing some sort of clothing that flashed brightly like lightning. In that regard, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the lightning-like appearance involved something bright emanating from the angel or something bright reflecting off the angel. Also, the content of this verse indicates that the angelʼs clothing was as white as snow. In that regard, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the angelʼs clothing being white is what caused the lightning-like appearance of the angel. Regardless of how and in what way or ways the angel had a lightning-like appearance, the content of this verse calls attention to the fact that the angel had an appearance different from the appearance of humans, and the fact that that appearance is associated with light calls attention to the fact that that angel was on the side of the Trinity in the angelic conflict.

The angelic conflict is the conflict between the Trinity and the elect angels on one side and Satan and the fallen angels on the other side. This conflict has been raging for a long time, and it began sometime before the creation of mankind. How long the angelic conflict has been raging is unspecified in the Bible. Also, the specific means by which the struggle of the angelic conflict is waged is unspecified in the Bible. Whatever is the specific nature of that struggle, human beings were evidently created to resolve the angelic conflict. In that regard, it appears that at least one aspect of the angelic conflict involves argumentation and attempts at persuasion, such as in a court case. For example, when, in the Garden of Eden, the first woman was tricked by the serpent—whether the references to a serpent in Genesis 3 are metaphorical references to Satan appearing in a form other than that of a serpent or of something like a serpent or whether the references to a serpent in Genesis 3 are literal references to Satan appearing in the form of a serpent or of something like a serpent or whether the references to a serpent in Genesis 3 are literal references to Satan controlling a literal serpent—Satan persuaded the first woman to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Later, Satan caused Job to experience suffering. Later still, Satan tried to persuade the Lord Jesus Christ to sin. The Biblical accounts of those occasions indicate that Satan was arguing and trying to persuade.

The Lord Jesus Christ being judged on the cross for the sins of humanity was the Lordʼs strategic victory over Satan in the angelic conflict. When the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected three days after He was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity, the Lord was victorious over physical death. Regarding the Lordʼs victory over physical death, the angel announced that the Lord had been resurrected. That announcing is referenced in verse 6. Regarding the angel announcing that, the angel was a messenger from Heaven. In that regard, the Koine Greek noun that is translated as “angel” in this verse is ἄγγελος [pronounced AHN-geh-lahs and transliterated as aggelos]. That noun is an inflected form of the root word ἄγγελος [pronounced AHN-geh-lahs and transliterated as aggelos]. The English word angel is derived from the Greek word aggelos. In some contexts, the Koine Greek noun aggelos can be translated as “messenger.” In the context of the content of Matthew 28, while the angel is indeed performing a messenger function, it is logical to refer to this messenger as an angel because the content of Matthew 28 indicates that this messenger is a messenger from Heaven.

Matthew 28:4

The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.

Note: The content of Matthew 27:62–66 indicates that guards were stationed at the Lordʼs grave so as to prevent the Lordʼs followers from taking the Lordʼs body out of the grave. Those guards who were doing sentry duty at the Lordʼs grave were so frightened by the angel that they fainted.

Matthew 28:5

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus Who has been crucified.

Matthew 28:6

“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

Note: The content of this verse involves the angel giving the message about the Lordʼs victory over death.

Matthew 28:7

“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

Matthew 28:8

Then they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.

Note: In this verse, the pronoun They refers to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. In this verse, the Koine Greek noun that is translated as “tomb” is μνημείου [pronounced mnay-MAY-oo and transliterated as mnēmeiou]. That noun is an inflected form of the root word μνημεῖον [pronounced mnay-MAY-ahn and transliterated as mnēmeion]. The Koine Greek noun mnēmeion can also be translated as “sepulcher,” “grave,” or “cenotaph [SEHN-uh-taf].” A cenotaph is an empty monument that commemorates a person who died in a war. In that regard, the Lord died during the war known as the angelic conflict, and the empty tomb commemorates the Lord. Regarding the content of Matthew 28 having two different words to refer to the Lordʼs burial place, the word taphon in verse 1 refers to the Lordʼs place of burial in the context of a focus on the fact that the Lord had been buried, and the use of mnēmeiou in verse 8 refers to the Lordʼs place of burial in the context of a focus on that place of burial being a memorial to the Lord and that place of burial being empty.

Matthew 28:9

Then behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice / Be glad.” Then they came up and took hold of His feet and expressed reverence toward Him.

Note: Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is how the Lord traveled to their location. Also, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is how the people expressing reverence toward the Lord expressed that reverence.

Matthew 28:10

Then Jesus says* to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

*Note: The word says is in the Greek historical present tense. By means of the Greek historical present tense, past action or future action can be described from the perspective of someone seeing the action as it occurs. In this verse, the usage of the Greek historical present tense refers to past action. Also, the word brethren as used in this verse refers to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28:11

Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.

Note: In this verse, the word guard refers to the unit of sentries that had been stationed at the Lordʼs burial place. Also, the chief priests that are referenced in this verse are members of the Levitical priesthood.

Matthew 28:12

Then when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

Note: In this verse, the first of the two instances of the pronoun they refers to the chief Levitical priests. The word elders as used in this verse refers to the members of the Sanhedrin, which was a council of Jewish authorities. The second instance of the pronoun they in this verse refers to the chief Levitical priests who received the report from the guards, the people with whom those chief Levitical priests assembled, or both the chief Levitical priests who received the report from the guards and the people with whom those chief Levitical priests assembled. Regardless of to whom the second instance of the pronoun they in this verse refers, a bribe was given to the soldiers who had been guarding the Lordʼs burial place.

Matthew 28:13

and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’

Note: The people who bribed the guards told the guards to lie about how the Lord left His burial place.

Matthew 28:14

“Then if this should come to the governorʼs ears, we will win him over and keep you free from anxiety / free from care.”

Note: The people who bribed the guards claimed that they would keep the guards out of trouble if the guards lied about how the Lord left His burial place.

Matthew 28:15

Then they took the money and did as they had been instructed, and this story was widely spread among the Jews, to this day.

Note: In this verse, the pronoun they refers to the guards. Also, the phrase this day in this verse refers to the time of writing of Matthew 28.

Matthew 28:16

Now the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed/designated to them.

Matthew 28:17

Then having seen Him, they expressed reverence, but some doubted.

Note: In this verse, the pronoun they refers to the eleven disciples. Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is how the eleven disciples expressed reverence toward the Lord. Because the eleven disciples expressed reverence toward the Lord, it is logical to conclude that people other than the eleven disciples did the doubting. Based on the content of verses 11–15, it is logical to conclude that the doubting referenced in this verse involved people who believed the lies of the guards who had been bribed to deceive people about how the Lord left His burial place.

Matthew 28:18

Then Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on the earth.

Note: Because the Lord Jesus Christ defeated Satan when the Lord was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity, God the Father gave the Lord Jesus Christ complete authority in Heaven and on the earth. In that regard, God the Father gave the Lord Jesus Christ complete authority over all Creation. Regarding God the Father giving the Lord Jesus Christ complete authority in Heaven, the details of that are unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses. Regarding God the Father giving the Lord Jesus Christ complete authority over the earth, if a sufficient number of Jewish people had been regularly obeying the Word of God at the time that is described in the content of Matthew 28, then the Lord would have established His 1,000-year kingdom at that time. Because an insufficient number of Jewish people had been regularly obeying the Word of God at the time that is described in the content of Matthew 28, God the Father temporarily gave people living in Gentile regions the responsibility of sharing the gospel—the good news that believing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior Who was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity is the means by which a person is able to have eternal life. That temporary time period is known as the Church Age. The Church Age began ten days after the Lord ascended to Heaven. The Church Age will end with the Rapture. The Age of Israel will then restart, continuing for the seven years of the Tribulation. The Tribulation will end with the Second Advent, and the Lordʼs 1,000-year kingdom will then begin. That 1,000-year kingdom is known as the Millennium.

Matthew 28:19

“Therefore, having gone, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

Note: The Lord commanded the eleven disciples to share the gospel with people in all of the nations. This command is known as the Great Commission. Also, the word disciples as used in this verse refers to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. In that regard, baptizing is mentioned in this verse after the mentioning of people becoming believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Regarding that word order in this verse, baptism is an activity for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ rather than an activity for people who are unbelievers.

Water baptism is a ritual that functions as a teaching illustration for the believer undergoing the baptism and for any believers who watch that baptism. In functioning as a teaching illustration, water baptism calls to the attention of the believer undergoing the baptism and the believers watching the baptism that each believer is identified with the Lord Jesus Christ—in other words, associated with the Lord Jesus Christ. In particular, the submersion of the person under water identifies the believer with the Lordʼs judgment on the cross and the burial of His body after being judged on the cross. In that regard, each believer is associated with the Lordʼs victory over Satan by means of the Lord being judged for the sins of humanity, and the submersion during the baptism ritual calls attention to the fact that believers benefit from that victory. Similarly, when the believer who is being baptized rises back up from being under water, the believerʼs rising up from that submerged condition identifies the believer with the Lordʼs resurrection. In that regard, each believer is associated with the Lordʼs victory over physical death.

All three Members of the Trinity are referenced in this verse. The three Members of the Trinity are separate Persons that have the same essence. In that regard, the Members of the Trinity are One in essence. They all have the exact same characteristics. In that regard, They function in unity as a single, perfect Team. God the Father does the planning. God the Son executes the plan. God the Holy Spirit reveals the plan. In that regard, the United States Army used to have the slogan “An army of one.” Rather than indicating that there was only a single person in the U.S. Army, the slogan was focused on the goal of all of the members of the army cooperating so as to function as one team.

Matthew 28:20

teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you all the days, even to the end of the age.”

Note: The time period during which the Lord Jesus Christ spoke what is quoted in this verse was the Age of the Hypostatic Union, which is part of the Age of israel. Regarding the content of Matthew 28:20, that content ends the content of The Gospel According to Matthew. In that regard, in content near the beginning of The Gospel According to Matthew is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ having a name that refers to the Lord Jesus Christ being a Member of the Trinity. The verse in which that reference is located is Matthew 1:23. In that regard, below is content related to Matthew 1:23.

Matthew 1:23

“BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME EMMANUEL/IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”

Note: This is a reference to Isaiah 7:14. In Matthew 1:23, the Koine Greek noun that is translated as “EMMANUEL/IMMANUEL” is Ἐμμανουήλ [pronounced em-mah-noo-AYL and transliterated as Emmanouēl]. That noun is an inflected form of the root word Ἐμμανουήλ [pronounced em-mah-noo-AYL and transliterated as Emmanouēl]. The Koine Greek noun Emmanouēl is derived from the Hebrew noun עִמָּנוּאֵל [pronounced im-mah-noo-AYL and can be transliterated as `Immanuw'el]. The name Emmanuel is an English transliteration of the Koine Greek form of the name. The name Immanuel is an English transliteration of the Hebrew form of the name.

Regarding the foregoing, even though the Lord Jesus Christ would be bodily absent from the earth once He ascended to Heaven, the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ would continue to be present with all believers until the end of the Age of Israel. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ is present with all believers because the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ is always omnipresent [everywhere]. On the occasion of the Second Advent, which is the end of the Age of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ will again be present in bodily form on the earth.

Absent from Matthew 28:20 is any reference to the Church Age. In that regard, the focus of the content of Matthew 28:20 is the Age of Israel. Regarding the Church Age, in addition to the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ being present with all believers because the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ is always omnipresent, the Lord Jesus Christ is also in all Church Age believers. That topic is covered in the content of Colossians 1:27. Also, the content of Colossians 1:27 indicates the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ being in Church Age believers was a mystery before the apostle Paul revealed that fact in the content of Colossians 1:27.

The references to the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ in the content of Matthew 1:23 and in the content of Matthew 28:20 form what is known as an inclusio [ihn-KLOO-see-oh]. An inclusio is a literary device that is used to frame content. Because framing content can also be referred to as bracketing content, using verses to form an inclusio can also be referred to as bracketing.

With regard to the inclusio formed by the content of Matthew 1:23 and the content of Matthew 28:20, the content of Matthew 1:23 calls attention to the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, then content between Matthew 1:23 and Matthew 28:20 references the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then the content of Matthew 28:20 again calls attention to the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. In that regard, an inclusio is like a presentation of information in which that information is presented with an introduction, a body of content, and a conclusion. With regard to the content of Matthew 28:20 being the ending part of the inclusio formed by the content of Matthew 1:23 and the content of Matthew 28:20, the content of Matthew 28:20 concludes The Gospel According to Matthew with a focus on the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is 100% Deity and 100% humanity.

Sincerely,

John