Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 27:53

53 And came out of the graves, after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Mark, Ch. 15.38. mentioneth o[illegible: 1 letter]ly the rending of the Vail. No more doth Luke, Ch. 23.45. Iohn mentioneth none of these things. It pleased God to give a Testimony against this Prodigious piece of Wickedness, by Prodigious Signs, both in the Heavens, and on the Earth. In the Heavens, the Sun, as we heard before, suffered an unusual Preter-natural Eclipse which lasted three hours. In the Earth, there was an Earthquake, to that degree, that the Rocks were rent by it. Earthquakes were sometimes no more than Indications of Gods Power, and Majesty; and some think, that by this Earthquak, Christ declared his Divine Power, Psal. 68.8. Ioel 2.10. It is certain, that v. 54. the Centurion concluded from it, this was the Son ofGod. But Earthquakes, were sometimes not only the Indications of the Divine Majesty and Power, but also of his Wr[illegible: 1 letter]th, Psal. 18.7, 8. Ioel 3.16. Nahum 1.6. And such doubtless was this: To shew that the Earth abhorred what these Men had done. Besides these, The Vail of the Temple was rent, three of the Evangelists mention it. It is not much Material, whether this were the outward Vail, or the inward Vail, or Hangings, which parted the most Holy Place from the oth[illegible: 1 letter]r part of the Temple, tho probably it was the inner Veil. By this rending of the Veil, God testifyed his wrath against the Jews, and that he was leaving his Temple amongst them. The Veil also was a Type of Christs Flesh, Heb. 10.20. the Antitype being Rent, it was reasonable that the Type should also be so. By this also was shewed, that the Temple-Service was now at an end, and to continue no longer, and the partition-Wall betwixt Iew and Gentiles was pulled down. For what Matthew speaks, v. 52, 53. of the Graves opening, and the Bodies of the Saints arising, &c. probably it was not till Christs Resurrection, only Matthew puts it in here, reckoning up together all the Prodigious things that happened, for Matthew himself saith, v. 53. They came out of their Graves after his Resurrection, and it is not likely that the Graves opened any considerable time before they came out of their Graves. These now were the Prodigies which attended the Death of our Saviour.