Michael Licona, Associate Professor of Theology at Houston Baptist University, published a shocking view from his book, The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach. He claims that the passage in Matt. 27:52-53 describing the raised saints coming out of their graves is apocalyptic imagery injected into the narrative and not a literal assertion of fact. He discussed this view during a round table published by the Southeastern Theological Review [1]:
As I broadened my reading in the Greco-Roman and Jewish literature of the period, I began to observe numerous reports containing phenomena similar to what we find reported by Matthew at Jesus’ death. The frequent mention of darkness, apparitions of the dead, the earth shaking, and celestial phenomena peaked my interest. I wondered whether these things reported by Virgil, Dio Cassius, and Josephus were all intended to be understood as events that had occurred in space-time. Or were they an ancient literary device—“special effects”—meant to ac-centuate an event of cosmic, even divine significance?2 So, it appears that this ancient practice continues in some locations to this day.
Then I observed similar phenomena in Acts 2 when Peter ad-dressed the crowd, saying the speaking in tongues they were witnessing was in fulfillment of Joel 2. He goes on to list other phenomena men-tioned by Joel, including wonders in the sky involving the sun going dark, the moon turning to blood, and signs on the earth such as blood, fire, and smoke. Joel concludes by saying that in that day everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Peter then testifies how Jesus performed wonders and signs while among them. He rose from the dead and now they should call upon His name for salvation. Similar phenom-enal language appears in Jesus’ Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 where the sun and moon will go dark and the stars will fall out of the sky. Many evangelical scholars interpret the celestial phenomena in Acts 2 and Matthew 24 as apocalyptic symbols with no corresponding literal events involving those celestial bodies. I became persuaded that the raised saints in Matthew 27 belonged to the same genre.