Matthew 27:62-66. The Roman soldiers sealed the tomb this was still the 14th of Nisan. Then, they stood guard for the next three days in four-hour shifts of four soldiers each.
How many Roman soldiers were involved we do not know, but it could have been as many as 50 or more and also a number of soldiers from the temple guard, i.e. Jewish soldiers who worked at the Temple.
The stone that closed the entrance was very big and was rolled in a channel. This channel was sloped so it was easy to close but hard to open.
Background Reading:
The Guards at the Tomb Secure it
27:62 The following day (that is, after the Day of Preparation), the high priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘I will be raised after three days.’ 64 Therefore, order the tomb to be secured until the third day, or his disciples may go and steal him and then tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ Then the last deception would be worse than the first one.”
65 Pilate told them, “You have a military guard. Go and make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and secured the tomb by putting a seal on the stone in the presence of the guards.
Matthew 27:62-66
More Information:
These were regular Roman soldiers. A watch consisted of four soldiers, who was changed every four hours. They would die if their prisoner escaped. These soldiers were not from the temple guard, like the group that came to imprison Jesus.
Other slides in this module:
- New moon
- Blind man eyes healed
- Zacchaeus, the tax collector, waited for Jesus up a tree
- Blind Bartimaeus eyes healed
- Mary – First of two anointings by two different women
- The Triumphal Entry
- Palm tree leaves and cloaks
- Jesus Curses a Fig Tree
- Jesus taught in parables – The Lamps of the Ten Bridesmaids
- Jesus predicts His crucifixion
- Jesus anointed at Bethany by an unknown woman
- Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
- Full Moon
- Passover
- Sandal, Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
- Judas at Jesus’ last Passover
- The upper room discourse, Jesus comforts His Disciples
- Jesus spoke three prayers of intercession: one for Himself; one for his disciples; and one for all believers
- Jesus prays for Himself
- Judas and soldiers came at night to arrest Jesus
- Peter cuts off an ear
- Jesus Arrested
- Jesus was on trial six times
- First trial – Annas the Father-in-law of Caiaphas the High Priest
- 2nd Trial – Jesus taken to the High Priest Caiaphas
- Day of Jesus’ death?
- The Cock Crow – Peter Disowned Jesus
- Third Trial of Jesus before The Sanhedrin
- 4th Trial – Jesus before Pontius Pilate for the first time
- 5th Trial, Jesus before Herod Antipas the Governor of Galilee and Perea
- 6th trial – Jesus in front of Pontius Pilate for the second time
- Jesus, the Crucifixion walk
- The Cross or the Crucifixion
- Thick Darkness
- The Roman Centurion
- Jesus is Buried
- Roman Soldiers guard the Tomb
- They made sure by sealing the tomb
- Jesus stays in the tomb three days and three nights
- The Feast of Unleavened Bread
- The Feast of First Fruits
- First Fruits or Resurrection Sunday
- The open empty tomb or the Resurrection
- He is not Here, He has risen – The Resurrection
- Jesus Has Risen Indeed – The Resurrection
- Come See Where He Lay
- Peter Looks – He has Risen Indeed
- On the Road to Emmaus
- The end of the 1st weekly Sabbath
- The start of the Second week
- The Second Sunday or 8 days after the First Fruits or Resurrection of Jesus
- Jesus makes a special appearance for Thomas
- Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish
- The end of the 2nd weekly Sabbath
- The start of the third week
- The Third Sunday after First Fruits or Resurrection Sunday
- The end of the 3rd weekly Sabbath
- The start of the fourth week
- The Fourth Sunday after First Fruits or Resurrection Sunday
- The end of the 4th weekly Sabbath
- The start of the 5th week
- The Fifth Sunday or 29 days after Feast of First Fruits
- The end of the 5th weekly Sabbath
- The start of the 6th week
- The Sixth Sunday or 36 days from First Fruits
- Jesus was seen by over 500 people
- 40 Days
- Ascension Day – Back to Heaven for Jesus
- Matthias replaces Judas
- The end of the 6th weekly Sabbath
- The start of the 7th week
- The Seventh Sunday or 43 days from First Fruits
- The end of the 7th weekly Sabbath
- Start of the 8th Week
- 8th Sunday
- 50 Day
- Pentecost Fire
- AD32
- Questions and Answers 1-15
- Questions and Answers 16-30
- Questions and Answers 31-45
- Questions and Answers 46-61
- Easter-Timeline
- Background Information – Easter
- Resources: Easter or Palm Sunday To Pentecost
- Next Module – Acts of the Apostles » »