Chapter 17—Jesus at Galilee
The captives brought up from the graves at the time of the resurrec-
tion of Jesus were his trophies as a conquering Prince. Thus he attested
his victory over death and the grave; thus he gave a pledge and an
earnest of the resurrection of all the righteous dead. Those who were
called from their graves went into the city, and appeared unto many
in their resurrected forms, and testified that Jesus had indeed risen
from the dead, and that they had risen with him. The voice that cried,
“It is finished,” was heard among the dead. It pierced the walls of
sepulchers, and summoned the sleepers to arise. Thus shall it be when
God’s voice shall be heard shaking the heavens and earth. That voice
will penetrate the graves and unbar the tombs. A mighty earthquake
will then cause the world to reel to and fro like a drunkard. Then
Christ, the King of Glory, shall appear, attended by all the heavenly
angels. The trumpet shall sound, and the Life-giver shall call forth the
righteous dead to immortal life.
It was well known to the priests and rulers that certain persons who
were dead had risen at the resurrection of Jesus. Authentic reports were
brought to them of different ones who had seen and conversed with
these resurrected ones, and heard their testimony that Jesus, the Prince
of life, whom the priests and rulers had slain, was risen from the dead.
The false report that the disciples had robbed the sepulcher of the body
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of their Master was so diligently circulated that very many believed
it. But the priests, in manufacturing their false report, overreached
themselves, and all thinking persons, not blinded by bigotry, detected
the falsehood.
If the soldiers had been asleep, they could not know how the sep-
ulcher became empty. If one sentinel had been awake, he would
assuredly have wakened others. If they had really slept, as they af-
firmed they had, the consequence was well known to all. The penalty
for such neglect of duty was death, and there could be no hope of
pardon; so the offenders would not be likely to proclaim their fault.
If the Jewish priests and rulers had discovered the sentinels asleep at
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