Hung on a Tree: The Seven Final Sayings of Yeshua and Their Prophetic Significance Very hard thing to say, but very good thing to say: By: Chaim Malespin

Hung on a Tree: The Seven Final Sayings of Yeshua and Their Prophetic Significance

Very hard thing to say, but very good thing to say:

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) With these astonishing words, Yeshua – hanging in agony on the wooden tree of execution – began a sequence of seven final sayings. Each utterance from His lips, recorded across the Gospel narratives, carries profound theological depth and rich fulfillment of Hebrew prophecy. In His final moments, Yeshua (Jesus) not only endured excruciating physical pain but also wove together threads from the Psalms, the Prophets, and Israel’s sacrificial rituals. He fulfilled Scriptures such as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 in real time, even as Roman soldiers gambled for His garments at the foot of the tree​

. As darkness fell at midday and the earth quaked, events in Jerusalem echoed across the cosmos – even global records and later Jewish traditions took note of this cosmic drama. What follows is an exploration of Yeshua’s seven last sayings on the tree, each examined in light of prophecy and Jewish context, leading to the climactic tearing of the Temple veil and the hope it signifies for Believers. We will see how every word and sign – from the offering of vinegar to the rending of the veil – was laden with meaning, fulfillment, and foreshadowing, ultimately pointing to Yeshua as our Great High Priest who opened access to Elohim for all who believe.

“Father, Forgive Them”: Mercy in the Midst of Suffering

Yeshua’s first saying from the tree was a prayer of forgiveness: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). Astonishingly, as iron spikes pierced His wrists and feet, Yeshua pleaded for mercy on behalf of His executioners. The Roman soldiers had just nailed Him to the cross and were casting lots to divide His garments​

– unwittingly fulfilling the ancient prophecy: “They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots” (Psalm 22:18). Yeshua’s prayer fulfilled another prophecy as well: Isaiah 53 foretold that the suffering Servant would “make intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12). Here, Yeshua, in the very act of being “hung on a tree,” acted as intercessor, asking Elohim to pardon those who carried out the crucifixion. This extraordinary mercy highlights that those executing Him acted in ignorance (“they know not what they do”). It underscores a central theme of the Gospel: Yeshua’s sacrificial death provides forgiveness even for the worst of sins. In a Jewish context, the idea of an innocent martyr interceding for his enemies resonates with the righteousness of the tzaddik (righteous one) who prays for his generation. Yeshua embodies this righteousness to the fullest. Even as the soldiers did their grisly work, dividing Yeshua’s garments at the foot of the cross, the Son of Elohim was clothing even His persecutors with potential grace and forgiveness. Such mercy “while we were yet sinners” fulfills the very mission of Messiah described by the prophets. Indeed, in that moment Yeshua became the ultimate High Priestly intercessor, echoing the role of Moses who prayed for Israel after the golden calf, and foreshadowing His ongoing intercession for us.

“Today You Will Be with Me in Paradise”: Salvation for the Repentant

The second saying came in response to the penitent criminal crucified beside Him: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43). One of the two criminals hanging alongside Yeshua had mocked Him, but the other recognized Yeshua’s innocence and messianic kingship, pleading, “Yeshua, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” In reply, Yeshua gave this incredible promise of immediate salvation. Here we see Yeshua extending grace in real-time to a repentant soul – a foretaste of the salvation His death was accomplishing. The term “Paradise” evokes the Gan Eden (Garden of Eden), a place of rest for the righteous. By assuring the repentant man of entry to Paradise “today,” Yeshua implied that upon death his soul would be in the blessed presence of Elohim. This challenges the common expectation of the general resurrection at the end of days (Daniel 12:2) by offering an individual a personal share in salvation that very day through faith in Messiah. Yeshua spoke as one with authority over the afterlife, effectively opening the gates of Eden to a contrite sinner – something only the promised Messiah could do. Prophetically, this scene fulfills Isaiah’s portrait of the Messiah “numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12), as Yeshua was literally counted among criminals and yet delivered one of them. The promise “you will be with Me” also hints at the Son of Man authority Yeshua bears (cf. Daniel 7:13–14). Though suffering now, He would soon enter His kingdom and is able to bring others with Him. Jewish tradition held that the righteous would be in Abraham’s Bosom or Eden after death; Yeshua here assumes the role of judge and savior, deciding this man’s destiny. For Believers, this exchange offers immense hope: no one is beyond the reach of divine mercy. Even at the final hour of life, repentance and faith in Yeshua bring the promise of eternal life in the presence of Elohim.

“Woman, Behold Your Son… Behold Your Mother”: A New Family Formed

In His third saying, Yeshua addressed His mother Miriam (Mary) and the beloved disciple (commonly understood as John) standing near the cross: “Woman, behold your son… Behold your mother.” (John 19:26–27). Through this tender directive, Yeshua ensured His mother would be cared for by the disciple after His death. On one level, it exemplifies Yeshua’s human compassion and filial duty – even in His agony, He honored the commandment to “honor your father and mother.” Yet, there is also a deeper symbolic layer. By calling Miriam “Woman” (a term of respect, recalling the “woman” of Genesis 3:15 and of prophecy), Yeshua perhaps alluded to her role in Elohim’s redemptive plan. In entrusting Miriam and John to each other, Yeshua was, in a sense, forming a new family at the foot of the cross – a Kehila (Church/congregation) based not on blood, but on faith in Him. John took Miriam into his home from that hour, a living picture of the new community of believers caring for one another as family. From a Jewish perspective, this has resonance with the concept of klal Yisrael, the communal responsibility and bond among the people of Israel. Here the nascent community of Yeshua’s followers is being knit together. Miriam, the earthly mother of Yeshua, would be cared for by a disciple – thus, those who follow Yeshua become brothers and sisters, mothers and children to each other (cf. Matthew 12:49–50). It is a poignant moment where the personal and the universal meet: Yeshua’s love for His mother and beloved friend expands to signify the loving relationships that should characterize the community of His followers. In the midst of His suffering, Yeshua provides for the living – showing that His death would birth a family of faith that transcends natural ties.

“My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”: The Cry of Fulfillment

Near the ninth hour (3pm), Yeshua cried out in Aramaic: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46, quoting Psalm 22:1). This gut-wrenching cry expresses the depth of Yeshua’s spiritual anguish as He bore the weight of the world’s sin. Yet it is crucial to recognize that Yeshua was intentionally quoting the opening line of Psalm 22, a prophetic psalm of David. By invoking that psalm, Yeshua drew attention to the fact that He was fulfilling it in detail. Psalm 22, written centuries earlier, remarkably describes the suffering of a righteous one in terms that mirror crucifixion: “They have pierced my hands and my feet” and “all my bones are on display” (Psalm 22:16–17); “they divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing” (22:18) – exact events unfolding at Calvary​

. When Yeshua cried “why have You forsaken Me,” listeners at the time may have recalled the rest of the psalm, which moves from despair to vindication and triumph. In Jewish practice, quoting the first line of a Scripture could imply the whole passage. Thus, though Yeshua expressed the real experience of God-forsakenness on behalf of sinners (fulfilling Isaiah 53: “He was cut off…”), He was also pointing to the ultimate hope of Psalm 22 – that Elohim would indeed deliver Him and vindicate Him in the end. Theologically, this cry signifies Yeshua’s identification with human estrangement from Elohim. He who knew no sin was, at that moment, experiencing the hell of separation caused by sin (“He became sin for us,” 2 Cor. 5:21). Yet Elohim had not truly abandoned His righteous one – as Psalm 22 later says, “He has not despised the affliction of the afflicted nor hidden His face from him”. For a Jewish audience, hearing the Yeshua quote “Eli, Eli…” would evoke the entirety of that beloved psalm. Thus, even in apparent despair, Yeshua was teaching and fulfilling prophecy. His forsakenness purchased our acceptance; His desolation opened the way for our reconciliation. The sun’s light failed at this moment, as though creation itself grieved. But dawn was coming.

“I Thirst”: The Suffering Servant Fulfills Scripture

Shortly after, Yeshua uttered a simple phrase: “I thirst.” (John 19:28). The Gospel notes that this was in order “to fulfill the Scripture.” Indeed, Psalm 69:21 had foretold, “for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” As Yeshua gasped in dehydration – His body wracked by blood loss and shock – He was offered sour wine (vinegar) on a sponge. This small detail, easily overlooked, was a direct fulfillment of prophecy: “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” (Psalm 69:21). By deliberately saying “I thirst,” Yeshua prompted the soldiers to carry out that prophecy​

. Even in His final moments, Yeshua had a presence of mind to ensure that “Scripture would be fulfilled” (John 19:28). Beyond fulfilling prophecy, this statement highlights Yeshua’s genuine humanity. The Word made flesh experienced the most basic of human pangs. The Creator of water was parched. This intensifies the picture of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53: “He poured out His soul unto death” – quite literally emptying Himself of life’s fluids for our sake. Psalm 22 also alludes to intense thirst: “My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws” (Psalm 22:15). Yeshua, the righteous sufferer, endured the curse of thirst so that He might become the source of living water to us. When they lifted the vinegar-soaked sponge to His lips, one is reminded of how Yeshua had declined an earlier offer of wine mixed with myrrh (a numbing agent) at the start of the crucifixion – He would not dull the pain. But now He accepts the sour wine, fulfilling the righteous requirements down to the letter. After receiving the vinegar, Yeshua had strength to speak His final words. Thus, “I thirst” stands as a fulfillment of prophecy, a token of His genuine suffering, and a stark contrast to what His death accomplished spiritually – providing the water of life for all who thirst spiritually.

“It Is Finished”: The Victory of the Lamb

The sixth saying of Yeshua on the tree was a single triumphant word in Greek: “Tetelestai,” meaning “It is finished.” (John 19:30). This was not a cry of defeat, but of completion. Yeshua was declaring that His redemptive work – the atoning sacrifice foreshadowed by millennia of offerings – had been accomplished in full. In the context of Leviticus 16 and the Day of Atonement imagery, one could say the final atonement was now made. Just as the High Priest emerged from the Holy of Holies after finishing the sacrifice for Israel’s sins, Yeshua was announcing that the ultimate sacrifice had been offered – once for all. “It is finished” also resonates with Daniel’s prophecy of the 70 weeks. Early Christian writers like Sextus Julius Africanus noted that according to their calculations, “the period of 70 weeks, as noted in Daniel, is completed at this time”​– implying that Yeshua’s death happened at the divinely appointed time to “finish transgression, put an end to sin, and atone for iniquity” (Daniel 9:24). Thus, Yeshua’s cry signaled that all requirements of the Law for our redemption were fulfilled. The debt of sin, in full, had been paid – “tetelestai” can even mean “paid in full,” as on a bill or certificate of debt. From a Jewish perspective, one might hear echoes of creation’s completion (Genesis 2:1–2) – on the sixth day God finished His work, and on the sixth saying Yeshua finished the new creation’s work of redemption. Moreover, the Passover context is crucial: Yeshua died at Passover as the Lamb of Elohim. When the lamb was slaughtered in Egypt, the deliverance was accomplished. Now, the true Lamb announces the completion of the ultimate Passover, delivering us from slavery to sin. Every prophecy concerning His suffering was now fulfilled, every requirement satisfied. Nothing was left undone. For the followers of Yeshua, “It is finished” has echoed through history as a shout of victory – the moment when the powers of darkness were disarmed and the path of salvation flung open. What remained was for Yeshua to yield up His spirit, which leads to the final saying.“Father, Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit”: Ultimate Trust and Surrender

Yeshua’s seventh and final saying from the tree was: “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” (Luke 23:46). After declaring the work finished, Yeshua addressed the Father once more, this time in a loud voice of trust. This statement quotes Psalm 31:5 – “Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” By reciting this line, Yeshua again invokes Scripture at the moment of His death. It was a customary Jewish prayer for the dying or for daily evening prayer, expressing trust in God for safekeeping beyond life. Yeshua thus died with Scripture on His lips and confidence in the Father. Notably, He began His sayings with “Father” and ended with “Father,” showing that the intimacy of the Son with the Father was not ultimately broken. Having felt forsaken as sin-bearer, Yeshua now reposes in the Father’s hands. He “gave up His spirit,” which the Gospels describe as a deliberate act – His life was not taken from Him ultimately; He yielded it willingly (John 10:17–18). In Jewish thought, the spirit (ruach) returning to God who gave it is a mark of a righteous death (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Yeshua, the perfectly righteous one, entrusts His human spirit to the Father, showing His death to be a voluntary sacrifice. This final word reflects the perfect faith and obedience of the Son. Yeshua fulfills the role of the suffering righteous one in Psalm 31, who can still say “You have redeemed me, O LORD.” Indeed, through Yeshua’s death, redemption for all was secured. As Yeshua breathed His last, the Gospel of Matthew notes that “He cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit” – a sign that He died not in weakness but in a climactic act of worshipful surrender. In that moment, several extraordinary phenomena occurred: the Temple veil was torn, the earth shook, rocks split, and tombs opened. These signs form the immediate aftermath of Yeshua’s seven sayings and carry enormous significance.

The Tearing of the Veil: Elohim’s Keriah and Opened Access

At the very moment Yeshua expired, “the veil of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” (Matthew 27:51). This was the massive curtain separating the Holy of Holies – the innermost sanctuary of Elohim’s earthly house – from the holy place. Its tearing signifies multiple layers of meaning. In the Jewish custom of keriah, a father would tear his garment upon losing a son, as an act of deep mourning. Remarkably, early Jewish references even call the Temple veil the “tunic of God.” Thus, one beautiful interpretation is that Elohim the Father was rending His garment in grief at the death of His Son​. The veil tore “from top to bottom,” as if by unseen hands from above – a divine act, not human. In that act, Elohim performed keriah, mourning Yeshua even as He accepted His sacrifice. At the same time, the torn veil powerfully symbolizes the opening of access to Elohim. No longer would the Holy Presence be hidden behind a curtain, accessible only once a year by the High Priest on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16). Yeshua’s death permanently removed the barrier of sin, fulfilling what the Temple sacrifices only hinted at. As the New Testament later explains, Yeshua entered the true Holy of Holies in heaven by His own blood, and “through the veil, that is, His flesh,” we now have confidence to enter God’s presence (Hebrews 10:19–20). Thus the physical veil tearing in the Jerusalem Temple signified that the heavenly veil was also torn. Heaven’s Holy of Holies – the very throne room of Elohim – is now open to all who come through Yeshua. Jewish people of the time would have been awe-struck by reports of the veil tearing. The Talmud records other strange happenings around that era (doors of the Temple opening by themselves, etc.), and certainly this event would be a profound sign. Indeed, in one Jewish work it is hinted that forty years before the Temple’s destruction (i.e. around 30 A.D.), the Temple’s gates swung open on their own, prompting Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai to exclaim that the Temple would be destroyed (Yoma 39b). The tearing of the veil fits these portentous signs. It was Elohim’s way of both lamenting the death of the Messiah and heralding a new covenant. No more animal blood would be needed for atonement; Yeshua’s blood had made a new and living way. The barrier between a holy Elohim and sinful man was removed in the Messiah’s flesh. Elohim’s “tunic” was torn so that we might be clothed in the righteousness of Yeshua.

Earthquake and Darkness: Cosmic Shaking as Fulfillment and Foreshadowing

When Yeshua died, creation itself reacted. The Gospels describe a sudden darkness from noon until the ninth hour (Matt. 27:45) and a great earthquake when He breathed His last (Matt. 27:51). These phenomena were not coincidental; they were laden with biblical significance. The darkness recalls Amos’s prophecy: “‘And on that day,’ declares the Lord YHWH, ‘I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your feasts into mourning…’” (Amos 8:9-10). Indeed, at noon on Passover, as Yeshua hung on the tree, an eerie darkness fell for three hours​. Early Christians and even secular historians treated this darkness as a real event. Thallus, a first-century historian, mentioned a darkness and tried to dismiss it as an eclipse, which Africanus and others refuted since an eclipse cannot occur during a full moon (Passover time)​. Phlegon of Tralles, writing in the second century, noted that in the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad (circa 32–33 AD) “there was the greatest eclipse of the sun… from the sixth hour to the ninth, and stars appeared”, accompanied by an earthquake​. This matches the Gospel timeline and shows how even non-believers reported a cosmic blackout and tremor when Christ died. The event was so worldwide in impact that later Christian apologists claimed records of it existed in Roman and Greek archives​. Indeed, global historical records provide intriguing echoes of that day. Samaritan and Roman sources note an extraordinary darkness. A chronicle by Africanus cites reports that “many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down” by the quake​. Chinese annals from the Han Dynasty also bear witness: In the reign of Emperor Guang Wu, there is an entry for the spring of (likely) 31 AD stating, “Yin and Yang have mistakenly switched, and the sun and moon were eclipsed. The sins of all the people are now on one man. Pardon is proclaimed to all under heaven.”​. Another Chinese record notes: “On the day of Gui Hai, the last day of the month, there was a solar eclipse… and the Emperor avoided the Throne Room and did no official business for five days”​. Strikingly, one more line says, “Eclipse on the day of Gui Hai, Man from Heaven died.”​These remarkable Chinese chronicles (if accurately interpreted) suggest news of a righteous man’s death coinciding with an eclipse and cosmic upheaval reached even the Far East. And while Babylonian astronomical tablets meticulously recorded eclipses, no natural eclipse could explain the 3-hour darkness at full moon; it was a supernatural act of Elohim. Small wonder the centurion at the cross, witnessing the darkness and earthquake, exclaimed, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matt. 27:54). The earthquake not only split rocks but also opened tombs (Matt. 27:51–52). This was a fulfillment of Haggai 2:6-7 (“I will shake the heavens and the earth…and fill this house with glory”) – as Yeshua’s death would soon be followed by the glory of resurrection. It also foreshadowed the final shaking of creation to come (see Hebrews 12:26–27). In Jewish eschatological expectation, the Day of the Lord would be accompanied by cosmic disturbances – darkened sun, quaking earth, etc. Here at Golgotha, the Day of the Lord intersected history. The sun’s light failing symbolized judgment and mourning (as if the universe veiled its eyes at the death of its Creator), and the earthquake signaled that the old order was being broken open. The Prophet Joel’s words, quoted by Peter later, found an initial fulfillment: “The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood…”​. (Notably, on the very evening after Yeshua’s death, the Passover full moon rose blood-red due to a lunar eclipse on April 3, 33 AD​, fulfilling the “moon to blood” sign). These signs both confirmed Scripture and pointed ahead to a greater consummation when Messiah returns. Thus, the cosmos bore witness to Yeshua’s identity. As one commentary observed, such portents were “part of the Jewish eschatological imagery of the day of the Lord”​– meaning they were no accident but a divine narrative. Even the Babylonian Talmud later alludes to the crucifixion, tersely noting, “On the eve of Passover Yeshu was hanged” (Sanhedrin 43a), yet it offers no refutation of the darkness or quake – events which “were surely known by many”, as Scripture itself affirms when Paul says to King Agrippa “this thing was not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26)​. All creation groaned as the Son of Elohim died, and in that groaning was both the pain of judgment and the hope of new birth.

The Kedushim Who Rose: Firstfruits of the Resurrection

One of the most mysterious events recorded in Matthew’s Gospel is that after Yeshua’s death (and specifically after His resurrection), “the tombs broke open and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” (Matt. 27:52–53). This brief note indicates that Yeshua’s victory over death was so potent that it overflowed to others immediately – a first fruit of the resurrection to come. These “saints” (holy ones) were most likely pious Jews who had died, now brought back to life as a testimony to Messiah’s triumph. The event ties directly to the tearing of the veil and earthquake (Matthew presents them in one sequence). It fulfills prophetic expectations: “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise” (Isaiah 26:19) and “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake” (Daniel 12:2)​. In fact, Matthew’s wording deliberately echoes Ezekiel’s vision: “when I open your graves and raise you up from your graves, O my people” (Ezek. 37:12-13)​. 

The earthquake splitting tombs is reminiscent of Ezekiel’s earthquake as the dry bones rattled (Ezek. 37:7). Clearly, the Gospel is signaling that Yeshua’s death and resurrection inaugurated the long-awaited resurrection of the righteous – albeit on a smaller scale, as a preview. Who were these resurrected “holy ones”? Scripture doesn’t name them, leading to much pondering in tradition and even some legend. The early church father Johann Bengel mused that they might have been persons who “had died either a long while before the birth of Christ, or not much after”, implying possibly ancient prophets or recent righteous individuals​. Some medieval art (and apocryphal texts) imagined that key figures like Adam, Abraham, David, and the prophets were freed from Sheol at this moment – a theme known as the Harrowing of Hell. Indeed, an apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus (4th century) relates a story that two sons of the priest Simeon (the Simeon who blessed baby Yeshua in Luke 2) were among those raised; their names are given as Charinus and Lenthius, and they purportedly went about testifying to Yeshua’s descent into Hades to rescue the patriarchs​. While such accounts are not Scripture, they show how the early believers understood this miracle: it was proof that Yeshua cracked the gates of Hades, leading captivity captive. 

Below is a summary of a few interpretations of who these resurrected saints might have been:

Possible Identity of Raised Saints Explanation/Notes

Recently Deceased Righteous Ones Many scholars suggest they were faithful Jews who died not long before Yeshua – perhaps known figures in the Jerusalem community (e.g. the aged Simeon or other devout persons). This would mean their resurrection was quickly recognized by “many” in the city​. Their return to life would verify Yeshua’s messianic victory to those who knew these individuals had died.

Ancient Holy People (Patriarchs/Prophets) Some in tradition imagined they were illustrious figures from Israel’s past – the patriarchs or prophets. Medieval depictions show Yeshua leading Adam, Eve, David, and other patriarchs out of limbo (the abode of the righteous dead)​. This view sees the event as a liberation of the righteous who had long awaited the Messiah, fulfilling Zechariah 9:11 (“I have freed your prisoners from the pit”).

Simeon’s Sons (Charinus and Lenthius) An apocryphal account in the Gospel of Nicodemus (Acts of Pilate) specifically names two resurrected saints: Charinus and Lenthius, identified as sons of Simeon the God-receiver​. According to that legend, they were raised to bear witness to Yeshua’s descent to the dead and the redemption of the faithful. While not canonical, it shows early believers linked this miracle to known righteous individuals around Yeshua’s time.

Symbolic Firstfruits of the Resurrection Many take Matthew’s report as theologically symbolic as well as historical – these saints represent the firstfruits of the general resurrection. Their rising “after His resurrection” (Matt. 27:53) demonstrates that Yeshua’s own resurrection is the trigger for resurrection life for others​. In effect, they are a guarantee of the future resurrection of all Believers (as 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, “Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep”). The lack of detail about their identity might imply the event’s main purpose was symbolic fulfillment of Scripture (Isa. 26:19, Ezek. 37) rather than ongoing roles for those individuals on earth.

Matthew is the only Gospel to mention this miracle, and he does so with brevity, leaving much mystery. Importantly, the text notes they appeared to many in Jerusalem after Yeshua’s resurrection. This suggests that though their tombs opened on Friday at His death, they did not manifest publicly until Sunday, when Yeshua rose (He is, after all, “the firstborn from the dead,” Col. 1:18). Thus Yeshua rising likely brought them forth. Their appearance to many would have been startling confirmation that death was truly defeated. We are not told what became of these saints afterwards – presumably, like Lazarus, they eventually died again, or according to some theologians, they may have been assumed into heaven as a kind of foretaste of the coming glory. In any case, the resurrection of these saints around Jerusalem served as a powerful sign to the Jewish people. It tapped into prevalent Jewish hopes: the general resurrection at the end of days had broken into history! Small wonder that within weeks, “a great many priests” in Jerusalem became obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7) – for such signs, coupled with apostolic preaching, verified Yeshua as the Messiah. In Jewish legend, the resurrection of the dead is one of the key features of the Messiah’s advent. Here was evidence that Messiah ben David had come. As Paul would later insist before Agrippa, “Why is it thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?” (Acts 26:8). The partial, preliminary resurrection of these saints is an early witness to that incredible truth.

Yeshua the Great High Priest Who Opened the Way

Yeshua’s final moments on the tree, marked by these seven sayings and the accompanying signs, unveil Him as both the Suffering Servant and the Great High Priest of our faith. He fulfilled the Scriptures in His suffering, and in His dying breath He fulfilled the role of High Priest making atonement. The Epistle to the Hebrews urges us to reflect on this very truth: “Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Yeshua the Son of Elohim, let us hold fast our confession” (Hebrews 4:14). Yeshua “passed through the heavens” like the High Priest passed through the temple veil – only Yeshua passed through the heavenly veil into the immediate presence of the Father with the merit of His own blood. In Hebrews 3:1, we are called to consider Yeshua, “the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.” Having accomplished purification of sins, He sat down at the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:3). When the Temple’s veil was torn, it was not only an earthly event but a reflection of a heavenly reality. The veil in the heavenly sanctuary was opened. Yeshua’s flesh, torn for us, became the new and living way to Elohim. In effect, Yeshua’s death and resurrection mean that the barrier between humanity and Elohim’s holy presence is removed. Now all who trust in Him may enter the Holy of Holies above, in a spiritual sense, through prayer and in the age to come in glorified reality. In traditional Judaism, only the High Priest could approach the Ark of the Covenant on Yom Kippur, and that with fear and trembling. But Hebrews 4:16 invites us to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace.” Why? Because our High Priest Yeshua has made the way. As the Great High Priest, Yeshua not only offered the sacrifice – He was the sacrifice. And then He rose, bringing with Him evidence of victory over death (those saints from the tombs). He then ascended through the heavens, entering the true Temple above, appearing for us in Elohim’s presence. For us today, the seven last sayings of Yeshua are not only historical statements; they are living words that reveal His heart and accomplish our salvation. From forgiveness (“Father, forgive them…”) to access (“Into Your hands I commit my spirit,” opening the way to the Father), Yeshua’s words span the human condition and divine provision. We hear mercy for sinners, assurance of salvation, love forging a new family, atoning anguish, fulfillment of prophecy, completion of redemption, and ultimate trust. Each saying is like a portion of the High Priest’s work on the Day of Atonement – together they completed the atonement and opened a new covenant. When we meditate on Yeshua hung on the tree, we see the Lamb of Elohim taking away the sin of the world, and we also see the Melchizedekian High Priest performing the greatest act of worship and intercession. Heaven and earth were bridged at that moment. The torn veil assures us that no separation remains for those who are in Messiah. Elohim indeed performed keriah in grief, but that very act signaled that the Father’s own heart was in the sacrifice – “God was in Messiah reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Cor. 5:19). And just as the veil was rented, Matthew’s Gospel began with the heavens being opened at Yeshua’s baptism and ends with the veil of heaven opened to receive the Risen One. Finally, recalling Hebrews 4:14 and 3:1, we are encouraged that Yeshua, having passed through the heavens, is our compassionate High Priest. He sympathizes with our weaknesses, for He endured the ultimate test on the cross. Therefore, we hold fast our confession – our hope is certain. The One who cried “It is finished” has indeed finished the work. The One who cried “My God, why have You forsaken Me” ensures that we will never be forsaken. The One who thirsts gives us living water. The One who breathed His last gives us the Spirit (ruach haKodesh) without measure. And the One who rose will raise us up on the last day. In sum, the tree of crucifixion became the Tree of Life for all nations. The final sayings of Yeshua are like the final notes of a symphony of redemption – each contributing to the whole victory. In the darkness of that Friday afternoon, the Light of the World was accomplishing the brightest salvation. The quake that shook Jerusalem’s foundations laid the foundation for the Kehila of believers to be built. When the graves opened, it was the opening salvo of Messiah’s conquest over the grave. Yeshua, our Great High Priest, has passed through the veil – both earthly and heavenly – and by His blood has inaugurated a new and living way. Now the invitation stands: Come, enter in. The work is finished. The access is granted. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” The veil is torn, and Elohim’s heart is open to all who draw near through Yeshua. HalleluYah!