John 20:12
Encyclopedia
John 20:12 is the twelfth verse of the twentieth chapter of the Gospel of John
. Mary Magdalene
is peering into the empty tomb
of Jesus
and sees two angel
s.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
The World English Bible
translates the passage as:
There is some confusion between this account and that of the other gospels. In Matthew 28
only a single angel is mentioned. Mark 16
refers to a young man, presumably an angel, sitting on the right side. In Luke two men, again presumably angels, appear standing next to the women. Those who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible argue that these multiple accounts are explained by Mary making multiple trips to the tomb.
This is the only time in the Gospel of John that angels appear. Rationalist critics believe that there were never any angels and that they were a later embellishment to the tale. Schnackenberg is one who believes the angels were a later addition to the narrative. He argues they were added to reinforce the evidence that the body of Jesus was gone. By indicating that the angles were sitting where the head and feet of Jesus were it shows that a full examination of the spot had been conducted. This also explains why the angels are so quickly forgotten later in the chapter.
Some have linked the two angels guarding the tomb with the pair that were said to guard the Ark of the Covenant
. Wetstein has advanced a thesis linking the pair of angels to the pair of criminals who were crucified alongside Jesus.
The angels appear in the standard garb of Biblical angels, who are always portrayed as either wearing white or radiant clothing. The exact form of the angels is uncertain. The text does not make clear if they were in the form of normal men, who Mary did perhaps not recognize as angels, or if they were the radiant beings Biblical angels are often described as.
The position of the angels says something about the tomb. That they are sitting on something seems to imply that Jesus' body was on a raised shelf or ledge. This is consistent with the rest of the Gospel. However, early pilgrims to Jesus' tomb report that his body was placed in a trough in the tomb. Bruce argues that the grave may very well have been a trough as "angels would not require the same material support as beings of flesh and blood." Some scholars believe that the clear distinction between the head and foot indicates that Jesus' tomb was one that had a built in headrest. Others believe the writer is just referring to the direction in which Jesus had been placed.
The other question is why the angels failed to appear to the disciples when they examined the tomb. Westcott
explains this by arguing that "such manifestations necessarily follow the laws of a spiritual economy."
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
. Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
is peering into the empty tomb
Empty tomb
Empty tomb most often refers to the tomb of Jesus which was found to be empty by the women who were present at Jesus’ crucifixion. They had come to his tomb to anoint his body with spices...
of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and sees two angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- And seeth two angels in white
- sitting, the one at the head,
- and the other at the feet, where
- the body of Jesus had lain.
The World English Bible
World English Bible
The World English Bible is a public domain translation of the Bible that is currently in draft form. Work on the World English Bible began in 1997 and was known as the American Standard Version 1997...
translates the passage as:
- and she saw two angels in white
- sitting, one at the head,
- and one at the feet, where
- the body of Jesus had lain.
There is some confusion between this account and that of the other gospels. In Matthew 28
Matthew 28
Matthew 28 is the twenty-eighth and final chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This chapter covers the events around the resurrection of Jesus.-Content:...
only a single angel is mentioned. Mark 16
Mark 16
Mark 16 is the final chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It begins with the discovery of the empty tomb by Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome — there they encounter a man dressed in white who announces the Resurrection of Jesus.Verse 8 ends...
refers to a young man, presumably an angel, sitting on the right side. In Luke two men, again presumably angels, appear standing next to the women. Those who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible argue that these multiple accounts are explained by Mary making multiple trips to the tomb.
This is the only time in the Gospel of John that angels appear. Rationalist critics believe that there were never any angels and that they were a later embellishment to the tale. Schnackenberg is one who believes the angels were a later addition to the narrative. He argues they were added to reinforce the evidence that the body of Jesus was gone. By indicating that the angles were sitting where the head and feet of Jesus were it shows that a full examination of the spot had been conducted. This also explains why the angels are so quickly forgotten later in the chapter.
Some have linked the two angels guarding the tomb with the pair that were said to guard the Ark of the Covenant
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant , also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed...
. Wetstein has advanced a thesis linking the pair of angels to the pair of criminals who were crucified alongside Jesus.
The angels appear in the standard garb of Biblical angels, who are always portrayed as either wearing white or radiant clothing. The exact form of the angels is uncertain. The text does not make clear if they were in the form of normal men, who Mary did perhaps not recognize as angels, or if they were the radiant beings Biblical angels are often described as.
The position of the angels says something about the tomb. That they are sitting on something seems to imply that Jesus' body was on a raised shelf or ledge. This is consistent with the rest of the Gospel. However, early pilgrims to Jesus' tomb report that his body was placed in a trough in the tomb. Bruce argues that the grave may very well have been a trough as "angels would not require the same material support as beings of flesh and blood." Some scholars believe that the clear distinction between the head and foot indicates that Jesus' tomb was one that had a built in headrest. Others believe the writer is just referring to the direction in which Jesus had been placed.
The other question is why the angels failed to appear to the disciples when they examined the tomb. Westcott
Brooke Foss Westcott
Brooke Foss Westcott was a British bishop, Biblical scholar and theologian, serving as Bishop of Durham from 1890 until his death.-Early life and education:...
explains this by arguing that "such manifestations necessarily follow the laws of a spiritual economy."