Matt 27:50-54 “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”

After Jesus Spirit is separated from his body (death) the first thing that happens is the veil is ripped.

The veil was a thick curtain that separated the holy of holies from the Holy place. (The veil was 60 ft by 30 ft high and it took hundreds of people to maneuver it in place.) All three gospels mention this (Mt.27:51; Mk.15:38; Lk23:45). The veil is rent from the top to the bottom, something only God could do thus signifying access is available to all because of the death of Christ. Heb.7:11-19 God does this to approve of His sacrifice.

Heb 10:19-21: “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God.” The time of the Levitical priesthood is over, All believers are priests now and there is only one high priest for us all in the order of Melchizedek.

An accompanying sign of his death is an earthquake, the tombs are open and it is only when Jesus resurrects many of the saints (those who believed in Christ) that died previously are also brought back to life and seen after his resurrection, but this is a not a permanent resurrection, these saints will die again. The Scripture does not tell us how long they lived, whether it was a few days months or years. This is the only mention of it in Scripture. They were a accompanying sign of Jonah and a testimony to the person and power of Jesus.

Christ is the first fruits to eternal life. 1 Cor 15:20-23: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”

The firstfruits of men follow Jesus as their prototype the one who ascended and went before us as the new man (glorified). we will be harvested from the earth together in the rapture and resurrection.