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Matthew's account of the Resurrection provides another example of the same symbolism. Again, in all the accounts of Jesus' resurrection, only Matthew records an earthquake. However, the account does not indicate that the earthquake served any purpose. It did not cause the stone blocking Jesus' tomb to move; rather, the angel 'came and rolled back the stone' (Matt. 28:2). It was not the cause of the guards' fear, for they 'shook for fear of him [i.e. the angel]' (Matt. 28:4). The earthquake appears to have only symbolic significance. This significance can be understood as the impact that the Resurrection - which is symbolic of the establishment of the Church - had on history. The raising up of the church after th crucifixion was an act which struck down the authority of Judaic institutions and eventually overturned the religion and much of the barbarism of the Roman Empire.
(167:3)
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