Question 53 - After Christ’s ascension, the number of names was about a hundred and twenty, how could Christ appear to more than five hundred people before His ascension?

Acts 1:15 NKJV - "And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said," [This was after Christ’s ascension].

1 Corinthians 15:6 NKJV - "After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.".

Answer:

                In those days, the number of names of the disciple’s altogether was about hundred and twenty. What is the reason for attendance of the limited number? Here, the question is they must be altogether more than 500 people. If the number of the congregation is 200 people, it would have been less number people came to the temple by any reason i.e., the unsuitable atmosphere, typhoons, chilly cold, heavy rains, etc.; they would have been altogether with the elders and main persons. It is not explained in the Holy Bible that this is the only number of congregation of those days.

                As in I Corinthians 15:6, when the Lord Christ appeared in one place, the people more than 500 had seen Him by their astonishment and enthusiasm that how He could have raised again!

                According to this incident, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:6, “After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once”. In this, what is the astonishment?