What does Luke 24:4 mean?
Several women gathered embalming spices to anoint Jesus' body. At first, they're concerned about who can roll the stone away from the entrance, but when they arrive, the tomb is open, and Jesus' body is gone (Mark 16:3; Luke 24:1–3).At this point, it appears, Mary Magdalene rushes to tell Peter. The other women stay and try to figure out what has happened. While they are talking, two angels appear: a proper witness (Deuteronomy 19:15).
Angels hold a special place in announcing Jesus' arrival throughout His life. They told Mary and Joseph about Jesus' birth (Luke 1:26–38; Matthew 1:18–24). Here, the angels attest that Jesus has risen and will see them again (Luke 24:6–7). At Jesus' ascension, two angels tell the disciples that Jesus will return the same way He left (Acts 1:10–11).
Like many parts of the Gospels' resurrection accounts, certain details about the angels need to be reconciled. The women didn't see the angel roll the stone away and sit on it. The soldiers did. The Gospel writers found out either from one of the soldiers, someone they told (Matthew 28:11–15; Acts 6:7), or someone who overheard the conversation. It's not a contradiction that the angel moved or hid himself from the women.
Matthew 28:5 and Mark 16:5 say that one angel speaks. This doesn't contradict Luke's two angels—it just says only one of them spoke.
Matthew 28:2 seems to say the angel is sitting on the stone. Mark 16:5 says he is inside the tomb. Luke says the two angels are standing, which probably means they're in the garden since the cave ceiling would be low. In John 20:12, Mary Magdalene sees the two angels sitting inside the tomb, not unlike the cherubim on the ark of the covenant. That's not a contradiction, either. The angels could have moved around, each Gospel writer mentioning one position.
