HOW ARE THE DEAD LAID TO REST?
Hebrews 11:37 – They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated.
Matthew 28:19-20 – Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
In this day and age, some Christians remain anxious about whether they will be buried or cremated after they pass away. Some even cite Scripture to claim that dying without a proper burial is a curse. Yet, when the saints of old were martyred—sawn in two or thrown into arenas to be torn apart by wild beasts (as history records)—were they under God’s curse? If so, why does God’s Word describe them as people full of faith and as His saints? When God’s two prophets of the end times are killed by the devil and left unburied, are they under God’s curse? If so, why does God bless them with resurrection and ascension to heaven, as He did for Christ? Scripture tells us that the death of the saints—those who are faithful and follow God wholeheartedly to the very end—is precious in God's sight. Does God’s Word specify how the deceased must be buried? Can God’s resurrection power be limited if the body of one of His saints has been consumed by fire? Does a dead body retain the sensation of feeling the heat of fire? The fire of hell is a spiritual punishment reserved for lost souls; does the Bible speak of souls being punished by physical fire? Is it right to misuse the Bible to cling to practices from one's pre-conversion days or from former religious affiliations?
These questions encourage you to look to the entire Bible for answers to life's questions and to avoid interpreting God’s Word based merely on the text's literal, surface meaning.
