Should Christians be cremated? When we are raptured, will these bodies stay
here, and we have new ones already waiting for us, that we will slip into, or
are these coming too? I'm still scared
to death about the end, but perfect
love casts out fear, ...right?!
Although in the
bible, most people who died were buried (which is symbolic of planting a seed that will spring up anew
one day, that is, resurrection)...
John 12:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a
kernel of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die,
it bringeth forth much fruit.
...and some of those
people will be resurrected unto eternal life and others to eternal damnation...
John 5:28-29
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming,
in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come
forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;
and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
...there are cases in the
bible where people were not buried, but who were 'burned with fire' (cremated)—although usually it was a sign of those who were accursed.
Genesis 38:24
And it came to pass about three months
after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played
the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah
said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
Leviticus 20:14
And if a man take a wife and her mother, it
is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there
be no wickedness among you.
Leviticus 21:9
And the daughter of any priest, if she
profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be
burnt with fire.
Joshua 7:15, 25
And it shall be, that he that is taken with
the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath:
because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath
wrought folly in Israel.
And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us?
the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and
burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
But with all that
said, today, in the Dispensation of Grace, it does not matter to God! It is
quite ok with God if we have our vile bodies cremated after if we go to be with
the Lord before the Rapture! In fact, I already told Krista that if I go before
her, she can save the money for a huge casket, burial, etc. and just have me
cremated if she wanted!
Today, it does not
matter either way because the physical, outward man is not the issue with God,
like it was with Israel.
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At the Rapture, these
old vile bodies will be changed (metamorphosis),
like a caterpillar into a butterfly. The same body will be made [changed] into
a new glorious body (except without all the defects, old age, and disease),
just like our Lord's!
Romans 8:22-23
For we know that the whole creation
groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but
ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of
our body.
Philippians 3:20-21
For our conversation is in heaven; from
whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change
our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body,
according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto
himself.
1 Corinthians 15:51-53
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible [that which is able to decay] must put on incorruption, and this mortal [that which is subject to death] must put on immortality.
1 Thessalonians 4:15
For this we say unto you by the word of the
Lord, that we which are alive [those yet living] and remain unto the coming of the Lord
shall not prevent [precede; go before] them which are asleep [bodies in the grave].
1 Corinthians 15:54-57
So when this corruptible [those bodies decaying in the grave] shall have put on incorruption, and this
mortal [those that are yet living] shall have put on immortality, then shall
be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in
victory. O death, where is thy sting? O
grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin
is the law. But thanks be to God, which
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, our current vile
bodies will be changed into a glorious new one just like His and without
defect!
2 Corinthians 5:1-5
For we know that if our earthly house of
this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan,
earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If
so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this
tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but
clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath
wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the
earnest of the Spirit.
Anyway, enough of this
talk about death—because although all of
our outward [the ‘body;’ the physical human flesh of] men are perishing, our
inward [soul of a] man is renewed day by day by the Word of life! 2 Corinthians 4. So think on these things, okay?
And don't be scared of
death...like Paul said, above, in 1 Corinthians 15...O death where is thy sting?
2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident, I say, and willing rather
to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
So yes, His perfect
love for us ought to cast out that fear of death, because at death, we go
immediately into His presence....but
He wants us to stay here like Paul, until He
takes us home ok?
Philippians 1:21-25
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain. But if I live in the flesh, this
is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a
desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more
needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and
continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
Hopefully this helps...Maranatha!
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