The Bible does not say that a cremated body cannot rise. It is only John 5:28-29 that says a person’s body must be “raised up” in order to be judged by God.
In fact, the Bible says that Jesus rose from the dead after being dead for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). The Bible also says that Lazarus was raised from the dead (Luke 16:19-31). Both of these people were dead for several days before they were resurrected.
Therefore, it seems reasonable to conclude that cremated bodies can rise as well.
The Bible says that a cremated body cannot rise from the dead.
This is because the body is completely destroyed by fire, and it cannot be resurrected as it is not possible for God to create something out of nothing.
So what does this mean for Christians?
If you are cremated, then your soul will remain in heaven waiting for your resurrection at the end of time. This means that while your body has been destroyed, your soul has been saved!
What Does The Bible Say About Cremation KJV
The Bible does not clearly define about cremation as a means to dispose of the dead. However, there is no scriptural prohibition of cremation in the New Testament. The Bible neither favors nor forbids the process of cremation.
Nevertheless, many Christians believe that their bodies would be ineligible for resurrection if they are cremated. This argument, though, is refuted by others on the basis of the fact that the body still decomposes over time after burial.
“The Church raises no doctrinal objections to this practice, since cremation of the deceased’s body does not affect his or her soul, nor does it prevent God, in his omnipotence, from raising up the deceased body to new life.” Even bodies buried traditionally eventually decompose.
Moreover, as God is known to be all-powerful, it should not be impossible for Him to resurrect someone even after cremation.
Besides, there are individuals who do not bother about burial as well as cremation because it is the spiritual body that is allowed to enter Heaven, not the physical body.
1 Corinthians 15:35-55
“It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.”
There have been examples of burning the body, like in the case of Saul and Jonathan. Their bodies had been mutilated by the Philistines. Thus, they were cremated and their bones were buried to protect them from ridicule from the enemy.
In another instance, Achan and his family were stoned to death and then cremated when Achan deliberated committed the sin of taking the spoil of the battle of Jericho.
In general, the practice of cremation was taken more as a punishment than honor in the Bible. In fact, most people who were burned in the Bible were cursed.
Furthermore, the pagan belief emphasizes that burning tends to purify the spirit. Plus, it wards off evil entities and prevents the possible return of a ghost.
According to the Old Testament and New Testament, burial is definitely the standard practice adopted for disposing of a dead body.
So, it comes down to your personal choice as to whether you want to be buried or cremated. It is more of a cultural and philosophical issue rather than a biblical one.
Cremation is a process in which intense fire is used to transform the human body back to its basic elements, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” Because most of the body is tissue, it’s vaporized in the process leaving bone behind. This is completed in a cremation chamber, a masonry-lined enclosure with temperatures of 1800-2000 degrees.
When someone wishes to be cremated, typically they are placed in a wooden or cardboard casket and placed in the chamber. Within a few hours, the body is reduced to bone fragments. The bone fragments are then placed on a table and all-metal debris such as pins, screws, titanium limbs, are removed by hand. The bone fragments are then placed in a special processor that crushes the fragments to a fine powder. These “cremains” are then placed in a plastic bag inside an urn and returned to the loved one’s family.
This practice is becoming the norm. The National Funeral Directors Association expects the trend shifting from burial toward cremation to continue over the next 20 years, with the projected rate of cremation reaching 78.8% of deaths by 2035. For the first time in American history, the majority of Americans are choosing cremation rather than burial at 50.2%.
Why Are More People Choosing Cremation?
A common reason why more people are choosing cremation is to avoid the expenses related to funeral services and burial. A traditional funeral can often cost around $8,000 to $10,000 while the average cost of cremation is $1,500 to $2,500. There’s also the cost of digging a grave and purchasing funeral plots as well. Both run around $1,000 each.
A new growing trend developed in Italy is the Capsula Mundi project. The cost of these biodegradable urns is around $500. Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel have developed an organic, biodegradable burial capsule that will turn the deceased’s body into nutrients for a tree that will grow out of their remains. After being encapsulated in the fetal position, the deceased is buried and either a tree or tree seed is planted above their capsule. As of right now, the project is waiting to gain clearance of burial laws. If it is approved, the goal is to create memorial parks full of trees instead of tombstones.
Trees hold great symbolism and meaning across many different cultures. In many ways, a tree’s life cycle mirrors the human experience. God starts us from a seed in the womb. We grow from young and small to strong, tall, and firmly rooted in the ground of his Word. Eventually, we grow old and pass from this earth to heaven.