Page 90 - Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2011

THE BIBLICAL ARGUMENT AGAINST
CREMATION OF THE BODY OF A BELIEVER

“NOW ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENED TO THEM
AS EXAMPLES, AND THEY WERE WRITTEN FOR

OUR ADMONITION, ON WHOM THE END
OF THE AGES HAVE COME.”
1 Cor. 10:11

We have seen the positive examples recorded in God’s Word supporting burial. What then do we find
recorded as negative examples that should convince a believer to shun the practice of cremation?
Consider the evidence that God is not only against those who practice cremation, but that He Himself
uses fire as a severe judgment upon the disobedient:

“THUS SAYS THE LORD: ‘FOR THREE TRANSGRESSIONS OF MOAB, AND NOT FOR FOUR; I WILL NOT TURN AWAY
ITS PUNISHMENT, BECAUSE HE BURNED THE BONES OF THE KING OF EDOM TO LIME.
BUT I WILL SEND A FIRE UPON MOAB, AND IT SHALL DEVOUR…’ ” Amos 2:1-2

“IF A MAN MARRIES A WOMAN AND HER MOTHER, IT IS WICKEDNESS. THEY SHALL BE BURNED WITH FIRE,
BOTH HE AND THEY, THAT THERE MAY BE NO WICKEDNESS AMONG YOU.” Lev. 20:14

“THE DAUGHTER OF ANY PRIEST, IF SHE PROFANES HERSELF BY PLAYING THE HARLOT,
SHE PROFANES HER FATHER. SHE SHALL BE BURNED WITH FIRE.” Lev. 21:9

“AND IT CAME TO PASS, ABOUT THREE MONTHS AFTER, THAT JUDAH WAS TOLD, SAYING, ‘TAMAR YOUR
DAUGHTER-IN-LAW HAS PLAYED THE HARLOT; FURTHERMORE SHE IS WITH CHILD BY HARLOTRY.”
SO JUDAH SAID, ‘BRING HER OUT AND LET HER BE BURNED!” Gen.38:24

“ISRAEL HAS SINNED…FOR THEY HAVE EVEN TAKEN SOME OF THE ACCURSED THINGS, AND HAVE BOTH STOLEN AND
DECEIVED; AND THEY HAVE ALSO PUT IT AMONG THEIR OWN STUFF…THEN IT SHALL BE THAT HE WHO IS TAKEN
WITH THE ACCURSED THING SHALL BE BURNED WITH FIRE, HE AND ALL THAT HE HAS, BECAUSE HE HAS
TRANSGRESSED THE COVENANT OF THE LORD, AND BECAUSE HE HAS DONE A DISGRACEFUL THING IN ISRAEL…
SO ALL ISRAEL STONED HIM WITH STONES; AND THEY BURNED THEM WITH FIRE AFTER THEY HAD STONED THEM
WITH STONES… SO THE LORD TURNED FROM THE FIERCENESS OF HIS ANGER…” Joshua 7:11,15, 25,26

“THEN NADAB AND ABIHU, THE SONS OF AARON, EACH TOOK HIS CENSER AND PUT FIRE IN IT, PUT INCENSE
ON IT, AND OFFERED PROFANE FIRE BEFORE THE LORD, WHICH HE HAD NOT COMMANDED THEM.

SO FIRE WENT OUT FROM THE LORD AND DEVOURED THEM, AND THEY DIED BEFORE THE LORD.” Lev. 10:1-2

“AND A FIRE CAME OUT FROM THE LORD AND CONSUMED THE TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY MEN WHO WERE
OFFERING INCENSE…” Numbers 16:35

“THEY WENT UP ON THE BREADTH OF THE EARTH AND SURROUNDED THE CAMP OF THE SAINTS AND THE BELOVED CITY.
AND FIRE CAME DOWN FROM GOD OUT OF HEAVEN AND DEVOURED THEM.” Rev. 20:9

“AND ANYONE NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE…
THE COWARDLY, UNBELIEVING, ABOMINABLE, MURDERERS, SEXUALLY IMMORAL, SORCERERS, IDOLATERS,
AND ALL LIARS SHALL HAVE THEIR PART IN THE LAKE OF FIRE WHICH BURNS WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE,

WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH.” Rev. 20:15, 21:8

It is inescapable that FIRE is God’s judgment upon the unbelieving as well as the disobedient. The
destruction of the physical body by fire was the final act of His wrath upon those who commit
abominations before His face. Such an eternal fire faces the unbeliever and the disobedient.
Considering all the above evidence of how God has used the burning of the bodies of the disobedient
and rebellious, why then should a believer in Jesus Christ choose to have his/her body cremated by
fire? Do we want to identify with the punishment of the disobedient or with the faithful obedient who
reverently bury their body in hope of the resurrection? Satan “deceives the whole world” (Rev.12:9). If
we, as followers of God, are not careful to take our direction solely from the Word of God instead of
from the misdirection of “the god of this world” (2 Cor.4:4), then we, too, can be deceived (Mat. 24:24).

As long as it is within the power of the believer to control the destiny of his/her physical body, burial
should be that choice. Certainly, recorded history will attest that there have been countless numbers of
believers who were burned at the stake for their faith (see Foxe’s Book of Martyrs). Others have
perished by means of the destructive force of house fires, etc. In such instances, the all-powerful God
will not be limited in restructuring the bodies of those believers destroyed in such manner. Even the
recent discovery and use of DNA should illustrate that point. It takes very little evidence to establish the
DNA of an individual. Do you think God who “numbers the hairs on our head” (Mat. 10:30) does not
know the DNA of every person that He created? Martyrs who are burned at the stake will not prevent
God from being able to resurrect their bodies.