Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Is there a Torah regulation against cremation?

Someone recently asked whether or not there was a Torah prohibition against cremation. The answer is no, there is not. YHWH will resurrect all of His children regardless of what has become of their bodies. When Yeshua returns, "the dead in Messiah" will be raised and given immortal bodies, "fashioned like unto his glorious body" and then those Believers who are alive. (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:54; Philippians 3:21)

Even though Jewish tradition has developed a taboo against cremation, there remains no explicit source in the Bible against it - but there are no explicit sources FOR it, either. Reference is made in I Samuel 31:12-13 to the burning of the bodies of King Saul and his sons and subsequent burial of the bones, but this does not mean it is to be a regular practice. Nor does it say it CAN'T or shouldn't be done.

The practice of the ancient patriarchs was burial, such as shown by Jacob being buried with his ancestors in a cave that Abraham had bought (Genesis 49:29-33). Yeshua's body was interred in a tomb after His crucifixion (Luke 23:52-56; John 19:38-42). With Yeshua, the thing is, if he had been cremated, no one would have noticed him missing/his resurrection....

Still, as far as I personally can tell, allowing a body to decay and return to dust or cremating it in no way detracts from our souls entering heaven.

If any of you have proof to the contrary, please feel free to share!

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