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Transcript 855B
Cremation: A Biblical Perspective
HC: Good evening. Welcome to Open Forum.
CALLER: Last evening a lady spoke on cremation. And what was the scripture you gave?
HC: Amos 2:1.
CALLER: And would you explain that again?
HC: Yes. There God takes issue with the King of Moab because he burned the bones of another king to lime; that is, he had him cremated. Or he takes issue with somebody. Yes, he had burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime. Also I gave Isaiah 33, where God is talking about the wicked of the world. And in Isaiah 33, we read in verse 12, "And the people shall be as the burnings of lime [that is, the unsaved, the wicked, shall be as those who have been cremated] as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire."
In Revelation 20, when God is using the figure of Judgment Day, He says fire came down from heaven and destroyed them. Now that means they were cremated, because to be burned up in fire means to be cremated. And fire, to destroy a person, is a picture of hell. It's a figure of hell.
CALLER: So it's displeasing to the Lord.
HC: Yes. According to Amos 2 it is displeasing: "For three transgressions of Moab and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime. And I shall send a fire upon Moab."
CALLER: Thank you.
HC: Thank you for calling. Good night.