On the surface, a number of Bible passages may seem to indicate that cremation was the lot of some who died in God’s disfavor. For instance, the Mosaic Law stated that if the daughter of one of Jehovah’s priests should become a prostitute, she was to be “burned in the fire” after being executed. (Leviticus 20:10; 21:9) Likewise, when the disobedience of Achan and his family resulted in Israel’s defeat at Ai, their fellow countrymen pelted them with stones and then “burned them with fire.” (Joshua 7:25) Some scholars have suggested that this was the treatment accorded those who died in disgrace and that cremation deprived evildoers of what was considered a decent burial.
Further, when King Josiah attempted to cleanse Judah of idolatry, he broke open the burial places of the priests who had sacrificed to Baal and burned their bones upon their altars. (2 Chronicles 34:4, 5) Do such examples indicate that God’s disapproval rests upon those whose remains are cremated? No, as shown by another Bible account.
When the Philistines defeated King Saul of Israel in battle, they irreverently fastened his dead body, as well as the bodies of his three sons, to the city wall at Beth-shan. However, the Israelite inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead, on hearing of this disrespectful treatment of the bodies, removed them and burned them, after which they buried the bones. (1 Samuel 31:2, 8-13) At first sight this account may seem to confirm the negative connotation of cremation. After all, Saul too was wicked; he fought against David, Jehovah’s anointed, and died in divine disfavor.
Yet, notice who died alongside Saul. One of his sons, whose body received identical treatment, was Jonathan. Jonathan was David’s close friend and ally. Of Jonathan, the Israelites recognized: “It was with God that he worked.” (1 Samuel 14:45) When David learned of the actions of the men of Jabesh-gilead, he praised and thanked them for what they had done: “Blessed may you be of Jehovah, because you exercised this loving-kindness toward your lord, toward Saul.” Evidently, the burning of Saul’s and Jonathan’s corpses did not disturb David.—2 Samuel 2:4-6.
Thus, it is fair to assume that biblically, cremation would not create any obstacle to resurrection.
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