What does the Bible prescribe on burying the dead body? I have seen burials where family members make sure the dead is facing the right direction and removing clothes from the casket before the grave is covered. After burial, are Christians allowed by scriptures to come back for prayers after three days to the grave?
Here is what we read about the first Christian burial in the Bible: “Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And DEVOUT MEN CARRIED STEPHEN TO HIS BURIAL, AND MADE GREAT LAMENTATION OVER HIM” (Acts 7:1-2; NKJV). We are not told exactly how he was buried. Were they facing a certain direction? Were certain clothes removed? We don’t know for we aren’t told, nor are we told if Christians would or should come back three days later to pray over the grave.
What we are told IS significant. We are told that “devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentations over him.” It is important to see that a Christian (a true BELIEVER in Jesus Christ) should be honored by “other Christians.” Only fellow-believers can truly enter into the death of another believer. They know that their beloved brother or sister in Christ is now “absent from the body and present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). The Apostle Paul could say, “For to me, to live is Christ, and TO DIE IS GAIN” (Philippians 1:21). How could he say that? He answers that in verse 23, “to depart and be with Christ, which is FAR BETTER.” Far better than what? Far better than anything we could ever experience in this life and far better than anything we could even imagine! King David was inspired to write in Psalm 16:11, “In Your presence is FULLNESS OF JOY; and Your right hand are PLEASURES FOREVERMORE.” It is profitable to meditate upon that when a fellow-believer dies and to meditate upon it before we die so we can live in the power of that truth now.
But the believer also has SORROW at the funeral of a loved one who has departed to be with Christ, and thus we read that they “made great lamentation over him.” Though we know all is well with the believer who has been buried, we will surely miss him/her. Memories will flood our minds as we think of them and the wonderful times we had with them; times of fellowship over the Word of God and worshipping our blessed Lord and Savior, and other times we enjoyed their company. It is indeed sad to see them buried. Yet here too the Word of God comes in to comfort us, for we read in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, LEST YOU SORROW AS OTHERS WHO HAVE NO HOPE.” Paul then goes on in verses 14-17 to speak of the blessed REUNION that will take place at the Rapture when “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” Here, dear fellow-believer, we are taught that when Christ returns to take us all home to heaven (John14:2-3), the bodies of those who have died believing in Christ “will rise first” (to receive glorified bodies which will be reunited with their spirits that have been with Christ), and then we who are alive will “be caught up together with them” (for we too shall have glorified bodies). See Philippians 3:20-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:35-54. This is why Paul ends on this note in verse 18, “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” These are the truths that should occupy us when we attend the funeral of a fellow-Christian. If we do, WE WILL BE COMFORTED! (DO) (651.3)