English
Português
Español
Français
Answer
Cemeteries have often been considered eerie, primarily because of the enigmatic nature of death. Burial grounds and mausoleums have been the backdrop for numerous stories involving spirits, demons, and misdeeds, causing many to perceive cemeteries as spooky locations fraught with peril. The topic of death is unsettling for most individuals, but Christians should adopt a distinct viewpoint regarding death and visiting cemeteries.
Individuals who are apprehensive about entering a cemetery may find it beneficial to directly address this fear by questioning: What do you envision could transpire there? Setting aside fantasies and ghostly tales, what legitimate concerns persist about cemeteries? They house deceased and decomposing human remains interred beneath six feet of earth. Within them lie coffins, concrete gravestones, bronze markers, and synthetic adornments left by family members. Apart from a caretaker’s shelter and perhaps a chapel or mausoleum, there is little else present—and which of these elements instills fear? The souls of those interred have already been conveyed to their spiritual destinations “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;”, (Luke 16:22).
There are only two potential locations for those departed spirits. For Christians, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” “we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”, (2 Corinthians 5:8). The souls of deceased believers are in the presence of Jesus. Those who, during their earthly existence, did not submit to Jesus as their Lord are in “a place of torment” “for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.”, (Luke 16:28). However, no one’s spirit is permitted to wander freely around a graveyard alone. Hebrews 9:27 states, “It is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgment.” There is no chance of departed spirits “haunting” the cemetery. The sole genuine and immediate risk is the potential of stumbling over a headstone and scraping your knee.
Some individuals who comprehend that souls of the deceased are not present at cemeteries may instead dread the presence of the demonic. Matthew 8:28-34 and Mark 5:1-20 mention a man possessed by a demon who resided in the tombs. Nevertheless, even in this case, the demonic activity involved a person who was very much alive. Could demons inhabit a graveyard? Yes, they could. However, there is nothing in Scripture that suggests demons are more active in a graveyard than they are elsewhere. Furthermore, Christians have nothing to fear from the demonic “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”, (1 John 4:4).
At times, the fear of entering a cemetery may be linked to a painful loss and the memories such a place brings to mind. Cemeteries are inherently solemn locations. They symbolize the sorrow of loss and serve as a reminder of our mortality. We dislike stirring up old wounds, and cemeteries can do just that. One method to overcome fear related to sorrow is to deliberately recollect joyful moments with the departed. While walking through the cemetery, revisit happy occasions and conversations with that individual. Give thanks to God for the good times shared and how He worked in your life through that departed companion. Thank Him that because of Jesus we can declare, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting” “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”, (1 Corinthians 15:55).
(15:55)?
Cemeteries will be the setting for one of the most remarkable events in human history. When Jesus returns to gather us at the rapture, cemeteries will witness a resurrection. First Thessalonians 4:16 states, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” Picture that moment! For those who have faith in Christ, the cemetery will be a place of joy as the graves open and the bodies of saints ascend into the air to reunite with their spirits. Then, “we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” «then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. », (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
A cemetery is simply a piece of land designated for burying the deceased, and there is no more reason to dread it than any other place. Christians can stroll through the well-kept grounds with gratitude for all that God has accomplished through His servants (see Psalm 116:15) and with anticipation for what God will do in that location. Below our feet lie the bodies of believers who will one day emerge from that ground at the sound of the trumpet. Non-believers should allow the somber atmosphere of a cemetery to prompt them to seek the truth about what comes after. The only appropriate fear would be a fear of God and His judgment. For non-believers, visiting a cemetery can be a transformative experience as they confront their own mortality and turn to God.
