![]() There is no passage in the Bible that states definitively that the dead will rise to the east, but over the years Christians have used various Bible passages as a reason for burying the dead with an eastward orientation: facing the east. Matthew 24:27 is one of those passages. Jesus said about his appearance on the Last Day: “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” The thrust of Jesus’ words is that his visible return on the Last Day will be evident to all at once-like a flash of lightning. Other Bible passages with an eastward orientation include Genesis 2:8 Isaiah 63:1 Ezekiel 43:1,2 and, Zechariah 14:4.Ī fascinating and unusual variation is that sometimes pastors were buried facing west. Why the difference? The thinking was that the resurrected pastors would be in a position, literally, to minister to people around them.Ĭhristians have used the Bible passages cited-and others-for guidance in serving the dead and the living. The thought that the Lord will return visibly from the east led to church floorplans that positioned individuals, standing or sitting, facing eastward when they worshiped. The rising sun that lit up the stained-glass windows before their eyes reminded worshipers of the returning Son. Where in the Bible do I find that we rise to the e ast at the resurrection?Īddressing your question provides an opportunity to look at cemetery layouts, worship spaces, and the Last Day.
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