Rising to the East

There is no passage in the Bible that states that, but over the years Christians have used some Bible passages as reason for burying the dead with an eastward orientation: facing the east.

Matthew 24:27 is one of those passages. Jesus said about himself: “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 that instantly illumines the sky.

Other Bible passages with an eastward orientation that people have used for burial practices and the floor plans of churches (to face east when worshiping) are Genesis 2:8; Ezekiel 43:1-2; Isaiah 63:1; and, Zechariah 14:4.

It finally makes no difference in which direction a body is buried in a cemetery or how ashes from a cremation are scattered. “…A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his [the Son of Man’s] voice and come out…” (John 5:28-29). For Christians, the last day will be a glorious day. We have Jesus’ own word on that: “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:40). Because Jesus lives, we too will live forevermore!