CHAPTER 2
THEORETICAL FOUNDATION OF FUNERAL AND DEATH RITUALS This chapter explored the theoretical foundation of death and funeral rituals. In other words, the purpose was to gain a basic knowledge about how death and funeral rituals were treated in the past. Only with such understanding of death and funeral rituals background, the graveness of the issue would be appreciated. Therefore, this chapter started with exploring its Biblical perception that is, as told in the Old and New Testaments, the writings of Ellen G, White, and then explored the official stand of some Faith Groups such as Protestant Churches, Roman Catholics, and Evangelicals.
DEATH AND ITS ORIGIN
The Bible says, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the
…show more content…
The word nephes means a living being, life, a person, that which breathes the breathing substance, or being. A living being, in other words, means a living soul—according to the Hebrew language. The entirety of a person is the soul. When the psalmist says “My soul clings to you” (Ps 63:8), he declares that his whole being will cling to God. “My soul will boast in the Lord” (Ps 34:2), means that the whole being boasts in the Lord. The word nephes should be understood to mean a whole human being as it was when God created man (Gen 2:7). When a person dies, nothing remains as illustrated in the diagram …show more content…
After burial and weeping and mourning the bereaved family continued to receive comfort and care. They had seven days of intense mourning when a close relative died (Gen 50:10, cf. 1 Sam 31:13; Job 2:13). They had a stage for intense mourning normally between death and burial time. During that time, even the mourners did not receive greetings of peace (Ezek 24:17). The mourning was extended for thirty days when the Israelites grieved the death of Moses. Aaron too, was mourned for thirty days when he died (Deut 34:8; Num 20:29). When Jacob breathed his last, Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. This process required forty days, during which time the family mourned. In fact, the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days (Gen