I had a unique experience today in Korea. Due to high population density and continuous development of infrastructure, we had to move four gravesites of our family to a new location. This was not a part of my plan in Korea, but I ended up joining my extended ‘Kwon’ clan in this project. During the process, I got to see the remains of my great, great-grandfather, great-grandmother, grandfather, and uncle. These remains were put into new wooden boxes (I can’t say they were caskets, they were small) and buried at a new site, which was about 50 minutes away from the old one.
Once they were buried, my other uncle and cousin, who are not Christians, paid respect to the god of the land to submit our ancestors’ remains to the new site. Then they offered drinks to our ancestors by pouring alcoholic drinks over the new site. My father and I watched all this with amusement because we know what the Bible teaches about death, the second coming of Jesus, and resurrection.
At the second coming of Jesus, Paul teaches us, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Leviticus 25 talks about Jubilee, which occurred every 50 years. In this year, there was the redemption of property, and slaves were made free, among many other blessings. This is how Jubilee started, “Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; and the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land.” Leviticus 25:9. When the trumpet was heard throughout the land, there was redemption. And that’s why when Jesus returns, trumpets will be heard to free us from the bondage of death and give us eternal redemption.
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