The British & European Supplement to

January/February 2015 Richard III’s Royal Re-Interment A Biblical Perspective On 26 March 2015, the remains of Richard III will His answer indicates by what pro- cess a person can live again when he be reburied in Leicester Cathedral. But is the former said, ‘All the days of my hard service English sovereign aware he became the ignominious will I wait, till my change comes. ‘king in the car park,’ with his grave walked on for You shall call and I will answer You’ centuries and later driven over by ‘commoners’? (Job 14:14-15). This is referring to a resurrection from the grave. t was in September 2012 when the Bible give? The prophet Daniel, living many Richard III’s bones were discov- Let us focus briefly on the bib- centuries later, wrote, ‘Many of those ered near Leicester Cathedral in lical perspective of what happens who sleep in the dust of the earth shall I awake, some to everlasting life and the former Greyfriars Church turned when a person dies – whether ‘king car park. As the last Plantagenet or commoner.’ some to shame and everlasting con- king, representing the white rose of tempt’ (Daniel 12:2). Here we see the House of York, Richard had died The Bible defines death that all the dead, both the saints and in the Battle of Bosworth in late Au- Although God has a great plan of the ungodly, would still be in ‘the gust 1485, defeated by the armies of salvation worked out for His crea- dust of the earth.’ Henry VII, the first king of the Tudor tion, as the initial part of this process Scripture defines death as a tem- dynasty. In an attempt to reinforce He created man a physical being. porary sleep of total unconsciousness the legitimacy of their new royal With access to the Tree of Life closed until the resurrection. Jesus, before dynasty, the Tudors are believed by (Genesis 3:22-23), he could only live He resurrected Lazarus, told Mary some historians to have given Rich- for a while and then die. The Crea- and Martha that ‘Lazarus sleeps’ ard III a bad press, depicting him as tor’s verdict is echoed in the Bible: (John 11:11). Elsewhere Jesus gave possessing both physical and moral ‘For dust you are, and to dust you this promise to His disciples when blemishes. A century after the king’s shall return’ (Genesis 3:19, emphasis referring to the time of the resur- death, William Shakespeare’s play added throughout). rection of the just: ‘The dead will Richard III reinforced this reputation. The patriarch Job pondered life’s hear the voice of the Son of God, Other historians, however, speak more most important question about what and those who hear will live’ (John positively about the Yorkist king. happens when people have com- 5:25). That includes Job, the other Whether saint or sinner, the ques- pleted their allotted days: ‘For now patriarchs and faithful Christians. tion will arise in the minds of many I will lie down in the dust, and You But exactly where will they be when Christians: Will this former king be will seek me diligently, but I will they hear God’s voice? The answer aware of his upcoming re-interment? no longer be’ (Job 7:21). Later the is given in verses 28 and 29: ‘Do not Will he be able to view the event patriarch asked the question we all marvel at this, for the hour is coming ‘from above’? What answer does do, ‘If a man die, will he live again?’ in which all that are in the graves

Published by the United Church of God – British Isles The Good News, PO Box 705, Watford WD19 6FZ 01494 875003 www.ucg.org.uk will hear His voice and come forth anyone else into the conclusion of his The book of Hebrews, chapter – those who have done good to the statement. 11, describes the resurrection of life . . .’ We see here The apostle Peter spoke these faithful saints, and at the end of the that those who ‘will hear His voice’ words at Pentecost, ‘For [king] Da- chapter we are told, ‘And all these, are not in heaven, but wil