We heard you!

We are very pleased that the response to our new Signs format is meeting with the approval of 90 percent of the readers who have written to us. However, in response to one major concern some readers expressed, we have significantly increased the size of the type, beginning with this issue. We hope you like this new look as well!

Thank you for the new Signs

I’ve been taking Signs of the Times® for many years. I surely do like the new format. It is easier for me to handle and also the print is much easier to read. The articles go on from page to page so it’s like a story book. Thank you for the change.

—Dorothy, Bonney Lake, Washington

I’ve been receiving Signs for some time as a gift, and I really like the new look. I’m grateful to whoever continues to send me the magazine.

—Name withheld by request

Dinosaurs in the Bible

The March “Bible Questions” department included a question about dinosaurs in the Bible. I don’t believe that dinosaurs became extinct before the Bible was written, as you claimed. Job 40:15–24 specifically describes what we today call a brontosaurus.

—Rod Adams, Springfield, Oregon

I believe the Bible mentions dinosaurs in Job 41:1, 20, 21.

—Richard Nitz, Jr., Caldwell, Ohio

Editor’s response: Most biblical scholars think the “behemoth” (Job 40:15) to be a hippopotamus and the “leviathan” (Job 41:1) to be a crocodile. However, some believe that both refer to creatures that are today extinct.

What is proper burial?

Thank you for the article on death in the March Signs (“Death—And Then What?”). My question is about the proper way to bury the dead: ground burial, embalming, or cremation. What guidance does the Bible provide?

—Sherrill Clark, e-mail

Editor’s response: Burial in the ground was common in Bible times (e.g., Genesis 35:8; Psalm 30:9), but cremation is mentioned in 1 Samuel 31:11, 12, where it was an honorable way to lay the deceased to rest. Embalming is not burial. It is a preparation of the body for burial. Embalming is mentioned in Genesis 50:2, 26.

Your Thoughts by Readers	From the May 2007 Signs