The Blessed Virgin Mary

The Assumption of Mary

At the end of her earthly life Mary was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory. It's a consequence of who she is — the sinless Mother of God shares fully and early in the bodily resurrection Christ won.

The short answer. God took Enoch and Elijah bodily — so a bodily assumption is clearly something God does. For the sinless Ark of the New Covenant, it's exactly what you'd expect. And note: no city ever claimed her bones.

God assumes people bodily — there's precedent

Enoch was taken so as not to see death; Elijah went up in the whirlwind. Scripture plainly shows God can and does take a person bodily to himself. The Assumption of Mary is the fullest instance.

Genesis 5:24Enoch walked with God, and he was not found, for God took him.

2 Kings 2:11As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

The woman and the Ark in Revelation

John sees the Ark of the Covenant in heaven, then immediately a woman crowned with stars — the Ark and the Woman are one image. Mary, who bore God, is seen already glorified in heaven.

Revelation 11:19God’s temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed.

Revelation 12:1A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

First fruits of the resurrection

Christ is the first fruits; then those who belong to him. As the first and most perfect of the redeemed, Mary is fittingly the first to follow her Son in the bodily glory promised to all the saved.

1 Corinthians 15:22–23For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s at his coming.

Common objections

“It's not in the Bible.”

Neither is the word ‘Trinity,’ yet it's true. The Assumption is drawn from Scripture's typology and the constant faith of the Church — and tellingly, unlike every apostle and martyr, no ancient city ever venerated Mary's bodily relics or claimed her tomb. The early Church acted as if there was no body to find.

Scripture quoted verbatim from the World English Bible (public domain).

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