- Reincarnation and the Bible, Part 1
- Reincarnation and the Bible, Part 2
- Reincarnation and the Bible, Part 3
- Reincarnation and the Bible, Part 4
- Reincarnation and the Bible, Part 5
INTERESTING SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE
The great Solomon wrote: “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing.” Pro. 25:2 Imagine. God actually conceals things from us so when his secrets are revealed it will add to his glory. Jesus said: “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.” Luke 12:2 Isaiah prophesied: “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:9 Daniel said that at the time of the end “knowledge shall be increased.” Dan. 12:4.
What are some of the things that God has concealed from us? What are the things “which have been kept secret from the foundations of the world”? Matt 13:35
Obviously one of the doctrines kept secret is the law of re birth. Many of the prophets did not openly teach it because they felt the people would misuse the knowledge. Many people will not try hard in the present if they think they will get a second chance in the future. The emotionally polarized person will tend to feel that it is no big deal to waste a lifetime if he has another one coming down the road. However, the mentally polarized person will use common sense and will not want to waste a month let alone a lifetime. Thus the Spirit of God has waited until the race of man is more mental, as it is approaching now, before it caused the doctrine to permeate our consciousness. Most of the prophets, initiates, and wise men of the past, however, have been aware of it, but have used constraint in speaking of it.
There were many things that even Jesus could not speak to his most trusted followers: “I have many things to say unto you, but ye CANNOT bear them now.” John 16:12
In other words, Jesus knew many things that would be hard for them to accept. If he would have told them some of the secrets he knew they probably would have thought their master was mad and turned against him.
As it was he revealed more than the Jews could accept and they fought against him. Even so this treatise will be difficult for many people to accept and they will refuse to believe it even though the truth stares them in the face. We must mentally force ourselves to remain open and “rejoiceth in the truth; Heareth all things, believeth ALL things, hopeth all things…” I Cor 13:6-7
If we become as a little child and are open to believing all things then we will avoid becoming modern day Pharisees and scribes who fight against truth. Isaiah declared: “Wo unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness: that put bitter for sweet. and sweet for bitter!” Isa 5:20 Many Christians have formed the non scriptural opinion that reincarnation is evil, but why is this when the doctrine is interspersed throughout the Bible? And why do they call it evil when it is such a good and holy doctrine?
Why do they call it “good” if their child fails the first grade and he gets a chance to repeat it so he can honorably go on to the second, yet call it “evil” to consider the thought that if someone fails in one of his lifetimes then God will give him a chance to correct his errors in the “resurrection of correction”? Let us be more consistent than the Jews in the days of Jesus.
Jesus certainly attracted a lot of attention when he began his work and many people were speculating as to who he was. There were many who actually considered that he may have been one of the prophets born again. Jesus asked his disciples: “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist: some Elias, others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.” Matt 16:13-14
Notice here that Jesus did not refute this belief in rein carnation, but merely accepted Peter’s answer that he was the Christ.
The apostles evidently believed in reincarnation at the time that they were current disciples of Jesus: “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” John 9:1-2
We see here that the disciples thought that the man who was born blind may have had to suffer so because of a previous sin. In other words, they thought he may have committed sins in a previous lifetime that led to his present condition. Jesus pointed out that the man was a special case. He was not born blind because of sin, but so that the works of God should be manifest. In other words, the man came with a mission to glorify the works of Christ by the great miracle to his eyes. Jesus did not, however, say anything to indicate that the disciples belief in a sin before birth was not a possibility.
Many people attribute unusual questions such as these to the ignorance of the apostles. They believed that Jesus just picked up a handful of uneducated derelicts and his teachings were all the education they received. This is not correct. John the Baptist was their first teacher and Jesus called John the greatest prophet in history, partly because he did such a good job in preparing and teaching the disciples. If the disciples believed in reincarnation (which they undoubtedly did) then they had to first learn it from John.
In the Apocrypha we are warned that the way we live in one life can affect our bodies in a future life: “Woe to you, ungodly men, who have forsaken the law of the Most High Lord. AND IF YOU BE BORN, (indicating born in a future life) you shall be born in malediction, and if ye die, in malediction shall be your portion.” Ecclesiasticus 4:11-12 Another example: “And I was a witty child and had received a good soul, and where as I was more good (in a previous life), I came to a body undefiled.” Wisdom 8:19-20
No wonder David wrote: “Guilt was with me already when my mother conceived me.” Psalms 51:7 Knox Version In other words, we have original sin because of previous lives. “All these things God may do to a man, again and yet again, bringing him BACK FROM THE PIT (death) to enjoy the full light of life.” Job 33:29-30 New English
No wonder Jesus told a man who had been sick for thirty eight years to “sin no more lest a worse thing come upon thee.” (See John 5:1-9) If it was any worse than suffering for thirty eight years he would have to pay the debt in a future life. This also illustrates that sin can result in the punishment of a physical affliction as the apostles believed.
The doctrine of reincarnation teaches us that when we commit any act either good or evil then we must receive a payment for that deed either later in the present life or in a future one. This reward is called Karma. If we are said to have “good karma” it is indicated that we have paid off most of our bad debts and can now collect on our good ones. If we have “bad karma” then we have debts coming due that we have to pay for. Jesus confirmed this doctrine when he said “he shall reward every man according to his works.” Matt 16:27
John also wrote the words of an angel: “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord…their works do FOLLOW them.” Rev 14:13
Again he said: “They (the dead) were judged every man ac cording to their works.” Rev 20:13
If the dead are judged according to their works and their works follow them then the doctrine of karma coincides perfectly with the Bible. There are some works that could only follow us if there were future lives on the earth awaiting. Either killing or saving physical lives would fit in this category.
One may naturally wonder about the fate of those who crucified our Lord. What is their destiny? How could they possibly pay for their sin? What punishment could be fitting enough to recompense such an evil deed?
This is one of the most interesting thoughts of the entire range of the scriptures and amazingly the question is answered with startling clarity.
First, we know they will be forgiven because Jesus requested it. On the cross he said: “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34
Later Peter was preaching to these Jews and said: “Ye denied the Holy One and the Just…and killed the Prince of life… Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, WHEN THE TIMES OF REFRESHING SHALL COME FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. And he shall send Jesus Christ (speaking of the second coming), which before was preached unto you. whom the heaven must receive (hold – Greek) until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” Acts 3:14-15,19-21
We are told that the heavens must hold Jesus until all things are restored that was spoken of by the prophets. Reincarnation is one of those things for many of the teachings about the doctrine of rebirth were taken out of the church in the days of Constantine.
Peter told those who crucified the Lord to repent but told them that they would not receive forgiveness in this life, but in the times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord or at the time of the second coming. Why do they have to wait until then? Because no one can repent unless they realize they are wrong and the Bible goes on to tell us that these murderers will not realize they are wrong until they see their Lord again.
They certainly did not believe the first time he told them who he was: “And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless, I say unto you, Hereafter SHALL YE SEE the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Matt 26:63-64
No wonder Peter promised forgiveness at the second coming because those who put him to death will see him coming in the clouds.
John the Revelator makes this point clear beyond dispute: “Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, AND THEY ALSO WHICH PIERCED HIM (The Jews in 34 AD): and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.” Rev 1:17
At the second coming they will finally be able to be for given because they will realize they made a great mistake: “They (The Jews of 34 AD who will be reborn for the second coming) shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first born.” Zech 12:10
There is perhaps no punishment greater than coming face to face with a great error and having to accept the truth whether you want to or not. When Jesus comes again the ancient Jews reborn will definitely recognize him for who he is. They will also see their blindness in their current lives, but it is also quite possible that their memory of their past lives in the days of Jesus will return to them so they can feel the enormity of their shame. After two thousand years they will realize they killed their Savior.
Jesus spoke further of this: “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the Children of the kingdom (the Jews 34 AD) shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matt 8: 11-12
When the reincarnated Jews (and they may not be Jews in this life) face their rude awakening they will weep and gnash their teeth in despair and disgust with themselves and may not feel worthy or ready for the teachings of Christ for sometime. Forgiveness is promised them at the second coming, but apparently they have to go through some anguish (and who knows what else) first.
Our prayer should be that we will not be caught in the same predicament as the ancient Jews where the blind were following the blind and refused to examine any doctrine that was not approved by authorities. Let us be open as a little child and be pre pared to “believe ALL things” so when the Christ does come again we will not be caught without our wedding garment.
Jesus taught a very important principle: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For EVERY ONE that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, HOW MUCH MORE shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Matt 7:7-11
Indeed. We know how to give good gifts to our children, and whenever they ask for any good thing no matter how bad they have previously been, we will go out of our way to give it to them. We would not consider saying to our children: “I will forgive you for a certain time period, and then no more for all eternity.”
Hypocrites! They think they are more righteous than God, that they will go to greater extremes to save their children than God will for us. NO NO NO!!! The opposite is true. God knows how to give better gifts than we do and when we ask for a good thing he is committed to give it to us. He has put no time limit on it. He did not say ask only until you die but merely ASK. Period. If we ask during this life, the space between lives, or in the next life, then he is our committed Father waiting with love to respond and has devised a plan where we can all receive a second chance because a father (that is a loving Father) will ALWAYS give his children a second chance, and a third, and a forth…etc.
One should feel good about contemplating the doctrine of reincarnation, especially when thinking of all those who died in ignorance of the gospel, many who may be good friends, loved ones, or family. It is scriptural to believe the following: If we wish our loved ones could achieve salvation, then God wishes something better and has complete power to carry out his will. “God having provided something better for us, that they (the dead) WITHOUT US should not be made perfect.” Heb 11:40
The dead and the living have a karma that is intertwined and we must both work together in the flesh again to correct all of our problems and the problems of the planet. We shall all rise again and work together and be perfected until the “last enemy” of death is destroyed and we achieve immortality or the resurrection of eternal life.
Copyright by J J Dewey
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