The Bible Explained, part 29/40: Reincarnation

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-----<front cover text>

THE BIBLE EXPLAINED

A Guide to the Holy Bible
for Parents and Teenagers

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Where did you come from?
What is your purpose?
What happens when you die?

These questions--and more--are answered in 'The
Bible Explained', which is based on the teachings
of the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible is a collection
of ancient books which claim to be the word of the
one and only God. This one and only God claims to
be the sole creator, owner, and sustainer of all
things; he further claims to hold the one and only
key to eternal life. Are these claims true? Get
the facts and then decide for yourself.

This document is meant to be understood by everyone,
and is therefore written in plain, simple language,
avoiding complex religious jargon.

Understand the Bible like never before.

-----<table of contents>

Introduction
Quest for Truth
The Holy Bible
Origin and Destiny
The Big Picture: Good and Evil
The Story of Man
The Purpose of the Earth
The Standard and the Test
Work: The Key to Success and Life
Pyramid Society
Failure of Man
Male and Female
Family Relationships
Marriage and Family
Sexual Immorality
The Value of Life
Multiplication and Overpopulation
Racism
Creation and Evolution
Government
Politics
Justice
Words, Speech, and Censorship
Church Matters
Monotheism, Jews, and Christians
Temptation
The Nature of Evil
Life and Death of Satan
Reincarnation
The Rapture
The End Times
The Near Future
Preparing for the Future
Groups and Labels
Understanding Judgement
Preparing for Death
Conclusion
Appendix A: Questions and Answers
Appendix B: The Ten Commandments
Appendix C: Marriage

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Reincarnation

"Reincarnation is the rebirth of a soul in a new body." [Oxford Dictionary] There are some who believe in the God of the Bible and also believe in reincarnation, apparently failing to realize that the two are incompatible.

One Time in the Flesh: According to the Bible, a man's life begins at conception and ends at death: "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return." [Genesis 3:19] "For He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come again." [Psalm 78:39] "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement." [Hebrews 9:27] The word of God makes it plain that man comes from the dust and returns to the dust -- that is his beginning and his end. When a man dies, his flesh returns to the dust and his spirit is kept by God for the appointed time of his resurrection from the death state. There are two resurrections: the resurrection of the saints and the resurrection unto judgement (see Revelation 20 for details).

Death and Resurrection: There are two deaths -- the First Death and the Second Death. The First Death is the death of the flesh; the Second Death is the death of the spirit. The First Death is temporary; the Second Death is permanent. There are two resurrections -- the First Resurrection and the Second Resurrection. The First Resurrection is of the saints for the purpose of ruling the earth during the upcoming Millennium; the Second Resurrection is of those who are subject to the Day of Judgement. It should be noted that the spirit of man is non-physical; no one -- except God -- has power over the spirit; and only God alone can clothe the spirit with a new body, which is often referred to as being resurrected from death.

Life, Death, Judgement: When a person dies, he remains "asleep" until he is resurrected for judgement in the appointed Day of Judgement. After his judgement, he receives either life eternal or death eternal. A person lives only once in the flesh: "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement." [Hebrews 9:27]

Reincarnation Defined and Examined: "Reincarnation is the rebirth of a soul in a new body." [Oxford Dictionary] To understand reincarnation, one must first know what a 'soul' is; unfortunately, the word 'soul' is very ambiguous. If you believe in reincarnation, you ought to ask yourself some questions regarding it:

Q1: Is a soul physical or non-physical?
Q2: Is a soul mortal or immortal?
Q3: Is the universe mortal or immortal?
Q4: Can souls exist outside of the universe?
Q5: If the universe is not immortal but souls are, where were the souls before the universe came into existence?
Q6: Is there a fixed number of souls, or can new souls be born? If new souls can be born, what is the process by which this happens? Where do souls come from?
Q7: According to the law of multiplication, there has never been as much life on the earth as there is now: Where do new souls come from?
Q8: During World War II, when the atomic bomb was used on Japan, what happened to the thousands of souls which were instantly atomized?
Q9: If atomic warfare breaks out, resulting in the destruction of all flesh on Earth, what will become of the souls?
Q10: Laws of thermodynamics suggest the universe is gradually cooling as stars exhaust their limited supply of fuel. When the stars burn out, the universe will become a cold, lifeless desert. What will souls do in such an environment, considering there will be no flesh bodies to inhabit?
Q11: Is the process of reincarnation governed by a system of laws? If so, how did those laws arise? And why did they arise? In other words, what caused them to arise? Who judges a soul to determine its destiny? What qualifies that person/entity to judge souls?
Q12: If reincarnation is real, why are people reluctant to believe such claims?
Q13: If reincarnation is real, why are the law courts not filled with people claiming belongings from their former lives?
Q14: If reincarnation is real, then there is no death; if there is no death, why, according to the word of God, is there a resurrection of the dead?
Q15: If reincarnation is real, why do people fear death?

It seems to me that reincarnation is upheld by those who fear the finality of death. Or perhaps it is natural for humans to feel immortal, since God has put eternity in their hearts: "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." [Ecclesiastes 3:11]

Reincarnation and God: If you believe in both reincarnation and God, please consider the following scripture: "For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun." [Ecclesiastes 9:5-6] Note the passage 'nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun'; 'under the sun' means 'on the earth'. Thus, once we suffer death, we do not return to the flesh. Here is what happens at the point of death: "Then the dust (body) will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." [Ecclesiastes 12:7] Remember that it was God who made man of dust and gave him the spirit/breath of life: "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." [Genesis 2:7]

Reincarnation Explained: In the Bible, so-called reincarnation is referred to as 'demon possession'. To understand demon possession, some background information is needed: Demons are created spirit beings (angels) who are in rebellion against their creator (God); Satan is the king of the demons; demons were created before man; at this time, demons inhabit heaven (space) and the earth; demons' objective is to destroy humans by leading them away from God and his word; demons can take possession of a person's body; demons will die after the Day of Judgement. It is possible for a demon to inhabit a person all his life and thereby gain intimate knowledge of said person's life; when the person dies, the demon will leave his body and can then take possession of another person and relay details of the dead person's life through the living person, which is sometimes mistakenly referred to as 'reincarnation'. Thus, demons perpetuate the lie, 'You will not surely die.' [Genesis 3:4]

Immortal Soul: Does man possess an immortal soul? "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." [1 Corinthians 15:53] If man already has an immortal soul, why would he need to 'put on immortality'? "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." [Matthew 10:28] If man already has an immortal soul, how can God kill it in hell?

Second Chance: There are those who believe that, after death, they will be granted a second opportunity at life, which, however, is false. "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement." [Hebrews 9:27] As you can see, death is followed by the Day of Judgement; and the Judgement determines if you receive life eternal or death eternal -- based on your works in the flesh: "The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire (hell, which is death eternal). This is the second death." [Revelation 20:13,15] To receive life, all you have to do is ask God for it; to receive death, you need not do anything -- death is by default, since we inherit death from our father Adam the sinner: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." [Romans 6:23] Note, however, when you ask God for life, he expects you to begin your journey upon the straight and narrow path which leads to life eternal -- the Ten Commandments: "But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." [Matthew 19:17] Reasonable questions: If there were a second chance at life, what then is the purpose of this existence? If we failed to achieve life the first time, how will we achieve life the second time, considering the same spirit remains in us?

Endless Cycle: According to the Bible, your destiny is not endless reincarnations or some nebulous nirvana; your destiny is to become like your heavenly father -- but you must be tested first.

Elevation Through Conquest: We are here on the earth to prove ourselves worthy of life eternal by conquering the world, the flesh, and the devil. Flesh is the basest form of life; the divine is the highest form of life. Man (temporarily) resides in the flesh; God (eternally) possesses the divine nature. God desires man to rise to his level of existence -- to have a peer-to-peer relationship with him; however, before raising him, he must prove himself worthy of such honour. He who conquers the world, the flesh, and the devil will inherit the divine nature, and will know God as he is: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." [1 John 2:15-17] If you fail to conquer the world, the flesh, and the devil, you will progress no further than the (temporal) flesh. If you conquer the world, the flesh, and the devil, you will become equal with God, possessing all knowledge and all power: "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." [Revelation 3:21] To sit on God's throne is to be equal with God. Consider the words of David, the man after God's own heart: "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake (from death) in Your likeness." [Psalm 17:15]

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The above book is available for purchase at:

http://www.amazon.com

Search for:
TITLE: "The Bible Explained"
AUTHOR: "Arrant Knave"
ISBN-10: "1468197061"
ISBN-13: "9781468197068"

Or try this direct link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Bible-Explained-Parents-Teenagers/dp/1468197061

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The above excerpt from 'The Bible Explained' is copyright
2010 by Arrant Knave. All rights reserved. No part of this
document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means without the
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are
taken from the New King James Version (R). Copyright (C)
1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights
reserved.

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