Reincarnation and Hebrews 9:27

[Tracea]

"It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the Judgment."

Does this verse from Hebrews 9:27 prove that there is no reincarnation? Does anyone know of any other Scriptures?

Jesus told his disciples that if they could receive it, John the Baptist was the "Elijah to come" in the last days. Many reincarnation believers say John was Elijah reincarnated. But Elijah was taken up to heaven and didn't die a natural death. I think He meant that He came in the spirit of Elijah - bold and confident, to prepare the way.

[SERay]

The Fallacy of Reincarnation Explored and Revealed

Published in the Christian Chronicle - By S. E. Ray - 11/30/05

Reincarnation is a ancient teaching found rooted in several cultures claims each soul has many chances to get life right through the cycle of transmigration of the soul (reincarnation). This is in sharp contrast to the canonical teaching of a metamorphic resurrection. Today approximately 30 million Americans (one in four) believe in reincarnation. The word "reincarnation" literally means to "come again in the flesh." This teaching was given a strong advance within the early church through the teachings of Origen in 215 as his unchecked doctrine become entwined with pagan philosophy. The Second Council of Constantinople in 553 called by Emperor Justinian officially condemned his work. Gnostic revivalist are currently reviving his heresies slowly and methodically, with some measurable success.

God spoke through the Hebrew's writer saying "Just as man is destined to die ONCE, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him" Hebrews 9:27-28. Each human being lives once as a mortal on earth in one body in which they are born and dies to return to the dust in which they were wrought. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad" 2 Corinthians 5:10.

The basic precepts of reincarnation undermines God's inherit tenets. First, it renders futile God’s sovereignty over creation, transforming Him into a helpless spectator of the human tragedy. Second, believing in reincarnation will affect one’s understanding of morality and motivation for moral living. The amorality proposed by Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita, "the demand to act totally detached from what results", is the only moral status that can be achieved as the result of accepting karma and reincarnation. Albeit, there is a complete lack of moral responsibility in this soul system given to unknown life cycles. This completely opposes the concept of a Just and Holy Creator. The judgment that follows death is obviously not the judgment of the impersonal karma, but that of the personal Creator God, after which man either enters an eternal personal relation with Him in the heavenly dimension, or an eternal separation from Him in a place of separation (Gehenna).

"Karma" refers to the "debt" a soul accumulates because of good or bad actions committed during one's life (or past lives). If one accumulates good karma by performing good actions, he or she will be reincarnated in a desirable state. If one accumulates bad karma, he or she will be reincarnated in a less desirable state.

Some unenlightened teachers corrupt the scriptures and say that Jesus Himself taught reincarnation or "cyclical rebirth." In Matthew 11:14, for example, Jesus said, "And if you are willing to accept it, [John the Baptist] is the Elijah who was to come." Likewise, in John 3:3 Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

But these passages, correctly interpreted, do not support reincarnation. Matthew 11:14 does not really teach that John the Baptist was a reincarnation of Elijah. Luke 1:17, an important cross-reference, tells us that the ministry of John the Baptist was carried out "in the spirit and power of Elijah." Moreover, reincarnationists conveniently forget that John the Baptist, when asked if he was Elijah, flatly answered, "No!" (John 1:21). The same people who will misconstrue the sacred writings to sustain their own arguments will be the first to reject them wholly when no angle or argument remains to support their erroneous stances.

Regarding Jesus' words about being "born again" in John 3:3, the context clearly shows that Jesus was referring to a spiritual rebirth or regeneration. In fact, the phrase born again carries the idea of "born from above," and can even be translated as a cycle of transmigration. Jesus clarified His meaning by affirming that "flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (v. 6). This misunderstanding can be cleared up when the passage is read in its full context. First there is no hint here that Jesus was referring to many physical "rebirths" rather one spiritual "birth" of "the Spirit" is what Jesus has in mind (verse 5). Interestingly, the Greek word "anothen" here translated "again", can also be translated "from above". This understanding would clearly fit with Jesus' insistence of the need for a spiritual birth. Jesus' response to Nicodemus' question (verse 4) is also instructive; He clearly states that He wasn't talking of another physical birth from the womb. Viewed in the full context of the New Testament, one can see that this was simply another metaphor that Jesus used to describe the spiritual conversion to which he called all seekers of God. Jesus was affirming the need for a spiritual birth--beyond mere physical birth--for those who seek to enter the kingdom of God.

Further, Jesus taught the concept of resurrection, not reincarnation. In fact, He predicted His own resurrection early in His public ministry. "Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days. The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken" John 2:19-22. And after Jesus resurrected from the dead, He appeared to some disciples and said, "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have" Luke 24:39. Jesus resurrected in the same body that went into the tomb. His body even retained the scars and wounds in His hands, feet, and side from the crucifixion (John 20:28).

In addition to biblically refuting reincarnation, we must also point to some of the practical problems involved in the theory of reincarnation. For example, we must ask, why does one get punished (via "bad karma") for something he or she cannot remember having done in a previous life? Moreover, if the purpose of karma is to rid humanity of its selfish desires (as reincarnationists say), then why has there not been a noticeable improvement in human nature after all the millennia of reincarnations on earth? Reincarnation promotes that a limited number of souls were created "sometime" (or always existed) and that these souls travel from body to body. This would indicate that our infinite God was limited to creating only so many souls?

According to the teaching of reincarnation, when we sin, we store up "bad" Karma and then, in the next life, we pay for the Karma we accumulated in the past life through suffering and pain. If that was true, we would endure an infinite cycle of rebirths because no soul is ever sinless and thus as we pay for Karma, we are accumulating each time around. In fact, the Tibetan Buddhists realized this logical dilemma and they solved it by teaching that in order to exit the endless circle of lifetimes on earth, an individual must become a monk and live in a monastery. Presumably the simple life would prevent them from creating more 'bad' Karma so at the end of that stoic life, they could move on and break the endless cycle. Any spiritual system that requires modifications is a system created by man. God does not have to refine his proclamations, for they are fully inerrant the first time not requiring constant revisions.

We could go on and on giving many illustrations as to why reincarnation is a world-class fallacy. Why then are people so easily given to the false belief? Why are even some Christians falling for this false teaching? Lack of discernment that comes from Godly wisdom, the wisdom that comes from above, not the earthly wisdom in which reincarnation is founded.