#61. Reincarnation: Then and Now

“The latest Pew Forum survey of religious beliefs (2009) puts the overall percentage of Americans who believe in reincarnation at 24%.” That is ¼ of the country! WOW! 

The first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus stated that the sect of Pharisees believed in reincarnation. Indeed, many of the Jews 2000 years ago believed in reincarnation, including Jesus. However, he did not use the word reincarnation. Instead, Jesus used the word resurrection. It means: “to rise from the dead” or “to come back to life”. Christians of today interpret it to mean a return to the same physical body. They do not believe or understand reincarnation! Nor did Nicodemus, a Jew in Jesus' day. 

“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus stated, “Don't be surprised when I tell you, ‘You must all be born again.’” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can this be?” (John 3:4,7,9). 

Consider that Jesus also taught ‘Eternal Life’. The spirit or soul always was and always shall be. The eternal spirit is drawn back to the earth from the ‘spirit’ realm, incarnating into the embryo, and born as a baby human being. As the sojourn is completed, so ends the human experience. “People are destined to die once" (Hebrews 9:27). After a period of preparation, the eternal spirit, or soul, again is drawn back to the earth into an embryo and is born again. When the sojourn is completed, the body dies – destined to die just one time. 

If this process should seem so unbelievable, consider Jesus. He left heaven, entered into the embryo, was birthed in 9 months, died at 33 years, then returned to heaven. “I came out from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” (John 16:28). Why is the word again there? Again and again, Jesus left the world and returned to the Spirit realm. If Jesus can do it, then we all can do it. It’s a piece of cake. 

Such is indicated in this story: 

“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?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither’” (John 9:1-3).

How could the man have sinned before he was ever born? Obviously, the disciples question shows clearly that the disciples of Jesus believed the man born blind had lived before. This would have been a perfect opportunity for Jesus to pooh-pooh the doctrine of reincarnation, if he did not adhere to it. 

Jesus was quite explicit about reincarnation in his reference to John the Baptist.

“And if you are willing to accept it, he (John the Baptist) is the Elijah who was to come. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” (Matthew 11:14-15). 

Do you believe in reincarnation ... now? And did you believe in reincarnation ... the last time? 

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#43. Jesus, Dalai Lama, & YOU

What do you know about the Dalai Lama? According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the Dalai Lama is an enlightened spiritual being who chooses to come to the earth again and again to serve humanity. So, after he dies, it is believed that he will return to the earth in a new baby's body.

If a monk has a dream or vision that he has been reborn, the senior Buddhist monks will begin searching for the youngster. The monks then present such a boy with possessions (including toys) of the previous Dalai Lama to determine whether the boy is familiar with them.

It is believed to be proof that the child is the reincarnation if he chooses the items that belonged to the previous Lama. In 1937, at the age of two, the present 14th Dalai Lama was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama.

Is Jesus also an advance spiritual being, who chose to come to the earth to serve humanity?

"(Jesus) has come from heaven” - John 3:31
“(Jesus) was taken up to heaven” - Mark 16:19

These two Bible verses point to the beginning and ending of the life of Jesus. It implies that he pre-existed before his birth and that he continued to exist after his death.

In the western world, most people do believe the soul lives on after death, but that the soul is not created until conception (or at birth). But if one person – Jesus – lived in the spirit world before birth and returned to the spirit world after death, then WHY would this not be true of us all?

OK, Jesus was called the Son of God. But is not every soul a child of God? Does not each have a spark of divinity? If we can live for eternity after death, what prevents us from pre-existing our birth? Is it possible we all have come from the spiritual realm ... and shall return ... again and again and again? Would you recognize your toys?