Reincarnation World
Reincarnation Revealed: Science, History, the Bible
Reincarnation is returning to western thought. This renewed interest has come about as a preponderance of scientific evidence suggests the precepts of mainstream theology and the materialism of secular humanism - concerning life after death - needs reexamining. Additionally, biblical and secular history shows many fine minds, majorities of ancient Judeo/Christians, and even America’s founders had held the belief.
Their wisdom still lives and still imparts a timeless enlightenment for today: That we live in a cause and effect world of reason, purpose, free-will, and most importantly, Divine compassion. Thus, our present realities are more often the result of past-life acts, rather than chance factors of genetics, environment, or capricious deities.
Past study by the majority of church officials on reincarnation, though sincere, drifted away for a variety of reasons. Among these was the ”Proof Context Method” (established during the Dark Ages) which utilized a single verse to establish a biblical point. Both secular and sectarian politics probably were among the culprits as well. There was no separation of church and state back then, and all sides manipulated their agendas through religion. Fortunately, faith in the Bible’s integrity remains intact as archaeology reveals old manuscripts are like today’s. And as today’s new information “prepares the way” to the wisdom of the old, a new opportunity exists for all faiths to engender new responses and new hopes.
Modern theology requires reading at least one verse preceding a given passage, and at least one which follows, making for three consecutive verses, before a verdict can be considered biblical. And even then, some serious scientific consideration of linguistics, allegory, metaphor, simile, and case histories of real people, places, and events - all using modern methods of data collection and evaluation - must be in evidence.
Reincarnation in the Bible was often dismissed, using the proof context method, in quoting Saint Paul.
“It is appointed for men to die once, and after their death, the judgment.”
But a quick look using the three-verse consideration shows the Apostle began with the clear and straightforward proclamation, that such an appointment to die once will take place: “At the end of the world!” (See Hebrews 9:26-28) As the end of the world is yet to come, certainly, reincarnation can continue, while certainly, outmoded approaches from the Dark Ages cannot.
That Paul preached to two audiences, and that reincarnation and resurrection are synonyms, may be another factor behind so much confusion. He taught the basics to beginners and a pearl of more arcane wisdom to those he termed as “wise” Greeks. (See Romans 1:14) The wisest Greek was Socrates. He observed, on the last day of his life, that in proving a person previously existed, reincarnation could be established:
“Now if it be true that the living come from the dead, then our souls must exist in the other world; for if not, how could they have been born again?”
The following samplings reinforce other major factors in reincarnation‘s return. The first is modern science’s: Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation, first published by the University of Virginia in 1966. The ongoing study concludes that while humanity’s future cannot be foreseen, it can be demonstrated through thousands of cases, that, as Socrates had observed, human beings now alive were once dead!
Parapsychology is a science, and transpersonal psychology is that branch, which investigates ancient and modern paranormal sources, one being the Twentieth Century Christian mystic and psychic: Edgar Cayce.
Cayce was asked, while in trance: “What part of the New Testament definitely teaches reincarnation?” His response, regarding reincarnation, was the suggestion to start with the first chapter of John:
“John. Six to eight, Third to fifth. Then the rest as a whole.” (452 - 6) John 1:6-8 concerns John the Baptist, in every translation, including the Aramaic quoted here:
“There was a man sent by God whose name was John.”
Chapters Three to Five cover a lot of territory, but prominently include the life of “the Baptist,” and his critical role in the baptism of Jesus. They also include the Master’s “born again” Socratic quizzing of Nicodemus the priest, and this closing curious remark concerning John, referring to him as the one in whom: “You were willing todelight.” (The textural colorization is to help make clear how the Bible links the past and present personalities of those mentioned.)
In exploring Cayce‘s, “the rest as whole,” using any good biblical concordance demonstrates another closing curious use of: “Delight.”
It reveals the Prophet Malachi’s paranormal ability in closing the Old Testament with its final prophesy, which predicted the return of a man to be “born again” in the coming New Testament. The man was Elijah.
Malachi (3:1 & 4:5-6) not only described Elijah as a “Delight,” but as God‘smessenger who, as would John the Baptist, suddenly appear out of the wilderness to: “Prepare the way.”
John the Baptist, like Elijah, was a real person whose existence secular history confirms.
The biblical Elijah appears as one of the Old Testament’s grandest personalities in 1st Kings (Ch 16 - 22) and 2nd Kings (Ch 8 - 10). His story involved two historic figures. These were King Ahab and his infamous wife, Jezebel. Their dramatic three-way saga started when Elijah killed the queen’s priests in a dispute over sectarian religious issues, and Ahab was politically forced to side with Elijah over Jezebel in the fray.
While a “delight” in other areas, Elijah, as a real person, like ourselves, had a darker side. It prevailed in the killings. Nevertheless, the scribes, whom both John and Jesus cursed as “offspring of scorpions,” gave the event good press and honored Elijah with being taken bodily to heaven.
Similar scribes, though of other cultures, bestowed similar eulogies upon Mithras of Persia, Romulus, the founder of Rome, and even Caesar Augustus.
But the Bible’s Prophets knew better. Elijah’s crime was a crime against humanity. This had to be put aright, lest future believers take the scribes’ excesses as a Divine endorsement of bigotry and worse.
Isaiah’s (40:3-4) insight, noted Elijah’s mistake in expressing the Prophet’s personal remorse as: “The voiceof him that cries in the wilderness.” Yet Malachi still concurred with Isaiah (the Scripture cannot be broken) that Elijah, despite his sins of religious intolerance, had done such great acts - that in balance - he would remain written as the one called to: “Prepare the way.”
(Some Bibles, principally the King James version, illustrate the words of Jesus in red, for greater clarity. Again, as previously noted, The colour-coded words and phrases indicating the past life Elijah/John links have been utilized here, for the same reason.)
Christian beliefs accepting that the old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in the New Testament would seemingly accept that John the Baptist had to have been Elijah - for had he not been Elijah - then Jesus could not have been the Messiah. Thus are seen the precise statements of the Baptist's past life identity, as expressed by Jesus himself.: "The Scripture cannot be broken." (John 10:35)
It should come as no surprise that Malachi’s last prophesy is confirmed by Jesus, as the first prophecy of the Old Testament to be fulfilled in the New. Jesus saw this fulfilment in John the Baptist and said of him:
(1) “For this is he of whom it is written, behold I send my messenger before your face toprepare the waybefore you.” (Matthew 11:10)
(2) “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
And if you will accept it he is Elijah who was to come.
He [she] who has ears to hear, let him [her] hear.” (Matthew 11:13-15)
(3) “But I say to you that Elijah has already come…Then the disciples understood that what he had told them was about John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:12-13)
(4) “But I say to you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.” (Mark 9:12-13)
(5) “This is he of whom it is written, behold I send my messenger before your face to prepare the way before you.” (Luke 7:27)
(6) “He was a lamp which burns and gives light; and you were willing todelightin his light for a while.” (John 5:35)
When threatened by the Temple police (they had the power to crucify him) John denied the identity, but later acknowledged his past life in voicing what Isaiah had written of him: “I amthe voice of one crying in the wilderness, Straighten the highway of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said.” (John 1:23)
That Elijah was “born again” as John was unanimously confirmed three more times in each introduction of the Baptist in all of the other Gospels:
The voice which cries in the wilderness. (Matthew 3:3)
The voicewhich cries in the wilderness. (Mark 1:3)
The voice which cries in the wilderness. (Luke 3:4)
Elijah’s return to proclaim the Messiah fulfilled the Scriptures: Not all karma is bad. But there was a lot of unfinished business between him, Ahab, Jezebel, and most importantly, the misunderstanding that killing others over religious issues was Godly. That the issue is as important today, as back then, is seen in the headlines of our post 9-11 world!
Thus Elijah was vulnerable to Jezebel’s vengeance. Bad acts bring bad ends, and in her return as Herodias, the infamous wife of Herod Antipas (Ahab returned), the error would be righted in a precise karmic consequence.
Jezebel/Herodias had Elijah/John executed, and this time, Ahab/Antipas, had to side with her in the fray. Saint Paul’s popular insight (Galatians 6:7) roughly translates:
“What you sow, you reap.”
Today, we read:
"What goes around, comes around!".
This most universal of universal law, no matter how read - applies to everyone - whether Baptist, King, Queen, or plainest of persons. Ultimately, all seek a return to the soul's original estate of heavenly oneness - where reincarnation is unnecessary. Earthly pain is just too great to do otherwise: but the required return to Godly ways is also hard. However, Godly ways include forgiveness, as Jesus said, and in seeking forgiveness through Divine intercession - all are assured - a heavenly highway of return.
The Bible Reveals Reincarnation. ISBN# 9781492900535. The Voice: How the Bible Reveals Reincarnation. ISBN# 9781439244753)
Both are available in quality bookstores and on the internet primarily at Amazon.com. Amazon presently offers trial (Kindle) digitized versions to members for free. If you would like autographed copies, you can order from eBay or from Amazon by pressing either of the links below for the book or books of your choice. I am obligated to ask for the full Amazon retail price - Just scroll down to find the listing in the supplier's section. There is no charge for an autograph and you receive a copy of this two paged synopsis. The Voice is a bit more scholarly with about 90 additional pages of deeper metaphysical insights and a close look at the reincarnation beliefs of our country's founders.
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Thank you for your visit. Hopefully, you have found this presentation interesting, inspiring, and of use. God Bless.