Reincarnation verses in the Bible If you will train your Bible
Search to "resurrection", you will find 15 references in the Gospels
and 25 in the Epistles. What is resurrection "of the body" if not
reincarnation, the modern term in use today in place of this very important but
not properly understood teaching? And how many references are there in the
Bible telling us that Jesus after his crucifixion and death returned in the
flesh? But there are other more
elucidating passages in the very words of Jesus, himself: Matthew
11:13
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
11:14
And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
Matthew
17:10
And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must
first come?
17:11
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and
restore all things.
17:12
But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have
done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer
of them.
17:13
Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
Matthew
16:13
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,
saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
16:14
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and
others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
John
9:1
And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
9:2
And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his
parents, that he was born blind?
9:3
Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the
works of God should be made manifest in him.
These are the actual passages where Jesus teaches the Doctrine of
Reincarnation:
In Matthew 11 and 17, Jesus tells his disciples very clearly that Elias
reincarnated as John the Baptist.
In Matthew 16, if reincarnation is not true, do you think that Jesus would
remain silent and allow the disciples to believe in it? Don't you think that he
would have rebuked them for believing a false doctrine?
In Matthew 9, Jesus is conspicuously silent after the disciples referred to
reincarnation (the past life and sins) of the man born blind? Isn't this, at
least, a very suspicious circumstance that merits your further thought?
And when they questioned John the Baptist:
John 1
1:19And this is the record of John, when
the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
1:20And he confessed, and denied not; but
confessed, I am not the Christ.
1:21And they asked him, What then? Art
thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
Why would the priests and
Levites ask John if he is Elias or that prophet come again, unless reincarnation
was an accepted truth at the time?
Aren't these enough proofs for you? How do you view these information? How do
you understand the passages, above? Everyone should realize just how the Nicene
Creed, which is the basis of present-day Christian teachings and beliefs, has
actually and in fact, replaced the True Teachings with elaborate falsehoods.
Of
course, everyone is entitled to his own beliefs. But everyone must learn to
analyze and think for himself. Additional information:
How and why reincarnation was expunged from church teachings?
. Animal and human sacrifices Some reasons why humans are sacrificed according to Wikipedia:
Sacrifice by Indian adherents of Tantrism who believe that human sacrifices to the gods can change their fortune.
Sacrifice to accompany the dedication of a new building like a temple or bridge. Chinese legends hold that thousands of people were entombed in the Great Wall of Chinawhich may be a metaphorical statement, considering the labor and investment of the construction.
Sacrifice in Aztec and Mayan cultures to the god of fertility to assure good corn harvest.
Sacrifice of his daughter by a victorious Biblical general Jephthah, and Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son to prove his loyalty to God.
Sacrifice upon the death of a king, high priest or great leader; the sacrifices were to serve or accompany the deceased leader in the next life. Mongols, Scythians, sometimes Egyptians and various Mesoamerican chiefs could take most of their household, including servants and concubines, with them to the next world. This is sometimes called a "retainer sacrifice," as the leader's retainers would be sacrificed along with their master.
Sacrifice by ritual combat. Aztecs killed prisoners in ritual combats.
Sacrifice for divination; a priest would try to predict the future from the body parts of a slain prisoner or slave. According to Strabo, Celts stabbed a victim with a sword and divined the future from his death spasms.
Sacrifice in times of natural disaster. Droughts, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc. were seen as a sign of anger or displeasure of gods and sacrifices were made to appease the divine ire. Cretans tried to stop the destruction of their island this way.
In the Bible, the Hebrews (modern Jews) beginning from their Father Abraham and other ancient tribes sacrificed animals and humans for their religious purposes. In the time of Moses, the blood of the lamb ensured that the Angel of Death would Passover the Jewish homes and spare their first-born. Much later because of the prevailing beliefs, Jesus came to be regarded as one such human sacrifice, in deference to the pagan practices of the reigning Romans during those periods.
Does your God delight in someone else suffering and paying for your sins? Would He even be approving of such a repulsive idea? Would this be just and fair to everyone involved? Didn't He decree that everyone shall be held personally responsible and liable for his own thoughts and actions? Did He not through Christ and all the prophets make known His commandments and rules of conduct that we should follow or face the consequences?
Doesn't the Law of Sowing and Reaping apply in this situation? Is it okay for a transgressor to simply confess his sins, admit his fault saying he is sorry and then pray a few Hail Marys, and he will be forgiven?
We all should think again.
Yet today, although this abhorrent practice is much condemned, still, Christians everywhere believe and insist that Christ suffered and died to pay for their sins, releasing them from their accountability.
Where did Jesus teach this in his own words? Or is this simply another misconception and false teaching of mere followers and misguided Biblical writers and editors? What are your thoughts regarding this dogma of the churches?
In fact, Jesus himself was very emphatic when he taught us something else, altogether:
"Seek out the meaning of this particular verse of Scripture, ‘It isn’t your sacrifices and gifts that matter; instead, you must be merciful and kind.’” (MT 9)
"Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do." (MT 7)
"Settle disputes with your adversary, amicably, before it is too late; otherwise, he might drag you into court and the court would hand you over to the authorities to be thrown in jail. I tell you, you won’t be released from there until you have paid the last penny." (MT 5)
"‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison and you visited me.’
"Then, the righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you anything to drink? Or a stranger and help you? Or naked and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
"And the King will tell them, ‘When you did this for the least of my brothers, you were doing it for me!’" (MT 25)
People everywhere have grown to be disbelieving and critical of all religions. They argue that the old dogmatic teachings just don't make sense and instead of being a good influence, they have even become a force for evil because of the fanaticism and religious wars that they propagate. Nevertheless, before we swing over to the other extreme that is reverse fanaticism, perhaps we should rather first be open to new concepts and teachings, more rational and lucid explanations.
Going back to those early Scriptural times, we will find that the people were so much more ignorant compared to the people of today. To bring them forward, the wise men of old formulated only the simplest possible explanations and teachings. They were all that the people could comprehend, then. Lacking the ability to reason, they were told to accept God's divine instructions given through prophets and priests without question. More, they were compelled to blindly follow the teachings of the church under the threat of excommunication or eternal hell.
However, the situation today is so very much different. Today, the old simplistic explanations no longer satisfy. So today, for those who are ready, New Teachings are made available. As in our earthly schools, don't we begin our education by taking on the basics first. That learned, then only can we begin to take up more advanced studies -- ABCs before complete sentences, simple arithmetic before higher math. So too in regard to the Divine Teachings -- parables and Scripture stories of before, but now, the Divine Principles are clarified and made plain.
Hinduism and Buddhism
Hinduism, the oldest surviving major religion, provides us with the foundational bases of our beliefs. We owe to Hinduism much of our knowledge of the True Self and the True Spiritual Reality.
Buddhism taught us how we could more efficiently attain to Nirvana and freedom from the rounds of rebirth, disease, old age and death. Gautama Buddha enjoins us to follow the Middle Way of life between the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification through our recognition of the Four Noble Truths and our commitment to the Noble Eightfold Path.
In this New Age, the study of Theosophy was introduced. God's Plan of Evolution for all His creatures was revealed and made available for serious study by advanced students or "chelas" of the Masters. Lobsang Rampa recounted his own personal experiences so that we may better learn and understand even the more complex concepts and teachings once regarded as Occult. And further on in continuation of our spiritual education, another Buddha, Maitreya, will be coming in God's appointed time.
Judaism, Christianity and Islam
Abraham broke away from Brahmanism, the forerunner of Hinduism to re-emphasize the concept of the One God. Through Moses, the first laws were made known to early man. Jesus later refuted most all of the objectionable teachings and man-made laws of the Hebrews and upgraded our divine instruction. He revealed and clarified the Truth. He taught that love and service to our fellowmen was the only Way to God, and showed us how by his example. Through his illustrations and descriptions relating to the Kingdom of the Father, he enabled us to deepen our knowledge concerning the Real Life to Come.
The crass materialism prevalent in the 1850s reversed and turned to a fascination with the Occult on the growing popularity of psychic occurrences. The survival of the spirit was strongly suggested in the phenomena of Spiritualism, while for the more rational freethinkers, the New Teachings of the New Age were introduced through the study of Spiritism. This was in fulfillment of Christ's promise, "I will send you the Holy Spirits to guide you to all truth."
The revelations continued in the life readings of Edgar Cayce and the spirit messages given through many other channelers, mediums and ordinary psychics. The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi declares that: "At first of every age, Christ comes to light the way." Many expect his imminent return in our time, according to his promise.
The prophet Muhammad under the guidance of the Archangel Gabriel taught that in the face of their trials, the Arabs should submit to the will of Allah. Believers were primarily entasked with the furtherance of good and the repression of all evil. He advocated that all Muslims should help one another. Emphasis was placed on equality and brotherhood of all, including those belonging to other faiths. The more mystical aspects of the Islamic teachings were entrusted to the Sufis.
In 1852, a Persian nobleman imprisoned in a dungeon in Tehran received an enlightenment from God. Over the next 40 years, Bahaulla who is claimed to be the latest divine messenger from God in the continuing tradition of the old prophets including Rama, Krishna, Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad came to found a new religion. Bahaulla teaches a more liberal and universal doctrine that emphasizes the unity of all religions and reinterprets the age-old truths for the modern man. Its adherents now numbering some 6 million faithful, Bahai would appear to be the much-awaited and much-needed reform movement that will upgrade the teachings of the religion of Islam. But only time will tell.
Everywhere, great changes are inevitable. Everyone will be called to embrace the New Teachings and strive to upgrade to a higher degree of enlightenment. Decide wisely. Prepare the way for the coming of the Lord!
Atheism boasts an impressive list of very influential advocates from Lincoln, Einstein, Hemingway and Benjamin Franklin to Charles Darwin, http://www.wonderfulatheistsofcfl.org/Quotes.htm. They include humanists and agnostics. The best of them espouse high ideals and actively contribute to the public good. Freethinkers all, seeking for answers and meaning to life.
And God, if there is One, is believed to have decreed that everyone have free will, the freedom to believe what he wants to believe and to live accordingly. We can believe in God or in religion or not and it will not be counted against us. Even Jesus, the Divine Master admits but clarifies, "Whoever rejects me and does not accept my teachings will, nevertheless, be judged according to the truths I have spoken." (JN12:48)
Regardless of their unbelief and criticisms regarding irrational church dogma, some atheists, nevertheless, apparently believe in Jesus and his teachings. Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, "There was only one true Christian, and he died on the cross." And realizing the importance of ethical behavior towards our fellowmen, Einstein is quoted as having written that: "Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." Further, even as he is acknowledged by many as the greatest scientific mind of his generation, he was fully aware that he did not have all the answers. Therefore he advises us all to remain open saying, "The important thing is not to stop questioning."
There are many wise, conscientious and productive atheists just as there are many enlightened and true believers. There are quite a few religious fanatics and fundamentalists and atheism has its own misinformed and wayward elements. But let us not be deceived and neither should we allow a few rotten apples to spoil all the remaining basketful. THIRD ORDER — IMPERFECT SPIRITS
From: The Spirits' Book Sixth Class — Noisy and Boisterous Spirits
Spirits of this kind do not, strictly speaking, form a distinct class in virtue of their personal qualities; they may belong to all the classes of the third order. They often manifest their presence by the production of phenomena perceptible by the senses, such as raps, the movement and abnormal displacing of solid bodies, the agitation of the air, etc. They appear to be, more than any other class of spirits, attached to matter; they seem to be the principal agents in determining the vicissitudes of the elements of the globe, and to act upon the air, water, fire and the various bodies in the entrails of the earth. Whenever these phenomena present a character of intention and intelligence, it is impossible to attribute them to a mere fortuitous and physical cause. All spirits are able to produce physical phenomena; but spirits of elevated degree usually leave them to those of a lower order, more apt for action upon matter than for the things of intelligence, and when they judge it to be useful to produce physical manifestations, employ spirits of subaltern degree as their auxiliaries. Seventh Class — Neutral Spirits
They are not sufficiently advanced to take an active part in doing good, nor are they bad enough to be active in doing wrong. They incline sometimes to the one, sometimes to the other; and do not rise above the ordinary level of humanity, either in point of morality or of intelligence. They are strongly attached to the things of this world, whose gross satisfactions they regret. Eight Class — Spirits Who Pretend to More Science than They Possess
Their knowledge is often considerable, but they imagine themselves to know a good deal more than they know in reality. Having made a certain amount of progress from various points of view, their language has an air of gravity that may easily give a false impression as to their capacities and enlightenment; but their ideas are generally nothing more than the reflection of the prejudices and false reasoning of the terrestrial life. Their statements contain a mixture of truths and absurdities, in the midst of which, traces of presumption, pride, jealousy and obstinacy, from which they have not yet freed themselves, are abundantly perceptible. Ninth Class — Frivolous Spirits
They are ignorant, mischievous, unreasonable and addicted to mockery. They meddle with everything and reply to every question without paying any attention to truth. They delight in causing petty annoyances, in raising false hopes of petty joys, in misleading people by mystifications and trickery. The spirits vulgarly called hobgoblins, will-o'-the-wisps, gnomes, etc. belong to this class. They are under the orders of spirits of a higher category, who make use of them as we do of servants. Tenth Class — Impure Spirits
They are inclined to evil, and make it an object of all their thoughts and activities. As spirits, they give to men perfidious counsels, stir up discord and distrust, and assume every sort of mask in order the more effectually to deceive. They beset those whose character is weak enough to lead them to yield to their suggestions, and whom they thus draw aside from the path of progress, rejoicing when they are to retard their advancement by causing them to succumb under the appointed trials of the corporeal life. Spirits of this class may be recognized by their language, for the employment of coarse or trivial expressions by spirits, as by men, is always an indication of moral, if not of intellectual, inferiority. Their communications show the baseness of their inclinations; and though they may try to impose upon us by speaking with an appearance of reason and propriety, they are unable to keep up that false appearance, and end by betraying their real quality. Certain nations have made of them infernal deities; others designate them by the name of demons, evil genii or evil spirits.
The human beings in whom they are incarnated are addicted to all the vices engendered by vile and degrading passions — sensuality, cruelty, roguery, hypocrisy, cupidity, avarice. They do evil for its own sake, without any definite motive; and, from hatred to all that is good, they generally choose their victims from among honest and worthy people. They are the pests of humanity, to whatever rank of society they belong; and the varnish of a civilized education is ineffectual to cure or to hide their degrading defects.
False and superseded teachings embedded in the Bible
. Jesus upgrades the Old Testament teachings
In most all cases when asked as to their specific objections to religion, critics and non-believers cite false, obsolete and superseded teachings found in the Holy Scriptures of all the religions. They fail to realize that all instruction, specially divine instruction, is progressive -- beginning from the simple basic and graduating to the more complex and advanced.
So did Jesus refute most all of the objectionable Old Testament teachings. Just to mention a few to give everyone a clearer idea, but there are many:
1. In place of the tribal god Jehovah, the angry and jealous god of the Hebrews, Jesus revealed the One God of love, justice and mercy Who loves all His children, assuring us that there is a valid spiritual reason for everything that happens to everyone.
2. Instead of separation, isolation and the elimination of all enemies, inferior races and rival tribes, he taught that all men are brothers. We should all learn to love one another and live in harmony.
3. An eye for an eye was replaced by Forgive, Turn your other cheek and Love your enemies. This while assuring everyone that God's exacting divine justice will be meted out to everyone.
4. Animal and human sacrifices are discouraged in favor of the living practice of love, mercy, kindness and service to our fellowmen. Even though this is still widely believed and taught by his misguided followers, Jesus should not be regarded as a human sacrifice who died as a ransom for our sins. Instead, everyone of us will have to live as he lived, following his example as best we can.
5. He simplified the 10 Commandments and converted them into just 2 -- Love God and love your neighbor as yourself, affording us more leeway in recognition of our higher stage of development from that of the ancient Hebrews.
6. Many of the over 600 Mosaic Laws were revealed as worthless and useless traditions that even ran contrary to the true laws of God. The prohibitions against eating non-kosher foods and the detailed procedures for washing pots, pans, and other worldly rules and practices, etc. -- all man-made laws. God's laws relate to Spirit and are not so much concerned with material and physical considerations.
7. He clarified the many integral parts of love. Do not judge or criticize. Forgive. We should mind our own business -- the board in our own eye -- and not interfere with someone else's. Practice tolerance and non-violence. Serve rather than seek to be served -- the greatest of all is the servant of all. Do unto others as you would want others to do unto you.
8. He also provided us with clearer insights regarding the things of heaven and the goings on there. He enjoins us to study and prepare for the True Life that comes after earth life. Our fate depends on us, entirely -- what we think and do. And our enjoyment of everything in life is based on merit.
9. Before he left us, he told us that God would send the Holy Spirits in his name to guide us to "all truth." He promised that he will return to teach us more, those that he wasn't able to tell us before, even the mysteries kept hidden since the foundation of the world. He will speak no longer in parables, but he will teach us plainly. And to those who have kept faith with him, his promises are being fulfilled even now.
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For those of you who are looking for scientific studies and physical proofs to confirm the Afterlife, here is one excellent source that summarizes what are currently available. I myself was surprised at the sheer volume and variety of the evidence presented. But of course, you should decide for yourselves.
