7: Elijah and John the Baptist- Biblical Reincarnation?

A.    Malachi 4:5 

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”

If God meant He would send someone LIKE Elijah before the day of the Lord, why didn’t He say so? Why did He simply say He will send Elijah? If this is best to not interpret literally, why not?

Maybe John the Baptist is literally Elijah.

(Williams, 2019a)

B.    Luke 1:17

“…and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Reincarnation literally means the same person returns in another body. Could this verse be indicating that John the Baptist is the reincarnation of Elijah if he has his “spirit’? If not, what does it mean? Is there a difference between someone’s “soul” and “spirit”? How might that apply to reincarnation if reincarnation is true? What is the plainest reading of the text? Does reincarnation in this case contradict Scripture or God’s character?

There has been significant debate on if John the Baptist is the reincarnation of Elijah or if he simply is “like Elijah” in spirit. Understanding the difference between “soul” and “spirit” is helpful in discerning if reincarnation was taking place in the case of John the Baptist or in other individuals in the Bible.

C.    Is a person’s soul and spirit the same thing?

Some Christians believe soul and spirit are separate parts of who each person is (we are a trichotomy of body, soul, and spirit), and some Christians believe soul and spirit are used synonymously in Scripture (we are a dichotomy of body and soul/spirit). People who do not think Luke 1:17 refers to the reincarnation of Elijah think soul and spirit are different, because if they were the same, Luke 1:17 would clearly give a biblical example of reincarnation – the rebirth of someone’s soul/spirit in another body. Yet even if reincarnation refers only to the soul, this does not negate the possibility of Elijah being reincarnated as John. Perhaps he had the spirit of Elijah, which is different than his soul, and his soul too. I personally think the Bible’s witness is that the soul and the spirit are different, but whether I am right or not does not negate the reality of reincarnation in the Bible.

Nevertheless, it helpful to understand. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 is clear that we were all created with three parts—a spirit, a soul, and a body:

“And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The spirit and the soul are not the same. One Christian author explains it this way: the “spirit” is our “inmost part” by which we connect with God in the spiritual realm. In John 4:24 Jesus says we must worship God in spirit in truth, so we worship God through our spirit. In Romans 1:9 Paul says that he serves God with his spirit “in the gospel of his Son”, so through our spirits we serve God and spread His gospel (Bfablog, 2024).

The “spirit” of a person lives on after death (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Without the spirit the body is dead (James 2:26). Stephen called out to the Lord Jesus to “receive my spirit” in Acts 7:59. When Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter, her spirit returned (Luke 8:55). Spirit can refer to mind or attitude, for example 2 Corinthians 2:13 says Paul’s spirit is not at rest because he did not find Titus. Mary’s spirit rejoices in God along with her soul magnifying the Lord in Luke 1:46-47 (Bfablog, 2024).

The “soul” is our self, who we are with our personality, thoughts, emotions, and choices. Matthew 16:26 says, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” And in Luke 9:25, Jesus says the same thing in different words, “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” Jesus clearly equates “soul” with “self” (Blablog, 2024)

“Soul” in the Bible is called “nepesh” in Hebrew and “psyche” in Greek, and some parts of the Bible explain the soul as what lives on after death. Matthew 10:28, for example, says the soul lives on after death. Rachel’s “soul” departs (Genesis 35:18). “Soul” is also used in the Bible to refer to emotions, like in Song of Solomon: “the one whom my soul loves” (this phrase is repeated 4 times in 3:1-4). Jesus’ soul is sorrowful in the garden (Matthew 26:38). “Soul” is used to describe what is saved, for example in James 1:21 James says the word will save souls, and in 1 Peter 3:20 “eight souls were saved by water”, referring to Noah’s ark. Some translations say “persons” instead of “souls”. 3000 “souls” were saved at Pentecost in Acts 2. These other Bible examples all affirm that people are souls; souls are persons. Moreover, people do not have a soul, they are a soul. This was the case since Genesis, when Adam became a “living soul” upon being created (Genesis 2:7), (May, n.d.).

Hebrews also distinguishes the soul from the spirit: “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). According to God’s Word, the 2 are not the same, just as “joints” and “marrow” are not the same.

Given that soul and spirit are distinct in the Bible, and the soul refers to the actual person themselves, John the Baptist coming “in the spirit of Elijah” is not proof that reincarnation occurred. As will be addressed later, Elisha received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit to do his ministry. If reincarnation is about the spirit, that passage does not make sense as Elijah himself could not literally “rest” on Elisha. He had already, at this point in the Bible, ascended to heaven. This does not, however, prove that reincarnation did not occur when John the Baptist was born. Other Biblical passages are helpful in terms of discerning this.

Biblical reincarnation, then, if it exists, is about the soul being reborn – the “self”, not the “spirit”.

D.    Matthew 11:13-15

^“For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, ¹⁴ and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. ¹⁵ He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Matthew 17:9-13

^“And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, ‘Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.’ ¹⁰ And the disciples asked him, ‘Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?’ ¹¹ He answered, ‘Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. ¹² But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.’ ¹³ Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.”

Matthew 3:1-3

“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ² ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ³ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord;  make his paths straight.’”

Matthew 11:11-15

^“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. ¹³ For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, ¹⁴ and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. ¹⁵ He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Mark 9:13

^“But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

If John the Baptist is not the reincarnation of Elijah but someone “like” Elijah, why didn’t Jesus say that? Why did he say he “is” Elijah, the “to be” verb (“estin” in Greek)? Why does Jesus say Elijah has already come, speaking of John the Baptist, instead of someone “like” Elijah has already come?

Why does Jesus say twice that John the Baptist is Elijah, if they are “willing to accept it”? What makes this concept hard teaching – hard to accept? Is reincarnation maybe difficult for the disciples to accept?

Jesus seems to believe that John the Baptist is not just like Elijah; he is Elijah. Perhaps he thought this would be difficult for the disciples to accept. Conversely, would it be difficult for them to accept that someone like Elijah was helping to prepare the way for Jesus? It would be decidedly more difficult for them to accept that John the Baptist was literally Elijah, so perhaps that is why Jesus said if they are "willing to accept it, he is Elijah."

(Williams, 2020)

E.     ^“As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”

2 King 2:11

But- if Elijah never died, how could he be reincarnated?

If God wanted to send someone back to earth, couldn’t He do it without them physically dying in a past life? If reincarnation is biblical, the Bible never says someone has to physically die to return to Earth in a different body.

F.      ^“He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Messiah.’

^{21 ‘}They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’

He said, ‘I am not.’

‘Are you the Prophet?’

He answered, ‘No.’”

John 1:20-21

If John the Baptist was Elijah, why did he deny it to the Pharisees?

Just because John may not have known he was Elijah does not mean he was not. He even expressed great doubt later in life about who Jesus was, questioning if he was really the Messiah or not when he was in prison. Jesus is the one to look to concerning John’s identity more than John himself, and he said on multiple occasions that John the Baptist was Elijah.

Also, while this is not in the Bible, people who believe in reincarnation maintain that in almost all cases people do not remember their past lives. (Williams, 2019a)

On another note regarding potential reincarnation biblical evidence, the Pharisees’ question to John seems to indicate that they themselves believed in reincarnation – that he could be Elijah. Why else would they ask him that question?

(Williams, 2020)

G. 2 Kings 2:9-14

^“When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.’ And Elisha said, ‘Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.’ ¹⁰ And he said, ‘You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.’ ¹¹ And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. ¹² And Elisha saw it and he cried, ‘My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ And he saw him no more.

Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. ¹³ And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

¹⁵ Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.”

The Bible gives further insight here on what “spirit” means”. It does not mean the literal person, but the person’s power in the Lord. Elisha wants a double portion of the Elijah’s spirit. Verse 15 reveals that the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha – he got his wish. This is shown in the rest of Elisha’s ministry, as he did twice as many miracles as Elijah – something not coincidental but that shows Elisha literally inherited a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.

This passage does not contradict reincarnation or the reality that John the Baptist was literally Elijah, as Jesus said. John the Baptist was Elijah – i.e., they had the same soul and were the same person. Elijah’s soul did not rest on Elisha here – that would not make sense. Elijah went to heaven on a chariot of fire. His spirit, his power in the Lord, rested on Elisha and enabled him to do twice as many miracles as Elijah.

Again, reincarnation refers to the soul being reborn, not the spirit: though in the case of John the Baptist, both happened.

H. Matthew 17:1-13

“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

⁴ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” ⁸ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

¹⁰ The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

¹¹ Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. ¹² But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” ¹³ Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.”

Some refer to the Transfiguration story as proof that Elijah was not reincarnated as John the Baptist because Elijah is called by the name “Elijah” in the text. Clearly, they are different people.

The context shows otherwise. Jesus explicitly tells the disciples after the transfiguration that John the Baptist was Elijah. When the transfiguration happened, John the Baptist had already died physically. In this story, he and Moses, who had died and then gone to be in heaven with God, came down to earth to talk with Jesus.

This does not prove John the Baptist is not literally Elijah: in fact, Jesus in this story affirms it. John the Baptist is simply Elijah with a different name.

(Williams, 2020)

I. Are there are other viable possibilities besides John the Baptist being the reincarnation of Elijah?

Am I forcing reincarnation into the text? Why couldn’t John the Baptist inherit Elijah’s spirit and be someone like Elijah, but not Elijah himself? Isn’t the Bible saying that John the Baptist fulfilled the role of Elijah, but is not actually Elijah?

While it may be difficult for us to accept, just like the disciples, I think the Bible is clearly saying, through Jesus’ own words, that John the Baptist is Elijah. The Bible does not say he is “like Elijah”. The Bible does not say he is “fulfilling the role of Elijah”. The Bible says he “is”, using the “to be” verb, “estin” in the Greek, Elijah.

If we look at other ways this verb is used, it never means “like” or “fulfilling the role of”: it means “is”. For example, in Matthew 3:17, God says “This is My Son, with whom I am well pleased.” The same Greek word and verb, “estin” for “is”, is used. No one would ever suggest that God was saying Jesus was someone “like” His Son, or “fulfilling the role of” His Son – no. Jesus is literally God’s Son in the truest way.

In the same way, when Jesus uses the “to be” verb in the Greek to say John the Baptist is Elijah, why do we not take him at his word? I am not forcing reincarnation on the text. It is clearly there. Words must be added such as “like Elijah” or “fulfilling the role of Elijah” to explain away Jesus’ words – and we should never add words when interpreting the Bible.

As difficult as it may be to accept, Jesus says multiple times that John the Baptist is Elijah – so, the reincarnation of Elijah.  We must let the Bible define our reality without allowing our personal bias to interfere. We have nothing to fear in accepting what is true because God is good.