5: Is reincarnation unbiblical?

A.        Reincarnation is unbiblical because people are destined to die once, and after that face judgment.

Hebrews 9:24-28

“For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. ²⁵ Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. ²⁶ Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷ Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, ²⁸ so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Many people refute reincarnation with verse 27, stating that people are destined to die once and face judgment, and therefore reincarnation is unbiblical. Verse 27 is not commenting on reincarnation, the author is just noting that every human being dies once and is judged for how they lived. What is stated in verse 27 Christians who believe in reincarnation also affirm: every human being dies once and then is judged for how they lived. Christians who believe in reincarnation would just add that, given many, many other Scriptures, this process is universally repeated: people die once, face judgment, are reborn, live again, die once, and face judgment. Regarding each person dying only once, a person dying once is still true under a true understanding of reincarnation. Every person that is reborn is different than the person who lived before because they have changed, hopefully in a positive way, though they are still the same soul. So, every person still only dies once under a true understanding of biblical reincarnation.

If you still do not buy that, consider: when a person dies, what dies? The Bible teaches that the soul of a person lives on but the body dies. Biblical reincarnation teaches that a person’s body dies once, but the soul of a person lives on. So, this passage’s reference to a person’s body, which is part of them, dying once is in complete agreement with reincarnation. Biblical reincarnation simply teaches that the soul is born again in a different body, at a different time, and that person is also destined to die once. Certainly, bodies die once. The soul lives on, but the soul that is reborn undergoes change through life, so the soul reborn has changed and is not the same. The same exact person with the same body never dies more than once. So yes, people live and die once, and are judged for the way they have lived, but the immaterial part of that person, that has changed throughout life, lives on and is, I think the Bible shows, reborn. Biblical reincarnation, as will clearly be shown in the biblical evidence section of this blog, is not contradicted by this passage.  

Moreover, believers in biblical reincarnation would say each person dies once and faces some sort of judgment (distinct from the final judgment described in Revelation), but they are, in many ways, a new person reincarnated. Each individual person’s body dies once, but a person’s soul, who they are, which experiences change over different lives, may die more than once and face “judgment” more than once. That judgment, some imagine, will impact their next life.

Seen from this vantage point, verse 27 does not prove reincarnation to be false, though the verse taken in isolation could mean people live once and die once, no reincarnation. However, given that other Biblical passages clearly reference reincarnation, the traditional interpretation used against reincarnation is, I think, unlikely. Additionally, if this verse was meant completely literally it would not be true in all cases. For example, Lazarus in John 10 was raised from the dead and therefore died twice.

Catholics also believe that this refers to a person’s judgment when they die and are judged in terms of purgatory, heaven, or hell. They believe this is separate from the final judgment when Christ returns, so this verse may refer to a judgment before the final judgment. This shows there are other legitimate ways of understanding this passage besides referring to the final judgment that may allow for something like reincarnation, especially if another life is allotted by God to people for the loving purpose of purging/sanctification. 

Ultimately, more Scriptures need to be considered regarding the biblical possibility of reincarnation than just this single verse.

B.        Reincarnation is unbiblical because the only type of rebirth in the Bible is that of the Spirit, and that is not reincarnation.

John 3:3

^“Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ ^‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’

Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’”

This does not refute the possibility of reincarnation, this just speaks to the new birth in the Spirit that happens during a person’s lifetime. Reincarnation does not contradict the Bible. Of course, this does not mean that reincarnation is true – it simply means it might be true.

C.        Reincarnation is unbiblical because the final judgment clearly shows that no reincarnation exists as there are no chances to choose God following it. People have one chance to choose God.

Matthew 25:46

 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left… Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

John 5:29

“…and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.”

Matthew 25:41

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'”

Jesus’ final judgment, rightly understood, points to a time of corrective judgment, not eternal damnation in hell, as section 3 of this blog, "Universal Salvation", illustrates. In any event, God could certainly use reincarnation before this time of “final judgment”.

D.        Reincarnation is unbiblical because salvation is only found in Jesus, not through multiple lives of trying to make it to God ourselves.

John 14:6

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'”

Acts 4:12

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Romans 10:9

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

1 Corinthians 15:22

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:36

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

Titus 3:5

“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

John 5:24

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”

Jesus is clearly the only way to the Father; he is the only way of salvation. If reincarnation is true, the Eastern religion reincarnation belief that a cycle of multiple lives to earn their salvation is some way is false. No one can receive salvation on their own effort. Belief in people (souls) being reborn in different bodies but not achieving salvation through the person’s own effort is not contradicted in the Bible, though it is not explicitly stated.

What if God, in His grace, allows for multiple lives, at least in the case of unbelievers, to give them more chances to repent? If that is true, this would certainly line up with the character of God, who is gracious and merciful and wants all to be saved. What if God, in His love, uses reincarnation as an avenue to discipline and sanctify His people by them having more than one life on earth? Is such an idea ever contradicted in the Bible? How else would God prepare people for His new kingdom, if they are not sanctified yet upon dying? From C.S. Lewis’ perspective, purgatory is a necessary kindness of God. Could reincarnation be called such?

E.         Reincarnation is unbiblical because upon death, believers immediately enter Christ’s presence, they are not reborn again on earth.

Philippians 1:21-24

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”

Luke 23:42-43

^“Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’

Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’”

2 Corinthians 5:8

“We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”

These verses clearly show that when a Christian dies, they will immediately be away from the body and at home with Christ in the intermediate state described earlier. This does not contradict reincarnation before a Christian dies or after.

If reincarnation is real, perhaps only unbelievers reincarnate until Jesus returns or until they choose Christ, but Christians stop reincarnating. Or, perhaps Paul is at home with the Lord and later reincarnates for further purification. The Bible is unclear, though there is one passage that may affirm reincarnation of believers around the time of Christ’s return. 

F.  Reincarnation is unbiblical because it is completely different than resurrection.

John 6:40

“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

1 Thessalonians 4:14

“For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”

Per point E, upon death Christians will be with Christ in heaven. This verse affirms that Christ will raise up believers at the last day. Given this verse and the preceding verses quoted, all Christians die, go to heaven with Christ, and experience a final resurrection upon Christ’s return.

Some believers in Christian reincarnation hold that the final resurrection will happen, at least in part, via reincarnation (addressed more later). There was no word for “reincarnation” when the Bible was written, so some think that the various biblical words for resurrection of the body could in some cases actually refer to reincarnation. If this interpretation of the final resurrection is correct, it is possible Christ himself will return via reincarnation (addressed more later). 1 Thessalonian 4:14 does seem to imply that Christ and those who have fallen asleep in him (believers) will return to earth together, perhaps in the same way. Maybe even through reincarnation. Nothing in the Bible contradicts that possibility, as will be more clearly shown throughout this section of my blog.