6: Is reincarnation biblical?

Note: While the commentary is mine, I owe many of the Scripture references to the ideas of Kevin Williams in his book, "Nothing Merciful Than Reincarnation" (2019).

A.             John 9:1-3

“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.’”

If reincarnation is unbiblical, how is it possible that the man sinned before he was born? If reincarnation is not real and was not believed by the disciples, why did the disciples think it was possible for the man to have sinned before he was born? If reincarnation is not true, and the disciples asked Jesus this question which implied reincarnation, why didn’t he correct their wrong theology as he consistently did when confronted with any false teaching in his ministry?

Note: if reincarnation is real, again, this also shows reincarnation is different in the Bible than in Eastern religions. This man was born blind not because of past sin but so that the works of God might be displayed in him. It is not about “karma”, the belief that what you do in a past life or current life decides your future fate. So, suffering is not necessarily a result of sin in someone’s life. As stated previously, God allows suffering for good purposes in the lives of all His children to make us more like Christ.

B.        Hebrews 11:13-16

 ^“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”

If reincarnation is unbiblical, how would the people of faith have an opportunity to return? What would that mean, “to return” to earth?

This cannot be talking about the resurrection of heavenly bodies at the end of time because in context, these people are people of God who did not want to return to earth because they desired God over earthly things. So, based on these verses, people who are still desiring earth when they leave have an opportunity to return. Given that people only enter the earth through their mother’s womb, this could suggest reincarnation.

A similar sentiment is repeated by Jesus in Revelation 3:12 when he says, “The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.” This implies that while people have left the temple of God before, those who are victorious will not leave it.

So, those who are victorious, who desire a better country, do not leave God’s temple to return to earth, perhaps through reincarnation.

Does this contradict a time of reincarnation for believers at the end of the age, which I have referenced? Perhaps the exception to these verses is the time of the end when the new heaven and new earth is created. Perhaps then former believers will be resurrected via reincarnation to live with Christ forever (the biblical basis for this is explained more later), starting with the millennium reign of Christ and his saints described in Revelation 20:1-6.

Regardless, these passages do seem to point to the possibility of returning to earth in some way, and people only enter the world through childbirth.  

C.        Job 1:20-21

^“Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’”

If reincarnation is unbiblical, how will Job return to his mother’s womb, the definition of reincarnation – being born again from the womb? Job seems to think that reincarnation is a reality: not just for him but a general rule. Naked, people return to the womb.

D.        Isaiah 26:17-19

“Like a pregnant woman/who writhes and cries out in her pangs/when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O Lord/ we were pregnant, we writhed/but we have given birth to wind/We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth/and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen/Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise/ You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!/For your dew is a dew of light/ and the earth will give birth to the dead.”

If reincarnation is unbiblical, what does it mean that the dead will live and bodies rise in the context of the earth giving birth to the dead? Does this point most naturally towards Christians’ traditional view of resurrection, or towards some sort of “rebirth” of the dead?

E.    Revelation 1:7

^“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”

If reincarnation is unbiblical, how will “every eye” on earth see him, including those who “pierced him”, given that those people lived in the past, and Jesus’ return will at least happen around 2000 years after that? Those people died.

This verse may point to the reincarnation of those who pierced Jesus. They must be alive on earth when he returns for this verse to be true. But, maybe those individuals will be resurrected in a different way at that time such that they will see Jesus and not through reincarnation.

F.   Matthew 24:30-34

^“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

³²From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁴ Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

If reincarnation is unbiblical, how will the generation he is with now (in the gospels) not “certainly pass away” until the Son of Man comes on the clouds of heaven, given that all the disciples died almost 2000 years ago? How will they be alive on earth when Jesus returns?

The only way this generation will not pass away until all those things take place is if that generation is living when Christ returns. One way that generation can be living when Christ returns is through reincarnation, because every person’s body from that generation died. Those people, that generation, could still be reborn if reincarnation is real for this prophecy to be true. 

Without reincarnation, how can the people of the generation Jesus was a part of "not pass away" and be alive when he returns?

G.        ^“Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” ²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world [Greek: in the "rebirth"], when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19:27-29

The translation "new world" is the Greek word “palingenesia”, which literally means “rebirth”, or “reincarnation”. If reincarnation is not real, why does Jesus say “in the regeneration”, or “in the rebirth”, talking about when he comes back to earth?

Could Jesus be referring to reincarnation? The disciples, who died almost 2000 years ago, can only receive a hundredfold and eternal life if they are alive. Jesus uses the Greek word “palingenesia” (regeneration) in verse 28 to describe when that will happen. The word in Greek literally means “rebirth”, the definition of reincarnation. Again, the word “reincarnation” was not penned until centuries after the Bible was written, so it is possible that “resurrection” refers to “rebirth” or reincarnation at times in the Bible.

Given that the word Jesus uses here means “rebirth”, or reincarnation, perhaps Christ and his disciples will return to earth via reincarnation, to receive a hundredfold and eternal life. The Bible never says that the return of Jesus with his saints will not or could not happen via reincarnation. Perhaps God will use reincarnation to fulfill the promises made by Jesus to his disciples in this passage. Jesus and the disciples will be reborn, all reign and judge together, and receive a hundredfold with eternal life. Would this contradict Jesus’ return when he “comes with the clouds”? Perhaps Revelation 19’s description of Jesus coming with the clouds happens after he has already been on the earth and is metaphorical: Jesus will not literally appear in the clouds and come to earth when he returns. Revelation is largely metaphorical. There are many unknowns, and we probably will not understand eschatology until we see Jesus face to face. I am simply trying to communicate that this is a possible interpretation of this passage.

 So, if this scenario is not at a minimum possible, why did Jesus use the Greek word for “rebirth”, the definition of reincarnation?  While this scenario would be unexpected and surprising for the Church, the fact that it is unexpected and surprising is decidedly more like God than something expected. God’s ways are beyond our understanding and imagining (Isaiah 55:8, Ephesians 3:20-21). Consider Jesus’ first coming: it was entirely unlike anything people were hoping for and expecting.

This passage in Matthew 19:27-29 is, I think, the best biblical evidence for reincarnation of believers happening when Christ returns. While there are other interpretations of this passage, I think the plainest meaning of Jesus’ words given his use of the word “rebirth” is that the disciples and Christ will be reborn via reincarnation to inaugurate the millennial kingdom and Christianize the world. The millennial kingdom is described in detail in section 6 of my blog, "The Millennium". This cannot be talking about the new heaven and the new earth as there will be no judgment, and here Christ and the disciples are described as judging the earth.

H. Wisdom 7:3-6 says, "And when I was born, I began to breathe the common air, and fell upon the kindred earth; my first sound was a cry, as is true of all. I was nursed with care in swaddling cloths, For no king has had a different beginning or existence; there is for all one entrance into life, and one way out."

To build on point G, if there is one entrance into life, and one way out, is not this further proof that Jesus and his disciples will return to earth via birth? In other words, via reincarnation? If there is only one entrance into life, and Jesus and his disciples will return to earth, does not it follow this happens through birth - through reincarnation?

Perhaps this is too literal of an interpretation of Wisdom 7:6... but perhaps not.

I.       Matthew 16:13-14 says, “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’”

Why would people think those people could be Jesus as all the people named are dead?

How could Jesus be one of those people without reincarnation? Now, the passage reads on that the disciples did not think Jesus was any of these people. However, the Jews in this passage must have believed in reincarnation, even believing that Jesus could be the reincarnation of a prophet. What other explanation is there for their discussions over Jesus’ identity? Jesus obviously did not have the same body as these individuals, and the Jews knew Jesus was born in Bethlehem. For Jesus to have been Elijah or Jeremiah, for example, he must have been one of them born into a new body: reincarnation.

J.   Luke 13:1-5

“There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? ³ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

This is just a note to point out that, 1)18 people died when the tower of Siloam fell on them, 2) they were not more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem, so 3) life circumstances are not always a result of past sin, so if reincarnation is real this differentiates Christianity from reincarnation in other religions.

K. Wisdom 8:19-20

“As a child I was naturally gifted, and a good soul fell to my lot; or rather, being good, I entered an undefiled body.”

This verse shows that character before life, i.e., this child was “good”, resulted in the child entering an “undefiled body”.  This verse may indicate a past life of this particular child. How could they have “been good” if they had not lived before? Because this child was good, he received something good from God: “an undefiled body”. While it is not evident what that means, the preexistence of the child may point to reincarnation as what is being described here.

L. 1 Samuel 2:5-8

^5 “Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.

⁶ “The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.⁷ The Lord sends poverty and wealth;    he humbles and he exalts.⁸ He raises the poor from the dust    and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes    and has them inherit a throne of honor.

“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world.”

The Lord is generally described here as bringing death and making alive, bringing down to the grave, and raising up, as if those two tasks were routine things He did that paralleled each other. In a world where reincarnation existed, verse 6 would make sense. God is in the business of consistently bringing down to the grave and raising up from the grave, presumably the same people. He brings death and also makes people alive.

While God occasionally raises people from the dead in the Old Testament and the New, that is extremely rare. This passage makes it sound common place. Again, if reincarnation was true, the Lord’s actions of “raising up” would take place via the rebirth of souls in new bodies. Understanding this passage as referring to reincarnation makes more sense than the traditional understanding that God primarily only brings death with the extremely rare occurrence of a resurrection. This passage cannot be referring to the final resurrection as this is an Old Testament understanding of God. From this Old Testament perspective, God is currently bringing down to the grave and raising up. There is no reason to think this “raising up” could not happen via reincarnation. Again, reincarnation was penned in the 19^th century and refers to “raising up”: just through rebirth, not inanimate corpses coming to life. This passage may refer to universal reincarnation.

M. Amos 9:1-2

“…and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword; not one of them shall flee away; not one of them shall escape. Though they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; though they climb up to heaven,  from there I will bring them down.”

Like 1 Samuel 2:5-8, this is referring to God taking people out of Sheol, the place of the dead, and God taking people from heaven and bringing them down, as if this a common place activity God does. God takes people from the place of the dead and from heaven. Why? In context, God will do this so that he will fulfill Amos 9:1, which says, “…those who are left of them I will kill with the sword; not one of them shall flee away; not one of them shall escape.” Could this be saying, in context, that even they die and go to Sheol or heaven, God’s just punishment will of killing them with the sword will not escape them? It is plainly true that many who are evil in the world seem to escape God’s justice in their single lifetime. Could this verse be saying no one will ultimately escape God’s justice, even if He enacts it on some after their death? If that is not what this passage is saying, what is it saying? Perhaps God uses reincarnation as a way of executing His justice.

N. Psalm 90:2-6

“Before the mountains were brought forth,    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³ You turn us back to dust,    and say, “Turn back, you mortals.”⁴ For a thousand years in your sight    are like yesterday when it is past,    or like a watch in the night.

⁵ You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning;⁶ in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.”

 This psalm was written by Moses. His words (as all words in the Bible) can certainly be trusted. He describes death in a universal way just previous points do. He says that God turns mortals back to dust and says, “Turn back…” He compares mortal lives generally to lives that are swept away by God. People’s lives are like dreams.

Then he compares peoples’ lives to grass that is renewed in the morning. It flourishes and is renewed, and then in the evening it fades and withers. Grass, we know from biology, is part of a cycle, a circle of life. Grass dies, withers, and grows again. Grass is “renewed in the morning”. “Renew” means “to make something new, fresh, and strong again, to restore it to a good condition.” If people are like grass renewed in the morning, this speaks to people having multiple lives like in a cycle – like grass. If people’s lives are “renewed”, this means they are made alive again. How can this be true without reincarnation, as the only way people come into the earth is through birth? Moses speaks of grass fading and withering away. Human life is short like grass, Moses says. Nevertheless, human life is like something that is renewed. If everyone lives one life, “renewal” would be the wrong word to use to describe human life. So, Moses using the metaphor of grass, which exists in a cycle, and human life being renewed, which speaks to multiple lives, points to universal reincarnation, as Moses is talking in general terms.

O. Job 14:13-14

“Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would conceal me until your wrath be past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!¹⁴ If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come.”

The word for “renewal” can also mean “change”, and is used other times in the Bible to talk about a change of clothes (see: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2487.htm). While this is not an explicit reference to reincarnation, Job could be referring to reincarnation. Reincarnation is essentially a “change” in body and a “renewal” in a new life. Job has already referred explicitly to reincarnation in Job 1:21, so apparently, he believes in it. So, he could be referencing reincarnation here. 

P. Matthew 26:63-64

^“But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” ⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

How can the high priest see Jesus when he returns a second time if he is not alive to see it? Similar to Revelation 1:7, this points to reincarnation. How else will the high priest be alive when Jesus returns? Jesus ascended to heaven almost 2000 years ago.

Q. Matthew 24:30-34

^30 “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

³² “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁴ Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

And yet, the generation that was alive when Jesus was alive in the 1^st century and all died. How could that generation not pass away until all those things take place? One possible answer to this is reincarnation. If reincarnation is biblical, this generation could reincarnate and be alive when Jesus returns. What other plausible options are there, given that the only way people come to this earth is through child birth, and Jesus is referring to the generation being alive on earth when he returns? It certainly does not contradict any Scriptures for reincarnation to be true and that to be the answer to this puzzle. Further, point G seems to affirm this very point: that in the “rebirth” (again, the definition of reincarnation), Jesus’ disciples, part of that generation that does not pass away, will be alive when Jesus returns.

R. James 3:6

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”

In the original Greek, another word for “course” is “wheel” moving on a “circular track” (see https://biblehub.com/greek/5164.htm).  This represents the “moral axis” by which human lives turn. This word is only used in James 3:5, and could be referring to reincarnation, which like a wheel is a cycle – a cycle of lives. This passage portrays life not as linear, but as a cycle that is impacted by human sin – in this verse, the sin of the tongue. According to James, life is a cycle, a course – a wheel, not a linear path of dying once and resurrecting once. Life itself is cyclical according to this verse.

S. Tobit 13:1-2

 “Then Tobit wrote a prayer of rejoicing, and said:

“Blessed is God who lives for ever,    and blessed is his kingdom.² For he afflicts, and he shows mercy;  he leads down to Hades, and brings up again, and there is no one who can escape his hand.”

Like other verses previously mentioned, Tobit writes in general as if God afflicts and shows mercy by leading down to Hades and bring people up again. According to Tobit, it is not rare for God to bring up someone from Hades, it is common place. It is just what God does with humanity. He leads people to death, and then He brings them up again. And how is this done? Well, people only enter the earth in one way: through childbirth. So, Tobit is speaking about reincarnation. These verses also lend insight to the way God uses reincarnation: He is merciful. Yes, He afflicts, but He also shows mercy. Thus, this is not the impersonal, justice-only focused reincarnation of Eastern religions, but reincarnation from a merciful God to bring people up.

T. Sirach 41:10

“Whatever comes from earth returns to earth; so the ungodly go from curse to destruction.”

According to Sirach, whatever comes from earth, including the ungodly – so, including people – returns to the earth. In the case of the ungodly, they go from curse to destruction. This may be speaking to God judging the ungodly in lives to come given their evil deeds in one life. In any event, this is an explicit mention of reincarnation. Whatever comes from earth (so, including people, like the ungodly mentioned here), return to earth. And how? The only way God has ordained aside from the first humans, Adam and Eve: through childbirth.

U. Maccabees 7:22-29

²² “I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. ²³ Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of man and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws.”

²⁴ Anti′ochus felt that he was being treated with contempt, and he was suspicious of her reproachful tone. The youngest brother being still alive, Anti′ochus not only appealed to him in words, but promised with oaths that he would make him rich and enviable if he would turn from the ways of his fathers, and that he would take him for his friend and entrust him with public affairs. ²⁵ Since the young man would not listen to him at all, the king called the mother to him and urged her to advise the youth to save himself. ²⁶ After much urging on his part, she undertook to persuade her son. ²⁷ But, leaning close to him, she spoke in their native tongue as follows, deriding the cruel tyrant: “My son, have pity on me. I carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you for three years, and have reared you and brought you up to this point in your life, and have taken care of you. ²⁸ I beseech you, my child, to look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them, and recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed. Thus also mankind comes into being. ²⁹ Do not fear this butcher, but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death, so that in God’s mercy I may get you back again with your brothers.”

The context of this passage is that this woman’s sons have been killed and persecuted for their faith. She believes that in God’s mercy He will give life and breath back to them again – through resurrection, presumably. She later says in verse 29 that in accepting death she will in God’s mercy get her sons back with his brothers. All Christians agree in resurrection. This passage refers to some sort of resurrection – but how? Is it possible that resurrection in some cases in the Bible is referring to reincarnation? As already stated, “reincarnation” was not coined as a term until the 19^th century (though the term “rebirth”, the definition of reincarnation, is ancient). Reincarnation is a type of resurrection. Resurrection does not only need to refer to the reanimation of corpses. How does God give life and breath back to people? Through the reanimation of corpses? This did happen in the case of Lazarus and Jesus. But is this the general meaning of being raised in the Bible? Reincarnation is at least a possible perspective that does not contradict Scripture.

The next passage, which is also in 2 Maccabees, gives some insight into what the author thought about the resurrection of the dead and how it may pertain to reincarnation.

V. 2 Maccabees 12:39-43

^“39 On the next day, as by that time it had become necessary, Judas and his men went to take up the bodies of the fallen and to bring them back to lie with their kinsmen in the sepulchres of their fathers. ⁴⁰ Then under the tunic of every one of the dead they found sacred tokens of the idols of Jam′nia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. And it became clear to all that this was why these men had fallen. ⁴¹ So they all blessed the ways of the Lord, the righteous Judge, who reveals the things that are hidden; ⁴² and they turned to prayer, beseeching that the sin which had been committed might be wholly blotted out. And the noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. ⁴³ He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection.”

In this passage, which was addressed in a previous post, the Israelites pray for the dead so their sin might be wholly blotted out. They provide for a sin offering for these fallen men as if it will do some good. The author of 2 Maccabees considers that Judas acted very well and honorably in praying for the fallen men’s sin and making a sin offering of them. And why? He was “taking account of the resurrection”.

But what resurrection? Is this verse referring to the final resurrection at the end of the age with the final judgment, where there is a reanimation of corpses according to orthodox Christianity? If so, what good will that resurrection be to these dead men? They died in their sin. They still need to repent and turn back to God. Presumably, the prayers of the dead here in this passage will help them, as well as the sin offering for them. But how – unless a future resurrection lends them the opportunity to repent?

Under the traditional Christian understanding of resurrection, these men have no hope by dying in their sin. However, if reincarnation is understood to be biblical, these men have great hope even though they died in their sin. When they are resurrected, they can repent of their idolatry and turn to God. Given this, this passage from Maccabees cannot logically be referring to the final resurrection that orthodox Christians believe in, and this passage might be referring to reincarnation. “Resurrection” may just be another word for “rebirth” in this context at least, which means reincarnation. Otherwise, it seems these men - all other people - who die in their sins are doomed, as only in repenting and believing in Jesus are people saved.

W. Wisdom 1:16-2:22

“But ungodly men by their words and deeds summoned death; considering him a friend, they pined away, and they made a covenant with him, because they are fit to belong to his party.2 For they reasoned unsoundly, saying to themselves, “Short and sorrowful is our life, and there is no remedy when a man comes to his end, and no one has been known to return from Hades.² Because we were born by mere chance, and hereafter we shall be as though we had never been; because the breath in our nostrils is smoke, and reason is a spark kindled by the beating of our hearts.³ When it is extinguished, the body will turn to ashes ,and the spirit will dissolve like empty air.⁴ Our name will be forgotten in time, and no one will remember our works; our life will pass away like the traces of a cloud, and be scattered like mist that is chased by the rays of the sun and overcome by its heat.⁵ For our allotted time is the passing of a shadow, and there is no return from our death, because it is sealed up and no one turns back.

⁶ “Come, therefore, let us enjoy the good things that exist, and make use of the creation to the full as in youth.⁷ Let us take our fill of costly wine and perfumes, and let no flower of spring pass by us.⁸ Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds before they wither.⁹ Let none of us fail to share in our revelry, everywhere let us leave signs of enjoyment, because this is our portion, and this our lot.¹⁰ Let us oppress the righteous poor man; let us not spare the widow nor regard the gray hairs of the aged.¹¹ But let our might be our law of right, for what is weak proves itself to be useless.

¹² “Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training.¹³ He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord.¹⁴ He became to us a reproof of our thoughts;¹⁵ the very sight of him is a burden to us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange.¹⁶ We are considered by him as something base, and he avoids our ways as unclean; he calls the last end of the righteous happy, and boasts that God is his father.¹⁷ Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life;¹⁸ for if the righteous man is God’s son, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries.¹⁹ Let us test him with insult and torture, that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance.²⁰ Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected.”

²¹ Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them,²² and they did not know the secret purposes of God, nor hope for the wages of holiness, nor discern the prize for blameless souls…”

This passage is fascinating. The author of the book of Wisdom is saying that in Wisdom 2:1-2 that the wicked are reasoning unsoundly by saying to themselves that the current life is the only they will have. They are foolish, according to the author, to think that they will not come back from Hades. We have already seen in previous passages that God does indeed bring up from Hades. The evil are foolish in this passage to consider there is no return from death, from the author’s perspective. Because the wicked have this perspective, they live however they want. But the author notes at the end that the wicked were led astray and blind in thinking there would be no life after theirs where perhaps their wickedness would be accounted for by God. This is because they did not know the “secret purposes of God”. Could one of the secret purposes of God be reincarnation? That He is just and merciful through using reincarnation to bring people, both the evil and good, back from Hades? This perspective would contradict neither God’s character or other Scriptures. In fact, it would harmonize with other Scriptures.

Interestingly, the author of Wisdom calls this knowledge a “secret purpose” of God. If reincarnation is biblical, it certainly falls into the category of a “secret purpose” of God. Reincarnation has barely been taught or considered through much of Judaism and Christianity, though its reality is evidenced in Scripture. The book of Wisdom confirms that reincarnation – the fact that God brings people back from Hades – is a secret purpose. This also means that no one should discard reincarnation as being true and valid just because it has never been a central Christian doctrine or understanding through Christian history. The Bible itself witnesses here to reincarnation, if it is biblical, being a “secret” purpose of God.

X. The Word “Resurrection”

I want to emphasize that the word “reincarnation” was not penned until the 19^th century, though “rebirth”, the definition of reincarnation, is ancient. “Rebirth” was explicitly used by Jesus in Matthew 19, as already cited. When the Bible refers to being raised from the dead, it is possible that the Bible could be referring to resurrection via reincarnation. Of course, this can’t always be the case as Lazarus was raised from the dead, and Jesus too, with the more traditional understanding of resurrection: that of the resurrection of dead corpses.

However, this does not mean that when the Bible generally talks about being “raised” reincarnation could not be in view as well. The passages quoted in this section point to a more broad biblical understanding of the word “resurrection.” Perhaps in some cases, God is referring to resurrection through reincarnation, and in others, like the case of Lazarus and Jesus, resurrection of dead corpses. Certainly, as Jesus uses the word “rebirth” in Revelation to talk about the time when he comes back, it is not illogical to suppose that the end time resurrection may happen via reincarnation. As odd as this may seem to modern readers, does this contradict the Bible or God’s character in any way?

Y. Genesis 4:14-15

^14 “Behold, thou hast driven me this day away from the ground; and from thy face I shall be hidden; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will slay me.” ¹⁵ Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If any one slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who came upon him should kill him.”

How could someone who slayed Cain experience vengeance sevenfold without reincarnation being a reality? Surely, someone who slayed Cain and was killed once himself would only experience God’s judgment “onefold”.  A person would have to be killed seven times to experience God’s judgment. Perhaps reincarnation is biblical.

Z. Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 5:9, Deuteronomy 24:16, and Ezekiel 18:20

^5 “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me…”

^“9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me…”

Deuteronomy 24:16 says, “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.” 

Ezekiel 18:20 says, “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”

How can all of these verses be true? On the one hand, God seems to say that the third and fourth generation will get judgment because of the fathers, whereas the last two verses say that God will not punish the son or daughter of a man or woman who sins. Is God contradicting Himself?

The answer lies in the definition of “generation”. “Generation” in Hebrew is “dor”. See https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1755.htm for more information.

Based on this definition, “dor” can also mean a “revolution of time” or a “dwelling”. Could the first two passages be referring to God judging people for their sin to the third and fourth “revolution” or “cycle” of their lives on earth? It certainly cannot mean God is judging someone for the sin of their great grandfather – that would be unjust, and God says elsewhere He does not do that. So, He must be talking about judging the same person for their sin, as that is only just. Therefore, the generation God is referring to is most likely referring to their “third or fourth” “revolution” or “dwelling” on earth: the third or fourth time they reincarnate. Otherwise, God is not just and contradicts His words elsewhere.

Galatians 6:8 offers more insight into these verses, ^“For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” The man who sows sin will reap corruption, perhaps in a future incarnation (“dor”, “revolution of time”, or “dwelling”), and the man who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life in incarnations to follow. God is just. We reap what we sow. But our children do not.

AA. The Law of Karma

At this point, it is important to address one of the key doctrines of any religion that believes in reincarnation: karma. Surely God would not adhere to a law of karma? Surely God is not like that? Is not karma an evil doctrine from religions like Buddhism and Hinduism?

Perhaps. I have already addressed this some at the beginning of this post. What is karma? Karma is essentially a law of cause and effect where good or bad impacts a person’s future existence. While Christians may have a very negative reaction to even considering if karma could be part of what the Bible teaches, from that basic definition, karma is what the Bible teaches on some level. In God’s law of justice, we reap what we sow. While the Bible presents God ruling His world in a much more complex, loving, and merciful way than the straightforward law of karma, aspects of karma are still in the Bible. Consider the following passages from the Old Testament:

1.     Genesis 9:6 ^“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image.”

2.     Hosea 10:12-13

“Sow for yourselves righteousness,    reap the fruit^[a] of steadfast love;    break up your fallow ground,for it is the time to seek the Lord,    that he may come and rain salvation upon you.

¹³ You have plowed iniquity,    you have reaped injustice,    you have eaten the fruit of lies.Because you have trusted in your chariots    and in the multitude of your warriors…”

3.     Obadiah 1:15

“For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations.As you have done, it shall be done to you,    your deeds shall return on your own head.”

4.     Proverbs 10:16

“The wage of the righteous leads to life,    the gain of the wicked to sin.”

5.     Proverbs 11:27

“Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor,     but evil comes to him who searches for it.”

6.     Proverbs 20:22

“Do not say, “I will repay evil”;    wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.”

7.     Proverbs 22:8

“Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,    and the rod of his fury will fail.”

8.     Proverbs 28:18

“Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered,    but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.”

9.     Psalm 7:16

“His mischief returns upon his own head,    and on his own skull his violence descends.”

Consider also these passages from the New Testament:

10.  Matthew 7:1-2

“Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”

11.  Matthew 7:8

“For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

12.  Matthew 7:12

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

13.  Matthew 16:27

^“For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.”

14.  Matthew 18:7

^7 ““Woe to the world for temptations to sin!^[a] For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!”

15.  Matthew 23:12

^“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

16.  Galatians 6:7-10

^“7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

17.  2 Corinthians 9:6

^“ The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

18.  Romans 12:17-19

^17 “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it^[a] to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 

19.  2 Thessalonians 1:6

^6 “since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you”

20.  2 Corinthians 5:10

^10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

21.  Hebrews 10:30

^30 “For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.””

22.  Mark 4:24

^24 “And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.”

23.  Mark 11:25-26

^25 “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”^[a]

24.  James 3:18

^18” And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

So, at least 24 passages in the Bible indicate that the law of karma, as named in other religions, is part of how God enacts justice. That being said, God is infinite in love, mercy, and wisdom, and the way He enacts justice, which based on these verses is similar to karma, is undoubtedly more loving, merciful, and wise than how the law of karma is thought of in other religions. Nevertheless, if karma is thought of to just be a basic cause and effect based on how humans act, that philosophy is biblical – in both the Old and the New Testament. Our deeds matter, and God is just.

This does not mean reincarnation is true necessarily, but it does beg the question: how does God operate with justice apart from reincarnation? Many righteous and unrighteous die, it seems to us, unjustly one way or the other. But if more is going on behind the scenes – if reincarnation is part of God’s secret purpose – it is at least possible for even our human minds to understand that perhaps God is way more just it seems by just looking at the world around us.

A cautionary note: this does not mean we can fathom the ways of God. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts your thoughts.” This does not mean we are right to judge others – or ourselves – by our current life circumstances. Besides, what we might consider a good circumstance or a bad circumstance may be different in the eyes of God. Suffering is not inherently evil, but a tool God uses to make us more like Christ. God’s kingdom is one in which the first is last and the last is first. What counts is keeping God’s commandments and trusting Him wholeheartedly with our life circumstances. God’s kingdom is an upside down kingdom. Blessed are the “poor in spirit”, Jesus says (Matthew 5:3), and the “meek inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). The most blessed from God’s perspective are those who know God, not those who are rich in the eyes of the world. And, for those who know God, suffering is a necessary prerequisite to becoming like God. We follow a crucified Savior. So, we are wise to not make any judgment calls on our circumstances or others, and instead, focus on keeping God’s commandments, loving God and others.

Finally, what makes God’s kingdom unique is that the law of karma and justice is not the only law at play. There is the law of love, the law of grace, the law of mercy… I could go on. Forgiveness is powerful. God and gracious people often give others what they do not deserve. Praise God He does not give any of us what we deserve! He lovingly disciplines us so we can share His holiness, and we have the opportunity every day to be gracious and loving to other regardless of their “righteousness”. God’s kingdom is far more complex than the straightforward law of karma and justice – but it is still there, in Scripture and in practice.

Conclusion

In the posts to follow, I will show how Scripture testifies that Jesus is the reincarnation of David and Adam, John the Baptist is the reincarnation of Elijah, and Eve will be reincarnated when Jesus returns. These are 3 specific examples of reincarnation that points A-AA describe regarding the general population. Reincarnation is stated explicitly and implicitly in the Bible and referred to in multiple verses. While much still remains a mystery as to how God uses it, I think the concept of universal reincarnation has sufficient Scriptural evidence.

What valid explanation is there for the passages above besides reincarnation? The blind man could only have sinned if he had had a past life and sinned. People who desired earth had an opportunity to return. How? The only way people ever return to earth: through a mother’s womb – so, reincarnation. Similarly, in Revelation 3:12 Jesus says those who overcome will not leave any more. Maybe this is referring to people who have been fully purified and have overcome – there is no need for them to go back to earth. Job explicitly says in Job 1:20-21 that he will return to his mother’s womb. That is the exact definition of reincarnation – returning to a mother’s womb. So, Job believed in reincarnation. He stated it as if reincarnation was general knowledge – a common occurrence. Isaiah 26:17-19 refers to the earth giving birth to its dead in the context of dead living and bodies rising. What does that mean if not reincarnation? The dead live and bodies “rise” – why? Because the earth gives birth. Dead live and bodies rise because they rise through literally being born again. That is reincarnation, explicitly. Matthew 16:13-14 describes how people thought Jesus was one of the prophets. How could he have been if not for reincarnation? He lived at another time and had a different body. At least some of the people at the time of Jesus believed in reincarnation.  Further, how can those who pierced Jesus see Jesus when he returns (Revelation 1:7) apart from reincarnation? Those who killed Jesus died a long time ago. Yet if they reincarnated when Christ returns, they would be able to see him. What is more, Matthew 24:30-34 reveals that the generation with Jesus will not pass away before the end times occur. Was Jesus lying? That whole generation passed away. But if they return through reincarnation when Jesus returns, they will not have passed away before he returns. And this is exactly what Matthew 19:27-29 affirms. In the new world – in the “regeneration”, the “palingenesia”, the “rebirth” – the literal Greek word for reincarnation – the disciples and Jesus will reign and judge together. If reincarnation is not true, why would Jesus use the Greek word for “rebirth”, which is the definition of reincarnation, to describe what will happen when Jesus returns? Perhaps reincarnation is exactly how Jesus and his disciples will return to earth, as that is the only way people return God’s world: through a mother’s womb (Wisdom 7:6). 1 Samuel 2:5-8 would sync with this understanding, as God is said to kill and bring life, to bring down to death and raise up as general acts He does related to all humanity. Wisdom 8:19-20 explicitly says that because (the author, presumably), was good, he entered an “undefiled body” upon birth. He could not have been good before being born unless he had had a previous life. All these Scriptures witness to the reality of reincarnation. Reincarnation is biblical.

Further, 1 Samuel 2:3-8 reference God bringing death and making alive, bringing down to the grace and raising up all people. What could this refer to if not reincarnation?  Amos 9:1-2 refers to the same – God brings down from heaven and up from Sheol and back to earth. Psalm 90:2-6 speaks to God renewing people like the cycle of grass that is renewed and withers. Job refers to his renewal to come, and the Hebrew word for renew means “change”, like a change of clothes – perhaps referring to change of body. People who were alive in Jesus’ time Jesus prophecies will see him when he returns – his disciples and his killers – how, if not via reincarnation? James 3:6 speaks to life being a “course” or “wheel” – so, a cycle, like reincarnation proposes. Tobit says God leads to Hades and brings up again, talking of the general human populace, not specific individuals. Sirach says that whatever comes from earth returns to earth, implying reincarnation. 2 Maccabees speaks to resurrection being a reality that could mean reincarnation, and the efficacy of praying for the dead so they could repent in a future life. Wisdom refers to the unsoundness of reasoning that reincarnation (or something like it) is not true, though Wisdom says reincarnation (or something like it) is a secret purpose of God. Resurrection can and does in some cases refer to reincarnation. God’s protection of Cain in Genesis 4 is not logically possible apart form reincarnation. Reincarnation is implied in God stating he judges people to the third and fourth “generation”, which can also refer to “dwelling” or “revolution”, given that he only judges people for their own sin, not their parent’s. The law of karma is the Bible, but thankfully God’s mercy and love triumph over judgment and the law of karma.  All these Scriptures witness the reality of reincarnation. Reincarnation is biblical.

If you do not think so: why? It in no way contradicts God’s character or His heart. In fact, I think reincarnation reveals His character and His heart. God does not want anyone to perish, but His standard is incredibly high: we are to share in His divine nature of love (2 Peter 1:4). He gives people more than one opportunity to hear the gospel, repent, and become like Christ. Does not that sound like a more loving Father than One who gives only one opportunity, particularly given that so many die without hearing the gospel – and so, would perish without another opportunity? Again, Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.” Romans 11:33 says, Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” There is much mystery that remains if reincarnation is biblical that God has not shared with humanity.

But, we can trust His ways are completely just, loving, and wise. We can also trust reincarnation is biblical according to these passages and the clear witness of reincarnation in the life of Jesus, Elijah, and Eve, which I explain in the next posts.

If you are skeptical, read the following posts that reveal reincarnation in the lives of Jesus, Elijah, and Eve. Further, consider if it would be like God to only reincarnate those 3 individuals given the benefits of reincarnation: namely, more opportunity to hear the gospel, repent, and become like Christ. According to the passages stated above regarding reincarnation, reincarnation is written about as if it is a universal reality – I think, because it is. Why else would God include the passages cited in His Word? Why else would there be such good (I think) evidence of Jesus, Elijah, and Eve being reincarnated? God shows no favoritism and acts in love toward all He has made. Yes, reincarnation is “secret” in Scripture – but it is still there. Consider Proverbs 25:2, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” I have been asking God since summer 2022 if reincarnation was true, and searching the Scriptures to try to find the answer. God answers us when we pray. Just because the knowledge that reincarnation is biblical is hidden and not emphasized does not mean reincarnation is false. This section (section 4) of my blog is, I think, God’s answer to my question. I hope you are encouraged. God will save all, sanctify all, and conform all to Christ’s image! Given the truth of reincarnation, we can intellectually understand how.