(03-01-2022 09:25 AM)BlueDragon Wrote:  

(02-28-2022 01:44 PM)G-Man Wrote:  I don't think we're actually talking about reincarnation, in Matthew 17. The prophet, Elijah, in the Old Testament, never experienced death. And someone who could be reincarnated (if the belief were valid) would need to die, and then be reborn.

Plus the Bible states that all men die only one time (Hebrews 9:27).

The Old Testament foreshadows a lot of the New. Israel in the Old, are the Jews. But Israel in the New, is the Church. They're definitely not the same things.

Jesus in the Old, is referred to as David's Son, but in the New, Jesus explains to the Pharisees that this cannot be the same as if they took it literally that the Messiah were David's Son, because David also refers to the Messiah as his Lord.

So, referring to Elijah in the OT, can be understood as his being a "type" (a representation) of John the Baptist.

Jesus was fully God and Man, which can't be explained about how two things can be only one thing, without also being two things. But yet, it's a foundational doctrine that Christ is neither only God, nor only Man, but fully each--and yet only one person.

When He was transfigured, it was His God nature, the Light of God, that was being perceived as the same great light that God is, and referred to in the opening passage of the Gospel of John.

9 (G)When they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “(H)Tell the vision to no one until (I)the Son of Man has (J)risen from the dead.” 10 And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that (K)Elijah must come first?” 11 And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did [d]to him whatever they wanted. So also (L)the Son of Man is going to suffer [e]at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

Matthew 17

Elijah has already came and they did not recognize him and they did what they wanted. So also will Jesus suffer.

For me it doesn’t get any clearer than that. It is written very clear black and white. And since Elijah never died how could they kill him? Apparently if you delve into this very deeply you will find John the Baptist and Elijah also had similar physical traits. That only parallels what is written. I do not place any boundaries on God so all things are possible.

It really doesn’t change anything for Christians fundamentally.

To answer your one death scripture I ask is he talking about a spiritual death or a physical death? To me it’s spiritual.


BTW great post earlier on describing man as physical spiritual and soul. Definitely spend a lot time explaining this to folks. It is something never talked about.

I have to think it actually is something fundamentally important, if Christians believed in reincarnation-- but not saying that as a negative response toward you, personally.

It's just that the reason I think it is of fundamental importance, is because if assumed we had more than one life to live (via reincarnation) here on earth, then it's possible that we could have two differing responses to Christianity.

For example, if our salvation depends on a choice about how we live, and respond to God in this life to receive salvation (which I think is fundamentally necessary-- that we DO live our life here before we die, so that we are able to receive salvation afterward in eternity), then it presents a big possible dilemma:

What if, in one life (assuming we're reincarnated at least once more after the first one) we decided to become a Christian, and made a decision to make Jesus our savior so that we had salvation--BUT in our second reincarnated life, what if we rejected Christ and didn't live as a Christian? Or, what if we're reincarnated a dozen times, and during one of them accept the Gospel and live as a Christian, but during all the others altogether and completely willfully reject it, and Christ? And what if we were Satanists and lived in a horribly evil way, totally in direct opposition of how someone should live who loves Christ, in some/all reincarnated life/lives, after having lived one life when we lived as a Christian in every way?

And finally, if someone does believe in reincarnation, then perhaps they might be willing to live in this current life, rejecting Christ, and seeking worldly pleasures and live sinfully in this life, believing and expecting that they can repent and receive salvation in some future reincarnated life.

This is why I think we don't get more than one life to make our decision to live in a way worthy of being Christ's disciple, so that reincarnation is a fundamental thing that must not be true, for Christianity to be true.