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In Genesis we learn that man was created from the dust of the Earth.

And God says (through daniel 12:2) "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt."

God also says of John the Baptist (Through Jesus in Matthew 11:14) "And if ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, that is to come."

Putting these three things together, then it appears there are a lot of folks who end up putting on a new body of dust, while most are fast asleep and still walking around in bodies made of Earthly dust.

I'm of the mind that life, like energy, is neither created nor destroyed, but is only changed or 'transferred' to another form, and based on verses such as these, it appears reincarnation is not so far fetched according to the Bible.

It may also be that Jesus was transformed into the Holy Ghost so He could be with all of us at the same time...

The Word of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - the God of Israel. Spoken of in the Torah. In that all the other books you mentioned have gods that essentially teach that man floats away at death and the believers believe the same thing then I'll go with the one that speaks the truth about what happens to man at death


Neither am I.



Eventually, there will be no secrets.

"For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light."

And the breath of God.



Hence a "resurrection."



John was being compared to Elijah. See Malachi 4:5

Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:



Haven't you heard? Flesh and blood can't inherit the immortality?

1 Cor 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. 1 Cor 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.



Well, considering there are literally dozens of verses in the Torah and Tanakh that would disagree with this assertion I'd say safety lies in hearing the word of God.

Job 14:10 But man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more. Job 14:11 As water disappears from the sea or a riverbed becomes parched and dry, Job 14:12 so man lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, men will not awake or be roused from their sleep.

Psalms 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

Psalms 6:5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

Psalms 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me.

Psalms 146:3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. Psalms 146:4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Eccl 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Eccl 9:6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. Eccl 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Acts 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Acts 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,



No, that's not a maybe. When Christ was Baptized He was anointed with the Holy Spirit.

How do you know that the writers of the Bible weren't just making, as you say, guesses?


Good, but I was referring to the BIBLE.

I believe that too, but not in the same context as you do and certainly my understanding is devoid of the guilt and shame that yours implies.

As for reincarnation, RND... There were a great many early church fathers and luminaries who did believe in and teach reincarnation. In fact, the belief was never completely declared anathema and the council that did eventually declare it anathema was boycotted by the Pope of that day. It is easily demonstrated through some remnants of biblical statements and some extra biblical statements that reincarnation was legitimately taught by the earliest of Christians. It was only stamped out by the very Roman Church that you probably don't consider proper Christianity anyway.

Doc makes some very good points about the biblical statements, IMO.

RND, how do you explain James' Story?

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EWwzFwUOxA
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5965wcH2 ... re=related

Hey RND,
Did you read my earlier post where I said this?

"...consider what the reply was to Jesus' question(s) in Mark and Luke when He asked "Who do people say that I am?"

There seems to be a Scriptural precedent for reincarnation, as the responses included the names and positions of those who were no longer among the living. This would indicate that 'reincarnation' seemed to be somewhat acknowledged by the folks back then, folks who were doing their best to live "by the Book" as they understood it. In addition, Jesus gave no indication that the people were wrong for having said what they did, which seems to give even further credence to the concept of reincarnation..."

What all this means is that sometimes, when we read Scripture, we have to pay attention to what isn't said or done...

And as far as the earlier verses you presented, there are other ways to look at them besides the literal views of life and death, as death is often seen as the darkness of the spirit, such as when is under the burden of heavy guilt or shame, whereas life can be viewed as the enlightened spirit which transcends such gloom and doom to experience the sheer peace, gratitude, and joy of being at one with all there is.

doc

Oh, you might also want to take a look at Matthew 17 as it pertains to Elijah.

Have you read the Bible? The consistency is unmistakable.



I was referring to the traditions of man in understanding the Bible.The "Word of God" is sorely misunderstood by most.



If that were true there would be no need to try and prove anything to me.

James is a child with a vivid imagination that most children have. Poor "psychotherapy."

Roman Catholicism is steped in Gnosticism and paganism.



Sure, that's certainly understood. But that does not mean they were teaching what the Torah and Tanakh.



The esoteric nature of Catholicism still very much believes in the very paganism it has embraced for centuries.



That's why they are called opinions.

Yes, I read that.



Yet not at the expense of what is clearly being said.



Sure, it is very easy to ignore the plain meaning of scripture. That why God gave us the ability to choose.

Right. Verse 12 is speaking about the prophecy of Malachi 4:5 and how John fulfilled that prophecy.

Mat 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. Mat 17:13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

So why is it that one cannot infer that John the Baptist and Elijah the prophet (From Kings) are not one and the same?

"Sure, it is very easy to ignore the plain meaning of scripture."

It is not at the expense of what is clearly being said in Scripture whereby we have the authority to discern what is not being said as well. Rather, it has more to do with being lead and illuminated by the Holy Ghost as we endeavor to fully understand what God is endeavoring to reveal to us as we read and meditate upon Scripture.

As we grow and evolve in our understanding and awareness of the truths Scripture has to offer us, our understandings of the Word often move away from the more stringent and literal physical interpretations of Scripture, and towards the more metaphorical, symbolic, and/or analogous interpretations which tend to be more able to enhance and expand our spiritual awareness. And it is the Holy Ghost Who helps us to make this move from the literal/physical truths to the truths which give rise to spiritual awareness.

It is difficult for me to explain all this, not having undergone the 'full' transition as Christ has done, but our currently reality is based more upon the physical than upon the spiritual. And yet the Bible reflects the process of the transition from the physical to the spiritual, and it does so in each and every single verse.

I suppose the simplest way to see this is by realizing where our minds are at when we read Scripture. Are we thinking in terms of the body, where physicality, thinking, and working are the more prevalent influences? or are we thinking more in terms of the sheer spiritual beingness of existence where working, thinking, or being tied to a particular space/time location have no 'real' meaning?

Here's an excercise you might want to try:

Read through the Scriptures you posted above.

On the first run through, think only interms of physical reality and the physical body, and write down your impressions and interpretations.

On the second run through, try to only be aware of existing in terms of spiritual reality, where the body, thoughts, and time and space have no real meaning - where it is enough to simply exist - and again write down your impressions and interpretations.

This is a difficult exercise, as we often find ourselves being quite subjective while leaning towards the physical reality of our beingness, but there should be a few variations between the two interpretations.

Then make one more run, but this time try to fully abandon all your prior preconceptions before reading, leaving them behind for a moment, and instead 'make-believe' as if you never saw them before and know absolutely nothing about the Christian religion. And before you read them, ask God, through the power of the Holy Ghost and in the name of Jesus Christ to guide you with understanding, compassion, and wisdom as it pertains to reincarnation.

Hopefully, you will gain a revelation which may or may not have a thing to do with reincarnation, but it is this revelation you should pay attention to.

When you are done, and if you care to do so, then feel free to share your gained insights from this exercise with us.

And try to enjoy the rest of your day!

doc

You haven't even scratched the surface of a substantial answer to all of the claims in the videos. Nice try, but you are merely being dismissive without substance.