Resurrection And Reincarnation

Biblegems #129

Question: How does the biblical idea of resurrection differ from the concept of reincarnation taught in other religions, or are they the same thing?

For those who grew up in a conservative Christian tradition it might be surprising that there is any question on this matter. However, the distinction between resurrection and reincarnation has become increasingly blurred in western culture, at least since the 1960’s.

Belief in reincarnation in western culture has been born largely out of a confusion of ideas from eastern religions and the occult. Consequently, those who believe in some form of reincarnation do not necessarily hold to any particular religious beliefs from which either reincarnation or resurrection stems.

Definitions:

Reincarnation is the belief that a soul departs a body at death and enters another body (either human, animal, ghost, demon, etc., depending on the religion). Buddhism, originally, taught that the “soul” did not exist but that a person who has not achieved enlightenment at the time of death will be reborn. In eastern religions, karma (unavoidable reward & punishment) determines the body one is given.

Resurrection is a biblical teaching. Scripture states that there will be a bodily resurrection of all mankind. Those who belong to Jesus Christ will be resurrected at His second coming to live eternally with Jesus in heaven:

         1Cor. 15:20-23  But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

        

For those who die without acknowledging Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord there will be a resurrection at the Final Judgment. Because they had not been set free from sin by Jesus Christ in their earthly life they will be resurrected (reunited with their bodies) for eternal existence in hell. As Jesus taught in the Gospel of John:

         John 5:28-29  Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

        

Reincarnation and resurrection are dramatically different and incompatible concepts. According to the Bible, people live one earthly life, after which they are resurrected to eternal life or eternal damnation:

         Heb. 9:27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…

Reincarnation has no place in a biblical worldview. In fact, the only thing standing between every person and eternal life is sin; and Jesus came that we might be saved from sin and its eternal consequences:

         John 3:17-18 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

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When Did Jesus Enter Heaven?

Biblegems #128

Question: In Luke 23:43 Jesus says He will be in Paradise that day, yet Jesus tells Mary on the day of His resurrection that He has not yet returned to the Father. How are these verses reconciled?

I have underlined three words below that are key to understanding this question:

Luke 23:43  Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

John 20:17  Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

The passage in John relates how Mary Magdalene encountered Jesus outside the tomb, when He said to her, “Do not hold on to me…” The word Jesus used there was hapto, meaning “to grasp” or “to clutch.” He didn’t want her to cling to Him was because He had work for her to do before He returned to heaven.

However, the verb translated “returned”[i] has the primary meaning of “go up,” “rise up” or “advance.”[ii]  And the verb’s tense[iii] tells us that Jesus had not yet entered the condition or state of being ascended to the Father. Jesus had not yet ascended, even though He had been resurrected. “In essence, Jesus was saying. “I have not yet entered into an ascended state.”[iv] The “Ascension” state of Jesus’ existence in heaven is at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest:

Heb. 8:1 The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven…

The word “Paradise”[v] is Persian, meaning “park” or “garden.”  It describes the Eden-like environment in the kingdom of heaven:

         Is. 51:3 The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

The apostle Paul testifies to how he once experienced Paradise:

2Cor. 12:2-4 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.

Paradise is another term for heaven. If Paul entered Paradise for a brief time while still of this world, the crucified thief could certainly be the first New Testament believer to enter heaven following Jesus’ crucifixion.

Jesus entered heaven the day He died, having overcome sin, death and the grave. That same promise of entering heaven immediately upon death awaits every believer in Jesus:

Rev. 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Comments or Questions?

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Your comment or question will appear after I approve it as appropriate (usually within 24 hours). I look forward to your questions and comments. Thank you!

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[i] Gk.: anabebaka, from anabaino

[ii] Strong’s Greek New testament Dictionary  

[iii] Perfect Active Indicative: a completed action with ongoing results.

[iv] Expositor’s Bible Commentary, in loc

[v] Gk.: paradeiso

A Creation Contradiction?

Biblegems #126

Question: How do Genesis 2:5 and Genesis1:11 in the NIV (about the earth bringing forth vegetation) go together? On the surface they seem to contradict each other. I know that is not possible so am wondering what they mean.

Here are the two verses in question:

Gen. 1:11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.[i]

Gen. 2:5 "Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground."[ii]

The apparent contradiction lies in the assertion in Genesis 1:11 that vegetation came into existence on day three of creation, yet Genesis 2:5 seems to suggest that vegetation had not yet appeared!

The answer is to be found in the way Genesis chapters 1 and 2 relate to each other. The natural assumption is that Genesis 2 continues the chronological description of creation begun in Genesis 1, but that is not the case. Chapter 2 is intended to give us a closer look at certain aspects of the creation account of chapter 1.

 Genesis 2:4 is the key:

         This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens…

The word “when” lets us know that our attention is being directed backwards, back to the creation account in the previous chapter. Therefore, when 2:5 tells us that “no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up,” we are being referred back to moments before the appearance of vegetation in chapter 1. Genesis 1 gives us a general overview of the events of day three, while Genesis 2:5 zooms in for a closer look.

In this close-up view, God shows us two things in verse 5 that were closely linked in his plan with regard to the timing of the appearance of plant life: first, water would be needed for the vegetation to thrive, and second, the vegetation itself was intended to be cultivated. That meant that when it sprang from the ground irrigation also had to be provided so that the plants could mature. And this is exactly what God did, as described in verses 6 and 7.

Genesis chapter 1:1-2:3 then, gives us a chronological overview of creation, culminating in the creation of man in God’s image and in the establishment of the Sabbath as the goal of creation—being set aside in completed perfection for God. Chapter 2:4 and beyond shows us how that vegetation was nourished by streams that “came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground” (2:7). It rapidly blossomed and matured to a beautiful garden, Eden, within a matter of days in preparation for the creation of man on day 6.

God has wonderfully revealed His work of creation, and that revelation almost shouts with joy as life springs into being and comes to full maturity in a matter of days.

         Ps. 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Comments or Questions?

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[i] YouVersion.com: http://bible.us/111/gen.2.5.niv

[ii] ibid

Is The Millennium Really A Millennium?

Biblegems #125

Question: Only Revelation speaks of Jesus’ earthly reign as being 1,000 years, a book that is highly symbolic. Are the thousand years to be taken literally or symbolically, and how can we know?

The reference for this question is Revelation 20:1-7. How we answer this question will depend largely on how we interpret the book of Revelation as a whole. It is true that the book of Revelation is full of highly symbolic images, but that does not mean everything is symbolic. In fact, Revelation is intended to be clear and understandable, not a mysterious puzzle to unlock. It is a “revelation,” an “un-veiling”[i] of Jesus Christ, an “unveiling” of events to come, and an “unveiling” of when, in the order of events, these things are to take place:

Rev. 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.

A correct approach to interpreting Revelation then is to treat the language in a straightforward manner unless the context indicates otherwise. With that principle of interpretation in mind, here’s why I believe the 1,00 year reign of Christ is intended to be understood literally:

  1) The Messianic Reign of Christ on earth itself is presented throughout Scripture as a literal event, so it is consistent interpretation to understand the time frame given in Revelation as literal as well.

  2) Revelation gives many new details to previous prophetic revelations from the Old Testament. The 1,000 year reign of the Messiah is one such new detail, emphasized by Jesus to John six times, one right after the other to make the matter crystal clear.

  3) Revelation 20:1-7, where the 1,000 years are specified, also lists several other events that are to take place in and around that time frame:

         • Satan is to be “bound,” rendered incapable of affecting human affairs during that 1,00years (20:1-3).

         • Jesus’ followers are resurrected, including those martyred for not receiving the mark of the Beast, and exercise authority and judgment with Jesus during this 1,000 year period (20:4-5).

         • Jesus’ resurrected followers will also serve in a priestly function during this 1,000 year period (20:6).

         • At the conclusion of the 1,000 year reign Satan will be released and will instigate mankind’s final, failed World War, targeting Jerusalem as the Messiah’s headquarters (20:7-9), after which he will be forever banished to eternal torment in hell (20:10).

If the 1,000 years are to be understood symbolically then the events set within that time frame would have to be interpreted as symbolical as well, if we apply a consistent principle of biblical interpretation. We cannot arbitrarily treat one as literal and the other as symbolic. And if the events are interpreted as symbolic, then we would have to conclude that there will be no literal messianic reign of the Kingdom of God on earth at all, no literal binding of Satan, no literal resurrection of the saints to reign with Christ as kings and priests, and no final defeat of Satan ending in his eternal demise in hell.

On the other hand, if we take Revelation 1:1 at face value and interpret this prophecy as an “unveiling of Jesus Christ,” and an “unveiling” of “what” must take place and when it must take place,” then both the events described and the time frame the events are placed in must be interpreted literally.

Comments or Questions?

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Your comment or question will appear after I approve it as appropriate (usually within 24 hours). I look forward to your questions and comments. Thank you!

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[i] ajpoka¿luyiß apokalupsis, ap-ok-al´-oop-sis; from 601; disclosure: — appearing, coming, lighten, manifestation, be revealed, revelation. (Strong’s Greek Dictionary of the New Testament.)