REINCARNATION IN THE BIBLE – PART 1
REINCARNATION IN THE BIBLE
PART I – HAVE I LIVED BEFORE?
EXCERPTS FROM MY BOOK, A NEW AGE CHRISTIAN:
MY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
Nancy B. Detweiler, M.Ed., M.Div.
Often first impressions and initial experiences upon meeting an individual are based in past life memories. We can choose how we want to respond to these initial reactions. An instant dislike of the person can indicate a soul memory that needs to be resolved. The two of you may have come together—according to perfect divine timing—to heal a former relationship. On the other hand, an immediate gut-level feeling, like “I don’t trust this person,” may be your soul’s warning to “be watchful as you deal with him.” It is up to you to discern the difference, perhaps by simply withholding judgment until the two of you are better acquainted.
Two excellent introductory books are the story of Edgar Cayce’s life, There Is A River and Gina Cerminara’s book entitled Many Mansions. Cayce’s carefully documented clairvoyant readings number in the thousands. They are housed in the library of the Association for Research and Enlightenment in Virginia Beach, Virginia. After twenty-two years of giving readings for medical diagnosis, Cayce surprises himself by tapping into a past life of his subject.46 From then on the readings are filled with the accounts of past life influences upon the medical and life conditions of his subjects.
As depicted in the Cayce readings, reincarnation is a means by which humanity evolves spiritually. The Bible teaches us, in the allegorical story of Adam and Eve, that humanity chose to turn away from God.47 In doing so, we began our descent into materiality and corruption. Soon we forgot our true identities as children of God, created in the image and likeness of God. The Christian narrative introduces the man Jesus as the Saviour, the one who can show us the way out of our spiritual darkness into the divine light of God. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands us, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”48 In an effort to fulfill this commandment, the individual soul repeatedly incarnates into a physical body. In the spiritual gospel of John, Jesus explains, “The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.“49 No one need point out to us that we, at this stage in our spiritual evolution, are unable to perform the works of Jesus.
Reincarnation is the means by which the soul evolves into the perfected state and acquires the knowledge of universal law necessary to “do the works” Jesus does. Reincarnation is God’s grace manifesting in our lives. God’s grace giving us a second chance throughout eternity. Eternal life is just that: eternal, everlasting, without beginning or ending. Our souls move back and forth between the world of spirit and the world of physical matter. Once we evolve past the need to incarnate into physical bodies, we continue our spiritual evolution on higher dimensions of existence.
According to the Cayce readings, our physical body, emotions, and mental attitudes often reflect past life thought and behavioral patterns. The universal law of cause and effect rules all of life, including humanity’s. The apostle Paul explains this law: “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.”50 What we sow in the present life will be what we reap in the following incarnations. For example: My friend and I allowed unforgiven anger to be sown in our former life’s relationship. When we meet in this present life, we immediately tap into the residual emotions from the previous life; we reap the harvest of anger we sowed. This “reaping” need not be a permanent condition. The grace of forgiveness is always available. My friend and I can, through our freewill choice to do so, transform the initial anger into resumption of a lasting friendship.
Cayce’s readings are filled with examples of reaping what has been sown in previous lives. An individual suffering from severe asthma is told, “You cannot press the life out of others without seeming at times to have it pressed out of oneself.” A deaf person hears this admonition: “Then do not close your ears again to those who plead for aid.” This subject was a nobleman at the time of the French Revolution.51 The universal law of cause and effect can manifest itself in any number of ways.
The word karma is closely associated with the concept of reincarnation. Karma is what we have sown and are now reaping. As long as we incarnate on Earth, each of us is both sowing and reaping karma. Karma is a neutral word. Our behavioral choices determine whether we reap positive or negative karma. At this stage in human spiritual evolution, the majority of us are reaping both negative and positive. A word of caution is needed. We cannot outwardly observe the life conditions of another person and think we know what they are reaping.
While still in spirit, our souls prepare for the next physical incarnation by determining the best way for us to learn the lessons set aside for the particular sojourn on Earth. For example, a soul may choose to be born blind, not because it has been blind to the needs of others in a previous life, but in order to ensure the development of the intuitive self. In this case, blindness is not the harvest of past negative behavior. It is the freewill choice of a soul intent on advancing to a higher level of spiritual wisdom. Jesus gives us excellent advice when he urges, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.”52
As part of the preparation process, a soul chooses to incarnate into the family with whom it feels its purposes can best be met. A soul desiring a profession in music may choose a family attuned to the benefits of a musical education. Two or more souls may plan to assist each other in accomplishing their soul purposes. One soul may incarnate as a mentally challenged child in order to facilitate the parents’ lesson in loving unselfishly. Once more we see the need to withhold judgment. The mentally challenged child is not reaping a negative effect. Neither are the parents reaping the results of sinful behavior. Instead, the child is participating in an act of selfless service. The parents chose the lesson of unselfish love for the present incarnation; the child volunteered to tutor the parents. In so doing, the child’s soul is also benefiting. The list of possibilities or purposes behind physical incarnation is endless. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.”
Negative karma very often appears within the arena of close personal relationships. The Cayce readings seem to infer that a soul’s indifference to human suffering in one lifetime will bring suffering to the individual in a future life. One of his readings illustrates this fact. A father places his little girl in a Catholic home. The baby was born premature and hydrocephalic. His wife died a few days after giving birth. Wanting to know his previous relationship with his daughter, the father requests a reading from Cayce. He is told, “In the experience before this you could have helped and you didn’t. You’d better help in the present.”53
“Why don’t we remember our past lives?” I wonder.
Actually we do. The fact of reincarnation reveals itself throughout our everyday lives. We simply must be open to seeing and accepting it. The child prodigy, love at first sight, immediate antagonism, a compelling sexual attraction, the “I feel like I have known you all my life” sensation, déjà vu experiences, phobias, and seemingly unfounded fears—all can be signals of reincarnation.
Continuity of consciousness, while in the physical body, would be overwhelming for the majority of humanity. As we are born into the physical plane, we mercifully forget much of what we know. Our soul decides upon specific goals for the particular incarnation. To have our minds filled to overflowing with memories of all past lives would be to defeat ourselves before we get started.
A light flashes on in my mind.
“Astrology speaks to the soul’s purpose. Why can it not be interpreted to reveal the lessons our soul would like for us to learn in the present incarnation? Can I see indications of past life memories now affecting the individual?”
My quest for spiritual understanding is becoming even more exhilarating.
The science of astrology is practiced on a variety of levels. Mundane astrology speaks to the everyday affairs of humanity with little or no attention being paid to the deeper significance of our daily lives. Most often mundane astrology is interpreted for the future in the form of predictions.
Esoteric astrology deals with the spiritual implications of the predominant thought and emotional patterns of an individual. Esoteric astrology offers answers to many of our “why?” questions in terms of the spiritual growth needing to take place during this incarnation. Our role in the cosmic plan can be seen through esoteric astrology.
The Wise Men, depicted in the second chapter of the gospel of Matthew, are cosmic astrologers. Cosmic astrology is a reading of the heavens in order to predict major cosmic events. We can see examples of cosmic astrology in the Bible. The birth of Jesus is one such event. “In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”54 Near the end of Jesus’ incarnation, he makes reference to cosmic astrology. In response to his disciples’ questions about his return to Earth, Jesus explains, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars.”55
Reincarnation is the foundation upon which esoteric astrology is interpreted. As I state earlier, reincarnation is the means by which humanity evolves into the perfected state of a child of God. In our brief look at the readings of Edgar Cayce, we see how our behaviors in one lifetime have impact upon a future lifetime. Esoteric astrology reveals the ways in which past lives influence the present one. For example, a client says to me, “Even as a small child, I have always felt I had to be the parent instead of the child.” Her present life is filled with resentment over this fact. An esoteric interpretation of this client’s birth chart reveals Saturn in the fourth house. Saturn often assumes the role of a good parent in our lives. It insists that we learn a particular soul lesson, just as a good parent requires the child to do homework for school. The individual’s Saturn is retrograde indicating the tendency to bring an emotional overload from past lives into the present. It also reveals the likelihood of responsibilities within the childhood home. The fourth house reveals our psychological constitution and the relationship with mother. With Saturn retrograde in the fourth house and ruling her Capricorn Ascendant, my client will assume the role of parent from the birth process on, with motivational factors based in past lives. Even though the mother’s psychological makeup plays into this behavior, tremendous emotional release results from knowing the basis for her parental feelings comes from past lives. Forgiveness in the present is made easier, thereby transcending the need to reap the results of her resentment in a future life. She can now choose to sow the seeds of forgiveness. With this new insight, my client may also choose whether or not to continue assuming the parental role in personal relationships.
Once more questions plague my mind.
“Why does our Western culture choose to ignore the valuable contributions the concept of reincarnation can make in our understanding of life?”
“Why is the Church so hesitant to give credence to a belief in reincarnation?”
One reason is that Christian historians have failed to give reincarnation its rightful place in Church history. As in the case of astrology, Western Christian historians have simply not reported the role of reincarnation. With the dawn of the New Age of Aquarius, ancient books are being translated into English. The layperson can now catch glimpses into what really happened.
The Encyclopedia of Religion concludes an article on reincarnation by affirming that the concepts of reincarnation and karma have done more to shape the whole of Asian thought than any other.56 Ancient Greece, India, and Egypt have well developed belief systems centering around reincarnation. Pythagoras, Empedocles, Plato, Plotinus, and their followers teach reincarnation.57 Pythagoras, Empedocles, and Plato predate the Christian era. Plotinus lives and teaches between 205-270 C.E., as a contemporary of the Christian Church Fathers. He is not alone in his beliefs concerning reincarnation.
The vast majority of Christians dismiss the above information with a question for which they seek no answer. What do ancient Greek, Indian, and Egyptian philosophies have to do with Christianity? A brief study of the world map provides an answer. Palestine is in close proximity to each of these countries. Trade routes between Palestine, Greece, India, and Egypt are numerous, allowing a constant exchange of products and ideas with these nations. Most of us know the Old Testament account of the Hebrew sojourn in Egypt and of the apostle Paul’s journey to Athens, Greece.58 Are we also aware that India, as a part of the Persian Empire under whose rule Palestine lived, is mentioned in the Old Testament book of Esther?59 Archaeological digs have unearthed vases, carnelian beads, and seals that attest to the trade with India dated as far back as 2500-2200 B.C.E. An Aramaic (the language of Jesus) inscription from the third century B.C.E. illustrates the contact between India and the biblical lands.60
Christianity originates in the Middle East. It grows out of the Jewish religion based in Palestine. The milieu of both the Old and New Testaments is this intermingling of Greek, Egyptian, and Indian beliefs and customs. To these, we can add the influence of Persia, Syria, and Italy (all of which periodically rule Palestine during biblical times). Reincarnation is a widely accepted belief throughout the thousands of years represented in the Bible. It is naïve to believe the concepts of karma and reincarnation, which “have done more than any other belief to shape the whole of Asian thought” are not known and accepted among the people of the Bible.
Josephus, the first century Jewish historian and contemporary of the Apostle Paul (37-100 C.E.), verifies the presence of a belief in reincarnation within the Jewish community. He describes three philosophical sects among the Jews of the first century C.E.: the Sadducees, Pharisees, and Essenes.
The Pharisees teach reincarnation for the good souls only: “They say that all souls are incorruptible; but that the souls of good men are only removed into other bodies, but that the souls of bad men are subject to eternal punishment.“61
The Essenes teach pre-existence of the soul: “For their doctrine is this: ‘That bodies are corruptible, and that the matter they are made of is not permanent; but that the souls are immortal, and continue for ever; and that they come out of the most subtile air, and are united to their bodies as in prisons, into which they are drawn by a certain natural enticement; but that when they are set free from the bonds of the flesh, they then, are released from a long bondage, rejoice and mount upward.’”62 A belief in the pre-existence of souls is the foundation of reincarnation. Many scholars are convinced, for three reasons, that the Essenes accept reincarnation. First, they have high regard for the Jewish Kabala, in which reincarnation is taught as a basic belief. The earliest known Jews to call themselves Kabalists are the Tanaiim who reside in Jerusalem during the early third century B.C.E. Second, the Essenes come under the influence of Buddhist monks who travel, in great numbers, throughout the Middle East during the centuries before Jesus’ birth. Reincarnation is basic to Buddhism. Third, the Essenes’ doctrines and communal practices reflect a knowledge of the Pythagoreans, who are reincarnationists.63 Thus we find two of the three Jewish sects with which Jesus is familiar accept reincarnation. We also know that the apostle Paul is a Pharisee, and thus a believer in reincarnation for the good souls only.64
“So why does the Western Church consider a belief in reincarnation heretical?
My frustration with the church is growing. Daily, in my rehabilitation counseling career, I confront the need to provide meaningful services to my clients. I watch as they persist in self-destructive behavior, partly because their church cannot assist them in putting together the tangled pieces of life’s puzzle. The belief in reincarnation is like removing the lid from a pot of boiling water—it lets the steam out. No longer is the steam screaming to be released from the small confines of one lifetime. Knowing that we have lived before and will live again releases a tremendous amount of bottled up emotional energy.
The belief in only one physical life does more to distort our perceptions concerning life, God, and each other than any other concept. Failure in a career means failure for life: “There will be no other opportunity.” Failure to meet a suitable mate cuts deeply into the self-esteem of the individual: “No one has loved me enough to marry me.” The loss of a mate through divorce or death can be devastating: “I’ll never be happy again.” The brilliant young person killed in an automobile accident: “His only chance at life is cut short.” The person born with a debilitating physical condition has no other alternative than to believe, “God made me like this.” Homosexual and transvestite persons are faced with the same conclusion. Consider what this says about God to the afflicted one. God is a God who loves some people and hates others. Think about what this says to the individual about herself. “God has to hate me; otherwise, why would God create me this way?”
These tragic conclusions are the result of believing in only one physical lifetime. We are forced to blame God. No other choice exists. We may try to come up with options, but buried in the depths of our being is an ugly demon who continually whispers, “God hates you; God created you different, requiring you to suffer.” God as Creator is the bottom line for the majority of humanity. Thus, God is to blame.
The church has thus far been unable to provide therapeutic alternatives to these disastrous life experiences and deductions. Openness to the science of astrology and the natural laws of reincarnation will allow the church to truly spread the gospel of God’s love. The church can then offer the healing balm of questions satisfactorily answered.
“Why? Why? Why? Why put band-aids on our sores when the church can offer healing?” The answer can be found, at least in part, through a study of the early church ecumenical councils.
Jesus incarnates into a very cosmopolitan environment. His public teachings are simple and straightforward. However, after his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, his followers find themselves in a defensive position.
The disciples face a multitude of questions from the diverse peoples living within the Roman empire. “Why choose to follow a common criminal? After all, the Roman government put Jesus to death.” Their answers vary, according to their understanding of Jesus. As the years go by, various teachers develop their own explanations and groups of followers.
Jesus’ good news, “the Kingdom of God is within you,”65 is quickly shoved backstage and replaced with theories concerning the identity of Jesus. Listen to the apostle Paul’s reaction when some of his followers turn to another teacher: “I am astonished that you are so quick deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.”66
Paul’s reaction to differences is the exact opposite we see in Jesus’ response. “John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us.’”67 Within the sphere of God’s love, there is room for variation.
Many of the Church Fathers follow the example of Paul, instead of Jesus. They disagree vehemently. All sorts of human motives cloud the issues. Their ultimate goal, according to Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, is “the real Church has one and the same faith everywhere in the world.“68 Found in Irenaeus’ Selections from the Work Against Heresies, this quote and the book’s title speak volumes.
Church historians and I can only surmise why Paul and the Church Fathers are so insistent upon one and the same faith. Actually the word faith is misleading. The controversies and heresies concern doctrines. The above quote sheds more light on the Ecumenical Councils if translated, “the real Church has one and the same doctrine everywhere in the world.” Whatever the reason, the negative results have been numerous.
One of the most negative repercussions of attempting to have one and the same doctrine everywhere in the world is the church’s declaration of heresy whenever a scholar, minister, or teacher disagrees with the standard doctrine. To be judged a heretic is a sentence of excommunication from the church, loss of teaching position in a church affiliated institution, or loss of job as a minister or priest. For hundreds of years, the sentence for heresy can also be death by burning at the stake. Thousands of writings are burned, or otherwise destroyed, when the author is declared a heretic. Remember the word heresy simply means a point of view that differs from “the one and same doctrine.”
The early Church Fathers are particularly vigilant in their search for heresies. As they strive to create a worldwide church with one and the same doctrine, persons with differing beliefs are ruthlessly condemned. Among those groups declared heretics are the Christian Gnostics, all of whom are reincarnationists.69 Some scholars are convinced that the Christian Gnostics are the descendants from the original followers of Jesus and the inheritors of Jesus’ secret teachings.70 In Mark 4:11, Jesus confirms a secret message given only to his closest disciples. When the disciples ask Jesus why he speaks to the crowds of people in parables, he answers, “To you has been given the secret [or mystery] of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables.” All open display of Christian Gnosticism is suppressed by both popes and emperors, often by inflicting the death penalty. Gnosticism is forced underground.71 Of the thousands of actual writings by the early Gnostic Christians, few survive the destructive zeal of those who condemn them as heresy.72
Individuals are also included in the relentless search for heretics. Origen (185-254 C.E.) is a most influential Christian thinker. Saint Jerome declares Origen to be “the greatest teacher of the Church after the apostles.” Saint Gregory of Nyssa calls him, “the prince of Christian learning in the third century.“73 Origen teaches pre-existence of souls and reincarnation. In 553 C.E., the Fifth Ecumenical Council condemns Origen and his teachings as heretical:
“If anyone does not anathematize Arius, Eunomius, Macedonius, Apollinarius, Nestorius, Eutyches, and Origen, as well as their heretical books, and also all other heretics who have already been condemned and anathematized by the holy, catholic, and apostolic church and by the four holy synods which have already been mentioned, and also all those who have thought or now think in the same way as the aforesaid heretics and who persist in their error even to death: let him be anathema.”74
Anathema, as defined by Webster, is a “curse solemnly pronounced by ecclesiastical authority and accompanied by excommunication.”
In this way (and I give only two examples) the church stifles belief in reincarnation, just as it condemns the use of astrology during the late 15th century. Although believers in both reincarnation and astrology continue throughout history, only as the New Aquarian Age dawns does this ageless wisdom gain open recognition.
Will the traditional church re-consider? Will the traditional layperson permit and encourage its ministers to recognize these valuable explanations of a God of love?
These are questions only time can answer. Meanwhile I encourage those of you who are restless and seeking deeper meaning in life to read for yourselves. Do not take my word or anyone else’s word. Search out the original text for yourselves. Listen to your heart. Allow your intuitive mind to lead you into Truth. Prove for yourself that God truly is love.
Have I lived before? For me the evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of “yes.”
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I encourage you to peruse the Endnotes where you will find additional information.
46 Gina Cerminara, Many Mansions (New York: Signet, 1967) 7.
47 Genesis 3.
48 Matthew 5:48.
49 John 14:12.
50 Galatians 6:7.
51 Cerminara, 50.
52 Luke 6:37a.
53 Cerminara 166.
54 Matthew 2:1-2.
55 Luke 21:25.
56 J. Bruce Long, “Reincarnation.” The Encyclopedia of Religion, 1987.
57 Long 268.
58 Exodus 3-14, Acts 17:15-34.
59 Esther 1:1, Esther 8:9.
60 David B. Weisburg, “India,” Harper’s Bible Dictionary, 1985 ed.
61 Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 3, Chapter 8, No. 14, trans. William Whiston (Grand Rapids, MI:
Kregel Publications, 1960) 478.
62 Josephus 478.
64 Philippians 3:5.
Luke 17:21 The Greek preposition en can be translated in, within, by means of, with, on, among. The Christology of the translator determines the choice. I, therefore, translate en to mean within.
66 Galatians 1:6-7.
Mark 9:38-40. Verse 40 in Mark’s gospel reads: “Whoever is not against us is for us.” A verysimilar quote can be found in Luke 11:23, although the change in wording renders the
exact opposite meaning. “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever doesnot gather with me scatters.” Mark’s gospel is considered by biblical scholars to bethe earliest of the four gospels and one of the original sources for the writing of Luke.
I, therefore, credit the variance in Greek words—and thus the meaning—to scribal
copying error and deem Mark’s version to be the correct one.
Irenaeus, “The Refutation and Overthrow of the Knowledge Falsely So Called,” Early Church Fathers,
trans & ed. Cyril C. Richardson (New York: Collier Books, 1970) 362.
69 Cranston 152.
70 Cranston 153.
71 Cranston 156.
72 Cranston 153.
73 Cranston 144.
74 Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, vol 1, ed Norman P. Tanner (Washington, D.C.:
Georgetown University Press, 1990) 119.
