Eschatology
|
23. Does the Bible speak of reincarnation? |
|
No, it doesn’t,
because the doctrine of reincarnation says that the human being after death
is reincarnated, according to the works he has done on the earth, into
another human being or an animal so that he may reap in the next life the
fruit of his deeds done in this life and expiate the debts which he incurred
in previous lives. All these things are absolutely foreign to the Holy
Scripture, which on the contrary teaches that when a man dies he continues to
live consciously either in heaven or in hell: heaven is a place of rest which
was intended and prepared for the righteous, while hell (hades) is a place of
torment which was intended and prepared for the wicked. |
|
Both the
souls of the righteous (which are in heaven) and the souls of the wicked
(which are in hell) are waiting for the resurrection of their body: the
righteous will rise again when Christ comes back from heaven (this is the
first resurrection), while the wicked will rise again at the end of the
Millennium (during which Christ will reign with the saints on the earth). |
|
The just
will rise to life, for with their immortal and incorruptible body they will
live forever with the Lord; while the unjust will rise to be condemned, for
they will be judged by God according to their deeds and will be cast into the
everlasting fire or lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is
another place of torment, where they will be tormented forever and ever. |