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John the Baptist and Reincarnation

DAY 33

CHALLENGE

“John the Baptist was the reincarnation of the prophet Elijah. When the disciples ask Jesus why the scribes say that Elijah must come before the Messiah, Jesus says he already had come. ‘Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist’ (Matt. 17:13). Also, Luke says John the Baptist will have the spirit of Elijah (Luke 1:17).”

DEFENSE

John the Baptist functioned symbolically as a new Elijah, but he denied actually being Elijah in person (John 1:21).

The New Testament repeatedly states that we will be resurrected, not reincarnated. Jesus’ Resurrection is recorded in all four Gospels (Matt. 28:6–7; Mark 16:6, 14; Luke 24:5, 34; John 21:14), and it sets the pat- tern for ours (1 Cor. 6:14). Thus he is referred to as “the firstborn of the dead” (Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5). The New Testament is emphatic about our resurrection (1 Cor. 15), stating that “it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27).

In Matthew, when the disciples ask their question about Elijah, they have just seen Jesus transfigured along with Moses and Elijah (Matt. 17:1–9). Elijah—not John the Baptist—had just appeared to them, and they were wondering if this was the fulfillment of the prophecy that Elijah would return before the Messiah (Mal. 4:5–6).

John the Baptist could not be the reincarnation of Elijah because Elijah never died. Instead, he was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:1–15). At that time, Elijah’s servant, Elisha, asked that he be allowed to inherit a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, which he did (2 Kings 2:10–11, 15). Elisha could not have been the reincarnation of Elijah because they lived at the same time. For Elisha to inherit a double portion of Elijah’s spirit meant that he was able to inherit Eli- jah’s role as a prophet; he had the same prophetic spirit, not the same individual soul.

When Luke’s Gospel says John the Baptist “will go before [Jesus] in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17), it is saying that John the Baptist will inherit Elijah’s function and strength as prophet the way Elisha did.

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