In e-mails, my third pastor had “downgraded” me and described me as a battered neurobiological mind, according to which he must conclude that I have a psychotically pathological-mental trend! His harsh reaction was because I call myself the reincarnated Jesus of Nazareth.
After God’s wonderful answer on November 1, 2012, in the form of an internal motto (lot) and a moderate email from my former pastor to a question on my part, whether it might not be that he carrying a wrong image of Jesus, I am sending him the following email today :
“I am glad that you are no longer sure. Security in faith is dangerous!
You just cannot reconcile reincarnation with Scripture, you write. Have you actually dealt with it? I would like to invite you, and I ask you to study my diary entry of November 26, 2011 seriously:
“26. November 2011
Shabat – reincarnation
After 1:30 a.m. God wakes my ear to hear how disciples hear (Isaiah 50: 4). My internal motto (lot) from 1 Samuel 3: 9 comes to my mind yesterday: “… New International Version (NIV)
9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
On my knees by the window yesterday’s reading from Matthew 25 rises in me. I read:
„Matthew 25:31-46 New International Version (NIV)
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
It crosses my mind how little I have actually fulfilled of what Jesus enumerates here, and how can it be possible under these circumstances that I am the judge? It seems comforting to me that the coming Christ is not alone, but all the holy angels with him. With this question I get back on my knees by the window, where the clouds in the sky from east to west keep clearing up. As a rule the weather plays from west to east. How about reincarnation again?
From home I was totally taught against it. Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy and a famous advocate of reincarnation, was rejected by my parents. I can understand that, as this man described Judaism as a historical flaw and yet he rejected the belief in rebirth. For their part, Hasidic Jews are firmly convinced of the reality of reincarnation. Apparently Jesus also believed in it, otherwise he would not have been able to call John the Baptist the reappeared Elijah (Matthew 11:14 and Matthew 17, 10-13 as well as Mark 9, 11-13).
With this diary entry I also became aware of the clear distinction between reincarnation and rebirth.
I have my personal experiences with both. I have my rebirth in the accountability report according to Doctrine 1.2. and discussed with my former teacher. (April 23, 2008; Nicodemus with Jesus. (John 3: 1 ff.)) The event in 1980 penetrated me very deeply. I had experiences of reincarnation mainly in one of my psychotic attacks. Back then, as a patient in the clinic, I mentally saw myself next to people I knew, each in his or her own cycle. They were actually ellipses with a high and low point. The climax in my ellipse was like being sucked in by the sun, or the culmination point of a human copulation. The low point was depression in the truest sense of the word, or being washed away by a toilet system.
Faith is in demand and I notice how superstition tries to interfere again and again. There is still a small residual cloud in the sky. “Father, I believe, help my unbelief!” I crouch on the floor and realize the fact of salvation: Jesus died for me on the cross and opened the way to the Father. The blood of Jesus has flowed for me too! Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice.
As I stand up, the last little cloud in the sky has also disappeared! Alleluia! Signs and wonders! “(End of quote)
Continuation of my mail:
“In addition to the scriptures given in the diary entry of November 26, 2011, I would like to point out the following to you, which can promote the understanding of reincarnation:
First: Matthew 16:13-17 New International Version (NIV)
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
At the time of Jesus, the idea of reincarnation seems to have been common knowledge. Hence the question of Jesus, who do people think he is? The answer he received was: all deceased people. It is known that the Pharisees believed in the resurrection, but not the Sadducees, who no longer exist.
Second: Mark 6:14-16 New International Version (NIV)
14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,[a] “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”
And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
Third: Mark 8, 27-29 New International Version (NIV)
27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
So this question is well received.
Fourth: Mark 9:11-13 New International Version (NIV)
11 And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
12 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”
Fifth: Luke 1:17 New International Version (NIV)
17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Here “reincarnation” consists of spirit and power.
Sixth: Luke 9:18-20 New International Version (NIV)
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Also passed down several times.
Seventh: John 1:21 New International Version (NIV)
21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
For the sake of honesty, it must be said that John did not see himself as Elijah. But that does not make the other scriptures invalid.
You mention Psalm 8 because of the human attitude towards God. Here is my diary entry on the solution text on November 4th, 2012:
“4. November 2012 (Sunday, Later – Son of Man)
The motto (lot) of the Moravian Congregation (Herrnhut) fell on Psalm 8: 5. I add with Psalm 8: 6:
מה-אנוש כי-תזכרנו ובן-אדם כי תפקדנו ותחסרהו מעט מאלהים וכבוד והדר תעטרהו
“What is the person that you want to remember him and a son of man that you want to commission him?
And you let him stand little in the way of God, and you want to crown him with honor and splendor. ”(Own translation)
The position of man, thought of by God, is very high. Jesus Christ has fully occupied this very high position. He has called himself the “Son of Man” on various occasions; also as the coming Son of Man (Matthew 24:27).
God created man in His image (Genesis 1:27). It is important to look for the position wanted by God and to take it! Consistently without looking left and right! God wants to commission all people; each with a specific task. God takes pleasure in a determined attitude. No compromise! The goal is the crown of eternal life (Revelation 2:10). ”
(End of quote from November 4, 2012)
Continuation of my mail:
Psalm 8 does not emphasize the sinfulness of man, but also speaks of the “son of man” (ben-adam). I believe we have not yet reached the end of salvation history. Personally, I expect the new heaven and the new earth according to Isaiah 65:17 ff., And Zechariah 3 where YAHWEH threatens Satan and calls Yehoshua a log saved from the fire. During the transition into the new world, which is announced again and again in my diary entries, I expect to be freed from my dirty clothes. I see myself as the scion mentioned in verse 8. It has nothing in common with Napoleon, because my highest wish is: to be obedient to God and to become humble.
A Christ needs the other, the other needs me, so we help one another on the way in his realm! We sang this chorus in the times of “Mut zur Gemeinde = Courage to Parish”. I hope that it can continue to apply in our mutual relationship. “