Al Touthentop
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- Nov 24, 2019
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You don't find it conspicuously germane that Elijah never actually died? You should, because Jewish scholars do. ALL Jews, as far as I know, are awaiting the return of Elijah. The question is whether he is supposed to return in his original body or in a new one. If he returns in a new one, I think that would count as a bona fide reincarnation.
One of my personal theories is that John the Baptist's soul was an infinitesimally small piece of Elijah's soul. Naturally he would not, in ordinary conversations, identify himself as Elijah just as I would never claim that my name is Adam.
John came in the spirit of Elijah. He came in the manner and practice that Elijah practiced. Elijah baptized, spoke truth to power and caused Israel to repent.
John came back in that same manner. He was not Elijah re-incarnate. And guess what? When asked if he was Elijah? He answered no. And it is said that this answer was the truth.
(2) Jesus actually SAID - twice - that John was Elijah and I happen to believe Him (Mat 11:14; 17:13).
Notably, He prefaced it with, "If you are willing to accept it". As various commentators have pointed out, Jesus obviously anticipated an unwillingness to accept it. Why is this important?
Because it requires a mind that can understand the prophecy and knows the history of Elijah. A person who knew both would know that this was not a re-incarnation because God has never re-incarnated a person and never taught through his word that this was a practice of his.
Because if John were merely a TYPE of Elijah, no one would have difficulty accepting it!
Which is why so many Jews today are still waiting for Elijah? You are making no sense.
It is precisely because reincarnation is a doctrine difficult for many to accept that Jesus anticipated resistance to the idea - precisely what I've seen on this thread !!!
It isn't a doctrine.
(3) Resistant to reincarnation, the commentators claim that Elijah merely typified John even as David typified Christ, but this Davidic typing only strengthens my case since the NT does not identify Christ as David but, on the contrary, as the Son of David (Mat 1:1; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9, 15; 22:42; Mk 10:47-48; 12:35; Lk 1:32; 18:38-39; 20:41; Jn 7:42; Rom 1:3; 2Ti 2:8; Rev 5:5; 22:16).
The prophecies never said that the Messiah would be David himself, but of his seed. Cut it out already. If there were even the remotest possibility that the Davidic prophecies were talking about re-incarnation, Jesus smashed that idea himself.
"If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” 46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore."
Whereas John is never called "son of Elijah", on the contrary Christ actually twice called him Elijah.
Because he was the one who came in the spirit of Elijah. Not because he was actual Elijah.
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