It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.
Hebrews 9:27.
Herbert von Karajan, the famous conductor, once said, “I believe in regeneration. I am sure that I shall come back again.” He clearly meant reincarnation, not regeneration.
The books of the film star, Shirley McLaine, seem to have had a great influence on the present day spread of the doctrine of reincarnation. Her writings, in which she mentions regeneration as repeated reincarnation have been read by millions of people. The singer, Tina Turner, also believes that she has lived before. Opinion polls have attested that more and more people believe in a frequent regeneration on this earth.
The doctrine of reincarnation is deceit: it pacifies people and removes their fear of death and God’s judgment. It pretends that the redemptive work of Jesus Christ is superfluous. Maybe that is why so many are captivated by this modern trend.
One thing remains true: in this life we must decide on which side we want to stand. Eternal life in the glory of heaven is solely for those who confess their guilt before God and believe in the Son of God. This is testified by the highest authority on earth: Holy Scripture.
Today’s verse also makes eminently clear that no-one has a second chance in any supposed future existence. And it stresses this point: as certainly as someone dies, equally certain is it that he must appear before the judgment throne of God. All the dead will be raised again, either in the “resurrection of life” or the “resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:29).