Near Death Experiences & Biblical Figures

[Mike]

This about anyone who claims to have been brought face-to-face with Heaven and claims to have met anyone other than Christ. Actually, I'm dismissive of all near-death experiences, but these have me very leery. I heard about a dinner event organized by the son of former President Reagan, Michael Reagan. Someone spoke before the guests and described a near-death experience where he was welcomed by Mary who was going to usher him into the everlasting when a deceased relative came between them and said it wasn't his time.

Where is Christ in these stories? In the Bible, two people describe visiting Heaven. Paul spoke in the third person describing this, and he added, "He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell." (2 Cor 12) Paul was saying he was not permitted to relate stories of what he saw/heard.

John was shown very specific details of Heaven by... Christ... He spends chapters sharing what he was shown. Not once is another biblical figure named or mentioned. So when I hear people claim to have been brought to see Heaven or "the other side", and they meet Mary or another person, my first thought is, "This has no biblical basis at all!". I'm not saying they're lying, but I do think either they have had an un-Godly experience or they've imagined it. I don't believe they've experienced anything of God.

Can anyone give a valid reason to believe such stories when there's no Biblical support for them (that I'm aware of)?? If, and to me this is a big if, someone returns after being confronted with anyone, it seems scripturally we would expect to hear about Christ. Every other experience would be wishful thinking brought on by what they've been taught, IMO.

 

[EricTheBaptist]

I haven't had a near death experience but I had an experience with Jesus. Back as a lost person a bright light told me to stop my ways or this is where I'd be. I then was floating it a very hot pit that felt like a oven. That was real.

 

[Former Christian]

Mike

When a near death experience turns one to God and Jesus Christ, that I might believe. God works in mysterious ways. And I’m just open minded enough to let him.

FC

 

[reba]

About 1930 Mom could not wake Grandma! Grandpa could not find a pulse nor breath on the mirror. 1930 not every one had a phone much less 911. Grandpa hit his knees he prayer for her return tell light and she came around.... Did she die there is no way of knowing if she was dead at this point...

She claimed of seeing Heaven (not going seeing) She talked about the beauty of the gardens. The river was the color of crystal the over all beauty of the place... She never spoke of seeing people or God. Grandma had been sick most of her life she was well for years she claimed her health was because of the River the Living Waters... She was a beautiful Christian lady...

When some one writes a book i get skeptical.....

 

[Christ_empowered]

I'm also skeptical of near death experiences, but I do think visions can happen to the faithful, which I think would explain Reba's grandmother's experience; she was a faithful Christian, God gave her a miracle, and He threw in a little taste of what was come. Just my take on it.

Personally, I had this weird experience in a mental hospital where I saw my mistakes and sins and felt really bad about them all. I thought I was dying (I did have a head injury and was heavily sedated...still kept babbling, though). I wouldn't call it an NDE, but it set in motion a change in my personality and approach to God that would eventually lead to me becoming a Christian, so I think maybe it was a mixture of madness and God's intervention. Or maybe it was just madness...who knows, really?

 

[Chris]

I almost died at 19 IF I saw the pearly gates i was too messed up to know(brain surgery does that to you) many sked me after it buy unfortunately I could not remember anything. I did almost die though. Mike though one thing I am sure of th he Bible does not cover absolutely everything in life. Christians fill in the blanks and make up things where doubt is. I would never discredit someones NDE unless it involves a book or video that profits from it. My skepticism barriers go right up if I see money to be gained from publishing a NDE!


If someone shares a NDE on the forums I would go along with it...sometimes. Jesus had a NDE he did not die he came back to life. He could not be killed he is God.

 

[Mike]

Mike though one thing I am sure of th he Bible does not cover absolutely everything in life. Christians fill in the blanks and make up things where doubt is.

Chris, I'm not arguing against you. I'm just using your statement as a catalyst for my comment. I hope I'm never so rigid in my expectations that I have a precise picture in my mind of things to come and dismiss everything else. This seemed to be the problem for many people who thought for sure they knew what the Messiah who be like.

But it is very curious to me that John spends chapter after chapter in Revelation giving details about Heaven and... no Mary, no deceased relatives, no Peter. He saw God on His Throne as Christ showed him things to come. To me, these other accounts seem to show a fixation on people other than God. It tells me their hope is to see "so & so" more so than the Lord. I'm not saying they don't hope to see the Lord, but upon death, it is another person who is the foremost object of their desire.

 

[Chris]

Chris, I'm not arguing against you. I'm just using your statement as a catalyst for my comment. I hope I'm never so rigid in my expectations that I have a precise picture in my mind of things to come and dismiss everything else. This seemed to be the problem for many people who thought for sure they knew what the Messiah who be like.

But it is very curious to me that John spends chapter after chapter in Revelation giving details about Heaven and... no Mary, no deceased relatives, no Peter. He saw God on His Throne as Christ showed him things to come. To me, these other accounts seem to show a fixation on people other than God. It tells me their hope is to see "so & so" more so than the Lord. I'm not saying they don't hope to see the Lord, but upon death, it is another person who is the foremost object of their desire.

I draw the line on past lives etc I think that's just imagination. There is some weird stuff in our world we dont understand. I sure dont. Il put NDE in my too hard basket. possibly one day I will know.

 

[reba]

I'm also skeptical of near death experiences, but I do think visions can happen to the faithful, which I think would explain Reba's grandmother's experience; she was a faithful Christian, God gave her a miracle, and He threw in a little taste of what was come. Just my take on it.

Personally, I had this weird experience in a mental hospital where I saw my mistakes and sins and felt really bad about them all. I thought I was dying (I did have a head injury and was heavily sedated...still kept babbling, though). I wouldn't call it an NDE, but it set in motion a change in my personality and approach to God that would eventually lead to me becoming a Christian, so I think maybe it was a mixture of madness and God's intervention. Or maybe it was just madness...who knows, really?

He loves you every bit as much as my Grandma!

 

[EricTheBaptist]

My Mom LOVES to read these "Came back from Heaven" and "Went to Hell and back" type books. I personally only have way decently believe one because some of the stuff he proclaims can be linked to Biblical scripture. And the fact that most of these books seem to all have different stories. "The Boy who came back from Heaven" in my opinion is a good example of a bad story. All though the child was in a coma for a while 90% of the book is composed not of stories of Heaven. He claims that there is a hole to Hell in Heaven.