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Radiata
5th August 2007, 10:32 PM
Taking a quick break from my theology studies, I have started to look into… Heaven. I haven’t been this enthusiastic about a topic for a while. So where do you go to learn about this place? Naturally, we would look to the bible, but that doesn’t say very much about it. We all know that we are going there eventually, but has anyone ever thought about what it would be like? Or has it been something like Pandora’s Box?

I think I find that the best information comes from people that have actually been there. That’s right, I’m talking about Near Death Experiencers(NDE’s). There are many people that have died, and then been brought back to life with a defibrillator. You know, those machines that give an electric shock to the heart to get it started again. (I’m a lifeguard, I know how to work one.) Anyway, when people die, they commonly tell of an “out of body experience.” Some times they stay in the room, other times they go to Heaven, and still other times they go to hell. Rarely has anyone ever actually gotten to Heaven, and then come back. They just get to the gates before they are brought back to life. But this is where things get really interesting. When they are in this “out of body” state, they feel peace, and happiness without any pain. Often times when people die, they are in a lot of pain, and all of it stops. They then ascend upward toward heaven. Rarely have I seen a clear testimony about the ascension, but one person told of passing through a golden curtain. This is appropriate because in Exodus when it talks about the blueprints of God’s temple, the curtain is what separates the holy place, from the Most Holy Place. Every time I said “Help me Jesus” I rose a little higher in the air. I said it again and rose higher and higher. This happened over and over. I noticed I was in absolutely no pain and realized Jesus was helping me. The “sky” held a golden lace curtain though it was solid and very large. It extended as far as I could see and was directly in front of me. I say lace because it was ornate with gaps between the “carvings”. I was bathed in a bright white light that came from a single source. It shown through the gaps in the gold “lace” curtain and touched my soul. It made you feel endless love, complete peace and supreme happiness. Without a doubt it was God.He made a photoshop of it. But he says that it doesn’t compare to the real thing. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/kinglizard/heavenascent.jpg

At this point, people encounter a Christ figure. Sometimes people describe Him as a being of light, others say that He is just a presence found everywhere around the person. George Ritchie's says, “This Person was power itself, older than time and yet more modern than anyone I had ever met. Above all, with that same mysterious inner certainty, I knew that this man loved me. Far more even than power, what emanated from this Presence was unconditional love. An astonishing love. A love beyond my wildest imagining. This love knew every unlovable thing about me...and accepted and loved me just the same." Then, this God/Christ figure says something like, “Lets see what you have done in your life.” It is then, that the person’s life flashes before their eyes. That is probably where the saying, “I saw my life flash before my eyes” comes from. Often times during this session, the person feels immense guilt or embarrassment. Many times during the life review, the Christ figure reveals to the person that the sole propose of life was to love other human beings. When the experiencer hears this and says, “Why didn’t anyone tell me?” Christ’s response is simple and straightforward. “I did tell you. I told you by the life I lived. I told you by the death I died.

One person here wrote an incredible testimony about his actual ascension. He tells the story of actually seeing heaven. After he passed the curtain, he saw a golden city. Softly, peacefully I was floating just outside a beautiful golden wall that seemed to surround heaven. I was floating slowly down the wall just above it’s highest point allowing me to see beyond the wall and into the “city”. Like I said, this person has seen heaven. The most awesome and beautiful sight ever to be seen. I find myself turning to jealousy. I almost cry thinking about how lucky he was to be able to tell people about God and his overwhelming love for us.

The full testimony can be found here (http://www.christianforums.com/t2945599-&ltmy-near-death-experience-and-ascent-to-heaven>.html).

Melethiel
5th August 2007, 10:46 PM
I would take NDEs with a grain of salt, because many, many of them propose things which are heretical and even anti-Christian. Scripture is the best place to look - the books of Revelation, Isaiah, and Ezekiel, for example.

pastorjimg
6th August 2007, 03:20 PM
The truth of the matter is this- scripture does not tell us a lot about heaven. Paul said we will be raised with unperishable bodies, Jesus said we are not married or given in marriage. John writes in Revelation that there is no more tears, death, sickness or death. We can also see worship happening in heaven throughout Revelation.

Other than that there is very little written about heaven. Now, let me share what isn't in scripture- that you will see family members and friends in heaven. I am not saying this will or will not happen- just pointing out the fact that no where does it say it in scripture.

Most of these ideas are extra biblical. Many sources are the NDEs. Again, not saying it won't happen but people having NDEs is not the same as scripture telling me the same. So, be careful!

Let me sum up everything as I quote the cave man: Heaven good; Hell bad.

C.F.W. Walther
6th August 2007, 03:33 PM
Reliable source for what is NOT in heaven.

"In Heaven There is No Beer" Polka

In Heaven there is no beer
That's why we drink it here
And When we're gone from here
All our friends will be drinking all our beer

In Heaven there is no wine
Lets drink til we feel fine
And When it comes our time
All our friends will be drinking all our wine

In Heaven there is no drink
At least thats what we think
And When we go ca-plink
All our friends will be drinking all our drink

In Heaven there is no beer
That's why we drink it here
And When we're gone from here
All our friends will be drinking all our beer

In Heaven there is no beer
Let's stay and Drink it here
And When our friends aren't here
We will be drinking all their beer

porterross
6th August 2007, 04:09 PM
No men. No beer. hmmmmm

C.F.W. Walther
6th August 2007, 04:14 PM
No men ??

Radiata
7th August 2007, 08:31 AM
I thought people would like this thread.

GratiaCorpusChristi
7th August 2007, 10:35 AM
I would take NDEs with a grain of salt, because many, many of them propose things which are heretical and even anti-Christian. Scripture is the best place to look - the books of Revelation, Isaiah, and Ezekiel, for example.
Yup.

And what we learn from those is that heaven is focused on the communal worship of God. I imagine it as a giant monastary, where we spend our days in liturgy, prayer, lectio divina, and meditation on the prayer of the heart, moving forward in union with Christ until we return to bodily life at the resurrection of the dead.

DaRev
7th August 2007, 11:44 AM
We need to remember that Heaven as a physical place is not our ultimate destination. Our eternity will be spent on the New Earth. The throne of Christ will be in the new Jerusalem which comes down from heaven to the earth.

LilLamb219
7th August 2007, 12:28 PM
We need to remember that Heaven as a physical place is not our ultimate destination. Our eternity will be spent on the New Earth. The throne of Christ will be in the new Jerusalem which comes down from heaven to the earth.

What he said :clap:

Radiata
7th August 2007, 12:34 PM
This is what we should be thinking when we talk of the end times. Not all the bad stuff.

GratiaCorpusChristi
7th August 2007, 12:58 PM
We need to remember that Heaven as a physical place is not our ultimate destination. Our eternity will be spent on the New Earth. The throne of Christ will be in the new Jerusalem which comes down from heaven to the earth.
Seconded. It seems that much of evangelicalism is a strange mix of post-Enlightenment Gnosticism and post-Enlightenment materialism.