False Visits To Heaven & Hell – False Teaching
Videos, Book Reviews, Articles – False Visits To Heaven & Hell – How Spiritual Experiences Undermine God’s Word
FALSE VISITS TO HEAVEN & HELL— Book Reviews, Articles, Videos, & Audio – How Spiritual Experiences Undermine God’s Word. Are Visits to Heaven & Hell & Afterlife Experiences Reliable? NO. We will Examine the FALSE CLAIMS & VISITS from these Unbiblical Authors— Todd Burpo, Jesse Duplantis, Bill Wiese, Mary K Baxter, Rick Joyner, Kenneth Hagin, Kevin Malarkey, Rebecca Springer, Richard Eby. Why Claims of Afterlife Experiences are Unbiblical & NOT Reliable.
SO4J-TV examines the Unbiblical Claims of many who say they’ve talked to Jesus & others Face-to-Face, or have had visions & so-called Trips to Heaven or Hell,& more! Read Book Reviews about: Todd Burpo— Heaven is For Real, Bill Wiese—23 Minutes in Hell, Don Piper— 90 Minutes in Heaven, Mary K Baxter— A Divine Revelation of Hell (& Heaven too), Jesse Duplantis— Heaven: Close Encounters of the God Kind, and more.
★In this above video SO4J-TV (SO4J.com) & Justin Peters (JustinPeters.org) talk about “FALSE VISITS TO HEAVEN & HELL – 10 DANGERS OF EXTRA-BIBLICAL REVELATIONS”, i.e. Why Claims of Afterlife Experiences from MANY so-called “Christian Books” are NOT Reliable, in fact these MANY books & testimonies are Extra-Biblical (Rev 22:18-19) and UNbiblical. SO4J-TVs Martha Mac sat down with Justin Peters to talk about these so-called Visions of Heaven & Hell and to take Justin through: SO4J-TV’s Top 10 List of Dangers of these Claimed Visits to Heaven & Hell. This video is a WARNING to ALL to RUN from these dangerous False Extra-Biblical Visions & False Teachers to the True Gospel of Repentance & Faith in Jesus Christ (Mark 1:15). Heaven & Hell is a Real place, but these so-called Christian Books of their many visions of Heaven & Hell are NOT real. ★MORE: ►http://www.SO4J.com/false-visits-to-heaven-and-hell ★Just because someone has a: Vision, Prophecy, & or Dream and it comes to pass… that does NOT make it Biblical or Truth (Deut 13:1-18). One of Satans #1 GOALS is to deceive MANY PEOPLE ( i.e. “the World” & professing so-called “Christians” – Rev 12:9, Matt 24:24, Matt 7:21-23) and he does this by UNDERMINING the Final-&-Complete authority of SCRIPTURE / GOD’S WORD (like he did in the Garden of Eden – twisting God’s Word). 2 Peter 1:16-21 rightly says that we have a “MORE SURE WORD” (see Phil Johnson’s video below on that) God’s Word is more reliable than any: Dream, Vision, etc than anyone might have. People’s so-called spiritual experiences are: UNRELIABLE & FALLIBLE .. but GOD’S WORD is a: ROCK & our Firm Foundation, and is Sufficient for us.. it is Truth. (Matt 4:4, Luke 4:4, Deut 8:3). There is a Danger when people look to “Spiritual Experiences” as their source for: Information, Warning, & Hope, rather than looking to the Scriptures. We must not allow our desire for Excitement & Wonder determine what is True. We cannot base our Beliefs on “Feelings” or someone else’s UNRELIABLE “Visions & Mystical Experiences”, but ONLY on the “sure Word of God”. Where one spends Eternity, in either Heaven or Hell, is far too important a matter to be misled by: False & Unprovable Mystical experiences. As Believers we have an understandable desire to warn the lost of their Eternal Punishment in Hell if they do not Repent-&-Trust in Jesus (Mark 1:15). There is a danger in going “beyond what is written” (i.e. 1Cor4:6) in Scripture, regardless of how exciting or sensational it may be, or even if it supposedly “points people to Jesus”. Despite the many problems or outright deceptions of these so-called claimed visits to Heaven & Hell, the Bible tells us clearly that Heaven & Hell ARE real places where every single person that has ever lived will spend Eternity in. The Eternal destinies of people are far too serious of a matter to entrust to Anything OR Anyone outside of the Scriptures. Scriptures are abundantly sufficient to Inform and Teach us about the REAL Heaven and the REAL Hell. / Written By ©SO4J-TV®.
QUOTE from JOHN MACARTHUR of GTY.org: “I’m convinced that the ENTIRE BOOK and MOVIE [“HEAVEN IS FOR REAL”] is a HOAX from START to FINISH. It has NOTHING to do with CHRISTIANITY. It has NOTHING to do with the BIBLE.Let’s say a DOZEN BOOKS written by people who have been to HEAVEN recently and come back. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM describes it DIFFERENTLY.” [INTERVIEW from: ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America” & “Inside Edition” – April 2014]
QUOTE from BOB DEWAAY: “Even if the Purpose of Books like Mary K Baxter’s [Todd Burpo, Bill Wiese, Jesse Duplantis, Don Piper, Kevin Malarkey, Kenneth Hagin, Rick Joyner..] is to Motivate us to REPENT, they do MORE HARM than Good in that they UNDERMINE the FINAL & COMPLETE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE.” —Bob DeWaay – Critical Issues Commentary
QUOTE from JOHN MACARTHUR: “For anyone who truly believes the biblical record, it is impossible to resist the conclusion that these MODERN TESTIMONIES—with their relentless SELF-FOCUS and the relatively SCANT ATTENTION they pay to the GLORY OF GOD—are simply UNTRUE. They are either figments of the HUMAN IMAGINATION [DREAMS, HALLUCINATIONS, FALSE MEMORIES, FANTASIES, and in the WORST CASES, DELIBERATE LIES], OR else they are products of DEMONIC DECEPTION. We know this with ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY, because SCRIPTURE DEFINITIVELY says that people do NOT go to HEAVEN and COME BACK: Proverbs 30:4 “Who has ASCENDED to HEAVEN and COME DOWN?” ANSWER: John 3:13 JESUS says “NO ONE has ASCENDED into HEAVEN except HE [JESUS] who DESCENDED FROM HEAVEN, the SON OF MAN”. ALL the accounts of heaven in SCRIPTURE are VISIONS, NOT JOURNEYS taken by DEAD PEOPLE. And even VISIONS of HEAVEN are VERY, VERY, RARE in SCRIPTURE. You can COUNT THEM all on ONE HAND.” [EXCERPTS FROM JOHN MACARTHUR’S BOOK: “THE GLORY OF HEAVEN” ]
QUOTE from PHIL JOHNSON [Exec.Director of: GTY.org & works with John MacArthur]: “ONLY FOUR AUTHORS in ALL THE BIBLE were blessed with visions of heaven and wrote about what they saw: the Prophets ISAIAH and EZEKIEL, and the Apostles PAUL and JOHN. Two other biblical figures—MICAIAH and STEPHEN—got GLIMPSES OF HEAVEN, but what they SAW is MERELY MENTIONED, NOT DESCRIBED (2 Chronicles 18:18; Acts 7:55). As PASTOR JOHN MACARTHUR points out, ALL of these were PROPHETIC VISIONS, NOT NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES. NOT ONE PERSON RAISED from the DEAD in the OLD & NEW TESTAMENTS EVER RECORDED for us what HE or SHE EXPERIENCED in HEAVEN. That includes LAZARUS, who spent FOUR DAYS in the GRAVE.. PAUL was caught up into HEAVEN in an EXPERIENCE so VIVID he said he DIDN’T KNOW whether he went there BODILY or NOT, but he SAW THINGS that are UNLAWFUL to UTTER, so he gave NO DETAILS. He covered the whole incident in just THREE VERSES (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). ALL THREE BIBLICAL WRITERS who SAW HEAVEN and DESCRIBED their VISIONS give comparatively SPARSE DETAILS, but they AGREE PERFECTLY (Isaiah 6:1-4; Ezekiel 1 and 10; Revelation 4-6). They DON’T AGREE with the BURPO-MALARKEY VISION of HEAVEN. Both their intonation and the details they highlight are MARKEDLY DIFFERENT. The BIBLICAL AUTHORS are all FIXATED on GOD’S GLORY, which DEFINES and ILLUMINATES everything there. They are OVERWHELMED, CHAGRINED, PETRIFIED, and put to SILENCE by the SHEER MAJESTY of GOD’S HOLINESS. Notably missing from all the biblical accounts are the FRIVOLOUS FEATURES and JUVENILE ATTRACTIONS that seem to DOMINATE EVERY ACCOUNT of heaven currently on the BESTSELLER LISTS.”
QUOTE from JUSTIN PETERS: “If you want to HEAR from GOD, READ your BIBLE; If you want to AUDIBLY HEAR from God, READ your BIBLE OUT LOUD.“— from Justin Peters Seminar: “Clouds Without Water ll” Seminar & DVD / Video Produced by: SO4J-TV
QUOTE from MARTHA MAC of SO4J-TV: “GOD’S WORD must NEVER be UNDERMINED & TRUMPED for PERSONAL SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES, MYSTICAL VISIONS, and EXTRA BIBLICAL REVELATIONS. We must rely 100% on the AUTHORITY OF ‘SCRIPTURE ALONE’— GOD’S UNFAILING WORD— the BIBLE!” [Gal 1:6-12, Rev 22:18-19, 2 Tim 3:16]
QUOTE from MARTHA MAC of SO4J-TV: “So MANY professing “Christians” seem to fall for anything with the label of “CHRISTIAN” stamped on it, without carefully EXAMINING EVERYTHING with Gods Word [Acts17:11, 1 Thess 5:21]— as it all seems soo HARMLESS. The FORBIDDEN FRUIT that was offered to ADAM & EVE by SATAN in the Garden Of Eden also seemed so harmless as well (Gen 3:1-7]. Satan, back then-too, UNDERMINED GOD’S WORD & TWISTED GOD’S WORD to say what HE (the LORD) did NOT say. ANYTHING that UNDERMINES & TRUMPS GOD’S WORD is: WRONG & SINFUL— no matter how innocent it: “LOOKS”, “SEEMS,” or “FEELS.” [Rev 22:18-19, Deut 4:2, Deut 12:32, Proverbs 30:5-6]
- INTRO & A WARNING FROM SO4J-TV
- WARNING! HELL IS A REAL PLACE!
- THE RICH MAN WHO DIED AND WENT TO HELL – LUKE 16
- AUDIO – FALSE VISITS OF HEAVEN & HELL – BOB DEWAAY & JAN MARKELL
- JOHN MACARTHUR – ARE VISITS TO HEAVEN & HELL REAL? JOHN MACARTHUR EXPOSES FALSE VISITS
- PAUL CAUGHT UP INTO HEAVEN – NOT LAWFUL FOR HIM TO SPEAK OF WHAT HE HEARD! – 2 Cor 12:4
- THE BURPO MALARKEY DOCTRINE – PHIL JOHNSON
- YOUR BEST AFTERLIFE NOW – JUSTIN PETERS ARTICLE – A BIBLICAL CRITIQUE OF HEAVEN & HELL VISITS
- 23 MINUTES IN HELL – BILL WIESE – BOOK REVIEW
- HEAVEN IS FOR REAL – TODD BURPO – BOOK REVIEW
- 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN – DON PIPER – BOOK REVIEW
- ARTICLE – VISITING HEAVEN & HELL – BOB DEWAAY
- NECROMANCY – WHAT IS NECROMANCY? IS NECROMANCY EVIL?
- HELL VIDEOS – HELL IS REAL – VIDEOS
- HEAVEN – WHAT IS HEAVEN? – HEAVEN IS REAL! – VIDEOS
- SCRIPTURES
- GOOD NEWS! – GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
“BEWARE of those whose FAITH is based on their own: IDEAS, FEELINGS, and what THEY THINK is right– RATHER than on what GOD’S WORD says!” TRUST in JESUS & in GOD’S unfailing WORD!” [Matthew 7:24-27]
INTRO & A WARNING FROM SO4J-TV RE: WEBSITES THAT PROMOTE THESE UNBIBLICAL BOOKS
DON’T BELIEVE & FOLLOW WEBSITES on the INTERNET [like the UNBIBLICAL website called: SpiritLessons(DOT)com, & many others] that are PROMOTING: EXTRA BIBLICAL REVELATIONS, VISIONS, and CLAIMS of AFTERLIFE EXPERIENCES through: BOOKS, AUDIOS, DVDs, VIDEOS, ARTICLES, LINKS— these Visions are UNRELIABLE! Many of these Websites & Bookstores that are Promoting these items might seemingly have all the Right Motives (we don’t doubt some of these Ministries Sincerity), but they are Being DUPED & DECEIVED— they Mix UNRELIABLE SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES with the TRUTH. GO TO: Beware of False Teachers. “Don’t YOU Be DECEIVED— but be BIBLICALLY DISCERNING!” (Acts 17:11) Remember, God Might Be Testing You, Obey & Trust ONLY GOD’S WORD— NOT Your FEELINGS (Deut 13:1-2,3-4,5-18, Prov 14:12), and Especially NOT these Unbiblical Mystical Spiritual Experiences & Visions. We say these things out of LOVE—especially for God’s people (2 Timothy 2:23-24,26)— HIS Sheep (John 10:3-17, 26-29)— those who might have Strayed Unknowingly into these False Revelations & Visions. May the Lord Bless & Strengthen Fellow “SO4J” Believers as we CLING to JESUS, & TRUST & OBEY ONLY GOD’S UNFAILING WORD! (1 John 2:3-6)
QUOTE: “Even if the Purpose of Books like Mary K Baxter’s (Todd Burpo, Bill Wiese, Jesse Duplantis, Don Piper, Kevin Malarkey, Kenneth Hagin, Rick Joyner..) is to Motivate us to REPENT, they do MORE HARM than Good in that they UNDERMINE the FINAL & COMPLETE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE.” —Bob DeWaay – Critical Issues Commentary
Revelation 2:2 Jesus says, “I know ALL the things you DO. I have seen your Hard Work & your Patient Endurance. I know you DON’T TOLERATE EVIL PEOPLE. You have EXAMINED the CLAIMS of those who SAY they are APOSTLES but are NOT. You have DISCOVERED they are LIARS..”
GOD’S WORD IS 100% MORE RELIABLE & AUTHORITATIVE THAN ANY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE – 2 Peter 1:16-20
QUOTE by JOHN MACARTHUR: “Even the APOSTLE PETER promoted GOD’S WORD MORE than he did his SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES as we will read below in 2 Peter 1:16-19.Peter had a “spiritual experience” (so to speak) with: Jesus, James & John in Matt 17 at the Mount of Transfiguration.. but here in the Book of Peter he states we have a more “SURE WORD” (i.e. a more reliable word) with GOD’S WORD than any Experience that we may have. For Peter God’s Word trumped any of his Spiritual Experiences at the Mount of Transfiguration.
2 Peter 1:16 (NASB) “For we did NOT FOLLOW CLEVERLY DEVISED TALES when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were EYEWITNESSES of HIS MAJESTY.” (i.e. Peter talking about how he was an EYEWITNESS of the GLORY of JESUS CHRIST at the MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION found in Matthew 17:1-13)
2 Peter 1:17-21 (NASB) “For when HE received HONOR and GLORY from GOD the FATHER (at the Transfiguration), such an UTTERANCE as this was made to HIM (Jesus) by the MAJESTIC GLORY (God the Father), “This is MY beloved SON with whom I am well-pleased”—18)and we (disciples: Peter, James, John) ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven (by God) when we were with HIM (Jesus) on the HOLY MOUNTAIN. So we have the PROPHETIC WORD (God’s Word) made MORE SURE, to which you do well to PAY ATTENTION (pay attention to God’s Word) as to a LAMP SHINING in a DARK PLACE (God’s Word is our LIGHT in this Dark evil world we live in), until the DAY DAWNS (His coming Kingdom) and the MORNING STAR arises in your hearts. 20) But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture isa matter of one’s own interpretation, 21) for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” [ For More Info on this Scripture go to: www.gty.org/resources/sermons/61-15/the-sure-word-part-2 ]
Video: Phil Johnson – A More Sure Word of Prophecy 2 Peter 1:16-19
WARNING! HELL & HEAVEN IS A REAL PLACE!
Hell is the Eternal Destiny of MOST People (Matt 7:13-14, Matt 7:21-23, Phil 3:18-19). What does GOD’S WORD say about HELL? For MORE INFO on HELL go here: HELL SCRIPTURES & FACTS // HELL & THE LAKE OF FIRE . How Do We Escape God’s Wrath in Hell? Go here: Gospel of Jesus Christ For Biblical INFO on HEAVEN go to: HEAVEN – VIDEOS, AUDIOS, ARTICLES.
- Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB) “Enter through the NARROW GATE; for the GATE is WIDE and the WAY is BROAD that leads to DESTRUCTION, and there are MANY who enter through it. For the GATE is SMALL & the WAY is NARROW that leads to LIFE, and there are FEW who find it.”
Video: Jesus Describes Hell
ABOVE VIDEO: Above is an excellent Message of Warning above about HELL by Dr John Barnett—
formerly an Associate Pastor to Dr. John MacArthur at Grace Community Church in CA, & a Professor at the Master’s Seminary.)
The Rich Man Who Died and Went To Hell – Luke 16 – What Do We Learn From This Parable?
Video: What Should We Learn from the Story of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16?
- Luke 16:19-31 (NASB) Jesus warns, “Now there was a RICH MAN, and he HABITUALLY dressed in PURPLE and FINE LINEN, JOYOUSLY LIVING IN SPLENDOR EVERY DAY. 20) And a POOR MAN named LAZARUS was laid at his gate, covered with SORES, 21) and LONGING to be fed with the CRUMBS which were FALLING from the RICH MAN’S TABLE; besides, even the DOGS were coming and LICKING HIS SORES. (Note: The POOR MAN was NOT having his so-called “BEST LIFE NOW”) 22) Now the POOR MAN DIED and was carried away by the ANGELS to ABRAHAM’S BOSOM; and the RICH MAN also DIED and was buried. 23) In HADES he lifted up his eyes, being in TORMENT, and saw ABRAHAM FAR AWAY and LAZARUS in his bosom. 24) And he CRIED OUT and said, ‘Father Abraham, have MERCY ON ME, and send LAZARUS so that he may DIP THE TIP OF HIS FINGER IN WATER and COOL OFF MY TONGUE for I am in AGONY in this FLAME.’ 25) But ABRAHAM’ said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your GOOD THINGS, and likewise LAZARUS BAD THINGS; but now he is being COMFORTED HERE, and you are in AGONY. 26) And besides all this, BETWEEN US and YOU there is a GREAT CHASM FIXED, so that those who WISH to COME OVER from HERE to YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE, and that NONE may cross over from THERE to US.’ 27) And he (THE FORMER RICH MAN) said, ‘Then I BEG YOU (NOTE: notice how the formerly RICH MAN is now the BEGGER, and LAZARUS is now RICH), Father, that you SEND HIM (LAZARUS) to my FATHER’S HOUSE— 28) for I have FIVE BROTHERS—in order that he (Lazarus) may WARN THEM, so that they will NOT ALSO COME TO THIS PLACE OF TORMENT.’ 29) But Abraham said, ‘They have MOSES & THE PROPHETS (i.e GOD’S WORD); let them HEAR THEM.’ 30) But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if SOMEONE GOES TO THEM FROM THE DEAD, THEY WILL REPENT!’ 31) But he (ABRAHAM) said to him, ‘IF THEY DO NOT LISTEN TO MOSES AND THE PROPHETS (i.e.GOD’S WORD), THEY WILL NOT BE PERSUADED EVEN IF SOMEONE RISES FROM THE DEAD.’”
Claimed Visits To Heaven & Hell VS the Sufficiency of Scripture in Luke 16 – Rich Man in Hell
- NOTE from SO4J-TV’s MARTHA MAC: “The FORMER RICH MAN wants ABRAHAM to ask LAZARUS , THE-FORMER-BEGGER, to LEAVE the AFTER-LIFE (i.e. HEAVEN ) to RETURN to EARTH to WARN his living FAMILY MEMBERS i.e. his FIVE BROTHERS) to REPENT. Abraham went on to say that those UNSAVED FAMILY MEMBERS on EARTH would NOT LISTEN to GOD’S WORD and be PERSUADED to REPENT (& BELIEVE THE GOSPEL-Mark 1:15)) & BE SAVED even if someone RISES from the DEAD (which by the way is what JESUS did..HE (Jesus) had later risen from the Dead– later on in the Gospel of Luke– which was after HE had given us this Parable of the Rich Man in Hell (Luke 16:19-21)- which in turn also gave us the Gospel– the Good News; which is why we now “REPENT & BELIEVE THE GOSPEL”-Mark 1:15) etc. This Parable shows us (among many things) that GOD’S WORD SUPERSEDES SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES of these CLAIMED VISITS to HEAVEN & HELL and BACK– whether they would be a so-called REAL EXPERIENCE OF TRAVELING TO & FROM HEAVEN, HELL, and the EARTH or NOT— proving once again that GOD’S WORD is SUFFICIENT.. ie the SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE.”
Christian Author Bob DeWaay talks with Christian Radio Talk Show Host: Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries about the False Visits to Heaven & Hell of: Bill Wiese (23 Minutes in Hell – Book), Jesse Duplantis (Heaven— Close Encounters of the God Kind – Book, CD, DVD), Rick Joyner (The Quest – Book), Kenneth Hagin (I Believe in Visions – Book), Mary K Baxter (A Divine Revelation of Hell (Heaven too) – Book), Rebecca Springer (Within Heaven’s Gates – Book), Dr Richard Eby (Caught Up Into Paradise Book – Book, & Tell Them I’m Coming – Book), and more.
ARTICLE: ARE VISITS TO HEAVEN & HELL REAL?
By John MacArthur
Article & Biblical Critique by John MacArthur – GTY.org & GraceChurch.org – 2014
Pastor John MacArthur speaks out about a Book that Todd Burpo (a Pastor as well) wrote about. It’s a book about his 4 year old son (at the time), Colton, and his so-called “Visit to Heaven.” This Book called “Heaven is for Real” rose to the top of the bestseller list and became a major motion picture. Professing Christians were quick to spread the word, but could such visits be for real?
Video: David Platt Exposes “Heaven is for Real” Book – Exposed
MUST SEE VIDEO above: A Biblical Critique of “Heaven is for Real”. David Platt quotes John MacArthur
FROM JOHN MACARTHUR: In recent years, Christian booksellers have inundated the evangelical world with testimonies from people who say they visited heaven in near-death experiences. Their stories are full of specific details about what heaven is like, who is there, and what is happening in the celestial realm. But when we compare their claims with Scripture, it becomes clear that they are merely figments of the human imagination, not true visions of heaven as it is described in God’s Word. The best known of all these tales, Heaven Is for Real, 1 is to be a major motion picture, released in April 2014. It is the story of Colton Burpo, whose parents believe he visited heaven when he was just four—during surgery after a burst appendix nearly took his life. Colton’s descriptions of heaven are full of fanciful features and peculiar details that bear all the earmarks of a child’s vivid imagination. There’s nothing transcendent or even particularly enlightening about Colton’s heaven. It is completely devoid of the breathtaking glory featured in every biblical description of the heavenly realm.
Stories like Colton’s are as dangerous as they are seductive. Readers not only get a twisted, unbiblical picture of heaven; they also imbibe a subjective, superstitious, shallow brand of spirituality. Studying mystical accounts of supposed journeys into the afterlife yields nothing but confusion, contradiction, false hope, bad doctrine, and a host of similar evils.
We live in a narcissistic culture, and it shows in these accounts of people who claim they’ve been to heaven. They sound as if they viewed paradise in a mirror, keeping themselves in the foreground. They say comparatively little about God or His glory. But the glory of God is what the Bible says fills, illuminates, and defines heaven. Instead, the authors of these stories seem obsessed with details like how good they felt—how peaceful, how happy, how comforted they were; how they received privileges and accolades; how fun and enlightening their experience was; and how many things they think they now understand perfectly that could never be gleaned from Scripture alone. In short, they glorify self while barely noticing God’s glory. They highlight everything but what’s truly important about heaven.
It is quite true that heaven is a place of perfect bliss—devoid of all sorrow and sin, full of exultation and enjoyment—a place where grace and peace reign totally unchallenged. Heaven is where every true treasure and every eternal reward is laid up for the redeemed. Anyone whose destiny is heaven will certainly experience more joy and honor there than the fallen mind is capable of comprehending—infinitely more than any fallen creature deserves. But if you actually saw heaven and lived to tell about it, those things are not what would capture your heart and imagination. You would be preoccupied instead with the majesty and grace of the One whose glory fills the place. Sadly, undiscerning readers abound, and they take these postmodern accounts of heaven altogether seriously. The stratospheric sales figures and far-reaching influence of these books ought to be a matter of serious concern for anyone who truly loves the Word of God.
Video: Is “Heaven Is For Real” for Real?
There is simply no reason to believe anyone who claims to have gone to heaven and returned.John 3:13 JESUS says, “No one has ascended into heaven except HE who descended from Heaven, the Son of Man.” And John 1:18 says, “No one has seen God at any time.”
FOUR BIBLICAL AUTHORS HAD VISIONS OF HEAVEN— NOT NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES. ISAIAH and EZEKIEL (Old Testament prophets) and PAUL and JOHN (New Testament apostles) ALL had such VISIONS. TWO other biblical figures—MICAIAH [2 Chronicles 18:18] and STEPHEN [Acts 7:55]—got GLIMPSES OF HEAVEN, but what they saw is MERELY MENTIONED, NOT DESCRIBED.
Only THREE of these men later wrote about what they saw—and the details they gave were comparatively sparse (Isaiah 6:1–4; Ezekiel 1, 10; Revelation 4–6). ALL of them focused properly on GOD’S GLORY. They also mentioned their own FEAR and SHAME in the presence of such glory. They had NOTHING to say about the MUNDANE FEATURES that are so prominent in modern tales about heaven (things like picnics, games, juvenile attractions, familiar faces, odd conversations, and so on). Paul gave no actual description of heaven but simply said what he saw would be unlawful to utter. In short, the biblical descriptions of heaven could hardly be any more different from today’s fanciful stories about heaven.
LAZARUS of Bethany fell ill and DIED, and his body lay DECAYING in a TOMB for FOUR DAYS until Jesus raised him (John 11:17). A whole chapter in John’s Gospel is devoted to the story of how Jesus brought him back from the dead. But there’s not a hint or a whisper anywhere in Scripture about what happened to Lazarus’s soul in that four-day interim. The same thing is true of every person in Scripture who was ever brought back from the dead, beginning with the widow’s son whom Elijah raised in 1 Kings 17:17–24 and culminating with Eutychus, who was healed by Paul in Acts 20:9–12. Not one biblical person ever gave any recorded account of his or her postmortem experience in the realm of departed souls.
Video: Divine Personal Encounters With God?
Far too much of the present interest in Heaven, Angels, and the afterlife stems from carnal curiosity. It is not a trend biblical Christians should encourage or celebrate. Any pursuit that diminishes people’s reliance on the Bible is fraught with grave spiritual dangers—especially if it is something that leads gullible souls into superstition, gnosticism, occultism, New Age philosophies, or any kind of spiritual confusion. Those are undeniably the roads most traveled by people who feed a morbid craving for detailed information about the afterlife, devouring stories of people who claim to have gone to the realm of the dead and returned.
Scripture never indulges that desire. In the Old Testament era, every attempt to communicate with the dead was deemed a sin on par with sacrificing infants to false gods (Deuteronomy 18:10–12). The Hebrew Scriptures say comparatively little about the disposition of souls after death, and the people of God were strictly forbidden to inquire further on their own. Necromancy was a major feature of Egyptian religion. It also dominated every religion known among the Canaanites. But under Moses’s law it was a sin punishable by death (Leviticus 20:27).
The New Testament adds much to our understanding of heaven (and hell), but we are still not permitted to add our own subjective ideas and experience-based conclusions to what God has specifically revealed through His inerrant Word. Indeed, we are forbidden in all spiritual matters to go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6).
Those who demand to know more than Scripture tells us about heaven are sinning: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever” (Deuteronomy 29:29). The limits of our curiosity are thus established by the boundary of biblical revelation. In the words of Charles Spurgeon,
It’s a little heaven below, to imagine sweet things. But never think that imagination can picture heaven. When it is most sublime, when it is freest from the dust of earth, when it is carried up by the greatest knowledge, and kept steady by the most extreme caution, imagination cannot picture heaven. ““It hath not entered the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”” Imagination is good, but not to picture to us heaven. Your imaginary heaven you will find by-and-by to be all a mistake; though you may have piled up fine castles, you will find them to be castles in the air, and they will vanish like thin clouds before the gale. For imagination cannot make a heaven. ““Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered the heart of man to conceive”” it.
What God has revealed in Scripture is the only legitimate place to get a clear understanding of the heavenly kingdom. God’s written Word does in fact give us a remarkably full and clear picture of heaven and the spiritual realm. But the Bible still leaves many questions unanswered.
We need to accept the boundaries God Himself has put on what He has revealed. It is sheer folly to speculate where Scripture is silent. It is sinfully wrong to try to investigate spiritual mysteries using occult means. And it is seriously dangerous to listen to anyone who claims to know more about God, heaven, angels, or the afterlife than God Himself has revealed to us in Scripture.
Visions and Voices From God? (A Still Small Voice?)
It is, however, right and beneficial for Christians to fix their hearts on heaven. Scripture commands us to cultivate that perspective: ““If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on earth”” (Colossians 3:1–2). ““While we do not look at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal”” (2 Corinthians 4:18). ““For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”” (Philippians 3:20).
Such a perspective is the very essence of true faith, according to Hebrews 11. Those with authentic, biblical faith acknowledge that they are strangers and pilgrims on this earth (v. 13). They are seeking a heavenly homeland (v. 14). They “desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (v. 16). The “city” that verse refers to is the heavenly Jerusalem, an unimaginable place—the very capital of heaven. It will be the eternal abode of the redeemed. No wonder Christians are intrigued with the subject.
But no matter how much they might obsess over what heaven is like, people who fill their heads with a lot of fantastic or delusional ideas from others’ near-death experiences have not truly set their minds on things above. If the inerrant biblical truth God has given us is the only reliable knowledge about heaven we have access to (and it is), then that is what should grip our hearts and minds, not the dreams and speculations of human minds. [END]
John MacArthur is Pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California and President of The Master’s College and Seminary. Dr. MacArthur is also the author of more than one hundred books, covering a great expanse of Christian topics. He also is heard worldwide on his radio program Grace to You.
Video: 10 Reasons Why Heaven is For Real is Dangerous – Hank Hanegraaff
Does God Still Give New Revelation? Extra Biblical Revelation?
QUESTION: Does God give NEW EXTRA BIBLICAL REVELATION to His people TODAY—speaking through MODERN DAY PROPHETS who give NEW WORDS from GOD? Answer: NO. The Canon of Scripture is Closed. For More go to: Hearing Personal Words From God—How People Become False Prophets to Themselves
Video: Does God Still Give Revelation? – John MacArthur
Paul Caught Up to the Third Heaven – 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Video: Caught Up to the Third Heaven (2 Corinthians 12) – John MacArthur
2 Corinthians 12:1-10 (NKJV) Paul says, “It is doubtless NOT PROFITABLE FOR ME TO BOAST. I will come to Visions and Revelations of the Lord (I will reluctantly tell about Visions & Revelations from the Lord): I know a Man in Christ (Paul) who Fourteen years ago— WHETHER IN THE BODY I DO NOT KNOW, or WHETHER OUT OF THE BODY I DO NOT KNOW, God knows— such a one (Paul) was CAUGHT UP to the THIRD HEAVEN. And I know such a Man—WHETHER IN THE BODY or OUT OF THE BODY I DO NOT KNOW, God knows— how he was CAUGHT UP INTO PARADISE & HEARD INEXPRESSIBLE WORDS, which it is NOT LAWFUL FOR A MAN TO UTTER. Of such a one I will Boast; yet of MYSELF I WILL NOT BOAST, EXCEPT IN MY INFIRMITIES. For though I might DESIRE TO BOAST, I will not be a Fool; for I will Speak the Truth. But I WILL REFRAIN, lest anyone should think of me ABOVE what he SEES in me to be or HEARS from me.And lest I should be EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE BY THE ABUNDANCE OF THE REVELATIONS, a THORN in the FLESH WAS GIVEN ME, a MESSENGER OF SATAN TO BUFFET ME (God allowed this to happen to keep Paul from Pride), lest I be EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE. Concerning this thing I PLEADED with the Lord THREE TIMES that it (Thorn in Flesh) might DEPART FROM ME. And HE (JESUS) said to me, “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.” Therefore most gladly I will RATHER BOAST IN MY INFIRMITIES, that the POWER OF CHRIST may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am WEAK, than I am STRONG.“
ARTICLE: THE BURPO-MALARKEY DOCTRINE
By Phil Johnson
Article by Phil Johnson
Phil Johnson is:
– Executive Director of “Grace To You” GTY.org
– Elder & he also Pastors a Fellowship Group: “GraceLife” at: Grace Community Church, CA – GraceChurch.org & GraceLifePulpit.com
It’s odd and troubling that the best-selling evangelical book of the past decade is a fanciful account of heaven spun from the imagination of a four-year-old boy. (Believe it or not, The Purpose-Driven Life and The Prayer of Jabez are both now more than a decade old.) Peddling fiction about the afterlife as non-fiction is the current Next Big Thing in the world of evangelical publishing.
“Heaven is for Real”, by Todd Burpo, tells the story of Burpo’s son, Colton, who says he visited heaven while anesthetized for an appendectomy at age 4. Colton, now 13, says in heaven he got a halo and real wings (though they were too small for his liking). He also claims he sat on Jesus’ lap while the angels sang to him; he saw Mary standing beside Jesus’ throne; and he met the Holy Spirit (who, according to Colton, is “kind of blue”).
More than seven million copies of this book are now in circulation, and the publisher has been assembling a sizable catalogue of spin-off products, including a planned movie version (to be produced by televangelist/prosperity preacher T. D. Jakes).
That book is not to be confused with The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, by Kevin Malarkey—another runaway best-seller. Malarkey’s book is about his son Alex, who at age 6 was nearly killed (and left permanently paralyzed) in a devastating automobile accident. In the immediate aftermath, and then during his rehabilitation, Alex says he made multiple trips to heaven and back.
The Malarkeys’ version of heaven is considerably darker and not as full of details as the Burpos’. “There is a hole in outer Heaven,” Alex says. “That hole goes to hell.” The devil evidently uses this portal freely, because he is a major figure in Alex Malarkey’s description of paradise. Alex says he has personally seen Satan many times, first at the accident scene and then later in heaven.
Indeed, this is perhaps the most vivid part of Alex Malarkey’s whole account: “The devil’s mouth is funny looking, with only a few moldy teeth. And I’ve never noticed any ears. His body has a human form, with two bony arms and two bony legs. He has no flesh on his body, only some moldy stuff. His robes are torn and dirty. I don’t know about the color of the skin or robes—it’s all just too scary to concentrate on these things!”
Those books are part of a burgeoning genre, currently one of the hottest trends in publishing: imaginative tales purporting to be eyewitness accounts of heaven and the afterlife. (Blogger TimChallies has labeled the genre “Heaven Tourism,” candidly dismissing one bestseller in the category as “pure junk, fiction in the guise of biography, paganism in the guise of Christianity.”)
Examples of these works include: “My Journey to Heaven: What I Saw and How It Changed My Life”, by Marvin J. Besteman; “Flight to Heaven: A Plane Crash . . .A Lone Survivor . . .A Journey to Heaven—and Back”, by Dale Black; “To Heaven and Back: A Doctor’s Extraordinary Account of Her Death, Heaven, Angels, and Life Again: A True Story”, by Mary Neal; “90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life”, by Don Piper; “Nine Days In Heaven”, by Dennis Prince; “23 Minutes In Hell: One Man’s Story About What He Saw, Heard, and Felt in that Place of Torment”, by Bill Wiese; and many others. Several of these titles have appeared on various bestseller lists, and most of them are still riding high.
This is not a totally new phenomenon. Various survivors of near-death experiences have been publishing gnostic insights about the afterlife for at least two decades. Betty Eadie’s Embraced by the Light was number one on the New York Times Bestseller List exactly 20 years ago. The success of that book unleashed an onslaught of similar tales, nearly all of them with strong New Age and occult overtones. So psychics and new-agers have been making hay with stories like these for at least two decades.
What’s different about the current crop of afterlife testimonies is that they are being eagerly sought and relentlessly cranked out by evangelical publishers. They are bought and devoured by millions who would describe themselves as born-again Bible-believing Christians. Every book I have named in the above list comes from an ostensibly evangelical source. Many of them are old-guard mainstream ECPA publishers, not vanity presses or dilettantes from the charismatic fringe.These books are coming out with such frequency that it is virtually impossible to read and review them all.
But that shouldn’t even be necessary. No true evangelical ought to be tempted to give such tales any credence whatsoever, no matter how popular they become. One major, obvious problem is that these books don’t even agree with one another. They give contradictory descriptions of heaven and thus cannot possibly have any cumulative long-term effect other than the sowing of confusion and doubt.But the larger issue is one no authentic believer should miss: the whole premise behind every one of these books is contrary to everything Scripture teaches about heaven.
In John MacArthur’s classic book he wrote called: “THE GLORY OF HEAVEN”, which deals with this subject he says this:
QUOTE: JOHN MACARTHUR says, ““For anyone who truly believes the biblical record, it is impossible to resist the conclusion that these MODERN TESTIMONIES—with their relentless SELF-FOCUS and the relatively SCANT ATTENTION they pay to the GLORY OF GOD—are simply UNTRUE. They are either figments of the HUMAN IMAGINATION [DREAMS, HALLUCINATIONS, FALSE MEMORIES, FANTASIES, and in the WORST CASES, DELIBERATE LIES], OR else they are products of DEMONIC DECEPTION. We know this with ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY, because SCRIPTURE DEFINITIVELY says that people do NOT go to HEAVEN and COME BACK: Proverbs 30:4 “Who has ASCENDED to HEAVEN and COME DOWN?” ANSWER: John 3:13 JESUS says “NO ONE has ASCENDED into HEAVEN except HE [JESUS] who DESCENDED FROM HEAVEN, the SON OF MAN”. ALL the accounts of heaven in SCRIPTURE are VISIONS, NOT JOURNEYS taken by DEAD PEOPLE. And even VISIONS of HEAVEN are VERY, VERY, RARE in SCRIPTURE. You can COUNT THEM all on ONE HAND.” [END OF QUOTE]
QUOTE: PHIL JOHNSON says, “ONLY FOUR AUTHORS in ALL THE BIBLE were blessed with visions of heaven and wrote about what they saw: the Prophets ISAIAH and EZEKIEL, and the Apostles PAUL and JOHN. Two other biblical figures—MICAIAH and STEPHEN—got GLIMPSES OF HEAVEN, but what they SAW is MERELY MENTIONED, NOT DESCRIBED (2 Chronicles 18:18; Acts 7:55). As PASTOR JOHN MACARTHUR points out, ALL of these were PROPHETIC VISIONS, NOT NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES. NOT ONE PERSON RAISED from the DEAD in the OLD & NEW TESTAMENTS EVER RECORDED for us what HE or SHE EXPERIENCED in HEAVEN. That includes LAZARUS, who spent FOUR DAYS in the GRAVE.. PAUL was caught up into HEAVEN in an EXPERIENCE so VIVID he said he DIDN’T KNOW whether he went there BODILY or NOT, but he SAW THINGS that are UNLAWFUL to UTTER, so he gave NO DETAILS. He covered the whole incident in just THREE VERSES (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). ALL THREE BIBLICAL WRITERS who SAW HEAVEN and DESCRIBED their VISIONS give comparatively SPARSE DETAILS, but they AGREE PERFECTLY (Isaiah 6:1-4; Ezekiel 1 and 10; Revelation 4-6). They DON’T AGREE with the BURPO-MALARKEY VISION of HEAVEN. Both their intonation and the details they highlight are MARKEDLY DIFFERENT. The BIBLICAL AUTHORS are all FIXATED on GOD’S GLORY, which DEFINES and ILLUMINATES everything there. They are OVERWHELMED, CHAGRINED, PETRIFIED, and put to SILENCE by the SHEER MAJESTY of GOD’S HOLINESS. Notably missing from all the biblical accounts are the FRIVOLOUS FEATURES and JUVENILE ATTRACTIONS that seem to DOMINATE EVERY ACCOUNT of heaven currently on the BESTSELLER LISTS.”
Every week, I answer e-mails and inquiries from evangelicals who are confused by the barrage of afterlife travelogues. Why Christians who profess to believe the Bible would find these stories the least bit compelling is an utter mystery, but it is a sure sign that many in the evangelical movement have abandoned their evangelical convictions. Specifically, they have relinquished the principle of sola Scriptura and lost their confidence in the sufficiency of Scripture. Why else would they turn from clear biblical teaching on heaven and seek an alternative view in mystical experiences that bear no resemblance to what Scripture tells us?
This trend away from biblical authority was even noted earlier this week by a secular reporter in The New York Post. Consider the implications of this quotation:
Lynn Vincent, who ghost-wrote “Heaven is for Real” on behalf of the young boy Colton Burpo and his father, said that she was initially reluctant to include Colton’s description of people in heaven having wings. “If I put that people in Heaven have wings, orthodox Christians are going to think that the bookis a hoax.” She did and they didn’t.
Evangelical readers’ discernment skills are at an all-time low, and that is why books like these proliferate. Despite the high profile, high sales figures, and high dollar amounts Christian publishers can milk from a trend such as this, it doesn’t bode well for the future of Christian publishing—or for the future of the evangelical movement.
Check out the all-new edition of John MacArthur’s classic book: “The Glory of Heaven”. The book includes thorough critiques of “Heaven Is for Real” and “The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven”, plus extended evaluations of a few other bestsellers in the same vein. More importantly, it gives a thorough exposition of what Scripture teaches about heaven.
SPOILER ALERT: Heaven’s a lot more glorious than any of these current bestsellers suggest. Book Available online at: www.GTY.org
COPYRIGHT (C) 2014 “Grace to You” may reproduce this Grace to You content for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Grace to You’s Copyright Policy [CAPS & BOLD FONT is from SO4J-TV]
ARTICLE: YOUR BEST AFTERLIFE NOW
By Justin Peters
An Examination and Biblical Critique of Claimed Visits to Heaven and Hell
Article by Justin Peters / Justin Peters Ministries/ October 2011
Video: Justin Peters Explains Why Stories of Trips To Heaven Do Not Line up With the Bible
Heaven. The Bible describes Heaven as a place of surpassing beauty where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sickness, no disease, no death. It is where the triune God resides in all of His glory. For those of us who are saved, the redeemed of God through Christ, it is our eternal home. Though none of us look forward to the process of dying, as Christians we enthusiastically answer the question asked by Job, “If a man dies, will he live again?” with a resounding “yes.” We look forward to being completely and eternally free of fallen bodies living in a fallen world. But for some people, it seems that Heaven (and occasionally Hell) can’t wait.
Though Near Death Experiences (NDEs) have been reported for hundreds and even thousands of years, the last several decades have seen an explosion of people come forward claiming that they have seen the other side, both Heaven and Hell. Many of these people are not Christian at all. For the purposes of this article, however, we will focus on some of the more prominent ones claiming to be believers in Christ. I will begin this article by providing an overview of some of the more prominent recent examples and will then offer an evaluation of each. While space does not permit an exhaustive review of each account, some of the more important and theologically pertinent points will examined.
MORE – READ FULL ARTICLE: YOUR BEST AFTERLIFE NOW | JUSTIN PETERS
BOOK REVIEW by Tim Challies on: 23 Minutes in Hell – Bill Wiese
(NOT Recommended Reading)
23 Minutes in Hell – Bill Wiese – Book Review – SO4J-TV does NOT Recommend this Book!
See also the above ARTICLE: “YOUR BEST AFTERLIFE NOW” – BY JUSTIN PETERS – A BIBLICAL CRITIQUE OF HEAVEN & HELL VISITS
Book Reviewed on: 5/30/2008 – By Discerning Reader – Reviewed by Tim Challies
NOT Recommended Reading –Tim Challies Review— “Plagued with theological errors, this is one to avoid!”
BOOK REVIEW OF “23 Minutes in Hell” Author: Bill Wiese – Review by Tim Challies— I suppose it was inevitable that, with a bestselling book describing an Author’s 90 Minutes in Heaven, one would soon follow detailing a journey to Hell. Sure enough, Bill Wiese follows Don Piper’s 90 Minutes in Heaven with his own 23 Minutes in Hell.
Bill Wiese’s story is simple. One night, while sleeping, he was transported to hell. There God showed him hell in all its horror and terror. He was thrown into a barred cell, he was abused by demons, he was shown the lakes of fire, and he saw people suffering torment. After a brief visit with Jesus, he was transported back to earth in order to tell people that Jesus is returning soon and to assure them that hell is a real place (and one that exists in the center of the earth, apparently). Bill Wiese’s hell seems to be equally influenced by the works of Ray Comfort, Mary Baxter and Gary Larson. That is to say it is at times biblically accurate, at times patently unbiblical, and at times near-comical.
There are many things that can be said about this book from the perspectives of literature and theology. I will focus on just one under each heading. In terms of literature, there is little that can be said. This book is just plain bad. It is poorly written and seems cobbled together. It is something of a chore to read, though it is blessedly short and, unlike hell, the punishment does not last for long. I have read worse, of course, but there is no doubt that this is not a well-written book.
Video: Phil Johnson is Adamant that Bill Wiese did NOT Spend 23 Minutes in Hell
My foremost concern involves theology. And here I want to point to the error that also plagued Don Piper’s Book, 90 Minutes in Heaven. It regards the necessity of such visitations. Don Piper travels the world now under the banner of “The Minister of Hope.” He brings hope by telling people that he has been to heaven and can attest that it is a real place. Bill Wiese now shares his message that hell is also real and is a real place (a really bad place). Yet in the Bible I find no reason to believe that God would want or need people to carry this kind of message based on their own experiences. God has given us the Bible precisely so we do not need such people! When a man travels around carrying a message like this one, he implicitly denies that the Bible is warning enough; his ministry indicates that he feels we need something more than “merely” the Bible in order to warn people of the joy to come to those who believe and the wrath to come for those who do not. These messengers, perhaps inadvertently, deny the uniqueness and the sufficiency of the Bible. If people will not believe the words of God as given in Scripture, why should or would they believe the fanciful words of a mere man?
All this is not to say that 23 Minutes in Hell does not have any redeeming qualities. The author shares many things about hell that are true. He often quotes excellent teachers (and ones who would be less than thrilled, I’m sure, to see their names printed inside this book!). He does not downplay the horrific nature of hell or, as do so many today, attempt to deny its reality. However, one thing that is conspicuous by its absence is any mention of hell being the presence of God in His wrath. Wiese describes it as a place where people are punished for not believing in Jesus; yet the punishments are inflicted by demons and fire rather than by God Himself.
From the Bible it seems clear that God is the one who is active in hell and that He punishes both humans and demons. If Wiese does downplay the awfulness of hell, it would be right here.
Like “90 Minutes in Heaven”, this book is plagued with Theological errors and, also like Don Piper’s effort, it does not deserve a place in anyone’s library. Take a pass on it!
Excerpt From: “A Christian Rebuttal to Bill Wiese’s 23 Minutes in Hell” by Robert Alan King
Bill Wiese has some Serious Problems & Contradictions In the story about the Rich man and Lazarus told by Jesus,
Luke 16:31 Abraham says, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead”.
This passage makes it clear that there will never be anybody else called upon by God to give us further revelation of the afterlife in order to convince us of its truth. The Bible is sufficient. Bill Wiese sometimes tries to wiggle his way out of this by insisting this passage does not apply to his circumstances because he was not dead and that he is not telling anyone to look at him and be persuaded, that he is only a signpost to point them to the Scriptures. Being “a signpost to point them to the Scriptures” as a personal witness of hell (something else necessary for them to believe) is the exact point of the conversation in the passage and Wiese’s gibberish to exclude himself is missing the point of the passage entirely. The fact that he can stand up on a stage in front of a body of Christians and effectively use doublespeak to deceive them is very sad. This passage in Luke applies to anybody asserting that God needs us to hear his or her further revelation so we will believe. This is exactly what Wiese is doing with a bold claim that he had this experience specifically because Jesus needs him to tell others about hell in order to let them know it is real.15 To imply in any way that we need additional information to believe is to declare that the Bible is insufficient.
Bill Wiese wants us to believe that Jesus blanked out his memory of being a Christian and then allowed him to suffer pain and torment from real demons.16 This included being painfully thrown against the wall resulting in broken bones, having his flesh ripped off of his body, and having his head crushed. He experienced terror, fear, thirst, hunger, hopelessness, and much more at the hands of demons as a Christian. He expects us to believe that Jesus allowed this so that he could know the hopelessness and pain of hell was real beyond a doubt and tell others. Even after this, Jesus leaves him huddled on the floor like a baby screaming in terror.
First off, Jesus said he would never leave us nor forsake us, and he most certainly would not have left him like that to be tortured in hell while he stood by and watched for any reason. And he would never take away our knowledge of our belief in him under any condition. Though Wiese tries to compare this to Jesus preventing two disciples from recognizing him21 as proof that he might take away Wiese’s memory of being a Christian while suffering the torments of hell, these are two completely different things.
Bill Wiese claims he did not know he was a Christian while in hell, but he tells us that he remembered his wife and his pastor friend Raul. Huh? So, he wants us to believe that he could remember two relationships built around service to Jesus Christ but nothing in those relationships that had to do with Jesus. So what did he have, only a partial memory of his wife and pastor friend? I find this very strange and simply unbelievable from a logical standpoint.
Let us suppose that Wiese did not remember he was a Christian, but he at some point realizes that he is in hell. Not once did he cry out to God for help like anybody else would have done if they found themselves in that situation, Christian or not. He even expects us to believe it did not even cross his mind.
There are numerous other problems as well such as his instance that it was exhausting for the denizens of hell to even get out a breath and that they have no strength but then insisting that people were able to scream in torment and actually climb out of a pit of fire. Or where he specifically says there is “no escape even mentally“ but contradicts this statement with “my mental escape had only lasted a few seconds” when he thought about his wife. There are so many problems with the claims of this book that I am simply shocked that anybody can believe it.
In his book, Bill Wiese claims he was catapulted out of bed and into a prison cell in hell, but when he returned, his body was on the living room floor. The story is clearly implying that he went to sleep and then went straight to hell. But it seems that Wiese has now realized the problem with this claim of his body moving from the bed to the living room floor. Lately, at least since 2010, he has been trying to clean this up with further changes to the story in which he now insists he got up out of bed to get a glass of water before being taken out of his body.
Yet, it’s a little too late for him to explain away this problem because he already made a large list of contradictory statements about both the actual time and whether or not he even knew what time it was:
“Sometime maybe between midnight and 3 in the morning, I don’t know what time. But that’s when I went to sleep so it had to happen somewhere between there. (1999)
… and about 3 o’clock in the morning … (2003)
Suddenly, at 3:00 a.m. … (2006)
… somehow I was aware the time was 3:00 a.m. (2006)
At 3 o’clock in the morning, I knew it was 3 o’clock, for some reason, I can’t explain to you why I knew it was 3. (2007)
“I got up at 3:00” (2010)
Bill Wiese: I got up at three o’clock just to get a glass of water. Sid: How did you know it was three? Bill: I looked at the clock. (2011)”
“You will notice how Bill Wiese clearly states in the beginning that he does not know the time, but that it must be within a wide range of approximately three hours, and he clearly implies he was in bed when he was taken out of body (1999). Then, a few years later this has changed into an estimate with “about,” moving to a shorter time range of minutes rather than hours (2003). It then becomes solidified as exactly 3:00 a.m. by the time the book is published (though he does not know how he knows the time) while he still is claiming to have been taken from his bed (2006). He then changes his story again after the book is published by claiming to have gotten up out of bed and to knowing the exact time because he looked at the clock (2010). Though Wiese may now be confident he has cleared up his moving body problem, he actually has only further exposed his fabrication, probably hoping nobody will find all his contradictory statements to expose his pattern of modifying his story whenever he sees a need to do so.”
The inconsistency of his ever-changing story does not stop there. Though Wiese claims in his book that the first thing he noticed was the hot temperature and that he did not know where he was after arriving until he left the cell,34 he blatantly contradicts this claim during his later interview on TBN in 2010 when he says “it only took a few seconds, honestly, to realize where I was at” and his interview with Sid Roth in 2011 in which he says, “The heat was far beyond the ability to sustain life, so I knew immediately I was in Hell.”
Though Wiese claims that he instinctively knew things such as the strength of the beasts in his cell,36 somehow while knowing these things he didn’t even know where he was or that the beasts were demons.37 This sounds like an attempt to create validity to his claim that he did not know he was a Christian while there, but almost any non-believer within the United States would have immediately associated these beasts he describes with demons. What else could they possibly be? Expecting us to believe that he was not able to determine what they are is quite a stretch. And now that he has changed his story to say he knew he was in hell immediately, this part of the story even becomes more bizarre. Yet, surprisingly, that part of the story has changed too, because in his 2010 TBN interview, he says, “I looked up and saw these two enormous creatures in the cell; well, they were demons, and so I knew right then I’m in hell.” It seems that Wiese’s story is falling apart more and more as he tries to cover up fallacies in the story with more fabrication.
When comparing the book with other statements made by Wiese and his wife in interviews and other places, there are so many contradictions and changes in the story that it would literally be exhaustive to list them all. Just the story of Wiese’s return condition and the events around it change so much that there is not even consistency on how long it took him to recover, who got the glasses of water, or whether he remembered anything from the minutes after his return or not. There are so many serious contradictions that it is absolutely amazing that anybody can believe anything Wiese says. I have provided enough contradictions above to show that Wiese is having a difficult time keeping the details of his fabrication consistent, but if you have any doubts at all after you’ve read his book, please watch all of his video interviews spanning the years that are available across the Internet….” (End of Excerpt)
This was an Excerpt From: Robert Alan King. For More go to: “A Christian Rebuttal to Bill Wiese’s 23 Minutes in Hell.” iBooks & Kindle (he has many other other books on this topic of False Visits to Heaven & Hell). https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-christian-rebuttal-to-bill-wieses-23-minutes-in-hell/id491305879?mt=11
BOOK REVIEW by Tim Challies on: Heaven Is For Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back – Todd Burpo
(NOT Recommended Reading)
Heaven Is For Real – Todd Burpo – Book Review – SO4J-TV does NOT Recommend this Book!
Book Reviewed on: 3/28/2011 – By Tim Challies
NOT Recommended Reading –Tim Challies Review— “So reject this Book. Do not read it. Do not believe it. And do not feel guilty doing so.”
BOOK REVIEW OF “Heaven Is For Real” – Author: Todd Burpo – Review by Tim Challies—Embarking on a short tour of the afterlife is all the rage, it seems. Don Piper got it started with 90 Minutes in Heaven, a really bad book that sold millions of copies. Then there was 23 Minutes in Hell, another bestseller and another awful book. And now hot on their heels comes Heaven Is For Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back. It’s currently sitting atop the New York Times list of bestsellers and has over a half million copies in print. I wonder if I’m the only one who finds it a mite suspicious that now that these books are selling like proverbial hotcakes, more and more people find that God wants them to tell their stories of heaven and hell. Probably not.
Heaven Is For Real is written by Pastor Todd Burpo and it tells the story of his son Colton who, at age 4, visited heaven. His visit came while he was on the operating table after suffering a burst appendix. He told his parents his story several months later and his parents then waited 6 or 7 years to record it in a book. That book has shot to the top of the charts, resulting in many of you sending me emails to ask, “Have you read it?” So I went ahead and read it. Because that’s the kind of guy I am.
You will probably not be surprised to learn that this is not a good book. What I want to do here is offer a very brief review and then I want to tell you why you can legitimately dismiss this book and all the others like it, because I think that’s where many of us feel the tension—what gives me the right to dismiss another person’s experience?
I’ve already given you the broad outline. Colton dies (or something close to it) and visits heaven for an unknown period of time. He returns to his body and over the months and years that follow tells his parents about his time in heaven. He tells about spending time with Jesus, about meeting the sister he never knew he had, about fluttering around with wings, about the pearly gates, and on and on. Along the way you’ll get descriptions of Todd’s various afflictions and you’ll read the fine details of Colton’s battles with constipation and the great relief he experienced passing gas. Riveting stuff, this.
Every one of Colton’s experiences, or very nearly every one, follows a pattern. He tells his father some little detail. His father experiences a gasp or feels his heart skip a beat. “I could hardly breathe. My mind was reeling. My head was spinning.” A Scripture verse comes to dad’s mind that validates the experience. Colton gets bored and runs off. Repeat.
The story is told with short chapters and grade school-level writing. Fine literature it is not. The point of it all is to encourage you that heaven is a real place. Colton went there and his experience now validates its existence. Just like Don Piper went there and his experience validates its existence. Just like Bill Wiese went to hell and can speak with authority to tell you that you really, really don’t want to go there. Just like the Apostle Paul went there and told us all about it in order to…oh wait.
Now, what do I do with a book like this one? It seems to me that there are only a couple of options available to me. I can accept it, agreeing that this little boy is legitimate—he went to heaven and is now telling the tale for our edification. Or I can reject what this boy is saying—he did not go to heaven and this book is fictitious. If I go with this second option (which is exactly what I am doing) I now have two choices before me: either the boy (and/or his parents) is a liar or he genuinely believes he experienced something that he did not actually experience. I know which way I would lean, but I suppose that’s neither here nor there.
Either option is very uncharitable and each one leaves me with a further problem: on what grounds can I dismiss this as fiction, as a book that is completely unprofitable? If I wanted to disprove Colton’s experience on grounds of logic or consistency I might point in a couple of different directions.
In the first place, Colton is a toddler who speaks like an adult. His verbatim quotes sound nothing like a 4-year old, and I think I can say this with some authority as the father of a 4-year old. I’d also point to the fact that dad routinely remembers circumstantial detail that there is very little chance he would remember 6 or 7 years after the fact, something that, at the very least, tells me that he is filling in details where he feels he needs to. But there are better grounds.
The better strategy, I think, is to look to the Bible. I offer two ways of going about this.
1 – FIRST – The Bible gives us no indication whatsoever that God will work in this way and that he will call one of us to heaven and then cause us to return. It is for man to die once and then the resurrection.
To allow a man (or a boy) to experience heaven and then to bring him back would not be grace but cruelty. The only biblical example we have of a man being caught up to heaven is Paul and it’s very interesting that he was forbidden to tell anything about it. And the reason he even mentioned this experience was not to offer encouragement that heaven exists, but to serve as a part of his “gospel boasting.” He saw heaven and was told to say nothing about it. This was a unique experience in a unique time and for a unique reason.
2 – SECOND – The second ground refers to the reason each of these authors offers—that through their experience we now find confidence that what God says is true. This kind of proof is exactly the kind of proof we should not need and should not want.
Blessed are those who do not see and yet believe. Don Piper insisted that he was called to be the Minister of Hope. If hope is to be found in any person, it will be found in the person of Christ. It is the Spirit working through the Word who will give us confidence in our faith. And what is faith? It is simply believing that what God says in his Word is true. We do not need tales of heaven or stories of those who claim to be there.
If you struggle believing what the Bible says, but learn to find security in the testimony of a toddler, well, I feel sorry for you. And I do not mean this in a condescending way. If God’s Word is not sufficient for you, if the testimony of his Spirit, given to believers, is not enough for you, you will not find any true hope in the unproven tales of a child. This hope may last for a moment, but it will not sustain you, it will not bless you, in those times when hope is waning and times are hard.
So reject this book. Do not read it. Do not believe it. And do not feel guilty doing so.
BOOK REVIEW by Tim Challies – 90 Minutes in Heaven – Don Piper
(NOT Recommended Reading)
90 Minutes in Heaven Book – Don Piper – Book Review – SO4J-TV does NOT Recommend this Book!
Book Reviewed on: 5/07/2006 – By Discerning Reader – Reviewed by Tim Challies
NOT Recommended Reading –Tim Challies Review— “Don Piper’s intentions may be good, but this Book is pure nonsense“
BOOK REVIEW OF “90 Minutes in Heaven” Author: Don Piper – Review by Tim Challies—
We know of three people, from Scripture, who were privileged to see heaven. All of these men, Stephen and the Apostle Paul and Apostle John, were alive when they were given a glimpse of the wonders of heaven. Don Piper, a Baptist Pastor, claims to be a fourth, though unlike the other three, he first had to die. Returning home from a conference, Piper’s car was crushed under the wheels of a truck. Medical personnel declared him dead at the scene of the accident. But ninety minutes after this accident, a Pastor, waiting at the scene, was told by God to pray for the dead man. He did so, and Piper immediately returned to life. For the 90 minutes that his body lay lifeless inside the car, Piper claims to have been in heaven. He now carries with him memories of paradise and in 90 Minutes in Heaven, a book which has sold over 500,000 copies, he seeks to encourage other Christians with a description of our eternal home. “Because I was able to experience heaven,” he says, “I was able to prepare [friends] for it. And now I am preparing you.”
The title may be deceptive. One might assume, from the title, that a significant portion of the book is dedicated to describing heaven. The reality is that the author’s time in heaven comprises only 15 pages of this 205-page book. A further seven pages, appended to the end of the book, engage very briefly and unsatisfactorily with the “why questions.” The bulk of the book describes Piper’s accident, rescue and convalescence with some attention to the ministry opportunities that have arisen since his time in heaven. The book is, in reality, a biographical sketch of Don Piper and a lengthy description of the trials he faced as he recovered from devastating bodily injuries. Following the description of heaven, there is little further reflection on paradise. There is little attempt to describe how the author’s life and perspective on Scripture have changed because of his experience. There is little interaction with the Bible. There is little gospel.
Piper’s description of heaven left me cold. I was dismayed to find that his heaven seems largely man-centered. In fact, if you were to ask your unbelieving friends and neighbors to describe heaven, they would probably create a place very much like this. Piper did not see Jesus, nor did he see God, though, to be fair, he saw only the “outskirts” and did not pass through the gates. Despite this, he was exceedingly joyful and feels that he experienced the very joys of paradise. For ninety minutes he walked through heaven, greeted by those he knew in this life, all of whom were (quite conveniently), the same age they were when he had last known them. As I read this description of heaven I thought immediately of a quote from John Piper’s book God is the Gospel. He asks:
The critical question for our generation— and for every generation— is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever say, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?
From the descriptions in “90 Minutes in Heaven” we would would have to respond, “yes!” It seems that Don Piper’s heaven is a heaven where we are fulfilled without Christ. Piper’s heaven was a place of reunion with loved ones, a place of beautiful music and a place of literal pearl (or “pearlescent”) gates and literal streets of gold. It is a heaven that can be so easily described to a human mind using mere human words, as if it had originated in a human mind. Piper is able to describe it in some detail, but what he presents is surely far too human to be heaven.
A further troubling aspect of the book is a clear lack of theological precision. For example, Don Piper continually describes miracles that surrounded his rescue and recovery, yet these are often not the type of events that theologians would classify as being miraculous. They may have shown God’s grace and power, but they were not, strictly speaking, miracles. He also uses his experience to minister to people who lack assurance of their faith. But what true, lasting assurance can we find in the dubious experiences of another mere human? Our assurance is to be in God and His promises through Scripture, not in man.
I do believe Don Piper is a sincere man and one who loves God. He seems to sincerely believe that he experienced heaven and has been called by God to share his experience with others. But I do not believe that he did see heaven. I cannot say what his experience was, whether it was purely psychological or whether it was even some type of demonic deception. What I do know is that the Scriptures are wholly sufficient for believers. We do not need to see or experience heaven in this life. Nor should we desire Don Piper’s heaven.
I see no reason to believe that God wants us to know more about heaven than He has revealed to us in His Word. As the old hymn asks, “What more can he say than to you he has said?” God surely desires that we desire heaven, but only if we desire heaven primarily so we can be with the Savior. This is the heaven which we glimpse only dimly in Scripture, but which we await with eager expectation. It is most certainly not Piper’s 90-minute heaven.
ARTICLE: “Visiting Heaven & Hell”
Why the Claims of Afterlife Experiences are NOT Reliable
Article By Bob DeWaay / Critical Issues Commentary
- 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago— whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows— such a man was caught up to the third Heaven. And I know how such a man— whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows — was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.”
In recent years, a couple of individuals have written hot selling books in which they claim to relate their experiences of visiting Heaven and/or Hell. When Paul (1) mentioned his experience in order to fend off the criticisms of False Apostles who boasted about Visions and Revelations, he said that “a man is not permitted to speak” of the things which he saw. That was in the first century. Evidently the rules have changed. Now those who claim such Visions and Revelations write books to describe what they saw. As we shall see, they also claim to have received special revelation about things not revealed in the Bible, and to have been commissioned by Jesus to reveal these things to the church.
MORE – FULL ARTICLE: “VISITING HEAVEN & HELL” BY BOB DEWAAY
Necromancy – What is Necromancy? Is Necromancy Evil? Yes!
From Apologetics Ron Rhodes on NECROMANCY: “Necromancy is defined as the conjuring of the spirits of the dead for purposes of magically revealing the future or influencing the course of events. In the Bible, necromancy is also called “divination,” “sorcery” and “spiritism” and is forbidden many times in Scripture (Leviticus 19:26; Deuteronomy 18:10; Galatians 5:19-20; Acts 19:19) as an abomination to God. It is something that the Lord speaks very strongly against and is to be avoided as much as any evil. The reason for this is twofold.
FIRST, necromancy is going to involve demons and opens the one who practices it to demonic attack. Satan and his demons seek to destroy us, not to impart to us truth or wisdom. We are told that our “enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
SECOND, necromancy does not rely on the Lord for information, the Lord who promises to freely give wisdom to all who ask for it (James 1:5). This is especially telling because the Lord always wants to lead us to truth and life, but demons always want to lead us to lies and serious damage. The idea that dead people’s spirits can be contacted for information is false. Those who attempt such contact inevitably contact demonic spirits, not the spirits of dead loved ones. Those who die go immediately to heaven or hell—heaven if they believed in Jesus as Savior, and hell if they did not. There is no contact between the dead and the living. Therefore, seeking the dead is unnecessary and very dangerous.”
HELL – Hell is Real— Hell Videos
- MORE – ARTICLES & VIDEOS ABOUT HELL ON SO4J.com:
HEAVEN – What is Heaven Like? Heaven is Real!
Heaven – What Is Heaven Like? Videos, Audios, Articles. What Happens After Death? Is Heaven Real? Who Goes To Heaven? Where Is Heaven? What Is The Millennium? What Is The New Jerusalem? These Questions & More will be Answered here about Heaven. Find Out More about Heaven from God’s Word!
- 1 Corinthians 2:9 “EYE has NOT SEEN, nor EAR HEARD, NOR have entered into the HEART of man the things which God has PREPARED for those who LOVE HIM.”
- Colossians 3:2-5 “SET YOUR MIND on things ABOVE, NOT on the THINGS on the EARTH. For you Died, and your Life is Hidden with CHRIST in GOD. When CHRIST who is our LIFE APPEARS, then you also will APPEAR with HIM in GLORY.”
- 1 Thess 4:13 “I Want you to know what will Happen to the CHRISTIANS who have DIED so you will NOT be FULL of SORROW like People who have No Hope.”
Video: What is Heaven? John MacArthur
Audios & Articles – Heaven Series – John MacArthur
(Click Link to View all the Audio & Article Links in this Series on GTY.org)
AUDIOS & ARTICLES – LINKS 1-What Heaven Is
2-Where Heaven Is and What It Is Like
3-New Jerusalem
4-What We Will Be Like
5-How We Will Relate to One Another in Heaven
6-How We Will Relate to God in Heaven
7-What We Will Do in Heaven – Part 1
8-What We Will Do in Heaven – Part 2
Do Not ADD or SUBTRACT from God’s Word
- Revelation 22:18-19 “And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the Words of Prophecy written in this Book: If anyone ADDS ANYTHING to what is Written here, God will add to that person the Plagues described in this Book. And if anyone REMOVES ANY of the Words from this Book of Prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the Tree of Life and in the Holy City that are described in this Book.”
- Deuteronomy 4:2 “Do NOT ADD TO OR SUBTRACT from these Commands I am giving you. Just OBEY THE COMMANDS of the Lord your God that I am giving you.”
- Deuteronomy 12:32 “So be CAREFUL TO OBEY ALL THE COMMANDS I give you. You must NOT ADD ANYTHING to them OR SUBTRACT ANYTHING from them.”
- Proverbs 30:5-6 “Every Word of God proves True. He is a shield to all who come to Him for protection. Do NOT ADD TO HIS WORDS, or He may rebuke you and expose (prove) you as a Liar.”
God’s Word
God Might Be Testing You, Obey & Trust Only God’s Word — Not Your Feelings
- FALSE TEACHERS & FALSE PROPHETS – BIBLE SCRIPTURES – HERE
- Deut 13:1-18 “Suppose there are PROPHETS among you or those who DREAM DREAMS ABOUT THE FUTURE, and they PROMISE YOU SIGNS OR MIRACLES, and the PREDICTED SIGNS OR MIRACLES OCCUR. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before— DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM. The LORD YOUR GOD IS TESTING YOU TO SEE IF YOU TRULY LOVE HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND SOUL. Serve ONLY the Lord your God and FEAR HIM alone. OBEY HIS COMMANDS, LISTEN TO HIS VOICE, AND CLING TO HIM. The FALSE PROPHETS or VISIONARIES who try to lead you astray must be put to DEATH, for they ENCOURAGE REBELLION AGAINST THE LORD YOUR GOD, who redeemed you from slavery and brought you out of the land of Egypt. Since they try to LEAD YOU ASTRAY from the way the Lord your God Commanded you to live (GOD’S WORD), you must put them to death. In this way you will PURGE THE EVIL FROM AMONG YOU. “Suppose someone secretly entices you—even your Brother, your Son or Daughter, your beloved Wife, or your Closest Friend—and says, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known. They might suggest that you worship the gods of peoples who live nearby or who come from the ends of the earth. But do not give in or listen. Have no pity, and do not spare or protect them. (9) You must put them to death! Strike the first blow yourself, and then all the people must join in…(18) “The LORD YOUR GOD WILL BE MERCIFUL ONLY IF YOU LISTEN TO HIS VOICE AND KEEP ALL HIS COMMANDS THAT I GIVE YOU TODAY, DOING WHAT PLEASES HIM.”
DON’T BE DECEIVED, BUT BE BIBLICALLY DISCERNING!” [Acts 17:11]—SO4J-TV
- 1 Cor 2:9 “EYE has NOT SEEN, nor EAR HEARD, NOR have entered into the HEART of man the things which God has PREPARED for those who LOVE HIM.“
- Rev 22:18-19 “And I solemnly declare to everyone who Hears the Words of Prophecy written in this Book: If anyone ADDS anything to what is WRITTEN here, God will ADD to that Person the PLAGUES described in this Book. And if anyone REMOVES ANY of the Words from this Book of Prophecy, God will REMOVE that Person’s SHARE in the TREE OF LIFE and in the HOLY CITY that are described in this Book.”
Good News! Here’s the TRUE GOSPEL – The Gospel of Jesus Christ
Hell is the Eternal Destiny of MOST People
(Matt 7:13-14, Phil 3:18-19, Matt 7:21-23)
How Do We Escape God’s Wrath in Hell?
GOOD NEWS! THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
Video: Gospel of Jesus Christ – SO4J-TV
“FALSE VISITS TO HEAVEN AND HELL”
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