1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Waking Up In Heaven

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Berean, Jan 27, 2014.

  1. Berean

    Berean Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2006
    Messages:
    837
    Likes Received:
    2
    I am reading this book and I really don't know why, really. Someone in my church recommended to a friend and he bought a copy and it is the one I am reading. In short the book alleges that a teacher/housewife dies and goes to Heaven and has an encounter with God and a conversation ensues in which God tells her to bring the message back to earth, similar as to what God did to John Denver in "O God" except this time He didn't come to Earth. I would be dishonest if I said I am not skeptical for the following reasons. The following is some of the reasons for my skepticism;
    I. It is appointed unto man/woman once to die and after that the judgement.
    You may be clinically dead but once the spirit leaves the body "U-Dead" except Lazarus I guess he died twice.
    II. Lost people do not go to heaven.
    III. I don't believe in out of the body experiences.
    These are only opinions, I would like to hear yours.
     
  2. Iconoclast

    Iconoclast Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2010
    Messages:
    21,242
    Likes Received:
    2,305
    Faith:
    Non Baptist Christian
    All such claims of outer body experiences should be rejected as you have stated.These happen in the mind of the person...not in reality.:thumbsup:
     
  3. Jordan Kurecki

    Jordan Kurecki Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2013
    Messages:
    1,925
    Likes Received:
    130
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Did not God reveal his will to the prophets through dreams and visions?

    Why are we so quick to think God will not choose to do the same thing?

    And as it is appointed unto man once to die? well there were multiple people in the bible that died more than once.
     
  4. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2012
    Messages:
    52,624
    Likes Received:
    2,742
    Faith:
    Baptist
    what is interesting to me is that some athiests claimed to have them, and they were told God loves and saves them, as also those in other religions had them...

    I think some indeed have them, but they meet the Angel of Light, NOT the Lord...

    And paul saw heaven, but God forbade him to talk on it, Lazarus did not 'spill the beans", so why would God have some today give us "my time with jesus, my day in heaven etc?"

    was/isn't the bible itself all that we need to know on afterlife/heaven?
     
  5. OldRegular

    OldRegular Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2004
    Messages:
    22,678
    Likes Received:
    64
    The final revelation from God came through Jesus Christ [Hebrews 1:1f].

    Scripture please!
     
  6. ShagNappy

    ShagNappy Member

    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2003
    Messages:
    568
    Likes Received:
    0
    If someone said they had an experience such as this and it changed them and it led them to get saved I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand. God speaks as God speaks. But when people start saying God gave them a message to bring back and blah blah blah, it never filters out correctly through the word, so my reaction is to roll my eyes and move along.

    If someone brought a message that squared with the Word I would give it a chance, but it never works out that way. God's Word doesn't change. Never did, never will.
     
  7. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Messages:
    9,788
    Likes Received:
    698
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Here's a Puritan's trip found at the "Monergism" site:

    http://new.monergism.com/directory/link_category/Puritans/Misc-Puritans/Anne-Dutton/

    vol 3, p. 60 ff

    "Another time I was under Illness of Body, and other trials. . . .I was brought, in a Moment, into the Bosom of GOD. . . .I saw myself wrap'd round with the Righteousness of GOD; and splendidly glorious, in the Eyes of flaming Purity, as I stood in this shining Dress! And from the transcendent Heights of this Glory-sun, I look'd down upon the perfect Righteousness of Adam in Innocence, and of the holy Angels in Heaven, and saw no Glory in these, in comparison with the super excelling Glory of Christ's Righteousness. . . .I beheld the Mercy of Jehovah, as a boundless Ocean, and myself in the midst of it; so that nothing could come at me but what came thro' a Sea of Mercy. No Afflictions, Temptations, or Trials, of what Kind soever, could touch me, but must come thro' this infinite everlasting Mercy, and by it be turn'd into Mercies to Me. I was indeed, cast into Mercy's Ocean, and delightfully div'd into its infinite Depths. And upon every new Discovery, I cry'd out, with the Apostle, Rom. xi.33. Oh the Depths! And in a Word. By this Hour's Communion with GOD, I thought I knew something what Heaven would be.: In the Morning, I said, with Jacob, This is none other but the House of God, and this is the Gate of Heaven, Gen. xxviii.17."
     
    #7 Jerome, Jan 27, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 27, 2014
  8. Zenas

    Zenas Active Member

    Joined:
    May 7, 2007
    Messages:
    2,703
    Likes Received:
    20
    Does scripture really prelude these near death or out of body experiences? I don't think Hebrews 9:27 applies because these people aren't dead, at least to the extent that they are laid to rest. Hebrews 9:27 does preclude the idea of reincarnation. And if scripture doesn't preclude near death experiences, then why should we be skeptical?
     
  9. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2012
    Messages:
    52,624
    Likes Received:
    2,742
    Faith:
    Baptist
    maybe because God ceased giving additional revelation afetr John died, and canon closed, and if Paul was not allowed to speak, why would God allow any others to do such?

    Jesus is FINAL word of God to us, scriptures are ALL we get and need to know on heaven!

    And many of these stories contridict the bible, so how can God be in that?

    Some even give non Christians hope for heaven, as 'Jesus" yells tjhem that he accepts and loves evenAthiests and other faiths!
     
  10. Archie the Preacher

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2005
    Messages:
    282
    Likes Received:
    4
    Suspicious

    I have to agree with you on this, Berean. I'm rather skeptical about 'death' experiences.

    I think it quite possible to be close to dead and fool medical people and machines, then come back from the 'almost' dead. But normally, death is a permanent change of station. At this point, we do not have the medical ability to reliably determine in every case the difference between 'near death' and 'actual death' until the person in question revives.

    Well put.

    There are a few exceptions, rather few: As you mentioned, Lazarus (after three days in a mausoleum, I'd bet he was really dead for a while). This Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha, in John 11, not the beggar associated with the rich man.

    Eutychus, brought back by Paul in Acts 20.
    Dorcas, also brought back by Paul; Acts 9.
    The son of the hospitable woman by Elijah in 1 Kings 17.
    The dead man who was thrown into Elisha's tomb in 2 Kings 13.

    And Jesus revived the synagogue leader's little girl in Mark 5.

    I think I'm missing one or two; but there are records.
    But out of all the people to live on Earth, that's rather few.
     
  11. Zenas

    Zenas Active Member

    Joined:
    May 7, 2007
    Messages:
    2,703
    Likes Received:
    20
    I agree, the canon is closed and there is no more public revelation. Private revelation, however, where God chooses to speak to an individual for the instruction of only that individual still exists. As far as Paul not being allowed to speak, (1) he was in Paradise (third Heaven) which the near death folks are not, and (2) whatever he heard he was prevented from speaking about because the words he heard were "inexpressible."
    Maybe it's all we need to know but maybe God chooses certain individuals, for reasons known only to God, to whom He discloses more. I will repeat what I said earlier, nothing in scripture precludes this.
    Uh, maybe you could give us an example of one that contradicts the Bible?
    Maybe you could give us an example of this as well?

    This I firmly believe, that there is a lot going on over on the other side that we have no idea about, and no one would have any motive to get a glimpse of that world and then lie to us about it.
     
    #11 Zenas, Jan 27, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 27, 2014
  12. convicted1

    convicted1 Guest

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2007
    Messages:
    9,012
    Likes Received:
    28
    In 1 Kings, Elijah raised the widow's son back to life. Jesus touched the bier(coffin) of a widow's only son, and he came back to life. Then there's Lazarus in John 11. That's three accounts right there.
     
  13. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2012
    Messages:
    52,624
    Likes Received:
    2,742
    Faith:
    Baptist
    All of them were really dead, but Giod forbade ANY of them to record down what they saw and heard!

    maybe the Bible is all that we need to know, eh?
     
  14. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2012
    Messages:
    52,624
    Likes Received:
    2,742
    Faith:
    Baptist
    wish that I had recorded their names down, but local chrsitian Apologist had on a dallas minister, who after researcing after date experiences, concluded the lord saves those who show and walk in "love of christ", regradless if believers in jesus, as they live out life in his love, and also interviews an Athiest, who aftrdeath experience was that he mert jesus, and was told that God will save all people...

    And there are multiple stories told and written that have people claiming to see and hearthings that were NOT recorded down in bible to us to know!
     
  15. thisnumbersdisconnected

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2013
    Messages:
    8,448
    Likes Received:
    0
    The Greek apokeimai is translated "appointed" in Hebrews 9:27 and means "laid aside, laid away, reserved." In other words, man has only one death awaiting him at the end of life. That is the normal course of things, unless, as in the cases you mention, God intervenes. God can do anything He wants. If He wanted Lazarus to die twice -- and obviously He did -- He can appoint a second death by resurrecting him after the first. It should be no surprise that God can change what He has commanded, when it suits His purpose.
     
Loading...