There are several accounts of persons claiming to have died, gone to paradise or hell, and then returned to life. A few of these tales have grown into highly well-known novels. How should one perceive them? First and foremost, it is crucial to remember that the Bible contains all the information we require in order to be saved.According to 2 Timothy 3:15, “the sacred writings… are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Any other material or book is not considered holy literature. It is not flawless, nor is knowledge required to be saved.
What does the Bible say?
Is it true, though? There are numerous grounds for thinking that the legends of trips to paradise and hell are untrue.
- According to Hebrews 9:27, “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.”
- It was said by Jesus Himself that the preaching of God’s Word was necessary for people to be saved. not by the means of a resurrection witness’s testimony. This was the message of the parable He gave about the rich man and Lazarus, which ends with Abraham stating, “They will not be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead if they do not hear Moses and the Prophets” (Luke 16:31).
- Paul did not write a book on his vision of being carried to heaven. According to 2 Corinthians 12:4, he “heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.”
- A true revelation of what heaven is like would resemble an additional revelation that John wrote about in Revelations 22:18.”To everyone who hears the words of this book’s prophecy, I warn you: if you add to them, God will add the plagues this book describes to you.”
- People tell extremely different stories about paradise and hell.
- People’s tales of heaven and hell are frequently not entirely based on the Bible. While the Bible teaches that salvation is by grace through faith, some claim that only those who are “deserving” are admitted to heaven. While the Bible claims that God, not the devil, is the one who punishes people in hell, some claim that demons are torturing people there. These stories frequently convey little to no comprehension of the gospel.
Only one power of God for salvation
This in no way implies that the individuals narrating these tales are lying. It’s possible that they are recounting experiences they had in the moments before death. There may be things in there that can help other people, particularly if they caution against sinning and advise turning to Jesus for redemption. However, we shouldn’t take them to be the word of God. According to Romans 1:17, there is only one power of God that can save a person, and that is the gospel.
Summary
People’s experiences near death are chronicled in a lot of popular books. They declare themselves to be from heaven or hell and paint a picture of what it looks like. We must exercise caution while accepting their testimonies. It is necessary to know what the Bible reveals to us regarding the afterlife. Furthermore, these stories frequently conflict with one another and with the Bible.
