A monthly column in which Jenni Pretorius Hill shares stories of hope which bring Heaven’s perspective to Earth
I recently read Imagine Heaven by John Burke. It’s a book devoted to exploring NDEs (Near Death Experiences) and the dominant themes that have emerged from people’s testimonies of dying and going to Heaven. It was a profound read, especially since I have attended three funerals in the past two months. Death is as much a part of life as life itself, but it’s a subject very few of us are comfortable to talk about.
I believe that the decline and decay of our physical bodies as we grow older is a consequence of the fall; God’s perfect plan for his creations was not for the suffering that comes when our bodies malfunction with age. Neither do I believe that God “takes” us in the prime of life, through disease or accidents. I do not understand why people die, despite prayer, while others experience supernatural healing; I must be content with mystery, and not compromise my theology because of experience. When we draw our beliefs from our experience, and not from God’s Word, we risk diluting our faith to a point where we are no longer salt and light in the world. Jesus came to give us life to the fullest, and the devil directly opposes this with one purpose in mind – to rob, kill and destroy. Jesus instructed his disciples to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons and raise the dead. Why would He instruct them to do that if he was the author of death and sickness? But although God’s will is for our health and healing, we all must confront our own physical demise and death.
Jesus reveals to us just how good God is through everything He did during His time on earth; He showed us a glimpse of Heaven on Earth. As Christ followers, Heaven is our destination, but He wants us to start living here with Heaven’s reality at the forefront of our lives. This has two implications: firstly, we are to expect and pray for the manifestations of Heaven on Earth, and secondly, we need to live with eternity in mind – with excitement and anticipation for the wonder that awaits us – and not be consumed by the fears, troubles and challenges of Earth. It’s all very well in theory, but the reality is we don’t look forward to Heaven because we’re afraid of the manner of dying.
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According to Imagine Heaven, advances in medical science have led to an increasing number of people who have “come back” after experiencing physical death, and they have shared their stories. John Burke has combed through hundreds of reports to find commonalities, emphasising the stories of people who have no reason to lie, and nothing to gain from sharing their near-death experiences. Many report the most awful deaths – car accidents, drownings, plunges from a height onto tarmac – but in all of them, the trauma and the horror of the manner of their deaths is eclipsed by the peace and the presence of Love that greets them and ushers them to Heaven. Over and over, people describe the Being of Light – so dazzling that their physical eyes would have been blinded beholding Him – and from this Person emanates the tangible, wrap-around presence of divine love. Their descriptions remind me of 1 John 1:5 — God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
Much of the book offers a picture of the beauty of Heaven. People from different places, and times in history, report similar things – no eye has seen on this Earth, the beauty of the place God has prepared for us. While we think of the spirit-world as a “shadow”, it is Earth that is the dim replica. It is no wonder that people who experience Heaven implore not to return to our world!
There is nothing sadder than a wasted life spent on frivolity, and the pursuit of pleasure. Without a vision of our eternal home, and the rewards that wait for those who have set their hearts on the King and His Kingdom, we risk idolising this realm as we build castles of sand. One funeral, which I “virtually” attended, was for a woman who had lived a full life of great luxury. She had travelled the world on cruise ships and planes; explored the beauty of the Serengeti from an air balloon and sipped cocktails on island beaches and Mediterranean coastlines. I watched photos rolling across the screen of smiling people in exotic destinations; it all looked wonderful, and she was so fortunate to have had those experiences, but I had to wonder whether that was it? It was deeply emotional; the family were bereft at the suddenness of her death and the loss of everything that had come with her life. It had all vanished in an instant. I left feeling the weight of sorrow borne by those who have no hope for a life beyond this one.
Our mortality is painful; we can’t escape suffering, and ageing and the trauma of shedding our “Earth suits’. But there is something more! And the more is so much better than the greatest highlights and joys we could ever experience here on Earth. This truth should inspire us to look toward our eternal future with hope-filled longing and expectation. Do not fear friend, Jesus has gone before you and it is His good pleasure, and joy, to one day welcome you home.
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