Heaven

4 Misconceptions About Heaven

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

What will heaven be like? That is a question pondered by nearly everyone, from the greatest philosophers to the simplest of children, with a wide range of thoughts, hopes, and expectations. Some thoughts are Biblically rooted. Many notions, however, seem more fanciful than factual.

Randy Alcorn, of Eternal Perspective Ministries, wrote a masterful book on the subject, called, simply, Heaven. (It is a book that I highly recommend, and often give away to those facing death themselves or to those who have experienced a recent death of someone near and dear.)

I have to confess that when I first read Alcorn’s Heaven, I learned quite a bit that perhaps I should have already known.  One friend, who read the book at about the same time that I did, said it was “life changing” for him.  At first I thought that was a bit of an overstatement. But the more I thought about it I realized my friend just might be right.  After all, the better we understand what God has revealed about heaven, the more our thoughts and lives are oriented toward eternity. And the more our thoughts and hopes are oriented toward eternity, the less rooted they are in this present, broken and baffling world.

Alcorn, in a brief related article, addressed what he perceives to be the four biggest misconceptions about heaven:

Misconception 1: That the present Heaven, where Christians go when we die, is the same place we will live forever. In fact, when we die we go to be with Christ, which is wonderful, but we are incomplete, in a pre-resurrected state, anticipating Christ’s return to earth, and our resurrections. The place we’ll live forever will be where God comes down to dwell with us, on the New Earth (Revelation 21:1-3).

Misconception 2: The physical realm is evil, and God’s plan is to permanently destroy it and deliver our spirits to live without bodies. In fact, God created the physical realm and called it “very good.” He has never given up on his original plan for physical human beings to rule the earth for his glory. God sent his Son to permanently become a man and redeem and restore the physical universe-including our bodies and the earth-to become all He desires it to be. That’s why Jesus spoke of the “renewal of all things” (Matthew 19:27-28), and Peter preached that Christ will “remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets” (Acts 3:21). Isaiah and other prophets speak in detail about the Earth being returned to the perfection God designed for it. Speaking of an earthly kingdom, an angel reveals, “But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever-yes, for ever and ever” (Daniel 7:18). This is not for a thousand years, but forever.

Misconception 3: There will be nothing to do, and it’ll be boring and predictable, without adventure, discovery, process and progress. This is as wrong as it could be, as I develop in the book.

Misconception 4: We’ll be absorbed with God and lose our identities. That is Hinduism, not Christianity, but surprisingly many Christians seem to believe it. In fact, resurrection means we will retain our identities and be forever reestablished as individuals, liberated to see God and worship him as our primary joy and the source of all derivative joys. Job said, “And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes-I, and not another” (Job 19:26-27).

Solomon tells us, in Ecclesiastes 3.11: “God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart…” 

Let’s consider the eternity God has set in our hearts through  more biblical and less fantasy-laced lenses.

Heaven Peeper Recants His Story

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

Stairway to Heaven (B&W)

Not long ago I wrote expressing my skepticism about the claims depicted in the heart tugging film Heaven is For Real.  I have no doubts about the reality of heaven, it is just the claims of the boy who claimed to have visited heaven that I found dubious.  It is nothing personal about him.  I am highly suspicious of all of those charlatans making claims of peeping into heaven.  I think John Piper expressed it most succinctly:

“If books go beyond scripture, I doubt what they say…”

Interestingly, one of those who has been marketed as a heaven peeper, Alex Malarkey, has come out publicly with an open letter to LifeWay, criticizing the Publisher/Bookstore chain for selling his book.  Malarkey, who was the co-author and the central figure of the book The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven, has recanted his story, and ironically is challenging LifeWay to use better theological judgment in the materials they produce and promote.

To read the story click: Boy Who ‘Came Back’ Rebukes Christian Retailer

For those curious about Heaven – what God has revealed to us about Heaven in the Bible, I find Randy Alcorn‘s simple titled book, Heaven, to be the best I have read. I recommend it freely, and give it away often.

Heaven

Heaven is for Real… But What About Near-Death Experience Claims?

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

Stairway to Heaven

Debuting this weekend in theaters across the USA is a heart tugging film, Heaven is For Real.  Based on the book of the same title, the story is about a young boy who ostensibly died and revived. In between his death and his resuscitation he made a brief stop-over in heaven.  At least that’s the story.  In the story, as I understand (having not read the book), the “risen” boy gains inexplicable knowledge, compelling his skeptical family of the genuineness of his experience, and thus the reality of heaven.

This is just one of scores of such books – people claiming to have “seen the light”, then returning to this present life.  Perhaps most well known, at least before this weekend, is Don Piper’s 90 Minutes in Heaven.  (Though I wonder how many people who bought his book mistakenly thought it had been penned by JOHN Piper.)

I suppose the intrigue with such books is understandable.  People are looking for hope and assurance. And what better way to learn about heaven than to hear testimonials of those who have ostensibly been there?

And I get why the release of a film like Heaven is For Real would be scheduled for Easter weekend.  Easter is a day associated with religious hope, resurrection, etc.  So a film like this, especially in a widely biblically illiterate culture, tugs the heart strings while feeding religious (and superstitious) hunger pangs.  I suspect that the film will widen the belief in – or at least interest in – many such claims to these experiences.

But what should a Christian think about such claims?

While I cannot claim definitive expertise on this subject, I have some significant qualms about claims to near-death experiences.  For one reason, it seems to me that “near-death” is like “near pregnant” – either one is, or is not.  I get that some flat-line and then resuscitate.  But is that actual death?  Second, the claims I have heard regarding this experience are dubious.  For instance, I have read that in the case of the Heaven Is For Real kid, that there is no record of him having coded…  My greatest skepticism is because few (if any) of those who claim to have gone to heaven for a time make any mention of necessity of Jesus for access.  While this may not be troubling for non-Christians, the Believer must reconcile these claims to what Jesus taught us in such passages as John 14.6.

Scripture is largely silent about this subject.  In fact, when I think about it, I find it interesting God did not include a testimony from Lazarus about his experience or the reality of heaven anywhere in the New Testament. Perhaps that is because there are things about heaven that are intended to remain a mystery to us for a time.

In a recent podcast, John Piper does discuss this subject.  In short, Piper says: “If books go beyond scripture, I doubt what they say…”  But take a moment to listen to what Piper has to say:  Heaven Is For Real

Pure As the Driven Snow

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who enjoys “old” snow – you know, the snow that has been around a few day, has blackened from plowing, is choppy from people playing in the yard.  I know that’s not the type of snow my duaghter enjoys looking at.

After the snowstorm this past Friday night, that dumped 3/4 of a foot all around us, my daughter was concerned that her brothers “messed up” the yard. She likes looking at the pure smoothe snow, untouched by human hand – or boot. 

That started me thinking. There is a methaphor there somewhere.

I think we all have have an innate appreciation for the beauty of purity. Unfortunately, because of our sin, purity does not seem to last long in this life. Sometimes it is corrupted and turns black and ugly. Sometimes it is just messed up by us as we go about our work and play.  But fleeting as it is, while it is here it is something to behold.

This all reminds me that God is on a mission, not simply to “save” a bunch of individuals but, to restore and recreate that which has been corrupted and messed-up.  As beautiful and peaceful as it is to look at the pure snow on the pastures outside my living room window, a beauty is coming that is both incomparable and incorruptable. And that will really be something to see.