Thursday, December 16, 2010

More on the unbiblical nature of experiences of "Heaven"

I read through some of the reviews of The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven at Amazon and one in particular, a 3-star review by D. Graeber gave enough specifics to strengthen the opinion I expressed two posts below. Few of the reviews give any of the description of heaven at all and some complain that very little was actually said about heaven. But this review details enough of what was said to be able to judge it by scripture, and by scripture it fails:

3.0 out of 5 stars
Title is misleading, December 4, 2010
By D. Graeber "pshdsa" -

This review is from: The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven: A Remarkable Account of Miracles, Angels, and Life beyond This World (Hardcover)

The Title makes you think that inside this book is a first person account of heaven and all that is inside. The book is by the boy's Dad about his son. The boy is very reluctant to talk about his experiences in heaven and makes it a big secret that he cannot share. Still, enough leaks out despite this reluctance that raises a few eyebrows. Now given the tragedy of the accident and the awful suffering the boy had to endure, there is a natural desire to believe everything the boy says about his trip to heaven to talk to God.

Still, truth should endure scrutiny.

Alex claims God looks like a person, only bigger. He says some angels are only two feet high. He says you have to make your spirit transparent to see and talk with angels. He says that the new heaven is already created and is in another place right now. He says there is a hole in the outer part of heaven that leads down to hell. He says the devil has three heads and looks decrepit.

All of these claims are extra-biblical. That in itself is reason for alarm.
God is a spirit and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen nor can see, and is our shield and exceedingly great reward. Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man.

I know that seeing Jesus is a mind blowing experience that surpasses everything. He eclipses angels, archangels, cherubim, everything. Nothing compares to Him. He is the full and complete answer to everything we face in life or will face. His glory surpasses any light we can think or see now. This is entirely missing in this book. Instead, way too much preoccupation with angels, and Alex. What are angels if you have seen the glory of Jesus? I sure don't see this reaction in this book. That is impossible if you have seen the Lord.

Right on, D. Graeber. That does it for me.

The devil has no scruples. He is only too happy to use a small child to promote his program of deceit, even the horrendous story of the suffering of that child and his family. All to manipulate the compassion of readers and make it harder for anyone to think critically about the story.

I can only wonder what's wrong with the supposedly Christian publishers of these books that they haven't the discernment to know they are sending out a counterfeit message, and with the majority of the commenters at Amazon that they accept it so uncritically.

WHERE IS THE BEREAN SPIRIT THAT CHECKS THE SCRIPTURES?

Many think the book will lead people to Christ. What Christ might that be, pray tell? Oh yes, perhaps a few might actually make their way to the true Christ from such a false start, stranger things have happened, but that would only be because of God's mercy, not because of anything in the story itself.

I got to Christ from first believing some Hindu gurus about the nature of God. Had quite a winding road to go from there, although God took me down that road pretty rapidly considering how many different beliefs I had to get through before I reached my destination -- but that's not exactly the normal way people come to Christ and encountering a deception supported by supposed Christians doesn't bode well.