It’s true that people have experienced death, or near-death experiences, only to later be revived and brought back to
life. We’ve all heard stories about people who died on an operating table and the doctors were able to resuscitate
them. Some of these individuals will say that they came back from hell or heaven. Some, too, might go on to become
rich and famous by selling their story. Other “back from heaven/hell” stories come from people that are convinced that
they’ve experienced some type of vision or dream, or perhaps an out of body experience, where they claim to have been
ushered into heaven or hell. They’re also eager to tell others what they’ve seen and heard. The big question is, how are
Christians to respond to these stories? Are these testimonies believable and should a Christian consider them as true?
This essay aims to highlight the many dangers that surround believing those who claim that have “gone to the other
side” in one way or another.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the following books, Heaven is for Real, by Todd Burpo, or A Divine Revelation in Hell, by Mary
Baxter, or The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, by Alex and Kevin Malarkey. The most famous of these books is
Heaven is for Real, which later became a movie grossing over $100 million. This is written by Todd Burpo who claims his
three-year-old son Colton had a near death experience and visited heaven. Colton was in the hospital undergoing
surgery for appendicitis, and claims he remembers, “lifting out of his body.” Over time, Colton would tell his dad that he
remembers “sitting on Jesus’ lap” and that Jesus wore a “white robe and a purple sash.” Among other things, Colton
also claims to have “seen” the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Keep in mind that no other human has ever claimed to see
the Father and the Holy Spirit. In short, Colton’s dad expanded on Colton’s testimony and wrote a book detailing what
heaven is like. If Colton’s experience is true, it must line up with the Word of God, period. Unfortunately, pastors and
critics have poked holes in Colton’s account and have demonstrated that the story is just that, a story. Later, the Burpo
family and the movie producers would own that his book is, “not theology; it’s a boy’s story.”
There are at least four significant problems in trusting information received from those that have been, or remain, on
the other side of death.
Problem 1 – There is No New Revelation from God
Yes, the Lord still reaches people through dreams, visions, and a prophetic word, though He most commonly
communicates through His Word (Psalm 119:105, John 16:13), by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14, James 1:5), and through
the wise counsel of other believers (Proverbs 12:15, 15:22). However, nothing we receive from God will be a new
revelation. The Bible is complete, closed, finished, nothing more is to be added, and thus, any “new word” is therefore a
false word. This is why the Bible greatly cautions us to be watchful for false prophets and false teachers who claim to
have received a new revelation from the Lord. Regarding false prophets, Jeremiah 23:16 says, “Do not listen to the
words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; they speak a vision of their own
imagination, not from the mouth of the LORD.
God’s Word has been given to us through the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles. Hebrews 1:1-2, “God, after He spoke
long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His
Son.” Ephesians 2:19-20 says that the church is, “God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.” All Christians, pastors, leaders, and teachers are subject to
the authority of the apostles, and their revelation from Jesus. There are no longer any apostles or prophets providing a
new revelation. Revelation 22:18, “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone
adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book.” A new revelation would insist that the
Scriptures are insufficient on their own. However, this can’t be the case as we see in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is
inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man
of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” God’s Word is adequate and has equipped believers with
what they need to know. In short, anyone who says, “God’s gave me a new revelation. It’s in addition to the Bible, it’s
new, and we can trust it because it’s from Jesus,” that person is a liar. Deuteronomy 4:2, “You shall not add to the word
which I am commanding you, nor take away from it.”
”
A great example of a false prophet is Mary Baxter, who wrote a book titled, A Divine Revelation in Hell. Her book boasts,
“Hear the eyewitness testimony on the true existence of hell. Mary Katherine Baxter was chosen by God to let the world
know of the reality of hell. Jesus Christ appeared to Mary Baxter on 40 consecutive nights and took Mary on a tour of hell
and heaven. She walked, with Jesus, through the horrors of hell and talked with many people. Jesus showed her what
happens to souls when they die.” Consider the outrageous claims here, that her book, not the Bible, is the source to
show “the reality of hell” and that she was chosen, not the prophets or the apostles, to “let the world know of the reality
of hell.”
In an attempt to heighten her status, Baxter writes the following in her book’s introduction, “The revelations from the
Lord came to me in 1976…for a period of thirty nights, Jesus took me into hell, followed by ten nights of visits to heaven.
He said, ‘My child, I will manifest myself to you to bring people out of darkness into light. For the Lord God has chosen
you for a purpose; to write and make a record of the things I will show and tell you. Your soul will be taken out of your
body, by me, the Lord Jesus Christ, and transmitted into hell and other places that I want you to see. I will also show you
visions of heaven and other places and give you many revelations.
’” Baxter implies that the Bible is not enough and that
God needs the world to hear from her as His chosen source of reality. In other words, Mary Baxter claims to have
infallible truth, which is heresy: to dissent or deviate from the Bible in matters of doctrine.
Baxter, like other false prophets, asserts divine authority by claiming, “God told me…” Claims like this challenge the
authority and sufficiency of the Bible. In the Bible, the apostles and prophets rightly claimed divine authority. There are
many examples to cite, but for instance, Paul says, “If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that
the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not
recognized,” 1 Corinthians 14:37-38. Again, Paul says in Galatians 1:12, “For I neither received it from man, nor was I
taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
” Peter says in 2 Peter 1:21, “no prophecy was ever
made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” Exodus 19:3 reiterates that Moses
was a prophet of God, “Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall
say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel…”
When anyone claims to be teaching or revealing God’s Word, their message must always be tested by the Bible (Acts
17:11, 1 Corinthians 14:29-33, Galatians 2:1-2, Ephesians 4:14, 1 John 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22, 1 Timothy 6:3-4).
The great preacher Charles Spurgeon said, “I have heard many fanatical persons say the Holy Spirit revealed this and that
to them. Now that is very generally revealed nonsense. The Holy Ghost does not reveal anything fresh now. He brings old
things to our remembrance.” John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He
will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”
The bottom line is that all sources outside the Bible cannot be considered definite, since they are fallible. The Bible
however is infallible, and what the Bible says about heaven and hell I can trust. What God wants me to know about
these subjects, He’s told me through His Word.
Problem 2 – The Bible Forbids Séances and Necromancy
A séance is a gathering for the purpose of receiving a spiritual message, generally an attempt to communicate with the
spirit of someone that has passed away. Necromancy is also attempting to hear from the spirits of the dead, generally
for the purpose of learning about the future. All in all, the Bible forbids trying to gather information from those beyond
this present life. These are examples of sorcery which are deemed satanic. We see these things forbidden in Leviticus
19:31, Deuteronomy 18, Isaiah 8, 1 Samuel 28, 2 Kings 21, 1 Timothy 4:1, Revelation 21:8, etc. Now, someone might say,
“But those who have come back from heaven or hell aren’t dead. Inquiring of them is not sorcery or necromancy.”
Here’s the problem if you think that’s a sound argument. You must consider the reason why God forbids sorcery,
necromancy, and séances. God’s argument with those practices applies equally when hearing from those who were
brought back to life. Here’s how. Look at what’s said in Isaiah 8:19, “When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and
the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalfof the living?” God’s command to avoid learning from the dead is based on the position that people should consult God
instead! “Should not a people consult their God?” Some doubt that God is a sufficient source of wisdom. Perhaps
someone is bothered that God didn’t tell them all they wanted to hear, so they seek the counsel of people back from the
dead to try to get an answer that satisfies their curiosity.
“Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?” What
wisdom or information do those have who have visited the afterlife? Do they now possess wisdom that’s greater than
God? Of course not! Keep in mind that Satan and his demons are trying to mislead man by “whisper and mutter” which
delight man’s curiosities.
Again, we can trust God to tell us what we need to know. If I have curiosities outside of what God’s Word tells me, I
need to squelch those curiosities. I’m wrong to rely on the information from others just because they claim to have
“been to the other side.” Trusting the words of people and spirits, instead of God, obviously dishonors God! Some
might cite 1 Samuel 28, as a justification of seeking a medium. Verse 3 says that, “Saul had removed from the land
those who were mediums and spiritists.” It’s likely that Saul’s motives for banishing these satanic people from the land
where not coming from a righteous heart, but more so an appearance of a righteous heart. I say this because shortly
afterward Saul seeks a medium himself and does so in disguise, “Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who is
a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman who is a
medium at En-dor. Then Saul disguised himself by putting on other clothes, and went,” 1 Samuel 28:7-8. Saul consults
this spiritist who performs a séance for Saul, and for this sin, the Lord condemns Saul to death, “So Saul died for his
trespass which he committed against the LORD, because of the word of the LORD which he did not keep; and also
because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it,” 1 Chronicles 10:13.
Problem 3 – People Lie, Misremember, Exaggerate, and Contextualize
Perhaps you’ve heard of the book, The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, a story told by Alex Malarkey pertaining to his
alleged visit to heaven after an auto accident. The book sold over a million copies and was made into a television movie.
Years later, Alex would own that his story was a deception. On January 13, 2015, Alex wrote, “I did not die. I did not go
to heaven. I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had
never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough…Those
who market these materials must be called to repent…In Christ, Alex Malarkey.” We shouldn’t trust testimonies “from
the beyond”, because people lie. Two days later, Tyndale House publishers confirmed it would withdraw the book.
Alex worked with his father, Kevin, to write and sell Alex’s story. What looked to be an opportunity at fame and fortune
became a source of dissention within the family. Kevin’s wife, and Alex’s mother, Beth, commented on how the book
had been embellished, and she said, “The truth is getting twisted, distorted, and packaged to be sold to the highest
bidder.” We shouldn’t trust testimonies “from the beyond” because people exaggerate. Beth and Kevin Malarkey
eventually became estranged after the book was published and ultimately divorced in 2018.
I’m reminded of a podcast I heard from a respected pastor named John Piper. His ministry is called Desiring God, and in
one episode he recounts confronting a man who was making a name for himself by going around preaching and trying to
sell his story about his own “I died and went to heaven” experience. The man said, in summary, that in heaven there is
no mention of death or anything that would bring death to our memory. John Piper wrote to him and rightly accused his
testimony of being false, pointing out what is said in Revelation 5 where the hosts of heaven praise Jesus as the Lamb
who was slain, “for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and
people and nation…Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.” We shouldn’t trust testimonies from those who are “back from
heaven” because people misremember. The man with the bogus testimony wrote Piper back and said, “I misspoke.”
Data shows that testimonies of “near death” or “out of body experiences” are always contextualized by the culture and
experiences of the individual. This means that depending on what you think the afterlife will be like, that’s likely to be
what you’ll claimed to have experienced. For instance, people who are raised in tribal cultures in Africa that worship
animal spirits will talk about their “back from the dead” experiences as having some form of communion with these animal spirits. Muslims raised in Islamic contexts will speak of their “back from the dead” experiences as being
shrouded in Islamic imagery, whereas Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, or people of other faiths will claim their afterlife
encounters validate whatever they were raised to think. In short, the overly diverse and contradictory natures of these
stories insist logically that these stories can’t all be credible. The contradictions insist that they’re either all false, or only
one of them can be true. The key to trustworthiness lies solely on whether a revelation aligns with God’s Word!
When comparing the stories of two otherwise trustworthy and educated doctors, we see evidence of these
contradictory revelations. An orthopedic surgeon named Mary Neal, who came back from the dead after a drowning
accident, reported that she saw a “great and brilliant hall” where the dead are given “a final opportunity to choose God,
or turn away, for eternity.” Yet, a neurosurgeon named Eben Alexander writes about his “back from the dead”
revelation saying that choosing God or not is totally unnecessary, stating, “You have nothing to fear…there is nothing you
can do wrong. This is the single most important scientific truth.” The bottom line is that heaven and hell revelations are
never the same and are riddled with contradictions and usually based on contextualized life experiences or beliefs.
Problem 4 – People Love the Subjective
If you own a television or have access to social media, you’ve no doubt noticed how society loves to cling to the
subjective. In other words, objective truth doesn’t give people permission to live and think as they want to, so instead,
people cling to whatever subjectively pacifies their conscience. People would rather relish in their false beliefs so long
as those false beliefs don’t interfere with their social or moral positions. People also love to be able to “know
something” that others don’t. Christians ought to know better! Too many Christians don’t insist on evidence before
believing what they hear.
