When I was in middle school (called junior high at the time) I was on a class trip and the school bus radio was on.  Amid the noisy chatter of my 12 and 13 year old peers, I heard a radio discussion of a new book dealing with the topic of near death experiences.  You probably know the drill: spirit leaving body, bright lights, dark tunnels, incredible tranquility...  I distinctly remember Richie Hamilton and I making jokes about the story.  Now, looking at these accounts from a biblical viewpoint, I suppose there could be some credence to them.  If these people were near death, these may be experiences consistent with approaching the throne of Christ before eternal judgment occurs; that is, before completely dying and entering eternity.  On the other hand, it's also certainly possible that these experiences are something less lofty, such as drug induced hallucinations, dreams, or overactive synapses.  I do not know.

But now, 40 years later, there is a plethera of books that take these experiences a step further as the authors claim to have actually spent time in heaven, and in the case of one book, 23 minutes in hell.  Oh my!  While I have not read anyof these books, the concepts do not seem to be biblical.  "It is appointed for a man once to die, and after this comes judgment."  "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man".  You get the idea.  Were these people dreaming, hallucinating, lying?   I don't know, but they were not literally in heaven or hell.  The Bible still trumps sensationalistic testimonies every time.

And it is precisely because no one has been there and returned that makes heaven so fascinating.  When I think of heaven, I think of our first mission trip to Ecuador.  Before going, I was nervous about the trip, but I couldn't wait to arrive.  I did not know what it would be like, although I read a lot about it and thought I knew more than I did.  So too with heaven.  I'm nervous about the 'trip'; scared, truthfully, but I am excited about getting there.  While I have read about the pearl gate and jeweled walls and circular rainbows, I'm sure my imaginings of what it will be like will fall far short of what it really is.

I might add that I am in no rush to get there.  My doctor tells me every year that I am in great health so it might be a while, but I do think about heaven more at 51 than I did at 21 or 31 or 41.  And I know it will be better than anything I, or any sensationalistic author, could describe.