Glimpses into Heaven
You have probably heard or read about individuals that claim to have died and gone to heaven, and then God sent them back to earth again. Is that real? First of all, the question should be is it real to them. If it isn’t, it is clearly a hoax. Could they believe they went to heaven and back and not be right? Well, Paul talked about a vision that he had of heaven that he couldn’t determine if it was real or just a vision. Why does that make a difference? If we glimpsed into heaven, we get a chance to see and hear everything. If it is a vision, we are only receiving what the sender wants us to see. Why do I say sender and not God? I know that the Devil can cause people to speak in tongues...perhaps he can conjure up visions as well. How can we know the difference? First of all, the content. If it is contrary to God’s word, it is not from God. Second, we all called to test the spirits. This might include praying that God would validate it if it is from God. If it feels wrong, this is most likely an indication that it is not from God. I guess a good question to ponder, if you received similar vision or if you felt you were taken to heaven is, “Why did God allow you to see that?” Was the return for you or for others? How is this experience going to impact your faith and walk with God? If these events do indeed happen, I believe God has a purpose that will likely have to do with faith. I know it wasn’t an accident because that is impossible with God. I know it wasn’t because God wasn’t ready yet because you will never catch God unprepared. It could be an answer to prayers. God may have wanted to encourage someone so that they could minister more confidently. We don’t receive such an experience to make money, but rather to impact lives. If one’s life is not changed, then they did not see heaven for we could never forget such a powerful image. That being said, I believe that God does allow some to get a glimpse of heaven so that we all might be encouraged. If you expect to be able to explain heaven, forget it. God always says, “Heaven is like...” because we have no earthly words that can truly describe what awaits us. The focus should not be on what heaven is like but rather what will worshiping God be like. Is there a place waiting for you? Father, help is distinguish between truth and lies. Encourage us in faith. Prepare us for ministry today and heaven tomorrow. Amen