Glimpsing Eternity
We believe that God has gifted us with incredible glimpses of eternity. Unlike the materials presented under Evidence Independently Verified, however, these glimpses cannot be independently substantiated. Nevertheless, because of their consistency, lack of realistic alternative explanations, and the powerful love revealed by God they should enhance and strengthen your faith.
There have been thousands upon thousands who have lived through ‘near-death-experiences.’ They were clinically dead, or close to it, and reported what they describe as encounters with eternity. Typical experiences include being outside their body and witnessing events around them. Many report going through a tunnel, being enveloped by a glorious light and love, meeting departed loved ones, heavenly beings, beautiful scenes and indescribably beautiful colors, being enveloped by incredibly beautiful music, feeling they belong there, conversations with heavenly beings (including Jesus), and being told it was not their time, and a return to their body – sometimes painfully.
What are we to make of these reports? Some are fabrications, and some undoubtedly are hallucinations or dreams. It appears that some may be the result of physiological and chemical changes as the brain shuts down. But there are numerous events that cannot be so easily dismissed. We briefly describe two in To Heaven, Hell and Back and Heaven is for Real.
While visions of the afterlife may vary, one common characteristic is that those who have undergone a near death experience are never the same. Dreams and nightmares may haunt you for a while, but you know they are imaginings. Drug induced euphoria or horror are later recognized by the person as not real. That is not the case with those who have been to heaven or hell and back when they were clinically dead or approaching death. They all remember the event as a real event, and their lives are changed forever.
Personal Experiences
The experiences and visions of heaven described by the visionaries and those that have undergone a near death experience share a commonality – a profound and overpowering sense of love. It is my firm conviction (just an opinion) that at some point in our life God reveals himself to those who approach Him with child-like humility. He opens a heavenly door and allows each of us to experience his love, perhaps in a subdued but very real manner. Future articles on the website will describe personal experiences that have no explanation other than a divine intervention. In fact, I’ll bet if you sat down with family members or friends over a drink (or with anyone at the nearest tavern) and were able to knock down the resistance barriers, profound and very believable stories would emerge. We need to be more honest with each other and I invite readers to share their experiences (Contact).
Near-death-experiences, personal encounters, and visions
I can’t tell you how to determine which near-death-experiences, visions, or personal encounters are true and which are not. We must bear in mind, however, that revelations or visions such as those described by Father Jose Maniyangat in To Heaven, Hell and Back and four-year-old Colton Burpo in Heaven is for Real are “private revelations,” as are the many revelations that saints and mystics have had over the years. Paragraph 67 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church makes it clear that “private revelations” (which means that they have been given to help the recipient or perhaps people of a certain time or culture), do not belong to the deposit of faith. Consequently, they can vary and so it is difficult to know their meaning or application, if any, to each of us. The experiences we describe, as well as others are for your consideration, meditation and prayer.
Portrait of Jesus, Ruler of All
There are three portraits or images of Jesus originating from three different (a) locales, (b) faith traditions, and (c) times that bear a striking similarity to each other. Each of these images appeared under circumstances that reflect divine origins. The Pantocrator, Shroud of Turin, and the Prince of Peace will be discussed and integrated in Portrait of Jesus, Ruler of All.
Further action
My purpose in presenting the materials referred to on this page is two-fold. First, to help you keep Jesus in front of you, and in this regard, you should consider this section to be a supplement to Remaining in Christ. Second, I would encourage you to dig more deeply into the matters discussed here, as well as other claimed divine interventions, bearing in mind that some (or perhaps many) are not real. Do not allow the false ones to taint the real ones. They are separate events or claimed events and need to be examined independently of one another.
Some websites and references
Last modified June 17, 2019