ARTICLES REGARDING HELL THAT HAVE APPEARED AT ANKERBERG'S SITE
re-posted with permission
RETURN TO LAIRD'S FALSE ACCUSATIONDON'S NOTE: please verify for yourself that Laird Swanson omitted the key word's from a quoted article that appeared at ATRI, thereby skewing the teaching's of ATRI, mocking ATRI's stance on Universalism. ATRI is warning others of the dangers of Universalism. "...we have to wonder." is a sarcastic attempt of Universalist's mocking the teachings and doctrinal stance of ATRI.
"The Ankerberg Theological Research Institute, of so-called 'orthodox' belief..." "...opinion polls reveal that 70% of all clergy deny the doctrine of hell. Some highly respected evangelical scholars and educated laymen have also rejected the doctrine of hell. They teach that conditional immortality, annihilationism or Universalism are legitimate options for Christian belief..."
"When a conditionalist text such as The Fire That Consumes is chosen as an alternate selection by the Evangelical Book Club and when, as some have claimed, "Over 50% of young evangelicals believe" in Universalism and reject the doctrine of hell, we have to wonder."---Laird Swanson, August 24, 1999The omitted quote that would have explained the above quotation in it's entirety: "Unfortunately, they are influencing others to conclude that life is far safer than what Jesus and the church have traditionally taught." The facts clearly show that ATRI is in fact orthodox Christianity and ATRI is not endorsing Universalism to any extent whatsoever. The conclusion of the article (highlighted in bold red text) summarizes the dangers and belief system of Universalism.
The ATRI (Ankerberg Theological Research Institute's) article:
Is the Christian Church increasingly abandoning the teaching of Jesus and adopting a cultic view of death?
Today, what was once relegated to cultic belief is now openly taught as part of "Christian" teaching (149). Despite the Bible mentioning hell some 50 times, opinion polls reveal that 70% of all clergy deny the doctrine of hell (150). Some highly respected evangelical scholars and educated laymen have also rejected the doctrine of hell. They teach that conditional immortality, annihilationism or Universalism are legitimate options for Christian belief. Unfortunately, they are influencing others to conclude that life is far safer than what Jesus and the church have traditionally taught. When a conditionalist text such as The Fire That Consumes is chosen as an alternate selection by the Evangelical Book Club and when, as some have claimed, "Over 50% of young evangelicals believe" in Universalism and reject the doctrine of hell, we have to wonder (151). Dr. J.I. Packer has noted that Universalism "has in this century quietly become part of the orthodoxy of many Christian thinkers and groups"(152). D. B. Eller asserts in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology that it is clear that "Universalism, in a variety of forms, continues to have appeal for contemporary faith, in both liberal and conservative circles" (153). Theologian Steven Travis observes, "In recent years very few theologians have expounded and defended [the] traditional approach" of eternal hell(154).
A Dr. Vernon Grounds once commented, "Seldom, I suppose, do we find ourselves brooding over the awesome doctrine of eternal punishment. Only on rarest occasions and then fleetingly is our mood that of Roden's famous statue, `The Thinker,' who sits in mute amazement watching lost soul center hell. What William Gladstone wrote about eternal punishment in the late 19th century is equally true today: it `seems to be relegated at present to the far off corners of the Christian mind, and there to sleep in deepshadow'" (155). Richard J. Bauckham, lecturer in the history of Christian thought at the University of Manchester also points out the neglect of this doctrine when he writes, "Until the nineteenth century almost all Christian theologians taught the reality of eternal torment in hell....[for them it was] as indispensable a part of universal Christian belief as the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation. Since 1800 this situation has entirely changed, and no traditional doctrine has been so widely abandoned as that of eternal punishment. Its advocates among theologians today must be fewer than ever before.... Among the less conservative, universal salvation, either as hope or as dogma, is now so widely accepted that many theologians assume it virtually without argument" (156). In some ways, this abandonment of traditional doctrine is not unexpected.In the following sobering words, the Holy Spirit explicitly warns,"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons" (1 Tim 4:1). When Christians reject the doctrine of hell, perhaps they have forgotten with whom they are getting in bed. We have proven that the rejection of eternal punishment is the common teaching of not just the cults, the occult and the New Age Movement but specifically of the spirit world as well. For example, the famous Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes series, became converted to mediumism and spiritism. In his book The New Revelation he observes,"All spirit people (spirits) of wisdom know that there is no burning hell, no fearful devil" (157). So, the conclusion would seem unavoidable. When Christians adopt the same teaching on hell as given by demons through their human hosts--as in channeling and other forms of mediumism--they are, in effect, "paying attention to the doctrines of demons." Is the Church willing to accept such a deplorable state of affairs--when it offers to its own people the teachings of the cults and demons? In rejecting hell, is the Church listening more to the devil than to it's own Lord? Or are we to believe that the increasing acceptance of Conditionalism and Universalism in the church is the work of the Holy Spirit? And what is the likely outcome?
We fear that unless fundamental and evangelical colleges and seminaries take a strong stand against neo-liberal professors in their midst who are peddling Barthian Universalism, within a generation or two, these institutions will be denying the Trinity, the vicarious atonement, the inspiration of Scripture, etc.
History has a nasty habit of repeating itself. Just as the descendants of Kelly and Murray ultimately became humanists and joined with theUnitarians in 1961, the descendants of the neo-evangelicals will be Unitarian in theology within a generation or two. Let us hope that evangelicals will remember this sad fact of history and return yet to the orthodoxy of their fathers.......the breakdown of belief in the inspiration of Scripture and the growing peril of Universalism and annihilationism are preparing the way for future descendants of the evangelical church to be swept into the world of the cults and occult. (158) The truth is that hell is a vital Christian doctrine. As VernonGrounds observes, "It is impossible to exaggerate the seriousness and urgency that the doctrine of hell imparts to life here and now" (159). It shouldnot be abandoned. It should be preached from the pulpits, in Bible schools and seminaries, within and without the church.
Posted by Laird (207.236.88.178) on August 24, 1999 at 18:18:11:In Reply to: Re: There is nothing on Ankerbergs site with that text. posted by firstjohn5:7 on August 24, 1999 at 16:50:24:
You said:
The Ankerberg Theological Research Institute? You are giving misleading and inaccurate information about Ankerberg. He is a KJV opponent, but the man is still sound theologically. I can post material from his website in here to prove your deception.Laird replied:
Actually, the truth of the matter is that I quoted from their site word for word. You obviously are a liar.
You said: I demand an apology for being called a "liar."
Laird replied:
You demand an apology? You lied in saying the above statement.
You lied in saying I am giving "misleading and inaccurate
information about Ankerberg". You lied in saying you "can
post material from his website in here to prove" my deception.
What deception? Everyone is still waiting to see what on earth
you are talking about. We are still waiting to see this material
you claim you can post. We are still waiting to see proof of
your false accusations. I think it is you who needs to humble
yourself and issue an apology.You said: For the second time, there is NOTHING on Ankerberg's site that gives the text that you copy/pasted that is included with this post. Ankerberg is a trinitarian. He wrote a book on it. Gee, let me see, let me go back and copy/paste the exact text of your previous post. Fair enough? OK.
Laird replies:
The fact is that was on his site & I have the proof in my files. Email him and ask him yourself.
Try to read what people say before shooting off at the mouth & making false accusations. I never
said it was presently on his site, so your comments are irrelevant. And so are your other comments
which have nothing to do with this issue of your false accusations. So why bring them up? Just to
distract from your false accusations which you cannot substantiate? I never denied he was a
"trinitarian", so why even mention it?
You said: Again, there is nothing on Ankerbergs site that has the above text. Verify this yourself. Ankerberg is not a universalist either. His statement of faith is very orthodox.
Laird replies:
Of course he is not a universalist. Nobody said he was. In fact, if you can read, I pointed out that:
"The Ankerberg Theological Research Institute, of so-called 'orthodox' belief..."DON'S FINAL REPLY: The conclusion to Ankerberg's article is correct and is orthodox. They are not "...of so-called 'orthodox' belief as you falsely judge Laird. You have lied. Re-read the article and pay close attention to the text highlighted in the red.
Current Events-- June 1998
What is a near-death experience?The typical near-death experience (NDE) has been described by leading death researcher Dr. Raymond Moody. His several books, including the 8 million best seller Life After Life, opened a new era: the "scientific" study of the near-death experience. The near or "clinical death" phenomenon argues that some people who are brought back from "death" have reported being alive the entire time they were "dead." This phenomenon occurs among people with a wide diversity of religious belief and no religious belief at all--from atheists to Zen Buddhists.
When co-author John Weldon wrote his first book on the subject in 1976, there was almost no literature available. Today there are scores of books and research papers. Unfortunately, almost all of them reveal that the NDE is frequently an occultic experience.
The composite NDE*(see note) involves a perception of being "out of the body"--looking down at one's body while resuscitation attempts are being administered. Soon afterward the person finds he/she is in another location where the spirit world is encountered. The person engages in non-verbal or verbal communications with various spirits, e.g., dead friends and relatives or a "being of light." This entity is often very warm and loving and involves the "dead" person in an evaluation of his life by showing an instantaneous playback of the major events. At some point, the person finds himself approaching a barrier or border which he is not allowed to cross. He is told he must go back to earth, for his time to die has not yet arrived. But the participant's experience in this other state of existence is frequently so peaceful, joyful, and loving that he desperately does not want to return, but finds himself back in his body anyway. He awakens in this world only to find that he had been pronounced dead, but, fortunately was revived.(The reader should understand that approximately 65% of those who are clinically dead report no experience at all. Further, those who experience a near death episode report experiences along a continuum (5). Infrequent or rare experiences include the "composite" or "full" NDE containing almost all the characteristics noted to date in NDEs. The "normal" and most frequent NDE contains some or many but not all the characteristics of the "composite" experience. The "deep" NDE is not a composite experience. But in the large number of characteristics and/or the profundity of experience, including subsequent impact upon the person, it is distinguished as a more powerful NDE than average and probably in some respects as the full-blown occult NDE. We should remember that not every NDE is by definition occultic. Nevertheless, the more pagan a culture becomes, the more it opens itself to occultic forces.
In our opinion, the spiritual background of those having deep NDEs could prove significant. Examining their family histories to four generations as it relates to psychic/occultic involvement--or even a distinctly anti-Christian orientation may help reveal the origin of these experiences. Deeper NDEs are occultic experiences and occult experiences frequent persons for specific reasons based on specific spiritual conditions.
Nevertheless, if even 10% of the ten million people who have had the "average" NDE have had a deep NDE, we are dealing with over one million persons who have had the fully transformative NDE experience. Given the fact that as our technology improves and resuscitation attempts continue, there will be millions more, none can deny the importance of this phenomenon. The fact that this experience itself (unsought and unexpected) may finally produce occult transformation in the lives of several million persons is best explained by the occult revival now coursing through society.)
Skeptics and materialists are doubtful about all this and have put forth a variety of theories which they think explain the NDE. Among the major ones are (1) hallucinations induced by pain or medication; (2) left over memories from the experience of birth; (3) the brain's reaction to altered levels of carbon dioxide; (4) psychological wish fulfillment (the hope of a heaven); (5) experiences related to Jung's theory of the collective unconscious and/or archetypes; (6) experiences induced by drugs--LSD, heroin, marijuana, etc., or various anesthetic agents; (7) temporal lobe seizures and (8) sensory deprivation.
The problem with these theories is that none of them adequately explain the facts of the NDE. For example, they cannot explain how people who are brain dead are later able to describe in vivid detail the attempts of medical personnel to resuscitate them. It would seem that the most logical explanation is these people were somehow outside their body actually observing the procedure.
Let us give an example. In one study, twenty-five medically informed patients were asked to make educated guesses about what happens when a doctor attempts to resuscitate a clinically dead patient. Almost all persons in the control group (23 of 25) made "major mistakes" in providing descriptions of the resuscitation procedure. But on the other hand, "none of the near-death patients made mistakes in describing what went on in their own resuscitations." Studies like this present evidence that these people were actually outside their bodies looking down upon their "death" just as they claimed.How frequent are these experiences? What are their implications?
It should be emphasized that not every dying person has an experience of this type. Most have none at all, and of those that do, not all are glorious. Although most Americans seem unaware of the fact, many people--perhaps up to half--report hellish experiences (Q. 12). Further, Christian and non-Christian NDE's appear to be of a qualitatively different nature; e.g., the occultic elements are typically lacking in the Christian NDE.
Nevertheless, polls indicate some ten million Americans have had a near death experience. And the influence of these experiences upon the public's perception of death has been dramatic. The NDE has played a major role in promoting the view that death may not be so bad after all. Further, millions of NDEs have helped to undergird an occultic view of death (and even life) as something that is highly positive. For example, contacting the alleged dead or other spirits is so frequent in the NDE that the disciplines most likely to benefit from such episodes are mediumism, channeling and other forms of spiritism. Thus, if we examine near death research as a whole, it essentially "confirms" the mediumistic view of the afterlife.
As more scientists become interested in the NDE, the possibility has emerged for a "scientific" necromancy to develop under the guise of death research. Because NDEs often involve contact with the dead, these experiences can be used to promote a "legitimate scientific" basis to study mediumism and other forms of spiritism. After all, some may reason, if dying people experience contact with the dead, how can "scientific objectivity" be retained if we refuse to study living contact with the dead--e.g., through mediumism and other forms of the occult?
Nevertheless, Gallup and other polls consistently reveal that over 70% of Americans believe in life after death--and have since 1944 when surveys began: 70% to 80% continue to believe in heaven and 50%-60% in hell (9). (Although over half believed in hell, only 3%-4% thought their chances were good of going there.)But with the occult revival in our culture, necromancy has also been increasingly accepted. Almost half of a Los Angeles sample (44%) "claimed encounters with others known to be dead" (10). A nationwide poll conducted in 1986 by sociologist Andrew Greeley of the University of Chicago National Opinion Research Center, based on a sample of almost 1,500 people, found nearly identical results--42% believe they have been in contact with the dead. Perhaps this explains why channeling alone is now a $100 million a year business.
One reason these NDEs are so powerful in our culture is that they seem to deny the biblical teaching of an eternal hell that many people fear. These experiences teach people that they will live forever in a heavenly environment and that there are no consequences to death at all. This is what most people want to believe.
Thus, how the NDE is currently being popularized in American life would culturally erase the biblical concept of hell. Millions of people who once weren't so sure are now convinced that death is a wonderful experience and that there is no hell. Even many ministers have been influenced by the near death experience to reject the biblical view and adopt an occult one. All of this is a reflection of our cultural swing toward a "New Age" view of death which is fundamentally spiritistic in nature.Is the NDE a genuine experience with death or merely a mystical experience with profound consequences?
What many people do not understand is that, with an NDE, we are not dealing with true death. And, we are certainly not dealing in the realm of scientific confirmation of life after death, despite some proponents' claims. We are encountering personal, mystical/occultic experiences that occur in some near death states. But these same experiences also occur in many occultic religions and practices and in various altered states of consciousness wholly unrelated to death per se.
For example, in large measure the NDE is merely one form of the occult out-of-body experience (OBE). Both have fundamentally the same impact on the living person--removal of the fear of death and dramatic psychological aftereffects. But both the NDE and OBE have many other similarities including cross cultural occurrence, spiritistic contacts, world view changes and development of psychic powers.
One of the leading modern NDE researchers is University of Connecticut psychologist Dr. Kenneth Ring. In Heading Toward Omega, one of his recent books detailing his and others' extensive investigations, he reveals two crucial implications of the NDE: 1. its removal of the fear of death; 2. its radical transformation of the living.
Ring and his colleagues are so excited over the profound personal transformations wrought by the deep NDE and its implications that, among a host of other activities, they have founded the "Near-Death Hotel"--expressly for NDErs to come and fellowship over their dramatic experience of "death."
And for almost everyone he and other researchers encounter, the NDE has been one of utterly indescribable joy, love, beauty, peace, harmony, etc. According to Ring, "The great unanimity of these reports means that there is a consensus among near-death experiencers concerning what it is like to die....The experience of death is exceedingly pleasant. Indeed, the word `pleasant' is far too mild; the word `ecstatic' would be chosen by many survivors of this experience. No words are truly adequate to describe the sense of ultimate perfection that appears to characterize the entry into death."
He cites the description given by the famed psychotherapist Carl Jung who described the feelings he had after his own NDE: "What happens after death is so unspeakably glorious that our imaginations and our feelings do not suffice to form even an approximate conception of it...." Thus: "No one who has experienced, even vicariously, what NDErs have can ever again regard death with anything other than a sense of infinite gratitude for its existence. This, I submit, is what follows from a careful perusal of near death experiences, but what follows from a study of aftereffects is different--and just as profound. It is nothing less than a new view of life."
In essence, the NDE itself is analogous to planting a spiritual "seed" within a person which then appears to grow into its genetically predetermined tree--replete with fruit. As Ring comments, "The key to meaning of NDEs lies in the study of their aftereffects...."
This is why, Ring says, almost all early researchers necessarily missed the true meaning of the NDE--enough time had not elapsed to examine its real fruit. We agree. By examining the "fruit" of the NDE, we may ascertain its true meaning. In the next several questions we will do this.Are the "beings of light" and alleged spirits of dead friends and relatives who they claim to be? What do authorities in this area say?
People who encounter the "being of light," "the light" or the alleged spirits of dead friends and relatives in the NDE are profoundly influenced. Many think they have encountered the biblical "God," "Christ," "angels" or the actual human dead. But this could not possibly be true. Why? Because on the one hand, the entities of the NDE act in ways that are contrary to the purposes of God and Christ as revealed in the Bible. On the other hand, the "being of light" and other spirits act in virtually the same manner as the spirits contacted by mediums and spiritists for millennia.
For example, the actions and statements of the "being of light," the "dead," and other spirits indicate they are not Jesus Christ, the human dead or good angels. Why?
The "being of light" cannot be Christ because the "being of Light" denies Jesus' teachings in the Bible. And Christ cannot deny Himself by rejecting His earlier teachings.
The alleged spirits of the dead cannot be the human dead for Scripture tells us the unsaved dead are confined and unable to reach the living while the saved dead are with Christ (2 Peter 2:9; Luke 16:19-31; Acts 1:25; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23).
The other spirits cannot be the holy angels because holy angels are sinless beings who would never deny and oppose what God has already taught in the Bible.
Biblically, considering the eternal importance of the subject of death as well as the existence of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-18), it is unlikely all this is coincidental.
The occultic messages frequently conveyed by the "being of light" and the alleged spirits of the dead prove that they are lying spirits. They offer the following unbiblical teachings: 1. Death is something good - There is no judgment at death; Death equals God equals Love; 2. There is no hell - God accepts all men unconditionally irrespective of their beliefs and actions on earth; all men will go to heaven; 3. The Bible is wrong - The Christian view of death is false; it is the Eastern/occultic view of death that is most correct; and 4. Occult practice is beneficial - It is important to develop psychic powers; contacting the spirit world is a godly endeavor (21).
The evidence is compelling that the spirits of the occult are really lying spirits--i.e., demons who impersonate the dead and others in order to deceive people spiritually. That demons not only have legendary cunning, but are also polymorphs--able to change shape at will--is widely recognized throughout the occult. This is why many have concluded that those who encounter occult phenomena in the near death experience are victims of the same deceiving spirits.
This deceitfulness of the spirits is born out in part by the testimony of numerous former mediums and occultists such as Raphael Gasson, Victor Ernest, Johanna Michaelson, Doreen Irvine, Ben Alexander, and others. At one time, such individuals were convinced that their loving and friendly spirit guides, the "beings of light," "dead friends and relatives," "angels," and the "Jesus" they communed with were, in fact, good spirits. But in the end, they realized they were only deceiving spirits who had impersonated good spirits in order to lead them astray.For more specific information see our Resource Catalog or call 1-800-805-3030:
Books -- The Facts on Life After Death
The Facts on Near-Death ExperiencesVideos -- "Death and Dying"
"Eleven Million Near-Death Experiences: Do Some Indicate It May Not Be Safe to Die?"Classical Questions (June 1998)
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What will heaven be like?
Many fine books have been written on heaven and we would encourage the reader to read these for a greater insight into the eternal existence of the redeemed.34 Here, only the briefest thumbnail sketch can be given. (Looking up the scriptures cited in this question and the next will be helpful.) Heaven is not a perpetual vacation, something that would be terribly boring after only fifty years. Heaven is an eternity of purpose and destiny. After the largest conceivable amount of time multiplied indefinitely by the largest conceivable amount of time, eternity has only just begun. Therefore, heaven must not only be beyond our imagination, but commensurate with the nature and demands of a redeemed eternity itself.
Heaven will be an infinitely superb, multi-faceted and glorious paradise because an infinitely superb, multi-faceted and glorious God lives there. Terms such as grandeur, exquisite, magnificent, marvelous, resplendent, elegant and superluxurious are at best shadows of descriptions. In fact, we think it will take an eternity of years to explore only part of heaven.
Heaven is a real and substantial place for real and substantial people. In this place, Jesus told us that we would be glorified and exalted with Him. We will reign with Him "forever and ever" (Rev. 20:6; 22:5) and have spiritual bodies like His (Eph. 2:6; Rom. 8:11-17; Phil. 3:21, 1 John 3:2). We will also judge (and perhaps rule) the angels (1 Cor. 6:3).
In heaven everything that makes life unpleasant or tortuous will be forever vanquished. Those present will never experience pain, sadness, sorrow, depression, sickness, death, sin, evil, but selfishness, fatigue, or suffering of any kind, "for the old order of things has passed away" (Rev. 21:4; 22:3).
To the contrary, heaven will be a place of literally indescribable love, beauty, peace, joy, happiness, rest, adventure, excitement, and union and fellowship with God (Rev. 21:3),--multiplied to the degree suggested by what a infinitely loving, omnipotent and omniscient God would do in eternity for those He willingly sacrificed His only Son for. Scripture itself teaches that if God has given us His own Son now, how much more will He give us throughout eternity? (See Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 2:9; 3:21-23)
Life in heaven will be beyond our wildest imagination experientially--in ways now inconceivable. If heaven by definition is devoid of everything old that is negative it must also be saturated with everything new that is positive: "He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true'" (Rev. 21:5) Thus, heaven will be a place of eternal security and protection where the creation itself is redeemed and transformed into an absolutely perfect new heavens and earth (cf., Rom. 8:18-23; Rev. chs. 21, 22). In this never to be equaled universe, which we suspect will be infinite, we will be able to explore--but never exhaust the ability to explore. Just as we will never be able to exhaust our exploration of all there is to know and experience of the depths of an infinite God.
Obviously, since men are finite beings, and the universe is infinite, there will be great activity and learning. There will be never ending growth in knowledge, truth and wisdom--of God, the creation, angels and men and women. We will not only have joyous intimate personal fellowship with God, Jesus, and the angels but with billions of redeemed people throughout history. And with whatever else God may have created. Yet service and worship to God will be one of our greatest joys. As suggested by the parable of the talents (Matt 25:14-23, cf., Luke 19:11-19), we will also enjoy rewards for service given on earth. These will probably include different positions of honor and authority in heaven. However, all our heavenly blessings and glories will be eternal and indestructible (1 Peter 1:3-4).
But it must also be remembered there is far, far more we don't know about heaven than we do know--and again, that its beauties and glories are literally inconceivable to us now. We should expect nothing less from a future kingdom prepared by Jesus Himself for those He loves and died for (Matt. 25:34; John 14:2). Apart from Christ, there is no such thing as real life now or forever.
1 Corinthians 2:9 only hints at what awaits those who have made Jesus their Lord and Savior: "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him." Indeed, "the sufferings of this present time are not even worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Rom. 8:18). In sum, we will inherit all that God is and all that God has (1 Cor. 3:21-23)--in a true paradise as God originally intended it--and as a result "the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father" forever (Matt. 13:43).__________________________________________________
What will hell be like?
Hell may be ridiculed and "outdated" in the minds of many people, but that does not change its reality. Given the infinite holiness of God, one thing is certain--the strongest arguments against hell now will be silenced forever on the other side. (Polls since 1944 indicate that although 50-60% of people believe in hell, only 3-4% think their chances are good of going there.14:10) Most people may think they will never go to hell because they don't "deserve" it. But unless they repent and turn to Jesus for forgiveness of sins, that will be their fate.
The single most authoritative person in human history, Jesus Christ, spoke often of the reality of an eternal hell (e.g., Matt. 25:41, 46). He warned, "wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it" while "only a few" find eternal life in heaven (Matt. 7:13-14). Jesus also said "If you do not believe I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins" (John 8:24) and He asked, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?" (Matt. 16:26).
The most predominant feature of hell will be the eternal absence of an infinitely loving God and the presence of just punishments for individual sins (2 Thess. 1:9; Dan. 12:2; Matt. 10:28). Hell involves degrees of punishment according to the works done in this life (Matt. 11:21-24; 23:23; Luke 12:47-48). In contrast to what most people think, those who eventually go to hell will recognize and understand the perfect justice of their presence there. Popular views of universalism (all will be saved), variations on conditional immortality (the unsaved will be annihilated) and ideas of the opportunity for salvation after death are impossible to defend scripturally.10 Because of God's infinite righteousness, hell cannot logically be considered immoral. But it could actually be immoral for God to save everyone irrespective of their will or to annihilate those having intrinsic value, those created in His image.
Indeed, hell is a subject that thinking people should contemplate for many reasons, among them the following9:157-80:
1) It is obviously in our own best interests to escape going to hell. Apart from Christ people will go there, but this fate can easily be avoided in this life (John 1:12; 3:16-18; 5:24; 6:47).
2) God Himself does not desire that anyone perish (2 Peter 3:9) and has done all He can, this side of death, and within the limits of His character and the human condition, to save men and women (cf., Acts 17:26-27).
It is entirely possible that, given God's infinite knowledge of what every possible created being would do under every possible circumstance, God has so structured human existence so as to save the greatest number. Further, it is equally credible that "of all the possible persons God could have created, the vast majority of those who would have rejected Christ never get created in the first place. The number of people who reject Christ may [actually] be an act of mercy on God's part."9:178 It is even possible that, given God's holy character and human responsibility, there is no world God could have created in which all created persons would have freely accepted Christ. Apparently, "God prefers a world in which some persons freely reject Christ but the number of saved is maximized over a world in which a few trust Christ and none are lost." Thus, "The actual world contains an optimal balance between saved and unsaved, and those who are unsaved would never have received Christ under any circumstances."9:180
3) Hell is not unjust. The one true God who has revealed Himself as infinitely loving and merciful has also spoken of the reality of eternal separation from Him; therefore it cannot be inconsistent with His love, justice, and mercy.
We don't usually balk at the devil going to hell because we assume the devil is bad enough and God just enough to warrant it. Only when it comes to us, do we question its justness. But if it is just for the devil, can we assume it is never just for those of us who are "like" the devil in our attitudes and actions, especially as they are directed toward God? What did Jesus Himself say? (John 8:44, cf., 1 John 3:8) Indeed, apart from hell, justice becomes a myth: even if someone like Adolph Hitler were punished for billions of years and then brought into eternal heaven or annihilated, his punishment, compared to eternity, would be meaningless. All creation will one day understand this (Rom. 3:4-6).
4) Hell is not a place where God actively tortures people endlessly as if He were the director of some kind of torture chamber. Hell was made for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41), not men, but men who continue their rebellion against God must suffer the just judgment of their sins. Since God will not permit unrighteousness or anything unholy to enter heaven (Rev. 21:27; Hab. 1:13), there must be some other place for the unrighteous to inhabit in eternity. If the unrighteous are not permanently quarantined from the righteous, all we have is an instant and eternal replay of life on earth, and this is surely not heaven. There will, of course, be psychological and physical anguish and torment in hell, but this will result primarily from the conditions of hell and people's own choices and realizations, not from God Himself actively inflicting their torment. A judge and jury who justly send a man to prison do not torment him; his own choices and the conditions of prison do.
5) Sin committed against God is not like sin committed against others. Sinning against an infinite being requires an infinite punishment which, for finite creatures, can only be experienced as eternal punishment.
Further, the amount of time it takes to commit a sin has no direct relationship to the punishment it deserves. A bank teller may plan an embezzlement for months while his accomplice may murder someone in a moment. The evil of a crime is related more to the nature of the crime and the one against whom it is committed than the time it takes to commit it. Everyone knows that a man having sex with a prostitute is not the same as a man having sex with an innocent little girl. No one can accurately gauge how an infinite God, whose holiness is unmeasurable, responds to even the smallest human sin. One would think that for a literally infinite Being, even the most minute human sin is fully heinous and worthy of eternal punishment.
Also, because the unredeemed are unredeemed, they continue to sin after death and apparently will continue to sin inwardly forever (Matt. 8:12). But the only just punishment for eternal sin would seem to be eternal punishment. In light of the above, the bottom line is that a good God cannot be unjust in punishing people eternally. Hell is no more or less than perfect justice, as it must be (Rom. 3:4-6). And this means there is final justice. Indeed, few things in life are as satisfying as justice. Further, hell must also be in full harmony with the love of God: "God loves justice, holiness, and righteousness so much that He created hell. The love of God for His own nature, His law, His universe, and His people, makes hell a product of love as well as justice."35:38e
6) Our choice for God is important to Him (see Luke 13:34). People who refuse Christ in this life would be quite unlikely to accept Him in the next life because their basic nature is not altered. If Scripture declares the unredeemed are God's enemies who want nothing to do with Him (Acts 4:25-27; Rom. 1:18-32; 5:6-10), why would anything change just because someone died? Even if they somehow did decide for Christ, it would only be to escape the punishments of hell rather than to love and obey God. They would not be choosing God and Jesus and thus neither would they be suited for eternal life with them in heaven. No one wants to live forever with someone they dislike intensely. The more you understand the nature of heaven as being infused with the nature of God, the more the idea that the unredeemed would not enjoy heaven makes sense. And, the longer we refuse God's gift of mercy now, the harder it becomes to accept it later. Every day, in almost every way, we are either moving closer to God or further from Him. At the end of an unrepentant life, God simply grants our wishes.
C. S. Lewis emphasized, "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done'"36:69 and "If a game is played it must be possible to lose it. If the happiness of a creature lies in self-surrender, no one can make that surrender but himself (though many can help him to make it) and he may refuse. I would pay any price to be able to say truthfully 'all will be saved.' But my reason retorts, 'without their will, or with it?' If I say, 'without their will' I at once perceive a contradiction; how can the supreme voluntary act of self-surrender be involuntary? If I say 'with their will,' my reason replies 'how if they will not give in?'"37:118
7) God will do what is right. Hebrews 11:6 says that God rewards those who seek Him and Acts 10:35 says, "But in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him." Abraham asked, "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen. 18:25) and the psalmist said "He will judge the world with justice and the peoples with unfaltering fairness" (Ps. 98:9 Berkeley). Thus, not everyone experiences the same degree of pain in hell since there are degrees of punishment (Luke 12:35-48; Matt. 10:15). Those who were less evil in this life are not punished to the same degree as those who were more evil. God is unable to violate His holy character and give any person more punishment than they deserve. This means that God, who is infinite in knowledge, knows the perfectly righteous and good punishment for every person who has ever lived.Conclusion
Although "You can't avoid death and taxes", some people, at least, avoid taxes. For death it's another story; everyone born faces death as an unavoidable certainty. Biblically speaking, men fear death because they intuitively sense judgment after death. In this sense, the fear of death is all to the good. According to Scripture, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23) and "It is given for every man to die once and then comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). According to Romans chapters 1 and 2, all men not only know God exists; they know that they are sinful; the conclusion is that they know that apart from forgiveness they will face God in judgment. Regardless of at whatever level men understand this, the fear of death is something that is intuitive and part of what helps them consider the gospel.
In cultures where a pagan or occult view of death prevails, and death is more accepted than in Western society, the fear of death may be lessened somewhat but the fear remains. Most people who say they don't fear death are speaking at a surface level; were we to see inside the heart it would be another matter. Thus, in a study of different populations of people in varying degrees of health and illness, "all populations studied have shown the same general pattern of death fear...."16b:366
People also intuitively sense they will live forever because, in fact, they will (Ecc. 3:11). What they fear is the abysmal depths of the unknown. The angel of death, a never distant companion, will one day extend its wings. Every individual will then face eternity. The only question is where eternity will be spent. The choice now is as personal as it is monumental.
For those who desire to live forever in heaven, we strongly suggest the following prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, I humbly acknowledge that I have sinned in my thinking, speaking and acting, that I am guilty of deliberate wrongdoing, that my sins have separated me from Your Holy presence, and that I am helpless to commend myself to You.I firmly believe that You died on the cross for my sins, bearing them in Your own body and suffering in my place the condemnation they deserved.
I have thoughtfully counted the cost of following You. I sincerely repent, turning away from my past sins. I am willing to surrender to You as my Lord and Master. Help me not to be ashamed of You.
So now I come to You. I believe that for a long time You have been patiently standing outside the door knocking. I now open the door. Come in, Lord Jesus, and be my Savior and my Lord forever. Amen.38:25
Becoming a Christian involves a serious commitment. New Christians should attend a church where Jesus is honored, read their Bible daily and offer their prayers and lives to the God who is there and hears.
REFERENCE BIBLIOGRAPHYNOTE TO READER: Footnotes in the text are keyed to this bibliography. For example, 3:10 would refer to reference numer 3, page 10. A small "e" refers to emphasis added.
1. P.M.H. Atwater, Coming Back to Life: The Aftereffects of the Near-death Experience, NY: Dodd Mead & Co., 1988.
2. Raymond A. Moody, Jr., The Light Beyond, NY: Bantam, 1989.
3. Cherie Sutherland, Reborn in the Light: Life After Near-death Experiences, NY: Bantam, 1995.
4. Melvin Morse with Paul Perry, Transformed by the Light: The Powerful Effect of Near-death Experiences on People's Lives, NY: Ballentine/Ivy Books, 1994.
5. Kenneth Ring, Heading Toward Omega: In Search of the Meaning of the Near-Death Experience, NY: William Morrow, 1985.
6. Joel Martin and Patricia Romanowski, We Don't Die: George Anderson's Conversations with the Other Side, NY: Berkley Books, 1989.
7. Raymond Moody with Paul Perry, Reunions: Visionary Encounters with Departed Loved Ones, NY: Villard Books, 1993.
8. Michael B. Sabom, Recollections of Death: A Medical Investigation, NY: Harper & Row, 1982.
9. Gary R. Habermas and J. P. Moreland, Immortality the Other Side of Death, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1992.
10. For detailed refutation, see Robert A. Morey, Death and the Afterlife, Minneapolis: Bethany, 1984.
11. Elizabeth L. Hillstrom, Testing the Spirits, Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1995.
12. Robert Basil, ed., Not Necessarily the New Age: Critical Essays, NY: Prometheus, 1988; John Snyder, Reincarnation Versus Resurrection, Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1984; Norman Geisler and J. Yutaka Amano, The Reincarnation Sensation, Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1987.
13. John Ankerberg, John Weldon, The Facts On UFOs and Other Supernatural Phenomena, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1992.
14. ---------------, The Facts On Life After Death, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1992.
15. Doug Groothuis, Deceived by the Light, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1995.
16. cf., Robert L. Menz, "The Denial of Death and the Out-of-the-Body Experience," Journal of Religion and Health, Winter 1984; M. A. Rigdon, "Levels of Death Fear: A Factor Analysis," Death Education, Vol. 6, 1983.
17. Maurice Rawlings, To Hell and Back: Life After Death, Startling New Evidence, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1993.
18. P. M. H. Atwater, Beyond the Light: What Isn't Being Said About Near Death Experience, NY: Birch Lane Press, 1994.
19. Melvin Morse, Closer to the Light: Learning from the Near-death Experiences of Children, NY: Villard Books, 1990.
20. Betty J. Eadie with Curtis Taylor, Embraced by the Light, NY: Bantam, 1994.
21. Pat Rodegast, Emmanuel's Book, Weston, CT: Friends Press, 1986.
22. Joel Martin and Patricia Romanowski, Our Children Live Forever: George Anderson's Messages from Children on the Other Side, NY: Berkley Books, 1994.
23. Dannion Brinkley with Paul Perry, Saved by the Light, NY: Harper Paperbacks, 1995.
24. Kenneth Ring, The Omega Project: Near-death Experiences, UFO Encounters, and Mind At Large, NY: Quill, 1992.
25. John Weldon, Zola Levitt, Psychic Healing: An Expose' of an Occult Phenomenon, Dallas, TX: Zola Levitt Ministries, 1991.
26. See ref. 14, pp. 70-71, citing Brooks Alexander and Mark Albrecht, "Thanatology, Death and Dying," Spiritual Counterfeits Project Journal, April 1977.
27. Lennie Kronish, "Elisabeth Kubler-Ross: Messenger of Love," Yoga Journal, September-October 1976, pp. 18-20; K. Coleman, "Elisabth Kubler-Ross in the Afterworld of Entities," New West, July 30, 1979.
28. John Weldon, Zola Levitt, Is There Life After Death?, Dallas, TX: Zola Levitt Ministries, 1991.
29. Richard Kohr, "Near-death Experiences, Altered States, Psi-sensitivity," Anabiosis, Vol. 3, no. 2, (December 1983).
30. Letter to John Weldon, October 28, 1995.
31. cf., the writings of Kurt Koch, Merril Unger and C. Fred Dickason as they relate to a critique of the occult and its influence upon Christians and nonChrisitans.
32. J. Isamu Yamamoto, "The Near Death Experience, Part 1," Christian Research Journal, Spring 1992.
33. Maurice Rawlings, Beyond Death's Door, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1978.
34. esp. John Gilmore, Probing Heaven: Key Questions on the Hereafter, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1989 and Joni Eareckson Tada, Heaven Your Real Home, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995.
35. Robert A. Morey, Introduction to Defending the Faith, Southbridge, MA: Crowne Publications, 1989.
36. C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, NY: MacMillan, 1946.
37. C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, NY: MacMillion, 1971.
38. Taken from John Stott, Becoming a Christian, Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1950.
39. Kenneth Ring, referring Raymond Moody's, Life After Life, foreward in ref. 3.
40. Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death, NY: The Free Press, 1973.
41. John Ankerberg, John Weldon, The Mask of Mormonism, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1996.
42. Kenneth Ring, "From Alpha to Omega: Ancient Mysteries and the Near Death Experience," Anabiosis, Vol. 5, no. 2 (1986).
For more specific information see our Resource Catalog or call 1-800-805-3030:
Books -- The Facts on Life After Death
The Facts on Near-Death ExperiencesVideos -- "Death and Dying"
"Eleven Million Near-Death Experiences: Do Some Indicate It May Not Be Safe to Die?"
What Will Hell Be Like?Hell may be ridiculed and "outdated" in the minds of many people, but that does not change its reality. Given the infinite holiness of God, one thing is certain--the strongest arguments against hell now will be silenced forever on the other side. (Polls since 1944 indicate that although 50-60% of people believe in hell, only 3-4% think their chances are good of going there.14:10) Most people may think they will never go to hell because they don't "deserve" it. But unless they repent and turn to Jesus for forgiveness of sins, that will be their fate.
The single most authoritative person in human history, Jesus Christ, spoke often of the reality of an eternal hell (e.g., Matt. 25:41, 46). He warned, "wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it" while "only a few" find eternal life in heaven (Matt. 7:13-14). Jesus also said "If you do not believe I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins" (John 8:24) and He asked, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?" (Matt. 16:26).
The most predominant feature of hell will be the eternal absence of an infinitely loving God and the presence of just punishments for individual sins (2 Thess. 1:9; Dan. 12:2; Matt. 10:28). Hell involves degrees of punishment according to the works done in this life (Matt. 11:21-24; 23:23; Luke 12:47-48). In contrast to what most people think, those who eventually go to hell will recognize and understand the perfect justice of their presence there. Popular views of universalism (all will be saved), variations on conditional immortality (the unsaved will be annihilated) and ideas of the opportunity for salvation after death are impossible to defend scripturally.10 Because of God's infinite righteousness, hell cannot logically be considered immoral. But it could actually be immoral for God to save everyone irrespective of their will or to annihilate those having intrinsic value, those created in His image.
Indeed, hell is a subject that thinking people should contemplate for many reasons, among them the following9:157-80:
1) It is obviously in our own best interests to escape going to hell. Apart from Christ people will go there, but this fate can easily be avoided in this life (John 1:12; 3:16-18; 5:24; 6:47).
2) God Himself does not desire that anyone perish (2 Peter 3:9) and has done all He can, this side of death, and within the limits of His character and the human condition, to save men and women (cf., Acts 17:26-27).
It is entirely possible that, given God's infinite knowledge of what every possible created being would do under every possible circumstance, God has so structured human existence so as to save the greatest number. Further, it is equally credible that "of all the possible persons God could have created, the vast majority of those who would have rejected Christ never get created in the first place. The number of people who reject Christ may [actually] be an act of mercy on God's part."9:178 It is even possible that, given God's holy character and human responsibility, there is no world God could have created in which all created persons would have freely accepted Christ. Apparently, "God prefers a world in which some persons freely reject Christ but the number of saved is maximized over a world in which a few trust Christ and none are lost." Thus, "The actual world contains an optimal balance between saved and unsaved, and those who are unsaved would never have received Christ under any circumstances."9:180
3) Hell is not unjust. The one true God who has revealed Himself as infinitely loving and merciful has also spoken of the reality of eternal separation from Him; therefore it cannot be inconsistent with His love, justice, and mercy.
We don't usually balk at the devil going to hell because we assume the devil is bad enough and God just enough to warrant it. Only when it comes to us, do we question its justness. But if it is just for the devil, can we assume it is never just for those of us who are "like" the devil in our attitudes and actions, especially as they are directed toward God? What did Jesus Himself say? (John 8:44, cf., 1 John 3:8) Indeed, apart from hell, justice becomes a myth: even if someone like Adolph Hitler were punished for billions of years and then brought into eternal heaven or annihilated, his punishment, compared to eternity, would be meaningless. All creation will one day understand this (Rom. 3:4-6).
4) Hell is not a place where God actively tortures people endlessly as if He were the director of some kind of torture chamber. Hell was made for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41), not men, but men who continue their rebellion against God must suffer the just judgment of their sins. Since God will not permit unrighteousness or anything unholy to enter heaven (Rev. 21:27; Hab. 1:13), there must be some other place for the unrighteous to inhabit in eternity. If the unrighteous are not permanently quarantined from the righteous, all we have is an instant and eternal replay of life on earth, and this is surely not heaven. There will, of course, be psychological and physical anguish and torment in hell, but this will result primarily from the conditions of hell and people's own choices and realizations, not from God Himself actively inflicting their torment. A judge and jury who justly send a man to prison do not torment him; his own choices and the conditions of prison do.
5) Sin committed against God is not like sin committed against others. Sinning against an infinite being requires an infinite punishment which, for finite creatures, can only be experienced as eternal punishment.
Further, the amount of time it takes to commit a sin has no direct relationship to the punishment it deserves. A bank teller may plan an embezzlement for months while his accomplice may murder someone in a moment. The evil of a crime is related more to the nature of the crime and the one against whom it is committed than the time it takes to commit it. Everyone knows that a man having sex with a prostitute is not the same as a man having sex with an innocent little girl. No one can accurately gauge how an infinite God, whose holiness is unmeasurable, responds to even the smallest human sin. One would think that for a literally infinite Being, even the most minute human sin is fully heinous and worthy of eternal punishment.
Also, because the unredeemed are unredeemed, they continue to sin after death and apparently will continue to sin inwardly forever (Matt. 8:12). But the only just punishment for eternal sin would seem to be eternal punishment. In light of the above, the bottom line is that a good God cannot be unjust in punishing people eternally. Hell is no more or less than perfect justice, as it must be (Rom. 3:4-6). And this means there is final justice. Indeed, few things in life are as satisfying as justice. Further, hell must also be in full harmony with the love of God: "God loves justice, holiness, and righteousness so much that He created hell. The love of God for His own nature, His law, His universe, and His people, makes hell a product of love as well as justice."35:38e
6) Our choice for God is important to Him (see Luke 13:34). People who refuse Christ in this life would be quite unlikely to accept Him in the next life because their basic nature is not altered. If Scripture declares the unredeemed are God's enemies who want nothing to do with Him (Acts 4:25-27; Rom. 1:18-32; 5:6-10), why would anything change just because someone died? Even if they somehow did decide for Christ, it would only be to escape the punishments of hell rather than to love and obey God. They would not be choosing God and Jesus and thus neither would they be suited for eternal life with them in heaven. No one wants to live forever with someone they dislike intensely. The more you understand the nature of heaven as being infused with the nature of God, the more the idea that the unredeemed would not enjoy heaven makes sense. And, the longer we refuse God's gift of mercy now, the harder it becomes to accept it later. Every day, in almost every way, we are either moving closer to God or further from Him. At the end of an unrepentant life, God simply grants our wishes.
C. S. Lewis emphasized, "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done'"36:69 and "If a game is played it must be possible to lose it. If the happiness of a creature lies in self-surrender, no one can make that surrender but himself (though many can help him to make it) and he may refuse. I would pay any price to be able to say truthfully 'all will be saved.' But my reason retorts, 'without their will, or with it?' If I say, 'without their will' I at once perceive a contradiction; how can the supreme voluntary act of self-surrender be involuntary? If I say 'with their will,' my reason replies 'how if they will not give in?'"37:118
7) God will do what is right. Hebrews 11:6 says that God rewards those who seek Him and Acts 10:35 says, "But in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him." Abraham asked, "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen. 18:25) and the psalmist said "He will judge the world with justice and the peoples with unfaltering fairness" (Ps. 98:9 Berkeley). Thus, not everyone experiences the same degree of pain in hell since there are degrees of punishment (Luke 12:35-48; Matt. 10:15). Those who were less evil in this life are not punished to the same degree as those who were more evil. God is unable to violate His holy character and give any person more punishment than they deserve. This means that God, who is infinite in knowledge, knows the perfectly righteous and good punishment for every person who has ever lived.Conclusion
Although "You can't avoid death and taxes", some people, at least, avoid taxes. For death it's another story; everyone born faces death as an unavoidable certainty. Biblically speaking, men fear death because they intuitively sense judgment after death. In this sense, the fear of death is all to the good. According to Scripture, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23) and "It is given for every man to die once and then comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). According to Romans chapters 1 and 2, all men not only know God exists; they know that they are sinful; the conclusion is that they know that apart from forgiveness they will face God in judgment. Regardless of at whatever level men understand this, the fear of death is something that is intuitive and part of what helps them consider the gospel.
In cultures where a pagan or occult view of death prevails, and death is more accepted than in Western society, the fear of death may be lessened somewhat but the fear remains. Most people who say they don't fear death are speaking at a surface level; were we to see inside the heart it would be another matter. Thus, in a study of different populations of people in varying degrees of health and illness, "all populations studied have shown the same general pattern of death fear...."16b:366
People also intuitively sense they will live forever because, in fact, they will (Ecc. 3:11). What they fear is the abysmal depths of the unknown. The angel of death, a never distant companion, will one day extend its wings. Every individual will then face eternity. The only question is where eternity will be spent. The choice now is as personal as it is monumental.
For those who desire to live forever in heaven, we strongly suggest the following prayer:Lord Jesus Christ, I humbly acknowledge that I have sinned in my thinking, speaking and acting, that I am guilty of deliberate wrongdoing, that my sins have separated me from Your Holy presence, and that I am helpless to commend myself to You.
I firmly believe that You died on the cross for my sins, bearing them in Your own body and suffering in my place the condemnation they deserved.I have thoughtfully counted the cost of following You. I sincerely repent, turning away from my past sins. I am willing to surrender to You as my Lord and Master. Help me not to be ashamed of You.
So now I come to You. I believe that for a long time You have been patiently standing outside the door knocking. I now open the door. Come in, Lord Jesus, and be my Savior and my Lord forever. Amen.38:25
Becoming a Christian involves a serious commitment. New Christians should attend a church where Jesus is honored, read their Bible daily and offer their prayers and lives to the God who is there and hears.
REFERENCE BIBLIOGRAPHY
NOTE TO READER: Footnotes in the text are keyed to this bibliography. For example, 3:10 would refer to reference numer 3, page 10. A small "e" refers to emphasis added.
1. P.M.H. Atwater, Coming Back to Life: The Aftereffects of the Near-death Experience, NY: Dodd Mead & Co., 1988.
2. Raymond A. Moody, Jr., The Light Beyond, NY: Bantam, 1989.
3. Cherie Sutherland, Reborn in the Light: Life After Near-death Experiences, NY: Bantam, 1995.
4. Melvin Morse with Paul Perry, Transformed by the Light: The Powerful Effect of Near-death Experiences on People's Lives, NY: Ballentine/Ivy Books, 1994.
5. Kenneth Ring, Heading Toward Omega: In Search of the Meaning of the Near-Death Experience, NY: William Morrow, 1985.
6. Joel Martin and Patricia Romanowski, We Don't Die: George Anderson's Conversations with the Other Side, NY: Berkley Books, 1989.
7. Raymond Moody with Paul Perry, Reunions: Visionary Encounters with Departed Loved Ones, NY: Villard Books, 1993.
8. Michael B. Sabom, Recollections of Death: A Medical Investigation, NY: Harper & Row, 1982.
9. Gary R. Habermas and J. P. Moreland, Immortality the Other Side of Death, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1992.10. For detailed refutation, see Robert A. Morey, Death and the Afterlife, Minneapolis: Bethany, 1984.
11. Elizabeth L. Hillstrom, Testing the Spirits, Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1995.
12. Robert Basil, ed., Not Necessarily the New Age: Critical Essays, NY: Prometheus, 1988; John Snyder, Reincarnation Versus Resurrection, Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1984; Norman Geisler and J. Yutaka Amano, The Reincarnation Sensation, Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1987.
13. John Ankerberg, John Weldon, The Facts on UFOs and Other Supernatural Phenomena, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1992.
14. ---------------, The Facts on Life After Death, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1992.
15. Doug Groothuis, Deceived by the Light, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1995.
16. cf., Robert L. Menz, "The Denial of Death and the Out-of-the-Body Experience," Journal of Religion and Health, Winter 1984; M. A. Rigdon, "Levels of Death Fear: A Factor Analysis," Death Education, Vol. 6, 1983.
17. Maurice Rawlings, To Hell and Back: Life After Death, Startling New Evidence, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1993.
18. P. M. H. Atwater, Beyond the Light: What Isn't Being Said About Near Death Experience, NY: Birch Lane Press, 1994.
19. Melvin Morse, Closer to the Light: Learning from the Near-death Experiences of Children, NY: Villard Books, 1990.
20. Betty J. Eadie with Curtis Taylor, Embraced by the Light, NY: Bantam, 1994.
21. Pat Rodegast, Emmanuel's Book, Weston, CT: Friends Press, 1986.
22. Joel Martin and Patricia Romanowski, Our Children Live Forever: George Anderson's Messages from Children on the Other Side, NY: Berkley Books, 1994.
23. Dannion Brinkley with Paul Perry, Saved by the Light, NY: Harper Paperbacks, 1995.
24. Kenneth Ring, The Omega Project: Near-death Experiences, UFO Encounters, and Mind At Large, NY: Quill, 1992.
25. John Weldon, Zola Levitt, Psychic Healing: An Expose' of an Occult Phenomenon, Dallas, TX: Zola Levitt Ministries, 1991.
26. See ref. 14, pp. 70-71, citing Brooks Alexander and Mark Albrecht, "Thanatology, Death and Dying," Spiritual Counterfeits Project Journal, April 1977.
27. Lennie Kronish, "Elisabeth Kubler-Ross: Messenger of Love," Yoga Journal, September-October 1976, pp. 18-20; K. Coleman, "Elisabth Kubler-Ross in the Afterworld of Entities," New West, July 30, 1979.
28. John Weldon, Zola Levitt, Is There Life After Death?, Dallas, TX: Zola Levitt Ministries, 1991.
29. Richard Kohr, "Near-death Experiences, Altered States, Psi-sensitivity," Anabiosis, Vol. 3, no. 2, (December 1983).
30. Letter to John Weldon, October 28, 1995.
31. cf., the writings of Kurt Koch, Merril Unger and C. Fred Dickason as they relate to a critique of the occult and its influence upon Christians and nonChrisitans.
32. J. Isamu Yamamoto, "The Near Death Experience, Part 1," Christian Research Journal, Spring 1992.
33. Maurice Rawlings, Beyond Death's Door, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1978.
34. esp. John Gilmore, Probing Heaven: Key Questions on the Hereafter, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1989 and Joni Eareckson Tada, Heaven Your Real Home, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995.
35. Robert A. Morey, Introduction to Defending the Faith, Southbridge, MA: Crowne Publications, 1989.
36. C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, NY: MacMillan, 1946.
37. C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, NY: MacMillion, 1971.
38. Taken from John Stott, Becoming a Christian, Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1950.
39. Kenneth Ring, referring Raymond Moody's, Life After Life, foreward in ref. 3.
40. Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death, NY: The Free Press, 1973.41. John Ankerberg, John Weldon, The Mask of Mormonism, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1996.
42. Kenneth Ring, "From Alpha to Omega: Ancient Mysteries and the Near Death Experience," Anabiosis, Vol. 5, no. 2 (1986).