"Death is the chariot our heavenly Father sends to bring us to Himself," so saith Mr. Erwin W. Lutzer in his book One Minute After You Die. Wow. Interesting chariot. And just to Whom is that chariot taking a departed-from-earth-believer to? To God Himself, our Heavenly Father. Yet, many think of their relatives greeting them. Well, I wouldn't mind that either but....
The book The Eternal Journey which tells of Near Death Experiences (NDE), by Craig R. Lundahl, Ph.D and Harold A. Widdison, Ph.D, describes such scenes and says,
On Page 99 that...
"It is comforting to know that loving friends, relatives, or special emissaries will be there to guide or escort those who die...escorted & greeted by beings who love them unconditionally..."> If you look at the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31, you'll see this was the case for Lazarus who was seen in Abraham's bosom.
And as reported by Marshall Gibson, 1922,
"There was a feeling of love and peace..."
"The function of the greeters "seems to be to ease them through the transition from the physical world to the next world."
In Revelation, an angel (not a friend or relative) was showing John about (Revelation 22:8).
Daniel 10:2, 4 reports Daniel has visions and in them interactions with angels. Both John and Daniel's cases were not NDEs, rather visions. John was "in the Spirit on the Lord's Day" (Revelation 1:10) when he saw visions. Daniel was lying in bed and saw the visions in his mind, then wrote them down (Daniel 7:1-28). It was angels that tended to them and told them stuff.
However the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 tells of his experience that sounds a lot like an NDE; he couldn't figure out if he were in or out of his body. Maybe it was an NDE. Perhaps at the time that he had been stoned to death by angry men and left for dead (Acts 14:19-20). Just saying, maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Paul declared in the 2 Corinthians passage that it was "the Lord" who revealed "inexpressible things he wasn't to reveal". He barely wanted to tell about it as he didn't want to boast nor did he want others to think he was some sort of superior person for having had such an experience.
Go back to Jacob and his ladder in Genesis 28:10-17. He was dreaming and seeing a vision of a ladder that reached up to heaven. There were the angels of God "ascending and descending" but his attention was riveted on "the Lord"; the "God of your father Abraham, and of your father Isaac". We'd tend to be enthralled by the angels of God, but Jacob had eyes only for "the Lord".Another New Testament brother of note is Stephen, the first Christian martyr. He was stoned to death and just before his life was extinguished, he
"looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." and he said, "Look, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." His focus was on Jesus. Jesus was "standing". "Standing" to receive him to glory (Acts 7:54-60 NIV).Jesus was ready & waiting for him.
In Luke 16:22 we see that "angels came to escort Lazarus to Abraham's bosom". Lutzer of the One Minute After You Die book states:
"While relatives sorrow on earth, you will find yourself in new surroundings which are new beyond your imagination. Most probably, you will have seen angels who have been assigned the responsibility of escorting you to your destination, just as the angels who carried Lazarus..."It appears that it's angels or God or Jesus whom folks see in the heavenly scenes, although it may not preclude the relatives idea as we hark back to what King David said about his baby that died, "I will go to him but he will not return to me" (2 Samuel 12:23). Even in this time of deep and tragic time of loss and mourning, David's focus was honed on "dwelling in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6) and pondering on the goodness and mercy of God.
From all this I would ask again, "Just Whom do you wish to see most up there?" Yes, I have a little one up there I'd love to hug. I have grandparents I'd love to see again. I have some dear, dear departed friends there too. What makes Heaven, Heaven? Rather WHO? Let us focus on the One who sacrificed His life for us making atonement for our sins so that we can escape the wrath of God, and have the privilege of even going to Heaven to be "with Christ" for ever and ever.
Many people who have had NDEs have seen the two choices of places one could end up, have been told such things as: "you're not ready yet or it's not your time yet; go complete your mission you were meant to fulfill". I believe that they have had very narrow escapes especially if they have not "completed their mission". The biggest mission would be to accept the salvation God offers through His Son so that upon their death they can go to that wonderful place of light, love, peace and joy; "with Christ".
Two verses spoken by Jesus when He was on earth that can halt one in their tracks are from John 12:47-48:
"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day..."
This is solemn; to have known yet to not do anything about it, to not choose aright. I plead with one and all to come to Jesus, just as you are, receive the salvation He offers and the "ticket" to everlasting life in God's wonderful City of Light and by that I do not mean, Paris!! I definitely mean that pure place of God's abode, Heaven.
Anyone who has had an NDE, needs to be sure they do what's right afterwards whether they've been greeted and toured about by an angel, friend or family member or not. Those who hear about it all must do so too. Do what's right in the eyes of God who certainly loves you to the core and that unconditionally; live by God's standards as marked out in His Word, the Holy Bible. Start today. Perhaps today that fiery chariot will come calling again, this time, for you; be ready!
~ERC 2016~
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