Heaven is for Real: A Dangerous Book for an Apostate Age

[RSS Robot]

(August 18, 2011) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -

Heaven Is For Real, a book about a four-year-old boy’s supposed visit to heaven, has sold over 1.5 million copies and is currently the # 6 best seller on Amazon. It has broken Thomas Nelson’s sales records and is popular with Independent Baptists. One pastor told me that it is “circulating around many of our IBaptist camps; many are recommending it.” The book is the true story of Colton Burpo, a Methodist pastor’s son who allegedly visits heaven during emergency surgery. There he meets a dead sister and great grandfather, sees Jesus and God the Father and the Holy Spirit and Satan, and learns things not revealed in Scripture. We don’t doubt that the little boy is convinced that he visited heaven, but we don’t believe for a minute that it actually happened.

First, the book is contrary to the testimony of Scripture that the apostles were the last to see the resurrected Christ. This was one of the evidences of apostleship (Acts 1:22; 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:7). Paul said that he was the last of the apostles to see Christ, meaning that he saw Christ some time after the other apostles had seen him (1 Cor. 15:8). This occurred on more than one occasion in his life as described in the book of Acts. Paul gave this testimony in the context of giving the eyewitness evidence for Christ’s resurrection. We also know that the apostle John saw Christ on the island of Patmos as described in Revelation 1. All of the evidence we need for our faith is found in the testimony of Scripture and in these particular eyewitnesses.

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[John81]

This book and another one written by a kid after he had been "killed" in an auto wreck came out around the same time. I remember hearing so many people talking about them and even our little public library got copies of them because of such demand.

I read one of the books, the other one, and while the storyline was good, mostly well told, and there were some positive aspects, overall the story doesn't sit well. Most of the reason is for things mentioned in Clouds article above which also applies to that other book. Plus I remember the kid giving a description or someone drawing a picture of something he says he saw, which I think had to do with angels, but what was put forth didn't agree with Scripture.

In any event, these books are similar to those where the author claims to have spent time in hell, or were travelling between heaven or hell but were "called back" for some reason. They appeal to man's curiosity and especially to his curiosity about what happens after death. Many folks, even professing Christians, are either unread and unlearned with regards to what Scripture actually teaches on the subject or they are not satisfied with what Scripture says so they are always looking for more, looking for something else.

These "feel good" stories give folks hope (a false sense of hope) outside of Scripture that somehow all will be well and wonderful.