What is Heaven really like?

How do near-death experiences compare to what the Bible says Heaven is like?

Unlike other critics who just dismiss stories about seeing heaven during near-death experiences, a New Testament expert reminds us of what to look for when considering such stories. 

Dr. Scot McKnight, a New Testament professor at the Northern Seminary in Lombard, Illinois, believes that rather than actually seeing heaven, people might actually be experiencing the heaven they have imagined. The scholar worries about most stories and their exclusion of Jesus. 

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - Heaven is real and some had claimed to have seen the paradise  depicted in popular books and films categorized under the "Christian" genre. However, Dr. McKnight pointed out that we should approach these stories with proper scrutiny. 
During The Church Boys podcast, McKnight explained that the failure to mention Jesus in life-after-death experiences concerned him greatly of our understanding, reported The Blaze.

Dr. McKnight said that instead of simply accepting stories, particularly the dramatic ones picturing an individual's understanding of heaven, we must read and understand the Biblical depiction of our promised paradise.

Some of popular heaven stories conflict with each other and include different descriptions. McKnight's theory is that these heavenly experiences are most probably "mass projection in their mind" of what heaven is like based on what they have learned and understood, rather than actual heavenly visits.

McKnight added that people claiming to have seen heaven carried a variety of knowledge from different fields including philosophy. 

"I don't believe any of them are telling us what's in the afterlife . I think all these people are in pre-death mode. [They see] what they already believe heaven will be like, and it is a genuinely powerful experience for these people," explained Dr. McKnight.

Among the stories he has encountered, Pastor Don Piper's story is "one of the best and, as a story, one of the most conforming to the image of what the Bible says." 

Dr. Scot McKnight is the author of the upcoming book The Heaven Promise: Engaging the Bible's Truth About Life to Come, which is set to be released October 6.

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