I heard a great story today on the radio about the movie "The end of the spear".  They were talking about the song that was played at the end of the movie and the story about it.  The movie was previewed to the tribes men before it was released and at the end of the movie they played a song and the cheif said that he had heard that song before.  They told him that that was impossible that he had heard that song before because it had not been released yet.  He said that the Angels were singing it when they carried  the missionaries away into the sky.  God opened their eyes to allow them to see this obviously.  I got goose bumps when I heard this.  How amazing!!!  The Holy Spirit gave the writer the words to the song the Angels were singing as they carried these men away.   What a powerful testimony.  I vagly remember seeing that in the movie.  Now I'll have to watch it again and listen to the song more closely with new ears.

In today's reading I found a parallel to the well know passage of 2Chon. 7:14 "...if my people...will humble themselves and pray...and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven..."

In today's reading (Jonah 3:8) The king of Nineveh makes a decree, instructing the people to fast, "wear garments of mourning and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence."  Then in verse 10 we read God's wonderful grace, "When God saw what they had done, and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened."

Aren't you in awe of God's wonderful grace?

As for people being who have died and had out of body experiences, I have only the bible to go by.  There are those who truly believe this happen to them.  I have no idea what happens to the brain when it is deprived of oxygen and blood.  It is entirely possible they were not completely dead and still fits with the bible in the dead know nothing.

I think I found the text on 3rd heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2 (Gods Word Translation) "I know a follower of Christ who was snatched away to the third heaven fourteen years ago. I don’t know whether this happened to him physically or spiritually. Only God knows."  When this person was taken into vision were they physically brought to heaven or just in a vision in their mind, God only knows.  But they were alive when it happened and it does not say they died.  (Other bible version say whether this happened to him in body or out of body.) 

I think you mean when people who are dying see angelic beings in the room, that these angels are people who have died and went to heaven.  I think we have guardian angels and they are created beings and not ascended souls of man.  In Psalms 8:4,5 man was made a "a little lower than the angels."  Nehemiah 9:6 "You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host. .... The host of heaven worships You.  (See also Colossians 1:16-17).  In Luke 20:27,35,36 "Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection.....( asked about a wife with multiple  husbands who died, whose wife would she be in the resurrection and Jesus answered them)....But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection."  I read this as we were made lower than the angel but at the resurrection when Jesus comes we will be made equal to the angels. 

I was given a book this winter called "Exceedingly Growing Faith" by Kenneth E. Hagin.  This book sounds innocent enough but it is not.  I have read most of the book and he talks about ascending out of his body and going to heaven and hell.  However in the book on page 32, it says "Man is a spirit.  He is in the same class with God made in his image and likeness of God."  On page 40 he says "It is the inward man (the spirit) who contacts and knows God. We cannot know God through our human knowledge, through the mind.  God is only revealed to man through the spirit.  And when I say 'through the spirit' I am not referring to the Holy Spirit, but to the man's spirit.  It is the spirit of man that contacts God, for God is a Spirit."   Note the parenthesis around the spirit are the writers and not mine.  I take this as meaning we are like God and on his level.  I find this writer to be a false prophet  because of this and other statement in the book.   We are told to worship the creator and we are not on His level.  (See Revelation 14:7, Eccl 12:1, Nehemiah 9:5,6,14,17, Exodus 20:8,11)  Thanks for the questions and study. 

Barry, reflecting on our discussion this week, I am curious how you would explain the testimonies of people who have died and had out of body experiences, witnessing their surroundings and even conversations that occured before they were recessitated.  And also the testimony of John himself as he was taken to the 3rd heaven by the Father where he states that he wasn't sure if he was in his body or out of his body.  I have read countless testimonies of people who were with someone before they died that said that before dieing gave testimony of  seeing angelic beings in the room.  Scripture says that the Angels take us to heaven so this would be confirmed in the scriptures.    There are so many more stories in scripture like TImothy.  What is your take on those? 

 

My in-laws have taught my son a song.  It goes like this, The B.I.B.L.E. is just the book for me.  I stand alone on the word of God the B.I.B.L.E.  What a great concept and this is why we are all studying the bible.

 

If the dead know nothing as Solomon says then the very next thing they will hear after death is Jesus call them from the grave.  Whether it is 6 months or 60 years later, it will seem like 1 second has passed by.  You will see Christ coming in his glory with all his angels.  So it does not matter to the person who has died, but I think it does matter to those who remain (See Deut 18:9-13). 

 

John 5:28-29 (NKJV) "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

 

Ezekiel 18:4 (NKJV) Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.  Ezekiel 18:20 (NKJV) The soul who sins shall die.

 

Deuteronomy 18:9-13 (NKJV)  When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.   Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.   

 

2 Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.  (Why can't he impersonate our deceased love ones?  See also 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)