IN THE CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORES OWNED BY LIFEWAY, THERE ARE NO BOOKS THAT DISCUSS VISIONS OF HEAVEN.

The novel “90 Minutes in Heaven” written by Don Piper has been taken off the shelves of all of the LifeWay book shops, despite the fact that it has been translated into 46 different languages and has become a best-selling book after selling 6.5 million copies. As a result of the resolution passed by the Southern Baptist Convention, which stated that “the sufficiency of biblical revelation” is sufficient to describe the features of heaven and hell, the following publications have been removed off the shelves. The incongruity of the choice is glaringly obvious when one considers the fact that they still have approximately seventy-five different forms of media for the LaHaye “Left Behind” series, which are, after all, works of fiction. There are also other pieces that are either partially fictional or not based on the Bible that are being offered. One example of this is Roma Downey’s “The Bible,” which, after all, was unable to earn more than three stars for accuracy and relevance when submitted to the scrutiny of inspirational movie reviewers. There is a possibility that the decision to discontinue such reports was prompted by the fact that Alex Malarkey recently withdrew his narrative of seeing heaven following a terrible automobile accident; however, no one has openly confessed to that at this time. Not a Strong Theological Argument in Support of Taking the Book It is the macro side of the argument that makes the decision to pull the books and others like it such as Todd Burpo’s “Heaven is for Real.” This gives rise to the most important question, which is why not dismiss all visionary aspects of the scripture. Every vision and dream that is associated with the scriptures, beginning with Joseph’s dream about the sun, moon, and eleven stars and continuing all the way up to John’s vision of the Revelation on the Isle of Patmos, occurred prior to the first complete rendering of the book that we now refer to as the Bible. Visionaries were responsible for a significant portion of the Bible’s most profound lessons as well as a significant portion of its prophesy; nevertheless, Baptists are of the opinion that all such visions have ended after the text was made public. The concept is that the book is complete, and that God may now put an end to his interventionist nature and stop speaking directly to mankind. A perspective like this has ran headfirst into the reality that individuals have had millions of interventional visions and dreams ever since the scriptures were written, and the Bible says that the number of such visions will only rise as we get closer to the end of the world. It is said that “And it will come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your elderly men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” (Joel 2:28 Bible) No vision that is in direct opposition to the scriptures need to be given any credibility; nevertheless, visions that do not contradict the scriptures might be considered supplementary provided they are in accordance with the theology of the scriptures. The doctrine that asserts that God has restricted himself to the scriptures alone in order to communicate with human beings is a direct contradiction to the unchangeable nature of Christ. (8) Hebrews 13: Additionally, it restricts God’s authority over all things pertaining to revelation and intervention. To put it another way, it means that God has the ability to communicate with everyone at any time he chooses, both in the present moment and for the whole of eternity. That those who believe that when Paul said, “But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away” (1 Corinthians 13:10), he was referring to the completion of the scriptures into its present form, the bible, never seem to see that they are stuck with a tremendous interpolation and a strained interpretation of that passage simply because that interpretation is not stated in the passage itself. As far as the Bible is concerned, “that which is perfect” does not refer to the Bible itself. Verses that come before this well-known interpolation are used to argue against the gifts of the spirit; however, very few people take note of the fact that not only does it state that prophesies will be extinguished, but it also states that knowledge will be extinguished. 13:8 of the Bible It is possible that we should hold off on putting an end to prophesy until knowledge has been eliminated. Despite the fact that it has acquired popularity, this view is a bit of a ridiculous interpretation that prevents honest investigation. It is not the fear of the unknown or the unexplainable that ought to be the driving force behind our theology. When Jesus taught that we should be as clever as serpents yet as harmless as doves, he did not add the idea that we should be less scared than chickens. While it is prudent to examine visions through the lens of the Bible, it would be quite unwise to throw out all visions and throw them away in the garbage. I can’t believe the Apostle Paul had the audacity to talk about things that exist in heaven! Paul said that he could take pride in such things, rather than prohibiting them; do we take anything away from the fact that he was ready to let the visions of those who have been born again and have confirmed links to the faith? Would Paul be willing to cast the vote of dissent in the decision about LifeWay? “And I knew such a guy, (whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;) How that he was swept up into paradise, and heard things that are incomprehensible to a man, which it is not permissible for a man to pronounce. “I will be proud of such a person; but, I will not be proud of myself; rather, I will be proud of my weaknesses.” 2 Corinthians 12:3-5 Red-light for visions and green-light for fiction at the same time At the top of the list of incredible incongruities is the fact that LifeWay continues to sell millions of copies of the LaHaye “Left Behind” series books and CDs, despite the fact that all of them are in the fiction genre. My fifty years of experience as a teacher of eschatology have led me to the conclusion that, without a shadow of a doubt, the most significant obstacle that students face when attempting to comprehend the intricate and complicated passages of prophecy that are found throughout the scriptures is definitely fiction. It is virtually always the fiction authors that come up with the most absurd interpretations and notions about the second coming events. Second only to the generally godless wandering of Hollywood film producers, the authors of second coming fiction have introduced more confusion to the well-ordered teachings of second coming theology than anybody else. They have done this more than anyone else. Arguments about the partial rapture, pre-mid and post-tribulation rapture, and other bogus rubbish have been flowing from the fiction people, and it seems that there is no end to the fresh items that are pouring off the presses as of late. Any vision that is not directly antagonistic to the scriptures may or may not contribute to a person’s spiritual understanding or power, but all fiction adds nothing to anybody except to engage the imagination which has been recognized to be the greatest false guide to man from the days of antiquity, As an example, the Bible says, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:30) In addition to being tarred and feathered, I ought to be defrocked and decertified. I would be kicked out of town and probably tarred and feathered if extra-biblical revelation were a genuinely valid means to judge whether or not a preacher was legitimate. The moment I became a Christian, I had a vision of the face of Jesus Christ. It is important to emphasize that before to it, I had no interest in or belief in any type of religious and spiritual experiences. Why didn’t God respect my objection to having any kind of religious experience, whether it be a dream, a vision, or anything else? There are probably more than a thousand different sorts of prophetic dreams that I have had about the future, and none of them have ever gotten it wrong. Every night of the week, when I was younger, I would have a picture of some of the activities that were scheduled for the next day. God wanted me to realize one generally significant reality, which is that to him, the future is as obvious as the past, and it is not a huge thing for him to let us know what that future is if he chooses to do so. I was, in a sense, in training. On a few instances, I have been able to hear the voice of God (in English), I have seen angels, I have been given a vivid vision of the second coming of Christ, and I have even been visited in a dream by Abraham Lincoln, who is considered to be one of the founding heroes of our country. Keeping these things to myself would be an act of pure selfish irresponsibility if I were to keep them to myself at my age. If I were a coward, however, it may be pleasant to keep these things a secret; nevertheless, I am not a coward, and my time is limited. Not only have I experienced prophetic dreams, but I am also aware of when and if other people have had them, as well as the meanings of those dreams, even when they do not have any significance. In addition, I am able to recognize whether a dream or vision is fabricated, evil, or the result of eating pickles and cream just before going to bed. It is not that I am overconfident or self-absorbed with this talent; rather, my reliance is in the scriptures, and secondly, in the promise that Christ made, which is as follows: “And when he puts out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: for they recognize his voice.” They will not follow a stranger, but rather they will run away from him, since they are not familiar with the sound of the voices of strangers. Revelation 10:4–5 To suggest that today would be a good day to break the proclivity, the tendency, and the evil practice of murdering the prophets, ignoring vision, and hanging the Savior on a tree is sufficient to indicate that today would be as good a day as any other day available. This is not the day to turn over the responsibility of revealing the will and counsel of God to Hollywood film makers and fiction writers regardless of what the booksellers have decided. In today’s twisted world it is no longer the argument between the faithful and the hypocrites; a third element has overridden both groups and they are called the marketers. When Paul’s message was in question and his very life was threatened it was the Pharisees, well known for their religious hypocrisy that spoke up and called for discretion based on the possibility that Paul’s vision had actually come from God, the question of their reputation or the sale-ability of Paul’s message never entered the conversation. “And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, we find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.” (Acts 23: 9) Has the apostasy of the faithful gone so far as to create a day when we learn our best lessons from the hypocrites? Since the year 2005, Michael Bresciani has been serving as the publisher of American Prophet.org. It is because of the articles and reports written by Reverend Bresciani, as well as the contributions of some of the most talented writers and journalists in the United States, as well as the news and reviews that the website has acquired the moniker of “The Website for Insight.” His timely reports and writings have been published in print and online journals and magazines and have been read by millions of people all over the world and nationwide. Please follow us on both Facebook and Twitter. See also: Related Articles Lifeway Booksellers, no visions of heaven, Joel 2: 28, Jn 10: 4-5, 90 minutes in heaven, Todd Burpo, LaHaye series, Left Behind fiction, red light for visions, Email this Article to a Friend! Receive Articles like this one direct to your email box! Subscribe for free today!

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