Heaven's Tour Guide

What Does The Bible Say About Near Death Experiences?

When we die we will all go to either heaven or hell.

Matthew 25
32  All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33  He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34  "Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
...
41 "Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

The place we go after death will depend on our relationship with Jesus Christ.

8  "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.
9  But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.

The Bible describes at least 4 different incidents of people in heaven or hell.  Only one of which is after death.  These were Jacob, Paul, Lazarus and John.

Jacob's Vision: Genesis 28

10  Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran.
11  When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.
12  He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
...
16  When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it."
17  He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."

Paul's Vision: II Corinthians 12

2  I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know--God knows.
3  And I know that this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows--
4  was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.

The Rich Man: Luke 16

19  "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
20  At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores
21  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22  "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.
23  In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
24  So he called to him, `Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
25  "But Abraham replied, `Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
26  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

John's Vision: Revelation  

1  After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."
2  At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.
3  And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.
4  Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
5  From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
6  Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.
7  The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.
8  Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."
9  Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever,
10  the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11  "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."