I believe God gives certain people an opportunity to catch a glimpse of Heaven. Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:1-4
Another Biblical character who caught a glimpse of Heaven was the Disciple, John. In Revelation Chapter 21, John gives an explicit description of what He saw in Heaven up to, and including, the dimensions of the walls of Heaven and how many gates were on each wall. John went as far as to describe the types of precious stones that were contained in the walls.
I can see both sides of this controversy. On one hand, the descriptions that Colton Burpo gave sound like something out of a Sci-Fi movie. They seem so unreal because our minds cannot comprehend the images he is describing. This is a testament to God the Creator. He is so awesome that the things He has created are more than our minds can comprehend. For example, Astronomers and Scientists have been studying Space for thousands of years. Even to this day, new discoveries are being made that are beyond our wildest imaginations! On the other hand, how can anyone explain Colton Burpo seeing his father in the chapel at the hospital yelling at God when he was on a gurney in a completely separate room. Also, Colton Burpo was only four years old. The descriptions he gave could not possibly come from the imagination of a child at that age.
Whether or not certain people have been given opportunities to see Heaven will not change my believe that Heaven is a very real place. It is a place that is more awesome than our human minds can possibly comprehend. We have been given an opportunity to go to Heaven through the shed blood of the Lord, Jesus Christ. If you are reading this and you are not saved and on your way to Heaven, you can take care of that in just three easy steps. It's as easy as A-B-C.
A - Accept the fact that you are a sinner.
B - Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He came to Earth to save us from our sins, and rose from the dead on the third day and eventually ascended into Heaven.
C - Call upon the Lord to save you.
"I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter."
Another Biblical character who caught a glimpse of Heaven was the Disciple, John. In Revelation Chapter 21, John gives an explicit description of what He saw in Heaven up to, and including, the dimensions of the walls of Heaven and how many gates were on each wall. John went as far as to describe the types of precious stones that were contained in the walls.
Revelation 21:19-20 says "And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst."
I can see both sides of this controversy. On one hand, the descriptions that Colton Burpo gave sound like something out of a Sci-Fi movie. They seem so unreal because our minds cannot comprehend the images he is describing. This is a testament to God the Creator. He is so awesome that the things He has created are more than our minds can comprehend. For example, Astronomers and Scientists have been studying Space for thousands of years. Even to this day, new discoveries are being made that are beyond our wildest imaginations! On the other hand, how can anyone explain Colton Burpo seeing his father in the chapel at the hospital yelling at God when he was on a gurney in a completely separate room. Also, Colton Burpo was only four years old. The descriptions he gave could not possibly come from the imagination of a child at that age.
Whether or not certain people have been given opportunities to see Heaven will not change my believe that Heaven is a very real place. It is a place that is more awesome than our human minds can possibly comprehend. We have been given an opportunity to go to Heaven through the shed blood of the Lord, Jesus Christ. If you are reading this and you are not saved and on your way to Heaven, you can take care of that in just three easy steps. It's as easy as A-B-C.
A - Accept the fact that you are a sinner.
Romans 3:23 "For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death (spiritual and physical), but the FREE gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
B - Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He came to Earth to save us from our sins, and rose from the dead on the third day and eventually ascended into Heaven.
Romans 10:9-10 "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
C - Call upon the Lord to save you.
Romans 10:13 "For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
