"Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living." (Genesis 2:7 NIV)
The word “breathed” (Heb: ‘ruwach”) means wind or spirit.
"By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19 NIV)
"…but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:17 NIV)
Nowhere in the Bible does it say it is “appointed” (Gk: ‘apokeimai’ - to be reserved, laid away) for humans to die more than once. Humans don't die, go to Heaven or Hell, and then come back, except Jesus, who is God incarnate.
“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28 NIV)
It has been said that 18 million Americans have had a Near-Death Experience (NDE) (1). A Near Death Experience (NDE) is NOT the same as death itself. Those who die are dead and their "spirit" left the body (Ecclesiastes 12:7). They cannot come back because they “know nothing at all" (Ecclesiastes 9:5). There are many stories and YouTube Videos of people who swear they had a NDE, went to Heaven and spoke to Jesus or a dead relative or pet, etc., etc., etc. Yet, there is no way to validate, verify, or substantiate their stories, especially from the Bible.
When a person has no heartbeat, breathing, or brain activity, that is described as clinical death, but it does not necessarily mean biological death, which is when a person's brain is damaged. Cells in the heart, brain, and other organs begin to die from a lack of oxygen within 4-6 minutes and will progressively become worse from about 6-11 minutes. Generally, when 11-14 minutes have passed without a supply of oxygen to the brain, a person will have little chance of survival because of the damage caused, which is irreversible. At that point, 'personhood' is legally removed from the body.
Some suggest that the Apostle John was translated to Heaven, and if that had not happened, there would not be the Book of Revelation. However, the Bible does not say anywhere that John was 'translated,' but it does say that Enoch and Elijah were. The Greek word ‘metathesis’ is used in the Bible regarding a change or transformation in the context of a significant shift or removal, but was never used about going to and from Heaven. It is also used to convey the idea of a fundamental alteration or transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, symbolizing a spiritual and not a physical shift. The Apostle John did have a ‘vision’ or a ‘divine revelation’ of insight or messages from God through a visual experience beyond the natural realm, which he confirmed in writing.
The New Testament records a handful of people who died and were raised from the dead, but it does not record that anyone had an NDE. The most famous is Lazarus of Bethany, yet he was the third person Jesus raised from the dead. Lazarus was 100% dead and rotting in the grave for four days and was not near death (John 11:17). Jesus said, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep" (John 11:11 KJV). The word' sleepeth/sleep' in Greek is 'koimaó' and is used in the Bible metaphorically and euphemistically equivalent to 'die of the sleep of death; to decease, the dead' (see Matthew 27:52; Acts 7:60,13:36; 1 Corinthians 7:39,11:30;15:6,18,20,51; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15). The result of these astonishing miracles was God was glorified, and many people believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Yet, some refused to believe in Jesus and plotted to kill Him and Lazarus (John 11:53; 12:10).
The first person that Jesus raised from the dead was the widow of Nain's son (Luke 7:11–17). Jesus came across a funeral procession that was leaving the city with a young man in an open coffin who had died within the last 24 hours. When Jesus saw the procession, He had compassion on the widow and physically reached out to touch the coffin, saying to the dead man, arise! The young man immediately sat up and began to speak. The people were astounded and began to glorify God. This young man was dead and not near death when Jesus spoke life into his body.
Many people believe that the daughter of Jairus, a leader in the synagogue, was the second person to be raised from the dead (Luke 8:40–56). Someone from the house of Jairus informed him that his daughter was dead. Jesus overheard them and said, "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well" (Luke 8:51). Jesus then went to the house and told everyone there that she was "not dead but sleeping" (Luke 8:52). They laughed at Him. He then took her hand and said, "Child, arise," and her spirit returned. She got up, which amazed everyone there. What is interesting is that Jesus didn't say she was dead but only asleep, even though her spirit had already left her body.
The next person to be raised from the dead was Tabitha (Acts 9:36–43). Tabitha, whose Greek name was Dorcas, was a believer in Jesus who lived in the coastal city of Joppa. The Apostle Peter prayed for her. Dorcas was known for "always doing good and helping the poor" (verse 36). When she died, the Believers in Joppa were filled with sadness. They laid the body in an upper room and sent for Peter, who was in the nearby town of Lydda (vs 37–38). Peter came at once and met with the Disciples in Joppa, who showed him the clothing that Dorcas had made for the widows there (verse 39). Peter sent them all out of the room and prayed. Then, "turning toward the dead woman, he said, 'Tabitha, get up.' She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet" (verses 40–41). The overjoyed Believers received their friend, and the news spread quickly throughout the city. "Many people believed in the Lord" as a result (v42).
Eutychus was a young man who lived, died, and was revived in Troas (Acts 20:7–12). He was raised from the dead by the Apostle Paul. The Christians in Troas were gathered in an upper room to hear the Apostle speak. Since Paul was leaving town the next day, he talked late into the night. Eutychus was one of Paul's audience members and had sat by a window to hear him. He fell asleep, slipped out of the window, and tumbled three stories to his death (v9). Paul went down and "threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him" (verse 10). Eutychus came back to life, went upstairs, and ate a meal with the others. When the meeting finally broke up at daylight, "the people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted" (v12).
There were a number of people in Jerusalem who were raised from the dead at the exact moment of the resurrection of Jesus as well as at the moment of Jesus' death on the Cross as the "earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open" (Matthew 27:51-52). Those open tombs remained open until the third day. At that time, "the bodies of many holy people . . . were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people" (Matthew 27:52-53). On the day that Jesus was raised to life, these holy people were also raised and became witnesses in Jerusalem of the life that only Jesus can give.
The Disciple Stephen had a supernatural revelation just before he died from being stoned to death by an angry mob that revealed a celestial scene where the Triune God was at work and on display. As he was dying, "full of the Holy Spirit," he "gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:55-60).
The widow of Zarephath's son was raised from the dead (1 Kings 17:17–24). The prophet Elijah was staying in an upper room of the widow's house during a severe drought in the land. While he was there, the widow's son became ill and died. In her grief, she brought the body of her son to Elijah with the assumption that his presence in her household had brought about the death of her boy as a judgment of her past sin. Elijah took the dead boy from her arms, went to the upper room, and prayed, "Lord my God, let this boy's life return to him!" (v21). Elijah stretched himself out on the boy three times as he prayed, and "the Lord heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived" (v22). Elijah brought the boy to his mother, who was filled with faith in the power of God through him: "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth" (v24).
The Shunammite woman's son was raised from the dead (2 Kings 4:18–37). The Prophet Elisha regularly stayed in Shunem in an upper room that had been prepared for him by this woman and her husband. One day, while Elisha was at Mount Carmel, the couple's young son died. The woman carried the body of her son to Elisha's room and laid it on the bed (v21). Then, without even telling her husband the news, she departed for Carmel to find Elisha (v22–25). When she found Elisha, she pleaded with him to come to Shunem. Elisha sent his servant, Gehazi, ahead of them with instructions to lay Elisha's staff on the boy's face (v31). As soon as Elisha and the Shunammite woman arrived back home, Elisha went to the upper room, shut the door, and prayed. Then he stretched out on top of the boy's body, and the body began to get warm (v34). Elisha arose, walked about the room, and stretched himself out on the body again. The boy then sneezed seven times and awoke from death, and Elisha brought the boy, alive again, to his grateful mother (v35–37).
The Prophet Elisha was connected with another miracle that occurred after his death. Sometime after he had died and was buried, some men were burying another body in the same area. The grave diggers saw a band of Moabite raiders approaching, and rather than risk an encounter with the Moabites, they threw the man's body into Elisha's grave. The Bible records that "when the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet" (v21).
The Apostle Paul wrote about a supernatural experience “a man in Christ” had who had been “caught up to the third Heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:1-4).
"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." (2 Corinthians 12:2-4 ESV)
Note that Paul was talking only about visions and revelations and not an NDE or death itself because that would contradict the Bible, which says that “people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 ESV). The Greek word translated as "caught up" is 'harpazó,' which means to seize, catch up, snatch away (as in the Rapture), and is never used in the Bible to refer to death or dying.
Paul did not use hyperbolic language, nor did Jesus when He said that people will be judged based on what they did during their lives after they die (Romans 9:27-28; Matthew 16:27; John 5:25-30). He said that the things he heard could never be told or uttered, which means we have no idea where he heard them or what they were. Visions are biblical; NDEs are not! Paul also said he didn't know whether he was "in the body or out of the body," which means he had no idea how he received his vision or revelation. He also said that the things he heard could never be told or uttered, which means we have no idea where he heard them or what they were.
God took that person somewhere in a vision to show him things he could not talk about. He said that the things he heard could never be told or uttered, which means we have no idea where he heard them or what they were. Visions are biblical; NDEs are not!
While Paul was visiting Lystra, “some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day, he and Barnabas left for Derbe” (Acts 14:19-20 ESV). There was no mention about Paul actually being dead. The people just thought he was.
These astonishing miracles are exceptions and not the norm which resulted in God being glorified, and many people believing that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Yet, some refused to believe in Jesus and plotted to kill Jesus and Lazarus (John 11:53; 12:10).
A SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE OF NDE AND OBE
The University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine did a comprehensive study on NDEs. It noted that people have a common pattern of events when they are experiencing intense threats, are seriously ill, or are close to death. They found that most people experienced things that were affirming, such as:
- Sensations of leaving the body and being drawn into darkness or a tunnel, sometimes seeing their own physical body
- An intense light
- Quickly functioning, sharp minds
- Sensations of peace, well-being, or complete love
- Remembering important past events
- Previews of future events
- Encounters with deceased family, friends, or religious figures
However, not all so-called NDEs are positive. The International Association for Near-Death Studies said, "The great majority of NDE experiences reported publicly over the past four decades have been described as pleasant, even glorious. Almost unnoticed in the euphoria about them has been the sobering fact that not all NDEs are so affirming. Some are deeply disturbing. Few people are forthcoming about such an event; they hide; they disappear when asked for information; if inpatient, they are likely to withdraw; they are under great stress"(2).
For half of the instances of NDE’s the person was not facing pending death. One medical study examined the records of nearly 60 people who said they had an NDE. 28 of them had a true medical crisis, while the others did not. Both groups had virtually the same experience of going through a tunnel, and similar thoughts and emotions. 68% of the people had an Out-Of-Body experience (OBE), whether they were medically near-death or not. The only difference between these experiences was “enhanced light” appearing to those nearing immediate biological death (3). Even fear can induce an NDE (4).
The term ‘Syncope’ refers to a temporary loss of consciousness and muscle strength caused by a sudden drop in heart rate and blood flow to the brain. It is commonly known as fainting or passing out, especially when feeling endangered, and is characterized by a fast onset, short duration, and spontaneous recovery of consciousness. A person can induce syncope by standing up too quickly, being dehydrated, dealing with emotional stress, and specific medical conditions such as an underlying heart or neurological problem. A Syncope is indistinguishable from an NDE (5). In all circumstances, the Brain fights to keep itself alive through the crisis of near-death. When the flow of blood is reduced, unconsciousness begins. It can lead to an NDE by signaling the Brain, which will immediately begin numerous survival responses, including the familiar fight-or-flight.
42% of those who have had an NDE feel “united, one with the world” (6). Mystical feelings of Oneness are expressed through a special quality of serotonin neurochemistry, and specifically, the serotonin-2a receptors. It is interesting to note that if serotonin-2a is blocked by the use of specific drugs or parts of the limbic system containing serotonin-2a are surgically removed, the mystical 'experience' is also blocked.
OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE (OBE)
OBEs are often part of an NDE, but also an experience separate from an NDE. Studies have shown that OBEs accompany near-death experience 76% of the time (7). People of various religions who have had an OBE described it as a mystical oneness that was a boundless, bottomless nothingness that was unfathomable, infinite, barren, abysmal, and absolute.
It has been said that 1 in 20 people have had an out-of-body experience (8). In a survey of over 13,000 individuals in the general population, nearly 6% reported at least one OBE (9).
When the Brain has an inadequate blood supply, it will enter into a state between consciousness and unconsciousness. If a doctor directly stimulates the temporoparietal cortex of the Brain with a small electrical current, it will cause an OBE, which is not a “return-from-death” experience. Regrettably, some investigators use the term “clinical death” to “signify a period of unconsciousness caused by insufficient brain blood supply because of inadequate circulation, breathing, or both” (10).
The Brain produces a natural serotonergic psychedelic compound that causes an immersive altered conscious experience with no diminishment of wakefulness, known as Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Its purpose and function have not yet been clearly identified. (11) Some studies suggest it could be both produced and released in the Brain's cortex, which can explain the universal experiences people have when they are near death because the Brain fights to keep itself alive through the crisis. When the flow of blood is reduced, and unconsciousness begins, which can lead to an NDE as the Brain is signaled to immediately begin numerous survival responses, including the familiar fight-or-flight.
Many physiological factors lead to OBE and can cause sensory deceptions that arise in the temporoparietal region of the Brain, disturbing the integration of visual, proprioceptive, and motion senses (12). A Syncope provides an understanding of the common experiences of both an NDE and an OBE. However, it must be noted that it does not characterize the qualities of a spiritual experience in the majority of cases.
THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE
Jesus poured “out his soul to death" (Isaiah 53:12 ESV). A “soul” (Heb: ‘nephesh’) is a human who eats meat and breathes oxygen. Jesus also said human beings who do “not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24 NIV - see also Ezekiel 18:20). The only hope for eternal life is the promised resurrection for those who become Born-Again by repenting of their sins and receiving Jesus as their Lord and Savior (Acts 24:15).
“When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.” (Psalm 104:29 NIV)
At the moment Jesus died, many people were raised from the dead.
“The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many." (Matthew 27:52-53 ESV)
The word "saints" (Gk: 'hágios' means holy, different from the world, and set apart for God. The verse does not explicitly say if it was their physical or spiritual bodies that were raised. Nor does it tell us if they had been in the grave a few minutes, days, or a millennium. The verses tell us that the resurrection of Jesus brings resurrection to others.
Human logic, opinion, emotions, feelings, dreams, visions, experiences, clinical 'evidence,' church dogma, or the teachings of 'spiritual' leaders can never be the basis for sound doctrine, they will be "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Ephesians 4:14 ESV).
The Born-again Christian must learn to "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV). The Christian can't be established upon sensory spirituality or experiential eisegesis that is based upon the belief in the abstract and subjective 'I hear - I see - I feel - therefore, it must be real' feelings, emotions, and experiences. The five senses - taste, touch, hearing, sight, and smell - are all rooted in the fallen flesh of humanity. It must be God's written Word, which serves as the concrete cognitive foundation upon which all decisions and beliefs are based. The Bible must be studied from God's perspective, not ours.
The relating of experiences or 'divine revelation' outside of the Word of God is what Paul calls "fables." The minute you open the door and teach from the basis of experience, you lose authority and introduce confusion. You should consider the experience, but also note the limits of the knowledge that God has revealed.
Jesus is "the God of the Living" and not "the God of the dead who will centuries later come back to life" (Mark 12:27 ESV). Heaven is a paradise for all Born-Again Christians (2 Corinthians 12:1-4). Everyone, including those who just died in the Great Tribulation, will accompany Jesus when He returns from Heaven (See Hebrews 12:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14; Revelation 6:9-11; 7:9-17).
Jesus is the "resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die" (John 11:25-26 ESV). In context, the word "believes" (Gk: pisteuó) means to have been persuaded to entrust your life to Jesus with unwavering confidence as long as you live.
The Born-Again Christian doesn't need to wait for eternal life to happen somewhere in the distant future. Eternal life begins at the moment of conversion, when a person repents of their sin and receives Jesus as Lord and Savior; then the Kingdom of Heaven is within them (Luke 17:21; John 5:24, 17:2, 1 John 5:11-12, 20).
The enemy can disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). It would be better for a person to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of God's children to stumble (Luke 17:2).
SECOND CHANCES?
"Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." (Romans 9:27-28 NIV)
“For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” (Matthew 16:27 NIV)
“Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. ‘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 what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.’” (John 5:25-30 NIV)
There will be a final judgment of those who rejected Jesus, including those in the grave. A so-called NDE would mean there are second chances. Jesus made this clear in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The rich man went immediately to a place of punishment. There was no second chance after death.
A near-death, and not actual death, experience is possible and could be used by God when it aligns with Scripture. Christians are to value the truth found in the Bible over any possible experience in a so-called NDE (John 8:32). Subjective experience must never overrule the clear teaching of the Bible, which reveals His ways, character, and nature and is the only trustworthy way to hear the voice of God because it is "breathed out" by Him "and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
God's Word, the Bible, is the absolute truth because it was written without error by His inspiration through human hands. The Born-Again Christian should rely on what the Scriptures teach to understand their experience, rather than letting experiences shape or add to their perceptions of the Scriptures. Subjective experience must never overrule the clear teaching of the Bible.
No one knows what will happen in the time that lies ahead. Today is the day to make a decision; you do not want to be like the rich man Jesus spoke of.
“The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21 NIV)
No one knows the “day or hour” when their time will be up in this life (Matthew 24:36). There are no second chances when you die. However, “if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” … and hopefully say, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 234:15 NIV) and hear the Lord say when you stand before Him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23 NIV)
Footnotes:
(1) U.S. News & World Report 1997)
(2) Nancy Evans Bush and Bruce Greyson, MD, the National Institutes of Health, entitled "Distressing Near-Death Experiences: The Basics"
(3) Owens JE, Cook EW, Stevenson I. Features of “near-death experience” in relation to whether or not patients were near death. Lancet 1990;336:1175-1177)
(4) Dostoyevsky F, Garnett C. The Idiot. New York: Dell, 1959; Frank J. Dostoevsky, the years of ordeal, 1850-1859. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1983)
(5) Lempert T, Bauer M, Schmidt D. Syncope and near-death experience. Lancet 1994;344:829-830 and ‘A videometric analysis of 56 episodes of transient cerebral hypoxia.’ AnnNeurol 1994;36:233-237).
(6) Nelson KR, Mattingly M, Lee SA, Schmitt FA. Does the arousal system contribute to near-death experience? Neurology 2006;66:1003-1009)
(7) Nelson KR, Mattingly M, Schmitt FA. Out-of-body experience and arousal. Neurology 2007;68:794-795).
(8) Ohayon MM. Prevalence of hallucinations and their pathological associations in the general population. Psychiatry Res 2000;97:153-164)
(9) IBID
(10) Van Lommel P, Van Wees R, Meyers V, Elfferich I. Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands. Lancet 2001;358:2039-2045)
(11) C. Timmermann et al., DMT models the near-death experience. Front Psychol. 9, 1–12 (2018), https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01424).
(12) Blanke O, Ortigue S, Landis T, Seeck M. Stimulating illusory own-body perceptions. Nature 2002;419:269-270. See also Blanke O, Landis T, Spinelli L, Seeck M. Out-of-Body Experience and Autoscopy of Neurological Origin. Brain 2004;127:243-258)
