Chapter 04: “Caught Up to the Third Heaven”: NDEs in the Bible

One of the most pressing concerns for Christians examining near-death experiences is whether these phenomena have any biblical foundation. Many believers wonder: Are NDEs an entirely modern, extra-biblical concept that should be viewed with suspicion? Or does Scripture itself provide examples of similar experiences? The answer may surprise those who assume the Bible is silent on such matters. Not only does Scripture contain multiple accounts that parallel modern NDEs, but it presents them as legitimate spiritual experiences granted by God to some of His most faithful servants.

In this chapter, we will examine the biblical evidence for NDE-like experiences, focusing particularly on the Apostle Paul’s remarkable journey to the third heaven. We will see how his experience, likely triggered by a near-fatal stoning, contains virtually every element commonly reported in modern NDEs. We will also explore other biblical examples, including Stephen’s vision at the moment of his martyrdom and John’s apocalyptic journey in Revelation. By the end of this chapter, you will understand that far from being unbiblical, NDEs have clear scriptural precedent, suggesting that God has been granting such glimpses throughout history.

The Apostle Paul’s Journey to Paradise

The most compelling biblical example of what we would today call a near-death experience comes from the Apostle Paul himself. Writing to the Corinthian church, Paul describes an extraordinary experience that occurred fourteen years before his letter:

“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)

Let us carefully examine the remarkable parallels between Paul’s experience and modern NDEs. First, notice Paul’s uncertainty about whether he was “in the body or out of the body.” This perfectly mirrors what thousands of NDErs report today—a conscious experience that seems to occur outside their physical body. As one researcher noted in the project materials, Paul’s experience “has characteristics of near-death experiences, which are personal and ineffable (incapable of a full description in human language, as Paul put it, ‘heard inexpressible words.’)” (Is Christianity Compatible With Deathbed and Near-Death Experiences, Chapter: Biblical Parallels)

The term ineffability—the inability to fully express in human language what was experienced—is one of the most consistent features of NDEs across all cultures and time periods. Modern experiencers often struggle to find words adequate to describe their journey, frequently resorting to analogies like “it was sort of like a tunnel” or “the light was brighter than the sun but didn’t hurt my eyes.” Paul faces the exact same limitation, declaring that he heard “inexpressible words” that were “not lawful for a man to utter.”

The Lystra Connection: When Paul Nearly Died

While Paul doesn’t explicitly tell us what triggered this extraordinary experience, many biblical scholars believe they can identify the likely occasion. Fourteen years before writing 2 Corinthians would place the event around the time of Paul’s first missionary journey, specifically his visit to Lystra recorded in Acts 14. There we read a harrowing account:

“Then Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and entered the city…” (Acts 14:19-20)

Notice the crucial detail: Paul’s attackers believed he was dead. In the ancient world, people were quite familiar with death and would not easily mistake an unconscious person for a corpse. The fact that they dragged him outside the city (where corpses were disposed of) indicates they were convinced Paul had died. As noted in the project materials, “Many theologians believe Paul may have been recounting the time when he was stoned, was believed dead, and then, like NDErs, left his body only to later return.” (Code Blue: A Christian Perspective of Near Death Experiences, Chapter 4: The Apostle Paul)

The timing fits perfectly. The location fits perfectly. And most significantly, the experience Paul describes—leaving his body, traveling to a heavenly realm, receiving revelations too profound for words, and then returning—fits perfectly with what we would expect from a near-death experience during a brutal stoning.

Consider what this means: The Apostle Paul, who wrote nearly half of the New Testament, may have had a near-death experience that profoundly shaped his theology and ministry. This is not some fringe mystic or questionable source—this is the apostle who established churches throughout the Roman Empire and whose letters form the doctrinal foundation of Christianity.

The Third Heaven and Paradise

Paul’s description of his destination deserves careful attention. He speaks of being caught up to the “third heaven” and into “Paradise.” To understand what Paul means, we need to grasp the Jewish cosmology of his day. Jews commonly spoke of three heavens:

1. The First Heaven: The atmospheric heaven—the sky where birds fly and clouds form (Genesis 1:20)
2. The Second Heaven: The celestial heaven—the realm of stars, sun, and moon (Genesis 1:14-17)
3. The Third Heaven: The dwelling place of God—the highest heaven where God’s throne resides (1 Kings 8:27)

By specifying the “third heaven,” Paul makes clear that he was taken to the very presence of God, not merely to some intermediate spiritual realm. As the project materials explain, “both the Intermediate Heaven and the Eternal Heaven are synonyms of the Third Heaven.” (Code Blue, Chapter 6: Beyond the Border)

Paul also uses the term “Paradise,” which comes from an ancient Persian word meaning “enclosed garden” or “park.” Jesus used this same word when He promised the repentant thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). This suggests that Paradise is where the souls of believers go immediately upon death, awaiting the final resurrection.

The Purpose and Impact of Paul’s Experience

Why did God grant Paul this extraordinary glimpse of Paradise? Paul himself provides insight into the purpose. In 2 Corinthians 12:7, he explains that to keep him from becoming conceited because of “the surpassing greatness of the revelations,” he was given a “thorn in the flesh.” This suggests that what Paul saw and heard in Paradise was so overwhelming, so glorious, that without a counterbalancing affliction, he might have become prideful.

This aligns perfectly with what modern NDErs report. Many describe their experience as so beautiful, so filled with love and peace, that returning to earthly life feels like a tremendous loss. They often struggle with why they had to come back. Paul seems to have faced the same challenge—what he experienced was so extraordinary that God had to provide a humbling physical ailment to keep him grounded.

The impact on Paul’s ministry was profound. After this experience, Paul could write with absolute conviction: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain… I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” (Philippians 1:21-23). This wasn’t theoretical theology—this was the testimony of someone who had actually glimpsed the other side.

Stephen’s Vision: A Deathbed Glimpse of Glory

While Paul’s experience likely occurred during a near-death state, Stephen’s vision came at the actual moment of his death, making it what researchers today would call a deathbed experience (DBE). As the first Christian martyr faced a violent death by stoning, God granted him a remarkable vision:

“But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'” (Acts 7:55-56)

Several aspects of Stephen’s experience parallel modern deathbed visions. First, notice that Stephen could perceive both the earthly and heavenly realms simultaneously. He was aware of his persecutors and could speak to them, yet he was also seeing into the heavenly dimension. This dual awareness is commonly reported in DBEs. As noted in the project materials, “Stephen’s experience shares some characteristics with deathbed experiences. He was apparently aware of both the heavenly and earthly worlds at once, since he reported to those within earshot: ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'” (Is Christianity Compatible With Deathbed and Near-Death Experiences, Chapter: Stephen’s Vision)

Second, observe the comforting nature of Stephen’s vision. Unlike some biblical visions that inspire fear and trembling, Stephen’s glimpse of heaven brought peace in the midst of violence. The project materials make this important distinction: “Stephen faced martyrdom by stoning—a potentially horrifying way to die. He didn’t need to experience the fearsome side of God. He needed to see God’s tender lovingkindness—a vision to comfort him in an otherwise horrifying situation.” (Is Christianity Compatible, Chapter: Biblical Context)

This matches what hospice workers and researchers consistently observe: deathbed visions typically bring comfort, not fear. Dying individuals often report seeing deceased loved ones who come to escort them, or they glimpse beautiful places that remove their fear of death. Stephen’s vision served exactly this purpose—transforming a brutal execution into a triumphant homecoming.

Perhaps most remarkably, Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Throughout Scripture, after His ascension, Jesus is consistently described as seated at the Father’s right hand (Hebrews 1:3, 10:12, 12:2). But for Stephen, Jesus stood. Many commentators suggest this shows Jesus rising to welcome His faithful martyr home—a personal touch that speaks to the intimate nature of the death experience for believers.

The Apostle John’s Revelation: Summoned to Heaven

The book of Revelation opens with the Apostle John experiencing something remarkably similar to an NDE. While exiled on the island of Patmos, John receives an invitation that sounds strikingly familiar to anyone who has studied near-death experiences:

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.’ Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.” (Revelation 4:1-2)

Notice the pattern: a door or portal opens, a voice calls John to “come up,” and he immediately finds himself in the spiritual realm. This sequence—invitation, transition, arrival in heaven—appears repeatedly in NDE accounts. Many experiencers describe reaching a boundary or door, sometimes being invited to cross over, and then finding themselves in the presence of incredible light and beauty.

John’s phrase “immediately I was in the Spirit” parallels Paul’s uncertainty about being “in the body or out of the body.” Both apostles struggle to describe a form of consciousness that transcends normal physical experience. John’s entire revelation, while containing prophetic visions of the future, begins with this NDE-like transportation to the heavenly realm.

What John sees there contains many elements familiar from NDE reports: brilliant light (“like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” – Rev. 4:3), a rainbow of colors, beings of light (the twenty-four elders), and continuous worship and praise. The overwhelming sense of God’s holiness and glory that John tries to capture in symbolic language mirrors what NDErs describe when they say their experience was “ineffable” or “beyond words.”

Old Testament Precedents

While the New Testament provides our clearest examples of NDE-like experiences, the Old Testament also contains relevant accounts that demonstrate God has been granting such visions throughout salvation history.

Elijah’s Departure and Return

The prophet Elijah provides a unique case—someone who went to heaven without dying in the conventional sense: “And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (2 Kings 2:11). But what makes Elijah’s case particularly relevant to our discussion is that he later appeared to Peter, James, and John during Christ’s transfiguration (Matthew 17:3). This demonstrates that those who have passed to the other side can, by God’s permission, communicate with those still on earth.

The transfiguration itself bears many hallmarks of an NDE or DBE. The disciples saw beings from the other side (Moses and Elijah), witnessed supernatural light (Jesus’ face shone like the sun), and heard a voice from heaven. Peter’s response—wanting to build shelters and stay in that place—mirrors what many NDErs report: an overwhelming desire to remain in the heavenly realm rather than return to earthly life.

Isaiah’s Throne Room Vision

The prophet Isaiah’s calling involved a vision that transported him to God’s throne room:

“In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings… And I said, ‘Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.'” (Isaiah 6:1-5)

Isaiah’s experience contains several NDE-like elements: transportation to a heavenly realm, encounter with divine beings, overwhelming awareness of his own unworthiness (similar to the life review many NDErs experience), and transformation through divine touch (the coal on his lips). The vision profoundly changed Isaiah, launching him into his prophetic ministry—another parallel with NDErs who often return with a renewed sense of purpose.

Ezekiel’s Extraordinary Visions

The prophet Ezekiel’s ministry began with an overwhelming vision of heaven that left him stunned for seven days (Ezekiel 3:15). His attempts to describe what he saw are particularly relevant to our discussion of NDEs because they demonstrate the problem of ineffability—the inability of human language to adequately convey transcendent experiences.

Throughout his vision, Ezekiel repeatedly uses qualifying language: “the appearance of,” “something like,” “as it were.” As noted in the project materials, “Ezekiel seems to struggle with ‘ineffability’—the failure of our human language to precisely describe things totally outside our experience.” (Is Christianity Compatible, Footnote on Ineffability) He saw “something like glowing metal,” “figures resembling four living beings,” and “something that looked like burning coals of fire”—never claiming to provide exact descriptions but only approximations.

This is exactly how modern NDErs speak. They say things like “it was sort of like going through a tunnel, but not really a tunnel” or “the being was made of light, but it was more than just light.” The consistency of this linguistic struggle across millennia suggests that both ancient prophets and modern experiencers are attempting to describe genuine encounters with a realm that transcends our normal categories of thought and language.

Biblical Evidence for Consciousness Beyond the Body

One of the most significant theological implications of these biblical NDEs is that they demonstrate consciousness can exist apart from the physical body. This concept, known as substance dualism, is crucial for understanding both NDEs and the Christian doctrine of the afterlife.

Paul’s statement that he didn’t know whether he was “in the body or out of the body” during his heavenly journey indicates that he saw no theological problem with either possibility. As the project materials note, “Paul was unsure whether this was ‘in the body or apart from the body,’ indicating that he saw no theological problem with either case.” (Is Christianity Compatible, Chapter: Biblical Evidence)

This is reinforced by numerous other biblical passages that speak of the soul or spirit departing from the body:

• “And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately…” (Luke 8:55) – describing Jesus raising Jairus’s daughter
• “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46) – Jesus’s words on the cross
• “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59) – Stephen’s dying prayer
• “We… prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8) – Paul’s teaching on death

These passages make little sense unless consciousness (the soul/spirit) can exist independently of the physical body. This biblical teaching aligns perfectly with what NDErs report—conscious experiences that occur while their bodies are clinically dead or deeply unconscious.

The Question of Revelation: What Can We Learn from Biblical NDEs?

A crucial question arises when comparing biblical and modern NDEs: What kind of information or revelation should we expect from such experiences? The biblical pattern provides important guidance here.

Notice that Paul, despite receiving “surpassing revelations,” was not permitted to share the specific content of what he heard in Paradise. He heard “inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (2 Corinthians 12:4). This restriction appears consistently in biblical visions and modern NDEs alike.

As noted in the project materials, “According to NDE researcher Michael Sabom, ‘Reports of religious teachings received during the near-death experience are very rare. In fact, no one in either The Atlanta Study or in my previous investigation claimed to have had such a communication.'” (Is Christianity Compatible, Chapter: Theological Teaching in NDEs)

This pattern suggests that NDEs and similar experiences are not meant to provide new doctrinal revelation. They don’t reveal the details of systematic theology or settle denominational disputes. Instead, they serve to:

1. Confirm the reality of the spiritual realm: They provide experiential evidence that there is indeed more to reality than the physical world
2. Offer comfort and hope: They reassure us that death is not the end and that God’s love awaits believers
3. Inspire transformation: They motivate deeper faith and more purposeful living
4. Demonstrate God’s personal care: They show that God provides what individuals need in their specific circumstances

This limited but powerful purpose aligns with Scripture’s teaching that God’s written Word provides the doctrinal foundation for faith, while experiences serve to encourage and strengthen believers in that faith.

Addressing Common Objections

Some Christians argue that if NDEs were legitimate, they should all be identical and match exactly with biblical descriptions of heaven. This objection fails to account for the diversity of biblical visions themselves. As the project materials observe, “The Bible never tells us that the glimpses it gives into heaven exhaustively describe heaven or paradise or the other side, or give an unchanging view of God and His throne-room.” (Is Christianity Compatible, Chapter: Responding to Objections)

Consider the variety in biblical accounts:

• Isaiah saw seraphim with six wings calling “Holy, holy, holy”
• Ezekiel saw four living creatures with four faces each
• Stephen saw Jesus standing at God’s right hand
• John saw twenty-four elders and a sea of glass
• Paul couldn’t even describe what he saw

If biblical visions of heaven vary so significantly, why should we expect modern NDEs to be uniform? The diversity suggests that God reveals Himself in ways appropriate to each individual’s understanding, need, and cultural context.

Another objection claims that John 3:13 prohibits anyone from going to heaven and returning: “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” However, careful examination of this verse in context shows that Jesus is asserting His unique authority to speak about heavenly things, not denying the possibility of visions or temporary glimpses of heaven.

As biblical scholars note in the project materials, this interpretation “wouldn’t be consistent with the context. The official wasn’t asking to see a random wonder to satisfy his curiosity. This was no shallow thrill-seeker; he was concerned for his son, who was at the point of death.” (Is Christianity Compatible, Footnote on John 3:13) The verse speaks to Jesus’s unique pre-existence and continuing connection with heaven, not to whether God might grant others temporary glimpses of Paradise.

The Intermediate State: Understanding Where NDErs Go

An important theological distinction helps explain why NDEs might not always match popular conceptions of heaven. The Bible teaches about what theologians call the intermediate state—the condition of souls between death and the final resurrection.

Currently, believers who die go to Paradise (also called Abraham’s Bosom or the intermediate heaven), not to the final, eternal heaven described in Revelation 21-22. That eternal state, featuring the New Jerusalem with streets of gold, comes only after Christ’s return, the resurrection of the dead, and the final judgment.

As explained in the project materials, “I’d consider the primary NDE/DBE experience to be an encounter, not with heaven as the throne-room of God, or even the final resting-place of the redeemed, but some type of vestibule or entryway to the ultimate afterlife.” (Is Christianity Compatible, Chapter: The Intermediate State)

This explains why NDErs might encounter deceased loved ones (who are in the intermediate state) but not always see streets of gold or the New Jerusalem (which don’t yet exist in their final form). Paul’s journey to “Paradise” fits this understanding perfectly—he visited the place where believers await the resurrection, not the final eternal state.

Understanding this distinction resolves many apparent contradictions between NDEs and biblical descriptions of heaven. NDErs are not claiming to have seen the final heaven of Revelation; they’re reporting glimpses of the intermediate paradise where souls rest in God’s presence awaiting the resurrection.

Divine Purpose in Granting Visions

Why does God grant some people these extraordinary glimpses while others never experience them? The biblical pattern suggests several purposes:

1. Strengthening for Service

Paul’s vision equipped him for extraordinary ministry. He would face beatings, shipwrecks, stonings, and ultimately martyrdom. The memory of Paradise sustained him through these trials. He could write, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). This wasn’t theoretical theology—this was the testimony of one who had actually glimpsed that glory.

Similarly, many modern NDErs report that their experience equipped them for difficult life circumstances or gave them a mission to share hope with others. The experience becomes a source of strength during trials.

2. Comfort in Crisis

Stephen’s vision came at the moment of his brutal death. God granted him exactly what he needed—not a theological lecture, but a comforting glimpse of Jesus welcoming him home. This pattern continues today as many people report deathbed visions that remove their fear and bring peace in their final moments.

3. Prophetic Revelation

John’s transportation to heaven initiated the book of Revelation, providing the church with crucial prophetic insight. While modern NDEs don’t typically convey new doctrinal revelation, they do serve a prophetic function in our materialistic age, testifying to the reality of the spiritual realm.

4. Evangelistic Testimony

These experiences, both biblical and modern, serve as powerful testimonies to the reality of the afterlife. Paul could speak with absolute conviction about the superiority of being “with Christ” because he had experienced it. Modern NDErs often become powerful witnesses to the reality of God and the afterlife, leading many to faith.

The Consistency of the Experience Across Time

One of the most remarkable aspects of comparing biblical and modern NDEs is the consistency of certain elements across vast stretches of time and radically different cultures. Consider these parallels:

The Out-of-Body Experience: Paul’s uncertainty about being “in the body or out of the body” (2 Corinthians 12:2) perfectly mirrors modern reports. Despite having no cultural framework for such experiences, Paul describes exactly what thousands report today.

The Ineffability: Paul’s “inexpressible words” (2 Corinthians 12:4) matches what virtually every NDEr says—that human language is inadequate to convey what they experienced. This consistency across millennia suggests genuine encounters with a transcendent realm.

The Transformation: Biblical figures who experienced visions of heaven were profoundly changed. Isaiah said, “Here am I, send me” (Isaiah 6:8). Paul gained an unshakeable confidence in the face of death. John fell at Jesus’s feet “as though dead” (Revelation 1:17) but then wrote with authority about heaven’s reality. Similarly, modern NDErs consistently report life transformation—loss of death anxiety, increased compassion, decreased materialism, and strengthened faith.

The Selectivity of Memory: Paul received “surpassing revelations” but couldn’t share their specific content. Modern NDErs similarly report knowing “everything” while in the heavenly realm but being unable to retain or communicate most of it upon return. This selective amnesia appears to be a consistent feature of the experience.

The Personal Nature: God tailored biblical visions to individual needs—fearsome power for Ezekiel who needed courage, comforting presence for Stephen who faced martyrdom, inexpressible revelations for Paul who would endure incredible hardships. Modern NDEs show the same personalization, with people encountering exactly what they need for their spiritual journey.

Theological Implications

The biblical precedent for NDEs carries profound theological implications for how we understand death, consciousness, and God’s ongoing interaction with humanity.

The Survival of Consciousness

Paul’s experience definitively demonstrates that consciousness can exist apart from the physical body. This biblical truth stands in direct opposition to materialistic philosophies that claim consciousness is merely a product of brain chemistry. If Paul could be caught up to Paradise while his body lay near death in Lystra’s streets, then human consciousness transcends physical existence.

This has enormous implications for our understanding of death. Death is not the cessation of consciousness but its relocation. As Paul would later write with confidence born from experience, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

The Accessibility of Heaven

While some argue that heaven is completely sealed off from earth until the second coming, the biblical evidence suggests otherwise. Paul visited Paradise. Stephen saw into heaven. John was summoned through an open door. These accounts indicate that the boundary between the physical and spiritual realms, while real, is permeable by God’s sovereign choice.

This doesn’t mean we should seek such experiences or that everyone should expect them. But it does mean we shouldn’t be surprised when credible people report NDEs. God has been granting such glimpses throughout history, and there’s no biblical reason to believe He has stopped.

The Continuity of God’s Work

The similarity between biblical visions and modern NDEs suggests continuity in how God works across history. The God who caught Paul up to the third heaven, who opened Stephen’s eyes to see Jesus, who summoned John to witness heaven’s throne room—this same God continues to grant glimpses of eternity to some of His people today.

This continuity shouldn’t surprise us. As Hebrews 13:8 declares, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” If God granted such experiences in biblical times for the strengthening of faith and the comfort of His people, why would He not continue to do so?

Discernment and Biblical Authority

While establishing that NDEs have biblical precedent, we must also emphasize the crucial need for discernment. Not every claimed spiritual experience is from God. As the project materials wisely note, “The Bible is the absolute, non-negotiable standard for truth.” (Is Christianity Compatible, Chapter: Spiritual Discernment)

Paul himself, despite his extraordinary experience, always submitted his teachings to the test of Scripture. He commended the Bereans who “examined the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). His Paradise experience didn’t replace Scripture; it confirmed and enriched his understanding of biblical truth.

This principle remains crucial today. NDEs should be evaluated by biblical standards:

• Do they affirm the unique deity and salvific work of Jesus Christ?
• Do they align with biblical teaching about the nature of God?
• Do they promote biblical holiness and righteousness?
• Do they lead to the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?

Experiences that contradict clear biblical teaching should be rejected, regardless of how powerful or convincing they may seem. The Bible, not experience, remains our ultimate authority.

Why Don’t All Biblical Deaths Include Visions?

An important observation helps maintain proper perspective: not everyone in the Bible who faced death received visions. James was executed without any recorded vision (Acts 12:2). Many faithful prophets and apostles died without reported NDEs. Jesus Himself, while demonstrating perfect trust, cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)—hardly the peaceful transition we might expect if everyone receives comforting visions at death.

This variability continues today. Not everyone who nearly dies has an NDE. Not everyone who dies receives a deathbed vision. As the project materials note, “Absence of evidence for one person is not evidence of absence for another.” (Is Christianity Compatible, Appendix C)

The reasons for this selectivity remain mysterious, hidden in God’s sovereign purposes. Perhaps some need the experience while others don’t. Perhaps some are called to walk purely by faith without the reinforcement of sight. What’s clear is that having or not having such an experience says nothing about one’s spiritual status or God’s love for them.

Jesus addressed this directly in His response to Thomas: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). While God graciously grants some the gift of spiritual sight, He pronounces a special blessing on those who believe without such experiences.

The Limits of Revelation in NDEs

A crucial pattern emerges when examining both biblical and modern NDEs: they don’t provide systematic theology or detailed doctrinal teaching. Paul couldn’t share what he heard. Stephen didn’t receive a theological discourse. John’s Revelation, while containing prophetic visions, required angelic interpretation and still remains highly symbolic.

This limitation appears purposeful. As the project materials explain, “This lack of theological teaching stands out to me as a strong characteristic of NDEs/DBEs… It’s almost as if angels and deceased relatives were instructed to ‘stick to the mission’ and not get chatty about doctrine.” (Is Christianity Compatible, Chapter: Theological Content)

Why this restriction? Several reasons suggest themselves:

1. Protecting Biblical Authority: If NDEs regularly provided detailed theological teaching, they could rival or contradict Scripture. By limiting their content to experiential confirmation of biblical truths rather than new doctrinal revelation, God preserves the unique authority of His written Word.

2. Preventing Division: Imagine if NDErs returned with specific answers to denominational disputes. Rather than unity, this would likely create more division as different experiences contradicted each other. The theological silence of NDEs keeps them from becoming sources of sectarian conflict.

3. Maintaining Faith’s Priority: Christianity is fundamentally a faith-based relationship with God through Christ. If detailed heavenly knowledge were readily available through NDEs, faith would be replaced by sight. The limited nature of NDE revelation preserves the faith dimension of Christian life.

4. Focusing on the Essential: What NDErs do consistently report—God’s overwhelming love, the reality of the afterlife, the importance of how we treat others—represents the heart of the gospel message. The experiences emphasize relationship over religion, love over law, transformation over information.

Cultural Contexts and Universal Elements

Both biblical visions and modern NDEs show an interesting combination of cultural specificity and universal elements. Isaiah’s vision included seraphim—beings familiar from Hebrew religious tradition. John’s Revelation uses imagery from both Old Testament prophecy and first-century Roman culture. Similarly, modern NDEs often include culturally familiar elements while maintaining universal core features.

This pattern makes sense if God communicates in ways people can understand. As the project materials note, “God tailors the experience to the individual’s need.” (Is Christianity Compatible, Chapter: Divine Purpose) A first-century Jew would understand different imagery than a twenty-first-century American, yet both might encounter the same underlying spiritual realities.

The universal elements that transcend culture include:

• Leaving the physical body
• Encountering a realm of light and love
• Meeting divine beings or deceased loved ones
• Experiencing a life review or moral awareness
• Reaching a boundary or point of decision
• Returning with a transformed perspective

These consistent features across all cultures and throughout history suggest encounters with objective spiritual reality rather than culturally-conditioned hallucinations.

Medical Conditions and Spiritual Experiences

Skeptics often argue that NDEs are merely hallucinations caused by dying brains—oxygen deprivation, endorphin release, or temporal lobe seizures. However, Paul’s experience provides an ancient counter-example that predates modern medical interventions.

When Paul was stoned at Lystra, he wasn’t on medications that might cause hallucinations. He wasn’t in a hospital with controlled oxygen levels. Yet he experienced the same basic elements reported by modern NDErs in intensive care units. This consistency across radically different medical contexts suggests that NDEs transcend purely physiological explanations.

Furthermore, Paul’s experience produced lasting transformation. Fourteen years later, he could still vividly recall the experience and its impact. Hallucinations typically fade and fragment over time, but Paul’s Paradise encounter remained crystal clear and life-defining decades later.

The project materials make this point forcefully: “Hypoxia causes confusion, not lucid, structured experiences… Fails to explain the consistency and, most importantly, cannot account for veridical OBEs.” (Is Christianity Compatible, Appendix C) When people accurately report conversations or events that occurred while they were clinically unconscious or even dead, purely materialistic explanations fail.

The Pastoral Implications

Understanding the biblical precedent for NDEs has profound implications for pastoral care and ministry. Pastors and counselors need to know how to respond when congregation members report such experiences.

Creating Safe Spaces for Sharing

Many people who have NDEs are reluctant to share them, fearing ridicule or religious condemnation. Knowing that Paul himself had such an experience should encourage churches to create safe, non-judgmental spaces for people to process these profound encounters.

The project materials note that after NDEs, many experiencers show “increased love and compassion, decreased materialism” and “loss of fear of death.” (Is Christianity Compatible, Chapter: After-effects) These are precisely the transformations churches should celebrate and nurture.

Providing Biblical Framework

When someone shares an NDE, pastoral caregivers can help them understand their experience within a biblical framework. Rather than dismissing the experience or uncritically accepting every detail, wise pastors can help experiencers:

• Recognize biblical parallels to their experience
• Evaluate their experience by scriptural standards
• Integrate the experience into their faith journey
• Focus on spiritual growth rather than seeking additional experiences
• Share their testimony in ways that honor God and encourage others

Addressing Theological Questions

NDEs often raise theological questions: Why was I sent back? What was the purpose? Why me and not others? Pastors equipped with biblical understanding of such experiences can provide meaningful pastoral care that neither dismisses the experience nor elevates it above Scripture.

Understanding Paul’s experience is particularly helpful here. He was given a “thorn in the flesh” specifically because of his revelations (2 Corinthians 12:7). This teaches that spiritual experiences, while valuable, can become sources of pride if not properly integrated into humble faith. Pastoral wisdom can help experiencers avoid this pitfall.

The Evangelistic Opportunity

In our increasingly secular age, NDEs provide a unique evangelistic opportunity. Many non-religious people who have NDEs encounter Jesus or experience God’s love, opening them to spiritual reality they previously denied.

The project materials document numerous cases where “atheists report the same core experiences” as believers (Is Christianity Compatible, Appendix C). When hardened skeptics encounter the risen Christ in an NDE, they become powerful witnesses to His reality.

Churches that understand the biblical basis for NDEs can effectively minister to these new believers, helping them understand their experience within the larger context of God’s redemptive plan. Rather than being embarrassed by or skeptical of NDEs, churches can embrace them as one way God continues to reveal Himself in our modern world.

A Balanced Perspective

As we conclude this examination of biblical NDEs, it’s crucial to maintain a balanced perspective. Yes, the Bible provides clear precedent for such experiences. Yes, they can be genuine encounters with spiritual reality. But we must avoid two extremes:

The Error of Denial: Some Christians categorically deny that God grants such experiences today, claiming they ceased with the completion of the biblical canon. But this cessationist position lacks biblical support. Nowhere does Scripture say God would stop granting visions or spiritual experiences after the apostolic age. The biblical pattern and promises suggest continuity, not cessation.

The Error of Obsession: Others become so fascinated with NDEs that they elevate them above Scripture, seeking experience rather than seeking God. This violates the biblical principle that faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), not by seeking mystical experiences.

The biblical balance recognizes NDEs as one of many ways God can work while maintaining Scripture as the supreme authority for faith and practice. We neither reject genuine spiritual experiences nor allow them to supplant biblical authority.

Integration with Historic Christian Faith

It’s worth noting that throughout church history, many respected Christian leaders have reported vision-like experiences. Augustine heard a voice directing him to Scripture. Pascal had a profound mystical encounter he called his “night of fire.” John Wesley felt his heart “strangely warmed” in a way that transformed his ministry.

The project materials reference numerous such experiences among Christian leaders: “Francis Hardigan notes Bill Wilson’s transformative vision… Hugh Montefiore’s conversion vision… Craig Keener’s dramatic encounter with God as an atheist.” (Is Christianity Compatible, Chapter: Historic Experiences)

These experiences didn’t replace Scripture or traditional spiritual disciplines; they confirmed and energized biblical faith. Similarly, modern NDEs that align with Scripture can serve to strengthen and encourage faith without replacing the foundational role of God’s Word.

Future Hope and Present Comfort

Perhaps the greatest value of understanding biblical NDEs is the hope and comfort they provide. Paul could face persecution, suffering, and eventual martyrdom because he had glimpsed Paradise. He knew experientially, not just theologically, that “to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

For modern believers facing death—their own or that of loved ones—knowing that Paul, Stephen, and John experienced the reality of heaven provides powerful comfort. These weren’t naive, pre-scientific primitives engaging in wishful thinking. They were intelligent, articulate witnesses who staked their lives on what they had seen.

When Paul writes, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39), he writes as one who has actually experienced that divine love in Paradise.

This experiential knowledge transforms how we face our own mortality. Death becomes not an enemy to be feared but a doorway to be walked through with confidence, knowing that others have gone before us and found unimaginable glory on the other side.

The Unchanging Promise

As we’ve seen throughout this chapter, God has consistently granted certain individuals glimpses of heavenly reality throughout redemptive history. From Paul’s journey to Paradise to Stephen’s vision of glory, from John’s heavenly summons to modern testimonies of divine encounter, the pattern remains consistent: God occasionally pulls back the veil between heaven and earth.

These experiences don’t save us—only faith in Christ does that. They don’t replace Scripture—God’s Word remains our authority. But they do provide powerful confirmation that the biblical worldview is true, that consciousness survives bodily death, and that God’s love awaits His children on the other side.

For those who have had such experiences, the biblical precedent provides validation and framework for understanding. For those who haven’t, these accounts—both biblical and modern—offer encouragement that death is not the end but rather a transition to something infinitely better for those who trust in Christ.

The Apostle Paul, writing from his own experience of Paradise, offers this encouragement: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Paul could write with such confidence because he had actually glimpsed that “eternal glory.” His NDE at Lystra became a source of unshakeable hope that sustained him through decades of ministry and ultimately carried him through martyrdom into the Paradise he had once visited.

Conclusion: The Biblical Foundation Stands Firm

As we conclude this comprehensive examination of NDEs in the Bible, the evidence leads to an unmistakable conclusion: near-death and related spiritual experiences have clear biblical precedent. From Paul’s journey to the third heaven to Stephen’s deathbed vision, from John’s apocalyptic transport to Isaiah’s throne room encounter, Scripture provides numerous examples of consciousness transcending physical limitations to glimpse heavenly realities.

These biblical accounts share remarkable consistency with modern NDE reports: the out-of-body experience, the ineffability of the encounter, the transformative after-effects, and the difficulty of conveying transcendent reality in human language. This consistency across millennia suggests that both ancient prophets and modern experiencers are reporting genuine encounters with spiritual reality.

For conservative Christians approaching NDEs with appropriate caution, this biblical foundation provides crucial guidance. We need not fear or automatically reject such experiences as unbiblical. Instead, we can evaluate them using scriptural principles, accepting those that align with biblical truth while rejecting those that contradict God’s Word.

The implications extend far beyond academic theology. For pastors, this understanding equips them to provide biblical counsel to those who’ve had such experiences. For those facing death, it offers comfort knowing that Paul’s Paradise and Stephen’s vision represent realities awaiting believers. For skeptics, it presents evidence that materialism cannot explain all of human experience.

Most importantly, the biblical precedent for NDEs reminds us that the God of Scripture is not a distant, deistic deity who wound up the universe and walked away. He is the living God who continues to interact with His creation, occasionally granting glimpses of glory to strengthen faith, comfort the dying, and witness to His reality.

Yet we must maintain proper perspective. These experiences, while valuable, never supersede Scripture. They confirm biblical truth without adding to it. They encourage faith without replacing it. They point to Christ without becoming substitutes for Him.

As we move forward in our study, we carry with us this crucial understanding: NDEs are not modern anomalies that challenge biblical faith. Rather, they represent a continuation of the pattern God established in Scripture—occasionally pulling back the veil between heaven and earth to remind us that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).

The Apostle Paul knew this truth not merely as theology but as experience. His journey to Paradise at Lystra transformed him from a persecutor of Christians into Christianity’s greatest missionary. His NDE became a source of strength that carried him through shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonments, and ultimately martyrdom.

In the same way, understanding the biblical foundation for NDEs can transform our perspective on death, strengthen our faith in eternal life, and deepen our confidence in the promises of Scripture. The same God who caught Paul up to Paradise, who opened Stephen’s eyes to see Jesus standing to receive him, who invited John to “come up here”—this same God remains active today, occasionally granting similar glimpses to remind us that the best is yet to come.

For in the end, that is the ultimate message of both biblical and modern NDEs: death is not the end but the beginning. The grave is not a destination but a doorway. And on the other side, for those who trust in Christ, awaits a Paradise so beautiful, so filled with love, so beyond human description that even the Apostle Paul could only call it “inexpressible” and “far better.”

This is not wishful thinking or primitive superstition. This is the testimony of credible witnesses across history, from the apostles to the present day. Their consistent witness provides powerful evidence that the biblical worldview is true, that consciousness survives bodily death, and that the promises of Christ are trustworthy.

So whether we are granted our own glimpse of Paradise or walk purely by faith until our final breath, we can face death with the same confidence Paul expressed: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). This is the gift that understanding biblical NDEs provides—not just theological knowledge, but experiential hope grounded in the testimonies of those who have actually been there and returned to tell us: it is real, it is wonderful, and it is worth everything we endure in this life to attain it.

May this biblical foundation for understanding NDEs strengthen your faith, comfort you in trials, and inspire you to live each day in light of eternity. For as Paul discovered in his journey to Paradise, the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.

Bibliography

Burke, John. Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God’s Revelation, and the Love You’ve Always Wanted. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2015.

Burpo, Todd, and Lynn Vincent. Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010.

Code Blue: A Christian Perspective of Near Death Experiences. Unpublished manuscript from project files.

Is Christianity Compatible With Deathbed and Near-Death Experiences? The Surprising Presence of Jesus, Scarcity of Anti-Christian Elements, And Compatibility with Historic Christian Teachings. Unpublished manuscript from project files.

Long, Jeffrey, and Paul Perry. God and the Afterlife: The Groundbreaking New Evidence for God and Near-Death Experience. New York: HarperCollins, 2017.

Moody, Raymond A., Jr. Life After Life: The Investigation of a Phenomenon—Survival of Bodily Death. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2001.

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Rawlings, Maurice. To Hell and Back: Life After Death—Startling New Evidence. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1993.

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Sabom, Michael. Light and Death: One Doctor’s Fascinating Account of Near-Death Experiences. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.

Sartori, Penny. The Near-Death Experiences of Hospitalized Intensive Care Patients: A Five-Year Clinical Study. New York: The Edwin Mellen Press, 2008.

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