Three Problems with Heaven is For Real

What is the problem with Heaven is For Real? Three quick problems:

First, this boy is a necromancer. He has communicated with the dead and brought back a message from the dead people he "met". It is no different than the shaman or the witch or the psychic who does the same thing when they contact dead spirits.   God condemns this forcefully (Dt. 18:9-13).  Will we turn away from God's Word and give our ears to a necromancer? Let us not have ears that itch that much (2 Tim. 4:3-4), nor forget that demons can masquerade as dead loved ones (2 Cor. 11:13-15).

Secondly, Satan is the ultimate "deceiver" and liar (John 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:13-15; 2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 12:9 and 20:3). He lies about God (Gen. 3:4-5), he sends fake Christ's to the Church (2 Cor. 11:3-4), he disseminates fake gospels (Gal. 1:6-9), he impersonates good angels (2 Cor. 11:13-15), and he plants fake teachers in the Church (1 Tim. 4:1-2; Jude 3-4).

In light of all this, should we not think that Satan has the ability to also fabricate "experiences" in the spiritual world? Who "took" Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple (Matthew 4:5)? Who then "took" Jesus to a very high mountain and gave Him a "vision" of all the kingdoms of the earth (Matthew 4:8)? Satan did. Can he not also then "take" someone spiritually to a manufactured "heaven" of his own design?

The last problem is that these stories draw people away from Scripture as the source of what is "real". These books become the brush that paint the pictures of our thoughts rather than the Bible.  Satan wants people to turn to experiences rather than the Word for their source of truth (Genesis 3:4-6).  John MacArthur makes some good points here:

"There is simply no reason to believe anyone who claims to have gone to heaven and returned. John 3:13 says, “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” And John 1:18 says, “No one has seen God at any time.  Four biblical authors had visions of heaven—not near-death experiences. Isaiah and Ezekiel (Old Testament prophets) and Paul and John (New Testament apostles) all had such visions. Two other biblical figures—Micaiah and Stephen—got glimpses of heaven, but what they saw is merely mentioned, not described (2 Chronicles 18:18; Acts 7:55).  Only three of these men later wrote about what they saw—and the details they gave were comparatively sparse (Isaiah 6:1–4; Ezekiel 1, 10; Revelation 4–6). All of them focused properly on God’s glory. They also mentioned their own fear and shame in the presence of such glory. They had nothing to say about the mundane features that are so prominent in modern tales about heaven (things like picnics, games, juvenile attractions, familiar faces, odd conversations, and so on). Paul gave no actual description of heaven but simply said what he saw would be unlawful to utter. In short, the biblical descriptions of heaven could hardly be any more different from today’s fanciful stories about heaven."


 Remember, "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness." - 2 Corinthians 11:14

Further Research for you:

John Piper audio comments:
http://www.desiringgod.org/apj/how-real-is-the-book-heaven-is-for-real

John MacArthur article:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v9/n2/visits-to-heaven