What if God is not dead, Christ has risen, and human consciousness does endure for eternity? What if the Bible not only c o r r oborates what has been experienced by millions of people during Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) but also reinforces that which is exactly what should be expected? And what if— what if NDEs provide spectacular evidence of what the Bible has to say about what happens to us when we die?Three questions have been asked since the dawn of time, four that form the fundamental foundation of human existence: “How did I get here? What does it mean to be human? What is my purpose in life? And what will happen to me when I die?” Christians have long claimed that the truthful answers to these questions are found exclusively in God’s revealed word, found in the Bible. While it is undoubtedly true that each foundational question bearsequalweightconcerningwhat is truly important in life, the latter question has most recently been the focus of our attention. Therefore, thequestionbearsrepeating:“What will happen to me when I die?”
While near-death experiences shed considerable light on this question, as presented in the last several articles, it is equally interesting to discover what, exactly, the Bible has to say about this potential window through which to briefly peer into eternity. The question is important because the stakes are tremendously high. If NDEs and the Bible mutually corroborate one another, then, perhaps, it is foolhardy to declare that nothing happens to us when we die. Moreover, perhaps, it is beyond foolhardy to claim, as Friedrich Nietzsche, that “God is dead!” John Burke soon discovered that the more he researched near-death experiences, the more andmoreapatternbegantoemerge. Burke observed that regardless of gender, race, culture, nationality, or religious belief (or total absence thereof), almost all people who reported a NDE had elements common to their experiences. While the details in each case vary among individuals, they generally begin with a feeling of separation between the consciousness or mind and the body. This is followed by a “looking down”attheirbodyfromanelevated position, often near the ceiling of the room. Next, they experience traveling through a corridor or tunnel heading toward a light at the end of the corridor. After that, there is a joyful gathering of old friends and deceased relatives now exuberant with life, followed by a life review with Jesus or God. At the end of the life review, they are presented with a barrier or a boundary past which they cannot go. Finally, there is a decision to return to their earthly bodies to complete the rest of their natural lives. While some NDErs report experiencing only some of these events, many of the 25 million people who have had an NDE report experiencing them all. At any rate, it is no small thing that the Bible provides scriptural support for the Christian claim that these general experiences should come as no surprise but rather should be expected.
For example, the first sensation experienced by the NDEr is the separation of their consciousness, or mind, from their physical body, which is very near, or, in many cases, is already clinically dead. Biblically, this makes perfect sense, as it holds that God created man as a dualistic being, composed of a physical body and an immaterial soul.Ofman’screationMoseswrites that God created the first man out of the dust of the ground (the physical body) and then breathed into him the breath of life (soul), and “man became a living soul” (Gen 2:7). But that’s not all, Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes of what happens when a person dies: “The dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecc 12:7). These are not isolated verses, there are multiple passages throughout the Bible that speak unequivocally to the separation of the soul from the body at death (cf Job 34:14; Genesis 35:18; 2 Timothy 4:6; 2 Peter 1:13, 14; Matthew 10:28.) Even so what about the soul having been once separated from the body and then returning to the body to animate it once again? After all, that is exactly what happens in a NDE—the person is resuscitated, and the soul that was “hovering above” returns to the resuscitated body. Well, it turns out that there are several accounts in Scripture of just such a thing—souls returning once again to the bodies of those who had briefly died (cf 1 Kings 17:21-22; Matthew 27:52-53; John 11:38 ff). I invite you to check out these verses for yourself. I don’t care who you are; that’s pretty cool right there! According to the Bible, it appears that there is a specific moment of death when a person’s soul separates as a distinct and independent entity from its physical body. Interestingly, this is precisely what is over and again reported by those individuals who have lived through a NDE. Join us again next time as we continue to look at the Christian claimofcorroborationbetweenwhat Scripture says about what happens touswhenwedieandwhathasbeen reported by those who have had a Near Death Experience (to learn more about NDEs, please see the Near-Death Research Foundation website at www.nderf.org) Until then; is God dead?
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Ty B. Kerley, DMin., is an ordained minister who teaches Christian apologetics, and relief preaches in Southern Oklahoma. Dr. Kerley and his wife Vicki are members of the Waurika church of Christ, and live in Ardmore. You can contact him at: dr.kerley@isGoddead.com.