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By Joe Palmer Pastor, Fellowship Baptist Church
I’ve said goodbye to several people lately. These people were on the verge ofmaking a journey to a wonderful place, and I told them that I would see them later. They were going to Heaven.
Sometimes people might wonder if I’m not just consoling others with platitudes about a mythical place. “Does Heaven exist, and will I be going there?” This is the question you have asked yourself, and if you are not cynical you still ask it.
The cover story for the Newsweek magazine on October 8 was “Heaven Is Real: A Doctor’s Experience With the Afterlife.” According to the article, a neurosurgeon by the name of Eben Alexander went into a coma for seven days and experienced heaven. He describes some of what he experienced this way, “Higher than the clouds—immeasurably higher—flocks of transparent, shimmering beings arced across the sky, leaving long, streamerlike lines behind them. … Birds? Angels? These words registered later, when I was writing down my recollections. But neither of these words do justice to the beings themselves, which were quite simply different from anything I have known on this planet. They were more advanced. Higher forms. …A sound, huge and booming like a glorious chant, came down from above, and I wondered if the winged beings were producing it. Again, thinking about it later, it occurred to me that the joy of these creatures, as they soared along, was such that they had to make this noise—that if the joy didn’t come out of them this way then they would simply not otherwise be able to contain it. The sound was palpable and almost material, like a rain that you can feel on your skin but doesn’t get you wet.”
If you want to read more, Dr. Alexander has written a book entitled Proof of Heaven. I may buy the book, but I don’t need to. I know that heaven is real because I have spoken with people who have seen it for themselves. I know it is real because I know beyond a shadow of doubt that God is real and that His Word is true. So it has been with joy and not remorse that I have said, “Goodbye, I’ll see you later” to many good friends.
If you would like to talk with me (Pastor Joe Palmer of Fellowship Baptist) about it,email me at joeandsuzypal@yahoo.com.
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