Jesus speaks against the Heavenly Vision Profit Industry.

Heavens Gates Openingin the past few years we have seen “Heaven is for Real” become a best-selling book and movie.  In fact the movie sold $100 million worldwide and now $37 million in DVD and other media as well.  The book was a bestseller.

Also “The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven” was a little less successful, but still a money maker.  This one is important because it eventually was revealed to be a fraud.

A new book-turned-movie was released today called 90 Minutes in Heaven.  It again has the promise of making millions from Christians who want to hear another story of what heaven is like, and be convinced that in fact “heaven is for real”.

The only comment worth giving on these attempts to tell things beyond that which has been told in Scripture is that which Jesus tells:

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ” Luke 16:19-31 (ESV)

There you have it.  The Lord Himself has spoken.  Don’t waste your money.  Don’t waste your time.  Hear the witness of Scripture.  Go to Church.  You want heaven – receive the Lord’s Supper and hear about what God has done for you in Baptism.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting.