Table of Contents
How to Read This Book 7
Introduction: What Is Heaven? 13
Part 1 Stories and Testimonies of Heaven
"Not on Our Guest List" Marie C. Senter 17
Priceless Memories Stan Cottrell 19
A Suicide: The Story of Tamara Laroux 20
Fear to Freedom: The Rosemary Trible Story 22
Hospice Deepened My Faith Michael W. Elmore 25
The Coma of Marietta Davis 28
Death Before Life After Life 29
Seven Days of Death 32
"I See Jesus" Dr. Emmanuel Rudatsikira 33
Maureen's Meeting with Jesus Don Buxcey 34
Louis Tucker, a Catholic Priest 36
Angelic Trio David Michael Smith 37
A Christian Soldier's Near-death Experience 40
The Strange Case of George de Benneville 41
The Hinge Point Lonnie Honeycutt Vicki H. Moss 43
The Resurrection of Pastor Daniel Ekechukwu 45
Listen to the Thunder Barbie Porter 49
Close to Death: The Story of Carl G. Jung 51
"He Won't Make It Through the Night" Terry Leininger Donna Frisinger 52
Only Kidney Stones: The Story of Dean Braxton 55
A Soldier Named Er 57
Traditional Accounts of Heaven 57
The Account of Hung Hsiu-ch'uan 61
Beyond Human Imagination 61
Pope Gregory and Last Things 62
Movie Star Near-death Experiences 65
Mom's Final Gift Ann Van De Water 66
Near-death Experiences from the Past 69
The Throne Room Susan M. Watkins 73
"I Get to Go Home Today" 75
He Died Three Times: The Kenneth Hagin Story 76
"I Am with You" Susan Avery 78
Swimming in the Crystal River Barbara Wells 80
The Life Beyond Death: The Story of Arthur Ford 82
Daddy Talked? Susan Dollyhigh 84
Holding Her Hand Marilyn Wallberg 88
Vision of the Heavenly Choir Karen Whiting 89
A Descent into Hell: The Story of Howard Storm 91
"Go Back and Be Happy": The Story of Julie Papievis 93
The Face of Forever Kristi M. Butler 96
Seven Minutes Jenny Farrell 97
Proof of Heaven: The Story of Eben Alexander 98
Freddy Vest's Amazing Trip 101
My Desperate Prayer Loo-Gen Seah-McCrea 103
What He Saw: The Story of Marvin Besteman 105
To Heaven and Back Ann Knowles 107
Touched by Gabriel Marcia Gaddis 110
A Visit to Hell: The Story of Ronald Reagan 112
My Mother's Heavenly Visit Marlene Kelly 115
Garrett's Secret Christy Johnson 117
Waiting Right Here: The Story of Barbara McVicker Dye 120
A Glimpse of Eternity Diana Leagh Matthews 122
Do Not Resuscitate Susan K. Stewart 123
John Bunyan's Vision 125
I've Been There Ed Long Jr. Anna L. Russell 126
Stoning Stephen Ann Sullivan 128
Stories from a Hospice Chaplain Gary Roe 129
Home Karen Jordan 135
Without Words 136
To Heaven and Back: The Story of Dr. Mary C. Neal 138
You'll Never Go Alone Ginger Garrett 141
A Self-made Man Scott Hutcheson Penny Shreve 143
Heaven Is for Real: The Story of Colton Burpo 146
Roll Call Russell Tidd Sr. Barbie Porter 149
Reprise Phil Leftwich 151
It's Not Time Yet Marie Weaver 154
The Little Boy Who Went to Heaven: The Story of Alex Malarkey 156
Not Yet Louise Lankford-Dunlap 159
The Day I Died Pat Laye 161
90 Minutes in Heaven: The Story of Don Piper 163
Part 2 Questions about Heaven
What Does the Bible Mean by "Heaven"? 171
How Can We Explain Heaven? 175
What Is Paradise? Is It Different from Heaven? 177
What's the Difference Between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven? 179
What Does the Bible Say About Death? 181
What Will We Do in Heaven? 185
When Do We Receive Our Rewards? 187
What Form Will the Rewards Take? 191
Will There Be Different Punishments in Hell? 193
Are There Different Levels of Heaven? 195
What Are the New Heavens and the New Earth? 197
Who Will Go to Heaven? 201
When We Die, Do We Immediately Go to Heaven? 203
What Happens to the Wicked? 211
What Is Hell? 217
Will There Be Time in Heaven? 219
Can Our Dead Loved. Ones See Us Now? 223
Could We Be Happy in Heaven if Our Loved Ones Are in Hell? 225
Will We Have a Different Body in Heaven? 227
Will We Recognize Others in Heaven? 231
Do Babies Who Die Go to Heaven? 233
Will There Be Animals in Heaven? 237
Do Christians Believe in Reincarnation? 241
Will We Be Sexual Beings in Heaven? 247
What Are Near-death Experiences? 249
What Causes Near-death Experiences? 253
What Typically Happens in Near-death Experiences? 259
What About Those Who Say They Went to Hell? 263
Doesn't the Bible Speak of "Once to Die"? 265
What Are the Aftereffects of Near-death Experiences? 271
What Are the Characteristics of Near-death Experiences? 275
What Is "Nearing Death Awareness"? 281
What Do Individuals Do as They Approach Death? 283
What Should We Consider When Communicating with the Dying? 287
Can a Deceased Loved One Actually Appear to a Person? 289
Last Words of the Famous and Infamous 291
Endnotes 295
Acknowledgments 301