NOTE 2.2: Errors In Non-Christian Analyses of 'After Death' Experiences
When researching anything related to spiritual matters, non-Christians
inevitably get things hopelessly confused. In two excellent books,
Dr. Maurice Rawlings does much to sort out the chaos.
He points out that only about twenty percent of resuscitated patients
volunteer information about their experience. (Rawlings, 1980,
p18) We are thus dealing with a very biased sample. He rightly
asks, who would boast about being such a moral failure that one
is sent to hell? (Rawlings, 1980, p 21) Many people joke about
the it, but it's a very different thing to be faced with the reality
of hell.
Dr. Rawlings was desperately trying to save a postman's life.
In between times of clinical death, his patient kept screaming
that he had been in hell. He pleaded with the reluctant doctor
to lead him in prayer. His certainty that he was entering hell
was so convincing that it removed the doctor's personal scepticism.
The patient survived the ordeal and became a Christian. He could
recall the prayer and viewing his body from a distance, and yet
he could remember nothing of his hellish experience. Apparently,
it was so horrific that his mind had suppressed it. (Rawlings,
1980, p19-21; Rawlings, 1978, p 21)
Previous researchers had not personally resuscitated patients.
They were content to interview people who had sufficient time
to repress unpleasant experiences. (Rawlings, 1978, p 24)
The doctor records another man's description of his experiences
after his heart stopped beating. It ended up being so horrendous
that the patient was certain he had been to hell. It brought about
his conversion. Yet the first part of his experience was blissful
floating above his body, feeling happy, at peace and free from
pain. Had he been resuscitated at that point, his impression of
life after death would have been vastly different.
Eighty-five percent of people resuscitated after suicide attempts
reported being glad to be alive. Every account Dr. Rawlings has
collected from such people has been 'hellish'. (Rawlings, 1980,
p70) Overall, he found that interviewing people immediately after
resuscitation produced as many reports of bad experiences as good
ones. (Rawlings, 1978, pxi)
In line with Scripture's affirmation that multitudes will have
an unpleasant after-life, a number of people have reported hearing
unpleasant sound, rather than beautiful music. Mention is made
of 'the awfullest, eerie sounds,' (Rawlings, 1978, p 107) 'a roaring
noise,' (Rawlings, 1980, p 128) and an unforgettable, 'really
bad buzzing noise'. (Moody, p 29)
The bias that many people have is illustrated by the fact that
Dr. Rawlings himself has been misquoted in a way that suggested
all after-death experiences are pleasant. (Rawlings, 1980, p 93)
We are justifiably dubious of experiences which cause some non-Christians
to give glowing reports of 'life after death'. However, it seems
theoretically possible that even some of these could be in accordance
with reality, though misinterpreted.
Certainly, most non-Christians have some pleasant earthly experiences
which are neither Satanic deception, nor indicative of where they
will spend eternity. I confess ignorance, but it seems theoretically
possible that on the other side of the grave they could also have
a few moments in pleasant surrounds before being ushered into
a strikingly different abode.
The Bible seems to hint at this possibility. Before being hurled
into the lake of fire, (Revelation 20:15) non-Christians will
be brought before the great white throne. (Revelation 20:11) Presumably,
this is situated in a very beautiful, heavenly place. Hence, for
at least this brief moment, it seems that non-Christians could
be in lovely surrounds before being cast into hell.
Conclusion
Reports from resuscitated patients are usually consistent with
the reality of hell. When correctly interpreted, even non-Christian
data is more creditable than we might have imagined. So we are
certainly justified in examining Christian reports with an open
mind.
The Deceiver always tries to pervert the most beautiful, loving
and holy acts of God into opportunities to amplify his evil. He
bent the miraculous provision of manna into an occasion for the
Israelites to murmur against their Lord. (Numbers 11.5-6) He twisted
God's infallible Word into a weapon of deception against the holy
Son of God. (Matthew 4:5-6) He used Jesus' power over demons to
blaspheme Him as the prince of demons. (Matthew 12:24) He turned
divine judgement into an opportunity to curse God instead of repent.
(Revelation 16:10-11) Rather than list a hundred more examples,
let's focus on the point: if we failed to differentiate between
an act of God and the evil interpretation with which Satan tries
to tar it, we could end up labelling as satanic virtually everything
God has ever done.
Return to Chapter 2
NOTE 2.3: More Information About Dr Eby
I shudder at Dr. Eby's apparently uncritical account of how his
mother, as a girl, came under the influence of an American Indian
medicine man. Nevertheless, I believe a careful reading of the
whole book restores one's faith in the genuineness of Dr. Eby's
Christian experience.
As biblical support for the reality of his celestial journey,
Dr. Eby equates Paul (2 Corinthians 12:1-4) with the time the
apostle was stoned and left for dead. (Acts 14:19) Though I disagree,
this in no way detracts from the genuineness of the doctor's experience.
The weakness in his argument is that even after 'being caught
up into paradise', Paul did not know whether he had been in or
out of the body, (2 Corinthians 12:2 f) in the stoning incident
his body seems to have clearly been on earth. The doctor's theory
is based on the assumption that Paul actually died when stoned,
something Scripture does not specifically state. ((Contrast Acts
14:19 with Acts 20:9)) Finally, there is a chronological problem:
the stoning does not appear to have occurred in the year referred
to in 2 Corinthians 12:2 (e. not fourteen years prior to the penning
of 2 Corinthians).
Return to Chapter 2
NOTE 2.4: More Reports Of Celestial Music
In the following instances, reports were too brief to add to our
understanding of celestial music. Their mere existence, however,
tend to confirm the reliability of the accounts recorded in the
body of the book. Obviously, the larger the number of independent
witnesses, the harder it is to escape the conclusion that heavenly
strains have touched earthly ears. Moreover, some bear striking
resemblances to incidents already cited.
August Hermann Francke (3-1727), a German clergyman and educator,
is renowned for his important role in a spiritual movement intended
to revive the Lutheran church at a time when it was becoming increasingly
formal and lifeless. According to Basilea Schlink, (Schlink, p
72) he heard heavenly music as he was dying. It is said that even
his family heard it. Return to Chapter 2 reference to Francke?
Prompted by the Lord, Rev. W. B. McKay's wife closed the door,
drew the curtains and commenced praying. Suddenly, the room was
filled with an brilliant light. The Lord Jesus appeared, saying
He had come to show her the splendours of heaven. Together with
Jesus and a host of angels, she spiralled up to heaven, leaving
her body behind. As they ascended, Mrs. McKay heard angelic music
and singing which she says was indescribable. In the city of God,
she witnessed many things, including the redeemed, some of whom
she had known on earth, singing. The Lord declared that she and
her husband would be given a healing ministry. He urged her to
remain humble so that He could work through her.
The entire experience may have lasted seven hours. Her spirit
then returned to earth.
Over her body were three highly concerned men: her husband, a
doctor, and the Bible college president. Until that moment, the
doctor had been unable to detect any pulse.
Mrs. McKay later testified that this heavenly encounter radically
changed her life. Both she and her husband received the prophesied
healing ministry. (Lindsay, p 96-100)
This incident dovetails nicely with several of the accounts I
have cited.
Numerous people have reported hearing ethereal music during, or
on the verge of, clinical death. (Eg, Hagin, p124 Rawlings, 1978,
p97-99; Moody, p28; Osis, p167 f) Perhaps all of these were born-again
believers. The information given is sometimes too scanty to be
sure. Only six of the hundred cases in Osis' study heard 'sacred
music or heavenly choruses'. (Osis, p 167) His sample was taken
from the general population. Had he weeded out non-Christians,
I suspect the percentage would have been much higher. Unfortunately,
the nature of the music heard rarely receives any attention from
researchers. One lady described the music as 'majestic'. (Moody,
p 30) Another called what she heard 'organ music'. (Osis, p 168)
(You may recall that Mrs. Grace Murphy also mentioned organ music
in her attempt to describe the sounds she heard.) Other accounts
were even less descriptive, merely using such words as 'beautiful'
and 'wonderful'.
So common is this phenomenon that when I saw a compilation about
dying Christians I bought it, confident that I would find reference
to celestial music. I was not disappointed. In five separate reports,
dying Christians heard music with such vividness that they expected
others in the room to be able to hear it and of such quality that
with obvious pleasure, even excitement, they summoned strength
to speak of it. (Myers, p65, 171, 215, 232) 'Hear that music!'
exclaimed Rev. Hiram Case, 'they don't have such music as that
on earth.' (Myers, p 206) There were other reports beside these
five, but of particular interest was about an African youth, not
long converted from heathenism, who had been gored by an elephant.
Though 'not preconditioned to descriptions of heaven,' in his
last moments he described angels to missionary Paul Landrus 'and
spoke of music like Landrus knew he had never heard in his lifetime.'
(Myers, p33)
Return to Chapter 2 Reference to Francke
Return to Chapter 2 Reference to other reports
Chapter 3: Notes The Culmination of Music
NOTE 3.1: Ezekiel's Temple and the Future of Music
In its description of the temple Ezekiel saw in his vision, the
King James Version refers to 'the chambers of the singers in the
inner court'. (Ezekiel 40:44, KJV, supported by RV, NKJV, NASB,
RSV marg only, NRSV, NIV, marg only, but not AMP, LB, Moffatt,
NEB) Several English versions omit reference to singers here,
preferring to follow the ancient Greek version, rather than the
Hebrew. Depending upon your interpretation of this vision and
whether you accept the reliability of the Hebrew (Masoretic) text
at this point, you might see this as provision for the music ministry
in the age to come.
Return to Chapter 3
NOTE 3.2: 'Harps of God'
Theologian, Leon Morris points out that the term harps of God
in the book of Revelation is 'unusual'. (Morris, p182) King James
Bible readers would be excused for not recognising this. In their
version, 1 Chronicles 16:42 uses a similar expression (instruments
of God) to refer to earthly Levitical musical instruments.
The apparent similarity of terms, however, is a quirk of the King
James Version. It is not found in the ancient translations of
1 Chronicles 16:42, (Septuagint, Targum, Syriac, Arabic, Vulgate)
nor in most modern versions. Not even Young's literal, nor Jay
Green's Literal Translation, which both follow the King James
text, nor the old Revised Version, has this expression. A more
accepted translation is instruments of the songs of God.
We find a similar expression to this elsewhere in even the King
James Version instruments of the music of the Lord. (2
Chronicles 7:6)
As a further complication, however, the NIV employs the expression
the Lord's musical instruments and the Lord's instruments
of praise in 2 Chronicles. (2 Chronicles 7:6; 30:21)
This rendition is not followed by other versions consulted. (Ie
not used in the RSV, NASB, LB, GNB, NEB, NKJV or KJV)
Old Testament musical instruments are otherwise referred to as
the instruments of David. (2 Chronicles 29:26f; Nehemiah
12:36; cf 1 Chronicles 23:5; 2 Chronicles 7:6; Amos 6:5)
So although translation problems abound further intensified
by the fact that the New and Old Testaments were written in different
languages it seems that rather than reflecting Old Testament
terminology, harps of God contrasts with the Old Testament
term instruments of David. In fact, the closest biblical
parallel is trumpet of God. (1 Thessalonians 4:16) Obviously,
this 'trumpet' is of non-human origin.
Return to Chapter 3
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