What can we know about life after death?

I've developed a new hobby, or perhaps it's more of an obsession: researching near-death experiences (NDEs). It all started when I listened to a podcast featuring an author, John Burke, who wrote a book called Imagine Heaven. Burke interviewed and researched over 1000 cases of NDEs. What he found is that they all tell a similar story, even if their interpretations vary. These stories are not limited to people in the US, but come from individuals from every nation, tribe, language, and culture. And most importantly, their accounts match up with what we already know from the Scriptures.

Burke makes a point of highlighting those people who would have nothing to gain from their witness, and much to lose. He interviews accomplished professionals like doctors, professors, and CEOs, who describe their experience of “dying”. None of his subjects struggled with hallucinations or severe mental disorders. These people were in their right minds when they described their life after death.

When we start to investigate such stories, we must avoid two extremes. On one hand, we should never equate someone’s subjective experience with the authoritative Word of God. But on the other hand, we need not ignore or silence such stories. Instead, the Apostle John provides a better approach. He says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)

NDEs and Scripture

What surprised me most wasn’t just the consistency of the stories—it was how often they reflected the truth we already find in Scripture.

Just consider a few of the common experiences of NDEs and the Bible passages that validate such events:

1. They report their soul separating from their body.

                The dust returns to the ground from which it came,
    And the spirit returns to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)

2. They describe God as an all-consuming light, bursting with love.

                This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

3. They undergo a “life review,” where they reflect on all the things they have done.  

                For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

4. They experience a kind of “knowing” that helps them make sense of their suffering and challenges.

                For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

The Apostle John’s NDE

Whether or not you believe that these NDEs are true, we do know that at least one person got a glimpse into God’s realm. The Apostle John, in the last book of the Bible, describes his experience in exile on the island of Patmos. At this time, all the other Apostles had been martyred for their faith, and it seemed that the mighty Roman Empire was poised to engulf the fledgling Christian movement.

To encourage this old, beat-up Apostle, the resurrected Jesus visited him. John says that he was “in the spirit,” meaning that the Holy Spirit was moving him to see into heaven’s space and the life that is to come. John saw what many NDEs claim to see: an all-consuming light bursting with love, the unveiling of reality, and a profound knowledge that everything would be okay.

I’ve appreciated reading about NDEs alongside the book of Revelation. It helps me see that maybe John’s experience wasn’t so strange or uncommon after all. I’ve found myself more engaged with the God, who I believe is right here, just covered by a spiritual veil that will one day be lifted. I find myself imagining the life to come even as I savor the best of this life:  the sunset, the dew on the morning grass, and a meal with family and friends. All glimpses of a world waiting to be fully restored on the Last Day. And I’ve come to a renewed belief in the spiritual warfare going on in the unseen world —the eternal battle for the human heart.

I’m not sure what you think about the renewed interest in NDEs. Perhaps some of their experiences are fabricated, or maybe their interpretations are a bit off. However, I know this: one day, we will see God face-to-face. We will experience his love. He will show us our life and give us a complete understanding of our story. Until that day, let’s be open to the God who is here, who loves us in Jesus, and is preparing a place for us at his side.