Heaven Is for Real, But What About Colton Burpo and Don Piper?

The Thursday feature of the Worldly Saints blog will pull a current event and look at it from the perspective of a Christian world view. There is no guarantee we will comment on the most “popular” or “biggest story” out there, but we will take a story that is worth considering.

Next week the movie Heaven is For Real, which is based on the best-selling book published in 2010, is set to release. If you are interested in the trailer, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-ewaCVARtM.

The book tells the story of a story of a near-death experience of 4-year old Colton Burpo, and his visit to heaven. I have not read Burpo’s book; so I hesitate to critique it in any way.

But as some of you know this is not the only recent book about visits to heaven. Others written in recent years are To Heaven and Back by Dr. Mary C. Neal (published in 2012), Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander (published in 2012), and 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper (published in 2004).

The only one of these books I had read was Don Piper’s book. Don Piper is a minister in the South who claims to have gone to heaven on January 18, 1989 following a terrible car accident where his car was crushed under the wheels of a truck. Medical personnel declared him dead at the scene of the accident. But 90 minutes after this accident, a pastor, waiting at the scene, claims he was told by God to pray for this dead man. He did so, and Don Piper immediately returned to life. For the 90 minutes that his body lay lifeless inside the car, Don Piper claims it was during that time he went to heaven.

His story and Burpo’s claim beg a huge question most Christians are asking: “Are these people’s testimonies legitimate? Are they really going and coming back to heaven?”

Let me save you some time – don’t waste your time reading any of these books. Here are three reasons why.

1. Their descriptions of heaven are incomplete. They are almost man-centered. For example, Piper never saw Jesus or God. And despite the fact he never sees the Creator or Savior; he was delighted to be there. You might ask, “So what? He’s in heaven isn’t he?” If you remember, Colossians 3:1-4 teaches us that we seek the things above because Christ is there. If Christ is not in heaven, there is no joy is there. What would be so delightful about going to heaven and not seeing Christ? Listen to another Piper – John Piper – in his book God is the Gospel. He asks, “The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever say, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?” Don Piper sees to have a fulfilled experience without seeing Christ at all. All he saw were friends from his life. His experience becomes about seeing friends, family and hearing music…and that’s it! God surely expects that we desire heaven, but desiring heaven should be for the presence of the Savior (e.g., looking forward to seeing my Grandpa but it doesn’t compare to Christ).

2. Where is the Gospel? There are plenty of opportunities to share the Gospel and tell people how they can get to this place we call heaven. In fact, in Don Piper’s very last statement in the book, he writes, “I’ve made my final reservations for heaven and I’m going back someday – permanently. Prayerfully, I’ll see you there too.” It was a massive opportunity to share the hope of salvation, but he failed to tell people just how. There is little interaction with the Bible and the Gospel.

3. What do you do with Hebrews 9:27? It reads, “As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Paul, Stephen and John never died, went to heaven and then returned. Don Piper claims this verse didn’t apply to his experience.

In summary, I do not know Don Piper or Colton Burpo. They seem like sincere people. My theory is they were so traumatized that their mental state imagined all of this (e.g., Don Piper has 30+ surgeries and 105 days in the hospital after being crushed car from a semi truck.).

And for your meditations today, consider how little Paul spoke of heaven after his experience in II Corinthians 12:1-10. I can’t imagine Paul going out on book tours and charging money to churches to hear about his experience. Paul gave about 30 seconds of speaking/writing to his experience.

John Piper, God is the Gospel (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2005), pg. 15.

90 Minutes in Heaven, pg. 205.