I wasn’t really sure this would work or what would happen, but it just seemed to be the thing to do. As I started to pray, I asked God to allow my grandfather to use my voice to confess to Him his sins and to ask God for his blessing. I began telling my grandfather that it was okay to let go and God would take care of him and to go towards God. When I felt like I was being pulled toward a great bright Light—not a harsh Light—but a Light filled with warmth and peace, I remember feeling and seeing my grandfather’s hand in mine, and him telling me he was scared and he needed me with him.
It was bizarre as I was not dead or dying, but I was having this feeling as if my spirit body was being pulled toward the Light at the same time as my grandfather’s. The Light got brighter and then enveloped us. We were standing in a place that was illuminated, but not with regular light or lamps or candles. There were other people there, but I could not make out who they were nor was I frightened or surprised to see them. My grandfather was on my left and we were still holding hands. I could sense/feel the presence of something/someone else coming toward us with a brighter Light about them than where we were.
There were no footsteps heard, but I saw and felt this person/entity coming closer. When he arrived next to us, I realized that this was Jesus and he was talking to my grandfather, and I was answering him for my grandfather. I felt my grandfather’s fear leave him and Jesus outstretched His hands to take my grandfather’s hand in His. At the very moment God/Jesus took my grandfather’s hand, I felt God touch my hand. Suddenly I felt and knew this tremendous sense of peace and forgiveness and universality...
I remember being thanked by my grandfather and God, realizing I couldn’t stay, but not wanting to let this place go. It was okay. Then, I was being whooshed backwards away from the Light and found myself back in the room with my grandfather’s body.
I knew he was dead and in Heaven. During the time, I had no sensation of being in the hospital nor did I hear the hospital noises, or sense smells or people. I remember feeling speechless. Moments later, my mother and grandmother walked into the room and I told them my grandfather was gone.10
Cutting the cord between life and death is part of the dying process of letting go. It is a journey in which you are never alone. When a loved one is within a few months to a few weeks of crossing over, the veil between Heaven and Earth begins to thin. Deceased family and friends begin to appear, unseen by the living. A one-sided conversation ensues. You may think they are hallucinating from medication or reliving old memories.
It’s all part of the dying experience.
Visits by Family and Friends before Death
Molly experiences family and friends during her NDE after having cardiac arrest during surgery:
I saw so many people I knew throughout my life. My grandmother was the one who greeted me. She said, ‘Hello Molly,’ and I felt love from her. She said for me to put this little angel costume on and, ‘I’ll show you around to everyone.’ So we went flying.
I saw my uncle Stan who owned a bar I used to work at. He was into a lot of drugs and drinking so we were not sure if he killed himself or someone killed him. My mom found him in his garage with the garage door down and car on. It could have been a killing from someone we knew. He was so happy to see me and wanted to show me his restaurant I worked at. When we flew in, it was like an old fashion ice cream parlor with tons of candy like Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory. It was so cool it never leaves my brain. I told my mom he had a bruise or brown spot on his forehead. A year later my mom said that to his daughter. She was in shock because she was the only one who knew he had that on his forehead.
Then, I saw my sister’s best friend who hung herself at age 20. She too was so happy. Then I saw a neighbor I did not know was dead. I used to babysit for him. Then I saw my grandfather who said, ‘Hello, hello.’
I asked him, ‘Why hello two times?’
He said, ‘One for you and one for your mother.’
Then we came to the church. Grandma took me to the most beautiful church I have ever seen. First, I saw an angel crying up where the singers would sing. I felt her pain. I flew to her and it was me crying. Then, I saw the three large angels. I was mad because they would not let me sit with them. They said I had to go back because there are things I need to do. I was so upset I had to go back.11
Escort Angels Help Guide the Soul Home
Donna in 1974 was given general anesthesia for a common but invasive medical procedure, and near the end of the operation the doctor made a terrible mistake. He cut an artery and she lost massive amounts of blood, too much blood to sustain life. For a short time, her heart stopped beating and her brain ceased to function. As her body lay dying on the operating table, she rose up and surveyed the situation:
I looked down at my spiritual body to make sure it was still intact, and what I saw surprised me. There were two cherubs, stark naked except for tiny loincloths, and every bit as cute as the putti in Raphael’s paintings.
‘We are Escort Angels,’ said one of the twins, with the noble pride of a royal servant. ‘We have come to take you home.’
Suddenly, the white Light was much brighter. The cherubs positioned themselves on either side of me, near my waist, and we drifted to the corner of the ceiling. I was fully prepared for take off, but my head hit the wall. I repeated the motion again and again, each time expecting the wall to give way, but it didn’t budge.
The cherub on the left flew close to my face. ‘You have forgotten,’ he said. ‘There is something you must do before you can leave.’
I struggled with my memories, trying to figure out what I was supposed to do. Finally, it came to me. ‘Oh, that’s right. I forgot to look at the body.’
My eyes zoomed in on the woman lying on the bed below us. She was 25 years-old and in perfect health, except for the loss of blood and spirit. Like a seasoned mechanic inspecting a car, I knew I could fix her.
‘This isn’t serious enough,’ I said more to myself than the cherubs. And in a split second I was back in my body.
I plunged headfirst into the navel, and it was like diving into wet concrete. My body had become stiff, and I had to twist and turn to make my spirit fit. After settling in, I looked up at the ceiling. The cherubs were waiting for proof I was all right. I made eye contact with one of them, and then they flew through the same wall that had prevented my escape. Tears brushed my cheeks. What have I done? I could have left with them. Right now I could be on my way home, but once again I’m trapped in a world of limitations.12
Meeting the Angel of Death
An ancient personification of the Angel of Death is the “Grim Reaper.” All religions describe him. While descriptions vary somewhat, the basic entity is the same—a tall figure appearing male, wearing a long monk’s robe tied by rope at the waist, sometimes with a sickle or scythe. A skeleton-like face is occasionally reported, but more often, there is no discernable face and no visible extremities.
Steve’s NDE during an auto accident in 2006 encountered the Grim Reaper whose face shone like a ‘thousand suns’:
On 12/12/2006 a school bus ran a red light and t-boned my 2005 Chevy Avalanche. I was conscious during the accident (everything went into slow motion) and was coherent enough to talk to OnStar and describe the location of the accident as well as the extent of my injuries (a cut above my left eye, whip lash, three broken ribs, contusions on my lungs, and a torn rotator cuff). I was sitting very still I didn’t want to move for fear of being paralyzed. I was sitting in the truck with my left eye closed, (because of the blood and also because I was covered in glass) while they used the Jaws of Life to pry the door open.
The Grim Reaper and scythe that cuts the silver cord, releasing the soul from the physical body.
…While this was happening I felt confused. How could I be standing where the house should be? Why am I standing when I was sitting in the truck? How could I see myself being w
orked on? Then I turned to my right (facing forward) and I saw the Grim Reaper, the dark robe, the sickle, no face, but where the face should be, was just blackness, blacker than anything I’d ever seen before in my life. It was as if you could take the brightest Light you could find (the sun, or even 1000 suns and shined it in there and it would just swallow it up. Then I heard a voice in my head say either ‘come with me, or come to me’ and as I stared into the blackness, I started to go.
As I was going, the scene behind me (the truck and paramedics) was fading away at the same time all my senses were fading and the pain was fading. I then realized it was death wanting to take me and I thought of my 14-year-old son and my wife. I then told the Reaper… [expletive] ‘I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!’ Then I was back sitting in the truck and one of the paramedics was saying, ‘come on stay with me.’ After that, they extracted me and took me to the hospital.13
The Grim Reaper and its universal depiction as a harbinger of death is rarely reported in near-death experiences, or when loved ones are near the moment of death. Most see the bright Light, rise above their bodies, see some sort of tunnel, and communicate with various entities, but there are few reports of seeing this particular shrouded figure.
According to the Midrash,14 the Angel of Death was created by God on the first day.15 His dwelling is in Heaven. “Over all people have I surrendered thee the power,” said God to the Angel of Death, “Only not over this one which has received freedom from death through the Law.” It is said of the Angel of Death is full of eyes. In the hour of death, he stands at the head of the departing one with a drawn sword, to which clings a drop of gall. As soon as the dying man sees Death, he is seized with a convulsion and opens his mouth, whereupon Death throws the drop into it. This drop causes his death; he turns putrid, and his face becomes yellow. A drop of gall caused the expression “the taste of death” originated in the idea death.16
The term Angel of Death can be found in nearly every culture in various forms. However, there are many accounts of angels, both good and bad, specifically found in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The book of Genesis recounts the deaths of the first-born of Egypt that many people believe were also delivered by an Angel of Death under the direction of God.
The thought of an angel that brings death is an ominous one indeed, and it is a small wonder such a figure might be associated with an evil nature given many people’s fears about what happens after life ends. The Islamic and Jewish faiths are bit more specific about naming a death angel. Islam speaks of Azrael, while Judaism has no less than 14 death angels.
Carolina had a dream ADC (after-death communication) about the Angel of Death warning her about her health:
When I was a child, I was hospitalized with Anorexia Nervosa. I had been in a depressed state again recently, and had even mentioned to family members I’d be better off dead. A few nights ago, while I was sleeping, I was extremely aware I was dreaming. There was this middle-aged man with me. I said to him, ‘Wow, I know I’m dreaming, but I can say whatever I feel and I have total control of my dream.’ [Author’s note: lucid dreaming. See chapter.6, Dreams: Night School]
The man said, ‘It takes practice.’
After this, I asked if he was my spirit Guide.
He replied, ‘No.’
Then my voice started to fade as if I was beginning to wake up, but I asked him, ‘Who are you then?’
The man said in a serious voice, ‘The Angel of Death.’
I was so frightened I thought it was my time to go. I began to regret all the times I said I wish I were dead. He also warned me about my health. Soon as I awakened, I remembered every detail of my out of body experience. It was indeed a spiritual awakening.17
The Angel of Death may be a personification of our fears about death, and a portent about the possibility of death in our near future. Perhaps, our fear of death determines the appearance of God’s angel.
Several years before, I had a dream about the Grim Reaper before my brain cancer occurred. In the dream, the Grim Reaper was chasing me in a black, late 1940’s Hearse. He was “after me,” but I was able to hide and get away from him. Certainly, we would prefer Jesus, a beautiful angel, friends or family to be the soul escort who will take us to our heavenly home. In Christian, Jewish and religious literature there are other books that describe God’s heavenly angels, each angel with a specific job to carry out. The Angel of Death is listed as an angel under God’s command. He may be the most despised and feared of all angels, but if required, he may be the one to alert us our journey home may occur sooner than we think.
Death Protocols
At the time of death, we are given the choice to remain on Earth until our bodies are buried or cremated. Betty Eadie, a #1 NY Times Best Selling author, writes in Embraced by the Light:
Most spirits remain on Earth for a short time and comfort their loved ones, as families are subject to much more grief than the departed. Sometimes spirits remain longer if their loved ones are in despair.18
Some spirits move directly on to a realm or level in the Kingdom of Heaven in which they are most comfortable. However, extended grief, can sometimes bind the departed to Earth and prevent them from moving on. There are also times when the transition for a loved one may have been difficult or unwanted. Those who die atheists or those bonded to the appetites of the physical, may find themselves Earthbound.
Prayer then becomes important to help both the living and the dead to help release their attachments and their grief, so both can go on living.
~Delynn sat up in the middle of the night sound asleep and look up into the corner of the room near the ceiling and exclaimed loudly, “Oh, my God, how beautiful!” She was so excited. Then she said, “We are one.” Then she laid back down still asleep. I didn’t see anything, (how typical) but I feel an angel visited our bedroom that night. ~Chronicle 311
~I prayed aloud, “God I need reassurance you are out there, that you hear me.” John, a friend living in New York, called me out of the blue two hours later, “David, how are you doing?” I hadn’t heard from John in over 30 years. We had a great call. Brought John up to date about my medical condition. He said, “Let God finish writing your book.” God heard the cry of my heart. ~Chronicle 333
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Endnotes
1Andrew’s Mother’s DBV, ADC #279, 06.22.03, http://www.adcrf.org/archives_2003_2007.htm
2The Memorial service for Steve Jobs, New York Times Online, Monday, October 30, 2011.
3The Twilight Brigade, PO Box 84013, Los Angeles, CA 90073; (310) 473-1941; fax (310) 473-8249. Website www.thetwilightbrigade.com/dannion-info.htm. Further contact: West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Bldg. 258, Room 113, Los Angeles, CA 90073.
4Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelly 1992. Final Gifts. New York: Bantam Dell. p. 13.
5Ibid, p. 13
6Ibid. p.14.
7Ibid. pp.14-15.
8Heidi Telpner, R.N. 2007. One Foot in Heaven, Journey of a Hospice Nurse. Author. p.141.
9Jacqueline M Father’s Experiences, #1930, 06.07.01, NDERF.org
10Kathleen B DBV, #2114, 02.02.10, NDERF.org
11Molly M NDE, #2415, 10.11.10, NDERF.org
12Donna G NDE, #3172, 11.02.12, NDERF.org
13Steve F NDE, #1042, 03.22.07, NDERF.org
14Midrash: (Hebrew plural midrashim) is the body of exegesis of Torah texts along with homiletic stories as taught by Chazal (Rabbinical Judaism sages of the post-Temple era) provide an intrinsic analysis to passages in the Tanakh.
15Midrash Tanhuma on Exodus 31:18.
16Jewish Quarterly Review vi., p. 327.
17By Carolina93, 11.27.2011, http://www.spiritual-experiences.com/real-spiritual-story.php?story=1005
18 Betty J. Eadie 1992. Embraced By The Light. Placerville, CA: Gold Leaf Press. pp. 83-84.
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> The Body of Light
~On January 20, 2015, (Chronicle 586) I wrote in my journal: Faith first brings evidence of Christ. Evidence first, never brings faith, because there is always doubt. An amazing corollary about belief and faith showed up on NDERF, on November 18 2015. “Seek not to understand that you may believe, but seek to believe so that you may understand.1 Both revelations remind us of Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. ~Chronicle 890
When you die, you no longer have a physical brain. You have a mind, an intelligence, independent from the physical body that survives and retains its personality. Your mind, however, is free of the restraints of the physical body. Oxygen, sugar, and genetics do not play a part in limiting your ability to think. You are not only smarter, your thoughts are exponentially sharper and faster.
The Body of Light
Your mind will be contained within a new Body of Light that mirrors many of the senses you had on Earth, including a subtler sense of sight (360-degree sight instead of 180 degrees) touch, taste, smell, and hearing, and a sixth sense of telepathy that can absorb massive amounts of information, images and thoughts simultaneously.
Let’s talk for a moment about the Body of Light. We know from our NDE studies that the gift of receiving a new spiritual body occurs soon after death. Dead Saints report thinking and observing events with a ‘spiritual mind’ contained within a ‘spiritual body.’ St. Paul describes this immortal, incorruptible body in (I Corinthians 15: 51-52):
Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall all indeed rise again: but we shall not all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise again incorruptible: and we shall be changed.
The Dead Saints Chronicles: A Zen Journey Through the Christian Afterlife Page 26