Heaven Is For Real, The Book Isn't: An Astounding Refutation Of A Story About A Trip To Heaven And Back

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Heaven Is For Real, The Book Isn't: An Astounding Refutation Of A Story About A Trip To Heaven And Back Page 3

by Williams, D. Eric


  There are a number of explanations to choose from to explain Colton's visions. In the first place, the book may be nothing more than a presentation of a young boy's imaginative musings as encouraged by his gullible father. His original exclamation that angels sang to him while he was in the hospital certainly points that direction. It is just the sort of thing a four year old child born and raised in the church would say. The rest of the story could have been manufactured over the months and years as the child was prompted by his parents. The obvious connections to demonic deception may have been suggested by the enemy at the same time. In my opinion, this is the most likely scenario.

  Another explanation may be that the entire account was made up by the parents and repeated to the Burpo child so frequently, he accepted it as his own experience. An additional sinister explanation would be that Colton fell under the influence of unclean spirits while sedated during surgery and Mr. Burpo failed to protect and correct his son. This is not to suggest Colton is now or ever has been demon possessed but to say he may have been influenced by ideas planted in his mind by minions of the devil while in a vulnerable state. Yet it is really not for me to say what is behind the story. Obviously I don't know; I offer these explanations only to show there are possibilities other than the one proposed by the book.

  Perhaps a more troubling issue is the theological illiteracy that has helped propel Heaven Is For Real to best seller status. Frankly this book project should have never gotten off the ground. In my view, Mr. Burpo's church and denomination should have counseled him to turn away from his error and levied sanctions in the circumstance of his refusal to do so.

  The many Christians who have read and enjoyed Heaven Is For Real need to recognize their doctrinal ignorance and make an effort to correct the problem. They need to study God's word in depth on a daily basis and insist on solid Bible teaching from the pulpit. Until then books like Heaven Is For Real will continue to spread their malignant influence throughout the Body of Christ.

  1. I have nine children and taught elementary age Sunday School for many years.

  2. Henry A “Harry” Ironside, Ironside's public domain commentary texts, Dr. David S. Thomason ed., e-Sword edition, (2011). Additional comments (in no particular order) concerning Revelation 21:9 from the resources I have at hand include: ...The pure and holy Christian Church, (Adam Clarke); ...represents the redeemed church now to be received into permanent union with its Lord, (Albert Barnes); ...[the angel is saying] I will show thee the whole church, (Matthew Poole); ...all the elect of God, (John Gill); ...the glorified church, (B. W. Johnson); The principle concern of this description is to show that the Christian church is the true fulfillment of the people Israel, (Earl Palmer); The Jerusalem that descends to earth from heaven is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, (Simon J. Kistemaker); In beautiful symbol, the pattern of what the true Church of Christ, even now and here, should ever aspire to be. ...what we have here is the description of the true New Testament Church, (The Pulpit Commentary); The picture is not, of course, intended to evoke images of space stations, or of cities literally floating in the air; rather, it indicates the divine origin of “the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10), (David Chilton)

  3. Found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKkBBDEc-4I& feature=related

  4. Gary North, Unholy Spirits: Occultism And New Age Humanism, (Fort Worth: Dominion Press, 1986), 182 – 183.

  5. See, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYDzUTZys8g& feature =player_embedded#at=24

  6. http://www.christianity.com/11622549/print/

  7. Marilyn Ferguson, The Aquarian Conspiracy, (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1980), 384.

  8. Walter Martin, The Kingdom Of The Cults, (Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1977), 178 – 184.

  9. Walter A. Elwell, ed., Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, (Grand Rapids: Baker book House, 1987), 1087.

  10. Robert W Wall, New International Biblical Commentary: Revelation, (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1991), 232. Also H. B. Swete who says the passage exemplifies “the whole course of the expansion of Christianity: the conversion of the Empire; the conversion of the Western nations which rose on the ruins of the Empire; the conversion of the South and the far East, still working itself out in the history of our own time. In all St. John would have seen Christ using the Sword of His mouth; the white horse and his Rider, the diadem-crowned head, the invisible armies of heaven.” H. B. Swete, Commentary on Revelation (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, [1911] 1977), p. 254.

  11. Randy Alcorn, Heaven, (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers Inc., 2004), 67.

  12 North, 182

  13. Ferguson, 184

  14. North, 153

  15. Phil Phillips, Turmoil In The Toy Box, (Lancaster: Starburst Publishers, 1986), 82.

  16. Herbert J. Pollitt, The Inter-Faith Movement: The New Age enters the Church, (Carlise: The Banner Of Truth Trust, 1996), 164.

  17. Akiane Kramarik also talks about seeing incredible rainbow colors in her visions of heaven.

  18. Kevin and Alex Mallarkey, The boy who came back from heaven, (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers Inc., 2010, 2011), 186.

  19. These words come from the endorsements found at the front of Heaven Is For Real.

  20. Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent, The Wesleyan Church: found in the endorsements located at the front of Heaven Is For Real.

  21. Adam Clarke's Commentary On The Bible, e-Sword Electronic Edition, Isaiah 3:4.

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  D. Eric Williams has ministered throughout the Mountain-West region of the United States since 1988. In addition to his current pastorate at Cottonwood Community Church in Cottonwood Idaho, he is the Chaplain at the Idaho state Veterans Home in Lewiston Idaho. He holds a BA from the University of the State of New York a MA from the Southern California Graduate School of Theology and is ordained with the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. Eric, his wife, and nine children, and have home-schooled for more than 20 years.

  Eric's ministry is focused on Christ centered expository Bible teaching that is covenantal in nature. His goal is to help families fulfill the kingdom mandate by developing a Christian worldview firmly founded on biblical truth.

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  Real Faith, Studies In The Epistle Of James will en-able you to read the letter of James with fresh eyes and allow you to apply this misunderstood book to your walk of faith.

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  The Christmas season needs a lot more attention from evangelical Christians, and that is what D. Eric Williams provides in his book "The Christmas Season: Stories for Each Week of Advent and Christmas Eve." We tend to pay too much of the wrong kind of attention to Christmas, and not nearly enough of the right kind. In these short fictional stories for each week of Advent, Christian families can find good material to help focus their thoughts on the reason for the season.

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