On Those who claim to have trips to Heaven

Paul gave Apollos and himself examples to the church ‘that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other” (1 Cor. 4:6).

New revelation certainly puffs one up, they think they were especially chosen to deliver more of the Bible. And we have this with those who claim to have gone to heaven who give more details of what they saw and heard there as if adding to the word.

The Bible speaks of only two men who went to heaven and spoke of it in Scripture, both were apostles. Paul the Apostle was given more revelation to teach the church that any other apostle yet he was not permitted to speak about Heaven. Paul was not allowed to give any details, he said it was illegal for him to speak on his experience.  

 Later on John, who was the last living apostle (of the 12) was given a vision. He was allowed to write his vision as he relayed the future for all the believers to read throughout the centuries. It was centered on Jesus, He gave to us the revelation of Jesus Christ which brought the Bible and the end of the ages to its conclusion, closing the canon on what God would reveal to man of the future.

No other apostle or church member went to heaven. There are no others that went to heaven (no young children, no adults). From these two apostles we have the insight we need, to have faith of what is waiting for us as the pilgrim believers on earth. There is no one else’s word we can trust on this except God’s that is written. No young child or pastor’s experience can ever be accepted no matter how extraordinary and compelling their story may be. 

Then why do we believe others who claim they have been there, those who write books and go on a speaking tour or even have movies made distributing their new revelation.  How can this be from God when we are told if anyone adds to the words of the last apostles writing “If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book” (Rev. 22:18)

Today you have numerous people like Dinakaran, Jesse Duplantis, Bob Jones Todd Bentley, bill Johnson, Kat Kerr and the claimers of these “supernatural trips” continues to grow. Mary Baxter first went to hell and wrote her divine revelation than went to heaven. Much of this is an influence from the Latter Rain, Franklin Hall

 Some teach that anyone can go to heaven, make multiple trips, not just when you die and are sent back but can go anytime they desire

Let’s understand the Bible:

Micaiah in 2 Chronicles 18:18 saw a vision of the Lord on his throne and even Isaiah saw a glimpse of heaven being on earth " In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple"(Isa 6:1)

Stephen mentions seeing Jesus in heaven, but  he does not not describe heaven (Acts 7:55)

Paul's Trip to Heaven:

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 Paul wrote:  “It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago-- whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows-- such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man-- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Paul says he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.” Paul was not allowed to give any details as he said it was illegal for him to speak on his experience (which is why he speaks of in the third person). He then describes how he was given a thorn in the flesh as a reminder of this great revelation he was privileged to have. Paul the Apostle was given the more revelation to teach the church than any other apostle yet He was not permitted to speak about Heaven. So why do we hear of  so many stories from others today?

John writes the Revelation of Jesus Christ (the revealing). Heaven is mentioned in his book some 55 times almost as much as it is in all the epistles by the apostles.

John writes Rev 1:1-3 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants-- things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

The reason John was commissioned  was to give the church the Revelation through the end of the ages. 

Notice what it says: which God gave Him to show His servants; Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it;

John was the longest living apostle, chosen to convey this last revelation. There is no mention of others that will come later, especially in the end days. The very time Jesus and the apostles warned about deception.  

We are to hear the words of John’s prophesy, but if we listen to other stories we would have to ignore his. It’s either or, not both as some have accepted.

John is specifically told by a vision  Rev. 4:1-5 “speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this." Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”

Throughout the book John further unveils what is taking place in heaven when the Tribulation is taking place on earth. Its purpose is to give the saints of all time a glimpse of what is taking place in heaven as the worst period of time commences on earth.

Neither Paul nor John saw or went to heaven more than once. Both were apostles and both wrote of it, Paul describing nothing and John describing the future, the spirit of prophecy that is Jesus Christ for the last period of history before Christ returns to reign. So we can see that there is no reason nor Biblical justification for anyone today to experience or teach their new revelations of heaven.

Those who use the 2 apostles for justification for their experience manipulate the Scriptures meaning to make the apostles unique one time experience more open to all. God is not involved in this.

As was written to the church of Ephesus:

Rev. 2:2b “And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars” To claim one has gone to heaven and comes back with further revelation, extra Biblical revelation is a claim to be an apostle. Notice it says them, plural. Have you tested them as the Ephesian church has in scripture?

On the authority of the word I can say when you hear someone’s personal heavenly experience; remember the bible. Those who claim they are making visits to heaven are not telling the truth, but have departed from it (1 Cor. 4:6).