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Visits to Heaven and Back: Are They Real?
What will heaven really be like?
Today’s bestseller lists are filled with stories of those who have claimed to experienced heaven firsthand. Curiosity about what will happen after we die is as strong as ever in the twenty-first century. Yet, each book contains a different story about what we will experience in heaven.
What are we to believe? What is true?
In Visits to Heaven and Are They Real? Mark Hitchcock, a respected Bible teacher, sorts out the facts. He chronicles the recent phenomenon of “heaven” books, comparing and contrasting the ideas presented in these books and revealing the discrepancies and contradictions. Then, Mark turns to the Bible, laying out clearly the teachings about heaven and experiences in this life of another world. The Bible does reveal that there is a world beyond this one, but it also contains clear warnings and amazing promises.
Discover today God’s clear and certain promises concerning heaven.
Today’s bestseller lists are filled with stories of those who have claimed to experienced heaven firsthand. Curiosity about what will happen after we die is as strong as ever in the twenty-first century. Yet, each book contains a different story about what we will experience in heaven.
What are we to believe? What is true?
In Visits to Heaven and Are They Real? Mark Hitchcock, a respected Bible teacher, sorts out the facts. He chronicles the recent phenomenon of “heaven” books, comparing and contrasting the ideas presented in these books and revealing the discrepancies and contradictions. Then, Mark turns to the Bible, laying out clearly the teachings about heaven and experiences in this life of another world. The Bible does reveal that there is a world beyond this one, but it also contains clear warnings and amazing promises.
Discover today God’s clear and certain promises concerning heaven.
- GenresNonfictionChristian
240 pages, Paperback
First published February 19, 2015
4 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Mark Hitchcock
116 books116 followersMark Hitchcock was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He attended Oklahoma State University and graduated from law school in 1984. After working for a judge at the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals for four years, Mark was led to attend Dallas Theological Seminary, graduating in 1991. Since that time, he has served as senior pastor of Faith Bible Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. He completed his PhD at Dallas Theological Seminary in 2005 and serves as an associate professor of Bible exposition at DTS. He has authored over thirty books related to end-time Bible prophecy that have sold over one million copies. His books have been translated into over ten languages. Mark is a frequent speaker at churches and prophecy conferences both in the United States and internationally. Mark and his wife, Cheryl, live in Edmond, Oklahoma. They have two sons, Justin (married to Natalee) and Samuel, and two grandchildren..
You can also connect with Mark on Facebook
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 4, 2015
eARC: Netgalley
Mark Hitchcock raises many of the concerns that I have had myself with so many of the "Heaven" books that are coming out. He carefully and scripturally addresses these concerns, not with a goal to discredit the authors but with a goal of seeking biblical truth.
I recommend this book to anyone who has read these other books.
Mark Hitchcock raises many of the concerns that I have had myself with so many of the "Heaven" books that are coming out. He carefully and scripturally addresses these concerns, not with a goal to discredit the authors but with a goal of seeking biblical truth.
I recommend this book to anyone who has read these other books.
July 19, 2017
After reading a review of the genre of visits to heaven books by an author on this site, I decided to purchase this book.
Firstly, the size of the book was a bit disappointing. I had expected a much larger treatment of the issue. It isn't too suprising then that the analysis of the books in the genre (perhaps this isn't quite the right word for this category of books) was a bit disappointing too as only a few books were analyzed, one of which I'd read.
In any case, I very much enjoyed the other main parts of the book: analysis of accounts of visits to hell, description of heaven based on scriptural references and question and answers about heaven.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject of heaven. Guessing by the popularity of individual accounts of visits to heaven my guess is that there would (or should) be a lot of interest in this analysis of them.
Firstly, the size of the book was a bit disappointing. I had expected a much larger treatment of the issue. It isn't too suprising then that the analysis of the books in the genre (perhaps this isn't quite the right word for this category of books) was a bit disappointing too as only a few books were analyzed, one of which I'd read.
In any case, I very much enjoyed the other main parts of the book: analysis of accounts of visits to hell, description of heaven based on scriptural references and question and answers about heaven.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject of heaven. Guessing by the popularity of individual accounts of visits to heaven my guess is that there would (or should) be a lot of interest in this analysis of them.
March 5, 2025
This book was released about ten years ago, but it’s still very relevant. The author addresses several Heaven and back books and gives specific examples of places the experiences do not line up with scripture. It’s a quick and easy read. Very thought provoking and encourages readers to hold the Bible as the plumb line when reading any such books on trips to Heaven.
January 2, 2017
This was a donation to the Lake Cy Detention Center. My task is to review the books donated to see if they are appropriate for the Christian book cart ministry with the female inmates.
Since books about heaven and hell are frequently requested, I truly believe that they should read this before they waste their time with the plethora of money making books by people who claim to have come upon the entrance to heaven and hell and were allegedly told to come back and tell people about it. (making money in the process , of course.)
The bottom line: SCRIPTURE is and should be our only source of the truth about where we will spend our eternity and...it will be either place:
Revelation 21: 1-5 says it all "...He will wipe every tear from their eyes and their will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain..."
Who will be there? John 14 is clear that those who accept Jesus Christ and are forgiven. He is the way... The only way. "It would be more accurate to call our present existence the before life...Heaven will be LIFE in it's fullest sense" Randy Alcorn.
What won't be there: Funeral Homes, hospitals, abortion clinics, divorce courts, bankruptcy, no porn, no aids, no cancer, no talk shows, no drive by shootings, no racial tensions, no wars....
Since books about heaven and hell are frequently requested, I truly believe that they should read this before they waste their time with the plethora of money making books by people who claim to have come upon the entrance to heaven and hell and were allegedly told to come back and tell people about it. (making money in the process , of course.)
The bottom line: SCRIPTURE is and should be our only source of the truth about where we will spend our eternity and...it will be either place:
Revelation 21: 1-5 says it all "...He will wipe every tear from their eyes and their will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain..."
Who will be there? John 14 is clear that those who accept Jesus Christ and are forgiven. He is the way... The only way. "It would be more accurate to call our present existence the before life...Heaven will be LIFE in it's fullest sense" Randy Alcorn.
What won't be there: Funeral Homes, hospitals, abortion clinics, divorce courts, bankruptcy, no porn, no aids, no cancer, no talk shows, no drive by shootings, no racial tensions, no wars....
April 12, 2016
Thought provoking book about near death experiences, both what many people claim happened to them and what the Bible says will happen. There's lots of rhetoric on both sides of the argument, and Hitchcock sites many different sources for each. Ultimately he wants us to see that these 'visits to heaven' aren't in keeping with the Christian faith, and that to believe in them is selling out faithfulness in God's word.
The writing is straightforward and meticulous, and the book is laid out in an organized methodical fashion, which helps keep all these ideas straight.
Well written & thought provoking, this one will keep you thinking long after you put it down.
*I received an arc from NetGalley for an honest review
The writing is straightforward and meticulous, and the book is laid out in an organized methodical fashion, which helps keep all these ideas straight.
Well written & thought provoking, this one will keep you thinking long after you put it down.
*I received an arc from NetGalley for an honest review
March 6, 2015
I received complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale.
I originally thought that this book would be filled with great stories that I could enjoy. No, I was wrong. It is still a well written book. Basically its filled with thoughts and facts combined to make a point. I was not super thrilled reading through it simply because it is not at all what I would find interesting. I think what it comes down to is Faith and the power to believe in whatever you choose. So if someone writes a story and you like it, that is all that matters. In this world it is not even possible to attempt to reach a conclusion as anyone can spin the subject in order to pump out another book.
I originally thought that this book would be filled with great stories that I could enjoy. No, I was wrong. It is still a well written book. Basically its filled with thoughts and facts combined to make a point. I was not super thrilled reading through it simply because it is not at all what I would find interesting. I think what it comes down to is Faith and the power to believe in whatever you choose. So if someone writes a story and you like it, that is all that matters. In this world it is not even possible to attempt to reach a conclusion as anyone can spin the subject in order to pump out another book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews