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Explore intriguing near-death experiences of George Ritchie, Retha & Aldo McPherson, Alex Malarkey, & the NDE phenomenon. Examine biblical context, spiritual messages, and critical analysis.
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George Ritchie supposedly died from a case of Pneumonia in 1943, at 20 years of age in the army. He revived after 9 minutes, and actually claimed to be in the presence of a brilliant white light—the Son of God was unrecognizable. He says that he was transported to a place and permitted to see those who had committed suicide. He also said that he was taken to hell. No desires ever satisfied there no matter what they were.
Bright lights (angels) were watching over each of these unfortunates constantly. He saw a city of brilliant light off in the distance, however, never really saw heaven. After a long “out of body” experience, he was returned to his body (9 minutes literally).
This is the story of Retha and Aldo McPherson, who went through a tragic automobile accident in 2004. All were okay, except Aldo “After a few weeks in a coma, Aldo finally woke up. While he was in a coma, he had a supernatural experience where he went to heaven, saw God, the angels, Moses and Abraham. Aldo came back with one message: “Jesus is alive!” Due to the seriousness of his injuries to his head Aldo was not able to speak for a long time and related his miraculous journey by writing letters lead by the Holy Spirit – which he is still doing today.”
Retha was formerly Mrs. South Africa, and that was her primary interest. Now, she is a preacher for some sort of charismatic group. The “messages” Aldo gets from the Holy Spirit occur nightly while he is asleep. Examples of these messages are the following: “Will you please always work for Jesus, Mommy? We know that He is alive because we were both with Him in the throne room. He is going to heal me 100 percent.”
“Please be what God desires you to be—holy. I know you will go where God sends you. Do you know, Mommy, God will show you what to write in your new book? Who will go and be what God asks them to be? I will, Jesus.” This is typical of the kind of messages Aldo “gets” from the Holy Spirit. Just compare these with Biblical revelation to see the difference between what really comes from the Spirit, and what Aldo gets in his dreams.
When this book was written in 2009, Retha said: “Is Aldo’s brain injury completely healed? No, not yet. Is his speech perfect? No, not yet. He still speaks on a monotone and very slowly. Sometimes his words come out completely wrong, and this is the knee-halter why he can’t minister yet.” The God that I know in Scripture doesn’t take years to heal someone! In fact, it’s 2014—ten years after the accident—and Aldo is still not healed.
This is Alex Malarkey, who also suffered a horrible wreck in 2004. Alex was in a coma for two months! He was six years old at the time, so, he is now sixteen. Alex was “watching from the ceiling” what was happening on the table. He said that Jesus was talking to him all the while. He went to heaven, and saw 150 angels, who were pure white with fantastic wings.
He claims to have seen God “from the neck down” and He has a body like humans—only much bigger. He saw only God, Jesus, and angels. No people! There is, according to Alex, an Inner and an Outer Heaven. Inner is inside the gate. Outer Heaven has a large hole that leads to hell. He says that there are fields of grass, lakes, rivers, etc., in heaven—only that they are perfect. Alex said, on one occasion, that the devil was attacking him.
Dr. Raymond Onders, performed the “Christopher Reeves” surgery on Alex, as he had on Christopher. Alex was afraid that he was going to die during that surgery. I would ask, Why? The angels supposedly talked to Alex about Jesus coming back to the earth, and promised many “altar calls,” etc. Where do we find either of these things in Scripture? Kevin, Alex’s father, told him on one occasion, “you have to ask Jesus into your heart and ask for forgiveness.” Again, where is this taught?
Response to NDE So Far • First, none of the ones who were brought back to life in the Bible EVER told anything about what they experienced. • Second, Satan possesses all “power and signs and false wonders” and, because of him, “God will send . . . A deluding influ-ence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth” (2 Thess. 2:9-12)
Response to NDE So Far • Third, Moody and Ross reported, “There was a cultural stamp to the visions. Most Americans saw loved ones, most Indians saw religious figures. Religion determined the identity of the figure; no Christian patient saw a Hindu deity, and no Hindu saw Jesus.” (Daniel Goleman, “Back from the Brink,” Psychology Today, April 1977, p. 58; reporting on research from some 500 cases).
Response to NDE So Far • Fourth, the Bible clearly teaches that men only die once: And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, (Hebrews 9:27) • There were exceptions—miraculous resuscitations; 2. But, none of these exceptions ever said anything about the afterlife (examples).
Responses to NDE So Far • Fifth, those who have had NDEs are, far and away, convinced that they’ve been to heaven. Thus, they have virtually no desire to obey the gospel, and to leave denominationalism. 1. Either denominational beliefs are okay and the Bible is wrong (cf. 1 Cor. 1:10; John 17:20-21). 2. Or, the Bible is right and they are wrong!
Responses to NDE So Far • Sixth, those who have gone to the afterlife and have come back, or stayed, were forbidden to say anything about it. 1. The apostle Paul (2 Cor. 12:2-4). 2. The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:23-31).
Responses to NDE So Far • Seventh, John’s supposed descriptions of heaven in Revelation are of no help to NDE theorists, since Revelation is highly symbolic. • Eighth, since these writers all contradict one another, we either accept their subjective testimony or we accept the objectivity of the Bible. We can’t do both!
POINTS WITH A PUNCH Kevin Malarkey’s father remarked after a devastating occurrence to their house: “For me, the question isn’t, ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’ but ‘Why does anything good happen at all?’ We certainly don’t deserve it.”
POINTS WITH A PUNCH Mary Neal reported what a preacher she knew had written: “We are constantly bombarded by those who want a piece of us, seeking our time, talents, and energy. Sometimes we weary of those demands and, at times, we feel God’s call on our lives as just another pull when we already feel pulled apart.”
Heaven Come Eternal State Judgment Depart Hell
2 Peter 3:11-12 11. “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12. looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?”
Are you preparing For Heaven ?
