Reviews

Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Promises, and the Exhilarating Future That Awaits You by John Burke, Don Piper

reynoldsreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

This book is … life-changing.

John Burke examines people’s accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs), people who have clinically died and claim to have visited the afterlife before coming back to life. There is a remarkable consistency in these reports across cultures, religions, and personal beliefs, and they all line up with Scripture amazingly well. Taken together, they can give us a pretty good picture of what Heaven is like.

Although there are thousands of NDE stories out there nowadays, Burke chooses examples for this book from doctors, lawyers, scientists, pilots, and other such people who have little to gain monetarily from selling such a story and a lot to lose in credibility if they are caught in such an extravagant lie.

And the picture they paint of the Heaven that awaits us is just … indescribable. Enhanced senses, colours you’ve never seen before, a beautiful city and surrounding countryside, reunions with loved ones — family, friends, pets! — a physical body in peak condition, a life review that focuses on your relationships and how you showed love to others, and a “Being of Light” who radiates pure, unconditional love (and uses colloquialisms and has a great sense of humour!)

I cannot stress how highly I recommend this book! It will change the way you think about a lot of things — in this life and the one to come! 

gsteinbacher's review against another edition

4.0

I would highly recommend this book. My only complaint would be that towards the book it seems to get repetitive. This makes it tough to get through the end of the book.

But I like the layout of the book. I never felt that Mr. Burke was ever drawing us to a certain belief system. He seemed to just layout the facts and draw conclusions based on the stories themselves, never comparing them to a specific belief system.

kimewells's review against another edition

5.0

I am not sure I have the words to convey how much I loved this book. I needed this book. Every so often I find a book that I cannot wait to recommend to someone that I feel would be touched or encouraged by its contents. This book, however, is one that I feel should be read by everyone who has any interest at all in Heaven. In fact, this book is about SO much more than Heaven.

In Imagine Heaven, John Burke shares stories from many people who have had near-death experiences and ties together the details and commonalities in each of the stories. Each of these stories are set beside the many verses throughout scripture that talk about Heaven and also the author’s own thoughts about what we could possibly expect to experience there. Although these stories are quite compelling, I believe the most valuable part of this book is the beautiful thoughts by the author about life, love and relationships in the here and now. I was so very moved by his words and will be reading them over and over for years to come. As a Worship Leader, Imagine Heaven has given deeper meaning to the lyrics in my favorite worship songs and I find this book to be a wonderful resource in helping God’s people to seek after the heart of God in worship.

I hope that you’ll buy and read this book. It truly is about SO much more than imagining Heaven. I believe it’s also about understanding God’s love for us, for each other and His purposes for His people right here on earth!