Where do we go from here? TIME brings you a visually inspiring exploration of humankind's speculation about the afterlife, from the Christian view of heaven to its myriad spiritual and literary versions: Valhalla, Nirvana, Shangri-La and many other concepts of paradise. The quest is not just a spiritual one, but a scientific and eyewitness journey as well. Fully 85% of Americans believe in heaven, according to Gallup, and now TIME takes you on an unforgettable quest into what it may look like. Our quest for understanding the afterlife include: What are the common elements (and key differences) in how cultures around the world view the afterlife? Ware Near-death Experiences and why do so many people report similar accounts? Do we have a psychological need to believe in life after death? How did the biblical version of heaven take shape? What are the best literary depictions of heaven, from "Pardiso" by Dante to "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) is one of the greatest European writers, whose untrammelled imaginative capacity was matched by a huge base in embracing the science of his era. His texts also paint compelling visual images. In Visions of Heaven, renowned scholar Martin Kemp investigates Dante's supreme vision of divine light and its implications for the visual artists who were the inheritors of Dante's vision. The whole book may be regarded as a new Paragone (comparison), the debate that began in the Renaissance about which of the arts is superior. Dante's ravishing accounts of divine light set painters the severest challenge, which took them centuries to meet. A major theme running through Dante's Divine Comedy, particularly in its third book, the Paradiso, centres on Dante's acts of seeing (conducted according to optical rules with respect to the kind of visual experience that can be accomplished on earth) and the overwhelming of Dante's earthly senses by heavenly light, which does not obey his rules of earthly optics. The repeated blinding of Dante by excessive light sets the tone for artists' portrayal of unseeable brightness.
When the wicked have traveled a course of sin, and discover they have reason to fear the God;s judgement and wrath for their sins, they begin to wish there is no God to punish them, then by degrees they persuade themselves there is no God, and then they set themselves to study the arguments to support their opinion. This excellent book by John Bunyan covers the subject matter of the existence of heaven and hell as well as studies and dispells the arguments presented by sinners who argue there is no heaven and hell. Most do not know that Bunyan wrote some 60 books, and poetry too. And also almost a well-kept secret is that his doctrine was so biblically laced that many good men would call him too severe. He believed in, and taught, ALL the doctrines of grace, including double-predestination, or reprobation. Why then is he not smeared with the name of hyper-Calvinist like Goodwin, Gill, and others? I guess the same people ought to call Luther a hyper-Lutheran, for he believed and taught it, too. Why begin a review of Bunyan's writings with such a view of his doctrine? It is to show that a Pilgrim's Progress can come only from someone who believes and teaches ALL the counsel of God, without flinching, yea, with loving-kindness. Illegally, He sat in a jail cell over a river for 12 years with his Bible, Galatians by Luther, and another book or two. He had the choice of feeling miserable and murmuring, or of filling his time, thoughts, and energies with studying that Bible, and seeking a way to be of help to his more comfortable, but less dedicated, brothers and sisters. Listen, dear saints, you can't do any better than reading Bunyan. Like Gurnall, he covers everything here and there, and with a sweetness that can come only from God. What a shame that his large heart should be encased in such small print. But, like digging gold, it is worth the time and trouble to dig spiritual gold. Bunyan (1628-1688) rose from an humble beginning to being a preacher to a little house church, to 12 years in jail because he would not agree to quit preaching, to a huge church in London. He wrote 66 books, nearly all while in jail.
There's an ethereal magic to standing beneath a dome, neck craned, looking up at a vision of the heavens created by some long-ago figure of genius. From the Pantheon to the Hagia Sophia, the power of the dome seems transcendent. Photographer David Stephenson's magnificently kaleidoscopic images of dome interiors capture this evanescent drama, and make Visions of Heaven one of the most spectacularly beautiful books we've ever produced. Traveling from Italy to Spain, Turkey, England, Germany, and Russia, among other countries, and photographing churches, palaces, mosques, and synagogues from the second to the early twentieth century, Stephenson's work amounts to a veritable typology of the cupola. His images present complex geometrical structures, rich stucco decorations, and elaborate paintings as they have never been seen before. Brilliantly calibrated exposures reveal details and colors that would otherwise remain hidden in these dimly lit spaces. Visions of Heaven shows more than 120 images, including the Roman Pantheon, the Byzantine churches of Turkey, the great domes of the Renaissance, the decorative cupolas of the Baroque and the Rococo ages, and a nineteenth-century synagogue in Hungary.
Are you facing adversity, testing and trials? Heavenly answers for the weary heart. Wendy Alec, prophet and seer, recounts a series of extraordinary, supernatural encounters with the Father, following a season of deep, personal trauma.
Living in the light of eternity changes everything! God gave Laurie A. Ditto a terrifying, firsthand vision of hell - an event she details in her book, The Hell Conspiracy. But this vision was followed by an equally overwhelming experiencea tangible encounter with the glories of Heaven! Through these 15 visions, Heaven will draw you deep into the heart of God to experience exhilarating glories! Encountering Heaven is an invitation to see Heaven for yourself! Glimpse Gods Kingdom through Lauries descriptive and heart-stirring visual imagery combined with Bible-based Truth. Most people limit Heaven to harps, pearly gates, and golden streets. Discover the Heaven that is wildly possessive and always calling one higher into the depths of God. You will: Cast off earthly restraints for Heavenly equipping. Function in your heavenly identity. Walk in favor with immediate obedience to Jesus. Fulfill your God-given purpose, every day. Unveil the mystery of the Bridal March. Believe for the impossible as you bring Heaven to Earth. Dare to take the journey. Experience a new vision of Heaven that will change your life!
For one brief moment, this author stepped into eternity. Visions of Heaven will take you on a journey as Jane Moe is taught how to recognize the Lord's Church when she encounters it later in life.
Is there life after death? After a tragic accident, doctors pronounced Richard Sigmund legally dead. Eight hours later, God miraculously brought him back to life on the way to the morgue. During those hours, God allowed him to experience the glorious beauty, heavenly sounds, sweet aromas, and boundless joys of heaven that await every believer. God then returned him back to earth with a mission to tell the world what he saw. You will thrill to Sigmund’s eyewitness accounts of strolling down heaven’s streets of gold, seeing angels playing with children, talking with Jesus, meeting with people from the Bible, as well as departed family and friends, seeing the mansions, and much more! Through Sigmund’s testimony, God restored sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and even raised several people from the dead. Also, glimpse into the horrifying reality of “the other place”—a place where no one wants to go.
Life after death has been the mesmerizing subject of the ages. Is there an afterlife? If so, can we learn truth about that plane of existence this side of eternity? The answer to both questions is a resounding yes, according to thrilling accounts of those who have returned from clinical death to report the amazing things they saw and heard. Terry James, a Christian and author of many books about Bible prophecy, died clinically three times on Good Friday, April 22, 2011. He and his co-author, Angie Peters, share the story of his fully medically documented experience on that strange, exhilarating day, and examine many other cases of near-death encounters through the lens of Scripture to present a powerful, detailed case for what awaits us once we leave this world and enter the next.
The stories of divine intervention in people's everyday lives continued to occupy Peter Shockey's thoughts, even after his documentaries on the subject for The Learning Channel had been completed and garnered numerous awards. In Reflections of Heaven, Shockey shares the most compelling accounts he has heard over the past decade, and also offers profound insight into what the increasing presence of the divine in daily life can mean in the new millennium. Beginning with his own personal story, Shockey goes on to introduce others who relate their miraculous experiences, ranging from visions of heaven to the presence of angels. He then puts these encounters in an enlightening context as he explores discernible patterns of divine intervention in history, as well as in the Bible. In doing so, he takes readers on an unforgettable spiritual odyssey that will change the way they look at the here-and-now--and the hereafter.
