Don Piper et al - 90 Minutes In Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life Books Review

The amazing struggle of Mr. Piper and the aftermath of his horrendous accident is one of courage and efforts that I have to be in awe of Mr. Piper.

But he did not call his book "My struggle to return to health" or some such, he called it "90 Minutes in Heaven" and spends only 15 pages describing a heretical and false view of what heaven is. How can I say that?

The Bible states in Revelation 26 what heaven is like. Paul writes that "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" and "It is appointed unto man to die, but once, and then the judgment!" The Bible commands its followers to "test ALL things, hold fast to that which is true" and the Bible is the yardstick to do the testing.

All test of Mr. Piper's descriptions prove them to be false teaching and deny that the songs around the throne in heaven are about the sacrafice of the Lord Jesus. He claims "happy songs" and people that "had not changed" and such.

The Bible says we will be in resurrected bodies and the Lord's resurrection body was different enough for the men ont he road to Emmaus to not recognize Him.

The Lord Jesus was asked ONE time, "what will be the sign of Your return?" His answer was "Beware that no man deceive you!"

Jesus taught that the false teachers will rise and the epistles call out that "even the elect" will be mislead. That is happening today more than ever and there are teachers that equate Mr. Piper's book as a validation of the Bible! That is not possible if we look to the Bible to test Mr. Piper.

The book is a testament to Mr. Piper and his struggle. If the 15 pages did not exist, I would have loved the book. But the fact that he gets his emphasis from his time in "his heaven" makes this book of no worth to a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Interesting in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man that the Lord Jesus affirms that fact that NO ONE RETURNS. He granted the brother of Mary (another Lazarus) to rise and Peter restored the dead daughter are examples of His soverign Lordship over life. He made the exemptions, but did not exempt the rule. One life, ONE death. If Lazarus could not go back to tell the rich man's brothers, why would the Lord Jesus send Mr. Piper back to "preach top the choir?"

I say that Mr. Piper is a false teacher that cannot stand the light of the Bible casting his story into darkness. I am not Mr. Piper's judge, only one who follows the command to "test the spirits to see if they are of God!

Easy answer- if you claim the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord, this is not a book for you.

John Marler