Authorpreneur Dashboard – Ivan Rudolph
God's Main Aim - Revealed
Religion & Spirituality
Who is God REALLY? Understanding develops from analysing His modern work in ordinary lives, our personal accounts of answered prayer, divine provision - and a further 30 dimensions of His interacting with us on practical levels . As we do so, a divine "theory of everything spiritual" arises - and develops into the focus of this extraordinary book.
Rough-Cut Book Bubbles from God's Main Aim - Revealed
Who is God REALLY? I mean REALLY?
Many of the experiences described on blog.ivanrudolph.com illustrate that there exists a reality beyond our physical universe, and that the ultimate answers to our deepest questions lie in that continuing reality. Please add to the blog YOUR ACCOUNTS of what God has done in your life – so that we can expand our knowledge of God across the globe and develop a true Christian community. These testimonies will light up the purpose for our earth having been set up at all. Our world is a limited environment that I term “playpen earth” on which we can grow as people in three eternal dimensions that we take spiritually into the afterlife – Faith, Hope and Love. What, then, is God’s ultimate purpose for our lives on “playpen earth”? I term this His “Main Aim” (purpose), or “Main Game” (actions) for your life and for mine. My planned new book explores what that Main Aim is for you and for me, and how it plays out (Main Game) in our human experiences. You will find this book ‘profiles’ who God is based on what He does nowadays, and what His intentions are for our individual time and experiences on earth, which intentions are found in God’s Main Aim for us. Co-operating with God’s Main Aim gives you and I our only shot at a worthwhile existence – and one that flows into eternity.
WHO REALLY IS GOD? REALLY?
Please check out my blog.ivanrudolph.com and you will find people from around the world have had super experiences, most often after prayer, that defy both logic and rational explanation. There is a heap of independent evidence of these happenings, including x-rays before and then after miracles, to substantiate something has happened beyond our usual strict scientific explanations. These extraordinary events often occur after prayer to a higher creative power termed “God” in religions. I investigate life in terms of the Christian God, who is mysterious unity but presents to us as 3 persons – a father, a son – both readily understandable, but also in a mysterious spiritual presentation, the Holy Spirit. The extraordinary happenings beyond rational explanation are often associated with this third presentation of God, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit points us towards a fascinating existence beyond our common experiences, an existence that amazes us but at the same time is very attractive. We find ourselves drawn towards the brilliant light of the Holy Spirit.
The world's biggest mystery - SOLVED!
It’s exciting! One of the world’s biggest mysteries solved at last! In the 1980s Moorhead, an American Professor of Philosophy, wrote to 250 of the best-known philosophers, scientists, writers and intellectuals in the world asking them, "What is the meaning of life?" Some offered their best guesses, some admitted they had just made up a purpose, and others said they had no idea. In fact, many of these famous thinkers asked Moorhead to write back and tell them if he ever discovered the purpose of life. My upcoming book solves the meaning of life comprehensively, totally and absolutely!! It is not a solution that can be written down in a sentence, or in a paragraph, but it is the guiding theme of the book. By the end of your reading it, it will have solved for you the earth’s greatest riddle. Deep truths will have tumbled out of it. Big call I know, but as you read it, the unheralded truth will grow in you one bloom at a time, until you are thinking in a
Your Origin And Destiny
Religion & Spirituality
“This book contains one of the most logical explanations of man’s purpose in the universe that I have ever read!” — Rev. Dave Smethurst, international evangelist, Chaplain to Olympic Games, and founder of many orphanages in Eastern Europe.
Your Origin and Destiny explores the meaning of Life, Time, Evolution and Creation. Do you ever wonder who you are and why you’re on this Earth? Harnessing science and faith, Ivan Rudolph, author of Living Beyond: Making Sense of Near Death Experiences (2015), offers unique revelations and research that will lead to you expanding your own perspectives in all these areas, even if you have thought them through in the past. You’ll find that Time itself is different and far beyond our assumptions and experiences. Finding answers to life’s most pressing questions will leave you touched, satisfied and excited.
Have you ever wondered whether the fundamental Evolution vs. Creation disagreements can be resolved? They can, and Rudolph analyzes why our own beginnings are entrenched in this issue, and how the confusion and distress of this redundant debate has caused many to abandon belief in an eternal God and an afterlife.
This easy-to-read book, Your Origin and Destiny, is a unique and poignant approach to life’s most important questions. You will be inspired by your fresh understanding and vision to pursue a fulfilling life of purpose and love, leading you into an eternal future. Most importantly, you will see yourself in a vibrant new light that will follow you long after the last page.
Book Bubbles from Your Origin And Destiny
YOUR TIMES/TIME AND FUTURE TIMES
In our present time, those who promote themselves seem to gather friends and fans very readily - and often fall away just as readily. I hate self-promotion and prefer others to do this for me, so I will simply quote what others have said about "YOUR ORIGIN AND DESTINY' - and there are other recent emailers too who have found it life-changing from their emails. You have a bit of time now - why not look into YOUR origin and destiny?
Who is God REALLY? And You?
Science without religion is lame; religion without Science is blind. — Albert Einstein A childhood question we never quite found the answer to in the playground, in school, or at home was “Who am I?” Later it likely became lost in the noise of life without ever being answered fully. Nowadays, with numbers of fine Scientists and leaders in industry and technology becoming increasingly alarmed by developments in artificial intelligence (AI), the question starts to puzzle and challenge us again, “Who really am I? How fundamentally superior am I to a sophisticated robot?” Robots can already invent their own private language and share information with other robots. They express awareness, logic, feelings, and independence. It may shock us, but Science does not actually know the answer to man’s superiority, nor to the essence of Time, Consciousness, Energy or Love, vital though these are to our existence. Check them out on the internet “what is Energy really?” and so on. For example — we know a huge amount how one form of energy converts into another, and how to measure it, how it travels and other characteristics, but what it truly is eludes us. The same is true for Consciousness and Time. We are babes in the woods of existence, whatever existence is. YOUR ORIGIN AND DESTINY SOLVES ALL THESE QUESTIONS!!
CHRISTMAS AND BEYOND CHRISTMAS
I would have liked to send everyone in the world, including you of course, a 2020 Christmas card proclaiming this quote from Luke 2: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you.” That is the best news of 2020!! It will also be the best news for 2021! Right now, inspired by dark forces without many of them knowing this, significant world leaders in different spheres are hoping to manipulate the whole world into The Great Reset. If they succeed, SAY GOODBYE TO SOME IMPORTANT FREEDOMS AND TO DEMOCRACY. The Jesus we celebrate at Christmas identified some issues to watch out for. My last two books, “Your Origin and Destiny” and “Living Beyond: Making Sense of Near Death Experiences” - serve you as kind of guides to your LIFE AND DESTINY, including your future afterlife experiences. If you have found them helpful, please recommend them to friends and on social media. MEANWHILE ENJOY CHRISTMAS, LOOKING FORWARD TO BUILDING LOVE WITH BOTH GOD AND WITH PEOPLE IN 2021.
YOUR DESTINY CALLS YOU
This bubble will be my penultimate cut from “Your Origin and Destiny” Next year I will be pursuing fresh dreams that will require exclusivity and effort. My new books and other projects need dedicated time and take years, and when I start a fresh challenge I drop off the radar, but am still contactable through my website ivanrudolph.com. I hope you have found my last two books helpful; “Your Origin and Destiny” and “Living Beyond: Making Sense of Near Death Experiences”. If you have, please onshare. However, factual books such as these take me 6 to 8 years to research and complete – and the research has usually begun years before the ultimate race to the finished product. The final chapters in “Your Origin and Destiny” deal in some detail with your personal destiny, starting from now and continuing into the different stages you will experience both on Earth and in the afterlife. Your development does not stop. Our last bubble dealt with God is Love in the afterlife. This one investigates how you will experience God is Light in the afterlife. Early on in your afterlife. you will most likely experience God’s incredible energising light. The Bible prepares us for this by revealing to us that God IS Light (1John 1:5). So prepare to be ENLIGHTENED!!
GOD'S CHARACTER IS VITAL TO YOUR FUTURE! WHY?
Originally “charakter” was the name given to any engraving instrument e.g. a seal, by which a person’s identification could be determined—a seal with his personal imprint would identify what belonged to a king. Later, it came to mean that distinguishing mark itself made on the wax, clay or stone. Subsequently it passed into our language meaning the distinguishing marks cut into the nature of a person. Personality is related to what we show externally to the world; character is related to our inner nature. Our personality can change depending on who we are with, but our character is more foundational, and changes slowly if at all. God’s fundamental character is known well—he is morally pure and righteous, holy, fair, kind, patient, generous, loving, truthful and faithful. Both of my most recent books, “Your Origin and Destiny” and “Living Beyond” develop who God REALLY is. While we see these positive characteristics in people to a limited degree, God is different because he is also sinless perfection. In other words, his character is far enhanced (inadequate though that word is) in every respect to that of any good people we may know, REGARDLESS OF THEIR BELIEF SYSTEM, although in them we can catch a glimpse of God’s character. SIN DEFACES US BUT GOD’S LOVE IN CHRIST RESTORES!
GOD IS LOVE! SO WE CAN HAVE A FUTURE!!
Brenda and I watched TV recently about estrangement within families. Without exception, all the bitter problems stemmed from a lack of practical love. The Bible reveals that “God is Love” (1John 4:8), and the central message of the gospel of our salvation is predicated by this (John 3:16). We all know that love involves, among much else, very powerful emotions. We mirror our Father in having powerful emotions. I will emphasise God’s emotions in various scriptures below, to draw attention to them: God “feels” things intensely—we read of his anger burning (Isaiah 5:25) and in Genesis 6:6 that “The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the Earth, and his heart was deeply troubled”. Later in Isaiah we read “the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore, he will rise up to show you compassion”. (Isaiah 30:18). Thankfully, scripture reveals that God’s compassion can in time overcome his anger, as demonstrated in Isaiah 54:7,8—God speaking: “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer. This triumph of God’s compassion over his anger underpins our hope.
FINDING GOD THROUGH HIS CREATIVITY
Writers love recognition for their lonely work, so I wish I could show you a copy of the gong I have just received from Mary Yarde of the UK Coffee Book Club for “Finalist of the Year” for 2020 Spiritual and Self Help book. Far more importantly, my new book is helping people internationally, including those with concerns about covid-19. Our afterlife in many thousands of written descriptions by those who have died and returned, is absolutely tied up with God, regardless of whether we paid him any attention while learning the lessons of life on Earth. So, the smartest thing is to get to know God in advance before death! My two most recent books “Living Beyond” and “Your Origin and Destiny” zero in on who God REALLY is. One avenue is that all around us nature speaks of God’s invisible power and intellect. His originality and life force permeate all of his Creation: “For since the Creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20) What we see expressed in the created world helps us to understand our invisible God better. It displays his creative nature and power.
GOD IS SPIRIT - SO CAN WE SEE/TOUCH HIM?
In Exodus 33:20 God said to Moses, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” God was referring to a specific encounter that Moses had asked for, to see God’s glory. for earlier in verse 11 of the same chapter we read: “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend”. When you talk face to face with friends, you certainly see their faces! Others besides Moses spoke with the Lord “face to face”, yet lived. And on one occasion, more than seventy men saw God at one time and were not destroyed (Exodus 24:9-11). How come? The light around God can vary in intensity; Moses had basically asked to see all of it, “his glory”. It was the intensity of God’s glorious energy that would have been too great for Moses to survive while on Earth. Thousands of written accounts by NDE returnees describe seeing God in glorious light in the afterlife - yet surviving. Statements about God as one whom “no one has seen or can see” (1Timothy 6:16), are referring to seeing God on Earth in his fullness and his glory. Jesus, however, was unique; he alone at that time had seen God in the totality that Moses, Isaiah, Jacob and others could not without dying.
WHO IS THIS GOD WHO SPEAKS? YOU SURE?
Time to investigate carefully who God REALLY is beyond things he says to people. WE ARE ALL FAR MORE THAN THE THINGS WE SAY, and so is God. Remember please, we had better get to know him as deeply as we can while on earth because the better we do, the more we will enjoy the afterlife. Here is a comment from a good friend of ours, Julie Tennett, who was kind enough to read and criticise my book in its formative stages. She is both a super person and a good wordsmith, picking up weaknesses I had not noticed despite having read it over already. Julie’s summary follows: “This book is incredibly thought-provoking, whilst providing a thoroughly well researched analysis of important fundamental concepts. The focus clarifies the concept of Time in the scriptures–and how translations have muddied the waters. Using a “teacher’s” clear and easily understood style, we learn the different stages of God’s work: Creation planned first in Heaven, and Creation then actioned on earth, as well as Creation which takes place over time and encompasses a Theory of Evolution. We learn a great deal about God’s creativity and love—past, present and future—and our role in his family.” Thanks Julie! Readers to date agree with you, but others have not read it yet!!
GOD SPEAKS DURING NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES
What does God say during afterlife interviews, the “Life Review” that has been described in similar ways around the world by hundreds of returnees from a near death experience (NDE)? Analysing these accounts enables us to flesh out further what God is like. Those who asked questions generally assure us God answered these in full and to their satisfaction, although usually removing from their memories the details of his answers before their return. Perhaps God wants us to develop inside Playpen Earth before being ready for further afterlife adventures? What God says during NDEs is a vast subject and is covered in different chapters of “Your Origin and Destiny” and in greater detail in my previous book “Living Beyond”. It is important, however, not to immediately accept what we are told God has said to someone. There are many possible reasons and motives behind what people tell us not being accurate, which I explore in “Living Beyond”. Proceed with caution! There are simple tests we can apply to evaluate the accuracy or otherwise of what God has supposedly said. If in doubt, it is safest to leave what they say out of your developing understanding of what God is REALLY like – THE LOVING GOD WITH WHOM YOU MAY CHOOSE TO SPEND ETERNITY! This is important business!
GOD SPEAKING ALOUD NOWADAYS TO US - FINAL
James Thompson was a hopeless, shambling alcoholic in South Africa and decided on one last drink before committing suicide. Sitting alone in the pub, the loaded pistol heavy in his pocket, he looked in the mirror behind the bar at the wreck he had become and heard: “James, you don’t belong here”. This unexpected experience began James’ road to recovery and ultimately the rescue through his efforts of hundreds of similar alcoholics. Daniel Kawata, a prominent and dynamic Christian in Zaire (the Congo), experienced a “huge light in my office and a voice saying ‘Everything you have belongs to you, but you belong to Me. You need to join World Vision. It won’t be easy for you. Zaire will be in great turmoil, but I will be with you’.” Daniel subsequently became Field Director for World Vision in turbulent Zaire. As promised, God has been with him and his staff throughout the rioting, murder and mayhem. His life has been spared miraculously on a number of occasions. The memory of that beautiful light in his office and spoken promise gave Daniel the strength to cope. His very effective ministry for God continues. Now here is an account written out for me by Liz Lewis, a girl who was in Marlborough High School, Zimbabwe, where I taught.
GOD SPEAKING ALOUD NOWADAYS (PART 2)
Last week we met David Craig, the alcoholic atheist whose life was revolutionised when God spoke audibly to him following a suicide attempt. David was an atheist when he heard God speaking to him. But what of Christians, why should God choose to speak aloud to them? Don’t they have the scriptures and the voice of the Holy Spirit within, plus a sensitised conscience, and often Godly friends to advise them? Yes they do, and nowadays these are far and away God’s most common means of communication, but on rare occasions God nevertheless speaks audibly to someone conceivably because the instructions are urgent, or so specific and unusual that they require special confirmation. For example, a close friend, Vic Moore, was told audibly by God as he walked across a room at home in New Zealand to “Go to Malawi”, even though Vic did not know where Malawi was and had to find it on a map! Brenda and I met Vic in Malawi when I went there as a Science Teacher and confirm that he was a very effective servant for God in that African nation. God apparently knows what he is doing when moving folk around! Today we meet two further Christians whose lives were changed very differently when God spoke to them. Be amazed, but also enjoy!
GOD STILL SOMETIMES SPEAKS ALOUD TODAY!
The diagram shows how David Craig felt as he contemplated suicide. His life was a mess and he saw no way out. Alcoholism was destroying him. Ultimately God spoke aloud to him. God spoke the universe into existence, including the different life forms on Earth, and ultimately ourselves. His spoken voice carries incredible power and authority, although it can be surprisingly gentle, as it was to David during a pivotal incident. You see, God still speaks audibly today in various ways that I deal with in “Your Origin and Destiny”. He speaks more rarely than in biblical old testament times perhaps because he expects us his children to learn to speak for him. Earth is like a playpen for us to learn in before we move on to exciting new experiences in the afterlife, as readers of my “Living Beyond” will know. Have you personally heard the AUDIBLE voice of God? Many have, and I have collected reliable accounts from trustworthy people over the years. My purpose? To come to know God more closely. If we are to spend eternity with God, the closer we get to know him while still on earth the better and more fulfilling it will be for us.
SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF FEAR AND ANXIETY
Mary Anne Yarde, English author and founder of the popular Coffee Book Club, rated “Your Origin and Destiny” five stars and worthy of a book award – thanks Mary Anne! But for me, it is her final comment that is the most important because it addresses the personal anxiety that is rife during this pandemic: “what this book doesn’t do is scare the reader. If anything, it gives hope which I thought was rather refreshing … is a book that opens the mind but also offers comfort and hope for those facing death or are struggling with the loss of a loved one. I thought this book was absolutely fabulous from start to finish… It offers you genuine perspective during this time of sorrow and uncertainty.” PERSPECTIVE – HOPE – are antidotes for THE ANXIETY that I am observing, and not just me. A GP told me recently that she predicts more suicides, but also a staggering increase up ahead in mental health issues. You see, throughout history, reliance on God is the only proven antidote that can resolve fears of every kind. But who really is God? And how can you relate effectively with him? Few people including Christians seem to know. My book can help you to resolve that crippling problem.
WHAT'S IN A WORD? BIBLE CREATION WORD?
Why did the Holy Spirit, who inspired scripture, use 3 DIFFERENT HEBREW words for “create” in the Bible if He expected them understood as the same? He didn’t! Instead, he wants translators to respect their different usages. Unfortunately, early Bible translators into English in the 1500s ignored these differences and confusion has reigned ever since. The Bible translations in English generally do not distinguish which word for “create” is being used but can treat them as though they all mean the same. They don’t. Each word translated correctly brings its own features to the creation account and makes clear what the Bible is actually saying – for the first time! This week we explore in English the fascinating Hebrew word “bara”. You need no knowledge of Hebrew whatsoever to understand the passage I write in simple English. “Bara” emphasises the design phase in Heaven of God’s creation. It is the first word used for “create” in the Bible, in Genesis 1:1 in fact “In the beginning, God “bara” the heavens and the earth.” “Bara” is exclusively a divine word - it is reserved for what God does. Humankind NEVER creates using “bara”, only God can and does “bara”. Fresh insights tumble out as we consider very simply how, when and where God creates when the word “bara” is used.
GERARD FINDS "YOUR ORIGIN AND DESTINY" HELPS
Positive comments about my books always thrill me. Here’s a comment made recently by Gerard Corsane, a past science student of mine and old friend from Zimbabwe days. Gerard comments on “Your Origin and Destiny”: "When we were over in Australia visiting our adult 'children' over Christmas 2018, I purchased and avidly read the Kindle copy of Living Beyond: Making Sense of Near Death Experiences. I found that book very interesting and a great read. Yet, I have to admit that -- if at all possible -- Your Origin and Destiny: explore the meaning of life, time and creation has been even more fantastic and attention-holding, to the point of wanting to read it from cover to cover in one sitting. In your new book, I have been really enjoying the questions and answers you have worked through during your own journey. This has made the book so personal and easy to read, while helping me to think through and deeply reflect on these often shared 'big' questions. Reading through the book, I found myself saying at times, 'of course that should have been obvious... why did I not think of that'. In many ways it is this that makes the book so very special. It helps one to explore the plain truths". I hope you’ll find the same!
BIBLE CREATIONS CLARIFIED AT LAST!!!!
Until you apply my Two Stage Theory to scriptures, parts of the Bible WILL appear mysterious, even illogical. Be encouraged – it is not hard to apply Two Stage Theory and soon becomes second nature. Your reward is that exciting tracts of Holy Scripture will light up to you – “At last I understand!”. The international Bible teacher and critic, Peter Wade, grasps that Two Stage Theory is central to understanding my book AND THE BIBLE when he writes: “Two-Stage Theory” is, in my experience, unique and makes sense spiritually and logically. It is the key to understanding his book (and the Bible – my comment). Further comments by Peter Wade about “Your Origin and Destiny”: “I am so thankful this book has been published, because it really does fulfill the author’s desire to ‘stimulate’ the thinking of Bible-believing Christians who desire to be ‘workers who need not be ashamed’ because they have studied and prayed over the truths of God’s Word (II Timothy 2:15). I’m thankful the author was persuaded to include in chapter 1 details of his personal quest to understand any matter, even scientific, and laid down a safe path that every Christian can use. The analysis and proof of a healing incident he observed throws a new light on miracles, even to long-time Pentecostals and Charismatics.”
MY BOOK AND YOU! YOU! YOU!
Charles Franklin, whom I do not know personally other than that he is a book reviewer, has given YOD an insightful review on Goodreads that picks up some of my main intentions for writing it. Here is his review: “This was an incredible book that completely expanded my view of time, creation, and life from a Christian perspective. I expected this book to go down the scientific route, covering the details of creation from a Christian perspective, but this book provided more than that. It offered completely new perspectives on EVERYTHING....including the intriguing idea that "time" is different in Heaven than it is on Earth (which explains some of the issues people have with Genesis 1 and 2...our purpose on Earth...what Heaven might be like when it comes down to Earth...and the Shadow theory which holds that our reality is only a shadow of what it will be. I wasn't a big fan of the NDE (Near Death Experiences) until about the middle of the book when everything started coming together. It wasn't the dusty, scientific book I expected but a book full of faith, energy, and promise that left me happy to have read it. I plan on buying the print book for further study. VERY INTRIGUING!” All Christians must start applying Two Stage Theory to Scripture. Read on.
“TO QUOTE OR NOT TO QUOTE?” – My Quandry!
My first quote in “Your Origin and Destiny” indicates one of my primary intentions – an overdue reconciliation of Science and Christianity. It is the famous statement by Albert Einstein: "Science without religion is lame; religion without Science is blind." But my publishers wanted written permission before I could use the quote! How ridiculous, when Einstein has been dead beyond the 50-year limitation for using quotes from his works. In the words of a Californian judge who threw out an attempt by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to sue General Motors for using Einstein’s image “Einstein belongs to the world”. Despite this 2012 judgement my intended publishers ludicrously insisted in 2019 that I obtain this and other silly permissions!! I dropped them - and guess what, no problem has ensued – nor legally can it! Nevertheless, valuable time had been wasted. Writers be warned, check carefully before committing to a publisher! Quotes I use include Toynbee’s mysterious: History is a vision of God’s Creation on the move. This is to prepare you for something unique – an answer the ancient riddle: When does an event actually happen? This is not a silly question and the answer is not at all obvious. In fact, our very existence must remain uncertain and mysterious until we comprehend both the question and its answer. Read on!!
NDEs AND GOD’S CREATIVITY!!
It is no picnic trying to launch a new book during a pandemic! Therefore I find your wide-ranging email comments, to date all positive, particularly helpful. Thank you! I found it especially encouraging, therefore, when the international speaker, Bible teacher and critic, Peter Wade, commended my book. I will extract a few sentences from his comments: “I am so thankful this book has been published, because it really does fulfil the author’s desire to “stimulate”… His “Two-Stage Theory” is, in my experience, unique and makes sense spiritually and logically. It is the key to understanding the book (and the Bible – Ivan’s comment)… It doesn’t really matter if you at this moment cannot believe in some of the illustrative material (such as NDEs and others), but they too will be catalysts to rethink your current understanding of the underlying principles. All up, this book deserves wide distribution.” THANK YOU PETER!! So you see, if your REALLY want to know your TRUE Origin and your TRUE Destiny, you simply MUST read my book! Please note that Peter recommends readers keep an open mind when reading what I have written about NDEs (Near Death Experiences). The excerpt that follows deals with the significance of NDEs in some detail.
GROUND-BREAKING AND CONTROVERSIAL!!
Writing a book that is ground-breaking and controversial, you become terribly insecure. I cannot discuss my insights with everyone, but I can plead that critics check out with an open mind each of the many references I provide. So far, how have people responded to “Your Origin and Destiny”? Thankfully very positively. Here are some short quotes taken from longer emails to illustrate the impact it has made. More next week. Capt. Dale Black, Prominent Airline Pilot and Trainer, Founder of Dale Black Ministries, California. “This book is a compelling testament to the reality of God, creation and the reason we are here… I recommend this book to anyone searching for meaning in life and to those who want to know more about the reality of a Divine Creator.” Ian “Sandy” Sanderson, Maths HOD and Physics Teacher in the UK. “I feel sure that many will find themselves closer to God after reading this book.” Mark Taylor, Minister in Oxfordshire, England. “Ivan Rudolph’s proposition of ‘shadow theory’ and the ‘transfer principle’ is in harmony with a careful study of the Bible, and combine into a useful framework for all who will cope with - or support - those facing what eventually comes to us all—dying.” So… let’s plunge into my ground-breaking “Shadow Theory” and “Transfer Principle”!
HOW GOD SPENDS HIS TIME
What is Time, and why don’t our best scientists really know? I probe this issue throughout my book. Here are a few comments readers have made: —Rev. Dave Smethurst, International Evangelist with a highly effective and loving ministry, and founder of a number of orphanages in Eastern Europe – “Ivan deals with the issues for which humankind has struggled to find answers for so long—Creation, Heaven, Time, future events and life after death (including NDEs), with accurate and sharp precision. And he provides us with sound, logical biblical answers.” —Rev. Ian Feeney, founding Principal of Xavier School – “Your explanation of Time rings true with me.” —Rowland Pletts , UK minister and author “I am especially interested in his insights about Time. Also, having been with people as they passed on, I have witnessed some truly extraordinary events as they approached death, and I am comforted by his research on Near Death Experiences. “ Existence is not a timeless warp, in this life or in the hereafter, for ourselves or for God! So… what does God do with his Time in his Heaven? My previous book, “Living Beyond”, deals with his interactions with us personally, my emphasis in this book is more what he does during his days in Heaven. What do you REALLY know about what God does in Heaven?
TIME AND ENJOYING THE AFTERLIFE
Hey, congratulate me – The Coffee Pot Book Club in the UK have awarded a 5-star Best Reads Award for “Your Origin and Destiny”. In her commendation, founder and successful author Mary Anne Yarde states that: “I thought this book was absolutely fabulous from start to finish… it deserves to be read, and then read again…” Thank you Mary Anne! If you too are finding this book something special, please let me know by email at ivanrudolph46@gmail.com. Last week we established that Time exists in Heaven, and many thousands of written accounts from around the world by those who have died and revived confirm that the afterlife is characterised by the passing of Time. Time enables activities to occur during the afterlife, a smattering of which are described in biblical scripture. I quote widely both from scripture and from afterlife experiences around the world about these experiences in my previous book “Living Beyond”. This book has a different purpose, which is to uncover and reveal our personal future venues and the nature of God who creates amazing stuff there. Time in fact is simply another paint on God’s artistic palette that he can paint in or alter as he continues to create in Heaven. He is an incredible artist. What about Time in our own futures beyond the grave? Read on.
TIME IN HEAVEN
Writing a non-fiction book for me involves years of research and thought, mainly during night hours. Mine take me on average between 6 to 8 years from “go” to “whoa”. Writing makes for very long nights! My rewards are not financial – see if you can pick up what my rewards are from this email that has just come in from a fellow author in the UK “I have read Your Origin and Destiny: Explore the Meaning of Life, Time and Creation and I thought it was absolutely brilliant. Very articulate. A real pleasure to read and I took a lot from it, so thank you!” Her commendation is both kind and helpful, but it is her words that she “TOOK A LOT FROM IT” which encapsulate my main intention for writing! Writing can add something new and fresh to a reader’s life –that is what makes it different and worthwhile!! And so…. please read today’s extract carefully – it contains material and concepts that have not been printed previously, especially about Time, but I hope you will find these new ideas easy to accept because they are almost self-evident!
JESUS, TWO-STAGE THEORY, FULFILLED PROPHECY
Last week we zeroed in on Jesus the Christ being the centre of biblical prophecy. If he had been a pretender and not the promised Messiah and Saviour, then an unnoticed man whose life was already prophesied in detail must have been living a parallel life in the same epoch of history in the same places and performing the same works, and then dying the same way for our sakes. Because there is no-one else recorded doing so in history by historians of the day such as Josephus, there is no sensible conclusion other than Jesus being the prophesied Saviour. Really! Really and truly! He has to be the prophesied Messiah. This week we explore the part that both Time and Two-Stage Theory play in the life and ministry of Jesus. I am convinced that anyone must remain stuck in a simplistic and inaccurate understanding of Christ unless they can comprehend him in both of these dimensions. Big call, I know. But see what you conclude as you ponder this week’s excerpt from “Your Origin and Destiny”.
BIBLE PROPHECY IS ALWAYS TRUE. WHY?
How did you do in last week’s competition to guess how just one of many possible prophecies actually worked out in history? Were you better than the total failure of over 200 adults so far to guess how God had worked it? There are moves afoot to make a movie from my previous book “John Flynn”, who was the enigmatic visionary who developed the first Flying Doctor service despite impossible odds. I had a ’zoom chat’ recently with a script writer and two movie producers about possibilities. The Flynn concept has been pitched already to movie makers in Los Angeles and has been received enthusiastically, “but I was warned by other Americans that Los Angeles is a ‘Yes’ city”! So… if LA is a ‘yes’ city when considering fresh original concepts, has it become a centre of extraordinary creativity because of this? Is there a deep relationship between encouragement and success in adventurous enterprises? What about you? What about me? Are we open to fresh original concepts, or are our minds already a closed book? Last week we uncovered how precisely every biblical prophecy eventually comes true, often in stages. So let’s consider prophecies made in Heaven, then written in the Bible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, about one man who would much later on tramp the earth.
PRETEND YOU WERE GOD - HOW MIGHT THIS HAPPEN?
Imagine you were God and you had made certain predictions (prophecies) about the future, you still have to get them to work out somehow during history!! In prophecy, God commits himself in advance to hundreds of events in what was to be the future at the time of writing. Prophecy provides perfect examples of Two-Stage Theory – decided in advance by God in Heaven, then happening later on Earth, similar to how the descriptions in advance in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 have worked out on Earth and continue to do so. Has one of God’s prophecies about the future ever been incorrect? Apparently not to this point in time - according to students of both scripture and history. Lucky guesses by the inspired prophets? There have been mathematical attempts to evaluate this possibility using the Laws of Probability – Professor Stoner in “Science Speaks” gives convincing computations against some prophecies having been just lucky guesses. In “Your Origin and Destiny” some fulfilled prophecies are described, and those about the ancient city of Tyre and its future are described in some detail. Your challenge is simple – if you were God, how “on earth” could you know how these descriptions about the future of Tyre would actually happen in history? Today’s excerpt sets you that challenge. Bet you won’t succeed!!
What REALLY is TIME on Earth?
Time is the “stuff” of our lives on Earth, within which our lives on Earth are played out, but remains mysterious. Consequently I “spend time” in “Your Origin and Destiny” teasing out why no-one has managed to explain it fully, despite our origin and destiny being intimately tied to Time! Time is one central theme that runs through my book – both time past and time future, and is central to comprehending who we really are, who God is, and how God does things, including setting up our futures. I have already introduced God’s methodology the Two-Stage Theory that links Earth and Heaven. Many things we read in scripture operate with this Two-Stage Theory, and unless you grasp it vast tracts of scripture - including the Creation account in Genesis, must remain confusing and unconvincing to you. The international Bible teacher, Peter Wade, in his review writes: “The “Two-Stage Theory” is, in my experience, unique and makes sense spiritually and logically. It is the key to understanding the book.” Because they are so important, I often allude to both Time and to the Two-Stage Theory – developing the concepts slowly – because my human nature and possibly yours too does not like new concepts - such that belief in them has to be presented progressively.
GOD, TIME, AND A MIRACLE!
Writing is a long night! And trying to launch a new book when Covid-19 is disrupting printing and distribution makes it seem even longer! And so any commendations become an oasis in the desert and golden moments. I quote from from Peter Wade’s encouraging recent letter. Peter is a man who was Chief Editor for years in a major Australian publishing house, and who now has an international teaching ministry: “I am so thankful this book has been published, because it really does fulfil the author’s desire to “stimulate” (page 14) …The “Two-Stage Theory” is, in my experience, unique and makes sense spiritually and logically. It is the key to understanding the book (and ourselves, and God). It doesn’t really matter if you at this moment cannot believe in some of the illustrative material (such as NDEs and others), but they too will be catalysts to rethink your current understanding of the underlying principles. All up, this book deserves wide distribution, and with your feedback I can’t wait to see an enlarged and updated second edition.” Thank you Peter!! Chapter 4 reveals why Science does not know what Time REALLY is. The excerpt starts with the strange emergence in 1984 of Aborigines from Australia’s Western Desert who had never previously seen or heard of white people!
GOD, A MIRACLE, AND TIME!
Previously, we uncovered how God PLANS things first in Heaven and then later on PERFORMS them on Earth – Two Stage Theory. The Time and Timings of these two stages are entirely in his hands. They include answered prayer, miracles, fulfilment of ancient biblical prophecies etc, with or without the input of Evolution because it is only one process that he uses. And Time itself is simply another colour on his palette. Despite masses of medical evidence, some people on earth who have not bothered to investigate divine miracles proclaim that miracles do not happen! How ignorant! What they need to do is investigate for themselves in churches where prayer in faith is said for the sick, beginning first by approaching the minister there for names of who to talk to. I did this when a new Christian in my twenties and came up with definite miracles supported by x-rays before and after the miracle, confirmatory letters from doctors etc, some of which I have kept to this day. Sadly, though, our era has become one of not seeking out truth for ourselves, but instead desperately holding onto error that might suit our preferred lifestyles or belief systems – or both. How silly! How self-destructive!! Chapter 3 describes just one of these miracles and what I learnt from it.
HAVE YOU AN OPEN MIND FOR NEW CONCEPTS?
INSIGHT: Picture a young married man kneeling by his bed and imploring a God he had only met recently to explain how the Creation had happened! I was that man in my mid-twenties, waiting expectantly for God to answer. I waited and waited. What brought me to that point of personal insecurity was conflict between what I had learnt and seen in Geology, which suggested the earth was very old. However, some intelligent Christian friends whom I respected believed it was only a few thousand years old. After weeks of confusion, I decided I needed to go directly to God himself to find out the answer. I describe carefully in Chapter 2 of “Your Origin and Destiny” what happened next and why it was shattering to me. Let me warn you, though, don’t read any further unless you are prepared to be challenged by fresh insight on an ancient question – was the world created quickly or did it take many millions of years? You will find both are true! Both continue to this very day by an extraordinary process! I call it the Two Stage Process and it explains much more about God and the scriptures than the Creation alone. Think carefully before you enter Chapter 2 – are you prepared to develop further your comprehension of God and his inspired scripture?
CONSTRUCTING NEW POST-COVID LIVES
How can we construct improved lives and communities after the pandemic has faded, as all pandemics do in time? We must ponder our challenges, and perceive opportunities for personal, family and community improvements, however awfully those opportunities have arisen. We must start with ourselves and answer the fundamental question: “Who REALLY Am I?” But we cannot answer this until we know where we ultimately came from, and why. The first chapter of “Your Origin and Destiny” probes these questions and describes my quest for answers. There are answers, very definite answers, but they are not what I supposed and are not likely to be what you think right now. In fact, the answers have not previously been written or at least I cannot find them in the literature, which is one reason I have decided to publish them myself. Big call! But someone must because the answers are pivotal to our futures. I have a friend who searched using Google etc to try to find similar insights, but gave up after a thorough search. Chapter 1 outlines the problems I uncovered, with which you might identify — while actual answers come later in the book. But to appreciate those answers, Chapter 1 as a whole is helpful in phrasing the questions to be explored.
COVID-19 WILL DISAPPEAR FOREVER!!
Millions have died, then revived, and have described afterlife experiences. These descriptions glove together amazingly to illustrate worldwide afterlife features. My book lists some of these. It’s worth knowing about them for obvious reasons. NO ACCOUNTS DESCRIBE ILLNESSES! Captain Dale Black died in a terrible airplane crash. Here is his opinion of my book as one who has “inside knowledge” of the afterlife. “Your Origin and Destiny” provides a well constructed pathway to understanding the deeper meaning of life. This book is a compelling testament to the reality of God, creation and the reason we are here. Being the only survivor of a fatal airplane crash and experiencing life-after-death, I was fascinated by Ivan’s ability to address life and eternity in a way that adjusts the focus of the reader….it is rare to find someone who is able to effectively articulate the relation between this life and the next in a way that provides clarity and logic. This book provides generous answers to the student searching for the meaning of life, as well as offers compelling argument to change the mind of the intellectual who believes God is a crutch for the weak. I recommend this book to anyone searching for meaning in life
HOW WILL LIFE AFTER COVID-19 CHANGE? WHY??
The Endorsements pages that start my book illustrate how DIFFERENT we all are in our perceptions. Neither people nor the world are as predictable as we supposed before Covid-19; consequently, the reorganisation of our lives and communities will be DIFFERENT afterwards. We can all speculate on major changes: perhaps less air and sea travel, more internet conferencing, tighter communities, more control of personal life and movements by governments etc. My Preface, written before Covid-19, emphasises how little we understand the fundamentals of our lives and the Universe. For example, we don’t yet know what energy REALLY is, check me out on the internet “What REALLY is energy”. Similarly, we don’t know what Time REALLY is, nor Love, nor Consciousness. There are good reasons for this that my book clarifies. In addition, our Universe runs on elegant and often simpler laws than we would have supposed, but we are ignorant of their origin. We are babes in the woods of existence, whatever existence is! Conceptually, we are ill-equipped to set about constructing a new world, because we still don’t comprehend the basics of our existence – nor our origins, nor our destiny. Once again, our world will be built on flimsy foundations. You cannot comprehend yourself or the upcoming changes unless you comprehend the revelations that I share in this ground-breaking book!
COVID-19 BOTH SCIENCE AND RELIGION ARE VITAL
Imagine, during this Covid-19 pandemic, that there had been no Scientists slaving away to guide us through. Where would we be? Think back to the Black Death in Europe killing approximately 1 in 3 to 2 in 3, depending on where you lived! Bodies were piled up in streets and few families escaped intact. Trained in Science, I have great respect for Science’s continuing achievements. This book is dedicated to all those committed Scientists, of whatever faith or none, who have improved our life, health and lifestyles. We are indebted to you. Thank you! However, there is obviously more to existence and our universe than blind forces acting on blind energy to produce ourselves and the wonderful world around us. From earliest times humankind has realised there is design and purpose, and millions around the world returning from afterlife experiences confirm that spiritual existence continues. Different religions focus differently upon spirituality, Christians being by far the most numerous. Respecting this, my dedication continues: This book is also dedicated to those Christians who have modelled the Christian life of love, faith and service in a selfish and often hostile world that denies them free speech. We are indebted to you. Thank you! Today we look at the endorsements at the front of my book and wonder why they differ so much?
Living Beyond: Making Sense of Near Death Experiences
Religion & Spirituality
What are Near Death Experiences (NDEs) and how do they fit in with Christianity? For over 40 years, the author, Ivan Rudolph, has been conducting interviews, studying hundreds of accounts and now has clarity about this mysterious phenomenon. The truth is surprising, exciting, and ultimately relevant for everyone. Did you know that there are at least 16 million Americans who have had an NDE, including celebrities like Goldie Hawn, Sharon Stone, Elizabeth Taylor, Nikki Sixx, Burt Reynolds, and many others? Did you know that they are a part of a huge family of 350 million
Book Bubbles from Living Beyond: Making Sense of Near Death Experiences
SUICIDE THEN WHAT? – ANGIE IS RESCUED
All 7 of my articles discouraging suicide are now present on my blog page under ivanrudolph.com and click on the word ‘blog’ on the top line right hand end. It will take you straight there. Click on any article you or anyone else might like to read. I hope you find it as wonderful as I do that God rescued Angie in my final article number 7, and that she has in turn rescued so many who were planning suicide. Today, Angie is a spokesperson against suicide, and travels widely to teach and to warn others against taking their own lives. ‘Don’t do it. Talk to someone, talk to me, or get into counselling. Medicine has come a long way since my suicide. Seek medical help. If someone in your life is depressed, you must reach out. A person who is suicidal cannot always seek help. We must take responsibility for each other.’ So, please, offer to chat with anyone you see who is depressed. A special thanks to members of the medical profession who have wholeheartedly promoted the 7 articles – one doctor having contacted over 500 further doctors recommending them - and all comments bar one from those doctors were positive and supportive. Please promote as widely as you can my seven articles that are now on my blog.
ANGIE FENIMORE'S SUICIDE EXPERIENCES
Angie suicided and her spirit left her body. A series of profound personal changes followed. Angie Fenimore is a prominent suicide and you can read her full account in her excellent book “Beyond the Darkness”. Knowing FIRSTHAND what the afterlife can be like for suicides, she works hard to discourage anyone from thinking it is a way to escape problems on Earth. Angie’s suicide and NDE took her into a land of isolation and nothing – no love, no privacy, no friends, no light, no happiness…. nothing good. But that was not the end of her story!! Angie kindly says about my book “Living Beyond” that: “I believe every physician, mental health professional, chaplain and clergy member should keep a copy on hand.” Thank you, Angie! I hope the accounts of suicides who have returned from the afterlife will help to rescue many more readers who will see that suicide solves nothing, and is absolutely no escape. Angie kindly gave me an interview that helped me to prepare this fresh account. If you want a much deeper sense of her suicide and what happened afterwards, read her excellent book or see her on YouTube. Angie and I agree absolutely that: If you are considering suicide, please don’t! Suicide will not solve your problems — it will add to them another layer!
SUICIDES AFTERLIFE LESSONS AND VENUES
Suicides generally find themselves imprisoned in the afterlife — forced to ponder, and thereby learn from, their troubled lives on earth. A depressed 20-year-old B J McKelvie overdosed and said before dying, “God please forgive me for what I have done”. He found himself in total darkness. “There was no ground, no sky, nothing around me except total darkness. It is hard to imagine but I was “nowhere”. There was no light…. Then I heard a voice. This voice was the most angry, big, deep and powerful voice you could ever imagine…as if it could crush you. “Those who commit suicide go nowhere” spoke the voice. It came from up and behind me over my right shoulder and I couldn’t see anyone there. I said to myself “I really did it” and then torment started…. I was totally alone… Now, after what seemed to be hours, “you’re not getting a second chance” spoke that voice again. One last time the voice spoke “You’re not getting a second chance — but a new beginning”. This time the voice was so soft and gentle and full of the most love you could imagine”. I finally woke out of a coma in intensive care.” B J became a successful singer and songwriter. He has told thousands about his suicide and God-given escape.
DEPRESSION CAN BE TEMPORARY — HOPE IS ETERNAL
Some pleasant NDEs are described by people whose mental illness led to suicide. Where mental illness derives from a physical disorder of the brain, this ceases at death, similar to how deaf or blind people have their brain-centred senses restored in the afterlife. Yay! Similarly, with those who were suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions caused by a malfunctioning of the brain: their imperfect brains have been left behind on Earth, and they experience restoration. We might speculate about those whose life ends through euthanasia. I have seen no accounts by any returnees to help me explore afterlife experiences of those who make this choice or have it made for them. Of interest, Holland was the first country in the world in the year 2000 to legalise euthanasia and cardiologist Pim van Lommel is their most prominent NDE researcher. He originally began his investigations determined to debunk this “afterlife nonsense”. Convinced now regarding the afterlife and the survival of the consciousness, he cautions: “The conclusion that consciousness can be experienced independently of brain function might well induce a huge change in the scientific paradigm in Western medicine, and could have practical implications in actual medical and ethical problems such as the care for comatose or dying patients, euthanasia, abortion ….” There are still more questions than answers!
SUICIDE - THEN WHAT? CHOOSING YOUR FUTURE
PMH ATWATER is a careful researcher of suicides who have returned after an NDE, in the hopes of understanding her own 3 NDEs better. Her conclusion? Don't suicide, it solves nothing, and your problems magnify in the afterlife! We have the right to suicide, but it is always a bad choice, regardless of our opinions. It seems that there is a difference between what is allowed because of free will, and what is an acceptable or appropriate choice to make in God's eyes. Ultimately, God rules the afterlife, and we do well to consider what He wants and not what we in society think. We don’t make the rules! Contrary to some popular opinion, suffering is not a sufficient reason in scripture for suicide. The apostle Paul illustrated that. Alice Morrison-Mays provides us with a modern example. Her NDE happened in 1952 and she was never free of pain thereafter. She also became wheelchair bound in later life. Nonetheless, she advised time and again that, “There's still a quality of life available. You just have to be open enough to explore it. You can empower yourself.” Para-Olympians right now illustrate that to us powerfully. So please hang in there during the tough times, you will never regret doing so in the long run
SUICIDE SOLVES NOTHING - PLEASE DON'T TRY!
Helping struggling people over the hump of problems that are overwhelming them is vital. Why? An analysis of studies suggests that only 1 in 25 of those who attempt suicide will die of suicide afterwards within 5 years (New York Times Nov 7 2016. Note this was before Covid muddied the waters). Expressed positively, only 4 in a hundred who attempt suicide will successfully suicide later – while 96 of them will be saved, and most will subsequently live successful, fulfilling lives. Following my first article discouraging suicide, I received a very supportive email from Rev. Dave Smethurst in which he described how as a chaplain to the Olympics, Paralympics, Rugby World Cup and Commonwealth Games, he has "been privileged to ‘pull' men back from suicide, mainly when they failed to win a medal (and they should have) through their own neglect and stupidity” saying he still keeps in touch with them and their families, "who are so grateful to have their husbands and fathers back, as a ‘new man’. I have visited their countries a couple of years afterwards and have been given wonderful platforms of opportunities to share the gospel publicly to other high-profile people” David provided them with fresh vision for their futures. By promoting my articles, you too may help to rescue someone contemplating suicide.
YOUR LIFE HAS WONDERFUL ETERNAL PURPOSE
Many cautions against suicide give examples where failed suicides have ended up with horrendous injuries, or just how devastated family and friends have been by the attempt. I am looking at consequences at the other end, where suicides have been apparently successful and the person’s spirit has entered the afterlife, during an NDE (near death experience). This is the end-game and we have now hundreds of accounts of NDEs to analyse. What is this end-game for suicides? That is the ultimate question. Just how successful an escape from problems can a suicide achieve? Some years into my interviews and investigations of Near Death Experiences, I was asked by a concerned relative to counsel with a suicidal teenager. This lad’s Rockstar hero had suicided and he wanted to kill himself to join his hero in the afterlife. I did not know anything about the singer concerned, Kurt Cobain, but I was able to assure the youngster that he would NOT be allowed to join Cobain in the afterlife! Definitely not! According to my interviews and the hundreds of accounts of returnees that I had access to, suicides were consigned to certain afterlife venues about which they had no choice, and from which they could not personally escape. His relative told me a few months later that he had NOT suicided.
CHRISTMAS 2020 AND BEYOND!
I would have liked to send everyone in the world, including you of course, a 2020 Christmas card proclaiming this quote from Luke 2: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you.” That is the best news of 2020!! It will also be the best news for 2021! Right now, inspired by dark forces without many of them knowing this, significant world leaders in different spheres are hoping to manipulate the whole world into The Great Reset. If they succeed, SAY GOODBYE TO SOME IMPORTANT FREEDOMS AND TO DEMOCRACY. The Jesus we celebrate at Christmas identified some issues to watch out for. My last two books, “Your Origin and Destiny” and “Living Beyond: Making Sense of Near Death Experiences” - serve you as kind of guides to your LIFE AND DESTINY, including your future afterlife experiences. If you have found them helpful, please recommend them to friends and on social media. MEANWHILE ENJOY CHRISTMAS, LOOKING FORWARD TO BUILDING LOVE WITH BOTH GOD AND WITH PEOPLE IN 2021.
HOW TO LOVE AND BE LOVED
“God is Love” declares the Bible. So what advice in the afterlife does God give about Love? You’ll be surprised at the insights in my two books “Living Beyond” and “Your Origin and Destiny”. RaNelle Wallace was instructed during her NDE: ‘Love isn't simply a word or an emotion; Love is a POWER that gives action to all around it. Love is the power of life.’ Relationships are always the anvil on which love is shaped. Loving relationships on Earth, primarily family ones, are thereby the supreme training ground for developing Love – for all of us. And loving family relationships continue into the afterlife! God regards them highly, himself a father who loves his son Jesus and all his adopted children. The need to develop Love dominates NDErs on return. Many thousands confirm this. To develop true love, however, never comes easily and entails dedication. Consider Mary Beth Willi, who negotiated the worst threats to her family relationships by applying love. "I almost lost my husband. I was a completely different person after the NDE and he didn't know what to do with me. After 6 months apart, a retreat and counselling, we have an amazing relationship now. I made huge changes and amends with my kids..." Time to learn about REAL love from Dr George Ritchie’s NDE.
YOUR UPCOMING LIFE REVIEW!
A visual life review is given to many who have been in the afterlife for a while. During it you may see significant things you have done or even thought! Yes, an amazingly detailed record exists of your life, good and bad. God the Father is often present. IT IS NOT A JUDGEMENT, the Day of Judgement is a future event for us all. The Life Review is instead an instructional exercise. Life Reviews are purpose driven, not process or venue driven. This is fleshed out further along with more examples in my books “Living Beyond: Making Sense of Near Death Experiences” and “Your Origin and Destiny”. An atheist prior to his NDE, Professor Howard Storm provides insight: I saw myself sitting in my office, playing the college professor, while a student came to me with a personal problem. I sat there looking compassionate, and patient, and loving, while inside I was bored to death. I would check my watch under my desk as I anxiously waited for the student to finish... I feel strongly that the whole Life Review would have been emotionally destructive, and would have left me a psychotic person, if it hadn't been for the fact that my friend [Jesus] and my friend's friends [angels], while we watched the whole thing, were loving me…
LET RETURNEE SUICIDES SPEAK TO US!
A doctor told me that she and her colleagues were steeling themselves for a rash of suicides and suicide attempts in the wake of the pandemic. Anxiety levels are skyrocketing. Some governments worldwide are already increasing funding to combat suicide, and we are seeing more frequently on our TV screens in Australia the sage advice to contact LIFELINE or BEYOND BLUE to chat to counsellors if feeling suicidal. Many people commit suicide during deep depression. One of life's challenges may be to learn how to cope with depression, or to overcome it. An overwhelming desire to commit suicide is one of the biggest indicators of clinical depression. As Angie Fenimore points out, seeking medical help is a smart decision, as is attending support groups – if one group or counsellor has not been helpful, try others. I have found that that an afterlife experience definitely discourages further attempts at suicide. David Rosen in 1975 interviewed 7 of the 10 known survivors who had jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge. Each claimed to have had a spiritual experience that had subsequently transformed their lives. Consequently, none had again wished to commit suicide. Life on Earth is only one tiny blip in a growth process that will continue in the afterlife; it is vital to learn its lessons and not bail out.
PANDEMIC PROBLEMS - SUICIDE IS NO ESCAPE
Suicides numbers are rising, so we need to look at the experiences of suicides in the afterlife. I have interviewed and read enough accounts of the NDEs of those who have suicided to warn: DON’T SUICIDE! GOD APPARENTLY DOESN’T LIKE IT —— AND THE CONSEQUENCES IN THE AFTERLIFE ARE GENERALLY NOT PLEASANT (although returnees from suicide can learn deep lessons from what has happened to them in the afterlife, and for a tiny number their experiences have not been unpleasant). You can read why God disapproves of suicide in my books ‘Living Beyond’ and to a lesser extent in ‘Your Origin and Destiny’. Here I will simply give accounts written by suicides themselves who returned from the afterlife. Angie Fenimore kicks off and is a prominent worker against suicide, knowing from her experiences what the afterlife can be like for suicides. Suicide is not an escape from problems!! Angie kindly says about ‘Living Beyond’ that: “I believe every physician, mental health professional, chaplain and clergy member should keep a copy on hand. As a proponent of suicide prevention, I find that Ivan provides thoughtful and delicate support for those who have lost loved ones to suicide, as well as powerful encouragement to those who are considering suicide to reach out for assistance instead.” I will now quote some of Angie’s experiences.
PANDEMIC PROBLEMS – SUICIDE IS NO ESCAPE
I have interviewed and read enough accounts of the NDEs of those who have suicided to warn: DON’T SUICIDE! GOD APPARENTLY DOESN’T LIKE IT —— AND THE CONSEQUENCES IN THE AFTERLIFE ARE GENERALLY NOT PLEASANT (although returnees from suicide can learn deep lessons from what has happened to them in the afterlife, and for a small number their experiences have not been unpleasant) You can read why God disapproves of suicide in my books ‘Living Beyond’ and to a lesser extent in ‘Your Origin and Destiny’. Here I will simply give accounts written by suicides themselves who returned from the afterlife. Angie Fenimore is a prominent suicide and you can read her full account in her excellent book “Beyond The Darkness”. Knowing what the afterlife can be like for suicides, she works hard to discourage anyone from thinking it is a way to escape problems on Earth. Angie kindly says about ‘Living Beyond’ that: “I believe every physician, mental health professional, chaplain and clergy member should keep a copy on hand. As a proponent of suicide prevention, I find that Ivan provides thoughtful and delicate support for those who have lost loved ones to suicide, as well as powerful encouragement to those who are considering suicide to reach out for assistance instead.” I will now quote some of Angie’s experiences.
SURVIVING DEATH: IS THERE REALLY AN AFTERLIFE
Trying to launch a new book (Your Origin and Destiny) during a pandemic is no picnic and has fully occupied my time. To my delight, though, my previous book about the Afterlife (Living Beyond) has continued to help readers and I have had moving emails in this regard. Here is one from South Africa: “Hi Ivan, my name is Brian Holmes and I read a copy of your book "Living Beyond”. I had heard about out of body and near death experiences before but it had made little impact on me. I was a dyed in the wool cynic… Whilst reading your book and pondering the people's testimonies it struck me that this was a FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH - that not all the people in the various studies had conspired to align their stories. The conclusion spoke for itself, that it did not matter if I believed it or not, it was going to happen and one day i would die and the only decision I had to make now was which side of the chasm I would see out eternity.” You have deduced correctly, Brian, and the 350 million living NDErs today (conservative estimate) from around the world, and similar accounts throughout history, agree with your logic. THE AFTERLIFE IS A FACT. How, then, should you prepare for the Afterlife?
RELIGIOUS FOUNDERS IN NDEs
Perhaps the most surprising finding in the research I did over many years for “Living Beyond” was that, up to 2014, only one founder of a modern religion was recorded in near death experiences – that being “Jesus Christ” the founder of Christianity. I found this after having asked NDErs who had they met with in the afterlife, and having read hundreds of accounts over the years. I was bemused and wrote to the founder of the NDERF website, where you find thousands of afterlife descriptions in the words of whoever has written them – Dr Jeffrey Long – who confirmed that only Jesus seemed to make an appearance, and not only to Christians. In the extract that follows I will describe, in the words of those who have had them, just a few of these encounters with Jesus during NDEs.
Near Death Experiencers in Islam and Judaism
Following my examples and analysis last week of the words of the Hindu and Buddhist NDErs, I turn now to two monotheistic religions —Islam and Judaism. Again, I quote the words used by the members of these religions who describe their near death experiences, and then add my own comments. I do it this way so that it is easy for you the reader to distinguish what the person who had the near death experience reports from my analysis that follows on – so that you can readily make up your own mind. My next book, “Your Origin and Destiny”, which is due to be released on Tuesday April 21st after a further six years from “go to whoa” because of the need for painstaking research and analysis, employs a similar separation of what the person has said or written from my commentary. I cannot communicate adequately my excitement regarding my next book—however, I will try not to allow it to interfere with the two remaining Bubbles based on “Living Beyond”.
Hindu and Buddhist NDEs
The most ancient of cultures around the earth display a belief in the supernatural and the survival of consciousness (spirit) beyond the grave. Many have legends of afterlife experiences, some based very obviously on the accounts of returnees who must have described in awe their interactions with afterlife entities such as angels. It is easy to comprehend how these ancient NDE accounts led to a pluralistic view of the afterlife. I read a recent description of the experiences of a Hindu doctor whose spirit met with two angels who introduced themselves as the archangels Michael and Raphaelo (probably Raphael) – who I personally did not know existed, but who apparently is mentioned in the apocryphal books of Enoch and Tobias. Personally, I have not read these book as I have found more than enough in the standard canonical bible texts to keep me occupied, but I am told that in the Catholic and Jewish traditions Raphaelo is an archangel of healing – which could have been significant for the Hindu doctor. When on return to Earth he described his interactions in the afterlife with these two angels, his wife immediately expressed her surprise and asked why he, a Hindu, had met with two angels found in the Christian tradition? Why indeed? We will all have massive lessons to learn in the afterlife!
ARE NDE's SIMILAR IN DIFFERENT RELIGIONS?
Our family lived in the lovely African country Malawi during the early 1980s. Our African gardener, John, was a cheerful young man whom we all liked. One day he told me about his experience of death. John explained how he had died from a heart attack, and found himself in a beautiful garden, ‘Not like this one,’ he said, waving his hand to indicate our garden, ‘This one rubbish.’ I was amused at this disparaging description of our garden, considering that to maintain and help develop it was his responsibility. He continued: ‘The garden when I died, very good. Green... flowers... water come up like this one,’ and he used his hands to show water spouting up and falling in a fountain. From my questioning, John had never actually seen a decorative water fountain. I probed further. His descriptions of Paradise dovetailed with those I had heard from Westerners, despite the disparity between our cultures. But do all people who die experience similar NDEs, regardless of race, religion or culture? Are they a global phenomenon? This is a fascinating question, and one that we begin to address in this first extract dealing with the issue.
GOD'S LOVE REVEALED DURING NDEs
Many returnees believe they need to LOVE others in a new way, and to tell others of their experiences, as typified by an example described by Professor Bruce Greyson where, after his NDE, a truck driver 'awoke with an intense passion for helping others, and a desire to talk about his experience, much to the dismay of his embarrassed wife’! (Quote taken from Living Beyond) God does not only have love, God IS love. NDErs who went to one of the pleasant Paradise sections in the afterlife are almost unanimous on their return, that they are tasked with practising Love back on Earth at a level they have now experienced for themselves in the afterlife, but which they did not know existed previous to their NDE. The purpose and challenge of this is to develop love deep within their character, to fit them for an exciting afterlife future in the presence of God, because GOD IS LOVE. It all adds up. But what about those who have returned from one of the unpleasant prison sections of the afterlife? It was unloving selfish behaviour that consigned them to that unpleasant section in the first place: they must practice practical, unselfish LOVE back on Earth, then they can reverse their unproductive personal lives and prepare themselves for an exciting future.
HOW TO SUCCEED AFTER AN NDE.
Marilyn Braxton wrote about her husband Dean after his return from an NDE: ‘He (Dean) had a hard time being back here in the beginning. He had changed. Eternity coloured everything.’ —Marilyn Braxton This is a very common perspective shared by many NDErs on return, they feel like a fish out of water. It is possible to make a successful return after an NDE, but many have first to overcome unexpected hurdles. Angie Fenimore, herself an NDEr and suicide survivor and author of “Beyond the Darkness” writes about “Living Beyond” that after her family had read it, “My family say that they understand me better now”, which is vital because family are the primary support for NDErs, often they make a successful return possible. Angie goes on to say about “Living Beyond”— “This book has been thoroughly researched and is a comprehensive resource for understanding the elements, commonalities and differences associated with NDEs. I believe every physician, mental health professional, chaplain, and clergy member should keep a copy on hand.” Nick Bewes, a Chaplain in Australia, agrees and has found “Living Beyond” has helped many with whom he has counselled, even as their death approaches.
NDE Trauma on Return
Some accounts of Near Death Experiences (NDEs) sound like wonderful holidays in exciting new venues. Some hardly mention the challenges they had while dead and in Paradise or in the Prison section, and dwell even less on their Traumas on return. However, ALL returnees face challenges. Some become traumatised and even withdraw from earthly responsibilities. They are different deep inside and may need professional counselling and practical help to cope again. In this extract, we look at some of the issues they face and how to deal with them.
UNEXPECTED DIFFICULTIES FOLLOWING AN NDE
Considering their experiences have often been sublime, we might expect returnees from an NDE to fit back into life on Earth again successfully and enthusiastically. This is true for some, but others are soon disenchanted by the rejection of their experiences when they try to tell family members, friends, work colleagues, and even church members or ministers. The return itself can be accompanied by unexpected challenges. As airplane pilot Captain Dale Black says in the Foreword to “Living Beyond”, “This near-death journey often causes great difficulty in adjusting to one’s former life. Careers may be upended as returnees embrace a vibrant new purpose for their lives. This is certainly what happened in my case.” Dale had died in an awful plane crash and his NDE is especially insightful. Problems and trauma are frequently important consequences of NDEs that are often ignored. Consequently, I spend time in “Living Beyond” probing these issues. What are our expectations of returnees? And the expectations of others? The disappointments and responses of the returnees are often inappropriate. For far too many NDErs these challenges put them in a degenerating spiral, resulting in PTSD or similar, which was confirmed for me by a doctor friend who is also a trained counsellor. This is not good enough! We can and should do better for them!
TOURS OF HELL
Hell is not a popular topic nowadays and too many do not believe it exists, until they are shown it during one of the tours during a near death experience that may be arranged for them to learn about the different venues that exist in the afterlife. Very important – there are no people yet in the fires of hell because we are this side of Judgement. It is hard to escape the concept that what they have shown to NDErs to act as a warning not to find themselves there after Judgement. In this extract from Living Beyond, I quote two accounts of men who saw those unpleasant venues – and both of them subsequently turned their lives around completely. I also describe in “Living Beyond” some other tours experienced by NDErs during their afterlife adventures, even tours of what might be other universes in which different rules of Science exist – but in this account and I am limiting the extracts to what Hell is like nowadays and what happens there.
TOURS OF HEAVEN
Heaven is where God the Father resides at this time, in an incredible heavenly city visited by very few who appear to be especially privileged. It is NOT where most of us go in the afterlife – we follow the same route that Jesus and the thief who died beside him on the cross take – we go to Paradise instead. Remember Jesus’ words to the dying thief? “Today you will be with me in Paradise (not in Heaven)”. Paradise is an ancient descriptor meaning “garden”, and there are different sections to this afterlife garden similar to our large council or display gardens. In other sections, Paradise strikes NDErs similar to a rural idyll. It is suitable for the spirit bodies of most of us who die because of the special properties of those bodies—but I digress. In this extract from “Living Beyond: Making Sense of Near Death Experiences” I am describing experiences of the heavenly city itself, quoting from a few who have been there.
Angie Fenimore’s NDE After Suicide
All of us have had unexpected and sometimes even weird experiences. Thousands of written reports of afterlife experiences by returnees illustrate that few of us are prepared for the highly unusual events and circumstances that we find after death. This finding most things to be weird in the afterlife is unnecessary as around 350 million adults have returned, plus many children, and written accounts abound. We need to familiarise ourselves of what the afterlife is like. Suicides generally are not expecting what they find after death, and Angie Fenimore provides us with just one of these accounts. I quote Angie, with her permission. Why have I chosen her account amongst many possible ones? because her life after her return has involved her saving others that she can from committing suicide! Her sincerity is displayed by how she is living her life after her death. Her full experiences are best accessed by reading her excellent book “Beyond the Darkness”.
WHAT DO SUICIDES FIND IN THE AFTERLIFE?
Suicide is now among the three leading causes of death worldwide among those aged 15-24 (male and female). What kind of experiences do suicides have in the afterlife? Generally unpleasant based on their reports on return, but then they are not always consigned by God to the same venue and some places are more tolerable than others. Some years into my interviews and investigations of NDEs, I thought incorrectly that all suicides had a torrid time in the afterlife. I was asked by a desperate relative to counsel with a suicidal teenager. This lad’s rockstar hero had suicided and he wanted to kill himself to join him in the afterlife. I did not know anything about the singer concerned, Kurt Cobain, but I was able to assure the youngster that he would NOT be allowed to join Cobain in the afterlife! Definitely not! According to the accounts I had, suicides were consigned to certain venues about which they had no choice. The lad said little but I knew I was getting through. The relative told me a few months later that he had not suicided. Years later, I spoke to the same relative and was delighted to learn that the young man’s life, work and marriage were all going well. What a relief!
GEAT ESCAPES
Houdini promised his wife that if he could signal her from the afterlife, then he would do so – but the famous escape artist never signalled because God has made it that whatever section you are placed in during your sojourn in Hades prior to your resurrection and Judgement to follow, you will remain there, as the rich man in Jesus’ teaching discovered (Luke 16:19-31). However, while Houdini’s efforts to escape and everyone else’s were impossible, God who can do anything can always set you free from whatever situation you find yourself in in the afterlife. But what decides whether God will do so or not? Read these accounts of the “Great Escapes” recorded in modern times that can help you solve this question for yourself.
OTHER AFTERLIFE EXPERIENCES IN HADES
Bublish suggests authors share a little about why they write. Very briefly—I write in the hopes that I will help someone somewhere. What do the emails I have received indicate? Early emails were from the recently bereaved, saying that “Living Beyond” had comforted them, knowing what their loved ones were REALLY experiencing in the afterlife. Later, I became disturbed at emails describing the rejection that NDErs had suffered from family, friends, churches—and professionally. At least two readers who had harboured suicidal thoughts had decided to live instead – thankfully! Two other readers have decided to engage with troubled returnees to help them: they are Uniting Church minister Karen Paul in Sydney Australia and Dr Chet Weld in Tucson Arizona – and I hope other professionals will also provide similar support, counsel and love. Recently Brian Holmes of South Africa wrote: Whilst reading your book and pondering the people's testimonies it struck me that this was a fundamental truth, that not all the people in the various studies had conspired to align their stories! The conclusion spoke for itself, that it did not matter if I believed it or not, it was going to happen and one day i would die and the only decision I had to make NOW was which side of the chasm I would see out eternity.
ESCAPING THE VOID
Thankfully more and more Christians are at last recognising their ignorance of the afterlife, and consequent inability to help returnees with possible trauma. It’s as an email yesterday from a medical doctor and trained counsellor in Melbourne confirmed: “You certainly discovered a gap in information and you were able to research and put together an excellent book which will be a handy reference for decades to come.” Not only do the growing volume of emails I receive confirm this, but also the increasing number of Christians who are prepared to counsel and help traumatised returnees. “Why traumatised?” you may ask. “I thought it was all sweetness and light on the other side.” It is for some, but not for others – both in scripture and in reality. Many more experience the Void and other areas of isolation than are prepared to admit it. To get a feel of what this can be like for suicides read Angie Fenimore’s book “Beyond the Darkness” or for militant atheists read Howard Storm’s “My Descent Into Death”. Today’s extract describes some escapes from the Void.
NOT EVERYTHING IS ROSY IN THE AFTERLIFE
Between his death and resurrection, Jesus preached to some spirits trapped in a prison section of the afterlife (1Peter3:18-20). Their spirits were waiting in Hades (NOT hell) as ours will too until the Day of Judgement that lies up ahead for us all. Hades comprises pleasant Paradise sections, but also Prison sections. The first Prison section, rather like a temporary holding section, is termed The Void and is described as deep darkness by the many who have begun their afterlife there. We will begin our tour of the prison sections in the afterlife by describing the Void and what NDErs have experienced there.
STILL MORE TO THE AFTERLIFE!!
Writing is a lonely night-time occupation which then goes out into the unknown, hopefully to help someone along the road. Here is an inspiring comment to some writing of mine from a Christian NDEr, commenting from his own experience. “In no way is sharing or writing about the NDE an affront or negation of God. Quite the opposite, it is glorifying Him! It is giving hope to those in a hospice bed who are terrified and shouldn’t be. It is a glimpse into what/who we really are - transcendent beings connected to God, part of Him, and that death is truly not an end, but a transition. “You are so right, when many come back from an NDE there is a time of adjustment. You are almost hesitant… and then sometimes there is so much to be shared with other believers/nonbelievers and your pastor or clergy…. Will they believe me? Will they understand my feelings of missing heaven? How can I continue my journey with this experience in perspective and do what God intends for me to do? I have seen the discomfort wash over the faces of the very people I felt would most want to speak with me about it.” Come and adventure further with Ivan in “Living Beyond” into the society you may find there in Paradise.
Forgiveness + Reincarnation in the Afterlife
While waiting in Paradise for the final Judgement, are we frozen in time, or does our character continue to grow? We certainly have plenty of time for contemplation, but is there more to it than that? Yes, there is, much more. Thousands of written reports illustrate that we are expected to grow and develop in interesting ways while in the afterlife. This can produce unexpected problems on returning to earth—“Mum is just not the same after her NDE” is a common style of challenge voiced by many family members. It can be true, and in fact SHOULD be true! I develop typical changes and challenges for families and returnees later in “Living Beyond”, but introduce the concept of change in Chapter 8 – the expectation on the NDEr of forgiveness. And do NDEs support the notion of reincarnation? Read on!
YOUR FAMILY AWAITS YOU IN THE AFTERLIFE
AT SOME STAGE IN YOUR AFTERLIFE ADVENTURES, if they continue for long enough, you will most likely meet with relatives and ancestors who have preceded you there. Some you may not have known and may introduce themselves, otherwise you may only identify them on return to earth from old family albums or even centuries old paintings, or through discussions with your more elderly family members. How will your ancestors appear to you in Paradise? Generally happy and in the best of health. And how will you interact with them? Here are a few examples quoted in “Living Beyond” to give you the flavour of what you might expect.
Socialising in the Afterlife! BUT who with?
You will find the afterlife peopled by all sorts of interesting beings: God the Father, Jesus, your ancestors, some friends who pre-deceased you, various angels and assistants, and perhaps the spirits of others who have died already. Many will look younger than when you knew them on Earth, and happier, providing you are in one of the Paradise sections. If in one of the Prison sections, your companions may not be as nice, but you can refer to “Living Beyond” for details if you are interested. In this short extract we will major on great experiences that have taken place in Paradise sections.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A LIFE REVIEW?
I will begin where the previous Bubble extract from “Living Beyond” ended: Life Reviews are purpose driven, not process or venue driven. Life Reviews we discover from hundreds of recorded experiences distil down to one overriding fundamental purpose. But what is this purpose? What are Life Reviews REALLY aiming at? Can you pick this up from the Life Reviews quoted below taken from “Living Beyond”? I begin with PMH Atwater, a fearless researcher of NDEs whose work I respect although my conclusions are different to hers. PMH (as she likes to be known) has had three NDEs and began her research specifically to try to understand this strange phenomenon. Read on, and let’s see how you do at interpreting the underlying driving purpose of NDEs.
INTRODUCING YOUR OWN PERSONAL LIFE REVIEW!!
A few more amongst hundreds of Life Reviews follow, taken from “Living Beyond”; to give you a foretaste of what you might expect in the afterlife. You will be shown the details of your life as though watching a movie in full colour, usually presented chronologically for the young, but sometimes given much more quickly in chunks. This is because the ponderous brain has been left behind on Earth and your soul can absorb masses of information almost instantaneously. Bob Bosworth, son of the famous evangelist ‘FF’ Bosworth, was amongst the earliest returnees from an NDE to explain to me what was involved in a Life Review. Bob had spent his life as a Christian missionary dedicated to serving the needs of others, working mainly with the poor in Africa. He had died in a car accident. ‘Details of my ministry passed before my eyes, and I saw weaknesses and things I should have done differently. I was not being judged, I was being led into self-evaluation. God's Judgement Day is not yet.’ Live Reviews are not Judgements; they are given to guide us. Bob died again in 2009, still serving God and man in World Outreach. Let’s sample a few Life Reviews. Much variation occurs because each of us is treated differently in the afterlife—as individuals!
This Is Your Life! (Life Review)
The Life Review shown to you in the afterlife is likely to be the most impacting event in your existence to date, whether you return to earth in an NDE or remain in the afterlife. I have yet to meet an NDEr who progressed as far as a Life Review who does not identify it as one of the most shattering but formative experiences of their lives. What will actually happen to you during your own personal Life Review and why? Read on.
YOU MAY MEET FATHER OR SON IN THE AFTERLIFE
Who is this shining being in front of you, looking brighter to you than many suns? How might you recognise who it is if you have no previous knowledge of him? Now things get strange. On rare occasions he may announce who he is, but generally a kind of deep almost primeval or instinctive knowledge of unknown origin kicks in even in atheists or agnostics “This is God!” In every case I have come across, and those I describe in “Living Beyond: Making Sense of Near Death Experiences”, the interaction that follows has been the most important meeting of their lives!! However, their different experiences and descriptions highlight the importance and value of our individuality to God. You see, depending on who they are and their background, NDErs respond differently to this shining being who presents himself to them. We have been created individuals. I guess God deals with us as such because he likes us like that. Why else would he have recorded every event and even the thoughts we have had during our lives?
AFTERLIFE LIGHT COMES FROM A BEING!!!
To the amazement of afterlife visitors during NDEs, the source of the brilliant light that pervades Paradise is NOT a sun or artificial lighting of any kind – it effulges from a person—A BEING OF LIGHT! A BEING OF LIGHT? Really? What is going on here? We begin by examining the account of New Zealander Ian McCormack, an atheist who died from a deadly box-jellyfish sting while scuba diving, and we then continue to forage amongst other descriptions in “LIVING BEYOND” given by the NDErs themselves.
A BEING GENERATES THE LIGHT!!
A strange, almost hypnotic light attracts new arrivals when entering Paradise. They are attracted by it similar to how a moth is attracted to a street light. Crystal McVea describes the CHARACTER of this welcoming light as “not light as we know it. It was closest to the colour we call white, but a trillion times whiter than the whitest white you have ever seen or could imagine. It was brilliant and beaming and beautifully illuminating.” Ned Dougherty’s description of the INTENSITY of this strange light during his NDE is endorsed by Dr Mary Neal in her NDE account: “The light was more brilliant than the light emanating from the sun, many times more powerful and radiant than the sun itself. Yet I was not blinded by it. Instead, the light was a source of energy that embraced my being.” Had Ned or Dr Neal been on Earth, that light might have frazzled and destroyed them, but spirit bodies in Paradise have different properties and the light does not damage them. This beautiful light pervades Paradise, but where does it come from? NDErs cannot see a source such as a sun. The answer to this question is extraordinary and life-changing to all who have proceeded further in their NDE. Here are some sample descriptions taken from “LIVING BEYOND” Read on.
ARRIVING IN PARADISE!!
PARADISE IS NOT HEAVEN, as I pointed out previously. Heaven is a destination reserved for after Judgement Day, so where are the spirits of the dead waiting nowadays? As Jesus promised the thief who died beside him on the cross, “Today you will be with me in Paradise!”. Paradise is a beautiful natural environment of the afterlife—alternatively, the dead may find themselves in a Prison section instead. However, these are only intermediate destinations and places of waiting until Judgement. In my book I begin with the different reactions of those who find themselves arriving in Paradise. They are stunned! I limit myself to a few chosen descriptions from the thousands I have access to.
A LIGHT APPEARS DURING THE NDE
VERY MANY PEOPLE DESCRIBE THIS LIGHT WHEN INTERVIEWED AFTER THEIR NDE OR WHTHIN THEIR WRITTEN RECORDS! IT IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON FEATURES OF NDEs. It has mystery about it, though, and the NDErs have problems trying to describe it, so I will quote some of their exact words. Those trained in Science assure us it does not have the same properties as the light in our universe, but are unsure of precise differences. If only they could have taken optical equipment with them!
Guides and Spiritual Helpers in the Afterlife
At times helpers appear to the dying in advance of death, commonly unseen by others who are present. These helpers ease the dying process and subsequently accompany the spirit at the start of the afterlife experiences. Children, especially, may report seeing a favourite relative who calms them, or their guardian angel, who does the same. Remember always that at the point of death all fear and pain disappear for the one who passes on; it is us who are left behind who mourn.
YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS MOVING INTO THE AFTERLIFE
When you die, your spirit separates from your body and floats above it (usually). This phase is termed an “Out Of Body Experience” (OBE) and is the first step into a “Near Death Experience” (NDE). OBEs can occur for a variety of reasons and not necessarily result in an NDE. They seem to be God’s automatic way of preserving our consciousness, our spirit, when danger threatens our bodies. If our spirit moves from the OBE stage into a series of afterlife experiences, this becomes a “standard” or “traditional” NDE. But where does the spirit traditionally travel and how during an NDE? My book, “Living Beyond”, begins to answer this in Chapter 5.
NDEs ARE PRE-PLANNED!! BUT BY WHOM??
NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES (NDEs) are not only pre-planned, they are PURPOSEFUL! By that, I mean experiences are tailored to that one person only — they see their own life in extraordinary detail (no-one else's) during their Life Review, and they meet their own ancestors (no-one else's), and if possible directions of what to do on return to life on earth are suggested to them, it suits them alone in their own unique family and circumstances. And who is smart enough and knowledgeable enough to plan an NDE is such extraordinary detail? Guess who??
SPIRIT BODIES
When I discussed NDEs with a medical doctor and friend, and explained about the spirit body rising out of the physical flesh-and-blood body at death, he asked at once "What ears are the spirit bodies hearing with? They describe beautiful and peaceful surroundings, but with what eyes do they see this?" These are excellent questions. If you have similar ones, I answer them in "Living Beyond". The excerpt today takes us a little distance along that path of understanding. The full text, of course, goes a lot further.
THE NDE BEGINS - WHERE TO??
NDEs are designed carefully and uniquely for that one person only. The venues they are sent to, the experiences they have, the spirits of the dead ancestors that they meet, are all carefully choreographed for that one person alone. For example, they are never shown the wrong Life Review, and the ancestors they meet are their own without error, when identifying them on return from old photographs, portraits, letters etc. The venues NDErs attend and the order they do are also carefully selected, and so identifying venues is essential if the NDE is to be fully understood. The biggest error among researchers and the NDErs themselves is to suppose they have gone to Heaven while it is Paradise they have reached, or to Hell while it is only a prison section in Hades they have been consigned to, for their own education and hopefully eventual reform. Heaven and Hell are reserved for after Judgement and are most likely permanent venues. Beforehand, NDErs go to pleasant Paradise sections or to unpleasant Prison sections in an overall CATCH-ALL destination termed "HADES" in scripture. Hades is the place of waiting for Judgement for all those who have died before Judgement. In this excerpt, I will describe the meeting between Jesus and the dead Royston Fraser where Jesus made this all very clear.
Before NDE Adventures Begin!!
There is much to learn from the varied, intense and sometimes fanciful occurrences of a dying brain. Whether or not an NDE follows, I term these a pre-NDE. Pre-NDEs, like drug trips, occur entirely on Earth and not in the spirit realm, although those who have experienced them may believe this to be incorrect. Because pre-NDEs involve memories stored in a brain, they are very varied and individual, sharing few common features with other people’s pre-NDEs. Graphic pre-NDEs occur on Earth before the spirit departs the body. They will become better understood as brain research progresses, because they occur within the dying brain. Where a person’s brain is damaged or expiring, but where there is no record of spirit separation from the body resulting in seeing the body below, we may anticipate any fanciful descriptions that follow to be pre-NDE in character. “Typically, a pre-NDE brings confusion because it is a definite and often life-changing experience, but does not fit the usual sequence of an NDE. This is because consciousness still remains within the body. Nevertheless, important experiences may have been occurring in the dying brain.” Excerpt From: Ivan Rudolph. “Living Beyond.” Apple Books.
SCIENCE AND NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES (NDEs)
My final excerpt from Chapter 2 of "Living Beyond" explores briefly the uneasy relationship between traditional Science and NDEs. In time I will post a more extensive probe into this relationship on my website ivanrudolph.com because it is an important and valid discussion. To my surprise, I was asked to give an interview for YouTube regarding my book, and one of the questions was on Science and NDEs. My responses were not prepared carefully but on looking at it again, I think it was OK, perhaps 5 out of 10. See what you think on https://youtu.be/fM5o4w7i6z0
WHAT WILL YOUR AFTERLIFE BE LIKE?
Ever wondered about this? Chapter 1 of “Living Beyond” illustrates a general sequence that is common to NDEs regardless of prior expectations or none, regardless also of culture or creed. There are different sections in both Paradise and also the Prison sections in Hades (not Hell) to cater for these differences. For example, Jesus preached to the spirits kept in their own Hades section in prison (1Peter3:18-21) and the now Christian author Angie Fenimore found herself in a doleful prison section for suicides. Thankfully, after her return, Angie is nowadays active in suicide prevention because she knows what the consequences of suicide can be like in Hades. Similar to Angie, other NDErs who have found themselves in a prison section of Hades can benefit tremendously from their experiences there providing they learn the lessons intended. The pleasant sections of Paradise, to which it appears most spirits go at death, are likewise varied to take account of our different cultures and religions. The Transfer Principle explained in “Living Beyond” can help clarify these differences. But the important thing for you is that your afterlife experiences will be meticulously planned by God for you personally. He knows you intimately and will make no errors in the relatives you will meet there or the events, emotions and thoughts displayed in your Life Review.
NDEs and BRAIN CONFUSION
The dying brain can throw up all sorts of confusing imagery and hallucinations that certain researchers have misidentified as NDEs. True NDEs only begin when the consciousness or "spirit" has separated from the body. Often the body is reported as seen from a higher vantage point by the spirit, which floats above unless consciously moving back down, Thousands of NDErs describe the scene they then observe, although they remain invisible to the doctors working on their supine body, or perhaps they describe details of the accident scene where they died. When these detailed observations are checked out later it is found that the NDEr has good recall of what has been observed while "dead", despite the dead brain being imprisoned still in the body and totally unable to observe these events described later on return to life by the NDEr. Once the spirit leaves the body it is possible for it to move into extraordinary afterlife venues and the events described in these "deeper NDEs" begin.
CONSCIOUSNESS LEAVING THE BODY (OBE stage))
OBEs or "Out Of Body Experiences" can happen without an NDE to follow, but the reverse is never true - NDEs are ALWAYS initiated when the consciousness exits from the body leaving the brain and all dreams/hallucinations etc behind. From here on, the reality of unseen dimensions is entered! Psychologists and psychiatrists who have had NDEs confirm they are entirely different from anything thrown up by the brain, or by drug trips etc. The afterlife adventures have now begun once the spirit has left the body, for better (Paradise sections of Hades) or for worse (Prison sections of Hades). Now what if you had an upsetting afterlife experience in one of the prison sections? Take heart, research indicates that providing you implement the lessons you have learnt, your life back on earth will turn out much better than before!
BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT
What do we mean by a "spirited" response? This is often taken to mean a "lively" response, which is only possible if that person is "alive". So from ancient times the "spirit" and being "alive" were inextricably linked in the human psyche. The Bible two thousand years ago taught that "the body without the spirit is dead" (James 2:26), and even tribal people over tthousands of years have understood what modern man has often forgotten. Revival, as in an NDE, means "re-alive-al" when the spirit returns to the body—a process that Jesus performed for several dead people during his earthly ministry. There can even today be a restoration to life on earth once more. NDEs demonstrate that consciousness is the great survivor in all of these changes.
What REALLY is death?
I continue to probe this question in Chapter 2 of Living Beyond. The good news, in thousands of accounts given by NDErs on return, is that fear and pain are left behind in the body Immediately the spirit departs to afterlife venues. The spirit leaving the body at death is not exclusively a Christian belief; a number of other other religions believe something similar because it is what their adherents have experienced. Simple African tribal people I grew up with believed this although not Christians, as do millions from around the world who have experienced this for themselves.
What Is Death?
Having lost 8 friends this last year, including my only brother, I appreciate how vital it is to have an accurate understanding of what death REALLY is - the separation of our consciousness (spirit in most religions) from our body and brain. The spirit rises from the body and enters a number of afterlife experiences. Unexpectedly, these experiences share similarities to those described by thousands of others including erstwhile atheists - who have not expected life to continue at all! Many who have died and returned include witnesses having impeccable character or impressive skills, including doctors, scientists, educators, heroes who died in in battle and so on.
