Fatal Plane Crash Sends Man to Heaven, Describes Heaven in Detail

When someone learns that I survived a fatal airplane crash and subsequently journeyed to Heaven and back, they often ask me to share something of what I experienced.

You may be surprised to learn that my immediate response is a general pushback—a reluctance to talk about Heaven’s treasures. I’ve learned that there is a massive gap between what most people want to hear and what I have been willing to reveal.

You see, Heaven is precious and sacred to me. The descriptions of what I saw and heard often seem trivial in comparison to deeper and more central truths of what Heaven is about. The most profound aspects of Heaven are not what I saw and heard but what I learned. What I came to understand about God is why my life was so transformed. Though I will share those things I saw and heard, you may be surprised at the other aspects of Heaven that I am going to include.

For example, when I arrived in Heaven, almost immediately I noticed the complete absence of pride.

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6 ESV).

There is no pretense or selfishness. Heaven is not primarily about you or me or what we get. Heaven is all about God. When anyone gets even a glimpse of the Heaven that God created, earthly pride is vaporized. It’s no wonder that the Bible tells us “Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Why was he the most humble? The answer’s clear. He had seen God.

When you compare the awesomeness of God to our puny lives, pride becomes irrelevant and foolish. As a Christian, everything truly good we have ever done, or will ever do, is because of God’s unmerited love and His power in us. Glory is not ours to take.

That explains the Scripture in Revelation 4:10 that describes the twenty-four elders casting their crowns at the Lord’s feet. For every reward we receive in Heaven, God’s grace and power are the reason.There is nothing any of us can take glory for or be prideful about. It’s an amazing and wonderful thing to experience a community where every being is giving glory where glory is due—to God alone. This singular focus creates great joy and gratefulness in Heaven and connects us together as a unified community.

Another aspect of Heaven is the blood. We learn that, on earth, the life of the flesh is in the blood. In fact, in this world, God accepts the shed blood of His Son as atonement for sin. Likewise, in Heaven, shed blood is the essence of what binds everyone together. Talk about perfect love and unity. The blood of Jesus was shed for the forgiveness of sin. The cross is still a central focus in Heaven because it represents how each of us entered such a perfect place.

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11).

You see, it’s because of Christ’s blood that every individual on earth has the opportunity to become a child of God. No one can earn the gift of salvation. It can’t be purchased or traded or negotiated. It is because of the blood of the Lamb—shed for you and for me—that we can enter Heaven. So how can pride exist when all one does to gain entrance into Heaven is to believe and receive a free gift?

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The deeper truths of these things are now embedded in my heart and have profoundly impacted me at my core.

Now do you see what I mean? I’ve just tried to describe two aspects of Heaven—pride and the blood. Neither can be seen, but both are attributes of Heaven just as holiness and unconditional love are. These are only a few of the qualities I discovered on my journey. These things and more changed me and continue to ripple throughout my life to this day.

At this time of my life, I feel compelled by the Lord to share what I have learned about Heaven. I’ll try my best to describe the visual and audio splendors as well as the revelations that I came to understand—all for the purpose of helping you learn more about the God who loves you.

Since there are not enough words in the English language, nor adequate descriptions in any language, to accurately convey the wonders of Heaven, let me start with something easier to describe—the part of the journey that occurred before I went inside the city. When I pause to remember, I am still awed by the majesty.

Heaven’s Countryside

The countryside surrounding the wall on the outskirts of the city of Heaven is magnificent beyond words. There seems to be no limit to the natural wonders God created for our sheer enjoyment. For example, thick living forests, vibrantly colorful gardens, crystal-clear lakes, all types of animals, and majestic mountains can be seen throughout. The grasses of Heaven alone took my breath away—like a living carpet of lush green velvet. Never had I imagined witnessing such splendor, such richness, such color and life.

It’s so interesting to me how even the seemingly insignificant aspects of Heaven have had a residual effect on my earth life in sometimes crazy ways. Take the grass, for example. Maybe because there was so much of it and I experienced it up close much of the time I was there, it made a lasting impact. I stopped and took note that each blade had visible life in it.

Wherever I stepped, the grass would slowly rise back up and look as if nothing had disturbed it. Each blade was the perfect height with a perfect point at its top, natural in that it was not mowed, but nothing was overgrown. All of Heaven looked perfectly designed, manicured, and maintained, yet I never saw anyone mowing or edging. And none of the grass ever died. It seemed to me that there was more life in a single blade of grass than in all the plant life I’d witnessed on earth.

You may find it interesting that years after my physical recovery from the crash, I became trained as a golf course greens consultant. I sold landscape materials to golf course greens keepers to help them achieve the “perfect” putting greens. I still take notice when I see a meadow or golf course that’s a vibrant green. It seems I can’t help but point it out to whoever is with me. A perfect green or great looking fairway still offers me a subdued reflection of the Heaven I long for. And even though the grass on earth pales in comparison, it does conjure up the memories of perfection that have stayed with me ever since.

I’m not much of a plant or flower kind of guy on earth, that’s for sure. But when I eventually went inside the city, I saw people planting flowers and nurturing plants, apparently for the sheer enjoyment it brought them. I couldn’t help but notice that the living foliage was so perfect it looked unusual, at least at first. There were no fallen or dead leaves in the soil, no sign of decay. It seemed from my vantage point that any time anyone touched a plant, there was an automatic emitting of increased light, along with a slight melodic vibration. As new flowers were placed, or existing plants were rearranged, the display of beauty was always enhanced. What appeared perfect before became even more breathtaking by the touch of the gardener.

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all its fullness; let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord (Psalm 96:11-12).

My natural curiosity, a characteristic that often got me into trouble on earth, propelled me once again. This helped me learn some rich lessons about life in Heaven. I reached down, desiring to touch the grass, intensely intrigued. I allowed one fingertip to lightly touch a single blade. Small micro tornadoes of light on the blade the moment I contacted it. It startled me a bit, so I pulled my hand back. But since there was no pain and as I was still driven to explore, I used several fingers to touch several blades. It happened again. Tiny swirls of life moved in concentric circles, the result of my simple touch.

The description of what I believe happened still seems inadequate. The little gently whirling circles represent to me that there is a symbiotic relationship between the people of Heaven and all the plant life there. I’m confident that this occurs because of the common life source. It is the life of God that is in both. God is the life in the plants. He is also the life of the eternal beings—the people in Heaven. There is life in all things, and that life responds to the unity created through our touch.

Since my heavenly journey, my perspective on all nature on earth has changed. Every plant on earth is a descendent of God’s original, perfect creation. When God created earth, the plants, animals, and all things, He said, “It is good.” There was no sin and no decay at the time of creation—much like what has always existed in Heaven. In the beginning, nothing died on earth. But since the rebellion and fall of man, the whole earth became corrupted. All of nature suffered due to man’s original sin.

The creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now (Romans 8:21-22).

There was something else about the grass I should tell you. As I’ve already mentioned, in Heaven, every plant, down to each lovely blade of grass, receives its life from God. But I should add that its needs are perfectly met by the Creator. Each flower and each plant vibrates with melodies, glorifying God continually, reflecting His life through its very existence. In turn, each organism gives a form of worship to God in a manner unique to its own kind.

It still amazes me when I think about God’s life being in everything. And in Heaven that life is everywhere. It’s God’s life. Every living being or life form in Heaven is connected by this life and is infused with a kind of energy. This energy is a byproduct of this life that is in everyone and everything. And I think this is the most wonderful part: The power in it—the force of it all—is love.

The Light of Heaven

Certain parts of Heaven are so different from earthly things that mere words are simply unavailable. Describing light and how light works, is a good example. Earth light comes from our sun and from manmade illumination. In Heaven, all light comes from one source. Everyone in Heaven knows the source of the light. I knew it immediately without needing anyone to tell me. There was no doubt. None whatsoever. God is the light. It’s not right to say that God was “in” the light. No. It’s also not correct to say the light “came from” God. God is the light. God was and is and forever will be the Light. I realize that from earth’s vantage point you probably wonder, “What difference does that make?” But trust me. In Heaven, it makes all the difference.

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5 KJV).

There’s more. Light doesn’t shine on things in Heaven. It shines through everything. There is also life and energy in the light. The light is brilliant—brighter than the sun—yet it didn’t burn my eyes or make me want to shield myself from it. In fact, just the opposite was true. The light drew me in. I wanted to get closer to its source. It was warm and inviting—loving. Inside the light are life and love. It’s like the three qualities of light are one—Light, Life, and Love.

This light of love and life flows through everything—touching and ministering to every part. The three qualities of light are an extension of the source of Heaven, flowing through the wall, through the plants, and even through me, continuously infusing me with energy and life and bathing my soul in love.

The warm and brilliant light washed through the beautiful gate unimpeded. If you can picture in your mind an ocean wave wrapping around rocks as it rushes onto shore—that’s a bit like what I’m describing. This light is living, and it pulsated outward from the city center like laser beams that never diminish. But unlike a laser beam on earth, light in Heaven won’t harm but only ministers to one and all from the essence of the one and only true God.

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).

I had only been in Heaven for a short time, but already I was baffled about how I could even survive the amount of light that was washing through me. It was beyond spectacular to experience. The light filled me with energy and love with each new wave.

Every sight and sound intensified in my being as I approached the opening in the massive wall. The gate was my access into Heaven’s heart. It is where the light, the love, and the life originate. I hope I’m allowed to go into the city, was my growing desire.

As I drew closer to the wall, I was stunned at how much larger it was than I first thought. It was made up of a series of seven vertical walls—each layer pressed together, making up the magnificent whole. The outer layer of wall was about forty feet high, stair-stepping up to the center wall, which stood approximately two-hundred feet high. Surprisingly, at the base, the massive wall, when considered with all seven layers, appeared to be about as thick as it was tall.

The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst (see Revelation 21:19-20).

As the light refracted through the lovely stones that made up this imposing barrier, the colors seemed to dance in the atmosphere, causing a kaleidoscope of various hues and creating a colorful effect that surrounded the city. The colors swayed and shimmered, generating a living rainbow that seemed to dance with the music. It was breathtaking.

With every movement I made, the colors made small adjustments. Each color contained multiple hues—with each one seeming to have its own personality. These many shades and hues moved and ministered to my heart—filling me with joy. They were alive—palpable and pulsating on melodies that filled the atmosphere.

As I continued closer to the colorful rows of stone, I could no longer see the top of the huge wall. Standing next to the base, I could see deep greenish hues in the bottom layer of stones, likely reflecting the lush grass that surrounded the wall.

The magnificent opening that had been my destination for some time became astoundingly more beautiful the closer I got. It was more than an opening. It was a royal gate—intricate, ornate, and gorgeous to behold. It had a gracefully arched opening forty to fifty feet high and about thirty to thirty-five feet wide. It stood open and unobstructed, granting entrance through the wall. There was no door. No barricade. Nothing to preclude my access into the city, at least so it appeared.

Streams of living light rushed outward through the opening as if in joyful escape. Light enveloped and ministered in a colorful display of love and energy to all who were touched by it.