Let's Don't Get Our Theology From Sean Hannity

 I miss Rush Limbaugh. I listened to him when I could for over 30 years. Although Rush avoided discussing religion on his show from time-to-time he would make comments about his faith. Although we never know the reality of a person's heart from what I have heard over the years I expect to see Rush in heaven. I am uncertain about his heir apparent, Sean Hannity who seems to have an eclectic mix of theologies. After watching his program last week where he interviewed  Pastor Matt Weise it's clear we can't get our theology from Sean Hannity.

Weise claims to have had a near death experience. He claims to have had a series of visions of hell and declares that God has given him those visions to scare people in to the kingdom. He never once quotes or allude to any scripture: never mentioned Christ, sin, but only declared himself to be God's messenger for our age. After the interview Hannity declared "I believe in these near death experiences," Even a cursory reading of scripture makes it evident that neither Weise nor anyone else has been to heaven and back in order to reveal the gospel.

Death itself is hard to define. As a hospital chaplain I often sit in on meetings with families where doctors are struggling to determine whether medical care should be concluded. Does death occur when blood flow ceases in the brain, when respiration ceases, when the heart stops beating, or when there is no further electrical impulses coming from the body? Death is as mysterious as life. While medically we have a hard time determining time of death, the scripture clearly defines death, as the material dust from which we are made returning to the earth, and the spirt returning to God. "[7] and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7ESV)" The author of Ecclesiastes is reflecting on creation. Man  is a unique creature. Only human beings are created in God's image, only they will be in heaven [7] then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. (Genesis 2:7ESV). Human are made up of a corporal and a spiritual dimension. It is when the corporal body and the spiritual essence separate that the corporal body ceases to be. That is when we die. When the spirit that God gave returns to him. The body returns to the earth. The body is temporal transient, but the soul is eternal. 

There have been a few instances of resurrection a few times in scripture, and some claims of resurrection in early church history. Jesus made it very clear that resurrections (and other miracles) were rare supernatural events that were for a specific revelatory purpose, We were not to expect them after he had come 

[25] But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, [26] and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. [27] And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” (Luke 4:25–27ESV)

On this occasion Jesus made it clear that miracles had occurred in Old Testament for the purpose of revealing the way of salvation. They were not the norm in the Old Testament, and since the messiah has now been revealed miracles are on longer necessary for revelation:

[1] Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, [2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. (Hebrews 1:1–2ESV)

Before Christ came, God at times intervened directly in human affairs and took actions outside the the expected laws of his creation in order "to speak ... by the prophets," but since Christ has come "he has spoke to us by His Son." It is no longer necessary for God to reveal his son and his salvation supernaturally. This is the essential issue for those who claim "near death experiences." The revelation of Christ in the gospel is sufficient. 

On one occasion Jesus spoke of an event that occurred in the spiritual realm. He told of a man who asked to "send some one" back to the physical realm to tell his family about hell. Jesus' response makes it clear the "near death experiences" are not Divine Revelations. 

[27] And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—[28] for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ [29] But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ [30] And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ [31] He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:27–31ESV)

Jesus is very clear that he has given the Scripture to tell us about the after life he does not send someone to heaven to give them a message of salvation then send them back. There are some incidences in scripture of people being given a glimpse of the after life. The apostle Paul was apparently caught up into heaven and returned

[2] I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. [3] And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—[4] and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. (2 Corinthians 12:2–4ESV)

What Paul was revealed there he was not allowed to speak. He was given a "thorn in the flesh to prevent him from boasting about his 'revelation." Paul was the chosen disciple, chosen to reveal the mystery of salvation (Eph 3:1-13) yet he was not allowed to reveal what he had seen in the heavenly realm. John wrote a book of the Bible that was an extended view of heaven. 

"[17] When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, [18] and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. [19] Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. [20] As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:17–20ESV)"

His vision is full of symbols and images that are hardly clear. The point of Paul's vision and John's is to draw us to Christ. Neither of these men are in and end of life situation when they are given their visions. They are both given visions that conceal as much as they reveal. It is clear from the words of the New Testament that no one dies and then returns for the purpose of giving a new revelation, as matter of fact to make such a claim is apostasy of the worst kind.

First, it is clear we all die once. We do not die and come back to life. Since he has come and revelation is complete after death comes judgment: 

[27] And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, [28] so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27–28ESV)

When we die we enter into the Holy presence of God or eternal damnation, which is itself contained with the Holy presence of God. We face his judgment. God' holiness can not be polluted by human sin, neither can a person who enters into holiness and stands sanctified return to a sinful condition. Jesus in his famous conversation with Nicodemus makes this clear:

[12] If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? [13] No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. (John 3:12–13ESV).

Jesus is clear to Nicodemus that he came in the flesh to reveal the way to heaven to human beings. He is the revelation to us of things of God. The only person who reveals heaven to men is God in the flesh. No one who enters into the holy presence of God can then return to the corrupted sinful life. 

I found Rev. Weise's statement on Hannity's radio and television program to be quite troubling. He consistently repeated the phrase that he saw nothing that wasn't all ready revealed in Scripture. He admitted there was nothing knew in what he was saying. The only unique claim about his experience was that God had chosen him to be the source of a revelation that Paul was forbidden to reveal. His words, his experience was what people needed to finally understand the revelation of God. Furthermore, although he described his vision of "hell," and said he was sent to warn people, never once did he explain the message of salvation. The only purpose the interview served was his self-aggrandizement.

It's time to declare those who claim these experience are revelatory as either deceivers or liars. The scripture is clear the gospel is "all we need for life and godliness." If we do not believe the testimony of Christ empowered by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we will not believe the testimony of someone reflecting on a "sub conscious state." This is dangerous teaching that must be avoided and called what it is: apostasy. Any person claiming to be a Pastor who is teaching this , as the gospel has disqualified themselves from ministry:

[8] Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. [9] But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. (2 Timothy 3:8–9ESV)