Heaven is for Real – Book Review

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back is an easy to read book that recounts a four-year-old near death experience and his trip to heaven. I finished reading it in a just a few hours. I read it as a story book and not as a theological material. It makes a difference.

Here’s the book description from Amazon.

A young boy emerges from life-saving surgery with remarkable stories of his visit to heaven.

Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn’t know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.

Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how “reaaally big” God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit “shoots down power” from heaven to help us.

Told by the father, but often in Colton’s own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle.

Reading it as a story book is heart warming and inspirational. For a four-year-old to talk about meeting Jesus in heaven and what heaven is like reaffirms my belief in God and that heaven is a real place.

The book is written in a very simple manner that you can talk about the book to toddlers. I would even think that the book is written for children rather than for adults.

The book would mention passages from the Bible that corresponds to Colton’s description of heaven. But even if Colton’s dad is a pastor, he didn’t dwell on explaining the passages but simply quote them as is.  The book seems to avoid any theological details.

If reviewed from a theological standpoint then Colton’s experience will create more questions than answer it. My own understanding of heaven, life after death, and eschatology differs from what Colton has seen.

But there is something about the book that makes me feel blessed. Maybe its the recurring theme that Jesus loves the little children or that miracles happen everyday. For those days that I need strenght and guidance, this book will give me assurance of a loving God.

The book is great for family time.  Read the book with your kids and I’m sure they will be excited to know more about Jesus.

Daddy Rating: 3 of 5

Check out Heaven is for Real at Amazon.com