The best Bible verse I quote to fundamentalists who say, "No person can see God" is the following verse written by the Apostle Paul:

"I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know - God knows. And I know that this person - whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows - was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that people are not permitted to tell." (2 Cor. 12:2-4)

This verse obviously describes a near-death experience where a person was taken to heaven and saw God. All the evidence is there: the out of body experience, the reference to more than one heaven and hearing inexpressible things. Also, many scholars believe Paul is actually talking about himself here because, in context, this whole verse has to do with "rival preachers" boasting about their own knowledge, in which Paul compares himself to them. Paul does a lot of boasting himself in this chapter, but then goes on to describe the experience of a person whom "he knows". His description of the out of body experience is such that it sounds as if it truly is a personal experience. This becomes even more apparent in light of a verse which says Paul was stoned and left for dead. (Acts 14:19)

Another excellent verse supporting the near-death experience comes from the Old Testament concerning "Jacob's Stairway or Ladder". Jacob had a dream in which he sees the "gate to heaven". Here is the verse:

"He [Jacob] had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said: "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham ... When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it." He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven'." (Gen. 28:12)

It has been well documented one does not need to be dead to have a near-death experience. People can have them during dreams, extreme stress, extreme gravitational forces, deep and prolonged meditation, hallucinogenic drugs, or any situation where the consciousness is altered. Jacob's ladder is an excellent description of the "tunnel" or "passageway" people having near-death experiences see and travel through. Experiencers often see angels in this passageway and it extends from them to heaven, at the end of which is God.

Another experience in the Bible describes a near-death experience where a person sees heaven and God. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is stoned to death after having what appears to be a near-death-like experience.  Here is the verse:

"But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:54-56)

Stephen’s description of heaven opening up and seeing God is a good description of a partial near-death experience, or a near-death experience in the making. Moments later, he is stoned to death.

On another front, there are two thousand year old Christian Gnostic writings discovered in the 1940's, such as the "Apocalypse of Paul", supposedly written by the Apostle Paul about his near-death experience. It reads very much like a near-death experience. However, most Christians today are totally ignorant about Gnostic writings and concepts. Too often, they are too eager to declare anything Gnostic to be "heresy" and "of the devil". In Jesus’ day, there were many Gnostic sects and to say all Gnostics were heretics is like saying all Americans are Christian. This is just too general a statement to accept even at face value. Click here to read the "Apocalypse of Paul".

In the Book of Revelation, John is taken into heaven in a near-death-like fashion. However, according to Edgar Cayce's insights into this symbolic book, John's experience is more of a dream because it has the same dream symbols that appear in the prophet Daniel's dream. But this still does not rule out the possibility that John had a near-death experience in his dream. Such things have been documented in modern times. Edgar Cayce had near-death-like experiences and he also provides an interpretation of the Book of Revelation based on these experiences. Click here to read Cayce's interpretation of Revelation

Many near-death experiencers encounter a "Being of Light" often described as Jesus, God, another religious figure or an angel. Sometimes this "Being of Light" may be a relative or friend. In fact, the near-death experience shows everyone gives off this Light, which is the Light of God, in the afterlife. In a gospel account, Jesus transforms Himself into a "Being of Light" similar to the "Being of Light" whom appears in the near-death experience.  The disciples of Jesus saw Christ in His glory and therefore saw God with their own eyes.  Here is the verse:

"After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus." (Matt. 17:2-3)

This Bible verse sounds very much like the descriptions of the "Being of Light" in the near-death experience.

All of the verses above show one does not have to be dead to see God. All these verses verify what is known to be true about the near-death experience.

Christians who doubt near-death experiencers were truly dead should read about the medical procedure called a "standstill" where the patient is purposely flatlined in order to perform delicate surgery. These patients are literally brought back from the dead.   There is also an excellent near-death experience produced by this procedure profiled on this page.  Click here to read this near-death experience.

Since the Bible describes humans as seeing God, then the near-death experience does not conflict with scripture.

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