Seven Eye-Witness Answers to After-Life Questions-Pt. II

Ian McCormack’s night of terror challenged him in ways never imagined by the athletic Kiwi diver. Stung by five deadly box jellyfish on a night dive in Mauritius, outrageously difficult circumstances as he attempted to get to the hospital before the spreading paralysis killed him, died, dropped into Hell, and the sun had yet to rise outside his hospital room. The conclusion to Ian’s extraordinary night is found in the seven eye-witness answers to after-life questions—Pt II.

Transition

The twenty-five-year-old New Zealand man felt confusion overtake his intense fear. Why had he gone to Hell? Ian cried out to God, remembering he’d asked for forgiveness and committed his life to God in the ambulance. Immediately, a bright light entered the totally dark vastness, drawing Ian out and into a narrow passageway.

As Ian continued up the passageway, he saw an indescribably bright light at the end. The jewel-like brilliance shone more intensely than the sun. The young man stared at what he understood was the source of all light and power—the center of the universe.

Though bright as a laser, Ian felt no discomfort looking right at the light. In fact, he felt drawn to it like a moth to fire. As Ian ascended, he felt wave after wave of light coming toward him in the tunnel from the source of the light.

Unbelievably, the light waves carried emotions to Ian. The first wave bathed him in total comfort and warmth. How like Father God to meet the diver’s immediate need. He’d just left a place of incredible cold and fear.

Continuing up the narrow passageway, the next wave came right through the tunnel. Total peace and contentment enveloped Ian, head to toe. Though he’d searched for it, Ian hadn’t found peace of mind in reading poetry, education, sports, drugs, alcohol, or relationships with women. Amazed, Ian actually felt the profound emotion of peace and contentment coming from the pure white light right to him.

Suddenly, Ian wondered if he could see his body now. In Hell, he’d not seen anything at all—a place of deepest darkness. Holding out his arm, he saw it, but it looked like the brilliant light.

“I looked at my arm and saw light. It was freaky. All I saw of my body was light. The light coming off the Source up there. I looked back and saw only darkness, but ahead the light kept coming.”

Just then, a wave of joy hit Ian. He explained the feeling as beside himself with joy. “I don’t know where I’m going, but wherever it is, it’s fantastic!”

Leaving the passageway, his mind struggled to understand what he saw. He stood before the source of all light and all power.

Ian had been an atheist for eleven years so lacked the usual Christian vocabulary. The first word that came to mind, aura, didn’t seem quite right. Then, he found it–glory. What he saw could only be described as glorious.

Ian wondered if what he saw might be a force of some kind. He’d read a lot about other religions, especially those of the Orient, who believe in a special force being the source of everything.  Is there really a person inside that light?

God audibly answered the first question Ian had asked in his heart. “Ian, do you wish to return?”

The Light did have a Person inside. Did he want to go back? Turning around, he saw the tunnel leading back to darkness.

“Where am I? I thought I was in my hospital room. I closed my eyes, and am having a bit of a dream. Am I really standing here in real life, wherever here is?”

Again, the audible voice of God, “Ian, do you wish to return?”

“I think so. I don’t know where I am. Just send me home. I want to go back to my hospital bed. “

“If you want to return, you must see in a new light.”

The moment Ian heard see in a new light, something clicked. Two verses from the Bible had been on a Christmas card he’d received years earlier. Having meditated on the verses, Ian easily recalled the words.

“Jesus is the light of the world.” (Jn 9:5NIV)

“…God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” (I Jn 1:5 NIV)

Ian had just come from the darkness. Certainly, not a bit of darkness could be found where he now stood. Recognition struck Ian. This is God! He is Light.

Looking at the Light, Ian said, “You must be God!”

What a startling revelation for the young atheist who’d only accepted the Lord moments before he died. Remembering all the bad things he’d done in his life, Ian shrank away.

What am I doing–a filthy, young sinner… standing here in front of you? How can I stand in Your presence?

The young diver realized God knew all that had happened in his life. “I wanted to back off and find a rock to crawl under. I wanted to get away from His presence.”

As Ian backed away, wave after wave of light hit him. The intense waves felt like pure, undeserved love. With each shameful memory of Ian’s rejection of God, another powerful wave of love engulfed him. He’d not felt loved in a long, long time and never like this.

Look at me; You know my life. I don’t deserve being loved. Ian had no sooner entertained these thoughts than another great wave of pure love hit him.

Recovering from the overwhelming expression of God’s love for him, Ian wondered if he might be able to see God. He believed if he could just see God, he’d know the truth to the meaning of life. He’d searched everywhere, but if only he could see God…. Can I? Nobody said I couldn’t. Ian took a step into the light.

Ian saw the indistinct figure of a man. Stepping a bit closer, he noticed the Man had bare feet and wore an intensely brilliant white robe. Ian lifted his head and glanced up at the radiance over the Man’s face. The supernatural glow obscured a clear view of the physical features. Indescribably white hair flowed over the man’s shoulders. (You can read more about what Jesus’ glorified body looked like in Rev 1:13-18.)

Question Four: Is Heaven a real place?

As Ian moved closer, trying to see the Man’s facial features, the figure stepped to the side. The bright light and glory moved with him.

A narrow, transparent glass passageway appeared, opening onto an entirely new world.

Question Five: What does Heaven look like?

According to Ian, Heaven looked brand-new—like an entirely new planet. He saw incredibly green grass that looked like it’d pop back up if you stepped on it. Mountains, hills, and flowers bloomed under the most beautiful blue sky. A crystal clear river had trees lining both sides of the banks. Ian sensed the same indescribable glory coming from this place.

Taking it all in, Ian’s excitement poured through his thoughts. This is where I belong! It’s what I’ve been looking for all over the world. I’m home. This is Paradise!

Ian wanted to leap through the tunnel. He’d left the kingdom of darkness and before him, he saw the kingdom of light. The young man had been down the wide road to destruction before choosing the narrow road at the very last moment.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Mt 7:13-14 NIV)

Overwhelmed by emotions and the glorious beauty before him, Ian changed his mind. I want to step through and stay. Forget about going home!

As Ian started to move toward the glass tunnel, the Lord moved in front of him, blocking the way.

Question Six: Is Jesus really the door to Heaven?

“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” (Jn 10:9 NIV)

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (Jn 14:6 NIV)

Jesus stood as the Door in front of the narrow, transparent tunnel. “Ian, choose. Do you wish to return now?”

Ian considered what he’d left and decided he had nothing to go back to but more misery and hurting, hating people. He’d done all the world had to offer and never been happy or felt fulfilled.  With no wife or kids, Ian reckoned he really had nothing drawing him back.

“I want to stay.”

Ian glanced over his shoulder as if to say a final Goodbye to the world. What he saw stopped him cold in his tracks. Only a couple of feet from him, Ian saw a vision of his mother.

Racing through the diver’s mind flew thoughts of his mother. She’s the only person I’m really going to miss on this earth. She’s a lovely, gentle person, always showing me true love and acceptance.

Ian battled conflicting thoughts on how to answer God. It would be selfish of me to go through into Heaven. I’d be in Paradise, but my mum would be suffering, not knowing I’d accepted the Lord. She’d think I’d gone to Hell. She’d receive a dead body in a box from Mauritius, never knowing I was in Heaven.

Finally, Ian responded.  “God, there’s only one person I want to go back for. It’s my mum. I want to tell her that what she believes in is true. There is a living God. There’s a Heaven and a Hell. There really is a door. Jesus is that Door. He’s standing in front of the passage to Heaven, and we can only go there through Jesus.”

Glancing back a second time, Ian’s vision now included the rest of his family and friends. He loved each of them and also wanted them to know the truth.

Suddenly, hundreds of thousands of people appeared behind Ian’s family.

Looking at the Lord, Ian expressed his desire. “I want to tell my family about Jesus, but I don’t know all of those other people. I don’t love them like my family and friends.”

“I know each one of them, and I love them.  I don’t want any of them to go to Hell.”

Ian resolved to share the truth with everyone, not just his own sphere of loved ones. “I’ve come here once. I don’t really know how I got here, but I can certainly find out. I’m coming back!”

Question Seven: Can someone who’s died ever return to earth?

Ian’s eagerness to share what he’d learned fueled his willingness to do anything God asked, but first, Ian needed to get back to his body. “God, how do I return? Do I need to go back through that tunnel of darkness into my body? I don’t even know how I got here.”

“If you go back, you must see things in a new light.”

Ian understood that he must see things through God’s eyes–pure love, pure peace and total forgiveness, comfort and joy.

“I want to bring Heaven to earth. I want people to know the peace and love of God. How do I go back?

“Ian, tilt your head. Feel the liquid drain out of your eyes. Now, open your eye and see.”

The diver opened one eye. He saw two nurses standing just inside the door to the morgue where the staff had moved his body. Ian heard God say, “Son, I’ve just given your life back.”

Ian opened his other eye, looking around the room. Suddenly, he realized that he couldn’t move. He’d returned as a quadriplegic. The young man pleaded with the Lord to heal his body so he could walk around normally.

A powerful electricity jolted his body, healing Ian instantly.

About that time, the nurses saw him looking at them. The poor ladies bumped into one another as they fled the room. The noise made the doctor at Ian’s foot look up.

What a shock for the poor doctor who’d not seen Ian alive. He explained to the revived patient that he’d already been dead for fifteen to twenty minutes.

Even though Ian could get up, the doctor insisted he spend the night in the hospital. The following morning, the young diver walked out, a new man.

Just outside the hospital doors, Ian stopped to speak to God. “What happened to me? What am I?”

“You are a re-born Christian. Read the Bible.”

Within six weeks, Ian completed his first reading of the entire Bible. For the past thirty-four years, Ian has traveled the world, sharing his story and the truth of God’s Word.

 

There is a Heaven. There is a Hell. Not one person needs to go there; it’s up to each of us to choose.

Conclusion

Listening to Ian McCormack’s story, complete with the Scriptures that brought greater meaning to his experience, my heart filled with joy. I’d never before understood just how deeply God loves us, individually.

Through Ian’s testimony, I recognized that God’s forgiveness is not only real but absolutely forever.

The great waves of God’s deep emotions swept over the young man who well knew what a royal mess he’d made of his life. Because Ian had asked God to forgive him on the basis of Jesus’ shed blood, God accepted Ian as His own son.

I realize that Ian’s story may not be exactly like others you’ve heard, but it’s a true story.

If you find your greatest joy deep in the frozen tundra, don’t worry; Heaven’s a big place. There’s no reason to think all of Heaven is the perfect New Zealand environment. Your side of Paradise may have snow-capped glaciers or perfect icebergs.

The unending creativity of the Master allows for variation in the experiences of His children, but the theme is forever the same: God loves you and doesn’t want you to spend eternity in Hell. (If you missed last week’s post, you might want to flip back to read what Ian experienced in Hell.)

 

If you’re wondering what you need to do in order to see that you’re headed for the beautiful tunnel of light and not the dreadful great void of impenetrable darkness, remember the words of Ian’s mother:

“No matter how far from God you are, no matter what you’ve done wrong, if you cry out to God from your heart, He’ll hear you and He will forgive you.” (Marie McCormack)

 

If you’d like to hear Ian tell his story, there are many links to various interviews and presentations on his website, including Ian interviewing his parents about the incredible night he died.

www.ianmccormack.com.

Perfect Wave is the movie version of Ian’s true story, available at Walmart or on Amazon.