TBC: We have seen in recent times a proliferation of purported visions of and visits to heaven. The Bible expressly forbids necromancy, or the practice of talking to the dead. Lev:19:31Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.; Deut. 18:9-12, 15; 1 Sam. 28; 1 Chron:10:13-14 [13] So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;
[14] And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.
; Isa:8:19And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? are some of the scriptures which may be cited.
The passage in Isaiah is quite to the point regarding communication with the dead: “And when they say to you, ‘Seek those who are mediums and psychics, who whisper and mutter,’ should a people not seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah:8:19-20 [19] And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
[20] To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
). Unfortunately, that has not stopped individuals such as Rick Joyner from reporting such encounters, and, worse having the gall to have the alleged “Paul” say things that contradict the Scriptural account.
For example, in his book The Call, Joyner reports of one walk through heaven where he encounters the Apostle Paul seated upon a throne. Joyner speaks of the honor he feels when meeting Paul, but the apostle quickly tells Joyner that the honor really should be his as he is involved in the “last battle.” Going further, Paul “confesses” that he “…fell short of all that I was called to do” (Joyner, The Call, p. 131-133). This hardly agrees with the words of Paul: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy:4:7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:).
