T. J. de Ruiter, Pentecostal Pastor in The Netherlands
The Bible: Jesus Christ revealed that there is life after death!
The central message of the New Testament and indeed of the whole Bible is the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Though some want to doubt the reliability of the resurrection, certain facts of history and remarkable experiences of many believers are a strong proof of its truth. The apostles declared with absolute certainty that Jesus had risen from the dead and that He had revealed that the life of the human individual continues after death with the complete preservation of his personal identity. The risen Christ showed the scars in his body, the wounds in His hands, feet and his side. He ate with them and explained why He had to die; the old Holy Jewish scriptures had spoken of His death, its purpose and the resurrection.
The Bible declares that those who believe in Jesus Christ, His atonement for sin and His destined Lordship over all will receive the same glorified life as He has received. This glorified state of the new life is not subject to natural laws as we know them now, to weakness and mortality. The new life is immortal and will last for ever; it is an heavenly life while the present one is earthly. Please read what the apostle Paul, and intelligent, faithful and fruitful servant of the first period of the Christian Church wrote 1 Corinthians chapter 15:35-49. In the same chapter he claimed that the resurrected Christ was not only witnessed alive by two or three people, but by not less than 500 people! When Paul wrote that at the time of writing many of these witnesses of the risen Christ were still alive!
Indeed, the resurrection of Jesus Christ gives the ultimate hope to moral men. Death is not the end of human existence, but opens the door to a new life; please read 2 Timoty 1:10. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 the apostle Paul wrote that in the resurrection life we will be reunited to our loved ones, if we all share the faith in Jesus Christ and believe in the forgiveness of our sin and the reconciliation with the Almighty God.
Surely, the message of the hope on the resurrection life is the most powerful ultimate message of the Bible.
Jesus had told His disciples that as they were preaching the Gospel, the truth of their message would be confirmed with supernatural signs. Sick would be miraculously healed and dead would be raised; please read Marc 16:17.
The story of the death and resurrection of Daniël Ekechukwu has startled many all over the world. This man has experienced that life continues with a new consciousness in another world after death. His memories of the almost fifty hours he was a dead person as far as earthly life was concerned are vivid and powerful. please continue to read: The story of Daniel Ekechukwu, his death and return to life
After you have read the story of Daniël Ekechukwu, please read and consider carefully what follows:
Aspects to think about right now...
Introduction
The coming back to life of Daniël Ekechukwu on the 2nd of December of 2001 was not something that happened with only a few people present. A number of people had confirmed has death and hundreds saw him immediately after he had returned to life again. Amongst the shocked witnesses were also medical doctors. The spectacular incident was for several days front page news on most newspapers in Nigeria. At present Daniël has an influential ministry, many have come to believe through his testimony in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord.
Five aspects to consider
1. Daniel was really dead
2. He came back to life after about
48 hours
3. There surely is life after death
4. No scientific doubts
5. The quality of our present life has
consequences in the hereafter
1. Daniel was really dead
There is definitely no doubt about the fact that Daniel was really and truly dead. He was declared dead by a physician on Friday, 30 November 2001. The attendant at the mortuary also confirmed him dead after examining the body, after which he treated the body with chemicals in preparation for embalming. On Sunday, at his arrival at the church where Bonnke was preaching, security police, amongst whom were Muslims, stated that it was a dead body. People who touched the body confirmed that it was "as stiff as a dried fish".
2. He came back to life after about 48 hours
Daniël died in an ambulance, which was on its way to another hospital. At a certain moment he realized that he had really died. He was conscious of two angels that took him to another world.
Nneke, his wife was in tears and desperate. But a Bibleverse, Hebrews 11:35, came with great force to her. This verse states that women received her dead back to life. She took that scriptural statement very seriously and based her faith on it. On the following Sunday she insisted that the corpse was taken in the coffin to a church where Reinhard spoke in dedication of a new church building. Once inside the churchbuilding she rallied believers for prayer around the dead body of her husband. They continued to pray until - to their own amazement - the body began to show signs of returning life. Once conscious of his return tot physical life Daniël himself was very surprised too with vivid memories of what he had experienced in the other world. Since that moment he has shared his experiences with hundredthousands of people.
3. There surely is life after death
We have to accept Daniel's experiences in the hereafter as literally true experiences. His first words "Where is my file, where is my file?", are proof that he was fully aware, inclusive of intelligence as well as emotions, while he was experiencing this phenomenon. In order for him to get his mind to realise that he was back on earth, was again very real and this sudden enormous change came as a total surprise to him.
Nobody who hears about his true story can say: "There has never been someone who was raised from the dead telling us about the supernatural and incomprehensible reality of heaven, hell and life after death." That Daniël Ekechukwu was raised from the dead on Sunday, 2 December 2001 is an undeniable fact. There were many eyewitnesses of his resurrection. It was on the front pages of many of the Nigerian newspapers.
According to evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, nobody should be indifferent to this happening. He says that this highly extraordinary event should lead to deep thought and repentance. Everyone should realize his responsibility for his final destination in the life hereafter and believe the message of the Gospel, which God's Good News for mankind..
4. No scientific doubts
The report of Daniel's experiences in the hereafter entails vivid impressions, which he could remember and communicate clearly afterwards. It is clear that had individual ego with awareness, intelligence as well as emotions, without it being affected by experiencing death. He was a fully complete person, without a physical body. Scientifically it would be impossible to deny his existence after death. With the little knowledge we still have about this subject in these days, the continuation of the human soul and spirit seems to be inexplicable, yet acceptable. It has been established by many that even people of the most primitive ancient civilisations believed in the continuation of life of the human soul and spirit after death. Even in our own time this belief seems to be ineradicably established. The testimony of Daniël Ekechukwu gives new impetus to exactly this belief.
5. The quality of our present life has consequences in the hereafter
The experiences of Daniel confirm the message of the Bible. They confirm the Biblical message that there is an eternal destiny for each person. The quality of the life after death is determined by our present state and faith. Paradise, heaven, a place with many homes, which Jesus has prepared for His people, does exist, but so does also a place of punishment where the pain of remorse and an endless depth of inner misery makes life to be a burning, scorching agony. Because of this awesome future I beg you: Please repent of your sin and put your faith and hope in Jesus Christ, our resurrected and glorified Saviour.
In the light of this message and the experiences of Daniël, who was raised from the dead, the Dutch law on medical assistance with euthanasia and self-killing, should be reconsidered. This law is based on the believe that death is the ultimate end of the human individual. Please realize that this believe cannot scientifically be established as our range of knowledge does not reach across the border of the grave. But I do maintain on the ground of the resurrection of Christ that there is a continuation of human existence after death. The message of Daniël Ekechukwu is a modern proof of it.
In Closing
Daniël says that since this experience he has taken his lifestyle much more seriously. He certainly does not want to take the risk of missing heaven. He is also more aware of God and filled with reverent respect for Him. Should he hear someone arguing, he would shut himself away, not even wanting to hear it and thus being a part of it.
Dear reader, I appeal to you: Please think seriously about your own life. Should you be a Christian, ask yourself whether or not you are living according to your faith in absolute obedience to Christ and His word. If you are an unbeliever - why not become a believer today? Christ died on the cross for you too. In His name you receive by faith forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Christ will make for you too, a beautiful heavenly home. Is this not something to look forward to with great anticipation?
7 May 2002; revised April 2006
Pastor T. J. de Ruiter
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Site 5, departm. Theology and Teaching / 26 April 2006 / Pastor T. J. de Ruiter / The Netherlands