The independent film production company Angel Studios has recently gained immense popularity among the American Christian audience with its acclaimed series about the life of Christ, The Chosen. It is also the studio that distributed the child-trafficking drama The Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel, which outperformed major Hollywood films at the box office with only a fraction of their budgets.

Today, Angel Studios is parlaying that profound influence into advertising its October 27 release of After Death, a documentary that claims to have proof that life goes on after our bodies die.

According to Angel Studios' official website, “After Death is a captivating … film that delves into the enigmatic question that has fascinated humanity for centuries: What happens when we die? Through a combination of personal accounts, scientific research, philosophical discussions, and exploration of best-selling stories of near-death experiences, the film takes viewers on a profound journey of discovery.” The film is also said to “[examine] both the spiritual and scientific dimensions of near-death experiences, inviting viewers to contemplate the possibilities and engage in their own reflections.”

Near-Death Experiences

The producers of After Death say that their film gives convincing evidence that at death, people’s “souls” or “spirits” separate from the body and go to another realm of existence. From the trailers, however, it appears that most of this evidence is based on people simply recounting their near-death experiences—or NDEs for short. (We have not had a chance to review the full film prior to the writing of this article.)

An NDE is often described as an out-of-body experience. Sometimes, a person has the sensation of floating above their operating table, including seeing hospital staff trying to revive them, or entering into a tunnel with a bright light at the other end. Many have reported they have gone to heaven and met Jesus, while others even claimed to have gone to hell. Many of these experiences were so profound that unbelievers who experienced them became Christians as a result.

None of this is new, however. In 1975, psychiatrist Raymond Moody published his bestselling book Life After Life, which documented the near-death experiences of 150 people who were declared by doctors to have died—that is, their hearts stopped beating and their breathing ceased—yet were resuscitated; the patients then claimed to have seen something profound that the living cannot see.

Interpretations of NDEs vary widely. Yes, some see them as transcendent experiences that provide insight into the afterlife. However, many interpret them as nothing more than psychological phenomena or neurobiological responses as the body tries to cope with the stress of extreme physical trauma.

Whatever the case, Angel Studios intends to use their film evangelistically to prove that God exists. And that’s the problem.

The Biblical Issue

Despite the common belief in mainstream Christianity that people go to heaven or hell (or purgatory) right after they die, the Bible actually teaches that at death, people enter into an unconscious state until one of two future resurrections.

The world’s greatest teacher of truth, Jesus, referred to death as a sleep—that is, a temporary state of unconsciousness. “‘Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.’ … However, Jesus spoke of his death” (John 11:11–14, emphasis added; see also Mark 5:38–42). This harmonizes with the Old Testament view of death; we are told that “David slept with his fathers” (1 Kings 2:10, emphasis added). We are also told that King David remains in his grave (Acts 2:29–34). 

Could Lazarus or David be said to be “sleeping” if they are awake in heaven right now?

According to the Bible, the righteous dead will only become conscious again at the Second Coming: “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout. … And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, emphasis added). The unsaved are resurrected only after the millennium (Revelation 20:5).

Until those resurrections, “the dead know nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5; see also Psalm 146:4). But why is it so important for Christians to know and share this truth?

Overcoming End-Time Deception 

Ephesians 6:12 warns, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). If Satan can masquerade as an angel of light, how difficult would it be for his demons to mimic our dead loved ones in order to spread lies, a false gospel? (See 2 Corinthians 11:14.)

After all, one might be able to resist the lies of a demon openly standing before them—but how much harder would it be to deny the unbiblical counsel of a supposed loved one who has come back from heaven? While many people are going to be comforted by After Death, believing that it affirms their Christian faith, it leaves the door open to deception on a massive scale.

That’s why Amazing Facts wants to equip you to share the Bible truth—to counteract these end-time deceptions that Satan will use to trick people into rejecting God and His law. Indeed, After Death is set to be released on October 27, just a few days before Americans celebrate Halloween, a holiday that openly advertises pagan beliefs about life after death. 

• Check out some of our most popular resources that you can use to blanket your community with the truth during the film’s release and on Halloween. Click this link to learn more about The Afterlife Mystery magazine and the Whistling Through a Graveyard Bible lesson for kids.
  
  
• And don’t forget ghosttruth.com, helltruth.com, and truthaboutdeath.com. These websites offer clear, easy-to-understand teaching and are perfect for sharing with others—while also offering you a refresher on what God’s Word really says. 

We are called by Christ to be lights in the darkness and to be witnesses in times like these. Let us lay hold of His work boldly!