My Journey to Heaven: What I Saw and How It Changed My Life

by Marvin J. Besteman, Lorilee Craker

On April 28, 2006, as he lay in his hospital bed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, visions of celestial beauty were the last thing on Marv Besteman's mind. He had just had surgery to remove a rare pancreatic tumor. It was after visiting hours and his family had left for the day. Alone and racked with pain, Marv tossed and turned, wanting more than anything else to simply sleep and escape the misery and discomfort for a while. The retired banker, father, and grandfather had no idea he was about to get a short reprieve in the form of an experience he never could have imagined.

In My Journey to Heaven, Marv Bestman shares the story of his experience of heaven with astounding detail. Readers will hear of his encounters with angels who accompanied him to the gate, his conversation (argument, really) with St. Peter, and his recognition of friends and family members who touched his life. His story offers peace, comfort, and encouragement to those who have lost loved ones and gives security and solace to those who are grieving, dying, or wonder about the afterlife. Marv believed God sent him back to earth to fulfill this mission of comfort and reminds readers that God has work for each of us to do before he calls us to be with him in heaven. Secure in his belief that his book was the fulfillment of his own mission, Marv returned to heaven in January 2012.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Spirituality, Religion, Biography, Inspirational, Faith

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2012

Reviews

[Joey R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars — I have been in a rut reading thrillers for the past few months so I decided to return to one of my favorite types of books: NDEs. “My Journey to Heaven” by Marvin Besteman was a Kindle Unlimited book that had very good reviews, so I decided to give it a try. Like many of these books, the details regarding heaven are cut and pasted throughout the life story and background information about the author. The book is very short and not as detailed as I would have liked in places, but I did enjoy reading it. What shines through the book is that author is very sincere about his beliefs and that what he saw was real. Marv’s character also comes through loud and clear and you can tell he is a genuinely nice person who would be easy to like. The details of the NDE itself left me questioning whether it was real, a dream or drug induced hallucination after surgery. There was no medical documentation that he died or even had problems after surgery, and the traditional Peter at the gates of Heaven not letting Marv in after looking through the Book of Life is inconsistent with some of the better books I’ve read with medical documentation. Once I accepted this account as more of a vision, I truly did enjoy it. Marv was so convinced it was real though, it did make for a truly enjoyable book which I sped through with just a couple of hours of reading.

[Adriane Devries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I consider myself a woman of deep faith, even I was skeptical of Marvin Besteman’s celestial journey to heaven and back…before I read his memoir, that is. Having already read several memoirs within the last few years of people who had had a near-death heavenly experience, I probably would not have bothered to pick this one up at all had not my neighbor co-authored it with him, and spoken to me during the process of Marv’s inspirational story. I’m so glad I did. Not only am I reminded of my future forever home, but I also feel that I’ve met a new friend through Lorilee Craker’s faithful representation of the voice and mannerisms of this “hardheaded Hollander,” whose stoic Dutch personality and career as a banker never prepared him for such a literary pursuit, nor the limelight such attention might engender. Here’s this regular old guy, not given to the least bunk (his term), telling us about meeting Peter at the gate and even having a little argument with him. Angels, check. Colors, lights, check. Lost loved ones, the Book(s) of Life, an ocean, etc., he confirms many things about heaven that are familiar, and answers many pressing questions as well, with odd curiosities added along the way. Though Marv never intended to spend his days in the arduous writing of this book (“I’d rather be golfing”), he felt an “urgency to tell people about my experience, because who knows how long I’ve got until I go back?” A question facing all of us, ultimately.
Just as Lorilee captures Marv’s voice and experience beautifully, I am reminded just how our Heavenly Father’s voice is captured so beautifully for us through His Word, the Bible. It is our very own text message from heaven, if you will, with so much love and hope pouring from its pages: we are not “alone in the universe,” as so many skeptics fear. Though Marv’s message is a reminder, we have already heard from Heaven, and can continue to as we read and reread the pages of Scripture. It is all there in black and white, if we dare to believe.

[Krickette❤️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed. Being that I was super excited to read this one, I was caught off guard with its simplicity and bland writing style.

This concept has always fascinated me and the other books I’ve read about this type of journey and stories of Heaven have really grabbed me (90 minutes in Heaven-unbelievable, and Heaven is for Real-crazy fantastic). These books really held onto my heart and were meaningful and moving. However, being transparent, this one .. not so much. It reads more like a textbook and it’s dry. It was a book that made me feel guilty for not wanting to pick up. Which isn’t a fun feeling and sadly was disappointing.

Was it a fascinating story?…. of course! For that I rounded up from 2.0 stars (original scoring) to 2.5 stars! Was the writing at all creative or exciting, no, not really. I guess it’s a book you read “because of the journey”.

[Rissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️
I loved his experience in Heaven the most out of all the journey to heaven stories.
He described the angels coming to get him and flying over the clouds. Then Peter, like The Peter came and greeted him at the gates. It was just really interesting to see how everyone experiences Heaven differently.

I think one thing they all have in common is that none of them are scared. They all fell at peace and ready to leave when its their time. It gives me hope that when my times comes I will feel that peace as well.

[MaryAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a bit skeptical with this book in the beginning, but the level of detail the author was able to bring to the sights and sounds of being at Heavens door was very compelling. he did a good job of relating directly to scipture to substantiate the prophesy of what Heaven is to be like when we arrive at our due time. It was also emphasized that he didn't experience every single thing we read in scripture and that all of his experiences could not even be described with the knowledge we have here on earth.

Also, the deciption of St Peter with all the positive and negative moments in his life that made him inot the "Rock" often mentioned in the New Testament was very compelling. Peter felt the unbelievable pain of denying his Savior three times. I haven't had the exact same situation, but I've denied Christ in different ways through my actions in my life. Personally, I find it easier to relate to apostles than Christ because they obviously didn't do everything perfect either, but we still have the same promise of salvation when we accept Christ in our hearts.

One of the take aways from this book for me was "Who will be there to greet you at Heaven's Gate"? It is a very thought provoking question and one I will be thinking and praying about for as long as I am still here.

Overall rating is that I would definitely recommend this book to others that are interested on what to expect when we get to Heaven and finally see our HOME!

[Cynthia Kirchner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!
From Marv: Heaven is just love, plain and pure, something for us to enjoy forever and ever and ever!

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can I admit how much I enjoyed this book? I did only give it 3 stars, but that's because the core of the book is only about half of it; the other half is evangelism, which is great, but not about What Besteman Saw and How It Changed His Life. Still, I'm sure there are those who would be appalled that I like this kind of stuff, but I'll just tell them the truth: it was a quick break from reading Fleming Rutledge's Crucifixion, and they can talk to me about after they've read Rutledge. And Besteman.

This is a quick read about a guy who had an experience of being transported to heaven by two angels from his hospital bed, and what it was like. It took him something like 5 months to tell his own wife, because he felt certain that people would think he was either crazy or making things up. Ultimately, of course, he begins to tell his story: after his wife, he tells his children and their spouses (and grandchildren, maybe?), and then they encourage him to speak about it to others.

It would sure be nice if this was accurate. Now, keep in mind that there is at least one guy out there who writes "books," which are all short "Christian" rebuttals to peoples' stories of heaven and angels. In this case the "book" I see on Goodreads is a 28-page rebuttal which "discusses the false theological concepts that the book is proclaiming to the world as truth. It examines the details of these teachings in light of God's revealed word in the Bible." It's by Robert Alan King, who has also written rebuttals to Eben Alexander's Proof of Heaven, as well as similar books by Todd Bupo and Dr. Mary Neale. Kind of a sad way to live a life, in my opinion: refuting the stories of others' stated experiences.

My philosophy is to maintain strenuously that none of us can possibly know what the afterlife will be like; even the Bible was written by people. On earth. People inspired, perhaps, but (arguably) not people who went to heaven, or even, for the most part, had compelling visions of going to heaven. So my position is that it's wrong-headed to refute those who seem to have more actual experience than I do about heaven, and I would never do so unless a story seemed clearly to be manipulation or some kind of psychosis.

I liked it; I probably won't read it again, because there are many such stories out there, but it's very light reading and was lovely bedtime reading; I'm pretty sure I had better dreams last night, not that I remembered them.

[Ashlee Bree · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I’ve always had a morbid fascination with near death experiences. I love hearing about them, reading about them, thinking about them—what have you—which is why I picked this up in the first place.

Stylistically, it’s not my favorite. It’s rather generic and cliché as far as description goes, but that’s okay. It makes up for it in its light, conversational tone. Makes you feel like you’re a kid sitting cross-legged before your grandfather, half distracted, half riveted, while he’s describing heaven in a simplistic way you’ll understand.

I liked it for that.

[Shaun Marksbury · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just Read the Introduction to Save Yourself from Disappointment

In My Journey to Heaven, Marvin Besteman (and Lorilee Craker) achieves a balance in mood that weighs the best of generosity in presentation and matter-of-fact, which is probably what makes this book engaging. It’s like reading one’s grandfather—he writes with a confidence that almost urges you to suspend disbelief while also extending kindness to his readers and his “competition” in the heavenly-tourism genre. One could see how the author achieves his goal of extending comfort to his readers, the stated purpose of all of these books. Yet, similar issues plague this book as do the others in this growing cloud of supposed witnesses—along with unique issues here.

The first word that comes to mind when reading this book is “unbiblical.” The author claims to be Christian and tries to back up his experience with Scripture, but he even admits that he cannot reconcile everything, trying to find alternative explanations. (Why is Peter guarding the gate? Why is the gate not made from a pearl?) He can’t explain why the angels took the time to unhook him from the machines and needles before taking him, why the nurse records record no death, or why God wanted him to report what he saw when He told the Apostle Paul not to do so (2 Corinthians 12:2–4). The book doesn’t even line up with other written accounts, such as Todd and Colon Burpo’s, which the author also admits. Either these people have their own experiences and are being sent back from God to provide us with contradictory proofs about heaven that also contradict His Word, or one or more of these accounts are false.

The next word that comes to mind when reading this book is “filler.” This relatively small book should have half its size. For example, while veering from his own improbable story to give an acceptable description of what the Bible says about angels, he then moves further off course to relay several stories he’s heard from other people about possible angelic encounters in a Guideposts-like manner—stories he presents with his own degree of doubt, leaving the reader to wonder why he included them in the first place. Then there were the innumerable babies he saw in Heaven who he describes no less than four times throughout the book with little-to-no variance in each instance (in two separate descriptions, he says, “the tiniest fetus as small as my little finger” and “the tiniest unborn baby, about the size of my pinkie”). The reader gets the content of the whole book in the introduction—the rest is repetition and fluff.

The final word that comes to mind is “disappointing.” Those caring what the Bible says about the afterlife and how authors write books will be disappointed, to be sure. But so will those who are less discerning, those who simply want another story about a near-death experience and Heaven. Everything else aside, there is one thing My Journey to Heaven lacks—a tour of Heaven. His visit to Heaven consists of him standing in line. He talks about those waiting in line with him, the sky above him, and lake on the horizon, the gate and St. Peter the gate-keeper. We definitely get the sense of looking around while he waits. He does peek through the open gate to see the babies and loved ones inside when Peter “accidentally” leaves it open to ask God a question (yes, really). And then he goes back to the hospital room. You will read about family, vacations, sickness, and the author’s enjoyment of the TV show, Touched by an Angel, but not so much about heaven. Ironically, most negative reviews on Amazon describes this book as having too much Bible rather than describing a celestial visit.

So, in sum, we have a book from someone who seems to be a nice and likeable guy. Even so, the book for all of its Scripture referencing, does not describe a biblical experience. It’s plump with stories but not content. It’s a letdown.

[Donna Glazier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, but I am a little bit skeptical. I am sure that the author had some kind of experience of heaven but whether it was an actual experience or a vivid dream, I really do not know. However, I am glad I read it and I would recommend it to others interested in this topic. I am sure that the author believes that the experience was real and not a dream. His descriptions of angels is very interesting and sounds quite reasonable and biblical to me. I especially enjoyed reading about the two angels who came to his hospital room. I also think it is interesting that he died (for real this time) just days after the book was completed. It is almost as if God said, "Okay, Marv, you completed your work, so come on back home"! I think this book could be helpful for anyone wondering about the existence of an afterlife or of heaven or who is fearful of death. It could also be comforting to those who have recently lost a loved one. It is well written and Marv and his family come across as good, kind people that most of us would be happy to know.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet true story about one man’s visit to heaven. Listened to on audio. I didn’t need reassurance about the great beyond, I’m a believer. I was more impressed with how this man lived and all his great relationships. Side note: looked up his obituary (he’s dead now, btw and that’s not a spoiler - he lived 6 years after his first near death experience). Interesting life, he was loved and he loved- what more is there this side of heaven?

[Christian Fiction Addiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring, humorous, and thought-provoking, My Journey to Heaven should definitely be on your "must read" list this year! Marvin's trip to heaven is recounted in wonderful detail, and I greatly enjoyed the style in which this book is written. Besteman is not a man who takes himself too seriously, and the result is a lighthearted book that deals with a deep subject matter - the reality of heaven, and the fantastic experience that awaits us at the end of our lives. I loved how he incorporated so much scripture into his story, and the fact that God chose a more conservative type of individual to have the experience Marvin had seems to lend even greater credibility to what happened. I also loved how he pointed people back to Jesus, offering the assurance of salvation through faith in Christ, an assurance that we too can enjoy heaven and the wonder that it holds.

This book is one that I will be recommending to family, friends, and anyone searching for answers to what happens when we die. Marvin's story would be an especially important one to share with people grieving the loss of a loved one, a reminder that this world is not the end of our journey, but that it is continued in Heaven, a place of peace and healing and a reunification with those we love! I highly recommend this book and award it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

[Meagan Myhren-Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Journey To Heaven
By Marvin J. Bestman with Lorilee Craker

What I Saw and How It Changed My Life....


Following surgery for a rare pancreatic condition Marvin Bestman was given a gift from God - a glimpse of Heaven. But more than a gift God gave Marvin a task to complete before he would be called home to stay. God wanted Marvin to tell us about his experience and My Journey To Heaven is a recounting of Marvin's journey and he's invited you along.

Escorted by angels Marvin was left at Heaven's door through which he got a glimpse of Heaven's wonders. Light and color more vibrant and brilliant than anything ever seen on Earth. And he saw angels, babies, friends and family.

But Marvin was told that he wasn't to enter Heaven yet, he still had work to do for the Lord. Marvin's experiences have provided comfort for others in the six years since his experience occurred.

My Journey To Heaven is Marvin's final accounting of his journey as he has completed the task God gave him before his final homecoming. Won't you take a glimpse at what Marvin is now experiencing in fullness?

I was provided a copy of this title for the purpose of this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

[Marilee White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - the reason Marvin was sent back? To write this book. Amazing story. As someone who traveled the tunnel 39 years ago, there are elements I look for when I read these books and I usually start out skeptical - the elements are all there. I loved Marv's biblical correlations and especially enjoyed his delving into Peter's character, as well as the emphasis on the people he saw beyond the barrier - especially the babies ❤️

[Margo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually I listened to the audio book and it was awesome! Very encouraging and believable! This book is definitely 5 stars! It actually jumpstarted me to listen to many more books. I thank Ashton T. for bring back to my love of books!

[Producervan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book.

[Starry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to rate this book. It's my first time reading anything of the trip-to-heaven genre, which--as I concept--makes me uncomfortable and skeptical. Don't get me wrong: I fully believe in heaven, but I also also believe in complicated human brains and hallucinations and in a God who calls for faith in the promised-but-unseen.

However, this book was a gift and comes from "my people": stoic Dutch-Americans in western Michigan who work hard, value education, and aren't into the touchy-feely. So my cultural connection with the author catalyzed an openness to hear and accept his story. That doesn't mean I accept it as fact but that I was able to believe his sincerity and take from his experience the lovely hope and joy of experiencing heaven.

His story is simple and could be told in ten pages. However, I rather enjoyed his grandpa-ish rambles about how he met his wife and other stories from his life. Combine that with the smattering of grandpa jokes (a.k.a. dad jokes, a.k.a. groaners), and you get a sweet, sincere every-man narrator. It's easy to imagine him telling of this at the kitchen table over ham buns and leftover green bean casserole from yesterday's church function.

This book left me with tears and two longings: for my Dutch-American community/connections and for heaven. The former is an idealized nostalgia from hearing of Mr. Besteman's friendships and values; the latter is from hearing of his encounters plus my own understanding of the Bible plus the dissatisfaction that comes midlife from seeing why this world has been called a "vale of tears." There is so much fear, pain, and heartache around us all, and then we die. Why do we humans feel this is abnormal, when it always is and has been integral to the human experience? Because we aren't from here--we were designed for the perfect and eternal love and fellowship that will only come about when we are united with Christ.

[Jenny T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book chronicles an elderly ex-banker's journey to Heaven, including many interesting details about the place, people, and mansions within. Unlike other memoirs on the topic, this book is not spent mainly on the person's outside life (medical problems, woes, etc., nor is it an apologetic with a mission to convert. However, the book is definitely Christian in scope and unapologetically espouses Jesus as the one true savior and WAY to Heaven. I like the author's personality which shines through on every page.

2018 Review:

I debated about whether to give away this man's testimony of the outskirts of Heaven, but it's a keeper. Humble, retired, bank president Marv shares his experience of meeting Peter at the not-so-pearly gates as he saw babies floating through the air and his son-in-law Steve jumping up and down from behind the wall. Since Marv's name wasn't written in the Lamb's Book of Life for the day that Marv died, he couldn't actually enter beyond the gate. He could only look through the transparent wall and see shapes and colors like auroras and fireworks. Peter told him he couldn't stay after asking God's permission, but after catching pneumonia six years later, Marv had a blood clot and returned to Heaven in 2012. He wanted badly to see his dead newborn (preemie) son, William, and now probably will. I enjoyed reading about his life and medical issues in general. It was balanced between his life and Heaven, which is rare. Most books of this nature spend more time talking about accidents and health problems, but this one was Heaven-oriented.

[Jacques Hollands · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a few books now on NDE's (near death experiences) and other heaven related matters and this was my least favourite.

While I'm very hesitant to be judgemental to an author who claims to have such an experience, I struggled with the way that some of the messages were conveyed. I grew increasingly weary of the constant reference to him being a hard-headed Dutchman. I can understand his pride in being a Dutchman (especially considering my surname literally being Hollands), but there must've been about 10 references to it in the book. Once was funny, twice was definitely enough, but it kept going on and on.

I also don't know why you would almost brag about being hard-headed if you are trying to convince others of your (literally) heavenly experience. If I had such an experience, I'd probably make the book a lot less about me and more about the experience.

Perhaps it was the writing style that didn't do it for me, but I didn't get as much out of it as I anticipated. Imagine Heaven by John Burke and Heaven by Randy Alcorn, in my opinion, is vastly superior to this book. For some though, this may just be the book to inspire them to investigate these mysteries further.

[Jane Oldenburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting tale of a man who "died" after pancreatic surgery but returned to tell his story. I like to read these books because I find them to be comforting. The promise of Heaven and an afterlife is something I am looking forward to (hopefully not anytime soon though!) This story, while compelling, was not anything special or different than other experiences I have read about. I was hoping for more detail. Although I trust the author shared as much information as he could, it sounds like he did not get a chance to have a very long visit. A very quick read if you need something uplifting.

[Molly Kremer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and believe the author experienced this life changing event of glimpsing heaven. It was very interesting to hear him share his experience and wonder at why he saw the things he did in his short time and why he didn’t see other things. Or why his experience was the same or different than what the Bible says about heaven or other people’s experiences who have been through something similar. When thing that stood out to me was that when he went to heaven there was instant peace and no worry or anxiety. That gives me hope that all of those negative earthly emotions will disappear when it comes to be my turn.

[Maxwell Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a man's account of his alleged trip to heaven while heavily drugged with pain medications, interspersed with his biographical notes. It is most interesting for the incredible amounts of detail about heaven that the author reports, details that are in some ways unexpected considering Christian tradition. But those details are rather superficial, reflecting a pretty literal reading of scripture (i.e., the book of life is an actual book, etc.). As an inspirational work it may leave readers underwhelmed.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was admittedly skeptical at first when I started reading this, but Marv is a very charming writer, and I felt comforted by his words. There’s just something about the way he wrote this that made me feel like I could trust him... that made me believe he wasn’t just making this up. I’m thankful I came across this book. It was a very intriguing and comforting read. I also love how straight to the point he was too. He didn’t make this book unnecessarily long; he simply did what God asked him to do. He shared his heavenly experience for those willing to listen.

[Ruth A Wohl · Rating 5 out of 5]

It touched my heart so much. I feel in my heart his story is so so true.

I could not put this book down. I believe every single word. God is so awesome. The final touch of this book to my heart, at the end, was when Ruth mentioned the Jesus Calling book. I have been reading that book plus Jesus Always. I was so touched, by that book, that I sent it to two or my dear friends. Now I am going to send them this book. I know it will give the peace. Sarah Young and Marc are
truly a light of GOD. Please read this book.

[Kay Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and inspiring!

The way Marv Besteman wrote and explained his experiences made me smile, laugh and get teary eyed! I hope that when my time comes, I'll be brave, confident and assured that Someone will meet me at the "pearly or not gate" ...lol. Anyone could read this book because Hope is needed for every single person on this earth. Like Marv tells all readers, this present world needs positive change. I do hope a lot of people read this book about his journey to Heaven.

[Blythe Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just the way I imagined it to be

He description of heaven is just the way I have always imagined it to be. I lost my husband to a sudden heart attack at his workplace & then my father six months later & have always envisioned them together & our families happy together as friends & neighbors. I'm certain now that my COWBOY has gotten my daddy to fish with him now. It really eased my mind & soul.

[JO GIBBS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real Views of Heaven

I am so thankful God encouraged Marv to write his story of his visit to heaven. It is well written and exciting. It was obvious that what he saw was so wonderful he didn't want to leave. He describes the lights, the music, the babies and other people. He describes the peace and joy he felt and why he wanted to stay. His has other ideas handcrafted Marv to share his amazing experience. You won't want to put this book down!!!!

[Debra Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

God is Good!!!

I love reading stories about heaven it brings me comfort. I too have had experiences with God who lifted me out of a dark experience and into his grace. I know now why he let me go through the things I did and that was to help others. I was once told by a prayer warrior that me and my husband would one day be praying for broken marriages...she was right. I know she and many others will one day be waiting at the gate for me. Praise God!

[K. dusty Roberson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt

I read Marv’s inspiring story cover to cover over the course of one day! His words came to me as a genuine and a comforting truth and he saw Jesus! I’ve read so many of books on this topic were Jesus was absent from their accounts of the afterlife. This is a comforting, warm read. Thank you, Marv for sharing your journey and fulfilling the work God sent you back to earth to complete.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story of one man's unexpected journey to heaven. It not only changed his life, but so many others as well. He thought it would be something he'd only share with his wife, but then it became apparent that he was meant to share it with others. He spoke of his experience to large groups of people and brought joy, hope and comfort to many.

He is transparent and lovely in the telling. I would recommend this book to anyone!