PDF Summary:Heaven Is For Real, by Todd Burpo

In July 2003, 4-year-old Colton Burpo made a remarkable claim: that, during a period of serious illness earlier that year, he’d visited heaven and met Jesus. In the months and years that followed, Colton revealed more and more details about his heavenly experience, claiming that he’d seen God’s throne, met his late relatives, and foreseen the battle of Armageddon.

Penned by Colton’s father, pastor Todd Burpo, Heaven is for Real is an account of Colton’s illness and subsequent revelations. It explores not only Colton’s experiences, but also Todd’s journey to casting aside his doubts and accepting that his son had truly visited heaven.

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The Burpos wonder how Colton had known what his parents were doing during the operation, and question whether the experience Colton is describing was a dream or real.

Around July 10th: Todd questions Colton further about his experience. Colton explains that he met Jesus and the angels while visiting heaven. He gives a description of Jesus that matches both passages in the Bible and the depiction of Jesus on crucifixes—but Todd notes that Colton hasn’t encountered crucifixes or those sections of the Bible yet. He begins to contemplate the idea that his son is describing a real experience.

Later that week, both Todd and Sonja ask Colton questions about heaven. He states that:

• Jesus was his “teacher” while he was in heaven, and he had to do “homework” along with many other children.
• Everyone in heaven had wings that they used to fly, except Jesus, who could fly without wings.
• Everyone in heaven had light shining above their heads.
• He only spent three minutes in heaven (although Todd concedes that, since Colton can’t tell the time yet, what he thinks of as three minutes may be much longer).

Todd believes that much of what Colton is describing matches the descriptions of Jesus and heaven in the Bible, again strengthening his belief that Colton is telling the truth.

August: Colton reveals that while in heaven, he met Todd’s late grandfather, Pop, and says he was very nice. He also states that Jesus had described reaching out to Todd and telling him to be a pastor. Todd is astounded, as this matches his experience of deciding to become a pastor: He’d felt that someone or something had been calling him to do so, and now knew that it was Jesus.

October: Colton tells his parents that while he was in heaven, he met his sister who’d passed away in the womb. Todd and Sonja are shocked, since they did suffer a miscarriage before Colton’s birth, but had never told him about it. It comforts them to know that one day, they’ll reunite with their late daughter in heaven.

December: Todd asks Colton whether he saw God’s throne while in heaven. Colton confirms that he did, and that it was huge. He states that Jesus also had a throne, on the right-hand side of God’s. This makes sense to Todd, as it matches the description of the heavenly thrones in the Bible.

By this point, Todd almost entirely believes that Colton went to heaven. However, he wants to give Colton one last test to check he’s telling the truth. So, Todd asks Colton what he did when it got dark in heaven, knowing full well that, according to the Bible, heaven is actually bathed in perpetual light. Colton passes the test, telling his father that it never gets dark in heaven because God and Jesus create its light.

Later Events

Late April 2004: Colton gets in trouble for running out into the parking lot at a fast-food restaurant. Todd warns Colton that if he’s not careful, he’ll get hit by a car and killed. Colton responds that this would be a good thing since he’d get to go back to heaven.

Fall 2004: One night, Sonja encourages Colton to pray for Todd to get lots of study time in preparation for his sermon that Sunday. In response, Colton states that in the past, he’d seen Jesus “shoot power down” to Todd when he spoke in church. When Todd asks Colton what this “power” is, Colton replies that it’s the Holy Spirit.

2005: Colton tells his babysitter, Ali, about his experience in heaven. He also tells her that he misses his late sister. Subsequently, Ali tells the Burpos that not only did she believe Colton, but that hearing about his experience strengthened her Christian faith.

Early 2006: Colton reveals that people have swords in heaven to protect them from Satan, who isn’t yet stuck in hell. He also states that he saw Satan while in heaven, but refuses to describe him or talk about him any further.

Later in 2006: Out of nowhere, Colton warns his father that a holy war is coming. He says that while in heaven, he foresaw a battle in which Jesus and his supporters (including Todd) fought Satan and his monsters. He states that this battle will eventually bring about the end of the world, although the forces of good will ultimately prevail. Todd realizes that Colton is describing the battle of Armageddon.

January 2007: Todd speaks about Colton’s experience publicly for the first time, during a church service in Sioux Falls.

At the time Todd finished writing Heaven is for Real, Colton was about to turn 11. He hadn’t experienced any more major health struggles and hadn’t revisited heaven. However, he remembered his first trip in great detail, and he was still adamant that heaven is for real.