Malarkey Kevin - The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven: A Remarkable Account of Miracles, Angels, and Life Beyond This World

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The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven: A Remarkable Account of Miracles, Angels, and Life beyond This World

Copyright 2010 by Kevin Malarkey. All rights reserved.

Front cover illustration of wings copyright Michael Knight/iStockphoto. All rights reserved.

Front cover illustration of wheelchair copyright Stockbyte/Photolibrary. All rights reserved.

Chapter opener photos of feather copyright PLAINVIEW/iStockphoto. All rights reserved.

Insert reprint of newspaper article and accompanying photograph copyright 2004 Bellefontaine Examiner. All rights reserved.

Insert photo of cars after crash obtained from the Logan County Sheriffs Office.

Interior photo of helicopter copyright MedFlight. All rights reserved.

Interior photos of ambulance, welcome home signs, Alex in chair with tubes copyright Chip Wall. All rights reserved.

Interior photos of road and van license plate by Stephen Vosloo, copyright by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Interior illustration of Alex surrounded by angels copyright Melissa Roberts. All rights reserved.

Interior still frames from Channel 5 Groundbreaking Surgery story used with permission of WEWS/Cleveland and copyright by Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Interior X-ray of neck copyright Nationwide Childrens Hospital. All rights reserved.

All other interior photos are from the Malarkey family collection and are reprinted with permission.

Author photos by Stephen Vosloo, copyright by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Designed by Stephen Vosloo

Published in association with the Loyal Arts Literary Agency.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible , King James Version.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Malarkey, Kevin.

The boy who came back from heaven : a remarkable account of miracles, angels, and life beyond this world / Kevin and Alex Malarkey.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-4143-3606-0 (hc)

1. Near-death experiencesReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. Malarkey, Alex. 3. HeavenChristianity. 4. Future lifeChristianity. I. Malarkey, Alex. II. Title.

BT833.M35 2010

236'.1092dc22

[B] 2010018732

Acknowledgments

How could Alex and I thank anyone before thanking God in Heaven, who saved both of our lives on November 14, 2004, and who is the reason we have the meaning and hope that permeates our lives?

Thanks to Beth, who had a vision for what Alexs story could do to help others. Her tireless work on Alexs behalf goes beyond any description. Thank you, Aaron, Gracie, and Ryan, for always striving to understand the attention that Alex gets while also understanding that God, your mom, and I care for you every bit as much as your big brother.

Thank you to the thousands and thousands of people who have prayed on a daily basis for many years for our family. You have played an important role, which we have attempted to show in our story. More important than this, your prayers are stored in Heaven. Thank you, Pastor Brown, Pastor Ricks, and all of the other amazing people who organized efforts to help our family.

Thank you to all of the incredible people at Tyndale House who not only turned our story into a book, but who themselves have become key members of the prayer support for Alex and the rest of our crew. Alex would like to make special mention of his buddy Stephen Vosloo, who worked on all the pictures for the book and who has continually brought a smile to Alexs face since the day they met. Thank you to Lisa Jackson, Kim Miller, and Jan Long Harris for helping us organize our story. Thanks, too, to Rob Suggs for your help on the manuscript.

Thank you, Matt Jacobson, forwhat havent you done?praying, writing, editing, and serving us as our agent and, most importantly, as our friend.

I would also like to thank my parents for always believing in me and for introducing me to the God I now serve. Thanks also to Beths parents, who have taught me about courage and grace during hard times.

Lastly, I would like to thank my son Alex. You are my hero and the person I most want to be like when I grow up.

Introduction

We were made for so much more than the things of this world.

Sometimes we can sense this. We have a feeling that, despite our best efforts, we dont quite belong here, that this is not our final destination. We have deep hungers and thirsts that cannot yet be satisfied.

In fact, when we try to make this world our home, our ultimate security and place of comfort, we simply end up feeling disappointed or empty. This is why a great saint of the church was moved to write, Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.

Our home is Heaven. But what is Heaven? Heaven radiates with the brilliance of Gods glory. It is filled with the music of angels in worship and the beauty of an unmarred landscape. Because it is the dwelling place of God, those who enter its gates experience only peace, hope, faith, and lovethe very essence of God Himself.

Much as we long for Heaven, there is a problem. We know very little of the place where we were made to live. Whom do you know who has been there? Have you seen any photographs? Sure, you may have heard stories of white light and tunnels from people who have experienced death and then returned to this life. But what if there was a person who had been to Heaven... actually walked through the gates ... and stayed long enough to learn about it? Would you be interested in what he had to say?

Well, I know such a person. He is my son, William Alexander Malarkey. We call him Alex.

In November 2004, Alex and I were in a car accident. The accident was so horrific that Alex, who was six at the time, was not expected to live, and a medical officer suggested that the coroner be called to the scene. Later, in the hospital, Alex was in a coma for two months. Alex spent time during this period in Heaven, and when he returned to us, he had much to say about his experience.

Now, I know what you may be thinking: A kid goes to Heaven and comes back to tell us about it? Come on .

Im not here to beat a drum, convince you of a theological argument, or force you to validate Alexs experiences. But I humbly offer a challenge: suspend your judgment for just a few chapters.

I think your life may be changed forever.

Sometimes I have no clue what to make of Alexs supernatural lifeI have no theological box to put some of this stuff in. But everyone who has taken the time to get to know Alex agrees: he is a remarkable boy on whom God has placed His hand for His purposes.

What follows includes physical descriptions of parts of Heaven, a recounting of the way Alex and God sometimes talk face-to-face, and details about Alexs direct experience with angels, demons, and, yes, the devil himself.

Heaven is real. There is an unseen world at workan intensely active spiritual dimension right here on earth, all around us. And much of this activity keeps us from focusing on our future destination, the place where we will spend eternity.