Is Angelica Zambrano's testimony of experiencing heaven and hell biblically sound?

Many other Scriptures might be adduced. What is really needed is to avoid making one's subjective impressions any kind of a standard, to cease imputing to them any kind of authority. If we have Divinely-given impressions well and good; let us be thankful. Let us remember, however, that Scripture alone is the infallible standard, and consequently that it alone will enable us to test our impressions and determine whether they really proceed from the Spirit of God, or whether they are but the fruit of mere mentality.

That is the revelation. But now I receive the Spirit, and so now I realise these things by the Spirit; this is the way of their communication. The other point, in verse 14, is also true, viz., that it is by the Spirit we apprehend them. If a person were to come and tell me that something heavenly had been revealed to him by the Spirit, I should not believe him, but I should ask where is it in Scripture?

"If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace." There might be then that which no longer exists, any more than speaking in a tongue; that is, revelation. This must be carefully remembered. The truth of God may be brought, in the most powerful manner, by the Holy Spirit, to bear upon the conscience, so that even now, as then, there may be the firmest conviction conveyed to an unbeliever who might come in, that God was there. I do not doubt that this is perfectly possible, and may be now at any time; and I would to God it were always! But this is a wholly distinct thing from a revelation. God may use Christian instruction of a powerful character from the written word as a testimony to His own presence among His children on earth. But revelation cannot, ought not, to be now looked for. The apostle was instructing these saints before the canon of scripture was closed. All the truth of God was not then written; and therefore it seems to me to be the fact, that, according to the order of God, there might have been a positive revelation then given, while much of the word of God remained to be written. Whereas to pretend to revelation now would be clearly an impeachment of the perfectness of scripture, and I have no doubt would soon prove to be nothing but the fraud or folly of man, and a snare of the devil. Whatever might be the power of the Spirit of God at work now, it must be by means of truth already revealed — truth already in scripture. It is not something added to that which God has given, but the mighty use, in the hand of the Spirit of God, of what is already furnished and permanently given for the church's help in passing through this world. There may be a recovery of what has been hid by unbelief from the saints; but it is there. A new truth, revealed now for the first time, is incompatible with the scripture as the complete book of God.

"If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace." There might be then that which no longer exists, any more than speaking in a tongue; that is, revelation. This must be carefully remembered. The truth of God may be brought, in the most powerful manner, by the Holy Spirit, to bear upon the conscience, so that even now, as then, there may be the firmest conviction conveyed to an unbeliever who might come in, that God was there. I do not doubt that this is perfectly possible, and may be now at any time; and I would to God it were always! But this is a wholly distinct thing from a revelation. God may use Christian instruction of a powerful character from the written word as a testimony to His own presence among His children on earth. But revelation cannot ought not, to be now looked for. The apostle was instructing these saints before the canon of scripture was closed. All the truth of God was not then written; and therefore it seems to me to be the fact, that, according to the order of God, there might have been a positive revelation then given, while much of the word of God remained to be written. Whereas to pretend to revelation now would be clearly an impeachment of the perfectness of scripture, and I have no doubt would soon prove to be nothing but the fraud or folly of man, and a snare of the devil. Whatever might be the power of the Spirit of God at work now, it must be by means of truth already revealed - truth already in scripture. It is not something added to that which God has given, but the mighty use, in the hand of the Spirit of God, of what is already furnished and permanently given for the church's help in passing through this world. There may be a recovery of what has been hid by unbelief from the saints; but it is there. A new truth, revealed Dow for the first time, is incompatible with the scripture as the complete book of God.

Little wonder then that we find here the exceedingly solemn, yet deliberate pronouncement, "Even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed." The truth of God allows for no respect of persons. Paul says in effect, "If I myself were to change my message, you would be responsible to refuse me, for I would fall under the curse of God." "Or an angel from heaven!" Is there a claim, a profession of a new revelation from God which throws a different light on the gospel? Let the one who brings it be accursed; for even though such were an angel from heaven, it is not the voice of God! How dreadful a condemnation of Mormonism, Christian Science (falsely so-called) and many other human or satanic inventions that pervert the gospel! Supernatural manifestations are commonly regarded as only coming from God, but even a fallen angel preaching another gospel is immediately the object of the curse of God. Satanic power is supernatural too.

If claims to angelic intercourse help on Ritualism on the one hand and Spiritualism on the other, it is clear that such claims must be false, and that it is a case of speaking a “vision of their own heart, and not one of the mouth of the Lord” (Jer. 33:16).

God's revelation is in the Bible. We get our knowledge of heaven from the Bible, we know nothing of heaven apart from it, but it speaks of hell as well as heaven. If we accept the one we cannot consistently reject the other. Take the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you" (John 14:2). If there had been no place and state of blessing beyond this life for us, He would have told us plainly; and if there had been no judgment to come, no retribution for sin, no hell, would He not also have told us? But the strongest language in the Bible as to these things came from His own lips. He spoke of some who would die in their sins and the impossibility of such going where He would be (John 8:21, 23, 24). He said to the proud self righteous hypocrites of His day, "How shall ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matt. 23:14). He said, "Fear Him which, after He has killed has power to cast into hell; yea, I say to you, Fear Him" (Luke 12:5). He it is who will say to some in the day of judgment of the living nations, "Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41), and of these He said, "these shall go into everlasting punishment" (Matt. 25:46). He spoke of "outer darkness" and "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 25:30), and "of their worm that never dies and the fire that is not quenched" (Mark 9:46). Who dares to say that he will listen to the Lord and believe Him when He speaks of blessing, but refuse to hear and believe when He speaks of judgment?

Some of our readers may wonder that such words should be printed in these columns. But it may be wholesome to learn how persons confessing Christ's name can be deceived. It is not for us to account for what was seen: whether by an imposture practised by anyone; or by the deceiving power of Satan. That manifestations, not of man but from beneath, have been, even in our day, cannot be doubted by any candid reader of Mr. R. Baxter's Narrative of Facts as to the Irvingite delusion. Not improbably there may have been a kindred snare laid for this monastic company, not only in the visions, but in the healing virtues of the leaf "which stood up dark against the dazzling garments of the Apparition, as it appeared in the bush" (pp. 420-425). Father Ignatius regards these phenomena as a sanction from on high to the Restoration of the Reserved Sacrament, and the Cultus (as he veils the worship) of the Mother of our Lord, and so to his own Monastic revival in the Church of England. Those who know that these are essential points of apostate Christendom will not forget the solemn warning "for the last time," that "no lie is of the truth," and that signs confirmatory against the written word are not of God.

All this will not prejudge what we have to enquire into, but will lead us to great caution in the matter. As we have said before, and we cannot emphasize its importance too much, we must put before the reader the teaching of the Spirit of God as given to us in the Scriptures alongside the facts of the movement. Is their exposition of the Scriptures correct on these points, and do their practices tally with the Word of God? Here we have a safe and infallible test. If these movements agree with the Word of God, we shall rejoice with all our heart, and throw ourselves into the movement with zest. If they do not, in the interests of truth, and of the Lord's people, the sooner they are exposed the better.

All this will not prejudge what we have to enquire into, but will lead us to great caution in the matter. As we have said before, and we cannot emphasize its importance too much, we must put before the reader the teaching of the Spirit of God as given to us in the Scriptures alongside the facts of the movement. Is their exposition of the Scriptures correct on these points, and do their practices tally with the Word of God? Here we have a safe and infallible test. If these movements agree with the Word of God, we shall rejoice with all our heart, and throw ourselves into the movement with zest. If they do not, in the interests of truth, and of the Lord’s people, the sooner they are exposed the better.