Anthony Destefano's a Travel Guide to Heaven: Book Review

Book Review of A TRAVEL GUIDE TO HEAVEN byexperiencing life at its fullest, and growing in our own
Anthony Destefano (Doubleday, 2003) by Michael A.S.spirituality.
GuthDestefano contends that the physical location of
“If heaven is anything at all, it’s fun.” With thatheaven is Earth. Citing portions of the New Testament
opening line Anthony Destefano sets a tone for histhat refer to “a new heaven and a new earth,”
book that turns out to be as much fun to read as theDestefano argues that eventually earth itself will
place it is describing. Reading these words in theexperience death, resurrection, and transformation so
preface, I was buoyed up with the hope that Athat the “new earth” will in fact be heaven.
TRAVEL GUIDE TO HEAVEN would combine soundMany of us have assumed heaven exists in another
theological teachings on the afterlife with a bit ofdimension beyond the three-dimensional limitations of
humor and grace – but without the stuffy jargon ofearth, but Destefano argues continually that heaven is
philosophers. Destefano does not disappoint hisnot a spiritual concept but a physical place that we will
readers. He gives us concrete images of heaven thatinhabit with our new and improved physical bodies.
we can grasp (a perfect rose, a beautiful sunset,Given that humans have existed on the earth for
breathtaking views) combined with new ideas of whatabout a million years, the physical size of this newly
it means to go on the vacation of our dreamstransformed earth must obviously be much larger than
(frolicking simultaneously with tame “wild” animalsearth today, otherwise there would be congestion and
and even dinosaurs).shortage of space for all those people.
A little background on this book will help to explain itsBecause of this nexus between heaven and “the
wonderlust theme. This international bestseller actuallynew earth,” Destefano is able to depict concrete
represents Destefano’s second attempt at writingimages of life in heaven based on the best scenery
a book on heaven. After attending 15 funerals ofthat has existed throughout all of history on earth. God
friends and relatives over a seven-month period,spent millennia creating beautiful waterfalls, golden
Destefano wrote his first manuscript, which he calledmeadows, as well as various exotic plants and
HEAVEN, designed to make the afterlife moremajestic animals. “God is not going to waste
physically real than what the priests and ministers hadanything he spent so much time and effort
done in the 15 funerals he attended. But this attempt atcreating.”
writing turned out to be so boring that DestefanoThroughout his book, Destefano provides citation to
never finished it.the bible to back up his claims about what life will be
A few months later on his fifth wedding anniversary,like in heaven. Judging from the praise his book has
he wanted to treat his wife to a surprise overnightreceived from people in different Christian
stay at a posh Beverly Hills hotel but found the hoteldenominations, his scriptural citations seem to please a
had lost his reservation. The Presidential Suite at thewide Christian audience. For example, Destefano
hotel was not in use that night, and when the hotelclaims that prior to Christ’s resurrection, none of the
generously allowed him to stay in the suite instead,souls of the faithfully departed were allowed into
Destefano walked into a room so immaculatelyheaven; the gates of heaven had been closed.
furnished that one might say it was a little piece ofDestefano cites 1 Cor 15:20-23; Phil 2:8; Rom 5:18-20.
heaven on earth.His first citation contains the phrase “For just as in
"You enter and there's a beautiful Steinway grandAdam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to
piano, and it's a Steinway, not some (cheap imitation),life.” His second citation contains “that at the
and there are fireplaces in every room and his and hername of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in
bathrooms and saunas and Jacuzzis, and a diningheaven and on earth and under the earth.” The
room for 12 and this giant kitchen and butler service,third citation states “In conclusion, just as through
OK? There's a bottle of champagne in every roomone transgression condemnation came upon all, so
and a terrace that extends the whole length of thethrough one righteous act acquittal and life came to
hotel overlooking Sunset Boulevard, and at first myall.” None of those citations indicate the gates of
wife says, 'You did this for us?' And I say, 'You'reheaven were closed.
worth it, baby'. I got away with that for about fiveDestefano would have had stronger support for his
minutes."claim by citing John 3:13, “And no one has
The feeling of joy from being surrounded by luxuriousascended into heaven, but he who descended from
accommodations immediately suggested to Destefanoheaven, even the Son of Man.” Yet biblical scholars
the ingredient he needed to make a book on heavenhave noted that line is contradicted, e.g., by 2 Kings 2:11,
seem more tangible to his readers: comparison to awhich says Elijah went up to heaven (hundreds of
vacation in the Presidential Suite of a five-star resort.years before Christ was born). Reading John 3:13 in
Of course, in heaven the luxurious accommodationscontext, Christ is pointing out to Nicodemus that by
don’t stop with the hotel furnishings, they include aquestioning whether Christ is correct, Nicodemus does
fabulous makeover of a new body (Chap. 2),not yet understand he is speaking to the Son of God.
interesting fellow travelers on the vacation (Chap. 4),In our modern language, Christ might have said, "No
and angels for tour guides (Chap. 7). Forget abouthuman being can speak from personal knowledge of
resting in peace, heaven is going to be filled with soheaven, as I do, who came from heaven. No human
many fun and interesting activities that we will naturallyhas traveled up to heaven and come back to earth to
go from one activity to the next learning more,talk about it based on direct observation.