{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","title":"Members Preview | 852: He Died and Saw Heaven's Portals","description":"He died for 15 minutes… and says he stood in heaven, spoke with an angel, and was sent back with a message he couldn’t ignore.\n\nTony sits down with Rich, a former Alaska public safety officer, whose story builds toward a near-death experience that changed everything. After his heart stopped during a medical procedure, Rich describes waking in a place of overwhelming light, standing on what looked like sapphire glass, surrounded by swirling, radiant particles and a towering angel who confirmed he was in heaven. He recounts being led toward God’s throne, witnessing portals opening in the sky with angels moving in and out, and encountering Jesus in a moment defined by power, clarity, and indescribable love. Though he didn’t want to return, he was sent back, only to wake on the table declaring that heaven is real. Along the way, his earlier experiences in Alaska, moving stars, unexplained disappearances, and encounters tied to strange entities in the wilderness, take on new meaning through a spiritual lens. This episode moves from mystery to revelation, pointing to a reality that may be far closer than we realize.\n\nPlease pray for Tony's wife, Lindsay, as she battles breast cancer. Your prayers make a difference!\n\nIf you’re able, consider helping the Merkel family with medical expenses by donating to Lindsay’s GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/b8f76890\nBecome a member for ad-free listening, extra shows, and exclusive access to our social media app: https://www.theconfessionalspodcast.com/join\nThe Confessionals Social Network App:\nApple Store: https://apple.co/3UxhPrh (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-confessionals/id1666683243)\nGoogle Play: https://bit.ly/43mk8kZ\n (https://play.google.com/store/search?q=the+confessionals&c=apps&pli=1)\nThe Counter Series Available NOW:\nThe Counter (YouTube): WATCH HERE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e8Pa8OrFHM)\nThe Counter (Full Episode): WATCH HERE\n (https://odx.tv/thecounter/)\nThe Big Picture Prophecy Conference: prophecyconference26.com\n (https://www.tickettailor.com/events/solidrockchurch/1968105)\nTony's Recommended Reads: slingshotlibrary.com\n (https://shop.recomsale.com/merkel/)\nIf you want to learn about Jesus and what it means to be saved: Click Here (https://www.theconfessionalspodcast.com/gospel)\n\nBigfoot: The Journey To Belief: Stream Here (https://merkelfilms.com/programs/bigfoot-the-journey-to-belief)\nThe Meadow Project: Stream Here (https://merkelfilms.com/programs/the-meadow-project-night-investigations)\nMerkel Media Apparel: merkmerch.com (https://merkmerch.com/)\n\nMy New YouTube Channel\nMerkel IRL: @merkelIRL (https://www.youtube.com/@merkelIRL)\nMy First Sermon: Unseen Battles (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r6jDWvlyuw&t=1160s)\n\nSPONSORS\nSIMPLISAFE TODAY: https://simplisafe.com/confessionals\nGHOSTBED: GhostBed.com/tony\n (https://www.ghostbed.com/pages/tony?utm_medium=influencer&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=tony) QUINCE: quince.com/tony\n (https://www.quince.com/our-core-collection?utm_source=veritone&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=tony)\nCONNECT WITH US\nWebsite: www.theconfessionalspodcast.com (http://www.theconfessionalspodcast.com/)\nEmail: contact@theconfessionalspodcast.com\n\nMAILING ADDRESS:\nMerkel Media\n257 N. Calderwood St., #301\nAlcoa, TN 37701\n\nSOCIAL MEDIA\nSubscribe to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/2TlREaI\nReddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/theconfessionals/\nDiscord: https://discord.gg/KDn4D2uw7h\nShow Instagram: theconfessionalspodcast (https://www.instagram.com/theconfessionalspodcast/)\nTony's Instagram: tonymerkelofficial (https://www.instagram.com/tonymerkelofficial/)\nFacebook: www.facebook.com/TheConfessionalsPodcas (http://www.facebook.com/TheConfessionalsPodcast)\nTwitter: @TConfessionals (https://twitter.com/TConfessionals)\nTony's Twitter: @tony_merkel (https://twitter.com/tony_merkel)\nProduced by: @jack_theproducer\n (https://www.instagram.com/jack_theproducer/)\nOUTRO MUSIC\nJoel Thomas - Head In The Clouds\nYouTube (https://bit.ly/3VQ0TM7) | Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/head-in-the-clouds/1615220728?i=1615220729) | Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/track/7abIaZhBtXg5C0vUffLuuD?si=f18fca43f2a34206)","author_name":"The Confessionals","author_url":"https://audioboom.com/channels/5002796-the-confessionals","provider_name":"Audioboom","provider_url":"https://audioboom.com","width":480,"height":95,"thumbnail_url":"https://audioboom.com/i/43574167/600x600/c","thumbnail_width":600,"thumbnail_height":600,"html":""}