Nine Days in Heaven: A True Story (22 page)
35.
“Then all the disciples deserted him and fled” (Matt. 26:56).
36.
“But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome” (Matt. 26:58).
A
S THIS DREADFUL SCENE CLOSED
, I
TURNED TO LOOK AT THE
angelic spectators and children. They now seemed to be more emotionally affected than at any other time. I asked, “How is it possible that there can be sorrow in a place like heaven? Do angels weep?”
Then a voice said, “That is a good question, Marietta. But angels have hearts to feel, and who in heaven could witness the betrayal of the Savior of sinners and not be sad?”
Ten thousand voices responded, all crying out at once, and I strained to hear at least some of them.
“Yes! Who could be unmoved at this sight?”
“Look at the innocent sufferer.”
“Look! They are beating Him as they run along.”
“They are mocking Him.”
“They are laughing at Him.”
“They are so cruel!”
“Wake up and look! The people hate Jesus! They are rejecting Him!”
1
As the voices ceased, I heard another call, “Look, angels from the highest heavens are coming down.”
Far above the crowd I saw a vast company of angels. They had palm branches in their hands and crowns on their heads. As they drew near, a dazzling light preceded them, filling the whole area. So brilliant was its power that even the angels of the highest order in the audience could not look directly at it. I tried to hide myself because it revealed all my imperfections, but nothing could be hidden in that holy light. I wanted to run but could not. I thought to myself, “If this is only a taste of what the highest heavens are like, what hope do sinful men and women have of going there?” It would be a consuming fire.
Absorbed in the implications of this thought, I only gradually became aware that one of the cherubic beings was speaking.
“Angels, kindred spirits, inhabitants of the exalted heavens! Bow down before your Lord, for He is worthy. Adore Him from the deepest parts of your spirits. For look! All angels love to give praises to Him! He is worthy of all adoration! Praise Him! Praise the Lord, the Redeemer of earth! While these evil men mock Him and pretend to hail Him as King, let us be moved with reverence and truly worship Him.”
“W
HILE FALLEN BEINGS MOCKING GATHER
AROUND HIM AND IMPIOUSLY HAIL HIM
K
ING, LET THE HARMONIOUS UNIVERSE
BE MOVED WITH REVERENCE, AND ALL
INTELLIGENCES HUMBLY ADORE
.”
Each one bowed down in silent adoration, while the men hurried Jesus to the judgment hall.
As the angels declared Him to be God revealed in the flesh, I wondered even more why He did not use His divine power to put down those who were trying to kill Him. I wondered also about the myriads of angels. Any single one of them could destroy at will those who led the Lord away. Why didn’t they do something?
Reading my thoughts, the instructor said, “He came to seek and save, not to destroy. He is enduring the scoffing of these evil people so that He can become the ransom for sinners. In this way He is fulfilling the Bible prophecy that says, ‘A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out’
2
—meaning that He will not harm helpless people and will not extinguish the life of man. His mission is one of redemption, not of judgment and execution.”
Then I heard voices calling out. They sounded like the roar of many waters. “Be in awe, you earth! For even though your sins have brought you massive condemnation, your Redeemer is offering His life for you. Understand the mighty weight of the burden He carries.”
Mercy spoke to Justice, “As it is written, ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son’ to be a ransom for mankind.
3
Jesus is that ransom. Jesus has brought hope to the world. Sin can now be removed and mankind be at peace once again with God.”
“I
N HIM ALONE IS THAT LIFE WHICH CAN
QUICKEN AND SAVE, AND BY HIM YOU
WERE ADMITTED INTO THIS PARADISE
.”
Then the angel said to the children, “This is your Redeemer. His life is the only one that can save mankind. You were brought into this paradise because of Him. Watch again now so that you will be able to truly know what the Redeemer has done for you.”
Then with one accord all who were watching spoke out, “How can we ever give enough praise and thanks to God for this gift of life through His Son?”
But, agonizing over their inability to help as the suffering of Jesus continued, the angelic hosts cried out, “Can’t we help Him or share His suffering? Look! His enemies are all around Him. They don’t know who He really is, and they are hurting Him. How can we endure this? Let us help Him!”
The children spoke up too: “He is our Redeemer!”
One of the mighty angels spoke out, “He is our Lord. His perfection makes the heavens harmonious. All of the heavens declare His name. Yet He is being forced to the Sanhedrin by fallen beings, by leaders of a heartless place where Jehovah is named but not truly worshiped.”
Then with one voice they rose up, “Let us beat back these mockers of the Lord.”
“NO!”
Justice stood in a cloud of intense brightness. In his right hand he held the seven thunders, lightning and storms bursting from them. They spanned the globe like an awful cloud, enveloping the human race, great and small, the living and the dead. They shook the foundations of the earth and made men and women tremble in fear. In his left hand was a scroll containing the law relating to mankind.
Before him was the deformed man pictured earlier, wounded and near death. The blood from his wounds stained the earth where he lay.
Once again Justice answered the crowd. “No! The soul that sins must die.
4
When the law is violated, the consequences cannot be changed.”
At this, Mercy advanced and entered the storm. She bent over the wounded man as she had done before, then straightened and addressed Justice. “Look! He who was, and is, and is to come
5
has come down to earth. By becoming a man He is able to identify with all mankind. This will enable Him to rescue them from their fallen condition and reconcile them to the eternal law.
“Here,” Mercy repeated again, “see the ransom.”
“Yes,” said Justice, “the offering is presented. But it is written that He must do this alone.
6
These,” he turned to the angelic hosts, “want to rescue Him and prevent the outcome.”
Mercy’s considered response astonished the watching millions. “You are right. It is necessary for Christ to suffer alone in this way.”
She turned to the silent viewers. “As the conflict intensifies now, you may watch, but you must not intervene. You will see how sin affects man’s ability to know what is right. And you will watch the Son of Man fight the powers of death.”
But the multitude cried out, “Please, we don’t want to see this. We cannot endure it!”
Justice raised his voice. “No! Shouldn’t the heavens behold and wonder? Shouldn’t Hades quail at the tread of the God-Man as He enters the deathgate to conquer death and bring life and immortality?”
At this, all who were watching became quiet and submitted to him. “O God, let Your will be done, in heaven and earth, now and evermore. Amen.”
“Let all heaven agree,” said Justice, “so that God will be all and over all, now, in the future, and forever.”
“Amen! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Amen!” the multitude resounded. “Your will be done evermore! Amen!”
Support From
the Word of God
1.
“…he was despised and rejected by men…” (Isa. 53:3).
2.
“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice” (Isa. 42:3).
3.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
4.
See Ezekiel 18:4.
5.
This is a description of Jesus from Revelation 1:8: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’”
6.
“I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me” (Isa. 63:3). This is a prophecy concerning the coming Messiah.