Nine Days in Heaven: A True Story (5 page)
“T
HIS
, M
ARIETTA
,”
SAID AN ATTENDING
ANGEL
, “
IS THY REDEEMER
.”
An attending angel spoke quietly to me. “Marietta, this is your Redeemer. He is God. Yet He put aside His divinity and came to earth as a man and suffered for your sins. He died for you outside the gate of Jerusalem.
3
He died alone, just as it was written centuries before: ‘[he trod] the winepress alone.’”
4
I was totally overawed by Him. His goodness, tenderness, and love overwhelmed me. I bowed down, feeling that if I could only be considered worthy, I would worship Him.
He reached out His hand and lifted me up. “Welcome, My child.” The sound of His voice penetrated deep inside me and filled me with a joy that I cannot begin to describe. “Come for a while into the home of the redeemed,” He said. Then, turning to those around, He added, “Make her welcome.”
Immediately the whole gathering stood to their feet and, with loving humility, embraced me as one of themselves, an heir of God’s grace. Then, taking up their musical instruments, they sang a song of welcome:
Worthy is the Lamb who has redeemed us.
Exalt His name, all you holy ones.
Yes! Adore Him, you cherubim who worship in the divine heavens.
Adore Him, for He has exalted us!
We will praise His name
The name of our God Most High.
The music sounded like the rush of many waters, and it filled the entire dome. At the conclusion, the echo faded slowly into the distance, like gentle waves that seemed to carry me along with them.
The moment was broken when a spirit moved out from the gathering and called my name, “Marietta!” I was overwhelmed to find myself in the embrace of someone I had loved very dearly on earth. “Welcome,” she cried. “Welcome to our home of peace.” “Welcome, three times welcome!” echoed the music of a thousand voices. Others had gathered all around me, people I had known and loved on earth, all eager to greet me and hug me.
We found ourselves in a large beautiful room where we relaxed together as only old and familiar friends can do. I recognized all of them instantly, but they were very different from the way I remembered them on earth. I cannot describe them properly except to say that they seemed to be all mind, all light, all glory, all adoration, all love supremely pure, all peace, and calm serenity. All of these qualities were woven together in an aweinspiring heavenly way.
They talked freely with each other, but not in human language. They spoke without sound, thought to thought and spirit to spirit. Ideas flowed from being to being, and I learned there and then that in heaven you cannot hide things!
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Harmony was in everything—in sound, desire, speech, in songs of adoration. Harmony was their life, their love, their appearance, and their supreme delight.
Then they sang another song, a lively hymn of redemption to their Maker’s name. My guide tried to persuade me to join in, but I could not. I was too absorbed in thinking about this long-sought home of rest and experiencing its glory. When they finished singing, they kissed me, one after another, eager to hold me. They embraced me as a newborn soul, thanking their Redeemer and Lord as they did. It was wonderful!
“So this is heaven!” I cried. “And all these happy people—are they really the ones I knew? They used to struggle so hard in their old human bodies. Look at their faces now! The glory of this place has made them absolutely radiant! They used to look so worried! And whatever happened to the ravages of old age?”
I remember now how often I used to listen to my pastor on earth as he attempted to describe the glories of eternal life. Sometimes he would grieve when he realized that most of the people listening still didn’t understand. I used to ask, “Can heaven really be so glorious? Haven’t you exaggerated it? And if men and women truly can get to heaven,” I scoffed, “will they really bathe in sunshine?” Rest assured, even the wildest imaginations of people do not begin to approach the reality and pleasures of that glorious place.
6
As I pondered, a man approached me. I remembered him from earth. Old and gaunt, he had faithfully followed the Redeemer during his life, but through many trials. His gray hair had told the story of a life of sorrow and trouble. How different he was now! His spirit stood upright and confident before me, a picture of immortal youth. Gone were the walking stick, the gaunt trembling frame, the grief-worn cheek, the hollow eye, the sick body. In their place were light, health, and vigor.
“B
EHOLD IN ME THE EFFICACY
OF REDEEMING GRACE
.”
“Look at me now!” he cried. “Look what redeeming grace has done! This heart of mine was once a cage of unholy thoughts. These hands were once occupied in wrongdoing. These feet once walked on a fast downhill road that ended in sorrow and death. This body of mine—no, not this body, but the old one I left behind—was worn with grief, corrupted by sin, and dying from disease.
“But now! All hail that name, Immanuel! I am redeemed through Him, and I wear these marvelous clothes of light and live in never-ending youth. This is my song now:
“O death, where is your sting, and grave,
Where is your victory?
7
Worthy is the Lamb who offered Himself to redeem us! He is worthy!
O give Him adoration, you countless hosts,
You innumerable throng!
Worship and adore Him, all people! Let the whole universe adore Him!
Adore Him, because He is worthy to receive songs of universal praise!”
A group of children ran forward. They joined hands and danced around singing:
Praise Him! Yes! Look!
When He was on earth He said,
“Let the little children come to me,
And do not forbid them. Yes!
Do not stop them,
Let them come to me.”
8
Support From
the Word of God
1.
Angels apparently have languages we don’t know: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1).
2.
Revelation 1:12–18 provides a description of Jesus in His glory:
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
3.
“For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate” (Heb. 13:11–12, nkjv).
4.
Treading the winepress
is a picture of God’s judgment.
I have trodden the winepress alone,
And from the peoples no one was with Me.
For I have trodden them in My anger,
And trampled them in My fury;
Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments,
And I have stained all My robes.
—I
SAIAH
63:3,
NKJV
5.
“…
cannot hide things.
” With no sin in heaven there is no fear that others might know our thoughts.
6.
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:9–10 (
NKJV
):
But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
7.
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Cor. 15:55,
KJV
).
8.
“But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven’” (Matt. 19:14,
NKJV
).