Nine Days in Heaven: A True Story (6 page)
T
HE SONG FINISHED, AND
I
LOOKED UP TO SEE THE DOME ABOVE ME
opening and more beings approaching. They were even more glorious than those I had seen before, and the light of their glory overwhelmed me. I turned away from them and rushed to my guide, who said to me, “Marietta, this is only a foretaste of the happy things to come. You have been welcomed here and have seen your Redeemer. But look above you,” she urged. “The glory of the cross is coming down. The people with it are redeemed spirits of your race who have gone on to a higher life.”
So I looked up and saw above me a cross, carried by a group of twelve people. Around them were written the words “Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles” and above them, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Bowing at the foot of the cross was a spirit dressed in white clothes. Her face glowed with an expression of undivided holy adoration.
She kissed the cross and then descended to me. “Welcome, you who come from the sad world below. Please listen, because Jesus my Lord and Redeemer wants me to talk to you. He has permitted you to come here for this short time. You will have to return to your friends on earth again when your mission is complete. But don’t be sad,” she said, looking at me with understanding.
The sudden thought of going back to the sins and troubles of my old life so affected me that I felt as though I was leaving that divine place right then and plummeting back to earth. But, seeing my distress, my angel guide embraced me and said, “You have to do this, Marietta. When you return, you will take with you the message of God’s holy love. Later, at a chosen time and when you are free from mortality, you will come back permanently to this holy company.”
The spirit continued, “Marietta, you have been brought here for a special purpose. I am here to teach you many things about heaven and earth. I know the thought of returning makes you sad, but you will go back loaded with experiences and truths to teach others.
“F
IRST LEARN THAT ALL
H
EAVEN
REVERES THE
C
ROSS
.”
“The first thing you must learn is that all of heaven reveres the cross. Tens of thousands bow before it. The redeemed ones love to linger around it. Worship on earth is very dreary compared with the worship here,” she added.
“This spiritual heaven begins just above the plains of earth, and guardian spirits are constantly moving around it. On earth these countless unseen guardian angels mingle with people as they are permitted. There is not a day, an hour, or a moment when any mortal is not watched by the spirit appointed to him.” She paused and went on.
“Man does not understand sin. Nor does he understand how great God’s grace is in providing redemption. There are many, many things preventing the light of heaven from reaching mankind, but the time is getting close when people will become more aware of the reality of this place. Then they will look more carefully at spiritual truth. Man’s final redemption is getting close.”
She continued, “Watch very closely, for you are about to have implanted in your mind a tiny part of the joy that fills this land.” She explained further, “Did you notice when I came down that I kissed the cross? We love to do that. It is an expression of our love for the Redeemer.”
She paused, and out of the silence I heard soft and beautiful
alleluias
in the distance. “Who is that singing?” I asked.
“They are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation,”
1
she replied. “They never stop singing anthems to exalt their Savior’s name—night and day. Would you like to live here forever? Would you like to join these singers?” she asked.
“ B
E THOU ADMONISHED BY THY
FORMER INCREDULITY, THY WANT
OF FAITH AND CONSECRATION
…”
“Before you do, I must warn you about the unbelief and lack of faith and dedication you showed on earth. For there is no other way apart from Christ, the Redeemer, to find an inheritance in this place.”
As she reminded me of my former doubts and my lack of confidence in the Savior, I lost heart. I knew it was true, and I cried out, “Is there any hope for me? Or has my chance to receive heaven gone? I would be so happy if I never went back to earth again. If only I could live here forever!”
“Be faithful then,” said the spirit, “to the light given to you, and you will eventually enjoy heaven.” She then drew my attention to something else.
“Marietta, this will interest you. Here we can see the prophets and martyred saints. In the left hand of each there is a golden censer and in the right hand a small book.”
Crowds were gathered around a tall pyramid made of pearls and extremely precious stones, set with crosses of diamonds. On these were engraved the names of those who spoke the truth of the gospel and for this suffered persecution and even death. Three spirits stood on the pyramid. Above them they held a cross from which floated a banner that seemed to unfurl endlessly.
“These spirits are specially chosen,” my guide told me. “One is a patriarch, one a prophet, and one an apostle. They are commissioned saints who will be with the Son of Man when He returns to earth. On that day, these three will gather together the selected people from the four winds, from the most distant part of earth to the most distant part of heaven.”
I looked at the books held by the spirits, and my guide told me that they described the order of creation, the redemption of man, and the principles that govern the obedient.
Support From
the Word of God
1.
See Revelation 7:9–17. The Great Tribulation is a time of persecution prior to the return of Christ—or it may be the terrible persecution many Christians have suffered since the time of Christ—until today in many countries. For a thorough documentation of such persecution and martyrdom, refer to
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
.
The Boy Who Was
Raised in Heaven
A
S THIS SCENE PASSED FROM MY VIEW, THE SPIRIT WHO HAD
kissed the cross motioned with her hand, and two children came forward. They each took her hand and smiled shyly at her.
Turning to me, she said, “These children died as babies. Being innocent ones, they were brought to paradise.”
1
The older one looked at me. “Marietta, we are really happy to be able talk to you because you will eventually go back to those who loved us and mourned when we died. When you see them again, would you please give a message to the man who is now sitting beside your body on earth? Tell him that although our parents may grieve for us, we are free and extremely happy. Tell them that this is the only world we know. It was here that we first awoke to the reality of our existence. Our guardian angels take us to visit earth, but it is not at all like heaven. We see sorrow, pain, and death there. Here in heaven there is harmony, happiness, and life.”
The boy became silent and looked down as if he was thinking deeply. I thought he seemed sad, but then I realized he was watching an angel coming up past us, close by. As I looked, I was overwhelmed by what I saw. Light covered her like beautifully made clothing, and she moved with perfect grace. I longed to follow her. “Who is she?” I said. “She is so glorious—I can feel it. I would so much like to meet her.”
The spirit answered, “This is an angel who belongs to the infants’ paradise. Do you remember reading in the Gospels what the Redeemer said concerning little children? It says, ‘Their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.’”
2
“This angel is a guardian protector of infants and is commissioned to meet baby spirits as they leave earth and enter into the spiritual world. Look, she is slowing down for you and holding out her arms. What can you see, Marietta?”
“A small pale light,” I answered.
The angel then breathed on it as if imparting life. She embraced it with a fondness far beyond that shown by earthly mothers, and I could sense that the little spirit was at rest. I felt the glory that surrounded and pervaded the angel, and I yearned to fly away with that baby and live happily forever. But the angel rose up beyond me and with a flash of light disappeared.
Then I saw a completely different scene. Below me in a little room I saw a woman kneeling by the lifeless body of her dead child. Her body shook as she wept. Tears were streaming from her eyes. Then she stopped crying, and her face became like marble, her eyes set and glassy. Her whole body quivered as she pressed kiss after kiss on the cold cheek of her lost baby.