Godwill Castle

GODWILL CASTLE

Castle on cover by: “© Andy Simmons, ANS Graphics”

To Audrey: faithful helper for 63 years

To all children everywhere: The Lord Jesus helped me write this book.

He is my very best Friend. So it is our book—his, yours, and mine.

There are some things that only those with a child’s heart can see and understand.

“And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since and lost awhile.“—Newman

Credits

This book, Godwill Castle, was first titled, To Die Is Gain. Its purpose was (and still is) to prepare American people to face death, particularly children, who may see much death during the coming Divine judgments on our country. Decent people need to understand that death is like the holidays when school is let out; or like Christmas morning in households that can afford presents. Death is not to be feared but to be looked forward to with the greatest joy.

But my book has turned into an autobiography, somewhat. Also, it may make my doctrine of the Kingdom of God more understandable, being in story form.

Credit must go to the suffering sheep of Mount Zion Fellowship, who have borne patiently with me as I have sought to bring forth for the Body of Christ the understanding I think God has given me.

You can imagine what it must have been like as I yelled and fumed and raged. I could not understand why what seemed so clear to me was not clear to every Christian in the world. When I preached up in northern California I was known as “wild man Thompson.” A lady, now a preacher (and still a lady), from my class in northern California told us she lost her salvation every time I preached but got it back by the time I finished.

Many of the people of our church, as well as others, have stayed with me for a number of years, enabling me to finally preach myself clear. Now I am better able to speak more softly and simply, having been persuaded that the message of the Kingdom that I preach will not die with me.

I think half of our church, Mount Zion Fellowship, has been involved in one manner or another with the young people, music, pageantry, audio and video tapes, television, those who have assisted Audrey and me with Trumpet Ministries, maintenance of the property, attending to the business of the church as Council members, greeting people as they come to church, managing the men’s and ladies’ retreats, decorating the church, helping with the Communion service, giving amply of their funds, those who work in the kitchen during special events and those who put away the chairs afterwards, with the youth camps, and so forth. All are greatly loved and appreciated.

They all have been and yet are in my prayers. Who knows! I may be able, when I go to the real world, to keep on encouraging them to press forward to the first resurrection of the dead. I think others may have helped me from the invisible world. But the believers of Mount Zion are greatly loved, and I think they know that by this time.

Pastor Steve Ross and Mr. Steve Yrene have assisted with the monumental task of proofreading, as has Kathy Luna.

Bill Ott, Mark Overton, David McIntosh, and Vye Wilson have helped a great deal with computer problems.

Jeffrey Needle provided information concerning the Hebrew dual number.

Mrs. Rebekah Wilson, my secretary, works long and hard with all aspects of my writings. She has taken over many tasks, leaving me free to write and edit.

May our Lord Jesus grant that each one included in the above Credits share with me in the Lord’s harvest.

“And with the morn those angel faces smile, Which I have loved long since and lost awhile.” Lead, Kindly Light—John Henry Newman

A representative of the Vatican said recently, “All religions are equal.” (The San Diego Union Tribune, June, 2008)

All Hail the Power of Jesus Name—Edward Perronet

“O memories that bless and burn,” The Rosary—Robert Cameron Rogers

Raggedy Andy Stories—Johnny Gruelle, Bobbs-Merrill Co. Inc. New York, 1948

Jesus Is Passing This Way—J. H. Tenney

Till We Have Faces.—C. S. Lewis Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, New York, 1956.

“Tis the answer, tis the end and all of living, For it is love alone that rules for aye!” Sweet Mystery of Life—Rida Johnson Young

“Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene; One step enough for me.” Lead, Kindly Light—John Henry Newman

“And ever o’er its Babel sounds the blessed angels sing.” It Came Upon the Midnight Clear—Edmund H. Sears

Reach Out and Touch the Lord—Bill Harmon

Foreword

The politicians of our day are endeavoring to create a world in which there is peace and prosperity for everyone. Their intentions may be honorable, but the sinful nature of man frustrates every attempt to create the ideal society.

The central problem causing the chaos we see today, a condition that has existed throughout the history of man on the earth is that people are attempting to pursue their own will rather than the will of God. This attitude often is true from the most exalted personage down to the lowliest human, religious or not.

Can you imagine a world in which everyone does God’s will at all times, in every circumstance? That is what we are praying for in the Lord’s Prayer, you know.

Would you like to live in such a world, in which the will of Jesus is done in every detail of everyone’s life?

If everyone on earth was aware of God’s will for him or her, and was doing it, there would not be any more wars. In facts, there wouldn’t even be any arguments!

To not be content with God’s will for us is the worse calamity that can befall a human being. This does not mean we cannot pray for our desires, meanwhile giving thanks.

To be finally “saved” is to be willing to walk humbly with God.

In our present life, most of us do not live by every word of God directed to us. Our mind may reject this kind of life. We may not believe we ever could be in such a place with Christ. We still may be attempting to live on food alone, which makes us nothing more than an intelligent animal, even though we may have “accepted Christ.”

But the good news is we can and we shall delight in doing God’s will, living on every Word that comes from God’s mouth. This is what the coming of the Kingdom of God will mean for every saved person.

The spirit of Satan broods over mankind, assuring us we will be content and fulfilled if we can but receive our own desires and accomplish our own goals without interference. The truth is, no human being can ever be content and fulfilled apart from abiding in God’s desires and accomplishing God’s goals for him or her.

Here is a passage that shows us the attitude of earth’s peoples when Christ returns and sets up his Kingdom on the earth:

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:1-3—NIV)

At his appearing, the Lord Jesus Christ and his saints will remove the influence of Satan, the rebellious angels, and the demons, from the earth. This accounts for the desire (above) of the nations to serve God.

Such a radical change in attitude toward God actually is going to take place, you know, and the time is drawing near. Will you be pleased to live on the earth when everyone is compelled to obey the Lord? If you really have been converted to Christ, the thought of being able to do God’s will at all times will fill you with love, joy, and peace.

I sure hope you have as much fun reading Godwill Castle as I did writing it. The scenes are so real to me they have become part of my consciousness.

Our world is becoming ugly, at least to me. I enjoy so much thinking about God’s wonderful world of righteousness, love, peace, and joy. That is the world I have chosen to live in. I truly believe that when I leave the sordid, violent episodes of the present world I will be in the love and peace I have described in my book. Perhaps you feel that way also.

As you journey through our book you will discover that the spirit world is divided into the Land of Light and the Land of Darkness. There are seven major inhabited areas in the Land of Darkness and an infinitely large area of the blackest darkness imaginable.

In the Land of Light there is, first of all, the Holy City, the new Jerusalem. To be in the Holy City is to live continually in the enchantment we seek to create at Christmastime in America.

This sense of continual delight is strongest in the Holy City, but it spills outward to all areas of the Land of Light, to the thousands of communities and farms, and to some specialized dwellings such as castles.

When the new Jerusalem descends to the new earth, the enchanting atmosphere of the Holy City will be experienced by all the citizens of the new world of righteousness.

All through the Land of Light there is this feeling of enchantment. As I said, we try to capture the feeling of enchantment in America at Christmastime. Having been born and raised in New England of the United States, I can remember the music, bells, colored lights in the downtown area, candy canes, Christmas trees hung with tinsel, brightly wrapped presents around the tree, stockings hanging from the fireplace filled with candy and toys. What a magical season! This is the way it feels at all times throughout the Land of Light.

Our flesh was created from the ground but our spirit came from God. This is why we enjoy the things of the physical and also the things of the supernatural.

I remember one time when I was in Iceland seeing a picture of an isolated Icelandic home surrounded by snow—quiet and peaceful. I could hear in my mind some of the Christmas carols. It was so enchanting! Have you ever felt like that?

Our present world is depressing, so dark spiritually, because of the endless pursuit of money, fame, power, and other worthless goals. The incomparable joy of true love, which is the product of mutual respect and shared experiences, is so overrun with glandular compulsions, intensified by demons seeking gratification, that we find it difficult to know when lust is masquerading as love. We don’t really know the difference between man’s God-given desire for beauty, and the glandular-based reproductive urge.

The continual emphasis of our world on that which is material and fleshly has driven from us the normal feeling of wonder that pervades the Land of Light. We plod onward in the mud when we should be rejoicing in the hope of Paradise—delighting in that for which the children of God have been created.

As you read further in Godwill Castle you will find you have left the depressing materialism of the world behind. You will enter a land of enchantment, of the right kind of magic. It is a place that little children recognize instantly as being their true home. It is the eternal abode of all people who love God with all their heart and their neighbors as themselves.

While we Christians have been waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus from Heaven we have created some unscriptural ideas of what Heaven is like, and what will be true of the coming new world of righteousness.

Notice below what the Bible actually says:

“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.
They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands.
They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD. (Isaiah 65:17-25—NIV)

The above describes life on the new earth that the Book of Revelation tells us about. It is a little different from how we ordinarily picture the next life, isn’t it? Nevertheless, it is the way things actually will be. I know of no verse in the Bible that tells us when we die we will go to a mansion situated on a golden street in Heaven and live there for eternity. But at least seven times in the Old Testament there are references to men who were “gathered to their people.”

If I recall correctly, Lazarus the beggar, when he died, did not go to a mansion on a golden street with a backyard full of diamonds. He went to Abraham. I sure am happier with this thought than with the current notion. How about you?

It is interesting that when artists portray Heaven they paint scenes of an earthly paradise—trees, streams, birds. Why do we think of Heaven as a glorified nature? It is because we are unable to think of anything different, of Heaven being made up of unusual creatures and environments.

People with many ears, eyes, arms, legs, or no ears, eyes, noses, arms, or legs, are not of interest to us. A bizarre landscape of strange-looking trees and bushes. Birds with no heads. Weird animal life. Black flowers eight feet in height with an overpowering, strange fragrance. Streams of boiling water. No, we want the familiar forms of nature without the pain and problems arising from the sinful behavior in our present world.

Even the symbolic street of gold and the imagined multistoried mansions would never be fulfilling to us. What we actually want is someone to love and who loves us, in a beautiful, natural setting. And no pain or problems.

Man was created in a garden. That garden is still in his memory. When he thinks of Heaven he remembers the garden from which he originated.

Man invented mansions. God created a garden.

Going to Heaven is such a happy thought! I am looking forward to being there real soon—with you!

Robert B. Thompson

May 31, 2012

Foreword
Introduction
Home At Last!
Visiting Relatives
Godwill Castle
A Community
God’s Temple
The Army
Getting Acquainted Time
The Parade
Teaching in the New Jerusalem
Playland
The Trumpet Sounds
The Great Battle
The Coronation
Zion University
The Destruction of Civilization
Establishing Zion University
The Kingdom Age
The Holy City
The Land of Darkness
The Closing of the Kingdom Age
A New Sky and a New Earth
A Final Note
Appendix: The Pronunciation of Proper Nouns

Introduction

Why are you mourning over the past? It never was desirable, you know. Look! The golden waves of tomorrow are rolling toward you bringing eternal righteousness, love, joy, and peace. Those who have gone on ahead of you are there, waiting to welcome you to the true, eternal world. You shall see them again just as they were. The only difference is, their personalities have been purified from all that is troublesome.

Everything in the creation is moving from the concealed to the revealed. The embryo becomes a child. The seed becomes a flower. The wild animals will become tame. Righteousness will prevail and wickedness will be confined; the light will be separated from the darkness; in place of the present sky will be a new sky of marvelous beauty, containing stars of many colors.

Since the new stars will reflect the light of Christ and not that of nuclear fusion, they will be worlds in which people live, as the population of mankind does not die but increases for eternity. The moral Nature of God will move from tables of stone to the human heart. The Song of Moses and of the Lamb will become one song—the Song of the redeemed of the creation.

The multiplicity of relationships will resolve into one pure equation. That equation is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. All things in the creation equal Him who is the express image of the invisible God.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The term for “heavens”, in Genesis One, is in the dual form in the Hebrew, signifying that two entities are referred to; much as we use the pronoun “both” when speaking of two specific things. It is my point of view that the two entities are the spirit heaven, and then the physical firmament (sky; outer space).

At the time of the new creation, however, there is a new heaven (singular). This may indicate that there no longer is a distinction between the spirit heaven and the sky.

In the beginning was the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was with Almighty God and He Himself was and is Divine.

All things were made by Him: the spirit world and its inhabitants; the physical sky and its bodies; and the earth.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:3—NIV)
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. (Colossians 1:15,16—NASB)

The verses above inform us that Christ created not only the physical world but also the invisible things in the spirit world, or heaven, including all spirit dignitaries, such as Satan and other high-ranking personages..

This might mean that the spiritual beings Christ created, and then who rebelled, came into existence at first in the Heaven where Christ and the Father are, and then were forced down to a second, and lower heaven; while the lowest heaven then would be the realm of our guardian angels and whatever saints are busy helping us during our sojourn on the earth.

When the wisdom of God finally has been revealed, Jesus Christ will be the Center and Circumference of all the creation; of all heavens, including the vault above us with its celestial bodies, and of the earth. But first He had to learn perfect obedience to God. Also, He had to buy back with His blood His own creation, which had been forfeited to Satan by the disobedience of Adam and Eve.

I think the change from the dual “heavens” to the singular “heaven” is of great significance. The two worlds, the spirit and the physical, are destined to become one new world of righteousness. The physical world is the structure of the Kingdom of God. The spirit world is the heart, home, and joy of the Kingdom of God. The vault overhead, with its new stars, will be of both the physical world and the spirit world.

All that has been concealed in the mind of Almighty God is being revealed through the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him, and in Him alone, are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

It indeed is a wise individual who ceases from his own works that he or she might enter that one rest of God—that rest in which all that has been concealed, the secret things that belong to God, are being born into the full light of day.

This present world is a miserable struggle through briars, traps, and potholes. These experiences are devices to teach us what God wants us to know. It is the afterlife that gives the struggle significance and eternal purpose. Otherwise the mad striving after the wind, the many tears, the few laughs, are vanity and foolishness, as the wise man said.

You don’t have to be a great saint to please the Lord. Just be decent, and walk humbly with God.

A world of righteousness, love, joy, and peace will be possible only when the Lord Jesus Christ is governing everything that takes place, including our individual life. Such is the nature of the Kingdom of God.

By the way, the world is waiting for the resurrection of the saints, not for the lights of the world to leave the earth and go to live forever in Heaven. What sense does that make? Aren’t we supposed to be the light of the world?

There are things we Christians are to be learning right now. One very important lesson has to do with living by every word that is coming from the mouth of God. God continually is speaking to us. We are to learn how to hold every thought, every word, and every action before Christ so we are living on the words of God being directed toward us as an individual.

To live like this is to live in resurrection life in preparation for the resurrection of our body.

The Apostle Paul taught us clearly that the material world has been made subject to vanity and corruption. It is waiting for its release at the hands of the sons of God. Every person in the new world of righteousness, whether one of Christ’s most dedicated saints or a young child of the nations of those who are saved, will live by the Spirit of God. The animal creation, the adamic creation, was finished on the cross of Calvary.

The members of the Royal Priesthood, whose home is the new Jerusalem, are different from the people who have been saved from the nations, in that they have Christ in them. It is the inner presence of Christ that distinguishes the priesthood from the nations. Nevertheless, Christ can be seen in every person, relationship, thing, and circumstance of the new creation.

There is fire mixed in the sea of glass, the fire of Divine judgment. The motives of angels and people have been clarified. The Law of Moses and the grace of the Lamb have come together in one song: “Just and true are your ways, King of the ages.” The Law of Moses has done its work and the grace of the Lamb has done its work.

All people who are saved to the new world of righteousness will be brought into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.

In the beginning the spirit world and the physical world were one. There were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that were good for food. All the trees in the Garden in Eden were good for food.

The things of the earth have their counterpart in the spirit world. The things of the spirit world have their counterpart in the physical world. The two worlds were one world at the beginning and shall be one world of righteous behavior at the end. The throne shall be joined to the footstool.

The physical world was made from the spirit world. The reality is in the spirit world. The physical world is a fabrication designed in part to select, call out, teach, and refine the members of the Royal Priesthood, who will govern the new world of righteousness.

Meanwhile, a great multitude of people who will not be among the future rulers live, die, and then carry on their lives in the spirit world, waiting to take their places as citizens of the new world of righteousness; or to suffer for their conduct during their lifetime on the earth. Assignment to life or to condemnation will take place for most people during the final Day of Resurrection, according to my understanding at this time.

I believe we are at the beginning of the reuniting of the two worlds. Perhaps the uniting will begin with those who are seeking to live in union with the death and Life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14,15—NIV)

“Held in slavery by their fear of death”! The Lord Jesus Christ came to do away with our fear of passing into the spirit world.

Actually I wrote this book for children. You will see evidences of this throughout the book. However, I know there is quite a bit of material in it that is not appropriate for young children.

Why did I write some difficult material that only adults can understand in a book that has children in mind? It is because on our road toward becoming a child we have to endure these complexities. The truth is, however, that maturity in the Kingdom of God is reserved for children.

After we grow up we have to grow down if we hope to be part of the Kingdom of God. The result, if we have been cooperating with the Holy Spirit, is what one might call a “steel innocence.” It is the true innocence of God Himself.

Using the material in this book, Godwill Castle, I have written a much shorter book just for children, titled Heaven—God’s Wonderful World. If you know of a child confronted in some manner with his or her own death, or the death of a loved one, you may wish to recommend Heaven—God’s Wonderful World. It might help the child regard death with a happy heart instead of dread.

Also, an even shorter version directed toward the three to five-year-olds, titled John and Mary Visit Heaven, is awaiting publication.

I have lived for 86 years and I think I have learned a few things about our life as human beings. Also, I believe recently Jesus has expanded my awareness of the spirit world. I would like to share some of my observations with you.

Because mankind is attempting to live in the present world without God, the result is madness and chaos. The proper chain of command is ignored by both the churches and the world. God intends that each of us look to the Lord Jesus for all we do; but most of us do not do this.

This is why some thoughtful people live on boats, sailing from port to port. Others flee to cabins in the Canadian wilderness or to huts in the Amazon Jungle. Such people see the folly of war, (although sometimes war is not avoidable), of politics, of amassing money. They perceive the foolishness and emptiness of it all. They hope to escape the insanity of civilization and find meaning in their own lives.

That sense of fulfillment they are seeking cannot be found in climbing mountains, or exploring caves, or mastering a musical instrument, or in any other circumstance, thing, or relationship. We have been designed with a throne room in us. Until God is at rest on that throne, while we may achieve “success” in some areas, the sense of total fulfillment, of being “home” will elude us.

We may find an outer “home” someday, as in the story of Godwill Castle (if, in fact, Godwill Castle is an outer home!). But it first must be true that we are at home with God in our inward nature.

No solution can be found in sailing around the world, or living under a tree on a Polynesian island, or standing on top of Mount Everest. The only truly meaningful life is that which is lived in the Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When I speak of living in the Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ I am not referring to joining any kind of religion. Jesus is alive, having been raised from the dead by the power of Almighty God. He will come to anyone who invites Him and help that person attain to his or her God-appointed destiny.

Joining a Christian church of some sort and enjoying the fellowship of like-minded people often is helpful—even necessary in many instances. Being a “lone ranger” in our demon-infested environment can easily lead to deception and ruin.

But church membership is not the issue. Many people who profess to be Christians are “of their father, the Devil,” to coin a phrase Jesus used when referring to religious leaders of his day. The important thing is to know the Lord Jesus and walk with him, as Enoch did.

The most destructive of all possible practices in which a human being can engage, once the Father has brought him to Christ, is to pursue his own way without looking to the Lord Jesus continually for guidance and strength. Looking to Jesus like this is the meaning of “the righteous live by faith,” and is the “rest of God” emphasized in the Book of Hebrews. It also is the meaning of, “Man shall not live on food alone but on every word that comes from the Mouth of God.”

The only road to righteousness, love, joy, and peace for human beings or nations is to cease from their own wisdom, abilities, and efforts and to look to God at all times in every decision of life. To live without God is to endure seemingly endless frustrations as what we desire keeps escaping us.

We can learn this now, or learn it later, or never learn it!

Life with or without God is visited by seemingly endless problems and tribulations. But life lived in Christ results in a gradual development of solid character, wisdom, and sanity. After years of bewilderment, and some chastening, after he or she has pursued unfruitful desires, the disciple begins to see symmetry and a plan. The personal growth then is not a cycle but a steady, upward progression toward eternal righteousness, love, joy, and peace.

There is nothing else, no other path toward what we truly desire! A foolish or ignorant individual may never learn that life without Christ, which is life without God, is filled with emptiness, severe remorse, or worse horrors including the destruction of others or one’s self. There is no rainbow-covered throne at the end to make the struggle worthwhile.

A representative of the Vatican said recently (“The San Diego Union Tribune,” June, 2008), “All religions are equal.” That is a kindly thing to say, as Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogues sought to conciliate the religious people in India.

I know little about the Catholic Church and its liturgy and nothing about canon law. But I do know the Lord Jesus. He is my Friend. We walk and talk together, He and I, and have for many years. I see no need to add the distractions of religion to our sweet fellowship, although I am a pastor of an evangelical church.

I love Jesus, but I have little regard for religion of any kind. I am just obeying my Friend by informing his people of what I believe He has shown me.

It probably is an unkind thing to say, but it appears to me that many religious leaders proceed largely according to their own plans. I hope I am wrong about this. They appear as though they are acting without hearing from the Lord Jesus.

There is a difference between the Lord Jesus Christ and religion, in that Christ is a living Person who made atonement through his blood for the sins of the world. There is no other atonement. This is a spiritual fact. There is no other body and blood that give us resurrection life.

All religions may be equal, it is true. But there is no atonement for sin other than the blood of Calvary. There is no Tree of Life other than the Lord Jesus Christ. No one else has been sent from God to bring spiritual life to a dead mankind.

Let us not be foolish or ignorant. There is no other hope for eternal righteousness, love, joy, and peace except in Jesus Christ, though we have to live our life in faith in that which is invisible at this time. In a sense it is a great gamble that there is a God and a Christ. Yet, there simply is no other means of gaining lasting value other than to walk in faith in God rather than in one’s own pride and lusts.

A life lived in the pursuit of Christ may result in our fervent hopes being deferred—perhaps for a lifetime. But if the Bible is true; if Jesus Christ is God’s Son; if the cross actually represents the atonement for the sins of the world; if the promise of eternal life in the Presence of God and of a new world of righteousness to come has proceeded from a living, all-powerful, all-compassionate Supreme Being; then our life is leading us to splendor beyond comprehension.

Then the history of the world is understood to be a stage upon which the struggle between evil and good, between lies and the truth, is played out for men and angels to see clearly.

When we review the history of the world it indeed can be seen clearly by men and angels that God is good and Satan is evil. The good shall lead us to righteousness, love, joy, and peace; and those who choose the evil shall abide in corruption and agony.

This is my understanding of life in the world as a human being. I have come to the conclusion that Christ presents the only way to the eternal life, righteousness, love, joy, and peace for which God created us.

The political situation in our nation in the present hour, and perhaps in other forms in other nations of the world, reveals the desperation of people to lay hold on love, joy, and peace. There appears to be an abundance of self-seeking and dissimulation at governmental levels. The average citizen seems to be left at the mercy of forces beyond his or her control.

Added to the turmoil is our unreasoning fear of death.

I don’t know why it is we humans are so afraid of death or are so upset when a loved one dies. Probably because what actually takes place is unknown to us. In any event, if we have endeavored to serve God and have not deliberately and knowingly rejected the lordship and salvation of Jesus Christ, we are infinitely better off when we die and enter the spirit world. In fact, dying is like awakening from a nightmare, if we have sought to please God during our life on the earth.

We may be afraid we will enter punishment when we die. If we feel we may be displeasing God and are going to experience pain when we die, why don’t we do something about it now? Whoever calls on the name of Christ shall be saved.

It may be true that we picture dying as our becoming some kind of luminescence in eternal repose. The citizen of one of the Western nations, worn and frazzled because of the economic pressures, might find the thought of eternal repose attractive. But after a short period of rest, he or she would be ready to live again.

It is almost impossible, for me at least, to picture us vanishing at death such that we never appear again. To my mind, being a luminescence in repose is better than that!

If I knew that four billion years would be the limit of my existence, and after that I would pass into a state of nothingness, I would be alarmed. Yet there are people who suppose their momentary life on the earth will be the full span of their conscious life!

What kind of person would want to vanish—just vanish—and never exist again? Never see his or her loved ones again? Maybe such an attitude could be produced by great pain. But it doesn’t seem to me to be mentally or emotionally healthy. Not to mention wiping out the idea of God and the hope of continuing to live after death. What a dismal world-view this would be!

If after we die we find ourselves in a place of rest with no responsibilities, nothing to do, no challenges, no motivations or goals, we are not in God’s Heaven!

Unless we are determined to resist God and his Christ and live a sinful life, there absolutely is no basis for being afraid of dying. To the contrary, we should be looking forward to entering the spirit world with the same joyous anticipation a child looks forward to Christmas morning; or to the summer holidays when school is let out. In one way of looking at it, it is an eternal vacation, a release from the chains of gravity and the animal body.

Yet, there will be joyous work to do for eternity. But it will be play, because we will be performing those tasks for which we were created. And the environment will be one of love, joy, and peace.

If we are afraid of death because we have lived wickedly, or are living wickedly, then we need to come to the Lord Jesus, ask for his forgiveness, and for his power that we may be free from the bondages of wickedness. Then we have no need to be afraid of dying and will look forward with the greatest joy to being released from this present painful world. It really isn’t that hard!

The story “Godwill Castle,” that follows, is not the account of a near-death experience. The scenes in the ambulance have been invented as a setting for what follows. However, it is true, that while the narrative is not a description of what I experienced after dying and then being revived, it has come to me nevertheless in the same manner as has been true of my numerous doctrinal explanations: that is, as a “burden.”

Let’s suppose a hen laid an egg. When she saw it she exclaimed, “What is going on here!” This is how I feel about all of my writings. They were not produced by a wholly intellectual process.

The amazing thing is that while I have a strong auditory memory, for music and so forth, I have an unusually weak graphic memory. I cannot hold in my mind what I see. So writing a book that moves from one scene to another has to be some kind of miracle.

I hope the Lord will see fit to publish Godwill Castle. It needs at least thirty illustrations in color. Also, if an audio version is produced, it is begging for all sorts of background music and other sounds. For example, “The Destruction of Civilization” needs lots of noise, horses’ hooves, explosions, and so forth. Oh well, maybe someday…

You know, when I was a beginning Christian, many years ago, my heroes were Elijah and Elisha. They “walked under an open heaven.” They could look into the spirit world.

This is something I have desired fervently since I was a young Christian. Now, over sixty years later, it is beginning to occur, I believe. But to my surprise, something above me did not open up so I could see God’s Throne, Christ, the angels, the saints, in a wonderful spirit paradise. This has not occurred. Instead, it is as though my consciousness has expanded. I cannot “see” things nor do I have a vision. But I have become “aware” of what I believe to be the spirit world. The awareness has become a permanent part of my consciousness.

But it is not a strange kind of Oz. It is a real world with real people doing things understandable to us, such as learning from teachers, farming, working at other occupations, enjoying family life and so forth. One markedly different aspect is that there is no buying or selling. Each person joyfully works at whatever God has created him or her for, and the product is given to a person who needs it. Money no longer is the means of exchanging goods and services. Money no longer exists, thank the Lord forever.

Just think of it! When you need a house you do not have to buy one. The neighbors will get together and build one for you. Isn’t that marvelous? It is similar to an old-fashioned barn-raising. People bring food, and the entire occasion is like one great party.

All of the lawyers, bankers, money lenders, con artists, are out of business. No more mortgages, building inspectors, property taxes, home owner’s insurance. Wonderful! And the house will be perfect in detail!

Such people as the above trade money around in a joyless environment. They do not add to the flooring or the roofing of the house. Can this be a reasonable means of working productively in society?

People who rely on the amassing of money for security, survival, pleasure, and as a mark of achievement, are building on sand. The time will come when money no longer is employed as a means of social interaction. What then will they do? People who are wise build their lives on Christ. He is the Eternal Rock.

After Peter Marshall died his wife, Catherine, saw him working in a garden, a favorite activity of Peter’s. I recently have heard similar accounts of people who have just died. Perhaps the spirit world is drawing closer to the physical.

You know, the Bible contains some exalted pictures of saints and circumstances after death: there are the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders with harps and golden bowls full of incense. Then there are those who choose to stand for God during the Great Tribulation. They wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb, meaning they confess and turn away from their sins. They hold palm branches in the hands and stand before the Throne of God and in front of the Lamb. They worship God continually.

We notice also the souls under the altar, crying out to God for vengeance. They have been killed because of their testimony.

There are those who overcome Antichrist, standing beside the glass mixed with fire, singing the song that never changes: “Great and marvellous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty.” I really believe there are saints whose “glass” has been mixed with the fire of Divine judgment. They today are singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb, whether they are on the earth or in Heaven.

It may be true, and probably is true, that these exalted pictures are as they are seen by the Lord in the spiritual realities. But to us looking on they may be common, familiar experiences.

Do you know, when the Book of Revelation speaks of an angel with a trumpet it very well could be referring to an ordinary preacher of the Gospel of the Kingdom.

God often works in what appear to be the most humble circumstances, like a manger. I wonder how Christ in the manger appeared to the spiritual vision of God!

The Jews missed their Messiah because they were expecting a kingdom similar to that of Solomon. Let’s you and I be like Anna and Simeon, people of prayer who recognize the true King when He appears.

I am not sure how many of us Christians realize it, but we already have been raised with Christ. We already are on the highest Throne and have received our crown. Our task now is to maintain our position on the Throne with Christ and to hold onto our crown of righteousness and life. Our present position is in Heaven in Christ in God, but our immediate awareness is that which surrounds us in the earth.

I rather suspect that the spirit world is much like I have described in Godwill Castle. The harps and golden bowls, those with palm branches standing before the Throne, the souls under the altar, may not be emphasizing times or places but spiritual realities clothed in symbolism, some taking place even today.

We already have come to Mount Zion, the Bible claims. I remember one time in a church in Chula Vista, California. I was in prayer, attempting to forgive the actions of one of the elders of the church. I suddenly broke through in prayer and my eyes were opened momentarily. I could “see” that I already had come to Mount Zion and was surrounded with heavenly beings.

Without doubt the street of gold is the way of faith. The “mansions” which many hope to live in actually are the personalities of the believers who have invited the Father and the Son to dwell in them.

The Bible sometimes portrays events of the spirit world in such high, lofty terms that we think of a fanciful world of mythologic creatures and people wearing sheets with pumpkins for heads. Perhaps instead, what I am “seeing,” a very commonplace world of human as well as angelic activity, is what we will find when we die.

Our present physical world was created from the invisible spirit world; and so the circumstances and activities we will encounter after death may be familiar rather than new and strange.

I have written the present book, Godwill Castle; the smaller Heaven—God’s Wonderful World; and John and Mary Visit Heaven; from this new awareness so people will lose their fear of death. Dying is like the end of the school year is for a child: the beginning of a summer of doing the wonderful things children enjoy. I am thinking, of course, of our American culture.

The reader will have to judge for himself or herself whether or not my awareness really is of the actual spirit world.

After I got past the part in the ambulance the book sort of wrote itself. I have had the same experience with my doctrinal writings and essays, and also with my piano composition, “God Is My Salvation.”

I am not really a theologian, just a scribe for the Lord. I write from a burden rather than primarily from my brain.

While you are reading some parts you may get the feeling, “This probably is factual.” I know. This is how I feel as I am writing it.

While I have been writing my story I have received a lot of help from “upstairs.” As soon as I come to a “roadblock” I pray, and immediately the solution comes into my mind. Also, in many instances material to be added to or removed from the text enters my mind in the middle of the night. This may be a common experience for authors but it is new to me.

I am somewhat mystified by this book, to tell the truth. Parts of it may be inspired. Jesus’ sheep know his voice. They can judge what is of the Lord. The lambs are not always that accurate.

I am not claiming that the text literally is true. It is a fact that I did have a first heart attack and was taken in an ambulance to the cardiac facility in Scripps Hospital, in La Jolla, California. But the second heart attack, as described in the story, has not taken place as yet—and may never, if diet and rest will help.

Godwill Castle is a story, and we may leave it at that. The purpose is to convey to the reader the possible reality and practicality of the invisible world.

The many references I make throughout the account to spiritual impressions I have had are factual. They are not embellished. For example, my impression of the left profile of the “galactic Christ,” and on another occasion the angel turning and looking south, are exactly what I “saw.”

I have not had many impressions of angels, but I do see them when there is to be some kind of major change in my life coming, perhaps to assure me I am on the right track; or during times of critical illness. I did not realize how many impressions of the spirit world I have had during my lifetime on earth, as they kept coming back to me while writing this account. Recently, however, I am aware of the presence of angels all the time.

It is not uncommon for me, while praying in my office before the Sunday morning sermon, to “look up” and see on the wall some symbol that represents the burden of the morning, such as Christ in his appearance as supreme Lord.

This particular impression was given recently. It was followed by the same emphasis in the music during the morning worship, and by prayers given by some of the saints. When I witness such confirmations I know I really am seeing a genuine portrayal of the morning’s burden and not a product of my imagination.

On another recent occasion I saw what appeared to be Christ at the head of his army, and then Christ in a workshop wearing a shop apron. I asked the Lord for the meaning. What I received as the interpretation was that a considerable amount of work has to be done before He comes, leading his army of warriors to install the Kingdom of God on the earth.

Christian teachers have put together a simplistic “Heaven or Hell” picture of life after death. According to my understanding at this time, the current concept of what happens to us when we die is neither realistic nor scriptural. We will not pass into a fanciful never-never land when we die. God is not making all new things, but all things to which we are accustomed new in Christ.

I would guess that most Christian people by now understand that John 14:2 is not referring to splendid houses but to places of abiding in Christ. Walking on a street of gold wearing golden slippers, while playing a harp and singing praises for eternity, is not the burning desire of most people. Many would not mind, however, returning to the Garden of Eden.

Man imagined the mansions. God created the garden.

There certainly is a Heaven. There certainly is a Hell. But only a small percentage of believers are prepared to dwell in the holy Fire of the highest Heaven; and only the wickedest of mankind belong in the horrible torments of the lowest Hell.

The rest of us will be placed, after death, in a spiritual environment where we fit, according to our level of spiritual maturity. This is my understanding.

I think it is a fact that we reveal on earth what will be true of us after we die. A small remnant of believers present their body as a living sacrifice that they may do the Lord’s complete will. Theirs is a fierce consecration. I think this is God’s gift to them. Then there are many Christian people who, while not as fervent as that remnant, really do attempt to please Christ.

In America there also are numerous “believers” who are attracted readily by the shallow services that make little or no demands on their congregations other than to attend regularly and give as much money as possible. These hardly fit the definition of a cross-carrying, self-denying “disciple”; and yet, according to the Book of Acts, it is the disciples who are the genuine Christians.

If we stop and think reasonably we might find it difficult to anticipate that the wide range of Christian people, from the David Brainerds to the church-attenders who sit through a sermonette and then rush home so they don’t miss the Super Bowl game on television, are all going to pass from this life into the Presence of the Fire of Israel, there to mingle as though they all are at the same spiritual level.

This unreasonable notion, that all Christians are at the same spiritual level and all receive the same reward, may spring from the current misunderstanding of what the Apostle Paul means when he wrote we are saved by “grace” rather than by “works.”

You know, the way grace is taught currently may leave the believers with the impression that there is no such thing as spiritual growth. If there is such an experience as growing spiritually, it is optional. It really won’t make much difference how much we have grown spiritually when we “get to Heaven.” All believers receive the same reward because we are “saved by grace,” it is assumed.

If it is true to grow in Christ is to grow in the ability to embrace righteousness and resist wickedness, then a grace that overlooks our sinning is preventing our growth in Christ.

In actuality, a person has not attained to the fruit of being fully “saved” until he is willing to let God direct his life. What the Bible means by the term “salvation,” at least the fullness of salvation, is the change from our will to God’s will. What we must be saved from, if we ever are to gain righteousness, love, joy, and peace, is our own self-will and self-centeredness.

When we are governing our own life according to our own desires, appetites, abilities, experiences, and talents, we are a rebel against God and are lost to his purposes, even though we have “accepted Christ” as our Savior.

We can choose to live by our own life, or Satan’s life, or the Life of Christ. But living by the Life of Christ means we must submit to the crucifixion of our self-life.

We must hasten to the Lord and without delay tell Him we will do his complete will in every circumstance of our life.

We may think being saved means we are going to Heaven and not to Hell when we die. It is true rather that to be saved means we have been dealt with by the Lord until we are willing to walk humbly with God.

Once we make up our mind not to save our own life, not to trust in our own desires, we then are ready to be formed in Christ’s image both internally and externally. We also are in a position to dwell forever in the center of God’s Person and will.

There is no higher goal for any person in the universe than to walk humbly with God.

If we are wise we will ask our Father in Heaven to hold our hand and to keep and guide us now and throughout the eternal ages that are to come.

I believe it will prove to be true, as in my story, that most folks will be received into the spiritual level for which they have prepared themselves. There they will be ministered to by angels, and possibly by human teachers, until they are accustomed to the ways of Heaven; until they are fit to be part of a peaceful, righteous society; until they are ready to forsake their own way and look to King Jesus at all times for his will to be done in every circumstance.

Perhaps our preparation for citizenship in Heaven, and then later in the new world of righteousness that is coming to the earth, begins now, and then continues after we die. We always must keep in mind, however, that we are to respond to the Lord Jesus when He deals with us. We cannot waste our time in the present world and then expect that after we die the Lord will enable us to grow spiritually. This is a commonly believed but deadly error. Remember the parable of the talents!

In so much Christian teaching, death is viewed as our redeemer. We are not serving Christ now, but after we die we will be brought into the Lord’s favor and glory. This idea is not supported by the Scriptures.

You will notice as I move along there is a concept that is of special importance. It is what we might term “our eternal position versus our immediate awareness.” Most of us may know that our Lord Jesus always is at the right hand of the Father. This is his “eternal position.” Then there are times when He is walking with us. This is his “immediate awareness,” so to speak.

The same is true of each Christian, according to the Apostle Paul. Our eternal position is in Christ at the right hand of God. Our immediate awareness is the location or situation in which we may find ourselves at any given moment. I wonder sometimes (don’t you?) what our immediate awareness will be like a billion years from now.

Later in the story you will see why an understanding of this multiple location is important to our perception of what is taking place in our life.

So my book is a story. I make no claim beyond that. But if I am to be scrupulously honest, I must say I have had a rare experience during the writing of it. In fact, some of the scenes I have portrayed are coming out in my preaching as though they are factual, such as the coronation ceremony on the Temple Mount; and the new sky with its black velvet tapestry which serves as a background for an untold number of stars of all colors.

Of course, I do not insist that these scenes must be believed, I just use them as possibilities to inspire the imagination; to help the believers set their affections and hopes on that which is above.

However, I do think it possible that the new stars will actually be paradises like our own Garden of Eden was, to which groups of people may immigrate as Christ’s Kingdom expands beyond the capacity even of the gigantic new earth. The light of the new stars will not come from burning suns but from Christ, as in the first three days of the creation of our universe.

The presentation of these scenes in an impromptu fashion (I do not preach from notes) during my preaching astonishes me and makes me believe that the Lord Jesus somehow is involved in this narrative.

It may bother the reader that I have spoken so much of eating in the Great Hall of Godwill Castle. I have done this because eating is something children can understand, should parts of this book be read to them.

Now, I do not wish to make an issue about whether or not people eat after they die and are in the spirit world. My sense of the invisible world is that the people who are in the Land of Darkness (I will explain about these places later), like in Hell or in the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences, or those who are in the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, do not eat. But I think everyone else does, as do the animals also.

The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. (Isaiah 11:7—NIV)

Perhaps those who are in the new Jerusalem eat from the Tree of Life, which is our Lord Jesus. But remember: the Word of God stipulates that authority to eat of this Tree is reserved for those who overcome the forces that would cause them to disobey God.

How can a spirit eat? I do not know. I do know that the Bible says manna is angels’ food. It says also that the lion will eat straw like the ox. This will occur during the Kingdom Age.

Then too we notice that “many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.”

Some passages of Scripture suggest it may be true that we will eat and drink in the next life.

Notice this statement in the description of the new earth: “They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” (Isaiah 65:21—NIV)

However, one could argue that some of these illustrations refer to people and animals after the resurrection and do not reflect life in the spirit world prior to the resurrection. But after the resurrection there is no blood to accomplish digestion as we know it, so it is not the resurrection that will make eating possible.

There is one passage in Psalms that may make us wonder:

He rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven. Men ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. (Psalms 78:24,25—NIV)

People ate the grain of Heaven! Men ate the bread of angels! The fact that angels eat manna suggests that some kind of eating goes on in the spirit world. This is surprising, in that the eating we are accustomed to depends upon blood for the process of metabolism.

Since it is very doubtful that angels have blood, we might consider, as we mention so often in our book, that our present world was made from the spirit world, and the objects we see, which are nothing more than forms of energy, have their true and eternal form in the spirit world.

At the Last Supper the Lord said: “I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

And then the resurrected Christ: “They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He took it and ate it in their presence.” Personally, I think this was for the purpose of fellowship. Eating often is an important part of fellowship, isn’t it? Yet Christ had no blood at this time, so He digested the fish with a process that was of the Spirit of God and not the type of digestion we are accustomed to.

What need did the resurrected Christ have for broiled fish? He ate it. He did not hold it up toward Heaven so Divine fire could consume it. There may be those who view Christ eating the broiled fish as symbolizing one thing or another. For myself, I take it at face value that Christ likes fresh broiled fish! Anyway, it was important to the fellowship of disciples at that time.

I do not want to make a big point of whether or not we eat fish after we die, but the above passages are interesting, aren’t they?

I will tell you what I think is true in the spirit world, and it may be true also after the resurrection. Our body may be regenerated continually by the body and blood of Christ and by the Holy Spirit. We actually may have no need for additional food, like Moses on the mountaintop.

But I do believe we will eat and God will give us an appetite; although all of the food and drink will be consumed. There will be no elimination.

Why, then, would we eat? Because it gives us pleasure. Also, when we gather socially, eating can be an important part of our fellowship. We enjoy eating, and I believe this will be true of people forever. But this enjoyment will be denied to wicked people.

As I stated, the Substance of Christ and the Spirit of God may continually regenerate our personality, including our body.

Remember our Lord said, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about”; and how Moses was able to go so long without food or water while he was in the Presence of God!

I think Paul said something like, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food; but God shall destroy them both.” He may have been reacting to gluttony, which does afflict some believers.

But again, the reader is invited to believe as much of my book as pleases him or her. I really have enjoyed writing this account because it has kept my mind in the heavens, so to speak, rather than dwelling on the turmoil of the world in the present hour. Actually, I hope the situations and circumstances of the narrative prove to be factual in many details.

The idea that God is going to take over the government of mankind, insisting that people do his will, is taught clearly in the Psalms. He has permitted mankind to govern itself for six thousand years. The results speak for themselves.

“Your Kingdom come. Your will be done in the earth.”

The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death. So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the LORD. (Psalms 102:19-22—NIV)

We can prepare ourselves for the new world of righteousness by choosing today to turn away from our own ways and to look to the Lord Jesus for every decision of life. This is not as difficult as it may seem to someone who never has tried it.

American people, including most American Christians, would object violently to the idea that they no longer will be “free moral agents,” wherever this wretched concept came from. Whether they like it or not, they are going to have to obey the Lord Jesus. This is why the rule of Christ is with the rod of iron. I am glad for this. Aren’t you? I don’t like what is taking place today among the nations. I wish I had the power to do something about it. I hope someday to have the crown of righteousness and life so I can enforce God’s will throughout his creation.

Today Jesus says to us, “If you love me, keep my commands.” (Can you imagine a secular ruler saying, “If you love me, keep my laws”?)

But when Christ returns He will not be saying “If you love me, keep my commands.” Instead, the nations of the earth will keep his laws and commands or be smashed to pieces!

The Lord Jesus has been very close to me during the last few months as this story has unfolded. I believe it is from the Lord. If I am hearing from the Spirit of God correctly, multitudes of Americans are going to die in a bloodbath.

America, as well as many formerly Christian nations of Europe, has chosen to forsake its roots and is following bodily lusts, and also other religions. We ought to know better than this, considering the accounts in the Old Testament.

Hopefully as individuals read my story they will be comforted, understanding that death is not to be feared. Should a loved one be slain during the future chaos in America, he or she most likely will be safe in the arms of Jesus, unless he deliberately and knowingly has rejected Christ and has chosen to live a depraved, selfish life. Such wickedness is not true of most of us, though it is of some.

Perhaps you will read portions of the text to your children, omitting the parts that are not appropriate for them, in order to help them understand that when we love and serve Jesus, there is a wonderful world of love, peace, and joy to look forward to. I always have been concerned about the boys and girls (and their parents!) who have terminal diseases and are wasting away in children’s hospitals. I just wish I could do more for each one.

If it would please the Lord, I would like the authority and power to quietly speak the word and have afflictions leave people, especially children.

I am 86 years old, as I stated. I became a Christian when I was nineteen. I have endeavored to serve Jesus faithfully for 65 years. Being along in years, I am interested in the spirit world. I can “see” a few things but would like to see much more. The people and circumstances I have described are real to me, and increasingly so as time passes.

To die is gain when for us to live is Christ. If we are not serving Christ we already are spiritually dead and will be no more dead when we die physically. The only truly living person is he or she who is living in Christ.

However, it is true for all of us, spiritually alive at this time or not, that life in the spirit world, unless, as I said, we have been wicked enough to be assigned to Hell or some other form of punishment, is preferable to life on the physical earth.

Solomon pointed out in the Book of Ecclesiastes that our earthly pursuits are a chasing after the wind and often unpleasant. Such useless striving is not true of the spirit world, unless we are in the Land of Darkness. More later about the Land of Darkness. Solomon went so far as to say he hated life! King Solomon, of all people! Riches certainly do not bring righteousness, peace, and joy!

For the imprisoned Apostle Paul, to die was very great gain. But for all of us who labor in the futility of the flesh, to die is preferable to living in the physical bondage of the present world, which actually is the valley of the shadow of death.

As I am writing I am picturing parents reading this story to their children, and this accounts for my repetition of details children can relate to. Then, when catastrophe strikes, the child will understand that life is not over when people die but just beginning. More importantly to the child, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncles, Aunts, will, if they are decent people, all be together again in a much, much better world. We are gathered to our people, the Bible says.

Perhaps the best news of all is that not only will the meek of the earth experience marvels when they die, but all the beauty, the righteousness, love, joy, and peace of Heaven are coming to the earth, as announced by John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth. (Psalms 96:11-13—NIV)

Do you see from the above passage that the Divine judgment that shall come upon the world is an occasion for rejoicing? Do you see how our natural environment will be affected?

I believe we are beginning to gain a glimpse of God’s program. The purpose for the two thousand years of the Church Age has been, and yet is, the calling out from mankind of a Church, a fullness of Christ, which will be able to bring to the earth, and maintain, the righteousness, love, joy, and peace of the spirit world, of Heaven we might say.

The purpose for the thousand-year Kingdom Age, which will commence when the Lord returns to earth, is to perfect the Church so it may be installed on a new earth as a government that will maintain and increase the work of righteousness that began during the Church Age. During the Kingdom Age the saints will govern the nations of the earth with the rod of iron that has been created in them as they have emerged successfully from their wrestling match against the spirit of the world.

The saints, the sons of God, will be trees of life and healing; and those of the nations who choose to do so can come to them and partake of the Life of God. During this period the Water of the Holy Spirit will cover the “sea” of mankind.

“Your Kingdom come, your will be done on the earth as it is in Heaven,” is a prayer that most certainly shall be answered!

So the future is bright with promise. And should we die before the beginning of the Kingdom Age, our faithful, conscientious preparation today for our role in the new world of righteousness will continue under ever more joyous circumstances.

The key to our understanding is this: God is not making all new things but all things new. All we have loved and cherished, all that will bring us righteousness, love, joy, and peace, will be preserved. It all will be brought down to death and then raised in Christ so that He may be all in all in Heaven and upon the earth.

Of course, it is difficult for us to relinquish the old, just as it is hard for us to have peace and assurance when a loved one dies, that is, becomes invisible to us. But when we see what is coming we will be more than happy to discard the old.

What is being removed from us is that which brings pain, sorrow, remorse, and death. The breaking of God’s commandments, idolatry, and self-will are the cause of our misery. Therefore our God through Jesus Christ, by the wisdom and power of his Spirit, shall bring righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God to mankind.

A few minutes ago (September 12, 2007, 8:18am) I saw on the television the account of a tragic accident. Two teenage sisters were parasailing. One blew onto the rocks and was killed. She was (is) a cute little youngster, leaving behind a grieving mother, father, and sister.

This is what my book is about. From the little bit I know concerning the next life, it is a very practical, understandable world. Their daughter and sister is with Jesus, I am certain. He alone possesses the key of death. The only people who pass into the custody of the demons are the demonic.

Did she know Jesus before she died? Maybe so, maybe not. Does Jesus love her? Of course. Will she be permitted to serve Him as her rightful King? Of course, if she chooses to do so. I think she will!

I want people to know that when that precious daughter, or husband, or son, or mother, or sweetheart passes into the spirit world, he or she does not become some kind of ghost wearing a white sheet with a pumpkin for a head. That manly look, that mischievous twinkle, that warm personality, that little curly head, is with Jesus and is intact.

He or she is looking down at this moment, perhaps, and asking you to receive Jesus as your King whom you must obey at all times; and to love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. If you choose to do this, all whom you love and cherish can be reunited in the spirit world (the only true, real, and eternal world), and then on the new earth for eternity.

The days ahead are far more marvelous than this poor scribe could ever recount.

Let’s proceed now on our trip into the spirit world so we can see how very practical and “common sensical” life after death may possibly be. Of course, there always is a touch of fairyland about the next world. To be sure, there are wondrous, magical aspects of that world which at present is invisible to us. But we wouldn’t want it any other way, would we?

Home At Last!

I knew what it was. Several Christmases ago I had a heart attack. I made it through the medical procedure, which was to put two stents in my left descending artery.

So I recognized the pain. It kept getting worse, just as it did during the first attack. I had allowed my nitroglycerin pills to become outdated to the point I was certain they were worthless.

I was alone in the house, my wife and son had gone to the store. I was sitting at the computer (I am a pastor, and write Christian literature) and the familiar pain began.

The base for the cordless phone was near my left hand. I picked up the phone, dialed 911, gave my address, and told the lady on duty that I am eighty-six years old and I think I am having a second heart attack.

I put the phone back on the station. Anyone who has had angina pains can understand how much it hurt. I walked humped over to the garage door opener and pushed the button. Then I pulled up a chair and sat down near the door leading into the garage so I could talk with the paramedics when they came.

While I was waiting I thought, “How can this be happening?” Since my first heart attack I have tried to eat the right food, avoid stress, and get lots of rest each day. Prior to my first heart attack I was pushing myself with coffee and chocolate candy bars, drinking more coffee when I felt like resting. Definitely not a good idea!

It could not have been more than five minutes when I heard the siren. By this time the pain was agonizing. A female paramedic rushed through the garage followed by a young man.

“Chest pains,” I gasped.

As they were pulling the oxygen mask over my face, the woman, about forty years of age I would guess, said, “My name is Norma. The young man’s name is Komori.” It was evident the woman was in charge. They both had short-sleeved blue shirts and official patches, I noticed.

Komori grinned and said, “My friends call me Ko.” I thought to myself, “Man, I hope you’re my friend. I feel kind of helpless.” The young man appeared to be Japanese.

After they had secured the oxygen mask over my face the relief was dramatic.

I told them I am a Kaiser patient. The Kaiser hospital in San Diego is a forty-five minute drive from our house.

They laid me on a gurney and the two paramedics, one on each end of the gurney, rolled me into the ambulance, and we headed toward Palomar Hospital in Escondido, which is about fifteen minutes away. Kaiser and Palomar have a reciprocity arrangement. Kaiser will pay the bill if you have to stop at a nearer hospital in an emergency.

I didn’t make it even to Palomar Hospital.

As I lay on the gurney in the ambulance, I was very concerned about my wife and two sons. I had no way of contacting them. I had asked Norma if she would please leave a note for my wife, Audrey, informing her that I had chest pains and was on my way to the hospital, which Norma did.

I have a lot of fight in me since God healed me of graduate anxiety, while I was a student at the University of Rochester in New York. But the fight was not present with me now. The fight just was not present for me to resist what was taking place.

Thanks to the oxygen I wasn’t in any pain. My mind started to wander. I began to think about Jesus. I had done the Lord’s will to the best of my knowledge for over sixty years. Oh, there had been some occasions when I had gotten off the track. But as soon as I understood I was in error, I confessed my sin, made restitution to the best of my ability, and resumed my discipleship. So I was at peace with God.

You know, when you discover you have gotten off course, you would like to withdraw from the battle for awhile. But this is self-pity, isn’t it?

On one occasion while I was feeling sorry for myself, I saw in a kind of vision an army on the march. Christ was at the head. His saints were behind Him on the white war-stallions. I was standing off to the side and cheering them on. My goal in life has been to be in that army riding behind the Lord. Now I had judged myself unworthy, and so I stood on the sidelines and cheered the warriors on.

Then a white stallion without a rider stopped in front of me. I knew I was supposed to get on that horse. “But no, my job was to sweep up behind the horses in the parade.” I had convinced myself of that. I was luxuriating in self-pity.

Then I thought, “If I do not get up on that horse, I may never get another chance to be in the Lord’s army.” I tell you, self-pity is a strong man. He and I fought. I won, and got up on the horse. Then the “vision” vanished.

I could hear the siren of the ambulance. Then I heard a voice far off. I think it was Komori. He exclaimed, “We’re losing him!” How Komori could tell I was dying I do not know.

I began to hear a murmur that kept on becoming louder. Then I recognized voices: “Keep on! Keep on! You nearly are at the goal. Press forward in Christ. Don’t change; don’t quit.”

Dimly and then increasingly clearly I could see that I was passing between rows of people on each side. They all were in white robes. They were clapping and cheering me forward.

I learned later that at that time there were thousands of Christ’s firstfruits cheering me on.

Faintly in the background I could hear the opening melody of “God Is My Salvation,” an original composition. One time when I was playing the opening theme I could hear a heavenly choir singing along with me, kind of a descant. I guess they were singing a neutral syllable, like “ah—-,” because I do not remember hearing any words at that time.

“God Is My Salvation” is a piano piece. But the opening melody I was hearing now was played by a violin. It was beautiful!

Then I could see the Lord Jesus standing maybe a hundred yards away from me. His Throne was behind him. He was holding out toward me in his right hand what looked like a short rod. I was pressing forward, making my way toward Him like a runner at the end of a marathon. I was holding out my arms.

As I kept going forward I still could hear the encouraging words of the saints, but I noticed there no longer were rows of people on each side but warrior-angels. They were about ten feet tall with white robes that seemed to be part of them. They had silver colored hair to their shoulders. They were looking straight ahead. Their faces were stern. They were barefoot. They did not have wings. I have “seen” many angels since I have been living in the spirit world, but none of them have had wings.

I looked more carefully at those on my left. The butt-end of their spear was by their right foot. Their right hand held the spear in line with their body. The tip of the spear was above their head. Their left arm was at their side. I knew that at one command from Christ I instantly would be facing a hedge of spears.

There were numerous angel-guards on each side. I chuckled to myself when I thought of an enemy trying to approach the King, the Son of God, and facing the sharp points of hundreds of spears. There was a stern-faced angel standing on each side of Christ. Each was wearing a massive saber in a silver scabbard. These two angels were larger and more powerful looking than the palace guard that I was passing.

As weak as I was, struggling the last few steps, trying to reach Him who alone is worthy to rule the universe, all these thoughts went through my mind. It may have been a few seconds, or hours, or years. Time just is not the same in the spirit world.

They say when you are dying all the events of your life come before your face. This was not true of me. What kept running through my mind was: “I hope I don’t do some foolish thing at the last minute.” “Don’t ever take pleasure at someone else’s expense.” This last has been a principle that I have sought to adhere to.

“God’s will always must be done perfectly regardless of the consequences to myself.”

Finally, my main watchword, which developed in my mind when I began to understand that the current grace-teaching is a deception: “Iron righteousness; fiery holiness; stern obedience to the Father.”

Then the encouraging words and the music grew faint and stopped, and I could hear the quiet sounds of insects and birds one is aware of in a meadow or woods.

The next thing I noticed was what one might term, “the fragrance of Heaven.” I know that in the Tabernacle of the Congregation there always was the perfume coming from the Altar of Incense—a perfume compounded in a very special manner.

I believe this fragrance to be the perfume that always accompanies the Presence of Christ. It is everywhere in Heaven. How could one describe it! It reminds us of love, and God, and friends, and home, and everything else that brings joy and peace to us. Just as in the case of the Altar of Incense in the Tabernacle, this fragrance is found nowhere else.

As I kept my eyes focused on the Lord Jesus, the throne, the guards, and the voices of the people faded away. The Lord Jesus in his white robe was standing in a meadow. The rod I had seen before was not in his hand now.

Gradually I could picture Jesus more clearly than I ever had. He was looking at me from several yards away. We appeared to be in a meadow. Whenever I think of Heaven I think of meadows. I just enjoy meadows. It was not a lawn, there were several kinds of grasses.

There were colorful little flowers sprinkled throughout the meadow, blue, yellow, red, purple, orange, pink. The beautiful carpet of color gave me the feeling of being in fairyland.

There was one large shade tree, a red maple. However, since there was no sun there was no need for shade. But this tree with its gorgeous red color added to the beauty of the meadow.

The “air” was extremely pure and clear. I cannot say it was warm or cold. It was so perfect there was no consciousness of weather. The light was pleasing and gentle to the eye. It was a kind of paradise. There was soft music in the air. It sounded orchestral, although there could have been voices singing.

I have read enough accounts of people who have died and then been revived to know what had taken place. I was dead! I had died on the way to the hospital.

And there was Jesus, the Lord, the One whom I have served with all my might from the age of nineteen. Jesus! Just think of it! The Lord! I was so overwhelmed emotionally that I just stood there gaping. I was unable to move!

Jesus looks much like an ordinary person, although He was clothed in white wearing brown sandals, just as He is represented in pictures.

What can I say about the face of the Lord? It is at once kindly, strong, joyous, compassionate, masterful, majestic. His face is somewhat like the well known portrait by Warner Sallman, with the short beard and long hair, but infinitely stronger; infinitely fiercer; infinitely more challenging.

After all, it is the face of our Creator. Does it change as what He is conveying to us changes? What about his eyes of fire that John saw on the Island of Patmos, with his hair and head as white as snow?

Perhaps a Jew would see a Jew.

An Arab would see an Arab.

A Mongol would see a Mongol.

An Irishman would see an Irishman.

An African would see an African.

A Russian would see a Russian.

A Chinese would see a Chinese.

An Englishman would see an Englishman.

I saw a desert chieftain.

One time years ago I had a fleeting impression of Antichrist. Antichrist looked like an executive, a competent, genial but businesslike chief executive officer—personable, kindly, the type of person you immediately would feel comfortable around and would like to know.

But when I saw Christ I beheld the face of a desert chieftain, fiercely rugged, triumphant, carved with suffering yet grinning with victory. “I can beat you at any game you wish to play!”

I could picture him, in his white robe and brown sandals, leaping on a camel and brandishing a scimitar. He mocks and scorns those who fight against him. He and his friends sing and dance on the height of Zion when the world is in flames.

It is not that He and they are unaware of the sufferings of people. It is that by God’s power and wisdom they have overcome the world, and from this point forward will be able to bring justice, love, peace, and joy to the enslaved populations of the earth.

It is the Face of One who has challenged the world and overcome it—enormously strong, a fighter, a fighting King. Unconquerable, yet grinning with companionship and invitation. Too strong to become familiar with, yet inviting fellowship as long as one remembers He is the King of all.

This Man has experienced every kind of suffering. But He has overcome suffering. He is the King over suffering. He sits alone as King of the flood of human misery and joy.

All at the same time.

My lasting impression of Christ is one of fierce triumph, almost mocking, as you would see in someone who loves you and yet can beat you in any contest. “I will take on all comers, and I will win, and I will laugh with joy at my opponents. I will scorn all attempts to overcome me.”

The passage came into my mind concerning those who would challenge this fierce, scornful Warrior: “He who is sitting in the heavens does laugh. The Lord does mock at them” (Young’s Literal Translation).

Do you remember how Jesus mocked Pilate? Pilate asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “It is as you say.” God’s King could afford to be bold toward a worm who did not have enough backbone to do what he knew was right.

“Come dance with me. Fellowship with me. Rule with me. Love me. Trust Me. Believe in Me.

“I am God’s Son, and I can do all things. Put your faith in me and we will proceed to the ultimate victory and inheritance.

“Challenge me and you will lose, and I will grieve over your loss. But I will recover and press on, because my Father is God.

“I am skipping upon the mountains of spices even though I am sharing your sufferings.

“The extremes of life are in me, from the deepest grief and fear to supreme exaltation.

“I cannot be put down or overcome. I will win over all. I invite you to win with me.

“I will grieve if you doubt me. But I will not stop dancing on the mountains of spices. My Father is God. My Father is Almighty God. He can do all things. I can do all things through him. You can do all things through me.

“Come. Let us dance together. Let us worship together. Let us conquer together.

“The past is over. The time of singing has arrived for us. Suffering and denial have carved your soul into victorious strength. The future is ours to command. Our Father, the supreme King, is solidly, faithfully, consistently with us.

“I am a giant, and a tiny child. I sing symphonies, and yet I know the grimiest, dirtiest detail of human existence.

“No force can overcome me. My Father will see to that.

“Give yourself unstintingly to me and no power will overcome you.

“As of now you have a baby face, compared with mine. If you continue to walk humbly with me, when compared with your face, the four faces chiseled into Mount Rushmore will appear immature.

“You will behold my Glory, the Glory of God, the Glory of the Creator. You will see that Glory as in a mirror; and what you will see is your own face, the face of a son of the Almighty God, unconquerable, invincible, wildly joyous, supremely confident, challenging, mocking all who would come against you.

“You will say to every spirit, ‘I can beat you in any game you wish to play, because my Father and my Lord are with me and in me.’”

Humbly childlike and yet towering in invincible strength. Grinning and yet weeping, and yet grinning. This is the Face of Christ, and our face too if we remain with Him long enough.

I had seen this face once before, in the middle of the night. It invited me to be a brother. Yet I never could become familiar with it, if you know what I mean. He is the King and He doesn’t have to remind you of that. You see it in his Face.

The Face of Christ, a desert warrior and chieftain. Ready to ride against his enemies victoriously.

The Christian denominations are trying to put an atomic explosion in a box when they attempt to control Christ and use Him according to their notions. How can you put a nuclear explosion in your May basket along with your candy and lollipops and take it where you will?

Christ and religion are like two sides of the Grand Canyon. They are far apart. There may be a meeting place at the bottom, but it is a long way down. Man creates religions. God creates salvation. God’s salvation is not a religion, it is a Man—the Lord Jesus Christ, our continual interaction with him.

This cyclone named “Jesus” has perfect wisdom and irresistible power. He could have appeared on the earth and governed at any time during the past two thousand years. But it is the Father’s will that the saints install the Kingdom with him. Otherwise Christ would have remained as King of the universe as soon as He was raised from the dead.

We are wise when we, as David, say, “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and we be destroyed in our way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.”

I know the Lord Jesus would far rather we be his friend than his enemy. But woe unto those who oppose him, because his Father has given to Him all authority in Heaven and upon the earth!

Jesus grinned at me mischievously, and yet loved me. He knew how stunned and overcome I was. He said, “Come closer to me. Don’t be afraid. You are right, you have died. You have no need to worry about Audrey, Marc, or David, or your grandchildren. They all are members of my elect and their spiritual nature is at home with me in the Holy City. I will take better care of them than you possibly could no matter how long you lived.”

The Lord spoke to me in English. I imagine He can speak in any language He chooses.

His statement removed the last bit of concern from my mind. You see, as the limitations of age have been pressing on me over the last few years, I have been increasingly inspired by Paul’s statement, “To die is gain.” Yes, to be released from the physical body certainly is gain!

Just think! No more sinful nature dwelling in our flesh. No pull of gravity. No more tiredness, sickness, heat, cold. No more financial worries. No more aging. No more bodily cravings. No demons in the atmosphere to put sinful, foolish thoughts in our mind continually.

The ability to see the inhabitants and conditions of the spirit world.

The enjoyment of relationships old and new.

The ability to move about, enjoy the creation, and minister—all without bodily constraints.

So I was not concerned about having died. I was somewhat pleased with the idea, as long as I was assured my family was taken care of by the Lord. You see, I was not able to buy life insurance because of my heart weakness, so we have had to look to the Lord to take care of us when I could not work any longer.

As far as the small church my wife and I have pastored for thirty-five years is concerned, there are strong leaders in the congregation who will see to it that the believers are kept in the way of righteousness. So I was at peace about entering the real world, the spirit world.

But this was Jesus I was looking at! So many years! So many ups and downs! So many bewilderments and wonderings! And here He is. The Lord! The Son of God! The Creator of all that is! I was on mental and emotional overload!

You know, I was kind of at odds with myself. I thought, I ought to be saying something. Here I am facing the Son of God. Surely there is something I should be doing! No wonder Peter wanted to build three tents.

But you know what? I have been walking with the Lord Jesus for more than sixty years. During the last few years his Presence has been with me constantly and I have been looking to Him for every decision I make. So apart from seeing Him this visibly, it really was nothing new.

I moved toward the Lord. I wasn’t conscious of walking. When I was about six feet from Him I thought I ought to fall on my face and worship. In fact, my knees were trembling. As I attempted to prostrate myself, I found I was unable to do so. The Lord’s power kept me on my feet.

Then I noticed I was not crushing the little flowers under my loafers. There was no sense of gravity or weight. But there was a force that was keeping everything in order. I suppose that force is the counterpart in the spirit world of earth’s gravity. Perhaps the force is the will of God!

Jesus said, “You are desiring to worship me, since I am your Creator. And this is appropriate. But you have served me with all your heart. You have been faithful in all my house. As Abraham and Moses are my friends, so this is true of you. We will talk together as brothers, you and I.”

I was experiencing enormous, overpowering love for this Man who had died for me and been so faithful throughout my lifetime. I was aware that if it were not for his faithfulness I would have been destroyed long before I ever reached eighty years of age.

For several years I had thought that when I died the Lord would take me aside and we would go over my life together. In fact, I even had picked out a location where I hoped this would take place.

Our house where I was raised is in West Haven, Connecticut, near the shore of Long Island Sound. My rowboat was anchored where we could see it from the front-room window.

On occasion I would carry my oars down to the beach, swim out to the boat with my oars, untie from the float, and row out to the breakwater—huge boulders laid down by the Coast Guard. The breakwater was about three miles from the shore, I was told. I am not certain of the length of the breakwater, maybe one hundred yards. I am not sure.

There was an unmanned lighthouse on one end of the breakwater. I suppose it was powered by the movement of the tides. You could go inside and climb up the spiral stairs.

I would tie up my rowboat and sit on one of the boulders and listen to the cry and squawking of the seagulls. I enjoy being alone at times. Do you? The rocks were a bit damp, cold, and slimy in places, but not enough to be a problem. I could see my house from here.

This is where I hoped the Lord would bring me so we could have our talk. I love the ocean.

But a couple of years ago Jesus informed me we already had had our talk. I have been living in his Presence, looking for his guidance in every detail of my life. So I guess at some point we covered the material that would have been discussed after my death. Then I knew I would never “die” but walk into the Presence of Christ fully conscious and continue to serve the Lord.

And here was the Lord in Person! This is what it must have been like in Eden when Adam and Eve could walk and talk with God.

It is a good thing for us mortals that Jesus has a kindly manner. I do not know what I would do if those eyes began flashing fiery wrath. I would recommend to those who are reading these words that you do all in your power to obey Christ. Some day you will be very glad you did.

When I had my first heart attack I was taken down to Kaiser, and then was rushed from the Kaiser main hospital to Scripps Hospital in La Jolla (Scripps has special cardiac facilities). As I lay there on the gurney I was so glad my heart was right with God. It would have been terrible to lie there helplessly and wonder what it would be like to die!

Our dog, Bear, was here in the meadow with us. When she saw me she began to jump around in delight. I reached down and petted her for a while. She was one happy dog.

Jesus had brought her to help welcome me to his world. I kind of knew she would be here when I died. I could understand in my mind what Bear was thinking. She was happy because she realizes she will be part of my family from now on. I guess it is important to a dog to be part of a family!

Bear is a very special dog, a Kelpie, although not purebred. Her coat is dark brown with a sort of reddish cast to it. Her distinguishing feature is her bushy tail. When I practiced on the piano she would lie by the hour as close to me as she could get. She may have been enjoying the music in her doggie way.

You can learn more about Bear by searching for “Australian Kelpie Dog” in an encyclopedia or book about dogs.

Bear had a tumor that broke and flooded her chest cavity with blood. The vet advised us to put her away. This was difficult, but we knew it was for the best. Bear was put to sleep with an overdose of anesthetics.

As we were driving home from the animal hospital, the scene of Bear and the lady veterinarian came into my mind. The vet was sitting on the floor and holding Bear, while injecting the needle under her front leg, as I remember. She had to do this twice before Bear died. Bear knew she was being killed, because she bared her teeth weakly at the veterinarian, which was extremely rare for our dog.

To my surprise there were two or three angels surrounding Bear, in my vision, or spiritual consciousness.

I always have believed that animals do not have a spirit that can survive after death. So I pondered the meaning of the presence of the angels as we were driving home.

The eleventh chapter of Isaiah came to mind: “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.”

If my understanding is correct, Isaiah, Chapter Eleven is speaking of the Kingdom of God on the earth after the Lord returns, when the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord fills the earth. Isaiah speaks of wolves, lambs, leopards, goats, calves, lions, yearlings, cows, bears, oxen, cobras, vipers. If all these animals will be present during the Kingdom Age, who is to say that the animals we love won’t be with us?

As I think about it, where did these animals come from, that Isaiah talks about? Were they carried over from the Church Age? Did they die and pass into the spirit world, as Bear did? Were they formed by the Lord as when He created the world in the beginning? I don’t know.

And why was a little child leading them if they were not his or her pets?

It appears the Lord wants animals in his Kingdom, along with people. It is certain that animals are of great comfort and use to people, especially children. What would a world be like for children if there were no animals?

You know, one of the marvelous aspects of the new world is that animals won’t die any more. To the best of my knowledge you never again will have to bring your dog, or cat, or horse to the veterinarian and have it put to sleep. What a marvelous hope to look forward to!

Anyway, Bear was there to meet me, and it was a great comfort to me.

Watcher, Kamur, and Warfighter were present. These are three animals, that I have given names to, that have been in my spiritual consciousness for several years. (They most definitely are not familiar spirits, if anyone is upset by this.)

I certainly needed my three animals, and the assistance of warrior-angels the last few years of my life on earth. I was preaching righteous behavior when so many were emphasizing we are “saved by faith alone,” or the unscriptural “pretribulation rapture,” or “how to improve your life by thinking positively,” or “Christ became poor that we might be rich,” or some other novelty that does not lead to righteous behavior or to the knowledge of the Lord.

It appears the three animals were present and are external. Yet, somehow they are part of my personality. Perhaps you can understand this.

Warfighter is my horse. He represents my ability to move with great speed and force in combat. He is a huge, powerful white stallion, trained in war. You might want to look up “stallion” in an encyclopedia or book about horses.

I have known for probably forty years that my calling is to be a soldier of Christ and to fight in his army.

For all his massive size and power, Warfighter is instantly obedient to my slightest will. He was wearing a blue blanket and pad. I think he was hoping I would take him for a nice gallop.

I walked over to Warfighter and petted his mane.

Kamur also was present. Kamur is my fierceness in battle. He is an Amur tiger. Have you ever seen an Amur tiger or a picture of one? They are the largest members of the cat family. If you search in an encyclopedia you might find this animal called a “Siberian” tiger. However, it is found today only in a small area of Eastern Russia where the Amur River is; and so some prefer the name, “Amur” tiger.

Kamur is orange with black stripes, and white around his neck. Kamur is the largest tiger you can imagine. I reached down and scratched behind his ears. He made a purring sound that sounded like the rumble of distant thunder. How he could do that when we are not breathing air here I do not know. I think God wants us to experience familiar sights and sounds, and just makes it possible by his power.

Or it may be true that the purring we hear on earth is an imitation of what is true in the spirit world. As we move along in our book, I hope you will begin to feel, as I do, that it is the spirit world that is the real, original world. What we see about us in our present world was created from the spirit world, and is a crude, temporary form of the real world. One day the whole physical creation will be removed, just as one would throw dirty clothes in a hamper.

There definitely is a fierceness in my personality concerning doing God’s will. I am looking forward to the day when Jesus returns and He and his soldiers can enforce God’s will in the earth. I hope to be part of that battle. Kamur, as well as Warfighter, is with me wherever I go.

Watcher is my source of intelligence, my ability to detect the enemy. Watcher is an unusually large bald eagle, maybe a ten-foot wingspan. This will give you some idea of her appearance.

Watcher has a blackish-brown back and breast and a wedge-shaped white tail. Her head and neck are white. Her beak and feet are yellow. When she is near you, you just feel like stroking her feathers. She is fierce looking indeed; but she will submit to petting when I am around. You should have no trouble learning about bald eagles in any book about birds.

I might mention that all of my animals are gentle with children. The boys and girls like to ride on Kamur’s back and he doesn’t mind a bit. He will parade around with four children on his back, showing off I guess.

Watcher is a magnificent bird. Wherever I am, Watcher can be seen circling overhead, watching for any signs of trouble. I went over to her and stroked her feathers so she would feel like part of the family.

Watcher was perched on the large blue pad on Warfighter’s back. As the Lord and I were conversing, Watcher chirped a few times, and then took off on those powerful wings of hers and began to circle far above us. Kamur then bobbed his great head. This was his way of greeting me.

When Watcher speaks it sometimes is a chirp; sometimes a clicking sound or a whistling sound, sometimes a scream, sometimes a mixture of these four. She can make a racket in her aviary when she chooses to, but sometimes she makes a gentle, chirping sound. Watcher usually has something loud to say when you first greet her in the morning.

I will describe her speech as “klick-klick-klick-klick” because that is the nearest I can come to it. But there also are these other sounds I just mentioned.

There is no air in the spirit world, as we think of air. Nevertheless, Watcher went soaring up on high with those huge wings outstretched. Perhaps the wings are necessary for our understanding because we are familiar and comfortable with them.

I cannot explain how I can hear Watcher, when there is no air to carry the sound. Maybe her cry is carried like a radio signal that our brain receives. Radio and television signals do not require air for their transmission.

I expect Watcher moves (as may be true of the angels as well) by that same force that enables me to walk toward the Lord Jesus without crushing the little flowers or the grass, or without flying up into space when I take a step.

As I said before, what we see and experience on the earth is like a mirror image of the true world, the world that is not composed of molecules and atoms. I know Plato said something about this.

These three powerful animals have been with me for a while and are part of my personality, even though they are external in some respects.

In this manner they are different from Bear. Bear is not a part of me, but she is a member of my family, one might say.

By the way, if you are ever at a zoo or wild animal park, do not go near an Amur tiger or try to pet a bald eagle. They are very fierce animals and would hurt children, because Jesus has not given them a gentle spirit yet, as He has Kamur and Watcher.

So here we are in a meadow of a beauty I have never seen before. Our majestic Jesus is here. I am here. Bear is running about, sniffing the history of the area. Warfighter is grazing. Kamur is lying here watching us, looking around from time to time to see if there are intruders. Watcher is ranging far overhead.

Could any newly deceased person be happier than I?

One might wonder, are there enemies here? Is Watcher watching for enemies? Is Kamur guarding us from enemies?

You know, I believe we are going to have to readjust our thinking concerning the spirit world. First, we know from the Apostle Paul, there are at least three heavens. Apparently Paradise, which has been withdrawn from the earth, is in the third heaven.

But do these three heavens have clear boundaries? There is a clear boundary between the Land of Light and the Land of Darkness. More about those two areas later. But those are human habitations. Rather, I am referring now to spirit enemies.

I know that Daniel speaks of the power of Antichrist rising to the host of Heaven and casting some of the host down to the earth, perhaps because of disobedience. We understand that sin originated at the highest level of Heaven, and then came down and infected the first two humans.

So who is to say if there are enemies in the heavens? Paul says our struggle is against “the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” I know that soon Satan and his angels will be cast down to the earth, as he is overcome by the victorious saints. There will be rejoicing in Heaven on that day!

Why would there be rejoicing in Heaven, as it says in the Book of Revelation, when Satan and his angels are cast down to the earth, if it were not true that wicked spirits previously have had an influence there?

In any event, Watcher is up above us making sure there are no problems on the horizon. The Lord was standing, looking around at all of us. He seemed to be rejoicing at the gladness of heart I was experiencing. He died to make my gladness possible.

I have done his will to the best of my ability, giving up playing the classics on the piano, and my profession of education as well. I have no complaints. I have been given insight into the Bible. I would not trade what I have been given for any other path I might have pursued. Now I am being rewarded.

For many years I did not practice on the piano because I knew the Lord wanted me to record what He was showing me from his Word. There simply was not time to study classical music and then write all that was being revealed to me.

A couple of years ago a friend gave Audrey and me an electronic keyboard. Just for fun I attempted (from memory) Chopin’s Opus Twenty-eight, Prelude, Three. The fingers of my left hand would not function properly. A year or so later, when I started back studying the classics, I regained that finger dexterity completely. Now I can play that prelude as fast as I wish.

Somehow I know that Christ saw my dismay when I first tried to play Prelude, Three on the electronic keyboard. He decided it was time to restore my ability to me. When I am playing I get the feeling that Christ is pleased, because He knows well that I gave up classical piano that I might do his will. So my playing is sweet to his ears.

I recognize that my piano playing will be perfected in the next world, the true world. At the present time it is nothing more than a diversion.

In addition to our Creator, myself, Bear, Warfighter, Kamur, and Watcher, there were two other persons present. There was a girl who appeared to be about ten or eleven years of age, by the name of Amira. Also, there was what I thought was a young man but turned out to be an angel. He was mounted on a black stallion. He is a very handsome and noble looking person I must say.

The little girl was wearing a white dress. She is a pretty little lady with long black hair and black eyes. She had a thin, gold bracelet on her right wrist. She was wearing white dress-sandals. She had a white bow in her hair.

Amira was standing shyly by the Lord, holding his hand. Amira is Arab by race. She was taught English as well as Arabic in a school run by angels, because she was appointed to be my daughter and the one who would help me become acquainted with the spirit world. God prepares all things in advance. Have you ever noticed that?

The Lord Jesus said, “Godwill—I am calling you ‘Godwill.’ Throughout your discipleship I called you ‘Bob.’ But now you have been registered officially in Heaven as ‘Godwill.’ The Father has honored you with this name because of your passionate desire that his will be done throughout the creation.

“This is my friend, Amira. Her mother aborted her about the time you were in your early twenties. Her father had deserted the mother. Neither her father nor her mother will look for her when they die and enter the spirit world.

“Amira has been close to me since that time. She is one of my little daughters. She is my special gift to you because of your faithfulness to me. I chose her for you because she has shown, as you have also, a strong desire to serve and please me.

“There now is a desire in her heart to be with you as she has been with me. When I first told her that she would have a father other than me she was quite dismayed. I asked my Father to give Amira peace about this transition, and He did. Of course, I always will be her Father and first in her thoughts.

“The angels have been teaching Amira about the spirit realm and showing her different places in my world.

“If Amira were on the earth she would have a sixty-year-old body. But it is only bodies that age, and Amira does not have a physical body. Have you ever noticed that some people are mature and care for others at the age of eleven, while others are still self-centered infants at the age of fifty? The aging of the body is not really significant. It is the maturing of the inner nature that is important.

“Amira is wise and well versed in the ways of the spirit world.

“Amira has been my little girl for quite a while. I am giving Amira to you, along with thousands of other children and young people who are my sons and daughters. Now they belong to you. You have suffered with me the denials of the cross and now I am dividing the inheritance with you.

“There is a multitude of children who are destined to be part of you. They are waiting for you, the father I have chosen for them.

“Most of these children were aborted. In a few instances the parents were so self-centered they did not want their children and were not involved with them. God has not put in the heart of many of these parents a desire to meet their offspring after death. The destinies of the parents lie elsewhere.

“When a mother aborts a child she forfeits all parental rights to that child, because the mother, and perhaps the father also, denied the child the opportunity to live and grow up on the earth.

“In the spirit world, the aborted or unwanted child may visit either or both parents, but is under no obligation to do so or to ever be recognized by the parents.

“Any child or young person at any time can visit with his or her earthly parents, almost always remaining invisible. But the aborted youths have little in common with their parents, and so their visits to their earthly parents are infrequent.”

I learned later that the spirit world contains a vast multitude of people with a very great diversity of destinies. It is not a simple Heaven and Hell arrangement, as religion often teaches. There are people who are close to God in the highest realm of Heaven. There also are others who are in the deepest part of Hell, a realm so horrible it scarcely can be imagined.

Jesus went on to say, “The people in the spirit world are in one of several levels between the highest Paradise and the lowest inferno. If they are in the Land of Light they are being taught about God and his ways.

“The physical world is a school, in which a few people make great strides in Christ while many take a few steps toward God.

“The spirit world also is a school, in that the majority of people born on the earth, including those who become Christians, have, after their death, a great deal to learn about the ways of Heaven. They must be taught about God and his plan of redemption before they will be brought over to the new earth. They must come to understand that God has made me Lord over all the works of his hands, and I am to be obeyed in all I command.

“One of the bondages that afflict people is hatred and unforgiveness toward some person or persons. This spiritual darkness must be entirely removed from them before they are permitted to live in a heavenly community.

“Most Christians and non-Christians after they die have to be instructed in the ways of Heaven. Indeed, it is true on earth, and just as true in the spirit realm, that believers have to apply themselves to the best of their ability to obey my commandments, looking continually to me for help in obeying what I have commanded. While they are doing this, the Seed, Christ, is being formed in them.

“Some reap Christ a hundredfold; some reap Christ sixtyfold, and some reap Christ thirtyfold. I am formed more fully in some than in others because they have sown more diligently. Also, the extent to which I am formed in individuals depends on the role in the Kingdom to which they were predestined.

The Lord continued, “There is one inviolable fact: No one can remain in my Kingdom who will not accept my absolute Lordship.

“Differences in doctrine are not important and can be remedied easily. Actually I am more concerned about righteous behavior than I am about accurate doctrine.

“However, any individual who hopes to remain in my Kingdom must accept my rule over his or her life. If he or she does not receive me unqualifiedly as his or her Lord, then his or her destiny is outside the Kingdom. This is true even though the individual has been a good moral person, as judged by others, and his or her theological beliefs are in other respects true to the Bible.

“There may be an individual who through strength of personality endured great difficulties. But sometimes such people will not serve me as their Lord, being strong and independent. They are not then free to move about in the new world of righteousness. They must be kept in confined areas until they are willing to obey me.

“As you will see, my world is a busy place. Many of the people either are teaching, or being taught, or on a special assignment, sometimes being sent into the earth to accomplish God’s purposes there.

“A great company of children and young people are being cared for by angels. They are waiting for you, the father and teacher chosen for them. That is why I have put in your heart a love for children and young people.

“I have appointed Amira to be your guide in this world, which is new to you. She is well acquainted with my world and will explain as you go along what you do not understand. I will speak to her so she can teach you how to respond and where to go when I put my desires in you and her.

“I told Amira from the beginning that her father would be coming some day; and now you are here. She is shy but soon will be comfortable with you. You may notice that she has dressed up so you would be pleased with her.”

Upon hearing this, Amira let go of the Lord’s hand and took mine. She looked up at me and smiled. This was a great joy to me because I have never had a daughter of my own. So now I have the beginning of a new family—Amira and Bear.

As I mentioned, there also was a guardian-angel on his black war stallion. Jesus said the angel’s name is Thaddeus (“God’s gift”). “You can call him ‘Tad,’” the Lord said. “Tad has been your guardian-angel for a few years.”

Tad’s stallion’s name is “Lance.” Lance is somewhat smaller than the mighty Warfighter, but powerfully muscled, and trained in battle as I found out later. Lance is black, signifying that Tad is in training to be a commander in the angelic army.

Tad looks to be about eighteen years of age, but who can tell the age of an angel? Tad was sitting up straight and proudly on the pad on his horse’s back. None of the war stallions have saddles, stirrups, or bridles. Instead they have a large blue blanket with a blue pad over it. Not using a bridle enables the warrior to carry a weapon in one hand and a banner in the other.

Tad nodded to me. His face remained sober—that of a warrior. I could see that he knew me already. Tad said, in English, “Godwill, you have not seen me before except in your spirit, but for several years I have been helping you to the best of my ability. Jesus has assigned you to preach righteous behavior and the Kingdom of God. As a result, many of Satan’s warriors have sought to confuse and deceive you; but the Father sent warrior-angels such as myself to help you while you were under attack.”

Tad went on to say, “I have a teacher, a military general, who is instructing me in what I must know as a commander in the army of angels. I am learning about deception, traps, fear, unbelief, and other weapons the enemy uses. I also have learned from you about the ways of the Lord, about consecration, patience, and how to serve Him better.”

I was overwhelmed. My heart went out to Tad upon hearing how he had so faithfully protected me. I realize this fine “young” angel has been with me for quite a while. I could sense his presence while I was living on the earth.

I have known for some time that I have been given a guardian-angel to help me. But to actually see him on his black stallion was one of the greatest blessings I have ever experienced.

Jesus, Tad, and I seemed to be about the same height. The Lord Jesus was clothed in his white robe, which is familiar to us. He was wearing brown sandals. I could tell, though, that Jesus is not the same as Tad and I. We and our animals are spirits. The Lord has a physical body.

I still was wearing my brown slacks, blue shirt open at the neck, and brown loafers on my feet.

Tad was wearing a dark blue jacket with a high, buttoned collar, and blue pants. The jacket has small brass buttons. He had a wide black belt that supported a long dagger with a blue leather handle and brass cross-guard and pommel. The dagger was carried in a blue sheath on his right side. He was wearing black boots. On his head was a blue cap with a visor.

By his clothing and his dagger, Tad was demonstrating to me his official capacity as my guardian-angel.

Since Tad almost always is with me wherever I go, we soon became close friends. In many instances when we go someplace together he dresses like me: a white shirt open at the collar, dark blue or brown slacks, and comfortable brown shoes. (Sometimes I prefer wearing shoes instead of sandals. Do you ever feel that way?) Tad’s natural hair is silver, but he has the ability to make it appear brown if it suits the occasion.

We prefer to look like two male friends, not wishing to call attention to the fact that Tad is an angel and my guardian. When we both are engaged in a battle, or at other special times, we wear white robes in keeping with our roles as servants of Christ.

I would have expected that I would be wearing a sword and some kind of armor, because I know my calling is to be a soldier in Christ’s army. However, Jesus informed me that the angels are the ones who do the actual fighting, who drive people into the spirit world, and demons into places of punishment. The role of Christ’s saints is to issue God’s decrees and to pass judgment.

The sword that comes out of the mouth of Jesus Christ, and out of the mouths of those who are part of Christ, is the eternal Word of God, the word of righteousness, the word of Divine judgment.

Each saint is an extension of Christ. Christ fights against Satan with the sword of the Word of his mouth through the saints. The Lord roars out of Zion.

The Lord said, “Godwill, there is a coat of impenetrable armor around your personality, under your clothes. It is invisible, but it is there, breastplate, helmet, and everything that goes with them. Also, the sword of the Spirit is in your mouth. It is the deadliest weapon in the universe.

“There will be times in the future when you will wear external armor and carry a cavalry sword that people can see. But these are for ceremonial purposes.”

I asked, “Lord Jesus, do I need a shield to go with my armor?”

He answered, “When you are living by faith in me, I am your shield.

“When most people die they must be taught the ways of Heaven. But a few have done as I have directed you to do, to regard the world of flesh and blood as passing away and to embrace iron righteousness, fiery holiness, and stern obedience to the Father. From this vantage point you are able to love God with a pure heart and your neighbor as yourself.”

Tad was holding a banner in his left hand. He reached over with his right hand and spread it out so I could read it. The banner was a deep blue with white letters: “Iron righteousness. Fiery holiness. Stern obedience to God.” This has been my slogan for years, so I realize Tad really understands how I feel about life.

I know that Tad will help me in my warfare, and also learn from me and his other teachers the ways of the Lord until he is fully mature as a warrior-angel and a commander in the angelic army. As I said, our main role, as saints, is to make decisions according to righteous judgment, while the angels do the actual fighting. The human soldiers of Christ’s army are clothed with the white robe of the governing priesthood while they are exercising their office.

I repeat, I love meadows. To lie on my back under a tree and listen to the birds and the other quiet sounds of nature, looking up at the clouds, is my idea of Heaven. How do you feel about this?

The moment that thought entered my mind, Jesus, the three war animals, Bear, Tad, and Amira disappeared. I was alone on my back under the maple tree, looking at the clouds, reflecting on my lifetime on the earth. The Lord was giving me the desire of my heart.

Occasionally there were birds, like sparrows and other small birds, flying overhead. The clouds were spectacular. There were some sheep grazing in the distance. Then I thought, “I wish Bear, a sheep dog, was here to see the sheep.” Bear appeared instantly. She saw the sheep but stayed with me, just glad she now has a family I suppose.

Most of the clouds were a golden orange color, such as one would see in a sunset. There were some clouds a lighter blue than the sky, and some pink in color. They seemed to change as I was looking at them. Perhaps God was observing my reaction and changing the colors of the clouds to please me. I know the Father does things like this for those who obey him.

I have a feeling that much of what I experienced in the spirit world is for the purpose of seeing my reaction to it, that is, if I would really enjoy it. This would be like God bringing the animals to Adam to see what he would name them.

It may be true that certain things of the future world of righteousness have been firmly established for eternity. Other aspects of the new world may be added to, subtracted from, or modified in some manner according to our reaction to them when they are presented to us.

I think this idea is well within the manner in which the Lord God works. We note in Deuteronomy, I think it is, that God tests us with hardships in order to find out what is in our heart and how we will behave in the land of promise; although in that instance God is assessing our character, whether or not we will obey Him when we receive our heart’s desires.

Then I felt I was thoroughly rested. During the most strenuous years of my discipleship I thought I would have to be on my back in a meadow for a year if I were to feel rested, relaxed from the pressure of my cross. But over the past few years my personal cross has grown lighter. That which I believed would require a long rest in the spirit world to recover from was accomplished in what seemed a brief period.

I was unable to judge accurately how long I had lain like this. I wondered what the Lord had next for me. I knew He would put the right desire in my heart.

Visiting Relatives

Now I thought I would like to see what was taking place with my family members who still were living on the earth. I asked the Lord to remove Bear for now. I wanted to make this journey by myself. In an instant, my wife, Audrey, came into view. In the spirit world, sometimes to think of a place is to be there.

Audrey had sold our house and was living in a condominium in Phoenix, Arizona, with Curly, her Queensland Heeler. It seemed to me I had been dead for only a day or two, but apparently two or three or more years had transpired on the earth. How I miss Audrey and wish she were with me!

You know, I may have been present at my funeral and with Audrey and other family members at that time and do not remember it. After spending some time in the spirit world I found there were occasions when I was in more than one place at the same time, and did not remember it afterwards unless someone called it to my attention.

So I asked the Lord if I could go back in time (although that is not what really happens, it is more of a change of platform from which one is able to view things) and visit the burial and the memorial service. He readily agreed.

Only the members of the immediate family were present at the graveside service.

Stan Josephsen, the assistant pastor, officiated at the graveside service in San Marcos. He read from the fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians, and from the third chapter of Philippians. Stan told how much I had emphasized in my preaching the resurrection of the body. He stressed that the family would see me again as a real person, not as a ghost.

Audrey had put together a wonderful memorial service, which was held three weeks later, in order to make it possible for people to attend who had to come a long distance. Audrey is gifted along this line. The church was full. There were visitors from out of town who had listened to the tapes or read the daily essays or watched the television program. There were several of these friends.

My family members were holding up well, although I know it was hard for them. I have assurance from the Lord that each one will be taken care of far better than I could provide for them were I still living in the present world.

Stan officiated at the memorial service. A part of a video of one of my last sermons was shown on the screen. Stan again mentioned the reality of the resurrection, pointing out that this memorial service marked the beginning of true life for me, not the end of my life.

Different people testified that they had been helped and encouraged by my ministry.

At the end of the service, as I had requested, “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” was sung by everyone, with the young people carrying banners in the familiar way.

I saw so many of those who had faithfully assisted me in the communication of God’s Word. I know Christ appreciates them even more than I do, and they will be rewarded richly in the eternal world. They remained true as the effort was made to bring to Christ’s sheep everywhere the grandeur of the Father’s plan in his Son.

Only someone who is given the opportunity to see the results of faithfulness to Christ can understand the richness of the joy and fulfillment that comes as he or she sees the outcomes of his struggle. If people understood that they were going to see, from the spirit world, what they had done on the earth, it might change the decisions and behavior of some.

One time the Lord said to me, “If you will be absolutely faithful to me, things will be possible that otherwise would not take place.” I am not certain of all Christ meant by that. But perhaps one day it will become clear to me what specifically was made possible because of my obedience.

There was much sorrow of heart. There always is, because the loved one becomes invisible and we do not know what is taking place with him or her. But if they could see me now, so utterly happy being with Jesus and my new friends, they would be joyfully looking forward to the day when we all are together again in the true, real, eternal world.

Now I visited the future, perhaps three years later, Audrey still was grieving over me, but the grief was not severe. I tried to communicate comfort to her. The Lord Jesus did not permit me to become visible to her at this time. However, I am certain Audrey knew I was near.

I had hoped God would take Audrey before me because it put such a load of grief and concern on her by my dying first. But God knows his business! Many friends helped her get through this trial.

It is difficult for me to think of being separated from Audrey. She has been a sure helper and support, and sometimes guide, on this long journey through the wilderness. It is easy to lose our way, isn’t it?

I have known for some time that Audrey’s destiny is different from mine. Audrey has a very unusual love for the Lord Jesus. Her desire is to be as close to Christ as possible. My guess is that she will be an emissary of some kind, an apostle as it were, who will go forth from the side of Christ on special missions.

I know that I do not have this same calling. My passion is to do the will of God, to destroy any enemy that would challenge God in some manner. Where this ferocity has come from, I do not know. But it is there and I know by this time it is from God.

Nevertheless, being separated from Audrey is a severe wrench! We were married for more than 60 years.

Marc, my oldest son, is doing well, working at his trade of sheet metal. He is living in an apartment in San Marcos, near where he works. Marc also is available to counsel those seeking to be delivered from alcohol and drugs.

Marc does not seem extremely troubled over my death, and I am glad for that. It will be up to him and David now to look after Audrey.

Marc’s former wives are fine. Robyn Jean, Catherine’s daughter, is doing very well as a health-care professional. Carol, Marc’s second wife is back in California and teaching school. Jonathan, Hadassah, and Sarah Anne, Carol’s children, are healthy and experiencing the ups and downs of their teen years.

David, our younger son, along with Wendy, his wife, is making his way in the world. They live in Texas. David has started to attend church on Sunday. I am thankful for that. David’s three children, Cody, Cheyanne, and Kasey, are in good health.

True to his Word, the Lord Jesus has assigned angels to my wife, my two boys, their wives, and their children. I was much comforted by this. I could see that my family was being taken care of in a far better manner than would have been possible to me. I resolved that I would be looking in on them from time to time.

I miss each member of my family. But I know how utterly necessary it is for each person to spend his or her allotted days on the earth. There are so many lessons to learn; so many preparations to be made! We have all eternity to profit from those important decisions made while we are alive on the earth.

Mount Zion Fellowship, the church Audrey and I had pastored for thirty-two years, is much the same. It has grown a little in numbers. It is located in Poway, California. Mount Zion Fellowship always has had a relatively small attendance, a little less than one hundred people on a Sunday morning.

Audrey and I had emphasized repeatedly that righteous conduct is the only dependable sign of being born again. An emphasis on righteous conduct and cross-carrying obedience does not always result in a large congregation. In any case, the elders were doing a fine job, faithfully carrying on the work of the Kingdom.

There were angels present in the service I was observing. They were guarding the Glory, and the message of the Kingdom of God.

I know that difficult times are coming to the United States because of the prevalence of sin, particularly that of abortion. Speaking of abortion, one time when Audrey and I were in Jerusalem, I was standing looking out the window of the third floor apartment we had rented. I believe the name of the street is Ben Maimon.

For a brief moment I had a sort of vision, or mental impression, of a garden of fetuses. It seems, as I remember, as though there were angels there. It was so holy I could not have stood the sight of it for more than one second. I believe it is the place where aborted fetuses go.

I am hoping that Audrey and I were successful in implanting in the members of the congregation the understanding that only those who are abiding faithfully in the Lord Jesus will be able to save themselves, their loved ones, and those who will listen to them, in the coming days of God’s judgment on America.

I began to grasp how extremely important it is that we serve Christ fervently with a pure heart. After we die we will be able to observe the consequences of our actions on the people we affected during our lifetime.

What an agony of conscience it would be to look down and see the harm we had done to people by not obeying Christ! What an incomparable blessing it is to look down and see numerous people prospering in the Lord because we have faithfully served Christ.

Someone said recently it was revealed to him that when we obey Christ, the great cloud of witnesses in Heaven is strengthened. They without us cannot be made perfect. I never thought about this. Could this be true do you think?

One time when I was on my prayer walk, walking up Jesmond Dene Road in Escondido, California, I wondered what was going on in the spirit realm. So I “looked up.” Do you ever do that?

Above me and watching me appeared to be a company of people. They were observing me and taking notes. This took place many years ago. I think most of us would be more aware of what is taking place in the spirit world if we would be quiet before the Lord and “look up.” Perhaps some of us do not have this ability just yet, depending on our calling in Christ.

I am not speaking of “visions,” in the Bible sense, but mental impressions. We have to be careful of these, but not so careful our Christian life is confined to what we encounter while we are in flesh and blood. Also, remember that we always can ask Christ to examine what we believe we are hearing and seeing.

Never, never, never be afraid to “try the spirits.” The Lord will not be insulted by this but will be glad you are obeying the admonition of the Scripture. There has to be a middle road between excessive caution and presumption concerning supernatural visitations if we are to pursue a productive Christian discipleship. What if Mary had rejected Gabriel and looked in the Torah instead?

Whenever an evangelist—I don’t care how godly or spiritual he appears to be—says to you, “Don’t try to pray, just receive what I have to give you,” flee from that individual. It is the will of Christ that we pray in every circumstance, especially when someone wants to lay hands on us. There will be much deception in the last days. We need to pray, listen to Christ, and be strictly obedient to Christ at all times.

I just felt I was not to visit the friends and family currently on the earth any longer. But I did have somewhat of a desire to see those loved ones who had died in time past.

There came into my heart a wish to see my mother and father and certain close relatives, hopefully in our house near the shoreline of West Haven, Connecticut, where I grew up before enlisting in the Marine Corps.

I still was dressed in my brown slacks, blue shirt open at the neck, and brown loafers on my feet.

I began walking toward West Haven. (I must have been in the Spirit, because how could I get from the meadow to West Haven so quickly; and how could I possibly have known in what direction to walk? It just seemed so right to set forth in this manner!).

Tad, my guardian-angel, and Kamur and Watcher, my two war animals, appeared and then became invisible. They remained with me to keep me from harm. Tad was riding Lance and wearing the military uniform I had seen at our first encounter. Warfighter, my war stallion, and Bear were not with us at this time. Watcher was overhead, although invisible. Kamur was ambling along by my side.

Suddenly I was at the beach in West Haven. My rowboat was about fifty yards away. I knew intuitively I could walk on the water if I wished, and so I started toward the boat. I thought to myself, “How am I going to row once I get in the boat? I do not leave my oars in the boat.” Yet I felt I should do what I was doing.

I must say, I was a little apprehensive about getting my loafers and slacks wet. But I soon realized this was not going to happen.

I climbed into the boat. Surprisingly the oars were in the boat. It was good to feel the oars in my hands after so many years. I had enlisted in the Marine Corps when I was seventeen years of age. When I got out of the service I discovered that our house had been sold, all my possessions, including my boat, had been sold, my father had joined the Merchant Marine, and my mother had moved to Los Angeles.

I untied from the float. It was a wonderful feeling to be back in my rowboat heading toward the breakwater. Tad, Lance, and Kamur remained on the beach. Watcher kept flying over me but remained invisible. My rowing skill was still with me.

It seemed only a minute passed before I was tying up to one of the smaller boulders of the breakwater. I got out of the boat. I sat for awhile enjoying the peace of the ocean, listening to the seagulls crying out constantly. Then I looked up at our white house with the green shutters. It was on a hill. I could see it although it was miles away.

There were a few houses in front of our house on Crest Avenue, but they were lower down, so I had a clear view of my former home.

The Lord Jesus came and sat down beside me. You know, a breakwater out this far from the shore is a wild and lonely place. The seagulls are quite loud out here, squawking constantly. When Jesus came He brought a homey, comfortable feeling. Instead of sitting on cold, wet rocks it became more like an easy chair in front of a warm fireplace on a winter night.

When the seagulls saw Him they grouped around Him on the rocks. They knew He is their Creator. They flew around his head. Some of them stood on the rocks and preened themselves so He would be sure to notice them.

We had had our important talks during the last few years of my life on the earth. Now we just sat in a comfortable silence enjoying one another and the ocean.

The Lord Jesus has become like an older Brother to me. I recognize He is a King, and I do not take advantage of his friendliness. But it is good to be able to talk with Christ without using King James English: “I am the great Jehovah who condescendeth to address thee!”

Instead we speak in ordinary language. “How are you doing?” This sort of talk. It is easy to keep a properly respectful attitude toward Jesus. He has an intensely authoritative quality about him. We are his friends when we do what He commands.

We spoke a little about how God made such a beautiful creation through him. The ocean was a large part of my life while I was growing up.

Jesus then said, “In a minute you will be going up to your old home to see your folks. Does this thought please you?”

I answered, “It sure does. I want to see my mother and dad and some of the relatives. Also Teddy Whiskers and Mike Mulligan. Also, I would like to pretend it is Saturday night and I am in bed with the comics and can look forward to doing nothing tomorrow.”

Jesus received all of these personal desires seriously as though they are important to him. I have no doubt they are!

I turned to look at him. He had disappeared, but his words lingered in the air. I guess He has more to do than sit with one guy on the breakwater and do small talk. But I appreciate the time I just had with my Brother. Although I can’t see Him I know He is with me. He always is with me and, in one way or another, with every person on the earth and in the spirit world.

I do not know if He is with all the angels in the same manner, but I wouldn’t be surprised. After all, He created each one.

I do not know if Christ is with each angel as He is with us humans, but I do know that Christ is far, far greater than we have any idea. And as for the Father—the Father is totally incomprehensible to us.

I thought I would go up to my house to see if my mother and father were there. I imagined that probably would be true. I did not understand how God could put members of my family in a home that someone else now owned, but I just knew it would be so.

I got in the rowboat, untied it from the rock. I put the oars in the oarlocks and began to row.

Then I thought I would like to try swimming while I am here. So I stood up and dove off the rowboat. I dove down and went around on the bottom for a while, looking at the stones and the sand. It was fun. I am not certain how this could be, but I did not need to hold my breath under water. This must be how a fish feels. The water did not taste salty.

I thought I would swim over to Lightning Rock. I began racing through the water like a porpoise. I was doing an overhand stroke. My arms were moving so fast they were a blur. I was a torpedo being impelled by such energy I must have been leaving a wake like a speedboat. I could beat every Olympic record with no problem.

In no time at all I was at Lightning Rock. I climbed up on the rock and dove off, just for old time’s sake.

Fortunately it was high tide. Or maybe the Lord made it high tide for the occasion. He does those sorts of things, you know.

Then I had an urge to see my parents. So I churned back to my rowboat.

I got in my boat and started to row. As you probably anticipated, in a moment I was tying the boat to the float attached to the cement anchor that remains in place under the water. I left the oars in the boat and jumped into the water. I swam and then waded to the shore. When I got out my clothes were completely dry.

You know, I could have jumped or flown up to the house. But I wanted to savor the walk, thinking about when I was a boy. So I walked up the beach and crossed Ocean Avenue. Tad, Lance, and Kamur were alongside me but still invisible. The invisible Watcher was overhead. Tad and the animals were invisible to others, but I could see them.

How marvelous this world is! How infinitely superior to flesh and blood life on the earth! If everyone on earth knew what is waiting for him after death he would do all in his power to prepare himself to meet the Lord Jesus. I knew I was having such a wonderful entrance into the real world because I had been faithful in serving Christ.

Not all people (I am including Christians here) enter such joy. Many believers have a great deal to learn about the ways of Heaven. They have to be taught how to get along with people and angels before they can be placed in a community and live peaceably with others.

The spiritual, born-again nature of every true Christian remains at the right hand of God in the Holy City, which is his or her eternal home. They have to maintain their place there by praying and being obedient to Christ. After they die their immediate awareness may be in a place of instruction, or even in a community of their own race, until they are able to behave in a heavenly manner.

On occasion, as in my case now, they may be given permission to go back in time and visit childhood scenes.

I walked up the little street toward the shortcut that led up a hill to our house. I continued up the shortcut, and then paused for a moment on what we use to call Gates’ hill because a family named Gates lived in a house on the hill. If I remember correctly, the owner was known as, “Skipper Gates.”

I paused on Gates’ Hill because of the memories. When school was let out in the spring, I would leave the house each morning and cross our yard over onto Gates’ Hill, which was covered with grass. What a feeling of exuberance! School was over (which I always disliked!). The spring piano recital was over (which I dreaded for several months in advance).

There was nothing to do but run, play I had been shot and make several dramatic movements, clutch my chest, and then fall down and roll over—dead! Why do little boys love to play war?

I had a wind-up glider that I could set sailing over the kind of little cliff that terminated Gates’ hill and led down to the next road. Come to think of it, I guess I used to play a lot by myself. I remember that I took long walks by myself. In walking distance from our house on Crest Avenue one could cross Jones Hill Road. Then there was an extensive wooded area where I could walk for miles on the dirt roads, or cross over into a field or pasture.

I imagine it is all built up by now so a little boy could not go off by himself and slip furtively through the weeds with his knife, observing carefully a train in the distance, pretending he was a commando; or lay on his back in a pasture next to an old wooden farm cart. One time I was watching a chipmunk running along a brick wall, and fell asleep. When I woke up I was looking straight up at an owl in a tree overhead. I expect he had his eye on the chipmunk!

All through the summer there was swimming, and diving off Lightning Rock when the tide was high. Lightning Rock was a large boulder that was split down the middle. Tradition said it had been split by lightning. I always have assumed this was so.

Memories! Memories! Memories! Now I may be going to visit my mother and father, whom I had not seen in so long.

You can imagine the feelings that coursed through me as I crossed over to the familiar yard and the white house, with the green shutters and the white picket, fence that I had not seen in over sixty years. Sure enough! There was Teddy Whiskers, our Tomcat. Teddy is a large, brown green-eyed cat with a mackerel tabby coat.

Also, Mike Mulligan. Mike is a German Shepherd who belonged to the neighbors next door but always was with me. Mike is black and tan with some white. He has a black muzzle. Mike was one of my best friends when I was a boy.

Teddy Whiskers and Mike evidently could not see or smell Kamur. Perhaps Tad had held Lance and Kamur back a few yards.

I walked to the entrance door, which is on the back of the house. The main entrance is on the right side, but no one ever uses it. I rang the bell. Who would answer? The first one to greet me was my mother. I had not seen her since I last visited her in Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino, California. This was many years ago. Her name is Vera Thompson. She was suffering from schizophrenia and blindness at that time.

I realize I now am young, strong, and somewhat taller that I had been. Yet my mother recognized me immediately.

My mother’s arms were outstretched for a hug. I noticed she could see me, but it seemed her eyes were not totally healed. She was squinting.

She was not surprised I was standing at the door. I could tell that she and other relatives had been informed I was coming.

I always supposed that when a person died, every physical ailment was automatically healed. After all, the individual had left his body in the grave. However, I know of no Bible passage that assures us of bodily or spiritual healing as a result of dying; and in these perilous times in which we live, we absolutely must have Bible support for our beliefs.

I guess physical ailments have a spiritual basis. There are prisons in this world and prisons in the spirit world. C. S. Lewis (A Grief Observed), as I remember, commented that the Bible does not assure us that people are healed on the basis of dying. He was referring to his wife, who had very painful cancer.

A few years ago, before I died, I had an impression of my mother, who was in the spirit world. As far as I could tell, she still was blind.

So when I came to the house on Crest Avenue, my mother’s sight was better but still imperfect. I am happy to report, however, that since the time of that first visit to Crest Avenue I have seen my mother on other occasions and she now can see perfectly.

During the later times when I saw my mother, which occurred quite a while after that first visit, I felt ashamed because of the many times I had rebelled against my mother while I was growing up. She had denied herself by using the little extra money she had to make sure I had piano lessons, and in other ways.

On the later occasions of visiting my mother, she responded to my feeling of guilt by indicating that neither she, nor my father, nor I had been perfect; but now we were to forget the past. We all had been born again and all the evil of the past of the three of us was under the blood of Calvary. She implied that this was true because I had chosen to obey Christ.

My mother and father then were living in an American community. They were happy in their new residence and growing in the ways of Heaven.

It may be a fact that she and my father are doing so well because of my obedience. I know from the Bible that it is a “lamb for a house,” concerning the Passover. When we serve Christ diligently, God blesses our loved ones.

The eternal home of my mother and father is now in the city of God, even though for a season they will be living in an American community until they are entirely comfortable with the ways of Heaven. In due time, God will put in their heart where He wants them to be and the role He wants them to play as members of the royal priesthood; as representatives of the new Jerusalem.

You can imagine my joy at seeing my parents doing so well at that time. But back to my present visit.

Standing behind her was my father, Walter Thompson. After hugging my mother I hugged my father. Both my parents were shedding tears of joy. He and my mother looked about the same as the last time I had seen them, although younger—I would say about thirty-five years of age. My mother was wearing a blue dress with little pink flowers sprinkled throughout. My father had on grey slacks and a white dress shirt without a tie.

I stepped through the entrance, past the small kitchen and somewhat larger dining room with the fireplace, until we were in the front room. There were large windows in the front room so we could see the ocean.

Sitting around in the front room were Gertrude (Boots) Sallies and her husband, Howard Sallies (my mother’s brother). Annie Ryan was there. I am not sure of Annie’s relationship to me. They were very glad and excited to see me. They all looked to be in their early thirties.

Annie was a maiden aunt who kept house for my mother’s father, Josephus Sallies. Annie was a devout Catholic and attended early mass every day. She lived on the third floor of a house. I can still picture her (she was overweight) laboriously making her way up the stairs, one difficult step at a time.

Once when I was a little boy and was sick, she anointed me with some holy water that the priest had blessed. I was healed instantly.

When I returned from the Marine Corps, at the end of World War II, I told Annie I had become a Christian. She was delighted.

Josephus Sallies, my mother’s father, and his brother, Milo Sallies, were there with their wives. Although Josephus Sallies was my grandfather, and Milo was my great uncle, I was not close to either one of them. My father’s mother, Maggie Thompson, was there, but not her husband. Our immediate family was rather small, as you can see.

Mike Mulligan remained outside. Teddy was in my lap. I was petting him. He was purring so loudly you could hear him across the room.

Teddy is a spoiled cat! In order to coax Teddy to eat, my mother would have to get down on her hands and knees and pretend she was eating from his dish, if you can imagine.

Please keep in mind that these were people I had not seen in a long time. Annie and Howie and Boots had known me as a beginning Christian. Whether or not the people in the room understood that I remained a Christian for over sixty years, became a pastor, and wrote Christian literature, I am not certain. Our conversation was focused on things that had taken place when I was a boy.

Uncle Howie and Aunt Boots had no children at first, and so they frequently took me to the movies, or had me over to their house to play “Monopoly.” They lived at 38 Bungalow Lane in West Haven. Then their daughter Joan came along. By that time I was grown up and soon was working, first at Clark’s Dairy, helping make ice cream, and then later in a machine shop, Safety Car Heating and Lighting Company.

We had a good, long visit. I did not speak about the truths God had shown me from his Word. It did not seem fitting. I perceived the family had little understanding of God’s Word. Although they did not describe their situation in the spirit world, I am quite certain they are being kept in confined areas while they are being taught the ways of Heaven and what is required in the Kingdom of God.

When I am speaking of the places of instruction and confinement in the spirit world I am not referring to a purgatory. A purgatory, as I understand it, is an area of suffering which an individual must endure until he has paid for his sins and now is worthy to enter Paradise.

Let me explain the difference between the true confinement and instruction in the spirit world, and the concept of an individual atoning for his or her sins by suffering in a purgatory.

Let us take a person who has not led a good life and is afraid of dying. Let’s say he goes to a Catholic class. There he is told if he does acts of penance and is willing to go through suffering in Purgatory he need not be afraid of dying. Also, if he has a rich relative who can pay for an indulgence, it might shorten his period of suffering.

Then he goes to a Protestant class. There he is told if he believes in Christ he will never suffer but will go straight to a wonderful mansion in Heaven when he dies.

Let’s say he goes to Jesus Christ. Christ says, “I will forgive you, and then teach you how to behave yourself so you will be at peace in the spirit world.”

So upon his death he goes to one of the required classes in the spirit realm. There, two actions are applied to his personality. First, he may suffer, but not to atone for his sins. The universal, eternal atonement for sin was made once for all time on the cross of Calvary.

But, as Peter says, “Whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” The Divine fire comes upon him, just as it does on earth, and the compulsion to sin is driven from him; not to punish, but to instruct and train.

Second, he is taught how to behave himself in a godly manner. The classes of instruction in the spirit realm are for the purpose of teaching people how to conduct themselves in a heavenly manner.

Thus there is a very great difference between doing penance and repenting. To do penance in an effort to show remorse for sin and to do away with the guilt is to attempt, by punishing ourselves, to add to the perfect atonement made on the cross. To repent, on the other hand, is to turn away from sin and live righteously.

In neither the Old or New Testaments are we told we can make an atonement for our sin by punishing ourselves. An atonement for sin can be made only by the shedding of innocent blood, whether of animal or human. The concept of paying money for an indulgence, that is, to use money to increase the effectiveness of the atonement made by the Lord Jesus on the cross, is sacrilegious.

At first glance, doing penance and repenting may appear to be much the same effort. However, doing penance may not change our behavior, whereas repentance is by definition a change in behavior. The first is associated strongly with remorse, and represents a desire to suffer in order to gain the satisfaction of having paid a debt.

The second may or may not be accompanied by remorse. Rather it is a cold-blooded determination of the believer’s will to cease obeying the will of Satan and to act in a godly manner, perhaps prompted by but in essence independent of remorse. It may be true that the Catholic practice of repeated penances may be based on the conviction that it is impossible to be morally transformed in the present world.

The time came when the visit was over. We all sensed it. We said our goodbyes, knowing that we were safe in the spirit world and would see each other at suitable times.

The family members, except for my mother and father, then returned to their places in the spirit world, either to a place of confinement, or, if they had graduated from that area, to a community of Americans. I learned later about the communities.

My mother, father, Mike, Teddy, and I remained at 39 Crest Avenue.

It felt so good to be back in my house where I had lived from the age of six until I enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of seventeen.

The furniture is the same as I remembered. The Zenith radio is a large brown cabinet against the far wall on your left. The black upright piano is centered on the wall opposite the windows.

This may sound strange to you, but I had a desire to go to bed and pretend it was Saturday evening.

Our custom as a family was to go to the Rivoli Theater in West Haven on late Saturday afternoon. We would stop and get a hamburger at the diner next to the theater (I think the diner was converted from a railroad or trolley car. Did you know they used to make diners like that?).

Then we would go next door to the Rivoli Theater to watch the movies. There usually were cartoons, which I really liked.

After the movie we would stop and pick up the New Haven Register. Then I would take out the comic strips and go to bed. This was such a happy memory! Teddy Whiskers would sleep at the foot of the bed.

The comic strips I remember are Tarzan of the Apes, Our Boarding House, The Katzenjammer Kids, Blondie and Dagwood, Prince Valiant, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Little Orphan Annie, Dick Tracy, Gasoline Alley, Andy Gump, Mutt and Jeff, Popeye, Barney Google, Alley Oop, L’il Abner, Skippy, Gasoline Alley, Bringing Up Father, Joe Palooka.

Reading the comics on Saturday night was the high point of the week for me. Is there some memory in your background that you would like to experience again? The Lord Jesus is able to do that, you know. He is not bound by time—past or future.

No school tomorrow, which was Sunday! No piano lessons! No practicing the piano! Nothing to do but whatever I felt like. Now that I am an adult I can appreciate the pressures and worries my parents experienced to make such a carefree time possible. Part of my growing up years took place during the Depression of the early Thirties.

Ordinarily I did not go to church in those days.

While I was thinking these wonderful thoughts I went into my bedroom. I had said good night to my mother and father and they then retired for the “night,” if that is what you call it here. As I passed the mirror on the wall on my left, I glanced at my reflection. To say I was startled when I saw myself is putting it mildly. But I should have known, I guess. I looked about eighteen years of age. Well, that is the way I felt, so there was no reason for surprise.

The last time my mother saw me, while I still was a Marine, I was eighteen years of age. It is no wonder she recognized me so readily. After I got out of the Marine Corps I visited her in institutions in California. But she could not see me. She was blind at that time.

There were brown pajamas on the bed. The blue cover was turned back. I put on my pajamas and climbed in bed. Teddy was purring at the foot of the bed. My favorite comics were there on the bed. Pardon me, but this was heavenly!

I read the comics, and then I slept or rested through the “night,” or whatever we do here. This concludes my first “day” in the spirit world.

When I decided I was ready to resume my activities, I got up, changed into my slacks and shirt, and went into the little kitchen. Teddy had disappeared. I suppose Tad, Lance, Watcher, and Kamur were still on the job watching over me, but they were invisible.

We always ate in the kitchen. The only time we ate in the dining room was on Thanksgiving.

My mother had fixed my favorite breakfast: pancakes with lots of butter and Vermont maple syrup, as well as slivered almonds, two fried eggs, and turkey sausage patties on them. Wow! I am living high!

I had a mug full of hot Ovaltine. When you drank all your Ovaltine you could see Sandy, Little Orphan Annie’s dog, on the inside bottom of the mug. I drank two mugs of Ovaltine.

I thanked my mother and said good morning to my father. Then I felt like visiting the places I was familiar with. I went outside, and Mike came running from the house next door so he could be with me.

Mike and I walked down Lucey Avenue until we came to Seaview Avenue. We turned right, and then passed Colonial Park School on our right where I attended elementary school. The name of the school Custodian was Cap Healy (I hope I spelled the last name correctly). All the children would be playing games in the schoolyard before school started.

When the bell rang to announce the time for school to begin, Cap Healy, a short, stocky older man, would say, “Up up up up up!” I used to try to say it as fast as Mr. Healy did, but couldn’t quite do it. He meant for us to go up the stairs to the entrance to the school.

Mike would keep running ahead, sniffing at everything. Pretty soon I was past him, and then he would run to catch up.

Now, here is something to consider. The weather. Was I on earth at this time, or was I in the spirit world? I think I was on an earth fabricated for my enjoyment. There were no cars on the street. The sun was shining. However, I did not feel cold or warmth.

I remember when I was living on the earth as a boy, I was walking down Lucey Avenue one day. It was in March. I was not prepared for the cold, since winter was past. I remember thinking, “Will I ever be warm again?” Have you ever felt like that? I was wearing only a sweater, and Connecticut in March can get pretty cold.

Yet, there is something enjoyable about weather. So I asked the Lord if I could feel cold for a while. He granted my request. How can a spirit feel cold? But it brought back good memories of early days in West Haven, tramping through the fields, the frozen grass crunching under my feet; the trees without leaves, only skeletons silently lifting up bony fingers in supplication to a leaden winter sky, longing for the renewing of spring. A cold wind blowing.

After enjoying these memories for a bit, I started to feel uncomfortable. I asked the Lord to banish the feeling of cold. Which He did.

Even while we are in the spiritual form, while we are eating, drinking, or washing up, God permits our senses to recognize warmth, heat, or cold. It would not be much of a life if we could not enjoy warm food or a cold drink. But the temperature of the weather, as ordinarily experienced by us in the spirit world, is not too warm or too cold. It is not so warm as to produce lethargy. Neither is it so cold as to be uncomfortable. Just right, making one glad to be alive.

As Mike and I walked along, on our left was where the Johansen family lived. It is a brown house with drop siding, a front stoop with wooden stairs and railings. There is a little lawn in front. There are windows on both sides of the front door with light brown shutters.

The front door did not open, but Mr. Johansen came out and stood on the top step. He is a tall man with gray hair. He was wearing blue trousers and a blue shirt. He looked gaunt. He scowled at me for a moment, and then he said, “Can you help me get my money?”

If you think about it, what would Mr. Johansen do with his money if he could get it? It is this way with all idols. Once we possess them they turn to ashes.

The Lord spoke to me: “Mr. Johansen whom you see is a spirit. Mr. Johansen has lost his ability to love God and people. All that remains is a spirit bound with the love of money. The Johansen’s do not live in this house any longer; there is another family there.”

Mike and I just kept walking. Mr. Johansen disappeared back through the door.

Lars and Margaret Johansen came from Norway to America and settled in West Haven. He was a bricklayer by trade. They had two daughters, Gerd, and the younger, Helene.

I remember Gerd and Helene Johansen. Helene and I were both in the eighth grade. I was about twelve years old. I had a liking for Helene, but she was popular and I was not, so that did not work out.

Margaret and her two daughters were devout Catholics, and there was a Catholic church near enough so they could walk to church on Sunday morning. Mr. Johansen, however, would sit at home on Sunday morning, read the paper, and smoke his pipe.

Mr. Johansen began to drink heavily and frequently could be found in a local tavern. He became abusive toward Margaret and the two girls, saying the Catholics were all hypocrites and all the church wanted was his money.

Sometimes I saw Mr. Johansen on Saturday afternoon, driving up Seaview erratically in his blue Willys Knight sedan. He was drunk. He would be wearing his blue work clothes. As soon as he opened the door of his house he would begin to yell obscenities at his wife and daughters.

Sometimes when I could hear Mr. Johansen yelling and cursing at beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed Helene, I thought about shooting him. But this would not have solved the problem, would it? God had a much better plan.

One Saturday afternoon he came home drunk, as usual. He insisted that Margaret, Gerd, and Helene get in the car so they could drive to the store and get groceries. Coming back from downtown West Haven, Mr. Johansen was driving too fast, lost control on a curve, and had a head-on collision with a fire truck. Mr. Johansen suffered a broken arm. Margaret, Gerd, and Helene were dead on arrival at the hospital. The firemen were not injured.

The Lord Jesus said, “Margaret, Gerd, and Helene were brought to a confined area in the spirit world where they rapidly learned the ways of Heaven and are perfectly willing to be governed by me. After their instruction they chose to go to a contemporary Norwegian community. They did not have good memories of Mr. Johansen and did not care to visit him. They were glad to be away from him.

“Margaret, Gerd, and Helene decided they wanted to stay together and work on the farm on the outskirts of the suburbs of the Norwegian community, which has been named ‘Oslo,’ the original home of the Johansen family in Norway. They are living in a large house.

“After a period of time they took in three Norwegian children, two boys and a girl, who had been killed in a school-bus accident but whose parents were still living on the earth. The guardian-angels of the three children had inquired in the Oslo community if anyone was interested in taking in the children.

“One boy is named Terje. He was seven years old at the time. The other boy is named Einar. He was nine years old. The little girl is named Birgit. She is the twin of Terje.

“Margaret, Gerd, and Helene were able to teach the two boys and Birgit the ways of Heaven. The three ladies had been taught this way of living when they first entered the spirit world. The three children stayed with the Johansens until their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hansen, finished their time in the confined area and then came for them. Terje and Birgit were sixteen and Einar was eighteen by the time their parents arrived.

“The children love to play with the animals across the street. There are other children the same age who live near them and play with them. The family adopted a cat from the animals that occupied the large meadow across the street. They named the cat, ‘Mrs. Olsen.’ Mrs. Olsen is Birgit’s best friend. The family is very happy living together.

“Mrs. Olsen is a Norwegian Forest cat with a black and white coat. She is a large cat.

“Mr. and Mrs. Hansen had been living in grief since the death of their three children. Five years later, Mr. Hansen, a carpenter, fell while working on the fourth floor of a new hotel, and died instantly. Mrs. Hansen, while driving home from her employment as a secretary, was killed by a drunken driver. This was three years after her husband fell to his death.

“Since their deaths had been so close together, the angels placed Mrs. Hansen in the same confining area as that of her husband. They were told that their children were being well taken care of and they would see them soon.

“When Mr. and Mrs. Hansen had passed into the spirit world, and then had finished their time in the confined area, they came for their children. They decided to remain in the Oslo community near the Johansens, whom the young people love dearly. Einar, Terje, and Birgit were older now. Birgit was given permission to keep Mrs. Olsen.

“Mr. Hansen immediately went to work at his trade of carpentry. Mrs. Hansen chose to be a homemaker. Her job is to keep house for her husband and three children. She shops for the food and cooks their meals.

“’Vocational’ angels, we might term them, in addition to their guardian-angels, already had been assigned to Einar, Terje, and Birgit, to find out what their roles and tasks should be. God understands how important it is for young people to begin to develop responsibility and to learn about what their contributions to the new world of righteousness are to be.”

I think, from what I have seen of children and young people, we of America often prolonged their babyhood far past the time when they should be acting as responsible people. Much social damage is caused by delaying the natural arrival at sensible, practical behavior. God is not pleased with this.

Jesus continued, “The three children were enrolled in school soon after they were taken in by the Johansens.

“The angels who specialize in the study of human personalities determined that Einar would be successful as a mathematician. At the age of twelve they provided him with books and a tutor, who worked with Einar after his regular school work was finished for the day.

“It soon was apparent that Birgit has an outstanding singing voice. As young as she was, she was invited to attend the Oslo Institute of Music three times a week, at the end of her regular school day. Care was taken that she was guided gently so that the vocal practices were suitable to the natural maturing of her voice. It is evident she is on her way to becoming a distinguished concert artist.

“The angels noticed that Terje was going to work with his hands. They suggested several occupations to him. He selected sandal making. He believed he could produce some new designs and color schemes for boys and girls, men and women. The angels, seeing this was a God-given desire of Terje’s, thought to themselves that there might be some angels who could use new sandals.

“When their parents came the three children were so excited! Einar wanted to tell them about his interest in mathematics. Terje proudly showed them a pair of sandals he had designed. There is a company that manufactures a composite material that is strong and durable enough for sandals. They gave Terje all he needed.

“Of course, Birgit had to sing for them. Mr. and Mrs. Hansen were beside themselves with joy over receiving back their children and seeing them so happy in Heaven.

“Since sandals are used so commonly in the spirit world, Terje’s interest in pursuing sandal-making as a career is very practical and realistic. Perhaps sandals will be used on the new earth as well.

“While Terje is working he sings happily because he loves what he is doing. He does not charge for his sandals. His joy comes from seeing what God is helping him create, and the pleasure and excitement his customers are experiencing!

“Isn’t this really better than the bondage of using money as a medium of exchange?”

You know, as I think about it, how is a craftsman going to devote his creative joy to perfecting the work of his hands when his investor is howling for a hundred percent return on his investment? This certainly is destructive wickedness!

Jesus went on to say, “The Johansens have a large home and even larger hearts, so the guardian-angels placed more Norwegian children with them who arrived in the spirit world ahead of their parents and were too old for Playland.

“Mr. Johansen died of cancer, a lonely, bitter old man, tormented with guilt. But before he died, Mr. Johansen buried twenty thousand dollars in the dirt floor of the cellar of his house. The money was in a metal box. This money is Mr. Johansen’s god.

“When Mr. Johansen died, his spirit could think only of that box. God granted Mr. Johansen the desire of his heart. He is bound to the house and his money. He is not able to go to a place of instruction in the spirit world, or even to the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences. You would say this house on Seaview Avenue is a haunted house, and may be so until the Day of Resurrection.

“The O’Brien family purchased from the owner the house Mr. Johansen had been renting. Mr. O’Brien paved over the dirt floor of the cellar with cement and constructed a room used for playing ping-pong and also for storage. As you can imagine, Mr. Johansen was extremely agitated over this, and there were times when Mr. O’Brien thought he heard a commotion in the cellar.

“Now Margaret, Gerd, and Helene are happily working on the farm outside the Oslo community, singing the praises of God with their new friends, while Mr. Johansen is bound by his idolatry to the twenty thousand dollars buried in the dirt under the cement floor in the cellar of his former house.”

People may say God isn’t fair. That is because they do not wait long enough to see how everything plays out.

The patient endurance of Margaret and her daughters was preparing them for life in the spirit world. I do not say that in every instance a woman is required to endure the abuse of a wicked man. The victim must pray continually, asking God for peace and joy, meanwhile giving thanks for the blessings she does have. It may be that at some point God will direct her to leave. In this instance she is to leave and not try to be a martyr.

I understand that sometimes Christians remain in unpleasant, destructive circumstances believing they are pleasing God. In some instances they are living in God’s will. On other occasions they are not. If their pain is not God’s will for them, if they will pray, God will bring deliverance in one manner or another.

This is true also concerning those who are suffering some sort of affliction. We are not to say, “This is happening so I learn to live by the strength of Christ and I am being perfected.” Rather we are to pray, as the Apostle Paul did, until we hear from God. Then we are to do what the Lord tells us. There is no place for a spirit of self-inflicted pain in the Kingdom of God.

God may “surprise us by joy,” to coin a phrase from Lewis, if we get down to business and pray until we hear from the Lord. We always are to let our requests be made known to Christ, meanwhile giving thanks for our multitude of blessings.

The environment of America is becoming infested with demons of lust, murder, and other uncleannesses and, as in this case, with the spirits of the dead who have been condemned to remain at their place of death.

Christians are wise when they pray every day that God will cleanse their home and property from Satan and fill their environment with God’s Presence and the presence of his angels—a bit of Heaven we might say. This also is true when they go on a trip and stay in a strange location.

Mike and I continued walking on Seaview Avenue. I wondered how fast I could run. So I put my head down and took off, pumping my arms. Instantly I was going a hundred miles an hour, it seemed. I stopped to let Mike catch up. Have you ever seen an astonished looking German Shepherd?

As we continued walking I thought, “I bet I could go hand over hand up a hundred-foot rope in three seconds. I could do a thousand pushups in a minute on one finger. I could press two tons over my head. I could go down to the beach, and then make one leap up to our house on Crest Avenue. I could run a mile in 10 seconds or less.”

It was good to have so much energy. During the last few years of my life on the earth I was tired all the time, it seemed. Elderly people know exactly what I mean. Now I could run as fast as I wanted and even fly up into the air. What a feeling of exhilaration to have so much power and ability. And people are afraid of dying!

Did you ever think about Christ having flesh and bone that could be touched, and eating broiled fish, and in this condition entering the spirit world? We see then that God can import into the spirit world as much of the physical world as He desires. By the same token He can export into the physical world as much of the spirit world as He desires. God has complete flexibility between the two worlds.

Christ walked through the closed doors without hindrance. It is only we in our flesh and blood bodies who are limited to this world, to the earth as in a prison. If we serve the Lord Jesus the time will come when we no longer are imprisoned by a flesh and blood body, or bound to the physical world, or held captive by gravity.

Indeed, we have a wonderful life to look forward to!

Then we walked up Seaview until we came to Jones Hill Road. When I was a boy I used to cross Jones Hill Road and keep going until I came to woods and pastures. I always have loved woods, pastures, and meadows.

I didn’t feel like going this direction any longer, so we turned and came back on Seaview. I looked at the O’Brien house as we went by, but Mr. Johansen did not appear.

We continued until we reached Ocean Avenue. We crossed Ocean Avenue. We went down to the beach and walked along until we were opposite Lightning Rock, which was in the water only a few yards from the beach. Mike just had to bark at the seagulls. They flew around and then settled down on the water in a large group.

There were a lot of good memories here—many hours of swimming during the summer when the tide was high.

The beach was sandy with some rocks in it. You could throw a stone down and hit a rock. Then the clams would squirt up through the sand, due to the vibration I suppose. The higher the squirt, the smaller the clam. You could dig down and get as many clams as you wanted and take them home in a bucket and cook them. Pretty good eating! I dug up a few clams using a clam shell and set them aside in a little pile.

I warned Mike about getting too close to the sand, but you know how dogs are. He was sniffing at the sand, probably trying to find some clams for himself.

I threw down a rock and a clam squirted up into Mike’s face. He barked and jumped back. I said, “Mike, I told you that would happen!” Mike looked at me like it was my fault. Do you get the impression that some dogs do not take my word for anything!

I had no way of carrying the clams so I put them back in the sand.

Then we walked back along the beach until we were where we had started from. We crossed over Ocean Avenue until we came to the little road that led to the bottom of our hill. Our house on Crest Avenue was on top of the hill. We went up the dirt path. Mike ran ahead of me. We cut through Gate’s yard and went into the house.

My mother fixed me some tuna fish sandwiches and a glass of milk. I went in and played some Chopin and Bach, and also the Warsaw Concerto, for my mother. As you might expect, she was delighted to hear me play. I had resisted her for several years as she made me practice on the piano and take lessons.

I returned to the piano about two years before I died, after having spent many years in public education, and then pastoring. When I was at Arizona State University at Tempe, while I was preparing for a career as a public-school teacher, my piano teacher, Mrs. Keating, started me on Chopin, Opus Twenty-eight. So when I started again on the piano, so many years later, I began with those Preludes.

Although I do not do well at memorizing, I have several of the Preludes memorized, as well as Chopin’s Opus Ten, Etude Twelve, and the Fantasie Impromptu. So I played these for my mother. I have a long way to go before I attain to the level of perfection of the concert artists. But it is in my mind, if I ever have the opportunity, to get up to that level. After all, I have eternity to work on these pieces, and on numerous others.

I prayed that the sheet music for some of the pieces I was working on would be given to me, and they appeared on the piano.

My mother was impressed and enthusiastic about the progress I had made. Vera Thompson really was an accomplished person. I remember how she used to memorize a new word from the dictionary every morning with her coffee, and then would play some on the piano. I did not appreciate her gifts when I was growing up.

Back in those days, what we called the Five-and-Ten-Cent stores used to sell sheet music. There was a piano in the store. They would have a pianist demonstrate some of the current favorites, like, The Wedding of the Painted Doll or I Saw Those Harbor Lights. I was told years ago that my mother for a while had the position of playing the new songs for the customers in the store.

She started me on the piano when I was about three years old. If I remember correctly, I played on the radio once when I was six. I believe it must have been in New Haven. I will have to ask her about that.

This was enough for one day, and Mike, Teddy, and I were ready to rest. I said good night to my parents and went to bed.

Things went on like this for a few days, until it was Saturday again.

When I got up my mother fixed oatmeal with raisins, brown sugar, and slivered almonds again. I drank my two mugs of hot Ovaltine.

I searched my heart to see what I wanted to do. I wondered what desire Christ would put in my heart this morning. I had the feeling I was enjoying a much needed rest, and responsibilities would be given to me later.

I remembered the good times I used to have with Uncle Howie and Aunt Boots. Sometimes we would go to Pete’s Spaghetti House. Then we would go to the Rivoli Theater in West Haven. Sometimes after that we would go to the home of Howie and Boots at 38 Bungalow Lane in West Haven and eat peanuts, drink soda, and play “Monopoly.”

As this thought came to me, suddenly Howie and Boots were standing in the front room, ready to go to Pete’s.

I said goodbye to my mother and dad and off we went. We traveled in the spirit, I guess, because we were there immediately. When we arrived at Pete’s we had to wait because there were so many people waiting to be served. Suddenly it was late in the afternoon. Don’t ask me how this happened.

Finally our turn came. Those meatballs! You couldn’t get better meatballs in Italy, I’m certain.

When we were finished we just had time (or so it seemed, who knows about time in this world!) to make it to the Rivoli for the evening performance.

Oh boy! There was a Mickey Mouse cartoon. The picture that evening was Captain January, with Shirley Temple. I had seen it before, but it was enjoyable to see it again with Howie and Boots. I grew up, so to speak, with Shirley Temple, Jackie Cooper, and Mickey Rooney. The theater was full, but I did not recognize anyone.

When we got out of the theater we felt we had done enough for one day and would not return to Bungalow Lane to play “Monopoly.” Somehow it was Saturday evening already. We stopped and picked up the New Haven Register so I could read the comic strips.

I asked the Lord to bring us back to 39 Crest Avenue. Almost immediately we were home with my mother and father. I thanked Howie and Boots for a wonderful time. They then disappeared as they went back to their area in the spirit world.

And now to bed with the comics. Since there is no sun, it is difficult to tell time in this world. Periodically there is a darkening of the colorful clouds so people can rest and have a family time and opportunity for worship.

When the period of rest occurs in the spirit world, the clouds, now yellow, orange, brown, blue, and blends of these and other colors, draw closer to us. They become like a gorgeous blanket that provides a warm feeling of security and rest.

The next “morning” my mother served pancakes again. I then remembered how in the winter, when it snowed, all the kids would go out with their sleds and slide from where we were standing at the beginning of Lucey Avenue all the way downhill to Seaview Avenue. I thought I would like to see that scene again.

I thanked my mother for breakfast; my father was standing by her. I said, “I don’t think I ever have been as happy as I have over the last two days. I had such a strong desire to see you, and Howie and Boots, and the others, and my home where I grew up. The Lord Jesus was so good to me to let me come here and be with you.

“I have a sense that this visit is over for now. I have some kind of role to play in the Kingdom of God, and Christ is calling me to that. I do know that I will be seeing you again shortly, and God will keep us safe. We have all of eternity to get together again.

“I know you are of God’s elect, his family, so when I see you again it may be in the Holy City before it comes down to the earth, or possibly in some other setting.”

My parents were a little sad but Christ put joy in their hearts. They knew they would see me again, just as soon as I had received my commission from the Lord.

I hugged and kissed my mother and dad. Then I went and stood at the spot on Lucey Avenue where we used to begin our sled ride. I knew in my spirit this was what I was supposed to do. I guess Mike and Teddy also knew this visit was over and they did not appear.

Suddenly Amira was there. She had on a green dress with a black butterfly pin, and brown sandals. Amira said, “You want to see what it was like when you and your friends rode your sleds down Lucey Avenue, don’t you?” I answered, “Yes, I would like that.” Tad, Lance, and Kamur appeared briefly and then became invisible again. Watcher remained invisible but she was at her post in the air.

Lucey Avenue is like a continuation of Crest Avenue, though I suppose it still is called Lucey Avenue. It is a road that travels down to a cross street, which then goes down to the level of the ocean.

Every winter when it was snowing we would go out with our Flexible Flyers (sleds) and coast down Lucey Avenue. I don’t know why it was so important to me to see the activities on Lucey Avenue in the winter. But it was a strong childhood memory.

Amira and I were standing at the top of Lucey Avenue. All of a sudden we were watching the boys and girls get a running start and flop on their sleds. It was a good long ride. There was no school that day because it was Sunday. They had to be careful, because there were some families who walked down Lucey Avenue to the Catholic Church.

As we stood there it was snowing but we could not feel the cold. This really brought back memories. I don’t believe what I was seeing here was current; it was taking place when I was a boy.

I suppose a little nostalgia is healthy, as long as we keep in mind that nostalgia, the memory of the “good old days,” is a delusion. Life always has been for me, and probably is for most people, one problem after another.

Why should we torment ourselves with “memories that bless and burn,” unless this is what we wish to do? There is no need. Once we are in the spirit world God knows where everyone is and we can visit him or her as we please. However, those confined in the Land of Darkness are not available for visits.

I t was fun to see the boys and girls on their sleds going down Lucey Avenue. I’m not certain but I think one of the boys I saw was myself. Could be, I guess.

The thought crossed my mind that I would like to visit South Portland, Maine, where I had spent the first five years of my life. The next thing I knew we were standing at the entrance to Thompson (not named for our family) Street. Our house was on the right, the second from the far end, as I remember.

I wondered if the Dames (I think that was the way their name was spelled) still lived there. I couldn’t just go and ask people while I am a spirit. There was no one standing outside, and I didn’t feel like going inside the houses and looking to see if there was anyone I recognized. I probably would not remember them anyway. It was eighty years ago that I lived on that street.

I remember that at certain times during the day you could hear the cannons at Fort Preble and Fort Williams. Every May First we would make little baskets of candy and leave them at people’s doors. I wonder if they still do that in South Portland.

My most dramatic memory of Thompson Street is that of crawling out of the chicken coop at the age of five with some eggs in my pocket. The door the chickens used was just right for the chickens and me but not for the eggs. Scrambled eggs anyone?

There was nothing to see, so we walked down to Willard Beach. The little concession was still there. That place had the best clam cakes I have ever eaten.

Willard Beach is small, not like Old Orchard Beach. But it has good memories for me, even though I almost drowned there on one occasion. It hadn’t changed very much. Again I have to remind myself that what I am seeing may not be current, only something provided by God’s love to give me pleasure.

I remember we had stayed at a bed-and-breakfast house a little up the street from Willard Beach. It was my practice to get behind the wood stove and read. It was here I became acquainted with Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. I mentioned this to Amira, but she never had heard of Raggedy Ann.

I don’t remember seeing cars on Lucey Avenue or Thompson Street, so I think these visits were, at least in part, fabricated for my pleasure. God is so good!

By this time I was beginning to feel tired—perhaps surfeited is the word. I asked Amira what she thought we should do. Amira said, “Let’s go home. I think we may have done enough for now. There is much more to see in this world. But we can go there later. Let’s go home.”

Godwill Castle

Amira had said, “Let’s go home.” I did not know what Amira meant by “home.” The first time I had seen Amira was in the meadow. Somehow I knew she did not mean 39 Crest Avenue.

One time quite unexpectedly, when I was about to go out the door of our house in Escondido, I had a fleeting impression of “going home.” I have never forgotten that marvelous feeling! I did not spiritually “see” any unusual environment; I just had the feeling of what it will mean someday to be “home.”

Amira saying “Let’s go home” brought back that memory to me. Anyway, I was beginning to have confidence in my new little friend.

Warfighter and Kamur appeared, and Tad on his horse, Lance. Watcher was now visible overhead. I could see that Amira and I were going to have a ride home (wherever and whatever home is). I lifted up Amira and placed her on the blue pad on Warfighter’s back. She was as light as a feather. I did not realize it at the time, but Amira was an experienced rider and did not really need any help from me.

Bear appeared. I picked her up and gave her to Amira to hold. Then I put my left hand on Warfighter’s haunches and with little effort “arose” onto the blue pad with no trouble (this is great!). Amira was in front of me holding Bear. I held Amira with my left arm and took hold of the edge of the pad with my right hand.

I suppose “arose” is an unusual term for getting on the back of a horse, but I don’t know how else to describe it. It seems in this world to think a movement is to have it happen. Perhaps the force that moves us really is the will of the Father.

Once when I was in India, a Hindu was conversing with me about God. He said, “God is in the stones on the ground.” I don’t understand exactly how my friend meant this concept, but he certainly is correct in believing that God created all things and is aware of all that is in his creation.

The Lord Jesus told us God knows when a sparrow falls to the ground. If you stop to think about this, it really is an incredible statement. It tells us about the power of God, and also about his love for the smallest of creatures.

So God is in the greatest of the galaxies in outer space, and also with the small members of the animal kingdom (and perhaps in things, such as stones). I know it says somewhere in the Book of Psalms that God knows the name of every star. Isn’t that marvelous?

I am not attempting to make a case out of whether God is or is not in everything in his creation. But it seems likely to me that He is. In any event, we move around in the spirit world by some kind of force. I don’t think it is the same as the Holy Spirit we experience as Christians. I would guess it is the same energy that activates the stars and the angels.

Warfighter seemed to know where we wanted to go, and so he started off at a walk, then began to trot, then canter, and then proceeded to gallop. He evidently was aware of our comfort and safety. There was no bridle. I was holding myself erect by my legs. I could control Warfighter with my legs. However, in this case he knew exactly where he was going while I didn’t.

I was not taught how to control Warfighter with my legs, it just came to me intuitively. Or perhaps I had learned it many years ago when I was much younger and living on the earth.

Kamur was bounding next to us. Watcher was high in the sky. The animals seemed confident of our destination but were keeping an eye on us. Tad rode next to us, keeping up with us effortlessly. Tad rides expertly, his back as straight as an arrow. You can tell he has been trained for war.

I do not understand distance, travel, time, and so forth in this new world. It is obvious the time and distance constraints we are accustomed to, that rigidly control life on the earth, are not in force here.

We encountered two angels on large white stallions. They had cavalry swords with curved blades on their left side and long blue-handled daggers in blue sheaths on their right side. They appeared to be about the same age as Tad. They were dressed like Tad, in a blue uniform. They could see we were not enemies. They reined up so they could talk to us.

Tad informed me they are outriders. Their names are Kiryak and Alexander. They patrol the area a good distance from the Castle so the Castle guards would not be taken by surprise by invaders. They knew Tad and greeted him. Tad told them that I am the lord of the Castle. They brought the hilts of their swords to their chin in a salute.

We took off again. I had a sense we were traveling for a few minutes at great speed and arrived “home” very quickly.

The first indication we were approaching “home” were the sheep grazing in their meadows with the shepherds watching them. The shepherds waved at us and we waved back. They may have been angels.

There were dogs there helping with the sheep. They acknowledged Bear with some polite barks. I guess they knew Bear.

There were different kinds of birds on the grass and flying through the air. I saw sparrows, robins, cardinals, and then some exotic-looking birds, that may have been macaws or cockatoos, or something like that, that are only vaguely familiar to me.

There were trees with wide spaces between them, not a forest. There were birds in some of the trees as well as birds flying overhead. At the top of one tree we saw a beautiful scarlet tanager. As we rushed by we even saw some peacocks. With all these colorful birds, you can imagine the musical sounds they were making.

There were screeches, loud whistles, the gentle whistle of the bluebird, the robin’s chirp, the mockingbird’s trill, the chirp of the tanager, the light trill of a field sparrow, the little whistle of an oriole. I even heard what I think was the chatter of a loon. It was a clamor, or perhaps a symphony of sound with hundreds of birds praising God.

I think I saw two or three hawks in the air, as well as a golden eagle. You can always recognize Watcher because she is so much bigger than the other birds. All of the birds are friendly, because we are in the Land of Light and the atmosphere is filled with righteousness, love, joy, and peace. This wonderful Spirit comes from God and directly affects the animals as well as the angels and people.

Just past the sheep and the meadow there was the largest area of lawn I have ever seen. I learned later that grass in the spirit world grows to a certain height and then stops growing, just like a flower. When animals graze on the grass of a park, or lawn, or meadow it grows back immediately. This furnishes an endless supply of food for them.

This scene reminded me of the lawn of an English manor, which often would have one or more gardeners making sure every blade of grass was healthy, green and totally free from weeds. The general impression was that of a park.

There were classes of schoolchildren sitting on the grass on our left. Their teachers were sitting on stools and had blackboards. Next to the children were all sorts of small pets to keep them company. There were kittens, puppies, Guinea pigs, and small tame parakeets that hopped around next to them. This is my idea of what a school for children should be like.

Then off in the distance I could hear “Trumpet Voluntary” by Jeremiah Clarke. The trumpets were clear. It sounded like there was an organ background.

Amira said, “Look! There’s our home! The music is being played by angels to welcome you.”

Sure enough. I could see we were riding toward a large castle, about a mile away. It appeared to be a fortress cut from a great rock. There were spires and banners.

Our home?

Then we came to farms, also on our left. We might think of them as one large farm. Men and women, boys and girls, were present everywhere. There was such an atmosphere of peace and joy! I could hear the farmers singing. I was looking at the farms as we hurtled by, and was not too observant of what was on my right. My impression is that it is an open space, perhaps a meadow with a few trees, maybe elms.

Young people, boys and girls, were working in the fields with their parents, hoeing, planting, reaping, diverting water from wells, gathering fruit and vegetables in boxes. I suppose the crops from these fields supply the castle.

There were grain fields, probably wheat, rye, oats, and barley. I don’t know enough about grains to tell one from the other. I did recognize corn fields.

I discovered later that the farm I was looking at now does supply the castle, but especially the thousands of children who are being prepared to lead the attack of the Battle of Armageddon.

One part of the farming area was devoted to fruit trees. I could see apples and peaches of an unusually large size hanging from the branches.

There were little children playing with their wagons and riding tricycles. There were dogs, cats, chickens, cows, sheep, horses, large horse-drawn wagons. Everyone stopped what he or she was doing as our parade sped past them. They knew something of importance was taking place.

We waved at them and they waved back at us. We called out, “God bless you.” They responded, “God be with you.” It reminded me of a scene from the Bible where Boaz walked through his fields, calling out a blessing on his laborers, and they on him. Really, isn’t this the way the world is supposed to be?

The farm animals were startled at the sight of Kamur, but we went by so fast they did not have time to respond. I have no doubt they had seen Kamur before, but he takes some getting used to. Of course, they were unaware of the great eagle that was flying high above us.

Next in sight was a very large area of the greenest, most perfect grass. It was a huge lawn. As we went up over a rise there appeared a sight that stunned me. It was a magnificent castle in the middle of the lawn. It was shining, and over it was a rainbow. It looked just like you would picture a castle in your imagination.

I suppose the Garden of Eden, as well as a castle of the future, are somewhere in our subconscious mind. Do you suppose that could be a fact? I know artists often portray a glorious castle when they wish to present something exciting and marvelous about the future.

In between the farms and the castle there were flower gardens. There were no bushes or trees, leaving a clear field of fire for the archers on the wall-walks of the castle.

Although we were coming up quickly to the ramp that leads to the drawbridge and the outer gate of the castle, I could see some flowers I recognized. I saw red, white, pink, and black roses; and pansies of several different colors. There were gardeners working in the gardens.

Such magnificent flower beds! I love flowers, to begin with, and these were better than any I had seen on the earth. The first moment I have free I am going to go out and have a good look at all these beds of flowers. Later I discovered poinsettias, snapdragons, orchids, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and the California poppies.

In addition there were numerous flowers with which I am not familiar. You can imagine the gorgeous riot of color that greets one when approaching the Castle. It is like one great park.

It may be true there are institutions and artifacts of certain periods of history, such as castles and swords, that always remain in our thinking even though they long ago were left behind in the “forward march of civilization.”

Amira said, “Dad, this is our home.”

Our home! Can you imagine how I felt? I was stunned. Yes, that is the term—stunned! To think—my home is a castle! I don’t know if I am ready for this. And yet, I somehow knew it was right. I suddenly had that sense of being “home,” that I mentioned previously.

This huge structure indeed is formidable in appearance. Still, it has a kind of fairyland look. Can you picture that? At times it looks as solid as a mountain of granite. On other occasions it seems to be floating.

As we approached we could see how large the castle actually is. Every part of the castle is glistening white, the walls, the towers, the turrets, the spires on top of the turrets, the battlements (a smaller wall protecting the soldiers on the wall-walks), the merlons (higher parts of the battlements), the finials (decorative stone spikes on top of the merlons). There also were battlements on the top of each tower and each turret.

Last night as I was waiting on the Lord I believe He told me that the castle will be much larger than I am picturing here. It will be large enough to house all whom I love and who love me.

Recently I have seen some of the bodies in outer space that now can be seen by the Hubble Telescope. The sizes of these galaxies and the distances involved are absolutely beyond comprehension. I think we will be amazed at some of the features of the spirit world. Isaiah said that the government of the Lord Jesus Christ will increase forever. We will just have to get used to sizes and distances beyond anything we can picture in the present hour.

To think that Christ spoke all of these galaxies into existence! Can you even begin to imagine such immensities and such power? And that they all will be withdrawn and a new sky and earth spoken into existence by the Lord Jesus?

Scientists and evolutionists may speak assuredly about the expanding universe. Why can’t they understand that the galaxies and their surroundings are forms of energy, and that energy has to begin at some point at some moment from some source? It certainly is easier to believe that God created all things than to believe that all we see had no source and no beginning!

There are four towers protecting the front outer wall, one at each corner and one on each side of the gatehouse in the middle. Protecting the two outer side-walls of the castle there is a tower in the middle and one at the far corner. There is a tower also in the middle of the back outer-wall.

Completely surrounding the castle is a moat filled with water. I would estimate it to be quite deep. A little later on, when the construction of the castle was explained to me, I was told that the water is replenished by an underground spring. It is so clear you can see to the bottom of the stone pilings that support the drawbridge.

Tad told me that the angels of the castle often use the moat as a swimming pool. The angels play a game in the water with large rubber balls, and sometimes race around the castle. There was no one in the water as we approached. Amira said the angels taught her to swim in the moat, and she played with them in their water games.

The angels love to play. Tad told me about a game they play when they practice archery. One of the guards throws from the wall a wooden ball about twelve inches in diameter. Then the guards using bows, which are stored with their arrows along the wall, attempt to hit the ball while it is in the air. The arrows have blunt tips and do not stick in the ball.

When the ball hits the ground they keep it rolling by shooting arrows at it up to a distance that looks to be 150 yards or more. They have keen eyes. Sometimes a guard will call out (in Angelspeak) “right,” or “left.” Then he will attempt to hit the ball on a side that will turn it to the right or left.

When the ball has gone far enough the angels use arrows with sharp points until the ball has many arrows sticking out of it. Then an angel goes down from the wall and out through the gate and picks up the ball and all the arrows.

The angels are so skilled and accurate with their arrows, and at such distances, it would be difficult for anyone seeking to besiege the castle with a siege engine, such as a catapult or trebuchet. The attackers would have to be extremely careful or they soon would be like the practice ball, having arrows sticking out of them.

I do not understand how arrows or other weapons can harm a hostile angel, any more than I can understand how sound travels when there is no air. I do know that wicked people in the Land of Darkness cannot strike or otherwise harm another individual who is confined with them, much less a person in the Land of Light.

However, there certainly are some sort of arrows, swords, and spears that are used in the spirit world.

Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. (Habakkuk 3:11—NIV)
Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. (Revelation 6:14—NIV)

No doubt all of my impressions are given to teach us the lessons God wishes for us to learn. How much of what I have experienced really exists, and how much is some sort of symbolic representation fabricated for our instruction, I do not know.

We could see also that there is an inner wall protecting an inner area, and even larger towers protecting the inner area, or “ward,” as it is called. The outer wall and its towers surround the outer ward. The inner wall and its towers are a defense surrounding the inner ward.

The towers of the castle are very large in diameter, and tall. It is unusual, isn’t it? I never pictured myself going “home” to a castle. Yet, as we stood at the beginning of the wooden ramp that goes partway across the moat and leads to the drawbridge, I knew a castle was right for me.

After I had lived here for a while, the steward of the castle, pointed out to me the engineering features of the moat, the fixed part of the ramp, and the drawbridge.

A drawbridge and a connecting ramp were constructed. These are two heavy wooden platforms with railings on both sides. The drawbridge reaches to the end of the ramp.

The total effect, when the drawbridge is let down and locked in place, is one ramp with hand railings on both sides.

The moat was dug down all around the castle. The floor of the moat, the side toward the castle, and the side toward the land, are covered with huge boulders fitted into place. The walls of the outer court rest on these great stones and are flush with the face of them.

The ramp is supported on a stone foundation. The end of the ramp and the leading edge of the drawbridge come together on a stone platform.

An underground spring was tapped at a distance from the castle. Water then is piped from the spring into the moat. There is enough pressure from the spring to keep the water in the moat at ground level. The pipe is buried deep in the ground so that an enemy could not find it readily and stop the flow of water into the moat.

When the drawbridge is raised, there is no firm surface on which an enemy could construct a bridge. If soldiers could get past the arrows from the angels on the wall and the boulders thrown down from the hoardings, and move up the ramp, when they came to the end of the ramp, and the drawbridge had been raised, they would be looking at the water in the moat.

The bottom side of the drawbridge is reinforced with heavy planks, making it extremely difficult to breach with a battering ram when it is raised up and locked in place.

A pad was cut out of the grass where the ramp begins. The end of the ramp fits snugly into the area that was dug out so a person or horse would not stumble over a bump when starting up the ramp.

Even though people, angels, and horses went down the ramp and onto the grass every day, the grass never remained trampled. It grew back almost instantly as fresh and green as ever. I would say this is quite superior to what happens to grass on the earth when it is trampled. Wouldn’t you?

Because of the construction of the water-filled moat, it would be difficult for sappers to undermine the wall around the outer ward.

I know this castle will be a fortress for me for eternity. The towers and the Great Hall will expand in size as people come to visit or even stay with me. That is the way things happen when the spirit world is in motion. Time, size, and distance operate differently from what we are accustomed to. Isn’t that wonderful?

So here is my home, my castle, in all its shining glory. The words GODWILL CASTLE were written in English on the two huge towers that surround the inner gate, one word on each tower. These words are in lustrous blue and located above the windows. Later they were changed to another language so everyone could understand them. These two large towers can be used by angel guards when the castle is attacked. Also, they can serve as living quarters when there are many people visiting the castle.

There are the several huge towers I have mentioned. Just to the rear of the towers of the inner front wall are four turrets. Each of the turrets has a large banner on a tall pole. The banners, printed on both sides, are blue with white letters. Starting from the left, the banner has the words STERN OBEDIENCE TO THE FATHER. On the next flag are the words IRON RIGHTEOUSNESS. The third flag has the words FIERY HOLINESS. The flag on the right has the words STERN OBEDIENCE TO THE FATHER.

There is a wind at the level of the banners so the words can be read. The banners unfurl to the left or to the right, depending on the direction the wind is blowing.

To see these four banners with their familiar statements brought tears to my eyes. These slogans have been my battle cry, one might say, as under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ I have fought my way through the wilderness of life on the earth. These three concepts mean more to me than life itself! They have kept me from being deceived by the current “grace” error.

There were seven or eight angels watching from the wall-walk behind the battlement on top of the outer wall facing us. The guards that patrol the wall-walk are protected by the merlons (the high parts of the battlement constructed along the front edge of the wall-walk). All were dressed in white robes. Their hair is silver in appearance. They appear to be young men. Each had a sword at his side. They looked to be very serious and formidable, not angels you would want to trifle with.

We are not to think of angels as beautiful women with wings. I know there are guardian-angels, and other angels of all sorts. In fact, I think many of the talents people have in the arts and sciences and other areas of endeavor are actually angels that have been assigned to them. It is a pity outstanding composers, artists, and other gifted individuals do not give glory to the Lord instead of receiving adulation as though by their own abilities they have done some great thing.

The Lord Jesus said that a person can receive nothing unless it is given to him from Heaven.

One time in church, while I was still alive on the earth, I “saw” the guardian-angel of a young girl. The angel looked like a grandmother. Maybe it was the little girl’s grandmother or great grandmother. She was sitting next to the child.

In order to see what would happen, I deliberately entertained hostile thoughts in my mind toward the girl. Quicker than could be imagined, at the speed of light it seemed, the (elderly) angel was communicating with Heaven to see what was to be done.

As I said, angels are not beautiful ladies or babies with wings. There is one servant in the castle who looks like a female but she does not have wings. In the case of the guards of Godwill Castle, the angels look like men of various ages and sizes. None of them have wings. Some are very large and powerful appearing and seem to be officers in charge. All are stern of visage. All are wearing white robes, but the robe seems to be part of them rather than a garment.

I thought the soldiers on the wall-walk would recognize that the lord of the castle was approaching. At first they gave no sign of welcome or pleasure. They apparently knew we were not enemies, so they kept watching, watching, watching the grounds surrounding the castle and watching us carefully. They knew Tad, Amira, Warfighter, Lance, and Kamur, but they did not know me. This was evident.

Tad lives in the same barracks with them, and so he waved to them. As soon as Tad waved, the drawbridge was let down and came to rest on the stone platform, making one continuous ramp from where we were up to the entrance of the outer gatehouse.

We had stopped at the beginning of the ramp. Amira was holding Bear. I lifted her down from Warfighter, still holding Bear. Bear jumped from her arms to the ground. Then I dismounted.

A giant angel, an angelic commander by the name of Gunther, whom I came to know later, marched over and stood on the outer wall to the left of the gatehouse. He turned his back to us. He shouted, “Attention!” We do not understand Angelspeak but we heard the word in our minds. Immediately the sentries came from every part of the outer wall-walk and stood in a row facing him—maybe twenty or thirty of them, some on each side of the gatehouse.

We could not see all of the sentries very well, only those in front of the crenels (the spaces between the merlons). Then the commanding angel cried out: “Present!” There was a swishing sound as in one blaze of what looked like steel but probably was of some spiritual substance, every sword was unsheathed and pointed upward.

The “Trumpet Voluntary” had stopped when we came to the castle.

While the swords pointed upward, two tall angels robed in white with golden breastplates appeared, hovering just above the outer wall-walk. They raised silver trumpets of an ancient design to their mouth and sounded a fanfare.

A purple cloud overshadowed the two angels. A deep voice spoke in an language that I somehow could understand: “Welcome home, my son. Well done!”

I was very moved emotionally by the voice of God. I knew it was the Father. We hear many voices during our Christian walk, some that are of the Spirit of God, and some that are of our flesh, or imagination, or of unclean spirits. It is very seldom that we hear the voice of the Father. He speaks to us only on special occasions.

After the fanfare the two angels vanished. In their place, in the space (“air”) just above the castle, appeared what looked to be a thousand white-robed angels. They began to sing, “All hail the power of Jesus’ name.” There was an orchestral accompaniment, although we could not see the instruments.

The swords were held up in the “present” position until the singing was completed. Then we heard the commander shout, “Return sword!”

As I stated previously, there is a moat around the castle. This brings to mind that the spirit world is a place of warfare. We paused at the edge of the ramp that meets the drawbridge.

Then we started up. When Bear, Amira, Tad, and I were about halfway up the drawbridge, an angel who looks exactly like an average middle-aged man came down the drawbridge to meet us. He introduced himself as Heng, the stableman. Heng did not speak English but his words formed in my mind.

You know, I did not shake hands with any of the angels I met in the spirit world. I guess angels do not do that for some reason. I do not understand why. It just doesn’t seem to be done.

Heng is a little on the short side. He is heavyset and has powerful arms and shoulders. He has brown hair of medium length. He always is dressed the same. He wears a brown cap, a brown corduroy shirt and matching pants, and closed-toe brown sandals with heavy soles. Heng has an apartment in the stable on the right side.

Heng held out his right fist. He was wearing a brown leather gauntlet that covered his hand and forearm. Watcher circled down and perched on the gauntlet.

Seeing Watcher settle on Heng’s fist, and then later jump from his fist to her indoor aviary cage in the stable, made me understand this was not the first time Watcher had been in Godwill Castle. Also, when I first arrived, Warfighter without hesitation knew his way to the castle.

So I suppose all the time the three animals who were helping me, while I was alive on the earth, overcome the forces of unrighteousness that would have deceived me into sin and kept me from writing the truth about the prevailing “grace” error, were being taken care of by Heng in the castle. Perhaps Tad was informing the animals when they needed to come and help me.

Then our whole company walked up the ramp, across the drawbridge, and went through the gatehouse.

There is a tower on each side of the gatehouse, as well as a room overhead from which a portcullis can be dropped. There were heavy wooden doors, each backed up with a drawbar.

The angels inside the towers could examine us from both sides and the top to ensure we were permitted to enter the castle. We could see arrow loops in the basements of the towers at several levels, as we walked by. The angel-guards could have stopped us easily had they so desired.

Let me say something else about angels. They have the appearance of human beings. The term “angel” means “messenger.” The angels have been assigned by the Lord to serve as helpers for those who are to inherit God’s salvation, the Bible informs us.

Angels closely resemble people. However, when one is conversing with an angel it is apparent they are not human beings. Angels have no soul, as humans do. They lack many of our emotions I suppose. Angels are serious beings who are intent on doing the Father’s will. Also, they reverence Jesus, the Lamb, and are ready to assist human beings who reverence and serve the Lamb.

I found to my amazement, while I was living on the earth, that angels do not know everybody, only those with whom they have to do. There was a time when an angel I encountered simply did not know me. This was humbling and showed me that I was not as well known in the spirit world as I thought.

Angels are very businesslike. They are not sentimental or sympathetic toward us. I don’t think they understand jokes and may not even have a sense of humor; although Alana, who sets out our food, can be droll, I noticed. More about this later.

On one occasion, while living on the earth, I noticed a believer puzzling over something I had said facetiously. I learned from that, and also from my experience as a public-school principal and pastor of a church, to not indulge in whimsy unless the occasion warrants it.

Perhaps the angels themselves are confused when we speak nonsense. Being facile with words I have to guard myself against saying things that are not readily understood or are not of value to the listeners, and perhaps not clear to angels who are seeking to assist us.

When we moved past the towers that guarded the gate of the outer wall we were greeted warmly by the steward of the castle. He also is an angel. The steward who maintains the castle and all its activities knew instantly that Godwill Castle is my castle, my home. I am the lord of Godwill Castle, one might say.

The steward’s name is Tom. He is of medium height and build. He appears to be middle-aged. He had on a blue jacket and matching pants, a blue cap, brown hair, and heavy brown closed-toe sandals. His face is Jewish in appearance, making me think that perhaps at one time he had been assigned to Israel. He was very friendly and glad to see us.

Tom always is working at or overseeing something around the castle. Now the “lord” has arrived, and Tom is ready to show our party some features of Godwill Castle. Amira has been here before and is anxious to chatter about everything. But Amira is well mannered and knows this is the proper role of the steward of the castle.

Tom said, “Welcome to your castle, my lord Godwill, and welcome to Amira, Tad, Lance, Warfighter, Kamur, Watcher, and Bear.” This greeting appeared in our minds.

I was pleased to see that the animals were treated with respect and kindness.

First Tom took us around the outer ward, which is protected by the outer wall and the outer gatehouse. There was not much to see here, because the outer ward plus its walls and gate are a first line of defense against the enemy, as Tom explained to us. There is no postern gate. The only entrance into the outer ward is through the front gate.

On the right as you enter the outer ward, and circling around out of sight, there are cartons of food, fruit, vegetables, chicken, fish, grain. Food does not spoil here, suggesting that there are no bacteria. There also is some food stored in the bottom floors of the apartments in the inner ward. We will enter the inner ward in a minute.

There are some items stored in the outer ward that are of use in the defense of the castle, such as wooden frames with which to make hoardings (balconies from which boulders can be dropped on an enemy who is attempting to circumvent the moat in some manner).

You may wonder how a boulder can be “dropped” on an enemy when there is no gravity. It is by the power of God, just as is true of all else that happens in the spirit world. God’s direct power is the force that makes activity possible when there is no gravity.

The boulders are weightless when the defenders pick them up. But whenever they drop them, God adds weight to them. They bounce off the angle built at the base of the outer wall, just above the moat. God assists the defenders of the castle in this manner as well as in other ways.

When a boulder is dropped from the outer wall it bounces off the angle (batter) and flies with considerable force at those attacking the castle. These angles are at the base of each of the four outer walls of the castle.

The Bible states there was war in the heaven. We may not have thought much about this. But apparently there were numerous skirmishes of various kinds, as the wicked attacked the defenses of the righteous. Angels were involved in these battles.

This accounts for the expression, “Be glad, heavens, and those who tabernacle in them.” It is of note also that some of the host of the heavens fall to the earth at the time when a remnant of the saints are overcoming the Accuser.

So we have much to learn concerning the battle between God and Satan; Christ and Antichrist. I believe this battle is continuing in our day, as we see ministers of the Gospel fall from their high position in Christ due to sexual lust.

Satan is being thrown down from the heaven and he is bringing down with him those who spiritually have been raised in Christ but who never have submitted to the crucifixion of their will. I use the term “down.” Actually the spirit world is all around us, not up in the air. We “have” come to Mount Zion.

Indeed, ours is a dangerous era. Each of us who names the name of Christ must be exceedingly careful to maintain the Presence of Christ at all times lest he be deceived. Also, he must pray to the Father, “Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from the evil one.”

Those who insist that once we believe in Christ we never could fall back to the earth are in error. We must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, praying that we not be led into temptation and deceived. Indeed, it is entirely possible for someone else to receive the crown of victory in Christ that originally had been in our possession.

I think we have changed what fundamentally is a battle of God against Satan, righteousness against wickedness, truth against the lie, into a religion, the Christian religion. It appears that numerous church-attending believers have little or no understanding that their life is to be a daily battle against wicked spirits. Perhaps they have not been taught to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.

Next to the wooden frames are what seems like two or three hundred large boulders that can be hurled down from the hoardings. They are stones that have been chiseled until they resemble cannon balls. They are arranged in wooden crates that are lined up against the inner face of the outer walls. From there they can be carried up to the angel-guards on the wall-walks as they are needed.

There are several ramps built against the inside of the outer wall and the inside of the inner wall, leading from the wall-walk to ground level. An enemy coming down one of those ramps is a prime target for the archers.

There are some long arrows that have the tips wrapped in cloth, and some barrels of oil next to them. Tom explained to me that if the enemy tried to construct a roof over a battering ram, the tips would be soaked in oil, set on fire, and rained down on the roof and the battering ram.

There is fire in the spirit world, even though there is no air. If we would understand how birds fly and fire burns when there is no air we must keep in mind that our physical world was created and is upheld by forces of the spirit world, and is a reflection of what is true in the spirit world.

There also are some bags of sand and lime left over from the construction of the castle, some timbers, some shovels, trowels, and other materials.

Then we approached the gatehouse that defends the inner ward. This inner gatehouse also is walled-in on each side with a large tower. The walls surrounding the inner ward are quite a bit higher than those surrounding the outer ward and the towers are larger and higher.

The gatehouse that opened into the inner ward is heavily protected with portcullises, thick heavy doors, and drawbars. This is because the inner ward is where the people and animals live.

There are four large residential towers, one at each of the four corners of the inner ward, as well as the tower on each side of the gatehouse.

There are many visitors to Godwill Castle, and there is room to put them up if they wish to stay for awhile. They always are welcome. Sometimes I take the visitors to a nearby meadow or lawn and we talk about iron righteousness, fiery holiness, and stern obedience to the Father. Tad always is with me when we go out like this.

I do not know why, but many of the people whom God loves and has brought into the Land of Light have never been taught much about these three attitudes of life, so essential to pleasing God. These are a necessary part of loving God with all of our heart, aren’t they?

Godwill Castle has gained a reputation for upholding these three primary aspects of serving God.

There are staircases attached to each tower of the inner ward. Each of the towers of the inner ward is protected by an iron door at the top and the bottom. Also, there are embrasures and arrow loops in the basement of each tower.

All of the towers in the inner ward can be used for residential purposes, as well as for storing materials, and other uses. But they also can help with the defense of the inner ward.

The stone stairs spiral upward, attached to the wall on the left and a newel post on the right.

The staircases are narrow, and designed so that the defenders from the top of the stairs, having their right hands free, are in a better position to use their swords. The newel post is in the way of the right hands of the invaders.

There is a stable on the right, as one enters the inner ward. Tom led us to the stable and placed Warfighter, Kamur, and Lance in charge of Heng, the stableman. The stableman first went to a room in the stable that has a large indoor aviary. He held up his fist and Watcher jumped from Heng’s fist into the aviary, where there was some fish on a plate and water in bowls.

Heng has a stall for each animal and put down some food and water for each one. Tom offered to leave Bear with the other animals, but I told Tom that Bear is an important member of my family, along with Tad and Amira. Tom had no problem with this and treated Bear kindly. As we left the stable we could see Heng starting to remove the blue pads and blankets from Warfighter and Lance.

The only other animal in the stable was a white stallion, smaller than Warfighter and Tad’s stallion, Lance. The smaller stallion’s name is White King. This is Amira’s warhorse. Amira entered the stable and petted White King, who nickered with delight.

Tom pointed out that after we had been shown around, Tad would return to the barracks, which is located over the stable. The garrison of warrior-angels that guard and defend the castle is located in the barracks. Tad told us later that there are two passages from the barracks that lead to the inner wall-walk so the warrior-angels could not be trapped.

Tom showed us the storage rooms which hold food and weapons. There are storage rooms and a laundry to the left of the stable. There are other storage rooms which are the first floors (basements) of the apartments on the other side, the left side as one enters the inner ward. This made me wonder if the inhabitants of the castle expected a siege. But perhaps the storage areas are just places where the castle food can be kept out of the way until it is needed.

Tom’s apartment is on the top floor of the tower on the right side of the Great Hall, as one enters the Inner Ward. The laundry is in the basement of this tower.

There is a storage room under the large tower that forms the front right corner of the inner wall, as one enters through the inner gate. There is an ornate breastplate and a helmet in this storage room, and other pieces to protect the rest of the body. They all are a dark royal blue. They are hard as steel, although I am not sure of the material. There is a label on the helmet that has my new name (Lord Godwill) on it. There is a curved cavalry sword with a blue leather grip, brass knuckle-guard and pommel, and blue metal scabbard.

When I had occasion to wear it later I found out that the armor grew to fit me. This proved to be important, because when the Lord wants to put fear in my enemies I grow to a larger size. In fact, as I think about it, some years ago while living on the earth I saw in a brief glimpse the living helmet. I did not understand it at that time, although it was real enough. Now I can see why it is a living helmet.

Here is a remarkable thing. Before I died, I noted that I felt the same inside as I did when I was young, although limited physically. Yet I was quite elderly. It is the same now. I feel the same when I am of average size as I do when I grow much larger in order to terrify my adversaries. Still the same when I become a small boy so I can play with the little children.

Maybe this is the way it is supposed to be. I know the Lord Jesus can adopt any form that suits the occasion.

Since we wear white robes when we go to war, and the warrior-angels do the actual fighting, I asked the Lord the purpose for this armor. He said it is for ceremonial purposes, so God’s creatures will understand that his Word shall be backed up by force. The armor that actually protects my personality is invisible, along with the sword of the Spirit that comes from my mouth.

For all I know, Godwill Castle represents the dwelling place God is creating in me for himself. I have no problem with this. Everything remains just the same, I suppose. As far as people coming to be with me, we all ought to have room for other people in our personality, as well as God himself.

For myself, I would enjoy having an inheritance of millions of people to love and care for. Maybe this is what it will mean to be an immortal patriarch in the new world of righteousness. I know for a fact there is no other inheritance that can be compared in value to that of people.

Do you have room for other people in your heart? I’m sure you do.

Angels do eat. This must be true because Tom showed us the kitchen and introduced us to the cook, Claude, and his helpers. All these are angels. The kitchen has a door leading into the Great Hall so food can be brought from the kitchen and placed on the tables.

When Tad, Amira, and I go into the Great Hall to eat, we have this large room to ourselves. But at other times during the day the castle workers and the angel-guards are dining here.

On the right side of the inner ward, near the kitchen, is a well. The wall surrounding the well is about three or four feet high and about six feet across. It is circular, being made of stones held together with mortar.

There is an angel whose job it is to draw up a wooden bucket and then pour the water into a large tub next to the well, toward the kitchen. There is a faucet near the bottom of the tub. Whoever needs water brings a container and fills it from the tub. The water is delicious, sparkling clear and cold. There is a wooden pyramidal roof over the well and tub to keep objects from falling into the water.

Tom then took us to the Great Hall. This is where people eat and congregate. This is the largest room in the inner ward. The Great Hall is to the rear as one enters the inner ward. This large room forms most of the rear wall of the inner ward. It contains long wooden tables and accompanying benches. It is rectangular in shape, and can hold several hundred people. It is covered with a roof.

Because the castle is of spiritual substance, the Great Hall can expand to accommodate as many people as needed. The size of buildings in the spirit world is not static. They expand or collapse to meet the present need.

This lack of subservience to the ordinary principles that govern matter reminds one of Christ feeding the multitude with a few fish and loaves; or the manna falling during the years in the wilderness; or the pot of oil that did not run out until every vessel was full.

Christ always was able to set aside the laws of nature when it was necessary to accomplish his purposes. This ability is useful at a wedding banquet when they run out of food or drink, isn’t it? It is not pleasant for fig trees, though, that do not bear fruit out of season when Christ is hungry!

There also are several two-story wooden apartments on the left side of the inner ward—three-story if you count the basement. This is where the cook and his helper, our waitress, Alana, Rodel who keeps the tower rooms clean and orderly, the gardeners, and other servants and their families live.

On the second floor of one of the apartments on the left is a large music room. The door was open and I could see a cello and other orchestral instruments toward the back of the room. There are two grand pianos side by side in the middle of the room. I was glad to see this, because I have, for the past few years, returned to my study of classical music.

I know somehow that the Lord is going to give me opportunities to improve my playing, and maybe provide me with one of the great piano teachers of history. My teacher can sit at the piano on the left and we can play together. Wouldn’t that be something!

Tom, finally noticing that I was ready to rest for a while (I think Amira whispered this to him), took Amira, me, and Bear to the large tower to the right of the stable. This tower forms the front right corner of the wall, or curtain, that surrounds the inner ward. As you may remember, my ceremonial armor is in the basement of this tower.

Tad said “Good night,” and went upstairs to the barracks. This is where Tad lives when he is not guarding me. Tad seemed happy enough to leave us and return to the garrison over the stable. He has angel friends there.

The barracks that house the garrison, the defenders of the castle, as well as Tad, my guardian-angel, is, as I stated, over the stable. I’m sure Tad spoke a word of comfort to his stallion, Lance, before he went upstairs to his room. Amira went to say good night to White King. I checked on Warfighter, Kamur, and Watcher to make sure they were secure for the “night.”

The large tower we were approaching in the inner ward reminded me of this Scripture: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Tom opened the door to the tower. It is to the right of the stable, and the four of us entered. The first floor of the tower is termed “the basement” and is used for storage, as I stated previously.

We turned and entered the spiral stone staircase. The staircase is a smaller tower built into the wall of this large residential tower. The steps are attached to a column in the middle, termed the “newel post.” The wall is on your left as you go up. There is an iron railing attached to the wall, by your left hand.

The steps are not all at the same height and are slightly irregular in shape. The purpose for their unevenness is that while the inhabitants of the tower are familiar with their irregularities and watch out for them, invaders would stumble and fall. Tom warned us about this and went ahead of us, pointing out the dangerous places of the stone steps.

The staircase brought us to the first room, the second floor of the tower. We opened the narrow door to the room and went in. This is Amira’s room. I could tell she has been here before.

You might picture a room inside a tower to be cramped. This is not the case. The room is like a hotel room, except there are no walls as such. The room is circular, being inside a tower. You can get an idea from this how large the tower is. The stone walls of Amira’s room are plastered over and then covered with green hangings. (I’m beginning to think green is Amira’s favorite color.) Amira was wearing a green dress with a green bow in her hair. Green, green, green!

There are splashes of red and brown here and there. In the center of the room, with the head to the left as you enter, there is a large bed with a white canopy overhead. There is a white blanket, white sheets, and white pillows. Of course, the pajamas laid out on the bed were green.

On your left, this side of the bed, there is a stand with a washbasin, a white cup, a matching pitcher with cold water, an iron pitcher with hot water, and some silver candle holders. The candle holders are placed on corbels (stones projecting from the wall), about five feet from the floor and spaced around the room every three feet or so.

The candles were burning, which gave the room a homey, comfortable look. I did not check to see, but I do not believe the candle flame would be hot enough to burn me.

Since there is only the one window, candles are necessary during the day to keep the room lighted.

One may wonder, “How can candles burn and give off light without air?” In the first three days of creation there were no sun, moon, or stars. Where did the light come from? Also, a light from Heaven brighter than the sun shone down on Saul of Tarsus on his trip to Damascus.

When we are making comparisons between the physical world and the spirit world, we must keep in mind that the spirit world is the original, real, eternal world. It is the physical world that is the temporary imitation, fabricated to make necessary adjustments in people. Then, when the real, eternal world clothes itself with physical forms, the righteous Kingdom of Christ will function in the manner God wishes.

The same question arises when we think of food being cooked in the spirit world when there are no fires or electricity. In some manner, God provides the necessary heat, perhaps by some chemical reaction, or just by the power of his Spirit alone.

As I remember, there were “tongues of fire” on the disciples on the occasion of the birth of the Church. Then too, there was a powerful fire from the Lord that burned up the wood, stones, and soil when Elijah was demonstrating the reality of the God of Israel. When we think about Hell, and the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, we realize God has no problem providing heat without air. Do you agree?

Straight ahead as one enters the room, an alcove had been constructed. At the end of the alcove is a window protected by iron crosspieces and heavy wooden shutters, which were closed. On each side of this small room there are two window seats made of stone and covered with wood. One can look out the window and see the outer wall of the castle, and beyond that the farms.

There are dark brown pads on the window seats and a dark brown carpet covering the wooden floor.

In fact, the floor of the entire inner ward is covered with a dark brown carpet. This is true even of the Great Hall.

There is a bookcase on the right as you go into the room, holding several books and booklets. I noticed a Bible. I opened the Bible at random. The text looked to be in Arabic from what little I have seen of Arabic writing.

To the left of the recessed room there is a table and chair, on the far side of the bed.

There were dresses, blouses, skirts, and a white robe hanging in a wooden closet in the left front “corner” of the room, to the right when you are facing the wash basin. There were sandals of different colors, including white. There was one pair of closed-toe white sandals with a heavier sole than the others.

Hanging from one of the corbels is a picture of the Lord Jesus talking to a group of attentive children.

Amira is a happy youngster. She was going from one piece of furniture to another and had a comment about everything in her room. She kept looking up at me to see if I was pleased with her room. Of course, Bear had to sniff at everything she could reach.

Amira went over and sat on the edge of the bed. She said, “Dad, I’ll see you after you are rested.”

With this, Tom, Bear, and I turned and went out of the room. Tom closed the door behind us as we entered the spiral staircase.

We understand that the world we live in, on the earth, is to a certain extent an illusion. While on earth we do not actually “see” anything. Our eyes are not windows.

The characteristics of objects we observe in our world are properties of molecules, which in turn are formed from bits of energy. Light reflects from the object and travels along our optic nerve, and our brain interprets the impulse. Thus we do not actually “see” anything, in the sense of looking out the windows of our eyes and actually seeing what is in front of us.

The objects we observe in the spirit world are more real in that they are not composed of atoms and molecules. But even they have been fabricated for our purposes. This is why my home is not a suburban house but a castle. I am a man of war. A castle is meaningful to me, whereas a regular house, or tent, or hut, would have little significance.

If we are to understand what God is doing, we must go back to the original decree. God is making man in God’s image. Making us in God’s image entails radical changes in our character. Some Christians experience a bit of progress during their lifetime on the earth.

Other believers make virtually no progress at all and must experience a great deal of teaching after they die if they are to be fashioned in the image of their Creator. “The spirits of righteous men made perfect,” the Book of Hebrews says.

The earth, the sky, the oceans—all are temporary and expendable. They exist only to perfect the spirits of the righteous. Thus the physical realm is one great school.

Indeed, there is a Paradise. But again, what is to be found in Paradise to a certain extent may be what people desire; or what God has put in their heart to desire. Perhaps Paradise is somewhat different for each one of us. God is great enough to do that, you know. We become aware of his Glory when we consider the galaxies that occupy outer space.

If I am not mistaken, there are enough galaxies of stars to accommodate every person who has been born on the earth.

Therefore my home is a castle, fabricated according to my desires. There are fierce battles ahead until Christ’s enemies have been made his footstool. My castle is a place where I can regroup, as it were, and prepare myself to answer the call of Christ when He is ready to increase his victory over the enemy.

Tom, Bear, and I continued up the spiral staircase until we reached the door to the highest room. If we kept climbing we would have come out in the turret next to our tower and stood on the leads.

My room, the third story, is laid out the same as Amira’s room. The hangings are purple and dark brown. There is a dark brown throw rug on the floor, similar to that in Amira’s room.

There is the familiar washbasin, white cup and pitchers next to it. I suppose servants bring hot water so we can wash up in the morning.

There are the clothes closet, the chair, the table, the silver candle holders on corbels. The candles had been lighted. The window is larger than Amira’s, however. There is the alcove with the window protected by iron crosspieces.

There are the two stone window seats with the dark brown pads on them. The wooden shutters had been closed. I could see my white robe and some other clothes, hanging in the clothes closet; and my brown sandals neatly placed on the bottom. There also was a pair of closed-toe white sandals with heavy soles. These must be for battle.

On the right as you go in there is a large bookcase. I glanced at some of the books. As far as I could tell, all the books and booklets I have written are there, and also some of C. S. Lewis. There are three different translations of the Bible, and interlinear Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts.

There was a picture hanging from a corbel, over the bookcase. It showed the Tabernacle of the Congregation with a pillar of fire over the Most Holy Place. God knew I would enjoy that because the design of the Tabernacle tells us so much about the Kingdom of God. There is a similar picture in my office at the church in Poway.

There were blue pajamas on the bed, so I took off my shirt and pants and put on the pajamas.

Bear made her customary tour of the room, pausing to sniff at everything.

The blanket on the bed is blue. The pillows and the sheets are white. The covers were thrown back on the bed. Someone knew how much I needed to rest and reflect on what had taken place during the most extraordinary “time” of my life.

Looking at the bed, I realized how much had transpired since the first signs of the heart attack. I was not tired in the ordinary sense, but I indeed was ready to lie down and think about what I had experienced. I went over and closed the shutters.

I reached up and snuffed out all the candles except the one on a corbel to the left of the picture of the Tabernacle of the Congregation. I used the little wooden snuffer that was kept on the corbel with the night candle. Then I crawled into bed.

There was a blue pillow at the end of the bed. Bear assumed it was for her, and jumped up and laid on it.

Did Bear and I sleep? I don’t know. One picture after another went through my mind. I was—what shall I say?—amazed that I finally was home in Jesus’ world. It certainly is a much better world, compared with the problems of life on earth.

I missed Audrey, Marc, and David, and their families, and the people of the church. But it was not with a painful sense of loss, because I knew they were fulfilling their destinies and were “safe in the arms of Jesus,” as Fanny Crosby wrote. The Lord already had told me they all are members of his elect. Now it remains only for them to make their calling and election certain. Audrey and I will keep praying that they will do just that!

So it was with a deep satisfaction and an expectation of incredible joy that I got under the blanket and rested. Bear soon went to sleep (or rested—whatever animals do in the spirit world) on her blue pillow at the foot of the bed.

As I lay there regrouping, you might say, I thought, “How come ‘home’ is a castle? Why isn’t it just a fine house with a lawn? What is a castle doing in the spirit world?” Two thoughts came to me.

First, I like castles. I have studied about them. A castle really is a fortress. Several countries in Europe, in South America, and the Middle East had their own style of castle, dating back at least to the twelfth century.

The second reason for making “home” a castle is more profound and may not readily be grasped by the reader.

The spirit world is a place of warfare, as we read in the Book of Daniel.

The rebellion of the angels began at the highest level of the heavens, around the Throne of God. There has been war in the heavens ever since. The war is between righteousness and unrighteousness; truth and falsehood; good and evil. Most importantly, it is the fundamental struggle between the will of God and the will of his creatures.

God’s plan was to find someone in the heavens who loves righteousness and hates wickedness with the same intensity of passion that God loves righteousness and hates wickedness, and who will remain totally obedient to God.

God found this intensity and obedience in the Word, who is now the Lord Jesus.

God tested the Word in the area of stern obedience to the Father. In the process, an atonement was made for the sins of the world. Jesus then was given all authority and power in Heaven and upon the earth.

Next, God is taking of the obedient Spirit of the Lord Jesus and placing it in people whom God has chosen so they also will delight to do God’s will, and will passionately love righteousness and hate wickedness.

We know from the Bible that in the last days there is to be an unprecedented outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This will result in the acceptance of the Gospel by a multitude of people—perhaps most of the people in the world.

Then God will lift this power so the fruit of the revival may be tested. The result will be that the love for the Lord of the majority of believers will grow cold. The worldwide witness will be reduced to a remnant hidden somewhere on the earth.

The diminishing of the witness will open the way for Antichrist to become prominent. Antichrist will encourage the nations of the earth to reject the rulership of the Lord Jesus Christ in favor of developing the “god” who is in each person. Cradle-to-grave security will be promoted for all who are willing to serve Antichrist. The universal cry will be: “Peace and safety in our time.”

Then Christ suddenly shall be revealed. The firmament shall be shaken. The sign of Christ shall appear in the sky for all to see. This probably will be a cross of some kind, for that is the symbol of the Christian faith.

Toward the end of the Church Age there is to come a sudden maturing of the Word, Christ, in the holy ones (saints; believers) whom God has called out from the world. The result will be that the saints will overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb; by the word of their testimony of God’s Person, will, and coming Kingdom; and by loving not their life to the point of death.

Satan understands that many who are last in time shall be first in the Kingdom of God. This is why Satan is emphasizing abortion, homosexual behavior, and confusion of gender. It is to prevent the birth of the rulers of the coming Kingdom.

As a result of the saints coming to maturity, Michael will be empowered to tear Satan and his angels from the heavens and hurl them down to the earth. This event will cause great rejoicing in the heavens but will bring about a period of moral and physical horrors in the earth.

When God has found enough people who love righteousness and hate wickedness, and have been tested rigorously in obedience, He will form them into an army, with the Lord Jesus at the head. This is God’s army of righteous judges, having the word of judgment in their mouth.

There is another army. It is an army of angels, with Michael as commander in chief. The army of angels will descend with the army of judges and wage war against the armies of the ungodly. The forces of righteousness will prevail. Antichrist and the False Prophet will be confined to the Lake of Fire. Satan will be chained and thrown down into the Bottomless Pit.

At a future time Satan will be released from the Bottomless Pit and once again introduce rebellion into the earth. But this time the fire of God will consume the wicked, and all the dead shall stand before God in judgment.

Those of whom God approves will be prepared for their life on the new earth. Then the glorified Christian Church will descend through the new sky to be established for eternity on the new earth.

Now, here is the point. Remember the question: Why has God given me a castle, a fortress, for my home? It is because it always will be possible for God’s creatures to rebel against himself. Therefore there is a massive wall surrounding the place of his Throne, the new Jerusalem. Also, God has perfected in iron righteousness and stern obedience, saints who shall govern the earth lest another rebellion arise.

Thus we understand that the spirit world must be kept righteous, holy, and obedient to God by kings, warrior-judges, and warrior-angels. The potential for rebellion will always be true of God’s universe.

Hence the castle. A castle is a fitting home for someone who is called to be a soldier of Christ. God’s creation always will have a need for warrior-judges who will investigate questionable behavior or outright rebellion, and an army of warrior-angels to enforce the decisions of the judges.

Please do not hold to the idea that when the Lord returns, or when the new Jerusalem comes down to the new earth, life will be all cake and candy with no responsibilities. In fact, it will be a real “down to earth” life of activity in the arts, sciences, and many of the other vocations with which we are familiar.

There always will be an army of warrior-judges, consisting of humans who have this calling, and warrior-angels who will enforce the commands of the righteous judges who govern and judge the people of the nations.

After the forces of Christ have vanquished the forces of the wicked, there no longer will be Satan, demons, or wicked people except in areas of confinement where they cannot infect the population. But the problem does not end here.

Please keep in mind that at one time Satan was a guardian cherub of extraordinary beauty. He may have been one of the two cherubim guarding the very Throne of God. There was no sin at this time in Heaven, as far as we know, and Satan was not created with a sinful nature.

Yet personal ambition somehow was formed in Satan’s spirit. He wanted to rule independently of the Father. From this desire to act independently of God has proceeded all sin and the consequent insane chaos of the world. We can see how discontentment with the position God has assigned to us to can produce havoc!

After Satan, Antichrist, the false prophet, the rebellious angels, the demons, and the human beings who chose the way of Satan, have been contained in the Lake of Burning Sulfur, it may happen in the future that another cherub, or another angel, or one of the saints, the sons of God, may entertain the thought of ruling independently of God and Christ, not being content with his or her Divinely appointed place in the universe.

The attitude of willingness to live one’s life independently of the desire of Christ for us is widespread among the Christians of our day.

When the brothers of Christ have grown to maturity, one of them may decide to try to drive all the other brothers from God’s Presence so he alone will be the heir of God. It has happened before in history!

The only force that can prevent a future rebellion is the tested and perfected will of those whom God permits to govern his new sky and earth.

This is the reason why God’s future rulers while living on the present earth are tested repeatedly to see if they will obey God and Christ no matter what happens to them. When the sons of God come to maturity they will be awesome personages indeed, and God must be certain they will not become proud and proceed to destroy the wonderful kingdom God has in mind.

In the future, should any angel or cherub or human think of rebelling against God and his Christ, this individual will be dealt with immediately. The warrior-judges will be alerted. Sufficient force will be exerted to correct the problem before there is another rebellion against God and we have to endure another six thousand years of insane chaos.

The world during the Kingdom age, and then on the new earth, will be a dynamic environment in which people who have chosen to be subject to Christ will be able to fulfill without distraction the roles for which they have been created. We can look forward to the most marvelous achievements in all areas of endeavor.

Scientists always will be exploring the Father’s knowledge, and yet never coming to the end—for God’s knowledge is infinite, even though we are unable at this time to comprehend infinity.

Then my mind began to drift. The next thing I knew, Amira was knocking on the door. I said, “Come in.” Her black eyes were sparkling. She was wearing a white blouse and brown skirt, and had a blue butterfly pin on her blouse. Evidently Amira likes butterflies. Her sandals were brown. Amira’s sandals do not appear to be as heavy as mine. Some of them are open-toe while all mine are closed-toe.

Amira asked me if I was ready for a great adventure. After she said this she skipped around in a circle, although there is not much room to do this in my apartment. What a happy little girl! When Amira goes anywhere with me she walks and skips, walks and skips, walks and skips. The only time she is somber is when we are drawing near to the great Temple in which the Father permits people to come and worship him. All people in the vicinity of the Temple are quiet and somber. More about this later.

I could see Amira was beginning to love and trust me, although it was clear Jesus is her first love. I understand this because she chatters about Him constantly, telling me how kind He is to all the children. He gathers to himself a few of them at a time and tells them about how good God is, how God through Him created everything in the universe, including children. I can’t be jealous because after all, Jesus created Amira and died that our race (mankind) might be forgiven their sins.

I have grown to love my new little daughter—and she is a little girl in spite of her wisdom and knowledge.

I asked Amira to please wait outside until I had washed up a bit. There was hot water in the iron pitcher. A servant must have entered my room unnoticed while I was resting. The wooden shutters were open.

Since Amira did not have on a white robe, I put on a white shirt, dark blue slacks, and brown loafers on my feet. I put on also a brown and blue necktie. It appears that in this environment our clothes do not get wrinkled or dirty. It may be different after the resurrection and we are back on the earth. Or perhaps an angel is taking my clothes while I am sleeping and putting clean ones in the closet.

Amira, Bear, and I went down the stairs. We both were holding onto the railing on our right and watching our feet carefully. When we came to the bottom, a guard (probably an angel) was stationed at the door of our tower. Erhard, the guard, was not positioned at the door when we first entered the tower. Tom had let us in. So Erhard must have come during the night.

Erhard is tall and powerful looking. He wears a dark blue jacket with two rows of small brass buttons down the front, buttoned at the neck, and dark blue pants. He has on black boots. He has a long sword with a brass knuckle-guard and pommel, and a grip covered with black leather.

I found out later that at one time Erhard had been a commander in the angelic army. He had been close to Michael and had fought in many battles, emerging as a hero. Erhard is one of the elect angels who has taken his stand for righteousness, when many of the angels of Heaven were attracted by Satan’s invitation to rebel against God.

Erhard had been relieved of his office as a commander in order that he might serve as the main guard in Godwill Castle. This is because we also are standing for obedience to God and righteousness of behavior, and this issue has not as yet been resolved in the spirit world or on the earth. Nicholaus and Alain, whom you will meet later, also are elect angels and have distinguished themselves in battle.

Erhard opens and closes the heavy iron door. We do not touch it. The door is thick, solid iron, and locks on the inside in case archers who want to defend the inner ward should desire to enter, lock the door from the inside, and use the embrasures and arrow loops. Some of the arrow loops face toward the inner ward, and some face outward so the archers inside the tower can help with the defense of the outer ward.

Erhard’s uniform is so similar to Tad’s it is possible that this type of clothing is reserved for those angels who are guarding people, and also for the outriders who prevent the Castle from being taken by surprise..

Erhard, like Tad, is very serious. He looks like someone you would not want to be near when he is upset. Erhard said “good morning” to our thoughts. He does not speak English.

As Amira, Bear, and I were leaving the tower, Erhard gave Bear a biscuit, which the dog consumed in one gulp. Bear must have been really hungry! I get the feeling our stern-faced guard likes Bear.

Amira, Bear, and I went to the stable, which is on the left side of our tower, and greeted the stableman, Heng. We called up to Tad. Tad came down the wooden stairs instantly, having been waiting for us. Tad was wearing his blue jacket and pants, but his jacket was unbuttoned at the neck. His dagger was on his right side, and his cap tucked into his belt on his left side. He was wearing his black boots. Tad greeted us with a friendly smile and said hello to Amira and Bear.

When Tad is fighting in a battle he appears to be wearing a white robe similar to the guards on the wall-walk. When Tad and I go somewhere together as two friends we wear brown or blue slacks and a brown or blue shirt open at the neck, with no tie. On these occasions Tad’s white hair becomes brown. We wear white dress shirts with ties only on special occasions.

I change from a white robe to articles of clothing in the customary way. Tad’s natural appearance is a white robe. This is more like a manifestation than it is a robe. Tad can put on clothing over this robe, however.

Tad doesn’t talk much, but I saw he was continually watching and observing everything. He is my guardian and is well trained.

The three of us, and Bear, went into the stable and said good morning to the five animals. Watcher moved her feet around on her perch. She “klick-klicked” a little. The three stallions nickered their greetings. Kamur looked up, and then put his massive head down and continued eating what looked like oats.

Amira led us out to the Great Hall. There was a long wooden table and a matching wooden bench on each side. We sat down and a servant girl brought out our food from the kitchen. She certainly looks human, but we found out that she actually is an angel. Her name is Alana.

Alana appears to be a young lady about twenty-two years of age, I would say. (Alana does not have wings!) She is always smiling and is very courteous. When she speaks to us, and we to her, it is mind to mind. We could speak in English, but Alana would not recognize the words, only our thoughts.

Alana is attractive, with regular features. She has long black hair on top of which sits a white waitress’ cap. Her skin is brown. Her body is willowy, one might say. She looks Hawaiian in appearance. Alana was wearing a red blouse, black slacks, and a white apron.

Alana brought our food in bowls. She put down plates, silverware, and cups in front of us. Alana went into the adjoining kitchen and brought out milk and water in pitchers, also hot mint tea.

One bowl contained melons from which the rinds had been removed. The melons had been cut in quarters. There was another bowl with biscuits, similar to the biscuit Erhard gave Bear. There was a plate with a slab of butter, and a dish of some kind of preserves that resembled strawberry jam. In addition there were hard-boiled and scrambled eggs. We all were good and hungry and this was a fine meal.

As far as digestion is concerned, our spiritual form utilizes for nourishment all that we eat and drink, leaving no residue. This is true also of the animals.

Alana put two bowls on the carpet for Bear, at the end of our table. One had little biscuits in milk, and the other water. Bear ate and drank as though she was starved, dripping crumbs and milk on the brown carpet. This did not seem to bother Alana, however, so we knew the little crumbs and stains would be taken care of.

Before we started eating, the three of us held hands and I asked God to bless our food to our use, not to the nourishment of our bodies because we did not have physical bodies as yet. Alana bowed her head and prayed with us. We prayed before every meal we had in the castle.

We were so busy eating, not much was said during the meal. When we were finished, Alana brought napkins and little bowls of water to wash our hands in.

Then Amira said, “We are supposed to visit a community today.” With this we all arose. We went to the stable and told Heng we needed our animals, except for White King. Heng returned with Lance, Kamur, Warfighter, and Watcher. Lance and Warfighter had their blankets and pads.

This was very exciting for Bear. We could hear White King whinny in disappointment at being left behind.

A Community

Amira, Tad, and I, plus the animals, passed through the inner gate. Heng walked with us with Watcher, her wings folded, perched on the leather gauntlet on his fist. As we approached the outer gate the drawbridge was let down and secured. The seven of us tramped across, and then continued down the ramp.

Heng held out his right fist and soon Watcher was circling at her post in the sky. Heng strode back up the ramp and into the castle. Immediately the drawbridge was raised. In its raised position it is an additional protection for the outer gate.

The “weather” was so pleasant we agreed to walk for awhile. The animals stayed with us. Bear was running here and there, sniffing and getting all the news.

Before long we came to fields with people working in them. The fields stretched as far as I could see. Amira said these were people, not angels. They look to Godwill Castle for protection. If an enemy appears they can take refuge in the Castle.

There were some grain fields, some truck farms with vegetables (I could see the melons like the ones we had for breakfast), there were fruit trees. There were both men and women working in the fields. Some were wearing coveralls, some aprons, some had boots, some had gloves, and some wore caps. There was no sun so wide-brimmed headgear was not needed.

I asked Amira if it rained. She said, “No.” She went on, “At night a mist comes up from the earth and waters the ground, just like in the beginning before Adam and Eve were created.” I would assume from this that the children had been taught at least some of the Bible.

There were farmhouses here and there. I could see chickens, cows, sheep, and horses. There were children playing in the yards.

I had made Kamur invisible so as not to frighten the animals, the people, or the children. Watcher was at her post in the air.

I called out to people as we walked by: “God be with you.”

They responded: “And with you and your family.” I think they knew that the lord of Godwill Castle had come and would meet with them at the proper time.

As I said those words, I suddenly became aware I had not prayed since I died, except for saying “grace” before our meals. So I looked to the Lord in my heart and thanked Him profusely for such a great inheritance, our animals, Tad, Amira, our castle, and all the workers in the fields and their families. Truly, I have been blessed above measure.

I think Amira and Tad sensed I was praying and added their prayers to mine.

We finally came to the end of the farms. Before us was a glorious sight, a paradise of grass, flowers, trees, and streams. I wanted to sit down and just look at the splendor of it all. It took my breath away to see such beauty. It was the most peaceful scene I ever have observed. There were birds of various colors in the trees and flying through the air. They were praising God with their voices.

I noticed little groups of well behaved children sitting in grassy areas in front of adults, who apparently were teaching them. There were puppies, kittens, and other pets lying next to some of the children. I have been an elementary-school teacher but I have never seen anything like this. This is Heaven, I exclaimed!

There were sheep grazing, and some herdsmen watching them. There also were cows. Here and there would be a person walking, or just sitting on the grass in contemplation. We could see hills in the distance but not mountains.

Amira said, “We can come back and see these classes and the farms at another time. We are supposed to go to the city now.” Amira is a very serious young lady, and it appears Christ is speaking to us through her.

We decided that Amira, Bear, and I would ride on Warfighter until we came to the city. Watcher and Kamur would come along with us. Tad would ride Lance. Then, when we came to the city, the animals and Tad would become invisible so only Amira and I could be seen. Tad would not be seen but would be guarding me at all times, even as he did the last few years of my life on the earth. We mounted up and took off. Amira directed us. We veered to the left. Amira said, “We are coming to a suburb of the City of York, an English community.”

First we encountered the farms on our left. I lifted Amira down holding Bear, and then I dismounted.

Amira said, “There is a farm on the outskirts of every community.” The scene was similar to the farms outside Godwill Castle. There were happy people working and singing. One field was being plowed. There was a young man guiding the plow with a horse pulling. There was a wagon loaded with corn being pulled by a horse. There were bales of hay on the ground waiting to be picked up.

There were cows grazing in a field. There were small children playing with their little wagons and tricycles. There were dogs running about. Since Tad and our animals were invisible, and there was just Amira and I walking along, no one paid attention to us.

There were some houses on the farms. I think the farm people could choose to live on the farm where they worked, or in the suburb. I do not remember anything of interest on our right, across from the farms. There probably was just grass or meadows.

Pretty soon we came to the suburb, and houses appeared on our right. Amira said, “We will just follow this road and look at the houses and the people before we come to the city.” Warfighter continued to walk along next to Lance.

The houses were about what one would see in a rural community in a Western nation. There were no tract houses. Each house was unique and had a small front yard of grass, and a dirt path leading to a horse shed on the side or behind the house. In some cases there were wagons along with the horses in the sheds.

In front of some of the houses there were gates with vines growing over them that opened onto a flagstone walkway leading to the front door of the house. Some of the houses also had chicken coops on the side and rear, The backyard was fenced and there were chickens in the yard.

Some of the houses were brown, some white, some green, some light blue with a brown roof, some gray, one or two were red, but these probably were brick. The houses for the most part were of clapboard construction, even the roof. But there also were brick and stucco houses. Some had wood-shingle roofs, or even thatch. Many of the houses had dormers. Almost all of the houses had porches, some just in front and some extending along one side of the house.

While I was in the spirit world I did not see an individual house at a distance from other homes. Rather, the social pattern was somewhat like an Indian village, in the sense that people lived in communities where there was a common sense of belonging. This really is a comfortable pattern, you know, especially for children and young people.

I wonder why it is that while living on the earth we Americans want to be private, separate from other people. This does not appear to be the case with primitive people, who tend to live in villages—like large families. I have to give this some thought.

Why is our mania for privacy such a compulsion? Perhaps the popularity of Internet social networking sites among young people is a reaction against privacy and reveals a need for relationships. The problem with the social networking sites is that ordinarily the adults do not participate with the young people, and the result is a moral disaster.

Anonymity often is associated with sin and crime, isn’t it?

Sometimes people prefer to live in communities, such as the Hutterites, and share their possessions. The early Christian Church had all things in common for a season.

Yet we have to consider that God, long ago, confounded the language when people were of one speech. The multiplicity of languages and dialects may be a primary reason for wars and misunderstandings. Why would God do this?

God wants us to love one another and to be in oneness in God, as we see in John 17:21-23. He wants us to be one in him, not just in one another. Otherwise we fall in love with each other and place God on the outside. The result of human society without the involvement of God and his Christ always will result in all sorts of crime and destruction, as we see in Sodom and Gomorrah.

So whether in a community or isolated from one another, life without the Presence of God and Jesus Christ always will be a disaster and result in moral depravity, pain, grief, robbery, and every other torment and agony of mind and body.

There were many trees surrounding the houses. I recognized some pepper trees. Several of the houses had gardens along the side, and in back, from what we could see. Some had hedges in front that had been trimmed. Some had two or even three stories. There were not many fences.

There were bicycles and tricycles in many of the front yards and sometimes dogs. The dogs were very interested in Bear. They could smell her but not see her, which confused the dogs. One of them barked at Bear, and then whined and walked away.

There were little children playing in the street in front of the houses. Some were riding scooters. Others were on roller skates with rubber tires large enough to keep from sinking into the ground. Others were playing marbles. There were groups of little girls playing with their dolls. There was a group of boys and girls tossing a ball back and forth. Some of the children were riding bicycles or tricycles. Some were pulling the littlest children in wagons.

What a happy scene! Since these all were small children, it is likely the older boys and girls were in school. There was a lot of laughing and shrieking on the road and also coming from the meadow across from the houses.

The houses fronted on the road, except, as I said, for a small front yard. There were no houses across the road but a meadow. The meadow, much like the meadow that I saw when I awakened in the real world, stretched as far as the eye could see. There were little animals, puppies, kitties, squirrels, and bunnies here and there. There were many children playing with the animals.

In the meadow there were slides, swings, a merry-go-round, five or six seesaws, and large and small balls to play with. About a hundred yards from the road there was a lake. There were ducks swimming in the lake. There were benches around the lake, some occupied by older people who were watching the ducks or the children or just enjoying the beauty of the surroundings.

You know, as I reflect on it, there is, in the spirit world, an emphasis on children and small animals. This is true even in the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, that I visited later. When you think about it, we would expect there would be numerous children in Heaven. The Kingdom belongs to them. And as far as small animals are concerned, they just go together with little children, don’t they?

Perhaps children and little animals are more important to God than we understand.

The animals were playing, chasing each other, having a wonderful time. There was a great variety of birds, some flying overhead, some in the different kinds of trees that were placed here and there in the meadow, some on the ground. I love meadows so this was a sight I really enjoyed.

The birds probably could not see Watcher, but perhaps they could sense her presence. In any case, she did not seem to bother them.

I wondered where all these animals get their food and water. I expect they are fed by angels, and perhaps by the families in the houses who made pets of some of them.

I looked up to the Lord: “No transportation vehicles other than horses and wagons?”

He said, “Not yet. The Father has determined that many of the inventions of world civilization will not be restored until people learn that God is more concerned that people love Him and each other before anything else is accomplished.

“Mankind from the beginning has been more concerned with money and achievement than with relationships. The result has been wars, murder, jealousy, covetousness, greed, the love of preeminence, hatred, bitterness, and many other destructive results.

“So, no cars or buses, or trains, or airplanes, or telephones, or even electricity. Only the simplest of human devices and conveniences will be permitted until God has been able to teach people that they always must obey Christ, put God first in all areas of their life, and treat their neighbor as they themselves would want to be treated.

“The emphasis here is on people and loving relationships.”

This response from the Lord Jesus marked the beginning of my understanding of the radical change in human society that God through Christ intends to bring about. I must admit it required a period of time before I became convinced such a change in social relationships was possible. I certainly could see the desirability of such change when I thought of the madness of the world situation at the time I died.

But little by little I became accustomed to the thought of God taking over the affairs of all of us, and I began to rejoice at the thought of a world filled with God, and therefore with righteousness, love, joy, and peace. After all, these four blessings are the fruit of the Spirit, aren’t they? They are not the product of well intentioned people.

On the porches there were chairs and porch swings. There were elderly men and women sitting on some of the front porches, watching the boys and girls. One elderly woman, who reminded me of someone I knew, waved at us as we went by. I guess I was mistaken, since this is an English community.

The total impression was one of peace, home, and family—the kind of place where many of us would really enjoy living. This is not true of me personally because I am called to be part of the Lord’s army, and so a castle is just fine—for the present at least.

The Lord spoke to my mind: “The people here are of the English race. There are many English communities as well as American communities, and those of other cultures. The English community you are visiting is representative of the communities of the spirit world.

“The American communities do not have as many different races in them as you might have thought, because quite a few people when they die prefer to return to the land of their racial origin. But there are some who prefer to remain Americans.

“Your country, America, is mixed racially. Its fabric is being torn apart, as you noticed in your last few years on earth. Because America is a political experiment, and not a race, it will continue to be torn by strife, as the various races strive for power and prestige, until I return to the earth.

“I do not wish this strife to continue. When I am governing the earth, during the period while I am preparing people for the new earth, I will divide the land area of America into several nations, each nation with its own righteous king, so that people who choose to do so may live there in peace.”

The Lord explained, “What you are experiencing is not the world of the resurrection but the spirit world that people encounter after they die. Most of the people in the communities are individuals God has chosen to save, not members of the elect, the royal priesthood.

“The majority of the elect are in the Holy City, preparing for their roles as rulers and priests. However, a few members of the elect are still in communities while their social behavior is being improved.

“There are many people whom God loves who are not part of the governing priesthood, the Church!

“What you see here will be true to a certain extent on the earth throughout the thousand-year Kingdom Age, and then later in a more mature state on the new earth. Eventually the people, circumstances, and things that have been developed and perfected in th spirit world will assume material form and be placed on the new earth.

“I had to remove Paradise and my Presence from the physical world until I could put things in order. When that has been accomplished, my saints and I will reenter the material world. Paradise will issue from us and accompany us. Paradise is the natural environment of righteous, holy creatures. If wicked people were to be brought into Paradise, the area soon would be a place of corruption, torment, and death, just as the earth is today.

“I have said that in the resurrection people neither marry nor are given in marriage. Earthly marriage occurs as people are drawn together by the desires of their bodies. One body is attracted to another body. After a period of time, the inner natures, particularly the wills, begin to express themselves. The partners then may not be pleased with one another and there may be pain and distress.

“But there are families and union in the spirit world, and in the world of the resurrection. People are drawn together by the intervention of God.

“Angels appear in a manner that makes sense and is pleasing to people, but angels have no gender. Gender is an extremely significant characteristic of man. Male and female is part of the original decree. Satan attacks gender with such vehemence because of his jealousy. No cherub, seraph, angel, or any other race God has made has gender as does mankind.”

I remember that before I died there were radical ideas concerning gender. A particular class of people were referred to as “transgender,” meaning they were not certain the physical characteristics they were born with were a valid representation of who they are.

I may be incorrect, but it does not seem to me to be God’s way to place a female baby in a male body. It is possible when a young boy begins to act like a girl, or wants to be a girl, it is because there is a female spirit, in addition to the boy’s spirit, who has entered the boy’s body. The same sort of thing may be responsible for the homosexual tendency. If this is true, then the alien spirits can be removed from the individuals by prayer.

However, care must be taken that such efforts at deliverance are conducted under the auspices of godly elders, not employed by irritated, willful individuals who have no idea of the gravity of the operation they are undertaking. It is a matter for prayer by mature, experienced Christians who are under the guidance of the Spirit of God.

I have never found in the Bible any reference to God creating gender confusion. However there are exhortations in the Old Testament commanding people not to imitate those of the opposite gender. Also, First Corinthians 6:9 states that the effeminate and homosexuals are unrighteous and shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.

There was, at least in the Western nations, the effort of people with homosexual inclinations to prove that the pattern God established at the creation, of male and female, and the consequent reproduction of additional people, is not the only acceptable pattern of human relationships. Thus the concept of gender is important.

I guess they have not read about God’s attitude toward Sodom.

The determining question concerning gender is, “Is the first chapter of the Book of Genesis a true account of God’s intention concerning human beings?” In actuality, the primary question is: “Is the Bible God’s Word? Is it accurate in every respect?”

When you think about it, God could have created only men. Why a woman? Because the human race comes from woman. A woman is of extreme importance in her own right and is just as much “Adam” (“man”) as her male counterpart. Man is the structure of Adam. Woman is the heart, home, and joy of Adam.

But two men can adopt a little girl, and then you have daddy, daddy, and child, it is advanced. What happens, then, when the little girl wants to know who her mommy is? How are you going to answer her? You don’t have a mommy?

All the explanations and tolerance in the world will not change the fact that the normal pattern in the human-animal world is daddy, mommy, and child.

If the only purpose of marriage was sexual activity, then a case might be made for two or more men being married or two or more women being married. But because the purpose of marriage is to raise a family, then only a man and woman makes sense. And this is what the Bible teaches.

So the biblical pattern is husband, wife, and children—the family.

A man should show forth in himself the male qualities of God. A woman should show forth in herself the female qualities of God. A man and a woman are uniquely different creations.

It appears that today Satan is doing all in his power to confuse gender. Actually, the man and the woman are to complement each other. Together they reveal the image of God.

Two men or two women do not reveal the image of God, even if the man attempts to play the role of a woman, or the woman attempts to play the role of a man.

As I said before, men form the structure of the Kingdom of God. Women are the heart, home, and the joy of the Kingdom in the Day the things of earth are clothed with Heaven. Together they provide the image of God, the Kingdom of God.

“God is love,” the Lord said. “Love is the desire for union. Of all of God’s creatures, only man is capable of union with God and with others of his kind.

“Love cries for union. God and man can experience union. Animals have bodily gender but cannot enter true union. True union transcends bodily union just as human beings transcend animals. The fact that people and their Creator can attain union, and animals cannot, reveals that union involves more than gender.

“The will of God is the power of God that operates in the spirit world as well as in the creation at large. By the will and power of God the stars and planets move in their courses. People are able to walk around in the spirit world and remain on the ground when there is no gravity, by the will and power of God. The cherubim and the angels fly about when there is no air, by the will and the power of God.

“So it is that God builds families in the spirit world by means of His will and power, and shall continue to do so after the final resurrection of the dead of mankind.”

In a way this was true of Adam and Eve, wasn’t it. They did not have a wedding ceremony. Eve was made from Adam just as the glorified Church will be made from the body and blood of Christ.

Tradition has it that God took a rib from Adam and on that rib fashioned Eve. I think the Hebrew language might not support this tradition. The true meaning may be that God took a large piece from Adam, creating Eve from Adam’s “side.” This may be the true meaning. If this is so, the two people constituted one “man” called “Adam.” “And when they were created God called them ‘Adam,’ or ‘Man.’”

Jesus continued, “The greatest of all unions is that which exists between God and Christ, then Christ and his Church, and then God, Christ, and the Church as one entity. The members of the Church will experience spiritual union with one another and with Christ and God, as Christ enables.

“God often places people together in families. In the spirit world, God builds families by giving people the desires He wants them to have. Families are formed in this manner. In this case, the love is stronger than any ever known on the earth. ‘What God has joined together let not man separate.’”

The Lord went on to say, “One of the desires that many people have is that they will be reunited with their loved ones after death. In numerous instances this takes place. However there are no legal obligations as there are on the earth. The legal aspect of an earthly marriage is temporary. It does not persevere after death.

“The husband and wife and their children may be reunited after death, unless different destinies have been appointed to them. In this case the members would not have a desire to remain together.

“The relationships in the spirit world and in the world of the resurrection are based on God’s will and on the fulfillment of desire. This is why it is so very important that people ask God to give them his desires for them. God’s desires bring us to righteousness, love, joy, and peace. Other desires can lead the individual to hatred, misery, and discontentment.

“In the new world of righteousness that I am forming now in the spirit realm, the most important aspect of everyone’s life will be the nourishing and strengthening that come from warm, lasting relationships. God never again will permit a civilization to place a value on things and accomplishments above the value placed on loving relationships in a family.

“In the new world there will be marvelous advances in learning of all kinds, in the arts, in science, in engineering, in every form of technology. But all such advances will be carefully controlled by the Father so that loving relationships are always present and of paramount importance.

“The Father will insist on the preeminence of love and caring, and the supreme importance of wholesome relationships with other people. If an individual begins to show signs of covetousness, or hatred, or unforgiveness, or lying, or stealing, or some other antisocial behavior, God will intervene.

“God’s intervention in moral problems can range from simple rebuke and correction all the way to permanent removal from society and incarceration in the eternal fire. God never will permit war, or rebellion, or hatred, covetousness, or any other moral sickness to exist in his new world of righteousness.

“The social order never should be competitive. There always will be people who are not lazy, necessarily, but simply not strong enough in spirit or body to help themselves.

“In the new world of righteousness, it will not be true that some people do not have the basic necessities of life while others are living in luxury. However, there will be the strong and there will be the weak. God will put in the hearts of the strong to assist and guide the weak.

“God is very displeased when the strong compete with the weak rather than assisting them. The present central activity of mankind is that of competition, with the amassing of money as a major factor. When I return and install my Kingdom on the earth, the central activity will be that of sharing, and money no longer will be an issue. This pattern shall endure for eternity.

“In the instance where a person is lazy, or so self-centered that he or she cannot live peaceably and constructively with other people, there will be training that will continue until the character of the individual has improved.

“No antisocial attitudes will be acceptable. People will be guided and helped until they are at peace and can take care of themselves, and others as well, so that loving relationships prevail.

“There will be no crime, stealing, covetousness, murder, violence, or jealousy of any kind whatever in the new world of righteousness. The individual who has a destructive attitude will be chastened and taught until he or she no longer brings pain and confusion but will behave in a constructive manner.

“The person who refuses to be corrected will be separated from society for eternity. His or her permanent home will be among the wicked. The truly wicked, the incorrigibles, never will be granted the gift of repentance. Therefore they never will be permitted to enter the new world of righteousness.

“I know there are people who would regard a world without crime, or the ability to hurt others as they choose, as being undesirable. They will be placed with individuals with the same attitude and values in the hope they will have a change of heart as they experience the results of such attitudes and values. But as of now, a world in which they are forced to do what is right would not be acceptable to them.

“Godwill, you are on a special mission for me. You are responsible for the children I have given you. They are going to lead the attack against Antichrist and his army.

“Later, after the Day of Judgment, you and your children will join your fellow members of the elect, and become conscious of your eternal position at the right hand of God in Christ, as the new Jerusalem is being prepared to come down to the new earth.

“The main Temple of God is in the new Jerusalem, in Mount Zion, which you have not seen as yet. Nevertheless, you are an integral part of that city and its name is written on you.

“Meanwhile, proceed on the way I am bringing you, because the issue important to God is that of developing people who love God and their neighbor, not a great city no matter how marvelous. The first sin committed on the earth was disobedience to God. The second was the murder of a man’s brother. Thus the two greatest commandments were broken from the beginning.

“It is a fact that if we do not put God in first place in our life we may end up murdering our brother, as Cain did.

“Keep your attitude gentle and loving. God loves a meek, quiet spirit. This type of person is infinitely more valuable to God than any external city filled with glamour and excitement. He wants you to feel the same way.” Then the mental impression left me.

Amira and I were walking on the road through this marvelous suburb, if we wish to term it that. Tad, Bear, Warfighter, Lance, and Kamur were invisible. Watcher also was invisible and at her station overhead. Tad was riding Lance. The other animals were walking along next to us.

Amira exclaimed, “We are here. This is the beginning of the city.”

I was dumbfounded. This was more like a small town. I expected some kind of super-metropolis with rainbow-like arches and people riding on them in space vehicles. I had supposed there would be giant buildings, skyscrapers, the noise and bustle of a large city.

“I thought I would see a walled city and inside would be millions of God’s elect, all being made perfect in righteousness,” I exclaimed.

Amira said, “I have heard of that city but I have never seen it.” I don’t think Amira knows it at this time, but her eternal home is with Christ in the new Jerusalem, and its name is on her.

If Amira knew where to look she could see the walls and spires of the Holy City, even though it is at a great distance from where we are. Evidently it never had been pointed out to her.

The city we are approaching now is fairly small, made up of ordinary people, not of God’s royal priesthood. I would call it a town rather than a city. The emphasis is on people and their children. When we come to a great city, such as Los Angeles or New York, we are impressed with the size of the buildings and the multitudes of people hurrying to and fro. But this is not the case here. There is an abundance of quietness, peace, and joy.

You know, a city without automobiles is a marvelous place to be!

I am thinking to myself, “Is this a real place, a genuine city, or did the Lord fabricate this community in order to please me? Are we dealing with reality here, or my desires?”

Amira knew her way around. She led us to what obviously is a main thoroughfare. We kept walking. The children and adults were dressed much as we were, and so we did not draw attention to ourselves.

We were not walking on cement or asphalt but on the ground. It was not soft or particularly hard—just ground. It was not dirty or dusty. Walking on the ground is easy on your feet.

While I was walking about and musing I thought of an experience I had in downtown Los Angeles during the late 1940’s.

I don’t remember why I was in Los Angeles that morning, but at this time I was looking for a place to eat breakfast.

A man approached me. He obviously was a tramp. He had a stick over his right shoulder with his possessions tied up in a bindle attached to the end of the stick. We don’t see bindles much anymore, but they used to be carried by hobos.

He asked me for money so he could get breakfast. I said, “Walk with me. I will buy you breakfast.”

Pretty soon we came to an automat-style cafeteria. I said, “Get what you want. I will pay for it.”

We got our trays of food, went over to a table and sat down.

I thought to myself, “I wonder if I am supposed to talk to this man about the Lord.”

You see, it was a Sunday morning. As I was walking and looking for a restaurant, I was pondering which church to go to. This happened before Audrey and I were married.

I had read in the paper the night before about two large churches. The pastor of one was Robert Shuler, the Trinity Methodist Church. I never had been in this church and I thought it would be interesting.

The other church was The Church of the Open Door. I had heard about this church from the Navigators and had visited it previously. I was wondering which church to go to.

I started to say something to the “hobo,” and he interrupted me. I suddenly had the feeling I should be still and listen.

He said, “I will be walking down a country road. I will start singing, ‘Jesus is passing this way.’ Why is this?”

He said some other things, but I don’t remember them.

Pretty soon he picked up his stick and bindle from the chair where he had placed them, got up and went out the door.

I thought to myself, “I have entertained an angel here.”

I got up from the table and went to the door. I looked up and down the street. It was as I expected—no hobo!

I decided to go to The Church of the Open Door. I sat in the balcony. Then I understood what the “hobo” was saying to me: “Christ is a simple Man. He is at home with plain, ordinary people. We do not have to look for Him in a large church or elaborate surroundings.”

I have never forgotten that message—no, not to this very hour.

We Americans are drawn to what we call “hype.” An evangelist whips up enthusiasm and people think it is the Spirit of God. The first thing you know they have a huge auditorium, a television program, and are a household word among Christians.

They claim to be “apostles,” but are they? Does anyone go to the trouble to ask Jesus if this man or woman is representing Him? I think we believers are fooled easily by people who are seeking money and a large following.

But back to the English community of York.

I know the Bible says the street of the new Jerusalem is gold. But I think this must be symbolic, representing the way of faith. I would not care to walk on gold. Would you? Anyway, we are not walking in the new Jerusalem, just in a place in the spirit world where deceased people live.

The Bible says “the sea gave up its dead.” I think the “sea” mentioned there is representing the great multitude of people who are not in Hell, or called to the royal priesthood, just people.

God loves people. In fact, people are the inheritance of Christ and of us. Our primary inheritance is the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. After God himself, the only inheritance worth having is people. The remainder is just environment and things.

We are not, of course, in the Holy City, the home of the elect. We are in an English community. Some of these people here are of God’s elect and their spiritual nature is at God’s right hand in Christ, in the new Jerusalem. God is using the community life to mold their characters. Later they will be moved to the Holy City for the final work that will prepare them to descend to the new earth as members of the governing priesthood.

Others are not of God’s elect. But they are people whom God has seen fit to teach the ways of Heaven because they are going to be citizens of nations on the new earth.

As you will notice, during our lifetime on the earth we mingle with people who are not of God’s elect and whose spiritual nature is not at the right hand of God in Christ, as is true of us.

I know this may be a little difficult for us to grasp. For so long we have been taught that the only people God loves are those of his Church. This is not true. God loves the people of the world. God is creating his Church for the purpose of bringing God’s love and Presence to the peoples on the earth that He intends to save to citizenship in the new world of righteousness.

This does not mean, however, that all of the people born on the earth, or even all of the members of God’s elect will be saved to the new world of righteousness. Each of us, whether or not a member of the elect, must choose to obey our rightful King, the Lord Jesus Christ. No individual can remain in the Kingdom of God unless he or she chooses to obey Christ.

Today, numerous people who refer to themselves as “Christians,” or “saved,” have no intention of surrendering their will to Christ. Thus their position in the Kingdom of God is at risk. Jesus told us our name would not be blotted from the Book of Life if we would pursue the life of victory in him. Jesus did not assure us that no matter how we behave our name would not be blotted from the Book of Life.

I am convinced from the Bible that following Christ through the program of redemption always is dangerous. We can lose our crown of life and authority at any point along the way. We have to endure to the end the forces that come against us. Christ shall divide the spoils with the strong.

I notice that it is the custom of some Bible teachers to go to great lengths to assure their students that no matter what they do, Christ always is there to deliver them from trouble.

It is true that Christ will never leave or forsake us. But what if we forsake him? The Kingdom of God is Christ in us. But our remaining in the Kingdom depends on our choosing to be in Christ at all times. A contract remains in force only as long as each party fulfills his or her obligations.

It seems to me that Bible scholars fasten on a few passages that appear to support their notion that once we make a profession of belief in Jesus Christ we never can be separated from God. They then use these passages as axioms from which, by the process of deduction, they construct a plan of salvation. However, in doing so they ignore the majority of New Testament passages that clearly warn believers of the danger of obeying their sinful nature instead of the Spirit of God.

It is taught commonly that we are to “accept Christ,” and once we do this we are guaranteed that after we die we will not go to Hell but to Heaven. I call this the “ticket” doctrine.

The truth is, we are to be receiving Christ at every moment of every day and night. He always is knocking at the door of our personality. We always are to be opening the door. We always are to be dining on his body and blood and He always is to be dining on our obedience and worship.

We always are to be believing in Him. We continually are to be listening to Him and obeying Him. We always are to be feeding on his body and blood. To “accept Christ” (which is not a scriptural expression) and after that to live our own life is to not enter the Kingdom of God; it is to not abide in Christ; it is to not live in eternal life; it is to not be a “life-giving spirit,” being able to give eternal life to other people.

If we are led away from dwelling in Christ at all times, we place ourselves in danger of being shaken out of the Kingdom. The repeated assurances that are given today are too close to “you shall not surely die,” the original deception.

After all, the new covenant, as is true of all covenants, is a contract. If one signer of a contract defaults, the other is not obligated to keep his end of the contract.

The first large building we came to is obviously a school. From its size I would judge that it is a 1-12 school, that is, first grade through high school.

It is a brick building. There is ivy climbing up the wall. There are playgrounds on both sides and in the back, as far as we could see. The only young people we could observe were those of high school age. They were playing basketball. We could hear children singing in one of the classrooms.

There was an aura of love, peace, and joy around the school. There were bicycles in racks in front of the school.

As we left the suburb behind and passed by the school we saw small shops ahead. There are no large stores. There are a number of little shops that we used to call “mom-and-pop” stores before the large chains took over.

The stores provide fruit, vegetables, fish, chicken, eggs, milk, cheese, butter preserves, sugar, salt and various kinds of bread, muffins, and biscuits. Also needles, thread, cord, and rope. There are pictures of scenes from the Bible.

In addition there are candles, and beeswax to make candles. There are various oils to use for cooking and in lamps, such as olive oil, fish oil, sesame oil, and nut oil. There is no electricity here.

My guess is that in some cases the proprietors live in the back of their stores, while others live in the suburbs. All of the store owners we visited were friendly and courteous to the extreme, ready to provide us with whatever we needed. They all knew Tom, the steward of Godwill Castle. They became excited when Amira introduced me as the lord of the castle, and said how happy they were I had come to my inheritance.

May I say before I go further that money is not used as a means of obtaining what one needs or desires. This is true throughout the city. There are several kinds of vocations and professions, from agriculture to giving singing lessons. But no one receives money for his or her services. Each individual performs his roles and tasks joyously. His reward is the opportunity to do that for which he was created.

Contrast this with the madness of the buying and selling that goes on in the financial centers of the large cities of the world! Read today’s newspaper and notice how (in America) money is the central factor in so many events.

Then picture a world in which money is not used as a means of obtaining what one needs or desires. Life would be totally different, wouldn’t it? Would you enjoy the new way of exchanging services?

As I think about it, using money as a means of exchanging goods and services is destructive. In many instances it removes the joy of service. God would have us free to work at whatever gives us joy, and freely share the products of our efforts.

Of all the gods of the Romans, Greeks, and other cultures, the only god Jesus mentioned is Mammon. No one can serve both God and Mammon (money).

An economy based on money always will result in some ambitious and capable people being excessively rich, and others poor to the point of being deprived of basic necessities. This simply is not a satisfactory arrangement of earth’s resources.

The type of problem that arises when money is used as the means of exchanging services came to mind recently as a near relative is unable to afford the forty-five hundred dollars a month for his medical treatment, without which he will die. He is in his fifties. In terms of his ability to pay it might as well be forty-five million.

On another occasion there was an individual who needed an organ transplant. This was to cost a hundred thousand dollars (it may have been two hundred thousand, I do not remember clearly). The family said, “We cannot possibly raise that much money.” The surgeon replied, “You will get it somehow.”

On still another occasion, some firemen stood and watched a structure burn to the ground, and did nothing to help because it was not in their district. They were present to ensure it did not spread to their district.

The current system of working for money is not a desirable socio-economic arrangement. People were created to play joyfully before the Lord. When we are doing what we really enjoy, we are playing, as God originally established in the Garden of Eden. By “playing” I am speaking of living happily and productively before the Lord, not engaging in the foolishness and lusts of the flesh.

It is not right that some people should work hard and not have enough money for food, shelter, and medical attention for their family. It is not right that some people have more money than they need, while others do not have enough to live decently, although they are industrious and conscientious.

Because of the sinful nature of man, no form of government will accomplish an equitable distribution of wealth. When a movement is made from a monarchy to communism, for example, the wealth and power merely shift from one group to another. Only the coming of the Kingdom of God will resolve these inequities.

The Gospel of the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth is Good News for the downtrodden, but may not be good news to those who have accumulated wealth and power and do not assist those in need. Consider the story of the rich man and Lazarus.

One of the current errors in Christian teaching is that material wealth is a sign of God’s blessing. I guess we have forgotten that God has chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of his Kingdom. The coming of the Kingdom of God will bring justice to the poor.

In the new world of righteousness we all will do joyously what God has put in our heart and enables us to do, without a thought of “charging” someone for our services. There no longer will be a reason for robbery, or graft, or hoarding wealth while other people are starving, or any of the other forms of corruption that proceed from the use of money as a medium of exchange.

When I was an elementary-school teacher, which is not easy work by any means, I gladly would have served in that role without expecting money for my service, if the food, lodging, clothing and transportation I required were free. I thoroughly enjoyed what I was doing. I was “playing,” although the work was arduous at times.

Where Tad, Amira, and I are now, if someone goes into a grocery store, he or she asks for and receives whatever food is needed at home. If for some reason an individual asks for more than he needs, an angel appears and tells him that the quantity he is asking for is not needed by him and will not be given to him.

If someone is not contributing to society, and goes to a store and asks for clothes, or food, or furniture, an angel will appear and tell that person he is not eligible to receive the requested items because he is not performing the tasks for which he has been prepared by the Lord.

If a person argues with or resists the angel in some manner, he or she will be taken to one of the areas of confinement and an effort will be made to heal the greed, or laziness, or anger, or any other characteristic not in God’s image. Perhaps we would not care to have angels involved in our life to this extent. The fact is, they always have been, though we may not have been aware of it.

This is such an ideal social arrangement. All who have good hearts and are not driven by some antisocial behavior can live together in peace and harmony. What we lose is the opportunity to do as we please without regard to the effect our actions have on others. But our attitude in this respect has resulted in the insane moral chaos of our day.

It may appear at first glance that such a social arrangement would be impossible, for one reason or another. But consider the wars, murder, rape, brutality, suicide of our day. Is this a desirable world for people? I don’t believe so. Fortunately, there is a better world coming, as soon as angels and people are convinced God’s way is best.

I would not be surprised if some American people would rather live in the Land of Darkness than be forced to live according to God’s will. The spirit of democracy, of the rights of people, of the placing of our right to do what we want as our highest priority, is no friend of God and Christ!

Should the clay vaunt itself against the potter?

There are grocery stores, clothing stores, sandal and shoe stores, furniture stores, stores that sell musical instruments and sheet music, restaurants, and hardware stores. Then we came to manufacturers of furniture, tools, musical instruments, and artists’ supplies. In addition there are areas where animals are “sold,” such as horses, dogs, cats, sheep, and chickens.

There were sidewalks on some of the streets. They were white like concrete but could have been of some other material. There were some booths, or kiosks, that offered cups of yogurt, ice cream cones, and different kinds of pastries and desserts. These booths and restaurants were in a “downtown” area. There was lively background music that gave a sort of holiday atmosphere. I prefer classical music, but this music was acceptable. There was not the jungle beat often heard in America that I do not enjoy.

Perhaps you are amazed these familiar stores are here. The truth is, our world on the earth was developed from the spirit world, and so the two worlds are similar in many respects. However, it is the spirit world that is the original, real, true, eternal world.

Next in view were the educational institutions. There are music institutes, art galleries, academic colleges, and various trade schools.

Being a pianist, I was particularly interested in the music institutes. From one of the largest of the music institutes came choral music backed by a symphonic orchestra. I was overwhelmed with the incredible beauty of the composition. The music was polyphonic, and you know how beautiful singing is when the parts enter at various points. It made me want to stop right there and enroll.

However, I am called to be a member of Christ’s army and to participate in the installation of the Kingdom of God on the earth. Meanwhile I believe I am going to have a moment or two to practice on the grand piano I saw in the inner ward of Godwill Castle.

Also, as I said before, I am hopeful that the Lord Jesus will see fit to provide me with a teacher—perhaps a European who has studied under Chopin or Beethoven, or at least has heard some of the masters play.

A man about forty-five years of age stepped out through the door of the music institute. He said his name is Klaus. His eyebrows and hair are the black of a young man. Thin lips, white complexion, firm chin, a kindly face. There was no hat on his head. He was wearing a white shirt open at the collar, brown slacks, and brown dress shoes. Klaus was smiling. Klaus greeted Amira and me cordially.

He projected into my mind: “You would not recognize me, of course, but I was your piano teacher for the last few years while you were living on the earth. You are correct. I am German. I have heard Chopin and other masters play. I found out through some friends that you were coming, and so I left the German community and visited the Institute of Music here in the English community. I was hoping to meet you.

“I do not speak English well, but I can speak to your mind, just as I did while you were alive on earth. The Lord told me at that time I was to give you piano lessons.

“Do you remember how I told you that accuracy, not speed, is of first importance, and that I wanted to hear every note? Slow down! The speed will come in time. Never let your fingers run ahead of the picture you have in mind of what you are playing.”

(In my years of being instructed on the piano, I don’t believe I have ever received a more helpful direction. Such a simple thing as that!)

“Also, I suggested that as soon as you felt you had understood the composer’s intent, and are able to perform the piece comfortably as written, that you make it your own with your own phrasing and dynamics. Do you remember that?”

Let me explain now about Klaus and my efforts at the keyboard of the piano. I began playing the piano when I was about three years old, taught by my mother. Then, when we moved from Maine to Connecticut, a teacher was hired, whom I knew as Miss Smith. I think she charged fifty cents a lesson. Imagine!

Then an outstanding music teacher from New Haven (Connecticut) heard me play at a recital. She offered to give me lessons free of charge. I don’t know what she charged ordinarily, but it assuredly was more than fifty cents. Probably ten times that amount. Her name was Stella Nahum. She was kind to this Gentile boy and I have never forgotten her interest in me.

When I was old enough that my mother could not force me to take lessons any longer, I left off playing the piano. Then I enlisted in the Marine Corps, at the age of seventeen.

After basic and advanced training, I was sent to Hawaii. While I was stationed in Hawaii, having time on my hands, I began to play a bit on an available piano. Soon I was working at the piano seriously. I had become a Christian a few months earlier, when I first came to Oahu.

One day, as I was practicing some modern band music (I don’t remember where I got the sheet music), I felt the Presence of Christ at my right hand. I could tell He was advising me not to practice the piano any longer. I did not understand this, but obeyed.

(Some time after that, a chaplain asked me to play in a talent show for the Marines, while we were on a Kaiser transport ship returning from Japan to the States. I told the chaplain the Lord had forbidden me to play. I wonder what the good chaplain thought about that!)

I was sent over to Sasebo, Japan after VJ day. There was a small group of us Marines waiting to return home and be dismissed from our tour of duty. We met every night for Bible study.

One night I arrived at our gathering place a little early. While I was praying in the abandoned wooden Japanese barracks we used for a meeting place, the Lord called me to preach. It was a powerful, supernatural experience.

The Presence of Christ entered the room. The Lord did not say “preach.” Rather, I asked, “Are You calling me to preach?” I was nineteen years of age at this time.

There was an overwhelming confirmation, not in words but in emotions.

When my fellow Marines gathered in the room, I told them what had happened. The other men had been taking turns preaching. I did not join with them because I believed that a person ought to have a special calling if he is to preach. The leader of our Bible study group assigned me to preach the next evening—which I did, from the Book of First John. This was the first sermon I had ever preached. There have been thousands of sermons after that plus all the writing. But that was the very beginning.

When I got out of the Marine Corps I began to inquire about a seminary. That’s where you go when you are called to preach, I supposed. As I said, I had become a Christian while stationed in Hawaii. I was not raised in a Christian home, so being called to preach and going to Bible School were new to me.

I thought about Yale University School of Divinity, in New Haven, Connecticut. I was familiar with the ivy-covered buildings. But every time I thought about Yale I felt uncomfortable. This was the spring of 1946, and many veterans were applying to colleges because of the G.I. Bill. The only school I found that had an opening for me was Berean, so I enrolled there.

The Berean Bible School, an Assemblies of God institution, was located in San Diego, California. Berean had a small population of students. Berean was Pentecostal in doctrine and experience. I had never heard of the Assemblies of God or the Pentecostal experience.

Berean had no piano player. But I did not offer to play, because of what I believed Christ had commanded.

During the second year of Bible school I felt I was given permission to resume playing the piano. From that time forth I played for the Bible school.

Audrey also was a student at Berean, one year behind me.

I lasted for two and one-half years at Berean. I was dismissed from Berean because the Lord was leading me past the Pentecostal experience to the fullness that He has for his people who have come as far as Pentecost and are willing to press forward. I did not express wisely what I was experiencing, and so I was expelled for heresy.

Soon after that the school closed. Audrey’s and my transcripts are now at the large Assemblies of God university in Costa Mesa, California.

Audrey and I were married at that time. Lloyd Marlowe was the officiating minister. Lloyd was pastor of the Assemblies of God church in San Ysidro, California. Audrey finished out the semester in Bible school and I went to work in Rohr Aircraft, a sheet-metal plant in Chula Vista, California. The school closed at the end of that semester.

The irony of my being expelled for heresy is that later, when I was teaching a deeper-life class for the Fremont Assemblies of God church in Fremont, California, the elders from Santa Cruz representing the Northern California/Nevada Assemblies of God came to Fremont and kindly offered to ordain me as a minister because of the success of my class. I could not accept because of their emphasis on the “pre-tribulation rapture,” which I believe to be an unscriptural doctrine.

The fact of the matter is that the concept of a “rapture” that will catch up the believers to Heaven so they do not suffer, whether before or after the “great tribulation,” is totally unscriptural and contrary to God’s way of working. God took care of Daniel by shutting the mouths of the lions, not by removing Daniel from the lions’ den.

The believers are not caught up to meet Christ in the air until after they have been raised from the dead or physically transformed. Once they have been raised from the dead, as will happen to the deceased believers, or changed from corruption to incorruption, as will happen to the living believers, neither tribulation nor Antichrist can harm them. Is this true or not?

If it is true, then the idea of a “rapture” to deliver the believers from danger and pain is not reasonable in that they are in incorruptible bodies. After Jesus was raised from the dead and prior to his ascension, there was no power on earth or in the heavens that could by any means harm him. Is this true or not?

If such be the case, we must conclude that the current doctrine of the “rapture” is neither scriptural nor logical. There indeed will be a catching up of the resurrected and transformed saints to meet Christ in the air, so they may descend with Him and install the Kingdom of God on the earth.

Given the unscriptural and unreasonable character of the “rapture” as it currently is preached, to continue to talk about a “rapture” is misleading and destructive. It prevents the believers from preparing themselves to stand in the evil day.

The term “rapture” is not found in the Scriptures. How long will this foolishness prevail? It is as bad as telling the believers they are going to live in a “mansion” in Heaven, when the Greek word translated “mansion” in the Authorized Version does not refer to a fine home but an abiding place in Christ.

I did not choose to burden, with such thoughts as these, the sincere officials who wanted to ordain me. I am sure they had enough problems without my adding to them.

The problem of “heresy” had come full circle, hadn’t it?

One time when Audrey and I were living in Fremont, California, before there were people who agreed with the understanding I believe God has given me, I became angry at what seemed to me to be a willful blindness to the New Testament. I exclaimed to the Lord, “They are heretics!”

The Lord gently asked me, “What is a heretic?” I answered somewhat indignantly, “Someone who interprets the Scriptures incorrectly.” Then it dawned on me what the Lord was saying. It is that we who claim to be teachers of the Bible must not attack people when they do not understand the Scriptures, calling them names like “heretic.”

On another occasion, I was complaining to myself that I had run out of truth to tell people. The Lord responded, “The river of God is full of water.” That was over forty years ago.

Having been expelled from Bible school there were no opportunities for ministry. Audrey and I taught for a short while in a Christian School which had been started by Pastor Dowell. After I had worked for a season at Rohr Aircraft, we moved to Phoenix to be near Audrey’s parents. I enrolled in Arizona State College (now University) at Tempe, Arizona. I majored in education with a minor in piano.

After the three years it took me to graduate with a BA in Education, I could play fairly well. I taught music at Globe High School in Globe, Arizona for a year. Then I went back to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, to study composition. My goal was to teach composition in a Christian college.

However, we ran out of money. Audrey found work in the M. D. Knowlton Company. I took a job teaching elementary school music in the Rochester Public School System.

I enjoyed the children so much that I transferred from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, over to the education department of the University, and successfully pursued the Masters and Doctoral programs. I returned to California to teach one year at California State College in San Jose, instructing student teachers.

I soon understood that teaching student teachers was not the same as teaching children. So I went back to elementary-school teaching, which was my first love. After a few years I became a principal. I did not care for this new role.

I continued in public education until I was fifty years of age. I have taught students at every level, from kindergarten through graduate school. I had tenure in Rochester, New York in common-branch subjects. At present I hold three life credentials in education: Elementary, Secondary, and General Administration, all in the state of California.

Probably the happiest years of my life were spent in teaching at the elementary level. Being a principal was not as enjoyable.

Then the Lord told both Audrey and me that it was time to enter the ministry. We had been waiting for this call all our married life.

While I was teaching one night in the Fremont Assemblies of God Bible School, which Pastor Leroy Cloud asked me to start, an angel appeared in the middle of the class of students. He was very large, and all that appeared was from the waist up.

He was frowning. He turned and looked south, and then disappeared. When I got home I told Audrey what I had seen. She said we had friends in Southern California, and she felt we should move there—that the Lord was calling us to minister there.

At that time Walter Miller, a man whom Audrey and I had taught when he was a student in a Christian school in San Diego, called us on the phone and said there was a small group of people in the Poway area who needed a pastor, and asked if Audrey and I would come.

We felt it was the Lord, and so we sold our house in Fremont and moved to a rental in Escondido. A week or so later a local supervisor of the Foursquare denomination asked us if we would take over a small church that had just been closed because of a lack of members. I believe that Walter had told Carl Purdy, the local Foursquare supervisor, that Audrey and I were moving into the area.

We agreed, and Mount Zion Fellowship came into being. Audrey and I pastored there for over thirty years until I died. Then Audrey moved to Phoenix to be near her sisters, Pat and Kay, and their children.

While I was in Bible school, in 1948, being excited by the preaching of an Assemblies of God honorary presbyter by the name of Elmer E. Fullerton, I roughed out three themes for a piano composition based on the spiritual fullness which Brother Fullerton was presenting to us Bible students. I called the composition, “God Is My Salvation.”

I have composed several pieces, including “For Zion’s Sake,” which was performed in June, 1960, in Grace Methodist Church in Rochester, New York; also a selection that uses the King James text for Isaiah, Chapter Sixty-one. That piece has never been performed. Maybe someday…

Anyway, a few years ago, Audrey said, “Why don’t you write up ‘God Is My Salvation’”? She remembered the themes from Bible-school days and really liked them.

I thought about it for a month or so. I pictured an opening theme portraying the unsaved individual. It was to be harsh, loud, and dissonant. Yet I put nothing on paper.

Then I woke up one morning with a beautiful theme running through my mind. It is a quiet, wistful melody.

It came to me that God does not view the unsaved with harshness but with tender compassion. I thought, “God has just given me the opening theme for ‘God Is My Salvation.’”

Come to think of it, God has helped me with this piece just as He has the writing of this book. I get corrections in the middle of the night. Also, whenever I hit a block, I pray, and the answer comes immediately.

I have begun wondering if the book and the piano piece are tied together somehow. The piano composition, “God Is My Salvation,” is intended to portray the reconciling of a soul to God until God himself becomes the believer’s Salvation. Then there is the romance as Christ and the believer dance together in righteousness, love, joy, and peace throughout eternity.

It was this belief, that there is a fullness of God to which forgiveness through the blood and the power of the Holy Spirit bring us, that resulted in my dismissal from the Berean Bible Institute. It is obvious from the Scriptures that the feast of Pentecost is followed by the feast of Tabernacles. However, it is quite difficult for a denomination to announce that God has more for his people than the denomination has taught so steadfastly through the years.

In any case, it is easy to see today that the Ark of God is moving forward, and the churches that are spiritually alive are those who are pressing forward past the baptism with the Holy Spirit to the fullness of the inheritance.

Several months before this, in the middle of the night a chorus had come to me, with the words, “Glorify Thy Name, Lord.” So I wrote this up, and played it in church and the congregation sang it. At that time it came to me that I was to return to the piano.

As I mentioned previously, when I entered public education I began at Arizona State University at Tempe. I minored in piano. My teacher’s name was Mrs. Keating. She started me on Chopin’s Preludes, Opus Twenty-eight.

After having received “Glorify Thy Name” in a kind of dream, I had a desire to take up the piano again. By this time I was eighty years old. I told Audrey I would like to buy a piano. Audrey said, “We do not have enough money.” I said “okay,” knowing that if it was the Lord it would happen.

After about two weeks, Audrey said, “They are having a sale on pianos. Let’s go down and see what they have.”

I said “fine.” Before we returned home we had purchased, at the Piano Warehouse in San Marcos, a new upright piano. (Just recently we traded up to a Kawai 6, manufactured in Japan. The Kawai sounds like a grand piano.)

I also purchased Chopin’s Preludes, the Fantasie Impromptu, and the Étude, Opus Ten, Number Twelve. Also the Chopin Polonaises in A Major and A-flat Major. Also, The Warsaw Concerto by Richard Addinsell, arranged for piano solo by Henry Geehl, which is one of my favorites. I have been whaling away at these ever since and making good progress. I can play now the best I have ever played.

The Lord really is helping me with the piano. I believe it is because I gave it up to obey Him and devote myself to teaching the insight into the Bible He has given me. I am receiving a “hundredfold” in the present life, so to speak.

Do you know something! Jesus required of me that I set aside playing classical music on the piano so I would have time to write the understanding of the Bible He has given me. I had to “die” to the piano, so to speak. Now that He has given it back to me I know it will be my possession forever.

It often is true if we give to Christ what He asks for, He will give it back to us in his time. Then it is not an idol but a part of Christ that has been added to us. Kind of like Abraham and Isaac, although on a much smaller scale.

So I began work on “God Is My Salvation.” I truly could feel the Lord’s hand as I was setting the music to paper. I finished the composition quickly. It requires about fifteen minutes to perform. We have made a CD of me playing it, if anyone is interested.

The composition “God Is My Salvation” was written to suggest to the hearer the pilgrimage of a soul in its quest for God. It commences as a child separate from the Father. The soul is received initially, but eventually there is a clash of personalities as God confronts the soul, much as God confronted Job. Every Christian who is appointed to a position of responsibility in the Kingdom of God must endure his or her day of confrontation.

If the soul perseveres, there comes a time when it is filled with all the fullness of God and is at rest in God. Then the eternal dance begins.

On a couple of occasions, while I was on earth, I sensed one of the choir masters of Heaven at my left hand, reviewing my progress. Also, the Lord Jesus came at intervals to see how I was coming along.

Perhaps you do not experience these sorts of things but that is not important. They are not to be sought. If heavenly visitations are necessary for your role in the Body of Christ, they will take place.

I needed a piano teacher but did not have the time to work with one. Then there came into my spiritual consciousness a teacher. Before I died and passed into the spirit world, I sometimes was aware of people who had died and were at home with the Lord. I do not attempt to communicate with the dead, and I will have nothing to do with anyone in the spirit world who does not accept the Lordship of Jesus.

So here was my teacher, Klaus, visiting with me in York, the English community. I knew he was male, and, I had thought, a German. I had no doubt he was sent by the Lord Jesus. His advice and help have been excellent. Now I actually am seeing and talking to him in the spirit world. I am very grateful for his help. I thanked Klaus sincerely, for his coaching is of the highest quality. (I think that sometimes he bypasses my mind and just enables me to play better!)

Maybe Christ will give me Klaus as my piano teacher when there is enough time to sit down at one of the two grand pianos I saw in the inner ward of the castle. I sure hope so!

Klaus said I was a conscientious pupil and had studied the Chopin carefully so as not to miss the composer’s intent. He invited me to come in and meet the musicians and singers in the Institute. Klaus knows them even though they are in the English community of York.

But I could tell Amira was shaking her head and telling me we should leave now and would return to the music institute at another time.

We said goodbye to Klaus and told him what a pleasure it has been to meet him.

As we walked away I asked Amira what Klaus meant when he said he had come over from the German community.

Amira explained: “Different countries from different times of history have their own communities and speak their own languages. They have their own stores and schools. They can visit another community any time they want to and can understand their thoughts. Today we visited a modern English community and you can understand what is said.

“There are other English communities that are older than this one. The people would not be as familiar to you. After individuals go through their training in the ways of Heaven, God places them with people where they will be comfortable.

“Each community has its own farms. The farms outside Godwill Castle give food to the castle and to the children who are being trained on the Plain of Instruction.”

I found out later there are Bible classes in the different communities because people are admitted here whom God has accepted but who have had very little Bible teaching. I think God has gifted me with an understanding of his Word, and so I may be called upon later to be a visiting teacher at one of the classes. The students will understand my thoughts.

Let me emphasize that, perhaps contrary to our thinking, when an individual enters the spirit world, he or she is not immediately confronted with truth. Catholic people die believing they are going to see the “Holy Family” and be able to worship the Virgin Mary. Evangelicals die believing they are going straight to Paradise by grace to live in a mansion, and that somehow their personalities will be transformed in a moment.

There are numerous other religions and faiths in the world who do not know about the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and many people who know nothing at all about any religious belief.

We might have thought that God would have theologians ready who will pounce on the newly deceased and present them with whatever the theologian believes to be correct.

We may treat people like this, but God does not. If someone is wicked and malicious, when he or she dies the individual may go straight to the Land of Darkness, regardless of his or her religious beliefs. This is as true of Christians as it is members of other religions. Some “Christians” are the devil’s own children, as you may have found out by now.

But most people are not profoundly wicked or malicious, merely confused. God assigns them to a group where they are treated with kindness and the way of God is explained to them a little bit at a time. They can ask all the questions they wish. Their teachers may be humans or angels, depending on the kind of needs they have. Their first teachers are angels until it has been determined what kind of human teacher they need.

There are no religions in the spirit world. And as far as the earth is concerned, all religions will perish when the Antichrist government destroys Babylon—meaning religions and churches.

There are no churches in the new Jerusalem, in the Land of Light, or in the Land of Darkness. The Father and the Son are the Church of the new Jerusalem and of everywhere else.

There are no religious disagreements in the spirit world. All questions can be answered by one of the Lord’s teachers, or by the Lord Himself. The Truth that Jesus is prevails everywhere.

Religions are man’s approximations of what God is like and what his will is. When the Truth returns from Heaven, there will be no more religions and no more churches on the earth.

God will put up with all sorts of stubbornness and unbelief. The only attitude that will ensure a long, painful, and perhaps permanent stay in an area of confinement is an outright rejection of the authority of the Lord Jesus. One cannot reject the Lordship of Jesus and be an acceptable citizen of Heaven or of the new world of righteousness. He or she becomes a wandering star, a rebellious spirit, another god.

The Lake of Fire has authority over eight different forms of sin. But the worst of all sins, that which will result in assignment to eternal darkness, is the rejection of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This the Father will not tolerate. “This is my beloved Son. Hear him!”

The desire to live our own life apart from God is Antichrist. The number of Antichrist is 666. Three is the number of God. Six is the number of man. Three sixes symbolize man seeking to be his own god. The spirit of the world today is definitely of Antichrist. Its primary feature is the love of money. King Solomon received 666 talents of gold each year.

I suppose we do not give much thought to what it would be like if the self-centered, lukewarm believers of today were “raptured” and suddenly found themselves in Heaven, there to conduct themselves in their typical disobedient, self-serving manner.

After having considered our description of the love, gentleness, and humility that characterize the suburbs we have described (and it is true of all the suburbs), and of course the same holds true for the saints in the new Jerusalem, the home of God’s elect, can you see how most of today’s Christian believers would not fit?

Before an individual believer is permitted the freedom to move about either in one of the suburbs or within the Holy City, he or she must learn the ways of Heaven.

We might mention the difference between being taught the ways of Heaven, and the nature of the Kingdom of God. What we have been describing to this point is not the Kingdom of God; rather it is acceptable behavior in the spirit world.

The Kingdom of God, on the other hand, is the dwelling of God in Christ in the saints. This is not the same as being taught the ways of Heaven. Rather, the Kingdom of God is the supplanting of the original personality of the person with the Substance and Nature of God that are found in the Lord Jesus Christ. I don’t believe I have found many believers who desire to have their personality supplanted and to live by the Life of the Lord Jesus.

We can be taught what is acceptable in the spirit world, and in the earth after the coming of the Lord, and ask Christ to help us live that way. The laws that govern God’s creation are found in the Sermon on the Mount. When the Lord returns, the nations of the earth will choose to go up to Jerusalem to learn the ways of Heaven.

However, the Kingdom of God, which is the rule of God within the transformed saint, comes as we receive Christ and are born again of the Seed that comes from God. As we pray each day and meditate in the Word of God, and are subject to whatever else God provides, Christ, the Word of God, is formed in us. This is the new covenant.

Partaking of the body and blood of Christ, as we resist sin and choose to do God’s will, we gain the power of eternal Life that helps us to keep on living in victory over sin. The forming of Christ in us is the Kingdom, the rule of God. As Christ grows in us, the delight to do God’s will grows in us.

Our choices come from Christ, the Kingdom, in us. The power to enable us to walk in righteousness, to honor our godly choices, comes from the body and blood of Christ, the eternal resurrection life that is given to us when we choose righteous behavior. It is Christ in us that is the distinguishing mark of the Royal Priesthood, and is the reason why it is given to the Royal Priesthood to govern the works of God’s hands.

Amira said that while we were here she would like to do some shopping in one of the clothing stores. I went in with her while she tried on dresses. She would pick out one, try it on, and ask me what I thought. My opinion was they all looked great (which I guess was not all that helpful). Anyway, she picked out a green one that she liked and the clerk wrapped it up.

We found out later that she needed a new dress for a friend who was to come in the future, revealing how marvelously God’s Spirit guides us when we are obedient.

This seemed to be enough for one “day.” We walked back the way we came. There were not as many children in the streets. Apparently, while there is no night as such here, there are times for quietness and rest. Or it may be that the family gets together to pray and study God’s Word. When I asked Amira, she said both of my ideas were true.

Before long we were past the suburb and the farms and were in an open area. This area was a meadow. There were horses, cows, and sheep grazing. It reminded me of the meadow I encountered when I died in the ambulance.

As soon as we were out of sight of the people in the suburb and past the farms, Tad, Lance, Warfighter, Kamur, Watcher, and Bear became visible. Bear, being a Kelpie mix, started to run toward the sheep. She was going to try to herd them into a pen, although there was no pen in sight. I called her back to us.

The sheep were contentedly minding their own business. There were mountains in the background with a blue and white caste.

I said to the group, “It is so pleasant here, let’s just walk for a while and enjoy this wonderful meadow.” I looked at Amira, for she is the one whom the Lord gave us to show us around his world.

Something struck my mind. I was not looking to the Lord like I used to.

During my last few years on the earth it became more and more my practice to look to Jesus for everything. From what to eat, to what to preach on, to how much and what piece to practice on the piano, to when and where to go on vacation—in short, every decision great and small was presented to the Lord. In this manner I kept in the Presence of the Lord Jesus every moment of every day—and night, when I lay awake. It is a sort of constant communion.

How wonderful to be free from self-regimentation, and instead to be living by every Word that is coming from the mouth of God! For a stressful person like myself, looking to the Lord constantly instead of driving myself to fulfill my duties is much easier on my digestion; although digestion does not seem to be a problem where I am at this time.

This kind of constant communion is typified in the Book of Numbers by the morning and evening lamb. When the lambs were sacrificed in the Courtyard, wine was poured out in the Holy Place, most likely next to the Table of Showbread. We are to present our body a living sacrifice throughout the day and night. As we do, we are given to eat of the flesh of God’s Lamb (the Table of Showbread) and to drink of the blood of the Lamb (the poured-out wine.)

Do you do this? I highly recommend the practice as being a good way by which to minimize pain and trouble. It is an excellent way to maintain the Presence of the Lord. It is what the Bible means when it says, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

But I had not been constantly looking to Jesus like this since I died in the ambulance!

Immediately I looked up to Jesus. He was there (thank God!). He was smiling, assuring me that I was doing exactly what He desired and that Amira indeed was being directed by him.

Nevertheless, I resolved right then and there to resume my practice of looking to Jesus at all times for every decision, every issue with which I am faced.

Do you remember when I died and entered the meadow that I mentioned the clouds were of different colors? As I looked up now I could see that the sky was becoming filled with color: gold, dark blue, orange, dark brown, like the interior of a great cathedral. This sight was awesome in its beauty.

The effect was to diminish the “daylight.” Perhaps this was “night” in the spirit world and people were supposed to rest. I looked up to the Lord to make certain we were in the center of his will. I felt He would direct us through Amira. So I looked to Amira. She understood what I was thinking, and said, “Perhaps we should return to Godwill Castle.”

We all agreed with this, although it was tempting to linger in this idyllic meadow. Then I noticed that the daylight was not as bright as it had been. Since there is no sun, the light here must come from the same source as the first three days of creation when there were no sun, moon, or stars.

We decided that rather than go back through the farms and get everyone excited, all of us would become invisible. Which we did. So as before, Amira, Bear, and I got on Warfighter’s back. Tad mounted Lance. Kamur was ready to run alongside. Watcher remained at her post in the air. In a brief time we were back at the ramp leading to the outer gate of Godwill Castle, and became visible again.

We could see about five soldier-angels watching from the outer wall. Gunther commanded, “Present!” Instantly every sword was brought up to where the tip was in the air. The angels held this position as long as we could see them, while we were walking up the ramp. This ceremony was repeated every time we came to the ramp.

The drawbridge was let down and locked in place. Heng came out to meet us. He walked down the ramp and Watcher perched on the leather gauntlet on his fist.

We passed between the two towers that protected the outer gate, went through the heavy doors, and entered the outer ward.

I had mentioned before the lime, sand, shovels, and trowels that were left in one corner of the outer ward.

One might ask, “If God can create everything with his Word, why is it necessary for angels or people to build a wall with mortar and stone?”

The answer is, the spirit world resembles the physical world. People in the spirit world do build castles, weave cloth, grow wheat, vegetables, and corn. The Spirit of God gives wisdom when it is needed. Each angel and person is created for a purpose, to fulfill a role or task. Otherwise he would be existing in a useless state and would not be as joyous and fruitful as he is meant to be.

This is why the angels who supervise the “purchases” in the stores refuse to service people who have been overcome with laziness to the ruination of their soul.

We all went straight to the inner gate and entered the inner ward. Heng, the stableman, took Watcher to her cage in the stable. Then Heng came and took the animals (except Bear). He began removing the blankets and pads from the horses. I knew they were going to get a good rubdown.

Tad said, “I’ll see you later,” and went upstairs to the barracks over the stable. The rest of us, Amira, Bear, and I went to the door to our tower. Erhard greeted us with a friendly smile. Ordinarily Erhard is extremely stern-faced. One would not want to be his enemy, I can tell you. But he is kindly toward us.

Bear and I left Amira at the door to her room and proceeded up to our room on the top floor. When we entered I noticed the heavy wooden shutters were closed and the candles were still lighted. There was hot water in the iron pitcher. I poured some into the sink and washed up.

There were washcloths with which we could scrub our face and hands. But our skin was not dirty; it was more of a refreshing than an actual washing. We needed no towel because when we were through our face and hands were completely dry. How marvelous!

Then Bear and I went down the spiral stone stairwell to pick up Amira and Tad for dinner.

When we went into the Great Hall, Alana already had set out plates and utensils. There were bowls of food on the table. We began with a tossed salad.

Then we all took some of the vegetables, roast fish, potatoes, and corn. There was water, milk, and tea to drink. There were cookies for dessert.

Alana had put water and biscuits in dishes on the carpet for Bear.

Again, we were so busy eating we did not do much talking. When we were finished, Tad said good night to Bear and Amira, gave me a hug, said good night to Lance, and left for the garrison. Amira, Bear, and I went in to say good night to the animals, and then went to our tower.

I was not physically tired, you understand, but my mind was full of thoughts as you might imagine. I undressed, put on my blue pajamas, reached up and snuffed out the candles except for the night-candle, and lay down on the bed.

Let me tell you the first thought that went through my mind. It was something I had wondered about while still alive on the earth.

The Apostle Paul said our life is hidden with Christ at the right hand of God. Now, where am I? Am I in Godwill Castle in the spirit world? Or am I with Christ at the right hand of God as a member of the new Jerusalem? Have you ever thought about this puzzling fact? If you are a true Christian and your life is hidden with Christ at the right hand of God, where will your soul go when you die?

I guess my spirit is hidden with Christ in God and my soul is lying on a bed in Godwill Castle. Do you suppose? I know my body is buried in the ground over in San Marcos.

I think the problem arises because of our servitude to the limits that operate in the physical world. We would reason that one person cannot be in two places at the same time, living an intelligent life in the spirit world and also seated with Christ in the heavenlies in the Presence of God. The victorious saint always remains in Christ at the right hand of God no matter where else he or she may appear to be.

In the spirit world we indeed can be in two places at the same time, because time is more like a dimension. We enter one place in one dimension of time and another place in another dimension of time.

We know that Christ always is at the right hand of God. Where two or three believers gather on the earth in his Name, there He is. But at the same time He is in the highest Heaven at the right hand of God.

In the Book of Revelation the statement is made that the victorious saint is a pillar in the Temple of God, and the claim is made: “Never again will he leave it,” meaning never again leave the Temple of God.

However, we understand that the victorious saints will be busily occupied during the Kingdom Age, governing the nations with a rod of iron. This tells me that while our spirit remains at the right hand of God in Christ, our soul will be consciously occupied with business on the earth, or something like that. So we have an eternal position in Christ, and then an immediate awareness at the place where we are at the time.

If my surmising is correct, we may have to revise our thoughts about where Heaven and God are. Since the Bible declares we already have come to Mount Zion, while we are living on the earth, then God and his Heaven are not located at a place such that we could arrive at them after having traveled a great distance.

Heaven and earth are not neighbors, or adjacent, or contiguous. Rather they exist together in the same “place.” We may not be able to comprehend this, but it could be the case.

The truth is, there only is one world. Most of it is spirit. All deceased people from the beginning of time are in the spirit world. A smaller part of the one world is physical. When we are in the physical part of the one world we cannot see all the people in the spirit world; but they are there and they are conscious of their existence.

When the Bible mentions that Jesus was carried up out of their sight, this may have been to convey the idea that Heaven is above us. But stop and think. If Heaven is “up” above us, where is Heaven with respect to people on the opposite side of the earth? Obviously Heaven is “up” above them also.

And if the Lord Jesus is going to descend from Heaven to the Mount of Olives in the Middle East, from what direction will He come for those in North America or in China?

For myself, I am content that He will come to us from the same direction as He does to those in the Middle East and those in China, and at the same time. So our thinking about space and time really becomes confused.

I am not sure you are following along with me in this, but I can’t see how it could be otherwise. When Jesus went up out of the sight of the disciples He passed into the spirit world, which is all around us. He did not journey out past the stars, as some have supposed.

When Christ returns to earth He will “appear.” We are waiting for his appearing, not his coming as from a far distant place. The Bible says the skies will roll up like a scroll.

So here I am, resting on my bed, in the Presence of Christ, and yet I am hidden in Christ at the right hand of God.

As I stated, the physical world and the spirit world are one world. This is why the idea that we are at the right hand of God, and in Godwill Castle, or on the earth, all at the same time, may be somewhat confusing to us. The spirit part of the one world is invisible to us, and so we suppose it is somewhere at a distance from us, probably beyond the stars. It is not. It is all around us. “We have come to Mount Zion.” “The only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father.”

When the Lord said He would return and take us to where He is, He did not mean He is going to take us far away. He meant He is going to bring us to the right hand of God where He always is, and was at the time He was saying this to his disciples. Christ brings us to himself today, if we will permit him to do so, so we always may be with Him where He always is. So we will not actually “go” anywhere.

I think what I am beginning to picture in my mind is that the spirit world is like a great sphere, and the physical world is a much smaller sphere located in the center of the spirit world.

While I was musing about our permanent location versus our present awareness, another thought came into my mind—the absence of the kind of government we are accustomed to. There indeed is a King, the Lord Jesus. There are angels who enforce his will. There is the Holy Spirit who is always present, guiding us and bringing truth to our mind.

But except for the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, there is no governing body for each of the communities. There are no politicians running for office. There are no tax collectors, police or fire departments, or the other governmental agencies to which we have been accustomed.

It is true that the saints will govern the new world of righteousness. But, as the Lord Jesus told his disciples, those who govern will be servants, not heads of state who command obedience to themselves and enrich themselves at the expense of their “subjects.” This reminds me of the time when Israel had been being judged by prophets; but not being content with this kind of government they demanded a king they could see and give their allegiance to.

Samuel was deeply grieved over this. God informed Samuel they had rejected the Lord, not his servant Samuel. Sure enough. Saul ended up as a self-serving, wicked man whose only thought was for his self-aggrandizement. I think political leaders often fall into this frame of mind.

Without my realizing it, a new “day” had arrived.

Suddenly I became aware that someone was knocking on the door. I said, “Come in.” Amira entered the room quietly. I said, “What is it, Amira?” She answered, “We have another place to go today.” Amira is a thoughtful, polite young lady. I don’t believe she is much impressed with my being lord of the castle, I think she would be just as polite to any other person.

Amira was dressed in her white robe. She said, “It might be nice to put on your white robe. We are going to visit God’s Temple.”

Amira stepped outside while I took off my pajamas and put on my white robe. Bear was standing at the door. I went out with Bear, and the three of us went down the staircase and out through the tower door.

Erhard nodded to us and slipped a biscuit to Bear. Maybe angels have pets. Anyway, Erhard is certainly impressed with Bear. He manages to give Bear a biscuit and still remain aloof and watchful.

Tad was waiting for us. He was wearing his white robe, which is his natural appearance as an angel.

Tad said “Hi” to Amira, Bear, and me.

So the four of us went to the Great Hall. We sat down at the table. Alana brought the same food as yesterday. All the food was delicious, particularly the scrambled eggs.

Bear had her portion on the carpet.

When we finished, Amira said, “This is a very special day. We are going to visit God.” I knew Christ had been with us all the time, even though invisible. So the idea of visiting God struck me as peculiar. What does it mean to visit God when He has been with us in his Son, and we are at his right hand? My theological understanding was having a problem.

We went to the stable and greeted Heng. It is difficult to tell how old angels are. Heng looks like a man in his forties. But he could have been ten thousand years old by earth-time, for all we knew. It would not have been polite to ask. In any case, earth-time may have no meaning in the spirit world.

Heng was cheerful and polite, as would be expected of a servant. I am not really accustomed to the idea of being the lord of the castle, but I suppose I will get used to it in time. I never have enjoyed the idea of ruling over people or angels; but if my rulership will be helpful to anyone, and the Lord approves of it, I guess I can learn to live with it.

Whoever rules people becomes their servant, because all their problems become his problems. So rulership is not to be desired unless it is what God wants for us.

Heng said, “The animals have rested quietly and have been groomed and fed.” I could tell White King was worried he would not be permitted to come with us. But Amira said, “We all are going today, including Warfighter, Lance, and White King.” Tad, Amira, and I got busy and put the blue blankets and pads on our horses, and then led out some happy animals!

Being in a cage, even though it is suitably large, is awkward for Watcher. Also going through the gates. She cannot spread out her great wings like she enjoys. She has to perch on Heng’s leather gauntlet and be brought out that way with her wings folded. Kamur was certain he had been invited also and came prowling out beside Heng.

Heng walked with us out through the inner gate and doors and then the outer gate and its doors. The drawbridge was down. As we started down the ramp, Watcher spread out her massive wings and flew up to her post in the air and began circling. What a beautiful sight Watcher is as she flies around examining the entire area.

Heng returned to the gatehouse. We continued down the ramp until we were standing on the ground. Then Tad and I looked at Amira to see what today’s program would include. It was a beautiful day, as always. Warfighter, Lance, and White King were standing together to one side. Bear was running here and there, sniffing everything as is her custom. Kamur was lying on the ground, looking around to make sure we all were safe.

God’s Temple

Amira said, “Godwill, you have been invited to visit with God in his Temple. This is a very special honor. We all will go with you but no one will be able to see us. Each one of us, including the animals, will go and be there when you have your visit. God loves us all. We will not be allowed to go into the Temple but we will be able to feel God’s Glory around the outside.”

I was wearing my white robe, as Amira had directed.

Tad exclaimed, “I wish I could go in and meet God!”

Amira responded, “You will when God says you are ready. I haven’t been in to see God yet. It doesn’t happen to many people, or angels I guess. So Godwill must be a special person.”

I don’t feel so very special and I wish we all could go in to see God, even the animals! But I have learned in life that God knows his business and so I won’t attempt to interfere.

We mounted the animals as before, except that Amira now was on White King. Bear was with me on Warfighter. Tad was on Lance. Watcher was high overhead. Kamur was ready for whatever the day held. We all became invisible.

It seemed but a few minutes of galloping and Amira said, “We are here.” I was extremely nervous. Would you be nervous if you were going into a building to meet God?

I remember a church service in the Fremont Assemblies of God church in Fremont, California. Judson Cornwall had just finished preaching. Audrey and I were praising the Lord along with everyone else.

A vision appeared before me. It was of the Lord Jesus. I was looking at his left profile. He was as large as a galaxy of stars!

This is where the phrase “the galactic Christ” originated. The phrase so inspired Stan Josephsen, who was a student while I was teaching at the Morris Cerullo School of Ministry in San Diego, that Stan moved from Florida to be with us in Poway, California. Stan then became our Assistant Pastor and worship leader.

As we continued praising God, this immense Figure stood slowly to his feet. Then He lifted his hands as He turned toward us. He kept turning until He was worshiping the one beside Him. I saw that Christ was worshiping the Father along with us. The Glory we were giving Christ He was giving to the Father.

The Word came to me: “In the presence of the Church I will sing praises to you.”

Then the vision vanished.

Now I was looking at what seemed like a large area of the most perfect grass I have ever seen. It was unblemished. In the middle of the grassy area was a square of marble, the foundation of the Temple, about fifty yards on a side. In the middle of the square of marble was the Temple, the Temple of God.

I had expected a palace, or huge cathedral, or temple of the kind we are accustomed to. But what I saw standing on the marble was a building without walls. It somewhat resembles the Parthenon of Athens. It consists of a massive roof, a foundation, and five fluted columns on each of the four sides, all of pure white marble.

But no walls! The more I thought about this the more I understood why there are no walls. Of course there are no walls. God cannot be enclosed by walls! But this is not what I expected!

I remember the great Throne described in the Book of Revelation, the rainbow, and the Lamb. These are within a walled city, the new Jerusalem. But I believe those walls represent the resistance to sin that has been created in the saints who themselves form the Holy City. It is a mystery, I admit.

Seeing a temple so different from what I expected brings an idea to my mind. Perhaps what I am being permitted to see and experience is only for the unique purposes God has for me and for those who are with me. I feel certain that the spirit world is an unimaginably vast area and I am experiencing but the smallest part.

All of us were invisible. I let go of Bear and she jumped to the ground. I had the sense that no one except myself was to draw closer. Then we all dismounted and were standing on the grass.

I became visible. I began to walk toward this shining edifice. I’d say it was thirty yards, or thereabouts, on a side. Pretty soon I was on the marble foundation. Then I stood at the edge of the Temple. I could feel the Presence of Almighty God. I knew this was the Presence of the Father and I was terrified!

The Father has spoken to me a few times in my life. Ordinarily I hear from Christ or the Holy Spirit. But I know when the Father speaks. His voice bypasses all prophetic impulses and it is as though the foundation of the creation is speaking. Sometimes the prophetic word is a bit hazy in its fulfillment; but when the Father speaks, the fulfillment is more certain than the rising of the sun in the morning.

The Father spoke to my mind and said, “Welcome, my son. You may enter my Temple without fear.” At these words, all fear left me and I was in a supernatural state of righteousness, love, joy, and peace. I took a few faltering steps past the columns into the Temple and fell on my face on the floor. The floor was a seamless sheet of material resembling a deep-blue, semi-transparent tile.

The Father continued: “I have known you before you were born. I was with you as you were growing up. You may recall the times I watched over you. I preserved your eyesight when the firecracker blew up in your face. I kept you from drowning when the distracted baby sitter at Willard Beach led you by the hand into water over your head. There were numerous other occasions on which you would have been severely injured or killed had I not intervened.

“In my time the Gospel was brought to you, and you received the truth gladly, as I knew you would. I called you to the ministry of my Word while you were stationed in Japan. I led you to the Berean Bible Institute of the Assemblies of God that you might become acquainted with the work of my Spirit.

“I heard you when you declared you would do my will, at whatever the cost to yourself, if I would give you the necessary help. I told you then that if you would withhold nothing from me I would withhold nothing from you. You have done what you promised. I have done what I promised. I told you if you would be strictly obedient to me, things would become possible that otherwise would not be possible.

“You have concluded correctly that your zeal to do my will is not of your own making but has come from me. Salvation is of the Lord!

“I started opening my Word to you while you yet were in Bible school. I told you that after Pentecost would come the Day of Atonement and that my people would be judged. I explained to you also about the spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles.

“For more than sixty years you have pondered my plan of redemption and have written for the benefit of other people what you have been shown. You understand that your insight is not held commonly, but you have no idea of what these truths will mean to people in the days to come.

“It has been your wish that I would let you complete your work, and also that your writings and explanations would not be destroyed. Both of your desires have been granted. You wrote down all that I have shown you. Your work shall not be destroyed. The understanding of redemption that has been written by you has been recorded in Heaven and shall spread throughout the world by the power of my Spirit.

“Now you have all of eternity to serve my Son. He is ready to divide his inheritance, the people for whom He gave his Life, with you.

“I have given you the name ‘Godwill’ because of the desire I put in you to diligently do my will in every detail. You have justified my faith in you by faithfully, joyfully explaining my plan of redemption.

“Go with my love and blessing.”

I was so overwhelmed that I heard about half of what was said to me, but the rest came to me later.

I felt I should get back up on my feet.

I stood up, and there facing me, standing in the middle of the blue floor, was the Lord Jesus in his white robe. Then I began to understand. He himself is the Temple of God. In Him dwells all the Fullness of God in bodily form.

He said, “Do not fear. You have received your commission from our Father. You may return to your friends.”

I walked out of the Temple, across the marble foundation, to where Amira, Tad, and the animals were waiting. I was living as in a dream. Amira said, “Your face is shining with God’s Glory.” I could not speak.

Then Tad said, “What is that in your hand?” I was not aware of the fact that I was holding in my right hand a rod about twenty-four inches long and two or three inches thick. It was covered with blue cloth and ornamented with several small precious stones. It had a gold cap on each end.

Tad said, “I have seen that before. When the warrior-angels were drilling on the Plain, their leader was holding one of those. It is a marshal’s baton.”

I did not recognize the significance of this, but I could tell Tad was excited. I knew the Father had spoken favorably to me and I assumed this was a mark of his favor.

I put Bear back up on the pad. The three of us mounted our horses, and we and the animals chose to remain invisible on our way back to Godwill Castle so as not to cause any excitement or confusion. We became visible as soon as we came to the beginning of the ramp. I was holding the baton in my right hand.

The guards on the outer wall-walk held up their swords as before. Gunther must have noticed the baton. He turned toward us, and saluted. Heng came out and Watcher perched on the leather gauntlet on his fist. We passed through the outer gate and then the inner gate.

Heng took charge of the animals. We all went up to our rooms. I laid the baton on the bed and washed up. Then we came down for the evening meal. Alana was her usual smiling self. At our places there was a lettuce and tomato salad. We always have some sort of salad with our evening meal.

Alana already had our vegetables, mashed potations, gravy, and bread ready. This time there was roast chicken, which always is so delicious the way Claude cooks and seasons it. We finished up with cookies as before. Bear was gulping her biscuits on the floor. I think we all were overcome from having been in the Presence of the Almighty God.

Tad said, “It was wonderful to be so close to God. I hope it will happen again. Good night all.” With that Tad looked in on Lance and then went up the stairs to his barracks.

I was still in shock from the awesome Presence of God. Amira recognized this, said good night to the animals, and went up to her room.

When I entered my room the candles were lighted. The shutters had not been closed.

I looked out the window and could see at a distance the workers in the fields. We had gotten back earlier than usual so the sky had not as yet been filled with its golden color that diminished the light.

I picked up the baton from the bed and examined it carefully. Then I put it on top of the bookcase. I was so occupied with the thought of meeting with the approval of the Father that I did not have the time to think about what a marshal’s baton might signify.

I was glad to be in my room. The experience of hearing from the Father like that, and then seeing the Lord Jesus standing on the blue floor as the very Throne and Presence of the Father, was beyond description. I was overcome emotionally to say the very least.

I took off my robe, put on my pajamas, and got under the blanket. I began to ponder what had taken place. Then a thought came to me: “How can God be in a temple and yet be in my heart?”

I believe the answer is in Jesus. God is external to Jesus, we realize, because Jesus prays to God in Heaven. Yet we know that God dwells in his Fullness in the Lord Jesus. Perhaps it is true that as we of the Church are brought to the fullness of maturity in Christ, the Church itself will become God’s eternal Temple. What a marvelous thought!

I remembered the candles, so I got out of bed and snuffed out all the candles except the night candle on the corbel across from the foot of the bed, just to the right of the alcove. Then I went into the little recessed room and closed the wooden shutters.

I put on my pajamas and got under the blanket. Bear jumped up and lay down on her pillow at the foot of the bed. My mind began to review what had taken place that “day.”

It seemed that only minutes passed before someone kissed me on the cheek and then was shaking me. “Time to get up. Dad, Dad, get up! Are you going to lie there forever?”

Can you imagine who is saying this?

I turned in the bed and looked up at her. There was something going on here. I noticed a bit of mischief in her face as though she knew something she was not telling me. In fact, she was giggling.

I said, “Amira, should I bring my marshal’s baton?”

She answered, “Not today.” Then she giggled some more. She sure was happy about something!

Amira does not seem to be too impressed with me being lord of the castle or a marshal, although she always is polite and respectful. I’m thankful for this. I do not care about being important. It is tiresome, an annoyance, a weariness and vexation of spirit, to be trying to impress people with how great we are. Do you agree with this?

Can you picture a world in which everyone is content to be what he or she is? If I am not mistaken, Amira is content to be a happy little girl, skipping around, wearing her butterfly pins. I think she will be just like this for a while. And why not? If God wants Amira to be different, God will put the desire in her heart and then will answer it.

Meanwhile, Amira is my little daughter and helper, and she and I are content with this.

Today Amira was wearing a green blouse and matching skirt, and brown sandals. She had on white stockings that came up to her knees. Her brown butterfly pin was attached to her blouse. She had a brown bow in her hair.

Amira bounced out of the room. I got up and washed up in the sink. Then I got dressed in my white shirt, no tie, dark blue slacks, and brown sandals. Putting on clothes is a bit different in the spirit world. It is as though you start to put them on and suddenly find you are dressed and everything fits perfectly.

Bear and I went down the staircase. Erhard was at his post at the door of the tower, dressed in his uniform. Bear looked at Erhard. Erhard was grinning. Then he brought his hand from behind his back and gave Bear her biscuit.

Amira was dancing around the ward. I think the visit to God brought joy to her spirit. And there was Tad, tall, straight, and noble in his bearing. Tad was wearing his blue jacket and pants, black boots, and had his dagger hanging on his right side. His blue cap was stuck in his belt on his left side.

“Good morning,” Tad said with a smile. “I hope you had a good rest.” I think he also must have been affected by our visit to God yesterday. We really are getting to know each other better.

Then Tad resumed his soldier-like bearing, looking carefully around the ward.

We all trooped over to eat breakfast and see Alana. Alana already had set out our food. This time, in addition to our melons, biscuits, butter, preserves, and eggs there was oatmeal, with honey, raisins, and nuts to put on it. To say the least, it was marvelous!

We jabbered away as we were eating. Tad exclaimed, “The garrison sure doesn’t get to eat like this!”

Amira responded, “Aren’t you glad you are Godwill’s guardian-angel?”

Tad said, “Godwill is the one whom I am to guard. I have been watching over him, and also learning from him the ways of the Lord. I have to learn my lessons well if I am ever going to become a commander in the angel army.”

Amira said, “You’ll never make it,” and then she giggled.

Tad took a swing at her, which she ducked. Amira can be a handful when she wants.

Tad asked, “Where are we going next?”

Amira answered, “We are going to a surprise for Dad.”

We got up from the table and said goodbye to Alana.

Then we went to the stable. Heng went in and brought out White King, Warfighter, Lance, and Kamur. He already had put their blankets and pads on them. I saw there was a horse I had not noticed before, in one of the stalls. It was a mare. She was brown with a white blaze on her forehead. I have no idea where she came from.

Then Heng emerged with Watcher perched on his fist. He was stroking her feathers.

I said, “Heng, where did the mare come from?” Heng answered, “One of the Lord’s messengers brought her by and said we are going to need her in the future.”

We all made our way through the inner gate and then the outer gate, with Bear following along.

As soon as we started walking down the ramp, Watcher flew up to her post, and Heng returned inside.

Tad said to Amira, “Where to, smarty?”

Amira answered confidently, “Follow me.”

Amira mounted White King. Tad mounted Lance, and Bear and I mounted Warfighter. Kamur was ready to travel. Watcher was flying overhead in wide circles.

The Army

Amira explained, “We are going to make ourselves invisible until we get where we are going so we won’t have to stop and answer a lot of questions.”

It seems to me that not everyone in the spirit world can make himself invisible to others in the spirit world. But the Lord Jesus, for reasons of his own, has given us this ability. Perhaps we have a special mission or something. We can be visible or invisible just by thinking. I notice Jesus can do this also. He can be right next to you and you don’t know it. I might add that when we are invisible to others, we ourselves can still see each other and the animals.

We traveled for a short while, and then came to a vast plain. Amira said, “This is the Plain of Instruction.” There was no grass, it was just ground, like the road leading out of the suburb.

As we approached the Plain of Instruction we could see thousands of small tents. There were children and young people on the Plain. Some were on small white horses. Others were sitting on the ground in rows, listening to their instructors.

I asked Amira if these were the boys and girls who were aborted. She answered, “Yes.”

I said, “Were they brought immediately to this Plain of Instruction when they died?”

Amira answered, “No, we were brought to a special garden where the aborted babies go. There were many beautiful angels there. The first person I recognized was an angel, a nurse.

“I don’t remember the garden too well. It was all very beautiful. There always was soft music. I remember how loving all the nurses were. Also there were all kinds of flowers. I think I was lying in a bed of flowers when I first woke up.

“I will never forget the face of the angel as she smiled at me and said, ‘Welcome to Heaven, to your home. My name is Karina. I am your special nurse.’

“Since I was an aborted infant I don’t know how I understood what the angel said, but I did. The memory of that garden is a very special place in my mind. In a way I almost wish I could go back there, but I know that is not possible. But it was the most wonderful time of my whole life.

“After a long time in the garden we were brought by angels to special houses until we were old enough to be put in one of those small tents that you see.

“When we got to be a little older we asked Jesus about our parents and where we came from. He answered all our questions. Then Jesus told us He had chosen to be our Parent because we are special to him. This made us happy. He gave names to those of us who had died before we were given a name by our parents.

“The Lord sent angels to teach us about what race we came from and about what our people are like. They also taught us our language. This is why I can speak some Arabic. I am an Arab, you know. Amira is an Arab name. It means ‘Princess.’

“We had a chance to eat the food of our country. I ate lots of rice and vegetables, and homemade bread and butter. There was milk and tea to drink. We had falafels, which is sort of like bread with real good things wrapped up in it. We also had chicken and fish.

“There was no lamb, although Arabs like lamb, because the animals that are killed here are chickens, turkeys, and fish, for the most part. There are sheep for wool and cows for milk, cheese, and butter, but the sheep and cows are not killed for their meat.

“We learned about the Arab music, and the different dances, and about the clothing. The Arab women wear lots of clothes. Some of the Arab women dress like that here, but others do not.

“We learned how to sing, All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name in our own language, because each country is going to sing this hymn in its own language at Jesus’ Coronation.”

While Amira was speaking, I thought to myself, “Perhaps it is important that people understand where they came from.” From something the Apostle Paul wrote, I was under the impression that in the new world of righteousness there would be no racial or national distinctions. This may be true. But I know the Bible says God sets the lonely in families.

If this is a fact, maybe God enjoys the different races and their unique characteristics and is going to keep them intact, although refreshed with the Presence of Christ. God is not making all new things but all things, to which we are accustomed, new in Christ.

The children on the Plain of Instruction we were looking at, both boys and girls, appeared to be between the ages, I would say, of eight to sixteen. There were also young people who looked to be a little older, about seventeen or eighteen.

The children were dressed in colorful clothing. The girls were wearing blouses and shorts. The boys were wearing shirts and shorts. The clothes of both boys and girls were blue, red, green, white, black, brown—of every color one could imagine. However, most of them wore brown, closed-toe sandals.

I asked Amira, “What are we looking at?”

Amira answered, “This is the army of the Lord.”

“Where?”

She said, “These children.”

I said, “What do you mean the army of the Lord?”

She said, “Do you remember how surprised you were that you were not wearing some kind of armor?”

I said, “Yes.”

Amira explained: “There are two armies. There is the army of angels. They are very big and powerful. That is one army. They fight against wicked angels and wicked people with swords and spears.

“Then there is the Lord’s army. These children and young people are part of the Lord’s army. They fight with their Bibles. They are learning parts of the Bible by heart so whenever they see a person doing something wrong, they can tell him what God has to say about what he is doing.

“The older young people are officers, and they show the children what to do. There also are more experienced persons, captains, like yourself, who are in charge of everyone.”

An army of children! A passage went through my mind: “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained strength and praise to silence the enemy and the avenger.” It goes something like that.

I remember how Jesus spoke about children entering the Kingdom of God and about the angels of the little ones seeing the face of the Father.

When I was alive on the earth and teaching the Bible, I often emphasized the passages in the Old and New Testaments that spoke of Christ and his army, and how they would come in the last days, destroy the wicked, and establish the Kingdom of God on the earth.

I had pictured the Lord’s coming as kings from the east, mighty warriors garbed in the white robes of righteous conduct, riding on the huge white war stallions, carrying lances in one hand and their banners in the other portraying the ramping Lion of Judah, regrouping on the dried-up bed of the Euphrates, preparing to drive Antichrist and his armies from Har-Magedon into the bloody Mediterranean Sea in one tremendous cavalry charge.

Also, I am much impressed by Joel’s army, the saints going through the earth destroying the institutions of civilization.

If I understand the Divine program, Revelation, Chapter Nineteen, is speaking of the armies of Antichrist seeking to prevent the return of Christ to the earth.

The army described in the second chapter of the Book of Joel portrays God’s huge army of saints going through the earth and destroying everything that is part of the Antichrist world spirit. This includes people and institution. At that time, whatever demons and fallen angels remain in the earth after the Battle of Har-Magedon (Revelation 19:19) will be driven back into the spirit world. Finally the earth will be free of Satan’s influence, except for the self-will of the surviving humans.

I suppose these are correct visions, but I did not realize the saints would not be carrying lances but the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

It appears that at least part of the army of the Lord, at the Battle of Har-Magedon, will be boys and girls on smaller white horses.

If you were a soldier in the armies of the wicked, would you rather face Christ and mature saints armed for the battle; or a trusting child holding her Bible?

One time, when I was principal of an elementary school, there was construction going on around the school building. I went to the third-grade classroom, and because of the noise, and for safety’s sake, led the teacher and her children to the multipurpose room so they could continue their studies for the remainder of the day.

The boys and girls with their teacher filed out of their classroom in an orderly manner, carrying their books, pencils, and paper. Most of them were eight years old.

This was not a Christian school. Many of the children had only one parent because a divorce had taken place. This was a “divorce neighborhood” with many apartments.

All of a sudden, the Presence of God was with us. It was then I understood how the Father watches carefully over each small child on the earth—and perhaps in the spirit world also. This makes sense to me because God watches over the sparrows, and children are much more important than sparrows!

In any case, the truth slowly dawned on me. First of all, God does not want his saints stabbing wicked people with a sword or lance. King David was not permitted to build the house of God because there was blood on his hands from many wars.

Second, the struggle between good and evil is not one of force or strength but one of truth and righteousness. The Father retains all power. Christ understands this. So does Satan.

So a small child ready to say what behavior is righteous and what is wicked has more power than the combined armies of the world. This is because the Father is with him in his innocence. His angel sees the Face of God!

Amira gave me to understand that the time would come when these children would mount their war stallions, and instead of shields and lances would carry their Bible under their arm. There would be powerful angels on each side of them.

As the little one pronounced the righteous judgment of God, the angels would see that the judgment was carried out. Isn’t it true that God acts in ways we would not expect? He uses the weak to confound and defeat the mighty.

Amira was watching me closely, a smug, know-it-all smile on her lips. Now she was ready for her surprise. She said, “Dad, these are your children. They are waiting for the day when the father that Jesus promised to them will come and look after them. You are their father.”

No one else who has ever lived will understand the effect this had on me. The happiest years of my life have been spent teaching children. I left public-school work so I could pastor a church and also diligently write down the insights Christ has given me. But in me is a God-given love for children and young people.

I have never before experienced anything close to what was coursing through me at this moment. I looked up to Jesus and said, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

You see, Jesus has promised me that He would share his inheritance with me. Now He has kept his Word. This is my family. These are my children. I am their father. There could not possibly be any circumstance or thing that could compare with the joy of the moment. This must be what Isaiah meant when he said: “Your heart shall tremble and be enlarged.”

At this moment we all made ourselves visible. The children nearest us looked up in surprise. They said, “There’s Meer.” You could tell they all knew Amira and liked her. They seemed a little cautious concerning Tad on his black war stallion. They could see that he was wearing a long dagger. They understood he is an angel assigned to guard one of God’s saints.

A little boy near us said, “Meer, who is that with you? Is that big tiger your pet?” I would imagine he had been shown pictures of the earth’s animals when the angels were teaching him. It is not likely he had seen one of the tigers of the spirit world. The spirit world is an exceedingly vast area!

“The tiger’s name is Kamur. He is gentle. He will not hurt you,” Amira responded.

The child spoke in his native language but we could understand him in our thoughts.

A little girl asked, “Meer, who is the man on the big white horse with the dog?”

“He is our father that Jesus said was coming.”

When Amira said this, I lifted Bear off the pad and then dismounted from Warfighter.

The little girl’s eyes grew wide. “He is our father?” she asked.

“Yes, our father has come.”

The children nearby heard what was said and began to tell other children. All the children stopped what they were doing. They all came running, or riding their horses. It was pandemonium.

Some got close to me. Others hung back shyly.

One of the older boys asked, “Are you really our father? What is your name?”

Amira answered, “His name is Lord Godwill because he always does God’s will.”

Then a great cheering and handclapping began. There were thousands of children and young people, and the sound became a great swelling roar.

One little fellow pushed through the crowd until he was standing right in front of me. I asked, “What is your name?”

“Abd al Haseeb,” he replied.

“What’s yours?” he asked. I answered, “Godwill.”

“How come that’s your name?” Abd al Haseeb asked.

I said, “Because I always do God’s will.”

Abd al Haseeb asked, “Why?”

“Because that is what I like to do best.”

Then there were about a thousand questions thrown at me. Meanwhile some of the children were crowding around Bear, Kamur and Warfighter. Warfighter was looking straight ahead and pretending that none of this adulation meant anything to him, but I knew he secretly was pleased. Several children took turns petting Bear, which was nothing more than she expected.

Some of the little ones climbed up on Kamur’s back and he walked around grandly with them holding on. It’s amazing, isn’t it, how quick some children are to trust the fiercest looking animals when they have been assured the animal won’t hurt them. It won’t take much to bring about the Kingdom Age when a little child will lead the leopard and the lion. They will be his or her pets.

At this point, Watcher felt she was being left out, so she klicked, screamed, and chirped loud enough for the children to hear her. They all looked up at the huge eagle. I said, “That is Watcher.” She is making sure we all are safe. The children waved and said, “Hi, Watcher” in their own language.

I asked Amira, “What are we supposed to do now?”

She answered, “We are to return to Godwill Castle, and then God will show us what we are to do next.”

I looked to the Lord and asked Him if it would be all right for Amira to bring a friend back to the castle with her. Jesus answered, “That’s fine.”

I said to Amira, “Would you like to bring a friend back to the castle to stay with you?”

“May I?”

Then I answered, “Certainly!”

Amira chose a girl a trifle younger than herself, named Gabrielle. Gabrielle can speak English. I do not know where she learned it. She is pretty near as tall as Amira. I would guess Gabrielle is from Mexico, or possibly one of the Central or South American countries. She has brown skin and dark brown hair. The children call her “Elle.”

Gabrielle is a quiet, thoughtful youngster, unlike Amira who is bouncy and somewhat impulsive. Amira asked Gabrielle if she would like to come back to the castle with us. You could tell Gabrielle was very happy with this thought, but she meekly answered, “Yes, I would like to come with you. Can I bring my horse, Amigo?”

I answered, “Of course you can.”

“Elle” was wearing a white blouse and black shorts with horizontal white stripes, a black belt, and black sandals. She was as shy as Amira was when I first met her in the meadow. She seemed afraid of Tad and me. Gabrielle went and got Amigo and came back leading her fine white stallion.

Amigo immediately went over to get acquainted with Lance, White King, and Warfighter. Amigo blew in the nostrils of the three visiting horses. I think this is how horses greet one another. How Amigo could blow when there is no air here I do not know, but He did.

Amigo wasn’t sure what to do about Kamur. But Kamur gave Amigo a comradely nod and this solved the problem. Watcher swooped down so she wouldn’t be left out of the party.

I said, “Gabrielle, I am your dad. What do you think of that?”

She looked up at my face for a moment, and then looked down. She whispered, “I am pleased to meet you.”

What a remarkable company of children and young people. There was no jealousy, no competition. They all were genuinely pleased that Gabrielle and Amigo were going home with us to the castle. When I said this, Watcher resumed her post in the air.

I said in a loud voice so the children could hear me, “I am very happy to be your father, your dad. We must return to Godwill Castle now. That is where Amira, Tad, my guardian-angel, Warfighter the horse, Kamur the tiger, Watcher the eagle, Bear the dog, and I live. But I will be back to meet each one of you, so you will know all about me and I will know all about you.”

I really do not know if how loudly one speaks affects the minds that are translating the words.

Then Amira got up on White King. I put Bear on the blue pad and then got up on Warfighter. Tad and Gabrielle already were mounted. Then we all became invisible. We made our way back to the castle and became visible again. Soon we had dismounted and were walking up the ramp. Heng came out and Watcher circled down and perched on his fist. The guards on the wall-walk were watching us carefully.

Gabrielle was astonished when she saw Watcher. Apparently she had never seen an eagle before today.

We went through both of the gates. Heng took charge of the animals. Heng seemed happy to see Amigo and told him he is a nice horse. Tad went upstairs over the stable to get washed up before dinner.

Amira, Gabrielle, Bear, and I walked to the tower. Erhard smiled and opened the door.

Erhard said (in his thoughts), “Who is this you have with you?”

“This is my best friend, Gabrielle,” Amira responded.

Erhard bowed and said, “I am pleased to meet you, young lady.”

Gabrielle was too shy to say anything. Erhard is a very imposing figure!

We went up the staircase. Amira took Gabrielle into her room and closed the door.

Bear and I continued up the stairs to our room. The shutters were open. I looked out to see the people working in the fields. It is such a restful scene!

I poured some hot water from the iron pitcher and washed my hands and face.

Then I said, “Bear, let’s go.”

Bear wagged her tail, because she knew food was next on the list.

As we went down the stairs, Amira and Gabrielle came out, and Tad met us. Tad stood up straight at his military best, probably to impress Gabrielle. He was still in his blue uniform. Then we all trooped down and went to the dining area in the Great Hall.

Alana came in and said, “I see we have a visitor.”

“Her name is Gabrielle,” Amira responded. “Everyone calls her ‘Elle.’” Alana said, “I am very pleased to meet you, Elle.”

Alana announced, “We are going to have a special dessert tonight, if you all eat a good meal first. We have roast fish with baked potatoes, lots of sour cream and butter, and asparagus tips, and, of course, our rolls and butter.”

We began the meal with a salad. We always began our meals with either soup or a salad. The salad tonight included lettuce, tomato, and sliced cucumber.

The fish in our castle does not taste “fishy” at all; more like ham. I have never asked what kind of fish we are served. It could have been cod. I remember Lena, Einar Gislason’s wife, in Iceland, used to cook cod so it tasted just like ham. I don’t care for fish that tastes “fishy.” Do you? But I know some people do enjoy that taste. Perhaps the Japanese do.

Then Alana emerged. Ta da! She was carrying a large bowl of strawberry ice cream and a plate of what looked like cookies. Amira asked, “What kind of cookies are those?”

Alana answered, “They are wafers made with honey. We angels eat these sometimes. In the Bible they are called ‘manna.’”

Each of us scooped some ice cream onto our dish and broke up some of the wafers as a topping. Boy, was it delicious. Tad had two giant helpings.

Bear had some of the ice cream with her biscuits.

Gabrielle had little to say but you could tell she was happy to be with us.

When we were finished with our ice cream, we told Alana goodbye. Then we went back to the tower to rest. Tad said good night and went into the stable to pet Lance, and then climbed the stairs to the barracks. Amira and Gabrielle began to chatter and tell each other all the news. They said good night to White King and Amigo, and then went up the stairs to their room.

I checked on Watcher, Warfighter, and Kamur. The same brown mare with the white blaze was there. She is a pretty horse and looks to be very gentle. I reached over the gate of the stall and gave her a quick pet so she would know she is part of us. The gate of the horse stalls is only about four feet or so high. The war stallions are so well trained that there is no need to confine them further, and it is obvious the mare is gentle.

Bear and I climbed to the top room and went in. The shutters were closed and the candles were lit. I took off my shirt, pants, and sandals, and put on my pajamas. I snuffed all the candles except the night candle.

I told Bear good night, although I could see through a crack in the shutters that the sky had not as yet turned its golden color that signifies resting time.

I lay down on top of my soft blanket. Bear jumped up and laid on her blue pillow at the foot of the bed. I wasn’t ready to get under the covers and go to sleep. The thought of having all those children was such a blessing that I scarcely could contain myself for joy. Again I thanked the Lord Jesus.

I remember the Lord Jesus told me that these were children and young people whose parents, for one reason or another, were not particularly involved with them. When the parents died they would not be looking for their children. But the children could go to see their parents whenever they wished, whether their parents were on the earth or in the spirit world.

You know, it is like the parable of the talents. You can think of each child as a talent that had been given to his or her parent. The parents had voluntarily given up their right to their child and the child had been given to me. What an indescribable loss of inheritance for them!

People chase and grasp money, and then throw away the greatest treasures of all.

The Lord had told me one time that if I would give myself, and everything that was mine, to him, He would give himself, and the best of everything that belonged to him, to me.

I guess this multitude of children and young people is what the Lord meant by giving me the best of everything that belonged to him. He knows the end from the beginning.

Then another astonishing thought struck me. These children are the Lord’s army of judges! I have taught for years that there are two armies, the army of angels that do the fighting, and then the army of saints who do the judging, because angels are not permitted to exercise Divine judgment. The two armies were not as clear to me then as they are now.

What an awesome idea! An army of children and young people, mounted on white warhorses adapted to their size, and carrying their Bibles in their hands and in their minds.

No other army that has ever been or ever shall be could possibly terrify the wicked of the earth, and wicked spirits as well, as can an army of children with pure hearts and consciences because of having been raised and trained in the spirit world. Nor would the Father be with any other army to the same extent!

Evil spirits and evil people often defend themselves or even attack us by pointing out the evil in our personality. But they could not use this device with these children, because they had not as yet been made aware of good and evil. Later, when they become more mature, they will learn to embrace that which is good and utterly repudiate that which is contrary to God’s moral Character.

I crawled under the blanket. Unfortunately I disturbed Bear doing this, but she recovered. Was it warmer under the blanket? No, of course not. Just habit I guess. My thoughts continued along this glorious line until someone shook me and a familiar voice said, “It is time to get up.”

I looked up at my guide.

“Guess what we are going to do today?”

“Tell me.”

“You are going to get acquainted with your family.” With that, Miss Know-it-all pranced out of the room, giggling.

Wow! This is going to be the greatest day of my entire life. To think of getting to know so many children and young people. (It turned out to be five thousand, five hundred thirty-three counting the drummers and the officers.)

I stepped into the little “window-room,” opened the wooden shutters, and looked out. It was a beautiful day. The clouds were all the colors of the rainbow. I could hear the roosters crowing.

The people who live on the castle property were already working in the fields. I could see children feeding chickens and playing with their dogs. One little boy was leading a cow to pasture. This boy reminded me of the time I saw a little boy in India leading a long string of water buffalo. This event, near the Bay of Bengal, happened at twilight and was such a peaceful scene.

The little boy and his buffalos reminded me of a passage in Isaiah:

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. (Isaiah 11:6)

This scene will be true during the Kingdom Age. What is it saying? It is telling us that children will have many kinds of pets in the eternal ages to come. What little boy or girl would not like to have a wolf or leopard for a pet? Children with terminal diseases can look forward to having pets to play with after they die. Perhaps their own doggy or kitty will be with them in Heaven.

What a blessed scene I am witnessing now after leaving the tumult of earth!

I keep being surprised by how our customary laws of vision no longer apply. I was finding that I could look at any distance I wished. I knew the happy people I was looking at were miles away in the distance. Yet, by focusing my eyes on them their faces came up close, like looking through a powerful telescope.

I put on my white shirt, dark blue pants, no tie, and brown sandals. I found a brown cap in the closet and put that on. All the children wear brown caps with cloth visors.

When Bear and I went through the tower door, Amira, Gabrielle, and Tad were there already. Gabrielle was wearing her white blouse and black shorts with the white stripes. Amira was dressed the same as yesterday, wearing a brown blouse and matching shorts, a blue bow in her hair, and a blue butterfly pinned on her blouse.

I noticed Amira and Gabrielle also were wearing brown caps and brown sandals.

After greeting each other we went to the Great Hall. There we had an excellent breakfast. The addition of oatmeal with raisins, nuts, and honey made a good breakfast, perfect.

When we finished, we all looked at Amira. “Where do we go today,” we asked.

Amira responded, “Today is very important. Godwill is to become acquainted with his children and young people.”

Tad asked, “How many are there?” Tad probably was thinking this was going to be a boring day for him as I became acquainted with a few children. I guess the remark Amira made yesterday about all these children being my family had not really registered in our minds.

Amira said, “five thousand.”

Tad and I exclaimed, “How many?”

“Five thousand. I know because I used to be with them.” Gabrielle was nodding her head in agreement.

I asked, “How in the world am I to get acquainted with five thousand children?”

Amira answered, “You are thinking about the earth. God will change the time where you are and give you the strength you need, so that it will seem to you like a short time. You don’t have to worry. No child or young person will be left out.”

Amira was not giggling when she explained all this. I could tell the Lord Jesus was speaking into her mind. Amira can be very serious when Jesus is talking to her.

We all were pretty subdued after hearing about five thousand children.

We asked Amira, “Do you think we should bring all the animals?”

Amira answered yes, because we are going to be gone so long.

So we trooped solemnly over to the stable. I think Heng knew something unusual was happening. He brought out Warfighter, White King, Amigo, and Lance.

Last but not least, Heng went in to get Watcher. Watcher jumped from her perch to Heng’s fist. Kamur came prowling out and looked about him carefully. Now we all made our way through the inner gate, then out through the outer gate.

Getting Acquainted Time

As soon as we were on the ramp, Heng lifted up his right fist. Watcher spread out her blackish-brown wings and went up to her station in the sky. What a beautiful sight Watcher is as she circles around, looking for possible danger.

All of the war stallions have blankets and pads, not saddles or stirrups. Warfighter, Lance, White King, and Amigo do not have reins. They are controlled by the legs of the rider. I am beginning to wonder if some of the animals know our thoughts as well and also recognize a vocabulary of a few words!

I said to Amira, “How is this going to work? How can I get acquainted with five thousand children and young people?”

She answered, “They will come to you one at a time and you will speak to each one.”

“Boy, it certainly is going to take a miracle to accomplish this project,” I thought.

Amira said, “If we’re ready, let’s go.” Bear was riding with me.

We became invisible so as not to alarm the people working on the farms. Soon we were at the vast Plain of Instruction where the children were being prepared for war.

I noticed a chair had been set up at the edge of the field nearest us, which I gathered was for me. The rest of our party got off their horses and sat on the ground. The horses stood by us patiently. Kamur and Bear lay down side by side.

Let me say something about the children and the young people. It is obvious they are of different nationalities, and you can tell the boys from the girls, even though they all have brown caps, and are wearing blouses and short pants of various colors. The hair of the boys is much shorter and mostly concealed by their caps, while some of the girls have hair down to their shoulders and a few have pigtails.

The Apostle Paul told us there are no nationalities or gender in Christ Jesus. I thought, “Maybe I am seeing only what I want to see. The Bible says God shall give us the desires of our heart. Maybe God knows I want to see boys and girls of different nationalities.”

As I said previously, God is so unbelievably great He easily can give every person his or her own paradise. Consider the incomprehensible distances and sizes of the stars in the heavens! They declare God’s glory.

But then I thought, “Paul was speaking of what even now is true in the new creation in Christ, not just of what will be true in the future. Today there are no preferred races in Christ and no male or female.”

The Word of God cannot be changed. So it must be that I am seeing what I want to see, or else by being “in Christ,” Paul means the rule of Christ in our heart. If you have a Chinese man and a German man, and each has Christ in his heart, then they are one in Christ although of different nationalities. The same is true of male and female. None has an advantage in Christ. Yet, each person is what he or she is, in race and in gender, at least for now.

Paul said he is not living anymore but Christ is living in him. Yet we know he still is Paul and a man, and of the Jewish race.

“What is man, that God is mindful of him?”

In the beginning, God issued a decree concerning man. From my point of view, I don’t believe the decree concerning man has been changed or ever will be changed. It is what man is. God knows the end from the beginning, and He always finishes what He begins.

Man will be like angels in that there will be no more marrying or giving in marriage; and after man has been resurrected he never will die. But man will continue to be man and angels will continue to be angels. This is how I see it.

The Divine fiat decrees that man is a son of God. Man shall be in God’s image and likeness; man shall be male and female; man shall be fruitful, and man shall have dominion over all the works of God’s hands (as we see in the second chapter of the Book of Hebrews).

It is my point of view that each of these five Divine statements concerning man has had an initial, flesh and blood (animal) fulfillment, and each shall have an enormously enhanced eternal spiritual fulfillment. For example, the Lord Jesus Christ is what God means by a son in God’s image, and the first chapter of the Book of Revelation gives us some idea of what it will mean in the distant future to be in God’s likeness. Adam was but the faintest shadow of God’s meaning.

As far as children are concerned, the Bible states that of the increase of Christ’s Kingdom and of peace there shall be no end. I do not understand (do you?) how this prophecy possibly can be fulfilled unless children keep on being born. I think an eternity without the birth of children would be pretty dull! I don’t imagine God is just going to create more people without their being born!

Notice what will be true during the thousand-year Kingdom Age:

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9—NIV)

Isaiah 65:17-25, which I quoted at the beginning of this book, implies that when God creates the new heaven and the new earth there will be families. And as far as children are concerned, notice the following excerpts:

“An infant who lives but a few days.”

“Not… bear children doomed to misfortune.”

“Their descendants with them.”

This passage (Isaiah 65:17-25) mentions death. But the Book of Revelation supersedes Isaiah by declaring “There will be no more death.”

Now examine the above passage (Isaiah 11:6-9). This is the Kingdom Age. Notice carefully:

“A little child will lead them.”

“The infant will play.”

“The young child.”

In some marvelous manner, new life must enter future ages. I cannot conceive of an eternal Kingdom in which there are no families or children! A world without children and families would not be much of a world to me, unless that is what the Lord wants for some reason.

I am certain of one thing: I would rather work with boys and girls, each one with his or her own personality than with “its.” How about you? A garden with only one kind of flower is not as interesting as a garden with many kinds of flowers, at least to most people.

As far as language is concerned, I notice that the children are very skilled in thought language. But when they are with other children of their own nationality and language, they speak words with their mouths and also transfer thoughts. It appears that angels teach each child his or her own native language as well as informing the child about his or her culture.

Thought language is a mystery. No matter what language is in the mind of the person transferring the thought, the message appears in the mind of the recipient in the recipient’s own language! This interpretation and perception may operate in the same manner as our brain interprets the impulses that travel along our optic nerve.

So here I am, sitting down in an ornate chair (almost like a throne) getting ready to greet the first child. At this point we all became visible.

The older young people, the officers, had arranged the children in rows so they could take turns approaching me. The littlest ones were in front. After the children had met me they went off somewhere and played games, I suppose. Or perhaps they talked about what it is like to have a father.

Amira and Gabrielle stood next to my chair, smiling at each child so the young person would be comfortable and assured.

When I say I am speaking to a child or a child is speaking to me, I am referring to thought to thought. Speaking to another person’s thought does not mean he or she can read our mind. Rather it is like Jesus speaking to us. We cannot read Jesus’ mind, but we can understand, in any language, the thoughts he is directing at us.

We began with a little boy. He is African, and probably eight years old. He was wearing a red shirt and red shorts, with the customary brown sandals. He was nervous and wide-eyed.

I said, “Hello. What is your name.” he remained silent, staring up at me.

Amira said, “It’s okay. Tell your dad your name.”

He said, “Themba.”

I said, “That’s a great name.”

Themba said softly, “Uh huh.”

As I held Themba’s hand, something from him passed into me, and I could tell something from me passed into him. From now on Themba was an eternal part of me and I of him. I cannot explain this to you, it just happened and Themba and I both knew it.

Amira said, “It is time for the next child.”

Themba skipped away, leaping and clapping his hands. I gathered he was happy. He has a real dad and he knows it.

The next child was a little girl. She obviously was Japanese. She was wearing a white blouse and black shorts. There were pink flowers on her shorts. She has black hair and dark eyes.

I took her hand and asked, “What is your name?”

She answered, “Kohana.”

I said, “That’s a beautiful name. What does it mean?”

“A little flower,” she answered.

“I would like to be your father. Would you like to be my daughter?” I asked.

Her eyes filled with tears. She got up in my lap and hugged me. I tell you, that just about did me in. I thought to myself, “People throw away the greatest treasures of all!”

Kohana did not want to get down off my lap.

Amira said, “Kohana, pretty soon you will be with your dad as much as you want. But now we have to let other children meet their dad.”

Kohana nodded her head and got down. She walked away slowly, looking back at me.

I could not tell the nationality of the next boy, until I heard his name. He is “Alexei.” he also is about eight or nine years of age. He was wearing a white T-shirt and brown shorts. He has dark brown hair.

Alexei came right up to me confidently. He put out his hand, which I shook. He declared with confidence, “I am Alexei. I am Russian. What is your name?”

I answered, “Godwill.”

I noticed that Alexei was proud of being Russian. Perhaps this is why Christ has the angels teach aborted children about their racial background and their native language and culture. Even though they were aborted they were conceived on the earth by human beings. Knowing what race they were born into gives them a a sense of identity, which they would not otherwise have had.

Although they were raised in Heaven, their original home was the earth, and they are conscious of this.

Alexei asked, “Are you God?”

I said, “No, I am not God, but I always do what God tells me to do.”

Alexei considered this for a moment. Then he said, “Are you going to be my father?”

I answered, “Yes, I am very happy to be your father.”

Alexei smiled a big smile. I was holding his hand. As in the case of the preceding two children, something went out from Alexei and into me, and something went out of me into Alexei.

Alexei said, “I am happy you are my father and I am your son.” Then he walked away whistling.

I thought, “What a tragedy that Alexei’s natural father and mother could not see their stalwart little boy. They would be so proud of him. Perhaps in the time to come he will visit them, after he has received his training as a member of the army of the Lord.”

The next child may be from an African-American background, in that she sounded to me like she spoke English in an American way, if you know what I mean. She must have been taught by angels who were well acquainted with America.

She was wearing a white blouse, orange shorts, brown sandals, and a matching brown sash around her waist.

She approached me happily. I asked, “And what may your name be?”

She answered, “Jesus gave me the name ‘Janelle,’ but my friends call me ‘Jannie.’ The Lord Jesus told me that he is my Father. He said I am a very special girl. Who are you? Are you my new father?”

After having said that, Jannie jumped up and down, and then looked at me solemnly.

“Jannie,” I said, “Jesus still is your best Father. But he has given you to me so I can be your father also. I can tell you are a special girl.” Then the connection took place.

Jannie responded, “Now I have two fathers. I know a lot of Bible verses. Would you like to hear some of ‘em?”

I said, “Right now I have to meet all the boys and girls. But later I want to hear every single verse.”

Jannie looked at me and grinned. “By the time you hear ‘em I will know thousands more. Now I am going to leave so you can meet the other children.” She went away hopping on one foot.

I thought to myself: “Jannie is a sparkler. How can anyone be as blessed as I!”

The older young people, the officers, came last. The final person was a young man who looked about eighteen years of age. He introduced himself as Philipp and said he is Swiss. He has dark hair cut in a short military style. He was wearing a white shirt, a green sweater with a blue diamond design on it, and navy blue slacks. He is of slight build, with a determined, handsome face.

I said, “Philipp, I am proud to have you as my son.”

“It is an honor, sir, to be your son,” Philipp responded. “I have heard your name is Lord Godwill because you are so intent on always doing God’s will. This is my desire also.”

When Philipp said this, something from him entered me, and something from me entered Philipp. I knew this was an eternal bond, that Philipp will be my son forever.

You know, I had met five thousand children plus the thirty drummers and their five hundred three officers. How utterly impossible this would be on earth, but here it was as natural as breathing. Time as we know it simply is not operative.

As I think about breathing, I suddenly became aware that we don’t breathe here. We are just alive in God’s Spirit. How marvelous! Spiritual life certainly is superior to flesh and blood life!

I have heard people speak, dogs bark, and horses whinny. How can sound travel when there is no air? There certainly is sound here. One of the most pleasant sounds I have ever heard was that of the birds chirping when I died and entered the meadow with the Lord and the others. And then there was the music coming from the Institute of Music in the city. Perhaps one of the heavenly scientists will explain this to me.

As I consider this mystery, it dawned on me that our thoughts are being transferred without air; maybe sound is transferred in the same manner.

I was not “physically” tired at the end of this day, but I certainly had had all I can stand emotionally. What a day, and how wonderful to have a family of 5,533 children and young people! Thank you Lord Jesus forever!

I shook Philipp’s hand, and then said to him, “How would you like to return with us to Godwill Castle? I have some questions I wish to ask you.”

“It would be a great honor and pleasure,” Philipp answered in his polite Swiss manner.

“I will get my horse, Thunder, and come with you.” I do not know where Philipp got the name “Thunder,” since there is no thunder or rain in the spirit world. He must have read about thunder in a book. Or maybe he was permitted to visit his mother on the earth, and it was raining and thundering at the time.

With this, Philipp whistled a high note, a low note, and then two long notes in a middle range.

Instantly a large white stallion, a beautiful horse, came galloping to where Philipp stood.

Philipp petted Thunder’s nose and said, “Meet Thunder. Thunder, these are our friends.”

Thunder went over to Warfighter, Lance, White King, Amigo, Kamur, and Bear and made their acquaintance. Watcher flew down to see what was taking place. I have noticed that the animals here have a gentle, mild disposition, although I think the stallions and Kamur would be fierce in battle.

The horses we have become acquainted with, and even Bear, my dog, are larger than normal. I think they can understand our thoughts! They certainly act like it. So this is why I speak of Thunder making the acquaintance of the other animals.

Amira and Gabrielle wanted to pet Thunder, which they did. Thunder is very mannerly and stood patiently while they petted his nose and mane.

Philipp swung up on the pad and sat at attention. With this we all mounted and turned our horses toward Godwill Castle. Again, we all chose to be invisible so as not to alarm the farm people on the castle grounds. We were able to make Philipp invisible also.

As I said previously, I notice that not everyone can become invisible to the other people in the spirit world. I cannot explain to you why this gift has been given to me and my associates; but it certainly has proven to be of practical value while we are doing what Christ has directed us to do.

Before you knew it we all were dismounted, visible, and walking up the wooden ramp toward the outer gate. The angel-guards on the outer wall-walk, after looking closely at Philipp, presented their swords as before. Heng came out and held out his arm. Watcher circled down and lighted on the leather gauntlet on his fist.

When Philipp saw this he was astounded!

Gabrielle said, “Can I pet Watcher?”

I said, “Certainly. She will enjoy the attention.”

All eagles look fierce, and the huge Watcher is no exception. But she looked pleased (as much as possible for an eagle!) as Gabrielle, and then Amira, stroked her brown feathers.

Heng said, “Up we go.” Heng led the way as we passed through both gates.

We all went to the stable, and Heng put Watcher in her cage and laid out her fish and water. Kamur went into his stall and began to eat the mash that had been set down for him.

Then Heng took Warfighter, Lance, White King, Amigo, and Thunder into their stalls. He took off their blue pads and blankets. We could see he was going to use a rubdown towel on each of the five horses before he put down some oats and water for them. Heng said Thunder was a good addition to our stable of horses.

In one of the stalls was the brown mare with a white blaze, a very pretty horse that I mentioned previously. I felt bad that she had no owner, no family to call her own. So did Gabrielle and Amira. So they reached over the gate and petted her. She nickered her delight.

I said, “I want you girls to be thinking up a name for our lonely friend here so she won’t be left out.”

They said, “Okay, we will.”

Tad went upstairs to wash up for dinner.

Tom appeared and said he had a room in another tower for Philipp. He led Philipp to the tower at the other end of the wall from our tower. It formed part of the front wall of the inner ward, just as ours did. It now had a guard at the door. The guard, who was dressed exactly like Erhard, although he was shorter, welcomed Philipp and opened the iron door for him. The guard’s name is Nicholaus.

Amira, Gabrielle, and I greeted Erhard and went up to our rooms. I noticed the wooden shutters were closed. The candles were still lighted. Also, my blanket was thrown back. It was time to rest, but dinner came first.

I poured out some hot water from the pitcher and washed up in the sink. I went down the stairs and into the ward. Tad was there already without his uniform. He was wearing a white shirt open at the collar, brown slacks, and brown loafers.

Then Philipp came over from his tower. He still was wearing his white shirt, green sweater, and blue slacks. Finally Amira and Gabrielle came through the door. They were chatting and giggling, as young girls do. (I think they were impressed with Philipp.)

Erhard said, “I see we have a new member of our family.”

I said, “Philipp, I would like you to meet Erhard. Erhard, Philipp.” They greeted one another warmly. I said to Erhard, “Philipp is an officer in the army of the Lord.”

I am not certain Erhard understood exactly what I meant. I guess just because you are in the spirit world, or an angel in the spirit world, doesn’t mean you know everything the Lord Jesus is doing.

We all walked over to the Great Hall. Alana came out with chicken noodle soap; and then roast turkey, along with vegetables and mashed potatoes. You can imagine how hungry we were. She put down a plate for Bear and some water. Alana told Philipp that he was welcome and there was plenty of food to go around.

I guess we were pretty wound up from the excitement of the day. Amira and Gabrielle were chattering away. Philipp and Tad were having a serious talk.

I noticed, by the way, that Amira and Gabrielle were sort of interested in Philipp. Perhaps it was because they had seen him training his group of children, although Amira and Gabrielle were not in his group.

Also, I noticed Philipp casting furtive glances at Alana. Well, Alana is beautiful, no doubt about that. But she is an angel, a spirit, and not a human. I guess Philipp felt no interest coming from Alana, and so he occupied himself with Tad.

While we were devouring our meat, potatoes, vegetables, and rolls, I asked Philipp to tell me about the army of children and young people, who also are my family (praise God forever!).

Philipp began his story:

“As you know, I am Swiss. Before I was born, my father left my mother. Mom was so upset over this she finally had an abortion. When I awoke in the spirit world I was in a special garden to which aborted babies go. There were many angels there. When I came to consciousness, the first person I recognized was an angel. She was the kindest, most gentle person I have ever met.

“I do not know how long I was in the garden of aborted babies. As I look back it probably was a short period, but at the time it seemed like forever—that the garden was the only world there was.

“Then I was moved to an area where there were young children. Jesus told me the story of my life. He said my mother was a good person but just was not strong enough to do what was right in a difficult circumstance. I can visit her later if I choose to do so.

“Then Jesus told me I was to become part of a large family of children, none of whom had a father at this time. But, the Lord went on to say, one day a father would come and all of the children, including me, would be part of one great family.

“I was happy to hear this, because I always wanted a father of my own.”

Having said this, Philipp looked at me and grinned.

He went on: “Jesus brought me to these children and introduced me to a few of them. A long time went by, I don’t know how long. It really is difficult to know about time. Sometimes it seems very short and at other times very long.

“Some of the children did not grow up. They wanted to remain children. They were happy and content to be children. This was not so with me. I wanted to be a young man. And so I began to grow until I reached the size you see me now.

“One day the Lord came to us—in groups, because there are so many of us—and asked how would we like to be in an army that would go down to the earth with him and drive out all who were wicked, so we all could get bodies and live on the earth.

“Such a roar went up it could make you deaf. Every one of us wanted to be part of that army.

“As Jesus went to another group and talked to them, the same roar went up. I found out later that every single child—and I learned later there were over three thousand then, and some have been added since—was very happy at the thought of getting a body and returning to earth with the Lord Jesus; and also with being part of an army.

“So Jesus had his army. He took us to a very large plain. He moved us from the houses we were living in and placed us in tents. Then Jesus called to himself all who had chosen to grow up to be young people, as I had. None of us, however, had desired to become an adult. We just enjoyed being a young person.

“The Lord told us that from now on we will be known as ‘officers’ of the children’s army. Then we entered a training period that lasted for quite a while. The six captains took turns teaching us. Each captain had three sessions. Next, several of the commanders of the army of angels spoke to us.

“We were taught the geography of the earth and the history of the world, how over time the idea that man is to govern himself was established. It was pointed out that all sin resulted from Satan’s desire to disobey God. Satan introduced into the earth the idea that man need not obey God, that man should be his own god. As this thinking entered the minds of people on the earth, sin began to multiply.

“The concept of a monarchy that people must obey was finally removed from human thinking. Doing away with the idea of a king that had to be obeyed made it difficult for people to accept the Kingdom of God, the doing of God’s will.

“The coming rule of Christ over the earth, and then the removal of the present earth and stars and the appearing of the new sky and earth, were explained to us.

“Then we were taught about the coming battle. Much emphasis was laid on keeping our mind on the Lord Jesus, not giving in to fear of any kind. We had all the angelic protection we would need to keep us from harm. We were told that the enemy, although they looked very strong, would be defeated completely; and after that, the Lord’s army of saints would go through the earth and remove wicked people and many of the things of civilization.

“Finally, three of the most highly placed warrior-angels came from the Throne of God and the Lamb and questioned us at length. They were particularly interested that we understood the role of the children—that they were to invite people to accept Jesus as their King, and then to move on to the next person, leaving one of their two guardian-angels to carry out the judgment.

“When we graduated from our training, Jesus assigned each of us to a group of children. There were to be ten children in a group. This took quite a while, because a child would want to be in one group, and then changed his or her mid and wanted to be with a friend in another group. But after a while the groups were pretty well settled.

“The boys and girls could be in any group they wanted, although most of the children chose groups who were of the same nationality and spoke their language in words you could hear and understand. It didn’t matter whether you were a boy or girl as to what group you were in.

“An angel who had insight into the personalities of the children set aside thirty children to be drummers. These were children with a strong sense of rhythm. Then an angel who teaches the members of the angel drum corps taught the children the various drum signals. Three officers were appointed to supervise the thirty young drummers.

“The Lord told us we were to teach the children what they would need to know in order to follow Christ as He descended into the air above the earth, then down to the Mount of Olives. They had to learn all this, and were shown pictures of the earth and where they would be.

“Next, the Lord assigned two of Michael’s warrior-angels to each child. The angels would visit their child from time to time so the child would be comfortable with them and they would know how to work together. Our children have no problem working with angels and making friends with them.

“Each child was given a small white stallion. The young people, the officers, were given larger white stallions. Thunder, my horse, is one of those. The white stallions are for the purpose of war.

“The children had to be taught how to grip their stallion with their legs, and guide them that way. The war stallions do not need bridles. The children can direct their horses with their legs and their thoughts, and sometimes by spoken commands. Much time was given to this, because when the moment comes for us to follow Christ into battle we must be very confident of what we are doing.

“Then the children had to be taught how to keep thinking about Jesus and talking to him, because the enemy will try to frighten them. They must understand that their heavenly Father is always with each one of them, and his power is far greater than all of the enemy put together.

“They learned there would be thousands of children, and that they would be very powerful because the power of God Almighty will be with each one of them. Their job will be to tell the people on the earth what God is saying to them. Then the Lord’s warrior-angels will do the rest.

“Each child will ride where his officer directs him. The child will not go off on his own but will do exactly what he has been told. This is very important, because if a child does not go where he is supposed to go, another child could be hurt.

“Michael will be leading them. He will cry out to people in words they can understand, telling them to repent because the Day of the Lord is here. None of the wicked will be able to resist Michael and the army of children carrying their Bible and declaring God’s Word. The enemy soldiers will not be able to see Michael. But they will hear his words, which will sound to them like a voice from Heaven.

“Then the children had to be taught that their job is not to kill or hurt the enemy but to tell them what God is saying to them. Once they do this, the soldiers of the enemy either have to do what they have been told, or else one of the two angels will remove that person from the earth. The other angel will stay with the child to make sure that he or she is not injured by one of the enemy warriors.”

Philipp continued, “Our job as officers will be to reassure the children that no one can harm them and that God and Christ are with them. So you can get an idea from what I have said of how much training we all have had.”

We listened silently to Philipp, thinking about the wonderful days ahead when we would be given bodies and return to the earth with the Lord Jesus. All the good things we are experiencing here in the spirit world will be coming to the earth. All the wicked people and wicked spirits will be gone, and there will be an opportunity to rebuild cities on the earth according to God’s will.

Alana came in with a large tub of chocolate ice cream, and some manna to sprinkle on top. She also put down some for Bear. We ate our ice cream, and then we were ready to rest.

We said good night to each other and to the animals. There were hugs all around. Tad went up the stairs to the barracks. Philipp went over to his tower and Nicholaus let him in. Erhard opened the door for Amira, Gabrielle, Bear, and me. We were glad enough to go up to our rooms.

The candles were still burning in my room and I snuffed them all out except the one on the corbel across from the foot of the bed. My pajamas had been laid out on the bed. I took off my shirt, pants, and sandals, put on my pajamas, and got under the blanket. Bear got up on her pillow.

I had so much to think about that was interesting and pleasant. But I was concerned. I really love each of these children, but how am I going to get to know them personally?

I said, “Lord Jesus, each boy and girl meant so much to me when I met him or her during ‘getting acquainted time.’ I would like to know each child better. How am I to do this?”

The Lord responded, “The same way I know each individual. When the person prays, or is in danger, or has some other need, perhaps to receive eternal life, the Father brings that individual to me, and I meet the needs he or she has.

“In the same manner, when one of your children has a need, the Father will tell me and I will tell you. You will go to him or her in the Spirit of God and find out what the problem is. Then as you both look to me the need will be met. It will not be too long before you know and love each child personally.”

After thinking about this for a while, my mind began to drift…

For the first time I “woke up” (I am not certain we really sleep, just rest) without help from Amira. I believe what woke me was the sound of roosters crowing. The sound can’t come through the heavy glass window. It may come from below, through the arrow loops in the wall, and perhaps from above through one of the doors in the the turret; although those openings usually are closed off. Perhaps the guards open them in the morning.

Or maybe, since there is no air to carry it, the sound travels like radio waves that are picked up by our brain.

There is nothing I like to hear in the morning better than the roosters greeting the new day. Do you also like that sound?

What a time we had yesterday! I lay in bed for a while, and then I got up, petted Bear, and went over to the window, opened the shutters, and looked out. What a gorgeous sky with the multicolored clouds against a clear blue backdrop. What a peaceful sight to see the people joyously working in the fields and singing!

I put on my white shirt, dark blue pants, and brown sandals. I think whoever is bringing the hot water, opening and shutting the wooden shutters, and lighting the candles, is also bringing clean clothes each morning.

I met Rodel later, the angel who is bringing me clean, pressed clothes as well as hot and cold water. Rodel also is lighting the candles, closing the shutters, and keeping the bedclothes clean and the room tidy. I believe there is a room in the tower nearest the kitchen that is used for a laundry, although I haven’t been in it as yet.

I went downstairs and out through the door. I greeted Erhard. Soon Philipp came, and then Tad. Amira and Gabrielle came right after that. They all said hello to Erhard. Erhard gave Bear her biscuit. He seems to never forget. Tad was wearing his uniform.

Nicholaus had opened the door for Philipp, and then had disappeared. Nocholaus appears when a guard is necessary at the tower across from us, and usually disappears when no longer needed.

We went over for breakfast. Bear was wagging her tail. I think she still was pretty hungry.

Alana brought our oatmeal, eggs, and (surprisingly) toast. We usually had biscuits for breakfast. We had our butter and strawberry preserves.

Alana put dishes of milk, water, and biscuits for Bear. Bear slopped her water onto the carpet as usual. (Why does she do that?) But Alana in her cheerful way wiped the carpet clean with a cloth.

When we finished eating we were ready for a wonderful day in the Lord. We all looked at Amira. Amira seemed kind of troubled in her spirit. Then she looked straight at me and said, “The Lord Jesus wants you to decide what to do today.”

I looked to the Lord immediately. Jesus said, “I want you to organize a parade. I will ride in front. After me will be my chief nobles and counselors. Then will march the victorious saints, those who overcame Satan during their lifetime on the earth. There will be a brigade added when the Day of the Lord comes. I will tell you about that later. It will march behind the victorious saints.

“Next will come the drummers, and then all the children on their white stallions, beginning with the smallest boys and girls. Behind them are to ride the officers on their white stallions.

“The six captains will ride behind the officers. These will be followed by trumpeters, then the angel drum corps, and then Michael, his marshal, and the marshal’s angels.

“You and Tad will conclude the parade.

“Tell Philipp, Amira, and Gabrielle that all of you must wear your white robes, white caps, and white battle-sandals.”

Philipp had brought his white robe, cap, and heavy white battle-sandals with him just in case they were needed.

I turned to the group and told them what Christ had commanded.

I said to Philipp, “Please go up to your room and put on your white uniform. Then I would like for you to go immediately and notify all the young officers that they are to prepare their groups for a parade. All must put on their battle robes. The Lord Jesus is going to come and lead the parade.

“We will begin on the Plain of Instruction where the preparation for war has taken place. We will pass through every suburb and city, and then return to the Plain of Instruction when we have finished.”

Philipp responded, “Yes, sir.” he went up to his room and put on the necessary apparel. Then he came down carrying his regular clothes. He went over to the stable and got Thunder. Heng already had fed and watered the animals and had put on their blankets and pads. It seems to me that somehow the angels know ahead of time what we are going to be doing.

Amira and Gabrielle knew they had to rejoin their groups, so they went back up to their room and put on their robes, caps, and white battle-sandals. They came back down and went in and got White King and Amigo. The brown mare had been named “Anisa” by Amira and Gabrielle. Of course, Anisa could not go with everyone to the parade. She is not a war stallion. “Anisa” means “Friendly,” in Arabic. Amira chose the name, and Gabrielle liked it.

Gabrielle and Amira said goodbye to Anisa. Then Philipp, Amira, and Gabrielle led Thunder, Amigo, and White King through the inner gate. When they came to the outer gate, the drawbridge already had been let down and locked in place. Soon we could hear Philipp, Gabrielle, and Amira galloping furiously in the direction of the Plain of Instruction. These are young people to be proud of, and indeed I am proud of my sons and daughters.

I asked the Lord for the next step. This is how I lived on the earth the last few years of my life, always looking to the Lord for each detail.

He said, “Why don’t you go in and take a look at the pianos.”

So I told Tad what the Lord had said. Tad and Bear went with me to the apartment where the pianos are. The apartments are located across from our tower, and begin next to the Great Hall. The apartment that has the music room is the second one from the left, starting from the Great Hall. The music room is located on the second floor.

The apartments have wooden stairs. We climbed to the second floor. There are music stands in the room. There are drums, trumpets, woodwinds, and stringed instruments in the back of the room. I think some of the angels who work in the castle play music while we are away.

In the middle of the room are two grand pianos. In fact, they are concert grands. For years I had wanted a baby grand piano but we could not afford it. The pianos I was looking at could never have been afforded by us! Tad knew we would be here for awhile, so he sat down at a place where he could observe the door and everything in the room.

I sat down on the bench of the piano on the right. Bear laid down next to the piano, which was her custom when we were living on the earth.

On the rack was music that is familiar to me. I have been studying Chopin’s Preludes, Opus Twenty-eight. And there they were! Right then Klaus walked into the room and sat down at the piano on my left.

“Good morning,” I cried, so happy to see my teacher. We hugged. Then I could see Klaus was ready to get down to business. Klaus had told the guards who he was and they had let him in. Heng put Klaus’ horse in the stable.

Tad stood to his feet to make sure there was no problem. Klaus also stood up. I introduced Tad to Klaus. Tad said, “I am very pleased to meet you.” Klaus said, “Likewise.”

Klaus sat down again, turned to me and said, “I know all the compositions you have been playing. I think we will try some others to give you more of a repertoire.”

Suddenly on the music rack appeared Books One and Two of Beethoven’s Thirty-two Sonatas, and also Book One of The Well Tempered Clavier.

Klaus said, “I think some Beethoven and Bach will add depth to your playing.” I told Klaus, “I have avoided Bach and Beethoven because I wasn’t sure of the rules governing trills and ornaments; but now that I have a teacher I am more confident.”

Klaus responded, “I can teach you about trills, mordents, and other embellishments. If there is a question, I can ask the composer himself what he has in mind.”

I sat down at the piano and opened Beethoven’s Sonata Number One. I felt very good about this, because I could relax knowing I have eternity in which to learn the thirty-two sonatas, all of The Well Tempered Clavier, and everything else I choose.

Klaus played the first movement of the sonata so I could hear how it is supposed to sound.

What a tone these pianos have! The overtones are rich. The speed of return of repeated notes is excellent, crisp and clear. The speed of return is important in the agitato e misterioso part of the Rhapsody in Blue. I noticed also that there is a full sostenuto pedal. This means I can play Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-Sharp Minor, and also do a better job on the Rhapsody in Blue, which requires a sostenuto pedal in a few measures.

In addition, I notice there are some measures in The Well Tempered Clavier for which a sostenuto pedal would be helpful. I think Bach had an organ in mind when he wrote some of the measures of The Well Tempered Clavier!

I noticed something else. My fingers! They are longer than they have been. I always have had average size fingers, making it difficult to play some of the chords written by composers who must have had fingers that are longer than usual. Today I will not encounter any chord I cannot reach easily. Also, my fingers are stronger and I have greater dexterity.

My ability to visualize the keyboard and the pages of music has greatly improved. I always have had a poor visual memory. Now I can memorize music more readily.

I played for awhile. Then Klaus and I both knew the Lord was saying it was time to go and get the parade started.

The Parade

Tad and I went up to our rooms to get ready for the parade. Then Klaus, Bear, and I went and got Lance, Warfighter, and Klarissa, Klaus’ sorrel mare, from Heng. He brought out Watcher also. Tad came down in his white robe, which is his natural appearance. He was wearing his white battle-sandals, and a white cap, which is the uniform we wear when fighting in the Lord’s army. The white robe signifies that righteousness always shall prevail over evil.

Kamur came out and stayed close to me all during the time the parade was in process. Bear knew she was supposed to remain with Heng, and so she walked by his side and they returned to the stable.

I was wearing my white robe, white cap, and white battle sandals. We went out to the ramp, with Heng bringing Watcher. Klaus mounted Klarissa and took off for the German community. Then Tad and I made ourselves and Kamur invisible and started toward the Plain of Instruction. Watcher was circling overhead.

What a sight it was to see the parade being assembled. Tad and I remained on Lance and Warfighter but made ourselves and the two horses visible. The sight of all these warriors in sparkling white linen was overwhelming. Kamur remained invisible. Watcher remained at her post overhead.

I wish everyone in the universe could see this parade as it started off. I believe if the wicked could witness the majesty and holiness portrayed here they would fall on their faces and ask God for mercy.

At the head of the parade was the Lord Jesus, the King of all kings, on his huge white stallion, “Conqueror.” Whoever would not tremble at the sight of Jesus riding Conqueror does not have good sense. “Kiss the Son lest He be angry and you perish from the way when his wrath is kindled just a little.” Here is Majesty in its most awesome form.

Christ was looking straight ahead. You could tell He was preparing to put an end to wickedness. Conqueror knew who was on his back and was ready to walk forward with determination and pride, his massive head held high.

Christ did not hold a rein but would guide Conqueror with his thoughts and his legs, and occasionally a spoken command. His hands were resting on the blue pad. When you guide a horse in this manner, rather than with a bridle, it is as though the horse’s legs are your legs and you now have his speed and strength.

On each side of Christ were stationed two of the largest angels I have seen yet. No wonder one angel could put to death a hundred eighty-five thousand Assyrian warriors. They were so tall their heads were on a level with the Lord’s, who was riding Conqueror.

The giant angel on Christ’s right wore a long silver trumpet in a holder on his left side.

The giant angel on Christ’s left also had a strap on his left side holding a silver trumpet.

Both angels were wearing massive sabers. The knuckle-guards were brass and heavily ornamented. The pommels were part of the knuckle-guards. The grips were wrapped with gold cloth. These were encased in silver scabbards. The scabbard of the angel on the Lord’s right was on his left side. The scabbard of the angel on the Lord’s left also was on his left side.

Every so often one of the two mighty angels would call out “faithful and true.” I did not understand the language, but I could hear it in my thoughts. Then the other would repeat this battle cry. Faithfulness and Truth were being prepared to come from Heaven in the Person of the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. These attributes certainly were in short supply while I was alive on the earth.

These are two of the several angels who are very close to God at all times. The commanders of the warrior-angels are taught warfare by these who are more highly placed. When Tad is ready he will have some time with them. This will be a great honor.

The sight of the Son of God and his two angel-guards was breathtaking! It was a spectacle one could never forget. From this sight you could tell that total victory was at hand. For how many years has Christ been compelled to wait at the right hand of God, waiting for his enemies to be made his footstool! Now the promised victory over the wicked is at hand.

The two huge angels lifted their long silver trumpets in their left hand and signaled “Forward.” After the last note of “Forward,” Conqueror began to move ahead majestically. Tad explained to me the meaning of the signal.

Behind Christ, his two angels, and Conqueror, were riding twenty-four distinguished looking men in white robes, two rows of twelve each. Each of them was wearing a curved cavalry sword with a blue handle in a white scabbard. The weapons carried by the human beings in the parade are for ceremonial purposes only.

In his left hand each of the elders carried a white banner with a golden ramping lion. Tad whispered to me that these are nobles who serve Christ as attendants and counselors. They are the men of God you read about in the Bible.

I received the impression that these twenty-four nobles were representative of multiplied thousands of elders who sit on thrones before the Throne of God.

After the nobles appeared a sight I will not forget for the next billion years. It was hundreds of thousands of victorious saints of all ages, the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. Their position is that of standing on Mount Zion, meaning they are more involved in war than is true of the other saints.

All of them were clothed in the white robes of righteous behavior wearing white caps and white battle-sandals. All of them were looking straight ahead, as they had done during their lives on the earth. All of them were riding the huge white war stallions, trained for battle.

One could put a thousand to flight. Two, ten thousand. Each of these is destined to be a mighty king who will rule on the earth under the Lord Jesus—he who is King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

None of the victorious saints was young and none was old in appearance. Their faces were unlined, but ancient wisdom was in them. These saints do not live in one of the communities but in the Holy City, the new Jerusalem. They include the elect from the earliest days of earth’s history. The eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews tells of some of the sufferings they endured while remaining faithful to God.

God is in their thoughts, words, and actions. They have learned under Christ to do the right thing whether or not it is pleasurable. Each one is a mature human, in that he cares more for the welfare of others than for his own.

Their strength lies in the fact that they have died in the Lord. Every idol has been removed; they grasp nothing. Christ is living in them and they in Christ. All that Christ is, is in them. All that they are is in Christ. Each one is a dead-living person. Each one is an integral, eternally inseparable part of the Lord Jesus. These are kings who shall rule on the earth.

Then I noticed something peculiar. It has to do with the Word of God. The victorious saints were not carrying Bibles, but somehow the Word of God was in their personalities. They look like the Word of God. Perhaps it is because the Glory of God is resting on them to such an extent, and the very image of God is shining forth. This is hard to put into words.

They follow the Lamb in war and peace. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. This is the highest form of Christian discipleship, the very highest form of obedience and love.

They were riding stately white stallions as I mentioned, each horse with its head held high as though understanding what he was participating in. In their left hand was a blue banner with the golden ramping Lion of Judah. They were wearing the curved blue-handled cavalry sword in a white scabbard, on their left side.

I don’t believe I ever will see anything like this again. It was a holy, formidable, overpowering, glorious spectacle—especially when one remembers the trials represented here, the fiery tests of faith in the faithfulness of God.

Row after row they came, with twelve in a row. I could not recognize any of those whom I was seeing. But I know the heroes of faith from Abel to the most recent Christian martyr were passing in front of me. How proud God and Christ must be of these who came up from the mud of the earth to serve God with all their might while they were living in the world.

After the victorious saints, marched the drummers. There were thirty children arranged in three rows of ten each—five boys and five girls in each row. All were wearing white robes white caps, and white, closed-toe battle-sandals. Each child was straight and tall and looking to the front. The sound of these thirty drums beating in unison stirred the blood, I can tell you.

You could hear the sound of trumpets but you could not tell where the sound was coming from. It was far back in the parade.

Next in view came the boys and girls of the army—five thousand of them. This parade could not be held on the earth because it would take several hours, maybe days, of earth time for the participants to pass by.

Each little back was ramrod straight. Each pair of eyes was looking to the front. The horses kept their heads up and stayed right in line. The young warriors were ten abreast. Each was wearing a white robe, a white cap, and white battle-sandals.

Each child was holding a gold-covered Bible in his or her right hand. I looked up to Jesus in prayer. I had brought my marshal’s baton with me and was holding it in my right hand. I said to the Lord, “I was given a marshal’s baton. Am I supposed to be in the front of the parade somewhere?”

Imagine, the Lord Jesus was riding at the front of the parade, and yet He was able to answer my prayer. The ability the Lord has to be in more than one situation at the same time still amazes me!

Jesus answered, “Not yet. You have not trained with the children, so their captains and officers will lead them. I am the Marshal of the victorious saints of all ages. However you, under me, are the marshal of the children’s army, and I will direct you when you are to ride in front of them.”

Warfighter, Tad, Lance, Watcher, and I were watching this parade. I was so moved by the sight of these little judges on their white stallions I was past weeping. I was dissolved emotionally. I knew Amira and Gabrielle, riding their white war stallions, were in one of the groups but I didn’t see them. These all are my children! Can you imagine how I felt?

After the children passed by came the five hundred three officers, mounted on larger stallions, dressed the same as the children. Each was wearing a curved cavalry sword in a white scabbard. In his left hand he held a banner with a white lamb in front of a black cross, against a red background. We did see Philipp riding Thunder.

Then came the captains. It is the responsibility of the captains to oversee the officers and children so nothing goes amiss. There are six captains, four men and two women. Each of them was mounted on a powerful white stallion. I would say they looked about forty years old, on the average. They were clothed in the white linen robes with white caps, wearing white sandals. Each was wearing a cavalry sword in a white scabbard.

Tad said, “Starting from where we are standing, their names are Clive, Wolfgang, Harriet, Sunita, Judah, and Shing. Wolfgang looked a little older than the others and was heavier in body.

“Wolfgang is my mentor. He was a general in some European army—German, I believe. He is the senior officer among the captains. Sometimes, on special occasions, he wears his army uniform with his medals.

“These six captains were trained in spiritual warfare by the Lord while they still were alive on the earth. All six are very knowledgeable concerning the wiles of the enemy. There were others also who were selected for this role; but they failed to gain victory, being defeated by various temptations and deceptions.”

You could tell from the grim looks on the faces of these who had passed their tests that they were accustomed to spiritual warfare.

Behind the captains there were at least fifty angels blowing silver trumpets similar to those carried by the two angels that accompany Christ, although not as large. This was the sound we had heard coming from farther back in the parade, the “Forward” call. Tad explained the call to me. The sound was overpowering, militant. I’ll tell you the sound of victory was in those trumpets!

Here is a miracle. These trumpets sounded in unison with the two angels on each side of Christ. There notes were identical and at the same instant. I suppose it is because the sound is not carrying through the air but through some other medium. In any case, whatever the two angels signaled the fifty angels following the captains signaled at the same time.

Behind the angel-trumpeters were the angel drummers. There were a hundred of these, ten abreast in ten rows. Again, as in the case of the trumpeters, their drumbeats were precisely in unison with the drumbeats of the child-drummers.

Then came Michael marching by himself. One would not want to face an angry Michael! He is gigantic in size. He also was robed in white, but you could see the muscles bulging under his robe. His face was stern, and I would say ancient, yet not showing any signs of age.

Michael is a picture of brute strength. His huge saber was in its silver scabbard by his right hand. I’d judge Michael to be about fifteen feet tall and weigh about 1200 pounds if he were on the earth. He was barefoot.

Behind Michael was marching a single angel in a white robe, and barefoot. Tad said, “This is the marshal I told you about. His name is Akim. Notice he is carrying a marshal’s baton in his right hand, like you were given.” The marshal was not as tall or heavyset as Michael but looked to be as hard as granite. He was just as stern, just as ready for battle.

As the marshal of Michael’s army passed by Tad and me he turned and faced the warriors behind him, while walking backwards. He shouted in a voice like a clap of thunder, “Present!” I hope some day you will have an opportunity to see thousands of angels present their swords.

The brigade of angels directly behind Akim, were larger and heavier (perhaps twelve feet tall) and more muscular than the other angel warriors. Tad said these are an elite force of warriors, distinguished by special training and their prowess in battle.

You could feel the ground shake when a brigade of angels tramped by. It may be that God made them heavier and stronger than ordinary angels so they could annihilate the evil angels and the demons. The peace and joy of the spirit world had been disrupted by these evil creatures, and God’s warrior angels were set on vengeance. Their faces were resolute and grim.

Tad’s face is almost human. But these warriors had the unearthly look of another world.

Quicker than thought, each sword was unsheathed and held straight up in the air, hilt to the chin. After the marshal and the special force passed by, I heard the command: “Return sword.” Their scabbards looked to be silver.

After the marshal and the elite warriors there was a large angel riding a white stallion in front of a military unit of warrior-angels. He was the commander of the first legion. He was wearing a white robe and white sandals. He also had a large sword at his side.

After five thousand or so angels had passed, there was a break, and an angel larger than the others would be out in front leading another five thousand. Every one of the warrior-angels, except for the commanders, was on foot. Angels do not need horses for speed and power. I think I counted ten legions of angels, so there were about fifty thousand of them, including the two for each of the little judges.

The angels have silver hair to their shoulders. Their white robes look to be part of them rather than clothing. They were not wearing sandals. I noticed that they had toes on their feet, but the toes appeared to be joined together.

These powerful warriors reminded me of the palace guards that were on each side of me as I lay dying in the ambulance. However, the angels I was looking at now were wearing swords, instead of holding spears like the guards in the Throne Room of Christ.

The angels all looked about the same, being about ten feet tall, of fierce countenance. My guess is that each one was created to be a warrior, one who enforces God’s will throughout the creation. Angels appear to be of a single function, like a messenger, or a guardian spirit, or a talent such as of music. Our Alana was created to be a servant, I suppose.

Tad said, “Those large angels on the white stallions leading their legions are commanders. I am in training to be a commander. Part of my training is from Wolfgang and you. When I have advanced far enough, I will receive special training from the mightiest of the warrior-angels who surround God’s Throne in the Holy City. As soon as I pass all my tests to be a commander in the army of angels, I will be in command of my own legion.”

I would think that the sight of the warrior-angels alone would be enough to frighten the wicked to death; although while they are living on the earth the wicked cannot see the angels.

Tad and I on our two horses fell in behind. This mammoth parade wound through each suburb and city. While passing through I noticed that the houses in the various communities were quite different. We saw the farms on the outskirts of the communities. Every community had a park across the street from the dwellings, in which there were small animals.

We observed primitive cultures. There were huts made with straw, or bamboo, or banana leaves. I saw no elaborate residences, chateaus, palaces, mansions, or anything like that. There were no rich or poor, just contented people who had been through the Lord’s school and cleansed with the Lord’s fire.

Each race or tribe of people had numerous segments, we might say, that represented the race at a specific span of years of history. Thus the European races had representatives that reflected the origin of the race. It was so interesting to see the antecedents of Germany, Russia, England, and the Scandinavian races.

Some of the people were thousands of years old, apparently, but they were not in caves. They lived in tents or huts and were pursuing agricultural practices familiar to us, including animal husbandry. I have no doubt they had been taught by the angels. But various aspects of their cultures remained the same, such as their clothing and the length of their hair.

Culture is not that important to God. It is our relationship to Him and to other people that is of primary significance. I know that some of these early peoples had representatives in the Holy City who would appear to the earth when the new Jerusalem descended through the new sky.

The people stood amazed as we went by. They stopped what they were doing. Then they began to cheer us on and wave. We could feel their thoughts of joy and excitement flowing toward us. The little children tried to join the parade, but the older people told them they could some other time. Such kindness! Such a loving attitude toward their children! And the children obeyed promptly.

We all regrouped on the Plain of Instruction. The little warrior-judges returned to their tents. The horses were led to their stalls. The victorious saints returned to the Holy City. The officers and captains of the children’s army went to their living quarters. Michael, the marshal, and the warrior-angels with their commanders, returned to their barracks. The Lord Jesus and Conqueror disappeared.

Amira and Gabrielle soon found us, bringing White King and Amigo. Now we were all together again, Tad, Lance, Amira, Gabrielle, myself, White King, Amigo, Warfighter, Kamur and Watcher (overhead). By this time we felt like a family.

Philipp riding Thunder came to see us off. He said he felt he had accomplished his mission with us and now was needed to oversee his group. We were sorry to see him go. In such a short time he had become part of us.

The animals sniffed each other to make sure everyone was fine. We decided to make ourselves invisible so we wouldn’t cause anyone who saw us to be puzzled. We mounted our horses and headed home to Godwill Castle.

Soon the ramp came in sight. Upon reaching the ramp we became visible, as always happens. Out came Heng to receive Watcher, Kamur, and the horses. Bear was with him, wagging her tail.

Then we trooped in through both gates so we could wash up before dinner. Heng brought all of the animals into the stable. Tad went up the stairs to his quarters in the barracks to change for dinner.

Amira, Gabrielle, Bear, and I went over to our tower. We greeted Erhard, who bowed to us and opened the door. Amira and Gabrielle were chatting happily as they entered their room. Bear and I climbed up to the top floor. I was ready to lie down and think about the tremendous scenes we had witnessed. Bear, however, was ready for dinner.

The wooden shutters had been closed. The candles were still lighted. As usual, my blue blanket had been turned back and my blue pajamas laid out. Bear’s blue pillow was in its place at the foot of the bed.

I took off my white robe and hung it up. My white shirt had been cleaned so I put it on with my dark blue slacks. I took off my heavy white sandals and put on the brown sandals I usually wear.

I went over to the sink and poured some hot water from the iron pitcher. As I did, I looked in the mirror, getting ready to wash my face. The last time I had really noticed my face was in my bedroom in our house at Crest Avenue. I still looked about the same age, eighteen years, maybe a little older. But now it was the face of a warrior. There was strength in it.

Why didn’t I notice this change in my face before? It does not look quite as youthful as it did at Crest Avenue. I guess I have had so many new things happening I was distracted and did not notice how I had changed.

I looked down at myself. I said “Bear, I wonder if I have gotten taller!” I always have talked to Bear, even when I was living on the earth, although of course she does not answer. I think now, though, that she understands much more than she did in our old life on the earth. Bear just looked at me. I think she was hungry and wanted to go down to dinner.

The mirror over the wash basin shows only my face, so I could not tell if my body had changed. But what I could see of myself, my legs and arms, I do believe I have become a larger person. Isn’t this interesting! Perhaps if I am to be a marshal and lord of a castle I have to be an imposing personage. Oh well, whatever is appropriate!

Then I said, “Okay Bear, we’ll go down to dinner.” Bear wagged her tail appreciatively.

Down we stepped, carefully, Bear and I. I was holding the railing with my right hand. When we went through the door, Tad, Amira, and Gabrielle were there already, waiting for us. Erhard slipped Bear a biscuit. Erhard asked, “How did your day go?” We all chorused, “Great!”

Amira said, “We were in a parade and went through every suburb and every city.”

Erhard ventured, “No wonder you were gone so long. I thought you had gotten lost.”

I said, “We will never get lost as long as Watcher is at her post.”

Then we walked over to the Great Hall and sat at the table. Alana already had put out a tossed salad, mashed potatoes and vegetables, a plate of roast chicken, butter, rolls, tea, milk, and water. Bear barked impatiently, so she put down Bear’s water, milk, and biscuits.

For dessert we had strawberry shortcake with whipped cream.

Alana is so industrious, so courteous, always smiling, that it is a pleasure to come and eat.

When we finished we were glad enough to go back to our tower and lay down in bed. I thought, “I will never forget that parade as long as I live. I don’t know how soon it will be before we invade the earth; but I know when we do there is not going to be a wicked spirit or person left to cause rebellion against the Father.”

This thought pleases me, because my one consuming passion in life is to make sure that all of God’s creatures, including myself, are doing his will. Where this intensity came from I do not know. I just appreciate it as God’s gift to me.

The following “days” went by happily and peacefully. Tad always was with me, watching out for me, learning from me, just as was true during my last years on the earth. Every morning after breakfast I would go to the piano and practice until I felt it was enough for one day. Tad just waited patiently until I finished. Bear would lie down next to the piano.

On some occasions, Tad and I would ride Warfighter and Lance to a meadow where there was no one else. Then we would rest and let the horses graze. I love to lay on my back in a meadow and watch the different colored clouds overhead, and hear the quiet sounds one hears in meadows and fields. Alana would make us egg salad or tuna fish sandwiches to keep us until dinner.

Klaus would come about every third or fourth day to see how I was progressing. He would sit on the bench of the piano on the left. This way he could demonstrate how he wanted the passage to sound.

One morning Klaus said, “How would you like to go over to the German community and hear Johann Bach play the organ? He is going to improvise on O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden.” Sometimes Klaus forgets I don’t know German. This did not matter. Klaus’ thoughts came through clearly in English in my mind: O Head Full of Blood and Wounds. I knew the chorale as O Sacred Head Now Wounded.

“When?” I asked.

“Right now,” Klaus answered.

I went and got Warfighter and Watcher. Tad was wearing his white shirt, dark blue slacks, and brown loafers. Tad got Lance, and I asked Heng if he would kindly take care of Bear until we returned. Heng said, “Of course!” Kamur was sleeping. He opened his eyes briefly and went back to sleep.

I carried Watcher on my right fist. Heng had given me a brown leather gauntlet to protect my hand and forearm. When we got to the outer gate we found that Klaus’ horse, “Klarissa,” had been waiting for us at the bottom of the ramp.

Watcher took off. I put the leather gauntlet in a holder that an angel friend of Heng had sewn to the back edge of Warfighter’s blanket. Then the three of us mounted and started toward the German community.

The German community is called “Eisenach,” the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach. We went right to the large German music hall. We tied up our horses outside. It must hold about a thousand people. It was packed, and there was a quiet expectancy throughout the building. Watcher stayed at her post in the air.

Many people there knew Klaus. An usher made a place for us up front and in the center. I was overwhelmed with emotion. I am going to see Johann Sebastian Bach, a portly older man with a white wig, and hear him play the organ. Will wonders never cease!

On the stage was a large pipe organ. Then a man of about forty, brown hair, athletic build, wearing a white shirt, blue tie, blue suit, and dress shoes, walked briskly up the stairs to the stage and went toward the organ bench.

I thought, “This man is going to introduce Bach.”

Klaus said in a whisper, “There he is. Now you are going to hear something.”

My mouth dropped open. “That is Johann Sebastian Bach?” Tad said, “I understand he is a famous musician.”

Since there is no air here, and no electricity as yet, God must somehow cause the pipes of the organ to sound. It no doubt was a tracker organ, but there was no calcant that I could see. Anyway, how would a calcant keep air pressure in the bellows of the organ when there is no air? Another mystery!

Bach sat still for a minute. He may have been composing his mind and looking to Jesus for his Presence and approval.

And then the music started. First, the piece was played through, O Sacred Head Now Wounded. I couldn’t remember at the time what Klaus called it, but this piece I knew. (As I am writing this book, the German name came to me and also the name of Klaus’ horse. I guess the Lord is helping me.)

I glanced to my right, and if I am seeing correctly, the Lord Jesus was there, dressed in grey slacks, white shirt open at the collar, and a black sweater. Apparently he came in with a large group of people and no one recognized him. But I am sure it was Jesus.

Then began the variations, all improvised. Bach’s hands on the keyboard and feet on the pedals moved with an assurance that can come only after countless hours of practice. Sometimes we heard a march; sometimes a waltz. Sometimes staccato; sometimes legato. Sometimes slow; sometimes rapid. There were beautiful themes. There were other themes that were rugged, or mournful.

After several variations on the theme of “Sacred Head,” Bach played a fugue that seemed somehow to sum up the previous variations. One after the other the several themes thundered from this mighty organ. It was a dazzling performance. It was a great cathedral of sound that kept mounting until it came to a stupendous climax. I was absolutely enthralled, as you would be too.

In the spirit world there are no recording devices. However, one can go backward in “time” and hear this amazing accomplishment as many times as desired.

I am not certain, but during the performance I think I had a glimpse of the angel who was inspiring Bach. No mere human being could improvise a fugue to that extent.

Bach got up from the organ and turned to face the audience. He smiled at everyone and bowed. Then he pointed upward so we would be assured he was giving God the glory. After this Johann Sebastian Bach strode up the center aisle and out of the hall.

The performance was so awesome everyone was stunned. Perhaps many of these people are musicians. We didn’t even clap. We just sat there letting the splendor of the music sink in. I was overcome. Tad may have enjoyed the music, but I don’t believe he was moved to the same extent.

Then I began to think about the Lord Jesus in the audience. I wondered how He would feel as we focused on the extraordinary playing of Johann Sebastian Bach rather than on Him whose sacred head was wounded.

But you know what? I think Jesus was not bothered by our focus on Bach’s ability. Putting together all I had seen and felt thus far, I believe Jesus was pleased with Bach and with us. He had died in order to purchase Bach and us, and I think He was rewarded by our joy as we listened to the musical presentation of his agony. He paid for this moment with his sacrifice, and He was seeing the results of the travail of his soul.

Klaus and I did not feel like talking. We got up and went out. I said, “Thanks very much for inviting us.” Tad said, “Thanks much, Mr. Klaus.”

Watcher was at her post in the air. Tad and I mounted up and rode in the direction of Godwill Castle.

Nothing was said as we went up the ramp. Watcher came down to my fist, protected by the leather gauntlet and we all walked in through the two gates. I entered the stable and went to the aviary. Watcher jumped from my fist into her cage. Kamur gave us a sleepy look. Bear came out and joined us.

Amira and Gabrielle had been training with the children who were preparing for the Great Battle. They had not returned as yet, so Tad, Bear, and I went up to our rooms.

The shutters were still open. I lay back on the bed and thought, “I never, never in my life thought I actually would hear and see the man play the organ, whom Pablo Casals had termed ‘the god of music.’” I guess I drifted off, and the next thing I knew it was time for dinner.

The days passed by peacefully. Piano practice in the morning. Lessons with Klaus on some mornings. Meadows or communities or just plain exploring in the afternoon. So many marvels to see! Amira and Gabrielle would go into the stable and say hello to the animals. Then they would bring out White King and Amigo and ride off to the Plain of Instruction where the army of children was being trained.

Tad and I saw them only during breakfast and dinner. They were busy in the morning and ready for bed when they returned.

Heng would bring Watcher out each day. It was not pleasant for Watcher to be cooped up for long periods of time. She needed to get out and stretch her great wings.

Tad and I visited the earth on several occasions. I wanted to see Audrey and my boys and their families to know if there was anything I could do to help.

Sometimes we would look in on the church Audrey and I had pastored. It is standing firm in the truths of the Kingdom. The outreach on the Internet and television are continuing.

It seems to me, from what I observed in some of the recipients of our internet and other outreaches I investigated, that the Gospel of the Kingdom is being understood more readily. The believers are turning from what we used to call “cheap grace” and are asking Christ to help them obey Him and live righteously. They are wise to do this, because when you enter the spirit world it is very important how you behave.

We became interested in the various communities in the spirit world. We visited many of these. We could communicate with the people by our thought processes. Sometimes all of us would go with all the animals. On other occasions it would be just Tad and I on our horses, with Watcher overhead.

We visited Springfield, one of the many American communities. It was quite similar to the English community we visited at the first. Tad was with me and Watcher was overhead. Bear and Kamur were not with us on this particular trip.

When we entered the suburb, to my delight I saw four dogs that I recognized, romping in the meadow across the street from the houses. The dogs were Max, Muffin, Jenny, and Mike Mulligan. You met Mike when he was at our house on Crest Avenue, the time I visited my relatives. There were some boys and girls on the grass with the animals.

The dogs were chasing one another on the grass. It made me happy to see them. Max, Muffin, Jenny, and Mike saw me and came running across the meadow. They were barking and wagging their tails frantically.

Muffin and Jenny are little dogs, some kind of Miniature Australian Shepherd mix. Muffin has long hair with a white blaze on her face. Jenny is a similar mix. Both of these dogs are dark gray in color. All four dogs are important to me, very obedient, good dogs.

Mike is a German Shepherd, as I mentioned previously.

I was particularly pleased to see Max. Max is a large Doberman, kind of a reddish brown color. While Max was with us in Escondido, we had to keep him in a fenced yard. If he got loose he would take off running. I always thought how wonderful it would be for Max if he had about twenty acres to run in as much as he wanted and as fast as he wanted. Here in the spirit world it has come to pass.

I am a lover of animals, and so it was a great joy to me to see these old friends and know that they are happy in the true, real, and eternal world. After they had greeted me properly they ran off to play and run about in the park.

It may happen that members of our family, or someone else in the American community, may adopt one or two of our former pets so they have a family of their own, as do Teddy Whiskers, Bear, and Mrs. Olsen.

Can you believe this? My mother and father are now in the American community, experiencing further preparation for their role in the new Jerusalem. We had a good long talk. They really are enjoying where they are now. They have Teddy Whiskers with them.

Uncle Howie and Aunt Boots are living next door to my mother and father. They came to the door when they saw me petting Teddy. They came over to where we were and told me how much they are enjoying the American community. They thanked me for praying for them. Sometimes my mother and father, and Howie and Boots, enjoy a picnic together on the meadow across from their homes, Boots told me.

I could see the name of the new Jerusalem on my mother, father, Howie, and Boots, but I am not certain this could be seen by other members of the American community. The four of them will be moved to the Holy City for yet further preparation before the city descends upon the new earth.

It is a miracle that my mother and father are now enjoying each other’s company. This is true also of Howie and Boots. This shows us what God’s will and power can accomplish.

I saw several people I knew who had passed into the spirit world quite a while ago. A few I remembered from Bible school. I spent some time with my former fellow students of the Berean Bible Institute. I knew their home was in the Holy City but their personalities were being broadened by community life. Meanwhile Tad and Max were across the street, playing some kind of game to see who could run the fastest.

This particular American community is fairly large and well populated. I introduced myself to some of the students I had taught in public elementary school. They were so glad to see me after all these years.

There also were some people I had been with as a fellow student in elementary school and high school. It is a marvel I recognized them from so long ago. That was an act of God I am sure. They were glad and talkative and wanted to reminisce about old times in West Haven. Most of them are not as large as I am, but somehow they did not seem to notice the difference.

These former friends of mine will be the inheritance of some members of the elect. I did not tell them that, of course, or outline the future for them. They were happy, working at their jobs and assumed their life would continue like this forever, I suppose.

As I pointed out previously in my book, unless our behavior warrants our being assigned to one of the areas of the Land of Darkness, life in the spirit world is infinitely superior to life on the earth in the present world system. Our earthly existence actually is a journey through the land of the shadow of death! We do not recognize how miserable our earthly life is until we pass into the real world.

It may be important for us to understand that entering the spirit world does not give us increased knowledge. Knowledge comes only as we are taught by those of greater understanding. I know this may come as a shock to those who are hoping they will be transformed in knowledge by entering the eternal world, and that they then will understand all there is to know about God, Christ, and the future.

There are many American communities, some of older periods of of history. People are placed in communities where they will be comfortable with the cultural things and activities to which they have been accustomed. We were visiting one of the modern American communities. The farms on the outskirts were much like the farms outside Godwill Castle, with people working happily as they planted, cultivated, and reaped.

The American communities here in the spirit world are not as racially diverse as I expected. My country, the United States of America, began as a “melting pot” where people from many races could come and form a new nation, the nation of America.

But the “melting pot” was a man-made idea, not God’s idea. There is an American nationality but no American race; nor will there ever be. It was not too long after America became a nation before the country became multicultural.

The change in political philosophy from “melting pot” to “multicultural” was never voted on but it probably was inevitable that it would happen. Thus America, at the time I died, was beginning to fragment as each race strove for preeminence, power, and wealth. There was a considerable amount of talk about tolerance, diversity, equality of opportunity, but the basic struggle was that of gaining power.

Deep in the heart of the Africans, the Chinese, the Orientals, the English, the Mexicans, their original race is present if dormant. When they enter the spirit world, and can live in the community of their choice, many return to the people from which they originated.

In the spirit world, the American community is no more desirable than the African, Chinese, Japanese, English, or Mexican communities. There is no poverty or political pressure to cause people of one race to desire to mix with another race.

In one instance we went to the German community and visited the Institute of Music. I never before heard such glorious polyphonic, or homophonic music for that matter. There was every instrument with which I was acquainted. Some of the symphonies they played were familiar to me, such as the Symphony in D minor by César Franck, always one of my favorites.

Another stunning performance was that of Hark, the Herald Angels Sing. One of the choir masters of Heaven was conducting perhaps 200 angel voices, accompanied by a full symphonic orchestra. The angel bass-voices are impressive, strong and deep. The angel soprano-voices are clear and sparkling, like a mountain stream. It was tremendously uplifting. The words were in the German language but I recognized the music.

There was a high descant, very effective. There was a contrapuntal melody in the bass, played by a cello, that sometimes became an ostinato figure. There was a break between each verse, during which an organ and piano took turns (one during one break and one during another) playing a variation on the theme.

Teaching in the New Jerusalem

One time after breakfast an angel I had not met before came to me and said, “The Lord is asking if you and Tad would please come with me. Would you please put on your white robes.” Tad and I went up and changed. We knew from this that we were going to go to a holy place and minister there.

Tad and I got our horses. We left the other animals in the stable. I knew Heng would take care of Watcher, Kamur, and Bear.

When we got as far as the ramp we noticed the messenger-angel had left his pie-bald mare at the entrance to the castle. She was grazing quietly at the foot of the ramp. The messenger-angel, Tad, and I mounted our horses. We took off at a gallop, the messenger in the lead.

It is true that we can travel to distant places merely by desiring to be at the destination. But God has ordained that as much as possible we live an active life, just as we would on the earth, and shall on the new earth in the future.

Come to find out, the group I am to teach is within the great walls of the new Jerusalem. This means they are members of God’s elect, his Church, the members of the Royal Priesthood. This is Mount Zion, the eternal home of the spirits of righteous people made perfect. Much of the work of perfecting some of God’s priests takes place on the earth, but their home always is in Mount Zion with Christ at the right hand of God.

When there are teachers inside the city, like the Apostles of the Lamb, especially the Apostle Paul, I do not see what I can add. But I will obey Christ. He knows what He is doing.

Perhaps we have not given much thought to the training that must be given to each member of the Royal Priesthood, if he or she is to serve God successfully in this role. Each of us Christians, if he is to serve as a member of the Royal Priesthood, will have to experience long, thorough training if he is to fulfill his role properly throughout the coming ages.

The new Jerusalem, the Holy City, is composed of the members of the Royal Priesthood. The eternal home of each member of the Royal Priesthood is in Christ at the right hand of God. No matter where their awareness may be at any given time, they always are established for eternity in Christ at God’s right hand.

As I have stated, the members of the Royal Priesthood require thorough training. The victorious saints, those who attain to the first resurrection from the dead, are trained rigorously throughout their pilgrimage on the earth. Most of the elect, however, are made ready for Christ during their time in the Holy City. When the new Jerusalem comes down from God out of Heaven to be installed forever on the new earth, she will be prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for her Husband.

Part of the training includes learning to give over our life to the Lord Jesus so it is He who is living in us. To govern and serve the saved people of the nations of the earth, who are the inheritance of the Royal Prieshood, we absolutely must be living no longer in our original nature. We must have become a tree of life, a fountain of living waters, by the fact that Christ is living in us and God in him.

I have not been here before, although the Lord Jesus told me that the name of this city is on me. No one has mentioned to me that they have seen the name of the new Jerusalem on me, and I have not noticed it; but perhaps it will appear at a later time.

I had not realized it previously, but upon looking in the right direction, the walls of the new Jerusalem can be seen from any point in the Land of Light.

As we traveled up a side of the mountain we could see different colored rays of light coming from the city. We were following a path made of ground surrounded by meadow flowers. After riding uphill for quite a while we came to a very large area of perfect green grass. All of a sudden the great high jasper wall of the city was in sight. I could have fainted at the sight! Can you picture a massive wall of many-hued jasper, hundreds of feet high? From the ground up one could see sapphires, emeralds, and several other precious stones set in the foundations of the wall.

The light from inside the city causes the precious stones in the foundation to glow in all their colors of green, red, brown, blue, yellow.

While standing on the plateau on which the city is constructed, I looked around. There spread out before us was the Land of Light, It reached as far as to appear limitless. It was so beautiful and peaceful I felt like weeping. All the saved of history are going about their business there, except for those in the Holy City. There is no horizon because the land is flat.

Rising above the walls and extending into the sky were golden spires. We could see white-robed figures, whether people or angels I am not certain, moving among the spires. We could hear symphonic music and a choir singing. There must have been a thousand voices. I did not recognize the anthem but it had a heavenly beauty. You could tell from the sound it was hundreds of years old. A rainbow surrounded the city.

The Bible tells us the city is 1,400 miles wide, deep, and high. I guess there must be buildings with spires on top. Apparently some of these buildings are hundreds of miles high. The fact that the city is a cube reminds of us the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which also was cubical in shape.

Facing us were three huge gates of solid pearl. We got off our horses and left them to graze on the grass. The messenger-angel, Tad, and I came to the “Simeon Gate.” There was a tall angel of gracious countenance standing at the gate, which opened before us. Here is Paradise! It is a sight of breathtaking beauty! The Presence of God and Christ is overwhelming. The angel posted at the gate said hello to Tad.

I could hear Tad gasping in amazement. The Light and the Glory of God are difficult to describe because there is nothing to which they can be compared. There were a great number of people in glowing white robes walking about in a seemingly endless park. Some were arm in arm. Others were talking with friends.

As Tad and I passed through the gate our white robes began to glow. The messenger-angel led Tad and me to an amphitheater, and then disappeared. In front of us was a stage, and behind the stage a curved shell. Perhaps they have musical performances here. The Lord Jesus was waiting for me on the stage.

There were what looked like two or three hundred adults and young people, sitting in chairs, with notebooks in their laps and pens in their hands, men and women, waiting to be taught. Jesus introduced Tad and me to Mr. Anderson, the teacher, and to the students.

Jesus said to me, “Mr. Anderson has asked if we might have you for a guest teacher.” Then the Lord disappeared.

I had suspected something like this was going to take place and had been praying on the way over. It is my custom to pray before preaching or teaching in order to determine the burden of the Word of the Lord, that is, what the immediate needs of the students are.

I noted that several nationalities were represented. Since all of the students were dressed in glowing white robes, I could not distinguish their backgrounds from the type of clothes they were wearing. But from their faces it was obvious there were European, Asian, and African people in front of me, and many others whose race I could not determine. They may have been from South America, the Middle East, or some other race or nation.

I greeted them all in the name of the Lord, and thanked Mr. Anderson for this opportunity to teach his class.

Let me comment a bit about the significance of this opportunity to bring Kingdom instruction to these saints of such varied backgrounds.

Audrey and I had moved around quite a bit during our lifetime on the earth. One such move took us to Palo Alto, California, where I taught in the Walter Hays elementary school.

It was my practice, when I was at Walter Hays and living in an Eichler house in Palo Alto, to get up early and walk around the neighborhood, praying. Ever since the Lord called me to preach many years previously while stationed in Japan, I, and Audrey along with me, had wanted to enter the ministry. But circumstances found me working in public education.

Once while walking on the sidewalk and praying, early in the morning, the thought came to me that Jesus said we could ask anything we desired and it would be granted. I thought, “I am going to take the Lord up on this.”

And so I prayed, “Lord Jesus, I want to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom wherever people breathe the air.” This was before the invention of the personal computer or the establishment of the Internet. It was a prayer with no obvious means of fulfillment.

I remember that on one occasion, while living in Palo Alto, I was sitting and praying one morning in my office. There was so much Kingdom truth stored in my mind! But I had no opportunity to preach or teach the understanding of his Word that God had given me.

So I said to the Lord, “If you desire that I never bring forth what you have shown me and just want me to have faith that it is so, I am willing for this to be what happens. I will keep on praying and reading my Bible as though I were an apostle with a great commission, even though for the remainder of my life I have no opportunity to present the truth of righteous behavior and what it means to enter God’s rest.”

Things began to take place after that prayer, about 1965, I believe. We were attending a church in Palo Alto. The pastor’s name was Reverend Pickthorne. I don’t remember Brother Pickthorne’s first name.

One day Brother Pickthorne came to our house. He had heard me answer some questions during the Sunday-school hour. He asked, “What is it you believe?”

I guess all the Lord had shown me since those days in the Berean Bible Institute had been stored up in my mind. In any event, I answered Brother Pickthorne with a sort of outline that had not really been thought through.

Pastor Pickthorne said, “You ought to write that down.”

The next morning (and every morning after that for several years) I got up hours before it was time to go to work (at that time as a teacher in the Walter Hays Elementary School in Palo Alto) and began to type furiously. I remember I had a Smith-Corona electric portable typewriter.

Out from that typewriter flew The Feasts of the Lord, The Tabernacle of the Congregation, and The Land of Promise.

Next to the typewriter, on my desk, there was a small battery charger. As I was pounding away on the typewriter I remember hearing a “pop” sound. When I was finished for the morning I turned and looked at the charger. A battery had blown up while in the charger. I was so involved in putting on paper what the Lord had shown me through the years I had not realized what had happened.

Then the pressure eased a bit and I was able to work in somewhat more of a relaxed fashion. I have been writing ever since.

I was asked to teach in the Morris Cerullo School of Ministry when it was located in San Diego. I taught about five semesters there. The audience consisted of some 500 or so students from many third-world countries, changing each semester. That was quite a worldwide outreach when you think about it, because these were leaders, and they would bring back with them to their homes what they had learned about the Kingdom of God.

Then came the personal computer, thousands of books and booklets that have been sent free of charge to different countries as well as to prisons. There were radio broadcasts and the Internet. Finally, television broadcasts.

What a remarkable answer to prayer. An elementary-school teacher walking early in the morning in Palo Alto, California, asking that he might preach the Gospel wherever people breathe the air. Has it happened? I don’t know as yet. But here I am, where there is no “air,” teaching a large class of God’s elect in the Holy City, the new Jerusalem.

Does Christ answer prayer?

Now I am facing these men and women, who are expecting me to bring them some helpful truths that will enable them to learn the ways of God. I am looking in my mind to Christ to see what He would have me emphasize.

The men and women in front of me are God’s elect, his Church. They have had instruction in the things of Christ as well as good moral training. Perhaps I can add to their knowledge of the plan of redemption. I think I will speak about the importance of letting go of our own will and learning to live by the Life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And so I began:

“When we say, ‘Not my will, but yours be done,’ we are saying, ‘Not my life, but yours be lived.’ There are several aspects of life, such as breathing, moving, speaking, and body temperature. But the most important aspect of life that must be presented to Christ is our will.

“The theme of the Book of Hebrews is the ‘rest of God.’ The writer warns us not to come short of it. Perhaps the rest of God needs some explanation. The rest of God is the climax of our redemption.

“Saturday is the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath day. Along with circumcision, the Sabbath day is one of the most important of the Jewish observances. And, as does circumcision, the Sabbath points to a new-covenant fulfillment that is as superior to the Old Testament observance as our Lord Jesus Christ is superior to Adam with respect to being the image of God.”

I gave the group a moment to digest this fact. Perhaps some of them still remember the great importance of the Old Testament Sabbath day.

“The eternal Sabbath was proclaimed by the Prophet, Isaiah.”

I quoted to them the following passage:

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words. (Isaiah 58:13—NIV)

“The Lord Jesus lives in the eternal Sabbath of God. He has no works, no words, no motivations of His own. The words Christ speaks are the words of God. The desires Christ has are the desires of God. The works Christ does are the works of God.

“This is the rest of God. This is our goal: to live by the Life of Christ as He lives by the Life of the Father. Another way of expressing the eternal Sabbath of God is to declare that we are to live on the Words coming continually from the Mouth of God.”

And then I quoted this passage from the Gospel of John:

Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. (John 6:57—NIV)

“’Feeding’ on Christ means living by his body and blood. How do we do this? Every time we resist temptation, not yielding to it, we are fed with the body and blood of Christ. This is the ‘hidden manna.’ It is hidden to all except those who resist Satan and obey the Spirit of God.

“A person might wonder how someone could be tempted in the spirit world. The truth is, sin began here in the spirit world as Satan, a cherub guarding the Throne of God, succumbed to the desire to receive the worship that always is to be given to the Father.

“People not living in the spirit world cannot understand how someone who is physically dead and living in the spirit world could be tempted. But you know and I know we still are able to make up our mind about things; and while it is easier to keep away from temptation, particularly here in the new Jerusalem, we have to practice what we learned while we were kept in the confined areas when we first entered the spirit world.

“We always must remember that we are to be sternly obedient to our King, the Lord Jesus Christ, in every thought, word, and action. It still is possible for us to lapse into unforgiveness, pride, selfishness, hatred, anger, jealousy, profanity, envy, lying—even here in the spirit world. Sin began here and to this day seeks to find expression in the earth.

“The sin so prevalent on the earth is largely due to pressures from the spirit world.”

I continued my exhortation.

“Think for just a moment. In what way does Jesus Christ live because of the Father? Christ lives because of the Father in that it is the Life of the Father that is in him, governing all that Christ is and does.

“Christ indeed has desires, words, motivations, and actions of himself, but He always submits them to the Father that they may become one with the Father’s desires, words, motivations, and actions. We are to enter that same relationship with Christ as He maintains with our Father.

“All Christ is and does come from the Father, is of the Father, and—we might say—indeed Is the Father, in this sense.

“Now, precisely what is the rest mentioned in the fourth chapter of the Book of Hebrews and is the primary thesis of Hebrews?

“The rest of God, which we are to make every effort to enter, is that place in which Christ is living in us. We live because of Christ. We are to have no desires, words, motivations, or actions of our own that are not submitted to Christ until they are his desires, words, motivations and actions.

“We are to be living by his Life. This is how the Lord Jesus Christ always lives in relationship to the Father.

“It is God’s rest as well as our rest. God rested on the seventh day, of which there is no evening or morning because it is without end, being an eternal rest.

“God finished all his work through to the coming down of the new Jerusalem to the new earth. Our life was ordained at that time. We are not to seek our own destiny. We are to press into that which God ordained for us. His works have been finished from the beginning of the world. God is resting. We are to enter that rest, ceasing from our own works.

“We are to live by the Life of Jesus Christ, just as was true of the Apostle Paul. We are to live in Christ and He in us. Only then will we bear eternal fruit.

“True circumcision is the cutting away of the filthiness of the flesh and spirit. True observance of the Sabbath is that of walking humbly with God at all times and on all occasions.

“When we seek to live by the Life of Jesus Christ there is a trap we must learn to avoid. This is the trap of passivity. We may decide we are an ‘empty vessel’ and wait for God to fill us. We will not be filled by the Lord if we adopt this stance. We may be filled with some spirit, but it will not be the Spirit of the Lord. This is not the true rest. We are not to become ‘empty vessels’! Did the Apostles write about empty vessels? This is a trap, a false rest.

“The true rest of God is entered as we rest from our own works and seek to find out what Christ wants of us.

“We are to cleanse ourselves from everything in our personality that is offensive to God. We do this by walking as close to Jesus as we can. As we do, the Spirit of God will reveal the several elements of our personality. We then are to confess to the Lord everything that is not of God’s image, and renounce it with all our strength.

“We are to draw near to Christ for forgiveness and cleansing. After that we are to turn away from our former patterns of behavior.

“The principal force that complicates our efforts to live in the rest of God is our self: self-will, self-love, self-determination, self-confidence, self-assurance, self, self, self! This is the most difficult victory to gain. How can we enter God’s Life when we are attempting to live our own?

“If we are willing to have our desires deferred for many years, and remain faithfully in our prison, the self-will shall be burned out of us.”

Some of the listeners were writing in their notebooks. Some were gazing at me in wonderment. They knew they were hearing truth and they were soaking it up.

“I myself am giving every decision to the Lord. I do not trust myself to know or do anything. I try not to assume anything. I ask the Lord about everything, from what pieces to practice on the piano to how to spend the additional moments of the day. When we become accustomed to asking Christ about the details, we are apt to ask Him when we come to big decisions.

“If you are under the impression that Christ is not interested in all the details of your life, then you do not understand the extent to which He wants to be involved in all you think, say, and do.

“Are you willing to look to Jesus and say, ‘Lord Jesus, from now on I am going to stop living my own life and look to you for every decision, every word, every action, from the least to the greatest? I am going to press into God’s rest at all times throughout the coming ages of ages?’

“The writer of the Book of Hebrews warns us of the peril of having started in Christ and then coming short of God’s rest; of not following through to the completion in our life of the work of redemption.

“I have made my decision. Come on in. The water is just the right temperature. You can swim in it, if you want to, and become a tree of life on the bank of the River of Life. You can return to the earth and bring eternal life to the dead sea of mankind, when the Lord is ready for this to take place.”

The group sat in attentive silence. My guess would be they never had had God’s rest explained to them clearly. You could see they were drinking it in, realizing the significance of how the Spirit of God had been dealing with them.

I have never before taught such a receptive group. They just pulled the truth out of me. I explained that the adamic race cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, for that first race has been corrupted by Satan. When Christ said, “It is finished,” He meant the entire adamic race as well as the work of atonement He came to perform.

I continued, “The Kingdom of God in its finest sense is Jesus Christ. His Divine Nature, which is God’s Divine Nature, must be planted in us. If we nourish it with Bible reading and strict obedience to God, the Divine Nature grows. As it does, it conflicts with our personal desires. Thus each day we have to choose whether to obey our own desires, or the desires of the Spirit of God who is concerned about the development of Christ in us.”

It was gratifying to see the delight on the faces of the audience as they received the Word. When the lesson of the “day” had been accomplished, they knew it and I knew it.

One distinguished looking lady got up from her chair and held out her hand. I shook it. She said, “You would not remember me, of course. My name is Stepanka. I heard you teach when you came to Czechoslovakia. It was a turning point in my life. I had been a casual Christian up to that time. From then on I determined I was going to serve Christ with all my heart.

“Many of the people you have just spoken to here heard you on the radio, or television, or read one of your books. When it was announced that you were coming to teach us we came from all parts of the city to meet you in person.”

I thanked Stepanka, and then went among the students and shook each hand. Some were weeping, and I was not far from weeping myself. What an unspeakable blessing to know your efforts to please Christ have purchased for you a wealth of people whom you can love and who will love you.

I went back up on the stage. Their teacher, Mr. Anderson, a tall, kindly man whom I had not known previously, came up on the stage and thanked me profusely. No pride or jockeying for preeminence here! This is the way of Heaven to which I have been referring. You may remember we saw this heavenly attitude when the army of children were not jealous at the time we chose Gabrielle and Philipp to ride back to Godwill Castle with us.

How refreshing to be among people whom Christ has influenced so greatly!

I stepped down from the stage, and Tad and I turned and started back in the direction from which we came. Immediately we were at the Simeon Gate, which seemingly opened of its own accord. Lance and Warfighter were standing by. The angel posted at the gate said goodbye to Tad. As soon as we passed through the gate our white robes ceased to glow.

Tad and I rode away. We seemed to know instinctively the way back to Godwill Castle, passing by the farms on the way to the ramp. Some of the farmers looked up briefly and we waved to them. They waved back.

We got off our horses and walked up the ramp. The drawbridge was down. We brought the horses to the stable. All the animals were in their stalls, so we knew Amira and Gabrielle were here already. Bear came bounding out.

Tad and I washed up, put our casual clothes back on, and then went with the others to dinner.Dinner began with tomato soup. It was roast turkey tonight with cranberry sauce and vegetables. All of us had a good appetite.

Addressing both Tad and me, Amira asked, “How did it go for you guys today?”

Tad and I were too overcome to speak just yet. We just could not bring ourselves to describe what we had seen today. It was too awesome. Perhaps some time in the future we will be able to tell what we had seen.

Anyway, Amira and Gabrielle might have felt left out if we told them we had been inside the walls of the new Jerusalem.

Tad, as usual, waited for me to speak. I said, “It was a good day in the Lord. How did you and Gabrielle make out?”

Gabrielle spoke up: “We worked hard to get ready for the big day. We’re glad to get back home, aren’t we Meer?”

“We sure are. I hope the invasion happens soon. I am getting bored hearing and doing the same things over and over.”

This is our Amira. She has a good heart and loves Jesus. She just gets impatient at times.

Tad loves to tease Amira. He said, “Maybe you aren’t going to get to go. Maybe you are going to have to stay here and help Heng with the animals.”

“All the animals are going, except Anisa, and Heng can take care of her without me. Anyway, Jesus said I could go.”

Having said this, Amira stuck her tongue out at Tad.

Tad said, “If that’s the way you are going to be, I might as well leave.” We knew he was just kidding Amira, whom he really likes.

Just then, Alana made her appearance with a giant chocolate cake and a large bowl of vanilla ice cream. Amira and Tad forgot what they were arguing about and helped themselves to huge slices of cake and large bowls of ice cream. Even Bear got some cake and ice cream.

Then we said good night to each other, Amira and Gabrielle said good night to their horses, including Anisa, and then went up to their rooms. Tad and I went into the stable and made sure Lance, Warfighter, Kamur, and Watcher were fine. Then Tad went up the stairs.

I went to the tower. I said good night to Erhard, and Bear and I proceeded to climb the staircase to my room at the top of the tower, being careful of the irregularities in the steps. The shutters were closed.

I removed my sandals, and hung up my shirt and pants. Bear jumped up on her pillow. I snuffed out the candles except for the night candle, put on my pajamas and got under the quilt. I had had a full day and was ready to rest.

I lay there wondering if I was going to be called on again to teach some of the elect in the new Jerusalem. I am sure there are other teachers there who are far more proficient than I in the things of the Kingdom of God.

You know, it was a marvelous experience to be among the saints in the Holy City. I am certain the Paradise I saw there, and which soon will come to the earth under the administration of Christ and his saints, is far, far more glorious than when it was on the earth in the days of Adam and Eve. But somehow Christ has put in me such a love for my children that I do not mind being outside the city at this time.

The next thing I knew, I could feel Bear stirring and realized the shutters were open and the light of a gorgeous new day was appearing at the window. I was greeted with many cock-a-doodle-doos from the farm.

Playland

Christ came to us one morning. It was just after we had finished eating breakfast.

He said to Tad, Amira, Gabrielle, and me, “I am going to take you to a special place that very few grownups have ever seen.”

Amira asked, “Am I a grownup?” The Lord smiled and said, “You will be pretty soon!”

Gabrielle said, “How about me?” Jesus said, “Pretty soon.”

“You won’t need the animals. We are going to travel in the Spirit. Go upstairs and put on your white robes. I will meet you on the ramp.”

I said to Bear, “I’m sorry but you are going to have to stay with Heng until we return.” Bear walked sorrowfully over to the stable and Heng took charge of her. We heard several whinnies, so we went into the stable and said goodbye to all the animals.

We all went up and changed. We came back down, said goodbye to Erhard and Heng, and went out through the inner and outer gates. Jesus was waiting for us at the foot of the ramp.

He said, “We are going to visit Playland. It is a very holy place.”

The Lord was smiling at us. All of a sudden we were standing on the edge of a vast park-like area.

There were numerous babies. I was struck by the fact that mothers on the earth are heartbroken over the death of a child. If the mother only knew it, while she is enduring the rigors of life on the earth her baby is in a delightful place.

I do not know how long we stood there, watching the children. They all were dressed in white clothing; or else the whiteness was the purity of their own bodily selves. After having seen this spectacle, no one ever would be the same.

There was a multitude of little children. It seemed to me that the children were of all races, including the race of angels. I don’t really understand about there being young angels. I thought God created angels at a certain age. Perhaps not!

The little ones were laughing, singing, dancing, playing all sorts of games, and acting out imaginary scenes. I saw Ring Around the Rosie, tag, hide and seek, jump rope, hopscotch, Simon Says, Follow the Leader—all the childhood games with which I am familiar. There also were games I never have seen before, such as playing tag while everyone was hopping on one foot.

There were rocking horses and seesaws. There were playhouses. Different kinds of colored balls were being thrown back and forth, and kicked. There was a long line of children who were playing train. Each child had his hands on the shoulders of the child in front. The boy at the head of the line, obviously a Chinese youngster, was hooting and huffing like a steam engine.

There was another parade going on at the same time. At the head of the parade were five young children, boys and girls. There were marching and singing a song. Here are the words:

We are happy doggies, marching in a row.

We all play together; we are friends, you know.

We are different sizes. Jesus made us so.

We are happy doggies, marching in a row.

One of the children, I couldn’t tell which one, was singing in English. The others were singing in different languages.

Behind the five young children was marching a brown Great Dane. He held his head high. He was stepping in time to the music and his tail was wagging in time to the music.

Behind him were a Collie, a Poodle, a Fox Terrier, and a Golden Retriever. You could tell they were marching, but their tails and paws were not exactly in time with the music. The Fox Terrier had to stretch a bit, while the Poodle was scampering.

You can make up your own tune to these four lines. Below is what it sounded like when I saw the parade.

There were five kittens behind the dogs. They were not in time with music but were running and jumping here and there and tumbling over each other. Two were reddish brown. One was gray. One had tabby markings. One was black with a white chest. A child threw a little yellow ball near them. Upon seeing this the kittens forgot about the doggie parade and chased the ball.

Since the children looked to be about four or five years old, I am confident that angels taught them the marching song and also inspired the dogs.

I noticed one little girl. She looked about three years old. She was sitting on the grass and looking around at the other children but not participating in the games. She looked sad and wistful.

Then I noticed the Lord Jesus sitting on the grass next to her. He was asking her a question, I could tell, and she was shaking her head no.

At the same time the Lord was standing with Tad, Amira, Gabrielle, and myself. He said to us, “Her name is Marion. She misses her home, her parents, and her pet Guinea pig. She doesn’t feel like playing with the other children.”

While we were watching the Lord and Marion, a little black Guinea pig with a white nose appeared in her lap. Marion exclaimed, “There’s Eeper!” She broke out in a big smile and petted the little creature. Then the Lord disappeared from beside her. He knew she would be fine now.

One time in church, as Stan was leading the worship, there came a special moment—for me at least. It seemed like I was listening to bells tinkling, like you hear at Christmas time. It reminded me of Toyland in Malley’s department store in New Haven, Connecticut, at Christmas time. What a world of enchantment that was to me when I was a child! I wonder if Malley’s is still there. I think I will go take a look when I have a chance.

I noticed a child, too young to walk, crawling up the aisle in the church, heading toward the platform where the musicians were. She was trying to reach that music. Little children know about Heaven and their angel can see the Face of the Father.

Several of the children here in Playland were playing with stuffed toys, Teddy bears, animals, or clowns. There were numerous dolls of all sorts.

It is not a place for adults, just for that wonderful state of childhood. The little boys and girls were running, jumping, rolling on the grass, chasing each other. There were shouts, shrieks of childish laughter. Such a clamor!

I think they could fly around like little butterflies, but there is not much of this. It may be that the will and power of God keeps these little ones on the ground.

Maybe God gave us butterflies and rainbows so we would know there is more to life than the grim, digging in the dirt we experience during our pilgrimage on the earth.

Some of the littlest children were sitting on the grass, holding puppies, kitties, and bunnies in their lap, petting them.

There were toddlers, and angels teaching them to walk. The angels were feeding the babies from a bottle with a liquid that could have been milk, I suppose.

There were miniature ponies small enough for the older children to ride on.

One little girl was holding a beautiful white Angora kitty in her lap. She was petting her kitty and saying, “Aren’t you happy, Fluffy, being here with me and all the children? I felt so bad when you were runned over (she meant run over by a car), but I knew you would be in Heaven with God.”

The child was speaking in English. She looked to be either American or English; but Northern Europeans and Americans look so much alike you couldn’t really tell, except for her language.

There was a boy with black curly hair who may be African. He was marching around like a soldier and blowing a small bugle. He was quite good at it.

Then there was another boy. He has a deep brown or copper complexion and straight black hair. He and another boy were competing with each other to see who could run and then jump the farthest. He is handsome. He may be from one of the Indian tribes in South America.

How do you compete in running and jumping when there is no gravity? By the power of God, I suppose, like everything else around here. Maybe this always has been true when we were on the earth. We just were not aware of it.

As I mentioned, there were little angels among them. You could recognize them by their white hair.

Every baby who was ever born would fit right into this world and recognize it. There were tunnels that the children could crawl through and hide in, and Rocking Horses, as I said.

There was a background of beautiful, soft music. Mostly stringed instruments, I believe. Sometimes a choir joined in.

There were white-robed angels moving among them. The angels were female in appearance, like our Alana. They were the most beautiful, gentle creatures one could imagine. None of the angels I have seen have wings. They look like people.

Where we were standing there were huge guards. The children could not see the guards. Their spears, which they were holding at their sides, were taller than their bodies. They reminded me of the angel-guard that I saw when I was dying in the ambulance, as I was approaching Christ.

These tall, stern-looking warriors were making certain that nothing that was not utterly holy could set foot in the area of Playland.

Tad, Amira, Gabrielle, and I were not allowed to enter, only to see that fairyland.

The scene was so beautiful I scarcely could bear it. The sky was filled with color, even more than the sky I first saw in the meadow, with pink, yellow, light blue, light orange, light brown, and light lavender. I couldn’t have imagined that any sky could be more glorious than the sky we already had experienced in the spirit world, but here it was.

I thought as we gazed on the splendor of Playland that we must have been given a temporary special ability to perceive holiness and beauty, an ability that was not normally our possession. When I was standing looking out the window in the apartment on Ben Maimon Street in Israel, I could not bear looking at the garden of aborted fetuses. It was too holy for human eyes to bear. Perhaps if I at that time had had the ability I have now I could have borne it.

There are some situations that are too holy, too pure for human eyes to see.

Playland undoubtedly reflects the heart of God. I am sure the angels of each of these little ones can see the Face of God, which is denied to us as yet.

Such purity, such beauty, such joyous creatures playing in pure righteousness, love, joy, and peace. This is what it all will come to in the end, I am sure. Once you see this world you would want to live here forever. Perhaps some day we all will live in such a world, all the races that God has created brought together, in the far distant future.

It is the world of imagination, the world we try to capture at Christmas time with candy canes, silver bells, tinsel, and toys. Every child knows of it. It is very close to the heart of God, for God has the heart of a child. This is why abortion without reason is such a terrible, terrible act. It is the destruction of that which is supremely innocent and pure.

The Lord looked at Tad, Amira, Gabrielle, and me. He asked, “What do you think?”

I said, “God is good. The world of children reveals the innocence that will be true of the new world of righteousness. Our life as human beings ought to be gentle and filled with kindness and meekness. We know from God’s promise it will be this way in the future.”

Amira answered, “Seeing the children here makes me very happy.”

Gabrielle said wistfully, “I would like to stay here.”

Tad was disgusted. He responded, “I never have been a human being. What I have seen on the earth, as I have guarded Godwill, makes me glad I never have been one. The elect angels know better how to behave than do people on the earth; and angels do not have a human conscience to guide them! They just know the God of Heaven never would approve of the behavior of some human beings!”

Jesus said, “Tad, sadly you are correct. However, you never have experienced the same temptations that the humans have. But because of God’s wisdom, good is going to come from the valley of the shadow of death that the earth is.”

What is man that God is mindful of him? Man has been created to govern all the works of God’s hands. This is why our race has had to endure the cesspool of wickedness and filth of human history. Out of this moral depravity and rebellion against the Father are arising sons formed in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ, and they will serve for eternity as God’s eternal Throne.

After Satan defied God, God, in his infinite wisdom set a trap for Satan. God created the earth, and mankind, and then permitted Satan to express his personality. When we think about the debauching of children today, as wicked people in the government, the public schools, and elsewhere attempt to subvert their pure minds with satanic doctrines, we understand the depths of the horror that is Satan.

Those who are able to overcome, through Christ, the perversion of all that is righteous and holy, will serve God forever, ensuring that sin and rebellion never again will enter through the gates of the new Jerusalem into his holy Presence. Perhaps this is what it is all about.

We humans, having been formed in Christ’s image through fiery sufferings, are not shown immediately the pure delight of innocence; but eventually we shall when we have been established as God’s kings. But it shall be an innocence protected by the iron of a will established in Divine righteousness.

Why does God permit us to grow up? I am not certain. Perhaps it is that we may be able to explore the Character of God, his wisdom, knowledge, and creative abilities. A special purpose would be that we are to have created in us a rod of iron that simply will not yield to sin in any form. I do believe that in the end we all will become like children. We will find our own playland, or else create one.

The young of all kinds of creatures like to play. But when we grow up we can’t play anymore, except in foolishness and destruction.

There is constant pressure from Satan on us to destroy ourselves. God uses this pressure to teach us war, to fight back against that which is wicked. We develop righteous character, which is part of the image of God. Once we gain this character we will be able to play again.

We start as children and end up as children; but now children in the image of God’s Character—much, much wiser and much, much stronger in righteous behavior; also having a love of holiness, and a will that is sternly obedient to Christ.

God has a child’s heart, as we can see from the variety of fish in the ocean. Maybe God experimented with animal life, and that is why we have had dinosaurs lording over the earth, and other seemingly useless creatures flying around over the the earth.

I don’t think children are fascinated with dinosaurs because they are descended from them. I think they have as much fun seeing dinosaurs and strange birds as God did creating these hulking creatures..

The Bible says God tests man to see what is in his heart. God finds out about things by experimenting, apparently. Christ could have created dinosaurs and then studied their behavior in order to learn about the organs and systems He was creating in preparation for the creation of man.

Or, God may have been concealing his intention, by creating dinosaurs and other prehistoric life forms, in order to confuse Satan so when man finally was created, the full import of what had taken place was not readily apparent.

When God created the first people, He saw that what He had created on the present earth is very good. He is going to put his final headquarters on a new earth in the form of the new Jerusalem. Whether there are other universes and races or not, Jesus Christ will continue to be Lord of all. All shall be subject to his will.

We know God likes to play. He takes delight in creating odd-looking creatures, such as dwell in the seas of the world. Many of us would also, if we had that kind of creative ability.

Man really is an intelligent animal. But in addition he has a spirit that reaches out to God. This is not true of any other animal.

However, man does not become what God has in mind for him until Christ has been formed in his inward personality and his body has been fashioned like the body of Jesus Christ. Until this occurs, man is nothing more than an intelligent animal with a spirit that can communicate with God. Man cannot possibly fulfill God’s eternal purposes for him until he is more than a vertebrate with a superior brain.

I had in my bedroom on earth two little stuffed figures of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. I also had a few of the books by Johnny Gruelle. Mr. Gruelle, with his Raggedy Ann and Andy stories, seemed to capture this innocence of which I have been speaking. I kept the two little figures on top of a small table to remind me of the simple purity of heart that God values so highly.

My little Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy reminded me every time I looked at them how God wants all his children to be. I had hoped, while I was living on the earth, to have had a chance to visit the Raggedy Ann and Andy museum in Arcola, Illinois. But there simply was not time. Perhaps some day.

The destiny of the children in Playland is not the same as that of the children in the army of judges, whom I described previously. The children I told you about before have no mother and father who will be looking for them when their parents die. Up to this point the Lord Jesus has adopted all of them as his own children. He has given names to those who had not been given a name as yet, and has a special future for them.

The children we are observing now have loving parents who are looking forward to the day when they will be reunited with their little darlings. I am certain they are not hoping in vain.

There is a special Reception Palace which we visited briefly. All children who die, from the ages of six through twelve, go here for a short visit before they are assigned to their proper place, depending on the child and his or her calling.

The Reception Palace helps make the transition from the physical world a happy time for the child. There always are numerous boys and girls, dressed in their normal clothing. There are little animals, and toys of every kind.

One time many years ago, while still living on the earth, I “saw” the entrance to the Reception Palace. There was a toy train. The tracks for the train made a loop. Part of the loop of tracks was inside the Palace and part outside. The sight of the engine merrily pulling its cars, with a hoo-hoo sound, gladdens the hearts of the children who have been plucked from the sordid scenes of earth.

During our brief glimpse of this Christmas-like reception area we saw several angels bringing their charges, boys and some girls of various ages. Some of the children looked bewildered and some amazed. None were frightened. The angels were kindly, holding the hands of the little ones, whispering comfort to them.

While we were watching, a boy, about ten years old, broke away from his angel and ran toward the toy train, as it traveled around on the track at the entrance to the Palace. He was wearing a red shirt and black pants. His arms were outstretched. He was crying excitedly some words in Zulu, “Nhìn kìa! Mot oàn tàu ch i!”

In our minds we heard, “Look! A toy train!”

He is a handsome boy with black hair. Jesus said, “His name is Herman. He just died from kwashiorkor. He is from South Africa.”

Herman stood excitedly by the train track waiting for it to make the circle and appear outside again.

The sound of happy children is heard as an angel brings the child to the entrance to the Reception Palace. Then the vivid colors of a toyland are seen: children playing games, balls of every sort, some children on stilts, children playing tag, little girls with varous kinds of dolls, many different musical instruments all being played at once, children with crayons drawing in coloring books, and so forth.

The children in the Reception Palace and in Playland are those who died before their parents. The boys and girls in Playland are infants up to four or five years of age, depending on the maturity of the child. Older children up to twelve are brought to the Reception Palace.

When a parent dies, he or she first must go through a period of preparation for life in the spirit world. Then he or she can come for his or her child. An angel will bring out the child; the parent cannot set foot in Playland or the Reception Palace or even see these areas.

We do not realize it, perhaps, but when we speak of “growing up” we are referring primarily to the body. Our rate of growing up physically is similar from person to person. But growing up internally can be very different from one person to another.

I think the Lord Jesus considers how many years will elapse from the time the child died until the parents die. If it is to be many years, Jesus will regulate the rate of the child’s growth in personality so that when the parents have finished their preparation for life in the spirit world, and are able to go to a community to live, the child, now a young person, will be ready to greet them, whether in a community or, if they are members of the elect, in the Holy City.

When the angel responsible for the child deems him to be ready, he or she is sent to a community to live. The angel finds a suitable home and loving foster parents who will take the child in and guide it in the ways of Heaven.

When the child leaves Playland he or she will be clothed normally. Prior to this time the little child appears as though clothed in white. This may an actual robe of some kind, or it may simply be a reflection of the purity of the child’s personality. The child leaving the Reception Palace continues to be in his or her regular clothing.

The little soldier-judges I discussed previously have normal clothing. It is because their Father is Jesus. No earthly parent will be permitted to come for one of the little soldier judges when the parent dies. Such parents either aborted the child, or took so little interest in him or her that Jesus claimed the child for himself.

But it is different here in Playland and in the Reception Palace. When the parent or parents come for their child, the child may not want to leave either area. However the angels will comfort the child and present him or her to the child’s parents.

The parents then will take the boy or girl to the community in which the parents have chosen to live. There will be children in the community for them to play with and they will be happy there, reunited with their parents.

If the parents are of the elect, the child may be brought with them into the Holy City. There are numerous children in the new Jerusalem. It is such a delightful place the children soon forget their time in Playland or the Reception Palace.

Our present world is so morally horrible that it is good to know it is not what God has in mind for us eventually. Let us live as pilgrims and strangers in the midst of such corruption, knowing that one day we will be seeing the beauty and the grandeur of God, of which a sunset on the earth is a reminder.

As we were looking at the Face of Christ, without realizing quite how it happened, we found ourselves standing on the ramp. Tad waved at his friends on the wall-walk. The drawbridge was let down with a splash, landing on the end of the ramp. We trudged up the ramp and across the drawbridge and went through both gates into the inner ward.

Bear came out wagging her tail wildly. Tad went up to his room over the stable. Amira, Gabrielle, Bear and I greeted the animals, then Erhard, and then went up to our rooms. We really had been given something to think about.

We washed up and changed our clothes. We came down for dinner, and then went back up to our rooms.

I changed into my pajamas, snuffed out all the candles except for the one between the bookcase and the window-room, and crawled under the covers. I glanced at the marshal’s baton on top of the bookcase. I wonder what it will be like to lead the children’s army. Maybe by that time they will be grown up!

Bear got on her pillow.

The next thing I knew, I could hear the roosters crowing. The servant had been here and the window shutters were open. Another glorious day in the true and eternal world has begun.

The Trumpet Sounds

We assembled in front of Erhard, and then went to the breakfast table. Alana, as always, was ready for us. Today we had pancakes with nuts sprinkled on them. There were maple syrup, butter, orange juice, and milk on the table. There also was a dish of scrambled eggs for anyone who wanted them. This is my favorite breakfast. Bear had her usual breakfast in a dish on the carpet.

Every once in a while I would be invited to speak to a group of people in the various communities. On each occasion I would look to the Spirit of God for the burden of the Word of the Lord. To the communities I would speak about the ways of righteousness.

On this morning, immediately after breakfast and before Amira and Gabrielle could leave, there was a long clear blast on a trumpet, or several trumpets in unison. We couldn’t tell where it was coming from. It grew louder until it seemed it would shake the castle.

Amira and Tad said: “It has finally come. This is the beginning of the Day of the Lord!” All of us ran up to our rooms to put on our white robes.

Boy, were we excited! Amira and Gabrielle went to get White King and Amigo. I guess Heng had known in advance what was going to happen, so White King and Amigo already had their blue blankets and pads. The two girls said goodbye to Anisa and then took off running toward the gate, leading their horses.

Heng stood at the entrance to the stable, holding Watcher. He passed Watcher over to me. Kamur, Warfighter, and Lance were with him. He said, “You better get to the Plain of Instruction as fast as you can.”

I told Bear she would have to go back with Heng and he would take care of her. Heng picked up a sorrowful Bear, who looked back at me as though I had committed the ultimate betrayal. But I knew Heng really liked Bear and would see that she had the best of care. During the day she would have the run of the ward. She probably would tease some scraps from Alana and Claude, the cook.

With this we all ran out through both gates and down the ramp. Kamur stood still. Then he let out a roar that deafened everyone. It seemed to me like the castle shook again. Watcher unfurled her tremendous wings and shot up into the sky with a “klick-klick-klick-klick-scream.” Tad and I mounted our horses. Kamur was ready to go. By this time we knew the way to the Plain of Instruction.

We didn’t bother to become invisible. The people working the farms stared at the sight of the war horses, the white-robed figures riding them, and the fierce orange and black tiger racing next to them. They were not aware of the huge eagle who was flying along high over us. They had heard the trumpets and probably guessed what was happening.

When we arrived at the Plain of Instruction, the parade had formed. We had practiced the lineup for the parade previously, so everyone knew his or her place. Christ was at the head. He asked Tad and me to go back along the entire line and let Him know when all was in order.

The sight of Christ mounted on Conqueror is without doubt the most awesome spectacle in God’s entire creation. He was larger than we had seen Him before. On the center of his white robe and on his thigh in large purple letters were the words, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” These words were in a language I did not recognize; yet, when one saw them, the meaning appeared in his or her mind.

The two giant angels we had seen before were on each side of the Lord, armed with their huge sabers and carrying their long silver trumpets.

What may have been the atoning blood was on his white robe, no doubt because of the fierceness of God’s wrath, held in abeyance for thousands of years, now at the point of being exercised.

We rode back noting the elders and the victorious saints. (The victorious saints are the “kings from the East,” mentioned in the Book of Revelation), the child-drummers, the army of children, their officers, the six captains, the trumpeters, the angel drum corps, Michael, the marshal, the special force, and the legions of warrior-angels led by their commanders bringing up the rear.

Tad and I were robed in white. No one paid any attention to Kamur. He just seemed to fit into the spirit of the army. He stayed by Tad and me.

Tad and I came back to the head of the line and reported to Christ: “Sir, all the groups are ready to march.”

With this the two angels on each side of Christ lifted up their long silver trumpets and sounded “Forward.” It was a louder blast than I had heard yet. It seemed that the entire environment was shaking.

There was a shout of war from the victorious saints, the children, their leaders, and Michael and his angels.

The little drummers, backs straight as a rod, commenced beating to the “March.”

The angel-trumpeters, marching behind the six captains, sounded their instruments in unison with the giant angels on each side of Christ.

The angel drum corps beat their drums in unison with the child drum corps.

Michael shouted for the battle. He said: “For the Glory of God and his Christ.”

How one creature could utter such a cry I do not understand. It was louder than thunder. It was louder than a large cannon. It was as though all the sounds in the world were gathered into one enormous, universe-shaking cry.

Michael shouted seven times: “For the Glory of God and his Christ.” His words were in the language of Heaven, but somehow we could understand him. His words appeared in our minds.

Then all the trumpets sounded again. I do not know all the various calls that trumpets make, but everyone knew this was the call to advance to the battle. All the drummers continued the marching beat.

The enormous column began to move forward, with Christ and Conqueror at the head. We were participating in the beginning of the Day of the Lord, a day that will last a thousand years. There was no fear among us, only joyous anticipation because at long last sin and rebellion were to be driven from the inhabitants of the earth.

The Lord instructed Tad and me to keep moving from back to front, letting Him know if there was any problem with the marchers.

Suddenly I did not see Kamur prowling next to me. You know what? I think he now was inside of me, because Kamur is my fierceness in battle. I think this was true of Watcher also, because I seemed to be unusually aware of my surroundings.

How can this be? I don’t know. I am just reporting what I was experiencing.

While we were marching I made a point to visit Audrey, who was still on the earth. I appeared and told her to get ready to pass from mortality into immortality; that her body soon would experience a radical change. Audrey was so astonished to see me she burst out crying. I hugged and kissed her, and then left.

Don’t ask me how I could hug and kiss Audrey when she was in a physical body and I did not have a physical body. I didn’t think about it at the time, it just happened. As I am writing this account I wondered how that was possible! I guess there is a lot about the interaction between the two worlds that we do not understand at this time.

I would not be surprised if many of the victorious saints warned their loved ones of the change that was about to take place in their bodies. Of course, they would appear only to those who had the spiritual strength to sustain the transformation.

We had marched but a short time, and suddenly we were entering the sky above the earth. There was a gigantic cross in the sky. I do not know what it was constructed from, but it was of a golden color. In front of the golden cross was a white lamb that had been slain, its head drooping down, drops of blood falling.

The two figures, the cross and the lamb, must have been of some spiritual substance because we passed right through them.

The entire company of people and angels flowed as an unstoppable river that would bring life and healing to the righteous of the earth, but destruction and death to the wicked.

Good is ready to meet evil face to face, and good shall triumph. Finally good and evil are being defined clearly so there no longer is the gray area that Satan loves so dearly; the area of indecision and deception that Satan employs with consummate skill.

The intellectuals of the world no longer will be able to dither about good and evil, about evolution and intelligent design, about the Nature of God if there is a God, about whether or not there are moral absolutes, if there is such a thing as right and wrong, if it is mentally and emotionally healthy for people to be convicted of sin.

God’s Hero is appearing from Heaven. Justice and Truth are arriving irresistibly. This is the Day in which the meek shall be rewarded and there shall be rejoicing throughout the earth.

The poor shall be elevated. The rich shall be brought low. Those who have suffered at the hands of evil, selfish, self-seeking people will be brought into joy, while the wicked will be punished.

It is the Day of Vengeance of our God; and the patient suffering of the despised of the earth shall be compensated gloriously.

The old familiar rage was growing in me that I felt when the Lord first called me to war. Whenever I think about putting an end to sin, to disobeying God, I rejoice with a terrible fury. I have to keep in mind that I can’t just rush out by myself and accomplish the end of rebellion. Only the Father working through the Lord Jesus can do this. But I will have my own part I know.

The path of the righteous has led to the full revelation of eternal wisdom, of love, of joy, and of peace.

Throughout the centuries the wicked have sneered, and mocked the Word of God. Now He is here in the fullness of power and righteousness.

Those who sit in the seat of the scornful have asked contemptuously, “Where is the promise of his coming?” Here He is! The “Son” of righteousness finally has risen with healing in his wings.

It is a time of healing for the wounded and justice for the oppressed.

It is a time of terror for those who have chosen the path of wickedness. It is a time of the wildest rejoicing for those who have with patient endurance held fast to the promises of God.

The Lord’s warriors marched down through the clouds of water vapor. On and on we came, a torrent of righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God.

Then we halted.

Something happened. I cannot explain it except by the power of Christ. It was as though I fell asleep momentarily, and then awakened. I was standing on the ground in the cemetery in San Marcos that Audrey and I had picked out and paid for in advance, and that I had been buried in.

How did I get here? Then I noticed that I felt unusual. Suddenly I saw that my section of the plot was open. Audrey had never been buried. Audrey had been transformed into immortality and I had been resurrected. I felt marvelous, I can tell you. As I looked down at my body I realized it was bigger and more powerful than I remembered. I still was robed in white.

For the first time, since I was in the ambulance on my way to Palomar Hospital,I had a physical body. Do you know, I did not feel much different from being in a spirit form. Perhaps the most noticeable difference was in being able to feel air. The weather seemed to be that of spring, not cold or hot, just comfortable. I could feel wind.

The sky was not nearly as beautiful as it is in the spirit world. The position of the sun suggested the time to be about ten o’clock in the morning. I felt exuberant. I now possessed the best of both worlds. I was a giant, a warrior in my feelings, realizing the creation now is my playground, one might say. I had conquered through Christ and would conquer every obstacle; every problem; every enemy. Now, nothing was impossible to me.

I had attained to the first resurrection, so there was no Day of Judgment in the future to be feared. Truly, all of my existence had been looking forward to this supremely glorious day.

And here was my Audrey! She was young and beautiful. We had a long embrace. She had passed from a flesh-and-blood body to a resurrection body with no difficulty. I knew she would, because her faith is sufficient for this challenge.

I had known she was going to be in the first resurrection because she has lived as a victorious saint. Audrey also was robed in white. She was ready to be caught up along with the rest of us, and there would be a white stallion waiting for her.

I looked up to Jesus with a thankful heart. He said, “Godwill, I have raised you from the dead and transformed Audrey. I have clothed each of you with a body like mine. You both have attained to the resurrection from among the dead. You now are alive in your bodies for eternity. Congratulations!”

How the Lord could pay attention to Audrey and me in the midst of all that was going on, I do not know—except that He is the Almighty Christ. I knew then that He was addressing personally in love each person He had raised. This was their reward for faithfully serving him.

Recovering somewhat from my amazement and excitement, I looked around. There were two or three other people within fifty yards or so, but I did not recognize them. They were shining like thousand-watt bulbs.

The Lord said, “Godwill, I am going to take Audrey from you at this time because I am going to use her to minister to the victorious saints who were still alive on the earth when I returned. Their bodies have been transformed into immortality, but they are bewildered. Audrey, and others whom you and she taught at Mount Zion, will help them adjust to the fact that they now are eternally alive and not to be afraid of the change in their bodies.

“Audrey is happy to be serving me. She will be busy assisting the newly transformed saints. Have you forgotten your little warriors? They are looking for you. They have no one else.”

I said, “I’m sorry, Lord. I forgot about them. I saw them only that one time and I don’t really know them yet, although I realize they are my children and shall be part of me for eternity. How can I find them?”

Jesus said, “Look around you.”

I looked. There were my little darlings as far as I could see—all five thousand thirty of them I guess, along with their five hundred three officers. They were in their new, shining bodies and robed in white. God has given them a body in keeping with the development of their inner nature, just as He created the body of Adam from the dust of the earth.

How am I ever going to know them all? But I know I shall, for eternity is a long time.

Tad appeared without Lance. Being an angel, Tad had not experienced any change in his body.

Then Amira and her friend, Gabrielle appeared. They, Tad, and I were all shining with a bright light.

The resurrected children all were in white robes. They still had their racial identity, but it had been lifted into another realm. Amira and Gabrielle were radiantly beautiful. They still looked themselves, but it was as though they had been transformed into another higher form of appearance. They certainly were recognizable, but their features were—what shall I say—clearer?

No, clearer is not the word. Their faces were more what they always should have been, but before this were outlines. Now every feature has been revealed—perhaps that is the word.

When we die we can see deceased loved ones that we recognize. How can we recognize their faces when they have no skin? We recognize them for we are seeing them as they really are. Their speech and mannerisms identify them. This is true even if their face should look different.

It sometimes is true that a wicked, conniving, grasping individual has a kindly face. Conversely, someone with plain features may have a lovely personality. We do not see the individual as he or she actually is. But this is not true in the spirit world. We see the real person, no longer hidden behind facial skin.

And so it will be after the resurrection. The restored face will not hide what the person is. We will see the real personality, just as we saw them in the spirit world, but more clearly defined. The wicked, conniving, grasping individual will look like a wicked, conniving, grasping person, unless God has granted a change of personality. The loving, generous person will be seen as just that. The truly righteous will shine with the Glory of Christ.

Maybe this is what Lewis was speaking of in his book, Till We Have Faces.

I cannot remember what their skin looked like. It must have been some neutral color, for it does not stand out in my mind because the personality was so vivid.

Amira, Gabrielle, and I went among the boys and girls, hugging them, telling them that there would be a battle, but God would protect them, and afterward they could go home to the spirit world if they wished and we would be one big family.

Amira’s nobility is portrayed in her resurrection face. You can see a caring, affectionate nature in Gabrielle.

There is a ruggedness in Themba. The purity and delicacy of Kohanna is evident. Yet there is steel there.

Alexei stood straight in his victorious confidence. There is a rare beauty in Janelle.

Abd al Haseeb, who had asked the questions on the Plain of Instruction, is marked by a cheerful kind of determination.

Philipp exhibits stalwart strength.

As we went from child to child, young person to young person, we saw honesty, truthfulness, sincerity, holiness.

You know, I often have wondered what it would be like if we could see what we might call the original person, or the real person, of an individual. What we see is a house, a physical body, and it can be grossly deceiving, especially the face.

The resurrection face shows exactly what the person is. This is good news for righteous, faithful people but the worst possible news for the wicked, who have concealed their motives as they harmed people.

We are apt to be impressed by a person’s physical body. But, as the Lord Jesus said, the flesh profits nothing.

The meetings continued until every child had been greeted. They all were in physical bodies, shining as we three were. You could tell they were happy to be on the earth in a physical body, but that their greatest interest was in making sure I knew and loved them.

Isn’t it always true that “it is love alone that rules for aye!”

There are many Christian teachers on the earth who speak of a sudden “rapture,” in which all who have “accepted Christ” will suddenly, without adequate preparations for such a momentous change in their life, be caught up to Heaven.

If they had read the Book of Hebrews they would have noticed that Enoch was translated by faith after walking with God for 300 years; not faith that he would be translated but faith that puts God first in all matters and walks with God continually, day and night.

Do the casual believers of today who want to be “raptured” put God first in all matters and walk with God day and night as Enoch did?

It will require mature faith when the trumpet sounds, to experience the transformation from mortality into immortality, and then the catching up into the clouds. The prerequisite for such a change is a life lived in the Presence of Christ, not a doctrinal profession of some sort.

It is God’s eagles, those who live by the body and blood of the Lamb, who will be caught up to be together with the slain Lamb, whose Life they share.

There will be a temptation to look back at all the familiar relationships and circumstances that have been our life. People will be deeply concerned about the location and welfare of their relatives at that moment. Also, many will be worried that their possessions will be stolen if they are not there to protect them. This is why the Lord warned us of the fate of Lot’s wife!

It is going to take strong Bible preaching to prepare the believers to leave everything at a moment’s notice. Some of the American “Christians” are so bound with the spirit of entertainment that if the catching up took place during a favorite television program, or in the middle of an important football or baseball game, they would resist doing anything at all during the program or game.

It is up to us pastors to make certain everyone within the sound of our voice is aware that Christ advised us to “remember Lot’s wife!”

We are wise if we live as a pilgrim and stranger in this world, always able to hear the Lord, and ready to obey Him instantly when He tells us to move. It might save our life some day.

Lot’s wife did not commit some great sin as we would define sin. She was a housewife who was concerned about her possessions and neighbors. But when God told her to not look back, she did not trust Him to take care of her circumstances. We probably would not have turned her into a pillar of salt for such a “minor” transgression. But God did! Perhaps we do not understand God as well as we think we do!

You know, concerning Lot’s wife, looking back may have been the last of a multitude of disobediences. We may find it difficult to believe God would be so harsh. This is because Christian teaching has been affected by the philosophy of humanism. Mankind is in love with itself.

Christians must come to understand the wrath of God. God is gentle, patient, loving. But there come times when God says “Enough!” Then that which on other occasions may have been attractive, like Lot’s wife, is changed into what is repulsive and unfruitful.

How many pleasure-loving, luxury-surfeited “Christians” in America, who trust they will be caught up in a “rapture,” are ready to leave all their possessions, relatives, and friends at a moment’s notice without looking back even one time? Not very many, I am afraid!

There is a point I want to emphasize because it is not always preached. We are not caught up immediately upon being raised from the dead, or upon being transformed if we are alive when the Lord descends from Heaven to the clouds above the earth.

Christ knows what a stupendous event this is for us. So He will give us a space of time during which we can savor our new state and have fellowship with others who have been resurrected, before we are caught up into the clouds to prepare for the Great Battle.

Actually the period between the resurrection (or transformation) and the catching up will be the most wonderful time of fellowship and rejoicing ever to be experienced by the believers.

What an unparalleled time of joy for those who have been faithful to Christ! They will run for miles at a time and not grow weary. They will walk to far places and not become tired and faint. This is God’s promise to those who are faithful to his beloved Son.

Please keep in mind that the victorious saints of all ages are now on the earth. Can you imagine for one moment what it will be like as all the members of the firstfruits of the Divine redemption greet one another once again on the earth? Remember, upon thinking of an individual you will find yourself immediately in his or her presence. You might wish to visit Noah, for example.

We do not know enough about Adam and Eve to say much about them, whether or not they are part of Christ’s firstfruits. Could you put yourself in their place and realize that every human being was descended from you? Isn’t that something to think about? Talk about having children!

And then think about Abraham, whom God has called the father of all who believe. What would be his emotional state?

Truly, there will be some powerful emotions as people seek out those individuals who are meaningful to them, whether of the present or of long ago.

Remember that God gave Jesus forty days to enjoy his resurrected state on the earth before lifting Him to Heaven. Jesus spent some time with his beloved disciples. But there may have been other occasions when He went sightseeing around the earth, enjoying all its marvels without experiencing the heat or the cold (unless He just wanted to).

After all, the earth and all its inhabitants are now his to do with as He wishes. Is this true also of us as, under Christ, we are coheirs?

Our reward for serving God will be worthy of the Majesty whom God is. In other words, our reward is not conceivable at this time. It will be joy of which we are not able even to imagine. So keep on pressing forward. You assuredly shall reap glory if you do not quit.

The rejoicing, the weeping, the shouts of exultation, the hallelujahs, continued until everyone was satisfied for now with the restoring of relationships. Then the power of the Almighty Christ came upon us.

During those forty days on the earth, Christ was invisible to the people of the world. So it will be with us. The hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of those who were raised will remain invisible to the people of the world until it is time for the catching up.

Suddenly! Who could describe it? What artist could paint it? All ot the saints, shining with a light no sun could ever match, became visible to the nations of the earth. “Arise! Shine! For your light has come!”

At the time of the world’s greatest darkness, the saints have become the light of the world.

Now the world will understand that it is God who has sent Jesus Christ, because they will see the Oneness of God, Christ, and the saints. The slain Lamb has become the Mightiest of all conquering kings!

“When Christ, who is our life, appears, then we shall appear with him.” “Every eye shall see him.” “On the day He comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.”

We knew we were going to be caught up to the Lord, who was in the sky above us. The entire shining multitude in our immortal bodies began to ascend slowly into the air. Audrey returned so she could be with us on this historic occasion. She had instructed the people she and others had contacted, people who were transformed while still living on the earth, to be ready to be caught up to meet Christ in the air.

Although all the powers of Hell would have prevented this from happening if they had been able, we were caught up from the surface of the earth. I imagine the saints who had been alive on the earth when Christ returned were just a bit frightened at being transformed into immortality and then lifted into the air like this. It was the task of Audrey and others to prepare them for this catching up.

There was a mighty shout from God’s army of righteous saints. Michael proclaimed: “For the Glory of God and His Christ.” Then a trumpet blast reverberated from the ends of the heavens to the ends of the earth.

Now the music began. It was so spectacular! It is a wonder I did not faint before I could be lifted up to the Lord, the music was so marvelous! We did not ascend swiftly but slowly to the sound of a great symphony orchestra and what sounded like a hundred massive organs all playing one anthem, and thousands of angel voices: “Great is the Lord. He has overcome death. Glory to God in the Highest!” I think this must be an addition to the song of Moses and also of the Lamb. Truly, there only is one Song!

These words were in one of the languages of Heaven, but everyone could understand them. This miracle reminds us of the Day of Pentecost, doesn’t it?

Can you picture, as you are reading this, the multitude of the elect from the righteous Abel to the newest saint, rising from the surface of the earth! They filled the sky, from the standpoint of all the nations of the earth.

Here is a spectacle never seen before and never shall be seen again. It was like looking up at multiplied thousands of pillars of Divine Glory and fire. The sun appeared pale in the presence of superior light.

We had risen but a few feet, when I looked down on the earth. There below me were ugly looking individuals yelling obscenities in their rage and fear. The Word of the Lord came to me: “You have set a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

Then the Lord spoke to me: “If I did nothing else but glorify my saints in the sight of the wicked, the wicked would be utterly terrified. But this is just the beginning of their troubles.”

I had “seen” this event and “heard” these words about forty years ago when I was praying early one Sunday morning in the annex of the Fremont First Assembly of God church in Fremont, California.

Soon we were at the level of the clouds. There on Conqueror was the Lord Jesus. Around Him were the white stallions, standing attentively, and the angel warriors.

By the power of Christ the stallions had been reunited with their little riders, who were standing next to them. There were stallions with blue blankets and pads waiting for those who, like Audrey, had been alive on the earth when the Lord came and then were transformed and caught up with the rest of us.

We saw that the white robe of Christ now was covered with blood. In white letters across his chest were the words, “The Word of God.”

Here is the most awesome spectacle one could imagine. Astride the back of the tremendous white war stallion, Conqueror, was seated the blood of atonement and the very Word of God made flesh. The blood and the word. The authority and power of redemption that called out the fifteen murderous fiends from Deborah until she became our precious little Sarah. More about this later.

Nothing, absolutely nothing in the universe, can in any manner whatever stand before the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of the Father. Woe, woe, woe to all wicked spirits and wicked people. But the meek shall inherit the earth and rejoice with thanksgiving because the Father has destroyed the oppressor. Now the humble of the earth, those who walk with their hands in the hand of God, shall live in a paradise infinitely more wonderful than that which had been in Eden in the beginning of earth’s history.

There was enough time before the charge of Armageddon for the newcomers to become adjusted to sitting on a stallion. With their transformed body, and guidance from angels appointed to help them, they were able to become confident, ready for what the Lord would have them do next.

The war stallions are very intelligent. They know what they are doing, their role in the Day of the Lord. They will assist those who are not experienced riders.

I saw Warfighter. Kamur was standing next to him looking around for me. Watcher now was overhead.

Seven glorified human beings appeared next to the Lord. They were clothed in bright, white linen. There were golden sashes around their chests and golden bowls in their hands.

One at a time they poured out their bowls on the earth. We could see below us that terrible trouble had come to the peoples of the earth. I remember how during World War Two the battleships had pounded the area where an attack was to be made—a softening-up operation. This is what I was reminded of. Before the attack, the enemy was to be weakened.

People broke out in painful sores. The sea was turned to blood, as were the rivers and springs. The sunlight was scorching individuals instead of giving light and needed warmth. The kingdom of Antichrist became dark. The water of the Euphrates was dried up. Then there was a tremendous earthquake, and hundred-pound hailstones fell upon men and women.

You would think that people would pray and beseech God for mercy and help. Instead they cursed God. It may be true that most of mankind is ready and willing to curse God if they believe He is causing them pain.

I suppose I am making it sound as though the above events happened all at once. To us in the Lord’s army it seemed like the events happened all at once. Actually they took place gradually over a period of what may have been several years of earth-time.

The Great Battle

As these terrible judgments were taking place, the Lord Jesus cried out: “Mount up!” The word was repeated by each of the officers, and captains. Michael and his warrior-angels had not come to earth during the resurrection, so they had been standing at attention. Tad and I mounted our horses.

As fast as one could imagine, the children and the saints were on their stallions. I looked around for Audrey but didn’t see her. I supposed she had gone with her stallion to her place among the victorious saints. Actually she had gone to a special brigade.

The white-robed army of Christ, including the army of angels, stretched back as far as the eye could see. All of us knew that total, uncompromising victory was about to occur. This is the moment when the Father shall make the enemies of Christ his footstool.

This was the children’s battle, for which they had been trained.

Tad and I rode back along the armies to make sure everything was in order. Believers whom we had known on earth called out to us as we rode by. It was so good to see how many had attained to the first resurrection, the resurrection that is out from among the dead that the Apostle Paul spoke of as his goal.

After the victorious saints were riding a special brigade of men and women carrying blue banners with the gold cross and the white Lamb on them. My wife, Audrey, was among them along with many of the saints from Mount Zion. So this was where she had disappeared to! I greeted her and the other saints joyously. There were thousands of people in the brigade.

I asked the man who was riding in front and leading the special brigade what place in the battle these soldiers would have. He said they were especially knowledgeable saints who would be able to minister to those who were left alive on the earth after the destruction of the army of Antichrist; and then after the destruction of the wicked people and the institutions of civilization had been accomplished.

All were prepared for the attack. Tad and I rode back to the head of the armies. The Lord Jesus looked at us, and we acknowledged that all the warriors were ready. From this time forward, as long as the battle lasted, Tad on his black stallion rode next to me, his hand never far from his long, blue-handled dagger.

All the trumpets blew “Advance.” The drums of the children and of the angels began to beat in unison. Tad explained the signal to me. Now the two armies, the army of people and the army of angels, advanced through the clouds until they were over the dried-up bed of the Euphrates. Meanwhile Antichrist and his armies had occupied Jerusalem.

When Antichrist and his fighters saw the army of saints coming down through the sky, they hastened to the Plain of Megiddo and drew up in battle formation. Their mission was to prevent Christ from coming to the earth. Only their psychics could see the angels, some of the men who had repented told us later.

The armies of the wicked could see the Commander in Chief followed by his army of righteous warriors. Then the courage and resolution drained from them and turned to water in their bowels.

The veil has rolled away and Christ is facing them. Now it shall be seen clearly who is serving the Lord and who is not.

The religious leaders who have taught and prophesied from their own spirit were horrified. They trembled, realizing they have been deceived and have seduced people away from God and his righteous demands. Their whitewashed walls are crumbling before their eyes, and they are found out to be liars who have led multitudes to destruction.

They had drawn large audiences who wanted their ears tickled, to hear pleasant things. They had taught the believers how to use Christ to have a happy life in the flesh. They did not inform their congregations that we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus at all times. Now those same audiences will turn on these deceivers who have spoken peace to them while the Spirit of God was crying “war” and demanding repentance. They will want to know why they were lied to.

Even though the earth had been visited with horrible plagues, the nations had sought to continue their self-centered ways. The cynical newspaper reporters, who through their biased writings have swayed people with their godless point of view, were hurrying to dictate into their microphones, to operate their television cameras, typing furiously on their laptops.

Then they panicked and dropped their equipment and fled into the nearest buildings, which they thought would enable them to hide from the Face of the Lord Jesus Christ. But his Eyes of fire penetrated every wall, every covering. There was nothing to report. Everyone could see what was taking place.

We settled down on the dried-up bed of the Euphrates. Immediately the angels of Michael took their appointed places—some at their designated positions on each side of the little judges. The little drummers remained in their places along with the victorious saints of all ages.

Tad and I remained close to the front ranks of the children, but we did not lead. We wanted to provide what encouragement we could. Tad and I would be active during the cleansing of evil from the earth. But that war would come later. Kamur was invisible. Watcher remained overhead, circling around.

The army of children were led by their officers, with the captains remaining in the background to ensure there was no problem. The thirty drummers began to beat “Attack.”

The shrewdest of the commentators and historians perceived that life as they had known it was over. Some cried to God for mercy. Others yielded to their anger and frustration and began to curse and blaspheme. Evil had been defeated. The pure of heart had prevailed.

The political leaders clamored to assure their populaces that this too would pass, and “peace and safety” would be restored. The way of life they always had known would continue as before.

Imagine! After the pouring out of the plagues, the political and business leaders were still attempting to conduct “business as usual,” even though the water supplies had turned to blood and had to be treated chemically before they could be used for drinking or bathing. Many people had huge, disfiguring sores on their bodies, sometimes on their faces.

An even greater problem occurred when all the fish died in the bloody water. The cultures whose diet was mainly fish appealed to the Antichrist government for assistance. A massive effort was made to cultivate and export soybeans, corn, and peanuts, and other food high in protein as a source of nourishment for the starving people.

There had been an unprecedented rise in temperature throughout the world wherever the kingdom of Antichrist was active, accompanied by thick darkness. This change in the atmosphere greatly hindered the growing of the food needed to feed the people who no longer had access to fish. Finally, a massive earthquake occurred that killed several hundred thousand people.

Still there was no repentance. The nations sought to continue living their lives without God’s Presence. In fact, people cursed God because of the plagues. It reminds us of the determination of Pharaoh to resist God even when Egypt was in ruins. I always have wondered how Pharaoh could maintain his resistance when Egypt had been destroyed. The same thing is happening right in front of me!

And now, the most terrifying event of all. Christ and his saints are appearing for every eye to see.

The most highly placed of the governmental leaders called an emergency session of the Security Council in the United Nations building in New York. They discussed the possibility of co-opting Christ by inviting Him to become a member of their group, provided He could meet their qualifications.

They considered the possibility of inviting Him to one of their meetings that they might negotiate with Him and talk about his possible membership. Meanwhile, each of the leaders was planning how to use this incident for his or her own benefit, especially in terms of the next election.

They did not realize immediately that the end of their power and wealth had come. Now the most eminent among them would be found to be miserable sinners, helpless in the hands of an angry God.

The leaders of the powerful crime syndicates in America, Europe, Mexico, Russia, South America, learned that a battle was taking place somewhere in Israel. They decided to wait to see who won. They figured that whoever won would not matter. They would use some of the billions they had acquired from the selling of drugs, gambling, and prostitution to buy off any opposition. They would continue with business as usual.

Little did they grasp that crime had just come to an end. The only way of life they had known, violence, lying, stealing, was now over. Where would they go? What would they do? Money no longer would be used as the medium of exchange. Their accumulated money was just so much paper.

Also, precious metals and jewels were of no value, except for their industrial uses, in that they could not readily be exchanged for goods. All that the criminals have known from childhood has ceased to be permitted on the earth.

Most of the criminals were totally unsuited to the new world of righteousness. The warrior-angels moved many of them to cages or to chains staked to the ground, in the Land of Darkness, to await the final judgment.

The Lord told me that God would watch each one to see if there was a possibility he or she could be moved to one of the confining areas and be taught the ways of righteousness. Jesus said that some of the criminals actually would prefer the ways of Heaven, once they saw it was possible to live as a peaceful, God-fearing person. Should they make this choice, and accept the rulership of Christ, their past sins would be blotted out.

Those whose hearts were hard, who already were filled with Satan and were in the image of Satan, being past any kind of repentance, would be sent into Hell and, at the last judgment, into the Lake of Fire. There they shall live for eternity with Satan and his angels, with individuals whose behavior and personalities are familiar to them.

The wicked always are punished in their bodies. Notice, in the following passage, that the second death includes the death of the body:

And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind. (Isaiah 66:24—NIV)

In one sense of the word, they already have been in Hell while living on the earth. Going into Hell in the spirit world, and then into the Lake of Fire, was for them more of a change of environment than anything else.

It is astonishing, when we think of it, how much of the activity of the larger nations of the world is involved with money. There are the investment bankers and others who deal every day with billions of dollars. This is their entire life, save for those who in addition to their pursuit of money also have a rich, fulfilling family life.

Can you imagine for one minute what will happen to the mammoth corporations as well as the smaller banks and loan companies, how they will react when paper money, checks, electronic transfers suddenly have no value whatever. Then they will realize that their whole life has been based on money. They have been building on sand, and now it has been washed away. No doubt many will commit suicide, as has happened in past times of economic troubles.

They now are naked before God. What can they show for their lives? They have amassed millions of dollars in savings. Now their savings accounts are nonexistent. They have produced nothing of value. The idea of creating something and then giving it to whoever needs or desires it is utterly incomprehensible to them. But this is the way of the Kingdom of God.

These men and women, once millionaires or even billionaires, could not produce any real wealth. They could not build a chair, or write a book, or play a musical instrument, or plant a field, or weave cloth, or furnish any other necessity of life. They had traded paper, and the paper had become worthless. They now had no ability with which to share in a productive society.

Only those who knew their God were able to look to Him and find direction for their lives.

When you stop and think about it, a civilization that is based on the exchange of money is not suited to the welfare of people. The result of such a world always will be crime, poverty, and every other social turmoil. But it is obvious nothing can be done about it until God comes and establishes his Kingdom on the earth.

Meanwhile God’s angels were busy all over the earth, reporting to Christ what was taking place. As Christ directed, some of these messenger-angels informed the angels who were guarding Christ’s human leaders of what was happening. These guardian-angels could then inform their charges. This is how I knew what was occurring throughout the world. Tad kept me up to date.

May I interject this thought to the reader. Imagine that tomorrow paper money and precious metals are no longer of worth as media of exchange. How would this affect your life? If, as in the case of the crime bosses, your life would become pointless because acquiring money has been your motive for almost everything you do, let me suggest that you ask Jesus to give you another direction for your life. You are building on sand!

Some of the children and their officers and angels rode north in a flanking movement. The remainder of the children with their officers and angels rode with supernatural speed straight across the desert toward the front line of Antichrist. The rest of the army waited with the drummers on the bed of the Euphrates.

The Jordan River did not prove to be an obstacle. This spiritual army rode straight ahead on top of the water. Since animals cannot walk on water, even after they have been resurrected, it must be that the horses and their riders, and Kamur, were borne up by angels.

The officers and the captains in charge of the children always were among them, giving them assurance. But the little judges had been so well trained, and the wisdom, strength, and courage of God Almighty were so powerfully present, that they went straightforward doing their duty, accompanied by their fierce angels.

When the children were within a hundred yards of Antichrist’s battle line, the officers told them to dismount and advance on foot, holding their gold-covered Bibles. The children now formed a battle line, a thousand soldiers wide. Then they advanced until they were face to face with the enemy. The stallions stood obediently as the children went among the enemy.

Antichrist had placed at the front of his battle line men and women who demonstrated spiritual power—psychics of various kinds. Behind them were armored vehicles with machine guns and cannons mounted on them. There was division upon division of infantry carrying rifles, rocket launchers, and flamethrowers.

There were evil angels interspersed among the soldiers. They could be recognized by their great size and the blend of malevolence and cunning on their features. To even see the face of one of the fallen angels is an experience beyond all horrors. It persists in one’s mind until God in his goodness erases it.

The demons were black and had pointed teeth and large ears, somewhat similar to bats of various kinds. The soldiers of Antichrist could not see the wicked angels or the demons who were among them.

Antichrist had deployed huge tanks able, no doubt, to convey nuclear projectiles. There were warplanes overhead.

The uniforms of the soldiers were black. They represented a multinational government. Their golden patches portrayed a globe, symbolizing that they were from many nations. There were a million or more of them.

These warriors were flesh and blood people. How they expected to win a battle against an army from Heaven I do not know, but they certainly were going to make the effort. There is one fact about wicked people and spirits—their intelligence is limited.

As soon as the attack commenced, Christ, and his nobles went and stood on the Mount of Olives. When they did, the Mount of Olives was split in two, with half of the mountain moving north, and half moving south. This created a large valley running west and east, which soon was filled with Israelis running for their lives.

Christ and some of his highest ranking warrior-judges from among the victorious saints, and powerful angels with them, proceeded in a westerly direction against the tide of fleeing people until they were in the city of Jerusalem.

A company or two of Antichrist’s soldiers on the Plain of Megiddo, being blocked on the west and north, attempted to escape the children by fleeing to the south toward Jerusalem. They were running from the boys and girls because they could feel the Power that was with them.

These fleeing soldiers were intercepted by Christ and his warriors. Those of Christ’s warriors who were not angels, and could be seen by the human soldiers, asked those soldiers if they would accept Christ as their King. A few did. Others would not even though they could see the gigantic Christ in front of them.

Can you imagine the wickedness of the human heart? The soldiers who refused to serve Christ were killed and driven into their appropriate places in the spirit world by the angels accompanying Christ and his lieutenants.

The members of Antichrist’s army were flesh and blood, as I said. They could not see Satan and his armies of demons. But evil spirits covered and surrounded every one of Antichrist’s soldiers. They were so hideous that the angels on each side of each child assured the youngster that the power of the Father was with them and these horrible looking monsters could not harm them in any manner.

It may be true that many, if not most, of Antichrist’s soldiers had no idea they were fighting on the side of Satan and his demons. Had they known this, some might have dropped their weapons and surrendered to the children, or to Christ when they saw him.

Michael went to the front and cried out in a thunderous voice: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” The army of the enemy could not see Michael, but the sound of his announcement filled the entire area, it was so powerful. Michael’s words were in the language of Heaven. But they entered the minds of each soldier in his or her own language.

Remember, the soldiers of Antichrist, except for the psychics in his army, were not able to see Michael or the angels who were with the children. All they were aware of was the little girls and boys with their Bibles, and Michael’s proclamation.

A spirit of confusion from God settled upon the army of Antichrist. The warplanes (we could see angels standing on the wings of each plane) reversed course and flew back to land behind the lines. The tanks and smaller armored vehicles also turned around and raced to the rear.

The psychics began to cry out in agony, holding their heads. They screamed, “I can’t stand this pain. These powers are too strong for us!” Now the soldiers of the infantry were facing the army of boys and girls.

The soldiers of the infantry, observing what took place with the warplanes, the armored vehicles, the tanks, and the psychics, became terrified. Some of the infantry took aim at the children with their rifles. In one case a female soldier said, “Don’t shoot, they are little children.”

But a few decided whether or not they are children, they are the enemy. So they attempted to fire. But when they pulled the trigger nothing happened. A soldier with a flamethrower rushed up to the front, leveled his weapon at the nearest group of children, and pressed the ignition and fuel triggers.

The flames blew back in his face and he screamed in agony. His cap was on fire. He dropped the flamethrower and ran back blindly.

Then it was as though the soldiers of Antichrist became paralyzed. They seemed to be in a state of confusion, looking around them in an uncertain manner. It reminded me of the time the men of Sodom could not find the door to Lot’s house, or when the army of the Arameans were struck with blindness and led by Elisha into Samaria.

The children approached the battle line, each one holding a gold-covered Bible.

A child would go up to a soldier. The soldier would laugh, or become angry, or look perplexed. He or she might begin to curse and yell at the child to get out of the way. It was obvious that, as wicked as they were, they were not comfortable shooting a small child holding nothing more than a Bible.

Then the child would say, “Will you accept Jesus Christ as your King? If you will, He will forgive all the sins you have done.” The child would interject this into the mind of the soldier. Almost always the soldier would respond in his or her own language and say something like: “Get away, kid. Go back to your mother!” Or he might say, “If you don’t move I am going to kill you.” Of course, the little soldier could hear his thoughts.

Then the child would go on to the next soldier, not looking back or to the side. He or she would face the soldier and ask the same question. Meanwhile, without the child seeing this, one of his two angels would send into the spirit world the soldier who had refused to receive Christ as his King, leaving his or her body on the ground.

Once in a while, maybe one soldier out of two or three hundred, would answer, “Yes, I will accept that Jesus Christ is my King.” When this happened, an angel having heard these words would take the soldier by the arm and lead him or her out of the battle to a safe place. He and those around him could not see the angel, but he felt the hand on his arm and followed where it was pulling.

When the army of Antichrist saw the increasing number of dead bodies, and other soldiers being led away from their midst, there were more soldiers who accepted the kingship of Christ.

We—the children and I—told those soldiers who had agreed to the rulership of Christ, to return to their homes; that they would be taken care of in the days to come.

The five thousand children went among the soldiers of Antichrist who, being in a sort of daze, made way for them. It was as though time stood still until every one of the enemy soldiers had had a chance to accept the rulership of the Lord Jesus.

Finally, all that was left were the evil angels, the demons, Antichrist, the False Prophet, and Satan. The demons were screaming in their fury, a horrible sound coming from faces distorted by wickedness.

It is ironic, isn’t it, that evil was being driven from the earth by an army of aborted children, who themselves had been deprived of life on the earth by the wickedness and selfishness of people, in numerous instances.

Then a gigantic angel grabbed hold of Antichrist, a tall man dressed in black who was running toward the rear and took him somewhere. I found out later he was thrown into the Lake of Fire while pleading for his life.

Then another giant angel took hold of the False Prophet. The False Prophet had been invisible until the angel grabbed his arm. Now we could see him as he is, a handsome individual dressed in a black cassock covered by a white surplice, with a large gold cross hanging from a silver chain around his neck. He was screaming with fear and trying to get away.

The False Prophet is a spirit who enters Christians who refuse to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow the Lord Jesus, but who want the power of Christ. In the closing days of the Church Age the “crossless believers” supported Antichrist, being deluded because they did not love the truth of God. The False Prophet also ended up in the Lake of Fire.

Then a third angel, even bigger and more powerful than the first two, came into view with a large chain in his hand. Satan was looking around wildly. Satan’s features were not clear because of the flames of fire that appeared to be part of his personality. This tremendous angel took hold of the struggling Satan.

Before Satan had chosen to attempt to usurp the place of the Father he had been a splendid creature, clothed with music and light. Now his appearance was hideous and threatening, like a huge fiery monster looking for someone to devour; something to destroy. However, the immense cherub appeared to be helpless in the hands of the angel. Satan’s power had deserted him.

Satan screamed, “I am unable to repent!” Then Satan cursed God with a loud voice, and for a moment we could see what must have been the fires of Hell.

Before our eyes a mammoth hole opened up in the spirit world. Black smoke poured out of it. The fierce angel wrapped the chain around Satan several times and then picked up Satan in his mighty arms and hurled Satan through this hole. We could hear Satan’s screams growing fainter as he fell down the shaft. Then the angel placed what looked like a large manhole cover over the hole and turned a key in a keyhole on the cover. A sudden blast of wind blew the smoke away until the air was clean again.

“There, that’s done,” exclaimed the giant angel. He turned and strode on his massive legs away from us and disappeared into the spirit realm. He may be one of those angels who always are stationed by the Throne of God in Heaven.

Then Michael’s angels went after the evil angels and the demons, swinging their swords. Some of the evil angels were large and powerful and put up a fight. But because of the saints who had loved not their lives to the death, who had overcome the accuser with the blood of the cross and the word of their testimony, God empowered the angels of Michael to such an extent that the evil angels, one by one, were driven into prisons in the spirit world.

The demons without Satan huddled in confusion. Some of them flew about angrily but apparently did not know where to go. One by one the demons and the rebellious angels were struck down into a prison in the spirit world, there to await the final judgment I suppose. Anyway, they were removed from the battleground.

While this was going on, a great company of large birds—there were so many the sky was black with them—came down and settled on the dead bodies of Antichrist’s soldiers. I saw vultures, hawks, and ravens tearing away mouthfuls of flesh.

The cloud of birds paid no attention to Watcher, who I believe was in me as well as overhead at this time. She was on a different mission, watching out for me.

The battle was finished, but I knew there still were many wicked people on the earth and that they would be judged. But for now we would savor the victory. The conflict of the ages between good and evil had been fought. The Word of Christ coming through the children, and the power of the angels, had broken the back of the enemy.

The children mounted their stallions, and they, their officers and their captains went with Tad and me back across the sand to the bed of the Euphrates. We all were happy and exuberant because of the victory. The adult saints were congratulating the children. The older Christians were amazed at how this tremendous victory had occurred so suddenly.

Tad warned us all to sober up. He said we must remain watchful because we can be tripped up if we become careless. You can tell from this the excellent training Tad has had from Wolfgang, the general who has charge of him.

The Coronation

Then the entire army, children, adults, and angels, knew we were supposed to go to Jerusalem to be with Jesus.

Christ had returned from Jerusalem and had taken his place at the head of his army. He was riding his huge white stallion, Conqueror, with the two giant warrior-angels on each side. Behind Conqueror and the angels rode the nobles.

Then the victorious saints of all ages followed the nobles. The world was not worthy of them. The Word of God was in their heads and their hearts. There was no lie found in them, no lack of faithfulness. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

Then came the brigade of those who were to minister to the people left alive on the earth after the destruction of the army of Antichrist, and then after the destruction of the wicked people and the institutions of civilization, which will take place later. Audrey, as well as some of the congregation of Mount Zion Fellowship, were in this brigade. They have a knowledge of God’s plan and of his Kingdom that is not shared by all believers.

The children and their angels went to their places in the army. The drummers had taken their place behind the special brigade. The little drummers began to beat “March.” Behind the drummers were the children with their Bibles. Following the children were their officers, and then the six captains.

Next came the angel-trumpeters, followed by the angel drummers beating in unison with the children. Then the huge Michael followed by Akim the marshal, the special force, and the army of angels led by their commanders. The sight of that army of angels was enough to make the bravest person tremble.

The angel-trumpeters sounded “March,” in unison with the giant angels on each side of Christ. Being in immortal bodies, the heat and sand did not bother us. The march to Jerusalem began!

So we all set out across the desert to go to Jerusalem. As we approached the East Bank of the Jordan River, the river did not dry up as it did for Elijah and Elisha. Rather we, who were creatures of the spirit world, now clothed in material bodies, were able to ride across the river as though it were a continuation of the desert.

Before long we had reached the city of Jerusalem. Our goal was the Temple Mount. We understood the Coronation ceremony was to take place there. We had learned that King David was to place the crown upon the head of his greater Son.

The city of Jerusalem was deserted when we arrived. I think that the Coronation of the Lord Jesus was to be witnessed only by those who had descended from Heaven, ready to participate in the installation of the Kingdom of God on the earth. These are the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

God had reserved the entire area for this event, as it were.

When we came within walking distance of the Temple Mount, we dismounted. Then all of the animals disappeared, including Kamur and Watcher. No doubt they were brought back to the spirit world.

At this time we could see no mosques on the Temple Mount. They may have been invisible; or God may have removed them so there would be no opposition to the rule of Jesus.

Most of the angels were hovering in the sky over us. Some of the saints also chose this position so they could see better.

Here was a scene never to be repeated in the history of the creation. The Lord Jesus Christ went up the steps to the Temple Mount, followed by his twenty-four nobles, who are the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles of the Bible. The rest of us followed until every member of the parade was standing in a semicircle facing the Throne of David.

The sight of Christ, the King, walking toward the throne that had been set up on the Temple Mount, followed by his elders, was so moving I had a hard time keeping my composure. Such majesty! Such glory! Such authority and power!

The surprising thing was, the Throne was not ornate like the throne of Solomon. It was well made but wooden in substance. However, as Christ approached the Throne it began to change before our eyes. Before the Lord reached the Throne, it had tripled in size and looked to be solid gold.

Then the music began. The orchestra, which was seated in front of the spectators, was made up of angels. At first I could not make out what kind of music was being played. Then I recognized that the same hymn, All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name, was being played in hundreds of different ways and languages. There were the sounds of Chinese, African, Arabic, Japanese music with corresponding words, and that of other cultures as well. There also was what must have been the music of remote villages and tribes of the earth.

My children, all of different nationalities, had been taught this hymn by angels at the time they were instructed in their background and culture. So each one sang along with his or her own people.

As each country or tribe was represented, the victorious saints of those races and languages sang out with loud voices, along with my children. Even though all the people present at the coronation were clothed in resurrection bodies, their racial language and tendencies still were with them.

When it came to the familiar English music and words, thousands of us began to sing with all our might. It was a moving experience I can tell you!

Then a significant event occurred. The Lord Jesus turned and looked at us. His counselors were still facing him. They moved to one side so He could see all those who had been invited to the coronation. The now-gold Throne of David was immediately behind him. Before He sat down, He looked at each one of us. How He could do this with so many people I have no idea. But He did!

When my turn came, He looked across the Temple Mount directly at me. The words formed in my mind: “Well done, Godwill.” I never felt so happy and satisfied in my life as when I heard those words. I thought of the years on earth when I had striven to do what I thought the Lord wanted. Even though I had made mistakes, I had bet my life on the Bible and on Jesus. This was the payoff.

To all who read my brief story about life after death, let me remind you that everyone makes his or her decision about God. We bet there is a God and He should be obeyed, or we gamble that there is no God; and if there is, He doesn’t need to be obeyed. We can get along fine without God, and we’ll worry about Hell later.

Think about it.

After we are born into the world, the only certainty is that one day we will die. The wise person will prepare to meet Jesus upon his or her death.

If you bet on Christ, God, and the Bible, and there is no God or Christ, and the Bible is a book several people made up, you still have lived a wholesome life. You have avoided the suffering that comes from a wicked lifestyle.

But if there is a God and Christ, and the Bible is Their Word, then you have gained for yourself eternal righteousness, love, joy, and peace.

However, if you bet there is no God or Christ and you behave accordingly, and the Bible proves to be true, then you are in the worst trouble possible for a human being to endure.

Most of us have no idea whatever of what it would be like to be living in the spirit world without Christ. It would be worse than our most frightening nightmare! We very well could be at the mercy of the demons; and believe me, they will show no mercy but will laugh at the torment of the humans delivered over to them. This fate is so horrible I never could describe it; but it will be the portion of those who live a wicked life whether or not they profess to be of Christ or of any other religious faith.

There are accounts of dying people screaming in terror because they already could see the demons who were coming to take them away.

Sometimes belligerent people, in a fit of bravado, say, “I’ll see you in Hell.” If they had any idea of what it would be like to be in Hell they would never make such an ignorant statement.

Think about that!

I said at the beginning of this book, when I was traveling in an ambulance to the Scripps cardiac facility in La Jolla, having my first heart attack, I was experiencing a profound sense of peace because I had done God’s will to the best of my knowledge. Do you have that assurance? It is the best insurance there is!

After having expressed his love and appreciation to the little judges who had ridden so bravely into battle, to each of the victorious saints, and to the angels who have chosen to do his will, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords took his seat upon the Throne of David, now the Throne of David’s Son.

Audrey and Tad were beside me. We are about to witness the greatest event ever to take place on the earth. Amira and Gabrielle also were with us.

The chief of the nobles, the Apostle Paul, brought forth the crown. Paul looks to be in his forties. His beard is black, trimmed neatly, not like the large bushy white beard that sometimes is shown in the pictures of Paul. He is a little larger than average, radiating physical strength.

The crown was of gold, with the twelve stones of Israel mounted in a circle around it. These are the stones that were on the ephod of the High Priest of Israel. I only guessed at this, but it was verified later when I asked one of the nobles.

Then King David himself came and took the crown from the hands of Paul. David is of average stature and looks to be about forty or forty-five years of age. He is broad-shouldered. He was dressed in a white robe, brown sandals, dark brown hair, short black beard. David has an air of majesty. It is easy to picture him as the king of Israel for forty years, always victorious in battle.

As David was preparing to put the crown on Jesus’ head, I thought about the crown of thorns with which the Roman soldiers crowned the Lord. I wonder where those soldiers are now. How would they feel if they could see this coronation ceremony? How would Pontius Pilate feel, the governor who wrote, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews,” and then handed Him over to the mob?

A hush went through the spectators when they perceived they actually were looking at the Apostle Paul, and at King David, the writer of the Psalms. David, holding the crown, then prayed with a loud voice: “Our Father in Heaven, Holy is your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done in the earth as it is in Heaven. To you be the honor and glory forever.” David probably was praying in Hebrew but we could understand his thoughts.

Then David cried out with a voice of authority: “It is my honor to place upon the head of my Son, Jesus the Lord, God’s Anointed, this crown. This crown represents all authority and power in Heaven and upon the earth. Let all the righteous rejoice and all the wicked tremble, because He shall reign forever and ever. His scepter shall be the rod of righteousness. His throne shall bring everlasting peace.”

Having said these words, David carefully placed the crown upon his Son’s head. Then he stepped back and stood with the nobles, the Lord’s counselors.

Compare this scene with that of Jesus being nailed to the cross.

The crown shows the total authority of Christ. Ordinarily He does not wear it, because the Crown of Christ is God the Father.

The same is true of us. If we, as one of God’s appointed kings, earn the crown of life and righteousness, we will wear it only for ceremonial purposes. Our crown is the Lord Jesus Christ, He being our Head.

And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9,10)

As Christ was seated on the golden throne, looking about him, a purple Cloud overshadowed him. A Voice began to speak. The Voice was deep and powerful, like rolling thunder, but the words were clear and understood readily, although they were in an ancient language.

Every head was bowed, the angels, the children, the royal counselors. Even the animals were motionless. Everyone knew it was the Father. The holiness at that moment was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was awesome! Overpowering!

As soon as the Words began, the Lord Jesus lifted up his head. His gaze was upon the heavens as He listened intently with total reverence.

“You are my beloved Son. You now are a King, having all authority and power in Heaven and upon the earth. You have redeemed mankind with your own blood. Rule in the midst of your enemies until they are dust under your feet.”

Then there appeared a scepter in the right hand of Jesus. It had the appearance of iron. I would guess it was about six feet tall, two to three inches in thickness.

The knob on the bottom end rested on the stone floor. The head on top had two sides wrought in iron. On the side facing us was the face of a lion, its mouth open as though it were roaring. Then the Lord turned the rod so we could see the other side of the scepter. The other face was that of a meek lamb. We understood that Christ was telling us He would rend and destroy his enemies, but finally we would see Him as the gentle, peaceful Lamb.

There was total silence for a moment. Then there went up such a shout of praise and worship that it must have been heard for many miles. Every one of these participants (except for the children and the angels, of course) had chosen to serve God by faith, even though it meant the loss of everything—sometimes their very lives.

They had demonstrated their love for God by offering up their bodies as living sacrifices. They now were experiencing the fulfillment of their hopes and dreams: The kingdoms of the world have become the Kingdom of God and of his Christ.

When the Coronation ceremony had been concluded, Amira said, “Some of the children want to go home now,” meaning back into their places in the spirit world.

I answered, “Give me a minute to look to the Lord.”

Jesus said to me, “You and your friends can escort the children home. They have done their job. Soon it will be time for the adult saints to begin the work of cleansing the earth.”

Audrey wanted to stay and see what was going to happen next on the earth. She was concerned about her children and other relatives and friends. She wanted to give what help she could to her loved ones and to others. She realized she could visit the spirit world any time she chose to do so.

The victorious saints remained on the earth so they could assist the Lord Jesus as He began to install the Kingdom of God on the earth. There were some members of the victorious saints who were still living on the earth when Christ returned. They had never lived in the spirit world and were wondering what it was like.

The Lord informed them they now have the ability to live in either world; and since they had never before visited the spirit world, they may do so later and see the wonders that are there. Once they are in the spirit world they will understand that the physical world was made from the invisible spirit world and is a pale replica of the true, eternal world.

I told Amira to tell the officers of the children that we are going back to our homes in the spirit world.

The children cheered when they heard this. Although they now were in physical bodies, the earth was not their home as yet. They wanted their familiar surroundings.

We did not form up in columns. The children, their officers, the six captains, Tad, Amira, Gabrielle, and I began to lift from the ground. As soon as we began to ascend we all became invisible.

In less time than it takes to tell we found ourselves on the Plain of Instruction and became visible once again. There were all our horses and our other animals waiting for us.

The children went to their tents, leading their horses. Their angel-guards were not needed by the children any longer, so those warrior-angels remained on the earth to assist in the destruction and reconstruction of civilization.

The rest of us turned our stallions toward Godwill Castle. As we came to the farms, the farmers and their families stopped what they were doing and began to wave and cheer. Evidently the news of the defeat of Satan had reached them.

We kept riding until we came to the familiar ramp leading to the outer gate of Godwill Castle. The drawbridge was down. Watcher circled down from the sky to be with us. Kamur was next to us. Heng came out to take Watcher. Even though Watcher was in a physical body now, she still was weightless. Earth’s gravity does not affect the spirit world.

When God wants “gravity” to operate in the spirit world, as when the boulders are thrown down from the hoardings on an enemy attempting to breach the outer gate, God makes the boulders descend with the necessary force. I guess all actions and things are controlled specifically by the Father at all times.

Gravity is the attraction between masses, and masses may be of a somewhat different nature in the spirit world. It may be true that gravity will exist on the huge new earth, but not be as strong as its size would indicate. We will have to wait and see.

Tom, the steward, welcomed us back to Godwill Castle.

We were home, and what a good feeling after the confrontation with the evil forces of Satan. Bear came out of the stable and was frisking around in wild delight. Anisa nickered her pleasure. Kamur, Warfighter, Lance, Amigo, and White King followed Heng and Watcher into the stable. Tad went upstairs to the barracks, to get ready for dinner.

I noted that all of the animals, even Bear, now had physical bodies. Apparently when we were raised from the dead and given our glorified bodies, our animals also were made physical. This probably is because our animals are part of our family and will be with us on the new earth.

One may wonder how before, when the horses were only spirits, Heng was able to put a blanket and pad on the animal or give him a good rubdown. This is because we do not understand how real the spirit world is. It actually is more real than the physical world. The physical world was made from spiritual forces in the spirit world. Since neutrinos from the sun are continually passing through us, we may not be as solid as we think!

It is the world on the earth that is the dream-world, being nothing more than molecules and atoms, which in turn are forms of energy. The spirit world is not a dream-world. It is not a form of energy. It is not formed from molecules and atoms. It is truly real; truly solid. No neutrinos could possibly be able to pass through a resurrected and glorified body.

We and the animals, as I have stated, now had incorruptible physical bodies. We also had our incorruptible spirit bodies. The animals were clothed with incorruptible physical bodies. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are dwelling in our incorruptible forms. We are alive for eternity. Our life will continue forever. Whoever lives and believes in Him will never die, our Lord promised.

Sometimes while we were alive in the flesh on the earth, we were tempted to grasp relationships, things, and circumstances. These were our idols. We needed to realize that the most valued of these were by nature temporary. But when all those have died and been replaced by that which Christ gives us, our new relationships, things, and circumstances will be our possession for eternity. Think of that! We traded the lesser for the greater.

Erhard looked carefully at Amira, Gabrielle, and me to make sure we had not been injured in the battle. He said, “Welcome back. All of Heaven is celebrating your great victory. Satan has been trying to persuade God that none of his children are serving him, and this caused us sorrow. But now Satan has been put where he belongs and so we are very much relieved. Good job!”

With this, Amira, Gabrielle, Bear and I began to climb the stairs of our tower. The girls went into their room. Bear and I continued to the top floor. The shutters were still open. I took off my robe and sandals and put on my comfortable brown shirt, dark blue slacks, and loafers. To tell you the truth, I am not comfortable yet in sandals.

There was hot water in the pitcher. I washed up, and then looked at my face in the mirror. I think I have aged a little. My face seems more mature, or stronger perhaps. Maybe the strain of the battle changed me.

I do not feel tired. However, I have a great deal to think about and am ready to rest!

Bear and I met Tad and the girls at the entrance to our tower. Then we went over to the Great Hall. Alana, smiling as always, seemed overjoyed to see us. I wonder if she thought there was a possibility we would lose the battle or get hurt.

She brought out a feast for us, in honor of the victory I guess. We began with a tossed salad. There were both baked and mashed potatoes, gravy, roast turkey and roast fish, asparagus tips, rolls, butter, milk, tea, and then strawberry shortcake with ice cream for dessert. Each of us, including Bear, had a little side dish of manna.

Manna is delicious in case you have not had an opportunity to try it.

We were ravenous and did justice to this fine meal. Even Bear celebrated with biscuits and turkey.

You know, being in a physical body does not seem to make any difference to us or our animals. Our digestion is the same, and there is no residue if you know what I mean. It appears that since the Spirit of God controls our metabolism, everything we eat and drink is turned into bodily strength and health and energy. This is a tremendous improvement over the digestive processes we were accustomed to on the earth.

We were ready for bed! There were hugs all around. We said good night to all the animals. Then Tad went up to the barracks. Amira, Gabrielle, Bear and I headed for our tower. Erhard opened the door and we went up to our rooms.

My shutters had been closed. The night candle was burning. My blanket was turned back and Bear’s pillow was in place at the foot of the bed. I took off my clothes and loafers and put on my pajamas. I said good night to Bear at the foot of the bed.

Then I got under the covers. What an awesome experience today was. To think that Satan and his demons have been defeated. What must it be like on the earth! As I was wondering about this my mind started to drift…

Bear began to stir, and that aroused me. I yawned (I don’t remember yawning before I was given a physical body), and sat on the side of the bed. You know, there must be some kind of air here, else yawning doesn’t make any sense! And how could sound travel? We know the Bible refers to loud voices in Heaven!

Bear jumped off the bed. Then I went into the little window-room and opened the shutters. Every day here is gorgeous, with the clear blue sky and the colored clouds. The people who provided the castle with food were out already, working in the fields.

I have just about forgotten what it is like to feel too warm or too cold, except for the little episode on Lucey Avenue in West Haven, Connecticut.

The roosters were crowing. There were children playing, feeding chickens, leading cows out of their barns. Dogs were running here and there, gathering the latest news with their nose.

I washed up, and then Bear and I went down and met the others at the doorway. Erhard said, “Good morning.” He held a biscuit high over Bear’s head and dropped it. Bear caught it. We went to the Great Hall and said good morning to Alana. She had our oatmeal and eggs ready for us on the table, along with the usual milk, orange juice, biscuits, butter, and preserves. We joined hands and prayed that the Lord would bless our food to the nourishment of our new bodies.

It seems to me that we and Bear ate about the same amount of food as when we only were in spiritual bodies. I will have to ask the Lord about this because I do not understand it. Perhaps Heng would say the same thing about the animals in the stable.

Zion University

When we finished breakfast, we looked at Amira, and then at each other, wondering what we were supposed to do.

Right then a great love came into my heart for my new family of children, who were living in tents on the Plain of Instruction.

I said, “We have got to figure out some way to get our family together. We are fine here in Godwill Castle, but our family of boys and girls are in tents on the Plain of Instruction.”

So I looked up to the Lord. Why am I looking “up” to the Lord when He now is on the earth? How Christ can be on the earth, and I am praying to Him from the Spirit world, I do not understand. He has multiple Presences. He is at the right hand of God and yet is everywhere at once. Maybe some of us will have that same ability in the future.

The Lord put into my mind: “You have plenty of room for all your children on the castle grounds. Have them bring their tents. There is room for them as well as for those who are providing food for the castle.”

So armed with this thought all of us went and got the animals. Heng brought out Watcher, and we left the castle. We made ourselves invisible and walked over to the Plain of Instruction. There Tad and I became visible. We summoned the officers and the captains and told them all the tents were to be moved to the grounds of the castle.

The children were excited when they heard the news. They began to laugh and shout. Then the officers and captains showed them how the tents were to be carried. It looks to me as though they are going to have to make more than one trip. Their white stallions helped carry the loads.

We rode back to the castle grounds, and gathered the people together that worked the fields—men, women, boys, and girls. We told them that a large population of children were going to set up tents next to the fields, and that these were the vanguard of the army that defeated Satan. I am getting the feeling that all of Heaven knows about the battle and the victory.

I said, “These children are warriors, as young as they are, and they all are my sons and daughters as a gift from Christ.” The farm people were astonished and looked at one another at the thought of one man having an army of children.

Actually the farmers were very pleased and excited—particularly the children of the farmers when they realized they were going to have many new friends to play with. Although the children of the farmers still were in spiritual bodies, they understood they could play with the little judges, and that one day they too would be on the earth in physical bodies.

Before long the captains and some of the officers, along with people and angels who were skilled in construction, arrived and began to lay out where the tents would be erected. As you can imagine, this took a period of “time.”

I noticed that in the spirit world, when something needs doing, the “day” seems to stretch to fit the need. It reminds me of the daylight stretching out until Joshua was finished with the battle.

Finally every tent was erected and all the children were established in their new surroundings. Their stallions, which also now were physical, were in thousands of stalls, being taken care of by angels. I noticed there were a few human beings working with the angels. We decided to call their new location “Tent City.”

I asked the officers where they and the children were going to wash up and eat. I had noticed, when they were on the Plain of Instruction, at meal times they would all go somewhere and eat.

The officers said they had a food service, operated by angels that prepared food for the children. There were several large dining halls. Also there were places to wash up for the boys and the girls so they could be clean after the day’s activities. There were many wells and springs of water, so available water was never a problem.

Amira and Gabrielle, who still were invisible, spoke to Tad and me and said there always was good food for the children.

Being satisfied that my family was being well taken care of, we all went back up the ramp and into Godwill Castle. The animals were stabled and fed. We washed up and ate dinner. When we finished eating there were hugs all around. We said good night to the animals, and then went up to our rooms. Bear and I were ready for bed.

As I lay there under my blanket, with Bear at my feet, I began to grasp the fact that I had thousands of boys and girls to love and take care of, and I didn’t remember even the names of most of them. Each one had told me his or her name during the getting acquainted time, and again when I greeted them at the time we all were resurrected. Still it was going to take more experiences with them before I would know each one personally.

It is true that when I met them, a part of me entered each one, and a part of each one entered me. But I still did not remember their names. In fact, I hardly could tell one from the other. Events moved so fast during the battle that I did not get to know any of them very well.

I resolved right then and there that I was going to know each one as an individual, just as if he or she were my only child.

With this thought my mind went back to the battle, and then to all these tents outside the castle…

Before I knew it, Bear was in my face. I got up, changed into my comfortable clothes, and opened the shutters. There were the fields and the workers planting, cultivating, reaping—there are no seasons here. Whenever the vegetable, or fruit, or grain is ripe, then it is reaped, put in cartons, and brought to the castle and given to Tom.

Tom has places where he stores food, some of it in the outer ward, and some in the inner ward where the cook and his helpers can get what they need easily.

There must be a hand mill of some sort in the kitchen so the kernels of grain can be turned into flour. This would be true also for those who prepared the meals for the children. I have not seen a windmill here. In fact, there is very little wind to speak of, and only at certain times and places as it is needed.

Then I could see the tents off to the right of the farms, and the children walking around. They did not know what to do, because their military training had been completed and they had no school to attend. The tents stretched for half a mile I guess, there were so many of them.

I saw that already the farm children were mingling with the little soldiers, who were showing them their tents and their war stallions.

I often wondered how the Lord Jesus, Enoch, and Elijah could be in the spirit world in their physical bodies. How could they relate to people who still were spirits? Now I have the answer. It really does not matter while you are in the spirit world. It is when you are on the earth that it is necessary to have a physical body.

Then Christ spoke to my mind. I knew it was the Lord. “What we need is a giant university that will include all ages. We will call it Zion University. Its central purpose will be to teach people to do God’s will. Its students will learn to love God with all of their heart, soul, strength, and mind, and their neighbors as themselves. This will be possible because Satan has been chained and the demons have been driven from the earth.”

“We will have to have a universal language.” The Lord spoke to me again: “Godwill, the thought of the university and the need for a universal language has come from me. There are to be campuses throughout the spirit world, and also throughout the earth, with the main campus in the city of Jerusalem on the earth.

“As for a universal language, it will be that which was spoken before I separated the language of earth into many different forms, at the time of the building of the Tower of Babel. I did not want people to succeed in their projects in those days because they would have been sufficient in themselves without me, and eventually Satan would have led them to their own destruction.

“The original language had no name, it was just ‘speech.’ This was the language spoken by Adam and Eve. Adam could speak from the time he was created. He was able to name the animals, and his wife also, calling her ‘woman.’

“Likewise Eve came into consciousness speaking in the original tongue. Speech was given to Adam and Eve fully developed, but it was not part of their memory until they had spoken it.

“The multiplying of languages began at the Tower of Babel.

“We will call our new language ‘Alephbeth,’ and use newly invented letters that will go along with our new language.

“I will enable all people who will study in Zion University, as well as my elect angels, to begin speaking and understanding their thoughts in Alephbeth. Soon scholars will have developed the written form.

“The transition from the national languages to Alephbeth in spoken form will occur easily and swiftly by the power of the Spirit of God; but the ability to read and write in Alephbeth, and the translation of written materials, will require help from scholars and teachers. Specially gifted angels will teach some men and women how to read and write Alephbeth, and they in turn will teach other people.”

I did not know it at the time, but the moment Christ said this, every human being in Heaven and on the earth who was a candidate for Zion University received the ability to express his or her thoughts in Alephbeth, and to understand Alephbeth, as did the elect angels also, and yet retained his or her own language. They were bilingual in this respect, although they could not as yet read or write in Alephbeth. The angels and people who were confined in areas of darkness did not receive this gift.

I was staggered at the concept. Because the objective of the curricula would be the doing of God’s will, resulting in love for God and for other people, we would have a new social order and civilization. Without wars and other forms of hate for God and people, and the Presence of God and Christ in our midst, there will be an eternal increase of Christ’s government and of peace.

I turned from the window and said to Bear, “Bear, we have some work to do.”

Bear frisked about and then headed for the door. She was hungry and knew nothing about universities or a new language (I don’t think!).

Bear and I went down to breakfast. Tad, Amira, and Gabrielle were there already. Erhard threw a biscuit into the “air” and Bear caught it. We went over to the Great Hall. Alana had a fine meal prepared for us.

While we were eating, I explained what the Lord Jesus had told me. Suddenly I realized we all were speaking in Alephbeth.

Then Amira said, “This is fun. Let’s see if we can still speak in our old language.” Tad and I could speak in English as well as Alephbeth. Tad could speak also in Angelspeak. Amira had learned her native language, Arabic; and also English while she was waiting for me to enter the spirit world. Gabrielle had learned Spanish because she is Mexican by race.

Also, Gabrielle had been taught English, because Christ had informed her officer that she and Amira would be the first members of my family.

Amira now could speak in Arabic, English, and Alephbeth. Gabrielle could speak in Spanish, English, and Alephbeth. We had a wonderful time trying out our languages. Later when we tried to write down our thoughts in Alephbeth we discovered that we were going to have to have a teacher until we were able to read and write in our new language.

I said, “Christ has given us a tremendous vision of a university with campuses in the spirit world and on the earth. What shall we do next?” Suddenly Christ appeared to us. He said, “You do not have to figure out what to do. I shall establish Zion University in Heaven and on the earth. All you have to do is obey me.”

I had become accustomed to following the Lord like this during the last few years of my life on the earth. So I asked, “What is next?”

The Lord said, “Leave the animals here, including Bear. The four of you go to the entrance to the castle and there I will tell you what to do.”

I took Bear over to Heng. I spoke to Heng in Alephbeth and asked him if he would watch Bear while we were gone. Heng did not realize I had not spoken just to his thoughts. Heng said he enjoyed taking care of Bear. Bear was not joyful at the thought of being left behind, but she obediently went over to Heng.

We then went out through the gates and stood at the bottom of the ramp.

Then Christ appeared. He said, “Call together the captains, and I will send others to help you, both angels and people.” Then He disappeared.

We went down to Tent City hurriedly, although we took the time to greet the farmers in Alephbeth. Always before we have communicated by thought. They were utterly amazed that they could understand our spoken words and also that they could respond. They began speaking to one another in their new language and were laughing with delight.

By this time the little warrior-judges found out they could speak in a new language. They were jabbering to each other. Now they didn’t have to speak only by communicating their thoughts. As soon as the four of us came close to them, they all wanted to speak to us in Alephbeth.

We found one of the officers and asked him to tell Philipp we needed him. After a short time Philipp came. We told him we wanted to see all the captains in front of the castle. Pretty soon the captains were assembled at the ramp: Clive, Wolfgang, Judah, Shing, Harriet, and Sunita. They were amazed to find they could communicate with one another in Alephbeth. Being from several different countries they were astonished to find they had received this “gift of tongues.” They happily spoke to each other.

Clive was wearing a white shirt, open at the neck, black slacks, a gray sweater, and heavy brown sandals. Wolfgang was wearing his army uniform with his medals and his boots. Judah was dressed in a white shirt, brown pants, and brown dress shoes. Shing had on black slacks, a red shirt, a red and black tie, and black dress shoes.

Harriet was wearing a white blouse with a gold pin, white skirt, brown comfort shoes. Sunita had chosen a bright red skirt, purple blouse, and brown sandals.

The other captains deferred to Wolfgang, he obviously being the senior officer. I noticed that the six captains never really relaxed and enjoyed the fellowship as some of the others did. Also, they were silent a good deal of the time. Even though Satan had been bound in the Abyss, they were ever watchful. This was from long habit I suppose. Tad behaved in the same manner.

There came from the earth and from the spirit world teachers of every area of education, from the care and feeding of infants to quantum mechanics. There were school administrators and building engineers. Many were startled at the sight of Godwill Castle.

There also were angels who can supply spiritual wisdom and energy to all the people who have been chosen to build and operate Zion University.

The angel-guards on the outer wall were alerted and were regarding us very carefully, and I could see their officers telling them we were not enemies. Tad and I invited all of those assembled to follow us up the ramp, then through both gates, and into the Great Hall. Our visitors were interested in the interior of Godwill Castle and studied each detail carefully. Some of our new friends were from European countries, and castles are familiar to them.

Every human being that had been brought from the earth had been in the army of victorious saints. Each one was in an immortal body. They had learned to shield their glory so they could relate more readily to the nations of people on the earth who still were living in flesh and blood bodies.

Those who were alive on the earth and transformed at the appearing of Christ were excited at how readily they could pass into the spirit world. But they had had much experience walking with the Lord Jesus and so they soon became accustomed to this new liberty.

Then the Lord Jesus appeared. He said, “I want you all to get acquainted with each other and then we will talk about our project.” He directed Alana to bring out chicken sandwiches, sliced melons, milk, coffee, and tea for all of us. I guess the Lord had spoken to Claude previously.

Some of the people from the earth were amazed that they were in Heaven and eating regular food.

Getting acquainted took some time. While we were eating our sandwiches we discussed the Great Battle and the Coronation. Those from the earth told us about the preparations being made for the destruction of the institutions of civilization. Tad and I were very interested to hear about this.

Wolfgang came over to Tad and they had a long talk. I believe Wolfgang is pleased with the progress Tad is making. Harriet spent some time speaking with Amira and Gabrielle.

As soon as we all felt that we knew each other at least a little bit, Jesus appeared again. He sat down in the middle of one of the long wooden tables so He would be speaking to all of us.

“Now I will tell you what I have in mind.” He spoke in Alephbeth.

“People and angels, we are going to build a new world. We will build it in the spirit world, and also on the earth, at the same time. God’s will shall be being accomplished on the earth as it is being accomplished in Heaven.

“As President of Zion University I want to inform you of the purpose and operation of our school. Our goal is that every individual love God with all of his or her heart, soul, strength, and mind, and his neighbor as himself. The second objective, always secondary in importance, is that each person develop the talent he or she has been given and serve as a useful member of society.

“For the transfer of knowledge, such as scientific knowledge, or geography, or history, there will be people skilled in these areas, with the assistance of angels. Multimedia presentations will be added when electricity has been restored.

“For proficiency in skills, such as music, art, athletics, handwriting and reading at the lower grades, there will be coaches.

“All necessary seminars and practicums in associated areas will be provided.

“But the instruction of primary importance will be that which deals with relationships, with social behavior. Beginning with young children, the supreme goal of education will be presented: that each individual love God with all of his heart, soul, strength, and mind, and his neighbor as himself. Personal development in these two dimensions of personality must always be held as more important than progress in any other discipline.

“We may notice as we study history that the advances made in science are often used to harm people. This is why moral instruction always is more important than the pursuit of knowledge, and always should take first place.

“From the earliest years, playground supervision, role playing, and finally real-life problem situations, as well as written tests, will be employed to measure attainment toward the supreme goal. No person will be graduated from Zion University until his sponsors have determined that he has passed satisfactorily each objective that taken together compose the supreme goal.

“Any individual who consistently demonstrates an unwillingness to love and serve God, or to live in love and peace with his neighbor, will be removed from the general populace and trained rigorously until all anti-Christ and antisocial tendencies have been removed.

“Incorrigibles, those who absolutely refuse to be corrected, will be delivered over to severe and perhaps eternal punishment. While this may seem unduly harsh, it is better that an incorrigible suffer or be removed from society rather than to have lawful, God-loving, peaceful people endure the confusion, frustration, and agony that have characterized civilization from its earliest days.

“To the people living on the earth, and to many in the spirit world, who worship independence and privacy, the above curriculum may seem intolerable. This is why the rule of the rod of iron is necessary. The resistance of self-willed people must be broken completely for the good of society.

“For people to go their own way rather than to submit to God is the source of all sin, all agony of mind, emotion, and body. This is not desirable. To be independent and self-willed leads the individual and society ultimately to disaster.

“God is not pleased when his creatures are miserable; when they admire a bloody, unbowed head; when they would rather ‘rule in Hell than serve in Heaven’; when they worship individual independence and free moral agency.

“Let me repeat: the most important subject in every campus will be personal relationships. Each class in relationships will be taught by a qualified human teacher. In the new world of righteousness, all other disciplines will be subordinate to loving relationships that do unto others as we would have them do to us.

“While there will continue to be marvelous advances in the sciences, in engineering, in the fine arts, and in all other areas of human endeavor as men seek to explore the treasures of God, everything will take second place to wholesome human relationships.

“Any sign of immoral or other destructive behavior will be dealt with immediately until it is corrected, or the antisocial person is removed from the civilized world.

“Does anyone have a question?” I knew there were many questions among us, but because we were in the presence of our majestic King, no one dared to speak out.

Jesus said, “I know you have many questions. In your mind this is a project so great as to appear impossible. But this plan for the development of a new world of righteousness was given to me by our Father; and all of you know that what God decides to do is accomplished and that He always finishes what He begins.”

I looked around at the people and angels and all were nodding their heads. They as well as I knew beyond all doubt that what Christ had just stated was absolutely true.

Then Jesus said, “Now I want you all to mingle and have fellowship. Enjoy yourselves. Do not worry about our project. I know that most of you lived in the spirit world before you descended to the earth to reclaim your body from the grave. The spirit world is very familiar to you. You will be returning to earth shortly so you may want to rest for a bit. I will work with each one of you individually as time goes on, and you will see our project coming together perfectly.”

With this, the Lord Jesus stood up and then disappeared. Some thought we ought to get busy and begin planning. But those of us with more experience in the Lord told them that their plans would not accomplish a thing. God is going to build Zion University, and we are not to do anything but enjoy our fellowship and wait for the Spirit of God to show us what to do.

As I said, there were questions in the minds of some who thought we should begin to get busy and do something. The spirit of working “for the Lord” instead of “with the Lord” was still in them. The angels, seeing their concern, courteously invited those who were alive on earth at the Lord’s appearing, and who never had lived in the spirit world, to come with them and see the splendors of God’s spirit world. Their curiosity caused them to forget what they were worrying about, and off they went with the angels to see the sights.

I myself have seen but a small part of the incredible wonders Amira has described to me, as Tad and I traveled around. I have not been in the spirit world very long; and during the little time I have had here, my guide has been too busy along with the other children preparing for the Great Battle to spend time touring the spirit world.

The remainder of the group got up from the tables a few at a time, talking to each other. They must have understood they would have no problem returning to their homes. Pretty soon there was no one left in the Great Hall except Tad, Amira, Gabrielle, and me. As I was thinking about the curricula, methods, and goals in the morals department, I thought about how people, especially Americans, would react:

“Nobody is going to tell me I have to love God and my neighbor. That is something I will decide for myself.”

Can’t you just hear people saying that!

But let me offer two ideas.

First, to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and our neighbor as ourselves are not suggestions. They are not “alternative lifestyles”—an expression in favor in America before the Lord returned; or “good ideas,” something we all should strive for (if we think they are desirable); or “nice sentiments,” but actual goals that always before have appeared unreachable.

These are commandments.

Who has commanded them? God.

Does God have the right to tell us how to behave? That’s the question, isn’t it?

Another question is: Is God able to help us obey his commandments?

A second idea has to do with what kind of love God is speaking of.

There is romantic love, sublimated forms of raw physical desire. God is not referring to this kind of love.

There is sexual desire, driven by our glands. God is not referring to this kind of love.

There are several forms of family love, such as between mother and father and their children. God is not referring to this kind of love.

Sometimes people will love a pastor, or teacher, or some other individual who helps them. God is not referring to this kind of love.

There often is a love among a group of men who are active in a common undertaking, particularly a dangerous undertaking, such as soldiers or firemen. God is not referring to this kind of love.

There are several forms of unnatural sexual lust. God is not referring to these kinds of “love.”

The kind of love God is referring to in the first great commandment is not a feeling. It is not even affection. It is an act of will. It is that of putting God first in our life. Thus it can be taught, and enforced if necessary.

The love God commands is defined as having no other gods in his rightful place.

Our god is that to which we give our allegiance; that which we trust for survival, joy, and fulfillment; that which we look to in our hour of need. In America many people looked to money for survival, joy, and fulfillment, or to some kind of talent. Or perhaps power, prestige, or fame.

Or some form of sexual behavior. Or alcohol or drugs. Or violence. Or some kind of witchcraft. Or a person of the same or opposite gender. Our human personalities are such we will worship someone or something, even if it is ourselves.

All of these may bind the worshiper in chains, ensuring that righteousness, love, joy, and peace are impossible. So God in his love commands us to worship Him alone. When we do, we find perfect love, perfect joy, perfect peace.

As far as commanding us to love him, whether we wish to or not, how many of us in time past forced our young child to go to the doctor when we saw a serious medical problem developing? Did we ask the child if he or she would like to go to that “nice doctor”? Perhaps some parents did, because they lacked wisdom and true love for their child.

When God demands that we love him, and does not ask our opinion, it is because He knows that to not love and worship Him will lead us to certain misery and finally to destruction.

Let me put it simply. To love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind is to put God first in all we think, say, and do. We choose to do this with an act of our will, asking the Lord Jesus to help us. Jesus promised us if we would put the seeking of God and his Kingdom first in our life, our needs would be given to us.

I can understand why Zion University does not give an individual full access to the pleasures of the physical or spirit worlds until he or she arrives at the goal of having no other god besides the Lord. It is for his own good and the good of those he influences.

The second commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. Again, this is not any of the forms of “love” we usually think of. It is not an emotion or a feeling. Emotions and feelings are transitory; and in any case they cannot be commanded successfully.

To love our neighbor as ourselves is to treat him as we would like to be treated. No matter how we may feel toward the individual, by an act of will we choose to treat this person as we would want to be treated.

God is not speaking of being affectionate toward our neighbor. God is telling us to help our neighbor when he or she has a need. We do not have to embrace or kiss someone who has harmed us. Rather, if that individual is hungry, we feed him or her. If that individual is thirsty, we give him or her a drink. This is how we would want to be treated.

Revenge belongs to God. When we try to avenge ourselves on someone, we are robbing God. Vengeance belongs to God. Our task is to assist and show kindness toward everyone, whether we like the person or not. This is the way our Father in Heaven is, and we are to be in his image.

It can be exceedingly difficult to forgive someone who has wounded us. We have to go to Christ until we receive enough Divine virtue to forgive that individual. We may not have to say or do anything, or be affectionate. Rather we are to show kindness, patience, and be helpful when there is a need.

We can be taught to put God first in everything, and to be kind and helpful toward all people. We have to act in this manner if we hope to gain entrance to and continue to live in the new world of righteousness that is on the horizon.

Think about the stories we used to read in the newspaper. In how many instances, in one edition of our paper, would more constructive results have occurred if the individuals involved had treated their neighbors as they would like to have been treated themselves?

I believe we would have found that all wars, rapes, burglaries, murders, child molestations, and other crimes were a thing of the past.

So we really have no excuse for saying “I will obey God’s commandments when I am ready to do so and if I choose to do so.” Because of this attitude, the populations of the world eventually would have destroyed themselves with nuclear bombs if Jesus had not returned when He did.

Am I correct or not?

When the Bible says “the righteous shall live by faith” it means the righteous shall walk humbly with God.

It is just like the mother who forces her child to go to the doctor and get an infection that is spreading, taken care of. The child screams in fright and resists with all his power. But the doctor will address the infection, sometimes with the feared needle.

Is the mother doing the right thing by forcing her child to get the shot? Or should she ignore the angry swelling of that thumb without compelling the child to have the infection treated?

Is God doing the right thing when He demands that we put aside our other gods and look to Him for survival, pleasure, and fulfillment? Or should He let us serve those gods that would lead us to misery, corruption, and eternal separation from God?

Is God doing the right thing by insisting we treat our neighbor as we wish to be treated? Or should He permit ambitious individuals to amass more and more money for themselves while others do without the necessities of life?

American people will defy and resist resolutely anyone who tells them who or what to worship, anyone who interferes with their privacy, or anyone who insists they treat other people with mercy, kindness, and generosity. They want to do these thing when they feel like it, in their own time and own way.

They do not understand this, but the spirit of independence and self-will comes from Satan. Satan realizes that human beings are only intelligent dust. They are not spiritual colossi like the cherubim. They have been unable in and of themselves to practice righteousness, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. There has been too much evil in their environment and in their own sinful nature.

When people do not worship the true God they will end up worshiping Satan and thus be brought into the worst possible bondage, misery, and corruption.

There simply is no middle ground. Apart from Jesus Christ we are pitiful creatures, vapors, breaths that appear for an instant and then vanish.

To not love God will lead to behaviors that will bar the individual from the right to enter through the gates into the new Jerusalem. To be thus barred is to be denied the refreshing that comes from the Holy Spirit and the Tree of Life. Being denied this refreshing leads to sickness and death, just as we saw the deterioration of personality that occurred on earth when an individual gave himself to sinful behavior.

Should we or should we not choose to love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves?

To any of my readers who still are uncomfortable with God telling us what we can and cannot do, I have two questions.

First, does the One who created us have the right to demand our exclusive worship?

Second, does the One who died on the cross to save us from spiritual death have the right to be our King whom we must obey in all matters?

I suppose the question is: Are we going to reserve the right to make our decisions in life independently of Christ; or are we going to look to Christ for his wisdom and will when we make our decisions?

What does the expression mean, “For me to live is Christ”? The promise that “To die is gain” is prefaced by the expression, “For me to live is Christ.”

The body and blood of Christ are available to us in the spirit realm. Every time we look to Christ and do what He says, we are fed with his body and blood. Christ’s body and blood are his Divine Nature in us. The Divine Nature will motivate us to be what Christ is: to think, say, and do what He is thinking, saying, and doing at any given moment.

In this manner we live by Christ as He lives by the Father. We grow in this relationship as we continually look to Christ and obey Him implicitly. Because our will is our life, when we keep choosing Christ’s will instead of our own, we are dying and Christ is living. If we choose instead to keep our life, we will perish, for we are only dust.

If we choose to live by the Life of Christ as He lives by the Life of the Father, we will live forever. He who does the will of God lives forever.

When we have chosen to live by the Life of Jesus Christ (and it is a choice we must make clearly, forcefully, and at all times and in every situation), for us to die physically and pass into the spirit world is enormous gain; for now we no longer are constrained by an animal body or by gravity. We are free to live with Christ as He lives.

For us to live is Christ; and if this is true of us, to die is unsurpassed gain!

I know what my answers are, and I choose to believe they are your answers also.

I wonder if we Christians have ever thought much about the Lord’s statement that the victorious saints will govern the nations with a rod of iron, along with him. The rule of the rod of iron means that people will not have a choice. They will have to obey God’s commandments.

Perhaps people have been accustomed to the idea that we can choose to obey or not to obey the Lord Jesus. There has been no compulsion in time past for those living on the earth. People may have or may not have understood there are rewards for obeying God and punishments for not obeying God.

Now that the Kingdom Age has commenced, those who have chosen to obey Christ will govern the remainder of mankind. People will have no choice. They will not be “free moral agents.” If they do not obey freely they will be forced to obey. There will be no lawyers, no constitution that will guarantee their “rights.” The Kingdom of God is a “kingdom” governed absolutely by a king and his nobles.

The philosophy of democracy has been proclaimed as though it somehow is Christian, or godly. It is neither. A democratic government lasts only so long and then becomes corrupt, just as happened in the Western nations before Jesus and his saints returned to install the Kingdom of God. This is true also of all other forms of government, including communism and socialism.

The only government that can guarantee peace and safety for all people is a monarchy governed by a righteous king who obeys God. This is what the Kingdom of God is. It is incorruptible.

Since the rise of the philosophy of Humanism, the “rights” of people had gained in importance. By the time Christ returned, the idea of self-determination was so entrenched in human beings that an absolute rule, symbolized by “the rod of iron,” had become necessary if the nations are to recover from the anarchy of self-determination and regain tranquility and productivity.

The very essence of the Kingdom of God is stern obedience to God, and to Christ, his Son, to whom God has delegated the fullness of authority and power.

Before I entered the spirit world there was a division in the Christian churches. Many churches were in harmony with the American ideal of the “pursuit of pleasure,” using Christ as the means of gaining pleasure. There appeared to be only a remnant who understood that Christ is not our means of gaining pleasure but of gaining righteous behavior. We can gain righteous behavior only as long as we are willing to let go of our self-determination.

The spirit of the False Prophet would have us enjoy the power of Christ while avoiding the necessity of denying ourselves and patiently bearing our cross after the Lord Jesus. But there were those who did not “bow the knee to Baal,” so to speak. They will inherit all that God is making new in Christ.

This was enough for one day. Tad, Amira, and Gabrielle had left quietly while I was musing. I got up and left the Great Hall. I went up to my room to wash up for dinner. As I came back down the stairs I met Amira and Gabrielle. Tad was waiting for us at the foot of the stairs.

Not much was said. I think we were all amazed at the events of the day and what Christ had told us. We felt too serious for small talk.

After one of Alana’s perfect meals we said good night and went up to our rooms. My shutters were closed and the night candle was burning. I put on my pajamas and said good night to Bear, who by this time was on her pillow at the foot of the bed.

As I got under the blanket I thought, “It is a good thing I have learned to rest in the Lord. Otherwise I would be frantic because of the enormity of the project Christ has just outlined for us.”

I remembered the words of Cardinal Newman: “I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me.”

So musing I drifted off…

The following morning I came to awareness with perfect peace. I knew that Christ by his almighty power and authority was going to create Zion University, and each of us would be able to fulfill his own role without undue stress.

Bear jumped off the bed and went to the door. She was hungry and wanted her food.

I got up and opened the shutters. What a glorious sight it is to see the farmers working in the various plots of ground, singing and praising the Lord, the children running about happily, the cows being led out from the milk sheds to pasture, dogs going around sniffing in order to know what had taken place in their absence.

Over to the right I could see the multitude of tents stretching to the horizon. I had a strong desire to go over and mingle with the children, but I knew it was not time yet.

I washed up, and put on my comfortable clothes. I wonder what the Lord Jesus will do today!

We all met at the entrance to our tower, and greeted Erhard in Alephbeth. Erhard pretended he had no morning biscuit for Bear. Bear began to bark her annoyance. Then Erhard gave Bear her biscuit. I did not know that angels like to tease, just like humans. They usually are so serious!

We went over to the Great Hall and Alana came out with our oatmeal, poached eggs, toast, and other breakfast food. We chorused, “Good morning” in Alephbeth. Alana suddenly became aware that we were speaking as well as directing our thoughts to her—and she could understand us! Alana was so excited and overjoyed she nearly dropped the dish holding the eggs.

Alana said (in Alephbeth), “What has happened? Have you learned to speak Angelspeak? I don’t believe I am speaking to you in Angelspeak. I don’t know what has happened to me!”

Amira said, “Alana, now you can speak in Angelspeak and also in a new language Jesus has given to us, called Alephbeth. We do not understand Angelspeak, but we can understand you when you speak Alephbeth.” Alana was so pleased with this she began to say other things in Alephbeth. She then went out to get our milk, shaking her head all the while and laughing with delight.

Amira said to me, “Jesus is not speaking to me. Is He speaking to you?”

I answered, “I will pray and see what He says.” I bowed my head for a minute. Then I looked up and said, “I think He is telling us to get our animals and He will show us what to do.”

We went over to Heng and told him good morning. We said, “Heng, would you please bring out all the animals except Anisa.” Heng went back into the stable and brought them all out, with Watcher on his fist. Gabrielle went into the stable and began to stroke Anisa.

Gabrielle said, “Don’t feel bad, Anisa, we will find you a rider as quickly as we can.” Anisa nickered softly, and we knew she was going to wait patiently for someone to ride her and would make the best of it in the meantime.

We got as far as the ramp. Watcher lifted off, and Heng went back through the gate.

We all stood there at the foot of the ramp, looking at each other.

Then Tad said, “Look at Watcher.”

We all looked up, and you could see Watcher swooping toward us and looking at us, and then flying back up. She did this about four times. She said, “Chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp.”

Tad said, “I believe Watcher has seen something and wants us to follow her.”

So we mounted our horses. Bear was in front of me on Warfighter’s pad. Watcher let out a cry and began to fly to our left, toward the Plain of Instruction where the children had been prepared for war. We took this behavior as a sign we were supposed to follow where she flew.

When we got to the Plain of Instruction, we saw surveyors taking measurements. We rode around, with Kamur tagging along. Watcher was circling, proud of herself that she had brought us to where we were supposed to be.

It looked to me, from the way the piles of brick, mortar, and huge panes of glass were placed, that there were going to be several campuses on this huge Plain of Instruction. I asked one of the surveyors, an angel, if that were so. He said they were making preparations for twenty campuses, each providing for about 1,000 students. He said there were to be many more campuses at various locations.

I believe the Lord Jesus wanted us to observe that we did not have to scheme and plan concerning Zion University. It is going to be established by the wisdom and power of God.

Then Amira spoke up and said, “You’ve been wanting to see some of the sights in our world here. Would you like to do that now?” (Jesus had noticed my thought about not seeing much of the spirit world.)

I said I would, and Tad, Gabrielle, and all the animals seemed to be happy with this idea. You know, I keep referring to animals as though they are people. I think the animals in the spirit world are more knowledgeable than those on the earth. You get the feeling they know what you are thinking!

We mounted up, and with Amira in the lead we began to ride. She took us first to look at God’s Temple. We all sat still in reverence. You could feel the holiness, even though we were many yards from the Temple structure. Watcher came down and perched in front of Bear on Warfighter’s pad. She is so large I had a hard time seeing around her. Then she took off again.

At this point we all ascended into the “air.” We were traveling in the Spirit and were invisible. We passed over many communities, beginning with York, the English community. We remained near enough to the ground that sometimes we could hear a word or two in Alephbeth. We knew it would not be long before there would be more interaction among the various races, now that they actually could speak to one another.

We saw many schools being conducted in grassy areas. People of various nationalities were being taught the Bible. Their teachers had a Bible on a lectern, and the audience, all adults, male and female, were seated on the grass and looking at Bibles in their hands and taking notes on what looked like pads of paper.

We recognized some of the teachers. They had been part of the army of victorious saints who had marched behind Michael and his army. Then I remembered that I had taught, while on the earth, that when the Lord came, the members of the nations, including the majority of believers, would remain on the earth, or in the spirit world when they died. Only the victorious saints would rise to meet Christ, and then descend to drive sin from the earth and install the Kingdom of God.

The victorious saints will teach the people on the earth and in the spirit world the ways of Heaven; and in the Holy City proceed to explain how the Kingdom of God is formed in us.

The people being taught here include members of God’s elect, and also saved people from the nations who in the future will be the inheritance of the elect.

The elect who did not participate in the first resurrection, but who are comfortable with the ways of Heaven, are in the Holy City being brought to the spiritual maturity they will need in order to serve as members of the new Jerusalem when it has been installed as the Presence of God on the earth.

These we are observing are being rehearsed in the righteous ways of Heaven. The victorious saints, who are assisting them have access both to the earth and the spirit world. They go and minister wherever the Spirit of God leads them.

Those being taught have passed their initial orientation to the ways of Heaven, which were presented to them while they were confined. They now are being instructed in the Bible by saints, some from the earth and some from the Holy City. I expect the students are from the various communities we have visited.

I know also that numerous people, to whom God will grant citizenship on the new earth, are in confined areas with people like themselves who still are in need of being instructed in the ways of Heaven.

After the Kingdom Age has come to an end, there will be no more teaching in the spirit world as such. The Zion University system will be found only on the earth. With the descent of the new Jerusalem to the new earth, the two worlds will have become one.

The best of the spirit world will be joined to the best of the physical realm. The Throne of God will be joined to the earth, which is God’s footstool. All human activity will be conducted on the earth; or, as we will see later, on one of the stars to which people have migrated.

We flew over mountains and down into valleys in the most beautiful country one could imagine. I think the earth will be like this when God lifts the curse (which may be taking place even now as Christ is preparing to send out his righteous kings to govern the nations).

We saw hundreds of communities. Each one had its own farm on the outskirts.

There are many trees but we did not see forests. The trees are spread apart, and there is grass between the trees, or meadow grasses, or flowers, or dirt. We did not see any wild animals at this time, although we did on another occasion.

In the meadows there are the little flowers I had seen when I first entered the spirit world. They are of every color imaginable, red, blue, yellow, green, purple, white. Here and there are several cedar tree.

We passed over some rivers. We could see fish in the water. Then we came to a sea, or ocean. It stretched out of sight. There were fishing boats. They were driven by sails. There is wind in the spirit world when it is needed. There also were oystermen dredging for oysters. I could determine what they were doing by zooming in on them with my spiritual vision.

I know about oystermen. When I lived in West Haven I used to row out to where the oystermen were trolling, dredging for oysters. I would throw up a line on one of the boats and a man would catch it and tie it to a stanchion. Then I would climb aboard and sit on the boat for awhile and watch the men pull up the net.

I think I will ask Alana to ask Claude to make some oyster stew, since oysters are available here. This is pretty good stew if you have never tried it.

I know it says in the Book of Revelation that there will be no sea on the new earth. I think that means no sea of people who do not know God and can be swayed by demagogues. I taught that interpretation while I was living on the earth. A world without a literal sea is not a pleasant thought to me, having been brought up a short distance from Long Island Sound.

We saw some spectacular waterfalls. The water is of different colors. The cascade of rainbow colors is enchanting. We stopped to catch our breath, and then descended to the ground at the base of a small mountain and watched one such waterfall for a period of time. Watcher was at her post in the air.

While we were sitting there I thought about Audrey and the boys and wondered how the church was doing. Immediately the Lord gave me strong assurance that Audrey was very happy, bringing encouragement and instruction to many believers on the earth who were discouraged because they were not raised when Jesus came. He said Marc and David and their families were being watched over carefully to keep them safe and healthy.

I asked the Lord if progress was being made among the believers concerning the Kingdom of God. While I was teaching on the earth there were few believers who understood the Kingdom of God. Most of the Christians thought being saved means they would die and go to Heaven and live there in some kind of fantasy land having no responsibilities for eternity. They are unaware we have to be taught how to please God by our behavior.

Jesus said, “The majority of those who believe in me are not victorious saints. They are good people but largely ignorant of spiritual realities. This is why I am placing such emphasis on Zion University.

“God will not do away with the present world and give us a new sky and new earth until his Church, his elect, have been prepared to move from the spirit world and be established on the new earth. Thus the task from now on, in the spirit world as well as on the earth, is to prepare the members of the priesthood for their service, and also to teach the saved people of the nations to live in love, peace, and joy with one another.”

I think we all kind of dozed off, if that is what we do here, and suddenly we noticed the sky was filling with that solid color of orange, blue, and dark brown that causes the normal light of the “day” to diminish.

We all mounted up. I lifted up Bear so she could sit in front of me on Warfighter. Then we rose off the ground and flew back to Godwill Castle. Watcher kept up with us as she circled above us.

In less time than it takes to tell we were back home. We all became visible. As we started up the ramp, Heng came out to meet us and took care of Watcher. We went through the gates into the inner ward. The animals, except for Bear, were put in their stalls. Kamur went into her stall. The girls went in to say good night to them. Tad went upstairs to the barracks to get ready for dinner.

The rest of us went to wash up, and then met at the door to the tower. We walked together over to the Great Hall. Alana already had the table set, and Bear’s dishes on the carpet. I guess we all were tired. Alana tried to get a conversation going in her new language but finally gave up.

When we had finished eating, we said our good nights and went up to bed. I put out the candles and left one burning. It had been a long but interesting day. I thought to myself: “What a lot of work has to be done before we are ready for the new world of righteousness!”

I got undressed, put on my pajamas, Bear got on her pillow, and we both were ready for a rest.

The Destruction of Civilization

As I lay there thinking, I remembered what terrible shape the world was in at the time I died. Compared with the righteousness, love, joy, and peace of the holy areas of the spirit world, the earth appeared to be an insane asylum operating in a cesspool occupied by liars, thieves, and murderers.

It is clear to me now that the reason for such chaos is that learning and applying the arts and sciences of civilization were put ahead of learning and applying appropriate moral behavior.

When I was in public-school work I encountered a few weak attempts to bring in some sort of moral guidelines. But because the Bible had been rejected as an authoritative source of moral guidelines, there were no agreed-upon principles of behavior. The idea seemed to be that if we all tried to do good, somehow social behavior would improve. Since that time social behavior has grown worse.

The pressures of wickedness exerted on all members of society prevent effective training in moral principles. In order for people to be changed morally there have to be guidelines drawn from an authoritative source and sufficient power to enforce the guidelines.

It is ironic, isn’t it, that we Americans, who pride ourselves on being wonderful examples of human freedom, and are spending billions of dollars in an attempt to spread our form of government around the world, are living in the worst kind of spiritual slavery, with money, sexual lust, self-determination, entertainment, and luxury as our chief gods.

This is because we teach human independence rather than dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ. Until this teaching is changed, our nation will become ever weaker until it no longer is able to play a major role in world affairs.

So musing I drifted off…

I came to consciousness refreshed, and assured that the marvelous dream of Zion University would be brought into being by the power and wisdom of God. I arose from my bed, went into the little “window-room” and opened the wooden shutters. What a glorious sight—the happy people and children in the fields; the colorful clouds; the tents with the children stretching as far as the eye could see.

Bear was at the door, ready for breakfast. I felt to put on my comfortable clothes, slacks, and loafers, and went down to meet the group.

Erhard greeted us pleasantly and gave Bear her biscuit. We said our good mornings and trooped over to the Great Hall.

Alana said good morning in Alephbeth. She brought our fruit, oatmeal, eggs, muffins, milk, and juice. There were biscuits, milk, and water for Bear.

We talked a lot about yesterday, about some of the sights we had seen. When we finished breakfast, everyone looked at me expectantly. I looked to Jesus expectantly!

Jesus said to me, “Good morning. There are many wonderful experiences ahead for you. It is true that the Great Battle has been won. Satan and all his forces have been defeated. Zion University shall be set up throughout the universe. But first the work of cleansing the earth of the evil forces must be carried out.

“You and Tad will be involved and must come with me. Please go up to your rooms and put on your white robes, white caps, and white battle-sandals.

“For now, leave the animals in the stable. Bear is to go and be with Heng and stay with him in his quarters. Amira and Gabrielle can spend the day as they wish.”

I told the group what the Lord had said. I could tell Amira and Gabrielle did not like this one bit. We almost always had done everything together. But they knew better than to complain to the Lord Jesus.

We thanked Alana for a delicious breakfast and asked her to please convey our appreciation to Claude, the cook. Tad and I got up from the table and went up to our rooms to get our robes and battle-sandals as the Lord had directed us. Then we went over to the stable.

We greeted Heng in Alephbeth and told him what the Lord said. I think Alana had told him about Alephbeth, and so he wasn’t surprised but continued with business as usual. Heng is not the kind to get excited.

Heng said he would keep Bear with him and take care of the animals until we returned. We went to the stalls and said goodbye to the animals. Bear was the only animal who was upset, but we knew she would be fine with Heng.

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the ramp,” which we did. Suddenly Tad and I were in the Spirit, and invisible. It seemed but a brief time and we were at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. God must have enlarged the Temple Mount, because it appeared there were thousands of people and angels coming and going.

We looked around for Jesus. We saw Him standing off to one side. He was clothed in a white robe and heavy white battle-sandals. There were people standing next to Him who were either questioning Him about something, or else He was assigning them to a role or task.

The Lord was not wearing his jeweled crown or carrying his scepter. Maybe He still was seated on his throne on the Temple Mount, wearing his crown and holding his iron scepter with the face of a lion and the face of a lamb on top. But not where He is present here.

Perhaps Jesus does not enjoy showing off his authority and power any more than we do. He is who He is and He doesn’t have to prove it with external trappings. When you are near Him you know He is God’s chosen King!

It was a weird sensation. I know He is dwelling in me. I understand also that He is with us right now. At the same time, there He is over there, speaking with some people. In addition, He may be on his golden throne on the Temple Mount, wearing his crown and holding his scepter of authority. I guess we will just have to get used to his being many places at once, as well as in us. Maybe we also will have the ability someday to be in different places at once.

He was beside us, although He still was speaking to the people on the other side of the Mount. I noticed whenever Christ is near there is a very attractive fragrance. I wonder if this is the fragrance that arose when perfume was poured on the Altar of Incense in the Tabernacle of the Congregation.

He said, “I am going to show you what has begun to take place in the earth as a result of the forces of wickedness being defeated in the Great Battle.”

Instantly we were in the Spirit. As we traveled away from the Temple Mount, Jesus kept on speaking. He said, “Do you remember the divisions of victorious saints who marched behind the nobles of the Kingdom?” “We certainly do remember those strong-looking, white-robed men and women with their faces set as flint, looking straight ahead,” I answered.

Jesus said, “As you know, the Great Battle has been won and Antichrist and the False Prophet have been thrown into the Lake of Fire. Satan has been imprisoned in the Bottomless Pit. Also, the demons and angels who were with the army of Antichrist have been driven into the spirit world to await the Day of Judgment.

“Now the victorious saints are beginning to go through the earth, tearing down the works of civilization. Michael’s warriors are with them as they drive the demons out of the earth and into prisons in the spirit world to await the Day of Judgment.

“Also, the saints are judging each member of the cities of the nations where the Antichrist spirit had ruled. The peoples on the earth cannot see the angels, but they can see the glorified saints, just as was true during the battle at the Plain of Megiddo.

“The saints are riding their white war stallions that have become part of their personalities until the judging of people and removal of the demons has been accomplished. The stallions give them the strength and speed they need for their work.”

As we passed over the cities and towns we could see the Lord’s army advancing and the demons fleeing before them. Although the Lord Jesus was with us, He also was down there at the head of his army, riding the giant Conqueror, shouting his war cry: “God’s Kingdom has come. God’s will shall be done in the earth!”

Christ was leading his armies along the path they were to take. His eyes were like blazing fire. Christ was judging and making war, bringing justice to the meek of the earth.

Michael in his white robe was striding in front of Christ. What a colossal figure he is! He was calling in a voice of thunder: “Bow your knees to the King of kings!”

Christ was right behind Michael, his two guardian-angels with their trumpets at their side, waving their immense sabers and calling out, “Make way for the King of kings and Lord of lords—He who alone is faithful and true.”

He was followed by his firstfruits, his army of victorious saints, riding their white war stallions. In their left hand was a blue banner with the golden ramping Lion of Judah. They were wearing the curved cavalry sword in a white scabbard, on their left side, just as I had seen them on the Plain of Instruction.

Behind the army of saints, marching with an iron step, was Akim, the marshal, holding up his baton to indicate that the angel armies were to follow.

Finally the legions of angels, led by their commanders on white stallions. The commanders were crying out: “Jesus Christ is Lord. Bow your knees!” People could not see any of the angels but they could hear their proclamations.

There, to my astonishment, as part of the invading army, were Tad riding Lance and I riding Warfighter. Tad on his black stallion was dressed in his white robe and had his long dagger in his hand. He stayed next to me to make sure I was not harmed.

Jesus told Tad and me that he, as well as those who were following him, including ourselves—all the ones we could see at the present moment—were in numerous places in America and in the rest of the nations, all at the same time. I understood that the onslaught would continue until all the cities of the Antichrist government had been cleansed of the institutions of civilization.

I did not see Watcher and Kamur. I asked Jesus about this. He said, “Watcher and Kamur are inside you. She is enabling you to see in every direction, although she is within you instead of flying overhead. Kamur is responsible for the ferocity you are experiencing.”

Then I became conscious of being in the midst of the fight. So it appears we also will have, on occasion as necessary, the ability to be in more than one place at the same time.

I think I had known the moment the righteous began their attack on civilization, but I was so involved with what was happening in the spirit world I did not bring it into full consciousness. It is like this with us when we are disciples on the earth, isn’t it? The Bible says we already are at the right hand of God in Christ; we already have come to Mount Zion. But our problems in the earth keep us so occupied we are not as aware of our position in Christ as possibly could be true if we slowed down a bit.

My first impression was that of noise. The Lord was shouting. The victorious saints were shouting. The demons were shrieking. The people who were being attacked were screaming in fear or in rage. Some were running to hide. Some were cowering in fear. Some were shaking their fists defiantly.

There was no organized resistance. Evidently the attack had been so sudden that it was not possible for leaders to arise and communicate with their followers. Surprisingly, there were not many people who were attempting to defend themselves with firearms. The few who did attempt to defend themselves with pistols or rifles found that the bullets had no effect on the saints, who were in resurrection bodies.

The appearance of the white-robed soldiers was utterly terrifying to the people they were confronting. They could not see the angels who were doing the actual fighting. They could notice, however, that people were dying from some cause, and institutions around them were being vaporized.

A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come. (Joel 2 2—NIV)

This was at once an infantry charge and a cavalry charge. Tad and I had become one with our horses. We were wearing white linen robes, white linen caps, and our white battle-sandals. Tad does not wear his blue jacket and pants during major conflicts.

The Lord had said that Kamur and Watcher were inside me. I noticed that although I was in my place in this invading army, at the same time I was aware of the entire battleground. This probably was because Watcher was in me. I was conscious of where we were, where we had been, and where we were going. I could see where the enemy—humans and spirits—were hiding.

Every once in a while I would proclaim fiercely, “Christ is to be obeyed!” The roar just came out of me. I think Kamur was marking out his territory, scratching a few trees as it were. Kamur was saying, “The earth is my territory. Serve the Lord or get out of here!”

As I directed my consciousness toward my participation with the rest of the Lord’s army, I found that the Spirit of God was telling us what institutions to destroy as well as how to deal with each individual. Then we would tell an angel what we were hearing from the Spirit, and the angel would carry out the sentence of judgment.

Buildings, highways, and overpasses, were being vaporized in fiery explosions after the angels had determined that all the people had fled from them. In their places appeared smaller asphalt roads or dirt paths. Church buildings were leveled.

Entertainment areas vanished. People ran away from their cars, which in many cases were stopped because of traffic congestion, hoping to escape the invaders. Then the cars themselves vanished.

If we pointed at an individual and said “save,” an angel would take the person by the arm and bring him or her to a safe place, a house that had been vacated but left standing.

If we said “send,” the person’s body would die and an angel would bring the individual to a place of confinement in the spirit world, there to be taught the ways of Heaven. If we said “Hell,” then the person would die and an angel would put him or her in Hell or in some more suitable area in the Land of Darkness.

Ordinarily it was one of Michael’s angels who carried out the sentence of judgment. Once in a while Tad did this task, but his most important task was to keep me from harm.

I noticed that the people we encountered were terrified. Apparently there were some who either repented on the spot; or who had godly relatives who were praying for them, thus preventing their being dismissed from the earth and sent into confinement in the spirit world. Angels appeared and led them to areas that already had been purged.

Some of the men and women were hostile, you could tell. They shook their fists in defiance. Suddenly they no longer were physically alive on the earth but were leaving their bodies and being led away to a prison in the spirit world, as we directed. All the while they were behaving like wild animals.

We went into jails and prisons. The Spirit pointed out many men and women there who were to be saved.

We went into churches of various religious beliefs. People were seeking refuge in them. But to no avail. In the Christian churches there were many hypocrites. There were religious spirits with them, attempting to entice us with their high-sounding words. Their posturings and attempts to look attractive reminded me of Jezebel attempting to seduce Jehu. We could see them with the eyes of the Spirit of God, and they were filthy.

In one of the churches we entered there was an older minister dressed in black, with a clerical collar. His hair and beard were gray. He advanced toward us threateningly, holding a large silver crucifix. He said in a loud voice, “Begone, in the name of Christ!”

I looked to Jesus for his decision. Jesus said, “Send.” Immediately an angel who was standing nearby struck down the minister and took his spiritual nature to a place of confinement in the spirit world where he would be taught the ways of Heaven. His body lay facedown on the floor in front of me. His right hand holding the cross was stretched out in front of him.

We sent most religious leaders to the spirit world for instruction in the ways of Heaven. A few were sent to the Land of Darkness to be punished because of their wickedness in stealing the inheritance of widows from them; and because of whitewashing the Gospel so that church members who were not truly following Jesus believed themselves to be pleasing to God.

I came to a poolroom. There were three men and one woman inside. One of the men dove under a pool table. The Spirit pointed him out and said, “Save.” Immediately an angel grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out from under the table. Then the angel led him out the front door. I knew some Christian was praying for him and he was being taken to a place of safety. The other three people were “send.”

All the while it sounded as though thousands of trumpets were blowing. The people could not see the angels who were carrying out the judgments, but they could hear the angels as they shouted and blew their trumpets signaling “Charge,” and their drums as they were beating to the “Attack.” The noise was deafening; terrifying.

Although it was the middle of the day there were large, black clouds overhead. It was as dark as nighttime. The only light was the Light of God radiating from the saints. We actually were the light of the world; but our actions would not be perceived as “good works” by the people whom we were attacking. There was no electricity by this time, the sources having been destroyed.

There were the sounds of galloping hoofs continually pounding, pounding, pounding. Once in a while some terrified person would cry out hysterically as he or she saw dead bodies filling the streets. There were thunderous explosions as the removing of the skyscrapers and smaller institutions continued. In some instances the contour of the earth was changed. Angels were driving the demons into areas of confinement in the spirit world.

Still the white-robed soldiers on their white stallions advanced furiously, each one in his or her line, not breaking their ranks, leaving desolation in their wake. The soldiers of this army were destroying the institutions of civilization throughout the world—everywhere that Antichrist had governed.

The soldiers were in many places at once. In their own countries they could speak the language, but this did not make much difference. Each soldier was directed by the Spirit of God. God is paying back trouble to those who had troubled his saints!

Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste—nothing escapes them. (Joel 2:3—NIV)

I myself was filled with a rage I had not experienced since the Lord first revealed to me, as a fairly young Christian, that I was to participate in the destruction of all who opposed the will of God. Now I was being told by the Lord to show no mercy but to do exactly what He commanded regardless of what I was seeing with my eyes. Again and again the roar of Kamur came from the depths of my personality.

The sound of the trumpets grew louder. The angel drummers continued to beat “Attack.” The earth began to shake. We could not see the sun, the moon, or the stars, so we did not know when nighttime came. There was only the roaring of the battle, the thunder of the hoofs, the war cries of the saints, the trumpet blasts, the unrelenting cadence of the drums, the fearful howling of the victims.

The door of one of the houses opened. A lady came out and stood on the steps. She was dishevelled. Her silk stockings were down around her ankles. She was wearing pink slippers. Her brown hair was in disarray. She was wearing a blue bathrobe with pink flowers on it. She was middle-aged and quite overweight.

She was holding a burning cigarette in her left hand. She was screaming, “I know my rights. I have a lawyer. You will pay for this! My husband is the Mayor.”

A man, perhaps her husband, came to the door and peered out cautiously. A saint and an angel strode toward her. Suddenly she and the man disappeared.

Then it began to rain massive sheets of water. Bolts of lightning flashed across the sky, giving some illumination momentarily. There were awesome crashes of thunder. The heavy rain did not bother the angels or saints, of course, but it was very distressing to those living in the cities.

I entered one house through a window. You might wonder how I could do this while astride the mighty Warfighter. Although Warfighter and I had physical bodies, we still had the ability of the spirit world to overcome the constraints of space by becoming smaller. Tad remained on guard outside of the house.

There was a mother with two little girls and a little boy grouped around her. They were huddled in a far corner of the room. The children were crying. The mother was screaming hysterically. I looked to Jesus. The word “Save all four” came.

Immediately a shining angel, a beautiful young lady, went over to the little family. The angel said, “Do not fear. I am an angel. My name is Lily. The Lord has heard your prayers. Please come with me and I will take you to a place of safety.”

The three children were terrified as Lily approached them. They huddled together as close to one another as they could get. Then Lily held out her hand, the sleeve of her white robe hanging down.

The little boy, about eight years old, was staring at Warfighter. He said, “The horsie. The horsie!”

Lily waited patiently. Lily said gently to the older of the two girls, “What is your name?”

The child was too frightened to answer. Her mother had stopped screaming and said, “Her name is Nancy. Her younger sister is Mary, and their brother is Edward.”

Lily said softly, “That is a pretty name. Nancy, if you will come with me, I will give you a stuffed bear. I will give Mary a stuffed zebra. I will give Edward a stuffed horse. If you want to, you can trade your toys back and forth.”

The mother thought about this, looked at Lily carefully, and said, “Children, let’s go with Lily.”

Seeing this situation was taken care of satisfactorily, Warfighter and I went back out through the front door and rejoined Tad. Then we grew back to our large size.

Outside the invasion was raging. The noise was deafening. The land was as a “paradise” before us, filled with the seeming glamour and joy of the Antichrist civilization. Behind us there was desolation, as far as the godless institutions and people are concerned.

Many people, men and women alike, sought to intimidate us with their bluster. Imagine, here we are, supernatural beings, and still they attempted to resist us. So it is with the wicked. They will attempt anything in order to preserve their evil ways.

I have preached for years that the earth belongs to mankind. Originally we humans were made from the earth. A rebellious cherub by deception defrauded mankind of its rights to the earth. Then, on the cross of Calvary, the evil cherub lost all his rights to the earth and its nations.

Many years ago, while at the University of Rochester in New York, working toward an Ed.D. I had an anxiety breakdown. A psychiatrist labeled it “graduate anxiety.” He said getting a doctoral degree in education was a step up the social ladder for me and such a step can cause anxiety.

However one wishes to view it, clinical anxiety has its roots in fear, a free-floating fear if not a specific fear.

One night I began to sink down into the darkness. I was lying on my bed in Henrietta, New York, when a Spirit came to me. This Spirit said, “I love to fight.” From that time I began to recover. That took place in the early 1960’s.

On another occasion, many years later, I was taking my daily prayer-walk down Jesmond Dene Road, in Escondido, California. I was saying to myself, “Why don’t people fight and go on to victory in Christ?” Then, for an instant, the Lord withdrew the fighting spirit from me. The removal and then restoration of the fighting spirit made me aware that the willingness to fight spiritual battles is a gift from the Lord.

Last night (May 11, 2008), in the course of writing this book, the Face of Christ appeared briefly in a dream. It was the face of a warrior: cunning, fierce. Then it dawned on me: “The Lord is a fighter. He has given me of himself.” “The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name,” the Bible says.

I have asked Jesus for wisdom in putting such a personal matter in writing. The Lord said, “Tell the exact truth about your experiences. Truth will come out eventually.”

While I am divulging personal matters, I can tell you that long before I died I saw children marching against the enemy and conquering them. I was sitting in a pew in a church in Alabama, getting ready to minister. I saw the wicked forces, and then the children marching toward them. Immediately the wicked vanished.

I thought to myself, “The judgment may seem harsh. But if such people and institutions were permitted to remain on the earth, they would continue to bring pain and confusion wherever they are, just as they have in the past.”

We knew there still would be unclean spirits hiding in areas of the earth, but there would be opportunity later for platoons of saints to be sent to bind these spirits and drive them into the prisons in the spirit world.

I once saw in a sort of vision one such platoon. Warrior-judges were marching along in what looked like a desert. These were not children, by the way, but adults. They were wearing blue jackets, blue trousers, blue caps, and blue sandals. There were swords at their sides. They were singing. They encountered a horrible, stupid-looking monster, surrounded him, put a rope on him, and continued their march, dragging the monster behind them.

Because of their number, and the speed with which they were operating, it was not too long (or so it seemed—you can’t really tell; it may have been years of earth-time) before every person in the cities of the earth had been examined and the sentence of judgment executed. People and angels now were involved in burying the dead bodies, and this took quite a long while.

I would venture that most of the institutions of civilization were being removed from the earth. These institutions had encouraged people to conduct their own lives apart from God. They intended to accomplish human perfection by ever increasing technological, medical, psychological, political, and educational breakthroughs. Now people were being brought into much simpler environments. At least, this is how it looked to me.

It seemed to me that this cleansing of civilization was directed toward the cities where the Antichrist spirit had prevailed. I believe many small villages and native societies were not invaded.

I noticed that the Spirit of God did not permit me to find my relatives and friends. I am glad for this, because I could not possibly have been objective. But I knew Audrey was on the job so I was not overly concerned.

The roaring was continuing. Suddenly it ceased. Perhaps it was the contrast; but it was as though time itself had stopped. After a bit it seemed as though one could hear a faint stirring of life. It reminded me of the time when I was reaching forward toward Jesus, surrounded by warrior-angels, and suddenly the vision faded and there were only the quiet sounds one hears in a meadow on a hot summer’s day.

The culture in America that I left was characterized by unpleasant noise. There was the mindless chatter of the commercials on the television. Also, some of the contemporary music must have been driven by demons. At times a line would come to me from the Christmas carol, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear: “And ever o’er its Babel sounds the blessed angels sing.” At the time I died, America was filled with “Babel sounds.”

Since at that time we lived near the Pacific Ocean, I could picture a giant wave coming in and burying the whole incessant clatter, then washing the entire drunken brawling clamor out to sea, leaving only the quiet sounds of animals and other natural sources.

When I was in public-school work in America I remember seeing children on the playground jumping up and down and screaming for no reason other than excitement and tension.

I contrasted this with the quiet children in the villages of India. One little ten-year-old girl came to mind, who was standing quietly near the rug factory where she worked. It was a holiday, and she was waiting patiently for the next day so she could go back to work. Also, another little boy, about six I would say, who was carrying a bundle of wood to his family so they could boil their rice. They were living under a tree.

I saw another young boy, over near the Bay of Bengal, leading a string of about twenty huge water buffalo. I referred to this scene earlier. These three children, the girl and the two boys, revealed a quiet, peaceful spirit, so unlike the American children jumping up and down and screaming in their excitement.

I thought at the time, “I would like to live in a hut here, near the Bay of Bengal, and eat rice, and lamb and chicken curry. But I know sin prevails even here. An idyllic environment will not satisfy while there still is sin.”

The tragedy of it all is that the people of the East are beginning to copy the Western culture! Perhaps if they do they then may someday look back to their “good old days.”

At the time I died there was considerable emphasis on “the good old days” in America, which of course, never took place. We forget what it was like to go out to the outhouse in the freezing cold; to chop wood for the fireplace and the wood stove; to prime the frost-covered pump with numb fingers so we could get some water in a bucket to bring into the house; to carry hot water in a bucket from the wood stove to pour into the bathtub upstairs, or into a large tub in the kitchen so we could take a bath.

Our memory tends to blot out the troubles, problems, and pains of the past, doesn’t it?

One of the magazines distributed in America appealed to the desire of people to forget for a moment the dire future that was facing us, as various nations conspired to put down the arrogant “Satan” of the West. This particular magazine employed as the bulk of its text, letters from its readers that told of their memories of when they were children.

I enjoyed reading these; but I noticed that not one of the letters was from someone who was raised in a city or suburb. Every letter described a farm or rural community, where life was so much simpler and “quieter” than modern times. What does this tell us about the longings of the human heart?

I turned my consciousness back to where Tad and I were standing with the Lord. Jesus said, “My army will continue its work of judgment until the wicked spirits and their works have been removed totally from the earth. The demons, Satan, Antichrist, and the spirit of the False Prophet no longer will be present to harass people.

“As soon as the work of judgment has been accomplished totally, God will pour out his Spirit over the whole earth. Then I will appoint rulers over each area of the earth.

“You would expect there would be no need for rulers. However, the people remaining on the earth, after all of the Divine judgments of the last days, will still have a rebellious nature.

“They had been taught during the closing days of the Church Age that independence and initiative, control over their own lives, were greatly to be desired. Therefore they will have a tendency to resist God’s will and follow their own desires. This still will be the case even though the wicked spirits no longer can harass them.”

I thought about this for a few moments. I said, “Won’t it be easier for them to choose to behave righteously and obey you than has been true on the earth in time past?”

Jesus responded, “It certainly will. But the people of the nations have to be taught righteousness and obedience to God; and this is the reason for Zion University, and for the rule of the rod of iron.

“The victorious saints have special strength and will be able to govern with iron determination, because they chose to behave righteously when attempting to survive spiritually in the valley of the shadow of death, which the earth has been throughout its history.

“In the future, whoever, after being taught, continues to sin and rebel against God, will be removed to a place of confinement in the spirit world, where every attempt will be made to convince him or her that the way of righteousness and obedience to God is much to be preferred to the way of seeking to be independent of God.

“I now am going to reassemble the victorious saints in Jerusalem. I will cause Divine Light to hover over them that will shine to every area on the earth. Then the people of the tribes and villages who never were part of the Antichrist civilization, having been isolated in remote areas, will set out to find the source of the Light.

“Also, those members of the nations who have been spared during the destruction of civilization will be drawn to Jerusalem.

“Those whom I have called of the nation of Israel will be included among the saved peoples of the earth. Their villages and towns always will be situated nearest to the city of Jerusalem during the Kingdom Age; and to the mountain on which the Holy City will be resting throughout the endless ages of eternity while I and my saints are governing the works of God’s hands.

“The new Jerusalem is composed of the members of my bride, and includes both elect Jews and elect Gentiles. Many people of Israel will be saved and dwell on the new earth in peace and safety, as I have promised in my Word; although all who are called ‘Israel’ are not of true Israel, as my apostle Paul has told us.

“Jerusalem is Jerusalem, and the names of the tribes are on the eternal gates. My gifts and callings are without repentance.

“Do you remember the words of the Prophet? ‘Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths. The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem”’?

“I will meet each nation, each tribe, the members of each village, and put my blessing upon them. I will provide food for them and a place of shelter and rest when they arrive at Jerusalem. Also, I will multiply the food they bring with them so they will have an abundance both coming and going.

“I will tell them that I have appointed a ruler to govern them who will love them and bring justice to them. Then I will have them return to their homes, after informing them that their ruler will instruct them concerning the location of the Zion University campus nearest to their neighborhood.”

Jesus then looked at Tad and me. As we were looking at Him his smile turned into the outer gate of Godwill Castle. The drawbridge was down. We went up the ramp and through the outer and inner gates, and then over to the stable. Heng greeted us in Alephbeth.

Bear came running out of Heng’s quarters and began to frisk around us in circles. We could hear Warfighter and Lance whinnying in their stalls, so we went in and greeted them, and also Watcher. I suppose the animals did not remember being with us during the destruction of civilization. Watcher ruffled her feathers and sidestepped on her perch. She chirped a little. Kamur was sleeping. The girls’ horses were there also.

Tad went up to his quarters. I greeted Erhard and then climbed up to my room. Tad and I washed up and then came down and went over to the Great Hall. Amira, and Gabrielle were at the table already. They were studying Aleph. They waited for us to come and pray before they began eating.

Alana was so glad to see us together again she jabbered away in her new language. She put out a marvelous dinner. We began with split pea soup. Then, roast turkey, mashed potatoes, turnips, rolls, and our favorite—strawberry ice cream with walnuts and pieces of manna on top.

Amira and Gabrielle told us they had visited some of the farm people, and then had spent time learning to read and write in Alephbeth. They had asked Jesus to send them a teacher. An angel like Alana, a young woman, appeared and sat down with them at a table in the Great Hall and began to teach them the letters of the new alphabet.

Amira said, “Her name is Jendayi, which is an Egyptian name meaning ‘thankful.’ Jendayi was very courteous and patient with us. We learned a lot.” Gabrielle added, “Jendayi really likes us.”

Amira asked Tad and me where Jesus had taken us. We explained to them about the ferocious onslaught against the peoples and institutions of the earth.

Amira said, “I’m glad we weren’t there. I don’t like to see people fighting.” Gabrielle said, “Me neither.”

We all went in and said good night to Heng, White King, Lance, Amigo, Anisa, Watcher, Warfighter, and Kamur.

Gabrielle exclaimed, “We simply have to get a rider for Anisa. She has no family.” We thought about that, and I said, “Let’s pray about this.” So we all agreed in prayer that the Lord would send us a rider for Anisa. Then the two girls pranced happily up to bed.

Every time the girls went up and down the uneven stone steps there were angels who watched over them carefully to make sure they did not trip and fall. These angels always were in white and looked like older ladies. They vanished once the girls were safe at their destination. They may have been the girls’ personal guardian-angels.

I was kind of thoughtful tonight. I was wondering about relatives and friends on the earth. But as I looked around I understood that Godwill Castle is my home, at least for now. I realized I could visit relatives and friends on the earth at any time, but would have to give some thought about not upsetting them.

It had been a long, exciting day, and Tad and I were ready for bed. Tad climbed the stairs to the barracks, and Bear and I went up to our room. Bear jumped up on her pillow. I put on my blue pajamas, which had been washed and ironed. The shutters were closed. I snuffed out the candles, except for the night candle, and got under my blanket.

I started thinking about the earth and the changes that had been made. I knew the Lord Jesus would choose excellent rulers for the nations, and that most people would want to learn about how to please God. Soon there would be much activity as thousands of campuses were created with their professors, teachers, and teacher-aides. I resolved to visit some of these campuses in the near future.

And so to rest…

I guess Bear was unusually hungry, or used to being with Heng, or whatever the reason, but she was up in my face. Since I did not want a doggy kiss, I sat up. I went over and opened the shutters. Then I washed up, put on my dark blue slacks and white shirt (both freshly laundered), and my brown sandals.

Tad, Amira, Gabrielle, Bear, and I congregated at the entrance to our tower. We greeted Erhard, who responded in Alephbeth, and then in his new language said, “Hello, Bear.” He then gave Bear her biscuit, and we made our way to the Great Hall.

Alana said, “Good morning,” in her new language. She was wearing a blue apron. Then she said, “I noticed there is a brown horse in one of the stalls, and she is left there when everyone else leaves. Could I ride her sometime when you are gone?”

We looked at one another. “Praise the Lord,” we said quietly.

I spoke up for all of us. “Alana, you just got yourself a horse. Her name is Anisa, which means ‘Pleasant Companion.’ She needs a family. Would you like to be a family for her?”

Alana began to cry she was so happy. She covered her face with her apron. Do angels cry? We know from the Bible they can rejoice, so I guess they do have emotions even though they don’t have a soul.

I said, “All of our food is on the table. Why don’t you go over and introduce yourself to Anisa?”

Alana took off her apron and went to the stable. We could hear her talking to Heng in Angelspeak. Angelspeak sounds like water gurgling. Have you ever heard water gurgling? Soon there was a most marvelous nicker, and here came Alana leading Anisa.

I am not certain who was the happiest, Alana or Anisa. But we knew our prayer had been answered. Anisa now had a family of her own. The four of us thanked Jesus for a quick answer to our prayer. Heng watched the proceedings. You could tell he was much in favor of this development.

I said to Heng, “Perhaps you could teach Alana to control Anisa with her legs. A horse is more like a friend and companion when you are not leading her with a bridle. Would we put a bridle on our friend and companion? However, she may need a bridle to begin with.”

Heng said he would teach Alana to guide Anisa with her legs; and if it would make it easier for Alana at first, he would put a bridle on Anisa.

Establishing Zion University

After breakfast, we were wondering what the day would hold. Everyone looked at me. I looked at Amira. Then I looked to the Lord. The Lord said, “I want you to make a dedication speech for Zion University. We will go to a location in the spirit world where you never have been, where there is a large campus. Bring Tad, Amira, and Gabrielle with you, but no animals.

“Everyone put on your white robes and brown sandals, because this is an extremely important occasion and you will be representing me.”

The Lord waited while we went upstairs to change into our robes. While we were gone, Jesus spoke to Erhard, Heng, Alana, Tom, and Claude, the cook. When we returned to the floor, the five of them were with Jesus and the shine on their faces was something to see! We knew that Heng had been instructed to take care of the animals while we were gone.

So Jesus led the four of us out through the two gates, and then we were flying high over the ground. We could see the most glorious sights imaginable. There were spectacular mountains, waterfalls, forests, horses, deer, elephants, lions, giraffes, every kind of animal one could imagine, living peacefully in a meadow in which there were different kinds of trees. I recognized some magnolia trees.

We passed over an ocean so huge we could not see its boundaries. We did see what looked like whales migrating somewhere. This may have been the same ocean we saw previously, although we did not see the fishing boats as we did before.

Then we came to a very large grassy area. In the middle were two gigantic buildings, each in the shape of a book. The Lord said, “This is a large campus of Zion University. It holds ten thousand students at one time and has a thousand professors and teachers, plus many directors and assistants. The building on the right is the Auditorium. The building on the left is the Instructional Center, and houses the classrooms in the morning, and then the activities in the afternoon.

“You are going to be making a dedicatory address from here, so let’s go inside the Auditorium.”

There were ten sets of double doors in the front of the building. Centered over the doors in large blue letters were the words “ZION UNIVERSITY.” These words were in Alephbeth. Amira and Gabrielle, having had beginning instruction in Alephbeth, tried to figure out the meaning. The Lord said they were close, and then gave them the correct interpretation.

The Instructional Center had the same kind and number of doors, and the name “INSTRUCTIONAL CENTER” in large blue letters was inlaid in the glass and centered over the ten sets of doors. We entered through the middle set of double doors in the front of Zion University, which pulled outward. There were no other people about, so we figured everyone was in the Auditorium.

Here is a marvelous thing. Both buildings were constructed from clear glass. All the exterior walls were glass. The ceiling and roof were glass. The doors were glass. We went through a foyer with wood paneling on the inside wall.

There were small circular tables and matching chairs. There were several vending machines with a wide selection of beverages, nuts, fruits, and biscuits. The vending machines operate without charge.

In front of us were ten sets of two massive glass doors with large golden handles. The doors opened in the middle and were standing open. Over the doors in large letters of gold, inlaid in the glass, was the word, “Auditorium.”

The Lord, noting my surprise at the glass construction, said, “This is so the Auditorium and the classrooms will be lighted during the day. The young people will have an opening class in the morning, at which time the purpose of the University will be rehearsed, with the emphasis on loving our neighbor as ourselves and God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind. Then the children will go to the Instructional Center for the remainder of the morning. In the afternoon they will participate in a number of activities.

“In the afternoon the Auditorium will house the adults, who will be refreshed in the purposes of the University. Then the Auditorium will be partitioned into classrooms for adult instruction.

“When moral training has resulted in a satisfactory level of achievement, electricity will be added to the campuses for scientific and engineering instruction and applications, and for audio/visual education in reading and writing in Alephbeth, for artistic accomplishment, achievement in literature, poetry, painting, and other subject areas.

“In some of the less populated areas of the earth the local elders will decide the size and features of their school, perhaps a much smaller building of a design more suited to the geographic features and the culture of the people.”

As we entered the Auditorium we could see that every seat was filled. There was a grand piano on the platform. As we walked down the center aisle, Jesus explained to me that there were a hundred boys and girls in each row and a hundred rows leading down to the platform.

It seemed evident that all ten thousand boys and girls were present. The Lord Jesus, who was visible to everyone in his white robe and brown sandals, led the four of us down the center aisle. There were several other aisles on each side of the center aisle.

There were five chairs on the platform. We went up the steps and sat in the chairs and looked at the audience. There was a podium on the center of the platform. There was no microphone. The Lord got up and went over and stood behind the podium.

Jesus introduced me as Lord Godwill, remarking that doing God’s will is the most important aspect of all of our lives. He said also that I had been chosen for the assignment of giving the dedicatory address for Zion University because I had forsaken my career in public education in order to do God’s will.

After saying this, Jesus returned to his place next to Tad and motioned to me to come to the podium.

Although there was no microphone, I understood that the Holy Spirit would make certain every member of God’s family could hear my voice.

I was not nervous at all standing in front of this multitude of children.

I’ll explain why I was not nervous, even though I was to give extemporaneously a dedicatory address. While pastoring Mount Zion Fellowship on the earth, before I died, I had preached two Sunday services, and, for most of the years, the Tuesday night service as well, with few exceptions, for over thirty-one years.

I never preached from notes. As I was praying about the sermon, Scripture references came to me and I wrote them down. I arrived at the church at least an hour before each service. When I got there, the Lord would tell me what to preach. For thirty-one years!

I think on perhaps five occasions I knew two or three days in advance what I was going to preach. Otherwise I had no idea of the topic until an hour before the service. I always asked the Lord what the people needed who were assembled. Talk about living dangerously! Talk about God’s faithfulness!

I had that same confidence now. I knew the subject I was to speak on, and I knew the words would be given to me, and so I began.

“I have been told that the Spirit of God is bringing my words to every person on earth and in the spirit world who is attending or will be attending Zion University.

“Welcome to each one. You and I are on the threshold of a new day. When we all have graduated from Zion University, and are putting into practice what we have learned, there will be no more wars. There will be a future for us that will be far, far more marvelous than any utopian dream that ever has been advanced.

“There will be no more ‘sea’ of people who do not know the Lord and whom the Lord does not know. The old order of things is passing away. The new order will be characterized by righteousness, love, joy, and peace, and by every advance imaginable in the arts and sciences, continuing throughout eternity. In short, all that man has dreamed of will become a reality.

“The old order on the earth existed under the Divine curse. The history of the world is one of frustration, despair, agony of mind, soul, and body. This is because people endeavored to fulfill their desires without the Presence and blessing of God. Hopefully Zion University will help each one of us bring God into our lives to a far greater extent than most of us have experienced.

“The goal of Zion University is to bring in a new order in which all forms of sorrow, pain, and death have been abolished.

“Christ has taught us that there are two great commandments that must be obeyed if we are to have a new order of righteousness, love, joy, and peace. The two commandments are that we love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and that we love our neighbor as ourselves.

“It well may be true most people would acknowledge that obedience to the two great commandments is desirable. The problem is, wicked forces from without and within have pressed us in directions contrary to the two commandments.

“Compounding the problem is that we have been taught we should learn to stand on our own feet, so to speak, trusting our own judgment, planning our own way in life. However, the fact is that the self-will and self-direction of Satan and of mankind is the basis for all sin, and therefore of all that is distressing and undesirable.

“God has removed the wicked pressures from without by chaining Satan and by driving the evil spirits into prisons to await the Day of Judgment.

“The power of the Divine redemption will remove the sinful motivations within us as we cooperate with the Spirit of God.

“Our desire to conduct our life apart from God, and what to do about this primary source of destructive behavior, that of attempting to conduct our life apart from God, will be one of the principal subjects of Zion University.

“The goal, remember, is that we love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves. The only manner by which we can attain fully to these objectives is by living in the Spirit of God. As we obey God, we will receive more of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will enable us to overcome all sin and disobedience—every trace of our fallen sinful nature.

“Each student enrolled in Zion University, from the youngest to the oldest, will be taught the meaning of the blood atonement made on the cross of Calvary. He then will be baptized in water, signifying that he has repented of his old way of life, that his old nature has been crucified with Christ, and from then on he will seek to follow the Spirit until his new life is an expression of the Life of Christ.

“If his adoption of crucifixion and resurrection is sincere and thorough, then the Holy Spirit will be given to him in ever increasing measure. As he obeys the Spirit in all aspects of his life, he will find that he loves God with all of his heart and his neighbor as himself.

“The full development of the new creation such that the person is living by the Life of the Spirit of God, is not accomplished in a moment. In order that this development may take place, he will be instructed in the behavior outlined in the Scriptures.

“He will be taught the commandments of Christ and his Apostles. He will learn how to recognize when he is going against the moral laws of the Kingdom of God, and how to be delivered from the particular pressure and regain his standing with God.

“There will be opportunities for role playing, as various behaviors are considered. Also he will be put in real-life situations and graded according to his performance. When those who have been charged with mentoring him are satisfied that his behavior conforms to the goal of the University, the work of the University has been accomplished as far as moral transformation is concerned.

“Thus the University has a twofold goal. The first and most important goal is to change the individual morally so that he loves God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself. The second goal, which depends on the first for its successful application, is to train the individual in the skills, arts, and sciences of civilization, and to assist him or her in acquiring the knowledge and ability to function in society according to his or her calling.

“There will be professors, teachers, paraprofessionals, directors of visual aids, and assistants in every field of endeavor. Every student will have available all the help he or she needs. Also, the Lord Jesus will assist each one as prayer is made to him. There will be mentors who will track the student’s progress both in moral transformation and in the area of knowledge and skills.

“In order for an individual to qualify as an instructor in the department of moral transformation, he first must become a life-giving spirit, a branch from Jesus Christ, the Tree of Life. During their discipleship the instructors will have pursued the Life of Christ until they now can bring the needed transformation to your mind so you can understand what is taking place, and also impart the various aspects of God’s Life to your heart so you will have the desire and power to embrace eternal life and reject eternal death.

“Some of the aspects of eternal life that will be presented to you are as follows: love for God with all of your heart, soul, strength and mind; love for your neighbor as yourself; joy; peace; courage; faith; holiness; truth; self-control; humility; contentment; the love of mercy; and strict obedience to God as He expresses his will through Christ. The opposites of these traits are spiritual death.

“No individual will have full freedom in the new world of righteousness until he or she has satisfactorily completed the program of moral transformation and the program of knowledge and skills.

“The age of entrance of a child in Zion University will be at the discretion of the mother. At her request, she will have the assistance of specialists in child development. The most important job in any society is the teaching of children. This task must be assigned to people whose moral standards and practices are godly beyond reproach.

“A person who refuses moral instruction will be taken to a place of confinement in the spirit world and ministered to by angels until he is willing to go through the program of reconstruction. In the event an individual is incorrigible, he or she will be subjected to a painful incarceration.

“If all means of helping the person become a productive member of society fail completely, and in the judgment of God there is no hope, the person absolutely refuses the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, then the individual shall be sent to the Lake of Fire to be with Satan and his angels.

“I hope everyone who is hearing my voice will rejoice with me as the Kingdom of God comes into view. Everyone coming forth from Christ to govern your area, or to work with you in the University, has a servant’s heart. He or she will do all in his or her power to help and bless you.

“Your rulers and helpers will not be permitted to work with you until Christ first has put his unbounded love for you in their hearts. If they seem strict at times, just remember that they are laboring unselfishly with only your good in mind.

“May God bless each of us as we move forward into the new world of righteousness, love, joy, and peace. Of the increase of Christ’s government and of peace may there be no end. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

When I finished I turned and went back to my seat. I asked the Lord if He kindly would receive the honors, as people began to stand and applaud. It would be nonsense for me to stand there as though I had thought all this up by myself.

Jesus left his chair and went over to the podium.

Christ spread out his hands and received the adoration of the people. Then He said, “It is the Spirit of God who has spoken through Lord Godwill, and it is his and my sincere hope that each one of you here, and the millions who have heard this dedicatory address, will recognize that the University and all of its teachers and facilities are gifts from the Father who thus is showing his love for his children.”

Having said this, the Lord motioned for Tad, Amira, Gabrielle, and me to follow him. We came down from the platform and walked up the center aisle. As we passed along, the people on each side, who still were standing and applauding, reached out to touch the Lord as He passed by.

It reminded me of the words of an old hymn, “Reach out and touch the Lord as He passes by.” Little did I realize as Audrey and I sang that song so many years ago that one day I would be walking behind Jesus and watching people reach out to touch him.

Wherever Audrey, my boys, their families, the people from Mount Zion fellowship, and other friends I have had through the years are living, I know they have heard my words and may recognize my voice. I hope they remember me and are blessed.

We went out through the doors and soon were in the “air” on our way back to Godwill Castle. The Lord led us a different way so we could see more of the spirit world. It is exceedingly large and all the dead from the beginning of time are here, although some are confined in various areas of the Land of Darkness, and a small minority have behaved so wickedly they are confined in Hell.

I have never seen Hell or its inhabitants and have no desire to do so. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I did see Hell at a later time. From what we read about Lazarus and the rich man, I would guess that the inhabitants of Hell do not love God with all their heart and their neighbor as themselves.

To love God and keep his commandments is such a minimal demand it is a pity that all mankind cannot see how profitable it is to do so. But then, I suppose this is the reason for Zion University.

We flew over numerous classes of people from various races sitting in grassy areas, listening to what I would gather is a victorious saint telling them about the Lord Jesus. So many millions of people have died and entered the spirit world with no religious instruction, or with incorrect religious instruction! May I add that the attitude one finds in Heaven is not that of condemnation but of instruction for all who are willing to learn.

On our way home we passed over God’s Temple. Even though we were quite high above the Temple we could feel the power and blessing of God Almighty.

Then we were over the Plain of Instruction where the children (my children) had been prepared for the battle between good and evil. There were many smaller buildings of the same design as the main campus we had just left—glass, book-shaped buildings.

I looked for my little darlings. Then I remembered that the children and adults I was looking at were not those who had been with me in the Great Battle. The children’s army, over which I am a marshal, is on the castle grounds, waiting to see what is going to happen next.

The Lord took us back to the ramp, and then disappeared. The sky had not darkened as yet, and so I asked the group, “What do you want to do?” We were not particularly hungry, for some reason. I suppose being that close to Jesus and doing his will gave us all the nourishment we needed. So we told Alana we were not going to eat lunch. It appeared she already knew that and was not surprised.

Amira answered, “I think I want to go up to my room and rest before dinner.” Gabrielle said, “Me too.” Tad said, “I think I will go in and give Lance a good currying.” I said, “I will go over to the music room and practice on the piano before I go upstairs to get ready for dinner.”

Tad then went to Lance’s stall. Amira and Gabrielle went in to greet White King, Amigo, Anisa, Warfighter, Watcher, and Kamur.

Bear came running out. I said, “Come on, Bear, we are going to the piano.” When Bear was alive on the earth she would lay for hours next to the piano while I practiced. We went to the music room on the second floor of one of the apartments. As I sat down at the keyboard of the concert grand, Klaus appeared and sat on the bench of the piano at my left.

I asked Klaus how he had been. He said he had other students he was working with, but the Lord told him I was ready for more instruction.

Klaus reminded me of his rules: “I want to hear every note; accuracy is more important than speed—the speed will come in time. Keep reviewing the composer’s dynamics, phrasing, and other directions. Wean yourself away from the pages of music as soon as possible and keep your eyes on the keyboard. Also, keep listening carefully to what your audience is hearing.

“There is no substitute for repetition. As you play a composition numerous times, your hands memorize their positions on the keyboard. I know it becomes boring and the music no longer is inspiring. You will know you are mastering the piece when you can play it while you are thinking about something else.”

I remember what King David said, “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.” Again, “Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”

It appears from what David said that the hands and fingers themselves can be trained.

Klaus said, “You have a good ear. Listen! Listen! Listen to every note! When it is legato, listen and maintain the legato. Be careful that at the end of a phrase you do not come off the note too abruptly. Listen carefully to the voices of a fugue.”

“Attempt to picture yourself as the audience. What are you saying to your listeners? What is the music saying to you? Can you make up words that go with the melody? After you are sure you know what the composer intended, make the piece your own with your own dynamics and phrasing, expressing your own personality.

“The piano is an excellent vehicle for expressing the performer’s personality.”

Klaus said, “Forget everything else and play to me. Tell me what you are feeling. The music of Chopin lends itself to dramatic expression; pauses; sudden changes in loudness and softness. You are a dramatic person. Don’t just march through the music, and don’t try to imitate any other concert artist. Roar at me and then whisper to me. Tell me about life!”

I played the Fantasie Impromptu for Klaus, and also Chopin’s Opus Ten, number Twelve. Klaus said they both need a lot of work. “Why don’t you drop them for now and we will concentrate on the Bach.” So I began The Well Tempered Clavier.

I have not played much Bach before. Klaus said, “Bach builds structures of tone. His compositions are not for the purpose of showing off your technique. Listen to what the master is saying.

“The eighth notes must be even. Let the music build its own climaxes. There are not to be passionate outbursts or occasions for virtuoso displays, as often is the case with your favorite, Chopin. Bach is from another era and is the acknowledged master of counterpoint.”

Klaus told me to always keep in mind the theme of a fugue, listening for it. “When you do you will emphasize it automatically so it can be heard in the different voices.” He had me play the same passages again and again until he was satisfied the theme was clear, the notes were even, the tempo was uniform, the true Bach genre could be heard.

After what seemed like three hours of this, we both felt that was enough for one day. I can see I am going to have to do a lot of hard work before I satisfy Klaus.

It was getting near dinner time, so I went up to my room and washed up, Bear trailing behind me. I took off my white robe and put on my regular clothes. Then I came down and met everyone at our usual place. We walked over to the Great Hall, where Claude had fixed a splendid meal.

We all ate well, but we were so tired there was not much talk at the table. When we finished we got up. There were hugs all around. We said good night to the animals and then left for our rooms.

My candles were lighted and the shutters closed. I put on my pajamas, snuffed out all the candles except the night candle, and got under my blanket. As I was drifting away I thought about the huge campus, and then about The Well Tempered Clavier and Bach’s genius.

The next thing I knew, Bear was in my face.

I went into the little “window-room,” opened the shutters, washed up a bit, and then Bear and I went down the winding staircase. Tad was there. We had to wait a brief time for Amira and Gabrielle. Meanwhile Bear got her biscuit from Erhard, who greeted Bear in Alephbeth.

After our “good mornings,” we went to the Great Hall. We had our oatmeal and eggs, our milk, juice, and biscuit. Alana was practicing Alephbeth on us. She is a happy person. We could not ask for a nicer waitress. She thanked us again for Anisa, telling us how much she enjoyed her new horse.

We thanked Alana for our food and got up from the breakfast table. I noticed the group was looking at me. I felt the Lord say, “What is in your heart to do?”

I thought, I have all eternity to practice the piano. I would like to see how it is going with Zion University. Also, I am hoping to become more acquainted with my children.

I remember the Lord told me that when one of the children cried out to him, or when the Father saw a need in one of the children, Christ would pass on the request to me so I could go to the child and do what I could to help, even if the only action was prayer with the individual. In this manner, the Lord advised me, over a period of time I would come to know each child personally.

So far, this has not happened.

I asked the group what they would like to do. Tad, Amira, and Gabrielle thought they would like to see how Zion University is taking shape in the earth. I felt that I would like to do that, and then later see what is taking place in our world.

So I told Jesus what we had decided. He said, “Get Kamur and Watcher for your protection because there still may be danger in some areas. The two animals will be invisible. The horses and Bear are to remain with Heng.”

So we went to the stable, greeted Heng in Alephbeth and asked him to bring out Kamur and Watcher, but to leave the horses in their stalls. I said I would appreciate it if he would keep Bear with him in his quarters. Heng came out of the stable with Watcher perched on his fist, Kamur padding beside him. Bear was confined in Heng’s quarter and we could hear her barking.

We went out through both gates and stood on the ramp. Watcher took off and Heng went back inside. Suddenly Watcher and Kamur were invisible.

Jesus came and stood beside the four of us. As we were looking at Him we no longer were standing on the ramp but on a sidewalk next to a street. The sidewalk resembled concrete. The street appeared to be made of red bricks that had been placed in a pattern and then leveled carefully.

Jesus said, “We are in Portland, Maine.”

I thought to myself, “This reminds me of somewhere I have been.” Then it came to me: The atmosphere was like the cities in the spirit world we had visited. There were no automobiles or buses. Everything was so quiet and peaceful. And you could feel the Presence of God!

There were sidewalks, and adults and children were walking on both sides of the street. There were stores and institutional buildings of the kind we had seen in the spirit world. I was amazed at the difference in the surroundings because of the absence of automobiles.

The Lord said to me, “There are no automobiles, airplanes, trains, or electricity as yet. Later on, as the University progresses, major advances in physics will develop ways of harnessing light and neutralizing or reversing the attraction between masses. These two discoveries will result in vehicles superior to automobiles and airplanes.

“As of now the Father has decreed that all automobiles and airplanes be eliminated. The reason is, automobiles and airplanes are so much a part of civilization they must be removed at this time.

“There is no need in the spirit world or in the new world of righteousness for telephones. Any person people wish to address will be available immediately.

“The Father wants the emphasis to be on personality improvement. This will be accomplished by the stern government of the kings and other rulers I appoint; by instruction; and then by the ever increasing Presence of the Holy Spirit.

“The Father has decreed also that the Life of the Holy Spirit will influence every individual who will be permitted to enter the new world of righteousness. Obviously millions of earth’s peoples will object strenuously to the enforcement of Kingdom discipline. But the power of God will overwhelm them until the resistance is broken.

“There will be some incorrigibles, but they will be dealt with accordingly. God no longer will allow people to do as they please. His objective is a loving, joyous, peaceful life for every man, woman, boy, and girl. Man has had his turn. Now it is God’s turn.

“But let’s see what we have here.”

To our right, about fifty yards away, we could see two modernistic buildings. They looked like huge glass books. In front of each building there were five sets of large double-doors that opened in the middle. The doors of the building on the right were propped open, and boys and girls were entering the building.

Just like the large campus in the spirit world, the building was constructed from clear glass. Over the doors of the building on the right, in large blue letters, inlaid in the glass, were the words, “ZION UNIVERSITY.” The title was in Alephbeth, of course, and Amira and Gabrielle could understand it.

Over the doors of the building on the left were the words, “INSTRUCTIONAL CENTER.”

Then Jesus began speaking to me. He said, “There will be no electricity available until God is certain the mad rush of civilization toward material progress has been slowed sufficiently for the moral instruction to assume its rightful place as the highest priority. Electricity will be produced at a later time when it is needed for instruction, for applications in science and engineering, and for audio/visual aids.

“The campuses are all glass so they can be lighted by daylight. Classes for the children begin in the morning. Because the construction is of glass, there will be light for the students and their teachers in the morning and for their activities in the afternoon. Also for the adults who are instructed in the afternoon while the children are in their activity classes.

“There will be no classes for anyone in the evening. The evening and night are for getting to know each other, and the Lord, better. During this quiet time the individual homes will be lighted by lamps using olive oil and other oils for fuel. The new world of righteousness we are approaching will be lighted by the Glory of God shining through me and the saints. But that is another era.

“Many industries and businesses will continue as before. However, money no longer will be the medium of exchange. Instead, angels will give to everyone metal coins all having the same value. When a person wishes to ‘buy’ something, he or she will give a coin to make the purchase.

“As is true in the spirit world, there will be angels stationed in all stores. If the individual is not working at his assigned task he will not be able to buy anything. Also, no person will be able to buy more than he or she needs.

“The use of such coins is a stopgap measure until the nations are able to make the transition to the free exchange of goods and services as practiced currently in the spirit world. In the new world of righteousness there will be neither poor nor rich people. Each will have his needs and desires satisfied, except that those who do not apply themselves to their assigned roles and tasks will have to be confined and trained until they are willing to do their part.

“I know most of the people of the world do not seem to understand that using money for the exchange of goods and services, and the opportunity to amass more money than one needs, are directly responsible for crime, wars, and starvation.

“An economic system based on money is not conducive to loving and trusting God, or loving our neighbor as ourselves. Money itself becomes the god, supposedly guaranteeing survival, pleasure, and achievement. Therefore money as a vehicle for exchanging goods and services will never again be permitted to exist.

“In America, as well as in some other countries, the chief god is money. It is a cause for grief to consider how coveting money changes people, who should be caring neighbors, into devils whose only thought is how they can take the money from some person and add it to their own. It appears to be a form of insanity, removing from the covetous individual just about every shred of generosity and decency.

“In reflecting on the Indian tribes of long ago, what would the members of the tribe think of an Indian who filled his tent with wampum, and spent most of his time trying to add to it? They would think there was something wrong with his head. Of course, with the advent of the casinos, it may be true that some of the old values of the Indians have changed.

“In America, as well as in other nations, the person with the most money often was an object of admiration and envy. When you reflect on it, this is a warped value. The rich individual may have been feared and even hated by most people, including the members of his own family. Thus he was poverty stricken in that which is most valuable of all possessions, the love of family and friends.

“He or she would die and pass into the eternal world as a repulsive, shrunken creature. His miserable condition then would be revealed for all to see.

“People amass more money than they need in order to be independent of God. In the new world of righteousness, money will not be used as a medium of exchange.

“Godwill, you are accustomed to my always being with you and speaking to you. This has not been true for most people. However, now that Satan has been chained, and the unclean spirits are being driven from the earth into confinement in the spirit world, the Spirit of God will be much more present in the earth. God will speak to everyone, teaching and guiding him or her in the decisions of life.

“There is no need for the news media. The Spirit of God will make certain each individual knows what is important for him or her to know and understand.”

Things sure are different when God is running the world! I really like it.

We walked along the sidewalk to the entrance to the University. Jesus had made himself invisible. So was Kamur as he prowled beside us. Watcher, circling overhead, also was invisible.

There were children entering through the door farthest to the right of the main building, and we went in alongside of them. We kept our glory concealed, and were dressed the same as everyone else. Amira was wearing a blue dress with a gold butterfly pin on it. She had a yellow bow in her hair and was wearing black dress shoes. Gabrielle was wearing the green dress that Amira had obtained in the store in the York community, and black dress shoes. She had a white bow in her hair.

Amira was wearing a yellow sweater and Gabrielle a white sweater. The sweaters and black dress shoes appeared in their closet before we had decided where to visit. I think Someone is overseeing what we are doing!

Tad and I wore white shirts open at the neck and brown loafers. Tad had on brown slacks and a light blue sweater. I was wearing dark blue slacks and a brown sweater. Tad’s hair was brown for this occasion. Ordinarily it is silver.

The Lord Jesus had brought us to Portland, Maine, as He said a bit ago. He did not bring us where someone would recognize us, because after all we are “dead” and this could be disconcerting to our friends and loved ones. It was in July, so we were dressed appropriately. No one paid attention to us.

This was our first opportunity to see a class operating in Zion University. We entered the foyer. There were chairs and small round tables where the students could talk or have a snack.

Like the Auditorium we visited in the spirit world, the ceiling was clear glass, as were the doors also. The walls were paneled with wood with large windows to let in light. We were in Maine, and I could see vents in the walls where heat would be piped in from a central source. There were many oil lamps spaced along the wall. I would guess these were lit when there were storm clouds overhead.

I mentioned previously about “heat” in the spirit world, When we think about Elijah on Mount Carmel, we notice that the Lord’s fire burnt up stones and soil, making us think of atomic energy of some sort. So it may be true that the “central source” of heat for the buildings of Zion University may be controlled nuclear fusion. It may be true also that this central source serves numerous stores and houses. Maine can get quite cold in the winter.

Seeing the vents where heat was piped in reminded me of an earlier day in West Haven. I had asked if I could feel the cold for a bit. I was a spirit at that time, and West Haven was a fabricated environment. Soon I began to feel a cold wind. After some nostalgic moments, the cold was uncomfortable. So I asked the Lord and He removed it.

But now I actually was in Portland and in a resurrection body. I would say it was during the first part of September, or thereabouts, so the cold air was beginning to move in. You know, in a resurrection body you can turn off and on the feeling of cold and hot, pain, tiredness, or any other sensation that might interest you. I suppose this is because our life now is of the Spirit of God and transcends our prior sensory perceptions. I kept myself at a nice, refreshing, invigorating cool but not cold.

In front of us, across the foyer, there were five sets of double doors with handles in the middle. There were letters of gold inlaid in the glass centered over the five sets of doors, saying “Auditorium.” We went in through the middle set of double-doors. Just about every seat was filled with elementary-school youngsters, boys and girls. Being a former public elementary-school teacher and principal I am right at home with this age group. I noticed they were quiet and attentive.

The design of the room was much the same as the Auditorium of the large campus in the spirit world, although it was smaller. There was a grand piano on the platform.

There must have been a thousand children in the room. Tad and I counted the number of seats in a row. There were fifty-five, broken up by aisles, and we counted twenty rows of seats leading down to the platform. The rows were curved. The platform was elevated.

The teacher, Mrs. Schwartz, was standing in front of the blackboard in the middle of the platform. Her rather large desk was to one side on her right. The piano was on her left. Mrs. Schwartz was about thirty-five years old, I would venture. She was wearing a brown skirt, white blouse, a brown pullover sweater, small gold earrings, and a matching gold pin on her sweater.

Mrs. Schwartz’s manner was pleasant and good-humored. She noticed the four of us at the back but did not say anything about it. Evidently she is accustomed to having parents and other visitors stop by.

Let me comment a bit on what I have just written. When I was alive in America, four strangers could not just wander into a classroom without notifying the principal. But since wicked spirits and people have been driven from the earth, and since Christ has made it clear through his kings and other leaders that the mad pursuit of material accomplishments has been eliminated and an emphasis has been placed on personal relationships, the atmosphere now is one of peace and safety.

It is not the “peace and safety” of the Antichrist world spirit (which was neither peaceful nor safe) but the peace and safety that come with the Presence of God.

It really helps to have no cars and no electricity. People are forced to slow down. As they do, they perceive that they do not have to live such a frantic life after all. There is time now to reflect on the goodness of God, and the pleasures that exist where there are loving relationships in the family.

I might add that the highest values in America, my country, were independence of thought and action, privacy, and the pursuit of pleasure. The highest values in the Kingdom of God are the practice of righteousness, the love of mercy, walking humbly with God, and the pursuit of a further knowledge of Christ.

Since the American ideal was not the same as that of the Kingdom of God, the future of our nation was bleak! Wise individuals departed from the commonly held values and sought Christ and the values of the Kingdom of God; for they realized people certainly shall meet up with Kingdom values upon their death.

The teacher got our interest at once. She asked, “What happens when we sin?”

Nearly every hand in the room shot up. “Yes, Ruth,” the teacher said.

Ruth is a chubby little youngster with blond hair to her shoulders—about ten years of age, I would judge. Ruth stood up. “When we sin against God we hurt God, others, and ourselves.” With this, Ruth sat down, rather primly I thought.

“That is exactly right,” Mrs. Schwartz said. Then she asked, “What has Christ done for us concerning sin? Brad?”

Brad stood up, a thin tall boy with brown hair. He answered, “Christ made a sacrifice for our sins so we can be forgiven.” Brad sat down self-consciously.

“Good job, Brad. Anyone else? Helen?”

Helen got up thoughtfully. She is large for her age, graceful and beautiful. Helen has long dark brown hair. She is wearing a white dress and a pearl bracelet on her right wrist. I recognized at once that Helen is an intellectually gifted child, based on my experience with elementary children.

I was very interested to hear what Helen would have to say. She answered with the simplicity and dignity of children before they are corrupted by the love of money, violence, physical lust, and personal ambition that abounded in the unregenerate world of earth.

“It is true that our Lord Jesus shed his precious blood on the cross that God might forgive our sin.” I noticed that some of the children began to fidget. Apparently they were accustomed to having Helen say things they could almost, but not quite, grasp.

Helen continued: “It is not enough that our sins are forgiven, because then we may sin some more. So our Lord Jesus has sent his Holy Spirit so we can overcome our desire to sin and not do it anymore.” Then Helen sat down in her quiet, unassuming manner. I know “her Lord Jesus” is very proud of his daughter, Helen.

I would guess about half the class was interested in Helen’s comments. Her words appeared to be over the heads of the remainder of the children.

“That is an excellent response, Helen. Would anyone like to add to that?”

“I would.” A red-headed boy, stocky build, jumped to his feet.

“What are you going to tell us, Harry?”

“Everybody knows how bad I wanted a bicycle. It is a long walk from our house to here.

“Last week as I was walking to school I noticed a coin purse lying on the sidewalk. I guess somebody had dropped it.

“I looked in the purse, and there were some of the coins that we use to get into a store. I knew where there was a black racer that I hoped I could get some day. Now I had coins.

“But the man’s name and address were in the purse, and I knew God would want me to give his coins back to him. Boy, it was hard! I wanted that bike so bad!

“I had just passed his house on the way to school. But I still wanted to keep those coins.”

Believe me, Harry had the attention of the children.

“Right then I felt God’s Presence. So I prayed and asked Jesus to help me return the money.

“I went back to the house and knocked on the door. An old man answered. I held out the purse. He began to cry. He said, ‘That is all the coins my wife and I have for this month. I didn’t know what I was going to do!’

“I was embarrassed with the old man crying and all, so I started to leave.

“’Wait,’ he said. He was wiping his eyes with his handkerchief. ‘I can give you a coin for a reward for returning my purse and we will still have enough for food and rent.’

“’No,’ I said, ‘I don’t need a reward for doing what is right. I am learning in school to do what is right and Jesus will help us.’

“The man said, ‘Young man, take this coin. You saved me from a lot of trouble this month. You made me see what God is doing in Portland is going to be good for us.’

“’Hallelujah,’ he shouted, and his wife came running.

“’Mary,’ he said, ‘I was wrong to complain about all the buildings getting smashed and everybody having to go to Zion University. Heaven is coming to the earth!’

“Mr. Walker made me take the coin. As I went out the door I could hear him and his wife praising God.

“When I told them the whole story, Mom and Dad said it was okay to spend it on a bicycle. The black racer is in the bicycle rack outside. I know nobody will steal it because the Lord will get ‘em if they do.”

With this Harry sat down proudly. Unlike the situation with Helen, every child was impressed and listening intently.

Mrs. Schwartz let this story sink in for a moment. You could feel the Presence of Christ in the room.

Then she said, “I would like to make a comment. Every time we do what Harry did, ask Christ to help us do the right thing when we are tempted to do something bad, it becomes easier the next time. Do you know why that is?”

No one knew the answer.

She said, “It is because Christ not only gives us strength to do the right thing at the time, but He also gives us more of Himself. If we keep doing this over and over, do you know what will happen eventually?”

Two or three hands went up. One was a little brown-haired girl, smaller than most of her classmates. She slipped her hand up just a little, but the teacher saw it. She apparently is a shy little girl and the teacher wanted to encourage her.

“Yes, Cynthia, what do you think will happen if we keep making the right choices and Jesus keeps giving us more of Himself?”

Cynthia stood up cautiously, and said in a soft voice, “We will be like Jesus.”

Have you ever been in a room where a kind of quiet assent, a murmur of approval sweeps through the group? That is what happened here.

The four of us looked at each other. Tad said, “Praise the Lord!” Mrs. Schwartz smiled her approval. We could see Jesus momentarily, and He also was smiling.

Amira and Gabrielle looked subdued. I was rejoicing in my heart because I knew Christ was going to be successful. By requiring everyone to learn to obey God’s moral precepts, it would not be too long before God’s will would be done in the earth as it is in Heaven.

We turned and went out into the clean, cool Maine air. I was thinking about how simple the solution to the world’s problems actually is. It is not such an impossible project. Train people to behave righteously, even if you have to use force and violence in some instances, and voilà!—righteousness, love, joy, and peace will abound.

Of course, Satan has to be bound if this social environment is to be possible. Also, our sin nature must be removed and we must have a portion of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

When we stood outside the entrance, Tad said, “Let’s walk around a bit.” We agreed to this. I knew Kamur and Watcher were on the job.

You know, you can’t imagine the difference in the environment when there are no cars. It was still morning. The children were in class. The adults were working at their jobs. The mothers were cleaning their houses (there were no electric appliances), or working at a store or somewhere else, I suppose.

The older people were sitting in their homes, or on their porches, or were walking on the sidewalk, talking to their friends. Occasionally someone would ride by on horseback; and we did see a horse-drawn wagon with vegetables in it.

When I remember how television and the Internet had molded the values and attitudes of young people in America, I marvel that the leaders of our country did not perceive the obvious results of this molding and insist on more wholesome presentations.

China did take steps to control what appeared on the Internet, particularly pornography. China also worked with parents to help when a young person became addicted to the Internet and began to exhibit behavior problems. I do believe our country would have been better off if our government had made more of an effort to control moral behavior.

There were psychiatrists who listed the electronic games as addictive, and some parents reported the dreadful effects the electronic games were having on their children. In certain instances, schoolwork was suffering and the children were becoming hostile and rebellious because of their absorption in the electronic games. In addition, obesity had become a major problem with children, perhaps, at least in part, because of the lack of physical exercise.

Before, while in my flesh and blood existence, as I grew older, I noticed that you never saw the girls playing “Jump Rope” or “Hopscotch.” There were no girls and boys outside playing “Kick the Can” or even “Hide and Seek”—games that were prevalent when I was a child. They all were inside watching the television or the Internet. This change in behavior on a wide scale is likely to have caused a difference in the physical condition of the children of the affluent nations.

After I entered the spirit world, the electronic games evolved into virtual experiences that ran the whole range of human activity. There was no one to stop this development because it was being driven by money. God did not permit this devastation of the children and young people to continue. He brought it to a halt by the return of the Lord Jesus to the earth.

There were horrible sexual enticements presented to the children and young people via the Internet and cell phones. People fretted about it but were unable to prevent its proliferation. Of course, the government, even if it had wanted to, could have done little or nothing about this corruption of children and young people.

The people of the Western nations maintained: “We must preserve the rights of the people and freedom of expression. We always must give preeminence to the philosophy of self-determination, even for small children.”

This philosophy came from Satan and is immensely destructive!

Some officials of the public libraries of America insisted there be no censorship of reading materials. No matter how depraved a text may be, it absolutely must be available to children. There is, of course, no sense to this position. But it is maintained seriously by educated people.

Here is a question: “At what point do freedom of religion and of speech, and other forms of ‘tolerance,’ become stupidity?” It is when they lead to behaviors that go against common sense!

Let me comment a little bit about the “socialization” of the young. I have a deep interest in children and young people, and considerable experience in public-school work as well as some experience in Christian-school work. I have thought a lot about this topic, obviously.

I think there is a misunderstanding concerning the value of the extensive socializing of the young, that is, having children and young people as part of a peer community in which older people are not involved. I will tell you what I have observed.

Some of the social-networking programs on the Internet have had the effect of creating a division between the youth and the older people. The problem with this, as Satan knows only too well, is that experience is the coin we exchange for wisdom. It is obvious older people have more experience than the younger, although I cannot say with confidence that the older people always gain wisdom from their numerous experiences.

It has been said that if we permit children and young people to have a wide circle of acquaintances with whom they interact, apart from parental supervision, they will learn to choose constructive behavior and avoid destructive, sinful, sometimes lawless, behavior.

I think this is a fallacy. I believe the truth is, if young people and children are left by themselves, without adult supervision, they will derive their values from the most worldly, sophisticated members of the group. They will be exposed to undesirable sexual activity, pornography, drugs, and violence.

Such exposure will affect their character adversely. They will not learn from such exposure to choose constructive behavior and avoid that which is destructive.

This is why school administrators, when designing a school system, and deciding about K-Three; or K-Five; or K-Six must keep in mind that the children in the highest grade will establish the values and behavior of all the children. It simply is this way. Worldly sophistication is a very attractive, contagious pattern of behavior.

After thinking about various kinds of governmental-social systems, I have come to the conclusion that the most beneficial system, the one that will minimize undesirable character formation of children and young people, is the patriarch-clan system.

The patriarch-clan system, which I have been led to believe has existed in some Arab communities, and undoubtedly in many other social systems, has much to offer. As I understand it, the patriarch is revered. The young people and children are kept with others of their clan and married within their clan. This would have been true of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, wouldn’t it?

The result of the patriarch-clan system is that the children and young people are molded by the experience of older people. They do not form a separate “peer group” which believes it knows everything, and actually has very limited awareness of the realities of life. The separate peer group usually attempts to “reinvent the wheel” for themselves. This often leads to destruction and corruption of one kind or another—even to suicide, in some instances.

A strong church family can help. But in America such socializing networking as YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, easily can undermine the influence of the parents and the elders of the church. Anyone who is familiar with YouTube, MySpace, and other attempts of creators of web sites to capitalize on the desire of young people to find new friends and form their own values, could see that the values contained therein left a lot to be desired, from a Christian viewpoint.

All institutions which socialize young people and children apart from parents and elders accomplish Satan’s goal of separating the young from the wisdom of the older people.

An additional problem is that numerous adults and elderly people in the United States never grew up. Sixty-and seventy-year-old people went to gambling casinos to have “fun.” They were not available as models for children and young people.

In many instances the older people and adults who influenced the next generation of adults as they were growing up failed to provide a model for them, with the result that those younger adults were not able to be a model for the new generation of children and young people.

But a patriarch, just as used to be true of a Scottish chieftain, has the respect of the young. They value his opinion. They can model themselves after him. People from the very smallest child can be taught the Bible on a regular basis by the patriarch of the clan or by someone appointed by him.

The idea of a patriarchal society becomes especially intriguing when we realize that in the new world of righteousness the patriarch will live forever. He can be the head over an entire world of people. His rulership will evolve naturally, as the members of his clan observe his righteousness and integrity.

This would be like Melchizedek, wouldn’t it? He is a king and priest forever by the power of an endless life.

Perhaps the rulers whom King Jesus sends out to govern the various areas of the earth will operate more as a patriarch governing a clan instead of a king governing a nation. This would be after people have been brought under subjection to Christ.

How markedly different from today’s political campaigns, in which money often decides who will govern people for the next few years. These procedures sometimes end up with self-serving liars in the positions of oversight.

Please consider that in the new world of righteousness, people will not die. It is said that seventy million people are added to earth’s population each year. If this number of people were added to the new earth each year, and no one died, the world population soon would expand beyond the confines even of the gigantic new earth.

Now we see why God has demonstrated his ability to create endless numbers of heavenly bodies. They will be needed to provide living space for the generations of people who will be born throughout the endless ages to come.

The governmental-social systems that were so dependent on money could not possibly have been modified except by the coming of Christ and His saints. The radical change that was needed could be accomplished only by the power of the Spirit of God when the Lord Jesus appeared from the spirit world.

Money is the power of the Antichrist world system, and the power of money is significant. But the power of the Spirit of God is vastly greater. This is why during the Great Battle, and the destruction of civilization as described in the second chapter of the Book of Joel, all the spiritual and physical forces of lawlessness were utterly, totally vanquished, and righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God began to prevail.

Sometimes I think God permitted man to make money his means of exchanging goods and services so the hearts of people could be tested. The wicked soon were exposed as they offended God and people in their crazed desire to accumulate money, hoping that if they could acquire enough money they would be kept safe and could live as they pleased.

In the new world of righteousness, where money no longer is employed in the exchange of goods and services, people will not be tempted to sell their souls in order to amass money.

God through the Lord Jesus Christ is working out a long program of redemption. And, as we saw with Harry, it indeed shall be successful.

So as we walked the streets of Portland, the quiet suburbs and the busy, but not frantic, city, we could see for ourselves that God working through Christ knows exactly what He is doing. We could perceive the beginning of the eternal Paradise as the power of the Kingdom of God operates in the loving, joyous attitude of the people of Portland, Maine.

We visited the Waterfront District. The Portland waterfront is well worth seeing.

At one time the skyline of Portland was like any other modern American city. But no longer! The large multistory buildings, large department stores, shopping malls, are gone. They have been replaced by small, family-operated stores, as directed by the sons of God.

The stores are now old-fashioned mom-and-pop stores. In addition there are many interesting and wholesome events taking place in Portland. We dropped by to listen to music that was being played for workers during their lunchtime.

There is an annual event called “Take Your Dog to Work Day.” I know Bear would like that. Isn’t that an interesting idea? You take your dog to work in order to increase your bond with your dog. I like that.

I remember my mother had a picture of me when as a small child I won a prize in an event called “Maine in the Market.” I wonder if they still do that in Portland.

There was a sign advertising a concert to be given on Thursday evening, but we did not want to stay that long. There is a “Kidz Activity Day” at Lobsterman’s Park. This was held in the morning. I thought, we have got to return and see what that is like.

There are free horse and wagon rides in the winter. I bet that would be fun.

There are several stores that sell the seafood for which Maine is famous. I still remember how good the clam cakes tasted that I had as a boy, at Willard Beach in South Portland.

There are so many good, wholesome things that people can do. We just do not need the high-powered commercialism that had had such a grip on America. We had lost our way, it seems, and God in his love is bringing us back to that which is peaceful and joyous, even though He has had to smash some of our institutions to return us to what numerous Americans want in their hearts.

You may be outraged at the destruction of the commercial institutions. You may find yourself angry at God! But stop and reflect. You as well as I know the horror stories of violence, child molestation, sexual perversion, governmental graft and corruption that took place before Christ returned.

The good news is, God is acting to heal the earth and its nations. The violent overthrow of the institutions of civilization may not appear to be pleasing to us at this time. My personal opinion is that if the destruction of our way of life prevents the molesting of one child, or the unnecessary aborting of one infant, then I accept such destruction gladly.

God is accomplishing what we desire and cannot accomplish on our own, and we thank Him for that.

As I considered what a peaceful place Portland has become, I was rejoicing because of what Christ had told me when we visited the English community. I realize that as Christ begins to establish his Kingdom on the earth He is going to move people around.

The vast land area of our nation, the United States will be divided into smaller parcels, so that people of a common racial background or common interests can live together in peace. There may still be a portion of our land that is occupied by American people who have lived in this country so long their original racial identity has become inconsequential. They are “Americans,” we might say.

Of course, numerous American Indians still are an identifiable race, and no doubt they will be given back their land as Christ deems appropriate.

Each parcel of land will have its own king, or patriarch. The king will be sternly obedient to Christ. He will be righteous, merciful, and wise, having the heart of a servant. Yet he will govern with the rod of iron.

The end result of Christ’s working will be justice and peace for all.

There will be tribes of people in remote areas of the earth who will retain their own land. But where their land is an inhospitable desert, or a frozen wasteland, Christ will alter the environment so food can be grown. The temperature over the whole earth will be suitable for human habitation. There will be seasons, but they will not be as violent as they have been. Many people are accustomed to seasons and enjoy them. I am one of those.

As I understand it at this time, during the thousand-year Kingdom Age there will be changes of weather, such as we have experienced on the earth. There will be tropical areas and also much colder climates; but not extreme ranges of temperature such as we have had in the Kalahari wasteland in Africa and in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The bodies of animals accustomed to extreme cold or heat will be adjusted so they can thrive.

There will be some beneficial insects, such as honey bees. The physical features, such as plains or mountains, or proximity to the ocean, will not be altered. The people love the features of their land and do not want them changed.

The Divine curse shall be lifted through the ministry of the sons of God.

Amira said, “I am ready to go home.” I guess we all felt that way. We missed Godwill Castle, Heng, Erhard, Alana, our animals, even Tom, the steward of the castle, although he always is so busy we don’t see much of him. We had started out to see how Zion University was working in the earth. We have accomplished our goal.

You know, when I was in Iceland one time, preaching God’s Word, I came to understand that the only inheritance worth having is people. I thought I would like to be one of the rulers on the earth during the Kingdom Age, and inherit people. I wasn’t eager to govern people, but at least there would be people to love and help on their way to God.

Now that I have inherited five thousand thirty parentless children, and their five hundred officers, and have them to love and help on their way to God, that desire has been satisfied. Whatever happens on the earth, happens; but I am content with where I am now.

I know I will be able to see Audrey, Marc, and David, and their families, and the people from the church, and other friends, from time to time. But Jesus has placed such a love for these children in me that I know I am to give my attention to them.

I believe we are ready to see how Zion University is operating in the spirit world. I looked to the Lord Jesus and said, “We would like to see how Zion University is working out in the spirit world.”

Instantly the four of us were standing at the entrance to one of the campuses that had been constructed on the Plain of Instruction on which the children (my children!) had been trained for the Great Battle. We saw Kamur and Watcher for a brief moment to assure us we still were being guarded, and then they became invisible again.

The construction of these University buildings, although smaller, were exactly the same as the Auditorium in which I had given the opening address. The two book-shaped buildings were of glass. “Zion University” was over the front doors in blue letters inlaid in the glass. There was the “Instructional Center” standing next to the main building, also made of glass. Instead of going into the Auditorium, we entered the Instructional Center on the left.

When we went into the foyer, there were titles in gold letters over five sets of double-doors: KINDERGARTEN; LOWER ELEMENTARY; UPPER ELEMENTARY; LOWER HIGH SCHOOL; UPPER HIGH SCHOOL. These signs all are in Alephbeth, but I have put them in English so the reader may understand them.

It is a good thing for us that Amira and Gabrielle had studied Alephbeth, because all the names of the rooms and classes are in that language. They did as well as they could with the interpretations, and Jesus whispered in their minds the parts they couldn’t understand.

Amira and Gabrielle wanted to see what the lower high school class is like. Tad said he would visit the upper high school so both high-school levels would be represented.

I wanted to see the little ones, so I had to choose between lower elementary (most likely six to nine years old), and upper elementary (ten to twelve years old). Maybe I can peek in at both. But I am going to be invisible so as not to disturb the students.

Come to think of it, since my new family has been relocated to Tent City, on the castle grounds, they may not be going to school here or anywhere else. Perhaps no provision has been made for their education! Maybe we are going to have to construct some campuses for the boys and girls in Tent City, and leave the campuses on the Plain of Instruction for other children and adults.

I opened the doors to the lower elementary section. Once you go through the double-doors there are doors to eight classrooms facing you, with names over the doors: Classroom A, two rooms; Classroom B, two rooms; Classroom C, two rooms; and Classroom D, two rooms.

I chose the room on the right of Classroom C of the lower-elementary section. These children looked to be about eight years old. The room was laid out the same as in Portland, containing about twenty-five students.

The teacher was an older man, perhaps fifty years of age I would guess. He was wearing a white shirt, black slacks, black dress shoes, red tie. Mr. Hammond was writing on the blackboard. He turned to the class and said, “What should we do if we have a nice lunch and one of the children forgot his or her lunch pail?”

The whole class chorused, “Share!”

Mr. Hammond smiled and wrote “share” on the blackboard. He already had written “What would Jesus do?” on the blackboard. Then he asked, “What should we do when we a new child comes to the class?” Several hands shot up.

“Tara.” Tara is eight or nine years of age. Tara has red hair and freckles. She was wearing a green blouse with a white shamrock on it.

Tara stood and said, “We should be kind and make the new child feel welcome.

“Once I was put with some children I didn’t know. Some of the boys and girls acted like they didn’t want me, and I felt real bad.

“But one girl, Virginia, was real kind and we became best friends. Then I felt better.” Then Tara sat down gracefully.

Mr. Hammond asked, “What word can we use to describe Virginia, who was kind to Tara?” Hands went up.

“Zahir.” Zahir looked younger than eight. Perhaps he was put in this class for being unusually bright. He was wearing a blue shirt and brown short pants. He stood up and said, “Friendly.” Mr. Hammond wrote “friendly” in Alephbeth on the board.

Although it may be true that none of my children are here, those whom I am visiting are receiving wonderful instruction. They are too old to remain in Playland and have been placed in one of the communities.

I understand that not all young children are mine. Some of them have grieving parents who think about them every day, longing for the day when they can die and be reunited with their child. And they shall be reunited with their son or daughter and the family will be together in Christ’s world.

The children we are seeing here have parents or other relatives in one of the communities and return home after school. Those whose parents are still alive on the earth are placed with families until their own mother or father die and enter the spirit world. They remain with these families until their parents have been prepared to live in the Land of Light with their children.

My family of children are those who have no mother or father longing for them. I am their father. Also, since Christ has trained me in spiritual warfare, my boys and girls are soldier-judges, as young as they are. They always will be soldier-judges.

From now on, through the Kingdom Age and then on the new earth, they will be soldier-judges who will act as judges to enforce God’s will throughout the creation, and I will continue to be their father and their marshal. Godwill Castle always will be their home, although they may be stationed at remote parts of the earth, or even of the universe.

This does not mean they cannot have their own families, or live on the earth if they wish. They can pursue another vocation, according to their talents and callings. But they always will be on call, like a reserve force.

Satisfied that an excellent job was being done in the lower elementary classrooms I went out the door and entered the section marked “Upper Elementary.” Again there were the eight doors, marked the same as in the lower elementary.

I chose one of the doors and went in. The teacher on the platform was Mrs. Levy. She was teaching these older elementary students the Sermon on the Mount, and showing how both the Sermon on the Mount and the Ten Commandments are summed up in “Love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Mrs. Levy was animated and moved back and forth as she spoke. The youngsters were attentive, quiet, well behaved, and respectful toward the teacher.

One boy raised his hand. “Antonio, what is it?”

Antonio is an older boy, perhaps twelve years of age, well built, looks like an athlete. He stood up.

“Mrs. Levy,” he began, “How does the commandment to honor our father and mother fit with the commandment to love God with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind?”

I could tell Antonio was not being bold. He really was trying to grasp the concept.

Mrs. Levy paused. Then she said, “Antonio, that is an excellent question. It shows you really have been thinking.”

“Would anyone like to answer Antonio’s question?”

No one was sure of the answer.

Finally Mrs. Levy said, “God has commanded us to honor our father and mother. If we love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind, we will obey his command to honor our father and mother.”

This was such a wise, clear answer that you could tell Antonio and the rest of the class were satisfied. Also, I am sure this illustration will help the youngsters find other applications.

I was a little disappointed at not seeing any of my children but was glad to observe the quality of the moral instruction that the boys and girls were receiving. I wonder what America would have been like if such instruction had been given in the public schools. Instead, if you can believe this, the children from the lowest grades were being taught about their sexual preferences. The results of such a wicked, perverted curriculum, as well as the other abominations being practiced, brought severe judgment upon our country.

I met Tad, Amira, and Gabrielle in the foyer. We made ourselves visible. We each got some fruit juice from a dispenser and sat down at one of the small round tables.

Amira wanted to tell us all about the lower high school class she and Gabrielle visited.

“The teacher is a young man. He looks Chinese. His name is Mister Zhou. His name was on the blackboard. He probably is about twenty-five years old.

“Mister Zhou talked to his class about what had gone wrong on the earth, how people were taught many things and skills but not how to love God and their neighbor.

“Then they did some short plays. He called the plays ‘role playing.’ He had one of the boys pretend he was a famous scientist but had no training in loving God and his neighbor. Then he asked the boy what he would do with the knowledge he had.

“The boy said he would invent a bomb so powerful that all the people would let him rule the world or he would kill everyone on the earth.

“Then Mr. Zhou chose a girl and said, ‘What if you were a famous scientist but also had been taught to love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself? What would you do with your knowledge?’

“She answered, ‘I would invent a way of making food so no one would ever starve.’”

Tad then joined in. He told us that the teacher he visited was a man named Mr. Forster. Mr. Forster’s father was an Englishman who came to live in America. His father married a woman of the Navajo tribe of American Indians. Mr. Forster’s mother taught him about the history of the American Indians and their ways.

“Mr. Foster was telling the class how that in time past, many of the Indian tribes revered honesty and integrity. When the Christian people came to America, instead of honoring the Indian values, and showing them that the Father of Jesus Christ also honored honesty and integrity, the Christians lied to the Indians and stole their land.

“Mr. Forster explained that today in America the Indians are leaving their original values and seeking to become rich by inviting people to gamble. Numerous Americans are becoming addicted to gambling and losing all their money.

“The injury the Christians caused by not teaching the Indians to love God with all their heart and their neighbor as themselves, which many tribes would have done if they had been taught, came back to injure the people of America as they became addicted to gambling.

‘“It always is best to love God and obey him, and love our neighbor as ourselves. This way we please God and bring good things to our neighbors and ourselves,’ Mr. Forster said.”

This was a long speech for Tad. He usually doesn’t talk much. Mr. Forster must have made a deep impression on him.

Tad exclaimed, “You know, it is difficult for me to understand how people who called themselves Christians treated the Indians as they did. We could see from Heaven that many of the tribes of Indians placed great value on faithfulness, honesty, courage, and loyalty. What caused the Christian people from Europe to be so selfish and wicked?”

I said, “Tad, I do not know. The teaching of the Gospel just did not enter their personalities deeply enough to enable them to overcome their selfishness and their love of money. This is why numerous people who refer to themselves as Christians, and who believe the Bible is God’s Word, must go through a great deal of training before they are fit to be citizens of Heaven.

“I think the early Christians in America were just like religious people all over the world. They placed more emphasis on their doctrines and their religion than they did on their behavior. They made belief in the ‘statements of faith’ of their religion more important than obedience to Christ and his Apostles.

“They did not love God with all their heart and their neighbors as themselves. They did not know Jesus very well, just facts about the Christian religion, traditions, and practices.

“The Indians of South and North America as well as the people of Africa, who could have been helped by so many advancements in science and agriculture, were horribly abused by the colonizing efforts of ‘Christian’ Europe.

“It is my observation that belief in Christ is only ‘skin-deep’ in most church people. Money is their true god in many instances. Only a handful of all the church-attenders, past and present, are true disciples of Jesus.”

We finished our juice and got up from the table. We walked outside the building. Then we made ourselves invisible and started back toward Godwill Castle. We could see Kamur and Watcher guarding us.

I said, “It is going to be a long walk back to our home. I wish the horses were here.”

The words were hardly out of my mouth, and Warfighter, Lance, White King, and Amigo came galloping up. We mounted our horses, all of us remaining invisible until we were back at the castle, standing on the ramp. Heng came out and Watcher settled on his fist. Bear came out from the stable and began to run in circles on the carpet. Heng led the animals to their stalls. Then we all went and climbed up the stairs to our rooms to wash up for dinner.

The Kingdom Age

Dinner time was uneventful. After dinner we all trooped up to bed. I awakened in the middle of the night with a strong sense of distress. I immediately asked Jesus what the trouble was.

Jesus said, “Duranjaya, one of your sons, is praying to me because his father on earth, who has been wicked all his life, has cancer and is not expected to live. Duranjaya is asking God to forgive his father for insisting that his baby son be aborted.

“Duranjaya wants Jesus to forgive his father and not send him to Hell.”

Immediately I was in the Spirit and standing by Duranjaya, who was living in a tent on the castle grounds. He is of Indian parentage and about thirteen years of age. Duranjaya was wearing red kurta pajamas. I put my hands on Duranjaya and imparted strength and encouragement to him.

Then I felt God had forgiven the father and would save him into his Kingdom. I imparted this assurance and peace to Duranjaya.

Duranjaya looked at me and said, “I remember you. You came to the campground when we were training and said you are my eternal father. I saw you again when we came to the earth to get a body, and then when we moved over to Godwill Castle grounds.”

I said, “That’s right, Duranjaya, and I am so glad to have you as my son. You have forgiven your earthly father and prayed for him. Your prayer has been heard and God has forgiven him. You can go and see him whenever you wish.”

Duranjaya replied, “I will go visit my father sometime so he can see what he threw away. I will ask the Lord Jesus if I can appear just for a moment. But when you visited us that day, something happened to me and I know that you are my real dad.”

We hugged each other and there were some tears of joy. How utterly wonderful to have Duranjaya as a son whom I can love and who loves me.

Then I found myself in my bed with Bear on her pillow at the foot. I knew it was not time to get up yet, and so I relaxed.

Suddenly Jesus spoke to me: “Godwill, the experience you have just had with Duranjaya will happen with every one of your children. You will have the joy of seeing each one grow into his or her mature form and role in God’s Kingdom.”

Could anyone possibly be happier and more fulfilled than I!

In the morning I became fully conscious and refreshed, even though I had spent part of the “night” with Duranjaya. It was such a blessing to hear the roosters crowing. Do you like to hear roosters crow? I sure do!

I have been putting quote marks around days and times so you will understand that time is different in the spirit world. Since there is no sun there is no way to mark off days and nights. Even hours and minutes are different, and expand and contract according to the need.

I feel certain you understand this by now, so I will not use quotes any more, but will write in terms of days, and nights, and mornings as though they have the same meaning as on earth.

Even though we are in the spirit world we need periods of rest, which are sort of like nighttime on the earth. It may be true that in the new sky and earth eternal reign of Christ, even short periods of rest will no longer be necessary because of the continual renewal of the Spirit of God.

Bear was at the door ready for breakfast. I washed up and put on a new blue shirt and brown slacks that had not been there before. Bear and I went down the stairs. Erhard said hello (in Alephbeth!) and gave Bear her biscuit. Bear even let Erhard pet her, so I guess she has overcome her fear of angels.

Pretty soon Amira and Gabrielle came down and Tad came over to where we are. The three of them looked especially nice. Tad had a new black shirt with shiny brass buttons, black slacks, and black sandals.

Amira was wearing a new white dress with a gold butterfly pin and a golden bow in her black hair. Gabrielle was wearing an orange dress with a white bow in her hair, and white sandals. She had a dark brown pin on her dress that said “Zion University.”

So I guess a girl could buy a dress in a community store, and also receive one as a gift from the Lord. Or perhaps gifts of this kind are given only to us in the Castle and in other places where people are engaged in special service to the Lord.

I said, “What’s the celebration? How come everyone is dressed up?”

Amira answered, “When we went to our clothes closet we had new clothes, so we put them on.“Tad said, “Me too!”

I said, “I did too. It’s the Lord!”

When Alana came out she had a new green dress, green cap, and white apron. She also had two gold bracelets on her right wrist.

Alana greeted us in Alephbeth. She brought out our milk, orange juice, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, and toast, and put Bear’s food in a dish on the carpet.

When we finished eating we sat at the table for a minute. I said, “An idea is coming into my mind. I don’t know if it is from Jesus or not. I am going to pray right now.”

The other three bowed their heads respectfully. Alana also prayed with us.

I prayed, “Lord Jesus, something is coming into my mind concerning Tent City.” (Tent City’ is what we call the area on the castle grounds where the tents of the children are.) The Lord answered, “The idea that is coming to you is from me. Tell me what you are thinking.”

I said, “I have five thousand thirty boys and girls who have had special training and who served during the battle on the Plain of Megiddo.

“They are children who were discarded for one reason or another, and you have given them to me. They have physical bodies because they returned with you when you came from Heaven to the earth. They will come to bodily maturity sooner than the other children in the spirit world.”

“That is true,” commented the Lord Jesus.

“I would like to have our own campuses in the area of Tent City, on the castle grounds.”

Jesus responded, “Tell me how you would have the campuses constructed and how they would operate.”

I answered, “I will need time to make some plans.”

Jesus said, “All right. When you have made your plans please let me know.”

I turned to the girls and said, You guys can go wherever you wish and enjoy yourselves. Tad and I have some work to do. I want Tad to stay here with me so we can make plans for Zion University campuses in Tent City.

Tad and I worked two days in the Great Hall, using the dining table, stopping only for meals and two nights rest, and then came up with some ideas that ought to work. I don’t know why we received new clothes on this occasion. I guess it’s just the Lord’s way of showing his love and care for us.

On the third morning, after breakfast, I told Jesus we were ready.

The Lord came and asked, “What did you and Tad come up with?”

I replied, “We are thinking of 5,000 warrior-judges, thirty drummers, and 503 officers, making a total of 5,533 students who must be accommodated.

“We made some approximations of about how it would work out. We figure about twenty campuses, nineteen with about 252 children, and a twentieth with about 242. In the nineteen campuses we are looking at twenty-five children in eight classrooms and twenty-six children in two classrooms. In the twentieth campus there would be twenty-four children in eight classrooms, and twenty-five children in two classrooms.

“Figuring one officer, older young person, for each ten children there would be about twenty-five officers per campus.

“We envision each campus having an Auditorium that will hold all the children and their officers. Next to each Auditorium would be another building, the Instructional Center, with classrooms holding twenty-five children each, two of the classrooms with twenty-six children. We begin to lose the personal touch when there are over twenty-six children in a classroom.

“This would mean ten classrooms for children, and one classroom for the twenty-five officers, in the Instructional Center.

“The morning for the children would be broken into five sessions:

“Moral training.
“Reading and writing in Alephbeth.
“Physical activity and instruction in healthful living.
(Recess)
“Arithmetic.
“Bible.

“The same would be true for their officers.

“Then there would be a lunch break.

“After the lunch break would be activities for the children, such as work on the farms of the castle; flower arranging, drama, writing stories and poetry, learning and playing musical instruments, choral practice, composing music, painting, woodworking, masonry, cooking, animal husbandry, and gymnastics.

“For the officers there would be instruction in areas of interest, such as music, singing, various branches of the arts and sciences, and sports, such as basketball and gymnastics. There is not to be the emphasis on sports that has been true of the schools on the earth, only low-key competition in which friendship is far more important than winning.

“They also would have work assignments on the farms, because this sort of labor is necessary for the development of a healthy personality.

“The classes and activities of Zion University would be held six days a week, with one day left for family time.

“We will need qualified teachers in each area, and also directors for the afternoon activities. I think there will be angels as well as people who can fill these roles.

“I would like to go to one campus each day to teach the Bible—subjects such as the spiritual fulfillments of the four major Old Testament types; the role of the Servant of the Lord; the rest of God; the eternal Temple of God; the Bride of the Lamb; the operation of redemption; and what will take place in the future.

“I would bring all the children and their officers into the Auditorium. I would like to start at the beginning of the day and keep the students long enough to answer all their questions. Then they would return to their normal classes.

“I would let them know I am their father and their marshal, and that our eternal role in the Kingdom of God is to judge the people of the present earth, and then the citizens of the new earth. The angels will enforce the judgments we make.

“Since there will be twenty campuses, and I will visit one a day (barring unusual events), I will be visiting each campus once every twenty days.”

I suppose all this has been churning in my mind for some time, and I did not realize it until the Lord asked me about it.

I said to Jesus, “That is all we can think of right now.” Jesus said, “This is a good plan to start with, but you will want to revise it as we go along.”

Then the Lord Jesus outlined for me the curriculum for the six captains. Their curriculum would be flexible, depending on their needs. The classes for the captains would be held in Godwill Castle and taught by angels who are stationed at a very high level near God’s Throne. They would be instructed in methods of dealing with the most sophisticated forms of deception, and how to give the children and their officers wisdom in spiritual warfare.

Tad would be permitted to sit in on some of these classes because he is in training to be a commander in the army of angels. Also, Phillip would be invited since he is in training to be a captain in the children’s army.

Amira and Gabrielle had returned from visiting communities they had not seen previously. I told the group what Jesus and I had discussed.

Amira said, “This is exciting I want to start just as soon as they get the campuses built.” Gabrielle and Tad agreed.

Tad asked, “Since the Auditoriums will be vacant in the afternoon, will they be put to any use?”

I answered, “I imagine they will. It may be true that Jesus will use those facilities for special purposes, such as seminars for people, or even angels, He is going to send on special assignments. Perhaps Christ will show the farmers some points of agriculture that will help them bring forth vegetables, grains, and fruit more abundantly.”

We got up from the table. I said, “What would you like to do today?”

Amira said, “Gabrielle and I want to go to the Arab community, and then to the Mexican community, don’t we Elle?”

Gabrielle looked a bit uncertain. She said, “I guess so.”

Now I began to understand something. Since the children had been given bodies, their outward appearance is not as racial as before. All now have the same skin color. The appearance that stands out is the kind of personality they have.

I would venture that in the world of the resurrection, race will eventually disappear. But it won’t happen all at once. I noticed this fact when Amira spoke of wanting to go to the Arab community. She still thinks of herself as an Arab and desires various aspects of the Arab culture.

The same is true regarding Gabrielle and the Mexican culture. People are what they are, as far as memory and culture are concerned, even though race no longer is reflected in their body.

It may be true that racial thinking and preferences will remain for a while, even after the resurrection. But eventually we will be back to just “people,” as was true prior to the building of the Tower of Babel. People then may be grouped according to their geographical preferences, or their liking for a particular king or patriarch. There will be no more wars between nations or races.

Tad asked me, “What are you going to do?”

I said, “I would like to go to ‘Tent City’ and try to picture where the campuses will be; and then I am going to come back and practice on the piano until dinner.”

Tad said, “That sounds good to me! I’ll go with you.” Tad went back to his room in the barracks and dressed in a blue shirt and brown slacks so we were similar in appearance.

Amira and Gabrielle went excitedly to the stable and Amira called out, “Heng, please bring out White King and Amigo. Gabrielle and I are going for a ride.” I knew Warfighter, Lance, Kamur, and Watcher were wondering, “What about us?”

Heng said “All right,” and brought out the two horses. Amira and Gabrielle led the horses out through the inner gate and I didn’t see them again for a while.

I said to Tad, “Let’s walk to where the campuses will be built.” Tad said, “Okay,” in English. We speak English when we are away from everyone. I think Tad had learned English while he was guarding me, before I died. He really is quite intelligent. Or perhaps he was taught English as part of his preparation for being my guardian-angel.

So Tad and I, with Bear tagging along, went out both gates and down the ramp.

I said to Tad, “Just to be on the safe side I am going to go back and get Kamur and Watcher.”

Actually I could have summoned them spiritually, but it seems more natural to do what we can. I think it is more realistic and healthier for us to do our part.

Tad said, “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

So I went back in and told Heng. He came out with Watcher on his fist and Kamur walking beside him. I know Kamur makes everyone nervous, even the angels I think. He is so large and ferocious looking. So as soon as we got to the ramp and Watcher took off, I made both of them invisible. I think Warfighter and Lance may have been a bit disappointed.

Tad and I walked past the flowers down to where people were picking melons. The farm people greeted Tad and me very courteously.

One of the farmers, a tall, lean man in blue coveralls and heavy work shoes, said in Alephbeth, “So you’re the lord of the castle. We have been looking forward to meeting you.” He had a kindly face. He looked to be about forty years old, but who can tell in the spirit world!

I said, “This is my friend, Tad.”

Gustaf said, “I am pleased to meet you, Tad.”

Tad responded, “Same here, Sir.”

The farmer said, “My name is Gustaf.” He shook the hands of both of us.

“And this is my wife, Clara.” Clara looks to be a bit younger than Gustaf. She has a pleasant face. She was wearing a dark brown skirt with fancy stitching on it, a matching bonnet, a brown blouse, and brown work shoes. You could tell Gustaf is proud of his family.

Gustaf’s son and daughter were with him, a man and a woman. They were tall like their father. Their clothes were similar to their parents’. Gustaf said, “This is Greta, and this is Eric.” Greta curtsied and Eric came forward and held out his hand. Tad and I shook Eric’s hand, even though angels do not ordinarily shake hands.

We come from Sweden. I died in 1790 and have been here on the castle grounds ever since. Finally Clara, and then Greta and Eric joined me. He spoke in Alephbeth.

Gustaf went on to comment on how well behaved the children in Tent City are and how some of them came over and helped in the fields, or played with some of the children.

Gustaf asked, “Did these children actually lead the charge against the wicked people in the earth?”

I answered, “That’s right. God was with them and they defeated Antichrist and his armies.” Gustaf shook his head in wonderment.

I said, “ This is our little dog, Bear.” Immediately Greta came over and petted Bear and told her what a nice dog she is. Of course, Bear thought this was a very reasonable thing to do.

Tad looks so much like a young man that many times people do not notice he is an angel. I do not feel it is appropriate to call attention to Tad’s race when we are with other people.

We greeted some of the other workers in the melon patch, and then some of the workers who were hoeing around the corn. The ground has to be broken up so when the mist arises at night the roots of the plants will receive the water.

After greeting quite a few of the field hands, some quite young, we turned toward our right and walked toward Tent City, Bear trailing along. There were countless tents all arranged in orderly rows. Each tent was facing a street, with tents on each side of the street.

As we had crossed over completely from the farms we made ourselves and Bear invisible. Kamur and Watcher were with us but they also were invisible. We didn’t want to be seen until we had a chance to observe how matters were moving forward, without attracting a big crowd of children.

There literally were thousands of children in the streets outside the tents. I recognized some of them from Getting Acquainted Time. The boys and girls looked to range in age from about eight to sixteen. I think they have grown a little since I last saw them.

It was interesting to note that even though they now have physical bodies they were playing in much the same way as when they were in a spiritual form. I think people are surprised when they enter the spirit world to discover how similar to life on earth it is.

Some of the girls were in groups, talking to each other. Some were playing jump rope. Others were playing marbles. The boys were playing touch football, or soccer, or basketball. Believe it or not, out of the five thousand thirty children I actually saw a few I could remember.

Of course I remembered Kohanna, the little Japanese girl who put her arms around my neck when I said I was her father. Also, Themba, of the red shirt and red shorts, who went skipping away and clapping his hands he was so happy he now has a father.

We also saw Philipp. Philipp was standing next to his new black stallion. He now is in training to be a captain in the children’s army. I wonder what the name of his new stallion is, and what happened to Thunder. Or maybe the Lord turned Thunder black. These kinds of things happen around here.

There were a lot of bicycles in evidence. We had seen some dogs in the streets; but they vanished. I think they smelled Bear and were interested; but then smelled Kamur and disappeared into their tents.

Some of the children were playing “Hide-and-Seek.” There were lots of places to hide, I noticed. By and large the girls were playing with the girls and the boys with the boys, but this was not exclusively true.

Unlike the white robes they were wearing during the attack on the Plain of Megiddo, the children were ablaze with every color of blouse, skirt, dress, slacks, short pants, shirts. You could see various shades of blue, red, brown, and green. There also was some multicolored clothing as well as black. Nearly every child had brown sandals.

Some of the older boys and girls, and some officers, had gone over to help the farmers who were raising crops for the castle. I understand that the food not needed by the castle that used to go to the Plain of Instruction is now being given to the angels in charge of feeding the children in their tents on the castle grounds.

It is difficult to believe that these youngsters were the advance guard of the army that defeated the wicked army of Antichrist. But I think this was because the Father wanted to show his power against wickedness, his contempt for those who rebel against his will.

The Lord told me these children will be maturing until they reach the growth and development optimum for their role in the Kingdom. Then they will remain in that condition for eternity unless their role or status should change. These young people were cast off by their parents, in many instances. Therefore it pleases God that they should have a place of importance in his Kingdom.

God has given them to me for an inheritance and I love every one of them and will guide each one to maturity; and then later in their appointed roles as the Spirit of God directs me.

God determines the appearance and abilities of each person throughout eternity, according to God’s plan for his or her life.

Tad and I did not feel like making ourselves visible and visiting the children at this time. Since there are so many boys and girls, visiting them will require some planning. So instead we walked past the long streets of Tent City. The streets were at right angles to us and extended right and left a great ways. When we would cross one street we would come to another.

This went on until we came to the end of the tents and entered the construction zone for the new campuses.

Beyond Tent City there are thousands of acres of flat land. The area was swarming with workers, some people and some angels. You can tell the angels because they are so large and by their silver hair. They do not wear white robes when they are working in construction but various kinds of work clothes and work shoes.

Can you believe this? Already there were three Auditoriums taking shape. I could see they were going to be of glass construction on what looked like a concrete foundation. The foundation may have been stone skillfully cut and fitted. “Zion University” in blue letters (in Alephbeth) was inlaid in the glass over the entrance.

Next to the Auditorium on the left, foundations were being constructed for the Instructional Center and for the large rooms that would house special activities.

As Tad and I walked past the three partially completed Auditoriums, we could see the pegs indicating where additional buildings were to be located. These marked-off sites were on each side of us and stretched off into the distance.

We were amazed at how quickly the work was proceeding. But then, this is Jesus Christ who is planning and accomplishing the work. He has thousands of skilled people, and angels who, being spirits, are tireless. Also, time can be expanded at the Lord’s will.

It wouldn’t surprise me too much if when we come tomorrow all twenty campuses are complete with staff and ready to begin instruction.

Tad, Bear, Kamur, Watcher, and I, all invisible, walked back through the fields and went up to the castle. Then we became visible. Heng came out and took Watcher, and we all followed Heng into the inner ward. Heng took the animals, except Bear, into the stable.

Amira and Gabrielle weren’t back from the communities as yet. I asked Tad what he would like to do. He knew I was going to practice on the piano and would be reasonably safe, so he said he was going to go in and groom Lance and then visit with his friends in the barracks.

I turned and went toward the music room. Remember, it was on the second floor of a kind of apartment. Bear was following me.

The first floor had been empty before, and I was accustomed to ignoring it and climbing the stairs to the second floor. But this time the first floor had boxes in it. It was none of my business, I suppose, probably something Tom had stored in there. But curiosity got the better of me.

What do you suppose was stored in the first-floor room? And don’t ask me how it got there. All of the music I had composed before Audrey and I entered the ministry. There were a number of hymns. There was the sixty-first chapter of the Book of Isaiah set to music.

There also was the sixty-second chapter of Isaiah, which I titled, “For Zion’s Sake.” As I mentioned previously, “For Zion’s Sake” was performed twice in a Methodist church in Rochester, New York. It never was performed in the church Audrey and I pastored, Mount Zion Fellowship, because the church was too small to have a choir that could handle “For Zion’s Sake.”

In fact, on one of the two occasions when “For Zion’s Sake” was performed in Rochester, the performance was for the ordination of bishops. Audrey, my father, and I were in the balcony.

And here was “God Is My Salvation.” I lugged all the music upstairs and put the boxes in front of the drums and other instruments against the back wall.

I took out “God Is My Salvation” and put it up on the piano. I realized I still was having trouble with the same passages as before. So just being in the spirit world doesn’t mean you know everything. However, I did notice that my hands were larger, which is helpful, and my visual memory, always poor, has improved.

At that moment, Klaus came in. He asked, “What are you playing?”

I said, “God Is My Salvation.”

Klaus said, “I do not know that piece.”

I said, “That’s not surprising. I wrote it.”

Klaus mumbled to himself as he listened. When I finished he said, “It requires more practice. But it has some good parts.” Klaus is not one to lavish praise, I have noticed. But he sure is an accomplished musician.

Klaus wanted to hear Preludes Two and Four of Chopin’s Opus Twenty-eight. Klaus said, “You have to portray what the master is saying. Chopin talks to you about life and its sorrows. You have to think about that. Talk to your listeners. Tell them you know about their sorrows and to be encouraged. Make the music sing to their hearts. If it helps to do so, close your eyes from time to time and listen!”

Do people in Heaven have sorrows? Yes, they do. They can remember the opportunities they had to serve God and help other people and failed to do so. One of the greatest of all the blessings that accompany salvation is that eventually all such painful memories are erased.

I played those two Preludes again, concentrating on what Chopin was saying. I can see that I have a long way to go before Klaus will be satisfied.

I do not know where Chopin is in the spirit world, but I hope he, Beethoven, and some of the other masters are accepting the authority of Jesus Christ over their lives.

I worked on the Preludes, the Fantasie Impromptu, and The Well Tempered Clavier. As I was learning the theme in the third fugue of Book One of The Well Tempered Clavier, I tried playing some of the notes in the theme staccato rather than legato. It is such a jolly sound!

Klaus asked, “What are you doing?”

I said, “I wanted to hear how the theme would sound if part of it was staccato?”

Klaus said, “Bach himself is an innovator, and sometimes was criticized for introducing modifications to the old hymn tunes while he was serving as a church organist. I don’t believe he would mind if you change some of the legato to staccato, and perhaps take some liberties with embellishments, and even add some dynamics.

“The use of the sostenuto pedal might not be out of line for the concluding chords. Ordinarily one would not use the sustain pedal during a fugue. The interest and charm of the fugue come from the interplay of the several voices, and these voices must be presented with utmost clarity.

“As your teacher, I would suggest that after you have learned to play the preludes and fugues the way they are written, you may introduce innovations that help you express what you are saying to your audience, such as variations in the tempo, volume, and duration of tones.

“Bach’s music can become boring if it is played in too mechanical a fashion. There is a deep fire in his music that you must capture. Otherwise it can sound like the tinkling notes of a music box, having no soul.”

I think the fourth fugue of The Well Tempered Clavier is becoming my favorite. When the voices of this fugue are emphasized we hear Bach at his best. It is immensely satisfying. While I was living on the earth I had heard a recording of Rosalyn Tureck playing the fourth fugue. I was so impressed I have never forgotten it.

It is a joy to me to think of having all eternity to improve my playing and not have to worry about a recital. I hate recitals! But I do enjoy playing. I know my hatred of recitals came from having to play at recitals when I was young. I was scared to death and worried about the spring recital for three months before the dreaded day arrived.

Klaus and I both knew when the session was over. We went downstairs and Klaus went out through the inner gate. Bear was trailing behind me.

I heard voices from the stable. “White King, you have been a good horse so I am going to give you a good currying.” “The same for you, Amigo. You are a very special horse. I am going to give you a good currying.” Can you guess who were speaking?

I peeked in the stable, and Amira and Gabrielle had their horses out of their stalls and in the aisle of the stable. Each had a rubber currycomb in her hand and some very special horses were enjoying being curried vigorously. Warfighter was wondering why he was being left out, so I went and got another currycomb from Heng, brought Warfighter into the aisle, and went to work. Anisa looked forlorn, so I attended to her when I was finished with Warfighter. Tad already had groomed Lance.

When I completed the currying to Warfighter’s and Anisa’s satisfaction I went up to my room in the tower and laid back on the bed. The sky was just beginning to darken. There was a knock on the door. An angel came in with fresh water. He asked, “Are you ready for me to snuff out the day candles and close the shutters?”

I said, “Yes, thank you.” Then I asked him his name.

He said, “My name is Rodel.” Rodel is tall and slender, and wearing a black shirt and black slacks.

I said, “Rodel, I appreciate your lighting the candles, opening and closing the shutters, and providing me with clean clothes and water each day.”

Rodel said, “It is my pleasure to serve the servants of God.”

Meanwhile, Bear was hiding under the bed. She is afraid of angels, even though Tad, Erhard, Heng and Alana have been so good to her.

Rodel left the night candle burning, closed the shutters, and took from my closet the clothes I had worn today.

I lay there and mused a bit about the boys and girls and how quickly the campus was being constructed. I thought to myself: “I promised to teach a Bible class each day. I better start picking out a subject. Maybe the four great types. But that would take all morning to even get them acquainted with the subject.

“Perhaps I will teach on the eternal Temple of God, how He is changing his Throne from his temple in the spirit world and creating it in the hearts of his people.”

Pretty soon Bear came out from under the bed and stood in front of the door. So I knew it was time for dinner. Bear is very serious about food! I washed up, put on fresh clothes, and then Bear and I went down to the entrance. Erhard threw Bear’s biscuit to her and she caught it. Tad came over. Soon Amira and Gabrielle came down. We all walked over to the Great Hall.

Alana already had our food on the table when we sat down. There were large chicken pot pies in front of us, and a small pie for Bear.

I said, “Alana, please tell the cook, thanks so much for the pies. And thank you for bringing them to us.”

Alana said, “It has been my pleasure. The cook’s name is Claude.” Alana asked him to come out for a minute.

Claude is short and stout, wearing a white shirt and white slacks, a white apron and a white cook’s hat. He came out of the kitchen to our right, and said, “Yes?”

Alana said, “The lord of the castle and his friends want to tell you thanks for the excellent pot pies and all the other wonderful food you have prepared for them.”

Claude laughed joyously and said, “You are very welcome.” Then he went back into the kitchen.

Also there was hot apple pie with cheese and vanilla ice cream. Wow!

Amira ate in kind of a hurry. I think she was anxious to tell about their visit to the Arab community.

Amira said, “They were so good to Elle and me! You know, we Arabs are very hospitable people. The children our age were in Zion University, so we saw only the little ones. Zion University has taken the place of their old school, which now is being used for those who have difficulty learning.

“We visited the suburb of Dubai City. A mother saw us riding White King and Amigo down the street. She invited us to come for a visit. There was a little boy and a little girl playing in front of the house. They were riding their tricycles.They rode up to us and looked at the horses, and then at us.”

Amira had learned some Arabic in school previously, and she spoke to the children in that language. This surprised and pleased the mother very much.

“The mother’s name is Johara. Johara and her husband have long names but I can’t remember them. Johara was wearing a light brown duster and black head scarf. The little boy is Mubarak. The little girl is Nadira. They look like twins. Mubarak was wearing a red-striped polo shirt and denim shorts. Nadira was wearing an orange polo shirt and denim shorts.

“We entered their home, which is neat and clean. She invited us to sit on the couch. The couch has a beautiful gold and purple cover with designs on it.

“Johara, said, ‘You must be hungry. I will fix you some nice falafels. Would you like milk or mint tea to drink?’

“We both said we would like milk. I said, ‘Elle, you will really like falafels. They are very popular with the Arab people.’

“Johara called us over to the table, along with Nadira and Mubarak. The table was lower than a regular table. We sat on colorful cushions. The table linen was green with matching napkins. Our glasses were orange with beautiful designs on them.

“The table had plates and silver knives, forks, and spoons. We all held hands, and Joharah prayed in Arabic, giving thanks to God. Then we really felt at home, because we always hold hands and pray before our meals at Godwill Castle.

“Johara gave each of us two falafels and a glass of milk. She gave Nadira and Mubarak one falafel each and milk.

“Elle said, ‘These are like tacos! I really like them!’

“It didn’t seem right at that time to ask Elle what a taco is.

“Johara said, ‘Eat all you want. I can make more in a minute.’

“We actually were hungry, even though we just had breakfast at the castle. I guess God controls even our appetites. The falafels were delicious. But two were enough for us.

“After we had eaten and sat back down on the couch, Johara asked us about Godwill Castle, and what it was like to live in a castle. We said we had a choice to live on the earth if we wanted to, but we preferred our castle for now.

“After a while the husband came in. His name is Najib. Najib is a tall man with a black mustache. He operates a small market near his house, we were told. Najib was wearing a red shirt and brown trousers.

“Mubarak and Nadira ran to the door, crying ‘Baba! Baba!’

“Najib said, ‘One of my customers told me we had visitors and so I had to come and see who they are. I left Ibn al-Haytham in charge of the store.’

“I remembered that name because one of the boys from the children’s army has the same name.

“You could tell Najib is a gentle person. He speaks softly. He had a hug and kiss for his wife and for Nadira and Mubarak.”

I interrupted Amira and said, “I think everyone who dies has to have some instruction in the ways of Heaven; and the way of Heaven is one of meekness and quietness of spirit.”

Amira continued. “Najib said, ‘And who are our visitors?’

“We told Najib our names and said we were from Godwill Castle.

“Najib asked, ‘By any chance do either of you know anything about the army that defeated the wicked people?’

“We said we both were soldiers in that army.

“Then Najib pulled up a chair where he could look directly at us, and said, ‘I heard children were at the front of the army but it was difficult to believe. Weren’t you frightened?’

“I said we were frightened a little, but God’s Presence was with us and so we kept going.

“So we spoke about how we went down to the earth with Jesus, and how God killed the enemy when we spoke God’s Word to them. Then we told Najib how the older people went from city to city and drove out all the wicked people and evil spirits, and destroyed their buildings.”

Little by little Tad and I had told Amira and Gabrielle some of the things that happened during the destruction of civilization.

“I did most of the talking,” Amira said, “in Alephbeth because I don’t know that much Arabic. Every once in a while Elle would say a few things; but she is shy around people whom she doesn’t know real well.

“Najib asked me about my mother and father.

“I said, ‘I do not know.’ Najib was too polite to ask me anything more about my family.

“When Najib understood that I am an Arab, nothing would do except he take us around to meet all the people in the community, many of whom were the relatives of his wife and himself.

“Najib would say to his friends, ‘This is Amira and Gabrielle. They were with the army that defeated the wicked army.’

“The people he introduced us to would say, ‘Amira is an Arab name.’ They were too polite to ask about Elle, who obviously is not an Arab. The Arab people are very kind to visitors, especially to those who have eaten their food.”

I noticed that the Arab people did not say that Gabrielle is an infidel and belongs in Hell. I think the Spirit of God that pervades Heaven is different from the religious hatreds that used to be found on the earth.

“So we went to one house after another. The homes were like those in the English community. There were yards, trees, horses, porches, older people sitting on the porches, chicken coops in the back.

“They always would say, ‘God is great. God is good.’ We were glad to hear them say that, because it is true.”

Amira said, “I prayed and asked Jesus if the people in the Arab community knew him.

“Jesus said, ‘Their holy book, the Qur’an, refers to me as a prophet. They do not realize I am God’s Son, the Creator of all people and things, and that I have all authority in Heaven and upon the earth.

“’But they are good people and I love them. In time God will open their hearts and they will understand who I am. They love God in their hearts. They just don’t know about me yet. I do not rush people. My Father is gentle and in his time He will bring them to me.’”

Amira told us, “I know what Jesus said is true and so I don’t worry about my people anymore.

“Najib could see that Elle and I had done enough for one day. We all said goodbye. Najib, Johara, Nadira, and Mubarak stood on their porch, and Najib said, ‘Please come back and visit us again.’

“Najib added, ‘Please greet Lord Godwill for us and tell him we would welcome a visit from him.’”

(I did visit Najib and Johara some time later. I enjoyed some falafels with them. I had learned to like falafels while in Israel during my lifetime on the earth. They did not mention Mohammed. I think that is because religion is not discussed in the spirit world.

(Najib and Johara when they died would have gone through the preparation center before being admitted to a community. They would have had no problem learning to love God with all their heart and their neighbor as themselves.

(As far as Christ being Lord of all—that is not a religion, it is a part of the reality of the spirit world. When God feels the time is right, Najib and Johara will be made aware of the Lordship of Jesus. They will not have a problem because their awareness will be so natural, so “of course.”

(Christ is central in all there is, in the spirit world. Because Najib and Johara have fitted so well into the community life in Heaven, God will have removed all memory of their prior religious doctrines.)

“We promised we would. Then Najib brought White King and Amigo from where they had been tied up out in back of the house, and we got up on the pads and rode home.”

I said, “Gabrielle, how did you feel about your visit?”

Gabrielle answered, “I thought everyone was very nice. I really liked the falafels and the homemade bread with butter. I am looking forward to tomorrow when we go to the Mexican community and maybe get some homemade tacos or enchiladas.”

By this time we had finished our apple pie. We all realized we had come to the end of another wonderful day and that Amira and Gabrielle had made some good friends.

From time to time after that, Alana served falafels. I guess Najib had thought that since there was an Arab living with us he would introduce this food to our cook.

We had hugs all around and said our good nights. Amira and Gabrielle looked in on White King and Amigo and told them what special horses they are and said good night to them. Then they petted Anisa. I went in and checked on Warfighter, Kamur and Watcher. Tad said good night to Lance, and went up to the barracks.

I said good night to Erhard, and Bear and I climbed the stairs to my room. Rodel had closed the shutters and snuffed out all except the night candle. I got into my pajamas. Bear got up on her pillow at the foot of the bed. I got under the quilt.

I lay there thinking for a little while. All of a sudden I knew that the Lord Jesus was going to speak to me.

“Godwill, there are two of your children who are praying for help, Abdul and Annette. I am going to send you to them now.”

And then the same thing happened to me that took place during the time of the destruction of civilization. I was in two places at once. I was with the little boy, Abdul, in Tent City, and with the little girl, Annette, also in Tent City. I could see them, listen to them, talk to them, and pray with them, all at the same time. I guess this is how the Lord Jesus can be with you and me at the same time.

It was like I had two minds working. I didn’t go from one to the other, back and forth. I was in both places at once. Maybe it has something to do with time and distance being different here.

Abdul was praying: “Lord Jesus, I don’t have any friends. Roger was my best friend, and now he is playing with Vasily. Would you please send me a best friend. Thank you.”

I appeared and laid my hands on Abdul, and added my prayer to his until I knew God had heard us.

I said, “Abdul, I am your dad. I know God has heard us. You can rest now, because very soon you are going to have a best friend.”

Abdul said, “Dad, I love you. I am glad you are my father.” We hugged and I kissed him, and then left his tent.

At the exact same time I was listening to Annette pray: “Father, I wish you would send my new dad to me. I only saw him once, and I would like to get to know him. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

This prayer moved me to tears. Such a precious little French girl. I appeared. Annette cried out in fright!

I said, “Annette, I am your dad. Don’t you remember me?”

Annette calmed down and said, “I think I do.”

I said, “Annette, you are a very precious little girl to me. You are my daughter and I love you very much.” Annette was wearing orange pajamas with little brown teddy bears on them.

I held out my arms, and Annette hesitated a little and then let me hug her. I held her tightly for a while, and then let her go. Annette said, “God answered my prayer.”

I said, “Yes, he did, and I am so glad to know you.”

Annette said to me, “Will you come again tomorrow?”

I said, “I will come just as often as Jesus lets me.”

Then the Lord spoke to my spirit: “Tell Annette that you will come and be with her as much as she wishes, although she won’t always see you. But she will know you are there.”

So I told Annette that. I said, “Every time you ask Jesus for me, I will come and be with you, although you won’t always see me.”

I said, “Annette, goodbye for now. Just remember. When you call for me, I will come. Always.”

Annette said, “Dad, I will call for you all the time so you can be with me and help me.”

I said, “That’s great! I am so glad to hear you say that.” It sounds like I am going to be with Annette a great deal!

Then I hugged her again and kissed her. Just think, I have a new little son and daughter! Will my blessings never cease!

Jesus then said, “I am always praying for those whom the Father has given me. Now you are going to be participating with me in the work of intercession.”

Then I came to awareness in my bed. Bear was asleep. I thought, “I was with Abdul and Annette at the same time! How can that be? And how can I visit Annette all the time and still do other things, like teach in Zion University, and play the piano in the music room of the castle?”

But Jesus does this, doesn’t he? He is everywhere at once. He is here with us in the spirit world and all over the earth at the same time. I couldn’t understand this, but I was glad, because I thought pretty soon I would be with my five thousand thirty youngsters and five hundred three young people all at the same time, whenever they want or need me.

Pondering these incredible thoughts, I drifted off…

Rodel came in quietly and lit all the day candles. Then he went into the little “window-room” and opened the shutters. Then he left. I was aware when Rodel came in, and so was Bear. When Rodel left, she jumped down from the bed and went to the door expectantly.

I got up, took off my pajamas, washed up, and then put on my white shirt open at the collar, dark blue slacks, and brown loafers. Bear and I started down the staircase. As we passed the room where Amira and Gabrielle live, they came out. My! They were all dressed up and looked so nice!

Amira was wearing the green dress she had obtained in the English community, and had a green bow in her black hair, a black butterfly pin on her dress, and white sandals. Gabrielle had on a bright red dress, a red bow in her dark brown hair, two silver bracelets on her right wrist (I guess she got the idea from Alana), and a small gold cross pinned to her dress.

I said, “I am very impressed, everyone looks so nice!” Even Bear looked impressed.

Gabrielle announced, “Guess what! We are going to the Mexican community today.”

Down we went and greeted Erhard. Bear received her biscuit and wagged her tail, even if Erhard is an angel!

We walked over to the Great Hall. Alana came out wearing a blue dress, a white apron, and a white waitress’ cap on her head. She put down our oatmeal, eggs, milk, tea, biscuits, butter, strawberry jam, and dishes of water, milk, and biscuits for Bear. Bear wagged her tail in appreciation. Bear is happy this morning for some reason.

As I was eating, I had a sudden thought. “You know what, guys, I don’t feel any different now that I have a body than I did when we were spirits. Also, I guess Johara, Najib, Nadira, Mubarak, and the rest of the Arab people didn’t notice that you had bodies or that you looked different. Did they?”

Amira said, “Come to think of it, they didn’t.”

I said, “So I guess it doesn’t matter whether we have bodies or not when we are in the spirit world, but on the earth we would have to have a body for people to see us.

“Another thing. The Bible says the new Jerusalem is coming down from Heaven to be on the new earth. The people of the new Jerusalem must already have had their bodies while they were in Heaven.”

Amira and Gabrielle did not seem particularly interested in this thought. However, Tad was curious. He said, “I am going to have to think about this!” It is interesting to me to observe how aware Tad, an angel, is of matters pertaining to redemption and to the Kingdom of God. I am impressed with Tad’s intelligence, the keenness of his mind.

Amira and Gabrielle were anxious to get going, and so we got up from the table, had hugs all around, said our goodbyes and Amira and Gabrielle went to get White King and Amigo. When Heng came out with their two horses, they asked Heng for directions to the Mexican community.

Heng gave them detailed directions, and then they led their horses out through the inner gate. That was the last we saw of them for awhile.

Tad looked at me and asked, “What are we going to do today?”

So I looked to Jesus and said, “What are we supposed to do today?”

Jesus answered, “Why don’t you go over and see how the campuses on the castle grounds are coming along?”

I told Tad what the Lord said, and I added, “Let’s go in the afternoon. We already visited morning classes in the campus over on the Plain of Instruction, so we know what they are like. Maybe some of the activity rooms are being constructed and we can get an idea what they are going to be like. I am going to spend the morning time on the piano. In the afternoon we will go over and see how the activity rooms are coming along.”

Tad said, “Fine. I am going to use the time to learn to read and write Alephbeth. I am going to ask the Lord to send me a teacher like he did for Amira and Gabrielle.”

So Tad went up to his room in the barracks, and Bear and I walked across the ward to the building where the pianos are. I went up the stairs and sat down at the piano. “I wonder what piece I should begin with!” I looked to Jesus so I would be in harmony with his will.

First I warmed up my fingers with some of the difficult measures of Prelude, Twenty-four of Chopin’s Opus Twenty-eight, particularly the run in thirds. Then the whole left hand part of Prelude, Three, of the same Opus, trying to get the notes absolutely even. After that, a difficult part for the right hand in the Fantasie Impromptu. Sometimes I memorize difficult passages of the music, and then practice them in isolation.

Just then Klaus showed up. He said, “Let’s take another look at Das Wohltemperierte Klavier.” Klaus forgets himself once in a while and lapses into German.

I just love the Preludes and Fugues of The Well Tempered Clavier. To me they are like a drink of cold water on a hot day. I really enjoy fugues. In fact, the first part of my original anthem, “For Zion’s Sake,” is a fugue in the classic style. Then there is a stretto, and then the anthem becomes homophonic.

Klaus reviewed his points of emphasis: “Play slowly enough that you don’t make mistakes I want to hear every note! Make sure your eighth notes are even. While you are memorizing, continue to look at the music often enough to keep from errors.

“Your goal is to learn the music well enough that you can watch the keyboard and close your eyes at particular points and listen to each note. Then make the music your own!

“Another thought: Some of the Bach pieces and Chopin Preludes are so ‘busy’ the pianist can lose sight of the melody. Make sure the melody sings. Also, in The Warsaw Concerto, learn what the major theme is and minimize the ‘filler.’ Again, when you get the piece learned, try as much as possible to put yourself in the listener’s place and hear what he or she is hearing.

“After you have mastered the composition you can create variations in volume, tempo, and duration of the time of notes. Arrange it so that it says what you want to communicate to the listener, or how you want it to sound for your own enjoyment.”

I make every effort to please Klaus, because I know he is an outstanding teacher of the piano. I am learning to listen to my own playing.

Then he had me play some more of the Preludes of Opus Twenty-eight. I am having difficulty with Preludes Five and Fourteen, getting at the meaning—what Chopin is saying.

Time went swiftly. Then I heard Alana calling out and asking if Klaus, Tad, and I would like a chicken sandwich and some milk before we went over to the campuses on the castle grounds. (How did Alana know we plan to go there in the afternoon?)

I said, “Yes, thank you.” I knew I was speaking for Tad as well as myself.

Klaus said, “Thank you very much, Alana, but I have to get back to the German community.”

Klaus left, and I went and got Tad. Tad was all excited because Jesus had sent him a man, a human being named William, and he had had some beginning lessons in reading and writing Alephbeth.

Tad and I went into the Great Hall had two delicious chicken salad sandwiches with our milk. Bear had a saucer of milk. Alana was wearing a white dress, a white apron, and a white cap. She spoke to us in Alephbeth and asked us if we wanted anything else. I think Alana really enjoys speaking in her new language. We told her, “No thanks, the two sandwiches and milk were just right.”

I told Bear she was going to have to stay with Heng. This did not please her, but she is an obedient dog. I think this is why she is in Heaven with me.

We went and told Heng we needed Watcher and Kamur. I don’t think Warfighter and Lance were particularly happy with this, but horses are pretty patient and used to waiting for people to have a need for them.

Heng let me carry Watcher on my fist. As huge as she is, she doesn’t weigh anything because we are in the spirit world. So Tad, Watcher, Kamur, and I went out through the inner and outer doors, and stood on the wooden ramp. Then Watcher took off to her post in the sky.

I made Kamur invisible, and then Tad and I started walking toward the fields on our way to the campuses that were being constructed for my children. We greeted the laborers in the fields and their children. When we got as far as Tent City, Tad and I made ourselves invisible because I knew if any of the children saw us we would never get as far as the new campuses.

But when we got to the first street, there were no children playing out in front. I said to Tad, where do you think all the children are? You don’t suppose…? Sure enough, my “supposing” was on target. All the campuses had been constructed and the children were in class.

You know and I know that God could speak ten million campuses into existence in one minute if He chose to do so. But if God spoke everything into existence, people would have nothing to do. And it is not healthy for people (or angels, for that matter) to have nothing to do, no responsibilities, no projects to pursue.

Tad and I made ourselves visible and walked up to the nearest campus. The building was constructed from glass, including the roof, except for the foundation and the walls. There were five sets of double-doors that opened from the middle. Inlaid in the glass and centered over the doors were the words “ZION UNIVERSITY” in blue letters. Tad’s teacher had explained the meaning of these words, and other Zion University terms, that were in Alephbeth.

We could see some of the farmers entering the Auditorium. Evidently the farmers would take turns receiving the instruction given in the afternoon. Some would continue working in the fields while others took their turn learning the goals of the University, and then were given instruction in reading and writing Alephbeth and whatever other knowledge or skills the Lord appointed for them.

Next to the Auditorium was another building, similar in appearance. It also had four sets of double-doors, but the words over the doors in blue letters were “INSTRUCTIONAL CENTER.”

Tad and I entered the Instructional Center, because we knew this was where the activities are conducted in the afternoon. The foyer was attractive. The paneling of the interior walls looked like walnut to me, but I am no expert in wood. There were small circular tables and matching chairs. There were two couches, one with blue fabric with an orange floral pattern, and one with brown fabric with a design of little figures of various colors.

There were three vending machines, one red, one orange, and one yellow. One offered milk, one cookies, and one peanuts, raisins, and fruit. The vending machines operate freely without the need for coins.

Across from us were four sets of double-doors. On the extreme left was a single door. The sign over the door said, “OFFICERS.” Tad has had some instruction in Alephbeth and, with the Lord’s assistance, was able to understand what was written. William is a good teacher and Tad is an apt student.

Tad and I went through one of the double-doors. There were several classrooms facing us, with names over the doors. Some were labeled LOWER ELEMENTARY, and some UPPER ELEMENTARY, some LOWER HIGH SCHOOL, and some UPPER HIGH SCHOOL. Under the main names of the doors were additional names: “Art”; “Creative Writing”; “Preparing Meals”; “Choral Practice”; “Flower Arranging,” and several other activities. Tad had some difficulty with these terms but God’s Spirit helped him. Tad and I thought we would like to peek in at each of the activity rooms.

Tad and I entered the room designated as “Art,” to see what would be going on there. I would say there were about twenty children present, half boys and half girls. I could tell the instructor was an angel. You can tell angels by their faces. Angels have no soul, and their countenances have an ethereal quality.

I am persuaded that many of the great artists, scientists, mathematicians, musicians, and so forth who have lived on the earth were given an angel who was responsible for what they produced. I just wish people so gifted would give credit to God instead of acting as though they are a great person.

I know well that whatever understanding I have of the Bible has been given to me as a gift. It absolutely is not of my own intelligence or study. It is the burden of the Spirit of the Lord and I am unwilling to dishonestly take credit for it.

The angel’s name is Alenka. She was wearing a blue denim dress and a matching apron and cap. She looked to be about thirty years of age. Alenka was standing in the middle of the room with the children sitting in front of her. She was holding a pointer in her right hand.

By Alenka’s left hand there was a small wooden table. There was a transparent glass vase holding a red rose with a long stem. Each child had a large pad of paper and some pastel chalk. Alenka was saying, “Keep your eyes fastened on the flower and sketch what you are seeing.” With this, Alenka drew her pointer along the rose, starting from the bottom. You could see the stem through the glass.

The children, as always seems to be the case with these adopted children, were quiet and orderly.

I looked over the shoulders of the boy and girl nearest me. The girl felt my stare I guess, and turned and looked at me. Her eyes grew wide! She dropped her piece of green chalk and cried out, “It’s Daddy!” Every eye in the room turned toward me and Tad. Alenka was a bit upset because she had lost their attention.

I said, “Young people, Tad and I have to leave now so you can get on with your lesson. You are doing a great job and have a fine teacher. Any time you want to see me, just ask God in Jesus’ name, and He will send me to you to help you with your life. You can’t ask too often. I always will be delighted that you are thinking of me and want me to be with you. You will not always be able to see me, but I promise you—I will be there!”

I said to the angel, “Alenka (I had heard one of the boys say her name), you are an excellent teacher and the children are privileged to have you.” Alenka did not blush. Come to think of it, I am not certain angels can blush. But it was apparent she was quite pleased.

Having said this, and waving goodbye, Tad and I hurriedly exited the room so they could get back to work.

I said, “Let’s make ourselves invisible,” which we did.

The next room was labeled “Creative Writing.” Again, the director was an angel. His name is Elias. Elias was comfortably attired in a white shirt, open at the neck, grey slacks, and loafers. “Sunrise Over the Grand Canyon” (Ferdé Grofé, Grand Canyon Suite) was playing softly from a wind-up record player on a small table in the center. Elias was saying, “The composer is telling us his impression of morning at the Grand Canyon, in Arizona, of the United States.”

He then unrolled a large picture of the Grand Canyon and the sun coming up. He said, “I know you may never have seen a sun or a sunrise. This picture shows you what it is like. Look at it carefully and then use your imagination.” Elias then rolled the picture back up.

“Pretend you have gone to Arizona in the United States to live, and now are visiting the Grand Canyon at sunrise. I believe you all have studied about the Grand Canyon and have seen pictures of it in your geography books. You can write prose or poetry as it comes to you. If you imagine some other scene, then describe that.”

Each of the young people, perhaps thirty in number, again about half were boys and half girls, had a large pad and a pencil. We watched them as they closed their eyes and let their imaginations flow with the music.

Tad and I left “Creative Writing” and entered “Preparing Meals.” The students were mostly girls, but there were some boys. Guess who was standing in the middle of the room surrounded by the young people! Alana, from the castle. She was standing at a large wooden table. On the table there were tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, radishes, and lettuce, some knives, some bottles, and some dishes.

Alana had on a brown dress, a white apron, and a white cap. She was teaching the students how to make a salad. She was slicing up cucumbers, and her hands moved so quickly and surely, you knew she had a lot of experience. She was talking as she worked, telling her rapt listeners that you have to be very careful when slicing up vegetables because it is easy to have a fingertip as part of the salad. She said this with a straight face.

I whispered to Tad, “Do angels have a sense of humor?”

Tad said, “I think this is a side of Alana we have not seen before!”

We went out of “Preparing Meals” and entered “Choral Practice.” The teacher’s back was to us. We were looking directly at the faces of about fifty boys and girls.

They were singing “Whistle While You Work.” I remember this being from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” a Walt Disney production. It was heartwarming to say the least to see the boys and girls, who had seen such horrors on the earth, happily singing and whistling such an innocent song. Tad and I left so as not to disturb the class. I think we forgot we were invisible.

There was a narrow aisle between “Creative Writing” and “Preparing Meals” that led to the back of the building. We followed the aisle to see what was ahead. There were several larger classrooms. One was named Woodworking, and another Masonry. We decided to take a look at Woodworking. The students were making furniture. Our friend from the castle, Tom, the steward, wearing a plaid shirt, denim trousers, and a brown cap, was walking around the room, watching carefully what each student was doing. There were some boards and some plywood on a rack at the back of the room.

This room was larger than the regular classrooms. There were four large workbenches arranged in a square, with a space in the middle. There were a number of young people inside and outside the square, working on the benches. They were making chairs of various kinds. Some were working with sheets of plywood, scribing circles. I think these are going to be table tops. Some were making small chairs and stools, perhaps for the smaller boys and girls.

There were many kinds of woodworking tools on pegs on the walls. Tad and I wandered around and looked at the tools. There were different kinds of clamps, several kinds of wood carving tools, different types of chisels with wooden mallets.

On benches under the tool boards were various kinds of nails and wood screws, as well as glues, hand braces and bits, jigsaws, crosscut saws, some cans of oils, varnishes, and paint, and different kinds of abrasive cloth that looked handmade.

I saw a short, well-built boy polishing a table with what looked like some kind of sandpaper. We made ourselves visible so I could speak with him. The boy came over and showed me the polishing paper that he made by gluing grains of sand on paper that had a cloth backing.

There were no power tools because there was no electricity. All the sawing was done by hand. In one corner of the room there were two boys operating a lathe. One boy was turning the wood and the other boy was operating a cutting tool. It looked like they were making legs for chairs.

In the front of the room, to our right, there were some finished pieces, including one of the round tables we see in the foyers of the Zion University and buildings, and the four chairs that go with it. You could see the students (a few girls, mostly boys), were enthusiastic and listened to Tom carefully and followed his directions. All the children were interested and busy.

Tad and I left the Woodworking classroom and just took a peek at what was going on in the Masonry classroom. It looked like the boys and girls were being helped build a small castle of brick.

We left the Masonry classroom and went back into the foyer. There were angels there whom I did not know. I asked one of the angels where the Headmaster of the campus was. He answered, “You go through the entrance on the left marked OFFICERS, and then go in the door labeled ‘Orchestra.’ He is the conductor. His name is Antipas.”

This we did. The backs of the young people were toward us, and there was a conductor on a slightly raised platform at the far end of the room. There were upwards of seventy-five young people and children, in the orchestra.

The conductor was a human, a man. He was dressed somewhat formally with a black suit coat, black pants, black dress shoes, and a white bow tie. He is an older person, perhaps in his late forties or early fifties. You could tell by watching him that he is a capable, experienced musician.

The noise here was considerable! I thought, these walls must be soundproofed. We hadn’t heard anything in the Creative Writing room when we were there except the music from the Grand Canyon Suite.

This group of musicians, young people, boys, and girls, actually formed a good-sized orchestra. All the instruments one would find in a symphonic orchestra were here, from the violins to the kettle drums. They were playing “War March of the Priests,” from Athalia, by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.

“War March” is stirring under any circumstances. But this performance had a quality one would expect to hear from a professional symphony orchestra. Believe me I could have stayed for several hours listening. Marvelous!

Tad and I stood in the back, just inside the door. The conductor looked at us quizzically. He said to the students, “Please study the score carefully, I will be right back.” The students did not turn around, which was fortunate.

Antipas, the Headmaster, asked us what we wanted. I said, “My name is Godwill. This is my guardian-angel, Tad. I have been asked by the Lord Jesus if I would spend a morning with each campus on the castle grounds, teaching Bible and the plan of redemption. I would like to start tomorrow in your Auditorium here, if that is satisfactory with you.”

Antipas responded. “Indeed, the Lord has prepared all the headmasters for your instruction. You will be very welcome tomorrow in the Auditorium and can take all the time you need. All the students will be there. The Lord Jesus told us He has put his wisdom in your mind, and that you did his will faithfully while you were living on the earth. It is our honor to have you here.”

I said, “You are very kind to extend this invitation. And let me say, as Tad and I are leaving, that I have never heard a more stirring rendition of ‘War March of the Priests.’”

Antipas said, “Thank you very much, and I will tell the musicians who you are and what you have said about the Mendelssohn.”

We shook hands with this distinguished man. Then Tad and I went back into the foyer. As we stepped outside, on our way back to the castle, we made ourselves invisible. Watcher and Kamur were with us and were invisible. When we got back to the ramp, we all became visible again, as we always do when we are entering the castle. Tad waved at his friends.

I reached to the back of the blanket and took my gauntlet out of the pouch, and put it on my right hand. Watcher came down and perched on my fist. The guards let us in and we took Watcher and Kamur to Heng.

Tad and I went in and spoke to the horses. Bear came bounding out of Heng’s quarters.

Tad and I went to wash up for dinner. When we came back down, Amira and Gabrielle were there, bursting to tell us about their day.

The five of us walked to the Great Hall. I told Alana that we had seen her teaching her class on meal preparation, and we thought her comment about not including a fingertip with the salad was a very reasonable suggestion. (You see, we can be droll too!)

But Alana never cracked a smile. She came in with a splendid dinner, including mushroom soup, roast turkey and cranberry sauce. That was a real treat. Then, chocolate layer cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Before we had finished eating, Gabrielle, the “quiet” one, started in: “We rode White King and Amigo to the Mexican community. First we came to the farm. All the farmers were busy with their crops. We waved to them and they waved back. What a happy group of people!

“We kept going until we came to the suburb. There were houses on our right, and across the street was a meadow with a few trees and some playground equipment. There were small animals on the grass and birds in the trees. Some of the little dogs and other animals were chasing each other. A few were just lying on the grass. There were several children playing with the animals. Others were riding on the seesaws.

“The houses were of many different colors, green, white, blue, brown. Some of them had side doors.

“We rode up and down the street for a bit. There were little children playing in the street, like in the English and Arab communities.

“Finally a mother, who came out of a side door to get her children, saw us. She said, ‘Good morning. What are you children doing here?’

“I answered in Spanish, which surprised the mother. ‘My name is Gabrielle, This is my friend, Amira. We live in Godwill Castle. We came to visit with Mexican people.’

“The lady was so pleased to know such polite children. She said, ‘My name is Señora Gomez. Would you please come to my house and have something to eat and drink.’

“Meer and I said we would like to come to her house. So we got off Amigo and White King and tied them up to a hitching post in front of the house.

“There were a little boy and girl, both riding tricycles. Señora Gomez said, ‘Tomas and Izel, please come and visit with our guests.’

“All of us went into Señora Gomez’s house. We sat on a purple couch that had little colored flowers all through the material. The house was very nice and clean.

“Meanwhile Señora Gomez, was making chicken tacos. I love chicken tacos. She put tomatoes, cheese, and lettuce in with the chicken. Then she called us to the table. She had made enough for all of us and for Señor Gomez when he came home.

“Señora Gomez said we could have milk, or chocolate milk. All of us wanted chocolate milk.

“Señora Gomez asked me if I would say a blessing in Spanish. That was very nice of her. I thanked God for our food and asked Him to bless it to our use. I could not say ‘for the nourishment of our bodies’ because Señora Gomez and her children do not have physical bodies as yet.

“Then Meer and I ate two tacos each and some refried beans. There was a bottle of hot sauce. I put a lot of hot sauce on my tacos and beans; and I warned Meer to just put a little on her beans and taste it before she put on a lot.

“Meer said, ‘I am an Arab and I know all about spicy food.’ Meer put as much hot sauce on her beans as I did, and then took a teaspoonful of beans. She didn’t say anything, but she fanned her mouth and took a big swallow of chocolate milk. This sauce was hot, even for me. Meer kept on drinking her chocolate milk and even asked for a second glass.”

Amira said, “I was just thirsty, that’s all.”

Gabrielle continued, “I love tacos, refried beans, and hot sauce. Yum! Yum! Yum! I asked Señora Gomez if she would please give me recipes for tortillas, tacos, enchiladas, hot sauce, and refried beans. I don’t think Alana or Claude know about Mexican food. Señora Gomez said she would be glad to make copies of her recipes and have her husband bring them to the castle.

“After we were finished eating we went back and sat on the couch. Tomas and Izel sat very nicely on the couch with us. Señora Gomez sat on a chair across from us and asked us what it was like at Godwill Castle.

“We told her about the castle, about the fields around the castle that grew food, about Tent City. I forgot about the campuses being built on the castle grounds but Meer reminded me.”

“Anyway, it took us a long time to tell Señora Gomez everything. Then we knew it was time to leave. We thanked Señora Gomez very much for the nice meal and said goodbye to Tomas and Izel. We untied Amigo and White King and mounted up. Señora Gomez and Tomas and Izel waved until we were out of sight.

“We thought we would go further on our trip and see what the city looked like. It was not too different from the English city. There were the mom-and-pop stores, and then some large buildings. The name of the city is Ciudad Juarez. Our most famous president was Benito Juarez.

“One special fun for me was the guitar and accordion music we could hear coming from the music school. I love guitar music. I like the orchestra music and choirs also that we usually hear. But l really like guitar music.”

(I am afraid much of the music we hear at Godwill Castle is due to my personal love for classical music!)

“We saw some Mexican folk-dancing also. The men were wearing sombreros. The women had very colorful dresses and sashes.”

As I listened to Gabrielle I concluded that if you are born a Mexican, while you may get a resurrection body, inside you still have Mexican feelings.

Gabrielle continued, “After looking around for a while, and visiting the art museum, we made ourselves invisible and rode back to the castle, and here we are!”

Amira said, “I really liked the tacos (is that what you call them?) and beans, but the hot sauce was pretty spicy. Anyway, I hope our cook learns to make Mexican food.”

We thanked Alana for the marvelous dinner, said our good nights, and had hugs all around.

I expected problems when the Arab and Mexican families saw the “resurrection faces” of Amira and Gabrielle. The families did not express concern, however.

My opinion is that the personalities of the girls shone through to such an extent the parents did not notice anything unusual about the bodily features of the girls. Amira was Amira and Gabriel was Gabriel, just ordinary girls.

Then Gabrielle called out to us, “Vaya con Dios.” We did not know what that meant. Gabrielle explained, “Vaya con Dios” means “Go with God.” I think Gabrielle really got turned on to her Mexican heritage today.

Amira and Gabrielle went in to the stable to say good night to White King, Amigo, and Anisa. Tad went in and petted Lance. I went in to check on Warfighter, Kamur, and Watcher. They seemed fine. Watcher was standing on the floor of her cage, eating some fish from her dish. Bear was with me and seemed satisfied with everything.

Tad went upstairs to the barracks. Amira, Gabrielle, Bear, and I walked over to our tower, said good night to Erhard, and climbed up the stairs.

When I got in my room the candles were still lighted and the shutters closed. Rodel had been on the job. I took off my clothes and put on my pajamas. Bear jumped up on the bed. I turned the quilt back, and then snuffed out all the candles except for the night candle.

It had been a long and profitable day. I began to think about tomorrow. This will be my first chance to speak to a group of my children about God and his program of redemption.

I must say I am troubled. God has been so good to open my understanding to the Bible. Truths that are crystal clear to me do not seem to be in the possession of many of the Lord’s elect. For example: most believers seem to view the grace of forgiveness as a new way in which God relates to man. Godly behavior is desirable, of course, but fundamentally we go to Heaven by the grace of forgiveness, regardless of our behavior, and there we live in a mansion.

I think the basic premise governing today’s Christian thinking is that human nature cannot be healed. People always will be sinning and rebelling against God in one manner or another—from now through eternity. God intends to overlook our rebellion and keep forgiving us and having fellowship with us by means of his “grace.” That doesn’t give us much hope for a godly, peaceful environment, does it?

I believe I am correct in stating that the above is a widely held understanding of salvation, of the Divine program of redemption. That, plus the fact that salvation is such a sovereign act of God that there is nothing significant we can do regarding our salvation. But this is not what the Bible teaches, is it?

How is it that the believers can read their Bible and not note that the purpose of redemption is to bring forth a new moral creation; and it is this new moral creation that has fellowship with God, not the old sinful nature forgiven through grace, except for a season while the new creation is being formed?

I know my understanding of redemption is true and that it does not seem to be held by many believers. Since I am not some kind of intellectual genius, my guess is that God chose for whatever reason to give me (and no doubt to many others) the truth concerning the Divine redemption.

But, as I said, I am troubled because tomorrow I will be teaching the program of redemption to only two hundred fifty-two of my children and their twenty-five officers. What about the remainder of the five thousand children and their five hundred officers? And what about the rest of the elect in Heaven and on the earth?

As I was pondering this thought, I was reminded of how during the dedication of Zion University the Lord had said my words would go out to all the people whom He had accepted in Heaven and on the earth. I think perhaps as I speak tomorrow about the program of redemption, the correct concept will be created in the minds of all of God’s elect.

I do not mean they will receive a doctrinal position or a statement of faith. I mean rather that without their realizing anything has taken place, understanding will enter their minds and hearts, and when they read the Bible it will make more sense.

So musing I drifted away…

Rodel, while trying to be as quiet as a mouse, woke me up when he opened the shutters. Bear jumped down and stood at the door and ignored Rodel. I believe Bear is getting over her fear of angels. I threw back the covers, sat up, swung my legs to the floor, and sat on the edge of the bed. Then I yawned and stretched.

The roosters were greeting the dawn. I love that sound!

Rodel had put hot water in the iron pitcher and cold water in the white pitcher. I washed up, drank some cold water, and put on my newly pressed brown slacks and polished brown dress shoes that had appeared in my closet (how do the angels know what we need before we ask?), my new blue shirt, and a new brown tie with blue and white stripes on it.

Bear and I went down the stairs, and Erhard gave Bear her biscuit and patted her head. Bear definitely is getting used to angels. Erhard has won her over. I really don’t know whether angels smell different from us, or smell at all! Bear could tell me if she could talk.

Amira and Gabrielle came out the door and looked at me! Amira said, “You look nice. How come you are all dressed up?”

I answered, “I am going over to the first campus and teach my children.”

Amira and Gabrielle chorused, “We want to come!”

I said, “I guess there will be no objection from the Headmaster if he has to put in three extra chairs, because Tad will be there also.”

Tad said, “I have to be there as your guardian in case there is danger.”

I said, “If any of you three want to change your clothes, I will wait for you, but don’t be too long. The Spirit is telling me we have just enough time for you to get ready.”

The four of us and Bear walked over to the Great Hall. Alana was wearing a blue dress and matching apron, and a white cap. She put out our oatmeal, scrambled eggs, toast, fruit, and milk. There were water and biscuits for Bear.

As we were eating, Amira said, “What are you going to teach about?”

I answered, “The program of redemption.”

Amira said, “What’s that?” She looked really puzzled. When Amira is puzzled about something, she frowns. I could tell Gabrielle had no idea what I was talking about but is too shy to say anything.

Tad said, “Are children and young people able to understand the program of redemption?”

I said, “The audience will be children and young people from the ages of eight through sixteen, plus their officers who will be a little older than that. I have had experience teaching all of these age groups, and will take my entire audience into consideration while I am speaking so everyone will get something helpful.”

Amira, Gabrielle went up to change for school. I went in and told Heng that in a minute we were going to need Watcher and Kamur, and that he was to take Bear again. Heng likes Bear, so there was no problem except for Bear’s disappointment. Warfighter, Lance, White King, and Amigo were left out again!

Soon Amira, and Gabrielle were dressed in their nicest clothes and black dress-shoes. Amira and Gabrielle had bows in their hair. They had to go in to say goodbye to their horses, who nickered quietly.

Then Heng came out with Kamur and Watcher. Heng brought with him my gauntlet that is kept in the pouch sewn to Warfighter’s blanket. I put the gauntlet on my right hand. Then Watcher jumped from Heng’s fist to mine. Kamur walked beside us as we went through both gates and down the ramp. Watcher took off to her post. Heng walked down with us. I gave the gauntlet to Heng to put back in its pouch.

We all became invisible, and walked through the fields and then through Tent City until we came to the first campus. There were children and young people streaming through the five sets of double-doors of the building named “Zion University.”

We made ourselves visible except for Watcher and Kamur. It is odd that no one seems to notice when we just appear like this. I guess they were too intent on getting into the Auditorium.

We walked to the back of the crowd, with the invisible Kamur trailing behind, and went in with them. I saw the Headmaster and said, “I have three guests.”

Antipas said there is no problem. He said there always are more chairs than are needed.

We went through the foyer, and then into the Auditorium through the middle set of double-doors. Antipas went with us down the center aisle, and pointed out five seats on the first row next to the center aisle. “Five seats in the first row on each side of the center aisle are always reserved for guests,” Antipas said. He placed us to the right of the aisle. The seats were similar to those in moving picture theaters. The seats were purple with brown frames.

After the Auditorium was filled, Antipas got up from the seat next to the aisle, where he had been sitting next to us. I whispered to him: “Would it be acceptable for me to lead the children in a hymn before I speak?”

Antipas answered, “Of course. It is not only acceptable but appreciated.”

Then Antipas walked up the three steps to the platform. There was a grand piano on his left, as he stood on the platform. The piano was black and appeared to be new.

“Good morning, boys and girls,” Antipas said, “It is good to see each of you this morning.”

As he said this, Jesus appeared to me, sitting in Antipas seat. I think He was invisible to everyone else. He said, “God has heard your desire that all of his elect in Heaven and on the earth hear what you have to say as you unfold the understanding that God has given you.” Then the Lord disappeared.

I don’t believe I ever have been happier in my life. All through my ministry on the earth I was concerned that I was reaching only a relative handful of the elect on the earth at that time, and perhaps none of the multitude in the spirit world. I knew that God had given me an understanding of his Word that was not commonly held, and I did not know how to get it out to all who needed it. Now the answer is here. Thank God forever!

I could take you to the place where it happened, at 641 South Boundary Street, in San Diego, California, if the chapel is still there. I was in Bible School. This was 1948, I believe. I had received the Gospel three or four years earlier.

Which reminds me: I had not been brought up in a Christian home. I came to Christ while I was in the Marine Corps.

Because the Lord called me to preach when I was in the Corps, I entered Bible school when I was discharged.

While I was in Bible school I noticed there was a common saying among church people and the students that “the world was waiting to see someone who would do God’s will perfectly.”

This concept intrigued me. Since I had no encumbrances at the time, no family that I was close to, I said this to the Lord: “I will do your perfect will if you will reveal it to me and give me the grace to do it.” I thought, “Let’s put an end to this nonsense.

“If God is looking for someone to make up the hedge and stand in the gap before him, he need look no longer. I don’t want to hear any more of this defeatism and unbelief.”

The expression of a young person with limited experience! I think the older Christians were tolerant of my optimism and figured that as I grew more experienced I would become as defeated as they were. It hasn’t happened as yet, praise the Lord.

“If God is going to send me to Tibet without sufficient clothing, or make me wander through the rice paddies of Southeast Asia until I fall on my face and drown, or otherwise ‘burn out for Christ,’ let’s get on with it!”

“Burning out for Christ” seemed to be held up as a high ideal when I was in Bible school. I don’t know where people got this idea. It seems foolish to me. What enjoyment or profit does the Lord derive from our working so hard we have some kind of breakdown?

God said one time, in the Old Testament, He looked for someone in Jerusalem who dealt honestly and sought truth. If He found one such individual He would forgive the city; but He could not find one person who met his standard. Isn’t that terrible? I said to myself, “God is not going to say that while I am alive, as He helps me.”

I made this astounding determination during a recess period.

When we went back into the classroom, one of the students, not knowing, of course, of the statement I had made to the Lord, prophesied somewhat as follows: “If you mean what you have said, it will be a blessing to many people.”

I felt then, and still feel, that the prophecy was a response to the promise I made to the Lord.

Since that time, about 1948, God has enabled me to do his will. This is no great thing. In fact, to not do God’s perfect will at all times is to rebel against God; so I don’t understand where this preposterous idea came from that “the world is waiting for someone to do God’s perfect will.” I feel certain that numerous Christians have done God’s perfect will, whether or not they knew it.

I have found doing God’s will to be a joy. There have been a few crises, to be sure. But all people, saved and unsaved, encounter crises in their lives.

I think Satan has been running a bluff on God’s people. They are afraid to tell God they will do his will no matter what the consequences are, because Satan is warning them that they will be called upon to endure unimaginable horrors. This, of course, is nonsense.

There is a cost if we are to follow Christ each day in cross-carrying discipleship. But what about the loss when we do not follow Christ like this? I don’t stop any longer to count the cost. When Jesus tells me something I do it, knowing from experience that his commandments always lead to righteousness, love, joy, and peace.

Whether this statement of dedication to God’s will resulted in the following, I do not know. I certainly do not want to leave the impression that I had done something remarkable that resulted in God being obligated to use me in a special way. Actually I had done nothing more than orient myself properly to the Father and his will.

In any case, I was sitting in the Berean chapel reading my Bible. I had been taught the traditional understanding of grace and the “rapture,” doctrines derived, at least in part, from the notes in the Scofield Bible, not from the Scriptures themselves.

A Personage stood at my right hand, similar to the Presence that had commanded me to stop practicing the piano, when I was in the Marine Corps. (I do not know if this Personage is an angel or the Lord Jesus, but I am capitalizing “Personage” just to be sure.)

Nothing was said, but the Bible read differently. I could perceive what the text actually stated instead of the misinterpretations that had been taught to me. It was not long after this that I felt impressed that the spiritual application of the Jewish Day of Atonement, which comes after Pentecost, was to be the judgment of the evil that is in God’s people.

I told an older Bible teacher, Oliver Ellenwood, what I felt God had told me. He listened attentively and did not comment, or else he encouraged me. It was not a negative reaction, as I remember.

Now imagine: I had been a Christian for three or four years, and I am seeing things in the Bible that were not commonly taught.

Soon I came to a real crisis in my mind. Should I trust this impression I was receiving, or should I abandon it and preach the commonly accepted doctrines? At that time the commonly accepted doctrines were that there would be no more revivals; we were in the great falling away; the “rapture” was at hand (1948); and the Catholic Church is Babylon, or the Antichrist, I forget which. Or was the Antichrist a computer in Brussels? I forget.

I was being taught in Bible school that there would be no more revivals, and this just prior to the Charismatic renewal! I was taught also, in a Sunday-school methods class, that Jesus spoke in parables, illustrations, little stories, so the listeners would remember the lesson. But Jesus said that He spoke in parables so people would not understand Him and be healed.

This difference in the reason Jesus spoke in parables raised questions in my mind. I knew the teacher to be a good, devout, and intelligent person. So her inability to see what the Scripture actually teaches must be attributed to some sort of spiritual blindness, or else to a willingness to defer to humanistic thought.

I decided that if I did not go by what I believed was the Lord, and was carried along by other people, I would never be my own man.

So I went forward with my understanding of the Scripture. From 1948 until 2011 I had taught the interpretation of the Scripture that I received in Bible school. At first, few people understood me. Now numerous believers have read my writings and are blessed by them, they tell me.

As I see the abundance of error being presented in the Christian churches, and compare it to my preaching of cross-carrying obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, I have come to the conclusion that it is Christ who has enlightened my mind.

Thus I have a normal desire to see others receive the same understanding. When they do, they will begin to appreciate the necessity for living righteously and will not be trusting in God to overlook their sinful behavior.

I do not believe we who teach the Bible are supposed to be instructing people in how to live a happy life in Jesus. Rather, I believe we are to be explaining to them how to die in the Lord. As we die in the Lord, letting go of our idols, we automatically begin to live joyously and fruitfully in Christ. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.”

I had heard a great deal of “positive” preaching. So I asked the Lord about this. He said, “Those who preach nothing but the positive are seeking their own glory. Those who preach nothing but the negative are mentally ill.”

Then He pointed me toward the Bible, that from the beginning there were trees to eat from and then a tree not to eat from; also, the blessings from Mount Gerizim and the curses from Mount Ebal.

In actuality, the key to life, to understanding, to fellowship with God, is found in death to our first personality. Have you been there yet?

To “die in the Lord” is no great mystery. It means merely that we say (and mean it!), “not my will, but yours be done.” Our life, to a great extent, is our will. So when we say “not my will but yours be done,” we are telling the Lord Jesus that we want to live by his Life rather than by our own.

The Apostle Paul said he is not living any longer, it is Christ who is living in him. By his statement Paul was saying, “Not my will but yours be done.”

To choose the will of Christ in every situation is to abide in Christ. Abiding in Christ results in eternal fruit. That fruit is the image of Christ in us and in those whom we influence.

I would fervently encourage everyone who is reading these words to adopt the Life of the Lord Jesus in place of his or her own life. Any other decision means we have chosen to follow our own inclinations and habits. Our own inclinations and habits will never, never, never lead us to love, joy, or peace, even if they are religious inclinations and habits.

It appears to me that the “grace” message tells us being saved by grace means we do not have to obey the commands of our King, the Lord Jesus Christ, or of his Apostles. If this is true, the present-day “grace” message may prove to be the most sophisticated of all rebellions against God.

Antipas was saying, “We have a special treat today. Godwill, the lord of Godwill Castle, which is hosting our Tent City and our campuses, is here to tell about the things God has revealed to him. While he was living on the earth he had been a schoolteacher and Bible teacher. I know he will be able to explain God’s Word in such a way that each one of us, from the youngest to the oldest, will be able to understand it.”

I heard a commotion behind me. I looked around, and the smaller children were wiggling in their seats so everyone would know they were important also.

“Lord Godwill has brought with him Tad, his guardian-angel.” I had explained to Antipas that while Tad looks like a young man, he actually is an angel.

“I know each of you who were in the children’s army had a guardian-angel on each side of you. Lord Godwill’s guardian-angel is always with him. Also, Amira and Gabrielle, whom many of you know and who are living in Godwill Castle with Lord Godwill and Tad, have come to be with us here.

“So how about a good Zion University welcome for our four guests.”

With this the entire two hundred fifty-two children and their twenty-five officers stood to their feet and clapped for quite a period of time. They know I am their father. I am not certain Antipas does.

As they were clapping, Antipas came down to his seat next to Tad, and I walked up the steps to the platform.

As I stood in the center of the stage and looked out, my heart swelled with love for my children. They were so bright, and were a rainbow of color in their shorts, slacks, dresses, blouses, sleeveless shirts. The boys and girls were about even in number. I could see races I recognized, such as Japanese, Chinese, African, Filipino.

Of course there are many races that look so much alike, like the people from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands, that you cannot identify them at a glance. But I am satisfied that about every country on earth most likely was represented.

I could speak to them in Alephbeth and they would understand me.

I walked over to the grand piano on the platform and sat down. I said, “We are going to sing together, All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name. You learned that song in your native language when you first came into the spirit world. Do you remember how we all sang in our native language when the Lord Jesus was crowned on the Temple Mount? We are going to sing in Alephbeth, our new language.

“Now stand up straight and tall and sing with me.” As I played and sang, the auditorium was filled with the sound of that grand old hymn. I think everyone was singing. Then I said, “You did that very well. You may be seated.”

I then got up from the piano bench and went to the center of the stage. I said, “Let us bow our heads and pray. Our Father, it is so important that every child and young person understand clearly what I have to say that I pray your Holy Spirit will fill this room and give each person the spirit of wisdom and revelation so he or she can know what you have done for us. Help me to say what you want said. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

I looked up and noticed that every eye in the room was fastened on me. There was no microphone. I still am not certain how sound is carried in the spirit world, since there is no air. But in spite of the fairly large audience, I don’t believe anyone was having trouble hearing me. I was speaking, of course, in Alephbeth.

There was a chalkboard behind me that I could use if I wished.

I started off: “God made a man and a woman perfect. But Satan tempted them to be disobedient to God, and they were.

“Pretty soon there were many people on the earth. But they did not love God with all their heart, and they did not love their neighbor as themselves. So God was unhappy.

“God sent Jesus to the earth to die for our sins. This Jesus did, and our sins are forgiven if we ask God in Jesus’ name to forgive us. Now Jesus is with us here in Heaven.

“So there are lots and lots of people on the earth, and even more here in the spirit world, who have asked God to forgive them. But they still do not love God with all their heart and their neighbor as themselves. Don’t you find this to be true?” There was a general murmur of assent in the Auditorium.

“God is going to take three steps to solve the problem of people not loving Him with all their heart, and not loving their neighbor as themselves. First, He is going to remove any bad attitudes that we have living in us. Second, He is going to fill us with Jesus; and third, He is going to teach us to love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves.

“Now I have a question for you. Who can tell me what will make God happy?”

Several hands were raised. I pointed to an older boy, and said, “What is your name?” he stood up and answered, “Ragnar, sir.”

“Ragnar, what will make God happy?” Ragnar answered, “When people love God with all their heart and their neighbors as themselves.”

I said, “That is correct. Now I have another question. Let’s see who can answer it.

“What three steps is God going to take so people will love God with all their heart and their neighbors as themselves? This is a difficult question, I know.”

A girl about twelve years of age, I would guess, raised her hand.

I asked, “What is your name?” She stood up and answered, “Saida.”

I said, “Saida, what is your answer to my question?”

Saida stood up, and in a clear voice said the following: “In order to help us love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves, God is going to remove the evil from us, fill us with the Lord Jesus, and then teach us his ways.”

Then Saida sat down.

“Did everyone hear that? First, remove the evil from us. Second, fill us with the Life of Jesus. Third, teach us how to love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves.

“I am certain that later, after I am gone, the classroom teachers will answer questions, particularly from the elementary-school children. So I will continue.

“Let’s think first about how God is going to remove the evil from us, the things in us that do not want us to love God or our neighbor.

“God has said that in the last days He would send messengers who would remove the evil from us. Have any of you had the experience of God removing the evil from you?”

Almost every hand went up.

I pointed to one young man, and asked, “Son, what is your name?”

He answered, “Jaleel.”

I said, “Jaleel, please tell us about God removing the evil from you.”

Jaleel stood up and responded, “I have a friend named Isaac. Both of us play the violin. I wanted to play first violin in the orchestra, but Mr. Antipas picked Isaac. This upset me because I felt I was a better violinist.

“As I thought about how unfair this was, I decided I would not play in the orchestra any more.

“Mr. Antipas asked me why I dropped out of the orchestra, and I told him that I felt I was a better violinist than Isaac and should be first violin.

“Mr. Antipas reminded me that we are supposed to love our neighbor as ourselves.

“I said I knew that, but I felt bad about not being chosen for first violin.

“Mr. Antipas asked me if I wanted him to pray with me about this. I said I think I better, because I want to please God.

“So we prayed. I told Jesus I felt bad about Isaac being picked to be first violin, and would Jesus please help me to get over this anger and jealousy.

“Guess what? I felt something bad go from my heart, and I began to remember that two weeks ago Isaac had helped me with a difficult passage from ‘War March of the Priests.’ Then I realized Isaac really was a better violinist.

“I thanked the Lord Jesus for helping me get rid of this bad spirit. Now Isaac and I are best friends.”

I said, “Jaleel, that is an excellent testimony. We have just learned from you that Jesus will help us love our neighbor as ourselves.”

A little girl stood up and asked, “Who is my neighbor, the girls who live with me in my tent? Are they my neighbors?”

I asked, “Honey, what is your name?”

She answered, “Anika.”

I said, “One time someone asked the Lord Jesus that question. How many read that in your Bible?”

Several hands went up across the Auditorium.

“Who can answer Anika?”

A boy I would guess to be about ten years old, raised his hand.

I pointed to him, and said, “What’s your name, son?”

He answered, “Ariel.”

I said, “Ariel, how did Jesus answer Anika’s question?”

Ariel stood up and said, “Jesus said the good Samaritan who helped the man who had been hurt was the man’s neighbor.” Then he sat down.

“Anika, is that clear?” Anika stood up. Anika said, “Yes. That means if I help someone who has been hurt I am her neighbor.”

I said, “You got it. Did everyone hear that?”

Then I said, “I know that if Jaleel saw that Isaac was having a problem of some kind he would help him, and Jaleel also would encourage Isaac to be the best violinist he could possibly be.

“What is the first step in helping us love our neighbor as ourselves, and God with all our heart? Anyone?”

About half the children and young people raised their hands.

“Yes.” I pointed to another ten-year-old boy. “What is your name?”

“Robert,” he answered.

“Robert,” I said, “What is the first step”

Robert stood up and answered, “The first step to get us to love God with all our heart and our neighbors as ourselves is for God to take the bad from us.” Then he sat down. I thought, they seem to have the first step in mind. I think I’ll proceed.

“Does anyone remember the second step?” Way across the Auditorium a hand went up. It was a young lady.

I said, pointing to her, “Young lady who is wearing that nice green dress and has a green bow in your hair, what is your name?”

Everyone turned around to see whom I was speaking to. She stood up. “Evelina,” she answered.

“Evelina, what is the second step God is going to take so we will love Him and our neighbor?”

Evelina said, “God is going to fill us with Jesus.”

“A perfect answer. Now, how is God going to fill us with Jesus?”

No hand went up.

I said, “We all want more of Christ in our heart. Now let’s see how to go about being full of Christ so we will love God and our neighbor.

“Actually, Jaleel gave us the answer, though he may not have understood it right away. Every time we are tempted to do something wrong we are to pray that Jesus will give us strength so we don’t give in to the temptation.

When we pray, and Jesus gives us the strength to not give in to the temptation, and we turn away from it, then a piece of Jesus comes into us, just as a piece of Jesus came into Jaleel’s heart so that he wanted to help Isaac and be a friend to him.

“If we keep on turning away from sin every time we are tempted, after a while we are filled with Jesus. Then we will love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves, because Jesus is in us and this is what He does.”

I saw some of the young people taking notes.

“Okay, let’s review. What is the first of the three steps God takes so we will love Him and our neighbor?”

Hands throughout the Auditorium.

I chose a little girl who was about three rows back and to my right.

I pointed to her. “What is your name?” I asked. She stood up and said, “Wan-li.” I could tell she was Chinese. Wan-li was wearing a red dress with a floral design. She had a white comb in her black hair. My guess is Wan-li is ten years of age.

I said, “That’s a pretty name.” Wan-li said, “Thank you.”

“Wan-li, can you tell us what is the first step God takes?”

Wan-li said, “He takes bad thoughts from us.”

I said, “Wan-li, is there anything we have to do or does God do it all?”

Wan-li said, “When we know something we are doing is wrong we are to ask God for forgiveness and then not do it anymore.” Then Wan-li sat down.

“You are absolutely correct. Does anyone want to add to that?”

An older boy raised his hand. I would guess his age at seventeen or eighteen. In fact, he may have been one of the officers.

I said, “Son, what is your name?” The boy stood up. He replied, “Tai-shan, sir.” Tai-shan was wearing a white shirt and black slacks. He had black hair and was handsome.

I asked, “Tai-shan, what did you want to add?”

Tai-shan said, “I noticed that the first step leads to the second. When we have done something wrong, and we receive forgiveness and then strength not to do it anymore, that strength is the Life of Jesus that has come into us.”

I said, “Tai-shan, that is amazing. You are absolutely correct. The first step, getting rid of bad attitudes, makes it possible for us to turn away from sin. The Lord Jesus gives us some of himself every time we decide not to sin.”

I asked, “Did everyone understand what Tai-shan said?”

There seemed to be assent throughout the Auditorium, so I felt we could move forward.

“Who remembers the third step?” I would say about a third of the students raised their hands.

“Young lady to my right in the middle of your row. Yes, you,” as she pointed to herself questioningly.

She stood up. “What is your name?” I asked. “Hedia,” she answered politely.

“Hedia, what is God’s third step?”

Hedia answered, “To teach us how to behave properly.” Then she sat down quietly.

I said, “You got it.”

Tai-shan nearly jumped out of his seat, waving his arm wildly.

“What is it, Tai-shan?” I asked.

Tai-shan stood up. “All three steps are linked together. When we are taught there is something we are not to do, and we do it, then we have to confess it as sin. God forgives us and removes that attitude from us. The next time we are tempted, and we pray and are able to not do it, we receive some more of Jesus in our heart.

“Then we keep on being taught so we can recognize when we are doing wrong, so we can turn away from sin and get more of Jesus. The more of Jesus we have the more we will love God and our neighbor as ourselves” Then Tai-shan sat down.

I said, “Tai-shan, you should be teaching this class instead of me. You have put the whole thing together clearly so we all can understand it.” Tai-shan squirmed. He apparently is from Southeast Asia, according to his features, and may not be accustomed to teachers humbling themselves as I often do.

“Now that we know how everything fits, does anyone have a question or a comment?”

An older girl, about six rows from me, in the middle of the Auditorium, raised her hand. She was wearing a brown dress and had a gold pin in front. She had a yellow bow in her brown hair and gold bracelets on her right wrist.

I pointed to her and asked her name. She stood up. “My name is Barbara.”

“Barbara, what is your question or comment?”

Barbara asked, “If all our sins really are forgiven by the blood of the cross, why do we have to go through the three steps you are teaching us?”

I could tell Barbara was sincere. She was not in disagreement, just seeking to understand God’s plan for us.

I said, “Barbara, you absolutely are correct when you say our sins really are forgiven when we put our faith in Jesus’ sacrifice. All of our sins of the past have been forgiven because of the sacrifice the Lord Jesus made for us. This is the grace of forgiveness, mentioned in the New Testament.

“Receiving God’s forgiveness through our Lord Jesus is the first step everyone must take if he or she wants to be pleasing to God.

“But after we have been forgiven, we may discover that we do not love God with all our heart or our neighbor as ourselves. Is that true?”

Barbara answered “Yes,” guardedly.

“For example, we may see a girl who is prettier than we are, or at least we think she is. Then we may become jealous. We know from our teaching from the Bible that God does not want us to be envious of another person. If we do not confess this sin to God, it may grow until we hardly can stand to be in the same room with the other girl.

“Then we may tell a friend of ours a lie about the pretty girl so the other girls won’t like her.

“Now remember: we have been completely forgiven of our sins of the past. But now we have a bad attitude and have done something that does not show love for God or for our neighbor. Instead of helping the other girl we are harming her. This is why, even though we have been forgiven, we must cooperate with the Spirit of God and take the three steps we have been discussing.”

Barbara listened carefully. You could tell she was thinking about what I had just said. She sat down slowly, frowning and thinking about this. I believe she probably had been under the impression for a period of time that when we once are forgiven we will not have to worry any more about pleasing God. This was a new and challenging thought.

I said, “Are there any more questions or comments?”

An older boy to my right raised his hand. I pointed to him. He stood up. He was a little short for his age (about twelve, I would guess) but stocky. He was wearing a brown shirt and brown trousers.

“What is your name, son,” I asked? “My name is Victor, but sometimes I’m called ‘Shorty.’” (I had spoken to him previously in the woodworking class.)

There was a ripple of laughter at this.

“What is your question, Victor?”

“Are you really our father?”

Instantly every eye was on me. It seemed like everyone stopped breathing and looked at me. I noticed the startled look in the eyes of the Headmaster.

I said, “Yes. It is true. None of you is acquainted with his earthly father. For one reason or another, Jesus adopted each of you at a very early age. But He wanted you to have a father who would love you especially and pray for you. So He gave you to me.

“Whenever you feel a need for help, ask God in Jesus’ name for whatever you need. Jesus may ask me to come and pray with you so that we both can ask Jesus for his help. I always will come and pray with you. You can ask as often as you want. I can come to as many people as are praying, all at the same time, if the Lord Jesus sees my presence is desired.

“You are Jesus’ special family, and He has graciously shared you with me. He is your Lord. I am your helper, and the father He has given you to help you toward whatever goal God has for you.

“I was with you when you attacked the wicked army in the earth. I still am with you. We have some jobs to do together, you and I. I want to know each of you as my very own son or daughter. To think of this makes me very happy and I hope it makes you happy too.

“Your teachers will answer any questions you may still have concerning the three steps that you can take to please God.”

With this I thanked them for listening so carefully. Then I went down the steps that led to the floor of the Auditorium. The children and young people stood to their feet and clapped enthusiastically for about three minutes, it seemed.

The Headmaster got up and I sat down next to Tad.

The Headmaster went up on the platform. He said, “I see that the Lord Jesus has given you a father who will be with you for a long time, maybe forever. I did not know that you did not have an earthly father who would be looking for you when he died. I will ask the Lord Jesus to explain this to me so I can understand more about you.

“But Godwill, the lord of the castle, now is your true father. It is easy to tell that he loves each one of you and wants to know you better as individuals.”

The Headmaster said, “Let us pray. ‘Dear Lord, we are so thankful for sending Lord Godwill to us today to teach us how we can serve you in a greater way. We pray you will bless him and all those of Godwill Castle who have kindly offered to let us live and go to school on the castle property. In Jesus’ name. And we all said… “Amen” came thundering up from the students.

The Headmaster said, “Take a short break, and go back to your classrooms when you hear the bell.” Tad, Amira, Gabrielle, and I, and Kamur who had stretched out on the floor in front of us but was invisible, stood up and started up the center aisle. I don’t know how many hands reached out to touch me; how many voices said, “I love you, Dad.” But I assure you I had a difficult time keeping my composure. To everyone I said, “I love you too.”

I can’t get over how blessed I am. Truly, there is a reward for serving the Lord!

Then the four of us, and the invisible Kamur, went outside and walked over to the next nearest Auditorium. Watcher, also invisible, was circling overhead. The children by this time were in their classrooms in the Instructional Center. We went next door and entered the Instructional Center.

There were two young angels sitting at one of the small tables. They both were handsome. They had silver hair to their shoulders, white robes with a narrow brown sash around their waist. They were wearing brown sandals.

One of them, Gunnar, introduced himself. He said politely in Alephbeth, “May I help you?” Tad whispered to me, “I have seen Gunnar somewhere, back at the time I first was told I would be assigned to a human being.”

I said, “We would like to speak with the Headmaster.”

Gunnar answered, “His name is Juhan. He is teaching in the upper elementary school.”

I asked, “Do you think it would be possible for me to speak with him briefly?”

Gunnar said, “I will find out for you.”

Gunnar went through the door marked “Upper Elementary.” Almost immediately an older man, a human, came out. He was dressed casually, like Tad and me, with a white shirt open at the collar, grey slacks, black loafers. Juhan had brown wavy hair. He was of average height. He had a welcoming smile on his face.

Apparently he had left Gunnar to oversee the classroom.

Juhan asked, “How may I help you?”

I introduced Tad, Amira, Gabrielle, and myself. Kamur was watching us carefully but remained invisible.

I said, “I would like your permission to come to the Auditorium tomorrow and speak to the children.”

As was the case with Antipas, Juhan was prepared for my coming.

Juhan seemed pleased with the thought of my seminar and assured me everyone would be ready for me and my friends.

This then became my practice. After I spoke at one campus, I would go over to the next to prepare the Headmaster for my coming the following day.

The four of us (and the invisible Kamur) walked back through Tent City, and then through the fields. We greeted a few of the farmers, and some of the children. I noticed the dogs kept far away from us. Perhaps they could see Kamur; or maybe they just smelled him. What would you do if you saw (or smelled) a giant Amur tiger moving stealthily along next to us, looking around in every direction to make sure there was no danger?

When we got to the wooden ramp leading up to the outer gate of the castle we all became visible. The drawbridge was let down and Heng walked down the ramp to meet us. Watcher, who had been invisible but remained faithfully at her post in the air, flew down and perched on the gauntlet on Heng’s right hand. We went in to the outer ward and then through the inner gate to the inner ward. I turned Watcher and Kamur over to Heng. Bear came running out of Heng’s room.

I heard a soft nicker. It was Warfighter. We used to be together all the time, and recently I have ignored him somewhat.

I went in, and Warfighter tossed his great head, as much as to say, “Where have you been?” I said, “I’m sorry, but there is so much to be done.

“I’ll tell you what. I will grab a sandwich, and then we will go for a ride. What do you think about that?” Warfighter bowed his head. Have you ever seen a giant white war stallion bow his head? They do that sometimes when they agree with what you are telling them.

I speak English to Warfighter. I think he understands it—somewhat.

Tad, Amira, and Gabrielle went in to greet their horses, and then we all walked over to the Great Hall to get a sandwich and some milk from Alana.

While we were eating Tad said, “You know, I could hear you preach much the same thing while I was guarding you on the earth. I couldn’t make any sense out of it. But now the idea of the three steps is so clear I cannot understand how come I could not grasp it at that time.”

I said, “Tad, I believe the Lord Jesus has told me that from now on when I teach, all of his elect, wherever they are, will realize the Bible is becoming clear to them. Perhaps this is true for elect angels also. But it will happen so naturally that they will not know that Christ has given them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.

“He wants his Church to be unblemished. In order for this to happen, they will have to take the three steps that were mentioned.”

“Will you be teaching again?” “Yes, but at another campus until I have taught in the Auditorium of every one of the twenty campuses.”

“But will you teach the same message?”

“No. It will not be necessary to teach the three steps of redemption again. That understanding is now in the possession of every one of God’s elect.”

“But will you run out of teachings?”

“I don’t think so. There is much understanding that God has for his people, and God will use me or someone else to open up more parts of God’s truth.”

After we each ate two toasted tuna fish sandwiches with lettuce and tomato on them, and drank two glasses of nice cold milk, and Bear had a biscuit and some milk, Amira and Gabrielle said they were going back to the campus and participate in flower-arranging, which is an upper-elementary activity.

Tad asked me what I was going to do.

I said, “I promised Warfighter I would take him for a gallop.”

Tad said, “I’ll go with you. Wait until I put on my uniform and get my dagger.”

Imagine having an angel as a close friend! That’s the way it seems to be working out.

So we went to the stable and brought out Warfighter, Lance, and Kamur. Watcher jumped from her perch in her aviary to my fist. Watcher has to keep her huge wings folded. Otherwise she could not fit through any of the doors or gates in the castle. Bear, of course, was tagging along.

The seven of us went through both gates and stood for a minute on the ramp at the entrance to the castle. I held up my fist and Watcher took off to her post overhead. I made Kamur invisible.

Tad and I mounted our horses, and I lifted Bear up to sit in front of me.

Neither Tad nor I use reins. We guide our horses with our legs and our words. Our horses are so sensitive they know instantly what we want. When we are guiding our horse with our legs it is like the horse’s legs are our legs. The horse becomes part of us, you might say.

Lance is a large, heavily muscled black stallion. He is a beautiful horse and carries himself proudly as though he is aware he is carrying a commander-in-training.

Warfighter is a giant white stallion, although not as large as Conqueror, the war stallion the Lord Jesus rides. Warfighter knows he is my horse. He was part of me before I died and passed into the spirit world. We were together at the battle on the Plain of Megiddo.

We were together when the saints went through the earth and demolished many of the institutions of civilization. We will be together for eternity. He represents my speed and strength in battle.

I became aware of Warfighter while I still was living on the earth, in the years leading up to my death. I became aware of Watcher and Kamur at the same time. I do not understand God’s purpose in showing me these three animals prior to my death, unless it was to make my transition from earthly life to heavenly life not as abrupt as it would have been.

Tad became real to me the last four or five years of my life on the earth. I have thought of Tad as an armor bearer, because he assists me continually just as armor bearers did in the old days. I think it was the Lord’s way of showing me that my destiny is to be in the area of maintaining God’s will at all times in all places forever. The three animals are in some manner representative of this role.

Tad is an angel, it is true. But he has been so close to me I think of him as a human being. He watches over me faithfully at every moment, whether I am awake or asleep. He is learning to be a warrior-angel by guarding me.

Also, as I wrote previously, there is a captain (Wolfgang) with a great deal of experience in both physical and spiritual warfare who is teaching Tad about spiritual battle, and preparing him for his future role as a commander of the army of angels.

Amira showed up along with the Lord at the time of my death, because she is the beginning of my inheritance of children.

Warfighter was restless. He wanted to exercise his powerful leg muscles. He was ready to get going. I expect Lance felt much the same way.

Tad looked splendid in his blue uniform and his long dagger by his side. I said to Tad, “We have been to the areas left and right of the castle, let’s go straight ahead and see what’s there.”

We made ourselves, the horses, and bear invisible so as not to alarm the farm people. Then we took off. Bear was crouched on the pad, and I was holding her tight so there would be no chance of her falling off.

Tad and I indicated to the horses that we wanted to gallop. This was all Warfighter and Lance needed. Those long legs of theirs leaped into action. We were off like a shot, Kamur alongside of us.

When we were past the fields, the ground was level stretching into the distance—a perfect place for a gallop. There were beautiful meadows all around us. There were children being taught, and a few older people just sitting on the grass and enjoying the peaceful setting. The children and the adults heard the noise of the hooves as we sped by. I can’t imagine what they thought! But people in the spirit world are accustomed to this sort of thing.

Warfighter and Lance were thundering along. Kamur was matching their speed, as was Watcher. On earth, Amur tigers could not keep up this pace very long. But Kamur seems to have an unusual ability to run at a high speed for a long period of time. We kept on and on, covering the ground rapidly. Warfighter and Lance have great endurance and were enjoying themselves immensely.

We came to a stream that had some trees along the bank, alders, I guess. We were over it and on our way, when I thought, “It might be good to let the horses and Kamur rest a bit.” So I signaled to Tad and Warfighter that we should slow down, turn around, and go back to the stream.

Tad said, “Let’s sit down and rest by this stream under these trees and give the horses a break.” When we were at the stream we dismounted. Neither horse was “breathing” heavily nor was Kamur. They are in such excellent condition, I wonder if Heng has been exercising them.

Perhaps, since there is no air here, they could run forever. But this probably is not true. In spite of everything, and why I do not know, animals and people do get tired in the spirit world.

In any case, both horses and Kamur got themselves a good drink of water.

This was a beautiful spot. There were lilac bushes all around, and you know how spectacular lilacs are when they are in bloom.

Suddenly I felt the Presence of the Lord. He said, “Three of your children are praying.”

Immediately I was aware of two girls and a boy. I think they all were present in the Auditorium this morning. I know Tai-shan was. It was so strange! I was fully aware of Tad, Warfighter, Lance, Kamur, Watcher, and Bear, and also of Ranita, Fiala, and Tai-Shan—all at the same time! I was everywhere at once!

Ranita had been in the Auditorium. She was praying. “Dear God, please send my new dad so he can be with me and love me, in Jesus’ name. Amen.” Ranita is about eight years old.

I made myself visible to Ranita. I said, “Honey, I am right here. I do love you and will always be with you when you ask God in Jesus’ name to send me.” Then I held her for quite a long while. Finally I knew it was time to leave. I said, “I will be back whenever you want me.”

Fiala was asking God to give her a best friend. Fiala is about nine years of age. I did not appear to her, but I laid hands on her and added my prayers to her. I spoke into her mind and told her I am here and always will be here when you need me.

Tai-shan was wearing a black shirt, black slacks, and dark brown sandals. He was praying that he would know more about his earthly parents. I appeared to him and he recognized me. Tai-shan said, “I did not mean that you are not my true, spiritual father.”

I said, “Tai-shan, I understand exactly how you feel and there is no problem.”

Then I prayed: “Father, I pray you will hear Tai-shan and show him those things that will strengthen him and be a blessing to him. In Jesus’ name. Amen.” I gave Tai-shan a hug and then left.

All the while that I was ministering to the three young people I was lying on the grass next to the stream, next to Tad. Bear was going around sniffing in order to get all the news. The two horses had drunk their fill and were grazing quietly. These two mighty stallions, side by side, are a picture!

There were different kinds of birds flying overhead and serenading us as they praised their Creator.

Kamur was lying quietly on the grass but remained alert and watchful. Watcher was at her post in the air.

I said to Tad, “We have had a good gallop. Let’s go back and see how Heng and Alana are doing.”

Tad said, “Okay.” I picked up Bear and put her on her place on the pad, and we mounted our horses. Then we took off in a furious gallop. I held on to Bear. We were invisible. The countryside went by in a blur. Kamur kept up with us. He is so large he can keep up with a horse. Watcher let out her “klick-whistle-klick-klick” and went before us.

After we passed the farms we made ourselves visible. Before you know it we are standing on the ramp. I lifted Bear off the pad and dismounted, as did Tad. Watcher circled down and perched on the leather gauntlet on my right fist. The drawbridge already had been let down and locked in place. There always are guards on top of the outer wall and they can see us from a distance and prepare our entrance. Tad waved at his friends from the barracks.

We went through the outer gate and the inner gate. Heng came out and took Watcher, Kamur, Lance, and Warfighter. Tad went up to the barracks while Heng rubbed down the horses. I went over to our tower, said hello to Erhard, and walked up the spiral staircase with Bear to my room.

When I got to the door, I heard giggling. I thought, What’s this?

I opened the door, and my two girls yelled, “Surprise!” Bear barked anxiously, not knowing what was going on. I believe they had been to the flower workshop.

My room was covered with flowers. There were flowers on the bed; flowers on the benches by the shutters; flowers in the washbowl; flowers in the closet. My room looked like a funeral parlor or a wedding chapel. There were lilies, and carnations, red roses, orange roses, white roses, tulips, chrysanthemums, orchids, begonias, azaleas, and some I didn’t recognize. My room was filled with color and a wonderful fragrance.

What? All these familiar kinds of flowers are found in the spirit world?

We have it backwards. All these kinds of flowers are found in the physical world. That is what is remarkable!

What we see in the world was made from the spirit world and is the grossest, temporary form of that which is eternal. We begin with that which is gross and temporary and arrive at that which is unspeakably beautiful and eternal.

I said to my two daughters, “Thank you for being so thoughtful.” Then I gave each of them a hug and told them Bear and I would be down as soon as I washed up.

They went out the door, two happy little girls talking and laughing as little girls do.

I washed up a bit, put on a clean white shirt and newly pressed slacks. I had to put aside some yellow carnations in order to sit on the bed. I slipped on my brown loafers, and Bear and I went down the stairs. When we passed the door to the girls’ room I could hear them still talking.

Bear and I continued down and went through the tower door. Erhard had a biscuit for Bear and a kind word for her. I think by now Bear was pretty friendly with Erhard.

We waited for Tad, Amira, and Gabrielle, and then all of us walked over to the Great Hall. When we opened the door—you guessed it! The table was a mass of color because of the flowers. They were in ornate vases, some silver vases, some brown, some black, some white. There was just room for our plates and glasses.

Alana came out with a white carnation in her black hair. She was all in white with a white apron. She set down our chicken soup, fresh bread, butter, mixed vegetables, and a pitcher of milk. Can you guess what else there was?—cheese enchiladas, refried beans, and a bottle of hot sauce to go with them.

Gabrielle, our quiet one, shouted, “Praise the Lord!”

Alana said, “I tried some of this food. It is different but really good!”

I had eaten Mexican food while I was alive on the earth, and it was Audrey’s favorite.

Amira said, “This looks delicious.” But I noticed she used the hot sauce sparingly.

Tad seemed to really enjoy the enchiladas and the refried beans. I am basing my opinion on the huge quantity he ate.

After this episode we had chicken and fish tacos, enchiladas, and refried beans from time to time, and also falafels.

Today there were chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream with walnuts in it, for desert.

We didn’t say much during dinner. We all got up from the table. Bear had finished her milk and enchilada. We said our good nights and had hugs all around. Tad said good night to Lance and went up to the barracks. Amira and Gabrielle went in and petted White King and Amigo, and said good night to them, and to Anisa, and then went up to bed.

Bear and I went in and said good night to Watcher, Kamur, and Warfighter. Watcher says good night by stepping sideways on her perch and may chirp a little. Sometimes Watcher klicks and screams. Eagles can be noisy when they want to, you know.

Kamur looks up, and then goes back to sleep. Warfighter nickers softly. This is his way of saying good night.

Bear and I turned and went out of the stable. We went over to our tower and said good night to Erhard. Then we climbed the stairs to our room. Rodel had been here, I noticed. The shutters were closed for the night.

Bear’s pillow was at the foot of the bed. There was a clean shirt and pressed brown slacks in my closet, along with brown dress shoes and a brown and blue tie. The quilt was thrown back.

The flowers had been arranged beautifully in four large bowls, two bowls on each of the two benches by the shutters.

Bear jumped up onto her pillow at the foot of the bed.I took off my clothes and put on pajamas. I reached up and put out all the candles except the one on the corbel opposite the foot of our bed. Then I got in bed. It was difficult to believe so much had happened in one day. It was so nice of my girls to put flowers in my room. I wondered what would be my next topic, for I had committed myself to teach at a different campus each morning. Maybe Tad had a good point—that I would run out of topics.

Then I thought about Ranita, Fiala, and Tai-shan. I hope their prayers are answered before too long. Pretty soon my thoughts were not clear and I kind of drifted off…

Suddenly a clear light entered me and I felt a surge of energy. The Lord Jesus entered the room. He said, “There are a hundred of your children who are praying right now and have a need. I am sending you to them. Go in my strength.”

I am still lying in bed, but I also am with a hundred of the children and young people. I tended to them seemingly one at a time in deep personal fellowship; and yet it all was taking place at the same time. The more I prayed for them the more I loved them and grew to know them.

I might mention that no matter what clothes I am wearing at the time, when I am called to a person in answer to his or her prayer, I am dressed in a white robe. I suppose this is because at that instant I am serving as a member of the royal priesthood.

Another thought: I notice that the number of children to whom I am sent keeps increasing. I have no doubt that before long I will be interceding for all five thousand thirty children and their officers. I had never thought about such a thing before, but the Lord Jesus continually is interceding for all of the elect in Heaven and on the earth!

Yet, He also is performing many other tasks at the same time, such as guiding his ministers as they preach and teach his Word; and also entering the personalities of those who respond to his knocking.

One boy, about ten years of age, was praying that he might do better in school. His name is Daren. Daren was wearing brown pajamas with little red and blue horses on them. Daren said, “I have trouble learning to read and write Alephbeth.” He said, “I think the other kids wonder why I can’t keep up with them, but they are trying to be kind to me.”

I said, “Daren, let’s pray together.” So we did, and asked Jesus to help him learn to read and write Alephbeth.

When we finished, Daren said, “You really are my father, aren’t you?”

I answered, “Daren, you really are my son and I love you very much.”

Daren began to cry, and turned and hugged me tightly. He just wouldn’t let go.

Finally he looked up at me and said, “I love you, Dad.”

I said, “I love you, Daren, and now it is time for bed.”

Daren crawled into his bed. As I left the tent, the last thing I saw was Daren’s head and brown curls on the pillow. He was asleep already, confident that tomorrow in school he would be able to learn to read and write in Alephbeth.

Then Jesus came again. He said, “Godwill, you are doing a good job of intercession. You can see now how you soon will know all your youngsters. After all, you have eternity to become acquainted with them.”

I guess the Lord Jesus saw how pleased I was with this thought. He went on to say, “I have millions of other children whose parents are not looking forward to seeing them in the spirit world. I will keep adding to your family.”

Perhaps this is what it means to be a coheir with Christ.

“The five thousand thirty children and their officers whom I gave you to begin with were selected to participate in the Great Battle and to serve as a reserve force of judges. There are others who need a father, and you will love them just as much as you do your little warrior-judges. I always will be adding children to you. For this purpose you were created.”

So the time went on, slowly on the earth, rapidly in the spirit world. I spent my days teaching at the campuses in the morning, and playing the piano and learning to read and write Alephbeth in the afternoons. However, sometimes a special event would interrupt this schedule.

On some days when we had no assignment, after I had spoken at one of the campuses, we would ask Alana to pack a picnic lunch for us. The four of us would take off and ride our stallions. Bear, Watcher, and Kamur were with us.

We often went to the ocean. On other occasions we just went exploring in various places. Once we came to a cave that had stalactites and stalagmites of all different colors. These formations were glowing with an inner light that made the inside of the cave like a giant rainbow. The interior was strikingly beautiful, as you might imagine.

One of the most interesting places we visited was the Animal Park. Every kind of animal, tame and wild, was living here in peace. There was everything from giraffes to field mice. They calmly noticed Watcher, Kamur, Bear, and our horses.

The animal park is a vast area, I do not know how many acres. Certainly many square miles. We were only at the edge.

Amira, Gabrielle, Tad, and I dismounted. We walked over until we were standing in front of the animals. Three of the larger animals, a huge lion, a rhinoceros, and an elephant came over to us. They moved slowly, ponderously, with great dignity. They looked us over carefully. I suppose they were the delegated committee that inspected and welcomed visitors.

The lion was tawny in color. The rhinoceros was dark gray. The elephant also was dark gray.

The Lord Jesus told me their names. The lion’s name is Jelani. The rhinoceros’ name is Olufemi. The elephant’s name is Mudiwa. She is a lady elephant.

Jelani was bright and welcoming, with a touch of caution.

Oolufemi regarded us gravely.

Mudiwa looked us over with kindness and concern.

It is interesting isn’t it that in a land in which one would expect absolute security there would be a serious, cautious greeting.

Have you noticed that as marvelous as the spirit world is, the inhabitants have learned to be cautious and watchful, always prepared for that which might prove to be harmful? That is because the rebellion against God began in Heaven, with the result that some of the angels were cast down into a place of confinement.

There always are guards posted, as we saw in Playland, for example. Never at any time did I see an atmosphere of abandonment to jollity and revelry, such as we encounter sometimes in a church party on the earth. In the midst of love, peace, and joy there is watchfulness. Perhaps that is a lesson we on the earth might consider.

Every consecrated saint learns to “post a guard.” Wherever he is, whether at work or play, he remains watchful. He never attends a party in which the people give themselves over to play and foolishness. He has learned by experience that to cease looking to the Lord, even for a short period of time, may allow Satan to cause damage to him that may take years to correct.

If you think about it, parties are for children, that they might have fun. Fellowship is for adults, that they might encourage one another to love and good works.

The sight of these three delegates, who came to greet us, was stunning. The lion was majestic and bowed majestically. The rhinoceros looked at us impassively. In spite of their awesome size, the elephant towered over the other two.

I have witnessed a few ceremonies in my life. But I never have seen a ceremony that stirred me more than that of Jelani, Olufemi, and Mudiwa as they made their way toward Amira, Gabrielle, Tad, and me. Their air was one of inquiry. They were not at all hostile. Yet you knew that these three would guard the kingdom of animals and were not to be trifled with. They were alert and ready to act at the slightest sign of trouble.

Apparently it was the lion who was appointed to give voice to their greeting. This huge tawny African lion looked at each one of us carefully. Then he opened his great mouth and uttered a tremendous roar that brought all of the animal activity to a standstill. It was followed by a profound silence. In addition to greeting us, this roar notified all the animals in the park that there were visitors.

Then Mudiwa lifted up her huge trunk and with a trumpet sound announced the all clear.

Little by little, the various animal grunts, chatters, hoots, woof-woofs, meows, peeps, and various bird calls began again.

The simple dignity of this reception was so splendid, so unforgettable, it made me realize once again how little we understand of what animals are capable, and how we have misused their potential contribution to the inhabitants of the world.

But what can we expect when people are attempting to operate the world apart from the Creator!

Men have been busy making trophies of dead lions to mount on their walls, or obtaining the tusks of elephants for ivory, or grinding up the horns of rhinoceroses for their medicinal properties (real or imagined). They have no idea of the actual benefit these animals could bring to mankind.

Can you imagine cutting off the horn of a rhinoceros, or the tusks of an elephant, and leaving the corpse of the animal to rot on the ground and be grieved over by her babies?

We understand to some extent the proper use of domestic animals. Most of us know about the work that police dogs (K-9s) do, and horses, oxen, and carrier pigeons.

God made wild animals also, such as hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, lions, giraffes and so forth. Therefore they have a right to dwell with us on our planet. I cannot tell you God’s purpose in letting rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses, lions, and giraffes dwell with us. But it is certain they are of interest and communicate to us aspects of God’s personality.

The world would not be as interesting without them. They are to be treasured, never destroyed without good and sufficient reason. Do you agree with this?

I’ll tell you, I am thankful for Kamur and Watcher. They always are with me, protecting me from danger.

Thank God forever! All the species of animals shall be restored totally in the new world of righteousness, and killing animals, other than those used for necessary food, will be considered unrighteous acts and will never be tolerated!

There will be no need to kill animals in the new world of righteousness, except for those few, like chickens and fish, that have been created for food. God will control the animal population by governing which animals reproduce and when. In the same way, the Lord will govern what people will be born, and at what time.

If anyone in the new world of righteousness has ill intentions toward any animal, it will come to the Lord’s attention immediately. Then Christ may direct a few of my warrior-judges and me to look into the matter and take appropriate measures. We will insist that animals be treated with the same respect as people.

If an individual of the new world is having any kind of trouble with an animal, domestic or wild, the person is to bring it to the attention of Christ immediately so He may resolve the difficulty.

Kamur reclined respectfully during the ceremony. Watcher wheeled about overhead. Warfighter stood still. You could tell from his posture that he would be glad to be friendly, but was not someone who was to be intimidated in any manner. He is accustomed to carrying his master into battle and reflects this by his majestic manner.

Lance, White King, and Amigo stood attentively during the ceremony.

Mudiwa looked at us grandly, the lord of her domain. When they were finished with their task of greeting us, the three members of the welcoming committee turned and walked away together in a dignified manner.

A beautiful black stallion with a white blaze on his forehead came over to get acquainted with Warfighter. Now they were friends.

As I remember, we had seen this animal park previously when the Lord Jesus had taken us on a sight-seeing tour.

When you saw a black panther playing with little white lambs you knew you were looking at Paradise. A small child could move with complete safety among wolves, lions and leopards.

I lifted Bear off the pad. She found some dogs her own size and they began to romp and play.

Watcher flew low over us, looking carefully at all that was going on. She finally settled on the branch of an oak tree next to a barn owl. He had a white face. His back was yellowish-brown with black and white spots. The owl swiveled his head and gazed at Watcher unblinkingly. Watcher seemed amazed at this. Maybe she never had seen an owl before.

There were multiplied thousands of animals in this meadow. In fact, they may be used to populate the earth at times, and even the new earth when it is created. Remember, the physical world is created from the spirit world.

There were numerous trees of various kinds, and birds perching on the branches of some of the trees as well as flying overhead. The trees were not close enough together to be counted as a forest.

There was the beginning of a forest. There may have been monkeys, apes, gorillas, and chimpanzees there. We did not go and investigate. I have not noticed monkeys, apes or jungles in any of the biblical descriptions of the spirit world, so perhaps they are not carried over from the physical world.

I did not see any snakes, although Isaiah speaks of “the cobra” and a “viper’s nest”:

The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. (Isaiah 11:8—NIV)

There was a large lake There were animals drinking and paying no attention to us. There were several cranes wading near the shore, no doubt looking for food. Even further off toward the left, in the far distance, we could see what looked like a sea, or ocean.

There were a myriad of sounds from roars to gentle chirps. There was a blue male peacock strutting near us with a beautiful fan of brilliant green feathers. You probably have heard their cry. Peacocks truly are amazing animals, again revealing God’s sense of humor and his playfulness.

Kamur went over and greeted an Amur tiger nearly, but not quite, as large as himself. Kamur is really huge!

Some of the animals were lying down and looking about contentedly. After we had passed the lake we continued walking until finally we came to the ocean.

I believe we saw this ocean previously when we were with Jesus. There were large rocks sticking up. Seals, sea lions, walruses, and even polar bears could be observed. Our eyes have the ability to focus at great distances when we make the effort to look.

There are pelicans flying around. A pelican in flight seems to me to be one of the most graceful of all of God’s creatures.

There is no surf, no waves. I hope there are waves and surf when Christ creates the new earth. It is very restful to hear the waves crashing on the shore, and it is fun to play in the surf, especially when one cannot drown.

I put down my hand and brought up a little water and tasted it. It was not salty, it tasted just like regular water. It was neither cold nor warm. Similar to the outside temperature (I can’t say air!). For some reason it was invigorating.

The appearance of the ocean was blue-green, very pleasing to the eye. Yet, it was totally transparent, as is true of the lake, and also the lake in the Holy City. You can see through them to the bottom.

I felt intuitively that we could walk on the ocean, and the lake as well, although we did not do this. Like the Lord Jesus on the Sea of Galilee, we would be held in the hands of angels. Remember the Psalm: “They will lift you up in their hands”? The animals do not have this privilege, ordinarily.

There were little kittens, puppies, bunnies, all playing happily, chasing each other. If only there were some children here to enjoy the animals! There will be, I am certain, on the new earth.

I have often wondered about the animals (and the insects) coming two by two, male and female, into Noah’s ark without fighting. Noah did not have to go out and bring them in. This is one of the greatest mysteries in the history of the world. It just shows us that God can give us a peaceable kingdom of animals. The mere fact that He preserved the animals with Noah and his family reveals the importance God places on animals.

God gave man dominion over all the animals. But because we choose to live our life without God, following our own mind instead of walking humbly with God, we have not done a really good job of taking care of the animals that were placed under our supervision.

There are few things that grieve me as much as seeing an animal abused. Even the fiercest of animals are helpless against the intelligence of humans. The helplessness moves me emotionally with a desire to take care of them. All animals as much as possible should be treated with love and concern.

The thought of killing an animal for no purpose other than sport is absolutely reprehensible, from my point of view. As soon as I am brought into a suitable position I intend to do something about this crime.

If people only thought about it they would see that animals could benefit humans in many different ways, including transportation, sending messages, companionship, and just for fun. Sometimes animals can communicate with children better than adults can. I have read that animals are brought into classrooms for children to enjoy.

Also, hospitals and nursing homes on occasion bring in animals to comfort the patients. One of the treatments currently used to help returning veterans who have depression is to assign a dog to the patient. I read recently of a dog who would wake his master when the soldier was having a nightmare.

If we would let the Lord Jesus teach us the various uses and purposes God has in mind for animals, life on earth would be much more pleasant. But because we are so bent on living our lives without the Presence and fellowship of God, we stumble around in confusion, not realizing that the solutions to some of our problems are right at hand, ready to help.

We left the Animal Park and returned to the Castle, but knew we would be back again soon. The animals are so fascinating!

We went on several such picnics, enjoying the beautiful scenes in the eternal spirit world.

I had asked the Lord Jesus to send me a teacher. He sent me a Professor from one of the Zion University campuses in the spirit world. His name is Professor Bartolomeo. He is a kind, patient man, who appears to be about fifty years of age. He is a trifle portly. He is wearing brown trousers and a white shirt open at the collar. He is an expert in the development of languages.

He began with some basic instruction in reading and writing Alephbeth, using the newly invented alphabet.

The sessions with Professor Bartolomeo are very enjoyable. He is well versed in his subject.

I thought of the members of Mount Zion Fellowship, and others to whom I had taught the Bible during the years of my ministry. I had rest in my spirit concerning them because I knew each one was working out the destiny God had for him or her and I would be seeing all of them in the future.

Audrey comes often to the castle for a visit. I was so glad to see her! I took her around to see “Godwill Annex.” That’s the new name of what used to be “Tent City.” The tents have been replaced with small houses.

Having been a pastor on earth along with me, Audrey was able to minister comfort and healing to the peoples living on the earth during the thousand-year Kingdom Age. When Audrey came to visit with me, the boys and girls of the Annex always were glad to see her. Sometimes the teachers in one of the campuses would ask her to speak to the children.

Meanwhile our two boys and their families on the earth were attending Zion University. After they had passed the moral training they were screened to determine what vocational gifts God had given them.

Marc, my oldest boy, is quite skilled in sheet metal. Therefore he received additional instruction in his field as well as in other aspects of construction. He is having many opportunities to counsel and encourage people who have problems with drug and alcohol addictions.

David has come to know Christ and ministers as an evangelist. His wife and children help him with this.

Electricity was restored to the earth after about twenty years, God having determined that the supreme importance of godly behavior had been established. However, there were angels whose sole charge was to watch for any material accomplishment that was being placed ahead of constructive social behavior and interpersonal relationships.

When several years had passed, Marc and David and their families died and passed into the spirit realm. Audrey and I were there to greet them. They had passed the moral training at Zion University and so they did not have to spend time in a confined area learning the ways of Heaven.

We brought them to homes in one of the American communities, Springfield, that they would be comfortable in until it was time for them to take their places in the Holy City for the maturing process. I knew Mark and David would be thrilled to see Jenny and Max. They would not remember Muffin. We had Muffin many years ago. Of course, they never had known Mike Mulligan or Teddy Whiskers.

Being of the elect, their spiritual natures always are with Christ in God, but their awareness is in a community of saved, English-speaking people for a season.

Audrey often spends time with her relatives in the spirit world. She seems to have a stronger calling on her than is true of her aunts, uncles, and sisters. It may be that she is a kind of spiritual leader for her near relatives.

My family could stay with us in the castle as often as they liked while Audrey was fulfilling on the earth the projects Christ has assigned to her. However, our children and grandchildren were more comfortable in the American community where they had many friends.

This is understandable, because they had not shared in the experiences of the youngsters of Godwill Annex. Also, the little soldiers now had physical bodies, having participated in the first resurrection, while Audrey’s and my family members did not as yet. Their resurrection will come after the thousand-year Kingdom Age.

The children of Marc and David were concerned about their families remaining on the earth. We told our grandchildren to pray that God would put his angels round about their loved ones, and that they would be together with us on the new earth after the Resurrection.

There were times when I just felt like staying in bed. I obtained some extra pillows from Rodel and propped them up in bed to read. Do you ever do that?

I asked the Lord for books that were familiar to me. In a short while they would appear in my bookcase. They would be in English. Although Alephbeth has become the universal language, each person can still read books in a language familiar to him or her. If he wishes to learn another language he can ask for a teacher.

I have always enjoyed some of the children’s stories: The Swiss Family Robinson, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (a great favorite),Treasure Island, Tom Sawyer, Rip Van Winkle, Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates, Penrod and Sam by Booth Tarkington, the stories by Hans Christian Anderson.

I’ve read each of the books in the Narnia series several times. But now that I am here in the spirit world I do not have the same hunger for the “horns of Elfland.”

I also used to like stories about the FBI, and war novels. But they do not seem attractive to me anymore; not because I am against them on holiness grounds, but I genuinely do not enjoy reading them as I did before.

There have been some great stories written, such as the novels of Kenneth Roberts, my favorite author. Roberts speaks to my New England background, I having been born in Maine. But now I guess I have so much of interest that I enjoy, such as being with my children, that I do not have the need to mentally “escape” any longer, as I did during my lifetime on the earth. There is so much righteousness, love, joy, and peace here.

You know what I ended up doing? You may not believe this. I reread some of the children’s books that I enjoyed, like Penrod and Sam, and Treasure Island. These stories are like old friends.

There was hardly a day went by that I did not find myself going to many people and ministering to them. Sometimes I appeared, but more often just came alongside, prayed, and imparted wisdom, strength, and encouragement.

Such visitations might occur in the middle of the night when I was resting; while I was playing the piano under Klaus’ supervision; or when I was studying Alephbeth with Professor Bartolomeo.

My ordinary activities would continue while these visitations were occurring. I always was given Divine love, strength, and wisdom on such occasions. At the rate I was going it would not be too long before I had come into personal contact with each of my spiritual children.

As I was pondering how I could be everywhere at once, and how Jesus is everywhere at once, one possibility occurred to me. It has to do with time and distance. The realities of time and distance are part of our thinking. It is difficult for us to believe there could be a world in which time and distance have no meaning.

Do you remember that Peter wrote, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day”? I used to think this meant two days would be like two thousand years, and so forth. I don’t think this is the meaning. I believe what Peter is saying is that time does not matter to the Lord. It doesn’t exist. His expression is not intended to be specific, I believe.

Sometimes I think of time as a sort of tapestry. The Lord can stand back from it and examine any event of the past, present, or future. But time and distance actually may be creatures that accompany the physical world.

If this is true, then the Lord Jesus can be everywhere at once and conduct his business with all people and events at the same time; or one at a time; or can start at the end and work back to the beginning.

It is said that as the speed of light is approached, time slows down. If I have read this statement correctly, if the speed of light could be attained, time would cease. If the speed of light could be surpassed, we would go backward in time perhaps.

If time and speed are related in this manner, then time is not the ironclad, inevitable force we have assumed. I can imagine a world in which time, gravity, and distance are not ironclad factors and can be varied as the occasion demands. Can you? I think this would make our life more pleasant.

Meanwhile my spiritual children are growing up. If my understanding is correct, in the spirit world we grow in form until we reach the development that enables us to fulfill our calling. God’s kings, priests, judges, and warriors may grow in form until they are larger than most everyone else.

Amira and Gabrielle are becoming young people. The boys and girls of Godwill Annex also are becoming young people in form, but only as they became young people in their inner nature. Here in the spirit world we always reveal in our outer form what we are in our inner personality, unless we choose to appear younger than we are.

The Lord may grant permission to those who wish to appear younger than they are. However, no one can appear to be older than he or she actually is.

I expect the Lord Jesus will be guiding some of my children into living elsewhere and forming their own families. Nevertheless, they always must be ready at a moment’s notice to go on missions, singly or in groups, where their ministry of judgment is needed. This is true of me also.

Tad is hardening into a mature guardian-angel. He nearly is ready to be assigned as a commander in the army of angels. I may be losing him shortly. If this happens, I will be given another guardian-angel who will assist me, as Tad has done so faithfully, and learn from me the ways of Christ.

Occasionally an angel will stop by the castle and tell Tom, Heng, Erhard, and the cook (Claude) what is taking place on the earth. Then Tom, the steward of Godwill Castle, will come and inform me. As far as I can tell, from listening to the accounts, all was going well. People were attending Zion University and their lives were changing for the better.

God’s elect, the members of his Church, whether ruling or teaching on the earth or in the spirit world, are being filled with the wisdom and knowledge of Christ. The same could be said of the professors, teachers, nursery directors, and other ministries who also are of the elect. Because of this they are able to guide those people who are not of God’s governing priesthood, into fervent love for God and the willingness to treat their neighbors as themselves.

Slowly but surely the Kingdom of God is taking shape in the spirit world and on the earth. These are joyous, peaceful days for all who are willing to obey Christ.

The Holy City

As I woke up today I felt the Lord Jesus wanted me to experience more of the Holy City. I had been there before to teach, but on those occasions I was thinking so much about what I was to say I didn’t look around too much. What I remember now is a place of righteousness, love, joy, and peace, with several areas in which instruction was taking place. Also, I recall that there were many children in a beautiful park-like setting.

I asked the Lord if the desire to visit the Holy City was coming from him. He said yes, and that I am to take Tad, Amira, and Gabrielle, and the animals. Bear was to be left with Heng. He said also we are to wear our white robes.

After breakfast I told our group what the Lord Jesus had said. We all went upstairs and changed into our white robes. Then we came back down and asked Heng to bring out all the animals except Anisa; and would he mind taking care of Bear while we were gone.

Heng said, “Of course,” and brought out White King, Amigo, Warfighter, Lance, Watcher, and Kamur. Bear by this time had learned that when she stayed with Heng she had the run of the inner ward and could tease scraps from Alana and Claude, and so she wasn’t too disappointed.

I took my gauntlet from the pouch on Warfighter, and Watcher jumped from Heng’s fist to mine. Then we and our animals went out through both gates and down the ramp.

I said, “I will take the lead because I am pretty sure of the way to the Holy City. If I get mixed up, Watcher will warn us.” With this Watcher sailed up with her “chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp.” I put the gauntlet back in its pouch.

The new Jerusalem, toward which we are traveling, is the Wife of the Lamb, the glorified Christian Church, the Holy City, Mount Zion of the Lord.

Let me offer a design that is not always presented in Christian teaching. There are two, not just one, groups of saved people. By “saved” I mean eligible to be trained and brought over to life on the new earth, after the present earth has fled from the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.

You can see this in the following passage, remembering that “God’s dwelling place” is the Holy City, the glorified Christian Church. “The people” are saved individuals from the nations of the earth. Some of them would be the “sheep,” that Christ placed on His right.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3—NIV)

The two groups are the Church; and then a much larger group consisting of the saved people of the nations of the earth. This simple design has gotten lost somewhere during the history of the Christian Church. Until the two groups are understood, however, Christian people have an incomplete understanding of their destiny and of the Kingdom of God.

The term “Church” means “called-out.” The term does not refer to a building or to a denomination. There is only one Church, regardless of denominational affiliation. I think all true believers know in their heart this is true, although you wouldn’t think so the way we talk and act!

There is only one Olive Tree, only one new Man. That “Man” is the Church, the Wife of the Lamb.

God’s plan of redemption for the members of his Church, which is a called-out group of people, a small minority of earth’s population, is twofold: first, it is to change them into the image of Christ internally, and then, when the Lord returns, externally.

Second, and equally important, it is to bring them into the Oneness that the Godhead Is. It is an increase in the incarnation of God, with Jesus Christ remaining the supreme Head and Lord.

It may sound blasphemous to claim that God’s elect are to be made an integral part of God. But I can’t see any other conclusion from John 17:21-23.

There will be a period of one thousand years (whether literal or symbolic) during which the firstfruits of the Church, those saints who were caught up to Christ when He appeared, will govern the nations of the earth.

During this period they also will minister in the spirit world, in the Holy City, helping bring the less mature members of the Church to a state of readiness so they, along with the firstfruits, may descend through the new sky to be established on the new earth as the center of government, life, healing, and instruction for the nations of the earth. Their rulership and ministry will continue throughout eternity, as far as I know.

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:5)

These teachers (the firstfruits) will have access to the spirit world as well as to the earth. They will have to enter the spirit world in order to teach the less mature members of the Church, because those people do not have physical bodies and still are in the spirit world.

Those of the people living on the earth during the thousand-year Kingdom Age (Millennium) who obey the Kingdom laws taught them by the saints and the Spirit of God, will be eligible to be citizens of the new world of righteousness when it descends from Heaven. During the Kingdom Age they will be governed, taught, and blessed by God’s firstfruits, those who were raised from the dead when Jesus returned to install the Kingdom of God. The Spirit and the firstfruits will invite all these citizens to drink freely of the water of eternal life.

When the thousand-year Kingdom Age has been completed, the Church, the Holy City, whose members now have been perfected (beautifully dressed), will descend from Heaven and be located for eternity on the new earth.

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. (Revelation 21:2—NIV)

When the new Jerusalem descends from Heaven, coming down through the new sky, there will be a great, jasper wall separating the Holy City, the eternal Israel, from the nations of saved people on the new earth.

I have always suspected that the description of the wall and the city, the pure gold, the street of gold, the river of eternal life, the trees of life, while these objects will have a form, primarily is symbolic.

The precious stones in the foundations of the wall represent the character of saints, the chosen holy priesthood, formed by extraordinary heat and pressure; the twelve gates being representative of the pearls formed in us as we patiently endure our tribulations.

The pure gold, of which the city is composed, speaks of the purified character of the saints. It is Divinity, from which all that is unclean has been removed.

The River of Life is to flow from us. We are becoming trees of life so people may be healed. The Spirit and we will give the water of life freely to all who will come and partake.

The street of gold is the way of faith. The righteous always live by faith, that is, by looking to Jesus for their words, thoughts, and actions. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Truth there is. He alone knows the way and the will of God. We set aside our own understanding that we may walk by total faith in Him who is the only Truth about the Father; the only Way to the Father; the only Life of the Father.

As I mentioned previously, the walls of the new Jerusalem can be seen from any point in the Land of Light, if one looks in the right directions. The light and the music coming from the Holy City can be seen and heard throughout the Land of Light.

We rode along for a while on a path that was ground surrounded by meadow flowers, similar to those I encountered when I first saw the Lord. We were continually going uphill. The city is on a plateau on top of a mountain. There is no doubt that we received supernatural assistance as we began to go up the side of the mountain. Otherwise it would have taken us a longer time. The ascent was not steep.

There looming up before us was the great jasper wall. On the outside of the wall is a vast area of perfect grass.

There are no farms on the outskirts of the Holy City or within the walls. The Glory of God is so full, so intense, that there is no need whatever for external food. It reminds us of Jesus in Samaria saying He has food to eat we don’t know about. His food, and ours when we are in the Holy City, is to do God’s will.

Even though Tad and I had seen it several times previously, when I had come here to teach, the sight of this majestic wall was overwhelming. Amira and Gabrielle cried out with excitement and joy. The golden spires of the city reach up out of sight. Light streams from the city.

Being a musician, I realize that the beauty of the music that can be heard from the Holy City is more beautiful, more grand, than any that ever has been heard on the earth.

I don’t believe the spiritual natures of Amira and Gabrielle have been awakened sufficiently to perceive that their eternal home is here with the Lord Jesus at the right hand of the Father, or that the name of the city is on them.

Tad and I decided we all would go in through the Issachar Gate, which is on the south side, between the Simeon and Zebulun gates.

The tall angel stationed at the Issachar Gate greeted us graciously. The gate opened of its own accord and so we entered in. As soon as we were inside, Amira and Gabrielle gasped! Tad and I had been here before, but the girls had not.

The beauty of this city is like nothing seen on the earth. There were people walking about; or sitting in groups on the grass or on chairs facing what looked like band shells, as they were being instructed. The Presence of God is overwhelming, similar to what I experienced when I entered the Temple of God and received my marshal’s baton.

You may wonder if people study the Bible after they die and are in Heaven? Of course they do. The Bible tells us about God’s Person and his promises, as well as how God expects us to behave. It is possible we will be meditating in the Bible for eternity.

You can’t tell just by looking at Christ or God what Their Persons are like or what the eternal promises are. Didn’t Jesus say that the heavens and the earth shall pass away but his Word never shall pass away?

And so we have people in the new Jerusalem being taught from the Bible.

The general impression is that of a great park extending as far as one can see. There were some trees and flower beds. The flowers were of all varieties, roses, tulips, orchids, lilies, carnations, all blooming in gorgeous arrays of color. Perhaps this is Paradise, and the Garden of Eden was a small replica of this beautiful garden.

There are paths running here and there. The path is distinguished from its surroundings by the fact that the grass is shorter. There are no dirt paths.

There were numerous children running from one place to another, shrieking and playing as little children do, sitting on the grass, walking with their parents. There were many small pets here, puppies, kitties, Guinea pigs, bunnies. The pure delight of happy children is holy. It is of the Kingdom of God!

I did not see, as John did, the River coming from the Throne, or the Trees of Life along its banks. But there were numerous saints, and I felt the River of Life, the Holy Spirit of God, flowing from their personalities. Perhaps it is the saints who, being one with Christ, are the Trees of Life growing beside the eternal River.

There are apartments that reach up out of sight. The Bible says the city is 1,400 miles high. So one would need supernatural help to see the top floors of the apartments.

I saw these apartments before when we visited the Holy City. I meant to ask about them, but forgot. So right now I asked the Lord to give me a stronger memory. He did, and now my mind is wonderfully clear—clearer than it has ever been.

The apartments reminded me of the high-rises I saw when I visited Jerusalem, while I was living on the earth.

I saw a young man walking along. He had a white robe and brown sandals. He was of medium height, brown hair, and a pleasant smile. He definitely is European or American.

I went up to him and asked him what his name is. He responded, “My name is Albert, but everyone calls me ‘Al.’” He spoke in Alephbeth.

I said, “Al, who lives in the apartments?”

Al answered, “The apartments are places for saints or families of saints when they wish to get alone for meditation, Bible reading, prayer, or family gatherings.”

I said, “Some of these buildings are so high it is difficult to see the top. How do people get up to their rooms?”

Al said, “They can go to their room instantly just by thinking of it.”

I said, “Thank you for telling us about the apartments.”

Al said, “You’re welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

I said “No, you have been a big help.” Al smiled and walked away cheerfully.

There probably are angel-guards within the city to prevent any undesirable occurrences; but if there are they are invisible. I know also that there are some of the mightiest of the angel guards surrounding the Throne of God and Christ. But when I was in the Throne Room they were not visible.

You knew that if you pressed forward toward the center of the city you would come to God. You knew also that to move closer to that center had to be by invitation. Your will is lost in the great will of God. The idea of moving forward according to one’s own notions is unthinkable. You just obey the Spirit of God!

There is no variety of clothing in the city. All are in shining, white garments, reminding me of the Mount of Transfiguration. I do not know whether it is a robe of some kind, or the individual’s personality that has been transfigured.

Tad, Amira, and Gabrielle, and myself had left the castle wearing our white robes. But now that we were inside the city our garments had begun to glow as though we were clothed with light itself. This pure, white radiance was true of everyone we could see. There is no other kind of clothing.

The entire city appears to be the answer to Jesus’ prayer that the saints may be one as He and the Father are one. “The glory you gave me I have given them, that they may be one as we are one.” Perhaps many of us have not given much thought to what the actual answer to this prayer of Christ’s will be like. But here it is in front of us.

When the world sees this Oneness, which actually is the glorified form of the Lord, the world will know that it is the God of Heaven who has sent Jesus Christ.

A thought came to me: The Apostle Paul wrote that the woman is the glory of the man. So it undoubtedly is true that the new Jerusalem is the glory of Christ.

There is a great deal of music and singing. You tune in to whatever you wish to hear, kind of like tuning in a radio station.

If you have ever been filled with the Spirit on some unusual occasion, then you know what it is like all the time here. Always in love. Always in peace. Always in joy. Always in life. Always in light. There simply is no night here!

All the saints of old are here, from Abel on forward. You can feel their presence. Adam and Eve may be here for all I know. It may be true that when Christ rose from the dead He brought his saints from the place of the righteous at that time, perhaps in the interior of the earth, up to the Holy City. You may remember that after Christ was resurrected, many of the saints arose and appeared to people in Jerusalem.

These are God’s elect, his special family taken from among the peoples of the earth. It is the heavenly Jerusalem that one day will come from Heaven and take the place of the former, physical Jerusalem.

It is likely that when Paul said our life is hidden with Christ in God, and when the Book of Hebrews states we have come to Mount Zion, he means we are present here in the Holy City. If this is the case, some of the people I am observing are no longer present on the earth, having died. Others still are present on the earth. Their home is with Christ in God but they still are alive on the earth.

One of the most destructive of the lies prevalent in Christianity in our day is that once having believed in Christ we never can lose our position in God. This simply is not the case. If we, after having been reproved, continue to live in our sinful nature, we no longer will be a participant in the Holy City. We will lose our crown of eternal life. Willful sin is not permitted here.

There were some areas in which angels were dancing and singing. This is an unusually beautiful sight. People will sit for a while on benches and watch the angels.

I never saw people and angels dancing together. Perhaps it happens on occasion. But angels are so talented in dancing and singing that it makes a human being look awkward.

Angels may ascend while they are dancing and singing, sometimes accompanying themselves on stringed instruments and woodwinds and brasses of various kinds until they are almost out of sight among the spires at the top of the city. In fact, they could not be seen with physical eyes, because the spires reach up 1,400 miles, according to the Book of Revelation. But in the spirit world one can see as far as one wishes.

Angels are playful, and will chase each other at blinding speeds, usually while in the “air” above us. These are holy angels, and their activities bring such a sense of love, peace, and joy that a person could watch them forever, I guess, without becoming tired of the spectacle.

I believe, as I think I have said previously, that many of the human beings who excel at music, or art, or science, or some other activity, actually are being inspired by an angel, who is given to him or her as a gift. This may be true also of the gifts of the Spirit that are given to members of the Body of Christ.

This perhaps being the case, you can imagine the grace of the angels’ dances, and their music. They simply are marvelous and of such overwhelming beauty that an individual is brought to the limit of his or her ability to see and hear such activity. It is “too wonderful for words,” as we like to say.

I had in mind to visit people, such as the Apostle Paul and C. S. Lewis—men of God who have so enriched my life. But you know, it is like everyone is present in our mind. Paul is everywhere. C. S. Lewis is everywhere. Elijah is everywhere. All you have to do is think about them and they are here for you to speak with.

I became aware of some of the Christians I had met during my discipleship. Jimmy Cagle came before me. He was a fellow student in the Berean Bible Institute. I was new in the Pentecostal experience and Jimmy used to give “messages in tongues.” I was very impressed with his ability to do this.

Another individual is Truman Cumbie, from Floydada, Texas. Truman was a cotton picker. It took him six years to go through the three-year course. He lived in the pump house on the school grounds to save money and ate tinned meats. Truman is as fine a Christian as I have ever met.

Carl Hoferer came before me. When I first became a Christian, Carl was a fellow Marine on Oahu. He was a mature, wholly consecrated believer and an inspiration to me. Henry Whaley is here, a pastor and teacher. Lloyd Marlow appeared. He was the Assemblies of God pastor who performed our marriage ceremony.

Cardinal Newman wrote, “And with the morn those angel faces smile, which I have loved long since and lost awhile.” How wonderfully, awesomely true are his words for those who pass on in Christ.

You cannot see your friends clearly but you can communicate with them. It is like when we communicate with Jesus. He is there. We love him. We talk to him. He talks with us. But we usually do not see Him clearly.

The personalities of people are everywhere at once in varying degrees of maturity and glory.

You can experience the individual’s personality wonderfully and clearly in your spirit, but when you look with your eyes what you see is a shining being. It really is a transcendent humanity. The saints still are human, but it is a transcendent humanity that reveals Christ in character and behavior.

My thought concerning this is that once we are on the new earth we will see the same people clearly and have fellowship with them.

The entire city is the answer to Jesus’ prayer that the saints may be one as God and Christ are One. The glory God has given Christ, Christ has given to us. The Father loves us as He loves Christ, Jesus said.

When the world sees this oneness in its glorified form, the world will know that it is the God of Heaven who has sent Jesus Christ. All the religions of the earth are only a vain show, as people attempt to imitate God and his plan of redemption. Christ, and Christ alone, is the Revelation of God to man. This is not religion, it is a revelation from above. It is Emmanuel—God with us.

We all are one in Christ in the Father. And they are One in all of us. So it is true that the whole city is one great enlargement of the Godhead.

In the center of the city is the Throne of God. On that Throne sits the Lord Jesus Christ, although He also is everywhere at once in the city. God is in Him and He is in us. Everywhere you go, Christ is there.

The new Jerusalem is the home of the elect. The most notable feature of the Holy City is what I might call the Face of God. It is the same Lord Jesus we have known in our experiences at Godwill Castle; but this was different somehow. Jesus is everywhere. His Face is not describable.

The Father is in Christ and the Face is what you might refer to as the “Original Face.” It is not static. It always is changing while you are looking at him. Like the ocean, the sky, a wheatfield, so utterly holy that no defiling thought is present. The Face of God is more glorious than a sunrise and sunset. It is the beauty of nature and the beauty of man, all at once.

It is like looking at eternity. You could see it but not hold it in your memory. It is the face of a small child. Believe it or not, I have seen this surpassing dignity in the face of a small dog. It simply is too much to comprehend. God in Christ is the one who was, is, and always shall be.

There are groups of people gathered around teachers, listening to them and partaking of their spirit. I have no doubt some of these more mature saints who are teaching are men I have read about in the Bible. I’m sure some are women. There have been great women Bible teachers, such as Dr. Henrietta Mears, for example.

The terrain is not all flat. There are many hills of various elevations, with paths on which people can walk. There are colorful flowers on the hills growing up through the grass. You almost always can see children, grownups, sometimes whole families walking or running up and down the paths. The little squirrels, puppies, bunnies, scamper about playing and chasing each other.

I did not see any large animals, such as horses, cows, or sheep in the Holy City.

One interesting feature of the new Jerusalem, that I did not mention previously, is the large lake. You cannot see across it or a boundary on either side.

Sometimes the water is light blue in color, sometimes light green, sometimes clear. Since the sky does not change in color, it must be that God causes this periodic change to make the lake even more attractive. No matter what color the water is, it always is perfectly transparent. One can see through the water to the bottom. The sky is a light blue at all times.

There are no clouds over the new Jerusalem. In fact, there is no night, no darkness. No one ever needs sleep. Everyone lives in a state of life that is far more intense than any state of being experienced on the earth.

There are clouds over the people who live outside the city, and periods of rest, as I have said. Perhaps this will continue to be true when the Holy City descends and is located on the new earth.

God himself never sleeps. When God rests it is because He has ceased working on a specific project. He never is tired. Neither are his elect who live with Him in his city. Wherever the members of the new Jerusalem go there is light, life, joy, and love. They bring the Presence and Glory of Christ with them. They indeed are the light of the world.

To be in the Presence of God in the Holy City is to be filled always with righteousness, love, joy, and peace. The righteous inhabitants continually are being brought to perfection in this atmosphere.

Please keep in mind that the Holy City, Mount Zion, is very large. All of God’s elect from the beginning of time are here. This is the “Church of the Firstborn.” These are the people summoned from mankind to serve for eternity those whom God has saved into his new world of righteousness.

In addition there is an enormous gathering of angels, all rejoicing. They may be anticipating the descent to the earth of the new Jerusalem.

There is a path that runs along the lake. I guess it would take several days of time, in terms of the earth, for a person to walk completely around it.

After we had walked around the lake for quite a long while, we noticed that people were of different nationalities. You could tell this from their faces and their mannerisms. All were wearing white robes and all were speaking Alephbeth.

As nearly as I can tell, most of the people here, all of whom are of God’s elect, are still spirits. There also are some of those who did attain to the first resurrection. These “overcomers” are busy helping bring their fellow members of the Body of Christ to perfection in preparation for the descent of this Holy City to the earth to govern saved mankind.

At what point these less mature members of the elect will receive their new bodies is not clear to me. But obviously it has to be before the new Jerusalem descends through the new sky and is located on a high mountain of the new earth.

Many of the overcomers, the victorious saints who attained to the first resurrection are on the earth, serving as rulers. Also, there are those who are teaching the members of the communities the truths of the Bible. All of God’s conquering saints have ready access to both Heaven and earth as they go about serving Christ in various areas of need.

There were flowers on each side of the path, red and blue hydrangeas, several varieties of roses, tulips, dark blue and yellow iris, lilac bushes, crocuses, pansies. There were carefully cultivated, not like the flowers growing randomly on the hills.

There were benches along the path. These were of a wrought iron appearance and of different colors. Some were brown, some blue, some orange. The backs of the benches were not solid but broken up into various designs. There were adults and children on some of the benches. They smiled at Amira, Gabrielle, Tad, and me as we walked along.

Do you know, it came into my mind that on occasion a person might be directed to sit on a certain bench. All of a sudden, next to him or her would appear someone who had just died on the earth. This would be a person greatly loved who now would receive a warm, joyous welcome to God’s world.

The individual who had just appeared might be an adult; or perhaps an adult who now was a little boy or girl, because his or her adult life was not suitable for life in the Holy City. God, in His goodness, finding in him or her an honest and good heart, has stripped away the coarseness of earth and granted the person an opportunity to begin life again, this time in a holy environment. Then we could take that person out through the gate to an appropriate location, if that is what Christ indicated.

Swans, ducks, and geese were swimming in the clear waters of the lake, followed sometimes by their little ones who were paddling along after Mother. Small birds were flying overhead.

I think one could sit on a bench and savor the peace of the lake for a long, long time. I noticed Amira and Gabrielle were enjoying themselves immensely, pointing out to each other a particular swan or duck, or a little cygnet riding on Mother’s back, peeking out from the feathers. If there is anything more gracious, more peaceful, than a swan gliding about in a lake, I can’t think of it right now.

There is no night here. There are no houses, stores, factories, or farms, because the ordinary activities of people are not conducted here. Rather it is like being immersed in eternal life. People are gathered around the Throne, a vast multitude of them, worshiping. The inhabitants of Zion are all being perfected in preparation for their descent to the new earth.

In fact, the entire city is a place of worship. The Presence of God’s Spirit is everywhere.

I believe what is taking place here is that God’s saints are being so filled with God they are being transfigured internally and externally. There is no sense of time. There is an awareness of being in an ocean of life, and peace, and joy, and love. Because of this perfect wholeness of righteousness, love, joy, and peace, the overall experience is one of total fulfillment.

It may be possible that the destiny of some of the inhabitants is to never leave the city. I don’t know if the word “inhabitants” is correct. Actually, the city is more an assemblage of saints rather than it is a structure.

Perhaps some are here permanently to worship God, or to be part of the beauty and holiness of the surroundings. I am sure that people such as myself often will return here for guidance and renewal, although in my particular case, my home is Godwill Castle.

In the case of others, the Holy City may be their eternal home. However, from time to time they may go forth throughout the creation and bring life and healing as well as government, instruction, and judgment to people who are not members of the elect.

Tad, Amira, and Gabrielle were allowed inside the wall with me. But the city is arranged in concentric circles, degrees of holiness. I was permitted to go closer to the center, which I felt I wanted to do even though I had to leave my friends for a brief season.

I know that in the future some of the people from here will go out wherever God’s creatures are. They will bring the Presence of the Holy City with them. When the saints share God’s love and joy and peace to others, the saints will find perfect fulfillment, because such communication of God’s Person and Life is what they were created for.

There are mature members of the elect, such as my wife, Audrey, who are governing and ministering to the people of the nations of the earth. Yet the spirit of Audrey and of others like her who are ruling in the earth during the thousand-year Kingdom Age are, at the same time, in the Holy City.

Then there are other mature saints who are ministering to members of the elect in the Holy City itself, members who are in varying levels of maturity. They all are being prepared for the day when they will descend to the earth as part of the Bride adorned for her Husband; as the light of the world.

While I am on the subject of holiness, please allow me to comment that every true Christian is positioned at the right hand of God. Thus he or she is holy by assignment. Holy by assignment means “set apart by the Lord for his special purposes.”

But then there is the issue of holiness by transformation of character. Holiness by transformation of character means all filthiness of flesh and spirit has been removed from us and our personality has been infused with the Divine Nature.

Holiness by transformation is accomplished as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit guides and strengthens us as we put to death the unclean actions of our sinful nature by confessing and turning away from them.

Holiness by transformation is accomplished as we are given to partake of the body and blood of Christ. We are fed with this “hidden manna” every time we choose to overcome the temptation to disobey God, choosing instead to do God’s will.

Holiness by transformation is accomplished also as we are brought into contact with the Glory of the Lord. We are brought into contact with the Glory of the Lord as we seek to live in his Presence. The more we choose to dwell in Christ’s Presence, in the heavenly Zion, the more glory we behold; consequently the more we are transformed into holiness of character and behavior.

Holiness is God Himself and all that is of God. Christ Himself is holiness because He has come forth from God.

As far as the saved people of the nations, whose homes are outside the gates of the new Jerusalem, they also will have a portion of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit in them. There will be no more sea of people who do not know God and whom God does not know.

I know you will understand why we were reluctant to leave the Holy City. Wouldn’t you be? However, if you have received Christ as your Lord and Savior, and are following Him closely each day, you already are in the city, pressing closer to the Throne of God as the Spirit of God directs you. Your spiritual eyes may not be open as yet, but they shall be when your body falls asleep in Jesus.

The truth is, if we are walking with the Lord Jesus, we already are living in one of those circles of holiness. As we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, putting to death through the Spirit the actions of our sinful nature; learning to live by the wisdom and strength of the body and blood of Christ; being transformed little by little as we behold his Glory; we move forward to a circle closer to the Throne.

We already have come to Mount Zion and to the spirits of righteous people that have been made perfect in earth’s fires and yet are being made perfect in the heavenly Jerusalem, as they have cooperated with the Holy Spirit in the work of becoming holy as God is holy.

How utterly and unspeakably marvelous to dwell in a city which itself is the Throne of Almighty God! We are becoming more holy today if we are walking hand in hand with the Lord Jesus.

We have been made one in Christ in God so we can go forth through one of the twelve gates and bring the Presence and rule of God to the people on the earth. Again, this is true even today as the Lord leads.

I have mentioned that in some of the saints, God’s holy ones, there is a desire to dwell forever in the great city of God and, as King David said, to inquire in his Temple. But in others there is a fervency to bring the Light and the Glory to specific people of the nations whom God has given us for an inheritance.

As I stated, I was closer to the Throne than were Tad, Amira, and Gabrielle. It was like drawing near an enormous light, so bright it is nearly unbearable. The light emanates from the Throne of God. There are great shining beings, some human and some angelic, who are surrounding the Throne.

I gained the impression that they always are there; always worshiping; always giving glory to God. The sight of the Throne and the surrounding beings is such a scene of glory and holiness that one could not contemplate it for a long period. It is like looking at the sun.

However, I do believe that one could become accustomed to it until he or she became part of the surrounding throngs and could remain there for maybe a billion years of earth time.

As I drew near, the throne room seemed to me to be representative of an exceedingly larger area. I think the twenty-four elders, mentioned in the Book of Revelation, is a symbolic number referring to what probably is more like twenty-four hundred thousand elders worshiping before the throne. What we see in the Throne Room may be but a small fraction of those who are there but are not readily visible.

Notice in the Bible that the elders always are casting their crown before the Throne of God, and giving praise to him. This is symbolic of how we, if we intend to rule with Christ, must continually be doing. We must at all times and circumstances be surrendering to God our right to govern, meanwhile giving praise to him. “Not my will but Yours is to be done” must govern every aspect of our life.

In the beginning God gave to each person (and the angels, apparently) the ability to make his own decisions. Then He let six thousand years go by, so that people, and the angels of Heaven also, could see for themselves the result when God’s creatures live their lives apart from him.

But God’s ultimate goal is that each creature choose do God’s will rather than his own. Throughout the history of mankind, God has found people who choose to do his will rather than their own. Abraham is the classic example. These are God’s elders, the persons who will govern the Kingdom of God.

When the predetermined number of elders have been identified, the Lord Jesus will return with his rulers. Elders are rulers, unlike prophets and apostles.

It is not all those who “accept Christ” who will return with Christ and govern the world to come, it is rather those who overcome the desire to do their own will rather than God’s will. These are God’s elders. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They are the firstfruits of the earth. They belong for eternity to God and the Lamb, and Their names are on them and in them.

Even when they are on missions throughout the universe, the elders always remain before the Throne of God, casting down their crowns, their governing authority, before the throne of God, and worshiping God.

They have loved not their own will, their own life, to the point of death. They have “died in the Lord.” Thus their works, which were wrought in Christ, have followed them.

I could not see the four living creatures, the Cherubim of Glory, that the Bible says are around the Throne. The Cherubim are extensions of God, but not like Christ and the saints. They are part of God’s Person that can be considered separately from God Himself.

Here is the testimony of the Cherubim of Glory: The Lion tells us of God’s conquering majesty. The Ox speaks of the strength of God, the ability of God to do work and bear burdens. The Man portrays the image of God’s Personality. The flying eagle reminds us that God is not mired in the “mud” of the earth but soars freely in the heavens at all times.

Every son of God must be a lion. He is to be majestic, ready to overcome through Christ every enemy. He rises up fiercely and roars when an enemy of God approaches him.

Every son of God must be an ox, patient, willing to bear heavy burdens for as long as necessary. He is a hard, faithful worker.

Every son of God must have developed in him or her the moral character of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is to be in the image and likeness of his Father, capable of union with God. Unlike the angels, he can serve as a ruler and a judge.

Every son of God must be a flying eagle. He is not to be bowed down or bound by the things of the creation. He is to fly continually in the firmament of the heavens.

The saint cannot be a chariot of God until he or he is a lion, an ox, a man, and a flying eagle. He must be covered with eyes, always filled with the knowledge and wisdom of Christ.

I did see the rainbow that “shone like an emerald” and encircles the Throne, and in front of the Throne the seven burning lamps that represent the seven Spirits of God. As far as I know, the seven spirits are as follows: the spirits of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, fear of the Lord, and delight in the fear of the Lord.

I do not remember the “sea of glass” that the Bible speaks of. But the astounding brightness, the radiant whiteness of the robes, the lightning and thunder, the Divine Glory of it all, quite overcame my powers of perception.

I stood in that Brilliance for a period of time. It could have been several years. I could not see God clearly. I could see Christ seated at God’s right hand. Rays of power and guidance, I suppose, were radiating out from Him continually in various directions. I believe the universe is being governed by these rays. He upholds all things by the Word of his power, the Bible says.

The spiritual nature of every one of God’s elect is in Christ at the right hand of God. This is their eternal position. They are hidden with Christ in God. Their immediate awareness may still be on the earth; or in a community; or here in the Holy City.

Perhaps my eyes, and those around me, had been adjusted temporarily that we might continue to observe the Throne of Almighty God. I can well imagine how an individual, be it human or angel, would want to remain here forever. There was a feeling total fulfillment, total love, total peace, total joy.

I turned and walked reluctantly back to where my three friends were standing and talking to some of the saints. Once a person is close to that Throne, he or she has to have very strong reasons to leave. My strong reasons are my children and my castle.

The Holy City is the eternal home of my children. They have not been aware of the fact that their spirit is in the Holy City while the rest of their personality is learning to act as a judge; or while they are getting acquainted with me and Godwill Castle. They are a special group and have required special training.

However, when the Holy City is ready to appear to the earth, my children will be present as an army of judges. I will be their marshal, leading them. We then will leave the city together and return to our castle.

Amira, Gabrielle, Tad, and I were shining like the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration. We realized we were getting ready to leave the city. We all held hands for a moment. (It may have been three years of earth time, time is so different here.) Then the four of us walked back to the Issachar Gate. As it did before, the gate opened of its own accord.

I’ll tell you what I think, the conclusion I have reached after studying the Scriptures for many years and then visiting the Holy City, the new Jerusalem.

The description of the city, in the last two chapters of the Book of Revelation, strikes me as being largely symbolic. Remember, in spite of what I have to say, there truly is a city. But there may be some aspects we do not fully understand as yet.

I mentioned previously about the wall, the gates, the street of gold. The precious stones in the foundations of the wall reflect the character of the victorious saints, formed by great pressure and heat. The gates of pearl reflect the patience that is formed in the saints as they experience the irritations, frustrations, and pains of life.

The street of gold is the way of faith, the way the righteous live. The River of Life is the Holy Spirit who flows from the Throne of God. The very Throne of God is resident in the believer’s personality if he or she has followed the Holy Spirit through death to the world, death to sin, and death to self-will.

The trees of life are saints who draw their life from the River. Their fruit gives eternal life to the people of the nations. Their leaves provide spiritual, physical, and emotional healing.

But what of the city itself?

Jesus said, “In my Father’s house there are many rooms, or dwelling places.” The Father’s House is Jesus Christ. The many rooms are those who are branches growing from the one eternal House of God.

I had always pictured the rooms, the dwelling places, as being rather small. I don’t know why, but I did. Now it seems as though I am picturing them as being palaces, or towers, or castles, or some other kind of fortress or dwelling suitable to the calling of the saint.

I will tell you why I am thinking of them differently now.

Some years ago I was meditating on the Lord. I seemed to envision a palace. At the door was standing the most dignified, gracious appearing personage I ever have seen. I do not know whether he (or she) was an angel or a human being.

This individual was there to permit or deny entrance. Maybe a doorkeeper. King David remarked that he would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of the Lord than to live in the tents of the wicked.

When I considered the supreme dignity of the doorkeeper, and that this palace was that of the King, Jesus, I thought about the many times I had rushed into God’s Presence like a totally uncouth wild man. But God is patient with us, isn’t he?

I imagined that inside there were many rooms in the palace and a great dining hall. I pictured that Jesus would be at the head of the dining table. Sitting on the long benches on both sides, and at the end of the table would be his mighty men, banging their cups on the table. Many of these men were fierce warriors and I don’t imagine their manners are delicate.

I wanted to go in to that room and take the lowliest place, or else serve as a waiter for the mighty men. This is what was in my mind. I don’t remember ever having that opportunity; at least I never “saw” myself there.

I remember one man (I think it was the president of the Berean Bible Institute before it closed, Brother Mason), saying he saw that banqueting table; and instead of having a place at the table he was serving as a waiter.

Well, I’ll tell you what was puzzling to me. While I was in the new Jerusalem I did not see a palace. The lack of a palace troubled me. If there is no palace, where is the marriage supper of the Lamb going to take place?

Then I remembered. I have been teaching that the marriage supper of the Lamb is taking place now in those who are living by eating the flesh of the Lamb and drinking his blood. We are being married to the Lamb by receiving his Substance into ourselves, just as Eve was married to Adam by being formed on his substance.

I believe this firmly, so I do not know why I had pictured some kind of Anglican wedding ceremony, and a marriage supper being celebrated in the dining room of a palace.

Of course, I went to the Lord about this; and now I will tell you what I think I received.

There is no palace in the Holy City. There is only the Throne of God with the encircling rainbow; the on their thrones; the seven lamps, which are the seven Spirits of God; the clear sea of glass, now mixed with fire, before the Throne; the four living creatures continually giving glory to God; and the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who is the Lamb.

Proceeding out from the Rainbow Throne are the circles of holiness I have mentioned. These are occupied by the righteous, who are being made perfect by many Divine devices, including their exposure to the Glory of God.

Each member of the elect is in the process of being made a dwelling place for God and the Lamb. Each of these dwelling places is a palace, or perhaps a castle. Some of the palaces are large enough to accommodate God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and multitudes of people. Other palaces are not as large, depending on the spiritual calling and prowess of the saint.

What was impressed on me is that not only are we being created dwelling places for God and people, it is true also of the Lord Jesus Christ that He is the Dwelling Place for God and people. We are rooms in that great House of God, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ himself is the greatest of all Palaces. He is large enough to contain all those who are called, chosen, and faithful. In addition, Christ contains a great number of boys and girls. They have their toys and their pets. Remember how the children were attracted to Jesus when He was on the earth? It is the same in the spirit world.

Playland itself is in our Lord. He loves children more than we have any idea.

One of the major damages of the “grace” teaching is the concept that everyone receives the same reward. The Bible states clearly that there are rewards that will be given to those who are faithful.

God knows what He is doing. When we teach people that because of grace, every Christian receives the same consequences of his or her discipleship, whether intensely diligent or slovenly, those who are spiritually lazy or distracted by the world system will coast along, “knowing” there is no benefit to giving their discipleship the highest priority.

Wasn’t it Moses who “regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward”?

When I have been concerned about people in the church who are casual in their approach to their discipleship, Jesus has said to me (probably a hundred times): “Those who sow diligently will receive an abundant harvest. Those who sow sparingly will reap sparingly.”

Truly, there is a reward for serving the Lord!

Now this is the point: The Holy City is a living city. The name of the city is engraved in the personality of each saint. The name marks him as the priest of God wherever he or she goes. As I said, some will never leave the city. The role of others is to bring the Presence of God through Christ to every saved individual on the earth.

The city is the assemblage of the palaces which the members of Christ’s Body have become. Each is placed in his or her position by the wisdom of God. It is the eternal Tabernacle of God. The victorious saints are pillars in this living house. Thus the marriage of the Lamb is taking place today in our personalities, if we are learning to live by eating of his body and drinking of his blood.

The account of the new Jerusalem, in the last two chapters of the Book of Revelation, tells us how God sees the city. A person looking at the new Jerusalem would see a wall, I do believe. And gates of pearl would be visible to him or her. But God may see the resistance against sin developed in the saints; and those saints in whom the pearl of patience and of the knowledge of the Lord has been created.

Many of the parts of the city no doubt can actually be seen, as John described them. But there are other parts that we might not see. For example, I doubt we will see a river running through the city with trees on both banks. It is certain that God will see such a River. But we may see saints who have become trees of life, and out of whose inward parts flows the River of Life. This is because God’s Throne is in them.

So the “Gates of Pearl” may be people in whom the irritations of life have created a pearl of “patience.” The person who has been made patient by the Lord Jesus can provide for seekers an entrance into the Kingdom of God.

This interplay between what God sees and what we would see may exist also in the case of the description of Babylon, the great “whore.” We may see a man-driven ecclesiastical organization. God may see a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that is covered with blasphemous names.

Perhaps the “palaces” of the new Jerusalem are Spirit-filled saints. Everywhere the palaces go they will bring eternal life and healing. Through them the River of Life will flow into the dead sea of mankind, and the various kinds of “fish” will come to life.

And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. (Isaiah 61:6—NIV)

The assemblage of palaces is protected against wicked spirits and people by the incorruptible will of the victorious saints, symbolized by the jasper wall. There was no wall around the Garden of Eden, and so the serpent was there.

The Paradise to come to the earth through the victorious saints, God’s palaces, will be protected by the “great, high wall with twelve gates and with twelve angels at the gates.” The angels will ensure that only righteous, holy people will have access to the River of Life and the trees of life.

I know “grace” is being presented today as a substitute for righteous, holy character and behavior; that people will be able to enter through the gates by “grace.” This definition of Divine grace very well may be the greatest, most destructive lie of all of human history. The definition began in the Garden, when Satan said, “You will not surely die!”

If the current definition of “grace” were true, there would be no Kingdom, no rule of God. The final judgment would be a farce. Christ would have died in vain if his hope is that the creation will be filled with righteous behavior.

I understand that when we receive Christ we are brought instantly to the highest throne in the creation, the Throne of Christ. This occurs independently of our behavior.

But from that point forward we have to make our calling and election certain. We do that by serving Christ with a sincere heart every hour of every day, confessing our sins and turning away from them through the wisdom and strength of the Spirit of God.

If instead, after having received Christ and having been placed at God’s right hand, we then live in the Antichrist world spirit, in the sins of our fallen nature, we will lose our crown of life. We will be as a dog that returns to its vomit, as Peter tells us. We will be brought down from God’s Presence just as was true of Satan. We were not found worthy of the Kingdom of God.

One of the truly destructive errors in the current Christian teaching is the idea that we as a Christian can choose to not enter through the narrow gate, not walk on the difficult path of self-denial and cross-bearing, and still gain eternal life; that no matter how we live we cannot possibly lose our position in Christ.

Let me say that if such were the case the Holy City would no longer be holy. It would be filled with people who believe they are going to be placed in a mansion by “grace,” even though they never have become a new righteous creation in the Lord.

How will they feel when they are placed with others who behave in the same ungodly manner? How will their teachers feel if they see their pupils in this miserable state? They have turned the grace of God into an excuse for immorality, as Jude warned; and, as Paul promised, they are reaping what they have sown.

Could there be a more unscriptural lie in the universe than that which teaches once we have “received Christ” we can never fall away from God’s favor and blessing!

I see nothing in the Bible about “unconditional love.” Have you found this expression in the Scriptures? There are, however, numerous examples in both Testament of conditional blessing. Some of Jesus’ promises and statements begin with the word “If.”

The assemblage of palaces is God in Christ in the saints who are in Christ who is in the Father. It is the wheel in the middle of the wheel, as we find in the first chapter of the Book of Ezekiel.

After we had gone through the gate, the radiance of our robes began to lessen. The angel posted at the gate said goodbye to us. Warfighter, Lance, White King, Amigo, and Kamur came up to us and “smiled,” in their animal way. I think God’s love, which is so overwhelming in the city, could be felt by them.

Watcher swooped down and said, “chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp.” I guess that is the closest she could come to a smile.

We mounted our four horses, and with Watcher overhead flying joyously (I tell you, the Holy City really affects people, angels, and animals!), and Kamur loping along as pleased as could be, we made our way back downhill to Godwill castle. We didn’t even bother to make ourselves invisible, we were so joyful.

Although we had to ride a long ways down the side of the mountain, it seemed like but a moment before we were on the tableland of the Land of Light. (We did not realize it was the Land of Light until we had been to the Land of Darkness.)

The farm people waved at us as we went by. They and their animals are getting more accustomed to the sight of Kamur, I imagine.

When we came to the foot of the ramp, Tad shouted, “Hallelujah!” The angel-guards responded, “Praise God forever!”

The drawbridge was let down and locked in place. We dismounted. I reached back and took out my gauntlet. Watcher circled down and lighted on my right fist, and then folded her wings. Then some joyful pilgrims went up the ramp and through the outer gate, singing, All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name in the Alephbeth language.

We could hear the angels in the two towers on each side of the outer gate singing with us, as well as the angel-guards on the outer wall-walk.

Soon we heard a great swelling chorus: the angels in the two towers on each side of the inner gate, the angel-guards on the inner wall-walk, Heng, Tom, Alana, Erhard, Nicholaus (the guard of the tower across the way from our tower), were all singing in the Alephbeth language with us.

If this tremendous anthem of praise is not a forerunner of the glory of eternity in the Kingdom of God, I can’t imagine what would be!

You know, I believe the children in Godwill Annex as well as all the farm people and their children were singing with us. I think, too, there were angels who were invisible to us who also were singing. This, I thought, is truly the Heaven of all heavens!

Bear came out of the stable in her usual excited manner, wagging her tail enthusiastically. We placed the animals in charge of Heng, and then climbed up to our rooms to get ready for dinner.

When we came down and met at the entrance to our tower we still were living in the Splendor of Heaven. We were so filled with God that we probably would not have gone over to the Great Hall to eat, except we thought maybe Alana had begun to set the table for us, as indeed she had.

You can believe we did not do much talking. It reminds me of the old hymn, “Filled With God.” We indeed were filled with God.

As soon as we were finished eating we had hugs all around, went in to say good night to the animals, and then went up to our rooms. I snuffed out all the candles except for the night candle, and Bear and I went to bed…

The Land of Darkness

The ever welcome sound of the roosters on the farm wakened me. I got up and went into the little alcove to look out the window. You know, after our heavenly experience of yesterday, everything looks brighter. There is a cleanness and a peace that are greater than ever.

I took off my pajamas and started to put on my white shirt and blue slacks. Suddenly I felt the Lord telling me to put on my white robe.

“Godwill, you, Tad, and I are going to visit the Land of Darkness. Our area here where you have been living, including all you have seen, is the Land of Light. You have never been to the Land of Darkness; but you really need to see it so you can have a better understanding of the struggle between good and evil and how this struggle affects mankind.

“We will travel in the Spirit, so leave all the animals here. Amira and Gabrielle can visit with their friends or do whatever they like.”

We gathered as usual at the entrance to our tower. Tad also was dressed in a white robe. As we started over to the Great Hall, Amira asked, “How come you guys are wearing your white robes?”

When I told the group what Jesus had told me, Amira said, “Gabrielle, would it be all right with you if we went back to see Johara? I am hungry for some falafels.” Amira is a child of the resurrection but she still has Arab tastes.

Gabrielle answered, “That’s fine with me if you promise that the next time we go to see Señora Gomez and get some enchiladas.”

Amira said, “That’s what we’ll do.”

So we went in to the Great Hall for breakfast. We had pancakes, with lots of maple syrup and butter, and slivered almonds on top. I was a little nervous and did not eat as much as usual; but no one else had a problem.

When we got up from the table, I took Bear in to be with Heng. Bear was used to this by now and knew whom she would beg food from while I was gone.

Tad and I went out through the inner and outer gates, across the drawbridge and down to the foot of the ramp. We stood there for a minute, and then the Lord appeared. He asked if we were ready to travel in the Spirit. We told Him we were ready.

We suddenly were at a park-like area. There were well-kept lawns, and flower gardens. There were institutional buildings as far as we could see. Each building looked large enough to house about sixty people. In a way it reminded me of Agnews State Hospital in San Jose, where I used to visit my mother.

We stopped here for a minute. Jesus said, “This is the area of confinement where people are kept until they are comfortable with the ways of Heaven. These institutions will be phased out as Zion University takes over the task of preparing people for the new world of righteousness.”

People were wandering around talking to another. There were men and women who were sitting on benches and enjoying the flowers and the quietness. It was good to know they were happy and content in their placement, and one day would have full freedom in the new world of righteousness.

Then I could see that ahead of us the land appeared to slope downward. Also, that the brightness to which I had become accustomed ended with the area of confinement. From here on it was downhill, and while there was enough light to see, it was not nearly as bright as the Land of Light, the place I had been living in ever since I died and entered the spirit world.

The feeling of Christmas that pervades the entire Land of Light, especially the new Jerusalem, no longer was present. The feeling of gloom and dread increased the farther we went into the Land of Darkness.

Also, the fragrance of Heaven, to which I had been accustomed, had given way to an offensive smell that became stronger the further we descended into the spiritual darkness. The smell reminded me of garbage—rotten vegetables and so forth.

So without my realizing it, I had been living all this while on a light-filled tableland, with the Holy City being on a towering plateau.

As we left the Land of Light and started down toward the Land of Darkness, the Lord said, “From this point forward you will see people who have chosen the way of spiritual darkness. They will not accept my Lordship. They will not give up their own ways so that I might enable them finally to love God with all their heart and their neighbor as themselves.

“I am going to show you seven areas of the Land of Darkness: the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences; the City of the Living Dead; Satan’s Playground; the Land of Cages; the Chained Prisoners; the World of the Deformed; and Hell.

“There are other areas of the Land of Darkness. There are individuals with a lust to govern others who have been assigned to caves of darkness. They are confined so they can’t gather a group of people around themselves and lead them away from God. There also is an exceedingly vast area of darkness, in which wicked people (Jude refers to them as ‘wandering stars’) are placed. They may have eternity in which to consider their evil ways. We will not visit these two places.

“There are various behaviors that are not permitted in the Land of Light. Some of those who practice these behaviors will be placed in areas of confinement in the Land of Light in the hope they will receive correction. There are others, however, whom the Father judges to be not readily teachable. They will be placed in areas in the Land of Darkness that possibly will be effective in preparing them for life on the new earth, after the Day of Resurrection. We will not visit these areas.

“Examples of people who will be in areas of the Land of Darkness, but who possibly will take a turn for the better, are those who did not use the abilities they had been given to serve Christ; believers who knowingly and willfully rebelled against what Christ had personally commanded them; those bound with a spirit of mischief (the demons are very mischievous); liars; those who cause division; those bound with a spirit of profanity; the haughty and arrogant; the selfish; the fearful; the headstrong; the presumptuous; those filled with hatred and unforgiveness; and those who worship relationships, things, or circumstances. They are idolaters.

“I will not take you to the prisons where the rebellious angels are kept. They are not of your race, and it would not profit you to see them and the results of their behavior.

“The people you will see are dressed in drab clothing, no bright colors. Shirts, trousers, dresses, skirts, blouses, and other garments, coats and sweaters, are brown and gray. Those in Hell are naked. The inhabitants of Satan’s Playground are clothed in the bizarre costumes that suit their bondages of foolishness and perversion.

“Some of the people who have been famous on the earth, such as kings and other leaders, may be found by themselves in cages. This is very unpleasant for them because they are accustomed to the adulation of the multitudes. The most wicked of these, the ‘Herods’ one might say, are in Hell. They sit on thrones in the midst of the flames, because of having been loyal servants of Satan. Hell is in the interior of the earth; but it is a continuation of the Land of Darkness of the spirit world.

“It has happened that when God sees an angel or human, in the Land of Light, who is in danger of turning away from God, He will assign angels to take the individual on a ‘field trip’ through the Land of Darkness. Then the individual can witness the fate of those who choose to live their own life rather than by the Life of Christ.

“You will notice that no individual in the Land of Darkness is wandering around by himself or herself. Each one is confined to a specific location. God always is aware of every individual He has created whether human being, angel, or sparrow.

“The inhabitants of the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences can see the Light and the Glory of God from a distance but cannot move upward. The power of God will not permit them to move in that direction. They have chosen to not walk in the light of God’s will that would have brought them to righteousness, love, joy, and peace. Now God’s will and power compel them to live in the Land of Darkness.”

There is no singing or orchestral music anywhere in the Land of Darkness, except for harsh music with what I term the “jungle beat.”

In the entire land of Darkness I saw no children, no animals of any kind including birds, no grass, no trees, no flowers, no colorful clouds. In fact, there are no bright colors anywhere. It indeed is a grim environment.

I felt no love, joy, or peace. I saw no expression of love anywhere. I saw no genuine smiles. I heard no genuine laughter. I did see many expressions of hate, fear, pride, but never an expression of affection.

All beauty is withheld from them. Their sky always is gray; yet there never is refreshing rain.

Jesus said, “We need to make ourselves invisible during this visit to the Land of Darkness. Only those in cages and the chained prisoners will be permitted to see us.” Immediately the three of us were invisible.

All I have written thus far reveals the misleading aspects of the “grace” message. You may have noticed while reading through my book that the Kingdom of God is not a matter of belief about certain facts but about a change in our behavior. The Christian Gospel is supposed to make us a better person. Because of the way “grace” often is preached, this change sometimes does not take place.

In so many instances, belief about Christ is held to be more important than obedience to Christ.

In the spirit world, as in the Kingdom of God, people and their behavior are real. If our self-life is keeping us from the Light of God’s Person and will, we cannot enter the Light on the basis of “grace.” It is the pride and rebellion of people that is producing the darkness. Can you see that?

Can you see that if people from the Land of Darkness entered the Land of Light using “grace” as some kind of “ticket,” they would bring the darkness with them?

The issue of redemption, then, is not whether we are redeemed by the grace of forgiveness, but how and when Divine grace operates to change us from self-will to God’s will. Can you see the sense of this?

Jesus said to us, “If people only realized it, the lasting happiness and sense of security and fulfillment they are seeking occur only when the individual is conscious of living, moving, and having his or her being in the very center of God’s Person and will.

“My angels always are among the people in the Land of Darkness, looking to see if an individual appreciates that God’s way is best and wants to do what is right. In that case the angel brings the person to my attention.

“If I am satisfied that the individual is ready to accept my Lordship, and will give up his or her old ways, I may decide to bring that person into the Land of Light, either in the area of confinement or to a community that is being trained by Zion University.

“Now I am going to show you people existing in the artifacts and institutions of America. There are additional areas of the Land of Darkness that reflect the artifacts and institutions of other cultures.

“The activities and things of civilization differ from culture to culture. But the relationship of people to God remains precisely the same. The three major areas of rebellion do not vary from culture to culture: the sins that proceed from trusting the world instead of God for survival and security; the sins that proceed from yielding to the lusts and passions of the sinful nature; and the sins that proceed from people following their own path instead of acknowledging the Lord in all their ways.

“These three areas of rebellion are the same from culture to culture.

“The institutions and artifacts of the world have been fabricated to prepare people for the endless ages to come. These artifacts have no lasting value other than that of training and testing people. Out from the cultures of the world will emerge leaders who, under Christ, will govern the works of God’s hands.

“In addition, by means of the choices they make in the physical world, God will be able to ascertain what people will do when they are entrusted with the true riches.

“When we descend to the lowest level of the Land of Darkness, that is, to Hell, you will see that the institutions and artifacts of any culture no longer have meaning. There remains only the soul and its creator.

“If human beings understood this, they would turn away from the attractions and distractions of their culture and seek to know God and to please him. Life on earth is the briefest of seconds. Life after death continues for eternity. A keen awareness of this fact should govern the thinking, motivations, and activities of every individual at all times.

“The scientists of the nations measure the artifacts and phenomena of their environment. They record the dimensions, the color, the weight, the related expressions of energy, and other pertinent variables. They say, ‘Now we have truth.’ In actuality, all they have gathered is a collection of measurements and some conclusions concerning cause and effect. This is knowledge, not truth.

“These measurements and conclusions are not what truth is! I myself am the only truth, because I am able to reveal what everything means, its purpose in the creation, how and why it originated, and its destiny. Most importantly, I reveal in myself the Person of God, his will, his ways, and his Kingdom.

“A lie may be defined as an inaccurate account of facts and circumstances. But there is another kind of lie that is infinitely more destructive than inaccuracy in the reporting of data. It is the lie concerning who God is, his will, his ways, and his eternal purpose in me.

“I myself am the only Truth. Satan himself is a lie, not because he reports data inaccurately but because he lies about who God is, God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s eternal purpose in me.

“My light shines in the darkness of the world, and the world neither can comprehend nor overcome it. Whoever through me learns the truth about God, his will, ways, and eternal purpose, and then maintains that truth in his thinking, his words, and his actions, overcomes Satan. He overcomes the darkness of this world. He overcomes the monumental lie that the world spirit, the Antichrist spirit, is.

“Satan, the accuser of the brothers, can be overcome only through the redeeming authority of the blood of the Lamb; by steadfast faithfulness to the truth concerning God; and by letting go of one’s own life, choosing instead to live by my Life.

“Those whom you will observe in the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences, in the City of the Living Dead, in Satan’s Playground, in the Land of Cages, the Chained Prisoners, those in the World of the Deformed, and in Hell, are people who have been overcome by the various lusts contained in the Antichrist world spirit. But I have overcome the world, the lie of Satan, and will save multitudes of people who will enjoy the Father’s Presence in the new world of righteousness that is to come.

“First we will enter the very large building housing the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences. Many of these people will later be admitted to the confining institutions on the border of the Land of Light. Numerous people who have committed suicide are here.

“The individuals in the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences are those who have betrayed the people who loved and trusted them. Some will genuinely repent and will be permitted to enter the Land of Light. Others will blame those around them, becoming increasingly bitter until they descend into very dark spiritual areas.

“For a person of conscience, the most important issue when he is ready to leave his or her life on the earth, is, ‘Was I true to those who trusted me; who counted on me?’ To remember that one has not remained true to those who counted on him is an agony of conscience not easily relieved.”

We came to a gate that led past a waist-high brick wall and approached the door of the building that houses the numerous hallways. The hallways run between the seemingly endless rooms of those with tormented consciences. The ceiling is about ten feet above the wooden floor.

Before we went through the door into the building, we saw many thousands of people looking over the brick wall in an effort to see a loved one or friend in the Land of Light. They were lined up three deep along the wall, a pitiful sight indeed! The wall on either side of the gate stretched as far as one could see. The people in the Land of Light could not hear or see them.

The area was crowded with people, looking toward the Land of Light, weeping, crying, screaming with remorse, knowing the power of God would not let them pass over the wall or go through the gate. Divine power kept them where they were. They were regretting the choices they had made.

Jesus said, “One of the punishments reserved for faithless people is not to be able to forget, in the Land of Darkness, the evil they have done. These are people of conscience who have sinned against God or who betrayed those who trusted them.

“Sometimes it is a long, long time before God in his mercy removes the memories from the abortion doctor of the fetuses he has slain; or from the mother who paid to have her unborn child murdered; the man who left his wife and children to go off with another woman; the woman who left her husband and children to follow a romantic lust.

“The person who was in a partnership with a close friend, and then absconded with the funds and left his partner bankrupt. The man who molested his young daughter for a period of time, to see her grow up and commit suicide before she was twenty-one. The scientist who took credit for another man’s work.

“The technician who sold military secrets to the enemy, betraying his country. The teenage girl who committed suicide because her boyfriend left her, and then was forced to watch, from her room in the spirit world, the agony she had caused her parents.

“All of these violated their conscience, for money, for romantic adventures, or for some other reason. These are the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences, the place where people are forced to watch the results on the earth of what they have done. They lie on their beds in their rooms, or wander about in the hallways in a mental agony.

“Each has his own room. He or she shall experience his or her memories for as long as God ordains. It is not possible for them to sleep.”

Some of the doors were open, some closed. There were young people, old people. These halls were very long. The building extended everywhere, it seemed. I could see the ceiling, but not the walls that enclosed the building. Too vast. But the ceiling was not more than ten feet from the wooden floor, as I stated previously.

You or I, while living on the earth, may wake up some morning and discover Satan has deceived us. We have given away everything of true value during our blind pursuit of our idols. After death we are assigned to the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences. This indeed is a frightful destiny. We need to pray carefully that it doesn’t happen to us!

As the three of us, who were invisible, walked through the long hallways, we could hear voices in the rooms, even when the doors were closed: “John, can you hear me?” “Maria, can you ever forgive me?”

There were screams of remorse, of burning shame.

They had been tested on the earth. Some of them had been appointed a great inheritance in God’s Kingdom. But they had become enamored with money, or romance, or fame, or some other earthly distraction, and had “buried their talent.”

Anyone who thinks of betraying someone who trusted him, so he could have some kind of pleasure, should visit the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences and realize if he went forward with his plans, this is where he would end up.

Before, while living in the world, I had made it a rule to never gain pleasure at someone else’s expense. I am glad now that that principle of behavior developed in my mind. I sure would never want to be placed in one of those rooms, screaming, “I’m sorry,” to a loved one.

There were people who had been called to the ministry and had turned aside in an effort to become rich. Some had been called to minister in a foreign land but had become entangled in the comforts and luxuries of the Western nations. They had waited until it was too late to obey the call.

They could see people enjoying the Land of Light, which only added to their agony when they remembered what they had lost. Their talents and inheritance had been given to another more faithful individual.

Some of these cursed God and moved to lower levels of darkness. Others were wishing they could be in the Land of Light. God saw those. They did not know if it ever would be possible. That itself was a torment.

I asked the Lord what had happened to Judas. Jesus said, “Judas became angry because he had been tricked into betraying a man he realized was innocent. He became filled with rage against the priests who had paid him to betray his friend. Judas had joined himself to me because he expected me to become a king, and then Judas would have been wealthy and powerful.

“Instead, all was lost. Then Judas was filled with a senseless rage against his fellow disciples, and then against me, for being the source of his pain. Finally Judas began to curse God.”

A man who had been a pastor told Judas that Jesus was the Messiah. Then such violent heinous screams of rage came from Judas that he was not permitted to remain in the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences and was forced down deeper in the darkness. Truly, as Jesus said, it would have been good for Judas had he never been born.

“Now Judas is wandering around in darkness, and shall be in darkness throughout the endless ages of eternity. Spirits cannot be destroyed but must be somewhere in the universe. Such people as Judas do not need an external hell or Lake of Fire. Their torment is in their own mind and memories, which God is not willing to erase. Perhaps the eternal darkness is one compartment of the Lake of Fire.

“One of the greatest blessings that comes to those whom God reserves for the new world of righteousness is the removing of all painful memories such that their hearts and minds are filled with righteousness, love, joy, and peace.

“One of the greatest of all punishments inflicted on those who are kept from God’s Presence for a season, or finally doomed to eternal separation from God, is that the memories of what they had done, the tests they had failed, the people they had betrayed, the despair of realizing what they had lost by their lack of faithfulness, their sins against God, their lack of obedience to me, is ever with them.

“The memory of opportunities forever lost is a terrible, terrible punishment—especially if it endures for a period of time, as it shall if God does not grant repentance. This is the fate of many people.”

I think some of these, like the rich man Jesus spoke of, were concerned about their loved ones. It may be true that many such, after the resurrection, may be brought over and placed in areas of confinement in the Land of Light where they can be taught the ways of the Kingdom, and then begin life again as a small child.

Not everyone in the rooms was concerned about his loved ones, however. Some were reasoning that other people had caused them to do the evil they had done. Blaming others is not acceptable to the Lord. Such an attitude can lead those down into darkness, further removed from the Land of Light.

Those who blamed only themselves and were repentant of heart had a chance to be permitted to enter the confinement institutions in the Land of Light.

It often is claimed by Christians that the person who commits suicide is automatically assigned to endless torment. I have found no Scripture that speaks of penalties for suicide. I think some people are drawn to suicide because of unbearable pain. Each person who commits suicide will be judged compassionately by the Lord.

Although I have no scriptural support for suggesting this, I would venture that someone who committed suicide when it was not really all that urgent would have a difficult time explaining to Christ why he cut short his necessary training in the earth; and why he or she was willing that other people experience the pain caused by his or her suicide.

It appears there are times when people are driven beyond their ability to cope, and God knows all about this. It is entirely possible they will not lose their inheritance if God judges their torment on earth was more than they could overcome.

If we ourselves have never suffered excruciating pain over a period of time we are in no position to judge the actions of those who have.

Jesus said, “We now are approaching the City of the Living Dead. The people you will see next are those who loved the world, and so the world has been given to them. They found their survival and security in the Antichrist system of money, education, and scientific information. They chose to believe what the media was presenting to them. They felt no need for God or his salvation.

“The City of the Living Dead is the domain of Antichrist. The worship of money prevails here.”

While I still was living on the earth there was a financial crisis. The crisis was not primarily about a shortage of wealth, such as food, clothing, or shelter. It was about money, which is nothing but a symbol of wealth and cannot feed, clothe, or shelter people in and of itself. Great is the delusion of those who worship money!

The Lord went on to say, “The people who have the mark of Antichrist on them are dead while they are living, as they follow the impulses of their carnal mind. Death in the physical world occurs when the body no longer is able to support the soul, spirit, and mind. Death in the spirit world is separation from the Presence and Life of God.” There are compartment for people of various cultures. We will visit the American compartment.

As we traveled farther from the Land of Light, the darkness increased. The city we entered is just like a typical American city. There are stores, movie theaters, banks, tall buildings. Money was changing hands. People were moving about, talking to the clerks in the stores. Where the money originated I do not know. I did not see any factories or other means of creating wealth, just seemingly endless buying, selling, and gambling.

There had to be various occupations where people earned money and produced goods and services. But the Lord Jesus did not take me to see them. I believe He wanted me to see the end of those who chose to pursue money rather than to seek God’s will for themselves.

There were no restaurants. People were living by the same power that operates the universe. This is not the Holy Spirit, just spiritual enablement. In fact, I saw no food or eating in the entire Land of Darkness. It is possible that the pleasure of eating is reserved for those who please God.

I saw no families. Jesus said that when an individual is assigned to an apartment in the City of the Living dead, all memories of prior relationships are blotted out. What a horrifying thought that one would die and enter the spirit realm and not be met by a family member or friend!

But I think many Americans would feel quite at home if when they died they found themselves in the City of the Living Dead. They would believe they actually had gone to Heaven, until they began to perceive there was no love, no joy, no peace, no person who cared for another or helped another. Also, all was gray with no happy colors. The entire city gave the impression of being artificial. There was no solid wholesomeness in it.

Each individual was intensely bent on doing whatever he or she felt was important, without regard to the effect on anyone else. As a result, there was a great deal of arguing, cursing, fighting, although being spirits they could not actually hit anyone.

There were no automobiles on the streets or airplanes overhead.

The three of us, still invisible, walked into a large shopping mall, like the ones that had become so popular in America. The inside was on two levels. There must have been thousands of people, strolling along the walkways, looking in the windows of the various shops. There were stores on both sides, with kiosks in the middle selling novelties.

We walked up the large open stairway. You could look down and see the people milling around. There were banners hanging from the ceiling, which was far overhead.

The music (if one could call it that) was loud, wild, demonic, with its jungle beat—one of the contemporary horrors. It would have been so nice to hear the first Prelude of The Well Tempered Clavier, or Jesu, Joy of Man Desiring. But then, Bach is in the German community in the Land of Light, isn’t he!

We were standing on the upper level, in front of a bookstand. I looked across to the other side of the level we were on. There was a store that sold exercise equipment. There was a young lady, who appeared to be demonstrating physical exercises, or perhaps yoga. Her rhythmical bodily movements gave me the feeling of death.

Have you ever had a dream where you were wandering up and down in the streets of a city, or in a building of some sort where you could not find the exit, or some loved one you were looking for? There was no reason for dread that you could see. Yet you felt the horror of death.

I have had this kind of dream on many occasions. I wonder sometimes if we actually travel to places in our dreams. Or else, where do these scenes come from? Perhaps a psychiatrist could tell us.

That is the way it is in the City of the Living Dead, as soon as one enters. There is no apparent reason for dread or horror, except for the deathly appearance of the people that you can see when you came close to them. The environment is twenty-first century America, with all the lights, articles of clothing in the store windows, books galore. But the oppression of doom is everywhere.

My impressions could be summed up by saying there is a spirit of meanness here.

As we walked along on the upper level we passed people who were drawing money from an automated teller machine. Then we came to a large casino. There also was a similar casino directly across from us on the upper level. In each casino there were about 500 people I would guess, at the tables and the slot machines. There were another large group of people waiting for someone to leave so they could be seated.

The people who were gambling seemed like zombies being driven by spirits that were greedy for money. They just could not stop! After they withdrew money from the automated teller they would hurry over to stand in line at the entrance to a casino.

We went down the stairs and out of the mall. It seemed odd not to see a large parking lot filled with cars. I think the people could travel wherever they wanted to go by picturing their destination in their mind. This is the way it is in the Land of Light. Perhaps the same is true in the Land of Darkness, although they cannot escape the areas in which they are confined. Or maybe they walk to wherever they wish to go.

In the Land of Light there are no electric lights. This is because God is training people in wholesome personal relationships, and so the distracting elements of “civilization” are not permitted for a season.

But this is not the case here. God is not training people here, and so there is lighting powered by some source. The Land of Darkness apparently is a holding area until the final Day of Resurrection of the dead. Perhaps it is the source of the horrid dreams I had experienced while living on the earth.

We walked into a store that sold computers. We could see in the back of the store an area where computers were being repaired. We went back out onto the sidewalk. The people were hurrying to and fro, some alone, some in couples talking animatedly to each other.

At first glance, people looked normal. But when I looked at the individuals closely, they were thin to the point of emaciation. You could see a faint image of what they had looked like in their prime. Some of the men obviously had been handsome. Now they were close to being without substance at all. Some of the women had been beautiful. But as you drew closer you could see they were little more than ghosts dressed in fine apparel.

The most attractive of the women were disgusting in their appearance and there was an unpleasant odor coming from them. They would seem to be getting along together; then the first thing you know they were cursing and trying to hit each other with their handbags.

Women who at one time may have been motion picture stars or high-fashion models, once so attractive in their animal bodies; now repulsive wretches, giving off a putrid odor, whom no one would care to associate with.

In them the Scripture is fulfilled:

Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, burning. (Isaiah 3:24—NIV)

It seems they had wanted to live a selfish life and be a law to themselves. God has given them the desire of their heart.

There may have been children, in the Land of Darkness, but I did not see any. There were young adults.

As we went past the city to the living places there were no individual houses. There were giant high-rise apartments on both sides of the street. In some instances there was an apartment at the end of the street, forming a cul-de-sac.

I did not see any grass or flowers.

The most notable feature was the depressing spirit of the atmosphere. While I was alive on the earth I had dreamed of one such environment. In the dream, which I had more than once, I could see brick institutional buildings of some sort that gave me that same dreadful feeling. What is it that gives me the feeling I have been in such a place at a previous time? I must ask Jesus about this when we have a moment.

There really was no need to be punished in a fire, so to speak. To live in one of those apartments, especially realizing that none of the people loved God or his neighbor, only himself, always striving to acquire more money, always seeking his own pleasure and advantage, would be “hell” enough for me. How about you?

While they were living on the earth, the people who now are living in the Land of Darkness had made the individuals around them miserable with their self-centeredness, always insisting on having their own way. Here in the Land of Darkness they no longer have loving, generous, responsible people to take care of all their needs and desires. All of their fellows are people like themselves.

Here is God’s perfect justice: the people who had sacrificed themselves so that the selfish could have the pleasures and comforts they sought, are now in the Land of Light. They are with people like themselves, who will respond in kind when they are supported and blessed by others.

One of the punishments (lashes) administered to a rebellious person is to be placed with people like himself or herself.

In the present world it often happens that a faithful person has to take care of a mean, selfish, self-centered, immature individual who lives to satisfy his or her own desires without giving thought to helping others. Such a relationship is not permitted in the spirit world and will not be permitted in the world to come.

The selfish will be instructed until they are able to contribute to the welfare of others. They may be required to take care of someone who is selfish like themselves until they are willing to change.

The person who patiently is putting up with the selfishness and self-centeredness of the immature is not helping the individual grow to maturity. He or she is enabling the stunting of the immature. Sometimes there is no way out of this prison for the responsible relative.

God will not permit this “game” to continue into the spirit world. The person who has so patiently endured the selfishness of the immature will be given the opportunity to serve other developing souls who will profit from being “mothered” by the mature, stable individual.

I know that many of the people in the Land of Light, if they could, would go down to the Land of Darkness and attempt to bring some cheer to the people in their drab existence. But the Lord would not permit this.

Those who bore the burdens and pain throughout their lifetime as they sought to help others, are now living in righteousness, love, joy, and peace. They had mourned and now they were being comforted.

Those they had served, many of whom did not appreciate the sacrifice that was being made, believed they deserved the help they had always received. They felt that gaining satisfaction and joy at the expense of the meek was nothing more than what was owed to them. Now the selfish were thoroughly miserable with no prospect of anything better.

Someone might think it is not fair, that some people are living in peace and joy while others are bound in the results of their self-seeking. I feel certain many of the inhabitants of the Land of Darkness would insist they were not being treated fairly. “Why should those people be happy while my needs are being ignored?” Can’t you just hear them saying that? “How about my needs! No one cares about how I feel!”

This attitude reminds me of King Saul, when David was hiding in the forest of Hereth. Saul exclaimed, “No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.” (I Samuel 22:8)

Me, me, me, me. This attitude is so typical of self-centered people!

But if you think about it, it really is totally fair and just, that the people who had served the needs of others throughout their lifetime should be experiencing joy.

At this point the Lord Jesus broke into my thoughts. “While they were living on the earth, the individuals in the Land of Darkness had their opportunity to help others. But instead of assisting those around them who were in need, they sought to use others for their own comfort and convenience.

“Now the meek, those who had been the helpers, are ready to inherit the earth. The selfish will have a miserable inheritance, the consequences of the self-centered life they had led. They are sleeping in the bed they have made.

“The rich man is in torment in Hades. The beggar is at rest in Abraham’s bosom.”

There are the givers and there are the takers.

There are people who have integrity and are loving and generous, but they do not choose to come to Christ. Sometimes events in their life have caused them to turn away from Christ. But God has a way of breaking down their stubborn pride so they won’t be lost to Him forever.

But in some instances, when people know of Christ, his suffering on their behalf, and that He is God’s Son, and with a clear mind and resolute intention refuse to come to God through Christ—to such people is reserved the blackness of darkness for eternity. They have chosen to be their own god. Their moral behavior does not save them when they refuse to come to the Lord Jesus.

We would not assign such people, who may appear to be of good character, to a permanent stay in the Land of Darkness. But God does not always view people as we do. Whoever will not be absolutely subject to the Lord Jesus Christ will never be permitted to live in the land of righteousness no matter how admirable his or her character may appear to be.

As far as I know, the people in the seven areas of the Land of Darkness do not eat. They are kept alive by energy that comes from God.

It may be true that those who had gorged themselves while living on the earth, taking no notice of and not concerned about so many millions who had little or nothing to eat, still have their unclean, gluttonous appetites. But in God’s justice they now could not enjoy food, being sustained only by the spiritual energy with which the universe operates.

It is a Kingdom law, isn’t it, that many who weep now shall rejoice later, while those who are enjoying themselves now will weep later.

The believers who are counting on grace to save them do not understand that it is what we are in personality that makes us eligible to have fellowship with God and his saints, not belief in grace or in any other religious tenet or the making of any religious confession whatever! O that this understanding were present in the Christian churches on the earth, while the believers still have a chance to follow the Holy Spirit into godly behavior!

If the current “grace” teaching were of God, then for the rest of eternity we would be trying to cope with the behavior of people who never have been made in God’s image.

You know, I think the Christian religion is not the only one that places adherence to its belief system and practices above integrity and godly behavior. I suspect this same emphasis is true of many if not all the other religions of the world!

When the Lord Jesus returns, religious practices will be done away. Christ will be present with all people, and He will stress love for God and other people rather than religious ceremonies.

A friend, Bob Taylor, now deceased, told of a near-death experience. He saw the final resurrection of the dead. At first, all the people looked fine. But the light grew increasingly clear. Then he could see the ugliness that was present.

The following is an excerpt from “A Wake-up Call to the Church,” the vision of Bob Taylor. The entire vision can be found at www.wor.org/book/Books, and click on “A Wake-up Call to the Church”.

“As the lights illuminated various aspects of my surroundings, I came to understand I was in a very large countryside setting. With the countryside rather dimly illuminated, additional lights now illuminated other people who apparently had been there all along.

“As individual lights illuminated the numerous people, I noticed all I was able to see were their faces. These faces had the appearance of having only two dimensions (flat). The light was bright enough on these faces to see that each face was full of joyful and excited expectation.

“As the lights got brighter, I saw a change in their demeanor. They were losing their excitement and their joy was not as intense. As the light grew more intense, the joy and expectation appearance changed to one of confusion and surprise.

“Then I sensed the light was intense enough that it was definitely penetrating the surface of these faces and as the intensity of the light increased even more, these faces once again changed to ones realizing they were in danger.

“Then the light got even more intense and the faces were showing what I perceived to be horror. Even again the light intensity increased even more and the faces now had what I perceived as pure stark terror on them.”

Bob had a brief time to tell what he had seen, and now he is with the Lord. There is no question whatever, in the minds of those who knew Bob, that his testimony is genuine. He would tell it to us weeping.

If we reflect on what Bob saw in vision, a shocking truth emerges: the people who were raised may have been dead and in the spirit world for a long time. Yet they did not know they were going to face terror in the Day of Resurrection. That certainly does not fit with the common understanding of what happens when we die, does it!

But it is not too surprising. How many people today are living complacent lives, caring little about the needs of others? They suppose their selfish pleasures will endure forever. What will they discover when they pass into the spirit world?

The Prophet Daniel also spoke of some being raised to disgrace and everlasting contempt!

Tad was shaking his head. “What is wrong with people that they cannot see the benefit of serving God!

Jesus responded to Tad, “You never have been a human being so you do not know the pitfalls that surround them.”

The deeper we went into the darkness, the more depraved the people became. You could feel in the atmosphere, and sometimes hear and see, the adultery, fornication, avarice, cursing, hatred of people and of God, gossip, slander, covetousness, rage, lying, stealing, fighting, sexual lust, self-seeking, boasting, arrogance, haughtiness, unforgiveness, bitterness, selfishness, violence, treachery, argumentative spirits, unbelief, disobedience to God, the seeking of preeminence, discontentment—in short, all the behaviors we often find in the Christian churches in America.

While they cannot practice adultery or fornication, or actually harm one another, and their money means nothing and is an illusion, the spirits that motivate these behaviors are still present with them. Therefore they are in a state of constant frustration.

Such attitudes and behaviors would be true as well in the other cultures in the Land of Darkness, not just in the American or European cultures.

These sorts of behavior are what the preachers in America are stating are “covered by Divine grace.” Those who practice them, as long as they “accept Christ” shall be “raptured” into Heaven any moment now. I don’t believe that Heaven would rejoice over being infiltrated by spiritual darkness; but Heaven indeed shall rejoice when the victorious saints overcome the accuser of the brothers.

After we had passed the City of the Living Dead, we came to a vast area completely covered with what looked like asphalt. There were unnumbered multitudes of people as far as one could see. My first impression was: “This looks like a Mardi Gras celebration I had seen on television.” It is called, “Satan’s Playground.”

The sounds continued to be distressing. However, instead of the jungle-beat music that pervaded the stores in the city we had just left, there were shrieks, raucous laughter, angry yelling, hysterical screaming, mocking, joking, An obese man wearing a yellow miniskirt, silk stockings, and black high heels, was dragging a woman along by a chain around her neck. She was wearing a tuxedo and a top hat covered with fur. She was laughing uproariously.

Jesus said to us, “These are people who gave themselves to various sexual perversions and have destroyed their own personalities. They no longer can control the demons of foolishness that have possessed them.”

There were demons of all sizes and shapes flying around like so many bats. It reminded me of the area where the Great Battle had taken place after victory had been won over the forces of Antichrist. I don’t believe the people on the asphalt in front of us could see these evil spirits.

These frolicking individuals were dressed in peculiar ways: shorts, overalls, women with frilly dresses, leather jerkins, dunce hats, long robes, animal skins, Eskimo parkas, loin cloths. One very tall man was wearing an Indian headdress with feathers down to the ground. There were men and women wearing powdered wigs. Some had headbands.

There were men and women wearing colorful robes, colorful sheets wrapped around them, and scarves. This looked like African garb, although the people were not Africans.

In fact there were not many black people, and almost no Orientals. Most of these people looked like white Americans. Perhaps, as in the case of the City of the Living Dead, I am seeing primarily people from America. Maybe this is American foolishness I was looking at.

There were women dressed as men, and men dressed as women. You could tell who were men by the their bone structure. However, in some instances one could not be sure whether he was looking at a man or woman.

There were three men in bathing suits, arm in arm, skipping around.

One man was pretending to be a dog and was barking. He was wearing a dog collar. Another man was leading him by a heavy chain attached to his collar.

Two women were pulling a cart, something like a small chariot. There was a man sitting inside the chariot wearing a hat with a spring bouquet of flowers on it.

There were several clowns, male and female, and some harlequins.

There were ladies dressed as nuns, tripping along behind and flirting with men dressed as priests.

Several weddings were taking place, with people in attendance. At one wedding there were two grooms, both wearing shorts. The officiating minister was a lady wearing a bikini. They seem to have a weird delight in mocking social customs.

One lady was sitting at a table wearing black, with a tall witch’s hat. She was telling a man’s fortune from a crystal ball. While I was watching, the crystal ball blew up. No one was injured. The fortune teller screamed, and then cackled. She got up from her chair and jumped up and down in what appeared to be a tantrum.

There were numerous sexual exhibitions and perversions that would be a shame to describe. However, there was complete frustration because no sexual contact was possible. The spirits they had brought with them into Satan’s Playground were still driving them, but they no longer had physical bodies in which to find fulfillment.

It is a terrible thing to sin until you lose control of your mind and your actions.

Tad was so disgusted he turned his back on the perversions that were being displayed.

Jesus saw what Tad had done. He said, “Even here there may be an individual who says to himself, ‘This is not fun anymore. This is not life. This is not love. I wish that God, if there is a God, would save me out of this mess and give me peace.’ God may view that desire as a prayer and give the individual an opportunity to remove himself or herself from such a revolting expression of the desires of unclean spirits.”

As we continued to move downward we came to the Land of Cages. The cages were made of what looked like steel and were large enough for the person inside to walk around a bit. Each cage contained one wooden chair and a bunk. Those confined in the cages were dressed in a sort of gray burlap. When we drew near they came as close to us as they could, and then reached through the vertical bars.

The people in the cages, and those who were chained to stakes, were the only individuals in the Land of Darkness whom the Lord permitted to see us as we passed by.

The Lord said, “Those in the cages are deceived people. They are confident they are correct in their thoughts and desires. Their willful behavior has led them into deception concerning themselves and others. They ruined the lives of those who were involved with them, bringing them into painful, disastrous consequences.”

Their attitude toward us was not one of sorrow or repentance. They said, “I will get even with you”; or “You are supposed to be in here with me”; or they cursed the three of us, and then God the Father. Their blasphemies against God were horrible. I thought I recognized some people who had been prominent in religious circles. Others had been political leaders.

One man was driven by a spirit of competition, I believe. He exclaimed, “It is wonderful in here. It is too bad you have to be out there. I feel sorry for you! This is where God puts those who really are serving him.” After having said this he went and sat down in his chair. Then he got up and went to the rear of the cage, laughing and pretending he was having a great time.

I did not notice one person who was in a cage who showed any signs of repentance, or even of humanity!

Jesus said, “Those in the cages lived unrighteous, unholy lives, being filled with cunning as they strove to cheat and harm others. They thought nothing of hurting other people, being preoccupied with their own welfare. This sometimes is true of church leaders.

“Surprisingly, in many instances they viewed themselves as servants of God, while those who opposed them they regarded as being deceived. They believed that those who opposed them were deceived because they thought they were living righteous lives and pleasing God, while those in the cages ‘knew better’ and really were the ones whom God favored.

“The next group we will see are chained to stakes. They are filled with spirits of violence and murder, and you must not get too close to them. Although being spirits they cannot touch you, you may be frightened.”

I asked Jesus why these people, now spirits, could not touch us, while we could touch one another in the Land of Light. For instance, I was able to hug my children.

Jesus answered, The spiritual forms of those in the Land of Light are more substantial than those in the Land of Darkness, even before those in the Land of Light regain their physical bodies in the resurrection. Losing one’s substance completely until the individual is nothing more than a spirit is one of the terrible penalties of sin and rebellion against God.

With the Lord’s warning in mind we came to the Chained Prisoners. Their clothes were ragged. They were chained to stakes driven into the “ground.” The Lord Jesus had advised us to be careful and not to come near to them.

They would move closer to the stake, the chain dragging on the ground. As soon as we came as close as it looked like we were going to come, they would lunge to the end of the chain, roaring with rage. This frightened me momentarily. I guess I forgot Jesus and Tad were with me. It was obvious these people are insane.

The Lord stopped in front of one of these poor creatures. It let out a howl. Its eyes were red and protruding. The chain was around its waist. It hurled itself at us, yanked back when it came to the end of the chain. I involuntarily jumped to one side. I was afraid of being gouged by the long dirty fingernails.

Suddenly I perceived that this pathetic creature was a woman! Jesus said, “Her name is Deborah.”

She was trying to spit on us.

In spite of myself, I shuddered with fear. I wondered what would happen if she broke that chain. In spite of what Jesus said, could she actually claw at our body with those fingernails? She continued to lunge at us with satanic fury.

“I am Satan. I am Antichrist. I am Hell. I am death. I am the abyss,” Deborah screamed. And then laughed maniacally.

But the chain held, and she turned and went back and sat by the stake, holding in her lap two little stuffed animals. One looked like a dog. She gazed at us calmly.

You know, I had the briefest glimpse of what she must have looked like as a little, blue-eyed, golden-haired child.

This touched me emotionally as few things in my life have done. Jesus understood how I felt, and said to me, “You feel but the smallest part of the pain that God experiences because of what happens to those who choose their own way. The Father exposed himself, the loving God with the playful child’s heart, to unimaginable agony when He gave mankind the ability to choose their own way; to make decisions concerning their actions. You feel only the smallest part of God’s pain.”

What Deborah was holding in her lap were actually a little brown stuffed Cocker Spaniel and a little stuffed lamb. Maybe she knew she was looking at God’s Lamb, and in the depths of her consciousness realized he had died for her and she was crying for release.

The Lord exclaimed, “Deborah is completely possessed by demons. But even now I have the power to set her completely free and heal her mind. However, I have to wait for the Father’s judgment and decisions.

“You know, I died for her also.”

Jesus said to Tad and me, “This woman at one time had been a child actress. She was a beautiful, talented little girl. She was well known across America as ‘America’s Angel.’ The people loved her and the films she starred in. Her stage name was Angel Valentine. Her real name is Deborah Golden.”

And then Jesus told me the following story:

“Mr. Golden, Deborah’s father, divorced her mother when Deborah was two years of age. He was a successful motion picture actor. He left their home and married the leading lady in a picture in which he was starring.

“Deborah was a successful actress as a child. Deborah’s most famous film was ‘Sarah and Sam.’ This is the story of a young girl and her Cocker Spaniel, Sam. Sam was stolen from their car while Sarah and her mother and father were eating in a restaurant in California where they live. The thieves took the dog to Florida.

“Mr. Forrest, Sarah’s father, immediately posted on the Internet a $5,000 reward for anyone who could give them information that would lead to the recovery of Sam. As a result, they had numerous phone calls and made many trips to talk to callers who were sure they had seen Sam.

“Sam actually had been observed in several places, as he was making his way back to California where the Forrests lived. The little Cocker Spaniel was trotting by the side of the road, stopping to drink whenever he found a stream, eating garbage behind restaurants.

“One day the Forrests received a call from the Animal Humane Association of New Mexico, saying someone had brought into the shelter a Cocker Spaniel that appears to fit the description of the missing dog. Mr. and Mrs. Forrest and Sarah got in their car, hoping they would be able to drive back with Sam but were prepared to be disappointed.

“After a long drive, stopping overnight in Arizona, they came finally to Albuquerque. They asked at a gas station for directions to the Animal Humane Association. They called the shelter and told the man who answered that they were on the way.

“It seems an interstate truck driver had seen a bedraggled, dirty brown Cocker Spaniel walking wearily along the side of the road on the way to Albuquerque, New Mexico. He brought the dog to the Association, a stray with no tags.

“The driver was in a hurry and did not leave his name or phone number.

“The head of the Association office learned of the missing Cocker Spaniel and called the Forrests.

“Mr. Forrest pulled up in front of a building with the Humane Association sign in front. Before he had stopped completely, Sarah jumped out of the car and ran to the front door. She waited impatiently for Mr. and Mrs. Forest to come, and then opened the door.

“A young woman invited the family into the waiting room. While the Forrests remained in the waiting room, the woman went and returned with a brown Cocker Spaniel on a leash. The dog had just been washed and brushed until his coat shone.

“Sarah let out a shriek and ran over to the dog. It indeed was Sam. The attendant let go of the leash and Sam came running up to Sarah, wagging his hindquarters wildly and jumped up into Sarah’s arms.

“On several occasions, when this episode of the picture came on the screen, the audience in the theater clapped. Sometimes they stood and clapped.

“Mr. Forrest was glad to donate the reward money to the Humane Association, with the understanding a thousand dollars would be given to the truck driver should he return within a year and ask about the ‘stray.’

‘“Sarah and Sam’ was a box office smash. The American people were so disgusted with the violence, profanity, and depravity in the motion pictures that the story of a little girl and her dog broke all records for attendance. Some people reported they had seen the movie five times.

“Sarah Forrest had once been the most famous, most loved little girl in America. Many girls had dolls that bore Sarah’s name and were dressed like her. They were called ‘Sarah Dolls.’ When you pressed a button on the Sarah Doll she sang, ‘My life is not the same when you’re not here.’ There was a stuffed Cocker Spaniel that went with the doll. There were coloring books with pictures of Sarah and Sam.

“There were no sexually suggestive or immoral scenes whatever in the picture, and no profanity or drunkenness. There was no violence of any kind. There was not even a romantic interest.

“Hostile, cynical European countries showed the film and were able to get a glimpse of what had been true of the American spirit in days gone by. It touched the foreign audiences and caused them to hearken back to better days in their own countries.

“The music score was inspired. The theme song, ‘My Life Is Not the Same When You’re Not Here,’ was sung by Sarah in the picture. It was sung also by children and young people throughout the country. It jumped to the top of the charts.

“Just about everywhere you went you could hear the high, clear voice of Sarah singing her song. It was taking the place of the cheap, tawdry music heard so often in America. It became known as the ‘Sarah Song.’ It reminded the American people of an honest, wholesome way of life that was fast disappearing. It recalled something basically good, basically American.

“People could not seem to get enough of it. When Sarah sang the theme song during the picture, she was in her bedroom looking out the window at the stars. There were not many dry eyes in the theater. In fact, you could hear sobbing.

‘“My Life Is Not the Same When You’re Not Here’ seemed to touch a nerve in the American people, who were seeing the values of their country rapidly being discarded in favor of new ideals that seemed foreign and unrecognizable to a large part of the population.

‘“What is happening to our country?’ they wondered. ‘Life just isn’t the same, somehow. What is the world coming to? What happened to the America that used to be? What happened to our way of life?

‘“While we were enjoying the ‘humor’ on the late night television shows, the leaders and influential people whom we trusted to preserve our way of life have surrendered to those who, driven by the love of money, power, and pleasure, have permitted the worst evildoers to rise to prominence with their morally filthy behavior. Now we watch helplessly as naked, demon-inspired people practice obscene acts in public places.

‘“Our children are being taught in our schools that sexual perversions are entirely acceptable if not preferred. The name of Jesus is not to be mentioned. Christianity is frowned on while alien religions are acceptable. It appears that the government itself is our enemy as we attempt to preserve the familiar aspects of our culture, the American way of life.

‘“Meanwhile our economy is collapsing. A tale of woe is coming from many segments of society as their efforts to build worthwhile institutions crumble in spite of their best efforts. We hear from different quarters that America is sliding down to a minor place among the nations of the earth. Why is our national strength departing? Can it be that we have left Christ so Christ has left us?’”

I interrupted the Lord’s story at this point and said, “We Americans have called for Tash, and so Tash has come,” to borrow a line from Lewis’ The Last Battle.

Jesus continued, “It seemed every pet owner in America was singing the song, particularly those who had just lost a pet. A pet food company offered a CD of Sarah singing the song to whoever would send in four labels from canned dog food. Several veterinary clinics gave out CDs to those who brought in their pets for medical treatment.

“In one city the police department conducted a funeral for ‘Hank,’ a German Shepherd K-9 who was shot and killed in the line of duty. Officer Jeffrey, his handler, and Hank had been chasing a man who had just robbed a convenience store.

“Suddenly the robber stopped, turned, and pointed his gun at Officer Jeffrey. Officer Jeffrey started to pull his service revolver from his holster, but he would have been shot and probably killed. He was too late!

“Hank attacked the man, seizing the arm with the pistol. Although Hank was yanking fiercely on his right arm, the robber transferred his pistol to his other hand. He shot Hank in the side of the head.”

Tad interrupted: “I wish I had been there. I would have protected Hank and Officer Jeffrey!”

Jesus continued, “Officer Jeffrey had his revolver out by this time and shot the robber in the shoulder, knocking him onto his back. Hank still had his teeth in the man’s arm and fell back with the robber, shuddered, and died. All the fight was gone out of the robber and he just remained on his back while Officer Jeffrey called for the ambulance.

“At Hank’s funeral, the police department invited Sarah to come and sing ‘My Life Is Not the Same.’ There was a turnout of about 300 hardened policemen and policewomen. They had a difficult time maintaining their composure.

“Hank had had a long career and was well known to the police department. On the lid of the closed casket there was a framed picture of Hank. He had a black and gold coat and black muzzle. He looked alert, although his mouth was open and his tongue hanging out, the way German Shepherds do.

“When Sarah got to the last two lines of the song, ‘You were my closest friend, I never thought that you would disappear. My life is not the same when you’re not here,’ Hank’s handler, Officer Jeffrey, to his embarrassment, broke down and sobbed. So did his wife and two children. Hank had been an important member of the family.

“The framed picture was taken home and hung in a prominent place in the living room. Officer Jeffrey would look at it often, remembering the years of close companionship, the shared dangers, the arrests that had been made. Hank seemed to be saying, ‘I’m here, Pard, let’s go get the bad guys.’

“He had some other K-9 service dogs after that, but none took the place of Hank in his heart.

“If Officer Jeffrey receives me and serves me faithfully, it is possible that when he arrives in the real world he may find himself standing in a multi-colored meadow. From a distance he may see a familiar black and gold form racing toward him, knocking him backward on the grass and licking his face. Stranger things than this have happened!

“The song spread to other countries and was translated into several languages. The song was sung in pet hospitals, animal funerals, and even to living animals by their owners, adults as well as children.

“What a refreshing interlude in so many countries, as the nations of the world continued to drift toward the maturing of evil.

“’Sarah and Sam’ was the biggest money-maker in Hollywood history. God was showing the American movie industry one last time that violence, lust, and drunkenness are not what people desire in their heart.

“A Broadway play was based on the story of Sarah and Sam, as well as high-school and drama-club presentations.

“As might be expected, Hollywood decided to follow up on this box-office phenomenon. Another film was produced that followed the life of Sarah and Sam after the reunion, but it was not as successful. It did not have the same inspiration. The same was true with a television series.

“There were more songs, such as ‘Sam, You’re With Me Now and Forever,’ that Sarah sang as they were driving back to California from New Mexico. But they did not produce the same public response. The Hollywood company that had produced the picture never could understand that God, as one last reminder of an America in which life never again would be the same, had intervened concerning ‘Sarah and Sam’ and the theme song.

“Why would life never again be the same in America? Because God and his Bible were being left out of the social order. Once God was not present, life indeed would never be the same for the American people. God always looks for people who will honor him.

“Deborah’s parents were divorced and she was living with her mother. Her mother had the responsibility of managing Deborah’s finances until Deborah became twenty-one. The mother, Mrs. Golden, became wealthy but gave little thought to Deborah’s moral behavior.

“The Hollywood environment took its toll on Deborah. At the age of thirteen Deborah was smoking marijuana regularly. She was beginning to use cocaine. She had numerous sexual encounters with young actors. Her mother encouraged her to stay overnight in a hotel room with a prominent fifty-year-old director.

“One of the young actors, Randy Marino, heard a television evangelist preach the Gospel of Christ. Randy became a professing Christian. Randy told Deborah about salvation. Randy quoted to Deborah the verse about the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world. She became very interested and gave quite a lot of thought to coming to me as her Savior.

“But Randy did not have Christian fellowship and he was not strong enough to overcome his addiction to cocaine. Then he and another young man began to share an apartment.

“Deborah saw this and became disenchanted. She never again was exposed to the Gospel.

“By the age of twenty-eight Deborah had been married and divorced twice. She lived in a mansion in Beverly Hills. She was cruel toward her household staff and they all hated her.

“When she was thirty-five she owned her own moving picture and television companies. She was known as a shrewd business woman, grasping, heartless, and totally selfish. By this time she had been married and divorced three more times.

“The movie and television scripts she purchased were so violent and pornographic that even people in the entertainment industry were beginning to criticize the moral corruption, the bizarre perversions of her productions.

“Nothing was too gruesome, too morally depraved for Angel. Every shred of decency was abandoned. She paid a famous defense lawyer $1,000,000 a year as a permanent retainer. By appealing to the Bill of Rights he was able to prevent injunctions that would have shut her down.

“If she found herself in serious legal trouble, her lawyer was authorized to hire as many other lawyers as he felt necessary to win the case.

“One morning as she was being served in bed, the maid spilled the coffee and stained her bathrobe.

“Angel grabbed the knife she was using to cut up a breakfast steak. She leaped out of bed, knocking the breakfast dishes across the room. The coffee, orange juice and some egg yolk splattered on the wall. The steak and the rest of the eggs landed on the rug.

“When Angel saw the mess, she yelled at the maid: ‘Alice, this is all your fault.’ Alice stood looking at Angel, wide-eyed and terrified, not saying a word. This infuriated Angel further. She attacked the maid and stabbed her repeatedly in the neck until she was lying on the floor dying. Angel stood there shaking in her rage. The butler, Arthur, heard the noise and came running up the winding staircase and opened the door. He was horrified and frightened, panting, gasping for breath.

“Angel was glaring at him and holding the knife in a threatening manner.

“Arthur saw Alice’s dying body on the floor and the blood pulsing from her neck. He turned and ran back down the staircase. When he came to the curve he stumbled and fell headlong to the floor. He landed sprawling. In spite of being grossly overweight he jumped up and grabbed the wall phone. He dropped the phone. He picked it up again and called the emergency line.

“Angel, or Deborah, was declared criminally insane and placed in a mental institution in a special padded room with a viewing glass in the door. She would be meek for a while, eating her food quietly. Then periodically, maybe once every two days, she would spring to her feet and hurl herself around the room, throw her plate of food against the door, and scream obscenities.

“A male orderly would bring food to her three times each day. If when he looked through the viewing glass she seemed quiet, he would open the door and place the dishes on a small table. If she looked upset, he would open a panel in the glass door and slip the dishes inside.

“Deborah was kept sedated. Even when she had been sedated heavily, the staff psychologists were reluctant to go in and attempt to speak with her, because her violent rages were unpredictable and would break through even the strongest drugs.”

Jesus said, “My angels were present through all of this, as were the demons also. Because Deborah had made no attempt to please God, my angels were powerless to help her. But they kept me aware of all that was taking place. If people only knew it, I am aware of all that takes place in every individual’s life. My Father has given me authority over all mankind.

“When anyone calls on me for help, I am there instantly; unless they know my will and are walking in willful disobedience. Then I do not answer their prayers!

“I realize it was taught in America that no matter what people do, God always is ready to help them. This is not the case. When people deliberately and knowingly disobey God, God will not hear their prayer. He turns away from them until they repent.

“Sometimes God in his mercy sends disaster upon such people in the hope they will repent of their wickedness and turn to Him with a contrite heart.

“God simply is not the foolish old grandfather who never will become angry with anyone, as often is taught in the Western nations.

“Deborah passed away in the institution at the age of fifty. Only her mother and two of the institutional people were at the funeral service. The minister on the staff of the institution read the service from his manual, and then two or three appropriate Bible passages. He spoke how Deborah would arise in the resurrection, how her dust was as ‘the dew of herbs.’ The minister had no idea what Deborah was facing in the spirit world.

“Then Deborah was cremated. There was a short paragraph in several newspapers about her death.

“Deborah left five ex-husbands and two grown daughters. Her son, Arnaud, at the age of seventeen, was driving his sports car at a high rate of speed. He lost control of the car, ran head-on into a church bus returning from a snow trip in the mountains. Arnaud died at the scene of the accident. This had taken place before Deborah was institutionalized.

“Two members of the youth group died instantly. Thirteen had serious injuries, some life-threatening. Within two weeks, another member of the youth group died in the hospital. There were the expected lawsuits against Deborah’s estate.

“The two grown daughters were twins. Dalia was a missionary in Calcutta and prayed regularly for her mother and sister. Dalina was living in a hotel in Knightsbridge, London with her live-in female friend.

“In her will Deborah divided her estate evenly between Dalia and Dalina. This enabled Dalia to greatly expand her works of charity. Dalina continued with her luxurious lifestyle, along with her roommate.

“Deborah left nothing to her mother, whom she detested. Mrs. Golden, Deborah’s father, and Deborah’s five former husbands fought the will but were unable to prevail.

“It is possible that God, remembering that Deborah had taken a serious interest in the Gospel when it was presented to her, and then was disillusioned, will have mercy on her in the Day of Resurrection and direct me to bring deliverance and healing to her. It would not be the first time the Father made this kind of a judgment concerning a person who appeared to be hopelessly lost to the program of redemption.

“Dalia prayed for her sister, her mother, and her grandmother. The grandmother and sister came to me for salvation before they died. It may happen that God will keep in his mind the prayers of Dalia for Deborah, and direct me to deliver her from Satan. The prayers of dedicated saints for their family members are always heard by the Father. He is so merciful and wants families to be together when it is appropriate.”

The Lord, Tad, and I moved further downhill. I was so moved by the story of Deborah, and the sight of her holding the little stuffed animals, that I looked back. She was still holding the spaniel and the lamb and looking straight ahead.

Only our gracious Father in Heaven knows what Deborah is thinking. Perhaps she was remembering herself as Sarah Forrest. Perhaps the spaniel she was holding is “Sam.” Maybe the lamb reminds Deborah what Randy Marino told her about the Savior who gave his life on the cross that she might be forgiven her sin.

The oppression, the feeling of gloom and death increased as we continued downhill. It became difficult to distinguish between the spiritual darkness and the darkness of the environment. We were approaching the World of the Deformed. We became invisible again. Jesus said, “You are going to see people who defiled their body, the temple of the Spirit of God. God, as He warned in his Word, has turned them over to corruption.”

The people we saw are disfigured. Some are dwarfs. Some are giants. Some have hideous faces, long noses, huge mouths, fangs, tiny or large pointed ears, bulging red eyes, misshapen bodies. Some are naked and exhibit unmentionable deformities and disfigurements, the consequences of a life given over to the sinful nature.

Jesus told me there are people here with raging appetites for food, being bound with gluttony. But there is no food here to eat.

One of them, a person with large pointed ears, reminded me of an elf I had seen when I was in prayer in Iceland.

In some instances, the deformity or behavior illustrates their excesses. Those who lived by fraud and deceit have faces that reveal their cunning. The lazy are lying around in various positions of lethargy. People have to walk around them, because they are unwilling to move.

The lazy reminded me of the sluggards that Solomon spoke about. He said they turn on their beds like a door on its hinges. Solomon said also that once they take some food from a bowl they are too lazy to bring it to their mouth. If they have to go out of their house on an errand they cry, “There is a lion in the street!” The Lord Jesus spoke of someone who does not use his talent as a “wicked, lazy servant.”

The thieves have huge, grotesque hands. They rush about, attempting to steal the hats or shoes of these unfortunate wretches. They simply cannot control their desire to rob other people of their possessions. They have yielded to the spirits of thievery, and now the spirits of thievery control them. But there isn’t much to steal in their new environment. The violent were continually attempting to injure or kill those around them, but were unable to harm them.

How terrible to live with cravings that never can be satisfied!

To enter the World of the Deformed is to see what appear to be demons scurrying around, but they actually are people. As Daniel prophesied, they have been raised to shame and everlasting contempt.

One time Audrey and I were watching a documentary about Nepal, I think it was; or somewhere else near the Himalayan Mountain Ranges. It was an excellent portrayal of Buddhism.

The documentary showed a Buddhist painter of pictures of various demons. He said, “I wait until I see the demon. Then I paint it.”

All of us probably have seen demon masks that are used in the dances of various cultures. We may shudder at the horrible images. We in America may not understand that these are representations of spirit personages that are very active in America, although they do not reveal themselves as they do to people in some Eastern cultures.

Sometimes these personages can be observed in paintings in Hindu temples or statuary.

We had a relative, who is dead now. He was addicted to cigarette smoking. One time when he was standing in front of his dresser I saw the spirit of nicotine that had him in its grasp. The spirit was as big as Jim. Then I understood why Jim was having such a difficult time stopping smoking.

If we are diligent in confessing our sins and turning away from them, the uncleannesses will be removed from our personality until there is nothing of Satan in us. It is an eternal judgment on the specific areas of darkness and we will not be troubled with that spirit again. Such deliverance is to be taking place in us today.

The spiritual darkness that dwells in our flesh now, that we did not know how to overcome through Christ, may pass with us into the spirit world when we die. If God deems us worthy of salvation, the judgment on the evil in our personality will proceed and the darkness will be removed. Then we are to serve the Lord Jesus, just as we do today.

I am not suggesting that we can live a casual spiritual life now and then hope to be delivered after we die. This is not true. Remember the parable of the talents. We must respond to Christ when He deals with us, whether here or in the spirit world. If we do not, we are counted as a wicked, lazy servant, our Kingdom blessings are removed from us, and we are assigned to one of the realms in the Land of Darkness.

I think it would be helpful to us in America if we could see the grotesque demons of lust, of perversions, of drugs, of alcohol, of violence, of revenge, of gossip. If we could, we then would understand that the people in other cultures who do their devil dances are actually seeing the creatures that are driving us to these hurtful practices.

Jesus told us some of these deformed people were guilty of abominations, such as practicing horrible cruelty to animals, torturing people, or abusing little children.

Some of them knowingly worship Satan. There are those here who practice the occult in some manner, working as mediums, or fortune tellers, or astrologers. They now resemble the evil spirits they have attempted to summon.

I wonder if the World of the Deformed is where leprechauns, elves, and dwarfs come from, that are described in some of the stories from Europe.

One time when I was in Iceland I was praying in my room. Then I saw in front of me, in a strong mental impression, an elf. He had on a sort of trench coat, with the collar pulled up. But I could see the pointed tips of his ears above the collar.

I asked Einar Gislason, the pastor, about this. He told me elves are common in Iceland, and sometimes appear in the newspaper as a logo for one thing or another.

A famous American newspaper editor, I believe it was William Allen White of the Emporia Gazette, told in his autobiography that while he was in Ireland he looked out of his hotel-room window and saw leprechauns playing in the grass.

I remember also reading an account by a Pietist minister from Germany who described what he witnessed in the spirit world. People were waiting for directions in a spiritually-dark area. They could see the Land of Light from where they were standing.

One man could see someone he knew from his church bypassing the dark area completely and going straight up to be in the Presence of Christ and the holy angels.

The man who was watching said to a nearby angel, “I am better than that man. Why can he go straight into Heaven while I have to remain here?”

The angel said, “You are here because of your attitude. The man you saw enter Heaven was not prominent in your church. But God saw that his heart was ready for Heaven.”

As the man who was watching looked about him, he could see other people like himself. As I remember the story, an angel was speaking to one of these other men. All of a sudden, the man who was being spoken to turned into an ugly creature, like a giant toad, and hopped away from the presence of the people he was with.

There are those here in the world of the deformed who have powerful addictions of lust, or alcohol, or drugs. Although they have left their physical bodies in the grave, the addiction is still present as a fiery craving, since the addictions are spiritually based.

These people, men and women, cry out to the Lord to permit them to be present on the earth among physical people. They are hoping that somehow they can satisfy their lusts and craving through people still alive on the earth.

The same desire is in some of the inhabitants of the Rooms of the Tortured Consciences. They would like to be present on the earth so they could make amends for their treacherous actions.

I often have wondered where the demons come from that harass us and try to cause us to sin. They certainly are not angels. Do you suppose they at one time had been people who lived on the earth and then passed into the spirit world still bound with these powerful unclean addictions?

This caused me to think about the man of Gadara. He was possessed by a “legion” of intelligent personalities who could speak. Were they at one time human beings?

A Roman legion included 3,000 to 6,000 men. Is one human being able to be a dwelling place for several thousand intelligent beings?

Why would they want to dwell together in one person who lived in the tombs? Why would they prefer to enter 2,000 pigs rather than to be sent out of the region?

Jesus said when demons are cast out of people they walk through dry places seeking rest. So I guess anything is better than that for the demons. They want a home to go to where they can experience life on the earth rather than in the World of the Deformed.

I have pondered why the sickness of sexual lust had become so common in the United States, and perhaps in other nations as well. Pornography certainly was a major factor in the United States. Sexual child abuse abounded in our country and in other countries.

At one time the Presence of God in the United States was keeping the demons at bay. But as Americans chose to follow the cravings of their flesh, the Presence of God began to leave, thus making America a playing field for various unclean spirits.

Many demons of sexual lust, whose home is in the Land of the Deformed, have been permitted to enter America, I do believe.

During the closing days of the Church Age, some people destined to be kings in the future world of righteousness were being born. The candidates for rulership were being tested by every imaginable demon of lust and perversion, as well as other addictions. This continual warfare had as its purpose the bringing forth of the strongest and most faithful of the candidates for rulership.

Also, I believe I mentioned previously that the attack on the gift of gender, a gift angels do not have, was to prevent the birth of those who had been appointed as rulers over the kingdom of righteousness. Homosexual and transgender activities inhibit the birth of children.

Do you remember how King Herod had the children murdered so the King of the Jews would not survive?

“Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Many of the future kings of the Kingdom were to be born during the days while I was alive on the earth.

Tad turned toward me and exclaimed, “It would be a good idea to bring people from the earth to see the result of uncontrolled behavior. Maybe they would learn from this experience.”

I responded, “It has pleased God, while remaining invisible, that people choose to believe that God honors righteous behavior and is not pleased when we dishonor the body He has given us. God has declared that human beings must live by faith in his love and holiness, steadfastly refusing to obey the ways of the world spirit and their own sinful, rebellious nature.”

Then, when it seemed we had reached the limits of human depravity, we could see in the distance flames and smoke. We had arrived at Hell. The first impression were the screams and shrieks. Have you ever heard anyone scream in agony? Can you imagine what it is like to hear thousands of people screaming in agony and terror? And this without letup?

And then the putrid smell. I have never smelled anything quite like it. Rotten fish and decaying meat would be like perfume in comparison.

One time I was present when a worker uncovered a septic tank that had not been cleaned for a number of years. The worker seemed not to mind too much but I had to walk away from there. The stench was overpowering.

Such is the odor of Hell. It is nauseating. There is no way of getting away from it. The odor of Hell keeps one right at the edge of vomiting. Come to think about it we would be unable to vomit, so we would have the urge but be unable to do anything about it.

My guess is that in the Lake of Fire, on the other hand, the odor would be that of burning sulfur. The smell of burning sulfur is distressing!

As we moved closer we could make out the figures of human beings in the flames. We could see them moving around in a kind of open furnace in a red glow. They were in physical bodies but naked.

It was difficult to see through the smoke. It appeared that some were sitting on thrones and had people gathered in front of them. Others were wandering about, or were sitting on whatever kind of ground was there and holding their heads.

Some of the inhabitants are not demons or human beings. Perhaps they are angels. They are about the same size and shape of people, but their faces are horrible. They are mean and cruel looking. There is a fierceness in their countenances that would not be seen in the most wicked human.

I asked Tad about this. He said they definitely were angels who had rebelled against God.

As I tried to look through the smoke, I noticed a human being who was being shoved back and forth by what I think are angels. One would push him toward the other, who then would push him back. This went on as long as I was there. The “angels” were laughing uproariously. The human was screaming in pain.

Then Jesus spoke: “The person you see was an attorney. He was very wealthy. He won a multi-million dollar judgment against an apartment store that had not installed railings. His client fell downstairs and broke his back. The client was a day laborer with six children.

“The lawyer kept all but ten thousand dollars, claiming he had spent a great deal of time over two years in order to gain the settlement. The laborer who could not work any longer, facing enormous medical bills, finally committed suicide. When questioned about taking such a huge fee, the lawyer said indignantly, ‘I earned this money’!

“He did not show mercy, and no mercy will be shown to him!”

A passage from Second Peter came to mind: “They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed.” This is a terrible thing to say about people, but anyone of us who has lived a long time recognizes it sadly is realistic.

We could hear individuals cursing God. Some were screaming in pain. Others were yelling accusations at those near them, blaming them for causing them to be in such a dreadful place.

We could see black demonic figures that resembled hairless monkeys, laughing at the humans, sometimes pinching or striking them, gloating over their misery. When the people sought to elude them, the demons followed, shrieking in their fiendish manner.

Whether these demonic figures formerly had been people and now have been divested of all human attributes, I do not know. Perhaps this is what it means to lose one’s soul. Maybe Satan can create demons, although I doubt it. They could be rebellious angels, although this is not likely. I am going to have to ask Jesus about this.

I never in my life thought I ever would see Hell, but here it is. I know there have been individuals throughout history, a few known, most unknown, who have hated God and other people. They betrayed those who trusted them. They caused tremendous pain to those who were unfortunate to be in contact with them, sometimes a husband or wife.

The Lord Jesus told us if our eye causes us to sin, we would be wise to pluck it out and cast it from us. He said it is better to enter the Kingdom with one eye rather than to have two eyes and be thrown into Hell.

I could hear people roaring in their agony. They may have been beyond comprehending their condition, living in a dungeon of pain. You could almost feel sorry for them, until you remembered the meanness and perversity that drove them as they sought to hurt others. They would go out of their way, doing things that were inconvenient and distressing to themselves, seeming not to care as long as they were able to harm or “get even” with someone.

I do not understand how an individual could delight in harming people, or a child, or an animal. Maybe it is not a human motivation. It may be coming from Satan and his demons. Perhaps their lust to hurt, to destroy, to defile, is an itch that screams to be scratched. A sadistic spirit may enter and control those who choose their own way and will in place of God’s way and will.

Satan is envious of man, because Christ as man and mankind through Christ have been given the Divine Glory that Satan covets. It is from this envy and self-will of Satan that mankind is bound with envy, jealousy, personal ambition, the love of preeminence, covetousness, spite, malice, murder, strife, the desire to usurp the position of another as was true of Absalom, and every other evil work.

Satan is envious also of man’s possession of gender. Satan cannot enjoy love and union with another being. Therefore he attacks gender in every possible manner, from homosexual activity to the molestation of children.

It would be better to never have been born than to be inhabited by the murderous lusts, the insatiable desire to harm other individuals, that drives Satan and his demons.

I have read of some of the unbelievable things that people have done to other people. In one instance a family behind a steel fence watched as guards took turns raping their young daughter. In another instance, an older man brought his girlfriend through his front room and into his bedroom while his wife watched helplessly from her wheelchair.

Perhaps some people of this sort find Christ, and then their personality is redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, the Spirit of God, and the Word of God. God has forgiven them. However, in this world or the next, you can be sure they indeed, in one manner or another, shall suffer for their wickedness. What we sow we reap, even though God forgives us and eventually brings us into the new world of righteousness.

But if they never are changed from their satanic ways into the peaceful ways of the new world of righteousness, they belong in this unbelievable place of torment.

We understand that at the last judgment, Hell will be cast into the Lake of Fire. I don’t know if this means all the people presently in Hell, or Hell itself, which in that case might be a creature.

Unlike what may be true of Hell, I don’t believe people can repent once they are placed in the Lake of Fire. The Lake of Fire was not prepared for people but for the devil and his angels. Yet we know from the Bible that those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will be thrown into this, the worst of all fates.

I am not that certain about Hell, or Hades. It is evident that the rich man, although he himself was in torment, was concerned about his brothers. This is a redeeming quality. On the other hand, Judas expressed remorse. Yet, the Lord Jesus said it would have been good for Judas if he never had been born. Some decisions have to be left up to God.

Christians often do not understand that their faith in Christ and desire to serve God is a gift from God. The ability to repent is a gift. No person can come to Christ unless the Father draws him or her.

So while we see these wretches in this unbelievable area of torment, although we are not desiring that they be released (if they were released they would continue in their wickedness and bring corruption, chaos, and agony wherever they were), we say to ourselves, “There but for the grace of God go I!”

Jesus turned to Tad and me. He said, “God takes no pleasure in the pain and death of the wicked. If people would choose to obey God, they soon would find the righteousness, love, joy, and peace that every sane person has as his or her goal.”

This statement of the Lord reminded me of one time when I was returning from teaching the Bible in a church in Lemon Grove, California. As I drove on the bridge over the valley that is filled with buildings and apartments of all kinds, I remembered how a retired meteorologist, speaking of this very valley, warned that if the dam to the east ever broke, the water would rush through this valley and sweep everything out into the Pacific ocean.

Christ spoke to me while I was driving and said, “I take no pleasure in having people and their belongings lost in a flood. If the engineers would have consulted with me, instead of plunging ahead according to their own ideas, I would have shown them how to avoid such an inevitable catastrophe.”

So it is that the sufferings in the world today have their source in the willfulness of mankind. Will we ever learn? No, I guess not, not until Zion University has done its work. Even some Christian people who love the Lord balk at the idea of not being able to plan and conduct their own lives as they wish.

Jesus said, “You have seen enough, Godwill, to broaden your understanding of why you are having the experiences you are, and the reason for the role of marshal you have been given.

“It always will be possible for angels and people to rebel against me and my Father. This is the reason for the existence of the great jasper wall surrounding the Holy City, for Godwill Castle, for the forming of the army of judges, and for the warrior-angels and the guardian-angels.”

I asked the Lord if all these people in the Land of Darkness were doomed forever.

He answered, “It will be up to the Father in the Day of Resurrection. If God sees in a person the potential for being corrected, he or she will be brought into a place of instruction. There may be severe pain in the hope the self-love will be removed sufficiently to make possible the entrance of Divine Life into the individual. God never turns someone over to eternal separation from himself until every means of correction has been exhausted.

“At the last judgment the people will be separated into three categories, Those whose names are found in the Book of Life will be clothed in white and held in a place of waiting until the new earth has been created. The elect will be given shining garments and assigned to their positions in the Holy City.

“Those whose names are found in the Book of Life, but who need a long period of orientation to the ways of God, will be confined in areas where they will be instructed by angels and people. They will be watched carefully to determine if they are going to learn to love God with all their heart and their neighbor as themselves.

“After they are raised and judged, many such people will be in the Book of Life. However, God sees what is in their personality. Some may have to return to some form of captivity until they themselves decide they are ready to serve me.

“Those whose names are not found in the Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire to be with Satan and his angels for eternity. They never again will be able to experience the love of God or of people. They never again will see the smile or hear the laughter of a child. Righteousness, love, joy, and peace will be lost to them forever. They will be unable to repent, for the ability to repent is a gift that comes from God.

“When people are assigned to the Lake of Fire they eventually become as evil as Satan. They no longer are ‘human.’ They no longer can be redeemed. They become the personification of self-determination, the American ideal at the time you died.

“The same is true of those who walk humbly with me for a period of time. They eventually become an integral part of me.

“Satan no longer is able to repent and serve God instead of himself. Neither will his companions in the Lake of Fire be able to repent and serve God instead of themselves. Their eternal home is the Lake of Burning Sulfur, the place that has been reserved for Satan and his angels. They are the ‘lost’!

“After exhausting every possible means of bringing them into the new world of righteousness, God finally has given up on them.”

The experience of being in the Land of Darkness, as depressing as it was, helped me to place in clearer perspective what had been taking place in my life since I had died and passed into the spirit world.

Jesus turned to go back, and we turned with him. We remained invisible. We left Hell and went up past the deformed individuals, those chained to stakes, those in cages, those who had destroyed their character with sexual lust and foolishness, the inhabitants of the City of the Living Dead, the people in the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences, and finally emerged from the Land of Darkness and encountered the buildings on the border of the Land of Light.

How happy I was to be away from that terrible area of gloom, dread, pain, and death. Now we were in the Land of Light where all is righteousness, love, peace, and joy. And oh—to smell once again the fragrance of Heaven!

In less time than it takes to tell, we were at the foot of the ramp leading up to our castle. The Lord had disappeared at some point. We now were visible. Tad waved to Gunther and the other guards on the wall-walk on top of the outer wall. The drawbridge came down and was locked into place.

We entered through the outer and inner gates. Heng came out with Bear to greet us. We went into the stable to check on Warfighter, Lance, Watcher, Kamur, White King, Amigo, and Anisa. All the horses were there, so we knew Amira and Gabrielle had returned from visiting Johara.

Tad and I went up to our quarters, and then came down for dinner.

When we were at the table, Amira blurted out in her customary fashion, “We went to the Arab community and had falafels. We had a wonderful time, didn’t we, Elle?”

Gabrielle responded, “We sure did! I am getting to really like falafels.

“Don’t forget, tomorrow we are going to see Señora Gomez and have some enchiladas. You promised, Meer!”

“We Arabs always keep our promises. Anyway, l like enchiladas, but not so much hot sauce. The Mexican hot sauce is awfully strong!”

“You’ll get used to it,” Gabrielle responded.

The girls were so full of their own thoughts they never asked Tad or me what we did. I am just as glad. The sooner I can forget the horrors we saw, the better.

Hugs all around, animals petted and told good night, Heng was thanked for taking such good care of them, soft nickers from the horses, a bored look from Kamur. I think Watcher was asleep! Then up to our rooms.

Bear and I went into our room. I went into the alcove and looked out the window. I could see the light from the lamps in the farmhouses and the little dwellings over at the Annex. I turned and snuffed out the candles so I could see better.

Then I put on my pajamas and got under the blanket. Bear jumped up on her pillow at the foot of the bed.

I kept looking to Jesus to heal my mind from what I saw. I understand the experience was necessary if I was to have a full realization of the fall of the angels and man, and the work of redemption. What agony Christ suffered on the cross!

I inhaled deeply the fragrance of Heaven to remind myself that I really was back in the Land of Light.

The business about Angel Valentine, or Deborah Golden, still troubled me. To what depths a little child could fall, upon growing up! This gave me a much greater appreciation for Calvary. I can see more clearly why God had to pay such an awful price for our salvation.

All of us have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. But some among us have fallen into such satanic depths that only the terrible agony of the Son of God can balance the scales of Divine justice.

I hope somehow it will be in God’s judgment to forgive and release Deborah Golden. She has suffered so much already! It is true that there are prisons in the physical world, and prisons in the spirit world as well.

Really, Deborah’s father and mother will have to share the blame for Deborah’s actions. They did not take care of her as parents are supposed to. Any of us who had the same experience of life as Deborah might well have followed her path—or done even worse things!

I drifted off…

My friends the roosters began to tell me a glorious new day had begun.

The Closing of the Kingdom Age

In the morning, after we had had our breakfast, one of the messengers from earth brought a different kind of news to the castle. He said, “Satan has been released from the Bottomless Pit and is going about in the earth, teaching people that they do not have to obey Christ but can choose to do whatever brings them satisfaction.”

I perked up when I heard that, because the right to do whatever we want was the goal of the American social order at the time I died, and it was causing problems. As any thinking person would predict, such a goal inevitably will lead to widespread crime and other forms of anarchy.

When Tom told me this I was deeply troubled. I went to Christ immediately. I said, “Lord Jesus, shall I call up the army of young people?”

Jesus responded, “I don’t hear the Father saying we should do that, but let’s remain in prayer until we know what we should do.”

It is difficult to know how time is passing on the earth. What seems like a week in the spirit world can be two or three years, or longer, in earth time. I guess this is why it says that to the Lord, a thousand years is as a day.

Another angel came to the castle. He was huge, muscular, grim of countenance. His sword was half again the size of the swords carried by the castle guards.

The giant angel gathered Tom, Heng, Erhard, Claude, Tad, Rodel, Alana, and me together in the Great Hall. The warrior said, “I bring bad news. Satan has managed to persuade the nations of the earth, whom the saints have taught so lovingly, to lay siege to Zion, where God’s judges are, and the city of Jerusalem.

“They are yelling that they do not have to obey Christ or his saints because God wants them to choose their own way and be happy. They plan on imprisoning or killing their former rulers and teachers.”

Tad and I looked at each other. Our first thought was to call out our soldier-judges. But I remembered the Lord Jesus had told me to hold off.

I said to Tad, “Let’s pray.” Tad bowed his head. I prayed, “Lord Jesus, you know what has just been said here, what are we to do?” The giant angel prayed with us.

Jesus said to Tad and me, “My Father is saying if we would wait and trust Him we would see his Glory.”

It is so hard to just trust God in such situations, isn’t it?

Then we felt the spirit world shake. We thought, “What’s that?”

A messenger-angel we had not seen before came through the gates of the castle and into the inner ward. He said, “God has sent fire upon the earth like He did upon Sodom and Gomorrah and killed the rebellious people. Billions of people have just entered the spirit world to await their judgment.”

While this angel was speaking to us we heard a terrifying scream. The scream was so loud and penetrating it seemed as though the whole universe was howling with rage and fear.

The messenger closed his eyes for a moment as though listening. Then he said to us, “Satan has just been thrown into the Lake of Fire.”

I looked at Tad and said, “Now what?”

Tad said, “The Father is on the move. Anything can happen now.”

Then the Lord Jesus came into the room where we were standing, and said to Tad and me, “Please come with me.”

Instantly Tad and I were in the Spirit and were traveling with Christ. We soon found ourselves on a tremendous circular balcony. Standing on the balcony were Christ, the victorious saints, the army of warrior-judges, and the elect angels.

Jesus said, “I am going to show you something you will never forget. In the beginning, God spoke through me and I created the sky and the earth with my Word. Now I am going to create a new sky and a new earth.

“The present earth and firmament are crude representations of the true and eternal earth and firmament, just as the physical body is a crude representation of the body that shall be for those who are obedient to me.

“The new earth and firmament will be as superior to the old as your new spiritual body is superior to the old flesh and blood body inherited by the descendants of Adam.

“Now watch and be an eternal witness of what takes place!”

We saw the earth from where we were standing. The earth was suspended in front of us. Christ pointed his finger. A sorrowful look, and then, “Be gone!”

A flash of light, a crash of thunder, a slight shaking, and the earth was no more.

Then Tad and I could see the sun, moon, and stars—the whole sky. Christ looked at this scene sorrowfully, and then pointed at what was before us, and said, “Be gone!” Just two words—“Be gone.”

There was a flash of light, a colossal noise like thunder if it were magnified many times, and the balcony shook briefly. Then there was nothing. Space and all its bodies had disappeared, just like that! Anyone who has learned about the absolutely incredible sizes and distances of the galaxies in space can consider, possibly, but never really grasp the enormity of the power displayed here.

Tad and I noticed that Christ paused just before He spoke the awful words. I wonder if He remembered some of the things that had transpired on the earth. There certainly were a lot of memories there for all of us, particularly for him, the Creator of the earth and all its peoples.

But like I have learned to do when people die, you look ahead to the glorious future the Father has prepared for the righteous. You dwell on the future, not on the past. I feel certain it was because of keeping the glory of the future in mind that Christ was able to make the planet Earth a thing of the past.

And now appeared a sight I never shall forget. There appeared a white Throne. But not just a white throne, it was a white throne large enough to hold hundreds of thousands of judges. This is the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is the Throne on which Christ will sit to judge mankind and the fallen angels. As He has promised, with him will sit all of those who through his love, power, and wisdom have been able to overcome Satan and all of Satan’s works.

These people, as was true of me also, had been raised when Christ came to earth at the first resurrection, and now we are to sit with him on the Throne before which all the rest of mankind will pass.

The great and terrible Day of Judgment has arrived, the thought of which has made men, angels, and demons tremble throughout the history of the earth, and the angels even before the heavens and the earth were created!

I am not certain how I got here, but I was seated on the Throne. Tad no longer was with me. I had a similar experience many years ago when I first began to pastor Mount Zion Fellowship. I saw myself sitting on a large throne. It was just a fleeting impression.

Jesus, and all of those who had been resurrected at his second coming, when the battle on the Plain of Megiddo was fought, were seated on the enormous white Throne—white, because the judgment will be righteous.

All at once we saw people standing on a seemingly endless plain in the spirit world. There were angels among them. The people were in their flesh and bone bodies. They must have been raised in their bodies before Christ banished the earth from his Presence. Or perhaps as the earth was destroyed their bodies and spirits entered the spirit world.

People always are judged in their bodies; rewarded in their bodies; and punished in their bodies. The body is much more important in the Divine plan than one would think from Christian teaching. It is the temple of the Spirit of God.

Then the judgment began. These were people who had lived on the earth from the beginning—a vast host of human beings. The angels who had left their position before God, and who had been bound in chains, also stood before the majesty of God.

All who were in the spirit world, who had not been raised in their bodies when the Lord came previously, were present along with those who had been alive on the earth when Christ destroyed it. All now were in their bodies. All shall bow the knee to Christ, to fulfill the Scriptures.

There was no judgment of the very young. Their destiny consisted of being sent to Playland to await the populating of the new earth.

The experience was similar to that of my praying for my children. I knew I was sitting on the Throne with the Lord. Yet, I was face to face with a human being. I realized the judgment I was making was coming from God through Jesus. It was not of my own mind. I am thankful that no one I confronted was known to me.

As I said, Tad was not with me. It is not given to angels to exercise judgment, only saints who have become part of God’s Judge, the Lord Jesus.

The first person I was to judge was a young man. He was in his flesh and bone body that had just been raised. His robe was black in places. He was of medium height, with an angry expression on his face.

“What is your name?” I asked. “My name is Tavish Aldridge, sir.” We were speaking in English.

I asked, “Tavish, do you know where you are and why you are here?”

Tavish answered, “I’m not sure. I got in a fight in a bar and the (obscenity) had a knife and stuck it in my gut. The next thing I know I am talking to you.” He had been in an instructional area for a season, but apparently did not remember it or did not want to discuss it.

Tavish was belligerent, swaggering.

I said, “You are before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. God will decide whether you should be admitted to the new world of righteousness or thrown into the Lake of Fire.”

Tavish said, “I’ve been a good man, mind you, although I wasn’t one of your hypocritical, sniveling church members.”

The Lord whispered in my ear, “Look in the Books of Record.”

How all of us who were judging could look in the same books I do not know, but we could. The name Tavish Aldridge was glowing in one of the books. Tavish was born in Scotland. He had heard the Gospel as a young boy. His mother had taken him to church. His father stayed home and drank.

By the time Tavish was ten-years-old he was expelled from school for fighting. The Lord had mercy on Tavish and caused an uncle to take an interest in him. The uncle told Tavish about Jesus, but Tavish would have none of it.

Tavish started drinking when he was twelve. Then he ran away from home and made his way to England. There he found a job in a tavern, working at night cleaning the kitchen and mopping the floor. He was able to steal beer from time to time.

The cook was a Christian and tried to interest Tavish in the Gospel. But Tavish mocked and swore until the cook gave up on him. The tavern owner did not fire Tavish, however. Tavish was a valuable employee, a good worker.

When Tavish had a day off he went to the tavern where he worked. He had a little money and ordered a whiskey. One of the sailors drinking at the bar said, “Aren’t you a little young to be drinking whiskey? What will your mother say?” With this everyone in the tavern laughed.

Tavish called the man an obscenity. The man slapped Tavish across the face. Tavish kicked him in the shin. The man pulled out a knife and stabbed Tavish in the stomach. Tavish died and entered one of the instructional areas in the Land of Light, where other young people with similar backgrounds were being counseled and held over to the Day of Judgment. These young people were not wicked, they were spiritually impoverished, one might say.

God’s hope for these who have had a troubled upbringing is that they will choose the path of righteousness if given a chance.

I thought to myself, “This man did not have much of a start in life.”

I looked to Jesus. “What about Tavish,” I asked?

Jesus said, “Ask Tavish if he will accept my rulership.”

I said, “Tavish, listen to me very carefully. God has made the Lord Jesus our King. We must obey Him at all times whether we like it or not. What about it?”

Tavish agonized over this. You could tell he was torn, realizing what this would mean.

Finally he said, “All right, all right. If I have to I have to.”

I said, “Tavish, tell Jesus right now that you accept Him as your lawful King.”

Tavish said, “Jesus, I am not much of a person, and I have been a bad man all my life. But I am willing that you should be my King and I will do what you say.” I think what he had heard in the instructional area had made an impression on him.

While I was looking at Tavish, his countenance changed from that of hate and belligerence to one of peace. He began to smile. He said, “Thank you, Lord Jesus, I know you have heard me and love a poor sinner.”

When Tavish said this, the black areas disappeared from his robe and now it was pure white.

Jesus said to me, “Now look in the Book of Life.” I am certain the same words, on behalf of their own clients, were being said to the judges who were sitting with me in the white Throne. Yet, I could see into the book. There, glowing with light, was the name, “Tavish Aldridge.”

I said, “Tavish, God has forgiven you through the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. Please follow the angel who comes for you. He will take you back to the instructional area in the spirit world where you will continue to be taught about God and his ways, along with all the others whose names are in the Book of Life. When the new earth is created, and your instruction has been completed, you will be accepted as a member of the new world of righteousness.”

I could tell Tavish was in such a daze he did not really understand what I was saying, but obediently followed the angel who was sent for him.

The next personage to come before me was an angel. He had been in one of the prisons where the rebellious angels were confined. He was very tall, thin, with a sunken face. His face twitched. His eyes darted back and forth. His clothing, or outer appearance, was ragged and dirty.

He looked at me, and then looked away.

I asked, “What is your name?” I was speaking by thought transference.

He said, “You are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father you will do.” With this statement he leered at me. I got the impression he was seeking to frighten me.

I asked again, “What is your name?” A warrior-angel came behind him and prodded him with his sword.

“Fear,” he answered, and cowered.

I said, “Fear, God’s Word that cannot be changed has assigned you to the Lake of Fire.”

Fear answered, “You are a liar and the father of lies.”

Then he looked at me cunningly and said, “I know all about you. You are a fearful person. You have been sick with anxiety.”

I responded, “I was fearful before, but Christ has forgiven me and healed me.”

Fear said, “Big talk, but if you knew what was going to happen to you, you would be frantic.” Then he looked at me carefully.

There was no change in his outer appearance. I said, “Take him away.”

Two giant warrior-angels, one taking each arm of Fear, carried him away.

Fear was screaming gibberish and dragging his feet. That was the last I saw of him.

Then one of the people I had seen in the English community in the spirit world was brought before me. His name is Roger Jenkins. A few small spots remained on his robe. He had a pleasant expression on his face.

I said, “Roger, I remember you. You were the manager of a grocery store that I visited.”

I said, “Do you remember me?”

Roger said, “I sort of do, your Honor, but I don’t remember you being so big and shining and all.”

I looked in the Books of Record. I said, “Roger, it seems like you have been a decent person, have been through your training, and you and your family have lived a peaceable life in the English community. You have done well in your courses at Zion University.”

Roger said, “I hope so, your honor.”

I looked and saw Roger’s name in the Book of Life.

I said, “An angel will take you to a place of waiting, and when the new earth appears, you will enter the new world of righteousness.” As soon as I said this the spots were gone and his robe was perfectly clean.

Roger said, “Thank you, your honor.” Then an angel came and led Roger away.

The next person brought before me was a woman. I knew she was one of God’s elect, his family. I spoke in Alephbeth to see if she could understand me I asked, “What is your name?” She answered, “Alma Saari.” Her robe was clean.

I said, “Alma, I see from the record that you have done really well during your stay in the Holy City.”

Alma responded, “I just wish I had made more of an effort to serve Christ while I was living on the earth. I am ashamed of myself. I noticed the enlargements that some of the believers received when they were resurrected, and I know my loss will cause me to be remorseful for a long, long time.”

I said, “What’s done is done. Your name is in the Book of Life. An angel will conduct you back to the new Jerusalem, which soon will come down upon a new earth.” When I spoke these words, Alma’s white robe began to glow with the light that characterizes the members of the priesthood.

Alma then was led away.

A distinguished looking older man came before me. His robe was transparent. I could see the person clearly, although there were numerous black splotches on his robe. There was a mature, handsome man wearing the robe. But he looked dead. He reminded me of figures I saw once in a wax museum.

The thought came to me that he is dead because he lived in pleasure.

I spoke to him in English: “What is your name?”

He answered, “Frederick Richards the Third, but my friends call me, Fred.” I understood Fred had come from the City of the Living Dead.

I was astonished by Fred’s deathlike appearance. I opened the Books of Record before I said anything else. I found his name almost immediately.

Frederick Richards the Third.

Pastor for thirty years of Grace Prosperity Chapel in Texas, of the United States.

Because of his overemphasis on the place of grace and belief, he committed numerous sins.

He had long-term affairs that were never discovered, with three women of the congregation. He did not repent of them.

He spread a rumor about one of the deacons of the church. The deacon had accused Fred of living a lavish lifestyle when some of the members of the congregation were not able to pay their rent or feed their children properly.

The deacon, David Barnes, pointed out that Fred and his family often traveled to vacation resorts in France and Switzerland. Fred had four cars. One of them was a very expensive, hand-crafted sports car. Fred owned two houses, one in Texas and one in Florida.

Fred’s house in Texas was luxurious, having eight bedrooms and eight baths. He had a full-time maid, a full-time butler, and a full-time chauffeur. There was a separate house for the servants. He traveled with his family in his own jet plane.

The church, Grace Prosperity Chapel, paid for all of this.

Across the border, some of the Mexican people were living in shacks. Whole families worked all day sorting through the city dump in order to obtain articles they could sell. Some of the children had diseases and infections from the dump. Some needed major dental surgery, but there was no money for medical help.

Fred never once made an effort to assist the Mexican families.

Fred replied to David Barnes’ accusations by spreading a rumor that Fred was a closet homosexual. Although he was completely innocent, David and his family had to leave the church in shame and embarrassment.

Fred planned in advance his adulterous affairs, thus committing willful sin. He never once repented of his numerous sins, preferring to believe that God saw in him only the purity and honesty of Jesus Christ.

Fred and his deacons lied to the government about the amount of money received in the offerings.

I said, “Fred, I read from the Books of Record that you were a minister of the Gospel.”

Fred said, “That is true. I was the senior pastor of one of the fastest-growing churches in America.” This was said with an understandable pride.

I said, “Fred, you emphasized the grace of forgiveness. Did you balance this emphasis with an exhortation to love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves?”

“Yes, of course. I know salvation is by faith alone, and this is what I wished to convey to my congregation. However, we actively protested the practice of abortion, and sought to discourage homosexual behavior, although we taught tolerance. If we have too much homosexuality, pretty soon we will have no Sunday school children. Heh. Heh. Heh.” And Fred winked at me. A sophisticated business man.

I said, “Fred, I read in the Books of Record that you were willfully involved in three adulterous affairs. You lived a lavish lifestyle when there were poor people in your congregation. Across the border in Mexico there were families who did not have even the necessities of life. Yet, knowing this, you made no effort to assist the poor. You must know what the Bible says about this!

“When David Barnes pointed this out to you, you responded by destroying his reputation. When your conscience bothered you, you repeated to yourself that God wanted you to be happy regardless of the effect on other people. Fred, I know you do not understand this, but taking your happiness at the expense of other people is utterly detestable to God.

“You betrayed the three ladies of your church by seducing them into sin instead of portraying Christ to them. You caused severe emotional pain to David Barnes, his wife, and his children. How could you possibly have believed that God was seeing the righteous Christ when you were behaving in this manner?”

I asked, “Fred, have you ever set aside your own plans and desires and followed the Master as his servant?”

Fred replied, “I believe in Jesus Christ and by faith alone I will live in a mansion in Heaven. God is good. He wants me to be wealthy and happy. Christ became poor that I might be rich. Christ suffered so I don’t have to suffer. ‘Ask what you will and it shall be done.’ Don’t you believe these things?”

This got me thinking. What does Fred mean by “believe in Jesus Christ”? Believe what about Jesus Christ? Believe Christ exists? That certainly is true. Believe that He died for our sins? That certainly is true. Believe that He is God’s Son and the Creator of all things? That certainly is true.

But Fred doesn’t seem to understand that to believe in Christ means we believe He is our God-given Lord and we must obey his every command. How could we believe in Christ and not be obedient to him? That does not make sense!

Apparently Fred preached well and earnestly about the salvation that comes through the blood of the cross. But perhaps he did not preach as well and earnestly about the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

We are presenting only half of the Gospel of Christ when we portray Him as our personal Savior but not as our personal Lord. The result is people who never have learned to obey the Lord diligently at all times.

Does Fred actually believe that God does not care what kind of person he is as long as he says he believes in Christ? If God were to bring Fred to a mansion in Heaven, how would Fred behave then?

Would he care anything about the people around him? Would Fred remain the utterly selfish, self-centered person he is? If so, and if there were others like him, I do not believe Heaven would be a good place to live in for eternity. Do you?

I don’t believe any of us would care to have Fred for a next-door neighbor.

“But won’t he change?” someone might ask.

When would he change? Why would he change? Where and by what means would Fred change from a selfish, self-centered person? He had the opportunity, while he was living on the earth, to be changed by denying himself and bearing his cross after Christ. But Fred would have nothing to do with a Gospel that required him to give up his worldly pleasures.

When Fred died he went to the City of the Living Dead to wait for the last judgment. There is nothing in that city that would change Fred. When he stood before me at the Judgment Seat of Christ he expressed no sorrow whatever for not assisting those in need when he had the ability to do so.

Fred remains selfish, self-centered, unrepentant. Fred never actually received God’s grace, God’s Presence and Virtue, given so freely in the Lord Jesus Christ. If he had, grace would have made him a new creation. Instead, his “belief” in Christ was nothing more than Fred’s customary attempt to evade any demands on his personality.

Christ paid the price so Fred could remain Fred, or so Fred believed. Christ was viewed by Fred as his free pass to endless bliss in the spirit realm while he remained unchanged in personality.

I looked in the Book of Life for the name Frederick Richards the Third. It was followed by a question mark.

I said, “Fred, your entrance into the new world of righteousness is questionable. You have sinned against God and people on many occasions and have never repented. Even now you can turn and confess that you have been deceived and admit that you have sinned. Your professors in seminary did not present truth to you. Perhaps the Lord will have mercy on you because of this.

“You are going to be facing David Barnes, the deacon you lied about until he and his family had to leave your church in disgrace. He is going to accuse you of slandering him. How are you going to answer David?

“You must repent with all your heart and promise Christ that from this point forward you will do his will at all times. I cannot say for certain, but it is possible that Jesus will see your repentance and place you in a group that is being ministered to by angels, in the hope you can begin life again as a small child.”

I could see that Fred was torn with indecision. I thought for a moment he was going to break. But then his pride arose and he challenged me.

“Don’t you know even basic theology? Grace trumps everything you have stated. God sees me through Christ. He does not consider my ‘adulterous affairs,’ as you term them, to be sin. God wants me to be happy and wealthy. The friendly women of my congregation gave me a great deal of pleasure and I praise God for that.

“I live by faith in Christ, not by obeying rules in the Bible. The only law is the law of love. I do not fear God; perfect love casts out fear! Anyway, the things Christ said in the Gospels apply only to the Jews of his day. After his resurrection the grace of God took over. I am going to live in a mansion forever. I am saved by grace through faith, not by works lest I should boast!”

This last is an interesting comment. Fred already was living in a mansion. I once heard a pastor say that when he got to Heaven he was going to be surrounded with wealth. Yet that pastor already was quite well-to-do compared with most people in the world.

I could see that Fred had been blinded and deafened by the theology that had been so prevalent in America while I was pastoring in California.

“My judgment was completed on the cross. I have been forgiven of all my sins, past, present, and future. Haven’t you ever learned that salvation is a sovereign work? It does not depend on whether my behavior is righteous or unrighteous, Christ suffered and died so I won’t have to suffer. By his grace I will go to my mansion in Heaven, and God always will see the righteousness of his Son when he sees me.”

Fred continued: “You just don’t get it, do you? You can’t seem to accept the fact that any good works we do (as you would judge good works!) only interfere with God’s grace. How can God save me by his grace when I am attempting to add my own righteousness to his grace? Why can’t you understand this?

“Either we are saved by grace through faith, or else we are saved by our works. Which is it? What am I to repent of—the righteousness of Christ that has been imputed to me? I will not do this!”

I said to the angel who was waiting for Fred: “While Fred has this attitude, he is not fit to be an ambassador of Christ nor is he eligible to be a citizen of the new world of righteousness.”

As soon as I made this judgment, Fred’s robe became completely black. Fred’s name no longer was in the Book of Life.

The spiritually dead, wax-like individual named Fred was led away by the angel protesting, “I am saved by faith alone, not by works of righteousness I have done.”

The people who were appearing before me were raised in their flesh and bones and are now ready to be clothed in an immortal frame. Their immortal frame will reflect how they behaved on the earth, and their inner spiritual development.

Their bodies will be changed while they are being prepared in the spirit world for life on the new earth. God will control how they will appear and how they will be able to contribute to life in the Kingdom; or how they will be separated temporarily or permanently from the life of the Kingdom.

Perhaps most will appear as a fairly young person. Others may have to start life over as a very young child.

There will be no more physical death because the citizens who are brought over to life on the new earth will have access to the trees of life and healing, which the saints of the new Jerusalem have become.

The next person to stand before me was middle-aged in appearance. Her robe was white and clean.

I said, “What is your name?”

She answered, “Denise Johnson, sir.” I could tell Denise was very upset and fearful. She had come from the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences.

Then Jesus spoke to my mind: “Mrs. Johnson is Janelle’s mother. She aborted her baby in the eighth month of pregnancy. She and her husband were both doctors. They decided against carrying the baby to term because they felt it would interfere with their careers.

“The mother, a nominal Christian, was smitten with guilt after the abortion and became extremely depressed. Finally her husband divorced her and married his nurse.

“After the divorce Mrs. Johnson became an alcoholic. She lost her license to practice medicine. She spent her time locked in her room, drinking and brooding. When she exhausted her savings, she took a job as a clerk in a drugstore.

“She did not attend church for the rest of her life because she felt so guilty.

“She has repented thousands of times, asking God to forgive her. But she never has been able to rise up in faith to the point she knew she had been forgiven.”

Janelle’s mother had been in the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences until it was time to appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. It reminds me of the disobedient people of the days of Noah, who were waiting in prison to hear the Gospel from Jesus.

I looked at her, and said, “Mrs. Johnson, you murdered your child.” When I said this she wept inconsolably.

I said, “I know you realize you have committed a great sin against God and against your baby.”

Mrs. Johnson responded, “I know that I did and I don’t think God will ever forgive me.” Then she began to weep again.

What a striking difference between Mrs. Johnson, and Pastor Richards (above), when they were confronted with their sins!

If I am not mistaken, there was a lot of weeping going on in the presence of the other judges.

I waited until she ceased sobbing, and then asked, “Mrs. Johnson, will you accept Jesus Christ as your King and always obey Him from now on?”

She looked up at me through her tears? She said, “I don’t believe He ever will forgive me.”

I asked again, “Will you accept the rule of Christ over your life and always obey him?”

She answered again, “Yes I would, if He would only give me another chance.”

I said, “Mrs. Johnson, I am authorized to tell you that Christ has forgiven you through the blood of atonement He shed on the cross.

“Jesus has named your child ‘Janelle.’ Her friends call her Jannie.”

She looked at me through her tears. “Is my baby a girl?” Being a doctor she probably knew from tests that the fetus was female; but I guess she just wanted to hear it verified.

“Yes she is. She is a very lively, attractive person. She spends much of her time memorizing Bible verses. Jesus says she is a very special child.”

Mrs. Johnson began to weep with great convulsive sobs that shook her whole body.

She said, “My baby is with Jesus. Glory! Praise God! Hallelujah! Maybe I will see her some day.”

I looked in the Book of Life. I found Mrs. Johnson’s name there.

I said, “Mrs. Johnson, you have been saved to life in the new world. It is possible you will see Janelle in the future. She is one of the warrior-judges.

“Janelle has forgiven you for denying her the opportunity to grow up on the earth. She is a mature young lady. She may choose to visit you in the future.”

Mrs. Johnson looked up and smiled. I could see that a great load had been lifted from her. She knew she had been forgiven, and now she had a hope. She wanted to hug me, I could tell, but it did not seem appropriate to be hugging people during the final judgment. Perhaps later under less formal circumstances.

Some of those who had appeared before me told me I was quite large and fearful looking.

I motioned to an angel to take her to a place of training in preparation for her life on the new earth. She had been forgiven and now she had a hope.

As she turned and went with the angel she gave a little jump for joy. Where had I seen this before?

Maybe you noticed that Mrs. Johnson already had been forgiven. But in order to find peace with God she had to believe that God has forgiven her. So it is that Jesus Christ made an atonement for the sins of the whole world. But the individual has to lay hold by faith on the promise. I rather expect that the willingness and ability to lay hold on the atonement is a gift from the Father.

A woman was next in line. She had been in one of the cages. “Thank God I am out of that cage. How come I am thanking God! I am not so sure I like God. I did not deserve to be put in a cage.” I believe she was speaking Italian but I could understand her thoughts.

I asked in my mind, “What is your name?” She replied, “Fiammetta Romano.” Fiammetta was tall with long black hair. She was emaciated. Her robe had many black spots on it. It hung on her angular figure as though she were a skeleton. A nauseous odor was coming from her.

“Fiammetta, I read in the Books of Record that you were ruled by one of Christ’s appointed kings. Is that true?”

“Yes sir, it is.”

.“Was your king fair and kind?”

“I guess he was.”

“You guess so, but you are not sure?”

“King Leonardo was too strict. He would not let us do what we wanted. I was a supermodel; but Leonardo said I could not do that anymore.”

“You did not like being told what to do. Is that correct?”

Fiammetta looked at me coquettishly. She was trying to flirt with me.

She said, “A girl has got to have a little fun, doesn’t she?” I knew what she meant by “fun.”

I said, “When a leader of the rebellion came by your town, and started home meetings, you attended, didn’t you?”

Fiammetta said, “Yes I did. They said if we would follow them we could do the fun things we were missing.”

I said, “With all the instruction in righteousness you have had, you must have known the man and woman who came to your town were wicked.”

Fiammetta responded, “I kind of did, but I was tired of being told I couldn’t do the things a girl likes to do to have fun.” Fiammetta looked at me carefully to see if she was interesting me. Her posture was suggestive.

I said, “I see here in the Books of Record that you left your husband.”

“He was a dumb stick. He wanted to do everything King Umberto said. My husband, Georgio, was a farmer. I, a successful supermodel, am supposed to stay at home with Georgio and be his obedient helper? I am supposed to get up early and milk the cows and muck the stalls?”

“So you asked one of the rebel leaders to kill your husband. Correct?”

“So what if I did?”

“So you murdered your husband?”

“That’s a lie. I never touched him.”

“Then you went with a crowd of people who wanted to kill those who were ruling over you?”

“You got it!” Fiammetta stood with her hands on her hips, daring me to do anything.

I said, “Fiammetta, are you sorry for the things you have done?”

“Yeah, I am kinda. I guess I wasn’t exactly a model citizen.” Fiammetta laughed at this.

I said, “Fiammetta, listen carefully to what I am going to ask: ‘God has made Jesus our King. Are you willing to be obedient to him? To do whatever He tells you to do?’”

Fiammetta responded, “Maybe I will, but not if I can’t have a little fun.”

I looked in the Book of Life for Fiammetta. Her name wasn’t there.

The angel came. He looked at me questioningly. I shook my head.

He took Fiammetta by the arm. She looked at the angel and said, “You’re kinda cute!” Her robe now was all black, not merely spotted with black as when she first stood before me.

It is so sad to bar someone from entering the new world of righteousness, where all is righteousness, love, joy, and peace. But Fiammetta and those like her would soon cause the world to be as it had been throughout the centuries, a place of agony and confusion deserving of the Divine curse.

I saw the next person coming toward me. I could tell it was a woman. There was a tall angel walking next to her. As she came closer I could see there was a chain around her waist.

Her head was down and she was shuffling along. She and the angel stopped in front of me. She had stringy gray hair. Her robe was black and tattered. The odor that came from her was putrid—stronger than that of Fiametta.

She was holding a little stuffed lamb and a little stuffed dog.

I asked, “What is your name?”

She mumbled “the lamb, the lamb.” I had a difficult time understanding her.

The angel began to prod her, but I motioned to him to step back.

“What is your name?” I asked again.

She asked, with her head still down, “Is Arnaud here?”

I suddenly recognized her. I said, “You are Deborah Golden, aren’t you?”

With this she slowly looked up at me, her eyes brimming with tears.

I said, “You have suffered a great deal, haven’t you?”

I began to remember some of the things she had done. But she was such a pitiful figure, I was moved with compassion.

Deborah said, “Randy told me a lamb would help me.”

I said, “Deborah, do you know who that Lamb is?”

She looked confused. I said, “That Lamb is God’s Son, Jesus.”

She said, “Will He help me?”

I said, “Deborah, He will help anyone who asks Him for help.

“Deborah, He is a king. If He helps you, will you obey him?”

Deborah reached up her hand and wiped away her tears. She looked at me wonderingly. She asked, “Who are you? What is your name?”

I answered, “My name is Godwill. Jesus is my Master and my Friend.”

Deborah said, “I am so sad. I have done terrible things. Will Jesus help me?”

I said, “Will you do what He tells you to do?”

She said, “If He will help me I will love Him with all my heart and do whatever He says.”

Suddenly Deborah threw back her head. Her face became hideous, filled with murderous rage. She began to scream. Out from her mouth came huge black hairy creatures.

Then to my right appeared a lake stretching as far as I could see. The surface was covered with little blue flames. The stench of sulfur filled our whole area. I could see figures moving about just below the surface. I could not see them well enough to be certain, but some looked like the creatures coming out of Deborah, and some looked like wild, fierce people.

As the fiends came out of Deborah’s mouth they looked murderously at me. Then massive warrior-angels appeared. They caught these foul spirits—about fifteen of them I would guess—and hurled them into the lake.

As the last of these came out of her mouth, Deborah began to slump. The angel who came with her caught her before she fell. The chain dropped from her waist.

I have seen the work of salvation in people as they have changed from darkness to light. But never before have I witnessed the power of the atoning blood and the Spirit of God performing such powerful redemption.

And then the fragrance of Christ was all around us, that fragrance that brings to mind Heaven, and love, and meadows, and home, and everything else delicious and nice.

Deborah began to grow smaller until she was about the size of an eight-year-old child. Her robe, once tattered and filthy with black spots, disappeared. In its place was a white robe. Not just white, but radiantly white, glowing with the Glory of Heaven. Her hair was shining gold.

Deborah stood up straight and smiled at me. Never before and perhaps never again will I see a smile like that. It was as though all the love of Heaven was in that smile. My heart swelled in me until I thought it would burst. There are angels in Heaven who are beautiful beyond the most beautiful woman on earth. But Deborah outshone them all.

She said to me so sweetly, “Thank you, Godwill.” And then she dropped the lamb and ran toward me. She threw her arms around me. (Can you imagine being hugged while you are a judge at the last resurrection?)

I said, while weeping with love and joy, “You are so welcome. But we both must always remember it is our very best Friend Jesus, the Lamb of God, who has saved you and changed you into one of his daughters.”

Deborah said, “I love you but I love Jesus best of all, and I will always do what He says for the rest of my life.” I said, “Deborah, that is going to be a long time.”

I nodded to the angel and he lifted Deborah from my lap and began to lead her to the place where she would be prepared for life on the new earth when the new Jerusalem comes down from Heaven. In fact, she may prove to be one of God’s elect. Those who have been forgiven the most, love the most.

She turned and looked back to wave goodbye. She was carrying her little stuffed dog. I said, “Goodbye, Sarah. Look down and see who is walking next to you.”

Sarah looked down. There was a brown Cocker Spaniel walking next to her and looking up at her.

Sarah cried, “Sam! Now I have my real doggie but I still love my toy doggie.” Sam knew exactly what she meant.

Then she said, “Jesus, you are my very best friend. Sam is my next best friend.” Somehow she knew Jesus could hear her.

Sam seemed to approve of this, and she reached down and petted him.

As I watched Sarah, Sam, and the angel walking away together, a song came to my mind: “My life is not the same when you’re not here.” The song at one time applied only to the little Cocker Spaniel. Now Someone greater is included.

You know what? I would not be surprised if Sarah is one of those children the Lord promised to give me? Wouldn’t that be something! I sure hope it happens.

Then faintly, “C’mon, Sam, let’s go find Jesus. Our angel will help us.”

Truly while we were living on the earth we were passing through the valley of the shadow of death. Then a young Man submitted to crucifixion that we might really, truly live, and those we love will never disappear.

There is no story more wonderful than this!

There were special judgments at this time concerning those cities in which Jesus had worked miracles. It is interesting to note that Jesus said the men of Nineveh would stand up in the judgment along with the generation who heard Christ and condemn that generation, because the men of Nineveh had repented at the preaching of Jonah.

Also, the Queen of the South, who came from far away to hear the wisdom of Solomon, would rise in the judgment and condemn the generation who heard Christ, and did not believe and repent.

These pronouncements of Jesus suggest it may be possible there will be many more instances in which a set of people, or an individual, condemns those who have had opportunity to know the Lord, or to tell others about the Lord, and did not take advantage of it.

What does this imply for those who have never heard the Gospel when they find out about the people who had had every advantage to know about Jesus, and then wasted their time in the foolishness of the Antichrist world spirit?

Also, there may be numerous incidents, as in the instance of Pastor Frederick Richards the Third and David Barnes, in which wicked people are confronted by those whom they have harmed.

A New Sky and a New Earth

I was taken in the Spirit to the new Jerusalem. I had visited the Holy City previously to bring the Word of God to members of the elect. I knew the name of the city was engraved in me and in the future I could visit it as often as I wished.

As I looked around there were shining beings as far as I could see. I knew these were the members of the eternal Church, the called-out from the nations, God’s family, foreordained from the beginning of the world, the Body of the Messiah.

All of these people were God’s elect, but they had not attained to the first resurrection. They had been ministered to throughout the thousand-year Kingdom Age by those who did attain to the first resurrection, that is, by God’s firstfruits. Now they had received their new bodies and, as part of the Wife of the Lamb, were ready to serve the saved people from the nations as priests, helping reconcile them to God and God to them.

God’s firstfruits were among the company of the elect, the Church, but were distinguished by their size and the exceedingly great glory that was manifest in their personalities. As Daniel had prophesied, they were shining like stars.

We can note the fulfillment of what Jesus said about the growth of the Divine Seed in people. The saved people of the new earth have reaped Christ thirtyfold. The elect positioned in the new Jerusalem have reaped Christ sixtyfold. The firstfruits among the elect have reaped Christ one hundredfold.

I heard voices saying, “Dad, Dad.”

I looked, and there were my children, now young people, surrounding me. They are not small anymore. They have grown into young men and young ladies. You know, while I was with them I did not notice how they were growing. But now that I hadn’t been with them for a while I can see they are children no longer but sturdy young people, ready to go on to adulthood. These people are an eternal part of me and I love them dearly.

These five thousand thirty young people and their officers look formidable, standing next to their white stallions. They all have dark royal blue jackets and matching caps with visors. The jackets have brass buttons up the front. They all are wearing black boots. The girls have matching skirts and the boys matching pants.

Each young person has a two-edged dagger with a blue leather handle, a curved brass cross-guard and pommel. The dagger is carried in a silver sheath secured to a silver-colored belt.

These weapons are for ceremonial purposes, to show the people on the earth, and God’s creatures everywhere, that Mount Zion, the new Jerusalem is the center of government of the earth and its rules shall be enforced. Warrior-angels do the actual fighting.

There was Abd al Haseeb, who had pushed his way through the crowd of children to stand in front of me. Now a fine young warrior.

I didn’t notice Themba at first, because his blue uniform had replaced his red shorts. But Themba was grinning at me, a fearless judge of men and angels. He knows I am his dad.

And Alexei—he gave me a “thumbs up.” Strong and courageous.

Jannie, as bouncy as ever. All my darlings are growing up.

Jannie said, “I’m going to go see my mother if I have a chance.”

I said, “Jannie, you will have a chance to see your mother. She has suffered so much with guilt and shame for having aborted you! She hopes you have forgiven her.

“To see you, such a graceful young lady, serving the Lord, will be a blessing to your mom you cannot even imagine!”

Jannie grinned at me and said, “I have learned the whole Book of Romans from memory. Would you like to hear it?” After saying this, she hopped on one foot, then the other, and then stood still looking expectantly at me. As grownup as Jannie is, she still likes to hop around.

But I noticed also that her mother, Mrs. Johnson, jumped a little when her burden was lifted. Maybe it runs in the family.

“Jannie,” I exclaimed, “we have a lot going on at this time. But I promise you—at my first opportunity I will hear every verse you have memorized.”

Jannie said, “I will have all of First Corinthians memorized by that time. Anyway, I love you, Dad.” I said, “I love you too, Jannie.”

Then all the young people chorused, “We love you, Dad.” I answered, “I love every one of you. Whenever you need me, just tell the Lord Jesus, and I will be there.”

Tad had not been with me during the judgment. Here he is again with his black stallion, no doubt soon to receive his commission as a commander in the army of angels.

And here are Amira and Gabrielle, several years older in appearance, all looking at me expectantly. Their white war stallions were standing next to them.

Then a great voice called out: “Look!”

As we all looked down we could see a new sky being formed. It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. The stars looked like diamonds, emeralds, and rubies that had been placed on a black velvet tapestry. The stars were all different colors! There were white, green, yellow, red, orange stars. It was a breathtaking sight.

Once more we were witnessing a demonstration of incalculable power. To a greater extent than ever before “the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament reveals his handiwork.”

The Lord spoke and said, “At present there is a star for every person living on the new earth. God with one word easily can create ten times as many stars. of colors never seen before but that now can be perceived by people in resurrection bodies. There is no limit to the future expansion and grandeur of my Kingdom!

“There no longer will be a sun or moon. There will be no night. The light will come from the new Jerusalem, where we are at this time. The light will be as in the first three days of creation when there was no sun or moon. That Light was the Glory of God in me. It now will be coming from all the members of the new Jerusalem.

“I and my saints shall be the Light of the world throughout the coming ages of eternity.

“When the people on the new earth look up they will see the colorful clouds that you have been accustomed to in the spirit world, against a transparent blue background through which the stars can be seen. There will be that periodic softening of the light so the people of the nations on the earth will have an opportunity to rest.

“When people look up at the sky beyond the clouds they will see the different colored stars against their black background, even when the earth is fully lighted by the light coming from the new Jerusalem. Those stars represent worlds that one day will be occupied by people who love God with all their heart, their neighbor as themselves, and who resolutely do God’s will with iron determination.

“There will be righteousness, love, joy, and peace forever, once the operation of civilization has been removed from the thinking and control of man and given to the Lord God of Heaven, the only legitimate will in the universe.”

The voice called again: “Look!”

There in the middle of the sky appeared an earth. We could see the oceans and rivers that crossed its face. But what an earth! It looked huge! We could tell it was many times the size of the old earth.

Then it seemed God made the earth draw near to us. Actually I think it is we who are moving closer to the earth.

This must have been what the Garden of Eden looked like. It was the kind of Paradise we humans dream of; for that original garden is still in our subconscious memory. You know what? I think I am looking at the original Garden, although much larger and more luxuriant than before with plant and animal life. God always finishes what He starts, and what He finishes is thousands of times more glorious than the original!

There were trees, flowers, streams in abundance. There was every kind of animal we have known: elephants, horses, cows, lions, zebras, giraffes, dogs, sheep. There were many different kinds of birds.

We could hear the cries of birds, particularly of gulls. I could see part of what must be an enormous ocean, such as we had seen on a couple of occasions in the spirit world.

Once in a while we could see porpoises playing in the surf, and then submerging. It is likely there is an abundance of fish in the sea. There were seagulls, pelicans, and smaller birds flying over the water.

It seemed like I could hear the thunder of the surf as the waves crashed on the shore—a glorious sound to me personally. It reminds me of my boyhood, and sitting on the breakwater at West Haven. The crying of sea birds, such as gulls and terns, and the pounding of the surf are very enjoyable to me.

We were looking at Paradise brought back to earth!

There were shining people descending from our midst. They were arriving at different areas of the earth. I believe they were setting up their headquarters. There were angels helping them; and soon the ground was cleared and palaces and castles began to arise. These must be the kings of the earth, establishing their residences.

Then we could see the first groups of people leaving the spirit world and finding their places on the earth. Individuals were becoming visible. Up to this point they had been gathered together in the spirit world, waiting to return to the earth. They all had physical bodies, having been raised from the dead or transformed while they yet were alive. They now were dressed in clothing that had been familiar to them while they were living in their physical bodies on the earth.

The people going down to populate the new earth have resurrection bodies made alive by God’s Spirit. Every one of them has a portion of Christ in him or her. God will have no more people who do not know him; who can be swayed by demagogues as the waters of the seas are swayed by winds.

They no longer are identifiable by race. As I stated previously concerning my children in the Day of Resurrection, the skin of their faces is not white, or black, or brown. Their faces shine with the Life of God’s Spirit. Their skin is a neutral color that does not distinguish the individual as to race. It is the personality that is so noticeable and vivid.

We may notice in the Book of Revelation that the head and hair of Christ were white like snow and his eyes like a flame of fire. But since He did not appear to his disciples like that when He ate a piece of broiled fish, I would suggest that the whiteness and the flame of fire are intended to tell us about the Character of the Lord.

They are symbolic. It might prove difficult to have a close fellowship with someone that looked like that all the time. It caused John to fall at Jesus’ feet like a dead man!

The people of the resurrection look like what they truly are. The inner is seen in the outer. How superior this is compared to our past life on the earth, in which wicked people could portray themselves as though they were loving and generous and had integrity.

The elect may differ widely in the way they appear, according to their role and rank in the Kingdom of God, all the way from ordinary people to giants of Divine Glory.

There are no wicked people in the new world of righteousness. Some of the individuals who previously were confined in one of the areas of the Land of Darkness, but have demonstrated sincere repentance, have now been assigned to a place of special instruction. Those who are permitted to receive instruction have sometimes been diminished in maturity until they are as little children.

Others who refused to admit that their attitude and behavior is evil, and who refused to bow the knee to Christ, were thrown into one of the domains of the Lake of Fire.

The Apostle Paul spoke of being saved through the fire. This means that all of the individual’s accomplishments have been burned away. He or she begins life again as a happy child, all the encumbrances of rebellion and sin having been removed. He or she is not, of course, a member of the governing priesthood, but will grow up without the pressure of demons or a sin nature.

Such people are part of the inheritance of the victorious saints. I do not know what progress in spiritual development they can make as the eternal ages roll along.

The citizens of the new world of righteousness tend to group themselves according to desires God puts in their heart, such as people they like, areas where they desire to live, rulers they admire or are fond of. The earth now is as it was in the beginning before God confused the spoken language.

God had to bring confusion into the original language during the building of the Tower of Babel. People could not understand one another after that. This was necessary, because the builders of the tower were intent on accomplishment rather than the desire to know and serve God. Also, it was not in them to love their neighbor as themselves.

God understood that confusing the language of the people of the earth would cause hostility and prevent “progress” until God had prepared righteous kings who could govern the world under Christ.

When Jesus said, “It is finished,” that marked the end of the adamic race. The people descending here have been found worthy of the new world of righteousness, the world of the resurrection.

Only as people are qualified will they be able to enter the new earth. They must accept the rulership of the Lord Jesus, and have been delivered from all moral sins and also from all harmful attitudes and characteristics that result in strife and disunity.

They will be given a chance to be transformed in the spirit world before they are permitted on the new earth. They have to be shed of all attitudes that harm other people. They must acknowledge Jesus Christ as their King.

Such transformation may require that there be a period of time after the individual is judged worthy of eternal life and before he or she is permitted to pass from the spirit world to the new earth. After people are on the new earth, Zion University will be available to assist those who still are having trouble loving God with all their heart and their neighbor as themselves.

One group would go to the vicinity of an established center of rulership, which sometimes are palaces, or even castles, and begin to construct their homes and farms. Another group would go to another area and begin their work, building their houses and farms. Soon there were children playing in the yards, and dogs, cats, and chickens in abundance, along with cows.

This demographic grouping reminds me of the time centuries ago when towns would spring up around castles so the people would be protected if their land were invaded by an enemy.

The Lord Jesus spoke to me and said, “As the number of people on the new earth increases, God will permit those who wish to do so to migrate to one of the stars; but only after God has been assured that wholesome personal relationships have been established beyond all likelihood of change.

“Each star will be like the earth in climate, having its own Garden of Eden, so to speak, its own animals, its own oceans, rivers, and mountains, its own Patriarch. In this manner the children of God will increase in number forever.

“The light from the stars will not be caused by nuclear fusion. Rather, the Light will be that of the Glory of God.

“Although the stars will be great distances away from the earth, people will be able to travel to a star virtually instantly. The laws of distance and time of the spirit world differ from those of the physical world.”

We see this, don’t we, as Christ spoke the firmament into existence in a moment without regard to time or to the distances between the heavenly bodies. Time and distance are elastic. In fact, it is difficult to think clearly about time when there is no sun or moon.

It is true also that the physical-spiritual bodies of the people of the new world of righteousness will have astonishing capabilities—superior even to those of the angels. This is because the body of the resurrected human will incorporate the most desirable features of the physical body integrated into the powerful features of the spirit body.

The superiority of our transformed body is not as evident while we are in the spirit world; but as we approach the physical world we begin to experience the marvelous freedom and powers we now have.

“Time,” if you could call it that, goes extremely quickly in the spirit world. This is why the Lord Jesus two thousand years ago spoke of “coming quickly.” So we may have been looking at a period of what would have been several years under the prior dimension of time.

Little communities were being created, schools, small stores, and other establishments that can meet the needs of people. We will have to wait until we are closer to find out what each institution will accomplish.

Just to see Paradise being restored was so refreshing I could have looked at that scene for a long time.

Then we were drawing yet closer. I could see a high mountain with a large flat top. It must be that our great city of people is going to come down to rest on that mountain. In fact, we are beginning to feel the effects of gravity. We will be able to tell when our Holy City finally comes to rest on the mountain.

Our city that is descending, according to the Bible, is a cube 1,400 miles on a side. If it comes to rest on a mountain top, the mountain will have to be enormous. This gives us some idea of the size of the new earth.

In spite of the stupendous size of the new earth, the pull of gravity is the same as the previous earth. This will be true also of the stars in the heavens to which people will be migrating in the future. The ratio of mass to the force of gravity will be optimum for the conduct of human life as we know it.

The peoples on the earth were staring in awe. And well they may! Our city was shining with all the colors of the rainbow, which I expect were coming from God’s Throne. They began to stream toward the city—thousands of people were coming toward the foot of the mountain, their kings leading the way.

Tad, Amira, Gabrielle, Bear, Warfighter, Lance, White King, Amigo, Kamur, and Watcher are with me. Anisa was not with us because she is not a horse of war.

Audrey, the children, the grandchildren, and the great-grandchildren are all with us. Audrey looks to be about thirty years of age. The children and grandchildren are strong and full of life. They all are dressed in shining white linen.

I asked Audrey if she wants to stay in the city, or if she and the members of the family want to go to Godwill Castle. I told her they all are welcome to stay with Tad and me at Godwill Castle, or on the castle grounds, as long as they wish; unless they prefer to look for another place on the new earth.

Audrey conferred with the family. They all agreed that they would like to go to Godwill Castle for now. I asked Audrey if she would please take Bear with her back to the castle, and she agreed.

I asked the Lord Jesus to move Audrey and our family to Godwill Castle by the power of his Spirit, since they did not have horses to ride. They became clothed with their normal clothing, and then they vanished instantly.

I called in a loud voice: “Godwill’s army to me! People and faithful animals, we have arrived at the fullness of all God has promised to those who love him, love their neighbors, and are willing to accept Jesus as their lawful King. This is the beginning of an eternity of love joy and peace.”

My young people heard me. Different voices called out: “Dad, we want to come with you.”

I said to them, “Did you think for one moment that you wouldn’t be with me if that is what you want?

“Our castle, its grounds, its farms, Godwill Annex, and all its property, have been established on the new earth. There are enough houses at the Annex for all of you, and you can have families if you wish. The farm people, Alana, Heng, Erhard and the other angels are there.

“As soon as the gates in the great wall are opened we will go out and find our castle. The castle and its grounds are our home. We will come to the new Jerusalem whenever Jesus wants us to.

“Also, no matter where you are, even on one of the new stars, at any time, all you need do is look to Jesus and ask for me, and I will be there to help and encourage you.”

We were standing next to our war stallions.

“No matter what you are doing or where you are, you must remain ready so when I call you and tell you that you are needed to judge a problem that has arisen, you can respond instantly. Each one of you has a unique personality—a personality specially suited to judge the actions of specific people and angels.

“People are still people, and angels are still angels. They have wills of their own and always will be able to rebel against Christ if that is what they choose to do.”

Then I mounted Warfighter. Tad mounted Lance. Amira mounted White King. Gabrielle mounted Amigo. Alain, an angel and a friend of Nicholaus, had joined us and mounted his black stallion, “Prince.”

I called out: “Godwill’s army, mount up.” Instantly the five thousand thirty young people and their officers were positioned on their powerful horses. Every back was straight. Every leg was ready to give directions to the stallions. Every eye was on me. I noticed that the stallions of the children were larger now, having grown to fit the young people.

Then we could see the massive white gate nearest us open slowly. Watcher was circling overhead, her large wings outstretched. I called out, “Watcher, guide us to Godwill Castle.”

The angel guarding the gate remembered us and waved goodbye for now.

Watcher cried, “klick-klick-whistle-klick.” That’s what eagles say, you know.

Then she took off in a straight line, so we were certain she knew exactly where Godwill Castle is located.

Our line formed up and started down one of the paths on the side of the mountain. Suddenly we could hear Clarkes “Trumpet Voluntary.” I looked up. There overhead was the army of angels with twenty or thirty angels playing trumpets in the lead. There was the sound of instruments supporting the trumpets but I could not see them. To say the music was awe-inspiring scarcely described it.

Then I understood. This is Mahanaim, the march of two camps; the dance of a double camp—the double camp Jacob saw when he returned to his inheritance.

Whenever God’s work is to be done, there always is Mahanaim—the army of saints and the army of angels; the sword of the Lord and of Gideon. From this time forward, nothing shall be accomplished in the Kingdom of God except by Mahanaim!

The paths are ground surrounded by meadow flowers. Now we became aware of how high the mountain is. But the power of God was so present the descent was accomplished easily. I imagine this same power comes upon any person of the nations who wishes to travel up the mountain in order to partake of the Tree of Life.

The path down was not steep. I put Kamur in front. He began to prowl forward, moving his great head from side to head, watching for any enemies. Kamur was sensitive to the direction his friend, Watcher, was taking.

Warfighter and I came next. Warfighter’s head was up. He was striding forth proudly, perhaps realizing this was the beginning of the eternal reign of Christ.

I was wearing my dark blue body armor and my blue helmet with the visor up. I had a curved cavalry sword with a brass knuckle-guard and pommel. The grip was covered with blue leather. It was sheathed in a blue metal scabbard hanging from a ring fastened to the bottom of the left side of the breastplate.

You may recall that this uniform and the accompanying implements were stored on the first floor of our tower, the one just to the right of the stable and forming part of the right front corner of the wall, or curtain, surrounding the inner ward. Since I was larger now than when I first came to Godwill Castle, the ceremonial breastplate and helmet had grown to fit me.

I was holding my marshal’s baton in my left hand. I was wearing black boots, as were the captains, the officers and the young people. As I stated, I was somewhat larger than usual.

On my right was Tad on his black stallion. He was wearing his blue uniform with his long dagger with the blue leather handle and brass cross-guard and pommel. The dagger was carried in a blue sheath on his right side. In his right hand was a ceremonial light lance, with a polished wooden shaft and silver head and vamplate. His lance was pointing upward.

In his left hand was a royal-blue banner with a white, triumphant Lamb wearing a gold crown. The crown was set with the twelve stones of Israel, the crown placed on the Lord’s head at his coronation.

Over the Lamb’s head on the banner, in letters of gold was written in Alephbeth: KING OF KINGS. Under the Lamb’s feet: LORD OF LORDS.

The top, bottom, and sides of the banner were decorated with the same precious stones. The Lamb and the stones were radiant with Divine Light. There was a light breeze blowing that permitted the rows of people and angels to see what was on the banner.

On my left hand was Alain on his black stallion. You may remember Alain as a friend of Nicholaus, the guard in Godwill Castle. Alain is also a friend of Tad, and like Tad is in training to be a commander in the angelic army. He was dressed in a blue uniform, exactly like Tad.

Alain was carrying a red banner in his left hand. He was wearing his blue uniform. On the upper half of the banner was a white Lamb standing in front of a black cross. Underneath the Lamb and the cross were gold letters: IRON RIGHTEOUSNESS, FIERY HOLINESS, STERN OBEDIENCE TO THE FATHER.

Along the top, bottom, and sides of the banner were alternating silver bells and golden pomegranates. The white Lamb, the black cross, the words (in Alephbeth), and the decorations shone with Divine Light.

In Alain’s right hand was a light lance similar to the lance in the right hand of Tad. Alain’s lance was pointing upward in the same manner as that of Tad. His long dagger was in a blue sheath on his right side.

Immediately behind me, riding on white stallions, were the five thousand thirty warrior-judges in their blue uniforms, guiding their white war stallions with their legs. These were seasoned warriors returning to their castle.

Each of the warrior-judges had a blue-handled ceremonial dagger in a silver sheath on his or her right side, hanging from a silver-colored belt. Every back was ramrod straight. Every eye was to the front. They had an assurance that comes from their trust in Christ.

Following the army of judges were the five hundred three officers of the children’s army, wearing their blue uniforms. They all had blue-handled daggers in silver sheaths on their right side. They were riding the white war stallions.

Tai-shan had been given a blue uniform, a blue-handled dagger, and a white stallion, and had been permitted to ride with the officers. However, he did not have command over ten warrior-judges as yet. Before this was possible, he and his ten charges would have to undergo the necessary training. This tells me that Jesus is going to be adding ten children to my family.

Next in line were six captains, and Philipp on a black stallion, now a captain-in-training. They were wearing curved cavalry swords in white scabbards, with brass knuckle-guards and pommels. Philipp was wearing a blue uniform. The six captains were dressed in their white robes, white caps, and white sandals. Their white apparel portrayed the utter holiness that guarantees victory in every battle.

Every person in God’s creation, seeing this blue-uniformed army with their ceremonial weapons, would understand that the Law will go forth from Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. There are to be no more rebellions against the Father—not ever! Sin has been destroyed. Everlasting righteousness has been installed for eternity.

We continued riding until we came to the foot of the mountain. There were people lined up on our left side as far as we could see. Some were weeping. Younger people were clapping their hands. Children were cheering and saying, “Praise the Lord” at the top of their lungs. Parents were holding up babies so they could see this grand spectacle.

The road we were on, from the time we left the gate of the new Jerusalem, was not asphalt or cement, it looked like ground but was firmer than the ground I was accustomed to. There were flowers forming a border on each side. The people and angels who were watching our parade were standing on grass.

On our right were rows of warrior-angels three deep. They were the same kind of angels that were guarding the Throne of Christ when I died and entered the spirit world. These were an honor guard. The unusual aspect is that now the human beings could see the angels.

They were about ten feet tall with the customary white robes and silver hair to their shoulders. They were looking straight ahead with stern faces. The iron points of their spears were above their heads. The shaft of the spears was held in line with their body by their right hand. A more formidable guard I never have seen before.

We all kept our eyes straight ahead, while the cheering and clapping continued. I think some of us might have wept; but that would not have been suitable, would it?

You know, it is possible the nations of the earth will see the Lord Jesus primarily in us, just as we do not see the Father except in Christ. The Bible states clearly that “He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.” The Scriptures cannot be altered in any manner.

But, as the Lord Jesus said, whoever has seen Him has seen the Father. Perhaps whoever sees a member of the royal priesthood sees Christ, in this sense. It may be true also that the world will see the Lord Jesus personally, but often in the “clouds” of saints who are accompanying him.

A bride is the glory of her husband. So it is that the Wife of the Lamb is the Glory of the Lamb. The home of the elect is the new Jerusalem. The elect will have the honor of seeing the Face of Christ.

What impression will people get of Christ when they see the warrior-judges? It will be that the new Jerusalem is the center of government of the Kingdom of God. The local kings and other leaders will be backed up by the power of God coming from the great city.

The citizens of the new earth will see a representation of Christ that is “terrible as an army with banners.” They will notice the “double camp,” the human army and the army of angels. They will understand that God’s will indeed shall be done on the earth, and on the stars, for eternity. No longer will there be angels planning on rebelling against the Father. No longer will there be people seeking to live their life apart from Jesus Christ.

Heaven has come to earth. “Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on the earth as it is in Heaven.” How many Christian people have prayed this prayer. Now it has been answered.

We continued riding for a long time, Watcher overhead, Kamur prowling along in his faithful manner. We were making our way toward Godwill Castle and the Annex.

My family has been taken care of. I have my young people, my inheritance. I know that soon Jesus will ordain Tad as a commander in the angelic army.

When Tad receives this promotion, he will become very tall and powerful, riding a white stallion. I hope he continues as my personal guardian. I don’t know what it would be like to not have Tad with me. However, Jesus knows best. Maybe I will come to know Alain better, and he will be my friend like Tad is.

When the Lord adds ten more children to our army of warrior-judges, Tai-shan will be their officer and he and they will be trained, as I stated previously. You know, as the population of mankind keeps increasing, it may be true that my family will keep increasing. Won’t that be wonderful!

My mind was filled with many thoughts, as you might imagine. As someone wisely said, “We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future.” And we know also that to die in Christ and to live in Christ is our entrance into an incredibly wonderful future. We are to rejoice exceedingly! The best is yet ahead!

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalms 16:11—NIV)

A quiet, peaceable world of righteousness is not possible while there is one person in whom the sinful nature is still alive. The sinful nature of man is a Yo-Yo. It is up one moment and down the nest. It is belligerent and strident one moment, and depressed and withdrawn the next.

Our original adamic nature must be replaced with Christ. The true, eternal nature is of Christ. It is filled with righteousness, love, joy, and peace. The inner nature we have now is a placeholder, a stock into which the true eternal life of Christ can be grafted. Our present form, our body, although fearfully and wonderfully made, and the temple of the Spirit of God, is but the framework of the body that shall be.

The Ark of the Covenant was made from wood overlaid with gold. So it will be true that our body will be raised from the dead and then clothed upon with the body of resurrection life, the body that has been produced as we have shared in the patience and sufferings of Christ.

Our new body will be of Christ. It will not be corruptible, not subject to decay, death, or frustration. It will be gloriously alive by the Holy Spirit.

Such is the Kingdom of God. The Lamb of God was slain from the beginning of the world to make all this marvelous world possible.

We were crucified with Christ from the beginning that we might live one day as a son of God in marvelous splendor, righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God—truly the offspring of God. We have been destined to be part of our Creator in every aspect of our being and doing. God has decreed that man shall be in his image, and also be his eternal Temple and Throne.

The new creation is like the body of Jesus Christ, marvelous in all its powers and virtues. Our new body will be equally willing along with our new inner nature to pursue God, to know God, to be like God, to have God’s Nature, to be an eternally indivisible part of God.

This was the plan from the beginning. The first race was never meant to endure.

The wise individual will let go of his sinful life that it may be replaced with the life of God. To grasp his first life, his animal life, is only to delay the inevitable. It is to strive to grasp garbage and futility. “The flesh is of no profit,” Jesus said.

The Kingdom of God has come in its fullness. It is infinitely more desirable than the first creation. We now are entering the new world of righteousness, where there is no more death, sorrow, pain, frustration, confusion, or worry. The Kingdom of God is Christ, the Anointed One who is to come.

God is making all things new in Christ, and Christ is Lord and Head over all other gods, lords, deities, and whatever other spirit or human personages there may be that ask for our worship. Every power and authority must bow the knee in submission to the Lord Jesus Christ.

All we have known that is of value will be given to us as we obey Christ, put God first in our life, and help other people as the Lord directs us, whether we like them or we don’t.

And thus eternity begins. How utterly, utterly marvelous! God spoke all things, spiritual and physical, through Jesus, whom He has made Lord and Christ. Then God made Jesus a man, and then a sacrifice to redeem that which Jesus himself had created through the power and wisdom of God.

By this means Jesus now eternally possesses all He created, all that will bring righteousness, love, joy, and peace to those whom He has redeemed.

Can we now say, with the Apostle Paul, “How unsearchable are God’s judgments, and his ways past finding out”?

My mind began to wander. Without my noticing how it happened, I found myself striding along. The “Voluntary” had stopped. I was not riding Warfighter! My armor had disappeared and I was wearing my customary brown slacks and blue shirt, open at the collar, the clothes I was wearing when I had the chest pains. Now there were rows of people in white robes on both sides. They were crying, “Keep on! Keep on! You are almost there! Don’t change! Don’t quit!”

The marshal’s baton no longer was in my hand. Warfighter and Kamur had disappeared. I looked up and Watcher was not at her post, at least as far as I could see.

Then I began to hear the concluding measures of “God Is My Salvation.” All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name was mixed in with my composition at the end.

There was a full orchestra including kettle drums, with brasses predominating. And then the piano with three of four measures, ending with full orchestra again. I had never thought of the piece as a concerto, but it sounded right.

It’s just like the Lord to do something like that, isn’t it?

Suddenly the scene changed. The white-robed people vanished. I could not hear their encouraging words or the music any longer.

In front of me was the tramp from Los Angeles with the stick holding his bindle over his shoulder. His clothing was ragged. I was following him, carrying a wooden cross, which wasn’t large or heavy. We were walking on a country road, like I used to walk on in West Haven after I had crossed over Jones Hill road.

Then the tramp’s bindle became a large cross made with heavy timbers. It was unfinished lumber. He staggered under it. He had a crown of thorns on his head. This made me feel sorrowful because I knew then that the Tramp was the Lord Jesus.

Jesus turned slowly and looked at me. Lines of pain and anguish were carved in his face. There were drops of blood on his forehead caused by the long, pointed thorns. He was breathing heavily.

He said to me, “Are you sure you want to follow me for eternity wherever I go?”

I said, “Absolutely. I am not changing.”

He said, “All right, then.”

After a few moments had passed, I noticed the cross had changed into a scepter in his right hand. The golden rod was about six feet long, three inches in diameter, with a gold knob on the bottom end.

The top end was magnificent. It was a solid-gold head of a lamb. The lamb’s head was bordered with blue and green stones representing, I believe, the union of Heaven and earth. I knew this is the “scepter of righteousness.”

In place of the crown of thorns on the Lord’s Head was the golden crown set with the twelve precious stones of Israel mounted in a circle around it, that we had seen at the coronation.

The ragged clothes disappeared. In their place was a purple robe that reached down to his feet. There was a golden sash around his chest. It was the robe of an emperor.

I wonder what the company of soldiers, who put the purple robe on Jesus and then removed it while He was being mocked in the palace, will think when they see the purple robe on the Lord now seated on the highest of all thrones.

And they indeed shall stand before him, for every person who has been injured has the right to confront those who have injured him or her, unless God intervenes for some reason.

The cross that was on my shoulder disappeared and my marshal’s baton appeared in my left hand. It was larger than before and the precious stones were larger and more brilliant.

Then Christ began to grow larger. As I looked on in astonishment, He grew until He was larger than the earth. Soon his head was up above the clouds, and then above the stars. He was, in fact, larger than the stars. He was eclipsing the colorful stars He had created. Here indeed is the “galactic Christ.”

Then I saw a great golden Throne. It was high above the stars. I knew this is the supreme Throne of the universe. It is higher than all other thrones.

I was struck with amazement at what I was beholding. My head was back. I was looking up at this marvelous sight in the heavens—the Lord Jesus on his supreme Throne.

A man’s hand appeared in front of me. I knew I was to grasp it, which I did immediately with my right hand. I am a different person now than I was at the time the horse without the rider stopped in front of me and I had to battle against self-pity.

I began to rise from the dirt path through the colorful clouds until the stars were far below me. He motioned for me to sit next to him. His look no longer was mocking and challenging. It was the stately, dignified look of a compassionate, merciful King. All his battles had been won. All his enemies were under his feet, as our Father had promised him.

I knew from the Bible that the victorious saints of history were on the Throne with the Lord Jesus, but all I could see was the sight of Him to whom God has given all authority and power in Heaven and upon the earth.

Then the Lord Jesus looked directly at me and said: “I am the Almighty Christ. Think of the largest star you can imagine. It would be dwarfed by the environment God is going to give to those who have been faithful to him, along with their inheritance of people.

“I am giving you a star of your own. Each believer who has obeyed God to the point of the death of his own soul shall be given a star and encouraged to build his own world, under my guidance and enablement. The first creation, that of Adam and Eve, was but the merest prototype of my Kingdom, which shall increase forever, being filled with righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God.

“Your star shall be named, ‘Godwill Star.’ The star shall be deep blue in color, with orange and dark brown mixed in and showing from time to time, because you favor those colors. To begin with, its size shall be larger than the largest star of the first physical creation. Then it shall grow for eternity as its population increases throughout the endless ages.

“At the entrance to your star will be a huge banner. There will be a breeze blowing on the banner so everyone who arrives will see the words ‘iron righteousness; fiery holiness; stern obedience to the Father.’ It will be a white banner trimmed in gold and brown, with large blue letters. This shall be the watchword of your star. It shall be seen in the personality of every one of the warrior-judges, and every citizen of your star.

“No unrighteousness, no spiritual uncleanness, or disobedience to the Father shall be permitted wherever one or more of the warrior-judges or the citizens of Godwill’s star are present.

“You will be the patriarch of that star. You shall command all your people to love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind and their neighbor as themselves.”

Come to think of it, people on the earth grow in their bodies as the earth circles around the sun. But there is no sun in the spirit world. Therefore growth proceeds in an entirely different manner.

I think the size of our appearance in the spirit world depends not on the passage of “time” but on the extent to which we grow in the knowledge of Christ. Another factor which may determine our size is the role we play in the Kingdom of God. The rulers probably will be larger than other people.

As for those who are patriarchs of the stars, when the stars are populated, I have no doubt that as age after age goes by, the patriarch, a living example of righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God, will grow until he is a towering pillar of light and Divine Glory.

“I will bring people and animals to your star according to the desires I put in your heart.

“As the patriarch of Godwill’s star, you shall be responsible for the welfare of all your people and all your animals that are imported onto your star. You shall defend the innocent and punish the guilty with compassion and justice. You shall administer your government with understanding and patience, but always with absolute firmness.

“As people begin to multiply, there will be opportunity for all the musicians, artists, engineers, scientists, and other abilities and vocations on your star to express themselves and bring delight to you.

“As it is written, ‘You will fill me with joy in your Presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.’

“On your star will be every kind of animal, large and small, that you desire.

“The geographic feature will be as you wish, including areas of various climates, mountains, lakes, oceans, rivers, valleys, seas, plants, trees—just whatever you enjoy. It will be as it was in Eden, only much more abundant and luxurious. There will be every kind of crop and fruit tree that you request.

“You will have a palace of judgment on your star, where you will sit in judgment on the people of your inheritance. The palace shall be named ‘Godwill’s Palace.’ The palace shall be white marble. In the palace of judgment there will be angels who will stand with you, and you will know what is true. God will give you a just sentence of judgment.

“You also will have your heart’s desire, a thatched cottage in a meadow with a stream nearby, and all the animals and flowers you wish. There will be a grand piano inside.”

For the briefest of moments I saw that mischievous, kind of mocking look that I remember from the meadow. He said, “Did you think for one moment you were going to outgive your King?

“You left the teaching of children in order to do my will, so I am giving you a multitude of children.

“God has blessed you with abilities as an educator and musician. Therefore your new world will reflect these areas of activity. There will be numerous institutions of music and learning in which the knowledge and wisdom of God can be made available to people.

“You gave up your career in education and music that you might please me. There will be large music halls, where the music you have composed, and will compose, may be performed, as well as the compositions of other composers that you enjoy. God is going to give you original piano, choral, and symphonic music. Some of these compositions already are in your spirit, waiting for you to have the opportunity to write them down.

“There also will be numerous university systems for the pursuit of all the disciplines of the arts, sciences, and technologies, in that you forsook your career in education to serve as a pastor and to write the insights into the Scripture God gave to you.

“This fulfills the promise I made, while living on the earth for three years, to all those who gave up something for me, that they would receive many times as much, as well as eternal life.

“There will be a great host of angels on Godwill’s Star to protect each person and child, and also to provide the necessary abilities in all areas of endeavor.

“Angels cannot be born again or pursue the other aspects of the program of redemption. But God will give them an understanding of what He is doing with people so they can watch over their charges.

“There will be angels who are expert in the arts and sciences. People on your world will be just as you have known people to be, possessed with unique abilities and characteristics. Angels always will be present, appointed by the Father to minister to the heirs of salvation. The ministry of angels will continue for eternity.

“Do you remember I said what you sowed you would reap? Well, this is it!

“This is my love for one who resolved as a young man, while attempting to survive during the fiery trials of earth, to do God’s will regardless of the cost to himself.

“Godwill castle shall remain on the earth and be staffed with warriors, because there always will be the possibility of rebellion.”

Then the mischievous look vanished and the majestic face returned—that of the Greatest of all kings.

I know from what the Lord Jesus just told me that I will be present in Godwill Castle on the earth, from time to time, with all my friends, human, angelic and animal. Also I will be busy with the people of my inheritance on my star. But the Throne of Christ now is my true and eternal home.

Below the Throne I could see a great company of angels. You know what they were singing, don’t you? “All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all!”

And then it seemed the stars themselves, and finally the earth and all its inhabitants joined in the hymn of praise to the One who died and made an atonement with his precious blood that we might be redeemed to God.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Suddenly I heard a familiar voice that sounded like Komori (was that his name?), say, “I can’t believe this. Mr. Thompson is coming around. His pulse is steady. The color is back in his face. His blood pressure is excellent. What has happened?”

I thought, “What has happened? What do you mean, what has happened?”

I said, “Where am I?” All I could see was the white ceiling of the ambulance.

Norma, the paramedic, said, “We are almost at Palomar Hospital. How do you feel?”

I said, “I feel marvelous. What am I doing lying on my back. Who are you?”

Norma said, “There, there, don’t excite yourself Mr. Thompson. Try to relax. You have had a heart attack.”

I said, “I will do whatever you say, but there is nothing wrong with me now. I just had quite an experience! I think I am going to write a book. If you and Ko give me your addresses, I will send you each a copy.”

Well, was it a dream? I am not certain.

There is one thing I do know. I hope some day to return to Godwill Castle. Tad, Amira, Gabrielle, Bear, Warfighter, Watcher, Kamur, Lance, White King, Amigo, Tom, Heng, Alana, Anisa, Klaus, Claude, Erhard, Philipp, Tai-shan and all my other children—I believe they are an eternal part of me. I sure hope it wasn’t just a dream but what actually is going to happen when I die. Something wonderful to look forward to!

And may I say in closing, when you die, if you are looking to the Lord Jesus as your King whom you are to obey, and you are asking his help that you may be able to love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself, you will go to a wonderful place. It will be so much better than the life on the earth you have known, you wouldn’t return for anything.

If you are a little child, you will enjoy being in Playland. If you are an older child you will come first to the Reception Palace; and after that Jesus will take you wherever He knows you will fit best and be the happiest.

You may go to one of the communities to live with friends until your parents come for you, or with your parents in a community or in the Holy City. If you would like to visit Godwill Castle, you may, if your parents or your guardians agree and the Lord Jesus says it is fine with him.

Some children may suddenly find themselves standing in a meadow that is a carpet of small flowers of every color you can imagine. You may be one of them.

Jesus will be there. Perhaps you already have learned, as I have, to ask Jesus about everything you do. So you already are acquainted with him. You can visit with Him and ask Him questions as long as you wish. Won’t it be wonderful to be able to talk with Jesus, just as Adam and Eve used to do?

Then, if it is what Jesus and you want, Tad, Lance, Warfighter, Kamur, Bear, and I will be there. If you are a little girl, Amira and Gabrielle will be there also so you won’t be frightened. Amira and Gabrielle ordinarily would be over on the Plain of Instruction getting ready for the Great Battle. They will leave the Plain of Instruction so you will have friends to meet you.

If you look up in the sky you may see the majestic Watcher circling around on her great blackish-brown wings and white tail, making sure we all are safe. If you listen carefully you may hear Watcher say, “klick-klick-klick-klick,” or chirp softly. You can look up at Watcher and say, “Hi.”

You can pet any of the animals as much as you want.

Then you can ride with Bear and me on the mighty Warfighter all the way to Godwill Castle; or you can ride with Tad and Lance. Or, if you are a little girl, you can ride with Amira on White King or with Gabrielle on Amigo.

If it would be more fun for you, you can ride on the back of the elegant orange and black Kamur. Since Kamur has no blue blanket and blue pad, you will have to hold on to his fur. But since you don’t weigh anything you won’t get hurt if you do fall off.

Pretty soon you will come to meadows where sheep are grazing. There will be sheepdogs watching them. All the dogs know Bear and will bark a greeting to her.

There also will be shepherds with their staffs, who will wave at us. They may be angels or human beings. We cannot tell from a distance. It would be nice if you waved back to them.

There will be little brown birds hopping around on the grass There will be colorful birds in the trees and flying through the air. You may see robins, blue jays, parakeets, canaries, parrots, and larger birds such as falcons, hawks, and eagles. You can always tell which one is Watcher because she is so large.

All the birds are friendly and do not fight, because the Land of Light, in which you are living now, is filled with righteousness, love, joy, and peace. The air is filled with their songs, as they praise the Lord in their own way as only birds can do.

Do you like to hear the cries of birds? I do. Particularly the cries of seagulls, because there were many seagulls flying around and landing on the water in front of our house, when I was a child. I miss the sound of the thunderous crashing of the waves as they roll up on the beach, and the wild cries of the seagulls and terns.

At home, as I was going to sleep I could hear the deep moan of a foghorn; the distant, lonely tolling of a bell buoy. Maybe I will hear them again someday. I hope so. Is your home near the ocean? If it is, you know exactly what I mean.

Be sure to notice the clouds, how they change into the colors you like best. This is God’s way of showing his love for you, just as He puts a rainbow in the sky after rain to show the people and animals on the earth that He loves them, and is not going to cover the earth with water again as He did in the days of Noah.

You will come to a large area of grass. You will see different kinds of trees here and there, such as oak, poplar, birch, maple, beech, sycamore. There will be classes of schoolchildren sitting on the grass with their little pets, poodles, terriers, tabby cats, bunnies, Guinea pigs, tame parakeets and canaries. You may see a gardener or two taking care of the flowers and the trees.

If you look up you will see straight ahead in the distance the battlements and spires of Godwill Castle.

Pretty soon on your left you will see the happy farmers and their children working in the fields and orchards. They will wave at you and say. “God bless you” as you hurry by; and you may wave back and bless them, if you wish. That would be the courteous thing to do.

Before you know it you will come up a little slope and you will be seeing the huge glistening white towers of Godwill Castle coming closer and closer, surrounded with a lawn that reaches as far as you can see. All around the castle is every kind of flower you ever have seen in your life: roses, lilies orchids, geraniums, jack-in-the-pulpits, peonies, marigolds, and hundreds of others.

I like the beds of the little pansies, do you? They look up at you with their little faces, yellow, lavender, blue, red. I think I like them the best, although all flowers are nice.

Tad will wave at his angel friends on the outer wall. The angel-guards will see us and let down the drawbridge. You will hear it “splash.” Then it will be locked in place. You also may wave at the guards if you wish. The guards on the wall-walk will wave back at you.

When we arrive, Alana, Heng, Tom the steward, Erhard, Nicholaus (the guard at the door to the tower across the ward from the main tower), Claude the cook, Gunther (the commander of the angel-guards on the wall-walks of the castle), and Rodel (the angel who takes care of our rooms and clothes) will be standing on the ramp just outside the outer gate. They together will be saying to you, “Welcome to Godwill Castle.”

Then we all will go up the ramp together. Watcher will circle down and perch on the brown glove on my right fist. You can pet her if you wish. If you do, Bear will want to be petted. I am sure you won’t mind.

You won’t be afraid to walk on the ramp over the water, because there are railings on both sides. Also, Tad and I will be guarding you. Anyway, if you fell in the water you could not drown. In fact, your clothes would be perfectly dry as soon as you were helped out of the water.

I will carry Watcher on my fist through the outer gate. All of us will follow Tom and Heng into the outer ward. Then Heng will lead us through the inner gate into the inner ward. If you are a boy, and Amira and Gabrielle were not present when you arrived at the meadow, they will come into the inner ward now, leading White King and Amigo. Heng will lead Warfighter, Lance, White King, Amigo, and Kamur into the stable. Anisa already is there in her stall.

I will take Watcher to her aviary, and she will jump from my fist into the cage and begin to eat fish from her dish. Then all of us, including Bear, will go over to the Great Hall.

Claude will disappear into the kitchen. Rodel will hurry over to the tower where you will be staying and get your room ready for you. He will light your candles, fasten your shutters (you can open them in the morning), and bring pitchers of hot and cold water so you can wash up. You might want a nice drink of clear, cold water from the well in the inner ward.

Now you will go into the Great Hall. There are long tables and benches. We all will sit down on one of the benches.

Guess what? Alana will be there. She will bring in platters of roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, string beans, cranberry sauce, rolls and butter, and milk to drink. And for dessert—all the chocolate, or strawberry, or vanilla ice cream you can eat, with pieces of manna for a topping.

There will be some biscuits and gravy for Bear in her dish on the carpet.

After you eat you may ask Heng if you can go go over to the stable and say good night to Warfighter, Lance, White King, Amigo, Anisa, Watcher, and Kamur. I’m sure he will give you permission. You can meet Erhard, the guard, and he will look down and smile at you so you won’t be frightened.

Nicholaus, another guard (not as tall as Erhard), will come and introduce himself to you. Then Nicholaus will lead you over to the tower across from where Amira, Gabrielle, and I live. That is where Philipp stayed. Do you remember?

Nicholaus will open the great iron door and you will start to climb the stone steps. They go up in a spiral. There will be a railing by your left hand that you can hold onto. Although they will be invisible, there will be angels watching over you so you do not fall off the steps. They will hold you up in their arms, though you won’t feel them.

When you get to your room on the second floor the covers will be turned back on your bed. If you are a girl, Meer and Gabrielle will climb the stairs with you, one in front and one in back. They will be special friends for you and help you get settled, and stay with you all night, if you wish. They will close the shutters and snuff out all the candles except the night candle.

If you are a boy, Tad will come over and walk with you up to your room, so you won’t be frightened. Tad will wait until you are under the covers, and then close the shutters and snuff out all the candles except for one, your night candle. If you ask him to, Tad will stay with you all night so you won’t be alone. He will even wear his blue uniform and his dagger, if you would be more comfortable with this.

Later you may have a boy your own age for a special friend. Then he can stay with you.

You can have the colors you want in your room and have it arranged the way you want. I can’t promise there will be a doggie or kitty ready to sleep at the end of your bed, like Bear does on my bed. But maybe a pet that you had on earth will surprise you by being on your bed when you walk in.

Wouldn’t that be wonderful! If there is no pet on your bed, I feel certain if you ask Jesus He will give you one to be with you during your stay with us, and maybe keep, if your parents say it is okay.

This will have been a long day for you with a lot of new experiences, so you will want to put on your new pajamas and climb into bed. The pajamas will be the color you like best. God knows your favorite colors! You can say your prayers if you want to. If you are like me you will pray about everything you do, even though you already are in Heaven with Jesus. You then will have a good rest, along with your pet.

Early in the morning you will hear the roosters crow. When you decide to get up you can go over and open the shutters, if Rodel hasn’t done this already. Then you can look out the window in your room. You will see the happy farm people working in the fields. Will you like that?

Tad or Amira and Gabrielle will come up and get you when it is time for breakfast, or you can go down and wait for them. Be as careful as you can going down the steps, even though there will be angels watching over you. Hold onto the railing with your right hand.

The breakfast food will be that which you are used to eat at home.

After breakfast, Tad, Meer, Elle, Bear, Watcher, Warfighter, Lance, White King, Amigo, Kamur, and I will bring you over to the Plain of Instruction so you can watch the boys and girls getting ready for the Great Battle. You can choose whom you wish to ride with going over.

Maybe you will see Themba, the little African boy with the red shirt and red shorts. Do you remember reading about him? Or Kohana, the little Japanese girl. You can get to know all of the boys and girls; but that will take some time because there are so many of them. There will be some your age, and you can talk to them in your thoughts and they will speak back to you.

If you are a boy, you may wish to choose a boy from the Plain of Instruction to come back with you to the castle to be your friend so you won’t be alone at night. If you are a girl, you may choose a girl to be your best friend. The children will bring their small war stallions with them, and Heng will take care of them.

Perhaps your new friend will let you have a ride on his or her war stallion and show you how to guide the horse with your legs, if you don’t already know how..

After you have been at Godwill Castle for quite a while, as soon as you are ready, Jesus and I will take you to a community where there are many children to play with and all kinds of fun things to do. A family of the community (maybe some people you knew on the earth, like grandparents or other relatives who already had died) will welcome you into their home until your mom and dad come for you.

Don’t forget the friends you have read about in this book. You will want to meet them some day. They will be glad to be your friends. They are waiting for you, Abd al Haseeb, Alexei, Jannie, Philipp, Duranjaya, Annette, Abdul, Ragnar, Saida, Jaleel, Anika, Ariel, Robert, Evelina, Wan-li, Hedia, Barbara, Victor, Ranita, Fiala, and Daren. I’ll bet there are some others too, that you would like to meet that I have not mentioned here.

Also, there are some animals you might want to make your friends. You already have met my four animals, Bear, Warfighter, Kamur, and Watcher. There also are the other horses: Lance, White King, Amigo, Thunder, Anisa, Prince, and Klarissa. There are the two cats, Teddy Whiskers, and Mrs. Olsen, the Norwegian Forest cat with the bushy tail.

Do you remember Jelani, Olufemi, and Mudiwa, the welcoming committee at the animal park? How about Mike Mulligan, Jenny, Muffin, Max, and Hank, the K-9 service dog that worked with Officer Jeffrey? How about Sam, Sarah’s best friend?

There are many kinds of birds that may interest you.

But you must wait for God’s time to come to Godwill Castle. Otherwise you would not be happy. It would not be fun. There would not be anyone to meet you!

There will come a time that is just right for you.

Just follow Jesus patiently. In God’s time, if this is what you truly want, there is nothing that can keep you from walking up the ramp and through the outer gate.

If you were to come before God’s time, the drawbridge would be up. You would not be able to continue through the outer gate and then into the inner ward.

If you are an adult you are welcome to come and visit with us; but you must have a child’s heart. If this is agreeable with you, and the Lord permits, Tad and Lance, my three animals, and I will meet you in the meadow and bring you to Godwill Castle. You can stay with us as long as you like.

But you must wait and serve Christ patiently where you are right now. If you were to come to Godwill Castle before God’s time for you, nothing would be satisfactory.

If you keep your eyes on the Lord Jesus and obey Him in every aspect of your life, you will find your own castle, your own paradise, your own inheritance some day. Never, never, never give up your dreams. They will come true in the best possible manner if your keep your eyes fastened on the Lord. They will be brought to pass fully in God’s time and way.

The truest desires of your heart will be given to you if you choose to delight yourself in the Lord. When you are living in Christ, there is no goal you can’t reach. All things are possible to God. If needs be, Christ will change your goal if you allow Him to do so, so that your goal indeed will bring you to eternal righteousness, love, joy, and peace.

During my lifetime I have given some thought to the large Trinity Methodist church and The Church of the Open door. But I have ended up following the Humblest of men.

I guess I would have enjoyed having a large church. Then I would have had the money to have an orchestra, large choir, a harp, and a grand piano on the platform. I would have had violins and a cello. I love the sound of strings. Also one or two brass, woodwinds, and percussion.

However, we always have had excellent music and pageantry—well rehearsed flag routines in our services.

If the Lord had left me to my own devices, and I had had the resources, I would have started each service with trumpets in the balconies. Then I would have had the choir divided in two columns, coming down two aisles, singing and responding in an antiphonal manner, as set forth in the Book of Nehemiah. Heading up each column would be large banners, one with the Lion of Judah and one with the triumphant Lamb.

Then the two parts of the choir would have joined together on the platform and sung All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.

On certain occasions I would like to have heard my own composition, “Isaiah 61” sung; also, “Isaiah 62.”

In addition, I would have had a special room for television, the Internet, various kinds of artistic productions, plays, movies, and so forth.

I wrote the paragraphs above a year or two ago. But when I woke up this morning (12/7/2010) I realized there was “death in the pot.” This sort of spectacular presentation probably would draw many people. But the members of the congregation might not grow in Christ. Thus the very purpose of the assembling would have been defeated.

What is needed, I believe, are small congregations with an intense, scriptural word about cross-carrying obedience to Jesus and as much participation by the people as possible. In fact, I think the persecution that is coming will result in home meetings, possibly secret in some cases. Then the believers will grow in Christ, not while they are coming to see a “floor show.”

You know what? God in his goodness kept my attention focused on people and on his Word—on that which is of eternal value. And knowing what I know now, am I ever glad for that! Things come and go, but people are eternal. The wise individual invests in people.

Hopefully some good has resulted from my having “passed this way” carrying my cross behind the “Tramp.” To Christ be all the glory.

Maybe some of those I taught in elementary school in New York and California would want to come and stay with me for a while. They would be more than welcome. I have room for them too.

May I add that everyone who obeys King Jesus, and loves God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself always is welcome to visit Godwill Castle.

See you there!

A Final Note

I am writing this in June of 2011. The media is notifying us today of the dreadful happenings in the world. There is war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Middle East is experiencing revolution. Japan is suffering from an earthquake. The United States has been hit by powerful tornadoes.

Also, we Christians see our values being trampled underfoot as the nations move relentlessly toward a one-world government. The outlook is growing increasingly bleak. Without a doubt, persecution is near at hand for us.

There will be a one-world government and it will announce “peace and safety.” But the peace and safety will be an illusion, like the peace and safety of Sodom prior to the exercise of God’s wrath.

This bleak horizon is the very reason for Godwill Castle. Won’t you, with me, keep lifting your eyes to Heaven! I believe Heaven is as I have pictured it in my book—a wonderful world. God’s wonderful world. It is where we will be living after we die and before we return to earth with the Lord Jesus. After that, the new earth will be the eternal home of the righteous.

There is no need for decent people or their children to fear death. There indeed is a reason for wicked people to fear death. The wicked will be wise if they will look to the Lord Jesus, turn from their sinful ways, and make Christ the King of their lives.

If I am “hearing” correctly, because of Divine judgment on sin, multitudes of people are going to die in what probably is the not-too-distant future. As I stated, there is no reason to fear death if we have lived a decent life. By “decent” I mean that which is approved of people whose consciences have not been warped by religion, education, or the world media.

If God makes us aware of the Lord Jesus Christ, then we have to accept his atonement and his Headship. If we are unwilling to do this, or choose to live what ordinarily would be considered a wicked life, then, yes: we have a good reason to fear death. There is altogether too much emphasis in America on God’s “love,” that God will not really punish anyone severely. Such teachers do not know the Lord.

But as I have indicated in my book, a wicked lifestyle or an absolute refusal to receive God’s Son, Jesus Christ when we are made aware of him, is not true of most people. Most of us are not wicked or malicious, even though our behavior may be somewhat lacking in righteousness. It is true also that most of us will receive Christ when we understand his work of atonement on the cross, and that He truly is the King whom the Father has ordained.

Because of the little bit I know about the spirit world, I am not afraid of dying. I know God will take care of my family. He always has. I am looking forward to a wonderful life after my death.

You can too. Be a good person. Receive Christ when He is presented to you. After all, you cannot save yourself. As you grow older you will see the need to follow and obey Christ rather than your own impulses and passions.

To please God by our life, to finish completely the work He has given us to do, to have a record of stern obedience to Christ, to have God say, “you have obeyed me completely and I have filled in the rough places,” is the very highest goal to which any person can attain.

To have completely pleased God during our brief stay on the earth is a treasure of greater worth than any other. It certainly is worth praying for. You know, it is not too late to begin your life again.

The fallen angels before they rebelled were in an environment of such beauty, glory, and joy we scarce can imagine it. They lost the Divine splendor and are confined in darkness because they were not content with their first estate. Let that be an eternal lesson to us as we approach the new world of righteousness.

Lift your eyes above the world media. See the castles in the sky. Behold the white-robed angels dancing among the spires of the new Jerusalem. This is your future, and mine, if we will love God and treat our neighbor as we would be treated.

For you and me, death is the grand holiday. School is out. Summer is here. It is time to enjoy ourselves in God’s wonderful world.

And this for eternity!

I have written faithfully what I am “seeing.” I hope it will be helpful to you. The Lord’s sheep know his voice and will sift out what is not of God and keep the good.

Pastor Bob Thompson

June 15, 2012

The Pronunciation of Proper Nouns

Abd al Haseeb—ABBED ahl hah-SEEB–my son, a warrior-judge

Abdul—AHB-dul–my son, a warrior-judge

Adullam—uh-DULL-um–Chinese orphanage

Akim—ah-KEEM–angel, marshal of the army of angels

Alain—al-LANE–a warrior-angel who accompanies me, a friend of Nicholaus and Tad

Alana—ah-LAH-nah–our waitress at Godwill Castle

Alenka—ah-LYENG-kah–an angel who teaches art at a Zion University campus

Alephbeth—AL-eff-BETH–the universal language established by Christ

Alexander—a-leks-AN-dur–an outrider from the castle

Alexei—AH-lye-ksyey–my son, a warrior-judge

Amigo—uh-MEE-go–Gabrielle’s war stallion

Amira—ah-MEER-uh–my daughter and guide, a warrior-judge

Amur tiger—ah-MOOR TIE-gur–a large tiger found near the Amur River, in Far Eastern Russia. Formerly known as Siberian tiger.

Anika—ANN-ik uh–my daughter, a warrior-judge

Anisa—ah-NEE-sah–mare, given to Alana

Annette—ah-NET–my daughter, a warrior-judge

Antipas—AN-ti-pas–the Headmaster of a Zion University campus

Antonio—ahn-TOE-nee-oh–student of Zion University campus on the Plain of Instruction

Arizona—AIR-ih-ZOE-nuh–one of the United States

Ariel—AIR-yuhl–my son, a warrior-judge

Assemblies of God—uh-SEM-blee uv GAHD–Christian denomination

Athaliah—ATH-uh-LIE-uh–a queen mentioned in the Bible

Bach, Johann Sebastian—BAHK YO-hahn zeh-BAHS-tyahn–a famous composer

Baker, H. A.—BAY-kur–author of Visions Beyond the Veil

Barbara—BAR-ba-rah–my daughter, a warrior-judge

Bartolomeo—-bar-tol-o-MAY-o–instructor in Alephbeth

Bear—BAIR–my dog, a Kelpie mix

Beethoven, Ludwig Van—BAY-toe-vuhn LOOD-vihg VAHN–composer

Benito Juárez—beh-NEE toh WAH-rez–famous Mexican president

Berean—buh-REE-un–Bible Institute

Birgit—ber-GEET–the twin of Terje, taken care of by the Johansen family

Brad—BRAD–student at Mount Zion campus in Portland, Maine

Calcant—KAL-kant–a bellows treader

California—KAL-ih-FOR-nee-uh–one of the United States

Chopin, Fryderyk Francois—SHO-pan freh-duh-REEK frahn-SWAH–composer

Chula Vista—CHOO-luh VIS-tuh–city in California

Clara—KLAIR-uh–daughter of Gustaf and Greta

Claude—CLAWED–chef of Godwill Castle

Cloud, Leroy—LEE-roi KLOWD–Assemblies of God pastor

Costa Mesa—KO-stuh MAY-suh–a city in California

Corbel—KOR-bel–a projecting stone built into the wall on which articles can be placed or hung

Cynthia—SIN-thee-uh (thee like think)–student at Mount Zion campus in Portland, Maine

Daren—DAHR-en–my son, a warrior-judge

Disney, Walt—DIZ-nee WALT–American artist, cartoonist

Dubai City—doo-BIE SIT ee–Arab community

Duranjaya—-DUR-an-JYE-ah–my son, a warrior-judge

Einar—EYE-nar–boy taken care of by Johansen ladies

Eisenach—EYE-zuh-nahk–birthplace of Bach; name of German community

Elias—ee-LY-USS–an angel who teaches creative writing at Zion University

Enchilada—en-chih-LAH-da–a tortilla (corn-meal pancake) with meat filling

Erhard—ER-hahrt–guard at door of main tower

Eric—AIR-ik–son of Gustaf and Greta

Escondido—es-kun-DEE-doe–city in California where we lived

Etude—A-tood–music composition emphasizing a point of technique

Evelina—EV-uh-LEE-nuh–my daughter, a warrior-judge

Falafel—fuh-LAH-fuhl–a small fried cake of mashed chick peas

Fantasie Impromptu—FAN-tuh-see im-PROMP-too–Chopin piano composition

Fiala—FEE-a-la–my daughter, a warrior judge

Forster, Mr.—FAWR-ster–teacher at Zion University campus on the Plain of Instruction

Foursquare—FOR-SKWAIR–Christian denomination

Fremont—FREE-mahnt–city in California

Fugue—FYOOG–polyphonic musical composition in which themes are stated successively

Fullerton, Elmer—FUL-er-tuhn ELL-mehr–Assemblies of God honorary presbyter and pastor

Gabriellle—ga-bree-ELL–my daughter, warrior-judge, friend of Amira

Gerd—GERD–daughter of Lars and Margaret Johansen

Gislason, Einar—GEESE-lah-son EYE-nar–pastor in Reykjavik, Iceland

Godwill—GAHD-wil–name given to the author by the Lord

Gomez—GOH-mez–family in Mexican community

Greta—GREH-tah–wife of Gustaf

Grofé, Ferdé—gro-FAY FUR-Dee–American composer

Gunnar—GOO-nar–an angel stationed at the Instructional Center at one of the Zion University campuses

Gunther—GOON-tur–an angel, Commander of the guard on the wall-walk of the outer wall of Godwill Castle

Gustaf—GOOS-tahf–works on farm outside of Godwill Castle

Hammond, Mr.—HAM-mund–teacher at Mount Zion campus on the Plain of Instruction

Hansen—HAHN-suhn–family name of Einar, Terje, and Birgit

Harry—HAH-ree–student at Mount Zion campus in Portland, Maine

Hedia—HAY-dee-ah–my daughter, a warrior judge

Helene—HEH-lene–daughter of Lars and Margaret Johansen

Helen—HEH-len–student at Mount Zion campus in Portland, Maine

Heng—HENG–stableman of Godwill Castle

Ibn-al—Haytham—-IB-uhn al HY-tham–helper in store of Najib

Izel—ee-ZELL–daughter of Mrs. Gomez

Jaleel—jah-LEEL–my son, a warrior judge

Janelle—jah-NELLE–my daughter, a warrior-judge

Jelani—jeh-LAH-nee–African lion in the animal park

Jenny—JEN-ee–one of my dogs

Johansen, Lars—yo-HAN-sen (han like hand) LARZ—a resident of West Haven, Connecticut

Johara—Jo-HAR-ah–wife of Najib in an Arab community

Judas—JOO-dus–inhabitant of the Rooms of the Tormented Consciences

Juhan—YU-han–the Headmaster of a Zion University campus

Kamur—kah-MOOR–my fierceness in battle, Amur tiger

Karina—ka-REE-nah–nurse in the garden of aborted fetuses

Kiryak—kir-YAK–an outrider from the Castle

Klaus—KLOWS (like house)–my piano teacher

Kohana—KOH-hah-nah–my daughter, a warrior-judge

Komori—ko-MOR-ee–a paramedic who came to the house

Lance—LANCE–Tad’s black war stallion

Levy, Mrs.—LEH-vee–a teacher of Zion University campus on the Plain of Instruction

Lina—LEE-nuh–Einar Gislason’s wife in Reykjavik, Iceland

Thompson, Maggie—TAHMP-son MA-gee–my father’s mother

Margaret—MAHR-gret–wife of Lars Johansen

Marion—MAIR-ee-un–child in Playland

Marlowe, Lloyd—MAHR-lo LOID–Assemblies of God pastor

Mary—MER-ee–wife of Mr. Walker of Portland, Maine

Max—MAKS–our Doberman

Mendelssohn, Felix—MEN-del-sun FEE-lix–composer

Miller, Walter—MILL-er WALL-tur–friend

Mount Zion Fellowship—MOUNT ZIE-un FELL-o-ship–the church we pastored in Poway, California

Mrs. Olsen—OHL-sen–a Norwegian Forest cat adopted by the Johansen family.

Mubarak—muh-BAR-ak–son of Najib in an Arab community

Mudiwa—-moo DEE wah–Elephant in the animal park

Muffin—MUFF-in–one of our dogs

Mulligan, Mike—MUL-li-gun MYK–German Shepherd, my childhood friend

Nadira—nah DEER uh–daughter of Najib in an Arab community

Najib—nah-JEEB–husband of Johara in an Arab community

Navajo—NAV-a-hoe–American Indian tribe

Nevada—neh-VAH-duh–one of the United States

New York—NOO YAWRK–one of the United States

Nicholaus—NIK-uh-las–guard of tower across from main tower

Norma—NOR-muh–a paramedic who came to the house

Olsen, Mrs.—OOL-sehn–cat adopted by the Johansen family

Olufemi—o-loo-FEM-ee–Rhinoceros in the animal park

Opus—O-pus–musical composition or compositions written at a specific time

Oslo—AWS-law–Norwegian community; residence of Johansens

Portland, Maine—PORT-land MAYN–city in the United States of America

Poway—POW-way–city in California

Prelude—PRAY-lood–introductory musical piece

Purdy, Carl—PURR-dee KARL–Foursquare supervisor

Ragnar—RAHG-nahr–my son, a warrior judge

Ranita—rah-NEE-ta–my daughter, a warrior judge

Rhapsody—RAP-so-dee–music composition of irregular form

Robert—RAH-bert–my son, a warrior judge

Rochester—RAH-chess-tur–city in New York

Rodel—roh-DEL–angel who takes care of my room at the castle

Rohr—RAWR–aircraft company in Chula VIsta

Romano, Fiammetta—-ro-MAH-noh fee ah MAY tah-–an Italian supermodel

Ruth—ROOTH–student at Mount Zion campus in Portland, Maine

Ryan, Annie—RIE-un AN-nee-–a Catholic lady, uncertain relationship

Saida—SAY-dah–my daughter, a warrior judge

Sallies, Gertrude, “Boots”—SAL-eez GUR-trood, BOOTZ–wife of my mother’s brother, Howard

Sallies, Howard, “Howie”—SAL-eez HOW-urd, HOW-ee-–my mother’s brother

Sallies, Josephus—SAL-eez jo-SEE-fuss–my mother’s father

Sallies, Milo—SAL-eez MY-low–my mother’s uncle

San Jose—SAHN hoe-ZAY–city in California

San Marcos—SAHN-MARK-us–city in California

San Ysidro—SAHN ee-SEED-row–city in California

Santa Cruz—SAHN tuh KROOZ–city in California

Schwartz, Mrs.—SHWAWRTZ (aw like law)–teacher at Mount Zion campus in Portland, Maine

Stepanka—steh-PAN-ka–a student residing in the Holy City

Tacos—TAH-kohs–beef, chicken, cheese, tomato, in a corn-meal shell

Tad—TADD–my guardian-angel

Tai-shan—tie-SHAHN–my son, a warrior judge

Tara—TAR-uh–student at Zion University campus on the Plain of Instruction

Taylor, Bob—TAY-lor BAHB–friend who had a vision

Teddy Whiskers—TEHD-ee WHISK-ers–our family cat

Temp—tem-PEE–city of Arizona

Terje—TUR-yeh–boy taken care of by the Johansen ladies

Themba—TEMB-bah–my son, a warrior judge

Thompson, Vera Sallies—TAHMP-son VIR-uh SAL-eez –my mother

Thompson, Walter Bentley TAHMP-son WALL-tur BENT-lee –my father

Thompson, Audrey—TAHMP-son AWE-dree–my wife

Thunder—THUN-der–Philipp’s war stallion

Tomas—toh-MAS–son of Mrs. Gomez

Vasily—vah-SEE-lee–a friend of Roger; my son, a warrior-judge

Vaya con Dios—VIE-ah kohn dee-OHS–go with God

Victor—VIHK-tur–my son, a warrior judge

Virginia—vir-JIN-ee-uh–a student of Zion University on the Plain of Instruction

Walker, Mr.—WAW-kur (waw like law)–resident of Portland, Maine

Wan-li—WAHN-LEE–my daughter, a warrior judge

War Fighter—WAWR FYE-ter–my war stallion, speed and strength

Watcher—WATCH-er–my guardian bald eagle, my military intelligence

Well Tempered Clavier, The—WELL TEM-perd klah-VEER–Bach composition

White King—WHITE KING–Amira’s war stallion

Wolfgang—VAHLF-gahng–Tad’s instructor, a captain of the children’s army

Zahir—za-HEER–a student of Zion University, a campus on the Plain of Instruction

Zhou—JOE–a teacher of Mount Zion University, a campus on the Plain of Instruction

Zion University—ZY-un you-neh-VER-sih-tee–a school for moral and academic instruction

The reader may find the following book helpful in providing the point of view of the author of Godwill Castle: The Theology of Robert B. Thompson, D.Ed.

A discussion of various aspects of redemption and eternal life can be found at: www.wor.org/book

(“Godwill Castle”, 3272-1, proofed 20210724)

GODWILL CASTLE

Credits

Foreword

Table of Contents

Introduction

Home At Last!

Visiting Relatives

Godwill Castle

A Community

God’s Temple

The Army

Getting Acquainted Time

The Parade

Teaching in the New Jerusalem

Playland

The Trumpet Sounds

The Great Battle

The Coronation

Zion University

The Destruction of Civilization

Establishing Zion University

The Kingdom Age

The Holy City

The Land of Darkness

The Closing of the Kingdom Age

A New Sky and a New Earth

A Final Note

The Pronunciation of Proper Nouns