By Rev. Elwood Scott, excerpt, link at end
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I now turned to my mother and said: “I have been wanting a private talk with you for some time. It does seem so good to be here with you. It seems like a very short time since I sat upon your knee and you told me the story of our future home. How little I comprehended the reality of it! But we are safe in the city now and I want to ask you some questions about our home here, our privileges and duties.”
“Be perfectly free to ask any questions you like. We learn of the wonders of our Father’s house, just as we did on earth by applying ourselves to all the means and sources of knowledge.”
“I want to know first what privileges we have here in heaven, both in the city and outside in paradise and elsewhere, and what are the laws that govern these privileges and our conduct?”
“I understand fully,” she said, “what you want to know. You have asked some very important questions and I am glad to assist you with any detailed explanations you wish.”
“Your privileges, however, are unbounded. Your capacities for pleasure and enjoyment are greatly enlarged since leaving the scenes of your earthly life. Everything here invites the fullest exercise of every faculty of your soul. Your conduct will be governed by a knowledge of God’s will, You will never wish to do anything or exercise yourself contrary to the will of God.
“The law of love and light is the law of the heavenly kingdom. No one wishes to do anything here which would not be morally right. There is no thought or suggestion by anyone, of himself or another doing anything morally wrong. You have found, no doubt, ere this that you have no inclinations within yourself or temptation from without to do any wrong thing. Everything that you feel inclined to do is right, so far as moral right is concerned. Your knowledge is yet limited, Whatever God approves and your knowledge comprehends you will approve from the innermost depths of your soul. His will becomes law to you. He never charges guilt upon anyone here, for no one in all this heavenly kingdom has any feelings or wish to disobey.
“Sin is not known here. That great curse of the earth is entirely banished from these streets and mansions of the city; from the drives, walks and resorts of paradise as well. No stain of sin has ever been here since God cast out the angels who sinned. Every one of those thousands whom you see yonder coming and going are the image of God so completely that they have no desire to do otherwise than just to fulfill His will.
“Our duty here is only a blessed privilege. It is our great delight to do all we ought to do. Restraint and compulsion, of which I remember we knew so much in the earth, are words which have no meaning here. You have noticed, no doubt ere this, that everyone you have met or seen has been perfectly joyful and happy. Discontent is unknown here. Everyone is altogether satisfied and entirely at rest.”
“Oh, how wonderfully grand this is!” I replied, “but I should like to know further, if I do not weary you with my questions, what privileges we have here in heaven, by way of going from place to place, and visiting among the beautiful mansions I see lining those great avenues and thoroughfares of the city. Our Lord has said, “Go where you will, enjoy yourselves.”
“Oh!” she said, smilingly, “go just where you please. All that you see and infinitely more are yours — yes, all are yours. Do you not remember that Scripture: “All are yours, and ye are Christ’s and Christ is God’s?” (I Corinthians 3:22,23) I have been here for over sixty years and I have gone multitudes of times to distant parts of the city, and yet I have seen but a little portion of my inheritance.
“Speaking in language which you will better understand, the city is fifteen hundred miles each way and its height is the same as its length and breadth. (Revelation 21:16,17) So its vastness is sufficient for you and you have the privileges of it all.”
“Oh, my mother! How wonderful are the works of God! I am simply lost in admiration and wonder!”
“Indeed,” said she, “your wonder will never come to an end. Story upon story is built and the inconceivable height and glory and vastness can never be fully comprehended by us. You see those fountains yonder gushing with their pure water of life?”
“Yes,” I replied, “I have been noticing them for quite a while and wanted to ask you concerning them, for I see so many gathering about them and drinking from golden goblets. I presume they are free for all?”
“Indeed, and they are throughout the city and even to the remotest parts of paradise. Do you remember the Scripture which I used to read to you near seventy years ago, that the “Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters”? (Revelation 7:17)
“Sure enough, I have read it hundreds of times since, but I never thought it meant so much.”
“But when you get to the throne itself you will see the greatness of its meaning as you cannot now. You have already eaten of the trees of life, and drank of the crystal river, I am sure, for you have that privilege immediately on coming into the border lands of heaven; but did you notice there were twelve kinds of fruit on each tree?” (Revelation 22:2)
“Yes, so the elder told me. I have eaten only a very few times since entering paradise; and others have selected for me. Those lovely trees in the midst of the street, how full of fruit they are!”
“They were all planted and are growing by the immediate direction of our Lord Himself,” said mother. “You remember His words while on earth “I go to prepare a place for you,” (John 14:2) and here it is. Those fountains and trees with all their blessing are forever yours. One never tires of anything he has here, nor wishes for anything that he cannot have. The varieties of food are so abundant you can eat and be wholly satisfied.”
Just at this moment we saw one not far away, whom among the thousands we distinguished as one of the elders. I said to mother: “Would he mind stopping for a short visit with us? What do you think?”
“No doubt he would be pleased to do so.” So she beckoned him to come to us. As he was coming toward us she said: “Oh, it is Moses, sure.”
“How thankful I am,” I replied, “for I have been wishing to see him ever since we entered paradise.” But as he came nearer I felt something of an awe coming over me as I remembered his greatness while on earth. I also felt a fear that the questions which I wished to ask him might not interest him since, as I thought, he had been asked the same a thousand times.
“You need not fear,” said mother, “to ask him any questions you like, for he will take great pleasure in assisting you in any way he can.”
Meeting a group at one of the fountains nearby, he was detained for a time, in conversation with them. While waiting for him, I said: “I remember in the Scriptures it is said, “There are twenty-four elders in heaven.”
“Yes,” said mother, “twelve from former dispensations and twelve since the days of Christ.”
I asked if there were the same distinctions and reverence shown here as on earth.
“Quite the same,” said she, “only on a true basis — for past fidelity and merit. The elders are greatly honored here in heaven. They have already had their resurrection which gives them superior advantages for enjoyment and service and yet their bodies are so spiritual that instead of being a hindrance to them they are a very great help and advantage. You have noticed, no doubt, how wonderfully they are in the likeness of the Lord Himself.”
“I have noticed that already in what I have seen in Abraham and Joshua, and I now remember that Scripture where the prophet said: “I shall be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness.” (Psalm 17:15)
“Indeed,” said mother, “and we are all looking toward that event with great interest. No doubt you have heard since your coming that the Lord has intimated that the time has nearly come when the general resurrection will take place. When you and I and all these multitudes of souls shall have our spiritual bodies. The great Father Himself, whose spirit you so abundantly feel and which is the very atmosphere of the city and all paradise, has made us all to feel and know that the time is nearly here.
“There are some events to occur upon earth first, and then our Lord Jesus accompanied with all the angels and this mighty host of redeemed spirits made perfect, will descend to the earth, the order will be that when we are near the earth where our bodies are sleeping (for what we used to call death is only a sleep), that the archangel will give a great shout of victory and the trumpet of God will be blown with a mighty blast and the power of God will awaken and revive all our bodies and they will instantly spring from the dust and with a mighty change will be made spiritual and we will instantly be united with them and be forever in the perfect image of Jesus, and the last stroke of our redemption will be completed.”
“Oh!” I replied. “How wonderful is the plan of our redemption! God has given us, I remember, the same idea of what you have been saying as recorded in the New Testament Scripture.”
“Yes,” said mother, “and this is the hope and expectation of all the church in heaven and on earth. But I see Moses is now coming to us and we will have to leave further conversation on this subject until another time.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Seventh Visit — Continued
Visit with Moses
By this time he had come to us ...
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{OTAC, agreed, it’s riveting, here’s an excerpt of what I read this morning}
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Same doc as post 30:
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At this, Moses passed to us a basket of most delicious fruit of which they had been partaking. Then Abraham spoke and said: “the theology which treats of the existence, character, and attributes of God, His laws and government, the doctrines men are to believe, and the duties they are to practice, have been much neglected in recent years; and we are informed that in many branches of the church grave errors have crept in.”
“Religion,” said he, “is the life of man in personal communication with God. It is the recognition of God in all of our duties. It is the bond which unites man to God. That faith that comprehends His presence, and invites Him into all the affairs of man’s life. It is the life of God in the soul of man manifesting itself daily in practical morality.”
“What then,” I asked, “is the difference between religion and theology?”
“Religion,” said Abraham, “has reference to God in the heart and life of man, which sows itself in obedience to all the divine will.”
“Theology,” said Moses, “is a scientific system, which treats of God and the laws by which man is saved. Yet a man may be a theologian, as were many of the Scribes and Pharisees, without experimental religion. The source of all true theology is God Himself in the revelations He has given to man.”
Paul then spoke and said: “These revelations are both natural and supernatural. Natural theology treats of God and His attributes as taught by nature. Nearly nineteen hundred years ago I wrote: “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal Godhead,” (Romans 1:20) so they are without excuse. But the Scriptures,” said he, “are the true source of correct theological teachings among men on the earth. They are a divinely inspired revelation to men. The careful interpretation of them reveals God to men as we have found Him after hundreds of years’ acquaintance with Him here. They discover His true nature, attributes, relations to and dealings with man. True theology treats also of man, his relations and duties to God and his fellowmen; of the future state, which we are all now enjoying, with its rewards, and also the punishments which are meted out to the impenitent.”
At this, I spoke and said: “There has been much caviling and critical fault-finding of the Scriptures in the last few decades of time, so that I am glad of the privilege of asking you, who wrote so much of them, further concerning them, as to their authenticity, genuineness and authority as coming from God to man.”
Moses was first to speak. He said: “Many cavilers and fault-finders were in my own time. No proof could satisfy them. There are mysteries of revelation as well as in the outward creation. I knew I was called and directly commissioned of God, and the books of the law were written by His express commandment. Joshua was my successor and went forth to his responsible task by appointment of our divine Lord, and his messages and writings were prefaced by such words as, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel.” Samuel, the prophet and seer of Israel, was early called of God and spake the word with authority from heaven. All the books of the prophets are composed of direct messages from God. Our Lord who sent us forth, fully recognized the whole body of our writings, included in the Old Testament Scriptures. He paid the highest honors to those ancient records, as He has fully told me. His seal being set to them they will stand forever. You need have no fears of the Scriptures ever falling beneath the feet of the church, on account of the efforts of skeptical men. God reserves to Himself the power to cause the earth to open its mouth again and swallow up the combinations of evil men, as in the days of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.”
“Indeed,” said Paul, “Our Lord put His full sanction to every jot and tittle of the law and the prophets; enforced the precepts written by Moses as binding upon all the Jewish people. He quoted the writings of nearly every prophet, from Moses to Malachi, recognizing their full authority, as the word of God, and giving them the distinctive title of the Scriptures, as different from all other writings. As the apostles and evangelists of our Lord, we always fully recognized their divine origin and quoted and wrote and preached from them appealing to them as authority on all questions of faith. We ever declared they were the “oracles of God, and given as the Holy Ghost spake by the mouth of His ancient servants.” This is expressly declared of David, of Isaiah, and of all the holy prophets.”
Peter now spoke and said, “You will remember in one of my epistles I spoke of our Lord’s transfiguration on the holy mount and the voice that then spake from heaven attesting that this Jesus was the Son of God. Our combined testimony should have been received by every Jew. (I Peter 1:17-21) Yet, I then declared that the Scriptures were to them a more sure word of prophecy; and urged them to take heed to their revelations, for they fully spoke of Christ our Lord.”
“Now,” said Peter, “there are the positive assertions of inspiration and authority for all the writings of the New Testament. What the four evangelists wrote was under the eye and inspection of our Lord, although not coming to public notice for years after His ascension to heaven. A special promise of the presence and help of the Holy Spirit was given to all the apostles. The spirit of truth thus promised was to bring to our remembrance whatever the Lord had taught us, and to teach us all things. Old truths brought back to mind, and new truths brought from the fountains above, were His special delight. On account of this endowment, our Lord placed an authority on our word as upon His own and the earlier prophets’. The writers of the New Testament always identify their words as the words of the Holy Ghost, announcing their messages as in truth the word of God: the word of the Lord that should endure forever. So from God they all came. They breathe the pure spirit of His goodness and carry the stamp of His authority, and will stand forever.”
“Well,” said Bohemond and I at the same time, “we would be much pleased to have a brief statement or summary of their teachings as you understand them now, for we would like to compare our own ideas of theology, as also that which is now taught in the churches, with the truth as it is.”
They all assented quickly, and Abraham spoke, saying, “We will hand you such a statement shortly, In the meantime, if you care, you can take a flying trip in one of the passing chariots to a praise service on Broadway, or visit the park adjoining the throne.”
We thanked them for their friendly service and as we stepped on board a chariot, they said, “We will see you again soon,” and waved us a pleasant good-bye. Isaiah kindly offered his services to go with us. We thanked him and the chariot soon slowed up at an entrance where thousands were gathering.
The place seemed to contain a space somewhat equal to a ten or twelve acre field in the earth. Circular seats ran the whole course round the spacious place of worship. The orchestra occupied an elevated position in the center, and a thousand harps and voices were thrilling the vast audiences with the melodies of heaven. David’s harp and voice never seemed so sweet as at that service. Many fathers of the church of an early date were there, many who had suffered persecution and martyrdom were also there. Their faces glowed with a peculiar joy as their words fell like fragrant oil upon that wonderful host. At the suggestion of St. Bartholomew we all fell on our knees and faces and with one heart and voice gave God all the glory.