by Dan Edmund
Chapter 3 - Welcome to Paradise!
Due to my religious upbringing, I recalled a number of biblical incidents where angels had materialized, and so I naturally assumed him to be one. We had always been taught that angels were merely spirit messengers from God, and that unlike demons, they were good. Yet, even so, I felt more than a little uneasy at being suddenly confronted by one now.
"Welcome to Paradise!" he stated again with that same ingratiating smile. He was somewhat taller than me, with a friendly, cheerful face. He too was dressed in a long flowing, white robe, only his shone with an exquisite radiance. He put his arm around my shoulders and gently said, "Do not be alarmed, my friend. I am only here to help you. Please ask me any questions you like."
For a few seconds, I was too bewildered to even open my mouth. I only stared incredulously at him as he led me back up the track. Finally, I asked timidly, "Is this a dream or have I really died?"
He did not answer me until we reached the plateau, and then he looked intently into my eyes. "No, my friend, do not think yourself as dead," he gently replied. "Rather, you are very much alive, as you can see, only your life in the world of darkness has come to an end. Now you are in a world of love in which evil and pain no longer exist."
So, it was true. I really had died and been resurrected into Paradise. The angel, seemingly reading my thoughts, simply confirmed my conclusion with a smile. I then wondered about my family, and before I could vocalize my question, he replied, "Both your mother and father are down below in that settlement you have seen. They do not yet know that you are here. However, soon they will be told."
"And what about -"
"Jenny is not yet in this world. However, she will also join you here."
"When?"
"She will come when the time is right. Do not be impatient, my friend, you have first some missions to do." The angel then gave another sympathetic smile. "However, she will come soon enough, and after that, you will receive a further blessing." He paused then added, "You have only just arrived and begun to see the marvels of this paradise. You will still see a lot more, and learn more as time goes by. Now, please return back to the place you had come, back at the top of this mountain here called Anastasis. There awaits an old friend for you, and soon, just after sunset, you will see another great miracle. However, do not be alarmed, but simply wait for your mother to come." He loosened my arm and then stepped to one side. "Farewell, my friend, I will meet up with you again." Then he vanished before my very eyes.
Dumbfounded, I just stood there, not knowing whether to cry for joy or in despair. I had died. I had actually died! Even after all I had seen and heard, I still found it difficult to believe. To have been told or read about the resurrection and the Paradise was one thing, but to actually experience it was quite another.
Again I gazed around this magnificent scenery in wonder, with its majestic mountains, its amazing fauna and flora, its beautiful valley, and all of this was going to be my new home. If this was Paradise, then how much more beautiful would this world be with my beloved Jenny. Although not yet here, she soon would be. I was told by no less an authority than an angel. I just had to be patient. Thus, my thoughts turned towards my parents, my mother that I had not seen since she had died of cancer, and my father I had not seen since I had been a young child. The sun was already low on the horizon and, recalling my instructions, I hurried back to my place of awakening, full of hope and anticipation.
I virtually sprinted all the way back again, something that would have been utterly impossible in my previous life. By the time I arrived back on the outskirts of that enchanted garden, the sun had dipped even deeper, setting the sky ablaze with the most spectacular sunset colors I had ever seen. The entire horizon seemed as if on fire with red, orange and purple hues. For a second or two I simply stared, utterly amazed at its sublime beauty. Suddenly, I heard two thunderous barks and the spell was instantly broken. I looked down and there, not five yards away, and furiously wagging its tail, stood a large black dog with a unique pattern of white spots on its head. I had never again noticed those exact same markings on any other dog. Until now. My heart pounded with excitement, and memories of my childhood came flooding back. However, I was no longer a child, yet the dog clearly seemed to recognize me. How? The smell? But this was impossible. Dogs do not come back from the dead. Or do they?
"Cory?" I whispered under my breath. As soft as it was, for the dog the call was all too clear. In one big swoop, the big black labrador leapt towards me, whining and yelping with joy. "My God, it is you!" I squealed with delight.
I still had Cory in my arms when I witnessed yet another miracle, this time in the sky. Amidst the swirling sunset colors, another glowing white shaft of light appeared, only now far larger than before. Mesmerized, I stared as it got ever brighter and wider as it was making its way down towards the earth. I once again recalled the white light I had seen at the time of my death, and at the time of my resurrection. Only this light was far larger and grander, although it still somehow retained its mysterious power of love and tranquility. Soon the massive shaft of light covered much of the sky, with its base disappearing over the horizon towards the valley. It was absolutely awe-inspiring! Even Cory became subdued as he too came under its spell.
So what was this light?
Although still ignorant, I knew that its source must surely be divine, holding secrets way beyond my understanding. I was hypnotically drawn towards it, wanting to investigate it, yet I remained, waiting eagerly for my mother's arrival. The sun had now already set, yet the sky and the land all around continued to be lit as if it had still been the middle of the day. Meanwhile, I crouched down beside Cory, who in all this time, had not strayed from my side. I embraced him once again as I continued staring into this mysterious sight.
Quite some time must have past, although how much, I could not tell. I was simply too enchanted. Then Cory's thunderous bark broke the shackles of my trance. He barked once more, his tail again wagging furiously with delight. I spun around and again was totally stunned, so complete had my mother's transformation been. The last time I had seen her had been almost four years ago, when she had been frail and old, and stricken with cancer. Now she looked as young and radiant as a pin-up girl.
"Oh, David, my David!" she cried. She opened her arms and raced towards me.
The next moment, we were in each other's arms, hugging and kissing each other's cheeks, our eyes filled with tears of joy. Finally, we separated, although Mum still clasped my hands as she excitedly exclaimed, "Oh, David, my dear David, how wonderful to see you again!"
"And you too, Mum!" I stepped back, grinning. "Hey, I can hardly recognize you. You look so young and beautiful!"
"Oh, David, we all do. Paradise is everything we had ever hoped for, and more!"
"I know! I know! " I replied. Not wanting to be ignored, Cory then started jumping excitedly around us. I started to laugh. "And to see Cory again!"
My mother also laughed. "Yes. He came as a surprise to us as well. We suddenly saw him in front of our house about six months ago. As you know, we never thought animals would ever be resurrected."
I nodded, then asked, "But how did he recognize me? He only knew me as a boy? Did he recognize me by my smell, or what?"
"I don't know, but it's surely just another miracle in a life full of miracles."
"But what about Dad? Where's he?"
Her beaming smile even widened. "Your dad has also been resurrected, but he's still in the Divine Light, back at our village. Oh, David, he'll be so glad to see you again!"
"Yeah. It'll be also great to see him again. Ah, it's been so long. I was only a boy when I last saw him." I hesitated, conscious again of that incredible light above us. "But what do you mean by Dad being in the divine light?" I then stared into the sky. "Is that what you mean? What is that light anyway? It seems so strange and mysterious to me. It seems as if...." I let the sentence fade, unsure what to say.
My mother's mood also changed, suddenly bec
oming very grave as she stared up with me towards that huge bright shaft of light. "That's the Divine Light!" she venerably replied. We both then continued staring up towards this magnificent sight, its hypnotic effect growing ever stronger the longer we gazed into it. Finally, we forced our eyes away and again faced each other.
"For us, it's something like the symbolic tent of God mentioned in Revelation," she said in that same reverential tone. "It's like a visible symbol of God's presence and power here in this new world of ours." She smiled at me, then added, "Oh, David, it really has such power once you're inside it. Never has God's Holy Spirit been experienced like this before, not even at Pentecost!"
It surprised me a little to hear Mum speak in such mystical terms, yet I could see with my own eyes that there were far grander and stranger things here in God's Paradise than we could have ever had imagined.
"Tell me more about it!" I urged.
"Well, it comes every month, the first day of the month, on the new moon. When we're inside the Divine Light, we feel as if we're in the very presence of God. Here we get direction and information from God and the angels, although it's usually given through our village's spiritual mentor." She paused for a moment and smiled. "Like tonight, David, when Carlos, our village mentor, was told of your resurrection. That's why I knew you were already here, why I now came."
She tenderly held my arm and smiled. "But you'll see for yourself. As I said, your dad, in fact, our whole Deer Park community is still within the Divine Light." She then playfully tugged my arm. "Come on, David, let's get back down."
Then together, arm in arm, with Cory following behind, we retraced our steps down towards the valley. Along the way, I had explained to her about the way I had died, and how I had met my wife, Jenny, and that she had been likewise of our faith. This enthralled my mother even further. "Oh, David, that's wonderful!" Then, like a fountain, words bubbled forth out of my mother's mouth, extolling the virtues and splendors of God, Christ and Paradise. And all that while, the Light continued radiating its magnificence: a supreme verification of my mother's every word.
When we arrived at the edge of the plateau overlooking the valley, I told Mum of the angel that I had met.
She suddenly stopped and stared at me in wonder. "Really, David? What a great honor. Very seldom does that happen outside the Divine Light, and then only to our spiritual mentors."
This somehow surprised me, considering all the strange and incredible things I had already experienced. For a while, we remained silent as we continued down towards the valley and onto the path that led into the village. The closer we got, the closer and brighter the Divine Light became, so that by the time we reached the outskirts of the village itself, I was almost blinded by its intensity. Now I only saw the vaguest of outlines of the scenery around me, and yet ever closer we went towards that divine and mysterious light. Then, as if realizing my discomfort, its brilliance faded to a soft and gentle glow, so that once again, I saw the beauty of this paradise around me.
I now noticed that the village dwellings were scattered spaciously along the river valley, nestled neatly in between an assortment of fruit trees, pines and oaks. I reflected on all of this and was swept away by a sheer sense of wonder and admiration, not just of the Light, but also for the serenity and rustic beauty of the type of world I had entered. Deer Park Village, as it was called, had an earthy and pristine quality that blended perfectly into its environment.
The houses were mostly timber homes, with large verandas adorned with beautiful plants and shrubs. Mum told me that inside they were simply but comfortably furnished with handcrafted furniture, curtains, paintings, wooden carvings and other decorations, and floored with either finely woven carpets, or else highly polished wooden floors.
"Oh, David, everything is just so perfect!" she declared, brimming with delight.
My mother was right: everything was perfect. The beautiful, tranquil flow of the river on my right, with its ripples gently stroking the river's bank, the quaint homes, the forests, the landscape, the wildlife, my resurrected mother in my arms, and my dear friend, Cory, trailing behind. Here was a world, I now felt, that was full of God's goodness, a world where nothing seemed wrong, or even could go wrong. How different it all seemed to the bustle of the cosmopolitan world I had so recently left behind.
However, most impressive of all was still the sight of the Divine Light beaming down near the center of this tranquil settlement. From the vantage point near the edge of the village, and only a few hundred yards from the Light's outer rim, its sheer size alone was enough to take my breath away. Although perhaps only two hundred yards in width, in height it stretched out towards the heavens as far as the eye could see, dwarfing the tallest Manhattan skyscrapers into insignificance. Yet, more spectacular still, was the sheer brilliance of the Light itself. Despite its now obviously reduced intensity, it still sent shivers down my spine.
We passed a large impressive wooden building that Mum called the Fellowship Hall, yet I hardly noticed it due to the magnificence of the Light. Now, at this close range, and with its reduced and gentle luminosity, it radiated a feeling of warmth and love that was impossible to describe. Then, only fifty yards or so away, a figure miraculously stepped out from this celestial Light. Under normal circumstances, it would have been less bizarre had I seen somebody stepping out unharmed from inside a blazing furnace. However, here in this world, nothing seemed too extraordinary. He glowed with a tremendous aura, and I naturally concluded that I was seeing yet another angel. However, the bodily aura quickly faded, but still there remained a faint afterglow around the head and face. I recalled how, according to the Bible, Moses' face radiated with a similar glow after speaking with God on Mount Sinai. However, here was not Moses but my father, who like my dear mother and I, had also risen from the grave.
Seconds later, we were in each other's arms. The aura around his face and body was gone, although I still felt the latent energy from the Light surging through his body.
"Oh, son, it's great to see you again!" my father exclaimed, then stepped back, stared at me, and shook his head in disbelief. "Boy, it sure is incredible seeing you again, especially seeing you now as a man."
I had only been ten when a falling tree had crushed Dad. Now, here he was again, standing next to me, in front of this mysterious, fantastic Light.
"It's sure great to see you also!" I replied gleefully.
He again embraced me, then pointed towards the Light. "All the folks are still inside and waiting for us to enter. Are you cummin inside? There's nothing to be afraid of, son. It's an incredible experience."
Being now so close to the Light was more than just awe inspiring, it was totally and stupendously divine! Even from this distance of about fifty yards, I could feel its unbelievable energy, and with its luminosity once again increasing to its previous level, its glow was like a thousand suns. However, despite all of this, the Divine Light did not create blindness, nor cause any pain. It only emitted total and absolute love, and a tranquility that was simply irresistible.
I solemnly nodded, then noticed Cory no longer by our side.
"What about Cory?" I heard myself dreamily ask.
"He'll be okay. We'll probably see him when we get back home," I heard my father's reply.
Dad placed his arms around us both and led us into that utterly awesome, yet wonderful sight. We entered together and all bodily sensations ceased. I was filled with fear at this utterly strange and seemingly bizarre phenomenon. However, the feeling lasted only for a moment as I was swept up by the Light's sublime love. Now, all three of our bodies shimmered with a bluish-white glow.
Once again, I felt the same permeating tranquility I had felt just after my resurrection, only now the Light was much stronger, the sensations far more acute. Amidst the fantastic swirl of colors, I now heard the sound of applause. I saw a crowd of people in front of us, all looking towards me, all dressed in the same white robes, and all shimmering with the same gentle glow. I felt their l
ove towards me, just as I felt God's own love towards us all. I knew I was now one of them, a member of those privileged to be a part of God's Paradise World.
"Welcome! Welcome, dear friend!" I heard a voice declare. I turned towards the front and noticed another shimmering figure that seemed to be hovering on a beam of light. He then announced: "We all welcome you, David, to your new life in Paradise!" There then followed another applause, louder and longer than before. "Come, brethren, let us now give thanks to our God in the heavens!" The whole community then broke out in song, a song I knew from childhood, a hymn of praise to God. I joined in, and like everybody else, became ecstatic, mesmerized by it all, with tears of joy streaming down my face. The words simply flowed out of me like water, all personal thoughts and feelings eradicated, totally unworthy on such a grand occasion.
When the hymn had finished, the shimmering elevated figure in the front now began a public prayer that thanked the Almighty for life, for the Paradise, and for the resurrection of their latest brethren. At the conclusion of the prayer, the figure on the beam of light descended. Then, slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, the actual Divine Light itself began to lift, first past our ankles, then knees, hips, chest, shoulders, then finally over our heads. Once past our heads, our normal state of consciousness returned, yet still we all looked up in awe as the Divine Light rose ever higher into the night sky until finally it was gone.
"Incredible! Absolutely incredible!" I murmured to myself.
The sky darkened and now only the crescent of the new moon and the sparkling lights of the stars remained, only far more numerous and brighter than I had ever seen before, spreading a dark blue hue over the entire land. Although the Divine Light had now departed, and with it the aura surrounding everyone, the euphoric feelings nonetheless lingered on. People hugged each other, expressing endearments to one another, and praises to Almighty God. Never had I seen so much hugging, never had I been hugged so much before. On and on it went until finally, one by one, they started drifting home, and even then, many were still clinging on to one another as they did. Dad also swung his arms around his family, and the three of us likewise ambled home.
Then, once again, I recalled the angel's words:
"Welcome to Paradise!"