Nine Days in Heaven: A True Story (23 page)
A
S THE VOICES FADED, THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST
J
ESUS
continued.
A demon of gigantic size rose up from a smoking pit and towered above the crowd. On its head were many horns from which came lurid flames. A cloud formed from them and enveloped the area, creating an atmosphere of seductive but fiendish hatred.
Upon his forehead was written:
Crucify Him, crucify Him—He does not deserve to live. He seduces the people.
On his chest were the words:
Apollyon,
1
the Expression of Evil against Good
.
On his heart, in blazing letters I read the words:
Jesus will not win,
But death will consign Him to the tomb
Where mortals sleep.
He has called Himself the Son of God
And made Himself equal with God!
In the tomb He will feel the death shackles
Of my irrevocable decree.
Then I will dash His followers
On the rocks of human prejudice.
For the rest of time they will know
Only gloom, oppression, and dismay.
“Hear this!” said a tomblike voice.
“Hear this!” hissed ten thousand snake-tongued, demonic faces.
The vault below quivered, as if some mighty ruler of a lower region had touched the deep with his blazing scepter. Then a flame billowed out of the pit. The people in the crowd could not see it, but it rose among them and surrounded them. Then, as each person joined the uprising, the intensity of the fire increased, until the whole crowd became like a burning destructive storm. It swept the whole gathering along like puppets to carry out the merciless and demonic scheme against Jesus.
T
HIS, AS A MAGNETIC PRINCIPLE, PERVADED
THE CONGREGATION OF MORTALS, WHO
WERE INSTRUMENTS IN THE EXTERNAL
,
INSPIRED TO CONSUMMATE THE MERCILESS
AND FIENDISH DESIGN UPON
J
ESUS
,
THE MEEK AND HUMBLE SUFFERER
.
“The battle is intensifying,” said an angel.
He was standing above the storm in an atmosphere of heavenly holiness. “Death and hell are now joining forces. The powers of evil are falling upon the God-Man as He takes on the weight of the sins and sorrows of mankind.”
Another voice cut in.
“Who will win this conflict? There are thousands of the servants of evil gathered here, and the people around Jesus are becoming just like the demons that are driving them.”
They led Jesus into the judgment hall of the Sanhedrin. On His head was a plaited crown of thorns. His temples were pierced, and blood ran down His cheeks. His hands were tied, but He merely looked upward and began silently moving His lips.
At this the host from the pit fell back, as if struck by a mighty hand. They cried out, “Look out! He’s speaking with God! He’s showing pity! It’s not fair! We fight with hate and revenge, and He responds with love and submission. This is the deepest hell! We have to get away!”
Gigantic Apollyon appeared again. He stretched out his hand, and from it came a dark mass of consuming forces. In a terrible voice he confronted his demons.
“Get up! Enter the combat now!”
His face contorted with fury as he roared at them.
“What is your problem? So what if He looks on His tormentors with love? I can turn hearts of love into hate! I can turn prayers into blasphemies! By my own hand I will win immortal victory for myself today!”
With that he prompted a man to walk up to Jesus and strike Him with the palm of his hand.
2
As he did, I heard a movement that sounded as though the heavens above had fallen. I looked up to see all the angels on their knees, their heads bowed and their hands raised. Heaven was in mourning.
Another man approached Jesus.
“Are You the Christ? Are You the King of the Jews?” he asked.
Jesus answered, “You are saying so.”
3
At the sound of His voice the power of darkness retreated, and all was silent.
A
ND LO! THE POWER OF DARKNESS GAVE
WAY, FOR HIS VOICE DISTURBED THE
REGIONS OF DEATH, AND ALL WAS SILENT
.
An angel then spoke to the children in their grief. “Your Redeemer has been struck by an agent of hell, and His forehead has been pierced by a crown of thorns. Evil always tries to strike down anything that is good. These evil beings have come from below to torment men and women. They are full of lust but cannot express it in themselves, so they try to express it through men and women.
“Satan is trying to destroy Jesus because Jesus plans to rescue people from these evil spirits. More than that, Jesus’s mission as Redeemer is to break the power of Satan himself and to crush his kingdom among men. So the evil one is trying to destroy Him and shatter the kingdom of peace, which Jesus is to establish on earth.
“So it is that the two principles, good and evil, confront each other here. Death and hell have come up from the lower realms with raging fires of pride and hatred. They know that the time has come. They have entered the conflict inspired by the deceiver Satan. The battleground is the world, because that is where men and women are susceptible to the forces of good and evil.”
Justice then took up the explanation.
“Not only that, but men and women are moral beings—rational and responsible for their actions. So they stand condemned because of the sin in their lives. God’s righteousness speaks out against them. For mankind to live, justice must somehow be satisfied. The human race will perish unless there is a mediator between them and the violated law. This is why a ransom has to be offered.
“M
AN MUST PERISH, OR THROUGH
SOME WISE PROVISION THERE MUST
BE A MEDIUM OR MEDIATOR BETWEEN
HIM AND THE LAW VIOLATED
.”
“Mercy has claimed that this ransom can enter the great vortex of human degradation and stand among the forces of good and evil to rescue the sinner. This can only be done by reversing the influence of sin that drives man to destruction.
“This is not the only thing that must be done. Evil spirits are able to apply the powers of death and hell onto the deadly effects of sin. So death and hell must also be mastered by the Conqueror, and sin must be bound.”
Justice went on.
“Mercy has pleaded for the lives of sinners and so has presented a ransom. She says God Himself has given help through Him. She says He is mighty and well able to save men and women from their sin. So watch! The ransom is descending the vortex. If He can, He will defeat death, hell, and the grave. However, in the process He must not resist or cry out, and He must not complain.”
Mercy replied, “He is being led like a lamb to the slaughter, and just as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He does not open His mouth.”
4
“Also,” said Justice, “He must give up His life as a guilt offering before his offspring can be saved.”
5
Mercy’s voice rang out again with conviction, “Even though He is descending the vortex of death, He will live, and He will live forever. The work of redemption will succeed in His hands. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and there shall be no end to His government.
6
Through this, God’s justice will be satisfied, and salvation and righteousness will be given to those who believe.”
