Heaven and Back Again

I met  a man who went to heaven whether in body or in vision, I do not know.  ^{2Cor 12:2}

He went to heaven and there he saw the four and twenty elders worshipping at the throne, worshipping one who looked to be a lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  He saw the nail prints in his hands.  He heard them worship, “Worthy, worthy is the lamb who was slain for the sins of his people.  Worthy is the lamb, the recipient of the Fathers gift.   All that the Father had given him, came to him, and he was able, and willing to receive them.”  ^{Rev 4:10, Rev 13:8, Luk 24:39, John 20:25-28, John 6:37, John 17:1}

He saw there 1000’s upon 1000’s of men, women and children from every tribe, tongue and nation and he heard them all sing together,  “ Worthy is he who is from everlasting and to everlasting, who is without beginning of days and without end of life.   Worthy is the high priest who has passed into the heavens. “

^{Rev 5:9, Heb 7:3, Heb 4:14}

He saw the Lamb who is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.  He sits at the right hand of his Father, reigning over all his enemies, waiting until they are made his footstool.  “The Lamb Reigns, as the great king,”   He heard them continue to sing, “Glory and power and honor to the King of All Kings and Lord of all Lords.” ^{Psa 110:1}

He looked and saw the throne of the most high, and under the throne he saw the souls of the martyrs.  He saw them who overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.  He saw the martyrs who joyfully died for the sake of the name of their King.  He heard them cry out, “How long O’ Lord, How Long.” ^{Rev 6:9}

He told me, there is no night there.

There is no cryin’ there.

There is no dyin’ there.

For the Lamb is the light of the heaven, his glory shines and illuminates the heaven always.  And there is no night there. ^{Rev 21:23}

There is no more crying there, the lamb has wiped away all their tears.  ^{Rev 21:4}

No colds, no flu, no crippling malady, no pain, no sickness at all, there is no dying there.  For the lamb, who is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Jesus the eternally begotten son of God, has defeated death, removed the sting and overcome for all his, those beloved of his loving choice.  ^{John 16:33, Rev 17:14, Rev 20:14, 1Cor 15:56}

He saw the souls of just men made perfect, made perfect in the Lord who stood in their place, wounded for their transgressions, bruised for their iniquities, who was tempted in all points like as they were and yet without sin;  Who offered himself through the eternal Spirit unto God and obtained for them eternal redemption, blessing and righteousness.  He is the Lord their righteousness. ^{Heb 12:23, Isa 53:5, Heb 4:15, Heb 9:14, Jer 23:6, Jer 33:16}

He saw that which eye hath not seen, he heard that which ear hath not heard, he saw that which the heart of man has never imagined but yet has known for the Spirit has revealed to them heaven in their hearts.  He saw that which God hath prepared for them that love him. ^{1Cor 12:9}

He heard things not lawful to utter.  ^{2Cor 12:4}

All this he saw in Heaven. 

He did not see in heaven, darkness.  He did not see in heaven thieves and liars, murderers, nor any who were enemies of the most high God.  He saw no sin there.  He saw no cheating, no adultery, no killing, no hating, no slander, no evil word, no discord, no pride, no abomination, no love of money, no wickedness and no wicked men, no tyrant, no bully, no lovers of self.   He saw countless thousands upon thousands and ten thousands of ten thousands who were dead in trespasses and sins but were made alive by the Faith of the Son of the Living God, who were dead but partook of the first resurrection when HE said with power “let there be light and there was” and had worked in them a new heart and a new creation, opening heaven’s gates unto them at the conclusion of their earthly sojourn.  ^{1John 1:5, Rev 21:8, 1Cor 6:10, 1Th 4:6, Mat 23:14, Mat 23:33, Rev 5:11, 1Pe 2:9, Col 1:13, Eph 5:8, 2Pe 1:19, Gal 2:20, Rev 20:6, Eph 2:1}

In Heaven, he saw the land of the living.  He saw the water of life.  He saw the elect of God, clothed in robes washed white by the blood of the Lamb. ^{Rev 21:6, Rev 22:1, Rev 22:17, Rev 7:14}

He saw the Lord Jesus Christ.  He saw him in all his glory.  He saw him whiter than the fuller’s soap.   He saw him clothed in majesty.  He saw him who is the Light of Heaven and the Life of Men.  ^{Mal 3:2, Mark 9:3, Psa 93:1, Psa 104:1, John 1:4}

All this he saw in Heaven.

He saw the Great High Priest.

He saw the Mediator. ^{1Ti 2:5}

He saw the seed of the woman.  ^{Gen 3:15, Gal 4:4}

He saw the serpent’s head bruiser. ^{Gen 3:15, Rom 16:20, Heb 2:14-15, 1John 3:8}

He saw the covering of nakedness. ^{Gen 3:21}

He saw the first sacrifice. ^{Gen 3:21}

He saw the greater than Judah who substituted himself for his Benjamins for whom he pledged surety. ^{Gen 43:9, Gen 44:32}

He saw the greater than Joseph loved by his Father, who suffered what men intended for evil but God meant for good. ^{Gen 50:20}

He saw the ram caught in the bush. ^{Gen 22:13, Heb 11:17-19}

He saw the promised prophet like Moses but greater. ^{Deuteronomy 18:15}

He saw the serpent on the bronze staff that could heal the lookers upon. ^{Num 21:9, John 6:40, John 3:14}

He saw the Priest who was King. ^{Zec 6:13, Psa 24}

He saw what Job saw, his redeemer in the flesh. ^{Job 19:25}

He saw the God who was manifest in the flesh. ^{1Ti 3:16}

He saw Mordecai’s courage. ^{Est 3:15}

He saw Esther’s scepter of acceptance. ^{Est 5:2}

He saw the fourth man in the fiery furnace. ^{Dan 3:25}

He saw the one in whom Abraham rejoiced. ^{John 8:56}

He saw the Passover lamb. ^{1Co 5:7}

He saw the deliverer. ^{Rom 11:26}

He saw the cloudy pillar by day.

He saw the fiery pillar by night. ^{Neh 9:12, Psa 78:14}

He saw the rock that followed them in the wilderness, the rock that Moses struck. ^{1Co 10:14, Exo 17:6}

He saw the Angel of The Lord. ^{Exo 3:2, Jdg 2:1, Jdg 6:24}

He saw the Greater than Samson.

He saw him who slayed even greater than Goliath.

He saw the goat that carried away the sins. ^{Lev 16:10}

He saw him who suffered outside the camp. ^{Heb 13:12}

He saw the Surety of the better testament. ^{Heb 7:22}

He saw the Son of David who is the Lord of David. ^{Mat 22:35}

He saw the Greater than Solomon who is Shalom.

He saw the Prince of Peace. ^{Isa 9:6}

He saw the Wonderful Counselor ^{Isa 9:6}

He saw the virgin-born promised son. ^{Isa 7:14}

He saw the Messiah, the Hamashiyah

He saw the root of Jesse. Isa 11:10, ^{Rom 15:12}

He saw the Greater than John the Baptist. ^{John 1:30}

He saw the “in fire and in Holy Ghost” baptizer. ^{Mat 3:11}

He saw the one who was pierced. ^{Zec 12:10}

He saw the true vine. ^{John 15:1}

He saw the door. ^{John 10:9}

He saw the good Shepherd. ^{John 10:13}

He saw the true Israel.

He saw Israel’s plenteous redemption. ^{Psa 130:7}

He saw the great and mighty Judge of the quick and the dead. ^{Acts 10:42, 2Ti 4:1}

He saw the one who came on the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  ^{Mal 4:5}

He saw the soon returning king.

He saw the conqueror.  “Nay we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” ^{Rom 8:37}

He saw him who was worthy to ascend the Hill of the Lord. ^{Psa 24:3}

He saw the one who ascended upon High. ^{Psa 24:7-10}

He saw the one who led captivity captive. ^{Eph 4:8}

He saw the Triumphant one who spoiled and made an open shew of all his enemies. ^{Col 2:15}

He saw the born in Bethlehem and yet from Everlasting and to Everlasting. ^{Mic 5:2}

He saw him who raised the dead.

He saw the eternal life giving one who has power over all flesh. ^{John 17:2}

He saw the Son of God and the Son of Man.

He saw the one who opens blind eyes. ^{John 9:25, John 9:32}

He saw the one who made the lame to walk and the deaf to hear. ^{Mat 11:5, Luk 7:22}

He saw THE HUSBAND who loves his Bride and who laid down his life for her. ^{Eph 5:25, Song 4:9-11}

He saw the head of the body. ^{Col 1:18}

He saw the one in whom all the members are joined together. ^{Col 2:19}

He saw Abraham’s seed. ^{Gal 3:16}

He saw the Blessing of the nations. ^{Gen 22:18}

He saw the one who spoke through the prophets. ^{1Pe 1:11}

He saw the brightness of the Glory of God. ^{Heb 1:3}

He saw the express image. ^{Heb 1:3}

He saw the word of power, the upholder of all things. ^{Heb 1:3}

He saw him by whom all things consist. ^{Col 1:17}

He saw the creator. ^{Col 1:16}

He saw the Word, who was in the beginning, who was with God, and who was God.  ^{John 1:1}

He saw the Word made flesh, who dwelt among us. ^{John 1:14}

He saw the only-begotten of his Father. ^{John 1:18}

He saw him by whom came grace and truth. ^{John 1:17}

He saw the one person in whom the fullness of the godhead dwelt. ^{Col 2:9}

He saw the one person in whom resides the fullness of humanity and the fullness of deity, two distinct and separate natures inseparably joined.

He saw him who was made a little lower than the angels, that he by the grace of God would taste death for all that the Father has given him. ^{Heb 2:9}

He saw the I AM at whose word soldiers fell to the ground as dead, before whom Peter fell prostrate and prayed “depart from me for I am a sinful man,” and him whom John on the isle of Patmos fell down before as one dead, and before whom Isaiah cried, “woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell amongst a people of unclean lips.” ^{John 18:6, Luk 5:8, Rev 1:17, Isa 6:5}

He saw him whom Isaiah saw, whose train filled the whole temple and before whom Seraphim worshipped saying HOLY, HOLY, HOLY.  ^{Isa 6:1-4, John 12:41}

He saw the beloved of the Father.

He saw the acceptance.

He saw the beloved in who they were made accepted. ^{Eph 1:6}

He saw the one in whom we can do all things and without whom we are NOTHING. ^{Philippians 4:13, John 15:5}

He saw the man, cursed for his people. ^{Gal 3:13}

He saw the redeemer from the curse.

He saw the atonement.

He saw the propitiation. ^{1John 2:2}

He saw the high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. ^{Psa 110:4, Heb 7:17}

He saw him who was lifted up. ^{John 12:32}

He saw him who died and lives forever. ^{Rev 1:18}

He saw the everlasting interceder, echoing eternally the priestly prayer of the 17^th of John. ^{Heb 7:25, John 17:1-26}

He saw the Advocate of the elect that sinneth. ^{1John 2:1}

He saw our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. ^{1Co 1:30}

He saw him who was rich but became poor that we could be rich in his grace. ^{2Co 8:9}

He saw the Lord most high.

He saw the despised of men. ^{Isa 54:3}

He saw the loved by his own.

He saw him who is, who was, and who is to come. ^{Rev 1:18}
He saw him who purged us from our sins with his own blood. ^{Rev :5}

He saw the way. ^{John 14:6}

He saw the truth.

He saw the life.

He saw Jesus.

All this he saw in Heaven.

To this heaven seeing man, I exclaimed, “O’ that I too, could see.”  To which he replied, “Believe and thou shalt be saved.”  He anointed my eyes with salve, and I saw.  He placed a book in my hands and an Earnest was given to me, a foretaste of my future home, through which, I commune with HIM whom he saw.  Heaven is for real, My Jesus is there. ^{Acts 16:31, Rev 3:18, Eph 1:14}

I laid down and slept, my mind, my belly, my heart full of this celestial paradise.  And when I awoke in the morning almost in disbelief for the glory and goodness of my present condition, I began to sing, with Bunyan’s Pilgrim:

Where am I now, Is this the love and care,

Of Jesus, for men that Pilgrims  ‘re.

Thus to provide, that I should be forgiven,

And dwell already, the next door to Heaven.

And this word was whispered to me in a still small voice:

“Set your affections on things above….”  And this also I heard, “Fear not little flock, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

And I worshipped the Altogether Lovely, he is my beloved, and he is my friend, my Lord and my God. ^{Song 5:16}

And I opened my book and saw heaven.

The End.

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Php 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Joh 17:24  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Psa 45:1   A Song of loves. My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.