Chapter 4: Sooner Than You Think

Sooner Than You Think He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly.' Amen.

"Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
(REVELATION 22:20)

My daughter, Choo Nam, I am your Lord.' It was the familiar voice of my Master speaking so compassionately and confidently in my bedroom during the wee hours of February 24.

The shaking in my body had already awakened me around midnight. This time I watched the clock to see how long the trembling would last. After approximately twenty minutes, the groaning from deep in my spirit began. I continued to shake, and the heat of the Lord's anointing was causing me to perspire. It was after this time of preparation that I heard the Lord speaking to me.

I was getting somewhat accustomed to His presence. Most of the time I greatly enjoyed His visits. On this occasion, the image of His presence was very clear. His figure was bathed in a soft, warm glow of pristine whiteness. He reached His hand toward me as I continued to shake even more intensely, and my arms began to flail in every direction.

As I had experienced the week before, my spirit lifted from my body, and I could see myself as a young girl with long, straight hair. Once again I was walking on the beach with the Lord. We walked and walked and walked. It was a quiet time. Jesus seemed to be thinking, and for the longest time He did not speak a word.

One thing He did say eventually, over and over again, was, 'We have a lot of work to do.'

'WE ARE GOING TO HEAVEN'

The Master again took me into a huge tunnel. Again'unlike most tunnels'it was bright and shiny. I soon realized this was the same tunnel He had taken me through the first time. I reasoned this must be the tunnel that people who have near-death experiences frequently describe as the passageway from this life to the next.

In most such cases of out-of-the-body experiences, people report that they are hurled into a long, dark tunnel at a rapid pace. At the far end of the tunnel they can see the glorious brightness of heaven. This, I thought, must be the doorway to the indescribably wonderful kingdom of heaven. Now my Lord and Savior was taking me there again.

We walked by the beautiful, crystal-clear river once more, and then we returned to the beach. Jesus then said, 'We are going to heaven.'

My heart leaped into my throat as my soul was flooded with excited anticipation over the realization that I was going to heaven. I was going home, and Jesus was giving me a personal tour of the afterlife so I could write about it and let others know. It was so thrilling to be chosen for such an honor, and I could hardly contain the joy that overwhelmed me.

No sooner had Jesus announced our destination than I began to fly. I had flown in airplanes before, and those flights were always exciting and exhilarating; but this time my body was taking flight like a bird. I remembered the passage from Isaiah: 'But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint' (Isa. 40:31).

I had always interpreted that verse from a spiritual perspective, but now it had become a living reality. I was flying and soaring like an eagle, and I was not afraid, because I knew Jesus was with me.

The experience of flight did not last long, however. It seemed like only a second. Soon we touched down on a narrow, winding road that was beautifully bordered by tall trees and lush, green grass. Just ahead I could see a huge gate that was set in a white fence. As we approached the gate I noticed that the road on the other side of the fence was all white, and on both sides of the lane, gorgeous flowers of every type and hue displayed their varied colors and tender blossoms.

I had never seen such beauty before, and another verse came to mind: So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
(MATTHEW 6:28-33)

Then I began to understand more clearly why God was permitting me to visit His kingdom. I realized at that moment that if mortals on earth could see what I was seeing, they would never worry again. I knew I had to tell everyone I met about my experiences so that they, too, would never need to worry again.

God indeed does take care of everything in our lives. God is working His purposes out. His love for His children is unrelenting. His Word is true. Now the burning desire of my heart is to help people to understand, to see, to believe the truth. My experiences have taught me that 'all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose' (see Rom. 8:28).

HEAVEN IS BETTER

The array of flowers was more spectacular than any garden I'd ever seen. I found myself thinking, I'm happy to know there are flowers in heaven. They had the most lovely blossoms I'd ever seen, and they seemed to grow brighter and more colorful as we approached the entrance to the large, white palace we had been walking toward.

Jesus led me up the steps to the double doors at the front. I noticed that the entry was framed with gold, and beautiful stained-glass panels were on both sides. We walked through the doors onto a white marble floor. The shiny stone walls of the corridor reminded me that I was in the vicinity of the throne room of God once more, and with each step we took, my heart pounded more intensely.

We entered the room, and it was even more awe-inspiring than before. The Lord's glistening, golden throne stood atop a raised, oval-shaped platform. Beams of radiant glory streamed from the center of the room where this platform was located.

I was directed by an angel to a little room on the side, and I was surprised to discover a powder room there. A full-length mirror covered the entire wall on the left side of this room, and many beautiful velvet chairs were neatly arranged in front of the mirror.

A beautiful being stood in front of me, and I immediately perceived that I was with an angel. The being opened a large, walk-in closet that contained many robes, gowns and crowns. The angel selected one of the gowns and put a crown on me. Each robe had rich embroidered colors. I thought the garments were the most stunning and expensive clothing I'd ever seen.

After I was dressed, the angel escorted me back to the main room. The Lord was waiting for me. I noticed that He was wearing a gown and crown like mine.

He took me to another building that looked like the pictures of medieval European castles I'd frequently seen. There was a rock wall on both sides of the castle, and magnificent flowers were planted all around. As I took in the scene in front of me, I felt like I was in a wonderland of beauty, peace and happiness. I did not want to return to earth.

The Bible says we all will worship the Lord before His throne: 'All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God' (Ps. 86:9-10). In another place the psalmist proclaims, 'The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word' (Ps. 103:19-20). The prophet Isaiah says: 'Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool' (Is. 66:1). Heaven is such a glorious place, and it will be a joy to worship God there throughout eternity.

I once heard a chorus about heaven that proclaimed: 'Heaven is better than this / Praise God / What joy and bliss / Walking down the streets of solid gold / You'll enter a land where you'll never grow old' (source unknown). Now I know the truth of this song. Heaven is far better than this earth. Truly, there is no comparison between earth and heaven.

We entered the castle, and I immediately noticed how colorfully carpeted the foyer was. The elegant furniture was selected to fit the color and style of the carpeting. The walls were sparkling and shiny'so brilliant, in fact, that they almost blinded me. At the end of the hallway, just ahead, I noticed a sliding door. I wondered what we would discover on the other side.

THE SPECIAL POND

The sliding glass door, I soon discovered, did not lead into another room; rather, it was a doorway to the castle's garden. In the center of this glorious place there was a pond. The entire 'back yard' was surrounded by a rock wall. Flowers of every type and description formed a sea of beauty everywhere I looked.

I noticed that a variety of fruit trees grew close to the rock wall. These trees were filled with the biggest, most luscious-looking fruits I'd ever seen. They were ringed by a magnificent profusion of lovely flowers. Scattered throughout this amazing garden were huge, gray boulders that seemed to be strategically placed for sitting and resting.

The pond really intrigued me, and as soon as I saw it, I began to sing in the Spirit and to dance for joy. I can't really explain why I reacted to the scene with such enthusiasm, but something supernatural was propelling me to express my gratitude, happiness and peace in a demonstrable way. The Lord sat on a rock and watched me dance.

I recalled a verse from the Old Testament: 'Then David danced before the Lord with all his might' (2 Sam. 6:14). The pond reminded me of a verse in the book of Revelation: 'And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely' (Rev. 22:17). Yes, there are bodies of water in heaven, and the water of this pond was clear and placid. It shone like crystal.

He, the Lord, spoke to me, 'This is a special pond.'

I knew it was, but I could not understand why. The Lord did not explain His statement to me at that moment, but I surmised that the pond held many spiritual secrets that I would eventually learn, one by one. I wondered: Is this where my sins, and the sins of all other believers, have been buried? Is the pond a symbol of the water of the Word of God?

Certainly, water typifies the cleansing from sin that our Lord has provided for us. His Word tells us that 'if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness' (see 1 John 1:9). Words of Jesus, as recorded by the apostle John, entered my mind: 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God' (John 3:5).

JESUS IS READY...AND WAITING

After a few moments of pure enjoyment, as I danced and sang nearby the pond, the Lord took me back to the white palace where I changed into the clothing I was wearing when He took me to heaven. Then we walked back to where we had landed on the mountain covered with trees and green bushes.

'We are going back to earth,' the Lord said.

He took my hand again and we began to fly from the heavenly firmament to earth. We went back to the place where we had begun this particular journey'the beautiful, peaceful beach along which we had strolled before.

Jesus said: 'My daughter, now you know how special you are to Me. I want you to remember it took Me a long time to prepare you to bring you to My kingdom, to show you these things so you could tell the world.'

I nodded my agreement with what He was telling me.

The Lord continued: 'I want you to remember everything I tell you and show you. Make sure you write everything down. I will make sure everyone understands all the things I show and tell you.'

This part of His message lifted the heavy load of responsibility that I had been feeling since He first told me that I had been chosen to do His work. Now I knew that He would simply speak through me and reach out to others. I only had to be willing to be used by Him. There was nothing hard about that, after all that I had experienced and seen.

Jesus went on, 'Many people think I will never come for them, but I tell you, I am coming sooner than they think.'

When He said this, the tone of His voice changed. He seemed to be almost angry, or at least I sensed a great urgency in His words. It was a warning. It was a message I had to share'and share now. The End Times are truly upon us. Jesus is coming soon.

I believe the Lord is ready for His people, but His people are not ready for Him. He sounds very urgent. This is why I must get this message out. I have no alternative'I simply must obey the Lord. People need to be warned that the coming of the Lord is near. People need to get ready for His Second Coming by repenting of their sins and receiving Him into their lives.

"The Bible is very clear about this: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
(JOHN 1:12-14)

Jesus'the living Word of God'was telling me to go quickly and tell others that He is soon to return. That's what He meant when He said, 'We have a lot of work to do.'

POWER IN THE BLOOD

The end of February 1996 was even more thrilling than the beginning had been. From 4 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. on February 28 the Lord was with me. He came to me and said, 'Choo Nam, I am your Lord.'

He reached out and took my hand, and we were miraculously transported to the beautiful beach. He held my hand as we walked along the shore, and this time the Lord seemed eager to talk with me. It was as if He had a burning desire to share many things with me.

We sat down on the sand near the edge of the ocean. As the waves ebbed and flowed in front of us, an amazing thing happened. The edge of the water turned to blood. A dark red, foaming surf surged in front of us. It seemed as if the blood was filthy, and I asked, 'Why is the blood so dirty?'

'It is My blood, Choo Nam,' He said. 'It has washed away all the sins of My children.'

I began to weep as I heard this statement. He had shed His blood for me, to cleanse me of all my sins. He who knew no sin became sin for me so I could be clothed with the righteousness of God. The blood of the perfect Lamb of God had washed me clean and set me free. It is His blood that enables me to defeat the enemy in my life. The tears I cried came from a deep reservoir in my soul as I recognized with gratitude all that Jesus had done for me.

'Don't cry, My daughter,' He said.

He took my hand, and off we flew once more. As I ascended with the Lord, I knew He was going to reveal more truth to me. I was filled with eager anticipation.

'We are going to heaven,' He stated.

My transformed body was devoid of physical sensation as we lifted from the beach. The sensation of flying in my transformed body does not make me feel light-headed or dizzy because my transformed body does not react like my earthly one would in similar circumstances.

THE SCARLET THREAD

When we arrived in the kingdom of heaven, we walked along the familiar road, went through the now-familiar gate and entered the white palace. We changed into the beautiful gowns of the kingdom. Then we went to the pond again.

The pond'it is such a special, extraordinary place. Once more I sang the songs of the Spirit and danced before the Lord. He simply sat on a rock and watched me enjoy myself. It seemed to please Him to see me dancing and singing and praising God.

'Do you like this place, My daughter?'

'Yes, my Lord,' I said, smiling.

'I will bring you here each time you come to heaven.'

This announcement thrilled me for two reasons'I wanted to keep on coming back, and I loved this particular, extraordinary setting near the pond. It was an oasis from the cares of this world'a place of refreshing, discovery and joy. I loved it here.

Before long, we left the pond and walked to the white building where we changed to regular robes and flew down to the beach on earth. I wondered why He didn't show me anything new when He took me to heaven this time. We walked by the river where the tunnel is that I saw before, and I saw the river turn to blood. Jesus pointed out, 'That is My blood'the blood I shed for My children.'

His words caused me to cry. I bowed my head and began to sob.

The Lord touched my head and said, 'Do not cry, My daughter.'

It was the pleading sadness in His voice that caused me to keep on weeping. He wanted His children to know He had willingly shed His blood for them, but so many failed to recognize this powerful provision in their lives. Again, the truth of Scripture echoed in my mind: 'He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him' (John 1:11). I could tell that this fact caused pain and grief in my Lord's heart, and I felt so honored and thankful that He had chosen to share these feelings with me.

'I did everything for My children,' He said. 'Even so, some of them do not believe, and even some who do, do not live by My words.'

The hurt in my Lord's voice was very real. I remembered how He had once wept over the city of Jerusalem because the people there had forsaken Him. I remembered how He had been saddened by the fact that His disciples did not understand Him. He had really been bothered by the fact that some of them fell asleep instead of praying on the night of His betrayal.

How it must have hurt Him when Peter denied that he knew Him, and how deeply He must have suffered when Judas Iscariot betrayed Him. Yet every day, as He acknowledged to me, His children turn away from Him, betray Him, forget Him and lose sight of the power of His blood that He shed for them. I sensed the deep pain my Master was feeling.

Now I knew more than ever why my calling must be fulfilled. People'both the saved and the lost'need to know the power of the blood of Jesus. They need to understand all that He accomplished for them at Calvary.

The people of God, as well as people in the world, need to know that Jesus has made a way for them to overcome the world, darkness, evil and all the works of the enemy. The blood of Jesus'a scarlet thread that weaves the entire Bible together'has made a way for them.

They need to know that the truth of what Jesus said in Revelation is upon us even now: Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.

"He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
(REVELATION 3:10-13)

Maranatha!