Chapter 7: Maranatha!
"Surely I am coming quickly."
(REVELATION 22:20)
After the horrifying vision of hell, the Lord and I descended the mountain, passed through the dark tunnel, and returned to a place I had started to call 'animal mountain.' This is the wonderful place I briefly described in the previous chapter'a place of peace and joy where all the animals coexist is delightful harmony.
"The Bible depicts this peaceful place for animals in the book of Isaiah, where the prophet proclaims: It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, says the Lord."
(ISAIAH 65:24-25)
After seeing the tormenting fires of hell, this peaceful scene was most reassuring. Heaven is a place of peace and joy in contrast with the violence and depression of hell. The Lord's 'animal mountain' is a place of eternal joy and happiness.
It is reassuring to know that animals will live with us in paradise. So many people wonder if their pets will be in heaven, and I am happy to let them know that heaven is a place of beautiful flowers, peaceful animals and glorious radiance where people and animals alike will never experience pain, hardship, death or suffering ever again.
GOLDEN CASTLES
After our brief visit to the animal paradise, the Lord and I went back to the waterside where we visited shiny mansions and castles on streets of pure gold. We approached one of the castles, and the Lord opened the door for me to enter. My vocabulary does not permit me to aptly describe the interior of this regal dwelling place. The walls were constructed of multicolored precious gems that glistened and glowed in a magical way.
I opened my mouth in surprise and couldn't close it for a while because I never expected to see such beauty. For a moment I thought it was a dream, but this was a real castle; there was no doubt about that.
The Lord rested on a chair as I went up the winding staircase that was more massive and grand than the one shown in Gone With the Wind's Tara plantation. I was filled with a sense of wonder as I imagined the magnificence of the rooms upstairs.
At the top of the staircase, I noticed that the carpeting was a plush white. I entered a huge powder room that had very large, sparkling mirrors everywhere. They reflected the brightness of the room and the multitude of colors that arrayed themselves spectacularly on every wall. It was a more wonderful place than any fantasy castle could ever be.
The breathtaking joy and fascination I was experiencing was soon shattered by an exceedingly painful memory. The view of my mother flashed in front of me, and I was downcast once more. I fell to the carpet and began to sob.
I heard the Lord calling me from downstairs, so I got up, brushed myself off and went back downstairs. The Lord stood up and I walked toward Him. He extended His hands toward me and asked, 'How do you like this house?'
'It is beautiful, Lord, but I am not truly happy. Whenever I've visited heaven before I've been filled with joy and I usually sing spiritual songs, but this time it cannot be so.'
The Lord nodded as if He understood, then He took my hand and led me out of the house. We walked across a golden bridge toward the white building where we usually change our garments. In the white building, the Lord introduced me to a very impressive gentleman. 'I want you to meet Abraham,' He said.
A CITY AWAITS
"Abraham! The great patriarch of faith and obedience'the man who had defied the entire world by proclaiming there is only one God. This was the great leader who had founded Judaism and had paved the way for Christ. It was such an honor to actually meet this good man of whom the writer of the book of Hebrews said: By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would afterward receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
(HEBREWS 11:8-10)
Now I knew that Father Abraham had received the reward that his faith had justified. He was living forever in 'the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God,' and I was there with him! It was too wonderful to fully comprehend.
Abraham was a most dignified person who had long white hair and a flowing white beard. Though he looked old, his eyes sparkled with youth and joy. He put his hand on my shoulder and simply said, 'Daughter.'
The smile on his face caused me to know that his blessing was upon my life, and I immediately loved this great man to whom I, and every believer in the world, owe so much. Perhaps more than anyone else, it was Abraham who taught us that 'without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him' (see Heb. 11:6).
"He was one of that great host of patriarchs and prophets of whom it was said: But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,' accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense."
(HEBREWS 11:16-19)
For the first time in my life I saw the many truths of this verse with utter clarity. God has prepared a city for Abraham, and for all of us who believe and obey. Abraham, like God, had willingly offered his only begotten son, fully persuaded that God could raise him from the dead if need be.
In the same way, our heavenly Father gave His only begotten Son'Jesus'as a sacrifice for our sins. He was crucified and buried, but on the third day God raised Jesus from the dead, and because of His resurrection none of us ever have to fear death again!
Abraham called an angel to be my escort. The angel took me into the powder room where I changed into my beautiful heavenly robe and crown. Then the Lord took me back to the pond.
Each time the Lord takes me to the pond, the moment we arrive there I begin to sing and dance, but this time I wanted only to cry. The Lord knew how sad I was. He let me sit next to Him, and He began to talk.
VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH
Jesus sensed the sadness that I carried in my heart over the full recognition of my parents and loved ones being in hell.
'My daughter,' He said, 'I know how you feel about your loved ones that you saw in the pit. How I wish I did not have to show you these things, but I do not want any of My children to go to the place where your loved ones are. I am showing these things to you so that whoever heeds my warnings will be saved!'
The Lord then took my hand, and we returned to the place where Abraham was. We changed our clothing again, and He took me to another high mountain from which I could look down into another endless valley where a multitude of people dressed in gray-colored robes were wandering about in an apparent mood of dejection. Their robes reminded me of the gowns worn by hospital patients.
The people looked weak and lost, and their gray faces matched the color of the robes they were wearing. They stared at the ground in front of their feet as they walked around in circles, aimlessly and hopelessly. This place was mostly men with just a few women.
'Who are these people, Lord?'
'They are the sinful 'Christians.''
'What is going to happen to them?' I wondered aloud.
'Most of them will go to the lake of fire after the judgment.'
I wondered why these people were here, and then I remembered that their valley leads to the burning pit. These so-called 'Christians' who don't really know the Lord and who continually and willfully sin and don't repent before they die or before the Rapture happens will be eternally lost.
Romans 1:29-32,Galatians 5:19-21 and Revelation 21:8 all are examples of how some Christians live. Someone once asked me how sinful Christians could enter heaven. We all must appear before the judgement seat of Christ to receive what is due to us for the things done while on earth, whether good or bad (see 2 Cor. 5:10).
'My daughter, this is why I keep telling you about the importance of obedience and purity,' Jesus said.
Then it occurred to me'each time we went to the beautiful places of the heavenly kingdom we crossed the golden bridge, from the white building where we usually change. When the Lord took me to see the dreadful places, however, we would go on different roads that were outside the gate of the heavenly kingdom.
SADNESS AND JOY
This realization helped me understand some of the preparations we would go through before I would be shown a different part of the kingdom. Therefore, it was not necessary for us to change our robes when the Lord took me to the earthly beach. On this occasion, we sat on the sand, and I reflected on all that I had experienced. I began to cry as I remembered all I had seen in the pit and the valley. The Lord took my hand and said, 'Do not cry, My daughter.'
This was the hardest of all commands to obey, but I steeled myself against the horrible memories, choked back the tears and began to ask all the questions that were flooding my mind.
'Lord, I do not know anything, and I am a nobody. How can you use me?'
'People may think you are a nobody, but I want you to understand that you are My special daughter. I treat you as My friend, and I trust you implicitly. Don't worry about anything. I will take care of everything for you.'
'When are you coming to take us home?'
'You saw the kingdom. Everything is ready, and that is why I am in a hurry for everyone to be ready for Me. This is why I want you to do this work for My children. You have been given a special anointing to do this work, so do not say that you are a nobody. I will bless you more than you ever thought.'
'Lord, you know that I love you, but I cannot get rid of my mother's face as I saw it contorted by the fires of hell. I do not want to remember what I saw.'
Just then the Lord touched my eyes, and from that moment on I could not recall my mother's face. Even as I write these words, I cannot see her face. All I can remember is that I once saw her face in the pit, and it was a terrifying experience.
Jesus then said: 'I know you are tired. We will talk again.'
We both stood, and He embraced me, then departed. As the Lord hugged me, my body shook so hard that I felt I would fall to pieces. Every time He touches my transformed body, my physical body experiences the overpowering force of His touch, and every nerve and sinew in my body quakes and quivers. Then, the minute He leaves, my body stops shaking.
That same morning, I went to church, and I experienced the presence of the Lord shaking my body throughout the service. I could see Him standing by the pastor. During the worship time, the Lord was walking in the front of the church. It was wonderful to see His glowing presence in the church.
Throughout the service I cried tears of love and joy. My heart thudded within my breast as I contemplated the majesty of the heavenly kingdom I had visited. The anointing was so heavy upon me that I could not stand. I could not even hear the pastor's sermon as my body responded to the Lord's presence with intense heat and shaking.
The people in my church understand what is happening to me, and they've been very supportive. In times past I would have been embarrassed and ashamed by such a physical manifestation in public, but I was happy because I knew it all was a gift of God and He was preparing me to serve Him in ways I had never thought possible. I never want this manifestation of His powerful presence in my life to go away.
THE TRIBULATION
On March 4 the Lord visited me from 2:30 a.m. to 5:05 a.m. My body shook for twenty minutes, then the Lord took me to the beach, and we walked up the mountainside to the big rock where we had sat the last time.
Everything seemed normal for the first few moments, but suddenly I noticed that the mountains where the fires had burned the day before were now only scorched, charred mounds of ash and rubble. The whole area was simply a huge, black hole of destruction. I noticed that the beach, where the people had run and fallen the day before, was pockmarked with black spots, and I assumed that each of these spots represented the charred remains of human beings who had died in the fires of the last days.
The ocean, once filled with blazing blood, was now a large, empty sinkhole'scorched beyond recognition. After a few moments of beholding this scene of ultimate desolation, darkness and destruction, the ocean and the surrounding area returned to normal.
I had studied the Word of God to see what it said about these phenomena. In Revelation 8:8, I read these words: 'And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.Revelation 16:3 refers to the sea becoming like blood: 'Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.' God had shown me the very things He had already described in His Word.
'When is all this going to take place?' I asked the Lord with great curiosity.
'At the tribulation.'
'Lord, when will the tribulation occur?'
'After I bring My children to My kingdom. Whoever has read My book and believes My prophets should know about these things concerning the end of time. All the things I showed you on this beach will happen very soon.'
I feel the Lord is coming for us very soon, and that is why so many unusual things are happening in the world. One glance at the daily headlines concurs with this observation. Earthquakes, other natural disasters (including hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons, fires, floods and blizzards), violence, lawlessness, plagues, terrorism and many other phenomena are occurring with greater intensity and frequency than ever before, just as the Bible predicted.
Jesus told His disciples: And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."
(MATTHEW 24:6-14)
These were the events that Jesus had already shown me. How I wish I could impress their vividness and reality upon everyone in the same way that those scenes have been so indelibly imprinted on my mind. Jesus' words are real, and His prophecies soon will come to pass!
THE PLACE OF LIVING WATER
In the Book of Revelation, the Bible talks about the 'water of life': 'And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month' (Rev. 22:1-2).
After the Lord took me to heaven, we went into the white building, and an angel took me to the powder room where I changed clothing. When I came out, I saw the Lord who had changed into heavenly garments as well. He took me to His throne and directed me to sit on a chair next to Him. This was the first time the Lord seated me next to Himself.
There I saw many men wearing beautiful gowns and crowns sitting in front of us. I noticed that they looked very dignified and important.
'Lord, who are these men?'
'They are the ones I gave My sacred words to, and they faithfully recorded them in My book.'
He pointed to a huge black Bible in the corner of the room, and I noticed that the pages of the Scriptures were turning by themselves as if a soft breeze was fingering its way through the pages. I was surprised, but then I realized the wind of the Spirit of God was rustling through the pages of the holy Word.
The men began to walk out slowly, and an angel took me back to the powder room so I could change into a regular gown, and my body took on the form of a teenager. I remembered then that heaven is a place where you never grow old, and this thought delighted me and filled me with wonder.
We crossed the golden bridge again and walked along a hillside by a beautiful valley. A golden fence formed a boundary around the entire area, and the fence had several gates that were placed close to one another all around the perimeter. Trees were planted close to the fence, and lovely yellow flowers filled the ground around the trees. It was a magnificent rock garden that led to a crystal-clear river.
I noticed that the trees were laden with purple fruits. The Lord reached up and gave me one to eat while He enjoyed another one that He had picked. The river was narrow, but it seemed to have no end as it coursed its way through the fertile valley. Nothing on earth'not even the majestic Rocky Mountains or the fruited plains'could compare with the lush paradise in front of me.
'What is this place, Lord?'
'It is the place of living water. Would you like a drink?'
'Oh, yes, Lord.'
He bent down and cupped His hand, filling it with the clean, pure water. He drank from His hand and indicated that I should follow His lead. I reached down and filled my palm with water and sipped its delicious freshness. It was the sweetest water I'd ever tasted.
'How do you like this water, My daughter?'
'It's so delicious, Lord.'
'Now I want to take you to a very special place.'
THE MANSION
I wondered where He was leading me as He took my hand and began walking. He led me to the castle we had visited on the previous day. My heart sang with wonder. How could anything be this beautiful?
The golden streets amazed me, and I felt so happy as we walked along this place the Lord has prepared for His own. The street looked slippery because it was so shiny, but felt normal underfoot. Because of its brightness, it resembled an indoor ice-skating rink. Sunlight, it seemed, was shooting through the whole place.
Whenever I walk with the Lord, I feel so intensely happy that there truly are no words to describe it. It is a feeling of comfort and joy mingled with unwavering security.
We walked past many mansions and castles, each more exquisite than the last. In front of one of these dwellings, the Lord stopped emphatically. I knew He was going to take me inside, and I was excited beyond all measure. My heart kept skipping beats as we walked up the front steps.
My eyes were drawn to the doorknob, which was made of gold. Then I saw a gold plate on the front door. It had a name inscribed on it, and I realized quickly that it was my name. I almost fainted with surprise. Written in fancy lettering was the name 'Choo Nam.'
This was the place Jesus had prepared for me! I was amazed. It was too good to be true. Here I was, standing at the door of a regal palace in heaven, and my name was inscribed in gold on its beautiful door! It was too much to take in! My head reeled in astonishment. How could these things be?
I cried tears of gratitude and joy as my heart overflowed with love and adoration for the Lord. I had never really anticipated such wonderful things from Him. I had always felt that if He simply noticed me it would be OK, but now He literally was showering His blessings on me!
I had tasted the living water, and I knew I would never thirst again. I had tasted the purple fruit of paradise, and I could never hunger for the things of the world again.
I had been with Jesus'my Lord and Master'and He had taken me to the mansion He had made for me. I wept openly as the Lord led me into the house. He said: 'Do not cry, My daughter. I want you to be happy.'
As we stepped across the threshold of the mansion, spiritual songs welled up from my heart, and I continued to cry tears of joy and gratitude. I was awestruck by the sparkling stone walls that lined the corridor of my mansion. I loved the red-and-cream-colored carpet with its round patterns. The red velvet chairs'so classic and sophisticated'were like the ones I had always wanted in my home. The red draperies were the finest I'd ever seen.
The Lord took His seat on one of the velvet chairs as I walked up the majestic stairway, savoring every single moment in my mansion. The bedroom was carpeted in pure white, and I noticed that the headboard of the bed was silver with blue stones embedded decoratively along its border.
The mirror on the dresser also had blue stones highlighting its brightness. The bathroom had a silver bathtub that was decorated with precious jewels of every color.
I sang as I walked around the interior of my mansion. I felt like a princess in fairyland. But I knew this was no fantasy'it was more real than I had ever imagined. I had always believed in a heavenly paradise, but I had never been absolutely sure of its existence. Now I knew, beyond all doubt, that heaven is real, and I wanted everyone in the world to know it, too.
After several moments of wonderful joy, I walked down the stairs to where the Lord was sitting. He stood up and asked, 'Are you happy, Choo Nam?'
I knew the Lord was happy about showing me my mansion.
'Yes, I am very happy, and so very grateful for all you've done for me,' I responded, 'but I still feel as if I don't deserve such wonderful blessings. I haven't really done anything for You yet, Lord, but I always want to serve You and to make You happy.'
'You have already made Me happy, My daughter. You are a very special daughter to Me, and I want to bless you so much.'
'MY CHILDREN ARE NOT READY FOR ME'
As we left and walked over the golden bridge, we went back to the white building and changed into beautiful gowns and crowns and went to the pond. I felt so joyous, I was singing before we even arrived at the pond.
We sat and talked for a little while, and I realized that I was the most fortunate individual who had ever existed. The Lord broke my reverie with an urgent message.
'Choo Nam, I have prepared everything for My children. I am in a hurry for everything because My kingdom has been ready for a long time, but so many of My children are not ready for Me, because they love the world too much.
'That is why I want you to write a book for Me. I know it's tiring for you, but this work has to be done soon.
'Lord, I am so surprised about everything you have shown me already. If I were to hear of such a book, I know I would want to read it because I love You so much.'
'I know you do, My daughter,' He responded, smiling. 'This is why I am in such a hurry. Preaching the gospel is the most important thing in the world. I want all My children to know that I am coming soon.'
My mind went back to some of the closing words of the Bible, and with all my heart I cried the same: 'Even so, come, Lord Jesus.'
Maranatha! The Lord truly is coming soon.