The Lord Jesus did not say it like that. But we are called to believe by faith Heb Sufficient, I believe, is the proof from the scripture just quoted. Shall we return to the account given by the son of the widow of Nain? When the Lord left he told his mother and all who had come for his funeral the things he saw in the spirit world.
Sadly, they laughed at him and brushed his story off as a dream. After his resurrection, he spent all his life serving the Lord Jesus. He was one of the seventy whom the Lord sent out two by two to preach the gospel Lk The young man of Nain then proceeded to describe to the Maharishi heaven, its inhabitants and mansions, which were exactly as the Maharishi himself had seen it.
This convinced the Maharishi that the testimony from the young man was genuine. One day the spirit of a leading philosopher from Athens, Greece, visited the Maharishi. He shared with the Maharishi his salvation experience in the following manner. Although very knowledgeable in the field of science, he harbored a great longing to know something about the unseen world. He also wanted to know whether the soul. As he was seeking information from different sources, someone told him how the Lord Jesus had raised up from the dead a young man from Nain.
Curiosity drove this philosopher in search of this young man. When he found him he asked him what he had seen in the spirit world. The philosopher was very impressed with what he heard from the young man concerning heaven and the omniscience of God.
He was so thankful that God gave him this opportunity to know of the Messiah while the Lord Jesus was still alive on this world. A philosopher called Phinehas once visited the Maharishi and narrated his encounter with the Lord Jesus. He lived during the time when our dear Lord was still in this world. He heard a lot about the wonderful works of the Lord Jesus and was desirous to meet Him.
When Phinehas came to Canaan he went in search of the Lord. Almost everyone from whom he enquired about the whereabouts of the Lord told him the same thing: It was impossible to see the Lord because He was always thronged by a huge crowd.
This news saddened Phinehas, but he did not give up. He finally got near a place where the Lord was reported to be around. There he met a man walking joyfully with a bed in his hand. Phinehas asked the man where he was coming from. He replied that he was returning from receiving a. Phinehas was surprised to hear this and asked him how he got to the Lord, who was always surrounded by a huge crowd.
Jn But never did anyone help me get into the water. As it happened, the Lord Jesus was walking by the pool of Siloam one day and saw from a distance a withered man writhing in pain. He came to this unfortunate soul and looked at him with love. Many of those who are not able to see the Lord He calls them by name and listens to their requests cp.
Lk He knows the secrets in the hearts of all men. Mk At this point of the narrative the reader may begin to doubt the veracity of this incident, for it is not mentioned in the Bible. If this narrative bears witness with your spirit, you can accept this and possibly some other extra-biblical source by faith when they do not contradict the basic doctrines of our belief. Shall we continue to hear what happened next to Phinehas? Phinehas came to a place where he found the Lord Jesus surrounded by a huge crowd.
Pushing his way through the crowd he came close enough to behold the Lord and hear Him speak. The Lord looked around and noticed Phinehas in the crowd. Phinehas was captivated by the charm of His face and by the humility and gentleness shining from His eyes. Phinehas noticed the Lord sighing and looking at the crowd with great compassion. A man with a withered hand approached the Lord Jesus. The man pleaded with the Lord to heal him.
This man, Phinehas later found out, was a treasury clerk in the Temple. He used to embezzle large sums of temple funds. It was this sin that caused the withering of his hand. The sin of embezzlement had become a habit, and it had not occurred to him that the withering of his hand was related to his dishonesty.
Only when the Lord declared his sins forgiven did he then realize his ailment was brought on by his own sin. It seemed that the Lord saw sin as the root cause of many sicknesses and diseases. The annihilation of sin thus resulted in the destruction of diseases.
Phinehas witnessed many other miracles of the Lord. Finally came the moment when Phinehas was able to get close enough to be seen by the Lord. Perceiving the desire in his heart, the Lord called out to him to come closer. Phinehas pressed forward and fell at His feet in worship.
Raising him up, the Lord forgave him his sins, and blessed him with His holy hands. Phinehas, now saved from his sins and blessed with a new life, returned back to his country with great joy. In those times an open confession of faith in the Lord Jesus meant facing the punishment of death.
That did not deter Phinehas from proclaiming that the Lord Jesus alone was the Savior of mankind. Once, the Maharishi met with John the Baptist in the spirit world. Great excitement filled the Maharishi, for here was the mighty prophet who prepared the way of the Lord. At the same time, he was just joyful being able to meet another fellow saint. They hugged each other and sat down for a conversation.
The Baptist narrated several incidents that happened to him during his ministry on earth. The account of his seemingly chance meeting with the Lord Jesus in the wilderness was what blessed the Maharishi the most.
John the Baptist was fully conscious of the fact the Lord God of Israel had sent him to prepare the way for Messiah to come Jn This he felt he did to the utmost of his ability. He travelled all over Israel preaching repentance, calling people to turn away from sin. He devoted himself wholeheartedly to that task, knowing well that there was not much time for repentance.
At the appointed time the dear Lord Jesus came to John to receive baptism from his hands Matt After baptizing the Lord, John thought his work was finished, for the Messiah whom he was preparing the way for had come and was dwelling in their midst. The Messiah would surely take over his work from then on. He searched for the Lord for several days but could not find Him.
Eventually, his search brought him to a lonely wilderness. There, in the heart of the wilderness, he saw the Lord seated on a rock, quite exhausted. As he was about to take a step forward to go and meet the Lord an amazing scene, almost too wonderful for comprehension, unfolded before his eyes.
This compelled him to hide behind a tree to observe the proceeding. He saw the Lord Jesus seated on a rock as if in deep meditation. Cherubim and seraphim were descending from heaven singing praises to God cp. More angels showed up, armed with all kinds of musical instruments, hovering over the Lord. They began praising God with uplifted voices, full of gladness, praise, and thanksgiving. The glory of God was upon all of them. Besides the angels, another host consisting of prophets who were now in glory appeared: Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and Samuel.
Surprisingly, even Adam himself stood with the holy company. This host stood before the Lord with great reverence and humility. They were standing in wrapt devotion and prayer before the Lord.
An even more bewildering thing was happening. Oblivious to their presence, the Lord was in deep thought. He was obviously communing with the heavenly Father concerning the work ahead of Him. When the angels and the prophets perceived through the Spirit what the life and mission of the Son of God entailed they were greatly astonished and laden with grief and sadness. We all are ready at every time for Your service.
Service for You is life for us. Choose one among us that he may go and give his life in Your place. Oh Master of all in Heaven and in the Spirit world, why is it necessary that You should bear this pain and be crucified? The work which My Father has entrusted to Me can only be accomplished by Me. Your death could not save sinners.
It is for this reason that I Myself should suffer and be killed, so that man may be freed from the bonds of Satan and the whole creation be redeemed from the curse.
To You be all the glory! Please send me that I may go and take the punishment that I rightly deserve. The Lord turned and looked at Adam. Your death does not have the power to save even a single soul. It is necessary for Me to die so that I can become the atoning sacrifice for the whole world. Besides you cannot go into the world a second time. There is no one strong enough but the Son of God for this great work of redemption. And without the shedding His blood, the salvation of the world cannot be accomplished.
Why then do we also suffer death—the consequence of sin—seeing that we are innocent? Second, when Adam—who was created with honor and into whose hand authority over the entire creation was given— sinned, the rest of creation must partake in his punishment. John the Baptist, who was watching this incredible scene from a distance, desired also to go near the Lord and talk with Him.
But being a mere man he feared the wild animals could harm him. The Lord, knowing that John was all the while standing close by, called out to him by name. Encouraged by the Lord calling for him, John went forward. As he made his way towards the Lord, the animals which he feared moved aside and made a path for him.
John came before the Lord, fell at His feet, and gave Him worship. What further work do you have for Your servant to do? Command, for Your servant is ready to obey. Or let me know if I may retire from this world and go to the prepared place to await Your coming?
Your time to retire from this world has not come yet. Go and continue your work until My time is at hand cp. Matt You were chosen to do this work before Me so that you might prepare the way before Me. Now look, you will reach the Spirit world before Me. Eph ; 1 Pe And just as the Lord had told John it happened to him. Soon after he was martyred he arrived at the Spirit world.
He preached the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ to the spirits awaiting redemption. He prepared them for the coming of the Lord Jesus Himself to this. And when the Lord Jesus gave up His life many of these spirits rejoiced to come to earth to meet Him and pay Him reverence cp. When John received this commission from the Lord his heart was filled with joy. John fell at the feet of the Lord and worshipped him. When he rose up he saw the Lord Jesus seated on a great and wonderful throne surrounded by millions of bright angels.
John was surprised to see the Lord in heaven, since He was still there before him on earth. But did not the Lord Himself allude to this mystery? As he looked around his eyes fell upon one particular throne upon which no one sat. His name, Satan, is now well known to everyone.
This throne will at the end of this world be given to the man who during his life on earth has been the humblest and kindest. Looking at the dignity and glory of the Lord as He sat on the throne John closed his eyes. His heart filled with gladness, he contemplated the boundless goodness of the Lord. When this heavenly vision faded from his eyes he saw himself standing before the Lord in the wilderness again.
With a smile the Lord Jesus looked at John with. Once more John worshipped the Lord before he departed from His presence. Sadhu Sundar Singh met the Maharishi the second time in When the Sadhu met the Maharishi at his cave the Maharishi very cordially welcomed Sadhu and lovingly enquired about his travels. The Maharishi revealed that in order to carry out his ministry of prayer and intercession he had been graced by God to travel anywhere in the spirit. The Sadhu marveled at the revelation, shaking his head innocently and wondering if this could possibly be so.
It was as though the Maharishi had been living with him all his life. Needlessly to say the Sadhu was dumbfounded. Gathering himself back together again he conveyed the request of one of his missionary friends for the Maharishi to pray for him. Feeling shame for making the request, the Sadhu sensed a hint of gravity in the holy man. My whole life is devoted to prayer. Upon returning back to India the Sadhu wrote to his missionary friend what the Maharishi said about him.
The missionary acknowledged his sin and repented with tears. He had thought that besides God no one else knew about his sin. How could one know what is happening in the world and what is happening in the lives of people, especially while hidden far away from civilization?
So he asked the Maharishi how it was possible for a spirit to travel independently of the body. Heb , the saint patiently explained. Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? For example, he told how the Sadhu once spent a night with a panther, and how, on another occasion, he met a man carrying a lamb. He also described an accident along the way to Mount Kailash, when the Sadhu fell down and smashed the nail of his big toe.
This revelation also surprised the Sadhu much. If not for that, in answer to the call of duty, he would have been traveling in the spirit to fulfill his ministry about the time the Sadhu came. The Maharishi shared that most people seem to think that whatever they do in secret is not seen by anyone or known to anyone else. He added that he had seen with his own eyes how nothing could be hidden. Once he was at a certain house in Liverpool, UK, in the spirit.
Two other spirits were also there. The Maharishi later found out that the two spirits were the relatives of the man who lived in that house. Both of the relatives lived God-fearing lives during their life-time.
Not only were the just and perfect spirits there but also an army of angels. They witnessed the man of the house committing a. He will, at that moment, repent and long for forgiveness but he will not receive it. He was assailed by a strong temptation to sin. But instead of succumbing to the desires of the temptation this man constantly knelt down and prayed for divine help to overcome his evil passion.
This fierce inner struggle was witnessed by several of his relatives who were present in the spirit. At long last this temptation was overcome through prayer, upon which the relatives and hundreds of angels who were also present broke out in jubilant praises to glorify God, who had saved a soul from falling into sin.
All who had lived godly lives—which includes our relatives and people dear to us of course—and who had gone home to be with the Lord are called spirits of just men made perfect Heb They, it seems, follow the lives of those who are still alive in this world with great interest.
They share our joys, our sorrows, and our sufferings. Often-at-times they come close to us. But, as spiritual law dictates, they are not allowed to talk with us. Neither can we see them except in those rare moments when God Himself gives permission. The Maharishi once witnessed a very heart-rending incident. A Christian widow who lived in Madras now called Chennai , India, had an only son.
That boy became seriously ill and died a few weeks later. The poor widow, unable to accept the cruel reality, wept constantly, thinking only of her departed son. One day, as she was wailing and weeping with grief, her son appeared before her in the spirit.
I have entered my eternal rest and am happy here. Do not grieve for me that I am no longer with you. For a short time later you will also be with me. This young man begged God to allow his mother to see him and thereby be comforted, but the permission, as is usually the norm, was not granted. This incident shows that our deceased relatives watch and observe our thoughts and actions.
God will usually answer them in a manner like this: They have with them many of My servants. Let them learn from their teaching. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The rich man also died and was buried. The Maharishi recalled how Dives pleaded Abraham for Lazarus to be sent back to earth to warn his relations about the reality of hell, so that they might not end up there.
This angel is constantly with him to help and uphold him in his moments of weakness and despair. Even then they do not see the angels all the time except when God so permits. During the times when God so graciously permits their spiritual eyes to be opened, they get to see glimpses of the spiritual world and to understand some of the mysteries of the communion of the saints.
Except for a certain group almost all spirits enjoy perfect freedom to visit any part of the earth. The reason why they do not want to come near humans more often than they could is because their sinless and heavenly nature is averse to the sin-stained nature of humans.
They are repulsed by the very smell of sin. The fallen nature of man is repugnant to their pure celestial nature.
They even detest coming near humans to help them. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die? For you are Saul! What did you see? Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do. For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me.
The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night. The Maharishi asked the Sadhu to note how the spirit of the Prophet Samuel reacted when he was invoked by the medium of En Dor.
Clearly, the prophet was not happy to be disturbed, even by the king who was his special charge for many long years. A clarification is necessary here regarding the reference which the Maharishi quoted. You may say this is necromancy—talking to the dead, that is, which is forbidden by God Deu Though it is true that Saul consulted a medium who talked with the dead something supernatural took place here that shook up the medium herself.
Mediums are spiritists who are supposedly able to communicate with dead people. But we have already learned that God does not normally permit the deceased to appear before humans.
So in most instances, people desiring to communicate with their loved ones who have. Such communications are also forbidden by God Lev However, in this biblical incident it was not a familiar spirit that masqueraded as the Prophet Samuel.
It was the very spirit of Samuel himself that appeared before Saul. We know this from the reaction of the medium. She was used to seeing familiar spirits and talking with them. But she became hysterical when she saw the true spirit of a holy man 1 Sam This was a rare incident permitted by God. We should not think that we could conjure up spirits of just men made perfect. Evil spirits, however, are only too eager to interfere in human affairs.
They are full of sin and they burn with an insatiable desire to feed their sinful nature. As it is impossible for them to take upon themselves human bodies, their sinful lusts derive some gratification when humans commit sins.
The very knowledge of their dreadful fate on Judgment Day makes these spirits desperately miserable. They know that on that day they will be consigned to the perpetual torture of hell. So their one ambition and joy now is to provoke people to evil works, so they could have human company in hell. All spirits reap the fruit of the works they do on earth during their life time. But there are those who are not responsible for their final fate.
To validate this statement the Maharishi narrated the following two incidents. He was once present in the spirit at the death bed of a girl in England. Her parents never took care of her and allowed her to grow up in her wicked ways. After her death, when she entered the spiritual world, she was told what her end would be. On hearing that she became so angry that she began to curse her parents, for they did not turn her away from her wicked ways nor warn her of the tragic consequences.
On another occasion he saw a boy who was well brought up by his godly parents. At his death bed he realized he had inherited eternal life in heaven. He felt deeply grateful to the godly parents who had guided him in the path of righteousness. The Maharishi shared with the Sadhu that not only was his spirit allowed to travel to different parts of the world but at times he was also allowed to visit heaven. During each visit with the Maharishi the Sadhu would ask many questions to whet his insatiable spiritual appetite.
But on this one occasion in he focussed his attention on this one challenging question: Are human souls eternal like God or are they born? If they do not have an existence from the beginning how can they be eternal, for that which has a beginning must also have an end.
If the soul is born, is it formed with the body or is not formed before it? How in the world could anyone answer such mind-boggling, out-of-this-world questions? Through personal experience, the author himself has found that the angels and saints in glory—spirits of just men made perfect—could answer complex questions with ease.
Shall we now hear how the aged Maharishi answered that puzzling question of the youthful Sadhu? But the human soul is limited in knowledge and power. Consequently, it is also limited with regard to time - eternity. It was God who ordains all things into being. Let there be, God decrees, and something comes into existence. It is difficult—nay, quite impossible really—to bring the non-existence of something into existence. But by a divine command, changing the state of existence into eternity [after death] is not the least bit difficult.
The Sadhu scratched his head, not knowing how to respond to what he just heard. The Maharishi looked dotingly on with a measure of glee, knowing that the dazed learner, who was equally earnest and intelligent, was desperately looking for words to frame his follow-up question.
How could a great spiritual person like him not know the difference? Perhaps Paul may have been there just once. That perhaps may be why he was not sure. But I have been there many times. I know for absolute sure that I was not there in the body. The pair went on to muse over other related spiritual matters, even while the new knowledge was still percolating through the mind of the energised inquirer. Presently, fixing his eyes intently on the Maharishi, the Sadhu implored his mentor to remain by his side for at least a month.
You should not neglect your work by remaining here. Not giving up the Sadhu begged to be allowed to stay with the venerable saint at least for a week.
You should not remain any longer after that. The Sikhs, a people group belonging to the state of Punjab in India, are known for their tenacity. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Shaken to the core, the Sadhu quickly collected himself. He was dumbfounded, not knowing where he could be. The place he was standing was exceedingly beautiful and peaceful. He later said that he could not fully describe with mortal words the wonderful and majestic things he saw there. Looking all around with wonderment again and again, the Sadhu did not have a clue where he was.
Why not look at yourself? His entire body was shining with glorious light. When the Sadhu examined himself closely he could see clearly that he still seemed to have an earthly body, complete with flesh and bones. But when he tried to clasp his right hand with his left hand, there was nothing.
He tried several times to touch the various parts of his body. Speechless and unsure. After settling down from the initial shock, the Sadhu was graced by the manifold mercies of God to begin exploring his newly found environs. From heaven, which was where he was, the Sadhu recognized the earth in the distance, looking like a small glass ball.
Being completely in the Spirit he was able to see far and near at the same time. The Maharishi then took the Sadhu in the Spirit to a three-story house in Arabia. There on the lower floor of the house they were able to see a man committing a sin. The Sadhu was surprised that the roof, the walls, and the floors did not prevent him from seeing this person. The entire building looked like transparent glass. But he does not know that there are several angels and saints watching him with sorrow commit this sin.
Immediately the Maharishi took the Sadhu to another place. There in a house the Sadhu saw a woman in prayer. No one in this town cares for her. She prays very earnestly for many lost souls. No one in the earth knows the work this woman is doing. But look at the many angels and saints in glory who are rejoicing over the work she is doing. An angel opened a huge door to a pit. Thick dark black smoke immediately rose up from it.
From the pit came the horrifying sounds of groaning and gnashing of teeth of innumerable souls. The sights, sounds, and scent of burning sulphur proved too much for the Sadhu, who by nature, by culture, and by discipline was a man accustomed to habits of admirable cleanliness.
He looked pitifully at the Maharishi to take him away from this place. His wish was granted, and the young traveller could not have asked for a better place. Arriving at the new destination, the Sadhu found himself being led into the presence of the Lord Jesus, glowing majestically in all His beauty and glory.
After being on his face for a while and paying his deepest respects to the Lord Jesus, the Sadhu thought in his heart that he would now arise from the ground to ask whether the Lord had any commands for him. Continuing his narration about the spirit world, the Maharishi shared with Sadhu Sundar Singh the fate concerning the ungodly and those who deny the existence of God. A scientist named Sutton from Geneva, Switzerland, denied the existence of God all through his life-time. He believed that the soul and life are one and there was no such thing as the after-life.
However, his wife was a pious and godly woman. His children too, brought up by his wife, were. His wife and children tried many times to convince him of the existence of God. But Sutton would only laugh with scorn at them. In fact, he called them stupid and superstitious for being so religious. A few years later Sutton came near to death. Even then he persisted in his belief that life would exist no more when his last breath escaped from him.
Eventually he died. As soon as he died he was shocked to find himself alive in the spirit in another reality. At once he thought of his wife and children who had often tried to persuade him to believe in the after-life. His wife and children then appeared before him. Though he was happy to see them again he was disappointed to find that there appeared a great chasm between him and them cp. This made it impossible for either of them to visit each other.
They could see and hear each other well enough though. Sutton noticed that his wife and children appeared glorious and happy. But he found himself filthy and in a detestable state cp. On seeing his despicable and lost condition he wept bitterly. But did not I tell you at the death-bed I was passing on to another life and would see you again after some time?
You did not believe me and persisted in your own ways. Now we stand parted forever. Death is only a temporary parting, but this parting is eternal. Upon hearing his beloved wife speak thus, Sutton tried to jump over the chasm to reach her. But instead of getting nearer to where she was he sank deeper and deeper. His wife and children then sadly turned their backs and headed back to heaven.
The reader may think it must be horrible for the saints who are in heaven to know the fate of their unbelieving loved ones who would end up in the agonizing and torturous pain of hell. However, the God who wipes away all tears does not allow redeemed saints to wallow in sorrow Rev The very atmosphere in heaven is filled with love, joy, and peace. The gentle breeze that blows in heaven also carries these attributes.
Soon they will find kindred fellowship in the company of angels and other holy saints. Most importantly, earthly sorrows, pain, and memories cannot exist in the place where the presence of the Lord Jesus permeates everywhere. They felt broken-hearted and miserable knowing the fate of Sutton. So they quietly walked through the gates of splendor to their home in heaven.
As soon as they stepped into heaven they forgot all about their relation and began to rejoice and praise God for His goodness and mercy, which. They felt so joyful. It was as though they had never faced any sorrow or grief. The very atmosphere of heaven is free from pain, sorrow, tears, and grief.
It is filled with love, peace, and joy. The children of Satan have nothing in common with the children of God. The former, who belong to the kingdom of darkness, only have in store for them torture and everlasting death.
The latter, who belong to the kingdom of light and righteousness, have in store for them peace and everlasting joy and happiness Isa ; ; Once, the spirit of an atheist who lived in Rothak, a town in Punjab, India, visited the Maharishi. The spirit appeared very restless and miserable as he narrated his life on earth to the Maharishi.
When he was living in India he scorned at religion. He also vehemently denied the existence of God. He lived luxuriously and lasciviously, believing that there was no life after death. But when he died he was shocked to find himself alive in the spirit world. Although like all other spirits he enjoyed perfect freedom and was at liberty to go anywhere and everywhere, he found this freedom worse than imprisonment in an earthly prison, for he had finally come to realize that what awaited him was an eternity of grief and despair.
Thus he poured out his sorrow to the Maharishi. On hearing the fervent prayer of a righteous man Jas , God permitted the angel to bring the doomed spirit before Him. But even that faint light-glory of God was too dazzling for the spirit to bear and he fell flat on his face.
Only then did the saintly spirit from New York who was standing quietly by break his silence. This is what he explained to the Maharishi. When an earthen clay vessel is still wet it is possible to transform it into any shape.
But once it has been baked in the furnace and become hardened, changing its form would require that the vessel be broken. Death is the ripening of life, like the hardened baked clay vessel. No one can change his nature after death.
No one can change the manner and orientation of their life after death. An evil life cannot be converted into a good life. Neither can an infernal spirit transform into an angelic spirit. Every spirit being is made of what he loves and craves for while he is living in the earth. To convert a spirit in the after-life from its basic nature, whether it be vile or pure, is to destroy it totally.
The nature of a spirit continues to remain as what it was when it was living in the earth. Although a person leaves behind his mortal body at death, his nature is retained and follows him into the spiritual world.
The reader, here, can pause to reflect again on the true incident narrated by the Lord Jesus. From this narrative the reader can observe the following details. In his state after death, the rich man still retained full consciousness of his own identity, of Lazarus, and of his family. His nature, thoughts, and memory were intact. In Hades, he could still see, hear, feel, taste, just like while on earth.
And, significantly, we learn that once a person has crossed over through the doorway of death a spiritual law exists that forbids the alteration of the allotted state of the soul and spirit. Hence to change his nature whether vile or pure into another form is to annihilate his nature. One day it came time to pray for the nation of France and the Maharishi went into the spirit realm.
This kind of intercession is a true fact that I—the author—can vouch for. I know of a dear man of God presently living in India who like the Maharishi has a ministry of intercession in the spirit.
But let us continue now with the Maharishi. As he was praying the Maharishi saw some angels flying swiftly towards Paris. Curious, he asked where they were going in such a hurry. They told of a special assignment to go receive the spirit of a person who was about to die. They were to escort that spirit to heaven cp. When he heard that, the Maharishi begged the angels to permit him to follow them as he would like to see how spirits were received in heaven.
The heavenly host entered the house of a poor woman whose twenty one year old daughter lay on her deathbed. Her relatives stood weeping around her bed.
Fifteen minutes before she was to die the spiritual eyes of this young woman, called Maggie, were opened. She was exhilarated to see the heavenly host who had come to receive her. She was doubly surprised to see also some relatives present who had previously gone home with the Lord.
As she was looking around, with a smile on her face, Maggie noticed a golden ladder stretching all the way to heaven. She noted with joy that an army of angels was descending down the ladder towards her cp. Gen At the very top of the ladder she saw an enormous portal begin to open. Upon seeing those words Maggie remembered the words from the Gospel of John She then saw the Lord Himself standing at the entrance of the portal as if He Himself was waiting to welcome her cp.
Gen 13; Acts She saw His face shining with resplendent glory. They noticed also that her face was glowing. I am about to enter into a place of great rest and joy. Hundreds of angels have come to bring me to heaven. Yes, even the Lord Himself is waiting to receive me. Instead of weeping for me please rejoice that I am quitting this life of misery and going to enter into everlasting rest. Her words did not comfort her weeping relatives. They thought she had become delirious as she was nearing.
Seeing them cry with such bitter sorrow filled Maggie with sadness. She tried to console them by speaking many words of cheer and comfort. She was surprised to find that they did not seem to see her nor hear her. She looked at herself and tried to feel her body. It was then that she realized that she was in her spirit form now. Although she still looked like herself she did not have a physical body that could be touched or felt.
The angels who were waiting for this moment told her that she could no longer stay on earth and they should go on to the eternal abode. The angels escorted Maggie up the golden ladder towards heaven.
On both sides of the ladder she saw rows of angels singing praises to God with various kinds of musical instruments. When she reached the gate of Heaven some of the high ranking angels stood by the Lord Jesus, who came to the gate to receive Maggie.
He stretched forth His hands and embraced her, drawing her to His bosom. She was quietly pious and did whatever little acts of kindness she could. But the Lord told her that this honor was the reward granted her for what she had done for God while she was living on earth. Just as no evil work of man escapes the all-seeing eyes of God every deed of kindness is remembered and rewarded by God Heb ; Matt ; Rev The Maharishi was quietly standing at the gate of heaven as he watched this moving scene.
Having never entered into heaven before he requested for permission to follow Maggie in so he could see what heaven was like. Maggie brimmed with excitement when she saw the beautiful and imposing mansions in heaven.
Wonderstruck, she asked her guiding angel who the inhabitants were who lived in those stately mansions. The angel replied that they belonged to the saints of God who had fought and won their earthly battles. They walked on and Maggie gazed with wonderment at the mansions to her left and right. The angels then stopped at a certain magnificent mansion and motioned for Maggie to step in. Maggie came near the.
The status of a king and that of a beggar is the same here. Maggie entered into her house of everlasting joy and peace with the simple joy of childlike innocency.
There laid on a table Maggie saw a beautiful crown set with four sparkling gems. She asked her attendant angels whose crown it was and why there were four gems on it. The angels told her that the crown belonged to her and the four gems signified the four souls who came to salvation as a result of the Bible studies she had conducted during her lifetime.
On hearing that Maggie jumped up clapping her hands with rapturous joy, and began singing praises to the Lord God. After Maggie was settled in her mansion the angels escorted the Maharishi around heaven. As the Maharishi looked on in fascination, the angels began revealing to him further spiritual mysteries of the different types of mansions in heaven. A saint was seen seated in his house wearing a golden crown. He spent all his life doing good works. Another saint, who had a crown set with shining gems and rubies, was spotted in another mansion.
A third mansion was shown to the Maharishi. In it he was surprised to see a saint whose whole body was covered with shining stars. Gal The Maharishi was enthralled by the sight of lofty and magnificent mansions that seemed to dot all along the streets.
The mansions, he noticed, were not built of bricks or clay or mortar or glass or crystal or of any other earthly substance. The materials used for the mansions did not seem to have any earthly comparison.
The materials seemed transparent and translucent. The Maharishi discovered that his eyes could gaze through thousands of them together, yet see them clearly as if he was looking at just a single piece. In awe, the Maharishi drew in a deep breath. These mansions, he mused to himself, were beyond the description of the human language and beyond the comprehension of the human mind.
Then the Maharishi noticed how some mansions were uninhabited, some incomplete, and some only had their foundation laid. So he asked his guiding angels for an explanation. As they keep on progressing doing good works and advance in their spiritual growth their mansions too will progress correspondingly. The incomplete mansions which you saw belonged to those who are still fighting the good fight of faith on the earth. They still have a long time before they come here. Pointing his finger to a vacant but completed mansion the Maharishi asked why it remained vacant.
An angel replied that the owner had just finished his course that day and would be entering heaven soon to occupy the mansion. He turned his gaze and saw a number of angels escorting a saint to the mansion. How blessed are the faithful of the Lord who will one day leave their earthly homes belonging to the mortal world and enter into their mansions in their eternal heavenly home. The glory of God, the Maharishi marveled, was beyond description and comprehension.
The brightness illuminating from the face of the Lord God illuminated every niche and corner of heaven though it seemed He was seated on His throne only Jas Christ Jesus could also be seen enthroned in the hearts of every saint in heaven.
This light of God also shone into the hearts of His chosen saints still living in the earth. This light reflected the image of Christ in their hearts.
At the moment of death, the Maharishi reveals, a person hardly notices any change in himself for a few minutes. Only when the angels inform him that he has died and is now a spirit does he discover to his surprise the reality of his new existence.
Although his spirit form still looks exactly like his natural body, he is confronted with the fact that his spirit no longer has a physical, palpable body. This is the first state after death. In the second state, departed spirits see two different paths before them—the one luminous and bright, the other dark. Good spirits—those who died in Christ—are naturally attracted to the luminous path. Bad spirits, unable to tolerate the light because of their dark nature, run to the dark path to get away from the light.
It is of this state in the present life and the after-life that the Lord Jesus spoke when He said:. LUKE 34 The lamp of the body is the eye.
Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. It is the eye of the soul and spirit being darkened through sin and unrepentance that is unable to see even the faintest light of glory in heaven.
The reader must know and understand that the composition of light in heaven is different from the composition of light in nature, at least in its present state of corruption. Created light is inferior and more tolerable than uncreated pure light that is in heaven. Only the soul and spirit washed by the blood of the Lord Jesus, thereby bestowing the incorruptible eye, would be able to see and bask in the light of celestial glory.
Such a soul and spirit is attracted to the tunnel or pathway or portal of light because the immortal and undefiled eye can see pure light and withstand its intensity. In the third state, departed spirits are told their future. The good spirits are escorted to heaven, housed in their mansions, given crowns, and told of their privileges. The bad spirits are initially shocked to discover many filthy and leprous-like sores on their spiritual bodies.
These sores are the result of the sins they committed in their earthly bodies. As during their lifetime they had chosen the ways of darkness, now too in their spiritual state they once again choose to run towards darkness. They are then told that after the Judgment Day they will be cast into Hell. Till then they are at liberty to roam anywhere on the earth as it pleases them. Just as angels come to receive good spirits at the time of death, so do evil spirits come to receive the bad spirits at such a moment.
The righteous rejoice when they see angels come to receive them. The unrighteous, on the other hand, curdle in fear and tremble at the sight of hideous spirits and dreadful satanic angels who congregate at their death bed.
As soon as these unrighteous spirits enter the spirit realm they seek for an opportunity to repent. The fate of the righteous spirits is quite the opposite.
There is a popular misconception in Christendom that once a person enters heaven he has no work to do but only to rest and play the harp for eternity. According to the Maharishi, this is not so. Besides praying, worshipping, and praising God, a spirit in heaven has other duties to perform.
One such duty is to encourage the servants of God and the. Want more? Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! Reviewer: schuler - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 5, Subject: A beautiful man of God! I was impressed by brother Sadhu, appearance, demeanor and message after I had seen and heard his "Waiting on God" series on You-tube which challenged and inspired me so much. Hear him and you will understand what I mean. After hearing more of his messages, I realized why I had that impression.
It was because he spends so much time with The Lord Jesus and had paid a great price to maintain a close walk with him. This is both an enviable and formidable position for him to have attained. For us The Body of Christ he is a gift through whom we can hear a clear word from the Lord.
I could say of Sadhu, he is a lovely man, a great man of God, kind and approachable, a man of truth, a man of great vision and revelation, a man who loves The Lord, a humorous and stern man at the same time and they would all be true. The great beauty of Christ is seen in this man. I have to say, I love this man although I have never met him. Community Collections.
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