even daylight was din.
The last was the worst,
the first born were cursed.
Thoughts on Salvation
Salvation is an important topic if you believe in an afterlife and the existence of a creator! If don`t believe in these things then this article will be meaningless to you. If you haven’t considered this I pray that would search your heart now and ponder this possibility.
There is only one viable source to find out about salvation and it is the written word of God, the Bible. One third of the Bible is prophecy and every time prophecies are fulfilled it tells us that the Bible is the truth and it is the only book that can do this. All of prophecies in the Bible have been fulfilled or will be fulfilled as it is written.
Therefore I believe this book is our guideline for life here and eternal life after. If anyone doesn`t believe in the Bible then their arguments are a waste of time.
There are many scriptures in the Bible that are often interpreted in different ways by those that believe it is the written word of God through writers which are driven by the Holy Spirit. This is expected since interpretations can be varied.
But there are absolutes in the Bible and the main one is salvation. I will close my short piece here by simply stating one verse from God Holy writ.
Romans 10: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
To Be Saved
To be saved is the only way,
then eternal life will be paved.
We each have a choice,
choose Jesus and rejoice.
Don`t wait and miss the boat,
if you do you won`t float.
The result will be eternal,
don`t accept and it will be infernal.
I pray that you will accept,
then you will be very adept.
The following is a possible result of a man being caught up in the clouds.
Prologue
A seventy one year old man suddenly finds himself walking on a cloud. How did he get there and what does it mean? The Bible tells us that Jesus believers will be removed before the Tribulation occurs as prophesied in the last days. This novel is a fictional story as told by this man and what he experiences. It is a story that reveals the hope and anticipation of how it may be based on the promises God as foretold in the Bible.
Ch. 1 The blink of an eye
I was driving my car in heavy traffic when suddenly I blinked my eye; then I was standing on a cloud with puffy white billows surrounding me. I blinked again not sure what just happened! I twisted my head trying to get my bearing and I could vaguely see through the mist that surrounded me. I felt a bump on my leg and looked down and my dog was standing at my feet wagging his tail. Sammy was looking at me and his big brown eyes were clear and he seemed to be smiling at me.
I noticed that I was wearing sandals and my toes and skin were smooth and weren’t ` t wrinkled and didn’t `seem weathered or old. I rubbed my eyes thinking that I might be in a coma. I remembered I was driving and now appear to be standing on a cloud. I looked down at my chest and saw I was wearing a brilliant white robe; my hands were smooth and strong without wrinkles. As I rubbed my face it felt smooth and wrinkle free. I ran my hand through my hair and it felt thick and full as it did in my youth. I felt alive and vibrant and elation and joy filled me; I experienced a warmth and peace that flooded my entire body. My heart jumped when I realized that this may be the Rapture!
Suddenly I heard a voice “Ron!’ I immediately knew the sound as she walked through the mist and I was overwhelmed as she hugged me. She looked like the woman I married over fifty years ago except she looked even more beautiful then I remembered. She wore a white robe and there was a glow surrounding her that gave me a feeling of love and peacefulness. “Jackie,” I said as we embraced, she was full of life and joy and love leaped from her eyes. The mist began to clear and I could see millions of people standing on the clouds, all with a look of amazement and wonderment. There were many pets standing next to their owners that had been caught up in the air. God cared for all of his creation and he knew that his children would want their pets with them. I saw my daughter and son with their kids and my wife and I ran toward them and we hugged. “Dad, this is the rapture that God told us about in the Bible!” She said as her voice was filled with excitement. Like my wife she had a glow surrounding her which radiated her new immorality.
Yes, I knew it had to be near since the Bible prophecies gave us an indication that we were nearing the end of days.” “Son !” I heard my Dad ` s voice as he appeared through the mist. He was young and not like I remembered in his last days before he died, then my mom appeared and we all hugged each other. Other relatives and friends appeared and many I didn ` t know came forward and we got caught up in the reunion of the moment.
The mist had cleared and everyone was talking and waiting for something to happen. The sky above was clear and full of stars, a bright light emerged, brighter than any star in the sky. The light grew larger as it quickly approached us.
The light grew in intensity and filled the sky above us, and then a figure appeared in the center of the light. A man was dressed was in a robe that reached down to his feet with a golden sash around his chest signifying his importance. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing water. He raised his hands as every eye and head looked up at him.
Behind him a heavenly sky above us, and then a figure appeared in the center of the light. A man was dressed was in a robe that reached down to his feet with a golden sash around his chest signifying his importance. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing water. He raised his hands as every eye and head looked up at him.
Behind him a heavenly host of millions appeared. The sight was beyond description and the sky above us was filled with Angels that glorified our Lord. Jesus raised his hands with his palms outward and then his voice thundered across the clouds. “Come with Me!” He said. As he rose his arms and hands upward and I could feel myself being lifted up. Then in a moment I and everyone that was on the cloud were standing in a place that wasn’t possible
to imagine or describe.
Ch. 2 Remember
The verses stood out in my mind after I was transported to the clouds. In John 14: 1 -3 the disciples were troubled and Jesus comforted them by telling them that the Father has many rooms and that he would go and prepare a place for them. He told them that he would come back and take them with him.
1 Corinthians 15: 51-58 the apostle Paul told the church at Corinth the exactly how things would happen at the Rapture. The ones who have died in Jesus since his resurrection have been separated from their bodies and their souls or spirits immediately went to be with him. There they were given a temporary body until the rapture. These bodies will be joined with their spirits first. Then all of those believers that are alive on Earth will be transformed to an immortal body.
I Thessalonians4: 13- 18 repeats the message given to the Corinthians. With the call of an Angel and the trumpet call of God, the dead will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. The scriptures also tell us that we will be like him. 1John 3: 2 tells us we are children of God, and what we will be is not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Then in Matthew 17: 1-2 after six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was trans
figured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.
These thoughts filled my heart with expectations and the promises made in the Bible to all believers. As I stood there I felt a chill of joy surge through my spine at the appearing of my savior. To be like him is beyond all my expectations and hopes. To be lifted up and my mortality changing to immortality is a promise that grasps my heart.
Ch. 3 Heaven
We were taken to a vast field that extended in all directions and stretched forever and seemed to be endless. A hill had a glowing rainbow that arched over what appeared to be a throne underneath it. He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne. The light from the throne glowed with warmth and love which permeated me and gave me a feeling of peace and contentment.
I looked around at the surrounding area where we were gathered. The surrounding fields and meadows were lush and green and animals were everywhere of all kinds and in many varieties. Birds and lovely butterflies filled the air singing and swooping across the light blue sky. There were lions , tigers , deer, monkeys, horses, dogs, cats, and many other species. They were all intermingling and grazing side by side. I even spotted a lion playing with a deer and a cat riding on the back of a spotted leopard.
It was so much to take in and the splendor was overwhelming. Among the plant life and animals were millions of dwellings dispersed throughout the scene. Each dwelling was unique and seemed to invite someone to come and settle in. “Go to your mansion I promised!” Jesus said.
Suddenly the urge to move overcame everyone as millions began lifting up and moving towards these dwellings. We moved through the air drifting toward the many dwellings with each one of us being pulled toward one of the mansions across the great expanse. We moved through the air without hindrance as if by some invisible force aiding our movements.
My wife and I drifted to the same mansion and we entered and marveled at the beauty and comfort inside the building. My dog Sammy and my wife’s horse also joined. Matty, the horse stayed outside in a lush pasture without boundaries or fencing. All of my pets I had through my life were there. My first dog, Pepper, ran up to me wagging his tail and looking at me with joy in his eyes. I sat down in the grass as my pets surrounded me licking and wagging their tails. My wife, Jackie joined us as she revisited her pets and horses she had on Earth.
As the pets played and romped with each other I decided to take a stroll and explore the area around the house. I could see other houses off in the distance so I started walking toward one that was the nearest. A forest of trees separated me from my destination as I entered the forest on my walk.
A large Lion appeared and started walking toward me. It was a beautiful beast with a golden mane and big soft brown eyes that reminded me of the eyes of a gentle cow. I didn`t feel threatened as the lion approached with its tail wagging like a pet dog as it walked up to me. I reached out to touch the beast and as I did the animal brushed past my leg like a cat would do.
I stroked the lions head and the sat down next to the creature that had to be three times my size. I was amazed at the encounter and a sense of peace and comfort engulfed me and I realized that place was not a place of fear or danger but a place of love and comfort. Then suddenly a magnificent creature appeared that took my breath away!
CH. 4 The Angel
The figure approached from the trees walking straight at me and the Lion I was petting. The Lion jerked its head toward the figure and immediately started wagging it tail. I thought this beast must know this man approaching which seemed strange but not surprising since everything so far is new and amazing since my arrival here after the Rapture.
He wore a brilliant white robe with a blue sash around his waist. As he approached me I felt a wash of comfort flood into my being which generated a smile on my face. The lion stood up and ran to the man like a dog to its owner. I was still aghast at a four hundred pound beast acting like a pet dog but here in Heaven all things are changed.
He sat down beside me and the Lion lay down next to him as he spoke. “Ron, I was your guardian Angel when you were on Earth!”
I was speechless at first then I stumbled my words as I answered. “I was never sure that believers had a guardian Angel but now I see that we did.”
“God knows every believer and protects each one from “You must have a name?” I asked since now I knew that this Angel has known me all those years since my birth.
“Raziel is my name which means an Angel of mystery or one who searches for the meaning of life or of God our creator.”
“There`s so much I don’t understand about God and I can`t wrap my brain around the mysteries of creation and life!”
“I know what you’re saying since we were created as we are and were not born as an infant which in itself is a mystery or something beyond our ability to comprehend.”
“What can you tell me about God and why he created mankind?” I asked since I`ve always pondered why he created us and what does it mean.
“I can only speculate since the creator has never expressed the reasons for his creation.” Raziel said as he spoke with humility.
“Can you give me your thoughts about that since you were here from the beginning of creation?” I said with all due respect for the Angel.
CH. 5 Why the creation
“I`ll try to give you my thoughts about why God created things the way he did. God exists forever which means he has no beginning or end. Psalm 92 gives us insight into the nature and holiness of our creator. He is all powerful as evidenced by the creation of all that we see. Through his son he expresses love to us and a way to become his sons by adoption. The act of creation is a remarkable attribute that tells us that God created us for love that can be shared with him from us.
Those that accept this love can be joined with him and will be transformed into spiritual beings that can fellowship with him forever. I believe this is the motivational reason for our creation.”
“That seems to be a viable reason why he created us, but many don`t accept this and reject his gift. Even some of your Angels rebelled and rejected God. Also many humans also rejected God and refused his free gift of love.” I said looking for the why of this rejection.
“As with Angels so was it with mankind, God knew that to fully express his love he had to create his creation with the free choice or free will to accept or reject him. This is a love he had for his creation. That is a profound reason why God has given humans and even Angels the choice to chose or reject.
We know from scripture that Lucifer rejected the creator from pride. Angels weren’t created in sin but the capability to sin is possible even in the Angelic sphere. Humans were born into sin and God in his grace and mercy sent his only Son to offer a free gift of eternal salvation.” The discussion lit my mind up and enlivened my spirit.
“But to answer your question, why did God create you. I think the answer lays in the birth of parents children. Parents will nurture and care for their offspring, praying for their well being and longing for their love for them to return to them.” Raziel said as he put his hand on my shoulder.
“I never thought of it that way but it makes sense that God would want someone that would return his love. It`s simple if you think about it, as a parent wants to share their love and care for their kids why wouldn`t an all powerful creator want to be loved as he loved us! He wants to give us the many blessings he is capable of and be a friend and a eternal companion.” After I said that it seemed right but then I thought there`s probably more to it than that since God is more loving and gracious then any of his creation could be.
“Well said Ron, and I know there will be more that will amaze you about your creator.”
CH. 6 Those in Heaven
After my talk with Raziel I wanted to visit others here and get a sense of how the
y feel about God and Heaven. After I visited my loved ones and friends that were here I had some strong inclinations to visit some of the prophets and writers of the books of the Bible.
I found his mansion and knocked on the door; he answered and looked stately and full of wisdom.
“Enoch!” I said as I extended my hand.
“Yes, and welcome to heaven, you’re new here?”
“Yes, I was just brought up here in the Rapture.”
“Then like me you have never tasted death?”
“I always wanted to meet you after I read about you in the Bible. There are several scriptures that mention you and your removal from Earth to Heaven and that God was pleased with you.”
“I still remember that time as if it just happened but it was over six thousand years ago!” Enoch said as a smile emerged.
“Can you tell me about that experience?” I said as I waited anxiously for his reply. “I was walking in the forest when an Angel appeared. At that time I didn`t know about Jesus Christ but now I realized it was God in the flesh that I was walking with. We talked about mankind that existed then, after Adam, and the depravity and sinfulness that covered his creation. He told me that I was favored by God and that he would soon take me up to Heaven.” Enoch said as he looked up as he was remembering.
“You must have been moved when Jesus had favored you?”
“I was scared though when he said I would be taken up to Heaven. Scared because I wouldn`t be good enough to be there.”