Chapter 11 - Roll Call For The Dead
The next day, we had our weekly worship session. These were always held in the evenings, on the seventh day of the week. The old familiar names of the day were now simply referred to by their numeric order, with Saturday being our seventh day, and Sunday being our first. I had done very little on that day. Just as the day of the coming of the Divine Light, the seventh day was a day of rest from community work, a day spent at home with the family, or spent in quiet meditation and reflection, preparing ourselves for our evening session of worship. However, on this particular day, late that afternoon, a rumor was spreading throughout the village that Hezekiah Suther, the spiritual mentor for our region, would be here tonight. It seemed he had some extremely important news to announce. Thus, the fire of anticipation was ablaze as we gathered for our Worship Hall that night.
Even larger and more imposing than our Fellowship Hall, our Worship Hall stood majestically on a hill above the other dwellings at the far south-eastern edge of the village, not far from the western foot of Mount Anastasis. Our place of worship was also constructed out of wood, but from a type of wood that also could only exist in Paradise, a wood when oiled and polished, became as reflective as a mirror. Thus, in sunlight, our church sparkled like a jewel. Also, with its high, steep roof, it was easily the most impressive structure in the village. And its interior was no less grand. Its cathedral-type ceiling would have rivaled many churches of the old world, and its parquet floor and cedar walls were as smooth and shiny as polished brass.
Carlos announced the start of our service, and we all made our way to the velvet-cushioned pews. The pianist played the first four introductory bars, and we all stood up and joined the rousing hymn of praise: "Come all you lost ones from the graves, come and taste the joys of Paradise! Come all...."
At the hymn's conclusion, a tall, distinguished looking man stepped onto the pulpit, petitioned us to bow our heads, then commenced a long but heartfelt prayer. Upon finishing, Hezekiah Suther looked up at his audience, his eyes full of fervent zeal. "Yes, dear brethren, the time is near at hand!" he boomed. "Yes, truly indeed, the Great Resurrection will soon be upon us!" He paused to allow the gasps and rapturous cheers to subside. "Last night I had a dream!" he continued. "And a dream so wonderful that it filled me with the greatest of joys. I saw how books were opened in heaven, just as it is stated in Revelation. Then I saw graves opening, which could mean nothing else than...."
For several minutes, he then spoke of the resurrection of the dead, quoting profusely from our Paradise Text as he did. I had never been fond of sermons, even at the best of times, yet now I, like everybody else, hung onto every word he said.
"Let us now read again another passage from our text and see what our beloved Jesus had to say. It's in chapter sixteen, verses four to six."
There was a rustling of pages as everybody turned to the appropriate verses. He cleared his throat and read:
"'Be kind and patient with all those who are to be brought back from the grave, for they are all those since the world's creation, and their number will exceed three hundred and twenty times ten thousand times ten thousand. Look after them as if they were your own beloved children. A mother when giving birth does not reprimand her newly born child because of giving her pain. Rather, she rejoices in the new life. She loves and nurtures the infant, and does not lose her patience. So you must likewise be.'"
He then looked up, smiling as he did. "And according to this text, and my dream, there will be more than 32 billion people raised from the dead!"
There was a loud and thunderous applause. Hezekiah Suther then placed the Paradise Text back onto the pulpit and picked up our other sacred text. He lifted it high into the air as he declared: "Here in the Bible, in the Book of Acts, at the twenty-fourth chapter, it reads: 'That there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.'" He then stared at the audience, his solemn gaze again changing into one of sheer delight. "Dear brethren, the time is very soon at hand!"
There then followed another thunderous applause. Finally, after several minutes, Hezekiah raised his arm and instantly the applause subsided. Everyone then waited for his next earth-shattering announcement.
"However, there is more. Much more!" he continued, seemingly relishing every moment. "When I had this visionary dream, I was then awoken by one of the Lord's great angels who had materialized before me. He gave me several sheets of paper, each sheet being a list of names for each village." He swept a sheet in front of us. "My brethren, this page is your list!"
Rapturous applause then once more erupted. Finally, as order once more returned, he announced: "It's as if these names came directly from the symbolic 'Book of Life' found in Revelation. Therefore, each name that I will now read out will very soon come back to life again. These will be amongst the first to be blessed by the Great Resurrection that will then be at hand!"
More applause.
"Some of these will be your family members!"
Gigantic applause, louder and longer than before.
Again he raised his hand for silence. Again the response was immediate. "However, some will be not. Some you will know, others not."
Then, for several seconds, he just stood there, looking to and fro over his spellbound audience. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he read out the first name:
"Peter Stevenson!"
Amongst the continued cheers and applause, I heard an almost hysterical shriek from the back. I turned round and saw a woman screeching: "My son, my son!"
Then more names were announced, many names, each time amongst the applause there were cheers, laughter and jubilant cries. I too was caught up in the ecstasy, hoping against hope that my beloved Jenny would be amongst this exclusive list. Yet, each time it was someone else.
"Harry Marston!"
Another applause erupted, but this time I heard no cries of jubilation. However, I repeated the name silently to myself, realizing that I recognized the name.
Then yet another name was announced:
"Ron Bristol!"
More applause, but again no jubilant exclamations. Although this name meant nothing to me, I suddenly had this strange and inexplicable foreboding of something. But of what? I simply did not know. Then, amidst this strange and eerie feeling, another name was announced:
"Jenny Eliot!"
The name struck me as if I had been hit by a thunderbolt. I lept into the air amidst the applause, all sense of foreboding and self-restraint obliterated as I ecstatically whooped: "It's Jenny! It's my beloved Jenny!"
The euphoria and excitement remained as I went to bed that night. For the first time since my resurrection, I could not fall asleep. For a long time I laid awake in bed, fantasizing about our new life together in Paradise: of having our own home, inviting guests, making music together, playing games, learning to paint, going on hikes, investigating the flora and fauna, traveling the world together, meeting new friends in far off places, or even from other times - the list of things to see and do could be endless in a life that never ends.