Chapter 25
The Ascension
There were twelve that unexpectedly found themselves on the Mount: Samuel and his mother, Hannah; Rebekah and her sons, Nathan and Eleazar; Boaz, Ruth, and even young Obed; Shalam; Ebed the fisherman; and finally, Sipporah and I. We were all surprised by this ascension, but even more surprised to see everyone clothed in glowing garments of light.
“Come to Me, children,” said a great Voice from inside the cave.
Everyone immediately turned and walked into the cave on the sapphire pavement into the presence of the bright light, from which all darkness in the cave had fled. There was no need to remove our shoes this time, because they were now part of the garments of glory—shoes of the preparation of the good news of shalom. 188 To walk in these shoes was to know and believe the good news of a good God.
When we entered the now-enlarged room into His presence, we were welcomed by Pegasus and Pleiades who had preceded us. Their coats shined whiter, and they glowed with a soft light.
“Welcome to My presence,” the Voice said. “You have been called and gathered here, because you are the first-fruits of many more to come. 189 You are called to bring truth and light to the world, to be a blessing to all families and all nations in the earth. 190 Do not be stingy with My blessings, for there is abundance for everyone. Do not give up on anyone, however unworthy they may seem to be, for My love conquers all and will never fail. 191 Mankind will succeed in the end, for love will draw all men unto Me.” 192
“There are many,” Pegasus added, “who reject the good news and have no faith in the promise of God to save mankind. They see only the will of man and the depravity of his carnal nature. They underestimate the power of divine love to overcome all opposition. They do not know that the sentence of death, though powerful, could never cause any part of the divine purpose for creation to fail.”
“You are me, and I am you,” Pleaides interjected. “As I love Pegasus, so also do you love him. Love never fails and never ends, for it transcends death and overcomes every kind of sin. The power of love will beat sin into subjection and drive it out of the hearts of all men.”
“Let us now fellowship together,” Pegasus said. “The table has been set, and there is plenty for everyone.”
As he spoke, he turned his head, looking to one side of the room, where long, bountiful tables full of delicious food and wine suddenly appeared. As we began to move toward the table, Pleiades called out, saying, “There are nine different fruits in 153 large bowls. 193 I suggest faith as an appetizer. Then try one of those apples of gold with the silver stems. It is the fruit of kindness. And that lush green one is the fruit of peace.”
Pegasus added, “It is best to eat the long blue fruit of patience slowly. And be careful not to drink too much joy wine, or you may laugh uncontrollably. But if you really want a treat, taste that big, soft, juicy red one called love—and save temperance for dessert!” 194
The banquet might have never ended, for the fruit of the Spirit, though fully satisfying, never filled us to the point where we could eat no more. Pegasus and Pleiades joined us. They loved the fruit as much as we did, but they were particularly fond of love-fruit. In that moment we were one body. Old things had passed away; all things had become new. 195 All of our tears were wiped away, 196 and all the pain of the past was swallowed up by joy until it was just a distant memory of a time well forgotten.
The feast lasted forever, but eventually, all of the celebrants fell into a peaceful sleep on the soft recliners—except for Sipporah and me and the horses, as we stood in the presence of the Voice.
“There is much work to be done among men,” the Voice said, “and you are called to bring good news to those deprived of it—those who have never tasted the fruit of the banquet which you now enjoy. You are commissioned with the authority of love to conquer death, disease, hatred, bitterness, and all of the soul’s wounds that have accumulated over thousands of years.”
“Then it appears that our time here has ended,” I said. “What will become of our beloved companions?”
“They will awake,” Pegasus replied, “to find themselves in their tents back at the camp in Shiloh—except for Ebed, who will awake in his bed at home in Nahum,” Pegasus replied. “They will awake to a new day with new vigor as messengers of the Kingdom and spokesmen for the Voice. They will be witnesses of truth in their own time.”
“And what about us?” Sipporah asked.
“It is time for us return to our own time,” Pleaides answered. “Our job has been fulfilled for now, and you have learned what you needed from this experience.”
“There is no greater joy than being in the presence of the Creator,” I mused. “I wish we did not have to return to the world full of ignorance and sin, disease and death, where we must behold so much evil.”
“But that is precisely why you must return,” Pegasus replied. “It is because of those problems that you even have a calling and commission. The Creator intends to save all mankind, but He will not do it by Himself, but through us. He shows us His will and equips us to participate in the transformation of old things into something new. We are His Amen People, His witnesses, and for this reason, we have been equipped and authorized to do His work—or rather, to let Him work through us.”
“Then,” I said, “may our friends from the past rest in peace and awake fully refreshed and empowered to bring the blessing of Abraham to those in Israel. They are truly a remnant of grace 197 in the midst of lawlessness and unbelief.”
“Come,” Pegasus said. “It is time for us to leave this blessed place so that we may bless others.” He turned, and Pleiades followed him across the sapphire stones toward the mouth of the cave. Sipporah and I followed obediently.
We emerged from the cave in the bright morning sunlight of a new day far into the future.
Footnotes
- Ephesians 6:15
- Exodus 22:29, 30. First-fruits given on the eighth day only.
- Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:8, 29
- 1 Corinthians 13:8
- John 12:32, 33
- John 21:11, the eighth miracle-sign of Jesus. The Hebrew phrase, beni h’elohim, “sons of God,” carries a numeric value of 153.
- Galatians 5:22, 23
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Revelation 21:4
- Romans 11:4, 5 (KJV)