The following are the reasons why I joyfully expect the entrance into the Lord’s Kingdom part 1

The following are the reasons why I joyfully
expect the entrance into the Lord’s Kingdom

(Part one: Being at Home with Jesus Christ)

‘The everlasting, supreme bliss of such a perfected soul consists in that it is continually with God, the sole Creator and Lord of infinity, as it’s greatest friend in the person of Jesus, may love Him above all without restraint as it’s Heavenly Father and can together with Him at any moment look over the whole spiritual and material creation, and, finally, thus fully united with God through love, find itself in the fullest divine freedom.’

As received from our Lord and Father, Jesus Christ, by His servant the prophet
Jakob Lorber, and written down in his ‘The Great Gospel of John – 7/67:3, 4’

The first and foremost reason would be my hope that upon leaving this Earth I could be mature, i.e. perfected or purified enough, and consequently in the position to EVER live in the vicinity of my beloved Lord and Father Jesus Christ, where I would be able to behold His radiant and most beautiful face at all times!

‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.’ Matthew 5:8

‘Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.’   John 14:23

‘And I will set my tabernacle among you… And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.’ Leviticus 26:11, 12 (+ Ezekiel 37:27)

‘And He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.’  Revelation 21:3

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I must emphasize here one thing before any further explanation, because this statement of mine could indeed be the cause of some confusion, namely, it is not that I am doing what I am doing, and how, here on this Earth, so (or ‘in the belief  that’) I will merit by and through that any kind of heavenly reward, here a life in the most near Presence of Jesus Christ (I am fully aware that merit is ever His! = Luke 17:10), because that kind of behavior would be more for my own detriment!

In fact, this would be the same as being ‘proud’ and ‘haughty’, or ‘rich’, and it is well known that only humble:

‘For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit.’ Isaiah 57:15

and those who are ‘poor in them-selves’ are to be blessed and enjoy the kingdom of God:

‘Do not imagine to be perfect, but do what the sinner did in the temple and what one of whom you know, who was crucified with the Lord, did. Then you will be truly justified, namely, in the sole love for the Lord. Do become utterly poor, so that you can become rich in the love of the Lord!’    As received from our Lord and Father, Jesus Christ, by His servant the prophet Jakob Lorber and written down in his ‘Spiritual Sun – 1/44’ + Matthew 5:3

Furthermore, it would be the same as ‘trusting in my own righteousness’ (= see Luke 18:9-14):

‘Those who believe that of themselves they are righteous, or that they have been made righteous to such an extent that no evil at all is present in them any longer, are not among the righteous but among the unrighteous. For they attribute good to themselves and also make that good meritorious; and people like them cannot possibly possess true humility with which to worship the Lord. Therefore in the Word those people are called 'righteous and holy' who know and acknowledge that all good comes from the Lord and all evil from themselves, that is, they possess it from hell.’    E.Swedenborg ‘Arcana Coelestia – 5069’

And further:

‘If someone is righteous before You, holy Father, what is his merit? Nothing, - for it is all only Your great mercy. He who is a sinner before you, what is he? A miserable nothing, since he wanted to be something and did not first bear in mind that he is nothing before You. So what is the difference between a sinner and a righteous one? Now I see it clearly: The sinner is a great fool because he imagines and acts as if he were something before God out of himself, whereas the righteous one realizes his nothingness and that whatever he has is purely God’s, the holy Fathers mercy. This is the light of the righteous, but the sinner’s night is his great delusion.’    As received from our Lord and Father, Jesus Christ, by His servant the prophet Jakob Lorber and written down in his ‘The Household of God – 1/178:22-25’

In yet another words, those ‘righteous’ who will be ‘seeing Him when they awoke’ (= see Psalms 17:15) are those who are well aware that ‘they, in themselves, are completely unrighteous, or evil through and through.’

What happens in the afterlife with such a people we are wonderfully informed through Jakob Lorber and his ‘Bishop Martin – 60-64’ (these chapters in which we are introduced to one quite large group of Roman Catholic missionaries and nuns of various order, who during their life time were of this just explained ‘wrong’ attitude, are available on request!)!

No, my dear friends, I don’t have any of these ‘ideas’ in my heart… but ‘being with my Beloved Jesus Christ’ is what I desire most (in above mentioned ‘Bishop Martin’, chap. 88, verse 12 this desire is called a ‘greatest wish’ and also a ‘highest aspiration’ because, as explained by enlightened Bishop, without His visible presence no heavenly bliss would ever be complete: ‘We now have everything as blessed spirits, except for one thing, which is still missing. And this, my dear brothers and sisters, is the Presence of the Lord, visibly, in our midst. So let us beg Him in our hearts to grant us this supreme favor!’ ‘Bishop Martin – 88:11’), this is ‘the goal’ where my whole love is directed and focused upon (see Psalms 16:8), and being filled with Him and ONLY Him already here (Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30), while living on this Earth, and knowing Him and His greater than great love for His children, and also His tender heart, and being acquainted with His willingness to comply with such an desire, I have no reason to doubt that this innermost desire of my heart will be fulfilled!:

‘Look at the multitudes approaching us in the greatest splendour. And if you open your ears, you will also hear beautiful choral singing, wherein the word as such is perceived as the most perfect music…

We have already arrived at the well-known ‘City gate’ which, like the wall and the houses of the City, is built from all the ‘precious stones’. Look how the ‘Main Road’, the road of the Lord’, the ‘Road of the Centre of all Light’, many most blessed angel spirits, attired like children, are streaming towards us from all sides…

But look, we are already in front of an immense magnificent palace. The Lord stops at the majestic-looking gate, from which again new beautiful hymns of praise are sounding forth, and says to the prior: ‘Now, My beloved son, here we are at home in our eternal abode. How do you like it? Tell Me, would you like very much to stay here?’

The prior, deeply moved to the greatest humility, says: ‘O Lord, you sole, eternal King of all majesty and glory! You holy, exceedingly holy God and almighty Creator of all heavens and all worlds! When You accompanied into the former heaven, I had still enough room in my heart to harbor a desire. But here, where Your endless glory manifests in never suspected abundance and I can see before my gaze countless creations as well as your immensely great plans and roads full of the most sublime light – now, O Lord, my heart is no longer capable of speaking before You. For You are too great and holy, and I am to You an infinitesimal nonentity.

In the former celestial sphere I may have dared to wish to be the most humble servant to some blessed brother. But here, where everything appears to me to be so infinitely holy, where I hardly dare to breathe and where the endless majesty of these abodes and their inhabitants practically consumes me – here, o Lord, I can no longer utter a wish. If, however, I may entreat You for something, it would be for You to send me to a very simple hut somewhere outside. For I am too unworthy of this happiness and bliss.’

Says the Lord: ‘But My dear son, it was your greatest wish to be with Me! Seeing that I am dwelling here, how can you be afraid of My house? It was you who said: ‘O Lord, wherever You are it is good to be!’ If this is My favourite home forever, should it not be good to be here? Think about it and speak.’

Says the prior: ‘O Lord, You very best, almighty holy Father! My statement that it would be to wonderful and blissful to live here is surely true. But the only thing that I notice, O Lord, is that here only princes are dwelling, none of whom has a servant. Would be possible to obtain in some corner of this holy City an ever so humble place of employment? Provided that such service is available here I would certainly ask You for such a place. But in a palace like this one, at the gate of which we are standing, the most menial service appears to me to be too great, important and holy for me to look at even from afar.’

Says the Lord: ‘Have you not heard that in My Kingdom he is the greatest who wants to be the humblest and last? Therefore, I tell you also: You shall be to Me neither a servant nor a menial in this house, for I have established this house as your very own magnificent property. The servants of this house you have already seen, namely, those blessed spirits who in countless hosts come to meet us at our entry into this My kingdom. So do enter together with Me, and I shall only then in this your house reveal to you your full eternal destiny…’ 

As received from our Lord and Father, Jesus Christ, by His servant the prophet
Jakob Lorber and written down in his ‘Spiritual Sun – 2/6’

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I will use one easily understandable natural comparison to explain this important ‘inner attitude’ and ‘vision’ of mine in all clearness: Imagine yourself to be happily married and in love… now imagine yourself to work your daily 9-17 shift in this or that worldly occupation (= in another words, you are temporarily absent from your home, being somewhere in the world, doing your business or daily work)… and than imagine your beloved who is awaiting for you at home …

It is and must be obvious that, no matter what is your daily occupation, this ‘being there at home with her’ is most felt desire of your heart and is, if truly genuine, always present despite the fact that you are presently physically absent from your home and are doing what you are doing in the world…

From my own position, this doesn’t mean that you are doing what you are doing in the world to acquire that ‘home’ and also your ‘beloved’s affections’… and surely this doesn’t mean, at least from my position, that you will be doing that job slovenly, absolutely not! Or that you will try to avoid your duty in the world, because that would be completely wrong, and for sure your domestic happiness would suffer because of that!

In yet another words, no matter what you are doing, and where, and for how long, your desire is still to come home as soon as possible and to be there, with your beloved, in your mutual home!

This desire which springs out of your genuine love is so strong that it excludes any selfish and self-centered motive and as such, is simply constantly filling your heart and in your mind… and because you cannot but be fully aware of it, you naturally long for it’s fulfillment! J

In the same manner I am filled with love and out of it a desire to be with my beloved Jesus Christ, who is in all truth a true ‘Husband’ of my soul … her ONLY Beloved Who, while I am ‘busy in His vineyard here on the Earth’, is awaiting for me at our Spiritual Eternal Home, which is that glorious city, New Jerusalem, a situation that is described as follows:

‘In the centre above the City is the 'most glorious sun of all suns', the Sun of Grace, whose light is much brighter than that of the earthly natural sun, yet is as delightful to behold as the light of the most beautiful Morning Star.’  (refers to J.Lorbers 'Robert Blum – from Hell to Heaven – 2/84:7 onward')

‘There, in this to all beings inaccessible light of the Sun of Grace dwells the divine Primordial Fundamental Being, i.e. the Primordial Power Centre of God, the 'Father', as the most perfect Primordial Spiritual Man in the envelopment of the transfigured soul of Jesus, which is forever united into one Person with the Father.

From this 'Father in Jesus' the living forces of the holy, divine Spirit-Fire keep going forth forever and ever into infinity, forming and sustaining the beings of creation and, finally, maturing them in man to the sonship of God. And as matured images, i.e. chidren of God, the emitted living forces of the holy God-Spirit return to this very Father in Jesus in complete freedom and independence, as 'themselves gods', so to speak, into that great City, the 'holy heavenly Jerusalem'.   (refers to J.Lorber's  'The Great Gospel of John – 4/56:1-4; 6/226:8-10’)

'Behold, this sun I am actually Myself! Below us (i.e. below the Love Heaven) there are two more celestial spheres, namely, towards evening a 'Wisdom Heaven' and towards midday a 'Love-Wisdom heaven'. The dwellers in these two heavens behold Me only as a sun, namely, the same sun you and all the others now see shining in the centre above the City.

Although I am also in the sun, I am only here, in the uppermost heaven (= celestial heaven, is also divided into three degrees!), outside of the sun, visible and approachable to the blessed... how incomplete would be your and My beatitude if I were incapable of being present personally, as Father, how orphaned My children would be and how lonely I Myself would be in their midst!'                 

As received from our Lord and Father, Jesus Christ, by His servant the prophet
Jakob Lorber and written down in his ‘Spiritual Sun – 1/60:304-305’

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This also doesn’t mean that I want to leave this world as soon as possible, or at any cost, to wit, before by His Love and Wisdom appointed time, because I am more than aware of it’s worth, being only school for attaining the Sonship of God, i.e. the highest degree of perfection which is after all necessary if we want to dwell in our Father’s utmost proximity. Consequently, this earthly life is a great privilege, and every moment in it is priceless,

‘What a soul can here achieve in one day towards perfecting its life, it often in the beyond cannot achieve in thousands of earth years.’    As received from our Lord and Father, Jesus Christ, by His servant the prophet Jakob Lorber and written down in his ‘The Great Gospel of John – 6/228’

therefore, desiring to leave it before His time, would be to distance yourself from your most desired goal, and not to approach it sooner :) :

‘Only on earth is it possible for you to attain the highest degree of perfection, so that you, as God's true 'children', will be able to enter into supreme happiness. Earth is the place of education for the spiritual essence which makes the greatest demands on the human being's will. All places of education in the entire universe serve to mature the souls, and they can also help them to achieve immeasurable bliss, but only the process across earth can gain the being the childship to God, a degree of happiness which signifies a direct influx of strength and light, utmost proximity to the heavenly Father and the beholding of Him face to face in all glory.’   As received by our Lord and Father, Jesus Christ, by Bertha Dudde, nr. 6955, October 26, 1957

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Further, I am thinking for myself, surely it is not wrong to desire something like that, and if He out of His great Fatherly love for all His children is granting that desire even to those who were idolaters while on this world, of course, if in their heart they were a true seekers for Truth or Him, even without knowing about Him AS YET,:

THE MANIFESTATION OF CHRIST

I saw in a vision the spirit of an idolater on reaching the world of spirits begin at once to search for his god. Then the saints said to him, "There is no god here save the One True God, and Christ, who is His manifestation." At this, the man was a good deal astonished, but being a sincere seeker after truth, he frankly admitted that he had been in error. He eagerly sought to know the correct view of truth, and asked if he might see the Christ. Shortly after this Christ manifested Himself in a dim light to him, and to others who had newly arrived in the world of spirits, because at this stage they could not have endured a full exhibition of His glory, for His glory is so surpassing that even the angels look on Him with difficulty, and cover their faces with their wings (Isaiah 6:9). When He does reveal Himself to any one He takes into account the particular stage of progress to which that soul has attained, so He appears dimly, or in the fuller light of His glory, that the sight of Him may be endured. So, when these spirits saw Christ in this dim but attractive light, they were filled with a joy and peace, which is beyond our power to describe. Bathed in the rays of His life-giving light, and with the waves of His love, which constantly flow out from Him, flowing over them, all their error was washed away. Then with all their hearts, they acknowledged Him as the Truth, and found healing, and, bowing in lowly adoration before Him, thanked and praised Him. And the saints, who had been appointed for their instruction; also rejoiced over them.’                      Sadhu Sundar Singh – ‘Visions from the Spiritual World’

[He also manifested Himself in the same manner to another non-Christian who desired to see Him, namely, Chinese Chanchah who loved Him with all her heart and soul, but as invisible Almighty Lama (= God), as we read in our Father’s revelation ‘Bishop Martin – 120, 121']

and also to somebody who, like that already mentioned Bishop Martin, was everything but His faithful follower while living on this Earth, and later on, in the spiritual kingdom, who ‘betrayed’ Him again almost in every second situation into which he was placed for the purpose of his further perfection (these chapters from ‘Bishop Martin – progress of a soul in the beyond’ are available on request), I believe that He will surely grant this innermost desire of my heart, of course, if my heart will be pure, or mature/perfected enough when I leave this Earth so I can stay in His close vicinity and experience His glorious Presence! :) :

‘In this world of spirits, the spiritual progress of any one governs the degree to which he is able to know and feel God; and the Christ also reveals His glorious form to each one according to his spiritual enlightenment and capacity. If Christ were to appear in the same glorious light to-the dwellers of the darkened lower spheres of the spiritual world, as he; appears to those in the higher planes, then they would not be able to bear it. So He tempers the glory of His manifestation to the state of progress, and to the capacity, of each individual soul.’    Sadhu Sundar Singh ‘Visions from the Spiritual World’

I think that this ‘conscious’ striving for that most glorious goal is what our dear Paul had in his mind when he exclaimed:

‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.’  1 Corinthians 9:24-27

And also elsewhere, in my favourite chapter from all Apostolic Epistles:

‘But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’        Philippians 3:7-14

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I will conclude this little eulogy of mine with this most beautiful and revealing report as recorded by that glorious Apostle of our beloved Lord, namely, Sadhu Sundar Singh:

THE STATE OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THEIR GLORIOUS END

Heaven, or the Kingdom of God, begins in the lives of all true believers in this world. Their hearts are always filled with peace and joy, no matter what persecutions and troubles they may have to endure; for God, who is the source of all peace and life, dwells in them. Death is no death for them, but a door by which they enter forever into their eternal home. Or we may say that though they have already been born again into their eternal kingdom, yet when they leave the body, it is for them, not the day of their death, but their day of birth into the spiritual world, and it is for them a time of superlative joy as the following incidents will make clear.

THE DEATH OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN

An angel related to me how a true Christian, who had wholeheartedly served his Master for thirty years, lay dying. A few minutes before he died God opened his spiritual eyes that, even before leaving the body, he might see the spiritual world and might tell what he saw to those about him. He saw that heaven had been opened for him, and a party of angels and saints was coming out to meet him, and at the door, the Savior with outstretched hand was waiting to receive him. As all this broke upon him, he gave such a shout of joy that those at his bedside were startled. "What a joy it is for me," he exclaimed, "I have long been waiting that I might see my Lord, and go to Him. Oh friends! Look at His face all lighted by love, and see that company of angels that has come for me. What a glorious place it is! Friends, I am setting out for my real home, do not grieve over my departure, but rejoice!" One of those present at his bedside said quietly, "His mind is wandering." He heard the low voice and said, "No, it is not. I am quite conscious. I wish you could see this wonderful sight. I am sorry it is hidden from your eyes. Good-bye, we will meet again in the next world." Saving this he closed his eyes, and said, "Lord I commend my soul into thy hands" and so fell asleep.

COMFORTING HIS DEAR ONES

As soon as his soul had left his body the angels took him in their arms, and were about to go off to heaven, but he asked them to delay a few minutes. He looked at his lifeless body, and at his friends, and said to the angels, "I did not know that the spirit after leaving the body could see his own body and his friends. I wish my friends could see me, as well as I can see them, then these would never count me as dead, nor mourn for me as they do." Then he examined his spiritual body and found it beautifully light and delicate, and totally different from his gross material body. On that, he began to restrain his wife and children who were weeping and kissing his cold body. He stretched out his delicate spiritual hands, and began to explain to them, and with great love to press them away from it, but they could neither see him, nor hear his voice, and, as he tried to remove his children from off his body, it seemed as if his hands passed right through their bodies, as if they were air, but they felt nothing at all. Then one of the angels said, "Come, let us take you to your everlasting home. Do not be sorry for them. The Lord Himself, and we also, will comfort them. This separation is but for a few days."

Then in company with the angels he set out for heaven. They had gone forward only a little way when another band of angels met them with cries of "Welcome." Many friends and dear ones, who had died before him, also met him, and on seeing them, his joy was further increased. On reaching the gate of heaven, the angels and saints stood in silence on either side. He entered, and in the doorway was met by Christ. At once, he fell at His feet to worship Him, but the Lord lifted him up, embraced him, and said, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord At that the man's joy was indescribable. From his eyes tears of joy began to flow, the Lord in great love wiped them away, and to the angels He said, "Take him to that most glorious mansion that, from the beginning, has been prepared for him." Now the spirit of this man of God still held the earthly idea, that to turn his back on the Lord as he went off with the angels would be a dishonor to Him. He hesitated to do this, but, when at last he turned his face towards the mansion, he was astonished to see that wherever he looked he could see the Lord. For Christ is present in every place, and is seen everywhere by saints and angels.

In addition to the Lord, he was delighted to see that on every side there were surroundings that filled him with joy, and that those who are lowest in rank meet without envy those who are higher, and that those whose position is more exalted count themselves fortunate to be able to serve their brethren in lower positions because this is the kingdom of God, and of love.

In every part of heaven, there are superb gardens, which all the time produces every variety of sweet and luscious fruit, and all kinds of sweet scented flowers that never fade. In them creatures of every kind, give praise to God unceasingly. Birds, beautiful in hue, raise their sweet songs of praise, and such is the sweet singing of angels and saints that on hearing their songs a wonderful sense of rapture is experienced.

Wherever one may look there is nothing but scenes of unbounded joy.

This, in truth, is the Paradise that God has prepared for those that love Him, where there is no shade of death, nor error, nor sin, nor suffering, but abiding peace and joy.

THE MANSIONS OF HEAVEN

Then I saw a man of God examining his appointed mansion from a great distance. When this man, in company with the angels, arrived at the door of his appointed mansion, he saw written on it in shining letters the word "Welcome," and from the letters themselves "Welcome, Welcome," in audible sound was repeated and repeated again. When he had entered his home, to his surprise he found the Lord there before him. At this, his joy was more than we can describe, and he exclaimed, "I left the Lord's presence and came here at His command, but I find that the Lord Himself is here to dwell with me." In the mansion was everything that his imagination could have conceived, and everyone was ready to serve him. In the near-by houses, saints, like-minded to himself, lived in happy fellowship. For this heavenly house is the kingdom, which has been prepared for the saints from the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34), and this is the glorious future that awaits every true follower of Christ.’   Sadhu Sundar Singh – ‘Visions from the Spiritual World’

Lorens N.

(August 22-25, 2009)