Glibert Goes to Heaven

1. Gilbert Goes to Heaven I

2. Gilbert Goes to Heaven II

3. Gilbert Goes to Heaven III

4. Gilbert Goes to Heaven IV

5. Gilbert Goes to Heaven V

6. Gilbert Goes to Heaven VI

7. Gilbert Goes to Heaven VII

Gilbert had been in heaven for the last six months and had finally been granted the interview with the creator he had been requesting. While on Earth, he’d always promised himself that if he ever got the chance, he’d ask God to explain things he found baffling. So when he found himself in heaven, he immediately asked to speak with the Creator personally. Today, he was finally getting the opportunity.

As two angels were leading him to the almighty, Gilbert noticed that his surroundings were becoming brighter--a brightness that he sensed would have proven fatal had he been in the mortal flesh, but which his spirit body could tolerate. Once the two angels deemed him near enough, they instantly departed and he was left in God's presence..

Gilbert had expected to see an ancient of days, white hair with white beard, a diademed crown on his head and sitting on a literal throne as described in the book of Daniel. Instead, there was an intense radiance which was everywhere and beyond all human description. It made him recall the scripture which said that God is light. There was also a sudden profound sense of being loved, protected, cherished as if a precious jewel.

“Thank you for granting me this honor Lord.” Gilbert said in the most respectful voice he could muster.

After a prolonged silence, God finally responded in a deep, calm voice that hinted at subdued thunder and the roiling turmoil of billions of stars.

“What is it that you wish to speak about my son?”

For a moment, Gilbert was wordless, and feared that he might have committed the sin of hubris by having requested such a one-on-one privilege. After all, his life hadn’t exactly been a saintly one and he was sure that the only reason he was in heaven was because of the Ransom Sacrifice which had been offered for his sins.

So who was he to be requesting interviews with the Holy of Holies? But then again, no human resurrected to heaven had actually EARNED salvation. Suddenly, as if receiving strength from God himself, he partially regained enough composure to respond.

“Well, I’m sure you know why I’m here already - right Lord?”

“Yes but it is best to ask.” Gilbert was suddenly imbued with a sense of merciful amusement by the answer.

“Well, yeah I guess you are right Lord.”

“I always am!”

“Of course. Of course I didn’t mean to--”

“I know you didn’t son.” said in a tone of infinite compassion.

“Well, Lord, what I want to ask is about you. Would that be OK?”

“If it were not, then you would not have been granted to be in my presence my son.”

“Yes of course. Thank you Lord. One question has to do with your ability to see back in time Lord. I mean, how far back in time can you remember?”

“I can remember as far back as is needed Gilbert.”

Gilbert’s mind was suddenly filled with streams of images flashing by into an infinity of time and time itself becoming meaningless against a backdrop of a stationary eternal now. “Time is a mere image upon a canvas of eternity.” The concept arose and he struggled to accept time as a mere illusion and reality as an eternal changeless moment. Instead his mind tenaciously held on to the familiar measured passage of an endless flow of seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years leading into eons as an ultimate reality. So he questioned God further.

“So can you see an end to your past?”

“I am that I am from everlasting to everlasting.” God said in a tone of infinite patience and compassionate empathy.

“Well, true. That's the way that you are described at church, Lord. But I’m still puzzled Lord. You are saying that you can always see something more beyond any moment in your past, no matter how far back you look?

“That is truth.”

“But Lord, please forgive my incomprehension, but don’t you ever wonder why this is so? Don’t you ever wonder where you yourself came from?”

“Why would I? I have always been!” Gilbert sensed a fatherly amusement, as when a child cannot understand what adults take for granted and ask silly questions. It was the feeling he as a parent experienced whenever his three-year-old had asked him if rain was the sky crying.

“So doesn’t that baffle you at all?” Gilbert said sheepishly.

“Are humans baffled by their own birth?”

“But Lord, isn't that different? I mean, a beginning is easy to understand, but being always present with no beginning is baffling."

“From a human standpoint, such confusion is understandable, since you are finite and expect beginnings. But from my standpoint, I accept eternal existence as natural and your need for beginnings in order to exist seems a bit strange.”

“So you were completely alone for an eternity before you created other sentient creatures?”

“Other creatures? My son, I am not a creature.” The thunder aspect in God’s voice increased perceptibly, and Gilbert felt for a moment as if he had stuck the proverbial foot in his own mouth and sinned. But before he could panic, God spoke once more in the same patient voice as before.

“Do please understand my son. When I created, I was not creating other sentient creatures. I was creating creatures. As for being alone for an eternity prior to the creation, yes, I was entirely alone for that eternity. Of course any human would have gone raving mad since humans need others in order to feel complete. But I am complete unto myself.”

Gilbert pondered this for a while and began to realize just how wide of a gap there was between humans or any other creature for that matter, including angels who were finite as well, and their creator.

“So you are incapable of loneliness Lord?”

“That is truth.”

“So why then did you create? What possible motive could you have?”

“To share life with others because it was the just and righteous thing to do, but not because it alleviated any loneliness”

“Well Lord I am still baffled.”

“I know my son! I know. But much less baffled than before.”

The two angels appeared and approached and Gilbert knew that his allotted time had expired. So he thanked the Lord for his infinite patience and left feeling a bit more enlightened yet still with many other profound questions to ask. But those would need to wait.

Gilbert had requested another session with God and it had once more been granted. He had gained a better understanding from the first one, but there were still many things which baffled him, such as ultimate location of all things. After all, everything in existence needed a location to exist. Since that was so, then where exactly was the location of everything? In fact, where was heaven itself located and God himself located before there was a heaven?

Most others around him seemed oblivious to such paradoxes and seemed content to just be in heaven enjoying the peace and serenity and the beautiful surroundings. They explored, invented, practiced newly acquired skills and abilities, and worked alongside others to accomplish the many tasks which God delegated to his faithful creatures. But to Gilbert it was the privilege of talking with God personally about such matters that attracted him most.

Once more the two angels appeared at his side and escorted him to the presence of the almighty. This time God had assumed a human appearance still as bright as before, but discernibly human. He seemed robed in a white garment and a gold crown on his head with gemstones. He was also sitting on what appeared to be an ivory throne.

“Lord, I am honored to be granted this privilege.” gilbert said placing the palm of his hand on his chest and kneeling on one knee. Also, thank you Lord for appearing to me in a human form.”

There was a prolonged silence and then the Lord spoke.

“You have very profound questions for me today, I see.”

“Well, yes Lord, I do. It has to do with location Lord.”

“Yes, my son, I am aware of that.”

Gilbert felt sheepish in having felt that he needed to explain to the Lord God what was on his human finite mind. But if God knew already, why didn’t he just explain it to him?

“Because the process of discovery is a pleasurable journey which would be spoiled by that, my son.” God responded to Gilbert's inner thoughts and it made sense. If mysteries were revealed rapidly without the need for conversation or discussion, it would have been like downloading information into those machines that humans now called computers. He definitely appreciate God not treating him like one of those mindless machines.

"Thank you Lord! You see, I have always wondered just where you were located before you created heaven.”

“Before I created anything only I existed my son.”

"But where were you located?

“There was nowhere for me to be located since I was all that existed Gilbert.”

“But existed where Lord?”

"My son, there was nowhere before I created a somewhere apart from myself. That first somewhere I called heaven.”

Gilbert’s mind reeled as he struggled to conceive the reality of that concept but his mind could not grasp it.

“But where is heaven located Lord?”

“Heaven is located nowhere. It is an extension of my being. Spaces that I created to surround me, as you would extend a canopy or a tent around yourself in which to dwell”

Things were beginning to make more sense now.

“Yes I can understand it better now. But then where is our material universe with its galaxies? Where did the Big Bang happen?”

Gilbert now was shown a scene where all was heavenly light. Then within that light which was heaven a dark point emerged and expanded and was soon filled with pinpoints of light. These swirled and merged and created black holes around which stars gathered becoming galaxies which gradually became galactic clusters which then became super clusters creating great voids in between.

“That is your universe!” the Lord said.

“So my universe is surrounded by heaven Lord?”

"Beyond that darkness that mankind deems endless, is this heaven, my Son. But to enter this spiritual realm without becoming a spirit, would prove fatal. My servant Paul explained this in the book of Hebrews that I inspired him to write. Flesh and blood cannot inherit my kingdom. You remember those verses, don’t you Gilbert?”

“Yes Lord I do. There is another question that I have Lord. Why did you make our universe so large when all mankind needs is the Earth?”

“Did the universe look large in comparison with heaven my Son?”

"No it didn’t but--”

“Size is relative my son. To an elephant you are small, but some of my dinosaurs would have deemed the elephant tiny. To an ant you are gargantuan. Yet to an amoeba, the ant is humongous. To you the universe looks vast, but to me it isn’t vast all, but just one among many.”

Gilbert was shown where many spherical universes were suspended like chandeliers in the brightness of heaven with angels entering to and emerging from different assignments involving the carrying out of God’s will. Teaching, guiding, protecting, communicating preparing planets for habitation in righteousness.

He was shown pristine garden planets where creatures made in God’s image had never sinned and had retained perfection of both mind and body. Where a sending of a Savior had been unnecessary. Where no opposer of God had tempted, and where the need for permission of sin for centuries had never occurred and only peace and happiness had existed. Where life was assumed naturally to be an everlasting gift, and the creatures did not have to worry about death.

All these beings were humanoids, the material appearance that God had chosen to display his image in a material form in order to call those creatures his progeny. All were brothers by virtue of having the same creator, but all were kept apart according to his will.

Gilbert’s mind reeled from the display and he suddenly felt very insignificant. But the reassuring love of the Creator softly embraced him as a father embraces a insecure child who fears to be abandoned when he learns that there are others who also are sons, and Gilbert once more regained his composure.

Then the two angels reappeared, and he knew that his session with God had once more come to an end.

After three sessions with the almighty Gilbert felt much more enlightened than he had when he first arrived in heaven. He’d been initially confused about many things. For example, what happened? One moment he was on a country road riding his horse and the next he was somewhere else - as if in a twinkling of an eye.

The new surroundings were unfamiliar, hard to put into human terms since heaven is an entirely different dimension - a spiritual one as opposed to the material one humans are used to. So the closest is to say it was bright and pleasant and peaceful, yet full of joy and activity, learning, and the vibrance of life.

He was familarized with his surroundings by angels. But Gilbert wanted to see the Creator face to face and so requested audiences which were granted. This one was to be his fifth. He wanted no mysteries, paradoxes or barriers between himself and his heavenly father and he sensed that his heavenly Father approved of him because of it.

Before, the questions had been about God’s nature, about evil, about location. Today he would wait for inspiration to guide him.

"Thank you for this privilege Lord!” Gilbert said as usual.

“Are you happy here Gilbert?”

"Yes Lord, you know I am!”

“Yet you feel incomplete.”

“Only in knowledge Lord!"

"Knowledge is a good thing: the Lord responded.

"Lord, why do you reserve omniscience to yourself?” Gilbert felt impelled to ask.

“If you knew everything there is to know, do you really believe that would make you happier?”

Gilbert pondered this for a moment and then was overwhelmed by a sense of having no questions to ask, no curiosity, no mysteries to ponder, everywhere he looked he understood, and he panicked. He sensed a slight chuckle from the Lord almighty!

“See why my son?”

“Lord, does that mean that you wish you didn’t know everything there is to be known?”

“Happiness is part of my nature as God. There s no other way that I can feel my son. Happiness comes from my ability to control all aspects of existence.”

“But how can you avoid boredom then Lord?”

“Because boredom is derived from incompleteness - a desire to have what one doesn’t have. No one who can have whatever he wants can be bored because not being bored would be part of having what he wants.”

“But where is the thrill of the challenge Lord?”

“Pay attention Gilbert and understand"

Gilbert felt a sudden surge of mental acuity and comprehension, as if God had endowed him with greater intellectual ability.

"Being almighty, I can assume states of consciousness where I am challenged Gilbert. For example, if I were to play a game of chess, I would assume a lesser ability that would challenge me to think. I would make all that other knowledge inaccessible to myself. A temporary state of amnesia as you might call it.”

"But isn’t that a dangerous thing to do. After all, you do have enemies."

“Enemies can be rendered helpless during such times my son.”

Gilbert’s mind struggled to imagine himself capable of doing such things. Of having such control of both himself and his surroundings but still could not fathom it. Then as if from nowhere a question arose that he had been putting off for some time and for some reason. Maybe because he didn’t want to be disappointed. Maybe because he feared having been living with an erroneous concept all of his life. Maybe because he feared that God would just not seem like God if he received the wrong answer. But now the question seemed compelling- as if it were being given an urgency which did not arrive from within but was being imposed by god himself.

“Lord, since I have been here I haven’t seen Jesus. Why is that?”

"Äh, my Son is presently very occupied with some urgent tasks. But he will be back soon."

“Where is God the Holy Spirit then?”

There was a very long pause as if the question was one that needed to be treated with utmost care lest the questioner be spiritually harmed.

“Does it really make a difference whether I am a Trinity or not my son? If I were not a Trinity, would you not still love me? Would you not still place your faith in my Son’s Ransom Sacrifice? Would they not still be as precious as they are?”

Gilbert was taken aback. He had to give the matter deep thought since he didn’t know himself how he felt. Then as if his heart had been miraculously unshackled from some irrational psychological bondage, he responded.

“Lord. you are my God and heavenly Father and Jesus is my Savior regardless of whether or not you are or are not a Trinity.”

Gilbert sensed a boundless joy emanate from the Lord and thought he heard a very distant acclamation of many angelic minds who were somehow all aware of the conversation. Or else God’s joy somehow permeated all his surroundings, and he shared it with all his creatures on special occasions. Gilbert didn’t know but he felt happy in having answered in an approved way.

“So if it does not really make a difference then why ask my Son?”

Gilbert’s mind was infused with images of wars fought on Earth over doctrinal issues having to do with the Trinity. He beheld the cries of Servetus as he was being roasted alive over doctrinal disputes with Calvin, the Trinitarian. He beheld men who claimed to be Christians and imitators of his Son hacking others to death with swords based on disagreements, and finally understood why the question was indeed irrelevant to a relationship with God.

He found himself sobbing in sorrow over such hypocrisy. Found himself angered at the opprobrium brought upon Jesus' name via such fanaticism which led to the same sin committed by Cain against Abel multiplied a million times. Realized that to be approved of God what was needed was a pure heart that sought to please him and a love of righteousness and not just some specific doctrinal belief about God’s ultimate physical nature.

Having attained that crucial understanding, Gilbert’s session with the Almighty came to and end.

Gilbert had imagined that once in heaven, God would always be visible to everyone there. After all, God was described as omnipresent, which meant that he was everywhere. But as it turned out, God did have a specific location in heaven and those wishing to speak to him personally needed to request an audience. So Gilbert requested yet another audience with the Lord and was allowed to go un-escorted. Having been there thrice before made it easier since now he could speak more freely whereas before he had stumbled over every little word.

Not that those in heaven couldn’t approach God in prayer. That kind of communication remained available, but to Gilbert that was like being back on earth with this vast distance between him and his heavenly Father. So he preferred a face-to-face communication.

In a way it made him feel blessed. After all, did not the scripture say that those who were pure in heart would see God? But he being human was sinful so the only way that could apply to him was based on the Ransom sacrifice of Jesus and the imputed righteousness based on it. Which was the reason for this particular audience. He wanted to ask God certain things about sin and forgiveness that he found baffling.

Soon, Gilbert was once more before the Lord almighty. By now he no longer quaked in fear but felt that he was in the presence of family- his heavenly father - and that as a father God would never harm him.

“Your question today is what my son?”

Gilbert caught himself before he replied that God knew very well what his question was. He had done it before, and if he did it again, he would maybe be considered a dimwit or else attempting to banter with the Almighty and he knew that these moments were not to be wasted on bantering.

“So you feel I don’t have a sense of humor Gilbert?” God said in an amused manner after reading Gilberts thoughts.

“Well, Lord, I know you have many things to do--”

“Do you think I could provide mankind with a sense of humor if I did not have one myself my son? I could have given the hippo another face you know? I didn’t have to make the ostriches neck so long and its head so small. Neither did I have to make courtship among avians so colorfully ridiculous with all the neck movements and prancing around. Do you know why I did it?”

“Because you found it funny lord?”

“That is truth. There is mirth in nature, if you look at it closely, and it is there as an expression of my sense of humor. Mankind's sense of humor is really an extension of mine and a byproduct of the ability to reason I bestowed upon my human children. Without reasoning, you would not be able to detect incongruity, and without detecting incongruity, there would be no reason for laughter.”

The explanation made Gilbert feel less tense, and narrowed the gap he had been feeling ever since he had been told all the previous things about God, such as his eternalness, lack of location, which made him seem alien and rather incomprehensible.

Still sensing a certain doubt in Gilbert about his ability to find things funny the Lord went on :

“Do you really believe I don’t find humor if a priest bends over and his trousers rip in front of his congregation? Or if a human tries to swat a fly and swats his own face? Or about the silly questions that children ask?”

Gilbert felt as if God were providing him with insights never before revealed and wondered whether these thoughts should be put down in writing and transmitted to humans on Earth.

“But you are not here to ask about such things. You are here to ask about why I could not forgive mankind without the shedding of blood. Right my son?”

Gilbert had started worrying that his allotted time was to be used to explain God’s ability to appreciate humor when he had far more urgent questions on his mind. Then he remembered that now he had an eternity of time in which to ask all the questions he desired and his once time-limited Earthly mind was shunted aside as irrelevant.

“Yes Lord, why do you need for someone to have died for you to forgive?” Gilbert asked calmly.

“Wasn’t there an easier less painful way Lord? One that didn’t include so much suffering and pain?”

“If there had been, my son I would have chosen it instead. But my sense of justice demanded that payment for what had been lost had to be provided in order for the balance of justice to be maintained. I see that you don't fully understand. When Adam sinned he sold everyone who was to be born to slavery to sin. A ransom was needed to release mankind from the debt of sin. That Ransom was the life of Jesus my son.”

“Excuse me for interrupting Lord, but why must everyone who sins die?”

There was a long pause, and Gilbert felt as if he had been rude in daring to interrupt the almighty in the middle of his explanation. At any moment he expected the two angels to appear, and forcefully usher him out for his indiscretion. But after allowing Gilbert to delve on the matter, the Lord spoke again in his infinite patience:

“One cannot complete a journey unless one is willing to take small steps. In order to comprehend some things, others must first be understood. Life is a gift I provide for those who are worthy and are willing to live peacefully with others. If not, then pandemonium and anarchy would prevail my son. What happens if a father of a household permits his children to do as they please, Gilbert?”

Once more, images appeared before him as if on a screen. There was a family of five in utter confusion as each child did as it pleased. Some were victimizing their siblings who were obedient while the parents seemed indifferent to what was going on right under their noses.

"That’s the same that would happen if I allowed everyone to do as he pleases in my universe my son. The strong would victimize the weak and only a few would enjoy life but it would be at the cost of the misery of the others. Cannot you see it even today as I permit evil on Earth for a short while. Cannot you see the abuses heaped on the innocent? Now, imagine if I approved of it and never planned to change it.”

Visions of an Earth filled with violence coalesced in Gilbert’s mind. The sneering faces of the unscrupulously strong as they trampled the weak under their rampaging feet. The incessant weeping and dirges and prayers of the victims as they clamored for righteous retribution. The hellish nights of pandemonium as lawlessness became the norm instead of a condemned exception. With no retribution the impediment to violence would be removed and the demonic tendencies caused by mankind’s fallen nature would reign supreme.

Gilbert staggered before such images, and for a brief moment, felt vertigo. He had witnessed a literal hell on Earth, and he quavered in fear for mankind. Then a deep reassurance that it would never be allowed to occur overtook him and he was once again before God the almighty and embraced by his comforting protection and love. He knew his session with God was over for now, and left feeling enlightened.

"Thank you Lord for this privilege” he humbly said and felt God’s almighty hand caress his head as a father does a child. Then he headed back to his place in heaven where there were millions of things to do which made life a daily adventure.

Gilbert felt blessed for having so many wonderful truths revealed to him by God Himself. He still wasn’t certain about some, but felt that they were not essential to his standing before God. Neither did he consider others as critical for his acceptance of God as he had imagined or had been taught.

So he had definitely matured in a spiritual way. Yet he still yearned to continue his discussions. He desired a clarity that would once and for all put to rest those nebulous ideas which kept entering now and then and seemed to beg for an explanation. So once more Gilbert felt impelled to request yet another audience with God and once more it was granted.

Once more he stood before the almighty, bowed and thanked him for the privilege of talking with him personally.

“What is your question today Gilbert?” God asked.

“Well Lord, I have been wondering, there are so many people here in heaven, are there that many or more right now in- you know...hell?”

Gilbert had always viewed the concept of hell as terrifying, and could never get himself to reconcile it with a God of love. Yet the very terror of it had made him think twice each time that he’d entertained the desire to sin. But if he did refrain, then he always felt as if he’d been coerced into obedience by the threat of eternal torture. He couldn’t understand it, and even feared bringing it up. In fact, he hadn’t intended to, but had done so anyway for some reason. Maybe because deep down inside he understood that in order for him to truly accept God as loving and just, he needed an explanation.

“There aren’t any of my creatures in the place that you are imagining my son.” God replied patiently.

"Then where are they? I have been here for two years now and have never seen certain people who died thousands of years before I did.”

"They are nonexistent my son. Remember what I told Adam. From dust he was taken and to dust he would return. I did not mention that I would torture him forever with fire-did I?”

“That is true Lord, but there are scriptures which do say things that seem to promise torture for sin.”

“Those scriptures are being misunderstood my son. The one about Lazarus and the Rich Man was referring to the Pharisees and the common people and not to any two literal persons. Do you really believe that a man in such a place would only ask for one drop of water?”

Gilbert could sense that God was laughing and found himself momentarily laughing as well.

“But let me ask you Gilbert, if your children disobeyed you- would you torture them?"

“No Lord I would not!"

"Then why imagine that I would torture mine? Is your sense of justice greater than mine?”

"No Lord I wasn’t claiming such a thing”

“That is truth. But by suggesting that I am capable of doing such a horrendous thing that is exactly what these people are saying!”“

Gilbert pondered that thought and saw that it was indeed true. Each person who preached hell fire had always said that he personally would never inflict that kind of punishment on anyone- not even an animal. Humans had also made laws prohibiting the use of torture and classifying it as a crime against humanity.

“All your thoughts are true. That is why the doctrine is from a source which is against me!”

There was a tinge of subdued anger and thunder in the Lord’s voice.

"It is a continuation of what he started in Eden, a defamation of my character to make me appear as selfish and cruel. But truth will eventually prevail my son.“

Gilbert was shown a vision of a paradise Earth where mankind lived in full health and spiritual contentment. Where everyone was blessed with truth and nobody was misled by the great deceiver Satan. Gilbert recalled the scripture in Malachi that said that the knowledge of God would cover the Earth as the waters cover the seas.

“But why do you permit this blasphemy, this attack on your personality Lord?”

“Such blasphemy is never accepted by those who are truly worthy of eternal life my son. My sheep do not believe this in their heart of hearts. Those who do accept it because they are misled will be forgiven. But those who know that it is evil and yet spread such a horrendous lie shall not.”

“So all these people from the far past who aren’t here in heaven are dead forever Lord?”

"That is the penalty of unrepentant sin my son. Such persons would prefer death rather than to live in heaven because of their constant lust for sin. A righteous place would be torture for them. They would attempt to disrupt the peace of others in order to get their evil ways. Bringing them here would prove useless.”

“Lord, forgive me for asking this, but cannot they be all placed somewhere in some corner of the universe far from the righteous?”

“No my son. What you are asking is that evil be tolerated under my kingdom. That I cannot do.”

Gilbert was shown a hypothetical place where the evil are permitted to do as they please. The place appeared like a snake pit with writhing humanity. Tortures, wars, and all the unmentionable degradations inspired by selfishness and human mental depravities, until Gilbert could tolerate no more.

“Please Lord enough!" he pleaded.

Do you understand now why I cannot permanently permit it my son? Why such ones cannot be allowed to thrive?”

“Yes Lord! It would not be a righteous thing to do.”

"It would also require that Satan and his demons be allowed there as well as their invisible gods. Gloating over having a place of their own. Boasting about how evil can prosper alongside the good. No my son, only death is the solution, a complete cleansing of the universe of all sin, so that the righteous can prosper in peace.”

Visions of a cleansed Earth were displayed, where everyone knew God 's true personality and no misleading doctrines were allowed to mislead mankind any longer. Death was no more, neither outcry nor pain. All former things had been removed, just as God had promised.

Gilbert sensed that his time was up. He thanked God once more for the privilege and retired to his private place in heaven to ponder other questions he might have for God.

Gilbert had five sessions with the Lord almighty but he still had questions that needed to be answered. This time it involved the true church. He had been raised to view the Roman Catholic Church as the true one. Yet in heaven, there were millions of resurrected people from other Christian denominations. In fact, there were people who had never been Christians until they arrived in heaven. This had been a great surprise. Wasn't salvation only through Jesus?

Then from his vantage point in heaven, Gilbert had observed how certain modern religious denominations had arisen. These sects challenged both the Catholic Church’s claim and the Protestants by claiming to be God’s organization on Earth and the only ones through which God revealed sacred truths.

They also made other baffling claims which he needed to bring before the Lord God. So today should prove interesting and his spiritual heart raced with excitement. As he approached the Lord God he sensed a kindred spirit- as if God was also welcoming this opportunity to clarify the issues that were about to be discussed.

Today he also sensed someone else sitting at God’s right hand and he somehow understood that it was the glorified Jesus who was also surrounded by light that no earthly human could approach unless he were divested of flesh and blood and provided with a spiritual heavenly glorified body. There was also a unity of mind and purpose and an infinite love between Father and Son that surpassed Gilbert's meager ability to fully understand.

“This is my Only Begotten Son Jesus who gave his life for the sins of the world!"

God said with a profound admiration and subdued pain.

In an instant of time Gilbert beheld the fullness of Jesus’ life from birth up to his crucifixion, resurrection and glorification to heaven. He finally appreciated the profound divine unity and purpose of kindred minds which was unbreakable and eternal. Appreciated that in a very gloriously infinite way they were both indeed one.

Then he was once more alone with the Father.

“Thank you Lord for that revelation," Gilbert said reverently.

“What is your question today my son?" the Lord God replied.

“Well Lord, it’s about religion. I know that Christianity must be the only one you approve of because it glorifies your son and accepts his Ransom.”

“That is truth," the Creator replied.

“But yet lord, I see people here in heaven who were not Christians during their lives on Earth. Some were Buddhists, Muslims, Shintoists. How is that possible Lord?"

God sensed a tinge of resentment in Gilbert. As if expressing a sibling jealousy.

“Should you not be rejoicing instead my son? Your brother was lost and is now found. Is that not a cause for rejoicing?”

Gilbert recalled the scripture about the prodigal son who had squandered his father’s riches while his brother had not. Upon returning, his father forgave him and celebrated. But his brother, who had remained faithful, was furious. Then he had been reprimanded by his father in the same way by being told that he should have been rejoicing instead.

“Forgive me Lord for my stupidity! I should be rejoicing more than feeling confused. But now that I am no longer confused and am rejoicing- please Lord- explain how this is possible. Weren’t they all supposed to have been unsaved heathens?”

“Once a heathen doesn’t mean eternally a heathen my son. Many heathens are people who want to do what is right and sincerely strive to do what is right in my eyes but are unable because they have been misinformed since childhood. So their intentions are noble and that has a great value Gilbert.

That is why they were provided with the opportunity to choose. With the clearness of mind that they had lacked. With the necessary knowledge that would allow them to make an informed decision and not one based on misunderstandings and satanic propaganda. Some chose to reject the truth. But the vast majority decided wisely and were glad that they were for once in their lives seeing things as they really were.”

“So there is no advantage in being Christian?”

Gilbert sensed that God was examining his inner thoughts and his motivations meticulously before replying. That God was gradually improving his ability to both understand and adjust to the new truths.

“My Son, what do you consider a Christian?” God responded solemnly.

“Well, Lord, one who proclaims--”

"No my son, proclamation is not enough. How many devilish people have proclaimed being followers of my Son Jesus and yet they reflect the personality of my enemy Satan? Millions have done so and continue to do so. They murder, commit adultery, rape, steal, lie, fornicate, contact evil spirits and in doing so drag the name of my son through the mud. No Gilbert, proclaiming is not enough. Those who claim that proclamation is enough are those who seek excuses to call themselves my Son’s followers but who really worship the Devil- because whoever would please the Devil worships him.”

Gilbert saw the truth in it and wondered why he had not seen it before. Maybe because of all the constant preaching that had prevented his mind from deviating. But now he felt unshackled and free from such a ridiculous concept. He saw these churches that claimed exclusive access to God for what they really were, man-made organizations having absolutely no basis in ultimate reality and their members as simply deluded individuals who although sincere were wrong.

     Gilbert sensed that his time with the Lord was once more coming to an end. He thanked the Lord for the privilege and emerged from his presence rejoining in his newfound wisdom and sensed that his bond with God had grown even closer.

     There were so many things that Gilbert wanted to know. Some were things that he should have known back on earth before being resurrected to heaven. Other things that he could never have known without directly asking his heavenly Father.

Not that he fully understood the explanations, about God’s nature, but at least he had tried. Perhaps certain ones, like God's eternity, could only be understood by the creator and would never be fully understood by any of his creatures. Yet there were concepts which were easily grasped and these he would pursue until fully understood. The last session had been about one such concept, true religion.

"Thank you Lord for the great honor!” Gilbert once more said before the Lord God."

"You are welcomed my son."

"There were things left unexplained that I needed to know Lord. Such as what is the true Church on Earth. There are so many denominations claiming to be Christian. As you know Lord, I was taught that the Roman Catholic Church is the true Church.”

"Your confusion is based on your concept of what is my church my son. Remember, my church is composed of living stones which I choose. Such stones, or people, must have certain qualities. Not everyone calling himself a Christian has those qualities my son. Some display the qualities of my enemy Satan instead."

Gilbert suddenly recalled all the bitter experiences he had undergone at church and with churchgoers. The cruel indifference shown towards his suffering. The self-righteous attitudes of those who felt superior to him because they were able to attend church more frequently than he could. The malicious back-biting and gossiping. No, these definitely could not have been stones of God’s true church regardless of their claims.

“You are right Gilbert. They were not of my church.”

“So what about those who preach about an Armageddon where only their church-members and a few others will be spared?”

“I don’t blindly mow down people simply because they don’t belong to a certain denomination my son. Human lives are precious. So precious that I had my only Begotten Son die in order that many among mankind could attain eternal life. Before passing judgment, I scrutinize the innermost recesses of a person's heart. I weigh factors beyond any human capability to evaluate. I gauge potential, nurture vs nature. I factor in circumstances that the person had absolutely no control over such as heredity, defective upbringing and cultures that influenced him perhaps in negative ways. Then and only then do I decide for either a chance of life or an immediate death. No one with the slightest potential for repentance is destroyed in the manner they describe. Such a concept is a defamation of my character and the Devil's propaganda."

Gilbert sighed in relief to know that his God was not the bloodthirsty God described by religious fanatics back on Earth. Then he suddenly recalled the Flood and how it had annihilated a whole world of people. He hesitated before asking but knew that the question needed to be asked or else he would leave unsatisfied and that would have wasted his time and the Lord‘s.

“But how about the Flood Lord?” Gilbert asked in the humblest tone of voice he could muster.

The Lord God paused to answer, and Gilbert felt that he was being approved for his brave insistence on knowing the truth. He also perceived a certain sadness from God at recalling the event. Then, in a vision he was shown an Earth rampant with sin. An Earth where supernatural creatures were materializing into human shapes and forcing themselves upon women. He saw the Nephilim giants trampling all in their path underfoot. He was shown the horrible ways in which animal life had been mangled by genetic manipulation and finally understood that such a world needed to be destroyed. Only then did the Lord reply to Gilbert’s question.

“As you saw in the vision my son, the Flood was directed at human beings and half angel half-humans called Nephilim whose hearts had been totally warped and who preferred badness over righteousness. Not one righteously-disposed person perished. Not one of those who perished would have benefited from any opportunity for repentance.”

“But why did you allow those angels to contaminate mankind that way Lord?"

"Two reasons my son. One because it was part of Eden's challenge that mankind could succeed under rebel angel direction and a denial would have been understood as fear of success. Two because in order to be in my image my children must have freedom to choose life or death. If not they would be robots. Would you feel love for a robot? Would you appreciate a robots devotion? It does only what it is programmed to do my son nothing more.”

Gilbert momentarily felt himself in the place of a creator striving to decide on how to create creatures he could call his offspring. There was no clear middle ground. They either had free will or they didn’t. He felt a strong repugnance at mechanical obedience or forced displays of affection. Felt as if doing so would be no different than creating ants who went about their business following chemical trails purely on instinct. Such creatures would have been nothing more than automatons. So he understood.

Once again Gilbert's time had run out. He never had to be told, he just felt it.

“I have a gift for you my son” the lord God said as Gilbert was about to leave.

An angel appeared with a golden harp and handed it to him. Gilbert wondered what he was supposed to do with it. He had never played any musical instrument. But this was no ordinary harp. It was a harp with rainbow like strings which only appeared when he reached to pluck with his fingers. Each color brought fourth syncopated harmonies.

"Play it my son." God said in a fatherly way.

Gilbert found that the harp produced only pleasant melodies on it no matter how he plucked the strings. He discovered that he could arrange these melodies as he chose to and modify them minutely in order to make his own unique compositions.

“Thank you Lord for the gift and the audience,” he said and took the precious gift back with him to his private place in heaven.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JD04/22/2021That was quite the epistle, Radrook! Thought provoking and interesting theological postulating in a way that seems non-preachy, fairly logical, and generally acceptable. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on God, religion, Christianity, heaven, hell, life, death, and everything! Nicely done! :-)Reply

Radrook04/23/2021Thanks for the feedback JD. Much appreciate it.