By this time he had come to us, and with a friendly greeting we shook hands and my mother gave us an introduction. He very cordially welcomed me, and in a moment all my feelings of backwardness at meeting with such an honored and favored servant of God as he had been and was were gone. The grace with which he met me and the welcome he gave caused an immediate yearning in me to be near him. I felt I could lean my head with great joy on his bosom.
The meekness so characteristic of his nature while on earth clothed every feature of his soul now. He did not seem like a man who had lived one hundred twenty years on the earth under such great burdens of responsibilities as he had passed through. There were no marks of age, or wrinkles or any oldish looking appearance about him. Only his hair and beard were of flaxen whiteness. He was rather above the average in stature, and his robes were white as snow. He stood quite erect and had a most imposing dignity and yet so gentle and lovely that my soul loved him exceedingly at once.
My mother and he entered into a short conversation about a number of children who were just outside the gate, and asked me to excuse their conversation a moment. I heard him ask her if she would go and assist them in the knowledge and ways of the heavenly kingdom. We were so near the gateway, that we could distinctly hear them singing and could discern the voices—very sweet and angelic. Mother said she would be quite glad to go and spend some time among them and teach them of heavenly things. So turning to Moses she said, “My son would be pleased for a short visit with you, as he has only recently entered the city.”
“I shall be much pleased also,” said Moses, “for to assist and help each other is much of our occupation in heaven as you know yourself.”
Whereupon my mother made a gentle bow, adding the words, “I’ll see you again,” and waving a good-bye with her hand she was gone.
Moses now said, “You were fortunate to have had such a mother on earth. She is greatly esteemed in heaven, and very much used in the service of her Lord. But I see, my son, you are very full of questions and the inquiries and investigations of your soul are of great service to you here. Let us walk to that cluster of trees over there and take some fruit that we may be eat while we talk. I always enjoyed the social and religious feasts while on earth, and it remains with me still. I greatly enjoy eating with my friends.” He selected from the different kinds what we wanted and said as he handed me a bunch of what seemed like large transparent grapes. These will help you in understanding the mystery of the kingdom of God—mysteries not so much connected with our redemption as our further development in heaven and growth in a knowledge of His will for the great future.”
“There have been great discussions of recent years,” I said to Moses, “over some portions of the Scripture, especially of the book of Genesis which you wrote, what was meant and what time embraced in the six days of creation, and the seventh day in which it is said, ‘God rested.’ I used to say if ever I got to heaven I would see Moses and ask about these things. And at last, here we are, face to face.”
“Well,” said Moses, “my time and knowledge are at your disposal. I have been asked very similar questions hundreds of times. But just one word of explanation will make it all clear to you. In the first place, to begin back of where I began when writing under the inspiration of God, before the beginning the great cycles of eternity knew nothing of the earth. It was known only in the mind of God, and long before He laid the foundations of the earth, He thought of each of us. But this beginning and each successive day of creation were long periods of time. Each cycle was called a day which measured a vast period of creation under infinite laws. The same laws were in operation as they are now—God’s will was simply His law. When He said, ‘Let the dry land appear,’ ages were occupied in developing the continents for our earthly home, and so period after period, the work was done and the earth was populated with creation of His own will. Great events are in store for the earth yet. The restitution of all things has not occurred yet. God shall cleanse, change and remodel it again by fire. His voice shall yet shake the earth as it has never been shaken. He shall prepare it for a suitable place for His bride in the great wedding tour which we will yet take. Do you not remember His Word, written long after my day: ‘Whose voice then shook the earth, but now He has promised saying, “Yet once more I will shake not the earth only but also heaven”’? (Hebrews 12:26) The renovation of the earth and the removing out of His kingdom there all things which offend and do iniquity is another great day yet to come, and nearly here. All the wise ones of earth will be ready and waiting for it.”
“Well,” I said to Moses, “I am deeply interested in these great matters of creation, but may we not leave them for another visit for there are other things which I wish to ask you about.”
“Certainly,” said Moses.
“Tell me something concerning our Lord Jesus, before He was born in the world and became our sacrifice for sin.”
“Well,” said Moses, “He was always one with the Father. He was truly the Word of God. The creative energy of the almighty Jehovah. Without Him God did nothing. ‘Let us make,’ was an expression common in all the works and creations of God. His title always was the ‘Word,’ and until He was born on earth He was not known as the Son, but as the Word only. He has been present in the creation of the world, and was and is the glory of the Father’s Throne in this celestial kingdom. But it was a great event in heaven when the announcement was made that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It was the most exciting occasion ever witnessed in all the heavenly domain. All the angels tuned their harps, for the Lord said, ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him.’ I have seen great times on earth when the millions of Israel all joined in the chorus of praise at the passage of the Red Sea, and when all the great hosts rushed from their tents at the sounding of the trumpet of God on Mount Sinai, but never was anything equal to this. Multitudes of angels at once descended to where the infant Jesus was, but no such worship or music has ever been heard in heaven. Everything throughout all the streets and avenues of the city and even to the utmost bounds of paradise the voice of thanksgiving was being poured forth to God. The angels were not alone in this praise, for all of us who had come from the earth knew that our salvation was through Him who had just been born into the world and you may know we all joined with them in one prolonged praise to God. It was an event which had been pondered with great interest by all the heavenly host for long ages past.”
“Thank God,” I said to Moses, “for His birth. And I now remember a passage of the blessed word of the Lord bearing on this same subject: ‘Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you. Searching what or what manner of time, the Spirit of God which was in them did signify when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow: Unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you, by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into.’” (1 Peter 1:10-12)
“You are right, my son,” said Moses, “and we all knew that the world’s redemption was connected with His birth, life and death. The angels were in constant attendance upon Him at all times and brought us detailed accounts of all that occurred in His life. Many things of which I am told there is no record upon earth are faithfully written in the Book of Life, a volume of which is at each of the twelve gates and the angel always has charge of it. If you desire,” said Moses, “we will walk at once to the Judean gateway, which is not far from here and see some of the things written therein.”
I said to him, “I entered at that gate only a short time ago and saw the Book and glanced over a few of its pages and should be much pleased to look into it again, for our Lord said, ‘You can all read at your leisure.’”
As we were going, Moses said to me, “Did the Book meet your expectations?”
“Oh,” I said, “it far exceeded them. It is so large and grand, yet it seemed easily handled, for everything in heaven seems to be of such a spiritual character.”
He quickly turned to that portion bearing the title, “Records of the Son of God.” As he slowly turned the pages I glanced at the various headings bearing on the many events in His most wonderful life. It was exceedingly interesting and precious to notice with what wonderful harmony the records of His life were given in the Scriptures and in this blessed Book of all books. It seemed more interesting still, since I knew that one had been written by the instrumentality of man and the other by the hand of angels. The angels know all about our language and have written all things intelligible to us. The angels whom Jacob saw in his dream ascending and descending upon the ladder, bearing confirmations of the covenant given to Abraham were the same who were in constant attendance upon the Son of God during His wonderful incarnate life upon earth, and watched every detail of His life, and much of it has been faithfully written. I read with fresh interest the account of His birth, of the special illumination by the guiding star given to the wise men of the east, in the language of the Record, “A light from heaven guided them to the place where the world’s Redeemer was born.” Of Herod’s miserable attempt to destroy Him by killing all the young children of those parts, and of his continued and determined wrath against Him until an angel brought his life to an end.
As he turned the pages I noticed many accounts of His early life not given in the Scriptures. One especially attracted my attention, the title was, “Jesus Taught by the Father.” The event seemed to occur when He was but five years old. Joseph had gone from home and the child Jesus was left alone in His father’s place of business, His mother being busy in the house. Suddenly a bright cloud filled all that mechanic’s room. The Father Himself overshadowed and held conversation with Him, telling Him who He was: that God was His Father, and communicated to Him much concerning His earthly mission. “All this,” said Moses, “he knew as God, but as He was man also He learned by being taught.”
Another account was written, “Caught Up to Paradise.” It was during the night while all were asleep that He was caught up to the paradise of God and was with the Father for many hours in which the Father said to Him, “You are man as well as God for you were born of a woman. All power and authority shall soon be given into Your hands, and You shall lay down Your life for the salvation of men.” I then quickly remembered His own words: “This commandment I have received from my Father.” (John 10:18) “You shall also prepare and fix up mansions in this upper kingdom for Your future home and that of all Your children for they shall be many.”
Before morning had broken upon the earth, angels had returned Him safely to His home at Nazareth and before any stir by servants or parents He was in His room in prayer.
“Now,” said Moses, “this incarnate life of Jesus on earth was made necessary on account of man’s sin and rebellion against God. No other method was ever devised for our salvation. You can look further into the book if you like, and at any time you wish.”
* * * * *
“These accounts,” I replied, “are exceedingly interesting. I have often said while on earth that many things we did not know, nor could know, we would know hereafter.”
“True enough,” said Moses. “The fact is, we only just began to know the first elementary principles of the knowledge of God while on earth.”
“I suppose that would be true of the large mass of mankind whose knowledge is so limited concerning divine things, but you seem to include yourself along with the rest of us, and it seems a little strange since you were for so many years in such intimate fellowship with God—talked face to face with Him—saw His glory so often, were His special friend so long.”
“I know,” said Moses, “that God did highly favor me, but it was for your sakes as much as my own, but after all, since I came into the heavenly kingdom and into His immediate presence about the Throne, I find I know but little of what is evidently yet to be known. God revealed much of Himself to me, as I thought, but that much was only a little of the great mysteries of His eternal nature, wisdom and works. Even as regards our common salvation, the angels who for long ages have been about the Throne, are yet eager to learn. Here,” said Moses, “is a page you would like to see, I am sure. It is one of the great events in the earlier life of Jesus, not recorded in the Holy Scriptures on earth.”
The headlines were, “The mission of Jesus more fully confirmed by the Father.” The event occurred when He was about twenty-two years of age. He had retired to a distant mountain to pray and was all alone, except many of the angels were about Him, when the Father in a most extraordinary manner met with Him and reiterated in fullness of meaning all that had been revealed by the shadows of the law. The Father spoke of His death to be accomplished at Jerusalem and of its vicarious nature—how His death was to be for all men and showed Him the fullness of His love for the world, and that His sufferings and death should be the price of the world’s redemption, and that His death should be the great atonement for the salvation of man. The account also showed how He should die and the awful sorrows of the occasion: His rejection by the Jews, His scourging and final death on the cross. Reference was also made of His resurrection and ascension into heaven. “All these things,” said Moses, “Jesus as the Word always knew, but as the Son of God, He was instructed by the Father, and fully did His will in all His incarnate life on earth.”
Very many things I saw written there of the occurrences in His life were most interesting to me now. “Oh, yes,” I replied to Moses as he turned the pages, “I remember how John the beloved disciple said as he finished his narrative of the Son of God: ‘And there are many other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.’” (John 21:25)
I asked Moses why these are written here instead of in the records on earth.
“These,” he replied, “are for the satisfaction and comfort of God’s children in heaven.”
“Well, well,” I remarked, “I am lost in wonder and surprise. But, father Moses,” I said, “you had a most remarkable experience in the days of our Lord while on earth. The Scriptures make reference to the transfiguration of Jesus on the Holy Mount and that He took Peter, James and John with Him and that you and Elijah came also and were talking with Him concerning His death.”
“Yes,” said Moses, “I look back to that event with great pleasure. At the time the hosts of Israel were ready to cross the Jordan into the land of their inheritance I was very eager to go over with them, but God thought it not best, and His will is always right. I did not then know that He meant to answer my prayer after so many long years had passed—that is, long years as regards earthly count—it was only a day and a half of heaven’s measure.”
“That was a great day when the Lord summoned us to the earth. All powers had just been given into His hands both in heaven and in earth. I cannot fully describe to you our feelings when Elijah and myself were walking together near the Throne talking of the great event so soon to occur in the earth, and its great meaning both to earth and heaven. I was speaking of His tragic death soon to be accomplished on the cross, and He of the blessed gift of the Holy Ghost to be offered to all God’s children on the earth—for our great mission and concern had been to unfold these two features of the work of the Son of God.
We had enjoyed many precious visits and much conversation about these questions when unexpectedly Michael, one of the chief angels, whom possibly you have seen, and Jehuco, the swift charioteer, brought a chariot to our side and said that we were called for immediately to the earth. Without further preparations we were quickly seated by their side and, with almost the speed of thought, we were flying through the great avenues and passed out of the city at the gate of Manasseh. The vast plains, mountains and valleys of paradise were quickly passed. We were so enraptured with the thought of a visit to earth we hardly knew what to say nor had we time to say it until we were slowing down somewhere in the regions of a terrestrial sphere. In a moment more, its cities, towns, mountains and rivers were visible to us. Just at this moment Michael said to Jehuco, ‘Reduce your speed still more and drive the chariot past Mount Nebo.’ I exclaimed and said, ‘Oh, Michael, you blessed servant of God. Are we so near the land of my earthly pilgrimage, and to the mount where my last earthly prayer was offered and where I laid aside the veil of my flesh? I am so glad to see old Nebo again. My body was laid away somewhere here.’ ‘Yes,’ said Michael, ‘we know all about it and where it is. I will speak unto you again later on about it, but now we must hurry on.’ In a moment more the chariot wheels were standing still on Olivet’s summit, and we had stepped upon the earth which had been the scenes of my former life and within the promised land to which I had led the host of Israel, and so strongly desired to enter it myself, and now my prayer was answered after many hundreds of years had passed.
* * * * *
Moses continued and said, “Only a short distance from us was a bright cloud suspended a little way above, but really it was settling down upon the mount. It reminded me very much of the cloud that went before us in the wilderness and led the hosts of Israel in their journeys. We quickly left the chariot and the angels standing by its side, and proceeded to the place over which the cloud hung. As we came near we had the first glimpse of Him who was both God and man. He had clothed Himself in the garments of heaven for the occasion. We found Him on His knees in prayer and somewhat hidden behind some low shrubbery. The three disciples were kneeling near Him, but were so overcome with the glory that they seemed asleep. He arose and met us with a most cordial greeting, and the place was so resplendent with glory that it seemed we might have been still about the Throne itself. It did seem a little strange to think we were upon the earth again. We knew the time had arrived when He should become the great sacrifice for the world’s redemption. I had foreshadowed Him by the manifold shadows of the law. Indeed, I saw something of His majesty and the glory of His kingdom when in a figure God made my face to shine like the sun on Mount Sinai, with which, no doubt, you are familiar, for it was faithfully written.” (Exodus 34:29)
“Oh! I remember it quite well,” I replied, “and have often made reference to it as typifying the beauty of moral character.”
“Very true,” said Moses, “but it also foreshadowed the transfiguration scene and the future period yet to come, and which, we are informed, is near at hand, when the millennial glory of Christ is to appear upon the earth and all the saints shall share in the glory, a glimpse of which was seen on the Holy Mount.
“We stood united in our testimony to the Son of God. But after we had been called away the three disciples saw no man but Jesus only. The great Father spoke out of the cloud and declared this was His only beloved Son, well pleasing to Him. We had much conversation with Him on the great themes of sacrifice and atonement, the Holy Spirit, and the plan of man’s redemption. The church now has ample proof of His divinity and can fully trust in the great sacrifice which He has made.
“Our Lord spoke as familiarly to me as though we had been intimately acquainted for hundreds of years, and indeed He had been during much of my earthly life and toil, my constant friend. He was the ‘Angel of the Covenant,’ and was in the cloud which went before and followed us in our journeys in the wilderness. Long before His incarnation in the flesh He was the light of heaven and was with His church on earth. He gave us a cordial introduction to the disciples with whom we spoke.
“When He had dismissed us, the chariot drove to our side, and in a few moments we said good-bye, and leaving Olivet’s summit were on our homeward trip. Michael now turned to me and said, ‘Would you like to go past the cave?’ ‘I should be greatly delighted,’ I replied, ‘will you please stop a moment at its threshold?’
“When the chariot stood still, Michael, Elijah and myself stepped out. Michael now said, ‘No man has known where your body was laid until this day. The Lord directed a secret burial, lest the people of Israel should worship your remains. The devil contended for a long time that we should give it a public burial. But you are aware that we are now at the place? Your body was laid far back in a cave that used to be here. After it had been laid to rest, we touched the rocks and they came down and filled the entrance and here it has been sleeping ever since.’ At this I humbly bowed myself before God and blessed Him for His promise of the resurrection.
“We now quickly ascended to the top of Pisgah and once again I was standing where I had stood nearly sixteen hundred years before. Oh, how fresh the memories of it all were! Everything came back to me.”
I had been so entranced by this remarkable story, that I almost thought myself on the earth again, but turning to Moses, I said, “How wonderful are the dealings of God to the children of men! What great things are in store for them!”
“Surely,” said Moses, “but I must finish my narrative. Just here Michael said, ‘We must hurry on.’ Seated again in the chariot he said to his charioteer, ‘Go past Bethlehem, for there are two souls just released which we must take with us.’ The chariot seemed to go with the speed of lightning. We received the two souls and were soaring to the regions above and toward the gateways of paradise. When we had stepped out, Elijah remained with them for further instruction, and I was soon once more at the Throne.
“I see,” said Moses, “that we have been standing here a long time and you will have ample time to look into this Book at your leisure.”
“I am thankful for that,” I replied, “and shall often take advantage of the privilege.”
Moses now said, “You have not been far into the city, nor about the Throne, have you?”
“No, but I am eager to go, if I only had someone to go with me as a guide. There were many who entered the city at the same time I did, but they have all disappeared among the countless crowds I see in every direction.”
“You have taken a wise course, my son. Get acquainted as you go along. There are many who will lend you all the assistance you require. I see you are eager to see your mother again, she will return to you soon and you can enjoy her company as you will.”
“I thank you very much for your kindness, father Moses, and will make the most of the opportunities as they come to me.”
Moses then said, “I hope to see you again soon, and at the Throne if not before,” and with a pleasant word of blessing he said good-bye.
I turned around only to see my friend Bohemond coming toward me. We had parted at the Judean gate and had not met since. So we went to a quiet place and sat down to talk over the things of our wonderful visits and experiences.