The Judgement
I had a dream.
I dreamed I died.
I stood outside the gates to Heaven and hell and awaited my
trial.
My time came both impossibly quick and eternally long. I stood
before the Lord God Almighty. I was awed by his presence. I
wanted to fall to my knees and worship, but I knew I had to stand
trial.
The trial to decide whether I'd be allowed to enter heaven.
The Lord stood with a manila folder in his hand. At his side
stood the great archangel Michael, his sword ready in hand. He
stood as baliff while the Lord sat on the great Throne of Heaven.
Without preamble, the Lord opened the folder. He took out the
first sheet. It was labeled "Lies told." As the Lord
began to read from this great list, my knees trembled. The next
sheet was "Trusts betrayed." I shook harder as the Lord
pulled out another sheet, "Friends failed." I cried
openly as the Lord read from a list of "Hypocritical
moments." I sobbed as He read from "Lustful
moments."
Then the Lord reached into the second half of the folder, and
pulled out a different sheet. This one was labeled
"Confidences kept." Another came forth, "Truths
told." I gained a bit of confidence and found my feet. These
other lists were painfully short, but they were filled with my
good works on the earth. Surely they accounted for something. I
even felt a bit of pride at the few names on the list of
"Friends Impacted."
Then the Lord threw down the folder at my feet. "All your
righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6)," He
declared. "They shrivel like a leaf in the fall, and are
swept away. They are nothing to me."
I laid flat on the ground, for I knew now I was doomed. I wept
bitterly. There was nothing I could do.
Then I heard the Lord call out, "Bring me the Lamb's Book of
Life!"
I looked up to see the Creator paging slowly, carefully leafing
through the great Book of Life. "In this Book," He
declared, "is the name of all who have accepted My Son as
Savior."
He hesitated over a page. "Your name is written. Open the
gates to Heaven!" He called. The massive pearl gate swung
open for me.
I tarried at the gateway, though. For the next in line of
judgement was a friend of mine from youth.
The Lord read aloud his transgressions and works alike. I was
ashamed at how much greater his life had been. He had served for
years.
Then the Lord opened the Book of Life. He paged through the book,
until He finally declared, "Your name is not written."
"But Lord," my friend called out. "I have called
on You; I have done great works in Your name!"
"Not everyone who calls 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the gates
of Heaven."
Then I turned away, unable to bear seeing my friend cast into the
Lake of Fire.
I entered the gates, and they swung shut behind me.
I walked slowly through the golden streets. I wept openly in
shame from my deeds and from my failures. I saw friends from
earth; a girl who I'd known for years, reunited with a long-lost
friend; a man reunited with two siblings that had been lost as
infants. But I cried for those I'd failed to save.
Then there was a Presence with me. He walked with me. I looked
and I saw the Lamb of God, the Savior, the Messiah: Jesus Christ.
He wrapped his arms around me. With infinite tenderness he
reached up to my soaked face, and slowly began to wipe away the
tears. "There is no need to cry; there is no more sorrow
here, nor pain. Only joy. For the world and all its evils have
passed away. (Revelation 21:4)"
I took comfort in his strong embrace. "Come, let Me show you
the mansion I have prepared for you," He said. (John 14:2)
Then the dream faded away, and I realized it was just a dream. I
wept, for I had rested in the embrace of the Almighty. But then I
realized that Jesus still walked with me, every day and every
hour and every minute and every second.
And I decided I'm going back there, to Heaven, someday. When the
Lord calls, I'll be ready. And I hope to see all of you up there
with me.
Remember, though: we don't know the time He will come again.
Revelation 22:20 - "He who testifies to these things says,
"Yes, I am coming soon.""
Don't tarry; don't wait another day. Come to Christ now!
Revelation 20:11-15 "Then I saw a great white throne and
Him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from His presence,
and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and
small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened.
Another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead
were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the
books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and
Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was
judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were
thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the seond
death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of
life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."