HEAVEN
VISITATIONS 6
Job
suffered so much while he was on this earth. Have you seen Job in
heaven?
Yes,
I have seen him but you see in the case of Job if you read James 5:11
and then Job 42:10 to 14, he was richly compensated in this world
itself. Yes in every way, whatever he lost, he got back and his
relatives came, his acquaintances came, his friends came and made him
happy and then God gave back all the ten children he lost and his
three girl children were the most beautiful girls in the whole world.
So he was richly compensated. So there he is in heaven. He is a short
man. The Lord Jesus said, "This is Job." I saw him but
there was nothing extraordinary about him
James
5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the
patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is
very pitiful and of tender mercy.
Job
42:10-14 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for
his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and
all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread
with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over
all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave
him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. So the LORD
blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had
fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke
of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three
daughters. And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name
of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.
Every
time I go to heaven, whenever the Lord Jesus wanted the apostles and
great men of God to narrate their experiences about passages I could
not understand while reading the Bible, then He made them tell me all
about it. I was talking to the very authors of particular books in
the Bible.
You
know about the Bethesda International Prayer Center that we have
built in the Karunya Nagar in Tamil Nadu, South India in the midst of
our college premises. Do you know how it came to existence? I'll tell
here.
One
day I was praying and as you know most of my time is spent only in
prayer either for myself, or for my staff or for my partners, or the
people who write to me for prayer. My whole life is dedicated to that
and then apart from that when I read the Holy Scriptures I enjoy and
then afterward I pray on that what I have read.
So
it was in one of such seasons I heard the voice of Christ saying to
me, "Come." So I went and He called Paul. "Paul, come,
show him that building." So he took me to another place. I saw a
beautiful building which looked like a mosque and it was made of
white marble stone and it was amazing. So I thought, "Oh, they
have a beautiful church here."
Then
Paul said, "Have a close look at this structure. Go round and
round. Have a good view of the whole thing and take it to the world
because this is the building which you're going to build in Bethesda
where people from all over the world will come and feel God's
presence."
So
I looked, looked, looked and he was also with me and then he asked
me, "Have you seen enough?" I said, "Yes."
He
said, "This is not a structure in heaven. This is only a model
made by our Lord to show you so that you can reproduce it in the
world."
So
I came back and told my son all about it and God has given him
tremendous wisdom as He gave to the Bezaleel and Aholiab (Ex 31:2-6)
and Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-15) and thank God, similar to the whole
thing he drew that whole Bethesda, the praying place, the meditation
hall even as I was saying it, he just drew it into a picture.
That's
how the Bethesda International Prayer Center came into existence.
Acts 7:44
Our fathers had the tabernacle of the
testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as
God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.
Hebrews 8:5
They serve a copy and shadow of what is
in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build
the tabernacle, "See to it that you make everything according to
the pattern shown you on the mountain."
Exodus 25:9
You must make the tabernacle and design
all its furnishings according to the pattern I will show you.
Exodus 26:30
So you are to set up the tabernacle
according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.
So
in such occasions, He made His apostles talk to me and most of the
apostles, all the prophets of the Old Testament, everybody will speak
to you only words of encouragement. All the time they will say,
"Don't worry, don't give up. The Lord has chosen you for this
particular ministry and He will guide you."
Once
I met the brother William Branham, a man used by God mightily. He
used to tell me how God used him. There was the time there was a
turning point in my ministry. Till then I was praying for the people
in faith. That was the time the Lord was trying to get me to call
out the names of the people, sometimes the place from which they come
and the details, where they are seated in the big audience. So this
is something which is unprecedented in the history of Christianity in
India. It was new to me also. I was also shivering in my shoes and I
was very much afraid. I would ask, "Lord, should I say this
name?" He will come and stand by my side and He would say, "Now,
say this name." Still, I'll be afraid.
There
were times on such occasion He would bring this person called William
Branham and he would encourage me, "Brother, don't be afraid. It
will come like this only. Say it out. Say it out."
So
on several occasions, I have seen him and only, later on, I read his
books and his life story. Oh, it was fascinating. Oh well, no
comparison to his life that's marvelous like chosen by God. In the
last days, Jesus Christ in His mercy has given a drop of the grace
that He has given to William Branham. What I'm trying to say, he
tries to encourage you by making you see these people and then
sometimes he would tell me about the mistakes he has done, the
mistakes in preaching wrong doctrines and he even told me, "I'm
very sorry I taught this doctrine."
And
I asked him, "Did the angel that was all the time with you, did
the angel tell you about this doctrine?"
He
said, "No, the angel did not say; the Holy Spirit did not say. I
said it. I feel so sad now. I misguided so many, many people."
So
there was a warning to me that I should not do that. On the other
hand, the encouragement that I received from the Lord enabling me to
meet them and talk to them in His presence. I would like to emphasize
"in His presence." It is not like you are going to speak to
some spirits, to some unknown spirit. No. Here the Lord Jesus comes
with you in His mighty power and He said, "This is Moses,"
and He makes Moses tell you what he experienced at a particular time
and He stands all the time there to make you understand by His
supernatural power.
Thank
God for the Holy Spirit who alone can make you understand. The Bible
says in First Corinthians 2:11 only the Holy Spirit knows the depth
of the Spirit of God and verse 14 says for the natural man it looks
like foolish things.
1
Cor 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of
man which is in him? even so, the things of God knoweth no man, but
the Spirit of God.
1
Cor 2:14 But the natural man receiveth, not the things of the Spirit
of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
During
your visits to heaven, what is your light on the four beasts as
mentioned in the book of Revelation?
In
Revelation 4:4-7, there you see the 24 elders and four beasts and
their eyes all over.
Rev
4:4-7 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon
the seats, I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white
raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the
throne proceeded flashes of lightning and thunderings and voices: and
there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are
the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne, there was a sea of
glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round
about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf
and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was
like a flying eagle.
These
24 elders, I was also wondering who they are, why 24? Then one day
the Lord Jesus showed them to me and explained to me. They are not
actual 24 people, they are symbolic of twelve tribes and twelve
apostles - the Old Testament twelve tribes and the New Testament 12
apostles. Perfectly divided. Yes, then Paul says someday we will
judge the world and we will judge the 12 tribes of Israel (1 Cor 6:2,
Matt 19:28). So the 24 elders are equally divided between the twelve
in the New Testament and the twelve in the Old Testament. They are
symbolic. These are not 24 people chosen from the world and put
there.
1
Cor 6:2-3 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and
if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the
smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much
more things that pertain to this life?
Matthew
19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which
have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit
in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
In
the same way, these four beasts, if you read Ezekiel 1: 10 and 14,
also the same thing is repeated. Ezekial lived so many, many, many,
many years far ahead of Apostle John the Divine who saw the beasts in
heaven in the book of Revelation.
It's
amazing how they synchronize except one thing. Number one, John says,
"I saw one beast it looked like a lion, another looked like a
man and another looked like a flying eagle, another looked like a
calf." While describing this calf, only confusion comes in.
If
you read Ezekiel 1:10 it says it's an ox. Then again the same person
says n Ezekiel 10:14 no, no, no the face of ox looked like the face
of a cherub, an angel of God. Now, these four beasts are symbolic of
four kinds of people.
Ezekiel
1:10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a
man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the
face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an
eagle.
Ezekiel
10:14 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a
cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the
face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
If
you read First Chronicles 12:8, the Bible says the mighty men of war
warriors whom our great King David had. They had faces like the faces
of lions. Does it mean that their faces were the face of lion? No, it
symbolizes the courage and the boldness of the lion.
1
Chronicles 12:8 And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto
David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war
fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces
were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the
mountains.
The
lion symbolizes faith in the New Testament. We talk of a man of faith
as bold as lion.
And
then the second thing is the flying eagle. If you read Isaiah 40:31,
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they
shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be
weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.
The
flying eagles symbolize praying people as they wait upon the Lord and
mount up with wings.
Then
the face of a man, if you read Ecclesiastes 8:1, Who is as the wise
man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom
maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be
changed.
The
wisdom in a man's heart will make his face to shine.
The
number four, the cherub, the face of the calf means it reflects the
grace of God. For example, if you read Acts 6:15, when they started
questioning Stephen, they looked at the face of Stephen, his face
looked like the face of an angel of God in cherub.
Acts
6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw
his face as it had been the face of an angel.
So
I have been there and I saw these four beasts and I was horrified and
amazed to find there are only men. Yes, these men were the four
beasts. The four beasts were four men.
As
you look into their faces, you feel, "Oh this man is just like a
lion," this man, "Oh my God, what wisdom he has." This
man, he is all the time praying, praying, praying.
Likewise,
the character of those persons are reflected on their faces, so they
look like the face of a beast but they are not beasts.
So
as I went nearer and nearer to them to have a closer look, they
smiled and they said, "Brother, say, 'Praise the Lord.' So I
also said, "Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord
and my feet went dancing and saying, 'Praise the Lord.' They were
also saying 'Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,' and I forgot all
about myself.
What
about those people who are deformed on this earth, who did not have
legs, who did not have hands when they were on the earth, how do they
look like in heaven?
If
you read Exodus 4:10-11 when Moses complained to Him, "Lord, I'm
a man slow of speech. I'm a stammerer. The Lord said, "Don't you
know that I am the one who made the blind, the dumb and so on.
Exodus
4:10-11 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent,
neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but
I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue. And the LORD said unto him,
Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the
seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
So
if a person is born as a deformed person, it is not his heritage nor
the mistake of the Creator but the Bible says in Psalm 138: 8 the
Lord shalt perfect everything concerning me.
Psa
138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O
LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of Thine own hands.
So
when such people go to heaven, in their appearance in the spiritual
form, this deformity is removed.
I
know one dear sister called Danam Swaminathan, a great prophetess in
India. The saddest thing is she had nothing beyond her right arm. Her
right arm was only up to her elbows. It was agonizing for us to see
she lived with that and she died.
One
day when the Lord was taking me to heaven, He said, "Do you
recognize her?" I saw her. I said, "Yes." "Would
you like to talk to her?" I said, "Yes, Lord."
I
went near her and through His supernatural power, He made her
recognize me. She's so happy because she loved me like her own son.
She's so happy and she blessed me and said, "God use you
mightily. God bless you abundantly..." and so on. And when she
stretched forth her hands to embrace me and to bless me, I saw that
both her hands were perfect, full and perfect. Oh, it was so
marvelous. So in the spirit body, whatever imperfection you had in
the physical body, disappears.
Those
who were blind on this earth would have perfect eyes and visions in
heaven. I don't have a personal experience of seeing a mentally
retarded person in this world and in the other world but based on
what I saw especially in the form of our precious sister Swaminathan,
I am sure those people also would be perfected in heaven.
Can
you throw us some light on the great white throne judgment?
The
Lord once showed me how the judgment is going to be. For that matter,
He showed me many things which are going to come. One thing we must
always remember. If you read Psalm 31:19, First Corinthians 2:9 and
Isaiah 64: 4 the Bible says what God has prepared for His people, no
eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard.
Psa
31:19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them
that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee
before the sons of men!
1
Cor 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that love him.
Isaiah
64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor
perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee,
what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him.
So
things in heaven are beyond human comprehension. So one day the Lord
told me, "Now I will show you how this white throne judgment is
going to be."
The
Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10, Romans 14:12 Romans
2:16 if you read all these four verses and then again Hebrews 9:27 It
is appointed for a man to die once then the judgment and every man
will have to present himself before the throne of God and give an
account of his life. Nobody is exempt from this but then as far as a
child of God is concerned there is a great way of escape, First John
1:7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanseth us from all sin.
2
Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;
that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to
that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Rom
14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at
naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat
of Christ.
Rom
14:12 So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to
God.
Rom
2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus
Christ according to my gospel.
Heb
9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment.
So
it is said when Martin Luther was in his deathbed, Satan appeared to
him, showed him the list of sins he has committed, all the mistakes
and all the shortcomings and then Martin Luther remembered one
scripture, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin and
when he said that the whole thing disappeared. Something struck off
the whole thing and Satan became helpless.
So
like that as for a child of God if according to First Corinthians
6:11 he is not only washed by the blood of Christ but washed by the
Holy Spirit. Also, he is made perfect by the Holy Spirit because in
Isaiah 4:3,4, the Holy Spirit goes and destroys the root of sin in
his life. That's when in Ephesians 5:18 we read, be filled with the
spirit.
1
Cor 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and
by the Spirit of our God.
Isa
4:3-4 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he
that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one
that is written among the living in Jerusalem. When the Lord shall
have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have
purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of
judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
Eph
5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled
with the Spirit.
So
for a child of God, the great white throne judgment is giving God a
chance to think of what reward He can give this fellow.
On
the other side, the people who live in sin at the moment their souls
are not in heaven. They are in a place called Gehenna, Sheol or Hell.
So in short, they are in the place for the devil.
I
remember a funny story. A man went from the world and he saw two
places. One place is filled with nice music, beautiful music, jazz
music, quick music and rock music. It was very exhilarating. On the
side, angels coming and going and very pious people praying. So the
angel asked him, "Which place do you want to go? "Oh, this
is very dull. Let me go there as it is marvelous, so wonderful and
I'm going to have a nice time." Then he went, then they accepted
him and he was so happy. But then, when he went in, he saw the devil,
he saw the burning lake of fire. He said, "Why, what's wrong?
Previously I heard the music." And all they said, "Sir,
that's all sales technique. You were in our sales office and you have
been carried away by what you love."
Those
people are plain people sent by Heaven who run the show as they are
there. Likewise, either man has to be in heaven or in hell.
But
the Bible says on the day of judgment, God would sit on His heavenly
throne. If you read First Corinthians 15:24, Then cometh the end,
when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father;
when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
The
Father and Son merge as God had come in the form of a person called
Jesus as a carpenter of Nazareth in the human body. He retains it.
That's why in you will see the Almighty God, the invisible God, the
sovereign God, the immortal God in another place far away, far away
as you read in Hebrews 7:26 far away from the sinful people far away
because He is holy but the Lord Jesus Christ is the Almighty God
revealing Himself in the form of Christ but then they merge and there
is only one God judging the people.
Heb
7:26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.
So
there are two sections of people. One, people who lived in sin, lived
in hell later on and then at the time of judgment their souls go back
and enter their bodies. If they are ashes, the earth gives the ashes
back and restored as bodies and reunited with their souls. If the man
had drowned in the sea, the sea gives back the body and they get
united and there they stand before God in the great White Throne
Judgment.
This
is what we read in Matthew 25:40 and so on. In that passage, on the
left side you see the people who disobeyed Him in spite of all His
entreaties, still, they chose and be carried away by the attractive
"sales techniques" of the devil. So He has no option except
to send them back to hell, to the lake of fire.
But
on the other side these people who lived for Him, the first thing
that I saw was, as I said, every person retained his individual
appearance his personality. Womenfolks looks like womenfolks, men
look like men, a man with the mustache looked like a man with the
mustache and so on.
But
then one stroke I saw a mighty light from the throne God going and
filling all these billions and billions and billions of righteous
people who lived for Him. Amazingly all of them were transformed to
look like the Lord Jesus. It was amazing.
When
you were telling about this new earth and this new heaven and this
white throne judgment there is something that we are talking on the
earth called Zion. What is Zion?
If
you read the Old Testament, Zion is nothing but a place in Jerusalem
where David built a fortress for himself and the city of Jerusalem is
on seven mountains. This is one of the mountains where this Zion is
built. So Jerusalem was called the Zion and Zion was called Jerusalem
by common usage. In the same way when you think about Zion it talks
only about heaven in the New Testament and then He showed me the New
Earth, the New Heaven, it's marvelous I cannot describe it because
the Lord also did not show so much of that but then for that New
Earth and New Heaven the Bible says in Daniel 12:3 those who win
souls shall shine like stars. I saw this transform the people, some
shining like stars, some like the sun, some like the moon. It's
amazing, it's amazing.
Dan
12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the
firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars
forever and ever.
The
Bible says in the last day, Jesus Christ will come back and He will
bring with Him those who died in Christ, 1st Thessalonians 4:16 For
the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first.
Psalm
47:5 God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a
trumpet.
The
words, "shout" and "trumpet" are in both verses.
When the last trumpet is sounded then Christ comes, that time the
earth and the sea they give back well then He brings the souls of the
people who died in Christ, I mean who died believing in the Living
Christ so He unites both and takes them back. So one side you see the
righteous standing before the throne of judgment.
And
the other side, you see the people who lived in sin, who refused to
accept Him, refused to accept the way of God and then comes the
question of reward, Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and
My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall
be.
When
the Lord Jesus Christ comes back, He would give them a reward. I just
do not know what reward God is going to give because He never showed
me.
But
this one thing He showed me how the Daniel 12:3 will be literally
fulfilled, how the New Heaven and New Earth will have the people
themselves as light.
Jesus
said that you are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14 "Ye are
the light of the world" is probably is going to be fulfilled
literally in the New Heaven and the New Earth.
Php
3:20-21 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look
for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall change our vile
body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according
to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto
Himself.
And
the Lord showed me that His coming is so near. As a man who is given
himself up to the preaching of love and compassion of Christ and then
praying for the people to be delivered from the problems and agony
and sorrow and sickness and pain, debt and borrowing and financial
problems, childlessness and so on, I was all the time concerned about
the agony of the people and I have spent all my life praying and
praying and praying for the people to be delivered from their
problems. I never really thought about the second coming of Christ to
be very, very open and very frank. I never thought about it but then
I think it's a year ago or six months ago, when I was fasting and
praying, the Lord Jesus said, "Come," and I went to heaven.
And He told me, "Son, everybody talks of some sign or another
saying, 'This is the sign of His coming.' Don't be carried away by
all that. I'll give you two signs. Look to the Middle East, look to
the Middle East. I'll pour out My Holy Spirit upon the people in the
Middle East. My Holy Spirit shall come like a mighty flood upon them
and the nations in the Middle East shall divide. On one side, you
will see millions and millions of people receive the anointing of the
Holy Spirit not even knowing what it is and beginning to love God,
love His son Jesus. On the other side, people who refuse to accept
the Holy Spirit and trying to kill these people, massacre them,
destroy them, making blood flow like water." He said, "That
is the time I've chosen to save those people. That's the time I'll
come back." So He said, "Let your eyes be always fixed upon
the Middle East."
And
the second thing, He showed me was a mighty Archangel. There's a
difference between an angel and an archangel. This is a very special
angel and the first time in all my visits to heaven I saw this angel
that was also very next to the place where the Lord Jesus Christ was
talking to me. I saw him with a very big trumpet and it looked as if
anytime he will blow it. Through His mighty power, the Holy Spirit
made me understand that this may not be long. This may happen within
the next twenty to thirty years, probably twenty, I may not go even
to thirty. So it is coming in so near and our eyes should be on the
Middle East. So we have a great task to do within these twenty to
thirty years that lie ahead of us.
