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 ENDORSEMENTS

Have you ever given any thought to the moment you will leave
this earth and find yourself on the streets of gold? Have you tried to
imagine the joyful faces awaiting your arrival? Seeing Jesus for the
very first time face to face? Priceless! Mothers, fathers, brothers,
sisters, grandparents, children, friends—it seems surreal. Maybe
we’ll find ourselves surrounded by that great cloud of witnesses or
perhaps the people whose lives we may have influenced in some
way over our lifetime. That “Welcome Home Children” moment will
be hard to beat!
Scripture tells that “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.” Certainly, a great adventure awaits
—far better than any dreams and conversations we might have! Who
can possibly wrap their arms around spending eternity with the
Creator of the Universe? And don’t we all long to hear the words,
“Well done thou good and faithful servant?”
Recently I watched an interview with an aging rock star from the
70s who acknowledged his absolute terror at the thought of dying.
Yet no thought was given to living forever in the presence of the
King. It never entered his mind. Sadly, in this age of biblical illiteracy,
many Christians share his fear, terrified of their future. They cling to
this world with unbridled passion, seeking whatever limited joy one
can have on earth, delaying the inevitable. Yet the greatest moment
in the life of a believer, the rapture and our imminent arrival in
heaven, should be our greatest triumph! I’m free! Free at last! Free
from sin, from pain and from death, never to be separated from
Jesus and our families ever again! Be encouraged! He’s coming for
us soon.
This is where my dear friend’s book shines. Pastor Larry, if you’ve
never met him, is a great encourager. It was obvious from the very
first day we met that he was not part of the “what’s in it for me”
crowd. His wisdom is freely offered to others and his knowledge of
God’s Word is second to none. Finally, you will understand that there
is a backstory, a prequel if you will, to God’s Creation and our need
for a Savior. A Place Called Heaven will take you places you have
never been before and then take you to the place we all desire.
Once you finish this gem, you’ll understand the Bible like never
before. And you will have a longing deep in your soul for meeting
Jesus—without any fear!
BOB ULRICH
Prophecy Watchers
Co-Founder

Have you ever truly contemplated heaven? What will it be like?

What will we be like? With all the vast beauty and creation we see
on the earth, can we even begin to envision the magnificent glory
that awaits us as believers? The Bible is chock-full of promises to
which we often say, “yes and amen,” but when it comes to eternity
and heaven, are the Scriptures too grand to understand?
Dr. Larry Ollison has given us great counsel on life’s difficulties in
several of his previous books by bringing simple steps to the
practicality of living out God’s Word victoriously here on earth. In A
Place Called Heaven, Dr. Ollison once again brings clarity to
Scripture, unraveling some of the mystery and reminding us of the
promises of the Almighty God to His redeemed.
As is his gift, Dr. Ollison prompts us to investigate what can
otherwise be a complex and weighty subject with a fresh look at the
simplicity of Scripture. He invites us to meditate on the goodness of
God for those who love Him, and even more, to accept the truth of
how those Scriptures apply to each of us as heirs of God and joint-
heirs with Jesus! Allow that to sink in. Are you a joint-heir with
Jesus?
As he has done so well before, Dr. Ollison brings us into better
understanding so we can fully live in the assurance of the hope that
we have through Jesus Christ. In A Place Called Heaven, he brings
familiar Bible passages right off the page and helps us grasp the
fullness of God’s promises to us, not just here on earth, but in
eternity.
Enjoy and explore—you’ll be encouraged!
TAMARA SCOTT
Host, Truth for Our Time

Dr. Larry Ollison’s newest book, A Place Called Heaven, is truly a

masterpiece! Dr. Ollison has gathered the most sought-after answers
to the most age-old questions about heaven and the revelations
from God’s Word that present clear and understandable information
about our future home.
With his deep understanding of the Hebrew language and
culture, Larry settles once and for all many of the entangled
perspectives about this amazing place.
I am especially grateful for his insight into the musical realities of
our eternal destination and the vital importance of our music here on
the earth flowing with the divine frequencies of this very real and
totally alive place. “On earth as it is in heaven” takes on its fullest
significance as we rehearse for our grand entrance!
I’m so thankful to God that He has moved through Dr. Ollison to
bring to us this accurate, balanced and truly vibrant work of the Holy
Spirit. Finally, a concise and understandable literary work on our
eternal home!
LEN MINK
Len Mink Ministries

What happens when we die? Can we really believe in the hope

that is written in the pages of our Bibles about a life after death? Is
there a supernatural world that is more real than the one we find
ourselves in?
Pastor Larry Ollison takes us on a wonderful journey through the
pages of Scripture and opens the door to the reality of the heavenly
realms. Some of the testimonies and stories found in these pages
bolster our faith and give us deep insight into the heavenly world
that awaits those of us who have come to know our Savior, Jesus,
the soon-to-return King!
DR. L. A. MARZULLI
Spiral of Life Ministries
Author, Filmmaker
HARRISON HOUSE BOOKS BY LARRY OLLISON

The Paradise of God

Finding Hope When Things Look Hopeless
Unlocking the Mysteries of the Holy Spirit
Life is in the Blood
Breaking the Cycle of Offense
The Practical Handbook for Christian Living
The Power of Grace
© Copyright 2020–Larry Ollison

Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No portion of this book
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by
any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—
except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written
permission of the publisher. Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are
taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked AMPC
are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Classic Edition, Copyright © 1954, 1958,
1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by
permission. Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James
Version. Scripture quotations marked TPT are taken from The Passion Translation,
Copyright © 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, www .thepassiontranslation.com. Used by
permission of BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC, Racine, Wisconsin, USA. All
rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015. Used by permission of
Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. Scripture
quotations marked CEB are taken from The Common English Bible Copyright ©
2010 by the Common English Bible Committee and the Christian Resources
Development Corporation Inc. (CRDC), Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Used by Permission. Scripture quotations marked TLV are taken from the Tree of
Life Translation of the Bible, Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family
Bible Society. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved.
Published by Harrison House Publishers
Shippensburg, PA 17257
Cover design by Sarah Loehr
Interior design by Terry Clifton
ISBN 13 TP: 978-1-6803-1497-7
ISBN 13 eBook: 978-1-6803-1498-4
ISBN 13 HC: 978-1-6803-1500-4
ISBN 13 LP: 978-1-6803-1499-1
For Worldwide Distribution, Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 / 24 23 22 21 20
 CONTENTS

Foreword by Dr. Billye Brim

Foreword by Gary Stearman
Introduction

Chapter One What Happens When You Die

Chapter Two The Creation Of Heaven

Chapter Three The Heavens And Beyond

Chapter Four The City Of God

Chapter Five Keys To Understanding

Chapter Six The Timeline Of Your Future

Chapter Seven Proof Of The Rapture

Chapter Eight Signs Of The End Times

Chapter Nine Our Heavenly Bodies

Chapter Ten Who Is In Heaven?

Chapter Eleven Heavenly Encounters

Chapter Twelve The Music Of Heaven

Chapter Thirteen Life During The Millennium

Chapter Fourteen Your Final Destination

 FOREWORD

Without reservation, I endorse this book on the believer’s heavenly

home by Dr. Larry Ollison. He and I have enjoyed much discourse on
the “end of days” events and the prophetic future of the Church,
which is Christ’s body.
For me personally, it is a particularly rare joy to speak of these
holy and wondrous things with someone who studies and
understands them to such a degree.
Earth is not our home. We are pilgrims and sojourners here. You
will be blessed and illuminated as you savor the journey to heaven
and the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem, the eternal home of the
Bride of Christ.
DR. BILLYE BRIM
Billye Brim Ministries
 FOREWORD

Untold thousands of Christians have pondered Christ’s words, when

at the beginning of the fourteenth chapter of John, He said, “I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am,
there ye may be also.” This simple statement has brought forth an
almost endless number of questions about the “what, where, when,
and why” of His miraculous promise. Larry Ollison devoutly believes
and wonderfully explains this and many other Scriptural promises
about heaven and eternity.
His years of study have taken him to a level of faith and
understanding that makes it an effortless pleasure for him to
describe our future and eternal place of residence. To the saints,
Christ’s promise is certainly one of the most amazing statements in
human history.
This book is dedicated to making that “place” in heaven a
comforting reality. After all, Christians have looked toward it as their
“blessed hope” for centuries. Heaven can sometimes be viewed as
an abstraction, or an idea that seems distant and uncertain. But
within the setting of Larry’s lifetime of work and teaching comes the
deeper meaning of Christ’s message. He’s a great example of those
among us whose lives bring encouragement to others—perhaps his
greatest gifting.
His long experience in ministry has given him a special kind of
wisdom that results in an ability to deal with unanswered questions.
If you’re around him for long, you’ll notice this ability to comfort the
saints.
I’ve seen Larry face challenges and frustrations, and I can say
without a doubt that his faith is real. Likewise, the path of his life
has brought him a special wisdom to anticipate common human
experience, and to counsel effectively. You’ll be encouraged by the
observations about heaven that he delivers in a “down-to-earth”
fashion.
Gary Stearman
Prophecy Watchers
 INTRODUCTION

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I

would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive
you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
JOHN 14:2-3

Heaven is a real place. Throughout the centuries there have been

novels and theater productions that have portrayed fictional
characterizations of heaven, but heaven is not a fictional place.
Within the sixty-six books of the Holy Scriptures, we are given
intricate detail of the creation, location, and purpose of heaven. We
are told of past, present, and future events in this glorious place
called heaven.
Within the heavens there is currently a heavenly city and we are
told of its magnificent future renovation. The Bible gives us great
detail of this heavenly city as it is now and as it will be. It is the
future home for the saints of God.
The Church age lies between two events. It began when Jesus
placed His blood on the altar in heaven on the day of His
resurrection. The Church age will end when He returns to “catch
away” His Church to be His bride.
Several years after the ascension of Jesus (during the Church
age), the Apostle Paul visited heaven. Since that time, many other
believers have had heavenly visions, dreams, and encounters. Paul
became a Christian by receiving Jesus as his Lord the same way
people today receive Jesus as Lord. Anything Paul experienced as a
first-century Christian is available to last-century Christians. If it
happened to Paul, it is possible for it to happen to you because we
are still in the Church age. While we will share some contemporary
accounts of heavenly encounters, the standard for truth must always
be the Holy Scriptures.
The main goal of this book is to reveal to the believer the
glorious transition that takes place when they depart from this
physical life into their life in heaven. Hidden throughout the
Scriptures are precious golden nuggets of truth that reveal what our
future heavenly home will be like.
First Corinthians 2:9 tells us that our earthly eyes have not seen,
our earthly ears have not heard, and the natural hearts of men
cannot comprehend what God has prepared for those who love Him.
But the next verse tells us that the Holy Spirit has revealed these
secret things to us, even the deep things to come.
So, if someone tells you that it’s impossible to know what the
place Jesus is preparing for us will be like, you will know the truth.
He has revealed it through His Word by the revelation of the Holy
Spirit.
As we journey together through the pages of this book, I
encourage you to allow the Spirit of Truth to excite you and to build
great anticipation within you for your future. Your best days are yet
to come!
 Chapter One

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIE

Beloved brothers and sisters, we want you to be quite certain

about the truth concerning those who have passed away, so
that you won’t be overwhelmed with grief like many others
who have no hope.
1 THESSALONIANS 4:13 (TPT)

A few months ago, I officiated my younger sister’s funeral; we were

very close, so for her to depart to heaven has, of course, left an
empty place in my heart. When her children asked me to officiate
the funeral, my first thought was, “I will never be able to do that.”
But after prayer, I decided that since they asked, I would accept.
The funeral was held at Bethel Mennonite Church, in the middle of
farmland Missouri. Driving through the countryside to the church, it
was not uncommon to see horse-drawn buggies like in the movies.
It was a very picturesque scene.
As the funeral service began, another minister stood to read the
obituary. Next, the song “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban was to
play. Then I would stand at the pulpit of the small Mennonite church
to give the eulogy for my sister. She loved to listen to that song; her
daughter told me that in her final weeks, she had listened to it
continually. I could feel my throat tightening as the obituary
concluded and the song was ready to start. Then God came through
once again and gave me strength in time of trouble. The sound man
played the wrong track.
In that little country Mennonite church, instead of “You Raise Me
Up,” he played very loudly and boldly, “Sittin’ on the Dock of the
Bay” by Otis Redding. I’m quite sure this 150-yearold church—which
was crafted from wood shipped in from Holland—that had horses
and buggies outside and bonnets on the ladies inside, never had Otis
Redding perform within its hallowed walls before! The somber mood
lightened up and with great respect and joy, my sister was honored
through the eulogy. The service concluded with the song, “You Raise
Me Up,” and I realized once again, no matter how good our plans
are, God always has a better plan!
That day God reminded me of the truth in His Word and the
promise that He has given to us who believe. I realized that
everyone in my family was at my sister’s funeral except for one
family member: my sister. When she took her last breath, she
departed. Although it is used as a cliché so many times, she actually
was in a better place, free from the pain and the restrictions of her
physical body.
I remember standing in the cemetery next to the little church as
they placed my sister’s casket into the ground. Unlike in the city,
there were green fields as far as I could see in any direction. There
was no freeway nearby, no sound of traffic, no airplanes overhead,
just the silence that comes from being alone with God. As I recalled
the closing song, I felt the Spirit of God speak quietly in my heart
and say, “I will raise her up.”
People tried their best to speak comforting words to members of
the family. I remember someone saying, “I’m sorry you lost your
sister.” I knew what they meant, and I appreciated the kind remark,
but deep inside I knew that my sister wasn’t lost. I knew very well
where she was, and according to Scripture, she knew where she
was. Although there will always be a vacancy in my heart while I’m
on this side of heaven, I have the assurance that what God has
promised will come to pass. There will be a day when she and I will
be together again and talk about what we’ll do for the next million
years or so. It will be a glorious day!

Questions About Life After Death

Through the years, I have discovered that most people do not have
an understanding of what happens to their loved one when their
physical body dies. Questions linger in their minds. Is there really life
after death? Did they cease to exist? Are they in some type of
suspended animation or soul sleep? Are they in heaven or hell? Can
they experience anything without their body? Do they have
memories, desires, and an understanding of their future?
Because of written fiction and Hollywood movies about heaven—
as well as some ministers teaching it incorrectly—a lot of people are
confused. Sometimes they leave the funeral with even more
questions. This should not be! Why? Because the Bible clearly gives
answers to these questions, and more. You don’t have to be a Bible
scholar to understand life after death. You just need to know and
believe what the Bible says.
As a minister, I have been with many people when they took
their last breath. At that moment, the human body begins to return
to the dust from which God created it. Although we use the phrase
“the person has died,” we must never forget that human beings are
spirits, possessing a soul, and living in a physical body (1
Thessalonians 5:23). The body is merely the container we live in,
and when that container is destroyed, we depart to one of two
places.
According to the Bible, in this current dispensation of grace, we
are escorted by angels (Luke 16:22) to Paradise in heaven (2
Corinthians 12:2-4), or we are sent to Hades (Revelation 20:13),
which is sometimes referred to as hell. Hades is the temporary
holding place for the unrighteous dead where they will remain until
the great white throne judgment, which will take place at the end of
the millennial reign of Christ (Revelation 20:11-15). Regardless of
which place you are taken to your spirit body will have certain
attributes.

Spirit Bodies
Although we will discuss this further in the next chapter, you must
know that during the time of the Old Covenant, and until the time
Jesus ascended after His resurrection, there were two compartments
in the heart of the earth: the bosom of Abraham (Paradise) and
Hades. Jesus prophesied to His disciples that He would spend three
days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40); this
was accomplished during the three days after His crucifixion.
In Luke chapter 16, Jesus tells a story that explains that riches—
or lack of riches—do not determine our final destination. This event
describes two actual people who lived and died on the earth. While
the main purpose of the story was to show that earthly riches do not
determine our entrance into the Kingdom of God, there are several
subtle nuggets of truth that describe many attributes of a spirit body
and reveal what happens after the physical body dies. Remember,
this account occurred under the Old Covenant, when the bosom of
Abraham (Paradise) was in the heart of the earth. Under the New
Covenant, we find Paradise in heaven.

There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple

and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But
there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores,
who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the
crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover,
the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the
beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s
bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And
being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw
Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Then he cried and said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on
me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his
finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented
in this flame.” But Abraham said, “Son, remember that in
your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise,
Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are
tormented. And besides all this, between us and you
 there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to
pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there
pass to us.”
Then he said, “I beg you therefore, father, that you
would send him to my father’s house, for I have five
brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come
to this place of torment.” Abraham said to him, “They
have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” And
he said, “No, Father Abraham; but if one goes to them
from the dead, they will repent.” But he said to him, “If
they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will
they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”
LUKE 16:19-31

This passage reveals a great number of things about Hades and

the bosom of Abraham (Paradise), but what I would like to focus on
here are the details concerning the bodies that these two individuals
had after the death of their physical being.
Even though they did not have flesh and blood, nervous systems,
and digestive systems, they still had attributes that were similar to
those experienced by an earthly human being. Although they ended
up in two different places in the heart of the earth, their spirits were
still human spirits that possessed a type of spirit body.
These bodies were contained in such a way that they only
inhabited certain places. They did not become omnipresent but were
restricted to certain areas. Lazarus was escorted to a place of peace
while the rich man was sent to Hades. Remember, Jesus was telling
of this account before His resurrection, with Hades and the bosom of
Abraham both being in the heart of the earth at that time, and there
was a great gulf between them. The rich man could not leave Hades
and Lazarus could not leave the bosom of Abraham.
Even without a physical body, there was the ability to suffer pain
and torment. We know that sight can be experienced in a spirit body
because the rich man could see Lazarus off in the distance. In their
spirit bodies they could see, hear, and speak; they could carry on a
conversation, even across the gulf between them. There was regret
and desire in Hades and peace and comfort in the bosom of
Abraham. There was a lack of water in Hades but an abundance in
the bosom of Abraham. While this may not have been H2O as we
know it, it was a liquid substance that gave refreshing, and the
unrighteous man couldn’t get it. The unrighteous man even had the
ability to bargain with Abraham, but he was told that the time of
bargaining had passed.
We can see from this story that even without the physical body,
our spirit man is very much alive and active with full sensory
perceptions, desires, and abilities.
During this current dispensation of time (before the rapture of
the Church), when a Christian dies, their physical flesh-andblood
body stays on the earth while their spirit is escorted by angels to
Paradise in the third heaven. There they have full use of their
faculties, completely experiencing the overwhelming joy of knowing
they are with the Lord for eternity.

A Different Type of Sorrow

Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church:

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren,

concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow
as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him
those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we
who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will
by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord
Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And
the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
 clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall
always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another
with these words.
1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18

Putting all of this in context is important, so let’s take a look at

why Paul wrote this letter to the church in Thessalonica.
He wrote the letter around 50-51 AD. This was about twenty
years after Jesus had ascended into heaven. Jesus told His followers
He was leaving to prepare a place for them and He would return so
they could be with Him eternally (John 14:2-3). This was great news
for the young Church. Their Lord and Savior, the Creator of the
universe, who came in the form of a man and rose from the dead,
was coming back to get them after He had prepared a place for
them somewhere in the heavens.
But as the years passed, some Christians died, and this young
Church was asking Paul questions. Paul was an apostle and
representative of Jesus on the earth to these young churches which
were scattered throughout the known world. They asked, “What
about the Christians who die before Jesus returns? Are they included
in the glorious life to come in heaven for those who believe?” These
were valid questions which Paul addressed completely in his letter.
Paul started his reply by telling them that he did not want them
to be ignorant concerning their friends and families who were
believers and had died (fallen asleep). He did not want them to be
ignorant so they would not sorrow as the unbelievers sorrowed
when their loved ones died. Paul said that knowing the truth about
the believers who have fallen asleep would not eliminate sorrow, but
it would be a different type of sorrow than the world has.
The word “ignorant” comes from the root word “ignore.” If we
ignore a subject, we become ignorant on that subject. Paul explicitly
stated that as followers of Jesus, those young Christians should not
ignore the subject of what happens when someone dies.
 As Christians, we don’t sorrow like the world sorrows. The world
has no hope. Without Jesus, death brings finality and a forever
separation from God. Without Jesus, death eliminates all hope of a
future reconciliation with loved ones. Without Jesus, there is no
hope. But Paul said we are not like the world who has no hope. Yes,
we have a type of sorrow because the person who has passed away
will be missed, and yes, there can be an emptiness in our life that
this person once filled. But as a believer, Paul said our sorrow is
tempered with joy because our relationship with the person who has
passed is not over, but only put on hold.
A few years ago, my wife visited a close girlfriend that had
moved to Australia, and she stayed almost a month. While she was
gone, she was greatly missed. But as each day passed, I knew it
was one day closer to her return. As time went by, the sorrow of her
being gone was replaced by the joy of knowing she would return.
As Christians, we can experience the same joy when someone
we love departs to Paradise. Although we miss them, knowing that
we will see them again can soften the pain of the separation and
bring great comfort and joy.
I’m sure almost everyone reading this has had a close friend or
family member that has moved to heaven. These departed saints
were loved, but as Christians, we have the knowledge and
understanding that even though they have passed, they are still
functioning and experiencing the joys of their new life. We also have
comfort in knowing that they know they will see us again very soon.
And even more so than we who remain, they know the truth of the
Word that says, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that
appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Of
course, we know that is true because the Word says so, but they
know it is true because they have experienced the shortness of life
on earth in a physical body.
Although Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians continues with more
detail about the coming of the Lord, this portion of his letter closes
with one of the most powerful, prophetic statements in the New
Testament. He said that after the rapture of the Church, we will
always be with the Lord, and knowing that would bring great
comfort (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18). In this one statement, he
answers so many questions that are asked when a loved one dies. In
this one statement, he reveals our eternal destiny.
So, where will we be in a thousand, million, billion, or trillion
years? That question can be answered with this one statement: We
will always be with the Lord. Throughout the tribulation, the
millennium, and eternity we will be forever in close proximity to
Jesus.

In the Cloud of Witnesses

When the last breath is taken, when the last heartbeat is complete,
when the eyes see their last image in the physical realm, the
spiritual eyes are opened, and the beautiful existence of God’s
kingdom begins to be realized. It is not uncommon for the spiritual
eyes to open before the physical body quits working. There are
countless testimonies of people seeing loved ones and the glories of
heaven as they transition into the eternal world. The spirit body
continues when the physical body dies. As we drop off this earthly
clothing, angels are standing by in their magnificence to escort us
into the place the Lord has created for us.
Paradise is not our final destination, but it is a glorious place to
be. It is an eternal place that will be our temporary residence while
we wait to return with the Lord to meet the rest of the Body of
Christ in the air and be reunited with our earthly bodies.
The Apostle Paul could not find words to describe this place when
he was caught up into this heavenly realm (2 Corinthians 12:2-4),
but the Bible tells us that it’s a place of comfort. Because we will be
interacting with the Lord, there will be great joy. Simply being in His
presence brings fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).
When we arrive, we automatically become a part of the cloud of
witnesses that is cheering on to victory those who remain on the
earth (Hebrews 12:1). But we must remember that although we are
created in the likeness and image of God, and although we are being
prepared to receive bodies that will be like the body of our Lord and
Savior, we are still individuals who are not omnipresent. Only God is
omnipresent.
What do we mean by this? Omnipresent means to be at more
than one place at a time, doing an unlimited number of tasks
without any one task hindering another. In the same way that the
Father, by His Holy Spirit, lives inside of each and every Christian in
His fullness, He is still on the throne in heaven seeing all and
knowing all. But remember, He is the only one with omnipresence.
What does that mean for the saints? That means we can only be
at one place at a time undertaking one task at a time, even in
heaven. And because of the greatness, the vastness, and the
magnificence of the portion of heaven called Paradise, much time
will probably be spent just absorbing and fully realizing the vastness
of God.
I’m often asked, “Do you think my loved one is looking on and
watching me daily, seeing all the things that I do?” Actually, I don’t
see that as impossible, but I do see it as highly improbable. We are
not omnipresent like God and can only be at one place at a time. I
would suspect that their interest will be on the glorious things of
God more than the physical things of the earth.

The Changes to Come

Recently, an elderly woman whose daughter passed away, asked me

if I thought her daughter would recognize any family members who
had died in the past. She also wanted to know what her daughter’s
eternal body was like.
Questions like this cannot be answered in a few short sentences,
and likewise, they should not be answered with some religious
cliché. The answers to these questions are found in the Holy Word of
God, but let’s be clear: The Bible is not to be approached like a
dictionary or an encyclopedia where you turn to a certain page and
find the answer in one brief statement. Quite the contrary, the
Scriptures are to be studied and meditated upon, then revelation
comes by the Holy Spirit bringing the answer with peace. Our ability
to understand eternity in our earthly thinking is as limited as a child’s
understanding (1 Corinthians 13:11).
A few years ago, I was talking with some of the children in our
children’s church. One of the younger girls walked up to me and said
in a very childish voice, “Pastor, did you know that I’m going to get a
baby brother?” I answered and said, “No, I didn’t know that.” Then
she looked at me with a very serious look on her face and said, “Yes,
I am, and I’m really excited because next week we’re going to the
hospital store to pick one out. I hope he has blonde hair like me!”
Although it was true that the family was going to the hospital the
next week, and it was also true that they were bringing home a baby
boy, the perception of the five-year-old child was lacking in truthful
detail. I’m sure as she matured in later years, the actual truth
became more evident to her. Why? Because she grew in knowledge,
understanding, and maturity.
At a funeral, many people simply say, “They are in a better
place,” then they talk about how wonderful heaven is, but deep
inside they are full of questions that only study, meditation, and
revelation from the Word of God can answer.
When the lady asked me if her daughter would recognize family
members in heaven and what her daughter’s eternal body would be
like, of course I comforted her by saying, “Yes, we will know our
families in heaven and in her spirit body, she does have all of her
senses, memories, and thoughts.” She nodded acknowledgment and
left.
I wanted to tell her so much more. I wanted to explain to her
that although her daughter was living her eternal life, she was not
living in her eternal body. I wanted to tell her of the glorious events
yet to take place in her daughter’s life. I wanted to help her look
forward to the glorious reunion she would someday have with her
daughter. It’s all detailed in God’s book written to us. But there is so
much to explain, and it would take time to do that. It would take a
lot of time!
 As believers, we will move from glory to glory. There will be
changes and there will be upgrades. There will be events and there
will be a home that Jesus is preparing for each of us. And there will
be a day when the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven and
we will occupy our residence. We will have a house within His house.
We will have bodies like His body! And when that day comes, it will
be just the beginning of a glorious eternity filled with glorious
exploration and events. Your next stop—Paradise!
 Chapter Two

THE CREATION OF HEAVEN

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

GENESIS 1:1

It is impossible to understand the future plans of God for eternity

and His plan for our existence with Him in heaven without an
understanding of His greatness and exceedingly unlimited ability to
create an existence for us beyond our imagination. If we can begin
to comprehend what He has already done in the ancient past, it will
assure us that He is able to complete His future promises to us.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”
(Genesis 1:1). In this opening statement of the Bible, we discover a
foundational truth: The heavens were created at a specific time in
the ancient past. In other words, there was a time when the
heavens did not exist. It has been taught that God has forever
existed in the eternal past in a place called heaven. However, before
the heavens were created, the eternal God of the eternal past
existed in His fullness. Before creation, He looked forward through
the corridors of time and planned a place and a home for His future
creation of man and for Himself.
Science and theology sometimes appear to be in conflict with
each other; however, true science and a true understanding of God’s
plan and His Word do not conflict. At this writing, science teaches
that the universe we live in began its existence 13.8 billion years ago
with something called the Big Bang. Something unexplainable
happened and from a point in non-created matter, there was an
explosion ignited from something smaller than an atom. Moving
faster than the speed of light (because natural light did not currently
exist), this explosion created space and expanded.
Throughout billions of years, this process developed into the
universe that we can now see and exist in. Currently, this universe is
partially observable. At this writing, it has a known diameter of
ninety-four billion light years. With the greatest telescopes we have
circling the earth, that’s as far as we can see. Although with each
upgrade and new telescope launched, we see farther and what do
we see? We see more of the same.
Just a century ago, many scientists and astronomers felt that our
solar system was the center of the universe. They thought our sun
and the planets rotating around it were the main existence and that
the stars in the sky were merely for decoration. But as our ability to
see deeper into space increased, we discovered that our sun was
just one star in a galaxy that contained billions of stars. This galaxy
was named the Milky Way and was staggering in its size. Science
discovered that it would take 100,000 years to go from one side of
the Milky Way to the other side traveling at the speed of light.
One light year is the distance that light traveling at the speed of
186,282.397 miles per second can travel in one year, or simply, one
light year is 5.88 trillion miles. The size of the Milky Way was
incomprehensible. But as technology increased rapidly, we quickly
discovered that the Milky Way, as large as it was, was only one
galaxy among many. Although the Milky Way contained billions of
suns (stars) with solar systems, we discovered that there were
hundreds of billions of other galaxies. At this writing, galaxies are
still being discovered at an astounding rate!

True Science and Scripture Do Not Conflict

Science believes that for several hundred million years after the
initial spark event (known as the Big Bang theory), the laws of
physics (as we know them) were completely absent. There were no
photons. Light did not exist.
 Then for some unexplained reason (several theories exist), light
began to appear. It is also interesting that after the creation of the
heavens and the earth were put in motion, God spoke into the
darkness and said, “Let there be light,” or more accurately, the literal
translation from the Hebrew language is, “Light be” (Genesis 1:3).
Although God made the sun, the moon, and the stars on Day 4
of creation, obviously when He said, “Let there be light” on Day 1,
He was not referring to light as we know it (traveling at 186,000
miles per second), but He was inserting Himself into the creation
process. He was the original Light.
The Apostle John brought forth a very interesting revelation. He
said, “…God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
When the New Jerusalem, the holy city of God and the eternal home
of the saints, descends from heaven (Revelation 3:12) at the end of
the millennium, this city will be illuminated by the mere presence of
our Lord (Revelation 21:23). He is the Light of the universe and
within His Light there is life.
Many Christians subconsciously limit the creation of God to one
rock (the earth), traveling around one star (the sun), in one solar
system, never seeing the universe for its massive greatness. It is
time for us to understand the infinite grandeur of God’s creation. It
is time for us to understand that before the heavens and the earth
existed, God Almighty existed, and by His Word, everything that was
made was made through Him (John 1:3).
The best scientific knowledge of our universe is unable to refute
the truth of creation contained in the Word of God. God’s Word is
true and does not conflict with science.

The Godhead at Creation

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All
things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was
made that was made.
 JOHN 1:1-3

As we continue reading in the first chapter of John, we find in

verse fourteen that the Word became flesh and dwelt with us. In
other words, it was the same Word that was in the beginning with
God. Here we are clearly told that the Word (Jesus) is God and that
through the Word, everything that was created was created through
Him. And then to make it even more clear, the Scripture says that
without Him (the Word, Jesus) nothing was made that was made.
It is interesting that in Genesis 1:2 we are told that in the
beginning the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters upon
the earth. So, we can clearly determine that in the beginning the
Father (God Almighty), the Son (the Word, Jesus), and the Spirit
(the Holy Spirit) were all present as one overseeing the laying of the
foundation for the creation of man.
Although the word trinity is not in the original text, the concept
is. In the beginning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were all
present at creation as one in unity. Also, understanding the concept
of the trinity helps explain the scripture that says, “Let Us make man
in Our image according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Who is God
referring to when He says “Us” and “Our”? God is a three-part being
(Father, Son, Holy Spirit) (1 John 5:7) and likewise, man is a three-
part being (spirit, soul, and body) (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Although they are one, there is still communication between
them. When Jesus was in the garden shortly before His crucifixion,
He said, “Father, let this cup pass from Me. Nevertheless, not My
will, but Thine be done.” But in other places when talking to His
disciples, Jesus said, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father. For
the Father and I are one.”
These two statements may seem like a paradox and in the
natural thinking of man, they are. But in the dimension of the spirit,
there is no conflict. God is not bound by the boundaries that
surround the physical existence of mankind. God exists outside the
framework of physics, time, and matter. Why? Because He is the
Creator of all of these entities and He created them as part of the
foundation for the existence of His ultimate creation, the trophy of
His grace, the Church.

God Built a House for Man Before Man was Created

Deep within the soul of every person is a knowing that life is eternal.
It has been said that the mind of man cannot comprehend a limitless
universe or that there is no beginning to the ancient past. Likewise,
within our spirit we know that our existence will never end. The
question is not if we will exist, but where will we be? The knowledge
that our existence will never end is deep within our spirit because
the eternal God created mankind as an eternal spirit. Before the
foundation of the world, God had a plan.
Several years ago, I built a home for my family. It was a lengthy
process that required planning. First, I purchased a plot of land, then
I had architectural drawings made, then the building site had to be
prepared with electrical wiring and plumbing. Equipment was
eventually brought in and the foundation was dug and concrete
poured. All of this took place before the carpenters showed up to
build the house. It was a lengthy process, but everything had to be
done in a specific order. The last thing that took place was moving
my family into the house.
According to God’s plan, He wanted to build a house for man, but
there was a lot of work to be done first. When God created the
universe and this speck in space called Earth, He filled it with all the
oxygen, vegetation, minerals, and water that man would need.
Because God can see down the corridors of time into the future, He
created the seed for an abundance of resources so there would
never be lack for mankind (Genesis 1:29-30).
On the day He placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, everything
was complete to sustain mankind. All the stars in the heavens, all
the resources on the earth, all the ministering angels, and full access
to the glory of God were within the grasp of Adam. Adam’s job was
simply to tend and to keep the garden (Genesis 2:15). In God’s
grace and kindness, He created the perfect lifestyle for man.
 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Notice
it doesn’t say He created the earth and then the heavens. The
expanse known as the heavens had a purpose. Before Adam was
placed in the garden on the earth, and possibly before the earth was
even ready for man, God established a kingdom in heaven. This
kingdom had a King who had a throne. As the Creator of the
heavens, God was the Supreme Ruler. There was no one like Him
(Isaiah 46:5). He had no equal and He has not changed (Malachi
3:6).

The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His

kingdom rules over all.
PSALM 103:19

God does not do anything without a plan. His first creation was
the heavens, and the heavens became the foundation for all His
future creation. Within His plan was the initial home for man, a
garden. In this garden, He planted a seed named Adam, and from
this seed God desired a harvest. This harvest would be mankind,
created in His image and likeness, and living with Him throughout
eternity.
Because of the contamination (sin) of the seed (Adam), it
appeared like God’s plan was ruined. But the God of love altered His
plan which would eventually result in the same ending as His original
plan: God and man living together throughout eternity.

The Paradise of God

The word paradise in Hebrew and Greek literally means orchard or

garden. Originally, before Adam was placed in the garden, the
Paradise of God was in heaven. In God’s garden, there were other
creatures, living beings, heavenly hosts, and angels of varying
degrees and function—including Lucifer—who were created to assist
God in His plan for mankind.
 Lucifer rebelled and was cast out of the Paradise of God to the
earth along with one-third of the angels who rebelled with him. Then
God prepared a place for man to live: The Garden of Eden. Man lived
in the garden until he sinned. After Adam and Eve were driven out of
the garden, the next mention of Paradise is in the heart of the earth.
It became the abode of the faithful dead and was also known as the
bosom of Abraham (Luke 16:22).
The bosom of Abraham should not be confused with another
compartment in the earth called Hades. Hades—which is one of the
words in the Bible that is commonly referred to as hell—was not
created for man, but instead was created for the rebellious devil and
his angels (Matthew 25:41). Although Satan’s judgment has been
sealed, he has not been placed in hell yet. Instead, he has been
confined to the earth and its atmosphere until the completion of his
sentence is finally executed (Revelation 20:10).
Before Jesus put His blood on the altar in heaven on the day of
His resurrection, as we previously mentioned, Paradise was one of
the two compartments in the heart of the earth. When Jesus was
crucified, there were two thieves being crucified with Him. One thief
was nailed to a cross on His left, and the other was nailed to a cross
to the right of Him. One of the two thieves mocked and ridiculed
Jesus while the other thief acknowledged Him as Lord. Jesus spoke
to the second man and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will
be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:39-43).
Scripture tells us that after Jesus died, He went into the heart of
the earth for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). While His
body was in the tomb, Jesus proclaimed victory to the saints in
Paradise and led captivity captive (Ephesians 4:8). After the
resurrection of Jesus, Old Testament saints were resurrected
(Matthew 27:52-53).
The next time Paradise is mentioned in the Bible, it is in the third
heaven. The implication is that the Old Testament saints who were
in the bosom of Abraham (Paradise) are now a part of the cloud of
witnesses in Paradise in heaven. In the Church age, when the body
of a Christian dies, their spirit departs and is escorted into Paradise
in heaven where they become a part of the cloud of witnesses.
Paradise is not all inclusive of heaven, it is a specific place in
heaven. Much like the heavenly Jerusalem is not all of heaven, it is
only a city in heaven.

Summary

Paradise is mentioned in the Bible as being in four different

locations. The first location is in heaven before Lucifer rebelled
(Ezekiel 28:13). The second mention of Paradise is the Garden of
Eden (Genesis 2:8-9). The third location is in the heart of the earth
during the time of the Old Covenant (Luke 16:22), and the fourth
location is in the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2,4). Paradise is
again mentioned in the book of Revelation where it is still in heaven.
There the tree of life spans the crystal river in the Paradise of God
(Revelation 22:2) which will be in the New Jerusalem, the eternal
home of the saints.

To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life,
which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
REVELATION 2:7

The heavens created by God are vast, and far more expansive
than earthly minds could ever imagine, and I am sure there are
countless unknown places. But this we know: The heavens created
by God are good. They are peaceful and He rules over them. His
kingdom reflects Him, and He is love.
 Chapter Three

THE HEAVENS AND BEYOND

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the

moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man
that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit
him?
PSALM 8:3-4

When you ask someone, “Where is heaven?” they will usually point
upward to the sky. Several times the Bible refers to angels coming
down from heaven, and Jesus going up into heaven.
While it is true that the concept of heaven is up, we know that
Earth is a globe that rotates, and “up” to a person in China is 180
degrees opposite of up to a person in South Africa. They would
literally be pointing in two opposite directions because they are on
opposite sides of the globe. However, in twelve hours, up for each of
them would reverse.
The truth is that heaven is up for everyone. However, we must
think beyond physical directions concerning the location of heaven,
because heaven is in a different realm than this physical world.
A foundational truth and the reward for receiving Jesus Christ as
our Savior and Lord is eternal life in heaven with the One who
created us. But where is this place called heaven? And how can we,
as mere humans, understand or even grasp the magnitude of this
creation? Is this God (who with His words created the universe with
billions of galaxies each containing billions of stars) so lonely that He
would see the necessity to create mankind for fellowship? How can
we understand His purpose in creation?
 First, we must know the truth about the very essence of God
Himself. Of course, one of His attributes is that He is the ultimate
power, not just in the universe, but beyond the universe. I’ve heard
it said that God inhabits the universe, but His existence is far beyond
that. While it is true that He can enter into this universe anywhere
and at any time, we must also understand that before the universe
existed, He was just as omnipotent and omnipresent as He is now.
Before the universe existed, God spoke, and the spark of creation
began. Before the first day of man’s time on the earth, God spoke
the expanse of the heavens into existence. The God of Creation, the
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and our God, spoke light in the
darkness and the universe began to expand into existence. With all
the knowledge that man has acquired, we have never been able to
find the end of the universe.

Above the Heavens

In Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity and other works, he

determined that if matter moved at the speed of light, it would
convert into energy and time would cease to exist. Regardless of
whether he is right or wrong, if man were able to travel faster than
the speed of light (which he is not able to do), he would eventually
get to the edge of the universe. How do I know the universe has an
end? Because everything that is seen as well as everything that is
unseen was created by God (2 Corinthians 4:18). The universe is His
creation and like the bowl made of clay by the potter’s hand, it has
boundaries.
You might ask, “If a person could reach the edge of the universe,
what would be there?” It would be the area the Bible calls “far above
all the heavens” (Ephesians 4:10). The Bible says that after Jesus
was resurrected, He ascended “far above all the heavens.” It doesn’t
say He ascended to the third heaven. It doesn’t say He ascended to
the seventh heaven. It says He ascended “far above all the
heavens,” giving us insight to the reality that there is much more
unexplored expanse beyond the known universe.
 “…He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first
descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who
descended is also the One who ascended far above all the
heavens, that He might fill all things.
EPHESIANS 4:9-10

What is “far above all the heavens”? While God resides in heaven
(Matthew 6:9), His glory extends far above all the heavens. When
Jesus went far above the heavens after His resurrection, He was in
the glory of His Father. While heaven itself is an area that we are yet
to experience, the area far beyond the heavens is unknown to us. It
could contain dimensions beyond our earthly understanding and
physics unknown to man. But we do know this: there is an area
beyond the heavens where Jesus ascended after His resurrection. In
this area is the glory of God.

O LORD, our LORD, how excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
PSALM 8:1

Could it be that outside of creation, all that exists is simply the

glory of God? And could it be that His glory has no boundaries, but
rather, is limitless? It certainly is something to think about!
In Psalm 113:4, the Bible tells us that the Lord is high above all
nations. Then it goes on to say that His glory is above the heavens.

The LORD is high above all nations, His glory above the
heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, Who dwells on high?
PSALM 113:4-5

The Name of God

You will notice in this scripture in Psalms that the word LORD is in all
capital letters. The purpose is not for emphasis, but to let the reader
know that the word used and translated as LORD is not actually
“Lord,” but instead is the sacred holy Hebrew name of God that is
unpronounceable. When you see the name “Lord” in the Bible and
all four letters are capitalized, it is actually representative of the four
Hebrew letters yod hey vav hey (‫)הוהי‬. Some people pronounce this
as Yahweh. Some pronounce it as Jehovah, but in reality, it is not to
be spoken.
All Hebrew letters have a numeric value. For example, the first of
the twenty-two Hebrew letters in the Hebrew alphabet is aleph (‫)א‬
and it has the numeric value of one. The second Hebrew letter is bet
(‫ )ב‬that has a numeric value of two. The third letter is gimel (‫ )ג‬that
has a numeric value of three. And the fourth letter is dalet (‫ )ד‬that
has a numeric value of four. This numbering continues until the
twenty-second letter, which is tav (‫ )ת‬that has a numeric value of
four hundred.
With this in mind, the name of God, yod hey vav hey (‫)הוהי‬, has
a numeric value of twenty-six. This is the reason that the high priest,
upon entering the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of
Atonement (Yom Kippur), sprinkled the blood of animals twenty-six
times on the lid of the ark of the covenant, which is the mercy seat.
He then supernaturally spoke the name of God twenty-six times. God
is holy, His name is holy, and the name of God, yod hey vav hey
(‫ )הוהי‬is extremely holy.
When the scribes copy the Word of God by hand, they are
extremely cautious to copy every letter accurately. Not only do they
proofread the text by the letters, they also meticulously convert
every letter to its numeric value. Every column and every row on
every page must be mathematically accurate, and especially
accurate when writing the holy name of God (‫)הוהי‬. In fact, every
time the scribe encounters the name of God in the text, before he
can write down “‫הוהי‬,” he must take a mikva, which is a ceremonial
bath for cleansing. God is serious about His Word being accurate,
and especially serious concerning His name.
With this in mind, looking again at Psalm 113:4, it clearly tells us
that the manifestation and glory of the Lord, the Almighty God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Creator of the universe, is above the
heavens. Then verse five implies strongly that there is none like Him
and that He dwells on high. As the Creator of the expanse (at this
writing we can see 94 billion light years of it), He is also the Creator
of the smallest atomic particles, smaller than protons, neutrons,
electrons, and quarks. There is nothing too great or too small that
can be hidden from the eyes of Almighty God (Hebrews 4:13). Why?
Because He is the Creator of everything both seen and unseen, both
discovered and undiscovered. He is Lord of All.
God’s name is extremely holy to Him. God takes His own name
very seriously. It is not to be profaned, and it is not to be taken in
vain. However, as exalted as His name is, He exalts His Word above
His name. This is our assurance that His promises concerning
heaven are true and that He will always keep His Word (Titus 1:2).

I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name
for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have
magnified Your word above all Your name.
PSALM 138:2

Equal Inheritance

We cannot overstate this truth: God created the universe through

His Word and for His Word (Jesus). We must always anchor our
understanding of the purpose of eternity to this: God, from outside
the universe, created the universe. Although we do not know at this
time the full expanse of the universe, we do know Jesus is the Word
of God and that by Him and through Him everything that was made
(the universe and everything in it) was ultimately to be His
possession (Colossians 1:16). Mankind was created to fellowship
with Him, but like one-third of the angels in heaven, they rejected
Him and separated themselves from Him.
But God, in His love and mercy, knew this would happen before
creation, so He devised a plan before the foundation of the world to
reconnect His ultimate creation (mankind) to Himself (1 Peter 1:20-
21). The new plan was to send His only begotten Son to take the
form of a man to lay down His life so that mankind could have life.
This act would further show the love and grace of Almighty God.
The universe and everything within it that can be seen and that
cannot be seen, God bequeathed by covenant to share with the
Body of Christ. Simply stated, God (who created everything through
His Son and for His Son) willed His entire inheritance to be equally
owned and shared by the Church (1 Peter 1:3-5). The Church has
become a joint heir with Jesus (Colossians 1:12).

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are
children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we
may also be glorified together.
ROMANS 8:16-17

He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the

ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches
of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and
goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.
EPHESIANS 2:7 (AMPC)

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life
for his friends.
JOHN 15:13

How Many Heavens?

It is interesting to note that the first verse of the Bible says, “In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” However, I have
noticed that many Bible translations say, “heaven and earth” rather
than “heavens and earth.” Which is correct, and does it really
matter? Yes, it matters! In the original Hebrew text, the word
heavens is plural. So, the correct translation should be “in the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” If that is true
(and it is) then how many heavens are there?
Paul said that he was caught up into the third heaven and he
didn’t know if he was in his body or out of his body. But either way,
what he did know was that he went to the third heaven. Now it
stands to reason that if there is a third heaven, then there is a first
and a second heaven as well.

I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago.

Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—
only God knows. Yes, only God knows whether I was in my
body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up
to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot
be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:2-4 (NLT)

In the canonized Scriptures that are considered to be the Holy

Bible, there are only three heavens mentioned. The first heaven is
the atmosphere that envelops the earth. In ancient times it was
thought to extend to the level of the tallest mountain. The second
heaven is what we now call outer space. In the third heaven is
Paradise. Is there evidence of more than three heavens?

Evidence in the Dead Sea Scrolls

Sometime between November 1946 and February 1947, three

Bedouin shepherds discovered seven scrolls housed in jars in a cave
near Qumran, Israel. They took with them a handful of scrolls that
included the Isaiah scroll and the Habakkuk commentary. They took
the scrolls back to the camp to show their family and, thankfully,
none of the scrolls were destroyed in the process. The Bedouins kept
these scrolls hanging on a tent pole, periodically taking them to
display them to their tribe.
They tried to sell the scrolls to a dealer in Bethlehem, but he
returned them, saying they were worthless. He said this because he
feared they may have been stolen from a synagogue. Undaunted by
this, the shepherds went to a market and found a Syrian Christian
who offered to buy them. The original scrolls changed hands, and
some were sold for very low prices.
The rediscovery of the Qumran caves started in 1949 by the
Jordanian Department of Antiquities. Since then, several other caves
have been discovered with a total of 972 manuscripts having been
found. About forty percent of the documents are copies of texts from
Hebrew Scriptures. Another thirty percent are texts from the second
temple period which were not canonized in the Hebrew Bible. This
includes the Book of Enoch, the Book of Jubilees, the Book of Tobit,
the Wisdom of Sirach, Psalms 152-155, and several others. The
remaining thirty percent of the scrolls are manuscripts of previously
unknown documents that shed light on the rules of groups within
Judaism.
Among these scrolls was the Testament of Levi, which gives us
some insight into the number of heavens. The custom of the ancient
patriarchs was to write down their knowledge of God along with the
times when God had spoken to them. As their physical departure
was imminent, they would gather their families together and read to
them their testament and then pass it on to their children. Levi
recorded in his testament that there were seven heavens and
described what is in each one.
Levi’s father was Jacob whose name was changed to Israel.
Jacob’s twelve sons became the twelve tribes of Israel and Levi was
the father of the tribe of Levi. Levi’s grandfather was Isaac and his
great-grandfather was Abraham. The Bible tells us God spoke to all
of them and all of this knowledge would have been passed down to
Levi. So even though the Testament of Levi is not considered to be
Scripture, we should consider its authenticity and understand that
the patriarchs believed there were seven heavens.
The important thing for us to remember is this: there are multiple
heavens but only one Earth. The boundaries of the heavens are not
yet known, but the city, the New Jerusalem, our eternal home, will
come down from there (Revelation 21:2). Regardless of how many
heavens there are, God created them all.
Another random document with
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papa,” she concluded by saying, “you always have told me that one
ought never to be in debt, and so— Are you pleased, papa? Do you
trust me again?”
He kissed her and drew her closer. “Indeed I do, dear child,” he
answered.
“And I may come into the library again?”
“Just as before.”
Mabel gave a little satisfied sigh. It was so good to have all
restrictions taken away.
“Now I must go to work again, daughter,” said her father. “Thank you
very much for getting me the book; and, yes, I think I shall have to
give you the other one. Keep it on your shelves, and perhaps it will
remind you of two or three things.”
“What?”
“Can you guess?”
“One is, not to meddle with what isn’t mine.”
“Yes, that is one.”
“And the other—I can’t guess, papa.”
“That ‘a wrong confessed is half redressed’, and that your father has
very great respect for the honor and justice, and self-sacrifice his
little daughter has shown.”
Then Mabel left him, and trudged upstairs feeling very happy. On her
way down again her mother met her. “Mrs. Lewis was here this
afternoon,” she said, “and she said we must all come to the lawn
party. She told me there seemed to be some coolness between
Marie and you, but she hoped that nothing serious was the matter.”
“Oh, mamma, do you think Marie has said anything about me to her
mother?”
“Perhaps, but if she has, Mrs. Lewis does not seem to attach much
importance to it. If mammas were to take seriously all the little fusses
their children get into, I am afraid they would have a hard time of it.”
Mabel stood patting the baluster softly. She was thinking very
soberly. Presently she looked up, “Mamma, do you mind if I give the
five dollars to the Cuban orphans?” she asked.
“I have not the slightest objection.”
“Won’t the girls be surprised?”
“Do you want them to be?”
“Why, yes, I think so. They were very mean to me, to be sure, and
we have scarcely spoken for weeks. Would you go to the lawn party
if you were I, mamma? I don’t think you know how hateful they
were,” and then she told her story.
“They were very unjust, I admit,” her mother told her, “but I think they
will be very much ashamed of themselves when they see you willing
to help them so generously. Yes, I think you and Alice and Harold
should all go, even if the girls have been unkind. It will not be a
social affair, remember, and if the cause is good the rest does not
matter.”
“But about the money, mamma; I was going to ask you to send it for
me.”
“Wouldn’t you rather spend it at the lawn party? You might give a
part of it to the fund, but you’ll be doing just the same if you buy
things from the girls, and, besides, it will be pleasant for them to feel
that they have such a good customer. What was the reason you
thought you would not spend it there?”
“Because—because—I didn’t want to show off,” Mabel answered,
shyly.
Mrs. Ford put her arm around the child. “I think you have already
sacrificed enough, dear,” she said. “No one doubts that you have the
right feeling. Never mind what the girls think, but go and enjoy
yourself. I promised Mrs. Lewis that I would send a contribution of
biscuits and salad, and several of the neighbors have promised me
something. So I shall probably send you and Harold off foraging to-
morrow; at least, I’ll let you collect some of the articles for me.”
“Mamma, Mrs. Knight has such beautiful flowers; I wonder if she
wouldn’t give us some? She said she would be glad to do anything
she could for us, because we helped her to get Bobby.”
Mrs. Ford considered for a moment. “If you want to go and ask her, I
see no harm in it, but you’d better wait till Friday morning, so the
flowers will be fresh, if you get any.”
Therefore, Mrs. Knight received a second visit from the children, as
she was busy making some of her famous cinnamon-bun, on Friday
morning. Mabel explained their errand and met with a hearty
response.
“Give you some flowers? To be sure, I will, gladly; and you can have
every one in the garden, if you want them.”
“Oh, we couldn’t carry every one,” said Harold, in all seriousness.
Mrs. Knight laughed. “Thee is literal enough for a Friend,” she said.
“Then I will not give thee all my flowers, but how would thee like a
loaf of my bun? I’ll warrant they’ll not have any like it at thy friend’s
party, Mabel. But I give it to thee, and thee must donate it in thy
name.”
“Oh, would that be fair?” asked the little girl.
“Does thee think a Friend would tell thee to do a thing unfair? Then if
thy compunctions are even more tender than mine I will give it to
thee to do with as thee chooses.”
“But, can you spare it, Mrs. Knight?”
“I can make more when I want it,” she returned. “I always keep it on
hand, for I am fond of it myself, thee sees.”
Therefore, with their hands and arms laden, they returned to the city,
and the exclamations of appreciation which met them when their
donations were handed in, warmed their hearts mightily, and made
Mabel, at least, feel much more that she was a welcome guest.
Still, Marie and Ethel had not yet greeted her, and she rather
anxiously waited to find out how they would act when they saw her
there.
 CHAPTER VI.
MARIE LEWIS’ pretty home in West Philadelphia looked very bright
and attractive on the afternoon of the lawn party. Mabel and Harold
stood looking around at the tables and booths.
“That’s the tea-house,” said Mabel, indicating a gay structure at one
end of the grounds. “Ethel is going to help serve the tea, and her
sister is the Rebecca at the Well, where the lemonade is. I think we’ll
get some lemonade first thing, for I am so thirsty.”
They sauntered over to the well, passing the tea pagoda on their
way. Just here Mrs. Lewis stopped them. She had in her hands a
plate of Mrs. Knight’s cinnamon-bun. “Come right in here, Mabel,”
she said. “I’m taking this to the tea-house; it will be so nice to serve
with the tea. Have you seen Marie? Here is Ethel, too.”
The girls looked at each other rather sheepishly as they saw Mabel.
Mrs. Lewis went on: “Just think, girls, how Mabel has worked for us.
She brought those lovely flowers over on the middle table, and
besides those and this delicious bun, she has given three dollars, all
herself, to the fund.”
“Oh!” Marie blushed up to the roots of her hair, and looked at Ethel.
Mrs. Lewis passed on, leaving the four children standing there,
rather embarrassed at the situation.
Harold broke the silence by saying, with a little amused smile: “Come
on, Mabel, we were going to get some lemonade, you know.”
“Oh,” Ethel started forward, “don’t go away yet. I—we—you know we
didn’t know.”
“But we were horrid,” Marie broke in, “and I’m awfully ashamed of
myself, really I am, Mabel, and I think it was sweet of you to come
this afternoon, after the way we behaved. Don’t you, Ethel?”
“Yes, I do,” replied Ethel, a little awkwardly. It was harder for her to
yield than for Marie. “But why didn’t you say, in the first place, that
you were going to give such a lot?” she asked, turning to Mabel.
“You didn’t say you’d save up and give more than any of us.”
Mabel looked down. She couldn’t explain.
But Harold was equal to the occasion. “Because she thought she
had a debt to pay; to make good something that was spoiled, and
until she knew about that she thought she oughtn’t to call the money
hers, you know.”
“Oh, I think that was right,” Marie exclaimed. She gave Mabel a little
squeeze. “I’m so glad,” she said in a low tone. “You’re a dear, just a
dear, Mabel, and I’ll never get mad with you and treat you so again.
Truly, I wanted to be friends. I have missed you so much, all this
time.”
It was not so easy for Ethel to give in, but, finally, she, too, showed
her good will by opening a box of caramels she was carrying. She
offered them to Mabel and Harold. “I know they are good,” she said,
“for my aunt made them. Take a whole lot, Mabel.” And she gave her
a generous supply.
However, glad as Mabel was that all was smooth sailing again, she
did not feel quite happy with the girls, and so she and Harold
wandered off to seek out their own amusements. After they had
eaten all the ice-cream and cake of which they were capable, and
had bought more candy and had had more lemonade than was good
for them, they found a little corner on one of the piazzas, and here
they decided to settle down, for awhile, and watch the people, who
were now beginning to gather rapidly.
“I’m awfully tired,” said Mabel. “I just feel as if my feet didn’t belong
to me. Harold, I was just thinking that your papa will perhaps know
some of the Cuban orphans, if any of his friends get killed.”
Harold’s face took on a serious look as it always did when his father
was mentioned. “I wish I knew about father,” he said, after a pause,
“I haven’t heard for two weeks, and neither has Drake.”
“Oh,” Mabel wished that she had not said anything about Captain
Evans’ friends and their orphans.
“You see,” Harold went on, “the last time we did hear he was still at
camp, but he expected to be ordered to Cuba at any time, and I
suppose he may be on his way there. Of course, I want him to be as
brave as the others, but I get scared sometimes, for fear he will be
killed.”
“Oh, then would you be a Cuban orphan?” Mabel asked, in an awe-
stricken tone.
“Why, not exactly. I don’t know whether it means those who fight in
Cuba, or those who are Cuban people; it might be either way. Don’t
let’s talk about it any more. Aren’t there a lot of people here now? It’s
not been so crowded since we came.”
Just then two gentlemen sauntered up and stood looking at the gay
scene before them. One was Marie’s father, Mabel knew.
“There’s not much chance of our having an occasion like this another
year,” Mr. Lewis remarked: “The war won’t last long.”
Mabel nudged her companion, and they listened with all their ears.
“Too bad, though, the way our fellows have had to be sacrificed at
camp,” returned Mr. Lewis’ friend. “Every day I hear of someone from
here having succumbed to typhoid fever, and the warm weather will
not improve the conditions, I am afraid. By the way, you knew
Captain Evans. I learned at the club on my way uptown, that he was
gone. Poor fellow, as nice a man as I ever knew. Died of typhoid
fever.”
Harold clutched Mabel’s arm and turned very pale. “Did you hear?”
he whispered.
Mabel nodded; she understood. “Perhaps there is some mistake,”
she whispered, in return. “Wait, I want to ask something.”
She went up to Mr. Lewis, who looked down at her kindly. “If you
please, Mr. Lewis,” she said, “That Captain Evans you know, that
you were just talking about, did he have any little boy?”
Mr. Lewis glanced inquiringly at his friend, who nodded. “Yes, I think
so,” he made answer.
“And is his name Harold?” Mabel’s eyes were getting very moist, and
she gave a quick little gasp.
The gentleman seemed to be trying to remember. “Why, let me see;
yes, I am pretty sure he has. I think I’ve heard him call his boy Harry.
Yes, that’s it; Harry.”
Mabel glanced around, but only caught sight of Harold’s retreating
figure. She ran quickly after him; and, taking hold of his hand, she
held it tightly. “We’ll go home and tell mamma,” she whispered.
Harold bit his lip, and tried to keep back the tears, but hurried on.
They were not long in reaching home, and then Harold broke away
from Mabel, and she saw him disappear into his room.
Her sympathetic little heart was too full for speech as she burst into
Mrs. Ford’s room and buried her face in her mother’s lap.
“Why, my little girl,” exclaimed Mrs. Ford; “did the girls treat you
badly, after all? I am so sorry; I hoped it would be all right, and that
you would have no more trouble.”
“It isn’t the girls,” Mabel sobbed; “they were lovely; it’s Harold.”
“Why, dear me, how has he hurt your feelings; you have been getting
along so beautifully together? What has he done?”
“He hasn’t done anything,” Mabel said, between her sobs; “it’s his
father.”
“His father! Has he come back?”
No answer, but a shake of the brown locks.
“Oh, I see; he has sent for Harold. Well, dear; we knew that would
have to be sometime. Don’t cry about it; but try to make Harold
happy while he is here.”
“It isn’t that,” Mabel found voice to say.
“Then, what is it—what has his father done?”
“He’s died, and Harold is a Cuban orphan,” Mabel replied, with a
fresh burst of tears.
“My dear, are you sure? Come, tell me about it; I don’t understand.
We have not heard a word of it. Look up and tell me, child.”
Mabel managed to convey her news, though in a somewhat
disjointed manner.
Mrs. Ford looked grave, and went to Harold’s door; but, receiving no
answer to her gentle knock, she went in, and saw that the little fellow
had flung himself across the bed, and was crying convulsively. He
raised his head as Mrs. Ford entered, and came to the arms she
held out to him.
She gathered him closely to her. “Don’t give up hope, dear child,”
she said. “I think there may be a mistake; and, under any
circumstances, you know we love you, and are glad to keep you with
us.”
Mabel had crept in softly. “Oh, mamma, always?”
“Perhaps.”
“Oh, do say always,” she begged; “and let Harold be my brother;
then I’ll not be the middle one any more, and I’ll try—oh, Harold! I will
try to be as much like a boy as I can, and as mamma will let me. I’ll
play anything you like to have me. I’ll climb trees and all; and I’ll even
try not to be afraid of cows.”
Mrs. Ford could but smile; but she added more comforting words till
Harold at last lifted his head and said: “Where is Don? I want Don.”
And Mabel, delighted to be able to do something, flew to bring the
dear dog, and with Don hugged up close to him Harold, after a while,
fell asleep.
It was warm, mild May weather, and Mabel, too excited to sleep,
crept to the window to watch for her father that night, for she felt that
he would, perhaps, be able to decide upon the truth of the report
they had heard, and besides, her mother had said, that if it were not
too late, he would go down to the club, and gather particulars. But it
was very late; a meeting of some kind had kept him at the university,
and Mabel grew very weary, before she saw his familiar form coming
in at the gate.
She crept softly down stairs, and entered her mother’s room in time
to hear Mr. Ford say, as he looked at his watch: “I am afraid it is too
late to-night to do anything, but I will inquire into the matter the very
first thing in the morning. Poor little fellow. I hope he will sleep
soundly. His father was all in all to him.”
“Don’t say was,” said Mrs. Ford, “for I do not quite believe the
report.”
Mr. Ford shook his head. “I wouldn’t be too sanguine,” he returned.
“You say Harold told you his father generally called him Harry?”
“Yes, that is the part which makes it seem as if there were no
mistake.”
“And can’t Harold stay here always?” Mabel asked, as her father
lifted her to his knee.
“That will be as his aunt says. We have no right to decide upon that.
You will still have to be our boy, I think,” he said, smiling, for it had
always been a joke between Mabel and her father, that of her being
the boy of the family, and Mabel liked to be called “Phil,” for she
always insisted that she ought to have had her father’s name.
“But what are you doing up this time of night?” Mr. Ford asked. “You
should have been in bed and asleep hours ago.”
Mabel gave him a mighty hug, and crept upstairs again, feeling very
sorry for Harold, and wishing that she could do something to comfort
him.
The re-instatement in the favor of her friends seemed a small thing,
compared to this last matter of interest, and after she had cuddled
down again by the side of her sister Alice, she got up and went to the
door leading to Harold’s room, to whisper to him, through the key
hole, “Good-night, Harold, I hope you will sleep well, and I’ll stay
awake all night if you think you will feel lonely.”
But Harold did not hear her, for he had cried himself to sleep long
before, and, though Mabel’s promise to stay awake was made in all
good faith, it was not ten minutes later that she was soundly sleeping
too, little dreaming that she would be the first one to bring comfort to
the boy’s sorrowful heart.
 CHAPTER VII.
WORN out with his grief, Harold slept rather late the next morning,
and Mrs. Ford would not have him disturbed. Since it was Saturday,
Mabel did not have to go to school, and she amused herself as best
she could in the garden. She wished that Harold would come down,
but she concluded that, until he did, she would occupy herself by
playing marbles. The fact that they hurt her knuckles did not deter
her from making up her mind to keep on till she could do as well as
Harold.
“SHE OCCUPIED HERSELF WITH TRYING TO PLAY
MARBLES.”
She was so absorbed in this employment that she did not hear the
gate open, nor see who had entered, till she heard someone close
beside her, say: “That’s a pretty good shot for a little girl,” and
looking up, she saw a gentleman whose face looked rather familiar.
She jumped to her feet and stood gazing at him, her recollection who
it was gradually returning, and then she cried out: “Why, you weren’t
alive yesterday.”
Captain Evans, for it was he, threw back his head and laughed
heartily in such a very alive way that Mabel could not doubt for a
moment that he was flesh and blood. “I feel very much alive to-day,”
he assured her. “Are you Miss Ford?” he asked.
“No,” Mabel returned, “I’m only the middle one, and I’ll not be
anything else, till Alice is married.”
Captain Evans laughed again. Mabel thought he seemed a very jolly
person.
“You’re really Harold’s father,” she said. “Oh, do hurry in and see
him, for he thought he didn’t have a father any more, and he was so
miserable.”
Captain Evans instantly became grave.
“Did he really believe that? My poor little boy,” and he hurried up the
walk.
Mabel, flying ahead of him, ran up the steps crying joyfully, “Harold!
Harold! Quick!” And she almost fell over him as he appeared at the
head of the stairs.
“He is alive! He is! He is!” she cried. “Come down.”
But Harold needed no second bidding, for he had caught sight of a
beloved figure already mounting the stairs, and, with one shout of
joy, he threw himself into his father’s arms, and was fairly lifted off
his feet in the energy of the greeting that his father gave him.
It was all easily enough explained, when one realizes that Evans is
not a very uncommon name, and had there been time to make a few
more inquiries, the fact would have been brought to light that the
Captain Evans who died at camp was another man, whose son
Harry was a a boy of fifteen, with several sisters and brothers.
Harold and Mabel felt very sorry for these other Evanses, even while
they were so happy over the turn affairs had taken.
“Your aunt is still in no state of health to take charge of a restless
little boy,” Captain Evans told his son, “and so I thought I must get
leave to come on for a few days, and look after my son, for we have
imposed long enough upon the kindness of these good friends.”
Harold’s face fell. “And where am I going?” he asked.
“I don’t know just yet, but I am corresponding with someone in the
country, and I hope to make arrangements to send you to a farm for
the summer. You would like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes,” replied Harold, “if Mabel could go, too.”
Mabel, listening, took hold of Captain Evans’ fingers and looked into
his face earnestly. “Would it be very far away?” she asked.
“No, only up here in Pennsylvania, a little way.”
“Won’t you please to tell mamma about it?”
“Certainly, I shall be glad to,” returned the captain.
And the outcome was that, not only was the farm found to be the
place for Harold, but for the Ford family, too; with the exception of
Mr. Ford, who was going abroad for the summer.
“It is just the spot for us,” Mrs. Ford declared; “a place where I can
turn the children loose, and know that they are safe.”
Mabel turned a beaming face toward Harold. “Do you hear that?” she
exclaimed. “We’ll be turned loose, and I can go fishing, and I can
climb trees and fences, and play all sorts of boy plays, without
having the girls think I am a tom-boy. Oh, won’t it be fun? And we will
be together all summer, and in the fall—” she looked at Captain
Evans.
“Oh, that’s too far to think about now,” he answered, “but if the war is
over, and if I am spared, I shall be able to make my plans more
readily than I can now.”
“I hope the people will be nice and kind on the farm and will let me
have Don,” said Harold.
“That is the only difficulty,” his father told him. “I’m afraid you cannot
take Don with you, but Drake has promised to take charge of him,
and if all goes well you can have him again when you get back. It is
too bad, I know,” he continued, seeing how disappointed Harold
looked, “but you would have had to leave him anyhow, if you had
gone to your aunt’s, for she would not have received the dog, I
know.”
“Why can’t I take Don to the farm?” inquired Harold, still hoping for
consent.
“Because Mrs. Knight doesn’t allow dogs on the place. She has a
favorite cat, and, at first, was hardly willing to take a boy. For some
reason she doesn’t approve of boys or dogs, but Mrs. Ford seems to
have overcome her objections.”
“Mrs. Knight!” Mabel exclaimed. “Oh, mamma, is it our Mrs. Knight?
Deborah Knight? She was going to move into the country; I
remember. Has she gone? Is it to her house we are going? I do hope
it is.”
“Yes, it is your Deborah Knight,” her mother told her. “I was going to
keep it as a little surprise for you, but it doesn’t matter. As soon as
she is settled on her farm, she is to let us know. When I saw her, and
told her who I was, she immediately remembered you and Harold,
and consented at once to take us all into her home. She has a large
house, and thinks she will be rather lonely there, and seemed really
pleased at the idea of having ‘those two kind and tender children,’ as
she calls you.”
“Is she going to be a farmer herself? How can she, when she is
lame?” Mabel asked.
Mrs. Ford smiled. “No, she has a man and his wife who attend to the
farm for her. They live in a little house on the place. Mrs. Knight has
changed a good many of her plans in order to accommodate us, and
I hope you children will give her no trouble.”
Of course the children protested that they would not; and, indeed,
they were quite as reasonably good as one could expect, and if they
did, once in a while, get into mischief, Mrs. Knight excused it
because of the unfailing respect they showed to Bobby. This
important member of the household seemed to enjoy country life
after he had once become used to the change of residence, and
rested secure from his natural enemies—boys and dogs.
Like the grasshopper, the children played through the summer days.
The fact that Marie Lewis had gone to the White Mountains, and
Ethel Morris was at Bar Harbor, did not, in the least, matter to Mabel,
who would not have exchanged Mrs. Knight’s grove and garden and
barn for all the watering places in the world, and who wanted no
better companion than Harold.
In the midst of summer came the news of peace, and, later on, all
Mrs. Knight’s guests went back to town to see the parades during
the week of the Peace Jubilee celebration. But this did not take place
before Mabel and Harold had a little jubilee of their own, consequent
upon the news that Captain Evans, at Mrs. Ford’s request, would
allow Harold to remain with the Fords for a year, at least, and longer
if his father were still on active duty.
And, will you believe it? Harold, dressed in uniform, marched with his
father’s regiment the day of the military procession. To be sure, he
did not go all the way, but Mabel, up on one of the stands, felt her
heart swell with pride as the regiment swung around the corner of
the Public Buildings, and she saw her little companion bravely trying
to keep step with the soldiers. And when the crowd cheered and
cheered, she thought it must be all for Harold, and she stood up and
waved her handkerchief till her arm was tired.
Harold saw her, and, after the troops had passed in review, his father
sent him to join his friends, and there they sat and looked at the
brave array of infantry, cavalry, artillery and marines.
“When I am grown, I am going to be a soldier,” Harold declared, all
enthusiasm.
Mabel looked sober. That was something a girl couldn’t be, although
she thought it would be fine to march by Harold’s side in such a
grand procession.
But that evening, when the Captain told stories of suffering and
distress, or long marches and weary tramps through rain and sleet,
or under a scorching sun, or the horrors of a battle, Mabel concluded
that, after all, it was rather comforting to know that such things could
not be expected to come into her life, and she felt very sorry for
Harold, who, however, grew only more excited as the dangers were
made more plain.
“But the only heroes are not the men like Dewey and Hobson, and
Schley and Sampson,” Captain Evans said, at last. “I’ve seen the
greatest courage, though of another kind, exhibited in quiet homes
and by those of whom the world never hears. A small duty, which
has no blare of trumpets nor roll of drums to encourage one on to
perform, sometimes requires more real heroism than a charge in
battle.”
Mabel knew that. She knew that everybody must fight something,
and that she, too, could be a soldier, in a quiet way. That to become
weary and to deny oneself, to face danger and temptation, was what
was expected of those who had enlisted under the banner of the
great Captain.
So, she nodded her head gravely, and said, “Yes, I know.”
Harold’s face showed his appreciation, and as if with one voice they
broke out into the martial hymn: “Onward, Christian Soldiers.”
They sang it all through, and then quiet fell upon the group. From a
distance came the roll of drums. A returning regiment going to its
armory. Then all was still again, except for the voice of a cheery little
cricket shrilling out its peaceful song in some quiet corner of the
garden. Mabel snuggled up close to her mother. Don rested his head
lovingly on his little master’s knee. Content filled the hearts of all, for
this evening. The morrow would see Mabel at school, to battle with
more than books; would see Harold, too, fighting his way through his
first Latin lessons.
The year had taught them many things, but most of all, it had taught
them the value of truth and honor and loving forbearance.
 TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been
standardized.
Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.
 *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MABEL'S
MISHAP ***

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