The Other Side of Heaven Page 6

  ‘Are they all the same?’ I asked, finding that I could use telepathy rather than speak the words.

  ‘There are five hundred million scrolls each of which is different,’ returned the voice. ‘You have a great deal of reading to accomplish.’

  Five hundred million! My mind rebounded at the thought. I would indeed be here in this room for the whole of eternity. I stared down solemnly and began to read the scroll in front of me slowly, trying to allow the information to become absorbed in my mind although I felt like rebelling and refusing to do so. The words seemed to form before my eyes as I looked down flowing like golden letters across the parchment as my eyes surveyed them.

  ‘The Universe began when God created a super atom, known also as a primeval atom, which contained an incredible amount of radioactive material packed tightly together,’ it began. ‘It disintegrated, exploding within moments after it had been formed. From the explosion, the expansion of the Universe began. In due course, the material began to condense and form clusters of galaxies. Cosmic repulsion then took place, forcing the galaxies to be repelled from each other so that they were kept well apart. The part of the universe contained in this paper relates to the Abhelion region in the Damsech galaxy. It contains eighteen planets which circulate around three suns and they have a total of twenty-seven moons.’

  I continued to read on with a certain element of interest even though my knowledge of astronomy, and indeed physics, were extremely weak. However, at the back of my mind there was the thought of having to read five hundred million scrolls to learn all about the universe. Not only was it an impossible task but it was one I did not wish to make. The very idea caused me to feel extremely despondent. I couldn’t possible read so many texts and believe that I could understand them however long I remained in Heaven. Consequently, I could see myself being reincarnated to Earth indefinitely... a matter which failed to please me intensely. And then another thought crossed my mind which horrified me. If I had been in Heaven for seventeen years, I hadn’t had one moment of sleep... not one single moment. My consciousness had taken possession of my mind and I had been awake all the time. Did this mean that sleep was not of any significance in Heaven? Was I a spirit with indefinite awareness at all times? It certainly seemed to be the case, to say the least!

  After I had read over one hundred scrolls, my mind became so confused that I knew I needed a complete rest. The power within me continued to grow but I couldn’t take in any further information for a while. It was only then that a leading learned angel appeared by my side and smiled at me amiably that I realised that something good was about to happen. However, to my great disappointment I was absolutely wrong.

  ‘You’ve absorbed a great deal of information,’ he began. ‘I think you’re wanted now by the Angel of Correction.

  The Angel of Correction! The words echoed in my mind. Why was I having to be corrected? I couldn’t think of anything serious that I had done wrong. Admittedly, I disliked having to go through the scrolls relating to the universe but my actions had been one of good behaviour and confirmed obedience with the rules of Heaven. Now, for some misbegotten reason, I was being summoned to be corrected.

  The angel disappeared within a flash and I found myself standing in a different room in another place. It irked me that I could be switched around to wherever someone wanted me without my permission but it seemed to be par for the course. This time I was confronted by a beautiful angel with lovely white wings folded behind her who sat on a chair in front of me. She beckoned to me and pointed to another seat facing her.

  ‘Jeremiah,’ she began. ‘That’s what you want to call yourself, isn’t it?’ I nodded slowly and sat on the chair awaiting her diatribe about the correction. ‘Your work so far has been noted and it’s one of credit.’

  I hesitated thinking that perhaps I was mistaken and she was going to raise me to the next level in the order of angels but I was wrong again.

  ‘There are many souls in Heaven who bring part of their personality with them when they first arrive. It doesn’t show at first because of the need for adjustment as a spirit but then it multiplies as they gain power. The personality can differ in a number of ways but it tends to prevent a soul from moving on its natural direction in Heaven. There are ways that we can diminish it by reducing the power meted out to you by the Supreme Angel of Energy however that sometimes defeats the object. Another method is to allow you to ask questions at random in order to get it out of your system.’

  ‘Except that no one would answer any of the questions,’ I cut in sharply.

  ‘For good reason,’ she replied amiably. ‘But I won’t go into that now. The final method is to send you back to Earth by means of reincarnation, allowing your personality to emerge in the body of another person hoping that the next time you enter Heaven it will be altered or diminished.’

  My mind reeled at the possibility of returning to Earth. It was still the last thing I ever desired. ‘What have I done to have to be corrected?’ I demanded with a tinge of anger in my voice. ‘I’ve followed all the rules. I’ve done everything asked of me.’

  ‘The power of your mind works much faster than most other souls,’ she went on trying to explain. ‘You are constantly full of questions, asking for information that at your level cannot be answered.’

  ‘Why not,’ I enquired cutting into her flow. ‘Although I was an atheist, I had a view of Heaven. This wasn’t it. There’s too much happening here and not one ounce of love. I believed that Heaven was filled with love but it’s not here in any shape or form. Therefore, I think I might have come to Purgatory, a separate place where my sins are discussed and I’m purged before going on to the next world... or maybe this is Hell! Tell me truthfully, where am I?’

  There was a slight pause as bells began to ring all over the place. I realised that I had broken another major rule by mentioning ‘a place other than Heaven’.

  ‘There you go again,’ she responded sharply. ‘Breaking more rules... you know you’re not allowed to mention any other place than Heaven! I know that you need to ask more questions! You cannot stop yourself, and it’s clear there are many more to come. Your personality is far too strong... much too demanding. In Heaven, we use telepathy so have it known that we can read your mind. It’s bursting for knowledge about what happens here and why. I’ve been asked to interview you and inform you that you have to change by submitting to all the rules, both major and minor and toning down your personality.’

  ‘And what are the minor ones?’ I asked feeling totally miserable.

  ‘In the first place, you must establish your position in the hierarchy,’ she told me point-blank.

  ‘But I’m a Seraph. I’m on the bottom rung of the order of angels,’ I bleated.

  ‘Exactly. On Earth you would be the office boy who made the tea. You would not be allowed to ask questions all the time. You have to realise that your position here is of the lowest rank. You are not to ask questions or even think about them. Secondly, you are not to like or dislike any task given to you.’

  I presumed that she was referring to my attitude regarding the reading of the scrolls relating to the universe. I had hated every moment of it whilst in that great desolate room. I wasn’t sure how not to react to the tasks given to me at any time but I did obey the rules. However, listening to the criticism of this angel I wondered how I could temper my personality. It was in my soul... in my mind... in my spirit. In reality, I couldn’t do anything about it.

  ‘Thirdly,’ she went on, you must behave exactly like all other spirits on the same level without any element of ambition. Fourthly, you must desist in asking questions of anyone.’

  ‘Is there any chance of me being reincarnated?’ I asked hoping against hope that she would give me a negative reply.

  ‘It’s not certain yet,’ she retorted. ‘We need to know more about your behaviour before making that kind
of a decision.’

  I paused to reflect the reproach knowing that the only means by which i could stay in Heaven was to lose some of my power. How I could do something like that I had no idea. The horrid thought of reincarnation was foremost in my mind. It was quite likely that they would take such action to rid Heaven of a strong spirit like myself. I had to express my views on the subject to let them understand how I felt about it but how could I do it? Then an idea came into my mind.

  I would like to write a poem about reincarnation to identify my feelings about it,’ I ventured. ‘Do you have a place where I can sit and write it.

  ‘We admire authors in Heaven,’ she explained amiably. ‘I shall arrange for you to do so immediately, but my main task is to reign in your personality and make certain that you understand the problem. I know that you resent this corrective action but in order to stay in Heaven you need to suppress your personality otherwise action will be taken against you. Do you understand?’

  I nodded my head although she was right, I resented the reproach. It was the last thing I had expected. After all, it wasn’t my fault if my mind needed to know the answers to the many questions for which I desired information. I had mentioned the lack of love shown in Heaven by anyone to any spirit but she ignored the comment leading me to believe that I was correct in my assumption. To me, asking questions to learn was a natural process. On Earth, children from the ages of three to twelve drove their parents crazy for information about everything. There was no reason for anything to be withheld ... not if it was true and natural. I chastised myself for thinking that way because, in that very sentence, I was already considering that the reason no one would answer my questions was the fact that something sinister was going on in Heaven. However, by the fact that my mind could be read by senior angels through telepathy, it was imperative that I suppressed such ideas or I would have to face the music.

  The Angel of Correction soon answered my wish and I found myself sitting in an enormous room, very much like a classroom at school. It had desks lined up one after each other and the only real difference was its vastness... it seemed to go on indefinitely with thousands of desks in front of me. A large number of spirits sat writing, concentrating on their efforts and no one seemed to be aware of my presence. I stared down at the pen and parchment in front of me, writing the title of the poem at the head of the scroll... ‘Reincarnation’... and sat thinking for a short while on how to follow it. Then it came to me in a rush and my pen began to flow over the parchment.

  “If there’s a mighty power, with which I have to face,

  As the Reaper came to strike, and Heaven I embrace.

  The voice of doom does echo, to the spirit I become,

  My mind in such a sequence, shall not remain so

  dumb.

  If the majesty I counter, asks much against the grain,

  To face another mortal life, return to Earth again.

  I’ll state my words precisely, in ready terms unrough.

  I’ll stay up here in heaven, because I’ve had enough.

  The people living down on Earth, much with evil

  views,

  Rely most on depression, there rarely is good news.

  Their efforts often end in war, all across the sphere,

  No peace on Earth is constant, the rule is mainly fear.

  If I am asked the question, to go to Earth once more,

  I’d have to give the answer, that God cannot ignore.

  I do not want to go back, to where I once prevailed,

  If happen I returned there, my mission truly failed.

  Reincarnation’s not a problem, I’m going to refrain,

  I want to give that one a miss and not go back again.

  I’ll sit in peace in Heaven, with a multitude of souls,

  My grief is little now to know, how I did miss my

  goals.

  I prefer to rest eternally, I know I’m right on track,

  If you truly are Almighty, you’ll never send me back.

  I welcomed death quite warmly, I was willing to

  depart,

  Of worldly chores and troubles, all evil from the start.

  I don’t care for explanations, or answers to the plot,

  Going back is not an option, ‘tis best ‘twas all

  forgot!”

  I lay down my pen to read the poem, feeling quite satisfied with what I had written. It relieved me to set the words down on parchment regardless of whether anyone else would read it. However, as soon as I read it and made a few changes, the scroll was whisked away as if by magic to disappear to the other end of the room, wherever that happened to be. In an instant, another blank scroll appeared before me. I recalled the words of the Angel of Correction when she told me I would be allowed to ask questions to get them out of my system. Clearly, she wanted me to write them down in order to do that. I raised the pen and straightened out the scroll before starting to write.

  ‘Question One,’ I wrote savagely. ‘On the question of control, is there only one God or are there many Gods? The Greeks, the Egyptians, the Romans, the Hindus, and various other religions believe that there are many of them. The Christians and Moslems believe there is only one. It’s important for me to know who is right and who is wrong.

  Question Two. I understand that I’ve been here in Heaven for quite a long period but I’ve not come face to face with the Almighty, if indeed there is one. Why is that? I would have expected him to receive me as one of his flock but it has never happened. Why not?

  Question Three. Is there any kind of religion in Heaven? On Earth there are numerous varying beliefs, most of which have caused hatred, murder, and destruction. Are we all of the same religion up here or does nothing of that nature exist?

  Question Four. Who or what controls everything that happens on Earth and why do such forces of nature, eg. earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods, etc. take place, killing millions of innocent people each year? Someone must be responsible for all those deaths. Who’s in control?

  Question Five. Why do even more people die in air, train or car accidents, from terrorist actions, from war, from disease on Earth if there’s a merciful Supreme Power here? Such matters are cruel, affecting innocent people, and they are constantly happening. The lack of mercy doesn’t make sense!

  Question Six. In relation to death, is it true that everyone on Earth has a number and when that number comes up the individual dies? If that is the case, is there an ethic of Predestination... the eternal decrees of God who has decided what he wishes to happen regarding each individual?

  Question Seven. Why can’t I refer to any other place than Heaven? There are two which come within the confines of thought on Earth. The first is Purgatory; the other one is Hell. Is there really such a place ruled by Satan... the Devil... Beelzebub? If not, what’s the point of preventing me from mentioning it?

  Question Eight. What about redemption and salvation? Redemption is salvation from sin through Christ’s death on the cross whereas Salvation is the deliverance through Christ’s death of man or his soul from the power of sin and consequent penalties. Now I know that Christ was a real man who lived on Earth so how come I was reproached by the Angel of Correction when I should have been delivered from the power of sin and consequent penalties? The only possible explanation is that Christ was a mere mortal and was now a spirit in Heaven like all the rest of us. In that case, Christians on Earth were praying to an ordinary man symbolicly for creating the Christian religion and not to someone sitting at the right hand of God.

  Question Nine. Why is there no love in Heaven? Everything seems to follow sets of rules without any kind of emotion whatsoever. I met my wife and grandparents who hardly knew me and I have never seen anyone show emotion here. There’s not one ounce of sentiment in evidence. What has happened to love?


  Question Ten. Am I actually in Purgatory or Heaven? If I’m in Purgatory, I’m having to purge my venial sins before progressing to Heaven or being reincarnated back to Earth in another host body. I think it’s vitally important that I know the answer.

  Question Eleven. As the Universe is so vast, there must be other planets with life forms. Are they kept separate from souls who come here from Earth because I have not seen any strange spirits here?

  Question Twelve. Is it possible that a spirit here has to undergo a number of different states before progressing? I’m not certain what kind of states I’m referring to but it seems that power either weakens or strengthens in the spirits and some are applied to undertake certain kinds of work while others are not. I’m extremely confused by this fact. Would you kindly explain it to me?

  Question Thirteen. I understand a miracle to be a direct intervention by God in the world of nature and history which defy the laws through which God orders and controls the created world. It’s a breach of natural law. For example, a German pilot dropped a bomb on a church in Mosta, Malta one Sunday morning during World War II. It crashed through the roof and landed heavily on the floor of the church where over a hundred people were attending the morning service. It rolled across the floor of the church but it failed to explode. That was a miracle. Equally, a young married couple argued so bitterly that the husband walked out of the house, climbed into his car, and drove a few miles away before parking in the road and meditating on the argument. He happened to have stopped randomly outside a telephone box and the phone began to ring. He got out of the car and answered it, stunned to hear the voice of his wife. She had misdialled and, out of the millions of telephone numbers, happened to ring that particular one. The couple made up over the telephone and led a long and happy life together. That too was a miracle. So who arranges them in Heaven and why do they happen?

  Question Fourteen. How true is the belief in the Last Day when the Earth expires and the dead rise up? It’s regarded as the end of the world when every human soul will be judged by God and saved or condemned. In the New Testament, Luke XX1 10;11, it states that ‘Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and in one place and another pestilence and food shortages, and from Heaven great signs.’ Is this really the case?