with the great Father and Founder of all things, and with His Holy Spirit, and with His Son, the Prince of Light, the first Begotten of God, the Holy One, Jesus, the Lover of my soul, and Author of my life.
I remember reading about St. Paul, who once spoke of being caught up by the Spirit into a place he called the Third Heaven. He didn’t even know if he was in or out of his body, or if it was really him that was there, so wonderful was that place. I was surely in that dimension beyond dimensions, that Third Heaven, or possibly the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, or perhaps that Heaven above the heavens, the Seventh Heaven, there in the arms of Jesus. I can’t even begin to describe it to you, but perhaps you have already experienced a small touch of this all-embracing love and peace in some quiet moment when you opened the doors of your soul to God.
Oh, what a wonderful moment it was! I could have spent the rest of eternity there, but that time had not yet come. I became aware of Jamal pulling me back down to Tricon. There seemed to be some urgency about all the other things he wanted to show me and teach me and prepare me for. It seemed as though I had more to learn, and Jamal had accepted the job of guiding me through them while here. What a marvelous person he was. I certainly wanted to go back as often as I could, to be in the temple, to be in that special place of total peace and understanding and acceptance with Jesus! What strength was there, what rest, what renewing! What refreshing there was in the place called the temple!
3 - Jamal’s House
We moved along quickly through the streets. Jamal was taking me to his house. Along the way we passed close by a group of people. I’m not sure if it’s accurate to call them people, for though they looked like they might at one time have lived on Earth, they seemed more beautiful, and there was something unique, almost mystical about them, a certain ethereal quality that set them apart from normal people. Their movements were more flowing and they went about their business differently. They had a calm, peaceful orderliness and simplicity about them, and though confident, were most humble and considerate. No one stared at me or made me feel out of place or odd in my foreign attire.
They seemed to be from all different races, living together in the greatest harmony, all reflecting the same beautiful light and gentle understanding that filled this entire city. How different this world was from mine! The best of times in the best of places on my world afforded only the tiniest glimpse of the joy and wonder that life could be. I was familiar with the fact that my world had once been a marvelous garden created by God and beautiful beyond belief. Seeing these happy people gave me hope that some day the Earth would be restored to its former glory and the Spirit of God would again fill the Earth.
Still a bit dazed at being here and not able to grasp all that was happening to me, I followed Jamal somewhat mechanically to the outer limits of the city. I noticed a certain quietness and peacefulness begin to fill the air. Evening was settling upon this place. There was a sweetness in the air, a certain coolness. A feeling of relaxation and restfulness began to fill my body. I can’t quite say that it was anything like the arrival of our evening or nighttime-although it never actually seemed to get dark like night on Earth. There was always a soft warm subdued lighting, quite like the glow that fills a room from an open fireplace. It seemed more like a time of great peacefulness came over all the land-though in the time I’d been there, I’d not noticed any signs of hard labor, intense work, or heavy construction going on. By outward appearances, there didn’t seem to be that much going on, yet I did sense that very much was going on all around me in ways and dimensions I was not yet aware of. Everything was quite different here, but I certainly understood this wonderful feeling of rest and peacefulness that was coming over me. It was like walking through a rose garden in the cool of the evening.
“In the cool of the evening”-my mind flashed back to Genesis. In the cool of the evening was a very special time of day in the Garden of Eden, for that was when Jesus would come and walk with Adam and Eve in the garden. That was a special time of day for them, walking in the cool of the evening with the Lord. What a restful, peaceful time of day this was! I found it pleasant to think of Jesus coming and tucking His first children, Adam and Eve, in at night-answering their questions, and listening to all the things they had learned that day.
I, too, had surely learned much in this day and much had happened to me. Earlier my mind had been a volcano of questions. There was much more here than I could even imagine or have ever thought to ask about. But now this restful spirit that stilled the land for the moment put my mind at ease and gave peace from questions, peace from the intensity of experiences. Oh, what a marvelous moment this was. Creation itself wrapped its arms around me as I walked, and filled me with as deep a peace as I had ever known. This was surely the time of day when the Lord took His stroll among us.
Jamal’s house was partly in the countryside at the edge of the city in a small, friendly town or cozy suburb. His home was humble and very simple compared to the tall, magnificent, symmetrical design and gleaming crystal architecture of the city’s center. It was actually more humble than I had expected for someone of such importance as Jamal’s father. He was the trainer and keeper of the Prince’s great white herd, the horses whose hooves sounded like thunder, the horses of the armies of God.
I very much wanted to go immediately and see those horses, but Jamal said we would go on the morrow. “All in good time! All in good time!” Patience seemed to be such a virtue here, and one I needed more of. Everything had its time; nothing was hurried or out of place.
We entered the grounds of Jamal’s house. It was a two-story white house with smooth curved walls. It didn’t seem to have any corners at all. The windows too were curved to match the contours of the walls. The upper floor was rounded, inset with tall, rounded windows, and a lovely round crystal window facing the sky capped the curved roof. Up close, the house was a very warm and friendly place, very homey and practical. Reflecting upon it for a moment, I realized that it was exactly right for a man of greatness in this world. For here, greatness was not measured in showy outward appearances as is the habit of those back on Earth. Greatness here was measured in love, humility, faithfulness, and all those deeper qualities of character and spirit that a man carries with him at all times. The likeness of a man’s soul to God’s very open, loving, humble, warm and approachable Spirit was the principal measure of one’s greatness here.
Jamal’s mother, Joyus, greeted us. She was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen. Her figure and the whiteness of her long, flowing gown made her appear every bit like the most glorious goddess imaginable. She had such unimaginable beauty, yet here she was before my very eyes, warmly and humbly greeting me, and welcoming me as a friend.
Jamal introduced me, “This is my mother.” She smiled and seemed to know all about me. Jamal continued, “This is the one who came to us. I found him today on the upper ridge and have been telling him about this place and all that I could. It is very different for him here.”
“Very different,” I repeated, smiling.
“I hope you will enjoy your stay with us,” she said. “Come, Jamal will show you your room. We will eat when my husband arrives, which will be soon.”
It was as though they knew I was coming and they already knew me-friends that knew me but that I had not met. Then again, everyone here seemed to be a friend I hadn’t yet met. Being here was like being in a neighborhood I’d grown up in all my life, with the friendliest people I’d ever known. Of course, this was much better than any neighborhood on Earth! I couldn’t imagine any sort of crime ever happening here, or any problems, or even a cross word.
The room Jamal took me to was a front room on the upper floor. We went up a set of very cleverly made steps winding around the curved sides of the house. There was another set of similar stairs on the inner side of the house. All around one side of this upper room were full-length windows overlooking a lovely back yard. The walls were not straight either, but
