Sunsets Into Sunrises
Bishop Martin - The Progress of a Soul in the Beyond
- Chapter 84 -
BEGINNING OF THE THIRD ACT OF THE CELESTIAL DRAMA. - THE CHALICE OF GRACE WITH BOILING WATER. - THE INFERNAL RAMPART.
1
(Bishop Martin): "I am already looking with greatest interest at the scene, but so far it is still unchanged. The chalice has grown very large though. It could well be several fathoms in circumference, by earthly standards. And if I see right, it is still growing.
2
The two messengers are standing at the edge of this huge chalice, and the old man and his daughter are looking at it attentively. The other old people, however, are looking at it from a distance, like oxen would stare at a new gate in the world.
3
The fish in the chalice, swimming around briskly in the spacious golden basin, are by now quite big. The heads of some of them look already rather human, while others look still more like fish. I assume they will first turn into some sort of spiritual mermaids, and eventually into actual well-shaped female beings.
4
But what's that I notice? The sea, which previously had looked so ominous, has completely vanished! Instead, on its shore, the still growing chalice is now standing in the middle of a vast plain, measuring maybe a hundred square miles. In the far distance, this plain seems to be surrounded by an exceedingly strong and high rampart; it is clearly noticeable where the plain ends and the rampart begins.
5
The most peculiar thing is that the rampart is getting higher and then again lower in various places. In the places where the rampart is considerably growing in height, I can see that one could easily see through underneath. What an unusual type of rampart! I wonder what that could mean?
6
The chalice remains unchanged, but a good ten thousand feet from it an immense, completely round hole has now formed on the spot where, I think, the convent once stood and where, after its destruction, the ugly mud hole appeared. Dense smoke is now coming from that hole, but it vanishes again after having risen only a few fathoms above the edge of the hole. What strange preparations for the third act of this drama!
7
But look at the chalice, brother! The water in it is beginning to boil and steam mightily. The poor fishes are lifting their heads over the edge of the chalice, screaming awfully. They all have already human heads, except that some still bear a likeness to sea lions.
8
Ah, the water in the chalice is boiling fiercely and the steam is getting denser. The poor fishes are screaming terribly from the pain. If this boiling continues for a while, there soon will be a great quantity of hot, cooked fish - one of my favorite dishes on earth.
9
Ah, look - the fishes are already getting arms and well-shaped hands, with which they are trying to lift themselves over the edge of the chalice in order to escape the torture. However, their arms do not seem to be very strong as yet for they soon have to let go the edge and fall back into the boiling water.
10
I would like to understand basically what causes the water in this giant chalice to boil like that. The poor fish - they are being whirled around in the fiercer and fiercer boiling water like loose sand whirled by a violently gushing spring! How they writhe and twist, and what a wail of lamentation is coming from that chalice!
11
The two messengers are standing there impassively. Their faces betray no pity. You would think that they enjoyed the scene. No, dear brother, I think that is really overdoing it! Why should these poor souls be tortured so horribly to regain their human shapes? I myself, a sinner of the worst kind, did not have to go through such a refining process. Thank goodness, I am still a human being, even if only in peasant clothes!"
12
(Borem). "Brother, do not forget the word 'appearances'! You are still seeing these ladies lined up before as unharmed. How can you worry about what is going on solely in their inner selves? Although the inner world of a human being is really the true world, man stays human, growing in perfection to the same extent that the inner self is being stirred and activated.
13
You are under the impression that you retained your human shape without being refined like this. I can assure you that you were boiling in the Lord's chalice of grace much fiercer than these ladies. Were you aware of it at all? When you have been perfected and are shown the activity of mortals on earth, what will you say then, seeing the inner source of life and the countless streams of fire raging through countless channels? So be reasonable, my dear brother!"
14
(Bishop Martin): "Of course, you are right! So let them be boiled and, if necessary, also fried a little bit! To boil and fry in the Lord's love and grace is truly nothing to complain about! Since I have gone through this boiling process, feeling little or nothing of it, the ladies are surely not faring as badly as they make out. Whatever the Lord does is always the best!
15
Now the old people are approaching the two messengers, requesting permission to join their daughters in the chalice, and permission is granted. Also, the first old man and his daughter are jumping into the hot bath. Now they are all in it, and it is terrible to watch how the boiling water is working on this party.
16
Oh, this screaming, lamenting, this desperate wringing of hands and calling for help! No, brother, even if it is only an appearance, if it causes so much pain I'm not for it. The ladies must be feeling something. I notice that they are now beginning to move, while previously they were standing there stiffly and as immobile as if nailed to the spot!"
17
(Borem): "But that is good. Life is returning to them! Is not that something to be glad about?"
18
(Bishop Martin): "If that is the case, I am reassured. However, the sight of this revival is rather unpleasant. This reminds me very much of purgatory."
19
(Borem): "Forget about your purgatory! I can assure you, there is nothing of the kind anywhere, ever! Here you see nothing but the love of God in action which, of course, is a fire of fires. But this fire is not painful. On the contrary, it eases all pain and heals all the wounds inflicted by hell. The souls do suffer pain and cry for help and relief. However, it is not the boiling chalice that causes the pain, only hell which must now relinquish them.
20
Go on watching! Look at the huge rampart surrounding the plain. You will soon realize that this rampart is nothing else but hell, or the devil in the shape of a giant serpent which has positioned itself around the plain so as not to allow these saved souls, its presumed spoil, to escape. All this is still only an appearance, and the plain denotes the worldliness of these saved souls, from which they cannot get away as it is permeated by hell.
21
"Thus it is this rampart that causes all the suffering to those in the chalice. But, before long, this rampart will be destroyed and thrown into the chasm, which is already visible some ten thousand paces north of the chalice of grace. Watch attentively, and you will soon see what preventive measures are being taken."