I dreamed I was in the next life; had I died from a car collision? --sudden coronary? --unexpected terrorist's bullet? At any rate, I found myself facing the perfectly righteous God of the universe demanding me to justify the way I had lived. He was much mightier and more awe-inspiring than anything I could have ever imagined.
My mind's eye saw this great Sovereign God's wrath on me, the sinner. He was about to lift me up and cast me into the crackling lake of fire.
"Jesus!" came out of my heart. From sheer terror, I could not scream. I knew I deserved to be flung in there forever, but the awful thought "forever" paralyzed me. "Jesus!"
The same motion that had lifted me up in the Hands that should've hurled me into the depths of eternal hopelessness, I found kept lifting me higher, and it got brighter, and I landed somewhere.
People came running. "Pilgrim! We are your brothers! You are safe forever!" That is, I think they were people. But all had shining, smiling faces, free from any hiding or threat or hardness, and they seemed childlike.
I sucked in my breath--what happened down there? I turned around, looked down.
Could it be? The face of God, dark with wrath against sin--was looking at someone He'd lifted off the ground...wait...that was me a few moments ago...then that's not me, but Jesus! And He cast Him into the abyss below.
I ran to the edge of the place where we stood, and I was hysterical. "Jesus! No, no, no!" But I could hear footsteps of the others behind me.
"You don't have to worry," said one who reached me.
"That's what He did at the Cross," said another voice.
"Yesterday, today, and forever, I am the same," said yet another. "I just wanted to show you what I did."
"Jesus!" I quickly turned to see Him walking towards me, arms outstretched.
"But you were...I thought...in my place." I couldn't talk and fell into His arms.
"I wanted you to see what I did at the Cross. I'd do it again and again if I had to--but I don't have to." He said softly, patting my head.
I was about to say, "Oh thank you Jesus," when there was a scream.
Someone was gesturing wildly and stammering, "B-but that's Jesus!"
My tears barely dry, I walked up to the group. "It's okay. He wanted you to see that's what He did for you on the Cross. Look." I said, and behind me, was One standing with open arms and a smile that will be yesterday, today, and forever for His own.
