New Beginnings
The Voyage: Chapter Two
Heaven
Raj ran quickly, without panting, with that effortless gait he could keep up indefinitely. He knew he could because he was on his way back from a run through the forest that probably stretched forty miles from end to end, in pursuit of a rare - on earth, that is, he thought- red deer that had passed by as he came out of his resting quarters. He remembered going several times with his Appa to a club on earth that went into the wilds and photographed deer and other World animals. He had been impressed at the framed photos of huge bears and hogs and deer and other animals that they displayed on the walls of the lodge.
He had darted after the passing deer with an impulsive desire to get a closer look its rack so he could count the points. He could have sworn it had more than 20 points, which surely was an anomaly among the species. He started on impulse but it was so pleasant to jog along without tiring at the accelerated pace, that he ended up following across the lawn and into the woods and continuing for mile after mile through the shady, fragrant trees, leaping small brooks as effortless as did the nimble deer.
At one point a beautiful silver fox joined him, bushy tail extended as he loped along at a matching pace for nearly five miles, running side by side with him. Raj glanced over, still in amazement at the peaceful nature of the multiple animal life he had encountered since the Worldship Mandela had arrived through the portal in space that led to where they were in the outskirts of Heaven. Raj could feel a friendly camaraderie coming towards him from the fox but he ran on after the deer when the fox turned aside with one last shake of its tail, whisking itself over a low lying bush and doubling back after passing a spring bubbling up under a giant oak tree. Raj glanced back and his last view was of the fox with his face lowered to the water.
Raj reflected on a familiar theme as he ran. Surely he had enough data on the colossally astounding place by now to take back to earth. He thought he did. But he was nervous because he knew that he realistically had no idea how long had it been since he left earth. His friend Tomas, who had come nineteen years before he did, on an earlier Worldship, had not realized how much time had passed since his crew had lost contact with earth. What if Raj were to return and find that he had been gone ten years? Or twenty? Or more? He had delayed his departure to see more and learn more, and enjoy more, he admitted to himself, before trying to head back and report to Earth the fate of the Worldship. A total of six ships had entered Heaven's suburbs and not one human had ever returned to earth.
When he, in measured pursuit of the deer, finally emerged from the shade into the golden meadow, rabbits leapt out of the way as he and the red hart both halted at the edge of a flowing brook that rolled through the meadow. Little pools with eddies of gently swirling water lay on the sides of the little stream. The deer lowered his head into one eddy for a deep drink and after a pause Raj stepped over and knelt quietly beside the animal so he could lower his hands and scoop up a satisfying quench as well. After a few handfuls of the pure water he sat back and stared with bemusement at the friendly creature. The deer showed not the slightest bit of fear, even when Raj leaned over gently and ran his hands over the velvety horns.
He was right. Twenty-two points! As the deer lingered by him, Raj started to scratch the antlers, up and down. Just like a friendly dog, the magnificent stag leaned closer for a few moments, seeming to enjoy the scratching of Raj’s fingers.
Suddenly, the sound of racing hooves broke into the quiet of the serene meadow. Startled, Raj jerked up to see a herd of deer break out from under the shelter of the trees across the field. With a graceful thrust, the velvet-horned deer immediately launched himself from the ground and bounded across the brook to join the spectacular racing herd. In seconds they were out of sight.
Raj remained a moment drinking in the scenery and atmosphere as well as satisfying mouthfuls of the refreshing water. This was incredible. He did feel hungry though. He might as well head back to the banquet tables in the dining hall where he knew there would be plates of savory, delicious food. He felt, rather than heard, a large body land behind him and he turned quickly to stare at a white-winged angel who strode forward to kneel at the water’s edge. The stooping angel cupped his hands for a drink from the shimmering water before rising to turn towards Raj.
"Hello," he said with a smile. "My name is Sunny".
"Raj," he replied automatically, trying not to stare. 'Sunny?' he thought.
"Yes, a nickname", the angel answered matter-of-factly, though not a word had been said aloud.
Raj felt a little embarrassed. He never would have asked the question audibly.
“This meadow is one of my favorite stopping places," the angel commented. "Such a clear and bright atmosphere always causes my spirits to soar." Sunny flexed his wings and spread them wide for a moment in the golden air.
"Ten feet," estimated Raj quickly, before remembering that in all likeliness the angel would hear his thoughts.
"10.6," said the angel with another smile.
Raj relaxed and laughed. It was just a fact that these spiritual beings could read your thoughts, your spirit, your being, with only a glance. He rose in one smooth movement. "I think I will head back," he said to Sunny.
"Great," said the massive angel. "Tomas is looking for you."
“Oh, um, thank you,” Raj said.
He was surprised to see Jesus standing with Tomas when he emerged from the wooded setting. He slowed to a walk as he stepped out of the pleasant shade. And finally, his body felt the effects of the extended run.
“Hello,” he called out, and slowed a bit more, still subdued about the idea of conversing with Earth’s savior.
Tomas hurried across the lawn. “Raj, Raj, I’m so glad you’re back.”
“What’s going on, Tomas?”
“I am crossing over, Raj! I made up my mind. I want to stay here in Heaven. I know the crossover destroys the body and I can’t return to earth but I just don’t want to go back. Jesus came to accompany me.” Tomas was almost vibrating; he was so psyched to go.
“And to welcome you there,” said Jesus. “I am in a bit of a hurry, so I am glad you arrived, Raj.”
“Well, what can I say?” Raj said. He put his hand on his friend’s arm and said, “Good luck and I guess I will see you whenever I get there.”
Tomas threw his arms around him. “I love you,” whispered Tomas in his ear.
“Um, yeah, me too,” Raj said. “Um, see you.”
He turned to Jesus. “You said you’re in a hurry?”
“Yes, I am going to make a short trip into Hell. My Father recently threw a boulder through the roof and I want to see the effect it has had.”
“Wow,” said Raj. “Can I go along?”
“Sure,” Jesus said. “I will be right back. I am going to walk Tomas through the veil and I’ll be back for you”.
As the two walked off in the direction of the barrier, Raj ran to his living quarters. He rifled through the things in his closet quickly, seeking the water flask he knew was there. He had no idea what to expect from Hell but he thought he couldn’t go wrong in making sure he took water with him. He filled it from the fountain in the courtyard outside his quarters and then raced back to the lawn to await Jesus’ return.
How do you get from Heaven to Hell, he wondered? He sat on the green lawn to wait. The air was fresh and he felt the usual contentment that surrounds you constantly in the celestial atmosphere. Suddenly Jesus materialized beside him.
“Hello again,” he said. “Take my arm, Raj. Don’t let go no matter what is said or what you see.”
Hell
Raj quickly grasped Jesus’ outstretched arm and the two began a dizzying descent towards the earth. Raj tried to estimate their speed and gave up when they sped through several galaxies in less than a moment. He saw the earth looming larger and larger. He saw something that circled the Earth. It looked like a timeline and he glanced over at Jesus but suddenly they were in Earth’s atmosphere, descending swiftly. They didn’t break speed when they hit the ground, but passed through lower and lower until they touched down in an enormous chamber somewhere deep beneath the earth’s crust. Raj forgot what he wanted to ask about the timeline with the swiftness of their landing. Jesus glanced over at him and laughed at the sight of the water flask buckled on Raj’s waist. It was hot.
“Now that’s a Boy Scout approach,” Jesus joked. “I am glad you are prepared. Your body isn’t here though, you know. Travel is quickest when traveling only with your spirit.”
“Wow,” said Raj. “I didn’t know that. Why did you let me come?”
“Because you were interested, and because I have a plan,” Jesus answered.
“What is Hell?” Raj asked.
“It is a prison,” said Jesus, before turning and looking around. “Yahweh recently opened a hole in Hell to bring some light in and I want to see the reaction so far and I want to make sure that the boulder he threw crashed all the way to the lowest levels. You and I are going to make a short tour.”
Raj’s eyes were just beginning to adjust to the dim luminosity in the darkened cavern when Jesus strode off towards a corridor that stretched downwards, like a long, eerie escalator, only without stairs. It looked like a slow moving sidewalk, descending into darker regions below. Raj clung to Jesus’ sleeve and hurried to keep pace. The joy he had felt earlier seemed to have dissipated when they entered the earth’s atmosphere and he was rapidly becoming more and more apprehensive until finally he felt outright frightened. The dark, dim walls felt threatening and it was as though the very air seemed to hold hostile intent. He glanced at Jesus, who was staring up at the roof where a large hole gaped in the earth over their heads.
Silently, Jesus stepped onto the moving sidewalk and they began the descent; down, down, into lower levels. Raj started to hear screams coming from different directions as they dropped away from the upper cave. He heard shouting and crying and what sounded like a threatening voice bellowing in the distance. The shrieks increased and the atmosphere thickened with each level they descended, and all the while the feelings of horror intensified around him. For a moment, Raj tightened his grip on Jesus’ arm compulsively, then he took a deep breath and lessened his hold. Get ahold of yourself, he thought, a little ashamed of his fear.
As they passed each level, Jesus peered over and up at the ceiling to make sure that the jagged hole was there as well. A light shone through the hole. Jesus seemed to sigh with each level they passed, but he didn’t say anything aloud. At one room, possibly miles down, Jesus stepped off and walked over to stare at the dimming light coming through the narrowing rent in the ceiling. Raj heard someone shouting Jesus’ name. A man in a cell lodged in the wall of the cave called over to them, gasping, “Jesus, Jesus. I will be good. Please take me out of here.”
Jesus looked at him reflectively for a moment. Then he replied, “Even in Hell, you lie.”
Raj spoke quietly as they walked off.
“If he is a prisoner, where are the guards?”
“They are hiding because I am here.”
“Who are they?”
“They are angels, or they once were. Now they are called demons. Come, we have many levels to descend still.”
Raj was suddenly very frightened. What if Jesus had brought him here to leave him in this horrifyingly sinister abode? He knew he didn’t deserve to be in Heaven. But then, his friend Tomas wasn’t a saint either, so how was any of this possible, he wondered.
“You were made to be in Heaven,” Jesus said, reading his thoughts. “Everyone was. People and demons have taken themselves from the place created for them. I am doing everything I can to bring them back.”
“What is the point of this trip?” Raj abruptly cried out, his nerves on edge.
“Have you ever heard the saying: ‘abandon hope, all you who enter here’?” Jesus asked him.
“Yes, something like it,” said Raj.
“That is why we are here,” said Jesus. “We are here to prove that saying a lie.”
“How is it a lie?”
“It is a lie because if there was no hope, no one would ever beg me to take them out on my trips through Hell. They plead with me because I will release them if they truly have changed. It is a lie because my Father never intended for people or angel to be separated from him permanently.”
“Why do they have to change before you let them out?”
“They must change because sin, which is another way of saying, “being about self and not about God and about others” is catching. Sin spreads. This is why I had to throw the demons out of Heaven in the first place, so their folly did not spread further.
“Didn’t Yahweh say that people would be in Hell forever?”
“Yes, that is the threat he made.”
“But doesn’t forever mean, well, like, forever and ever.”
“What is forever?” said Jesus. “For ‘ever’ means for as long as there is time.”
“You mean as long as the earth circles the sun and the moon the earth, right?”
“Eventually, yes. After this universe comes to an end, there will be no more time. But someone’s personal time can run out before that, such as when their time on earth ran out. They are then out of time.”
“So, ‘Hell is forever’ is a trick saying, in a way?”
Jesus laughed. “That’s one way to put it. We thought that people needed a serious warning because the consequences are so serious, so we phrased it in a way that makes people not want to go to Hell.”
“So, is there hope in Hell?”
“Of course. Anyone who knows Yahweh would know this is true. His whole foundation, his whole being is love, remember? That is real. Hell is to cause people, and hopefully demons, to change. That is the most loving way to treat them. But love always hopes for better for them.”
“So, what should you think if you end up in Hell?”
“Three things,” Jesus said, “You should realize that you deserve to be in Hell, that is, that it is your fault, and secondly, that you can trust Yahweh. And finally, you should change your attitudes and regret your actions that brought you here. You should change. There is worse destruction than Hell.”
“Do people ever realize there is hope?”
“Some do. They realized it when I came through the first time, after my murder. I took many people out when I left Hell. Some of them had been here a long time, some of them even as long ago as the time that they died in the great flood.” Jesus shrugged, still glancing around. “Some realize it, some don’t. The light will give them a little encouragement towards right thinking.”
“How will the light help them?”
“They will see more clearly and they will feel shreds of hope instead of constant despair. When the prisoners realize that the guards are just as much prisoners as they are because they can’t leave either, then I count on humans to even up the odds in Hell. These former friends of mine, these angels, are hiding right now from me because of what I might say to them. They will hate it when people start to give assured, confident, truthful answers to their tormenting assaults and when humans start to accuse them for what they do. The tables will turn. My hope is for both humans and demons to return.”
“Why did you wait so long to do this?”
“It is Yahweh’s choice.”
“But, why do you think he waited so long?”
“Well, I suspect he was waiting for the right moment. There is still a prescribed number of people to be born, but we are getting closer to the end. He must have seen that the situation has ripened on all levels and the time is suitable. C’mon, let’s jump now directly to the deepest level.”
Raj tightened his hold as he and Jesus suddenly began to descend, straight through the floor and ceilings of innumerable chambers before abruptly hurtling into the darkest room of all. They landed on an uneven ground where the air was so thick and sordid you almost felt that it had a physical presence. But there! Jesus pointed upwards and Raj could make out the familiar gap in the earth of the ceiling, now just a slit. A very dim, hazy light shone through it.
Raj heard a dark, cruel voice speaking.
“What the hell are you doing here?” it rasped in the murky darkness.
“Yeah, you bastard!” said another.
“I will kill you,” said someone else, and Raj heard the unmistakable rattling of cage bars.
Raj peered through the rancid air to see the former-dictator, Adolph Hitler, glaring at them. He stood, clinging to the bars of his cage, hurling ill will as angrily as did the demons outside the bars. His hair and his clothes looked like they had been ripped to pieces. His face was distorted, with eyes bulging, as he screamed at them. Other cages trailed off into the distance but Raj couldn’t see who occupied them. Threats and curses poured towards them. Raj felt anger, then murderous rage, rise inside him. He wanted to destroy every one of them; to tear them to pieces and burn their filthy remains.
Jesus looked at them mildly. “Let’s go, Raj,” he said.
The two ascended several levels straight up through the ceilings before Jesus stopped again. Raj’s feelings started to subside as they left the room and he felt embarrassed at the depth of the fury he had felt and the violence he had wanted to act on. Maybe Jesus would think he belonged in Hell.
Jesus smiled at him sympathetically, though he himself seemed unaffected by the malevolent atmosphere. “Let’s ride,” he said, leading Raj over to a walkway that flowed upwards.
“Listen,” Jesus said.
Raj heard noises coming down the corridor as they ascended. It sounded like shouting. He tried to make out the words but the echoes reverberated back and forth off the walls making it hard to distinguish the sounds or make out what was being said.
“What is it? he said.
“The start of the rebellion,” said Jesus with satisfaction. “It is the beginning.”
“What beginning?” Raj asked.
“The beginning of the final war.”
Jesus turned to him, smiling. He took Raj’s hand, without embarrassment. They started to run up the corridor on top of the moving sidewalk. As they ran, Jesus shouted at each level, “Stand up! Join the fight!”
People shouted back, “Is there hope, Master?”
“What shall we do?”
“I’m with you! Please let me come with you.”
One voice howled an obscenity after them.
The voices and the levels became a blur as they sped by. At one point, Raj heard people in one room all talking at once, and amazingly, one person was actually singing. Jesus was grinning as he pulled Raj swiftly behind him towards the sound in that room. They burst into the chamber to hear shouts of, “Hear us, oh God,” and “Hallelujah”.
“What is it?” Raj shouted.
The room fell silent. “Well, I guess you could say it’s Hell’s first prayer meeting,” said a grizzled man whose beard reached almost to his knees.
Jesus strode to the front, Raj clinging to his sleeve.
“Hello Judas,” Jesus said. “It is good to see you. I have good news, everyone. It has begun. Yahweh is setting things in place at this very instant. Soon time will be no more. Only a while longer until this abode ceases to exist. Let this glimmer of hope that my Father sent grow until all hope is fulfilled. Relief and release will follow the Great War that is upon us. Trust Yahweh, stand firm, and everyone do your part. Join the fight in Hell. Speak the truth to demons and to each other, and never, never again lie to yourself. Call out to me for help. I will always hear you.”
Leaning forward, Jesus kissed Judas on the cheek. He and Raj left to the sound of voices crying out in amazement. But Judas just stood there, tears streaming down his face.
“Thank you, Jesus,” he whispered.
“What does this mean?” Raj said, as they burst out into the afternoon sun. Raj cried out momentarily as the light burst on his eyeballs. “Ow!”
“Don’t you see, Raj?” said Jesus. “The Mandela was the last Earthship that will be allowed into Heaven through the wormhole.”
Raj’s thoughts flew swiftly to his beloved parents, Amma and Appa, and his sister, Jovi. Was it all over?
“They will be fine.” Jesus continued, “But time will end. Heaven, Earth, and Hell are uniting and Heaven is ready to stand its ground. The rebellion in Hell has started, thanks to the hope and light filtering in, and many there will begin to stand against evil as well. Earth is ripe for the Great War that Yahweh will wage in every realm to set all things right. Your arrival was step one. The setup in Hell among the dead and the fallen was step two. And now comes the final step on earth, unity. Unity in all realms. There is coming war in the natural realm, war in the spiritual realm. I have long awaited this day.”
Raj was pondering these things when they alit onto the grassy lawn in the outskirts of Heaven, where he lived. He sat up, then stood up, suddenly restored to his body. It felt very natural, since he hadn’t even realized he left his body behind until Jesus pointed it out.
Wow, war, he thought. “Okay, Jesus,” he said aloud. “What do I need to do?”
“Stand against evil,” said Jesus. “That’s what we all need to do. But as for you personally, I have a plan. You will go back to earth, just as you wished, only this time I want you to give them a warning and I want you to help them unite.”
“Sure. Whatever you want,” Raj said. He knew he was back in Heaven’s outskirts because of how he felt. Even the ominous words Jesus was saying only brought joy. He felt content. He would gladly take a report back to earth, and after all, hadn’t he always wanted to stand against evil?
Raj ran quickly, without panting, with that effortless gait he could keep up indefinitely. He knew he could because he was on his way back from a run through the forest that probably stretched forty miles from end to end, in pursuit of a rare - on earth, that is, he thought- red deer that had passed by as he came out of his resting quarters. He remembered going several times with his Appa to a club on earth that went into the wilds and photographed deer and other World animals. He had been impressed at the framed photos of huge bears and hogs and deer and other animals that they displayed on the walls of the lodge.
He had darted after the passing deer with an impulsive desire to get a closer look its rack so he could count the points. He could have sworn it had more than 20 points, which surely was an anomaly among the species. He started on impulse but it was so pleasant to jog along without tiring at the accelerated pace, that he ended up following across the lawn and into the woods and continuing for mile after mile through the shady, fragrant trees, leaping small brooks as effortless as did the nimble deer.
At one point a beautiful silver fox joined him, bushy tail extended as he loped along at a matching pace for nearly five miles, running side by side with him. Raj glanced over, still in amazement at the peaceful nature of the multiple animal life he had encountered since the Worldship Mandela had arrived through the portal in space that led to where they were in the outskirts of Heaven. Raj could feel a friendly camaraderie coming towards him from the fox but he ran on after the deer when the fox turned aside with one last shake of its tail, whisking itself over a low lying bush and doubling back after passing a spring bubbling up under a giant oak tree. Raj glanced back and his last view was of the fox with his face lowered to the water.
Raj reflected on a familiar theme as he ran. Surely he had enough data on the colossally astounding place by now to take back to earth. He thought he did. But he was nervous because he knew that he realistically had no idea how long had it been since he left earth. His friend Tomas, who had come nineteen years before he did, on an earlier Worldship, had not realized how much time had passed since his crew had lost contact with earth. What if Raj were to return and find that he had been gone ten years? Or twenty? Or more? He had delayed his departure to see more and learn more, and enjoy more, he admitted to himself, before trying to head back and report to Earth the fate of the Worldship. A total of six ships had entered Heaven's suburbs and not one human had ever returned to earth.
When he, in measured pursuit of the deer, finally emerged from the shade into the golden meadow, rabbits leapt out of the way as he and the red hart both halted at the edge of a flowing brook that rolled through the meadow. Little pools with eddies of gently swirling water lay on the sides of the little stream. The deer lowered his head into one eddy for a deep drink and after a pause Raj stepped over and knelt quietly beside the animal so he could lower his hands and scoop up a satisfying quench as well. After a few handfuls of the pure water he sat back and stared with bemusement at the friendly creature. The deer showed not the slightest bit of fear, even when Raj leaned over gently and ran his hands over the velvety horns.
He was right. Twenty-two points! As the deer lingered by him, Raj started to scratch the antlers, up and down. Just like a friendly dog, the magnificent stag leaned closer for a few moments, seeming to enjoy the scratching of Raj’s fingers.
Suddenly, the sound of racing hooves broke into the quiet of the serene meadow. Startled, Raj jerked up to see a herd of deer break out from under the shelter of the trees across the field. With a graceful thrust, the velvet-horned deer immediately launched himself from the ground and bounded across the brook to join the spectacular racing herd. In seconds they were out of sight.
Raj remained a moment drinking in the scenery and atmosphere as well as satisfying mouthfuls of the refreshing water. This was incredible. He did feel hungry though. He might as well head back to the banquet tables in the dining hall where he knew there would be plates of savory, delicious food. He felt, rather than heard, a large body land behind him and he turned quickly to stare at a white-winged angel who strode forward to kneel at the water’s edge. The stooping angel cupped his hands for a drink from the shimmering water before rising to turn towards Raj.
"Hello," he said with a smile. "My name is Sunny".
"Raj," he replied automatically, trying not to stare. 'Sunny?' he thought.
"Yes, a nickname", the angel answered matter-of-factly, though not a word had been said aloud.
Raj felt a little embarrassed. He never would have asked the question audibly.
“This meadow is one of my favorite stopping places," the angel commented. "Such a clear and bright atmosphere always causes my spirits to soar." Sunny flexed his wings and spread them wide for a moment in the golden air.
"Ten feet," estimated Raj quickly, before remembering that in all likeliness the angel would hear his thoughts.
"10.6," said the angel with another smile.
Raj relaxed and laughed. It was just a fact that these spiritual beings could read your thoughts, your spirit, your being, with only a glance. He rose in one smooth movement. "I think I will head back," he said to Sunny.
"Great," said the massive angel. "Tomas is looking for you."
“Oh, um, thank you,” Raj said.
He was surprised to see Jesus standing with Tomas when he emerged from the wooded setting. He slowed to a walk as he stepped out of the pleasant shade. And finally, his body felt the effects of the extended run.
“Hello,” he called out, and slowed a bit more, still subdued about the idea of conversing with Earth’s savior.
Tomas hurried across the lawn. “Raj, Raj, I’m so glad you’re back.”
“What’s going on, Tomas?”
“I am crossing over, Raj! I made up my mind. I want to stay here in Heaven. I know the crossover destroys the body and I can’t return to earth but I just don’t want to go back. Jesus came to accompany me.” Tomas was almost vibrating; he was so psyched to go.
“And to welcome you there,” said Jesus. “I am in a bit of a hurry, so I am glad you arrived, Raj.”
“Well, what can I say?” Raj said. He put his hand on his friend’s arm and said, “Good luck and I guess I will see you whenever I get there.”
Tomas threw his arms around him. “I love you,” whispered Tomas in his ear.
“Um, yeah, me too,” Raj said. “Um, see you.”
He turned to Jesus. “You said you’re in a hurry?”
“Yes, I am going to make a short trip into Hell. My Father recently threw a boulder through the roof and I want to see the effect it has had.”
“Wow,” said Raj. “Can I go along?”
“Sure,” Jesus said. “I will be right back. I am going to walk Tomas through the veil and I’ll be back for you”.
As the two walked off in the direction of the barrier, Raj ran to his living quarters. He rifled through the things in his closet quickly, seeking the water flask he knew was there. He had no idea what to expect from Hell but he thought he couldn’t go wrong in making sure he took water with him. He filled it from the fountain in the courtyard outside his quarters and then raced back to the lawn to await Jesus’ return.
How do you get from Heaven to Hell, he wondered? He sat on the green lawn to wait. The air was fresh and he felt the usual contentment that surrounds you constantly in the celestial atmosphere. Suddenly Jesus materialized beside him.
“Hello again,” he said. “Take my arm, Raj. Don’t let go no matter what is said or what you see.”
Hell
Raj quickly grasped Jesus’ outstretched arm and the two began a dizzying descent towards the earth. Raj tried to estimate their speed and gave up when they sped through several galaxies in less than a moment. He saw the earth looming larger and larger. He saw something that circled the Earth. It looked like a timeline and he glanced over at Jesus but suddenly they were in Earth’s atmosphere, descending swiftly. They didn’t break speed when they hit the ground, but passed through lower and lower until they touched down in an enormous chamber somewhere deep beneath the earth’s crust. Raj forgot what he wanted to ask about the timeline with the swiftness of their landing. Jesus glanced over at him and laughed at the sight of the water flask buckled on Raj’s waist. It was hot.
“Now that’s a Boy Scout approach,” Jesus joked. “I am glad you are prepared. Your body isn’t here though, you know. Travel is quickest when traveling only with your spirit.”
“Wow,” said Raj. “I didn’t know that. Why did you let me come?”
“Because you were interested, and because I have a plan,” Jesus answered.
“What is Hell?” Raj asked.
“It is a prison,” said Jesus, before turning and looking around. “Yahweh recently opened a hole in Hell to bring some light in and I want to see the reaction so far and I want to make sure that the boulder he threw crashed all the way to the lowest levels. You and I are going to make a short tour.”
Raj’s eyes were just beginning to adjust to the dim luminosity in the darkened cavern when Jesus strode off towards a corridor that stretched downwards, like a long, eerie escalator, only without stairs. It looked like a slow moving sidewalk, descending into darker regions below. Raj clung to Jesus’ sleeve and hurried to keep pace. The joy he had felt earlier seemed to have dissipated when they entered the earth’s atmosphere and he was rapidly becoming more and more apprehensive until finally he felt outright frightened. The dark, dim walls felt threatening and it was as though the very air seemed to hold hostile intent. He glanced at Jesus, who was staring up at the roof where a large hole gaped in the earth over their heads.
Silently, Jesus stepped onto the moving sidewalk and they began the descent; down, down, into lower levels. Raj started to hear screams coming from different directions as they dropped away from the upper cave. He heard shouting and crying and what sounded like a threatening voice bellowing in the distance. The shrieks increased and the atmosphere thickened with each level they descended, and all the while the feelings of horror intensified around him. For a moment, Raj tightened his grip on Jesus’ arm compulsively, then he took a deep breath and lessened his hold. Get ahold of yourself, he thought, a little ashamed of his fear.
As they passed each level, Jesus peered over and up at the ceiling to make sure that the jagged hole was there as well. A light shone through the hole. Jesus seemed to sigh with each level they passed, but he didn’t say anything aloud. At one room, possibly miles down, Jesus stepped off and walked over to stare at the dimming light coming through the narrowing rent in the ceiling. Raj heard someone shouting Jesus’ name. A man in a cell lodged in the wall of the cave called over to them, gasping, “Jesus, Jesus. I will be good. Please take me out of here.”
Jesus looked at him reflectively for a moment. Then he replied, “Even in Hell, you lie.”
Raj spoke quietly as they walked off.
“If he is a prisoner, where are the guards?”
“They are hiding because I am here.”
“Who are they?”
“They are angels, or they once were. Now they are called demons. Come, we have many levels to descend still.”
Raj was suddenly very frightened. What if Jesus had brought him here to leave him in this horrifyingly sinister abode? He knew he didn’t deserve to be in Heaven. But then, his friend Tomas wasn’t a saint either, so how was any of this possible, he wondered.
“You were made to be in Heaven,” Jesus said, reading his thoughts. “Everyone was. People and demons have taken themselves from the place created for them. I am doing everything I can to bring them back.”
“What is the point of this trip?” Raj abruptly cried out, his nerves on edge.
“Have you ever heard the saying: ‘abandon hope, all you who enter here’?” Jesus asked him.
“Yes, something like it,” said Raj.
“That is why we are here,” said Jesus. “We are here to prove that saying a lie.”
“How is it a lie?”
“It is a lie because if there was no hope, no one would ever beg me to take them out on my trips through Hell. They plead with me because I will release them if they truly have changed. It is a lie because my Father never intended for people or angel to be separated from him permanently.”
“Why do they have to change before you let them out?”
“They must change because sin, which is another way of saying, “being about self and not about God and about others” is catching. Sin spreads. This is why I had to throw the demons out of Heaven in the first place, so their folly did not spread further.
“Didn’t Yahweh say that people would be in Hell forever?”
“Yes, that is the threat he made.”
“But doesn’t forever mean, well, like, forever and ever.”
“What is forever?” said Jesus. “For ‘ever’ means for as long as there is time.”
“You mean as long as the earth circles the sun and the moon the earth, right?”
“Eventually, yes. After this universe comes to an end, there will be no more time. But someone’s personal time can run out before that, such as when their time on earth ran out. They are then out of time.”
“So, ‘Hell is forever’ is a trick saying, in a way?”
Jesus laughed. “That’s one way to put it. We thought that people needed a serious warning because the consequences are so serious, so we phrased it in a way that makes people not want to go to Hell.”
“So, is there hope in Hell?”
“Of course. Anyone who knows Yahweh would know this is true. His whole foundation, his whole being is love, remember? That is real. Hell is to cause people, and hopefully demons, to change. That is the most loving way to treat them. But love always hopes for better for them.”
“So, what should you think if you end up in Hell?”
“Three things,” Jesus said, “You should realize that you deserve to be in Hell, that is, that it is your fault, and secondly, that you can trust Yahweh. And finally, you should change your attitudes and regret your actions that brought you here. You should change. There is worse destruction than Hell.”
“Do people ever realize there is hope?”
“Some do. They realized it when I came through the first time, after my murder. I took many people out when I left Hell. Some of them had been here a long time, some of them even as long ago as the time that they died in the great flood.” Jesus shrugged, still glancing around. “Some realize it, some don’t. The light will give them a little encouragement towards right thinking.”
“How will the light help them?”
“They will see more clearly and they will feel shreds of hope instead of constant despair. When the prisoners realize that the guards are just as much prisoners as they are because they can’t leave either, then I count on humans to even up the odds in Hell. These former friends of mine, these angels, are hiding right now from me because of what I might say to them. They will hate it when people start to give assured, confident, truthful answers to their tormenting assaults and when humans start to accuse them for what they do. The tables will turn. My hope is for both humans and demons to return.”
“Why did you wait so long to do this?”
“It is Yahweh’s choice.”
“But, why do you think he waited so long?”
“Well, I suspect he was waiting for the right moment. There is still a prescribed number of people to be born, but we are getting closer to the end. He must have seen that the situation has ripened on all levels and the time is suitable. C’mon, let’s jump now directly to the deepest level.”
Raj tightened his hold as he and Jesus suddenly began to descend, straight through the floor and ceilings of innumerable chambers before abruptly hurtling into the darkest room of all. They landed on an uneven ground where the air was so thick and sordid you almost felt that it had a physical presence. But there! Jesus pointed upwards and Raj could make out the familiar gap in the earth of the ceiling, now just a slit. A very dim, hazy light shone through it.
Raj heard a dark, cruel voice speaking.
“What the hell are you doing here?” it rasped in the murky darkness.
“Yeah, you bastard!” said another.
“I will kill you,” said someone else, and Raj heard the unmistakable rattling of cage bars.
Raj peered through the rancid air to see the former-dictator, Adolph Hitler, glaring at them. He stood, clinging to the bars of his cage, hurling ill will as angrily as did the demons outside the bars. His hair and his clothes looked like they had been ripped to pieces. His face was distorted, with eyes bulging, as he screamed at them. Other cages trailed off into the distance but Raj couldn’t see who occupied them. Threats and curses poured towards them. Raj felt anger, then murderous rage, rise inside him. He wanted to destroy every one of them; to tear them to pieces and burn their filthy remains.
Jesus looked at them mildly. “Let’s go, Raj,” he said.
The two ascended several levels straight up through the ceilings before Jesus stopped again. Raj’s feelings started to subside as they left the room and he felt embarrassed at the depth of the fury he had felt and the violence he had wanted to act on. Maybe Jesus would think he belonged in Hell.
Jesus smiled at him sympathetically, though he himself seemed unaffected by the malevolent atmosphere. “Let’s ride,” he said, leading Raj over to a walkway that flowed upwards.
“Listen,” Jesus said.
Raj heard noises coming down the corridor as they ascended. It sounded like shouting. He tried to make out the words but the echoes reverberated back and forth off the walls making it hard to distinguish the sounds or make out what was being said.
“What is it? he said.
“The start of the rebellion,” said Jesus with satisfaction. “It is the beginning.”
“What beginning?” Raj asked.
“The beginning of the final war.”
Jesus turned to him, smiling. He took Raj’s hand, without embarrassment. They started to run up the corridor on top of the moving sidewalk. As they ran, Jesus shouted at each level, “Stand up! Join the fight!”
People shouted back, “Is there hope, Master?”
“What shall we do?”
“I’m with you! Please let me come with you.”
One voice howled an obscenity after them.
The voices and the levels became a blur as they sped by. At one point, Raj heard people in one room all talking at once, and amazingly, one person was actually singing. Jesus was grinning as he pulled Raj swiftly behind him towards the sound in that room. They burst into the chamber to hear shouts of, “Hear us, oh God,” and “Hallelujah”.
“What is it?” Raj shouted.
The room fell silent. “Well, I guess you could say it’s Hell’s first prayer meeting,” said a grizzled man whose beard reached almost to his knees.
Jesus strode to the front, Raj clinging to his sleeve.
“Hello Judas,” Jesus said. “It is good to see you. I have good news, everyone. It has begun. Yahweh is setting things in place at this very instant. Soon time will be no more. Only a while longer until this abode ceases to exist. Let this glimmer of hope that my Father sent grow until all hope is fulfilled. Relief and release will follow the Great War that is upon us. Trust Yahweh, stand firm, and everyone do your part. Join the fight in Hell. Speak the truth to demons and to each other, and never, never again lie to yourself. Call out to me for help. I will always hear you.”
Leaning forward, Jesus kissed Judas on the cheek. He and Raj left to the sound of voices crying out in amazement. But Judas just stood there, tears streaming down his face.
“Thank you, Jesus,” he whispered.
“What does this mean?” Raj said, as they burst out into the afternoon sun. Raj cried out momentarily as the light burst on his eyeballs. “Ow!”
“Don’t you see, Raj?” said Jesus. “The Mandela was the last Earthship that will be allowed into Heaven through the wormhole.”
Raj’s thoughts flew swiftly to his beloved parents, Amma and Appa, and his sister, Jovi. Was it all over?
“They will be fine.” Jesus continued, “But time will end. Heaven, Earth, and Hell are uniting and Heaven is ready to stand its ground. The rebellion in Hell has started, thanks to the hope and light filtering in, and many there will begin to stand against evil as well. Earth is ripe for the Great War that Yahweh will wage in every realm to set all things right. Your arrival was step one. The setup in Hell among the dead and the fallen was step two. And now comes the final step on earth, unity. Unity in all realms. There is coming war in the natural realm, war in the spiritual realm. I have long awaited this day.”
Raj was pondering these things when they alit onto the grassy lawn in the outskirts of Heaven, where he lived. He sat up, then stood up, suddenly restored to his body. It felt very natural, since he hadn’t even realized he left his body behind until Jesus pointed it out.
Wow, war, he thought. “Okay, Jesus,” he said aloud. “What do I need to do?”
“Stand against evil,” said Jesus. “That’s what we all need to do. But as for you personally, I have a plan. You will go back to earth, just as you wished, only this time I want you to give them a warning and I want you to help them unite.”
“Sure. Whatever you want,” Raj said. He knew he was back in Heaven’s outskirts because of how he felt. Even the ominous words Jesus was saying only brought joy. He felt content. He would gladly take a report back to earth, and after all, hadn’t he always wanted to stand against evil?