CHAPTER XII.
A World Enjoying Its Millennium.
HAT expansive views of creation were afforded me in my universal journey! I saw all conceivable types of human life, many of which I alone could never have conceived.
With a happy soul I alighted on another world in the solar system of Dubhe where sin had been banished, and the believers, or children of God, were passing through a period of time which we would call the Millennium.
A wide contrast was now presented to my view. I had seen world after world in the tribulation of sin. Now I had come to one under the sway of righteousness, and I wish that I had power to describe what I saw and experienced.
I suddenly thought of the Queen of Sheba, who, upon seeing the greatness of Solomon's wisdom, exclaimed, "Behold, the half was not told me." I had often imagined what the condition of our world would be when it smiles under the light of the Millennium, but I minimized the glory that is yet to come to us, judging by what I saw on this delightfully charming planet. I have no assurance, however, that the coming Millennium of our world will be altogether similar to the one I saw.
This glorious Millennium was ushered in about six hundred years ago, and I readily learned the general particulars of its commencement. The world had been very wicked prior to the dawn of this new age. The majority of the people disregarded all spiritual truths, causing the darkness of sin to hang like a heavy pall over the nations of this planet.
There were earnest devotees who lived in the light and love of God, and who preached and pleaded with the thoughtless and the indifferent. Notwithstanding all the efforts put forth on the part of the righteous, the generations of this distant world became more and more wicked until the Millennial dawn.
In the fullness of time the Millennium was ushered in by the appearance of the chief angel who came with several hundred thousand attending spirits. At the approach of these celestial regiments the atmosphere far above the planet was darkened by ominous clouds through which the approaching legions shone with unearthly brightness. All this occurred in the twinkling of an eye, even before the busy millions could look upward. Then the chief angel and his magnificent host circled in the air, singing the resurrection song, which was augmented by ten thousand trumpeters, while the forked and sheet lightnings flashed in unison with the imposing waves of music, and heavy thunders contributed the bass intonations.
The celestial choir continued during one revolution of the planet. The vast throng sang in the air as the planet revolved on its axis. As each section of the globe came beneath the long extended line of melodious angels, the marvelous change took place for that section. The sleeping saints came forth from their graves and, with the living saints, were caught up into the air. This continued until this most eventful day was finished.The scenes that occurred with the ungodly during this awful day beggar all description, so much so that I shall not attempt to describe the remorseful wails of horror that rent the air, only to be drowned by the ever-singing choir. It was the day of triumph for the saints, and their ears were not disturbed by the cries of terror, nor were their hearts distracted by the opening of the earth to receive the wicked.
As the saints were caught up, the wicked fell into pits and have not been seen since. The flames that issued from the rending globe set everything on fire. Who can select language sufficiently graphic to portray such a lurid dissolution of a planet, and the gathering of the faithful, quick and dead?
Thus was this large world purified by fire while the saints were gloriously enraptured. After the fury of this burning was passed, the great Creator of the universe made a new world whereon righteousness dwelled.
The saints became the possessors and rulers of this whole sphere, living in joy and peace unprecedented. It has been the happiest six hundred years since the beginning of this planet. How long this period will continue no one seems to know, and but few are conjecturing, for each soul is completely happy and congenially employed.
The time will come, however, when this blissful period will be at an end, only to give way to a state of existence infinitely greater and more glorious, which in our language would be called Heaven.
I will briefly describe a few characteristics of this Millennial life as I saw it and as it is now existing.
1. The saints are living in spiritual bodies. They are not cumbered with a fleshy body, and are capable of traveling through the air at a speed far beyond that attained by the swiftest winged creature of any world in the whole universe.
Their spiritual bodies are highly organized and sensitive to a fine degree. At will they are capable of rendering themselves visible or invisible, as we comprehend these terms.
As the perfectly formed flower, blushing in its wealth of color, is called beautiful, so
Beginning of the Millennium.
we would designate these symmetrical spirit-creatures, moving in the glory of their higher endowment and shaded with the living tints of Heaven.
2. These inhabitants know nothing of fatigue. Their strength of body and vitality of mind are unabating. What a contrast between the creatures of our Earth and those of the Millennial world on whom the passing of centuries has no ill effect.
3. There is nothing on this purified world to generate disease; hence these favored people never suffer any pain of body or of mind. The long line of sin-shadows has all vanished from this redeemed planet, and the atmosphere is all aglow with the mellowed light of peace and love.
4. Jealousy and all kindred feelings are unknown. These roots were all destroyed by the fire at the beginning of the Millennium. No one can imagine how enrapturing life is in the absence of stings of malice and thorns of envy.
5. The social and spiritual relationships are all harmoniously blended. No one feels himself beneath or above another, and no one feels embarrassed in the presence of a superior human intelligence.
6. Thus it follows that the fellowship is inexpressibly sweet. You can only imagine the dignity and glory one must feel as he mingles with the righteous dead of all ages, and gathers from them a glimpse of the trials and triumphs of ten thousand years under the old reign.
7. Some of the spirits are employed in dressing and keeping the gardens in which grow the luxurious food on which redeemed creatures subsist: not cereals, fruits, or nuts, but the kind that creates the most heavenly sensations as it wastes away in perfume at the will of the user. The nearest imitation of this food ever known on earth was eaten by Christ's spirit when Mary broke the alabaster box of ointment on his head.
8. Some spirits of this Millennial life seemed to be more rapturously happy than the others. I learned that they had passed through the darkness of continual disappointments or suffered under the mis-mating of matrimonial union. Others fought through the fires of persecution and torture, and still others passed through martyrdom for their Master's sake. All of these patiently endured all hardships leading down to the end of their mortal days.
9. The affinity between sexes is clearly marked. No love but pure love burns on the altar of any soul, and any one who wishes may stop to kindle the fires or warm himself thereat. There is no bodily contact, no decay, no weakening. This love is enrapturing, uplifting, ever drawing the lover and the loved nearer to the fountain.
In language most intelligible to us, I would say that the intercourse between sexes is one of refined telepathy, soul-connection by thought transmission, a thousand-fold more charming than the low plane of intercourse in the flesh life, with none of its attendant weakening results. This strange felicity is as indescribable as it is glorious. Each nature seeks its real complement, and enjoys the most absolute liberty, for there is not a single barrier to prevent it, as no one desires to do wrong.
This most inviting life had its charms for me, but I well knew that I could not tarry. I lingered at a thousand fountains to catch the life-giving spray and studied, as far as I possibly could, the faces of these favored creatures.
The whole vegetable world is a long extended floral garden. Where formerly deserts lay waste and wild, now the blooming roses and expansive lawns can be seen. Is it possible to picture to your mind's eye a line of lofty mountains whose sides are dressed in living colors and trimmed with rare flowers? If you cannot paint this picture, then you, must not endeavor to form the faintest conception of the natural features of this Millennial world.
Being still filled with the lingering memories of this happy sphere, and looking forward to the coming golden age of our own world, I read with pleasure a few stanzas contemplating Christ's second coming.
"A SONG OF HIS COMING."
See the virgins at midnight yearning,
To behold the face of the Groom.
Their lamps are all trimmed and burning.
As they peer through the misty gloom,
"He will come," is the shout of voices,
Which have sung in a thousand ways;
For the heart of the saint rejoices,
At the thought of the coming days.
When the war of creeds will be over,
And our King descends from above,
Only they shall witness His crowning,
Who have lived in the light of love.
Then the Christ shall reign in his glory
On the throne of his sovereign might:
And the theme of Redemption's story
Will be sung with perfect delight.
And our minds will dazzle with brightness,
As our thoughts forever aspire,
For a mantle of perfect whiteness,
Shall cover the youth and the sire;
Then we know that none will be jealous,
And no one will envy our lot.
For against the one who is zealous,
Not a soul will contrive or plot.
And our actions will chime in pleasure,
All refined from malice and sting.
We shall all reach the perfect measure,
In the reign of this conquering King.
We will have everything we can use,
In those beautiful realms of light;
There the people will do as they choose,
For each one will choose to do right.
We will sail through the seas of beauty,
And return to the shores we please;
Far away from the callings of duty,
In the shade of undying trees.
All the riches of Christ will be ours,
'Tis a wealth without guilt or pain.
There will be no 'Contention of Powers',
Nor the marks of official stain.
As I look from this earthly station,
I exclaim again and again—
O what an eternal vacation!
Come quickly, Lord Jesus, Amen.