The Glorious Resurrection

‘Children’, calls Meilon.

‘Wake up. Oma, are you awake?’ 

The children have a hard time waking up, but soon everyone is ready to go to the grand hall. 

‘It must be still dark’, says Kevin. ‘We are up so early.’ 

'Look out the window’, suggests Meilon. 

‘Aah, it’s as bright as day.’    He grins.    

‘Oh, I remember, there is no night here.’ 

‘That  means  we  won’t  know  its  early  when  we  go  outside’,  says Jeannette. 

There is a knock at the door.   It is Betil.  

‘Is everyone ready?’ 

‘Yes, almost’, replies Meilon. 

Outside they see Caph ready to go.   Yosfi has just flown off.   ‘We’ll fly too, it’s quicker’, suggests Betil. 

When they arrive at the grand hall, thousands of angels are already making their way to the seats.    It does take some time, but everyone is pleasant and patient with one another. 

Finally every seat is taken.  The angels quietly wait for the Father to enter.  

When the light of God is present, the angels sing a beautiful hymn of praise. 

Then the Father speaks. 

‘Dear ones, it is almost time for the resurrection of My beloved Son.    You will all see it today from this hall.    We have four visitors with us who need to watch as well.    You can see the tomb now.’ 

The sepulchre has the great stone across the entrance. The Roman guards are quietly talking. 

Satan’s angels are arguing and berating each other. 

Every angel in the grand hall waits in anticipation.  

The children are excited. 

The Father continues. 

‘Angels, when my Son returns for a very brief visit after His resurrection, He will not have time to speak to you all individually. You are to greet Him at the gates of the city, forming a colonnade to this hall just as you will when He returns home after His ascension, only this time the gates will be open. 

As He walks to the hall, greet Him with smiles and sing the song of victory, but do not stop His progression.  When He passes, those closest to the gate are to move up the colonnade behind Him, continuing in this way until you are all in the hall again.  

Wait quietly until My Son comes out of the light of My presence. He will have a brief word for you, then He must return to meet with His disciples that same earth evening.   When He leaves the hall, you are all welcome to fly to the gate to see Him leave for the earth. 

You can count forty days from the resurrection to bring us to the big celebration of My Son’s homecoming.  It will be a glorious welcome.’ 

It is almost time for Jesus to rise from the dead. 

The Father speaks again.    

‘Gabriel and Malak, it is time for you to leave.  Gabriel will roll away the stone and speak the words to My Son.    And Malak, you are to unwind the grave clothes.  Are you both ready?’ 

‘Yes Father’, they reply. 

‘Gabriel, tell My Son ---- ‘Thy Father calls Thee – arise’.  Go to earth….. now.’ 

We all watch the angels flash out the grand hall door and through the gates of the city. Like lightning the angels reach the earth, and in no time are flying over Jerusalem to the garden tomb. 

The light of God’s presence surrounding the angels startles the Roman guards.   

An earthquake shakes the earth and the soldiers fall to the ground fainting. 

The angels inside the grand hall wait excitedly.  

The children are so excited, it is hard to keep still. 

The Father is moved with emotion that soon His Son will be with Him again.  How He longs to embrace Him. 

When Satan and his host see the two angels of God flash down from the sky, they cry out in horror.    

‘No, don’t touch Him.’     

In fear they scatter in all directions.   

The devil calls out to Gabriel, ‘He’s mine.  You can’t have Him.’ 

Gabriel ignores the defeated angel and touches the great stone.  

It rolls away as if made of cardboard. 

He stands before the open tomb and calls out to the dead form of His Commander. 

‘Son of God, Thy Father calls Thee – arise.’ 

The other angel enters the sepulchre and unwinds the grave clothes covering God’s Son.   

Immediately the Saviour rises to His feet clothed in the glorious light of His Father’s Spirit. 

He picks up the cloth that has been wrapped around His head.  He carefully folds it and places it on a ledge of the grave. 

Jesus walks to the entrance of the tomb, a glorified, victorious Saviour.

The two angels bow in worship.   They long to embrace their beloved Commander, but it is not the time. 

As the Roman guards recover, they watch the Man they crucified step out of the tomb. 

Running in fear, they call to each other, ‘We must tell Pilate the truth.’  

To fail in fulfilling their duty means death, but by revealing everything that took place, they hope Pilate will spare them from the death penalty.  

As the soldiers run, they shout, ‘The Man we crucified is alive.   He is alive.  We saw Him worshipped by angels.  He is alive.’ 

The news reaches the Jewish leaders. They are horrified. 

Calling the temple guards, ‘Stop the soldiers’, they command.   

‘Bring them to us.’ 

The Roman soldiers relate their experience to the elders and priests, but are soon silenced.    

‘Do not tell anyone of this.    We will tell you what to say.’ ‘What’, stammers the captain of the guard.   

‘It’s the death penalty to fail our duty. We have to tell the truth or we die.’ 

‘No.  We will speak to Pilate. ‘

‘Here’, bribes an elder.   

Take this money.   Share it among yourselves. It’s enough to keep every mouth shut and your life.’ 

‘It’s a lot of money.’ 

‘Go on, take it’, urges the high priest. 

The money in their hands, the soldiers leave the council rooms and make their way to Pilate. 

Again the governor is woken from his sleep. 

‘What is all this about?’ he asks.   ‘Aren’t you supposed to be on guard at that Jewish tomb?’ 

‘Yes, we were, but a strange thing happened.’ 

The soldiers begin to  tell the story given by the  priests, but Pilate guesses it is a lie.  

‘That’s a concocted story.  I want the truth.’ 

‘Will you guarantee our lives?’ asks the captain. 

‘Yes.  What happened?’ 

                                                    *************** 

‘Meilon’, whispers Summer. ‘Isn’t it wonderful?’ He nods, with joy and happiness on his face. 

‘Can I ask a question?’ 

‘Can it wait until later?’ he asks. ‘Yes, but remind me please.  It’s about folding the cloth around Jesus’ head.’ 

‘Okay, will do’, replies Meilon.

                                                     **************         

Back at the tomb, the angels wait for the women to arrive at the sepulchre.   

Jesus walks among the trees in the garden, quietly waiting for Mary to arrive. 

Even before the sun has risen, the ladies make their way to the tomb. They almost fall over when the earthquake strikes.   

In shock they find the stone rolled away from the entrance. 

'Oooooh, someone has moved the stone.’ 

‘What will we do?’ 

Fearfully they look inside the sepulchre and see an angel clothed in a long white robe.  

‘Oh’, they cry out in fright. 

‘Be not afraid’, says the angel. ‘You seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified.   He is risen.   He is not here.  Look, this is where He lay.’ 

The women cautiously look at the grave. 

Continuing, the angel says, ‘Go your way and tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus has risen from the dead.’ 

Hurrying from the sepulchre, the ladies run to the upper room where they know the disciples are hiding for fear of the Jews. 

Mary Magdalene stays in the garden weeping. She is distraught. 

Not only has her Saviour been put to death, but someone has stolen His body. Jesus quietly moves towards her among the trees. 

Thinking  He is the gardener, Mary pleads, ‘Oh sir, if you have taken His body, please give it to me and I will take it.’ Jesus then speaks her name, ‘Mary.’ 

Mary looks at Him in surprise.    It is the voice of her Master.   

In complete and utter joy she falls at His feet, reaching her hands out to hold them. 

Jesus bids her, ‘Don’t hold me, as I have not yet ascended to My Father. Go to My brethren and tell them I have ascended to My Father and your Father; and to My God, and your God.’ 

Mary’s joy knows no bounds. 

Meanwhile the other women have arrived at the upper room, and in great excitement, they all speak at once.   ‘Jesus is alive.   An angel told us He has risen.’  

‘Yes, He is alive.’   

‘An angel was in the tomb. He told us.’ 

The disciples look at them in shock.  Their faces are still wet from tears mourning the loss of their beloved Master.  

They think to themselves, ‘The poor women. Their grief is so great they are imagining things.’ 

The look on the faces of the disciples, tells the women they are not believed. 

‘It is true’, they cry out again.  ‘Jesus is alive.  Believe us.’ 

While the women are trying to convince the disciples, there is a knock on the door.  

Cautiously the disciples enquire who is there. 

‘Mary.’ 

Letting her in, she shouts, ‘Jesus is alive. I have spoken to Him.’ 

The disciples are shocked.    ‘Is Mary crazy too?’ 

Peter  and  John  leave  the  upper room and run to the garden.  If it is true, they    want    to    see    for themselves.       

John  outruns  Peter and  stands  by  the  door.        

Peter races  through  the  sepulchre  door. He sees the grave clothes, but no body.    

John walks to the side of Peter.    Both men stand looking at the grave clothes. 

‘Is  it  true?      Is  our  Master  truly alive?’ 

They make their way back to the upper room pondering the things they have seen. 

Could it be true?    Is He really alive? 

‘Jesus did talk about rising from the dead’, remembers John. 

‘We didn’t listen to Him did we?’ admits Peter. 

Knocking on the door, they gain entrance.     

The women are still enthusiastic that Jesus is alive.    Mary Magdalene continues to affirm that she spoke to Him in the garden. 

In a little while there is another knock on the door. It is Cleopas and his wife. 

Excitedly, the two cry out, ‘Jesus is alive.  He is alive.’ 

The women join in.  ‘Yes, yes, He is.’ 

Mary adds.   ‘Yes, He is alive.’ 

The disciples are amazed as they listen to Cleopas. 

‘We  saw  Him  on  the  road  to  Emmaus.      He  walked  with  us  and explained the reason He was crucified from the Scriptures.’ 

‘Yes, and we did not know it was Jesus’, adds his partner. ‘Oh, it was wonderful.’ 

‘Yes. Brothers, Jesus is alive.’ 

‘Our hearts were burning as we listened’, continues Cleopas. 

‘Not until He sat at our table, broke bread and prayed for the food, did we know it was Jesus.  Then He disappeared.’ 

                                         ****************

Jesus leaves the garden with Gabriel and Malak, and together they ascend to the New Jerusalem. 

Everyone in the grand hall has moved outside to make a colonnade from the city gates.    

As they see God’s beloved Son, they burst into song, ‘Lift up ye gates… that the King of glory may come in.’ 

The angels sing with happy smiles on their faces.   It is their wonderful Commander. They long to embrace Him, but must obey the Father. 

As Jesus moves through the colonnade, the angels at the rear follow Him until everyone is back in the hall. 

Singing continues while the Son is with His Father.   What rejoicing and tender words they are having together! 

In a short while the glorified Son of God moves from the light to be seen by everyone.    He stands in front of the vast throng and smiles. 

Then He addresses them. 

‘Dear angelic children, you have every reason to rejoice.  My death on Calvary has made the universe secure so that sin will never rise again. You will be able to rejoice for eternity in peace and harmony.  But until that time, we have human beings on earth to bring to a knowledge of the salvation that has been purchased for them. 

You will all have a part in this great work and I look forward to being able to assign you to your role in the ministry for human beings. 

Thank you for your patience and love during my trial on earth, but we cannot relax yet.  

Lucifer knows he has a short time and he will be at work to have every human being lost.  Your work will be absolutely vital, so we can save as many as possible. 

I must meet with the disciples now in the upper room.  They are struggling to believe.    

You need to begin counting as My Father has informed you. Forty days from now I will return for the anointing service in preparation for my ministry as high priest in the heavenly sanctuary. 

Peace be to you dear ones.’ 

The angels burst into victorious song.  

As the Son of God moves from the grand hall, every angel flies to the gates of the city to bid their Master farewell. 

The  Saviour  leaves  the  city  to  the  sound  of  joyous voices  singing praises to God and His Son.    He wings His way back to earth and Jerusalem. 

                                          **************** 

Suddenly, everyone in the upper room senses a presence among them. Looking around, they see the glorified form of Jesus. 

‘Huh…..’  is heard from every lip in the room. 

‘Peace be unto you.   Do not be afraid’, says Jesus.  

‘It is I Myself.  Look at My hands and My feet.’ 

The hearts of the disciples leap with joy, yet they cannot believe.  It is too good to be true. 

Jesus rebukes His disciples for the hardness of their hearts. ‘Look at My hands and My feet’, He offers, holding out His hands. 

‘Touch Me. I am not a spirit.’ 

Finally light breaks into the minds of the disciples.   ‘It is true.   Jesus is alive.’ 

Everyone in the room rejoices. 

Jesus   is   now   able   to   explain   from   the   Scriptures the   plan  of redemption. 

‘I died to pay the penalty of the sins of the human race.    My sacrifice has been accepted by My Father because I lived on this earth without sin.    My resurrection means  victory  over  sin,  the  devil  and  death. Satan’s head is now legally bruised.  It is only a matter of time before he will be literally destroyed. 

‘I will remain on the earth to visit with all the believers, explaining to them the good news of the gospel.    Rejoice my children, rejoice in salvation.’ 

                                                  ****************

Angels are flying everywhere, rejoicing in their Commander’s victory. 

Above the sound of flapping wings and victorious singing, the children hear the voice of Meilon. 

‘Children’,  he  calls,  ‘it  is  time  for  you  to  go  home.  It  has  been  a wonderful experience for all of us, but we must be patient until our Commander returns home to stay.’ 

‘We will count to forty’, says Kevin. 

‘It’s a long time, over a month’, adds Summer. 

'It is true, but remember, you have a work to do on earth too.’ 

‘I know what it is’, says Kevin. 

Betil has just arrived, and he asks Kevin, 

‘Tell me sonny, what is it?’ 

‘We have to tell them that Jesus is alive.’ 

‘Very good’, he replies. 

‘Children… and Oma….’ counsels Meilon, ‘you must be faithful to tell those you know that salvation is available to all who will accept it.’ 

Betil asks, ‘Will you do that for your Saviour? 

‘Yes’, they all reply together.