by Titika Schmidt

The bare tree

The branches of the tall walnut tree were bare already. The squirrel that had been stocking up its winter food supplies from this tree throughout the month of October hasn’t shown up for days. The air outside was cold and moist, typical for a November morning. Today, the sun was too weak to bring any warmth. My gaze wandered past the walnut tree to the city park. The late fall had caught up with the trees. They were sadly sticking their all but leafless branches towards the sky, reminding me of desperate hearts praying for mercy.

This thought made me utter a deep sigh and turn away from the window. Yes, mercy, I thought, that’s what I should pray for this morning. I kneeled down on the carpet and turned my heart toward the four members of a family I knew. My whole inner being welled up with a longing for God’s mercy for those four. I sank deeper and deeper into prayer. In the process, I didn’t even notice how I was being swept away by the Spirit and taken to a different place…

In the crack of dawn

I found myself wandering through a broad landscape, completely flat in every direction, as far as the eye could reach. There were no trees, bushes or other plants in sight. Everything was silvery and colourless like a picture in greyscale. A slight fog was rising up from the ground like haze and remained low above the ground. Grass was growing below my feet, like lawn. This too was silver grey and looked like it was frozen. Although I didn’t feel cold, I thought the grass might be thawing and causing the fog. Nevertheless, the surrounding landscape seemed to be covered with white frost. The sky was like a monotonous grey ceiling over the horizon. It was completely quiet. I walked on.

In the far distance, I saw someone standing still. I began to glide across the grass in his direction. Soon, I was virtually sailing through the landscape and quickly approached the waiting person. I saw that he was no human being. He, who looked like a man, had the wings of an angel. He was also of a much taller stature than mortal beings. His body was covered with an armour which somewhat reflected the cold grey light. He was waiting for me. Presently, I was in front of him and saw that he was holding a shield and a huge sword. Without a hint of emotion on his face, he handed them over to me. I kept looking at him but he remained motionless. I was able to carry the armour. I looked down at me. A plain long robe covered my body down to my feet. It looked just as colourless as everything else here.

The angel started to move in a certain direction and I followed. I felt as though we were familiar with each other; I knew that he had been in my presence for quite some time now; (I also know that he still does.) We glided further into the landscape until we finally reached a high wall that was fully covered with ivy. It was an ancient wall, and I could only sense that it was there behind all that ivy. In a diffuse grey light, I saw someone else who looked like a man. I recognized him: He was Jesus. He wasn’t very tall; He was wearing a robe similar to mine, and His expression was human and friendly. I moved closer to Him. Without a single word He pushed the ivy aside from one spot on the wall. A low wooden gate became visible. It was very old and firmly locked. Jesus slightly turned and stood in front of the gate. The angel received again my armour and took up position at the wall. Jesus was showing me that the angel would wait for me as long as necessary. I walked then straight through Jesus, through His body and through the gate…

Behind the wall

The light was blindingly lurid. Everything around me was flooded in this white light and I could see nothing at all. For several moments, I remained still, mesmerized. Slowly, however, my eyes adjusted to this light and I became aware of the wall behind me, through which I had just come. From this side, it looked like a wall of light. There was no way back as I had come. I looked in front of me.

The room, I was in, was endless. I walked on and saw white creatures standing everywhere. They were brilliant, emanating a strong glow very much like the light of daylight lamps. They were actually emitting so much light that I hadn’t seen them at first. Then I discerned a long hallway, leading further on between the glorious persons. I started walking slowly down the hallway. The corridor under my feet was shining like crystal. I began to notice that the saints were standing in wide ranges, which were separated by even more hallways. All of them led to a high crystal mountain. Stair-like steps led up the mountain. On them, there were many thousands of light-creatures standing with whooshing wings. The whole surroundings seemed to be filled with this kind of sound. It was like music; a tone one couldn’t apprehend with ears. At the top of the mountain, there was another source of light so bright that I was unable to see anyone behind it. I knew it was God Himself. My eyes were by now able to look straight into His light and recognize Him as God.

Still in the hallway, I had reached a row of saints which I was able to recognize clearly as individual beings standing next to each other. I kept walking until I reached one vacant spot among them. This was where I was supposed to take up position. Although everyone was aware of my arrival, no one looked at me or paid me any kind of attention. I realized that the persons in the rows around me are my intimate and closest spiritual relatives: those mothers and fathers in the spirit whose immediate descendent I am. Those saints from past generations whose purpose and mantle I have been entrusted with to carry them forth unto fulfilment.

All faces were turned forward and lifted up. All attention was aimed at the One on the top of the mountain. As soon as I had resumed my place, I took the same posture. Immediately, my sense for space and time changed. It felt as though I was standing in the front row right before the throne. There was nothing between me and my God. At the same time, I knew that everyone in this assembly felt the same way, at all times. The laws of the time-space-continuum, as we know it, don’t apply in this dimension. Everyone is standing in ranks and rows and yet has a unique place before the Lord. I was at the same time a witness and a link in the glorious body of Christ, which is the most beautiful masterpiece of art I have ever marvelled at.

A couple of years ago, I visited an art show in the Museum for Fine-Arts in Wolfsburg. The theme of the exhibition was mass and individuality. A group of artists had created successfully several exhibits. A work by Allan McCollum from the USA especially impressed me: countless clay-coloured pieces, in the size of a goose-egg, closely covered the surface of a huge table lined with black velvet. At first sight, all pieces seemed to be exactly the same but in fact, there were 10,025 unique pieces. Each of them had its own shape and position. The artist had arranged them according to a defined order in such a way that neither a single piece touched another piece, nor the edge of the table, nor did the pieces leave much space in between. The precise arrangement on black velvet made each single piece look uniquely precious.

This piece of art united two principles: the homogeneity of mass on one hand and the unmistakable uniqueness of the individual on the other hand. Seeing that piece of art, made me instantly think of the body of Christ as I was able to witness it during the experience I am just telling you about.

A peculiar procession

In front of the mountain, there was a wide space like a passage way. I heard a distant murmur. To the right from where I was standing, several small creatures appeared dressed in dark garments. Some of them were leading the way; their bodies bent down; hoods covered their faces. Behind them, other ugly creatures followed; they were carrying a stake. A dark dead body was hanging from the stake. Finally, the dismal procession was completed by the last little creatures. All of them were muttering without a pause. In this manner, they walked past the mountain and continued to the left on and on until they reached an abyss. They descended down and were no longer within sight. I had just witnessed my death and burial in Jesus Christ! I watched with my own eyes how the human being who had been born on this earth – myself until my spiritual re-birth – died forever through Jesus’ cross. I was exempt from judgment.

My spiritual re-birth didn’t happen, of course, on that cold day in November. Time meant nothing in that room flooded in light. In that holy assembly I witnessed the truth as it has been determined by God on my behalf. I felt no fear.

On a silver plate

Blue and golden-yellow patterns were hovering in front of my eyes and became more and more distinguishable. I was still kneeling on the carpet whose colourful pattern was so familiar to me. With my inner eyes, however, still focused on the heavenly dimension, I saw a small plate made of brushed silver in my hand. On the plate there were four small cubes of white bread: four small parts of Jesus’ given body. While I had the privilege of abiding in the large heavenly assembly, the Lord gave me the four souls I had been pleading for on that morning.  All of a sudden, I became extremely sober. I got up and looked out of the window. The huge walnut tree was preparing for its rest period. The November sun didn’t have enough strength to comfort it. The milky sky left no doubt about the soon approaching winter. Deep inside I knew that we were about to enter a time of spiritual winter. This thought gave me a slight shiver and I turned away from the window.

Gratefully, I accepted my armour in faith. I was going to use it often in the years to come…

Reference 

The assembly on the holy mountain is described in the Bible in the book of Hebrews, in chapter 12, and in the Revelation, in chapter 4. I quote here the passage from the book of Hebrews:

(the New Testament, book of Hebrews, chapter 12:18-2; New International Version)

You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned. The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, I am trembling with fear. 

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.