*4O DAYS IN HEAVEN*

```The True Testimony of Seneca Sodi’s Visitation to Paradise, the Holy City and the Glory of God’s
Throne
.```

_As transcribed by Rev. Elwood Scott (1909) & Edited by Edward Johnson (2008)_

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*CHAPTER 3 : Episode 11*

MEETING OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IN THE HEAVENLY CITY

We were nearing the great gateway. Every one of the new arrivals was filled with wonder and
excitement. We had heard so much about the holy city while we lived in the world, of its many
mansions, its streets of gold, its gates of pearl, its transparent

light without sun or moon, so that we all felt an intense yearning to enter in. But the greatest attraction
of all was to see Him whom our souls loved and by whom we had been redeemed

and by whose blood we had been washed from our sins. We had already been told that He was waiting
near the gate in one of the mansions and that the great Book of Life would be near Him and be opened
to the pages bearing our names. This filled us with great anxiety-- although we felt a sweet assurance
that our names were there, and that we would receive his gracious welcome. Yes, we felt sure or we
never would have been carried by the angels

into paradise were it not so. For we had confessed Him on earth and we knew He had already confessed
us before his father and the angels. This gave us comfort, and then we knew we had been eating of the
tree of life and drinking of the crystal river, so with

confidence we kept looking forward. We knew we had been

trying to please Him, and the conscious sense that all our sin had been forgiven and our robes washed
and made white was additional consolation to us now. We felt we would soon stand before the Judge of
all the earth. God’s Word seemed further comfort where He says: “Blessed are they that do his
commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the
city.” (Revelation 22:14) We felt such a comfort in this assurance, that if we had a right to the tree of
life, and the fruit given us was by an elder’s hand, and that Abraham himself had refreshed and
immortalized us from the river of God which came from the

throne itself, that the angel at the gate would not prevent us from entering now.

Just at this time my mother, who had been busily engaged in conversation with others, came to me and
said, “You need have no fears. It gave me much joy when many years ago I was passing near where the
angel was recording the names of those who had been born again, and seeing your name I at once asked
the angel who it was. He called another angel who had just come from the scenes of earthly conflict,
where they were having great

religious awakenings, and asked him if he could tell who these were whose names were just written.
‘Oh,’ he said, ‘I have just been among them,’ and described everything in such detail that I had all
assurance it was you. Then other names which I saw registered were from the same place. My old home
—our old home. Indeed the memory of it is dear to me as I think of it now. We will talk over the details
of it someday, as things have been since I left you all. My soul was filled with exceeding great joy

when I saw your name. Then the angel told me when he found I was your mother, that he went with you
and your cousin, whom I knew so well, one night as you went from the scenes of prayer and stood by
your side late at night, while you solemnly made a vow and pledged faithfulness to God and to each
other, that he went and woke your father who was sleeping in another room and led him out to witness
your covenant. Oh, you may
know that not only I, but the angels rejoiced with me when they brought me the news. He also told me
of the conversion of other

members of our family, and many more in the neighborhood.” “Well, well,” I said, “does heaven have
such communications as these with the affairs of the world?” How little we seemed to know it! Yet my
mother’s words brought up all this past

experience. The scenes of my conversion, midnight prayers,

earnest labor for others, the events she just alluded to with many

others all came rushing through my mind and the memory was fresh as though but yesterday. I said,
“How blind I was not to see the angel who was with me. The mighty veil of mortality, how it blinds the
eye of man from spiritual beings and things! How far away they seem to be and yet how very near! I
remembered how angels assisted Lot and his family from the condemned city of Sodom, and why should
they not assist in the soul’s great struggle after salvation! For I remember: ‘They are all ministering
spirits sent

forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation.’” (Hebrews 1:14)

By this time we were entering the massive Judean gateway. Our hearts were all filled with joy in the
expectation of so soon seeing Him whom our souls loved. As we passed through the gateway the most
beautiful scene met our gaze that we had ever

witnessed before in heaven or on earth. Human language cannot describe it. To say the streets were
pure gold or transparent glass would give the best idea by way of comparison of any object I know. The
great thoroughfares leading from the gate seemed to lead off toward the center of the holy city. On the
right hand as we passed in were mighty, stupendous columns of precious stone shining with a brightness
that heaven only knows. Massive domes and great archways were overhead. Nothing showed any signs
of decay or age. No rubbish or signs of wear. The light toward the mansions was exceeding great. Our
Lord now came forward to meet and welcome us. Twelve legions of happy souls had now filed in at the
great gateway and stood before our King. The glory and majesty of his being can never be described.
The beloved disciple on Patmos once tried to tell of his glorious appearance as He revealed Himself on
earth. He was then

clothed with a flowing garment down to his feet and girt about with a golden belt. His head and hair
seemed white as snow, and his eyes as a flame of fire. His feet were glowing like burnished brass. His
countenance was like the sun at midday, a sharp twoedged sword was in his mouth and seven stars
were in his right hand. (Revelation 1:13-16) But when the disciples saw Him on the Mount of
Transfiguration sixty-three years before, his garments then shone as the light and his face with the
brilliancy of the sun. On earth He was called the fairest among ten thousand and altogether lovely. But
as He is now in his exaltation in heaven—the language is too tame to express his glory. He bore the
marks in his hands, and above his sandals the nail prints

showed distinctly. He was the very embodiment of light. It was not dazzling to our eyes as was Moses’
face to Israel of old, for

we were prepared for it—since the days of our conversion on earth until we passed through this gate we
were being prepared for this vision of our Lord. Oh, how powerful were the words of Scripture as I
looked upon his face and then glanced far into the

city! “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, for the glory of God did lighten it and
the Lamb is the light thereof.” (Revelation 21:23) He was also the embodiment of love

itself. Every feature of his face spoke of love. Indeed it was the reflection of his father’s infinite love. All
the love in heaven or in the church on earth came from Him. He welcomed us to Him, and as we came,
by one mighty impulse we all fell on our faces and began to worship Him with adoring praise, saying,
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain and has redeemed us to God by your blood out of every kindred and
tongue and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9) The angels and the saints who met us, also joined and
sang some new songs which we had never heard before. Our souls were in ecstasies of joy not to be
described.

How long we remained upon our faces we could not tell for our gladness, joys and great satisfaction
were so deep and blessed we took no note of eternity’s register.

He now addressed us in most loving words, giving us his cordial welcome and confessing us before the
multitude of angels present, and to his
father’s face, and without further introduction we felt perfectly acquainted.

“Come,” said He, “look into this book. I have opened it to the pages most interesting to you.” We all
gathered around Him in turns as closely as we could, to look upon the pages of the great Book of books,
the heavenly records of the past and future. Not only were our names written, but underneath them
were many things bearing upon our work for God while in the earth. I then remembered what God had
said by one of his

prophets which I read a hundred times over. That a, “book of remembrance was written before Him for
them that thought upon his name, ‘And they shall be mine,’ saith the Lord of hosts, ‘in that day when I
make up my jewels.’” (Malachi 3:16-17). We only took time to read a little of what was written, for our
Lord said, “You now have perfect liberty to go where you will and to read at your leisure the contents of
this most wonderful book.” In glancing over its pages we noticed the names of some who were with us
when we first entered paradise, who had fallen back in the rear and remained far outside the gates of
pearl. Without any further words of explanation we knew that they were not prepared, but were like
the ancient high priest

when unsanctified, unworthy of the altar, so these could not serve around the throne. Yet we knew they
would be brought in, for they were somewhere along the river of life and among the trees whose fruit
was their food and whose leaves were for their healing. Their present reward was all that God could give
them with their present stage of grace. These leaves, we knew, were

only for those whose names were in the Book of Life and that they have the same healing power in them
that the sanctifying grace of God had in his kingdom on earth. The remedy indeed was around them, but
they would not receive it. They never

realized the deep meaning of the precious sacrifice for them, but

how thankful to know that the power of his blood is so effective for those of his people on this side of
the river as well as on that. We knew also that much of our redemption is yet to follow and will be
realized at the resurrection morning of the great day.
I had often wondered if we should have knowledge of the lost

ones and should miss any of our friends from the holy city, if we would not be filled with sadness and
grief, although God had

said: “All tears should be wiped away.” (Revelation 21:4). But now I found it was all settled; I had been
there long enough to pass the river of life, drink of its crystal waters, eat of the fruit of the trees upon its
banks, and be greeted by thousands of the bloodwashed from the chariots of God, beside entering in at
the gates,

and during all this time only the highest emotions of praise filled my soul. I was so completely in God’s
love, and my own will was

so lost in the conscious will of my blessed Redeemer, that I had

never thought once of weeping about anything. In fact, I found that all my faculties and inclination to
sorrow and sadness were gone and I could see things as God sees them. And then as I stood beside my
Redeemer and Lord, and the great Book of Life lay open before me, and I could see far into the

city and could see multitudes of happy souls whom I had not met nor did I know who they might be—
some I did not know, but

some whom I had known on earth and had feared were among

the lost might be here in the city, and especially since I had been greeted by some whom I never
expected to see in heaven. And in looking over the pages of the Book of Life I saw the names of many
whom I thought would not be there, and I knew they

must be somewhere in the great city or in the vast domains of the

paradise of God. I now felt eager to go on and mingle with the happy souls which I saw passing in all
directions. The Lord had said, “You
have entire liberty. Go where you will.” I turned to see the rest of our legions, for I had been so
enraptured by what I saw and heard, that I had stayed long, but to my surprise they had scattered in
many directions—some had gone with their friends

to quiet places, and beneath the trees, they were sitting on the

upholstery of heaven in joyous conversation; others, meeting with old friends, had boarded the chariots
and with them gone to distant places of the city. My mother was still near me and motioned for me to
come with her. We walked only a short distance and sat down beside a stupendous column of what
seemed jasper and sapphire, shining with the light which the eternal city only knows. The cushions were
of the finest fabric, and the upholstering had been done by the hands of saints and angels, for everyone
is busily employed in heaven. Compulsion is not known, but contentment of which we only knew the
shadow while in our most restful moments in earth, seemed to clothe everyone here as a garment.

*TO BE CONTINUED...*

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