Where is He?

Sabbath morning in Yehroo-shaw-lah-im was unlike any experienced before. The Temple courts were filled with people still bringing their sick and asking, “Where is he? We’ve come so far. We want Yeh-shuah the Healer!” Unable to face the disappointed crowds and unwilling to offer any explanations, the priests had the guards drive them out of the Temple courts. They stationed more guards at the gates to keep all the people with their sick and dying out.

Many felt a strange emptiness during the animal sacrifices. “What could have done this?” they wondered when they heard the Temple veil was completely torn in half.

The sweet revenge which the priests looked forward to for so long was short lived, and now they squirmed as men of intelligence required of them an explanation of the prophecies concerning the Promised One. Details of the trial and execution spread throughout the city. Now, as the priests ranted on like insane men, trying to defend themselves, their hearers looked at them with utter contempt.

“Sir,” the chief priests said as they stood before Pil-atos, again violating their own Sabbath laws, “that liar said he would come back to life on the third day. We want guards stationed at the tomb so no one will steal the body and say he rose from the dead.”

“Permission granted,” a haggard Pil-atos muttered. After Pil-atos gave them a group of armed soldiers, the priests fastened rope-seals across the great rolling stone that blocked the entrance of the tomb.

Resurrection!

The night passed slowly, but the guards faithfully kept watch and the seals remained intact. “These Yeh-oo-dee are all crazy,” one of them complained in the early morning darkness…stealing dead bodies, rising from the dead…”

No sooner had the words been spoken when a violent earthquake shook the area of the tomb while a brilliant light descended rapidly from the sky, coming to rest in front of the tomb. It was a powerful extraterrestrial, a Messenger from the Land of Elo-heem. As it turned its head to look at the guards, they all began to shake uncontrollably, then fell paralyzed to the ground.

The Messenger turned around to face the great stone, easily jerked the ropes away that prevented it from moving, then rolled it away as if it were nothing. The guards, unable to move, yet still conscious, watched in disbelief. Hundreds of Messengers suddenly appeared, illuminating the place with light more intense than the noonday sun. All movement ceased as the beings of light turned to watch the cave entrance. In a voice that sounded like rushing wind and thunder, the first Messenger spoke.

“Son of Elo-heem, Come Out!”

As the extraterrestrial's voice echoed between the hills, a form appeared at the entrance, and all of the other extraterrestrial beings bent to their knees and bowed their heads in reverence. When they all stood up, they began to sing, a song was so beautiful that tears involuntarily came to the watching guard’s eyes.

Suddenly, the scene disappeared from the guard’s view. They immediately got up and half staggered, half ran to the city, but not before they looked into the face of the One they had so recently mocked. As they made their way through the city to Pil-atos, they told everyone they met the strange and wonderful news. “We saw hundreds of beings of light!” they exclaimed. “They made Yeh-shuah come back to life! We saw it with our own eyes!”

As soon as the priests got word of the incident, they sent for the guards. Still pale-faced and trembling, they told everything that happened. “He really is the Son of Elo-heem!” they all exclaimed. “He was from another world and we killed him.”

The Lie

The color drained from the faces of the priests. Kah-yafas was trying to speak, but his lips only moved in silence.

The guards turned to leave, but just as they reached the door, a hoarse voice stopped them. “Wait!” Kah-yafas croaked. “Don’t tell anyone else what you saw! Just say his followers came in the night and stole the body while you were sleeping.”

“But we can’t say that!” the guards protested. “We’ll be executed if we’re caught sleeping while on duty. And, if we were supposedly sleeping, how would we know who stole his body?”

“Here, take this,” the priests said as they handed each of the guards a bag of money from the Temple treasury. “We’ll make things right with Pil-atos if you keep quiet.”

The sensational news reached Pil-atos before the priests and guards did. Terrified, he shut all the doors and windows in his house and stayed there, refusing to see anyone. “Go away, Leave me alone!” he shouted. The priests forced their way in and told him the disciples stole Yeh-shuah’s body while the guards were sleeping, urging him not to charge the guards with neglect of duty.

“Let me speak to the guards privately,” Pil-atos ordered. From them, he got the same story he heard before the priests arrived. He knew he couldn’t trust anything the lying priests said. “Everything is alright,” he said to the guards. “You’re all free to go.”

Fear and dread now stalked the priests. To make things even worse, reports of others being raised from the dead now reached them, filling them with a deep horror. How could they explain away reports of resurrected martyrs? Where could they hide from forces like these? What would they do if they met HIM somewhere? They kept remembering their own words, “His blood be upon us and our children!” The ugly scene before the Hall of Judgment was burned into their memories. There was nothing they could do to erase it or prevent it from coming to mind. Peace left them forever.

While the guards were telling their story before Pil-atos, the women who were present at the crucifixion made their way to the tomb. They brought more spices to preserve the body. Maria Magdalay-nay, the first to arrive, found the great entrance stone already removed. She quickly ran to tell the disciples.

The Missing Body

While she was gone, the other women arrived. A strange light shone around the tomb, and the body was missing. They walked a short distance away and stood there, wondering what was going on. Suddenly, they noticed someone sitting by the tomb. It was a young man with clothes that looked like they were made of light. Frightened, they started to run, but the Messenger, in human disguise, called out, “Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Yeh-shuah, but he isn’t here. He has risen, just as he said. Look inside the tomb where he lay, then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead!”

They looked inside with eyes wide open in wonder. Inside, another Messenger said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He’s not here because he has risen. Don’t you remember he said to you, ‘The Son of Man will be crucified, and on the third day rise again?’”

Almost too incredible to believe, the women ran from the tomb to tell the disciples, still afraid, yet full of joy.
Petros and Yo-hawn ran ahead when Maria Magdalay-nay, in tears, breathlessly told them of the open tomb. When they arrived, it was quite empty, and since there was nothing they could do, they went back to Yehroo-shaw-lah-im. When Maria Magdalay-nay returned to the tomb, she found two men inside.

“Why are you crying?” one of them asked.

“Because they have taken away my Master,” she said through her tears, “and I don’t know where they’ve laid him.” As she turned away to look for someone who might know where he was taken, another voice called out to her.

“Woman, why are you crying?”

She thought it was the gardener and asked him, “Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where, and I will find another place.” She was thinking about the empty tomb of her brother, Ladzaros.

He’s Alive!

“Maria,” the man said in a kind, familiar voice. She knew that voice! She turned around and looked. There stood a man. Was it Yeh-shuah in a different body?

She stood there a few moments as her grief turned to joy, then she fell to her knees to embrace his feet. “Teacher,” she said in a trembling voice.

“Don’t,” he said gently, “Not yet. Go to my brothers and tell them I am returning to my Father in the Land of Elo-heem. And tell them, especially Petros, to go into Gawlee-law where they will see me.” As she left, she looked over her shoulder for one last look, but he was already gone.

“We don’t believe it,” the disciples flatly said to the women. “We were there,” Petros and Yo-hawn argued, “and there was nothing but an empty tomb. No Yeh-shuah. No Messengers. Nothing.”

Suddenly, there was pounding on the door. “I’ve seen him! I’ve seen him!” Maria Magdalay-nay’ shrieked as she burst into the room. “He’s alive!” she gasped, overcome with emotion. “He spoke to me. He said for you to go into Gawlee-law where he would meet you.”

Now the disciples were really perplexed. Yeh-shuah’s body was gone, and they were accused of stealing it. Because of the false accusations, they feared the anger of the priests and the people. The women were nearly hysterical with stories of extraterrestrial beings and Yeh-shuah in a different body speaking to them. How could they believe their wild stories of mysterious beings appearing and disappearing?

Fearing for their safety, the disciples isolated themselves in an upstairs room and kept the doors barred shut. Instead of believing the women’s stories and rejoicing, they still mourned and kept mumbling, “We thought he was the Promised One who would save Yissraw-ale.”

The Road to Emmuh-oos

Later that afternoon, two of Yeh-shuah’s followers were returning to their homes in Emmuh-oos, about eight miles from Yehroo-shaw-lah-im. Still perplexed at the unexpected turn of events, they were sadly remembering the trial and crucifixion.

A short distance after leaving the city, a stranger joined them, listening attentively. The disciples were so absorbed in their conversation, though, that they didn’t pay much attention to him. They grew silent as their voices cracked with emotion and tears welled up in their eyes.

“What are you talking about, and why are you so sad?” the stranger inquired.

“You must be a newcomer if you don’t know what’s just happened in Yehroo-shaw-lah-im,” Kleh-oppas answered. “A great prophet was killed by the priests and religious rulers in the city. We thought he was the Promised One, the One who would save Yissraw-ale, but he died three days ago.

“You are so foolish and slow to believe,” the stranger said earnestly. “Didn’t the prophets write that the Promised One must suffer these things in order to establish his Kingdom?”

Both of them looked at the stranger with curiosity. His words were like the very words Yeh-shuah would have spoken if he were alive. A sense of amazement and anticipation filled them as they looked at him closely.

Then the stranger began to explain all of the Ancient Writings concerning the Promised One to them, beginning with the books of Mosheh. Although the walk was long and they were weary, he held their attention the rest of the way. Finally, just after sundown, they reached their destination. The stranger acted as if he were going to continue.

“Stay with us,” the disciples urged, but the stranger turned to leave. “It’s getting late, and soon it will be dark,” they entreated. Reluctantly, the he accepted.

When they sat for the evening meal, the stranger sat at the head of the table. The disciples watched every movement with astonishment as he asked Elo-heem’s blessing of the food. When they noticed the scars on his hands, they looked at each other, jumped up simultaneously, and shouted, “Yeh-shuah!”

They quickly knelt before him, but as soon as they did, he vanished before their eyes. They stared dumfounded at the place where he sat. “Didn’t our hearts feel strangely warmed as he talked with us, explaining the Ancient Writings?” they said. “How could we fail to recognize him?”

Return to Yehroo-shaw-lah-im

“Let’s go back to Yehroo-shaw-lah-im and tell the others!” Kleh-oppas exclaimed. They left immediately, forgetting their hunger and weariness. The food on the table remained, untouched. Although it grew dark and the path was steep and treacherous in places, they hurried on, unaware that Yeh-shuah was with them, in an unseen dimension, preventing them from harming themselves. They lost their way once, but soon found it again, and continued running and stumbling their way to Yehroo-shaw-lah-im.

They arrived in the middle of the night at the upper room where some of the disciples were staying. The door was barred securely. They knocked, but there was no answer. “It’s me, Kleh-oppas,” he whispered breathlessly.

Someone unbarred the door and opened it a crack, then wider.
Inside, everyone was in a state of excitement. “He’s alive!” someone said to Kleh-oppas. “Some of the women have seen him!” Kleh-oppas then told his story, still panting from the hurried journey.

Unbelief

“We still don’t believe it,” some of the other disciples said. “It’s too good to be true.” Even as they spoke, they became aware of a stranger standing among them. His face glowed with a warm light.

“Peace be unto you,” the stranger said. It was the voice of their Master. Terrified, they all thought they were seeing a Spirit. One of them headed for the door exclaiming, “I’m getting out of here!” He stopped when the stranger asked, “Why are you afraid? Don’t you believe it’s really me? Look at my hands and feet. Touch me and you will know that I’m not a Spirit.”

Yeh-shuah showed them his hands and feet. They saw the completely healed scars and heard the familiar voice, but still they were undecided. He smiled as he said, “Bring some food.” When they saw him eat a piece of fish and some honey comb, their last doubts were removed and they believed. Powerful emotions surged through everyone, and they found themselves unable to speak for joy.

Then he taught them from the Ancient Writings, explaining why he had to suffer, die, and rise from the dead on the third day. “Now it’s your mission,” he said, “to spread this knowledge to the world.”

After he said this, he breathed on each of them saying, “Receive the Spirit. Whoever you forgive, they are forgiven, and whoever you refuse to forgive, they will remain unforgiven.” Then, as suddenly as he appeared, he was gone.

Doubting Tho-mas

One week later, Tho-mas finally came to the upper room where the other disciples were. He was gloomy and didn’t believe the reports of Yeh-shuah’s appearance. He kept to himself, mostly, avoiding the others. “Why did he appear to the others, and not to me?” he kept asking himself. “Unless I feel the scars on his hands and side, I won’t believe it’s Yeh-shuah!”

During the evening meal, the other disciples explained the prophecies to Tho-mas, and though he wanted to believe, he couldn’t without proof.

“Peace be unto you,” Yeh-shuah said as he suddenly appeared from nowhere again. Instantly the conversation ceased as all eyes turned toward him. Yeh-shuah looked at Tho-mas, the doubter, and said, “Touch my scars and believe. Let your doubts be washed away.”

Carefully, Tho-mas touched his hands and felt his side. He fell to his knees. Exclaiming, “My Yehho-vaw and my Elo-heem!” At last he believed, and heart leaped for joy.

“Tho-mas,” Yeh-shuah said kindly, “because you have seen me, you believe. Blessed are those who haven’t seen me, yet still believe.” Then he was gone.

Embarrassed, Tho-mas looked down at the floor. Petros put an arm across his shoulders, saying, “It’s alright, Tho-mas. We’ve all had a difficult time with this.”

By the Sea II

Seven of the disciples were standing that evening on the shores of Gawlee-law, looking out across the sea that held many memories. This was where Yeh-shuah calmed fierce storms that twice nearly claimed their lives. Nearby, within sight, was the hillside where he fed thousands of people with just a handful of fish and a few loaves of bread. In Kaw-fawr Nakh-oom, only a short distance away, he healed many, many people. No one mentioned it, but they were all thinking of him.

“Let’s go fishing tonight!” Petros exclaimed enthusiastically. “Then we can sell the fish in Kaw-fawr Nakh-oom to buy food and clothes for ourselves.” Before joining up with Yeh-shuah, they were all fishermen by trade. They got their nets and a boat, and soon were out on the water.

“This is so discouraging,” someone complained much later. “We’ve been working the nets all night, but there’s nothing to sell.” At last, morning dawned, but their nets were still empty.

“Children!” a man called from shore. “Did you catch any fish?”

“No!” the fisherman replied.

“Try the right side of the boat!” the man called out.

“I don’t believe it!” Petros shouted when there were so many fish that they couldn’t haul the net aboard.

Yo-hawn looked closely at the man on shore. “It’s Yeh-shuah!” he shouted. In a flash, Petros was overboard, swimming towards shore. The others arrived in the boat later, dragging the overloaded net behind. After landing, they came up to Yeh-shuah. He had a loaf of bread, and was cooking a few fish over a fire.

“Bring some more fish,” Yeh-shuah said. Petros joined them and helped drag the overloaded net closer to shore. They cleaned some of the fish, and before long, the fish were finished cooking.

Although the face was different, they knew for sure it was Yeh-shuah when he blessed the food and divided it among them. They all sat there, gazing at him in silence. They remembered the first time he told them where to cast their nets. The nets started to break they were so full. When they finally reached shore, he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Now they knew their needs would be met as long as they served him.

Do You Love Me?

Yeh-shuah turned to Petros while they were eating and asked, “Simone, do you love me more than your brothers do?”

Petros remembered the time when Yeh-shuah asked a similar question. “Even if everyone else turns away from you, I NEVER will,” he had boasted. That same evening he denied even knowing Yeh-shuah three times. The other disciples still didn’t completely trust him, even yet.

Now, a much humbler Petros answered quietly, “You know that I love you.”

“Feed my lambs.”

“Simone, do you love me?” Yeh-shuah asked again.

“Yes, Master, you know that I love you,” Petros replied again.

“Feed my sheep.”

“Simone, do you love me?” Yeh-shuah asked a third time.

Distressed, Petros thought Yeh-shuah didn’t believe him, and not without cause, either. “Master, you know everything,” he said. “You know that I love you.”

“Feed my sheep.”

Three times Petros had denied knowing Yeh-shuah, and now, three times he confessed his faith before the others in true repentance. Petros was a changed man, and it was to be his work to guide the fledgling movement that would soon change the world. Without genuine love, his efforts would be doomed to failure.

Petros and Yeh-shuah were now walking on the shore, alone. “Remember when I said to you, ‘Where I am going, you can’t follow me now, but you will afterwards’?’ When you are old, you will indeed follow me. Your hands will be stretched out and you will be led where you do not want to go.” After a pause, he looked at Petros closely and said, once again, “Follow me.”

Go and Teach

Yeh-shuah’s disciples and about five-hundred of his followers stood on a mountainside in Gawlee-law, clustered in small groups. They assembled at the time and place that Yeh-shuah specified before his death. Many traveled from different directions to avoid the suspicion of the Yeh-oo-dee religious leaders. The disciples went from group to group sharing the latest news about Yeh-shuah. Some there had never seen him, but all were eager to hear what the disciples had seen and heard.

Suddenly, Yeh-shuah was among them, although no one saw him arrive. He stood there with a countenance like the face of Elo-heem, yet on his hands and feet were the scars of the crucifixion. Everyone fell down and worshipped him.

“All power is given me,” Yeh-shuah said, “on the earth and in the sky.” Hearing a voice coming from a man that rose from the dead sent chills through the believer’s ranks. Many had seen his supernatural powers: healing the sick, overpowering evil spirits, controlling the weather, and giving life to the dead.

“My sacrifice for the human race has been accepted,” he announced, “and very soon, I will return to the Land of Elo-heem. I did not come to establish an earthly kingdom, but a spiritual kingdom for all nations, peoples, and classes of men. You must search the Ancient Writings yourselves to see that all of the prophecies have been fulfilled.” There never was to be a physical kingdom, and the Ancient Writings showed that the Promised One was to be rejected, humiliated, and executed.

“Go now,” he instructed, “to the whole world and teach them do the things I have commanded you to do, and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I will always be with you, even to the end of the world.”

Everything about the arrogant priests and religious rulers of Yissraw-ale made them unfit to be the light of the world, including their expensive dress, their empty ceremonies, and their worthless traditions. Yeh-shuah now gave this task to all of his followers, to bring true faith to all peoples, nations, and classes of men.

The power of love was in Yeh-shuah’s healing, and only by experiencing and sharing that love could anyone link themselves to him and share his life-giving energy with others. Once linked, his follower’s first concern was to minister to others by relieving the sick and suffering, helping the needy, speaking words of comfort to the despondent and weak of faith, seeking out sin-infested individuals, touching their souls with kindness, and giving them a new hope.

Only by a spirit of kindness could they lead sin-polluted individuals to believe in Yeh-shuah, seek his forgiveness, and experience a transformation into a new, purer way of life. This was the powerful, living force that would break the chains of the Evil One and change lives forever.

Return to Shaw-mah-yim

Yeh-shuah was back in Yehroo-shaw-lah-im for his final visit with his eleven remaining disciples. As he led the way through the city gate toward Olive Mountain, many wondering eyes followed the small group. Farther up the mountainside, Yeh-shuah paused and turned, looking at the city below for the last time, his thoughts filled with many memories.

Leading the way across the summit to a point near Bayth-Anee-ah, he stopped and waited for his disciples to gather around him. As he spoke words of kindness and blessing, light began shining from him. When he raised his arms, he slowly left the surface, disappearing into a bank of brilliant, low-hanging clouds.

As everyone stood there gazing upward, they could faintly hear the most beautiful music. Suddenly, two Messengers appeared in human form, startling them. “You men from Gawlee-law,” they said in voices that sounded just like the music, “Why are you standing there gazing up into the sky? Just as he left, Yeh-shuah will return.” After they spoke, they too disappeared. Then the bright clouds dissipated, revealing a brilliant star at the apex of a huge mountain/pyramid-like craft. It streaked across the now blue sky to Shaw-mah-yim, the home of Elo-heem, his Father, far away in the Kingdom of the Stars.

The Reception

After his arrival on the Sea of Glass, Yeh-shuah stood before the throne-like pyramid-shaped Mountain of Elo-heem, it’s four huge wheel-in-wheel complexes at its base looming upwards. Encircled by a brilliant rainbow, the mountain-throne was completely surrounded by a vast number of shining Malawk, all standing on the seemingly endless Crystal Sea. An immense canopy stretched out far above, blocking the starlight. This was a great assembly gathered at the Sanctuary on the Sea of Glass to welcome Yeh-shuah, celebrate his return, and honor the specially resurrected humans he brought with him from the earth.

Before the ceremonies began, Yeh-shuah went up to his Father and stood before him on the summit of his mountain-throne. The Father saw the scars on his head, his hands, his feet. He remembered the covenant between Himself and his Son to save those on earth who repented of evil and believed in them and followed their commandments. He saw the small group of awestruck, resurrected humans brought here from the darkness of earth so far away.

“It is finished,” Yeh-shuah said once more to his Father.

“Justice has been satisfied,” the Father said in a thunder-voice that echoed from the canopy far overhead.

Suddenly, all of the living beings on the Sea of Glass shouted “The Lamb is worthy, the Lamb is worthy!” and burst into the most beautiful music, accompanied by skillfully-played stringed instruments. After the song, everyone fell down to worship Yeh-shuah, despised and murdered by the evil-infected human race he created, greatly honored by the Father and the vast hosts of the Kingdom of the Stars. With a face brighter than the sun and wearing a robe made of white light, he was now the lost world’s one-and-only High Priest.

The High Priest of Earth

Forever human, forever scarred, Yeh-shuah’s work as High Priest of Earth is to delete the record of evil acts and thoughts from the life records of humans, but only after they repent and ask for its removal. Someday he will return to the earth to rescue those who loved and obeyed him, downloading their purified memories into new, perfect bodies, rewarding them with everlasting life.

The Kingdom of the Stars

There, in the Kingdom of the Stars, there will be no more disease or hunger or selfishness or perversion, and no one will harm themselves or each other. There, there will be no more destruction and death, no more lies, hatred, and wars, no more sadness or tears or pain. There, life in paradise will continue forever by eating the fruit from the Tree of Life.

In the Kingdom of the Stars there will always be something new to learn as the mysteries of the universe unfold before the inquiring mind. There, love for the Father, the Son, and every other living being will only grow deeper with time. This is the high destiny of those who fight the virus of evil within themselves, and, with Eloheem’s help, overcome it.