Adam’s Midnight Flight to Heaven
by Brenda McCurdy
All scripture quotations in the endnotes are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Introduction
God gave me this book supernaturally. I sat and typed it as I imagined it, almost like watching a movie in my mind. This book is intended as an exercise in imagination,i for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren – an exercise in thinking on those things which are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue and of praiseii so that we can learn to use our imagination for good rather than eviliii for as we think, so we are.iv I urge you to read this book to your children or grandchildren at bedtime, encouraging them to “watch the movie” in their mind as you read. What an awesome inheritance awaits us! I have included footnotes to related scriptures and other items for your convenience. My prayer is that you each will come to love the King and Kingdom described in this book, and that He will receive all the glory. Halleluyah!
Adam ran to his daddy, gave him a big hug and a goodnight kiss, then he followed his momma to his bed and knelt beside her on the floor.
“Are you ready to say your prayers, Adam?” asked his momma.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, dutifully.
As he bowed his head and folded his hands, Adam recited the bedtime prayer his mother had taught him: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray Thee, Lord, my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake, I pray Thee, Lord, my soul to take.”
Adam’s momma gave him a big hug and a kiss on the forehead as she tucked him into his bed. “Now you go to sleep, Adam, we’re going to the zoo tomorrow and you will want to be rested so you can enjoy the day.”
Adam closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, still thinking about the words of his prayer, “and if I die before I wake, I pray Thee, Lord, my soul to take.” What exactly did that mean anyway?
“It might be easier to show you than to tell you.”
Adam heard the words, and looked to see who was speaking. Standing in the middle of his room, there was a big manv dressed in a white shirt and pants. It was easy to see him, even in the darkness because he sort of glowed.
“Who are you?” Adam asked.
“I am Raphael, your guardian angel”, the big man replied. “I was assigned to watch over youvii even before you were born.”
Adam thought the man looked like some of the soldiersviii he had seen on TV, other than the white clothesix and strange glow.
As Adam watched wide eyed, Raphael put his fingers to his mouth and let out a shrill whistle. In moments, the walls of his room seemed to disappear and two white horsesx pulled a gold chariotxi in front of his bed. Raphael stepped into the chariot, looked at Adam and said, “Are you ready?”
Adam wasn’t sure if he was or not! The horses and chariot looked like they were on firexii, but when he stretched out his hand toward them, it didn’t feel hot. Adam had never been on a chariot before, but he had seen them in movies and thought they looked like fun. Cautiously, he climbed out of his bed and walked over to the back of the chariot. It still didn’t feel hot, so he took Raphael’s outstretched hand and stepped up into the back of the chariot. “Hold on!” Raphael grinned as he picked up the reins. The firey white horses reared, pawing the air, then with a giant leap they were in the dark night sky. Adam felt like he was in an elevator, but he gripped the chariot tightly, watching the stars coming toward him, faster and faster, until they looked like lines instead of dotsxiii.
Soon Adam saw an opening, like a doorxiv, ahead of them in the sky. It felt funny when they flew through the doorxv, but he looked at Raphael, and Raphael smiled, saying, “Now you will see…”
All of a sudden, the chariot stopped at the bottom of a long grassy hillxvi. Raphael took Adam’s hand and they stepped out of the chariot. Adam watched in amazement as the firey white horses pulled the golden chariot away and disappeared. When Adam began to look around he realized he had never seen a grassy hill like this one. The grass was so green it nearly hurt his eyes to look at it. And it was so soft under his bare feet! As Raphael led him up the long hill, Adam looked at the flowers growing all in the grass. He couldn’t take a step without stepping on beautiful little flowers – but it didn’t seem to hurt the flowers when he did step on them. They just sprang back up, even seeming to smile at him. Adam began to hear music – music like he had never heard before. The music made him feel like his heart was singing, too. Suddenly, he realized the flowers were singingxvii! Motion caught his eye and he looked up from the flowers to see trees dancing and clapping their handsxviii in time to the music! “Raphael!” Adam exclaimed, “The trees are dancing and the flowers are singing!”
“Yes, Adam”, Raphael replied, “Everything here praises the Creatorxix.”
Finally, Adam raised his eyes from the flowers and trees to look before him – only to be surprised again! A giant wallxx stretched as far as he could see on either side. The wall was varying shades of red, orange and brown. Below the wall he counted twelve layers of different colored stones. Layers of dark red stones, dark blue stones, light blue stones, dark green stones, pink stones, orange stones, blue-green stones, light green stones, clear blue stones, another layer of green stones, another layer of orange stones, then beautiful purple stones. Adam saw that each of the layers of colored stones had a different name carved in it – he read: “Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bart something, Thomas, Matthew, James, Lebbaeus, Simon, and Matthias.”
“Raphael, what are those names carved in the rocks?” Adam asked.
Looking at Adam, Raphael explained with a smile, “Those are the names of the faithful disciples of the Lamb.”
Adam still didn’t understand. “Who is the Lamb?”
Raphael grinning, said, “The One you were praying to when you said, ‘If I die before I wake, I pray Thee, Lord, my soul to take.’ You usually call Him Jesus, or Y’shua – He is the Lamb. Soon you will see for yourself, then you will know. He is the King of all Kings and He it is that has commanded me to bring you to Him.”
Adam had never met a real King before! He didn’t know whether to be excited or scared. He looked up and up, above the wall he could see a gold colored building rising higher than he could see. It reminded him a little of some of the castles he had seen in fairy tale books, but ever so much taller and wider. Why, even straining his eyes, he couldn’t see either side or the top of this golden building! The whole city was shiny and glowed with a soft lightxxi, just like Raphael glowed.
As he followed Raphael up the straight path to a gate in the city wall, Adam stared at the man guarding the gate. He looked a lot like Raphael, Adam decided, except his hair and eyes were darker. He was wearing glowing white clothes, too, but more like a robe than shirt and pants. Just before they passed through, Adam saw the name Naphtali carved above the gate. He was going to ask Raphael what that name meant, but the sight of the golden city left him speechless for a time. Raphael stopped while Adam stared with his mouth open. Raphael was also enjoying the sight and sounds of the city.
Here the music was stronger, it seemed to Adam that it even flowed through him. Adam forgot to ask about the name above the gate, as Raphael led him along a street of the city. Adam saw so many golden buildings, each one different, that he just couldn’t stop looking. It seemed he could even see through the walls of the buildings! Everywhere he looked were joyful, laughing, happy people dressed in glowing white robesxxii. Many smiled and waved at him.
When Adam nearly stumbled, he looked down and then jumped back! The street he was standing on was gold, too, but it looked like ginger ale to Adam – kind of clear and bubbly. Looking at it, he felt like he would fall through itxxiii! So many things here were so different from anything he had ever seen before! He soon got over the shock of walking on what looked like ginger ale, and began to look at the buildings and people again. Raphael continued to lead Adam down the street until they reached a gigantic door.
As they approached, the door was opened by two doorkeepers who smiled happilyxxiv at Adam. There was a bright lightxxv coming from inside the door – a light so bright it made everything else look dark by comparison. Raphael picked Adam up and sat him on his shoulder so he could see. There were many people inside this gigantic area. Everyone was singing and looking toward the bright light. Some people were dancing and others were waving branchesxxvi in their hands. Far away, where the light was the brightest, Adam saw what looked like a golden throne raised up with a green rainbow and seven firesxxvii around it. The bright light was coming from the One who sat on the throne! There were four strange looking creaturesxxviii around the throne. Even from so far away, Adam could see that they had six wings and different faces on each of four sides. Adam counted twenty-four small thrones spaced out in a circle around the high, lifted up throne. An ordinary looking man sat on each of the small thrones. Adam knew these men must be kings as each one wore a golden crown. He could hear the strange looking creatures singing to the One who sat on the high, lifted up throne, then he saw all the kingsxxix stand up at once, take the golden crowns from their heads and toss them under the high, lifted up throne, and bow down while they sang another song to the King of Kings who sat on the throne.
As Adam watched, he saw the bright Light rise and then come toward him. Raphael stood Adam on the floor and stepped behind him. Raphael assured Adam, “It’s okay – you will see!” The crowd of people parted before Adam, and he saw the bright Light coming closer and closer toward him. The Light was so bright, Adam couldn’t look directly at it for more than a second or two. As the Light got nearer, Adam begin to feel the most wonderful feeling he had ever felt. It was like when his parents hugged him and he knew they really loved him, but this was even stronger. It was like he was on the beach and the wavesxxx of the ocean were washing against him. Each wave was stronger love coming to Adam from the Light. As the Light reached Adam, suddenly he knew – this was Jesus! This was the Lord that he said his prayers to! This was the one Raphael was telling him about! Adam fell down, unable to stand while feeling the full force of the Love coming from Jesus.
Oh, so tenderly, Jesus reached down and picked Adam up from the floor. Adam wasn’t a baby, but he really liked it when Jesus held him! Adam could feel Love from Jesus like nothing he had ever felt before. It was wonderful! Jesus lifted Adam’s chin and looked him full in the face. “I love you, Adam!” He said.
Adam’s chin quivered as he replied, “I love you, too, Jesus!” and he meant it with all of his little boy heart!
Jesus tenderly asked Adam, “Now do you know what your prayer means when you ask Me to take your soul, if you die before you wake? It means that you are asking Me to bring you here to live with Me in My city when your job on earth is done. It is my good pleasure, Adam, to bring you back here one day. I love you more than you will ever know!”
Adam wrapped his little arms around Jesus’ neck and fell fast asleep, fully trusting that Jesus would take care of him, just as He promisedxxxi.
When Adam opened his eyes again, he was in his own bed, in his own home, and the sunlight was coming through the window. “Wake up, sleepyhead!” Adam’s mom said as she popped her head through his door.
Adam laid in bed a few minutes, still feeling the Love of Jesus. Was it a dream, he wondered, or was it real? Either way, he knew that Jesus really did love him!xxxiixxxiii