It was a Monday night and my mother’s breathing continued to get slower and slower. I felt like a bee buzzing through her room to check on her, then resting on the couch, then back again. She was totally unresponsive to all sounds such as talking, singing, and the oxygen concentrator machine grinding away. Even turning on and off the lights had no effect on her. She’s been in the same position with her eyes closed for four grueling days. She hasn’t had food or drink for four days. She couldn’t drink or eat anyways because she was choking on it.
As I sat on the couch waiting, I knew it would be tonight that the angels will come for her. I can feel it, I can sense it, it’s close. Is this the night? I knew that God has the final say as to when our time is up on earth; it comes down to God’s will and providence. Lots of thoughts continued to flood my mind. Will I be awake to see the angels?
Angels. I’ve read a lot about angels. The Bible is filled with different types of angels who play unique roles. Angels were created by God and are spiritual beings. These “good angels” are sent by God to carry out His commands as an answer to prayer, serving and protecting, and delivering important messages. In the past, God has also used heavenly angels as instruments of judgment on unbelieving and rebellious people. In the future, some angels will have specific tasks in the tribulation period.
However, another important task of angels is to escort believers to heaven when they die and to give them a royal welcome as they enter the eternal presence of God. Each of us who trusts Christ will witness the rejoicing of angelic hosts around the throne of God. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16), Jesus told of a beggar who died in the faith. Lazarus had never owned many of this world’s goods, but he was rich in faith that counts for eternity. When he died, he was “carried” by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. The angelic pallbearers took Abraham’s immortal spirit to the place of glory where he was to be eternally with God—the place the Bible calls “heaven.” He was not only escorted; the scripture tells us Lazarus was “carried’. This just isn’t just a story; it holds many truths.
I’m comforted to know my mother was “carried”. You see, she had late-stage dementia and could not think, communicate, stand, or walk. Personally, I know something about carrying others. Both my husband and I had aching backs as we carried my mother from the bed to the wheelchair every day for the past year. Carrying someone who is deadweight is task that is unsustainable. Sadly, she had both a broken mind and broken body.
The Waiting. It’s pretty dismal waiting for someone to die. It is like waiting for a train that is a long way off, but it will come. I was aware I had ventured into the unknown, unfamiliar ground. Each time I entered my mother’s room, I was afraid of what I might see. I didn’t feel prepared for it. Some people say this is the time to say what must be said. But I say, you need to say things way before this moment. Especially in my mother’s case, she was completely out of it.
What D.L. Moody Saw. When D. L. Moody (the great American evangelist) was aware that death was at hand, he said, “Earth recedes, heaven opens before me.” When he said this, it appeared to others he was dreaming. Then he said, “No, this is no dream . . . it is beautiful, it is like a trance. If this is death, it is sweet. There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go.” After having been given up for dead, Moody indicated that God had permitted him to see beyond that thin veil separating the seen from the unseen world. He had been “within the gates, and beyond the portals,” and had caught a glimpse of familiar faces whom he had “loved long since and lost awhile.”
Then he remembered when he had announced earlier in his ministry, “Someday you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody of East Northfield is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher, that is all—out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal; a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned like unto His glorious body. . .. that which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever” (The Life of Dwight L. Moody by W. R. Moody). If Moody were here now, he would surely tell us of the glowing experience that he had and the angelic hosts who ushered him into the presence of the Lord.
We hear stories from those nearing the end that they see the room filled with a heavenly light. Some see angels or hear the fluttering of angelic wings or hear celestial music. Many patients, like my mother, are given pain medicine like Morphine as they begin the dying process (which I was grateful for). However, because of this, many patients are no longer awake to see or hear the angels who will come.
Unbelievers. I do not know who comes for the souls of unbelievers (those who have denied and rejected Jesus). Perhaps it’s the fallen angels (evil angels). I imagine it’s not far from the scene from the movie “Ghost” when the Carl dies and is carried away by demons. I assure you Carl’s final destination was not heaven. If I were you, I would pray that God opens your eyes, mind, and heart to the gospel message of God’s love and redemption. I urge you my friends to become a believer, so your eternal soul doesn’t arrive in hell. See more.
Seeing the Angels. I wanted to see the angels or at least hear them. My mother lived with us for nine long years, but this past year I was a worn-out full-time caregiver. On that evening, I was so exhausted from the tedious toil of caregiving, that I had to lay down. Although I probably wouldn’t have seen them with my earthly eyes, my mother’s soul no doubt saw the angels extending their hand and guiding her upward to heaven late that night. I missed the angels, perhaps she didn’t. My mother accepted Christ as her Savior when she was 12 and her faith never wavered until she died at 92 – that’s 70 years of believing! Her spirit is no longer here in our house, nor on earth, but I know where she is.
What about you? If you are a Christ follower, a glorious physical and spiritual separation will take place when you die. You will be surrounded by angels who will escort your spirit/soul to heaven. The perishable becomes the imperishable. You’ll have a new improved mind and body fit for heaven. What a glorious welcome is awaiting you in heaven where you will be in presence of Jesus. You will be greeted by family, friends, and many more that have gone on before you. You will see all the people you’ve read about in the Bible: Moses, Joseph, David, Peter, Paul, the disciples, etc. I can only imagine what my mother is seeing.
For Christians “…to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8
There are a plethora of books on heaven, here are a couple I’d recommend:
“Heaven” by Randy Alcorn is long but it has so much detail. I agree with Stu Weber, “Other than the Bible itself, this may well be the single most life-changing book you’ll ever read”.
“Answers to Questions about Heaven” by David Jeremiah.