Lukas was in heaven. Or at least it felt like it. He had been looking forward to this visit for days, his third to the house in the forest. Lux Domus, the House of Light, or as Pastor Simon liked to call it, Porta Caeli, Heaven’s Gate. How was it possible for anything to be so beautiful? Porta Caeli. Heaven’s Gate. His body had been tingling with excitement all day, and finally they had arrived; he was so near to heaven he could barely contain himself, but he forced himself to sit completely still on the spindle-back chair by the window while the pastor read to the children.
God had spoken to the pastor. Told him to build this place. A new ark. Not for animals this time but for his chosen people. The initiated. The House of Light. Heaven’s Gate. They would travel together on the Day of Judgment. No one else. Only them. Forty people, no more. There were several arks across the world, God had said to the pastor, but the congregation had not been told where the others were. Only that they existed, that was enough; these people would meet the other chosen ones in heaven, so there was no rush. In heaven. God’s Kingdom. Where turquoise water flowed in fresh streams and everything was made of gold, on a carpet of bright white clouds. Eternity. The chosen ones. Forever.
Lukas closed his eyes and let the pastor’s voice fill him. God’s voice, that was what it was. The children mattered most, God had said, they were pure. It was important that children be pure and clean, as innocent as they had been in their mother’s womb, not tarnished after years on earth. No, pure, they must be purified. Even if it took fire. The flames of hell. The pastor spoke with a mild and calm voice, firm like God’s own hand, hard on the outside and soft on the inside. Water was flowing inside Lukas’s head now. Clean, fresh rivers winding their way through green forests and across white fields in front of a house of gold.
“My children, I will manifest myself in front of you to guide my people from the darkness to the light,” the pastor said. “I will reveal the reality of hell, so that you can be saved and renounce your evil ways before it is too late. Your souls will be taken from your bodies, by me, the Lord Jesus Christ, and sent into hell. I will also offer you visions of heaven, and many other revelations.”
The pastor fell silent and gazed across the assembly. He liked doing this. Looking into everyone’s eyes. It was important. So that the people could see God’s eyes behind his. Lukas opened his own eyes and smiled. His house would lie right next to the pastor’s—God himself had promised that. There were not all that many children here, only eight. The pastor had chosen them himself. Five girls and three boys, almost entirely pure. A few sessions with the pastor’s kind voice and they would be ready.
Lukas looked around to see if Rakel, the special girl, was here. The children looked very similar. That was the point—we are all equal before God—but he spotted her eventually. Blue eyes and plenty of freckles. They’d had a few problems with her. Lukas could not understand why the pastor made such a fuss over one little girl. What made her so special? If she wanted to run away from the House of Light and spend eternity in hell, then let her go. Why waste time on her? There were plenty of other good candidates in the congregation.
It was not an opinion Lukas had voiced, obviously. The pastor always knew what was best. Why had he even had this thought to begin with? Lukas shook his head at his own idiocy and closed his eyes again. Once more the pastor’s voice filled him. He pressed his lips together hard so as not to emit even a small sigh.
“One night as I was praying in my house, I was visited by the Lord Jesus Christ,” the pastor continued. “I had been deep in prayer for days, and suddenly I felt God come to me. His strength and glory filled the whole house. A brilliant light lit up the room around me, and I was overcome by a feeling of beauty and completeness. The light flooded in, rolling in and out like waves. It was a wondrous sight. And then the Lord started talking to me. He said, ‘I am your Lord Jesus Christ, and I will reveal to you how you should prepare the faithful for my return and how to punish the sinners. The forces of darkness are real, and my judgment is true. My child, I will take you into hell with the strength of my spirit, and I will show you many things that I want the world to see. I will reveal myself to you many times; I will take your spirit out of your body, and I will take you into hell.’ ‘Dear Lord,’ I cried out, ‘what do you wish me to do?’ My whole being wanted to call out to Jesus in gratitude at his presence. It was the most beautiful, serene, blissful, powerful love I have ever felt. Praises of God flowed from my lips. Immediately I wanted to devote my whole life to him, so that he could use it to save others from their sin. I knew, by his spirit, that it really was Jesus, the Son of God, who was in the room with me. ‘Look, my child,’ Jesus said, ‘with my spirit I will take you into hell, so you can describe it, so that you can lead the lost souls out of the darkness and into the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!’ Straightaway my soul was taken out of my body. Then I traveled with Jesus out of my house and up to heaven.”
The pastor rose and told the children to do likewise. They formed a circle in the middle of the floor. The pastor nodded to Lukas to indicate that he should join them. Lukas rose softly from his chair and took two of the children by the hand.
“Let us pray,” the pastor said, and bowed his head.
Soon the small room was full of murmuring voices.
“‘Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.’”
“Amen,” Lukas said again. He could not help himself.
Porta Caeli, Heaven’s Gate. And now they were here to prepare for the day that would soon arrive.
The pastor opened the door and let out all the children. All except Rakel. He always kept Rakel back for an extra chat. Perhaps it was like the lamb that had gotten separated from the flock. Of course it was. The lost sheep and the shepherd. Yet again Lukas felt bad for having doubted the pastor’s wisdom.
“I think that Rakel needs a little time alone with God and with me,” the pastor said, and he signaled to Lukas to leave the room.
Lukas nodded, smiled, and left.
“Make sure that no one comes in and disturbs us, would you, Lukas?”
“Of course,” Lukas said with a bow.
He closed the door softly behind him. It had started to grow dark outside now; he could see stars in the sky. He smiled broadly to himself and felt another warm rush through his veins. That was where they were going. To heaven. He could hardly wait. He was so looking forward to it. Indeed, it was hard to describe how excited he was. A huge, wonderful, constantly tingling feeling from the top of his head to the tips of his fingers and into his toes. Turquoise rivers and houses made from gold. Was that really possible? That he could be so blessed? Lukas folded his arms across his chest, still grinning from ear to ear, and he started humming a new hymn he had just taught himself.