Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
PSALM 84:5
As Margaret sat listening contentedly, I related the details of a dream—a journey to a mysterious mountain.
I am carrying a small suitcase. I look ahead of me and realize I am in a very long, winding line of people, all carrying suitcases like me. We are in a beautiful valley. The line snakes gently over small rolling green hills and leads to a large mountain ahead, in the distance. I wonder to myself, Where in the world am I and, more important, where am I going? I sense the same vague type of mystery from the people around me, curiously mixed with a feeling of excited anticipation. We smile and nod to one another as we slowly meander along.
Suddenly, a man appears directly in front of me wearing jeans and a dark brown T-shirt. The curious thing about his T-shirt is that it has on it a line of little white sheep, which wrap in a band all the way around the shirt, right at chest level. The even more curious thing is that the sheep are moving—as if they, too, are walking in a line. Now, this man is beautiful—absolutely, strikingly beautiful. He has dark hair, a closely trimmed beard and mustache, and eyes that sparkle with such extraordinary radiance and excitement that I can’t even tell what color they are. He speaks directly to me, and with a smile reflecting the radiance in his eyes, he exclaims, “Isn’t this wonderful? Isn’t this exciting?” He then steps aside to give me a view of the mountain ahead of us. People are now streaming up one side of the mountain and down the other, and at the very top of the mountain is Jesus. I guess that this must be an angel speaking with me, and his pure joy and excitement catch like a wildfire in my heart. We are on a journey to see Jesus!
When I finished, Margaret opened her eyes and said, “My goodness, Jenn, what a wonderful dream. I felt like I was right there with you. Thank you. So, tell me your initial impressions of your dream. How did it make you feel?”
“The first thing I remember from when I woke up was that the feelings of joy and anticipation I experienced in the dream were still with me. And the angel with the beautiful smile and eyes, so alive with excitement, is as clear in my memory today as he was twenty or more years ago when I had the dream. Other than that, I really did not understand much about the meaning of this dream until I experienced a particular moment of clarity while studying the Song of Ascents . . . ” I paused as I was struck by a sudden realization.
“You’re right, Margaret. I was reading Scripture when I got this moment of clarity.”
Margaret just smiled and waited for me to continue.
“Okay, back to my story. The Song of Ascents are fifteen psalms sung by the Israelites as they journeyed to and from Jerusalem three times a year to celebrate Passover and the harvest feasts at the Temple in Jerusalem. This type of journey was called a pilgrimage, and I pictured in my mind large groups of extended families making these pilgrimages together—cooking and camping out by night; riding, walking, and visiting by day—filled with anticipation of arriving in their beloved city and celebrating the harvest feast together in the presence of God. And all the while they sang songs handed down from generation to generation to pass the time and to express the joy of their journey. I realized I had similar memories of my own family travels—singing songs and playing games to pass the time, each of us full of excitement and anticipation of arriving at our destination and the fun awaiting us.
“While studying the Song of Ascents, I vacationed with my husband and parents in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. It was my first visit to Maine, and it was beautiful. The beach was wide and long, the sun bright, and we had many cool breezes, a wonderful respite from the suffocating summer heat of Houston. One morning early in the week, I pulled out my Bible after getting myself settled on the beach. I began to read while other people began filing down to the beach with their chairs and towels and beach bags. It was very quiet—just the sound of the waves of the distant tide. After a while, I began to hear the soft strumming of a guitar accompanied by several voices singing along. I glanced over and saw an ever-growing circle of people sitting in the sand, laughing, talking, and holding their coffee cups, obviously enjoying one another’s company. Every once in a while, another person would arrive and was greeted with great joy and big hugs all around. I learned from my parents that this was a large reunion of a French Canadian family. Several of them traveled to this spot every year, but this particular gathering would include many who had not seen each other in years. A big feast was planned later in the week that would include at least fifty family members.
“This was a musical family, and soon other instruments appeared, more voices joined the singing, and they were singing in French. It was so beautiful to listen to that I had a hard time concentrating on my reading. Then I was struck by a most amazing revelation. Isn’t this remarkably similar to what was happening in the Song of Ascents, as the Israelites made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem? Families that traveled together, loved one another, and sang together, filled with excitement and anticipation of arriving at their destination, their journey culminating in a great celebration feast . . . a celebration of love? Even I was included, as I had traveled a great distance from Texas to Maine to spend a week with my beloved parents. Suddenly the centuries had melted away, and I was a member of the peoples of the pilgrimage—God’s people. As I thought this very thought, a voice inside me said, “It is all tied together, Jennifer.” My breath caught in my throat. I slammed my study book shut, closed my eyes, and prayed, Praise you, Father! Thank you. I opened up my book again and wrote those words and the date on the page.”
I paused. Margaret was nodding her head vigorously up and down, looking like she wanted jump in. I let her speak.
“It is all tied together, dear one, more than you realize,” she said. “First, listen to what Isaiah says about a particular mountain in scripture: ‘In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ ”
Margaret smiled as my eyes widened in surprise. That scripture was a pretty good description of my dream. She continued.
“Jennifer, your dream reveals several truths about the magnificent journey you are on as you live your life on earth. Your journey begins under the watchful eye of a shepherd, and his joy increases as you move ever closer to the pinnacle in the distance and begin your ascent, because he knows what awaits you at the top. You, along with countless others throughout the ages, are on a lifelong pilgrimage to discover the Savior—the living source of love, grace, and truth. Each of you ascends the mountain at your own pace, depending upon the burdens you carry, and as you draw near to the Savior, your perspective begins to change. Hope, joy, and peace no longer seem unattainable. Then, as you meet Christ on the mountaintop, you encounter your future and are forever changed. As you make your way back down the mountain, you are a new creation, a beacon of hope along the path to encourage those just beginning their pilgrimages. And, Jennifer, pilgrimages are joyful events! They begin with great anticipation and end with celebratory feasts. It is no wonder the feelings of joy and anticipation remained with you when you awakened.”
I loved how my angel was tying all this together. “One of the reasons I was so moved on the beach that day in Maine, Margaret, was because when I realized how similar my own journeys and celebrations were to the pilgrimages and feasts of the ancient peoples I was reading about, I felt really connected to them,” I said.
“Actually, you are more connected than you think,” said Margaret. “The Old Testament feasts celebrated by God’s people throughout the centuries foreshadowed the future, accomplished in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The Old Testament feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits are celebrated in early spring. The Feast of Weeks is held in early summer, and the Feast of Tabernacles is held in the fall—the final harvest festival. Your New Testament Christian celebrations of Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost parallel the Old Testament harvest feasts and are held at the same time of year, in spring and early summer. There is, however, one Old Testament feast that has not yet been celebrated in New Testament times: the Feast of Tabernacles, the final harvest. Only when Christ returns will he gather his people to him in the final harvest. Can you imagine, child, how great that celebration feast will be?” Margaret’s eyes sparkled, and I was reminded of the angel’s sparkling eyes in my dream.
“As you were speaking just now, Margaret, a wonderful picture formed in my mind. I envisioned that the long line of people in my dream streaming to the mountain is like looking down on the Earth from God’s point of view. God is watching his beloved children march along the time-line span of the ages from Old Testament days to the present day and into the future. Marching toward him. Standing with many others in an unending line with my suitcase in hand, I am an active participant in this ancient tradition. And one glorious day, all of us, all nations, will come to the mountain of the Lord, just as Isaiah has foretold. That will be a marvelous celebration indeed. I can see why the angel in my dream was so excited for us!”
“About that angel, Jenn,” said Margaret with a mysterious smile. “You may have noticed that I referred to him as a shepherd.”
I nodded, curious.
Margaret leaned in close, her voice just barely above a whisper and said, “Jennifer, that wasn’t an angel . . . it was Jesus. And you were one of the dear little sheep on his T-shirt.”
She grinned as my mouth dropped open in surprise, then continued. “I told you earlier that your dreams reflect the character of God, who exists in the past, present, and future all at the same time. In this dream, Jesus was the one guiding and watching over you as you journeyed toward him on the mountain. He does not just wait for you to reach him. He is with you every step of the way. And this is what your Shepherd calls to his sheep:
“The past, present, and future are all tied together, dear one, and I watch with joy and excitement your journey toward me.”
Wow, I thought. More goose bumps. I was one of his little sheep. I would really like to have that T-shirt.