A Vision of a Christ-Centered Earth: A Call to Hope
Over two decades ago, God granted me a breathtaking vision of a renewed Earth, blooming like a radiant flower with Jesus Christ at its core. This vision, a beacon of hope, suggests that the promised land—a world free from evil—may soon be realized. Today, I see elements of this vision unfolding in our world, particularly through the deployment of satellite networks like Starlink. My purpose is to share this vision and its connections to current events, inviting you to reflect on its meaning.
The Vision of a World Filled with Jesus
The vision appeared while I was in bed, in that twilight place between slumber and consciousness. My eyes were closed when I saw a fluorescent orange globe that somehow radiated its orange light from within, appear over a solid steel-blue-black backdrop. The thought that the orange planet was the Earth came into my mind, overriding the absence of perceptible oceans or continents. I found this foreknowing helpful in understanding what I witnessed here and other portions of this experience as well.
THE SPACE SHUTTLE IS SHAPED LIKE AN INDIAN ARROWHEAD
After gazing at this captivating panorama for a while, I noticed what appeared to be a small black Indian arrowhead rising over the North Pole sky, flying in a Southerly direction while leaving a thin black line or trail behind it. Once again, the thought came to me that this object could be the Space Shuttle deploying a string of satellites.
It continued southward until it disappeared above the Southern Pole. It reappeared at the North Pole a few minutes later, now orbiting at a new longitude. Once again, it deposited a thin black line behind it before disappearing at the South Pole again. The shuttle persisted in laying down the longitudes in this manner until it had printed the ones typically found on a world map. The form of the Earth now resembled that of a peeled orange.
With these longitude lines now printed, the shuttle emerged at the Eastern Equator, traveling on a due westward course and circumnavigating the planet until it had deployed the significant latitudes across the Earth’s sky. When finished, the sphere looked like a globe commonly found in a school or office, showing the longitudes and latitudes, except for its bright orange coloring and lack of topical features.
Afterward, as I watched in amazement, I saw the skin of a single slice of the orange globe (a wedge formed between two longitude lines) begin peeling backward, rolling down upon itself. The skin started rolling down at the North Pole and then coiled downward to form a scroll shape near the equator, exposing an astonishingly gorgeous pink under-layer above. Subsequent sections followed similarly, each section rolling down in order, one at a time. When completed, I saw a beautiful pink upper hemisphere radiating light above the orange scrolls now positioned above the Southern Hemisphere.
Then, I witnessed the silky pink surface transform into the petals of a young, tightly wound flower that matured as I watched. I then saw new growth forming and expanding from the flowers’ nucleus. This expansion forced the outside petals to flow over the sphere’s edge, creating a perpetual waterfall of pink petals streaming downward like a waterfall.
The majestic loveliness of this ever-expanding blossom had me spellbound, and I wished it would never end. I couldn’t help but continue observing this awe-inspiring sight, but then, I wondered if I might be dreaming all of this. I thought, what would happen if I reopened my eyes? So, I opened them, lifted my head, and looked around my bedroom. To my astonishment, I could see the flower superimposed over the features of my darkened room. It was as if my retinas had a semitransparent video projected onto them. Even though I did not understand how this could occur, I immediately closed my eyes, not wanting to miss any part of this captivating experience. Then, I started to wonder why this was happening to me. Why should I know this information, and what significance could this be to me?
As if, in answer to my questions, everything around me abruptly began moving quickly. My vantage point to the flowering globe rotated ninety degrees, such that my view was now directly over the nucleus of the flowering planet, precisely where the new growth was emerging at the North Pole. Then, a portal dilated open at that point, and an unseen force pulled me inside. I found myself at the feet of a Jesus that filled the Earth from pole to pole. When I looked into the perfect clarity above, I saw His outstretched arms, and I believed He was delivering blessings to the souls of the Earth. That is when all of the heavenly peace of this vision faded away.
I have recently realized that this vision must be for God’s people because it is a view of the world to come. I also believe God wants His people to know His glory is coming to those who believe in Him, possibly very soon, because there are parallels between the vision of an emerging Jesus-filled world and the deployment of the Sky-Link satellites.
While viewing the vision, God sent me a message that the straight lines I saw deployed along the longitudes and latitudes of the Earth were satellites deployed by the space shuttle. Therefore, this vision corresponds to the Sky-Link deployment of a matrix of satellites around the Earth by the Falcon 9 rocket. Here is an artist’s rendition of what Sky-Link satellites will look like when fully deployed.
The exciting part for me is that if this proves to be a valid interpretation of this vision, then the blooming of the Earth will soon follow the full deployment of the Sky-Link satellites. A world filled with Jesus is a world without evil, overflowing with abundance, and a return to the Garden of Eden.
I leave the interpretation to you. In closing, I must say that God’s vision that night was my life’s most vividly real experience, and I stand behind what I have communicated here. The question remains: what are we to do if anything? If I look into the history reported in the Bible, there are many examples of God directing his people to take action to separate themselves from evil. Doing some research here may help in understanding how God works in this regard. The stories of Noah, Moses, and Joshua come to mind.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to comment, as I look forward to making this a better document or hearing how this post has impacted your life and to possess the vision.
One day, my wife and I attended a prayer meeting at the home of a couple who attended our church. In this meeting, I experienced being a part of the bride of Christ. I will share this experience and provide insight into biblical passages that support what I experienced.
The meeting began with a socialization period in which we met several people who also attended our church. After this get-acquainted period, our hosts had us form a prayer circle, in which each person, in turn, had an opportunity to pray out loud for the intentions of their heart. As the first person prayed, I began hearing thoughts that were not mine. They were beautiful words, and not wanting to forget them, I promptly commenced memorizing them by repeating them several times in my mind. But soon, I realized that I was receiving more than just random phrases. I was experiencing the thoughts, memories, reflections, and feelings of the Bride of Christ on her wedding day.
When it became my turn to pray, I repeated what I had recollected from this beautiful experience. The next day, I wrote down what I had spoken during the prayer group meeting. Here is what I wrote:
The Experience of the Bride of Christ
We were alone in a beautiful room. It was a quiet time, a time of preparedness, for there was a great event to which none can compare. There is joy and happiness. There is anticipation, for we are the source of celebration. We are the focus of attention. There is no sound in the room, just the song of rustling linen.23
The quiet time is good for reflection upon the images of the old world. There were trials, tribulations, and threats of war. Looking back, I see wars, earthquakes, storms, floods, disease, famine, pestilence, and sin. The earth was fouled. There was the war with Satan and then the victory of souls. Eventually, confrontation came with the beast and the final victory—the deliverance and unity of the saved.
We are a new creation! We are the culmination of saved souls.24 We are one, comprised of many in God’s perfect image and likeness, assembled like the atoms of the bodies we once knew.25 There is great unity and power in the new creation. There is ecstasy in the bride.26 Every soul in the bride shouts with joy, for we all know that we confessed Him. We all know that we changed our sinful ways for Him. We all obeyed His commandments, and we all loved Him. We are so united when we think of Him.
How many times did He forgive us? How many times did He heal us? How many times did He save us from evil or keep us from harm? How endless is His love? Indeed, this is our hour. The preparation is complete.27
Someone knocks at the door. It is the Father, and He is beaming. He holds out His arm, and we take it and walk arm in arm. We enter the great hall, where the floor appears to be a single dark green emerald.28 In this room, the pews are crystal,29 the walls are gold, and there is no ceiling, just the sky. Winged angels dressed in white fill the seats. They are all gazing at us while singing the wedding song in seven-part harmony. We look for Him, but the aisle is too long to see the end. We walk, and we walk. We see Him! JOY! JOY! He is very handsome, and He smiles a big smile, and we see heaven in His eyes. We keep walking, and then we are there. The Father presents the bride. Jesus holds out His hand. Our heart sings as we take His hand. The angel, Gabrielle, conducts the ceremony, but we can think of nothing but Him. We say, I do. We hear You may kiss the bride. Anticipation! He comes closer, facing us. He lifts the veil, draws closer, and embraces us. Cheers and celebrations! We turn to face the assembly. We walk down the aisle. The angels are delirious. They sing, they fly, and they cause great explosions in the sky. A new, larger sun rises 30 over the altar behind us. A new world awaits us.
References
23. Revelation 19:8And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen, is the righteous acts of the saints.
24. Ephesians 4:15 – 16 But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
25. 1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one and has manymembers, but all the members of that one body, being many,are one body, so also is Christ.
26. Revelation 21:9 – 11 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
27. Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
28. Revelation 4:3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a Sardis stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.
29. Revelation 4:6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal.
30. Revelation 22:16 – 17 I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let him who hears say, Come! And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST DEFINED
Based on my experience of being a part of the bride of Christ, it is evident that the bride is the collective of saved souls, where each one has a role to play in the proper functioning of the whole. In my prayer, I stated the following:
We are the culmination of saved souls. We are one, comprised of many in God’s perfect image and likeness, assembled like the atoms of the bodies we once knew.
I believe the following scripture magnifies this concept:
Ephesians 4:15 – 16 But, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
This scripture implies a realization of oneness, where each soul is a viable and active member of the Bride of Christ. Jesus also spoke of this unity in the Gospel of John:
John 15:20-23 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
The Bride of Christ is pure and holy, perfect in every way:
Ephesians 5:25 – 27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Jesus also spoke to His disciples about the Bride of Christ in this passage:
John 14:2 – 4 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
So, Jesus states that He will come again and receive His disciples to Himself. What could this mean except that the Lamb and His bride become one?
Building on the scripture above, Jesus talks about the many mansions in his Father’s house. Could it be that these mansions exist in the spiritual New Jerusalem? The answer follows:
Revelation 21: 9 – 10 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.
Keep Your Lamps Burning
The Bride of Christ, the great city, the holy Jerusalem, comprised of God’s anointed, has her lamps burning brightly, which means she is prepared to enlighten the earth. To allow God’s illuminating flame to die results in being refused entry into the wedding feast and exclusion from the Bride of Christ as well.
Matthew 25:1 – 13 Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight, a cry was heard: Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him! Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered saying, No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us! But he answered and said, Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
In another parable of Jesus, He proclaims His followers shall walk in His light.
John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.
Jesus brought the light that leads us into everlasting life with God. He provides a light that enables us to cast aside our walk in darkness and live in God’s provision and bounty. In doing so, Jesus also passes this light on to us to illuminate the world. We, therefore, are to become like Him and do as He did until His return.
Matthew 5:14 – 16 : You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
The following scripture calls us to do even greater works as Jesus did.
John 14:12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
Jesus’s works demonstrate His loving compassion for His people because they enhance their physical and spiritual well-being. The following scripture communicates Jesus’s love and actions.
Luke 7:20 – 23 When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One or do we look for another?'” And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
But what are these works identified in John 14:12 above that are to be greater than those of Jesus? We can do more today because we have much more to give. For example, the sciences and technology of the modern world are vastly superior in every way than in the days of Jesus. Modern medicine has enabled us to do the mighty works Jesus did in his ministry. The insertion of artificial lenses can correct blindness for those who have glaucoma. Artificial joints can be inserted into the body to correct lameness, etc. In addition, because of technology, we can reach more people with the messages of Jesus. We can educate people via technology to give them skills that lift them from poverty and enable them to better provide for their families.
Despite all these excellent technological improvements, however, a vast number of people in this world still live in oppression and poverty. Even worse, it seems that we are losing the battle against evil as the world spirals downward into poverty and despair. There are homeless on our streets and tent encampments around the globe and even here in America. Military attacks in parts of the world are destroying the homes of innocent people, and displaced people are walking across continents, fleeing from this oppression, carrying whatever they can, sometimes even on their heads. Our governments and the people representing us have been either compromised or muted, and our news agencies distort the truth of all of this. Christians are under attack even in America by their government and, in some cases, are identified and treated as terrorist organizations.
Consequently, we also have an immense opportunity. We must give the world what we have, including the blessings from the Spirit of God and our goods, know-how, and technology! I will now present a few scriptures that support and clarify these statements.
1 John 3:16 – 18 By this, we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
We each have a distinct set of Spiritual Gifts that are the foundation of doing more wondrous deeds than Jesus. These must exist in every component of the bride of Christ.
1 Cor 12:8-12 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
Also, we have a call to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Luke 10:30-36 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now, by chance, a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine, and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you. So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?
Works like those identified in the above scripture demonstrate the love of the Christian, who takes action to better the lives of the less fortunate by sharing what she has. In doing so, she keeps her lamps burning and remains ready for the coming of the Lord.
The unity of the Bride of Christ is necessary for her perfection and for winning a war for the world against Satin. This unity is also required for the world to know that Jesus is the Son of God the Father. In support of this statement, I provide the following prayer of Jesus:
John 17:20 – 23 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
But we are not united today. How many Protestant denominations are there? How many sects of Catholics? How many factions are there inside each of these denominations? And what about the Jews? Are they an integral component of the bride of the Lamb? Please read this:
The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb
Rev 21:9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Yep, the Jews are a component of the bride, as the twelve tribes of Israel are the gates or doors to enter into the bride, the lamb’s wife.
Matthew 24:42 – 51 The bride is united in her devotion, direction, and commitment to doing the work that the Bridegroom left her to do. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
Do we believe that Jesus will return for a bride that is less than perfect? If the answer to this question is no, then the bride must be perfect. Therefore, this unity must be achieved before the Lord’s return.
The bride is to rule over the Bridegroom’s household until His return. We, therefore, are to demonstrate Jesus’ compassion for all of humanity. We are to feed them the spiritual bread that came down from heaven: Jesus, the Bread of Life.
What Actions Are We To Take?
Firstly, my experience in the prayer group meeting described a unified bride. The first step to achieving this state is to reach out in love to others, including our brethren in different denominations, to create the unity of the souls that constitute the bride. This action is not an effort to unite religious organizations with diverse interpretations of scripture, but rather a uniting of individuals across these organizations to work together to overcome the existing evil in the world today (What Has Been Done In Heaven That We Are To Do On Earth?, andWhat Has Been Done In Heaven That We Are To Do On Earth?). The next step is to identify and develop the spiritual gifts in the members that are necessary to guide and protect the bride on her mission of love. To heal the sick and strengthen the bride for spiritual battle. To prophetically know the devil’s plans and develop the strategies necessary for victory over the evil that seeks to destroy the church and the world. The bride is to identify and disseminate the truth through the prophetic, freeing all people from the deception of propaganda and lies from evil.
To take actions that legally displace the evil ones in power, who seek to eliminate religion, and then identify members from within the bride to replace them. To do this, start with local organizations around you, your town, county, and state, ensuring everything local is evil-free. In democratic countries, voting places must honestly reflect the will of the people. Doing so ensures that higher-level representatives will be affected, as voting is conducted locally.
The bride must recommend candidates as replacements for the compromised or misinformed. In addition, the bride must scrutinize the decisions of Judges according to the law. Those who violate the law must have their poor judgments published and face justice. The bride must replace them with an approved candidate. She must publish a list of the endorsed candidates in all elections.
Doing these things is designed to drive out evil and make us the God-fearing nation God wants us to be.
And so much more to achieve the above scripture’s requirements toward purity and power over evil.
Revelation 21:23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
Revelation 2:26 – 28 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations; He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels; as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star.
The sun that rose in my story of the bride had to be the Morning Star. The sun rose but then stopped low in the morning sky.
Isaiah 60:19 – 21 The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, Nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. Also, your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.
While growing up, I enjoyed watching The Twilight Zone on television. This TV program presented the real-life experiences of ordinary people that cannot be explained by science or the laws of nature. While there have been several Twilight Zone experiences in my life, this one is noteworthy because it reveals the power of God, divinely intervening in my life, to protect me from harm and possibly death.
A LIGHT IN THE NIGHT SKY AT FORT ORD
This experience likely occurred on the last Wednesday in October 1965, October 27th, just a few days after this picture was taken.
I’m in the back row, on the right, the one with the glasses.
It all started when I picked up my laundry from the Quartermaster after a long training day and carried it back to the barracks as the sun was setting. I could see the darkness falling through the long line of windows as I walked across the length of the billet to my bunk. I began stowing clothing into my footlocker when I noticed a faint glow illuminating the darkened sky outside. As I watched, it gradually grew until it lit up the entire street scene and eventually began pouring light into our poorly lit billet.
Soon, a few interested soldiers appeared on the street, looking up into the sky, some pointing toward the light source directly above them.
The light looked something like this.
Wanting to see everything they saw, I returned to the door to exit the billet. As I passed the windows again, I saw more soldiers entering the street.
When I reached the doorway, I encountered a group of about ten soldiers who were obstructing my access to the door. I did not recognize them; consequently, I’m sure they were not a part of my unit. They were having a great time joking, laughing, and engaging in banter with each other. So much so that they were oblivious to my need to move through them. So I asked them politely to make a way to the door for me. But nothing happened. It was as if they did not hear me. So, I asked again in a louder voice. But the result was the same. They just kept jamming as if I was not even there. I decided to go through them by pressing my shoulder on them if needed. When it came time to lower my shoulder to the soldier before me, I could not move him with the gentle force I exerted. So I slowly ramped up my exertion to its maximum, and still, I could not budge him. I would have had better luck pushing into a wall. In awe of this man’s strength, I moved back to see the face of this wall of a man.
When I saw his face, I was stunned. He was staring at another soldier, but he was not moving. There was no eye movement, blinking, or breathing. There were beads of sweat on his face, but they were suspended there, defying gravity, not trickling downward or dripping off. I then noticed that pure silence had displaced the everyday noises of active soldiers in a billet. I gazed at the other soldiers standing in the doorway. They were all frozen like manakins occupying a store window as if time had stood still. I gradually shifted my gaze back across the billet. All the men had halted in mid-stride. The entire scene looked like a video when the stop button is depressed. Then, the light streaming through the windowpanes caught my notice. I observed motionless dust particles suspended in the air, unaffected by air currents or gravity.
I turned back toward the soldiers in the doorway and wondered why everything had halted but me. Then suddenly, it all returned to normal, as if someone had pressed the play button again. The men frozen in the doorway resumed their banter from where they left off, and the sounds of the billet returned as well. I looked back toward my bunk and saw everyone moving around again as if nothing had transpired.
I peered through the windows and saw that the light outside had faded. So I navigated through the soldiers in the doorway, opened the door, and looked up into the sky. I saw a big ball of light ascending into the sky, gradually growing smaller and fainter as it rose, until it vanished, restoring the darkness.
I returned to my bunk, sat down, and saw no one discussing what had happened. Everyone went back to doing the things they had been doing before. Then, it dawned on me; they had nothing to remember. Their bodies were there, but time stopped for them, and therefore they did not experience what transpired. Their souls were unconscious. But then, why would I be the only one to experience what occurred? My answer would come soon.
The Company Clerk came in the morning and escorted me to the Company Commander’s office. Once inside the HQ, he checked with the Commander and directed me to go in. I marched in, did a left face at the center of the Captain’s desk, came to Attention, and saluted while shouting, “Sir, Private Gordon reporting as ordered, Sir.” The Captain firmly responded, “At ease, Private,” and I moved to Parade Rest.
The Captain then spoke in an agitated voice, “Gordon, did you know that you have a type 2 profile on your eyes?” I immediately replied, “Sir, Private Gordon does not know what a type 2 profile on his eyes is, Sir.” The Commander sighed deeply and sat back in his chair. Looking me straight in the eye, he said, “Son, it means that you can not be in an Infantry Unit. I will make arrangements for someone to get you reassigned. That is all.” I returned to Attention, saluted the Captain, did a left face, and marched out of his office. As I walked back to my billet, I wondered why I had to endure all of this training before anyone noticed my ineligibility.
It was not until much later in my life that I realized what a tremendous gift I had received that day. I had avoided being attached to an Infantry Unit in 1965, at the height of the Viet Nam ramp-up. Therefore, I received an extraordinary blessing!
These thoughts reminded me of the other times I had been removed from harm or guided away from danger. Some would call them miracles because they are scientifically indefensible. I now see them as God’s divine interventions in my life. All the encounters that I never told anyone because they would know I was crazy. Looking back at these experiences, I see a pattern of protection that has always been there for me. This incident was just another in a long chain of supernatural protections.
If this experience was an isolated event, there could be speculation about what happened that night at Fort Ord. But it is not an isolated event. After looking back and reviewing these other events, I have concluded that God has protected and guided me all along. I have written about these experiences in other posts as well.
Further evidence will appear in the experiences that I will be publishing here in the future. I hope they will lead you to believe that only God can do what I have described here. The direction of my life certainly changed course in that short, 12-hour span.
I eventually went to Vietnam, but not as a part of an infantry unit. In 1966/67, I was with the 618th Maintenance Company in the Central Highlands. I remember watching the Fourth Infantry Division’s convoy rolling eastward past us down Highway 19. I marveled as the line of their vehicles stretched out for miles as they moved past us and onto their Central Highlands targets. I wondered if any of the men I trained with were among them.
Only a few days later, we heard the sounds of their battles. We felt the ground shaking as the bombs and shells exploded miles away. The sounds of the explosions rumbled through the air like rolling thunder through the night. I remember lying in my bunk on one of those nights, thinking, I’m so glad I am not where those boys are today. As it turns out, the 4th Infantry Division took more casualties than any other unit in the Vietnam War.
Thank you, Lord. Praise God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
SEEKING JESUS 