Two Are Better Than One

(From: “Visions Beyond the Veil” by H.A. Baker)

Chapter 7 - The Kingdom of the Devil

Part B. - VISIONS OF HELL

Over and over again children had visions of hell and the lake of fire. The first time any one was under the anointing of the Spirit he usually had a vision of hell. He was bound in chains by demons and taken through a region of darkness. Some children could hear demons all about them in this region. If taken far they could see a dim light in the distance which proved to be reflections from the lake of fire. Some children were forced so near they could see the lake of fire ahead. All the time they were pleading the blood of Christ, asserting that they would not obey and would not be subject to the slavery of their captors. They believed Jesus would surely save. We have already told how at this climax, before the lake of fire was reached, the Lord did intervene with his blood bought salvation.

The Bible pictures hell as a place of blackness and darkness, (“Jesus said:- “And the rich man also died, and was buried. And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in the flame. But Abraham said,- between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they would pass from here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.” Luke 16:22-26.) And it teaches that part of the devil's angels are now reserved in chains of darkness awaiting judgment.

The children saw not only darkness in hell, but also

The Lake of Fire

that was always approached through a region of Stygian darkness. (“These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved.” 2 Peter 2:17. “The king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness.” Matthew 22:13. “God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto Judgment.” 2 Peter 2:4. “And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” Jude 6.) In vision they were led to the edge of a great lake of molten fire in a semi-dark pit from which arose clouds of smoke. When the smoke settled low the fire in the lake was less distinct. When the smoke lifted a little, the burning lake with red and greenish flames and its inmates could be distinctly seen.

When the children were peering down into this pit in hell we saw them taking a firm hold on some piece of furniture or getting down on their hands and knees, cautiously bending forward to peep into the infernal regions.

They looked a moment and then drew back, afraid lest they fall in. They were horrified at what they saw. Then very cautiously they looked again and drew back. Sometimes the children lay flat on their stomachs, lest they slip and fall while looking over the brink of the lake of fire.

The lost were seen going into hell. Some fell in, some walked over the brink, and some were bound by demon chains and cast into hell by demons., One boy saw groups of the wicked bound in bundles, ready to be cast into this furnace of fire. (“Again the kingdom of heaven is like a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind, which when it was filled, they drew up on the beach ... The bad they cast away. So shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire.” Matthew 13:47-50. “I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them ... As the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire.” Matthew 13:30 40-42.)

In the lake of fire were oceans of hands reaching up for help. Those below appealed to those looking in upon them to come to their rescue. We could hear the children talking to them just as you can hear some one talking over the telephone and get but one end of the conversation. We could hear one end of a conversation like this: “I can't help you.” “No, I cannot do anything for you.” “But when you were alive you would not obey the gospel.” “No, it is too late; before you got here I preached to you, but you made fun of me and despised Jesus. Now you know I told you the truth.” “No, I cannot do anything; this is the judgment of God.” “If you had obeyed, you would now be enjoying heaven with us.” After some such conversation the children were led away to enjoy the presence of Jesus in heaven or the glories of the golden streets of the Paradise of God.

Lazarus could see the rich man in hell tormented in flames, and the rich man could talk with Lazarus, but he could not cross the gulf. When Christ reigns as King of Kings upon the earth the redeemed nations will look upon the lost. (“All flesh shall come to worship before me, says Jehovah. And they shall go forth, and look upon the dead bodies of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” Isaiah 66:23-24.)

One boy saw his grandmother in hell, whom he had tried to win to Christ. She was once a sorceress and murderer who had withstood the gospel she heard in her village and caused many to refuse the light. Other children also had visions of relatives in hell. This tribal boy who saw his grandmother in hell was the boy who saw his little sister and his believing aunt in heaven.

There was no vision of any one in heaven or the name of any one on the mansions by the golden streets who did not trust in Jesus. Those in hell were all unbelievers. One night when the Lord spoke through a small boy in wonderful prophecy, among the things he said was, “There will be no one in heaven except those who believe the gospel.”

After the Lord had taken the boys and girls through most wonderful and systematic lessons in the Holy Spirit they nearly all came at last to

The Parting of the Roads

In this vision, repeated until it seemed the impression could never be forgotten, the one in vision seemed to be standing by the cross at the parting of the two great roads. The one was the narrow way of life that leads to heaven and glory; the other was the broad way to hell and destruction.

Great, busy, hurrying multitudes - multitudes hustling with business, carrying great loads of sin and rushing along with the affairs of life - were passing by in endless streams and countless numbers. The child was the preacher at the cross roads. Again we heard one side of the conversation: “Hello! my friend! Please wait a minute; I want to speak to you. Say, do not go down that broad road; it leads to hell and ruin. I have been down that way and have seen hell for myself. Stop here by the cross and let Jesus wash all your sins away. From the cross of Christ here you can start up this other road that will lead you to heaven and everlasting joy. Oh! that fellow does not believe it. There he goes on down the broad road. What a pity! I will stop this other man and see if he will believe. Hey there! Just a minute! Say, do not follow that crowd. They do not know where they are going. That road leads to destruction! It is the road to the lake of fire. Please don't go on that way. I am out here to stop as many of you as possible and give you fair warning. Better turn aside here, let Jesus wash your sins away, and go with us up the road to heaven where God is. Oh, there he goes, too!

“Here is another. Wait a moment! Say, come out of that crowd. Cannot you see that there is not one traveling back this way? They all go down that road; no one ever comes back. That is the broad road to hell. Stop here by the cross, believe the gospel of salvation through Jesus' blood, and you will be safe. There is no other road further on. This is the only road to heaven. Turn in here or you will be lost too.

“Oh, what a pity he does not believe me. There he goes with the others.”

Sometimes the youthful preacher would decide that if no one believed him he would follow the willful crowd to see what happened. When he arrived with the crowd at the brink of the lake of fire in hell, we heard him say, “Look at that crowd falling into hell! Not one escapes. Everyone goes in.” Slowly drawing near the edge of the pit and leaning over and looking down into the lake with its suffering multitudes, that preacher said: “I can not help you now. I told you all about this back there at 'the gospel cross roads,' but you would not believe. No, you would not believe, even if I could help you out, No I am helpless now. If you had listened when I warned, the Lord would have saved you; you came on and fell in because you would not take advice. No, I can't. I am going back to the cross roads to see if I can find someone who will listen, and stop a few at any cost.”

He was occasionally successful in persuading one to listen. Then he would say, “Now, you get down there at the foot of the cross of Jesus and pray. Oh, you don't know how to pray? Well, you say what I tell you. “Jesus, I am a sinner! I was on my road to hell. I am only fit for hell. The big load I carry is only sin. Forgive my sins and teach me to live only for your glory, amen.” There was rejoicing then as the sinner was saved and started up the narrow road, while the preacher went out to try to rescue another deluded traveler.

These visions, with some variation, were repeated many times, making it clear that salvation was only by repentance and belief in the blood of Christ, through the preaching of the gospel; that the many were called; that few were saved; that the road to destruction is broad and multitudes pass that way; that the way of life is narrow and few there be that find it. (“Enter in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straightened the way, that leads unto life, and few are they that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14). It was made equally clear that the Christian is to stand in the gap at the parting of the ways and persuade and warn to the limit of his ability.

We have told how the boys, even the small boys, went out at that time and preached on the streets with unction of the Holy Spirit, sometimes under direct inspiration such as we had never before witnessed. I will close this chapter with the story of

The University Student Who Went by the Cross Roads

Opposite our front gate lived a university student who was to have graduated from the university that year. After moving here I talked with him, asking him to come over and discuss the Bible and Christianity in a friendly way. He came a few days, and I felt certain he was convinced of the truth of what I said. The questions he raised seemed to be answered to his full satisfaction.

Through him I managed to get a chance to talk with some of the other university students during their vacation. I had been going to their rooms ten days, when there came the mighty outpouring of the Holy spirit upon
Adullam. The students were friendly, and I felt that the student I have mentioned saw clearly the truth of the gospel. I could see that, although he was polite, he was not disposed to accept the truth and did not seem to like the friendly way the other students responded to the Bible discussions.

One morning when one of our girls was out at our front gate it happened that this young university student was out there too. The girl began telling him he ought to be a Christian, in a simple way urging him to believe in Jesus to save him from his sins, make him a good man, save him from hell, and lead him to heaven.

'What's the use of my being a Christian? I do not need to be saved.'

'You might die suddenly in your sins, and you would go to hell.'

'Who are you' scoffed the student. 'You are a little snip of an ignorant girl, just a sort of useless beggar. What do you suppose you are trying to do? You are trying to teach me something when you are not worthy to even talk to me. I am a university student. I am wise. I have read many books. I have been many years in Peking. I can speak and read English as well as Chinese.' He then spit in her face and told her to mind her own business.

Two weeks later hearing a funeral commotion in the front alley, I was surprised to learn that they were carrying this university student to his burial; I had seen him on the street a few days before. One of the boys said that as we were going out to preach, a few days previous, he had offered this young man a tract, but he would not take it.

I knew nothing of this conversation with the girl. About a month later this girl was in a trance under the power of the Spirit. After seeing visions of heaven and the glories of the redeemed she stood still and bent over as though looking into hell. This is what I heard: “Ah! There is hell. No, I cannot; I have no power to help you now. You certainly are in an awful plight. It is you who are worse that a beggar now, all dirty, all filthy, and suffering in the lake of fire. In fact, you look worse now than any beggar I ever saw. I thought you told me you were rich and that you had a great education. Where is your education now? Well, I cannot help you now even if you do apologize. That may be, but I have no power. No, only Jesus can save you, but when I told you about Him you made fun of Him and cursed me.

“Look what we beggars who believe in Jesus have received in heaven: all is joy; all is happiness; all is love in the city of golden streets with its wonderful Paradise of God.”

The Righteous Scarcely Saved

Then the girl seemed to be crossing the lake of fire over a narrow bridge. We saw her walking as though she were walking a rope, placing one foot carefully in front of the other while extending her arm on either side until while extending her arm on either side until she recovered her balance. With a sigh of relief she said, “My! this is dangerous! But the Lord will help me. I will get across to the other side.” Then she carefully brought the other foot forward and nearly lost her balance again. She praised the Lord until she recovered her balance and proceeded as before. In this way having crossed the room, she seemed to be safely in heaven, past every danger of ever falling into the lake of fire.

Whatever the effect of relating these visions may have on others, these things have taught us in Adullam to believe more assuredly than ever in the reality of heaven and the Kingdom of God and the reality of hell and the Kingdom of the devil. More positively than ever do we assert that the way through this life that leads over the dangers of the lake of fire, the way that “over-comers” must travel, is like walking a rope which must be traveled step by step with fear and trembling. (“For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?” 1 Peter 4:17-18.) Only the Lord Jesus can sustain us in the balance so that we may not topple in to the right, or escaping that, fall to the left. We are surer than ever that God means for us to stand by the cross at the cross roads to point sinners to the narrow, little-traveled road that starts at the cross and leads by it on up to heaven and the life the Lord has prepared for them who love Him. How can any be saved without this salvation; how can any escape who neglect this salvation? “For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:2-3)?

NOTE: Notice Jesus words to the man delivered from the legionof demons, that caused 2000 pigs to drown in the sea. The delivered man wanted to follow Jesus as a disciple, but the Lord said, No - go home and share with the people there what God has done for you! (Mark 5:18-20). New convertsare extremely effective witnesses. They stand at the cross road, and some hear their word, and kneel at the Cross and receive the Lord's salvation through His blood; leave the dangerous broad way - and start to heaven on the narrow way through the straight gate! I was extremely like that at the beginning and won hundreds to make this decision. I still do it, but not as zealously as I did at the beginning. We should encourage all new converts like Jesus did, to make the most of their opportunity by going back to our own and witnessing to them! There isa heaven to gain - and - a hell to shun! J.A.W.