By-way to hell

Then I saw in my Dream, that the Shepherds had them to another place, in a bottom, where was a door in the side of a Hill, and they opened the door, and bid them look in. They looked in therefore, and saw that within it was very dark and smoky; they also thought that they heard there a rumbling noise as of fire, and a cry of some tormented, and that they smelt the scent of brimstone. Then said Christian, What means this? The Shepherds told them, This is a by-way to hell, a way that hypocrites go in at; namely, such as sell their birth-right, with Esau; such as sell their Master, as Judas; such as blaspheme the Gospel, with Alexander; and that lie and dissemble, with Ananias and Sapphira his wife.

Then said Hopeful to the Shepherds, I perceive that these had on them, even everyone, a shew of Pilgrimage, as we have now; had they not?

Shepherds: Yes, and held it a long time too.

Hopeful: How far might they go on in Pilgrimage in their day, since they notwithstanding were thus miserably cast away?

Shepherds: Some further, and some not so far as these Mountains.

Then said the Pilgrims one to another, We had need to cry to the Strong for strength.

Shepherds: Nay, and you will have need to use it when you have it too.

By this time the Pilgrims had a desire to go forwards, and the Shepherds a desire they should; so they walked together towards the end of the Mountains. Then said the Shepherds one to another, Let us here shew to the Pilgrims the Gates of the Celestial City, if they have skill to look through our Perspective-Glass. The Pilgrims then lovingly accepted the motion; so they had them to the top of a high Hill, called Clear, and gave them their Glass to look.

Then they assayed to look, but the remembrance of that last thing that the Shepherds had shewed them, made their hands shake, by means of which impediment they could not look steadily through the Glass; yet they thought they saw something like the Gate, and also some of the Glory of the place.

Then they went away and sang this song,

Thus by the Shepherds secrets are revealed:

Which from all other men are kept concealed

Come to the Shepherds then if you would see

Things deep, things hid, and that mysterious be.

When they were about to depart, one of the Shepherds gave them a Note of the way. Another of them bid them, "beware of the Flatterer". the third bid them, "take heed that they sleep not on the Inchanted Ground". And the fourth bid them, "Godspeed". So I awoke from my Dream.

Interpretation:

Shepherds are prophets appointed by God to the Body of Christ in the second place. The prophetic ministers warn us against the by-way to hell, a way that hypocrites go in at; namely, such as sell their birth-right, with Esau; such as sell their Master, as Judas; such as blaspheme the Gospel, with Alexander; and that lie and dissemble, with Ananias and Sapphira his wife. Saints who have entered the Wicket Gate and experienced deliverance at the Cross and the Sepulchre can also be deceived to take the by-way to hell. Apollyon putting on the garb of the Angel of Light (Antichrist) leads them astray. As such, the ministry of prophetic ministers is intended by God to warn us and to reveal us secrets which are kept concealed from all other men. They teach us things deep things hidden and mysterious. They are our shepherds in tents.

Perspective-glass in a high hill called Clear is given to us by these prophets to look at the gate of the Celestial City. According to the measure of our faith, we are able to see this gate through our prophetic eyes. When our prophetic eyes are opened, we get a clear vision.

Christians who have not come through the Wicket Gate and the subsequent Cross and the Sepulchre are also likely to fall into the by-way to hell, the way that hypocrites tread - those who sell their Master or their birth-right in exchange for money, those who blaspheme the Gospel by denying their faith and backsliding, those who lie and dissemble like Ananias and Sapphira his wife had sold their properties but coveted a part of the same by lying to the Holy Spirit.

Hypocrites are those who practise a form of Christianity different from the Christianity practised by true disciples. A person who has not met the Lord at the Wicket Gate and the subsequent Cross and the Sepulchre can become an Easu or a Judas having been enticed to money or materialism. Many persons desiring to go to the Celestial City without the Wicket Gate had stumbled in the side of the hill and fallen into the deep pit. They are the deceived ones who go to churches and become religious and not spiritual. They have head knowledge about Jesus Christ but do not know Him personally. It is the duty of the pastors in local churches to minister to these deceived persons personally to bring them to the saving knowledge of the Lord.

There was a door in the side of a hill that leads to the hell fire. Those who attain high spiritual experiences may also fall into the hell if they continue to live in the sin. This by way to hell is just near the Celestial City. In the eleventh hour, before reaching the Celestial City, a saint may fall down and deny the Lord.

Next............Meeting Ignorance