The Deceased speak out. Dieter Scharnhorst

that stood there lonely in the desolate field. Here the sister said to him:

      "We enter here together, for the high spirits of heaven have descended near you to judge you, for we cannot ascend with you to those heights where they dwell, but they have now pitched their tent there, they have come a long way towards you into the world where you must live in the future.

      The brother listened anxiously to his sister. He hesitated to enter and asked her that she would have this judgment delayed somewhat. He said that there must be the possibility that he might first make amends for this or that in this new world so that he might not have to appear before the high heavenly judges so guilty. She should pray with him to improve his condition. But his sister had to tell him:

      "Now it is very late. You should have come to this realization in your life. We cannot wait here, for the angels of the judges have long been ready to receive you, and I must obey the law and the instructions. So now I have to present you to the judge-angels. But you mustn't be frightened, I'm with you."

      She said this to him with comfort. He need not be afraid and she added that it would certainly not be as bad as he thought. For his fear was so great that he had asked several times that the sister would wait a little longer, that he would pray first and that she would teach him what to say. But she could not meet him any further and spoke:

      "Dear brother, do not be afraid any longer. You see, I have become an angel of heaven, and I will now stand up for you as your intercessor. With this she took the brother by the hand and entered with him a very simple room in this pitched tent, which looked half like a house. There were a few seats, just enough for everyone. And here sat the three angels of God.

      It almost seemed as if they had not paid any attention to the people entering, because they were talking to each other. But then the angelic being, the sister, stepped in front of the three high siblings and said

      "I am here, and have brought my one and only brother."

      She introduced herself and said:

      "I am his intercessor."

      Now that his sister had stepped behind him and held his hands protectively on his shoulders, the brother got a somewhat secure feeling. An angel of God asked her:

      "Won't you sit down?"

      But the intercessory angel replied:

      "Let us wait a little while longer and then sit down."

      For this angel felt her brother tremble, and that she could protect him better if they stood upright before the three judging angels. And one of them said:

      "And so will we rise, if you desire to stand before us. And one of them spoke and asked, the one who had returned home:

      "What will you bring us to eternity?"

      He was astonished at this question and had no answer for it, he knew nothing to say and looked for his sister seeking help. But already she said: '''Yes, my brother in particular brought nothing with him, but he is of good will, whereby he will make up for everything he neglected in his earthly life. "I will stand up for him and lead the way that it will be done."

      A judge's angel replied to this:

      "It is praiseworthy what you are planning, high sister. But you know that one usually brings something valuable from the earthly world. We are always happy when we are surprised in this way, for the earthly world also produces spiritual wealth and we would like to see some of it. It is customary that after a long absence one brings a gift to one's relatives that pleases them. We know that it is so common among people, and it is also common among us in the spiritual world to bring something valuable to us after such a long absence.

      Hesitantly, the returnee asked:

      "What is it that I should have brought you?"

      And the angel replied:

      "The good works! Have you not heard of the good works that must be done in human life to win the kingdom of heaven?

      Do you know nothing of them?"

      And already the high sister replied:

      "Yes, he does know, but he expected that there would still be time for him to make up for what he had missed, he did not expect sudden death. Only with maturity does man come to the realization of what one must do for heaven. This was also the case with my brother, and therefore, dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to be lenient and to show consideration for him, for he has unexpectedly departed from his world early and unexpectedly.

      At these words the three angels of God nodded to each other with a benevolent smile. They knew that this sister had so many good words to offer in defense of her bodily brother, and they spoke in unison:

      "You speak well and good of your brother, but you know

      What has been neglected in life on earth must, as far as possible, be made up for in the world of God. How do you imagine this, how could we accept such a brother into our ranks who knows nothing of good works?"

      But the high sister immediately fell into their hands:

      "I will teach him what good works are, I will lead him through them. I assure you that he will do them, that what he has failed to do in human life he will make up for here with his good will."

      So there was a lot of back and forth, and the brother gradually calmed down. He was no longer so afraid and stopped trembling. For now he felt the influential position of his sister and he also saw how these three strained angels became kind and smiled to each other as if they wanted to say

      "Surely we can't argue with this sister's objections." Then one of them said:

      "Isn't it better that we all sit down at once to discuss his future and his good will?"

      The brother and the good sister were quick to join in. Now she no longer needed to lay her hands protectively on his shoulders, now one could talk about his future with relief. The high sister had then spoken about the future, that she was ready to teach her brother, to guide him through the process of purification and to make him do what was actually required of him. So she wanted to take over the leadership of her brother. But one of the three judging angels objected:

      "Dear sister, your duties are already so many-sided, and we believe it would be advisable for you to continue with your present duties. You could look after your brother from time to time."

      But she said, as an intercessory angel, she stood up for her brother. She also considered it to be one of her tasks to guide her bodily brother through the first period, for he might otherwise not be able to find his way in the spiritual world, and his ascent would be hindered thereby. She added that she had more than enough time for the brother. There the three angels had no more objections. But before they said goodbye, they wished the high sister good success in her brother's leadership, and they said

      "Later, we'll see how far you've come with him."

      That was how they had said goodbye to each other. Now the returnee was delighted and all fear was suddenly taken away from him. He did not know how to thank his sister. But now both of them were still standing in the middle of this wide field, there was no end to this desolation in sight.

      "Where am I to live here? he asked, or can I return to my earthly home to my relatives, for they are in great need of help.

      And he asked further:

      "Why don't you come with me? We can live together in my family's house."

      "No, that is not possible', she replied, 'we will be with yours very often without living with them. Until now I have been with them again and again, and now we want to go together. But for now we must look for your apartment."

      Finally the wasteland came to an end and it did not take long until they came to a spiritual village where they met many spirit brothers and sisters who were all so nice and were happy if someone came to live in their village as well. They both went from house to house and the sister asked where there was still a free place for her brother. But she did not have to look for a long time, for already they came to meet her and welcomed