“After his suicide was accomplished, Judas lifted up his eyes in a black flame of darkness.

He remembered his betrayal and his defection… his silver thrown… the eyes of his master as he kissed him in the garden.

Tormented by his thoughts he wept and gnashing his teeth and tongue he opened his eyes to see far off beyond a great gulf a speck of light which was paradise… he saw Abraham and Issac… holding hands and dancing… Jacob and Rachel sitting and watching children play… and at that moment appeared a thief, unrepentant and standing in the midst of the patriarchs… with rejoicing, they all stood and began to dance.

He heard faint music and closed his eyes…

His thoughts turned in his pain to the words of his master as he spoke to the 12… and to the thousands…

Parables of lost things and sorrow filled him…

The lost sheep… wandering off and leaving his flock… and the goodness of the Shepherd leaving the ninety nine and going after the one… returning with it laid on his shoulders rejoicing…

The woman’s lost coin as she searched diligently, sweeping frantically and finally finding it.. and rejoicing and throwing a party for her friends because what had been lost was found and had never lost its value…

The lost Son… and his good Father.
The boy wasting his inheritance…
feeding pigs and longing to return home…

Lost son… son of perdition.

I have lost none but the son of perdition he remembered… that the scriptures may be fulfilled… and then…

The skies above both hell and paradise were split… as light poured in… light that dwarfed even that of paradise… a shout of triumph rained down to him…

and in paradise, a man appeared… a lamb as it had been slain stood with a thief who was jumping and shouting for joy…

The black flame turned to red and yellow…
and the great gulf between paradise was filled with blood like water and across the gulf came the lamb walking on the blood like water… as he approached the darkness receded and he saw that The Father and Spirit were standing behind him… he turned and seen them and was touched on the shoulders from behind.

He turned to see his master… who came close and kissed him on the cheek…

and Judas wept…

The Voice so loud the worlds of both paradise and hell shook… He held up keys… one said grave… one said death… and one said hell…

He spoke and said I am here to announce my crucifixion… here to preach to all you who were from Noah’s time and to you… Judas… one of my twelve…

I have died!

Come captivity…follow me… were going home.”

By Dusty Harrison