Journey to Heaven–A salmon is anadromous, which means it can adapt to both freshwater and saltwater environment. After spending a couple of years in the freshwater during the time of fry, they make their journey to the ocean to live the rest of their life in the saltwater. This process is called ‘smoltification’. During this period, they go through huge changes in the internal functions of their body. They regulate the amount of urination, intake of sodium, etc. In this way, they can adapt to their new environment as adolescent.
After living about 1~7 years in the ocean, which varies according to species, they finally make their final journey back to home. This is the last and long journey fraught with many dangers. During this journey they have to face many obstacles and difficulties such as predators, rapids, fishers, etc. Even though it is a dangerous journey, they bravely travel sometimes thousands of miles to find their home. Also somehow they have an amazing sense of direction for an unknown reason and find the exact river they came from and follow back to the place where they were originally born.
At the last stage of their life, they make this homeward journey to complete their mission. Now what they have to do is to change their body function back again to adapt to the freshwater. This time their body works reversely to take in more salt. The cells in their gills pump in more salt to match the salinity of their body. When this process is done, they can go all the way back to the original stream they came from. There they spawn to give new life to its young and die.
Our Journey Back To Eternal Home In Heaven
Our Life In This World Of Sea
Journey to Heaven–This journey of salmon tells us a lot about our life in this earth. Even though forgotten, once we lived in heaven. Because of our sins, however, we came to this earth. The moment we left the heaven, everything changed. Our body had to go through many internal changes. We had to take off our glorious robes and had to put on this weak and inferior clothes to live on this earth.
Just like the salmon, which continuously pumps salt out from its body to live in the ocean, we have to work hard to survive on this earth. It is because this is not a favorable place for us to live in. It is because this is not our true home. We did not know why we should go through many hardships and pains on this earth. We just accepted them because we thought life is always like that. Life is always full of pain. Instead of complaining, just accept it and try to adapt to it.
Our Eternal Home
Journey to Heaven–Through the bible, we come to know all the answers for all the ‘whys’ we used to have in our mind. We were once in heaven, the most beautiful place as angels. (Proverb 8:22, Job 381, :21) And the reason why we had to come down to this earth, the sea of sorrow and pain. (Isa 14:12, Eze 28:12) We left our home and living as “aliens and strangers” on this earth. (Heb 11:13, 1Pe 2:11) Also the bible let us know that we have to go back to our home. (Phil 3:20)
We were once drinking the salt water which causes pains in us without knowing the reason. Now the bible teaches us that we do not belong to this earth. And now is the time for us to go back to our eternal home in heaven where there is no pain, no sorrow, no death.
To go back home to the upstream in the river, first a salmon must change its body constitution. Its body has to go through huge changes in its physiological and hormonal functions. Now we are in a spiritual estuary where the homeward bound journey starts. To go upstream, first we have to change our body constitution to match the freshwater.
Just like a salmon going upstream overcoming difficulties, we have to make our journey back to have overcoming any obstacles.
The Journey To Eternal Home In Heaven
Born Again Into A New Life
Journey to Heaven–Just like a salmon in an estuary must adapt to the freshwater by making necessary changes in their body, we have to go through the same process. God’s people who received the words of God must now change themselves so that they can adapt to the words of God. Today, the freshwater which gives us a new life is flowing from the Spirit and the Bride.
Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
The water of life coming from the Heavenly Mother Jerusalem has power to give life to the dying souls.
Ezekiel 47:8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. 9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.
All the creature living in the sea of pain, sorrow and death can live because of the living water that makes the salt water fresh. To fulfill this prophecy, the Heavenly Jerusalem God the Mother came down to this earth as the bride of Christ and pouring down on us the living water to give us life. Now we should accept the living water coming from God the Mother and change ourselves to adapt to the new environment.
Homeward Bound Journey
Journey to Heaven–The homeward bound journey of a salmon is not easy. During the time they face a lot of dangers and difficulties. And only those who overcome all these things finally can go back home and end their journey. In the same way, the bible teaches us that we will face a lot of hardships and difficulties on this earth to go back home.
Act 14:22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
Paul, who said the verse above, lived up to his word by going through many hardships and difficulties. Many obstacles were laid in front of him to make him stumble and fall. However, he overcame all the difficulties. Nothing could stop his journey to the heavenly home.
2 Corinthians 11:23 I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
Angels Flying in heaven above
Conclusion
Journey to Heaven–When we successfully go through all these process, then we can go to the eternal kingdom of heaven. And just as the bible says we will have eternal glory in heaven. Even though we once lived in this world without knowing any reason and having any proper sense of direction, Father and Mother came down to us and showed us the bright way to heaven.
Just like the salmon, which goes upstream overcoming all the obstacles to go home, let us make every effort in our journey back to the kingdom of heaven. Don’t be troubled or dismayed. Don’t be let down or discouraged. God teaches us to overcome just like he overcame.
John 19:32 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
At the age of 60, I am sent to come backTell him I am still young and I cannot come. At the age of 70, I am sent to come back,Tell him I still have many things to do and I cannot come.At the age of 80 I am sent to come backTell him I am still durable and I cannot come. At the age of 90 I am sent to come backTell him I will come when I am ready and don’t urge me to do so. At the age of 100 I am sent to come back,Tell him I will come when the time and day is favorable.
At the age of 80, I am sent to come back,Tell him that I am upset and I cannot come.
At the age of 90, I am sent to come back,Tell him why I am sent again and I will come when I am ready. At the age of 100, I am sent to come back,Tell him I am looking for a day to go to paradise. At the age of 150, I am sent to come back,Tell him I am already in paradise.
This is the lyric of one famous K-Pop. In this song, she keep saying to the messenger sent by God to bring her soul back to heaven to tell God that she is not ready yet and at the end she refuse to come to God, but wants to live forever comforting herself that this world is paradise. There is a Korean say given to teach us the importance of life: A living dog is better than a dead prime minister. Life is so precious to us. That is why in this song even though her life on this earth is not favorable with many difficulties and hardships, but she comforts herself saying I am already in paradise. Isn’t living better than death even though it is full of sorrow and tears? This song is the wish everybody has on this earth and nobody wants to die since they think death is the end and there is nothing after. But the bible teaches differently.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 And the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Even though our body (dust) which was taken out of the dust of ground goes back to the dust of the ground, but the bible says our spirit still exists and goes back to God who is in heaven. I means when we leave the physical body behind on this earth, we will go back to eternal heaven where our Creator is. That is why King Solomon says that we must remember the spiritual world we will go back.
Ecclesiastes 12:5 Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets. Remember him–before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken.
Before we die, we must remember God and Heaven, and we must prepare to enter the spiritual home which is eternal and everybody lives forever. Then how can we prepare to go back to heaven? Solomon continues to say, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” God gave us his commandments to lead us back to the eternal home. To go back to the place, we must remember where we came from and how we can go back there again. All the story is recorded in the bible to let us know our origin and the meaning of our life on this earth and the spiritual world we will face after our life.
Hebrews 11:15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country–a heavenly one.
Only those who remember the place they came from and make efforts to get there will have chance to go back to our spiritual home. It is the home of our soul that we must go back after we take off our physical body. Let us remember our origin and make effort to find the way back home. And let us eagerly wait for the day when we will go back to the place where there is no pain, sorrow, tears, and nor is there death anymore. When we realize our true home, then we will scorn this miserable life on this earth and eagerly start our journey to the spiritual home. Then we will be able to say boldly like Paul.
Philippians 1:23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
He eagerly wanted to put aside this earthly tent of body to receive the eternal body in heaven. We will also go back to that eternal world. God teaches us to remember the spiritual home and follow his commands to get there. To teach us the way to the kingdom of heaven, the second coming Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother, our spiritual Father and Mother came down to this earth. If we had known the way back, they would not have come. But since we don’t know and sing along “Tell him I will not come,” out of ignorance, God came down to us and teaches us that there is far better world waiting for us and tell us to go there together. We should look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. (2Pe 3:12)
