My Glimpse of Eternity
Betty Malz, published by Spire Books.
About the book and her "near-death" experience, the inside cover reads: "We all wonder what life after
death will be like. Upon occasion God breaks into human lives to give us a glimpse
of what lies ahead for us. In
My Glimpse of Eternity, Betty Malz describes her experiences on the other
side of that dividing line we call 'death.' Her vivid account is good news for
all of us haunted by our own mortality, for it provides an emphatic, 'Yes, there
is life after death.' But it is also the story of how God worked through Betty
Malz's life, 'death' and new life to bring her closer to Him."
It must have been sometime around 5:00 A.M.
when my body functions apparently stopped, much as they had earlier in the day.
Only this time there was no one at my bedside to call for the emergency equipment.
"The transition was serene and peaceful. I was walking up a beautiful green
hill. It was steep, but my leg motion was effortless and a deep ecstasy flooded
my body. Despite three incisions in my body from the operations, I stood erect
without pain, enjoying my tallness, free from inhibitions about it. I looked
down. I seemed to be barefoot, but the complete outer shape of my body was a
blur and colorless. Yet I was walking on grass, the most vivid shade of green
I had ever seen. Each blade was perhaps one inch long, the texture like fine
velvet.; every blade was vibrant and moving. As the bottoms of my feet touched
the grass, something alive in the grass was transmitted up through my whole
body with each step I took.
"'Can this be death?' I wondered. If so, I certainly had nothing to fear. There
was no darkness, no uncertainty, only a change in location and a total sense
of well-being....
"...I saw no sun--but light was everywhere. Off to the left there were multicolored
flowers blooming. Also trees, shrubs. On the right was a low stone wall...
"...We [she was traveling with an angel] came upon a magnificent, silver structure.
It was like a palace except there were no towers. As we walked toward it, I
heard voices. They were melodious, harmonious, blending in chorus and I heard
the word, "Jesus." There were more than four parts to their harmony. I not only
heard the singing and felt the singing but I joined the singing... After a while
the music softened, then the unseen voices picked up a new chorus. The voices
not only burst forth in more than four parts, but they were in different languages.
I was awed by the richness and perfect blending of the words--and I could understand
them! I do not know why this was possible except that I was part of a universal
experience.
"While the angel and I walked together I sensed we could go wherever we willed
ourselves to go and be there instantly. Communication between us was through
the projection of thoughts. The words sung in all the different languages were
understandable, but I don't know how or why. We all seemed to be on some universal
wave length..
"The angel stepped forward and put the palm of his hand upon a gate which I
had not noticed before. About twelve feet high, the gate was a solid sheet of
pearl, with no handles and some lovely scroll work at the top of its Gothic
structure. The pearl was translucent so that I could almost, but not quite,
see inside. The atmosphere was somehow filtered through. My feeling was of ecstatic
joy and anticipation at the thought of going inside.
"When the angel stepped forward, pressing his palm on the gate, an opening appeared
in the center of the pearl panel and slowly widened and deepened as though the
translucent material was dissolving. Inside I saw what appeared to be a street
of golden color with an overlay of glass or water. The yellow light that appeared
was dazzling. There was no way to describe it. I saw no figure, yet I was conscious
of a Person. Suddenly I knew that the light was Jesus, the Person was Jesus...
I felt bathed by the rays of a powerful, penetrating, loving energy.
"[As she began to return to her body]..I looked into Terre Haute (Indiana) as
the worlds of spirit and time and space began to fuse back together. Ahead of
me were many church steeples glistening in the morning sun. I was suddenly aware
of God's love for all His churches. It was a sudden bit of knowledge, as if
I were being told this on the inside by the Holy Spirit. At that moment I loved
all His churches too; and as my prejudices dissolved, I loved all His people."