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"But, sir," I replied, "all of us here on earth are such wicked sinners.
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Is it possible that because of our sin the righteous dead are having to wait for their reward?"
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His answer was, "Can a pregnant woman keep her child from being born after her nine months are up?"
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"No, sir, she cannot," I answered. And he continued, "In the world of the dead, the place where God has stored the souls is like a womb.
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It is as eager to return the souls entrusted to it from the beginning of the world as a woman is to end her labor pains.
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When that happens, you will have the answer to all your questions."
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"Please, sir," I asked, "if you think I am able to understand it, can you
45
tell me one more thing? Is the time that is still to come longer than the past that has already gone by?
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I know how long the past has been, but I don't know the future."
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"Come here and stand at my right," he commanded, "and I will show you a vision and explain its meaning."
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So I stood by him and looked, and I saw a blazing fire pass by in front of me, and when it was gone, I saw that smoke was still there.