People we would be surprised to see in Heaven Part 2

One who remained deceived to the end by false science and false philosophy was Julius Streicher. He was the notorious Jew-baiter. On the morning of the execution he stood at the foot of the steps which led up to the hang rope. He made no reply when told to state his name, but marched up the steps, raised his bent arm salute, shouted 'Heil Hitler!' and went to his death. God's miracle of forgiveness and salvation had been rejected.

Disgraced but not Rejected

A very recent testimony of God's mercy was reported in the Daily Telegraph on June 10th, 1999. Jonathan Aitken, disgraced former cabinet minister, was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment for lying to the High Court. But while he was held in a cell on the day he was charged at Chelsea police station, he had spent five hours reading Mark's Gospel.

This should have been a time of deep despair - the worst day of my life. Not so. For I had such an overwhelming sense of God's presence in the cell with me that I was at peace. However, I do not think I had fully appreciated the simple truth that being a Christian has little to do with external appearances and everything to do with internal commitment of the heart.

Aitken announced that he would be training for the Christian ministry after he was due to leave prison in the year 2000.

A Cruel Japanese War Crime Tyrant

In a condemned cell of Jehore's prison, Hayashi Sadahiko was talking:

I was not forced to join the Kempeitai (military police). I was asked and urged to join. When I was first made to treat the men cruelly, I hated it. At my first turn of duty I loathed it. The second time, it did not feel so bad. On the third time I hardly felt it. After that I said to myself, 'They aren't people! They're just things! Things! I did not care what I did to them. Now I must die, and I'm only thirty-two years old. It isn't men who are punishing me. This is heaven's punishment. God cannot forgive me! I've been too wicked - too cruel - the spirits of the dead curse me! Yet I cannot die. The spirits of the tortured are waiting to pounce on my soul and tear me to pieces. I'm terrified of dying - but when will it be?

Miss Henty, the missionary, felt a pang of pity, yet he deserved what he was going to get. Why should he escape? Why should he get forgiveness from God? Why should she tell him how to get it? Yet that was her duty as a missionary. She was not the divine Judge. 'Return to your right function! Leave the rest to God - anyway he might not repent.' She rebuked herself: Did not the suffering Christ forgive the repentant dying thief while he was hung by his side nailed to the cross?

The Malayan jailer marched backwards and forwards in front of the prison's iron bars. Soon the half-hour allowance would be up, so Miss Henty commenced pleading to Hayashi to tell God that he was sorry - terribly sorry for all his sadistic cruelty, but there was no response.

How on earth had she been pulled in to deal with the case! This wasn't her area either - and not her job. There was supposed to be an Army chaplain somewhere. She'd come from seventeen miles away only to bring spiritual comfort to those emaciated shattered British soldiers, and to bring the Good News of new life in Christ to 24,000 Japanese prisoners who were gradually being repatriated back to their own country.

It was one of those British soldiers, a Christian, who pleaded with her twice to speak to the tormented tyrant and take a Japanese Bible to him. She objected that she was not allowed to. She had no authority. Even the governor of the prison was not allowed to give it. 'I'll ask God to make it possible,' said the soldier.

Then the miracle happened. She bumped into an old friend. In surprise she asked,

'What brings you here?'
'I've been made a member of the Crimes Commission!'
'Oh! Can you get me permission to visit the Japanese war tyrant?'
'Of course I can! But don't forget that his cruelty is notorious. The Crimes Commission are very unlikely to let him escape hanging!'
'That's not what I want to see him about!'
'Oh, I see, well you'll find him a tough problem! Do you really think you can get him converted?'