Where Death Casts Only a Shadow

Sometimes I get so excitedly curious to see not only the beauty of the restoration of all things, but to see the beauty which lies just beyond the curtain of time.

With such beauty captured by these natural senses, oh, how much greater it must be to behold the beauty just beyond this veil of my natural senses.

We are blessed with preachers and teachers who deliver great inspirational messages of faith—how to apply faith for healing, how to apply faith for financial breakthrough—but what about applying faith when entering “the valley of the shadow of death”?

We read about the stoning of Stephen, and while his physical body was shutting down, he said, “I see the heavens opened. I see the glory of God. I see Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

We often stand and watch, with our natural senses, the departure of a loved one. We watch their natural bodies often fight to live, and with that, we sometimes become distracted from focusing on their born-again spirit.

According to Psalms 23, that godly loved one is walking through a valley where the sun is shining bright through an open heaven. It’s on a clear day, not on some cloudy day, that a dark, distinct shadow is produced.

We look and see death casting its shadow upon the natural body, and we often become distracted from the glorious light shining forth in that valley all around them.

The flesh is a creature born of time, while the born-again spirit is a new creature—one born of that which is eternal.

I have come to think it must surely be a bright and cloudless day for that born-again creature as his physical body arrives in that valley in time.

It’s a known truth: shadows are the sharpest on a clear, bright day when the sun is low, either when it is rising or when it is setting.

The sun may be setting low over their physical being as we watch them taking their evening flight beyond this curtain of time, but just on the other side of that valley, the object (death) that casts its shadow will never be welcome.

As we look upon their natural bodies with our natural eyes, we can see that body sometimes fighting to live. That natural body, being a creature of time, has to do that. It’s the Word of God: all creation is groaning and travailing for the manifestation of the sons of God. It’s groaning for the restoration of all things. If something is groaning, then it’s because something is wrong.

It’s groaning because it knows something is not what it should be. God did not create that body to die.

No matter what we say or how much we love them, we can only walk with them so far in the physical sense realm. We walk with them so far, we hold their hand, and we let them know when they see Jesus it’s okay to let go of our hand and take hold of His.

We are not eliminating the truth of God’s Word: “They are presently the healed in Christ Jesus.”

We are not walking through that valley with them, and as we look upon our loved ones, we see death as it casts its unwanted shadow on the creature of time. Yet, through it all, we continue looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

The same faith that strengthens one to walk in healing is the same faith that strengthens one to face walking through that valley.

Remember this: it is not called the valley of death. It’s called the valley where only death can cast its shadow.

That dear loved one is not going through death itself. The closest that child of God comes to death is its shadow.

As the sun of time is setting upon their physical body and its temporal life functions, the heavenly light of some kind of new body is coming into closer view—a body that is alert and pain-free awaits their arrival.

The author of death wants to turn our focus away from the author and finisher of our faith. The author of death wants us to view their departure from the physical as some dark, cloudy, haunted valley. This is the final draw of satanic lies against the blood-bought believer.

We may sometimes see their body in an unwelcome state of being, but that doesn’t mean their spirit isn’t welcoming the view of a great band of angels in their midst. After all, He did say, “I will fear no evil (the author of death is evil), for Thou art with me (the author and finisher of my faith); Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.”

Oh, how great is that comfort of the Great Shepherd’s rod and staff, even when the physical appears to be uncomfortable.

Comforted by the supernatural, like Stephen when he was being stoned and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

According to Psalms 23, it’s a valley illuminated with the glory of God. It’s cloudless.

By faith in the Word of God, I am compelled to believe there is a beauty in that valley for the blood-bought child of God.

I think of Elijah—it’s like God sent a chauffeur-driven chariot to drive him the last mile home. He left here in a whirlwind, accompanied by a chariot of fire and horses of fire. A glorified limousine service.

It may look like that departing loved one is in a whirlwind, but be comforted—that chariot of fire and those horses of fire are nearby.

Remember, in viewing the flesh and its weakness, “never forget”: the Spirit is stronger than the gates of hell.

Gene Wiseman