The Palace was far more beautiful than anything we could have imagined or hoped for. Upon entering that first narrow and winding passageway, our hearts began to leap within our chests with excitement and anticipation. We were as children playing hide and seek running through that winding passage trying to be quiet yet unable to contain the sheer child-like wonder upon entering this place.  Shrieks of joy refused to be silenced when we no longer cared who heard or found us. A most thunderous racket to be sure! As we ran laughing our way through the maze-like passage, our feet suddenly slammed to a stop at what our eyes saw expanding before us.

We felt as if it would take an eternity to take in all the wonder that lay before us. (Indeed, it would.) We had entered the Palace that seemed as if it were a hallway of heaven itself.  You see, we were called to this Palace, made for this place where we were meant to stay until the wedding of the Bride which was soon to take place. Please don’t misunderstand me when I say “hallway”, for this hallway was unlike any hallway you have ever seen. I can only think of describing it as a hallway because its length was far beyond its width.  You could all at once see both sides to your right and to your left, but you could never catch a glimpse of what was up ahead by standing still.  If you wanted to see what was next in this massive and inviting hallway you had to continue walking forward.  The height of the walls soared high above where there was no ceiling at all. As we looked up where a ceiling may have been, there was instead an endless expanse of sky filled with mystery. 

All along the hall to our right was door after door.  Behind these ornate and beautifully handcrafted doors were rooms.  However, these were not just any ordinary rooms, but rooms that were prepared in advance for every one of us.  Imagine arriving for a stay at a hotel where you are greeted by a bored, half-asleep concierge who does not even look up to see who you are while telling you with a dismissive wave of the hand, “Pick whatever room you want, this is all there is”, as they stifle a yawn.   Well, this is nothing like that!  Here, there is a specific room for each one of us, lovingly thought out and designed and specially reserved for you.  No two rooms were alike.

As our eyes were drawn to the floor that stretched on further than the eye could see, we realized that every inch of this Palace was hand crafted and carved by the hands of the very Creator of the Palace Himself. Oh, what a magnificent Carpenter He is!  The entire floor was made of what looked to be about 24” X 24” squares.  Each one carved with a different yet most intricate design.  Our minds could not comprehend the meaning underneath our feet.  Our hearts exploded with gratitude at the privilege that was ours to walk on a floor designed with such pure love and detail.  We only guessed by its color that it must have been made from ancient and eternal gold. 

Continuing forward, there were always more doors to our right. However, to our left, as we progressed, we encountered something new and exciting every step of the way. It is here, at just such an encounter, where I wish to share with you what happened next. 

Stopping together to look, we saw a place that was filled with all kinds of furniture. The peculiar thing about the furniture though is every piece was covered. Magnificent pieces covered just as in a house where the owners planned to be away a long time. I began removing the coverings from some of the pieces but as I did so I heard a fearful voice behind me say, “Oh no! You can’t do that!  We have to keep them covered to protect them.” When I came to a grouping of very large covered chairs, I instinctively knew that each one of us was supposed to choose a chair, made just for us.  We knew that once we did, that chair would be ours for all of eternity. How could I possibly leave such a beautiful gift covered up? Heaven forbid! This chair was meant to be discovered and uncovered to see its magnificent workmanship! To feel its exquisite glory under your fingertips.  I boldly walked over to the chair that was mine where I saw the color of the rich wood peeking out at me from the bottom of the cloth.  At that moment, I could no longer fight the longing which had welled up inside of me to sit in this chair that was made for me. With pure desire, I grabbed the bottom corner of the cover and while yanking the cloth off I yelled, “I am not keeping this cover on mine!” 

Desire was not disappointed. What sat before me was the most breathtaking royal chair, just as you might imagine seeing in the King’s Palace. The cushion was plush and inviting with velvet color of deepest sapphire blue. As I sank into perfection, I could see the rest of the chair was extremely detailed with golden intricate carvings within the wood.  Intense joy and thankfulness surfaced from depths inside me as I closed my eyes in the glory of my chair. I was made for this.

“He raised us up with Christ the exalted One, and we ascended with him into the glorious perfection and authority of the heavenly realm, for we are now co-seated as one with Christ! Throughout the coming ages we will be the visible display of the infinite riches of his grace and kindness, which was showered upon us in Jesus Christ” Ephesians 2:6-7 (tPt)

Excerpt from “The Bride, the Palace, and the Wedding ~ a place in between”, by Beth Rodriguez