Letter to the Church Chapter Seventeen: In Prison; Prisoners Have Disappeared, the Prison Authorities Have Set Rewards for Those Who Find Them, but They Have Not Been Found Anywhere on Earth.
Yves Gashugi 
We are in 2018, I entered one of the prisons, not to serve a sentence given by the courts (to be imprisoned or rehabilitated), but to visit someone who had been sentenced by the courts. Upon entering, I was received by two prison guards who recorded my details, and I mentioned the person I had come to visit. As soon as I saw the prisoners, my eyes filled with tears, but I composed myself so as not to cry in front of the younger ones who had also come to visit their loved ones. Although my eyes concealed it, my heart was weeping, for I saw those who once had honor now looking like warriors who had fallen, without freedom, because of the crimes they had committed. Let me end my story here, but not without saying this: some or many are imprisoned by sin, deprived of the freedom God created them for. God is grieved because they have not made the right choices that lead to freedom. Therefore, flee so you do not die; flee from sin, for it brought down even the angels who disobeyed God (Genesis 19:17).
Prisoners Mysteriously Disappear
It was a regular day. East Africa is one hour ahead of Central Europe, and seven hours ahead of New York City in the United States.
It was in the evening after the prisoners had finished their meals and entered their rooms to sleep, as usual. The security officers locked the doors, and the surveillance cameras were working well. The alarm systems were also active, and security officers patrolled along the prison walls, doing everything to prevent anyone from escaping or entering the prison to disrupt the security of the inmates.
Evening turned into dusk, then night came, and soon it was midnight. In the middle of the night, there were loud cries from people in the city and the villages that people were mysteriously disappearing in different ways. The alarm in the prison echoed loudly, and the security guards were on high alert to ensure no one went missing, just like others had elsewhere. They fired warning shots to quiet the inmates in the prison. After calming the prisoners, the guards descended and started checking the cells. On the first floor, they found all the prisoners accounted for, but on the second floor, some prisoners were missing from their cells. The security tightened around the prison to ensure no one had escaped far, and they offered rewards for anyone who might have seen an escapee and reported it to the authorities, but no one saw anything.
The prison officers immediately informed the prison director, but when they reached his office, they found him missing as well. When they checked the security footage, they saw unusual images of people being lifted into the clouds, and upon closer inspection, they saw a great light in the sky. They quickly checked the list of missing prisoners and found that many were those who were part of the believers’ groups in the prison. They were known for their prayer life and had a testimony of good conduct among others.
Without a doubt, the Rapture had occurred, said one of the prison guards who had read about it in the Bible (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). They announced the news that the Lord’s trumpet had sounded, and indeed, the trumpet had sounded. Those outside the prison learned of the news, and their knees buckled as they mourned. They were like fallen warriors, bewildered by how the prisoners, who had committed serious crimes, went to heaven, even though they too had attended gatherings of believers (churches). Surely, what Jesus said had come true: “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Matthew 21:31).
Lesson and Conclusion
The believers of old longed for heaven so much that their greeting became “Maranatha” (The Lord is coming soon). But it wasn’t just that—they lived their lives according to the Holy Scriptures because they were focused on what they hoped for, acknowledging that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth, as they sought a better homeland (Hebrews 11:13). This is why even imprisoned believers, though they had committed certain sins, were taken up, because God does not think like humans nor does He give heaven through elections or popular opinion, but He predetermined long ago that those who believe in Him will inherit it (John 3:16; John 6:40). Therefore, let those who remain comfort one another with these words: Our Lord Jesus is near (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18).
It is possible that this story has made you think about your own end. It’s also possible that it has caused sorrow in your heart because sin is weighing down your soul. Therefore, the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear God’s voice, do not harden your heart (Hebrews 3:15).
