by T. C. Driver
“Look at the globe!” Joe demanded.
“Ok,” I said. “Well?”
“Look at it, Cornelius!” he sighed.
“Ok. What?” I said again.
“The Isles Cornelius point at the Isles!” asked Joe.
I pointed and said, “You must mean the South Seas, but some people might think of the British Isles, Joe.”
“Good job” said Joe. “Read and study all of Isaiah again tonight. Then recite Jeremiah 33:3 and remember: As in the days of Noah. So shall it be. Jesus in the flesh will soon be here.”
“Slow down, Joe,” I answered. “Calm down!”
“Calm down? Did you notice that Osoma did not stop in Panama because of all the riots and the civil unrest?”
“Yes, I heard it on the local news,” I said. “Osoma's men said it was too dangerous.”
“Yes, Cornelius, that's my point,” answered Joe. “Even a nobody like President Osoma has advance men. What about the 'King of Kings', the 'Lord of Lords'?” Joe lowered his voice. “I have a plane ready for us in the morning, a trainer with two seats. It is very light-weight. Only ¼ tank of fuel. I'm taking a chance on you, Cornelius! Do not speak of our trip!”
“Sure, Joe” I said, saluting. “No problem!”
“Have you finished reading Whitt's book?”
“Yeah Joe, I read most of it and some of it twice. It makes some sense. I still don't get all that math stuff” I replied.
“What did you learn about the Spaceport?” Joe asked.
“Well...” I paused. “What, Joe?”
“That some places on Earth, near the equator take less energy to land and take off from, Cornelius.”
“Yeah, you're right, Joe”
“Why did God (when he strived with man) often appear on the tops of mountains?”
“Maybe it was for the solitude Joe.” I suggested.
“Notice that Jerusalem and the great Pyramid are both very close to the center of land mass on earth. Both on a mountain, or high ground, and both have a sturdy, hard rock surface.”
“Ok, Joe. Get to your point...keep going,” I answered.
“What did God's chosen people do when they first entered the Promised Land? They killed giants, Cornelius! God helped them kill the giants! These giants were descendants of the 'Sons of Gods'. God promised the land to Abraham. God always keeps his promise. 'Sons of God' have boundaries and mission guidelines. They are not perfect like Jesus. They work for, and report to, God. I understand that you have a grown son, also Cornelius?”
“Yes Joe,” I said.
“Then you know! Fathers step back, but then sometimes have to step in and correct, even fix, mistakes! Whitt spoke of two groups (that he knows) of 'Sons of God' who were on Earth and doing advance work. One group moved from Eden to the British Isles, where they stayed a short season. Ephraim is England! Note that E-nock was taken up like Jesus after his resurrection. E-nock did not die!”
“The other group of 'Sons of god were not allowed to take root. God had them leave. They were in the South Seas or 'The Isles' and were not allowed to continue here on Earth. All part of God's promise. A promise from God is as good as life gets.”
“Look at the globe, Cornelius! Pretend you are a 'Sons of God' in a large craft approaching earth from space thousands of years ago. Of course, you know all about earth. You have been here before, working for God. You know about Jerusalem, the group in England, the old Garden of Eden. And you have rules and a mission of some kind. In the great heavens you are alone with God. Satan and his Demons do not have the ability to space travel. But God has thrown down Satan onto this Earth. His demons even approach and fight God's angels here on Earth. You are a servant of God, not scared, but yes, on your toes; ready to be tested. Like a zookeeper approaching their charge. What happens if you fly in over the Great Northern land mass? Yes, you make a spectacle of yourself. You announce your coming. People will follow you, write about it; talk about it for thousands of years (like the star of Bethlehem). This may not be your plan. What if you don't want to announce your coming, for some reason? Maybe it's God's rules, maybe not. For some reason we don't know. No, you don't have magic or total God power over technology. You are real men in your own real spaceship who work for God. God does not zap you into an invisible butterfly or a giant pumpkin or stop time. Yes, you do pray! You are not a god. How would you approach Earth? You're a fighter pilot!”
I thought “Well, Joe, I would approach the Earth from behind the sun; always using the sun's blind spot to hide my approach through the solar system. When the position was right, I would hide behind the moon. Then again, at the right time, I would approach the Earth across the South Seas over mostly water then land on a hard, flat, landing spot on top of a mountain, near the equator to save fuel for landing and take-off.”
“Yes Cornelius very good. Do you see any place like that on the globe?” asked Joe.
“Yes, right where we are now!” I answered.
“When you landed, what would be the first thing that you would do? The very first?” asked Joe, smiling. “You would worship God, Cornelius. Maybe even build a tabernacle like God taught Israelites to do when God was 'with' them in person, kind of like he is 'with' his 'Sons of God'! God does not change! Things would be done the same way God's way!”
“Do you mean they would build a church on the rock? Is that what you're saying, Joe?”
“Exactly, Cornelius”
“Now I think you may be on to something, Joe!” I said. “Have you met Mel?”
“Who,”
“Mel,” I replied. Mel told me his church was in a different season!”
“I don't know any Mel, Cornelius! Listen! This one group of 'sons of God' in the South Isles had a job to do, but that job did not include 'taking root' in the Earth! God had a covenant with the Israelites. God only lets 'Sons of God' go so far. Seasons change by God's timetable. Read Isaiah 40:21. Look what unseen things God has done for Abraham. Others would have taken over. But god kept his promise! God kept his 'Sons of God' in line; including their 'giant' kids!
(21) Have ye not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood from the foundation of the earth?
(22) It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and speadeth them out as a tent to dwell in!
(23) that bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity
(24) Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
(25) To whom them will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? Sayeth the Holy One
(26) lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
(27) Why sayest thou, O Jacob and speakest, O Israel, my way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God?
(28) Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard that the everlasting god, the Lord, the creator of the end of the earth, faintest not or is weary? There is no searching of his understanding.
(29) He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might be increased strength!
(30) Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall!
(31) But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles: they shall not be weary; and they shall walk, not faint!
“The season of the coming of the king our lord Jesus or the king of kings is closer every day Cornelius!
As I was leaving chief of staff Friday came into Joe’s office with a stack of papers.
“Wait a minute Cornelius!” said Friday, “I have to know! Island Three, Ok now how did you do it?”
“Do what Friday,” I asked. Friday was fuming mad! “Ok enough already!” Friday yelled out “It was a great stunt Cornelius now out with the truth!
“Really no kidding Friday” Cornelius pleaded “What, I’ve not a clue about what you’re talking about, I’m being serious” (Joe Coe stood at his desk shaking his head)
Friday slammed down his papers on Joe’s desk and said. “The day Lou Goodliar and Sergeant Pepper briefed the crew on the radio tower construction project I flew the brass up to the top of that mountain. You, Cornelius, left for Island Number two as part of Unks rescue team that morning. Both choppers had been in the garage for maintenance until that day. On the very top center dome of that mountain the top brass found a fresh empty bottle of red wine and an empty silver tray from a big Patel Hotel in Sydney Harbor. Your fingerprints were all over them Cornelius; yes yours and some of the oddest finger-prints the ship’s lab has ever seen. NOW! .......... How the hell did you get that bottle up top? Unauthorized goof-ball flights’ off of this ship is a serious offense!” First Mate Friday stared silently with his arms crossed. His hard cold eyes drilled a hole in my forehead. After a few seconds I slowly and softly spoke up.
“My friend Mel must have left them up there after cleaning one of his Churches” I shrugged! “The Island is a perfect place for a landing site.” Friday waited for a more and better explanation and then slowly turned beet red.
“DAMMIT, I knew you’d say something silly and stupid. That’s the lamest nonsense I’ve ever heard! Kiss my black ass, Cornelius. I’ll catch you one fine day; you and your silly cute little games! Man up about it!” screamed Friday. Friday then slammed Joe’s office door so hard that Joe’s security alarm system started beeping. Joe just shook his head and grinned as he quickly rushed to cancel the security alert.
“Cornelius,” said Captain Coe. “You’re donna drive that man crazy! I hope I’m there to see it when he kicks your ass (ha-ha).”
Sometimes the simple truth does sound strange or stupid. Just like the Holy Bible people can’t grasp it all. They think “well that can’t be.” Nothing is all that complicated in the end. People just think themselves more educated than they really are. The truth is they don’t know that they don’t know. I fell asleep in my cabin reading Jeremiah 33 verse 3.
Early the next morning just at dawn Joe and I taxied to elevator one. We were the only people moving on ship. The Great Ark was treading water against the tide just holding her place. Our brand new B48 trainer was modified just as Joe had said. We were a tight fit, single file in the cockpit yet still comfortable. We had no flight plan and our planes main electronics were all turned off. Joe had a top secret code to allow the plane to operate manually without its fancy computers. Joe said to go to ten thousand feet and look around. I was driving the ultimate sports car. The plane had so much power compared to our weight that we jumped off the flight deck.
“Do you see those mountains sticking up above the clouds?” Joe calmly asked.
“Yea, Captain Joe,”…. I answered
“One of them is flat on Top. Fly around it, study the top of it. Ok Cornelius, I ask you, can you land us on the top of it? Tell me either way Yes or no. If it can’t be done if the terrain is to rough then let me know. Don’t do anything stupid but let us study the mountain. If it can be done then we want to land on top” we circled the rock peak looking for a suitable place to land our plane for some minutes.” Then I answered, “Yes I think so captain. We are loaded very light. I slowed the plane to stall speed and let her down right on the center top in a large flat spot .The top of this rock was only eight hundred feet across and its edges were a little rough. The center top was as smooth as glass. This mountain top looked like the rock that is inside the “dome of the Rock” in Jerusalem except much bigger. After landing we sat and said nothing. I was very much relieved that the landing was finished and tried not to think about our eventual take off. In our silence I studied the other mountain peaks around us. The other rock cliff peaks were similar to this one except this one looked like it had been cut off on top.
Joe got out packs and ropes while saying nothing, he just pointed his instructions. Two packs for each of us, and lots of rope. He then put one end of each rope with a hex shaped wedge nut on it into the rocks and pulled tight. Joe next studied a fancy jewel compass, then he took a few paces looked at the compass again. The third time Joe then jumped off the edge of the cliff.
“Oh no,” I cried out, my heart sank. Please Lord anything but this. I was trying to decide about jumping or not and praying when a still breeze first rocked the plane and then blew me off the rock cliff edge. I hit the side of the cliff twice as I repelled down. I then heard Joe shout,
“Push off the side hard Cornelius”….. I did!
The next bounce Joe grabbed me into a narrow opening in the cliff face were he was already standing. We pulled our ropes down a hall way. The floor sloped upward at first but then steadily downward. No steps no doors, no lights. Joe took off his gear and then all of his clothes.
“No time to be bashful now, Cornelius,” said Captain Coe, “Let us wash up and get dressed” The water was cool to wash up in but not mountain top ice cold!
“Put the robe on this way” Joe scolded me!
“Yea, Ok,” I answered back grudgingly.
Joe acted like he knew stuff. He was studying a flat clear rock, the same one that I had thought was a compass before. In truth, ole’ Joe acted surprised that we had made it thus far. Our robes were heavy across the shoulders with fancy thick stitching. They reminded me of an old couch with double cloth in spots, lighter material at the long bottom that was wrapped up. We were bare foot. Joe rewrapped his long robe once more as if to get it right.
“Gird yourself as of a man Cornelius, No like this then pull it tight. Wash your feet again in the shallow water and wait to dry”
As we walked the descending hallway the sound of rushing air slowly got louder and louder. The light was dim but not completely dark. A strong chimney effect from what I had guessed was a natural geothermal heat source deep in the mountain was causing an updraft through what looked like a solid gold tunnel. Air came rushing up through the floor and was sucked out again through the ceiling forming an air “doorway.” Two other hallways came together here at this “door” and dim sunlight came through very small gold holes in the high peak in the ceiling. The hole in the floor across this air doorway was eighteen inches deep and about five times that wide. It was covered with round bronze looking bars about two inches apart. Behind the bars the hole looked smooth and bright shiny like gold.
“One Cubit across,” said Joe crawling on the floor. “Hold onto your dress, and we will step in on the count of three, Cornelius.” Stepping into darkness is very unnerving and a backwards air waterfall did not help much. We both stepped though the air door into a chamber that was completely dark. “Get out your phone and open the bible Cornelius” barked Joe. “First Kings seven, verses 32, 33, 34 &35.” Joe started crawling on his elbows end to end across the floor while I read the verses. Joe was obsessed with measuring the room. I looked around in awe and wonder. The room by phone light was over forty feet wide and one hundred and sixty feet long and sixty or seventy feet high. It had a slight slope in the nearly flat floor. There were no stairs or steps just like the hallway. This room was solid gold in every direction. The air was fresh and smelled good the temperature was cool but comfortable. The acoustics were magnificent. I started singing “Oh magnify the Lord” and Joe soon joined in. We sounded like a full choir in three part harmony at least. We sang and praised God never growing weary or tired. Worship was so wonderful that we could not stop and we soon shut our eyes to our golden surroundings. The unbelievable sound of our voices praising God carried us away. We don’t know how long we sang. Joe figured later that we had sung for twelve hours. When we did stop singing we prayed in silence until we burst out muttering aloud in strange tongues; able to understand each other but not ourselves.
“Turn your phone light off Cornelius!” shouted Joe,
“I thought yours was on Joe”
“No” he said, “How come it’s so bright in here?”
In each corner of the room were four round gold spheres with another gold ball on top to make five. These gold balls were not noticed by us before, or they had just appeared. They did not quite touch the floor. Each sphere was about one cubit in diameter and each one would look translucent or partly clear exposing spokes as of a wheel inside of a wheel and then they would slowly turn solid gold again.
“Did you see that Joe? That’s where the light is coming from,” I said pointing.
“No, look up front, Cornelius, the high center wall.” We both stared wide eyed in amazement. We could see an opening in the front wall a doorway into another chamber. Bright light was coming in from that other room. With the increased light our common reflection in every direction was frightening; we could see ourselves forever! A mist or steam was now in the room above us. This mist was going into the other room through this front doorway that was there one second and then a smooth solid gold wall the next. Opening and shutting in a slow heartbeat like rhythm. This mist which had formed during our worship was slowly leaving us being sucked through this “sometimes” opening in the wall. The stack of round gold spheres in each corner did the same; clear to solid back and forth and started sinking into the floor and dimming their light.
“Captain Joe,” I said out loud. “I’m not worthy to go into the front light chamber! I feel too ashamed”
“I was hoping you could Cornelius. I believe the presence of God is in there.”
“We dare not try, Joe, only this room is for us.” Joe then nodded in agreement. Now the air above us was clear again and a feeling of loneliness and fear settled into our being. The words of Mel back in Australia came flooding to my remembrance. “The Lord inhabits the praises of his people! “Thank you Mel” I spoke aloud. You do a wonderful job cleaning the church. Yes, this tabernacle or church is very clean. I though about the temple mount; the stories of hidden chambers in God’s Holy Mountain. Joe was still measuring the walls. Not me, I’m more of the sloppy fudge it type. Joe and I collapsed near the sunlight filled opening where our robes and gear were. We then held a prayer meeting and rested. We read part of first kings.