by Summer Lee
I thanked him and sat back down. I did not have time to read that one.
With that, the angel faded once more.
Since I wanted to use writings that were written as close to the first century as possible, I Googled copied the notes I wanted. I found a map dividing the world into ten nations. Since that was in the Bible, I would save that for another time.
As I read, I saw that a unit had been organized in 1968 by a group called the Morgenthau Group. It was for the purpose of accelerating the plans to get the New World Order in place. Government employees thought the New World would be the only way to keep peace in the earth. The thing they did not understand was how sinful human nature was capable of being. The heart of man was dark and destructive without Jesus.
But the devil knew. And he fought me at every turn to stop my mission. Yawning, I closed the laptop.
When I went upstairs, I was greeted by Amanda. “How’s it going?” she asked, as if she had never left.
“Really well.” I told her about my visit with Walker. I said, “I’ve seen a map of the world divided into ten nations, instead of so many small ones. The Bible speaks of that, but it also teaches all that western countries will work together to gain world control.”
She said, “And it all begins with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”
As we walked down the hall to our separate rooms, Amanda said, “This is exciting, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is all going to work out.”
She went to her guest room and I went to my bedroom. I heard hooves on the roof above. I was sure it was the horses coming—or going.
Galloping, galloping, galloping.
Chapter Fourteen
Two days went by, and it seemed that every day that passed, more prophecy was being fulfilled. In fact, much of the world was in turmoil.
When I walked out into the hall that morning, I saw Amanda brushing her teeth in the bathroom. She was doing the appropriate human things to try to blend in and pass for human. After dressing, I went downstairs and made coffee for myself and tea for her.
Going into my office, I pasted all my notes into my website on the big computer in my office and made positive comments about them. I was on an assignment with a time limit.
Sitting down, I read the blog up to the point where I had stopped the night before. It made sense.
One of my jobs was to help people protect themselves from the evil coming upon the world. I hoped I could do a good job. The aroma of the coffee wafted throughout the house, so I went back to the kitchen and poured a cup.
“Last night, what did you learn that was new?” a voice across the room said. It was the voice of my angel, but I saw no one.
I was surprised to hear Walker without seeing him. “Walker, where are you?” I asked.
He laughed. “Right across from you.”
Starting as a shadow, he slowly became visible. I then saw him completely and laughed as well. “I did not expect to see you again so soon.”
“I told you I would return more often, and I come as much as possible,” he said.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I said joyfully. “I read more about Polycarp, the holy man, and Irenaeus.” I poured him a cup of coffee.
“Good choice. The Apostle John spoke face to face with Polycarp.” The angel nodded slowly as he spoke. “You are right about him. He taught his followers everything that he learned from the Apostle John. It was essential that the believers all understood what Jesus taught about himself. Christians had to know truth. That included the gospel. Which is that Christ lived a perfect life; He died for sin; He was buried and rose again on the third day.”
“Polycarp also taught the Book of Daniel to his followers,” I said. “And the Book of Revelation. He knew a lot about End Times, Bible Prophecy, and the Antichrist.” I told him that the study had considerably built my faith in the Bible. I thought about my own participation in exposing the revelation of God to people. I felt a kinship with Polycarp. I said, “He was the mentor of Irenaeus.”
Amanda walked into the room wearing a robe over her pajamas. She said, “You seem to enjoy reading about ancient disciples, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.” I stood and poured her a cup of coffee. “Those who lived shortly after the ascension of Christ seemed to have more wisdom than people do today.” I repeated my first phrase with enthusiasm, “Yes, I do enjoy reading about those disciples.”
“I heard you mention Polycarp and Irenaeus,” she said. “Have you read much about Irenaeus?”
“Not before now.” I spoke energetically. “I now know enough to include his story in my next article.”
“That is good. He knew truth. You must explain the beliefs of Irenaeus to your readers,” she said, “so they will trust his comments about the last days.” She sighed. “Just as you do.”
“I understand what he wanted, but not the process.”
Amanda asked, “Have you wondered how the apostles were able to teach the Word so accurately all over the known world?”
“Not before now.” I looked at Walker for the answer.
“There were scribes,” Walker said. “In this case, the Apostles handed down Bible prophecy orally to their disciples. Those scribes, in turn, handed it down orally to the next disciples, one of whom happened to be Irenaeus.”
“They learned pure doctrine.” Amanda looked at me and said, “That is why he is important. Pure doctrine.”
“It is a good reason.” Walker smiled and said, “Remember it this way. The oldest interpretation of the first apocalyptic riders of Revelation 6 was undoubtedly that of Irenaeus, which he got from Polycarp, who, in turn, got it from John. Irenaeus left no doubt as to who would win the battle. He stated, ‘For to this end was the Lord born—of whom also John says in the Apocalypse: ‘He went forth conquering, that he should subdue.’ ”
Walker had changed his voice while quoting the prophet. It sounded good. I sat listening as if I were in heaven. “Are you saying that the first white horse is a picture of a Christ-like leader? Or is the first white horse a picture of what Christ will do later?” I wanted him to make it clear.
“Both.” He tightened his lips.
“I know Jesus will conquer the whole world when he rides on the final white horse.”
“Absolutely.”
“But the other three horsemen are just plain evil.”
“The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse represent world leaders from every corner of the earth. None can match Christ. The rider on the first white horse just demonstrates what people want to happen. He is not the real thing.”
“I see. He is a fake,” I said. “The others show the real thing—how evil humans are.”
“Jesus will conquer in the end,” said Amanda. By now, she had poured herself a second cup of tea and headed back to her room.
“Yes, he will,” said Walker. “For now, Christ lives in the hearts of his followers. The Lord was the only way to God the Father.”
“Tell me this,” I said. “Are there true followers like him among modern teachers?”
“A few. But others don’t know Jesus. If people do pay attention to Revelation at all, they tend to make the vision impersonal.” He placed his elbow on the table and cradled his head. “Many born-again Christians don’t study the Bible.”
I asked, “Do they have an opinion?”
“Not really,” he said. “They are silent sheep.”
“So, I must study and encourage believers to study as well. Is that true?”
“Yes. Wake them up.” Walker sounded serious. “I think that you know that the common view in the world is that the rider on the white horse in chapter 6 is the Antichrist.”
I studied his expression. “I agree with those that say the horseman represents the Western gentile world. But Jesus is the one on the final horse coming in glory at the end of the tribulation. He truly was born to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as John wrote in the Apocalypse. Although at his first coming, he was the Lamb of
God who took away the sins of the world.”
“When Christ returns,” said Walker. “He will come to earth conquering all peoples, as the ultimate victor. You know, Martha, Biblical teaching is ignored by most people in the world today. Mostly, Bible expositors still speak the truth, and the Bible still prevails in Christian literature. But most people aren’t serious about God.”
“I see,” I said.
He smiled. “But there are a lot of new believers.”
“Yet, despite the dispute, it is my assignment to compare the older views about Christ with the present-day view. I believe that the dispensation system reveals that change comes in every generation. Is that so?”
“Yes, that is so,” said the angel, smiling. We exchanged glances.
“I read,” I said, “that it is important for all saints to know that all the holy men in the first three centuries believed the same thing concerning the Book of Daniel, the Book of Revelation, the Antichrist, and End Times.”
“That’s right. Christians learned truth verbatim,” he said.
“That was because the Apostle John was such a good teacher.” The Bible knowledge that I had learned as a child occasionally came in handy.”
“Good point,” he said, his face impassive. “Walk gently through the Book of Revelation one more time.” Walker radiated angelic presence. “Things are changing quickly in these last days.”
My heart skipped a beat when I heard him acknowledge that we were indeed in the last days.
“This assignment isn’t easy,” I said, worried. “I know that the one-world government is going to sneak up on a lot of people. But I have not been trained for this assignment.”
“I know this is hard for you,” he said. “But God will reward you in the end.”
This was a serious subject, because of the teaching in the Bible that a soul will live forever, either with God or in outer darkness. My work will give a person a chance to make an intellectual choice.
I closed my eyes and listened.
Sounds were in my head:
Galloping, galloping, galloping.
Chapter Fifteen
I prepared lunch. “Let’s eat in the garden,” I told Walker.
“That would be lovely.”
While we munched on turkey sandwiches and chips, he said, “There is another person of interest that I want you to look up. He is a man by the name of John Hogue.”
“I’ve heard of him,” I said. “Didn’t he write something about the Catholic Church and end times?”
“He wrote a book about St. Malachi.”
“St. Malachi?” I frowned. “What did he do?”
“He gave a prophecy about the popes.” Walker gestured with his hands. “The predictions he set forth were valid.”
“Like what?” My head started to buzz.
“Well, he told something about the next 112 popes after him. The first 111 prophecies were correct.” Walker stood staring out the window. He appeared troubled.
I looked out at the yard but saw nothing. “So, he was right on the money about the one hundred and eleven popes.”
“That is true,” he said. “His prophecies have been valid so far, because history proves them true.”
“What do you know? You are an angel.”
“God has not told me.”
“You said that 111 have proven true.” I made a face like it was a puzzle that I did not understand. “What about the 112th one?”
“He is the Roman Catholic Pope now.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” he said. “The one recently voted in.”
“What did Malachi say about Pope Francis?”
“He said that he will be identified as Peter the Roman. That remains to be verified.”
“What about number 113?”
“There will be no number one hundred thirteen, Martha.”
“So, you are saying that Pope Francis will be the last pope?”
“Not me. John Hogue says he is.” Walker hesitated for a moment. “According to the prophecy, the final five popes are called: 1) The ‘flower of flowers,’ who was Flos Florum, Paul VI; (2) The ‘midst of the’ (De labore solis, John Paul II); (4) ‘glory of the olive’ (Gloria olivae, Benedict XVI); and (5) Peter the Roman—Petrus Romanus is not yet fulfilled, though some do believe that Pope Francis is Petrus Romanus,” said Walker. “You must look up the names in order to see the rationale of why those names historically match the prophetic titles.”
“Why do I need to know about Catholic Popes right now?”
“It just helps,” he said. “There is an old Benedictine prophecy that speaks of the animals in Biblical prophecy.”
That seemed odd. “Which ones, specifically?”
“The Lion and the Tiger.” Walker nodded, his voice heavy with confidence. “The Tiger is the emblem of India and Malaysia.”
“I do believe that the Lion is the emblem for Great Britain and the Netherlands,” I frowned. “But how does that tie into the Catholic Church?”
Walker shuffled his feet and said, “You must ask God to help you find the answer.”
I promised to check on all the different nations in the world today and see how they were self-destructing on their own rights. “I understand that all good comes from God. To leave him out of a nation’s business is as bad as an individual leaving him out of his life.”
“Remember to pay attention to the fact that the temple was flattened in 70 A.D.” Walker encouraged me to continue forward. “Revelation was written in about 90 A.D.”
“Okay. When will the temple be rebuilt?” I asked.
“Soon. But things must change in Jerusalem.”
“I can see how that is important.”
“The Sanhedrin is ready.”
“Yes. I have researched that.”
“Good.”
“This is what I’ve learned in my research,” I said heartily. “The Jews loved their temples. They mourned with the destruction of their temples—both first and second. They desperately want another one.”
The angel said, “Jews still mourn annually at the Jewish fast, Tisha B’Av.”
I had seen them on the news. “They do not forget easily.”
“No, they will not forget,” he said. “Ever.”
I said, “They must think it is necessary in order for their Messiah to come.”
“That is true,” he said. “They will find a way.”
“But first, the horses must come on the scene.”
“That is so true.”
“I hear them in the distance now,” I said, closing my eyes to concentrate on the distant hoof beat. “Do you hear them?”
“Yes. They are getting closer,” said the angel, tapping his fingers on the table to sound like the gait of a horse.
“Oh, yes.” I tapped my fingers as well. “Just listen.”
We paused to focus on the wind outside.
In the silence, I heard them coming. First, they were in the distance, but they got closer and closer. They sounded so real.
I was so mesmerized by the steady clomping of the horses that I did not see him leave with the horses as they passed by.
Galloping, galloping, galloping.
Chapter Sixteen
“Zechariah was the great prophet who foretold things in regard to the first coming of Jesus, as well as the Second Coming. He saw a man standing among the myrtle trees. Horsemen sat behind him on red, brown and white horses.” I looked at Amanda and said, “Angels look like men sometimes. Please explain that to me.”
“It is important that the horsemen are on spiritual horses,” said Amanda. “They are angels in reality. They look like men, because the riders represent events on the earth.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
“Tell me, what did Zechariah say that impressed you?” she asked, looking at me with a curious expression.
“For one thing, he said that an angel was talking to him. Just like Walker talks to me.” I smiled.
“Good
,” she said.
I picked up my Bible. “Do you want to hear it?”
“Yes. Read it for me.” She sounded pleased.
I read, “Zechariah said, ‘I asked the angel who was talking with me, My Lord, what are all those horses for?’”
She said, “‘The angel replied, ‘I will show you.’”
Amanda laughed and so did I. “I know the story verbatim. But go on.”
I looked up and smiled. “So, the man among the myrtle trees explained, ‘They are the ones the Lord has sent out to patrol the earth.’ Then the other riders reported to the angel of the Lord, who was standing among the myrtle trees. ‘We have patrolled the earth, and the whole earth is at peace.’”
Amanda said, “I see that you have noted that Zechariah called the prophet standing among the myrtle trees both a man and an angel.”
“I think that is interesting!” I looked at her and smiled. “I wonder if that angel was Walker.” I went back to the text. “Zechariah said, ‘At that time the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.’”
“He did. That is true. We serve a good God.” She looked at me. “You must write about this event in your blog.”
I agreed to do that. I said, “I had never met Walker before this. Yet, for the past week, he had been an almost-constant house guest. I had never heard of such a thing as prophetesses and angels visiting ordinary women before. Yet, you are both here.” To me, that was a good sign that the end of the age was upon us. “May I read to you what I wrote about Zechariah last night?”
“Certainly.”
I opened my laptop and read: “The people from southern Israel of Judah had returned home after seventy years in captivity, and it was time for peace to return to the land. The Jews had a job to do. They were to rebuild their temple. God chose two prophets to represent him to the people: Zechariah and Haggai. God chose to show Zechariah the horses among the myrtle trees. The horsemen obviously had been working during the seventy years protecting the Jews, but now that they were back in the land, the horses rested among the trees. I wonder if they had been in charge of events the entire seventy years, directing events in Babylon while Judah was captive.”