by Summer Lee
The calf and the young lion together;
And a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
It shall come to pass in that day
That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from Assyria, and Egypt. And from the islands of the sea.
He will set up a banner for the nations,
And will assemble the outcasts of Israel,
And gather together the dispersed of Judah
From the four corners of the earth.
They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them. The Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; with His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River, and strike it in the seven streams, And make men cross over dry-shod.
There will be a highway for the remnant of His people,
As it was for Israel In the day that he came up from the land of Egypt.”
Chapter Thirty-eight
The next day, I felt like Amanda and I were making some progress.
I read aloud, “In his vision, Apostle John watched as the Lamb opened the seven seals. First, John looked, and saw a rider on a white horse carrying a bow! The rider was given a crown, and he rode out on a mission to conquer. He wanted to be the peacemaker. It was as if he did not really have the power to make world peace. A bow without arrows is no threat.”
“True.” Amanda looked up. “But those next three horses are bringing major destruction.”
Amanda did research for her blog on repentance. Our time was limited.
I interrupted her and asked about Hezekiah.
She said, “King Hezekiah became deathly ill and was going to die. So, he prayed to be healed. God not only healed him, but gave him a miraculous sign. But Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud. So, the Lord’s anger came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah humbled himself and repented of his pride, as did the people of Jerusalem. So, the Lord’s anger did not fall on Judah during Hezekiah’s lifetime.” She looked at me. “Why dost thou ask me?” she said in her archaic English.
“I’ve just been thinking about him. You know when I finish this assignment on Revelation, I’ll be studying Isaiah.”
“Perhaps his life is a warning for you to do the good things he did and avoid the bad.”
“Perhaps.”
Again, I wondered from where this sweet Amanda had come into my life. Was she prophetess, angel or both?
***
Walker came by almost every day now. He was eager for me to finish my piece. He said, “When the Lamb opened the fourth seal on the heavenly scroll, the apostle heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, ‘Come!’” He paused. “And then what?”
I had my Bible open. I read aloud, “‘The Apostle John looked, and there before him was a pale horse whose rider was named Death. Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.’”
“So, what is your conclusion, Martha?”
“This could easily be the entire Muslim stronghold in Arab nations. They teach their children to hate and use guns,” I said, looking seriously at Walker. “I assume those are the horses that go south. The rider will purify the hearts of those who long for truth. Souls with a hard hearts will die. Hatred will be wiped out by the end of the tribulation.”
“Death begins in the Southern Hemisphere,” Walker said. “But it will spread. This describes people dying all over the earth, being killed by war, the lack of food, widespread disease and wild animals. Some will be large animals. Some microscopic. They do not all have to be living in the wild. There have been many unusual attacks on people from viruses, which are small creatures. Those can only be seen with a microscope. In Africa, large animals, like lions, will go down into the villages looking for food. This will get worse as famine intensifies.”
“African leaders are indifferent to their own citizens,” I said. “Even though the people suffer with hunger, they just aren’t swayed by reason.”
Walker moved across the room and sat. He said, “They do employ poisonous social political orientation and racial ideologies.”
Amanda said. “They are hypocrites—promoting death, even killing their own people.”
“What is going on between the Palestinians and Israelis?” I asked. “Do any of the Four Horsemen represent Israel?”
Walker shook his head. “No! God considers Israel to be the center of the earth. That is where it began and where it will all end up. Palestinian leadership is still with Fatah. They retain shaky authority in the West Bank, but more control over Hamas in Gaza. Local leadership has been distributed more widely in Palestinian communities. Activist groups such as colleges, universities, workplaces, and trade unions now have links abroad.”
“According to an Israel organization,” I said, “the next tempest in the teapot is jump-starting the peace process.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Russia steps forward and makes the first attempt to do so,” Amanda said.
I replied, “The question is, ‘Why do the Muslims hate Jews so much?’ There has never been a nation in history asked to surrender their sovereignty, except Israel.”
Walker said, “Nor has the world rallied so strongly to recognize a state that has not even been born, as they are doing for Palestine.”
Amanda said, “They want the land from Israel. Why can’t another Arab state take them in?”
“Because when Golda Meir was president, she said that there was no Palestinian state,” I said. “She was right. It is a made-up group of Arabs from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and such.”
“There possibly will never be two states side by side, because the Palestinians want it all. Their focus has always been on getting the last centimeter of Jewish land for themselves.” Walker said seriously. “Just look at how the Palestinians have messed up Gaza.”
I said, “Just look at how M. K. Ahmed Tibi reacted when the foreign minister, A. Lieberman, offered to move the borders of their towns from Israel borders. He had a fit.”
“The goal of Palestinian self-definition is not sovereignty in the land of Israel, but rather the negation of Jewish sovereignty in the land,” said Walker.
“That is why a Palestinian state has never been established in Judea and Samaria. And it is why there was never such a demand when Jordan or any other Muslim entity ruled there. The goal of the Arabs in the land is to take the land from Israel, and keep it for themselves,” Walker said firmly.
Amanda said, “God takes care of Israel.”
“I know,” I said, “but if all of the surrounding neighbors attack Israel like they did in the Six-Day War, they will once again learn that God owns that piece of property.”
Walker agreed. “War will come soon. One thing is for certain: Jesus will come soon.” He paused, inhaled and continued, “He is coming for his children when the Father tells Him to come. He will come for both of you, even if it is the moment when you draw your last breath in death.”
Amanda smiled. “If we perish before the Rapture, we will just go to heaven before those who are waiting to be caught away.”
“You’re making me afraid for you, even though you are…special,” I said, looking intently at Amanda.
“God has us in His hand,” Amanda replied mysteriously. Obviously, she was not going to come out and tell me that she was more than a prophetess, that she was some sort of angel or something. I believed so, anyway.
“Y
ou two ladies seem to have everything under control. I am going to go while you finalize your day,” Walker said, amused at our exchange.
“That is a fine idea,” said Amanda, glad to duck the questions of my inquisitive nature.
Walker walked toward the door and went out without opening the door. Once again, it was a reminder that he was a supernatural being.
I looked at Amanda and said, “All that is left to research is the dappled gray horse. I believe it goes south to Africa.”
“That is what many believe,” she said. “The national color for Arab nations is green. That horse has a greenish cast to it, as you know.”
I took a few minutes and wrote on my blog, “Christians and Jews are hated alike by non-Christians. Even the regional council of Norway declared for a wide boycott of Israeli goods.”
After hesitating a moment, I wrote, “In February 2006, an Anglican parish in Britain pulled back from the Church of England’s Central Board of Finance. There was a dispute over ownership of shares in a company called Caterpillar—the company profited from an illegal occupation.”
Seeing the hatred in their actions, I wrote, “In May 2006, a conference representing the lecturers’ union in Britain voted for action against Israeli academic institutions. It was a predecessor of the University and College Union (UCU). Another one, the Ontario section of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) condemned Israel’s apartheid wall and announced its own BDS policy. At the same time, the president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions said the issue of Palestine had finally entered the arena of workers’ school of thought.”
That was enough to prove my point, which was that godless men attacked Israel for no cause. I felt so many countries would rather have Muslims than Jews occupy Israel. The devil really made them do it.
I looked at Amanda and said, “I assume that the horses John saw going forth in his vision were coming from a heavenly realm. They carried a curse with them. Much tragedy was the result. Does that seem right?”
“Let it be,” she said. “After all the pain and suffering that came upon the earth when the horses rode onto the scene, the fifth seal was opened. That sight was sad.”
“The Bible says,” I opened my Bible and read, “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’”
I looked at Amanda and she motioned for me to continue.
“Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed, just as they had been.” I studied her face. “So, what was the connection between the ancient vision and present-day fulfillment?”
“It is a startling fulfillment of Scripture.”
I wrote: “We know that there were many Christians martyred in the first century under Rome. Holy wars down through the ages have taken the lives of many who believe in Christ. Now, in recent years, Christians are slaughtered in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. So, we know that the killing has not ended. It will get worse during the tribulation. The history of death in Africa is a valid subject in its own right. Yet, no extensive study of this subject exists. There is no doubt, however, that present circumstances are worse and more widespread than ever. Anxiety is widespread.
“Central and Southern Africa communities mourn daily the untimely deaths of the victims of HIV and AIDS. Older people complain that there will be no one left to bury them, and children become experts at nursing their dying parents. The HIV/AIDS epidemic makes this task all the more important and urgent. Somebody in heaven just may have opened the gate and let the horses out.”
Reading my notes, I wrote on my computer at the same time, “The Christian communities and churches in both Iraq and Egypt have come under attack again. Radical Islamist s call for the destruction of the cross in their Internet communications to followers of the Muslim faith. Videos produced by al-Qaeda encourage followers to blow up churches when the churches are packed with worshipers or while celebrating holy days. An intense campaign is going on by the radical Islamist to do away with the Christian community in the Middle East. Instructions on how to attack churches in Europe have been issued on a radical Islamist website, as well. This report is only the tip of the iceberg as it relates to attacks on Christians in the Middle East and around the world.”
“Beheading is becoming a normal practice.” I wrote this on my laptop, “The World reports the economy of Sub-Saharan African countries grew at rates that match global rates. The economies of the fastest-growing African nations experienced growth significantly above the global average rates. The top nations in international agencies are gaining increasing interest in emerging modernizing African economies, especially as Africa continues to maintain high economic growth despite current global conditions.”
I stopped for a moment.
“Whew,” I said. “I’m getting so tired.”
Amanda touched my shoulder and I felt power go through my body like electricity. “Continue writing,” she said. “Time is very, very short.”
I looked at her sharply and typed some more: “Africa has long been saddled with poor, even malicious leadership: predatory military-installed autocrats, economic illiterates,” I told Amanda as I typed.
She sighed.
I continued typing, “By far, the most glaring examples come from Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zimbabwe—countries that have been run by evil men, despite their abundant natural resources. However, those cases don’t encourage the evil systems. By some measures, 90 percent of Sub-Saharan African nations have experienced dictatorial rule for the last three decades. Such leaders bully the people with power control, rather than be concerned for the public good.”
I chose my next words carefully. Although recent data showed some parts of the continent were experiencing fast growth, I typed, “Right now, God wants us to be faithful and wise servants, whom our Master trusts. God wants us to ask for his help and trust him. Jesus told a parable to help us understand. A faithful servant is compared to an unfaithful servant.”
I paused for a moment and then typed some more: “Jesus said in the Bible, ‘Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. However, suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, My master is staying away a long time, and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Amanda suddenly said that she had to go and feed her cat again. She looked incredibly worried and I feared for her, for some reason. Impulsively, I hugged her.
“Do not fear for me,” Amanda said. “As I told you, I am in God’s hands.”
I nodded.
After Amanda left, I turned on the Internet radio and found an English-speaking news station in the Middle East. Chemical weapons had been released in Syria. Our U.S. president had promised to do something about it. I was nearly terrified.
I watered my little Judean date palm and wondered why Amanda had given it to me, a descendent of the tree from the first Palm Sunday. I was utterly baffled by the gift. And yet, I was stirred up. This meant something…something very, very important! But what?
***
I deliberately took the time off to be alone for a couple of days and think about the Judean date palm. I also needed to absorb what I had in my article about the Four Horsemen. I had not learned what I had expected to discover. However, I wrote the information I had anyhow. I gave it my best shot. Wicked men had been in charge throughout the centuries, that was for sure.
I wept, realizing that my assignment for the Lord was done
, well, what Walker had asked me to do…write and publish articles in various media, but my personal mission was far from done. I had spiritual work to do. On myself.
I fasted, I prayed. I wept. I slept and walked. And I wondered about all that I had learned.
***
A few days later, I was watching the news on TV. The president of Russia had addressed the American people. Plans were made for him to take the lead in the Middle East. It had finally happened. Our great country had bowed to Russia. I was in utter shock as Ezekiel 38 was about to be fulfilled.
I put a hand to my throat, absolutely terrified when I learned another thing had happened. The rumor was that the car containing the leaders of Israel had been bombed. No one knew if they were dead or alive, but I was pretty sure that I knew. Within 24 hours of the leaders of Israel being destroyed, I knew that a new world would begin to emerge. I was more afraid than I had ever been.
Once again a demonic spirit approached me. His eyes looked more evil than any I had ever seen. He spoke, but I did not understand him. I did not want to know what he had to say. His voice was guttural and scary. I spoke with authority and said, “I am covered with the power of the shed blood of Jesus. You cannot harm me.”
He faded away. I said, “Don’t ever come back.”
I was through dealing with the devil.
Much of the free world was still at peace, but that was going to end soon. I had to tell more people the truth about end times. One day, Jesus would come, as he had promised. He said if it was not so, he would have told us. He had gone to prepare a place for us and then come back for us. We were to occupy until he came. We were to wait, but we were also to watch and listen.
I did not see Jesus yet, but I heard horse hooves pounding on the clouds, coming closer to earth.
Galloping, galloping, galloping.
Epilogue 1
I awakened that morning to many sirens squealing all over town. I could feel the ground under my home vibrating. Something big was taking place. But not an earthquake. It sounded like bombs, or grenades.