“In spite of all the banter here at Channel 9, we always strive to offer you the truth, the real truth—because we believe that anything else is simply a threat to your freedom.”
My mouth just about dropped and hit the floor as I heard this, and so I immediately called my friend back and asked if he had heard the newscaster sign off of the air.
“Yeah, I heard it. What about it?” he replied.
“Did you hear the last part, about freedom?” I asked.
“Yes, I heard it—what’s so special about that? That’s what ALL the news channels say these days, in one way or another.”
Up to that point, I hadn’t told anyone of my encounter with the two gentlemen, as any reasonable person could understand why, so to him, the statement didn’t make the least bit of sense. But to me, I immediately thought about the little round fellow and the goliath of a man sitting patiently at my table as I carefully peppered each with questions. I thought about the fact that this could be the beginning of what the little goblet called his “plans for the coming future.” Perhaps his intentions for the world and for the coming decade were quietly unfolding now.
Chapter 13
The Heavenlies
—
“So, you see, Mr. Bigsby, the storehouses in the WOH building operate in a unique kind of way. They can only be opened and their contents disbursed when an Earth Dweller activates a principle set in motion by the Boss. Giving is that principle. When an Earth Dweller gives on Earth, it makes us angels pretty busy in that building. Many Earth Dwellers are shocked when they see the amount of stuff they could have appropriated on Earth, but because they never operated under that principle, they simply left it untapped.
“I see,” Mr. Bigsby said, thinking about his own life he had just lived on Earth. Quite embarrassed and a little regretful, he quickly changed the subject. “So, where are we off to next?” he asked.
“Off to meet the Commander. He’d really like to see you. He wants to give you another chance,” Netzach said.
Mr. Bigsby slowed his pace, and his mind began racing, not exactly sure what Netzach really meant. Before he could think on the matter much longer, however, he noticed an even larger group of seraphim exiting another building just across the streets of crystal-clear gold. Oddly enough, as the seraphim mingled amongst themselves just outside the building, a few of them pointed in Mr. Bigsby’s direction and appeared to be talking amongst themselves. Mr. Bigsby was confused.
“Netzach, sorry for all the questions, but what are all of those seraphim doing over there on the other side? The ones standing outside of that building?” he asked.
“The one over there? Oh, that’s another popular building here known as the ‘Spectacle Theatre.’ Inside, we angels can get a direct, front-row view of what’s happening on Earth at any particular moment in time. Usually, an angel can choose to watch some of the most important events taking place at the time. Essentially, you Earth Dwellers are center stage, and the seraphim are the audience sitting in the stands. We can observe all activities, we can hear conversations, and we can gain wisdom by watching the events play out. The Theatre is one of my favorite places to be, I might add, for it allows me to see many of the awesome things that tend to happen on Earth.
“I see. Any idea what they just finished playing?” Mr. Bigsby asked. “Looks like it got a pretty big crowd.”
“A huge crowd-–I’ve never seen anything like it. But I’m not surprised. Today was an interesting day on Earth. One of our most powerful angels has been down there escorting one of the adversary’s minions at the request of the Boss. Usually, those types of scenarios only last a few minutes, but this one has gone on for hours. And I hear they even took a field trip or two outside into those streets. I think they went to look at some houses or something.
Mr. Bigsby’s mind was now spinning. There was so much to the Heavenlies that it was hard to fathom. Nevertheless, he continued pacing Netzach, and the two made their way down the crystal-clear streets of gold next to the flowing river and in the direction of the bright, beaming light, which became brighter and brighter the closer the two got to it. After a few more strides, it was just a few paces away, and Netzach suddenly stopped. Mr. Bigsby could hear voices singing, growing to higher and higher octaves.
The closer the two got to the light, the more peace and love he felt within him. It was a calming feeling that was rushing over him that he never wanted to end. Even stranger, he became aware, was the fact that the more he went in the direction of the vibrancy, the clearer the strategies and ideas became in his mind for the things he could have done, and perhaps should have done, on Earth. A part of him, it seemed, even longed for the opportunity to fulfill them, and he hoped that his new home in the Heavenlies would afford him that possibility—to build what he should have built but never acted upon on Earth.
Oh well. Now I’m in the Heavenlies, he thought to himself as the two continued on their way directly into the light, off to meet the King.
*
* *
Earth
I, Ebenezer, found myself again dozing off on my couch, a pool of drool streaming down my chin, the weariness of the last few days overtaking my physical body. I had solved the riddle, and I felt as prepared as I ever had for the events that were to come in the future. Though still a bit tired, there was a peace I now felt that hadn’t been there for some time. A part of me wondered if there would ever be a place that would allow this feeling to remain in abundance forever, not just in passing. As I thought on these things, I again turned my attention toward my television, where a breaking story was just unfolding. I carefully sat up straight and inched forward on my couch, not believing in the slightest the amazing news I was hearing. I quickly turned the volume up on my television as the studio reporter began to speak.
“In recent news, a local man who was medically pronounced dead for more than 24 hours was brought back to life, and doctors are claiming it is nothing short of a medical miracle. The man, just 55 years old, showing no signs of the incurable sickness that had taken his life, has now embarked on a mission, he states, that will solely be focused on giving and impacting the world and the community around him. And now this “Miracle Man” seems to be putting his money where his mouth is, selling the dream home he claims he’d been building over the last several years in a beautiful, gated community and investing those proceeds into local for-profit businesses focused on eradicating the cities problems. A truly incredible story that we’ll hear much more about after the break.”
Epilogue
Now, before you close this book and begin to ponder its pages, I must move forward and discuss several of my takeaways—perhaps you may perceive them differently, which is very fine with me. I believe it is the intention of Michael’s Commander that such be so in allowing the interview, for it was His hope that the message would be disseminated and shared with every single Earth Dweller who is living within the planet’s systems.
War: An Interesting Umbrella
War, as I see it and will define it here, is the state of open and declared hostile armed conflict between states and nations. It is a period defined by armed discord and can also be expressed as a state of hostility, dissension, or antagonism that occurs between opposing forces for a particular end.
With this definition as my foundation, in my own opinion, two things regarding Michael and Asbeel have become increasingly clear: The two opposing sides are, first and foremost, in a bitter war with one another. Both men did not hide the fact that each side, Michael’s Commander and Asbeel’s master, were engaging in declared and open hostile conflict since the beginning of creation. And secondly, it is also abundantly clear that it had led to a state of hostility over one specific end—the ascent and supremacy of the principles by which each side governed. This is the umbrella through which all other things are filtered. Asbeel’s master, as Michael mentioned, declared war on Michael’s Commander when his quest for glory and power trumped his allegiance to his Adversary,
and the ensuing rebellion established an opposing governmental entity—the kingdom of darkness. It wasn’t long after that Asbeel and his master began to deploy a simple military strategy to overthrow their new enemy.
But what strategy?
Military strategy can be defined as the planning and conduct of campaigns, the movement and disposition of forces, and the aim to deceive the enemy. That is exactly what Asbeel and his master began to do as they deployed this strategy against the first man and woman in the garden. As Asbeel admitted, this strategy includes a weighted focus toward isolation and independence, both creating the fertile ground for such an insidious military campaign to gain legs and take root. As time has passed, that stratagem has evolved, and its roots have run deeper, to the point that, at an eye glance, it is nearly impossible to perceive its influence. However, as I have now seen, partly because my own eyes have been opened, his master has weaseled his arms around the most effective mediums to disseminate and transfer his ideals. That would explain the statement from my story on Channel 9. Admittedly, that tactical strategy, I have come to wholeheartedly believe, is where he spends the majority of his time.
In terms of other specific strategies, I have come to conclude from the round little fellow’s responses that the breakdown of the family could be of much greater significance than each of us Earth Dwellers, at first glance, might actually think, and that this, too, is a strategic militaristic-like assault by the kingdom of darkness on the kingdom of light. So, what else has his master’s government accomplished through such a strategy? Today, my research shows that not a small number of births occur to women who are single or living with a non-marital partner. Some even conclude that there is no longer one dominant family form in the United States. It was clear from the statements by Mr. Prince that one of his master’s greatest war tactics involves gaining the influence of children from a very young age. One can imagine how alarmed I became upon hearing that not a few children younger than six had experienced a major change in their family or household structure, in the form of death, parental divorce, separation, marriage, or cohabitation. In other words, it would seem stability has taken its wings and flown off to a distant and far country, and inconsistency and chaos have perched and made their home in its place.
Fueling these statistics is the fact that Americans today are exiting marriages at higher rates than in the past. As Asbeel so bluntly put it: “Without ‘healthy’ family, as my Adversary sees it, there is no mission. And when there is no mission, there is no identity. And where there is no identity, a person becomes open to taking on the identity placed on him by other people, through various other mediums.” Identity can be defined as the fact of being who or what a person or thing is. It is the characteristics determining who or what a person or thing is. It is derived from the Latin word idem, which simply means “same.”
It is here that we see just how toe-to-toe both sides have positioned themselves in this heated warfare. It is apparent to me that every assault by one side will be met by an equal attack by the other. For example, if Mr. Prince is sent to attack and tear apart the family structure, then Michael has been sent to protect it; if Mr. Prince has been sent to disperse his tricks and lies through various mediums, then Michael and his men seek and hope to disseminate the truth. If Mr. Prince’s aim is to destroy purpose and destiny, then Michael and his Commander seek to preserve and protect it. Under those terms and through that lens, it may be that even a blind man can see just how bloody the warfare has become and can be, for at each and every waking hour of every day, there is somewhat of a constant jostling between the two for position within the systems of Planet Earth.
This brings me to another critical takeaway that can be classified under this umbrella I call war: The systems of Earth are the battlegrounds for all of this activity. How easily and unassumingly have I gone about my day-to-day life paying no attention to each of these systems that both gentlemen discussed! I blindly turned my eyes to the level of warfare taking place within them. I have resolved since the interview to keep, at all times, the awareness that with every action, I am contributing to either government’s campaign in its struggle for ultimate control. There is no neutrality in such, for even in silence, a sense of betrayal still remains, and even in one’s non-allegiance, he is really expressing his allegiance based on the principles that are at play.
Thus, my final takeaway is in regard to these principles, or first laws, that both Mr. Prince and Michael mentioned. For adherence to first laws, I have concluded, as you may have as well, seems to be at the core of the constant struggle. The military might that can effectively use its strategy to establish first laws will ultimately wield full control over the other side’s government. But surprisingly, as you may have read, neither government can completely and unrestrainedly force its will over humankind and the Earth in totality. The decision to allow for any government to wield its unrestricted control belongs in the hands of the Earth Dwellers, you and me. We decide which principles we follow and which ones we ultimately reject. We decide how strong or weak our families become by the principles we adhere to. We decide whether our children grow up in a place where they are nurtured and cared for based on the unique gifts and emotional involvement of each parent, or in isolated darkness, leading to confusion in their ultimate purpose and identity. We decide whether the focus of our lives will lead us down the long and dark corridor of the accumulation of things for only our personal enjoyment, rather than the accumulation of things so that we can, in turn, help our fellow man. We decide. And that in itself is the greatest challenge but also the greatest opportunity. Both you and I know which course we are on. Our destiny, which was established before the beginning of time, is uniquely in our hands.
As the days have passed, I have been ruminating on this idea that each and every day, a battle is being fought between two opposing forces, two opposing governments, and that each is on a relentless quest to establish its laws within the systems of the Earth. Specifically, the following contrasting statements from my interview stand out to me as carrying great weight for this discussion:
MICHAEL: Freedom means one seeks to control his own behavior, without the coercion of external forces such as government.
PRINCE: In true freedom, external coercion and control are necessary to maintain a functioning society!
How profound are these statements! At first glance, these contrasting ideas may not seem as much, but both carry dynamic meanings. I mentioned earlier that we alone decide which principles or laws we follow, which is very much true in the physical world but even more true in the invisible world. It is just as true in the natural as in the supernatural. It is just as relevant in the world that we cannot see as it is in the world that we can. For example, think back to the principle of protection that Michael stated was available to each man, but very few men used—protection through His protective agents. When we call on them and order them on guard to protect us, they must adhere to our word if we are under proper authority with the heavenly government. This is the supernatural. In the natural sense, if we as Earth Dwellers are facing issues and we pick up the phone to dial the local authorities, just as I first intended to do upon the initial arrival of the two complete strangers at my door, the police must act on the citizens’ behalf to protect them. Therefore, in this case, the natural very much is comparable to the supernatural.
Now with that said, the prolific thinker Henry David Thoreau once stated in his essay Civil Disobedience, “Government is best which governs least… Government is best which governs not at all; and that when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have.”
In my honest and humble opinion, this statement alone provides the critical key to advancement in the new decade, the key to true purpose, and the key to living a fulfilling and abundant life. I believe it is the answer for which I was searching when I originally cried out and inquired about in my office those many evenings. It also has solidified to whom I shall ple
dge my own allegiance and whose principles I will strive to follow.
But why?
*
* *
If government is best that governs least, it is because that external government is no longer needed to relegate a man or woman’s behavior. In essence, the natural form of government that we have become accustomed to relying on minimizes, and the supernatural or spiritual form of government that too many of us have remained unfamiliar with maximizes. A man or woman polices himself and continues to monitor his own actions to the point that he does good simply because it is the right thing to do. He does right because it is right. He is honest in all of his dealings because it is right to be honest and just. Consequently, the government does not necessarily decide to govern least by decision; it simply is not needed to a greater extent because an internal law has become greater than the external law, and obedience to that internal law leads to the correct behavior externally. Men and women strive wholeheartedly to abide by an invisible law. They follow higher principles that go above and beyond external law, to the point where they adhere to principles that other men and women cannot see.
If government becomes an entity that continuously progresses to governing less, then eventually, as I have stated, that government may not need to govern at all. The key, however, is that this invisible law that man progressively adheres to is in alignment with the correct internal government—which is the battle that I have seen between Michael and Mr. Prince and that we have now discussed to a great extent. When an individual obeys the invisible laws of Mr. Prince and his master, it is my belief that external government must inevitably expand. When an individual obeys the invisible laws of Michael and his Commander, external government can be retracted. The will of man is responsible for what transpires in the external world, and the external world around us is simply an exact reflection of the internal world within us. We may find ourselves draped in wonderful, expensive attire, shoes immaculately polished, hair nicely done, but if the principles by which we live teeter on the side of Asbeel and his master, I have come to believe, then the external world in which we live will reflect that chaotic internal reality. As water reflects the face, so a man’s life reflects his mind.
Light of Darkness Page 14