Tag Archives: Armageddon Rite

3.37 The Armageddon Rite

Book III: Chapter 37
Date Unknown?

With the Seven Angels now on the scene, The Chosen tried to scatter, cursing God and running for their lives.

Yet it was too late – for the Angels were on a mission…

The seven angels with seven trumpets, and the angel with a censer, from the Bamberg Apocalypse.

The First Angel pummeled them with a plague of ulcerated sores, and even as they were cowering from the effects of the First Bowl, the Second Angel released his wrath too – causing the earth around The Chosen to become a soul-sucking mud that began engulf them.

After delivering the contents of their Bowls, the first two Angels flew off to the Unknown and as I watched them leave, I was filled with a sense of Hope that perhaps God would act to save our world after all – for it seemed as if the tide was turning to The Good.

However, my faith was quickly shaken when I looked over at The Beast – for rather than be upset with the destruction of some of Its disciples, It apparently enjoyed seeing them suffer – as if their pain was making The Beast even more powerful!

Worse yet, when I looked upon the five remaining Angels, I noticed with chagrin that none of them appeared restored to their glory. Instead each labored on foot towards the Temple Mount – and all the while, The Beast continued looking on in victory.

Could it be that these five Angels were on The Beast’s side? My spirit wondered.

Angel Three, awash in its own blood, raged long and loud as it poured forth its own Bowl – a festering miasma that slammed into The Chosen and tormented them anew.  Yet before Bates’ forsaken people had time to feel these new pains, suddenly The Fourth Bowl was poured – yet this Angel’s wrath rose upwards – intensifying the sun’s heat, and boiling the evil doers alive in a cauldron of the earth’s now gore-filled mud.

The Chosen wailed against God!

And the Beast rejoiced anew!

How long it was before the Fifth Angel poured out his Bowl, I could not say, but when he did it was as if the world had ended – for immediately the Sun was blotted out and the world was cast into Darkness – yet this was much to the delight of The Chosen for it appeared to offer them a measure of relief.

The Beast pleasured in this too, and all I could guess was that perhaps this was because The Darkness was Its abode and It sensed that Its Final Victory was closer than ever?

My fears seemed confirmed when the Sixth Angel commanded the scene – for the release of the Wrath of the Sixth Bowl actually caused the restoration of The Chosen to their power and glory – as if they had never suffered any pains to begin with!

Things looked worse than ever and then it was that The Beast rose up to its full power as It surveyed the scene: all seven of Its heads smiled wickedly as It looked with glee upon of Its followers, now regaled anew and cursing against The Christ and his father Yahweh.

7-headed Beast of Revelation

Now while all of this had been happening, Pope Benedict had remained behind The Altar of The One True God – and I could see that he was afraid — very afraid – especially after he’d witness what The Beast had done to Klaus Schwab. However, even as my own immortal soul shivered at the sight of Satan’s Son, I could sense an unseen force was keeping The Pope upright as the man struggled to remain standing at The Altar.

“I cannot falter now.” The Pope whispered to himself. “I am—“

“CROWN ME NOW!” The Beast that was once Bill Bates raged at The Pope, Its voice reverberating down to the very bowels of the earth. The head that showed Bates’ face (the one which also portrayed Arrogant Pride) was that which had spoken and it was this head that the creature now bent down – snaking its dragon-like neck down to hover over the body of Rabbi Metzger upon The Altar. Meanwhile, Satan’s Son also made ready to break the seal of the Scroll of the Illuminated Angels – as soon as It gained the divine power to do so.

The Chosen screamed in delight and began to beat their drums all the louder, now confident that they were again on the winning side.

<Boom. Doom! BOOM! DOOM! DOOM!>

Unable to take a breath, Pope Benedict carefully placed The Crown That Rains Blood upon The Beast.

Immediately even more <POWER> flowed through The Beast’s massive body!

Six of his heads wailed in victory, whilst the one that was once Bill Bates proclaimed in those awful guttural tones, “I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above the stars! I will be greater than The Most High! For this world is now mine and all that is in it I now claim!” 

Satan in Council by Gustav Dore

Now crowned, Satan’s Son took the final step towards completing The Armageddon Rite

My spirit watched in horror as The Beast attempted to rend open the seal of the Angels’ Scroll.

This was the last obstacle between It and World Domination…


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3.36 The Hand of God

Book III: Chapter 26
Date Unknown

As I left my earthly body, I was granted one final vision, and since you’ve come this far with me, I imagine you’ll want to hear about this too…

Golgotha by Lee Steiner

What I saw next was something that was undoubtedly UNseen by everyone else ,for God gave me a vision inside of Pope Benedict’s battle helmet — there I saw that Benedict’s visage was awash with of horror (not victory!) as he punctured my heart and released my life force. Clearly this was not the face of the Antichrist’s Second Helper – for such a fiend would surely have rejoiced at killing Christ’s Immortals. For a moment I was confused…

Whose side was Benedict on? Was a Pawn of Satan or a Champion of Christ?

I watched as the Pope bowed his head while standing below my body. As he pulled the pike back out of my side he was shaking and it was everything he could do to pull my Nail off of the spear and add it to his belt. Yet he completed the task – and it was significant for this action finally gave him control of all three of The Nails of Jesus.

Pope Benedict was thus the first person in history to possess all three nails since the centurion who used them to crucify our lord over 2,000 years ago. It immediately filled him with power!

Yet here he paused.

Standing below my now-dead body as it hung limply on the cross above, he took a long moment to collect himself, before finally turning around and walking back towards Bill Bates as The Beast Ghaz al’ Ridwan Ma’bus… and towards HIS final destiny.

By now the red-streaked skies were roiling worse than before and a Heavenly Thunder had replaced the booming of the earthly drums.

“I am the Hand of God!” Pope Benedict screamed within the din as he continued his inexorable walk to The Altar of the Most High God.

Had Bates or Schwab heard that proclamation perhaps events might have turned out differently on this day, but fortunately neither the Beast nor his evil henchman heard the Pope’s cry — for Bates had already gone into The Dome of The Rock to pursue his own designs and Schwab was focused on inciting the crowd to acts of debauchery as everyone waited for EA Incarnate in the form of Bates’ self-made persona known as Ghaz al’ Ridwan Ma’bus to re-emerge from The Well of Souls.

As my spirit watched, it seemed that Satan’s Son was well on his way to completing The Armageddon Rite – and thereby gaining control of the world. It was truly a Dark Day from my perspective and Nature seemed to agree with me – for the landscape was buffeted anew with a viscous sand storms, all worse than before.

And yet, as if it was a bright summer’s day in a dewy meadow, The Pope seemed unaffected by the raging weather. I watched as Benedict reached The Altar and began to remove each of The Nails from his belt. Using the care of a master craftsman, he installed The Nails within The Crown That Rains Blood – preparing it for The Beast.

After this he waited. And I with him.

Time passed slowly – yet whether it was thousand years or just a single day, who can say?


During the interim, Schwab has incited the Chosen to in debaucheries galore  – committing every sin imaginable and likely inventing new ones, and what they did to the bodies of the murdered innocents that littered the ground around them was unspeakably disturbing. 

The Last Judgement

Things got so out of control that had I the power to end my vision, I might well have done so.

At last, Bill Bates, Dr. Ghaz al’ Ridwan Ma’bus, the new EA Incarnate, emerged from The Dome of the Rock.

Gone was any last vestige of his humanity – for this was no longer Bill Bates the would-be world savior, and it was the new Dr. Ghaz al-Ridwan Ma’bus, Director of the Union of Many Allied Nations and de facto World President – instead the creature that emerged from its confrontation at The Well of Souls was but one thing: EA IncarnateThe Beast – Satan’s Son!

<EVIL> in its purest form emanated from the monster that made its way slowly back towards the Altar of the One True God. By now, I knew that It must have successfully broken open The Foundation Stone and then had been able to throw The Book of Life into The Well.

That meant that to complete The Armageddon Rite It only needed to utilize one more item — The Scroll of the Illuminated Angels – which It now carried in Its talons.

With utter confidence, the creature clove its way across the span between the now sundered Foundation Stone and The Altar – clearly intent on destroying the latter as well. 

With the scaly-tail of a dragon, its giant body resembled that of a leopard, yet It was poised on humongous bear-like feet that skirted twenty foot wide sections of earth. Yet none of these other features matched the fear-inspiring sight of Its seven heads – each with a different visage: Nero, Attila, Arnulf, Weishaupt, Hitler, Ma’bus, and the last a formless black slate.

Worse yet, each face depicted a different portrayal of the Seven Deadly Sins – it was the Chairs of Woe come to life — as one head showed victorious Pride, another soul-destroying Wrath, a third unquenchable Lust, and so on down the line through Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, and Envy. Yet regardless of which Sin they showcased, all of the heads spewed forth a black waterfall of evil words in the deep, guttural language of The Tongues of The Abyss.

At the horror of the sight that was The Beast even the mood of Klaus Schwab and his Chosen Ones shifted and those wayward souls who were once so confident in their choice to follow their EA Incarnate now appeared to realize that The Beast was not only NOT going to allow them to share in Its glory, but instead was intent on destroying them as well!

Schwab was the first to wail as he held up his hands in terror, backing away as The Beast approached him. The people on the hillsides also cried out in fear as they experienced a wave of emotions…

  • Sorrow.
  • Doubt.
  • Regret.
  • Horror!

Yet for them, it was too late. (You chose poorly, friends).

Schwab yelled out, “What about our great Agenda, Lord. Didn’t I serve you we–“

But the Beast reached out Its claws and tore Schwab in two, casting The Great Reset architect’s body aside as It neared The Altar.

And all the while the thunder rolled, threatening to bring down the heavens.

The windstorm raged on, now whipping dusts and debris all around. And soon enough, the landscape began to erupt at the feet of The Chosen – sending flames of fire shooting up to devour them.

And then, suddenly, from out of the fires came forth the Seven Angels – those pitiful creatures who had been so mercilessly tortured by Bates.

They had been released (yet by whom I did not know), and each of them held their Golden Bowls of Revelations – the cauldrons now boiling over with the brimstone of retribution.

Despite their previous tortures, I could see that at least two of the Angels had been restored to their former glory, and hovering over the cowering disciples of The Beast, they released the contents of their smoking Bowls – pouring forth horrible judgments upon the evil doers!

Praise God! Praise God indeed!

But it was what happened next that was the key…


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37 – The Armageddon Rite
Book III Table of Contents

3.30 Faces of Death

Book III: Chapter 30
December 20

Bill Bates looked to my friends and I – trying to gauge the effect of his threat to destroy us.

Meanwhile I noticed another pair of eyes practically boring a hole into me – Pope Benedict’s.

Glancing over at him, I caught him watching me, but he refused to look me in the eyes and before I could learn more Bates was talking again, “Yes, yes, if these are your final wishes, far be it from me to keep you from your desires.”

His demeanor changing, The Beast then detailed how he would be the Instrument of Fate that would destroy us, “Al-haram al-qudsī ash-sharīf – The Noble Sanctuary of Al-Aqsa, there on The Temple Mount – this is the site of your destiny. December 21   – this is the day of your destiny. The Armageddon Ritual – this will be the revelation of your destiny. Do I need to explain the horrors you will endure?”

It was Miriam who spoke now – calmly and without emotion. “We will be crucified. You’ll use duplicates of the nails to crucify us and then pierce each of us with one of Jesus’s Nails that will be attached to a spear. This will deliver the deathblow – through our sides and up into our hearts. Then we will experience… The End.”

The fate that awaited us

Eyebrows raised just slightly, Bates let his teeth show. “I’m impressed… as always. You are correct again, Mary. The very nails that the Jews used to kill The Nazarene, and the ones you’ve been protecting for lo these many centuries, will in fact be the instruments of your deaths too. Jesus Christ’s power will destroy you – rather ironic, huh?”

“But why do you bother to tell us all this?” Alan asked. “We already told you, we WANT to die. You can’t scare us with these threats.”

“Ah, but I am not trying to scare you. I merely want you to fully understand how you will serve me.”

Seeing Alan perplexed by this statement, Bates explained, “Oh, don’t worry, you shall all get your wish — you WILL die. But what I’m not sure that any of you realize is that, all along, I needed more than just your Nails – I needed each of you.

And The Beast took a moment to let that sink in. “Recall that, on every world, the victory of my father and I cannot be complete without the participation of the people. In the case of this Earth, the Nails that killed Jesus Christ are imbibed with much power – but even that power is not enough to bring about my victory. YOUR crucifixion and death – this is the real key. For when Christ’s Nails destroy the immortality that flows through your veins, the Nails will be imparted with more <power> than ever before!”

“It can’t be.” Miriam protested

“Oh it be, sister, it be.” The Beast laughed as he rose again, once more full of pride. “And after you three die, I shall proceed to enter The Dome. There I will destroy your precious The Book of Life – thanks for protecting that for me by the way. And after that I’ll open The Sakhrah – as you recall, my servant Muhammad descended to his Eternity through The Sakhrah Stone and I think it’s high time to–

“If you move the Foundation Stone,” I interrupted, “if you dare to set foot onto the Holiest of Holies, it is YOU who will be the fool! Open it, Bates, and God will smite you down!”

“I think not.” Bill Bates waved my warning aside. “And when I DO move the Foundation Stone, the souls of the dead who are gathered in the Well of Souls beneath shall emerge to pray for The Last Judgment. And with their help, when I return from The Dome, I shall be filled with enough <power> to break the Angels’ Seals – and thereby will I destroy the work of your Christ once and for all!”

“After The Beast opens The Sakhrah Stone within The Dome of The Rock, and when he emerges back to The Altar of The Most High God as EA Incarnate, the Fallen Angels will be unleashed to bring their doom upon the world. By then you three will already have passed.” The voice was Benedict’s and it came so unexpectedly that even Bates jerked his head to look, yet pope stood up and continued unabated, “It’s my job to make sure that The Scroll of the Illuminated Angels will be waiting for EA Ma’bus upon The Altar. By that time, I will have gathered The Nails together and installed them into the Crown That Rains Blood. The Crown will be imparted with your blood, and when I place it upon EA Ma’bus’ head, that is the moment when the destiny of this world will be determined. For that is the Moment of Truth when The Beast shall open The Angels’ Seals and… and our Savior shall be revealed at last!”

Bill Bates looked Benedict up and down with a critical eye, yet the Pope merely bowed his head, spent, and fell back to his seat.

Satisfied, The Beast nodded, “Indeed, Benedict speaks the truth. For when the Armageddon Ritual is completed and the Angels’ Seals lay bare, I will release all of the Sin back into the world that Jesus Christ took away with his death. Every offense, every malice, all the Evil this world has ever known will return…to Me! It will be a glorious day indeed! And that, my friends, is the destiny that YOU will experience.” Then, flashing his best smile, Bates laughed, “So how ya like me now?”

Miriam and Lazarus were speechless, yet I tried to remain confident, “The Lord is good, His Love endures forever.”

“But in your case,” Bates chuckled, “only until tomorrow.”

And with that he walked away.

For his part, Benedict gave us a brief look of pity, but showed nothing else as he hurried to follow behind The Beast.

And so I wondered – is this really the end?


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31 – Har Habayit
Book III Table of Contents

3.25 Paradise Lost

Book III: Chapter 25
December 20

“I just don’t understand.” Alan lamented. “Tomorrow is the big day, yet we are powerless to stop The Beast. Would the Lord really have brought us all this way, only to leave us at the very end?”

Alan, Miriam, and I were sitting under the shade of an olive tree, within one of the many interior courtyards of Bates’ palace – despite the earthquake that had occurred here in Baghdad after the death of Elijah and Enoch, amazingly (rather conveniently) Bates’ stronghold was still in good condition – and ever since our capture at Whitby Abbey this locale had served as our prison.

There was no longer any question in my mind about who was The Beast – it was Bill Bates’ Ghaz al-Ridwan Ma’bus. As for Pope Benedict, given his involvement in our recent rather unfortunate events, it seemed we had no choice but to conclude that he was The Second Helper.

Revelation Two Beasts
The Two Beasts

As you can imagine, this was not a happy time for us.

And yet there was nothing we could do but wait for our fate to unfold.

And while we knew that masked guards watched our every move, on the whole we’d been left to ourselves – thankfully Bates didn’t make us wear those silly face masks against the made-up virus and he let us venture most anywhere we pleased within our section of the palace and our every needs were met.

We simply could not leave.

On most days, we usually ended up in this little garden, debating our fate – there wasn’t much else to do and the garden was lush and beautiful. That said, none of us could truly take solace in these confines, as the beauty of the place only made Bates’ fast approaching victory all the more wretched.

For we three knew that when The Beast rose to power at last, all that was good and beautiful in this world would vanish forever.

Paradise Lost

“The Lord helps those who help themselves, Laz.” Miriam replied, her next words cutting like a knife into my heart. “In the end, it was WE who failed – not Him. Had we just been patient and stuck to His plan, everything would have worked out. It’s just like Gabriel always told me – we were given a choice. Unfortunately we made the wrong decision. As a result, Bates not only has all three of our Nails, but he also now possesses my Book of Life, and John’s sacred scrolls.”

“We’ll see.” I muttered, my anger having returned in the last few weeks – especially after Bates robbed me of the priceless Scroll of the Illuminated Angels – one of the keys he would eventually need to complete his Armageddon Rite. “Damn shame if you ask me. What a waste.”

“But is that really it?” Alan asked again. “Are we just going to give up and accept fate? Are we done fighting?”

No Mas

“Our Moment of Truth has passed.” Miriam replied. “We failed in our mission. If the world is to be saved, it will not be from our actions.”

“She’s correct.” I agreed, feeling small in my faith. “All we three can do now is wait it out. We’ve been reduced to mere bystanders. If there is still anyone left to help, the task of saving the world will become their job now.”

“But who could it be?” Alan wondered. “Is there anyone left who has the power to oppose The B—“

He was interrupted by some activity off to our right – the guards parted to allow one of the interior gates to open, but just then the haze of the sun’s rays beamed suddenly brighter, obscuring the doorway…

Who could it be?

As if Nature herself was contending the way.


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What, er… Consequences? (5)

Book III: Chapter 5
July 27

As I basked in God’s love, it was like being born again — as if streams of living water welled up within me. Oh how I wish you could experience it for yourself. 

To be washed clean by Him. To be loved by Him – it is All and Everything!

“My lips shout for joy,” still kneeling, I held my arms up to the skies, “Oh God, I, whom you have redeemed.”

Gabriel let me have some time to relish the moment. Then, when he deemed I was ready, he added softly, “And yet, this doesn’t change the consequences of your sins. These must still be accounted for.”

Knowing I could not deny his words, I replied, “The Lord disciplines those He loves.” And then fearfully I asked, “What, er… consequences?”

“As you know, for every action there is a reaction — for every sin, a price. Sometimes even the Innocent must suffer.”

“My friends will suffer the Armageddon Rite because of my sins…”

“Indeed. And furthermore, your Vision is no more.”

This new revelation caught me off guard, “What? Why?”

“John, your Vision was merely a crutch – a blessing granted to you out of love by The Lord — given to help you through your time in the desert. Yet now you must rebuild your great faith – for you will need all of it and more when you confront The Beast on That Fateful Day.”

“But, how can I find my friends without my vision? Surely you don—“

“Hush, John. You will take no action against The Beast until December 21st of this year.” As he spoke, the color drained from my face — for the implications this signified for my friends were dire indeed. As if reading my mind, Gabriel continued, “Yes, your friends are in grave danger. And much disaster will befell this world prior to the Fateful Day. Yet, there is nothing you can do about that, John, – the consequences will unfold as they will. YOUR role is to Repent and Rebuild… Repent and Rebuild.”

“But, you expect me to just sit here and let everything fall apart – even when I might be able to act to stop it?”

“John, have you learned nothing?” Gabriel rose up in frustration, causing me to cower down.

“Destroy your arrogance! Down with your pride!” God’s great angel roared at me. “Now is not the time for you to act. Now is the time for you to accept God’s Plan and let events unfold on HIS time. Trust that The Lord is working all things for the Good. All you must do, John, is the part that has been assigned to you. Stay here, repent and rebuild yourself, and if you do as I tell you, then on December 21st… ALL WILL BE WELL IN THE END.” 

Before I could reply, Gabriel continued, “Be thankful you still have a part to play — if it were up to me you would not. But alas, I am only His Servant and lucky for you Our Lord still believes in you. ”

Displaying his power, the mighty angel proclaimed, “Ready yourself for The Last Battle. The time is approaching. On December 21st, you will finally open the Scroll of the Illuminated Angels. With these wonders YOU will be given the power to destroy The Beast and make the way for The Christ to return and break the bonds of Evil.” And pointing down at me, Gabriel cried, “John of Salome — I charge YOU with defeating The Beast!”

Suddenly I was overwhelmed with power – with the POWER OF THE ONE TRUE GOD!!!

My JOY was Indescribable! Uncontainable! And all I could think at that moment was…

You are amazing, God! All powerful! Untamable! Awestruck I fall to my knees as I humbly proclaim – YOU are amazing, God

YOU ARE AMAZING, GOD!!


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6 – Healing at the Pool
Book III Table of Contents

2.38 Prepare the Way for the Lord

Book II: Chapter 38
July 15

To be honest, right now I didn’t know what to make of the situation because it appeared The Pope was now openly reveling in the deaths of millions of people!

Alan too was appalled. “How dare you?”

“Oh come off it, man.” Benedict scoffed. “Don’t be a baby. You’ve seen Miriam’s Book of Life. You’ve read your friend John’s Revelation. You know that the wheat must be separated from the chaff. Yes, even among my own Catholic flocks there are many who are not worthy of the coming of our Lord.” And pounding his fists on his desk, “You know that He is not coming back as a Lamb this time, but as a Lion — to cleanse this world of Sin once and for all. Yes, many will perish – and rightly so! Let the evil doers be cast into the Fiery Pit, I say, for that is their destiny!”

Here Pope Joe took a moment to catch his breath, and after a pause, he said in a normal voice, “But, don’t worry, all is not lost. Those of us who are The Chosen will survive and be glorified with Our Lord. That includes you two as well. You have nothing to fear.”

(Gee, that makes me feel so much better – NOT!)

“Just the same,” Miriam grumbled, “You could have done a better job of informing us of your plans.”

“Point well made, dear. Nonetheless, you now know.”

“OK. So what now?” Alan asked.

“Simple – we ensure December 21st goes according to OUR plans.”

Here Miriam stole a glance at Alan – a fact that did not go unnoticed by Joseph who proudly advised, “The whole world is anticipating Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger’s December 21 celebration in Jerusalem. For the first time in thousands of years, our planet will see a peaceful union between Christians, Jews, and Muslims!”

“But do you really believe this is possible?” Alan questioned.

“What? Pshaw – not a chance!” Benedict waved a hand and relaxed back into his chair. “The ceremony is a sham anyway – it’s a bigger farce than Covid. Bates isn’t going to Metzger’s event out of some misguided social calling, but instead to reveal himself to the world – as The Beast!”

“But, Your Grace, if that’s true,” Alan proceeded with caution, “then why would YOU want to be there?”

And Miriam added, “Don’t you realize that Bates plans to kill both you and Metzger? Are you trying to martyr yourself?”

“Of course not.” The Pope laughed long at that. “Do you think I don’t know the man Ma’bus’ plans? The Beast must destroy Peter’s Rock in order to unleash Hell – at least that’s what he thinks will happen. But what he doesn’t know is that I have my own plans.” And he let the bait hang enticingly.

“So where do my friends and I fit into your plans?” Alan broke the silence. “Are we supposed to be present at the ceremony too?”

Miriam was clearly appalled that Alan would so flippantly reveal secret information. However, she was likely more shocked to hear Joe’s reply.

“Don’t worry – you need not be present.” The Pope explained, as if a parent to his children. “If you’ll simply listen to what I’m trying to tell you then you’ll realize that I have a way to save you from the Armageddon Rite! In fact, it’s one of the reasons I am so happy to see you today – to tell you, and Mary, and yes even John – that you have fulfilled your duties.  My friends, your mission is over!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Miriam was annoyed at The Pope’s patronizing tone.

“Just this,” Joseph overlooked Miriam’s insult. “For two thousand years you three have been the pillar of stability – working long and hard to protect Jesus’ Nails. The world thanks you for it. I thank you for it. However, you need not guard The Nail’s any longer. It is time to give them to me.”

(Ah, that gambit again, Joe?)

“I’m not sure I agree.” Miriam said softly, eyes narrowed.

“It just doesn’t make sense.” Alan added.

Joe measured his words, “On the contrary, it makes perfect sense. Consider that John the Baptist had the duty to prepare the way of the Lord. And when the time of destiny arrived – when he met Jesus – John was faced with a choice: hang on to his fame and reject the Lord as his replacement, or understand it was time for History to move ahead. As you know John made the right choice – and went down in history as one of the greatest prophets of all time. In the end, his life was viewed as the bridge between the sorrows of the Old Testament and the hope of the New Testament. And yet, what would have happened had John had not let Jesus take center stage?”

(Now that’s an interesting thought. So you’re telling me that MY mission was merely to be a time wasting lackey all this time? That’s great, just great).

“And so that brings us to you.” Joe continued. “Like John, you are a bridge to the future – in this case, you are the bridge between the New Testament and The Rapture. The question is, will you acc—“

“Wait!” Miriam interrupted. “Why didn’t Gabriel tell me any of this?”

“He told ME, dear.” The Pope averred. “Remember, your time has passed. I know that sounds harsh, but given the dire circumstances we don’t have time to mince words. As The Rock of Peter — as Christ’s chosen representative mind you — I am the One whose destiny is NOW. Again, I am grateful beyond measure for the diligent duty you three have fulfilled. But, you must recognize MY place — I am The Deliverer.”

And rising up from his chair, Joseph Ratzinger proclaimed, “Even if I am all alone, I will stand in the breach against The Beast!! But, I can’t fulfill MY duty – I can’t bring about the Deliverance of Our Lord — unless you first acquiesce to me. In the end, it’s a final test of faith – will you trust in your own designs or will you allow The Lord’s work to be done?”

Mouths agape in disbelief, neither Alan nor Miriam could respond. Sensing his victory was secure, The Pope pushed for a quick close, “Mary, in the vision that John told you about, who is the one to destroy this Ma’bus?”

(Whoa, hold on there, cowboy – how in the Hell did YOU know about that?!?)

Head bowed, Miriam answered, “You.”

“And how did I accomplish this? By what instruments?”

There was a long pause but at last Miriam whispered, “With our Nails.”

“That settles it. So, I will ask you again – will you deliver m–”

“Just a minute here!” Alan stalled. “With all due respect, Your Grace, there is still a most important point that has remained a mystery – pardon my pun – but if you really want to confirm our trust, help us to understand your connection to Teri Abbracciavento. Why are you mixed up with Mystery?”

Joe was visibly taken aback by that question, but as usual, he had an explanation, “Why, I’m surprised that you don’t know the answer already.”

“We don’t.” Miriam grated. “Please enlighten us.”

“It’s simple really. I am using Teri as a double agent against the man Ma’bus.” By now The Pope had recovered his smugness and seemed to enjoy telling about his spy games. “It has always been a given that Mystery worked for The Beast – after all, that is her destiny. But, like a fool, Bates overplayed his hand – sending Mystery to me as a self-proclaimed traitor. Did he really think I would fall for such a ruse? Sure, I let Mystery play her games with me,” and here he looked away in thought, before catching himself, “but only to a point mind you! The fact of the matter is this – Teri has given me valuable information about Bates; and best of all, she believes that I don’t know about her duplicitous dealings.”

“So, in essence, Teri is a double double agent?” Alan was confused.

“Verily — she wants me to think she is working for me as a double agent against Dr. Ma’bus, even though she is still secretly working FOR him – or at least she believes she is. In reality, I’m not sure that Teri really knows WHO holds her true allegiance.”

(But how does JOE know all this???)

“That’s quite a game of reverse psychology.” Miriam grinned — clearly enjoying the vision of a much confused Mystery.

“Well, I do have some small experience in that field.” Joe smiled with Miriam. But turning serious, he re-directed, “Let’s stop stalling. About those Nails…”

Once more Alan and Miriam looked at each other – both still unsure. At last, in his frustration, The Pope reached down to his desk and picked up the small package that Cardinalate Marrollo had delivered to him, “Does your silence have anything to do with THIS?”

Miriam’s eyes lit up at the sight of the scroll, yet before she could comment, Joe had slashed the wax seal and began to read aloud.

As The Pope read Marrollo’s scroll, I watched Miriam work hard to control her emotions — even though I could not read her thoughts, I could tell that her mind was literally screaming…

Alan! Alan! That is NOT my letter to La Papessa!

With that my vision ended.


At first I was frustrated to be left with so many questions.

In the end I reminded myself that while all this was rather interesting, it didn’t really matter much to me.

Instead, I was finally free to get back to something important.

I was finally ready to destroy myself.

And now, most important of all, I was 100% confident I could do it!

End of Book II


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Read Book III Golgotha Revisited

2.29 Leavin’ on a Jet Plane

Book II: Chapter 29
July 13

The good news is that my friends finally went away.

The bad news it that I did not get to work in peace as I’d hoped because the very next day I had another vision forced upon me – ironically it was about Alan and Miriam (gee whiz, how do I get rid of these guys?)


“Why did we bother to come through JFK?” Miriam complained, fiddling with her face mask.

“Hopefully the delay won’t be much longer.” Alan soothed, he too donning a face mask as per the requirements for air travel that had been mandated since back in 2020. “Meanwhile, let’s take this time to plan our next moves.”

Despite the delay in the plane’s arrival, my friends had been able to book the flight quickly because their Freedom Passes and social credits were still flagged as Platinum status – this was based on the fact that both of them had received every round of their semi-annual Covid top-off vaccines since 2021, had no record of any crimes, had no record of social media hate speech, were both on record as bleeding heart liberals, had taken all their White Privilege re-education programs, and had never missed a daily virus test on their phone (that last was a tally I’d ‘corrected’ during their visit to me in order to account for the time they missed while Miriam was rescuing Alan – it was a task I happily undertook because it fit with my plans to get rid of them!)

“Oh, Alan, always the analytical mind.” Miriam replied. But then, as if realizing her possible faux pas, she added, “Er. I didn’t mean that in a mental telepathy sort of way.” And seeing her friend’s face redden around his mask, she stammered, “Alan, please know that I did NOT go through your private thoughts. I never have in the past and I never plan to. You mus–”

(Don’t believe her, Alan).

“Hush. I trust you, Miriam. But let’s just make a pact so we can save ourselves further embarrassment – no more telepathy, mental probes, or other mental tricks.”

(Amen to that!)

Miriam nodded, “If I have anything to say, I’ll say it out loud.”

“Amen!”

(Copy cat).

“Alan,” Miriam’s grew thoughtful. “How long has it been since we’ve last talked? I mean really talked.”

(Oh no, when a woman says she wants to talk that’s never good).

Alan thought for a moment, “The last time we were together — before you rescued me from Ma’bus — was in 1945 – April 30th to be exact.”

“The day Hitler shot himself – alas another Antichrist theory which didn’t pan out.”  

“And yet, I wonder…” Alan mused. ”Unlike most, we saw Hitler’s remains – at least what his people claimed was his remains – which, as you’ll recall we had certain unanswered questions about at the time. Nevertheless, even though we determined that Hitler was not in fact our Antichrist before he died, we still worked hard to drive him out of his mind in order to rid of the world of his evil.”

“I’d say so.” Miriam interjected. “After all, even though the world never knew, it was you, John, and myself who succeeded in pushing Der Fuhrer down the suicide path.”

(I realize this probably all news to you, but actually it’s quite true).  

“Ah, but don’t forget — Hitler shot himself two days before we thought he would.”

“So?”

“Let’s not forget – none of us actually saw him take the shot. And while we did see his charred corpse, I told you back then I wasn’t comfortable with they way everything played out.”

“But nothing more happened. We all agreed the Hitler File was closed.”

(Actually I agreed with Alan at the time — I wasn’t 100% sure Hitler was really dead, but I didn’t feel like fighting Miriam, so I didn’t say anything).

“What if we were wrong?” Alan mused.

“What do you mean?”

“What if Hitler never did kill himself?” Alan whispered. Then leaning in closer he said even softer, “Miriam, is it possible Hitler actually stayed alive and has now re-emerged as… Dr. Ma’bus?!?”

The color drained from Miriam’s face, yet before she could respond, Alan pressed ahead, “Let me take it a step further. Miriam, in the course of the last few decades, I have been postulating a new theory — in the past, whenever we’ve been presented with a potential Antichrist emerging, how did we evaluate that candidate to determine if they were truly The Beast?”

“I’m not sure I understand — why are we talking about men whom History has proven NOT to be antichrists?”

“Has it? Think about the men we were once CONVINCED were The Beast: Nero, Attila, Arnulf, Weishaupt, and Hitler. I want you to—“

Nero
Attila
Arnulf
Weishaupt
Hitler

“You forgot Martin Luther.” Miriam interjected.

“Actually, I left him out on purpose. There is no question that we were wrong about him and luckily John caught our error in time.”

(Well, at least someone gives me some credit around here. Thank you, Alan).

“Agreed.” Miriam consented as much, but her face told a different story regarding her true feelings Martin Luther. However rather than argue the point, she encouraged Alan to continue, “OK, so what?”

“Miriam, what if ALL of them really were The Beast?”

“How could that be? They all died – and stopped causing problems.”

“And yet, in every case there is a nuance that left me unsure. Consider Nero’s death – a supposed suicide in which he drove a dagger into his own throat – albeit with the aid of his personal secretary Epaphroditus. And yet Epaphroditus then conveniently disappeared from history?”

“Even still, Nero’s death seemed pretty convincing.”

“Death of Nero” by V. S. Smirnov

“Was it? Or did Nero switch with his aide and disappear himself?”

“But, why? For what purpose?”  

(Duh? Miriam, are you so obtuse?)

“Let’s table that and examine the other candidates. Next there was Attila — his demise is still controversial: was it internal bleeding caused by years of heavy drinking or did he die at the hands of his wife Gudrun?”

“What does it matter? Either way, he DID die.” Miriam rebutted. ”And did you forget that Attila was buried in a triple coffin made of gold, inside of silver, inside of iron – all to keep him locked inside?”

“And supposedly his army then diverted a section of the river Tisza over his grave site – yet all those men were later killed by Attila’s son Ellac in order to keep the exact location of the grave site a secret.”

(Hmm. I’m starting to see where Alan’s heading. What about YOU?)

“Attention passengers of Lufthansa Flight 1501 to Rome,” came a voice over the Terminal speakers, “Please proceed to Gate A31…”

“Hey, they changed our gate!” Miriam arose and began to hastily gather her belongings. “That’s at the other end of the terminal!”

“Moving on,” Alan trotted after Miriam, continuing his discourse between breaths as they waded through the crowd. “Arnulf’s death – still a mystery. Same goes for Weishaupt. And we already discussed Hitler.”

“Ugh, Alan, just spit it out — what are you trying to say?”

As they stepped onto moving walkway, Alan whispered urgently into her ear. “Just this, Miriam — what if all of those evil men really were the SAME man?  What if we did correctly identify the Beast each time, but due to our actions or just some unexpected turns of History, Satan chose to delay his rise?”

Miriam suddenly stopped in her tracks – causing a backlog on the tight walkway behind Alan.

“Sorry, friends,” Alan turned to apologize to the many passengers behind him who were now complaining at the stoppage, before quickly urging Miriam ahead towards the end of the moving walkway.

Once they got off, Miriam pulled Alan aside, “My God, Alan, what if the spirit of Satan’s son possessed the bodies of those men and merely used each as a vessel?”

(ARG! Do you see what she’s doing? As always, Miriam can’t accept someone else’s idea, so she has to change it to make it hers. Just like a woman – never satisfied until they have their own way!)

“Hmmm… that I can’t answer,” Alan replied, “But one thing is sure. Lucifer is a master manipulator – for something as important as the rise to power of his son — and his own subsequent release from the prison of Hell — surely, if he felt for even a moment that everything wasn’t going exactly as planned, he would pull the plug and start over later, right?”

“Indeed. For Gabriel always said that once The Antichrist attempts The Armageddon Rite, he will have one chance at it – just ONE. That was the agreement Satan worked out with God. Although why The Lord would allow Himself to be bound by such a possib–”

“Attention passengers of Lufthansa Flight 1501 to Rome,” came the airport voice again. “All passengers should be at Gate A31 ready to board.”

“Oh, let’s hurry, Alan. We can talk more on the way to Rome!”


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30 – Dead Man Walking
Book II Table of Contents

2.19 The Word Became Flesh

Book II: Chapter 19
July 11

A couple nights later I had my sleep interrupted again – this time with another vision of The Two Witnesses as the word became flesh before my eyes…

<Drip… drip… drip…>

<Drip… drip… drip…>

<Drip… drip… drip…>

I watched as a frustrated Enoch, despite his blindness, arose from the prison floor and tried to ferret out the source of the annoying drip. After a time, he did successfully locate the trickle, but unfortunately the crack in the cell’s ceiling was simply too high for him to do anything about.

<Drip… drip… drip…>

Ice cold rivulets splashed into Enoch’s maw – smelling of raw sewage they were far from refreshing. And so, backing away dejectedly, he slumped back down onto the pile of filthy straw that was his bedding and did the only thing he could – endure.

As for Elijah, he might as well have been a dead log. During this brief respite from their visions, I was certain that sleep, if the prophets’ could grasp it, was a welcome relief. (Even though my own was currently being interrupted!)

Turning my attention back to Enoch,  I wondered if he ever remembered that he was once a man of renown – and if so, would that knowledge cause him to curse his present condition? For the fact that he formerly enjoyed the favor of God but was now subject to a fate worse than Job seemed like a pretty raw deal to me. (After all, this was something I could definitely relate to). Or was Enoch foolish enough to believe he was going to be rewarded for this ‘righteous’ suffering?

<Drip… drip… drip…>

“Will this never end?” Enoch muttered, head hanging in misery. “Where is our savior?”

(Well I guess that answers my question).


Suddenly my vision shifted – torn from the prophets’ cell, I was again looking upon the man calling himself Ghaz al’ Ridwan Ma’bus. He was in his private quarters and again watching a webcam of the prophets, but this time he was not alone.

“Don’t worry, my friend, I’ll save you.” An unmasked Ma’bus replied to Enoch’s question, even though the prophet never heard him.

“What does he mean?” Mystery said. Not only was the woman not wearing any Covid personal protection, but she was wearing little else – climbing off the bed she clasped a wisp of silk around heras she came up behind her lover to look at his computer. “What will never end? The virus? The world? His revelations?”

“Who cares? He’s clearly not having a true vision, so it doesn’t matter.”

“How do you know he is not prophesying?” Mystery wrapped her arms seductively around the technocrat’s shoulders.

“Look at Elijah — he’s out.” Dr. Mab’us casually brushed off Mystery’s advances. “The Two Witnesses never reveal wisdom unless they both speak. So perhaps Enoch’s just complaining about the food?”

Mystery ignored her lover’s rebuff and chuckled along at his last comment before growing serious, “Benedict suspects something about all this, you know.”

“So?” The computer whiz turned dictator continued to stare at his webcam, allowing his mind to think of ways to improve the tech in the device.

“So, he never got around to asking about the prophets, nor how Alan escaped — but only because I got out of there before he could dig too deep.”

“He knows about all of it by now.”

“How? Did you tell him? Did he—“

Bates raised a hand, “Don’t forget the kind of power we’re dealing with. Joseph Ratzinger is no ordinary man. He is one of the Chosen.”

(A Chosen — Joe? Again, I’m as confused as you are).

And closing his computer screen, Dr. Ma’bus turned to look at Mystery, ignoring the temptation of her seductive body, “Benedict already knows that I have the witnesses. And as for Lazarus, surely Benedict knows that Mary came to my lair to rescue himand that I let Mary succeed.” (Whoa, what’s that?)

“But he wasn’t happy to learn that you kept Alan’s Nail.”

“Of course not. He wants The Nails for himself – and he’ll stop at nothing to get them. I’m sure he’s already planning to influence Mary and John to bring him the other two.” (Hey, don’t bring ME into it!)

“But he won’t succeed.” Mystery smiled. “Alan’s nearly dead because of what Dr. Flipflop and you did to him to him with The Chair of Woe, and John is out of the game permanently.”

“On the contrary. Lazarus will be fine. John will repent. And Benedict will eventually get his hands on all three of The Nails.” (La, la, la, I can’t hear you!)

“What?” Mystery gasped – apparently wondering if she’d chosen the right side.

Bates seemed to know what she was thinking, “Dost thou have so little faith in me?”And before Mystery could stutter a response, he explained, “This is all part of MY plan, dear – just like with Covid. As for Lazarus, you know I only wanted to toy with him in The Chair — you know he is needed for something far more important… later. I knew that Mary would come to rescue him once she was informed by Gabriel. So by torturing Lazarus, I forced Mary to take him to the one person on earth who could cure him of the wounds I inflicted.”

“The Apostle John.” Mystery nodded.

(No, this is not happening! Please don’t let me just be a pawn. Don’t let all of my actions be predetermined! Quick, what am I thinking right now? What am I going to do next? See, YOU don’t know, right? And neither do I. So how can they?)

“Correct.” Dr. Ma’bus replied. “Mary had to take Lazarus to John. Given his resentment against Jesus, I’m sure John resisted getting involved, but I expect that Mary was quite convincing.”

Mystery smiled knowingly at that comment.

“Oh, not in the way that you are thinking.” Ma’bus explained, pulling Mystery over to lap and ripping away her coverlet. “John’s too old to care about this sort of thing.”(Hey, you’re wrong there). “And I’ve always wondered if he liked women anyway – after all his own gospel says that he is the apostle that Jesus loved. Ha!” (Now that’s a low blow. I’m not gay – not that there’s anything wrong with it — that lifestyle just doesn’t appeal to me). “And Mary doesn’t have your… talents. But the bottom line is that she has learned how to control minds – remember the havoc she caused here – my people are still suffering from her rampage. And I don’t doubt she would use that power on John too.”

(Wrong again — I did not agree to help because I was influe– Wait a second, DID Mary use her Psychic Probe on me?)

“But, even if John cures Alan,” Mystery asked, still sitting in the nerd’s lap, “how do you know they will go to Benedict? And why in Hell would they give him their Nails?”

“My dear, let’s not forget WHY these Nails exist in the first place.”

Mystery hesitated, “Er… ah… to destroy… you.”

“Don’t be afraid to say it, love. After all, what you said IS the truth.” And here the flaccid man pushed Mystery off as he rose up and took on a pompous air, “These are the very nails by which Jesus of Nazareth was gloriously crucified nearly two thousand years ago. The holy spikes that pierced his flesh and sent him to the grave. Why, the beat-up iron still retains his blood! Enemy or not, I understand the power these instruments contain — they will be the glorious tools by which I complete the Armageddon Rite and thus stop the Nazarene’s Second Coming once and for all. Indeed, December 21st will mark the official beginning to my own reign upon this world!”

Although Mystery smiled back, it was clear she was still unsure.

“I sense your uncertainty. Care to see what the Nails can do?”

Mystery took a step back, grasping for her coverlet again, “Here? Now? No. I’m confident in what I already know about them from my father, and in what you’ve told me.”

“Ah, but I don’t think you are.” The dictator reached out and grabbed her by the hair! (Damn, this girl’s been taking a beating lately, huh?)

“Ghaz, no!” Mystery shrieked, unable to break his iron grip.

Spinning her around, the man slammed her into a chair and ripped her silk away again, “Don’t move!” As he spoke, his eyes rolled back – showing nothing but the whites – and his voice became rich with an ancient <power>. “Now you’ll get a taste of what I possess.”

Although Dr. Ma’bus’ demonic persona quickly receded, Mystery remained trapped in place, whilst the man tapped his watch to activate its communication feature, “Oh Jamir, be a good sport and bring me The Nail of Lazarus.”

(Can you say, ‘Yikes!?!’)


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20 – The Substitute
Book II Table of Contents