I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Even though I have been forgiven of my sins and had my soul washed white as snow, still, so long as I live in this life, I just can’t seem to break the bonds of sin that hold me – for I am a mere human and thus I am tainted with the blemish of Adam’s Sin.
But, that doesn’t change the fact that I have been a sinner in the past and I fear that I am doomed to continue to sin again.
It’s not that I WANT to sin – I really don’t.
And I’m not merely giving up and giving in – I DO resist temptation when it comes my way.
Understand that, now that I have been born again (to use an apt cliché), I truly strive to be a righteous man and walk in the ways of Jesus Himself. Unfortunately, I continue to fall short.
For Temptation is a sweet, irresistible fruit and sadly it is not until AFTER you take a bite that you realize it wasn’t what you expected.
Too late, Ron
You know as well as I that Satan doesn’t give refunds on the fruit we buy from him, neh?
So why am I telling you all this?
Because it just so happens that upon this day I was about to sin again – I KNEW it and yet I just couldn’t help myself!
Don’t you just hate it when you KNOW you are going to sin, but you do it anyway?
I usually try to come up with some logical reason why it would be all right for me to accept the temptation.
But, friends, I can tell you from 2,000 years of experience – sin is NOT logical and it IS evil – and if you succumb to your temptation, essentially you are reducing yourself to a loaf of bread and you’re letting the devil eat his fill of your soul.
It’s not good.
It’s wrong.
And yet, I continue to do it!
Why? I just don’t know.
And so it happened that this day was like so many in the past when I just couldn’t help myself…
I wanted to sin.
Let me remind you of what Gabriel told me when he last visited 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.”
It’s not that I forgot what he told me – I remembered it all too well.
And yet made the conscious decision NOT to obey.
You see, for the last couple months, I really was repenting and rebuilding my faith:
I was doing all of the things that Gabriel wanted me to do – like a good little student.
Unfortunately, I was also engaging in another, more covert, activity…
I was renewing my Brotherhood of EArth ties in an effort to find out about my friends.
Now I don’t believe that contacting a few of my Brothers to get some news was in and of itself a sin (let’s call that more of a grey area). And yes, even though I believed it when Gabriel assured me that all would be well if I simply waited for the right time to act and then merely did my part; in my mind, Gabriel was referring to the grand scheme of things and even though I knew this is what mattered most, I could not shake the terrible guilt that gripped me over Lazarus and Mary.
More than a month passed, and while the world continued to deteriorate around me, I was immune to most of these events as I remained in solitude on my farm.
I hope that you won’t find me hypocritical if I tell you that during this time I became engrossed again with a passion for reading The Bible.
(I also re-discovered another great brew: Goose Island Bourbon Stout – this stuff is amazing and I can’t believe I’d forgotten about it after I’d made a batch last year. Beer and bourbon – what could be better? How about beer, bourbon, and the Bible?!?)
But I digress – let’s focus just on The Bible…for now.
Now I realize that I might have told you quite a few times in the past that I didn’t believe in the words of The Bible anymore and that the book was filled with lies – but please remember that this was the old me talking. No, not the original me, mind you, but the bitter OLD man me – more specifically, the near demon that needed to be exorcised from me!
Thankfully, Gabriel helped me to do just that on July 26th (what I am calling my new ‘birth’ day) and as a result, the true John the Apostle was back in all his (my) glory!
I was ready to write again too!
Before I go any further, I feel like I must tell you some important spiritual truths. After all, our Lord is soon to return and I want to ensure that YOU will be saved along with me! Therefore, listen well to my words – I promise, if you simply LISTEN, you will understand the very essence of Jesus’ teachings and you WILL be saved at the Last Resurrection.
I am the vine; you are the branches…
Source: King Vin
That’s from my gospel, Chapter 15. Please, do yourself a favor, and turn to that section and read with me.
Are you there yet? Are you familiar with these verses?
These then are the words of The Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, on the night before his crucifixion and death. We sat with him in the Garden of Gethsemane as he spoke thusly…
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Gospel of John, 15: 5-8
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete, [therefore] love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this — that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
This is my command: Love one another.
Gospel of John, 15: 9-17
My friends, do you understand?
This IS the secret – the one you’ve been searching for your entire life!
Jimmy apparently knows the secret too 🙂
Don’t you see. It’s not really a secret. This knowledge is all here, right before your eyes.
You simply need to listen, learn, and apply it.
These words will change your life if you just take them to heart.
Oh how I am truly humbled by Christ’s words. Of all people, I should have known this and never have forgotten it. (After all, I did write it down, right?)
And yet, when I reread what I wrote back then, I am amazed now at the simplicity of it all.
Our purpose in life is to love and serve one another – for thereby do we give glory to God, our creator. And the best way we can accomplish our mission is to live ‘in’ Jesus Christ.
It really IS that simple.
So, tell me now, do YOU want to recognize Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
If so, are you willing to abide in him?
Will you accept that you are a mere branch that requires the Vine of Jesus to bring you life AND the careful pruning of God as the Divine Gardener to help you flourish?
Are you ready to allow Jesus into your life?
If so, all He asks of you is to bear much fruit for Him.
How do you do that, you ask?
Well, He already gave you the answer.
Love one another.
My friends, if you do that, you will fulfill your purpose in life – you will bring glory to your creator and you will then be rewarded with the Gift of Eternal Life!
Well done, Homer
Welcome, my brothers and sisters, to a Life of Everlasting Joy!!
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!
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.”
“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…
“Nooooo! It can’t be!” I wailed in frustration. “After all this, I am still here… in this… life?”
Obviously I was not dead.
Instead I found myself standing outside on the grounds of my farmland – on the very spot where my alchemical workshop had previously stood but which now was no more – the garage was gone, as if it had never existed.
Curiouser still was the fact that I was not alone — for before me stood a man clothed in garments whiter than snow. My initial reaction was to shield my eyes from the brightness of the light emanating forth from the man’s presence. Yet even as I did so, the being before me seemed to grow in stature – for this was no man, but instead Gabriel — the mighty Angel of the Lord!
Angel Gabriel
Spreading wide his shoulders, the great being revealed his Wings – it was a gesture of both Grace and Awesome Power and one that forced me to my knees – not because I was bowing to the power of Gabriel, but instead because of the fact that I knew — oh how I knew — that I was at last utterly and truly defeated.
“Folly!” The angel condemned. “You dare test God, John?”
“What choice had I?” My anger rose in vain. “I am prisoner in this life, a man who wastes away – like a garment eaten by moths. Jesus left me here alone. He’s never coming back!”
“You of all men know that is not true. Where is your Patience?”
Resisting what I knew to be true, I wheedled, “The Patience you require is impossible for any man. Two thousand years? Nobody told me I would have to wait so long.”
“John, with all your knowledge, have you ever stopped to reason that perhaps The Christ would have come back sooner, if YOU had not tried to take matters into your own hands?”
Even as he said it, I knew he spoke the truth. And I knew that it was something that I had known for a very long time. Yet still I couldn’t give in, “I-I…don’t understand.”
“Ah, but we both know that you understand completely: YOU have delayed the Coming of Jesus! Why did you forsake The Commission in favor of The Craft? Do you not realize that ALL of the people that you surmised to be The Beast were correct? You could have ended the reign of The Beast long ago – had YOU not tried to play God yourself.”
“Then why didn’t anyone stop me? Why didn’t YOU tell me this before?”
“You know as well as I that God has given mankind the giftcurse of Free Will. Like anyone else, John, you were allowed to CHOOSE.”
“And I chose The Great Work.” I anguished, finally naming my sin.
“And because of your choice, all previous potential rises of The Beast were stopped. The spirit of Satan’s son was commanded to return again and again back to Hell – gone but not defeated. Doomed to return to plague this world again – each time worse than before!”
It was true. I had failed. It was a crushing blow to accept.
Before I could wallow too much, Gabriel added softly, “And yet, the Grand Tapestry of Our Master is beautiful beyond compare…”
Even as the angel spoke I gained a new revelation; and through bitter laughter I said, “God knew all along that I would eventually complete the Magnus Opum. He allowed the Wheel of Time to spin events to coincide with my completion of The Great Work.” And carrying the thought further, I lifted my head in shock, “But that means that Lazarus and Mary were right – The Time of The Beast’s FINAL rising is now!”
“Correct. However, consider this — had you never taken up The Craft, had The Christ been able to return immediately — as was the initial plan – then His return would have been much more… pleasant. Yet, that is no longer the case – for now He will come upon the Horse of Judgment and the reaping will be harsh. Because of YOUR actions, John, all the horrors you wrote about in Revelationwill be fulfilled.”
“Noooooo!” I was utterly ashamed. And then, at last, after nearly two thousand years, finally, I realized that I had been wrong — about everything.
Raising my arms up to the heavens, I wailed, “Be merciful to me, Oh Lord, for my soul is in anguish. Oh how my eyes grow weak with sorrow – they fail me because of all my great sins.” I fell to the ground, “I have sinned! And now my guilt festers inside me. Oh, Lord, hear your servant John as I attest — why didn’t I trust your son Jesus? He really DID love me. And yet, I’ve let Him down. I’ve let everybody down. All because I didn’t have patience and let events unfold on YOUR time – not my own.” Then, to Gabriel, “Please, don’t let everyone suffer because of me. I’m sorry; so very, TRULY sorry!”
(I really was – surely you can see that, right?)
Kneeling in the mud, I repented, “Forgive my iniquity, Oh Lord, though it is great. Create in me a clean heart, so that I may worship thee again. Please forgive me — if only so that I may do your work again.”
Gabriel let me wallow in my remorse for a while longer, and then, after a time, he advised, “His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime. He knows that you have a broken and contrite heart, therefore, your apology has been accepted, John. You are forgiven your sins.”
Still on the ground, I was unable to speak.
Then Gabriel added something else that I have known about for a long while, but which I refused to believe (until now). “But, John, your sins were ALREADY forgiven – you just needed to understand that. God loved you before, and He loves you now. He sent His only son to show you that love.”
And then it was that I could finally feel His Love again – and it It was amazing!
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 him… and 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.”
Let’s just say I wasn’t successful in drinking myself into oblivion to end my visions.
God learned how to overcome my little tricks a long time ago.
But don’t think He got the last laugh.
The fact is that, visions or no visions, my hot tub and a few bottles of Beam are always a big help – let’s just say they help to ‘clear up’ the revelations a bit.
Ahhh. Bring on the prophecies – I’m ready for ’em! I may not remember them, but who care, right?
Now where were we?
Oh that’s right – Miriam.
OK, so my vision continued as I watched Miriam break away from Gabriel, “But, why must people a thousand generations or more removed from Adam still have to suffer for his sin? Is God such a begrudging lord?”
(Sing it, Sister! Finally she says something intelligent.)
“Miriam, why must we debate this so often?” Gabriel replied. “You know the difference — the sacrifice of The Christ provided for the ultimate forgiveness of all men’s sins. HOWEVER, the Lord has not taken away Free Will. And despite forgiveness, there will always be consequences for sin.” And before Miriam could interrupt, Gabriel spoke on, “This is not to say that ONLY 144,000 will enter The Kingdom and that the others will be barred forever, just that only those few will be raptured without pain; while the rest will be disciplined for their transgressions. It is a discipline given out of love, in an effort to teach the wayward about the Righteous Path.”
“Descent of Christ through Purgatory” by Andrea da Firenze
(I’ve heard the whole ‘Purgatory’ argument before. In the past I used to buy in to it, now I call it hogwash).
“But even with Purgatory as an option, not everyone will make it.” Miriam stated. “Because not all will repent and accept, will they?”
“Ah, even I do not know the answer to that. Yet understand that The Story of Redemption goes beyond just this planet. For our God is the Lord of ALL the Universe — every universe. And whilst each universe may have differences, in the end the Lord’s goal is the same…
“To glory in the creation of ever more souls made Holy as a result of Free Will – for whenever a soul freely chooses to worship The Lord, all of Heaven rejoices!”
(OK, I realize this is pretty deep. If you understand, great, if not, just don’t worry about it for now. After all, when are YOU going to be travelling to another universe? Just worry about yourself, cupcake, that’s hard enough).
“And now the Time of Truth has come for Earth.” Miriam concluded.
“This is the day the lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice!” Gabriel praised. “Indeed, millennia ago, your world was sown and cared for. When The Christ came, he began the process of pruning. And now, The Earth is finally ready – for only with the pains of harvest can the crops finally be served – which is their true purpose. Such is the case for souls everywhere – none can reach The Lord without The Great Harvest.”
“The Triumph of the Lamb” by Matthias Gerung
“And this happens on every world?” Miriam asked.
“Not every world goes through the same life cycle. Oh, be certain that Lucifer and his minions are active in every location, however not always with the same results. Some worlds never know the stain of Original Sin – for the souls there rejected Lucifer from the onset – when it was the easiest to resist – and thus they have been in Harmony with God for all of their existence. Oh how these worlds shine! Yet, just the same, there are other worlds in which Lucifer’s allure was apparently irresistible, and upon those locales, nearly all of the souls have been lost. These are horror filled, forsaken places…“ Here the angel paused.
Miriam too shuddered at the thought of such hell-worlds.
Eventually Gabriel found his voice again, “And yet, it is worlds like your Earth that The Lord takes the most pleasure in — for the balance of power between Good and Evil is ever changing, and the final outcome is uncertain – which makes the Battle here all the more important.” And fixing his gaze ominously upon Miriam, “Do not underestimate the significance of what is happening here. And, do not underestimate the part that YOU are playing. The Heavenly Host needs YOU. Succeed in your mission — help Mankind make the right choice.”
“But how? I don’t have the worldly prestige to influence so many, and time is running out.”
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed, Miriam.” The angel reminded. “Don’t allow The Beast to reveal himself to the world – for if he gets the opportunity to glorify himself on the world stage, his allure will be nearly irresistible, and I fear that your Earth may be lost forever. If that happens, then you won’t be complaining about man-made pandemics or vaccine deaths or even about only 144,000 being saved – instead we’ll be lucky to even harvest 4,000.“
“Oh my — save us, Lord!” Miriam clutched her Book of Life, sheltering the names inside. “But, Gabriel, even if we do stop The Beast, what will it mean in the grand scheme of things – beyond just our world?”
“In the end, what happens on this planet will mimic The Ultimate Story of Redemption only if Man realizes the error of his ways and freely chooses Life with God — for only then will you be able to reconnect with your true purpose in life – to serve God. Whether they know it or not, it is this form Redemption that ALL of Creation is seeking – even…The Dark One himself.”
“Satan.”
(Yes, there IS a Force of Darkness. Call him ‘the devil,’ or ‘Lucifer,’ or whatever you want, but He does exist. If you don’t believe me, then it’s YOU who are the fool).
“Indeed. On a grand scale, Mankind’s tale is a microcosm of Lucifer’s – for the end goal of the Ultimate Revelation is not the destruction of man, and especially NOT of Lucifer, but instead, The Lord seeks to purge Lucifer’s evil nature away in the hopes that he will repent of his sins and eventually reunite with God Himself. For only when such an event occurs can Creation truly be made whole again…Yet, whether or when this will happen, who can say?”
“Oh, but this all goes so far beyond me.” Miriam lamented. “What do my efforts really matter?”
At last the Angel could take it no more. And so, rising up to his full height, he unveiled his awesome wings and roared, “Enough! Now is the time. I command you — Fly, Miriam, FLY!” Gabriel’s words thundered so loud that even I was taken aback by the they held.
(Thankfully my vision ended on that note and I was given a measure of peace, so I turned up the bubbles on my hot tub and sank deeper into the steam. Ah, Heaven – the only kind I’ve ever known and guess what, it ain’t half bad. Hey, you gotta take what you can get in life, right?)
Bells from afar softly sounded, signaling the mid-day meal.
(Gee whiz, why did you sidetrack me like that with all those questions in the last chapter? Now where were we? Oh yeah, Miriam was whining again about how I never help her…)
The Repentant Mary Magdalene, by Domenico Fetti
As I refocused on my vision, I saw Miriam, her eyes closed, masked up, and hands in her lap, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.” Miriam opened her eyes. Even still, she did not venture out of for lunch. (She’s probably fasting — that’s Saint Miriam for you).
She moved her chair closer towards her desk. Although a simple secretary table, her desk was hand-carved from chapa wood and like most of the articles in this Tibetan palace it was ornately worked – in this case, the legs were covered with scroll-work and the desk panel itself had a border of miscellaneous Buddhist symbols outside the main writing area. Few items sat atop Miriam’s workstation – a small stack of airmail stationary, a single pen, and one large leather-bound book.
It was this last item that Miriam now reached for, pulling the heavy tome towards her. Once positioned, she reached a hand up to her neck and then from inside her pale green robe she withdrew a chain that held a tiny key. Taking the chain from around her neck, she inserted the key into the lock that held fast the book. With a soft <click> the massive tome gave up its security and Miriam was free to open it as she pleased.
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” She said as she fearfully opened the book. Then quickly she sought to find her bookmark — which was in the last quarter of this omnibus — yet, upon locating it, I saw the color drain from the portion of her face that was visible above her mask, for the page she turned to was blank. (I could have told you that, Miriam). Knowing that all the pages after it would also be blank, Miriam steeled herself as she flipped backwards to an earlier page.
“Blank, as well.” She gasped, looking as if a knife stabbed her heart. (Again with the dramatics).
The tears returning, Miriam unconsciously fiddled with her mask (like so many other mask wearing fools, she didn’t realize that by touching her mask she was contaminating it and defeating the entire purpose of wearing it, but nobody listens to real science anymore and like so many others I knew Miriam always hated thinking for herself so she’d just go on wearing that mask and believing she was doing her part to ‘fight the (never-ending) pandemic. #Sheep).
Meanwhile, the woman I hated so much then continued to slowly leaf backwards through the pages of her book…
Miriam went back three full pages from her previous mark until she finally found names again.
“And so, the number is now down to 182,107.” She sobbed – creating an absolute mess of her mask to the point that she got so disgusted with it she ripped it off her face. And then, as a fountain of anger continued to swell within her, “Why, Lord — why must it only be 144,000? How can you do nothing and allow so many to be lost? Don’t you care? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Arise, O Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless!”
(Now, I have told Miriam for centuries that God is no longer listening to us and that He doesn’t care. I mean, seriously, what God would just sit back and allow humanity to become digitized cattle herded by the technocratic overlords of The Great Reset in which the common man is doomed to a future in which we are naught but IoB cogs in a 5G-matrix? And besides that, I’ve also told Miriam that there can only be 144,000 anyway! I know Gabriel has told her the same thing time and again. But Miriam doesn’t listen. Ha – just like any other woman!)
After a short time, Miriam gave up, knowing full well that nothing she could do would change a future that was already predetermined.
And so, closing the book for another day, Miriam grabbed another mask and sighed, “The crucible for silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart. As always, I will be still and know that He is God.”
Once more she locked up her book, and then moved it back to its place on her desk. After which she arose, fiddled with her new mask (thus contaminating this one too!), and then readied herself for midday prayers with the rest of the palace.
(And there my vision ended. Once again I learned nothing new – another waste of my time).
Fortunately for me, it was five days before I got my next revelation. Unfortunately this next vision was about Miriam.
Ugh. Having to watch her is always so tiring…
As the vision clarified itself I saw Miriam sitting with a friend in a private garden. Interesting enough while Miriam was dutifully wearing her face mask, her companion was not – I think I knew why and you’ll see in a moment.
“It is as you say.” Miriam said to her visitor– the man’s garments gleaming with a Whiteness so bright as to be… other-worldly. “Will he survive?”
“Who can say?” The strange man replied. “The Scriptures will be fulfilled — you know this.”
Now that I got my bearings on the setting, I could see that Mary and her companion were conversing in one of the secluded gardens that are within the grounds of Norbulingka — for Miriam was a guest of The 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, and had been for nearly twenty years.
I’d always wondered why a Buddhist leader like The Lama would have opened his home for a Bible-pusher like Miriam in the first place? The only answer I could come up with led back to Miriam herself – she had quite a way with people — in fact, she had a little mental telepathy trick she did that allowed her to be quite manipulative and I wouldn’t have put it past her to have used it on Tenzin a time or two to get what she wanted.
Of course, if you prefer a less sinister explanation, then I suppose it’s only fair to surmise that Miriam probably didn’t ask for much. Since she was vaxxed and chipped and had all the necessary Freedom passes and social credits so she was likely able to obtain travel permissions without raising any red flags. Additionally, she only needed one small room to reside in and that was easy enough for Tenzin to provide since he’d been able to retain his multiple palaces after agreeing not to interfere with the UN Agenda for his area – as in the pre-Covid world, the Lama remained a political exile who was too important a figure for the powers that be to remove, yet not important enough that they couldn’t keep locked away to limit his influence. The Lama’s secluded life was thus appealing for an exile like Miriam.
Yet on this day, Miriam was not talking with her friend Tenzin, for while her visitor today was no less of a spiritual person than The Lama, he was far more powerful.
For this was no mere man, but instead an Angel of The Lord – Archangel Gabriel to be exact!
(Remember, I told you that Miriam had another source for her knowledge? It’s true, while I am blessed with The Sight, and Alan has his book knowledge, Miriam always got her information from Gabriel. Don’t ask me why, that’s just how it is).
“You must leave here soon, Mary,” Gabriel advised. “And take off that mask, you know it does nothing and I won’t have you virtue signal around me.”
“My name is Miriam now.” Mary blushed as she fumbled to remove her face mask.
“I’ll call you as wish. But the fact remains that you will need to leave.” And after a pause, “I never understood why you came HERE in the first place.”
“Call me old fashioned, but I still prefer The Covenant People. In any case, you did well to assist The Virgin at Fatima, Guadalupe, and Lourdes,” The angel praised her. “And even Medjugorje, Conyers, and a host of other sightings you orchestrated were successful in feeding the Shepherd’s flock. You’ve done well, Ma-, Miriam.”
“Are we quoting from Scripture again, Gabriel?” Miriam practically snarled. “Don’t forget the reply — even the dogs eat crumbs that fall from the master’s table. And while I enjoyed helping the savior’s mother minister to Christians, don’t forget that I was sent to minister to others too. So many religions in this mixed-up world — I may only be a voice of one calling in the desert, but at least I can try.”
“Prepare the way for the Lord? Is that it? And where The Crusaders failed with violent force, you use mere words, eh?” Gabriel bantered – as if he actually enjoyed getting Miriam riled up about her self-commissioned quest. (At last, a vision I was actually enjoying!) “But, Miriam, what if these people don’t want to give up their beliefs?”
“I never tell them that they must give up what they believe. I seek to understand them. I listen to them. And then, after I have earned the right, I share my own testimony, and thereby hope to inspire them to willingly choose our path.”
“And just how many have you converted?” Gabriel baited.
(Ooh. That’s a low blow!)
Miriam blushed, “I am a Sower. My job is to plant seeds; another after me, I don’t know who, will Reap. Perhaps even My Lord.”
“The Sower” by Vincent Van Gogh
“And so we come to the real matter again.” Gabriel sighed.
“Yes we do. But you know I cannot do it alone. I need John and Alan to do their part. And I need YOU — that’s why I called.”
“Miriam, we have our own battles on The Other Front. The situation looks grim for us as well, but we rely on The Word and thus know that we will prevail in the end. I’m afraid you must figure this out on your own.”
“But, The Beast already has Alan. And John is avoiding me.” Tears began to well up in Miriam’s eyes as she lamented. “I pour out my soul to The Lord and yet still I cannot understand!” Reaching over on her desk, she hefted up a large, black leather tome, “Have you seen The Book of Life lately — it’s now down to 173,201 names!”
“Miriam,” The angel replied softly, “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. You know as well as I that only 144,000 will experience The Rapture.”
“But why only 144,000?” Mary asked in frustration. “How can God allow so many to be lost? It’s bad enough that we’ve seen so many people die from the Covid vaccines, not to mention the virus mutations. The world population is dwindling at an alarming rate. I can’t imagine the horrors still to come. How can our Lord let all this happen to us?”
“When the sculptor carves a masterpiece, how much of the original stone is discarded?” Gabriel waved a weary hand.
“Who cares about the remnants from a block of stone? I’m talking about the souls of good people!”
“Are they really so good?”
“They could be if they had the opportunity to know our Lord.”
“How do you know they didn’t have the chance already?”
“You know they never had a real chance! It’s all been predetermined.” And opening up the book to one of the later pages that still had names on it, Miriam continued, “I can turn to this page and read these names and KNOW that none of them will be saved. Look — all of these people, these sheep, will be lost! Where is the Good Shepherd who will save them? Did our Lord lie to us when He told us He was that shepherd who would save us? I don’t believe that. And yet I also don’t see how this can be right?”
“Miriam, we both know you know the answer. Speak the words for yourself and let’s move on from this tedium.”
Miriam turned away instead, “I don’t want to.” And she made an effort to busy herself by closing The Book of Life and placing it back into position on her desk.
Gabriel gently pulled her back by the arm, however he did not speak so softly this time, “Say the truth, Mary!”
Unable to resist the arch-angel’s command, Miriam finally replied, “Ach, because…of Adam and Eve. It’s all because of the Original Sin!”
(Original Sin? Original Sin?!? That’s what Gabriel is going with here? So basically everybody has to suffer all the terrible things I described in Revelation because one day, thousands of years ago, a woman took a bite from an apple and shared it with her mate? Seriously?!?
ARG! Where’s my bottle? You thought you saw me drink before? You ain’t seen nothing yet!)
The Last Temptation of John 