by Summer Lee
“Yes. The devil will get a chance to steal the hearts of people. But only hard hearts will follow him.” Walker had been in the presence of the Lord, so he knew how wicked the heart of Lucifer was.
“Satan, the devil, will be able to deceive people. That makes me so angry.” My knees felt weak, and I was shaking as I spoke. “I hate him.”
“And there will be war and lack of food at the same time.” Amanda looked at me and shook her head. “But fear not.”
“I’ll try not to worry,” I said.
It was raining harder outside now, which gave me a clean feeling in my soul. I stood and walked to the window and looked out.
Walker ignored the rain. He said, “And there will be drought and failure in the money market.”
“We’ve had those things before,” I said, cautiously. “What makes the future one different than the times gone by?”
“This scenario was in Bible prophecy thousands of years ago. You are to watch for God working with his people again. It makes evil people angry. Anti-Semitism is once again spreading across the Middle East.” Walker sounded deeply sincere. “They will not get away with it. Curses fall on people who mistreat Israelis.”
Amanda spoke up. “I was taught the Torah many years ago. I know firsthand that the Israelites are on earth to show the world that there is a God.”
I smiled to hear her use the Biblical word, Israelites, instead of the modern word, Israelis.
Walker said, “There is a well-organized and well-funded campaign going on right now to not legitimize Israel.”
I agreed.
Walker paused for a moment and then continued, “The coming events will develop bigger and bigger until they all explode at once, like labor pains on a woman giving birth.”
I shivered. My blood was curdling. “Never in my life have I been asked to do something like this. I’m scared and confused. I don’t know if I am worthy of this task.”
“With God you are,” Walker said.
“We can’t stop our crusade now,” Amanda said and hugged me. I felt my heart pounding in my throat.
“What is the matter?” asked Walker.
“I’m having a panic attack. I’m no Bible scholar! I’m afraid I can’t express myself well enough to rescue mankind.”
“God has called you. He sent his angel and me to help you.” Amanda scooted close to me and held my hand. I realized she was there to connect with me as a woman who also loved God.
As she prayed silently, I calmed down. Amanda said, “It will soon be well with your soul. God is with you. He will give you the power. You only have to believe.”
“Really?” I looked at Walker.
“Yes.” He nodded. “That is true.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What else should I know about Revelation?”
“The Book of Revelation was written in 90 A.D. This would be 20 years after the destruction of Jerusalem.”
“So, you are telling me that the major destruction is close at hand, and I am a messenger to tell the world about it.” I paused. “Right?”
“Exactly.” Standing in full brilliance, Walker spread wings that had been concealed on his back. I gasped.
“This assignment feels frightening to me.” I shivered. “I can’t do it. I badly want to, but I can’t. It’s too much responsibility and too complex!”
“Yes, you can—we can,” Amanda said. “Use your heart.”
Walker said, “Use your computer, too.”
“Will you still help me?” I asked Amanda. “I don’t want to ever do spiritual work alone.”
“You have your gentle assistant.” Walker patted my hand. “Don’t worry. God is with you.”
“Am I to study Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelation?” I asked cautiously.
“Yes.”
“That is too hard. And there is not enough time to get it done before…” My voice trailed off.
Walker said nothing.
“You will do well.” Amanda’s tone was cheerful.
“I hope so,” I said with more assurance than I felt.
“Just trust in God,” she said.
I looked at Walker. “Tell me what I will be looking for.”
“All right. After Jesus told the apostle John to write to the churches, he took him on a tour of Heaven. John saw the title deed to the Earth in the hand of Father God. The question was asked about who was qualified to open it. The Lion of Judah was revealed. But the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth stepped forward to receive the scroll.”
“What exactly does that mean?” I asked.
“He was the Messiah,” the angel said. “All of the angels in Heaven know that both the Lion and the Lamb are Jesus Christ.”
“How can that be?”
“Someday, you’ll understand, Martha. It is all right if it is beyond your understanding for now, my child.” He smiled. “You’ll realize that it is all from God when you do. For now, live by faith.”
Amanda nodded as Walker continued, “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described by John of Patmos in his Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament. The chapter tells of a ‘book’ or ‘scroll’ in God’s right hand that is sealed with seven seals. The Lamb of God, or Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ opens the first four of the seven seals, which summons forth four beings that ride out on white, red, black, and pale horses. Although some interpretations differ, in most accounts, the four riders symbolize Conquest, War, Famine, and Death, respectively. The Christian apocalyptic vision is that the Four Horsemen are to set a divine apocalypse upon the world as harbingers of the Last Judgment.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “How will the scroll be opened?”
“The wax seals will be snapped open one at a time.” He looked seriously into my eyes. “The scroll is rolled tightly with seven wax seals separating seven events. The seals protect the message on the inside, and the contents are not to be revealed until Jesus breaks open the seals.”
“But you said that the seals on the scroll will be unsealed by a lamb.” I nervously smoothed my clothes.
“Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of God.” Walker stared through the window, out into the darkness, as if he could see something. “Yes, he is.”
“Jews don’t sacrifice lambs anymore.” I paused and sighed. “You know. There is something peculiar about the way people are so interested in Israel and the Last Days’ events. Maybe there will be sacrifices again.”
“That’s true.” He shook his head. “But this is not just any lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” He looked into my eyes. “Never forget that.”
I nodded. “He already took my sins away.”
“True,” said Walker as he stood to leave. “At the cross.”
I nodded that I understood what he wanted from me. “I must preach the cross.”
“And the resurrection,” said Amanda.
“You have only a short period of time to tell the world, though, if they are to be set free.” Walker sounded so reasonable. “Time for accepting Jesus is running out.”
“The end is almost here. That is why you have come to me, isn’t it?” I asked.
“Yes. From now on, you will see many clear signs of the end of the world as you know it.” He stepped over to the window.
“Like what?” I followed him.
“There will be a ten-nation confederacy, the Mark of the Beast, Israel will have a showdown with nations, like Russia.” His face looked as if he felt the pain. “There is something else. The Catholic Church has an interest in astronomy. They have an observatory on Mount Graham in Arizona, so they can watch the heavens. It is not the only one. They are in Europe as well. Such things as that.”
“I am not an expert on Bible prophecy,” I said.
“You will get better at it as time goes by.” He stood and walked over by me. “The Holy Spirit will help you.”
“Will you give me a clue before you go?”
“You must search it out.”
“I have another assignment.”
“I wish you wouldn’t go.”
“I’ll be back.” He bowed and kissed the back of my hand as he bid me goodbye.
“Please come back soon,” I said.
“I shall. We still have much to discuss. Farewell.” He faded from view as he walked through the wall. There was a long silence for a while. The only sounds were crickets in the bushes outside.
Walker was gone and Amanda also left.
Standing alone in my bedroom, I felt a wave of terror sweep through my room. I heard a haunting laughter sound. A voice warned me to back off. Trying to ignore it, I started toward my bed. The leg of my pajamas caught on something in the dark, and I fell, splattering all over the floor. I had landed on my shoulder. It hurt so bad as I tried to get up on my knees and crawl to the bed.
Once I was in bed, I lay thinking about my battle with the devil, as well as the prophecies before going to sleep. Where did they fit into my life? I wondered about the Four Horsemen. Would they come to Earth soon?
Galloping, galloping, galloping.
Chapter Four
After reading about the tribulation, I was curious about the end of the world. I went book shopping the next day to see what I could find about it. I spent the rest of the day reading my two new books about the Four Horsemen, Armageddon and the Great Tribulation.
I was excited to find and rent the movie called, The Rapture. Hopefully, it would give me some ideas.
I awakened early the next morning and popped the movie into the DVD player. Needing some down time, I stayed in my pajamas for the viewing. It would surely show the horses. I was hoping I would get some fresh ideas about prophecy.
It was while watching that movie that I became mesmerized by the sounds of hooves pounding hard on the ground outside. The galloping sound would resound in my head from then on. Whenever I read the prophecy passages about the horses, I would hear the horses coming.
The film was a story of a young woman who engaged in a wild lifestyle until she met a group of people who appeared to be Christians. She was supposedly born again, and accepted the beliefs of the group as her own. They told her about the Rapture, and she believed it was imminent. She embraced a new, pious lifestyle, eventually marrying and having a daughter.
Until this point, the film appeared to be a story about living as a born-again Christian. Then it turned insane. When her husband was killed, the young lady was mentally affected and took her daughter to the desert and waited there for the Lord to come for her, but she went crazy instead. Later, the Rapture did come, and the saved were caught away, but she had already renounced her faith. It was a wild movie, but it had some impressive scenes of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Whenever there was a tense moment in the movie, we’d hear the horses galloping toward the heroine, coming closer and closer. It was a haunting moment when they were up on her, and then passed on by until they faded away. Even though the movie was not true, the sound of the hooves stuck with me, so I was including the pounding hooves in this piece.
Even though the movie did not have anything to offer, spiritually, it was entertaining. I got dressed and took the move back to the red box where I had rented it.
Truth was better than fiction. The early church had strong doctrines about the end times. The church lived as if she had but one soul, and one heart. She proclaimed that they should be handed down through the ages, with perfect harmony, as she possessed them. Christianity would be more powerful if this was true.
Nevertheless, the preaching of truth shone everywhere, and enlightened all men who were willing to come to knowledge of the truth. All were the same before God. The rulers in denominations, however highly gifted or eloquent they might be, should know the Bible. Doctrines of churches should not be different from those found in the Word of God. They should know the teaching of Jesus. No word was greater than that of the Master.
After dropping off the movie, I drove back home, parking in my garage. When I walked into the living room, I was shocked to see Walker seated in the recliner. “Welcome back,” I said.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Want coffee?”
“Please.”
I went into the kitchen and returned moments later with two cups of coffee. We sat opposite each other. “Tell me what this is all about.”
“In 700 B.C., the prophet Isaiah foretold the future of God’s chosen people. He said that after being forced off their land a second time, Israel would become a nation again and it would all happen in one day.”
“Where in the Bible is that?” I had a hard time concentrating on what he was saying. The wind was blowing things around in the yard, and I was tense.
“Isaiah 66:7 and 8,” he said. Walker took in a big breath and quoted the verses: “Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this?
“Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet, no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.”
When he finished, he placed his hand on mine. “Martha, that has already come to pass. We are in the last days.”
“Yes, it has. Israel is now a nation.”
“So, you see that the end is close, don’t you?”
“I certainly do.” I felt ill. “Is the return of Israel back to their homeland the most significant sign that it is the end of the age? Or will it begin by a great storm?”
“The Jews returning home is the biggest sign.”
“So many Israelis are now back home.” I felt confused. “What is next?”
“Still, many more Jews remain in other countries. Those who publish on the Internet have the opportunity to reach them with truth.” Walker had a serious look on his face. “God not only promised to re-gather the outcasts of Israel back home, but he promised to make the land flourish for them.”
“There are many clear signs that what you say is true,” I said. “I can see that.” I paused. “Even though I will be obedient and publish my articles in newspapers and on the Internet, what is the likelihood that anyone will see them?”
“I do not have the answer to that,” Walker said.
***
Later that day, as I swept the kitchen floor, I prayed silently for God to give me a special word for me to share with my peers.
Walker was standing over by the dining room table. “It is raining hard,” he said.
I wondered why the rain and wind were so strong that day. I felt it was a sign. “Is this how the tribulation will begin?”
“No, Martha,” he said. “It will be worse than this. Much worse.”
“How will we know when the last days are really here?”
“Heaven’s horses will carry riders out of the great scroll in the sky.” He paused. “Then you will know.”
“Heaven’s horses?” I asked. “Like the white horse I saw?”
“Not exactly.” He scratched his chin with the white beard. “Did you read Matthew 24 last night?”
I lifted my eyebrows. “No, I didn’t. I was tired and went to bed. I did read a couple of books and watch a movie about the rapture though.”
“Ah, movies. Do you have your Bible here?” he asked, shaking his head.
“It is on my desk.”
He laughed. “Get it and read that chapter aloud before we talk.”
I walked into the office and retrieved my Bible.
I sat down and said, “Matthew 24.” I quickly read the text to myself and then shared it with him.
I told him that it began when Jesus foretold the story of the temple destruction when not one stone would be left on another, that every stone would be thrown down. “When the disciples asked when it would happen, they also asked what would be the sign of the Lord’s coming. Next, they asked about the end of the age. Jesus warned them not to be deceived by those who will
come in his name, claiming to be the Messiah.”
“I would like you to read it aloud to me,” said Walker.
“Certainly,” I said, nodding. Beginning at that point, I read, “Jesus said, ‘You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.’”
I paused and asked, “Birth pains?”
He nodded and I continued reading: “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time, many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
“So, when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.”
I paused and looked up, puzzled. “I don’t understand.”
He pointed to the Bible, “Go ahead. The answer is there.”
I read, “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.
