other things to see.” Gabriel begins to walk down the hill towards the battles, again astonishing the small man still standing at its top. Tim then quickly moves after the angelic form.
Soon Tim sees several of the soldiers of the Lord sitting about upon the ground. He looks at them intently wondering what the angel has to show him.
“These people are all of the family, but they have grown weary of the battle. Some have been discouraged while others have almost given up. They sit here in the rear of the battlefields trying to decide what to do. Look.” The giant arm gestures toward a young man sitting indian-style only a few feet from them. This young one’s faith has almost been totally shattered. See how he looks at his shield, which he has thrown away from him. He had listened to one of the shepherds of the Lord, but it was revealed that this preacher had committed adultery several times, and it has shaken this young man deeply.”
“What did he think the preacher was the way to God?”
“Yes, he had not grown in his faith enough to know that no mortal individual is the way that Jesus had paved.”
“Will he make it?”
“I can’t say,” Gabriel says bluntly, as he walks past the young man. “Here is something I think you should know.” He stops in front of a woman, who appears to be in her mid-thirties. “This woman is a perfect example of a North American Christian. She attends church regularly and even goes to Sunday school, but there is a problem. You see that she is in the full armor of God?” Gabriel asks, and Tim replies with a nod, deep in thought. “Look at her vestments,” Gabriel requests, Timothy looks at the robe where it is exposed to his sight and is shocked by what he sees. The once-white vestments appear covered in dirt and dried blood stains.
“What does this mean?” he asks, looking up into the angels face high above him.
She is one of the thousands upon thousands that listen to the persons that say that God can not heal her pain, but only they can. So she listens to them as they say that only she can heal herself. All they have done though is make her bitter to everyone that she does not know.
“For example, today she was tested. God brought another of the fold into her path. She was driving to her home when she let herself become distracted from her duty of driving. Doing this she became a hazard not only to herself and the children in her care, but also to others.
“One of these others was the other child of God. He barely avoided colliding with her as she sat at an intersection long after the light had changed to her favor.
“Unfortunately he let his anger win over him and so he honked the horn of his truck at her. She then failed the first part of her test, as he did. Her inadequacy occurred when she failed to forgive the man for his impatience.
“She then failed the second part of her test when farther down the road she honked at the man, who by this time had dropped the matter and was returning to his normal life. This act of vengeance upon her part rekindled the nearly extinguished anger within him, and so he failed the second part of his test. This so enraged the man that he decided to follow her and express his indignation.
“This action on his part scared her, and so she went to a friend’s house. Here the man, now less angry, tried to talk to the woman, but again she failed yet another part of the test. She failed to have faith in God to protect her and told her friend to call the police. When the man saw he would not get a fair hearing from her, he agreed that the police should be called.
“The two women went into the house and awaited for the police as she drew further and further away from the help of the Lord, again failing in part of the test. It was different for the man. He had realized that he had sinned against the Lord and he told this to his two sons that were with him as they awaited the police. He explained to them that what he had done from the time that she honked at him until then was wrong and totally unchristian.
“This man grew from this, but she unfortunately did not. They both waited for the police, and when they arrived the man explained what had happened. When he found that he had scared the woman, he apologized to her for doing so and asked her to return the same, knowing that her doing so would show that she had forgiven him. He had forgiven her, but she refused to a point that this will become a sin, which will be held against her when she stands before God.” Gabriel shakes his head and kneels down beside the woman.
“Jesus will help you if you ask,” he says to her, but she looks about, unaware of their presence as Tim looks at her eyes only to see two white orbs there.
“She’s blind,” he gasps.
“Yes, and deaf, as I said, like most North American Christians.”
“But, what of the man? Didn’t he sin, too? Where is he?” Timothy asks as he looks at the people near him.
“Don’t look here for him. For as I said, he grew from the test that the Lord placed before him. He has once again returned to the line.”
Timothy then hears a strange sound come to his ears. It is as if a voice is speaking in a language he has never heard before, but at the same time it seems to be like meaningless garbage. He begins to look about him for the source of the sound and is shocked by what he sees.
Several men and some women walk together in a large group, walking past the people that rest upon the ground. All are dressed in the armor of the Lord, but it looks somehow different from that which Tim wears.
They all wear the heavy sandals of one that has studied the word of the Lord. Their shield and breastplates are like his, but they seemed brighter while their swords are sheathed at their sides. Then he sees the difference between these people and himself. Their vestments are totally black, and they have no helmets upon their heads.
“Who are they?” he asks as a feeling of dread begins to fill him.
“They are the forerunners of the Liar, the Antichrist.”
“But why are they here?”
“They walk in the rear because they know these that you see about you are easy prey to kill.”
“But if they’re here, now, then they must be in the physical world right now!”
“That is correct Timothy. They are, and you have seen many of them yourself, but you know them for what they are and have turned from their words.”
“Then who are they?” Tim asks, wanting to know exactly who they are.
“That, I cannot tell you. Their purpose is to weed out the weak from the strong. They tempt all with the promises of material satisfaction. The people listen for they have grown tired of waiting for the Lord God to reward them. The people have forgotten the promises of Jesus, which say that ours is not of this earth, but of God.
“They seek the riches of the earth, instead of the riches that are not of this earth. These call themselves teachers, preachers and helpers, but worst of all they call themselves Christians. In reality, they are the spawn of Lucifer himself,” Gabriel says, anger written upon his face. Abruptly his expression changes to that of an awareness as he looks toward the line.
“Come.” He says, and within an instant Tim finds himself in the heart of a massive battle. Quickly he raises his shield, just in time to block a bulky club from crushing into his head. He draws his sword and begins to fight with the other soldiers of the Lord about him, as Gabriel too joins in the fight confronting one of his counterparts.
Suddenly Timothy hears a man cry out. For a moment the voice sounds strangely familiar. Quickly he looks about him and is stunned by what he sees. A short distance from him he sees Gerald lying upon the ground, a spear protruding from the left side of his chest.
“Noooooooo!” Tim screams as he runs over to the tall black man who has become his best friend. Timothy tries desperately to get to his fallen friend; but before he can reach him, another angel appears over his confederate. Tim looks on as Gerald reaches up toward the large floating form above him, and the angel takes his hand then both are gone in that instant.
:3:23 a.m.
Timothy jumps out of bed startling Christa.
“What
... what’s going on?” she sleepily says as Timothy reaches for the phone, quickly dialing.
“Liz, can I ..... I’ll meet you at the hospital,” he says a few moments later and then hangs up the phone as he sits on the edge of the bed.
“What’s happening?” Christa asks concerned.
“Gerald just had a heart attack, and I saw it happen to him,” he responds as he wraps his arms tightly about her and begins to cry.
The Deluge
:May 8
:1:23 p.m.
Timothy and Christa listen somberly as the Reverend Zechariah Taylor speaks over the coffin of their dear friend. Christa clasps the hand of Liz, who is seated beside them. The rain drums out an un-rhythmic sound upon the portable aluminum canopy as the elegant word of the pastor becomes louder over the occasional clap of thunder.
Tim looks over at the three children of Gerald and observes them for a few seconds each. Jamal is the oldest and tall like his father, but bulkier. They have never met before today, but Gerald had spoken often about him. Gerald had been proud, but at the same time saddened by what this strong-minded man had become. Jamal had worked his way through college, with as much help as his parents could give, plus help from the Affirmative Action funds. He began to listen to Mr. Farracon, a very well-known Muslim leader. Jamal, who was originally known as Matthew had changed his name and his religion. He is now an aide in