The Diamond Arrow, page 3
“Let me explain to you.” Remnar paused for a moment, then resumed.
“Centuries ago, the Son of the Lord of Hosts took flesh and lived among men. At an appointed time, He started to teach about the ways of the Lord of Hosts and His Kingdom. In His teachings, He said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that no one could go to the Heavenly Father except through Him. He also said to love the Lord of Hosts with one’s strength and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. He was put to death for the sins of humanity. However, the Lord of Hosts raised Him from death and gave Him life again. Some people accepted this message and some rejected it. Those who accepted the message became known later on as Christians. This was in the city of Corinth.”
“He lived in the city of Corinth?” inquired Lydia.
“No, He lived in Judea, Samaria and Galilee, in a place called Israel. His followers took His message to many horizons and eventually to Corinth where they were first referred to as Christians.”
“Both of you need to become Christians before continuing on your journey any further,” concluded Remnar. This was followed by a moment of silence.
CHAPTER 7
The Diamond Arrow
“Let’s go back to the main subject, which is the Diamond Arrow…” began Remnar.
“Yes!” said both teenagers with impatience.
“The Diamond Arrow is composed of three parts: the arrowhead, the shaft and the fletching. The arrowhead stands for the Word of the Lord of Hosts. The shaft is your genuine hope or wish that is unselfishly aligned with specific words of the Lord of Hosts. The fletching is the powerful name of the Alpha and the Omega which you will learn about during your journey.”
“Can you tell us about that name now?” requested Lydia hoping to have a preview of what was to come.
“There is a time for everything. You will know that holy name soon enough,” responded Remnar.
“I have seen arrows before, but I’ve never seen one without a notch,” observed Silas.
“There is no notch on the Diamond Arrow,” said Remnar, “as there is no need for a bow. You are the bow. Once, in a distant past, the Lord of Hosts declared these words: ‘I will bend Judah as I bend my bow’”
“How can I be bent like a bow? I am not really flexible with my legs and arms,” wondered Silas scratching his head.
“Silas!” reproached Lydia, “this is obviously a figure of speech!”
“Truly, the Word of the Lord of Hosts can ‘make you like a warrior’s sword’. Through your training, you will learn His Word. At the set time, He will put His words in your mouth. When you then become a bow in the hand of the Lord of Hosts, you will bend and shoot diamond arrows destined to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
“That’s why the angel said that we will be warriors,” remembered Silas.
“Remnar, are you a Christian?” inquired Lydia out of the blue.
“Long ago, I accepted the free gift of salvation, and my name is now written in the Book of Life. The Holy Spirit of the Lord of Hosts dwells in me and I live with the assurance of an eternal life beside my Lord who is the Author and Finisher of my faith. Yes, I am a Christian!” Remnar solemnly proclaimed these words with assurance and deep happiness.
CHAPTER 8
The Book of Life
“Why do we need this title?” said Silas breaking silence.
“It is not just a title; it is a state of heart. Being a Christian is a privilege that grants you great potential. You receive the assurance to live for eternity in the sight of the Lord of Hosts.”
“Do you mean that we have to be Christians before the Lord of Hosts could love us and care about us?” probed Lydia.
“Not at all!” interjected Remnar. “The Lord of Hosts’ love is for all human kind. He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. That is the extent of His love.”
“Clarify this to us, Remnar. Why do we have to know all this?” asked Lydia
“Silas, Lydia, let me ask you something. When you want to go into an important person’s house, do you not seek an invitation or get permission beforehand?”
“Of course,” responded both of them.
“People have heard about Heaven as the residence of the Lord of Hosts. They think that because of their good actions, they will automatically be accepted into Heaven after they die…”continued Remnar.
“That is why everyone is encouraged to carry out good deeds, so that the sum of them can outbalance the sum of bad actions in order to be granted entry to Heaven,” continued Lydia.
“This is completely false. It is a deadly mistake!” affirmed Remnar. “That is the kind of error that contributes to the increase in the number of souls in Hades, the place of torment; and it is the same mistake that, after judgment, will get them thrown into the hellish Lake of Fire!”
“What is the truth then?” asked Lydia.
“The truth is that salvation is achieved by grace, and not by the sum of the good actions that one can carry out. You need to accept the fact that you cannot earn it. It can be given to you only as a free gift,” said Remnar.
“Let’s get to the point. What do we need to do Remnar? We have already left our home to get here. So tell us what we need to do,” Silas replied.
“If you declare with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that the Lord of Hosts raised Him from the dead, you will be saved,” declared Remnar.
“And who is this Jesus?” asked Silas.
At that moment, a powerful voice resonated in the core of Sinayor and declared:
“This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!” The voice continued to echo while Silas and Lydia remained shaken to their core. They were then convinced of the reality that was being taught to them.
At that moment, in the Heavenly Realms, a choir of angels came together led by a powerful angel who was among the ones who had previously gathered. They set their instruments, and then the singers were ready. An animated surface emerged in front of them. On this surface, they saw Remnar, Silas and Lydia at the same moment they were discussing; the heavenly beings were following their conversation and were getting ready for what was to come.
When the twins overcame the strong emotion they had from hearing the powerful voice, Lydia timidly whispered, “Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega?” Remnar nodded.
She continued, “What can we do to be saved?”
“As I told you before you heard the voice, if you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that the Lord of Hosts raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Silas responded after a moment of silence. “Remnar, I believe that you have told us the truth about the Son of the Lord of Hosts.” He looked at his sister, who briefly inclined her head in approval. “We want to be Christians.”
Both stood straight and declared: “Jesus is Lord. I believe that the Lord of Hosts raised Him from the dead.” The sincerity in their hearts created a sparkle of light which came out from their chest. They could not see the sparkles, but the angels who gathered in the Heavenly Realms could see them while they were making their confession. The two sparkles rose to the ceiling and raced to Heaven.
As soon as Silas and Lydia were done talking, the choir that had gathered in the Heavenly Realms started to play their instruments and to sing in harmony. Their songs were praise melodies sung in honor of the Lord of Hosts. As they started to sing, another powerful angel deployed his wings and flew to a majestic place where the Book of Life was kept. Two pillars of cloud were standing at the entrance of that splendid building. The vibrant and massive gate protecting it was made of the purest gold. Its hinges were not visible. Curiously enough, the magnificent gate appeared alive and solemn. The angel stood at the gate and requested entrance. Permission was granted as the gate opened by itself.
When he entered, he went to see another angel with even greater powers who was responsible for the impressive place. He was given the responsibility to guard the Book of Life. The angel, who requested permission to enter, readily gave an accurate report of what happened regarding Silas and Lydia. He indicated that the moment they confessed with their mouths that “Jesus is Lord,” a sparkle of sincerity came out of each of them and raced to Heaven. The angel, keeper of the Book of Life, nodded and then he showed him the two sparkles which had come straight into the same place. The two angels then looked up and waited for approval. It was given to them by the Lord of Hosts. The second angel then opened the Book of Life and wrote on a line: ‘Silas’; on the next line, he wrote ‘Lydia’.
As the choir angels continued to play their instruments and to sing in harmony, Silas and Lydia could hear them even though they did not know where the songs were coming from. That was a rare gift as humans do not usually hear Heavenly choirs sing. The twins were overcome with joy and deep delight as they heard the divine symphony. Then it started to gradually fade away. Once it finally stopped, Remnar looked at them and said, “Blessed are you who have received the gift of salvation. Your names are now written in the Book of Life. As a result, the Holy Spirit of the Lord of Hosts now lives in you. You are His temple.”
Humbled by the honor that was given to them, they celebrated with joy and recognition.
“You and I no longer suffer from the influence of the world because we belong to the God of freedom,” declared Remnar solemnly.
CHAPTER 9
The Test
“It is time to have a meal. You will then need to rest as your training commences tomorrow,” revealed Remnar.
For the meal, they shared the fresh vegetables that Riya had put into their bags while Remnar offered drinks made from fruits. The teenagers remained silent most of the time, as they recalled the sequence of events that led them there. Remnar showed them their dwellings which consisted of two carved openings inside of the mountain wall. The bottoms of the openings were waist high. Each was covered by a linen pouch filled with hay, large enough to sleep upon.
As Lydia prepared her bed and got ready to step up to her sleeping space, she asked Remnar, “Why is this called the Mountain-Of-Daily-Thunder?”
“It is believed to contain hidden ancient scrolls on which the Word of the Lord of Hosts is written. But the mountain does not see itself worthy of such an honor. That is why, once a day Sinayor produces a thunder at its highest peak to say thanks to the Lord of Hosts,” answered Remnar. Silas was amazed and Lydia was overjoyed for having asked the question.
“Now, get some rest, as we look forward to dawn.”
Consumed by their thoughts, it took them a while to fall asleep. As they fell into a deep sleep, the mighty angel assigned to guard and protect them through their adventure appeared to them in their dreams, as he previously had.
He said, “Silas, Lydia, you have made it to the Mountain-Of-Daily-Thunder and you have accepted the gift of salvation. You have become children of the Lord of Hosts. You are now heirs of the Lord of Hosts and co-heirs with the Alpha and the Omega. You, Silas and Lydia, are now qualified to become golden warriors. As you awake, you will face a test. Should you succeed, you will each be granted a golden warrior’s armor which will take you to the next step of your journey.” As he finished declaring these words, the angel’s image gradually faded.
Inside the mountain, near the place where the siblings were sleeping, was a little opening which allowed light from the outside to enter. Since they met Remnar only after sunset, Silas and Lydia did not know about this opening. They found out about it when they woke up the next morning.
When the sun rose that morning, its rays were vibrant and vivid. One sun ray entered the opening in a straight line and landed on a round piece of silver metal. As time passed, the ray gradually moved toward the centre of the piece of metal where a large chunk of a rare stone was molded. As soon as the sun ray touched the stone, it reflected a multitude of rays of light, which illuminated the room. The stone was a beautifully carved diamond.
The teenagers woke up right away and noticed the burst of light in the room. The beautiful display of light and the fresh air that was coming from the opening created in them a kaleidoscope of good feeling. When they were done freshening up with warm water, and eating a few fruits in a basket by their bedside, Silas and Lydia went back to the room where they had had the majority of their discussions with Remnar. He was already there awaiting them. After the customary morning greetings, Lydia told him about the vision they had in their sleep. In response, Remnar confirmed,
“As you have been instructed by the divine messenger, you will face a test. If you are successful, you will each receive specific armor that is needed to get to the next step of your journey.”
Visibly not at ease with the idea of a test, Silas asked, “What will happen if we don’t get this armor?”
“Do not worry Silas. Both of you will be successful in getting armor, as you have been chosen with wisdom,” Remnar answered promptly.
“What do we need to do for this?” inquired Lydia as she opened her hands.
“Go to this wall and follow the path behind it,” said Remnar pointing to a partition near them. “Then you will know what to do.”
Immediately, Silas and Lydia walked to the wall that Remnar was indicating. Silas was thinking that he might need to use the same words he had used before which had caused the mountainside to open. However, as they approached the particular part of the wall that Remnar was pointing to, a portion of it slid open to the left, vanishing into the hollow wall, causing the youngsters to jolt. They looked back to where Remnar was standing, but he was no longer there. They cautiously stepped inside. The door closed quickly behind them and torches on the sidewalls flamed up automatically. A wide staircase materialized and seemed to lead deep into the middle of the mountain.
This time, Lydia did not need to reassure her brother, as he took the lead and started going up the stairs, while getting mentally ready to face and pass the upcoming test. Lydia followed him closely as they maintained their sights on the end of the steep path. As they climbed up, they noticed the void on either side of the staircase. While avoiding glancing at that emptiness, they carefully took steps that led them higher and higher. After what seemed to be a long time, Silas and Lydia arrived on the top platform. They sighed in relief and looked straight forward. About fifteen steps in front of them was a vast, flat wall covered by hundreds of small purple symbols, each in a little yellow square. Symbols were grouped in vertical lines, and there were also three bigger symbols scattered on the wall.
“What is this?” asked Lydia, as she stepped closer carefully.
“The test,” guessed Silas, approaching; “the one we need to pass to receive the armor.”
“How do we do this?”
“I think we need to press one or several of these big symbols.”
“It is also possible that we need to press on one only, and not on many.”
Silas looked at the wall while stepping to the left. Lydia did the same, walking to the right. As they drew near the edges, the symbols were less and less apparent. They then slowly moved back to the centre staring at the various symbols on the wall.
“I think this wall is also a door, which differs from the last one in that it will open only from the middle and slide out to each side” offered Lydia, noticing the deep, fine line in the middle of the wall.
“I think you are right, Lydia, as the end of this wall is not visible!”
“What symbol do we press?”
“I don’t know,” replied Silas staring at the big symbol on the far left. “This symbol represents a galloping horse.”
“And this one on the right has something that looks like a robe or a suit on it,” hesitated Lydia looking at the second symbol.
“Maybe it represents the armor that we are to receive,” said Silas, walking back to his sister and stretching out his hand ready to push on the symbol.
“Wait!” shouted Lydia, “how about the third big symbol. What does it say?”
Disappointed, Silas retracted his hand and looked up to see the third symbol.
“I can’t see it clearly,” complained Silas; “it’s too high.”
“Then help me to see it. Lift me up,” said Lydia. Silas joined his fingers and Lydia used that as a step to climb up on. As her brother held her up, Lydia gripped the wall to boost herself up a little higher. Lifting up her head and stretching as high as possible, Lydia saw a symbol made up of two letters: A and Ω.
“I can see it,” she said, looking down, “help me get down on my feet.” Silas did so accordingly.
“So, what is it?” he asked.
“It is a symbol with two letters,” she started. “The first is the letter A and the second is like an O that is opened at the bottom. I am not sure what it is called.”
A moment of silence followed where both tried to figure out what the last symbol was about. As they were thinking of it, Lydia stared at the purple symbols in yellow squares that were set on the wall. Frantically she started to count them starting by the letter A. She found that each twenty-fourth symbol was the Ω symbol that she saw up there. It was then followed by an A until it reached the Ω symbol and the set started again.
“It is the last symbol!” she stated joyfully.
“The first is A, just like alpha!” expressed Silas jumping with enthusiasm.
“And the last one must be the omega!” completed Lydia with excitement.
Widening his eyes, Silas realized it and said, “The symbol means the Alpha and…”
“…the Omega!” completed Lydia unable to hold her satisfaction.
In an attempt to make a summary, Lydia said, “There are three symbols that we could see: a horse, a robe…”
