The Diamond Arrow, page 4
“Or armor,” interrupted her brother.
“Yes, it could be armor too; that’s the second symbol. And the third is the symbol that has the sign of the Alpha and the Omega on it,” completed Lydia.
“We already used the two majestic horses,” reminded Silas.
“So the right answer could not be the symbol with the horse on it,” deducted Lydia.
“And for the next step, we desire the armor…” continued Silas.
“No!” interjected Lydia. “There is a precision, Silas; we do not desire the armor. It is rather given as a blessing. So we should not press on it to indicate that we want it.”
“But that is why we are here Lydia!” objected Silas. “We want to have the armor to be able to go to the next step.”
“Let us look at the alternative. We were told that the Alpha and the Omega is always by our side. If we choose Him by pressing on that symbol,” continued Lydia while pointing up, “we have a better chance to be right.”
“I think… I think you are right,” said Silas, accepting his sister’s deduction.
“Good! Then, help me up again Silas; this is what we have been looking for,” said Lydia.
Silas lifted up his sister once again, and this time, she stretched out her arms and pushed on the AΩ symbol. As Lydia jumped back to the floor, a rumbling sound resonated. The right symbol had been pressed.
A sparkle of light appeared on the AΩ symbol, detached itself from it, and then rushed quickly into the wall, which caused the wall to crack on the fine vertical line that Lydia had previously seen. The fine crack began to reveal a bright light behind the wall. The vertical light grew bigger and bigger. When the light appeared to be at maximum brightness, the rumbling stopped. That caused the walls to suddenly slide open; surprised, the twins stepped back. The light was so bright they had to cover their eyes. When the brightness finally subdued, two shiny suits of armor gradually became visible inside the room that was revealed. Eyes and mouths wide open, Silas and Lydia were surprised beyond their imagination.
CHAPTER 10
The Golden Armor
They slowly stepped inside, approached the custom made armor and stopped. They quickly realized that they were standing before their own correctly sized suits. The armor was bright, and it seemed to be made of pure gold. The helmet appeared attached to the gorget, which covers the neck. Linked to this, was the breastplate which had a bright AΩ sign on it. A flat golden belt with arrow patterns was on the waist line. The pieces covering the shoulders, the arms and the forearms were put together flawlessly. The protective parts for the thighs and the legs looked equally well arranged. The sabatons, which cover the feet, seemed lighter than regular shoes. The armor had a sword in its scabbard and a shield beside it.
As they were not sure of what to do, Silas glanced at Lydia, but she did not react. Boldly, he decided to touch the armor that seemed to have been reserved for him. At that precise moment, led by the Spirit, Lydia heard a phrase in her heart which she repeated out loud, “Lord, I pray, open our eyes that we may see!”
Straightaway, on their right hand side, the angel who had been following the teenagers throughout their journey became visible to them. It was the first time that they were able to see him in reality. Taller and bigger than any human they had seen, his face was as bright as the sun. He was dressed up in armor similar to theirs, but his armor was brighter and appeared bolder. His gold-covered wings were folded over his back, ready to be deployed for battle. He held a bright sword in his right hand and a golden shield in his left. The scabbard to hold his sword was, however, not visible.
He said, “Behold Silas, this armor is holy.” Silas stopped his motion, and covered right away his face with both hands. Immediately Lydia shielded her face with her hands as well. Then they both fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to them, “Don’t do that! I am but a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship the Lord of Hosts!” They stood up, avoiding his face as they were still afraid of his presence.
“Fear not,” he said, “as I am here to guide you and to protect you.” He looked at Silas then turned and looked at Lydia. He paused, and then continued, “The Lord of Hosts granted me the honor to guard you and guide you through your journey. I am the one who spoke to you in two nightly visions leading you to this point.”
As he talked, the light on his face lost its brightness and, bit by bit, his face became more visible. His eyes were bright and sharp, and his voice was deep, yet gentle and serene. He was standing up, but his feet were not touching the floor. Effortlessly, he was hovering in the air. The peace from his calming presence helped the young warriors relax. Looking first at the suits of armor, then at them, he announced, “This is the armor reserved for you. When you are ready for battle, they will materialize on you and you will be dressed up and fit for a just fight. You do not need to put it on piece by piece, as all the parts will appear on you at once. You need only to stretch out your arms, with palms opened upward to Heaven and pronounce, with sincerity in your hearts, the words I will teach you.”
The siblings could not say anything as they realized the important honor that was being bestowed upon them. The doubts and uncertainties seemed to have vanished from their minds and hearts. They were standing in front of an angel of the Lord of Hosts and they had, within reach, golden armor reserved for them, ready to be used.
“Blessed be the name of the Lord!” pronounced Lydia, “Blessed be His holy name!”
“Hosanna in the highest to the Lord of Hosts, the One who does wonders, day after day!” added Silas. And they repeated these words again and again.
When he heard them proclaiming the praises to the Lord of Hosts, the angel shouted, “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice, be glad and give Him glory!”
Sinayor acknowledged the praises, and the entire mountain vibrated. At that precise moment, it created its daily thunder at the highest peak, and the walls of the room with the armor echoed the roaring sound. Feeling the vibrations from where he was, Remnar understood the solemnity of the moment, and also raised praises to the Lord of Hosts.
CHAPTER 11
Parts of the Armor
When the thunder faded, the angel spoke again, “Silas, Lydia, your struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the forces of evil in the spiritual realms. You need spiritual armor to fight spiritual battles. Therefore put on the full armor of the Lord of Hosts, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, you will still be standing.”
“Please explain this to us,” requested Lydia addressing the angel, wanting to know more, “so that we become familiar with the usage of the armor.” The angel moved toward the armor reserved for Silas and explained their outfits.
“The helmet covers your head to protect your mind against evil influences. It is called, the ‘Helmet of Salvation’.”
“Oh, that is why we needed to accept the message of salvation before even coming here,” remarked Silas.
“Precisely!” acknowledged the angel.
“Thank you, Remnar,” voiced Lydia, looking back to the door, as if he were there, “your wisdom helped us to accept the gift of salvation.”
“And because you have accepted it,” continued the divine messenger, “you became worthy to put on the Helmet of Salvation. No condemnation stands against you, and the helmet protects you from the accusations of the spiritual enemy.”
Lydia was staring in amazement at the helmet. Silas could not wait to have it on.
“The breastplate is for righteousness,” he said, as they were still staring at the helmet. “The quality of your morality will serve as a means of protection against attacks of the Enemy. Your righteousness will conceal your heart, so that no evil arrow will pierce it nor wound you.” Silas put his right hand on his chest as the angel spoke those words.
“Holding you steady and firm in all circumstances, the belt of truth is a powerful ally,” said the angel, pointing to the belt with the tip of his sword. “Know this, Silas, and you too Lydia, and keep this in mind: the master of the enemy camp is the Father of lies. He has been a liar since the beginning of time. Every time humans lie, they set the stage to be part of his dishonest camp. Therefore, watch your mouth and keep lies out of it!”
Lydia covered her lips with both hands, suddenly realizing the importance of being truthful at all times. The angel took a moment of silence, which was necessary for the twins to understand his words. He knew that those words were full of knowledge and that the youngsters would need time to comprehend them.
“Please,” Silas broke the silence, addressing the angel, “tell us about the shield.”
“In order to turn off all the flaming arrows of the Evil One, you will need the Shield of Faith.”
“What is Faith?” questioned Lydia.
“It is confidence in what you hope for and assurance about what you do not see,” replied the angel. “When you put your firm expectations in the Lord of Hosts, and you remain sure of what His Word tells you, you will accomplish wonders.”
“Could you illustrate more? Please give us an example?” begged Silas.
“Thousands of years ago, a man was approached by the Lord of Hosts. He spoke these words to the man: ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.’ The man was old and had already established his life in his country.” He paused and noticed the undivided attention of the youngsters, then he resumed.
“With the Shield of Faith, that man refused doubtful thoughts and cast away ideas that were contrary to the words that the Lord of Hosts had spoken to him. With the Shield of Faith, he did not bother with his neighbors’ mockery and did not even consider the fearful opinions that his friends wanted to instill in him. He held firmly the Shield of Faith to extinguish the destructive arrows that were coming from many directions to prevent him from leaving his country, his people and his father’s household.”
Silas and Lydia looked at each other, amazed by the story of this man whose usage of the Shield of Faith was so remarkable. He looked at them and continued, “He put all of his trust in the Lord of Hosts, and even though he did not know how the destination land would be, he trusted that the Lord of Hosts would care for him. Silas and Lydia, that’s Faith!”
“Who was that man?” inquired Lydia.
“The Lord of Hosts changed his name to Abraham, and he was later on referred to as the Father of All Who Believe,” concluded the angel on the subject of the Shield of Faith.
Pointing to the sabatons with his sword, he told them, “Through your journey, you will learn a lot about the Word of the Lord of Hosts. You will be exposed to ancient truths that remain applicable to humanity. Your path will lead you to learn about the mighty words of the Lord of Hosts. The knowledge that will be granted to you will allow you to know more about the Lord of Hosts and His kingdom. You will experience peace beyond imagination and you will meet with the Prince of Peace.”
At these words, Silas and Lydia were excited and Lydia said, “We will meet a Prince! Oh, thank you Lord of Hosts!” Their eyes were filled with recognition and they could not wait to continue on their journey.
“When this privilege is bestowed upon you,” added the angel, “you will need to have your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace. You will need to be ready to take that Gospel of Peace to as many people as possible. Sharing this gospel will save souls from Hades, and later on from the Lake of Fire. And that Lake of Fire, hear me, will be a very terrible place. You will need to fight for the kingdom of the Lord of Hosts and take the Gospel of Peace to many nations.”
“Lydia,” said Silas, “this means that we will travel like father and we will talk about the Lord of Hosts to many people.
“It is a great honor and also a great responsibility,” added Lydia who understood more the scope of their journey.
“Do you accept it?” asked the angel.
“Yes!” shouted both without hesitation. A sparkle of sincerity came out from each of their hearts and raced to Heaven. Only the angel saw this, and he smiled.
“Please tell us: why did you smile?” asked Silas with a bit of curiosity.
“I can see that you are sincere,” he responded. “That’s a good thing. Now, the last piece is the next step of your journey and it is the most important one.”
While all three were staring at the sword, the angel declared, “Behold, the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of the Lord of Hosts. This sword is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates deeply, dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is extremely powerful; therefore it is to be used with great care. Know this: the Lord of Hosts created the heavens and the earth with His Word. You will learn about it in the next step of your journey.” The twins briefly looked at each other, encouraged by the words they were hearing.
“Now put it on, because soon you will not see me, but you will see me again later,” indicated the angel. This created a bit of sadness in the hearts of the youngsters, but they felt that they had been empowered enough.
Trustfully, Silas turned up his palms, closed his eyes and said the words as he heard them coming from inside of him, “I know now that my struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the forces of evil in the spiritual realms. Therefore I put on the full armor of the Lord of Hosts”. As he pronounced the last word, his armor appeared on him immediately. He felt powerful and ready to conquer. Surprisingly, the armor was not heavy on him as he imagined it would be.
Equally, Lydia turned up her palms, closed her eyes and said, “The Lord of Hosts is my Master and I know now that my struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the forces of evil in the spiritual realms. That is why I put on the full armor of the Lord of Hosts.” As she finished declaring this, her armor appeared on her immediately. She felt empowered and ready to work for the Lord of Hosts.
They looked at each other’s armor, admiring the outfit and its fine craftsmanship. The swords and shields seemed light but powerful.
CHAPTER 12
The White Door
“Your next step,” continued the angel who smiled briefly “is to learn about the Word of the Lord of Hosts. Hear me well,” he insisted, “this is a crucial step.”
Silas and Lydia turned toward the angel, giving him all of their attention.
“This mountain contains a few ancient scrolls. These scrolls are manuscripts on which is written the Word of the Lord of Hosts. The Scrolls are very precious because in a few centuries, they will be discovered again. When you find them, you must treat them with care as these scrolls will serve as a vibrant testimony for future generations of believers. The scrolls will also shed confusion in the hearts of nonbelievers, and put them to shame for their disbelief. You must protect these scrolls and take care of them.”
“What are we to do with the scrolls?” questioned Silas, a bit puzzled.
“On many of them,” replied the angel, “the Word of the Lord of Hosts has been recorded. It is your duty as golden warriors, to learn about the Word. The Spirit of the Lord of Hosts will come upon you and will assist you in memorizing the Scriptures.”
“How many are there?” asked Lydia, wondering about the scope of the task.
“Nearly a thousand scrolls,” announced the angel who quickly added before the teenagers could react, “but you will not need to learn them all, and not all are in this mountain.”
He carried on and said, “Remnar will help you, as he has been chosen for the task. He accepted the duty and is awaiting your return. Written in several languages, the ancient scrolls contain Truth that has been guarded throughout centuries. Remnar will help you to learn these languages and to read the message on the scrolls.”
He paused for a moment, pointed his sword to a nearby wall, looked up and said, “Lord, I pray, open their eyes that they may see.” Surprised, Lydia remembered that those were almost the same words that she had pronounced earlier to uncover the presence of the angel. She then knew that something hidden was going to be revealed. She was right. When the angel finished his prayer, a white door appeared on the wall, in the location where he had pointed the edge of his sword. A golden handle was on that door and it contrasted with the door’s bright white color.
“Do you see this door?” asked the divine messenger. Both nodded in approval.
“Through this door,” he continued, “the next step of your journey will be unveiled. There is an essential message that I must convey to you before you step inside. The moment you go over the threshold of this white door, a set time will start to count down.”
Both were paying close attention since this is the first time in their journey that they had to pay attention to time that was elapsing.
“As you step over that threshold, you are to seek and find one of the ancient scrolls. There is only one inside of this room. This one is about the first family that the Lord of Hosts created: the original man and the original woman, father and mother of humanity. Once you find the Scroll, handle it with care.” At these words, Silas and Lydia felt the excitement of the adventure ahead.
“However,” added the angel, cutting short, “There is one single way out of this room. It is through a floating whirlpool cloud.”
“What is that?” asked Silas intrigued by the sound of it.
“It is a blue and flat cloud hovering in a vertical position that has a whirlpool on its surface,” said the divine messenger.
