Stampede

Hour of Temptation

The next morning Seth sat outside his tent playing in the dirt with a stick.

Rick walked up behind him. “Let’s go fishing Seth.”

Seth answered without looking up. “I don’t have the feeling. I’m in a blah today.”

“Maybe a little time on the lake will help.”

“I don’t know. I think what I need is to go ask Jane if I could watch the other show she taped with Pastor Flynn and Molony.”

Rick nodded his head. “Yeah. That last one really made me think.”

“That might just recharge my batteries a bit. You want to round up the others and see if they want to join in?”

“Sure. Then we can go fishing, right?”

Seth laughed. “Of course. I’ll go find Jane and see if we can go over after lunch. Later we can catch the trout jumping for flies at sunset.”

*****

John opened the door and invited the guys inside. “Jane should be back any minute. She took Pepper for a walk.”

Seth entered the trailer first. “We can come back if you like John?”

“Heck no. You guys are here. The tape is in the VCR, and I have been looking forward to seeing this again ever since we watched the last one.”

Rick sat on the couch. “Thanks for letting us come over again John. You know Trent has been talking about Jane’s tea as much as Seth talks about the things Pastor Flynn said.”

Everyone laughed.

John pushed play on the VCR. “I’ll ask her to make some more when she gets back. Okay… it’s starting. It’s a couple of months old, but it rings even more true today.”

The Molony show theme song played. Molony patted a stack of papers six inches tall. “These emails are from our previous show. It seems Pastor Flynn is quite popular with our audience. We’ve never experienced such a spurt, and by the way, the emails are four to one in his favor. Let’s talk about it.”

Molony tapped his pen on his notes. “I saw your website. I must say it’s a little, what, simple.”

Pastor Flynn nodded. “My students know I’m not a fan of the Internet. We have a minimal website, but it provides the information we want to share.”

Molony prodded. “Don’t you think you are missing a huge potential market by not embellishing your web presence?”

Pastor Flynn shook his head. “It’s not the vehicle for our ministry. We do television. Go to our website if you want to hear the current study, that’s about it.”

Molony opened his mouth and dropped his head forward. “But don’t you have tapes and things you sell?”

“We offer the lessons we teach, and a handful of other resources people should have in their library.”

“How do I find out what’s available if you don’t list anything?”

“Anyone who sends us a postcard, a letter, or even calls to request our free introductory tape is added to our mailing list for six months. They’ll get a newsletter, and each month it contains a portion of our list."

Molony marked on his notes. “I see. What if I have questions?”

“They are addressed everyday at the end of our show. Write yours down and send it in. Maybe your question will provide the answer for others like you?”

Molony leaned forward. “But what if you don’t answer my question?”

Pastor Flynn smiled and shook his head. “Don’t worry. Our experience is there are only so many unique questions that come in. The rest are more or less related to one of them. If you watch long enough, we’ll get to yours.”

“It’s a busy time to live, Pastor. Your website could be a helpful tool to many. What about a forum, or a chat room?”

Pastor Flynn pushed himself up and readjusted his seat. “Absolutely not. We have no need for a chat room. We don’t want people hanging around all day pretending they’re counselors. That is exactly why Christ told the disciples to pick up all the fragments in Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. That’s four times the word teaches that lesson.”

“Fragments?”

“Little pockets of, shall we say, misunderstanding. He knew with enough people together it would result in cliques, leading to speculation about what was said, and any number of other gossip-laden traps. A chat room is a breeding ground for fragments.”

Molony withdrew, holding his hands up. “Okay. I didn’t mean any offense. Our audience is savvy, and our premium members are very happy. A lot of them use our website to catch what they missed on television, or to buy Molony gear.”

Pastor Flynn took a sip of water. “All my members are premium members. We don’t charge for an embellished version. Our primary focus is to make the classes available. Look. We’re not hard up for students, and the students we have don’t go away. We’re doing fine.”

Molony circled on his notes. “Why don’t you have a button on your site for people to send money?”

Pastor Flynn choked a little on his water. “Money? What money?” He wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand. “Mr. Molony, I see you don’t watch our show. There is no money. The suit you see on me is a suit my students are very familiar with. I only have a few, and they’ve served me well over the years. I don’t need the church to buy me a Mercedes Benz either. I’ll take my direction from Paul. He never took a dime from the church. Neither will I.”

Molony raised an eyebrow. “You don’t get paid for your time preparing and doing the show? I know what it takes.”

“It does take a toll. I’m sure it’s harder for you by a long shot. I already know what I’m going to teach for the next few months. And it’s the same thing I’ve taught before. Nothing’s new. We’re just getting closer to the time we study for.”

“But if people want to send money to you, isn’t that part of your reward for doing what you do?”

Pastor Flynn laughed. “People send money everyday. Maybe they will buy a CD for five dollars but put a check for ten in the envelope. Anything extra helps cover the cost of our operation. We also host a major gathering twice a year, and that takes resources. On top of all that it cost a lot to buy airtime in all the markets we deal with. That’s where the money goes. Surely not in my pocket.”

Molony pointed off stage. “Pardon me if I ask my people to look into that sir. I’ve rarely seen a church movement that wasn’t connected to the money at some point.”

“You know, those guys have to answer to God regarding how they spent His money. Christianity is not a game, or a religion, it is a reality.” Pastor Flynn folded his hands together, leaned on the table and smiled. “Please have your people call my people.”

“Okay, let’s get into tonight’s topic. I want to talk about a few movements that have religion banners, but are not always considered Christian.”

“Sure.” Pastor Flynn took a sip of water.

“Let’s take a look at Mormonism. There are some who align it with Christianity, but many others feel it’s separated enough it doesn’t qualify.” Molony scanned his notes. “They were started by Joseph Smith in 1830, right here in New York. Today there are over twelve million believers, and of course they are predominately in Utah. They read the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and a few other works. How am I doing?”

Pastor Flynn nodded. “So far so good.”

“Okay. They believe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate individuals, but I can’t hold that against them, because a lot of denominations argue the details of the Trinity. However, they believe we existed as spirits before this life, and they believe in salvation through Christ. So it looks like they practice some of the things many Christians do. Are they wrong, Pastor Flynn?”

“Look… I can address some of their doctrine for you, but I can’t tell you what church is right or wrong. We teach what the Bible says and our students draw their own conclusions.”

Molony cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, that didn’t come out right. I meant to ask that if they more or less aligned with the Bible, and if they believe in salvation through Christ, how could they be wrong? Isn’t it their heart God is seeking?”

Pastor Flynn relaxed his shoulders. “Yes. It is their heart the Father seeks. He wants their love, and the Mormons love God. They actively seek Him. I would never presume to take that away from them. I have my opinion based on my homework, and they have their opinion based on theirs.”

“So they’re solid? I understand you teach some similar concepts…”

Pastor Flynn shrugged his shoulders. “Our differences are tangible. I think they wander in things like baptism for the dead, but I would have to say the Trinity is their biggest stumbling block.”

“Why the Trinity?”

Pastor Flynn opened his arms, and smiled. “Because it unlocks so many of the doors that separate the denominations.”

“How’s that?”

“It brings context to the rest of the word. Think of the Trinity as the Godhead, or office of God. It is held by YHVH the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

“Okay, isn’t that two people… the Father and the Son?”

“Not like you think of two people. When Jesus was born we were told to call Him Immanuel, meaning ‘God with us’. God the Father’s soul entered into a human body to live in the flesh like we do. If you want to call those two different entities, I think you would be missing something.

“I see, because Jesus is believed by Christians to be God. . .” Molony rubbed his chin. “I always wondered how they could both be in heaven together if they were the same person, but the Bible teaches we see Jesus on the right side of the Father in heaven.”

“Like I said, think of it as the office of God. The Trinity is the three positions that identify God. The right hand symbolizes a position of power.”

Molony leaned back. “Isn’t it a little presumptuous to label God? How can you understand Him to that level?”

“Hold on.” Pastor Flynn put his hands up to stop Molony. “That’s not what I said. I’m saying the Trinity identifies God. Your relationship with Him over the eternity determines how ‘deep’ your understanding gets. For example, you have a certain opinion of me based on the past week or so, but it would take years for you to get to know the depth of what makes me tick.”

“Hmmm. I can’t debate that.”

“Mr. Molony. I’m not alone in this teaching. Paul taught we have a physical body, and a spiritual one. If it’s good enough for Paul, it’s good enough for me.”

Molony verified. “Okay, so when God’s soul entered into the womb He took on a flesh body. Meaning the eternal spiritual body of the Father, and the flesh body of the Son.”

“Yes. That’s why Jesus is called the Son of God. You could just as easily call yourself the son of Molony.”

“Because I am the flesh version of me in heaven.”

Pastor Flynn nodded. “Correct. Jesus was the evidence God would play by the same rules He holds us accountable for.”

Molony glanced at his notes. “Interesting, but that’s only two out of three. What about the Holy Ghost?”

“That’s a poor translation. I prefer the Holy Spirit. We all have a spirit, and God’s is the Holy Spirit. You can think of your spirit as being the intellect of your soul. It belongs to both the spiritual and flesh bodies. That’s three out of three, or the Trinity.”

Molony marked on his notes. “And the Mormons would be helped by this how?”

“I think they confuse the soul and spirit a little bit. They aren’t getting any help from the mainstream denominations either. Many churches teach this earth is only a few thousand years old, whereas at least the Mormons recognize we existed in a previous spirit form.”

“That’s similar to your teachings, right?”

Pastor Flynn shrugged his shoulders. “You’ll have to decide that. I teach we were in our spiritual bodies. I think there’s a difference, but the Bible does make it clear we existed here before, during the first earth age. We…”

Molony interrupted. “What do you mean by first earth age? I’ve never heard this?”

Pastor Flynn patted the table and sighed. “That is when we all existed here in our ‘spiritual body’, not as some ‘spirit’ floating around. Your soul, that’s the very you, is currently in this flesh body. The flesh is going to die, but the spiritual body is eternal. It was created a long time ago, not just forward from your birthday. Your spiritual body is what you will be in when you get back to heaven, when you return to where you came from.”

Molony wrote on his notes. “That would add to your explanation of who occupied both sides of the gulf when Christ went to paradise. Now, because eternal means forever, you’re saying it includes both directions, including before we were born?”

Pastor Flynn smiled and tapped his finger on the table. “Sure it does. Jesus only came two thousand years ago, but how many people came before Him and interacted with God? If Jesus was God in the flesh, then it should be evidence that God existed before Jesus was born.”

“But He’s God. He can do anything.”

“He is our Father. Jesus is our example, and we are His children. That’s prodigy.”

Molony shook his head. “God created all the plants, and animals, and even the planets. He’s the Father of all.”

Pastor Flynn nodded. “He created everything, but He didn’t show up in the flesh until two thousand years ago. That’s a gap that also applies to us.”

“That’s quite a jump for most denominations to make.”

Pastor Flynn reached under the table and retrieved a plain, brown shoebox. “Here, I brought you this.” He slid it across the table.

“What’s this?” Molony opened the box.

“Inside you will find a casting of a human footprint. This is from one of our national parks, right here in America. Under it, is a picture of the original stone. You will notice other interesting prints that may, or may not be dinosaur? You see, this stone is estimated by our best scientists to be more than five million years old… yet the print is perfect, healthy, and vivacious.”

Molony rubbed his fingers over the cast. “Are you saying we were here with the dinosaurs?”

“The dinosaurs were flesh. We were not flesh, so we were not on their menu any more than a rock. Don’t forget, we were in our eternal bodies.”

“So when the Bible says God knew us before we were born, it means He really knew us.”

Pastor Flynn laughed. “Yes sir. How do you think God could inspire the prophets to write of future men, or events? I put it to you it was because He knew the hearts of the characters destined to come. Do you remember in Genesis where it says it grieved God He made man in the flesh?”

Molony paused. “I’m familiar with what you’re saying.”

“Okay. Great. Now you know why? It stipulates we were not flesh, and then He made us flesh, in which it grieved Him.”

Molony interrupted. “But… I always believed the soul was created at conception.”

Pastor Flynn smiled. “Different denominations look at this through different glasses, that’s for sure. But I’d like you to consider something you touched on a moment ago. Who do you think Satan was, who did he trick into following him, and who fought against him in the Katabole? Us. We all existed with God before coming here in the flesh.”

“I see where you’re going.”

Pastor Flynn held his finger up. “Experiencing life in the flesh starts at conception. Luke nails that per Jesus’ example with John, His cousin.”

“That’s an interesting take,” Molony looked at the camera. “I’ll have to look into this deeper before I decide.”

Pastor Flynn added. “In and of itself, a previous age might sound a little out there, but we have as much scientific evidence to support a previous earth age as we do to support this current earth age. It’s the same place, and the same rock. Our gasoline is made from the rotted corpses of the living creatures from the first earth age time, and God didn’t leave them out or hide them from us. In the book of Job there is an incredible description of the brontosaur.”

Molony held his hands up motioning Pastor Flynn to slow down. “So help me out here. Are there only three ages total?”

Pastor Flynn nodded. “That’s right. The one before, this one now, and the upcoming eternity.”

“Very interesting.” Molony circled on his notes. “Let’s go back to something you mentioned earlier, baptism for the dead?”

Pastor Flynn sat up. “You can’t baptize the people who have passed. They have already played their game in the flesh. Intercessory prayer is the best one can do, and it is sufficient for what we can contribute. For those who knowingly turned away from God… let’s just say it’s much harder to change the heart of a dead man, because you can’t.”

“I see your point.”

“It’s also not our duty. Each person lives in the flesh to make up their own mind regarding these things. Christ saves, not us.” Pastor Flynn cleared his throat. “Let me quickly add that baptism is simply a public statement saying you believe Jesus was crucified, He died and went into the tomb, and He resurrected into eternal life. In doing so He defeated death, and He paved a path for those of us who believe upon Him. How can somebody else do that for you?”

“I guess they can’t.” Molony held his pen up to counter. “But what about the people who never heard of Jesus, or learned a different religion? Surely Christianity isn’t only for people who have been alive since Jesus got here?”

“God is fair and just. Every soul will have an opportunity for baptism into the truth of Christ. If they didn’t have a chance here, some can get it where they are now, or in the Millennium. I’ll even say there are those that experienced it during the first earth age, as evidenced by those who fought against Satan in the Katabole.”

Molony tilted his head. “I don’t know. It sounds like you’re saying if you don’t get saved here there is still hope, and that goes against mainstream Christianity.”

“Does it?” Pastor Flynn sat up. “Who do you think Jesus preached to those three days His body was in the tomb?”

Molony shrugged his shoulders. “To those in prison.”

“Yes. The prison side of paradise, and He freed many. Let’s not forget, judgment isn’t until after the Millennium, so even after Christ returns there’s another thousand-year period were going to go through. I’m not saying it will be easy, but every soul will have a chance. God knows what He’s doing.”

Molony thought for a second. “Regardless of denomination?”

Pastor Flynn chuckled. “God is non-denominational, or a lot of people are going to be in trouble.”

“So many problems have come from the differences between the denominations, how will they ever come together under one roof?”

“Who say’s they bring their banners into God’s house? God is more than capable of reaching those He wants, and they will remove the blinders their denominations impose.”

“So God will call some people out of their denomination, and all the others go to hell?”

“No. God can use those He calls to explain to their loved ones from within their denominations, cultures, whatever… it’s really quite beautiful, and it will extend into the Millennium.”

“Very interesting.” Molony flipped to the next page, and circled the next topic. “What about fringe religions like Scientology?” He turned to the camera. “This California born religion started in the fifties. Its founder was L. Ron Hubbard. Their doctrine is pulled from the collection of his works, starting with Dianetics, but also including a half million pages of writings, thousands of lectures, and many films. His membership estimates range from the high ten’s of thousands to the millions. Their quest is to rid themselves of certain toxins, and they accomplish this through lifestyle and intense meetings called audits.”

Pastor Flynn shook his head. “I’ve only seen a picture of their audit machine.”

“Do you think it’s credible?”

“It seems to work for them, but I wouldn’t do it.”

Molony shrugged his shoulders. “Why, do you think it’s dangerous?”

Pastor Flynn leaned forward with his hands on the edge of the table. “Imagine if your Catholic Church could hook you up to a lie detector and ‘coach’ your confessions? A word to the wise is sufficient.”

Molony tapped his pen on the table a few times. “Good point. Why do you say coached?”

“Because they follow the path defined in Hubbard’s works, which supposedly leads to spiritual salvation. To me it sounds like man trying to work out his own salvation.”

“He has a lot of followers.”

“So did Satan, about four billion.” Pastor Flynn shook his head. “I find it difficult to believe after all these thousands of years of humanity, a modern story spawned by a fiction writer would suddenly solve the meaning of life?”

Molony circled on his notes. “Okay, what about core beliefs?”

“From my understanding they know there is a supreme being, but they deny salvation through Christ.”

Molony glanced at his notes. “But I have heard members are allowed to continue with their personal churches.”

“It’s reported they won’t request you to stop pursuing your faith.” Pastor Flynn chuckled. “Don’t you think that’s a pretty convenient way to let people wade in slowly?”

“Any other major differences?”

“Just the biggest one. They deny heaven exists, so you have to say that’s a big difference from what I teach.”

Molony laughed. “I guess that would be a deal breaker.”

“It definitely separates it from Christianity, but I trust there will be those in their circle that get called. When the time is right, God will cause their seeds to sprout.”

Molony raised an eyebrow. “Even from something non-Christian?”

“From everywhere, and from every religion. We’ve already talked about how much in common Judaism, Islam, and Christianity share, and many of the religions around the world have Judaic influence. You know, many non-believers will come to learn who Christ is, and many Christians will come to learn they have Jewish backgrounds.” Pastor Flynn tapped his finger on the table. “You’re Irish aren’t you? That would make your heritage from the tribe of Dan.”

Molony raised his eyebrow. “Irish are notoriously Catholic. Maybe some Jewish people settled there, but we’re a Christian nation.”

Pastor Flynn nodded. “That’s true, but if you go back far enough you will find the ten tribes were taken over the Caucasus Mountains, settled Europe, and later migrated to the Americas. Your roots include what has been thought of as a lost tribe.”

“I thought there’s were only fourteen million Jews left?”

“You’re talking about the tribe of Judah. That’s only one tribe, which is quite different from the total of all tribes collectively. Look into the migration of the tribes, and you will be surprised at how many millions don’t even know who they are? Your research will lead you here, where we are gathered in America.”

Molony thought for a second. “That’s another interesting point. I’m going to look into it. You’ve definitely given us our share of homework again tonight.”

Pastor Flynn smiled. “We just have to keep things simple. Jesus was a Jewish scholar and teacher, so it is from Judaism that Christianity was born. It may have become recognized a couple thousand years ago, but they started way back from within the same journey as the Jews you recognize today. The Jewish tribe in Jerusalem doesn’t think the first advent happened yet, and the other tribes barely know who they are? It’s time we all did a little homework, Mr. Molony. All of us.”

“Well said Pastor Flynn. I think we’ve covered a lot of ground over our past few meetings. I’ve learned much more than I thought I would.”

“It’s been interesting. It’s not my format. I prefer to go…”

Molony interrupted. “Chapter by chapter and verse by verse. I respect that, but I still have a better understanding from when we started.”

“Great. The word is powerful. I hope everyone watching is able to take a little meat from our discussions.”

Molony turned his notes over and set his pen down. “Pastor Flynn, we have dragged you all around our outline, so we wanted to give you the last word to address any ‘non-denominational’ issues. I think we have about twenty minutes left.”

“I appreciate that. It seems we covered all the splits, but we haven’t taken a head on approach to what the Bible says is in store for us. We all know something is going to happen, and several denominations are trying to work with the timelines given in Daniel and Revelation, which happen to cover the hour of temptation, so I’d like to address that hour and its timing. I fear many people are going to read their Bible accurately and still fall into Satan’s trap.”

Molony raised an eyebrow. “And you have the key to this?”

Pastor Flynn smiled. “Let’s just say I’ll report and you decide if it unlocks anything?”

“Very well, I’m ready. I understand you gave a list of scriptures to my staff so we can put them on the screen.”

Pastor Flynn pulled his Bible and a small piece of paper from under the desk, and placed them on the table. “I did. We teach our students to read and see for themselves, and it keeps us teachers on our toes.”

Molony pointed to Pastor Flynn’s notes. “Where are we going to start?”

“We’re going to jump right into Revelation. One of the biggest aids to keeping this book straight is to be aware of where you are. John wrote this book, but he did not see a vision from his time. He was taken to a date that is still future to us. We need this clarification to keep perspective. From that future date John is able to look back and see what happened. In the tenth verse in the first chapter we learn where John was taken.”

Revelation 1: 10

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

“Now, it says John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. Only John. It may seem like a minor detail, but if John is there and looks back on the report of the churches in chapters two and three, then it means the churches are still here. They are not raptured like many teach. This is a critical point. Let’s keep it simple and follow John to get his report.”

Molony picked up his pen and drew on his notes. “Okay, I think I see where you’re going. If everything John tells us is from a future date, then something he wrote in the past tense is because from John’s view it was, but not necessarily to us, yet. . .”

“You got it. Meaning it’s about to happen to us. With that in mind the book is straightforward. The first three chapters address the people on the earth. In chapters four to twenty we are given seven pairs of visions. The first addresses those on earth, and the second to those in heaven. Finally, the last two chapters cover the people on the rejuvenated earth.”

Molony checked off his notes as he recapped. “Sounds pretty basic: people here now, visions of the end from heaven and earth, and the people who will be living here in the eternity.”

“That’s it. Except I should point out there is one parenthetical chapter reflecting back to the first earth age. It’s chapter twelve, but that’s to lock in the origin and responsibility of Satan.”

Pastor Flynn nodded. “We do it all the time with our sentences, why not on a bigger scale with a chapter? There are others sprinkled throughout the Bible. I’ve always said the word is God’s letter to you, but it’s also His teaching tool. He’ll put a whole chapter somewhere if it contains information you need to know.”

“Hmmm. I hadn’t considered that.”

Pastor Flynn tapped on the table. “He’ll do the opposite too.”

Molony tilted his head. “The opposite?”

“Yes. He’ll pull from the scriptures to inject added details. My favorite example is the song of Moses. Revelation fifteen tells us the overcomers will be singing the song of Moses. How would we recognize the song if we didn’t know what to listen for?” Pastor Flynn slid his finger left across the table. “We have to go all the way back to the book of Deuteronomy.” He tapped the table in his new spot. “Chapter thirty-two is the song of Moses. You’ll find it is named in the last two verses of chapter thirty one. These are the words of the song that people will be singing.”

Molony nodded. “I see. You have to insert that thirty-second chapter into Revelation in order to get the total meaning.”

“Yes. The book pointed to a song, and the song therefore is part of the book, but that’s for a student who is really digging. You can read the book without the added cross-referencing, but I feel you’re missing more than you should.”

Molony grinned. “I guess a word to the wise is sufficient.”

“It sure is.” Pastor Flynn looked at his scripture list. “I want to take us to chapter six. The sixth seal is in verses twelve and thirteen.” Pastor Flynn paused. “Pay close attention to what happens here.”

Revelation 6: 12

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

Revelation 6: 13

And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

“Did you notice who fell to earth?”

Molony looked at the scripture. “The stars?”

“Yes. This is why the parenthetical chapter goes back to the first earth age, because it is when Satan pulled one third of the stars before.”

Molony held his pen up. “Parenthetical, got it.”

“God doesn’t leave us guessing.” Pastor Flynn tapped on the table. “There’s another important point the seal makes, and that is how the fig tree casts her untimely fig. These stars that are falling to the earth, the untimely, are the same fallen angels that came during the time of Noah.”

Molony put his pen down, and paused. “My staff told me you teach we entered the parable of the fig tree.”

“Correct. When Israel became a nation again. That was the planting of the good and bad fig. It’s a rather deep study. Some say it began in 1948, others in 1967, but one thing is for sure… we’re in it.”

Molony looked at the camera. “The importance of this parable is Christ’s statement that the generation born at the time won’t pass until everything written happens.”

Pastor Flynn cleared his throat. “Including everything in Revelation. His hint to the season is in the twenty-forth chapter of Matthew, where he tells us to learn the parable, and later in the thirty-forth verse he tells us this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”

“Those people are over sixty already. I’m over sixty!”

“Mr. Molony, by the look on your face I guess you know that means we’re pretty close.”

Molony took a sip of water. “It’s a little unnerving.”

Pastor Flynn smiled. “It’s a little like reality.” He patted the table. “Don’t worry, come on in. The water is warm.”

“Yeah, but it sounds like it’s about to boil.”

“It is. If you’re doing the Father’s work He can cover your back. Remember those three boys in the book of Daniel were tossed into a fiery furnace, and they didn’t have a problem. Don’t forget the men who threw them in were killed from the heat, but those boys didn’t even smell like smoke.”

“Yes, but…” Molony adjusted his tie.

“No buts my friend. You either know He is going to see you through, or you doubt Him.”

“Okay.” Molony turned to the audience. “Let’s keep going.”

“In the first few verses, we learn of four angels, and winds, that bring about the end. You can also find them in Ezekiel thirty-seven, Daniel seven, and here in Revelation seven. But before they do this… another angel with ‘the seal of the living God’ comes, and tells them to stop until the people are sealed.”

Revelation 7: 3

Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Molony pointed to the verse. “Isn’t this talking about sealing the earth?”

“No sir, this is talking about us. People. The sea, or waters, is symbolic of people. This same book declares it. And everybody has a family tree, with roots and branches… Neither the earth, sea, nor trees have a forehead, but man does. Here, let me flip to this real quick.”

Revelation 17: 15

And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

Molony rubbed his chin. “And the seal is in the forehead because our brain is in our forehead?”

“Everything you do emanates from your brain. Your finger won’t pull the trigger unless your brain tells it to. That’s why the mark of the beast is in your hand or forehead. It identifies those who follow, serve, and do Satan’s work.”

“Devil worshippers?”

Pastor Flynn shook his head, laughing. “No. Those guys are Romper Room material compared to what’s in store for us. When Michael kicks Satan and his fallen angels out of heaven, the world will be infatuated with him enough to believe they are serving Christ. Sadly the mark is all over their hands and foreheads.”

“Wow… I always thought it was a literal mark, but the way you explain it makes sense to me.”

Pastor Flynn flipped the pages back to his previous spot. “Now let’s see what happens during the seventh seal in chapter eight.”

Revelation 8: 1

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

Pastor Flynn tapped on the table. “You do know what hour we’re talking about, right?”

“The hour of temptation.”

“Yes. There was silence for half of the hour, but only in heaven. Remember that. Now let’s get the rest of the seal.”

Revelation 8: 2

And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

“They were given the trumpets. Those are the call to action. And, they give you an important part of information that you need to know.”

Molony looked at the scripture. “I don’t see it.”

“Not one trumpet sounds until the seventh seal, so the sealing must take place first before the trumpets.”

“You mean after everyone who is supposed to know these things learns them?”

“Yes, those are the people who are sealed. They are sealed to testify so that others can also wake up, so you can say it’s not just about them. They are, well, fertilizer to God’s seeds everywhere. Maybe that’s a poor example, but it gets the job done. I’m a farmer, my students won’t mind.”

“Do you think God would use a platform like what we’re doing here to seal some of His children?”

“Mr. Molony, how many people do you think are hearing this for the first time with us right now? How many of them will take what they learn and share it with another soul. Even if most people tuned us out, or have found fault, or even became angry, I trust He’ll reach those intended.”

“Pastor Flynn, nothing would make us happier than to contribute to the Father’s plan.”

Pastor Flynn smiled. “The same goes for our little church. One of the best ways to make sure we can contribute is to be familiar with what’s going to happen, so let’s go to Daniel and find out. He gives us a seventy-week description, of which sixty-nine have already happened. Each of the weeks back then was a seven-year period, so we have one year per day. I tell you, God loves math. He has formulas all over the word. Daniel’s weeks set the example of the timing for us when it starts.”

“Oh, are you talking about the gap theory? The gap of time between the end of the sixty-ninth week to the start of the seventieth. If we’re in the parable of the fig tree, doesn’t that mean we have to experience the seventieth week soon?”

“Sooner than you might think.” Pastor Flynn turned to make sure the next verse was displayed behind him. “Can we leave this one up for a minute?“

“Sure.” Molony pointed to a staff member off camera.

“There’s a lot here. It covers the week and I want to make sure we don’t read over it.”

Daniel 9: 27

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Pastor Flynn took a sip of water. “Okay. We can learn what happens from this, as well as something very important regarding the timing. If he confirms for a week, we have a seven-year period. When he causes the oblation to cease in the midst, it means the week is split in two halves. So what’s the halfway point?”

“Three and a half years.”

Pastor Flynn pointed to Molony’s notes. “This is where the hour of temptation is split in half. When he causes the oblation to cease it’s because he is claiming to be God returned.”

Molony jotted while smiling. “I get it. The first half an hour of silence in heaven until he does that.”

“Yes sir. But it gets a little deeper. Daniel used the seventieth week to describe the action. He told us what would happen during that week. But let’s see what Jesus did with the timing of it, because it’s different than the seven years people are looking for. I told you, God loves formulas… they make a student dig.”

“Are you saying Jesus changed the word?”

Pastor Flynn shook his head. “Not at all. In fact, when He leveraged the formula from Daniel He reinforced all the scriptures related to this event. And as we’re about to see He gives a great reason for us to view this week as one hour.”

“Ah, I think I know where you’re going. What has to happen is still going to happen, but based on the formula the actual time is given elsewhere? Like how the song of Moses is elsewhere.”

“You would make a great student Mr. Molony. The scriptures work together to weave the fabric of our answers. Let me call up a few verses from the book of Mark. I want to go to chapter thirteen. This is where God’s elect are delivered up to testify against this false one.”

Mark 13: 19

For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

“This affliction will seem righteous because Satan is so convincing for those in deception.”

Mark 13: 20

And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

“Christ told us the Lord shortened the days. This is irrefutable.”

Mark 13: 21

And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:

“He’s saying this because most people are going to believe Christ has already returned.”

Mark 13: 22

For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

“The elect are everyone He sealed. They know the truth and won’t bow to Satan, and for that reason they are delivered up. Really quick, verse twenty-three, we need this.”

Mark 13: 23

But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

“That means He has told us everything we need to know. So if He told us the time had been shortened, and here He foretold us all things, it must be documented somewhere in the word.”

Molony shrugged his shoulders. “If that’s written too, why didn’t He just say it?”

“Maybe to separate His students from the crowd, or maybe to lock in other scriptures? You’ll have to ask Him. I can only tell you how long it is, and that’s what we’re after. I’m going to take you to the ninth chapter of Revelation, verse four to set the scene. At this point Satan is here. Let’s jump in.”

Revelation 9: 4

And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

“They can’t hurt those who are sealed, because we are preparing to stand against them. The question is are you sealed? Get sealed and get protected. That’s what I say. We’ve got work to do. Now, let’s get the time in verse five.”

Revelation 9: 5

And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

Pastor Flynn tapped on the table. “Five months, that’s the time.”

Molony closed his eyes and nodded. “Compared to seven years, I guess five months would be like an hour.”

“Well said, but five months isn’t random. God gave us a great example during the flood of Noah back in Genesis. In chapter seven, the twenty-forth verse tells us the waters lasted a hundred and fifty days.”

Genesis 7:24

And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

“That’s five months on the solar calendar, because each month is exactly thirty days. So to us it may look like the time was shortened in Revelation, and it may have been uttered in Matthew, but God knew from the beginning how long it would be.”

“I see. It’s only symbolically a week in Daniel, but a tangible five months in Revelation.”

Pastor Flynn nodded. “The first half is a time that earthly kings are going to rule, and that’s when we see the first beast.”

Molony raised his eyebrows. “First? There are more?”

“There are two. Revelation thirteen describes the first beast, which is a one-world system put together by the kings of the earth. Satan is still in charge, but he’s not running around claiming to be Christ returned yet.”

Molony took notes. “Okay, two and a half months under a one world system.”

“You got it, but something happens to their system.”

Revelation 13: 3

And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

Molony lightly slapped the edge of the table. “I’ve got it… One of its heads receives a deadly wound. That means something is going to compromise the system.”

“I would say when you hear them cry peace, peace, peace, your radar should go up. What’s the opposite of peace?”

“War.”

“Or almost war…” Pastor Flynn tapped himself on the temple. “Something to think about… Let’s see who fixes it.”

Revelation 13: 4

And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

“Of course the dragon is Satan, and he fixes the one world system. Notice it says nobody can make war with him? That’s partially why I think we’ll see a false peace in the first half, interrupted by war. He comes to convince the world he is Christ and restores peace.”

Molony checked his notes. “Satan is the second beast?”

“Yes, there are two beasts addressed in that verse. Now let’s go one more verse, because it addresses the timing.”

Revelation 13: 5

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

“He was given forty-two months. That’s three and a half years, or half of the seventieth week.”

Molony flipped back a page and checked his writing. “But we know the seven year period was shortened to five months, so half of five months would be two and a half months?”

“Correct. The dragon has the second half of the time. That verse documents the ‘supernatural’ leaders do not defacto rule until the last half of that five month period.”

“What supernatural leaders?”

“His cabinet, if you will. You don’t have to worry. It’s the hour of temptation for those who chase the false peace, and the people who think he’s Jesus. He proves to be very tempting to them, but if you know it’s Satan, I don’t think you’ll follow him… Besides, you’re too smart. You know the truth now, so let’s see what happens to those who refuse to follow this false one.”

Revelation 12: 6

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Pastor Flynn pointed to the scripture on the monitor. “Who is the woman? It’s the true bride of Christ, or all the people who know the truth. We will be protected for the one thousand two hundred and sixty days, or the forty-two months. We know the real time is changed, but the symbolism is there and very much in effect.”

Molony held up his hand to stop Pastor Flynn. “Okay, hold on. We have two and a half months under a one-world system, then it collapses, and Satan comes to rule the second two and a half month period.”

Pastor Flynn nodded. “I think that covers it. That’s the hour of temptation. People are being tempted to think Satan is Christ, and it’s tempting to follow him if you are not sealed with the truths we covered.”

“I’m sure your conclusions will cause many to examine their positions. From the church, all the way down to the believer.”

”The message is there for those with ears to hear. When those trumpets start sounding it’s going to be a frantic time. It’s sad this will blow by many people that have a spirit of slumber, but God sent that delusion and it will go down as written.”

“Well I for one am touched by the things we’ve gone over. I know we don’t have anything planned beyond this show, but I’m sure the response from the public will dictate otherwise.”

“We’ll see.”

*****

John stopped the tape. “What do you think of that?”

Seth ran his fingers through his hair. “I think we’re in it right now.”

Rick stood and started pacing. “So if people are looking for a seven year tribulation, and it really happens in five months, is that why it says Christ returns as a thief in the night?”

Jane poured a refill into Trent’s teacup. “That’s what I think.”

Trent took a sip of his tea. “That means we only have a little over a month left.”

Seth got up and put his teacup near the sink. “Stop pacing Rick. We’re almost through it already. We just need to stay focused, tend to our people, and be ready.”

Rick stopped and looked at Seth. “That’s a lot easier to say than to deal with. We’re talking about everything we know changing. How am I going to explain this to Danny? What about my wife? Will I ever see her again?”

Jane grabbed Rick’s hands with both of hers. “Son, you are married to her, and that makes the two of you as one in the Father’s eyes. You will surely see her again, and you will be together again. We all will.”

“Thank you Jane. It’s just hard to deal with as it’s happening.”

Seth patted Rick on the back. “Tell Danny straight. He’s a big boy, and we are all here going through it together. He’ll be fine.”

Jovel looked over his notes. “I took a lot of notes, but that was pretty technical for me. I think I followed a little more than half.”

John laughed. “That’s okay young man. The point is that you know who is really floating around in that spacecraft, and you know he is not who he says he is.”

Seth added. “And you know that his time is almost done. Wow. I wanted my batteries recharged, but I didn’t expect this.”

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