Rise of the Beast (31 page)

In addition, the bold prophetic words of Serena’s husband also made the rounds in the media. Those in Lusan’s organization were quick to pick up on the not-so-subtle innuendo, and they were not pleased. An official representative from their camp, a woman by the name of Krissie James, called it just another example of fundamentalist Christian prejudice.

“There are many ways to God,” insisted Krissie. “Surely the miracles we are seeing in our time confirm this. God loves all who seek Him, regardless of their route to salvation. We don’t need haters in our presence. We all need to pull together.”

Haters in our presence—it was Krissie James who first quoted that phrase to describe the fundamentalist Christians who opposed their organization. The term would be used many more times. The world was weighing in on the happenings of the past few months, and they were far from united in their beliefs.

In America people were divided on the issue. Some thought all miracles were trickery, a huge and elaborate scheme designed to win over converts. Still, even more seemed to be coming down on the side of Chris and Serena Davis, the evangelists from Oregon. Their message was, after all, a traditional American message of faith in Christ. It was what this nation was founded on. Even in England, where Chris and Serena had toured a year before and would be returning again come spring, public opinion was leaning in their direction.

Yet on the continent, the viewpoint was somewhat different. There Lusan found greater support. The people of Europe had given Christianity a chance for nearly 2,000 years. Perhaps it was time to explore some other avenue to God.

From their viewpoint, they were surrounded by extremists. To the east and south were the Islamic fundamentalists who were determined to win the world for Allah by the sword if need be. To the west were the Christian fundamentalists and their equally radical agenda. These two factions were quite capable of destroying the world to keep the other from getting it.

In Rome, despite his impassioned pleas for people to remain loyal to the church, the Holy Father of the Roman Catholic Church now found himself on a continent where the support of the people for the faith of their parents and grandparents was waning at an incredible rate. In Northern Europe, he presided over essentially empty churches. Things in the south were not much better. His faith was the faith of a shrinking minority.

Still, it seemed that in a crisis the Christian community was pulling together like never before. There was word of other great healers rising up within the Christian community. A Catholic priest in South Africa was also performing miraculous acts of healing. Thousands were descending on his services every Sunday and Wednesday in hopes of being a recipient of a miracle from God. An elder at a Mormon church in Globe, Arizona, had also experienced a revelation from God, and the gift of great healing could be found in his hands as well. Then there was the Baptist preacher in China who had created a great stir with her miracles of healing.

It was at a large revival in Kansas City that two envoys from the Pope met with Chris and Serena. Chris and Serena were amazed to hear of the Holy Father’s enthusiastic support for their work. Indeed, the Pope had issued an invitation to the couple to come to the Vatican for a visit, a private audience with him. It was an invitation that Chris and Serena quickly and graciously accepted. What an honor! Their current crusade would be ending in just another week. They would meet the Holy Father at the end of March.

“Keep in mind, the Holy Father is in remarkably good health for his age,” continued Father Giavani, as he escorted Chris and Serena down the bright and ornate hallway toward the Pope’s private quarters in the Vatican. “Still, he
tends to tire easily. The past year has not been particularly kind to him or the Church.”

“I can imagine,” replied Chris, looking about at the magnificence of this place.

“Lord forgive me,” continued Giavani, “but this Lusan is the Devil himself.”

That comment surprised Serena. “You mean the real Devil, Satan?”

“I mean no other,” replied Father Giavani. “These are dangerous times we live in, my friends. The Holy Father is only too aware of it.” Giavani paused, then stopped right there in his tracks. He turned to face Serena. “Signora Davis, you of all people must surely recognize him.”

Serena too hesitated, though for but a couple seconds. “Yes, Father Giavani, I do. He has the same face, the same eyes. Yes, it’s him.”

Giavani nodded. “I know it must be difficult for you, signora, after the terrible thing he did to you. Knowing that he is here on Earth must be deeply disturbing.”

“Very disturbing,” confirmed Serena.

They continued on. Again Father Giavani turned to Serena. “I am sure that I don’t need to remind you that everything that the two of you and the Holy Father discuss is strictly confidential. It must never leave this place.”

“Of course,” replied Serena.

The three passed another security officer, the third that they had met on this journey. The security guard opened a double door, and they entered a large and beautifully furnished room. Three chairs sat in a circle near the far end of the room, and in the center chair sat the pontiff himself. An aide dressed in black stood at his side.

The aide assisted the Pope to his feet as Chris and Serena approached him. The Pope had a wonderful, beaming smile that made Chris and Serena Davis feel so much at ease.

“Oh my children, it is so good to finally meet you,” said the Pope at the two drew still closer. “Please, sit at my side. We have much to discuss.”

Chris and Serena sat on either side of the pontiff.

“Thank you, Father Giavani. You and Mr. Anderson may leave us now, I’ll be fine.”

“Yes, your eminence,” they replied practically in unison, making their way to the door.

“We’ll be just outside,” said Father Giavani, as he closed the door behind them.

“I trust that the two of you had a pleasant flight,” began the pontiff. “Rome is beautiful this time of year. I hope that the two of you get to spend some time here.”

“Yes, a most pleasant flight,” confirmed Serena, “and yes, we plan to stay five days.

“Very good,” said the Pope, scanning his two guests. “I’ve read your book. I read it from cover to cover several years ago, and again just last week. I want to assure you that I believe every word of it. The two of you have had an incredible experience and returned to tell of it. Surely our Father has a grand plan for you.”

“I’d certainly like to think so, your eminence,” said Chris.

“Know so,” he replied. “I have no doubt of it.” There was a pause. “I understand that the two of you are members of the Pentecostal movement, that you are firm believers in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, having received the baptism thereof.”

“We have,” confirmed Chris and Serena simultaneously.

“As have I,” replied the Pontiff. “The fact that you are not members of the Roman Catholic Church is of no importance to me. You are blessed children of God, a part of the Body of Christ, as am I. I wanted you to know that from the beginning.” Again the Pope paused. “I had a visitation just over two weeks ago, a dream. My visitor was someone with whom I believe you are already familiar. Her name is Claire.”

Serena was astonished. “Yes, we’ve met her, too.”

“She explained that to me,” confirmed the pontiff. “She told me something that I already suspected; I shall be the last pontiff of this church. There will be no more. The last days are upon us, my children, and the Beast is already among us.” He turned to Chris. “You said it to the world when you spoke of your own
dream, your vision, in Mississippi. You realize who Lusan is.”

“He is Satan in human form,” announced Chris.

“He is indeed,” confirmed the pontiff.

“He has already tried to kill us at least once since his arrival on Earth,” said Serena.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” he confirmed. “I also understand that the two of you are in possession of some remarkable letters, delivered to you by an angel two years ago. If the contents are not too personal, I would like to know what you were told. I need to know the score, as you Americans put it. I need to know what we are dealing with. What you tell me shall stall stay with me and me alone. Then I shall share with you an incredible secret that may be of help to you.”

“We thought you might be interested in the letters,” confirmed Chris, pulling a large envelope from his pocket. “These are copies of the originals. They are yours to keep and study.”

“Thank you,” said the Pope, opening the envelope and briefly scanning its contents. “Remarkable,” he said. “We have many incredible documents within our library. However, I doubt that we have anything more precious than this. I shall treasure these words from beyond this life.”

For over half an hour, Chris and Serena spoke of the War in Heaven, of the struggle of Abaddon and his followers in Hell, and of the fall of Satan to Earth. They spoke of their trip to the Middle East and of the oil well that was a gate into another reality. They held nothing back from the pontiff; they told it all. The Pope asked but a few questions during the telling. When it was all told, he was deeply troubled.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “I suspected as much. Satan is a clever opponent. Do either of you play chess?”

“A little bit,” said Chris. “But Serena is the chess player of the family. She is really quite good.”

The Pope chuckled. “I’m not surprised. She has the mannerisms of a good chess player. I deduced that much from your book. I used to play. Not so much anymore. The demands of this office are considerable. But let me get to the point. Like a good chess player, Satan is maneuvering his pieces for the end
game. There is a reason behind everything he is doing, every move. Yes, he is trying to gain converts, but there is more to it than that. We must somehow deduce what he is really up to. We have two means at our disposal.”

The Pope reached down to recover a small book from the floor at his side. It had been placed in a protective plastic cover. He gingerly pulled the small yellowing document from the plastic.

“This is a one-of-a-kind document,” he continued. “It made its way from a monastery in Switzerland to the Vatican back in 1681. It has been in the Vatican Archives ever since. It is written in old German. I wish to read to you a passage from its pages. I will do my best to translate it. It is important that you know its contents, you more than anyone else. Only a few people know about it.”

The pontiff pulled out his reading glasses, squinting at the document. “In those last days there shall come a young maiden, fair of face and strong of spirit. Yet her heart will be hard, like unto her mother’s. For this reason she shall be carried to the very depths of Hell, there to be thrown into a great ocean of fire to suffer for her transgressions. Yet she shall call out to the Lord, and He shall in time hear her plea and take pity upon her. He shall deliver her from the fires and hide her among the rocks, within a cave. He shall appoint His servant to watch over her. And in the passage of days, the Lord God will remember her again. He will return her to the land of the living and charge her with a solemn duty—to give witness to what she has seen and expose the ways of the dragon and his angels.”

The pontiff paused, adjusting his glasses. Serena’s eyes had taken on a wide almost unbelieving stare. It sounded like he was talking about her.

“Let me read on,” said the pontiff, “She shall free many captives. She shall make the lame walk and the blind to see with but a touch of her hand. She shall turn many from the road to Hell, depriving the dragon of that which he desires. For this, the dragon will be greatly angered and shall strike out at her, the one who had escaped him. He will threaten her with her life, threaten her with the pains of Hell. Yet she will turn neither to the left nor the right. Her life will be an example to many, both the quick and the dead. Even the souls of the lost would come to her aid if it were but possible. In the fullness of years she shall, through her suffering, deliver many, opening the gates wide to paradise. The lost shall find peace.” The pontiff put down the manuscript. “Does this woman sound like anyone you know?”

Serena was absolutely pale. Indeed, she was shaking.

The pontiff placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Are you all right, my dear?”

“Yes,” she said, in a trembling voice. “It sounds like they’re talking about me. But that was written back in 1681.”

“No child, not in 1681. It was brought here in 1681. About 15 years ago, we decided to have a small piece of this parchment and many others carbon dated, as we did the shroud. The paper dated back to the ninth century. It was copied from a still earlier manuscript. The original manuscript may be much older. We believe that the original manuscript may have been written by John of Patmos in the first century, the author of the Book of Revelation. Serena, in all ways you fit the description of the woman spoken of in this manuscript. The events of the past month leave me no doubt whatever.”

“It’s incredible,” said Chris.

“Perhaps,” replied the pontiff, “but keep in mind God’s time is not our time. Child, this task was set out for you long before you were born. Forgive the use of the word, but it is very likely an issue of destiny. You are a part of God’s grand plan; both of you are.”