same mountain where I had seen the first ram. And there was Moses in his red robe. By his side was a ram, different from the first. Its body was covered with armor, its neck, its hooves, the top of its head, its horns, everything except for its face. Around its neck was a chain, from which hung a metal pendant, on which was a symbol, the same as on the second door.
“It made its way down the mountain and into the wilderness. I followed behind. As it journeyed, the sky darkened and was soon filled with black clouds and then smoke. I heard what at first I took to be thunder but then realized was the sound of war. The ram was now passing by trenches, mounds of earth, and ruins. Then it stopped and turned its gaze to the right. I turned as well . . . and saw the first of the visions within the vision.”
THE RIDERS
“I saw what appeared to be a British officer from the First World War on horseback, riding through a series of varied landscapes. In his upraised right hand was a rolled-up document. But it wasn’t just the landscapes that were changing; it was the rider. He was now wearing a red cylindrical hat, dressed as a Turkish soldier. After that he took on the appearance of other soldiers of other armies and ages, each with varied garments, armor, and weapons. Finally he took on the appearance of a Roman soldier. He arrived at his destination, dismounted his horse, then read the document out loud as if issuing a proclamation. Planted in the ground beside him was a pole crowned with a golden eagle. He pulled it out of the ground . . . at which moment, he vanished.”
THE OLD MAN AND THE BOY
“The ram resumed the journey, then stopped and turned again. I did likewise. I saw an old man with a white beard and arrayed in colorful ancient garments. Next to him was a little boy in a dark brown coat, a black cap, and shiny black shoes. The two of them were sitting in the middle of a raging battlefield. The old man was holding a little scroll and reading words to the boy. After he finished reading it, he turned to the boy and said, ‘It is now time for you to go home.’ At that they rose to their feet and began walking hand in hand through the battlefield and then away from it, where they disappeared over the horizon.”
THE GIRL BY THE WELL
“I turned again and saw a row of ancient-looking wells in the middle of a barren desert. Sitting by one of the wells was a little girl, weeping. ‘They’ve sealed up our father’s wells,’ she said, ‘so that none of us can draw from them.’ It was then that I saw that each well had been filled to its brim with sand. But then suddenly there came the sound of gushing waters. Then all at once the wells exploded with fountains, or rivers, of water shooting up at the same time. The waters then coalesced into a rushing river flowing away into the distance. ‘This is how it begins,’ said the little girl. ‘The rest will follow.’”
THE FLIERS
“I turned again and saw a flock of colossal birds flying in the sky above an army as it marched into war. As the birds approached the battlefield, a transformation began. Their bodies began turning to metal, their tail feathers to rudders, their claws to wheels, and their wings to the wings of early twentieth-century airplanes, which is what they, in essence, became. Each aircraft still bore the head of a giant bird but now of solid metal. They flew into battle, engaging the enemy in warfare. I heard a voice. ‘So by this,’ it said, ‘shall the deliverance come.’”
THE ANGEL’S COIN
“I was standing on the bank of a river. To my left was a man in a radiant white robe, an angel. He opened his right hand to reveal a coin. ‘What do you see engraved on it?’ he asked. ‘A number,’ I answered. ‘What number?’ ‘1,335. What does it mean?’ I asked. ‘It’s the number of the end,’ he said. ‘By this, that which obstructs shall be removed.’ In the distance stood a mustached man dressed in gold regalia, with a red cylindrical hat and a gold ornamental sword. The angel approached him and placed the coin in his hand. ‘And now you’ve been paid