trumpet, the return of the priests, a mystery of lions, a man called the Nazir, a time code hidden on a mountaintop, a day two thousand years in the making, and much more.”
“So you opened the fourth door . . . ”
THE FOURTH DOOR
Chapter 33
THE FOURTH DOOR
IT WAS A cold night. I was bundled up in my tent when the vision began. I stood in front of the fourth door with the Oracle at my side. I opened it and walked through. I was again on top of the desert mountain, and there again was the old man in the red robe, Moses. At his side was a ram. There was nothing especially distinctive about it except that it was younger and thinner than the other rams I had seen. Around its neck was a chain and pendant, on which was a symbol that matched that of the fourth door.
“The ram made its way down the mountain and across a desert plain. I followed. It turned its gaze to the right. I did likewise, and the visions began.”
TEN MEN WITH TORCHES
“I saw a band of men with torches, journeying through the desert by night. There were ten of them, including their leader, a man in a fedora. They arrived at a mountain. In its base was an opening, a shaft. They entered it. Guided by the light of their torches, they made their way through stone chambers, stone steps, and stone passageways. Finally they came to an entranceway that was sealed with a large boulder. They rolled it away and entered a circular chamber. All around the chamber were openings, ten of them, the entrances to ancient-looking tombs. The ten men approached the tombs, holding up their torches to see what appeared to be an engraving in the rock face over each entrance. Engraved above each tomb was the image of an ancient soldier. The face of each soldier matched the face of the man viewing it. Then I heard a voice. ‘You have returned,’ it said, ‘and have opened up your own tombs.’”
THE WILLOW AND THE HARP
“The ram resumed its journey, then stopped again and turned its gaze. I turned as well. I saw a bearded man in a ragged, dust-covered robe. He was sitting under a tree by a river. Hanging above him on the branches was a harp. He stood up, pulled it out, and sat down again, now with a harp in his lap. He began plucking its strings and singing. It was a song of mourning and longing. As the song continued, the sky began to darken and the sound of war grew louder and louder. When the song ended, there was silence. In the sky above a distant mountain was a blinding radiance, as if from a thousand suns.”
THE CLOUD PROCESSION
“I turned again and saw a great procession of men in white robes and white cloth hats moving through the desert. Those in front were bearing on their shoulders a tent. Above the tent was a cloud that appeared to move as they moved, or they moved as it moved. Finally they reached the gate of a city, the doors of which had been removed and were lying on the ground. In front of the gate was what appeared to be a gathering of ancient warriors. The warriors parted to the sides to allow the procession to pass through the gate. Then they passed through as well and, as they did, were transformed. They were now dressed in modern army fatigues of olive green, holding guns and radio transmitters. The procession now began ascending a mountain inside the city walls. The men in white and the soldiers who flanked them were now illuminated by the cloud that moved above them and that was now bursting with light.”
THE CHARIOT RIDER
“In the next vision I saw a man standing in a stationary chariot. He was arrayed in an ornate robe and had Middle Eastern features, black curly hair, and a full black beard. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘and I’ll take you to the city. I know the way. I’ve been there before.’”
“He said that to whom?”
“To me. So I stepped into the chariot, and we rode away. ‘It’s not far,’ he said, ‘only nineteen minutes.’ We rode through plains, valleys, and terraced hills. Finally we arrived at our destination, the walled city. I knew it was Jerusalem. ‘Who are you?’ I asked the man. ‘A king,’ he said, ‘but not of this land . . . but