Awakening: The Deep Sleep (The Deep Sleep Trilogy Book 1) (4 page)

The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.

—Luke 10:2 NLT

AS BELOVED CONTINUED
her journey through the fields of grace, the landscape gradually transformed from fields of wheat to rock-hewn hills and sand, framing a breathtakingly beautiful sea. By evening, she saw in the distance the shadow of a great mountain and was captivated by the reflections of the moonlight on the water, joined together as though they were created for each other.

Nearing the mountain, she saw the moonlight reflecting off a tall and slender human figure moving
back and forth at the base of the mountain. She could see, as she came near, that the figure was indeed a very tall woman who seemed to be lit up from within.

The woman was riddled with anxious excitement and paced back and forth with great haste. Even though she was quite old, she was marvelously beautiful, as though her beauty was captured in time. She wore her splendidly gleaming silver hair loosely curled and flowing down her back.

She was attired in an equally beautiful gown made of ornate, thick velvet. Quite heavy and dark, her gown was embroidered with an elegant, golden-embossed pattern, laden with crystals and decorated with amber and jasper.

While eagerly pacing between the sands of the great sea and the base of the mountain, as if excitedly waiting for someone, she finally caught sight of Beloved and ran to meet her.

Even though they had never met, she spoke as if she knew Beloved quite well. “Beloved, where have you been? I’ve been waiting such a long time for you to get here,” she scolded.

She snatched Beloved by the hand and pulled her toward the mountain with great eagerness, but when she felt Beloved’s resistance, she paused.

Suddenly, as if realizing her error, she spoke to Beloved with guarded patience, “Oh, I’m sorry, dear. We honestly have very little time. We must hurry. Everyone is waiting for you.” Excitedly, she added, “The Shepherd will be coming soon!”

Time, as she was called, was excitedly waiting for a special assemblage of the prophetic host who were gathering there.

Returning her excitement, Beloved suddenly realized who the lady was. “You are Time!” she exclaimed.

With the sudden revelation of who this beautiful, benevolent creature was, everything began to fall into place. The woman had been pacing back and forth on the sands of time before a small, modest opening to a very large cave nestled in the glorious mountain before her.

“Why, yes, dear. Of course I am, but you are very late and we must hurry,” she answered Beloved as she hurried her along.

Realizing she had been led to the very mountain where the much desired host were meeting, Beloved was beside herself with relief.

T
HE
I
NNER
R
OOM

Time slipped her arm into Beloved’s and quickly ushered her into the narrow entrance of the cave. As
she squeezed through the crevice, it opened up to a beautiful, almost ballroom-like cavern with large artistic stalactites hanging from the ceiling like splendid icicle chandeliers.

Amazed at the rustic majesty of the cavern, yet still somewhat bewildered, Beloved wondered,
“Why is it we are in such a hurry?”

Hearing her thoughts, Time stopped in her tracks and cried, “
Why!
How can you ask
why
? Did you not come through the fields of grace and see the workers there? They are almost out of time – they are exhausted, poor dears. And you ask me why we must hurry?”

Beloved still felt unsure of her purpose there. But Time spoke to her as if she should already know all of what was to occur in their future and why she had been compelled to come to the mountain.

Time’s rebuke made her feel chastised, yet she knew it was right. For she had seen the dilemma of the workers in the fields of grace – there were just too few workers, and those who were there were worn out from their heavy workload.

Time ushered her along toward the back of the cave and walked some distance through a long, rough corridor. At last they had finally reached a room nestled deep into the recesses of the great mountain.

They approached a door set into the rock of the cave. It seemed out of place, but Time opened it confidently and ushered Beloved inside.

Unlike the previous caves they had walked through, the inner room was warm and filled with a tangible, glowing amber light. It gave Beloved the feeling of coming home to her well-loved Grandmother’s little home.

The room held what seemed to be an intimate group of people sitting patiently while their quiet conversations filled the room with anticipation.

As Beloved entered the room with Time, everyone turned to welcome her and smiled as she entered. Without even letting go of the door, Time turned and addressed the gathering, “There now, she is finally here.”

Motioning to the room, she countered Beloved’s curious look, “Ah, yes, dear. They will fill you in.”

Giving Beloved one last hurried prodding, she turned to leave. “I must continue my watch. There are more to come!”

With that, she was gone and the door closed after her.

“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

—Mark 1:15 NLT

THE WELCOMING ROOM
was filled with women and men of all races and nationalities, both old and young alike, all of whom possessed the same warm, welcoming quality that filled the room. They had been expecting Beloved and stared at her with curious delight.

Beloved stood timidly as she sheepishly glanced around the room. Even though she felt she recognized some of the people in the room, she knew she had never met them. Nonetheless, she was taken aback
when she realized they all seemed to know her and had been anticipating her arrival.

The room was very bright, considering it was inside a mountain. It was filled with a warmth that seemed to penetrate her nerves and quiet her spirit. Beloved fell into an easy repose and knelt comfortably on the floor with the others.

The graciously cheery group welcomed her warmly, as though they had always been friends. Very happy to see her, one by one they introduced themselves and shared their testimonies with her. Each individual held a wealth of personal stories to impart and as they finished, they asked for her to share her story in turn.

Beloved had kept her feelings bottled up inside for so long, now she feared exposing her insecurities and opening herself up to others and their unjust criticisms.

Yet, though she’d only just met them, she felt such intense love and understanding from all of them. The warmth and authenticity that emitted from them seemed to birth a release in her spirit.

An older, beautiful woman named Helen reached out and drew Beloved into her and held her close in a powerful display of sympathy. Brushing her hair, she said, “Beloved, we love you. We who know you, accept you as you are.”

Beloved had not allowed herself to realize the pain she had been holding in her heart. She had buried it so deep and tried so hard to keep it hidden, and now suddenly it was awakening with tremendous force. Breaking into heaves of pain-relieving sobs, she slumped to the floor.

The acceptance she felt from the host seemed like heaven filling her heart.

The gathering erupted with tender thanksgiving and filled the room with brilliantly coordinated worship as they welcomed her vulnerability with much needed comfort. Their acceptance and love for Beloved filled the room with a protective shield of restorative power, bringing deliverance for her long-held burdened soul.

Remaining, lingering in a state of unparalleled intimacy with the heavenlies – they all experienced the Father’s restoring power. There was something about the mountain that gave them strength and drew from each of them the best of their gifts and help as they ministered comfort and relief to one another.

The room continued to fill as more seekers arrived to join them. And as they delighted in each other, Beloved knew she’d finally found them. She was, indeed, with the much sought after, yet hidden, prophetic host.

T
HE
S
HEPHERD
’
S
A
RRIVAL

A sweet fragrance filled the room as heaven invaded. Beloved felt a great sense of relief blanket her when Jesus suddenly appeared.

He broke into the middle of their meeting and every eye instantly turned to Him as hearts filled with expectation.

As always, He filled the room with instant delight and, locking eyes with each person, He ignited the fire of the intimacy they each had with Him. He proceeded to express to them the importance of their function in the great battle they would all soon have to face and the significance of this hour.

“The hour is great and there are few of you, but you will find the strength you will need in the harmony you share as you are united in Me.”

His heart brimmed with emotion for each of them and the room filled with an intensity of purpose as they realized He was preparing them for battle. “The age we are now entering has been anticipated by the Father from the beginning. We are all excited and are anxious to see Him display His power. He is with us as we fight for Him, as He releases to us the victories of the white-horse rider.”

“Before I leave you, there is a very important key you have that you will need to grasp before I can let you go.”

They all cried out to Him in earnest, “Please, Lord. Give us the key!”

“But, My friends, you already have it,” He delighted to tell them.

They seemed very confused and determined to discover it.

The Lord turned to Beloved as He shared with the room, “Beloved has something to share with you, My friends – the key to your victory in this hour.”

“I do?” she anxiously returned, quite startled.

“Yes, Beloved, you do! I gave it to you several years ago. Have you forgotten?”

She struggled to remember, then realized He was referring to a vision He’d shared with her years ago. Oblivious to it’s importance, she had held it in her heart until she felt it was needed.

Beloved stood as He reached out His hand to her and took her back into the vision of a very dark place…

Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.

—Isaiah 60:2 NLT

BELOVED FOUND HERSELF
with Jesus again – He brought her back to the place He’d shown her previously in a vision…

Beloved, now caught up in spirit with the Lord, remained yet within the inner room and shared the intensity of the darkness the Lord had shown to her. Those assembled listened in anticipation, waiting to receive as Beloved told them of the vision.

She began, “I joined the Lord while He was at a gathering of the saints. I was so happy to see Him.
I rushed to His side and wrapped my arm in His. My whole being came alive in His presence and overflowed with joy. His smile refreshed me. I felt loved, but somehow I knew this would be no ordinary encounter – something was troubling Him.

“ ‘Come with Me,’ He urged. ‘I have something I want to show you.’

“I was more than pleased to go with Him and felt no fear when He led me to the embankment of a dark, forbidding river. It looked terrible. I shivered when I realized that everything around us, even the air and sky, seemed to match the river with its feeling of forthcoming dread as we stepped into it.

“The sky darkened and the air grew heavy and thick. An ominous foreboding swept over me and I suddenly felt uncertainty. I stopped with my hand still in His. Naturally, I didn’t want to enter such a place, but the Lord beckoned me ‘Please come.’

“Jesus wrapped His arm tightly through mine and led me further into the river. The water was tangibly dark with a thick blackness. As if you could reach out and touch its inkiness, the all-consuming cold of the river clung to me and seemed to want to penetrate my soul. As we waded into the water up to our necks, I felt emptiness rising from the vapors of the river.