Chapter 7: THE QUEEN

The young eagle landed beside me.

"I know what you are about to tell me," I said.

The young eagle looked at me with raised eyebrows and then continued with what he had started to say.

"Things are happening faster than I thought. For the first time I did not want to fly higher so I could see farther. I was not ready to see what I did. I must gather the other eagles and find our Father. The future is very dark. Keep going and I will see you again soon."

He was off before I could protest. I was sorry I had been so quick to speak, implying I already knew what he was about to say. I knew his news was bad, but I did not know the details.

My stupid pride, I thought. I resolved never to try to do that again. It always seemed to cost me knowledge. I walked on, waving the sword and holding the torch as close as I could, wondering what the young eagle had seen.

I then came upon the statue of a lady. She was astonishingly beautiful, and I presumed that she had been an English queen. As I looked at her closely, my heart almost stopped. Not only did I know her face very well, but she was alive and pointing her scepter straight at me.

Eagles sat on her and were all around her base like pigeons usually are around statues. They, too, were all looking at me. When she spoke, it was with a dignity I knew very well, and she had an authority which made me tremble.

"You're the little girl I left in the valley! How did you get here, and how is it that you are a monument?" I stammered. She did not answer, but she looked at me curiously. One of the eagles then spoke.

"You forget that time here is not the same as in the earthly realm. However, this is not the girl you have seen, but she is a descendant of our lady."

I turned to the lady. "I'm sorry. I was just shocked when I saw you since you look so much alike."

The great lady seemed to disregard what I said and continued to hold her scepter out toward me as she began to speak.

"Will you awaken mothers to the glory of their calling? Will you give my daughters swords and torches? They are the ones who keep the torches alive, and they will wield the sword wisely. My daughters will stop the death and bring back the life!"

I stood in speechless awe. Her words came with authority and nobility, which were as beautiful as she was. I did not want her to stop speaking because her words were so exhilarating.

"Are you Elizabeth?" I asked.

"No."

"Are you Mary, the mother of Jesus?"

Gazing at me with eyes that were warm, yet firm, it seemed that the faintest smile crossed her lips as she answered.

"You know me. Elizabeth knew me. Abraham searched for me. I am not Mary, but I, too, am a mother to Jesus. I am Jerusalem above. I am your mother too, because I am the mother of all who worship in Spirit and truth."

As I looked at her, I thought how she seemed to be motherhood in all of its glory. Her words did not just impart truth, but life, hope, courage, and strength. It was impossible to consider that a woman could be more attractive, and yet there was not a hint of seduction or sexual attraction.

I just wanted to get as close to her as I could. Her presence was so warm and inviting that I began to move closer. I could not help but marvel at how anyone who was such a light could be on this avenue of monuments and not wake up the entire city.

"Why are you here? Why are you in this city?" I asked. "How could anyone with such grace and life be on this avenue? Why are there not multitudes sitting at your feet?"

"Men have made many monuments to me, but I have never died. Many have tried to bring me down to earth. They have mostly been those who have sat at my feet trying to use me. They try to bring me to earth through their own works rather than faith, which alone can establish me on the earth.

"You can see me as you do now because of the vision that you have. If your vision was greater, I would be even more to you. You are actually only seeing a little more of me than those who only see a bronze statue.

"I do have some in this city who have begun to see me as more than just a statue. That is why I am alive here. As their vision grows, I will be revealed more and more to this city.

"When they start to believe their vision in their hearts and not just their minds, I will be free from this avenue of monuments and will be raised above the palaces and castles of men. When that happens, the King will come to this city."

Then she looked at my hands and another faint smile creased her lips.

"You have the torch and sword. It is time for them here. No one can see me who does not honor the fathers and mothers. If you honor the fathers and mothers, you will give swords to the sons and the daughters."

Her words were like fire and honey together. They burned, but they also sweetened and soothed. I could not imagine anyone not wanting to stay as close to her as possible. She, too, could obviously hear my thoughts, and she answered them.

"As I said, most only see me as a monument, cold and tarnished. When people begin to see me as I am, they are drawn to me like a nursing child to its mother. I, too, have been made to be a desire of every searching heart. The King and I are one.

"You must remember this. It takes the light from both the fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, to reveal me as I am. I am much more than you are seeing now, and I am also as the child you met in the valley.

"No one can see me as I am if they do not see the glory of spiritual motherhood, as well as fatherhood. Because many honored only the fathers and not the mothers, they and their fruit did not remain long on the earth. You must honor the fathers and mothers to bring forth the sons and daughters.

"No one can see me as I am who does not see the glory in the children. I have the wisdom of the ages and the wisdom of the new birth. It is the wisdom of the fathers and mothers, old and young, which the path of life follows."

As I listened, I was drawn to the trees which lined the avenue. It did not escape her notice, and she again answered my thoughts.

"Yes, the woman was deceived and ate the forbidden fruit first. However, the man ate it even though he knew what he was doing. And does the prophecy not say that the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent?"

"I'm sorry," I responded. "It's just that I have had so much teaching on how women are so easily deceived that I was actually wondering if anyone could think that way in your presence."

"I understand why many think this way, but you must now understand this-those who are redeemed are a new creation and are higher than the former creation. The new creation woman is higher than the former.

"When you become a part of the new creation, your weaknesses are transformed into strengths. Most of those who have the great gifts of discernment on the earth are women. Remember, in the new creation all things become new. That is why those with renewed minds do not judge after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

"The new creation woman is about to be revealed, and all who see her will honor her. Neither my sons nor my daughters can see me as I am unless they begin to look at me together, opening their hearts to what each other sees. My sons and my daughters must prophesy. You must give torches and swords to my daughters as well as my sons, or you, too, will end up as just another statue on this street.

"You are concerned that the daughters are easily deceived. All may be deceived, but the wisdom of women could keep you from much folly, like the folly of cutting down that tree!" When she said this I shuddered. I knew immediately that something more terrible than I had imagined had happened.

"I just used my sword to cut down a tree which was bearing evil fruit. How could that have been bad? What kind of problems could that have created?" I asked.

"You did not plant a righteous tree in its place. Now it has sprouted again, and the power of evil within it has multiplied. You cannot just dispel the evil, but you must always fill its place with good, or this will happen."

As much as I did not want to leave the presence of this great queen, I turned and began to run back to the place where I had cut down the tree. As I ran, I glanced back for one more look at her great beauty, and I saw her motioning for the eagles to go with me. The deep concern on all of them was so obvious that I stopped.

"Tell me. How bad is it?" I cried out.

The great lady looked at me as if she was measuring the depths of my soul. I knew she was considering whether I could handle the answer. She must have concluded that I could not handle it because she said nothing. Then one of the eagles spoke up.

"You will understand very soon what has happened. We were not ready, and I don't think you are ready for what is now upon us. Even so, we must go now. The battle for this city and many other cities has begun."

There was a knock at the door, and I woke up with a start. The clock by the bed flashed 5:55. It was hard for me to get oriented. I felt caught between two worlds. I continued looking at the clock and prayed for the grace to make it through what was coming. I knew there was indeed a bridge between the realms of Heaven and earth and that what I had seen was very real.

I also thought about how the timing between them was not as it seemed. Sometimes minutes or hours in the heavenly realm turned out to be years on earth. Even so, I knew it was time to wake up. The last battle was really about to begin. Then I realized that there was no one at my bedroom door.

I had to sit for a while. I thought about how the "Jerusalem above" was worth searching for like no other treasure on earth, which is what the church is called to be. There is no question that if she is seen as she really is, the nations will come to her light! Who would not come to her?

How badly I wanted every church and believer to get just a glimpse of her-to hear her words, to feel the majesty of her presence, and to know the dignity of her every move! She was womanhood in all of its glory. She is a bride worthy of the King!

I was consumed with searching for a way to share what I had seen. I wanted desperately to tell all believers what they were called to be a part of, but my words were too inadequate.

"She does not belong in the avenue of monuments. She belongs on the highest hill so that all can see her!" I thought, but my words seemed as dry and dead as the other monuments. I began to long for the words of life.

Then I began to think of the impending battle. A dread came over me like a dark blanket.

My strength left me. I was so weary I easily drifted off to sleep.

Then I saw her again. She was no longer a statue on the avenue of monuments-she was a warrior clothed in brilliant armor. She was more regal than human words can describe. Her presence exuded grace and strength, which filled me with awe. She looked me right in the eyes as a most genuine and brilliant smile crossed her lips.

"Do not fear. I, too, was brought to earth for the battle that is now upon us. I must be known as motherhood itself, but I must also be known as a warrior, too. Do not fear. The light that is in us is greater than the darkness. It is time for the light to be seen, and it is time to fight."