Abruptly, Anke gestured toward a particular screen. Feldman obligingly jumped to a program where an earnest-looking man was reporting on the growing world prominence of two opposing millenarian sects.
“The startling arrival of the female mystic Jeza has had a polarizing effect on the hundreds of millenarian creeds around the world,” the announcer explained. “In light of recent events, most millenarian sects have split into two distinct camps of pro-Jeza and anti-Jeza factions.
“Among millenarians within the anti-Jeza bloc, a majority have been gathering under the banner of a rather vocal organization known as the Guardians of God. In the pro-Jeza coalition, supporters have been steadily migrating toward an evangelical sect calling themselves the Messianic Guardians of God. Although these two factions represent opposite extremes of the millenarian movement, surprisingly both sects were once one and the same.”
“Damn,” Feldman exclaimed, “I've crossed paths with those Guardian weirdos before. They're a scary lot.”
“How so?” Anke asked.
“Hunter and I did a story on them shortly before Millennium Eve. They're a doomsday cult claiming to commune with the second order of the celestial hierarchy-the archangels. They consider themselves soldiers of Christ-self-appointed escorts of the Messiah for the Second Coming. Their thing is paramilitary training in preparation for the battle of Armageddon.”
On the TV monitor, a large group of men, women and children were shown holding a rally in front of a large bonfire. Many of the adults were bearing ceremonial swords and truncheons, waving them over their heads as they sang and prayed. The voice of the reporter announced over the footage, “This group of celebrants represents one of the oldest surviving millenarian sects in the world, dating back more than a thousand years to the first Millennium Eve of A.D. 999.”
The footage on the screen was displaced by video of an ancient wall painting. The images on the painting were of men, women and children, clad in white robes, shown embarking from Europe on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. “Before journeying to Jerusalem,” the announcer explained, “these earlier Guardians of God gave up all personal belongings, devoting themselves to Spartan lifestyles, prayer and regimented military training. Their sworn objective was to serve as protectors of the Messiah upon His return on the Last Day. That this sect survived their perilous pilgrimage to the Holy Land was due in no small measure to their fierce militancy.”
The camera zoomed in on a section of me painting, targeting a pennant one of the pilgrims bore at the front of the procession. Emblazoned on the standard was a simple coat of arms: two human femur bones in the form of a T, flanked on each side by a sword and a battle ax. Latin words were inscribed in golden arcs above and below the cross. The top read “Custodes,” the bottom “Dei.” “Guardians of God.”
The video then dissolved back to a modern-day Guardian who was busy brandishing his sword in a mock fight against evil. As the Guardian fronted the camera, raising the sword high above his head, the image froze and the camera zoomed in to focus tightly on his chest, exposing an identical coat of arms embroidered on the man's robe over his heart.
“These present-day Guardians of God,” the announcer continued, “like their predecessors, pledged themselves as soldiers of Christ for the battle of Armageddon. However, last month, with Jeza's appearance at the Mount of the Beatitudes, the Guardians became bitterly divided over her validity as a messiah. Unable to accept Jeza's sex, the main body of Guardians declared her a fraud. They created for themselves a leadership role among the general pool of anti-Jeza sects.
“In response, the pro-Jeza Guardians broke away to form a countermovement, declaring their support for Jeza with an expanded name, the Messianic Guardians of God, complete with their own heraldry.” Up on the screen came a flag bearing the Messianic Guardians’ new insignia- the initials MGG in silver on a yellow shield with palm leaf clusters. “And at this time, the Messianic Guardians appear to have emerged as the popular standard-bearer for the entire pro-Jeza movement.”
Feldman and Anke shook their heads at one another and he jumped to yet another newscast. This one was reporting on how Israel's Ben-Miriam administration, blindsided by Tamin's recent actions, was still reeling from the public relations fiasco. Worldwide, Israeli embassies had been picketed by pro-Jeza malcontents who saw foreboding biblical implications in any attempts to arrest their Messiah. The situation had deteriorated in many areas to actual attacks on the embassies and several fire-bombings, instigated by an increasingly militant Messianic Guardian faction.
“I can't understand how they can keep Tamin as defense minister,” Feldman complained to the TV. “Eziah Ben-Miriam is a decent man-why doesn't he dump the bastard and rid himself of these problems?”
“Ben-Miriam isn't in a strong enough position,” Anke explained. “His coalition government is too weak, and Tamin is powerful, with friends in high places. It will take an act of the Knesset to bring Tamin down, and Tamin's friends will fight that. There are rough times ahead for Israel, I'm afraid.”
“And all the while,” Feldman fumed, “we're sidelined here on the damn bench, right in the middle of the championship game!” He tilted his head upward, calling out in exasperation to the heavens, “Hey, Coach! If you're up there, it's time to put the first string back in!”
It was as if divine providence were listening. At this precise moment, on the opposite side of town, several members of WNN's number three field crew happened to be shopping in one of Cairo's large open-air markets. Attracted by the noise of an excited gathering in the middle of the square, they elbowed their way through to suddenly find themselves in the presence of none other than the Messiah herself.
Jeza, encircled by a throng of exhilarated worshipers, was busy comforting a hyperventilating young mother and her crying baby.
The WNN crew was stunned. No one had had the slightest suspicion Jeza was in Egypt. The crew rushed back to their van for their equipment and alerted headquarters. But by the time Feldman and company arrived, the Messiah had pulled her signature vanishing act. Feldman, however, was simply thankful for the impossible good fortune that had put him back into the contest. Jeza was in Cairo. And, once again, WNN had the scoop.
Although the crew was able to capture only the final scene of the episode on camera, the video they took was priceless. In it, Jeza was shown speaking in Arabic to an adoring audience, many on their knees, their foreheads touching the ground before them in complete devotion.
Through WNN's staff translator, Feldman learned from witnesses that what had transpired here was yet another Jeza miracle. Supposedly, a hysterical woman had come shrieking out of her home into the marketplace carrying her lifeless baby. It was said that the baby had died in his sleep. Sudden infant death syndrome, Feldman presumed.
Quite by coincidence, the frantic woman ran right into Jeza, who stopped her with an outstretched hand and said, “Woman, why do you weep?” The poor distraught mother, unable to answer, simply held out the child, described as blue and limp. In the crowded market, a ring of onlookers quickly collected.
Jeza was said to have taken the child in both arms, clasped it to her breast and closed her eyes, praying. Then, abruptly, the child spasmed, coughed and came back to life! The crowd, recognizing Jeza, fell to its knees and declared her a prophetess of Allah. Jeza was returning the child to its mother just about the time the WNN crew arrived on the scene.
The rest of what happened, Feldman was able to view right there in the marketplace on videotape replay. He saw the now familiar glowing face of Jeza turning to address the gathering. The translation of her comments, from the Arabic:
“Why do you marvel? What profits this child if his body is awakened but his mind is asleep? I say to you, the Word is alive, but there are those who would smother it. Open your mind to the Word. For inside each of you is a resurrection. The power and the glory and the understanding!”
And then she slipped away into the crowd.
Vintage Jeza.
51
National Ministry of the Universal Kingdom, Dallas, Texas 6:30 P.M., Sunday, February 6, 2000
