The Last Messengers

By Dan F. Merrill

Hope, a young lawyer becomes acquainted with a study group and learns of a plot to interrupt government computers. She wants answers but she must decide which of three men she can trust. Two of them are friends, one from her past and one in her present. The third man is very determined to warn the public about the government's planned control of the populace. Just when she begins to trust one of them, he lies to her. Extreme natural disasters occur and She and the group become hated by the public and the government wants them captured and prosecuted to the fullest extent. Then there is the thing from Orion.

 

Soon to be a warm action-packed epic motion picture it will be the first high-quality film production to most accurately show Christ's coming with His angels and the events leading up to that event, including the legislated 'Mark of the Beast.'

• Language: English
• Publisher: 3 Angel Media
• Release date: Dec 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393600435

Dan F. Merrill

In 1951 Dan was born to a Mexican Catholic mother and American Baptist Father, their second son of five sons. At ten years old Dan found that God had given him certain talents in art and writing. At that time he wrote two complete short fiction stories. At age sixteen he demonstrated his artistic talent in watercolor, sketching and sculpting, winning first place in a school art contest. His family often went to the movies at one of the downtown LA movie theaters. Eager to learn how motion pictures were made he would often go to the LA Library to find out particularly how special effects were made. Later, after graduating from high school in 1968, he studied filmmaking on his own. In 1971 he was drafted into the Army, during the Vietnam era. He served in the motion picture branch of the service. During that time in the Army Dan studied the Bible to understand its teachings. Upon his honorable release from serving four years in the military, Dan took up theology courses at a Christian College. He also took up a few business courses. In 1988 he took and passed the producer course offered at a community television station and studios. A short time afterward he studied computers and was soon building and repairing computers. Dan had always felt that there should be a movie produced with the Bible truths concerning the Lord’s coming in it so that millions who may not be reached by any other way may be reached by such a popular medium. In January 2009, while attending a Bible prophecy seminar Dan felt that the Lord impressed him to start writing a script for a full featured movie. By the end of that month he had written a short 34-page script for a video on how to witness or Christ, knowing that one must start small. But the Lord impressed him that the film would be an epic motion picture on His second coming. Dan began to write a feature film script, finishing the epic film script eight years later. He wrote the novel version of the script in three years time. A lot of careful research went into both projects. He found Christina Roth to be a wonderful editor for the novel version. Now, Dan is currently the author of THE LAST MESSENGERS and director of his own film and media production company, 3 Angel Media.  

Book preview

The Last Messengers

Written by Dan Merrill

THE LAST MESSENGERS

© Copyright 2020 by Dan F. Merrill. All rights reserved.

First edition, December 15, 2020.

Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author.

Cover design and artwork: Dan Merrill

Editing: Christina Roth

ISBN 978-1-0879-3884-4 (Hardback)

ISBN 978-1-0879-3692-5 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-3936-0043-5 (e-book)

Printed in the United States of America

Prologue

I BELIEVE IN AN AMERICA where the separation of church and state is absolute―where no Catholic prelate would tell the President, should he be Catholic, how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote―where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference―and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him or the people who might elect him. I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish―where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source―where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials―and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all.

Remarks made during a speech given September 12, 1960, at the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, by the then candidate for the US presidency, John F. Kennedy

Chapter 1

Extraordinary Friends

Day 1―Wednesday

AMIDST THE BEAUTIFUL expanse of the outer frontiers, the Orion Nebula appears as a glorious rose in royal colors. Microscopic in the realms its wondrous spray of stars is suspended in space by the caring and deeply personal power of its Intelligent Designer. Beautiful to behold, and intriguingly beguiling, it is a singular most awesome spectacle, especially when gradually approached. Upon closer admiration, surrounded by its dreamy, multicolored starry mists, there appears a strange small darkness within; a point at which all the colorful mists of the canopy of the nebula fades.

Suddenly, from that small blackness, a glowing form streaks out. His body of white light radiates with a sapphire glow as he zips across space. He races past planets and moons. Earth comes into view. Flying fast into its clouds, he eyes the area of Washington, DC. In a moment he’s over a public school, Brigston University. Without slowing, his glowing form goes through a wall at the second story level of a campus building, entering it invisibly. He loses his transparency, and his twenty-foot glowing frame appears crouched over as he walks across the empty classroom. As he reaches for the doorknob, he morphs into a nonglowing adult human form, clothed conservatively as a teacher. He opens the door and walks out into the hallway, jammed with students rushing to their classrooms. He walks a few paces among them, looking at each one in a kind and caring way. He now sees his human child again, and smiles as a father would of his daughter.

==============

Hope, carrying her purse by its shoulder straps, is smiling as she walks down the university hallway. She’s a pretty and slender twenty-seven-year-old, wearing a short-sleeve blouse, jeans, no lipstick, and a single-gemmed necklace. Her ears are unpierced. She passes a few students, who don’t seem to notice her. Her smile disappears as she begins to feel out of place.

Surely someone realizes that I’m new on campus, she thinks. ­

She walks near a bulletin board and homes in on a tacked sheet of white paper. Written in a thick red marker, it simply states, GOD IS LOVE. She murmurs under her breath.

How immature.

She continues walking and wonders about the attitude profile of the students. Suddenly, a guy rushes toward her from the opposite direction. Both not looking ahead, they crash into each other. In a split second the being-turned-teacher confidently raises his hand and gestures toward the sharpened pencil that has come off the student’s ear and is propelling toward Hope’s head. The moment before striking her eye, the pencil changes its angle of trajectory and speeds up, ricochets off a wall, and lands on the floor. Hope turns at the sound of it hitting the wall and sees it on the floor. The teacher moves to a corner wall away from sight, looks up at his ward and smiles, then turns and runs toward a wall, vanishing before touching it.

Sorry, says the student to Hope.

Hope sees him pick up his pencil. He looks at the smashed tip, pockets it, then rushes off. Hope watches him head off. Then thinking about the pencil, she walks over to the wall it hit. She sees and touches the lead fragments. Unaware that the pencil was headed toward her eye, she is amazed and puzzled as to how it could come from the student so fast and hit the wall at such an odd angle. Still awed, she walks toward a nearby open door to a classroom and enters. The sign by the door bears the title BIOGENESIS.

She finds an empty desk chair and settles into it. The teacher, Mr. Neb, is pacing while lecturing. From the sound of his talk she feels confident that it’s an easy subject. She begins to look around at the students and stops when she sees a girl who seems too young to be taking this class. The young girl turns her head around to whisper something to the guy behind her. The guy shakes his head at her and whispers back. They interact like they’re brother and sister. Then Hope notices two students eyeing each other sheepishly. Without thinking Hope begins to toy with her necklace gem. She stares out the window as she recalls the hands that first put it on her neck. She remembers picking up his right hand and slipping a remembrance ring onto the middle finger. The recollection is interrupted when she sees a girl staring at her. The student averts her eyes. Hope abruptly lets go of her necklace.

==============

Hope soon finds herself busily writing in her tablet the main points of the teacher’s lecture. Mr. Neb is now sitting against his desk, talking on about prehistoric man.

From the evidence of the 2006 genome study of a Neanderthal, this early man had arrived on the scene around seven hundred thousand years ago, he says. Ah, but if he could’ve seen us now. He probably would have given at least two mastodons for one electric car.

Some of the students laugh at his joke. Hope resigns herself to the realization that the university experience is no different from her college days a few years ago. But she knows the boring requisite classes have to be tolerated to plow through the term and eventually get her law degree―a possibility thanks to her internship as a summer associate at the prestigious law firm Wilton and Schatler, LLP.

But unfortunately, Mr. Neb continues, as is evidenced by the finds of these lowbrows, man basically started out unintelligent and very crude. Well, it looks like our time’s up. I’ll put our website on the board, along with your assignment pages.

As he turns to write on the dry-erase board, the girl Hope thought was too young for the class rises from her desk.

Uh, Mr. Neb?

Her brother­­—as Hope has decided he is—looks surprised to see his sister stand and talk to the teacher. She is a cute and trim fourteen-year-old, wearing a short-sleeved, buttoned-up blouse, a long summer skirt, and no lipstick or jewelry. Her brother, a handsome twenty-eight- year-old, is wearing a plain blue buttoned shirt and Docker’s slacks, with a black backpack near his feet. Mr. Neb continues writing on the board with his back to the students, as he calmly answers the girl.

Yeees? he asks, dragging out the question.

Aren’t they saying now that the Neanderthals were just groups of people with bone disease? she asks.

Her brother looks anxiously at the teacher. Without turning around Mr. Neb calmly answers.

Nooo.

And weren’t the Neanderthals’ brains generally larger than the brains of an average person today? asks the girl. Man really started out intelligent and pure, and he has, since then, lowered himself to crudeness, which is proven by the growing immorality!

The other students get alert at the exchange. Hope stares at her. She’s never seen any student this bold. The girl’s brother continues looking on nervously.

Mr. Neb slowly turns around to face her, smiling confidently.

I take it you and your brother are creationists.

The girl looks concerned and doesn’t respond, but remains standing. Mr. Neb breaks the silence.

You don’t believe the scientific validity of evolution. Do you?

It’s still only a theory, the girl bravely replies.

Would you have us believe that all the myriad of complex species of plant and animal life on this planet were just simply created in seven days by a god? he mocks.

In six days, the girl says, He rested on the seventh.

She is visibly startled as the teacher grabs his desk abruptly and starts shouting.

Miss Staffton, we didn’t come here to learn what the Bible has to say, did we?

The girl sits and doesn’t respond. The university bell rings. Students are getting up to go out. Mr. Neb looks away from her and calls out to the students generally.

I’ve put your assignments on the board. And they’re already posted on the website. Be prepared for the exam. Mr. Neb begins to collect his papers and puts them into a zip-up case.

Hope strangely feels proud of the girl. The teacher had no right to bully and intimidate her like that. She was only sharing her opinions in what should be an open forum where students are allowed to voice their understandings without fear of reprisal. Hope glares at the teacher as her legal thinking analyzes the incident, then she glances at the girl with pity as she closes her small tablet and puts it into her purse, ready to leave.

The girl’s brother picks up his backpack and stands. She turns from the teacher to look up at him.

Come on, he says softly. She gets up from her desk and leaves with him.

==============

Students hurry by the brother and sister as the two walk down the hall.

Why didn’t you speak up and support me? asks the girl.

I didn’t want to challenge him, and you shouldn’t have done that either, the brother answers.

Don’t we believe in standing for our faith?

Yeah, but not at the expense of having your privilege of attending my classes revoked.

Sometimes you’ve got to take risks for God, she responds.

I don’t think you understand. Even though the administration knows that I’m homeschooling you at home, they’ve allowed me to bring you to my classes, so I can get a degree, which will help me in the Lord’s work. But if a teacher ever has reason to complain about that arrangement, that would be the end of my education―since you’re a minor I’ll have to stay at home. And you know that won’t work for us.

Don’t we believe that the Lord is coming very soon? You may not even graduate before He comes.

Yes, He may come anytime, but we should wisely conduct ourselves as if―

As if He will delay His coming, she interjects.

He stares at her a moment. Whatever.

Ah! the girl squeals. You said ‘whatever’! You’ve never said that before. That’s being passive aggressive!

No, it’s not, he defends.

Yes, you are! You’re aggressive! she says playfully.

How can you go from―

What are you making us for dinner tonight? she suddenly asks.

He looks at her in frustration.

We’re about to have lunch, and you’re wanting to discuss tonight’s meal?

Is there anything wrong with that?

He smiles and doesn’t respond.

Hope sees the two and walks over to the girl. She immediately notices the contrast between the way she and the girl are dressed.

Hi, says Hope.

Hi, responds the girl.

That was really brave of you standing up for your belief, says Hope.

Yeah, real brave. I chickened out when he shouted at me. I’m Ashley Staffton. New here?

Yeah, just started today. I’m Hope Cole.

Tom, he says stoically, remaining quiet as he walks beside them.

My brother, says Ashley.

Seeing that he’s not very sociable, Hope gives her attention to Ashley.

I admire you for having the backbone to stand up to the professor like that.

Thanks. I believe you’ve got to speak up for what you believe, or you don’t really believe it yourself.

I agree, says Hope smiling.

Are you a Christian? asks Ashley.

No. I’m an atheist.

Tom glances at Hope.

Oh, says Ashley.

Hope sees Ashley’s changed appearance.

It’s okay, says Hope. We can still talk.

Yes. We can, says Ashley.

============

Soon after they’ve entered the cafeteria Hope approaches Tom and Ashley’s table with her tray of food. She sits and remains silent as Tom prays, thanking God for their food. Hope looks around at the other students. They seem to be nice and very talkative.

Amen, says Tom.

Amen, follows Ashley.

He pulls two lunch sacks out of his backpack, and he and his sister begin placing wrapped food items on their trays.

You guys brought a lunch, with all the great things they’re serving today? asks Hope. They’ve got burgers and hot dogs, besides great desserts.

That’s okay. We’re vegan. We don’t eat meat, says Ashley happily.

Or consume products that contain anything from any creature, like eggs, milk and cheese, adds Tom.

Wow. You want to save the animals, right? asks Hope, as she begins to eat her burger.

Tom and Ashley also begin eating their sandwiches.

They have a right to live as much as we do, says Ashley.

It’s more than that, says Tom.

Here we go again, Ashley mutters under her breath.

A vegan diet is the healthiest diet for the human body, Tom continues. As civilized beings we’re to be good stewards of our bodies. According to God’s Word in Romans 12:1 and 1 Corinthians 10:31, our bodies should be dedicated to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. So, we should maintain the bodies God gave us, and continually present them to Him in an honorably healthy state, eating and drinking to His glory.

Hope stares at him. She sees Ashley wince and smile at her and concludes Tom is imposing his beliefs onto Ashley. She feels sorry for the girl.

Well, I’m not that particular. Anyway, didn’t Jesus eat meat? I don’t think He was a vegan, says Hope.

Jesus planned to be born into a human family and to be raised eating meat, responds Tom. Not because He wanted to show us what food to eat but so He could be just as vulnerable physically and mentally to conditions and temptations, just as we all face. So He could show us how we can remain pure in heart no matter what condition we’re in, no matter what we go through.

I don’t see the point in trying to be perfectly healthy, says Hope.

When you have the healthiest body possible, you can think better. And when you think better, you can tell when you’re getting truth or not.

Truth about what? asks Hope.

Like about whether God is real or not, says Tom. Hope, do you think He’s real?

Well . . . no, I don’t.

Why not? asks Ashley timidly.

I just don’t, she says softly.

Isn’t it because you were raised not to believe in God? asks Tom.

No . . . because . . . I can’t picture that a god, who is supposed to be loving and merciful, would end up roasting people endlessly in a hellfire, just because they did a few bad things in their life.

We can’t either, says Ashley.

Hope looks at them, clearly confused. Then why do you still believe there’s a god?

There is a moment of silence before Tom responds.

The Bible’s hellfire is also called a lake of fire and is described as a global fire, set to take place a thousand years after Christ comes again. That’s the last phase of God’s great judgment of this world, when He executes the final verdict on the ones proven by their own life choices to be ungodly, and therefore unsafe for the universe. And as the Bible states, they’re burned up, not continually burning in endless torture.

The teaching of a never-ending burning hell, and that it now exists, isn’t found in the Bible, says Ashley.

That horrific interpretation came from ancient pagan philosophies, says Tom, which got passed on as Bible teachings by not-very-careful early Christian writers and artists.

Yes, there seems to be so many conflicting interpretations out there, says Hope.

One shouldn’t base their beliefs on man’s interpretations but directly on the self-explained teachings of the Bible, says Ashley.

Well, to me, many Christian teachings sound so . . . wrong and unjust, says Hope.

Many of the Bible verses are misinterpretations based on misunderstandings, says Tom. Sad to say, most well-meaning Christians don’t take the time to check the Hebrew and Greek behind the modern words in the Bible to make sure that the words were even translated correctly. Bible translators did make mistakes and did translate according to the traditions they were taught.

You both sound so knowledgeable. What classes did you take to learn all this? asks Hope, smiling.

After school on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, we go to the home of this really cool teacher, says Ashley.

Robert Bane, Tom adds. He’s a retired businessman who used to teach health sciences and emergency medical training courses here.

He’s like a walking encyclopedia, says Ashley. He could break down anything hard and help us easily understand it. He was pretty popular with the students.

Until the administration terminated him because he became a Christian, says Tom, and started expressing things from that viewpoint. But that didn’t stop us from listening to him. He started teaching free unaccredited health courses at night to students who would come out to his home in the country, and we naturally were eager to attend.

Yeah, we’ve been going to his beautiful mansion for his lectures, Ashley adds. He’s teaching us about nutrition, and how to give natural treatments without drugs, and . . .

And about the Bible, Tom adds.

Well, I’m not at all confident about the Bible like you both are. I’ve learned that there are facts that can’t be denied, says Hope.

Aren’t those so-called facts dependent on other so-called facts? counters Tom. Whenever evolutionists are confronted with a weakness in the concept, they try to prove it by bringing up another supposition. But their conclusions are all based on unproven premises. Thankfully, more careful scientists have been presenting serious weaknesses in the concept of evolution ever since it was introduced in the mid-1800s.

The scientific work of archeology and paleontology, together with carbon dating, has substantially validated evolution with solid evidence, responds Hope.

Tom smiles. Yeah, carbon dating is responsible for providing those millions and billions of years for fossils. Unfortunately, the method requires that carbon 12 and carbon 14 have remained constant in the atmosphere since the earth began, which the atmospheric sciences have not been able to prove. Even Willard Libby, the inventor of carbon dating, doubted that the atmosphere has remained constant. As it turns out, increasing evidence shows that atmospheric carbon has not been constant. So much for your solid evidence.

That’s why it’s still only a theory, says Ashley softly.

Well, evolution is actually a belief, not just a theory, says Tom.

Religion and Christianity are unproven theories, says Hope.

Evolution requires facts, says Ashley. Christianity requires faith.

Evolution requires faith too, says Tom, and Christianity requires facts as well, but Christianity also requires an experience with the God of the Bible.

Both faith and a personal religious experience cannot provide proof that God exists. Doesn’t that make it rather convenient for Christianity? says Hope.

Not at all, says Tom. The Bible itself says, ‘Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.’ Millions have been directly influenced by the teachings of the Bible to go from living hurtful and degrading lives to living good and decent lives. They are the proofs of Christianity’s claims and teachings.

Placebos make people feel and do good too. The existence of God is not proved by seeing people do good things but by actually seeing Him, says Hope.

Unfortunately, mankind lost the privilege of seeing their Creator shortly after the time of the first human sin. But the real acid test to prove whether there is a God is not after observation, like with science, Tom says, but after experiencing Him personally. The kind of experience that moves from doubtful belief to solid trust. When you can just ask Him for something and know that He will give it to you. That results from really knowing Him.

How can you know Him when you can’t even see Him? asks Hope.

"Seeing a person is not knowing