The Three Messengers

And it came to pass in those days that a certain King ruled over all the earth, and His kingdom was vast and His mercy enduring. But the people had forgotten His ways, and they wandered in darkness, each man following the way that seemed right in his own eyes.

Then the King said unto His counselors, “Behold, I will send three messengers unto the people, each in his appointed time, that they might return unto Me before the day of harvest.”

The First Messenger

In the days when iron chariots ruled the highways and the eagle of Rome spread its wings over all nations, the King sent forth His first messenger, saying, “Go thou unto all peoples and tribes and tongues, and declare unto them that the door of My house stands open, not by the works of their hands, but by the grace of My heart.”

And the messenger went forth, and he was beaten and stoned and cast into prisons. Yet wheresoever they scattered his blood, there sprang up a garden. And the message spread from Jerusalem unto the uttermost parts of the earth, even unto Rome itself, and many who were far off were brought near.

But the people said, “He speaks strange things, turning the world upside down.” And they fed him to lions and burned him with fire. Yet the more they persecuted his followers, the more the message multiplied, like seed falling upon good ground.

The Second Messenger

And after many generations had passed, behold, the house of God had become a marketplace, and those who kept the keys thereof sold entrance for silver and gold. The priests wore purple and fine linen, while the people groveled in darkness, and the King’s words were locked away in a tongue the common man could not understand.

Then the King raised up a second messenger from among the very priests themselves, a man tormented by the weight of his own sin. And the King opened his eyes to see that the door of salvation could not be purchased, but was freely given to all who would believe.

And the messenger took a hammer and struck the gates of the marketplace, crying out, “Fallen, fallen is the house of corruption! Let all who have ears hear the words of the King in their own tongue!”

And there was great tumult in the land. Nations rose against nations, and brother against brother, for a hundred years men fought with sword and fire over the messenger’s words. Yet when the smoke cleared, behold, the people could read the King’s message for themselves, and the merchants of religion had lost their power.

But still the people were divided, each claiming to possess the truth, and confusion reigned where clarity should have dwelt.

The Third Messenger

And it came to pass in the last days, when kingdoms rose and fell like waves upon the sea, when fire rained from the sky and the whole world trembled, that the King looked upon the earth and said, “The time of harvest draws near. I will send one final messenger from the ends of the earth, that all may know the hour is at hand.”

And He called forth a man from the far east, from islands where the sun rises, and He said unto him, “Go thou and restore My house, which bears My name, that My people may find shelter before the storm. For behold, the beginning of sorrows is upon the world, and only those who are sealed with My mark shall endure what is to come.”

And the messenger went forth in the days when nations warred as never before, when the earth quaked and famines spread, when men’s hearts failed them for fear of what was coming upon the world. And he cried with a loud voice, “Come out from among the fallen houses! Enter ye into the ark before the flood comes! For the King returns to gather His wheat and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire!”

And many mocked him, saying, “Who is this man from a far country who claims to be the King’s final messenger?” The priests of the old houses and the new houses alike cast him out, and men persecuted him and his followers.

Yet the messenger persevered, saying, “I am but the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the King, for His coming is at hand!”

Now when the people heard these things, they asked the scribe, saying, “What is the meaning of this parable?”

And the scribe answered and said unto them:

“Understand this: The King’s plan unfolds as a scroll in three parts. The first messenger built the foundation, declaring that all may come to the King through faith, not by climbing walls or paying tolls.

The second messenger broke down the walls that men had built around the King’s house, walls of tradition and corruption that kept the people from entering freely.

And the third messenger came in the last days to cry out the final warning: ‘Enter now into the true house that bears the King’s name, for the door will soon be shut, and the harvest will begin!’

See how each messenger came when the world was in chaos — the first when empires clashed, the second when reformation shook nations, the third when all the world was at war. For the King allows turmoil when His truth must advance, that men might see the futility of earthly kingdoms and seek the eternal Kingdom.

Each messenger was opposed by those in power, yet their suffering accomplished the King’s purpose. The blood of martyrs became seeds. The hammer of reform broke chains. And the final warning will separate the wheat from the chaff.

Behold, all three messengers delivered one message in three movements: The door is open. The false houses must fall. Enter the true house before judgment comes.

The time is fulfilled. The three voices have spoken. Now let those who have ears to hear, hear. And let those who have eyes to see, see that the King’s return draws near, even at the doors.”

And when the scribe had finished speaking, some believed and entered into the house that bore the King’s name. But others turned away, saying, “This is a hard saying. Who can accept it?”

And so it was, even as it is unto this day.

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