| |
The Ark of the Covenant Discovery, Part 8
"God Bless You in What You are Doing Here"
The next trip Ron and one assistant had gone to Jerusalem to work on
the shaft. A month or two earlier Ron had spoken at a church and one man
present took a particular interest in the Ark of the Covenant. I well
remember when he called here and began to question me about when Ron was
going over, etc. He sounded like a nice enough person and I told him I
didn't know for sure, which I didn't, but said that it would be in a few
months. He then asked me where Ron stayed because, he explained, he was
going to Israel and wanted a relatively cheap hotel. So, I told him where
we usually stayed - it seemed like an innocent enough question. But I was
soon to learn a terrible lesson - that we cannot tell anyone when he is
going overseas to work, whether it be Israel or Egypt, or wherever.
When Ron and our friend who was helping him arrived at the hotel, the man who had called me
was there waiting for Ron. He somehow had found out Ron's arrival
date (I hadn't told him)! It turned out that this man was under the
impression, or delusion, that he was some sort of prophet and intended
to impose himself into the project. So here was Ron and his digger, ready
to go to work - but there was no way Ron was going to let this man know
anything important, so they went into the main cave system but couldn't do
the work they intended to do - not with the man present.
As Ron explained it to me, this episode was the straw that broke the camel's back. He had prayed, as he always does, about going
over and had been convinced it was what he was supposed to do.
At this time, Ron had to pay all the expenses out of his own pocket and
this one was costly. Adding it all up, it was approximately $7,000.00 to
$8,000.00 down the tubes, which is a LOT of money to us. So, Ron began to
question if he was really doing what God wanted him to do, or if he was
just fooling himself. At this time, it had been almost ten years since he
had first found the Ark - had he done something wrong that God could no
longer use him? Whatever was the case, Ron decided on that trip that he
was through - finished. He would close up the cave system and never
return. And let me tell you, this is NOT like Ron at all. He was very
excited when he left here, and the experience with the "prophet" showing
up must have been a terrible blow. What little he has told me about the
incident indicates that it was a far worse experience than it sounds. But
whatever happened, it completely deflated Ron, who interpreted the failed
trip to mean that he had been taken off the job.
But then Ron had an experience that changed his life. One day, he and
the "prophet" were sitting on the ground just outside the entrance into
the cave system- Ron's helper was inside. Ron was working on
repairing a fan that was broken - and the "prophet" was in the
shade of a large bush eating his lunch. Where they were sitting was, at
that time, many feet lower than the ground level just behind them because
this was where Ron had excavated down years earlier. It's necessary to
understand this in light of the next event.
Ron heard a voice behind him say "God bless you in what you are doing
here." He then looked up. Standing on the much higher ground many feet
above him was a tall, slender man with dark hair wearing a long white robe
and head-covering similar to that worn in Biblical times - except that it
was all pure white. Startled, mainly because he didn't TELL anyone what he
was doing here, he wondered who this man was. He tried to make polite
conversation and asked him if he was from around the area. The man replied
simply "No" then remained silent. Ron then asked him if he was a tourist,
and he again replied simply, "No." More silence, then the figure in white
said, "I'm on my way from South Africa to the New Jerusalem." Ron was so
startled that he couldn't say anything, but just stared at him. Then, the
man again said, "God bless you in what you are doing here", and then
turned and walked away.
After a moment, the "prophet," who couldn't see the man because he was
beneath the shade of the bush, said, "Ron, do you think we've been talking
to an angel?" Ron replied, "At least...."
I remember his call like it was yesterday. If you don't know Ron
personally, let me explain that Ron is very low-keyed. He never acts
excited or angry - his voice rarely gives away his true feelings. But I
knew something had happened even though his voice was calm. He told me
what had happened, and explained how just hours earlier, he had silently
given up - frustrated, tired and simply worn down, he had lost his belief
that what he was doing was God's will. Then, this stranger appeared and he
repeated word for word their conversation. He was glad that the "prophet"
had at least heard the conversation - at least he knew for sure that it
really happened.
When he questioned the locals who worked along the only path anyone
could take to enter the Garden Tomb area, he discovered that NO one had seen anyone of
that description either come into the area or leave. Although the
escarpment is extremely long, today it is surrounded by buildings, fences
and stone walls which prevent anyone coming into the area except through
one particular street. The vendors along that street have been there
day after day as long as Ron had worked there and he knew them well. There
was no doubt about it - the stranger in white had been seen by no one
else. And then Ron told me that he believed it was more than just an angel
- he was deeply impressed that it was Christ Himself.
Whether Christ, or an angel, the experience was enough to encourage Ron
and convince him that his efforts had NOT been in vain, and that he WAS
still in God's will. And since then, I have seen the results of that
experience over and over, in both of us. From that moment forward, nothing
could or will ever dampened Ron's zeal or belief in that or any other
project. When he and his group were kidnapped about a year later in eastern
Turkey, I know the knowledge of that experience gave me complete peace - I
never once (after the initial shock) believed Ron was in serious danger
because I knew he still had work to do. My calm was so noticeable that
when Ron returned, his friends at the hospital ribbed him, saying "Your
wife sure must not care too much for you because she was AWFULLY calm on
TV when talking about her kidnapped husband." Ron doesn't talk about this
experience with the man in white a great deal, but I believe it
literally changed his life, giving him enough encouragement to endure
whatever it takes to get the work finished. And since that time, Ron, like
everyone else, has been waiting for the most part.
The Blood Tests
No one was any more surprised when Ron first publicly told about the
results of the blood tests on the specimens he had taken from the Mercy
Seat than I was. (All that he has stated about this can be seen in his
talk on our "Presentation of Discoveries" video and will not be repeated here.) As I have
said, there is a great deal he hasn't told even me, and this was one of
those instances.
He had taken other specimens from along the crack where it extends
through the bedrock adjacent to the cross-hole and I myself had been able
to take a small sample, re-hydrate it over a three day period, and view the
red blood cells through the microscope. But even then, he never mentioned
to me any actual lab analyses being done. Nor have I ever seen the other
specimen. Therefore, all I can report here is what he has already said, as
he has told me that when the time is right, he plans to have two unbiased
geneticists go into the chamber, take their own samples, and each do his
own independent analysis which will be filmed in progress. Again, this is
HIS plan - what HE hopes will occur - but as with everything else, we do
not know for sure exactly how, when or where everything will ultimately
occur.
For now, he has nothing more to say on the subject. He learned from
his experiences with Noah's Ark that even when he had the lab analyses
filmed as they were done, there were those who came up with incredible
reasons for discounting the results, such a saying that Ron "made" the
specimen, etc. All one has to do is watch a bit of the O. J. Simpson trial
to see how important blood tests can be. My personal opinion is this: IF
the Lord intends that His Son's Blood be shown publicly to have such
unique characteristics that His humanity and divinity cannot be denied, He
will arrange for this evidence to be presented in a manner that "clever"
men cannot explain it away from honest people. Since the time Ron found
Christ's blood, genetic (DNA) research has come a long way, perhaps indicating
that God is preparing mankind for the proof that will not remain silent,
but will shake the world. So for now, just consider what little Ron has
told, and again, watch and wait.
Next Page: The Dark Side
INDEX
|
