—Mark 16:20.DFO 10106 February 1981

—From Silas, MWM Business Manager, 17 December 1980.

—(Dad: Silas, PTL! GBY!—Thanks for your confidence!—I think this would make a good lesson for the Family!)

Dearest Dad‚ Maria & Peter,

GOD BLESS YOU! I wanted to include this with the other letter that we are sending, as it's something that I have wondered about for a long time & have really felt recently that the Lord wanted me to write & ask you about it. I wrote you briefly about it around two years ago & also briefly mentioned it in my taped testimony‚ but wanted to be a bit more specific here.

IT HAS TO DO WITH A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE I had a few months before joining the Family & resulted in my being sealed, if you will, with the seal of God in my forehead‚ something that I can actually feel. To be honest, I have found it very difficult to share this with people & have only told Endureth other than you, though I did mention it to Timothy once. In any case, we were discussing the Illuminati letter last night & your reaction to it, & it again occurred to me how important this type of thing is & what a blessing it would be for me to know what you think of it. It's mentioned quite a few times in many Letters including "The Philadelphian Prophecy", "Personal Answers," etc. but there are a few questions that I had. (Dad:—Amen! The Lord probably gave you this as a specific sign to encourage your faith! PTL! "With signs following"—Mk.16:20.)

AFTER I WAS SAVED, but still somewhat searching, I would take long walks or a ride in a car with a Bible trying to find out what the Lord wanted me to do. This took place in north Florida near to Gainesville, where I was attending school. I had gone on such a ride by myself, borrowing a friend's car. I ended up getting stopped by the police & being that the car was not mine, they detained me until the girl who owned the car could come & verify that it was not stolen. As we were driving back to Gainesville I asked her to let me out of the car in a deserted country area so I could be alone.

IT WAS HERE THAT I HAD, I GUESS YOU'D SAY, A VISION OF A MAN ON A WHITE HORSE IN MID AIR, that I presume was an angel. (Dad: Could have been Jesus!—See Rev.6:2 & 19:11: "And I saw, & behold a white horse & He that sat on him had a bow; & a crown was given unto Him: And He went forth conquering, & to conquer." "And I saw Heaven opened, & behold a white horse; & He that sat upon him was called Faithful & True, & in righteousness He doth judge & make war.") Right after this the stars in the sky, all of them, began to fall from the sky or fled as in Rev.6:13.

(DAD: THIS IS USUALLY THOUGHT TO MEAN THE FALLEN ANGELS CAST OUT OF HEAVEN WITH SATAN AT THE TIME OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION—Rev.12:3–10: "And there appeared another wonder in Heaven; & behold a great Red Dragon (Satan), having seven heads & ten horns, & seven crowns upon his head. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of Heaven, & did cast them to the Earth: And the Dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a Man Child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: And her Child was caught up unto God, & to His throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness‚ where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred & threescore days (1260 days = 3-1/2 years of Tribulation).

("AND THERE WAS WAR IN HEAVEN: MICHAEL & HIS ANGELS FOUGHT AGAINST THE DRAGON; & the Dragon fought & his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in Heaven. And the great Dragon was cast out, that old Serpent, called the Devil, & Satan, which deceiveth the whole World: He was cast out into the Earth, & his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, Now is come salvation, & strength, & the kingdom of our God‚ & the power of His Christ: For the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day & night."

(BUT THEY ARE NOT YET CAST OUT!—Job 1:6: "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, & Satan came also among them." Job 2:1: "Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, & Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord." And Rev.12:10: "And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, Now is come salvation, & strength & the Kingdom of our God, & the power of His Christ: For the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day & night."—This'd make a good Bible Study!—Wanna write it up from these references?—Wish you would!)

(Silas' Letter continues:)

NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS VERY FRIGHTENED & knew that something very powerful was happening. I also began to feel the distinct presence of a spiritual being & more or less fell on my face waiting to see what was going to happen next. Soon after this I felt a very hot sensation around my head & I think also my body, though I can't remember that clearly. I also began feeling a tingling sensation at the back of my head. It was not an unpleasant experience, but definitely very spiritual.

THIS WENT ON FOR A GOOD WHILE & ended when some people stopped to see what I was doing there alone, as it was quite late at night. After this I don't recall that I noticed anything‚ but soon however, became aware that inside my forehead, just above & between my eyes was something that wasn't there before. I knew about the seal of God & knew this is what it was. I also began to feel in both my hands & feet a slight painful feeling that I feel to this very day.

I HAD SEEN IN A MOVIE ONCE THAT SAINT FRANCIS had the marks of the Lord Jesus when he died, & wondered if this is what it could be in a spiritual sense. Soon after this something happened where I actually saw the shape of the seal & it was in the shape of an eye. (Dad: "Love has an extra eye!" It was in a Letter, Number 151.—Spiritual sight & insight! PTL!)

WHAT I WAS WONDERING, DAD, WAS WHAT SIGNIFICANCE THIS HAS from a spiritual standpoint. It talks of this in Rev.7 & 14, but I've often wondered if the 144,000 are only from these Last Days, or have people been sealed through the last 2000 years? (Dad: See Rev.7:3-8 & 14:1-4. Seem to be first Jewish Christians!—Specifically Israelites of various tribes who were "firstfruits": & unusually dedicated—& persecuted.—Could also include some of us‚ the Endtime extremely dedicated Israelites!—Our Family!—Ha!

("SAYING, HURT NOT THE EARTH, NEITHER THE SEA, NOR THE TREES TILL WE HAVE SEALED THE SERVANTS OF OUR GOD IN THEIR FOREHEADS. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: And there were sealed an hundred & forty & four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand . Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed thousand."—Rev.7:3-8.

("AND I LOOKED, &, LO, A LAMB STOOD ON THE MOUTH SION, & WITH HIM AN HUNDRED FORTY & FOUR THOUSAND‚ HAVING HIS FATHER'S NAME WRITTEN IN THEIR FOREHEADS. And I heard a voice from Heaven‚ as the voice of many waters, & as the voice of a great thunder: And I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne‚ & before the four beasts, & the elders: And no man could learn that song but the hundred & forty & four thousand, which were redeemed from the Earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God & to the Lamb."—Rev.14:1-4.—They were unusually dedicated followers like you & our Family.)

IT SAYS IN MATTHEW 24:31 THAT HE'LL GATHER HIS ELECT from one end of Heaven to the other, does this mean all (Dad:—Yes!) Christians that are saved‚ or a special elect? (Dad: —All the saved are His elect.—Same Greek word as "ekklesia"—the Church.) Also, have you ever heard of people having this experience of being able to feel where the nail pierced His hands & feet? (Dad: —Yes.)

I HOPE THAT THIS DOESN'T SOUND TOO FAR-FETCHED. (Dad: Ha! What about some I've gotten!—Even hard for me to believe!—Ha!—GBY!) I would love to hear what you think of this if you find the time. It's been such a battle over the years to communicate this with you, but here it is. I love & need you so much.

Love is Jesus & David, Silas

(DAD: PTL! GBY! "WITH GOD NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE" & "All things are possible to him that believeth"! (Lk.1:37 & Mk.9:23.)—Amen?—PTL! I'm sure it was a sign to encourage your faith at a time you greatly needed it! PTL! GBY! I also believe we got something long ago about the 144‚000—was it in "New Nation Prophecy"?—And Aaron used to sing about it! PTL! All of us who love the Lord are sealed! (John 6:27; 2Cor.1:22; Eph.1:13; 4:30.)