On a hill, not far from the city, stood I.
Morning was breaking in the eastern sky.
Black gave way to gray, then red
and yellow darted between blue.
An orange glow moved over the city.
Watching and praying, I saw a small army
of golden clad angels coming out of the light.
Before them was one that appeared to be the Son of Man.
My prayers grew stronger against the world
and the sins that have too long been their king.
Waiting, I saw the heavenly host near the city,
then move over and past. As they neared the hill
on which I stood they raised their swords.

The Son of Man opened His mouth and,
without words, Mathew twenty-five poured forth
and washed over me like a great river.
Each of the angels took a turn with their sword.
The first took a slice of pride,
the second a pound of foolishness,
the third cut self-righteousness right down the middle
and a forth and fifth cut pieces
of wasted knowledge and unused forgiveness.
As my soul cried out, the Son of Man came near
and placed His hand upon my head.
“Believe and be healed. Love and be whole,”
is all that He said.

The Angels put away their swords and
found resting places upon the hill.
They talked one with the other and then turned my way.
Their mouths all opened at once
and Psalms twenty-two came out
in the sweetest voices I have ever heard.
The heart of the Psalm ministered to my heart and I cried.
The message was one the Son of Man
and the fate of His earthly walk.
It was also one of hope in His righteousness.
“My God, My God why have I forsaken you
– you have never left me.
But, I have used your grace to condemn and not to save.
“Condemnation of others to the loss
of my own soul,” I cried.

“Do not be so full of pride to feel
that the Lord cannot and has not forgiven these sins,”
the angels sang. “The Lord of Lords is Lord
also of the failings of your heart.
The Lord remains the Lord and
love remains once it begins.
Fear not the foolishness of yesterday,
but the fool that will not change.”
One drew near to me and said,
“it can never be who you were, but who the Lord knows you to be.
The Lord knows you in the morrow already.
Wash off the one that you believe you to be
and be the one He knows you already are.”

Upon my face I fell and reached
for the hem of the angel’s robe.
The angel stepped back and
pointed to the Son of Man that drew near to me.
“Have no other God, but the true God,”
the angel said, “to the glory of the Father,
praise the Son. The first battle was against you
and is now won. Follow the Son of Man into the rest
of this life and have life evermore.”

© 1999 Tim D. Coulter Sr.