The sword handle had the essence of a burning flame provoking a brazen, crimson hue from the angled sun rays.  Jedda pulled it out.  You could hear something shake beneath underground.  When he pulled out the sword, it was double edged dark blue and silver with a distinctive inner blade.  It had an etching on it: Ephesians 6:17 “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  The three stood there momentarily, contemplating the sunlight as it seemed to embrace yet scorn the earth.  Stanley began reciting Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  All of sudden Jedda cried out and raised his hands “What do these people want? What are we here to discover? We won’t be able to conquer these people.” Then he knelt down and wept.  The cool air had vanquished and the sun was mounting.  “Keep digging” ordered Trinity Pearl.  “With your demeanor” remarked Stanley, “you aren’t going to convince David Koresh you want to be a humble learner when you enter his temple.” She answered “I just want to stay on task.  Did you know Koresh was once up on murder charges for Lois Roden’s son?  The local law enforcement returned the weapons to them.”  David was staying out here in Palestine when he decided to bring 7 men in camouflage and take Roden’s Waco compound by force.  Here is the list of the weapons and ammo they had.”  She crept her hand into her overstuffed pocket and handed it to Jedda Diah.  He read it out loud.  “Five .223-caliber semi-automatic assault rifles, two .22-caliber rifles and two 12-gauge shotguns.”  Jedda said, “Why are you looking for this stuff?  It could have been bought and sold by now.  David was not convicted on the murder charges even though George Roden sustained two gun shots.”  Stanley said, “George later killed his roommate who he imagined was a spy that Koresh sent to harm him.  Now he is in the state looney bin.”  “Yeah, I know.  I don’t know if it would be worth it to visit him.”  Stanley had been digging and found two more silver boxes that looked like beat up tackle boxes for fishing.  They were metal but not locked.  One had a number of gun receipts in it.  One had the birthdates of all the members of the group that had joined since 1935.  There were 8 sets of skeleton keys.  And in second box, there were 2 scrolls.   Inscribed was Daniel 11:33-35. “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.” Under the verse, it said, David Koresh is the chosen vessel through whom this Doctrine was revealed.  He will be rekindled with fire and overcome its wrath.  Some shall fall by the sword or by the flame in captivity after suffering for many days.”  Trinity opened the second scroll.  “These are the revelations of the church.  There will be seven angels to unlock the seals in the last days. Some have already taken place.  The first and second angel is William Miller, the father of American millennialism.  Ellen G. White became the third angel with her prophecies and books.  Victor Houteff, founder of Shepard’s Rod Seventh-day Adventists, later renamed the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists is the manifestation of the fourth angel.  Benjamin Roden, head of Branch Davidians, became the Fifth Angel.  Upon his death, Benjamin’s wife, Lois, his successor is the “Sixth Angel.”  One final angel will break the final seal….David Koresh.  David will beget 24 children who will become the 24 elders in the Book of Revelations.”  They rolled up the seals after reading them.  “This is what I was telling you about, Jedda.” Stanley uttered.  “David has arranged it so they have manifested their destiny into the Book of Revelations.  He has taken on the messianic role of the lamb mentioned in the final book and named his predecessors of his congregation as instruments to the final days…..he believes he was part of a pre existing creation that God breathed his consciousness into when God first revealed himself to the Jews in Genesis.  Then he supplanted the symbolic lamb as a separate entity attached to himself apart from Christ.  He put himself above Adam whom he described as a material creation and defined himself as an angelic spiritual creation in which God would allow the 7th Apocalyptic seal to be opened.”   Jedda retorted, “The prophecy is the prophecy.  They aren’t toting or pointing guns at law enforcement now.  We issued a search warrant to the Davidian compound recently in Waco to examine their weapons inventory to see if all the gun sales are legal.  That is all we have done.  We should get going now.   Hold onto those gun receipts, Trinity.”  Trinity’s car wouldn’t start so all three of them piled into the Ford F-150.   Trinity began, stating. “I didn’t know you issued a warrant.  How am I going to go in there now as a possible member?”  Stanley said, “They take in people from all over the world including Britain and Australia.  You won’t draw suspicion.”  “I have a confession to make,” Trinity stated.  “I met David once in my childhood at a Bible camp.  It was like a summer camp.  He was around age 14.  He had at least 5 books of the Bible memorized.”  Jedda jerked back a little.  “What if he remembers you?  With a memory like that, he probably doesn’t forget much.”  “My hair is different now.  She stroked it down in the truck, gazing at the sunset.   “That’s why I chose this federal mission.  To see what could really come from it.”   Stanley invoked, “Explain.”  “Some things are more powerful than the government or earthly authority.  Do you think you can really get to the center of David’s heart and mind?  These Branch Davidians have been around since the 1930s.  It’s best to leave them alone.  Time will tell if they are a threat.”  Jedda argued, “They are practicing polygamy, they are not a bona fide tax free exempt church.  I believe they are causing more harm than good.”  Stanley pulled the sun visor down and a piece of parchment paper fell out, burned at the edges.  Stanley grabbed and opened it.  He read it out loud.  “Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue .. and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God and they shall reign on earth.”  Rev. 5:9-10.  “Who put this here?”  No one answered and the truck moved with the gale of the wind.  Jedda thought.  “I didn’t like the looks of the car rental person who upgraded this truck.”  Stanley said, “I don’t remember seeing it here this morning….who would have put this here?”  To be continued.