As the ancestors had foretold, multitudes had risen up carrying the title of messiah. For now, because none lived that had seen, none could recognize him. So interlopers called false messiahs wondered to and fro, city to city, seating themselves upon throne of God, which served as the foundation for the rise of the unspel. The unspel is a wicked tongue and those who took it in to themselves were given one of two fates: darkness collapsed their spirits or they became an unspelian, a spreader of the dark word. One these unspelians was a false prophet named Ilemiel who lived in the city of Nineveh. The city was unrepentant, unruly and all of the drinking water had taken on a disease that colored the water black. Ilemiel had amassed many followers because they believed him to be a healer sent from Christ. He declared the news,
“The messiah has come, and I tell you this because I am his follower and he has healed me. For all who are accursed and weary, come under my wing and you shall be healed.”
There were many in Nineveh that were under the wrath of the Almighty because the truth had not settled on their hearts, so to seek healing from their ailments they came to Ilemiel to lay hands over their eyes. The on-lookers saw people that were instantly cured and Ilemiel sent them away to tell the watchers to come for healing. His followers would teach the outcasts about the dirty waters of Nineveh and by the laying on of their hands, they would receive the power from God to not only see, but to gain the power to open the eyes of others. Attracted by the commotion around Ilemiel, a man named Joshua approached one of Ilemiel’s devout followers.
“Is this man truly a messiah?” Joshua asked.
The follower replied, “He does not admit it because he is humble but it is true. This man surly is the messiah for he has opened my eyes to the truth. You see how the waters here in our wells have turned the color black and we can not drink from them without becoming sick? This Ilemiel placed his hands over my eyes and I saw that the waters were clear. Now, I drink of them without harm.” The follower then placed his hands into a well filled with dark water, drank of it, stood proudly and demonstrated his strength by standing on one leg for a great portion of time. Motivated by his follower’s display and words, Joshua approached Ilemiel.
The appearance of Joshua was disheveled and dirty. He was a man of many years and clothed himself in rags for he was without a resting place. The sun had weathered his skin and though he could walk, it was very strenuous for him because he had a hunch on his back. Ilemiel saw the weary appearance of the man and took pity upon him. He put his arms around Joshua and said to him,
“My brother, it seems that like many others you have drunk from these dark waters. Come to me and we shall call upon God to heal you.”
Joshua closed his eyes and Ilemiel placed his hands over them. Ilemiel prepared his blessing and looked to the man. But where Joshua had been, now was a figure dressed in white robes that were drenched in blood. Ilemiel looked up and in a flash of lightning, all of his followers had become pillars of salt.
“Your sins have found you out, Simon.” said the figure.
Ilemiel was taken by a sudden madness. He pulled his hands away from the figure and went over to the pillars of salt to get away but they would not budge and he curled up among them terrified.
“Only God could know my true name! Who are you?” Ilemiel cried out.
“It is as you say.” the Son replied.
“What do you want with me? Have you come to destroy me?” said Ilemiel, now called Simon.
“Quiet, wicked one!” The Son called out.
The demon, Ilemiel, then came out of Simon. God’s angels came down from the heavens and bound its mouth with a great chain so it could no longer speak. It was then thrown down into the abyss where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth, but the demon could not wail nor gnash its teeth.
“I have come to give you the name you’ve had since before the beginning, Simon of Nineveh. You will show repentance in the streets of this city and the people will hate you. They themselves will not wish to repent so by your showing, they will call you cursed and mad, put you out of every church, ridicule you and do unspeakable things to you. And you will rejoice when they do because that it how they treated the prophets of old. Demons will seek you out and try to destroy you, but you will have to endure all their advances or you yourself will be destroyed. This will all happen to you because of the name I gave you. Do these things until I come back for you. I will wash your blood-soaked garments and they will become white, which shall be a testament to your worthiness to stand before the throne of God and pass through the second death. Simon of Nineveh, I call you to show your repentance or you will perish in your bloody clothes.”
“My Lord. My lord whom I have forgotten,” said Simon of Nineveh on his knees,
“By your showing, I know it truly is you. I am so sorry for I have done wrong I have done. Though you have seen everything I have done and how I feel, I confess to you that it was my hands that tainted the waters in the wells. I tried to overpower the demons, but I could not do it, for I am a weak man. They built a fortress in my heart but you have destroyed it with only your word. Please have mercy on me and forgive me for what it is that I have done.”
The Son replied, “Your sins are already forgiven, my dear Simon of Nineveh. My mercy is this: since you are a weak man, to you I give my double-edged sword which will become your mouthpiece so that you are not defiled by what comes out of you. I also give you my iron scepter that I shall put into your hands so you will do no wicked works. I also give you the knowledge of life and death by which you shall lord over both. With these gifts, you shall show your repentance by doing the work of your Father in Heaven, who is also my Father.”
Simon of Nineveh said, “Lord, you have blessed me with a great mercy, but what do you command of me? How shall I show my repentance?”
“Have you truly forgotten, Simon of Nineveh?” the Son questioned, “Truly I tell you, love God with all of your strength, all of your heart, and all of your mind and also, love your neighbor with all your strength, all of your heart and all of your mind. These have always been the greatest of commandments, as you remember now. When it is time for this generation to suffer the abounding hopelessness, which is sure to come to any generation such as this, it will have been all of the Father’s adoring children that came to believe in Him through me and in kind, will shine like stars in the sky forever and ever with me in eternal life.”
“Yes, I remember now, my Lord,” said Simon of Nineveh, “but I must ask you, why have you chosen me? I am but a weak man.”
The Son replied, “Your generation has succumbed to an even greater evil than the last. Long ago, when God destroyed the tower of Babel, you have constructed two in its place. And when God outstretched his hand and destroyed those two towers, you erected three. And when God reaches out to destroy those three towers and does so, the next evil generation will try to build four. Only when the all the towers have fallen by the same generations that owes their construction will the Hands of the Almighty praise the work of the world. Truly I tell you, it is by the hands of the weak that all of humanity shall be redeemed. Until the day that weak hands overcome the rebellion of man, wickedness shall only grow and fester in each corner of the land until it has dominion over all who live in the world. Do not think by my coming that I shall stop your eyes from seeing these things. You shall be a witness to the nations and the bearer of the truth. I send you as a testament for all that has been written.”
Simon of Nineveh quaked, “My Lord, how shall I bear all of this?”
“My Simon,” the Son gently said, “Do not let your heart be troubled. Because there is and still will always remain The Father, the Son, and your advocate, The Holy Spirit. They will be your refuge through the times of destruction. Remember long ago when I told you to store your treasures up in heaven? How great in number and glorious those treasures will be when you do what I have asked. And as I have said before, I go to prepare a place for you so that when I come back to you, I will take you to me, to The Father and we shall count our treasures together under his Holy Throne. Please do not be troubled. You know that you have me. And where I am, The Father is as well.”
And after the Son had said all of this, the true meaning of the scriptures came suddenly on Simon of Nineveh. His eyes were opened and his followers were gathered around him saying,
“This is no teacher, he has gone mad!” said one.
“He is but a fool taking us for fools.” said another.
A crowd formed and circled around Simon of Nineveh. To the crowd he said,
“Please forgive me, for I knew not what I was doing. I was overcome by a demon because I am a weak man but the Lord has appeared to me and he drove it away. He will do the same for you if you but believe and call upon Him in the name he has given you.”
“Now he says a demon had him so he is a liar as well!” the crowd shouted.
So, they began to beat him, hurl insults at him and spit on him. They tore at his flesh so his clothing became stained with blood and they left him bleeding in the center of town. He remembered the Son and had great joy because the scriptures had come true. From then on, he made his showing in the city by taking up his mantle, his true name, Simon of Nineveh.