Chapter 17

November 21, 2022

Oberammergau, Germany

For Monika Agnata Reiner, it seemed like a usual night in her little yet infamous hometown resting in the warm alpine valley. She was looking forward to the next day of work- her labor of love. She would carve wood figurines of biblical figures to pay homage to God, from Hebrew prophets to Jesus Christ for the occasional pilgrims or tourists. It was a painstaking job by hand, but she knew that her hands and her skills would be put to great use...

She enjoyed a close bond with her parents as an only child, and she had a few close friends who shared her love for studying scriptures, literature, and fine arts. As a devout political moderate and recent local college graduate, she had seen the news. The lost German princess Elisabeth had risen and traveled around Germany and America. Even her Russian cousins, the unfortunate daughters of the last Russian Tsar, had risen! From a podcast she had stumbled across, she had heard Elisabeth speak with a top priest about the upcoming End Times. This news had already shattered her paradigm that His plan would happen at a gradual pace. She felt a variety of things as she tried to grasp this new reality.

Surprised. Shocked. Besides those, she felt rising joy for the future, often motivating her to join her fellow neighbors outside to praise and pray. She went to bed and wondered if the risen princesses would visit her hometown, however small it seemed. She dozed off into the familiar murky depths of dreams... But this dream was something else.

Monika found herself standing in an endless field of grass with little white daisies and other flowers. The sun shone bright and warm above, giving energy and life to the land. She looked around. A hardened dirt path winded past her to a distant structure- A gazebo.

The confused young woman ran down the path to the gazebo. The gentle breeze fluttered the folds of her plain light blue dress. There stood a familiar figure beside a table, and she froze still! She had heard of the Lord. She even had heart, faith, and works, even if she was far from His perfection.

To see Him standing right before her, sitting at a table with two cups of tea seemed surprising. Was she in heaven or somewhere in some interactive vision?

"Monika, I am glad to have a chance to speak with you."

"Uh... Am I in trouble?"

"Your journey to your heavenly home has not yet finished. Also do not worry about any judgment, for I have only come to assign you a small duty."

"Lord, what is it?"

"Elisabeth, who has been selected as a helper for one of the Two Witnesses, has forgotten to communicate to one of them: Bartholomew. I ask you to remember what I will say, for this will be news about what is to come soon in Magog..."

"Magog? Has it already come to be?"

"It already has. You already know it as Russia."

Monika gaped in surprise. Jesus glanced to the side, silent again...

"Russia? But I thought it was a Christian nation. Or has it lost its way?"

"Many of its people claim to know me, but have fallen into a spirit of idolatry for their nation. I cannot accept pride, arrogance, and hatred in the body of my church."

"Oh... Then I suppose all nations are lost?"

"People can be saved, but not entire societies which will always fall. I know this is much to take in, but you must tell Elisabeth the following warnings..."

"First, she and OTMA must know that Russia is the prophesied nation of Magog as in my Word."

"Second, she and OTMA must remember their mission to spread my Word, the revelations, and this news to those in Russia. I am giving another chance for repentance, and the Russians must choose for themselves. Truly I say to you, time is running out for the world."

"Then I will tell them, but... but what about my parents? What about my friends?"

"They will be fine. You may spread the news to family, friends, and the five women when they arrive in your town."

"Oh... I understand now. Then I will do what you ask me to do, Lord."

"Good. Remember that I am always with you, and will be."

Jesus Christ clapped his hands once. Then a brilliant flash of light engulfed her, then fading into a gloomy place...

Monika awoke to a faint, gloomy orange. She felt disoriented and confused until she remembered her dream vision from Jesus Christ. She finally realized that she had returned to her earthly reality. Again, her time of rest had ended, leaving her a great duty ahead. Like any other Christian, it felt difficult to fathom at first. It also felt a bit daunting!

Getting off of her bed, she felt a slight hesitancy at the thought of people doubting her. Even her devout parents and friends who shared the humble, small town lifestyle would possibly not believe her. No... Overthinking would not help her at all. Overthinking led to confusion. Confusion led to misunderstandings. Misunderstandings led to doubts.

Only Jesus Christ had expected her to have faith in Him along with doing righteous deeds. He, God incarnate, had trusted her to carry out this very task. She took a deep breath, glancing up at the window. Sunlight already cascaded in warm rays into her dimly lit room, never extinguished by the shadows.

Yes, things would be alright, she thought!

Monika changed into her simple attire for the day, not forgetting to wear her cross pendant. She stepped quietly downstairs to the kitchen where her parents had begun eating a light breakfast. They looked over their shoulders, surprised to see their only daughter up so early. Something had happened.

"Mama, Papa? I had a vision."

"Ah... so that explains why you rose earlier than usual... What vision?"

"Wait, what exactly did you see? Did it have to do with the risen princesses?"

"Uh... yeah," Monika murmured, shuffling her feet nervously...

"That is wonderful to hear, Monika. Please tell us."

Monika cleared her throat before looking her father in the eyes. She took a deep breath again to calm herself, and she began to testify about what she had seen and heard from Jesus Christ...

(Line Break)

November 22, 2022

Oberammergau, Germany

Residents clamored upon seeing an escort of black SUVs approach the town from a distance. Some of them had begun to pray or praise God. Some of them had even begun using their smartphones to record the monumental moment of arrival. Their German princess and the infamous Romanov daughters of the last Tsar had come.

Yet behind the crowd, the town mayor stood with a few police officers and the family of Monika. They waited with awe and a bit of anxiety. This had never happened before. No resurrected figure had truly visited their small town of devout country folk. Not until now. No other miracles other than the legendary sparing of their town from bubonic plague had happened- Until the vision received by Monika.

The groups of people gathering by the road praised and cheered even louder as the escort stopped in the street. The guards stepped out, taking their positions beside the parked SUVs... Once five women in dresses stepped out of their vehicle, the crowds practically roared!

Anastasia glanced around, smirking. "Wow, we're famous here too?"

"Yeah!" Maria replied loudly over the cheers and shouts.

Tatiana, who had somewhat researched the history of Oberammergau, remained silent. She looked around and felt her heart sink. It was not from any sadness but instead a genuine awe that she stood on special ground. This special area was where nearly a whole community had dedicated their lives to the faith by an infamous passion play. She then thought back to her very first life on earth.

Her father had been deposed and then executed. Along with that horrid reality came a painful conviction she felt reluctant to admit... If her father had been a poor ruler of an autocratic regime, what would that portray her faith as by association? She had stuck with her parents despite all injustices associated with their regime. Perhaps her parents had hidden the ugly truths of life from her. Even Putin, who had seemed helpful at first, seemed suspicious...

She shook her head. No, she was overthinking. Russia would never be forsaken as a nation brought to repentance. After the Soviet era, it had allowed the Orthodox Church to rise again. Even if it had fought a terrible conflict against a fellow Slavic nation, it would find its way. People had died and suffered in the war, and what especially shocked her was the new schism within the Orthodox faith between Ukrainians and Russians. She could not fathom that.

Olga stood with Elisabeth, waving and smiling before the townspeople. However, the residents were being directed aside. A few German police officers with a suited man and a small family stood between the two crowds. People went silent as Elisabeth began to walk towards the few individuals in front of her...

"As the Mayor of Oberammergau, I welcome the risen princesses including our own Elisabeth on behalf of the people. Here we will have a gathering around our large church complex with them as very important guests!"

Elisabeth bowed her head briefly before the mayor. "We are thankful for your warm welcome, Mayor. Olga and I had heard of this town by its famous passion play, so we decided to visit."

The mayor gestured for Elisabeth to step forward. She did so, and the mayor glanced at the young woman beside him with her parents. The mayor whispered quietly to the risen princess...

"There is also a special, private meeting that is necessary... Here, Monika had a confirmed vision by our pastors and priests. Within it, she heard revelations that she wanted to share today."

"Oh! I had forgotten to contact Bart- I mean my friend Bartholomew. Ugh..."

"The Apostle Bartholomew?!"

"Yeah..."

"I see, and do not worry. Monika will help you regain some important knowledge later today in the evening..."

Elisabeth returned to her Russian cousins who had been watching and wondering. She knew all of them held questions about what was happening. Thankfully, events had mostly eased for the five of them in the world. Only this time, they had a responsibility to remain informed of the final days approaching them like a thief in the gloom of night. Elisabeth had forgotten to convene longer, and it almost felt jarring how she had done her first mistake. Mistakes never happened from risen human souls in Heaven.

Even if the mistake was almost trivial, she still felt guilt. Olga, who noticed Elisabeth being silent, had to ask her.

"What happened... Also, what will happen next?"

"We came here for a vacation, yet we have revelations to learn... I should have convened longer with my fellow risen souls."

"Oh, I'm sure that it's not so severe as an issue, right?"

"Cousin Olga... I must tell you something. In Heaven, nobody could make mistakes. Here on earth, I have made my first mistake, and it feels terrible."

"Our guests will be offered housing for the next three days..."

The rest of their day went by in a blur of little moments. They had small talk with some of the townsfolk from adults to their little children. It felt liberating and heartwarming to contact others so openly. They had been princesses secluded in a little world, but now they knew the importance of reaching out to others including the less fortunate.

Anastasia noticed a young girl poking the ground with a metal cane. After speaking with her, she felt pity, as that young girl had lost her eyesight. The former princess offered to buy her some candy... The girl smiled yet whispered "no thanks".

Tatiana had seen a young mother in the town who had lost her husband a year after marriage to a car accident. Now that young mother had a son to raise.

Maria had enjoyed talking with the hotel receptionist at first, but she soon discovered his tragic past. His wife had divorced him and had full custody of his beloved children. It had been ten years since he had seen them.

Olga, who had heard those tragic testimonies of broken lives, almost felt like crying. Despite the sorrow, they all realized something from it. All of these people had come to this secluded countryside town to find refuge from their troubles and a place of peace. They then thought of the biblical stories they had read. Not just those few people that had met were the ones trying to find their way to a better life. Everyone through ages of human civilization had tried and often fell short. Neither did any human society before in history reach the ideal utopia, no matter how long it existed.

Once the five princesses had found their hotel room, they asked the hotel staff to let them be. The door closed and anxiety conquered the otherwise calm silence. The air was still, but their spirits were trembling.

Olga sniffled when she sat on the bed. She looked at Elisabeth with teary eyes again, not knowing what to say or do. Elisabeth also fought back tears, remembering the stories she had overheard from the receptionist, the man, and the young girl. She closed her eyes, silently praying for them.

Even the light-hearted Maria and Anastasia seemed solemn and quiet. They looked at each other before bursting into tears, falling together on another bed to console each other. They hugged, whispering a few words.

Tatiana sat by the window, gazing distantly at the stars with her head resting on one of her palms. She did not say a word, but her silence expressed much more.

"So many people are suffering, Ella... It almost feels helpless," Olga whispered, wiping her tears away in vain only for more to seep out.

"I- I felt that too at first. Only knowing that I was... accompanied in my special mission could comfort me."

"What do we do next? All I have done was wander around and even serve Putin's sinister purposes... I feel terrible."

"I know, but the climate is not yet ideal for the seed to sprout. The world is still reeling from our arrival and its meaning."

"If only we had done something to oppose Putin, less people would have been dead," Maria murmured, as Anastasia nodded.

"It's not all fun and games, isn't it?"

"Sadly, you are correct, Cousin Anastasia. From what I witnessed above, you all rose first and were confused... Putin deceived you all, and he does not necessarily care about us. Trust my words... He will betray you all whenever it suits him."

(Line Break)

Oberammergau Passion Play Theatre

Monika glanced at the clock on the wall. Despite having a neutral expression, she was far from feeling at ease. Again, she glanced down at her notes of what she had witnessed in the vision. The gravity of His words had impacted her deeply. The implication that Russia, a historically religious nation, had been warned by the Lord was unsettling. This also implied that any organization or nation would not be favored, but only individuals. Along with the fact that she would have to explain this to the four Russian princesses. How could she do this?

She knew that the mayor, her parents, and the townsfolk accepted her vision as credible. That would have comforted her- except that she would meet five resurrected princesses from the past. On top of that, she had to explain to them her vision as clearly as possible. The divine mission of their lives had astronomically high stakes reaching every human being in the world, and she could not afford to mislead them.

She took a deep breath, trying not to shudder so much. She remembered again. The danger of overthinking was that it led to confusion. Confusion led to doubt and lack of action... Then she noticed a gentle knocking on the door. Was it them?

Monika opened the door, becoming surprised at her first sight of them. Instead of the old, decorated dresses they had once worn, they wore clothing similar to those of young female college students. It felt almost funny to see the infamous Anastasia wear a canary yellow windbreaker and black tights instead of the one in that infamous 1914 photo.

Elisabeth smiled at her. "Hello, Monika. I am sure that you are feeling nervous, but do not worry. The Mayor reminded us that we can talk about other things if that helps."

"Really? That is good to hear... Although what I had heard from Him may be shocking."

"Trust me, I have already seen and experienced things that would be strange to people here. I have seen angels in Heaven... Not all of them have wings or appear like people despite what many think. Whatever you have seen was a reminder for us."

"Thank you, erm- Elisabeth. I was feeling really anxious here while waiting for you," Monika replied, her voice almost hushed.

They all sat around the table. Soon the awkward silence set in from the all too familiar deadlock of expecting the other to speak first...

Anastasia then shrugged and took out her iPhone again...

"Nastya, are you going to livestream this?"

"No, I just wanted to check the time."

Monika snickered, but shut up with a snort when she got awkward glances. She buried her face into her arms, laughing. Her companions burst into laughter too, and it was no surprise that Anastasia was laughing the loudest and pounding the table. They all laughed for a couple minutes. None of them knew why, but it felt funny...

"Just wanted to check-"

Anastasia muffled her laughs by planting her face into her coat sleeves.

"We can thank her for breaking the silence, which is a good thing," Elisabeth commented, glancing at Anastasia.

"Now, what about the vision, Monika?"

"Oh, I almost forgot... But yes, it concerns the Book of Revelation."

Elisabeth tapped Anastasia on the back. She sniffled, wiping her eyes clean of tears. She must have been laughing too hard.

"Please, tell us."

Monika glanced down at her journal again. "I... I was told only two things. A reminder and an order."

"What was the reminder?"

"Well... He said Russia was the prophesied Magog from Revelation."

Tatiana gaped in disbelief. "Wait, what?!"

NOTE: OTMA and their cousin Ella will return to Russia after Chapter 18. Will there be another Russian civil war? Stay tuned...