Preface
This happened on July 19, 2004. On the evening before the dream, I prayed, saying: “Lord, we are so inconsistent. Your Church begins many things but does not finish them. Show us how to stay watchful and steadfast, how not to grow cold, and how to fulfill Your will. What can help us remain ready for Your coming?”
Then I went to sleep.
In the morning, I woke up terrified. It was still dark outside the window, and I was afraid even to open my eyes. The dream had been so realistic that I was afraid I would see it in reality. Turning over, I fell back asleep. This happened several times until I finally decided to get out of bed. When I looked at the clock, I was surprised: it was already 11 a.m.! Fear gripped me—how long had I slept!
I went to the window and… saw the familiar landscape of my hometown. Everything was calm. Gradually, my emotions subsided, and I went about my business. I wrote down the dream, and now you can read it.
The Dream
I was walking along a street in my hometown. It was a warm autumn day. But something seemed strange: a suspicious silence prevailed all around. There were no cars or people in the streets. I noticed passersby only occasionally, but they seemed not to see me. After walking a little farther, I came to an intersection and looked to the right. On the horizon, a neighboring city was ablaze. A massive wall of smoke and ash rose into the sky.
The city was being destroyed all around its perimeter. Fire seemed to burst forth both from the heavens and from beneath the ground. Strangely, the sound of the destruction barely reached my city, creating a false sense of security despite the chaos unfolding. I stared into the distance and realized that the destruction was moving toward us at tremendous speed. According to my calculations, it would reach our city in 30 minutes.
Suddenly, I heard the anxious voice of a radio announcer repeating: “All residents must leave the city immediately.”
I understood why the streets were half-empty.
My first thought was to run home for my family, but our house was far away. I realized I would not make it there in time and ran to the nearest house, trying to find shelter. But soon I understood that this place would not save me. I continued searching for a safe place, but the other houses also seemed like useless shelters.
Then I headed to the administrative building and went down to the basement, where many people were already gathered. It was warm there and seemed safe. The people around me were laughing and joking, as if they did not realize that everything there would be destroyed within a few minutes. I could not bear it, and, realizing the danger, ran outside and headed home to my family.
When I ran into our home, I shouted to my wife and daughter, “Get ready quickly! Everything is about to collapse!” Looking out the window, I saw the neighboring houses already beginning to crumble. The ground beneath them began to move like waves on the sea.
I shouted, “Hurry! We may not make it in time!” We ran outside and raced away. On the outskirts of the city, we joined thousands of other people fleeing the city. The roads around us were packed with cars, slowly moving along.
After leaving our city, we reached a large city with an airport. There we met acquaintances who had arrived to pick us up.
