

Covenant With My Chosen

Deborah L. Kuzenski

Copyright 2007 by Deborah L. Kuzenski

Smashwords Edition 2012

All Rights Reserved

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

Matthew 24:14 (AKJV)

~ A Novel of the End Times ~

All Scripture quoted from the King James Authorized Version

Heart felt thanks to Rita E. Bauschard

And to the late Robert T. Schuder

This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to actual events, real people, living or dead are entirely coincidental. Any references to any persons living or dead, or events are meant to give the story a sense of reality
Table of Contents

Chapter 1......

Chapter 2......

Chapter 3......

Chapter 4......

Chapter 5......

Chapter 6......

Chapter 7......

Chapter 8......

Chapter 9......

Chapter 10.....

Chapter 11.....

Chapter 12.....

Chapter 13.....

Chapter 14.....

Chapter 15.....

Chapter 16.....

Chapter 17.....

Chapter 18.....

Chapter 19.....

Chapter 20.....

Chapter 21.....

Chapter 22.....

Chapter 23.....

Chapter 24.....

Chapter 25.....

Chapter 26.....

Chapter 27.....

Chapter 28.....
Chapter One

Jill was almost ready for work before she realized that she hadn't heard a peep out of her apartment-mate, Ashley. Her bedroom door was still shut; maybe she was deep into her morning Bible study and hadn't noticed the time. "I'd better let her know she's going to be late for work," Jill thought as she tapped on Ashley's door. There was no answer. Jill cautiously opened the door just a little and could see Ashley's bed still unmade, and her purple plaid pajamas tossed on top of the rumpled lavender sheets.

That wasn't like Ashley! She was a neat freak in Jill's estimation. She opened the door wider to fully reveal the room. Ashley's Bible laid open face down on the floor. That wasn't like her, either. Ashley treasured that book...way too much, if you asked Jill. She checked the adjoining bathroom – still no Ashley. "What the heck? Where is that girl?" Jill was getting irritated; now she'd be late for her own job if she didn't leave now. "Oh, well. Maybe she had some emergency or something. I'll call her at work." Jill grabbed her spring coat and purse and dashed out of the door.

Down in the parking garage, she got into her small blue car, noticing that Ashley's beat-up Chevy Caprice was still there. Once out on the street, Jill found herself blocked by an abandoned car in the middle of the road; and she could hear the sound of sirens. Jill was starting to feel a little frustrated. She backed up and turned the car around, but in the middle of the next block, she encountered another driver-less vehicle! That's when she noticed a few small groups of people huddling together, talking and gesturing excitedly. Something had happened, but what? She pushed the car's radio button and heard, "...the disappearances appear to number into the thousands. A national state of emergency has been declared. The president asks that, until further notice, citizens remain in their homes with their doors locked. If businesses feel they must remain open, extreme caution is urged."

"Hey, I'll take any excuse for a day off!" Jill tried to be light-hearted, but the numbed shock she felt wouldn't completely allow it. "Disappearances?" She muttered as she locked her apartment door behind her and almost simultaneously turned on CNN. They were interviewing a dazed-looking young man who reported that he had seen his mother disappear before his eyes while she was fixing breakfast. He guessed that it had happened at about 6:00 A.M. Jill flipped over to Fox News Network, where a distraught father told of finding the beds of his children empty and his wife missing. That's when Jill decided to call Ashley's office. After several busy signals, someone finally answered. It was the president of the company for which Ashley did clerical work. "No, she's one of several employees who just plain did not show up today. I'm watching the news in my office; and it's the damnedest thing I've ever heard of – thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of people seem to have vanished this morning. I've got to go; I want to get in touch with some members of my family and see if any are gone." He hung up.

Jill could hear voices in the hallway of the apartment complex -- some excited, some verging on hysteria. She opened the door and looked out. "Hey, Jill! You must've heard, eh? Otherwise you'd be at work by now." She had liked Neal right from the start when he was so ready to lend them a hand when they moved in last September. He was a tall, skinny, medical student with dark hair and small, round wire-rimmed glasses. His apartment-mate, his cousin Bruce, peeked at her from behind Neal. Bruce was also a dark-haired medical student, but he was considerably shorter than his cousin and had a bit of a 'baby face.' They were Ultra-Orthodox Jews from a big family in New Jersey. Jill and Ashley had seen them, wearing skullcaps, long curls bouncing by their ears, leaving for synagogue each Saturday. Bruce and Neal had sometimes invited Ashley over to argue about Old Testament scriptures dealing with prophecy and whether Jesus of Nazareth could have been the Jewish Messiah. Jill had always just waved them away and told them to have fun. She had no use for all that "God stuff". It was how you acted in this life that mattered, not some pipe dream about the hereafter!

"Did Ashley make it to work? Heard traffic's a total snarl!" Bruce looked hopefully past Jill for Ashley; Jill suspected a little crush going there!

"No, no, I just called her work and she didn't show. I really think she's one of the people who disappeared 'cause she left her room such a mess. I didn't hear anything; I don't think anyone broke in . . ." Jill suddenly felt like crying. Seeing her chin begin to tremble, Neal quickly put a strong arm around her. Bruce touched a finger to his own chin. "Actually, I thought I heard something early this morning. It was like a loud voice; but I couldn't make out all the words. I thought I heard the word, 'kingdom' or something like that. For some reason, the name, 'Jesus Messiah,' popped into my head at the same moment. I've been doing a lot of thinking about the scriptures Ashley's been showing us, but I didn't realize until this morning that I do believe Jesus was the Messiah prophesied in them. When I took the time to study it, the Book of Daniel really blew me away." Bruce looked slightly embarrassed for getting sidetracked. "Anyway, I can't wait to tell Ashley that I think I'm about to become a 'Jesus freak'!"

Neal looked thoughtfully at the two of them and said slowly, "You don't think that this thing that happened this morning could be what Ashley was always talking about, do you? What did she call it...the 'rapture'?" His face paled, and he moaned, "Oh, man, maybe it is! If it is, then what she was saying was true! And, if it was true, then Jesus is the messiah of Israel; and he is still alive, just like she said. Didn't she always talk about the tribulation coming or something – the time of Jacob's trouble or whatnot? I think I'd better sit down." He stumbled into Jill's apartment and sank into a chair.

Jill looked at them both with disdain and scoffed, "You two never cease to slay me! We're all probably about to be abducted by aliens or something; and all you can think about is the Bible! I say we go down to the local gun shop and arm ourselves against the enemy! Nobody is going to take me without a fight!" She grabbed her car keys from the kitchen table. Neal put his hand on her arm. "Come on, Jill; calm down. We need to stay focused and think this through. And, anyway, where were you when they passed the Gradual Citizen Disarmament Act...watching a Clint Eastwood marathon? Let's try to find out if the people who disappeared are Christians. That would be a start." They trooped back into the hall, where a Hispanic family was loudly talking and weeping.

"Mrs. Gonzalez, is someone missing from your place?" Bruce reached for the old lady's hands and looked into her face.

"`Si, it's my daughter, Rosalie. We found her bed empty! She's a good girl; we know she didn't stay out all night!"

Neal came closer to her, leaned down, and asked in a soothing voice, "Was Rosalie a Christian?"

"We are all Christians in this family. We all go to Mass together every Sunday; that is, until Rosalie got mixed up in that Bible Study down the street. She drives us crazy with that 'born-again' nonsense. I tell her, why we need to be born again? We were baptized by the priest when we were babies, isn't that enough? But she keeps saying we must put our faith in Jesus Christ and not in our church. Now look what's happened! Where is she?" Mrs. Gonzalez started to weep uncontrollably as her oldest son led her back to their apartment.

"One case does not prove your whole point!" Jill looked skeptical, but there was a puzzled look in her eyes.

"Let's go down into the street. If we stay together, it should be all right." Neal, with his usual quiet strength, led the way. They had walked about half a block, when a man came running up to them, out of breath.

"Have you seen my wife? She went to look for the newspaper and didn't come back. She was wearing her blue bathrobe and slippers, and," his voice trailed off as he surveyed the stranded cars and people running past with the same look as his on their faces.

"Your wife isn't one of those Christian fanatics, is she?" Jill's voice was louder than she intended, but she could feel her panic rising.

"To tell you the truth, yes, my wife has deep religious beliefs. She's constantly trying to get me to admit that there is no way of salvation other than by faith in Jesus Christ. As a college professor, I'm just not ready to buy all that supernatural drivel. She actually believes the world was created in six days, when any intelligent person knows that evolution took billions of years." He shrugged and said. "Well, hey, if you see her, tell her I'm looking for her." He turned and started running in the other direction.

Jill slapped her forehead. "Oh, man, I completely forgot to call Nate! Maybe he's heard something about all this. And if you're right about only Christians disappearing, he's got to still be here, 'cause he doesn't have any use for that stuff, either." She rummaged in her huge leather purse for her tiny silver cell phone and quickly punched in the number. "Nate? Thank God -- I mean, thank goodness -- you're there! What? Sorry I woke you. I forgot you're on night shift. But haven't you heard the news? Thousands of people have vanished!" She listened for a couple minutes and then said, "Well, get some sleep. Talk to you later. Love ya!"

"The only thing Nate knows is that apparently a couple of people at his plant left work early without punching out. He said his shift manager couldn't figure it out because they were the kind of people who brought their Bibles to work and were usually more reliable than that. I'm beginning to think that maybe you guys are onto something, okay? Don't get all puffed up about it, though; or there'll be no living with ya!" Her face sobered. "Maybe we'd better look through some of Ashley's books for some explanation of this thing. Come on; let's go back up." The bright yellow suit she had chosen to wear to her receptionist job that day flashed against the gray backdrop of the city street as her slender figure sprinted towards their building.

Chapter Two

The shadows across Ashley's still-unmade bed and fuzzy lavender rug were growing long. Neal snapped on a small purple lamp on the nightstand instantly illuminating a framed photo of Ashley with her parents and younger sisters, arms around each other, standing on the dock at their cottage in Wisconsin. Jill glanced up at it from her position on the floor surrounded by Ashley's books and papers and said with a sudden lump in her throat, "Ashley would have called me by now if she was anywhere where she possibly could. We promised to always let each other know our plans. I'm beginning to believe she's really gone."

Seeing that she was again about to cry, Neal picked up the photo and asked, "Were they all believers? Her family, that is."

"Oh, yes, as far as I know, they all went to church together to what Ashley described as a 'Bible-believing church.' I asked her once if they had all been dunked in a tank of water like my aunt's family, but Ashley claimed their church didn't believe water baptism is necessary. Of course, I didn't believe church is necessary, so what did I care? Now, I'm not so sure. Ashley must've told me a million times that God would give me 'eternal life' if I would just tell him I accept it through his son, Jesus Christ, who died for my sins. Ashley always added that there's nothing you have to do to earn it -- just believe and accept it. If I were a religious person, that solution would seem way too easy." Jill stood up and stretched her cramped muscles. Her yellow linen suit, so crisp and fresh earlier, was a wrinkled mess; but no one noticed.

Their attention was drawn to the news channel playing on Ashley's small T.V. They turned toward the screen to see the Chairman of the World Peace Federation, Avi Mohammed, surrounded by bodyguards, walking up to a bank of microphones. He smiled appreciatively at the spattering of applause he received; then his expression turned grave. "Citizens, the world is in a very great crisis. Almost one million people have been reported missing since this morning. Scientists and leaders from every region of the globe have been working feverishly to find an answer to everyone's question, 'Why?' His kindly, intelligent face and soothing voice made Jill's heart leap with new hope. Surely Avi would be able to do something. Wasn't he the one who had emerged out of Iraq with solutions to the escalating conflicts in the Middle East? Coming from a background that was both Jewish and Muslim made him the perfect choice to offer a balanced proposal to the Middle East conflict. The violence had all but ceased as the people of the Middle East worked together to implement programs that would benefit everyone. Everything Avi touched seemed to turn to gold -- until, that is, today.

"We find ourselves in a unique situation that will call for the close cooperation of the leaders from every country in every one of the ten regions of the world. We are calling for all co-regents, recently elected by the citizens of their respective regions, to sign a document relinquish certain powers pertaining to matters of security over to the World Peace Federation. We have the safety of every citizen on the earth as our primary goal. Every measure possible will be taken to ensure your security. You may place your trust in us!" The statements were greeted with cheers and wild applause from the reporters and onlookers gathered at the news conference. Avi was just the strong father figure that people needed right now.

Avi continued, "Despite this upsetting unexplained disappearance that has affected so many, my scheduled meeting took place this morning with the President and Prime Minister of Israel. To show our appreciation for the cooperation Israel has shown in conceding to the changes required by the Middle East Peace Proposal set forth earlier this year, the World Peace Federation has voted to grant Israel's request to build a temple for their religious practices. As long as the temple is built in the area next to Islam's Dome of the Rock mosque and does not interfere with the practice of the Moslem faith, building may begin immediately. The Israeli leaders were very happy with this ruling and I am pleased to announce that they have now placed their signatures and seals upon the Covenant of Peace in the Middle East for a trial period of seven years in which Israel will enjoy the full protection of the World Peace Federation." This announcement was received with a standing ovation for the triumphant Avi Mohammed.

The screen switched back to the news desk, where the commentators began discussing these astounding developments and showing clips of excited Israelis celebrating the news. Once again, after almost two thousand years of being unable to perform Jewish temple rites, such as animal sacrifices and purification rituals, they could re-establish a priesthood to formally intercede with God for the sins of the Jewish people.

Bruce and Neal looked at each other in amazement. "Did you ever think we'd see this day, cousin?" Bruce had to reach up to clap his cousin on the back. "Jews have been dreaming of this day since 70 A.D! I heard that most of the temple implements have been readied and are in a museum at the Temple Institute in Jerusalem; the temple clothing is being prepared; and the red heifer has been bred. It shouldn't take long; and we'll see our own temple at last!" He reached over and turned off the T.V.

"Hey, you two, that's just great and all; but I thought we were trying to find out what happened to Ashley and where we go from here." Jill was on the floor again trying to sort out a large pile of booklets and papers. "Here's a pamphlet about the rapture!" She paged through it quickly. "It's mostly about Christians expecting it at any moment. It says there are no signs to look for; just to be ready. I know Ashley longed for Jesus to come. She was always singing that song about flying away and saying, 'Maybe today!'"

"Yeah, that's what she always told us. I always said, 'yeah, you just want to get out of going to work tomorrow!'" Bruce gave a little laugh, even though his eyes looked sad.

Neal chuckled, too, "I told her I wouldn't mind having something like that happen to me when I'm about to take a mid-term; but neither one of us believed all that stuff about Jesus coming to get all the Christians someday. Because until today, we didn't believe in Jesus! But oddly enough, I do believe in Him now. He was, I mean, is, the messiah!"

"Amen to that, brother!" Bruce looked surprised to be saying it. Then suddenly he bowed his head and reached for Neal's hand. They both grasped Jill's hands and the room became quiet.

"Lord -- I mean, Father, because that's what Ashley said we could call you -- we stand here before you this day to tell you that we believe that Jesus of Nazareth is your son and he's also Lord and Messiah, who was sent by you to redeem his people, Israel. We rejected him the first time, but Ashley told us that after the rapture, there would be tribulation; and after that, he will return to earth in glory to set up an everlasting kingdom that will never fall. Please help us to understand what we must do to be partakers of that glorious kingdom with your son. In his name, we pray, amen." Bruce looked surprised at his own eloquence and was blushing furiously as they extricated their hands from each other.

"Wow, I'm not even sure what that was all about; but I just want you guys to know that even though I respect your ideas about this, I'm not one hundred percent sold on them." Jill squirmed uncomfortably. She thought to herself that both of their faces were almost glowing in the dim light. She ran her fingers through her tousled hair and sighed. "I've had enough of this digging for today. I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted. What a day; it's been totally freaky. I've got a couple of calls to make to see if anyone's missing from my family or friends. I think I'll take a shower and then lie in bed and make 'em."

"I'm going to take a couple of these books and look through them." Neal ran his fingers over the back of several books on the shelf. "Hey, here's a book called, 'The Mystery,' by some guy named Joel Finck. I guess Ashley didn't spend all her time reading about the Bible. I like a good mystery myself once in awhile." He scanned the back cover. "Oh. I guess it is about the Bible. I think I'll take it with me, though; maybe I'll find some answers in here to our mystery."

"I think I remember Ashley telling me that Joel Finck was her family's former pastor or something. She read that book a couple of times. She tried to get me to read it, but ... you know." She shrugged, and then yawned. Her phone chimed just then. "Oh, hello, Nate. Uh, huh. Mm, hmm . . ." Her voice trailed off as she went toward her room.

"Well, cousin, we've got a lot of studying, thinking, and praying to do!" Neal picked up Ashley's King James Bible with the lavender dust cover and a stack of booklets. "Let's go home."

Bruce took a moment to gaze at Ashley's room before slowly closing the door. "She even had a purple alarm clock," he whispered, and felt a stabbing pain pierce his heart as he let go of his dream of a life with a smiling Ashley at his side.

Chapter Three

Jill balanced a small tray of coffee and toast on one hand while she knocked on the guys' door with the other. Neal poked his head out to see who it was and then opened the door wide.

"Good morning! You look awful!" Jill took in his bleary eyes and unshaved face. "I wish I could say the same about you, but I can't," Neal smiled. "I was up most of the night studying the Bible and reading that book. How come you're not at work?"

"My boss left a message on my cell early this morning saying that she lost her mother and grandparents in the disappearance, so she's flying out to Texas to help her dad deal with the whole thing. So the office is closed for the whole next week. Here, have a piece of toast." Jill relinquished her burden to Bruce, who came into the living room looking almost as tired as Neal.

Neal shook his head. "The coffee we need, but the bread is off limits. This evening we celebrate the Seder meal of the Pesach – Passover - and during these days of Pesach we must eat nothing with yeast in it. We've been invited to Rabbi Silverman's home to eat the Seder this year."

"Hey, I'm sure the Silverman's would love for you to come with us! They told us to bring friends when they invited us." Bruce's face brightened at the prospect of introducing Jill to the family that had showed them such kindness since they'd come to school in New York. "And we have next week off, too. Spring Break starts today."

Jill spread grape jelly on a piece of toast and nibbled it a bit guiltily. "Did you guys figure out anything from Ashley's books? Was what happened to her really something God did?"

"Yes, we're sure of it now. Especially now that we believe in Jesus as Messiah and that His plans are communicated to us, not only through the Jewish scriptures but through the Christian New Testament as well. Actually the Christian 'New Testament' is pretty 'Jewish' itself!" Bruce picked up the K.J.V. and opened it.

Neal reached for it and paged through it. "Yeah, almost all of the scriptures from beginning to end were penned by Jews. But I read in 'The Mystery,' and in some of Ashley's other books, that the period of time, or 'dispensation,' that just ended with the rapture was anything but Jewish! After the Jews stoned Stephen while he was filled with the Holy Spirit and offering the return of Jesus to set up the kingdom promised to Israel through the prophets, God withdrew his offer, although he still dealt with Israel for several years following. Have you ever heard of 'the unpardonable sin'? Well, it seems that the stoning of Stephen was the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that Jesus warned of in Matthew 12:31. The Book of Acts records the temporary setting aside of Israel and finally, in Acts 28:28, Paul is inspired to announce: "Be it known therefore unto you, [that's the Jewish leaders at the time] that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it."

Bruce wrinkled his forehead in concentration. "Right after the stoning of Stephen, Jesus appeared from Heaven to a guy named Saul – he was one of the ring-leaders at Stephen's stoning and was planning to lynch more of the new believers – and to make a long story short, Saul quickly changed his mind about Jesus not being the messiah! I can identify with that; I feel like I've been 'zapped' with the truth, too! And I'm still shaking from it! Anyway, the Lord Jesus gave Saul, later known as Paul, a new gospel and a new commission – to take a gospel of pure grace to all men, not caring if they were Jew or Gentile! This new gospel was different, because unlike the gospel of the kingdom sent to Israel during Jesus' earthly ministry, the gospel of grace offered salvation as a free gift by grace through faith upon believing in Jesus Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection, and it didn't require keeping the law of Moses or any of the rites of Judaism."

"That's what Ashley was constantly telling me, but I just wouldn't take it seriously." Jill sighed and polished off the jelly toast. "You mean, if I had, I'd be gone right now?"

Bruce answered, "Yes, if you had placed your faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and His redeeming work on the Cross, you would have been taken to Heaven with the others."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you! My aunt and her family are gone. I thought Ashley said that Christians shouldn't be baptized in water. How come they went?" Jill looked at them quizzically.

"Water baptism -- or water purification -- was something that was part of Israel's kingdom program. But your aunt and her family must've accepted God's offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, which resulted in their complete forgiveness for all transgressions. So, even if they didn't understand their place in God's program of grace where no outward rituals are required, God saved them on the basis of grace when they completely trusted in His Son." Neal shrugged and continued, "What could be easier? What happens now is not going to be so easy, I'm afraid!"

Bruce closed his eyes and intoned, "But the LORD is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting king; at His wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide His indignation." [Jeremiah 10:10]

Neal added, "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised." [Jeremiah 9:25]

"Wow, you two really know your scriptures!" Jill was impressed.

"Actually, ever since yesterday, scriptures like that have been coming into my mind unbidden. The only explanation is that the Holy Spirit is bringing them to our remembrance as He leads us into all Truth." Bruce's face shone with reverence and wonder. Neal nodded solemnly.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Jill snapped on their small portable television and turned to the Fox News Network. There was Avi again, his sincere, worried face filling the small screen.

"My little children, I am pleased to report that many of the 10 Regions have fully complied with our request to turn over security operations to the World Peace Federation so they may be handled on an international basis. There are, however, Regents representing 3 Regions who appear to have reservations about the Federation's ability to provide complete protection from hostile action both within and without. I sincerely hope that their reluctance is not caused by a desire on their part to instigate aggression. I am here, as one who loves this planet and every creature on it, both small and great, to plead with these Regents to hasten to comply. I feel it is in everyone's best interest to inform these reluctant representatives of the following fact. Late last year, a majority of major world powers consented to allow their military personnel to be implanted with identification technology in order to track the location of missing personnel, as well as to increase efficiency in recovering fallen and wounded soldiers during military conflicts and peacekeeping missions. A small silver panel implanted in the forehead carries complete identification, as well as medical and financial information, for each military personnel. The oath of allegiance to world unity and peace taken by each soldier at the time of issue gives to the Federation the right to activate a military compliance component also contained in the identification panel in order to compel military personnel to carry out those orders necessary to achieve that goal. Therefore, refusal to cooperate in our vision for the greater good of all mankind, will result in a deployment of those troops we feel necessary to achieve our aims."

The camera zoomed in even closer to reveal the tears in Avi's eyes. "This would, of course, not be set into motion unless the Federation votes that it is the only recourse to ensure the ultimate peace on this planet, which, since civilization began, mankind has longed to achieve. I am sure you will agree that the safety and security of each citizen must be our highest priority at this time of crisis, following as it does on the heels of a decade rife with terrorism and aggression, and with this latest tragedy in which so many loved ones have been lost."

Avi continued, "And, in connection with ensuring the future safety of our non-military citizens, and to be able to ascertain their whereabouts in the case of another 'disappearance,' a similar identification device is available to be placed in the right hand or, if preferred, the forehead of each one of us. The World Peace Federation, in cooperation with local clinics and hospitals, will implement this program within 30 days. Speedy compliance is urged upon every individual in order to facilitate the existence of a paperless economic system via computer technology that will enable us to more evenly distribute the bounty of our beautiful planet to each and every citizen. Full compliance will be required by the end of a 3-year period. I urge you to consider how this technology could have helped solve the world-wide disappearances which occurred yesterday."

The three young people looked at each other incredulously. "Did we just hear what I thought we heard?" Jill's eyes widened. "I hope that ID panel doesn't cause a scar!" She ran her fingers over her smooth forehead in consternation.

"Wait, wait, wait," Neal shook his head as he paged through the Bible. "I stayed up all night reading the book of the Revelation because Ashley told me it described the Tribulation; and I wanted to know what we're in for. Anyway, when you connect the book of the Revelation with the book of Daniel, they dovetail together perfectly. It looks to me like our Avi could possibly be 'the beast' described in both books. The giveaway is the fact that he signed a 7-year peace treaty with Israel, re-establishing the sacrificial system of the Temple. And, look, here in Revelation 13:16 and 17: it says, "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." And Revelation 14:9-11 says, "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

Jill was alarmed, "Oh, no! What about the military personnel? They already have 'the mark!'"

"No, it's my understanding that unless the mark is specifically meant to show worship of this 'antichrist,' it won't result in damnation." Neal explained.

Bruce added, "But just to be on the safe side, I don't plan to let them put any kind of mark on me! And I'd advise both of you to do the same!"

"I'm going home to take some Tylenol. What time do you want me to be ready to go to your friends' house for dinner?" Jill rubbed her temples and closed her eyes.

"We need to arrive before sundown and it's a walk of a couple of blocks, so we'll stop by your place at about 6." Neal stooped down to give her a quick hug. "Try not to worry; place your faith in God and he will see us through."

Bruce smiled reassuringly, "Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength..." [Isaiah 26:3, 4]

Chapter Four

Jill felt considerably better once she got out into the spring air and fell into step beside Neal and Bruce. Her pale pink sweater and skirt made her feel feminine and very ladylike; and she looked forward to the attention she knew she would receive.

When they arrived at the Silverman's front door, Jill exclaimed, "This carved thing is so pretty!" Neal explained that it was a mezuzah containing passages from Scripture, and that many Jewish homes have one on the right-hand doorpost.

The door opened; and a dark-haired girl of about 12 years of age stood in the doorway, yelling over her shoulder, "Dad, Neal and Bruce are here; and they brought a gir-r-l!" She stepped aside to let them in, as a short, stocky man with graying hair hurried to the door.

"Will you please hush, Olivia, and greet our guests properly! Hello, young lady, Shabbat Shalom! I'm Rabbi Silverman, but please call me Marcus." A demure, middle-aged woman came up behind him. "And this is my lovely wife, Rebecca. And you've already encountered Olivia. Olivia, stop jumping up and down!" He turned back to his guests. "Please come in. Neal and Bruce, I'm so glad you brought your friend. She will be a most lovely addition to our Pesach." Marcus reached for both of Jill's hands and drew her into the house.

"Rabbi, Rebecca, Olivia, this is our friend, Jill Logan. We would have liked to bring her roommate, Ashley, too; but she was one of those who vanished yesterday. We miss her already! You would have liked her, too." Bruce made the introductions and swallowed sudden tears.

Neal looked around the slightly shabby living room. "Where's Dan?"

"Daniel is our eighteen-year-old son. Don't tell him; but we are proud of him as he studies to serve our people as a rabbi someday. I think he loves to study the Tanakh even more than I did at his age!" At Jill's questioning look, the Rabbi explained, "That is what we Jews call our scriptures."

"Come, come. The seder is ready," Rebecca gestured toward the dining room, where the table was set with gleaming china and sparkling glassware. All was arrayed on a lace tablecloth that was as white as snow and stiff with starch, but still had that family heirloom look. As they seated themselves around the table, a thundering noise was heard as Daniel thudded down the stairs and dropped into his chair, his yamaca ["little hat"] dangerously close to sliding off the back of his head.

"Sorry, Father. I was studying Torah." He noticed Jill with surprise. "Hello! You must be the Ashley that Bruce is always talking about. It's good to meet you."

"No, no; this is Jill, Ashley's apartment-mate – at least until Ashley disappeared yesterday in the rapture."

Rabbi Silverman gave them all a stern look, and said, "Enough talk of that until after the seder. Daniel, please pronounce the blessing upon this special meal."

After the blessing, the significance of each of the items she found on her plate was explained to Jill, each member of the family taking a turn. She learned that the three matzah, two to represent the loaves set out in the ancient Temple during Sabbaths and festivals, and one to symbolize Passover itself, were an important part of the Seder meal. A roasted shank bone represented the Passover sacrificial lamb; parsley symbolized the green growth of spring; a horseradish root-top reminded them of the hardship of slavery in Egypt; along with other items that kept alive Israel's triumphant exodus from Egyptian bondage. Near the end of the meal, Dan arose from the table and opened the door in case Elijah, the prophesied forerunner of the coming Messiah, should appear looking for hospitality.

Rebecca brought out a piece of matzo on a silver tray. Jill saw that it appeared to be striped, with pierce marks upon it. Rabbi Marcus broke the odd matzo into three pieces. The middle piece, he explained, is called the afikomen and is wrapped in white linen. He placed it in a drawer in the sideboard behind him. Later during the meal, Olivia removed the little white bundle from the drawer and everyone cheered. Rebecca explained that this is an integral part of the Pesach tradition, but she wasn't sure of its significance. Bruce and Neal exchanged sudden glances, as each realized at the same moment that the three pieces of one matzo surely represented the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and that the second piece represented Jesus the Son, pierced and striped for our iniquities, wrapped in a burial cloth and placed in a tomb that could never hold him in its darkness because he rose triumphantly from the dead: a cause for great rejoicing!

Jill was captivated by the reading of the Haggadah, or Passover story; and delighted in young Olivia's recitation of four questions that must be asked by the youngest member of the family. Jill could feel a deep sense of history and worship and a longing for something to hold onto like the heritage of which this family was a part. Neal had explained to her that, traditionally, Gentiles were not to be included in the Passover celebration; but the Silverman's had decided to break tradition to distract her from her loss.

At last, the group around the candlelit table sat back and relaxed over their cups of wine. The Rabbi held up his cup, his face looking slightly flushed, exclaimed, "Next year at Yerusalem!" He laughed and said, "Maybe our temple will be completed by then! What do you boys think of the news? Avi really came through for us, first in stopping the terror attacks and now this. Our temple at last! Mechiam! I wish I were younger; I would go to Israel right now and offer my help."

Bruce swallowed nervously, and said, "It will be wonderful to see a temple in Jerusalem, but we're not sure it is right to allow animal sacrifices again."

The Rabbi looked at him in amazement. "You're not one of those bleeding-heart animal activists, are you? God gave us these animals for our use; and He is the One who commanded their sacrifice!"

"No. That's not it, Rabbi Marcus," Neal took a deep breath and continued, "Bruce and I have come to see the truth – that Jesus of Nazareth is our Passover lamb and fulfilled all of the prophecies of the kinsman redeemer of our people at his first coming. And he will fulfill the prophecies of restoring the kingdom to Israel at his second coming."

"What?" Rabbi Silverman spat out the word, along with a few drops of red wine. "How can you believe that Jesus was our messiah when all he ever accomplished was to bring wars and persecutions to our people? Even the goyim kill other goyim in his name. Where is the kingdom he promised to set up?" He slammed the table with the palm of his hand, rattling the fragile glassware and causing wax to spatter onto the tablecloth. "Avi Mohammed is a more likely candidate for the messiah than Jesus ever was! At least he's bringing peace to Israel and this earth – even if he must use a 'rod of iron' to accomplish it! The Yom ha-Shoah -- the Holocaust -- would never have happened with a World Peace Federation like the one Avi has developed at the helm of this planet!"

"Marcus! Remember your heart condition!" Rebecca hurried to her husband's side and loosened his tie and collar. He waved her impatiently away.

"Are both of you saying that you're going over to the side of the infidel...that you're now 'Jews for Jesus'?" He hissed out the words with disgust. Bruce couldn't believe this was the fatherly man who had taken them under his wing!

Daniel cleared his throat. "Father, I must tell you this now. I, too, have come to the realization that Jesus is indeed our messiah. He died for the sins of our people and all people. He was buried and rose from the dead. He's sitting at the right hand of God, awaiting his Father's signal to return to earth in glory to establish his everlasting kingdom of righteousness at Jerusalem!" He looked relieved to get it out.

Marcus rose a bit unsteadily to his feet. "My own son, my own son, is saying he believes in the great impostor...the monstrosity of a man who dared to say he was equal with God? Blasphemer!" He raised his hand to render his son a stinging blow. But midway to the object of his wrath, his hand suddenly stopped; and he flew backward into his chair with a loud, "Oomph!" as it skidded into the sideboard.

"You dare to strike your father?" He sputtered, his face dangerously red. "Get out of my house! Now!"

Rebecca looked at the four of them, and said quietly, "Perhaps it would be best if you all would go now -- at least until things calm down a little. I'm so sorry the evening turned out this way, Jill. Please forgive us." She picked up a napkin and began fanning her sweaty husband.

Olivia ran to Dan and threw her arms around his neck. "Don't go, Danny! Please don't go!" She pressed her hot, tearful face against his cheek.

"I'll call you tomorrow, Olli; and we'll talk," Daniel whispered, as he patted her on the shoulder. "I'm just going to throw a few things together. Is it okay if I stay at your place tonight, guys?"

"Sure. No problem. We'll wait outside. Jill, I'll get your coat." Neal rose and without making eye contact with anyone, left the room.

Bruce was brave enough to stiffly say, "Thank you so much for your hospitality, Rabbi and Mrs. Silverman. I hope we can work out our differences at a later time."

When they all got outside, Daniel looked at them earnestly, and said, "I didn't lay a hand on him! What happened in there? Something knocked him flat; and it wasn't me!" He put a shaking hand against his pale forehead.

"We believe you. We saw it, too. But I can't explain it! Let's go to our place and do some talking." Neal started walking with his long-legged stride.

"And praying!" exclaimed Bruce, walking double-time to keep up.

"I'm confused!" Jill muttered and hurried alongside Daniel, who just kept shaking his head.

Chapter Five

The small kerosene lamp left burning on the kitchen table in Neal and Bruce's apartment gave a soft warm glow of welcome. Ashley's Bible lay open to the book of the Revelation. Dan and Jill joined Neal and Bruce around the small table. Immediately, the young men bowed their heads.

"Praise ye the LORD, O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever." [Psalm 106:1] Bruce recited earnestly.

Daniel spoke, "Lord, we realize that we are very small, the least of all Israel. Accept the praise and thanksgiving that are due your holy name. We tremble at the revelation you have given us - that Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth as one of us, yet he was your divine Son, equal with you in holiness and majesty. He came to announce the nearness of the kingdom promised through your holy prophets since the world began. He came to offer himself as king over Israel, his own people. And how did we receive him? We rejected him; we tortured him; we mocked him; and then, we crucified him!" He shuddered and began to sob.

Neal continued the prayer, "Father, we now know that it was your holy will that your Son should die for the sins of the whole world; and that this had been foretold in the prophetic scriptures. The Gentiles, also, had a part in the brutal murder of your Son, Jesus. But when we consider how he came only unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel, teaching us and healing us in order to prepare us to be a light to the Gentiles, who should have come to you through us; Lord, it makes us tremble to think of the glorious hope that he offered and how we refused to accept it! We truly are a stiff-necked people, Father, and deserving of your indictment against us for our failure to keep the law covenant we made with you at Sinai."

"You could so easily have given up on the Jews and on the whole world, especially after you sent your Holy Spirit upon your holy apostles at Pentecost, and upon those who believed in their testimony, only to watch as evil men tried to kill them, too. You would have been justified in destroying all of creation after they murdered Stephen, who was filled with your Holy Spirit, as he offered the kingdom that last time. Instead, you withdrew your gracious offer to Israel and began a new work among the Gentiles through Paul, your apostle to the Gentiles, to whom you gave the gospel of your grace, offering salvation apart from the works of the law to any who would simply accept it. Now, in these last days, Father, you are again turning your face toward your chosen people, Israel, with the good news of our coming king."

Jill stood up and quietly left the apartment. She needed to be alone and think about what she had learned thus far; and somehow she sensed that these moments belonged to these three devout men.

Bruce lifted his hands to heaven, and said, "Father, we know that in order to receive the coming kingdom, your judgment and wrath must first come upon this world. We ask in your Son's most precious name, what is it you would have us to do?"

Even with their eyes tightly shut, the men suddenly sensed that someone else was in the room. They opened their eyes and looked in amazement at the handsome young man who stood before them wearing a dark red tunic over a snowy white garment trimmed with gold.

"Do not fear me!" He held up his hand, which seemed to glow slightly. "The Lord has heard your prayers; and he has dispatched me to this place so that I may help you to understand."

Daniel stammered, "Are you an a-a-angel? Like Gabriel?"

"Yes, Gabriel is prince over the angelic legion in which I serve. Our duties include the delivering of messages to your people. According to the passage of time on earth, it has been almost 2,000 years since one of us has been dispatched with tidings to his people, Israel. The dispensation of the grace of God dealt with the mystery of God's will for the heavenly places, where those who have been placed in the Body of Christ are now dwelling in glory with Him. Because it pleased God to make known the way of salvation through the foolishness of preaching by your fellow men, there was no need during the age of grace for messengers from the angelic host." The heavenly visitor smiled broadly. "My name is 'Shalel.' I am greatly pleased to be of service to you!"

"We're pleased to have you here!" Daniel couldn't believe he was speaking so calmly now. "I'm Daniel; and these are my friends, Neal and Bruce."

Shalel laughed merrily. "I am already aware of that. I was present at Marcus Silverman's house earlier this evening. It was at my intercession that you weren't harmed by Marcus in his anger!"

"What? Why did you do that for me?" Daniel asked, confused.

"You are among a great number of young Jewish men who have been chosen for the task of proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom at this time. It is the Lord's will that you receive His seal of protection so that no harm befalls you as you carry out your mission. At the moment you came into the knowledge of the truth regarding the eternal messiah-ship of Jesus Christ and placed your faith in his name as the only name under heaven by which men may be saved, you received the gift of the Holy Spirit. A seal was placed upon your forehead at that time. The outward evidence of this seal is a glowing countenance which will manifest when needed for a witness or confirmation of your position in the army of the Lord." He smiled reassuringly. "It is a very great honor, indeed, to be chosen to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom to all the earth. And it is a very great honor for me to be of assistance in that task."

Neal wondered, "What should we do first?"

Shalel gestured toward the book on the table in front of them, and said, "Your marching orders are awaiting you in the scriptures. The letter to the Hebrews reveals much, as well as the letters following it; and you have received the Holy Spirit to guide you. Yield to his guidance so that you may walk worthy of the calling God has given you. Trust in his protection from the snares of mystery Babylon which continues to hold the whole world captive until the rightful king consummates all things."

"Behold, men of Israel!" Shalel raised his arm and pointed. Suddenly, they found themselves standing on the crest of a mountain. Four mighty angels stood on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And they saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, "Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." And they heard the number of them that were sealed; and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. All at once, they found themselves surrounded by a great multitude, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, and they stood before the throne and before the Lamb, and all were clothed in white robes and held palms in their hands. And they all cried with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." And they saw their future, where they served Him day and night in His temple before His throne, and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

The dim kitchen slowly came back into focus. The Angel Shalel was still there. He spoke, "There is one more thing I must tell you now. Hearken to the words of God's two witnesses in Jerusalem, for they are the 'two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy; and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.' [Revelation 11:4, 5, 6] Most esteemed messengers of God, I leave you now. But you shall see me again." With that, he was gone.

Daniel looked thoughtful. "That description sounds like Elijah and Moses. The signs they gave to Israel during their ministries were very similar!"

"I read in the book of Matthew that the Lord Jesus brought Peter, James and John up a mountain and was transfigured before them, with his face shining like the sun and his garment as white as the light. And suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared there with him, speaking with Him about something." Neal paged through the New Testament to show them. "Do you think they were sent to speak with him about the tribulation period that would have come upon that generation if Israel as a nation had accepted him as their messiah? How I long to find the answers to these things! I wish I would've asked Shalel more questions!"

Bruce commented, "I think we should concentrate on the things we must do, and leave the unexplained up to the Lord. Let's take turns reading the letter to the Hebrews aloud and try to understand what our mission is. But, first, let's pray and ask for the guidance of our Lord."

Chapter Six

On Saturday morning, the next day, Jill was just finished getting dressed when she heard heavy footsteps and loud voices from out in the hall. She opened the door just in time to see several young Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men entering Neal and Bruce's apartment, all talking excitedly. Curiosity got the best of her; and she followed them in to see what was going on.

"Can you believe it? Kicked out of our own synagogue! By our fathers and the elders we've looked up to all of our lives!" This came from a boy of about 16.

Another, slightly older young man exclaimed, "I thought Rabbi Silverman was going to have a stroke!"

"He obviously tipped off the others as to what Neal, Bruce, and I might have to say if we showed up." Daniel grimaced at the thought.

A rather chubby young man added, "But how astounding that so many of us were thinking the same thing! I thought I was the only one who suddenly believed in Messiah Jesus! I wasn't even going to say anything until some of you did!"

Bruce wiped his forehead, "I'm just glad the whole thing didn't erupt into violence. Good thing we had the sense to just leave. We need to pray for them!"

Neal noticed Jill standing near the door taking it all in. He hurried over to her and blurted out, "You should have stayed a little longer last night! An angel was here! He showed us a vision and told us what we must do now." Neal's face was glowing with a holy light.

Jill looked into his eyes and said, "I have some news of my own. Last night, I told God that I believe in his Son, Jesus Christ; and I believe that he is the Messiah that Israel rejected so long ago. I want to have a place in the kingdom that he will set up when he comes in glory. What should I do now? Do I need to be baptized with water? You said it was part of Israel's kingdom program, and Israel's program is back in force. That's pretty obvious!" She gestured toward the young men, who were still talking all at once.

"Guys! I think Jill has a point here!" Neal held up his hand for quiet. "This is Jill, our neighbor. Her friend, Ashley, was a grace believer who was taken in the rapture. Jill has become a believer in our Messiah, the Lord Jesus; and she wants to know if she should be baptized with water. I know from studying the New Testament that in Acts 2, the Apostle Peter tells the new believers, although they were all Jews, that they must repent and be baptized in Jesus' name for the remission of their sins, and that they would receive the Holy Spirit. Later, in Acts 8, the Ethiopian eunuch, a proselyte to the Jews' religion, believed the truth about the Lord Jesus being the messiah of Israel; and he was water-baptized by Philip. I think we can consider Jill to be a proselyte as she is asking to be saved through the redemption of the house of Israel and to partake of the heavenly kingdom about to be set up at Jerusalem ruling over the whole earth."

The chubby one rubbed his chin, "Hi, Jill. I'm Mike. Would you like to be baptized to show your faith in the name of the Lord Jesus? I don't see any reason why we can't do it ourselves. In a way, we're the new apostles for this period in history."

"Yeah, what's an apostle, but a 'sent one'?" Bruce asked. "Mike has a point. If you wish, Jill, we will baptize you.""

"And each other...just to be on the safe side." Mike ran to the kitchen and came back with a bowl of water. "Do we have to bless this stuff?"

Neal shook his head, "No, there's nothing holy about the water itself. That's a pagan idea that crept into the church of God. Water baptism is just a purification ritual to make what's unclean clean in the sight of God. Jill is a Gentile and, therefore, must be purified according to Levitical law. We, on the other hand, are called out from our nation to become kings and priests unto God, as John tells us in Revelation 1:6; so we must be cleansed for the priesthood as commanded all through the Tanakh. I think the ritual washing for Hebrew men entering the priesthood is in Exodus 29."

"I know that Isaiah 61:6 says, 'But ye shall be named the priests of the LORD, men shall call you the ministers of God . . .'" one of the men said, shyly.

Neal continued to page through the New Testament. "Here at the end of the book of Matthew, the Lord tells his followers, 'Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, Amen.' The new Jewish believers at Pentecost were told to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, probably because they already believed in God, had heard of the Holy Spirit, but needed to profess their faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. Gentiles were unbelievers, so they needed to profess faith in all three persons of the Godhead: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit."

Daniel placed his fingers into the water and solemnly sprinkled it on Jill, saying, "I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." She answered, "Amen!" and smiled radiantly. Daniel then sprinkled water onto all the men present, saying, "Repent, and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins." Immediately, one after another, they began to recite psalms and hymns of praise to the Lord. When all the men had prayed aloud, Jill hesitantly opened her mouth to add her praise and thanksgiving. The men were astonished when they heard her speak the Hebrew tongue they had learned in their youth. Their hearts burned within them as they recognized the power of the Holy Spirit in them that believe and obey.

Chapter Seven

Nate rang Jill's buzzer promptly at seven o'clock that evening; and she buzzed the security door open for him. As soon as she opened her apartment door, she found herself enveloped in a huge bear hug.

"I've wanted to do this so many times since I heard the news about Ashley on Thursday! And about your aunt and her family! And I need one, because I found out my old friend, Gary, is gone, too," Nate murmured into Jill's curly brown hair. She looked up into his kind, freckled face with concern. Nate and Gary had been friends since grade school.

"Oh, Nate; I'm sorry! Didn't you just hear from him last month?"

Nate answered, "Yeah, he wrote to me from his naval base, telling me all about the I.D. panel he was ordered to get and that he was a Christian now. The guy in the next bunk got him to read the Bible."

"That's what I've been doing ever since Ashley disappeared, Nate. I've been waiting to tell you that I'm a Christian now, too! I just wish I had listened to Ashley when she tried to explain the gospel of grace that the Apostle Paul preached. Ashley just believed that gospel; and now, because that dispensation ended, she was rescued out of the world before the tribulation started. The gospel of the kingdom that Jesus preached when He was on earth is again the message of salvation -- first to Israel and through them, the world." Jill paused to take a breath. "I'm sorry. This is a lot to throw at you all at once! I'll get my coat so we can go to dinner. You must be starved – as usual!" She gave a little giggle as she looked over his big, former high school linebacker's body. His freckled face was topped with dark red hair; and he had the green eyes to go with it. Her heart skipped a beat when her blue ones met his.

Over dinner at their favorite Italian place, Jill tried to explain more fully the sudden change in her. Nate asked, "Why do you say you wished you would have listened to Ashley? Then you'd be gone, too, according to your theory! Wouldn't you miss me?" He covered her hand with his big one and looked at her with his best "orphaned" look.

"Of course I wouldn't want to leave you! But, now that the Grace believers are gone, the wrath of God and the unleashed power of Satan are going to come upon the earth. During the age of grace just past, salvation was a free gift for believing in Jesus Christ; but now, in order to be saved, believers must not only believe that Jesus is the Messiah that God promised to Israel; but we must give evidence of that belief by doing the required works of Judaism and enduring to the end of the tribulation -- or the end of our natural lives -- by staying faithful and obedient." Jill's face became very solemn. "I pray I'll find the strength to hold out until he comes again in glory!"

Nate shook his head. "After dinner, let's go over to Mom's shop. She has a different take on what happened Thursday. Maybe you should hear what she has to say."

* * *

"How's the gnocchi alla romana?" Tony Giovanni asked as he came by with more ice water.

"Ith greath!" Nate said around a huge mouthful.

Jill asked, "Tony, did you lose anyone in the 'disappearance'?"

"Thanks be to Mary, ever-virgin Mother of God; I'm happy to say I don't know of anyone in the Giovanni family who's missing. I lost some good customers, though, I hear! I'm just happy that you too are still here to eat my cannoli!" He patted Nate on the shoulder and pinched Jill on the cheek and walked away singing.

* * *

Half an hour later, they were walking into "The Happy Medium," to the sound of tinkling chimes. Nate's mother, Monica (although she called herself, 'Monique') was counting out the cash drawer, getting ready to close for the night. She was a red-head like Nate -- albeit a faded-out one -- with long, fluffy locks. She was dressed in a gauzy green caftan with several strings of beads around her freckled neck. Nate always wondered if she would have dressed like that if she were a real estate agent!

"Greetings, Jill. And you, my darling, Nate!" Her patchouli oil was almost over-powering as she pecked them both on their cheeks. "I heard about your friend, Ashley, Jill! You have my deepest sympathy. I just wish it hadn't had to happen that way!" She tsk-tsked and shook her head sadly.

Jill was confused. "What do you mean, Ms. Hannity? 'Had to happen?"

"Oh, my! Yes, Jill! Spiritual people--especially those in contact with the spirit entities assigned to this planet--have long predicted that when the level of self-realization required to make the next leap into a whole new dimension of spiritual awareness is attained, Mother Earth--or Gaia, if you will -- would cleanse herself of those negative-thinking people who were holding it back with their dark energy. They called themselves 'Christians,' but did not realize that Jesus was just one of many ascended masters sent to guide us, and insisted that he was the only way to 'heaven,' or what we call 'nirvana.' I know that Ashley was a lovely person; but if I remember correctly, she was one of those 'Christian Fundamentalists' who would not admit that there are many paths back to the God-force out of which we came! Moslem Fundamentalists at least realize that Jesus was just one of many prophets sent to instruct us in whatever path we may be on in this life. In these past years, many Muslims have come to accept that other faiths may view 'Allah' a bit differently, but, like them, strive to be obedient to whatever spiritual laws they are taught to observe.

"I am so glad that a spiritual man like Avi Muhammed has been selected by the spirit guides to lead the world into the new age of peace and enlightenment! From what I've read about him, he's studied under many of the great spiritual teachers of our time, learning the universal truths that tie all of the world religions together. His parents reportedly rose above their respective Muslim and Jewish upbringings and brought him up to appreciate the universal brotherhood of man. He will aid us in putting aside our petty differences and realize that the same 'higher power' is in all of us, and in everything around us. We will achieve our destiny when we finally realize that we are God!"

Monique stood motionless for a moment with hands dramatically outstretched. Then, with a flourish, she went to a small kitchenette behind the counter and returned with a small pot and three tiny cups. "Jill, have some of my special herbal tea. It will soothe you in your time of distress." As she poured the hot brew, her hand faltered as a barely detectable tremor passed under their feet. "There's another one of those little earthquakes. I felt one before while I was selling a customer a book on healing crystals. So unusual for this area! Thank goodness we haven't had one like the two in India yesterday and the horrible one in Lebanon today. Although they may be a portent of change for the better – Gaia's birth pangs, if you will!"

Jill took a deep breath. "Ms. Hannity, I have come to believe in Ashley's God, the God of the Bible – the only God. His word tells us that he will again deal with his chosen people, Israel, in these last days, and that he will pour out his judgment on this world before his Son returns in glory to set up his kingdom at Jerusalem. Some friends of mine are part of those Jews he's chosen to spread the gospel of the kingdom to all who will accept it. Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation; and I hope you will come to realize it, too, before it's too late." Jill impulsively grasped Monique's claw-like hands and held them tightly as she looked into her eyes.

Just for an instant, Jill thought she saw Monique's green eyes glow with a strange light and the pupils shrink to pinpoints. Monique snatched back her hands and snarled, "I thought Mother Gaia had rid herself of people like you. Perhaps another cleansing is in order?"

Abruptly, Monique's face returned to normal; and she said, "Oh, Jill! You know I didn't mean that the way it sounded! I've been under so much stress lately; I must get home and meditate. Only then will I find true inner peace. Perhaps my guide will contact me with instructions on helping others make the transition to a higher plane of spirituality." She drew on a voluminous magenta cape, and opened the front door to the shop. "Good-bye, my darlings." She blew them a kiss and hurried out.

"Sorry, Jill. I know Mom comes off like a flake; but she's really a very intelligent person. I'm kind of glad, though, that I never bought into what she's selling, either. No supernatural phenomena for me. No, sir!" Nate picked up a wizard figurine and held it next to his face as he stuck out his tongue and tried to duplicate its hideous expression.

Jill laughed and came after him with a huge, winged dragon, making the appropriate hissing noises. Nate caught a crystal ball just as the edge of her coat knocked it off a low shelf. "We'd better get out of here, troublemaker!" He stooped down and kissed her firmly on the lips.

* * *

As they reached the door of Jill's apartment, they could hear loud talking coming from Neal and Bruce's place.

"What's up, guys?" Jill asked through their door.

"Jill, come and see! Oh, hi, Nate; how's it going?" Bruce threw open the door and gestured for them to come in. There goes my time alone with Jill, Nate thought, shrugging his shoulders and following her in.

Neal pointed to the T.V. Look, there they are, just like Shalel told us! The two witnesses! This is incredible. Look at them!" Dan, who was still staying there, was squatting near the screen.

Two old men, dressed in rough clothing that looked like sackcloth tied with ropes, were wailing and crying out in what sounded like Hebrew; and at the same time, throwing handfuls of dust and dirt into the air above their heads. A huge crowd of Israelis had gathered making a lot of noise and gesturing toward the men wildly. The Israeli Police had cordoned off the area around the two men and were standing guard in readiness for the unexpected.

"Earlier today, this unbelievable scene took place." The news announcer nodded as the videotape on the screen behind him began to play. On the footage, an Israeli man darted from the crowd and grabbed hold of one of the wailing men. As he began to pummel him with his fist, suddenly a yellow flame shot out of his would-be victim and turned the assailant into a charred corpse! The crowd continued to yell, but backed considerably further away from the men. The film jumped ahead to show ambulance attendants gingerly removing the blackened form on a gurney. "It is still not known what type of weapon the elderly man used on his assailant. Reports indicate that these two men have been going through their strange gyrations since Thursday. We are hoping to get an on-camera interview with the men shortly; but, as you can see, approach must be made with extreme caution."

An official with the Israeli Police appeared on the screen. "Plans are being made to take these two men into custody for questioning and possible arrest. Precautionary measures to protect our personnel are under consideration at this time. The public is urged to clear the area and let the police do their job."

"Okay, okay. What did you mean when you said 'Shalel' or somebody told you this would happen?" Nate looked questioningly at Bruce, who proceeded to relate the drama that had occurred in that very apartment the night before.

Nate looked skeptical. "What kind of drugs were you guys on? You expect me to believe that?" As he looked steadily at the young Jewish man, he saw a beautiful glow spread over Bruce's face. "Hey, I've never been into drugs; but if they make you look that happy, hand some over!"

Neal put a strong hand on Nate's shoulder. "No need for drugs, man. We have found the answer to everything for which people seek. That answer is Jesus Christ our Messiah and Deliverer. He has called us to be a light set on a hill to show the way of salvation to any who will come to him through us. Jill has joined with us in our journey to the kingdom that he will bring with him when he comes."

"Oh, yeah? And when is that?" Nate refused to let his guard down. Someone had to keep a cool head.

Bruce held up the Bible. "According to the book of Daniel and the book of the Revelation, that'll happen in about seven years. A time of terrible persecution by Satan's forces is about to begin, as well as the outpouring of God's wrath on a world that has rejected his Son. But when we have endured unto the end of the seven years, our King will come with ten thousands of his angels to destroy Satan's puppets, the antichrist and the false prophet by the brightness of his coming and the breath of his mouth. Then, and only then, will true peace blanket this earth, brought by the only Prince of peace, the author of it."

A pounding on the door interrupted their conversation.

"Come quickly! A man has been stabbed! Please, hurry!" The voice shouted through the door. Neal grabbed the emergency kit near the door, and they all rushed into the hall. The distraught neighbor gestured for them to follow him down the hall. "We've called 9-1-1, but they aren't here yet! Please help him!"

They entered an open door at the end of the hall, and encountered a middle-aged man lying on the floor, grasping his chest. Blood was pumping out of him. A bloodied knife lay next to him. Neal placed the heel of his hand onto the man's chest in order to apply pressure to the wound. As Nate, Jill, and Bruce gathered around to offer their assistance, an astonishing thing happened. The bleeding suddenly stopped and quickly began to clot. As the sound of the ambulance siren could be heard coming closer, the slit in the man's chest closed up and only dried blood remained! The victim's breathing returned to normal and he sat up.

"It's a miracle!" The neighbor began yelling and grabbing at his hair, shaking his head from side to side.

"I never in my life saw anything like that, except in the movies! This is unbelievable!"

Neal looked up at his friends. "I asked the Father to help him, that he would be healed. I was just so scared that he was going to die, and I wanted to tell him about the Lord Jesus before he did." He began to speak softly to the shocked-looking man on the floor, as the others ran to tell the ambulance attendants what had happened.

When they returned to their own apartment, Nate was already there, on his knees. He had his hands clasped together on the table in front of him, and his eyes were closed. Tears streamed down his face as he gave his life to the Lord. Jill dropped to her knees, threw her arms around him, and held him close. "I am so, so happy, Nate. Now we'll be together forever!" Neal and Bruce each squeezed one of his shoulders and just smiled. Dan said softly, "Welcome aboard!"

"I know it's getting late; but I've got a lot to learn! Are you willing?" He stood up and opened the Bible on the kitchen table.

"You'd better believe it!" Neal laughed.
Chapter Eight

It was almost time to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles that fall when the letter from the Temple Institute Building Commission arrived for Neal and Bruce.

"It says here that because our family lineage can be traced back to Aaron, the brother of Moses, through our family name of Cohen, we are hereby requested to join the Institute's program for the training and induction of future priests in service to the Temple."" Neal peered at the letter through his small round lenses.

"There's no way I'm giving up medical school to go to Israel and learn to slit the throats of goats and bulls!" Bruce declared firmly. "'But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.'" [Hebrews 9:11,12]

"'For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.'" [Hebrews 7:19] Neal nodded and said, "I agree with you there, cousin!"

"I wish I was going to the feast of tabernacles with you and the 'messianic' guys!" Olivia petulantly kicked her feet against their worn couch. Dad is such a grouch ever since he kicked Danny out of the house! I can hear him tossing and turning at night and talking in his sleep. And all Mom does is mope around."

Daniel put his arm around his little sister and drew her closer. "I wish you could too, Olli; but you know they're not going to let you come with us. But I am glad that you've let us teach you about the Messiah and how he's going to come and rescue all of us not too many years from now...although -- come to think of it -- you'll be all grown up by then!" He closed his eyes and willed away the fear that she might not make it alive to that day.

"I'm hungry. What's to eat around here?" Olivia hopped off the couch, her long dark ponytail swinging from side to side, and headed for the kitchen.

"Not much, I'm afraid," lamented Bruce. "The price of food is sky-high what with this rationing system Avi has put into place. We know our parents are hurting for money even more than we are, so we don't want to trouble them. Good thing our education is mostly from scholarships. There might be a loaf of bread somewhere and some jelly." He followed Olli in order to give her a hand.

"When you guys are doctors, are you going to go to Africa or India or one of those places where people are dying from the 'new plague'? When they show them on TV, I can't stand to look at them! A lot of them are kids like me." Olli sighed and looked pensively at Bruce. "I hope Jesus hurries up."

"You haven't told your parents that you believe in Jesus, have you? I wouldn't want you to get in trouble." Bruce worried.

"No, it's still a secret. But I sure would like to!" She declared. When she had her jelly bread ready, she sat down at the kitchen table, and said, "Tell me the part about Jesus turning those couple of fish and some scraps of bread into enough food for that big crowd!" She never got tired of hearing the gospel accounts; after all, they were new to her.

In the living room, Daniel was helping Neal type a response to the Temple Institute's invitation. "Thanks, but no thanks!" muttered Neal as he clicked on 'print.'

Dan reached over and typed in 'crazyoldhebrews.com' to see what the two prophets were doing. The website had the latest information from Jerusalem and video footage, as well. It was rumored that even when people watched the videos, they could understand what the prophets were saying in their own language, even down to their local dialect. Of course, the news media was not reporting that item, Daniel thought, because giving credence to anything that might be from Jehovah God would offend those who insisted that God was Allah, or an impersonal force, or the great white spirit.

It was difficult to hear what the prophets were saying because the video cam was not able to get close enough for a clear audio. Once, they had heard the one they called, 'Moses,' quote, "Your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it!" [Isaiah 28] And the one they had named, 'Elijah, shouted, "Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire!" [Isaiah 30:30] The Israeli police had tried to take the two into custody, but were kept back by the flames that shot out from their persons. 'Elijah' had declared that no rain would fall in Israel until the days of their prophecy were over, and it was the fortieth day and counting.

"If you look closely, you can see that some of the people in the crowd are listening to the prophets with respect and attention. The preaching of those two is starting to make an impact on those who are ripe to hear it." Neal pointed to the screen where some on-lookers wore solemn expressions as those around them heckled the two witnesses. "I pray we may preach with similar power at Sukkot. There will be many Jews there who have not heard that our messiah is Jesus and that he is coming back!"

Surfing the web for news in Jerusalem, Dan clicked on a report on the rebuilding of Herod's Temple. The walls were up and the finishing touches being put on them.

"Wow, it seems like just yesterday that the Israeli Temple Team was digging the foundations and making sure the new temple was on solid ground and not in danger of collapsing into the tunnels under it. Remember how cryptic they were when they reported making an important find during their explorations? If they found the Ark of the Covenant, why don't they tell the world?" Neal wondered.

"Well, I think it was totally bizarre when the World Peace Federation's militia bull-dozed not only the Al-Aqsa Mosque but also the Dome of the Rock! The Israelis thought they had to butt their new temple almost up against those Muslim shrines, but now the way is completely cleared! If I didn't know better, even I would think the Lord was behind it." Daniel shrugged his shoulders in consternation.

Neal added, "Yeah, the 'lord of darkness'! He did it in retaliation when the three regions that were predominantly Muslim stubbornly refused to sign that security agreement with the WPF. Remember coming home that day this summer and watching CNN show the palaces of each of the three resisting co-regents surrounded as far as the eye could see by troops and tanks and helicopters from all the other regions?"

"Yes, but you couldn't tell where they were from because they all wear those new black, gray, and red uniforms with the W.P.F. insignia." Dan raised his eyebrows. "I guess they wear these little tiny badges with their home information on them. The I.D. panels on their foreheads are bigger than that!"

Bruce walked in and joined the conversation. "How long were those co-regent guys under house arrest before they caved in and signed the darn thing – about thirty-five days? I didn't think they'd hold out that long...they must have had more food than we do!"

"Speaking of I.D. panels, have you guys been under any pressure to get one? My guidance counselor at school asked me today why I don't have one yet. She said that we 'procrastinators' are holding back the goal of world peace. She looked all dreamy-eyed talking about 'Avi this', and 'Avi that'." Neal looked disgusted. "If we try to tell anybody who this guy really is, they'll lock us up, either in jail or an institution!"

"Have you noticed that now the police have the exact same uniforms as the military? What kind of fashion statement is that?" Olli wrinkled her nose.

"I think it's more of a 'fascist' statement, Olli," Dan said with a grimace.

Neal laughed and then sobered, "When the police are cross-trained as militia, you can bet that the objective is controlling the local population. Isn't that what happened in Nazi Germany? This Avi reminds me of Hitler the way he mesmerizes the masses. Although the Muslim regions aren't too crazy about him now that he's declared that he is the Regent Imperator over the 3 regions his armies subdued. I hope he can handle the extreme hatred toward the Jews his actions will inflame!"

"And I hope we Jews can survive it, as well!" Bruce closed his eyes, and the others recognized that he was praying for their safety. As they added their silent prayers to his, a loud, "CRACK!" was heard, followed by angry thunder that shook the old building. Immediately, a heavy torrent of rain poured from the darkened sky.

Minutes later, their door burst open, and Jill and Nate almost tumbled over each other rushing in. They were both soaked to the skin, their hair dripping wet; but their eyes were dancing. Jill held out her left hand where a small marquis-cut diamond out-sparkled the raindrops.

"We're engaged! Isn't it wonderful?" Jill looked as if she would burst. Nate smiled a bit smugly, and said, "Hey, it makes sense. Two can live a lot more cheaply together, than apart, especially in this economy! And Jill isn't too bossy to live with--yet!" She threw her soaked weight against him, almost knocking him over, which was no easy task at his size. Everyone laughed and exchanged hugs and congratulations, with Olli getting in the middle of it all, until they were all damp.

"So when's the big day?" Bruce asked, trying not to think of Ashley.

Jill answered, "Well, we'll probably get married at the courthouse in the next month or so. We don't want to delay, seeing as there may not be much 'normal' time left." Thinking about that caused her to become very quiet. Nate tried to cheer her up by joking, "With you around, there's no such thing as normal!" which prompted another wrestling match.

"Get a room, you two!" piped up Olli. At their shocked faces, she shrugged and explained, "I heard it on TV, but I'm not sure what it means!" The tension suddenly broken, they all laughed until they cried.

Afterward, Neal became serious and said, "I guess that's not so shocking when you consider what's on television nowadays. Just about all you ever see anymore is sex – and it's always between people of the same sex or ones who aren't married – plus sorcery and witchcraft, violence and murder, and as much filthy language as they can fit into the script!"

"And that's just on the news!" quipped Nate.

Dan looked out the window. "I hope this weather blows over by the time we leave for Sukkot tomorrow.

"What's that?" Nate wanted to know.

Dan explained, "It's a Jewish Feast called Tabernacles celebrated in the fall after the in-gathering of the harvest.. Jews today observe it in many different forms, but actually the book of Leviticus commands all who are true Israelites to dwell for seven days in booths or sukkah, which are made with tree branches, corn stalks, bamboo reeds, or anything that grew from the ground and was cut off, which we call sekhakh. The sukkah must have at least three walls and the material used for the roof must be sparse enough so that the stars can be seen. Originally, Jews traveled to Jerusalem to gather for this feast. We'd like to, of course; but the best we can do is a vineyard on Long Island where we've been invited to celebrate with Jewish families from all over the area. Hopefully, we'll meet more messianic Jews like us, and others who are willing to listen to our testimony."

"That sounds like more fun than camping out in back of the synagogue!" Olli complained.

"No matter where we are, the feast of Sukkot will be especially meaningful to us this year, because now we know that the rest from our labors that God offered us in the feast symbolized the everlasting rest we will find with him in the kingdom. Jesus our Messiah is our rest, both now and forever." Bruce smiled.

"Amen!" Olli chimed in. "I learned something from studying the Gospels in Hebrew. In John 1:14, where John wrote, "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us," the word for 'dwelt' means 'tabernacled'. Do you think it's a hint that Jesus was born during the feast?"

Neal considered it. "That's a very intriguing idea, Olli. I know that December 25 is a pagan feast day, and that it's highly unlikely that the shepherds told of in Luke would be abiding with their flocks outside in December weather." He put his arm around her shoulders. "Tell you what, little girl, when we enter his kingdom, we'll find him and ask him. Isn't that a wonderful thought?"

Chapter Nine

Did it just seem like that winter in New York was harsher than any they could remember? The bitterly cold wind unrelentingly whipped at everyone and everything that dared to be outside. The snow drifted against buildings and then suddenly moved on in a blinding fury. Jill hurried inside with relief as Nate used all of his strength to pull the door open to the 'Happy Medium.' He and Jill had decided that it was time to tell Monique about their coming wedding.

"Hello, my wonderful shining ones!" Monique held out her arms in welcome, although her effusive greeting was not mirrored in her eyes. "What brings you two here? The sale I'm having on Kabballistic literature? I'm offering a free red wrist string with every purchase. It's all the rage right now since the new Minister of World Religion, Rabbi Sylvester ben Ariel, confided in that televised interview that he finds it most fascinating!" She waved her hand toward a rack displaying colorful books and pamphlets on the ancient form of Jewish mysticism.

"Yeah, we heard," sighed Nate, determined not to get into an argument. "It's incredible how fast that new World Institute of Religion went up right after 'Imperator' Avi Mohammed built his lavish palace in the heart of Babylon! I hear that the 'Imperial' headquarters of the World Peace Federation are being re-located to Babylon so that a super-computer can be set up to monitor world affairs. Every merchandiser in the world is clamoring to donate their products and services to at least one of the three buildings so that they will be represented in 'the most important city on earth.'

Monique agreed, "It is and always has been the most important places on earth! Mankind's awakening to our spiritual abilities took place there thousands of years ago. The great truths discovered and refined into enduring rituals are the truths man must re-discover today. A shift in the spiritual paradigm is fast approaching, and spirit guides all over the world are announcing the arrival of the Christ Consciousness. Babylon would be the natural destination of this next great anointing. Avi realizes this and has placed himself where the universal spiritual powers interconnect and merge."

"What do you know about this Rabbi Sylvester ben Ariel?" Jill asked hesitantly, still feeling slightly afraid of this overpowering woman.

"Well, he's rumored to be from a very liberal Jewish family with high connections. He's a close friend of our new young Pontiff, Pope Peter II. They're said to be very much alike in their spiritual development. They both agree that the Christ Consciousness has anointed several great spiritual teachers in history, including Mohammed, Buddha, and Jesus. They're both looking for the return of this Anointing on someone who will lead us enlightened ones into the next stage of human evolution. They have highly developed psychic abilities; and people have reported seeing both of them performing supernatural feats." Monique looked positively dreamy-eyed. She was dressed for the upcoming season in a short red velvet cape trimmed with white fake rabbit fur around the hood. Beneath it, she wore a diaphanous white linen shift. Nate kept his eyes carefully averted from the fact that she wore nothing beneath it.

"Is it true that the new Pope is saying that it wasn't the Christians who were taken in the disappearance?" Jill asked defensively.

"Well, my dear, it's pretty obvious that not all Christians were removed because the Catholic Churches are still filled to overflowing with members, with more joining every day...although many were reported as taken in the disappearance as well. Other Christian Churches are still up and running as usual, although they're losing a lot of their members to the Catholic Church what with the Queen of the Cosmos appearing daily at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome! Whereas before only certain chosen ones could see her, now any that believe are given the beatific vision! I wish I had enough money to go there. People don't realize that she represents the universal goddess in all women." She shook her head, "No, the only ones who were taken were those that stubbornly refused to admit that there are many paths our souls can take in our journey to merge back into the Divine from which we came. It has been said that when a piece of mountain breaks away and becomes a pebble, it will always retain its memory of the mountain, and vice versa."

Nate looked at Jill and could see her beautiful face becoming angry. He quickly interrupted, "Mom, Jill and I have some wonderful news! We're getting married soon." He put his arm around Jill protectively.

"That is wonderful news! Jill, you and I are going to become the best of friends! I'm so glad you've put those archaic notions out of your head of Jesus Christ being 'the only way' so that you can concentrate on making my Nathan happy!" She crushed Jill to her bosom, her long painted fingernails catching in Jill's thick curls.

Nate's stance widened. "I'd better tell you right now that I'm a member of that 'way,' too. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and he is my redeemer. He laid down his life for me, and I would lay down my life for him!" Jill struggled out of Monique's death-like grasp and hurried to Nate's side, where she declared, "That goes for me, too, Ms. Hannity!"

Afterward, they had a hard time believing what they had seen. A dark creature, with a dog-like face and huge leathery wings, arose from directly behind, and what seemed like from within, Monique's body. A sickening stench emanated from the monster, and copious amounts of drool hanging from razor-sharp teeth were dripping onto Monique's face into her vacant eyes. A long black tongue shot out from its mouth and came perilously close to their stunned faces. A guttural voice boomed, "I would love to kill you two right now! And I will – very soon!" The curved claws on its huge paw raked the air in front of them, but found nothing, because Jill and Nate were already out the door!

They didn't stop running until they were on Jill's block, where they stopped and looked at each other with huge, shocked eyes. "I don't think that's my mom anymore!" Nate gasped. "All I know is, I'm not going back there, ever." He knew he would cry later, but right now he needed to be strong for Jill.

* * *

They were at the kitchen sink splashing cold water on their faces like that would make the memory go away, when there was a knock on the door.

"Jill, Nate, come over to our place!" Bruce's face was beaming so brightly, he obviously didn't notice their distress. "Rabbi Marcus is here!"

"What?" Jill was stunned. "I thought he was mad at us. He hasn't spoken to Danny in months. And when he found out we were teaching Olivia about the Lord Jesus, he even put a stop to her visits. Is he here to yell at us about something else?"

Bruce beckoned to them, "Come on over and see!"

The Rabbi was sitting on the couch with Daniel and they were talking fervently. Marcus looked up and immediately rose to his feet. "Jill, it's so good to see you again. Will you also forgive me? Daniel has told me that you have become a follower of the Messiah as well."

"Tell her about the dream, Dad. Oh, by the way, Dad, this is Nate, Jill's fiancé`, also a believer." Dan made the introduction, and they shook hands.

As they all sat down, Marcus explained, "I had a dream right after I fell asleep last night. Then I stayed up all night praying and waiting to tell Daniel about it. An angel visited me in my sleep and told me to stop persecuting my son for believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, the messiah of our people, Israel. The angel was ruddy and handsome and dressed in a dark red garment over a white robe. He was wearing a sword and soft-looking sandals."

"Sounds like Shalel!" Neal said as he walked into the living room with coffee and cookies on a tray. "We received an angelic visitor ourselves the night we announced our conversion to you, Rabbi Marcus."

"Please, just call me Marcus. I don't deserve a title of such respect from you. Our Lord Jesus told His disciples to call no man Rabbi. If anyone should be treated with deference, it is you men who have been chosen as His messengers to spread the gospel of the kingdom. I am ashamed of how I treated you that night. Will you forgive me?" He hung his head.

As they all rushed over to Marcus and clapped him on the back, squeezed his arm, and hugged him tightly, Bruce exclaimed, "No need to ask for forgiveness! We needed God's help to understand the truth, too. Besides, under the terms of the New Covenant laid out by the Lord in Matthew, we are required to forgive others in order to receive forgiveness ourselves! So consider yourself forgiven – Marcus!"

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions." Said Neal, quoting from Joel 2.

"Hey, who are you calling 'old'?" Marcus huffed, pretending to be angry. "Okay, okay, I guess I am pretty old. Old enough to know better now at least! Praise to the Lord Jesus Christ."

Their laughter was cut short when they heard a loud pounding on the door. Suddenly, the door slammed open as it was kicked in. Four WPF Security Officers shouldered their way in, leaving an apologetic-looking landlord in the hall.

One of them spoke brusquely as he read from a paper he was holding. "Bruce Cohen. Neal Cohen. Are they here?"

"What's the trouble, officers?" Marcus stepped forward.

The burly officer growled, "We're under orders to take them into custody for transport to Jerusalem. They're being conscripted to serve in the Temple."

"We turned down that invitation!" Bruce squeaked, as his hands were yanked behind his back and cuffed.

"That warn't no 'invitation,' sonny!" A hardened-looking woman officer replied. "You two are getting a free trip to Isre-i-al!" She deftly slapped handcuffs onto Neal's wrists. "Notice you don't have the 'panel.' They'll probably take care of that when you get there."

"You can't do this. We are citizens of the United States!" Marcus sputtered his indignation.

As they led Bruce and Neal away between them, one of the officers called back, "That's what you think, Pops! There's a higher authority now...if you can't beat 'em, join 'em; that's what I say!" The officer's ID panel gleamed under the hall lights. "Here's the address where you can ship their personal belongings. Have a nice day!" The sound of their heavy footsteps echoed for a long time in the ears of those left behind.
Chapter Ten

It was when their two guards were nodding off that Shalel suddenly appeared. They were in the airport sitting on molded vinyl seats waiting for their flight to be announced. "Shalel!" Bruce whispered loudly, "Get us out of here!"

"Yeah, didn't angels bust both Peter and Paul out of prison? These handcuffs should be no problem for you!" Neal squirmed in his chair and looked at Shalel pleadingly.

Shalel smiled apologetically. "No, my friends, it is not ordained to happen that way. You will go to Israel with these men and be delivered to the new temple."

"I thought you were supposed to keep us from harm!" Bruce realized that his voice was too loud when one of their captors stirred. He whispered, "How come you're letting this happen?"

"You will not be harmed on this journey. These men are under orders to treat you gently although that is not in their nature. It has been explained to them that priests assigned to the temple must be without spot or blemish and they are to keep you that way." Shalel looked at them with gentle sympathy. "When the time is right, you will be delivered from these circumstances. Until then, use them as an opportunity to bring the good news of the kingdom to any you meet." As suddenly as he appeared, he was gone.

"Hmmm...what was that?" One of the guards mumbled as he came to. "Keep it down, you two. What are you talking about?"

"The most wonderful news you're ever going to hear, sir," said Neal, smiling. "The Lord Jesus Christ, ruler of all, is coming back to this earth to set up his everlasting kingdom. All who come to have faith in his name and the fact that he is the Messiah of Israel are invited to partake of it. Would you like to know of him?"

The guard, whose badge read, 'Merv,' let out a string of profanity that would make a sailor blush. His sidekick, 'Bill,' seeing their shocked faces, said, "Come on, Merv, keep it clean, will ya? When we get on the plane if there aren't any good magazines, I wouldn't mind hearing more of your far-fetched tale. I'm a science fiction buff myself." Despite his square-jawed poker face, they could detect a friendly gleam in his eyes.

By the time their plane touched down at Tel Aviv Airport, Bill had promised to find a messianic Jew back in New York and discuss the coming King and kingdom further. He realized that he wasn't really looking forward to being a pawn used to control other pawns in the futuristic end game he saw before him. He was a realist who instinctively knew that the giant heartless machine that had taken over the world would be all too willing to chew him up and spit him out when he had outlived his usefulness.

An Israeli patrol car met them at the airport and drove them all to the Temple Mount. Even after having seen many photographs of the Holy Land, Neal and Bruce were struck by the barrenness of the surrounding countryside, the sun-washed whiteness of the old city, and the stark contrast of the modern bustling city of close to half a million inhabitants. Just a few years ago, they would have felt the simmering hostility of Jerusalem's Muslim population. But now, under the protective indulgence of Imperator Avi Muhammed, the Muslim presence in the city was nearly eliminated. Some had grudgingly and some had exultantly accepted the relocation funds forced upon them immediately after the signing of the 7-Year Covenant of Peace. As an inducement to peace in the Mid-East regions, funds were poured in to bolster the economy in the settlement areas. Without their two major religious shrines of pilgrimage standing defiantly in the midst, Muslims found little attraction in the 'city of peace.'

"Wow!" was all Bruce could manage when he caught his first glimpse of the second Herodian Temple. It was an over-powering sight as it stood on the Mount, its walls covered in gleaming white marble inlaid with delicate veins of red and blue. "It's huge! How did they build this so quickly?" Neal breathed as their guards led them through a heavily guarded massive iron gate. The guards seemed disapproving of the fact that they had to examine the newcomers' papers and identification cards instead of being able to scan their ID panels.

On the other side of the main gate, they found themselves in a spacious open court. A temple official came toward them clad in a snowy white uniform consisting of pants, an over-tunic tied with a silvery blue sash, and a gleaming white turban. "Welcome, Neal and Bruce Cohen. I was just informed of your arrival. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Jacob ben Lucia, Director of Levitical Studies here at the temple. He waved his arm, "We are standing in the court of the Gentiles at present." He pointed out several signs warning visitors to proceed no further upon penalty of death. "A water purification ritual, in addition to a cleansing ceremony performed with the ashes of the red heifer, is required even for Israelites to go beyond this point. Come. Let us take care of that immediately." Bruce and Neal took leave of their guards, who, after removing their handcuffs, departed the temple.

Following the cleansing rituals in which temple servers assisted them in bathing and donning pajama-like white garments, Neal and Bruce were shown to their quarters on an upper floor. Their room contained four beds and four desks. A young man sat at one of the desks, poring over some large volumes. He looked up at their entrance, and said, "Shalom! My name is Josef. I'm from Germany, but I speak English, and, of course, Hebrew. You are Americans?" Neal and Bruce offered him their hands in a friendly greeting. "Yes, that's right," answered Neal, "We just arrived."

Jacob ben Lucia cleared his throat and announced, "Please make yourselves comfortable. You will be summoned shortly for your initial interviews." He bowed slightly and left the room.

"So, were you, um, forced to come here against your will, like we were?" Bruce asked Josef. He was still rather chagrined at the turn of events in which he was caught.

Josef raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, no, I received a most gracious invitation to serve as a priest in the temple, and I hastened to accept! It is a very great honor and privilege to attend to the things of the Lord as commanded in the Torah. At last, our people's sins will be dealt with according to the law."

Neal sat down on the edge of one of the beds. "Josef, what if I told you that our sins have already been dealt with – by the Messiah? It has been revealed to us that Jesus of Nazareth is our messiah who laid down his life for his sheep almost 2,000 years ago. Genesis 49:10 says, "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." Jesus was born just before the time when Judah lost its national identity and the authority to administer capital punishment to those Jews willfully breaking the law."

Josef's handsome face took on a guarded look. Bruce spoke earnestly, "Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled every prophecy in the Tanakh about the messiah's first coming as a suffering servant. He said to Israel, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." [Matthew 5:17] Jesus kept the Mosaic Law perfectly and then offered his life as a ransom for many. He would have fulfilled the prophecies regarding his second coming to set up the kingdom promised to us since the world began, but in the face of rejection by his chosen people, He has remained in exile at his Father's right hand. Instead of visiting his judgment and wrath upon this world, the Father was pleased to show his mercy and grace to another group of people who also did not deserve it -- the Gentiles."

"If you will place faith in His Name, repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins, you will be given the right to seek a place in the Kingdom shortly to come with him. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."" [Hebrews 9:28] Neal leaned forward and looked steadily at Josef, his face glowing.

Josef rose with fists clenched at his sides. "Whoever the messiah is, the temple sacrifices are being re-instituted! The resumption of temple practices will bring the messiah to us!"

Bruce quoted, "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, and every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." [Hebrews 10:10-14] Please, Josef, don't be drawn into a religious system that is now in vain and out of the will of God!"

"I refuse to listen to any more of this heresy! Go to hell, both of you!" Josef thrashed his way out of the room, knocking a heavy book to the floor.

Bruce grimaced, "I guess we really made a lasting first impression on him! Remember, we have to room with the guy."

"Shalel told us we would be delivered from this situation, and to proclaim the good news of the kingdom to all we meet. That's what we did, regardless of how we were received." Neal tried to sound confident, but couldn't help but feel disheartened at Josef's reaction.

"Neal Cohen? Please follow me." A Temple server appeared in the doorway. Neal swallowed nervously and followed him down the hall. He was shown into a small office where a man with an official bearing was seated behind a desk.

"Ah, Neal!" The man smiled and gestured at a chair opposite him. "Please. Sit down. Would you like a glass of iced tea?" Neal gratefully accepted and took a few sips to soothe his burning throat. "I am Dr. Goren, a member of the Temple physician team." He glanced at a clipboard in his hand. "You appear to be in excellent physical health, Neal. As you know, priests serving in the Temple must be without spot or blemish, perfect specimens worthy to perform their duties. I see you are wearing glasses. Are they for purely cosmetic reasons, perhaps to appear scholarly?"

Neal laughed, "No, sir, I wear them because I am almost blind without them!"

Dr. Goren's face sobered. "I'm afraid if that is the case, then I have some very bad news for you, indeed. You will not be allowed to perform the duties of a priest, high or otherwise, owing to the infirmity of your eyes. You are hereby given the choice to take leave of the Temple or to stay on to perform menial duties in the day-to-day operation of the building."

Maybe something similar will happen to Bruce, Neal thought hopefully. He knew he would have to take the opportunity to leave this place where the traditions of men superseded the desires of the Almighty.

"I choose to leave the temple, sir." Neal rose and extended his hand. "Thank you for making quick work of this for me!" He deliberated for a moment, and then said, "Our Messiah, Jesus Christ, is coming to set up a temple from which he will rule the world in righteousness. I pray that when I take my place in that one, that you will also be there!" He left the room, and immediately ran into Bruce, who was coming out of another office.

"I'm being allowed to leave! What about you?" Neal asked him. Bruce frowned. "No such luck! I'm as fit as a fiddle and will begin my Levitical studies tomorrow, although I won't be allowed to sacrifice for at least two years, thankfully! Where are you going to go?"

"I have no idea! But, you know what? "Truly my soul waiteth upon God; from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved." [Psalm 62:1-2]. I'm just going to start walking and go where the Spirit leads me." For the first time since he was arrested, Neal's heart felt light and happy. He put his arms around his cousin and said firmly, "I will see you soon, my brother!"

"Here; there; or in the kingdom, brother!" Bruce answered with tears in his eyes.

Chapter Eleven

With the temple still in sight behind him, Neal started walking toward an area where he could see a large crowd gathered. He slipped through the throng and was suddenly brought up short by the sight of the "two witnesses." To his astonishment, they also noticed him immediately! The one he thought of as Moses called to him, "but he that putteth his trust in God shall possess the land, and shall inherit His holy mountain; and shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way of His people." [Isaiah 57:13b-14] At Neal's puzzled look, 'Elijah' spoke, "What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? Knowest thou not what these be? These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth." [Zechariah 4:12-14] Neal knew this was an Old Testament reference to the olive trees in the eleventh chapter of the Revelation. The two old prophets came close to him and embraced him heartily. Seeing the glow that enveloped the three of them, the crowd fell back in stunned silence -- except for one young man, that is that also received a hearty greeting from the two. Neal turned his head, and exclaimed, "Daniel!"

The prophets smiled and waved them away, murmuring, "Shalom, children, shalom!"

"What are you doing here?" Neal couldn't conceal his delight at Dan's familiar smiling face. Then he looked beyond Dan and saw Marcus, Rebecca, and Olivia coming toward him. "What in the world? How did you get here?"

Marcus pumped Neal's hand and explained, "We took the first flight to Israel we could get. We thought to ourselves, 'Why ship your belongings when we could take them to you ourselves!' We put some things of yours in a locker at the airport after we checked at the new temple and were told you had left. They wouldn't allow us to see Bruce, so we just left his suitcases there. Somehow I knew where to find you!"

Olivia had thrown her arms around his waist right away, and still wasn't letting go! "I'm not going to let anyone take you away again! If I'd been there yesterday, I'd have given those guards a run for their money!" The admiring crush Olivia had on Neal was growing more evident every day, but Neal treated her with every respect.

At that moment, a young boy with a tray of Italian breads offered them each a free sample, which they accepted gratefully. Sensing his friendly openness, Neal squatted next to the boy and told him about the Messiah of Israel that was soon to return. The boy brightened even further and said, "My family believes in him! We are not Jews, but a Jewish missionary told us of him not long ago. Please come home with me and be our guests at dinner." They followed him to a nearby restaurant where his large Italian family lived in an attached apartment. There they were treated with love and way too much food. When they took their leave, Daniel said a blessing and quoted, 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.' [Matthew 25:40]

As they strolled through the streets of Jerusalem, Olivia spoke what was on all of their hearts. "I miss Bruce! I wish he was here, too." Everyone agreed, and Neal calmed their fears by relaying the information Shalel had given him about them being safely in the hands of God, who is working everything out according to his purpose. As if on cue, they all held hands and bowed their heads. Daniel prayed, "Heavenly Father, we thank you for our continued safety amidst the growing darkness of this world. We rely on your providence, Lord, to get us through the trials ahead that we may concentrate on conducting ourselves as you would want, both now and in your kingdom...in the name of your most precious Son, Yeshua." And they all said, "Amen!"

Marcus spoke up. "Neal, we have taken a couple of rooms at a nearby hotel, and you are more than welcome to spend the night with us there. In the morning, we're planning a sightseeing trip to Babylon to see the antichrist's . . ." He looked around hastily and corrected himself, "the Imperator's new headquarters."

Seeing something that looked like civilization was a welcome relief two days later after traveling over what seemed like endless desert roads and irrigated fields. Of course, there had been some hassle crossing from one region to another, especially since none of them had an I.D. panel. Fortunately, their passports and papers were enough.

Upon entering the huge brick arch leading into the re-built ancient city, they were immediately struck by the hustle and bustle swirling around them. Amid the general activities of life in the most powerful city on earth, they were immediately aware of an undercurrent of evil that almost made them change their minds about going any further. The people around them were helpful and polite, but many of them had eyes that were lifeless and blank. The city was crawling with Imperial Guards, at the ready to quell any suspicious activity. Instead of making them feel safer, the sight of militia in every street was a menacing one.

They entered a district called, "Marketplace of the World," where colorful shops from every Region of the globe displayed their merchandise. "The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood and all manner vessels of ivory and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble." [Revelation 18:12] Neal murmured. Daniel continued, "And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat and beasts, and sheep and horses, and chariots, and slaves." Marcus grimaced. "And the souls of men!" [Revelation 18:13] Rebecca shook her graying head. "It makes me dizzy! And so do the prices!" She fingered a delicate scarf with a beaded edge and then dropped her hand. "There's nothing in this world that I need except what God provides," she said firmly, looking very beautiful to Marcus, whose heart swelled with love for her.

Next, they ventured into the new business district, where the first building they came to was the new Institute of World Religion. Outside on the large tiled expanse before the entrance, Hindu dancers were whirling and leaping feverishly before a huge forty-foot tall marble owl with a crackling "eternal" flame burning in front of it. At various points in the performance, the dancers seemed suspended in mid-air for an impossible length of time. A small crowd had gathered to appreciate the display of different religious practices. Large letters carved above the entrance to the pentagon-shaped building read, "All Paths Lead into the Light." Daniel explained, "I saw on the Internet that from the air, you can see a huge pentagram within the circular grounds. I think in this case, then, the 'Light' refers to Lucifer, also known as Satan, who transforms himself into an angel of light. The 'paths' that are represented here are those that he has caused men to follow, seeking in vain to achieve godhood by their own feeble efforts. The lie he told Eve in the Garden has been the one he used all through the centuries to turn the hearts of men from their Creator – 'ye shall be as gods." [Genesis 3:5]

Neal added, "And if I'm not mistaken on my Canaanite history, the owl represents the god, Molech. The pagans living in Canaan when Israel first entered the land sacrificed their children in the fire to him."

"I don't know about you," said Rebecca with a shudder, "but I can't bear to go in!" They agreed to keep walking past the huge monument to man's folly.

Directly behind the Institute of Religion, they could see a huge, glassed-in pyramid reflecting the bright sunlight so that it hurt their eyes to look at it. "Why was I not surprised that there are exactly 666 panes of glass in this pyramid?" Marcus said, as he squinted at the capstone high above them, where a hologram of the all-seeing eye of Horus gazed knowingly and approvingly at his world empire. This was the headquarters of Imperator Avi Muhammed, who conducted the affairs of 'world peace' from somewhere inside the imposing edifice. The group was turned away at the door; evidently I.D. panels were a requirement for entrance. The Imperator's guard must know everything about anyone who dared enter. They took one last look at the colorful flags of the ten world regions, five on each side of the huge red, black, and gray flag of the Imperator.

Last, but not least, they could see in the distance the imperial palace of Avi Muhammed. It was unbelievably ornate, but in a most delicate, appealing way. Constructed in the Turkish style with gleaming mosaic-encrusted Byzantine onion domes, the palace took everyone's breath away. The whitest of marble was used in its construction, while the mosaic tiles were a celestial blue and gold. Plato's famous hanging gardens were lushly abundant from being fed by artesian pumps placed in the sparkling blue waters surrounding the palace. Squinting in the bright sunlight, the group could see graceful swans gliding on the glassy surface of the man-made lake and colorful peacocks and game birds strutting on the verdant lawn. The only discordant note was the presence of uniformed guards at every possible entrance, even though the only access to the palace was by ferry or helicopter.

"Wow! What would it be like to live there?" Olivia wondered, wide-eyed.

Marcus chuckled and looked at his watch, "Well, Avi has only about six more years to enjoy it by my reckoning!"

"Come on; let's catch the next bus back to Jerusalem." Daniel had seen enough.

"Wait!" They suddenly noticed the man behind them. He smiled sheepishly as if he had startled himself. "Hi, I'm Scott." He tipped his baseball cap. "But my friends call me 'Scout' 'cause I'm always roaming around to see what I can see." He chuckled, "That does make me sound like a cartoon character, doesn't it? Did y'all just get here?"

They introduced themselves to Scout and explained their circumstances. He nodded knowingly and said, "No matter which way you slice it, there's a whole lot of us coming over here. Hundreds of Jews are pouring into Israel every week. Whether it's an act of God or just curiosity to see the new temple, I don't know. I'm a believer in Messiah Jesus, too. Some friends and I decided to come here to find like-minded believers to join up with."

Olivia looked up at him, "And have you, Scout? Found more believers, that is?"

"Yes, little lady, we have. And we're all staying together in a big old house that a rich Turkish gentleman owns and leases out. It's right near old Laodicea. There are all these ruins and mausoleums and things; and then all of a sudden, there's a house sitting there. A couple of the people in our party have plenty of money in Swiss bank accounts and such, so there's no problem there, at least for now -- because none of us has the I.D. panel. We're trying to stock up on as many supplies and as much non-perishable food as we can, 'cause that situation may change!" He grinned as if that would be a great adventure.

"Can we see it?" Olivia demanded.

Rebecca softly tapped Ollie on the nose, "May we see it! Please!"

"Okay! May we see it? Please?" Olivia had liked Scout on sight. He almost seemed like another kid to her, with his exuberant ways.

Scout touched the brim of his 'Rangers' cap. "That is exactly why I came over here. Would you all like to come and visit our 'kibbutz?' I'd be happy to take you there in the van. How about if I pick you up in Jerusalem in a couple of days? That will give you time to rest first. Check out of your hotel for a few days and stay with us!"

Daniel and Neal exchanged glances and nodded. They had both felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to trust this man. After arranging with him to arrive at 6:00 a.m. the following Monday at their hotel, they hurried to catch the tour bus.

Chapter Twelve

Scout turned out to be just the kind of driver they guessed he would be – a lead-footed, pot-hole swerving, sharp-turning maniac! Olivia loved every minute of it -- while her mother kept holding her breath as if that could hold the rattling old van together until they got to Laodicea.

As they followed the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea, at first they couldn't stop exclaiming, "How beautiful it is!" and "Will you look at the color of that water? It's nothing like New York Harbor!" But they soon became used to the glittering blue-green sight and used the long ride to find out more about Scout, who seemingly had no difficulty careening down the road while talking.

"Yep, I'm a rare breed – a Jewish boy from Texas! How I lived so long in the Bible Belt without being converted to Christianity is a mystery to me! Almost all of my friends were Christians, or at least so they said. When people disappeared that day last spring, I remembered some of them talking about the 'rapture.' A few of my friends were of the 'Campbellite' persuasion – that's folks who believed they were saved by their 'water-dunking', and not by their faith alone in Jesus Christ by God's grace. They were still around to wonder the day that the saved ones were taken; yes, sir, they were!" Scout shook his head in bemusement. "I like to figure things out on my own so I started to reckon that if I was going to be saved, I'd better do what the folks who had disappeared had done – place my faith in the Saviour, Jesus Christ! And not add any works at all, or any ritual keeping. But that's when my friend, Chiam, from the synagogue got a hold of me, and his face was all lit up like a neon light while he told me that now the gospel of the kingdom had come back into effect."

"Amen! Chiam must be one of the 144,000!" Marcus said exultantly. He thanked Jehovah that these things had been revealed to him. He shuddered to think of his fate if his heart had remained hardened.

Scout continued his testimony. "Anyway, Chiam showed me from the Bible, out of the Tanakh and the 'Christian' books, that we Jews must place our faith in Jesus' name as our Messiah; and then do the works that Jesus commanded while He was on earth, and the things the apostles required at the beginning of the 'last days,' of Israel which began to unfold at Pentecost."

"That's right!" Daniel said, with approval. "Peter quoted from the Prophet Joel on that Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out by the Lord upon the kingdom believers. What Joel had written of was the day of the Lord when he would pour out his Spirit on his remnant and pour out his wrath on those who still rejected him."

"How could it have started way back then and not be here until now?" Olivia still wasn't sure how this whole thing worked.

Neal silently thanked Ashley for leaving so many dispensational study materials behind. "You see, Olli, God had a secret hidden in his heart. He could've just saved his believing remnant in Israel and destroyed all the rest; but instead, he withdrew his offer of the kingdom to Israel and reached down to show mercy and grace to another group of people – all those who placed faith in his Son and what he accomplished on the cross...and he didn't go through Israel to do it. He gave the gospel of grace to Paul, his greatest enemy on earth at the time."

"Yeah, it's kind of symbolic, don't ya think, that Paul, who was like the Gentiles because he was an enemy of God, should be chosen by God to be a pattern for all the rest who believed after that – during the dispensation of grace, of course!" Scout whistled through his teeth to emphasize his point.

Marcus wanted to show that he had been doing some studying, too. "Yes, but now in the age of the tribulation, James tells us in the epistle he wrote to the kingdom believers living back then -- and now -- that Abraham being willing to sacrifice Isaac, just as the Father gave his only Son, is our pattern. We have to be willing to show our faith by our works, even if it means dying to do it." He realized as he said it that he might be called on to do just that, and although the thought horrified him, he knew he was willing to do it. "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begin at us, what shall the end of them be that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator." [1 Peter 5:17-19]

"I'm hoping you three men will lead us in a study of the scriptures during your visit. We sure could use some help understanding what's ahead!" With that, Scout began to sing some psalms in Hebrew – Hebrew with a Texas twang!

Olli was asleep with her head on her mother's shoulder when they finally pulled into the long driveway that led to the circular courtyard in front of a hulking stone mansion. The house was set against a backdrop of hills dotted with the ancient remains of stone mausoleums and gravestones. At the sudden cessation of motion, Olivia woke up abruptly and rubbed her eyes. "Is that it? Is it haunted?"

"Shush, Olivia, that isn't polite. You know there are no such things as ghosts, only demons who pretend to be ghosts so we won't trust the Father!" Rebecca smoothed her rumpled skirt and opened the car door. They were all glad to stretch their muscles after the long, wild ride.

The heavy, carved front door opened; and several people spilled out into the courtyard. They were of varying ages, and all were dressed in obviously expensive clothing. An older man, who was wearing an ascot around his neck, stepped forward in greeting. "It is so nice to meet you! I'm Robert Roland. "He indicated a pretty middle-aged woman at his side. "And this is Diana, my wife; and our daughter, Stephanie." Olivia perked up at the sight of someone around her own age, and the two girls started talking at once.

A couple of men in their mid-twenties had a studiedly aloof air about them. Robert made the introductions. "This is my son, David, and three of his friends from the synagogue back home, "Nick, Bernie, and Stan." They all looked like they were dressed for a game of tennis, and their clothing looked casual yet reekedof money.

David said, "Hey! Scout told us all about you last night, and we're glad you could come out. Come on; let's show them around the old place."

As forbidding and craggy as the house looked on the outside; inside it welcomed them with elegance and comfort. The large kitchen boasted every modern convenience. Robert explained that the old gentleman who had built the house had spared no expense in providing electric generators to keep everything humming.

"How do you get water piped out to you in this isolated spot?" Marcus wanted to know.

David explained, "Back in the first century, a system of aqueducts was built to transport water from the Baspinar Springs, a natural hot spring that isn't too far away. The owner of this estate received permission to do the same thing with more modern methods that remove the calcium deposits in it."

"The only problem is," Bernie wrinkled his nose with distaste, "the water is just lukewarm by the time it gets here, meaning we have to either heat it or cool it depending on what we want to use it for."

Stephanie looked at Olivia and said, "Right, whatever you do, don't drink it from the tap! We keep a pitcher of ice water in the fridge. So just help yourself."

Rebecca looked around with awe at the sumptuous furnishings. "It must cost a pretty penny to lease this place." Then she blushed hoping she hadn't overstepped the bounds of politeness.

Robert laughed heartily and explained, "Quite all right! When we realized that the Tribulation was beginning, we decided to move a little closer to the action, and we discovered this place for lease from some friends of ours in international real estate. We liquidated our own real estate back in Texas, and paid the owner in cash for the entire 7 years we knew were ahead. That still left plenty of greenbacks to convert into World Reserve notes, and hopefully pay our expenses until the Lord returns."

Stephanie whispered loudly to Olli, "Father was a cattle rancher back in Texas; so we're loaded." That took everyone by such surprise, so there was nothing to do but laugh.

"There's plenty of room upstairs for guests, and we hope you stay as long as you like." Diana linked her arm through Rebecca's and they went off together to ready the accommodations. Olli and Stephanie ran outside to the swimming pool area. "At least we don't have to heat that water! The water piped in from the hot spring is just the right temperature for swimming!" Scout grinned at the sight of his new friends fitting in so well.

Neal had been hoping they would take time out to say a prayer together, but he had to wait until they all gathered for dinner around the gleaming dining table beneath a breathtaking chandelier. A few members of the household were already sampling the food when Neal cleared his throat, and said, "Heavenly Father." At that, there were sheepish grins and heads quickly bowed, as they joined hands. "Heavenly Father, we thank you for the protection and care you've shown to us and to our new friends and fellow believers who have let your love shine through them in the offer of fellowship and hospitality as we look to you and your word for direction and discernment as the day of your judgment begins. As your apostle to the circumcision, Peter, wrote, 'Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.' [2 Peter 3:11-12] Even so, Lord, we trust in you, through your holy Messiah, Jesus Christ. Amen." Everyone chimed in by saying, "Amen." The group enjoyed the delicious meal and the fellowship, as they got to know each other. After dinner, Olli grabbed Stephanie's hand and said, "Let's go back outside!"

"Wait, just a minute, young ladies. There are dishes to be done!" Diana scolded gently. Then her expression turned somber. "And Stephanie knows she's not allowed outside after dark!" As if on cue, they heard a bloodcurdling scream from somewhere outside that was followed by a cacophony of screeches.

"Are those wild animals?" Marcus looked incredulous, as Olli dove underneath his protective arm.

"No, I wish it were!" Diana shuddered. "We call them the 'Gadarenes,' because they're like the man in Luke 8. They're tormented people who wander among the tombs out back, howling and drooling. The only explanation is demon possession."

"So far, none of them has come close to the house; but just to be on the safe side, we stay in here at night," explained Bernie. He was a tall, thin man with a prematurely balding forehead; and right at this moment, he looked frightened.

Scout put his hand on Bernie's shoulder, "Don't worry, Bern, old boy, this house is like a fortress when it's locked up for the night." His words were punctuated by another piercing howl.

"Let's turn on some big band music, shall we?" Diana pushed a button on a large stereo unit. Loud music filled the room, but Marcus found himself straining to hear the eerie sounds of the night. He prayed silently for the poor souls out there; but he knew in his heart that there would be more of this kind of satanic manifestation in the future, especially in Israel, where demons had tried to get a foothold in the land in Jesus' day, too."

Daniel joined the group of men as they left the clearing up to the women and walked toward the living room. "How about holding that Bible study now? Scout, you mentioned wanting to dig into the word for clues of what's to come."

Robert patted his stomach and sighed, "You fellas go ahead, but it's our custom after dinner to retire to our cigars and brandy. We usually play a few rounds of chess or a couple of hands of poker when our meal is settled; then off to bed." He shambled over to a well-stocked wet bar and began clinking goblets around.

It turned out that Scout was the only one who joined with Marcus, Daniel, and Neal in a dark-paneled library off of the living room. He looked rather embarrassed as he explained, "The other guys do believe that the Lord is coming back, but they're not that interested in the details. I think a couple of them rented the 'Left Behind' movie back in Texas, but that's about it."

"That's too bad, because they really need to educate themselves on the way God is dealing with the world now that the gospel of the kingdom is back in effect. Those popular books and movies just put forth the idea that people would still be saved after the rapture in the same way they were saved before the rapture." Daniel frowned in disapproval.

Scout shook his head, "Hey, I've tried to tell them that. I'm just grateful Chiam got the truth across to me before I totally screwed up and tried to get saved by the wrong gospel! They're just not that interested in the scriptures. Sometimes I'm afraid this is just another adventure to them, like an African safari would be!"

After praying for God's guidance, they opened their Bibles to the letter to the Hebrews. Neal led them through this document of basic doctrine for the believing remnant of the tribulation period. He then showed them how the subsequent Hebrew epistles by James, Peter, John, and Jude each took up where the one before it left off. "James is a book of exhortation to the remnant to take the doctrines taught in Hebrews and put them into practice. First Peter continues the exhortations, but in view of the physical sufferings the believing remnant was sure to endure. The letter closes with a warning about the adversary's activities during this time. Second Peter picks up this theme and deals with the fundamental issues of the satanic policy of evil and the deceiving heresies being broadcast. The three letters of John and Jude's epistle further expand on recognizing Satan's policy of evil against the remnant during the tribulation. And then, of course, the book of the Revelation reads like a daily newspaper account of the events to transpire in God's day of wrath."

Daniel put in, "I've come to realize that the book of the Revelation is the fulfillment of the book of Daniel...and that Zechariah's book is the bridge between them."

"Well, that was just a brief outline of what's ahead and how we should conduct ourselves," Neal explained. "Tomorrow night, let's start going through each letter, verse by verse, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into God's truth."

"Tomorrow night will not find you here, my friends!"

They looked up with a start to see Shalel grinning down at them. In the next moment, a large rock came crashing through the library window. They glanced at the window in time to see dark shapes bobbing up and down and back and forth just outside the window. Loud moaning and unintelligible language filled the night air.

Daniel stood and looked at their 'guardian angel.' "Shalel, do something! Surely, you have the power to send those possessed creatures far away from here. Don't let them hurt the children!"

"It is God's will that his chosen should show forth his power and glory. You men have been given the Holy Spirit in such measure that even the devils are subject unto you! Be not afraid to liberate their captives!" Shalel pointed to the French doors leading onto a patio where hulking shapes could be made out in the gathering darkness. Daniel, Neal, Scout, and Marcus joined hands and bowed their heads in prayer; then, they walked resolutely out the door to confront the 'Gadarenes.'

No sooner did they get outside, when one of the pitiful figures leaped toward them, knocking Neal to the ground with a 'thud.' The others jumped upon him then and started to tear at Neal's clothing. Cackling with glee, a misshapen, filthy, hunched-over creature who had once been a man, wrenched Neal's glasses off of his face and threw them to the ground, causing the others to jostle against each other in their attempt to crush the glasses with their callused, encrusted feet. Neal used the diversion to struggle to his feet and brush himself off.

He held up his hand. "In the name of Jesus Christ, Lord most high, we command you devils to come out of these people and depart from here!"

The rag-tag group of men and women were violently thrown to the ground while a high-pitched keening sound came out of their throats and seemed to go on and on, until just as suddenly, it stopped. One of the victims opened his eyes and incredulously looked around. "It's gone! Praise God; it's gone!" One by one, they rose to their feet and steadied each other. One woman tried to gather closer to her in an attempt at modesty the sparse rags she wore. Marcus quickly removed his sport coat and threw it around her.

"By what power did you cast out our demons?" The woman asked, as she looked up at Marcus gratefully.

Scout beamed at them all standing upright before him, and said, "By the power of Jesus Christ, ma'am! He's the Messiah of Israel, God's only Son; and he's coming back to set things right! Will you put your faith in him? He is our only hope and salvation!"

The disheveled group looked from one to another. "Yes! Oh, yes! Just tell us what we must do!"

"Repent and be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!" Daniel exclaimed. Scout motioned for them to come to the warm pool that was constantly refreshed from the Baspinar Springs. One by one, they willingly demonstrated their newfound faith by being submerged in the waters of baptism. They didn't seem to notice Shalel standing by the pool with a wide smile on his angelic face. Afterward, they stood shivering and weeping with emotion, praising God, until Rebecca came out of the French doors and immediately took charge of the situation.

"Come inside, and we'll find you some towels and dry clothes! Heaven knows, you all needed that bath!" The little group in the background couldn't help but laugh at her clucking and making like a mother hen as she herded the group into the house.

Diana had come to the door to see what all the commotion was about. "Oh, dear, please don't drip on the carpet. Must they come inside? She wrung her hands helplessly as she ran to find her husband.

"This is outrageous!" Robert pulled himself up to his full height. "We just can't have it. No, sir; we just cannot have it!" He sputtered and blustered, but Scout resolutely led the group up to the guest bedrooms where they could make themselves presentable. When they were warm and dry and had had a hot meal, Scout loaded them into the van and drove them to a shelter in the nearest city where they would receive help in returning to their families.

Stephanie and Olli helped Neal find his broken glasses just outside the patio area. "Oh, Neal, what are you going to do now?" Olli moaned. "You're blind without these!"

Shalel stepped in and said, "Laodicea was famous for an eye salve they produced. But you have no need of a natural cure like that. What does James say? 'And the prayer of faith shall save the sick.'" [James 5:15]

Still feeling buoyed by their victory over the demons, Marcus and Daniel each placed a hand over one of Neal's eyes and prayed, "Dear Lord, we ask in your Son's most precious name, that you heal the infirmity of your servant, Neal, that he may see all that you are about to do in vanquishing your enemies and restoring your people. Amen." When they removed their hands, Neal blinked several times and smiled happily. "I can see. Perfectly! I can see! Thank you, Lord!"

Behind them, Robert cleared his throat. "That's fine, boy. But I will have you know that we do not like theatrics of this sort going on in our home. We think it best that you leave here tomorrow morning. Good luck to you!" He coughed harshly and turned abruptly on his heel and re-entered the house.

"Oh, so that's what you meant when you said we wouldn't be here tomorrow!" Daniel looked at Shalel, who nodded knowingly.

"It is not his will that you remain here. These people do not have the attitude of heart that he is looking for, and nothing you can do will change that. You can cast out devils, heal the sick, and raise the dead; but each man has to choose his own path. This is just as the Lord Jesus told his followers: 'he also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.'" [Matthew 13:22, 23]

"When Scout gets back, let's tell him we're leaving." Marcus sighed, feeling every one of his fifty-eight years. He went in search of Rebecca and Olivia to tell them the news.

Scout returned an hour and a half later; and when Neal and Daniel told him about their 'dismissal,' his face turned dark. "Then I hope y'all will let me come with you! I am determined to stay in the will of God, no matter what it means!"

"We second that motion!" Daniel, Neal, and Scout exclaimed, as they gave each other a 'high five.'

Chapter Thirteen

"We got another letter from Bruce! He says temple sacrifices are set to resume by the end of the month." Jill held up the precious letter.

"I don't know how the guy has been able to stand being there for a year and a half in the middle of a vain religious system that God hates! But God is working something out through Bruce, and we all must just trust in him." Nate snapped his lunch box shut and reached for the keys to his truck. "So what are your plans for this evening, milady?" He playfully clasped his hands around her slender waist and dipped her backwards, planting a kiss on her lips when he raised her back up.

Jill laughed and tweaked his nose. "If I ever get these dishes done, I have my faithful remnant group tonight, remember?" She looked a bit older and wiser with her hair cut short and glasses instead of the contact lenses that were no longer an option under the World Health System plan. She also looked a bit matronly in the frilly apron she had found at the local thrift shop, but Nate wouldn't dare tell her that! Not unless he liked wearing dishwater!

"I invited Abigail to come with me. Remember, she's that girl I met at that government-mandated testing program I attended last week – the one that's supposed to determine where my skills and talents can be put to use for the greatest good of the New World Order? I overheard her saying she hoped she wouldn't have to work on the Sabbath if she got a new assignment; so naturally I thought she was a member of the believing Gentiles or the remnant. When I tried to ask her, she didn't have a clue what I was talking about, but she agreed to meet me at the meeting tonight."

"That is weird that she keeps the Sabbath but isn't Jewish. I wonder what her deal is?" Nate quickly kissed Jill one more time and left for work, wondering as he always did how long he would have his truck before the Vehicle Reduction Act went into effect. They'd be lucky to have one vehicle, let alone two.

Chapter Thirteen

Abigail was waiting for Jill outside on the steps of the house of the couple who had opened their home for the meeting. She seemed startled and almost dropped her Bible as Jill skipped up the stairs. Her wiry hair stuck out in all directions, and she looked pale in the moonlight. She was the type of woman that Jill would have loved to have over for a makeover in the old days; but things like that didn't seem important anymore.

"Hi Abigail. I'm glad you could come!" Jill guided the awkward young lady into the house and made the proper introductions all around. The faithful remnant group had been steadily growing as more and more Jews and Gentiles heard the news that Jesus is the Messiah and that he was coming back to set up his glorious kingdom on earth. It was rumored that, surprisingly, more Gentiles than Jews were becoming believers and actively seeking a place in his coming kingdom. Jill looked around and noticed that more than half of the people in the large living room had the I.D. panel.

The meeting and Bible study got underway, following a prayer that the Holy Spirit would lead them and that the Lord would come quickly. One of the members had found a chart made during the dispensation of grace that showed the concept of 'looping parallelism' in the book of the Revelation. Many people had been confused by all the events in the book of the Revelation and thought they were listed in chronological order. This chart designed by a grace pastor put forth the interpretation that when certain periods of time are described in the book of the Revelation, such as the last half of the Tribulation, the narrative then doubles back and goes over that same period again in more detail. This hypothesis helped many of those present to overcome anxieties about the sequence of events to come.

"Well, what do you think?" Jill leaned forward and asked Abigail as they enjoyed the refreshments.

Abigail frowned slightly and stammered, "I'll have to ask my pastor, and of course, consult my collection of Ellen White's books."

"Who's Ellen White?" Jill was mystified.

"She was a woman who lived in the mid 1800's who received visions and prophecies concerning these last days. One of her visions emphasized keeping the Sabbath day holy. We were taught that Sunday worship is the mark of the beast. And she advocated keeping some of the Levitical laws in the Old Testament. If we keep the Ten Commandments and some of the dietary laws faithfully, we will be found worthy in the investigative judgment, as the Lord revealed to her, also." Abigail became more animated as she spoke.

"Investigative Judgment? What's that?" Jill took a huge bite of chocolate cupcake, thinking, "How much weight can I possibly gain in the next four and a half years? Who cares, anyway?" Immediately, Nate came into her mind; and she wrapped the rest of the cupcake in her napkin.

"It's a judgment the Lord executes while believers sleep in death in order to discover which believers are worthy to be resurrected to eternal life on the last day. It's written somewhere in the book of Daniel. I'm not sure exactly where, but my parents believed it, so I always did, too. They died a couple of years ago, so I've been living with my Aunt Jane. Her husband, Brian, was taken in the disappearance. Our whole family belongs to the Seventh-Day Adventist Church here in New York. We had a huge congregation until some of them disappeared two years ago." Abigail sighed and delicately sipped her ice water. She hadn't touched any of the sweets.

The Bible study leader, a tall, thin African-American named Henry, paused by their table. "I'm sorry to intrude. I couldn't help but overhear some of your conversation. I'm familiar with Seventh-Day Adventism through some friends of mine, and I think I can help." He perched on the edge of a folding chair and clutched his Bible. "Without getting into all the so-called visions and prophecies Ellen G. White reported, the bottom line in the age of grace was whether people placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone and not in their own works or law-keeping, and that includes keeping the Sabbath. The Sabbath was given to God's earthly people as a memorial of his creation of the earth, where his kingdom will soon be set up. The body of Christ was a 'new creation,' according to the apostle to the body, Paul; and as such, received a supernatural, heavenly hope – not an earthly one – which they are enjoying with the Lord at this moment. So the saved of the age of grace got that way by trusting Christ alone for their salvation without trying to prove it by works or law. Members of your SDA Church that did just that are dwelling in heavenly glory, but those who trusted even a little bit in their own obedience were left behind."

Jill looked confused. "But even you observe the Sabbath now. Why's that?"

"Because the kingdom program of Israel is reinstated, and that program requires believers to demonstrate their faith by their works and obedience!" Henry smiled, warming to his subject, and added, "Although it's still by God's grace by which we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah."

Abigail thought for a moment. "Do you mean that because some members of my church placed faith alone in Jesus Christ, they were taken to Heaven in the disappearance – like my Uncle Brian?"

"Exactly!" Henry hit the table with the flat of his large hand for emphasis, and Abigail visibly jumped. "Maybe some of them had placed faith in Christ alone before joining the Adventist Church. Or, maybe some of them just got the right idea from reading Paul's letters. That's where the body of Christ found its doctrine."

Jill was finally getting it, now. "So now that God is again dealing with Israel, He wants us to observe the Sabbath and keep the law! Now we find our doctrines in the four gospels, right?"

"And, in early Acts, plus the book of Hebrews through the Revelation. God knew that the tribulation believers would need some special information and exhortation of their own to get through this time; and in his perfect foreknowledge, he placed that material right where you would expect to find it – at the end of the Bible!" Henry's long fingers caressed the well-worn cover of the King James Bible he had found on his grandfather's nightstand at the nursing home the day he disappeared.

Abigail had been quiet as she listened and considered all she had heard. "I guess Ellen White got the wrong information from somewhere – and I'm afraid that I now know who gave it to her."

Henry patted her hand. "That's what I'm looking forward to almost as much as seeing my Lord come into his kingdom – seeing the devil finally get his due! I sure hope I'll get a front-row seat first when he's bound in the bottomless pit, and then when he's cast into the lake of fire and brimstone! You see, I was deceived into joining the Mormon Church in my youth. Satan gave their 'prophet' visions, too. My grandfather grieved every day of his life over my joining that cult. I hope he can see that I've come to my senses!" His eyes took on a distant look. "The so-called 'Jehovah's Witnesses' are still here because they, too, never understood that eternal life was a free gift of God for just believing without doing all that leg work and proselytizing that they thought was so essential to salvation. All of that zeal of theirs was for nothing!"

Jill grabbed Abigail's hand and reached for Henry's hand. "I really think we should pray together and let God know how grateful we are to be walking in his light."

When they were finished, Abigail laughed. "Well, I guess I missed out the first time – but this time I've definitely got the advantage! You see, I've been doing all along all the things you've had to learn!"

Henry laughed with her and said, "Hey, maybe you can give us a presentation on Sabbath-keeping."

Abigail immediately retreated back into herself and just shook her head, causing Jill and Henry to reach over and give her a reassuring hug. They stiffened when they heard the first sounds of some kind of objects hitting the outside of the house. A few people who were leaving by the front door let out whoops of shock and anger. "Hey, what are you guys trying to do?" They stepped back in dripping with egg yolk and bits of shell.

Henry rose and strode to the door where he also received a helping of raw egg as the uninvited visitors continued to pelt the house and yard. Jill, with Abigail cringing directly behind her, followed. A Humvee occupied with four WPF militia pulled up. "Good," said Jill, "They'll take care of it!"

But the four guards exited their vehicle, completely ignoring the egg-throwers. Their heavy boots tramped up the steps. "Who resides at this address?" Jill noticed that their right hands were on the weapons at their sides. The couple that lived in the house came forward, but Henry held up his hand.

"This is just an informal Bible study, sirs. No harm intended, and we're just getting ready to leave. Are you going to do something about these vandals?"

The guards ignored his statements, and one of them, referring to the clipboard he held, announced, "This religious gathering is in direct violation of the World Religious Unity Act passed last year which requires all religious activity to operate in conjunction with the Institute of World Religions and their unity statement. Each member of your religious organization must sign the Religious Unity Statement, agreeing, among other principles, that all religions of the world are legitimate forms of worship of the one god of which all citizens of the earth are a part. And, that all religious rites and practices are viable methods of appeasing and supplicating this Supreme Being. Subsequent gatherings at this address will be reported to the WPF office in your area, and will be monitored by WPF police to ascertain that all those present have agreed to the unity statement. Those present that have not, will be arrested and detained indefinitely."

Another officer held up an electronic sign-in device. "You may take this opportunity to sign in right now, or have your I.D. panel scanned, in order to register your compliance; or you may sign in at the nearest WPF office."

A few people timidly stepped forward and signed the screen; it was obvious the heavily uniformed guards intimidated them. Henry, however, absolutely refused to sign anything and said loudly, "Members of the faithful remnant, and God-fearing Gentiles, please do not take this step, which will surely lead you into the error that God wants us to avoid! "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not the things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward." [2 John 7,8]

A shadow moving through the crowd caught Jill's eye; was that dark figure Monique, slipping in and out of the crowd? Suddenly a voice hissed in Jill's ear, "The faithful remnant isn't very faithful, is it, Jill?" This was followed by a low, throaty laugh. But when Jill turned toward the voice, no one was there. She turned to Henry, and asked, "What are we going to do? Where are we going to meet after this? We really need this fellowship."

Henry gazed at the scene steadily and said in a quiet voice filled with faith, "Now we go underground."

* * *

Nate and Jill snuggled together in bed much later that evening after Nate got off of second shift at the factory where he worked. "I'm not sure I want you to attend those Bible studies anymore if it might put you in danger!" Nate held her a little closer to him.

"No, this just means you should be coming with me!" Jill nestled her head into that hollowed-out place by his shoulder that fit her perfectly. "I know, I know – you have to work! It seems like you're always on the wrong shift when the meetings are scheduled. But we're learning so much, and I'm not that good at re-teaching it to you."

Nate sighed and said, "But you may not have a place to meet anyway." He thought for a moment. "Hey, I'm beginning to get an idea! I have off this week end, so let's invite my boss for dinner on Sunday. And invite that friend of yours -–Henry, is it? Do you think you could learn to cook by then?"

Jill jabbed him painfully in the side, which led to a tickling match, which led to those things that God intended when he instituted marriage and blessed it with the promise of unspeakable joy.

* * *

Henry sat back and patted his flat stomach. "Jill, that was the best macaroni and cheese I've had in a long time. You put in just the right amount of milk so it wasn't runny!" It had taken him awhile to come up with an appropriate compliment.

Not to be outdone, Alex, the owner of the factory where Nate worked, said quickly, "And the garlic bread was just the way I like it – burnt around the edges and soft in the middle!"

"Thanks...I think!" Jill cleared away the dishes so they could talk over their instant coffee and canned fruit.

"Nate told me about the predicament you folks who study the Bible are in, Henry." Alex began, grimacing a little at the bitterness of the coffee. He was a big, beefy man in his late 30's who looked like he could perform with ease any job in his factory. "I'm not a religious man, but I am dead set against what's happening to this country. All of the liberties we took for granted are being ripped from us one by one under this new world system of government. But I believe I have at least a temporary solution to your meeting problems."

"Oh, really? What's that?" Henry leaned forward eagerly, feeling some of his burden being lifted.

Alex smiled. "Yeah, it would feel good to put one over on those fascists! I'll issue every member of your Bible study group a hard hat and once a week you can all just troop in with lunch pails in your hands and use the big lunchroom in the factory. We have groups coming in from factories like ours from all over the world to study our operation, so it won't raise too many eyebrows inside the plant."

Jill clapped her hands in delight; and Henry pumped Alex's hand, thanking him profusely.

After hammering out the details, Alex warned, "Just try to come in as few cars as possible so the over-full parking lot doesn't cause comments by the neighbors. They say one out of every three citizens is an active spy snitch for the New World Order. This whole thing just makes me sick. I could see this coming since I was a teenager!"

"You could? How's that?" Nate poured himself another cup of the cheap coffee to which he'd grown accustomed.

"My father was a Freemason who made it to the thirty-third degree. That's when he finally found out that the real secret of Freemasonry is that they actually worship and give allegiance to Lucifer, or Satan, if you will. He became disgusted and suspicious and that started him on a quest to find out about the history and activities of as many secret societies as he could."

"What do they have to do with what's happening?" Jill looked perplexed.

Alex laughed bitterly, and explained, "You know, it's weird, because all of the secret societies – and there are plenty of them – each have their own agenda; but in a strange way they've all cooperated and worked together towards one united goal – to establish a one world system governed by the elite of each of these cabals of men who have covertly orchestrated the events of history to bring them to the point we see today. There's a document known as the 'Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion', purportedly written about a hundred years ago, that gave an insider's overview of the whole plan to subvert the American people; and it's been dead on in every particular! No one knows exactly who wrote it; but either the writers were psychic or they were the top conspirators themselves."

Now Henry looked fascinated. "Orchestrated the events of history? Like wars and disasters?"

"Exactly!" Alex said, leaning forward. "Especially wars and disasters; and this didn't start with recent history. As far back as 284 A.D., the Roman Emperor Diocletian is said to have burned his own palace twice in sixteen days and blamed it on the Christians to fan the flames of persecution against them. Later, the Roman Catholic Church made it no secret that they desire to control the entire world; 'catholic' after all, means 'universal.' The infamous Inquisition was blatant overkill, but afterwards the Roman Catholic hierarchy used more subtle means to infiltrate and manipulate society by recruiting their own CIA-like Jesuits as operatives. There is plenty of evidence that Jesuits played a part in the assassination of President Lincoln."

"Surely you're not saying that Catholics are evil?" Jill wrinkled her forehead and frowned. "We know a lot of nice ones!"

Alex hastened to explain. "No, no. Of course not! The average Roman Catholic is a good, sincere person who just happens to belong to the 'front organization' of one of the most power-hungry monoliths known to man!"

Henry interjected, "I've done a bit of research into Catholicism myself, and I've found that it proceeded directly from the ancient pagan system of Baal worship. It was a stroke of genius on Satan's part to incorporate worship directed toward himself with a false form of Christianity in order to deceive literally billions of people to the extent that they were blinded to the true gospel! It breaks my heart; as I'm sure it grieves the heart of God, as well. Most Catholics are truly trying to serve God but haven't been taught the doctrines God has for them."

Look, the bottom line for all of these deceptions is to mold peoples' minds to a point where they will submissively accept a system of complete control by an elite few in exchange for the basic necessities of life. Through a carefully planned series of events from earliest history, these elite have used the equation of 'problem – reaction – solution' to bring society ever closer to accepting the New World Order. They've been crafty and patient, I'll give them that. Each generation of these 'illumined' ones has worked long and hard to achieve more and more control, but these conspirators have apparently realized that they would not see the culmination of their efforts in their own lifetimes. It almost seems like someone with immortality is behind the scenes pulling their strings. How else could a plot span so many centuries and be brought about by so many diverse, seemingly unrelated agencies without dying out?" Alex scratched his head over the one thing he hadn't figured out.

Henry smiled ruefully, and said, "That's where the Bible comes in, my friend, because there is an immortal person behind all of this – Satan himself. Obviously he's using his minions in every century to finally bring about his own overarching dream – to be worshiped as God by all the inhabitants of the earth. I've come to the conclusion that the Pharisees of Jesus' time were under the control of Satan in the Judaistic Secret Society of Kaballism. Didn't Jesus accuse them of being of their father, the devil? That explains why even though they witnessed the results of his many miracles, they could not break free from Satan's influence and believe in him. Ultimately, they sought to destroy him, justifying it from the prohibition of idol worship in their Talmud of their own making."

Nate asked, "Did you say Kaballism? My mother - or whatever that was - told us that Avi Muhammed's Minister of Religion, Rabbi ben Ariel, is into that."

"Yes, unfortunately the influence of the Kaballah is still strong. The ancient mysteries of the Kaballah form the underlying doctrines and rituals of most of the secret societies today, including the New Age Movement." Henry looked distressed. "The Kaballah teaches a humanistic method by which man can reach a state of perfection over the course of many lifetimes. It gives lip service to God but pretty much leaves Him out of the picture."

Alex looked apologetic. "I know this is not a popular stance, but my father and I uncovered evidence that for centuries now a powerful group of Zionists -- which doesn't mean they're all Jewish -- have actually been controlling the destiny of the entire planet. Like Roman Catholics, the average Jew has no knowledge of this. Elite Jewish banking families in Europe have a stranglehold on world economics, and it's a well-accepted fact that those who control the money, control the world. The most sickening possibility we uncovered is that these powerful Zionists may have actually planned and executed the extermination of Jews in Europe during World War II in order to compel those remaining to immigrate to their newly-created State of Israel."

"You've got to be kidding!" Nate was totally shocked.

"I wish I were!" Alex continued, "Their fanatical dream of a Zionist utopia from which they can rule the entire world may have even led to their possible participation in the assassination of President Kennedy. In addition to declaring plans to withdraw our troops from Viet Nam, undermine the control of the Federal Reserve Bank, and decrease the powers of the CIA; President Kennedy had decided to withdraw monetary support from Israel and deny Israel nuclear weapon capability, which would have delayed her goal of becoming the superior military power in the Middle East. History bears out the fact that immediately after the one man who stood in their way was eliminated, Zionist-supporter Lyndon Johnson reversed all of Kennedy's decisions."

"That shows you the extent of the complicity at the highest levels of the U.S. Government in allowing and then covering up the crime. The cover-up extends to this day!" Henry angrily wiped tears from his eyes. "The day President Kennedy died, so did all hope for this nation!"

Jill put her hand over his, and said, "I feel just sick that I never knew any of this was going on. All I cared about was what to wear to work and my favorite reality-TV show."

"Then you'll feel even sicker when I tell you this reality -- the terrorist attacks that occurred right here in New York City were the brainchildren of the cabal these elite belong to, sometimes known as the Illuminati." Alex' mouth was set in a grim line. "Problem...Reaction...Solution. They created the horrendous problem, got the desired reaction from the people, and offered a solution that would set the stage for the taking away of our constitutional rights and caused us to back the preemptive wars with the enemies of Israel. I've been wondering if they didn't have something to do with that mass disappearance last year."

Henry brightened. "No way, Alex! That was the work of the Lord rescuing those who had placed faith in Him for their salvation before all of this madness started coming to a head. It's still not too late to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is God's promised Messiah Who will come to vanquish all of His enemies and welcome His faithful into an everlasting Kingdom centered in Jerusalem. The Jews and Gentiles who believe in Him and do the things He requires are His Chosen People, not the children of Satan who continue to deny Him!"

"There is hope for us, then? I was getting almost suicidal contemplating what's ahead." Alex looked around at the three of them steadily gazing at him. "Tell me more about this Deliverer named Jesus, because I want to live!"

Chapter Fourteen

Bruce had taken advantage of the festive atmosphere in the Temple to call a secret meeting of those Jewish men who had, on the strength of his testimony and shining countenance, placed faith in the name of Jesus as their Messiah. There were eight of them in all, and they all crowded into the room Bruce still shared with Josef. Josef, who still vehemently opposed the good news of Jesus Christ, was one of the hundred and twenty priests chosen to blow a ceremonial trumpet blast during the dedication of the temple, which would be followed by the first animal sacrifice.

A young man named Sol blurted out, "I can't believe Avi Muhammed is coming here today! I suppose it makes sense, seeing as he's the one who authorized the re-building."

"Is he truly the 'Assyrian' that Isaiah warns about?" A very new believer named Joel inquired.

"O My people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt." [Isaiah 10:24] Bruce quoted from memory. "Oh, yes, he is!"

Frank nodded, "We know that Avi is the antichrist because it was he who signed the covenant with Israel promising peace for 7 years and re-instituting the sacrifices." His face was serious and intelligent; at times, it gave off a glow that signified his numbering among the 144,000.

"Did you hear that he has enlarged the borders of Israel almost to the original proportions given by Almighty God?" Seth's eyes were wide. He was a handsome youth who looked not unlike Shalel. "The Arabs are being driven even further into the surrounding lands as Jews making aliya are given first dibs on settlement rights. It's sad, but I suppose it helps that so many Arabs were eliminated by the plague of new viruses that swept through the Middle East, and by the U.S. and British troops in the wars that just kept on coming after the terrorist attacks escalated."

Joel wondered, "Why does he seem to like Israel so much? I got the idea that he was an atheist when I first heard of him."

Sol ventured a guess. "Maybe it's because now he's bragging that he's descended directly from King David and Solomon. On his mother's side, I think. I heard that he wears a little silver-embroidered skullcap most of the time with a little bee emblem on it. Now, the truth is out that he doesn't have Arab blood at all but is the product of his Jewish mother's former liaison with a fellow Jew. He claims he's from the ancient tribe of Dan and the Merovingian Dynasty through him."

"That's nothing to brag about. The Merovingian Dynasty is based on a lie; and the tribe of Dan isn't even mentioned in the final listing in the book of the Revelation. It's speculated that they lost their inheritance after thousands of years of gross idolatry and worship of pagan gods." Frank thought for a moment. "Yeah, that background fits Avi Muhammed all right!"

A boy named Benjamin finally spoke from his place in the corner. "It's almost time for the first evening sacrifice to be slain. What are we going to do – hide in here or what?" He looked worried and scared. "There's no way I want to see that! I'm an animal lover, not a killer! I don't even like horror movies!" He shuddered.

A shimmering form materialized in their midst.

Was Bruce ever happy to see Shalel! He introduced the angel to the others with a certain pride in being on familiar terms with an angel of God. Shalel spoke. "Grace and peace be to you from the God of your fathers, men of Israel. Now that you have been gathered together through Bruce's ministry, the day of your deliverance from this evil place has come. But first, let us look upon this 'king of fierce countenance.'"

He waved his arm and a holographic image appeared before them, clearly visible from every part of the room. The man in the image was Avi Muhammed, Imperator.

"Children of Israel, it brings me great pleasure to dedicate this holy temple on Mount Zion to the one, true God, the father of us all. He is known by many names to the many peoples of the earth, but is in fact, the One. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord." [Deuteronomy 6:4] We will now be the light to the Gentiles that God intended."

Avi reached down and picked up a glass case containing a yellowed parchment. "Here is hope for the order and peace for which we have longed." He held up the case so all could see the contents. "In digging the foundation for the World Peace Federation Headquarters at Babylon, a most astounding discovery was made. I have waited for this moment of celebration to share it with you all. This is a 6th Century document known as the Babylonian Talmud, a compilation of the wisdom of the Pharisees in interpreting the Torah. In studying its precepts and laws, I and my advisors can think of nothing more fitting than the application of these timeless truths in our day." The group in Bruce's room heard the thunderous applause as if the crowd was in the room with them.

Avi waited for the noise to die down. "Contained in these sacred parchments are the laws given by God to Adam, and then Noah, to be obeyed by all the inhabitants of the earth. They are rightly called, 'The Seven Noahide Laws.' The commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai are, of course, for the children of Israel exclusively, and as such, the Gentiles are not expected to obey them. "The Seven Noahide Laws given to Noah for the Gentiles will be enacted into the governing policy of the World Peace Federation to take effect in exactly 6 months time. At that time, all citizens will be required to have ID panels in place for the determination of their Gentile or Jewish status. Two world courts will be instituted so that transgressions of both groups may be dealt with accordingly. My Minister of World Religion, Rabbi Sylvester ben Ariel, will now read to you the Seven Noahide Laws of the Gentiles."

Avi stepped aside as the Rabbi came forward. Sylvester ben Ariel was a slightly built, very Semitic-looking man with sharply pointed features, dangling forelocks, and small eyes. He solemnly unrolled a small scroll; and in a nasal voice, began to read: "One – Thou shalt not engage in idol worship. Two – Thou shalt not blaspheme God. Three – Thou shalt not shed innocent blood. Four – Thou shalt not engage in aberrant sexual relations. Five – Thou shalt not steal. Six – Thou shalt establish laws and courts of law to administer these laws, including the death penalty for those who kill, administered only if there is one testifying eyewitness. Seven – Thou shalt not be cruel to animals."

"And it's not cruel to slit their throats?" Benjamin muttered under his breath.

Avi again took over the microphone. "Only a few moments remain before the first animal sacrifice is slain and its still-warm blood is offered in appeasement to our God." The image abruptly disappeared.

"Thanks for not making us watch that part!" Benjamin said gratefully.

Bruce looked around at each and every one of them. "I think we should bow our heads and ask the Lord God Jehovah to forgive the ignorance with which these sacrifices are performed." No sooner had they lowered their heads for prayer, when a low rumbling was heard, becoming louder and louder until it became a roar. The floor vibrated and the walls of the room pitched violently as desks and chairs were overturned. Whole shelves full of books tumbled sideways and slid to the floor. A couple of the young men were knocked to the floor as well. Screams and shouts could be heard outside.

Shalel stood with his fists on his hips, his dark red garment glowing in the sudden darkness. "Put this sudden chaos to good use!" At their questioning looks, he laughed loudly and shouted, "Run!" In the blink of an eye, they took off out the door, down the pitching corridors, into the courtyard and through the confused and hysterical throng. They hesitated at the sight of the armed guards at the Eastern Gate to the Temple grounds. Shalel marched ahead of them, re-appearing out of thin air, and led them right past the guards, who paid them no attention at all.

"It was like we were invisible!" Seth chortled, when they finally stopped to catch their breath.

Shalel grinned, "You were!"

"Now what, Shalel?" Bruce was glad to be free of his cavernous prison, and even from this distance, he could make out huge cracks in the gleaming marble surface of the Temple.

"Now it is time to find Neal and the Silverman family." He cocked his head slightly, looking rather impish. "And Scout. You'll like Scout!" He winked and disappeared.

Just as Neal had done a year and a half earlier, they simply started walking. When they had walked for only a couple of minutes, they could see the two witnesses up ahead near the Wailing Wall, which had been preserved by popular demand. The novelty of the two grizzled prophets had worn off for most of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but there was usually a good-sized crowd of tourists surrounding them. Bruce and the others suddenly became aware of someone staring at them and zeroed in on a small Italian boy holding a tray of breads.

"Excuse me for staring, sirs, but are you a visiting troupe of Karate masters? Or white Ninjas, perhaps?" His eyes were wide with curiosity. Frank laughed as he realized how they must look out in public in their white 'pajamas'! Sol immediately played along with a high-pitched yell and a quick kick to the left, his foot 'accidentally on purpose' connecting with Seth's rear. This started a free-for-all among the eight of them that had the lad laughing so hard he almost dropped his tray.

He was still giggling when they finally settled down. "Would you like a sample of my Italian bread, sirs?" He held out his wares. Of course, they greedily cleaned him out of most of his samples, although they thanked him profusely. The boy eyed Bruce and remarked, "You look like someone I met over a year ago. He was here with a very nice family that had a lovely daughter named Olivia. I wonder what became of her?"

The two witnesses caught Bruce's eye. They were gesturing for them to approach. "You, young men! You who are the chosen of the Lord! "I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations." [Psalm 89:3, 4] Come here to us!" When they were close enough, hugs and handclasps were given all around. "You are seeking Neal and Daniel?" Elijah asked knowingly. "They have found the Church at Philadelphia – or it has found them – located north of Laodicea in what is now Turkey. Those at Philadelphia have shown great zeal in proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom to all they encounter. Their work is much hindered, however, by the synagogue – of Satan! – located nearby containing haughty Jews, who have no right to that name, as they reject the anointed one of God, our Lord Jesus. They already worship the devil's anointed -- his pawn soon to be possessed by Satan himself."

"We have no way of traveling that far. We left the Temple without money." Bruce lamented.

Benjamin spoke up then, "A couple of us have the I.D. panel. We could cover the cost of transportation from our electronic accounts."

"I say, bah to that!" 'Moses' growled disapprovingly. "Did not your master promise to provide for your every need, ye of little faith?" He raised his voice so the crowd could also hear. "Watch and see the power of the Lord!" He closed his eyes and seemed to pray. The eight young men heard a rushing sound in their ears; and the next thing they knew, they were standing in the midst of a sea of tents.

"Bruce, is that really you?" Neal poked his head out of the nearest of them, then jumped to his feet with a yell of joy. "My cousin, my brother, it is you! I was just on my knees praying for your safety. I know what took place at the temple today. The news of the first sacrifice and the simultaneous earthquake traveled fast." He held Bruce at arm's length to take a good look at him. "We've got to get you out of those 'jammies,' and into some real clothes. That goes for all of you!" Scout ambled over just then, grinning from ear to ear, "Whooee! Will you look at them fancy loungin' outfits! Hope you don't look down on us regular folk!" He shook the hand of each of them as Bruce introduced them. "We welcome you to the City of Brotherly Love! 'This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.' " [John 15:12]

More Philadelphians emerged from their tents to meet them, and a joyful scramble ensued as more tents were erected and suitable clothing found. While a hasty meal was being prepared, Frank found himself thinking of the early believers right after Pentecost, "And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." [Acts 2:44, 45]

Neal explained that the Silverman's were volunteering at the hospital in the nearest city of Alasehir and would return in the morning. After evening prayers and Bible study, Neal and Bruce finally had a chance to relax in a tent and recount to each other the events of their lives since last they were together. Both of them had grown in maturity in the Lord, and each day had become more focused on bringing people into the Kingdom and unto the King.

"So what's been happening with you? Where are your glasses?" Bruce wanted to know.

"That, cousin, is a long story – but a good one!" Neal filled him in on all that had transpired after he left the temple that day.

"What do you make of the Seven Noahide Laws that Avi spoke of, cousin?" Bruce cocked an eyebrow.

Neal spoke quietly, "I have heard of them, Bruce, but they are not from God's word. The very fact that only one eyewitness is required to convict someone is contrary to Deuteronomy 17:6, 'At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.' The punishment for breaking these 'Noahide' laws will be decapitation, and beheading is spoken of in the book of the Revelation as the manner of execution of God's true Remnant. These laws are gleaned directly from the Zohar, the 'sacred' book of the Kaballah! During the Babylonian captivity, the Jews who would later become the sect of the Pharisees had their doctrines tainted with pagan philosophies. Their Talmud is thoroughly poisoned with the Mystery Religion of the Babylonians."

"Didn't Jesus himself rail at the Pharisees of His time, 'Thus have ye made the commandments of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 'This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men'? [Matthew 15:6] And if that doesn't describe Avi to a 'T' in his little pious speech today, I don't know what would!" Bruce spat out the words with contempt. "He looked like a vampire when he made that remark about the 'still-warm blood.' I know he's not possessed by Satan yet, but the devil's influence on him must be very strong."

Neal added, "It must be on that old weasel, Sylvester ben Ariel, as well, because I've heard fantastic tales of the supernatural tricks he can do – materializing objects out of thin air, levitating his own body and that of others, and turning water into blood. I hear that he claims all people will be able to do these things, once they realize the 'god-power within." He frowned. "We've had enough of this depressing talk! Let's gather our little group together and sing a few spiritual songs to Jehovah-Nissi, our conquering hero."

* * *

Bruce was dreaming of Ashley sitting sweetly next to him -- something he had done often since the rapture, when she suddenly reached over and grabbed his nose! "Hey, what?!!" Someone really was grabbing his nose! He abruptly sat up, almost butting heads with ... Olivia.

"Boker tov [good morning], you sleepy head! Get up, you lazy pahsnik! It's almost noon!" Her slender form loomed over him.

Bruce lay back down and gazed up at her. Olivia was fifteen years old now...and gorgeous! Her beautiful olive-toned face was surrounded by thick, lustrous black hair. Her plump lips were just pout-y enough to attract, but not enough to look grouchy. She narrowed her obsidian eyes framed by dark lashes.

"What are you looking at? Don't you recognize me?" She punched him in the shoulder. "It's me...Olli!"

Bruce shook his head to clear the cobwebs. "Of course, I do; but my, how you have grown!"

"Come on, lunch is almost ready. We have to stand in the food line. Hurry, so we get some before the krupnihk runs out ... although it never does!" Olli directed Bruce to a pump located nearby where he could splash water on his face. He'd figure out a way to shave later. They followed the aroma of savory barley soup and joined up with some of the temple group.

Benjamin was the first to notice them. He started to say, "Hi, Bru . . ," but the words tapered off when his gaze fell on Olivia. When he realized he was staring, his face flamed crimson and he started to stammer. "Y-y-o-u must b-b-e a friend of B-bruce's? I'm . . . a, a, I mean, Benjamin!"

Olli laughed delightedly; she was starting to get used to this reaction from boys who were near her own age. She stuck out her hand in greeting. "I'm happy to meet you, Benjamin; I'm Olivia, the sister of Bruce and Neal's friend, Daniel. You may call me Olli."

Benjamin smiled weakly; it was obvious he was a goner. "Olli. I'm glad to meet you."

Marcus, Rebecca and Daniel came strolling over. They had already eaten, but wanted to see Bruce and meet his friends. Amidst much hugging and exclamations, Marcus exulted in the new believers. "'Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.' [Psalm 33:12] The Lord rejoices over each of his prodigal sons returning to his care! Welcome to you all -- especially to you, Bruce, we have missed you! Now we will face what comes, together, as it should be!"

Daniel added, "'The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know Thy Name will put their trust in Thee; for Thou, Lord hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.'" [Psalm 9:9, 10]

* * *

After lunch, Neal and Olli took Bruce on a tour of the campgrounds. Bruce was relieved to see two large buildings that, hopefully, contained restrooms! Neal explained that these barracks had been abandoned by the U.S. Army, following their occupation in Turkey during the succession of wars fought to bring Israel's enemies under submission to the openly Zionist World Government. The Church at Philadelphia had taken them over, but they knew they could be evicted at any time. The barracks were used to house church members who were unable to 'rough it' due to illness or infirmity.

"Are there showers in there?" Bruce asked, hopefully.

Neal laughed, "Yes, the barracks on the right is for the men's use; the one on the left is the women's. They're stocked with towels and soap, so enjoy."

"Oh, oh, here he comes...Rabbi 'kobolnik,' [rascally know-it-all]," Olli groaned, "and he has his henchmen with him."

Neal muttered something that they couldn't quite make out. Bruce, knowing Neal, figured it was probably a prayer.

An imposing figure was striding toward them, followed by a group of similarly dressed men who were struggling to keep up. The tall, broad-shouldered rabbi in the lead was clad in the long black garment known as a kaftan and on his head was a tubetaka, the multi-colored skullcap usually worn by Russian rabbis. By the time they reached Neal and Bruce, his entourage was gasping for breath.

The obvious leader of the little posse, the Rabbi, announced in an authoritative, heavily-accented voice, "We have received a report from the temple staff that several Levitical students are missing. It is rumored that they are being harbored here. Is this true?" His bushy eyebrows lowered over piercing dark eyes.

Bruce drew himself up to his full five feet six inches, his face glowing with the supernatural light of the Holy Spirit. "Sir, it is true that several of us left the temple because we do not agree with its sacrificial system. The people here have nothing to do with that. They are just being kind enough to put us up for now. Most of them don't even know who we are."

"You 'do not agree'? If so, you do not agree with God Himself! That, my dear boy, is blasphemy of the worst kind!" He poked a long bony finger into the middle of Bruce's chest. "To say nothing of the disrespect you are showing to our Meshiach, for whom the State of Israel and the new temple await!"

Olli thrust her small, pointed chin forward. "Our Meshiach has already come, and we are waiting for his triumphant return! He doesn't need you apostates to set up his kingdom for him! In fact, when he returns in glory, he will find the land desolate and in need of rebirth!" Bruce looked at her in surprise; obviously she had been listening in to some pretty heavy conversations around here! He fought the impulse to clap his hand over her mouth, however. It wasn't a woman's place to talk back to a man of authority.

"Sha [shut up], Olivia, let us handle this, okay?" Neal said quietly and turned to the Rabbi. "These men who have left the temple service would have dishonored your religion if they performed sacrifices in the wrong spirit, don't you agree?"

The Rabbi stuck out his lower lip. "They should have found the right spirit in order not to be numbered with the transgressors! They have cut themselves off from the covenant people! They must be taken into custody and delivered to the temple authorities for judgment!" He snapped his fingers; and two of his henchmen lunged forward, each tightly gripping Bruce's upper arms. To Neal, he said gruffly, "Round up the others if you want it to go well with your friend here. And be grateful we don't also take you for your defiance of the authority of the local synagogue."

By this time a crowd had gathered to spy out the commotion, among them Bruce's friends from the Temple. They immediately stepped forward and offered no resistance. In fact, one by one, they began to sing hymns of praise to their Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, as they were marched off in the direction of the nearby synagogue.

Olli grabbed Neal's hand and shook him, pleading, "Neal, why didn't you do something to stop them? They have no right!" Two fat tears rolled down her smooth cheeks.

"Olli, Olli, you must learn to trust in the Lord for everything! From now on, only what is in his will must come to pass. 'Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.'" Neal quoted from Job 13:15. "Let's go help with the evening meal." He withdrew a large white handkerchief and tenderly dried her tears. As they walked toward the barracks, he asked, to take her mind off of what had transpired, "How did it go at the hospital last night?"

Immediately, she was her usual effervescent self. "Oh, Neal, that little boy named Peter is just fine now that Daniel healed him. He loves hearing about Messiah Jesus and counts the days till his return on a big calendar by his bed! He has no family, so Mother and Father are trying to make arrangements to bring him here when he's finally discharged from the hospital." She began to skip and dance circles around Neal, but suddenly sobered again and changed the subject. "Do you think that one named Benjamin will remember me?"

Neal laughed, and said, "Who could possibly forget one as lovely as you?" She nodded slightly, as if to agree, which made Neal laugh all the more.

* * *

It wasn't until midnight, when everyone was inside their dwellings either sleeping or trying to, that beautiful singing could be heard somewhere in the camp. As it came closer, heads were poked out of tent flaps to see what was going on. Exclamations of astonishment could be heard all around.

"What are you boys doing back? Praise the Lord, they let you go!"

"How did you manage that? We thought you were under arrest!"

Benjamin laughed, and said, "They may not know we're gone yet -- but they will find the doors still bolted shut when they check!"

"Shalel appeared and led us right through the wall! He said he hadn't had that much fun for at least two thousand years!" Bruce announced. "As for me, I don't want that kind of fun again for a long time. Are those showers still open?"

He grunted as a night-gowned Olli threw her arms around him. She then turned from him and shyly gave a startled Ben a quick kiss on the cheek before diving back into her parents' tent.

"Come on, old man!" Sol had to shake him out of his stupor. "Don't just stand there with your hand on your face. Get to bed!"

Chapter Fifteen

Jill sat next to Abigail in the factory lunchroom waiting for the Remnant Bible Study to begin. She ran her fingertips absently over the pale lavender cover on Ashley's King James Bible, thinking, "Oh, Ashley, this world is just too complicated for me to figure out. I wish you were still here and things were normal. Maybe you'd be married too by now and we'd be expecting our first babies. It would have been so much fun! Nate and I can't even think about bringing a new life into this upside-down world. But if we did, and it was a girl, her name would be Ashley."

"What are you thinking so seriously about?" Abigail looked at her searchingly. Abigail had become a good friend to Jill, but she would never replace the exuberant Ashley. "Are you wondering what's going to happen now that Avi is dead? I know I am. I thought you said he was the antichrist. Maybe the Papal System is the antichrist after all, as Seventh-Day Adventism teaches." Abigail shrugged and raised her eyebrows. Jill absently noticed that they needed plucking.

"Yeah, I'm really confused, too. When I heard that Avi was pronounced dead after his Muslim stepfather stabbed him with a dagger at that press conference, and a stray bullet from his bodyguards hit Avi right in the eye; I didn't know what to think. Maybe we need to look for someone else to fulfill the prophecies of the beast." Jill opened Ashley's Bible as if she could find a clue at random.

Abigail gave a snorting laugh and said, "The W.P.F. Network's replay of what happened reminded me of a really bad, made-for-TV movie. Avi should have never waved away the guards with the metal detectors as his parents entered the building. I guess Avi's stepfather was building up some major resentment since finding out Avi was not his real son. Do you think they're together in Hades right now? That would be tres` uncomfortable!"

Just as Henry stepped up to the podium to begin the study, a young man came bursting through the door and rushed to the front of the factory lunchroom.

"Attention! Everyone! Quiet, please! We just got the news...Avi is alive! He came back to life! This is incredible!" He was flushed and gasping for breath as he tried to speak. "They were preparing his body for viewing, and he suddenly sat up with an intense look on his face. I heard the people who were present just about fainted! And you know what the first thing he said was? 'I must go to Jerusalem, to the Temple. I must ride through the Eastern Gate, on a white steed.' Then he brought the bronze Star of David pendant that was found in the rubble of the Temple excavation – the one Avi claims that Solomon wore – up to his lips and kissed it."

The young man stepped back in deference to Henry, who thanked him for the report and led the group in an opening prayer, concluding it with, "Father, we gaze in open admiration and awe as your sure word of prophecy continues to be fulfilled before our very eyes. Your word speaks of the beast, whose deadly wound was healed, in Revelation 13, verse 12. We had believed this meant that the world empire in existence when your Son walked this earth would be revived and form an even deadlier empire. Perhaps this evil counterfeit resurrection from the dead is a means of double fulfillment. Even so, Lord, we surrender our lives and wills and our futures to you, in your Son's most holy name, Jesus."

As they lifted their heads, their long-held fears were realized. The doors flew open and WPF's in jackboots, visors and heavy protective gear stamped in with their weapons held at arm's length in front of them. A deathly silence ensued as the two groups gazed at each other, pausing before the inevitable. One of the guards spoke, "Your illegal activities have been monitored for months by way of global positioning technology. Radical groups like yours are being rounded up all over the world tonight in honor of the miraculous return of our Leader, Imperator Avi Meshiach."

Henry couldn't help exclaiming, "Avi Meshiach?"

The guard closest to him immediately put the barrel of his weapon directly against Henry's temple. "That's what he said, buffoon. Doesn't it mean, 'messiah'? You ought to know that with all your Bible-thumping! That's what our Imperator has changed his name to now that he's back from the dead. He don't want no Muslim name after what his so-called father did to him. Got that?" He stepped down hard on Henry's instep, causing Henry to bite his lip, but remain silent.

A couple of the guards were grinning lasciviously as they ran their beefy hands up and down the bodies of some of the younger women. One of them said to Jill, "Just wait until we get to the detention camp in upstate New York. Then you and me'll have some fun!" Jill angrily slapped his hand away, and he grabbed her arm and twisted it painfully. All she could think was, "Nate, oh, Nate, what is this going to do to you?"

There was a shuffling sound near the doors as a woman and her young daughter tried to make a break for it. Shots rang out and both fell limply to the floor, their blood mingling beneath them, the mother's arm still around her little girl. Abigail began to sob, and Jill gathered the much taller young woman to her. "Break it up, 'lezzies,' or you'll be charged with Gentile Law Number Four." A grinning guard took his automatic weapon and drove the butt of it between them, bruising their ribs.

"Line up, you heretics; let's get this show on the road!" In a state of shock, they numbly complied. Jill managed to conceal Ashley's Bible under her sweater; maybe she could hang onto it ... for a while.

* * *

Nate jumped off of the bottom step of the bus and loped toward their building, eager to see Jill after a long night at work. He was thankful he hadn't been ordered to work overtime, especially since his paycheck would be the same whether he worked over or not. Everyone in the working class, and that was just about everyone in the region, was given the same allotment of funds in their electronic account no matter how long or hard they worked, or even what kind of work they did. And it was never enough. He and Jill both felt old and weak before their time after a steady diet of starches and fats. "But she's still the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on!" He put his key in the door and turned it.

"Her study group couldn't be running this late!" He switched on the dim bulb in the living room. There was no such thing anymore as a household bulb available with more than forty watts. He looked around for a note and was unrewarded. A sense of foreboding swept over him, but he didn't know what to do. They no longer had a telephone or a computer – both had been confiscated months ago. Now they were luxuries only for the very rich. The only channel that came in on their old TV was the WPF 'News' Network. "Yeah, right!" He thought as he shrugged back into his jacket, deciding to go down to the WPF station a few blocks away. Maybe they'd have some answers there.

Nate felt a renewed hope as he pushed open the door to the WPF Center. A surly woman in a WPF uniform sat behind a high desk. In as friendly a tone as he could muster under her sour gaze, he asked for information on Jill's possible whereabouts. She barked out, "If your little missus was one of them Christian-types that believe in that 'other' god, then she was most likely rounded up and taken to the Saratoga Springs Detention Camp up in Sector 5." She fed his information into her database and nodded, "Yep, she's headed up there now. So are you one of them Christian-types, too? I can arrange a trip up there for you too, ya know!" She laughed loudly at her idea.

Nate looked at her steadily and said, "Yes."

As he waited for the necessary red tape to be processed, the television monitors in the corner of the waiting room caught his eye.

A close-up of two old, bearded men, their eyes closed, faces serene in death, flashed on the screens. "Folks here in Jerusalem are stunned; some are jubilant; that these 'disturbing elements of society' have finally been silenced. Here's a re-play of today's events." Footage of W.P.F. militia encircling the two prophets of God played out on the screens. The old men raised their arms to Heaven and in clear, ringing voices said, 'Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD; for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee; but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished!' [Jeremiah 46:28] and also, 'For behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire!' [Isaiah 66:15] As they finished speaking, the militia opened fire and pumped round after round of ammunition into them, all the while shouting, "Avi Meshiach, Avi Meshiach, your will be done!" And those two Witnesses of the Lord God Jehovah sank to the ground as if lowered gently by invisible hands.

The scene displayed next caused Nate to feel sick with anger. The militia backed off; their evil work had been accomplished. They were quickly replaced by a crowd of merrymakers that danced and sang around the prone figures taking time out to kick the fallen ones of God. Close-up shots showed grinning faces darkened by demonic hatred. Nate knew there were those in Jerusalem who mourned this night; but, of course, no footage of them would be shown. His heart was heavy with grief and worry as he was roughly pushed into a waiting van filled with other 'enemies of the New World Order.' "Praise to the Lord Jesus Christ, King of heaven and earth!" An old woman with only two teeth left said in a raspy voice. Nate smiled, and answered, "For he shall reign forever and ever!"

"Don't make me come back there!" The driver growled as he shifted into drive. "Or on second thought, go ahead...make my day!" This was followed by a paroxysm of demented laughter. Nate thought suddenly of his mother and sadly realized that the old woman next to him was more of a mother to him than she would ever be again. "Dear Jesus, just come quickly!"

Chapter Sixteen

Josef tossed and turned on his bed, acutely aware that another autumn morning was again dawning and he still had not slept well. It was partly caused by him having the room all to himself now that his roommates had gone A.W.O.L. But, more than that, it was the memory of Avi's face as he hungrily watched the slaying of the bull whose blood would be used to purify the altar, which together with two rams, had been used in the ordination ceremony of the priests. He would never forget the shock of seeing Rabbi Sylvester ben Ariel call down fire from above that consumed the sacrifice in a blaze of white-hot flame. Then his mind would move forward in time to the terrifying earthquake. Some said it signified God's pleasure with the consecrating of the temple; but Josef suspected that if it signified anything about God, it was his sore displeasure!

"'Thou rollest away the light from before the darkness and the darkness from before the Light.' [Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Berakoth]. O Lord, God of Israel, what would you have us do to make Thee look with favor on Thy servants? When will Thy Shekinah Glory again fill the Holy Place? For this we long and for Thy Anointed!"

Josef sat up and rising from his narrow bed, walked to the window. Impossibly long limousines and town cars slowly crunched the gravel as they entered through the Horse Gate and deposited their passengers as near to the temple as permitted. From his window, Josef couldn't recognize any of them; but from the deference shown to them by their chauffeurs and official temple greeters, he knew they were the high-ranking elite of the New World Order. He could hear laughter and loud greetings as they recognized each other. Avi Meshiach ben David had made it known throughout the world that today's appearance at the temple was of earth-shaking importance. Josef quickly prayed that there'd be no literal earth shaking this time!

The door to his room silently swung open on its shiny brass hinges. Josef turned quickly to see his friend, Douglas, walk in with his graceful, long-legged stride.

"Come on, hurry up! They expect all priests to stand in formation on either side of Avi's path to the brazen platform. Here, let me help you with your ceremonial garb." The British accent and no-nonsense attitude that Josef usually found so refreshing was irritating today. Lack of sleep will do that to a person, he thought, as he allowed Doug to help him get ready.

"What do you think about that earthquake the day of the first sacrifice, Doug?" Josef wrinkled his brow at his friend.

"I think my scraped knee healed quite nicely, thank you! And the bump on my head caused only minimal brain damage – now my intellect is closer to yours!" Doug chuckled. "It was just a coincidence, worry wart. It's nothing to fret about. The sacrifice was in keeping with the Law of Moses; and as our great Talmud teaches, 'Lord of the Universe, we have performed what Thou hast decreed upon us, fulfill with us.'" [Tractate: Sotah].

Josef wasn't through asking questions. "What do you think Avi is here for again? It's not an appointed feast..."

Doug plunked the white turban onto Josef's head. "He's probably just going to talk about the two world courts he set up in Jerusalem and announce to everyone again that the I.D. panel will now be required. Most people have complied by now anyway; although I see you've put it off. Are you finally ready? Let's get down there and snatch some breakfast before 'His Majesty' arrives."

After what seemed like hours of standing in the sunlight, although the autumn breeze was pleasant enough, the trumpet-team priests were given the signal to play. As he raised his trumpet to his lips, Josef could hear hoof beats beating a staccato rhythm towards the Eastern Gate of the temple grounds. The old Eastern Gate had been torn down in order to keep the architecture uniform, over the protests of the more sentimental citizens of Israel.

The clip clopping grew louder as it reached the tiled surface of the courtyard. A gasp rose up from the crowd at their first sight of the magnificent white stallion and its rider of haughty and royal bearing galloping through the gate they called 'Beautiful.' The self-declared Imperator of the known world reined in his steed as it pawed the air and snorted with equine disdain. Avi Meshiach ben David, his blood-red cloak swirling around him, unsheathed his glittering sword and brandished it above his head with a bloodcurdling yell. When his mount again had its hooves on the ground, Avi flashed a mischievous smile and performed a mock half-bow from the waist that sent the crowd into delirious cheering and applause. Surely no one in the history of the world had ever commanded such widespread adoration!

As the Imperator dismounted in a single fluid motion, Josef and Doug continued to play a triumphal march with the rest of the priests. The official representatives of each region of the planet marched in procession trailing their leader. Rabbi Sylvester ben Ariel was already stationed at the entrance to the Court of the Women. Only Israelites were allowed in this area; but out of the corner of his eye, Josef could see former presidents of the United States and other countries, foreign ambassadors, and even a few movie stars. The strict rules were obviously being bent for this occasion.

When all were assembled in the Court of Women, the Imperator acknowledged the deep bow of his Minister of Religion and allowed the Rabbi to escort him onto the brazen platform, as the newly appointed Sanhedrin looked on. A hush had fallen over the crowd, and the WPF News camera people silently moved in for a close-up. Josef realized that citizens all over the globe were watching with baited breath, either at home or at the WPF centers located in every community.

Rabbi ben Ariel snapped his bony fingers; and Temple officials hastily brought an ornate chair and set it upon the platform. Carefully arranging the scarlet satin cloak, the weasel-like Ariel assisted Avi in seating himself upon it. Those who were aware of Temple protocol were stunned, as only kings of Israel were allowed to sit and address the people; even the High Priest was required to stand.

A small scroll was ceremoniously passed from High Priest to Temple President to Temple Deputy to Rabbi ben Ariel, who, with a flourish, handed it to the Imperator. Avi unrolled the stiff parchment, glanced at it, tossed it over his shoulder, and announced, "Be it known to you, today, O Israel; and also to you, Gentiles: you see before you a changed man!" He spread his arms wide with his hands upturned. "I have returned from the dead! And I have brought news from the 'other side'!"

His eyes blazed with a strange light as he continued. "During my sojourn in the supernatural realm, the Ascended Masters, those benevolent beings who have watched over us since the inception of mankind, revealed to me my mission to this world. It is a mission of love –a mission of peace. I have been given the power to inaugurate a new age – the Age of Aquarius! The Masters have selected us, the elite ruling class, to lead all those willing to make the leap into a higher state of consciousness."

Avi suddenly stood and gestured toward Rabbi ben Ariel. "Behold the power of man!" The Rabbi lifted his hand with a great flourish; and to the crowd's astonishment, a great fireball appeared in the air above his head. He pointed his fingers toward it; and as if at his bidding, it swept over the assembly, closely enough to cause excited screams and hastily ducked heads. Like a symphony conductor, Ariel directed the ball of fire; and after he had had his fill of terrifying those present, he aimed the burning object directly at the feet of Avi ben Meshiach, who did not flinch.

But the supernatural show was not yet over. As the fireball hit the floor, it dissipated and became a shimmering vapor that rose just above their heads. Slowly the ethereal form took shape -- the shape of a woman. In the Court of the Gentiles, where the less fortunate watched on closed circuit monitors, many hurriedly crossed themselves as they recognized she they believed to be the 'Mother of God.' Her daily appearances in Rome had done much to foster the authority of the Vatican, and Pope Peter II.

Josef, who had determined to believe that the appearances were a form of mass hysteria, had to admit that this vision was real. He blinked hard several times and it was still there. Or, rather, 'she' was still there. Many in the crowd were now on their knees. Was that disdain that flitted over Avi's features, or a look of impatience?

'Mary,' or the 'eternal goddess,' was breathtakingly lovely with a benign expression that radiated gentleness and purity. All who gazed upon her were entranced. After what seemed like an eternity, the vision of otherworldly beauty finally spoke.

"Little children, I am your Mother, and you are all my sons and daughters. I have come from the courts of heaven to acknowledge this dear one, Avi, as my son in a special way. To do this, I must tell you a secret. It is a secret that has been kept from you for almost 2,000 years because the Celestial Council and the Magisterium of the Church had determined that the world would not be able to bear it. But now in these days following the removal of those who were not enlightened, those who were holding back the spiritual progress of all mankind, it has been decided that the time has come to reveal to you the truth."

The woman of the apparition smiled indulgently at Avi and continued in the most melodious of voices, "Avi is, like you, my spiritual child; but he is also my physical son – through the seed line of the House of David." She paused. "He is not merely a descendant of King David, but a direct descendant of my son, Jesus, one of the anointed Christ's who came to assist the spiritual development of mankind."

Josef noticed that some in the crowd of privileged ones were smiling knowingly and nodding. Others, like he himself, reeled with shock. Members of the Sanhedrin leaned toward each other and murmured in hushed tones.

The shimmering apparition continued in her gentle and soothing voice, "Yes, the legend is true. My son, Jesus, and his bride, the Magdalen, produced a family by which now all the kindred of the earth have been blessed. Down through modern history the royal family known as the Merovingian Dynasty has endured and succeeded in preserving the truly royal blood of my son, Jesus. I have come before you on this day to make it known unto you that Avi, Meshiach ben David, is the rightful heir and king over all the kingdoms of earth, as well as the anointed Christ for this favored generation. Therefore, I command you to prostrate yourselves before him!"

At that, the vision disappeared; the fireball re-materialized and menacingly swept through the crowd, forcing them to protect themselves by casting their bodies to the ground. Then, the fireball likewise vanished.

As the unsteady dignitaries rose from the floor and brushed themselves off, temple servants appeared, silently moving through the room, offering a variety of drinks and hors d'oeuvres. The guests looked slightly off-balanced, but their impeccable breeding took over and they graciously accepted the refreshments.

Josef's face darkened, however, and he muttered to Douglas, "This is an outrage! How dare they desecrate even this outer court? That better not be alcohol!" His voice was muffled by piped-in music, making the event seem even more like a cocktail party. The once popular tune, 'The Age of Aquarius,' was familiar to most of those present.

"I say, what's up with our Avi? He seems like a different person. What's all that about 'ascended masters'?" Douglas shook his head. "Something is up; that's my gut instinct!"

Josef pointed at the ceiling. "Like those?" Colored balls of light were literally dancing to the music, playfully darting in and out of each other's paths. "I don't see any projector, do you?"

"No, I don't know what those are. They almost seem...alive." As Douglas uttered the words, a glowing ball of blue light teasingly brushed against him. For some reason he couldn't explain, he recoiled from its touch.

A temple official approached and informed the priests that they were excused until the 'ceremony' later that evening. Relieved, Josef and Douglas headed toward their quarters. Both wondered what kind of ceremony was planned. On their way out of the Court of Women, they passed a former U.S. dignitary. For a fleeting moment, as he glanced at them, Josef could have sworn the man's face suddenly became that of a grinning reptile. He shook his head to clear it and trudged up the stairs.

Douglas followed Josef into his room and plopped down onto one of the beds. "I feel a bit sick, and dizzy, how about you?"

"I'm damned mad, that's what I am! I know Avi is the leader of the known world, but where does he get off treating this temple like it's his private nightclub!" Realizing his voice was becoming loud he closed the door. He sank onto his bed and scratched his head. "I know we should be grateful to the guy for bringing peace to the Middle East by subduing and relocating the Arabs, and for assisting Israel in re-building the Temple; but there are limits to how far even a 'hero' like Avi can go."

Douglas put his palms over his eyes and sighed. "What bothers me is that supernatural stuff that went on down there! Was that vision of 'Mary,' a hologram or what? If we accept that it really was the mother of Jesus, we have to accept Jesus! I think that's why I feel slightly sick."

"Well, at least 'she' made it clear that Jesus was just one of many 'anointed Christs,' and not the Christ or Messiah of Israel. The things she was saying were more in line with Kaballistic teachings and aren't too far from the Babylonian Talmudic wisdom teachings. Maybe Jesus was a prophet and a teacher. The Christians may have perverted his teachings to further their own doctrines!" Now Josef was beginning to feel sick at the thought of accepting even that much about Jesus of Nazareth.

"I did hear those turncoat roommates of yours talking about him being the 'suffering servant,' before they deserted their duties." Doug added. "Maybe he was the first to come and Avi is the last -- the one who will set up our kingdom."

Josef groaned. "I heard Avi can trace his lineage to King David, and that Jesus of Nazareth could, too. If Avi is descended from Jesus and David, I guess he would qualify as a candidate for messiah. But there's just something about him that doesn't feel right."

"I guess that book – and the movie -- 'The DaVinci Code', by Dan Brown, may have been on the level. I heard that it proposed – like the book that came out earlier, 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail,' by Baigent, Leigh, and Lincoln - that the Merovingian Dynasty of France is directly descended from Jesus and that female follower of his, Mary Magdalene. I guess she even wrote her own gospel or something." Douglas searched his memory for details.

"That's assuming that the vision we saw was real. What about the fact that God forbids necromancy? Something stinks to high heaven about this whole affair. The people invited here today give me the creeps for some reason! More than once I thought some of them were something else." Josef admitted.

Douglas laughed ironically, "I thought I was the only one seeing things! And what about those balls of light dancing around? I've had enough of this freak show for a while. I'm going to grab forty winks." He closed his eyes and was soon snoring gently. Josef, as usual, was not so fortunate.

Chapter Seventeen

When the van doors were finally flung open, Nate and the other occupants gasped huge mouthfuls of fresh morning air. Nate had been afraid he would suffocate before he ever got to the detention camp. All he wanted to do was find Jill and somehow get them both out of this situation!

The guards pushed their prisoners through the security gate in the heavily barbed enclosure. Large signs stating that the fences were electric-shock-wired were a deterrent to escape. The men were prodded into one building; the women into another.

The men were ordered to strip; and powerful water hoses were turned on them, causing some of the weaker men to slip and fall, at which the guards let out whoops of raucous laughter and turned more jets of water on those who were struggling to rise. Nate hurried to help his fallen comrades, although it meant the jet spray would be painfully directed at his face.

An elderly man near him could be heard to say, "The way of the LORD is strength to the upright; but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity." [Proverbs 10:28, 29]

"'Upright?' I'll show you upright!" The guard nearest him laughed loudly and turned the full force of the hose upon the old man, who flew backward and hit the stone wall behind him

"This is the most fun I've had all day." A straggly-haired guard with rotten-looking teeth chortled. "Come on, 'ladies,' go get dressed in your pretty orange jumpsuits! That is, after we do a cavity-search on you!"

One of the guards slyly put his arm around a teenage boy and said, "You, my little darlin', are coming with me." Nate instinctively put out a hand to stop him, but was rewarded with a stinging blow to his ankles by a heavy chain that made him fall to the cement floor. "Don't even think about it, mister!" The chain-wielding guard warned, "or I'll see to it you get some of the same – right before you die!" Maybe the almost unbearable pain was making Nate see things that weren't there, but his torturer's face faded to become that of his mother, then the hideous monster he had seen come out of her that day, and then finally, back to the guard's scowl.

The twenty-third Psalm came into Nate's mind, and he just kept repeating it over and over to himself. It was the only comfort he would have until he could see Jill. "Please Lord, protect my wife from these servants of Satan. Let me endure this suffering for both of us."

* * *

Jill had been looking out of the window of the cell she shared with Abigail and four other women when the van pulled up at the gate. She recognized Nate immediately. How could she not know that dearest of forms? She pounded on the heavily reinforced security glass and cried, "Nate! I'm up here!" She was still beating the window with her bruised fist when he disappeared from her sight. Abigail gently led her away from the window.

They heard a sound at the door, and Abigail prayed that it was a guard with their scanty breakfast and not one who wanted one of them. Jill gasped a sigh of relief when the grubby trays with bowls of watery scrambled eggs came sliding in under the door. She would have to force herself to eat so she could find the strength to seek out Nate. There was nothing she could do about the way she knew she looked, she thought despairingly. She ran her fingers through her matted hair and gingerly touched the bruises around her mouth where that loathsome guard had brutally kissed her. She pushed out of her mind the thoughts of the other things he'd done. She needed to concentrate on Nate...and on God's promise of a wonderful world where only good things happened. 'The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?' [Psalm 27:1]

* * *

Nate was disappointed that the exercise yard contained only men; he was hoping he would see Jill. He limped painfully as he made his way to the long bench against the wall of the building. His ankle felt sprained, and he knew one of his ribs was broken. He instinctively realized that medical care would not be forthcoming.

"Nate!" A tall, stately black man separated himself from a group of detainees and hurried over, closely followed by another man.

"Hey, Henry! And, Alex! Can you believe this?" Nate smiled weakly. "Yeah, I guess you can." Now that the two were closer, he could see their bruises.

He felt a surge of hope. "Have you seen Jill? Is she OK?"

Henry shook his head. "I know she's here because she was with me in the van. But other than that, they keep the men and women separate." Henry thought better of telling Nate about the piercing screams they had heard the night before.

Nate caught the fleeting look of sympathy on Henry's face and panicked. "I've got to find her, man! She's everything to me. I've got to get her out of here!" He began to push his way through the crowd, flailing his arms in front of him, blinded by his tears. Henry and Alex grabbed him and held him back, so as not to attract the guards' notice. But they were too late.

"Well, what's all this – a new dance? Why don't you three teach it to all of us?" A pig-faced guard with a shaved head poked at them with his stick.

A smaller, skinnier guard squealed, "Not until I find my camera! This'll make a great postcard for my buddy in Queens."

"While you look for your camera, these three 'queens' can get naked. It'll make for a funnier picture. Where are the hoods so they can't be identified?" Pig-face licked his lips with anticipation while Skinny ran for his camera and the black hoods from the supply room. He took his gun out of the holster and ordered them to strip. Henry refused, standing tall and dignified.

Pig-face was infuriated. "You can't say no! This forty-five says, do it!" He cocked it and pointed it right at Henry's face, just touching his nose.

"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."[l John 2:17] Henry closed his eyes, his face impassive, although his cheeks were wet and beads of sweat stood out on his forehead. Pig-face glanced around at the silent onlookers and realized that his reputation was at stake. He gulped audibly and pulled the trigger. Nate and Alex recoiled with shock and then heard their righteous friend hit the ground just as the hoods mercifully blacked out their vision.

Nate cooperated with the guards only because he needed to rescue Jill; Alex cooperated out of overwhelming fear; but something in their souls died that day at the hands of their fellow man. Both of them were grateful that they couldn't see the faces of the others watching -- because somehow they knew that the watching was even worse.

Chapter Eighteen

Josef awoke with a start to find himself in darkness. He had fallen asleep after all. He snapped on a lamp, which immediately awakened Douglas, who put his arm over his eyes and grimaced. "Hey, what bloody time is it?"

The bedside clock read 11:15 p.m.

"You do realize that it's All Hallows Eve, don't you? No wonder Avi was dressed as a vampire!" Doug sat up and grinned as spookily as he could.

"Listen; what's that noise?" Josef cocked his head toward the courtyard below. They both went to the window and looked down upon the crowd below. The elegantly dressed guests were waving their arms high above their heads and chanting, "Let light and love and power and death fulfill the purpose of the coming One. Let light and love and power and death fulfill the purpose of the Coming One." Colored orbs of light darted in and out between the dancers, and some were being tossed high into the air. The torches had been lit and the firelight cast a hellish glow on the scene and made the participants' facial features alternately elongate and shorten into frightening 'masks.'

Josef groaned. "That must've been alcohol they were drinking. They all look sloshed."

"Or stoned!" Douglas added cynically. He hadn't led quite as sheltered a life as had Josef. "I've heard that a lot of celebrities and politicians are into the drug scene. Some of them are even involved in drug smuggling!"

A knock sounded on the door. The muffled official voice came through the heavy wood. "All Temple staff report to the Court of the Israelites. The Imperator will speak at midnight."

"But I'm starving!" Doug complained. Josef reached under his bed and brought out a box of contraband snacks. They both quickly stuffed their faces like they were storing food for the winter. Josef had to laugh at his friend's puffed-out cheeks, which caused him to spray granola in Doug's general direction. "Sh-h-h! We'll get caught!" Trying to talk with his mouth full caused Doug to return the favor!

Their frivolity was cut short as they passed through the darkened corridors. A heavy sense of foreboding gripped both of them and got more intense as they entered the Court. The dignitaries of this afternoon were the ones weaving and chanting; and up close, their eyes were the vacant black of reptilian creatures. Josef half expected forked tongues to dart from between their lips.

"Let Light and Love and Power and Death...fulfill the purpose of the Coming One!" The chanting sounded much louder down here, or maybe it was just getting louder? Josef fought the instinct to run back to his room. He could sense the same feeling in his friend.

Where was Avi? They didn't see him in the Court at all. As if they were also looking for him, the swaying crowd moved slowly toward the Court of the Priests, in which stood the entrance to the Sanctuary. Josef made a disapproving noise in his throat, and Douglas punched him on the thigh in an instinctive signal for stealth.

At the entrance to Hekhal, the outer Sanctuary, they suddenly stopped, mesmerized by a brilliant red light shining from within. Out of this light stepped Avi Meshiach, still clad in the floor-length scarlet cloak decorated with the ancient bronze Star of David pendant on his chest.

He held out his arms in benevolent welcome. "Come closer, children. Together, we have worked for this night; together, we have longed for this night. Many have gone before us who toiled ceaselessly to make our dream happen, knowing they would not be here to see it. The same spirit that animates us also animated them. Our Father will see that they are rewarded – in his kingdom we now inaugurate!

"Now, my shining stars, dance for me as my ancestor, David, danced before the Ark! Abandon yourselves to the victory we have won in our Father's Name! He is Light. He is Light-Giver. He is Light-Bearer. He will soon triumph!" Avi raised his clenched fist, his first and last fingers extended. The powerful ones gathered around him returned the sign and then went into a frenzy of feverish dancing. They continued to chant, "Light, Love, Power, Death! Light, Love, Power, Death!" Josef and Douglas backed away to watch from a safe distance. They saw other temple servants doing likewise. They were certainly out of their element amongst the rich and powerful who seemed to know something they didn't.

Josef noticed a couple of the writhing figures conjure up orbs of light from what looked to be their own bodies. These were tossed to and fro while the music throbbed with a tribal beat. Josef's stomach tightened at the thought of the Sanctuary entrance being desecrated in this pagan way.

He suddenly realized that Avi had vanished from sight. The pulsating crowd of dancers seemed unaware of his absence. The heavy veil over the Devir \-- the Holy of Holies – mysteriously opened wide of its own accord. Was it electronically operated? Standing inside, in front of a golden, heavily carved throne featuring a covering cherub on each side, was Avi, an impudent smile on his face. His feet were set in a wide stance and his hands were cockily resting on his hips. There was a collective gasp from the crowd, and they slowed their dancing to stare at the Imperator. The music also diminished.

"Know this, all mankind! I AM GOD! As you are also God! Worship me, as you worship yourselves! Together WE will transform this planet! We will take it back to the GARDEN! As I stand before you, know that I AM MAN and GOD!"

With that bold statement, Avi swept aside the blood-red cape to reveal to the waiting world his nakedness, as he posed before them unashamed before seating himself on the ornate throne behind him. Some of those present, Josef and Douglas included, were speechless with shock and disgust. The thought of a mortal man flaunting his naked body in the Holiest Place was an unspeakable abomination! But most of the people present shouted and cried their admiration, hurriedly stripping off their own clothing to wildly dance, unencumbered, in the flickering torchlight. Josef turned his face away from the sight of aging, flabby bodies – was that a former First Lady? Younger, well-toned forms tempted his reluctant gaze. He heard a retching sound near him and turned to see Douglas losing his hastily eaten snack all over his shoes! Josef had a sudden impulse to do the same, but managed to control himself.

They could hear Sylvester ben Ariel saying something and cautiously looked toward him as he stood near the entrance to the Sanctuary. Thankfully, he was fully clothed! The Rabbi announced in a loud voice, "Behold, the eternal image of the Man-God!" Avi rose, drew his cloak about him once more and stepped away from the throne. But to everyone's astonishment, he also remained seated. Some of those present gleefully clapped their hands in admiration. Obviously, one of the images was not the real Avi! But both moved with lifelike authenticity. Surely, the figure on the throne was a hologram of some sort! But it was difficult to tell the two Avi's apart.

Rabbi ben Ariel held up a small gleaming metal rectangle. "Attention citizens of the world! By now all of you should have complied and received your identification panel as ordered by our Imperator. The panels have aided us immeasurably in monitoring the activities on the planet. However, the identification panel is now not enough to authorize monetary transactions of any nature.

"As proof of the worship of the God-Man, Avi Meshiach ben David, this titanium overlay will now be required. Homage and assent that he is God, as are we all God, must be paid to either the Imperator himself, or to his image, a projection of which will be displayed in all WPF stations around the globe; then \-- and only then -- will a citizen be allowed to receive the overlay, which will be permanently attached to the identification panel. This overlay will entitle the bearer to buy or sell. Thirty days will be provided in which to comply. At the end of that time, resisters will be dealt with most swiftly and severely." The Rabbi's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he laid down the law.

It was as he was speaking that Josef noticed that a representation of the new overlay was carved onto the high back of the throne on which the image sat. He realized that the letters: I – A - M was both the bold declaration of the world leader and also his initials, 'Imperator Avi Meshiach.' The letters were followed by an engraving of three sixes gracefully intertwined. From his studies in Scripture, Josef knew that six is the number God has assigned to man. What blasphemy to declare yourself God! That's what that imposter Jesus had done and it had reportedly brought him to a bad end! Josef sincerely hoped that something similar would happen to that 'pig-man,' Avi whatever!

Chapter Nineteen

"Come on, you guys; hurry up, will you?" Olivia grabbed Benjamin's hand, much to his delight and embarrassment, and tried to drag him by it, giving the others a stern look. "I want you to meet Peter! Here's his room." She paused at the door of Peter's hospital room and peered inside to find his bed empty.

"He's in the solarium." His roommate, an older boy, offered this without taking his eyes off of his hand-held electronic game.

Ben, not wanting to let go of the treasured hand, was forced to run a little to keep up with Olivia as she skipped down the hall. The solarium was crowded with bath-robed patients straining to see the small television mounted on the wall. Something was going on; that was obvious from the outcries and gasps of those watching.

Neal, Bruce, and Ben tried to figure out what it was with one eye, while they politely attended to Olivia with the other. She was making a beeline for a pajama-clad little boy bobbing in and out of the crowd of mostly adults as he tried futilely to get a glimpse of the television screen. He squealed with surprised delight as Neal scooped him up and set him on his shoulders, giving him the best seat in the house! "Thank you, sir!" Peter grinned gratefully down at the top of Neal's head. Then he saw Olivia. "Olli! Olli! Look up here! I can almost touch the ceiling!" His high-pitched voice, cherubic smile, and head full of unruly blonde curls made Olivia's heart melt with an almost maternal love.

As charming as Peter was, the attention of his visitors was drawn to the screen on the wall, where an incredible event was being shown. The dead bodies of the Two Witnesses, which had been callously left for all to see in the street where they had been slain, suddenly came back to life and stood up! Those on the street that beheld this unbelievable sight stopped in their tracks in stunned silence, as did those in the hospital sunroom. A loud voice suddenly boomed out from nowhere, causing many present at the scene to fall to the ground as if dead themselves. "Come up hither!" Later it was learned that all that heard the voice, heard it in their own language. And immediately, the two venerable prophets of God ascended up to heaven surrounded by a cloud of unknown origin.

Neal and Bruce just looked at each other, each feeling the same mixture of sadness and inexpressible triumph and joy at the faithfulness of God and his care of his servants. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD; and he delighteth in his way.' Neal murmured, and Bruce responded, 'Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.' [Psalm 37:23, 24]

Even Benjamin had taken his eyes off of Olivia long enough to witness the incredible sight, although he welcomed her into his arms when she buried her face against him, shaking slightly.

"Olli, don't cry. It'll be okay! Our Father in heaven will protect them from bad people now." Peter had a difficult time dealing with this side of Olli; she was always funny and happy otherwise. He reached down and patted her hair; and she managed to look up at him and smile.

"You're right, Peter; I shouldn't be sad. This just means that God's time schedule is being fulfilled; and it's almost time for Messiah Jesus to return." She stretched out her arms and Peter happily let himself fall into them. "Peter, I want you to meet my friends. The giant who lifted you up is Neal, and this is Bruce and Benjamin." With a child's uncanny ability to size up a situation, Peter instantly knew that Ben was a rival for Olli's affections and frowned at him petulantly. And despite his advantage in years, Ben felt just about the same as he eyed Peter nestled so snugly against his own heart's desire!

"Will you guys help me finish the puzzle I've started?" Peter squirmed out of Olivia's arms and ran to a table where a half-finished Power Rangers puzzle waited. Happy for the diversion, they all scrambled to find chairs and give themselves over to the project. They were just sparring over which one got to put in the last piece when the whole building began to tremble and the large glass windows shattered with a clear, tinkling noise. Peter slapped his small hand onto his puzzle as if preserving it was a most important task. The television slipped from its mooring on the wall and dangled crazily by its cord, the screen full of static, although ghostly images could still be made out.

Bruce pulled his small New Testament from his pocket. "We don't need the TV to tell us what's happened! He flipped to the Book of Revelation and read, 'And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand; and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.'

As two tall nursing assistants struggled to put the television back into place, the news announcer's voice suddenly came in loud and clear. "Imperator of the World, Avi Meshiach, has declared his deity today by erecting a holographic image of himself in the Holy of Holies in the newly-dedicated temple at Jerusalem. Every citizen of the world must perform an act of worship by kneeling before either this image or one of the many thousands even now being set up at WPF headquarters around the globe. In recognition of this act of worship, each citizen's identification panel will be fitted with a titanium overlay commemorating this event which will authorize him or her to accept or transfer monetary funds necessary for the sustaining of life." The announcer reached up and re-positioned his earphone. "Hold on, folks; this just came in over the wire. There has just been a devastating earthquake in the Middle East. The epicenter is reported to be at Jerusalem, although its effects were felt in surrounding areas hundreds of miles away. The Imperator, who is still in the area following his astonishing appearance at the temple, is reportedly unhurt. Apparently, he had just announced his plan to establish a world headquarters in the temple at Jerusalem, a place 'more befitting of his new role as savior of mankind.' Luckily, the temple building sustained only minor damage in the quake."

An elderly woman in a fuzzy pink robe and plastic hair curlers leaned toward them with a confidential air, and said, "I heard that when Avi was in that holy room and announced he was God, he was naked as a jaybird! Why don't they show that on TV?" She grinned lasciviously. "I wouldn't mind seeing that! Been a long time since I seen anything like that. Unless you count that old coot across the hall getting his sponge bath with the door open!" She threw back her head and cackled with laughter. The little group politely backed away from her.

"Okay, I'm sick now!" Olli wrinkled her nose with disgust. "I don't know which was worse – Antiochus Epiphanes slaughtering a pig on the altar in 168 B.C., or having a middle-aged guy do something like that in front of God and everybody!" She shivered once for emphasis.

Ben agreed, "Now, that's an abomination."

"Exactly!" Neal picked up Bruce's small Testament. "That's the abomination of desolation, to be exact. 'When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand), then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains; let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house; neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the abbath day; for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.' [Matthew 24:15-21]

Bruce spread out his hands and shrugged. "I'm going to take that to mean us, the Remnant, even if we're not technically in Judea right at the moment. Because none of us is going to worship that filthy impostor, and somehow I don't think he's going to go for that!"

Olivia rose to her feet. "Then, I say, let's go! And we're taking Petey with us!" She grabbed Peter's small hand and started toward the door to the hallway, the others following without protest. When they got to the nurse's station, the head nurse and a large nursing assistant stepped out in front of them. Suddenly, the lights flickered and went out. The young people blithely slipped around the two authority figures and headed for the stairwell.

"Thanks, Shalel!" Bruce called into the darkness. A disembodied, "You're welcome!" came floating back. They made it safely to their parked van, piled in, and hit the road for the camp at Philadelphia.

* * *

Peter noticed them first. "Look at the pretty lights!" His little pug nose was pressed against the car window. "Hey, maybe they're space ships from Mars!"

Neal slowed the van as he also noticed colored spheres of light that were streaking toward earth at incredible speeds. A couple of them appeared to 'land' just up ahead of them. "I'm going to pull to the side of the road and investigate." Neal grabbed a large flashlight and cautiously got out of the van.

Someone was walking toward him on the road ahead. "Hello, do you need some help?" Neal tried not to shine the flashlight into the stranger's eyes although he did try to illuminate the path between them. As the form drew closer, Neal could see that it had a tall, hulking appearance. At once, he began to experience a nauseating repulsion and had to struggle with himself not to run back to the van.

Now, he could hear a sucking, squishy sound growing louder with each footfall that brought the creature closer. He needed to see what was coming, and throwing courtesy to the wind, he brought the beam of light to bear on the approaching shape. "Oh, God help me!" He wanted to retch but was too paralyzed with fear, for what he saw was the most hideous of monsters, something right out of a horror movie. And there was another one right behind it! Both had the faces of gargoyles, their bared teeth dripping a slimy substance. Their malevolent grins told Neal that they had not come in peace. Mentally willing his feet to move from the spot where he stood rooted in fear, he almost tripped in his mad dash back to the van.

"Who is it?" Olivia asked but received no response, as a gasping Neal pressed on the gas pedal so hard that the old van lurched forward and died.

"Lock the doors!" He managed to spit out the words as he painfully wrenched himself around to lock the door on Peter's side behind him. The small boy's eyes were wide with fear now. He screamed shrilly as one of the creatures peered at him through the glass. Neal said a fervent prayer and gingerly tried the ignition. The car's engine roared back to life just as a gray-blue wart-encrusted claw came right through the closed window on Peter's side. Instantly a gleaming sword appeared and sliced the intruding appendage clean off, whereupon it vanished. Neal stepped on the gas and drove the van right through the other creature, which just looked rather inconvenienced by the large object passing through it.

"Are you all right, Pete?" Neal glanced into the rear view mirror and could see that, indeed, he was all right, safe and secure in the lap of their trusty guardian angel. Olivia, for once, was speechless! Ben, of course, took the opportunity to slip his arm around her.

"God's peace be to you Olivia Rose!" Shalel smiled winningly. She stammered back, "You're an angel!"

"Thank you for reminding me, young lady. I'm sorry I wasn't of assistance to you sooner! All of the angelic legions were summoned to battle against the 'dragon and his angels.' I am very happy to report that the outcome was most successful." His handsome face beamed triumphantly.

Bruce finally found his voice and quoted, 'And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.' [Revelation 12:7, 8]

"Yes," agreed Shalel, "'and the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.' [Revelation 12:9] 'Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.' [Revelation 12:12] It is certainly something to rejoice over to know that Satan no longer has access to the heavenly realms! But now the terrible battle will take place on the earth."

Pulling into the campgrounds, they surveyed the scene before them. People were scurrying around, packing up belongings, and taking down their tents. Instead of looking worried, however, most of them were singing psalms of praise and thanksgiving. Neal rolled down the car window when he spied Scout and some of the others.

"Hey, there, buddy! Well, who have we got here?" Scout knocked on Peter's window and wiggled his fingers in a silly salute. "The more the merrier, I say! Let's get this show on the road; we're out of here tonight! There isn't a man alive who'll get my worship; that's reserved for my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!" He nodded once for emphasis and hoisted his rolled-up tent under his arm. Neal noticed that Shalel had once again vanished.

"So where are we going, anyway?" Olivia wanted to know.

Scout tipped his Rangers hat to her. "Well, little miss; the scuttlebutt on the short wave radio is that most of the remnant is heading for Petra. Heck, all the prophecy writers have speculated that that's where we'd go, and for the past couple of decades Christians have even hidden supplies for us there." Then he chuckled, "Of course, some of the supplies were hidden by Post-Tribulationists for themselves! So, it's the logical hiding place. If the Lord wants us someplace else, he'll let us know!"

Chapter Twenty

Jill and Abigail bowed their heads in prayer along with several other women clustered tightly together in the exercise yard. They drew strength from communion with God and from each other, knowing that right now that was all they had.

"Hey, break it up and fall into formation!" A tight-lipped female guard with hair severely pulled back into a painful-looking bun poked a few of them with her Billy club. "We have some news for you."

Jill's heart leaped with a mixture of hope and panic. Perhaps she would be allowed to see Nate! Or maybe today was the day she would die without seeing him first. She fell into line beside Abigail and waited impassively. She had learned the hard way not to draw any attention to herself by sudden movements.

The head matron paced importantly back and forth in front of their ranks. It was obvious she was playing this scene for all it was worth by forcing them to wait for her to begin speaking. Then, with a theatrical flourish, she turned to face them.

"The Imperator of the World, our beloved Avi Meshiach, has at last admitted his true nature and calling as one sent as a god and savior of mankind at this point in history. All he asks in return is for the worship and obedience of which he is most worthy. In exchange for our recognition of his godhood, citizens will receive his monogram, which in conjunction with the identification panel, will entitle that citizen to the right to earn wages, buy and sell."

The matron paused and looked down her long nose at them for emphasis. "In the Imperator's divine mercy and generosity, he has decreed that all those currently detained for violation of the Noahide Laws be shown every clemency – providing they make the required act of obedience. All citizens in the free world are being allowed exactly 30 days to comply. Detainees, however, have been given 48 hours in which to make their wishes to comply known." She smiled smugly. "Those who comply will be returned to their city of origin. Those who do not will be promptly eliminated."

Some of the women inmates began to sob and held onto others for support. Others laughed aloud with relief. Jill and Abigail embraced briefly, not needing to speak. They had already determined in their hearts that they would willingly die before betraying their Lord.

In the men's exercise yard, the reactions of Nate and Alex were much the same. Both of them realized that they had known from the beginning that this was the fate that awaited them. Alex murmured, "It is our privilege to die for him. May it be to his glory!" Nate added, "Amen. 'For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.'" [Mark 8:35]

Keith, a young fellow-detainee they had befriended, frowned at them. "You guys are crazy! Here's our chance to get out of this hellhole. I'm sure as hell going to take it! What use will you guys be to that Jesus of yours without your heads?"

"Keith," Nate looked into his eyes, "There is a world after this one where I hope we'll be of use to our King. Won't you please reconsider this?" Keith held up his hands and walked away, shaking his head.

The believers among them spent the 48 hours in prayer, refusing all sustenance. The night before the deadline, Jill held tightly onto Ashley's Bible, now smudged and tattered from being passed around to any who needed its comfort and strength. She turned to the book of the Revelation, noticing that some of the pages had fallen out; but the passage she sought was still there.

'Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer; behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.' [Revelation 2:10]

"I need to see you, Nate, and have you hold me one more time," she thought, as tears trickled silently down her cheeks and onto the treasured pages. "But I guess it's just not meant to be." She roughly wiped her face with her grubby hand. "But this I know; I will see you in his kingdom!"

The following morning, all prisoners were summoned to the men's exercise yard. Despite the sudden surge of dread that she would succumb to the temptation to give in at the last minute, Jill's heart soared at the prospect of at least seeing Nate one last time. When she and Abigail entered the yard, she spotted him immediately. How wonderful he looked, even gaunt and dirty! Their eyes met, and it was all they could do to keep from running to each other. Instead, they smiled radiantly at each other, their love a tangible thing between them.

Each prisoner was called forward and offered a choice – to either enter a room where a special traveling image of Avi awaited, or to enter another room where immediate execution would take place. Abigail's name was called, and she walked a bit unsteadily forward. Jill could see her shake her head no. Again, a question was put to her. This time, she said loudly, "No, I worship the Almighty God of creation, and none other!" She was roughly pushed toward the place of execution, but she managed to recover her dignity and walk with head held high through that door of no return.

Jill's turn came soon after. Her knees buckled slightly when her name was called, but she walked resolutely forward, the lavender Bible pressed to her heart. "Do you, Jill Hannity, wish to give assent to the worship of Imperator Avi Meshiach, and to take his mark?" "No, I do not. I worship the Almighty God in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." She focused her heart and mind on him, and when she was again asked, "Will you worship the Imperator? This is your final chance." She lifted her hands toward heaven and said, "In him will I trust."

Inside the execution room, a grisly scene met her eyes. A small guillotine had been set up on a high platform. A dumpster was positioned on either side of it to receive the remains of the executed. She quickly shut her eyes and waited her turn.

A voice behind her said, "Jill!" Her eyes shot open. "Nate!" She threw herself into his arms and pressed herself against him with all of the strength that remained in her. "Oh; Nate! How did you get in here so soon?"

He brushed the unruly curls out of her eyes and smiled, "They're calling the names in alphabetical order, silly. Mine was right after yours." He could restrain himself no longer and tipped her face toward him almost roughly with his hand, brought his lips down over hers and let himself melt into her.

"I love you, Nate; oh, I love you so much!" Jill murmured between kisses. They were both weeping now, but with joy at this precious reunion.

Even as she was rudely yanked out of his arms and shoved up the steps of the waiting platform, Jill never took her eyes off of her beloved, nor did he take his off of her. The last words she heard on this side of eternity were in Nate's clear strong voice.

'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.' [Psalm 23]

Chapter Twenty-One

"Ouch!" Josef hopped on one foot after making the mistake of kicking a piece of cement that had broken off of a nearby building in the earthquake. He looked on with envy as Douglas scampered over the rubble like a young mountain goat.

"I don't know about you, but I'm beginning to think there's a connection between all these earthquakes and how the Lord God Jehovah feels about what's been going on at the temple!" Josef sighed, as he carefully walked around a large branch in his path.

Douglas pointed to the area where the two witnesses had been. "Isn't it creepy that all that's left of them are those burn marks on the pavement where their attackers were incinerated? The way they disappeared right before the earthquake makes one wonder, doesn't it?"

"Listen, Doug, I've been thinking." Josef spoke hesitantly.

Douglas laughed. "That's always dangerous!"

"No, I'm serious. We have less than thirty days to bow the knee to Avi and get that monogram of his. I don't even have an I.D. panel yet. And, you know, I'm not sure I can bring myself to do any of it. Not after what I've seen go on here the last couple of days!"

"Now that you mention it, I've been having the same kind of thoughts. But what can we do? I don't want to end up in a detention camp or worse! I've heard rumors that people who don't cooperate with Avi simply disappear." Douglas picked up a handful of tempered glass pebbles and tossed them in the air.

A small car drew up beside them. "Hey, you guys ready to go? Oh, sorry, thought you were someone else." One of the two dark-haired Jewish men spoke through the open window.

Doug leaned his arms on the car roof and peered in. "What's up? You going somewhere?"

Suddenly suspicious, the young man said blandly, "No, not really. Not right this minute. Well, gotta be off; have a good day." He shifted the car into drive and eased it away from the curb.

"You know, it does seem kind of quiet in Jerusalem, like a lot of people are gone, doesn't it?" Josef looked around. "I know a lot of people are probably in mourning after so many thousands died in the quake."

"Hey, isn't that one of your former roommates up ahead?" Doug pointed to a group of young Jewish men animatedly talking together. "Maybe he knows something."

Frank's face lit up when they greeted him, and he threw his arms around them affectionately. In response to their questions, he was candidly forthcoming. "The remnant of Israel has been warned to flee the persecution by the antichrist foretold in scripture. We're heading down to Petra to wait out the rest of the tribulation in the rock fortress there."

"What 'antichrist?'" Douglas was completely clueless to the term.

"Look, come into this coffee shop with me, and I'll show you our reasoning from the scriptures, okay?" Frank never tired of teaching others what he had learned.

Douglas shrugged, "Hey, we have nothing better to do, that's for sure. The Imperator has ordered the sacrifices to cease until further notice." He and Josef followed Frank into the dim restaurant.

An hour and a half later, they both had to admit that the events of the past few days were remarkably similar to those predicted in Daniel and in the book of the Revelation (which they now looked at with a bit more credence even though it was a 'Christian' book).

"Okay, this is pretty crazy; and I am personally not ready to admit that Jesus of Nazareth is the messiah of Israel; but I'm damned sure Avi isn't either! The messiah would never desecrate the Devir that way; and I'm beginning to believe the rumor that Avi isn't a Hebrew at all, but he is descended from the Khazars. And giving someone like him worship isn't my style; and I don't think that's Josef's style, either. So, here's my question. May we go with you to this Petra place, hang out, and see what happens?" He looked at Josef for confirmation; who simply nodded.

Frank smiled. "We're leaving right now; are you ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be!" Josef threw down a few coins for a tip and stood up. "Let's boogie!" That was so out of character that both Frank and Douglas burst out laughing.

Chapter Twenty-Two

"I've never seen you travel so light before, Mama!" Marcus teased Rebecca in the back seat of the van in which they were all tightly wedged together.

Rebecca raised her eyebrows at him. "I didn't have much choice, now did I, Papa?" She blew him a mock kiss with the one hand that wasn't trapped between them. Next to them, Peter squirmed in Olivia's lap trying to get comfortable enough for a nap.

Neal, Bruce, and Daniel were squeezed together just as tightly in the front seat, with Scout and Ben riding shotgun way in the back. They had been traveling this way for days as they slowly made progress toward Bozrah about twenty miles north of Petra on the King's Highway. They planned to stop there for the night, perhaps enjoying a hotel one more time before entering the stone city where they would spend the next three and a half years, Lord willing. Surely, they were under divine protection during this journey, because the van had sputtered faithfully along and had not been stopped for inspection even once. Bruce suspected that Shalel might have had something to do with that. Perhaps they were invisible even now! Nothing surprised him about Shalel anymore.

Daniel's heart was heavy as he surveyed the surrounding countryside. "So much destruction has come about because of a few men that want to rule the world. Everywhere you look there are bombed-out shells that used to be family homes."

"When we went through the heap that used to be Damascus, the prophecy in Isaiah 17 came to mind. 'Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.'" Marcus offered. "The region containing it should have known better than to come against Israel. God can use even the hand of his enemy to exact his judgment on those who covet his land."

"Of course, that was early on when Avi was playing the defender of Israel. Now in his pride, he's the one who seeks to make the 'Beautiful Land' his own." Daniel pointed out.

Rebecca pointed out, "Avi's plan to usurp the things of God will succeed only as far as the Lord allows; and then that 'man of sin' will be utterly destroyed."

Peter woke up just enough to pipe, "Amen!"

* * *

They left the van in a parking lot in Bozrah and traveled the rest of the way on foot, taking turns carrying Peter piggyback. They fully realized that the food they carried was only enough for a few days at the most, but their faith in the providence of God was as firm as the time-weathered rocks strewn far and wide all about them. The sleepy village of Wady Musa on the hill above Petra had in recent days grown used to the sight of determined pilgrims trudging down the track to the lost city. A few of the residents had put out tables with refreshments and supplies to be purchased in these last moments.

As the valley before them narrowed, they were suddenly confronted with a sheer cliff that seemed to offer the resistance of the proverbial 'brick wall.' But the little group followed those ahead that seemed to know where to go. An almost invisible cleft in the face of the cliff suddenly seemed to open before their eyes, and along with the other travelers, they slipped into it.

Once inside the 'El Siq,' a six thousand foot long cleft ranging in widths of twelve to thirty feet, with sidewalls in some places as high as five hundred feet, Peter exclaimed, "This is spooky! I like it!" Even at mid-day, there was little light in the cleft.

Rebecca sniffed, "You can keep it. I just want it to end." She determinedly looked down at her feet as she trudged along. "You can't see six yards ahead of you the way this passageway twists and turns."

"Mama has a touch of claustrophobia," Marcus said to no one in particular. He put an arm around her and squeezed her reassuringly.

About an hour later, they turned a corner and gasped with astonishment. The sunlight was blinding as it glinted off of the face of a huge tomb. Neal took out a battered guidebook, and explained, "This is the tomb called Khazneh or Treasury. Its carvings are the best preserved of all the tombs because it is somewhat sheltered here. That urn at the top has so many bullet marks because of the legend that it contains a treasure, and men have tried over the centuries to dislodge it."

"And if my memory serves me correctly," Scout added, "they used this site in the making of 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.'"

"Cool!" breathed Peter as he took it all in. This was the kind of adventure he had dreamed about while lying in that hospital bed.

Beyond the clearing, the gorge again narrowed. Great tombs lined either side and beyond that they saw a theatre cut out of the rose-colored rock. Although they were getting rather tired, they couldn't help but be enthralled by the living history they witnessed. A little further on, they gazed at the actual ancient city with its temples, palaces, private houses, and baths. Connecting all these was what once had been a beautifully paved street interspersed with bridges at intervals.

"Let's take a breather!" They sat on the grass and relaxed as they gazed at the valleys that went off of the city site in all directions. Later they would explore the narrow ravines there, lined on both sides with houses and tombs of astonishing variety of size and construction. Whimsical flights of stone stairs could be seen winding up the sides of the steep hills. A great building known to the Arabs as the Deir or Convent is located high on a mountain to the west of the city. It is believed that it may have been a temple as there is a small altar in one of its rooms.

"This has got to be one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen!" Olivia murmured as she gazed about. Ben was looking at her, however, thinking, "And you are the most beautiful person I've ever seen."

Rebecca and Marcus exchanged knowing glances at his transparency, and in that way long married couples have, made an unspoken pact to keep an eye on the two. Peter, too, noticed Ben's focus of attention and firmly placed his little body between them. "Olli, I'm thirsty." She busied herself finding his water bottle, and Scout answered the question that came into everyone's mind. "A few years back, a pipeline was laid to carry water from two nearby rivers to a treatment plant where it is then pumped to this area. This was a big tourist attraction, you know."

By nightfall, most of the pilgrims had pitched a tent or staked a claim to one of the many tombs or stone structures. There would be no shortage of shelter here. Marcus, Rebecca, Olivia, and Peter laid claim to a good-size stone tomb; and the three guys got comfortable in the one right next to it. It was sobering to imagine that these would be their homes until their Deliverer set up his kingdom.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Keith absently rubbed his fingertips over the embossed plate in the middle of the top of his right hand. He had a hard time concentrating on the W.P.F. News Network because the faces of Alex, Nate, and the others kept intruding into his mind. What fools they were to throw away their lives for a fantasy! He'd been brought up in a family that ridiculed people who needed the panacea of religion to get through life. Of course, he didn't worship this Avi guy either; but he wasn't so stupid that he didn't realize you have to play along with the ones who have the power. He wouldn't even have been in that nightmare camp if one of his own so-called buddies hadn't snitched the fact that he was speaking out against that fascist, Avi Muhammed.

"What the hell?" He figured he must've been rubbing his hand a little too hard. All around the titanium plate a reddened area was forming. "It's probably infected. Damn it!" He hauled himself out of his recliner and made his way through the dim apartment to the bathroom. Even in the glow of the dirty light bulb over the sink he could make out a few red spots on his face. He brought his face close to the mirror and noticed that the spots were bulging slightly. "Must be something I ate." He dabbed a little anti-biotic ointment on his face and hand and decided to go to bed. Big day tomorrow; he had to go to the neighborhood WPF Station and report for assignment

As he reached to snap off the TV, the announcer's voice caught his attention. "Oceanographers are reporting tonight that every major body of salt water on the planet has apparently been undergoing some kind of organic transformation. Samples have been taken and are being analyzed in laboratories under the administration of the World Peace Federation. We'll bring you that report when we have it."

Keith thought, "Now what? This planet is going to hell in a hand basket because of all those wacko Christian types who never gave a damn about it because 'Jesus is coming back.' Good riddance to all of them; maybe now we can solve some of these environmental problems." Again, the faces of his now-dead friends popped into his head wearing friendly smiles. "Even you guys! Now scram!"

It was sometime near midnight when the relentless itching started. Keith woke up with blood under his fingernails from the scratching he'd been doing in his sleep. "Oh, God!" he moaned, then thought, "Why do I always say that? I don't even believe in Him!"

He flung himself out of bed and turned on the lamp on his nightstand. His hands! They were red, oozing lumps of bumpy flesh! He pushed up his pajama sleeve; his arm was so full of boils he could barely push the cloth back. His own moans mingled with other moaning that he could faintly hear from out in the hall.

Cautiously opening his apartment door, he mentally recoiled from the sight of several residents ping ponging off of the hallway walls as they blindly sought help for their identical condition. Some of them were unable to open their eyes due to the size of the boils on their eyelids. What was that stench? Now Keith was aware of the putrid odor hanging in the air, doubtless from the yellow puss oozing from the scratched-open boils. His stomach heaved, and he shut his apartment door. That's when he realized that he smelled just as bad.

The W.P.F. News Network was reporting that the boil infestation was apparently a worldwide phenomenon, possibly linked to the tainting of the environment with the organic material rapidly multiplying in the world's oceans. Sufferers were advised to refrain from contacting their W.P.F. Station and to wait for further medical advice from the Network.

"Oh, great! We have to wait. So what else is new?" Maybe those guys with their heads cut off were better off. Keith scratched a boil on his face and pus and blood oozed down his cheek. Disgusted, he decided to shower, but the sensation of water hitting the infected areas caused such acute pain that he howled like a wild animal.

Morning found him curled up in the corner of his bedroom, rocking back and forth, his hands encased in tube socks to keep him from raking his skin completely raw.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Newcomers to the wilderness refuge were arriving daily, Doug and Josef among them. With the thirty-day deadline now almost up, it was reported that Avi was becoming enraged by the lack of compliance, especially in Israel and the surrounding areas. It was rumored that a dragnet had been set up to stop those attempting to flee. Fervent prayers for the safety of the refugees were offered up daily under the leadership of the hundred and forty-four thousand anointed ones. It was easy to spot them now, for their faces seemed to glow with the holy light of God just about all the time. Like Neal, Bruce, and Daniel, the other members of the hundred and forty-four thousand, wherever they were located in the world, had grown in maturity and leadership ability with the supernatural aid and protection of the Holy Spirit.

Marcus felt his heart leap within him as he watched his son, Daniel, lead his portion of the remnant in prayer.

"Our Messiah, Jesus, taught his disciples to pray as it is recorded for us in Matthew 6. Believers during the age of grace referred to this prayer as, 'the Lord's Prayer,' and claimed it as their own, although it was given to us for this very hour. Father, we acknowledge that you are in heaven. You are not here on earth with the little flock of Israel, as you were in the days of King David, no matter how we may long for that. You have bid your Son to wait until you have made his enemies his footstool. We pray that your holy name forever be honored. We join our hearts to yours as we wait for the coming of the kingdom of your Son, Jesus, when your will is done in earth, as it is in heaven. We trust that you will provide our daily sustenance as our natural food supply runs out. We understand that you will forgive us in the same measure in which we forgive others. We ask that you lead us away from the temptation to submit to the enticements and threats of the enemy, but deliver us from his evil." The others in his group joined him declaring, 'For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever!' Amen!"

As the different groups of believers, many of whom had grown as close as family in the short time they had been together, affectionately bid each other a good night and called out a last exhortation, Daniel spied a shining form on the crest of the nearby mountain. Then he noticed another and another. He felt irresistibly drawn to these angelic creatures. Neal and Bruce came up behind him and also looked up.

"I believe we are being summoned." Neal said. He saw that others of shining countenance were determinedly walking toward the base of the mountain.

Olivia and Peter stood near their tomb dwelling. "What's happening? Why are all you guys going toward the mountain?" Olivia looked perplexed. Peter added, "Can I come, too, Uncle Neal?"

Neal raised his hand in a loving farewell, and called, "We'll see you later, Pete...you, too, Olli!" Bruce and Daniel also waved jauntily as they joined the others in their uphill trek.

When they reached the top, a peaceful darkness had completely fallen and the only light visible was from the other men's countenances and the glowing angels awaiting them. They recognized Shalel right away – each angel had his own unique appearance. Neal, Bruce, and Daniel made their way to his side.

"What's up, Shalel?" Bruce tried to smile, despite the solemn air of the occasion. Shalel signaled for them to wait until all had gathered on the mountaintop. The men marching resolutely to join them seemed to number in the hundreds – perhaps a few thousand. Neal wondered if scenes such as this were taking place all over the world.

At last the final climber was present, and a tall, blonde angel with an air of authority spoke.

"Men of Israel's most high God, you were selected to perform a most worthy task; and that task you have done well. It will be your eternal privilege to rule and reign with the King of kings in his everlasting kingdom. For now, your work on earth is done; and you must cast off these mortal bodies. The bodies of your redemption await you. Prepare to meet the Lamb who has redeemed you from among men to serve him day and night in his temple."

Shalel smiled reassuringly at his three friends and held out his hands. Joining hands, they grasped his outstretched ones and immediately a flood of loving warmth enveloped them, and they felt as if no harm could ever come to them again. With that overwhelming sense of loving protection surrounding them, they vanished.

* * *

Doug and Josef stood at the foot of the mountain staring upward into the velvety darkness, the stillness a palpable thing.

"I don't think Frank is coming back down." Josef's voice rang out, causing Douglas to jump.

Doug stared at Josef with wide-open eyes barely visible in the blackness. His mind was fixed on what he had seen at the top of that crest. Suddenly, his hands shot out, and he grabbed Josef by the shoulders, dragging him to his knees as he fell to his. His eyes were squeezed shut as he choked out, "I believe, I believe!" He fell headlong to the ground, sobbing, and rubbed his face in the dry soil. "Lord Jesus, forgive me! I believe in you. I believe."

Josef felt as if his own heart would burst as he, too, realized what truths he had been guarding his heart and mind against all these weeks. Raising his arms to heaven, he cried, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" He dropped prostrate to the ground beside Doug, and after quoting, 'That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.'" He waited to be struck dead. They both remained motionless with fear, their tears soaking the dry ground, until at last they fell asleep.

When they awoke at dawn, it appeared to be snowing.

* * *

All around inside the rock fortress, the people of God peered curiously from their makeshift dwellings. White flakes were indeed falling from the sky.

"I don't remember reading anything about snow in the guidebook; do you, Mama?" Olivia pulled her scarf over her hair and stepped cautiously outside. The white flakes had stopped and were piled softly here and there on the ground.

Peter, not nearly as hesitant, scooted around her and danced through the drifts, joyously kicking the stuff upward with his toes; that is, until he crashed right into Shalel, who stood with arms folded disapprovingly. Peter was undaunted and playfully tossed some of the airy puffs toward the angel.

"What is it?" Peter demanded of Shalel. The angel looked back at him steadily and said, "What is it."

"That's what I said...what is it?" Peter giggled. Shalel glowered and repeated, "What is it."

"Oh, so you don't know either, do you? Hah!"

"Indeed I do. I have seen this substance before. 'What is it.'" The angel held a flake in his hand and studied it.

Peter's lower lip stuck out with consternation, and he appeared to be getting ready to kick Shalel in the shin! "If you've seen it before, why do you keep saying, 'what is it?'"

A big hand came down on Peter's little shoulder, and he looked up into the kindly face of Marcus.

"I think I can solve this for you, Peter. If I remember my Hebrew correctly, when God fed the Israelites in the desert with this miraculous food, they called it, for want of a better name, 'manna,' or 'what is it?'" Marcus impulsively popped a flake into his mouth and let it melt on his tongue. "Mmmmm, it's even more delicious than I've always imagined." All around them, folks were gingerly sampling the small round flakes, which were 'like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.' [Exodus 16:31]

A woman from the next camping area cried, "Let us sing and praise the Lord, for he is good and has shown that he will provide for his people!" And, so, they joyfully sang a song of praise as they gathered a day's supply of the heavenly fare in scarves and baskets and whatever came to hand. They politely made way for two newcomers with dirty faces, smiling at them in welcome.

* * *

"Didn't I see you two with Frank the other day?" Scout tried to see the faces of Doug and Josef under the layer of dirt that was on them. He held out his hand in welcome. The two exhausted travelers shook his hand and introduced themselves. "Yeah, we knew him from the temple. You're a friend of Bruce and Neal, aren't you?"

Scout's face showed a brief flash of grief. "That's correct! But they left last night, as far as I know."

"They, and Frank, were taken away by angels...we saw it!" Josef blurted out. "That's when Doug and I knew that this whole thing that's going on is what's prophesied in the scriptures."

Douglas ducked his head just a little and said rather sheepishly, "Yes, we knew all along that something was up, but we just didn't want to believe that Jesus really is the Messiah. We've seen enough here to convince us, though. We just hope that he will accept us!"

Scout let out a whoop of delight that these two had come to the knowledge of the truth. "Who-e-e! You shore do like to cut it close, boys!" He whipped off his Rangers cap and hit them both with it a couple of times. "I see from your hands and foreheads that you haven't taken that damnable 'mark.' That would have meant curtains for both of you, but as long as you didn't succumb to that mistake, ya'll have a chance to make it in!" He grinned from ear to ear and slipped his cap back on from the back of his head to the front.

"Looks like you two could use some washing up!" Scout led them to some washtubs that someone had had the foresight to bring along, and that were kept filled with fresh water for bathing. He threw them a couple of worn, but clean towels and a bar of soap. As they scrubbed off the grime of their journey, Doug and Josef agreed that it felt good to be clean again...in more ways than one! Scout scratched his head, "You two should get water-baptized while we're at it. You're Jews, too, right? This is the first step to getting you purified to be priests and kings unto our Lord and King." Using a small bowl of clean water, he sprinkled them, baptizing them in the name of their Messiah, Jesus.

"What do you mean -- priests and kings?" Josef still looked bewildered.

"You guys have read the Tanakh, right? Well, that's what God desired Israel to be to him from the beginning, but we blew it big-time. Jehovah God gave birth to us when we were led safely through the Red Sea, then later 'married' us when he gave us the law contract on Mt. Sinai." Scout shook his head sadly. "But because of Israel's constant 'whoredom,' chasing after other gods and all, and not trusting in him, he was forced to 'divorce' us. That's recorded in Hosea, especially where God says, 'for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.' [Hosea 1:9] So, what God is doing now is giving birth to a new Israel, one that will bring forth fruits meet for repentance."

"Is that what Jesus meant when he said to Nicodemus, 'ye must be born again'? Douglas had been reading Frank's New Testament.

"Hey, that's exactly right!" Scout looked impressed. "And, notice there, that it says, 'ye,' because it means not just individually, but as a whole nation! A lot of people don't notice that little detail."

"Is that what just happened to us when we got water-baptized?" Josef's brow was wrinkled in concentration.

"Yep, you got it, brother!" Scout beamed. "Peter stood up at Pentecost and told Israel, 'Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.' Until you show that you mean business, you're not going anywhere."

Douglas was thinking. "So then, now what happens? Has Israel been re-born yet?"

Scout thought for a moment. "You know, I would have to say, yes! Yes, we have. We have formed a pretty darn good-size 'little flock,' don't ya think?" He waved his hand toward the multitude of faithful followers of the Lord Jesus. "And this isn't all of us; the faithful remnant is all over the world, trying to hold out till He comes back in glory, but willing to die if need be. We know we'll be resurrected when he sets up his kingdom. That's the promise we cling to!"

"What about the Gentiles? Do they have a chance, too?" Douglas asked.

Scout raised his eyebrows so high that the creases at the edges of his eyes smoothed out. "Who-e-e-e! I hear there're more of them than there is of us! Neal told me that they're the huge 'tree' that grew from the tiny mustard seed like Jesus taught his disciples. The plan is, that they have to come through Israel to be saved. You know how Jesus said, 'Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in.' [Matthew 25:34-35], and later, 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me'? [Matthew 25:40] Well, Gentiles who haven't taken the mark and who help Israel during this tribulation, will get a share in the kingdom. Of course, there are Gentiles who become proselytes to our religion, and those are saved by their faith and obedience during this 'time of Jacob's trouble.' They're the great multitude in Revelation 7."

Josef glanced at him, "You mean they pretty much have to become Jews?"

"That's right." Scout nodded. "Neal and Bruce have some friends back in New York – Jill and Nate, I believe their names are – who wanted to go the whole nine yards and become Jewish. And, believe me, God honors that; I believe he does." He looked off into the distance. "I wonder what happened with those two; we stopped getting letters from them over a year ago. Neal and Bruce, and Daniel thought the world of those two." He cleared his throat and snapped back to reality. "Well, wherever they are, we will see them again!"

Josef had one more question. "Well, to get back to this marriage and divorce thing you were explaining...then, is God going to 're-marry' us...now that we've been 'born again'?"

Scout clapped a hand on Josef's shoulder. "That's the best part, son! I don't know about anyone else, but I am looking forward to the 'marriage supper of the Lamb.' It sounds to be the wingding of all time, if you read the book of the Revelation! When the Lord throws a party, it's bound to be the best one ever, right?"

As Josef and Doug got out Frank's pocket New Testament and paged through it, Scout walked away, whistling happily.

Chapter Twenty-Five

It was not until two days after he developed the boils that Keith finally ventured forth from his building. His mouth was so dry that he was unable even to curse the God in whom he didn't believe for his circumstances. He had to be content with thinking foul thoughts. He had smashed his hand against the faucet when he realized it was yielding nothing but a putrid liquid that looked and smelled like rotten blood.

"Keith! Is that you?" A young woman who had once been quite pretty but was now covered with oozing boils staggered toward him on the city street. Keith's eyes were squinted beneath swollen eyelids and could just barely recognize her as one of his old girlfriends, Julie. Her once lustrous black hair now looked like it had been pulled out by the handfuls where her bare, bumpy scalp was visible. "What the hell is going on in this world? I feel like I'm trapped in a bad made-for-TV monster movie!" Keith was relieved to see that her dark blue eyes still looked just like he remembered them.

Julie gasped as a horde of screaming banshee-like creatures rounded the corner and knocked them both to the pavement. The semi-transparent ghouls howled with screeching laughter as they raced toward their next victim half a block away. Keith struggled to his feet, almost screaming from the pain of using his swollen, scabbed hands.

He realized later that he never saw it coming. As he painfully stood up, he was suddenly attacked by what had once been Julie. She viciously clawed at his raw skin, all the while uttering guttural obscenities. It took all of Keith's remaining strength to push her away long enough to escape. He ran, gasping, for blocks, unable to forget the look of pure evil that had glared at him out of those eyes that he used to find so mesmerizing.

As he rounded a corner, he noticed a hulking, hairy beast with curved horns. The creature was looking at him curiously, and Keith could smell the stench of it even in the outside air, which was becoming quite balmy.

As if it was quite a natural thing, the creature spoke. "You taken, mister?" Its voice was low and smooth.

Keith glanced around and realized that, indeed, the beast was talking to him. "What do you mean...taken?"

"I'm looking for a home for the duration, you see." The monster threw back his hoary head and laughed. "So, how's about me and you teaming up; whaddya say?"

Before Keith could answer, the thing rushed toward him, and he felt a sensation of fullness. A deep-seated rage flamed through him, and he felt course through him the super-human strength he now possessed. He thrashed about, looking for a victim. He needed to vent this anger on someone. He spotted an elderly man crossing the intersection and loped toward him. Keith/beast picked up the frail man by one arm and twirled him high over his head before flinging him like a pile of crumpled rags into the nearest alley. Laughter bubbled out of him, and Keith wasn't sure if it was his own voice or the beast's. "Damn, that sun is getting hot!" It almost seemed as if the sun was sending out hot needles of fire.

Keith/beast shook his fist at the sky and spat out, "Leave me alone, you ridiculous excuse for a God! If you think this'll make me change my mind about you and get down on my knees, you're even dumber than I thought!" His body suddenly burst into flames of white-hot fire, and the Keith/beast ran yowling to a small patch of ground where he rolled himself in the dust until the flames were out.

He lifted his head and squinted to make out what was creating the sudden deafening buzzing sound and saw the huge, armor-plated locusts swarming the skies. He almost hoped they'd kill him and get it over with, and that's when the utter darkness fell.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The settlers in Petra were even more grateful to have their guardian angels in the camp, for their glowing forms provided some light in the permanent darkness that had affected even their shelter. They were aware of flying creatures high above their rock fortress, but although they were menacing, they did not seem able to descend.

It was difficult to tell if it was day or night, except that the manna fell in what would have been the morning, each day except for the Sabbath. They were allowed to gather twice as much on the morning before the Sabbath Day, and it would stay fresh for use until the Sabbath was over.

"Olivia, come here; I want to tell you something!" Benjamin whispered, hoping Rebecca wouldn't hear. Olivia edged nearer as she gathered the day's supply of manna and let out a girlish shriek as Ben put his hands around her waist and pulled her close for a quick kiss on the lips.

Immediately, from close by, they heard, "Olivia, is that you? Are you alright?" They jumped apart just as Rebecca's concerned face appeared in the dim light. "Tsk, tsk. You two! I'm watching you; don't think I'm not!"

She shook her head at their muffled laughter. She'd talk to Papa tonight about what should be done to bridle these two before something 'happened.' Then, all at once, they all fell silent as a noise they had all been trying to ignore grew louder until it was a deafening roar. The campers instinctively gathered together in small, protective groups.

The thunderous noise increased until it seemed as if the very mountainsides were trembling. Was it an earthquake? Shalel and another darker-skinned angel appeared in their midst, holding up their hands in a silencing gesture.

"You're being attacked." Shalel stated matter-of-factly.

Peter, who was rubbing sleep from his eyes, appeared at Olli's side, silently taking her hand into his small one. "Attacked? Then let's fight!" His other hand was on the wooden 'sword just like Shalel's' that Marcus had made for him from some pieces of wood they had found. Shalel continued to hold up his hands, and the other angel said reassuringly, "That won't be necessary, little one. Almighty God has full command of his creation. Shalel waved his arms and a holographic image appeared before them. A great army of tanks and military bulldozers, as well as riders on horseback, was seen storming the outside of their fortress. Just as the swarming horde of invaders reached the wall containing the secret entrance to their refuge, the ground shook and a great chasm split open, swallowing every last inch of the almost-serpentine beast that seemed to have a life of its own. Shouts of surprise and agony went up from the attackers as they disappeared forever.

The other angel murmured, "Keep not thou silence, O God, hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For lo, thine enemies make a tumult; and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.' [Psalm 83:1-3]

"Praises to our God; our Jehovah-Nissi; our protector; our redeemer; our king!" Cries of joy filled the air as they realized what the Lord had done to ensure their safety until the day of his glorious return. "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God; in him will I trust." [Psalm 91:2]

"Ahem!" Marcus cleared his throat loudly. Benjamin and Olivia sprang apart guiltily. Benjamin grinned a bit sheepishly; but then, pulling himself up to his full five feet three inches, he looked Marcus directly in the eyes, and said loudly, "Mr. Silverman, I would like to request the hand of your daughter in marriage." This statement, of course, was overheard; and a collective cheer, mixed with sighs of relief, went up from the crowd. A pretty flush spread over Olli's face, just visible in the light of Shalel. Ben put his arm around her protectively as he held his breath for Marcus' answer.

Marcus hesitated for a full minute, while everyone waited. Finally, he shrugged helplessly, and said, "I don't see why not...if it's what my Olivia wants, too."

Olivia broke away from Benjamin and hurled herself into her father's arms; her own arms squeezing his now-grizzled neck. "Thank you, Daddy! Oh, thank you! I know we're young, but we love each other very much!"

* * *

Amidst all the back patting, pumping of hands, and general cries of congratulation, no one noticed a small boy dejectedly slipping into the darkness, except, of course, Shalel. Peter tramped resolutely into the vast, uninhabited expanse of the rock city; tears of rage blurring his vision, unaware of the silent angel hovering just behind him.

* * *

Rebecca, who'd been stunned into silence at first, was now beginning to warm to the idea that her daughter would be a bride. She was already busily wondering out loud what Olli could possibly wear for such an event and which of the rare, remaining drinking glasses could be sacrificed for the ritual 'breaking of the glass.'

Olli was taken by the hands and danced about by several other young maidens: all of them entranced by romantic thoughts of their own. Whom would she choose for her attendants? Each hoped it would be she. Suddenly, Olli looked around for Peter. "Petey! Come for a hug!" She squinted into the darkness. "Peter!" She grabbed her mother's arm, "He was right here a minute ago!" They quickly organized a search party in which everyone joined, for Peter was precious to all of them, even if his mischief could be maddening!

* * *

Shalel could hear Peter muttering something under his breath, the stream of angry words broken with ragged sobs. He was climbing over some rocky protrusions that were quite steep on one side, when abruptly his little foot slipped and over the edge he went. He didn't even have time to yell as Shalel quickly scooped him up in mid-air and set him gently on the ground.

"What're you doing following me anyway?" Peter thrashed his way out of Shalel's grasp. "I'm leaving this stupid place! This isn't my home; and none of these people are my real family!" His lower lip stuck out defiantly, but Shalel could see it trembling.

"That's what you think!" Shalel said gently and as he had earlier, swept his arm through the air. Peter's eyes widened as he took in the scene back by the caves. Olli's shimmering form could be seen running frantically through the camp, and he heard her call, "Petey!" until her voice was hoarse. Peter instinctively reached out a slender arm at the sight of Olivia crumpling to the ground in frustrated tears as she hit away angrily the comforting hand that Ben held out to her.

"Don't just stand there! Find him! For however much time we have left, I want him to be our little boy!"

Benjamin patted her head lovingly, "Me, too, Olli; me, too. That funny little guy grows on you, you know?" He helped her to her feet, and Peter watched as they continued to search along with the others.

"Olli! Ben! I'm coming!" He started to run, almost stumbling several times. Shalel's strong hands encircled his small waist and before he knew what was happening, he was flying through the air!

"Wh-e-e-e! Hey, this is fun!" In Peter's estimation, the experience was way too short-lived; but when he saw Olli and Ben, their faces tight with worry, he wanted down.

Shalel tapped Ben on the shoulder and gently relinquished his little burden into his arms. Then with a self-satisfied smile, he disappeared.

"Ow! You guys are hurting me!" Peter squirmed and pretended to try to get away, but his huge grin told the truth...he was enjoying every minute of it!

* * *

When Benjamin shakily lifted the length of antique lace that had been generously donated by one of the women in the camp, he was once again struck by the vivid loveliness of his bride's face. He still could scarcely believe his good fortune in capturing the heart of this wondrous creature even as his lips, at first gingerly, and then quite boldly, met hers in their first married kiss...to the cheers and cries of "l'chaim" ["to life!"] and "mazel tov!" ["May this be to your good fortune!"]. His heart swelled with love and a fierce protectiveness toward Olivia, and for the little boy who was even now smilingly worming his way into their embrace.

Following the ceremonial reading of the k'suba, the Jewish marriage contract written in Aramaic, many in the crowd had felt the stirring of a rising anticipation during the dedication given by Marcus in which he drew an analogy between the betrothal and wedding of this young Jewish couple with the awesome fact of Israel's betrothal to God's only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Israel's soon-coming bridegroom had prepared a place for his bride to dwell in his righteousness forever after. The sound of the shofar that had announced the arrival of Olivia's bridegroom, Benjamin, would be heard around the world when the eternal bridegroom burst into view.

* * *

As they lolled on the grass patting their distended stomachs, Marcus and Peter could hear lively music and laughter from young people dancing the hora, a popular Israeli folk dance. Who would have believed that wedding cake made out of manna could be so incredibly delicious? Rebecca and the other women had really outdone themselves this time, although the last of the precious cooking oil had been sacrificed. Benjamin, as the chawsen, or bridegroom, had delighted in his task of readying the 'honeymoon cave,' scavenging for anything he could find to make it comfortable for his bride. Each day of the month-long honeymoon, the delighted couple would find manna and fresh glasses of rainwater at the mouth of their 'suite.' The fresh water would come from a bright cloud that appeared whenever their water supply was getting low, ever since the attack by the antichrist's forces had cut off their pipeline.

The contented reverie – punctuated only be the occasional greptz (burp) -- that Marcus and Peter were enjoying was suddenly broken by the sound of a strangled sob. "Mama, what's wrong?" Marcus struggled somewhat awkwardly to his feet. Rebecca was hastily wiping tears from her eyes and trying to look happy. "Come now, my bubele`, I can see you're sad about something. Is it our little girl getting married so young?" Rebecca allowed him to hold her close. She mumbled into his big shoulder, "I always thought Daniel would be here for a day like this." With that, she let out a moaning wail and collapsed against him.

Feeling his own eyes beginning to tear, Marcus said as firmly as he could manage, "Come now, Mama, you know that God's ways are higher than our ways. Daniel and the others had a special role to play in reaching both the true remnant of Israel and the Gentiles that were willing to do what it takes to have a place in the kingdom. For that, they were deemed worthy to escape the last hour of the tribulation." He tilted her chin so that he could look directly into those dark brown eyes he had loved for so long and murmured, "Daniel, Neal, and Bruce -- and the other young men of the hundred and forty-four thousand -- are now safely under the protection of the Lamb. "These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb." [Revelation 14: 4] They've received new bodies that will never get tired or old so that they can rule and reign with him in his kingdom for a thousand years! 'And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.' [Rev. 12:5] It won't be long now until we see them returning with our Meschiach Jesus in glory."

That last remark succeeded in putting a small smile on Rebecca's lined face. "At least I will see my Danny again." They swayed gently back and forth together, both filled with thoughts of the boy they had raised.

"That you will, Mama...that you will."

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Days, weeks, and months were counted off, some seeming to pass quickly, others in what seemed like slow motion. But through each one of them, a sense of hope and expectation colored all that they did and said, as the day of their glorious deliverance drew near.

* * *

Rebecca glanced into the basket her daughter was holding. "Are you sure that's enough manna? After all, you're eating for two now! Or is it three? I declare, I was never that big when I was expecting Daniel or you!"

Olivia laughed and pressed her hand to her distended middle. "It does feel like something with four legs when it kicks!"

Marcus took the basket from her and gently guided her to a flat-topped rock nearby. "I just keep wondering if your little one...or ones...will arrive before our Redeemer!" He removed a battered notepad from his pocket and flipped through it. "I've tried to keep track of the days, especially since the two witnesses were taken up and the abomination was set up. It's not easy what with this persistent darkness. The manna helps because I can tell which day is the Sabbath because it doesn't fall. According to my calculations, the feast of Trumpets is about to begin. Shalel just grins when I ask him how many days are left; and he says he'll let me know if something important happens."

"I can't help but wonder how other groups are faring in other places around the world," Rebecca wondered.

"Well, whether they've survived or their lives were required of them, their future glory in the kingdom is assured," said Marcus as he took her hand in his. "'And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.' [Malachi 3:17] Like us, they are protected and cared for by the Lord." Marcus squeezed Rebecca's hand reassuringly.

Josef had overheard the exchange, and added, "Thanks be to God that Doug and I are now among those jewels God is collecting, even though we sure needed a lot of polishing!" His brow wrinkled as he realized what their fate would have been had they not hesitated to take 'the mark.' 'For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.' [Malachi 3:4]

"I would say we're perfect examples of the 'eleventh-hour' workers in the Lord's parable of the vineyard in Matthew 20!" Doug laughed, "And we're very grateful for it!" Josef and Doug had cheerfully become the willing servants of all, always ready to help wherever there was a need. After having lived daily together for more than three years, the sojourners of the rock fortress had experienced the joy that comes from sharing everything. They rejoiced in the thought of continuing on together in the kingdom soon to come.

Marcus shook his head sadly. "The world system, 'mystery Babylon,' was invented by Satan to lure us away from knowing the living God. There are many manifestations of it; Satan designed enough of them to appeal to everybody. I think the problem we're seeing now got its start soon after Paul was martyred. The Roman Catholic system based its salvation doctrines on the then defunct gospel of the kingdom, and Paul's unique gospel of grace was all but lost. And the introduction of pagan practices called forth occult forces that kept growing stronger." He shrugged. "And in the end, Avi simply re-directed that occult energy in a way that benefited his own political and religious empire."

Scout joined the discussion, his twinkling eyes shining brightly in a face now lined with maturity. "Ya know, I've been doin' some thinkin' on this whole theology thing. Even though there were many true believers to be found in every denomination, there were people in power at the 'top' who used their authority to serve Satan's goals rather than God's. I wonder if the so-called 'church fathers' weren't disciples of the very Judaizers that troubled the Galatians with a gospel that had been set aside."

"And most Christian churches from that point on made the same mistake of either preaching the gospel of the kingdom instead of Paul's grace gospel -- or of mixing kingdom doctrine into the gospel of grace." Olivia suggested, while she shifted her swollen body to a more comfortable position.

Douglas thought back to his time in the Temple. "When the time came for the gospel of the kingdom to be preached again, it seemed like Rome gave up the gospel business altogether and became blatantly occult, just like the Baal worshipers were way back in Judges seventeen. Rome was never really interested in pursuing God anyway; they just wanted a religion that would unabashedly glorify man. And that vampire Avi certainly delivered. 'New Age' Babylon, Kaballistic Judaism, Rome, and all the other Satanically-energized systems came together in a perfect fit."

"Until today, that is." They all turned to see Shalel standing before them. And as they gazed at him, they could feel the ground beginning to shake beneath them. Peter and Ben, returning from a walk, rushed to Olivia's side. Marcus and Scout tucked Rebecca between them protectively as they trustingly waited to see what the Lord was doing now. Under his breath, Marcus murmured, "'and except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.'" [Matthew 24:22]

With a wave of his hand, Shalel again showed them what was happening beyond their beloved fortress. They immediately recognized the city of Babylon as it was relentlessly pounded by giant hail out of heaven. Super-imposed upon it was the city of Jerusalem which had split into three parts. They saw the apostate temple, already demolished by Avi's forces, swallowed by the earth. They watched in horrified fascination as the wrath of God was poured out upon these two cities, in which the blood of so many saints had been spilled. It was also possible to see the great pagan cathedrals of the Vatican in Rome struck by lightning, hail, and huge balls of fire, toppling and crumbling into unrecognizable dust. A great cacophony of the wails of human agony could be heard. Before those gathered could catch their breath, they saw that the armies of antichrist were on the move, single-mindedly desperate to do battle with the King of kings and Lord of Lords whom they knew would most certainly shortly come.

"'Lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh!'" Shalel pointed to the heavens. "'But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.'" [Malachi 3:2, 3]

The heart-swelling sound of trumpets, mingled with that of the ancient shofar, provided the soundtrack to the signs clearly seen in the heavens. The dark sky rolled back like a scroll before their eyes, and a clear white light filled the earth. Myriads of angels could be seen descending gracefully from heaven to fulfill their purpose of gathering the elect from the four corners of earth.

As one, they fell to their knees. Marcus was heard to pray, 'The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.' [Psalm 97:5]. The feast of Trumpets has fully come!" Rebecca responded, 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.' [Psalm 46:1-3]

And all the people said, "Allelujah! Allelujah! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Allelujah! Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord!" [Psalm 106:48]

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"It's my turn to ride the rhinoceros!" Peter stopped suddenly, remembering his manners. "Please!" He gleefully climbed aboard the powerful animal's back and tapped its sides gently with his bare feet. The huge creature obediently lumbered through the meadow where several children pick-nicked with their parents. Shining majestically in the distance the great millennial temple was a constant reminder that the King was on his rightful throne and that all was well with the world at last.

Olivia shaded her eyes with her hand and watched his progress. With his grandparents nearby, along with his father and numerous 'uncles;' she had nothing to fear. And, she realized with a start, Peter had grown into a boy capable of looking out for himself! Beside her on the grass, snuggled in soft quilts, was her other most precious possession. Two tiny baby girls, one with dark curls, the other with a soft blonde down, were looking up at the birds soaring high above them. Olivia, as she would be often, was struck again by the wonder of God's kingdom and the fact that she had been blessed to partake of it. There was only one thing for which her heart yet longed. She closed her eyes and let herself imagine her secret heart's desire.

"Which of these two perfect darlings is named after me?" A voice like a tinkling brook broke into her thoughts and Olivia looked up at its source.

"Jill! Is it really you?" She jumped up and impulsively threw her arms around the visitor. Stepping back then, she took a good look at the lovely woman standing before her, as well as at the other beautiful woman who gave off a shimmering 'other-worldly' quality.

"I bet it's this one!" Jill scooped the wriggling dark-haired infant into her arms. Baby Jill promptly grabbed big Jill's nose.

Jill turned to her golden-haired companion and laughed, "And I hear the other one is named after you, even though you were only a legend by the time she was born."

Olivia picked up her chubby little daughter, dressed all in lavender, and held her out to the smiling visitor. "Ashley...I'd like you to meet your namesake -- Ashley!" Olivia wiped a tear of joy from her eye as she murmured, "What could be more complete? We're all safely home -- whether that is in the New Heaven or the New Earth -- in the household of God, eternally enjoying and glorifying our Lord Jesus Christ."

And together they joyfully cried, "Amen!"

The End

(Or, rather, just the beginning!)

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