Glorious Appearing: The End Of Days (19 page)

“I would be, and I’ve lived through it all.”

“Me too, Ray. Guess it’s human nature to feel like you’re testin’ fate one time too many. Hey, looks like Chaim’s addressin’ ‘em. I’m gonna see if Chang can patch us in—oh, he’s way ahead of us. Here it is. Talk at you later.”

“... and sisters in the Messiah,” Chaim was saying. “We gather here in this historic place, this holy city of refuge provided by the Lord God Himself. We stand on the precipice of all time with the shadow of history behind us and eternity itself before us, putting all our faith and trust in the rock-solid goodness and strength and majesty of our Savior.

“May the Lord appear as I speak. Oh, the glory of that moment! We stand gazing into the heavens where the promised sign of the Son of Man radiates before us, thundering through the ages the truth that His death on the cross cleanses us from all sin.

“Within the next few minutes, you may see. the enemy of God advancing on this fortified city. I say to you with all the confidence the Father has put in my soul, fear not, for your salvation draweth nigh.

“Now many have asked what is to happen when Antichrist comes against God’s chosen people and the Son intervenes. The Bible says He will slay our enemy with a weapon that comes from His mouth. Revelation 1: 16 calls it ‘a sharp two-edged sword. ‘ Revelation 2: 16 quotes Him saying that He ‘will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. ‘ Revelation 19: 15 says that ‘out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. ‘ And Revelation 19: 21 says the enemies ‘were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. ‘

“Now let me clarify. I do not believe the Son of God is going to sit on His horse in the clouds with a gigantic sword hanging from His mouth. He is not going to shake His head and slay the millions of Armageddon troops with it. This is clearly a symbolic reference, and if you are a student of the Bible, you know what is meant by a sharp, double-edged sword.

“Hebrews 4: 12 says the Word of God ‘is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ‘

“The weapon our Lord and Messiah will use to win the battle and slay the enemy? The Word of God itself! And while the reference to it as a sword may be symbolic, I hold that the description of the result of it is literal. The Word of God is sharp and powerful enough to slay the enemy, literally tearing them asunder. ”

Anticipation surged through Rayford. He turned to look up at Petra when the cheering and applause drowned out Chaim, who was apparently finished. Emotion swept over Rayford as he took in the scene. Rimming the very top of the fortified city was the remnant of God, slowly turning from Chaim to face the sky and then the enemy below them.

From that distance they were mere specks, but there were so many that Rayford could tell they were raising their hands and clasping them together. He heard the strains of hymns from their collective voices, faint at first, then with growing volume. First they sang “I Sing the Mighty Power of God. ” Moments later they sang “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. ”

When they broke into the “Hallelujah Chorus, ” Rayford wished he could stand and join in. And when the echoing truths washed down the mountainside— “For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth”—he thought he would shed his skin.

At that moment Chang apparently solved the encryption coding of the potentate’s audio transmission, and it came crackling through the earphone in Rayford’s left ear. So at the same time he was hearing the magnificent hallelujahs in one ear, he heard Antichrist in the other.

And Nicolae was not happy. “Let us roll! The fools are singing!” He cursed and cursed again. “They sing in the face of their own deaths!”

The caravan began rolling, the cross above it bouncing waves of light off the dust that ensued. “Take me to the highest and closest point, ” Nicolae ordered, “with our munitions settling in behind where the angle is optimal. I shall stand on the roof of the vehicle so all can see me: my troops to be inspired, and the enemy so they know the author of their doom. ”

At the mention of Carpathia’s intended destination, Rayford glanced again up the slope to where hundreds of thousands swayed and sang and looked down. The immense cross shone on the entire hillside, as if pointing the enemy to the spot where God Himself wanted them.

Rayford had to wonder if any in Petra had second thoughts, doubts. He was happy to say he had none. He had come too far. His own pride and laziness had cost him his wife and son at the Rapture. He’d felt responsible for the fact that his own daughter had shared his jaded view of people of faith and had followed his example, thumbing her nose at God.

And while he was grateful beyond expression for his own salvation and Chloe’s, seeing her and her husband martyred was merely the capstone of the tragedy that resulted from his having missed the truth in the first place. So many friends and loved ones had suffered over the past seven years. New friends, old friends, a new wife, spiritual mentors, dear compatriots had been injured, killed, tortured for their faith.

Yet God had proved faithful and true to His Word. Every prophecy had been fulfilled. While there had to be those who wondered why the Lord tarried even now and whether there was any sense or logic to allowing Antichrist to reach the very boundary of the city of refuge, Rayford found himself simply trusting. God had His plans, His ways, His strategy. Only when Rayford stopped questioning God had he finally come to grips with the confusing, sometimes maddening, ways of God—which the Scriptures said were “not our ways.”

Some things still didn’t make sense, and many would; not become clear, he knew, until he saw Jesus face-to-face.

The evil motorcade thundered within yards of Ray-ford. He gunned his
ATV
engine and joined them, a couple of vehicles behind Carpathia’s and ahead of the rumbling armament carriers. A general tried to wave him off. Rayford smiled and waved back. The general reached for a weapon from an aide and aimed it out the window. Rayford winked at him, and the man opened fire.

The general blanched when the burp of bullets he’d fired at point-blank range seemed to go right through Rayford.

“No shooting!” Carpathia screamed. “Ignore any enemy outside the walls of the city!”

Abdullah studied his copy of the location charts and slowly picked his way through narrow pathways and crowds until he found the area where George Sebastian’s wife, Priscilla, should be with her daughter, Beth Ann, and Rayford’s grandson, Kenny Bruce. Once there, he had to ask several people, but finally he found them.

Priscilla had Beth Ann next to her, holding her hand, and her free arm held a lanky, incongruously sleeping Kenny, draped over her shoulder.

“Let me take him, ” Abdullah said.

“Oh, would you, Mr. Smith? He’s getting so heavy. ”

“Come here, big boy,” Abdullah said, taking him in his arms. He gently put Kenny’s head on his shoulder and began to rock him, but when Abdullah also tried to quietly join in the singing, the boy roused.

“Uncle Smitty, ” he said.

“Hi, Kenny. ”

“Jesus comin’, ” the boy said.

“Yes, He is, buddy. He sure is. ”

AT
LONG
LAST
, there was nothing more Chang could do. It seemed likely that he and Zeke were in the same boat. Both might have to find a new trade or be out of work for the next thousand years of Christ’s rule on earth.

Chang knew where everyone was, had them all in place.

Abdullah was back in the fold.

Chaim and the elders were with the people, waiting and watching.

Hannah and Leah had shut down the empty infirmary and were outside, as were Lionel and Ming—the Co-op finally dark.

Mac was in the air, Rayford on the ground, and Sebastian, Otto, Razor, and Ree should be entering Petra at that very moment, joining their own people and urging the rest of the rebel soldiers to do the same.

Chang had patched the enemy’s radio transmissions to Mac and Rayford and wore an earphone himself so he could stay posted. He sat back and sighed, then stood quickly. It was time to find Naomi and get outside where they belonged.

“Taking the rest of the day off?” she said, taking his hand when Chang found her.

“The rest of my life, ” he said.

Mac kept an eye on Sebastian’s vehicle and the hundreds of remnant rebels following him into Petra. “Looks like they’re all safe, Ray, ” he reported. “Ever’body’s home and accounted for but you and me. ”

“Wish I could be with Kenny right now, ” Rayford said. “Priss says he was asking for his dad earlier, and all she could think to tell him was that they’d see him tomorrow. ”

“Good thinkin’. Hey, Ray, ol’ Nick’s leaving nothing to chance. ”

“How so?”

“He’s got the rest of the troops fanning out to surround the city. ”

“I didn’t hear that order, Mac. ”

“Musta been something he decided on before we could hear him. ”

“The mounted troops must just be in the way. Not to mention all the meteor craters. ”

“Some of the trails on this side are navigable. Remember they used to have donkeys bring tourists in. ”

“Rally the planes, ” Rayford heard. Carpathia’s voice.

“What’s he doing, Mac?”

“I’ll watch, but it looks like he’s bringing everything he’s got in this region. ”

“A third of the total, just like the Bible says. ”

“He can’t get out from under the prophecies, can he, Ray?”

As Rayford surged up toward Petra in the evil procession, he heard jets screaming. “Fighter-bombers?”

“Nah, ” Mac said. “Fighters but not bombers. Guess they know better than that. He’ll have to learn the hard way that the guns don’t work here either. ”

When Carpathia’s Humvee reached the last particularly steep stretch, it was nearly pointed to the sky. “Find me a place,” he told the driver, “where I can stand on the roof and see all my troops on this side and can also see the enemy.”

“I believe we’re almost there, Excellency.”

Rayford left the formation and shot right about twenty yards to where he had a good view. He shut down his engine and swung his left leg over the seat, using the
ATV
as a bench. “Attack, you coward,” he whispered, hoping that would bring Jesus from heaven. Yeah, I know. He’ll be here in His own time.

“How’s this, Your Highness?”

Rayford heard the squeak of Carpathia’s leathers as he moved to look this way and that. “Perfect.”

His door opened and simultaneously generals opened their doors and piled out the back. One held Carpathia’s door and offered his hand so the potentate could mount

the hood. But Nicolae ignored him. He leaped onto the front of the truck and stepped atop the roof. The vehicle was at such an angle that he began sliding. He caught himself, loudly drew his sword, and raised it above his head. “Lights!”

A beacon pulled by a Jeep lit him with a harsh, garish beam that cast a one-hundred-foot shadow on the rocks behind him.

“Loyal soldiers of the Global Community Unity Army, observe your commander in chief!”

The singing inside Petra ceased and the people peered down at him.

“You are privileged to be part of the greatest fighting force ever assembled on the face of the earth! You will be lauded for time immemorial for the victory we are about to win. The plan is foolproof, our resources. unlimited, your leader divine. Once we have crushed the resistance here, you will occupy the city and enjoy the spoils while I proceed to Jerusalem to lay siege to it. “And if there really is a God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and if He truly has a Son worthy of facing me in combat, I shall destroy Him too! When I have been informed that all elements are in place and at the ready, be prepared to advance upon Petra on my command. Leave no man, woman, or child alive. The victory is mine, says your living lord and risen king!”

From out of the back of Carpathia’s vehicle stumbled Leon Fortunato, still in his ridiculous regalia. He failed in his first attempt to climb the hood, then finally hiked his skirts and clambered aboard. Stepping onto the windshield to mount the hood, he stepped on the hem of his robe and had to back down and take another run at it.

When he was finally sharing the roof with Carpathia, Leon reached under his robe and produced a small decanter and began sloshing it about. “Praise to the resurrected lord, ” he chanted, and then began to sing, “Hail Carpathia, our lord and risen king. ”

“Leon, what are you doing?” Carpathia demanded.

“Leading the assembled in worship, Highness. ”

“This is a battle, man! And lose the holy water!”

Leon bowed and apologized and loudly stepped down to the hood, then slid off the side onto the ground. “Oh yes!” he said. “Almost forgot. I was to tell you that everyone is in place and at the ready. ”

“Get in the car, Leon. ”

“By your grace, Excellency. ”

As soon as Leon’s door was shut, Carpathia stomped twice on the roof. Nothing happened. He stomped twice again. Still nothing. “Go!” he shouted. “Go!”

“You want me to drive with you on the roof, Potentate?” the driver said. “I thought I was supposed to stay—”

“Go! Now!”

The vehicle’s engine raced, and when it began virtually climbing the wall, it was all Carpathia could do to keep his balance. “Attack!” he screamed. “Attack! Attack! Attack!”

Rayford watched Carpathia’s vehicle bounce up and over while planes let fly their bullets. As far as Rayford could see, the Unity Army surged while the remnant peering over the wall stood in silence, holding hands.

The siege was deafening. Jet engines, Jeeps, cars, trucks, Hummers, transports, armaments, munitions, rifle fire, machine-gun fire, cannons, grenades, rockets— you name it. But when the panoramic cross disappeared from the sky, the world went black again. It reminded Rayford of what he had heard about the darkness that had descended upon New Babylon. The only sound was the clicking of weapons that would not fire. Nothing produced light. No headlights. No matches or lighters.