The twelve captives waiting outside in the corridor were already frightened for their lives. Seeing the five dead nearly unrecognizable bodies—four of whom were women—being violently dragged out of the room they would soon be forced to enter, caused some to pass out.
All were revived with smelling salts.
They wouldn’t get off that easy.
Their faces dropped; what little strength and courage they had left was gone. Oncoming death was terrible enough to accept, but oncoming death with time to spare was unmercifully unmerciful.
Their bodies twisted like wet sponges being drained of water. Only in this case it was bodily fluids, adding to the mess already on the floor.
The heavy metal door slammed shut again with a deafening bang. The sound echoed all throughout the room, filling the remaining seven prisoners with even more dread and fear, if that was even possible.
A few seconds of terrified silence ensued before the man in charge barked to one of his subordinates, “Hose them down!”
Using a thick fire hose, the water was turned on full blast. The seven remaining captives were showered so violently that the water ripped the alligator clips from their already-tortured bodies. This hurt as much as being electrocuted.
After the clips were refastened, the man in charge was anxious to take the torture to a whole new level.
The nod was given, and the switch was flicked back on, causing electrodes to roar back to life. Agonizing shrieks and groans once again filled the small room, only they were louder this time. The strong current attacked every square inch of their bodies with unrelenting ferocity. It felt like boiling acid was being poured over open wounds.
A new pain seared through the seven still alive prisoners, a different kind of pain. Eyes widened in panic, faces crumbled in anguish, causing their vision to go hazy.
The flesh of the overweight detainees shook and wobbled like jelly. Their heads flung back and forth; their arms and legs flailed wildly before finally going limp. Their flesh started burning and smoldering at the most delicate and sensitive parts.
The man in charge let it continue a few more agonizing seconds, before glancing at his lowly subordinate. “Cease!”
The man flicked the switch and his prisoners eventually stopped moaning in agony. But it was too late for three of them. They were added to the five others in their group to die in this fashion, leaving four of them still alive, even if only barely.
It’s a wonder anyone survived, the sadistic man thought to himself.
Part of him wished all 12 had survived. This was too easy an escape for them. He was thankful the rancid smell of burnt flesh would never penetrate his protective gear and invade his lungs and nostrils.
Having been exposed to it before, it was the worst stench he ever encountered. He gagged at the very thought of breathing it in again.
“Uncuff them. Get them out of my sight!”
The three dead prisoners were the first to be unshackled. They were dragged to the place where all dead bodies were taken.
As the remaining four were taken back to their cells, without medicines or pain relievers, they prayed that God would remove them from this horrid place, as soon as possible.
When the man in charge heard one of them humming a song to his Maker, it rocked his world. It was like seeing a blue sun in a bright yellow sky; it made no sense to him.
His bravery was respectable, but it would be short lived. Perhaps the next level would finally break him, and the rest of them, of the evil within, which was a rather odd thought coming from a bunch of demon-possessed, sadistic torturers.
Yet, for all the pleasure he derived from watching these pathetic people being tortured so mercilessly, the part he could never figure out was how they remained loyal to their God, despite it all.
He silently marveled…
He brushed that thought aside when the next twelve prisoners were ushered into the room, by armed guards. He made sure to stare each of them down, so they knew full well who was in charge.
They didn’t need to be reminded. The fear in their eyes was unmistakable. It wafted up in the air, filling every square inch of the torture chamber. They prayed even harder for God’s strength to endure it all.
As they were strapped into their chairs, some were forced to sit in new pools of bodily fluids coming from the last 12 tortured in this room. It covered some of the steel chairs and trickled onto the floor. But cleaning up after their prisoners wasn’t part of their job description.
Lanh closed her eyes and sobbed uncontrollably, constantly repeating the words, “We win in the end! We win in the end!” She hoped her declaration would serve to strengthen her eleven co-detainees.
The sadistic man in charge heard her, and admitted to himself that he would never remain loyal to Romanero, the way they were to Jesus, especially under such brutal conditions. He wondered how many, if any, currently experiencing similar rehabilitation treatments in the many internment camps, worldwide, had given in to the torture.
As of yet, there hadn’t been a single conversion at this place. It was a mind-numbing realization, to say the least.
BEFORE BEING SENT TO this part of the prison, detainees were fed stale, and oftentimes moldy, bread and were given filthy water to drink.
Most ate the bread sparingly and drank the water in small sips. Others refused to eat or drink it. Compared to what they were fed at this part of the prison, that food was like manna from Heaven.
Now, what most described as pig slop, was really dog food mixed in with the human remains of those who’d died from the extreme torture doled out by the jailers at this place.
Just like at all other Christian detainment camps, the moment death occurred, their bodies were ground up like hamburger meat, mixed in with dog food, then served to the prisoners once a day.
With a global food crisis on his hand, Romanero ordered that no food shipments be delivered to Christian detainment camps. “If they want to eat, let the maggots feast on themselves!” he had said.
Few ate it. It didn’t smell like food; it smelled like death. The stench alone was far worse than being crammed in cells with many others with no access to soap, deodorant, showers and with toilets that were clogged half the time. The combined odor from those things—foul as they were—were rosy, compared to the slop they were served.
One whiff caused instant gagging. Those who begged prison guards to remove it from their cells, instantly regretted it. Before being beaten so severely to the point of losing consciousness, the slop was shoved in their mouths by the spoonful and they were forced to swallow it, without water to help wash it down.
All of them ended up having severe bouts of diarrhea and vomiting. They never refused the food again. Nor did they ever eat it again.
Disgusting and vile as it was, if they knew the food could kill them, they would eat it like it was going out of style. But since it couldn’t, at least not quickly, they refrained.
As a result, many bordered on the skeletal.
Worse, unlike the prison guards, who wore surgical masks, prisoners were forced to constantly sniff and breathe it in day and night, in their cells.
Due to mass starvation, some pinched their noses and tried eating it. But no one could get past the first spoonful.
Some were fortunate to eat the cockroaches found crawling in their cells, but after a while, even that proved futile.
What was the point of prolonging the agony?
They just wanted to leave this hell hole and be with Jesus...
THE ONLY PRISONERS NOT subjected to the hideous conditions—at least for now—were those who were expecting, and new mothers still within the first 30 days of giving birth. Not only were they spared all levels of torture, they got to sleep on mattresses with pillows and sheets and were fed nutritional meals three times a day.
They also received the very best medical care, if only for the sake of the babies inside them.
After being given 30 days to rest and care for their newbo
rns, all still-unrepentant new moms would suffer the same fate their brothers and sisters were subjected to on a daily basis.
Only for them, round one wasn’t physical torture; it was more mentally gut-wrenching, when their children were suddenly ripped from their arms and taken away, without warning or explanation.
It was like having their arms and legs chopped off…
They were then taken to general population and forced to watch their fellow prisoners being tortured without mercy. They were also shown livestream videos of their children being taken care of by nurses.
Many new moms volunteered to help breastfeed the children. Watching their own flesh and blood being nourished by women they didn’t even know tore their insides out even more.
All were promised their children back if only they would publicly denounce Christ and “accept” Romanero as their lord and savior.
After three denials, their “privileged” status was removed, they were stripped of all their clothing and transferred to general population, where their reprobate jailers were free to rape and beat them to their heart’s content.
Even worse, the adoption process began for their children, which meant they would never see their children again. That thought was even more nauseating than the food they were given, the crammed cells they were sent to, and the torture they would soon face…
All they could do was pray for them…
49
THE SECOND OF FEBRUARY
AT 12 MIDNIGHT, THE book burning festivities began in earnest in New Zealand. Energized by Romanero’s gripping speech, millions of New Zealanders were honored to be the first to participate.
Massive bonfires were set all over the country ready to feast on the Word of God and all other now-illegal resources of the evangelical Christian faith. There were hundreds of fires blazing in Auckland alone. They were so big and so bright they were seen in space.
The propaganda machine was turned on full speed as cameras showed residents lining up one after the next, eager to burn all Christian paraphernalia found in homes, attics, garages and storage bins.
Those participating were fed all the fresh baked bread and hot soup they could eat, and all the alcohol they wanted, to kill the chill in the air.
In normal times, this would be seen as a nice gesture. But in a world where more than half its citizens were starving to death, and everyone else rationed what little food they had, it was a blessing of massive proportions. Many ate and drank to their heart’s content.
Two hours later, the clock struck midnight in Australia. Tens of millions of citizens braved the frigid night air to participate.
Security cameras recorded away, comparing faces in the crowd to the facial recognition database. Drones hovered above capturing aerial images to hopefully broaden the base.
The bonfire burnings would commence in Asia next, followed by scores of European countries.
It took 24 hours for the bonfire procession to work itself around the world, but once it did, Planet Earth was void of the vast majority of the only resource that had the power to change lives and bring hope and redemption—the Holy Word of God.
With all Christian websites taken offline, spiritually speaking, the world was thrust into a darkness so black, even having eternal assurance, God’s children couldn’t help but be terrified.
Amazingly, no other religious books were ordered burned this day, including the Quran. More than anything, Romanero would have loved to include the Torah into the bonfires. The only reason he didn’t, was because of the peace treaty agreement. But that day was coming…
The very thought of anything Jewish ate away at his insides.
MEANWHILE, IN JERUSALEM, WITH the last of the 144,000 converted and being prepared into service, the Two Witnesses went full throttle preaching judgment on the House of Israel. They were even more bolstered in their preaching against the spiritually blinded rabbis.
When a red-faced rabbi finished shouting at them, one of the Two Witnesses quoted Luke 18:10: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.’”
Then the other quoted verse 11 and 12, “‘The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’”
Then the other quoted verse 13, “‘But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’”
Then the other quoted verse 14, “‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’ These are the words of Messiah Himself.”
“Why do you speak such words to us?” another rabbi barked.
The Witness glared at him, “You trust in your own self-righteousness while treating others with contempt! Are you without sin and without need of a sin-bearing Savior?”
Then the other Witness said, “Those who are the hardest to reach for Messiah are those who think they are already converted, when in reality, they are far from Yahweh. They are clean in their own eyes, but they are not washed of their filth in the eyes of Yahweh!”
“How dare you say that to me! To us!”
Without even blinking, one Witness quoted Jeremiah 23:1: “‘Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord.’”
Then the other quoted, Jeremiah 23:2: “‘Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord.’”
Then the other quoted, Jeremiah 23:3: “‘I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.’”
Followed by Jeremiah 23:4: “‘I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.’”
Then, Jeremiah 23:5: “‘The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.’”
Followed by Jeremiah 23:6: “‘In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’ His name is Yeshua HaMaschiach!”
Then Jeremiah 22:15: “‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.’ He is Yeshua HaMaschiach! The Holy One of Israel!”
The rabbis tore at their robes again, “Blashphemy!”
One Witness quoted Psalm 81:11-12: “‘But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.’”
“Leave us! Leave our city at once. You don’t belong here!”
Eyeballing his protestor, he quoted Isaiah 30:8: “‘Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness.’”
Then the other quoted verse 9, “‘For these are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the LORD’s instruction.’”
Then verse 10, “‘They say to the seers, “See no more visions!” and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.’”
Followed by verse 11, “‘Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!’”
The rabbi grew silent. It was as if God had used Isaiah 30:10-11 to force his mouth shut. He looked at his fellow protestors and shrugged his shoulders.
It was time to go home a
nd read and study the Torah all night, if need be, so he would be better prepared for the next spiritual debate with the two lunatics. Then again, he said that every day he left the Wailing Wall, only to come back the next day and be made to look foolish all over again.
Every word they spoke to him and his fellow rabbi protesters made no sense to them; they were like stumbling blocks set before them that they kept tripping over…
What incensed this man most was that his own son, hung on to every word the two blasphemers spoke.
Yes, that’s where much of the anger came from…
Little did he know his son was prophesied in the book of Revelation, and that Yahweh Himself was in the process of sealing his “special” offspring, before calling him into service to help bring forth the greatest harvest in all of humankind.
Spiritually blinded to the Truth, even had the Two Witnesses told him, he wouldn’t have believed them. If anything, he would have rebuked their words and forbade them from speaking to his son again, which he’d already threatened on several occasions.
Then again, he was a self-righteous individual, and community leader, who didn’t see himself as a sinner and, therefore, felt no need to repent before a just and Holy God. And the notion that he needed someone who was nailed to a cross 2000 years ago to deliver him from God’s condemnation, like his son had foolishly insisted, was laughable.
Tragically, his laughter would come at the peril of his soul…
50
AJIT LAGHARI HEARD FOOTSTEPS down the corridor headed toward his cell. He prayed they weren’t coming for him. Whenever he heard “purposed” footsteps moving in his direction—which was often throughout the day—he started hyperventilating.
Whereas most of his fellow believers were crammed in cells like sardines, as the very first detainee to be exposed to this next level of torture, Ajit had a cell, dungeon rather, all to himself.
When the metal key slowly unlocked the steel gray door to his cell, he knew without a doubt they were coming for him again.
The Sealing Page 32
