It was a short war to be sure; roughly six hours. But seeing the widespread carnage, one might think it lasted six-weeks.
The most notable building destroyed was the Dome of the Rock. The Muslim shrine that was constructed in Jerusalem when the Muslims first came to the Holy Land in the 7th century now lay in ruins. Muslims the world over mourned bitterly.
WITH CAMERAS TURNED ON, Salvador Romanero approached the microphone-laden lectern set up at the Western Wall. Going against the strong advice of his security team, the Miracle Maker flat-out refused to address the world from an underground bunker. It would make him look scared and weak.
On Romanero’s right was the Pope, stripped of the futuristic garb he wore the day before. On his left was the Prime Minister of Israel. All three men looked outraged.
The look of peace and tranquility Romanero was known for while giving his countless “unity and tolerance for all” speeches was replaced with a murderous vengeance. He was incensed!
Without greeting his many loyal followers, Romanero glared into the camera and came straight to the point, “To the cowards who did this, while your surprise attack may have caught us off guard, it wasn’t enough to bring us to our knees. Not only were your efforts thwarted, nearly every one of your planes was destroyed.
“Now you will pay the price! You can rest assured knowing I will stop at nothing until all persons and countries responsible for this attack are punished severely! Did you really think you could get away with this by simply painting your airplanes black and removing the registration codes?
“Now that you have failed with your mission, make no mistake: your days are numbered! You will be met with overwhelming strength and resolve, much to your detriment!
“All parties responsible will be rooted out, including those of you who harbored the enemy, by allowing them to enter into our restricted airspace uninhibited! Every last one of you will be caught and dealt with accordingly!
“Aside from the Dome of the Rock, all other buildings you destroyed in Jerusalem can be rebuilt. But the thousands of lives lost at your hands are irreplaceable.”
Romanero lowered his head and took a deep breath. “Two of them were my parents. They were killed when one of your bombs fell on the King David Hotel, moments before they had a chance to make it to the fallout shelter.”
The Miracle Maker took a moment to contain himself. “But the victims stretch far beyond Israel. Your cowardly actions have touched every country on the planet. More than two-hundred thousand innocent lives were snuffed out by way of miscarriage.
“The stress you caused so many expectant mothers was just too much to bear, including many teenagers. I hear your cries, ladies. I also hear the sobs of the innocent unborn victims crying to me for vengeance.”
Romanero’s pro-life rhetoric had nothing to do with his championing that particular cause. It was more sinister than that: You killed my children; my future worshipers! “I already know who most of you are. As for the rest of you, I will not rest until my tenfold vengeance visits each and every one of you!”
Romanero took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Clasping the hands of both the Pope and Israel’s Prime Minister, he said, “Even amid such tragedy, we will rise from these ashes and reconvene here at the Wailing Wall three days from now for the signing of the peace treaty. And mark my words: this will not happen again! I look forward to seeing you all in three days. Until then, may you all be blessed in my name.”
The three men embraced for all the world to see. Now that Romanero had already been desecrated by the two men who pulled him off the horse, he was free to engage with others.
Muslims were outraged. Was Romanero actually suggesting that the Dome of the Rock would never be rebuilt? It sure sounded that way. How dare he! It seemed he cared more for those yet unborn than he did for what had proudly stood in Jerusalem for more than thirteen-hundred years.
And this meant Salvador Romanero didn’t care for Muslims or their holy sites. This ultimate betrayal wouldn’t go unchallenged.
Muslim leaders were already planning on the best way to assassinate the so-called Miracle Maker...
WHAT SALVADOR ROMANERO FAILED to mention in his press conference, but knew from his morning intel briefing, was that 90 percent of all enemy aircraft destroyed came at the hands of Israeli forces; only 10 percent were taken out by UN and NATO forces.
Even more remarkable, while more than 100 UN and NATO planes were shot down in battle—mostly outside of Jerusalem—not a single Israeli airplane was destroyed, let alone hit by return fire.
But the greatest miracle to occur was, of the thousands of deaths caused by the surprise attack, not a single Israeli citizen was found among the casualties—military or civilian.
Some lost their homes and vehicles, but all walked away without a scratch on them.
When word got out, many Jews, their spiritual eyes now fully opened, took to the streets of their besieged city praising Yahweh for the glorious Passover miracle.
One well-known rabbi exclaimed, “Yahweh just proved to the world that Passover is for us Jews only, by exposing Salvador Romanero as a false prophet! The peace he promises is a false peace! Only Yahweh can protect us, not this diabolical Gentile.”
And he was right. The miracle the Most High Jehovah Jireh just performed was His way of reminding His chosen people that He, not Salvador Romanero, was the true Miracle Maker. Only He could save them. He once again proved His power by sparing the Jews in their beloved homeland.
Even Israel’s enemies had no choice but to confess it. One Middle Eastern pilot fighting for the enemy—who successfully ejected himself from the cockpit after his plane was shot down just outside of Jerusalem—said during his interrogation aired on live television, “It’s as if their God changed the path of our rockets in mid-air with His mighty finger. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
When a reporter was granted permission to ask if Israel’s Iron Dome Tamir missiles—part of Israel’s multi-layered defense umbrella—had anything to do with their bombs being redirected, the bruised and bloodied man in handcuffs shook his head no.
Said he, “Our bombs weren’t intercepted. Every one of them reached the ground. Only they never hit the intended targets. Clearly, the bomb that struck the Dome of the Rock wasn’t one of our targets. It was meant for the Western Wall. I should know because I was the one who fired the shot...
“I’m certain the coordinates were right, and the target was locked in. It was a true miracle for the Jews. But for us Muslims, it’s total devastation.”
The prisoner shook his head in bewilderment, “By attacking Jerusalem, it’s like we attacked the heart of their God. I know Muslims will vow revenge, but how can we, when our own missiles were responsible for destroying our holiest site in Israel?”
He lowered his head and wept uncontrollably, not knowing how right he was on all counts. The nation of Israel really had been supernaturally protected by their powerful Almighty God.
This was the Most High God’s final shaking to arouse the people He chose thousands of years ago to be His own. This miracle was but a final warning, as God was about to finish what He started with the Jews thousands of years ago, as recorded in Daniel, chapter nine.
They were about to enter the seventieth week of judgment God had levied against them. As the world trembled all around them, the Most High would use this ordained time to rescue His Remnant, through a relationship with His only begotten Son, Yeshua HaMashiach.
Soon many Jews would repent after realizing they crucified their Messiah, thus fulfilling Zechariah 12:10: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”
But for most Jews, even despite the many undeniable miracles, their hearts were too hardened to connect the dots and view i
t from a spiritual lens.
Totally blinded to the Truth, instead of seeking the face of the only One who could save them from utter destruction, they defiantly chose to still stand with Salvador Romanero.
And why not? They understood his anger. They felt his pain having just lost his parents. They understood his desire to retaliate. They applauded it.
They were behind the Miracle Maker all the way, even to their own detriment.
44
IN HEAVEN, BEFORE THE Throne of God the scene was entirely different. The redeemed souls of the ages were assembled together dressed in white robes. They encircled God’s throne in utter awe, worshiping their Maker in concert. The worldly clock and calendar system which had so controlled them back on Planet Earth no longer mattered.
From now on, every day would be a day of worship. Gathered with friends and loved ones, everyone had new, glorified bodies that would never hunger or thirst or hurt or ache or shed tears again. God had indeed kept His promise to His faithful servants, by raising them up from corruptible to incorruptible.
They shone like the brightest stars in the heavens.
To be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, to behold His glorious face and peer into His holiness was beyond description, especially knowing they would feel this way forever.
There was no place else they would rather be, especially now that the Judgment Seat of Christ had just concluded.
As was written to all believers in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad,” the Redeemed had to give an account of all things done and not done in the flesh after becoming believers.
At the point of salvation, new believers in Christ were justified in the eyes of God and were forgiven each sin they ever committed in life—past, present and future—then presented to Christ as pure virgins.
From that point forward could be likened to an engagement period. In other words, after receiving Christ as Lord and Savior, believers were expected to do certain things for God’s Kingdom.
Their faith in Christ was the root of their salvation.
Their works were simply the proof of it.
Hence, they weren’t saved by works, but unto them. Like Jesus’ half-brother, James, boldly stated in the book bearing his name, “Faith without works is dead.”
At the Judgment Seat of Christ, believers were thoroughly examined to see how faithful they were to the Bridegroom [Jesus] during this time. But this was also a time of celebration, as the Redeemed were rewarded for the good they did and for the evil they refrained from after believing in Christ.
Five eternal crowns were awarded to those deserving of them—the Crown of Righteousness, the Incorruptible Crown, the Crown of Life, the Crown of Rejoicing, and the Crown of Glory.
These eternal rewards would never rust, tarnish or ever be stolen.
The Crown of Righteousness was awarded to those who lived righteous lives in the eyes of the Lord, shunning evil whenever it visited their doorsteps.
The Incorruptible Crown, also called the “Victor’s Crown”, was awarded to those who denied self, and rejected earthly opportunities in order to fully pursue God’s Kingdom.
The Crown of Rejoicing was awarded to those who led others to faith in Christ.
The Crown of Glory, also known as the “Elder’s Crown,” was awarded to those who preached the Word of God—pastors, ministers, priests, bishops, evangelists, and the like.
The Crown of Life, sometimes called the “Martyr’s Crown,” was awarded to those who were killed because of their faith in God and for their testimony.
Those who lived righteous lives in the eyes of the Lord, who shunned evil in the flesh, denied self in order to further God’s Kingdom—leading many to Christ in the process—and preached the Gospel everywhere they went, then died martyr’s deaths received all five crowns.
Many received four crowns at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Multitudes more received three. Others two. Some received only one. Sadly, some received none.
As recorded in 1 Corinthians 3:15, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”
Those who received no crowns felt totally naked in the presence of their Savior, as they recounted the numerous opportunities squandered away in the flesh after coming to faith in Christ Jesus. Things they could have done—should have done—to bring glory to God and further His Kingdom on Planet Earth, were brought to light; every last one of them.
Instead of eternal treasures, they would suffer loss, as one escaping through the flames. Yet, because there was no condemnation attached to the Judgment Seat of Christ, all guilt and shame temporarily suffered was laid to rest for all time.
As God’s chosen ones—His elect—none were in danger of losing their salvation. They were righteous heirs to the Master’s Throne and would never be asked to leave this most Glorious Place, eternal rewards or not.
IN THE RIGHT HAND of Him who was seated on the throne was a scroll with writing on both sides. The scroll was sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel of the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” No one in Heaven or on earth or under the earth was worthy enough to open it or even look inside it.
Then a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, stood in the center of the throne, encircled by the four creatures and elders. It was Jesus—the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.
He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
And they sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
Then angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand, encircled the throne, and the living creatures and the elders sang in a loud voice, in unison, saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. It was the greatest praise session in history!
With the hourglass of time about to be turned upside down, the Bride of Christ had a front row seat to witness what was about to take place on the planet they once inhabited or had recently been evacuated from.
Those who were left behind were about to experience the seven most horrific years to visit Planet Earth since the dawn of civilization. What happened in Jerusalem was only a hiccup compared to what was coming next...
“Then the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals.
One of the four living creatures said in a loud voice like thunder,
“Come!” I looked, and there before me was a white horse!
Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,
and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest”
(Revelation 6:1-2).
Thanks for taking the time to read the fourth installment of the
Chaos in the Blink of an Eye series.
I would be most grateful if you shared your thoughts on Amaz
on. Even a short review would be appreciated. May God continue to bless and keep you.
Who was behind the surprise attack on Israel? Was it a single country or a joint coalition?
Since it happened on Salvador Romanero’s watch, did this mean he was incapable of delivering peace to Israel after all? Should he be stripped of the title, “Miracle Maker”?
Will the End Times Salvation Movement succeed with the monumental task at hand, or will their plans be thwarted before even getting off the ground?
What danger will President Jefferson Danforth face now that he has all but pitted himself against Salvador Romanero?
When will the 144,000 be sealed by God and sent on their missions?
Find answers to these questions and so much more as you continue in this prophetic series...
The sixth installment is now available.
Once completed, this series will consist of approximately twelve books.
Patrick Higgins is the author of The Pelican Trees, Coffee in Manila, The Unannounced Christmas Visitor (Winner of the 2018 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal in Christian fiction), and the award-winning prophetic end-times series titled, Chaos in the Blink of an Eye. While the stories he writes all have different themes and take place in different settings, the one thread that links them all together is his heart for Jesus and his yearning for the lost.
With that in mind, it is his wish that the message his stories convey will greatly impact each reader, by challenging you not only to contemplate life on this side of the grave, but on the other side as well. After all, each of us will spend eternity at one of two places, based solely upon a single decision which must be made this side of the grave. That decision will be made crystal clear to each reader of these books.
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