by Mark Romang
The two men walked up to Banks. They sat down on rocks near him. Banks wondered why he felt no fear. These were strangers who could report him, maybe even overpower him and drag him back to civilization. But Banks didn’t move from his spot on the rock. And he felt no desire to move.
“Are you hungry or thirsty?” Banks asked them. “I have food and water I can share with you.”
“We didn’t come to dine with you, Nathan,” the taller one said. “We came only to reason with you.”
“To reason with me? About what?”
“Your place in eternity. And your purpose here on Earth.”
“You know my name, but I don’t know yours. What do I call you?”
“My name is Gabriel,” the taller one said. “And my friend here goes by Andrew Maddix.”
Banks nodded and looked at the other man, the shorter one of average height. He wore a beard like Banks wore, a beard similar to Tanner and C.J.’s. The man had dark eyes. Banks could feel his heart speeding up. Of a sudden he felt like he’d entered another world. “Where did you two come from? You appeared so suddenly.”
“We came from Heaven. God sent us to deliver a message to you,” the man named Andrew said.
For some reason Banks didn’t find this reply absurd. “Are you angels?”
“I’m not, but Gabriel is,” Maddix said.
Banks looked over at the taller man. “I saw you glowing in the forest, but I thought it was the sun shining on you.”
“I hid my true appearance so you wouldn’t feel fear. When not delivering messages I stand near God. His glory shines on me and makes me glow.”
“What is Heaven like?” Banks asked.
“Andrew should answer that question. He was once a man like you living on Earth.”
Banks turned toward Andrew Maddix and waited for him to speak.
“Heaven is like Earth in many ways, only without pollution and crime, decay and sicknesses. You can drink from the river and every stream in Heaven. There are trees and mountains, streets and buildings, parks and gardens. Heaven is a place of no worries and no threats. I feel completely safe there.”
“Is there time in Heaven?”
“Yes, there is. Many people who have yet to enter Heaven don’t think time exists there. But it does. Mortals cannot understand eternity. But my ability to track time passage has changed since I’ve become a saint. Eternity doesn’t overwhelm me because I’m never bored.”
“What do you do there?” Banks asked, suddenly fascinated by a subject he rarely thought about.
“I’m a soldier in God’s army. I go on missions with Michael. I was a soldier on Earth, and now I’m a heavenly one,” Maddix said smiling. “What you are good at on Earth transfers to Heaven. And there your abilities are heightened dramatically and used for the glory of God.”
“I’m a computer programmer. Are their programmers in Heaven?”
Maddix nodded. “Someday God will make a new earth, and his heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, will come down onto the new earth and be its capital city. God will live with Jesus and mankind here on the new earth like he did with Adam and Eve in the Garden. This is how you should think of Heaven, Nathan, and not as a far off place in the sky.”
“Will there be technology here on the new earth, or will people live primitively?”
“Technology can certainly bring God glory if used for good purposes. So why couldn’t it exist on the new earth? There will be countless saints with brilliant minds, and they’ll all work together selflessly with no hidden agendas. What they create will please God, and he’ll count it as good.”
“Do you get to choose your profession in Heaven?”
“Currently on Earth your will and God’s will compete against each other. But in Heaven on the new earth your will and your desires will align perfectly with God’s. What you will want to do is exactly what God will want you to do. You will experience perfect contentment and satisfaction.”
Banks looked down at his hands. “I’m not sure I’ll be allowed to live on this new earth with God and his angels and saints.”
“That’s why we’ve been sent to talk with you, Nathan,” Gabriel said. “God is extending you an invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.”
Banks scratched his head. “Do I need to RSVP?”
Maddix nodded. “It is a requirement. And if I was you I wouldn’t wait to reserve your place at the table.”
“What do I have to do?”
“Confess to God that you’ve sinned against Him and ask for his forgiveness. Believe that Jesus is God’s son and that Jesus paid your penalty of death—the ransom required for your sins—when he was crucified on the cross, only to rise to life on the third day.”
“This is the only way?” Banks asked.
“The only way to the Father is through the Son,” Maddix said.
“Nathan, your name is currently in the Book of Life. When you were born your name was added to it. Every human has their name entered into this book when they are born,” Gabriel said, his voice becoming more powerful. “But there is another book. This book is called the Lamb’s Book of Life. Only those whose sins have been forgiven are entered into this book. If you die before receiving Christ as your savior your name will never appear in the Lamb’s Book of Life. And your name in the Book of Life will be blotted out. You will then spend eternity separated from God, you and all the unforgiven people, along with Satan and his demons. Do you understand this reality, Nathan?”
“I understand,” Banks mumbled weakly. “But when you first approached me you said you also came to tell me of my purpose on Earth. Can we talk about that?”
Gabriel nodded. His cobalt eyes sparkled. “God wishes to use you as his tool to help the people on Earth who haven’t taken the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. You have the ability, Nathan, to bring down the drones used by the enemy to persecute all who don’t belong to him.”
“I’ve been giving serious thought about how I can ground the drones.” Banks said quickly.
“You will fail in a mighty way if you attempt to do this on your own, Nathan. You need the Holy Spirit’s power living and moving within you,” Maddix said.
Banks buried his head in his hands. He never realized until now how prideful he’d become, and how much he depended upon self-reliance to navigate his way through life. Isolation was his curse, and independence his bane.
When Banks finally lifted his head, the angel named Gabriel and the man named Andrew Maddix were gone.
Chapter 45
Nathan Banks jerked up in his bunk. Breathing heavily, his heart pounding, he looked all around him and saw mainly darkness. One flickering candle in a wall sconce provided the only illumination.
Nearby in the other bunks he saw the forms of C.J. and Tanner. The brothers slept soundly. He heard a shuffling noise and saw Brooke’s murky form hurry over to him. She flipped aside his wadded covers and sat down next to him on the bunk.
“Are you okay, Nathan,” Brooke asked in a quiet voice. “I heard you cry out. Did you have a nightmare?”
“I don’t know if I would call it a nightmare or not. Maybe a vivid dream would describe it better.”
“Do you want to talk about it? Can you remember the dream?”
Banks sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm himself. “I remember everything. I don’t think I’ll ever forget any of it. The dream was very spiritual. It was…supernatural.”
“What do you mean when you say, supernatural?”
“I was sitting alone atop the rocks over the bunker. An angel and a man from Heaven suddenly appeared in the forest and walked up to me. We had a long conversation,” Banks said, his voice trailing off.
“Whoa, that’s cool. How do you know one was an angel and that they were from Heaven?”
Banks looked at her. “They told me.”
“Okay that makes sense. What did you talk about?”
“What Heaven is like and how to get there. We also talked about th
e drones. The angel said God wants to use me to take out the drones.”
“Well, that makes sense that you would dream something like that. We talked at great length about those topics earlier in the day.”
Banks shook his head. “Not in this great detail. This was more than a dream. This was a vision,” he said. He shyly took her hand. “Will you help me pray, Brooke? I know I’m lost without hope. I want to become a Christ follower like you and your brothers.”
She squeezed his hand. “I’d be happy to, Nathan.”
“What do I say? Are there some magic words I need to recite?”
“There are no magic words. You just admit to God that you’ve sinned against him and ask him to forgive you. But you have to really mean it. Romans 10:9 says, if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Banks nodded solemnly. “Okay, I’m going to do it.” Still holding Brooke’s hand, he closed his eyes. “Dear God, I’ve been running from you for a long time. I’m tired of running and don’t want to run anymore. You’ve pierced my pride. I was so angry with you for taking Jenny from me. Now I know you were merciful to Jenny. Out of your great kindness you spared her from living down her during all this tribulation. And you wanted to take me too. Please forgive all my sins. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose again. Please enter my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I want to feast with Jesus and all the other saints. Use me to end the persecution brought by Henrik Skymolt’s drones. My life is yours. Amen.”
Brooke removed her hand from his and placed her arm around his shoulder. “That was an amazing prayer, Nathan. You won’t regret your decision, I promise.”
They both jumped when Tanner cried out and sat up in bed. C.J. stirred and swung his legs over onto the bunker floor. “What’s wrong, bro?” C.J. asked sleepily.
Tanner rubbed his eyes. “I…I had a dream. An angel and a saint visited me. We talked.”
Brooke got up from Bank’s cot and quickly lit more candles.
“Was the angel’s name Gabriel, and the saint’s Andrew Maddix?” Banks asked.
Tanner looked at him, confusion heavy on his face. “How did you know?”
“Because they also visited me in a dream just now.”
“What did they say to you?”
“They talked about Heaven, and what I needed to do to enter it. They also said God wants to work through me to end the drone persecution.”
“Awesome! Are you going to do it?” C.J. asked.
Banks grinned and nodded. “I just confessed my sins and asked God to forgive me. And now I want to crash the drones. But I still don’t know how to go about it.”
“I do,” Tanner said. “Gabriel told me a man named Nick will walk over a ridge two hillsides away later today. Nick is a lawman. But he’s a virtuous man you can trust. You’re to meet him on the ridge at noon. Nick will take you to a hangar where you will be asked to work on drone software by UWC officers.”
“Wow, this is wild,” Brooke said. She sat down next to Tanner.
“There’s more, Brooke. The angel Gabriel also said God has anointed me to be the voice of the resistance.”
C.J. jumped off his bunk. “Cool beans, Tanner! Please say you’ll let me help you.”
“Of course, C.J. You’re a natural at this rebel stuff. I don’t know why God chose me to do this. You’re a better choice.”
“That’s easy. I’m so good at it I would run ahead of God and do it all in my own power. It would be a disaster. But you wouldn’t do that. You’re not a natural rebel. And you will allow God to work through you.”
“But how am I going to be a voice of the resistance hiding in this bunker?”
C.J. smiled. “Have you forgotten we have a HAM radio in the big room?”
“I guess I did.”
Brooke stood up and extended her arms out by her sides. She twirled in slow circles
“What are you doing, Brooke?” Banks asked.
Brooke stopped twirling and smiled at him. “I’m trying to feel God’s presence. He came here tonight. His spirit moved in this bunker. We had heavenly visitors right here in this room. And I have goosebumps just thinking about it.”
“This proves God can meet us wherever we are, even in the darkest and most humble places, like this bunker,” Tanner said.
“I don’t think I can go back to sleep after what just took place,” Banks said.
“Me either,” C.J. said. He looked at Tanner. “Why don’t you work on writing your first broadcast, Tanner? Maybe we can help you, give you some talking points.”
“I welcome the help. But do we have any paper, any pencils or pens around here?”
Brooke nodded. “I know exactly where they are. I ran across them earlier. I’ll be right back.”
Chapter 46
Rural Virginia—that same moment
The dignitaries arrived at the horse farm in five minute intervals. Even though the early morning sky remained ink-black, the vehicles used to transport the powerful men and women were common rental cars. Armor-plated SUVs with bulletproof glass were passed over in favor of nondescript sedans. Deception was the theme for this meeting. If Henrik Skymolt found out they were coming together and, worse, discovered the meeting’s topic, they would all be executed.
Every invitation to the secret meeting came by way of couriers delivering sealed envelopes to dead drop locations. RSVPs were forbidden.
This was the third meeting between ‘The Seven.’ The meeting had been scheduled for this date with no idea Henrik Skymolt would pronounce himself God mere hours earlier. Skymolt’s shocking proclamation would surely foster a lively discussion among the heads of states.
The rental car carrying the last dignitary pulled to a stop outside a barn. A large sliding door opened when the driver honked. The Ford Taurus pulled inside the barn and stopped. Germany’s chancellor, Deidrick Braun, hopped out and joined the others. The Taurus then drove through the barn and out another sliding door on the opposite side.
Chancellor Braun followed the others into a room cordoned off by hay bales. The farm was no longer a working horse farm. After the owner disappeared in the Rapture, the government swooped in and purchased it, sold the horses, and converted the property into a safe-house/meeting place.
The farm’s close proximity to Washington D.C. made it an excellent site for bureaucrats and intelligence officers to unwind or brainstorm without distractions or fear of eavesdropping.
Ironically, chairs were set up in a horseshoe shape in the meeting area. A laptop sat on a small table, and a PowerPoint projector hung from a rafter and pointed toward a portable screen.
Braun took his customary spot between the President of France Estelle Duval, and U.K. Prime Minister Brett Loring. The President of the United States, Nathaniel Dixon, Canadian Prime Minister George Anderson, U.S. Secretary of State Trina Davis, and General Bradley Morris, chairman of the joint chiefs sat on the four chairs opposite.
Although they called themselves ‘The Seven,’ there were actually nine in attendance. The other two attendees were not dignitaries representing former superpowers. They were simply experts in semi-related fields.
Dr. Liam Kelvoy—white-haired and pot-bellied—was a long-tenured professor at Folded Hands Theological Seminary, where he once taught Old Testament and Revelation prophecy courses. Kelvoy was now unemployed, victim of dwindling enrollment and waning interest in his field of expertise. Many of his former students no longer walked the planet, all of them snatched from the planet in one lightning-quick grab that no one saw coming.
FHTS ended his tenure not long thereafter. The seminary struggled to find students after the disappearances. And the few who did enroll steered clear of Kelvoy’s classes. It seemed no one wanted to know what the Bible predicted to happen next.
Dr. Kelvoy sat next to Harrison Barnes. Barnes was a genealogist, a wealthy man in his early forties. Barnes made millions from a genealogy website he started up on a whim in his
mid-thirties.
Together, Kelvoy and Barnes attempted to provide answers to difficult questions asked by ‘The Seven.’ Dr. Kelvoy watched U.S. Secretary of State Trina Davis press a button on the laptop. A video shined immediately onto the portable screen.
Kelvoy cringed when Henrik Skymolt appeared on the screen. “The man of lawlessness,” Kelvoy mumbled under his breath as he watched the tall Swede sit down on the white marble throne and stare intently into the camera, his handsome visage belying his cruel and murderous ways.
Skymolt’s speech lasted six interminable minutes, long enough to sicken everyone in the barn. The screen at last went mercifully blank. They all sat in stunned silence, shaken to the core and too repulsed to talk, even though all had watched the historic speech less than 24 hours ago.
Nathanial Dixon sighed heavily, a signal for the meeting to start. “Okay, he’s worse than we thought, much worse. But the question is, has Henrik Skymolt gone completely mad, or has he always been this psychotic?”
“Crazy people are often highly skilled at hiding their madness. So I venture to say, Skymolt tricked us from the very beginning,” George Anderson said. The Canadian prime minister stroked his goatee absently, a habit he usually performed when lost in troubled thought.
“We can only hope Skymolt becomes so looney someone on his staff will admit him to a psychiatric hospital, preferably an inescapable institution perched high atop the Himalayan Mountains,” Deidrick Braun muttered in heavily accented English. “Maybe his second in command will be less sociopathic,” the German chancellor added.
Brett Loring snorted. “You mean Reverend Abbadelli? I dare say, for a man of the cloth he seems fairly twisted,” the UK prime minister said.
Dixon turned to his secretary of state. “What do we know about Vito Abbadelli?”
“Sure thing, Mr. President.” Trina Davis scrolled through some photos on the laptop until she found one of Abbadelli. She clicked the image and Abbadelli appeared on the portable screen. Short, plump and bald, Abbadelli looked fairly unassuming. Davis cleared her throat. “Although he’s called a reverend, Abbadelli is actually an ex-cardinal from Naples. At one time he was thought to be a strong papal contender. But then about six years ago he inexplicably denounced his faith and left the Roman Catholic Church. He married a woman and all but disappeared, only to reappear on the scene riding Henrik Skymolt’s coattails and performing eye-popping miracles.”
