Decker shook his head. "You've lost me on that one, Rosen."
"If the prince did not know the whipping boy or did not have to watch the boy being punished for what he had done," Rosen explained, "then of course it meant little or nothing to the prince and the punishment did no good. But if the prince knew the boy, if they were friends and playmates, then even though the prince did not bear the physical marks of the lashing, he would feel the pain of knowing the suffering he had caused to his friend. Do you have any brothers or sisters, Mr. Hawthorne?"
"One older brother, Nathan. He died in the Disaster," Decker answered, though after he had, he could not understand why he had been so forthcoming.
Rosen raised an eyebrow in surprise at this revelation, but did not allow it to distract him. "Then you can probably understand that, if your parents punished your brother whenever you did something wrong, you might think it was a pretty nice arrangement for a while. Soon, though, if you cared for your brother at all, you would start to feel bad about it. So that even though it was your brother who had been punished, you would suffer, too, and pretty soon your behavior would change.
"The practice of sacrificing animals is similar to the concept of the whipping boy. Christopher has said that the animal sacrifices required by Yahweh prove that he is a bloodthirsty god. But God didn't tell us to sacrifice animals for our sins because he's bloodthirsty. God doesn't like to see suffering; he doesn't like to see animals die. According to the Bible, originally animals didn't even kill each other. They were all vegetarians; and they will be again after Jesus returns. The reason God told us to offer animal sacrifices was so that we would realize just how terrible our sin is. As bad as you would have felt about your brother being punished in your place, imagine how much worse you would have felt if your parents made you administer the punishment. That is what God intended with animal sacrifices. He wanted us to understand in no uncertain terms that the price of sin is death.
"In the story that Jesus told about the farmer and his two sons, there was no inheritance left for the younger son: everything the father had left was the inheritance of the older brother. There was one way, however, that the younger son could have gotten an inheritance and yet still have earned his lesson: that is, if his brother died and left no heir. If that happened, he would receive the older brother's inheritance because there was no one else for it to go to. But he would still have learnedand earned'his lesson because he would know that what he received came at the price of his brother's life." Rosen paused a moment to make his point. "Well, our brother did die," Rosen continued, finally, "not because Yahweh is a bloodthirsty God, but because the only way for us to understand the seriousness of our sin without paying the price for that sin ourselves is to understand the magnitude of the price that Jesus paid by dying for us.
"I said earlier that when God created us in his own image he took a 'necessary risk' because only by being created in his image could we truly be his children. Actually, since God knew in advance that Adam and Eve would sin, it would be more accurate to call it not a 'necessary risk' but an 'accepted cost.' God knew we would sin and he knew that he himself, in the person of his son Jesus, would have to be tortured and die to pay the penalty for that sin. Yet despite all this, he did it anyway. His own death was a price he was willing to pay because his love for us is so great that he would rather die than live without us.
"The inheritance is ours, Mr. Hawthorne. To claim it, all we have to do is what the farmer's younger son did: admit we've made a mess of our lives without God, swallow our pride and ask him to forgive us and take us back. Like the younger son, we must be willing to come back as a servant, but like the father in the story, God waits anxiously to accept us as sons.
"Jesus told the thief on the cross that he would be in paradise. And, you know, that thief was the only person Jesus ever directly made that promise to. I believe Jesus used that situation, where the one he was talking to could not possibly have done anything to earn God's forgiveness, so that in the centuries to come no one could ever read that story and honestly believe that being forgiven and accepted by God was something that could be earned.
"It's up to us to decide which role we will play in life: the proud, mocking thief or the humble, repentant thief. That's just how simple it was then, and it's just as simple now. All that you need to do to be forgiven and accepted by God is to recognize that you need to be forgiven and then ask. Come humbly to God just as the farmer's son returned humbly to his father and he will accept you with open arms."
"That's quite a story, Rosen," Decker said. "But you haven't changed anything. As I said last night, no matter how convincing a story you might tell, there's no way I'm going to trust the word of a kidnapper over Christopher."
"And I told you last night that I would not try to convince you otherwise. What I have attempted to do today is to make it clear to you what it is that we believe.
"Now, there's just one other item we need to cover before you leave. I told you earlier that God had taken his people from the earth so that they wouldn't have to suffer through the times in which we now find ourselves. The Bible calls these times the 'Tribulation,' a period which would begin with the signing of a treaty with Israel and last for seven years. That treaty was the one between the United Nations and Israel arranged by Christopher Goodman when he returned the Ark of the Covenant. It went into effect September 30th of 2019, meaning that of the seven years, less than four months remain."
"As far as I can tell," Decker interrupted, "things have been going pretty well since Christopher got rid of John and Cohen three years ago — no asteroids, no plagues of locusts, no homicidal madness, not even any wars. The whole world has been at peace. The only 'tribulation' that I'm aware of is the killings and violence by the fundamentalists at the communion clinics. I guess you could also throw in the appearance of the three angels," Decker added, "but they just made empty threats."
"Nevertheless," Rosen said, "over the next three and a half months things are going to get much worse fast. Of course, Christopher will blame Yahweh, the KDT, and the fundamentalists."
"And you just can't imagine why he'd do that, can you?!" Decker said sarcastically. "Are you trying to say that Yahweh is not responsible for the death and destruction that plagued the earth before Christopher killed John and Cohen?"
"What God has done to this point," Rosen answered, apparently denying nothing, "has been designed, for the most part, to get our attention. The plagues which befell Egypt in the days of Moses were designed to demonstrate God's supremacy over the false gods of Egypt. The Egyptians worshiped the Nile River, so God turned it to blood; they worshiped flies and frogs and so he gave them plagues of flies and frogs; they worshiped the sun and so he blacked out the sun over Egypt. In the same way, God has selectively struck the earth with plagues which demonstrate his supremacy over the false gods of this age. People worship the heavens and look to the stars to guide their futures, so God used asteroids — falling stars — to plague the earth. People worship nature, so God used nature to afflict mankind with storms, volcanoes, and locusts. People seek the guidance of spirits, so God allowed spirits to bring madness and death upon the earth. But what is coming in the next three months is designed not to get our attention, but to punish.
"To strike back at Yahweh, Christopher will order the arrest of all who oppose him, and ultimately the execution of all who refuse to take the communion and the mark. When the plagues continue, he will call for the people of all nations to gather and march on Petra to destroy those who still pledge their allegiance to Yahweh. He will justify his actions by saying that it is necessary to destroy the opponents of the New Age just as you would destroy a disease or cancer — so that the rest of the world can break the final hold that Yahweh has on the earth. And of course, it will be argued that killing Yahweh' s followers is really for our own good since in a few years or so we'll all be reincarnated, free of our past 'prejudices' and 'bigotries.'
"Do you understand why we are
called Koum Damah Tatare, Mr. Hawthorne?
"Yeah," Decker answered. "Because there's supposed to be 144,000 of you kooks, and the consonants from Koum Damah Tatare are the numbers used to write 144,000."
"There is an additional reason — a prophetic reason," Rosen said. "In English, Koum Damah Tatare means 'arise, shed tears, and be free.' In the book of Zechariah, speaking through the prophet, God said:
pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
"The time is coming soon when these words will come to pass, when all Israel will arise as one and shed tears for the one they have pierced. As Christopher marches on Petra, the people of Israel will understand that Yeshua, whom they have rejected and their ancestors pierced, is indeed their king and Messiah. When that happens, Messiah will return to save them from Christopher, just as Moses returned to rescue their forefathers from Pharaoh, and they will at last be free"
"And then you'll all live happily ever after, right?" Decker said dryly.
"That is so much more true than you could possibly imagine," Rosen answered without embarrassment. "The Bible says that God will establish his kingdom on the earth and Yeshua will reign as king on the throne of David. The earth will be restored to the paradise that it was in its Edenic state. As it was in the Garden of Eden, the Bible says:
The wolf mil live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The caw will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Decker groaned and shook his head.
"I've done all I can. I've rolled away the stone — the rest is up to God," Rosen concluded, referring to the biblical story of the events preceding the resurrection of Lazarus. "I assume you'll want to leave as soon as possible," he added without ceremony.
Decker was momentarily taken aback, unsure he had heard correctly. "Just like that?" he asked after a moment, wondering if this ordeal could really be ending so simply.
"Just like that," Rosen repeated. "You see, God has not instructed me to be successful, only to make the effort. It's not my responsibility to change your mind, only to present you with the truth. What you do with the truth is up to you."
Decker wished that for just one moment he could read Rosen's mind. Was Rosen serious or was this just a trick?
"I've made arrangements for you to leave the day after tomorrow."
That did not sound promising. "Why not right now?" Decker asked, suspicious of any delay. He knew that if the KDT intended to kill him it would probably happen soon. Or this might just be a transition into a second phase of a longer brainwashing program. Would they now lock him in solitary confinement for a few weeks or months to 'consider' what Rosen had told him over the past three days? He could only guess which it would be. Whatever happened, Decker determined that he would endure it with dignity. He would not let them break him. He reminded himself of his nearly three years as a hostage in Lebanon. So far, this was a cakewalk by comparison.
Of course, there was also the possibility that Rosen really intended to let him go, but Decker didn't put much hope in that prospect.
"You'll be taken to Israel and released," Rosen continued. "I'm sure that from there you can get back to Babylon on your own."
"Why can't I leave right now?" Decker asked again more forcefully.
"It's after 4:00 on Friday afternoon," Rosen answered. "There is not enough time for anyone to take you to Israel before sundown when the Sabbath begins."
Of course, devout Jews would not travel on a Sabbath. Rosen's answer was just plausible enough to be either the real reason or a well-considered lie. "And so I'm just supposed to sit and wait?" Decker prodded.
"You're free to go wherever you like in Petra."
"And if I choose to go farther?" Decker cringed that he had asked such a stupid question. Petra was in the middle of the wilderness. Where else could he possibly go?
Whether it was the look of embarrassment on Decker's face or Rosen's ability to read Decker's mind, Rosen did not answer. "There's just one last thing," he said instead. "Somehow, Mr. Hawthorne, you have avoided the communion and the mark this long. I don't know if you can continue to do so, but if you can, and if you believe that there is even the smallest, most outside chance that I might be telling you the truth, then I urge you to do everything in your power not to take the communion or the mark."
"I'll keep that in mind," Decker answered with obvious insincerity. Decker found possible encouragement in what Rosen had said, though. It might have been an indication that Rosen really did intend to let him go. Why else would he take the time to urge him not to take the communion and the mark?
"I must leave now," Rosen said. "I pray that you will consider what I have said and what the Spirit of God is saying to you even now, and that our next meeting will be as brothers and fellow heirs in Messiah's kingdom."
"Yeah, sure," Decker answered. The tone of his voice was so disingenuous it surprised even him. The fact that Rosen had once again referred to something that would necessitate his living for a while longer, however, did not escape Decker's attention.
Rosen sighed and left the room, leaving the door open behind him.
CHAPTER NINE
Donafin
Decker sat quietly for a few minutes, unsure of what might come next. When nothing happened, he got up to look out the window. The guards that had been posted outside were gone. For a while, he just watched and waited. There was no place to go except out into Petra, so what was the point? After all, though it was larger than the cage he had been in for the previous three days, Petra was still a cage. Besides, whether he stayed in the cabin or not, the risk was the same. Whatever the KDT had in mind for him, they were going to do it whether he stayed or left. He decided to leave. Better to die in the sunshine, he thought, though he could not give a reason why that should be so.
Stepping carefully from the room and taking only what he was wearing and the leather satchel that held Elizabeth's Bible, Decker was surprised to see that not even the jailer was anywhere to be found. His mind flashed back to his escape from captivity in Lebanon when his guards had all mysteriously disappeared. This was not quite so mysterious; Rosen had said he was free to leave. Still, the feeling ofdeja vu was strong.
At first, Decker stayed near the cabin but the inclination to do so quickly faded, and he decided the safest thing was to quickly get lost in the surroundings. He knew that trying to avoid Rosen and the KDT would ultimately be hopeless: there was no escape from this island in the desert. And what if Rosen had been telling the truth and he really did intend to have someone take Decker to Israel on Sunday? If so, then he needed to stay where Rosen could find him. Still, Decker found it hard to convince his feet of any of that. For nearly 45 minutes he bobbed and weaved his way erratically through the rows of tents and their crowded inhabitants. Everyone he passed greeted him with a traditional Shabbat shalom, meaning 'Sabbath peace.' But for Decker there was no peace: he just wanted to lose anyone who might be following him.
Finally, he slowed down. He had to: he was too tired to continue. Only now did he began to allow his mind to focus on the beauty of the natural and man-made wonders that surrounded him. Stopping to rest, Decker sat down on the excavated stones of a two-millennia-old structure and surveyed his surroundings. From his location at what archaeologists called the Roman House, he could see most of Petra. In the west the sun hung just above the jagged red-faced mountain that surrounded the city. Under other circumstances, Decker might have lost himself
in the study of the archaeology and architecture of this ancient, but now thriving metropolis. Then he noticed something else: a young boy, perhaps eleven or twelve years old. Decker had seen him before. The first time had been right after leaving the cabin. Thinking back, he remembered that he had seen him again some time later. Both times it had appeared as though the boy had just been out walking, but here he was again. Decker had made too many turns along the way for this to be a coincidence. The boy must be following him. A wave of disgust passed over him at the thought that Rosen would recruit one so young as a spy.
Pretending not to notice the boy, Decker looked around for the best avenue of escape to slip away from his unwanted follower. It would probably be impossible to simply outrun the boy; Decker was just too old. But now that he knew who his pursuer was, Decker thought he could probably lose him. He was about to leave his perch when he heard a woman's voice. He wasn't sure, but it sounded like she was calling his name. There were scores of people within earshot, all crowded into this self-imposed exile, and many voices competed for the ear's attention. Still, it truly had sounded as though a woman's voice had called his name.
"Decker!" he now heard distinctly.
Decker did not recognize the voice.
"Decker!" it called again. Finally the woman came around a row of tents and into view. Decker was certain he did not recognize her. Stranger still was that she headed not toward Decker, but for the boy who had been following him.
The woman and the boy obviously knew each other and they talked for a moment, and then both looked at Decker, who was very conspicuously watching them. The eye contact was undeniable and the woman, apparently believing some explanation was required, came over with the boy in tow to where Decker sat.
"Are you Decker Hawthorne?" the woman asked.
Decker could find no good reason to deny it. "Yes," he answered.
"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Hawthorne," the woman said. "I'm afraid my son has been following you. He didn't mean any harm."
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