Times of Tribulation: Christian End Times Thriller (The End Times Saga, #7)

by Cliff Ball

  Chapter 2

  A few months later, in California, mega church preacher Ryan Whittier was still in charge of his large congregation. His church and his satellite churches around California hadn’t been rounded up by the Department of Homeland Security when the government agency began finally going after larger churches once they finished rounding up the congregations of smaller churches. Having had a business relationship with Michael Evans sheltered Ryan from the round up, but also being a preacher who taught that there were many ways to Heaven and to God also helped him, since he so rarely offended people - from the political class to the lowliest of his congregation. Ryan enjoyed the fame and fortune that came with no one important being offended with his sermons, and he vowed he’d do his best to hold on to that fame and fortune.

  Kevin Josten and his wife had invited Ryan’s family to go with them to Dubai for vacation, but Ryan felt it was his duty to stay in California so he could help everyone as the state suffered from the effects of the collapse of the United States. As he told Josten over the phone, “Honestly, I don’t care if people suffer, I just want them to remember that I was the one who helped them through these difficult times. That’s because if I ever have a chance to rule over these people, I’ll already have their adoration, since they’re completely convinced that I’m the only who knows the only way for them to go to Heaven when they die.”

  “Well, I have almost all the money from my followers, so I figured now would be a great time to go on vacation to one of the most expensive places on Earth, so my wife and I can enjoy ourselves without being pestered with inane problems from my congregation. Sometimes, it helps to get away and recharge. Well, anyway, good luck with leading your flock through these tough times. Talk to you later.”

  Ryan’s main church was having a fellowship when about a dozen adults of the five hundred who had shown up suddenly disappeared. Their clothes, jewelry, eyeglasses, contacts, and various artificial body parts fell to the ground where they originally stood, which shocked everyone around them. While Ryan hadn’t personally seen them disappear, some of the adults who had witnessed the disappearances ran to him, and asked what was going on. One asked, “Did we miss the Rapture?”

  Before Ryan could answer what he thought was a ridiculous question, one of the ladies who’d been watching over all the children under five, came running into the fellowship hall, apparently beside herself, and was crying. She rushed over to Ryan, and said, “They’re gone. They’re all gone!”

  “Who?” asked Ryan.

  “The.... the children, that’s who.” She replied, with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Every single one of them vanished before my very eyes, leaving behind nothing but clothes. Do you know what’s going on?”

  Ryan was about to reply when he heard some of the people around him start saying they were left behind because the Rapture just happened. He thought it was a ridiculous notion, it was all he could do to keep from rolling his eyes, but he was going to put a stop to such an idea as quickly as he could. He could also see the parents of the missing children discussing amongst themselves about wanting to go investigate the nursery and some of the men were holding on to their distraught wives.

  “You know, in my opinion, the Rapture more than likely happened thousands of years ago, around the 70’s A.D., because everyone knows that the book of Revelation was fulfilled then, so such an event couldn’t possibly happen now. Besides, the Bible is an allegory, most of it isn’t to be taken literal. I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation and whoever’s in charge when it comes to things like this will tell us when they find out. Now, if you’re one of the parents of the missing children or related to an adult who’s missing, I’ll meet with you to help you get through this obviously painful experience, the rest of you can go home if you’d like.”

  After counseling those who needed it, he went home and rested. It took a lot of energy for him to act as if he cared, but he had to keep up appearances. His wife usually leaved him alone when he was in one of those moods. He wanted the power that Evans had promised him so long ago, but he had yet to see any fruit from that promise, and it frustrated him to no end. Because of this, he continued to preach and counsel people he didn’t really care for, just so he wouldn’t miss his big break. There were times he wondered if Evans had forgotten about him, and all attempts he’d made when it came to contacting the old man had usually failed. While Ryan did enjoy the money from his job and the fame that came to being the “Preacher to the Politicians,” he yearned for more.

  All over the local news, Ryan saw that some aircraft had crashed near LAX, but the reasons were currently unknown. There were also reports on the various highways around Los Angeles of driverless cars that caused major wrecks, making cars and their drivers stranded in hours of backed-up traffic. Distraught parents were interviewed about their missing nursery-aged children, and there were pregnant women, some happened to be in labor, who were now no longer pregnant because their unborn children had also disappeared. If his conscious hadn’t been seared now that God’s grace was gone, he would’ve felt sorry for the women.

  Three days later, one of the local television stations contacted Ryan. “Hello. This is Ryan Whittier, how can I help you?”

  “Mr. Whittier, hello, this is Sandra Gilliland, from KTLA. Do you have a moment to speak with me?”

  “Yes, but what’s this about?”

  “I was wondering if you’d like to come down to the station for an interview about the disappearances and your reaction to the news about our new world leader who claims to know what happened to these people. Are you available?”

  This was three days after the Rapture, so Ryan’s heart had been hardened because of his rejection of Christ and his memory of the disappearances was foggy to say the least, but he replied, “Sure, I’ll come down there for an interview. I haven’t really heard about this new world leader, but I’ll find out what I can before I get there. When would you like me to show up?”

  “You know we have a local talk show that’s on at 4 pm, correct?”

  “Yes, is that when you’d like me to appear?”

  “If you don’t mind, Mr. Whittier,”

  “No, I don’t mind. I’ll see you then, Miss Gilliland. Goodbye.”

  “Thank you. Goodbye, Mr. Whittier.” the two hung up.

  Ryan took the time to do a little research before the interview. He went online and searched for news stories about the new leader. By re-watching the announcement that was taped earlier, he found out that Evans had helped a man named Jahangir Karimi become the new world leader, much to Ryan’s annoyance, since he wanted that kind of power. Ryan watched Evans give his explanation about what was going on with the disappearances and then introduced Karimi, the leader of Iran, as the new world leader. Karimi explained what he was going to do as the new ruler of Earth, explained the new economy, and then said he was going to meet with the new religious leader who will lead the new world religion. At the end of the broadcast, it was reported that Evans died of a heart attack shortly after the speech.

  Ryan was curious as to who pundits thought the new religious leader would be, so he searched online for information. The search brought up unverified reports about Kevin Josten, saying that he was the lead choice for the new role of High Priest in this new world religion. This news angered Ryan, since he should’ve been up for that position too, but he’d heard nothing about it, and he felt he should have known something.

  What did Kevin do to deserve that? Here I am, with over two dozen spin-off churches, leading these people astray, and what thanks do I get? Just because he has that goofy, toothy, used car salesman of a smile, loads of charisma, and makes millions more than me? It isn’t fair! Ryan thought, as he slammed his fist on the desk, resisting the urge to start throwing and breaking things in his office.

  Ryan calmed down by the time he arrived at the television station for his interview. He took his seat next to Sandra Gilliland, and she began the interview, “Today I welcome Reve
rend Ryan Whittier to the KTLA studios. Thank you for coming, Reverend,”

  “Thank you, and please call me Ryan,”

  “Okay, Ryan. Now, I was wondering what your thoughts were about the disappearances and the explanation that came from our new world leader about it being aliens,”

  “Well, once upon a time, I would’ve dismissed the idea of aliens, since I used to think we were the only sentient life in this galaxy. However, the idea that these Centurions took away the haters so we could have peace, harmony, and unity makes sense. With the haters gone, we’ll finally be able to achieve world peace and all humans will be united under one government,”

  “So you don’t think those who disappeared were, what was it called, uh, Raptured? Which, for those of you out there that don’t know, is when Jesus calls for his followers to come to Heaven shortly before something called the Tribulation happens,”

  “No, no, that’s a silly notion. If the book of Revelation were true, then I believe that happened in the first two centuries after Christ. John, the writer of the book, was explaining what happened to people back then, not some far off future. Heck, Israel no longer existed by then, so if anyone is supposed to go through some supposed Tribulation, it would be the church. So far, I don’t see any evidence of a Tribulation, and as far as I’m concerned, Patriarch Karimi knows what’s really going on,”

  “Do you think these Centurions will bring back the children they also took?”

  “Yes, but only when we achieve peace, harmony, and unity,” Ryan sincerely believed the lie now.

  “What do you think of how they’re setting up the new world government?” asked Gilliland, as she read her notes.

  “With the United States having failed and California struggling to stay afloat, I think having an administrator over North America is a good idea. The new economic system should be easier to deal with than the kind we have now. I applaud the Patriarch for taking action immediately. I think he’ll make an excellent world leader,”

  “Okay, good answer. Now, Patriarch Karimi has also announced he will appoint someone to head the new world church. Do you have any thoughts on who he might choose?”

  Ryan was dreading this question, but he would answer it without sounding angry or envious, “I don’t know who he would choose, but I’ve heard rumors the new High Priest might be Kevin Josten,”

  “Yes, we’ve heard the same, but that’s only speculation for now. Would you follow Josten’s lead if he were the High Priest?”

  “Yes, of course. I would offer my help if he needed it and do whatever was asked - if that is what’s required of me,”

  “So you aren’t envious that one of your colleagues might have one of the most powerful positions on Earth?”

  “Of course not, I’m happy for him,” Ryan lied.

  “I see. Okay, I have one last question for you, Ryan. Recently, two men appeared in Jerusalem claiming they’re witnesses for God. What do you think?”

  “I think they’re probably a couple of troublemakers who are trying to get attention. I suggest everyone ignore them and they’ll go away.”

  “Well, that’s about all we have time for today. Thank you for coming, Ryan. Next, we have a story about the increase in surface temperature at Yellowstone and if geologists think we have anything to worry about.”

  Sandra Gilliland stood up when the cameras turned off, shook Ryan’s hand, and then Ryan left for home. He sincerely hoped Patriarch Karimi could use him in some capacity, but he really had no idea how to contact him. He also thought about contacting Josten, since, as far as he knew, Josten still had his cell phone. Instead, Ryan decided to hold off so he could see what would happen in the coming months to the new Union of United Earth and the world religion. He hoped he could swoop in and rescue Josten, mostly because he didn’t think his colleague had it in him to run a worldwide religious empire, while Ryan was confident he did.

  Meanwhile, the Robertson’s and their group had no idea the Rapture had happened, since no one in the group had disappeared and they were far enough from civilization where they weren’t affected by driverless cars, airplanes, and trains. They watched the announcement made by Evans and Karimi about the new world order, and were not happy with what they heard.

  “Really? Aliens? That’s one of the dumbest things I ever heard for politicians to use as an excuse their grab for power. We finally get rid of one tyranny, but then we end up with one that’s potentially a whole lot worse. There’s no way I’m going to let those jack-booted thugs implant me so they can keep track of my purchases, or tell me what I can or can’t buy. We’re going to take everything underground and try to erase our presence above ground so their satellites or drones won’t find us. We’ll try to maintain a small footprint so we’re not noticed. If this new government’s going to be as bad as I think it is, we might have some people trying to escape from them, hoping to find us, so we’ll have to be careful who we accept. Okay, let’s get to work.” ordered Pete, after venting about his dislike for governments.

  Years earlier, Pete started building underground facilities for his group just in case they ever had to go into hiding. The buildings were built similar to nuclear weapons facilities, so if there were ever any earthquakes or the military bombed them, the underground buildings would be able to absorb the shock. Everything they would ever need was underground and they estimated that their supplies would run out in fifteen years if none of the supplies were replenished. Pete and the men worked on erasing the roads leading to the camp, brought down buildings they would no longer need, and made sure there was enough foliage to hide a human presence. Once they felt they’d accomplish what they need to, Pete setup the camouflaged outdoor cameras so they could watch for any intruders and then he closed the large blast door, sealing everyone inside the underground facility. They would be able to get out, but no one would be able to get in, at least not easily.

  Chapter 3

  Three days earlier....

  There was a knock on his door, so recently former Mayor of Dallas Wayne Davis got up from his recliner, paused the movie he was watching, and answered the door. Two women stood there, both dressed rather conservatively, and both were holding Bibles. His first thought was, Well, they’re not Mormons, since these two aren’t guys dressed in black and white, and I don’t see any bikes. Maybe they’re those annoying Jehovah’s Witnesses, but this isn’t a Sunday and there’s no NFL games on when they usually bother people. Anyway, I wonder how they managed to get past the guards at the gate? This is a gated community, we’re supposed to be safe from these people. I guess I’m going to have to call the police. I hate being bothered with their nonsense.

  Doing his best to smile and be pleasant, for now, he said, “Can I help you?”

  “Hi. We’re with First Baptist Dallas. We’re going around the neighborhood, asking everyone if they know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. If you don’t know Him, we’re here to help you get into Heaven by leading you to Him,”

  Oh, great, they’re Baptists, they’re even worse! was Wayne’s second, sarcastic thought. “Um, how did ya’ll get past the guard at the gate?”

  “Our pastor lives in this community. A group of us, him included, are spreading the Word before it’s too late,”

  “Too late for what?” he asked, as he crossed his arms across his chest, and began tapping his foot.

  “We feel the time is getting ever closer to Christ’s return, and the Church gets called by Him to Heaven. We’re asking people to consider where they’re going before they die, so they won’t spend eternity in Hell,”

  “Give me a break, lady, I am a Christian. I mean, I attend Kevin Josten’s church for crying out loud,”

  “I’m sorry, but just because you attend church doesn’t make you a Christian. Your Mr. Josten is leading many people to Hell with his false teachings and ear tickling....”

  “Lady, that’s your opinion. Now, I’m going to ask you nicely to leave my porch and go bother someone else, before I call the c
ops on you,” Wayne interrupted.

  “Okay, but I’d like to leave you a brochure that tells you how you can ask Christ into your heart. Will you please take it?”

  Wayne really didn’t want to take the brochure, but then had the thought to take it, and then rip it up in front of the two’s faces. Before he said anything though, the two’s faces lit up, and one of them said, “Did you hear that?”

  “Yeah, praise God, we’re going home!” the other replied.

  “What?” Wayne asked, perplexed.

  The two disappeared before his very eyes, leaving their clothes, their Bibles, and their brochures behind. Wayne briefly thought this was all in his imagination, or maybe he was dreaming, but realized he wasn’t when he picked up one of the Bibles. He had an instant where he felt lost and had this feeling of being doomed to spend the rest of eternity in Hell. Then, he shook those thoughts out of his head, replaced with the thought that he was glad to get rid of those pests. He bent down, quickly scooped up the clothes, the Bibles, and the brochures, then he tossed them in the garbage bin in his alley. Once that was done, he went back to watching the porno he paused when the two interrupted.

  Before too long, he heard a very loud explosion. He got up from his chair, went outside, and saw heavy smoke off in the distance. Since most of his neighbors were also outside, he walked over to one of them, and asked, “Do you know what’s going on?”

  “Yeah, an American Airlines jet just crashed less than two miles from here. As I was driving home, I could see it falling out of the sky. I hope the fire department gets to it quickly, before the fire spreads and affects us.”

  “I hope they do too.” Wayne walked back into his house, turned off the movie, and turned on the news.

  The news broadcast showed I-35 East tangled up with a multi-car wreck near Corinth, where traffic was usually horrible to begin with on the best of days. The reporter was saying that a car was missing its driver, the only proof anyone had actually been in the car when it crashed was the driver’s clothes were draped all over the seat. The reporter quipped, “I hope the missing driver is not out there naked while trying to flee the police, if that’s what the driver’s trying to do. I think that would be embarrassing for everyone involved. This pile-up involves forty cars and pickups, and five semi-trucks, which the Texas Department of Transportation (TexDOT) estimates will take the rest of the day to clean up this mess. If you have anyone you’re waiting on who is headed north towards Denton, they’ll probably be stuck in traffic for hours. Now, we’ll go to Kelly Slattery, who is near the scene of a wrecked American Airlines jet.”