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

by Cliff Ball

  “Okay, team, the Patriarch’s tasked us with figuring out a solution to this problem, and if we don’t, it’ll be our heads. Let’s get to work.”

  Priestess Joyce Edwards had felt like she’d been stuck in her house for ages because of those annoying drones, even though it had only been five days this time out of the three months so far the drones had been actively harassing people. Although she could do a lot of her duties from home via telecommuting, she preferred being in the office or helping people get the marks and guiding them the way the Patriarch wanted. She also wanted to go outside so she could tend to her garden, which was technically illegal in the U.E., because individuals weren’t supposed to grow their own food, it was supposed to be a community ritual, to bring everyone together in peace, harmony, and unity.

  Edwards didn’t want to share her garden with anyone. She paid lip service to sharing and sacrificing for your fellow man, but in practice, she hated the whole idea. Her house was her house, her garden was her garden, and she wasn’t about to let some uneducated half-wit into her yard or home. What did she care if people were starving to death or taking to cannibalism because they refused to obey the government? She couldn’t be held responsible for people’s stupidity. Edwards had her own personal garden and intended on keeping it that way.

  Having not seen a drone in a couple of days, she called up her second-in-command, “Dylan, have you seen any reports on drone activity?”

  “I have, Priestess. Would you like me to email you the current report?”

  “Sure, if you don’t mind. I have yard work I really need to take care of and I want to make sure that no drones are in the area,”

  “Okay, I understand. The file will be in your email in a minute. Do you need help with anything else, Priestess?”

  “No, thank you. Peace and blessings, Dylan. Bye.”

  Edwards opened her email and read the report. As far as security could tell, there were no drones anywhere near San Antonio today. Thank the Patriarch! Now I can tend to my garden in peace.

  Even though it was too chilly and too dry for most people to even attempt to grow a garden during this period, Edwards did it anyway. She made sure to water as much as she could and put heat lamps on certain temperature sensitive vegetables to make sure they continued to grow. Stepping into the fenced-off garden, Edwards could see parts of it needed weeding, so she went to work.

  Before too long, a familiar sound began approaching, but Edwards was listening to music through earbuds from her digital music player and wasn’t paying the slightest attention to anything but pulling the weeds from her garden. So startled was she by what came next, that she practically jumped out of her skin when the first drone used its lasers to target her, and then others began using their own weapons. She tried running, but fell as six drones attacked her. The demons knew exactly who she was, so they attacked her more viciously than most others they attacked, and laughed at her though the video screens they used for virtual faces.

  Edwards’ muscles went haywire, her skin blistered badly, and the microwaves the drones emitted boiled her organs, practically turning them into mush. After a few minutes of torturing the Priestess, the drones sensed that they’d accomplished their mission, so they flew off to harass more people. Laying on the ground, Edwards writhed in more pain than she could ever imagine a human enduring, wishing she could die, but wouldn’t be able to for two more months.

  I need to get to my cell to call Dylan. I wish I hadn’t left it in the house, she thought, trying to crawl to the back door, but not succeeding because her muscles wouldn’t respond. Someone please help me!

  Edwards attempted to scream, but no sound came out of her mouth. She stayed stuck where she was, no one came to her house to check up on her until the day after the demons had abandoned the drones and returned to the abyss from which they came. Her security team found her dead. She had obviously been attacked by the drones, but looked to have also been partially eaten by some large animal while she was still alive. The Priestess was given a lavish funeral three days later. Dylan Nelson, the second-in-command for the global church in the North American region, was promoted to Priest after High Priest Josten found out what happened to the Priestess.

  In Puerto Rico, Administrator Davis was also annoyed with having to stay inside because of those out-of-control drones. He didn’t understand why no one had solved the problem, since he assumed every problem had a solution, and if didn’t, he wasn’t above making up one to appease the people so they wouldn’t question him. He did that as Mayor of Dallas more than once, which worked amazingly well, so Wayne figured he could get away with doing the same with an entire region under his command.

  Appearing on prime time television across North America, Wayne told the people, “Good evening loyal citizens. As you’ve been well aware, drones we believe have been taken over by aliens have been harassing people across the world. While we don’t know the cause or what we did to warrant such measures, we here at the U.E. are doing our best to fight back. As we speak, military forces of the global government are destroying drones by the hundreds, and the Patriarch has even authorized a tactical nuclear strike in an isolated part of the planet to stop the drones. Loyal citizen, you must also be aware of the zombie like conditions of people hurt by these drones and the inability of these people to die. Rest assured, we’re also working on that problem, so we ask for patience as the problem gets worked out. Remember, if we’re all united in peace, harmony, and unity, we will be rewarded for enduring these trials and tribulations when the Centurions let us join the galactic community. I thank you for your time, and I wish you and yours peace and blessings.”

  The drones harassed those with the marks for five months. When their designated time ended and the demons that inhabited the drones returned to the depths of the volcano from which they came, and the people who should’ve been dead finally died, Wayne’s secretary told him there was a request for him to participate in a conference call with the Administrator of Australia. I wonder what that’s about. I’ve never been asked to have a video conference with another administrator before. I guess I’ll find out.

  Opening the app on his computer for the video feed, he saw that Administrator McDougal was waiting for him to appear. When the feed was completely loaded, he asked, “What’s going on?”

  “I want to discuss with you the possibility of deposing the Patriarch. I’ve spoken with five others who agree with the idea. The Patriarch’s responses to each of these disasters are lackluster, to say the least. Then he went and tried to nuke an area where there were some of those drones, and instead, destroyed what was once usable land. Maybe if we were to get rid of him, the person who replaces him could finally rid of us of the two men in Jerusalem, which would probably stop these disasters, and then we’d finally achieve peace, harmony, and unity. What do you think?”

  “I think what you’re proposing is traitorous. What do you think will happen when the Patriarch finds out about this?”

  “Our heads get chopped off, that’s about it. I, however, think the risk is worth it if we can bring peace to our planet. Did you know that he’s currently in Russia, about to come to an agreement with Russia, North Africa, and the Middle East to invade and takeover Israel? The rumor is that he started talks with them long before he even setup the ten administrative regions of the Union of United Earth. To me, that just shows he’s not interested in peace, unity, and harmony,”

  “So what? I think going to war against him and the others will not achieve the peace, harmony, and unity you’re looking for, doing so will probably make everything worse. Even if I joined you, I don’t have enough troops to even make a difference, and this region has suffered enough if the Patriarch decides to retaliate against those who come up against him. As it is, I’m going to remain loyal to the U.E. and to the Patriarch, so you can count me out,”

  “All right, it’s your decision, and you’ll have to live with it. Do you plan on selling me and the others out to the Patriarch?”<
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  “No, mostly because I don’t think you’ll beat him. Besides, what good does it do me or my region to rat on you?”

  “Okay, as long as you stay out of our way, we’ll leave you alone. Peace and blessings on you, Administrator Davis. Goodbye.” The video feed ended.

  While navigating to his work files on his computer, Wayne thought, I think McDougal is nuts. There’s no way they’re going to beat the Patriarch, and I’m glad I’m not stupid enough to join them. If McDougal thinks the worst that could happen to him is that he gets his head chopped off, he’s probably going to be in for a shock. I guess I’ll see how events play out when World War 3 finally happens. In the meantime, I’ve got work to do.

  In Big Bend, they were horrified by the human carnage the demon-drones had wrought over the previous five months. The reporters and the anchors on UETN seemed to take great pleasure in showing the various ways people suffered before finally dying. One news commentator even said, “The previous attacks are the fault of the malcontents and the Jews, especially those following the men calling themselves Elijah and Moses, since none of them seemed to have been affected by the drone attacks. The Patriarch and the High Priest need to step up their purge of these people so we can join the galaxy in peace and harmony. Let our government know how you feel by emailing and phoning them and we’ll soon be free from the haters. This is UETN commentary wishing you peace and blessings.”

  Some of the older Big Bend residents began asking the relatively new arrivals about how they too could accept Christ as their Savior, including Janet Robertson, wife of Pete. She approached Gwen Harrison, and said, “This last event has gotten me to thinking about where I’ll go when I die. I definitely don’t want to go to Hell for eternity, so how do I ask Jesus into my heart?”

  “Thank the Lord!” Gwen hugged Janet. “Let me get my Bible and I’ll help you find the Lord. Wait just a minute.”

  Gwen returned with her Bible, sat down next to Janet, opened the Bible, and said, “Okay, I have to first ask if you admit to being a sinner that needs to be saved,”

  “Yes, I admit to that,”

  “Okay, here in the Bible, in the book of Romans, chapter 3 verse 23 says for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. In chapter 5 verse 8, it says God commended His love toward us and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The next one says that salvation is a gift. According to chapter 6 verse 23, it says that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We’re also saved by grace and not by works according to chapter 11 verse 6, which means you can’t earn your way to Heaven. You also have to have faith that Jesus died for you and if you call upon Him, He will save you from your sins. Are you ready to ask Jesus into your heart, Janet?”

  “Oh yes, very much so. How do I do it?”

  “Please repeat this prayer: Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to you that I’m a sinner, and I’m sorry for my sins. I need your forgiveness. I believe that your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins. With all of my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. At this very moment, I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Lord and Savior. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for me and giving me eternal life. Amen.”

  Janet closed her eyes, even though she really didn’t have to, and repeated the prayer. Gwen could see the woman’s countenance change ever so slightly and she was happy for Janet. Janet reopened her eyes after asking Jesus into her heart, and said, “I feel so much better. Thank you for leading me to Him,”

  “It was my pleasure. Do you think Pete will want Josh to lead him to Christ?”

  “Pete is going to take a little longer to convince, even though he asked for this before you showed up, but I know he’ll ask Jesus into his heart,”

  “The time to do so is very short, there won’t be much longer to make that decision before the Second Coming of Christ. You can work on him, but it has to be his decision to turn his life over. You understand that, right?”

  “Oh, very much. I’ll talk to him, but not push him to make the decision until he’s ready, because I definitely want to see my husband with me in Heaven. Thanks again, Gwen. God bless you.” The two hugged again and both went off to do their chores, while Janet began praying that her husband would accept Christ as his Savior.

  Chapter 15

  Across the world, a breaking news alert from UETN splashed across television screens. “Good afternoon, we’re sorry to break into your program, but we have a breaking news alert. Within the last few hours, the regions of Russia, the Middle East, and North Africa have sent their armies to surround Israel, with Patriarch Karimi demanding Israel’s unconditional surrender. As you may know, the Patriarch and Israeli President Cohen signed a peace treaty that was supposed to last for at least seven years. However, due to various problems in the last three and a half, the Patriarch is now demanding that they join the rest of the global community in peace, harmony, and unity. Before we get to our reporters in the field, who will have interviews with the various players in the upcoming conflict, I have two experts in the studio with me, where we’ll discuss what we think Israel may or may not do in their current situation. Andrew Barnes is a former military attaché to the British government and Jon York is a former advisor for the last American administration. Welcome, gentlemen,”

  “Thank you for having us,” replied Barnes.

  “Okay, Mr. Barnes, what do you think Israel ought to do, seeing as they’re in an obviously difficult situation?”

  “I think they have no choice but to surrender to the will of the global community. If they don’t, they’ll be completely wiped off the face of the Earth, which is something no military or terrorist faction has yet been able to do in almost one hundred years,”

  “Do you really think President Cohen will surrender that easily?”

  “If he knows what’s best for his people, then he should when the first offer of surrender is given.”

  “All right. Mr. York, what’s your take since Americans have, for the most part, supported Israel since its inception?”

  “First off, the Collins administration and some previous administrations corrected that error by condemning Israel’s actions towards the Palestinians and for other various belligerent actions towards its neighbors. As for what Israel will do? Well, I think they’ll thumb their noses at the global community like they always do and many will be killed because President Cohen and his government will refuse to join the Patriarch in peace, harmony, and unity,”

  “Why do you think Cohen will refuse to join?”

  “Because they continue to let those two haters in Jerusalem preach their hateful message and they also continue to harbor the malcontents that the Patriarch’s security forces have been hunting down as of late. From what I heard, Cohen himself has joined the malcontents and haters, so that’s reason enough, I think, that Israel will go down fighting to its very last citizen. If Israel is wiped out, the world will finally be joined together in the way the Patriarch wants, without the country that continues to be contrary to the will of the global community.”

  “There you have it, global community audience, two somewhat starkly different opinions on what Israel will or won’t do in the coming days. Now, we have an interview with Russian Administrator Boris Pavlich, conducted by Laura Walker.”

  The camera feed switched to what was obviously the office of Administrator Pavlich. Pavlich was seated across from Walker, and Pavlich looked relaxed and confident, while Walker looked a little star struck. She began, “Administrator, the whole world would like to know why you and the other two administrators are taking this action today against Israel. As you may recall, the Patriarch brokered a peace treaty with them for seven years where they would be at peace with the rest of the world. Why break it now, three and a half years into the treaty?”

  “I think you ask a very good question, Miss Walker. When the Patriarch broker
ed that treaty, we reasonably assumed that Israel would come to accept the Patriarch as the leader of the world and would want to join the rest of the world in peace, harmony, and unity. Unfortunately, as you can see, they haven’t done that. Like usual, they swim upstream, contrary to the rest of the world. They harbor the haters, especially those two who continue to preach against the Patriarch, so they must be made to bend to the will of the global community,”

  “Can I ask why it must be Russia, the Middle East, and North Africa who must, by force, bring the Israeli’s into the global community?

  “Again, another very good question, Miss Walker. You see, Israel’s been a thorn in the side of Russia, Egypt, Libya, and the Middle East for nearly a century. Somehow, no matter who tries to destroy them – Egypt, Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, Iran, or whoever, this small little country seems to beat them all. But, that all changes today. We’ve decided to combine our forces after nearly a century of working apart and we will crush them like the ants they are. Does that satisfy you, Miss Walker?”

  “Yes, sir. One last question, Mr. Pavlich. If Israel does somehow manage to beat your forces, will you use the weapons of last resort, nuclear weapons?”

  “Nuclear weapons won’t be necessary, but we will if it comes to that.”

  “Thank you for your time, Mr. Pavlich.” Walker turned to the camera, and said, “Now, we have an interview with the President of Israel, David Cohen, conducted by Dan Reynolds.”