Arrived

by Jerry B. Jenkins

  Mark took a deep breath. His throat caught and he had trouble speaking. “Well, I don’t know how to thank you for coming and helping me get through this. I suppose you have other things you could be doing—angel stuff.”

  Footsteps echoed down the hallway.

  Caleb smiled again. “ ‘Peace I leave with you,’ says your Lord Christ. ‘My peace I give you, not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ ”

  And Caleb was gone.

  Commander Fulcire stepped into the room, accompanied by several guards. Mark thought it odd the deputy commander wasn’t there.

  When Mark stepped from the prison, the first rays of light peeked over the horizon. A long, thin cloud tinged with yellow hung in the sky. The way the sun hit it made it look almost golden. A jet sped high in the sky leaving a white trail. It intersected the cloud and came out the other side. Mark couldn’t help thinking the whole thing looked like a cross.

  Mark expected the same kind of fanfare as Chloe, news trucks lined up, the works. But there weren’t even people manning the tables at this hour. A few guards huddled together, trying to keep warm.

  Fulcire pushed Mark to the first guillotine and turned. “Bring out the others.”

  After a few moments, six men were led from the jail. Mark recognized Steve at the front of the group with the mark of the believer on his forehead. The others all had the same mark.

  Commander Fulcire pulled a cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number.

  Steve smiled and stood close to Mark. “I was afraid you’d be gone before they brought us out here.”

  “Me too,” Mark said. “You must have remembered all I said.”

  “It’s funny. I knew everything you told me, even believed it. I knew God was doing all the stuff around us, but I always thought I was too far gone to turn around.”

  “We want to thank you,” another man said to Mark. “I think God brought you to us.”

  Mark nodded. “I think you’re right.” He looked at Steve. “But why did they single you guys out this morning?”

  Steve’s eyes twinkled. “We all said we didn’t want you to be alone. We told the guards we would never bow down to Carpathia or take his mark, and if they were going to use these—” he nodded toward the guillotines— “that we wanted to be with you.”

  Mark shook his head and bit his lip to keep from crying. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “You didn’t have to come to us, and you didn’t have to risk telling us your message,” another man whispered. “But you did.”

  “That reminds me of a verse in the Bible, a couple actually,” Mark said. “Paul says something about being thankful to God every time he thinks of the people he’s writing. He says, ‘I always pray for you, and I make my requests with a heart full of joy because you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.’

  “You guys haven’t been believers long, but you have been faithful to what God called you. The next verse says, ‘And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.’ That day is coming real soon, but we’re going to see him sooner.

  “When Jesus hung on the cross, just before he died, he said to a man next to him, ‘Today you will be with me in paradise.’ Well, I believe that the moment we leave this life, we’re going to see him, and you’ll see that the little bit of suffering we had to go through here will really be worth it.”

  “A man came to us and taught us a song,” another man said.

  “That was an angel,” Mark said.

  The men’s eyes widened.

  “I didn’t see any wings,” Steve said.

  Commander Fulcire stepped forward and faced Mark. “You have some kind of feeling for these prisoners?”

  “They’re my brothers,” Mark choked.

  “Quaint. Well, I’ll give you one more chance. What you say now could save the life of your ‘brothers,’ as you call them. I will allow them to go back to their cells and live if you’ll tell us what we want to know.”

  Mark wanted to tell Commander Fulcire the truth a final time. He wanted to scream at him that Jesus was coming back and would conquer the armies of the Antichrist. Instead, Mark felt compassion for the man who had followed the devil.

  “I feel sorry for you,” Mark whispered. Fulcire laughed. “You feel sorry for me?”

  “One day every person on earth will admit that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is the true Potentate and the Creator of the universe.”

  “So you don’t want to save your friends?”

  “One day soon, New Babylon is going to be destroyed.”

  “Impossible.”

  “And the armies of your leader will go to battle against God’s people.”

  “I hope to be there,” Fulcire said.

  “You and those like you who wear the uniform of the Global Community will be struck down.”

  “With all the weaponry and firepower at our disposal? Not likely.”

  Mark looked at the guards with Fulcire. “Do anything you can to stay away from the last battle. Get sick. Run away. But don’t be near Israel in six months.”

  The guards scoffed. Fulcire motioned, and two guards led Steve to the guillotine. “Last chance to save this man’s life,” the commander said.

  Steve looked back at Mark. “I’ve already been saved. Can you guys sing one more time?”

  The others began the song Caleb had taught them. As they sang the verse, “‘This is all my hope and peace, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; This is all my righteousness, Nothing but the blood of Jesus,’ ” the blade fell and Steve died.

  One by one the guards led the others in front of Mark to the guillotine. The guards tried to stop them from sing- ing, and several men went to the guillotine with missing teeth, but they kept singing to the end.

  Fulcire saved Mark for last. As the guards picked up the body of the man before him and moved it, the commander pushed Mark toward the blood-caked machine. “Look around you, Eisman. No masses of people to preach to. No flashing lights of supposed angels. You die alone, and you die now.”

  Mark felt a sense of peace flowing, like the prayers of his friends were lifting him. Faces flashed in his mind— Judd’s, Vicki’s, Lionel’s, Ryan’s, and many others. He had fought the good fight. He hadn’t done everything perfectly, and he had done some stupid things, but God had used him.

  He knelt on the blood-soaked ground. Holy ground, he thought. Ground soaked by the blood of the martyrs.

  Caleb’s song came to him and he sang it softly. “‘Now by this I’ll overcome—Nothing but the blood of Jesus, Now by this I’ll reach my home—Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh! precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.’ ”

  With his eyes fixed on the ground, Mark breathed a final prayer knowing that at any second he would be in the presence of God.

  “Into your hands I commit my spirit,” he whispered.

  “Good riddance, Judah-ite,” Fulcire said.

  A lever tripped.

  Something clunked, and Mark felt the machine shudder as the blade plunged.

  A millisecond before it hit his neck, Mark thought he heard rustling wings and singing.

  Then a flash of light.

  And he was in heaven.

  27

  FOR THE next several days Judd moved around Petra in a fog. He kept replaying first meeting Mark and John at Nicolae High and all the things they had been through. Though Vicki talked openly about Mark’s death, Judd found it difficult. He knew that frustrated Vicki, but it was taking him longer to accept the truth. Mark was gone.

  As Vicki played with Kenny in their house, Judd took a walk to one of the high places and sat. He asked God to help him understand what had happened. Within minutes, an ovation arose in the distance. As Judd made his way carefully d
own the mountainside, he heard the voice of Tsion Ben-Judah echo off the rock walls.

  Judd had heard from Lionel that Tsion planned to go live on international television with Chang’s help. Judd wondered what Carpathia and his goons would think of that. Tsion was speaking to not only a million in Petra but billions worldwide.

  When Judd arrived at the massive gathering, Tsion was already well into his message. He explained that the truth of God’s Word was confirmed by the judgments and plagues. From the disappearances to the hail and fire, the burning mountain that fell into the sea, to the demonic locusts—all these and more were proof that God’s Word was true.

  “… Two more judgments await before the glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ,” Tsion was saying to the people and a nearby camera. “Hear me! The Euphrates River will become as dry land! Scoff today but be amazed when it happens, and remember it was foretold. The last judgment will be an earthquake that levels the entire globe. This judgment will bring hail so huge it will kill millions.

  “I am asked every day, how can people see all these things and still choose Antichrist over Christ? It is the puzzle of the ages. For many of you, it is already too late to change your mind. You may now see that you have chosen the wrong side in this war. But if you pledged your allegiance to the enemy of God by taking his mark of loyalty, it is too late for you.

  “If you have not taken the mark yet, it may still be too late, because you waited so long. You pushed the patience of God past the breaking point.

  “But there may be a chance for you. You will know only if you pray to receive Christ, tell God you recognize that you are a sinner and separated from him, and that you acknowledge that your only hope is in the blood of Christ, shed on the cross for you.

  “Remember this: If you do not turn to Christ and are not saved from the coming judgment, this awful earth you endure right now is as good as your life will ever get. If you do turn to Christ and your heart has not already been hardened, this world is the worst you’ll see for the rest of eternity.

  “For those of you who are already my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world, I urge you to be faithful unto death, for Jesus himself said, ‘Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested. … Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.’

  “What a promise! Christ himself will give you the crown of life. It shall be a thrill to see Jesus come yet again, but oh, what a privilege to die for his sake.”

  Judd sat on a rock and thought about Mark. He had earned the crown of life! Even now he could be in the presence of Jesus, worshiping and praising God. Judd missed the next few moments of Tsion’s message, then focused on the man’s words as he spoke of things to come.

  “Now I must tell you there is also bad news,” Tsion said. “The wrath of the evil one will reach a fever pitch from now until the end. There will be increasing demands for all people to worship him and take his mark. To you who share my faith and are willing to be faithful unto death, remember the promise in James 5:8 that ‘the coming of the Lord is at hand.’

  “Oh, believer, share your faith and live your life boldly in such a way that others can receive Christ by faith and be saved. Think of it, friend. You could pray to be led to those who have not yet heard the truth. You may be the one who leads the very last soul to Christ.

  “Second Peter 3:10-14 says that ‘the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

  “ ‘Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

  “ ‘Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.’

  “I urge you to imitate our Lord and Savior and say with him, ‘I must be about My Father’s business.’ ”

  As Tsion continued, Judd felt a new resolve to serve God. No matter what it cost him, no matter where he had to go, he wanted to be about God’s business.

  Tsion urged viewers to visit his Web site for more information and to decide for Christ. “The most wonderful news I can share with you today is that God has prompted us to use the brilliant minds and technology we have been blessed with here. Anyone who communicates with us via the Internet will get a personal response with everything you need to know about how to receive Christ.

  “Yes, I know the ruler of this world has outlawed even visiting our site, but we can assure you that it is secure and that your visit cannot be traced. We have thousands of Internet counselors who can answer any question and lead you to Christ.

  “We also have teams of rescuers who can transport you here if you are being persecuted for the sake of Christ. This is a dangerous time, and many will be killed. Many of our own loved ones have lost their lives in the pursuit of righteousness. But we will do what we can until the end to keep fighting for what is right. For in the end, we win, and we will be with Jesus.”

  Tsion’s words warmed Judd’s heart, and as he walked home he prayed for the people who would see the broadcast and who hadn’t accepted the mark of Carpathia. He believed everything Tsion had said, but there was still an ache in his heart about Mark.

  Lionel saw Judd a few days after Tsion had spoken and called him over. “You don’t think Mark’s death is your fault, do you?”

  Judd winced. “I know I couldn’t have done anything to save him, but I don’t understand why he was so stupid.”

  “He saved the others. That wasn’t stupid.”

  “Not that. The way Mark was, going with the militia, doing stuff without thinking about the consequences.”

  “You mean you’re upset because he was so much like you?” Lionel said.

  Judd stared at him.

  “I’m serious,” Lionel said. “Mark was always doing stuff without talking with others, getting an idea and running with it. Sometimes it worked out. Sometimes it didn’t.”

  Judd shook his head. “Maybe I’m mad because he didn’t change.”

  “And maybe this whole Baghdad thing—that you didn’t get to go with Captain Steele—has something to do—”

  “It’s not that,” Judd snapped. He turned away and looked at a row of screens with people typing messages. “You know what really ticks me off? That God let it happen in the first place.”

  “Okay, so that’s who you’re really mad at.”

  “Why does he allow his followers to die like that? Thousands have been executed by the GC. Thousands! And God just sits there or stands or whatever.”

  “Remember when my uncle André died?” Lionel said. “I thought I had a good chance to tell him the truth. I was ticked off at God for a long time about that.”

  “How’d you resolve it?”

  Lionel scratched his head and patted the stump of his left arm. “Same way I resolved this. There are some things I’m just not going to understand. God lets some things happen that don’t make sense, at least to me. But I guess part of faith is believing that God is still on the throne and that none of this is taking him by surprise.”

  Judd sat and heaved a sigh. “When I was little one of my uncles died. He was a strong Christian and used to take me on sailing trips on Lake Michigan. I couldn’t understand how God could let such a good guy get cancer and die. I still don’t see any sense in it, even though I believe God’s there and really does care.”

  “I like to think that God was so near to Mark at the end,” Lionel said, “that Mark could have gone through anything. It’s clear from the communication from Fulcire that
Mark didn’t give them a thing.”

  “Though the reporters said he blabbed everything.”

  Lionel clicked on the computer and pulled up messages from readers to Tsion Ben-Judah’s Web site. Tsion had allowed Lionel and the others to put a section for the Young Trib Force there, and Vicki had written a tribute to Mark.

  “Mark worked so hard on different parts of the Web site,” Lionel said, “and there are people who are believers today because of what he did. And if he were here right now, I think he’d want us to keep doing everything we can to reach out to people.”

  “That’s my goal too, but there’s something else that’s come up since his death.”

  “What’s that?”

  Judd lowered his voice. “Vicki and I want to be in Jerusalem when the final war starts.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  “We want to make life miserable for those GC troops that’ll try to overrun the city and then be there when Jesus comes back and wins the battle with only a few words.”

  “You’re both going to get killed.”

  “So, if that’s what God wants …”

  “Don’t let your anger at Fulcire and his goons make you go off the deep end. When the GC get here, they’re going to unleash everything they have. If you’re in the way—”

  “I have to be in the way,” Judd snapped.

  Lionel rubbed his neck. “You haven’t seen the video from Baghdad yet, have you?”

  “I wasn’t invited to see it.”

  Lionel caught Chang’s attention and asked if he could show Judd a clip of the conference. Chang showed Lionel where to find the file, and Lionel pulled it up on the screen. “This is the creepiest thing I’ve seen from Carpathia. And if he’s going to be in Jerusalem when the end comes, it’s one place I don’t want to be, and I don’t want you to be. I hope seeing this will help you change your mind. If Vicki’s going with you—”

  “Just show me the video,” Judd said.

  “All right, but let me set it up. Captain Steele and the others put bugs in the conference room where they knew Nicolae and his cabinet would meet. Before his heads of state got there, Carpathia hinted to his top people that something big was up.”