The Harvest

by John David Krygelski

  “Elohim has also stated that our environment is influenced by us…not just by our physical actions, but by our minds. It is a skill we all possess at birth, but it is discouraged as it begins to manifest, and then withers with disuse. This skill, if developed, would allow us to create matter out of apparently thin air. In fact, as Elohim has described, the universe is filled with energy packets similar to the quanta that Einstein described in theory. The veil between energy and matter is a thin barrier, and the mind is capable of altering the state of existence so that energy becomes matter and matter becomes energy. This description is, in fact, the ultimate extension of the famous equation e=mc2. Elohim also tells us that this ability is restored to those who reach Heaven, and thus Heaven is constructed purely by the minds of the residents…which also explains the importance of only certain of us being invited. A person not of the same ilk and disposition as the others, but with this ability, could have a profoundly negative effect on the environment of all.”

  Reese paused, collecting his thoughts. His statements to this point had been prepared earlier. He was now at the end of his notes. The summary and conclusion had not come to him in time to be written. His plan was to “wing it.” He began, “There were many other items of discussion over the last few days – far too many to relate today, all of which will be made available to you soon. Our government, faced with these unprecedented circumstances, as Margo mentioned earlier, asked me to authenticate Elohim, as well as His statements. As I stand here before you, I remain baffled and overwhelmed by that task. All that I have learned and observed in my lifetime seems grossly inadequate to perform this duty. If Elohim is, as He says, our Creator, it would be pure arrogance to assume that I could be qualified to authenticate Him. I am no more capable of doing that than a leaf on a tree is competent to authenticate the sun. Therefore, my decision has been to attempt to disprove His claims, to make the assumption that He is not as He states. If that were the case, proving it should fall within the realm of mortal ability. I can tell all of you today that I have failed…I have not found in any discussion, in which I’ve been a part, a single flaw or error in His statements or actions. I have not found a single reason to disbelieve His statements. In my attempt to prove that Elohim is not our Creator, I have come up with zero evidence.

  “That is what I report to you today…as a scholar…as an anthropologist…and as a psychologist. I suspect that one of the reasons I was chosen for this task was my experience with a cult. That experience taught me the dangers of succumbing to a charismatic figure. I suppose that it was assumed I would be immune to the influences of Elohim’s personality. I can tell you that is impossible. No person who has met Him has not been profoundly affected by the meeting, and I am no exception.

  “I will leave it to you…each of you…according to your own beliefs…to decide. Those of you who are certain that there is no God will not care about the outcome of this investigation…other than as another amusing example of the foolishness of the religious. Those of you who are a part of a philosophical or religious group which does not embrace the monotheistic God of the Jews, Christians, and many other faiths also will not be engaged in this controversy in a personal way. For the last group, those who, to varying degrees, do believe in a single God who created the Heavens and the Earth…who created man and woman…I can tell you that if any of you had been in my place for the last few days…you would conclude, as I have, that Elohim is that Creator.”

  Reese stared around the room at the reporters. He was not quite sure if they were stunned by the possibility that his position was true, or simply by the outrageousness of his statements. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Any questions?” Nearly every hand in the group was raised instantly. Reese picked one. “Yes?”

  “How is Elohim proposing to notify each person of…of his decision?”

  “Actually, I never discussed the actual mechanics of the…selection process. Do you have another question?”

  “Yes, I do. You said earlier that objects can be materialized out of thin air. Could you give us more detail about that?”

  “I can…somewhat. In my presence and that of Walter Penfield, Elohim caused to come into existence first a ball of what appeared to be carbon, which then changed to a ball that looked like steel, changing again to neon gas, then water, then solid gold. The ball of gold has been tested and is authentic.”

  “So, anything can be created from…energy?”

  “Yes, according to Elohim. Additional details are in the handout. Another question? Yes?”

  “When is Judgment Day” – the sarcasm was obvious in the reporter’s voice – “supposed to happen?”

  “Elohim did not give me a specific day. I believe that He wants this public discussion to first run its course. Yes?”

  “Did Elohim perform a miracle for you?”

  “You mean other than materializing a solid ball of gold?” There was a slight titter in response to Reese’s comment. “Yes. As a matter of fact, He did. Elohim presented me with a bound version of my first book, a book that I had destroyed upon its completion. He also shared knowledge with me of a personal nature that I would prefer to not discuss. Another question…yes?”

  “Has Elohim been subjected to a medical exam? Is he physically the same as the rest of us?”

  “Actually, I don’t believe He has.” Turning, Reese glanced at Margo, who shook her head. “Other than the obtaining of a DNA sample for comparison to various databases for ID purposes, no.”

  “What is the Catholic Church’s official position on Elohim?”

  “You’ll have to ask them. Yes?”

  “After those who are chosen leave, what happens to the…the rest of us?”

  “According to Elohim, nothing. There is no biblical punishment or anything of that nature. Those who remain have the opportunity to redeem themselves in preparation for the next visit. From what He has described, the absence of the Chosen leaves quite a vacuum in society. How the remaining people choose to fill that vacuum is their choice. Another question…yes?”

  A senior correspondent, who had been covering Washington, D.C. through the last six Presidents, stood and asked, “Do you feel as silly discussing these things as we all feel listening to them?”

  Reese looked at her for quite some time before answering. Her smugness and self-righteous expression were very familiar to Reese, as was the condescending tone to her voice. “No, I don’t feel the least bit silly. Nor do I believe that you are accurate in your opinion that all of your colleagues feel as do you. Not all of them believe that there is nothing or no one above them. We live in a society which has elevated the iconoclast to an heroic stature. In the past there were some icons that deserved to be torn down – perhaps even today. What I believe has happened is that the pleasure of the demolishing of those icons has become self-perpetuating and has triggered an orgy of destruction for destruction’s sake, without any discrimination as to the value of the establishment, system, or belief that may be the target. Rather than celebrating excellence or superiority, we’ve made it a sin in the religion of secularism. To witness this…one need not look at the global or national level. Even enormously talented sports figures are scrutinized and hounded until flaws in their personalities can be found so that they are ‘brought down a notch or two’ by the media. It’s taught in the elementary schools. If, in a competitive sporting event, a team is beating the other by ‘too much,’ one of that team’s players is pulled off the field for each point it scores, until the match is even. Academically, the same thing is happening. Attend a high school commencement ceremony, and you will see the achievements of the superior students downplayed and the mediocre celebrated.

  “All of this happens in order to make the mediocre ‘feel better.’ Rather than creating a pressure that pushes them to try harder…to work harder, as the success of the excellent is intended, the fad is to simply tear down the excellent…the icon. It is a fad that has continued for many years now. The press has pandered to
this fad. The skills in this area have increased to the point that now we frequently see an incipient icon nipped in the bud, before he or she can even begin to make others feel bad about themselves.

  “Rather than reporting events objectively, the press has appointed itself to be the institution of cynicism. I mentioned a moment ago that the iconoclast has become a hero of this class. If you think about it…that’s an oxymoron…the iconoclast becoming an icon. So, this must be a difficult situation for some of you today. Because…before you is, potentially, the ultimate icon.”

  Reese stopped himself from his rant, taking a deep breath. The reporter who asked her question was still standing, her eyes glazed over. Reese said, “I am sorry for my…tendency to revert to lecture mode. To answer your question…no, I don’t feel silly at all. Next question, please?”

  At the moment, no hands were raised. Reese took the opportunity to close the questions, saying, “Unless Rabbi Schmidt has any comments….” Reese looked at Leo Schmidt, who nodded. “Apparently he does. Rabbi Schmidt?”

  Leo replaced Reese at the front, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the lectern. In a soft, almost conversational voice, he began, “I wasn't planning on speaking today. You see, when Margo Jackson asked me to participate in this, I was certain that it was a waste of time and an insult to the faith of my fellow Jews. The Talmudic teachings tell us that several conditions must be met prior to the arrival of God on Earth: all of the tribes of Jews must be reunited in Israel; all of Israel’s enemies must be defeated; the third Jewish Temple of Jerusalem will be built with services resumed; and the dead shall be revived. Upon arrival the Messiah will become the King of Israel, dividing the Jews into their original tribal lands. As the Messiah reigns, Israel will be attacked by Gog, the King of MaGog. This will be the battle of Armageddon. Not only will God vanquish this final enemy, but he also will banish all evil from human existence. Following this battle there will be a thousand years of peace, tranquility, holiness, spiritual life – a time called Olam Haba, which means ‘future world.’ Each and every person on Earth will know God directly.

  “These are the beliefs of my people, and these are my beliefs down to the core of my soul. So, as I traveled to my meeting this morning, my head was filled with these thoughts. All of the Jews were obviously not in Israel…even if all of them had sneaked there during the night, I was still in America, and God wouldn’t start without me.”

  There was mild laughter in the room from the reporters, as well as from those at the front table. Schmidt went on, “I read the morning paper with my coffee to see if Israel’s enemies were still alive and well. Yes, I actually checked. I even turned on the cable news to make sure that they hadn’t all been wiped out after the newspaper deadline.” Another murmur of laughter spread.

  “I then called a friend of mine who lives in Jerusalem and asked him if the mosque had been torn down and if our third temple had been built recently. I won’t repeat his response verbatim; however, suffice it to say, there still aren’t any services being held there for Jews.

  “Israel still does not have a King…again, I checked. And I must confess that I don’t know who Gog is. Nor do I know where to find the kingdom of MaGog. However, to the best of my knowledge, there haven’t been any attacks on Israel originating from there.

  “Needless to say, after doing my research this morning, I had made up my mind. After all, my God wouldn’t lie to me. He told me many years ago that these conditions would be met before and during His Coming. He also told me that any man who claimed to be the Messiah – if these conditions hadn’t been met – must be a fraud.

  “And, as I said, my God doesn’t lie.

  “So, that was it. No interpretation was necessary…no analysis required…no decision to be made. In fact, someone of my obvious stature was not even required for this task. This interview could be performed by a reform rabbi.” Again, the reporters laughed.

  Leo’s eyebrows lowered slightly, his face softening. In an even quieter voice, he said, “Then I met Him.” The Rabbi took a long, slow breath and let it out equally as slowly. He asked the reporters, “Has this ever happened to you? You meet a wonderful man or woman. You marry. You have a family together. You are happy with your life. And then suddenly, without warning, you meet another who gives you that funny tingling feeling in your stomach, who makes you laugh, and who makes you think. That person brings out feelings that are fresh and exciting. You love your wife…or husband…and you will never leave. You will stay together until your dying day, and you will be happy. But there will be times when you will wonder ‘What if…what if I had married this other?’”

  Turning to face Elohim, Schmidt said, “I will not stand before all of you and say that this is my God…my Creator. I’ve already explained that I cannot.” Pausing for a long moment, staring into Elohim’s eyes, Leo said, “What I can say to all of you is that if I wasn’t already married to my God…Elohim would be a wonderful choice.”

  Schmidt did not invite questions. He returned to his seat. Margo Jackson nearly leaped up from hers and hurried to the podium. “Thank you, Rabbi Schmidt.” Turning to face the front table, she simply said, “Elohim?”

  The room was silent as he rose and walked up. Reese carefully watched the reporters’ faces as they tracked Elohim. The expressions ran the gamut from reverence to disdain and disbelief. Reese decided to watch the reporter who had asked the question resulting in his earlier tirade. As Elohim moved to the front, her expression mirrored that of a rape victim watching her attacker take the witness stand.

  Rather than using the lectern, Elohim walked in front of it, eliminating any barrier between himself and the reporters. The room was so silent that Reese heard the slight whirring sound of the television cameras changing focus settings.

  Ignoring the cameras, Elohim addressed the reporters. “Greetings, my children. I must first say that I am sorry for the distress and discomfort that my arrival and presence have caused both here in this gathering as well as throughout the world. Earth was created only to be a home for mankind, and mankind was placed upon this Earth only to earn passage into Heaven. Were this not the case…mankind would not exist. Although that has always been the purpose…I have witnessed, twice before, the tumult that arises as a result of the fulfillment of this purpose. Tumult and chaos are not what I wish for my children. Nor are anger…pain…and fear.

  “There are some among you, sadly far too few, who may rejoice at this time because you stand on the verge of a journey to Heaven. Your hearts, your minds, and your souls have embraced the basic precepts needed to earn this right. There are many others among you, far too many, who have chosen a different path. You have chosen to place yourselves above your mothers and fathers…your husbands or wives…your own children. You have chosen to place yourselves above the people of your town…the people of your country…and the people of your world. And you have chosen to place yourselves above me.

  “Although I have come to judge, I do not condemn those who will remain. All of you have truly been created with free will.” Gesturing back toward the group at the front table, Elohim said, “Some who have talked with me these few days have asked me why I have not interfered more with the course of human events both on the large scale as well as on the personal and private. My answer has been that each of you receives the gift of life, and you are measured by what you do with that gift. I cannot measure if I tamper. That is not the purpose of Earth…of this trial. Those who come to Heaven will never want for anything. You will but ask and shall receive. Were I to do this for those on Earth, there could be no test…no trial of character.

  “Free will is yours. If you choose to walk the path to Heaven, you will be rewarded with an eternity of grace and bliss. If you have made the choice that Heaven is not your goal, so be it. I will only offer…I will not compel. All of you who have made that choice will remain on Earth. Perhaps your lives will be even better than before because you will be unencumbered by those who have departed with
me. All that I ask of you is that there be no recriminations. If you are not of the Chosen…it is a result of choices that you have made throughout your lifetime, regardless of your status in society. Some of the Chosen have been quite poor…but only in the material. Your hearts, minds, and souls are rich beyond description. Some of the Chosen have been wealthy…yet your wealth extended beyond the material and also encompassed your very being. Among the Chosen are members of each race and each religion. This must be so…if choice is all that matters. If you believe that you should be of the Chosen and find that you are not, I ask that you blame no one, other than yourself, because no single person on Earth has faced an unfair test.”

  Reese watched the reporter. Her expression, hostile at the beginning, became worse as she listened, suffused with anger and outrage as Elohim spoke.

  “I know that many of you are curious as to how judgment will occur. Rest easy that it already has. Each and every person on Earth shall know – now – whether he or she is of the Chosen. If you are, you will find a mark on the palm of your right hand.”

  Reese, since he had been told directly by Elohim, felt no need to look immediately at his own palm. Instead, he watched the reporters as nearly all of them turned their right hands palm-up to check. After looking at their own hands, they also glanced at the palms of their colleagues. By their faces, Reese deduced who had a mark and who did not. Some showed disappointment, some anger, and some nonchalance, having not expected all this to be real. Only one of the reporters apparently had the mark. He sat staring at his palm, smiling. His pencil dropping made a loud clatter in the quiet room. First, those on either side of him looked and saw the mark; then, others craned around to catch a glimpse.