“Don’t worry,” Ted assured him, “we’ll get the kinks out.”
“Without three-sixty capture of the guidance systems of incomings,” Joshua said, “we’ll be slaves to any bad guys who launch from civilian areas, knowing that we wouldn’t send missiles back to a spot where they would wipe out innocent people.”
Joshua rode away from the test site, jostled in the Jeep driven by Colonel Clinton Kinney, his close buddy from the Israeli Defense Forces.
Soon Kinney took a turn in another direction, away from Jerusalem. After a few minutes he pulled to the side of the road and turned off the engine. Joshua realized why.
Kinney pointed to a stretch of desert across the highway. Joshua nodded without saying a word. He momentarily forgot the failed missile test and everything else. For him, now, it was all coming true. Right in front of him. He was a witness to the unfolding of something incredible.
From the Jeep, Joshua saw hundreds of bearded Orthodox Jews in the distance, in neon green vests, carrying boxes and plastic bags as they wandered the surface of the desert. They were bent over, searching the rough terrain that had recently been made so ruthlessly jagged, filled with volcanic pumice, huge charred boulders, and caverns that had ripped through the ground.
An uninformed visitor might simply have said the land looked ravaged by the recent massive, unprecedented volcanic eruptions and earthquakes — so-called natural events. But to the Orthodox who were scouring the land for the human remains of their enemies so that they could arrange the burials — and in fact, for almost every citizen of Israel — it had been a supernatural miracle brought forth by the hand of God.
“What are they called?” Joshua asked, pointing to the men who were collecting the last remains of dead Russian and Turkish soldiers, as well as Sudanese and Libyan.
“They’re part of the ZAKA — a group of Orthodox Jews who for years take on the job of cleaning up the bodily remains after disasters and terrorist bombings. To keep the land ceremonially clean. But this is the largest job they’ve ever had — or will ever have.”
As Joshua surveyed the scene, his mind traveled back. He himself had been caught in the thick of that war, on the border of Israel, just on the other side from Syria when it happened. He remembered how the Russian-Islamic coalition had swept down from the north against the tiny nation of Israel like a rolling storm. At the same time they came up from the south through the Sinai Desert, with their hundreds of thousands of troops, tanks and mobile missile launchers, and hundreds of jets launched from the Russian aircraft carriers anchored off the coast in the Mediterranean.
The invasion looked unstoppable. The IDF headquarters was bracing for a fight to the death, and Israel’s military commanders were convinced that all was lost.
Then the unimaginable had occurred. The earth itself rocked, cracked open, and exploded with a force greater than multiple megaton nuclear detonations.
Joshua had been there, an eyewitness to the awesome display of divine intervention. How could he not believe that this was the long-promised reckoning?
Colonel Kinney eyed the scorched wilderness. “Now that you’re a believer in the prophecies and promises of the Bible,” he said, “you have to admit … this is an incredible sight.”
“I know,” Joshua said, shaking his head, “I was there. Saw it all. Felt it. And barely survived it. Fire in the sky, tremors in the earth. Everything God predicted in Ezekiel 38 and 39, when He described thousands of years ago how he would vanquish the Russian-Islamic invasion of Israel. And that’s exactly what happened. And I lived through it to tell the tale.” After a moment, Joshua continued. “And then this,” he said, pointing to the ZAKA, “just one more proof …”
“Ezekiel 39:12,” Kinney replied. Then he recited it from memory. “‘For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.’”
“And by my calendar, we’re now in the seventh month, aren’t we?” Joshua asked.
Kinney nodded and touched his finger to the ignition pad on the steering wheel. The Jeep’s engine fired up. “I’m one of those rare things in the IDF — a Jewish follower of Jesus Christ the Messiah — Yeshua … though there are more of us since all this happened,” he said, pointing to the landscape where volcanic cones rose from the desert floor in the distance. He turned toward highway 90 to head north, first along the Dead Sea and then to Jerusalem. Kinney added, “It’s nice to be able to talk about this with someone who understands.” Then he asked, “Your young protégé, Ethan March, he’ll be waiting for us where we dropped him off … back at the bottom of Masada?”
“Right. He wanted to hike to the top. Knowing Ethan, he’ll do the whole thing at a jog. The guy’s a terrific athlete.”
Kinney glanced over at Joshua. “Okay, so, you said you had a high-level political question to ask me. Fire away.”
“Prime Minister Benksy …”
“What about him?”
“How well do you know him?”
“Only casually,” McKinney replied. “I’m just a colonel, not a general. I don’t sit in on security meetings. Just the operational stuff. On the other hand, this is a small country. Everyone knows something about everyone.”
“Gotcha.”
Kinney shot another look at Joshua as they picked up speed on highway 90. “Okay, what gives?”
“I’ve got a theological question, which is also a philosophical one, so I need you to put on your philosopher’s hat for a moment.”
“That’s interesting,” Kinney said with a smile. “You’re a former test pilot and a spy-plane hero for the U.S. Air Force, with an engineering degree from MIT and a defensive-weapons designer of some of the most advanced hardware and laser gadgets any military could ask for. You’re one of the bravest guys I’ve ever met … and one of the brightest. But in a mechanical kind of a way. You’re a hyperadvanced sort of technical fix-it guy, an action hero, Mr. Wizard with laser shields. But frankly, not exactly the philosopher type.”
Joshua smiled. “Take away all the superlatives, and I’d say you had me nailed.” Then his face dropped and his eyes fixed on some unseen point on the horizon. “There’s a time and a season for everything.”
“So, ask your question,” Kinney said.
“As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe in the Scriptures. And as one of the few Jewish followers of Jesus in the IDF, you can appreciate that.”
“Sure. Psalm 119 reminds us of that. And several verses in the New Testament.”
“And that includes the prophecies foretold by God,” Joshua added.
Kinney nodded. “Absolutely. First epistle of Peter, chapter one, says the Spirit of Christ moved within the Old Testament prophets and they ‘predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.’ The first chapter of the book of Revelation says, ‘Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, for the time is near.’ So, yes, I think followers of Christ need to study the whole counsel of God in the Bible, prophecy included.”
Joshua chuckled. “Remind me not to play Bible Trivia with you.”
Kinney smiled. “Okay, out with it. What’s up?”
“What if you know that God has foretold something and told us clearly in Scripture that it’s going to occur? You would consider that an expression of His sovereign will, right?”
“Agreed.”
“Unchangeable.”
“Correct.”
“We accept it?”
“You mean as in — don’t take any action that opposes it?”
“Right,” Joshua bulleted back. “Let’s say that something evil, horrendous, is about to happen, and God inspires His prophets to predict that very thing, thousands of years ago in Scripture. And suddenly, you start to see it unfolding — right in front of you. But you have the opportunity, within your sphere of power, to try and stop it, this nightmare. And you are in a situation at the epicenter of converging event
s to do something about it. So the question is this — do you take that chance?”
Kinney shot back. “You’re still hedging. I’ve never known you not to get to the point, Josh. What’s going on in your head right now?”
“You’ve seen the news, about the United Nations negotiations with the Bensky administration?”
“Sure, more peace proposals.”
“Well, along those lines, Joel Harmon contacted me recently.”
“The fighter pilot from the Knesset?”
“Right.”
“Contacted you about what?”
“He’s a member of a coalition party, the Hamonah. You know, I’ve heard of the other political parties over here: Likud, Kadima, Shas, Labor. But not that one, until Harmon got hold of me.”
“That’s because it’s new. Just formed after the dust settled from our recent war — the one they’re calling the War of Thunder …”
“Yeah, I heard that.”
Kinney nodded. “… After the verse in first Samuel, chapter two. ‘Those who oppose the Lord will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven.’ Anyway, this new political party was named Hamonah based on the verse in Ezekiel about the cleansing of the land. So, Joel Harmon talked to you?”
“We met once. He told me he’s leading the effort to stop Bensky from going along with this U.N. initiative being pushed by Secretary-General Alexander Coliquin.”
“And he’s enlisted you,” Kinney remarked with a studied look on his face. “Smart move. You’re a national hero to a lot of folks-in-the-know here. Your RTS system averted a nuke attack from Iran. They ought to love you. So what’s the problem?”
“He wants me to be present when he and his political group meet with Bensky, to convince him to reject the U.N. deal.”
Kinney thought for a moment. “Okay, here’s another verse for you — Psalm 119:46 — ‘I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame.’”
“Great verse. Only one problem. For me, it’s not a matter of shame.”
“Then what?”
“Fear.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. You? Afraid of the prime minister of Israel?”
“No. Something else.”
“What?”
“God.”
Kinney fell silent.
Joshua explained. “I don’t want to do anything that would go against God’s sovereign plan. I don’t want to get in the way. There’s something dark and evil coming. It’s almost here. I’m not talking politics or international policy. It’s much different. We both know that. Something more monstrous than anything the world has ever witnessed. And for the first time in my life, I feel paralyzed. Conflicted. Undecided which way to turn. I’m afraid of making a colossal mistake — of biblical proportions.”
Then he motioned toward the huge boulders on the desert floor on the other side of the highway that were covered with a thick layer of volcanic lava from the recent upheaval of the earth.
“I feel like I’m turning to stone.”
SIXTEEN
Tel Aviv, Israel
Prime Minister Solomon “Sol” Benksy was seated at his usual place at the head of the long conference table. The security cabinet was there, along with the chief legal counsel and the head of economic advisors. The meetings were always lively, occasionally combative, but in a cordial kind of way. Today, however, the gloves were off.
Normally the meeting would take place at the NSC headquarters at Ramat Hasharon. But on Thursdays, following long-established custom, the prime minister always conducted his business at the IDF compound in Tel Aviv, in the conference room just down the hall from the big bronze bust of David Ben Gurion.
The secretary raised her voice above the din, trying to quiet the argument that was in full swing.
“Ladies and gentlemen, attention, please. We will now hear, once again, the short executive summary of the proposal —”
But the head of counterterrorism wouldn’t quit. “You call that offer from the United Nations a proposal? I call it a Trojan horse!”
Prime Minister Bensky stepped in. “Please, everyone, quiet. Bring yourselves to order. Mrs. Kiryas, read it.”
The NSC secretary proceeded to read aloud from the government bulletin: “‘Summary of the communiqué from the secretary-general of the United Nations, the most Honorable Alexander Coliquin, to the Honorable Prime Minister Solomon Bensky. Key Points. Number one. The Temple Mount plateau in Jerusalem shall be divided according to those coordinates on the attached addendum 6, with the Islamic Waqf Trust to continue its current control over the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in that portion marked “section A,” and with the Nation of Israel to possess the right and title and full control over “section B,” on the Temple Mount, including but not limited to the right of Israel to construct sacred buildings, synagogues, or a temple for worship —’”
The chief of security policy interrupted. “We have concerns about the accuracy of the measurements necessary for any kind of Jewish construction on the Temple Mount. We need to avoid a violent reaction later from the Muslims over that. After all, they’ve had possession of that plateau for a long time. They’re not going to give any of it lightly.”
But the head of foreign policy stopped him. “We’ve been in touch with the IAA, our antiquities experts, as well as geologists, engineers, surveyors — all of them tell us that if you take that one-million-square-foot plateau on the Temple Mount, and you take the U.N.’s measurements, and look at their attached diagram, it certainly looks to all of us that the section they’re giving us would be more than ample for the construction —”
A voice boomed from the corner, “Giving us?” It was the chief rabbi for the city of Jerusalem. “Did you say the U.N. is giving us a section of the Temple Mount? That’s blasphemy! The Most High King of the Universe — He is the one who gave it to us. The whole of the Temple Mount. It is only because of our cowardice and lack of faith that we have not resolved this issue long ago.”
Prime Minister Bensky jumped in. “Gentlemen and ladies, please. Let’s not argue over semantics. The point here is that the United Nations, and, I might add, the Palestinian Authority and the entire Arab League of Muslim nations — they have all supported this proposal. And President Tulrude is an enthusiastic advocate for this approach, as well as the entire U.N. security council. This is historic … the opportunity to take control of a large segment of the Mount. And as our chief of foreign policy was about to describe, the construction …”
The prime minister paused and lifted his hands up for just a half second, enough for the Rabbi to intervene.
“Construction of our Temple,” the rabbi pronounced with the passionate tone of an epiphany, “the central place for holy worship on Mount Moriah, to become the epicenter of all Judaism, after two thousand years of waiting.” Then with eyes half closed and hands outstretched he said, “Finally, in my lifetime, it may yet come to pass …”
“With all deference to our chief rabbi,” the security-policy leader added, “there is the reality of the secular, nonreligious segment of the Israeli population. To them, the rebuilding of the Temple on the Mount may have some historical and cultural interest, of course, but it will certainly not be a religious priority.”
The prime minister’s economic advisor tapped his pen on the table. “You are forgetting two things. First, the construction of the Temple would not only be a religious, historical, and cultural event, it would also be an economic benefit of monumental proportions. My staff has already done the calculations. Tourism would double in the first twelve months and increase exponentially each year thereafter. The construction effort alone would be a tremendous asset to our economy in terms of job creation, both primary and secondary employment, and contract labor. We have estimated that international nonprofit groups, many of them religious, would contribute up to sixty percent of the building costs. And then there is the second point: increased internationalization of Jerusalem through this peace pl
an will actually lessen the risk of violence in Jerusalem.”
Prime Minister Bensky jumped on that. “This is why I am in support of this proposal.” He looked directly at his scowling chief of counterterrorism as he continued, “The Palestinians and the Arab League are calling for the cessation of hostilities against Israel in the future as part of this plan. And look at point number two in the Coliquin proposal — the United Nations becomes a permanent board of mediation on any disputes within Jerusalem. By agreeing with the U.N. plan, we put on the white hats. We are the good guys. We start winning back much of the esteem that we have lost over the last few decades in the international community.”
The chief of counterterrorism was not convinced. “I am not as concerned about what color our hats are as I am about the explosive belts and missile launchers that some of our enemies will be carrying. This plan does nothing for my concerns — except to invite the United Nations to exercise control over the nation of Israel.”
“And yet,” the prime minister’s female media advisor added, “the polling data tells us something different. The majority of Israelis want a peace plan. Even with the miraculous victory we just won against the Russian-Islamic invaders, our citizens are tired … tired of war, tired of waiting for their cell phone to ring, wondering if a loved one has just been blown up in a bus attack or in an explosion at a sidewalk café. Fatigue and fear, ladies and gentlemen — those are powerful emotions. And they are powerful political realities.”
On the Top of Masada, Near the Dead Sea
“I still can’t believe we ran into each other.” Ethan smiled at the athletic and attractive Rivka, who was dressed in hiking shorts, with a water bottle dangling from her belt. They were both looking out from a spot near the ancient ruins on top of the sandy plateau down to the desert floor far below. Then he added, “First, that planning meeting in South Korea, and now here, at this spot, with you, actually hiking and taking it easy.”