“You may be wrong about that, Stevenson,” Aafre said, using his last name instead of his title of President; which is how Aafre addressed others when he did not like what was being said. “I think we should let them attack Israel. Maybe one of their missiles might be a little off target and they blow up the Dome themselves. That way Elijah and this other witness will get what they want and the Muslims can only blame Iran. The Muslims will be so angry with them it may even stop their interference in Iraq and Gaza, for the time being. You are always complaining about that. Good business, I think.”
As he listened to what Aafre was saying, Stevenson thought about how the other man was acting as if the conversation earlier that day had not taken place. Therefore, he decided to do the same. He replied, “What are you saying Aafre? I am hearing something from you that is shocking and something that I totally disagree with. Are you telling the Russians to allow their allies to attack Israel? Is that what you are saying? Are you in hopes that a missile hits the Dome or will you force a missile to hit the Dome then blame it on the Iranians? This makes absolutely no sense to me.”
Aafre then addressed the others, “Could you give us a minute, privately?”
“Yes,” they all replied, as each one rose to leave.
As soon as they left, Aafre addressed the President, “Stevenson, right now you have no say whatsoever about whether or not we allow it to happen. In this situation, America will not interfere with my plans with either the Russians or the Iranians.”
“You must be mad, Aafre,” Stevenson said. “Attacking Israel will cause all-out war in the Middle East. You know it, I know it, we all know it.”
“Yes, under normal circumstances you would be right, Stevenson. Yes, your country supports Israel while the Russians support Iran. Then maybe that means the US and Russia go to war over this once again, under normal circumstances. However, these are not, I repeat, not normal circumstances. There will be no war, no threats, and no sanctions. The United States will not interfere with this decision. Stevenson, on this one the US will back down and you will not, under any circumstances, interfere with this.”
“And if I don’t, Aafre, what will you do? We have more than enough firepower in the area to discourage the Iranians from doing anything. All it takes is a statement to the worldwide press that if they move we will retaliate.”
Aafre sat, not saying anything, then raising his head to speak, he said in a tone that few on earth ever wanted to hear, “Wrong thing to say, Stevenson,” looking deeply into Stevenson’s eyes. “Very much the wrong thing to say. I think you know who we are, and I think you know your position, and if I were you, I would be more cooperative in this matter. We have already discussed your future. I also think you are well aware of my power. Need I say more?”
Stevenson sat there looking at Aafre then suddenly realized that he had no recourse for him as others had sold out to him a long time ago. Stevenson, like many other leaders in the world, had no say about much of anything anymore. He was the puppet and Aafre held the strings. Finally, he said, “Ok Aafre, you win; what would you like for me to do?”
“Nothing…we know Elijah will be using his God’s power to destroy the Dome. I have the documents right here.”
He continued, “David, hand me those documents in your hand.” He looked at them and smiled. They were the documents Meyer had given him. They had cracked the code it was transcribed in. He then said, “See Stevenson, God put his instructions to Enoch and Elijah in writing!”
Chapter 41
7:20 PM Friday The Temple Mount Entrance to The Dome of the Rock
As he sat in the rain, Elijah noticed that it was becoming dusk earlier than normal, due to the rain and cloud cover. There were twenty-four more days of rain in the area. However, Israel was not getting what most of Northern Africa was getting, so the rain was light here. It did not bother him much for so much of his time on earth had always been spent outdoors or in caves. So much for being a Prophet of Adonai, he thought. The comforts of a boardroom or a castle were not the areas in which prophets lived and worked. That was not the way Adonai worked. Prophets were poor and lived among the people; so a little rain would not hurt. At, the moment, the rain felt refreshing for it was almost summer. If it were not raining then it would have been very hot.
Elijah glanced at the sky, and then around the entrance to the Temple Mount. There were a few hangers-on watching him, but that was about all. Most were rabbis and some that he assumed were Palestinians and a few news people. The initial excitement was over and the rain was keeping people away.
The platform with the sound system had lighting added to it. While he had been sitting there, he noticed that technicians had added more sound equipment and microphones. They assumed that if he had something to say, he would go to the microphones. They were right. The news media on earth was very tenacious; for they would just sit and wait hoping for a story. Well, before the night was over, they would have one. Like all the other stories this week, it would be another shock to the world.
He turned his head and stared at the Dome of the Rock. It had been there since the fourth century, over sixteen hundred years. The original builders had actually designed it after a Christian building called the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, in 451 AD. Its occupation over the years included the crusaders, Masons, and Knights Templar. In 1187, it was again under Muslim control and the cross on top of the Dome was replaced by a crescent. It had originally been used as a resting place for Muslims and a shrine for pilgrims, not as a Mosque. In 1927, it had nearly been destroyed by an earthquake but was later repaired. The Jews themselves captured it during the 6-day war of 1967. In order to keep peace, the leader of the Israelis, Moshe Dayan gave control of the Dome to the Muslim Waqf. The Iranians had also sanctified the Dome of the Rock in their paper money.
The Rabbinates in Israel wanted to prohibit Jews from entering the Temple Mount for they did not know the exact location of the Holy of Holies in the Temple. Only high priests were allowed in the holy of Holies. Well, once this portion of his mission was completed, he would show the rabbinates where the exact location was and then they could rebuild the Temple around it.
Elijah glanced at the sky again, looking for the first sign that the enemies of Israel were about to attack Israel. Nothing yet that he could see or hear.
What he had done today would be considered degrading by many in the Muslim world. Today’s actions would be more than enough to start the Arab world rattling their sabers, as they had done since he could remember, more often than not, against the Jews; especially the hotheads or certain countries, all out to either become martyrs or be famous.
His thoughts went back to the time, almost three thousand years ago, when he was on this same ground and was fighting Jezebel and her people over the reality of Adonai or the god, Baal. The world was still the same as it was then, only more modern now; the attitudes of leaders, their ever-changing beliefs, causing constant warring between the religions and the races. Those were worthless activities as men tried to enslave each other. Moreover, even after Christ’s message, many totally disregarded the true God and instead, worshipped Lucifer and his Followers.
He knew Lucifer from almost the beginning. The sinful act with Adam and Eve resulted in Lucifer’s expulsion from heaven. When Adonai left the earth, he banned Lucifer from returning to heaven. Adonai told him he could no longer obtain the heavens and that he was to be here on the earth forever.
Well, Lucifer thought he could become as powerful as Adonai himself. That was not to be. Still, after thousands of years, he was still here on earth. He was still powerless, and he had made a mess of the human race.
As Adonai had predicted, Lucifer would try to battle Him once more. You would think he would have given up and asked Adonai to come straighten all this up. No, he could not do that, for he was Lucifer, once the most powerful person in Adonai’s council but now leader of the earth and Adonai’s enemy.
Wel
l, he would find out differently very soon; for Adonai knew his plans and Adonai would make sure he failed, yet again. Lucifer had tried so many times to destroy Adonai. In the garden, the time in Egypt, the tower he had tried to build, and so on. Well, all this would soon come to an end. Then Lucifer would be bound and the earth would return to how it had been at the time of Adam and Eve in the garden. Then Adonai’s creation of humanity would finally live in peace and with Adonai, and rule the universe, as was the original intention for man.
Adonai’s realm was not just earth but also the entire universe. Earth was not unique and there were many places that were as beautiful, if not more so, than earth. The ones who truly believed in Adonai and Jesus would inherit this universe and travel freely among the universes. They would be able to see things that would make the Grand Canyon on earth look small in comparison. He himself had seen wonders that were impossible to describe. However, when everything during this period was finished, very few would probably inherit the promise. Until then, he had a job to do. It was the job he had promised that he would do and would faithfully carry out. Lucifer and his earthly followers would regret the day they took on their Adonai.
Elijah’s thoughts then turned to Enoch, the other Witness. Adonai was sometimes so strange in the way he did things. Adonai had chosen Enoch to be reborn and live among the world until the appointed time. Like Adam before him, Adonai had put him into a deep sleep and created an embryo, which was then placed into an earthly woman’s womb. He had agreed to this and felt this time he would carry through unlike before.
He was placed in America with a lower middle class family. His life as a child was difficult but not overbearing. After almost 60 years, somehow, Enoch had managed on his own, to understand Adonai and love him with all his heart. Then as a human and not knowing who he really was, he had voluntarily taken the assignment to be Adonai’s witness in the last days. He did so even knowing he would die at the end of three and a half years.
Adonai had had some difficulty with Enoch in the past; for it was Enoch who had helped the fallen angels that were not allowed into the confines of Adonai’s holy ground. They had asked Enoch to help them. He had agreed and carried their petition to Adonai, which Lucifer himself had argued. Why Enoch had agreed to do this, Elijah would never know. He even argued for their pardon for being with the human women.
Adonai had said no and instructed him how to handle the fallen ones. Enoch had then carried out His command. If he had not done so, then Adonai would have turned Enoch himself away. Elijah had always felt that it was Enoch’s passion that caused him to find favor in Adonai. That was why he had been forgiven.
Therefore, this time Adonai was giving Enoch another chance not to be lured into the web of Lucifer and his fallen angels. Now he, like Enoch, was here one last time to preach the word, to battle the fallen ones and their followers, and turn as many as possible to Jesus and Adonai.
Last night during his sermon in Kansas City, Enoch had finally acted like the Enoch he knew. In the cave, Elijah knew that Enoch still thought of himself as Jack South, and his subconscious had yet to take hold. Elijah of course knew that he was not Jack South and never had been. Elijah knew that he was reborn and that, like him, he had lived in Heaven with Adonai, Jesus, Moses and many other prophets.
Elijah had wanted to tell him that day in the cave what had really happened to awake his conscience. However, he had agreed with Adonai that they would let Enoch prove he was able to battle Lucifer on his own; not petition for amnesty for Lucifer and his followers again and do what needed to be accomplished. It was up to Enoch to do so. He hoped that Enoch would remember someday that it was he who had predicted the flood, it was he who bound several of Lucifer’s followers, it was he who had been Lucifer’s friend. He had tried so hard to make peace between Adonai and the fallen.
However, it was up to Enoch to figure out who he was.
Elijah looked again to the sky, waiting for the weapons of war to start. They would soon. When they did, he would use the powers given to him by Adonai to destroy this area and prepare the Jews for their Messiah, which was Jesus. The Jews did not believe in Jesus; but many would very soon. It was time to rebuild the Temple. He knew Lucifer would help to ensure that it was built. Lucifer knew the prophecies too.
Chapter 42
12:15 PM Friday Enoch’s suite Center City Plaza, Kansas City Missouri
The President’s secretary had called Enoch to tell him that there was a delay. President Stevenson was in an emergency meeting with Aafre. She then asked if he would be available later. He told her that he would be.
Enoch had watched the Bear News’ coverage of the events of the day, including the Popes death, which he had expected; and of course, there was the coverage on Elijah in Israel. As he had promised last night in his threats, he wasted no time in forcing the world’s hand regarding the Temple in Jerusalem. However, Enoch was not sure why he was just sitting at the entrance of the Dome of the Rock in the rain. The broadcast had gone back to their affiliate a few minutes ago and Elijah was still sitting in the same spot. It was raining there, but he just sat there not moving. The broadcast had a camera on him and it was in one of those little boxes on the upper right hand of the TV. That way they could continue broadcasting other news yet keep watch on what he was doing.
Enoch had called Thomas to see if he could get him some more vestments. He had also asked him for sandals that would be comfortable. For some reason, considering how much he had resisted wearing a vestment, he had this nagging desire to not only wear the vestment but also grow a beard and let his hair grow. He really wanted sandals.
There was something nagging him. Last night while he slept, he had had visions of being in a different world; a world where most people were farmers or shepherds, not city dwellers. Everyone was dressed in robes of some sort and the earth itself was restless. The earth was as if it shook all the time. Smoke came from the tops of the mountains. It was different from any experience he had ever had before. The difference was the smell in the air. It smelled so clear, not polluted; but then he had woken up. He was not able to enjoy the smell of the air in his dream.
He had fallen asleep and began to dream again. He was in a grassy clearing speaking with some men about God. They were trying to convince him to do something for them and take it to God. He could not understand what they were saying, though. It was like mumbo jumbo; but then he woke again and he could not recall all the details of the dream.
Enoch gave up trying to sleep, made some coffee; and against the rules of the hotel, smoked a cigarette in the room. As he enjoyed his smoke and coffee, he surfed the internet, reading the news, of which he was a big part. He then searched for the keyword “Enoch” on Google. There were many hits. Then he saw a line that said the Book of Enoch. He had read it before some time ago in a Bible class he was attending at the time. He opened it on the web page reader and started to read it again.
As he read it, he was not sure if it was because he was reading it for the second time; but he seemed to know every word and exactly what it meant. It was almost as if he had written it and was reading it to proof it. However, he had not written it and could not understand why it seemed as if he had.
He was trying to remember what Elijah had said in the cave just a few days ago; but that seemed almost ages ago. He had said he was Enoch. For some reason or other, in the back of his mind, he knew he was Enoch; but he knew and remembered being a child growing up. Therefore, if that were true, he could not be Enoch, himself. Then as his mind wandered, he remembered the Maharaja from India who asked him about reincarnation during the interview at Bear News on Monday. He then looked up reincarnation on the internet to see if there was any connection to the Bible, or situations in the Bible, which dealt with this subject.
The one area was that Jesus had said that John the Baptist was the reincarnation of Elijah, in Matthew 11:7-14. The next time he saw Elijah he would ask him, for there was something nag
ging at him about this subject. He could not get it out of his head or shake it off.
Enoch sat watching news on TV, as he thought about all the things that were troubling him. Once again, they showed Elijah sitting in the rain at the entrance of the Temple Mount. He stared at the picture on the screen and wondered if Elijah was sitting there like he was here, possibly thinking about what they were doing, and what their purpose was. He was still not one-hundred percent sure of what he was to do on a daily basis; until last night in front of all those people. he had finally felt the full power of God inside of him. He knew his voice had changed, and for a moment, he felt like he was someone other than himself.
The phone rang. He answered it. It was the President’s assistant. She wanted to know if now was a good time. “Yes, I will be right up,” Enoch replied.
Chapter 43
9:45 PM Friday Tehran, Iran Supreme Leader’s Palace
“Ayatollah Shahin, we have been given an OK by the Russians to attack Israel as well as assurances that the Americans will not interfere this time. Therefore, I think we need to do so immediately; if nothing else, a token strike that will hurt them,” President Mauvad Shasahvar said.
“Minister Abbas, what do you think we should do?” Ayatollah Shahin asked. “As Defense Minister, do you think we could survive an attack by Israel? And how do we know they will not use nuclear weapons against us?”