It was one thing to have flown over the Unity Army and seen it en masse. It was another to ride along on the outskirts of it, seemingly never to come to the end. Rayford had to be impressed by the sheer accomplishment of outfitting such a fighting force. Millions of uniforms, weapons, munitions, vehicles, and various and sundry pieces of equipment made the whole operation appear perfectly supplied for its task. In human terms, they could not lose. They could have overwhelmed any mortal enemy on the planet.
But they faced one Man, the Son of the living God. And they were defeated before they began.
The remnant on the ground that accompanied Jesus and the heavenly hosts began to sing praises as they ran. But they quickly quieted when Jesus responded.
“For the suffering of death, I was crowned with glory and honor, that I, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. I was the Deliverer who came out of Zion, and I turned away the ungodliness from Jacob. I was the seed of David, raised from the dead, the Mediator of the new covenant. I suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that I might bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
Amazingly, there was not even a battle transpiring at the moment, yet thousands of Unity Army soldiers were slain simply by the Lord’s words as He passed by. They were not fighting, not threatening, not advancing or even moving. But they had long since made their decision. They had pledged their loyalty to the god of this world, had willingly taken the mark of Antichrist and bowed the knee to him. For them there was no recourse.
Rayford thrilled to the powerful words of the Master and was horrified by the carnage that resulted from them. His heart was full, and yet he found it difficult to tear his eyes away from the bloodshed on the ground. Oh, what this portended for the army as a whole when the actual fighting ensued! How any of the surviving men and women could see their companions die such horrible deaths—simply from the words pronounced from the sky—and still be willing to stay in the fray was beyond Rayford.
“My enemies have become My footstool,” Jesus said. “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with My own blood I entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. I am the Son of God who has come to give you an understanding, that you may know God who is true.
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I gave is My flesh, which I gave for the life of the world. I am the Word who became flesh and dwelt among you, and you beheld My glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. For in Me dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
“Rayford, take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Every time Jesus spoke his name, Rayford was touched anew. He glanced quickly at his friends and saw that the Lord had communicated to them in the same way. Mac buried his face in his hands, whispering, “Thank You, Jesus.” Abdullah looked as if he wished he could pull over and simply worship God.
Sebastian, who was running with Kenny’s hand in his, felt a tug. He bent to listen and Kenny said, “Jesus’s talkin’ to me!”
“I know!” Sebastian said. “Isn’t it wonderful?”
“We need us a proper church, Brother Enoch.”
“Great idea,” Enoch said. “Who could stop us now?”
“Is it possible all we have to do is find out what’s for sale or rent and go get it?”
“Why not?”
“Can we put a cross on it and call it what it is?”
“If Jesus keeps talking to all of us by name, I don’t see why not. Anybody who tried to come against that would be due the same treatment His enemies are getting all over the world.”
“Let’s do it. Churches are going to be springing up all over the place.”
Over the next two hours of driving, the scene changed noticeably. The farther north Rayford and Mac and Abdullah traveled, the more obvious it was that the Unity Army had dug in and was prepared for the battle of the ages.
They had to know what their counterparts had suffered, but either Carpathia’s broadcasts of encouragement and bravado had succeeded in making them full of themselves, or they were emboldened with the knowledge that they were twice the fighting force their defeated comrades had been. Even with a third of the entire army reduced to nothing, the remainder represented the greatest military power ever assembled.
Maybe they didn’t fully know or understand what had gone on. They could see Jesus and His army, and in the core of their being they had to be unnerved that an enemy on horseback and seemingly unarmed—albeit with the ability to defy gravity and move at incredible speed—could compete at all with a foe such as they.
But Rayford saw organization, might, determination. This was going to be anything but a surrender. And yet nothing in Scripture indicated the result would be any different than what they had seen in Edom.
Chang was intrigued that the path they took from the land of Edom to Megiddo bypassed Jerusalem far to the west. It was as if the Lord knew that the remnant would be most curious about their own hometown. Maybe He wanted them to see what happened at Megiddo.
It was strange, Chang told Naomi, to hear Jesus from the sky and hear Antichrist in his earpiece. At times he simply had to remove it. When Jesus called him by name in Chinese it sent chills through him. When that happened to Naomi, he watched as her eyes grew wide with wonder, and she was speechless for several minutes. Maybe the day would come when they could talk about how intimate that felt, but they avoided the subject for now. To Chang it was just too personal, and he assumed it was the same for her.
Bizarre too was the shadowless light that would apparently exist as long as Jesus was in their midst. Chang found himself trying to make shadows with his hands. An omnipresent light source was something science had never approached. Men who loved darkness rather than light were not going to like the millennial kingdom. The piercing glare of the purity of Christ would make easy His ruling the nations with an iron rod. For believers who loved Him and who loved the truth, His rule would be a marvelous change from the last seven years and, indeed, the millennia before that. But for people interested only in their own gain, still thumbing their noses at God, Jesus’ rule would be most uncomfortable.
It was fun for Chang to be able to converse with Naomi, even when they were running at superhuman speeds. They didn’t have to shout, weren’t panting, and when Jesus was not speaking, they were. Mostly they talked about what it would be like to marry and raise children in such an age. Who would perform the ceremony, and would Jesus Himself attend?
Chang always loved when Jesus began to speak again. The entire remnant fell silent, listening, worshiping their Savior.
“I am He whom God exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
“I give you eternal life, Chang, and you shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch you out of My hand. My Father, who has given you to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch you out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”
“Thank You, Lord,” Chang said.
But He was not finished.
“My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Chang could not imagine ever being afraid again.
Mac wanted to be let off to make his way to Jerusalem on foot.
“Are you sure?” Rayford said.
“Unless you order me not to.”
“I don’t see it. What’s the point?”
“I want to know firsthand what’s happening there. I’ll stay in touch by radio and phone. And the way I understand it, I won’t miss a thing the Lord says.”
“You know what’s going to happen, Mac. Jerusalem falls, but then Jesus saves the day.”
“And why wouldn’t I want a front-row s
eat for that?”
“We’ll get back in time to see it.”
“And by the time you get here, I will have kept you up to date on the details.”
“Suit yourself.”
“Thanks.” And Mac was out of the Hummer heading toward Jerusalem.
“What might the Unity Army do to him if they catch him?” Abdullah said.
Rayford shook his head. “I’d like to think they have no power over him.”
“But we don’t know for sure.”
“No, we don’t. He knows how to take care of himself.”
“He is unarmed, Captain.”
“In a manner of speaking.”
When Rayford and Abdullah finally arrived at the edge of the Valley of Megiddo, it appeared the Lord and His hosts had left the remnant of Israel about halfway between there and Jerusalem. Rayford could only assume that Jesus wanted the remnant with Him for the Jerusalem conquest and what followed but for some reason did not wish them to witness what was to take place here.
Mac reported that a mammoth contingent of the Unity Army surrounded all of Jerusalem and simply seemed to be waiting for orders. “There’s a lot of unrest among the army here,” he said. “Grumbling. Hunger. Rumors of no pay and no reinforcements. A lot of gossip about what happened in the south.”
“Interesting,” Rayford said. “There is no division between the forces there and here. The immense army is virtually contiguous from west of the Dead Sea to the Valley of Megiddo, so it’s possible some of the ones you see will be put to work here, and vice versa.”
“That’s a huge stretch, Ray. You sayin’ this army’s as big as it’s been since the beginning?”
“Except for the casualties earlier in Edom.”
Mac whistled. “How’s my man Smitty doin’?”
“Happy as a clam. Loves to hear the voice of Jesus.”
“Don’t we all? Tell him Mac says hey.”
George Sebastian mingled with the Tribulation Force contingent at the resting place north of Jerusalem. He couldn’t help but recall how far he had come since the escapade in Greece where he almost lost his life and had to kill to stay alive. “Otherwise,” he told Priscilla, “I’d be waving at you from beyond the skies.”
“We sure didn’t know what we were getting into, did we?” she said.
“Not by a long shot.”
“Our days of soldiering are over, aren’t they?” Razor said.
Sebastian sighed. “I hope so.”
“You tired?” Razor said.
“Actually, no. I should be. Up all day and night, and now, with this light, I have no idea what time it’s supposed to be. And all this traveling? The running? I ought to feel like I could sleep for a month, but I’ve got nothing but energy. Wish I could see what’s going to happen up north.”
“Me too,” Razor said. “I can still see Jesus and hear Him. I don’t understand why He doesn’t sound farther away than He does. He sounds the same to me.”
Priscilla said, “I think it’s because we’re hearing Him in our hearts instead of with our ears.”
Razor shrugged. “Could be. Otherwise, how would everybody hear their own name?”
Everyone fell silent as the Lord spoke yet again.
“No one has seen God at any time. I, the only begotten Son, who came from the bosom of the Father, have declared Him. I am called the Son of the Highest, and today the Lord God will give Me the throne of My father David.”
Suddenly another voice cascaded from heaven, and Sebastian knew immediately it was God Himself. “Behold!” He said. “My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I have put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice.”
Then Jesus again: “The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth come through Me. Now, George, may the God of peace who brought Me up from the dead and made Me the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight. Amen.”
On the amen the whole of the remnant fell to its knees, praying and thanking God. Sebastian knew each had again heard his own name in the benediction Jesus had pronounced, yet that made it no less personal.
Rayford climbed atop the Hummer again, Abdullah right behind. They looked out on the vast enemy horde as thousands burst open at the words of Jesus and died before they hit the ground. And the battle at Armageddon had not yet commenced. Rayford heard Nicolae Carpathia trying to encourage and rally the troops.
He barked instructions to the generals and commanders. “This is our true enemy,” he said. “Best Him, and victory is ours. Jerusalem will be no obstacle.”
How he managed to get so many millions of troops on the same page and pointed in the same direction was beyond Rayford, but somehow Nicolae had pulled it off. Somehow he had orchestrated a half-moon of an army covering hundreds of square miles, all facing Jesus in the sky.
Was he going to have them fire upon the King of kings? How would he determine how far away Jesus was? And if Carpathia’s armies had been harmless against mere mortals, what did he expect to accomplish here?
Before a command could be given or a shot fired, Jesus spoke. And while it took only a matter of several minutes, the devastation was enormous.
“Test the spirits, whether they are of God,” He said, “because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that I came in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that I came in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist.”
Rayford heard Carpathia raging, cursing.
And Jesus said, “A mighty king arose who ruled with great dominion, and did according to his will. But his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted.
“Now is the appointed time. The king of this world did according to his own will: he exalted and magnified himself above every god, spoke blasphemies against the God of gods, and prospered until now. But what has been determined shall be done.”
The great army was in pandemonium, tens of thousands at a time screaming in terror and pain and dying in the open air. Their blood poured from them in great waves, combining to make a river that quickly became a swamp.
“He regarded neither the true God nor any god,” Jesus continued as the soldiers fell and the blood rose, “for he exalted himself above them all. But in their place he honored a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus he acted against the strongest fortresses and divided the land for gain.
“Though in the end the king of the South attacked him, and the king of the North came against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; he entered the countries, overwhelmed them, and passed through.
“And now he has also entered the Glorious Land, and many countries were overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon.”
Rayford looked to Abdullah. “Did your geography study tell you where those were? I mean, I know Edom is where Petra is.”
“Moab is to the north of there, in Jordan, and Ammon is north of that.”
Jesus continued: “He stretched out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt did not escape. He had power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians followed at his heels.
“But news from the east and the north troubled him; therefore he went out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. And he planted the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain . . .”
“He means Jerusalem,” Abdullah said.
“. . . yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.”
It seemed to Rayford tha
t the entire Unity Army within his field of vision was dead or dying, and the blood continued to rise. Millions of birds flocked into the area and feasted on the remains.
Carpathia screeched in a frenzy, “I have not met my end. I shall take His beloved city and bring it and Him to ruin! Leon, get me out of here!”
CHAPTER 14
“Smitty,” Rayford said, “let’s follow Carpathia and Fortunato.”
“Are you serious, Captain Steele?”
“They won’t even notice.”
“Something I do not understand, Captain. Why does Jesus not just capture them? He kills almost the entire army with the words from His mouth, and yet He allows them to run free. I know He is not going to kill them, but it seems He is playing a game with them.”
“I’m no theologian,” Rayford said, “but as you know, God has His own timetable. All this has been prophesied, scripted. It’s going to happen when it’s supposed to happen.”
As Abdullah steered the Hummer toward the valley and Carpathia’s bigger Humvee, for the first time since the appearance of Jesus, the sky began to turn. Dark, menacing clouds formed on the horizon and quickly rose, filling the heavens except where the Lord and His army hovered.
“You feel that?” Mac radioed. “Temperature musta dropped ten degrees in the last minute!”
“Something’s brewing,” Rayford said.
“Now you’re understatin’ the obvious. I’m heading for cover, Ray.”
“Keep in touch.”
“Don’t worry.”
Rayford and Abdullah rolled up their windows. “Do you not want me to lose Leon?” Abdullah said, nodding far across the killing grounds to where the Humvee was picking up speed, apparently trying to find a path through the massacre toward Jerusalem.
“Just try to keep an eye on him,” Rayford said. “He’s going to have a rough time heading that way. Hey, hit the heat.”
Abdullah stopped just the other side of a ravine that separated the high country from the valley where thousands of bodies lay. Although they were dead and their blood had ceased flowing, it seemed to ooze from their bodies and quickly filled the lower areas.