As he moved stiff-legged toward Jesus, Rayford’s mind reeled. What were the odds? How could he quantify the privilege of locking eyes with the eternal God of the universe? He began to hurry, and Jesus said, “Come unto Me, Rayford, and I will give you rest.”
Though his eyes were on Jesus and his body moved forward, Rayford suddenly became aware of everything. He was coming out of a crowd of well over a million. Five angels stood sentry behind the Master. Rayford’s friends and family would see him. What had he done to deserve this privilege? Rest—yes, for the first time he felt that need. The fatigue of the last several hours washed over him and he felt as if he could sleep if only given the opportunity.
But as he came within steps of Jesus and saw His welcoming smile, he was struck that the Lord seemed as thrilled to see him as he was to see the Lord. And he was overcome with the shame of his sin. Unworthy. So unworthy. He slowed almost to a stop, fearing he would collapse in disgrace and humiliation.
“No, no,” Jesus said, still smiling, and now leaning forward and reaching for him with scarred hands. When Rayford saw that, he nearly dissolved. He forced himself to keep moving, though he had lost control of his own coordination and feared he would stumble and fall into Jesus’ lap.
He dropped to his knees at Jesus’ feet, sobbing, reminded of every sin and shortcoming of his entire life. Loving hands gathered him in, and he was drawn to Jesus’ bosom. “Rayford, Rayford, how I have looked forward to and longed for this day.”
Rayford could not speak.
“I knew your name before the foundation of the world. I have prepared a place for you, and if it were not so, I would have told you.”
“But, Lord, I—I—”
Jesus took Rayford by the shoulders and gently pushed him back and cupped his face in His hands. He stared into his eyes from inches away, and Rayford could barely hold His piercing gaze. “I was there when you were born. I was there when you thought your mother had abandoned you. I was there when you concluded that I made no sense.”
“I am so sorry. I—”
“I was there when you almost married the wrong woman. I was there when your children were born. I was there when your wife chose Me and you did not.”
“I—”
“I was there when you nearly broke your vows. When you nearly died, before you knew Me. I was there when you were left behind. And I was waiting when finally you came to Me.”
“Oh, Lord, thank You. I’m so—”
“I have loved you with an everlasting love. I am the lover of your soul. You were meant to be with Me for eternity, and now you shall be.”
Rayford had so many questions, so many things he wanted to say. But he could not. Looking into Jesus’ face transported him to his childhood and he felt as if he could stay kneeling there, childlike, letting his Savior love and comfort him forever.
Jesus put one hand on Rayford’s shoulder and the other atop his head. “I pray to My Father, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that I may dwell in your heart through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know My love which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think, according to the power that works in you, to Him be glory in the church to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
As Rayford seemed to walk on air back to his place among the throng, something deep within him understood that as personal as that had been, Jesus was bestowing the same love and attention on everyone present. He suddenly became aware that Mac and Abdullah were also returning to the crowd, tears streaming, body language evidencing that they had also been with the Master. The three stood again with arms around each other’s shoulders, unashamedly worshiping.
As Rayford looked around, he could see from every face that each person had personally encountered Jesus.
The Savior had come to Enoch in his sleep, and yet the encounter was so real and deep that the young man didn’t question it for a second. When it was over he found himself on his knees on the floor, feeling as if Jesus had been right there in the room. He had been reminded of significant events in his life, of his journey first away from and then toward true faith. Enoch was able to see anew the hand of God throughout his entire life, and to know that Jesus had known him by name before the foundation of the world. . . .
His phone was chirping, and as Enoch took the first call it began to signal that more and more calls were coming in. An hour later he had heard from almost everyone in his congregation. “I still want to go over there,” was a common theme, “but if Jesus is going to come here like that, maybe I don’t need to.”
Jesus stood and stretched His arms wide, and Rayford was struck that the experience of watching and hearing Him was more personal than ever, despite the numbers of those all doing the same.
“I beseech you,” He said, “to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
“Never again put your trust in men, in whom there is no help. Man’s spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his plans perish. Happy are you who have the God of Jacob for your help, whose hope is in the Lord your God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps truth forever, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.
“The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; but the way of the wicked He turns upside down.
“The Lord shall reign forever—your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!”
And Rayford did. They all did.
For the first time since His appearing, Rayford saw Jesus speaking and yet did not hear Him. He was conferring with the angelic beings behind Him, and naturally, this attracted the attention of the entire gathering with as much curiosity as when they could hear Him.
The one He had called Gabriel stepped forward. “Remnant of Israel!” he began, with a voice clear as crystal and able to be heard by all. “And Tribulation saints! In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.
“But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
“The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
“And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree.
“Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to those who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
“And He commanded some to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.
“To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins. Amen.”
The gathered repeated the amen in unison. And Jesus once again addressed them:
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
“Thank You that Your kingdom has come. Your will has been done on earth as it is in heaven.
“Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
After praying with Him in unison, they opened their eyes and Rayford noticed that only four angels now stood behind Jesus. Michael was gone.
And Jesus said, “I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. In Me you have peace. In the world you had tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Jesus lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, You glorified Me that I also may glorify You, as You have given Me authority over all flesh, that I should give eternal life to as many as You gave Me.
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Me whom You have sent.
“I glorified You on the earth. I finished the work which You have given Me to do.
“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
“I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
“O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Again Gabriel stepped forward. “The Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”
With the mention of the evil one, Mac saw commotion in the crowd far behind Jesus and the angelic beings. People were moving aside and murmuring, making way for the archangel Michael. With him were Nicolae Carpathia, in his now disheveled leathers, sans sword; a worn and exhausted looking Leon Fortunato in one of his lesser, simpler robes and no head adornment; and the three ghastly robotic Carpathia look-alikes Mac and the others had seen over the hidden camera when Carpathia and Fortunato had introduced them to the ten kings of the world. These were Ashtaroth, Baal, and Cankerworm, the three froglike demonic creatures that had been sent out to deceive the nations, persuading them to gather together in Megiddo to fight the Son of God.
They were hideous, chalky white beings that had taken on human form and wore identical black suits. They looked defeated, bent, as if crippled by their own evil. They stuck together but separated themselves from Carpathia and Fortunato, and Nicolae and Leon seemed not to want to have anything to do with each other either.
Michael led the five in front of Jesus, and Mac was struck by His countenance. He detected righteous anger, of course, but also what appeared to be disappointment, even sadness. There was no gloating.
The pathetic trio locked arms and knelt before Jesus, whimpering in annoyingly screechy tones. Carpathia turned his back on Jesus and faced the remnant, hands on his hips, defiant and bored. Leon wrung his hands and occasionally fingered his gaudy gold 216 necklace. He half faced Jesus, looking guilty and full of dread, peeking at Carpathia every now and then as if for direction.
Gabriel stepped between Jesus and the three and bent at the waist to get in their faces, and in a loud voice said, “As a fulfillment of age-old scriptural prophecy, you kneel this day before Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
“Yes!” the beings squealed, hissing. “Yes! We know! We know!” And they bowed lower, prostrating their deformed bodies.
Gabriel continued: “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth—like you—and that every tongue, even yours, should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
“Jesus Christ is Lord!” they rasped, and Gabriel stepped back behind Jesus. “Jesus Christ is Lord! It is true! True! We acknowledge it! We acknowledge Him!”
Jesus leaned forward and rested His elbows on His knees. The three kept their faces to the ground, not looking at Him. “‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.’”
“We repent! We will turn! We will turn! We worship You, O Jesus, Son of God. You are Lord!”
“But for you it is too late,” Jesus said, and Mac was hit anew by the sorrow in His tone. “You were once angelic beings, in heaven with God. Yet you were cast down because of your own prideful decisions. Rather than resist the evil one, you chose to serve him.”
“We were wrong! Wrong! We acknowledge You as Lord!”
“Like My Father, with whom I am one, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that is justice, and that is your sentence.”
And as the three shrieked, their reptilian bodies burst from their clothes and exploded, leaving a mess of blood and scales and skin that soon burst into flames and was carried away by the wind.
Leon flopped to the ground with such force that his palms smacked loudly and his forehead bounced with a crack. He ripped off his necklace and tossed it away. As Jesus sat staring intently at him, Leon rose and tore off his robe, casting it aside and kicking off his shoes. Then he lay face-first on the ground, clad only in plain pants and shirt and socks, his great belly pressing the pavement.
“Oh, my Lord and my God!” he wailed, sobs gushing from him. “I have been so blind, so wrong, so wicked!”
“Do you know who I am?” Jesus said. “Who I truly am?”
“Yes! Yes! I have always known, Lord! Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!”
Jesus stood. “You would blaspheme by quoting my servant Simon, whom I blessed, for flesh and blood had not revealed it unto him, but My Father who is in heaven?”
“No, Lord! Your Father revealed it to me too!”
“I tell you the truth, woe to you for not making that discovery while there was yet time. Rather, you rejected Me and My Father’s plan for the world. You pitted your will against Mine and became the False Prophet, committing the greatest sin known under heaven: rejecting Me as the only Way to God the Father and spending seven years deceiving the world.”
“Jesus is Lord! Jesus is Lord! Don’t kill me! I beg you! Please!”
“Death is too good for you. How many souls are separated from Me forever because of you and the words that came from your mouth?”
“I’m sorry! Forgive me! I renounce all the works of Satan and Antichrist! I pledge my allegiance to You!”
“You are sentenced to eternity in the lake of fire.”
“Oh, God, no!”
Gabriel said, “Silence!”
Leon rolled and then crawled several feet away, where he lay in a fetal heap, sobbing.
Jesus sat again and Nicolae Carpathia, still facing the assembled crowd, shrugged and thrust his hands deep into his pockets. His eyebrows were raised, a smirk planted, and Mac had to wonder how this would play out. Even Carpathia was to bow and confess that Jesus was Lord, but he exuded no fear and certainly no humility.
Michael advanced to one side of him, Gabriel the other. Michael grabbed an elbow and spun him around as Gabriel shouted, “Kneel before your Lord!”
Carpathia wrenched away from Michael and again stood arms akimbo. Jesus said, “Lucifer, leave this man!”
And with that, Carpathia seemed to shrink. He looked again the way Mac had seen him below the Temple Mount in Solomon’s Stables. His leathers were now too roomy for him and hung on him like
limp robes. His hands and fingers became bony. His neck seemed to swim inside a collar now much too large.
Nicolae’s hair was sparse and nearly colorless, and dark veins appeared on his exposed skin. He was pale and pasty, as if his skin could be easily rubbed away. Again Mac had the feeling that this was what the body of Carpathia would have looked like, had it been moldering in the grave since his assassination three and a half years before.
Nicolae shivered and quivered despite the heat, and he slowly, clearly painfully, reached up and spread his cape around both shoulders, covering himself and seeming to hide within it as if it were a cocoon.
“Kneel!” Gabriel shouted, and he and Michael moved back behind Jesus.
Nicolae nodded weakly and deliberately lowered himself, like an old man, to one knee. It was as if the pavement was too hard for him and his other knee quickly came down, his hands splaying to the sides to keep himself from pitching to his face. There he knelt, on all fours, weak and pathetic and frail, leather cape hanging limply off bony shoulders.
Mac had to contrast the righteousness of Christ with his own humanity. Had he been in Jesus’ place now, he would have been unable to resist rejoicing in the triumph. Mac would have said, “Not such a big man now, are you? Where’s the sword? Where’s the army? Where’s the cabinet, the sub-potentates? Now you’re only the supreme impotentate, aren’t you?”
But this was not about winning. This was about justice.
Jesus said, “You became a willing tool of the devil himself.”
Nicolae did not protest, did not beg. He merely lowered his head even more and nodded.
“You were a rebel against the things of God and His kingdom. You caused more suffering than anyone in the history of the world. God bestowed upon you gifts of intelligence, beauty, wisdom, and personality, and you had the opportunity to make the most of these in the face of the most pivotal events in the annals of creation.
“Yet you used every gift for personal gain. You led millions to worship you and your father, Satan. You were the cunning destroyer of My followers and accomplished more to damn the souls of men and women than anyone else in your time.