Yogesh stared up at the ceiling. “I had a nightmare.”
“What kind of nightmare?”
“About our upcoming trip to the Middle East.” He never mentioned the first two dreams to her.
“What about it?”
“Wish I could explain it to you. When the baby woke, it left me.”
“Did it have anything to do with Brad Henriksen?”
Hmm… “No. Why do you ask?”
Good! “Nothing. Go back to sleep, my love. Everything is fine.”
After baby Salvadora was fed, she drifted merrily off to sleep again. Yogesh changed into a dry T-shirt. Hana turned off the light and held her husband. His body still trembled. Whatever dream he’d had it must have been terrifying.
Yogesh woke two hours later in another pool of his own sweat. This time he remembered the dream. It was nothing short of terrifying. So much so that he was afraid to sleep again.
He climbed out of bed and went to the living room. Staring out in the darkness, he saw the guards out patrolling. The sprawling view from his living room ceiling to floor windows was usually enough to soothe his nerves. But not now. Nothing could keep him from trembling. His legs shook so badly he had to lay on the couch to avoid falling flat on his face.
After a while, he messaged his American friend whose name he did not know: Can you please call me?
Brian was in line in the cafeteria for dinner. This was the first time Yogesh had contacted him at this hour.
“Hey, Yogesh, what can I do for you?”
“Are you okay, Brad? You sound terrible.”
“I caught another cold. Weather keeps changing here. A few weeks ago, it was unbelievably hot. This week it’s bitterly cold.”
“I have news to share with you.”
“Wait! Let me step outside so I can hear you better. It’s loud in here.”
Brian asked Jacquelyn to fill a plate for him and he stepped outside. Taking a puff from his inhaler, he said, “What news, Yogesh?”
“My new friends and I have this salvation you speak of…”
“Praise God! I was starting to sense that. The fact that you’ve had dreams about the hundred and forty four thousand leads me to believe that God was calling you all to salvation. Many have been praying for you. You have a huge platform with millions of social media followers. You can literally reach multitudes in a way most cannot. Imagine the treasures you can store up in Heaven by sharing the Gospel with them.”
Brian’s words served as confirmation to Yogesh. “That’s the other reason I asked you to call me. I had another dream, a nightmare, rather.”
“Care to share it with me?”
“Not at this time. It has to do with my upcoming trip to Dubai, for the awarding ceremony. If I have the courage to go through with it, believe me, you will know. Everyone will. Social media will be part of the plan. If I’m not killed, I’ll need a place to live. I’m scared of losing my family.”
Brian blew into his hands to warm them, “Whoa! Must’ve been some dream!”
Yogesh sighed, “It seems everyone who belongs to Jesus lives in constant danger. Why can’t God protect His own people?”
“When viewed from a human lens, it may appear that way, my friend. But it’s not the first death we believers worry about or will be spared from. We’re spared from the second death…”
“Second death?”
“Yes. It’s explained in the book of Revelation, in chapter twenty.” Brian opened the Bible app on his phone. “Allow me to read it to you, beginning in verse eleven, ‘Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.’ Verse twelve, ‘And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.’
“Verse thirteen, ‘The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.’ Fourteen, ‘Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.’ Fifteen, ‘Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.’”
Yogesh thought about Hana. A shiver shot through him. He got up off the couch and went out to the balcony. It was quiet and peaceful; the exact opposite of how he felt. “What are these books you speak of?”
“They are full of the recordings of every spoken word, thought and deed of every person who’s ever lived on Planet Earth. It’s all recorded in those books. Nothing will be left out or hidden from God’s view.
“What separates those belonging to Jesus from everyone else is that our names are found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Scripture is clear that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
Yogesh said, “Is the lake of fire hell?”
“Yes! Nothing you’ve ever seen can compare to what awaits each doomed sinner condemned to that wretched place! I shiver at the very thought of it. But that’s exactly what will happen to all who die in their sins come Judgment Day.”
There was a pause, followed by a loud gasp, “My kid sister’s there now. She took her life a few weeks ago, after America fell under attack. Her name was Chelsea.”
Yogesh frowned, “So sorry, Brad…”
Brian took another puff from his inhaler. “My father, a pacifist all his life, blames me for my sister’s suicide and my former girlfriend who also killed herself. When my Mom left him, he blamed me for everything and even threatened to kill me.”
“Is your mother a believer?”
“Yes, praise God. But as you can see, ever since I became a true Christian, I’ve experienced my share of persecution for my faith. In truth, I could go on, but would prefer to change the topic…Still too painful...”
“Of course.” Yogesh sighed, “Not to be the bearer of even more bad news, but my wife keeps insisting that I stop communicating with you. Whenever she sees me reading the Bible you sent me, her anger flares up and she does her best to distract me.
“I know her new socialite friends are coaching her. When Hana told them you were a Christian, they warned my friendship with you might cause her to lose everything.
“What started out as a few disagreements between us has turned into constant arguing. Her new friends look down on me much like the hospital staff did when our daughter was born.”
Brian blew into his hands again to warm them. With the sun now down, the temperatures kept plummeting. “This is spiritual warfare at the highest level, Yogesh. If your wife doesn’t convert, it’ll only get worse.”
Yogesh grimaced, “Our latest quarrel came earlier when I told her I’m not comfortable with her new friends always being at the house. Hana looked at me in a way she never had before. She’s no longer the woman I fell in love with. I see her changing before my very eyes.
“Being plugged into the sophisticated Chennai society has totally transformed her. And not in a good way. Aside from socializing and entertaining celebrities and popstars in our home, she does nothing else. House workers cater to her every need. Each gift we receive from her friends feels like another anchor into this fallen world.”
“I understand how you feel, Yogesh. But you mustn’t forget she thinks the same about you. You’re not the same man either. Remember First Corinthians? The change in you is seen by her as utter foolishness.”
“True, but my change was for the better.”
“Not in her eyes, brother.”
Yogesh scratched his head, “When I told her I wanted to change our daughter’s name to a more traditional Indian name, she got mad and refused to listen to me. She even asked if I was losing my mind.”
Brian said, “Changing her name would be good. But even more important is that God changes your wife’s heart. Once that happens, Hana will understand the new you so much better. But until that time come
s, expect even more turmoil between you both.
“If there’s one advantage I have over you, it’s that my wife values and respects me. In fact, all men are valued and respected in the Christian communities of the world. We’re still looked up to by women as the head of the household. That’s the way it should be…”
Yogesh dropped his head and sighed, “I would give anything to feel that level of respect from my wife again…”
Brian said, “I understand, brother. We must keep praying that her eyes and ears will be opened to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Until then, you may want to be careful with what you tell her. You must never lose sight that your relationship with Jesus is personal, one-on-one.”
“Everything is happening so quickly. My head is spinning…”
Brian coughed, “Now that you know our fate as Christians, it might be a good idea to put emergency plans in place, just in case…”
“I already thought about that. I’ve become close with a man named Ahmed. He is a former Muslim who had the same dream as me. He is very poor in life but rich in spirit. I know he can be trusted. Next time we meet, I plan to give him money, without my wife’s knowledge, so he can purchase an underground shelter to live in, if it ever comes to that.”
“Good thinking. I want you to know I shared your dream with two men I highly respect…” Brian said, referring to Clayton and Travis.
Yogesh asked, “Who are they?”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you at this time. Hopefully soon. But I can say this: after having dreams themselves, they confirmed everyone dreaming about the Two Witnesses, like I did, were part of the first wave of converts. Everyone dreaming about the hundred and forty four thousand, like you, were part of the second wave. How cool is that?”
Yogesh scratched his chin, “Very interesting…”
“They also said the third and final wave wouldn’t require dreams. Once God’s key players were all in place, dreams would no longer be necessary. The combination of the Two Witnesses, the hundred and forty four thousand, and the three angels flying in midair, will be enough for every person on the planet to hear God’s salvation message.”
“Funny you should mention the three angels. I wanted to ask you about them. My friends and I have been studying the book of Revelation. Anything you can share about them?”
“I know the first angel will fly in midair shouting, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come.’ As for the other two…” Mulrooney opened the Bible app on this phone and went to Revelation 14. He read, “The second angel will pronounce judgment saying, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”
“The third angel will say in a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.
“The angel goes on to say, ‘The smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.’
“After that, the Disciple John heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on…they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.’”
“That’s deep.”
“I admit it sounds farfetched seeing three angels flying in midair proclaiming the Gospel message for all to hear, but is it more farfetched than two men breathing fire out of their mouths?”
Yogesh said, “Good point, you make?”
“Needless to say, this will serve as a final warning to everyone on the planet to repent or perish. Every ear will hear the Gospel message during this time, thus leading to the abundant harvest in Revelation seven.”
“I don’t know about you, brother, but with everything I’ve already seen since the Rapture, I’m taking this prophecy quite literally.”
Yogesh was astounded. The man God had sent to teach him His Word was someone whose real name he did not know. In normal times, that alone would be enough to cease all communications with him.
But that was the last thing on Yogesh’s mind. Even if he knew Brad’s real name and became aware of the warrant for his arrest and saw the many lies that had been spread about him online, it would have no direct bearing on their deepening friendship.
If anything, Brad was becoming one of his closest friends in all the world. Yogesh would protect him from the ire of his wife and her socialite friends to the best of his ability. Go figure!
Yogesh said, “I’ll be sure to pass your words on to my new friends.”
“Anything else I can do for you?”
“Not at this time. Thanks for clarifying these things for me, brother.”
“My pleasure, Yogesh.”
At that, the call ended.
Brian went back into the cafeteria to share the good news of Yogesh’s salvation with everyone. He was eager to tell his friend about the End Times Salvation Movement. But, as of yet, Yogesh had made no mention of it in his dreams. Hopefully soon…
Hana was watching her husband out on the balcony talking to someone on the phone. She didn’t need to guess who it was. She already knew—Brad Henriksen.
Seeing him looking up into space, she knew his American friend had just given him much to think about. This concerned her ever so deeply…
25
NOVEMBER - ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA
IN COEUR D’ALENE, IDAHO, Jefferson Danforth watched Lois Cipriano finish giving her victory speech with his ETSM friends and brothers in Christ. The delicious meal Amy Wong had prepared for them spoiled in his stomach a little more with each word Cipriano spoke.
In what could only be called a lackluster election cycle at best—only 5 million votes were cast—to no one’s surprise, Cipriano won in a landslide, collecting a whopping 97 percent of the votes. For the first time in American history, she took all 538 electoral votes, winning all 50 states, making this more of a formality than anything else.
Lois Cipriano’s subsequent rise to Commander-in-Chief had caused a seismic spike in viewership. Multitudes of Americans, suddenly interested in U.S. politics again, went in search of places with power and TV’s so they could watch this new history in the making.
Though Cipriano was already acting as interim President, now that she had won the election, it was more real to them, more official.
As America’s first female President, at 44, Lois looked forward to giving birth at the White House next month. The fact that the Italian American woman was short and a little overweight caused slight concern for her doctors.
Her lover and choice for Vice President, Jessica Whitmore, was two years older, and several inches taller than her. Jessica’s father was Caucasian, her mother, Jamaican. She was soft spoken until someone angered her. It wasn’t Lois’ average looks she was in loved with, it was her strong mind and her determination to stand up for what she believed in and see it through to the end.
When Lois privately hinted to Jessica two months ago that she would one day be President of the United States and Jessica would be her Vice President, Whitmore never doubted her.
But when Lois said they would be married at the White House and she would give birth there, it was difficult to believe, since her girlfriend was already six months pregnant at the time.
Everything was happening exactly as Lois had foretold it.
What made the new transition of power even more difficult for Jefferson Danforth was that Jessica Whitmore was his Foreign Minister when he was President. She was the one he put in charge of monitoring the shifting populations abroad, after the Rapture.
It wasn’t long after that time that they drifted apart, both politically and philosophically. Danforth knew the separation had nothing to do with politics or philosophy. It was
purely spiritual!
With the government takeover well under way, mindful that her former boss was still alive, Jessica Whitmore wanted to find and silence Jefferson Danforth as badly as President Cipriano and Salvador Romanero did, along with anyone aiding and abetting him, before their secret became known to anyone else...
Braxton Rice shook his head when scores of patriot protestors were shown on TV outside the White House, screaming for Cipriano to do something to secure the country they loved so much.
An alarm went off in his mind. No doubt they were part of the 3 percent who’d voted against her.
Rice said to Danforth, “Do any of them know you’re alive, Sir?”
Jefferson flinched, “There’s always a chance. Five hundred of them were stranded underground with me for many days. Why do you ask?”
Braxton blinked hard, then drilled down deeper, “Did anyone see you on the day the plane went down?” Rice was more upset at himself than anyone else. Why didn’t I think of this earlier? He chided himself.
“Yes. That was the day everyone left for home. I personally saw each busload off, before meeting with my National Security Adviser and Joint Chief of Staff, to discuss what military options we might take, even though we had no idea where to strike first. How could we when we didn’t even know what countries were involved in the attack?
“After our underground meeting, the plan was to drive together to Joint Base Andrews before Air Force One landed. When Melissa and my body double boarded Marine One, I would be there waiting for them.”
Jefferson sighed, “Then Agent Sullivan interrupted the meeting and told me about the explosion on the plane...”
Rice ignored Jefferson’s rambling about things that weren’t necessary at the moment. “This could be a huge problem for us…”
Travis Hartings leaned up in his chair, “Why should it matter, Braxton? It appears they already know he’s still alive…”
Rice gritted his teeth in disgust. Pointing to the TV monitor, he said, “Think, Travis! Don’t believe for a moment they aren’t aware of the many cameras capturing their faces. This is their way of placing the country they love above politics.
The Sealing Page 17