Second Term - A Novel of America in the Last Days (The End of America Series Book 1)

by John Price

  Jack’s dad was upbeat, as was his normal approach, happy to see a visitor and to be with his son. “Jack, my son, great to see you….though, to be frank, you look like you ran over a cat, or a good-sized dog, on the way here. Why the sad face?”

  “Oh, sorry, dad. I should be the one trying to cheer you up, not the other way around. No. I didn’t hit any animals, but I kinda feel like I’ve been run over a bit.”

  “Oh? Is Allison OK? The kids’ fine? Everything all right at the church?”

  “Well, that covers what it’s important, and they’re all just great. No major issues. Thomas got into a playground fight with some abrasions, but mostly hurt feelings. No big deal. No, I may not be as smiley as usual because I had an unannounced visit by two federal agents late last week.”

  “Really? Seriously? Why did they visit you? What did they want?”

  Jack then explained all that had taken place, emphasizing the statements made by the agents threatening John Madison with upcoming serious federal charges, along with their three warnings to lay low, keep his mouth shut and their final suggestion that he plea bargain, once he was charged.

  “Well….hum….now I see why you looked glum coming here today. I guess none of this surprises me. Chuck’s been saying for some time that they would get around to charging me….and that it wouldn’t be friendly or fair. They’ve definitely targeted me to try and send a message to others who are like-minded. What I do object to, however, is using you to try and get to me. That’s reprehensible. If they have something to say to me….they certainly know where I am. They shouldn’t try and pressure me through my family.”

  “I don’t mind that, dad, but what concerns me is the suggestion that if you don’t plead guilty and accept a plea bargain sentence, that you may be in prison for many, many years. That’s not a happy thought. As you know, I’m still worried about your case, and how you got yourself into this position….”

  “No, it’s not a happy thought, that’s for sure. But, I’m had many days to think and pray about this, Jack. I’ve come closer to the Lord in all of this than I ever was before. Yes, I’ve had my rare moments in the past of having to realize that I couldn’t pull something off and I needed divine help. But those were few and far between. But, in order to get out of this mess, I know it will have to be an act of God, not of John Madison, not as a result of my schemes and plans. I can’t smart my way out of this, He’ll have to do it, if it gets done. And, frankly, I’ve decided that if He doesn’t do it, get me out of here sooner rather than later, I’m okay with that. Obviously, I think I can be used better on the outside. But….if His plan is for me to minister to the guys in here, or wherever I end up, I think I can live with that….I hope I can….that is.”

  “My suggestion, Dad is that you pray, then talk to Chuck about what they said. Ask him for his insight. These apparently can be very serious criminal charges. One of the lawyers in my church told me that if the feds want to convict somebody they almost always are able to do so. On the other hand, does the visit by the agents show that they think they have a weak case, so they’re trying to get a plea-bargained conviction on the cheap, so to speak. That was my thought anyway. But, try not and lose sleep over it….as you say, if He wants you out of here, no power on earth can keep you behind these bars. Look at what He did with Paul and Silas, Busted them right out the front gate.”

  “You’re exactly right, Jack. I won’t lose much sleep. I actually sleep better in here than I used to, when I tossed and turned over office issues, missed sales quotas, and all that. There’s a certain peace about this place, strange as that sounds.”

  Jack was struck with how much his dad had grown spiritually in his few months of confinement. He had worked with prisoners in the past, but he couldn’t recall any who had experienced such a level of spiritual growth as what he was witnessing in his father. Jack knew that before John Madison became a federal prisoner he regularly, and many times irregularly, read his Bible. But his dad shared with him that after he changed his mailing address to a federal facility, given his increased free time, he had become an avid student of scripture. He candidly told his son that he was now spending long hours of reading, study, cross-referencing and prayer, all of which had led to his deeper understanding of the Word.

  One area of scripture that had captured John Madison’s attention was prophecy. He had always been interested in prophecy, but once imprisoned, he decided to extensively look into what the Bible said would happen in the end times, in the last days. One area of last days revelation that he had focused on was the role of America in prophecy. Knowing that his son Jack would be visiting him soon, and knowing that Jack was not in total agreement with him on the political issues that landed him in the pen, he had prepared several questions for discussion on a different, non-political topic. He hoped that by talking about a spiritual subject, they could avoid clashing over the political reasons he was not a free man.

  “OK, Jack, we’ve talked that visit by the feds to death. I appreciate your taking some heat for me, we’ll just have to see what happens, and what He wants to do. It was no surprise to Him. So, I’d like to change the subject to a more pleasant topic. I’ve been studying prophecy, as I told you on your last visit. I’ve prepared a list of questions for my seminary graduate son. I want to see if all those bucks we spent on books and classes were worth it….But, seriously I have some questions….let me just start with the biggy….the primo question. Why isn’t America in prophecy?”

  “What?”

  “I mean….well….given that we are obviously at the beginning of the end times….and ”

  “Dad, stop….I don’t disagree. But, what leads you to you say that now? When I wanted to talk about prophecy as a teenager, you never seemed very interested in the subject.”

  “Well, Jack, I wasn’t. I didn’t know much about it and it just never grabbed me like other parts of scripture. But here in prison, I’ve had a lot of time to read and think. Every time I’d read about Jesus talking to the fig tree, I’d stop and try and figure out what He was telling us. Jesus said to watch for the re-budding of the fig tree, as the beginning of the last days. Israel has used the fig tree as its symbol for centuries. Israel, contrary to all odds, is actually back in the land, just as Jesus said it would be.”

  “True. He did say to watch for the re-budding of the fig tree. Israel was dead, dead, dead….that is, until 1948. Anyone who has any doubts about the accuracy of the Bible has a big obstacle to overcome when it comes to Israel. No nation in the history of the world has ever gone out of existence for 2,000 years and then come back into the same land, populated by the descendants of the same people who lived there two millennia before. It even has the same name. Never happened before.”

  “And, since Jesus said, several times, that Israel would be re-born in the land, and Israel has, in fact, been re-born in the land, an indisputable fact, how can anyone not say that God has revealed Himself in our times? Today?”

  Jack was a graduate of a Bible-believing, conservative seminary and had been a pastor for twelve years in Dallas. He replied to his dad’s softball question, “No question about it, Dad. Israel is Exhibit A for Biblical prophetic fulfillment in our time. He said Israel would come back in the land and they did, against all odds, and contrary to the world’s plans. You know that the test for whether a prophecy was from God was whether or not it was 100% accurate. If a prophet was only partially accurate, he was stoned.”

  “That was certainly a dis-incentive for making up stuff. But, Jack, let’s come back to the first question I have written on my ‘Stump the Pastor’ list….why isn’t America in prophecy? All those hundreds of verses telling us about the last days, the end times, the day of the Lord, but none about the most important country on the globe? I don’t get it. What did they teach you in seminary about that?”

  “Pops, you bring up a really challenging issue because Jesus also told us that the generation that sees the re-budding of the fig tree won’t all pass away unt
il the end times prophecies He gave us are fulfilled. Your generation, the generation that was alive in 1948 when Israel was re-born, is clearly the generation Jesus was referring to.’

  “OK, Jack, I’m tracking with you, here. I think. Since my generation saw Israel return, and Israel has survived over sixty years, we won’t all be gone before these other end times prophecies are fulfilled? Am I getting that right?”

  “Yup. That is exactly what the Lord said….so….back to your question. Given that we are living in those last days, why doesn’t scripture talk about the world’s most powerful nation around today?”

  “That, my son, may be the key. In my research, I came across an article by Dr. Lester Sumrall who said that he thought that meant that America would cease to exist before the end of the last days. He said….let me find my notes here….‘Simply put, the United States will no longer be a world power in the end times. It will not be a significant enough nation to play a major role in the events of those days – that is the obvious answer.’ ”

  “Pleasant thought. Any other cheery results of your research?

  “Maybe not so cheery, but Dr. Tim LaHaye, you know him, he wrote that Left Behind series, asked, ‘Why would the God of prophecy not refer to the supreme superpower nation in the end times in preparation for the one-world government of the Antichrist?’ Good question, hunh?”

  “Well, generically, America is included in the end times verses that refer to all of the nations of the world, of course, but that doesn’t answer your question.”

  “Nope, it sure doesn’t. I finally decided to start digging deeper, which leads me to my next several questions on my ‘Stump the Pastor’ list.

  “Fine, go on, Pops, but I’m not doing too hot so far.”

  “OK, here’s what I’ve come up with, I’m giving you a copy to take it along, and when you have a chance, take a look at it, in light of what you know about prophecy. Then, next time you visit, we can talk about it. This research took my mind off the debate over the McAlister Bill. By the next time I see you we should know whether or not the Bill has passed. Agreed?”

  “Deal. What’d you find?”

  “Take a look at these 223 verses in prophecy I’ve listed, written by five Prophets, both Old and New Testament, all of which describe a rich, powerful and influential end times nation. The name the Prophets used for that nation is both the Daughter of Babylon and Babylon the Great. That last one is in the Book of Revelation. Look at the verses, I’ve detailed them on this list I’m giving you, and tell me who you think they are referring to, America, or to somebody else?”

  “This next month is a killer on our church calendar, but, Pops, you taught me to always set aside some time with just me and the Lord. I’ll use some of that time to study the verses.”

  “I’ll pray for wisdom for you. See you in a month. Give my usual hugs and kisses to Allison and the kids.”

  “Will do. Love ya, dad.”

  The list that John Madison gave his son included the following prophetic verses detailing the future of the Daughter of Babylon/Babylon the Great.

  Psalm 137:8

  Isaiah 13; 21:1-10; 47 and 48

  Jeremiah 50 and 51

  Zechariah 2:7

  Revelation 17 and 18

  FORTY

  Wilbur Calhoun’s Hospital Suite

  The emergency telephone call from the nurses’ station was buzzed through to Hilde.

  “Madam Vice President. Nurse Judy Martin here at GWU. I apologize for asking that you be interrupted, but we have very good news. Your husband is conscious. He’s asking for you. Are you in the area? In D.C? Can you come to….”

  “Of course. I’ll be there in a half hour….maybe less. Tell him I’m on my way. Great news….Great….Thanks so much….I’m on my….Wait….Do not tell anyone that’s he’s conscious….Don’t tell anyone else on the staff….Nor the Secret Service agent outside his room….nor….especially anybody from the media….Not until I can talk to him….Got that?”

  It only took Hilde’s Secret Service driver, and chase vehicle, twenty seven minutes to get from her Capitol Hill office to Wilbur’s bedside. His wide smile was all she needed to realize that Wilbur was back. The Calhouns loved to communicate with each other, though their discussions were frequently acerbic in nature, they were political animals who loved to talk politics, at all levels. They cried profusely as they hugged and held hands, realizing that they were both able to talk, again. Within a few minutes the Vice President of the United States had updated her husband, the former President, on the essentials of what had happened since he went into a coma the previous summer. When she told him about her aborted plan to implement the Twenty-Fifth Amendment she stopped, afraid she may have overloaded him, as his face reddened and his breathing rate sharply increased.

  Wilbur squeezed Hilde’s hands, looked deep into her eyes, then said, “Hilde, ya’ done good….but ya’all are wrestlin’ with a varmint that’ll never play by the rules.”

  “Duh. Like I don’t know that. But, now I’ve put myself into a bad corner. Since my little adventure at the Cabinet meeting, I now have no hope. The Prez has replaced every single member of the Cabinet, except for the Secretary of Defense, of course. What a weasel.”

  The former President swallowed hard and motioned that he needed fluid from his straw cup. Once partially re-hydrated, he said, “Honey bunch, ya can just furget the Twenty-Fifth Amendment….not gonna happen. From what ya’ve just said, he’s stuffed the Cabinet with his totally loyal buds. Pretty smart, really.”

  “Look, Wilbur, I don’t need to hear how smart he is, I want to know what I should do to replace this dud, this amateur, this threat to the….”

  “Calm down, calm down….I’ve got ta’ think about this. I’m just now learning….Hilde….I need….I….uh….” With that Wilbur Calhoun fell asleep. His nurses assured his anxious wife that his monitors showed he had not slipped back into a coma.

  III.

  Congress

  Votes on the

  Lawrence McAlister

  Hate Speech

  and

  Hate Weapons

  Elimination Bill

  FORTY ONE

  Washington, DC – U.S. House of Representatives

  Under the arcane rules of the United States House of Representatives, the Speaker has sole discretion on many matters before the House, including when the Members may engage in a floor debate over pending legislation, and how many minutes they each may speak. The Speaker alone decides.

  Having been a Member of the House for almost two decades, the Speaker was well aware that she could help frame how the nation views bills being considered by her chamber of the Congress. She did it by scheduling long floor debates, in good viewing times, for legislation she favored. She diminished Americans’ exposure to the details of legislation she didn’t favor. Generally, legislation that she didn’t favor would never come to a floor debate because the bill would never make it through the House Committee to which she had assigned it. She would suggest to the Chairman of the Committee to which the unfavored bill was assigned that the Chairman either never set a hearing to consider the bill, or alternatively, vote down any bill not favored by House Leadership. Either way, the Speaker ruled. It was good to be Queen.

  With the McAlister Bill, though, the Speaker was faced with a slightly different situation. She did not want to increase public visibility and perception of the Bill for quite obvious reasons. Those Americans who favored passage of the bill were already in support and didn’t need to be persuaded by a lengthy prime time floor debate. On the other hand, those who were opposed to the Bill didn’t need to be stirred up any more, as they would then increase pressure on her Members. The vote was going to be razor thin, either way, she knew from early head counts, so she concluded that scheduling a high visibility, lengthy formal floor debate would not serve her purposes. In addition, though she was firmly committed to the Bill’s passage, she knew enough American history, from having once been a hig
h school history teacher, to convince her that the opponents had by far the best argument against passage of a Bill seeking to re-interpret the first two key provisions in the Bill of Rights. So why, she thought, give them a forum? Let them go on Fox News. This is my House, and you don’t use my House for your hate speech, she concluded as she signed the floor debate notification. The Speaker, who was tall and thin, was widely-known for her extravagant wardrobe, her acerbic tongue and her general dullness when it came to nuanced public policy issues.

  When the Speaker posted the notification of the floor debate there was a hue and cry from the Members of the minority the likes of which and not been seen or heard since the 1960’s, when Vietnam and civil rights issues reigned. The Speaker had scheduled the floor debate on the McAlister Hate Speech and Hate Weapons Elimination Bill for 8 AM on Monday, March 18th, allowing only three Members to speak from each side, and for only three minutes each. In her notification the Speaker cryptically said, “This Bill has been thoroughly debated in the media. It’s time to vote.” Republicans and tea party members were outraged.

  The Minority Leader in a hastily called news conference summarized their anger, “Nine minutes? Nine minutes? That’s all the time we get, total? To debate a bill that purports to take away our Constitutional rights to speak as we see fit and to keep and bear arms? This is utter nonsense. It’s the tyranny of the majority in its worst possible form. Thomas Jefferson said it best when he said, ‘When people fear their government there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.’ We know under the House Rules the Speaker can get away with this high-handed act of oppression against free speech, but she should know that in doing so she is feeding a growing quickly awakening giant, the American people, and they will not let her get away with it. No, sir, not by a long shot. This government had better start fearing the people, just as Jefferson said.”