In this one room was nearly every major leader of the New Age movement. So many were there that it seemed to Decker that Christopher and Milner must have understated the extent to which the world had already been prepared for the arrival of the New Age. There were ambassadors and heads of state, members of the World Court, celebrities from all walks of life, labor leaders, board members from the World Council of Churches, prominent Buddhist and Hindu priests, several Roman Catholic and Orthodox bishops and cardinals, some high-profile Protestant ministers, a smattering of Muslim imams, and numerous other religious leaders.
Gaia Love’s invitation for the meeting had stated its purpose as “a time of fellowship and celebration for the arrival of the New Age.”[32] But beyond the handshakes, greetings, and smiles, Decker also heard scattered words of concern. He caught snippets of conversation about the events in Jerusalem: the resurrection of John and Cohen and the earthquake that followed. As he reached the front of the room, Gaia Love was saying something about Israel as well, but he was unable to hear exactly what.
The quake had caused major damage throughout Jerusalem, with about ten percent of the city utterly destroyed and a death toll of no fewer than seven thousand.[33] Christopher spoke on live-net and radio immediately after the quake to assure the world that this was not the beginning of a new reign of terror. “John and Cohen will not return,” he declared without reservation. “Their resurrection was intended to incite panic by a god who thrives on fear, but I appeal to you to remain calm. John and Cohen are gone and they will never return! It is those who serve Yahweh who should fear, for they are no match for the will of a united Humankind.”
Insta-polls after the speech indicated that most believed Christopher. But in an ironic twist that defied logic, thousands of Israelis — even many who had lost relatives in the quake — instead of seeing the death and destruction as proof of Yahweh’s malevolent nature, actually worshiped him all the more, saying that this was evidence of his power, as though power in and of itself made him worthy of their worship.[34] Even more absurd, however, was that the Jewish high priest and his followers were actually rejoicing in John and Cohen’s resurrection. True, they had hated the pair before their deaths. And true, they still hated their followers, the KDP. But a few things had changed. First, following the example of “my enemy’s enemy is my friend,” the resurrection of John and Cohen was seen by all as a direct challenge to Christopher, whom they now hated even more. There was also the fact that despite John and Cohen’s strange ways and teachings, Yahweh had raised the men from the dead and called them into heaven. Additionally, throughout its history (with the one exception) Israel had always looked more generously on its dead prophets than its live ones, and while John and Cohen were no longer dead, they were at least gone.
And there was one other factor: For while the proverb may be true that a prophet will not be honored in his own city,[35] that same city will fight to defend even a local brigand if outsiders attack him. So it was that John and Cohen now enjoyed a significantly improved position in the hearts of those who had for three and a half years been their strongest opponents.
As Decker shared pleasantries with Gaia Love, the large auditorium suddenly fell silent. Secretary-General Christopher Goodman had arrived, followed by Robert Milner. To Decker, the mood in the room seemed at once far less like a meeting and much more like a spiritual conclave. It would take him a while to get used to the change in the way people now responded to Christopher. The room remained silent as the two men made their way toward the dais, and then from somewhere in the huge auditorium, a single person began to clap. When no one joined in, the lone clapper abruptly stopped, obviously embarrassed by the apparent faux pas. No one was quite sure, but it seemed somehow improper etiquette to applaud a god.
Sensing the tension in the room, Christopher quickly reached the microphone and in response to the lone clapper, dead panned, “Thank you. It’s nice to know I’m among friend.” The humor had the desired effect as reflexive laughter broke the ice and resounding applause followed.
Christopher smiled and the large video screen conveyed his appreciation. When the room finally quieted, he began. “Friends, auspicious assembly, welcome.” Again the room erupted. One of the things Decker had learned in his days as a speechwriter was that the more important a speaker is, the less he has to say to draw applause. Now that it was established that it was appropriate to clap, that axiom once again held true.
Christopher continued. “I have just come from a meeting of the Security Council regarding the situation in Israel. As all of you know, since the earthquake, the UN has made several offers to provide medical assistance and support troops to help restore order, search for survivors, and begin the work of rebuilding the city. Each of our offers has been met by curt refusals from the Eckstein government,” he said, referring to the Israeli prime minister.
All things considered, this seemed to Decker a very strange subject to lead off Christopher’s address.
“Three things have made these refusals particularly troublesome” Christopher said. “The first is the magnitude of the suffering, as we have all seen on news reports. The second is that while the Eckstein government fails to deal with the present human tragedy, another crisis is looming as members of the Koum Damah Patar recklessly urge their naïve followers to flee Israel into the barren Jordanian desert. Third, based on Prime Minister Eckstein’s own statements, there can be no doubt that his real objections to UN assistance are founded solely on his own stubborn religious prejudices and his loyalty to the ultra-orthodox religious groups within his party.
“Fortunately for the people of Israel, not all members of the Knesset are as tied to the religious cords of Israel’s high priest as is Mr. Eckstein. We have just learned that less than an hour ago the Social Democrat Party under the leadership of Gabrielle Ben-Judah has formed a coalition with six other minority parties, thus forcing an election.”
At this news, Gaia Love leaned over to Jackie Hansen and Decker and whispered excitedly, “Gabrielle is a good friend. I’m sure we can count on her.”
“In the meantime,” Christopher continued, “because of the urgent nature of Israel’s situation, Ms. Ben-Judah has taken emergency control of the government and has officially issued a request that the Security Council immediately authorize assistance to Israel. I am pleased to announce that the Security Council has unanimously agreed to provide such aid.”[36]
For millennia, Israel had occupied a far more important place in the world than could be explained by its size, location, or resources. Still, it seemed exceedingly strange to Decker that Christopher’s announcement concerning the small country should elicit much interest or excitement, but suddenly the auditorium exploded into cheers. Obviously the news was far more significant to those gathered than Decker understood. His only explanation was that by asking for assistance, Israel — the only nation in the world that wasn’t a member of the UN[37] — was at last recognizing its dependence on the rest of the world. While this wasn’t the same as rejoining the UN, Decker could only assume that those around him believed that it was the logical next step. Christopher had told him how important world unity was to the coming of the New Age. Still, in light of all else and with one and a half billion people so recently murdered, this news from Israel hardly seemed worthy of mention, much less of such enthusiasm.
Christopher’s speech continued for nearly an hour and a half, making it one of his longest ever. Leaving the subject of Israel, he outlined his plans to repopulate the countries whose people had been wiped out by the madness. The UN would offer land grants and substantial additional incentives to assist all who could trace their ancestry to the affected countries to move there and rebuild their society. Christopher acknowledged that it could take centuries to accomplish this goal, but he again pointed out that soon the human lifespan would no longer be limited to a scant few decades. The crowd’s cheers on this occasion were far more understandable.
“The Security C
ouncil has also voted,” Christopher revealed, “to support my recommendation to build a major new United Nations headquarters complex at the heart of the affected area which, if the General Assembly agrees, will ultimately serve as a replacement to the aging complex here in New York.
“I am particularly excited about this project,” Christopher continued, “because of the location that has been selected. In a demonstration of the unyielding strength and defiance of the human spirit, the site for the new United Nations headquarters will be near where the madness began — in a place of tremendous historical significance to all Humankind — for it was near this site that the first Theatan ship landed over four billion years ago, and life on Earth began. It was near this spot, in what legend has called the Garden of Eden, that Humankind first established its independence from the rule of Yahweh. Later, in this same general vicinity, Humankind united to build a great tower. And it is from this city that Nebuchadnezzar once ruled the world.” The auditorium filled with roars of approval, for it seemed that everyone knew exactly what city Christopher was talking about: Babylon. But again, the crowd’s excitement seemed to Decker disproportionate for what, to him, was just a matter of real estate.
Monday, April 9, 1 N.A.
Jerusalem
“Our mission is strictly humanitarian,” General Rudolph Kerpelman assured the reporters assembled in the lobby of the King David Hotel, the temporary headquarters of the UN peacekeeping force. “Thanks to the support and cooperation of Prime Minister Gabrielle Ben-Judah,” he continued, “the arrival and deployment of troops have been entirely successful, and UN forces throughout Palestine now number more than thirty thousand. We are distributing food and medical supplies as they arrive. Only one loose end remains,” he said.
“Preying upon the Jews’ fear and hysteria, the KDP has incited many with their charge that UN forces are actually an invasion force. They have already led several hundred thousand citizens — some estimates range as high as one-sixth of the population — into Jordan,[38] as though in some modern day exodus from Pharaoh. Their objective appears to be to take advantage of the recent annihilation of the Jordanian population in order to set up illegal settlements deep inside that country’s territory, which is a protectorate of the United Nations Security Council.
“While we would all like to see the KDP go away,” he said, “in order to prevent this incursion into Jordan, we have placed blockades on every road leaving the country. However,” he admitted, “the level of hysteria is greater than anticipated. Faced with blocked roads, the KDP and their followers have set out on foot. This was facilitated by the long drought, which made it relatively easy to cross the shallow Jordan River undetected.”
General Kerpelman nodded to an aide who then displayed a satellite photo of the region.
“Those involved in the illegal incursion into Jordan are organized into seven major contingents with numerous smaller groups scattered up and down the length of the border.” Kerpelman used a short baton he carried to point out the refugees on the photos, though it was unnecessary because of their large numbers. “On foot, and left to their own devices,” Kerpelman continued, “we estimate that most of these people won’t survive more than three to five days.
“To prevent this tragedy, as we speak, six battalions have moved to intercept the largest contingent where they camped last night.”[39] Again Kerpelman pointed out the location on the satellite photo. “Our objective is to encircle each encampment in turn, provide emergency food and water, and then escort the individuals back across the border. Members of the KDP who are captured will be held for questioning and possible criminal charges.”
General Kerpelman tucked his baton under his arm. “I have time for three or four questions,” he concluded.
Several reporters shouted out their questions, but Kerpelman ignored them and pointed to an attractive female reporter in the back.
“Do you anticipate resistance from the KDP and, if so, how will you respond?”
“Our reconnaissance indicates no organized defense, and we’ve found no evidence of weaponry. This is a disorganized collection of frightened and confused civilians,” he said authoritatively. “However, should our forces encounter resistance, their orders are first to defend themselves and then to use all appropriate force to accomplish the mission.”
“Is there any possibility that the KDP possess powers similar to those of John and Cohen?” asked the same reporter in follow up.
“There is no record of the KDP displaying such ability.”
“Did I understand you correctly,” another reporter asked, “that as many as one-sixth of the Israeli population has followed the KDP into Jordan?”
“Well, that’s the high end on the estimates. It’s probably closer to ten or twelve percent,” the general answered.
“Still, no previous estimates indicated that the KDP had anywhere near that many followers.”
“We believe that only about a third to a half of those who have crossed into Jordan are actually core supporters of the KDP, with the rest consisting primarily of ultra conservative Jews who are upset about the plan to open the Temple to the general public. The remainder are just misguided civilians who were either intimidated by the KDP or else believe their claims that UN forces have come here as an invading army.”
“Is it true that former Prime Minister Eckstein and High Priest Chaim Levin are among those who have left Israel?” asked another reporter.
“I cannot answer any questions regarding specific individuals,” General Kerpelman said, pointing to another raised hand.
“Why have you seized the Temple?” demanded a member of the Jewish press. “By what authority is the UN erecting a monument there?”
Kerpelman regretted having selected this particular questioner, but his expression showed no emotion. He was well practiced at keeping his feelings in check. “The order to secure the Temple,” Kerpelman said calmly, “came directly from Secretary General Goodman. With the complete cooperation of Prime Minister Gabrielle Ben-Judah and in keeping with the promise the secretary-general made when he was here, we have been directed to secure the Temple until order has been restored. Following the restoration of order, the Temple will be reopened to all people regardless of nationality or religion.”
Kerpelman quickly pointed to another reporter, ignoring the previous questioner’s bellowed follow up about the unusual method by which Gabrielle Ben-Judah had seized control of the government and why no election had been held.
“Has this operation been approved by the secretary general?” the next reporter asked.
“This is a tactical measure, not a strategic one. All tactical decisions are my call.”
West of Arbur, Jordan
As UN forces advanced cautiously in armored personnel carriers (APCs), a swarm of helicopters dropped leaflets on the immense camp, identifying the UN’s intent and instructing those in the camp to remain calm and surrender any weapons they might have. The leaflets promised that no one would be hurt as long as there was no resistance. Food and water would be provided for all; buses would be available for the elderly and handicapped; and an escort would lead the rest safely back to Israel.
The APCs stopped within a quarter mile of the encampment, and the soldiers disembarked to go the remaining distance on foot. From the Israeli camp, three men emerged and walked quickly toward the advancing troops, apparently hoping to speak to those in charge. At once the commanding general, Harlan McCoby, ordered the troops to halt in order to determine the intent of the three men. The soldiers obeyed, and General McCoby’s jeep drove through the line toward the Israeli delegation. Through binoculars he quickly verified his suspicion about the three men: the markings on their foreheads revealed that they were KDP. The general held out little hope that talking would accomplish anything, but it was incumbent upon him to try.
“Tell your forces to go back and allow us to continue,” one of the KDP said when the general’s jeep stopped in front of them.
&nb
sp; “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” the general responded as he exited his vehicle. “You’re in Jordanian territory, a protectorate of the United Nations Security Council. This land is to be repopulated by those who can demonstrate they are of Jordanian descent.”
The KDP stood fast. “If even one of your men comes beyond where we now stand,” said one, ignoring the general’s words, “the Lord God will destroy the whole of your command.”
“We’ve brought food and medical supplies. We have no intention to harm anyone,” General McCoby countered. “But you must return to Israel.”
“Nor do we wish any harm to come to you or your army,” another of the KDP responded. “But you must allow us to continue.”
With no further discussion, the three KDP turned and headed back to their camp.
“Do not resist!” General McCoby called after them. He waited a moment for a response, but when none came, he returned to his jeep and gave the order for his troops to advance.
Within two minutes the first of the UN soldiers reached the point where the encounter with the KDP had occurred. For a moment the general held his breath, but as they crossed the imaginary line the KDP had drawn, nothing happened. Soon they were within a hundred yards of the camp. In front of them members of the KDP waited, forming a wall of flesh between the fleeing Israelis and the UN forces. Behind the KDP, the entire camp waited anxiously. Then, as if on cue — though no word was spoken and no sound made — every member of the KDP fell face down onto the ground and let out a wail of supplication to their god. With no more warning than that, as far as the eye could see, the ground beneath the soldiers’ feet quivered and became like quicksand, which swallowed the struggling soldiers and all of their equipment. In just seconds it was over. The ground became solid again, burying alive 4,200 men and women from twenty-seven nations. Not one soldier or piece of military equipment remained.[40]
The Christ Clone Trilogy - Book Three: ACTS OF GOD (Revised & Expanded) Page 5