by Samuel David
The Prophet then looked at Benjamin and said very calmly, “As of yesterday, Benjamin, I am now Israel’s leader by Adonai’s choice. I will be their leader until; once again, I am taken up to the Father. Then, and only then, will the Israelis govern themselves again. Until that time, and you may tell your government, you may tell your generals, you may tell your secret service people, what I have said. I will also say this once more; I have ways to keep Israel in line and if necessary, I will use them. Go back to your books and read your scriptures of the period of no rain during the time of King Ahab.”
Elijah paused then, looking up at both men and said, “By tomorrow this Dome will no longer be here. Tell them to bring the machines to remove the rubble, which is all that will be left of their shrines. Try to save parts of the buildings. Many of the bricks were made originally for the temple built by Solomon. We will reuse those materials. Also, bring equipment to excavate and remove very large stones. We need to retrieve some of the possessions of the Temple.”
“Are you going to destroy the Temple yourself tonight, Elijah?” Yona asked.
“No, your enemies will destroy it, and it will be very soon. As we speak, they have just launched their rockets towards Jerusalem. You must both leave and take cover; for when they approach all three that were launched will hit right here in the middle of their shrine and it will be totally and completely destroyed by their own hands.”
Benjamin stood then and said to Yona, “Let’s go. We must get to the Prime Minister immediately and tell him what Elijah has said.”
Yona looked up at Benjamin, shaking his head back and forth as he said, “I will stay here with the prophet to see with my own eyes what I have waited my entire life to see, the destruction of the Temple Mount as it stands now.”
“It’s not safe, Yona. We must leave and you too, Elijah.”
“God will protect us, Benjamin. Go and tell the men of Israel what I have said, all of what I said.”
As soon as he had finished saying his last words, the warning sirens started across Israel. Benjamin began walking towards the limousine then started running. Elijah then stood and said to Yona, “Look up into the night skies and watch, Yona. Watch what Adonai can do.”
The Prophet started searching the sky until he could make out the streak of the missiles coming towards Jerusalem. The ground ICBMS from the Iron Dome System streaked up into the sky towards the missiles and the anti-aircraft guns were now firing. The night sky was lit up from the spotlights searching for oncoming danger.
Yona watched as Elijah raised his hands towards the sky, pointing at the oncoming missiles. His hands were steady as he followed their trajectory. Moving his hands in much the same way as that of a conductor in a symphony, with Adonai’s help, he started changing the course of each missile. Slowly, all three missiles changed their direction in a sharp left turn. They were now flying in perfect formation, like three fighter jets would be in an air show. You could now see the fire from the rockets as they started on a downward trajectory towards where Elijah stood.
Yona stood transfixed, watching Elijah. The sirens were still blasting their warnings and the loud speakers were warning Israel that they were under attack. As the missiles came closer, Yona could see that Elijah unwaveringly kept his hands to the sky and was speaking in a language he could not understand. Then he saw the missiles streaking towards them. They appeared as if they were aimed directly at him and the Prophet.
Then Elijah dropped his hands and took Yona’s hand, pulling the other man towards him. He pushed him against the wall, shielding him with his body and cloak.
All three missiles hit simultaneously. The ground shook as the sky lit up as if it was daylight. The explosions as the missiles impacted could be heard all across Jerusalem. The debris was on fire as it fell from the sky around them, lighting up the entire Temple Mount area, even below the wall where they both crouched.
After a few minutes when the major explosions around them had subsided, Elijah slowly rose up from above Yona. He walked out to where the Dome used to be.
He looked over at Yona then pointed to where the Dome of the Rock had stood just moments before, “Look, Yona, they have destroyed their own temple and now the Temple of Adonai can and will be rebuilt.”
Yona looked at the Temple Mount, which was ablaze. It appeared as if the entire top of the Mount was on fire. Explosions were going off continuously and debris was still raining down near them. He watched in fear as he saw the figure of Elijah, the fires burning on top of the Mount behind him and the reflection of the light from the fire lighting up his face. His expression was that of fire itself, almost as if laughing at the destruction. His dark eyes were blazing in obvious triumph.
Yona then fell to his knees, looking up at the fire and prayed, “Oh dear Adonai, you have shown me your power tonight through your Prophet, Elijah. I now truly believe in you and your son the Messiah, Jesus Christ, with all my heart and all my soul.”
The religious leader then lay prostrate on the ground. Soon he felt a hand on his head and heard Elijah say, “Dear God, we have the first of the 144,000 we seek.”
Then he said, “We need to get up and out of the way Yona.”
Yona obeyed the command and as he got to his feet, he saw the fire trucks racing to the Mount with the military vehicles behind them. Between the explosions on the Mount, the air raid sirens, and the approaching rescue equipment, the sound was deafening. Both men moved away from the entrance to a safe distance from the Mount where they stood to watch.
Yona turned to Elijah and asked, “What of the people, the caretakers, the priests, and all the others who were inside their Temple?”
Elijah looked at him and shrugged his shoulders.
“They chose to not believe in Adonai’s power, even though they were warned.” He paused, shaking his head slowly back and forth, then added, “Their choice sealed their own fate.”
He said nothing more as he lifted his gaze to the top of the Mount. After a moment, he turned his head from the fires and looked at Yona again.
“Yona, always remember what you have seen tonight. Always keep your heart strong and believe in Adonai’s power. You will be a leader of men and lead many to the salvation of their souls after I am gone. For the next three years, you will be by my side where you will learn from me. This is so you will be prepared to teach others about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The camera crews were now everywhere in the area, along with rescue teams and firefighters. The Temple Mount area was sealed off for about four blocks. Yona and Elijah then sat down on the wet stones outside the entrance a safe distance away and watched as they worked.
A news camera crew finally found them.
“What has happened here?” a reporter asked in Hebrew.
Smiling at him, Elijah simply stated for the cameras, “Your enemies have destroyed their own Temple. So now thanks to them we can immediately rebuild the Temple for Adonai and His son, Jesus Christ.”
The reporter was then silent but the camera had caught Elijah smiling, as he had the thought, Finally, the Temple of Adonai’s chosen people will be rebuilt.
Chapter 46
2:05 PM Friday Bear News Affiliate Studios in Kansas City
The breaking news logo appeared on the screen, interrupting the coverage of the Vice President’s plane going down. In the background, John and Don were reading the dispatches and speaking with their affiliate in Israel. Once they were confident they had the story line down pat, John went live. Don was rounding up others to get commentary of what had just happened in Israel.
The announcer said, “We interrupt our current programming to bring you breaking news from Israel. Here is John Roddenburg.” The logo changed to the camera focused on the anchor desk. John began, “We’ve just received news that the Temple Mount was attacked by three missiles and has been totally destroyed. We are now going to our affiliate reporter in Israel, Jaeger Barak, who is live o
n site at the Temple Mount, where the Dome of the Rock used to be. Jaeger, can you hear me?”
There was a time delay, and then John repeated, “Jaeger, can you hear me?
Yes John, it is just very noisy and difficult to hear. As you can see from the scene behind me, emergency equipment and personnel are battling the flames on the Temple Mount and trying to keep the crowds at bay. If you look directly behind me, even though it is dark, you can see the flames still shooting into the night sky from the impact. We were informed that gas lines on the Mount ruptured. A few moments ago, it is assumed that the leaking gas caused a major fireball on the Mount. We understand that those have now been turned off from the feeds below.”
“Any idea, Jaeger, on how many people were inside the Dome when the missiles hit?”
“We really do not have a complete total of casualties or injuries. So far, all we can tell you is maybe thirty to forty maintenance workers and caretakers. They are all Jordanian Nationals. They would have been in the area along with several clerics and their supporting staff.”
“What about the other buildings on the Mount other than the Dome itself?”
“Well, as best as we can ascertain, John, there is nothing on that Mount other than a huge crater. Some of the debris from the impact covers a two-mile area. All the mosques located on the Mount have been destroyed. As I said earlier, as best as we can tell, there are no structures still standing on the Mount. The al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock and the Dome of the Chain are all destroyed. What we have is a huge hole where they used to be.”
“Jaeger, are there any religious issues with firefighters and rescue teams entering the Temple Mount?”
“As you know, John, Israelis are prohibited from entering the area. For now, it appears that this restriction is being overlooked. The firefighters here are Israeli and they are on the Mount.
“Any word from government officials in Israel that you may have heard?”
“The Israelis are saying that the Iranians launched the missiles. This is the only official word we have from them. The Israeli government is not getting the blame, at least not for now. But there is one thing that may interest the viewers.”
“What is that, Jaeger?”
“Elijah and one of the Chief Rabbinates were at the entrance gate to the Dome when impact occurred. We had a camera crew here because we were not sure if Elijah would speak again or not. We had lights put on the makeshift podium in case he decided to say something. Just before impact, Elijah was looking up at the sky, pointing at something. The last footage we have before impact is when he grabbed the Rabbi and then pressed him against the wall. We filmed a statement from him a few minutes after the explosions. However, we no longer have the tape. The Israeli government seized the tapes of those incidents with Elijah before and after the impact.”
“Are you aware of what Elijah said, which was recorded on the tape?”
“Yes, John, the cameraman had written down what Elijah had said when they caught up with him after the impact.”
“What did he say?”
Jaeger then unfolded a piece of paper that he had in his hands. “What he said to the camera operator was ‘your enemies have destroyed their own Temple. So now, thanks to them, we can immediately rebuild the Temple for our God and His Son, Jesus Christ.’”
“Is this an exact quote from the cameraman?”
“Yes it is, John. As I said earlier, the Israeli government seized the actual tape of that quote. We cannot confirm the exact words. We only have what the cameraman remembers and wrote down.”
“Thanks, Jaeger, please stay where you are, we may want to come back to you as we sort this out.”
“Ok John, we will be here as long as they let us stay. This is Jaeger Barak, live in Jerusalem.”
John then turned back to the camera at the anchor desk and said, “As you can see, it appears that the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is now barren, for the first time since the building of the first Temple in 957 BC. I have with me here in Kansas City on the phone, Rabbi, Yose Shemayah.”
John then looked toward the speakerphone on the anchor desk and said, “Thank you, Rabbi, for agreeing to talk to us on such short notice. I want to ask you only one specific question. You heard what was just reported in Israel and what Elijah said, or was deemed to have said. After hearing this alleged comment, do you think the Israeli government will rebuild the Temple? Or Rabbi should Israel give the Mount back to the Jordanian Waqf to rebuild their shrines?”
“To be honest, John, I have no idea what they may do, but I can tell you what I want to happen.”
“What is that, Rabbi?”
“Rebuild the Temple for God or who we call Adonai. The reason is simple, at least to me. I know that the Messiah will be here soon and the Temple must be there for Him when He arrives.”
“Do you think, Rabbi, that many like you feel the same?”
“Yes I do, but then there are always the politics. Nevertheless, Elijah and Enoch declared that the Lord was coming, right here in Kansas City. I believe politics needs to be tabled and we take advantage of this God-given situation. It was not the Jews who destroyed the Temple. It was the Iranians. This situation should pave the way for Israel to rebuild the Temple.”
“Rabbi,” John said, “You heard the Iranians claim that they did not target the Temple Mount. It appears that there was a glitch in the trajectory. How do you feel about that?”
The phone was silent for a few moments, and then the Rabbi replied, “Adonai wants the Temple rebuilt. The only way John this could occur was to destroy what was on it now. Moreover, I can tell you John there was no software problem. I know in my heart it was, Adonai’s will that destroyed the Temple. The Iranians only supplied the means to do so.”
“Any other comments, Rabbi?”
“Yes, I think that Jews worldwide need to return to Israel, as Elijah commanded the other night. The Temple will be rebuilt, it appears, and that means the Messiah is at our doorstep. It is time to go home.”
“Does that mean you are going also?”
“Yes, and most of our members are also. There is going to be thousands…no, tens of thousands of Jews returning to the Promised Land. It is time, John.”
“Thank you, Rabbi; we appreciate you being so candid with us.”
“You’re welcome, John.”
John looked away from the speakerphone then said, “We are going to take a break. We will be back with more on the situation in Jerusalem and all the other news we are following. Stay tuned, for we have a lot of news.”
Chapter 47
10:45 PM IDF Kiyra Military Complexes, Tel Aviv, Israel
“We have confirmation that the three incoming Fajr-3 Missiles struck the Temple Mount pretty well dead center. They were on track to hit two targets in Jerusalem and one here in Tel Aviv but for some reason, they literally changed direction and hit the Shrine. Also, the Iron Dome was unable to intercept them, even though they deployed.”
“Origination, Corporal?”
“Iran, sir.”
“Any coordinates of the exact launch spot?”
“Bakhtaran, on the Eastern side of Iraq sir; Longitude-45.9775-45° 58' 39" E, Latitude-34.3508-34° 21' 2.9" N. Launch time was at 21:40:38. Impact was at 21:55:53PM sir.”
“Heat signature?”
“Conventional bomb, sir, armed with three warheads each at 2,200 pounds each. That payload would make quite a mess, sir.”
“Thank you, Corporal, you may continue. Please see if you can obtain any additional satellite photos of the impact site.”
“Yes, sir.”
Captain John Bernstein then picked up the phone and called Chief of the General Staff of the IDF, Jacob Schwartz, on the direct line at the IDF HQ.
“General.”
“Yes?”
“Captain John Bernstein. We have forwarded the information on the attack and are waiting for your instructions.”
“Are there any other incoming object
s of interest that you can see?”
“No sir, not at this time.”
“Impact information available yet?”
“We do have imagery and also people on site. It appears all three with three warheads, each at 2200 pounds, hit dead center in the Dome of the Rock complex.”
“Any idea how that may have happened, seeing that our computers were calculating trajectories aimed at the government complex in Jerusalem, specifically the Knesset?”
“I don’t know, sir. The tracking from the model shows that all three missiles literally made a wide turn then plunged straight down. The result was a direct hit at the Dome Complex.”
“Any chance there was an error in our tracking software?”
“None sir, we have gone over it several times now.”
“Any troop movement or anything else indicating the Iranians are planning any additional action?”
“No sir, not even in Tehran.”
“Alright Captain, I expect that a detailed report is forthcoming very soon.”
“Any other instructions, sir?”
“No, not at this time, Captain. If the situation changes please notify me immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jacob hung up the phone. He walked over to the computer screen to replay the track of the missiles. After watching the replay for the third time, he looked up, shook his head, as he said to himself, “Impossible. This is absolutely impossible.”
Chapter 48
10:46 PM Prime Minister David Ben Bernstein’s underground bunker, Jerusalem, Israel
“Shlomo, what do we have as of now?”
“Prime Mister Bernstein, there are no more missiles incoming to Israeli airspace. As we briefed you moments ago, the three that hit were at the Dome of the Rock.”
“How is that possible?”
“We do not know, sir. The computers calculated that the Iranians targeted our government complex here in Jerusalem. Our ICBMs were locked in from the Iron Dome System and launched but missed. The missiles themselves took sharp left turns then literally flew in formation. The radar tracking them showed the missiles arcing up then going down in a straight line. It was a direct hit right through the center of the complex. As of now, they appear to have destroyed everything, and I mean everything.”