Deceived (26 page)

Judd awoke wondering if it would be his last morning on earth. It was clear Carpathia and Fortunato had the power to kill believers, and with all the GC Peacekeepers and Morale Monitors in Jerusalem, Judd knew he had to be careful.

He walked with Mr. Stein toward the Temple Mount. Sam and Lionel followed a few minutes behind. Military vehicles lined the streets leading to the Old City, but there were few Peacekeepers or Morale Monitors.

Mr. Stein smiled. “The Global Community workers are experiencing the truth of the Bible.”

“I don't get it,” Judd said.

“Revelation 16:2 says, ‘So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl over the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue.' ”

“A plague of boils?”

“Yes.”

One of Mr. Stein's friends rushed to them. “It's happening. The prophet of God has come!”

“Where?” Mr. Stein said.

“At the Temple Mount. He just spoke and demanded an audience with the evil one. He warned Carpathia not to touch the remnant of Israel, believers in Jesus of Nazareth! He calls himself Micah. And when Global Community guards tried to shoot him, they became paralyzed. Now one of the GC leaders is questioning Micah.”

Judd and Mr. Stein rushed toward the Temple Mount, finally spotting a ring of GC Peacekeepers around an old man dressed in a monklike robe. The robe was gathered at the waist by a braid of rope.

The GC leader identified himself as Loren Hut and ordered people to stand back. A television camera caught the action as Hut pulled a gun from its holster, scratched himself, and prepared to fire at the man named Micah.

The gun exploded so loudly that the crowd fell back. Expecting to see a lifeless, bloody body, Judd opened his eyes to see Micah alive and well. Loren Hut fired again, only inches away, but again the bullet appeared to miss. Hut fired the gun again and again, but nothing happened.

Someone near Judd laughed and said, “This is a joke! A put-on! He's shooting blanks!”

Loren Hut screamed, “Blanks?” He turned and fired directly into the man's chest. The man fell backward, dead before he hit the ground. Hut turned and fired two more shots at Micah, but neither did any harm. Hut threw his gun away and rubbed his body against a nearby tree, crying in agony.

Minutes later Carpathia arrived by helicopter. He approached the gathering and made sure cameras were trained on his every move. Judd and Mr. Stein stood behind the scene a few yards but could hear every word spoken.

“You are too old to be Tsion Ben-Judah,” Carpathia said. “And you call yourself Micah.”

Judd saw contempt on Carpathia's face. As Judd studied Micah, he thought it could be Dr. Chaim Rosenzweig, but he wasn't sure.

After one of Carpathia's troops fell to the ground scratching and writhing in pain, Carpathia said, “I concede I have you to thank for the fact that nearly my entire workforce is suffering this morning.”

“Probably all of them,” Micah said. “If they are not, you might want to check the authenticity of their marks.”

“How did you do it?”

“Not I, but God.”

“You are looking into the face of god,” Carpathia said.

“On the contrary, I fear God. I do not fear you.”

“So, Micah, what will it take for you to lift this magic spell that has incapacitated my people?”

“There is no magic here. This is the judgment of almighty God.”

Nicolae smiled. “All right. What does
almighty God
want in exchange for lightening up on this
judgment?”

For the next few minutes Judd watched as God's servant dealt with the evil ruler. Finally, Micah said, “A million of God's chosen people in this area alone have chosen to believe in Messiah. They would die before they would take your mark.”

“Then they shall die!”

“You must let them flee this place before you pour out revenge on your enemies.”

“Never!”

Judd looked around and realized everyone who had Carpathia's mark was now either on the ground writhing in pain or moving to makeshift medical tents for help.

“Your only hope to avoid the next terrible plague from heaven is to let Israelis who believe in Messiah go,” Micah said.

Carpathia's eyes darted back and forth. “And what might that next plague entail?”

“You will know when you know,” Micah said. “But I can tell you this: It will be worse than the one that has brought your people low. I need a drink of water.”

Someone brought a bottle of water, and Micah showed Nicolae it had turned to blood.

Nicolae said, “I want my people healthy and my water pure.”

“You know the price.”

“Specifics.”

“Israeli Jews who have chosen to believe Jesus the Christ is their Messiah must be allowed to leave before you punish anyone for not taking your mark. And devout Orthodox Jews must be allowed a place where they can worship after you have defiled their temple.”

Judd's mind reeled. He was watching prophecy fulfilled before his very eyes. Carpathia left, and people who had not yet taken the mark volunteered to help set up cameras and equipment. As they followed Micah to the temple, Judd noticed Mr. Stein's lips moving in silent prayer.

“Citizens!” Micah said in a clear voice. “Hear me! You who have not taken the mark of loyalty! There may still be time to choose to obey the one true and living God! While the evil ruler of this world promises peace, there is no peace! While he promises benevolence and prosperity, look at your world! Everyone who has preceded you in taking the mark and worshiping the image of the man of sin now suffers with grievous sores. That is your lot if you follow him.

“By now you must know that the world has been divided. Nicolae Carpathia is the opponent of God and wishes only your destruction, regardless of his lies. The God who created you loves you. His Son who died for your sins will return to set up his earthly kingdom in less than three and a half years, and if you have not already rejected him one time too many, you may receive him now.

“You were born in sin and separated from God, but the Bible says God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Ephesians 2:8-9 says that nothing we can do will earn our salvation but that ‘it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.' The only payment for our sins was Jesus Christ's death on the cross. Because besides being fully man, he is fully God and his one death had the power to cleanse all of us of our sin.

“John 1:12 says that to ‘as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God' by believing on his name. How do you receive Christ? Merely tell God that you know you are a sinner and that you need him. Accept the gift of salvation, believe that Christ is risen, and say so. For many, it is already too late. I beg of you to receive Christ.”

Vicki sat in the backseat as Mark drove through the night. Manny said he could feel the prayers of the people in Wisconsin. Manny tuned in nonstop radio reports from Jerusalem and around the world about the plague of sores that affected everyone who had the mark of Carpathia. Even news reporters were in pain.

He found one station that aired a live broadcast from New Babylon featuring Dr. Consuela Conchita. Her voice was strained as she suggested people bathe often and wear loose clothing.

Mark shook his head. “It's going to take more than soap and baggy pants to stop this plague.”

Lionel and Sam drew close to Micah as dozens of unmarked civilians approached the old man and prayed with him. Immediately the mark of God's seal appeared on their foreheads.

Micah rose to speak. “Those of you who are Jews, listen carefully. God has prepared a special place of refuge for you. When Carpathia's plans to retaliate reach their zenith, listen for my announcement and head south out of the city. Volunteers will drive you to Mizpe Ramon in the Negev. My assistant here will tell you how to recognize them by something we can see that our enemy cannot. If you cannot find transportation, get to the Mount of Olives where, just as from Mizpe Ramon, you will be airlifted by helicopter to Petra, the ancient Arabian city in southwestern Jordan. There God has promised to protect us until the Glorious Appearing of Jesus when he sets up his thousand-year reign on earth.”

“Praise God,” Sam whispered as he looked over the crowd. “I wish Daniel was here to hear this.”

“Maybe he is,” Lionel said.

As the time of Nicolae's appearance at the temple neared, Orthodox Jews approached. Micah pleaded with them to believe the truth about Jesus, but they scowled.

Finally, Carpathia arrived, arguing with Micah and the holy men and telling them they would know soon that he was god. He threatened Micah, then turned to the Orthodox Jews. “You will regret the day Israel turned her back on me. A covenant of peace is only as good as either side keeping its word.”

“Boo!” an Orthodox man shouted and others joined in. “You would dare blaspheme our God?”

Carpathia turned toward the temple, then spun back. “Your God? Where is he? Inside? Shall I go and see? If he is in there and does not welcome me, should I tremble? Might he strike me dead?”

“I pray he does!” a rabbi shouted.

Carpathia glared at the men. “You will regret the day you opposed me. It shall not be long before you either submit to my mark or succumb to my blade.”

Lionel glanced at one of the huge monitors strategically placed for all to see and noticed the network feed showed Carpathia going inside the temple. Outside, men cried out to God.

Now it was Micah's turn. He raised his voice for all to hear. “If you are God, why can you not heal your own Most High Reverend Father or the woman closer to you than a relative? Where are all your military leaders and the other members of your cabinet?”

Carpathia walked back outside and Micah continued. “Where are your loyal followers, those who have taken your cursed mark and worshiped you and your image? A body covered with boils is the price one pays to worship you, and you claim to be God?”

Nicolae finally went inside again, and Lionel noticed the feed had switched to GCNN in New Babylon. The news anchor explained Carpathia's movements and gave a brief history of the battle over who should be worshiped in the temple. “His Excellency will eventually enter the Holy of Holies,” the newscaster said, “but first he is insisting on the removal of the dissidents. Let's go back.”

Lionel shuddered as Carpathia appeared in a darkened inner chamber of the temple. “Anyone not here in honor to me may be shot dead,” he said. “Are you armed and prepared?”

“No!” someone said.

Another man said, “I am armed.”

“You,” Nicolae said, pointing to the first man, “take Mr. Moon's weapon and do your duty.”

The camera turned and showed the face of the man refusing the gun. Sam gasped and said, “It's Daniel, the man I introduced to you yesterday! He must have volunteered so he could be close to Nicolae.”

But Daniel refused the gun. The camera shook and a shot rang out. Someone cried in pain. The camera locked on Carpathia holding the gun. He nodded in the other direction and said, “Show him.” The camera panned and Lionel spotted Daniel's body, still and lifeless.

Lionel felt sick to his stomach. Carpathia had killed Daniel without hesitation. Had Daniel refused because he saw who Nicolae really was? Was there a chance he could have become a believer?

Suddenly, the video feed showing the body switched to a close-up of Micah. His voice boomed through the speakers on the monitors overhead.

“Not only does the evil ruler of this world want to rid the priests of their rightful place in their own temple,” Micah said, “but it also appears he has personally committed murder at this holy site.”

Lionel put an arm around Sam as the boy wept. Lionel knew the world would get violent in the next few years, but how much worse could things get?

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