The Illuminati
A SECRET SOCIETY REVEALED. AN ANCIENT CONSPIRACY UNLEASHED.
THE ILLUMINATI
A NOVEL
LARRY BURKETT
Copyright © 1991 by Larry Burkett
Copyright © 2004 by Judy Burkett
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansâelectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherâexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by WestBow Press.
Publisher's Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
All Scripture quotations are paraphrased.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Burkett, Larry.
The illuminati / Larry Burkett.â Repackaged ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-5955-4001-6 (trade paper)
1. Tribulation (Christian eschatology)âFiction. 2. International economic integrationâFiction. 3. Computer programmersâFiction. 4.
IlluminatiâFiction. 5. ClergyâFiction. I. Title.
PS3552.U7243I45 2004
813'.54âdc22
2004012823
Printed in the United States of America
04 05 06 07 08 PHX 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Table of Contents
7 SELLING THEN ATIONON DATA-NET
We are pleased to reintroduce this edition of
The Illuminati
, a Christian suspense thriller written by beloved author and speaker Larry Burkett. Mr. Burkett was most recognized for his dedication to ministry: teaching biblical principles of money management through Christian Financial Concepts. But he also enjoyed writing fiction. First published in 1991,
The Illuminati
allured readers with its chilling depiction of the future. In this edition, we updated the manuscript, especially dates and technological references. Now we proudly introduce it to a new generation of readersâand reintroduce it to those who loved it the first time around.
Obviously this is a book unlike any I have ever written before. Prior to
The Illuminati
I had written nonfiction only. It is my sincere desire, as a fiction reader myself, that good, nonoffensive fiction be made available to the public. I trust this is the first of many novels that I will write. I would like to say thanks to my editor at Thomas Nelson, Janet Thoma, for all the help and encouragement she provided. Also, thanks to Adeline Griffith for her editing and typing skills, and, very importantly, to my wife, Judy, for her tolerance while I was working on this book (and two nonfiction books).
My biggest concern in writing a novel is that someone may read too much into it. Obviously, I tried to use as realistic a scenario as possible in this story. But it is purely fictional, including the characters, events, and timing. It should not be assumed that it is prophetic in any regard. As best I know, I have a gift for teaching, a talent for writing, and no prophetic abilities beyond that of any other Christian.
Most of all, I trust that you will enjoy reading this book as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
In Christ
,
Larry Burkett, 1991
T
HE
C
OLLAPSE OF
A
MERICA
On February 16, 2015, the president of the United States scheduled an emergency press conference at the White House to discuss his executive order to suspend the Congress. In normal fashion, half of the media staff were assembled at the White House, while the other half were focused on the Senate.
The hastily assembled media room in the Senate building was packed with news people. The last five years had been a media dream. First the depression of 2010 had sent millions of Americans into the streets to protest as they saw their homes repossessed and businesses ruined. Then the 2014 election of liberal Senator Mark Hunt to the presidency was a clear mandate by the people to government: Restore the economy and stop the rampant crime wave sweeping the nation.
Hunt's reforms pitted him against the Congress, as funding for essential services was drastically reduced. Now, in an unprecedented move, President Hunt had suspended Congress.
“Ten seconds. Stand by. Rolling.”
“Good evening, America. This is the World News Network, coming to you from the floor of the Congress, where for only the third time in the last one hundred years the House had decided to take up the gauntlet and actively seek to impeach a president. Not since the days of Nixon or Clinton has a president faced such pressure. But there is no evidence that President Hunt is considering resigning. In fact, he has all but dared the Congress to try to impeach him.
“Here with me now is Senator John Grant, the senate minority leader and the strongest opponent of President Hunt.
“Senator Grant, what is your reaction to the president's move, and is it constitutional?”
“The president invoked the Balanced Budget Amendment and virtually shut down the Congress. This is an unconscionable decision.”
“Explain the Balanced Budget Amendment, Senator.”
“It is the constitutional amendment passed during the previous administration, which gives the president line-item veto power to control the flow of funds through the government. It was first used to freeze the United Arabs' assets after they invaded Israel in 2011.”
“How has President Hunt used this bill?”
“Just today he announced that all funding for operating the Congress will be suspended for the duration of the fiscal year.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“It means that we can't operate for the next five months. It also means that the president holds the reins of this government, since Congress can't pay its bills.”
“Kind of the âold golden rule,' isn't it, Senator?”
“Pardon me?”
“âHe who holds the gold makes the rules.'”
“Well, the president may think so, but I'm about to show him he's dead wrong. I believe there are enough votes in the Congress to bring him to trial. His actions are clearly unconstitutional.”
In his earpiece the commentator heard his director comment, “Keep it up. This is the best stuff since the White Water investigation. Our Insta-pol shows that we have over 70 percent of Americans watching us right now. Hold it a minute. We have a news bulletin coming in now from the White House. Stand by, we're going to the White House now. . . .”
“Senator Grant, we have just received an urgent message from the White House. Please stand by while we get this latest update.”
The life-sized monitors in the newsroom sprang to life. The familiar face of Linda Lipsey, WWN White House correspondent, appeared on the screen. “I'm standing in the press room of the White House now, where the president will be addressing the nation in just a moment,” she reported. Even as she spoke, the door adjoining the press room and the Oval Office opened, and President Hunt strode through, flanked by secret service agents. The room, which had housed so many past briefings with other presidents, seemed to take on a life of its own with newspeople and their crews pushing and shoving one another for the best positions.