Zahra Albakri’s tears were smearing her make-up. I smiled shyly at her. I had just said my goodbyes to the wedding party, to all the hosts and the celebrants in attendance. The wedding was still underway but I was leaving the islet for good. I was never coming back.
“You must come back for a visit at least,” Zahra entreated me earnestly. She was fetching a bottle of juice from the refrigerator. “Things aren’t going to be the same here without you.”
For the third time, Zaha Raia was beckoning to her daughter from the reception hall.
“We may be seeing each other in the air, with the Lord Jesus Christ,” I quickly said to Zahra. I wasn’t fond of long and tearful farewells. “Please go back to your mother; she’s been calling for you the past five minutes. And cheer up. This is a happy occasion. It’s Azaria’s wedding, isn’t it?”
Her mother cried out again: “Zahra, where’s the juice?”
Then, her sister appeared at the doorway, standing under the architrave. She was radiant in her wedding dress.
“Here you are,” she smiled. “Are you leaving us now, Misha?”
I nodded: “Be happy with your new life, Azaria.”
“And you with yours,” Azaria rejoined. “Misha is right, little sister: we shall see each other again in heaven. Antichrist must have his way with the remnants but even if we finally do get caught we can be of good cheer. We may lose our lives but we shall be raised up with new bodies at the First Resurrection.”
I nodded: “And it shall come to pass that at Yah’s command we shall ride toward Har Megiddo behind the Lord Yahushua. It won’t be long. Now go back to your party, both of you. I’ll see myself out.”
I departed from the sisters, making my way to the parking lot. There I found my bicycle, still tied to the tree where I had left it a few hours ago. It was moist with dew. I wiped the saddle before mounting it. Then, I glanced over at the celebration going on under the marquee.
“So long, my friends,” I whispered.
I started for my seaside residence, taking the shoreline route. This morning’s storm had carried itself clear off the coast. The sun was setting behind the cloud cover. Now and then, I made brief stops to take a last nostalgic look at the scenic country – the rock faces, the cove and the lagoon – that I had come to know fairly well during my two-year stint in this little known atoll amid the Arabian peninsula. These traces of the beauty of God’s creation amid the plague-ravaged wastelands were the enduring vestiges of earth pre-apocalypse.
A few yards away from my cottage, I hopped down from my Hunqapillar. I stopped short of entering my house. Instead I stood on the driveway, wondering about the lighted den within it. I knew I had not left any light on before I left the house in the morning. I had double checked. And it couldn’t be my former roommate – Jerel’s repatriation to Petra was ordered four months ago.
I contemplated assuming invisibility and surprising my guests. I also thought: On the other hand, if whoever’s within happens to be in the window watching me and catches me dematerializing before his eyes, my life and the lives of the saints I’m protecting may be put in jeopardy.
Besides, whoever was within probably already heard my arrival. He’d be waiting for me. Whoever it was must be friendly: why else would he have left the light on to alert me?
I examined the soil around me. My guests had left behind their shoe prints: on the ground were the clues of what appeared to be two sets of homogeneous treads made by heavy size-14 combat boots.
That could mean one of several possibilities: my home invaders were from the Antichrist’s counter-insurgency forces, in which case I could easily take them out; they were from the national militia, in which case I was in some trouble, for they were Antichrist’s super soldiers, albeit of a relatively smaller stature; they were comrades from the Israeli Defense Forces, in which case I had nothing to fear.
I drew out the butterfly knife from the top of my right boot. I took a deep breath and, then, somewhat gingerly started toward my hutch. I was taking small and uneasy steps, consciously putting one cautious foot in front of the other, as though I was learning to walk again.
When I finally reached the top landing, I found the front door partly open. I gave it a slight push with three fingers.
I stepped onto the threshold. The floorboard creaked beneath my feet.
I shook my head. “So typical,” I winced, self-depreciatively. “Typically maladroit, that is.”
My eyes rolled while I considered the two uniformed men standing by the camp pot belly fireplace in front of my small living room. Their backs were facing the door.
The two Commandos had already heard me. They were turning round to face me.
“Gabriel,” I whispered and, focusing next on the soldier beside him, I said, “Michael.”
So relieved was I, and ecstatic at seeing the two elders, that I wanted to leap into their arms. Indeed, I would’ve done just that two years ago; for I was still a child two years ago – so everyone kept telling me. But I was older now, inhibitions had replaced innocence, and it was all I could do to nod at them.
Michael appeared to feel it was up to him to break the ice. He reached his arms out to me, encouraging me.
I crossed over the threshold, self-consciously pacing my steps. I was struggling to liberate myself from my self-imposed sense of reserve, and then, yes, dear reader, my recently acquired pedigreed habits melted away and I flung myself into his embrace. I couldn’t help myself, could I, for Mika was the one I loved foremost and most? He held me affectionately and we hugged and kissed each other’s cheeks for a brief time. After that I hugged and kissed Gabriel as well.
“I believe the wedding was over two hours ago,” Gabriel said in a mock-scolding tone. Mika had assumed ownership of my knife. “Mishael, you had your orders. What held you back?”
We pulled apart. I spied Mika jamming my knife into his pistol holster.
“Gabriel,” I sighed, “you’re always too concerned that I toe the company line. I apologize but I wasn’t being disobedient. I was caught up in an emergency. In Libya yesterday, a hurricane swept through Sirte and, within minutes, the entire township was inundated by a deluge.”
“What?” they exclaimed.
I chuckled: “That was a non sequitur.”
Mika looked down at his boots and scratched his right brow bone. He couldn’t help but smile.
Then, remembering something, he uttered to Gabriel: “‘Be careful what you wish for.’”
Gabriel nodded at me. “Touché,” he stated and, then, grinned.
I felt about six and a half feet tall.
“Seriously, though,” I clarified, “Sirte is nearly destroyed, but no, I was nowhere near there. However, there was another storm here as well last night. Several trees were uprooted and that damaged a number of the roofs of the refugees’ shelters. I had spent most of this afternoon helping to repair the shelters. Before that, I was helping to repair the marquee for the wedding party. Last night’s storm had also torn that down, delaying the start of the wedding ceremony, which by the way is still underway. And, so, I was delayed returning to Petra. Forgive me, Gabriel. Please, don’t look so cross.”
“Mishael,” Gabriel replied, “ah, never mind. I’m just glad to see you.”
“And I you, Gabriel. Always.”
“Gabriel isn’t cross with you,” Mika explained. “When he’s in his human form, his scowl is permanently etched on his face. It’s become his trademark. Are you ready to come home now, Mish?”
I shrugged. “It’s not that easy to up and leave, Mika. My heart is heavy. The Lord’s remnants – they still need us.”
Michael grasped my shoulders firmly. “They’re never going to stop needing us,” he stated, “for life continues for them. The sick will need healing; the amorous will wed; babies will be born. Occasionally, someone will die. The Lord has a plan for all His followers, and everything they’ve gone through up to this point has brought them to this place of complete trust in, and dependence on, Him. This is what the Lord has taught you and what you’ve been teaching them. You need to let go.
“The Lord has a purpose for you, too, for all His angels. Our duty’s to obey the Lord and His will. You were instructed to return to base half a day ago, Mish, and we mustn’t delay our return to heaven.”
I understood. No sooner had I assumed my angelic persona than all three of us were back at the Command Headquarters in Petra. Already I was missing my Saudi friends to whom I’d been ministering for almost two years. It wasn’t easy to leave behind the people with whom you had built a meaningful relationship for close to two years. And they weren’t just people; they were friends . . . lifelong friends that were also my spiritual children like Nyla Almusa; and like the Albakri sisters, Zahra and Azaria, as well as their beloved mother, Madam Zaha Raia.
It was uncannily quiet at Headquarters. I followed my elders to the Situation Room, which was chock full; two thousand angels and Halflings were packed in there. At our appearance, the room erupted into loud cheering. I felt the heat of embarrassment rise to my ears while I searched for Ariel above the heads of the angelic throng. Finding him at long last, I ran the gauntlet of hands slapping my back and patting my head while I made my way to his table. I took my place next to him and we fell into a warm embrace.
“Late again,” he smiled.
I supported my forehead with my palm. “It’s a long story,” I told him. “Tell you about it someday.”
“I’ll be holding my breath,” he teased.
Michael and Gabriel were gathered to the Council of Elders, seated in the forefront of the assembly. Mika, Gabriel and Abishael assumed their places at the centre. This trio made up the executive triumvirate within the administration: Mika was the chief of the warring angels, Gabriel the chief of the messengers and Abishael the chief of the Guardian Angels.
On the left of Mika were Uriel and Remiel. Nicknamed ‘the Lord’s Strongmen’, they were physically the most powerful of the warring angels, the ones called to lead in the angels’ combat with the armies of the forces of darkness. As the top brass of our warfare detachment, Michael, Uriel and Remiel commanded the largest combined platoon in our militia.
On the right of Gabriel was the angel, Haziel; together they constituted the Lord’s anointed messengers. They were the swiftest of the Lord’s warriors and, in addition to engaging in limited combat, they were responsible for delivering all the Lord’s proclamations to the human race. Gabriel and Uriel were also the musical precentors who led the hosts in prayer and worship. Gabriel was an exceptional composer who had authored many of the brothers’ worship paeans whereas Uriel was the most gifted baritone among the brothers. Haziel and the angel, Shimael, who was sitting beside him, were both renowned for their scholarship because of their knowledge and ‘book smarts’, as the humans would say in colloquial parlance.
Seated on the right of Shimael was Raphael and, next to him, Asahel; these two were the angels’ equivalent of the ‘medicine man’. Raphael was a general practitioner who ministered mostly to the brethren, whereas Asahel specialized in the Halflings’ and humans’ health care. Asahel also directed a staff of fifty-five Medics at the Petra Medical Centre. On the left of Remiel were Jediael, Uzziel and Shelumiel, dubbed the ‘Angels of Wisdom’ by the kindred because of their discernment and insights. They often offered oracle-like advice and guidance to the brethren and kindred.
Collectively, this Council represented the angelic leadership that had provided the brethren and kindred support, direction and protection for seven years. It was on account of this Council’s meticulous leadership that no one had died on Mika’s watch. Of course, we had moments of being tested. Even angels sometimes were polarized by clashing personalities and conflicting principles. However, in the last seven years, the Council had been there to moderate in any heated verbiage that was volleyed, to mitigate in emotions that were unbalanced, and to mediate in the paper divide when battle lines were drawn. All of us had stood on the shoulders of our elders while we successfully weathered the unfriendly fire, some of this wrought by the enemy forces. And we were all still together, a corporate unit; in less than twenty-four hours we were all going home, our real home in heaven.
Uriel, the Speaker of the Council, motioned for quiet and conversations were suspended. Henceforth, our General, the Archangel Michael, stood in our midst to address us.
“Beloved kindred and brethren,” he began, “welcome to our final debriefing on earth. Let me jump ahead to the first item on our agenda.
“On behalf of the Council of Elders, I want to welcome home the following four brothers who had been on long term deployments abroad: first of all, we welcome back Uriel and his regiment who were in the Far East, making their way from China, Tibet and Korea and, thence, to Nepal, Bhutan and India. We welcome back Remiel and his troops also; as you all know, our brothers had been protecting the saints in Hungary, Poland and Slovakia this past year and in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy the preceding year.
“To Uzziel and his squadron who were in the Pacific Islands the last six months, welcome home. Uzziel had been in Australasia since his regiment was mobilized to our base there five and a half years ago. This is the first trip home for our brother, Uzziel. To Jediael and his regiment, welcome back from North America; like Uzziel, this is our brother, Jediael’s first trip home since commencing his tour of duty in the Americas four years ago. It’s, indeed, very good to have you back with us, Jediael. We’re looking forward to hearing all about these brothers’ missions and about how the remnants in these continents were supernaturally protected by the Lord.
“Welcome home, our brothers, Zuriel and his platoon, who were in all of West and Central Africa for a year and a half; prior to that, the elder Raphael had led Zuriel’s platoon on a successful tour of South Africa where they founded the Pretorian O:AU. Our brothers’ tireless service in these regions was the reason the Lord’s elect had endured to this point.
“Welcome home, Uzziel’s platoons led by brothers, Amaliel and Raguel; and Jediael’s platoons led by brothers, Theliel and Germael. Amaliel’s presence in the Pacific Island archipelago the past two and a half years had been instrumental in expediting secure passage into Petra for the remnants that hailed from Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia; at the same time as told by Uzziel, the saints in Oceania had benefited tremendously from Raguel’s perseverance in vouchsafing their survival at all costs.
“Likewise, Theliel’s indefatigable task of protecting the elect in Latin America had been reported by Jediael and all of us here unequivocally appreciate and exult your labour there the past two years. Germael’s tireless albeit arduous labour in all of North America must be honoured and exulted for despite the panoply of challenges from the demonic Baal, brother Germael had succeeded in protecting the Lord’s elect throughout Canada and America. We thank you for your service in those mentally demanding regions.
“Welcome home also to Gabriel’s platoons led by Shealtiel and Jerel. Shealtiel’s platoon was in Bahrain for the past eight months. And Jerel’s platoon was in Kuwait for four months. Before his tour of duty in Kuwait, Jerel himself was labouring in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for eight months. To our brothers, Shealtiel and Jerel, and their troops, your labours in these physically and mentally trying locations have been noted by the elders.
“In addition to brothers, Jerel and Shealtiel, we also extend our hearty welcome home to Uriel’s platoon led by brother, Jehoel, and Remiel’s platoon led by brother, Cerubiel. Your labours on the mission fields of South East Asia and throughout Eastern and Southeastern Europe, respectively, had led to the continual survival of the Lord’s remnants while they journeyed on to Petra. On behalf of the elders, I extend my praise to both Jehoel and Cerubiel who had toiled without qualms for more than five years.
“Next, we warmly welcome back our kindred, Ariel, who was in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan the past year and in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan the year prior. All the saints in these regions are grateful for your faithful service to them.
“Welcome back also, Jeremiel, who was in Morocco, Mauritania and Mali for the past year, and Eranael, who was in Myanmar, Laos and Kampuchea the past ten months; it’s indeed an excellent report that you’re both home safe after your successful deployments.
“To our kindred, Qael, who was in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Haiti the past two years, we’re glad to see you again and hope to hear your singing soon; to Nethanel, who was in Australia and New Zealand for almost six years, welcome back – what joy it is to receive you home after so long; and to Eliel, who was in Scandinavia for the past year and a half, we’re very pleased to welcome you back with us also. We’ve received outstanding reports on the welfare of the saints in these places, and it’s owing to the faithful labours of Kaelan, Ethan and Eli.”
Mika paused to turn the page of his e-Reader. For the next fifteen minutes, he proceeded to complete his panegyric, welcoming back and congratulating the remaining sixty-one Halflings in our company, naming each one individually and extolling his triumphs on the mission field. After that, he extended his praise to the rest of the thirty platoon leaders in our company, and the troops under them, applauding them for their seven years of faithful and steadfast service to the Lord and to the human race.
My handler and Dad gave me a fleeting look before continuing: “Finally, we welcome home, Mishael, who’s just arrived from Saudi Arabia. Son, you’re better late than never. As you’re all aware, Mishael had been ministering to the saints in Saudi Arabia for the past twenty months. Once more, we warmly welcome all of you back with us. Highest praises and honour be to the Lord our God for your faithfulness in upholding our company’s creed and commitment to fulfilling all its objectives. To the Lord be all glory for protecting and guiding you these past few years.”
Cheers and ovation ensued, which carried on for three minutes. Conversations were also rekindled.
“How’s it going?” Ari took this opportunity to inquire of me.
“Yeah, good,” I replied. “And you? I’ve missed you.”
“I’m good,” Ari stated. “Really good, and excited. This is it, Mish . . . the end of all things, the end of the End of Days.”
All at once, my brother pulled me toward himself and embraced me again – with the fraternal warmth and understanding that had been so familiar and necessary for fostering our close bond.
“You know what this means, don’t you?” he pursued.
I nodded: “Eheyeh’s Glorious Appearing.”
“Indeed,” Ari smiled.
Eran Reisig, together with his brother, Jeremy, who had both been listening in, chimed in: “And it’s only going to be in a matter of days.”
Jeremy nodded: “We’ve been looking forward to it the last seven years.”
“Hard to believe, but we’re truly finally here,” Eran enthused.
The four of us transitioned from our perspectives of introspection to a spontaneous and genuine feeling of joie de vivre. None of us hid the tears filling our eyes. Nor could we help our hearts being crammed by our myriad and sundry emotions. For the next ten minutes we would bond further over my brief but sweet anecdotes and their humorous quips. We were talkative, even noisy, but no one at the assembly minded.
In fact, everyone understood what the moment meant for us, Halflings: how many years we had longed for the moment of our glorification.
I had wanted this time to be at a standstill forever: what a little good egg.
“The bride would’ve been consumed with anxiety over the inconvenience, wouldn’t she?” Eran opined not long after. He was responding to my tale about the storm that had delayed the start of Azaria Albakri’s wedding ceremony; and my return to base.
I shook my head: “Surprisingly, no. She was quite understanding, and poised and gracious in the face of the unexpected speed bump that had threatened to ruin her wedding plans completely.”
“Well,” Ari submitted, “I think she’s got her priorities straight. It’s not the wedding that’s important . . . it’s the marriage. She did wed in the end and she’s already begun her journey of marital bliss with her groom.”
I nodded: “She’s quite a girl.”
“Well,” Jeremy imparted to me sympathetically, “as the General has said, you’re better late than never.”
I smiled, feeling mortified. I wasn’t a contrarian: in alignment with the majority persuasion, I didn’t relish being conveniently pigeonholed as unpunctual. I’d had to live with its stigma and ignominy just because my track record at punctuality had been weighed by my peers and found wanting.
After the short intermission Mika resumed our final debriefing on earth. The brothers’ conversations slowly dissipated.
“I, next, want to commend and thank the following brothers for their labours,” Mika announced, “Gabriel and Haziel and their cavalries, for their labours in Jerusalem and the Middle East, as well as in Central Asia and Asia Minor; Raphael and his squadron for their labours in Egypt and Libya and the rest of Africa; Shimael and Adoniel for overseeing the kindred’s education; Jekuthiel and his team of pilots for tirelessly providing safe and reliable transport; Asahel and his team for their medical assistance; Shelumiel and his team for providing for our day-to-day needs; and Abishael and his security team for their steadfast protection. Our tribute is also extended to Commanders Asriel at Black Operations, Kemuel at Special Operations and Abimael at Counter Intelligence, and all their officers, for their very important contributions. To the Lord our God be all praise, honour and glory because of your commitment and exemplary service to the brethren and kindred, to the Lord’s saved remnants and to the Lord.
“It’s now fitting for me to commend every single one of you that had tirelessly and doggedly proceeded with your labours and services, particularly in areas that had seen the loss of all channels of electronic and digital communication after the EMP detonations unleashed on the world by the global leader. You had toiled with resolution and determination to employ all possible means to ensure that despite the telecommunications blackouts we did not lose contact with one another or with the saints you were protecting. This was in every way accounted also to the supernatural intervention of the Lord Yahushua, our Commander-in-Chief Himself, who had fought with us to frustrate our enemies’ infernal schemes to silence all autonomous thought, belief and expression. Beloved, let us extol the name of Eheyeh and sing our praises, honour and glory to our Most High God.”
At this juncture, everyone was whispering prayers of thanksgiving to Yah and His Son.
“Beloved,” Mika stated next: “I am pleased now to welcome our comrades from the Israeli Defense Forces: welcome, General Eleazer Ben Zion and Lieutenant-General Eshkol Rivlin from Control Headquarters in Tel Aviv. As you know, our citizen militia outfit is a defense and peacekeeping corps that has been operating as a division of the IDF since even before the Tribulation Hour commenced. We’ve been able to circumvent various dangers for the reason that several of the top officials in the IDF, the elect of the Lord, our Yeshua Ha Mashiach, have vouchsafed our confidentiality while we assimilated with their ranks through the seven years of our service on earth. Our impetus as a successful outfit has been both the Lord’s providence and the services of General Ben Zion and Lieutenant-General Rivlin and their units in the capacity I’ve just described. We have been honoured to serve the Lord our God with your company. Brothers, we’re grateful to you and we praise the Lord for your indispensable service to us.”
The room exploded in prolonged applause.
“Brethren and kindred, you will have heard the reports, which are dire but true; and which underscore the authority of Yah’s prophetic Word,” Mika resumed after our ten-minute interval. “After two years, negotiations for peace between Antichrist and the Eastern rulers have reached an impasse. We expect that all the armies of the Eastern nations will be assembling at Har Megiddo in a matter of days. The rest of the world’s armies will also meet there to war against Israel. The Battle of Armageddon is on the table. Peace be to Israel. Beloved, it’s been an honour for me to serve the Lord alongside of you. Our work on earth is nearly done: we praise the Lord our God for His ongoing protection of the surviving saints and His elect in Petra, all those that have eluded the Antichrist’s forces.
“The Lord’s also supernaturally protecting the saints in all the continents of the world – there are pockets of survivors here and there, but they now number only in the thousands. On the other hand, hundreds of thousands more of the Tribulation Saints, as we all know, have been martyred for the Word of God since Antichrist implemented his tyrannical loyalty mandate. Except for the men and women who are currently serving in the Antichrist’s global armies and forces, everyone else that has received and carried Antichrist’s loyalty marker, which is his Mark, has perished in the Lord’s plagues or succumbed to the Lord’s pestilences.
“It’s a terrifying report to make that all those who have perished bearing the Mark of Antichrist will never have a chance of redemption. All have been condemned to Hades and are, now, awaiting their final sentencing in the Lake of Fire. For this reason, it is only the small remnants of Tribulation Saints and elect of the Lord, those still alive in these final moments of Antichrist’s rule, who shall enter the Lord Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom on earth. The infants born during the time of the Tribulation, and still alive at the end of the Megiddo War, shall also enter the Lord’s Millennial Kingdom.
“Yah is about to bring earth’s present history to its culmination: indeed, immediately after the war at Megiddo, Yah is ushering in the era of His Son, Yeshua Ha Mashiach’s reign on earth; this is a time when all the saints and elect of the Lord, including the Old Testament faithful who have died, shall be raised up to reign with Him for one thousand years. This is the first resurrection of the believers. It is also a time when Satan shall be bound in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. His chief instruments of sorrow, the Antichrist and the False Prophet, will have already been judged and cast alive into the Lake of Fire after the war at Har Megiddo.
“At the end of the Lord Jesus’ Millennial Reign, Satan’s going to be released from the abyss to tempt mankind one more time; the Word of God has prophesied that he’ll raise up an army of human beings to make war, for the last time, with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Great White Throne Judgment of God will take place after that. All who ever lived and died, whose names have been omitted from the Lamb’s Book of Life, will be judged at the Great White Throne judgment. Thereafter, they shall be cast into the Lake of Fire together with Hades, Death and Satan, forever and ever.
“The old heaven and earth will pass away and the holy city, the New Jerusalem, will descend out of heaven from God. This is the new heaven and new earth: everyone who’s been allowed to enter the holy city, the faithful and saved of the Lord, whose sins have been washed by the blood of Christ, will go up to worship God and His Lamb, whose tabernacle will be in their midst.
“Beloved, we shall be gathered into heaven in a matter of hours. There, we shall await further directives from the Lord our God. I know many of us are looking forward to being reunited with our brethren in heaven, the thousands more of the hosts of heaven who have been serving the Lord from heaven. Let us, therefore, look to heaven, beloved.
“In a short while, the Battle of Armageddon shall be fought. As recorded in the annals of the prophets of Israel, this is a battle that will be fought by our Lord God, Jesus Christ, Himself. This is a battle in which the only begotten Son of Yah will be victorious. Our Commander-in-Chief is inviting all His hosts to be present with Him and His resurrected saints, those who have been waiting in heaven since the Rapture, to witness the actualization of this poignant moment in history. We shall be honoured to be the Lord’s witnesses as He ushers in His earthly Kingdom. The Lord’s throne will be forever and ever. May the Lord our God be blessed, honoured and glorified forever and ever. Amen.”
Uriel rose. Following his lead, we presented our doxology to the Lord. Some of us stood; the rest of us bowed down on bent knees.
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name
In earth, and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy,
Merciful and mighty
God in Three Persons
Blessed Trinity.”
Concluding our doxology, we returned to our seats at our respective tables. Michael was in the spotlight for the last time.
“We arrive now at the final item on our agenda,” he said solemnly. “You will all have received my classified memo concerning Lucifer’s designs for our beloved kindred’s annihilation. On the pretext of testing our Little Ones’ loyalty to the Lord, Lucifer has ordered half of his armies to be assembled here in the next two hours. Lucifer’s true design is the Halflings’ destruction by his legions’ swords. The Lord has been merciful to accord us intelligence of Lucifer’s diabolical plans. He has also provided an escape for these our Dear Ones.
“When the Evil Ones make their descent on our garrison, we shall surprise and apprehend them. Thus shall we engage in our final battle with Lucifer’s minions before the Megiddo War. It is true that we shall be outnumbered twenty-five to one. Brethren, be prepared for an epic battle; I cannot say how long the battle shall last but, as the Lord has assured us, these evil angels who dare raise their hands against the Lord’s sealed ones shall be judged and be defeated by our swords. Every one of the Devil’s evil angels participating in this treachery shall be cast into the abyss before the new day dawns tomorrow.
“And so, before we all adjourn to our Headquarters in Tel Aviv, we bid goodnight and Godspeed to our kindred. We also bid farewell and Godspeed to our esteemed visitors from Control Headquarters.”
The two Commandos from Control Headquarters saluted us before leaving the room. We heard their helicopter lift off and take flight above us.
Mika resumed: “Beloved, let us all gather together in Tel Aviv now, and not delay any longer, for our brothers there are awaiting our arrival.”
At his indication, we rose from our chairs. Some were rising from the floor. With one accord and one mind, we teleported together to our army base in Tel Aviv.
Our Tel Aviv counterparts were in the exercise yard to welcome us. The formalities of greetings and hugs finally out of the way, they hastened us to our rendezvous, not too far away. Ever protective, Ariel clung on to my elbow, making sure I didn’t fall behind.
Sharp and crisp sounds reverberated around us as the heels of our boots pounded the polished gangway of our makeshift destination. This was a launching pad, the size of two football fields. Ariel and I halted on the threshold to soak up before our eyes the rows of steel structures that were lining up next to one another. Rising vertically from the floor, each of the steel frames constituted the gantry that supported within it a metallic cylindrical-shaped space capsule, not unlike a zeppelin. This windowless space capsule contained a pair of twin sleeping compartments, each of which would be the kindred’s bed for the night. Stationary and upright, every one of these thirty-five space pods was able to accommodate the tallest and largest of my race. Each one was furnished with three days’ worth of built-in air supply to sustain the life of its occupant while in his induced stasis.
Ariel was full of admiration. “What a magnificent sight,” he sighed.
“The Lord had directed His hosts to construct all of these pods in the last year,” I commented.
Ariel nodded: “The Lord our God is an awesome God. Consider the state-of-the-art technology in the fields of science and engineering evident in every one of these gantries and space capsules. This technology is the ambit of the amazing Mind of God. There simply is no way a human being can accomplish the same feat in such a short time.”
Mm, I nodded.
“I wonder why Yah doesn’t just rapture us to heaven right now?” Jeremy Reisig asked.
Ari smiled: “Well, doesn’t the Word say: ‘All things must be done properly and in an orderly manner’? We shall not precede the brethren: they shall be translated first, and the kindred shall follow after them. Thereafter we shall join the Tribulation Saints in receiving our glorified, spiritual bodies.”
“Yes, ones that are fit for the Father’s house,” Eran added. “And there shall we forevermore be.”
My brother prodded me, afterward, gripping my wrist: “Listen to these footfalls, will you, M? It’s got to be one of my favourite sounds.”
He went on to dance the Quick Step. I smiled at my sibling’s funny ways, the side of him that only a handful of us had seen. But he was right: the pitapat sounds his boots were generating on the floor were a delight to the ear.
Several of the kindred began to tap their feet. I joined in. No one bothered to object to the ruckus we were making. The brethren were too preoccupied with their miscellany of duties. Mika glanced at us momentarily but seemed amused. Ariel gave him a smile of embarrassment, feeling responsible for the can of worms that had been opened. His cheeks were flushed, too.
Then, Mika made his announcement through the P.A. system. “It’s time,” he commanded. “Proceed to your pods.”
The kindred’s free-for-all petered out. Ariel turned to me but his mood was sober. His arm was outstretched to me. I clasped his hand and stood beside him.
“Let’s do this,” he commanded all the kindred before us.
They nodded, understanding. Like the rest of the kindred, I knew my procedure: I had been given my drill. Together with my contemporaries, I cast off my angelic identity.
Not long after, Ari was found by his handler. My older sibling quickly turned toward me. He gave me a short kiss. I kissed him back, on the long dimple on his cheek. All at once, I threw my arms around him. I hugged him for a while longer.
“Gabriel’s here too soon for me,” he whispered, gently pulling away. “We must part but for a short while.”
I nodded. “Oh, but hang on,” I cried. “What’s going to happen to Fur Baby?”
Ari cocked his head sideways. Then he grasped me by my shoulders, replying in a grave tone: “Eheyeh’s a good God, M. His Glorious Appearing is only moments away, but this by no means suggests there’s an expiration date on His involvement in the details of our affairs: He’s mindful of His creatures, every one of them, whether great or small. If He’s willing, we shall see our fur baby again.”
“Mm . . . oh, look, there goes Shelumiel; I think we should ask him, to be sure,” I stated.
Ari and I approached our Quartermaster.
“Agent Saboteur?” brother Lumi chuckled good-naturedly. “Ah, you mustn’t have heard. He’s returned to Yah, youngling. Now, here I was cuddling him in my arms and, ere I knew what was happening, he’d hopped onto the kitchen shelf, cantilevered there but for several seconds and, then, poof, vanished.”
 |
| "He's returned to Yah." |
“The same mysterious way he had . . . poof! . . . appeared at our barracks, seven years ago,” Ariel chortled.
Shelumiel continued: “Let me tell you something only heaven’s hosts have recently been told: all over the world the pets that have been on loan from Eheyeh have returned to Him.”
My heart was buoyed up by the knowledge that our treasured one wasn’t going to be left alone. “Thanks, Lumi,” I stated gratefully. “I feel such a sense of relief to be informed of this.”
We heard Gabriel again.
“Ariel,” he exclaimed. “We mustn’t tarry any longer.”
My tender-hearted brother acknowledged his handler with a thumbs-up. “I’ll be seeing you, baby brother. Godspeed,” he told me with a wink.
“Godspeed, Ari,” I reciprocated. “Have a pleasant sleep.”
I gave Gabriel a slight wave as he was united with Ariel. Then, they headed for our pod.
While I waited for my handler, I watched every one of the kindred proceed to his pod with his handler beside him. I watched the angel, Uzziel, seeking out Ethan Rosenbaum; I watched the angel, Jediael, restored to Kaelan ben Shelah. Eran Reisig was reunited with the angel, Uriel and his kinsman, Jeremy, to Raphael. Eli Medved was gathered to Remiel; Adonijah Lipkovits to Shimael; and Zach Tobias to Asahel. And so on and so forth.
I finally caught sight of Mika. He’d been ensuring that all his underlings were safely installed within their space pods in compliance with protocol.
It was my turn at last. I entered my pod. While Mika was belting me up, I glanced aslant at my brother’s cubicle beside mine. Ari’s eyes were closed, his ruddy good looks tranquil and peaceful. Then, I glanced up at Gabriel. He smiled before mouthing Godspeed. After that, the angel, Asahel, administered a shot to induce an immediate deceleration of my metabolism. I was fast sinking into sleep.
“Sleep tight, son,” Mika told me, taking my hand in his. “We shall be reunified in heaven before long. When the time comes, the Lord Himself shall gather you out of space and rapture you to the third heaven with the rest of His angels that are on earth. We shall, then, be with the Lord forever.”
“You will be careful at the battle with Lucifer’s minions, won’t you, Dad?” I asked him. “I expect to see you, see all the brethren, in heaven this time tomorrow.”
My Dad nodded: “Count on it.”
I smiled: “And, then, it’ll all be over.”
“Yes, beloved, it’ll be over soon,” he stated. “First, we shall witness the Lord’s battle with the Enemy; after that will be the Jubilee rest. The Lord will make all things new at this time: the lands shall rest and all in them be at peace. And you’ll be perfect again.”
I nodded tiredly: “Perfect.”
I felt my handler’s kisses on my cheeks before the lid closed on the pod.
“Stand by for launch.”
That was the last thing I heard.
