Tribulation Rising

Episode 1: Seal 1 – The Son of Perdition

“Arise, Judas, your time is at hand.”

The bitter soul heard the voice of the One who had sent him to this hated place and despised Him even more.  Yet, this would be his opportunity for revenge.

In the darkness surrounding him, shrieks and screams constantly bombarded his ears.  Although there were hundreds imprisoned here, he’d never seen a single one.  Only their desperate cries for mercy revealed their numbers.  For so many to reside in this deepest abyss, none ever spoke to another.  The isolation drove many mad.  But Judas knew that he was special, that he would someday return, and that moment would be his to shine.  He would exact the vengeance he’d been plotting for over two thousand years.

The chains dropped away.  It was the first that he’d been unshackled in all this time.  Rage swelled within him.

“Never forget: I love you.”  The compassionate voice made him cringe.  He would repay that love by destroying its owner.

The next thing he knew, fluid surrounded him.  He floated weightless, waiting for something he couldn’t comprehend.  Suddenly, bright light shone into his eyes.  After two millennia in the dark, the pain from its brilliance drove needles into his skull with excruciating precision.  One more strike against his adversary.

Judas opened his mouth to curse.  Instead, he began to wail like the newborn baby he’d become.

***

The Mentor applauded with everyone else in the auditorium as the Graduation Day activities continued.  Finally, the moment he’d waited for all these years had arrived.  The most ambitious student with the highest grades and honors, who was also the most popular among his classmates at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, stood at the podium to reflect on their Jesuit education and what it meant for each of them in the years ahead.  Jude Innocenti spoke humbly of others—their accomplishments and dreams—as he always did.  It was one reason for his popularity: he always put others first, exhibiting a remarkable innocence in keeping with his surname.  Despite his outstanding school record, his focus was never about himself, as he seemed almost naïve in that respect.  The Mentor congratulated himself.  He had taught Jude well.

To the cheers of all, Jude finished his inspired oration and was the first to toss his black mortarboard high into the air.  Everyone followed, and the sky turned black with the plethora of graduates’ hats in that moment.

It seemed like that was the end of the ceremony, but a hush grew over the soon-to-be-unruly crowd as a familiar figure emerged from the wings of the stage.  As one, the entire graduating class, and all the attendees, sat, held their collective breath, and watched awestruck at what happened next.

Just as the Mentor had arranged, the pope himself walked slowly toward Jude.  Dressed in dazzling white robes and carrying an object in his hidden hand, he approached with a slight smile of approval.  In his years of guiding and directing, the Mentor had kept Jude out of the limelight.  Jude had never personally met the pope, but through the Mentor’s guidance had learned to respect him for his own Jesuit credentials and all that he had accomplished for the Church.  As the leader of Catholicism’s over one billion followers worldwide, and arguably the most influential man on the planet, the pope’s presence at this ceremony was unexpected.

He came to Jude, put an arm around him, and drew him close.  Speaking into the microphone, “il papa” told the assembly that he wanted to be here to bless this young man who had caught his attention at the Vatican.  Because God had shown the aging pontiff He was going to use Jude mightily, it was important for all to see the favor he’d earned.  With that, the pope placed the crown made of interwoven leaves upon Jude’s head.  Jude touched the wreath gingerly and a great roar of approval burst out.

The incident caught the fancy of the international press.  The next day every news agency in Italy, the rest of Europe, and the United States showed the photo of a beaming Jude Innocenti being lauded by the leader of one of the two largest religions in the world.  Because of the pope’s ecumenical outreach for his many years in office, even a large majority of Muslims expressed their approval.

The Mentor could not have been more pleased.

***

The first torrent of recognition never slackened in the subsequent years as Jude became a continuous darling of the press.  Although the Council followed the news about Jude’s career closely, it was the Mentor they relied on to hear the truth.  When Jude announced he would use his degree in spiritual theology from the university in either a priestly or teaching position, the Mentor assured the Council from his deep, frequent discussions with his protégé that the move was simply a diversionary tactic.  Jude had to appear as though he seriously wished to pursue the most meaningful path for his life.

Not long after, right on schedule, Jude declared that in prayer and fasting communion with the Lord, he had heard his true calling.  Rather than the contemplative existence he’d assumed would be his, God had clearly told him to enter the political arena to influence it for the good of mankind.  The United Nations had increasingly gained prominence after a series of disrupting events had roiled the globe.  Potential wars and numerous internal disputes threatened the integrity of the world.  Nuclear weapons had proliferated even among contentious tribes within nations.  More often than not, national leaders echoed the demands that originated from many quarters to establish a single, unified government that could better deal with the emergencies and catastrophes that had been happening with greater frequency.  Physical disruptions in the earth, among them volcanos, earthquakes, and tsunamis, regularly threatened peace and security.  Droughts, famines, and pestilences, such as widespread locust invasions, caused severe hardship.  In the globally broadcast press conference, Jude declared that he wanted to help in any way he could to bring order and stability out of the increasingly chaotic situations.  Mankind needed strong governance to quell the turmoil, and Jude (humbly) hoped he could lend a hand to this effort.

With the urging of the Mentor, the pope continued to extol Jude through his speeches, even mentioning his good works in various encyclicals circulated among bishops and priests throughout the vast network of parishes the church maintained.  The attention kept Jude’s name on everyone’s lips as Church and State leaders alike followed his career closely.

The United Nations had a long history of condemning the state of Israel.  With the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and its Muslim neighbors, including the Palestinians in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon to the north, as well as a number of other surrounding nations, the UN began deliberations to once more censor Israel for its crimes against humanity, despite the overwhelming odds that Israel faced.  Ten people groups were unified in coalition against Israel, far outnumbering her in troop strength.  Regardless, the UN planned to organize the world against Israel as it had always reflexively done.  To everyone’s surprise, Jude Innocenti put a stop to it.  In an impassioned speech, he mesmerized the assembly planning the action and declared his intentions to assist Israel.  News outlets mused if Jude had drugged the entire august body to sway their typical instinctive reaction.

Jude traveled to the Holy Land, his plane dodging incoming missiles, and met privately with the Prime Minister.  In a quickly convened press conference, Jude announced his determination to convince the UN to provide weapons and armaments to Israel to help her defend against the onslaught.  Up until now the Israeli Defense Forces had been outgunned.  The UN responded just as Jude promised.  With the rapid deployment of needed materiel, the IDF turned the war around and won a decisive victory.  The Israeli Prime Minister lauded Jude, saying that without his intervention, all would have been lost.

Jude and the Mentor took a day from their efforts to walk the Old City of Jerusalem.  Because of Jude’s intervention, it had been spared from the onslaughts of Israel’s enemies.  On the ramparts of the wall surrounding the city that had been part of its ancient fortifications, Jude briefly shared his feelings.

“Mentor, this place brings back memories.”  He pointed at the Temple Mount.  “How often we strolled on those heights, astonished at the beauty of the temple that Herod had made magnificent after such meager beginnings in Ezra’s era.”

“You and the Eleven?”

“Yes.  That was before Yeshua made Himself fully known to us.”

“But you never did accept who He was?”

“I had other interests.  Unfortunately, He knew my disdain for His attitude toward the prostitutes and diseased who He always wanted to be with.  Such trash!  It led to my tragic death, but I’d do it all over again.  Look at where I am now, and how we will finally defeat Him.”

“Our dark lord has wonderful plans for you, Jude.  He kept you specially for such a time as this.  Revenge will come soon, and it will be sweet.”

***

In the days following her decisive victory over the many enemy nations that surrounded her, Israel did what many victors in war did; she expanded her borders, taking land for herself that had previously belonged to her defeated foes.  Overnight, Israel effectively doubled her land mass.  She took Jordanian, Iraqi, Lebanese, and Egyptian territories.  With the utter defeat of Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, along with so many of her Muslim foes, remarkable changes occurred.  Islam became a non-entity among Israel’s neighboring states.  Muslims saw that their god had little strength, and many lost their Islamic fervor.

With the effectual castration of Islam, a large segment of the Jewish populace began calling for the tearing down of the walls, bars, and gates that had been integral to Israel for so long as a protective mechanism.  The politicians that had cobbled together a disparate coalition government saw no issue and capitulated to the populist demand.  Within weeks, Israel was enjoying its status as a much larger nation that had grown free through the strength of her military.

Jude and the Mentor privately congratulated themselves.  Israel was doing exactly what they’d planned.  Moreover, there were already signs that apathy was setting in among her people.

Not long after that, the UN Secretary General announced that Jude was leading a UN commission to prepare the world for alien encounters.  UFO sightings and interactions had increased dramatically.  Jude would work in coordination with the Catholic Church that had long studied the issue.  As expected, the collaboration raised some eyebrows.  Quickly, however, any skepticism people had was erased when the Vatican released detailed reports on their direct communication with extraterrestrials.  With that evidence, it was obvious the Vatican must play a lead role.

The UN shared their work with all prominent governmental leaders and provided the media all it needed to inform the public.  The news set all peoples everywhere abuzz for the warning and potential blessing that would soon be revealed.

***

First direct contact stunned the world.  The massive spherical craft hovered over New York City.  Always nearby, the Mentor joined Jude and the other members of the peace delegation as they waited in UN Plaza.  Hundreds of hours of video footage kept everyone everywhere glued to their screens.

The massive ship blocked out the brilliance of the sun on that late August morning.  The shadow it cast dropped the temperature from the nineties to the seventies.   The cooler conditions came as though on cue so that none of the human delegation would mar their faces with sweat.

A light green beam focused on the circular area specially reserved for the visitors.  A swirl of mist distorted the shaft of light, and three figures appeared suddenly.  As the haze dissipated, spectators in person and online gasped—everyone except Jude Innocenti.

Commissioner Jude strode to the circle in which their visitors stood, no fear apparent in his demeanor.  Then, he waited.

The Mentor knew the script of the play.  The actors performed their roles flawlessly.

Hollywood had prepared their audiences for years.  The one thing that terrified people was the unknown.  Would their first alien visitors be friend or foe?  Jude, the Mentor, and the Council knew; so did the pope and a very few other highly placed Vatican notables.  The inner circle was just that for a reason.  It was closed and tightknit; no one ever spoke out or against it.  The consequences were too grave to even consider.

Contrary to appearances depicted in film, the aliens weren’t little green or gray men.  Each of the three was a fearsome-looking giant nine feet in height, noble in appearance with rock-cut faces.  It was all for show.  The Mentor had interacted with these same creatures when they’d assumed harmless, three-foot-tall ET personas.  He had witnessed them appear as black shaggy creatures whose slobber fell over razors for teeth, their smell overpowering, and their eyes glowing a menacing red.  They could shapeshift in the blink of an eye.  The Mentor knew their true interdimensional origins, which meant their abilities were almost limitless.

The faces of these beings were etched in stone.  Their muscles bulged; their tendons strained with power.  To all watching, they could have been the mythological titans of old, gods from another time and place.  They could crush Jude like a fluff of cotton candy.  For him to approach the aliens without hesitation spoke volumes about his courage, or foolhardiness.

In moments it became clear just which it was.  Although the conversation between the aliens and Jude was inaudible to others, they saw that it went well.  The leader of the three stepped forward, engulfed Jude’s hand in his, and firmly shook it without harm to the brave human he could have easily crumpled like used tissue.

And then it happened.  The Mentor, Jude, and all the others in their elite group knew it must occur at any time.  They agreed with the Bible (as much as they also hated it) that the snatching away of true Christians was an imminent event.  They had prepared for it.  It was the reason for their existence.  Jude had been born for this purpose, with the Mentor and the Council appointed to ensure the fulfilling of his prophetic destiny.

The elite group knew this well and planned to capitalize on the craziness that was sure to follow.  During the embrace of the alien being with the future leader of the world, all around them turned to chaos.  In the ensuing melee, the Mentor saw the slight upturn of Jude’s lips.  His time was at hand.

***

The Great Disappearance caused worldwide disruptions.  In First World countries those who disappeared ranged from government leaders to insignificant trailer park nobodies.  Supply chains collapsed.  Grocery shelves quickly emptied and remained bare.  Daytime looting and anarchy increased even above what it had been in the last chaotic years.  At the moment people vanished, many planes, trains, and automobiles came to a disastrous crashing end with numerous casualties to compound the problem of those who had gone missing.  Most children under the age of ten—to the distress of their parents—literally evaporated into thin air.  To the agony of would-be mothers and fathers, their unborn babies were seemingly ripped from pregnant women’s wombs in a global phenomenon.  Numerous Third World countries suffered countless losses.  In those areas, the ones who vanished were often outcasts, so the impact on village life was minimal.

An outcry arose as people sorted out their lives in the days following.  They wanted answers.  How could such a thing happen?  No world leaders could supply a cogent explanation.  The only one who came forth was UN Commissioner Jude Innocenti.

He reminded the people of the earth of their new friends from a far distant planet.  Because the Great Disappearance had come so quickly on the heels of their new association, they hadn’t had the opportunity to disseminate the outcome of their in-depth discussions.

As Jude spoke to the cameras, the Mentor appreciated the sense of honesty and integrity he conveyed.  His charismatic demeanor, his appealing personality, and the hypnotic spell he weaved that none could avoid, meant that Jude’s star was on the rise.  He had been taught well.

“Peoples of the world, you must gather your courage and be strong.  There is meaning in everything.  What has come upon the earth was foretold by many.  There have been wise teachers over the years who have spoken of this day.  The earth—Mother Earth; we know her as Gaia—has been grieved by those who hated her and refused to provide the sustainable care she deserves.  Our friends from space are more than visitors, they are our progenitors, our relatives, the advanced race from which we are descended!

“They have seen how Mother Gaia has been abused, and they knew such atrocities that have been heaped upon her could not continue.  In good faith, as our ancestors who have always watched with caring concern, they finally made a difficult decision.  They had to remove those who were harming our planet.  Because of the negative vibrations of certain people that have distorted the harmonics of the earth, they could not be allowed to remain and continue destroying all that is good.  As a result, our alien friends acted.  They snatched away those who had bad intentions toward our beneficent provider; now Mother Earth can breathe once more and be in peace.  Those who were taken will be educated and shown the error of their ways and come back some day as useful, productive citizens.

“In the meantime, we must rejoice and be thankful for how our alien brothers have given us such an amazing gift.  We have our world back, and every negative influence has been removed.  Hallelujah!”

In the immediate aftermath of the Great Disappearance, and with Jude Innocenti’s startling explanation to which the world nodded in near-uniform agreement, the pope addressed all one billion plus of the Catholic faithful and “all others who would reasonably desire for love to prevail throughout mankind.”

First he spoke in Italian, then in halting English he repeated his urgent plea:

“May all humanity know that we’re all brothers and sisters on our mutual journey through life.  Praise god that he accepts everyone into heaven, be they great or small, be they Roman Catholic, or Muslim, or Hindu, or animist.  He has made it plain that no one is lesser in his sight.  He welcomes us all with open arms, and the angels rejoice.

“Now, I will tell you a little secret.  Our friends, brothers, and ancestors from the vast reaches of space, these comrades of ours, who have come such a long distance to rescue our planet, are no less loved and accepted by god than you or me.  They also will join us in heavenly repose in that glorious day.

“As we adjust to the brave new world where justice is served and truth is our only way of life, let us now open our arms to embrace our divine visitors in the holy Catholic Church.  Just as practitioners of other religions are included in our ecumenical worship through the holy mother, the Virgin Mary who intercedes for us all, and because we all serve the same god, so it is with our alien brothers.  May god richly bless them as we encompass new revelations that they have already begun to share with us about the lord and his mercy.

“Now, I plead with you brothers and sisters, let us all come together in unison through the one true religion that encompasses everyone on the planet.  We need each other more than ever in these trying times, and through your holy Catholic Church, we can know the unity that Mother Earth desires, as do our brothers from deepest space.”

In the weeks that followed, the Mentor met with Jude to strategize with him.  In the secure location that housed the Council meeting place, they discussed the next known items on the Bible’s prophetic calendar through which they had to navigate.  All that had been foretold was coming to pass.  As much as each disdained God and His Son, they knew that His Word was accurate and true.  Israel had engaged in a localized conflict that many spoke of as the Psalm 83 War.  With Jude’s assistance from the UN, the IDF had demolished and demoralized Israel’s enemies.  That had now brought them to the place of dwelling in peace and security, on the cusp of additional significant prophetic events.

***

Jude paced up and down in the mahogany paneled room.  For all the control he exercised in public, there were times he let loose in the Mentor’s presence.  This was one of them.  With an angry blaze burning in the massive stone fireplace behind him, Jude raged at the fact that the Word of God never failed.  “Can’t He falter at least once?”  Harkening back to the days he’d walked with Jesus, Jude sneered, “So compassionate.  Always gazing at me with such a loving expression, yet knowing I would betray Him.  He deserved the pain he felt for every nail pounded into His flesh.”

When Jude had finally calmed down expressing his glee at how he would soon gain vengeance, the Mentor listed what they should anticipate next in God’s timeline.  “It’s all about Israel.  We watch her, and we know where we’re at and what we have to do.  You won’t be front and center on the next war, but the ones that follow and the chaos that ensues will position you exactly where needed.  The Restrainer is gone.  Nothing can inhibit our plans.  Are you ready, Jude?  The time is coming when we rock and roll.  Keep the bitterness in your heart; never let it go; but make sure the world sees the leader who keeps his cool and is tough in the face of adversity.  They’ll follow you anywhere.”

The Mentor’s words proved prescient.  The entire planet was struggling because of the increased violence resulting from the Great Disappearance.  Hatred, fury, and anarchy were out of control.  Border disputes between nations erupted from simple nothings and flared into extreme conflagrations.

But Israel was the big one.  As the Mentor had predicted, that’s where the major conflict exploded right out of the pages of the Bible.  An Islamic leader called al-Mahdi had come on the scene.  He had brokered peace between Shiite and Sunni factions.  This enabled the Muslim world to agree for once.  From that, Russia, Iran, and Turkey coalesced with several other nations, whose hostility toward Israel had drastically increased.  Their troops and munitions had been in place for years.  At the word from the Russian leader, a massive surge of men and machines rumbled over the Golan Heights in the dead of night.  From a hundred different sources, the coalition launched missiles that lit up the sky like a Fourth of July fireworks display gone rogue.  Everything they had came at Israel at once.

Perhaps because of their prior win in which they’d gained so much additional land, it appeared Israel’s military was sleeping.  For whatever the reason, as the rockets began coming in, Iron Dome and all Israel’s other defensive systems proved useless.  The internet stirred like the public beast it was and millions of people were suddenly watching the imminent destruction of the Jewish nation.

But the Mentor knew that wouldn’t happen.  As all the incoming weapons were about to annihilate every population center in the country, every single one seemed to hit an invisible wall and explode in the air.  If they didn’t detonate, rather than shriek down as arrows of death, they landed as though wrapped in a feather pillow and gently cradled to the ground so that no one was injured.

A massive earthquake exceeding the measurements on the Richter Scale devastated the mountains to the north where the attack was concentrated.  It caused every man to fend for himself.  If they didn’t perish from the fissures that opened beneath them, they died at one another’s hand.  If that weren’t enough, hail the size of basketballs rained down in torrents, crushing men on every side.  Lightning flashed and electrical charges flashed in a continual attack on the invading forces.

It didn’t take long.  Before sunrise, nothing was left of the attackers or their weapons of war.  Within hours the word traveled around the world that God Himself had been Israel’s protector.  The Muslim nations that had participated were likewise demolished.  Between the preceding battle known as the Psalm 83 War and this which people began calling Ezekiel’s War, little was left of Islam as a dominant religion.

Jude gnashed his teeth at the acclaim given to God.  The Mentor counseled him to be patient.  It was good advice.  Although Israel began turning to Yahweh, and the world became aware of Him, little was communicated about the Son.  Without Him at the center of people’s God-awareness, it enabled the Plan to continue unhindered.

The awful devastation of opposing forces did nothing to assuage the global hostilities.  The aliens had withdrawn for a time to watch what humanity did.  The Vatican was ready to move, but knew they must wait.

Upon seeing that his efforts weren’t paying off, the Secretary General of the UN made a decision, and from that a proclamation.  He garnered all major news media for a major announcement.  With Jude Innocenti at his side, he said, “Fellow citizens of the world, today we move one step closer to the universal governance this planet requires.  It will be a difficult journey, but I am stepping down and appointing this extraordinary young man—not just as my successor—but as something more.  I have been in communication with all leaders of every nation, and they are in agreement.  Jude Innocenti will be the president of the world.  His authority will be above every individual sovereign nation, because we cannot continue as we have.  There must be a One World Government which will also have the military might of every contributing nation.

“Jude Innocenti is the man to politically lead this New World Order and be given the means to enforce it.  With President Innocenti at the helm, we will soon have the tranquility we all deserve.”

As Jude humbly accepted the acclaim with his new position, the Mentor knew that his protégé could now go out conquering and to conquer.