PART 3 – WAR FAMINE DEATH AND HELL
“And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:4-6, 8 KJV)
CHAPTER 34
Journal Entry Wednesday, January 22, 2020
After the signing of the covenant that Sunday, Mitch suggested that we have a time of prayer. We all agreed, all but Eva who looked very uncomfortable and said she needed to get back to the farm. Always before, Eva had stayed whenever we had prayer or Bible study even though she never participated. Her obvious discomfort to remain with us now was disturbing. We were all hoping that Eva was not hardening her heart to the point of no return. At any rate, she left, and the rest of us discussed what we’d just seen and then spent the next hour or more in prayer, asking God’s strength for ourselves that we will remain faithful even if it means our deaths. We prayed for those still lost and deceived, especially for Eva, Dewey, and Norm, that they will heed God’s call to salvation before it is too late and their hearts are hardened to the truth. The strong delusion has already begun to take root. We know that we are now living on borrowed time.
“So, how do you think this is going to impact us in the near future?” I asked.
“I think we are going to have to address this head on at the next meeting,” replied Will. “There may still be time to reach some of those like Eva, but I’ll tell you this: I believe our period of grace is over.”
“Yeah, so do I,” said Trail. “I can almost feel a…turning or a sense of change among those who are still lost, after Draken’s little display.”
“Let’s don’t lose heart now,” said Will. “We know that the greatest number of souls ever saved will be saved during this time of Tribulation, so don’t lose heart; although, there will be many more whose hearts will be hardened.”
“I keep talking to Eva whenever I get an opportunity,” said Carter. “I think she wants to believe; I really do, but she’s so stubborn. I have lots of opportunities to talk to her while we work around the farm, but she always changes the subject. We’ll just keep praying and I’ll encourage her as much as I can; but, ultimately, it’s going to be her choice to believe or reject salvation.”
“I gotta go an’ relieve Dewey fer a spell,” said Clyde, as he got up and headed for the door. “I’ll talk ta Eva agin’ too, Carter, as soon as I kin, but ya nailed it when ya said she’s stubborn. All we kin do is all we kin do. Y’all take care.”
That following Wednesday, we could all sense the change that Trail alluded to in the atmosphere of the meeting. Among those who were lost – which was probably a good 30% of the town, we estimated – it was apparent that Draken’s display of deception had taken hold to one degree or another. Will did his best to show from numerous scriptures that ‘lying signs and wonders’ was one of the identifying traits of the Antichrist, but it was evident that the ‘strong delusion’ was taking hold with some of them. Still there were others who were as yet unbelievers who were still open to the gospel. Thank God for that.
Mitch rose to speak. What he said brought the reality of where we now stand home to everyone. When he took the podium, his demeanor was somber. His tone and bearing didn’t display the usual cheerful attitude everyone was used to seeing in the young man who, over these past few months, has become the defacto mayor of Norrisville. Today, Mitch was almost grave in his demeanor. This lent his words more weight.
“Everyone,” Mitch began, “as a community, we need to deal with some unpleasant but necessary truths. Regardless of what you think about Lucius Draken or the Tribulation, we who are believers know exactly where things stand because God has laid it all out in scripture. The prophetic Word is like a road map of where everything is headed. Regardless, there are some practical matters that impact us here in Norrisville that we need to discuss first. Then, before we leave, I have some information that I pray God will use to open everyone’s eyes to the truth of who Draken really is. But first, we need to discuss what is on the horizon here and what each individual or household needs to do to prepare for what’s coming as much as possible. I want to be very clear and upfront: whether you believe the Bible or not, it is patently clear that we are now living in the beginning of Revelation chapter six. I suggest that when we get home, that we all read this chapter again regardless of how many times Will has called our attention to it. What is coming is already written there.
“According to Revelation 6, the next big thing will be a global war that will very likely be nuclear, at least to some extent. There will be an escalation of extreme violence, on a much larger scale than we’ve seen heretofore. Then there’s the aftermath of any global conflict, especially when coupled with natural disasters. These include famine – genuine famine the likes of which we in America have never known. As these things begin to happen; as food and other shortages begin to make an impact on us here in Norrisville, I want us to remember something. I want us to remember to always bear in mind that we are blessed to live where we do. We are blessed to live in a small town tucked in the mountains away from the big cities that have now become death traps. We are blessed to have town leaders like Clyde and many others who care about the people of Norrisville; people too numerous to name who work tirelessly to keep us safe, fed, our needs provided for, and most of all, who, like Will, teach and encourage us with the Word of God. We need to remember these blessings when we are tempted to complain or despair.
Mitch then reminded everyone of something else. “The truth is, we are left to endure these horrors by our own rejection of the truth of Jesus Christ as Savior. Each one of us had more than ample opportunity to believe on Christ before the rapture happened. Each one of us could have been part of Jesus’ Church and thus escaped the horrors that we are facing. So when we are tempted to blame God and rail at Him, let’s all be honest enough to realize that we are here because of our own choice. We chose to reject Jesus’ great salvation before He came for His Church. Still, in His great love and desire that none should perish in Hell forever, in His great mercy, He is still extending His salvation to any and all who are willing to believe in Him. Even in the coming judgments, God is still extending His great mercy and salvation. We who have rejected His salvation time and time again, we too can still be saved, although to do so will almost certainly cost us our earthly lives. What a blessing and honor it will be for us to give up our lives for His namesake! Let’s be encouraged to remain faithful unto death. Now I want to ask Trail to speak to us all about where we stand from a medical perspective.”
CHAPTER 35
Mitch returned to his seat as Trail rose to address us all.
“Mitch has given us a rundown of what the world is facing. Truth is, these judgments of God have already begun and will continue to escalate in intensity, severity, and with increasing rapidity. We will be dealing with God’s coming judgment here in Norrisville as well. For as long as God allows, we must continue to pull together and look out for each other. We will hold together as a town and as brothers and sisters in Christ for as long as we are able, but we must understand that eventually we will no longer be able to function as a town. I want us all to understand and accept that truth.
“Now, Mitch has already spoken of war and famine that is coming – the first three seals that have been broken in Revelation chapter 6. I want to address the things that always follow war: famine, disease, pestilence, and pandemics.
“Already,” Trail went on, “there are epidemics of cholera, typhus, and hepatitis C. Multiple cases of rabies are being reported in the western states: in Texas, Oklahoma, Nevada, and New Mexico; even Bubonic plague is making a resurgence. The reason for this is extremely unsanitary conditions and vermin. The population of rats has exploded. In the Middle Ages, nearly one third of Europe was wiped out due to the bubonic plague – a vector-borne illness caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis transmitted by the bite of fleas carried by the billions of rats whose numbers thrived in the squalid, overcrowded, unsanitary conditions of Europe during the Middle Ages – the same kind of conditions that we now have here all along the West Coast and in the irradiated ruins of New York and DC and in other larger cities.
“Any time the rodent population explodes, so does the transmission of plague and other vermin-borne diseases. Because of the level of destruction and the unsanitary conditions that are far too large in scope to get a handle on, both of these aftermaths of war and disaster are spreading eastward into the heartland. Additionally, in what was the DC area and in New York environs, there are multiple thousands who are dying from the effects of radiation poisoning and thousands more who will die in the near future because their immune systems are compromised from radiation and other pathogens, coupled with a lack of food and enough clean drinkable water. The weather will cause many more to die, and in the midst of all that devastation, there will be rats.” Trail paused to let this new horror sink in before continuing.
“This is why we are doing our best to be diligent in trying to stay ahead of any illnesses and why we are so adamant in making sure we keep our homes and our town as clean as we can. There are more threats than black bears, coyotes, and panthers to be worried about. The cold weather and snow we are having here is working in our favor for the most part, yet it still carries its own risks.
“Let me encourage everyone to take proper precautions. If you feel sick with a cold, or worse, flu, stay inside! We cannot afford to spread germs or risk an outbreak of flu, neither do we need to risk pneumonia. Colds will clear up in about 9 days. Just treat them like you normally would with rest and fluids. The normal flu strains, though more miserable to endure than a mere cold, do pose a greater risk to the elderly and those who are immunocompromised. But in healthy people, normal flu will usually run its course in about 14-20 days. Again, getting adequate rest, drinking plenty of fluids, and allowing your body to heal is the best course of action unless you develop trouble breathing, which might indicate pneumonia. Do be alert to the development of breathing difficulties or if you already suffer from chronic breathing issues such as asthma or COPD. If you do, call the clinic, and I or one of the nurses will monitor you more closely.
“Please follow all the health protocols we’ve discussed and which our very capable nurses have taught you. Those of you not sick who are working as caregivers, remember to wear masks and gloves at all times when caring for the sick and ill. Wash your hands often. Don’t touch your face around your eyes or nose. Keep a bowl of bleach diluted with water on your counter or in your sink; and after handling germ-contaminated materials such as tissues, bed clothes, or whatever, dip your gloved hands into the bleach water for about a minute or so, then let the gloves dry or dry them off, and then wash your hands. Spray all trash bags with diluted bleach before closing them up, and spray the outside of the bags before you take them to the designated trash pit that has been dug out behind Old Mill Road.
“I want to impress upon you the seriousness of our situation” continued Trail, his voice slightly raised. “Colds and flu, though miserable, do not normally pose any real problems; but we have no idea what else we may soon be faced with, or what may be brought in with newcomers. In light of what we might be faced with, we have already set up a sort of triage center at city hall where for the foreseeable future, Brent, myself, or one of the nurses will be available or on call as newcomers register with Clyde and the other registration committee members. Any obviously ill people will be sent back to Iverson. Although Iverson Baptist Hospital is in as bad a shape as we are supply-wise, they at least have a few doctors on hand and at least 150 hospital beds where patients can be isolated.
“I know how heartless this sounds; triage can seem harsh, but it is a vital and necessary protocol to protect the town. The harsh reality is this: we are simply not equipped to handle a full-scale medical emergency. Any new arrivals who are asymptomatic upon arrival – that means showing no obvious symptoms of illness when they arrive but who become ill later on, will be isolated to the best of our ability to do so. We are designating at least 6 quarantine houses situated around the downtown area to be used as isolation homes where newcomers who appear to be healthy will live for a week. If at the end of that week they remain healthy, then they will be given a medical clearance to join the town and find a house to live in.
“In the event of town-wide epidemic, we have designated the sanctuary of the old Calvary Baptist to use as an isolation ward for the ill if needed. It has pews that we can use as beds, but please bear in mind that we will have no IV equipment, no monitoring equipment, only a limited amount of oral antibiotics, and a very limited medical staff. We don’t have anything even approaching a medical facility or anything like one; so if we have to use Calvary, it will be less than ideal. Unless or until we are faced with an overwhelming outbreak of viral or bacteriological pathogens, the clinic has adequate supplies of oral antibiotics on hand for the short term. But bear in mind that antibiotics are useless in viral infections such as colds and flus, so we won’t be giving any of those out unless a secondary infection such as pneumonia sets in.”
Trail ended with, “Be aware that what we have on hand is all we have; and once our supplies of antibiotics are gone, there won’t be any more to get; so take care of yourselves and your household. Look out for each other and remember to check on the elderly.”
Mitch returned to the podium to finish the meeting. Making sure he had everyone’s attention, he began:
“Before we close our meeting today, there is one more issue we need to discuss. We need to prepare ourselves mentally – and most importantly, spiritually – to face the unprecedented persecution and killing of those of us who are believers. Folks, persecution is coming. In fact, it has already begun in Europe, Africa, in the Middle East, and elsewhere. It is being reported that thousands upon thousands are already being beheaded for no other reason than that they are believers in Jesus Christ who reject Draken and the EP kingdoms. This is not being widely reported in the mainstream news; however, there are reports and video confirmations all over the deep web from people who are eyewitnesses of the growing number of believers who are already being martyred because they refuse to deny the name of Jesus Christ.
“This is going to become a worldwide persecution of believers as we move on into the coming horrors of the Tribulation. The Bible tells us in Matthew 10:36, Micah 7, and Luke 12:3-8 that, during these last seven years, every man’s hand will be against his brother. In plain language, this means that we who are believers will be betrayed by friends, family and strangers simply because we are believers in Jesus Christ. This is going to happen.
“Folks, I want us all to be very clear about this. We can’t shy away from this truth, as frightening as it is to contemplate. But as the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:21, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul himself was beheaded just as millions of us Tribulation Saints will be beheaded. Regardless of that, we do not have to worry or fear. The Holy Spirit will be with us every inch of the way. He will give us the strength to remain faithful even unto death.
“Now since God has already told us what is coming, what are we to do, practically speaking, to prepare to live faithfully for as long as God allows? Well, first of all, let’s look at the threat of war. We don’t have any control over whether we are killed in an attack, or by violence, or by illness just like those on the West Coast or in New York or DC had no control over the disasters that befell them. We will deal with how to prepare for the aftermath of war that we may be faced with if we are spared a direct hit.
“First of all is the issue of food. So far, we do not have a shortage of food. We’ve been very blessed in that after the rapture. Clyde, Mike and others made sure that the town gathered and stored its resources. Byllie and her resource committee have been marvelous at cataloging, distributing, and conserving our limited resources. This has both helped and hurt us. It has helped because we’ve really not had to go without like people in other places have had to do. But our preparedness has hurt us too in the sense that, perhaps, as Trail said earlier, we have built our hope on a false sense of security. The truth is that our supplies and resources are limited and will not be able to be replenished except for what we can grow, hunt, catch, trap or make on our own.
“When the time comes that resources are made available again, the ruling power, which will not be our own government but that of the global Antichrist-led EP, will exact a price for any and all needs just as scripture tells us. That ‘price’ to live and conduct commerce will be a price we as believers will not pay – this will be the coming ‘mark of the beast’ about which Will warns us so often in Revelation 13:16-17. To take that mark will forfeit forever any chance of salvation, but that will be the price demanded by the Antichrist and his False Prophet. So, for as long as we are able, each household must begin to ration what food, staples, and resources we have. We will keep all of our resources open such as the RR store for as long as possible, but you must realize that eventually what we have here will be gone. We are blessed to live where we do because we can still hunt, fish, and trap game, but eventually even those resources or our abilities to freely utilize them will be taken away as well. Our only hope is our eternal salvation.
“As far as medical help goes, Trail has already reminded us that we are extremely limited there as well. Those who have come here from Asheville and Iverson have told us of the near total destruction of the hospitals and cities – even Iverson Baptist is practically useless now as far as medical resources. Trail, Brent, Lilly and Sarah are doing a marvelous job; but when an overwhelming crisis comes, and it will, there is virtually nothing that they will be able to do given the fact that we have no hospital and no adequate medical or surgical supplies. What we all need to do now is to learn as many medical and survival skills as we can, and to take the reins for our own health and well-being as best we can. Do your best to attend the girls’ Monday classes.
“In addition to those, we are going to be setting up outdoor survival classes. Bobby Thorpe, Chief Little-John Redfern, Grant Owen, and Jet Reese have agreed to teach those of you who are interested in outdoor survival skills such as hunting, trapping, field dressing; how to build a shelter; how to make fire without matches, and other survival skills. These classes will meet here at 10:00 AM every Thursday and take things from there. Yes, even in this snowy weather: snow, rain, heat, whatever, we will still meet. We aren’t playing Huck Finn here. This is survival for as long as God allows. All these things we can and will continue to do, but always with the understanding that the events of Revelation, which have already begun, will continue no matter what. Nothing or no one is going to stop God’s wrath and coming judgment.
“Now let me end today’s meeting with one final bit of information we all need to ponder. I realize that some of you were quite taken in by Lucius Draken. I want to give you a clear warning regarding him, just as Will has already warned you about him. There is absolutely no doubt that Draken is the long- prophesied Antichrist and Jaakobah Gulden the False Prophet.”
A murmur arose among the crowd. Mitch raised his hands and his voice to quell the noise. He continued:
“Look, I know what you saw; we saw it too, but remember the warning that Jesus Himself gave to us concerning these days. This is what Jesus said in Matthew 24: “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5 KJV). Jesus warned us above all about deception and being deceived. The Antichrist is the ultimate deceiver because he is Satan’s emissary – Satan’s’ main man,’ if you will. Satan was called by our Lord Jesus ‘the Father of Lies.’
“Let me give you the meaning of Lucius Draken’s name. After the display on the Temple Mount, I wanted to know if Draken’s name held any significant meaning, so I did some digging. Shakespeare asked the question ‘What’s in a name?’ Well, in Draken’s case, what’s in his name is the proof of who he really is. He has admitted that he himself is not fully human – that his DNA carries more than just the DNA of his human parents. The answer lies in the meaning of his name. The name ‘Lucius’ is Latin. It means ‘bearer or bringer of light’ – which by the way, is the same meaning as the name ‘Lucifer’ from which the name ‘Lucius’ is derived. His middle name ‘Apollo’ is of Greek origin. It is a derivative of the name ‘Apollyon’ which is the name of the fallen angel of the abyss. It means ‘destroyer.’ However, it is his last name that is the most interesting to me. In Hebrew, the word ‘bar’ before a last name means ‘son of.’ The last name ‘Draken’ is Greek for dragon or serpent. Lucius Apollo bar Draken’s name actually means: bearer of light, destroyer, son of the dragon.”
The crowd was silent. Mitch then ended the meeting and dismissed the crowd, but not before he asked if anyone desired to become a believer in Christ – part of the family of God. A couple of people did become believers. One was Dewey Upshaw; the other young man was Grant Owen, the guy who is going to help with the outdoor skills classes. Eva was not among the new believers.
CHAPTER 36
Journal Entry Saturday, February 15, 2020
All of this happened on Wednesday, January 8, at our regular meeting after Draken had signed the covenant with Israel. On Friday, January 18, Pakistan hit India with a nuclear attack on Kashmir; and within a few days’ time, China invaded Taiwan. Although China refrained from using nuclear weapons, and although the Taiwanese put up a valiant fight, there really was no contest. One week later, North Korea invaded South Korea. Now that the US is no longer able to protect South Korea, there really was no deterrent. The fighting there is bloody and will likely continue for a long time to come. In addition, Japan, who greatly fears North Korea with good cause, has joined forces to help defend South Korea. China, is now sending aid to North Korea. In addition, there are armed skirmishes all along the US southern border where hand-to-hand combat is escalating.
The rider on the red horse of Revelation 6 is on the move. The New EP, however, seems to be flourishing. In Israel, the construction of the third Temple has begun and is progressing quickly. Israel plans to dedicate the Temple with the sacrifice of a red heifer in the new Temple’s Holy of Holies – the sanctum sanctorum of the Temple – on May 14, 2020.
Lucius Draken has announced plans to build Euro-Phoenicia’s new e-commerce headquarters in the ancient city of Babylon, and to erect a new ‘Temple of the World’ on the ancient site where the Ishtar Gate once stood. Prophet Gulden has called for the original Ishtar Gate and the great Altar of Zeus – the Pergamum Altar that once resided in Pergamum in Asia Minor – to be returned to Neo-Babylon from Germany. Since Germany is part of the 10-kingdom conglomerate of Euro-Phoenicia, this will almost certainly be done, even if Germany itself isn’t in favor of returning these religious relics of pagan history. So, just as scripture prophesied in Isaiah 13-14; Jeremiah 50-51; and Zechariah 5, Babylon herself, ancient Babylon on the plains of Shinar, is rising again.
Within the next year, Draken expects the construction of these two facilities to be complete. There, in Neo-Babylon, the new hub of global e-commerce, finance, and tracking will be based. Also there, the new Temple of the World will become the repository and headquarters where all the world’s false religions will be based. Although the current Pope is working alongside Gulden, it is obvious that Gulden is the real welder of global religious power. Babylon is rising, just as scripture said it would. However, God will also utterly destroy it, just as scripture also foretells.
So much is happening, Journal. I am beginning to realize that my entries from here on may become fewer and farther between as events of the Tribulation accelerate. Still I am committed to archiving all that I can for as long as I can.
Here in Norrisville things are going along pretty much as usual; although, we are beginning to feel the encroachment of desperate times. Our supplies of food are so far holding out alright, but that’s not going to last much longer. Our supplies of gasoline and other household commodities are another matter. Clyde has ordered that gas be conserved as much as possible since once our supply runs out, it will be gone with no more available except what is left that can be syphoned from the left-behind cars that haven’t already been drained. Even gas syphoned from left-behind cars won’t last though, so our driving must need be done only as absolutely necessary from here on out.
So far, we still have enough things such as rice, sugar, beans, paper napkins and such, but Mitch is calling on everyone to begin rationing things like gasoline, salt, toilet paper, matches, lighters, over the counter medicines, and lamp oil.
The cold weather has been both a blessing and a curse. Overall, most of the town is faring well. Many of us have fireplaces or wood stoves which can double for both heating and cooking if needed; although, not everyone has those. The classes the girls offer and the survival-skills classes that Carter, Big Mike, Chief Little-John, Grant, Jet Reese, and I’ve been giving have been a hit. Even in the cold and snow of February, these classes have been well- attended. I grew up living off the land, but all of us are learning from Little-John, or just Chief, as we call him.
A few new people are coming into town. Clyde and the others at the PD including Brent, Trail, Sarah, and Lilly take turns doing triage. Between their regular duties and the new registration and triage duties, they are all kept busy trying to keep tabs on the newcomers and doing their best to assess the health status as well as the intentions of the ones coming into town.
There’ve been a few that Clyde and Dewey have turned back and not allowed in. These obvious troublemakers were addicts looking for drugs, and those who came in with an attitude of arrogance and disrespect looking for a place to get away but who weren’t interested in helping work. The addicts have apparently used up whatever there was in the surrounding cities and are now seeking out places like N’ville. Clyde, Dewey, and Rod have let it be known in no uncertain terms that anyone who comes into town looking for drugs, or causing any kind of disturbance, or who refuses to work will be escorted out of town; and if they make any trouble, will be shot on sight. We are still under martial law, so Clyde is well within his rights to enforce it if push comes to shove.
So far, the ones who could cause us trouble have left peaceably – the remains of the body in the car at the town limits is still somewhat of a deterrent – for now. I expect as food everywhere becomes more scarce, and the weather gets warmer, more may come. Of course, the addicts – those who are genuine addicts and not just recreational users, will soon die their own horrible deaths when there are no more drugs to be found.
As it turned out, it wasn’t the druggies or anarchists that caused the first really big trouble Norrisville faced.
TO BE CONTINUED