THE DAY: A Novel of America in the Last Days (The End of America Series) Read online

  Over time, Moshe, Sophia, Golda and Yitzhak grew and prospered in their community. Golda entered high school, with Yitzak two years behind in the local middle school. Both youngsters were athletically inclined, a fact that never ceased to amaze their parents, who were definitely not. Golda and Yitzhak, though, were skilled at soccer and spent many hours a week at the Pais Sports facility just north of their flat. The Guttman children were playing soccer at the facility when they first heard reports from a late-arriving teammate that he had just heard on his car radio that Russia might be invading Israel. Yitzhak found Golda on an adjoining soccer field, breathlessly suggesting that they needed to get home, immediately.

  6

  Our Redeemer Baptist Church

  Richmond, Virginia

  In his twenty three years in the pulpit of one of America’s leading evangelical churches Pastor Harold "Hap" Atkinson had never been so stressed. As a believer he was well aware that he was to cast all of his worries on the Lord. How many times had he preached to his four weekend services and through his television ministry that God’s people need not worry, only trust? How often had he counseled with members of his congregation in his office, advising them against stress arising from doubting that God would work out the problem, no matter how serious? Knowing what he was supposed to do with his worry-induced stress, though, just made his worry all the more difficult.

  His best friend in seminary, Jack Madison, had warned him almost two years ago to flee the country and re-locate his family outside of the United States. How often had he replayed Jack’s final words which he left on Hap’s voicemail as he was leaving America, saying "Hap, my brother, just a final word before we leave the country. I know you want to stay. I know you think you’re supposed to stay here and minister to the sick and dying. All I ask is that you re-read God’s ten warnings to flee the Daughter of Babylon, pray as hard as you’ve ever prayed and then let me know what you’ve decided. Believe me, I know what it’s like to give up a growing church and a thriving ministry. But, Hap, God’s commands are God’s commands. I’m so hard-headed he had to almost put me in federal prison to convince me to give it all up, grab my family and get out while we still could. But, a final word before we depart. I know that God’s blessings are no longer on this land, the culture war is over, and we lost. I believe without any doubt that America will betray Israel, and when it does it will be destroyed as a result. When the US turns its back on Israel someday, stabbing it in the back and refusing to come to its defense, millions will die. Don’t be here when it happens. God bless you Hap, my dear brother."

  Pastor Hap’s problem was not that he didn’t believe his friend Jack’s warnings. He now knew that everything Jack had said would happen had either already taken place, was happening right now or was about to happen. The Pastor had warned his congregation, in the sanctuary and nation-wide by television, that America was almost certainly the nation that the prophets described when they foresaw what would happen to the Daughter of Babylon, also named in prophecy as Babylon the Great. Many had accepted what he said, researched what scripture said, prayed about it and fled offshore. Most had said they appreciated what he had to say and that they would think and pray about it, but then stayed in the U.S.

  Pastor Hap’s stress was not caused by refusing to warn his flock. No, he was in intense anxiety because he was about to confront the most important and powerful man in the world, let alone the most famous public figure on the planet. As a leader among evangelical pastors Hap had come to the attention of the President of the United States. When the nation’s Chief Executive had attempted to force religious organizations to issue insurance policies to the employees including abortion coverage, Hap had publicly called on the President to re-consider, to back down. The President had refused to do so, resulting in numerous law suits by religious groups. Following the fracas, Hap was called by a White House staffer tasked with trying to put out the fires caused by the President’s attacks on First Amendment guarantees of freedom of religion. He was asked to be a member of an informal group of religious leaders of all faiths to advise the White House on religious issues.

  Hap’s first reaction was to refuse, to turn down the flattering offer. But after the fourth call back, and much prayer, along with his wife’s nudging, Hap reluctantly agreed. As he expected, though, the President’s Religious Leaders Advisory Group, as it was labeled by the media, was largely window dressing. The group had no power, only that of persuasion, which it could only offer when the President called them together to meet in the Cabinet Room, which was increasingly infrequent. Because Pastor Hap was better known than most of the twelve leaders, the mainstream media usually contacted him for public comments when religious issues hit the nation’s news rooms. Hap had gone out of his way to appear fair in his reported comments, so as not to unduly embarrass the man who had asked him to serve on the advisory group.

  Hap’s diplomacy, however, had caused many of his evangelical peers in the pulpit to suspect that Hap had trimmed his sails a bit, in order to go along and get along. Hap didn’t think of it that way. He knew if he kicked the President too hard, he would most likely not be asked back to the Cabinet Room, thus terminating any chance he had to influence the President. So, Hap bit his tongue on occasion, choosing to stay in his advisory role instead of lashing the nation’s leader when Hap thought he was wrong.

  By what some in the advisory group said was a coincidence, but Hap saw as God’s providential timing, the group had been scheduled a month previously for a Cabinet Room meeting the day after Israel was invaded. As the day for the meeting approached and as events heated up in the Middle East Hap was certain that the White House would cancel the meeting. He waited for the cancellation call that never came. Before driving to DC the night before the Cabinet Room meeting his staff confirmed with the President’s staff that the meeting was still on the schedule, the White House not wanting it to appear that it was operating under a siege mentality.

  Hap enjoyed coming to the White House’s Cabinet Room, recalling the newsreels, newscasts and newspaper photos of the nation’s top leaders assembled in this historic room. Today was no different. Hap looked around the room as he sipped the diet drink that he preferred, provided by the Navy Mess one floor below. Only one member of the group was missing, due to a death in his church. The President was late, which was normal. When he walked quickly into the room he looked like a man who was dealing with a crisis. His Chief of Staff, who came in with him, apologized to the assembled leaders and told them that due to the crisis in the Middle East the President’s time would be limited to twelve minutes. Strictly enforced. A short three point agenda had been placed in front of each member of the group, but Hap noticed as he looked it over that there was no mention at all of Israel and its invasion yesterday.

  One of the longer-winded members consumed the first six minutes filibustering on an arcane issue limited only to his denomination and of little interest or application to others in the room. Hap watched the President during the monologue and decided that he was purposely giving body language that he was about to cut the meeting short. Hap couldn’t blame him as he would have done the same. When the windy speaker took a sip of coffee, Hap saw his chance, and jumped in, saying, "Reverend, that’s all quite interesting, but with all due respect, and in light of the President’s tight time schedule, I’d like to change the subject, if we may."

  The President looked slightly relieved and took his arms off of his chair where they had been poised to bolt the meeting. He glanced at his watch, saying, "Pastor you’ve got two, maybe three minutes. What’s on your mind? Another abortion issue got you cranked up?", he asked with a sardonic half grin.

  Hap said a quick silent prayer, smiled back and said, "No, Mister President, though it is a matter of life and death. Israel is under attack. America must come to her aid. If we don’t help, millions may die and they…."

  Now starting to rise from his chair, the President snarled, "Deaths in Israel are their problem. I�
�m not the President of Israel, I’m the Pres…."

  "Mister President," Hap interrupted, "I’m not talking about the deaths of millions of people in Israel, as sad as that would be, I’m talking about deaths of many, many Americans if you don’t intervene and keep our word to support Israel militarily if it’s attacked. Genesis 12:3 promises that we are cursed if we curse Isra….."

  "We’re done here. I don’t need a Bible lesson, Pastor. I have a lot of…."

  Hap would not be intimidated, raising his voice, and responding, "Sir. With all due respect you apparently could use a lesson from the Bible. If we betray Israel, we will be destroyed as a nation. Prophecy says in one day, one hour, one minute. Please, sir, re-consider…."

  At the mention of prophecy the President was out the door to the adjoining Oval Office, as Pastor Hap threw out his last words of advice. Most in the room were looking at Hap with distinct disdain.

  Outside of the entry to the West Wing the religious leaders met with the media. Though the media occasionally covered what was given them, they normally stuck the brief article on the last page and usually only quoted the most liberal of the spokesmen. Today was different. Pastor Hap and three other evangelicals approached the microphones, the others having slipped away to Executive Avenue to their cars.

  Pastor Hap stepped up to the bank of microphones, swallowed hard and said, "Ladies and gentlemen of America’s media, today, on behalf of American Christians we formally called on the President of the United States to militarily intervene and save Israel from being destroyed by the invading armies storming into Israel. I cited God’s promise that he will curse a nation that curses His chosen people, Israel. If we betray Israel and the people of Israel shed their blood, what will happen here will be similar to, but much worse than, what happened when we forced the Jewish settlers of Gaza from their homes. The next day America was struck, forcing many tens of thousands from their homes. God is a God of Justice who keeps His promises. If we fail Israel in this her hour of greatest need, God will remove His hand of protection and we will be gone, finished as the greatest nation on the globe…..That’s essentially what I told our nation’s leader just minutes ago….Any questions?"

  As most of the media walked away, murmuring to each other about what they had just heard, the AP White House reporter said, "Yeah, Pastor. Just one question. Did the President change his mind? Are we going into Israel?"

  Pastor Hap considered his answer. Was it time for diplomacy….or truth? He chose the latter. "The President walked out of our meeting without committing to support Israel. He may change his mind later, but it appears that America is about to betray God’s chosen nation. May God have mercy on us all."

  7

  The Moshe and Sophia Guttman Home

  Petah Tikva, Israel

  Virtually every Jewish family, by necessity, had a family panic plan. The Guttmans’ plan was simple. If any family member heard anything about any possible trouble, an invasion, rockets launched, bus explosions, anything, they were to immediately return to the Guttman flat in east Petah Tikva. Like most every housing unit built since 1990, the Guttman flat included a ‘safe room’. The room was built in the interior space of the four bedroom flat and included a steel locked door and doubled hardened wallboard to hopefully lessen any explosion effects. The room was large enough for the four residents to sleep on cots and was wired to the outside world with a telephone landline. The family had stocked the room with several cases of dried fruit and packaged water in plastic bottles.

  Sophia’s school was closest to their flat, so she was the first to arrive when Israeli news media reported that Russian and Iranian troops had been detected by satellite leaving southwest Damascus on Iran’s Highway 7 towards Israel. Next were Golda and Yitzhak, who ran into the flat, asking their mother what she had heard? Before she could answer them, her cell phone rang. The phone showed an incoming call from Moshe’s dentist office, which was a ten minute drive towards Tel Aviv.

  "Yes, Moshe, why aren’t you here? Don’t you know about the…."

  Moshe, generally the calmer of the two, responded, "Calm down Sophie, I’m calling to let you know it’s going to be at least a half hour, maybe more, before I can get home. I have two patients, both in their chairs, both in mid-procedure. One is a root canal and the other is a large filling. I can’t just run out and leave them, of course. So, we’re accelerating the work. It could be longer than a half hour, come to think….more like an hour. Turn on the TV. I have ours on. Let’s just keep our eyes open and see what’s happening. It may be nothing. We just heard a patient here say, supposedly quoting the White House, that the Russians and Iranians are just doing a military exercise. Not an invasion. Just trying to scare us, I guess."

  "Moshe", Sophie replied, "listen to yourself. Scare us? Well, Its working, I’m scared. We signed a peace treaty that was supposed to guarantee us peace and security. No more violence, no more rockets and bombs. America, if you have forgotten, Moshe, forced us to sign it….threats of U.S. and European boycotts….‘delegitimizing Israel’ and all that….remember? I don’t buy what you just heard….Finish your patients, quick, Moshe….who knows how long it will take them to start firing rockets and bombs, or worse? We’re vulnerable, Moshe….We’re on the eastern edge of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Where do you think they’ll hit first? Please, Moshe, get home….OK?"

  Moshe checked his pulse. Sophie’s words accelerated his weakened heart. During IDF reserve forces training Moshe suffered cardiac injuries which exempted him from further service, otherwise he would have been called up with the IDF reserve forces, now on heightened alert. It was definitely time to get home to his family.

  8

  Hannah and Gary’s Family Room

  Birmingham, Alabama

  "What was I thinking?" Scott was visibly upset. "Liz and Max saw what was coming, and they moved to Central America at the end of last year. Tom and Marty were a little slower, but they’ve been in Panama now for almost two months. We should have left when our friends did. I can’t believe…."

  Sally interrupted her husband, "Scott. Don’t be so hard on yourself. I was the one who kept dragging my feet. I studied the prophecies, like all of us in this small group, but I just couldn’t do….that is….I couldn’t build my faith strong enough to believe what God was trying to tell us with all those warnings. I’m so sorry, honey….I just feel so…….Hannah and Gary, and Audrey and Beau, I’m afraid that my glaring reluctance may have held you guys back from moving….while we all still could. It’s my fault….Can you ever…."

  Audrey, the member of the small group with the most obvious gift of compassion, couldn’t let Sally go on, "Sally, my dear sister in Christ, please don’t blame yourself. We’re all adults, we all studied the Word. We understood that God was using those two hundred and some verses to warn us."

  Gary, Hannah’s husband, looking terrible, said, "Look, guys, if anyone is to blame it should be me. Hannah and I have been active in this county’s tea party for over four years. We followed the news. We went to the rallies. We read everything coming out of Washington, and look. Here we are in central Alabama, facing the potential destruction of this country we love. Well….that is….we used to love it a lot more before all these things starting happening."

  Hannah dabbing her moist eyes, said, "Gary, sweetie, I never supported the idea of moving out of the country. Not even when we were pretty sure that the US was going to pressure and force Israel into giving up its land and signing the peace treaty. When the ink was drying on the document we should have been packing our bags. It might have been too late to sell the house and our accumulated stuff….make that treasures….," she smiled grimly, trying to lighten the mood a bit…."but we could have made it out of the country and into safety. We could have hooked up with Marty and Tom or Liz and Max. Both couples offered to let us stay with them until we could get settled. Your question is right, Scott, what were we thinking?"

  Beau, Audrey’s husband, finally spoke up, "It d
oesn’t do any of us any good to wring our hands and cry over what we should have done. I’m the first to admit that I knew the truth, the Daughter of Babylon prophecies, but, like you all, I kept putting the decision off. When Liz and Max moved I was privately very skeptical. Were they over-reacting, I wondered? Then Tom and Marty adiosed. That should have done it. I should have figured that if four bright students of the Bible, Max was a professor at UAB, after all, decided to move offshore I should get serious myself….but, of course, I didn’t."

  Scott observed, "Beau, you starting out by saying that wringing our hands won’t do any good. Then you started wringing your hands. The question is what do we do now?"

  "OK, yeah, Scott, you’re right, sorry….went down a rabbit trail there. Your question is what do we do now? You saw the news last night, same as this morning. The President is continuing to refuse to come to Israel’s assistance. The Israeli Prime Minister….I always say his name wrong….you know who I mean….has been all over the news, begging, even pleading for the US to keep our word and come to Israel’s defense. So the White House says that the President doesn’t want to increase tensions in a regional conflict. Say what? How could you increase tensions when Russia and Iran and those other Muslim countries are obviously headed to Tel Aviv? One guy, some retired general type, said on Fox that Israel only has a limited time, maybe just a few days, before they are overwhelmed by the invading troops."

  Hannah, trying to stop the flow of her tears, asked, "Guys, you do know what this means if America betrays Israel….if we don’t come to their defense?"