Read Online Apollyon: The Destroyer Is Unleashed by Tim Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins - Free Book Online
Authors: Tim Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
Ads: Link
All around he heard the sighs of satisfied believers, sharing cold, refreshing bottles.
“Taste this, Jacov!” Buck said, wiping off the top and handing it to him. “It’s very cold.”
Jacov reached for the water. “It doesn’t feel cold to me,” he said.
“How can you say that? Feel my hand.” Buck put his hand on Jacov’s arm, and Jacov flinched.
“Your hand is freezing,” he said, “but the bottle feels warm to me.” He held it up to the light. “Agh! Blood!” And he dropped it. The bottle bounced at Buck’s feet, and he snatched it up before it emptied. It was again cold in his hands, and he couldn’t resist guzzling from it.
“Don’t!” Jacov said. But as he watched Buck enjoy the clean water, he fell to his hands and knees. “Oh, God, I am no better than Carpathia! I want to be a child of God! I want to be a sealed one!”
Buck squatted next to him and put an arm around his shoulder. “God wants you as part of his family,” he said.
Jacov wept bitterly, then looked up at the whir of chopper blades. He and Buck stared at the TV monitor, where Tsion stood alone again on the stage. His hair and clothes flapped in the wind from the helicopter, and his notes were whipped into a funnel before scattering. Translators leapt onto the stage to retrieve them and set them back on the lectern. Tsion remained motionless, staring, having ignored the entire episode with Nicolae and the two witnesses.
The camera panned to where the witnesses had appeared, but they had left as quickly as they had come. The crowd stood, mouths open, many still drinking and passing around water bottles. When they noticed Tsion back at the lectern, they quieted and sat. As if nothing had happened since he began quoting John 3:16, Tsion continued:
” ‘―begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ ”
Jacov, still on his knees, hands on his thighs, seemed glued to the TV image. “What?” he cried out. “What?”
And as if he had heard Jacov, Tsion repeated the verse: ” ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ ”
Jacov lowered his face to the pavement, sobbing. “I believe! I believe! God save me! Don’t let me perish! Give me everlasting life!”
“He hears you,” Buck said. “He will not turn away a true seeker.”
But Jacov continued to wail. Others in the crowd had fallen to their knees. Tsion said, “There may be some here, inside or outside, who want to receive Christ. I urge you to pray after me, ‘Dear God, I know I am a sinner. Forgive me and pardon me for waiting so long. I receive your love and salvation and ask you to live your life through me. I accept you as my Savior and resolve to live for you until you come again.’ ”
Jacov repeated the prayer through tears, then rose to embrace Buck. He squeezed him so tight Buck could hardly breathe. Buck pulled away and thrust the water bottle into Jacov’s hand again.
“Cold!” Jacov exulted.
“Drink!” Buck said.
Jacov held the bottle to the light again, smiling. It was clear. “And it’s full!”
Buck stared. It was! Jacov put it to his lips and tilted his head back so far that he staggered and Buck had to hold him up. He gulped, but not fast enough, and the cool clear water gushed over his face and down his neck. Jacov laughed and cried and shouted, “Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!”
“Let me look at you,” Buck said, laughing.
“Do I look different?”
“You’d better.” He took Jacov’s head in his hands and turned him toward the light. “You have the mark,” he said. “On your forehead.”
Jacov pulled away and ran back toward the van. “I want to see it in the mirror.”
“You won’t,” Buck said, following him. “For some reason we can’t see our own. But you should be able to see mine.”
Jacov turned and stopped Buck, leaning close and squinting. “I
“Taste this, Jacov!” Buck said, wiping off the top and handing it to him. “It’s very cold.”
Jacov reached for the water. “It doesn’t feel cold to me,” he said.
“How can you say that? Feel my hand.” Buck put his hand on Jacov’s arm, and Jacov flinched.
“Your hand is freezing,” he said, “but the bottle feels warm to me.” He held it up to the light. “Agh! Blood!” And he dropped it. The bottle bounced at Buck’s feet, and he snatched it up before it emptied. It was again cold in his hands, and he couldn’t resist guzzling from it.
“Don’t!” Jacov said. But as he watched Buck enjoy the clean water, he fell to his hands and knees. “Oh, God, I am no better than Carpathia! I want to be a child of God! I want to be a sealed one!”
Buck squatted next to him and put an arm around his shoulder. “God wants you as part of his family,” he said.
Jacov wept bitterly, then looked up at the whir of chopper blades. He and Buck stared at the TV monitor, where Tsion stood alone again on the stage. His hair and clothes flapped in the wind from the helicopter, and his notes were whipped into a funnel before scattering. Translators leapt onto the stage to retrieve them and set them back on the lectern. Tsion remained motionless, staring, having ignored the entire episode with Nicolae and the two witnesses.
The camera panned to where the witnesses had appeared, but they had left as quickly as they had come. The crowd stood, mouths open, many still drinking and passing around water bottles. When they noticed Tsion back at the lectern, they quieted and sat. As if nothing had happened since he began quoting John 3:16, Tsion continued:
” ‘―begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ ”
Jacov, still on his knees, hands on his thighs, seemed glued to the TV image. “What?” he cried out. “What?”
And as if he had heard Jacov, Tsion repeated the verse: ” ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ ”
Jacov lowered his face to the pavement, sobbing. “I believe! I believe! God save me! Don’t let me perish! Give me everlasting life!”
“He hears you,” Buck said. “He will not turn away a true seeker.”
But Jacov continued to wail. Others in the crowd had fallen to their knees. Tsion said, “There may be some here, inside or outside, who want to receive Christ. I urge you to pray after me, ‘Dear God, I know I am a sinner. Forgive me and pardon me for waiting so long. I receive your love and salvation and ask you to live your life through me. I accept you as my Savior and resolve to live for you until you come again.’ ”
Jacov repeated the prayer through tears, then rose to embrace Buck. He squeezed him so tight Buck could hardly breathe. Buck pulled away and thrust the water bottle into Jacov’s hand again.
“Cold!” Jacov exulted.
“Drink!” Buck said.
Jacov held the bottle to the light again, smiling. It was clear. “And it’s full!”
Buck stared. It was! Jacov put it to his lips and tilted his head back so far that he staggered and Buck had to hold him up. He gulped, but not fast enough, and the cool clear water gushed over his face and down his neck. Jacov laughed and cried and shouted, “Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!”
“Let me look at you,” Buck said, laughing.
“Do I look different?”
“You’d better.” He took Jacov’s head in his hands and turned him toward the light. “You have the mark,” he said. “On your forehead.”
Jacov pulled away and ran back toward the van. “I want to see it in the mirror.”
“You won’t,” Buck said, following him. “For some reason we can’t see our own. But you should be able to see mine.”
Jacov turned and stopped Buck, leaning close and squinting. “I
Similar Books
