Chaos in the Blink of an Eye Read online

  CHAOS

  IN

  THE

  BLINK

  OF

  AN

  EYE

  PART ONE:

  PREQUEL TO THE AWARD-WINNING

  END TIMES SERIES BY

  PATRICK HIGGINS

  COPYRIGHT © 2015 PATRICK HIGGINS

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American copyright conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter, without written permission of the author. Address all inquiries to the author.

  All scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV)

  © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

  Library of Congress

  Cataloging in Publication Data

  ISBN 978-0-9992355-0-8 – Paperback version

  Published by

  www.ForHisGloryProductionCompany.com

  Publisher’s note: This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, organizations, and incidents portrayed in this novel are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events is entirely coincidental.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  For your consideration...

  Though I uploaded the prequel to the Chaos in the Blink of an Eye series—in e-book format—on 09-18-15, I waited until 09-24-15 to include this “For Your Consideration” piece in the book. The reason? In a nutshell, the increasing number of individuals proclaiming to know the exact date of the Rapture of Christ’s Church.

  While this has been ongoing for many years, decades even, there has been a sharp increase of false date-setters since the turn of the century. According to the Word of God, it will only get worse...

  When one of these false prophets, whose name I won’t mention, foolishly predicted it would happen on 09-23-15, knowing it wouldn’t come to pass as he so boldly predicted, I added this the following day.

  Let’s face it, with so many prophecy websites, social media sites and You Tube videos dominating the Internet, it’s virtually impossible to avoid the topic of the end times. Contributors to those sites and videos have very strong opinions on the subject, one way or another. Some of them are quite informative while, frankly, others border on the bizarre.

  While I agree that we’re living in the end times—I’ve believed this for quite some time—no one, I repeat NO ONE, knows exactly when God’s final prophetic clock will start ticking. Even Jesus didn’t know when He walked among us. With that in mind, anyone foolishly setting such dates must think they are more privileged than Jesus was and, consequently, should be avoided at all costs.

  With regard to the Rapture, some flat-out reject the very notion of it. They claim no such doctrine existed before John Nelson Darby invented it in 1830 A.D. Prior to that, with the exception of Morgan Edwards, who wrote a short essay on a “pre-tribulation” rapture as a college paper for Bristol Baptist College, in Bristol England, in 1744, no one else had ever heard of it.

  Others claim the word “Rapture” doesn’t exist in the Word of God and, therefore, couldn’t possibly be real. To this I say the word “Bible” isn’t found in the Bible either, but it certainly exists.

  While it’s true the word “rapture” isn’t mentioned in the Bible, the word literally means to “be caught up” or “snatched away”. First Thessalonians 4:16-17 states, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

  For those who believe a Rapture will take place at some point in the future, the question is when will it finally happen? Will it come to pass before the long-foretold seven-year Tribulation period, as described in the pages of the Book of Revelation? Will it happen at the midway point? Or will God’s children be forced to suffer through the seven-year Tribulation Period, before Jesus comes back for them?

  Regarding the Antichrist of the Bible, from where will he come? Given today’s climate, many now believe the Son of Perdition will come from the Middle East and will be a Muslim. Others believe he will come from Europe or the United States. Some believe he will be the pope, while others believe he will be a Jew.

  Then there are the children to consider: If there is a Rapture, will all children up to a certain age of accountability be removed from the planet, along with the true believers? Or will only children whose parents are true followers of Jesus Christ be taken with the Church, leaving children of parents who aren’t behind?

  And the debate rages on…

  After studying the Book of Revelation, the four Gospels, Daniel, and many other end-time prophecies in God’s Holy Word for more than 20 years, a pre-tribulation Rapture makes the most sense to me.

  What may come as a shock to some of you is that my main reason for believing this has more to do with Israel than the Church itself. Despite what some might say, God hasn’t completely forsaken His beloved Israel. Soon He will finish what He started thousands of years ago with His chosen people. He will use the seven-year tribulation period described in Revelation to accomplish this purpose, further padding my belief that it is meant for the Jews and not the Church.

  Prophesied thousands of years ago, this future time is known as a time of Jacob’s trouble. Jeremiah 30:7 states, “That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it.” Who is Jacob? Jacob was the son of Isaac. Isaac was the son of Abraham. Jacob was later renamed, “Israel”.

  The seven-year Tribulation period was also prophesied in the Book of Daniel, chapter 9:24, “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people {the Jews} and your holy city {Jerusalem}, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place”.

  To date, 69 of the 70 weeks have come to pass. Each week represents 7 years. So, in that sense, 483 of the 490 years have already come to pass. The final week (7 years) is still to come and, as already stated, is known as the time of Jacob’s trouble. By simply reading Daniel 9:24, does this sound like a God who has forsaken His chosen people?

  Certainly not! In fact, after the Jews endure this final week of judgment, God will bring forth Israel’s redemption; at least for His Remnant.

  Another reason I believe this time is for the Jews and not the Church is that, while the seven-year tribulation period is described in vivid detail in chapters 4-18 in the book of Revelation, the Church is never once mentioned during this time. Chapters 2-3 record the seven letters written to the seven churches. After that, there is no mention of it until chapter 19, when the Church comes back with the Lord Jesus Christ, to begin His Millennial reign here on Earth. This will take place at the conclusion of the seven-year tribulation period.

  Another reason I believe the seven-year tribulation period is meant for the Jews, and not the Church, is that the 144,000 preachers God will raise up during this unprecedented time, will not be Gentiles; they will be Jews. Revelation 7:4-8 makes this crystal clear: “And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

  12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,

  12,000 from the tribe
of Reuben,

  12,000 from the tribe of Gad,

  12,000 from the tribe of Asher,

  12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,

  12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,

  12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,

  12,000 from the tribe of Levi,

  12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,

  12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,

  12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,

  12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.”

  Revelation 7:9-10 goes on to say, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

  The “after this” refers to the sealing of the 144,000, who will then preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, tongue and tribe.

  When was the last time you heard 100,000+ Jewish preachers causing great multitudes from every nation and tongue to turn to a Man who was vehemently despised and rejected by the Jews, and receive Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior? The obvious answer is never!

  But that day will surely come...

  Finally, once Antichrist has been revealed (Rev. 6:1-2), Scripture says he will sign a peace treaty with Israel for seven years, which he will break at the halfway point. As you can see, all signs point to Israel and to Yahweh God’s chosen people, the Jews.

  So, let’s recap: we have a seven-year tribulation period known as “Jacob’s trouble”.

  The Antichrist will sign a seven-year peace treaty with Israel.

  And the key players God chooses to spread the Gospel during the Tribulation period are Jews, not Gentiles, and certainly not Jehovah’s Witnesses, as they falsely and illogically proclaim.

  But in order for God to shift His focus back to the Jews, I believe the Church—who was grafted in due to the Jews’ sin and unbelief—must first be removed. This will take place via the Rapture, thus cementing my belief in a Pre-Tribulation evacuation, so to speak.

  Revelation 1:3 declares, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” This means despite that the Book of Revelation is deep and challenging, and chock full of symbolism, it was meant to be understood.

  Even so, I’m convinced there isn’t a single person anywhere on the planet, myself included, who understands God’s final prophetic timetable completely. As someone who is writing about the end times, I am ever mindful of the two most chilling verses in the Bible which pertain to teaching end-time prophecy to others.

  They are found in Revelation 22:18-19. “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

  This is why I wish to reiterate that in no way do I proclaim to know God’s prophetic timetable perfectly well. I don’t! I also wish to state that I believe the Word of God is complete and perfect in all ways, and doesn’t need a single thing to be added or deleted from it.

  In conclusion, this story is based on my interpretation of the end times as I understand it. While a Pre-Tribulation Rapture is the only viewpoint that makes sense to me, I could be wrong.

  In the final analysis, this is only a novel/series...

  No matter how it all unfolds in the end, I can assure you that my point of view doesn’t come from a prideful or “know-it-all” spirit. The last thing I’d ever want would be to add to or take away from the words of prophecy found in the book of Revelation.

  Let me end by saying this: Regardless of how you may interpret the end-times, as long as you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of many, and has the power to take away your sins, if you repent of your sinful ways and place your complete trust in Him for your salvation, you will be eternally saved.

  Whatever happens in the future, you will leave this Earth and live with Messiah in perfect peace and harmony forever and ever. In short, it won’t matter who was right or wrong. We’ll all be in Glory. Hallelujah!

  The question is, are you ready? Do you know for certain where you will spend eternity? If not, you can’t afford not to read this series!

  Naturally, with this being the prequel—the 24 hours leading up to the Rapture of Christ’s Church—my just-explained eschatological viewpoint cannot be fully expressed until after the silent evacuation takes place.

  Please keep that in mind while reading this installment...

  One more thing...

  What started the Chaos in the Blink of an Eye series for me stems from my deep love of sports, which, I admit has diminished considerably over the years. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy watching and attending sporting events whenever I have the time. But these days I view them from an entirely different perspective, than when I wore a younger man’s face and displayed a weaker man’s faith in God.

  This slow but gradual shrinking away started soon after the Lord impressed upon my heart that the fastest growing religion in America, and the world for that matter, wasn’t Christianity or Islam, but “sports”.

  Every day of the week—including Sundays—millions of fans fill stadiums and arenas (or shall I say cathedrals?) worldwide, to worship their heroes. Whatever the sport, fans show up in droves to cheer on mere mortals as if they were actual gods. When their teams win life is good. When they lose life is miserable.

  As a guilty participant myself for many years, I should know.

  The passion most fans have for their favorite players and sports teams is the same passion they should have when pursuing the One who saw their unformed bodies from the foundations of the world, the very One who knit them together inside their mothers’ wombs.

  Tragically, this is not the case. Hence, the reason for the CHAOS series. The sporting event chosen for this story was the famed Michigan-Ohio State college football rivalry.

  Prior to writing the prequel, I traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan to attend the game. I admit I was just as caught up in the mass hysteria as everyone else. It was impossible not to be swept up into the vortex that had completely engulfed the vibrant college town.

  The energy was so palpable that I had to remind myself more than once that I was there to research and observe everything connected to the game, then put it into words for my readers. The sporting event itself was secondary.

  Though the prequel initially centers on the football game, in no way is this a sports series. This will become quite clear to you when Bible prophecy comes to pass inside Michigan Stadium, causing many to vanish into thin air, leaving everyone still inside the stadium utterly panic-stricken.

  It was just the beginning of things to come, as life as humanity had known it was forever changed, in the blink of an eye...

  Enjoy reading...

  “What is your life?

  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”

  (James 4:14b).

  1

  FOR TAMIKA MOSELEY THIS morning wasn’t much different than any other. In the quiet of the day, quiet for the Big Apple anyway, it was another typical workday.

  Glancing out of her twenty-ninth-floor bedroom window at the New York City skyline, it was business as usual. The sun was slowly rising in the east. Traffic was steadily building down below.

  Even from this high up, Tamika could hear the faint sounds of horns honking, brakes squealing, corrugated security ga
tes rising—both manually and electronically—allowing owners entry into their shops and businesses.

  The mother of two could almost hear the millions of alarm clocks going off in unison all-across the overpopulated city, waking people so they could continue their pursuit of the Almighty Dollar. Millions of people would soon be going in a million different directions trying to accomplish a million different things.

  Glancing down Tamika saw Mario, owner of Lorenzo’s Bakery, opening his shop. Even 29 stories up, the Italian baker was easily identifiable because of a severe limp he’d sustained after being struck by a car as a young boy growing up in Italy. By far, it was his most distinguishing feature.

  Soon the shelves inside his little shop would be stocked full of fresh-baked breads, cakes and pies. Locals would line up one after the next to purchase them. It wasn’t uncommon for the mouth-watering aroma to hang thick in the air for hours on end, tantalizing the senses of all who passed by.

  It was so rich, you could almost taste the air. If only I could smell it from up here, Tamika thought, suppressing a yawn.

  The windows in Tamika’s bedroom were frosted in the corners, due to the below freezing temperatures. It had dipped into the upper teens the night before, which was far below the norm for this time of year. Thankfully the old, rundown apartment building still had a pretty good heating system in place. That, plus the dual thin panes of glass helped create a 50-degree temperature difference on either side of the windows, shielding and protecting Tamika and her two sons from the near-frigid elements outside.

  Tamika loved that she was an early riser. She had plenty of motivation for being one. By waking an hour or so before Jamal and Dante, she had the apartment all to herself to do whatever she wanted.