“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“Perhaps not. But if we are going to look at Nicolae Carpathia as the potential Antichrist, let’s consider everything he’s done.” Baker ticked off points on his fingers. “Becoming a rich man; stepping up to become an investor in international business; buying out several companies and making one out of them—as he did with OneWorld NewsNet; choosing to set himself up as a spokesperson for international concerns and getting a lot of attention for doing so; getting elected as a national leader in his home country; accepting the presidency of that country that was more or less handed to him, then using that position to immediately take advantage of a chance to speak before a world body like the United Nations. Those things aren’t on the agendas of most people. Or even goals other people would be able to accomplish.”
Goose thought about that. “No. But it almost sounds … right. From what I’ve seen in the news, the guy has deserved everything he’s gotten. He’s worked hard and he’s … deserving. I can’t think of a better way to put it.”
“Exactly the way it should be for the Antichrist to come to power in plain sight of everyone, as the Bible foretells,” Baker agreed. “If I hadn’t been looking for signs of the Antichrist, I probably wouldn’t have given Carpathia a second glance. But I was looking for signs.”
“What does the Antichrist do besides unite the world?”
“You make that sound like unifying this world is an easy task. That’s something that has eluded statesmen for decades, even in spite of all the advances in modern communication.”
“If the Antichrist is going to get it done in twenty-one months or less, it might not be easy,” Goose said, “but it’s going to be quick.”
“It will be quick,” Baker agreed. “Look at how quickly Carpathia has already stepped into the limelight with the United Nations. The Antichrist’s coming is signified by a white horse.”
“The First Seal,” Goose said, remembering what he’d read in the sixth chapter of Revelation.
“Yes. He will achieve world peace and unification in one to three months.”
The timeline blew Goose away. “After all of this, after all the vanishings, the Antichrist is going to be able to pull the world together in a way that decades of politics hasn’t been able to do?”
“Not after all of this,” Baker said. “Because of it. If the Rapture had not occurred, if times were not this confusing, he would not be able to come to power. But just as quickly, once the Antichrist’s true goals become apparent to some, a world war will consume the nations of the earth. That is represented by a red horse.”
“War,” Goose said.
“Yes. Three rulers from the south—I’ve not yet been able to ascertain who those people and what the nations will be—will oppose the Antichrist. Millions will die in that war.”
Goose winced at the thought. Even after everything he’d seen in Sanliurfa, he wasn’t so dead inside that he couldn’t experience dread at those coming times.
“After that, the third Seal Judgment, a black horse, will usher in famine. From what I’ve read, the famine will last two to three months. More of those left behind will die.”
“Then the fourth Seal,” Goose said. “The pale horse. Pestilence and plague.”
Baker nodded. “At the end of the first year, or shortly thereafter, a quarter of the world’s present population will have perished.”
The thought was staggering.
“Those things, First Sergeant,” Baker said, “are the horrors that God has spared your child from. Chris will not suffer the war or the famine or the plague that could have ended his life so painfully.”
Goose felt humbled, regretting—at least for the moment—that he’d ever thought that Chris should have remained on the earth with him. He was being selfish. In this instant—Please, God, help me to understand and remember why You did what You did—he understood what his son had been saved from.
“Millions will die during the fifth Seal Judgment,” Baker explained. “When the sixth Seal Judgment takes place, God will cause an earthquake that creates devastation that reaches around the globe. Every living person will feel His wrath over the murder of His saints.”
In his mind, Goose watched the mountain tumble again to save the retreating American, U.N., and Turkish forces from the advancing horde of Syrian armor only a few days ago. No one had ever found a scientific reason for the mountain to fall at that precise moment. But there was no doubt that the earthquake had spared hundreds of lives.
“All of this in twenty-one months,” Goose whispered, overcome by the magnitude of the coming events.
“Yes,” Baker replied. “The seventh Seal will bring about the beginning of the next twenty-one-month period, the time of the seven Trumpet Judgments.” He shook his head. “I’m still trying to decipher all those portents and omens. I will, but it will take time.”
Goose shifted his leg again, feeling the pain gnawing at his knee. “Time may not be something we have, Corporal. The Syrians are no doubt preparing their next assault, and it could be the final one. We don’t have much left to give.”
“We have time,” Baker pointed out in a soft voice. “Seven years. All of that the worst period mankind has ever seen. If we survive it, we will witness the Glorious Appearing of Christ.”
Glancing at his watch, Goose saw that the time was seven minutes till seven. The number resonated within him.
“Perhaps you and I won’t see the end of those seven years or the Second Coming,” Baker said, “but we need to prepare as many of the others as we can so they may prepare yet others.”
Goose pushed himself up, favoring his injured knee. “It’s almost 0700. We’d better get to it. Today we’ll dig in a little deeper, hold on a little harder, and try to make it through whatever the Syrians have waiting for us.”
Baker stood as well. “I hope this talk has helped ease your mind, First Sergeant.”
“All the prophecies
