The Prescience Read online

  To my surprise, every person did have a story. What had I missed in my journey through life because I had been in too big a hurry, too impatient, or too selfish to care about others? It wasn’t that I didn’t love Jesus. I just didn’t know how to love his sheep and goats.

  CHAPTER 39

  THE HEAVENLY BANQUET featured some of the finest cuisine I had ever eaten. Flavored with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control, I leaned back and closed my eyes. I couldn’t imagine life ever being hard again.

  In the garden, no thorns or thistles compromised God’s love. No disease could kill the body. No temptation would torture the soul. Suffering was held at bay as we were allowed to taste the goodness of the Lord, if only briefly, making the longing for our permanent home even sweeter.

  Miss Jeanne, a retired teacher from Alaska, told me she was on her way to Seattle to attend a conference. Another woman was on her way to Hauppauge, New York, to tend to a house sale. Everyone had a story—from all over the world. Along the way, each soul met the King.

  While the boxcar was quite old, instead of perceiving it as ugly and offensive, now I saw it as an antique made more elegant with age. How many millions of wandering travelers had taken this train, looking for the narrow road leading to the heavenly gate?

  Before I only saw smelly sheep and goats. Even the swastika on the engine had been transformed into a cross.

  Gold trim embossed the immaculately inlaid wooden ceiling. The stainless steel siding shone with such luminosity I could see my reflection. I couldn’t even tell the windows had glass because they were so transparent.

  I cuddled up to Daniel. He had rejoined us after helping Mr. Clover fix the broken coupler. I lifted my eyes to his. “Daniel, why didn’t we see these people in the garden?”

  Daniel gazed around the rail car. Every seat was filled.

  “It’s a spiritual journey, Shale. Every day millions of people travel somewhere. Some come to the garden. Too many visit other places, unfortunately not good places, drawn by their fleshy hearts.

  “When you pray, millions of people around the world are praying also, at the same time. You don’t see them, but they are in God’s presence with you.”

  I tried to understand. “So there were people in the garden with us, and I couldn’t see them because they were on their own spiritual journey that didn’t intersect with mine?”

  Daniel nodded. “That’s a good way to look at it.”

  “How do you know this stuff and I don’t?”

  Daniel’s eyes twinkled. “Because you didn’t ask God.”

  I lifted my head off his shoulder. “I asked Cherios where the workers were.”

  Daniel smiled, peeling away strands of hair from my face. “The reason we need the body of Christ and the different parts is because no one is righteous enough to see everything. We see through a glass darkly, but someday, we’ll see Yeshua in his glory. Eternity awaits.”

  Shira reached over and placed her hand on Daniel’s knee. “Papa, can I sit in your lap?”

  Daniel and I exchanged glances. Shira had never called Daniel “Papa.”

  Daniel smiled. “Sure, Princess, come here.”

  Shira climbed into his lap and made herself comfortable. I leaned over and saw Cherios perched on her hindquarters looking into our window. She caught Shira’s attention.

  “Why can’t we take Cherios with us?” she asked.

  I waved at the bunny as I thought about Shira’s question. “She wouldn’t want to come, honey. Why would she want to go back to thorns and thistles when she already lives in the King’s garden?”

  Shira poked out her lower lip. “I already miss her.”

  I stroked Shira’s arm. “I know, but she’ll be here when we come back.”

  I nudged up closer as we waited for the train to start. “Daniel, you didn’t tell me what else happened. I saw you on earth singing with the one hundred forty-four thousand.”

  Daniel raised his eyebrow. “That’s how I know I was gone more than a couple of hours.”

  “Tell me more.”

  “When I was in the library, after the angel left, I put your scroll back in my bag and started to leave, but a certain book caught my attention. It had a curious title.

  “What was that?”

  “The Prescience.”

  I puckered my lips. “That’s sort of an unusual word.”

  “When I opened it, I was taken someplace else. I’m not sure if I was in my body or out of my body, but I know I was in the spirit. I was with thousands of men in the throne room of God.”

  I noticed Daniel’s knee pumping up and down as his excitement mounted.

  “Yeshua was opening the fifth seal. I distinctly remember it was the fifth. I had the feeling events were happening on earth that defied description.”

  He paused as singing filled the compartment. We joined in and added our voices to the others.

  “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

  That saved a wretch like me.

  I once was lost but now am found,

  Was blind but now I see.”

  We sang all the verses and tears came to my eyes. If only this moment could last forever. Of course, we would have all eternity to praise our King. God was just giving us a foretaste of his future kingdom.

  When the singing ended, I stoked Daniel’s arm. “What happened after that?”

  “Ah.” He let out a deep breath. “My spiritual eyes were opened, and I saw under the altar the souls of thousands who had been slain. They cried out, filling the halls of heaven with such sadness and heartache, I became overwhelmed with their pain. The martyrs were given white robes.”

  Tears came to my eyes. Would I have that kind of faith, willing to die for my Lord and King?

  “I heard an emotional voice reply,” Daniel said. “‘Wait a little bit longer, for many more of your fellow servants must be killed first, as you were.’”

  I laid my head on Daniel’s shoulder. “Sometimes I think if we were aware of all the pain and suffering in the world, it would kill us. We simply couldn’t handle it, but in heaven, nothing is hidden. God sees all, feels all, and endures all. Only pure goodness could overcome that kind of pain.”

  Daniel’s eyes teared up. “God is just. In the end, he will make everything perfect, and that’s what gives me hope.”

  Unexpectedly, the train jerked forward.

  Shira asked, “Are we leaving now?”

  We waited, but nothing happened. I noticed the other seventh dimension travelers peering around the cabin and looking out the window.

  I reassured Shira. “It might be a couple more minutes.”

  Daniel continued. “The sixth seal was opened and an earthquake struck the earth. The sun turned as black as sackcloth, and the moon turned to the color of blood. Stars fell from heaven, as a fig tree flings down her figs when she is shaken by a wind.

  “Heaven departed like a scroll, and every mountain and island moved out of their assigned places. The earth-dwellers—the kings, the rich, the poor, the mighty, and the common—hid themselves wherever they could find a place, even in the rocks of the mountains. The people cried out to the stones and the rocks. ‘Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.’”

  Daniel’s eyes watered. “I knew at that instant, the great tribulation had begun.”

  Chills swept through my body. “Daniel, the end is so scary. No one in my school would even read the Book of Revelation. When Shira and I were in the garden, I saw Earth rocking back and forth, as if it had lost its equilibrium. The planet didn’t know which direction was north and which was south.”

  Daniel reached into his bag, pulled out his Bible, and handed it to me. “Read Daniel 2:21.”

  I flipped to the book and verse and read out loud. “‘He changes the times and the seasons; he removes kings and raises up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.’”
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  I closed the Bible. “Doesn’t it seem strange the changing times and seasons would be mentioned in the same sentence as removing kings and setting up kings?”

  Daniel peered deeply into my eyes. “If the earth is teeter-tottering, imagine what is happening to the earth-dwellers? Seas are being emptied and mountains are being brought low. Chaos would be the order of the day, and no king stays in power when the world is coming apart at the seams. Of course, this is God’s judgment on an unrepentant, perverse generation. Only the wise will understand what is happening.”

  The steam engine came to life, and the train, while not yet moving, was alive. We’d be taking off soon. I glanced out the window and waved one last time at Cherios. She was hopping up and down.

  “Cherios is so funny,” Shira said. “Look.”

  I watched her, amused, waving at her through the window. I couldn’t wait to come back.

  Daniel continued. “After that, four angels went down to earth and stood at the four corners. God told them to hold back the four winds. Fire poured down upon us like at the temple on Pentecost. I felt the hand of God sealing his name on my forehead.

  “A voice said, ‘You are the first fruits of Shavuot’—just like we witnessed with Nidal on earth. The festival is repeated in heaven before Yeshua’s return.”

  I briefly thought about Nidal. Where was he now? “Jesus must have wanted us to return to the first century for many reasons.”

  Daniel nodded. “I don’t think Christians appreciate how important God’s festivals are. That’s when everything happens. I never understood that before.”

  “What happened after that?”

  “A voice said, ‘The one hundred forty-four thousand are sealed,’ and the throne room erupted in worship.

  “Instantly, we stood on the Mount of Olives. A voice told the harpists to play and we began to sing. I knew the song, although I don’t know how. Yeshua said no one could learn the song except us. And then, as quickly as it happened, I was back in the library.”

  “Do you think we should go back to the twenty-first century?”

  Daniel frowned. “No. I think we’re where God wants us. He’ll call us back when the time is right.”

  I nodded and closed my eyes, suddenly realizing how tired I was. Soon I felt the train chugging along at a good clip.

  “Auntie, we’re moving,” Shira said excitedly.

  “Yes, we are. Hang tight.”

  I opened my eyes. “I assume we’re going to Caesarea, right?”

  Daniel sighed. “I think so. Maybe we should have asked.”

  I glanced around the cabin, but the angel was nowhere.

  CHAPTER 40

  I FELT A thump and a whoosh as we ascended into the heavens. “Whoa!”

  Applause erupted from several travelers. Shira climbed back into my lap as contagious excitement spread. I tried to imagine what a flying train would look like if I were on the outside looking in.

  A man’s voice a few rows behind us exclaimed. “Look down.”

  Clouds and bright glare from the sun made it impossible for me to see. Then everything turned pitch black. Had we entered a tunnel? Flickering stars appeared across the heavens and celestial music filled the cabin. I turned to Daniel. “Where are we?”

  “We’re crossing dimensions.”

  Oohs and aahs could be heard.

  Shira tapped me. “Do you hear the music, Auntie?”

  I touched her hand and smiled. “Yes, this time, I hear it.”

  As quickly as the angels of the night sky appeared, they disappeared and the music faded. I couldn’t tell if we were moving, but a light breeze caressed my face and soon a sweet aroma filled my nostrils. I recognized the scent, but did Daniel? I cuddled close to him. “Do you smell it?”

  He whispered back. “The Opobalsamum perfume.”

  “Did you open the bottle?”

  “No, it’s underneath our seats in the bag.”

  I checked to make sure Shira hadn’t opened the bag and gotten into the perfume, but her hands were empty.

  Was that not like God, to throw in a surprise when least expected? He delighted in creating special moments that would remain with us.

  Daniel whispered, “I can’t wait until you wear the perfume on our wedding day.”

  I smiled. Then Shira repositioned herself and I felt her sandal digging into my stomach. “Ugh,” I muttered.

  Seconds later the sun shone through the windows and we arrived. When I surveyed the cabin, I discovered we were the only passengers onboard. I imagined the train stopping in multiple locations at once—Seattle, Hauppauge, Rome, Kenya—who else had I met on the trip?

  My ponderings were interrupted by blinding light when the cabin door automatically opened. Mr. Clover wasn’t here this time to help us.

  Daniel stood. I set Shira down in the aisle and grabbed her hand. We stepped back to let Daniel out as steam from the train expired and warm air poured in through the doorway. I assumed we had arrived in Caesarea, although I had no idea what Caesarea looked like.

  We disembarked by way of the outside platform as brightness engulfed us. I had to pause to allow my eyes to adjust. Before I said anything, Daniel mumbled under his breath, “We aren’t in Caesarea. We’re in Galilee.”

  His comment jarred me. “Really?” I studied the road in front of us. “How do you know?”

  “I recognize this as the road to your father’s estate.”

  I reached down to hold Shira’s hand, but she had taken the stone dove out of her bag, dropped it, and was poking it out of the dirt with her sandal. “Honey, you might want to put that back. We have much to see.”

  She brushed the dirt off and tucked it in her bag. “Can we get something to eat?”

  I did a double take. We’d just eaten. How could she be hungry? I dug into my bag and handed her an apple.

  That satisfied her, and I focused on the road. Daniel was right. This was the same road Baruch and I had traveled when I came the first time.

  My anticipation at seeing the donkey and the pig soared. As we walked, though, Daniel grumbled. “I don’t know why we came to Galilee. We should have gone to Caesarea.”

  I shrugged. “It’s a beautiful day without a cloud in the sky. God is in control. He must have brought us here for a reason.”

  Daniel smiled. “I suppose you’re right.”

  We approached the dirt road leading to my father’s house, and I noticed a “for sale” sign with the word “sold” etched across it. I clasped Daniel’s arm. “Did my father sell his property?”

  “I guess so,” Daniel said. “We’ll find out more from Judd—if he’s here.”

  My heart pitter-pattered. What about Baruch and Lowly? My voice rose. “Suppose we’re too late? Suppose some Gentile ate my favorite pig?”

  Daniel squinted. “Are you having a panic attack? I’m sure that’s not the case.”

  I started to enter the gate that led to the cave where the animals slept at night. I wanted to find Baruch and Lowly as I didn’t see them in the pasture, but Daniel encouraged me to go with him to the front door. “We don’t know if the new owners have moved in.”

  I reluctantly followed him. Daniel knocked and within seconds, we were ushered into the familiar dwelling. “What a delight!” the woman exclaimed. “Come in, please, come in.”

  CHAPTER 41

  WE ENTERED THE home of my father—a wealthy diplomat of the Roman government. I hoped he wasn’t here, but then, he never was.

  I remembered the layout of the house to the tiniest detail. Off the main room, three small adjoining rooms abutted. Expensive rugs from Egypt covered the wooden floors, and the cold stone-hewn walls would have looked less cold if fireplaces had been built in homes in the first century.

  I glanced through a side door and saw the stone stairs that led to the second floor. For a time, my stepmother, Scylla, had imprisoned me up there.

  The young woman who opened the door, Mari, motioned for us to sit on the sofa. She sat on a
chair. Her inquisitive eyes studied me, but her warmth filled the room. I imagined what she was thinking. How could I look so much older after only a couple of months? Well, everyone knew kids could grow an inch in a week. Or maybe she never expected me to return. I had left in such an unfortunate way. I never even said goodbye.

  Mari was the one who cared for me when I was sick, who helped Daniel and I to sneak Nathan, my half-brother, out of the house when we took him to be healed by Jesus. She cooked all the meals. Most of all, she loved me like a sister.

  I broke the momentary silence. “Mari, I’m sorry I left so suddenly. I never meant for things to turn out that way.”

  Mari burst into a big smile. “Oh, my goodness, Shale. I’m glad you left.” Her smile faltered. “The Romans came. You wouldn’t have wanted to be here. They did terrible, unspeakable things.”

  She stopped herself from elaborating after glancing at Shira. Conversation in front of our princess would need to remain suitable for young ears. Mari’s eyes stayed focused on Shira, as if trying to figure out what she had to do with us.

  “Did they hurt you?” I asked.

  Mari shook her head. “Judd saw them coming, so we had time to get Baruch and Lowly into the cave. I hid in there with the animals until they left.”

  “Thank goodness God protected you,” I exclaimed.

  Daniel made the introductions. “Sis, this is Shira through whom God has blessed us. And Shira”—Daniel pointed to his sister—“this is Aunt Mari.”

  Mari interrupted. “Did you, you know…?”

  I covered my mouth, giggling.

  Daniel laughed. “No, we aren’t married—yet. However, we are given to each other, and God has given us Shira for a time.”

  Mari’s eyes beamed. “I’m so excited for you.” She clasped her hands, obviously not sure how the pieces fit together, but glad somehow they did.

  I glanced at Daniel. “Sis? Is Mari your sister?”

  Daniel replied, “Yes!”