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  “I say likely because in Ezekiel 38:2, Russia and Iran are not explicitly named. We have to do some homework to discover who those two nations are. While I believe what happened in Israel a few days ago was the Ezekiel 38 War of Gog and Magog, it’s not clear-cut until we can confirm some things on the ground.

  “The Bible says the attack will be led by Gog. He is described as a military and political leader who establishes a coalition to destroy Israel. Russia’s dictator fits that bill, but really it’s the spirit behind his actions that are significant. That spirit comes from Satan, in yet another attempt to destroy the people of God, but I digress. It’s also likely that Russia’s leader is the Gog of Ezekiel 38, due to Flavius Josephus, the first-century Roman historian, detailing in his seminal book The Antiquities of the Jews that Magog was a land filled with people whom the Greeks called Scythians. The Scythians settled in the areas north of the Black Sea in the former Soviet satellites and current Russia.

  “Now for Iran, Ezekiel 38:5 depicts Persia as the chief ally to Gog, whom I’ve established is most likely Russia. Persia, as you know, is now called Iran, and we both know how close Tehran is to Russia. That’s why I believe the invasion of Israel led by Russia and Iran was the fulfillment of the first War of Gog and Magog,” Rev concluded.

  “Why do you say first war? Is there a second one coming?”

  “Yes, there is. Revelation 20:7–10 speaks of another War of Gog and Magog that will occur at the end of Jesus’ millennial kingdom reign. In both cases of the War of Gog and Magog, the nations coming against Israel and at the end of the millennial kingdom, against Jesus Himself, are driven by the same evil spirit.”

  “Okay, I am lost. Continue with the recent crisis.”

  “Last part to understand is the motive. The Bible helps paint the picture of why the invasion we witnessed took place. In Ezekiel 37:4–8, the physical restoration of the Jewish state was the first domino to fall for several key prophecies, including the event that occurred a few days ago. When we put together the announcement by the Israelis about a year ago of finding one of the world’s largest untapped gas reserves in their borders and their supplanting of Russia in the EU energy market, we get a motive to match the actions.

  “The Bible decrees in Ezekiel 38:8 two conditions that seemingly are in line with what occurred before the recent attack. First, Israel must be living securely in the land, which, given the strength of the Israeli Defense Forces, cannot be easily dismissed. Next, ahead of the War of Gog and Magog, Israel would have some prosperity that this coalition would seek to plunder as outlined in Ezekiel 38:12 and manifested with the gas-reserve find. I see only one conclusion: that the Russian-Iran-led attack came about as the Bible predicted thousands of years ago,” Rev finished.

  * * *

  Christopher awakened sweating from his haunting vision of Rev detailing the War of Gog and Magog, relieved to find himself still on a plane bound for the U.S. He looked around only to see Jackson’s cabin light glowing in the darkness of the plane, and it looked like he was studying for something. Christopher didn’t want to sleep, much less remember a potential missed opportunity to realize the power of God, but he felt his eyelids growing heavy as his mind traveled back to Israel.

  “Hey, wake up! Look out your window,” Rev shouted to Christopher as they entered Israeli airspace.

  “Huh…? What…?” Christopher slurred.

  “Look at those fissures and the destroyed tank and armored vehicle columns.”

  Christopher wiped the sleep from his bloodshot eyes and saw the dawning light of the new day illuminating the Central Hills and Jordan Rift Valley regions of northern Israel aglow with many burning and destroyed pieces of military hardware.

  “Oh man, did God do a number on them,” Rev exclaimed.

  “I’m not sure that’s exactly what happened, Rev, but we will have some better answers shortly,” Christopher assured him as he listened to the announcement of the final approach into Ben Gurion International Airport.

  As Nighthawk finished taxiing to a secured area of the airport, Christopher watched as several black sedans approached the plane, escorted by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) military vehicles. He could see countless minions setting up a receiving line marked with well-dressed soldiers holding Israeli and U.S. flags along a red carpet. At the end stood the Israeli Minister of Defense and General Benjamin Havid.

  General Havid was a legendary figure in the special operations community, known the world over as the tougher-than-nails officer who had been a distinguished commander in both the Kidon and Unit 269, also known as Sayeret Matkal. Christopher knew the drill. The SecDef and his immediate entourage would proceed, and he and the rest of the “support” folks would wait until they had made their way down the receiving line before moving to their vehicles.

  As Christopher walked down the red carpet, he could see his guys climbing into random vehicles and Rev jumping into a car near him.

  “Hey, Major Barrett, you’re riding here,” Agent Dewberry instructed, pointing to a waiting sedan. “Remember to keep a low profile. The Israelis don’t know we have military embeds.”

  “Got it, Agent Dewberry,” Christopher said as he entered his “assigned” luxurious but obviously up-armored sedan. Christopher craned his neck to see Agent Dewberry arguing with someone and wondered who it was. When he finally saw the face, his first thought was, Nah, it couldn’t be…

  “I will sit wherever I wish, young man. Now go with your principal,” shouted the Israeli officer.

  “Hello, I am General Benjamin Havid, and your name, young man?” General Havid closed the sedan door and turned to Christopher, who sat next to him.

  “Good morning, sir. I am Christopher Barrett. I am security—” Christopher was summarily cut off by the General.

  “I can spot a warrior a mile away. I was watching you proceed along the receiving line. Why do you think I wanted to ride in the car with you?” General Havid asked.

  “It’s an honor, sir. Your reputation precedes you,” Christopher replied, almost struck dumb by his good fortune.

  “I would be right to assume you’re with Omega Group, yes?”

  “Sir, I don’t want—” General Havid cut him off again.

  “No need to answer. Your response—or lack thereof—tells me what I want to know. Are you an officer or a soldier,” General Havid pressed.

  “I’m an officer.”

  “Ah, then that would make you at least a major. Well, Major Barrett, now that we are acquainted with each other, what shall we talk about today?”

  Laughing, Christopher replied with the question that was uppermost in his mind. “What happened, sir?”

  “That is easy. God defended His people. Do you believe me, Major?” General Havid asked.

  “I don’t know, sir,” Christopher replied honestly.

  General Havid laughed as the caravan of sedans began to move toward the Valley of Jezreel. “Major Barrett, by the end of the day, you will, I assure you.”

  As the vehicles made their way through Israel toward one of the most significant sites of the invasion force’s destruction, the Valley of Jezreel, Christopher was struck that he could see no signs of conflict or damage to anything dotting the Israeli countryside. While there were numerous jets downed along the route to the Valley of Jezreel, it seemed as though they had crashed “purposefully,” landing in vacant lots and fields.

  “It is amazing. We have yet to receive one report of any loss of life here in Israel,” General Havid said, noticing the bewilderment on Christopher’s face as he stared out his window.

  “That is amazing considering the size of the force that came against you,” Christopher responded.

  “The invasion occurred so quickly that we did not have a chance to get more than a few intercept jets into the air to meet the inbound fighters. Momentarily you will see an example of what our ground forces found as they rushed to meet the hordes pouring across all our borders. I’ve never seen anything like this in m
y more than thirty years of military service,” General Havid asserted.

  It was hard for Christopher to comprehend the destruction his eyes were seeing as the vehicles stopped at a scenic overlook that had been prepared for the SecDef’s visit. The Valley of Jezreel was covered as far as you could see with all forms of modern military hardware, everything from destroyed tanks and artillery pieces to troop carriers and support vehicles. It was clear to him that this was not an invasion as a punitive measure for stealing gas revenues. No, this force aimed to wipe the nation of Israel from the face of the Earth.

  “This is something all right,” Rev remarked, surveying the battlefield as he joined Christopher and the others at the edge of the overlook.

  “I am at a loss for words. I mean, what kind of weapon could have produced this type of damage? It looks as if everything was targeted all at once, including the jets,” Christopher replied.

  “You mean to tell me you can’t see the evidence of God’s hand all around you?” Rev questioned loudly in shocked disbelief.

  “Your soldier is right, Major Barrett,” General Havid chimed in. “God did this. No man-made weapon could have come close. I am sure you already know that we didn’t even have time to consider what response was appropriate before the attackers had crossed into Israel.”

  “Look at the wide fissures in the ground that swallowed whole divisions. Ground force commanders submitted reports that massive hailstones, the size of small vehicles, fell from the sky, crushing the enemies you see here. We are still trying to determine what happened with the jets, but our pilots noted, and I quote, ‘rolling waves of lightning sweeping the skies, engulfing the enemy planes.’ I tell you, Major Barrett, God was fighting for Israel,” General Havid concluded, walking away from Rev and Christopher to go speak with the SecDef and the Israeli Minister of Defense.

  Christopher pondered the scene before them. He dared not attribute the victory so clearly to God in the report he had to provide to Colonel Delmar, given how he had never seen God do anything so significant in his own life. However, he would say that something supernatural had occurred.

  “It seems that your SecDef is now convinced that Israel has no new weapons, but like you, Major Barrett, the SecDef is struggling to articulate what his eyes are telling him. We are heading back to Tel Aviv for the night. Tomorrow, you will depart for the U.S.,” General Havid remarked as he returned to stand near Rev and Christopher.

  “Just a few other things, sir, if you don’t mind,” Christopher said.

  “Yes, please ask,” General Havid answered.

  “First, who are all of those people in the valley wearing the bio-suits?”

  “We have mobilized the entire nation to begin the cleanup before any disease can spread. You can already see scavenger birds and animals are racing our crews for the remains. However, it will take us months to rid the land of the dead. The Russian coalition has made no attempt to secure their fallen troops, so we have designated the Valley of Passengers near the Dead Sea for burning the bodies. What’s your next question, my bright young friend?” General Havid asked.

  “Sir, I also see what looks like crews stripping off components from the vehicles and fallen enemy troops.”

  “Yes, we are ‘improving’ our own military inventories. A small fraction of the cowardly invaders escaped, but we are taking advantage of what was left behind. The fuel alone will take years for us to burn through given the size of our military.”

  “Let me guess…you’re estimating about seven years to complete the cleanup,” Rev opined.

  “Why, I believe that is one of the initial estimates I’ve been presented. How did you arrive at that number of years?” General Havid queried, his curiosity naturally piqued.

  “The prophet Ezekiel described what we are seeing. Well, he described the scene in the best way someone of his era could have,” Rev said proudly.

  “I believe you have the answers for your report, Major Barrett. The living God of Israel defended the nation, as He always has and will,” General Havid concluded.

  “Sir, how did you know I was writing a report?” Christopher said, shocked by the general’s shrewdness.

  The barrel-chested General Havid erupted in a booming laugh as he replied with a smile. “You don’t get to where I am in life without knowing the game that is played. I assumed your SecDef was not just going to give a speech to your president and leaders. My last piece of advice for you is, don’t deny the significance of God allowing you to witness His power. There is a reason beyond the report.”

  Christopher awoke in a cold sweat, troubled by the lingering dream of reliving the Israeli mission, or the War of Gog and Magog as Erin and Rev described the event. He stared wide-eyed out his window into the darkness, wondering if God was trying to reach him. Perhaps General Havid was right; maybe there was something beyond the report he had given. Perhaps God was providing opportunities through the profession Christopher loved to receive His salvation. Christopher didn’t want to give God any credit for trying to connect with him because that felt like he was letting God off the hook for the pain of his childhood. However, what he had experienced recently in Iraq and previously in Israel left him confused about where he stood with God.

  * * *

  Jackson glanced at Christopher and couldn’t help but notice him fitfully sleeping a few rows across from him. Jackson worried about him. In Mosul he had been distant and distracted. Christopher impressed Jackson the first time they met with his dedication to the profession, his men, and each mission Christopher completed, which made his recent behavior the more concerning. Jackson hoped getting back to the States would settle Christopher’s mind before it cost him his life or career. He held the man in high esteem, and Jackson planned on confronting Christopher about his troubled mind when they got back to D.C.

  Jackson had envisioned his “out to pasture” job as a covert operative was destined to be something like building slides for the morning update brief at SOCOM. Jackson had made the decision to retire from the military so he could get to know the family he had for years placed second to helping strangers. He had overachieved within the U.S. special operations community but hardly knew how to relate to his wife Sarah and two small daughters Katie and Sadie. So Jackson unhappily accepted that his final days were going to be spent as a staff advisor. When the call from Christopher came asking for his help, after losing his team sergeant to an emergency appendectomy, Jackson had jumped at the chance for fieldwork. He loved helping others and serving a calling more significant than himself, which is why he loved being a Green Beret so dearly.

  Now he was the team sergeant for Omega Group. It was an awesome feeling for Jackson serving as Christopher’s team sergeant yet again. He and Christopher had served together for six years in “the Legion,” when Christopher was a newbie commander. They had grown close over the years, with Christopher being like a little brother to Jackson.

  Three days ago, in Iraq ahead of the mission, was Jackson’s first time meeting the team, and he was grateful the integration went seamlessly. Jackson found the dynamic of the team functional but unique all at the same time. In particular, the religious sentiment that ran through this elite special forces team was intriguing given Christopher Barrett’s expressed distrust of the things of God.

  At the moment, the things of God was exactly what filled Jackson’s mind. His thoughts spun with an ever-growing curiosity about God. Jackson had never grown up going to church or hearing about God, but he couldn’t shake Rev’s last Bible study. Jackson believed that he was a good person, but felt in his heart that he was missing something after hearing the Bible study. Rev, a nickname earned due to his constant preaching, had been the bond of this team and, without question, the leader of its spiritual movement. But Jackson had found that Rev was just as keen in his marksmanship as he was in quoting the Bible. He smiled as he thought back to the contest Rev had set up to lure him into last night’s Bible study.

  “Pick a weapon, distance and tar
get, and I’ll bet I can outshoot you,” the Logan, Ohio, native told Jackson.

  “Don’t chase this rabbit,” Christopher warned his team sergeant.

  “Come on now, sir, don’t get upset because you can’t outshoot me.” Rev picked up an M4 assault rifle, switched the selector to full automatic, and proceeded to hollow out the center of a watermelon at 150 meters, watermelons being the team’s favorite practice target. He then coyly looked over the rim of his sunglasses at Jackson. While Jackson hit his melon, his accuracy didn’t equal Rev’s, and as the shots rang out across Camp Marez, Iraq, Jackson was impressive but no match for the preacher man.

  “Well, you’re a solid shot for an old man,” Rev teased.

  “Watch it, baby breath. This old dog still knows a few tricks. So what do I owe you, Rev?” Jackson had asked as the men cleaned up the weapons range and prepared to head back to the team’s makeshift headquarters.

  “That’s easy. You just got to show up to my Bible study tonight.”

  “What? Really? I’ve never been to a Bible study, especially in a place like this,” Jackson replied, apparently puzzled.

  “It might help your shooting,” Rev suggested boldly.

  Christopher laughed as he teasingly drawled in his best imitation of Jackson’s Southern accent. “I told you to be careful, Alice! That white rabbit there is trouble.”

  Jackson had let out a hoot and responded, “I’ll be there.”

  Jackson’s vision blurred with tears as he recalled memories of Rev, making him realize that sleeping was going to be a challenge. He figured he could quench his curiosity about God and perhaps even lull himself to sleep by reading Rev’s journal that he had taken while helping pack up his personal effects for transport home. Rev had done a great job of explaining what he saw going on in the world and how it was all leading to Jesus Christ returning to claim His “bride,” the Church. Now whether Jackson believed him or not was another question, but what he could not do was easily dismiss the argument laid out in Rev’s notes.