The linear notion of time needed to be suppressed while everyone was collected. At least, that was how the guardian angel explained it to Jack. His detective mind kicked in. Did time exist in the New Earth? He had no idea how long they’d been in their new environment. His watch was frozen at the time they entered the gates.
The mountains were still crystal clear. The Lord was sitting on the throne, surrounded by praising people. This would go on for eternity. Jack looked forward to the day when he could be in the front row, but there was no pressure. When would this day end? That was why his mind was on time.
Time. Humanity measured everything by time. He looked at his watch again. A mechanical thing, just ticking away. Well, it had been. Time had controlled their lives. God obviously had another measurement in mind, perhaps something that had more to do with the sun, moon, and stars.
Catherine walked over. “Well, my friend. It’s all pretty amazing, isn’t it?”
“It is.” He tapped his watch. “Of no use now.”
“Who knows? Sunrise. Sunset. Maybe we’re getting back to the basics. Someone once told me that month was a mispronunciation of the word moon. And there could be some hints in the connection between Sunday and even Saturday and elements of the solar system.”
He looked forward to when it all will be revealed. Best let his detective mind rest for now—too many questions.
His guardian angel approached them. “Hello, Cath. I’m Leo, Jack’s guardian angel.” Leo nodded in Jacks direction. “He was hoping to rest his detective mind but not yet. May I show you some things?”
“Of course.”
They found themselves in a room—a room like no other. The walls were white and appeared to be giving off their own light source. The floor was the colour of sand. There were minimal furnishings—just chairs and a small table. The walls to the left and right were covered in white shelving, with narrow rows and columns housing items emitting a mixture of colours.
A bearded person walked in wearing a panama hat, white shirt, and canvas shorts.
“Jack, Cath. I would like you both to meet Ollie Fernshaw.”
After the greetings, Leo spoke. “Ollie is another guardian angel.”
“I imagine there are quite a few of you.” Jack had come to realise that they were all spiritual beings, with the body giving form to the spirit. A tent, some liked to call it.
Ollie grabbed a chair. “There are many of us, Jack. And you and Catherine are now in that category as well.”
That comment just added to the confusion of the room.
“This room is known as a ‘capture room’. It is one of many,” Leo said. “These rooms store the life record of every person that lived. Every thought, word, action, and deed are captured and recorded and stored. The storage mechanism is similar to the human brain. It has an immense capacity and is connected to the Books.”
“Jack, you have shown an interest in time.” Leo pointed to the front wall and ran his finger from left to right. A straight black line appeared on the length of wall. “That’s a timeline. Time does not exist here. We live outside of time, but we’re able to view history from beginning to end. And we are able to venture into that timeline at any point at God’s will. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Why was Leo telling him these things?
Leo smiled. He caught Jack’s thought. “You or Catherine may be one of those sent back. But we need to explain further.” Leo handed them a small device and pointed to his ear. “That device will enable you to not only hear but experience the thoughts and emotions of what you witness. It is like watching a movie—real-life movie clips.”
“And I’m here as the example,” Ollie said. “We would like you to see a venture into the timeline. It is to do with someone you are well acquainted with, Thomas Wiley.” Ollie nodded towards the front wall.
A scene. It was the ocean. Someone was sinking, looking up to see a bright light mixed with the dark blueness of the water above him. The calmness of the surface surprised Jack. A bearded figure appeared, the head surrounded by sunlight. A hand came into the water and reached down.
Jack looked at Ollie. “That was you?”
“Yes, although Wiley mistook me for the King.”
“So you saved his life.”
“Yes. The Father knew his heart wasn’t quite there yet. I was just helping him along.”
“We would like you both to travel along the timeline with us … with Wiley. It will help you understand our role as guardian angels but also show you what is happening outside the kingdom.” Leo tapped his ear. “You are now both connected to Wiley and his life.” The scene on the wall changed, and a garden pathway with green gnomes appeared.
44 - The lot left behind
Thomas Wiley wiped tears from his cheeks as he hurried through Sheila’s front yard, passing the green gnomes that welcomed visitors. They reminded him of aliens—didn’t aliens have green skin? That’s what he’d been conditioned to believe. Christians were often considered aliens in this world, and now they’d gone back to their spaceship. Who controlled minds? He didn’t understand. Sheila told him people were controlled by the devil and Hollywood. He’d laughed off her words, but now he wasn’t so sure. He’d often believed what he’d heard without too much thought. He was confused.
He headed back to his dad’s house, although he didn’t expect to find him there. Out in the streets, the cars were stationary and people watched Adventus as it travelled swiftly through the sky. He thought of garbage trucks collecting rubbish. A stupid thought, but his mind was trying to bring order to whatever was happening. Everything was surreal, like he was in some dream state. Adventus was working its way through the world, collecting those who believed and leaving the rubbish behind. A sad thought. In his previous life, he would’ve suggested the reverse—that the rubbish was being collected.
As Wiley walked, an elderly man reached out and grabbed his arm. The man pointed to the sky, his eyes wide and full of fear.
“My wife. She’s gone!” the man yelled into Wiley’s face. “She told me … she said this would happen … but I chose not to believe.’ His grip on Wiley’s arm tightened.” What can I do?”
“Pray.” It was all Wiley could come up with. He hoped that option was still available.
The man let Wiley go, placed his hands over his dejected face, and sobbed. The man turned and headed back to his house, a sad and lonely figure.
Wiley continued towards his dad’s house, thoughts attacking him like darts flying through the sky. He had chosen the wrong house. Sheila told him that her Father’s house had many rooms and He would come again to take her home. Sheila had gone home to her Father’s house—wherever that was. Wiley was stranded. Where? Left behind on planet Earth. He didn’t know what would happen next, and his fear was building up.
Sheila had told him something else that was playing on his mind. What would the world be like now the salt of the earth had been removed? Sheila had compared Christians to salt, used to preserve meat in the old days. Salt prevented decay. She’d asked what would happen to society when the Christians were taken out of the world. The question had sounded arrogant, but what if it was true?
He stood outside his dad’s house, not wanting to face what was coming. His dad had helped get his life back in order and now …
He walked up the pathway opened the door. “Dad?”
The house was deathly quiet. He’d hoped Dad hadn’t been collected by Adventus, but that was just hopeful, selfish thinking.
“Dad,” he called again. He heard a noise and walked towards the back of the house, pausing at the window looking out at the backyard. Two men were in his dad’s chicken pen. Each had a chook under one arm, pecking at them. The men were trying to pick up more, while the chickens ran around the pen in a panicked flurry.
