Chapter 15: God's Country

The temple bell clanged seven times, summoning the residents. They all filed in and took their seats to see Yeshua standing before them, flanked by Michael, Gabriel, Rafael and Jophiel. For this, it had to be important. When everyone found a seat, their heads bowed, He spoke.

"Now, it is finished," proclaimed Yeshua, as a large screen lowered behind him, "Behold, New Eden."

The image moved from left to right and showed the view around the town, with few of the mountains nearby and many more farther away. It was as if the closely packed jagged peaks relaxed and spread over a wider area. "Seven times seventy," said Yeshua, "New Eden has thus expanded, and now stretches 490 miles from sea to sea. Our valley is at the center of an island with seven sheltered ports too small for the giants' vessels to enter."

The screen showed the various ports, and the rivers that fed them. Two appeared ready for inhabitants, but not more than a handful. A maze of barrier reefs of rock and coral surrounded the island, making it hazardous for any wooden sailing vessel or Leviathan to navigate.

"As you see, two of the port towns have a flat area for an airport," noted Yeshua. "Our new arrivals from Riverside this morning came on our newest transport aircraft. Until the first town is ready to occupy, Allen shall fly the construction crew to the site to build the runway, as they did here.

"Carl and Tim will haul the components in the transport shuttle, so that once the airport is finished larger craft from off world can land. They will bring more supplies, and from the first port town a road will stretch from there to New Eden." Yeshua pointed to Wayne Hill, who had raised his hand. "Yes, Wayne, do you have a question?"

"Who will live there, and what will they do? I mean, we just now have enough population to function as a town."

"Some will go there once the road is built and become fishermen, and others will extract salt from the sea," said Yeshua. "Certain of you with specific talents will travel there once each week to perform those services until such time as there is a resident. Others who grow crops will deliver twice each week and bring back salt, fish, and items made in that town to trade.

"Most importantly, we will need a minister willing to make sacrifices and lead the flock that will live there. It is with great joy that I call forth Moses Jackson, and his wife Ramona and son Noah."

"What?" Earl gasped. "That rascal turned against us at Hillside."

"That is what Edwin Morrison would have you believe," said Yeshua. "With all of his strength Moses cut off his right hand, and those of his wife and son, and bled to near death. God heard his pleas and took him away, but the demon in Edwin Morrison created a likeness of him to deceive you all. Moses, Ramona and Noah come up out of the fountain and behold New Eden."

From the fountain upon the altar the pastor, his wife and son, in rejuvenated bodies, stepped out dressed in typical clothes of the town. Where they should have been dripping wet, they were not. The three faced Yeshua and bowed.

The people were not sure if they had seen the family resurrected from the dead, or healed and restored. This time, Yeshua himself brought them into the community. Thus, any objection had no standing.

"Come and welcome your new neighbors, for they shall plant a church at the next town," Yeshua explained. "Once the road is finished the bus will travel between the towns and carry up to 28 people."

"How do we protect a colony so far away?" asked Mark.

"The Crystal Dome is active, and covers all of the land by use of repeater technology."

"Are there still dragons nearby?" asked Silas.

"The dome repels the dragons within, and that includes the pterodactyls, which are migrating at this very moment. The nearest land is 700 miles away across the sea, and the prevailing winds will not allow sailing ships to reach us directly. They will have to circle the new world before they can, and then navigate the barrier reefs."

"Then for the foreseeable future no one will attack us?" replied Bruno. "That's wonderful news."

"I foresee longer than you," explained Yeshua. "One day yes, but there will be a means to defend this land not requiring one to go outside of the protective dome. This dome will protect you from motorized warships, aircraft and missiles. It will not stop hostile humans with bows and spears who come in small boats."

"Technology to defend against technology," reasoned Allen. "What about demonic entities?"

"The arrival meadow portal is no more," answered Yeshua. "Only one wormhole comes to New Eden, and that is by way of the airport. Anyone attempting to hack into it will transport to the 773 galaxy on the far side of the universe, from which there is no return. The only way a demon may enter is by sorcery and witchcraft, which will result in exile into the Lake of Fire."

The next view was a Virtual Earth view from out into space. The new world had but one moon, like Earth, and seven island continents, and three inhabited by man, or giants. The nearest island nation was the land of Gogh, the 75-foot giant king, at 700 miles, with a ferocious wind from the northwest.

Gogh's kingdom previously had been but a day's sailing journey by the great ships, of which he had built two, but the world changed. The currents and wind patterns reversed, until sailing or rowing into the now treacherous seas blew them far off course. Coupled with the loss of half of his fleet and a dozen of his best men, Gogh turned to other lands with more favorable seas.

In that land there also dwelled a race of normal-sized people that Gogh enslaved to farm and feed his race of giants. They also built ships, but had cleared the forests over a hundred miles inland from the kingdom to build the two great vessels. A handful escaped across the mountains to the opposite side of the largest continent by navigating a river by night in long canoes. There, they encountered a colony of lost people from the old Earth led by a repentant former business executive and a missionary couple.

Desperate and starving, Marcus Smith offered shelter in exchange for the fish that the native people brought with them. Smith's colony numbered 32 people now. It began with 172 from the ill-fated Aereo Chile flight in a desert location 120 miles to the south. Fighting over control of the group, starvation, and carnivorous beasts took the rest.

"Marcus Smith has turned from his wickedness, and begged forgiveness," explained Yeshua. "God has heard their cries, and sent the other people who will teach them to farm and fish. Working together, they shall create ways to defeat the giants, and the missionary with Smith will teach them."

The video then passed over three other continents, and zoomed in on another. "This is the land of Indio, populated with primitive indigenous people much like your own pre-Columbus Earth. They are of no threat to you, although the giants will someday find and enslave them as well."

"We can't help either group," reasoned Mark.

"You can, but if you leave you may not return to this land," clarified Yeshua. "The giants are many, and will one day mass a fleet with which to conquer Indio. They are too many for your militia to defeat without terrible losses."

"What about the new drones?" Allen asked. "With an unmanned aircraft we are not leaving the safety you provide for us, but we are lending our brothers assistance."

"That is for God to provide, Allen. When the people call His Name, He will hear, and smite their enemies."

"I just wondered. I felt the need to help."

"Perhaps as a missionary to the Indios," said Yeshua, "but you are more help here. In time, one from your line will spread the Good News." He returned the video to the panoramic view, and closed. "I give you a century of safety with which to build, learn and glorify your God in all ways. I will leave an angel to guard the gateways. Remember, even though you will not see me, I am with you always."

One by one, the archangels followed Yeshua from the temple. When they passed out the door it changed into a modern evangelical Christian church. The group from Riverside rushed to welcome their pastor, and all of the others returned to their homes.

Allen carried Amy, while Briana walked between he and Lena. When they reached the house, he and Lena tried to grasp the new geographical upheaval. Briana simplified it by again saying that with God all things are possible.

"A hundred years of safety," pondered Allen. "That is such a relief to know. Now we can concentrate on our home and family."

"Yes, about our family," whispered Lena. "I am with your child, and I assure you, it is yours."

"I know it is, Lena. I never thought otherwise."

"But Mommy, you are always with us," replied Amelia.

"No, Amelia," said Allen with a smile, "Mommy is going to have a little baby brother or sister for us."

"Can we go get it now?" asked Amelia.

"It takes a lot of days for a baby to grow," explained Lena. "He is right here, where God has put him." Lena took her hand and placed it on her tummy. "Right now he is very, very small, but he can hear us, and he will grow until it is time to come out and see us."

"Is it from something you ate?" asked Briana. "What if we ate it too, will we have a baby?"

Allen started to slip out to the garden. Lena wagged her finger and said, "Okey, this time, but when they are older we both have that talk with them."

"It's a magical thing that happens when a man and a woman are married and they have enough love," said Allen. "Then God takes that love and turns it into a baby in the mommy's special place for the baby to grow."

"Oh," said Briana, "why didn't you say so? Can we pick berries?"

"Sure, Honey," replied Allen, "get the sacks, and we'll go get lots of berries."

"Yoo-hoo," called Juanita from the front door, "I am done for the day. I am no counselor for young girls with a baby on the way." She spotted the little girls and apologized. "Perhaps now is not a good time."

"I'll take the girls," offered Allen. "You young girls discuss the baby."

When he was out of hearing distance, Juanita explained, "Both Merriam and Penny are expecting. Penny has no parents here, and Merriam fears hers. Both have begun to show, and the father of Penny's baby is no more."

"What about Merriam's?"

"He is the son of the ones who Yeshua raised from the dead. His name is Noah."

"The father is the preacher's son; that is a big problem."

"She said her father will kill him when he finds out, and they will disown her if she does not tell who it is."

"As always, our greatest danger comes from within," opined Lena.

"The preacher's son knows and wants her to have an abortion. That will not happen here on this world," reasoned Juanita.

"If he is this way, then why did Yeshua bring him back?" wondered Lena. "Perhaps it is to face his responsibility. People can change, just as that man Smith from our aeroplane. I do not have much experience with their culture."

"Nor do I, Amiga. I wished to speak to Carol and Jim if you and Allen had no ideas."

"They are at the Tailor Shop making clothes for the new people."

"I know, and perhaps because Allen knows Ben, he can be a calming influence?"

"Maybe to keep him from killing the boy, but Ben and Aaron are not happy because Allen and Mark would not help them. What to do about Penny?"