For Beginning of the End
++++CHRISTOPHER KIERSON
++++Common Believer
++This one was a tough question to answer. It always had been, and it always would be. As much evidence as there was to prove the existence of the Lord, there was now evidence out there holding up the theory that He was cruel. "I know how it looks." Chris replied. "If you think I've never had my doubts, you couldn't be farther from the truth. It's those doubts, though, that cement my faith. Every time I question something, it's a search for trying to find the right answer. Between long nights awake in thought and scouring my bible by daylight, I always reach the same conclusion: God is good." The non-believer had likely heard this a billion times before. "I also always reaffirm I won't have all of the answers. I'm no preacher. I've probably got more questions for him on that fateful day than you do."
++How was he to convince this man, though? "Come on, I've got something to show you." His house wasn't in the restricted zone, but it was close and would require getting through a gate. Chris's work at His Dynamics had gotten him a few strings he could pull. The guards stopped them, as per the norm, and Chris flashed his ID. His acquaintance's, however would not suffice. As a non-believer, he was marked as a scourge. "He's with me. Missionary sort of stuff. He wants to know more about the Lord." It wasn't precisely the truth - but, save for a brief argument and Chris citing a few various regulations - they let the pair through on a promise that Chris would also escort him back within the hour, before these two guard's shift was over.
++The house wasn't far. Upon opening the door, Chris felt bad. The scene before the two of them was in stark contrast to what his new acquaintance was likely used to - it wasn't extravagant, but it was nice. Clean. Orderly. Chris was just thankfully it wasn't so large as to have a library - just a book shelf in the living room. "Take a seat," he said as a congenially motioned to the couch and grabbed a bible, a couple various Concordances - those had been hard to come by in English - and spread them out, along with a few hand-made charts. "Look," he whispered. "What we're going through now... I'm not sure it's God's work." The confused look was enough for him. "I'm not sure the Angels are what they say they are." Now it was intrigue, still laced with confusion. "Here. Everything follows along with the Bible for the first three years. All of the tribulations, the rapture, everything. There's a few variances here and there. Most of it follows with what Pre-Rapture theologians said would happen... except the Angels. However," he slid one of his hand-made time-lines over; this one he'd had hidden away, "this is the time for False Prophets to emerge. Prophets of the Anti-Christ claiming themselves as being for the Lord. They started out okay, but they turned. Sacrifices, really?" He flipped his bible to the book of Psalm. It was conveniently in the middle of the Bible, and so he didn't have to even mark this one. Bookmarking this page could mean death for him. "God was, agreeably, more... fiery in the Old Testament. But even he wouldn't agree with the Angels." A few page-flips later and his finger arrowed in on the verse:
+++++"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings."
++With a 'slap' he shut the Bible. "That's not the only verse. Hosea, Isaiah, multiple books call out that God doesn't want sacrifices." Getting up, he put away those books and papers he didn't need. If the guards sent people to his house to check up on them, he'd rather not have anything but the Bible and a few other books out, lest they start asking questions. "I don't think the Tribulations have stopped. They haven't calmed down. We're in one right now, and the Angels are setting up the believers to do the dirty work of the devil."
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