Waiting for the Rapture

By Michael Drotos

Are you Ready for the Rapture? 

It's near the end of the age. The Antichrist and the Mark of the Beast have burst onto th

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Aug 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887388472

Michael Drotos

Mike lives in a small town near the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. He is a college graduate with a degree in economics and a graduate of a well known Bible college. His background includes pastoring for over thirteen years and working in the insurance industry for sixteen years. Currently, Mike Drotos is teaching and preaching on his YouTube channel, Solving the Prophetic Puzzle, with a large focus on end times prophesy. He also facilitates a weekly Bible study group and is pastoring a small country church. His passion is reading and teaching the Bible. He is also interested in end time events pertaining to biblical prophecies as they unfold in present day worldwide events. He also enjoys numerous outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing, hunting, gardening, and raising chickens.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Nooo! shrieked the evil spirit.

The sound reverberated off the walls of the evil throne room, causing all who heard it to cringe in fear. What’s wrong, Master? asked a subordinate demon.

Satan turned to the unnamed demon and screeched, At this very moment, the United States has opened its embassy up in Jerusalem, and Cyrus has declared that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel.

The Prince of Darkness paced back and forth in front of his demonic throne, muttering to himself. This is not good, no, not good at all. This may cause Him to come back and set up His kingdom. I can’t let this happen, muttered Satan. Sitting on his throne, he surveyed the court of the damned and slowly tapped his bony fingers on the arm of his bloody throne, and he thought.

The former archangel was no longer the majestic being he’d been before he and his followers were expelled from heaven by God. Even his name had been changed from Lucifer to Satan, and his kingdom rule was over the atmosphere of the earth as prince of the power of the air.

His wings were no longer expansive and alive with shimmering color and majestic features; rather, the bony structure of his wings was covered in a thin pale membrane. The rest of his body was coated in greenish-gray scaly skin, and his green eyes and pitch-black pupils pierced through his bony face. The golden crown he wore on his head and the scepter that he carried were a faint resemblance to his former stature and position. Oh, how the mighty had fallen!

His throne room as prince of the power of the air was located above the ancient city of Pergamos. His new residence was a poor imitation of God’s throne room. It was a hideous place and reeked of the smell of burning flesh. Skulls embedded in the black walls harbored candles that illuminated the vast hall, the black obsidian floor stained with blood. The throne itself was made of black pearls, and before the throne, as far as the eye could see, stood rows of damned humans chained to the floor. These souls were the representation of Satan’s trophies doomed forever to stand before the throne, forced to give pseudo-praise and worship to him.

The human trophies were both famous and infamous individuals who, down through the ages, had made a deal with the devil. Some had been entertainers, some athletes, some politicians or businessmen. Others were scientists and some religious leaders. They were all the great men and women who, through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life, were willing to sell their souls for a few minutes of fame and fortune or power.

They willingly and knowingly had given away their souls to Satan. His only obligation to the terms of their contracts was to give each one a part of his kingdom for a time. Like shooting stars, each grew in fame and fortune, riding high on life. Then Satan’s cat-and-mouse games with their existence brought them crashing down when he pulled the rug out from under them by nullifying the contracts.

Sadly, they all died tragically: a fatal accident, drug overdose, murder, suicide, and various other forms of violent death. They were forever bound in chains before the throne of Satan, destined to give praise to the one who had made their dreams come true for a time. Their once-beautiful lives had become a living nightmare.

Satan was livid as he paced the floor back and forth in his pseudo-throne room. This was not the time to draw on his demonic powers to take on a human or angelic appearance, nor even to promote himself as an angel of light. His kingdom was threatened, and he needed to take action before it was too late.

I can’t believe it really happened! he shrieked at his court of the damned.

What happened, Master? asked a subordinate demon cowering in the corner.

Satan squinted at the demon. How pathetic he has become, he thought, shaking his head. To think this angel who once walked tall and majestic now cringes in the corner. Satan ignored his minion while he continued to pace back and forth across the room.

He was puzzled and confused. How could this happen? questioned the Prince of Darkness to his silent subjects. Satan knew he had to maintain composure despite the frightful events that had transpired. He sat down on his throne and surveyed his court.

Satan drummed his fingers on the arm of his throne for a few minutes and then screeched to the nameless subordinate, Summon my generals at once!

Yes, sir, but what should I tell them is the reason why they are being summoned?

Satan sneered, Tell them that it is time. He is coming back to end our reign and set up his kingdom.

The subordinate demon shivered. You mean—

Yes, interrupted Satan, I believe the Son of God is getting ready to return to the earth. Now, summon my generals. Tell them to meet me at the Jaws of Hell.

The demon shuddered again. Why there, Master? You experienced a great defeat there by the risen Son of God.

I know that, fool! shouted Satan. Just do what I say. Tell them to be there in six hours.

Satan dove into the depths of the earth to a cavern deep beneath the ice of Antarctica. The underground tunnel stretched for miles down deep into the earth until it came to an entrance in the form of an open mouth with a gate across it, known as the Jaws of Hell. In front of the Jaws of Hell, Satan set up a large conference room furnished with a long table surrounded by chairs on each side and a chair at the head of the table. The only light in the dingy room came from the skull candles he placed around the table. He took his seat at the head of the table, facing the gate, and waited. The first of his generals to arrive was War. Why am I here? demanded the evil spirit as he took a seat at the table. Satan remained silent, not wanting to speak until the other generals had arrived.

Murder arrived next, then Materialism and Pestilence, bringing with him a foul smell. Within minutes, all the seats at the table were occupied by his wicked spirit generals.

Satan looked around the table at the four generals. He had a plan, a good plan that would cause much suffering to the humans. He knew that when humans suffer, it hurts the Father. Then he began to address his commanders. I have called you here today because we have a problem. Yesterday, the nation of Israel celebrated its seventieth anniversary, and to top it all off, the United States moved their embassy to Jerusalem. This will cause other nations to follow suit and give Jerusalem more prominence in the world.

War banged on the table. I hate Israel. We have tried for thousands of years to eliminate that nation.

Fear interjected, Yes, but no matter what we do, we just can’t stop them. I think it’s impossible.

The demons all began to talk at once, cursing and berating the Jews and the United States for standing with Israel. Satan was impatient and rose from his chair. Silence, silence, he growled. I did not call you here to listen to you fools whine. We’ve got a clear and evident problem with Jerusalem now that the city has been recognized as the capital of Israel. I’m confident that the Jews will start to build their temple and begin to worship God there. I fear that these events will hasten the return of Christ and fulfill His promise to establish His kingdom on earth. If that were to happen, we would all be locked up behind that gate. He pointed his bony finger at the gate to the entrance named the Jaws of Hell.

Yes, hissed Murder. He now holds those keys because He took them away from you!

Satan slammed his hand down. Shut up! I have a plan to stop this from happening.

All eyes focused on Satan while he revealed his plan. All we have to do is eliminate the entire nation of Israel. We will eradicate them, and then, we will go after the Christians. With Israel gone and the church ruined, the Christ will not want to return. There will be nothing to come back to. Then we will rule the earth forever!

The demons were all in agreement and nodded their heads. But, how do we destroy Israel? asked War.

Satan’s eyes gleamed, and he broke out into a grisly smile, You generals step up your activities. Intensify the wars and rumors of wars, starve the population with famine, and create new, more terrifying plagues. Materialism, you continue to work your spells on the United States. Devise more spells that will draw their focus away from God and toward the pursuit of things. As for Israel, I have a secret weapon that I am going to unleash upon that nation today.

What is that? queried War.

Satan rubbed his scrawny hands together, and a ghastly smile crept across his face. I have a legion of six thousand demons that I will release from the very bowels of hell onto the earth. Their mission will be to spread hate for Israel throughout the entire world. They will turn the world against Israel, causing the haters of Israel to go to war against that nation and annihilate them once and for all.

Satan stood up and opened the gate. One by one, the generals stood up to leave and bowed to Satan as they each exited through the gate. They had each received their evil assignments against humans and were eager to get started on their missions. The spirit of Fear was the last demon to leave the room. I sure hope your plan works because if it doesn’t, we are all going to be in a lot of trouble, he warned.

Satan looked down at the quivering spirit. It will work—trust me. Now go do your job.

Within moments, the demons were summoned from the very bowels of hell. They came up out of hell, through the mouth of hell, and onto the earth. To anyone within sight of the entourage, it appeared as a huge dark cloud spewing out of the bottom of the earth and looked like a gigantic flock of birds.

They were the size of a small dog, and they had the face of a man with large eyes and a large mouth. Their bodies were oval, and they had a pair of wings that seemed underdeveloped. They resembled large bumblebees with hideous human faces. They were chanting hateful words and curses against humanity.

They began to fly northward toward Africa and the Middle East. A large group went even farther, toward Russia. Their assignment was to instigate the nations to attack Israel.

A few years later and half a world away in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, a man woke up out of a deep sleep and sat up in bed with a jolt.

What’s wrong, Jim? asked Linda, the man’s wife of twenty-four years.

I’m not sure, dear. I just feel that something is not right, and I am impressed to pray. I’m going into the living room, so I won’t keep you up.

Linda understood, and she knew Jim was a man of prayer. He spent a lot of time reading and studying his Bible and had a very close walk with God. Throughout their marriage, Jim would do this, so it was not unusual to her that he would want to pray. So, she rolled over to go back to sleep. She would find out how things went in the morning.

As Jim was walking down the hallway toward the living room, he noticed that the light was still on in Little Jimmy’s room. He was about to check on his son but decided to let him alone. After all, he’s a grown boy and doesn’t need his dad to tell him he should get some sleep. Even if he had knocked on the door, Jimmy would not have heard him because he had earphones on and was at his computer, playing a video game.

Little Jimmy was not that little, but his family called him that because his dad’s name was Jim. In fact, Little Jimmy stood two inches taller than his dad, at five feet ten and three-fourths inches.

Jimmy was born on January first in the year 2000, a few seconds after twelve o’clock midnight, and was one of the first babies born in the United States in the new millennium. He even had a newspaper article on his wall with his picture and birth announcement. It was very big news in their small community of Maple Valley.

He had recently turned twenty-two years old and had already accomplished a great deal in his short life. He was the pride of Maple Valley. As a student at the local high school, he had gained notoriety as a standout athlete. He played both baseball and football and even took Ridgemont High School to the state finals twice. In his senior year, with him as the star quarterback, his team won the state finals.

From all appearances, Jimmy seemed to live a somewhat charmed life, but it really came down to his intense drive to be the best at whatever challenge he accepted. He graduated from high school near the top of his class and was awarded several college scholarships to play baseball. He almost accepted a scholarship from Farmtown, a university several hours away, but at the last minute declined because they did not offer his major. He decided instead to attend Megstown University, about an hour and a half away.

Jimmy loved the outdoors and had decided to pursue a career with the National Park Service; thus, his studies involved a lot of classes in biology, forestry, meteorology, and geology. Anything that involved science or history was of interest to Jimmy.

In three and a half years, Jimmy had graduated with a bachelor’s degree in science and immediately began the application process with the National Park Service. Upon his return home from college, he resumed his former job at Martin’s Hardware Store, a job he’d had since he was sixteen years old.

At twenty-two years old, life was predictable and comfortable for him, but little did he know, events were unfolding that would radically change the course of Jimmy’s life. The situation that was about to unfold would literally impact his entire future, and for the moment, he was totally unaware of it.

That night, while Jim prayed and Linda slept and Jimmy played video games, a microcosm of what was going on in the world was busy playing out. While dramatic spiritual events were unfolding in the unseen world of the spirit, people everywhere had grown accustomed to the current standard; they were spiritually asleep, or they simply were uninvolved in daily worldly affairs.

Chapter 2

Raphil was standing on a large rock perched on a rocky mountainside high above Maple Valley. His wings were folded back, and his arms were crossed. With a fixed gaze, he surveyed the town and surrounding countryside.

Raphil was an angel, a captain over Maple Valley and all the territory between the town and the border of West Virginia.

As captain, he was responsible for protecting the humans from demonic attacks and assisting the guardians as well. This was Raphil’s second tour on the earth. He had last been there two thousand years ago when the Christ was crucified. At that time, he was only used in a supporting role as one of the heavenly hosts that witnessed the crucifixion. He seldom had contact with men, although, at the ascension of Christ, he was one of the two men dressed in white who said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will soon come in like manner as you saw go into heaven (Acts 1:11). It was his friend Tan who actually spoke to the men, but he was still there.

After the ascension of the Lord, Raphil was called back to heaven to worship before the throne and to prepare for his next assignment.

Raphil was in the angelic army commanded by Michael the archangel. He was far down the chain of command, yet he was captain over a territory. He was not a guardian but rather a commander over a geographical place, and thus, he was a commander over all the guardians in that territory.

When a baby is born into this world, they are assigned a guardian angel. The guardian angel, or guardian, is responsible for his charge for that person’s entire life. The guardian will protect his charge and try to guide him toward the truth and accepting the lordship of Jesus Christ. It is a full-time commitment and involves strict discipline.

Guardian angels have a lot of influence on their human’s life. They protect them from accidents and illnesses and try to influence them toward good. However, all humans have free will and can do as they choose.

A guardian will stay with his charge until he or she dies, and then, if the charge has accepted the lordship of Jesus, the guardian will escort his charge to heaven to meet the Lord. If the charge did not accept Jesus as Lord during his lifetime, then at death, the guardian goes back to heaven alone, and the charge is separated from heaven forever.

An angel is only a guardian once, and when it is over, they go back to the throne room to worship before the Lord. To serve as a guardian is an esteemed position, but it can be very taxing as well, especially if the charge is cold toward God and the kingdom of God.

Raphil often wondered what it would be like to be a guardian. He wondered how he would do. He wondered what it would be like to have a close relationship with humans. Ahh, those humans that our Creator made in His image and put His Holy Spirit in them—how Father God must love them, for His own son came to this earth for them and died on the cross for all men so they could be saved and live with Father God for eternity. The great angel cleared those thoughts from his mind and again gazed at his charge, the tiny town of Maple Valley.

He had started out as a guardian of this town from the very beginning one hundred and fifty years ago. He had nurtured this town; he had fought many demons who tried to get a strong hold in the area, and he had done well. The town had three churches, low crime, and morally good people. Over fifty percent of the town had a personal relationship with Father God. And Maple Valley being so far out of the way from any major city had been an advantage to Raphil in keeping evil at bay. Raphil realized that he loved these humans and that, in a sense, he was the guardian over the town, and that put a smile on his face.

This is a good assignment, he said out loud as he turned his gaze to the south. There is a new family moving in tomorrow. I will go and welcome the new guardians to Maple Valley. For the rest of the night, the angel stood there looking out over Maple Valley, and all was calm.

Chapter 3

That morning, Raphil did indeed go to see the new family that was moving in. He was especially excited about meeting the guardians and catching up with what had been going on in the world. He decided to walk through town to the large house on Peake Street, where the new family had purchased a nice two-story, four-bedroom house.

The house had been in the town for seventy years. For a while, a prayer group had met there. As Raphil rounded a bend in the road, he spotted the house with a large moving truck parked in the driveway. Two men were unloading the truck.

While the men worked at unloading the truck, Raphil spotted their guardians on the porch, looking down the road with a concerned look on their faces.

Raphil greeted the guardians. Hail, I am Raphil, commander of Maple Valley and all the land between this town and the West Virginia border.

The two guardians bowed at the waist, and one of them said, Greetings, Commander. I am Azreal and this is Tanzite. We are guardians of Larry and Joe, the two men unloading the truck.

Welcome. Raphil smiled as he held out his hand to shake theirs. Where is the new family? asked Raphil.

The two guardians looked at each other, and Tanzite spoke up. There won’t be a family moving in, from my understanding. The other guardians informed us that only the man and his daughter would be coming to Maple Valley. The woman and the young boy are staying in California.

Well, maybe they will be coming later, mused Raphil. After all, I am sure they do not like the thought of a long separation.

Tanzite looked down the road and said, Commander, you don’t understand. This family is dysfunctional, and they have allowed demons to influence them.

Raphil heard the car driving up into the driveway, and as he turned, he saw a sight that turned his stomach and made him reach for his sword.

The black BMW eased into the driveway, with music blasting and what appeared to be at least twenty demons trailing behind. They were all singing and chanting to the music.

The passengers’ two guardians were in front of the car, and they appeared to be tired and uneasy. Suddenly when the demons saw Raphil, they stopped singing, and they began to screech.

Raphil told them to be quiet, but they drew their swords instead. In a flash, Raphil, Azreal, Tanzite, and the other two guardians had drawn their swords and were flanking Raphil in a V-formation as they stared at the demons.

Raphil spoke first. I am the commander of this town, and I command you to leave.

The demons began to laugh, and some rolled on the ground. One demon jumped on top of the car and started hooting. Then the biggest demon stepped up in front of Raphil and said, I am a principality of the clan of adultery. We will not leave. Those humans have invited us to live with them. We can come and go as we please.

Raphil looked toward the two humans; the man appeared to be forty years old. He was tall and thin. The girl was eighteen, and they both were flanked by demons. One of the demons resembled False Religion, and there were a few smaller demons that looked like unclean spirits. There were two spirits of addiction hanging on to the humans’ ankles.

Of course, the humans could not see any of this. They were just happy to be out of the car, and they were talking to Larry and Joe about where to put the boxes.

Raphil felt such pity for these humans. Then he looked at their two guardians and asked, How long has this been going on?

One of the guardians said, As for the man, he has been attached to some of these demons for over twenty years. He was introduced to them in college, and through the years, they brought more.

The other guardian spoke. I’ve fought many battles for her welfare most of her life and even had her attending a church youth group, but that demon, he said, pointing his finger at False Religion, kept whispering lies into her head. He convinced her that Christians were too narrow-minded. He convinced her that all religions are good and that there are many ways toward God the Father.

Raphil spoke again to the demons, You may not leave this property.

We can go where they go, sneered Licentiousness.

Then wherever you go, you will be watched by my army, and if you so much as try to touch another human, you will be destroyed.

Boom! The truck door slammed. The men were done unpacking and were preparing to leave. So were Azreal and Tanzite. Wait, said Raphil. Azreal, get word to some of my commands to come over here. You will pass the Maple Valley Christian Church on your way out of town. There will be a large group of angels there. You can tell one of them what is happening.

I will, Commander, and may the Lord be with you, said Azreal.

Yes, and may the Lord be with both of you, too, said Raphil.

Moments later, a platoon of angels came to the assistance of Raphil and the two guardians. They landed in the front yard, between the house and the cluster of demons near the street. The humans were in the house.

With his reinforcements, Raphil waved his sword overhead and said, I command you to leave this town.

The demons shouted back, We don’t have to! You’re not our boss!

Then prepare to be destroyed! shouted Raphil. Heavenly host, advance! And with that, the command of angels, with swords drawn, marched forward.

The demons shrieked and began to retreat, for they knew they were outmatched. Within a moment, they were high above the city, fleeing east in terror. A contingent of angels pursued them. The rest rallied around Raphil. Well done, angels. Continue to patrol the city. I’m sure we have not seen the last of those demons, commanded Raphil.

No, sir, said the young girl’s guardian. They always come back, and my guess is that they come back with more.

Yes, said the other guardian. They are headed east, which means they will flee to the university in the large city. That university is a stronghold for demons.

Maybe so, said Raphil, but since they are gone for now, please tell me your names and about your charges.

The first guardian stepped forward. I am Filax, and I have been guarding the man. His name is David, and he is a college professor. They used to live in a town near Los Angeles, but he was influenced by adultery, and he and his wife are separated. He looked over at his companion.

I am Kal, and I am the girl’s guardian. Her name is Shelia. She is very bright but very worldly. She has learned how to manipulate people with her charm and good looks. She was once close to the truth, but before I could get her to make a choice for the kingdom of God, she made friends with some bad humans. They introduced her to immorality and addiction. Now, false religion is trying to get a hold on her, as it already has her mother and father.

We have had many battles for this family. Raphil nodded and held out his hands, remarking, But for now, things are under control. Dave and Sheila are in the house, getting ready for the night. I have a contingent of angels here that will guard your charges. No harm will come to them tonight. I suggest that you take the night off, relax, and recharge yourselves.

Both guardians smiled and said, Thank you, Commander. Do you have any suggestion on what we should do?

Yes, yes, I do, said Raphil. Tonight is Wednesday night, and the Full Gospel Evangelical Tabernacle is having midweek services. Pastor Rufus Jackson is preaching. I suggest you go. There will be many angels in attendance. You will be spiritually charged.

Yes, sir, they said with a smile, and off they went. They were going to some place they had not been to in years. They were going to a church service with born-again humans.

Chapter 4

The church service was already in progress when Filax and Kal arrived. The entire parking lot was full of angels talking and fellowshipping. Filax and Kal went into the church and saw more angels partaking in worship of the Father God. There were about forty humans in the service. The pastor sat on a platform in the front of the church, facing the congregation. To the pastor’s right side, the musicians and singers were playing and singing songs about the Son of God, and so were the men and women in the congregation.

There was a human playing guitar; another one was playing bass guitar. There was a drummer and three women singing. Angels were standing next to the humans, and they were singing and worshipping the Father God. Four large angels stood beside the pastor, two on each side. To the left of the pastor on the platform, there was a candleholder with seven lit candles that were burning very brightly.

As the worship grew in intensity, the flames got brighter and hotter. The candles housed the very fire from God’s throne room. Every true Bible-believing church has a candle that ever burns. Some churches’ candles burn very bright and hot, while others have a flame that is little more than what a matchstick would give off.

The flame is in accordance with the amount of worship that is offered up and how much of the Bible is being taught. The flame is also affected by how much love the congregation has for the Father God and for each other. Filax and Kal immediately went to the front near the pastor, who, at this point, was kneeling in his seat.

The two guardians entered into worship. With outstretched hands over their heads, they began to sing with the congregation, Holy is the Lord who is seated on the throne. For a brief time, it reminded Filax and Kal of what it was like to be in God’s presence, worshipping before the throne with the heavenly host of angels and humans who were faithful to the Father.

Then Pastor Rufus stood up, and the four angels stepped closer. The four never left his side, and they were very vigilant about the protection of their charge because, in the kingdom of God, Pastor Rufus had a very important station.

In the natural world, one would look at Pastor Rufus as someone who was unassuming. He was not an entertainer nor a sports enthusiast. He was not a very rich man, nor did he run a big business. Those are the things that people tend to look toward as being a man of importance.

Filax and Kal looked at Pastor Rufus and saw a tall black man, six feet tall. He was slender and had a touch of gray in his hair and on his closely clipped