Three times over, led by the impromptu priest-precentor, that grateful, jubilant, delivered people sang the last sentence.
Then, as their song of praise finished, the leaders took counsel together as to what they should do next. It was the unanimous feeling, and expressed opinion, that Apleon would send forth other expeditions to destroy them, if he learned that they had escaped the fate of his aerial and land pursuit.
"I do not believe," cried Cohen, the chief spokesman among the Jews, "that God Jehovah has permitted one of our pursuers to escape. God's judgments, like His mercies, are full and complete. Will Apleon, the Traitor to his covenant-word, ever know the fate of our pursuers? I believe not, unless anyone of us here retrace his steps to Jerusalem to tell him, and that would mean public torture and death to the tale-bearer."
He paused, and glanced around on the throng nearest to him, as he asked:
"Does anyone present know anything in the Scriptures relating to this present position, that will serve as a guide to our movements now?"
A tall, fine-looking man responded by lifting his right arm. He was asked to speak. He came forward and stood upon the hillock where Cohen stood. Holding aloft a Bible, he cried:
"Men and Brethren, of the stock of Israel, and Gentiles associated with them. I was a Christian minister, so-called, in Australia, when the 'Rapture' took place. I was left behind, because, though I could preach eloquently enough, and could keep my church filled to over-flowing. I was not a converted man; I had been trained for the church, as my only brother had been trained for the bar. I never realized the need of conversion, my soul was filled with pride in my gifts, hence I was left behind when Christ came for His own,—and, among His own, thank God, were many 'Israelites indeed,' as well as Gentiles.
"Since my conversion, friends, (and though too late for the Rapture, yet still the glorious event took place within forty-eight hours of the Rapture) I have studied my Bible, to see what should happen. Everything has happened according as the New Testament has laid it down: The 'people of God,' the Jews, have built their Temple. They made their seven-year covenant with Apleon. The Anti-christ, the Scripture calls him. At the end of the three and a half years (half of the covenant time) he orders the Sacrifice to cease in the Temple at Jerusalem—and everybody here knows how literally all this has happened.
"He has set up his own image to be worshipped, as was foretold, and God's ancient people, with those of us here who are Gentiles, have fled. We are here, to-day, here at this moment, living out exactly what the New Testament had all along prophesied would come to pass. In that wonderful book, which deals with these times in which we are now living,—Revelation twelve, it says, that the faithful Jews, and others, 'were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, (three and a half years from now,) friends, which period will complete the seven years of Apleon's (Anti-christ's) reign.
"Now listen again to that same prophesy, friends: 'And the Serpent (Apleon) cast out of his mouth water as a flood, after (the fugitives, us who are here today) that he might cause them to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped (the fugitives) and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.' Has not every item of this been actually fulfilled, has not God opened the earth and swallowed up the flood, and delivered us? Then that wonderful prophecy goes on: