President Antivon institutes a "Citizen Police Corps" made up of thugs who take it upon themselves to bring retribution against those they find to be "enemies of the People." This body of so-called "volunteers" loosely vetted by the State is outside the normal policing processes, and uses a system of intimidation and citizen's arrests, meaning they use force against those they disagree with. They also implement a trial by social media process as ordained by President Antivon. This new process is imposed on the entire Western Alliance and its treaty holders. An "Online Judge & Jury" by social media is conducted when a person is accused. Online voting for conviction or acquittal is established. Having Christian beliefs is a primary cause for accusation, and always ends in conviction unless the accused person renounces those beliefs. Anyone can bring an accusation to this public court, and turning in those who violate the dictates put in place under the State of Emergency is viewed as an act of patriotism. The Citizen Police Corps volunteers conduct a vote on each case of an accused person, and those found guilty are condemned by this jury of their online peers. Volunteers round up those convicted in this online system. Counter arguments are not allowed. Accusations and judgments are reviewed and voted on in an online "peer" fashion, so everyone in the Western Alliance can watch the vote counter spinning, and those deemed to not embrace "progressive values" including environmentalism as a religion, the earth as sacred, elimination of Christianity worldwide, and President Antivon as a god are subject to being brought to trial online. The online juries are ruthless in accusing and condemning those who do not follow the dictates of the Antivon regime. For the condemned, guillotine capital punishment is activated as on option for the most grievous crimes against the State. Christian beliefs are treated as such serious crimes. Those found guilty are eliminated during mass executions, which can be watched online. The guillotines are kept working day and night to keep up with the demand. The website is a huge success and is played in public buildings, airports, and on giant screens in stadiums throughout the Western Alliance. This gory sport becomes the new "bread and circus" of the Western Alliance which has become known as "The Revived Roman Empire."
President Antivon puts into place more and more controls over the people. He fully institutes his new program to control behavior by limiting access to buying and selling unless the person is in compliance with a long list of The Dear Leader's pronouncements. The term "The Dear Leader" is gaining in popularity, especially among those who see him as some sort of god. Christians are especially targeted, and they call this program of economic exclusion "the Mark of the Beast" throughout the Western Alliance. No one can buy or sell unless they accept "The Mark" imposed by President Antivon, who Christians refer to as the Beast, or the Antichrist, or as the Antichrist. Christians oppose The Mark vigorously, and many pay for that opposition with their lives. But it has a severe impact, since it splits families apart as they argue for and against taking The Mark in order to survive and feed the family. It is a cruel and vicious program designed to tear the Christian community apart. And it does.
In an online chat room citizens are seen using social media to criticize President Antivon. Their accounts are monitored by the newly formed and highly secretive Citizen Police Corps. Within days these chat room protesters are arrested for their crimes against the State. Their trials are swift and harsh. There is no room for protesting the dictates of the Dear Leader as he is being called by his ardent followers.
At a store in Paris people are standing in long lines buying food where the Mark of the Beast system has been implemented. Food is becoming very scarce, and long lines of people are shown. People using the Mark as their credentials are able to pass through quickly and easily as they scan their Mark App on their phones. Those who attempt to buy without the Mark App are arrested and taken away by the police. Without the Mark App people are being forced into deprivation and starvation. Things are getting desperate. Starvation is a very persuasive means of coercing compliance.
But some try to resist. Challenges to the unending Martial Law, State of Emergency, and Mark system reach the Western Alliance Supreme Court. These three are considered by many to be unconstitutional, and likely to be struck down by the Court. Just hours before the vote, a conservative Justice is found dead of suspicious circumstances. After a delay of several days, the Supreme Court challenge is stymied by a four-four vote, therefore the extreme measures continue unabated.
In rural North Carolina, Christians are meeting in secret to discuss the Mark program. The Christian community is divided about the issue since it can mean economic survival for a family. The decisions are difficult. Being a Christian in these times has become a matter of making life or death commitments.
Group Leader Stevens: "Fellow Christians, we have only been believers a short time. The Rapture opened our eyes. But we face stiff opposition, and are persecuted to the point of death. We are being told to accept the Mark of the Beast or we will be cut off from all economic activity. But we must obey the Bible and refuse The Mark. This is a firm stance which we must take. It is meant to test our faith and show the lost and dying world that we believe in Christ as our Savior, and trust in God for our security and well-being."
A fellow new believer speaks up: "That sounds easy, but is it better to starve my family and see them die from need rather than take The Mark on myself? I have a wife and four young children. How can we be forced to do this? I will lose my job if I do not accept The Mark. It is simply too much to ask. I cannot sit by and watch my family starve for my beliefs. I feel I must comply and take the consequences. Isn't that the Christian thing to do, to support and protect my family?"
Group Leader Stevens: "It is hard, there is no doubt. No one minimizes the suffering. But that is the point of it. We must remain strong in the faith. If we take The Mark the Bible says we will die in disgrace and suffer loss of eternal rewards. If we refuse The Mark most of us will live, although some will certainly be martyrs for our faith. It is what God requires of us in this highly unusual time of extreme suffering. We cannot question Him. Taking The Mark is denying the faith. It is that simple. Consider the words of our Lord Jesus when He said:
"Matthew 24:4 “Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Group Leader Stevens continues: "When Jesus said “you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death” and “many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other” and “the love of most will grow cold” it shows how desperate these times will be for believers. The Lord knew this. He was talking about us. You and me, right here, right now. During the Tribulation many believers will lose faith and question why God would allow such evil to exist. Family members will be divided as their love grows cold, and they will betray each other to the evil authorities. It will be a time when the faith of believers will be stretched to the breaking point, but there is a reason for it. We believers must realize we have been specially chosen to convey the message of salvation in this way to a truly wicked generation of hardened unbelievers, and only strong faith and even martyrdom can break through and bring some of those lost souls to salvation. We must also understand we will either be taken care of and preserved to go into the Millennium for 1000 years of perfect environment on this same earth, or else we will become martyrs and have special blessings as resurrected believers who become priests for the Lord during the Millennium. Only by focusing on these goals will we be able to maintain our faith and persevere to the end of the Tribulation or serve the Lord as a martyr, whichever the Lord chooses as our destiny. Jesus said about us “but the one who stands firm to the end will be delivered”, meaning delivered into the Millennial Kingdom alive to live 1000 years in perfect environment under the rule of Jesus Christ. But for those who die as martyrs, there is comfort and extra eternal rewards:
Revelation 7:16 “‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ ”
Group Leader Stevens: "The Tribulation martyrs will die from both deprivation and execution because of their faith, but the Lord makes up for all of it, and they will suffer no more once they are in heaven and beyond the reach of any further trouble which is coming to the earth. In the midst of the horror of their death the reassurance of eternal happiness is given. But for those who sent them to heaven, the greatest of judgments awaits. God may be slow to anger, but at some point He judges. The blood of the martyrs will be avenged."
Discussions among the new Christians show the difficulty of resisting the Mark of the Beast. The insidious nature of The Mark is that it divides Christians and causes many to renounce their new faith and take The Mark because they assume it will protect their families from starvation. But it is a false dilemma. Those who take The Mark suffer from the judgments while those who do not are spared from those same judgments. But even so, the suffering for believers is intense, but it is not a judgment from God, but rather it is a test of the faith.
Group Leader Stevens reads from the book they have been reading, called "The Future Times:"
"Refusing the Mark of the Beast will result in martyrdom for some believers, but most will be spared by God from the effects of the decision. The second half of the Tribulation will be a very difficult time for all believers. All will face deprivation, and some will die a martyr's death. Families will be torn apart as they argue among themselves that taking The Mark is required for the survival of themselves and their children. Those who try to remain strong and refuse The Mark will be under intense pressure to give in to evil for the sake of their families. Matthew 24:12-13 says: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved [delivered into the Millennium].” Those who take The Mark will die anyway. But those who refuse will be a testimony for Jesus Christ to a hardened world, and they also may be delivered into a perfect environment for 1000 years. Taking The Mark will be certain death and no rewards for eternity. Refusing The Mark will mean the opportunity to save unbelievers and also possibly (but no guarantees) to go into the Millennium and have 1000 years of pleasure after this relatively short time of intense misery. Either way those who remain faithful will have eternal rewards. It will still be a hard choice for many believers. Maintaining love will be difficult but indispensable to survival and for fulfilling God’s special plan for their lives. As a side note, it would be wise to avoid having children during the Tribulation since that will greatly complicate the suffering for those involved."
It is now 2 years after the Rapture.
Back in LA, Jill Steiner notes the two year anniversary of the Vanishment during her LANX morning news show. She begins her broadcast with no feeling in her voice:
"Two years ago today we witnessed the Vanishment of over 100 million of our fellow citizens. There were no burials. There were no headstones. Just empty clothes on the ground where they last stood, or in seats where they sat, or at accident scenes. As it turns out, they were the lucky ones. Now for today's news."
Jill goes on to announce new tragedies and disasters which had occurred overnight. As she does, she thinks to herself how odd it is that she has no feelings about those who perished, just numbness. The deaths of another several hundred thousand people in the past 24 hours no longer fazes her, since she has become immune to caring about all the lives lost. So also have her listeners. To Jill it is a loss of humanity.
In a small suburban house in west LA a couple sits watching the morning news. Jim Toss says to his wife "Sue, I have come to believe that there is a purpose in all of this. A God who wants to get our attention. I am trying to figure that out. I think the Christians have the right idea. They speak of love, when the rest of the world is lost in their own numb feelings of hate and helplessness. The Christians speak of forgiveness and redemption when the rest of the world talks of how to get ahead at someone else's expense. Can simply surviving be all there is in life, or is there a Savior who can do for us spiritually what we cannot do for ourselves. What do you think?"
Before Sue can reply, their daughter in the other room yells in: "If you keep talking like that I will turn both of you in to the Authorities. That is what I think." Jim's wife ignores both of them and stares at the floor.
Jim goes back to looking at the news story and does not mention it again. But he thinks to himself how many lives have been torn apart, how many people have been refused the option to talk about what they really believe, and how cold-hearted most people have become. Children have been turned against their own parents and are encouraged to report them for violations against the State. A tear falls slowly down Jim's face as he feels a sense of helplessness and hopelessness engulfing him.