Forsaken by Men, Faithful to God

Forsaken by Men, Faithful to God

Chapter 1: A Lone Watchman

Elijah Cartwright’s faith was unshakable, though it set him apart from almost everyone he knew. A devoted King James Bible believer, he held to a truth that many others dismissed: the rapture would not occur before Jesus’ second coming, nor even after the Great Tribulation. Elijah believed the saints would be gathered only at the White Throne Judgment—after the Millennial Reign of Christ.

This conviction placed him at odds with his fellow believers, who fervently taught the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture. For them, the rapture was imminent, and they believed their evangelistic efforts would hasten its arrival. Elijah’s warnings about enduring the tribulation, the Great Tribulation, and standing firm against the Mark of the Beast were seen as disruptive to their hope-filled narrative.

“Elijah,” Pastor Hensley chided after a Sunday service, “you’re leading people astray. God won’t leave His church to suffer the horrors of the tribulation. The rapture will come first.”

Elijah shook his head, his voice steady but resolute. “Pastor, the Bible doesn’t say we’ll be spared. It says we must endure. Jesus Himself warned us: ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation.’ The rapture doesn’t come until the final judgment.”

The tension in the room was palpable. “You’re focusing on fear instead of hope,” the pastor replied coldly. From that moment, Elijah was treated as an outsider, a thorn in the side of his own congregation.

Chapter 2: The Beginning of Sorrows

When the plandemic struck, Elijah’s warnings about the “beginning of sorrows” gained new weight. Pestilence swept across the world, accompanied by fear and control. Churches that had once scorned him eagerly embraced government mandates, claiming their cooperation was a way to love their neighbors and remain relevant.

Elijah’s dissent deepened his isolation. He saw the plandemic as a divine wake-up call, part of the sequence Jesus described in Matthew 24: wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. The world was hurtling toward the tribulation, but few were prepared.

As rumors of war grew and famine loomed, the pre-tribulation believers began to grow restless. When the rapture didn’t happen as they expected, their frustration turned into blame. “It’s people like Elijah,” some murmured, “who are slowing God’s plan. If they’d focus on evangelism instead of doubting, the fullness of the Gentiles would come in.”

Elijah was devastated as some of his own friends began betraying him to local authorities. Labeled as a conspiracy theorist and a dissenter, he was forced to flee. The falling away, the great apostasy, had begun. Many who once professed faith now sought safety and convenience, compromising with the world.

Chapter 3: The Image of the Beast

The chaos of the beginning of sorrows paved the way for the rise of the Antichrist. As nations collapsed, a charismatic leader emerged, promising peace through technological unification. His false prophet introduced the Mark of the Beast—an implant connected to a quantum computer housed deep underground. This system controlled access to food, finances, and even identity.

But the most terrifying innovation was the Image of the Beast. A massive, lifelike hologram projected in cities worldwide, it seemed alive, speaking with authority and demanding worship. Its power came from the quantum AI, a system far beyond human understanding. Those who refused to worship the Image or take the Mark were systematically cut off from society—and hunted.

Elijah and a small group of like-minded believers went into hiding, surviving on God’s provision and their wits. He warned them often, quoting Revelation: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12).

“Our hope isn’t in escape,” Elijah told them one night around a small fire. “It’s in standing firm for the truth. The rapture will come—yes—but not until the final judgment, when the dead are raised, and all stand before the throne.”

Chapter 4: Enduring to the End

The Great Tribulation descended in full force. The sun darkened, the moon turned to blood, and the judgments of God rained down upon the earth. Elijah and his group faced unrelenting trials: hunger, betrayal, and the constant threat of death. Yet their faith never wavered. They saw themselves as witnesses to God’s truth, a remnant called to endure.

As Elijah watched many who once claimed Christ take the Mark to preserve their lives, his heart broke. He saw the apostasy for what it was—faith without knowledge, a shallow hope built on sand. The saints who refused the Mark were martyred in droves, their cries echoing in Elijah’s mind. He knew that one day he might join them, but he took comfort in God’s ultimate plan.

On a cold, smoky night, Elijah stood alone beneath a darkened sky. The stars were obscured, the earth scarred by chaos. Yet in his heart, there was peace. He thought of the White Throne Judgment, the moment when all wrongs would be made right, when the faithful would be gathered to Christ.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” he whispered, his voice steady. He knew that the Millennial Reign was near, and after it, the rapture at the final judgment. Until then, he would endure, his faith unshaken.