New believers like Condor 216 first officer Mac McCullum and computer programmer David Hassid take their places as moles in the Global Community (GC) and use his infrastructures to evangelize and thwart Carpathia's attempts to find members of the Tribulation Force.

At the prophesied conference of witnesses, held at Teddy Kollek Stadium and hosted by Tsion Ben-Judah, the Potentate makes an unwelcome visit.

The next day at the conference, Tsion tells the audience they are waiting for the next Trumpet Judgment, in which the sun, moon, and stars will darken by 1/3.

A few days later, the fourth Trumpet Judgement strikes, and the world gets considerably colder, delaying Buck's return to the States.

He must deal with the not-very-smart Bo Hanson and his friend Ernie, who it turns out has faked the mark of the believer to gain access to Ken's stash of money, which is very large.

As they argue, the fifth Trumpet Judgment falls and a horde of demonic locusts swarm the earth, attacking everyone who does not bear the mark of the believer, in which it is so horrible that men try to kill themselves but are not allowed to die.

Chloe Steele Williams goes into labour, and after a scare delivers a healthy baby boy in the most chaotic period in human history.