Unleashing the Beast

292 / U NLEASHING THE B EAST

from their false gods and destroyed their idols of silver and gold. They called their teachers and the prophets, who they had previously told to speak pleasant things, out of the corner. The teachers in turn told them how they should walk. In short, spiritual renewal swept across the nation. But we shouldn't miss this important fact. It seems the entire process—the state of the nation, the adversity and subsequent restoration—is defined by Isaiah 30:25 "And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall." This verse seems to indicate that Israel's adversity and eventual restoration was initiated by "the day of the great slaughter," a day when towers fell to the ground. In the midst of our tragedy, God was speaking to this nation and to His people through this particular passage of Scripture. In Isaiah's prophecy God wanted the last days generation to take note of the fact that He was warning them. It was as though the handwriting was on the wall. But, as you will see, the ramifications of 9/11 are far greater than many have imagined. S HOCK AND D ISBELIEF You could see the look of complete surprise and genuine concern come across the face of our Commander-in-Chief when Chief of Staff Andrew Card informed him that the second tower had been deliberately struck by another hijacked airliner. Still, Mr. Bush continued to appear attentive and impressed as the Florida school children he had come to visit continued to read aloud for the President.