Rising Darkness (25 page)

The angels on both sides watched as the drama began to play out. Shawa and his angels immediately stood with the prophets of Baal, speaking into their minds, and in some cases entering them and bringing them to bizarre ecstatic behavior.

Shawa had decided that after the prophets had called upon Baal for a few moments, he and some of the others would dazzle the spectators with a very powerful flame from above—something they could very easily produce. The contest should be over after that.

Rugio kept an eye on Michael.

“He will try to intervene,” he said to his aide. “Have our warriors encircle the Baal prophets. Not one of Michael’s angels should get through.”

“Yes, my lord,” said the warrior, who disappeared to give the order.

The prophets had reached a frenzied crescendo in their efforts to conjure up Baal. The chief prophet now began to call upon Baal to accept their offer and show the world that he truly was the greatest god. Shawa gave the order to his angels to begin creating the flaming illusion that would consume the offering.

As they began to manipulate the elements and create the fire, they suddenly became powerless. Several of the angels fell to the earth, completely blocked in their ability to move, much less conjure up the pseudo-flame. Shawa watched in complete stupification and ordered his angels to return to their task.

“I cannot move,” said one of his warriors, who lay on the ground next to the altar. “It is the Spirit of God!”

To his horror Shawa looked up and saw a great hand in the sky, the arm of which reached up into the heavens. The hand rested above the Baal altar and would let nothing through! Every angel who tried to penetrate the hand found himself immobilized and dazed. The hand of God was interfering with the contest!

Lucifer saw what was happening and ordered Shawa to make something happen! Shawa, now panicked, told his angels to whip the prophets up into a further frenzy. Many of the men began dancing around the altar—but there was no answer from Baal.

Crispin and Michael stood next to Elijah, watching the contest stretch into the middle of the day.

“Why don’t you shout louder?” Elijah asked. “Perhaps your god cannot hear well. Or maybe he is asleep.”

Crispin laughed at Elijah’s comments.

“I like this man,” he said. “He is something of a great wit—a bit like me!”

“Yes, well Lucifer has a bit of wit himself,” said Michael, not yet ready to let his guard down. “We should be ready for any tricks the enemy might decide to play.”

The prophets had actually begun to cut themselves and offer their own blood to coax Baal into action. “I rather think the enemy has just run out of tricks,” Crispin said.

Elijah then announced that it was his turn to call upon the Lord. He took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of Israel, and began rebuilding his own altar that had been wrecked in the frenzied attempts of Baal’s prophets. Next, he gathered the prophets around to speak with them. They looked up at him—angry, bleeding, and exhausted.

Elijah then did something that puzzled every human and angel present: He ordered jars of water to be poured over the wooden altar that he had built! The prophets gladly obliged and eagerly filled the jars with what they hoped contained the death sentence of this pesky prophet.

“What is he up to?” asked Gabriel.

“Making it more interesting, I suspect,” said Crispin.

Elijah’s actions were not lost on Lucifer either. He glanced in the direction of Gabriel and motioned for Kara to investigate.

“What is your prophet doing?” demanded Kara, who had come over to where the archangels were standing. “He is not following the rules!”

“Since when do you respect rules, Kara?” asked Gabriel.

“Nevertheless this shall not stand! If he wins the contest it shall be dishonorably!”

“Our side must be doing well, Gabriel,” said Crispin. “When Kara speaks of respecting rules and of honor, something devastating must be going on.”

“This is not over yet,” said Kara. “Our prophets are merely resting.”

“Yes,” said Crispin. “And so apparently is their god.”

Three times Elijah had the prophets of Baal pour water on his altar. Even the trough in which the altar rested was filled with water. When the last jar had been emptied, Elijah announced that he was ready to call upon the Most High.

Shawa saw this as his last opportunity. Rallying his angels for one final thrust, he sent them swirling around the altar of Baal and in and around the prophets. Some of the men uttered guttural sounds as demons entered them. Shawa, remembering his pledge to Lucifer, hoped if nothing else to distract and possibly frighten Elijah and make his prayer ineffective.

“O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,” Elijah began. “Let it be known today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant. Answer me now, O Lord, that these men might see and know that the God of Israel lives!”

He looked at the people watching him—even the prophets of Baal had become quiet as he prayed. He turned his head upward once more. The holy angels, sensing God’s presence beginning to fall upon the place, bowed their heads and knelt in holy reverence. The demons along with their commanders stopped as if frozen, as they too anticipated the Lord’s Presence.

“And now, O Lord, answer me that these people will know that You are the true and living God, and that You have turned their hearts back again!”

The brilliant flash of white light caused everyone to flinch. The prophets of Baal threw themselves backwards from the intense heat falling all over them. The people watching gasped and became frightened, and many of them fell on their knees in the Presence of the God they had forsaken.

Shawa, reasoning that it was better that Lucifer see him resist to the last, ordered his angels back into action—but even he knew it was pointless. Lucifer watched as the demon, in one final show of defiance, thrust himself into the river of light that had set the altar ablaze. Sword swinging, Shawa shrieked and disappeared into the brilliant holy light. In an instant he disintegrated in a bright, bluish flash—never to be seen again.

In spite of the water that had been poured on it, the altar disappeared as the Lord consumed not only the wood, but also the stones, the meat, the dust, and the water. Then, just as quickly as it had come, the light vanished.

When the devils who had been under Shawa’s authority saw what had happened to their commander, they immediately began to abandon the prophets of Baal. The people began shouting, “Elijah’s god is God! Elijah’s god is God!” They seized the prophets and brought them before Elijah, who ordered them taken to Kishon to be killed.

Kara was dumbfounded. He looked to Lucifer, who could barely contain his rage. Glancing at Michael, Lucifer demanded to know whether all the Lord’s prophets were such bloody murderers.

“Those Baal prophets followed you, Lucifer,” said Michael, adding these chilling words: “The sentence of death was already upon them—as on anyone who follows you, be they man or angel.”

“Watch your prophet well, Archangel,” sneered Lucifer. “I assure you that the Most High is not the only one handing out death sentences.”

Chronicles of the Host