Rising Darkness (27 page)

Grolius was riding in the chariot with the Aramean commander. The night before they had come upon Dothan and surrounded it. Their last word was that the prophet Elisha was there. Now they had an opportunity to end the career of the man of God who had been so troublesome to them.

Along with Grolius were hundreds of unholy angels, all of whom wanted to witness the final chapter in Elisha’s life. Many of them had been at Mount Carmel, and like Grolius, sought revenge for their humiliation there. The angels moved in and out of the Aramean position, fanning the Arameans’ hate and preparing them for possible resistance by the other prophets and some of the townspeople.

Over the city, in a large and organized concentration, were holy angels under the command of Serus. He had called in a legion of warriors after he had heard of the approaching Aramean army. He knew that Grolius had been with the king of Aram and expected a great fight. Michael had left, promising to return in due course with more angels, but as yet had not returned.

Serus positioned himself directly over the house in which Elisha slept. He saw Grolius approaching and went to meet him at the city’s edge.

“Well, Serus,” said Grolius. “From a traitor to a commander of traitors in such a short time. Congratulations!”

Serus ignored the comment and watched as the Arameans drew in closer and closer to the city. He called to one of his aides, an angel who stood nearby, to awaken Elisha’s servant. Within moments, the servant of the prophet stepped out and saw the Aramean army surrounding the city.

“Master!” he cried out, running back into the room where Elisha was sleeping. “An army has surrounded us with horses and chariots!”

Elisha woke up, looked outside the door, and saw the army that was awaiting the signal to attack. Elisha stretched and looked at his servant. Some of the others began to awaken as well, and within a few minutes there was a low drone of concern. All eyes were on Elisha, who seemed quite calm about it all.

“I suppose it’s me they are after,” he said casually. “Shall we go and talk with them? Or do you think they want to fight?”

“Master!” said the servant. “They will kill you!”

Elisha smiled and indicated for his servant to follow him outside.

Grolius saw Elisha step outside and pointed him out to his warriors.

“There is the prophet!” he screamed. “Make sure to clear the guardians around him so that he can be captured by the soldiers!” Several of Grolius’s angels closed in around Elisha. Serus responded by moving in with his warriors, who now were tightly around the prophet with their swords drawn.

But Elisha told his servant not to be afraid. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them!”

The servant looked about and did not understand. He knew that they could not count on a handful of prophets and a few of the locals for help—against a trained veteran army.

“How can that be, master?” he asked nervously.

Elisha shook his head as if it were all so easy. He looked up toward the still dark morning sky and began to pray: “Lord, open his eyes so that he might see!”

Suddenly, dots of light began appearing all over the hills around the little city. At first Elisha’s servant could not make them out. Maybe they were fires from a relieving army! Perhaps Elisha was going to pull a trick like Gideon had done with his torches. But then the servant saw that they were not torches but horses and chariots of fire! It was the Host of the Lord all about them!

The angels under Grolius began to back off the city when they saw that it was they, not Elisha, who were surrounded. Many of Grolius’s commanders tried to rally the fleeing spirits and were able to restore some order among them, although all were unnerved by the appearance of the large army that had enveloped them. Enraged, Grolius saw that the commander of this newly arrived host was Michael!

“I told you I would return,” said Michael to Serus. “And I brought a few friends along for company!”

“Perfect,” said Serus. “The enemy was just about to move on Dothan.”

“Now it seems they are moving out of it!” observed Michael as the last of the demons backed away, leaving the Aramean army to its own devices.

Grolius, however, would have none of it and moved upon the commander of the enemy army to begin the attack. The roar of charging horses and chariots filled the dust-filled morning air as the Arameans moved in to take Elisha.

Michael watched as Elisha looked toward the heavens and declared boldly, “Lord, strike this army with blindness.”

Michael, compelled by the Spirit of God, ordered his angels to attack the Arameans, striking the men with their swords. Grolius’s demons moved to block as many of Michael’s angels as they could, but the strength of the heavenly host overwhelmed them, pushing them aside. Each Aramean, as he was struck by an angel, suddenly became blind, wrecking his chariot or slowing his horse to a walk. The Aramean army was frozen where it stood—blind and helpless because of the Lord’s angels and Elisha’s great faith.

Chronicles of the Host

Samaria, 710 B.C.

“Well done, Rugio,” said Lucifer, pacing in front of the hulking warrior who was seated in a place of honor in front of the Council. “If all my leaders had the resourcefulness and ability that you have demonstrated over the kings of Assyria, we should have destroyed these people long ago.”

Rugio nodded in humble agreement, stealing a glance at Kara, who was quietly stewing in moody contemplation. The Council was meeting in the occupied city of Samaria, former capital of Israel, now the capital of the newly annexed province of the Assyrian empire that Israel had become. Ahab’s former palace, the proud heritage of the house of Omri, gave evidence of the recent hardships. Much of the marvelous ivory inlaid walls and panels had been stripped and sent back to the Assyrian king in Nineveh as a trophy of war. Other parts had been burned out by fleeing nobles.

“Of course Rugio never really had a difficult task of it,” snorted Kara. “When I was prince over Egypt I had to face much greater opposition.”

Pellecus could only roll his eyes in disgust at Kara’s posturing.

“Yes,” agreed Rugio. “And as a result of your indecisive leadership we not only lost Egypt’s greatness but also allowed Moses to escape with the people.”

“Enough!” shouted Lucifer. “We are gathered to enjoy the fruits of a great victory and discuss our next move against the Lord’s people.”

Lucifer moved about the former throne room, now shabby and abandoned, with charred beams littering the once magnificently polished stone floors. He stood where the throne of Israel’s kings was once positioned.

“Israel is finished,” he began. “The kingdom of ten tribes is liquidated and will vanish into the bloody history of humanity. The kings who sat in this room are forever removed. It has been a magnificent time.”

He looked intently at the group.

“I must however caution you all on something,” he continued. “It is of course a sweet victory to have dealt this blow to Israel. But unfortunately, many of your commanders in the field have speculated, foolishly, that with the obliteration of Israel the threat of the Seed has diminished. However, the war is far from over and talk of this sort will only prove disappointing later on.”

“Why so, my lord?” asked Rugio. “With Israel finished it demonstrates that God’s people are not only vulnerable but conquerable.”

“Because, my dear warrior, there is always a remnant—a loyal contingent bent upon serving God. Recall the number of occasions when we believed that the Seed was abandoned to this murky brood. Up would rise a Moses or a Joshua to further the prophecy just a bit closer to its fulfillment—always a hope rising out of depression, always a light out of the darkness. This is why the war is far from over.”

He looked about the room as if some unseen person or thing were stalking him—as if the shadows in the room plagued his mind. He looked at the others and almost whispered, “Even now the prophecy closes in.”

Lucifer looked at Pellecus, who nodded and unrolled a scroll from which he read:

“These are some more words of one of the Lord’s prophets: ‘Behold—a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she shall call Him Immanuel…

“ ‘To us a child is born…to us a Son is given…and the government shall be upon His shoulders…and He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…

“ ‘A shoot shall spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit…the Spirit of the Lord will be upon Him…the spirit of wisdom and understanding…the spirit of counsel and strength…the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord….’ ”

Kara groaned in the light of yet another prophecy. Rugio listened intently, trying to interpret the meaning of the words. Lucifer simply listened in quiet contemplation.

“And,” continued Pellecus, ‘He shall reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.’ There is more, but I believe that these are some of the more critical passages. Not very hopeful words, hmm?”

“Deadly,” said Lucifer grimly.

“The Seed,” whispered Kara. “Again.”

“Yes, Kara, again and always,” said Lucifer. “As I said it is closing in. The prophets speak more and more to its arrival. They give us more and more detail as to the nature of this Coming One—this Immanuel.”

“Immanuel means ‘God with us,’ ” said Pellecus. “It is obviously the Lord Himself of whom the prophet speaks. This Messiah—this Anointed One—is not an ordinary man. It will be the Lord Himself!”

The room became still as the angels suddenly realized that the Seed of the woman would be the Lord Himself! The chilling words unnerved the angels.

“The prophecy is quite clear,” continued Pellecus. “Should this Child—this Coming King—be born of Jesse’s seed—which is to say the house of David—it will be difficult to contest Him.”

“However,” continued Lucifer, “the prophecy is equally clear that it should happen during the kingdom of David.”

“But David died long ago,” pleaded Kara. “How can this be?”

“Recall that the Seed shall come through the tribe of Judah,” answered Pellecus. “The house of David. It does not mean David must be alive when the Seed arrives.”

“What it means,” added Lucifer, “is that the final battle of the war must be centered in Judah and Jerusalem.”

“So you see, Rugio, that your victory is not quite as complete as you believed,” Kara said bitingly. “Whose words are these latest outrages?”

“Another prophet, of course,” said Lucifer. “This one is called Isaiah.”