Read Online Rising Darkness by D. Brian Shafer - Free Book Online
Authors: D. Brian Shafer
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responded Eli. “They forsook the words of the prophets. And the Lord judged us.”
“And when does He stop judging us and bring us into our inheritance once more?” Daniel demanded. All of the men were looking at him now, ready to take action should he provoke any of them. He looked at all the angry eyes upon him. “When does your Messiah arrive and remove this Roman curse?” he continued, a bit more subdued in tone.
“Only the Lord knows when Messiah will come,” Eli finally said. “You know this, Daniel. But come He shall!”
Daniel grumbled and buried his head back in the warmth of his knees. Eli continued talking to the boys, who didn’t really understand the rough exchange with Daniel, but welcomed Eli’s recaptured attention.
“And so, boys,” Eli continued, “Achan’s sin at Jericho turned what should have been a very easy victory at Ai into a defeat.”
“But what did Joshua do?” asked Jarod eagerly.
Eli winked at one of the men and motioned his head toward Daniel, whose head was still buried in his knees in disgust.
“Well, poor Joshua was sort of like our friend Daniel here…”
Daniel looked up for just a second at Eli’s pause.
“He was beside himself trying to figure out what was wrong.”
Some of the men chuckled as Daniel grunted and dropped his head once more.
Jericho, 1225 B.C.
“You may not touch Joshua, Kara,” said Michael. “Neither you, nor Berenius, nor even Lucifer himself can touch this man.”
Outside the tent, where Joshua had thrown himself in front of the Ark of the Testimony, was a gathering of fallen angels led by Kara, Rugio, Khasis, and Berenius, plus a dozen or so lesser wicked spirits who were under their authority. They had come to discourage Joshua in his defeat and hopefully turn the tide of the war in their favor.
Also outside the tent were Michael, Serus, Sangius, and Crispin, along with several hundred holy angels who had been assigned to Joshua. They remained silent as Michael spoke with their enemy over Joshua’s disposition.
“We are not here to touch Joshua,” said Kara, looking at the commander of Israel scraping the earth before him with his hands. “We are here to help him after he makes his decision.”
“What decision might that be?” asked Crispin, who had stepped up with Michael. “Joshua’s mind is closed to you. He is a man filled with the Spirit of God.”
“Just so,” agreed Kara, looking down at the tent that they dared not enter for fear of the Ark. “I recall that Moses was also a man of faith. And yet he so failed the Lord that he was not even allowed to enter into the land for which he had given his life. Even the elders of Israel are in there with Joshua in this disgraceful display.”
He pointed to Joshua.
“The same faithlessness will befall Joshua,” he continued matter-of-factly. “Humans are destined to fail—even men of faith like Joshua! Dribbling over the Ark like some pitiful beast who has been cornered!”
“It is only the presence of the Ark that keeps me from tearing the man into pieces,” boasted Rugio, glaring at Michael. “He would be dead already if I had my way.”
“Yes,” remarked Crispin casually. “The Presence of the Most High does rather foul up your plans, hmm?”
“And I will settle my score with you after this war is finished, dear teacher,” growled Rugio. He pointed at the angel standing with Michael. “All of you will return to Heaven one day, humbled by the disobedience of the very humans you seek to protect!”
“If we ever return to Heaven it shall be on the Lord’s terms,” said Michael, “not on any humans’. And certainly not as a result of being humbled by rebel angels!”
“Nevertheless, Archangel, the man cries out to the Lord like a man who is losing his faith,” said Berenius, whose hatred for Serus emboldened him. “A bit like Serus when he left Lucifer’s service and went yelping to Michael.”
The unholy angels laughed aloud.
“As I
“And when does He stop judging us and bring us into our inheritance once more?” Daniel demanded. All of the men were looking at him now, ready to take action should he provoke any of them. He looked at all the angry eyes upon him. “When does your Messiah arrive and remove this Roman curse?” he continued, a bit more subdued in tone.
“Only the Lord knows when Messiah will come,” Eli finally said. “You know this, Daniel. But come He shall!”
Daniel grumbled and buried his head back in the warmth of his knees. Eli continued talking to the boys, who didn’t really understand the rough exchange with Daniel, but welcomed Eli’s recaptured attention.
“And so, boys,” Eli continued, “Achan’s sin at Jericho turned what should have been a very easy victory at Ai into a defeat.”
“But what did Joshua do?” asked Jarod eagerly.
Eli winked at one of the men and motioned his head toward Daniel, whose head was still buried in his knees in disgust.
“Well, poor Joshua was sort of like our friend Daniel here…”
Daniel looked up for just a second at Eli’s pause.
“He was beside himself trying to figure out what was wrong.”
Some of the men chuckled as Daniel grunted and dropped his head once more.
Jericho, 1225 B.C.
“You may not touch Joshua, Kara,” said Michael. “Neither you, nor Berenius, nor even Lucifer himself can touch this man.”
Outside the tent, where Joshua had thrown himself in front of the Ark of the Testimony, was a gathering of fallen angels led by Kara, Rugio, Khasis, and Berenius, plus a dozen or so lesser wicked spirits who were under their authority. They had come to discourage Joshua in his defeat and hopefully turn the tide of the war in their favor.
Also outside the tent were Michael, Serus, Sangius, and Crispin, along with several hundred holy angels who had been assigned to Joshua. They remained silent as Michael spoke with their enemy over Joshua’s disposition.
“We are not here to touch Joshua,” said Kara, looking at the commander of Israel scraping the earth before him with his hands. “We are here to help him after he makes his decision.”
“What decision might that be?” asked Crispin, who had stepped up with Michael. “Joshua’s mind is closed to you. He is a man filled with the Spirit of God.”
“Just so,” agreed Kara, looking down at the tent that they dared not enter for fear of the Ark. “I recall that Moses was also a man of faith. And yet he so failed the Lord that he was not even allowed to enter into the land for which he had given his life. Even the elders of Israel are in there with Joshua in this disgraceful display.”
He pointed to Joshua.
“The same faithlessness will befall Joshua,” he continued matter-of-factly. “Humans are destined to fail—even men of faith like Joshua! Dribbling over the Ark like some pitiful beast who has been cornered!”
“It is only the presence of the Ark that keeps me from tearing the man into pieces,” boasted Rugio, glaring at Michael. “He would be dead already if I had my way.”
“Yes,” remarked Crispin casually. “The Presence of the Most High does rather foul up your plans, hmm?”
“And I will settle my score with you after this war is finished, dear teacher,” growled Rugio. He pointed at the angel standing with Michael. “All of you will return to Heaven one day, humbled by the disobedience of the very humans you seek to protect!”
“If we ever return to Heaven it shall be on the Lord’s terms,” said Michael, “not on any humans’. And certainly not as a result of being humbled by rebel angels!”
“Nevertheless, Archangel, the man cries out to the Lord like a man who is losing his faith,” said Berenius, whose hatred for Serus emboldened him. “A bit like Serus when he left Lucifer’s service and went yelping to Michael.”
The unholy angels laughed aloud.
“As I
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