At 5:25, he arrived at the Neumanns’ house. Mr. Neumann met him at the door with a warm smile and asked him in. “Good evening, Mr. Harrison, please come in. Rachael will be right out—she is not quite ready yet.”
Zane, a little embarrassed, replied, “Sorry I am early, but I didn’t want to be late.”
“Could I offer you something to drink, Zane?”
“Sure . . . a glass of water would be nice.” Zane followed Jacob Neumann into the kitchen. After Zane had satisfied his thirst, he set down the half-full glass of water.
“Rachael gave me a copy of your research on the prophecy of Daniel,” Jacob Neumann said. “I read it this afternoon, and frankly, it was not what I expected. If you have a few minutes, before you leave I would like to show you and Rachael something in my office you might find interesting.”
Jacob finished speaking with a warm look and a light in his eyes Zane had not noticed before. He replied, “Sure, I would love to.” Zane and Jacob spoke casually for several more minutes in the kitchen, and then Rachael entered.
Zane caught his breath. She looked stunning. She had made up her hair in curls which cascaded over her shoulders. She wore a dark skirt, white blouse, and light-colored sandals. Most beautiful of all was her smile. It was excited, happy, warm, and girlish all at once. As she entered, she said with a lighthearted lilt, “I see you are early, Mr. Harrison. Sorry I wasn’t ready, but I didn’t expect you until six.” Zane just grinned sheepishly in reply.
Jacob Neumann spoke up. “Rachael, since Mr. Harrison is early, do you mind if I show you two something in my office before you leave?”
Jacob Neumann led them into his office and around to his desk. He picked up a paper from his desk and held it in his hand. He looked at Rachael—with an expression Rachael had never seen before—and spoke in a voice of gentle warmth. “As I told young Mr. Harrison in the kitchen, I read his research paper you gave to me this morning.” Jacob cleared his throat before he continued. “Excuse me,” he said. Rachael looked at her father curiously. He was acting unusual.
He finally was able to continue. “As I was saying, I read the paper Zane wrote about Daniel’s prophecy of seventy weeks. Well, to put it bluntly, it has changed my view of Yeshua.” He looked at Zane and added, “Jesus.”
He held out the paper in his hand. “You might find this interesting, and I thought you might want to add it to your research paper. I wrote this out several years ago. You see a list of twenty-four names. What you are looking at are the priestly courses as given in the Old Testament. Each Levite had to serve in the temple for two weeks every year besides his service during the festivals.”
Taking the paper and placing it back on his desk, he held out another piece of paper. Mysteriously he asked, “Can either of you tell me what this is?”
Rachael replied, “It looks like a similar list, only doubled. I see you have numbered the months and added Babylonian and English month-name equivalents. You’ve also numbered the priestly courses and the meaning of the names for each course.”
“Yes, you are correct. What else do you see?”
Zane replied this time. “Why have you circled the eighth course of Abijah?”
Jacob smiled. “Let me show you both something.”
Setting the paper back on a clear spot on his desk, he took out a yellow highlighter and highlighted the eighth course of Abijah. “Zane, in Luke 1 in your New Testament, it tells the story of Zacharias’s priestly service at the temple. As the story is told, Zacharias and Elisabeth could not conceive a child, and for some time this had caused them great sorrow. It so happened that an angel appeared to Zacharias as he performed his duties. The angel said Zacharias would have a son and to call his name John. Zacharias doubted the angel Gabriel’s message, so Gabriel said he would not be able to speak until these things came to pass. Well, Luke states that shortly thereafter Elisabeth conceived.
“The story goes on to say that six months later, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she was going to bare a son by the Spirit of YHWH. Luke says, just as Gabriel promised, Mary bore a son and they called him Yeshua, which in Hebrew means ‘Salvation of YAH.’” Jacob looked over at Zane and said, “Sorry, Zane, but ‘Jesus’ just doesn’t convey the same meaning to me. I hope you know I mean no disrespect?”
Zane smiled reassuringly. “No offense taken, Mr. Neumann. As my friend Sam would say, Yeshua was Hebrew, not Greek.”
Jacob now took a green highlighter, and starting at the ninth priestly course, he marked out six months. Then he highlighted the twenty-first priestly course and then another nine months with a blue highlighter. Jacob continued, “If Elisabeth conceived in the fifth month and Mary, the mother of Yeshua, conceived six months later, then this places the birth of the Messiah here.” Jacob circled the thirteenth and fourteenth priestly courses, which fell during the seventh month. He smiled, clearly aware of what the numbers meant to Zane. “This shows the book of Luke adds further evidence to the symbolism associated with the numbers thirteen, fourteen, seven and Yeshua of Nazareth.”
Jacob finished with a look of satisfaction. Zane and Rachael looked at each other in amazement, and Rachael looked at her father with growing curiosity. He didn’t seem to be talking about Yeshua as the Christian Messiah, but as a Jewish Messiah. He caught her glance and smiled knowingly.
Jacob continued. “Zane, I don’t know if Rachael told you or not, but I am Jewish, and my wife Constance was Christian. We met at an archeological dig and fell in love. Over our parents’ objections we got married, and to their surprise, we had a very happy marriage. Constance was an exceptional woman in so many ways.”
With a catch in his voice, he continued. “She never forced her faith on me or tried to change my mind with arguments. She just showed me unconditional love. Through her example, I learned to understand and respect her faith in Yeshua. I once asked why she was able to live with me even though I was a practicing Jew and she a Christian. I will never forget what she said. ‘Jacob, Jesus paid the price for all our sins, both Jew and Gentile.’ Then she would quote the words of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:13–14: ‘But now in Yeshua our Messiah ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of the Messiah. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.’
“If you look, you will see that verse framed on the wall in the kitchen where your mother could see it. That was her motto for our marriage. Notice the reference—it has been for there over twenty years, and I never understood its significance.” Here Jacob’s voice faltered, and tears ran down his face without his knowing it.
Taking each of them by the hand, he walked them over to the large framed drawing on the wall in front of his desk. Pointing to the drawing, he said in an emotional voice, “The drawing you see is what we believe the Second Temple looked like during the time when Yeshua the Messiah walked on the earth.”
Pointing to the large open area on the drawing, he said, “That was the Court of the Gentiles there. A wall was built which divided the court from the temple proper. At regular intervals along this wall, inscriptions in both Greek and Hebrew were placed which read, ‘No Gentile is to pass this point on pain of death.’ This is the wall of partition the apostle Paul mentioned in Ephesians 2:13–14. Notice the stairs—in order for anyone to access the temple proper and pass through the wall from that point, they had to climb a set of 14 stairs and enter through one of 13 gates.”
Jacob turned to face Rachael and said, “My dear, your mother was right: Yeshua was and is the Messiah promised in our Scriptures.”
With those words, Rachael reached for her father, tears of joy now running down her face. Zane looked at the two of them and thought to himself, Thank you, Father for the privilege of being part of this miracle.
Looking up at Zane, Jacob said in a husky voice, “Our great Jewish Rabbi Maimonides set out thirteen principles of our faith. He believed one must acknowledge these thirteen truths as true in order
to be considered a true Jew. The thirteenth principle affirms our belief in the resurrection of the dead. I now know both Jews and Gentiles can only have hope of that resurrection by our reconciliation to YHWH, our Creator, through the 13th Enumeration.”
After a minute Jacob released Rachael and stood back, pulling himself together. “My dear, you must be going or you’ll be late for your dinner.”
With a surprised look she replied, “Abba, we don’t have to go out tonight. How about we stay here and keep you company?” Looking at Zane she asked, “Would you mind if we eat here tonight? I will cook us all dinner.”
Smiling, Zane replied, “Of course not, but if you and your father would rather be alone right now, I can leave. We can always have dinner another time.”
Before Rachael could reply, Jacob interjected. “No, I want you both to carry on with your plans tonight. I have things I need to do, and there is no reason for you to cancel your dinner.”
“But Abba, tonight is special—it’s a time for celebration! After all these years you have believed in Yeshua!”
Taking her hand, Jacob replied, “Rachael, you are right—this is a time for celebration, but also a time for reflection. A seed your mother planted many years ago has just taken root, and it will take time to grow. I don’t need you here tonight. I want you both to go and enjoy yourselves.”
Rachael searched her father’s face, looking for any indication he really wanted them to stay. Finding only a genuine look of peace, she realized he probably really wanted to be alone. Her father wasn’t one who talked about his feelings much. He would talk more about it, but in his own time. Finally she gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek and released his hand.
Turning to Zane, she took his arm. “Very well, then, Mr. Harrison; shall we go?”
Zane took a step toward Jacob and extended his hand. “Mr. Neumann, it’s wonderful to hear you have found the Messiah.”
Jacob took Zane’s hand and warmly shook it. “Thank you, Zane, you had no small part in it. To both of you, I own a measure of thanks.” With a more serious look on his face he said, “Take care of her, Zane. She is my little girl.” With that he released Zane’s hand and showed them to the door.
Zane paused at the door. “Mr. Neumann, I will have your daughter home by ten.”
“Very well, I will see you then,” he replied. He watched the two of them walk toward the car. As Zane held the door open for her, she looked up, catching her father’s eye. He nodded his head slightly in acknowledgment, a touch of melancholy tingeing the smile on his face.
Chapter 86
As they drove away, Rachael sighed and laid her head back against the rest. Zane glanced over and saw a beautiful smile as the light of a street lamp briefly illuminated her face. Turning his attention back to the road he said, “We witnessed a little miracle tonight, didn’t we? Your hopes and prayers were answered. You uncovered a piece of history that was the catalyst which opened your father’s eyes.”
Rachael looked over at Zane a look of love on her face. “We uncovered a piece of history,” she said softly. “Both of us. But it was you who put the pieces together. Without your courage to challenge conventional wisdom and then your unfailing search for the answer, my father would not have seen the truth. Your archeology dig in the Scripture was successful, Zane. You found one of the greatest treasures of all time—a treasure with the power to change a human heart.”
They drove on in silence for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally Rachael, as if brought back to the present, asked, “So where are you taking me, Mr. Harrison?”
“You will just have to wait and see,” he said with an air of mystery. “We are almost there.” A minute later Zane pulled up to the front of the Canela Restaurant.
As they stopped, Rachael looked over and raised an eyebrow. “Trying to impress your date, Mr. Harrison? This is one of the better restaurants in Jerusalem.”
Zane would have to remember to thank his waiter back in Tel Aviv for the recommendation. Elated, he replied, “I heard it was a classy place, and they even have a grand piano that plays live music on Monday nights. I hope you like it.”
Rachael smiled to herself. She had played music for the patrons of the Canela many times at that grand piano. For almost a year during college she’d had the gig. She had only eaten there once with her father. It was a little out of her price range. The food was excellent, though, and the service equally so.
When they stopped, Zane got out and gave the valet his keys. He opened Rachael’s door, and they both entered the restaurant. The matradee asked for their name and then led them to a cozy table for two overlooking the street. After they were seated and both had a menu, Zane asked, “Are you hungry?”
Looking over the top of the menu she was perusing, Rachael answered, “Starved, how about you?”
“Very. Everything looks really good.”
After a few minutes a waiter approached and asked if they were ready to order. Rachael looked up at Zane. He nodded and indicated she should go ahead. She ordered the asparagus and spinach ravioli in olive oil, garlic, leek, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Zane ordered the Canela hamburger in barbecue sauce, with grilled onion, tomato, and baked potato. They both requested water to drink.
As the waiter walked away, Rachael laughed.
Zane smiled and asked, “What’s so funny?”
Rachael replied, “You take me to one of the better restaurants in Jerusalem and you order a hamburger when you could have beef tongue, foie gras, or Tournedos Rossini?”
He replied with a shrug, “I like what I like. Good old hamburger with barbecue sauce sounds just about right.”
Rachael’s rich laugh was pleasant to Zane’s ears. He continued in good humor, “I didn’t see you order any of that highfalutin cuisine.”
She made a funny face. “I’m not crazy about it either.”
They spent the next hour enjoying their food and each other’s company. After their meal Zane asked, “Do you feel like some dessert?”
“No, thank you. The dessert menu looks tempting, but I am full. You?”
“Me neither, the hamburger was terrific and I don’t think I could fit anything else.”
When the waiter approached, Zane requested the bill. As they were waiting he asked, “Are you ready to head home, or is there any place else you would like to go?”
Rachael replied, “Have you ever been to the Mount of Olives at sunset? If we hurry, we might just make it before the sun goes down.”
After driving up the narrow road toward the Mount of Olives, they found a place in the parking area at the top. They both got out and walked over to the observation area overlooking the Temple mount. The sun was just setting behind the Temple Mount, bathing it in the soft evening light. With a final burst of color it sank beyond the horizon, leaving the sky colored with pastel shades of red and orange.
They both stood silently watching as the colors faded into the evening twilight. After some time Zane said quietly, “That was beautiful, Rachael. What a great idea. Can you imagine being here on the mountain when Yeshua ascended into heaven? Or better yet, standing here when he returns to Jerusalem? Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
Rachael reached over for Zane’s hand. Finding it, she stood there in silence, leaning against him, holding his strong hand in hers and feeling its warmth and strength. “Even so, come Yeshua . . . Maranatha!” she whispered softly.
“Our hope,” he replied in turn.
* * *
Anton Ramirez sat behind the wheel of his rental car barely able to contain his growing lust to kill. He’d been stymied in Dubai, but not this time—his target was an old man and some kids. It was 8:34 p.m., and he was in a residential neighborhood a few blocks from Jacob Neumann’s house. The streets were practically empty. The only person he saw was a little old lady walking her small dog up ahead. In fiendish glee, he gave the steering wheel a sharp twist just as he drew alongside the woman. Before the woman could react he felt the s
atisfying thump, thump of the little dog under his wheels as he sent the little old lady flying into the neighbor’s yard with the corner of his bumper. He didn’t even touch the brake. Neither of the two dark forms in his rearview mirror moved at all as he drove on down the street.
Taking the next left, Anton found a place to park his car next to a vacant lot between two small houses. Removing a pistol from his bag, he checked to make sure it was loaded and functioning normally. He had stopped to pick it up from one of his contacts just outside of Tel Aviv. Placing the pistol in his waistband, he pulled his shirt down over it and got out of the car. As if on his nightly walk around the neighborhood, Anton turned on the Neumanns’ street and walked half a block to their house. Slowly he walked up to the front door, a smile of anticipation on his face. Reaching up, he knocked on the old wooden door. After a lengthy pause, he heard someone unlocking the door.
* * *
Rachael’s phone rang. She let go of Zane’s hand and reached into her pocket, removing her cell. It was 8:41, and she recognized the number as her father’s. Surprised, she answered, “Hello Abba, is everything all right?”
Jacob Neumann’s calm voice came through the line, “Sorry to bother you, my dear, but I must have hit your number by accident. I have been trying to program this new phone you gave me, and, well, you know me and these new electronic devices.”
“Abba, I am just glad everything is all right. We will be home in a little while.”
“No hurry on my account, my dear. I’ll see you when . . . Rachael, someone is at the door. I’ve got to go. Bye.”
Rachael laughed as she heard him muttering and fumbling, trying to turn off his phone. “Hey, Abba,” she called into the phone with a laugh in her voice, “you didn’t turn it off. I can still hear you.”
The 13th Enumeration Page 40