Rising Darkness

by D. Brian Shafer

  “What sort of challenge?” Ahab asked.

  Elijah spoke as if he were repeating words being spoken by somebody else; a sort of faraway look was in his eyes: “Summon witnesses from throughout Israel. And gather together the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah. Have all these meet me at Mount Carmel, one of the holiest places for the Baals. Then we shall see whose god is greater.”

  Ahab looked at Jezebel. She liked the idea. This would be her chance to demonstrate the power of Baal once and for all—and to be rid of Elijah at the same time. She shook her head enthusiastically.

  “We accept,” said Ahab. “It shall be done. Now leave this place! We shall not see you again until we meet at Mount Carmel.”

  Elijah bowed slightly and left the room. Only the angels remained. Gabriel grinned at Kara and Shawa, who were in deep conference with one another.

  “Well, Kara,” said Gabriel. “It looks as if there will be another contest. If it goes anything like it did for you in Egypt, your next assignment will be Sheol.”

  Kara gave Gabriel an icy stare.

  “The gods of Egypt were divided,” said Kara. “Each of the angels running those gods was too concerned with his own territory and prestige. Baal is under one angel, Shawa, and each of the prophets are assigned an angel as well. You will see, Archangel, that when we are united we are unstoppable.”

  “In that case, may I suggest you ask Lucifer to attend this little exhibition of Baal’s power?” said Gabriel. “This is your crowning moment, Shawa. The defeat of one of the Most High’s greatest prophets.”

  “Lucifer will be there,” said Shawa proudly. “As will the rest of the Council. Isn’t that so, Kara?”

  “Yes, of course,” said Kara. “I have every confidence in the outcome.”

  “You don’t look too sure of yourself, Kara,” Gabriel said, half smiling….

  Kara looked at Gabriel haughtily. “I’m quite confident, Archangel. We are the gods of this world. We have the authority!”

  “And we have the Most High God,” said Gabriel, “who is the authority.”

  Chronicles of the Host

  Contest at Carmel

  What was it about the Baals? This was a question that became a matter of great interest in the Academy of the Host during the ministry of Elijah. The simple answer among the angels was that men are prone to idolatry—and of course they are. But Baalism had an appeal for the people of God that we always found puzzling.

  Baal means “lord”—and as a result of efforts by Shawa and those fallen angels assigned to Canaan, Baal became the chief god in Canaan. His was a sensual religion, steeped in fertility rituals and tied closely to the seasons. In fact, these deceived humans believed that with each winter and spring the god died and rose again! How perverse the notion of devils whose twisted black art often mimics sacred life!

  Through the activity of cultic temple prostitutes, the Asherah, or female counterpart of Baal, was honored in the high places with the vilest acts ever committed in the name of worship. For Israelites, who depended upon the land for their survival, Baal held an attraction—especially if they felt that the Lord had forsaken them in times of famine or drought. In these times they turned to Baal for relief. Such is the fickle nature of humans!

  So it was, on Mount Carmel, that Elijah faced off with the prophets of Baal to demonstrate that God was indeed Lord not only of the desert, but of all the earth….

  The atmosphere around Carmel was more reminiscent of a festival than of a religious contest. From all over Israel people came: the curious, the faithful, the seeking, hard-core Baalists, and servants of the Most High—all wanting to see which god would show himself that day.

  The prophets of Baal also assembled, proud and confident, carrying the many emblems of their worship. Several erected Asherah poles in anticipation of the great celebrations that would certainly follow Elijah’s humbling. As for Elijah, he kept to himself, awaiting the proper time to address the people.

  Finally, the angels—both good and bad—assembled. Not since that fateful day in Eden, when so many angels watched the contest between the serpent and Eve, were so many holy and unholy angels gathered in one place.

  As Elijah requested, Ahab had summoned people from throughout the land to witness the spectacle. Only Jezebel had remained behind in Jezreel to await the outcome. Unknown to her husband, she had given orders that once the demonstration was over, Elijah was to be killed on the spot. Thus she waited for news of Elijah’s death.

  “Look at all the fallen angels!” said Bakka. “I haven’t seen many of these since they lost their place in Heaven!”

  “It is a rather dark reunion,” noted Crispin, who had arrived from Heaven with several of his students. He wanted them to observe the contest, for academic as well as for historical reasons. “Grim lot, these unholy creatures.”

  “Teacher, why have they become so…so out of control?” asked one of the student angels who was with him. He was pointing to some of his former brothers who were chasing about like mad dogs, shrieking hysterically.

  “Result of pride,” said Crispin, matter-of-factly. “Pride erases the boundaries set up by the Lord so that once they are violated, one moves farther and farther from the ability to rationalize and behave in a controlled manner. The end result is complete insanity. It happens with humans and with angels. Of course, not all of those who fell have given themselves over to complete madness…not yet anyway.”

  “Still lecturing, I see.”

  It was Pellecus, Crispin’s former colleague at the Academy, who had become his chief opponent in matters of doctrine. “How will these poor students ever be able to discern truth from fantasy as long as you continue to fill their heads with such nonsense?”

  “All of you remember Pellecus, I am sure,” said Crispin. “He was one of the most brilliant wisdom angels ever created by the Most High. Why, even I sat under his teaching on occasion. But he allowed the pride of wanting to be right to overcome the need to be truthful—and as a result he is neither right nor truthful!”

  The angels laughed.

  “We shall see after today, dear Crispin, who is right and who shares in the truth,” said Pellecus. “Confidentially, I say that whoever wins this war will ultimately dictate what is truth and what is right.”

  Crispin turned to the angels with him.

  “As I said, dear students, pride erases boundaries of reason—so that any desired outcome justifies the method of achieving that outcome.”

  “Pride will erase you one day, Crispin,” said Pellecus. “Mark me!”

  He then vanished to return to his vantage point for the contest. “Pride is also a poor loser,” Crispin said, winking.

  Pellecus found Lucifer near the prophets of Baal. Many demons were encouraging the Baalists by speaking into their minds or performing small manipulations of religious trickery with amulets or charms. Observing their antics, Lucifer shook his head in disgust at the foolishness of men to be so easily deceived. He saw Pellecus coming toward him.

  “These humans amaze me,” Lucifer said. “A spark of fire here, a bit of smoke there; a voice in the night or an appearance of one of their stupid gods—and they are completely given in. Incredible!”

  “I see that Crispin is here as well,” said Pellecus, fuming a bit from his earlier encounter. “I only hope that we are successful so that his foul mouth will be silenced.”

  “Well, well,” said Kara, who had just arrived. “Another academic brawl? I certainly hope that you were more successful this time than when you debated him in Heaven…”

  “I only want to see him silenced,” said Pellecus.

  “This is not an academic excursion,” said Lucifer sharply. “This is war. See that you keep it in its proper perspective. At any rate, these Baal prophets are very motivated, and they have the force of Jezebel behind them. She is quite a tool—completely deceived but useful.”

  “So many of the enemy here,” said Kara, looking aro
und him. “It reminds me of when we would all come together in the Kingdom for one of the assemblies. I remember being in the Council of Elders when Michael…”

  He noticed Lucifer’s annoyed look and stopped talking.

  “You long for those days of imprisonment?” asked Lucifer suspiciously.

  “No, my lord,” Kara responded quickly. “I was simply remarking that it had been a long time since so many angels were together. I much prefer our current predicament…er… I mean our current situation.”

  “I wouldn’t reminisce too much about the old times, Kara,” said Pellecus. “You might find that what others remember about your leadership might not be exactly the way you remember it.”

  Kara began to respond, but Rugio interrupted with the announcement that Elijah had arrived. Lucifer looked down in the direction of a large crowd following the prophet up the hill. With him were Gabriel, Serus, Michael, and a number of other angels.

  “This shall be quite a day,” said Lucifer. “I only hope Shawa is ready to perform.”

  “Of course he is,” said Kara. “The prophets of Baal are completely entranced and ready to call upon their gods. Shawa’s angels are ready to perform whatever signs and wonders are called for here.”

  “Excellent,” Lucifer responded. “But nothing too wild. Just a demonstration or two to show the people that Baal is their benefactor in this land.”

  “Shawa is ready, my prince,” said Kara proudly.

  “Yes, my prince,” agreed Shawa. “I count it an honor to serve you in this. And I pledge not to fail.”

  Lucifer looked hard at Shawa.

  “Very well, I accept the pledge,” he said ominously.

  CHAPTER 11

  “From a traitor to a commander of traitors in such a short time.”

  Elijah stood to address the assembly. To his left stood the prophets of Baal, quiet and confident, waiting their turn to please their god and king. Next to him were the materials brought up to build an altar. Ahab had brought in extra material so that both Elijah and the prophets of Baal could call upon their gods equally. A couple of oxen brought up for the sacrifice could be heard lowing above the murmuring crowd, completely unaware of what awaited them in the next few hours. Then Elijah began:

  “I am the last remaining prophet of the Lord who has not been hunted down and killed and who is not in hiding. But look around, and you will see four hundred fifty prophets of Baal. Therefore this is what we shall do. Bring the two bulls for us and we shall cut them into pieces and place them on the two altars. But do not set fire to them! You shall call upon your god and I shall call upon my God, and the god who responds with fire from Heaven will be the true and living God!”

  All seemed agreeable to this, so Ahab gave the order for the oxen bulls to be killed and cut into pieces. The prophets of Baal tended their altar and with great ceremony placed the pieces of the bull upon it. Elijah also placed his pieces of the animal upon the altar that he had fashioned. He then indicated to the Baalists that they could begin at any time to call upon their god.

  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!”r />
  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.