Fire and Sword

by D. Brian Shafer

  “They must die like their leader!” shouted one.

  “Stone them,” said another in a matter-of-fact tone.

  “The people believe in them!” cautioned another.

  The room suddenly became quiet when Gamaliel, a respected leader among the Jews stood to speak. He didn’t often enter into discussion, but when he did, it was usually to say something quite profound. His robes, grey beard, and wizened eyes made him a towering figure in Judah. The younger hotheaded members deferred to his wisdom, even when they didn’t necessarily agree with him. He took his place at the center of the room. The bearded faces stared back at him from the seats that encircled him.

  “My friends, I have listened to your words, and I have been following the events in the streets of Jerusalem,” he began. “I am trying to reconcile, as are all of you, what we must do in this case.”

  He looked to the younger members. “But I caution against the death penalty for now.”

  A few smirked to themselves at this declaration.

  “I know some of you would see these men dead and let that be the end of the matter,” Gamaliel continued. “But hear me out. Some of you are too young to remember a scoundrel by the name of Theudas. He too raised a following—some 400 men—and for a time he caused us trouble. But in the end he was killed. There was also Judas of Galilee. He too led a revolt, and he too was killed. This was around the time of the census.”

  Gamaliel looked to the high priest. “If something is not of God it will be doomed to failure! We cannot deny the miracles that have been happening. Here is my advice: leave these men alone!”

  Some grumbling could be heard.

  “No! Listen! If these men are not of God, they will die like all the others.”

  He turned to the young men.

  “But if they are from God, then to oppose them would be to oppose God Himself! That is something no man can do!”

  Gamaliel sat down, and the Sanhedrin remained quiet for a few moments. The high priest huddled with his advisors and then, bowing to Gamaliel, rose to speak.

  “Gamaliel speaks wisdom as always,” Caiaphas began. “We dare not oppose God if these men are truly sent from Him. But we cannot let them go away unpunished. I suggest that we have them flogged and sent away with the strictest orders to stop speaking in this name!”

  The Sanhedrin, albeit reluctantly in some cases, agreed to Caiaphas’ assessment and ordered the men to be flogged. The members bowed lightly to Caiaphas and Gamaliel as they left the room. Peter and the men with him, meanwhile, were joyful that they should be worthy to suffer for the Lord! Merlos and Darlon remained vigilant as they escorted the men to their place of punishment.

  Kara liked what he saw. The wrath of the Sanhedrin had almost reached the point of blood. Just a bit more tension should do it. He congratulated Rugio on his angels’ agitation of the Sanhedrin.

  “My angels are ever ready to serve Lucifer,” Rugio said.

  Next to him stood Nathan and Prian, two of his favorites. They nodded in agreement.

  “What they really crave is blood, not politics.”

  “They’ll get their blood,” said Kara. “But with humans, politics precedes blood; I think that we are very near to drawing first blood on these fools.”

  “How so, lord?” asked Berenius.

  “Because Peter will never stop at the threat of mere men,” said Kara. “This is Lucifer’s gamble. The obstinate nature of these Christ worshipers will bring their own judgment down upon them.”

  He smiled.

  “Let Peter continue in the Temple, and I assure you he will pay for it with something more than Temple coin!”

  Crispin had finished teaching another session at the Academy of the Host. He watched as the student-angels departed. Since the Great War had begun, the notion of moral freedom—that is—the right and possibility to choose one’s own path had become increasingly important. In fact it was the great topic of discussion among both teaching angels and their students. Humans and angels alike had demonstrated to their shame the folly of using one’s freedom for impure passions.

  As he walked toward his office deep in the heart of the Academy, he anticipated the meeting he was about to have with Serus and Gabriel. They were to be briefed by Crispin on a human who would become central to the Lord’s plans: Saul of Tarsus. He greeted several other teachers along the way who were talking excitedly of the latest outrage on earth: the Sanhedrin had brought charges against a man filled with the Holy Spirit, named Stephen.

  “Yes, yes, I know all about that,” said Crispin, waving off the discussion. “I can assure you that the Most High has already anticipated His next move.”

  Crispin didn’t intend to be short with his colleagues, but his meeting with Serus and Gabriel would in fact cover much of what the angels in Heaven had been speculating about for some time: the outbreak of persecution against God’s chosen and the raising up of a new leader among them to continue the work of the Kingdom. When Crispin arrived at the door to his room in the vast Academy complex, Serus and Gabriel were already there waiting. He greeted them as they entered his bookish world.

  “Sit, please,” he said to the two angels. “And welcome to angelic academia!”

  They smiled.

  “So it is from here that the great teacher Crispin plans his assault upon the minds of eager angels,” said Gabriel, as if giving Serus a tour. “You are seated in the presence of wisdom’s fountain.”

  Crispin cast a doubtful eye.

  “I thought I taught you better than that, Gabriel,” he admonished in good humor. “Wisdom comes from the Lord alone. If there is any fountain attached to this room it springs from Him and not from me!”

  They laughed and agreed.

  “But now to more serious matters,” Crispin continued. “I understand, Gabriel, that you wanted me to give Serus information on his next assignment?”

  “Yes, Crispin,” said Gabriel. “Serus is assigned to a man who the Lord has great plans for.”

  “Indeed,” said Crispin, looking at a scroll that was open on his rather chaotic desk. “Saul of Tarsus. Rather an unlikely individual. Brilliant to be sure. But quite opposed to the followers of Christ. He speaks out against them more and more.”

  Gabriel nodded. “And soon he will do more than simply speak,” he said. “He has become emboldened by the arrest of Stephen and is even now contemplating a more aggressive move against the other believers.”

  “Where is he now?” asked Serus, who was growing curious about the man to whom he would be assigned. “And why should I minister to a hater of the Most High’s own people?”

  “First,” said Crispin, assuming his professorial role, “angels do not ask why they serve—they simply serve. Second, if the Lord Most High deems this man worth serving, then that should be good enough for you or any other angel.”

  “Of course,” said Serus. “I only meant that it seemed rather odd. That is all. But to reiterate my question—where is this Saul right now?”

  “Why, at Stephen’s trial,” said Crispin. “I receive updates all the time since this man became a special study of mine.” He smiled at Serus. “You see? You wonder why you are assigned to such a man? I never wondered why I was commanded to study the man—I simply obeyed. But now, having looked the man’s life over, I am prepared to tell you something of him. You will need to know his story in order to help him finish it.”

  Gabriel looked at Crispin.

  “We haven’t much time,” he said. “The trial will be ending at any moment.”

  “I’ll hurry this along,” said Crispin. “Then together we shall see this Saul in person!”

  Chronicles of the Host

  Saul of Tarsus

  In this way, Serus was introduced for the first time to Saul of Tarsus, a man given to much thought and passion in the matter of Israel. Though born a Jew, Saul by the grace of God was also a citizen of the Roman Empire, which gave him many privileges that the Most High took advantage of throughout his life
. Saul was proud of his Jewish heritage, and was ever zealous of the things of God, particularly as taught by the tradition of the Pharisees. The Host watched as this man grew in stature among his peers, equally adept in both the Greek and Hebrew worlds, proud to be both a Jew among Jews and a citizen of Tarsus, one of Cilicia’s leading cities. Instructed by the great teacher Gamaliel, Saul excelled in his chosen calling and became a respected Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, and a teacher of the law. Serus’ introduction to Saul was hardly inspiring, however, for at that very moment, he was giving full consent to the prosecution of Stephen.

  Now as to Stephen, he was a wonder to behold. He had the Spirit and grace of the Most High upon him, and through him the Lord worked great miracles. This trial became of particular importance to Lucifer and Kara, who were unwilling to allow such a man to escape the attention and wrath of the Sanhedrin. Lucifer intended to make an example of him now and to begin a city-wide persecution of all the Christ followers, “killing the vermin in one campaign” as he boasted.

  But try as they did to bring charges against him, the grace of God prevailed, and Stephen frustrated even the most meticulous efforts. Not to be outdone, Kara saw to it that certain priests bribed false accusers against the man. After that took place, Stephen was hauled up before a very hostile Sanhedrin!

  How vile is the wickedness of men under the influence of dark spirits! Yet even in this seat of persecution and false accusation, the grace upon Stephen’s life shone through. As his accusers glared at him with great menace, he was said to have had the face of an angel—an observation in which the Host took no little pride!

  We wondered at God’s marvelous wisdom, in taking a man like Saul, so capable among humans and so dangerous to God’s people, and creating a destiny for him that would stand until the end of the age. But such was the foolishness of angels in speculation against the wisdom of the Living God…

  “Well, well, all of Heaven is in Jerusalem today,” said Lucifer, looking about the Sanhedrin. “The archangels, Crispin, that insipid Serus—everyone is important it seems!”

  Pellecus laughed. “It seems they are always observing the fall of some great human or other.”

  “This one will certainly fall hard,” said Kara, looking hatefully at Stephen. “After his example the others will follow. I told you it would come to blood soon enough!”

  “Never soon enough,” said Lucifer.

  They all laughed.

  “But you are correct in one thing, Kara,” he continued. “The die is cast for a great persecution to break forth. It is in their hearts and minds. I know it. I know these men. Their hatred has overcome their ethics, and once they have tasted Stephen’s blood they will thirst for more.”

  “And I always thought the blood of their Christ was sufficient,” smirked Pellecus.

  “Just look at those proud angels,” said Crispin, looking at Lucifer and his entourage on the opposite side of the room. “You would think that they were the Sanhedrin themselves!”

  “Perhaps they are,” said Gabriel, grimly assessing the venom dressed in dark robes and beards below him. “To a degree anyway.”

  “Only to a degree,” said Crispin. “Remember, angels, that men can only be influenced by these devils—not forced into their decisions. Whatever comes of this trial will be the work of men—not angels.”

  “So why are we not involved?” asked Serus.

  “We are involved,” said Gabriel. “Your man is down there!”

  He indicated Saul, who was standing at the rear of the room speaking with another member of the Sanhedrin. Serus nodded his head.

  “Yes, I know,” he said. “But why are we not simply moving in and taking Stephen? Merlos and Darlon rescued Peter and John, didn’t they? Why can’t we help Stephen? Look at his angel! Darias would love to stop this trial and deliver his man.”

  Darias, a warrior, stood next to Stephen. He had grown quite fond of the man to whom he had been assigned. Just as Serus had said, he was only awaiting an order to handle the situation. But unless the order came, he must stand by and allow Stephen’s fate to play out as the Lord willed.

  “Darias is an obedient servant of the Most High,” said Michael. “He will do nothing unless called upon. Even if it means escorting Stephen to the presence of the Lord after this is all finished.”

  “Surely we will not allow them to kill Stephen,” pleaded Serus.

  “There is something greater happening here than the trial of one man.” said Gabriel. “And we will know of the impact of this day soon enough.”

  “Ah, the proud priest speaks,” said Crispin, as they watched Caiaphas step onto the dais. “If only he would listen to his own proverb and remain silent.”

  “You’ve heard the many charges brought against you,” Caiaphas said. “Are they true? What have you to say?”

  Stephen looked silently upward, praying. He then turned to the council and began speaking. “My brethren and fathers, listen to me. The questions before us are entwined with the history of our nation. Please indulge me as I review with you the greatness of our Lord and how we came to this current situation.”

  Stephen began pacing as he spoke. The members of the council watched him—some with great interest, others with intense anger. Even the angels in the room remained quiet as he spoke, with an occasional howl from one of Kara’s angels. Stephen continued speaking.

  “The God of all glory saw our father Abraham while he was in the land of the two rivers and spoke to him. He told Abraham to leave his land and his family and head into a place that He would show him. They left Ur and lived in Haran until his father died—then they pushed on to Canaan and settled in this very land—our land.”

  “Are you presuming to tell us the very heritage that we all know and represent?” interrupted the high priest.

  “Hear me out,” said Stephen. “I am telling you how all these things come together in Christ.”

  Caiaphas looked at the others and sat back down. A few members nodded at him in agreement with what he had said.

  “So the Lord gave it to Abraham as his habitation, to him and to his offspring, while he did not yet have a son,” continued Stephen. “As you know, the Lord also prophesied at that time that his children would become subject to a foreign power for 400 years before they returned to this land. Well, a son was born to Abraham. He named him Isaac, who became the father of Jacob who became the father of the twelve patriarchs…”

  “What is this?” asked Kara, as they looked down upon the proceedings. “Why are they allowing him to spew this nonsense?”

  “Decorum,” said Lucifer. “They must keep it completely legal.”

  “Although I am interested in seeing where he takes this academic exercise,” admitted Pellecus.

  “I’m only interested in seeing him hanged,” said Kara.

  Across the room, Crispin and the other holy angels listened with great interest to Stephen, recounting with him the history of this nation.

  “Why do you suppose he is saying all these things?” Serus finally asked.

  “Because they need to be said,” Crispin answered. “They prove the justice of the Lord. And besides,” he added, “that is how the thing is set.”

  “What thing is set?” Serus asked curiously.

  “The trap,” Crispin said, smiling.

  “Our ancestors were envious of Joseph and sold him to Egypt,” Stephen continued, “and God was with him. As you know, God gave him wisdom and grace so that he became second in the land only to Pharaoh. So when famine came to the world, there was not enough food for our ancestors. But because of God’s wisdom, Joseph made provision for the family, and they moved down into Egypt.

  “For a time our family flourished in Egypt and enjoyed the favor of the Pharaoh. But then there arose another king in Egypt, who did not remember Joseph. Thus our people came under the whip and became slaves of Egypt. But God did not forget His promise to Abraham, and He sent Moses.

  “Moses was educated in all the wis
dom of the Egyptians, and he was consistent in his words and also his deeds. When he turned forty years old, it came into his heart to help his brothers, the children of Israel. Thus it came about that when a fellow Hebrew was being beaten by an Egyptian, Moses killed the man and fled Egypt. Eventually he settled in the country of the Midianites, and had two sons.

  “After spending forty years there, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a burning bush on Mount Sinai. The Lord spoke to him saying, ‘I am the God of your ancestors, the Father of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ And the Lord sent Moses back to Egypt, and God delivered Israel from Egypt with a mighty hand and brought them back to the very mountain where He had appeared to Moses.

  “But while Moses was receiving the Law from the Lord, the people complained to Aaron because of his delay, saying, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, because this Moses who got us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know him.’ And they made a calf and offered sacrifice to the bronze idols, and they rejoiced in the work of their hands. Because of these sorts of actions, God allowed His people to be carried away by foreign gods and foreign powers—even as far as Babylon.

  “Do you not see that God desires to live among His people, but not in those things built by human hands? For the Lord says, ‘Heaven is My throne, and the earth is the very rug under My feet. What house will you build for Me?’”

  Stephen looked up at the silent, stone-faced Sanhedrin. As he did, the Spirit of God came upon him in bold authority. The angels in the room were astonished as Stephen began to point at the members of the council.

  “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised of heart and hearing!”

  “What did he say?” demanded a voice.

  Others leaned in to make sure they heard correctly.

  “You stand against the Holy Spirit in every season; you are like your ancestors, too! For which of the prophets did not your ancestors reject and kill? You killed the ones who told of the coming of the righteous one.” He shook his head in disgust. “And you received the Law through the command of angels, yet you did not observe it.”