James Beau Seigneur - Christ Clone 3 - Acts of God

VIP免费

2024-12-03 0 0 644.68KB 208 页 5.9玖币

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/BeauSeigneur,...he%20Christ%20Clone%20Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt

In His Image

Birth of an Age

-> Acts of God

Rights Reserved

For Gerilynne, Faith, and Abigail who sacrificed so much to allow this trilogy to become a

reality;

But most of all for Shiloh, who sacrificed far more. May it serve you well.

This novel is a work of historic and prophetic fiction. While well known and widely reported

historic events and public personalities are referenced, only those events which have been widely

reported by reliable nonfiction sources should be assumed to be true; all others should be assumed

to be the product of the author's imagination. Additionally, incorporated into this work are the

names of several institutions and organizations such as the United Nations and numerous national

governments, as well as the names of a few 'public persons,' including political and religious

leaders and celebrities. References to events involving any such persons, institutions,

organizations, or governments following the date of publication of this book are entirely the

product of the author's imagination.

With the exceptions noted above, all other names, characters, and incidents are either the product

of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events,

organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of

either the author or the publisher.

ODD

James BeauSeigneur has been writing professionally for fifteen years. His published works include

technical manuals on strategic defense and military avionics, newspaper articles, speeches for

U.S. Congressional and Senatorial candidates, and lyrics for several published songs. Formerly

involved full-time in politics, Mr. BeauSeigneur has managed several U.S. Congressional and

Senatorial campaigns and in 1980 ran for U.S. Congress against Al Gore, now the Vice President. He

has four years of experience in military intelligence, including two and a half years with the

National Security Agency.

"Are these the shadows of things that mil be, or are they the shadows of things that may be?"

Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol

"For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive

even the elect — if that were possible."

Matthew 24:24

"There's noplace like home."

Dorothy

The Wizard of Oz

L. Frank Baum

•*

Pro/ague1

Behold the Hosts of Heaven

March 12, 2023 — Jerusalem

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20...0Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt (1 of 208) [12/24/2004 11:53:44 PM]

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/BeauSeigneur,...he%20Christ%20Clone%20Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt

The scene at the Temple in Jerusalem was not much different than it had been at the airport. Even

from a distance immense crowds could be seen, but the size of the crowds was not all that was

unusual. The Temple was usually a swarm of activity, but now, despite the number of people in the

streets, the Temple itself was empty. The inner and outer courts, usually bustling with priests

and worshipers, were abandoned, and the steps leading up to the front of the Temple were equally

barren, with two exceptions. As the helicopter circled, Ambassador Christopher Goodman, Robert

Milner, and Decker Hawthorne could see two men standing on the steps, both clothed in sackcloth

and covered with gray ash.

1 Chapter 18 from Birth of an Age, Book Two of The Christ Clone Trilogy is included here as a

prologue.

2 Acts of God

Farther away, 200 to 300 priests and Levites huddled near the High Priest, Chaim Levin, who stood

a safe distance away in a tableau of mock defiance toward the men on the steps. A few steps

farther back, the crowds watched from behind a line of armed Israeli soldiers. Reporters from the

international news media, unable to leave the country and aware that Jerusalem was Christopher's

destination, waited for his arrival, ready to cover every second of the event. The unexpected

arrival of the prophets of Yahweh, John and Cohen, an hour earlier and the subsequent clearing of

the Temple while Christopher was en route from New York only intensified the level of expectation.

Into this, but more specifically between the line of military personnel and the steps of the

Temple, Christopher directed the pilot to set the helicopter down.

With television cameras rolling Christopher was the first to disembark the aircraft. His hair and

long robes tossed wildly about him in the swirling winds of the helicopter's rotating blades,

painting a striking portrait for television viewers and magazine covers as he stood unflinching

before the challenge that faced him. Looking out as he waited to exit the helicopter, Decker could

see that John and Cohen had expected Christopher's arrival.

Once they were all on the ground, Milner turned and signaled for the pilot to withdraw. Standing

there face to face with John and Cohen, Decker, who was still not sure of all the details of what

Christopher had in mind, could not ignore the sudden twinge of anxiety that swept over him. Was

any of this feeling the result of animosity borne between him and John 2,000 years ago in an

earlier life, as Christopher had told him? Decker wasn't sure. To Decker's surprise, despite all

else that was going on, Christopher turned to him and put his hand on his shoulder. "It's all

right," he said, and somehow Decker understood that it was.

John was the first to speak. "Hiney ben-Satan nirah chatat haolamr he shouted in Hebrew, meaning:

'Behold the son of Satan who manifests the sin of the world.'

Behold the Hosts of Heaven 3

"So we meet again at last," Christopher answered in an ironic turn of the phrase, ignoring John's

comment.

"You are mistaken," John replied. "I never knew you."

"No, Yochanan bar Zebadee" Christopher responded, using the Hebrew form of John's full name. "It

is I who never knew you!"

For a long moment neither spoke, but only stared at each other. Then Christopher dropped his gaze

to the ground. "It's not too late," he said finally, addressing both John and Cohen. His voice had

a sense of pleading but at the same time the tone indicated that he knew the attempt was in vain.

Quite uncharacteristically, John smiled and then began to laugh. In a moment Cohen joined in.

Christopher looked back at Decker with an expression that seemed to say 'this is for both of us.'

Then taking a deep breath and with no sign of anger but every ounce of conviction, he looked back

at the two men and then shouted above their laughter, "As you will!"

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20...0Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt (2 of 208) [12/24/2004 11:53:44 PM]

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/BeauSeigneur,...he%20Christ%20Clone%20Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt

Then raising his right hand, he made a quick sweeping motion, and immediately John and Cohen's

laughter stopped as they were thrown backward through the air at incredible, almost unbelievable

speed, their bodies slamming against the front walls of the Temple on either side of the entrance.

The crunch of breaking bones was loud enough to be heard throughout the vast crowd and left no

doubt as to their fate. Their blood splattered liberally on the wall, and remained there as

witness of where they had hit. As Christopher brought his hand back down, the two lifeless bodies

fell and, with a sweep of his hand, they tumbled slowly down the steps to the street below,

leaving two long trails of blood to mark their paths.

The crowd watched in stunned silence as Christopher, Milner, and Decker climbed the steps to the

Temple while the crumpled bodies rolled on either side of them. As soon as the crowd realized that

John and Cohen were actually dead, a shout went up from civilians and military alike. A

spontaneous celebration began and was soon joined by people all around the world cheering the news

as they watched on television or

4 Acts of God

listened on radio. Members of the media pushed through the lines of Israeli soldiers to get a

better look at the bodies.

In Chieti, Italy, a man whose nostrils were filled with the rank smell of burning sulfur and whose

heart was filled with the madness by which he had thus far made bloodied carnage of all but one

member of his family, held a gory meat cleaver above his head and was about to bring it down upon

his only remaining son when, as quickly as it had come upon him ... the madness left him.

Carefully the man lowered the cleaver and laid it aside, and there among the dismembered bodies of

his family, he dropped to his knees to hold his terror-filled son and wept.

InRudnyi, Turskaja, an old woman choked and gasped for breath as she pulled her head from a barrel

of rain water in which she had tried to drown herself.

In Baydhabo, Somalia, a teenage boy stopped only seconds before striking a match to set fire to

his four gasoline-soaked younger siblings.

Throughout the affected areas, at the moment John and Cohen died, the madness ceased.

When they reached the top stair of the Temple, Christopher turned to the crowds. "No one must

touch the bodies," he shouted, pointing at John and Cohen. "There is still great power within

them. It will not be safe for anyone to touch or dispose of the bodies for at least four days."

Nodding to Decker to imply that he should reinforce the warning, Christopher turned back and then,

together with Robert Milner, he continued into the Temple.

As they had planned before their arrival, Decker remained outside. Pulling a folded piece of paper

from his jacket pocket, he waited for the press who would, no doubt, descend on him

Behold the Hosts of Heaven 5

as soon as they finished taking pictures of the two dead oracles. Decker was pleased to see that

the press were heeding Christopher's advice and not venturing too close to the bodies. There was

no need to fear that the priests or Levites would touch them: their laws forbade contact with dead

bodies. The only real problem might come from onlookers who for now were still held back behind

police lines.

Inside the Temple, Robert Milner and Christopher walked side by side. Crossing the floor of the

normally bustling Court of the Gentiles, the only sound came from the column-lined portico that

surrounded the court. There animals meant for sacrifices had been brought to the Temple for sale

to worshipers. They had been left there untended by the shepherds and merchants when everyone was

driven out.

A hundred and fifty yards ahead of Christopher and Milner, the buildings of the Inner Court and

the Sanctuary within it towered more than 200 feet above them.

Outside the southern entrance and framed on either side by the blood of John and Cohen, Decker

waited as the members of the press hurried up the steps to find what light he could shed on what

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20...0Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt (3 of 208) [12/24/2004 11:53:44 PM]

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/BeauSeigneur,...he%20Christ%20Clone%20Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt

they were witnessing.

Christopher and Milner reached the soreg, the low stone wall which separated the Court of the

Gentiles from the inner courts of the Temple and which formed a sacred balustrade or enclosure

into which no Gentile was permitted to enter. Inscriptions on the soreg warned visitors in more

than a dozen languages, "No foreigner may enter the enclosure around the

6 Acts of God

Temple. Anyone doing so will bear the responsibility for his own ensuing death." It was convenient

that the Temple had been cleared, for the priests and Levites would never have permitted

Christopher and Milner passage beyond the balustrade without an altercation.

Intentionally going out of their way to enter from the east, the men walked to the middle opening

of the eastern end of the soreg. Quickly spanning the distance between the soreg and the first of

three short flights of steps, Christopher and Milner ascended to the Chel or rampart, a flat area

15'/2 feet wide from which the massive stone walls of the Inner Court rose 37!/2 feet above them.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Decker raised his hand and shouted above the reporters' questions. "I have

a brief prepared statement which I will read and after that, I'll be available for a few minutes

for questions."

Someone yelled out another question but Decker ignored it. "Forty-five years ago, in 1978,1 was a

part of a scientific team from the United States that went to Turin, Italy, to examine the Shroud

of Turin, a piece of cloth bearing the image of a crucified man," Decker began, reading from the

statement he had prepared on the plane. In the limited time available, he provided as much detail

as he could about the events that had followed the Turin expedition and which had led to this

moment. He told them how, eleven years after the expedition, in 1989, he had been contacted by a

member of that team, Professor Harold Goodman, who asked him to come to the UCLA to witness a

discovery he had made concerning the Shroud.

"Professor Goodman," Decker said, "had discovered that among the samples taken from the Shroud was

a microscopic cluster of human dermal skin cells. To my amazement. . ." Decker paused, still awed

as he recalled what he had seen those

Behold the Hosts of Heaven 1

many years before, "the cells from the Shroud were still alive." For some in the assembly, that

piece of the puzzle and Christopher's resurrection were all that was needed to make sense of the

whole incredible picture, but though there was an audible gasp, no one spoke. "Tests of the cells

showed them to be incredibly resilient and possessing a number of unique characteristics," Decker

continued. "It was from cultures grown of these cells that Professor Goodman conducted his

successful cancer research.

"Unknown to me on that occasion, Professor Goodman had already performed a number of experiments

with the cells," Decker paused as if to give the reporters a chance to brace themselves,

"including implanting the DNA from one of the cells into the embryo of an unfertilized human egg

and then replacing that egg into the donor, thus . . . cloning the person whose cells were on the

Shroud. From that cloning a male child was born." For those who had not yet figured it out, this

revelation provided the missing link; for those who had guessed earlier, it was undeniable

confirmation. Christopher Goodman was the clone of Jesus Christ.

It was an incredible story but nothing else could explain what had happened at the U.N. or what

they had just witnessed on the Temple steps. "That child was named Christopher," Decker said,

adding further confirmation. "He was raised by Professor Harry Goodman and his wife Martha until

their untimely deaths in the Disaster. At that time," Decker went on, "Christopher Goodman was

fourteen years old and, having been directed by Professor Goodman to turn to me in the case of

emergency, Christopher came to live with me. The rest of the story, at least the important parts,

you know." The inflection in Decker's voice let it be known that his prepared statement had drawn

to a close and as he folded the paper to return it to his pocket he was surprised that no one

seemed to have any questions. He needn't have been, for the reporters had plenty; they were all

just too dumbstruck. Looking around at their

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20...0Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt (4 of 208) [12/24/2004 11:53:44 PM]

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/BeauSeigneur,...he%20Christ%20Clone%20Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt

8 Acts of God

blank stares Decker should have realized the problem, but instead started to excuse himself.

His movement was just enough of a stirring of the waters for the dam to break. Someone in the back

started to shout a question and then a flurry of questions were suddenly hurled at him. There were

no particular arrangements made for handling the questions, so Decker simply answered first the

question that had been yelled the loudest.

Yes, Christopher had really been dead and had been restored to life.

Yes, he was indeed saying that Christopher was the clone of Jesus Christ.

Yes, he was saying that Christopher was God's son, just as Jesus was. (This did not set well with

the Jewish reporters, but it was not a point that was currently open to argument.) No one had any

reason to suspect or ask for the specific details of that relationship — which Christopher had

revealed to Decker on the plane — and Decker had no intention of volunteering them. Christopher

would explain all of that soon enough.

"What about his arm and eye?" a reporter called, referring to the injuries Christopher sustained

from the assassination.

"Though Christopher has the power to restore his arm and sight," Decker answered, "he has pledged

not to do so until his mission is complete."

"What is that mission? Why has Ambassador Goodman come to the Temple?" someone yelled. Most of the

rest of the reporters fell silent, also wanting to know the answer to that question.

Decker thought for a moment. "There are a number of reasons, actually," he said. "The first and

most important reason was to end the reign of terror of the two prophets of Yahweh, John and Saul

Cohen. That, as you have all just witnessed, he has done. Also, he came to the Temple because, I

suppose, it is the most appropriate place to make the announcement that he intends to make."

Behold the Hosts of Heaven 9

"What announcement is that?" someone yelled, while someone else called, "Can you tell us what

Ambassador Goodman intends to say?"

"He will be addressing the people of the world on the subject of the destiny of Humankind," Decker

answered.

Christopher and Miner climbed three more short flights of stairs through the Beautiful Gate and

entered the Court of the Women. Only hours before, this court had been the center of activity in

the Temple. Now it was silent except for the hollow echo of footfalls on the stone floor as

Christopher and Milner walked without speaking toward the broad semicircular steps at the western

end of the court. At the top of these steps, the magnificent Nicanor Gate, 60 feet wide and 75

feet high, extended far above the walls themselves, forming an arch, and opened into the Court of

Israel.

Only Jewish men and boys were allowed to enter this part of the Inner Court. Unlike the Court of

the Women, which was square and open to the sky, the Court of Israel was narrow and roofed,

encircling the innermost court, and crowded with numerous columns. A series of chambers used for

storage and small meetings lined the walls of the Court of Israel, further reducing the open

space.

The third and final court, the Court of the Priests, rose 33A feet above the Court of Israel.

Though adjoining and fully open to the Court of Israel, admittance to this court was permitted

only to laymen bringing a sacrifice. At all other times only the priests and Levites could enter.

In the gateway to the Court of the Priests were four tables of hewn stone on which lay the blood-

drained carcasses of a half-dozen lambs and goats, abandoned there when the priests and Levites

were driven from the Temple. The smell of blood, incense, and charred animal fat still hung heavy

in the air. To the north and south of the gateway sat eight more tables in a similar state.

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20...0Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt (5 of 208) [12/24/2004 11:53:44 PM]

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/BeauSeigneur,...he%20Christ%20Clone%20Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt

10 Acts of God

In the center of the easternmost part of the Court of the Priests, the Altar of Sacrifice rose 20

feet in stair-stepped pyramid form in a series of four immense, unfinished stones which, by

commandment, had never been touched by metal tools.2 Steps on the eastern edge of the altar

provided access to the upper stones. The capstone, which was called Ariel by the priests and

Levites, was 21 feet square and, like the stone immediately below it, was 7 feet thick. On this

stone was the fire of sacrifice which consumed the burnt offerings. Unattended by the priests, the

fire had been reduced to embers.

From the four corners of the altar's capstone, horn-like projections, each 21 inches long, reached

skyward. On these horns and upon the altar itself, the priests would pour out the blood of the

recently slaughtered animals as a sacrificial offering. Around the base of the altar was a gutter,

21 inches wide and 21 inches deep, with a containing rim of 9 inches and a total capacity of over

3,000 gallons to accommodate the huge amounts of blood that were poured upon the altar during the

busier days. The priests and Levites had been driven from the Temple only a little more than an

hour into their day and so only a few inches of blood now settled in the altar's gutter,

coagulating and drawing flies.

Directly behind the altar, in the westernmost portion of the Court of the Priests, stood the

Sanctuary. This was Christopher's ultimate goal but there was a mission he and Milner needed to

accomplish before continuing. Looking around until he found what he was looking for, Christopher

nodded his intention to Milner. "We must see to it that no more animals are slaughtered here to

satisfy Yahweh's blood thirst. We must desecrate the altar so that it cannot be used again."

Followed closely by Milner, Christopher went to where he had spotted a number of brass shovels

used by the priests for removing ashes. They each picked up one of the shovels, and went to a spot

near the slaughter tables where a hill of animal

2 Exodus 20:25.

Behold the Hosts of Heaven 11

dung had been collected for later removal. As best he could with the use of only one arm,

Christopher scooped up a shovelful and then walked over and slung it against the sides of the

altar. Again and again Christopher and Milner repeated the act until there was no dung left and

the altar had been liberally splattered. Next they beat the brass shovels against each of the

altar's four stones.

"That should do it," Christopher said finally, knowing that Jewish law would forbid ever using

these desecrated stones as an altar again.

After finishing their chore Christopher and Milner proceeded on to the Sanctuary. From above, the

shape of the Temple proper formed a huge T — the result of the compromise between those who wanted

to rebuild the Temple according to the plans of the prophet Ezekiel and those who wanted to

recreate the design of Herod's Temple. It was 175 feet across at the widest point, 105 feet at the

narrowest, and rose 175 feet above the Court of the Priests. To the right and left of the entrance

stood two tremendous free-standing bronze pillars, called by the priests respectively Jachin and

Boaz.

Here Milner stopped. The rest of the way, Christopher would go alone.

Looking back only to nod to Milner, Christopher ascended the final set of steps to the Vestibule

or Porch. Directly in front of him were immense double doors 6 feet wide and 35 feet tall made of

olive wood, decorated with carvings of cherubim (angels), palm trees, and flowers and covered

entirely in pure gold. Suspended above the doors, a spectacular multi-colored tapestry displayed a

panorama of the universe. And above that, the full width of the wall was covered with huge

carvings of grape vines and leaves with clusters of grapes as tall as a man and nearly that

distance across, entirely covered with gold.

Christopher took a deep breath and continued. Pushing open one of the huge doors and then the

other, he let in the light of day and stepped through into the next chamber, called the H3diM or

Holy Place. The ceiling of the Holy Place dropped 40

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20...0Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt (6 of 208) [12/24/2004 11:53:44 PM]

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/BeauSeigneur,...he%20Christ%20Clone%20Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt

12 Acts of God

feet from the ceiling of the Porch to a height of 105 feet. The floor was covered with cypress

wood. The walls were wainscoted with cedar, above which they were covered with gold. A golden

altar for incense still smoldered, releasing the fragrant smell of frankincense, and another altar

for shewbread (holy bread) sat undisturbed with twelve sheets of unleavened bread laid out in

rows. The candles of a golden menorah, though nearly consumed by the flame, provided the only

interior light.

Still outside the Sanctuary, Robert Milner turned and walked back the way they had come in. There

was a matter outside the Temple which awaited his attention.

In front of Christopher, suspended from the ceiling at the western end of the Holy Place was the

Veil, a divider between the Holy Place and the final chamber, the D°bhJr, or Holy of Holies.

Beyond the Veil, where only the High Priest was allowed to go — and he, only once a year on the

Day of Atonement — sat the ancient Ark of the Covenant. The Veil was actually two richly decorated

curtains which hung parallel to each other with about five feet of clearance between the two,

forming an entry corridor which prevented any light from reaching the windowless Holy of Holies.

Walking to the northern edge of the curtain nearest the Holy Place, Christopher took hold and

pulled sharply until, bit by bit, it broke loose from the ceiling. He continued this until only a

few yards of the curtain remained hanging. He then did the same with the other curtain, pulling it

loose from the southern edge, thus leaving a wide entrance through the middle of the Veil and

exposing the Holy of Holies to the light of day, which poured in through the Sanctuary's huge

doors.

Behold the Hosts of Heaven 13

Before him in the Holy of Holies two enormous winged cherubim, each 18 feet tall, carved from

olive wood and covered with pure gold, stood watch over the Ark of the Covenant. Their

outstretched wings spanned half the width of the chamber and met in the center of the room

directly over the Ark.

Christopher entered the Holy of Holies and approached the Ark.

Outside, as Decker took another question from the press, a low rumbling began which shook the

steps where he and the others stood. It seemed to come from inside the Temple. Without explanation

to the press, Decker calmly announced that he would take no more questions and that the press

conference was concluded. "I suggest that you may want to move to the bottom of the steps and away

from the Temple at this point," he added in obvious understatement. Decker was beginning to enjoy

himself.

Inside the Holy of Holies Christopher stood before the Ark and after a moment's pause, gripped the

Ark's cover and slid it back, revealing its contents.

"What's happening?" several of the reporters shouted at Decker as the Temple shook again. "Ladies

and Gentlemen, if you'll be patient, I'm sure you'll have answers to all of your questions, but

for your own safety, I must insist that you move away from the Temple immediately." The resolve in

Decker's

14 Acts of God

voice and the urgency of his steps convinced the others to follow.

Reaching into the Ark, Christopher found the items he was looking for.

A thunderous rumble many times louder than the first two rolled through the Temple like a freight

train, sending reporters and onlookers running. A moment later Robert Milner emerged. He was

alone. Resolutely, he descended about a quarter of the way down the steps. Looking out over the

thousands of people and the dozens of cameras that broadcast the event around the world, he began

to speak. It was his own voice, but it was different; at least Decker could tell there was a

difference.

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20...0Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt (7 of 208) [12/24/2004 11:53:44 PM]

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/BeauSeigneur,...he%20Christ%20Clone%20Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt

"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He

will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their

fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse" Milner said, quoting the prophet

Malachi.3 The words were familiar to many but especially to the priests and Levites. "Hear, O

Israel," Milner said, no longer quoting Malachi, "for this day, this very hour, your lamentation

is ended. This is the day of which the prophet spoke. Elijah has come! I am he!"

There was a great stirring from the Jewish priests and Levites at this proclamation and all eyes

turned to see how the High Priest would respond. It was bad enough that they had been run out of

their own Temple, but now for this Gentile to claim that he was the prophet Elijah, while it

wasn't exactly blasphemy, it was a tremendous offense. No one was quite sure how to respond and

they looked to Chaim Levin, the High

3 Malachi 4:5-6.

Behold the Hosts of Heaven 15

Priest, to follow his lead. Had they even an inkling that at that very moment Christopher stood

within the Holy of Holies before the Ark of the Covenant, they would not have waited for the High

Priest, but already would have been tearing their clothes and dumping dust on their heads in

Jewish ceremonial outrage.

Surprisingly, Chaim Levin was very calm. Dressed in the traditional Temple raiment of his office,

the High Priest wore a bulbous blue hat with a band of solid gold engraved with the Hebrew words

\!np mn>t>, meaning 'Holy to Yahweh.' Over the standard white linen tunic of the ordinary priest

which hung down to his ankles, revealing only his bare feet, he wore a richly embroidered robe

which reached below his knees and was decorated at the bottom by golden bells which jingled

musically as he walked. Over this, he wore a vest-like garment which hung to his hips and was

lavishly embroidered with thick threads of gold, purple, blue, and crimson. In the middle of his

chest, supported by heavy chains of gold attached to broad epaulets upon his shoulders and around

his waist by scarlet strips of cloth, was the ephod, a thick square linen breastplate decorated

with gold brocade and inset with twelve large gemstones in four rows of three each, representing

the twelve tribes of Israel.

Whether Chaim Levin's tolerance of Milner was borne of gratitude for Christopher's dispatch of

John and Cohen or because he simply did not want to ruin a perfectly good set of robes, he

remained unruffled by Milner's claim. Instead, he looked him in the eye and very politely but with

skeptical amusement asked, "By what sign shall we know that you are who you claim?"

"By that same sign by which I, Elijah, proved myself to King Ahab and to the people of Israel on

Mount Carmel,"4 Milner answered, loud enough for everyone to hear him.

Chaim Levin raised an eyebrow and frowned a bit. The boldness of Milner's claim impressed him,

though he did not for

41 Kings 18:19-40.

16 Acts of God

a minute think that Milner could carry it out. "And when shall we see this sign?" he asked after a

moment.

"This very hour," answered Milner. Then turning away from Levin and toward the crowd, Milner

continued. "For 1,260 days Israel has suffered drought. Today it ends!" With that, Milner's hands

shot skyward and from somewhere beyond the Temple a low rumbling was heard which in just seconds

grew in intensity to an earthshaking peal of thunder. Faster than anyone could imagine possible,

the sky grew dark, as out of nowhere heavy gray clouds began to fill the heavens. In fear, the

crowds and all but a few of the priests nearest the High Priest drew back. No sooner had an area

of a few hundred square feet been cleared than a bolt of lightning struck the earth and a

deafening crack of thunder sent people running, clasping their hands over their ears. In the

larger clearing that resulted from the evacuation, the first bolt of lightning was quickly

followed by three more, each more powerful than the previous one. And then it began to rain.

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20...0Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt (8 of 208) [12/24/2004 11:53:44 PM]

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/BeauSeigneur,...he%20Christ%20Clone%20Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt

It came down in a torrent; pouring down upon Milner, the High Priest, and everyone else except a

very few who had made it to cover. Most stood there looking up with their hands upraised, thankful

for the rain after so long a drought. Some began to dance.

For the crowd, who knew the biblical story of Elijah, the verdict was clear: this truly must be

the prophet. What other explanation could there be? Although the High Priest was unconvinced, he

could offer no more believable explanation and so he remained silent, staring at Milner as the

rain turned his impeccably elegant attire to dripping disarray. Soon many of the priests and

Levites joined in with the crowds, proclaiming Milner as the promised Elijah who, according to the

prophecy, would come before the Messiah.5 It came as no surprise, therefore, when after a few

minutes of drenching rain, Milner announced, "Behold your Messiah!"

5 Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 17:10-13.

Behold the Hosts of Heaven 17

With rain still pouring down, Milner turned and seemed to be pointing with his outstretched hand

toward the Temple, but no one could see exactly what he expected them to find. Then above the

southeastern corner, a break appeared in the clouds, allowing a single shaft of sunlight to shine

through. "There he is!" someone shouted.

At the top of the wall, on the very edge of the southeastern corner of the Temple, 180 feet above

them at a point which by tradition is called the pinnacle, stood Christopher, robes blowing in the

wind and completely dry as the shaft of light shone down like a spotlight. Quickly the beam

broadened, as from that point the clouds retreated in all directions, bringing rain to the parched

countryside around Jerusalem. In just moments the area around the Temple was in full daylight

again with the sun shining brightly overhead.

By now nearly every radio and television network in the world was carrying the events in Jerusalem

live. Every camera was on him, broadcasting his words and image to the most distant corners of the

earth.

"People of Earth," Christopher began slowly with a serene, peaceful, even tone calculated to

restore calm. "For millennia the prophets and soothsayers, the astrologers and oracles, the shaman

and the revelators have all foretold the coming of one who would bring with him the olive branch

of peace for all the world. By a hundred different names the world has known him. And by a hundred

different names has this promised peace bringer been petitioned to come quickly to those in

distress. For the Jews, he is Messiah; for the Christians, the returning Christ; for the Buddhists

he is the Fifth Buddha; for the Muslims, the thirteenth heir to Mohammed orlmmam Mahdi; the Hindus

call him Krishna; the Eckankar call himMahanta; the Bahd'i look to the coming 'Most Great Peace';

to the Zorastrians he is Shah-Bahram; to others he is Lord Maitreya, or Bodhisattva,

orKrishnamurti, or Mithras, or Deva, or Hermes and Cush, or Janus, or Osiris.

18 Acts of God

"By whatever name he is known," Christopher declared, "in whatever tongue he is entreated: this

day I say to you: the prophecies have been fulfilled! This day the promise has been kept! This day

the vision has been realized for all Humankind!" Christopher paused as the anticipation rose. "For

this day I have come!" he shouted triumphantly, surprising no one — for the conclusion was obvious

— and yet astonishing all, for no one could have been truly prepared for such a declaration.

Christopher's voice quickly picked up speed and fervor. "I am the promised one!" he chanted. "I am

the Messiah, the Christ, the Fifth Buddha, the thirteenth heir to Mohammed; I am the one who

brings the Most Great Peace; I am Krishna, Shah-Bahram, Mahanta, Lord Maitreya, Bodhisattva,

Krishnamurti, and Immam Mahdi; I am Mithras, Deva, Hermes and Gush, Janus, and Osiris! There is no

difference. They are all one. All religions are one. And I am he of whom all the prophets spoke!

This is the day of the Earth's salvation!"

To the displeasure of the High Priest, many in the crowd in Jerusalem roared their approval and

the response was echoed around the world. They had all seen Christopher die at the hands of an

assassin, and they had seen his resurrection. They had witnessed him powerfully dispatching John

and Cohen, who had called down terrible plagues upon the earth. They had watched in amazement as

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20...0Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt (9 of 208) [12/24/2004 11:53:44 PM]

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/BeauSeigneur,...he%20Christ%20Clone%20Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt

Robert Milner called down lightning and brought rain to the drought-stricken holy land. But more

than anything else they cheered because they were ready for a savior.

"I have not come to make pious religious pronouncements," Christopher said. "Nor have I come to

demand your worship or insist that you pay me homage. I do not seek your praise and adoration or

demand your devotion. It is not my intent that you venerate or adulate me or that you pay me your

tribute. Nor do I wish you to glorify, deify, idolize, extol, exalt, or revere me.

"I have come instead to tell you to look to yourselves. For within each of you is all the deity,

all the divinity, that you will

Behold the Hosts of Heaven 19

ever need. You may call me a god and I do not deny it: I am a god! But I call you gods. All of

you! Each of you!"

High Priest Chaim Levin had heard all that he needed to. This was obvious blasphemy and, new robes

or not, he was obligated to tear his garments and throw dust upon his head; and so he began with a

vengeance, though he had to settle for mud. Some of the other priests and Levites near him

immediately followed his lead. But others, many others, were far too interested in what this man

who had risen from the dead had to say.

"It is not my own godhood that I have come here to proclaim," Christopher continued. "It is

yours!"

"I have not come to threaten or punish," he said reassuringly, undistracted by the actions of the

High Priest so far below him. "I have come to offer to Humankind life everlasting and joy

unimagined. I bring you the opportunity to build a tomorrow of abundance and life from a yesterday

of hunger and death. Come with me. Follow me. And I will lead you into a millennium of life and of

light."

The High Priest's over-dramatic rending of cloth and hurling of mud distracted Decker from

Christopher's speech just long enough for him to notice that despite the distance between

Christopher and the crowd, he could hear him clearly. Christopher's voice seemed to be coming from

right next to him or, perhaps . . . even from inside of him. It was as though he was hearing

Christopher's voice from within himself. This discovery was quickly followed by another, even more

startling: Decker suddenly realized that Christopher was not speaking English; nor had he since he

began to speak. Decker was not sure what language Christopher was speaking, but he was certain he

had never heard it before; yet he clearly understood every word. Apparently, so did those all

around him, and as Decker correctly assumed, so did every other person on earth, no matter what

their native tongue.

He wondered if others had noticed that the language Christopher spoke was not their own. Under his

breath, Decker

20 Acts of God

tried to recall and repeat a few of the words Christopher was speaking, but discovered that though

he understood every word Christopher said, he could not for the life of him duplicate a single

word or even a syllable. Later Christopher would explain that he had been speaking in the root

language of all human languages, one which was as universal and instinctive to humans as animal

sounds are to the given type of animal. It was, as Christopher would explain later, the language

spoken by all humans prior to the confusion of language which Yahweh used to scatter the people of

the earth when they built the Tower of Babel.6 This language did not need translation. It was the

translation.

"Three and a half days ago," Christopher continued, "before the eyes of the whole world, a

follower of John and Cohen and the Koum Damah Tatare fired a bullet into my brain and killed me.

Less than twelve hours ago, again with the entire planet as witness, I was resurrected from the

dead!

"But my resurrection is not a symbol of my victory over death. It is, rather, a symbol of

Humankind's victory of life. My resurrection, my release from the chains of death, occurred

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20...0Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txt (10 of 208) [12/24/2004 11:53:44 PM]

文档加载中……请稍候！
如果长时间未打开，您也可以点击刷新试试。

下载文档到电脑，查找使用更方便

5.9 玖币 0人已下载

立即下载 VIP免费下载

摘要：

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/BeauSeigneur,...he%20Christ%20Clone%20Trilogy%20(3)/03%20-%20Acts%20of%20God.txtInHisImageBirthofanAge->ActsofGodActsofGod,BookThreeofTheChristCloneTrilogyCopyright©1998yJamesBeauSeigneurAllRightsReservedForGerilynne,Faith,andAbigailwhosacrificed...

展开>> 收起<<

James Beau Seigneur - Christ Clone 3 - Acts of God.pdf

共208页,预览10页

还剩页未读，继续阅读

声明：本站为文档C2C交易模式，即用户上传的文档直接被用户下载，本站只是中间服务平台，本站所有文档下载所得的收益归上传人(含作者)所有。玖贝云文库仅提供信息存储空间，仅对用户上传内容的表现方式做保护处理，对上载内容本身不做任何修改或编辑。若文档所含内容侵犯了您的版权或隐私，请立即通知玖贝云文库，我们立即给予删除！

James Beau Seigneur - Christ Clone 3 - Acts of God

相关推荐

开通VIP享超值会员特权

作者详情

相关内容

热门标签

举报选择: