Kingdom's Hope (18 page)

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The prophets of the Old Testament were men of great faith and conviction. Chastised, beaten, and even killed for the words of truth God gave them to speak to the people, they courageously fulfilled their mission in spite of the inevitable fear they must have felt. In many instances, God intervened to protect them and, more importantly, to reaffirm the truth and authenticity of their message. It is because of the valor of these men that we have the prophecies and unapologetic truth of the Old Testament today.

Through the fulfillment of these prophecies, the incredible truth of God's Word becomes evident and builds faith. At times God's message to the people was one of blessing and prosperity. At other times it was a message of discipline and punishment because of the sinful hearts of the people.

The prophets often felt abandoned by God's people, but the Lord always preserved a faithful remnant. These were the men and women who stayed true to God despite the lure of the world. Their hearts were every bit as courageous and bold as those of the prophets. Through them, God also revealed His love, faithfulness, and compassion. Together,
the
faithful
and the
prophets
brought the resounding message of hope to the world—the message of a redeemer—to the humble and to the meek.

Kingdom's Hope
, the second book in the Kingdom Series, has told the story of these chosen few through allegory. The following paragraphs reveal some of the analogy between the adventures of Leinad and Tess and the true story of the prophets and people of the Old Testament.

Once again, as in
Kingdom's Dawn
, Cedric tells the story of his mentor, Leinad. In
Kingdom's Edge
, book three, Cedric will be the central character, but
Kingdom's Dawn
and
Kingdom's Hope
focus on Leinad, who represents characters and prophets from the Old Testament. With this understanding, one can see Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Nehemiah, Malachi, and others all represented at various times in the character of Leinad.

Tess and Audric represent the faithful remnant that stayed true to the Lord and did not abandon the prophets even when the rest of the nation turned its back on them. Some literary freedom was used to develop the romance between Tess and Leinad. However, one could speculate that there was a special understanding and relationship between the faithful and the prophets. Tess and Audric represent such biblical characters as Joshua, Caleb, Debra, Ruth, Jabez, and Jonathan.

Quinn represents the kings, both good and bad, of Israel and Judah. As a whole, their commitment to the Lord was as wavering as that of the people and in some cases much worse.

The Silent Warriors represent God's holy angels. Conversely, the Dark Knight and the Shadow Warriors represent Satan and the fallen angels. Zane represents the unrepentant mass of mankind that begins with Cain and carries through to the evil people at the time of Noah's flood and beyond. The redemption of Zane is not an impossibility, for God desires that none should perish: “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:15).

The sword in all of the Kingdom Series novels represents the Word of God. The challenge in
Kingdom's Dawn
and
Kingdom's Hope
was differentiating between the real swords used in the Old Testament battles and the “Word of God” sword used by the prophets to reveal God's will to the people. Extreme care was taken to create allegorical content centered on the sword that directly symbolized God's Word through the prophets.

Many significant biblical events are portrayed, such as the release from captivity in Egypt, the wandering in the wilderness, the receiving of the Law, the glorious days of David, the Babylonian captivity, and the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. Many of these biblical events were prophesied. Probably one of the most dramatic prophecies ever given is the messianic prophecy given to Daniel (Daniel 9:22–27). This incredible prophecy of Jesus Christ's arrival, triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and eventual earthly reign is the substance for the climactic scene at the end of the book. It was through men like Daniel and his Holy Spirit inspired words that the people were given hope … hope of a Savior to come.

Kingdom's Hope
concludes at the end of the Old Testament, where the prophets faded into the past and all waited for their prophecies to be fulfilled. Unfortunately, as time wore round the edges of expectation of the coming Messiah, those most qualified to recognize Him were blind and unaware that He was suddenly among them.

It is my earnest hope and prayer that all who read this novel will be inspired to search the Scriptures and recognize the one who is among us even now and call Him Lord. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ alone!

As it is written in the Prophets:
“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
Mark 1:2