Rising Darkness (40 page)

“He is still praying three times a day!”

“Enough!” cried Darius, holding his ears to shut out the noise. They had been talking to the king throughout most of the day—and now the sun was setting. Darius had had enough. “Arrest him! See to it personally, Kezzar-mar. I only hope that his God will rescue him!”

Kezzar-mar and the others bowed low before the distressed king as he left the room. They smiled at each other in secret congratulations. After the king had left, Kezzar-mar produced the warrant for Daniel’s arrest, already made up.

“Take some guards and arrest him,” said Kezzar-mar, handing the warrant to Berza. “One day the king shall thank us for this. One day all of Persia will thank us!”

“I certainly thank him,” said Lucifer. “How about you, Kara?”

“Indeed,” said Kara. “From the bottom of my darkened heart!”

The demons burst out laughing and looked at Michael. The archangel ignored their mockery. Rugio locked eyes with Michael, as if he might spring upon him at any moment. Kara watched the two angels whose rivalry had begun in Heaven so long ago.

“Prayer brought me here for Daniel’s sake, Lucifer,” said Michael. “I believe that his prayers will also deliver him.”

“It’s easy to pray when one is outside the lions’ den,” said Kara.

Daniel accompanied the guards into the massive vaults beneath the palace where the lions were kept. The big cats had access to the outside through a tunnel that led up to a yard where they were a featured part of the king’s personal collection of animals. As Daniel passed by his accusers, he looked at each one of them.

All of them averted their eyes except Kezzar-mar, who held in his hand the warrant for Daniel’s execution. He looked squarely into Daniel’s eyes. In the gallery above, Darius awaited Daniel’s arrival with apprehension. He motioned for Daniel to come to where he sat. Daniel smiled at the king.

“I can only hope that the God to whom you pray will see fit to deliver you, Daniel,” said the king. “But if He does not, know that I am bound by the law not to rescue you.”

Daniel gave a comforting look to the king that somehow reassured him that, come what may, all was right.

“Daniel, called Belteshazzar,” said Kezzar-mar solemnly, “you have been discovered to be guilty of high treason by way of praying to your foreign God. You did this deliberately and in full knowledge that this action was criminal and that it carried with it the sentence now about to be imposed.”

He gave a quick nod of his head and some guards rolled a large stone that covered the den’s opening. Kezzar-mar smirked at Daniel.

“May your God have mercy upon you!”

Daniel entered the den, climbing into the pit. The lions were on the outside of the gate leading up to the zoo park. They could be heard growling in the background. Daniel reached the bottom of the pit and looked up at the faces peering at him.

“Once you are dealt with, the other Jews will give way in short order,” whispered Kezzar-mar so that the king could not hear him. “Then we will deal with that rabble that is trying to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem!”

Then a large stone was rolled in over the opening. A seal was placed on the door and Darius himself, along with the other nobles present, used their signet rings on the seal so nobody would disturb it. Darius then left, unwilling to stay and see what might happen. Kezzar-mar and the other men who had brought charges against Daniel ordered the gate opened so that the lions might find their way to Daniel. Then they left to celebrate the success of their conspiracy.

“Pray, Daniel,” Kezzar-mar called out as he left. “Prayer got you into this trouble. Perhaps it will get you out!”

The men laughed and disappeared into the palace.

Daniel could hear the gate on the far end of the tunnel opening. The lions would be coming shortly, but he was prepared to meet his Lord. What an honor to die for the Most High God! He prayed that, whatever happened, the Lord would receive glory for it all. Then he waited to die.

Inside the pit Lucifer, Kara, Rugio, Pellecus and a number of other demons awaited the final bloody moments of Daniel’s life. They couldn’t care less if he died in honor of the Lord—so long as he died.

“I think I hear dinner approaching,” said Kara lightly.

“You mean something is approaching its dinner,” responded Pellecus.

Daniel watched calmly as first one and then another and another lion emerged from the tunnel—six lions in all. They looked at the man in their den. One of the lions, a young male, began pacing back and forth nervously. Another licked its lips. The devils watching the spectacle urged the lions on, ready to see Daniel torn apart.

Suddenly a bright light entered the den, causing the lions to back up toward the tunnel. It was the figure of a man with a sword, which he pointed at the lions. Six separate pulses shot out and became chains of light, wrapping themselves around the mouths of the lions so that they could not even make a sound, much less bite something. Daniel watched in amazement as the light began to diminish and he saw standing before him an angel of God! It was the same angel who had visited him before with the terrifying words about what must happen to Israel in the future.

“Gabriel!” cried Lucifer. “You cannot interfere with this!”

“This man’s prayers have overwhelmed your darkness, Lucifer,” said Gabriel. “Now get out of here!”

Upon his words, the place shook violently and the demons were tossed back. The archangel’s words carried with them the weight and authority of the Lord—for God Himself had sent Gabriel to deliver Daniel from the lions.

“The Most High is not yet finished with this man,” Gabriel said. “He is to become even mightier as a prophet, and the Lord will deliver even greater words into his heart before he is taken up to Heaven!”

“I am not finished with this man either,” said Lucifer bitterly. “But I sense the power and presence of the Most High here in this place. So I shall relinquish the day. Have your prophets and your lions. I shall still have this war!”

Lucifer vanished, and the other demons with him disappeared as well. Daniel could only stare at the angel who had rescued him. He didn’t attempt to speak to Gabriel. Instead, he simply fell asleep and slept a very peaceful night’s rest. As for Gabriel, he was relieved that the Lord had further plans for Daniel, who had become a favorite among the Host.

The king did not sleep well that night. Darius was visited by fitful thoughts of the death of one of the truly noble men in his kingdom. Still, he was king, wasn’t he? The law had to be upheld, didn’t it? These foreigners, while tolerated, also had to be shown that kingly authority would be respected.

At the first light of day, the king could wait no longer. He rose from his bed and hurried down to the den of lions. At first he listened for any sounds that might come up from the pit—some sign that perhaps Daniel had survived the ordeal. Finally, he brought a torch down low toward the pit and called out:

“Daniel! Daniel! Has your God delivered you?”

Daniel was fast asleep, near one of the lions. The king called out again, but Daniel remained asleep. Gabriel thought he had better awaken the sleeping man of God, and called out his name:

“Daniel! Wake up!”

Daniel opened his eyes just as the king cried out in desperation one more time. Hearing the king, Daniel stood up and called back:

“My king, may you live forever!”

Darius was overjoyed beyond belief. He immediately ordered the stone moved and Daniel pulled from the pit. Darius peeked into the hole, looking at the rousing lions, which were still bound by Gabriel’s authority and could not open their mouths.

Daniel looked down at Gabriel and waved. The king looked at Daniel, and then down at the lions in the pit. Perhaps the evening had been a bit stressful after all. He would give Daniel an extended rest. Gabriel smiled and waved back, then disappeared. At that very moment, the bonds loosened, and the lions began working their mouths, yawning and making low growls.

Darius inspected Daniel and saw that not even a thread of his clothing had been torn—the lions had not touched him! The sound of footsteps descending the stairs echoed through the chamber. Darius looked up to see the astonished expressions of Kezzar-mar and Berza, who could not believe their eyes. Was this a ghost speaking to the king—or had Daniel actually survived the ordeal?

“Look, Kezzar-mar,” said Darius. “I told you that Daniel’s God would deliver him and so He did. Isn’t it marvelous?”

Kezzar-mar was dumbstruck as Daniel explained to the king that God had sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths; and that he had been wrongfully and maliciously accused by Kezzar-mar. The king was incredulous at hearing these words.

“Great king,” continued Daniel. “The God I serve saw fit to deliver me because I respected His law rather than the law of men. In His eyes I have done no wrong. But these men wickedly conspired to kill me because they were jealous of your promotion of me in the matter of the satraps.”

Darius looked in the direction of Kezzar-mar. The men who had brought charges against Daniel now stood accused by him. Before they could even begin to defend themselves, the king ordered them thrown into the lions’ pit. Kezzar-mar pleaded for his life, but before he even hit the ground, the lions were on him and Berza, tearing them to pieces.

“See to it that the others are arrested and brought down here as well,” said the king, angry at the betrayal of Daniel. He then turned to Daniel.

“I have issued a terrible decree,” he admitted. “And now I shall issue an honorable one. Henceforth, in this kingdom, the name of Daniel’s God is to be revered—for He is the living and eternal God whose kingdom shall never end!”

“So be it, majesty,” said Daniel, as they left the chamber together.

Bethlehem, 4 B.C.

Jarod jumped on Joshua, snarling like a lion and pretending to attack Kezzar-mar. The men laughed at the boy’s playful energy—particularly so late in the evening. Eli looked up at Elron, Joshua’s father.

“That story will never wear out. It’s as good now as the first time I ever heard it from my own father.”

“Wonderful story,” agreed Elron.

Elron stood and surveyed the little town below them, with fewer and fewer lights in windows as people retired for the night. He looked into the fields and rubbed his eyes. It seemed almost hazy out there in the darkness—a milky, translucent haze.
It must be caused by the new star,
he thought to himself, although he could have sworn he actually saw some figures walking about in the darkness.

“Some day the prophecies of Daniel shall be fulfilled,” he said to nobody in particular. “Some day Messiah shall restore this nation.”

“Do you really believe that?” asked Daniel the shepherd, who was sincere in his question. “Do you really believe that Messiah will remember us?”

“Daniel,” said Elron. “Messiah has never forgotten us.”