"03 - Acts of God" - читать интересную книгу автора (BeauSeigneur James)

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

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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.

"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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.