Jesus Triumphant (Chronicles of the Nephilim Book 8) by Brian Godawa Page B

and even a politician listened with rapt attention to the charismatic speaker before them.
    Demas and Gestas stayed back in the shadows of the pillars. They watched the orator, a clean-shaven young man in his late twenties, with a handsome square jaw, long wavy black hair, and intense eyes. He was clothed in ruffian garments and armed with sword and dagger. A distinctive scar crossed his left cheek from his ear down to his chin, an obvious battle wound. But he spoke with eloquence and education, which was strange for a brigand and rabble rouser. He gave a rousing exposition intended to inflame his audience’s passions. An immediate concern for Demas.
    “The nation of Israel has been the slave of Gentile pagan forces for far too long. The Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Medes and the Persians, and now the Romans. My brothers, do you not remember Phinehas the priest during the time of the Exodus? The people of Israel were committing idolatry and playing the harlot with Ba’al at Peor. They were whoring with the daughters of Midian. And one man dared to bring a Midianite woman into the holy congregation. Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel until Phinehas went and thrust through the man and his woman with a spear. This holy action of zeal atoned for the sin of the people. Yahweh withdrew his anger and made covenant with Phinehas to be a perpetual priesthood. Phinehas is our example of the zealots we must all become.”
    Demas and Gestas were familiar with the Torah story of Phinehas. They had heard it in synagogue while growing up. Demas leaned in and whispered to his brother, “Who is this man?”
    “Shh,” hushed Gestas. “Just listen.”
    The speaker continued. “Zeal for Yahweh. That is what I speak to you about tonight. We must all be zealots for Israel’s holiness. For the prophecies have all pointed toward Messiah coming to free us from the yoke of the Kittim.” Kittim was a derogatory reference that Essenes used of their Roman oppressors.
    “The prophet Daniel spoke of this day. He said that there would be seventy weeks of seventy years from the decree of Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem until the time of Messiah the prince. Seventy times seven years decreed to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. My brothers, that prophecy was four hundred and ninety years ago. Seventy weeks of seventy years.”
    A rumbling went through the audience of men, indicating agreement. Demas however was not so agreeable. This man sounded a little crazy. And dangerous to have such control over his sheep-like hearers.
    “My brothers, do you not remember the Maccabees? When that despicable king, Antiochus Epiphanes, dared make our traditions illegal and tried to force our people to eat swine and violate our Sabbath. And worst of all, he set up his image in the holy temple, an abomination of desolation. But Mattathias Maccabeus refused to bow the knee and killed his own countryman who would worship false gods. His son, Judas the Hammer led a revolt that destroyed the pagan temples, and reinforced the Jewish covenantal sign of circumcision. He entered Jerusalem in triumph and cleansed the temple of the abomination of desolation, returning authority to Yahweh. The Maccabees pushed back their Greek oppressors like Leviathan the sea dragon, and Yahweh’s inheritance was returned.”
    Demas knew that story well. It was the origin of their festival of Hanukkah. But now he saw the agenda. He shook his head and muttered, “Interesting. Will he mention the more recent uprisings of Judah ben Hezekiah and Judas the Galilean?”
    Gestas gave him a sour look. But Demas would not back down. “Those revolts ended in thousands of Jews crucified.” Such failures were not so inspiring to cite, but they happened, and more recently than the Maccabees.
    The speaker continued. “My brothers, everything