Confrontation Upon the River Qishon

CHAPTER 58

Yeshua and his Apostles travel west along the River Qishon so Yeshua can preach, but they cannot find even one person who will listen to him. As they continue along the river, they stop so the women can bathe, but when the women are alone, they are attacked by some drunken men. Miriam takes aggressive actions to protect her sisters of Light, particularly Salome, which causes unforeseen consequences.

 1 Yeshua and those who followed him on his journey through Galilee stayed in Nazareth through the Sabbath, visiting with Yeshua’s family and continuing to have talks with Abracomas and the Pharisees.

 2 The Pharisees never came to believe the things that Yeshua taught, but they came to fear him for the authority with which he spoke and his knowledge of the law which could not be confounded and of the things they had seen which they could neither understand or explain.

 3 On the day following the Sabbath, Yeshua and everyone all who walked with him on this journey left Nazareth and departed for Gabae, a town west of Nazareth.

 4 Seven of the Apostles including Cephas departed at first light in the morning so they could arrive a few hours ahead of Yeshua and have time to motivate the people of Gabae and nearby Besara to come and hear the teachings of Yeshua, who was soon arriving.

 5 But when Yeshua came in the early afternoon, they met him on the road, ashamed that they had not been able to find even one person who desired to come and hear him preach the Gospel of Celestine Light.

 6 Cephas was particularly distraught and told Yeshua, “We spoke to groups of many, and with one accord, they turned their backs on us. We testified of your miracles and healings, but even the sick among them gave us no heed. I feel unworthy to be your Apostle when in the course of a morning, I cannot even find one person to come and hear your teachings.”

 7 Yeshua answered him, saying, “You can bring succor to the man withering from famine, but you cannot force him to eat. I know you have spoken well to the people of Gabae and Besara with love and enthusiasm from your heart.

 8 If they will hearken not to your words enough to even take a small look at the light, they shall inherit the pain of their folly, both in this life and the life to come, save they repent and seek the light they now disdain.”

 9 Cephas nodded in silent agreement and then went to find his wife among the group that had come with Yeshua.

 10 Then Shim’on the Zealot came to Yeshua and he was angry that the people of Gabae and Besara had rejected Yeshua to the point that they would not even listen to his words, and he protested, saying, “This is surely a wicked people to give you the soles of their feet before they have even seen you or heard your words. I will pray that Elohim puts a curse upon them and this land that it will ever be a misery unto them and all the generations that come after them.”

 11 But Yeshua forbade him, saying, “In this life and the next, every person draws to them their own resonance and is blessed or cursed, not by Elohim, but by reaping what they have sown.

 12 Nor would it be just to punish the land for the sins of the people or to cause generations unborn to pay a price for the sins of their forefathers, for they are born in innocence and did not commit the sin.

 13 We will pass by the towns of Gabae and Besara, even as we have passed by other towns when there is not one soul within them who will hearken to the Celestine Light.

 14 But do not condemn the towns or the land or even the people and return to each another day, for as time and seasons change, so change the fortunes of people’s lives and the inclinations of their hearts. The person that would listen not today may drink of the Celestine Light of Elohim in the future as a man parched from thirst.”

 15 And it came to pass that Yeshua and his followers continued west along the river, for they desired to visit the great sea.

 16 As they passed by a gentle curve in the river, there was a large, calm pool near a shallow ford, and seeing this, the women desired to stop that they might bathe in the clear water of the river.

 17 The men agreed and remained up on the road while the women descended into the river basin that they might bathe.

 18 Walking into the water fully clothed, they splashed it on their faces and lifted their garments to wash their bare skin beneath. And they frolicked and played, splashing water on one another.

 19 While they were in the water, seven men appeared on the opposite riverbank and called out to the women with obscene words and immediately began to wade into the water toward them, spreading out as if to encircle them.

 20 Salome cried out to the women, saying, “These men are drunk. We must flee now!” Immediately, the other women began moving as quickly as they could through the heavy, impeding water to the nearer bank, all except Miriam, who stood calmly in the middle of the river, facing the drunken men who were moving rapidly toward her, some walking in water waist deep.

 21 Looking up the embankment to the road where their husbands were, Salome shouted out, “Yeshua, Cephas! Come now to us, for we are attacked.”

 22 Hearing her cry, the men moved at once to descend to the river and protect the women, but standing upon the road’s edge, looking down upon the scene before them, Yeshua held out his arms and bade them to stop for a moment, saying, “It is in times of greatest challenge that the true person of light and power can emerge from within the shell in which they are usually held by everyday life. Let us watch for a moment to see if Miriam discovers who she really is.”

 23 Looking at the crazed men rushing toward her, Miriam muttered to herself, “These men are more than drunk. They are possessed by devils to act as they do.”

 24 Seizing upon that realization, she said in a loud voice, “In the name of Elohim, I command the devils within you to depart!”Her forceful words were heard by all, even by the men up on the road.

 25 But the possessed men approaching her only laughed, and now they were almost upon her.

 26 Salome turned when she heard Miriam’s voice, and seeing the demented men coming upon her from three directions, Salome quickly moved back to help defend the one she loved.

 27 Miriam did not see Salome turn to come back toward her. Even as the attackers were almost upon her, she stood somewhat dazed and bewildered, not understanding why the devils had not departed when she had so commanded in the name of Elohim.

 28 She was awakened from her momentarily disconnected thought by a scream from Salome as she was grabbed by two of the men as she was almost to Miriam.

 29 Miriam turned quickly and her eyes were wide and her brows creased with anger. Without uttering a word, she forcefully threw her right hand forward with her palm slightly raised and fingers widely spread pointing at the men holding Salome. Immediately, they released her and fell into the water, screaming in pain and agony and holding both hands to their eyes.

 30 Still in a fury, still speaking no words, Miriam turned toward the remaining five men and in quick succession, with forceful movements of both her right and left hands held in the same manner, she called up the power of Celestine Light within her soul with her righteous anger. The attackers were hurled violently out of the water and flung far across the river, landing with bone-crushing impact on rocks and trees.

 31 Standing on the road looking down onto the river, the men gazed in amazement at what they had just seen, and even having seen it, they could scarcely believe that which their eyes testified of.

 32 The women in the river huddled together, uncomprehending of what they had just witnessed and unsure if they should be grateful to Miriam or fear her.

 33 Salome came to Miriam in a rush, and they embraced one another and did not let go. Even as Yeshua and the men came down to the river and went to their wives, Salome and Miriam still embraced and remained holding one another until Yeshua came upon them.

 34 As he approached his wives, Yeshua passed the two men who had tried to take Salome. They still thrashed in the water screaming in pain, and where their eyes had been, there was now only cauterized flesh.

 35 Coming upon his wives, Yeshua looked Miriam in the eyes and lightly touched her cheek, saying, “All is well, my love. You are not as other women, and you have always known that. We will speak more in a moment, but know that I love you. Be not afraid or ashamed of what you have done here today. All things were as they needed to be.”

 36 Going up to the first man, Yeshua held him by his right arm, and holding his right hand over the man’s eyes, he said unto him, “Evil spirit, you are cast beyond outer darkness.” As he spoke those words, the man screamed one last time very loudly, then collapsed into Yeshua’s arms.

 37 Yeshua removed his hand from the man’s eyes and everyone marveled, for his eyes were restored as they had been, except for some scarring, which remained around the edges.

 38 Philip came up and took the man’s limp body from Yeshua and moved toward the riverbank with his charge while Yeshua went to the other man in the river who had lost his sight. Upon him, he also cast out a devil and returned his sight, and he released him to Yohhanan to bring to the riverbank.

 39 Several of the Apostles crossed the river to check on the men Miriam had tossed like so many rag dolls across the water and onto the rocks and trees. Toma called to his friends in the river that the man he was near on the rocks was dead. Yudas Iscariot checking on another of the marauders shouted that he had also perished. The other three attackers were alive but severely injured.

 40 Hearing this, Miriam turned her head into Yeshua’s shoulder and began to weep. She moaned, “What have I done, my Lord? I did not mean to kill them or even to hurt them, merely to push them away and keep them at bay until you arrived with the men. Why could I not cast out their devils? What is this darkness that has come upon me?”

 41 Yeshua held her close and comforted her, saying, “Miriam, your motives were only from the purest love to protect Salome and your sisters whom you love. Though the power you manifested wrecked havoc reminiscent of darkness; in you, that power came only from the purest Celestine Light of your soul.

 42 In time, you will learn to find a place of calm inside of you, which cannot be shaken by any storm. Then the Celestine Light of your soul will come forth as you desire, in greatness or subtleness, but on this day, the storm shook you, and the light rushed forth barely contained, acting in might before your head had time to calm your heart.

 43 But do not lament the fate of these men. Because of their drunkenness, they received evil spirits and would have done terrible things, even murder, to you and your sisters had you fallen into their hands.

 44 Darkness such as this, driven into sudden violence and maim, is only countered by a power of greater force to subdue it.

 45 In most things, love and light will rule the day, and few can fight against it. But know too that there are times and situations when even the hand of Elohim goes forth with a mighty sickle to hew down the wicked, for it is only that type of power that they fear and only that which can bring them to a place where they can feel and understand the love and the light that can follow.”

 46 Then taking Miriam’s hand in his, he beckoned her, saying, “Come let us pass over to the other side of the river that we can attend to those who have fallen.”

 47 Crossing the water, waist deep for Yeshua and chest deep for both Miriam and Salome, they came to the other side of the river.

 48 Yeshua went straightaway to the men who were injured, and casting the devils out of them, he touched them and healed them, but not completely; nor had he for the men that had lost their eyes, for each was left with scars and diminished physical abilities than they had previously.

 49 Seeing this, Cephas was most curious, as were the other Apostles and questioned Yeshua as to why he only restored the men to a part of what they had been.

 50 Yeshua answered him, saying, “Even without devils, these men do not follow the light; they do not have repentance in their hearts for the evil they have wrought. Let them therefore carry a painful memory of this day, that perhaps in the future, having considered for many days the cause of their pain, they might yet repent and seek the light.”

 51 Hearing this, Yuda son of Cleophas asked, “Wise Yeshua, I know you understand the hearts of men, even if they sleep. If these men had hearts full of repentance, what then would be their fate?”

 52 Yeshua answered him, saying, “If they had a place in their heart for remorse for this and all their other wickedness, if they desired to make a full and honest restitution for their evil acts, they would have been made whole on this day.”

 53 Then Yakov, the brother of Yeshua from Nazareth, called out, “What are we to do with these two who are dead?”

 54 And Yeshua answered him, saying, “Let them lie where they are for their friends to attend.”

 55 At his words, some were surprised for he had healed the others, and they knew he had raised the dead on more than one occasion; therefore, Cephas questioned him as to why he would not restore the spirits of these who had died from the actions of Miriam.

 56 Yeshua answered him, saying, “To return a life is a great gift, one that requires a passion to see them live again and a willingness to part with much of your own life essence for a time, that the dead may be revitalized.

 57 These were evil men before they ever drank or had a devil. They died with rape and murder upon their minds and have paid the price for their folly and foolish choices.

 58 I love the men they could have been, but have no passion to see the men they would still be, return to life. Nor am I willing to part with my essence for such as these.”

 59 Yeshua turned to return across the river, but Miriam tugged on his arm and said unto him, “My Lord, I have a passion to see these men live again and am willing to part with some of my essence for a time that it might be so. Is it possible that I might be a bridge between Heaven and Earth to bring the aeon of Elohim that these men might live again?”

 60 Yeshua held her gaze for a moment, then answered slowly and quietly, “Yes, Miriam, it is possible. All that you have seen me do, any Child of Light may also do with knowledge, none more so than you, if you have faith, love, and passion, and do all things as you must.

 61 But knowing the evil hearts of these men, why would you desire them to return to a life of further evil, where they will still do evil to others, likely even rape and murder even as they tried to do to you and your sisters? For they are unrepentant in their hearts.”

 62 Miriam answered him softly, saying, “I grieve for having been the cause of their death, even though they might have been the cause of mine and my sisters had I not acted. Nevertheless, I know that they must also have wives and children that will miss them if they never return. Please tell me what I must do that they might live again.”

 63 Yeshua pondered his wife and her motives for a moment before he answered, and then he said unto her, “You must love them with as great a love as you have for me, or for Salome, or for Martha, or for our children.

 64 You must have faith in yourself and your ability to do this, and in my word telling you that you can, and in the power of Elohim through the Celestine Light, by which the river of life flows.

 65 You must have a passion to see them live again, a passion as strong as you would manifest were one of our children to die before their time.

 66 Lastly, you must merge your aeon with theirs, which even in death still resides with them for a time. You must join your aura to the parts of them that are broken, and from those, parts of you must let flow as much of your own life essence as is necessary for them to be healed on the inside and the outside and be made whole.”

 67 Hearing his words, Miriam was crestfallen, and she said unto him, “O my Lord, your words hurt my heart, for though I desire these men to live again, I know I do not have within me all that you say I must.

 68 I cannot love them like I love you or Salome or Martha or our children.

 69 Though I would gladly give them a portion of my life essence and have faith in all that you said I must, I cannot find within me a passion as great as I have for our own children.”

 70 Once again, she wept and Yeshua and Salome comforted her, and Yeshua said unto her, “Miriam, sweet Miriam, as I said before, be not afraid or ashamed of what you have done here today. All things were as they needed to be.

 71 Sometimes the lessons of mortality are painful, even for you, even for me. But the future will be brighter, and you will become more glorious because of the lessons you have learned here today.”