The Healing of Tyre

CHAPTER 64

Yeshua brings his Apostles and wives to the city of Tyre and tells them the details of the horrific attack and destruction by Alexander of Macedonia. Because the destruction was so horrendous, there is a great darkness that permeates the land, which overshadows the people who reside there. To assist the innocents, Yeshua teaches his Apostles and their wives how, as Children of Light, to expand their Celestine Light to overcome the darkness and bring light back to the land and its people.

 1 And it came to pass that Yeshua and those who walked with him came upon the environs of Tyre and stood at the base of the thin bridge of land that led to the prominent point on the sea where the remnants of the ancient Phoenician city remained.

 2 Having come through the new city, which stood upon the mainland, they prepared to proceed down the land bridge to the island of the old city, but the women began to speak excitedly among themselves and to Miriam, who at last came to Yeshua to speak their desires for all of them, “Beloved, I know you have great things to reveal to us at the spot of the old city on the island. But my sisters and I want to insure that you have allotted time for us to shop here in the new city upon the mainland, for it is not often we have occasion to visit Tyre, and though it is rare, there are still places we may find the purple dye which we all cherish.”

 3 Upon hearing the request of Miriam, Yeshua nodded affirmatively with a little laugh, “Life is meant to have fun as well as to accomplish serious and great works. Be assured that we will all return to enjoy the shops of new Tyre and purchase the little things that bring large happinesses.”

 4 Hearing his words, Miriam gave him an embrace and a thank-you kiss on the cheek, and Salome, who had stood beside her as she spoke, kissed him also on his other cheek.

 5 Commencing down the bridge of land, Yeshua spoke to them as they walked, saying, “This bridge connecting the mainland to old Tyre was built by the army of Alexander of Macedonia when he conquered Tyre a little over three hundred years ago.

 6 You have probably thought we have come to Tyre to preach as we have in other places, but that is not why we are here. If good citizens in small towns and hamlets will not listen to my words, even less would the citizens of Tyre, for they are today as they have ever been, a riotous people not inclined to the purities of spiritual life.

 7 That you may fully understand why we are here, I am going to tell you the history of Tyre when it was conquered by Alexander of Macedonia. I wish I did not need to tell this story, for it is bloody and despicable, showing the greatest darkness of the children of men. But only by understanding the fullness of the darkness will you be able to bring the healing Celestine Light to this land, for which cause I have brought you here this day; because when you have an understanding of the depths of the darkness, your desire to change it to the light surges forth with greater passion.

 8 Before Alexander, old Tyre was a gem of the world, as far as cities can be thought of in that way. It certainly was a city wealthy beyond the dreams of other cities, for it is situated in the heart of the trading routes, with fine harbors, and, until Alexander, was nearly impregnable.

 9 During the times of King David and King Solomon, Hiram, king of Tyre, supplied the cedar wood and many other exquisite and rare building materials for the temple and the houses of the kings and sent many carpenters, masons, and builders to Israel, for their skill was greater than any in the land.

 10 The Tyrians were perhaps the world’s best traders. They were masters of the sea and traveled to lands further than any others. So had they also come, for their ancestors came into the Great Sea we are upon, far to the west, from sparkling cities on an even greater sea beyond the Portal of Ba’al, as it is called by the Tyrians, in years lost to antiquity, before the days of the pharaohs of Egypt.

 11 Most of the gold that adorned the temple of Solomon was only acquired because Hiram, the king of Tyre, lent Solomon some of his navigators to guide them to foreign lands that they might obtain the metal.

 12 When Alexander came to Tyre, he sought to gain entrance under the guise of paying tribute with a personal sacrifice at the temple of Heracles. As he had been conquering one nearby city after another, the Tyrians rightly did not believe his motives and denied him entry into the city.

 13 It had been Alexander’s intention to take Tyre, but with the insult given, he became obsessed with revenge for the indignity of refusal put upon him by the Tyrians. He determined not only to take the city but to make them suffer greatly for trying to humiliate him.

 14 Until that time, Tyre had never been taken by a hostile army though it had sometimes paid tribute to invading kings such as Nebuchadnezzar, who laid siege to it for thirteen years, but never entered the island city.

 15 The land we now walk upon was first laid down by the slaves of the army of Alexander.

 16 After his refusal of entry, he quickly attacked the mainland city and laid it to waste. There were hundreds of buildings made from stone, and none were spared. Each was torn asunder and, along with many great trees, was used to build this land bridge to the island upon the backs of over ten thousand slaves, most from the conquered city of the mainland.

 17 The Tyrians were caught by surprise by Alexander’s action in building the bridge of land. This was a strategy which they had never considered plausible as their island stood far off shore with deep and swift waters in between.

 18 But to their astonishment the bridge grew, and after several months had reached almost to the island, despite their continual attacks on the builders with archers, catapults, and slingers from their ships, even though many of those killed were their own countrymen, forced into slavery. But many of the soldiers of Alexander were also killed.

 19 Then a ferocious storm came and much of the bridge, the parts made from trees and sand, washed away. The Tyrians exalted, assuming Alexander would give up after such devastation, even as all other would-be conquerors had before him.

 20 But the anger still burned in Alexander’s heart and he had no intention of going away. He called upon his allies in nearby cities and a fleet of ships descended upon Tyre neutralizing their supremacy at sea and preventing them from further meaningful attacks upon the construction crew and soldiers of Macedonia.

 21 The slaves then resumed their work upon the bridge of land and as it neared the island the Tyrians became desperate. They sent divers beneath the water to attach hooks to the logs and repeatedly pulled apart that which was built near the city.

 22 But the soldiers of Alexander eventually killed all the divers and were soon within a stone’s throw of the island.

 23 Now the king of Tyre sent out men in the night to kidnap officers of Alexander’s army. With stealth and cunning, night after night, they made raids into Alexander’s camps and successfully took many men, even though some of them were also killed.

 24 The day following each successful raid, the soldiers and officers of Alexander’s army would be taken to the top of the high city wall where they could be seen by all the Macedonians below.

 25 While the soldiers of Alexander watched, their friends and officers would be stabbed repeatedly and their bodies would be weighted with stones and thrown to rot in the sea, unable to be recovered by the Macedonians for proper funerals.

 26 This action was meant to cause fear in the hearts of the Macedonians, but it instead enraged them and they redoubled their efforts to complete the bridge and attack the city.

 27 Before the land bridge was complete, Alexander began to pummel the city with great stones thrown by mighty catapults and these stones caused immense destruction, not only of the great walls about the city, but also among the people and buildings within.

 28 The fateful day came when the bridge of land was completed and the walls of Tyre irreparably breached.

 29 Before the attack upon the city commenced, many thousands of Tyrian slaves that were still alive from the mainland city were brought close to the walls of the island city, just beyond the reach of the archers.

 30 Even as the Tyrians had forced the Macedonians to watch as they murdered their soldiers and officers and threw them off the walls of the city, so the Macedonians now put one out of every three male Tyrian slaves from the mainland to the sword before the eyes of their friends and family within the island city. And their bodies were thrown into the water and many floated like a flotilla of logs upon the restless sea.

 31 Then poured the army of Alexander through the breach in the wall and into the doomed city of Tyre.

 32 Before I continue, let us say a prayer that despite the darkness you will hear next, you will still be filled with the sweetness of the light.

 33 It is better in the course of your lives if you avoid darkness, to see it or even to hear of it, like the greatest of plagues, for it can injure your spirit.

 34 But for the reason we have come to Tyre, you must understand what has happened here. But if there are any who are faint of heart, or cannot bear the darkness, even if only in words, and wish to wait here while others choose to continue to old Tyre, there will be no shame, only understanding and love.”

 35 At his words, Marit said, “I wish to remain, Yeshua, for the things you have already said have burned terrible pictures in my mind and I feel very nauseous inside.”

 36 Upon hearing Marit’s words, all of the other women save Miriam also voiced their desire to remain and hear no more, as did Yudas Iscariot and Philip.

 37 But Miriam upbraided them, saying, “Sisters and brothers, be of stout heart and take courage from Elohim. Facing words of terror and places of darkness are aeons we can feel in our hearts, but they do not touch us. And surely this is less than the evils that shall confront us physically in the days to come.

 38 We must take courage today and increase our light rather than shy away from darkness we should confront, ere it defeats us simply by fear.

 39 If Yeshua says that you can stay and that is well, then so be it. But I ask you to consider what great light you shall not be a witness to if you do not continue with us, for surely Yeshua has not brought us all the way here just to hear horror stories and look at old ruins.”

 40 Hearing Miriam’s words, they were emboldened and bolstered in their hearts and everyone agreed to continue on to the island.

 41 Yeshua then called upon Miriam to say a prayer for all of them, and she prayed, saying, “Our Father and Mother in the Celestial Heaven above; please send your Celestine Light unto us. Though we hear of the darkness of days gone by and walk upon a land that flowed with blood; let there only be sweet light in our spirits. Uphold us and lift us up. Send your angels to be with us, and your Celestine Light to be upon us in every way. Help us to call the part of you that is in each of us, to be within every part of us, guiding us, loving us, and protecting us from being overcome by the darkness. May we ever be the light that makes the darkness pale. In your name, we humbly ask. So be it.”

 42 Following Miriam’s prayer, Yeshua and the others walked on, and Yeshua continued to unfold the events of the destruction of Tyre.

 43 “As they had done to the mainland city, the Macedonians tore asunder every building and laid waste to everything within the city. A large number of women and girls and some boys that were not killed or did not take their own lives were raped repeatedly over several days. And every woman and child that remained alive was taken into slavery.

 44 Alexander gave orders that no wounded man was to be killed but held for execution. Accordingly, over five thousand men were captured and executed, in many cases while their wives and children were forced to watch.

 45 As great a darkness had been upon Tyre during the siege and battle, the greatest darkness was yet to come, for Alexander did not quickly put his prisoners to the sword as he had done to the slaves earlier, but chose to make their end as painful and horrifying as possible.

 46 Those who were gravely wounded and would not be able to realize their suffering were beheaded and their heads impaled upon poles throughout the ruins of the city.

 47 Those who were not so gravely injured but still wounded and would soon die were burned alive.

 48 And those poor souls who were uninjured or only lightly wounded were crucified, but seldom in the usual manner. Many were crucified upside down, and many with wooden stakes impaled inside of them. And all only after they had been scourged and large patches of their skin burned with torches.

 49 When the army of Alexander departed, they took down every stone and burned every piece of wood so that nothing remained of the ancient city. No man who defended the city was left alive. Over three thousand men who were not soldiers and twelve thousand women and children were taken from the city into slavery along with those who had not been killed from the mainland.”

 50 As he finished speaking, they walked in silence the remaining distance to the old city contemplating the history of the fall of Tyre which Yeshua had told them, until they came to the gates that had been built for the new city in the years that followed.

 51 Entering into the city that had been built upon the ashes of the former, they passed through narrow streets until they came to a hill upon which stood a temple. Stopping before it, Yeshua spoke again to them, saying, “You see a new temple built in recent years before you. It stands upon the spot where the temple of Heracles stood that Alexander had desired to go to make a sacrifice, but destroyed when he took the city.

 52 The ancient stone temple had changed gods it was dedicated to over time, but had been upon this spot for over two thousand years. Because this was the instigation of Alexander’s wrath, it is the center for the negative aeon that still hangs about Tyre like the darkness of death that it is.

 53 Yesterday, I spoke to you about the importance of using knowledge before choosing to give of your essence, and to wait for something of great importance, wherein knowledge alone would be insufficient, to give of your essence and use your gifts.

 54 Now is the time of great importance. In the world, you will encounter other places of darkness like Tyre. Oftentimes, the darkness comes from great battles that were fought on that spot where many men died.

 55 Other times, it may be a small area wherein a terrible atrocity occurred. Wherever you shall find pools of darkness, be they small or great, I charge you to give of your essence and call upon the powers of Heaven to seed that place once again with light. This is one of your greatest responsibilities as my Apostles.

 56 These areas of pain and misery form vortexes of darkness, and they continue to grow and expand. They poison the surrounding area around them and continue to be the cause of further suffering among the people of the land, year upon year, even as the old city of Tyre has been now for over three hundred years.

 57 In these places, people who are continually overshadowed by a cloud of darkness become darker within themselves, and thievery, murder, and all manner of atrocities abound.

 58 Because these places continue to expand their darkness, much of the world would someday fall into darkness and evil if it was not countered by light. To prevent this, you shall now learn one of the great purposes of the Children of Light, and especially you whom I have called to be my Apostles.

 59 This you shall teach from generation to generation that the Children of Light might always be the hope of the world that knows them not.

 60 This task—to seek out vortexes of darkness and counter them and subdue them with your light and the Celestine Light that comes from Elohim—this is one of your most important tasks to fulfill for Elohim while you are in mortality.

 61 Gaining knowledge, adding to your character, growing in the understanding of the teachings of Elohim, raising your children well, being of service to others, and gathering and loving one another as brothers and sisters in communities—these are all wonderful and worthy endeavors, but they are pursued as much for your benefit as for others.

 62 But in countering vortexes of darkness, you are directly serving God, and helping to preserve the Eden of Earth that Elohim has given to the children of men that they may become more than they are.

 63 Let us go now into the temple, which is the center of the dark vortex, and I will further instruct you there.”

 64 As Yeshua bid, they followed him up the steps of the temple but were prevented from entering by two guards at the entrance. Yeshua asked to speak with the high priest, and one of the guards left and went into the temple to seek out someone in authority.

 65 When he returned, he was accompanied by a tall, richly adorned man with black hair wearing a headdress. The guard pointed out Yeshua, and the man walked over to him and said, “I am Ashtzaph, a priest of this temple. Are you pilgrims come to worship Ba’al Sur, Lord of Tyre?”

 66 Salome couldn’t help herself and let out an audible laugh at his words even as she covered her mouth with both of her hands.

 67 Ashtzaph scowled at her even as Yeshua cracked a subtle smile. Looking again at Yeshua, Ashtzaph said, “You look like Hebrew peasants by the way you are dressed, so you must be looking for work. Well, we have none, so be gone; your feet are despoiling the temple steps.”

 68 Yeshua looked him in the eye with the loving but piercing gaze that seemed to mesmerize people and told him, “If we may move aside I would speak to you in private, and I assure you it will be worth a few moments of your time.”

 69 “Unlikely, as you are already wasting my valuable time.” The priest sighed with exasperation. But he walked quickly over behind a pillar, and motioning for Yeshua to follow, he commanded, “Say your words quickly for I am a busy man.”

 70 “We need your temple for an hour.”

 71 “What?” Ashtzaph asked with incredulity.

 72 Yeshua repeated, “We need your temple for an hour, exclusively. No other people should be inside at the time.”

 73 “Are you mad!” Ashtzaph said raising his voice. “I should have you arrested for sacrilege upon the gods. We would not turn the temple over to a visiting king, much less a Hebrew peasant!” He then turned on his heel and began walking quickly back into the temple, yelling at the guards as he left, “Throw these scoundrels off the temple steps and do not even speak to them for they are dirt!”

 74 But as he entered again into the temple, he suddenly screamed a horrifying scream of terror. Ignoring the Hebrews, the guards ran into the temple to see the cause of the commotion. In moments, they came running out followed by Ashtzaph.

 75 “What was that all about?” Cephas wondered aloud as the men sped past him and down the street.

 76 “Snakes,” Miriam, who was standing near him, replied, “in fact, a great many angry cobras; all over the temple floor.”

 77 “Cobras!” Cephas shouted in surprise. Did you see some? Do you see cobras? If there are cobras, we should head in the same direction as the priest.”

 78 Miriam gave a little laugh. “There are no snakes, Cephas. It is only something Yeshua made them see. I think we should go quickly now into the temple before they return with more men to fight the cobras that are not there.”

 79 Stepping quickly, they all followed Yeshua into the temple, but scarcely had they passed the threshold than they were confronted by a beautiful young woman clothed in brilliant Tyrian purple robes that flowed lightly all around her in layers. A gold chain encircled her waist, and her long black hair flowed from her golden headdress down to the small of her back. “Who among you cast the spell of snakes?” she asked.

 80 “It was not a spell,” Yeshua answered.

 81 “But there are no snakes,” she replied, “only illusion.”

 82 “More than illusion,” Yeshua responded. “The power of suggestion upon minds that are weak is very powerful. In their, head was a reality. Had they been bitten, they would have died.

 83 “But you do not see the snakes, only the floor. And for this, you must be more than they are.”

 84 She held herself up a little straighter and replied, “I am Elissa, high priestess of the temple, and you are walking upon holy ground.”

 85 Before Yeshua could reply, Miriam stepped in front of him and said unto Elissa, “I am Miriam, wife of Yeshua of Nazareth who stands before you. If this ground is holy, it is only because Yeshua now stands upon it.”

 86 “The Galilean prophet?” Elissa asked.

 87 “Some have called him by that title,” Miriam replied. “How is it that you know of him, for this is the first we have visited Tyre.”

 88 “Pilgrims come from many lands, and there is little of significance that occurs within the realm of Rome that I am unaware of,” she answered. “I have heard of his miracles and now understand more how it is that the men thought they saw snakes.”

 89 “Are there others still within the temple?” Cephas interjected.

 90 She looked at him somewhat disdainfully. “There were others,” she answered, “but they all fled when they saw the cobras on every floor of the temple. I alone remain, but the others will soon return and likely, there will be soldiers with them.”

 91 She looked again at Yeshua. “Why are you here?” she asked pointedly.

 92 He answered her, saying, “We have come to cleanse your temple and this land of a great darkness. If you remain while the others have departed, it can only be because you are in harmony with the Celestine Light, even though you preside over darkness.”

 93 For a moment, with a scowl upon her beautiful face, Elissa seemed to contemplate an angry answer to Yeshua, but then her face softened and she smiled, “I do not preside. I am only the figurehead, the token virgin priestess. I have witnessed many vile abominations within these walls, but I do not partake of them, nor bless them, only endure the knowledge that they occur and there is nothing I can do to change that fact.”

 94 Now Yeshua spoke, saying, “You are truly a Child of Light, Elissa, cast among the darkness. We are not your enemies, but your friends, even your true brothers and sisters, with a love for you that is pure. Even now, you know in your heart that my words are true.”

 95 She smiled and shook her head affirmatively at the same time, saying, “I do feel a sweet harmony in your presence, and I feel no threat from any of you. And I do feel your love, which in truth, I cannot understand, for we are strangers.

 96 You have not answered my question, but do what you have come to do and I will not oppose you.”

 97 Elissa’s eyes opened in surprise as Yeshua boldly took her hand, which was never touched by priests or supplicants, and said unto her, “If you remain, you must be a part of what we are here to do, for there can be no spectators, only all united together as one. Come with us.”

 98 She looked at him with wonder, as if trying to fathom who she was beholding, and answered him, saying, “Lead, and I will follow.”

 99 Yeshua released her hand, and motioning to the others to proceed, they walked toward the center of the temple.

 100 There was a room at the center just large enough for them to all fit in with an altar off to one side and a beautiful motif on the floor in various-colored tiles.

 101 Yeshua bade them to form a circle in the room so that every woman had a man on either side of them, and he asked Elissa to stand between Cephas and his brother Yakov of Nazareth.

 102 Looking to Cephas, he asked, “Brother Cephas, would you please hand out to each person the tools I asked you to bring?”

 103 Nodding in acknowledgment, Cephas took a plain wooden box out from within his personal backsack. Opening it, he removed a linen wrap and, unraveling it, revealed many long, clear quartz crystal wands.

 104 Cephas cupped the linen with the wands close to him and then went around the circle, handing one to each person including Yeshua. When he returned to his spot in the circle, he held the last one. Had Elissa not joined them, they would have had one extra.

 105 Now Yeshua spoke to them, saying, “You hold in your hand, not solid water, but a common rock of the Earth, in a most uncommon form, grown into the shape that you see it by the very intention of Elohim, within the bowels of the Earth.

 106 “These wands, though extraordinary, have no power of their own, but are useful tools to help you focus and magnify the Celestine Light that flows in you, to call to you the greater forces beyond and to impede and counter dark forces that may oppose you such as this terrible vortex of darkness we stand within even now.”

 107 At his words, everyone looked around trying to see what it was he was speaking about and each cast glances at their wand, for never had they seen anything like it, and Cephas had not even hinted that he carried them.

 108 Yeshua spoke again, saying, “We are here to subdue the darkness and bring the Celestine Light that this city and the lands nearby may no longer have a shadow of death hanging over them.

 109 What I teach you today, you must teach to all other Children of Light wherever you find them, even as we have included Elissa with us this day. It matters not whether they are a part of our community or even associated with us.

 110 If you find them to be Children of Light in their hearts and the actions of their lives, share with them this knowledge as they are prepared to receive it, that they too may be a force for light against the darkness.

 111 We are standing within a dreadful vortex of darkness that has grown larger and larger, year by year, since the time of Alexander of Macedonia. It has brought a curse upon this city and land insomuch that it deadens the love and light and hope of the people. It grips their hearts with passionless disregard for life or virtue.

 112 The distance of this island city to the mainland doubled is how large a bite of the land this vortex now consumes.

 113 Let us begin by getting to know this monster. It is a ferocious whirlwind twirling rapidly, counter to the path of the Sun. We will subdue it by creating a more powerful opposing vortex of Celestine Light twirling in harmony with the Sun.

 114 There will be some among you who can see the aeon of this vortex of evil with their spiritual eyes. Others will be able to sense it and feel its putrid breath with their aura. A few may be able to both see and feel it, and some will be able to neither see it nor feel it at this time. Wherever you find yourself in your senses, you are all essential to our success.

 115 Close your eyes now and heighten your other senses. Hear the breathing of the person next to you and feel the warmth of their body.

 116 Now become aware of your personal aura, your sacred aeon. Feel it inside of you and surrounding you. Feel its movement through you and around you.

 117 Now become aware of the aura of the people on either side of you. Feel their aeon and let your aeon beat in one resonance and harmony with theirs.

 118 Now let the circle become united, one aura melded in harmony to the next and that melded in harmony to the one beside it and so on, until all within this circle are of one harmony of Celestine Light.

 119 Now that we are one light, we cannot be overcome by the darkness. Therefore, open your spiritual eyes and the fullness of your aura that you might see and feel the presence of the heartless monster whose maul we stand within. And speak out what it is you see or see not, feel or feel not.”

 120 As Yeshua directed, they all opened their spiritual eyes, and for some, this meant their physical eyes were open, while others kept their eyelids shut but reached out with eyes unseen to see that which physical eyes could not see.

 121 And each of them opened the shields of their aura that they could feel the well of darkness they stood within.

 122 Cephas was the first to speak. “I see it!” he proclaimed. “It is like the darkest cloud of the most terrible storm, circling us as fast as a whirlwind, but there is no wind,” he expressed in amazement.

 123 “I see it too,” exclaimed Philip, “but it is translucent, not black. I can barely make it out. It is like a mirage.”

 124 “I neither see nor feel anything,” Mattayah said with a tinge of disappointment.

 125 “I cannot see it,” said Yohhanan, “but opening my senses, I can feel a malevolent presence moving all around me, while I stand in a circle of golden protection.”

 126 One by one, they all reported that which they saw and felt or did not see or feel.

 127 And there were only four besides Yeshua who both saw and felt the whirlwind of darkness, and they were Miriam, Salome, Marit, and Elissa.

 128 But on this day, there was no hurt pride by the men that some of the women saw or felt what they did not, especially considering that other than Miriam, none were even Apostles. For on this day, at this moment, everyone was of one light and one heart and one thought.

 129 Yeshua spoke once again, saying, “In your lives, you will encounter vortexes of darkness of many sizes and power. Some will be smaller than a wisp of smoke from a camp fire. Others will be like this one: monsters upon the land.

 130 How large and powerful they are depends upon how dark was the deed that created them and how many years they have had to grow.

 131 Small vortexes, you can deal with individually, depending upon your natural ability and training. Larger ones require more Children of Light to be united in a circle of light.

 132 Within that circle, there will be some who are Adepts and others who are Neophytes, and this too must be taken into account, for three Adepts could subdue a vortex of the same size and power that would require one hundred Neophytes.

 133 But one Adept alone could only subdue a vortex of the same size and power that seven to nine Neophytes could subdue. Therefore, understand there is much greater power in two untied than there is in one and more still in three or twelve or more. Your individual power and intention is magnified many times by the number of you that stand shoulder to shoulder united as one.

 134 Even as you, my twelve Apostles, shall one day all be Adepts. And on that day, the power of you twelve as one shall exceed that of many thousands of novices. Therefore, take heed of my words and study and practice faithfully the secrets of Celestine Light that I share with you, that you can wield it with effectiveness in the name of Elohim.

 135 Now let us tame this beast. Each of you, take your left hand and place it on the right shoulder or waist of the person to your left. In this manner, we are all connected physically as well as aurically.

 136 Hold forth your wands with your right hand, pointing them just above our heads toward the center of our circle.

 137 Repeat now this prayer after me.” And they repeated each few words immediately after he spoke them, saying, “In the name of Elohim, we call upon the Celestine Light of Heaven to flow to us and through us, to magnify us, that we might be one with the aeon of Elohim, that we might serve our brothers and sisters and banish this darkness and free the land to live again in light. So be it!”

 138 As they spoke their last word, there was a brilliant beam of light that came forth from each of their wands, and colliding in the center of the circle, it produced a radiant flash of light that expanded quickly beyond the circle and past the confines of the room.

 139 Yeshua continued to lead them, saying, “Now hold your wands pointing not to the center, but up and to the left, angled up above the head of the person to your left.

 140 Call forth your essence from within you. At the bottom of each breath, focus your essence to flow through and up your right arm, into your hand. Swirl it then for a moment, building its power still greater until your body can no more contain it, and it bursts forth from the tip of your wand.

 141 Let the power continue to flow through you and up your arm and out of your wand. Do not allow yourself to become weakened by loss of your essence, but open yourself to receive the limitless Celestine Light of Heaven and send it out through your wand.

 142 We have formed our own vortex of Celestine Light, and it swirls now in the heart of the vortex of darkness.” And within the circle swirled the most amazing rainbow vortex made of innumerable scintillating points of light.

 143 Yeshua continued, “Keeping your wands pointing up, in unison so that everyone’s is pointing to the same degree, begin to physically swirl your wands in unison all around the circle as I do, passing over the head of each person in the circle including yourself.

 144 Let us continue this movement, increasing our speed with each revolution around the circle. Call up from within and out from the heavens for pure Celestine Light to flow to you and through you, and out your wand in unison with our brothers and sisters of the sacred circle.” And the beautiful rainbow vortex expanded as they moved their wands faster and faster with each revolution around the circle.

 145 Almost complete, my brothers and sisters,” Yeshua said supportively. “With one last intensity, send now a final burst of light out into this scarred land with a shout of Elqeris!” As Yeshua directed, so did they do.

 146 When it was done, most of them fell to the ground in exhaustion, for even with the aeon they had drawn from Heaven, they had still given up much of their essence.

 147 Cephas, Miriam, Yohhanan, and Yakov remained standing along with Yeshua, and he bid them to quickly go to their brothers and sisters and give them some of their essence that they might be revived, for Ashtzaph was returning in moments with soldiers.

 148 They did as Yeshua bid, and as a group, they were departing the temple just as Ashtzaph arrived with the other priests and soldiers. Ashtzaph ordered the soldiers to arrest the Hebrews because they had violated the temple.

 149 But Elissa made her way to the front of the confrontation and forbade the soldiers saying, “Cease! You will not arrest these good people. They have been in audience with me, and as high priestess, it is my prerogative to give audiences to whom I will.”

 150 Ashtzaph was grinding his teeth in frustration. It was he who ran the affairs of the temple, but by their own rules of faith, the high priestess was the direct representative of the God and could grant audiences to whomever she desired.

 151 “What of the snakes, highest one?” he said through a forced smile. “The soldiers must enter the sanctuary to rid us of the vipers.”

 152 “The snakes are no more,” Elissa said dismissively.

 153 “No more?” stuttered Ashtzaph. “But how can that be? There were hundreds of them.”

 154 Elissa stood straight and tall and stared at Ashtzaph until he looked down, saying, “You do forget yourself, Ashtzaph, and that it is the high priestess of Ba’al who tells you that the snakes are no more.”

 155 Looking very confused and flustered, Ashtzaph nodded his head, saying “Of course, it is as you say.” Then turning to the soldiers, he bid them return to their barracks and assured them that all was well.

 156 After the soldiers had departed and Ashtzaph and the priests had entered the temple, Elissa remained to say some words of parting to Yeshua. She looked at him crestfallen and said, “Having tasted the sweetest of fruit, how can I ever go back to eating dirt?”

 157 Before he could answer, Talitha interjected, saying, “Come with us, Elissa. You are one of the Children of Light.”

 158 But Elissa shook her head sadly, saying, “Would that I could, for my heart longs to be with you and aches already at the thought of being apart from you. But I am chained to this temple until the day I die, which is only a few more years, for high priestesses are not allowed to live past thirty, but are given in sacrifice on the high holy day to Ba’al.

 159 While I live in the temple, I am treated like royalty, but were I to voluntarily take a step onto the ground away from the temple, I would cease to be high priestess and would be given in sacrifice on the very next holiday.”

 160 Well, that makes it easy,” said Philip who was standing near. “We will just come back and kidnap you. If we wait for a moon or so, your disappearance will not be associated with us, and if by some chance we are caught, you will not be sacrificed because you did not leave voluntarily.”

 161 “Thank you, noble Philip,” she whispered. “But were I to taste freedom among the light and then be caught and returned to slavery in the darkness, I fear I would so despair that I would welcome death. And even if it did not come then, I have only a few years remaining as high priestess.”

 162 Yeshua comforted her, “Fear not, good sister of the light. We will not abandon you to live among the darkness or die before your time. Even as Philip has said, we will return for you, but perhaps not so overtly as a kidnapping.

 163 You are blessed with the Holy Spirit of Elohim to be ever with you and comfort you until the day we shall return for you. Therefore, be of good cheer. I will come to you in your dreams and make all known to you that needs to be known to bring you safely among us.”

 164 “Thank you” was all she said, and then she slipped quickly back into the temple lest she draw too much attention by lingering with the Hebrews.

 165 As they turned to depart, Cephas looked at Yeshua and said unto him, “This has been an event-filled day. I think we shall have much to talk about this evening.”

 166 “Yes,” Yeshua agreed, “more than you know.”