This is a novel and an allegorical story about some knights who travel on a quest to reach a beautiful kingdom called the Kingdom of Heaven. As they go, they encounter giants, evil knights, swamps, perils, cliffs, dungeons, castles, evil Medieval lords, traps, dark forests, cunning enemies, and powerful weapons. They must fight for their lives and overcome all obstacles with the use of their weapons and armor, namely the Sword of the Spirit, and the Shield of Faith, and the power of God.
- BOOK 2 -
Faith Challenged
- A Novel / Allegory -
By: Justin Brown (a pen name)
Date Created: Jan. 23, 2019
Chapter 11
(Chapter 12 will soon be posted up. It is the last chapter in Book 2.)
The Pursuit Through the
Forest
[Barbute:
This was a 15th century helmet which often had a Y-or-T-shaped
facial opening in the front for breathing and visibility. Some had an arched
opening, but the opening was still smallish compared to that of other helmet
styles. Unique among the barbute designs, those with a Y-shaped opening had a
projection to guard the nose.] [Canter: The pace of a horse that is slower than a gallop but faster than a
trot. It is the medium speed of a horse.]
The foremost rider swore
under his breath and thought to himself: ‘I will kill those men for speaking
strange and perverse things to the town of Rebellion. I will also kill them to
avenge the deaths of all who lived in the town. It is in ruins ‒ a blackened
heap of rubble ‒ thanks to them and their God. And Elihu, my good
friend, died because of them. Those pilgrims shall not escape my wrath!’
“What is it, Jehoiakim?”
Ahaziah Bronze-smith said as he turned his head.
“I believe we are not far
from our prey,” Jehoiakim Iron-fist said with an evil glint in his eyes.
“You’re right,” Ahaziah said,
smiling wickedly. “I will make those pilgrims suffer a cruel death for all the
evil they have done. And, Markus Christian shall be the first to go.”
The Hill of Difficulty
A very steep, rocky hill rose
up high above the 15 pilgrims. The forest bordered it but stopped at its lower
end, leaving the hill bare of trees. The pilgrims had just emerged from the
forest and found themselves in open ground, staring up at a new challenge.
“That looks rather
treacherous,” Captain Herring said quietly as he gazed up the hill. “I don’t
think I want to go that way.”
Their path climbed along the
side of the steep, rocky hill, zigzagging back and forth with switchbacks. In
places along the path were piles of broken chunks of rock, which they might
have to climb over.
“Captain Bartholomew,” Markus
said, turning toward the ship captain, “God will give us the power to overcome
all hardships. We can count on His provision. He got us through the swamp.”
On one side of the rugged
path were jagged rocks and crags (cliffs). On the other side, a steep,
rocky slope ran down toward the forest below. There were no railings to prevent
them from tumbling down the hill and hitting jagged boulders near the bottom.
“Well, I guess I’ll give it a
try,” Captain Herring said with some reluctance.
“It does look a bit
difficult,” Henry said as his eyes swept up the hillside. “But, God will help
us climb it up. I mean, climb up it. I’ve been through worse than this. ”
“You’re right, Henry,” Andrew
Strong-heart said. “Let’s continue our journey. We’ll soon reach the top.”
Trying to walk around the
boulder would be very hard due to loose rocks and a very steep slope on the
left, and a steep cliff on the right. Markus realized that he had reached an impasse.
So, he began praying. [Impasse:
This refers to a thing which prevents (or stops) further progress.]
“Now, we are stuck,” Gregory
said from behind Markus. “But, God will come through. I believe He will. He
didn’t fail us when we were in the pit. So, He must not fail us now.”
“My son, Markus,” God’s voice
spoke to him, “I want you to speak to the others and have them ask Me to
provide them with a wall of fire. This wall of fire will destroy all boulders
and obstacles on this steep hill. Trust Me, and you will see the fire fall.
And, I the LORD your God and Abba Father have spoken.”
Markus thanked God for the
input and told his friends what he had heard. Then, the group began praying.
Suddenly, a whooshing,
crackling sound came, and Markus opened his eyes to see a huge, bright wall of
14-foot-high flames undulating (moving
like waves) and flickering about
twelve feet in front of him. The wall of fire completely encircling the group
of fifteen. In seconds, it began vaporizing a portion of the boulder closest to
Markus.
“This is incredible,” Captain
Herring said from the middle of the column of pilgrim knights. “This has to be
a work of God. Does the Bible speak of this?”
Looking at him, Andrew
Strong-heart said: “This is a literal wall of fire. A metaphorical wall of fire is mentioned in Zechariah chapter 2,
verse 5. In it, God says: ‘[5] For I, saith the Lord, will be unto
her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.’ [Zechariah
2:5.] The ‘her’ refers to Jerusalem, which symbolizes God’s people,
believers in Jesus. This verse is speaking of how God surrounds us like a wall
of fire. Now, we have a physical wall of fire about us.”
[Metaphor: This refers to language that is symbolic.
Metaphoric symbols represent other things. A sword represents the Word of God,
the Bible. A shield represents faith in God’s Word and in God’s Name (or in who
He is). Fire represents God’s hand of protection surrounding His children.]
“But, isn’t this just
speaking about Jews?” said Gregory White-peak, the grey-haired 27-year-old.
Andrew faced him and replied:
“Galatians chapter 3, verses 28 and 29, says: ‘[28] There is
neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male
nor female : for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if ye be Christ’s, then
are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.’ [Galatians
3:28-29.]”
“Okay. That makes sense,”
Gregory said, scratching his short, grey beard.
“Let’s go forward,” Markus
said as he started walking toward the wall of fire.
As he approached it, the fire
began to move with him, and it consumed the rest of the boulder. In seconds,
the mass of stone was turned to vapor and dust.
“My son,” God spoke to
Markus, “tell the group that these flames will not hurt a Christian who walks
the pilgrim life. It will only harm rocks or obstacles. It will protect you
from danger and keep you safe. You are safe under My wing. But, don’t walk away
from My best will and seek to do your own will. Nonetheless, I will give you
grace and call out to you if you turn away from Me. But, you don’t want to do
that, I am sure. And, I the LORD your God have spoken.”
“Thank you, Father God. I
want to walk closely with you and rest in you. I will tell the group,” Markus
said.
He then informed them of what
God had told him.
“I don’t want to go beyond
God’s best will,” Andrew said, “because He loves us, and He knows what is good
for us and what would bring Him glory.”
“That’s right,” Markus said.
Then, the group continued their
ascent. When they were now two-thirds of the way up the big hill, Gregory
shouted, “Look out!”
Thump. Crunch. Thump. A huge
boulder came tumbling down the side of the hill, heading straight for the
pilgrims.
“Help!” Henry cried as he
looked up.
Seeing it plunging toward
them filled their eyes with fear. Men raised their shields and others cried out
to God. Several of the knights in the rear of the column bolted toward the wall
of fire and passed through it, unscathed.
At the same time, a second
boulder, which was covered with burning pitch, tumbled down toward the path
directly in front of them. This boulder landed first with a heavy thud
and lodged itself in front of the pilgrims.
The men only had a second to
assess their situation, for the other boulder had hit a ledge and was now
airborne. The huge mass of rock was plummeting straight toward the group of 15.
In less than a second, it would reach them.
As the huge boulder came
within fifteen feet of the group, the wall of fire suddenly shot up and formed
a solid dome around the pilgrims within the ring. The giant rock was turned to
atoms – whoosh – by the supernatural fire.
No harm came to those within
the dome. But, chunks of rock that had not touched the dome crashed to the path
and split into shards. Crash. Some of these fast-flying shards
struck four pilgrims who had fled through the wall of fire. Ping. Clang.
Thankfully, it only glanced off their armor.
“You out there, come back,”
Captain Herring shouted to the men outside the translucent (partially see-through) dome of fire.
Thump. Crunch. Thump. A third boulder came tumbling straight toward the men
outside the dome.
“Lookout. A boulder!”
Bartholomew cried, pointing up at the tumbling rock.
The men ran toward the wall
of fire and jumped through just as the 80-ton rock smashed into the ground ‒ boom ‒ where they were standing. Part of it was vaporized by the fiery dome.
The remainder rested on the path behind them in large, broken chunks.
“We must stay inside
this dome,” Markus said, turning toward the four who barely made it through the
wall of fire.
Markus then walked toward the
boulder in front of them, and it began vaporizing as the moving dome of fire
reached it. Soon, it was completely gone, and their way was clear again.
Several minutes passed with
no more boulders tumbling down the hillside. For a period of time, it was
rather calm. But, several of the men were jittery. When they were close to the
top of the hill, the dome of fire stopped moving forward.
“Why have we stopped walking?”
a knight at the rear of the column said.
“The dome will not move an
inch in any direction,” Markus said, turning around. “I’ve tried walking
forward, but the fire stays put. Let’s wait and see what God has us do.”
A couple minutes passed.
“I’m tired of waiting,” Ahab
Green-sword, a pilgrim knight at the rear of the group, said with frustration. “I’m
going to go back down the hill and try an easier path up to the top. Or, I’ll
just go around this miserable hill.”
“Don’t leave the dome of
fire. It is God’s protection for us in this test,” Markus cautioned as he
looked at the disgruntled man.
“I’m going,” Ahab stubbornly
said as he turned and walked through the fire, again unharmed by the flames.
He was now outside the dome
and walking briskly down the hill. Suddenly, a huge jet of flames shot out from somewhere up the hill. It roared down
toward the wayward pilgrim and surrounded him with a fiery aerosol mixture. The flames heated his armor to a cherry red, and he
screamed in pain. Without waiting a second more, Ahab ran toward the dome of
protection.
[Jet: A concentrated
stream of fluid (a gas or a liquid) that comes through a nozzle at high
pressure.] [Aerosol: A
mixture of solid or liquid particles in a gas. It usually is a flammable
spray.]
As he reached it, the fiery
dome was suddenly, miraculously changed to water. The water instantly cooled
his armor and God’s power healed him of his burns. The man was breathing deeply
and dripping with water, grateful for God’s mercy and love. He knew that if he
had not run for the dome of protection, he would be toast.
The Burning Flame
Markus turned his attention
toward the top of the hill. He could now see a giant standing behind a 10-foot-long,
metal cylinder. The cylinder was fastened, on a pivot, to a metal framework or
stand.
Markus was relieved to see
that the giant’s flamethrower could not penetrate God’s dome of fire.
[A description of the
giant’s flamethrower: The
flamethrower in this scene was based off an ancient flamethrower device that
was used in ancient China. It uses a piston; a torch fixed to a rod; a
reservoir of fuel; piping; valves; and a special nozzle to send a spray of fuel
toward a hot flame. The flame ignites the spray and creates a ball of fire that
can reach targets a number of yards from the nozzle.
The operator of this
ancient flamethrower simply moves a handle attached to metal rod to cause the
piston to pump fuel through the nozzle, which turns it into a spray. Valves
keep the liquid fuel from flowing the wrong direction so that the piston can
pump fuel as the piston is drawn back again. The aerosol spray would ignite
once it reached a torch or brazier fastened to a rod jutting out from the front
of the machine.]
“That monster will roast us
alive,” Captain Herring said anxiously from behind Markus.
“But,” Markus replied, “you
saw the ball of fire being absorbed by our dome of protection. Let’s just
follow the path, and I believe we will be safe.”
The giant with the
flamethrower swiveled his weapon toward the pilgrims as they walked up to the
top of the hill and across a flat area of green turf. The massive knight was
wearing the same type of armor as that worn by other giants. It was dark grey
and covered every part of his large frame (or
body).
As he watched his foe, Markus
could now see that the giant was beginning to push a handle connected to a
metal rod. The rod passed through a tight-fitting hole in the back of the
cylinder. Just then, another ball of fire rushed through the air. But this
spray of fire did nothing, except to keep the pilgrims on their toes, so to
speak.
While they walked down the
trail, Markus glanced down at the giant’s armored legs and noticed that a
large, strong shackle was fastened around his left ankle. A chain ran from the
leg shackle up to a rock where it was attached to. On his helmet skull was painted a word in red: “Fear.” [Helmet skull: The part of a helmet that covers
the skull.]
The Encounter
At last, the group of ten had
gotten beyond the range of the Giant Fear’s flamethrower, and beyond his
sight. As they did, the protective wall of fire became invisible and intangible.
They were now walking among the trees of a large, hardwood forest. The
landscape consisted of gently rolling, wooded hills and meadows. Tamarack,
beech, oak, and white pine trees rose up from the forest floor like great,
leaf-covered pillars. Bracken and other shrubs filled the space between the
trees, making the forest very dense and somewhat shaded.
“Praise God for delivering us
from that giant,” Andrew said as he looked up and closed his eyes.
“God protected us,” Markus
said with relief and joyfulness. “It was His power, and His power alone that
got us through that trial of faith.”
“We couldn’t have done it
without the Almighty, our Father God,” Henry added, smiling. “I was afraid that
burst of fire would kill us, but God was aware of that too.”
“He was,” Andrew said,
nodding.
The pilgrims walked for half
a mile, talking as they went. As they arrived at a moss-covered boulder,
suddenly, a sable horse trotted out of the trees in front of them. Atop the
steed sat a man wearing a dark cowl. Resting around his upper body was
powerful weapon: a longbow. The large, cloak hood shaded his face and kept it
in shadows. Rustling came from bushes to Markus’s left and right. Then, men
wearing cowls and armed with bent longbows came from the forest, walking
forward slowly. Sharp arrows were aimed at the pilgrims’ hearts.
[Cowl: It is a long, hooded cloak with sleeves. The cowl was commonly
worn by monks during the Middle Ages (and in later periods). But, other people
also put it on.]
Just as the horse rider had
come from the trees, Markus and the other pilgrims had noticed that their armor
was fading to a translucent hue. Then, it no longer appeared. Their white
tunics, leather boots, and trousers showed up as the metal faded from view.
[Note: Since the
pilgrims’ armor was spiritual, it became invisible when lost humans were
present. But, the arrows and weapons carried by the pilgrims’ foes did not
fade. They were of a physical nature.]
The rider of the horse
dismounted his steed and tied its reins to a tree limb. He removed his hood,
revealing a dark-grey barbute helmet with a Y-shaped facial opening. He opened
a large, leather bag behind the horse saddle and checked to make sure his money
bag within it was safe. A quiver filled with arrows was fastened to the other
side of the horse, near the saddle.
[Barbute: This was a
15th century helmet which often had a Y-or-T-shaped facial opening
in the front for breathing and visibility. It was probably based on the Greek
Corinthian helmet.]
Reaching into the quiver, he
drew out five arrows. Then, after removing his longbow, he placing an arrow on
the bowstring and turned to face the white-clad pilgrims.
Markus, seeing the rider’s
face for the first time since the man had ridden up, recognized the
clean-shaven face and short, brown hair of Ahaziah Bronze-smith. But, Markus
didn’t remember the long scar that now appeared on the man’s right cheek.
“Ahaziah,” Markus said,
looking at his former friend, “what are you doing here with that bow?”
Markus remembered that it was
Ahaziah who had joined Jehoiakim Iron-fist and Elihu Coppersmith in forsaking
the path to Heaven. The three men had left the rest of the pilgrims when the
good knights had been confronted with a major hindrance to their progress: the
fortified bridge of Baron Conniving Unbelief.
“Markus, Markus,” Ahaziah
said with a cold smile on his face, “I have come to put an end to your quest.
You have long been a grief to me and my acquaintances.”
“What do you mean?” Markus
said, watching the man’s longbow, which was aimed at the ground.
Markus also remembered, with
a chill in his spine, that it was Ahaziah who had uttered a threat to kill him
when Elihu had suffered from a massive heart attack in the town of Rebellion.
“Life can be hard when you
have a debt to pay,” Ahaziah said.
“What is your debt that you
must pay? You’re speaking in riddles,” Markus said, trying to keep the fear out
of his voice.
“I work for the devil now,”
Ahaziah said. “And, he is a cruel master. But, I must pay the debt I owe to my
own zeal for justice. Today is your last day on earth, Markus.”
Fear shot through Markus’s
body as he saw his former friend draw the longbow suddenly and point an arrow
straight at his chest.
“You want to kill me?” Markus
said, trembling slightly. “Why?”
“I said I work for the devil
now,” Ahaziah said as he trained his bent bow at Markus, “and I owe a debt to
my zeal for justice. You killed Elihu when he withstood you. So, you shall die.”
“I didn’t kill him at all,”
Markus said. “You saw me. Neither I nor any of my friends touched him. We did
no harm to his person. I have witnesses who can testify.”
“I hate you, Markus, because
you love what I hate, and hate what I love. You are for God, and I am against
God. So, you will die, Markus,” Ahaziah said with a cold, cruel expression on his
face.
Ahaziah stepped back a few
feet. As he backed up, he stepped into an area of ground he hadn’t walked
before. The hate-filled archer prepared to release his arrow, but as he did, he
backed up a little more and suddenly stepped into a camouflaged pitfall.
His feet broke through a leaf-covered hatched made of thin sticks, and he
plunged down through a deep shaft in the ground.
[Pitfall: A pitfall
is a deep hole, or pit, or hollow shaft in the ground which is concealed by a
flimsy trap door or cover. The intention is that the pit cover will break when
a person steps on it. It breaks under his weight, and he falls down into the
shaft.]
Due to his sudden fall, the
arrow he had prepared to fire had completely missing its target.
“Get me out of here,” Ahaziah
said harshly with great frustration and annoyance.
“If we rescue you, Ahaziah,
you’ll have to give us all the money on your horse,” said one man with a dark
beard and an eye patch as he leaned over the edge of the pit.
“No,” Ahaziah said. “I will not
give you any more money than I said I’d pay you.”
“Then, you will have to stay
down there,” the patch-eyed man said, chuckling. “And, we won’t kill your
enemies, but we will take your money and divide it up.”
Hearing that, Ahaziah cursed
and uttered profanity. Then, he said, “Get me out of this pit!”
An arrow shot up out of the
pit–zip–and flew high into the air. It began to lose momentum and came
plummeting down toward the trees many yards from the dirt road.
But, the two men left the
shaft entrance and walked over to Ahaziah’s horse. The patch-eyed man unfastened a leather bag from the horse
saddle and undid some drawstrings on the bag. Then, he removed his own cowl and dropped it onto the grass near the
path. The other archers walked over to the two men with Ahaziah’s moneybag and
watched as its contents spilled out onto the cloak. Gold coins ringed together
as they poured onto the fabric.
“Divide it between all four
of us,” one of the men said.
“That shall be done,” the man
with the patch eye said as he began separating the coins into four piles. The
man counted each pile to make sure they had an equal number of coins. Then, he
scooped up one pile and shoved it into a money bag fastened to his belt. The
other men did the same with their piles.
Having parted the money among
them, the four men walked back into the forest and soon reemerged, leading four
horses. Mounting their chargers, the four cantered away down the path and soon
disappeared around a bend in the path. When they were gone, Markus breathed a
sigh of relief and walked over to the edge of the pit. Andrew followed him.
“Ahaziah,” Markus said, “are
you injured?”
But, the man in the pit
cursed at Markus and uttered hateful words replete (i.e. filled) with profanity. “I will kill you, Markus,” Ahaziah said. “I will kill
you and then I will kill those thieves who stole from me.”
Feeling compassion for his
enemy, Markus said, “I can try to find a rope to get you out of the pit.”
“I don’t want you to get me out of this pit!” Ahaziah said bitterly. Then, he placed an arrow on his bowstring and pointed the sharp tip up at Markus. The pilgrim quickly backed away from the entrance, just before the arrow shot up through the pitfall.
“I don’t want you to get me out of this pit!” Ahaziah said bitterly. Then, he placed an arrow on his bowstring and pointed the sharp tip up at Markus. The pilgrim quickly backed away from the entrance, just before the arrow shot up through the pitfall.
“It’s sad that he doesn’t
want our help. He is so hardened,” Markus said to the rest of the pilgrims.
“Why would you like to help
him? He wants to kill us,” Ahab Green-sword said, surprised.
“You’re right, but I thought
he might soften toward us if we show him Christ-like love,” Markus said.
Ahab just shook his head and
sighed. Then, Markus said, “Jesus wants us to do good to those who are unkind
to us, as much as possible and by His power.”
“I remember a certain Bible
passage,” Andrew said. “The Lord Jesus said these words in Matthew chapter
5, verses 44 and 45: ‘[44] But I say unto you, Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them
which despitefully use you, and persecute you ; [45] that ye may be the
children of your Father which is in heaven : for he maketh his sun to rise on
the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.’”
“Hmm,” Ahab said with a
frown.
“I see something near the
pit,” Gregory said. He was standing about four feet from the edge of the shaft
entrance. He looked toward the ground and knelt down.
“What do you see, Gregory?” Andrew said.
“It’s a ground-level, stone
plaque in the grass that reads, ‘Beware of the pitfalls of bitterness
and hatred,’” Gregory said before he slowly stood up.
As he spoke, loud cursing,
death threats, and profanity came from the pit where Ahaziah had fallen. So,
the men walked away from the vicinity of the pit and stepped back onto the dirt
road.
“Folks, we better watch out
for pitfalls in this area,” Andrew said as he paused on the road. “If we remain
on the path of life that Jesus walked, we will be safe.”
Looking toward Gregory and
Andrew, Markus said, “Proverbs chapter 4, verse 23, says: ‘[23] Keep thy heart
with all diligence ; for out of it are the issues of
life.’
And, Proverbs 4:26 and 27 says: ‘[26] Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy
ways be established. [27] Turn not to the right hand nor to the left :
remove thy foot from evil.’”
“This is very good, Markus,”
Andrew said gravely. “I want to remember that and not forget how bitterness is
a pitfall.”
Henry said, “I remember now
how our Lord Jesus Christ spoke about bitterness. In Matthew chapter 6,
verses 14 and 15, Jesus said, ‘[14] For if ye
forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you : [15] but
if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses.’”
“What
does that mean?” Captain Bartholomew Herring said, confused.
“God can’t forgive a man or
woman who is stubbornly unwilling to repent from sin,” Markus said. “Such
a person is very hardened and does not love God. If we love Jesus, we’ll obey
Him. In John chapter 14, verse 23, it says: ‘[23] Jesus answered
and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words : and my Father will
love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.’”
“That’s right,” Gregory said,
thoughtfully. “Someone who hates the Lord Jesus would not want to obey Him.
They might claim to love Him, but by refusing to obey Him, they are showing, by
their choices, that they don’t love God.”
A pause followed as the men
pondered over what was said. Then, Markus breathed deeply and said, “Why don’t
we move on, brothers?”
Soon, the group of 15
pilgrims was walking down the forest trail. As they ambled, their shiny
armor reappeared. Grateful to have it back, they started walking faster and
talking more loudly and joyfully. Half an hour later, they saw 15 white horses
with empty saddles trotting their way. [Amble:
Walk slowly.]
“Look, it’s our horses,”
Henry said, surprised. “God is again providing us with strong chargers.”
The men mounted the horses.
Sending their steeds off at a cantering pace, they covered ground much faster.
Soon, they came to a place in the forest where the trees grew less dense, and
more blue sky appeared through the forest canopy. Scattered about the forest
floor were fairly dense clusters of leafy bushes, appearing here and there, and
a carpet of dry pine needles.
Markus soon noticed something
missing from the forest scenery. The background sounds of chirping birds, which
flitted among the branches of the trees, was gone. Suddenly, the sound of
galloping hooves reached Markus’s ears. Then, he turned to his left and saw
knights on horseback charging his way. The knights were wearing black and red
surcoats and carried iron lances with sharp tips. Shields appeared fastened to
their other arms.
“Watch out! Trouble has come
our way!” Henry shouted back to the men riding behind him.
“Trouble Has Come”
The pilgrims shut their
helmet visors and drew their broadswords.
The pounding sound of hooves
thumping against turf grew louder. Thuh-thump. Thuh-thump. Thuh-thump. More
enemy knights came into view and lowered their steel lances. Kicking their
horses’ sides, they sent the animals charging straight toward the pilgrim
knights. Lance tips were trained on their targets, ready to punch through
armor.
Then, – crash – sharp
lance tips slammed into the shields of the pilgrims, knocking most off their
horses. The good knights hit the ground hard, but their armor protected them
from injury. Their horses ran off into the forest, and the men on the ground
groaned and slowly rose to their feet.
In the first wave of the
attack, Markus had been unseated from his horse. His broadsword rested on the
ground beside him four feet away. Lying on the grass, he breathed deeply, but
he felt soreness in his back. He had hit a rock when he fell from the horse.
So, Markus began praying to God for help, healing, and deliverance. Slowly, the
soreness began to leave and peace started to return to his body.
Suddenly, an evil knight came
thundering toward him with a sharp lance tip pointed at him. Markus quickly
rolled to the side and held up his shield. The lance hit it – clang, but
it glanced off the shield.
Following just a few yards
behind the first, a second enemy knight charged toward him, but this time,
Markus grabbed his broadsword and stood to his feet. Thuh-thump. Thuh-thump.
Thuh-thump. Horse hooves approached rapidly. As the enemy’s sharp lance tip
shot toward him, the pilgrim knight suddenly struck the lance with his sword, –
clang – and the long, metal pole flew out of the rider’s hand. Markus
had hit it with all his might.
The pilgrim knight grabbed
the fallen lance and soon saw a third knight charging toward him. Holding the
lance as if it were a spear, he kept the lance tip pointed toward the ground.
With thunderous fury, the enemy knight galloped toward him with a lowered
lance. Then, just as the knight on the horse came within twenty feet from him,
Markus threw the lance hard.
It struck – chunk –
the enemy knight in the upper breastplate, and punched through his armor.
Having the combined speed of the horse and rider, and its own motion through
the air, the lance was able to barely penetrate the rider’s breastplate. But,
the tip only scratched the skin of the foe. Drawing it out of his armor, the
knight prepared to charge again.
“Father God, will you give me
something to unseat that knight with?” Markus said.
“Yes, My son,” God’s kind
voice said. “My son, look below you.”
[Note about this halberd:
A battle axe head appeared on the wooden shaft of this halberd a few inches
below the sword. Like other halberds, the rear end of the axe head had a
curved, metal hook or pick. But, a sword replaced the spear tip on this
particular weapon.]
Sheathing his sword, Markus
took the halberd in his hands. He was not a moment too late, for the enemy
knight was now galloping toward him with a lowered lance. As the lance tip
closed in on him, Markus suddenly struck it – clang – with the sword
blade of his halberd. The lance flew out of the rider’s hands.
Then, as the man on the horse
charged past him, Markus quickly reached up to his neck with his halberd’s
curved metal pick (or hook). The halberd pick snagged the foe around his neck
and violently unseated him from his horse. And, the rider fell to the ground
with a heavy thud.
“We will destroy you soon,”
said Doubt, the evil knight. “God will not deliver you from us. You have
no hope.”
Markus shook his head and
replied: “God’s Word says, ‘[37] Nay, in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him that loved us.’ [Romans 8:37.]”
Uttering a string of bitter
curses at Markus, the evil creature slowly stood to his feet and limped off
into the forest. As he did, Markus noticed that the thunder of horse hooves and
the clash of metal still filled the air.
He was now able to watch his
friends battle their foes in the forest. The other pilgrim knights had also
called upon God to equip them for this fight, and each man was now armed with a
halberd like Markus’s. Markus could see that the pilgrims were starting to get
the upper hand in their fight with the enemy. Clang. Ring. Clash. Ding. Several
evil knights were already unseated, and they fought with the pilgrim knights on
the ground. Enemy shields were starting to crack, and dark-grey sallet helmets
were being dent in.
But just then, a deep, dull
thumping sound came from the forest. Thump. Boom. Thump. Boom. The
ground seemed to vibrate with each thump. ‘What could possibly make that
sound?’ Markus wondered. ‘Is that thumping sound a ground tremor or a small earthquake?’ Then, his eyes widened with fear as
he looked up.
[Tremor: A small
earthquake which is usually caused by a movement of the crust of the earth at a
fault.] [Fault: A seismic
fault happens when there is a sudden movement of rock layers in the crust of
the earth. This sudden movement, or displacement, in the rock layers causes a
break or a crack which can appear on the surface of the earth. It is called a
fault line when it is seen on the surface of the earth.]
Chapter 12
The Giant of Pride and
Haughtiness
Thump. Boom. Thump.
Boom. Thump. Boom. Every heavy footfall caused the ground to shake
slightly as a colossus of a giant came tromping through the forest. His
helmeted head rose up high among the cedar, birch, and elm trees. This
incredibly-tall knight appeared to be at least 110 feet in stature. Markus
found it hard to believe what he was seeing. The monster was a higher than the
oldest trees in this part of the forest, and he was stout and strong-looking.
[Armet helmet:
An armet helmet was similar to the close helmet. But, the armet contained two
hinging cheek pieces, which opened so that the wearing could put the helmet on.
This helmet was tight-fitting, so it needed to be hinged open. In contrast, a
close helmet opened in the front of the helmet rather than on the sides. The
armet opened by unfastening two cheek pieces on the left and right. When they
were closed, the cheek pieces would overlap, and pivoting hooks would engage
staples (i.e. U-shaped pieces of metal).]
[This particular armet helmet has two ram horns attached to its skull
temples. The helmet skull is the part of the helmet that covers the human
skull.]
[Haughty: Behaving
in an arrogant, prideful way that despises or thinks less of others.]
A Bible verse suddenly came
to Markus: “[2]
When pride cometh, then cometh shame : but with the lowly is wisdom.” [Proverbs
11:2.]
As the colossal monster came
thumping across the land, the pilgrims began to tremble. The closer the giant
got, the more his every step began to send vibrations up Markus’s legs and
through his spine.
“Father God,” Markus said
quietly, “how do we defeat this extremely massive foe? He is larger than
anything I’ve encountered so far.”
“My son,” God’s kind voice
said, “there is a metal chain connected to a tree. The giant will walk past
that tree, but you need to draw him to chase you. Then, other men will grab the
drooping end of the chain and they will raise it up the side of a different
tree. There is a metal hook, which has been prepared aforehand for this
purpose. This is the trip chain of faith and
the hook of belief. Hook the chain across the path of the giant,
at the right moment, and he will fall to the ground, and you will be able to
conquer him.”
[Aforehand: Before,
earlier, or at an earlier date.]
“Thank you for what you have
shown me, Father God,” Markus said.
“You little humans will fall
prey to my power,” the evil giant suddenly roared as he walked forward. His
deep, booming voice sounded somewhat like a lion roaring, but it was much
louder and deeper.
“Will you help me to find the
chain you spoke of?” Markus asked God.
“Yes, My son,” God said, “it
is near that large rock you see before you.”
Markus was looking at a large
boulder which rested at the foot of a huge cedar tree 60 feet from him. His
sharp eyes caught a glimpse of a small portion of a large, iron chain fastened
to a thick, metal loop embedded in the base of the large cedar. Part of the
chain was hidden from view by leafy, forest undergrowth.
The 110-foot-tall giant was tromping three hundred feet from the cedar tree (which had the embedded loop in its base). He was wielding his powerful, iron hammer, swinging it in circles through the air. Occasionally, the hammer broke tree limbs in half as if they were matchsticks.
The giant suddenly swung his
enormous hammer toward a pilgrim near his feet who was trying to run away. The
pilgrim was fleeing for his life, but he stopped suddenly. A shadow had fallen
on the ground directly ahead of him – the shadow of a great hammer.
The giant’s colossal hammer
swung down with great momentum and slammed into the ground – CRUNCH –
right in front of him. The beastly weapon sent up a spray of broken rock
pieces as it turned a boulder into flying gravel. Rock chunks struck the
pilgrim knight’s armor – pong, ding, ping – and bounced
off.
Markus was shocked by how
huge the giant’s hammer was. Sizing it up, he thought the weapon must weigh a
little over 107 English tons. The length of its head was about 14 feet, and its
head width was 5 feet. Few boulders would be able to survive a blow from this
massive head of iron. ‘How then could a pilgrim knight survive this weapon?’
Markus thought.
[Note: Markus saw
that the hammer head was 14 feet long, 7 feet high, and 5 feet wide. It was
made of solid iron. One cubic foot of iron weighs about 491 pounds. That
is over 120 tons. (It is roughly 107 British tons.)]
As the giant raised the
hammer upward for another strike, Markus caught sight of a phrase in red
lettering on the head of the hammer: “Extreme Conceit, Pride, and
Hardness of Heart.”
The knight being attacked
suddenly removed his helmet and tossed it – along with his sword and
shield – to the ground. With disgust and hatred, he trampled on the
helmet of salvation and began cursing God. Markus could now see that the knight
was Ahab Green-sword. ‘Why is he cursing God?’ Markus thought, troubled.
“I hate you, God!” Ahab
shouted. “You’ve ruined my life! I am done with seeking your will. Now, I will
do my own will. I will be my own man and live how I want to live!”
‘Why is he saying that?’
Markus thought.
The giant watched the tiny
human below him and gave an evil, deep, booming laugh.
“My son,” God’s kind voice
spoke to Markus, “speak to the giant and get him to come your way. I will have
my golden knights attach the chain right when it is needed to fell this giant
of pride. And, I the LORD your God and Abba Father have spoken.”
But, Markus hesitated. He
could see the giant preparing to make another powerful hammer blow, and he was
afraid of being hit by the monster’s massive weapon. That hammer, Markus knew,
could destroy the thick walls of a strong castle and eradicate the
spiritual life in a pilgrim.
[Eradicate: To get
rid of something until nothing of it is left.]
The hammer came swinging down
hard and fast. Ahab Green-sword cursed and uttered loud profanities right
before the massive piece of iron came down on his head. He disappeared beneath
its immense bulk, and Markus never saw Ahab again.
[Note: Unknown to Markus, the hammer had broken
through the roof of a cavern below, opening a wide hole, and Ahab had fallen
into its dark depths below.
There would no longer be life in Ahab. From then on, he
would walk in the dark cavern of sin and self-righteousness below. He would
continue to grope about, cursing the true God in his heart; loving Baal (the
god of sin and self-righteousness); and despising true pilgrims. Markus
didn’t realize that the giant’s hammer had not physically killed Ahab, but it
had destroyed his spiritual walk with God. And, the life of Christ that
was in Ahab was now gone.]
Markus was very grieved to
see the former pilgrim die spiritually. But, he knew he could do nothing about
it now. So, he decided to follow God’s instructions. Holding his special
halberd and shield, the courageous pilgrim knight ran forward through the
forest. Even as he ran, he felt fear attacking him, but he chose to reject it,
and he silently repented from it.
Markus shot past the large
cedar tree with the attached chain. A golden knight suddenly came from the
forest and approached the chain after Markus had passed the tree.
“You up there!” Markus
shouted to the giant as he ran forward. Courage had fallen on Markus like a
mantle from Heaven.
The huge creature looked to
the left and then to the right, scanning through the trees. Then, he spotted
Markus far below his massive, armored head.
“You will perish, human!” the
giant roared with a deep and horrible-sounding voice. “I will destroy you
through pride and false works!”
Markus could see the creature
preparing to strike him with the powerful hammer. As Markus ran, he caught
glimpses of shiny armor partially concealed by dense undergrowth. Many pilgrims
were hiding in the forest, terrified of their new foe. Markus knew, as he
sprinted, that only God could give him the courage for what he now faced.
“I will make you doubt God
and love your fleshly nature,” the giant bellowed. “I will also make you pursue
Baal – the god of self – and you will serve me forever. Your heart will grow
cold toward God so that you will secretly hate Him.”
“I am one of God’s sheep,”
Markus said. “God’s sheep hear His voice and follow Him. They will not follow
the voice of another. That is what Jesus said in John chapter 10.”
“You are making that up,” the
giant said as he stepped forward, sending a slight tremor through the ground.
“What I said is based on the
words of the Lord Jesus in John chapter 10,” Markus said as he ran. “Jesus
Christ said this of himself: ‘[4] And when he putteth forth his own
sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him : for they know his
voice.’ [John 10:4.]”
“Hah. You and your Bible,”
the giant laughed wickedly. “I will make you doubt the Bible and doubt all that
it says.”
Markus shouted: “Jesus said
this in the next verse: ‘[5] And a stranger will they not follow,
but will flee from him ; for they know not the voice of strangers.’ [John
10:5.]”
“Now, My son,” God spoke to
Markus’s spirit, “run back toward the tree with the chain, and I will be with
you to strengthen you.”
Markus stopped running
forward, turned around, and began sprinting away from the giant.
Then, the monster gave chase,
swinging his hammer down as he went, but missing Markus by yards. Thump.
Crunch. Broken rocks and dirt rained down on Markus’s armor as the
giant’s hammer created wide holes in the ground with each missed blow.
Markus now felt his heart
pounding in his chest harder and faster than when he had first approached the
giant. He was definitely feeling fear, but he was trying not to give place to
it.
Thump. Thump. Thump. The giant
was gaining on him with each powerful step.
The giant paused briefly to shove
the broken tree out of his path, moving it as it were a mere lance or spear.
Then, he continued pursuing the small knight below him. But, Markus was now
past the tree with the metal chain.
“I will destroy you, you
human!” The giant roared.
The thick, iron chain ran
across the ground to a second large tree, a giant oak. A knight with
gold-colored armor stood on a wooden platform which was attached to the oak
about 12 feet above the forest floor. The chain now was ready to be moved into
position.
The 110-foot-tall monster saw
the strong, metal chain suddenly lift off the forest floor and block his path.
Instantly, he knew he needed to halt to avoid tripping. But, he was so large
that his extreme mass kept him from stopping suddenly. The armor on his lower
legs (or greaves) slammed into the chain, and it caused him to trip and
fall toward the ground.
[Taut (adjective):
stretched tightly.] [Note:
The golden knight was ready to raise his end of the chain and fasten it to an
iron hook embedded in the side of the tree.] [Greave: A piece of armor worn
over a knight’s lower leg.]
Lying like a felled tree,
the giant was no longer slamming his big hammer into the dirt. Dozens of golden
knights unexpectedly emerged from the forest. The first one to reach the giant’s
head drew out a sword, removed the creature’s helmet, and swiftly killed the
unconscious monster. As the golden knight ended the life of the huge soldier,
Markus realized that this was not the last of the giants. ‘There must be other
giants,’ he thought, ‘who seek to destroy pilgrims through pride and
haughtiness.’
“My son,” God’s kind voice
spoke to Markus as he looked at the fallen monster, “I am the LORD your God and
Abba Father. You and your men will travel down the path of life until you reach
your next destination. There, you will find a ship. The ship will take you
across a sea where your adventures will continue. And, you will see My power
work to guide you through all trials you will face. I will never leave
you, nor forsake you. And, My hand of love and protection shall always
be upon you. Rest in Me, seek to know Me better, and follow what I show
you to do. And, you will do very well. And, I the LORD your God
and Abba Father have spoken.”
“Thank you for showing me
that, Father God,” Markus said. “I do want to get to know you much better. And,
thank you for delivering me from that giant. Only you could have given us the
ability to overcome such a monster.”
“You are welcome, My son,”
Abba Father God said.
Markus then walked back
toward the place where he had seen pilgrims hiding in bushes. He called out to them,
cupping his hands around his mouth. After a short time, 9 pilgrims emerged from
denser parts of the forest and approached Markus. Andrew, Gregory, and Henry
were among them. The pilgrim knights chatted and described what they had just
observed with the giant’s great fall and the battle that had taken place
moments earlier.
Then Markus, seeing that only
he and nine other pilgrims were present, said, “Brothers, can I have your
attention?”
When all eyes were on him,
Markus said, “We had 15 in our group. But, Ahab Green-sword was sadly struck by
the giant’s powerful hammer. And also, some other pilgrims are missing.”
“Dishan
Small-heart, the first mate, fled into the woods with 3 others,” Bartholomew
Herring said. “I think they found horses and rode back the way we had come.”
“Dishan Small-heart and his
friends have forsaken the path of life,” Markus said, lowering his head. “But,
Jesus had spoken of this thing in the parable of the sower. The seed of the
Gospel may produce fruit in a believer’s life for a time, but when trials and
difficulties come, he forsakes the true Gospel, and goes his own way. He
may still claim to be a believer, but he proves by his true motives that he isn’t.”
“I remember,” Andrew said, “that
Jesus said this truth in Mark chapter 4, verse 5: ‘[5] And some fell
on stony ground, where it had not much earth ; and immediately it sprang up,
because it had no depth of earth : but when the sun was up, it was scorched ;
and because it had no root, it withered away.’ [Mark 4:5.]”
The men talked some more.
Then, they heard the sound of galloping hooves. Ten white horses came into
view, racing through widely-spaced trees. The steeds slowed to a trot and
paused before the men. They still had on their bridles and saddles. So, the 10 pilgrim
knights mounted them and rode back toward the dirt path they had taken through
the forest earlier.
Reaching the dirt road, the
mounted knights rode down it for two hours, giving their horses breaks from
time to time. Soon, they could smell the salty air of the ocean. The forest
became sparser as they drew closer to the sea. In the distance, they saw church
building spires and the fortified walls of a coastal town. Nearly half a mile
from the town, the forest ended. Fruit orchards, scattered cottages, and small
pastures, with grazing livestock, took its place.
The Port Town of Blanco
Risco
The knights soon arrived at
the busy, Medieval port town with the high, stone walls. As they trotted toward
a gate, their armor became nearly invisible, and their white garments and
leather boots again appeared.
Passing through the gate, the
pilgrims entered the crooked, narrow streets of the coastal town and headed
toward the docks. After passing by a butcher shop, a general store, and a few
other businesses, they reached the docks and beheld the ocean. The vast body of
turquoise and sapphire-blue water stretched out to the horizon, sparkling in
the sunlight. An assortment of ships sailed about the harbor: galleons, brigs,
feluccas, and fishing smacks. Many also lined the docks or lay at anchor.
The pilgrims dismounted their
horses beside a wharf.
Markus prayed quietly, asking
God to guide them to a ship captain who’d be willing to take them across the
ocean. Just as he finished his prayer, a burly, brown-bearded man approached
him and said, “Are you folks eager to sail today?”
“What town are we in?” Markus
said.
[A medieval bycocket
hat had an upturned brim that came to a point in the front. A tunic was a long shirt that came down to the
knees, or lower.]
“Yes,” Andrew said. “We were
desiring to sail across the ocean.”
“Well, I happen to be looking
for more passengers,” said the captain. “I am Captain Pablo Campo-verde. “I
have a galleon that is at anchor. So far, I
haven’t been able to find anyone who is willing to travel today. But, you folks
appear eager to go.”
‘Is this man trustworthy?’
Markus thought. ‘Or, is he a deceitful slave-ship captain?’
“My son, go with this man,”
God said to Markus with a kind voice. “He will take you to your next
destination. And, I the LORD your God and Abba Father have spoken.”
“Thank you, Father God,”
Markus said.
Then, he approached the
Spanish sea captain. “Captain Pablo, how much do you charge?”
[Galleon: This was a
large sailing ship frequently used by the Spanish during the Age of
Exploration. It had three masts, a forecastle, and a large aft
cabin. The forecastle was a raised section
of the deck at the bow of the ship. Aft refers
to at or near the back of a ship.]
“That all depends on what you’re
bringing with you and where you’re headed,” the man with the bycocket hat replied. “I can’t bring those
horses with me, but I can take any luggage you might have. Let’s see... I can
count ten in your group, unless there are others coming.”
“There are now ten of us,”
Markus said. “Our horses will not be going with us. So, they will not be a
problem. We plan on going straight across the ocean, due south-east, to the
land that lies there.”
“Oh, my friends,” Pablo said
with a shudder, “are you sure you want to go there? That is the land of Viviente
Muerte. No one who travels there ever returns back across the sea. I will
not set foot on that land.” [Note:
Viviente means “living.” Muerte means “death.”]
“That is where God is showing
me we need to go,” Markus said.
“I can take you near that
land, and let my men row you ashore,” Pablo said. “But, I will not set foot
there.”
“We will still go there,”
Markus said resolutely. “I believe that God will always be with us and that He
will deliver us from whatever we may face in Viviente Muerte.”
“Okay, then, come with me,”
Pablo said as he started walking along a boardwalk toward a dock where two
longboats were moored.
Several sailors were chatting
near the docks. The captain called out to them and gave some orders.
“Aye, aye, sir,” they said in
unison before they hurried over to the longboats and began preparing them for
departing.
When the pilgrims reached the
boats, Pablo paused and said, “Sirs, do you have money with you? This voyage
will likely last about two weeks, and so it will cost you 195 Blanco Risco kroner.”
[Note: The Blanko
Risco krone (which is “kroner” in the plural form) is based off of the
Danish krone, a unit of currency in Denmark. The krone in this story is roughly
equal to a laborer’s daily earnings.]
“That sounds like a fair
price,” Markus said. “But, we don’t have any money with us.”
“Those look like good
chargers you have,” the captain said, eying the white horses. “I’ll tell you
what. Give me your horses, and I will give you passage on my vessel. I have a
large horse stable and some servants, so the animals will be well cared for.”
Markus turned and spoke
quietly with the other pilgrims, asking them if they’d be willing to sell their
horses. After a brief discussion, they all agreed to give their horses to the
captain. So, Markus turned back toward Pablo and said, “We’ll give you the
horses, but we expect you not to charge us any more or trick us in any way.”
“Don’t worry. I will make a
legal contract with you, my friends,” Pablo said. “Then, we’ll be off.”
After attending to all the
details of signing a legally-binding contract and preparing for their voyage,
the pilgrims joined the sailors and the captain, and set off in the longboats.
Enjoying the fresh, invigorating, sea air, they briskly rowed toward the
galleon, which was anchored a thousand feet from the dock. A bright, yellow and
blue standard flew from a flagpole atop the
ship’s mainmast. It cheerfully snapped and fluttered in a steady sea
breeze.
[Standard
(medieval): A special flag that flew from poles on castle towers. It displayed
the coat of arms of the lord of the castle. Sometimes, standards were carried
on poles by servants of a nobleman. The coat of arms is a design representing
the name of a noble family.] [Mainmast:
Usually, it is the tallest mast on a sailing ship.]
Minutes later, as the rowboat
was being raised by ropes and pulleys up the side of the galleon, a shadowy
figure was watching. He wore a long, black cowl
(a hooded cloak) with the hood over his head. Having a grim
expression on his face, the man in the cowl reached inside his left sleeve and
drew out a short throwing knife.
He gently rubbed his left
thumb along the sharp blade and said menacingly, “Markus, you will not survive
your voyage.”
Then, he quickly returned the
knife to its sheath (which was strapped to his left forearm) and walked toward
an alley between two shops near the waterfront. The ambition to kill Markus was
an unquenchable thirst in the heart of the man with the dark cowl. He was adamantly determined to put an end to the
pilgrim knight and his companions, once and for all.
[Adamant
(adjective): Being unwilling to yield or be influenced to change from a belief,
plan, or goal.]
In the placid bay, the galleon was starting to unfurl its sails. An ocean voyage to a strange and unfamiliar land
awaited the pilgrim knights. What adventures would they have next? What dangers
lurked in their path? What foes would challenge them and seek their lives? What
will happen next? Find out in Pilgrim’s Journey: The Quest for Heaven: Book 3: Island
Quest.
[Placid: Calm and
peaceful.] [Unfurl: This refers to the action of unrolling a sail so it
can catch the wind.]
[The End of BOOK 2.]
___________________________________________
[Note: Chapter 12 is the last chapter in Book 2.
Book 3 ("Pilgrim's Journey:... Island Quest") will likely be posted up this year (2019).]
[Read BOOK 2: Chapters 5 and 6 here.]
[Read BOOK 2: Chapter 7 and 8 here.]
[Read BOOK 2: Chapters 9 and 10 here.]
[Read BOOK 2: Chapters 11 and 12 here.]
[Read BOOK 2: Chapters 9 and 10 here.]
[Read BOOK 2: Chapters 11 and 12 here.]
____________________________________________________
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