Rebekah's Treasure (52 page)

I’ve been tossing and turning on my pallet for hours. Tomorrow we journey to Masada. I need rest, but the truth is, I’m afraid to sleep. As soon as I drift off, I hear those sounds—the lashing of the whip, the hammer pounding nails, the soft groaning. It’s always the same. Even now those sounds seem to fill the night air, like whispers carried on a breeze. Do others hear it? I look over to where my sons lay sleeping nearby. Their snoring tells me they hear nothing.

And Rebekah? I see her slender frame resting peacefully next to our troubled Esther. Oh, to have such peace! I envy my wife. She’s told me how God protected her throughout those days and nights in the cave with Lamech, and sustained her with His peace in a new and deeper way. I don’t understand it. My heart has not been at peace for years. And I’m weary. So weary . . . I close my eyes, but even before I drift to sleep I hear that whip, that hammer, and jerk myself awake. And for what seems like hours I lay there fighting sleep, not wanting to close my eyes for fear of seeing that blood and hearing those sounds. “Oh, Jesus,” I whisper, as I finally roll from my pallet onto my knees, “how far my heart has wandered from you! Help me. Please help me. Tell me what to do. And bring me back to you.”

I watch Rebekah and Esther shove the last of the food supplies into several rush baskets, then watch Skaris hoist one onto his broad shoulder. I have never felt such uneasiness. It pricks and pulls and tears at my very soul.

“I’ll miss you,” Skaris says, coming over to me in long, easy strides, his crop of silky brown hair blowing in the breeze. “I’m grateful for all you’ve done.”

“Take care of them,” I say, looking at the two men who have joined my wife and daughter. “Demas is useless with a sword, and I fear Aaron is now loath to use one.” I still can’t believe Skaris has decided to go to Pella and make his home there with the believers.
Pella
. That name pulsates in my mind. “You should have enough supplies to get you through the worst of the desert.” I gesture toward the basket on his shoulder.

“More than enough. I bless God for your generosity.”

I clasp his shoulder, trying to ignore the sight of Aaron and Rebekah saying their goodbyes, or Esther, who weeps openly as she clings to Demas. My uneasiness mounts. When I can bear it no more, I leave Skaris and go to their side. Then the three of us watch Aaron, Demas and Skaris descend the path down the mountain. I can hardly breathe. It’s as if there’s an invisible hand on my throat.

“Be at peace,” I hear Rebekah say. And when I look at her sweet, gentle face I realize she’s not speaking to Esther, as I supposed, but to me. And I know not how to respond.

“Are you ready?” Josiah says, coming along side me and saving me the trouble of trying. His men are already gathering together to make their descent. He leans closer. “Don’t worry, she’ll forget,” he says, gesturing toward Esther. “They all forget in time. And both she and Rebekah will be proud when they understand that your mission is to gather the rest of the Temple treasure so that we can go on resisting the Romans.”

“We’ll find little treasure,” Benjamin says, joining us. “Most of it lies within enemy territory.” His eyes follow Aaron. “My brother has violated no oath by leaving.”

Josiah mumbles something about how we all, including Aaron, have done our duty, but I hardly listen. I’m watching Rebekah’s scarf slip and expose her hair; watching as she throws back her head and rakes her short wavy locks with her fingers; watching as she sweetly instructs
Esther to gather her things, and I know then and there that the only treasure I’m interested in is that treasure residing within her—that faith and peace and trust and love which only the indwelling Messiah can give—a treasure in earthen vessels. And in that instant, I feel the first bit of peace I’ve felt in years.

“I’m not going,” I hear myself say. “I’m not going to Masada.”

“Ethan, you don’t mean to abandon the fight now?” Josiah says with a frown. “Every man is needed if we are to defeat the Romans.”

“We’ll never defeat them.” I press my palm against his chest. “In here, you know it’s true. Let me go in peace, my friend. You follow your conscience. I must follow mine.”

“Even if we don’t defeat the Romans, I’d rather die trying than to live under their rule.” Josiah looks confused. “I always thought you felt the same way.”

“I did . . . once.”

“I don’t understand, Ethan. What has changed?”

I almost laugh. “Everything.”

“What can I say to make you alter your course?”

“Nothing. Just wish me God speed.”

Josiah sighs in resignation. “Where will you go?”

“To Pella. To begin a new life.” I turn to Benjamin. He’s grinning from ear to ear and nods in agreement.

Josiah glances at Rebekah. “Perhaps if I had what you had, I’d be tempted to go, too.
Hashem
has blessed you, and, in truth, we have more treasure than we need. So go, in search of your own.”

I’m unable to keep my lips from parting in a smile. “I’ve already found it, Josiah,” I say softly. “I’ve already found it.”

Can we look into the past and see the future? I think so. After all, history is said to repeat itself.

While researching the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, my mind kept returning to this one thought: since, according to the Bible, a revived Roman Empire will be the last great empire before Christ’s return, are there parallels between the two Roman empires, the old and the revived, and if so, what lessons can be learned?

As I pondered it, I was struck by the power and enormity of the first Roman Empire. It covered much of the known world. It was highly civilized, with paved roads, intricate water systems, a sophisticated government, taxes, pensions and welfare programs. It had theaters and sports arenas. Goods from every corner of the world poured into its marketplace. It was tolerant of all religions except the two that believed in only one God—the Jewish and Christian faiths. These were viewed with suspicion and distrust, and later with hostility. Members of these faiths were openly persecuted, until persecution gave way to outright slaughter.

Rome was also prosperous, advanced, decadent, corrupt and ruthless—so like the one-world government described in Revelation.

The next parallel I saw was between the church of that day and the end-times church of Laodicea. Before the destruction of Jerusalem, Jewish Christians considered themselves part of Judaism and were strongly connected to the Temple. I think of these Christians as the “remnant” and as such they correspond to the body of Christ which will be raptured in the last days before the great tribulation. Indeed, the majority of Christians in Jerusalem escaped the horrors that befell the rest of Jerusalem’s population because they fled to a “safe city” such as Pella.

Thus, it is the Temple priesthood and its governing body, the Sanhedrin, which typifies the last day church. To say they were corrupt is an understatement. The High Priest and others associated with the Temple often lined their own pockets at the expense of the people. They cared more for power than obeying and serving God. In league with Rome, they even allowed the Roman government to appoint the High Priests rather than allowing the office to be passed down from the Aaronic line, from father to son, as ordained by God. Consequently, these High Priests were politically motivated. And not only were they part of the corrupt world system, they catered to it, and by doing so left a spiritual vacuum.

This vacuum created confusion among the people, and as a result, countless numbers were deceived by the many “Messiahs” who surfaced during this period. Violence increased as Jewish rebels and bandits roamed the countryside in lawlessness. Seeing the decline of their nation and religious purity, another group, who were zealous for God but moved carnally, believed deliverance from Rome and the return to Holiness would only come by their hand. They employed force and brutality, and ended up becoming as ruthless as the very Jewish bandits and Romans they fought.

Jerusalem can also be seen as a microcosm of the end time world. Starvation, disease, murder, corruption, moral confusion, violence, and infighting (wars and rumors of wars) marred the city, making it ripe for destruction.

Also, during this time, Christians strongly believed that Jesus’ return was imminent. So, too, as the end times near, more and more people will begin looking for the return of Christ, for according to the Bible, He will return at the end of the seven year tribulation.

Certainly there are intriguing parallels between the time of the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the time of the tribulation period; parallels that can, if we care to look, give us a glimpse into the future. And if we must live through these times, God will give us the grace to do so. But if we are to be raptured beforehand, as some believe (myself included),
then let us prepare our hearts now. Let us be ready for the trumpet sound. If you don’t know Jesus, now is the time to accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Now is the time to confess your sins and invite Him into your heart. The tribulation could be closer than we think.

“Even so, come Lord Jesus.”

Sylvia Bambola

[email protected]

website:
http://www.sylviabambola.com

Here are some facts concerning
Rebekah’s Treasure
that may be of interest to readers:

The first Jewish revolt began in 66 A.D. though the tension between Romans and Jews had been building for years. Jerusalem and the Temple were razed in 70 A.D. and the war finally ended in 73 A.D. when Masada fell. The sad part is that thousands of Jews were killed by their own countrymen during the nearly four years the various Jewish factions battled each other for power.

Josephus, the man Ethan describes as a Hasmonean priest and spokesman for Titus, was an actual historical figure. After the destruction of Jerusalem he went to live in Rome, and under the protection and patronage of Vespasian and later Titus, wrote his famous works, among them
Jewish Antiquities
and
The Jewish War
. The latter contains his firsthand account of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

The cup of the last supper is neither mentioned in scripture after Jesus’ death, nor did it hold any significant place in early Church history. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the cup was never revered or thought sacred by the apostles or early church. It was only during the late 12
^th
and early 13
^th
centuries that its legend was developed, and when it began showing up in literature and myths.