Chapter 11 - The Prodigal and the Prophet
“Once the Beloved heard of your greatness, but now he has seen your glory. He accused heaven of things too wonderful for men to comprehend. Now he understands. Now he worships,” announced heaven’s hosts.
“Grace replaces guilt. War dissolves into peace. In exchange for death, eternal life has been received,” Papa joyously declared to all with ears to hear.
“Thanks to all our faithful friends,” added Eli and Jasmine in unison.
The Zelphi completed another page in the record of man.
Wednesday morning the caterpillar graders, rollers, and watering trucks had all left the site. The ground of the parking garage was fully compacted and ready for the iron rebar framers. The next few days were spent constructing the critical massive steel frame work used to reinforce the concrete structure.
Peter called Zuriel to confirm delivery of the concrete would begin the following Friday as promised.
At dawn Friday morning, a small army of trucks and scores of workers descended upon the construction site. Traffic was affected for several city blocks around the site as streets were either completely or partially blocked off to allow the steady flow of trucks unbroken access to the site. Timing was critical.
A steady parade of concrete trucks feed the prepared cement mix into three pump trucks stationed around the edges of the pit. Gangly pumps poured concrete into large boom arms which hovered over the foundation pit, while below workers hurriedly spread the gushing concrete material over the steel rebar network.
From a platform above the pit, Peter Massad watched the progress as workers shoveled, leveled, and smoothed the concrete as soon as it reached the ground. By the end of the day, 264 truckloads of concrete had been poured into the hole forming a safe and solid foundation for the new hospital and parking garage.
Saturday morning Micah drove to Tel Aviv to pick up his dad from the airport. But when he arrived an unexpected passenger was also waiting to greet him.
“Julie!” Micah shouted. “What a wonderful surprise!” he exclaimed embracing his wife for the first time in weeks.
“I couldn’t wait any longer. I missed you so much I decided to fly over with your father,” Julie told her husband. “I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well you succeed!” Micah said grinning from ear to ear, still hugging the women he loved.
Giving his son a big hug, Tony Collins said, “We thought you’d be pleased.”
On the drive up to Jerusalem, Micah gave his father a status report on the project and the situation with the Massad family.
“From what you’ve told me so far, it sounds like we had nothing to worry about. God had everything under control. Imagine that!” teased the senior Collins.
Micah laughed and said, “Man makes his plans and God guides his steps, right? I have to tell you dad, sitting on the wall overlooking the Garden of Gethsemane as Peter prayed was one of the most moving spiritual experiences of my life. God is truly amazing!”
“Amen!” added Mrs. Micah Collins. “And I have to tell you both that after I had the dream about those children, I was really scared. I prayed long and hard for their safety. I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear the way God worked everything out for good. Looking back, it is clear God had lessons of faith for us all.”
Micah helped his dad check into the King David Hotel and then got his wife settled into their room on the seventh floor. That evening, the Collins family met in the restaurant for dinner.
“I brought you a copy of today’s Jerusalem Post. I thought you would like to know the status of the infamous Mr. Amir and company,” Micah said to his dad after they had been seated.
The front page newspaper article read, “Criminal charges have been filed against Tobias Amir, owner of Amir and Associates, a local concrete contractor, in the collapse of the Tel Aviv Parking Garage two years ago. Mr. Amir denies any wrongdoing in the matter. But new evidence reveals he planned the destruction of the building in order to collect the insurance money. Amir and several others have also been charged with planning to destroy the Rapha Children’s Hospital and Eye Clinic currently under construction in Jerusalem.”
“The General Contractor, Collins Enterprises, Inc. was also the target of arson, robbery and slander. Vice President Micah Collins told reporters, ‘We are grateful for the courage of those who have come forward with this new evidence. Not only was Amir plotting to destroy the hospital but the reputation of CEI as well. We are confident when the facts are known, these men will be sentenced to prison for a very long time. In addition, CEI is delighted that the children’s hospital will be completed on schedule.’”
“What about Massad?” Tony asked his son after reading the article. “Is he in the clear?”
“Absolutely,” replied Micah. “And the police have assigned a couple of plain clothes detectives to protect the entire family until they are confident all guilty parties have been rounded up and are behind bars.”
Monday morning, Tony, Micah and Julie met Zuriel and Peter Massad at the construction site. Taking Mrs. Collins’ hand, Peter said, “It is an honor to meet the wife of a prophet.”
“My friends just call me ‘Julie’,” she teased.
Julie always loved to visit CEI’s construction sites. It was a thrill to watch the massive equipment in action and see the crews busy at work. Once the foundations of a building were complete, the structure always seemed to just rise overnight, like a gigantic tree breaking through the surface of the earth as it reaches toward the sky.
As they stood side-by-side on the platform watching the work, Micah took his wife by the hand and said, “Level by level, floor by floor, the building will rise. And in eighteen months, the hospital will be admitting their first patients.”
With no additional problems on the horizon, Micah and Julie took a few days off to explore the remarkable land of Israel. The day they toured Masada and the Dead Sea area, the Collins discovered they had chosen a very busy tourist spot. Scores of photographers, reporters and spectators had suddenly taken an unexpected interest in the same geographical area.
It seems that large chunks of oddly-shaped pieces of salt had mysteriously appeared along a remote area of the shoreline. Hardened mineral fragments shaped like the legs, torso and heads of horses were scattered along the water’s edge for miles. It looked as if harden statues of the four-legged creatures had been tossed out of an airplane above the site and shattered into pieces upon impact. Israeli authorities were baffled as to where the statutes came from and how they were transported to the site.
When the two American tourists returned from their sightseeing travels, Micah’s apartment was ready. Julie helped her husband move out of the hotel and into his more permanent residence.
Two weeks later, Mr. Collins, Sr. and his daughter-in-law returned to Des Moines. Micah stayed in Jerusalem as construction continued. Every three months Micah flew back to Iowa for a short visit with his family.
Two years later, Collins Enterprises, along with the contractors, owners, and project friends, cut the ribbon declaring the official opening of the Rapha Children’s Hospital and Eye Clinic. Jason Massad was given the honor of cutting the ribbon.
With the opening of the hospital, it was finally time for Micah to go home. Peter and Jason drove Micah to the airport.
“Goodbye my little prophet,” Micah said as he hugged Jason for the last time.
“I will miss you my brother,” he said to Peter. “May the LORD bless you from Zion and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Indeed, may you see your children’s children.”
Micah and Peter shook hands for the last time and the two men went their separate ways.
Jason and his dad became regular visitors at the Eye Clinic. It was said of Jason Massad that he prayed with every single child admitted to the hospital. Some were miraculously healed. Others were not. But at some point in their stay, every child who came to the hospital was told of
God’s great love for them.
Jason Massad became a builder like his father and eventually joined Massad General Contractors. The Massads still live in Jerusalem where they continue to share the good news of Yeshua to anyone with ears to hear.
One year after returning home, Micah and Julie had their first son. He was given the name ‘Peter’.
“God told the Apostle Peter, ‘upon this rock I will build my church’,” Micah told his wife. “I like the prophetic implications.”
Julie kissed her husband and thanked God for the prophetic gifts He had given to her husband.
Sometime after the birth of Peter Collins, Micah asked his dad, “So, you never finished telling me about your prophetic calling. What’s your story, Dad?”
“The day my parents, your grandparents, dedicated me to the Lord it was prophesied that I would be a messenger of God’s word. But like you, it took several years before any of us really understood what God had up his sleeve.”
“Do you think my son will have the gift of prophecy also?” Micah asked his dad.
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Just as you and I lay the foundations for our buildings, a prophet is used by God to lay the spiritual foundations in the hearts of men. Let’s wait and see what kind of foundations Peter begins to lay. Then, once a prophet, always a prophet, right?,” laughed the senior Mr. Collins.
When Peter was three years old, Micah purchased the lumber for his son’s tree fort. Rumor has it Peter helped his dad lay the foundation.
Over the course of Micah’s life, he was never really quite sure where Eli and Jasmine were. At times he thought he saw their shadows on the bedroom wall just before sunrise. But he knew they would always be with him. After all, holy unicorns always keep their promise.
The End
P.S. – If you hear a tower clock chime midnight, look around. Eli and Jasmine just might be visiting someone in your neighborhood. Or they may be on their way to your room. If they come, don’t be afraid. Papa sent them.
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About the Author
Messiah’s Message is Volume IV in the action-packed, Christian youth series entitled The Divine Commissions of Eli and Jasmine.
Filled with exciting, real-to-life adventures of epic struggles between angels and demons, of good and evil, choices and consequences, sin and redemption, love and forgiveness, the Divine Commissions series chronicles the stories of Eli and Jasmine - Servants of the Most High God.
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