Episode 209
As the meeting dragged on, Elazar felt increasingly anxious, sensing Judaism’s growing isolation.
“If this keeps up, we’re in serious trouble.”
He hadn’t been entirely blindsided by this outcome; the signs were there from the preliminary meetings.
Judah and Isaac, who led the current Jewish delegation, had been unwavering in their stance from the start.
Their consistency was maddeningly unyielding.
Still, Elazar had held onto a sliver of hope that things might shift once they were put to the test.
After all, isn’t it human nature to cling to the faintest hope of a miracle, even in the most hopeless situations?
But miracles are rare, which is why they’re called miracles.
“God… are you truly abandoning our people?”
To Elazar, Marshall’s words were undeniably forward-thinking, elevating humanity’s universal morality and values.
Wasn’t it clear why humans, unlike other animals, possess the wisdom to continually progress?
If this wasn’t a message from God, then what was it?
Despite the overwhelming evidence, they remained blinded by stubbornness, unable to accept reality.
“Is it because Marshall isn’t Jewish?”
The thought was almost laughable.
Historically, even Caesar had received immense support from the Jews, with some hoping he might be the Messiah foretold in the Tanakh.
Elazar had a hunch why most refused to acknowledge Marshall.
If Marshall had flattered the Jews, at least half of them would have changed their stance, he was sure of it.
Of course, Marshall had no intention of doing such a thing.
“This is dangerous. If this continues, we’re in real danger.”
Frankly, if those oblivious fools wanted to cling to their beliefs or stubbornness until the end, it was none of his concern.
The problem was that their madness could drag him and countless peaceful compatriots down with them.
Marshall was preaching love and peace, so perhaps nothing drastic would happen, but they were rejecting the new order.
Enemies of peace, enemies of love.
The thought of such labels being attached to him, his family, or his people made him tremble with anger.
“Does the Apostle have no intention of intervening?”
Marshall sat on the podium, looking down at them with an inscrutable expression, as if he had said all he needed to.
“I should have gotten a clear answer when I visited him last time.”
After the last meeting, Elazar had secretly approached Marshall.
He felt desperate, knowing that a group of stubborn elders was about to decide the fate of his people, and he had to do something.
Fortunately, Marshall didn’t refuse to meet him just because he was Jewish.
“So, what do you want me to do?”
“I just want you to know that there are those among us who think differently from the Jewish delegation that will embarrass themselves at the council.”
“Of course. But realistically, I can’t ask every Jew in the world for their opinion, can I? The same goes for Christians and Muslims. That’s why we have representatives, and we took great care to ensure they were truly representative. Or do you think those here aren’t qualified to represent their faiths?”
“No, not at all! That’s not what I mean!”
In fact, the problem was that their representation was so solid that whatever they said would be taken as the opinion of all Judaism.
Marshall understood this and didn’t blame Elazar or demand anything from him.
“I can imagine the atmosphere on your side, given that you couldn’t hold back and came here. But unfortunately, I have no intention of artificially manipulating anything, so I can’t offer much help.”
“Does that mean… if we don’t accept you, Marshall… then…”
“I’m not going to punish anyone for not recognizing me. Such exclusion and violence are the opposite of the world I’m trying to create. But those who refuse to integrate into the new order will inevitably face disadvantages. I can’t control every little thing, and even less so after I’m gone.”
“That’s true. But if you were to demonstrate your powers, wouldn’t they believe? I understand that both Islam and Christianity came to believe after witnessing your powers.”
In the scriptures, those who didn’t believe in the prophets and persecuted them were always treated worse than the early believers.
Showing evidence could convince many.
This was Elazar’s last hope, but Marshall’s response wasn’t encouraging.
“If I show my powers, the rabbis will believe?”
“It’s undeniable evidence.”
“True, some might believe. Some accepted me at the last council after seeing my powers. But would they now?”
“Well, of course…”
“Let me ask you this: how does Judaism define me? I need to know to give you a proper answer.”
“Uh… well…”
Judging by the atmosphere, he seemed to have an idea, but how could Elazar say it out loud?
“Go ahead, say it. It’s not like you believe it yourself, so there’s no reason to hold back.”
“Well, as you know, this isn’t my opinion. But people like Isaac and Judah seem to define you as a fallen angel descended to this world.”
“That’s an interesting perspective. A fallen angel.”
“Yes, so using some powers wouldn’t be strange. But they claim it’s not divine power, just something a fallen angel could do…”
“I see. Then doesn’t your request already contain its answer? Even if I show evidence to the rabbis at the council, they’ll likely use it to bolster their theory. A fallen angel, an adversary of God, would naturally have such abilities. So, would my name become something like the Angel of Sin? Sounds like a villain from an old story.”
Marshall’s ability to laugh off such absurd accusations showed he was a person of a different caliber.
But that didn’t lessen Elazar’s despair.
As Marshall pointed out, no matter what evidence he presented, the current Jewish delegation would rationalize it to fit their narrative.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Elazar saw no way for Judaism to escape this predicament.
Emerging from his thoughts, Elazar took a deep breath and glanced between Marshall and the Jewish delegation.
With all eyes on him after his bombshell declaration of conversion, now was the time to make his move.
If not everyone could be saved, then those who could should seize the chance.
Yes, he had to be willing to give something up to survive in this atmosphere.
“Brothers! It’s not too late! Those who wish to join me, come forward now!”
“What is this madness…?”
“Elazar! Have you lost your mind? Are you abandoning your people to side with this impostor?”
“Are you planning to disgrace our ancestors who kept their faith through Assyrian and Babylonian oppression, and Roman tyranny?”
“It’s you who are disgracing our ancestors! If they were here now, they would make the same choice as I am!”
As the unexpected schism within Judaism unfolded, the Christian and Muslim delegations watched without intervening.
In fact, they seemed to find the spectacle amusing, eagerly jotting down notes as the rabbis argued.
“Not only are you betraying us, but you’re also defiling the names of the great prophets! Elazar, you no longer deserve to be called a rabbi!”
“That’s something I should be saying to you! What does the title ‘rabbi’ imply? A respected teacher, a revered scholar of the law, my mentor. Do you truly believe you deserve to be called our people’s mentors?”
“Of course! We who uphold the faith and resist the false prophet’s tyranny are the true mentors of faith! Traitors like you, who switch sides when the tide turns, don’t deserve that title!”
“Traitor? Is someone who sees and hears the truth a traitor in your eyes? Please, brothers, open your eyes and see the truth. Marshall is a fallen angel? If a fallen angel could have such an impact on the world, they would have appeared long ago!”
As the Jewish claim that Marshall was the incarnation of a fallen angel was mentioned, the Christian and Muslim sides openly scoffed.
“Pfft! A fallen angel.”
“Seems the Jewish rabbis have been reading too many storybooks.”
“You have to admire their imagination.”
“How is it that they haven’t progressed a single step since the time of the Epic of Gilgamesh? Now I understand why the Apostle warned us about stagnation. There’s living proof of it right there.”
Elasal smiled with satisfaction, seeing the situation unfold as he had anticipated.
Within the confines of internal Jewish meetings, he often found himself outnumbered. But with the indirect support of onlookers, a dramatic turnaround seemed possible.
If things continued this way, he might even push the hardliners like Isaac and Judah to the fringes, establishing his own faction as the mainstream.
“Brothers, I implore you, open your eyes. Open your ears and listen to the world.”
“Ha! Open our eyes? If that’s the truth, we’d rather choose to live as blind men!”
“In that case… we should…”
“Enough.”
Marshall, who had been observing the internal Jewish conflict, stood up. He seemed to realize that without resorting to violence or physical coercion, the argument would only devolve into childish bickering.
“Such pointless disputes only disrupt and delay the proceedings. I encouraged open discussion, but not at the expense of the meeting’s progress.”
Marshall glanced at Isaac, Judah, and Elasal, who were still fuming.
“I said I wouldn’t intervene directly in the meeting, but since this isn’t about setting doctrine, it should be fine. All three of you, step forward. I’d like to discuss this notion of the fallen angel you speak of.”
Elasal thought he saw a faint smile on Marshall’s lips.
Was it just his imagination, or had Marshall thought of a clever solution?
Leaving Elasal’s questions trailing behind, Marshall turned to Judah and asked, “What did you call me again? A fallen angel?”
“Yes… that’s right. An angel overseeing sin. The leader of fallen spirits…”
“Is that so? Well then.”
Elasal’s impression that Marshall seemed pleased was no illusion.
With a contented smile that seemed to put everyone at ease, Marshall continued, “Let’s discuss angels together, shall we?”