One Night's Harvest



Thanatos waits for sunset on the highest rampart of Jerusalem's walls. Two kings are under his watch this evening. One, Hezekiah, King of Judah, lies dying in his besieged city. The other, Senniacherib, King of the Assyrians, stands outside of the same city, cursing the stubbornness of the besieged. The prophet, Isaiah, has told Hezekiah that he will die. Hezekiah has served the God of Abraham faithfully all of his reign. It troubles him greatly that he is unable to help his small nation against the Assyrian butchers. It is understandable that Hezekiah has the Angel of Death's attention.

Senniacherib has his attention for a different reason. Thanatos wants to destroy this God-mocking slayer of innocents. The king of the Assyrians has ordered Jerusalem ringed in like a bird in a cage. He has burned his own gods, claiming that no god can stand against him. His generals have orders to send people to the wall of Jerusalem to jeer at the people and mock their God. Senniacherib has ravished the other cities of Palestine with ease. He has no use for gods or men except as they serve to aid his conquest. He has destroyed or taken tribute from every city in his path.

Even now Isaiah the prophet makes his way toward the city with a message from God. King Hezekiah of Judah has lain ill for months. Thanatos does not know yet if he is there to collect the faithful king. Isaiah and Hezekiah are deep in conversation for some time. The sickly king understands that God cares about his kingdom, Judah. He does not understand why God has not yet broken the Assyrian siege.

Senniacherib has heard of the belief in Jerusalem that their God will save them from the Assyrians. With a cruelty matching his reputation, he orders that the army's catapults be used against the city. There were other nations who believed that their gods would protect them from the Assyrians. He is launching bloated bodies from those cities over the walls of Jerusalem. The Assyrians are mocking the Hebrew God and desecrating his city at the same time.

Senniacherib scorns the gods of all his victims. He scoffs at his own gods. Senniacherib is convinced that his fate was in his own hands. The Assyrian King knows that he is invincible before a dusty desert God. Thanatos has just heard differently and the sun is setting quickly.

As Isaiah leaves the ailing Hezekiah, he reassures him that his city is safe. The prophet tells him to rest knowing that the enemy is in the hand of God. As Isaiah makes his way toward the city gate, he glances up to the ramparts. Giving a subtle nod to Thanatos, he journeys home for the evening. Isaiah reaches his small house just as night wraps itself around the small, desert kingdom. The gentle glow of oil lamps and cooking fires dot the houses of Jerusalem.

Outside the city a confident army posts only the lightest compliment of sentries. An overconfident Assyrian king leaves his troops for an evening of leisure with his captured and concubine women. Campfires burn brightly throughout the enemy camp as it settles to sleep through the chilling desert night. An unnaturally deep sleep falls over the Assyrian camp. Thanatos steps assuredly from the rampart to the air in front of him. His dark mantle is already beginning to uncoil toward the camp.

The Death Angel begins a slow, wide circuit around the sleeping Assyrians. Instead of spreading his mantle like a blanket, it trails behind him in a growing river of malevolent darkness. A few of the sentries see the darkness and assume it is an odd cloud formation. As his first circuit around the camp is complete, Thanatos turns inward toward the camp. The ever-spreading mantle more resembles a large ring of darkness than it does a cloak. It continues to flow from his shoulders as he starts the second circuit within the first. The outer sentries die silently as he completes the third. Having spread the mantle far enough, Thanatos turns toward the center of the Assyrian camp. The night air bears an uncommon chill. On reaching the center he grabs the right edge of his cloak, pulling it across his front.

No chill can touch an Angel; their holy fire is too severe for the desert night to reach them. As the ebon mantle wraps itself around the Death Angel, the train it produces sweeps over the Assyrians. There is no sound as the sable shroud secures itself around Thanatos. Beneath its shadow lies the Assyrian camp. The Assyrians have a proverb that reflects their blood lust and cruelty. They believe that a running man can slit a thousand throats in one night. The Angel of Death has ended over one hundred and eighty thousand lives in one hour by taking a walk. Wryly Thanatos regards his work. He is so weary of stubborn men ignoring the redemptive pleas of a just God. Thinking of the fearful, faithful Hezekiah, he looks over toward Jerusalem and speaks:

"Let Senniacherib mock our God now."