(AN: Here it is! The very last chapter! [honestly]. This is perhaps the only place where "the book of Joshua" has forty-two chapters! [lol]. The title, of course, is based off the line from the song Heaven and Hell [don't sue me, Tony!], though I played a LOT of Handel's Messiah while finishing this up: particularly a certain "chorus" number where the king rose up while it premiered! As before, this is based partly on the Gospels, with influence from Acts.)

(Enjoy!)

The Ending is Just a Beginner

Forty days had passed since Joshua rose up from the dead. Even the Pharisees could not contain the spreading of the news of Joshua's resurrection. Crowds, thousands strong, flocked to Him wherever He went those forty days. He could barely go anywhere, without the Disciples and the Seventy around Him at all times.

They were now up on the Mount of Olives. Many times they had rested on this mountain before, many times had Joshua preached to crowds upon this mountain before.

But today, the surrounding slopes and the summit were covered in people, thousands of people: the Eleven Disciples, the Seventy, the Resurrected Dead, and thousands others.

It seemed like all the nations of the Earth were already coming together to see the revelation of the glory of the LORD. That time was not yet to come.

But another time had come.

"My friends," Joshua said to the Eleven, standing closest to Him, and the Seventy around them. "As My Father sent Me, so send I you. Whatever happens, do not leave Jerusalem until the promise of the Father comes, which I spoke of and what you have heard spoken of Me. I tell you truly, John-bar-Zachariah baptized with water, and you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit, not but a few days from today."

He looked down with love upon these, His mortal friends.

"Remember," He said. "All power has been given Me from above, even over control of all things in Heaven and Earth. Go, therefore, and teach all nations and creatures the Gospel and everything I have commanded of you, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Those who are baptized will be saved, and those who reject will be condemned. These signs will follow those that believe: they will speak in My name and demons will be cast out, they will speak in foreign tongues, they will be able to touch serpents, they shall be hurt by no poison and they will lay their hands on the sick and they will be healed."

"Joshua!" cried His mother, Miriam. "My Son, You are the Messiah! Will You now restore the Kingdom to Israel?"

"It is not for you to know the time and seasons that the Father has put in His own power," Joshua replied. "But you, all of you, shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you after His coming, as I prophesied. At that time, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and the farthest corners of the Earth."

He stretched out His hands before them: those who had rejected all just to follow Him. Like Job, they had survived and still believed. But, also like Job, they would be exposed to Satan, who would uphold his wicked promise. They would be persecuted unto death, and many others would try to make them doubt that He even existed.

But He would not allow that.

To those before Him that He loved - Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Nathanael, Matthew, James-bar-Alphaeus, Simeon the Zealot, Thomas, Thaddaeus, Miriam of Magdala, Martha, Lazarus, Stephen, John Mark, Salome, Joanna, Susanna, Cleopah, Matthias, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathaea, the Resurrected Dead, and the thousands others - and to all of His followers, down through the ages to the close of probation - He said:

"Lo, I AM with you always, even unto the end of the world."

At that time, the angels who had attended upon Him appeared again, this time as His honor guard.

He began to ascend.

Slowly and slowly, He rose and rose to the sky.

He seemed to glow brighter and brighter, the farther from the Earth He went: like that day upon the mountain, when He was transfigured. He now seemed like a small, shining sun, flying away into the Heavens.

The light was now so far away that it began to grow dim.

Those gathered about the mountain continued to follow the rising star.

It looked like a day-star, rising higher and higher into infinite space.

Fading at last from their searching eyes.

Two angels suddenly appeared, those who had been with Joshua through the hardest moments of His trials on Earth. They were now exposed in their true forms, shining like snow and glowing like lightning.

"Galileans," Gabriel addressed. "Why do you look up into Heaven?"

"Behold," Sherael added, pointing towards the sky with a right hand. "He that you saw taken into Heaven, shall in like manner return to the Earth!"

Suddenly, they spread their wings and took off after Him faster than lightning. Then the Resurrected Dead, all in shining white, began to ascend into Heaven after Him as well, like a sea of light rising in glory from a dark, sinful planet.

When they all became a shining wave of ascending light, a great noise could be heard from the Heavens. The entire host of angels, the twelve legions who had been waiting for His return, were now singing with strong affirmation the words of David the King.

"LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, O YE GATES, AND BE YE LIFTED UP, YE EVERLASTING DOORS, AND THE KING OF GLORY SHALL COME IN!"

Their voices were as thunder, and after a while, even they too became so far away that their voices were no longer heard by mortal ears.

One by one, they dispersed.

The Eleven disciples for Jerusalem...

The Seventy following them...

And several others following on after them...

In their hearts and minds rang Joshua's last final words to them on this Earth.

"Lo, I AM with you always, even unto the end of the world."

THIS CHAPTER OF THE STORY MAY HAVE COME TO A CONCLUSION, BUT THIS IS HARDLY THE END.

IN TRUTH, IT IS MERELY THE BEGINNING.

FOR, AS GABRIEL SAID, CONCERNING JOSHUA...

"He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The LORD God will give Him the throne of His father David and He will reign over the House of Israel forever. And, of His Kingdom, there will be no end..."

(And...SCENE! At last, our fateful trip is done! This epic tale has come to a fitting conclusion, one that has far-surpassed the nightmare that was The Great War of Oz. It was indeed a pilgrimage through faith and history, this tale, as much as it had been when I first wrote it just for my own edification. Only here could you have read a Biblical-based tale with references to Lady Gaga, newsong, dcTalk, HB, Heaven and Hell and Dimmu Borgir. [lol] Yes, I'm a very big music nerd!)

(I hope you've enjoyed this story as much as I have.)

(Since I'm going on last words, I have this yet to say regarding my depiction of Miriam the Blessed [also known as Miriam the Elder, Joshua's mother]. She is depicted as a good woman, a good, Torah-keeping Jew [though not according to stereotype], but still a mortal. She is not some ageless saint, endowed with understanding beyond that of all mortal men and women, or even immaculately conceived [to me, that idea of her being born without sin alienates Joshua from us, since He was sinless God being born of a "sinless" woman.] She may be a good woman in my story, which is why God chose her to bring His Son into the world, but she is not the way, the truth OR the light [I think I made that clear, in The Last Supper who I believe actually IS those things]. Sorry, that's my little rant regarding Miriam, and why I put her as thinking Joshua is still going to restore the kingship to Israel.)

(What next? I may go on with the Acts story, though it will focus primarily on Peter, John and a certain Pharisee who gets converted and becomes the champion of the new movement [i'm sure you can guess who that is]. But I don't know, I'm still debating that. After all, said Pharisee often makes things more confusing, imo, than just the Gospels do. So I'm debating whether or not I should pick up the story from there. [if you want me to, leave suggestions in the review section]. Another idea would be to go back and re-visit the Exodus. If I can ever find the Vaudois story I started way back when, or rewrite it if it is gone, it will be posted on Fiction-Press instead, since it would be historical fiction rather than simply fan fiction.)

(Once more, I hope you have enjoyed this story. Love one another and may God bless. Auf wiederzhen and until next time.)