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The Shining Men

"The Shining Men is a fitting and fantastic finale to Nicky Heyman's trilogy about Joshua... As you travel with him on this last instalment of his heroic journey, you will be inspired and moved in equal measure by his dedication. And when you turn the final pages, your heart will be stirred to be strong and very courageous, just as he was those many centuries ago."

-Mark Stibbe, Author of A Book in Time (winner of the 2020 Page Turner Award for Fiction Writing)

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Summary

It seemed like an impossible task! How could Joshua possibly hope to take on the mantle of leading the nation of Israel, walking in the footsteps of Moses, the remarkable man of God he had served for forty years? 
 
In this third and final book in the series, Joshua is aided by Yahweh’s celestial messengers, the ‘shining men’, as he leads his people into Canaan to possess their promised land. This extraordinary warrior leader will see the sun stand still at his command and watch the mighty walls of Jericho fall. However, his greatest adversary would not be a Canaanite warrior, but a harlot named Rahab who would capture his heart and turn his world upside down. ‘The Shining Men’ is the exciting conclusion to the inspiring story of military hero, Joshua ben Nun's courage, humility, and devotion as he completes his life-long mission, and finds his place of eternal rest. 

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Inside The Shining Men...

“The hairs on my arms stood up, and my legs started to shake. I turned around slowly, putting my hand up to shield my eyes from the glare of the sun, which was nearly at its peak. Although I couldn’t see clearly, I could just make out the vague outline of a Man standing a few metres away, watching me. The Man was tall in stature, well built, and He held a long sword that glinted in the sunlight. Instinctively, my hands went to pull my sword out of its scabbard but, to my dismay, I realised I had been so consumed with thoughts of the ludicrous plan to take Jericho that I had not buckled my sword belt on before coming out.

I was utterly defenceless.

        My heart rate increased as I weighed my options. Should I run? No, the Man was so tall, he would in all likelihood outrun me in no time at all. Should I look for rocks to throw? Not enough time. The Man was only a few feet away – by the time I was able to pick some up, He would be upon me. I would certainly not be able to wrestle Him to the ground, that much was certain.

        My military training told me to stand my ground and not run, so I stood, my heart in my throat, ready to move at any moment. I stared at Him from behind the cover of my hand, but couldn’t see His facial features because of the glare of the sun, so I couldn’t read His expression.

        The weight of silence continued. ‘Who are you?’ I thought to myself. ‘Why don’t you move, or say something?’

        Still the Man stood.

        He didn’t attack and He didn’t retreat. He just stood, watching me.

        ‘Is he a spy from Jericho?’ I wondered. ‘Or an assassin hired to kill me?’

        Still the Man stood.

        Finally, I could bear it no longer. ‘Are you for us or our adversaries?’ I shouted.

The Man didn’t respond immediately but, when He did, my knees went weak and I found myself bowed low on the ground, without even knowing how I had got there.

        ‘No,’ the Man said. ‘As Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’”

What people are saying...

"The Shining Men is a page-turning read, and an exciting and moving conclusion to the Joshua trilogy ... the journey's end is tremendously touching. Authentic, honest, emotive - storytelling at its best."
Shelia Jacobs

"Nicky's writing is both engaging and thought-provoking... with emotional depth and vibrant character development, The Shining Men offers both excitement and inspiration."

The Bookish Hermit
"Having read Into the Wilderness and Then There were Giants, I was was very much looking forward to this read... it certainly did not disappoint. Another impressive work by Nicky."
David Brockway

Want more  from the series?

Explore the other novels in this series.

 

Begin Joshua's journey with Into The Wilderness as he steps into the role of Moses’ manservant and battles the forces of darkness. 

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Then continue the treacherous journey alongside Joshua as he encounters giants in Then There Were Giants.

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