In Rebellion (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book II) (35 page)
Read In Rebellion (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book II) Online
Authors: John J. Higgins
Chapter 49
Now that the war had ended, the loyal Archangels were once again in charge of the Heavens. The Almighty was due back the next morning and preparations were made to clean up the effects of Luciferael's rebellion. It was not difficult to clean up the area of the Seventh Heaven, as the war left little damage in this, the highest of the Heavens. Luciferael's conquest of the Seventh Heaven was short-lived, and he was captured and cast out before he could wreak much more destruction.
Unfortunately, that could not be said for the other Heavens, especially the lower ones where most of the fighting had occurred. It would take a while to get those Heavens back into their glorified state. But there was no hurry to do so. The Heavens had been in turmoil for the best part of a week and it could wait. All of the loyal Angels were tired from the fighting and needed much deserved rest.
Michael had become the de facto head of the Angels with the fall of Luciferael. He was the next in line to command the Heavenly Host and he had the loyalty of the remaining Archangels and Orders. After Luciferael and his allies were cast out of the Heavens, Michael released all the lower Orders of
L
oyal Angels to return back to their homes. Michael asked the rest of the Archangels to come back to his palace so they could privately discuss changes in how the Heavens would have to be run.
All seven of the remaining Archangels took flight from the Throne Room and headed south towards Michael's palace. Jarahmael wanted to fly to the east to where his palace was so that he could check on Lillith, but that would have to wait. Michael led the flight, followed closely by Gabriel and Raphael, then Uriel and Ariel, with Jarahmael and Raziel bringing up the rear.
They landed and walked into Michael's main parlor where there were seats for all of them. Michael sat for a few seconds but then got up and paced before them as he spoke.
“We have had a rough time over the past week,” Michael began. “I want to thank all of you for all your efforts. For without your loyalty, Luciferael would surely have taken over and controlled the Heavens and the Universe.”
“I want to especially thank Jarahmael, who was able to maneuver himself within the ranks of the rebel Angels. Through his resourcefulness, he was even able to travel throughout the Heavens as they were occupied by the rebel Angels, finding ways to provide us with arms and strategies, making victory possible.”
They all applauded Jarahmael, which made him self-conscious but also feel good that he had been of service to the Almighty and his colleagues, and had done what the Almighty had asked of him, something he knew he could not mention to the others.
“Thank you,” Jarahmael said softly, bowing his head in acknowledgment.
“I am sure the Almighty will be proud of what you have done, Jarahmael, once He learns of it on his return tomorrow,” Michael added. “Now let’s consider how we should keep the Heavens operating.”
“What should we do about the morning ceremonies now that order has been restored?” asked Gabriel.
“Michael should lead the procession!” offered Ariel.
“Agreed!” said Raphael.
“Yes, I agree as well,” said Uriel
Raziel nodded in agreement too.
Jarahmael
remained
quiet a bit longer than the rest, long enough for Michael to look at him, his eyes asking him what he was thinking.
“Michael, I agree that as the new head of the Angels of the Heavenly Host, leading the procession before the Almighty rightfully falls upon you,” Jarahmael said in agreement, and then shifted his body so he could look at all the others at the same time. “But, isn't that part of what caused the rebellion itself? Luciferael was rightfully in that position as the Almighty’s first creation and he was placed in charge of all the Heavens. At some point, it changed him, so he began to think he could be another Almighty. I humbly suggest that we should get away from that part of the morning ceremony, just have the Seraphim and Thrones who always travel with the Almighty accompany Him to the Throne.”
“That would be terrible!” said Ariel. “We need to keep the same traditions and begin them anew, now that the war is over.”
“Yes. We need to keep the same traditions,” agreed Gabriel, who looked upon Jarahmael as though he had just insulted all of them.
The other Archangels agreed that Michael should lead the procession and be prepared to meet the Almighty first thing in the morning upon his return.
Michael looked at Jarahmael and said, “Your point is valid, Jarahmael, and I have some of the same concerns. But I am not Luciferael, neither in beauty or in ambition. I exist, but only to serve the Almighty and believe that it is fitting for me to take over the duties of Luciferael. The leader of the Heavenly Host is more than just a position filled by the First Born of Creation, but is an office of authority to control and run the Heavens, all to serve the glory of the Almighty. Without the morning ceremonies, the other Order of Angels would not know who was in charge of them, and chaos would eventually result. So as much as I agree with you in theory, I believe that it is my duty to take Luciferael's mantle and lead the morning ceremonies, beginning tomorrow.”
“As you wish, my
l
ord Michael,” Jarahmael said, bowing in acquiescence to his decision. As Jarahmael's gaze passed down Michael's face, he caught his eye for a second and felt a shudder run through him. He saw for a second the prideful glance that became Luciferael's face to the rest of the world. He would have objected more before acquiescing, but he could see that this was something Michael now looked forward to, and considered it
his
reward for conquering the rebel Angels’ forces.
Except that if it had not been for Jarahmael's efforts, Michael’s legions would never have defeated Luciferael's rebels. Did he sense a bit of jealousy on Michael's part that he had played a larger role in the defeat of Luciferael than Michael? He could not tell. Snapping himself out of that train of thought, he realized that he was tired and had not slept well in many days. It had been another long day and it was beginning to get dark.
Rising from his seat, Jarahmael made a request, “May I return to my palace and Lillith, my
l
ord? I am exhausted and would like to have some rest before the Almighty's return.”
Michael looked back at Jarahmael and responded, “You do look exhausted, my friend. I must ask your help, though, despite all else that you have done. Stay here with me as we prepare for the morning ceremony. Sleep here in my palace. There will be time enough to go visit Lillith. You can return home as soon as the morning ceremony is completed tomorrow morning.”
Jarahmael again wanted to argue with Michael. He wanted to get back to his own palace. Rejoin with Lillith once again.
“You look awful, Jarahmael!” Michael whispered to Jarahmael's ear. “Rest here. You do not want Lillith to see you like this. In the morning you will be rested and refreshed. And you will have had a chance to speak with the Almighty once again. He will need to know all of what occurred over the past week. And you have played such an important part in the events as they unfolded. Come get some rest. We shall discuss it all further tomorrow,” Michael said to Jarahmael as he reached out his hand and placed i
t
on Jarahmael's elbow, guiding him back into his palace and placing him into a spare room where he could sleep and regain some of his strength.
Exhaustion took over Jarahmael's body and he did not have the energy or volition to fight about his need for rest. He gave into its warmth as he collapsed onto the bed. As Jarahmael lay there, he fell immediately into a deep sleep, so deep that he didn't even dream.
Chapter 50
Michael woke Jarahmael up after he had slept in one of his spare rooms in his palace. “Wake up, Jarahmael. This will be a glorious morning. The first day of the Almighty's return and there will be no more Luciferael and his schemes here in Heaven.”
Jarahmael awoke still tired from all of the fighting over the past week. He missed Lillith, but felt excited to be in the presence of the Almighty soon. He looked at Michael and could not help but think that it was dangerous for any of them to copy what Luciferael had done. Michael would be the new leader of the Angels, a role that may have caused Luciferael to try to take over the Heavens. But he had raised his objections and had been outvoted by the remaining loyal Archangels. . . so be it!
“Wait for me in the Throne Room, Jarahmael. I am going to meet with the Almighty before the morning ceremony. I want you to be my right hand in dealing with the Heavens. I know that I can trust you and that your loyalty to the Almighty is beyond reproach. I really meant it when I told the others that if it was not for you, we would never have won the war and defeated Luciferael.”
“Thank you, Michael. I only did what I felt had to be done. Luciferael's pursuit of glory was becoming insatiable.”
“By the way, did Luciferael offer you anything to help him in his plan to overrun the Heavens?” Michael asked.
Jarahmael had a sinking feeling when he looked into Michael's eyes as he asked the question. Did he detect jealousy or envy in the question?
Better to not go into that now,
he thought to himself.
Jarahmael responded, avoiding the question, “I had a feeling that if Luciferael had succeeded in his conquest, the Heavens and the Earth would have become an intolerable place to live. All of his rebel Angels continued to build him up, no matter what he said or did.”
“I see,” answered Michael as he turned his gaze away from Jarahmael.
Not good, thought Jarahmael.
Is Michael going to expect the same from the rest of us?
Best to change the subject. “Should we not be going?” asked Jarahmael. “We do not want to be late to greet the Almighty, do we?”
“No. Of course not,” responded Michael. “But I am going to greet
H
im alone. I want you to go make sure the Throne Room is ready and that all the other Orders of Angels are in position for our arrival at the morning ceremony.”
“As you wish, Michael. I will attend to it right away,” Jarahmael said as he stood and flexed his wings in anticipation of taking off.
“Thank you, Jarahmael,” Michael responded. “I am thankful that I can count on you.”
Jarahmael flew out of Michael's palace and rose a bit higher in the Heavens than he would normally. He was hoping to catch a glimpse of his own palace and Lillith off in the distance. He wanted to see her, ached for her, but he had obligations to fulfill and his desires would have to wait. He turned his wing downwards and flew rapidly towards the Throne Room, enjoying the feeling of speed as he descended.
He watched as the Orders of Loyal Angels flew into the Throne Room, coming up from the lower Heavens. Each of the Orders seemed more powerful than they had a week earlier, even though some were scarred from the battles that they had fought. They held themselves straighter, moved with more purpose. They had been tested and showed themselves equal to the demands put upon them.
As he entered the Throne Room, flying past the assemblies of the various Angels, each of the leaders looked at him. He was looking for his friend Cerebriel. He had become one of the rocks that Jarahmael could count on when things became difficult. He wanted to make sure that the Almighty knew how much that Cerebriel and his loyal Cherubim had done to make victory possible.
And there Cerebriel was, already in his seat, ready and waiting patiently as Jarahmael would expect him to be. Flying right up to him, Jarahmael landed.
“Greetings my friend!” Jarahmael said warmly as he reached out and hugged his friend. Cerebriel reluctantly returned the hug but that did not deter Jarahmael from continuing to hug him.
“Come join me up in the front,” said Jarahmael. “For all your efforts you deserve to be up among the loyal Archangels.”
“No, I shall remain here,” said Cerebriel. “I am the head of the Cherubim and belong here.”
“That was not a request!” Jarahmael said as he pulled rank on Cerebriel, something he had never done in the past. “The Almighty and the other Angels need to acknowledge the sacrifices you made and the bravery you demonstrated in dealing with those rebel Angels. I believe you did more than any of the other Archangels to give us victory and the Almighty needs to know that!”
“As you command, Archangel,” Cerebriel responded formally, but his eyes reflected greater warmth back to Jarahmael. Never before had any Archangel even attempted to elevate one of the Angels of another Order to that level.
Jarahmael noticed Cerebriel stand taller as he flexed his wings a bit more. Then the two of them flew up and towards the front of the Throne Room.
As they landed, Jarahmael motioned for Cerebriel to sit next to him in the seat that used to be Sammuael's.
Once seated, Jarahmael looked and acknowledged the other loyal Archangels, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Ariel, and Raziel. At first, they smiled back at Jarahmael but as soon as they realized that Jarahmael intended for Cerebriel to remain seated among them, they began to shoot scowling looks at Jarahmael.
Jarahmael did not care what they thought. He relied upon Cerebriel more than he relied on any of the other Archangels except for Michael. But even Michael seemed to have changed for the worse over the course of the war. This new attitude of maintaining the position of leader of the Heavenly Host could corrupt Michael as much as it had corrupted Luciferael and the others. Looking around, Jarahmael saw how easily it would be for Gabriel and the others to become worshipers of Michael just as Sammuael and the others had become worshipers of Luciferael.
The sun was beginning to rise in the Seventh Heaven and Jarahmael and the others began to focus on the arrival of the Almighty. They all had longed for the routine of the morning ceremony while the rebellion raged on. They all realized the ceremony gave them strength and purpose. And above all, the presence of the Almighty revived their spirits. Jarahmael knew that their love for the Almighty had never waned throughout the war and Jarahmael especially hoped that His presence would help them all heal from the past week's events.
The Assembly of Angels watched Michael lead the procession down through the skylight in the ceiling of the Throne Room, in the front position that Luciferael had always occupied. He was followed by the Seraphim, the Thrones and then the Almighty.
This day, the Almighty's presence was stronger and it filled the room with a greater energy. Perhaps it was the greater level of energy the Angels in attendance were providing to the Almighty through their presence. Jarahmael thought that this was surprising, considering that at least one third of all the Angels were no longer present in the Heavens. Maybe without the conflicting loyalties of the rebel Angels, everything would flow better.
All the Angels throughout the Throne Room stood waiting for the Almighty to take
H
is position on the Throne itself. Michael landed and as he turned to face the Throne, Jarahmael noticed that his gaze hesitated for a second when he saw Cerebriel up among the Archangels. Then, the Seraphim, Thrones and the Almighty were not far behind and soon the Almighty was seated in
H
is customary position on the Throne.
The Almighty then addressed the Assembly of the Orders of the Angels. “You have done well, my loyal Angels,” He said as His gaze went across the room, each Angel feeling that He was addressing them personally. “I am proud of each and every one of you, and thankful for all your loyalty and devotion that you have shown for Me over the past days of trials and tribulations.”
The collected Angels responded, all singing their praises to the Almighty, ecstatic that He had returned and that they were again in His presence.
“I want to explain what has occurred over the past week to you, as you have all struggled and sacrificed for your love of Me and one another.
“Luciferael became jealous of My attention to the new race of Beings, the Humans. He was jealous that I had given Adam and Lillith and Eve 'free will.' This power allows them to be creators in their own right and the ability to choose what they want to do with the gift of existence that I gave to them. Unfortunately, Luciferael became jealous and afraid that I had given them a gift that he as the First Born had not been given. He also believed that I had not given the same 'free will' to you, My Angels, and that I loved Humans more than I loved you, My glorious Beings of Light.
“But he did not realize that you, the Beings of Light have always had 'free will' from the time you were created. Luciferael, in fact, choose to follow his own thoughts and desires rather than follow Me. Over a period of time, Luciferael and his other Auxilium decided that they should rule the Heavens and the Earth, and that I was no longer necessary.
“I love all of you unconditionally and want you to be happy in your existence. I still love Luciferael and his rebel Angels; My love is, and remains, unconditional. However, so does My belief in the concept of 'free will.' None of you can develop as true co-creators of the Universe without 'free will.'
“So My love for Luciferael and his followers continues as before except I allowed them the choice of deciding what they want to do with their 'free will.'
“Luciferael can rule anyone who follows him as a leader or worships him. Luciferael and his Auxilium do not want to follow Me. My love for them has even gone so far as to give them their own realm. The realm they intended to give all of you. A realm that was designed by him, a place where he was planning to send all of you, My loyal Angels, once he had conquered you.
“His kingdom will not be of the Heavens or the surface of the Earth by his own choice. He shall be Lord and Master of the inner circles of the Earth. There he can bask in the light of the fires that he chose for all of you, and he will no longer be part of the Heaven I have reserved for My loyal Angels.
“Luciferael and his rebel Angels wanted to be disruptive and divide the loyalties of the Angels. Looking out among you, I see how all of you have chosen, and I appreciate your love and devotion even when I was absent.
“I had allowed Luciferael himself to develop the two sets of tests that I put in place for loyalty of the Humans and loyalty of the Angels. The test for the Humans was their ability to remain loyal to Me by not eating fruit from one of the Trees in the Garden of Eden. The test for the Angels was designed by Luciferael too, when he forced each and every one of you to choose whether to follow him or to follow Me. So for any of you who may someday feel sorry for Luciferael and his fate, remember, it was a fate of his own choosing when he decided he did not want to follow Me, or to be in My presence.
“I will allow him and his kind to offer their way of life to the Humans as the race develops on the Earth. He shall be the other side of My Universe,
his
Evil to My Good. I will not interfere with his workings unless I am asked to, by whoever needs My help. And I will ask all of you to help those individuals when they so ask. For Luciferael and his colleagues have shown another side of love, selfish love for themselves and not for others, but love still the same, a self-reflection of their own love twisted by envy and jealousy.
“As before the rebellion, this entire Universe is for all of you to enjoy, build, create, and further develop yourselves. I can see by your efforts of the past few days that you are well worth My love and creation. I ask you to help
M
e with Adam and his offspring. In the future, they will expand My energy throughout the Universe and multiply through time. But also know that Luciferael will continue his war against us by using them as targets for his schemes. To counteract his efforts, I will ask you to help save as many Human souls from following Luciferael's version of love and thwart his evilness and desire to destroy all of them.
“And now to reorganize the Heavens, Michael come forward.” Michael moved closer to the Throne and the Almighty raised him up so all the other Angels could see him standing there.