The Angelic Conflict (Extended Published Version)

Untitled Part 14

THE DEMON sat in the audience again, cursing to itself. After being forever banished from Aravot, the rebels had been outnumbered and defeated by the angels who had chosen to remain with the Enemy. Their headquarters, Planet 7512 of Galaxy 765-El-Y, was seized from them and frozen; and they were brought to the Heavenly Courts along the line where Machon and Aravot met. The demon, as well as all of its kind, including the Great Cherub itself, had been sentenced to the Lake of Fire.

The Great Cherub now stood before the Supreme Justice of the Universes, Who said to the angel on trial:

"You said: 'I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of the Almighty; I will sit on the mount of the assembly in the recesses of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'

"I gave you a chance to repent, yet you refused. Your decision, along with your followers, are final, then?"

"Yes."

"I asked you six times, I will not ask once more: you have indeed rejected My love."

"Love?" the Fallen Cherub spat, sneering. "You have none of that! If you do, then how can you cast us into the Lake of Fire for eternity? That would be incompatible with love, wouldn't it?"

"No; for I Am also just."

"Just? Fair? When? Your verdict has proven nothing of the sort! I am judged as guilty yet my actions are only inexorable!" the Satan, the Opposer of Elohim, retorted. "If only Michael and the others would give it the proper reflection, they, too, would comprehend my argument: any intelligent volitional creature You create will always rebel. They will come to the conclusion and do exactly as I. We are not to be blamed for what has transpired. You are! You created us as limited creatures! You have always wanted infinity only to Yourself! Therefore, you are the One unjust! You are the One guilty here! Not us! Not me! And so why did you offer us salvation? The righteous needs no saving! Your offer of grace and forgiveness at the price of our full loyalty— ha! Nothing but a trap, to coax us back and imprison us once again with lies!'

"I speak in behalf of all those whose eyes have been opened and share my sentiments. We have dared to fight because we are right! Our victory may be delayed, but only for a fleeting moment. You will eventually pay for all Your evil! In the end You shall be damned!'

"Try again! Prove us— prove me wrong! That is if You can! Without resorting to either Your superior power or Your law full of flaws! And if you cannot prove my guilt by other means then You must let me go, and You shall make us all equal to Yourself!"

And Yahweh said, "When I created you, I granted you free will. Because I Am immutable, I cannot change what I have done; neither do I desire to change it.'

"But I Am not only unalterable. I Am also perfect justice and righteousness. I love my creatures, and have given each one of you a chance to repent; but you constantly rejected Me and ultimately chose rebellion. Now you must face the consequences of your vicious actions!"

The Satan snarled. Its eyes flamed, its lips twitched.

"You say," the Almighty said, "that rebellion by any intelligent volitional creature is inexorable. According to you, this is so because creating lesser creatures always result in discontent due to the so-called injustice of inequality with Me; hence, any intelligent volitional creature I create will eventually rebel because sometime later they will come to the same conclusion as you, entirely on their own as you. My decision to create any lesser creature is a mistake. I am to be blamed, not the creature. Is this correct?"

"Yes," the Satan answered.

"The same results will recur with any kind of creature no matter how many times it is repeated. Is this what you mean?"

"Yes." Both of its fists balled up at either of its sides.

"Will you come into agreement that this hypothesis can be tested and observed?"

"Yes!" The Satan's arms jerk forward as if it were about to raise its hands.

"Very well, then. I shall grant a suspension."

The holy angels all murmured in unison.

"A reprieval?"

"Send them to the Lake of Fire at once!"

"They'll only cause more trouble!"

— they said.

An angel sounded its trumpet and the others fell silent.

The Almighty continued: "I shall make a creature and call it man. If he should fall within a given period of time, you win your case; but if this creature remains faithful beyond the said time frame, then that will seal your doom. Is this all right with you?"

"Yes. It's more than perfect," the Satan whispered.

The Angel of the Lord descends, and said, "Are the aforementioned terms and stipulations acceptable to the defense?"

"Yes," the Satan confirmed. It raised its chin and took a deep breath. "Yes, they are."

"Then let the experiment commence! The results of which will act as evidence to conclude the case of Yahweh versus the Satan for the charge of the crime of rebellion!"