Heaven's Night

by Harry Aderton

  The mood around the table shifted, turning solemn with a tinge of angry indignation. I shared their feelings but not just because of the war. Sammael had deliberately changed his name to Lucifer as an affront to God. Each one of our names is holy, given to us by God Himself upon creation, and each one ends in an ‘el’ that symbolizes our infinite existence in God. Being both spirit and energy, each soul emits a spiritual vibration that oscillates endlessly with an ‘el-el-el’ sound like an echo in a vast cavern. Thus, my true name is Sariel-el-el-el-el… ad infinitum. To simplify, God shortened our names to include a single ‘el’ to serve as an honorific to the Divinity from which we sprang. To change one’s name, as Sammael changed his to Lucifer or Mephistophiel changed his to Mephistopheles, is to blatantly deny God and one’s heritage as spirit. There is no insult greater.

  “Lucifer’s choice to rebel against God is a travesty, I think to which we can all agree.” Kakabel broke the silence. “However, his waging a war on the lower astral plane hardly qualifies as war upon us all.”

  “We are all connected in God,” Azazel reminded her pointedly. “We are all affected.” He turned to the group. “Lucifer’s destruction of the lower spheres can no longer be ignored.”

  “They’re not being destroyed, merely changed,” said Gabriel. “I think we give Lucifer too much credit. He is not almighty.”

  Azazel shook his head. “I think we take him too lightly, which is why the war has all but escaped our attention for so long. Almighty or not, the fruits of his labor cannot be misjudged. Do not forget, Mephistopheles is also with him. They are a formidable pair.”

  “I did not say we should not stop Lucifer,” rumbled Gabriel. “I merely pointed out the fact that he is not as powerful as some may believe. Even with Mephistopheles, they cannot alter God’s creation.”

  “If it were only those two, I would agree with you, brother,” said Uriel. “But they have swayed many to their cause. The combined might of Lucifer’s legions could alter reality as we know it. The combined will of millions may alter any astral reality.”

  “You have a valid point.” Gabriel smiled faintly. “So when do we stop them, brother?”

  Uriel threw him a grin back. “What are you doing this evening?”

  “I agree with you. They must be stopped,” said Raguel, his zeal intensifying to a deepest purple.

  “Agreed. But who are we to do it?” I said, surprising myself.

  “If not us, then who?” asked Uriel.

  “God could stop Lucifer and undo all the damage. I’m curious as to why He hasn’t,” I replied.

  “Are you questioning God now?” asked Azazel.

  “I merely question why we should interfere when God obviously has plans otherwise,” I said. “Think about it. God allowed Lucifer his little war. We are mighty among the angels because we know God’s will. But God has not revealed His will or His plans to us. Many of His Laws are still unknown, as Raphael can attest. Should we act without God’s guidance in this matter? Where is our faith on this subject? Can God not take care of Lucifer and his minions with the merest sweep of His hand? Perhaps He already has.”

  “What you say has merit,” said Michael. “Raphael, what say you? You have been quiet. We could use your insight.”

  “Let us examine the implications of what we have been discussing here today,” Raphael said after a moment’s pause. “Birth, death, and destruction. Each of these taken individually is worth studying. Taken as a whole, however, it becomes quite extraordinary because there can be only one possibility. God has changed his universal laws.”

  The council fell silent. “If God’s law in this has changed, then what else has changed in His creation?” I asked.

  “Excellent question,” said Raphael. “The significance here is colossal. The three planes are governed quite strictly by God’s laws. If He has changed any of the known laws then I have but three questions: Why aren’t we aware of the changes? What is His plan? And how can we do His will if we do not know what His plan is? In effect, we have become quite ineffectual.”

  “If we are ignorant it is because God has willed it so,” Azazel said softly. “Nothing transpires without His will. The question is why?”

  “Should we even question why?” I asked. “If this be God’s will to keep us ignorant then I ask you, who are we to interfere? God always has a plan. Let Him handle it.”

  “Then do we ignore the destruction?” Gabriel asked.

  “Perhaps we should,” I said. “I am still of the mind that God will not let this or any injustice pass. And did not all of us agree previously that the destruction in the lower spheres was temporary and we would not interfere? I told Requel so myself. Do we now feel that has changed?”

  “But the question is how temporary?” Uriel said with vigor. “I no longer believe we should remain idle. Lucifer must be stopped.”

  “I’m torn.” Ramiel spoke for the first time. Her beauty was only surpassed by her sublime voice that reminded me of wind chimes strummed by an ocean breeze. “I have listened to this council but my mind is undecided. Uriel is convinced we must stop Lucifer and if only I had his convictions then my thoughts would be clear. Yet Sariel believes we should have faith in God to right any wrongs and his faith in God has always been his greatest strength. I am convinced by both arguments but decided by neither. So what are we to do?”

  “There is another possibility to consider before we decide,” said Azazel. “What if our ignorance about this birth, these deaths, and the astral destruction results from something more sinister than previously thought? What if Lucifer is winning in the astral spheres and he is upsetting the balance? What if these new Laws of birth and death are brought about by his will and not God’s?”

  “Don’t be absurd,” said Michael but a heavy pall fell on the group.

  Raphael finally spoke after a lingering silence. “Lucifer’s will is strong. Next to Uriel, his will was always the strongest. With Mephistopheles by his side and their combined ability to deceive, what Azazel says is conceivable. I have heard mention that almost a third of the angels have fallen.”

  “I will not believe that Lucifer’s will can supersede God’s,” I said harshly.

  “I do not think any of us believe that,” said Ramiel. “My brothers and sisters, when have we ever questioned God’s will or His power before today? The answer is never. Not until Lucifer left us and divided us. Don’t you see that our ignorance of these talks of death and destruction could be a symptom of something much greater? Our family has been torn. Our faith fractures. Our intuition degrades. Sammael’s and Mephistophiel’s betrayal – yes I will say their names for they are our brothers still – has injured and crippled us. I do not believe that God has willed us to be ignorant.”

  “Ramiel speaks truthfully,” said Zerachiel, silent until now. She gazed around the table. “Our family is broken and Lucifer’s betrayal has left us with doubt and that doubt cripples us. We all have unanswered questions. Why did Lucifer leave? How could he do this to God and to us? How could he do this to the billions of souls in the astral spheres? I am both angry and deeply saddened at the same time. We have never faced a dilemma such as this.”

  “We must not question God’s will in this,” said Ramiel. “If anything, we must question our own ability to know God’s will. Even Michael, who is closest to God, must have his doubts. Why else would he convene this council to discuss what we should do? If he knew what to do then he would simply direct us.”

  Michael leaned back, folding his arms. “It is true. In this matter I am undecided.”

  “I do not think our answers can be found at this table,” I said. “We need answers and those answers can only come from our Father. Perhaps He has provided us those answers but we are too blind by our own doubts to see. We must ask Him directly.”

  “Agreed, we need answers,” said Azazel. “We must ask God.”

  “But none of us has been requested to His presence for nearly a century, since long before the betr
ayal of Lucifer,” said Kakabel. “We cannot go to Him without His leave.”

  “One of us must,” I said.

  “Then it must be Michael,” said Uriel. “Of us all, he is the most in tune.”

  “I will go but someone must assume my duties here. Since this is not a summons, God may or may not allow an immediate audience. If that is the case then I must patiently wait. That may take time.”

  “Gabriel can assume your duties,” said Uriel. “He is next in line.”

  “Not me, brother. I have my own flock to attend to.”

  “I will go,” I said quietly. The others stared at me.

  “Are you certain?” asked Michael. “God may not be pleased at this disturbance.”

  I nodded. “I’m certain. I will ask our Father for wisdom and guidance in this matter. My faith is strong. I’ll not fail.”

  Michael nodded. “Done then. Sariel will go. We will reconvene council when he returns. Until then, the rest of us will do nothing. Are we all agreed in this? Very well. Until next time then.”

  In that moment, I was certain God would provide the answers we all sought, we all hoped for. With God’s direction, and by His grace, we would finally face the betrayal that was Lucifer’s legacy and bring an end to his foul ambitions.

  In retrospect, Michael should have gone.

  Anyone but me.

  * * *

  After the council with my brethren, I returned home in the Causal plane accompanied by Michael and Gabriel. My abode was typically simple because I visualized it to be so. A one room cottage met my needs. Books were stacked neatly on several tables against a wall; tomes I had borrowed from the astral plane. I had but one chair in the room, plush and red without trappings, facing a hearth that took up a whole wall. A writing desk took up another, my thoughts transposed in a tight script on stacks of parchment of various bins. When company visited, it was but a thought to extend the cottage to suit my social needs. In fact, only those closest to me have seen my humble home as it is. I did not share my simple life lightly.

  On this particular occasion, I left the cottage intact but expanded the room to make it more suitable for my brothers. I willed comfortable high backed couches with soft cushions into the room and casually arranged them around an oak table topped with fresh cut fruit, a pitcher of cool water, and sliced cheeses. Large arched windows appeared on two walls, laced with curtains that faced each other. A late spring breeze, scented lightly with wildflowers and honeysuckle, wafted lazily across the room, rippling the gossamer curtains. I added a crackling fire to the hearth and cleared away the clutter. The room felt warm and inviting. Satisfied, I nodded to my brothers and bade them make themselves comfortable.

  Gabriel sat, pouring himself a glass of water. “Do you remember the technique, brother?” he asked, getting directly to the heart of the matter as was his way.

  I nodded. “It hasn’t been so long that I have forgotten.”

  “Good,” said Michael, sitting on the edge of the table and biting into an apple wedge. “God cannot be approached lightly. You must concentrate with all your will and strength.”

  “That I can do.”

  “I have no doubt,” said Michael.

  “How long do you think it will take to do this?” Gabriel asked, holding his hands to the fire and rubbing them.

  I shrugged. “Time stands still when speaking with God, we all know this. It could be days. Weeks, maybe.”

  “Or months,” Gabriel rumbled. “Michael has easily visited for such a time.”

  “He has indeed, but I cannot imagine it would take so long for me,” I said.

  “And why is that?” rumbled Gabriel.

  “I don’t know enough words to hold a conversation for months at a time,” I told him, grinning.

  Gabriel laughed. “Michael is a talker, no question there.”

  Michael laughed with us. “Just as well that Sariel is going then.”

  “And what if this does take longer than expected, say a few months?” Gabriel rumbled, his laughter trailing off. “There are preparations I could be making in the meantime.”

  “Did we not agree to do nothing until Sariel returns?” said Michael.

  “We did. But it does no harm in preparing for the worst.”

  “And what preparations may that be, brother?” asked Michael.

  “I could send word to the lower orders. Notify them.”

  I shook my head. “Come now, Gabriel. You speak as if war is inevitable.”

  “Maybe it is,” he said. “The Powers will heed my call. They are my flock, after all. Michael could notify the others, especially the Seraphim and Cherubim. They would respond willingly.”

  “Indeed they would,” Michael told him, “which is why I cannot speak to them. Not yet. If I did, then Lucifer and his minions would know we are coming and that would not serve our purpose. I say let Sariel do as he has promised. When Sariel conveys to us God’s will, we will respond accordingly. We will wait as long as it takes for him to return.”

  “It will be as you say, of course,” Gabriel conceded then turned to face me. “When will you be ready, brother?”

  “In a few days. I have some matters I need to attend to first.”

  He threw me a smile. “I’ll see you when you return.”

  “Indeed you will. But before you go, I just want to say thank you. You did not have to call council on my behalf or retrieve me from my solitude.”

  “Of course I did,” said Gabriel. “What are brothers for? Return as quickly as you can. We need to settle this matter before the astral planes collapse around us.”

  “I will not fail you.”

  * * *

  In the Causal, God gave us a very distinct way to reach Him. God, being infinite, can be approached in infinite ways, and one can easily be overwhelmed with such choices and variations. So, the easiest way I knew how to reach the infinite God, was to go back to the beginning – the beginning of creation, of existence itself.

  I let myself go, visualizing myself floating in an ocean of light. I sat in my chair, letting the cottage fade around me. I pictured my soul as an orb, without beginning or end, and radiating light as intensely as the endless light surrounding me. I held my thoughts thus until I expelled all preconceived notions that my body was a part of myself – I was a soul, after all, made in the image of God. I sought to return to the source from whence I came. I convinced myself that I was neither body, nor mind, nor limiting thoughts. I was simply spirit.

  The orb of light that was me began to merge with the light in which I floated, and I felt my consciousness expanding beyond the orb and spilling over into the sea of white luminance. I remained there, absorbing the ocean of light into myself, and held to that feeling as my consciousness ever expanded.

  It was sublime. I don’t know how long I remained thus in that state of ultimate peace but eventually I heard the sound I was longing for, the sound that heralded the bliss of God. It was like a Divine Song, sung by a chorus of angels, and it filled me with increasing joy.

  The Divine Song has other names. It has been described by some as the Word or the Holy Ghost. It is the sound that marked the beginning of creation, of God’s utterance of His Will and his thoughts into manifested forms. The sound and vibrations of God’s Divine Song is like God himself – infinite in every way. The power of His song began God’s creation and upholds and sustains it still.

  The Divine Song washed over me, and I felt the intense pleasure of it. Being of God, the Divine Song was endless bliss.

  Time froze. I reveled in the song. It was beauty. Perfection. The song lifted me to heights unimaginable and I floated like a feather in the breeze. I let it carry me to and fro. The song was joy itself. I let the song transport me to higher dimensions.

  From there, I took the next step. I began to merge with the song, and as I merged with it, the song took on a different tone. The song receded and it lost its melody but was no less joyous. In fact, it was far more beautiful. It was purer, raw and f
athomless. It took on a different sound that was neither specific nor distinct, being the amalgamation of all sounds, all vibrations, and all manifestations. It took on the sound of many rushing waters. Merging deeper, the sound distilled even further and sounded like Aum-Aum-Aum… endlessly.

  Merging with the Aum sound, I merged with infinity itself. Power flooded through me. The light of the orb that was me no longer ebbed and flowed within the ocean of light. I was the ocean of light. My soul merged with Aum, or Spirit, like a wave merges back into the ocean.

  I felt a Oneness that was everything. The energy of myself was the same energy that upheld all creation. I felt all living souls, all animals, all plants, all planets, and all universes – every living thought swirled and danced within me. All was connected. All was One.

  I was bliss. I was eternal. I was close to my goal.

  In that state, I felt the pulses and the maelstrom of energies that were in the lower astral spheres. I felt the chaos there, the despair. Yes, there was destruction, but I felt a different reality.

  The energy of God that sustained the lower astral spheres remained unchanged. On the surface, there was a perception of despair but it was perception only. It was an illusion. I suddenly realized it was temporary. I laughed at the absurdity of it. How could I doubt God’s ability to handle Lucifer?

  My mind focused on Requel, and instantly I felt her. She was on the seventh sphere, sitting by a window in a tower surrounded by lazy and drifting clouds and tall mountain peaks. I sensed her love for me and the purity of it swelled my heart to bursting. I felt the babe beside her. Her adoration for him was unconditional, exactly like God’s adoration for his children. I smiled within.

  How lucky I was to have her. How thankful I was to God for bringing her into my life. My love for her could not be contained. It flowed from my heart and, in my infinite form, I imagined bathing her with it like a fine mist bathes a flowering meadow on an early autumn morn.

  Requel looked skywards through the window and up to the higher heavens. She smiled. She knew I was with her, would always be with her. In that moment, I felt elation. How could life be any more fulfilling?