In the Beginning (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book I)

by John J Higgins

  The remaining Archangels of the Auxilium did not move, looking expectantly for a cue from Luciferael.

  The Almighty continued, "Yes, I know, and that's why we have such a close relationship. Your direct love and devotion is of the utmost importance to Me. This experiment is to focus purely on the ability to create in the earthly plane. This way, those Beings who I call mankind can have time and energy to build upon things on the Earth."

  Michael then asked the Almighty with some concern in his voice, "Are we going to give mankind the Book of Creation, my Lord?"

  "No!" the Almighty responded quickly. "There is too much knowledge contained within that Book. Perhaps as mankind develops and demonstrates that they can make the right choices we will reveal more knowledge to them. But for now they are not far enough along and stable in making choices, yet."

  Mephistophael then asked, "What do You mean that they are not stable in making choices yet?"

  "I have had a slight disappointment in Humans already," stated the Almighty, concern in his voice. "Initially, I created a man, whom I named Adam, and a woman, whom I named Lillith. They were created, each independent of one another, separate and apart. They should have become life mates and been compatible with one another as happens in other species like the Simians, male and female."

  "What happened?" interjected Luciferael.

  "They were each so independent that they could not get along. She left Adam when they could not agree on their mating practices and has hidden herself from him. She is very intelligent and apparently resourceful. Adam was unable to locate her, despite looking extensively for her."

  A blush of excitement passed over Jarahmael's body as he thought of Lillith having escaped from Adam finally, and warmth grew within him about her resistance to Adam's sexual advances. Perhaps she really does love me, he thought to himself. Then he felt a flash of fear pass through him as he thought about the possibility of danger to her. But he could not think of anything that was dangerous to the Humans in the Garden of Eden. He knew she did not have wings, so she would not be able to leave the Garden on her own. The worst that could happen to her in the Garden of Eden would be that she would be alone.

  The Almighty continued, "Jarahmael, as soon as we are done here I want you to go find Lillith as I am worried about her. Once you find her let Me know and I will create another home for her and create another mate for her as I did for Adam. So the rest of you know that I made another mate for Adam. I used a part from his own body, which should cause a stronger bond between them. I named her Eve and the two of them have been getting along fine in all ways. Tell Lillith when you see her that I will do the same for her. And that I love her very much. Also, Jarahmael, tell her that from now on she should come to Me with her problems. I don't expect her to handle these things alone. I am always available to her if she but asks Me."

  Luciferael was not happy about the Almighty's tolerance and forgiveness for these new creatures. This Lillith with her freedom of choice disobeys the Almighty's plan and wishes, and now He is worried about her. She runs away from her mate and the Almighty wants her back and will remedy her problems. And, here I am the First Born of all, who developed a magnificent set of creatures. Creatures that He later decides to destroy because they may interfere with these new disobedient Humans! Luciferael was getting angry as he kept thinking about the Humans and decided he had best stop thinking about this injustice, and turned his thoughts back to what the Almighty was saying next.

  "The third thing I wanted to discuss with all of you is how I want you to help Me with these Humans. I believe them to be one of My best creations, next to all of you and the other Orders of Angels, of course. But with that said, I believe this species has a lot of potential for creativity, particularly with the aid of the divine sparks I am giving these Humans. I am now calling that spark within them, their 'soul.' Since the 'soul' is a part of Me and all of us, I want your assistance in dealing with these Humans."

  Luciferael decided it best to nod and smile in agreement. "Yes, my Lord, we all need to love these creatures as they too are a part of You. But I don't understand this ability of them to make choices. Don't we, as Angels, make choices too?"

  "Yes, Luciferael, you do have the ability to make choices. And you . . . especially you . . . who have so much of Myself within you. But as you assist Me in the grand scheme of creation, I thought it may be best to allow mankind the ability to make choices without specific instructions from Me, let them move forward in the Garden of Eden and on the Earth. In our morning ceremonies we go over the day's plans, any concerns among any of the Angelic Orders or in one of the Heavens. Mankind will be able to decide for themselves what they wish to do each day as they are not required to assist Me in the overall creation and running of the Universes. By the same token I am restricting the amount of knowledge available to them. I don't want them interfering with the overall process of creation and My greater plan for their Universe. Their sole focus will be on the Garden of Eden and eventually, they will have dominion over the whole Earth as Eden expands and beautifies the planet."

  "They will only have control over Eden at first and then later, the planet Earth?" inquired Gabriel.

  "Yes, those places will be their kingdom."

  "Shouldn't there be a consequence for failure though?" asked Sammuael. "We disposed of the whole species of dinosaurs as they did not adapt, nor prove to be of great benefit to the Creation. Instead they devoured large amounts of plant life and became brutal, even eating one another and just destroying things at will."

  "True," responded the Almighty, "and that's why they had to be destroyed."

  Luciferael made a suggestion. "Perhaps Lord, You should build in a mechanism so that these Humans do not get out of hand if they fail the free will experiment. What if they procreate like the dinosaurs and occupy the planet but become much more creative and powerful with the intent of thwarting Your will? Or to destroy Your Creation? They too are like us and immortal from what You have told us. The dinosaurs were at least mortal and could simply be destroyed."

  Sammuael questioned further, "Could there be a test for them, my Lord? One that provides assurance that they remain of beneficial spirit? And that there is a consequence if they decide to choose things counter to the Creation and Your Will?"

  Gabriel spoke up and countered, "But they will also possess some of Your divine spark, Lord. They should not be destroyed out of hand like the dinosaurs that did not have that divine spark."

  "Yes, these are creatures that are made directly by You, Lord, and not a secondary set of Beings such as the dinosaurs created by Luciferael," said Michael, looking in deference to both the Almighty and Luciferael as he spoke.

  Raphael interjected, "Perhaps just some minor harm that can be easily healed, Lord. Punishment that would teach them a lesson, but would not have a major consequence to their overall creation and purpose."

  Beelzebael weighed in and spoke, "But that would not resolve the problem if they choose to rebel and destroy the rest of the Creation on the planet and could limit our response to their disobedience. Let's say as a result of their creativity, they find a means to leave the planet and come up through the Seven Heavens and then attack us or other parts of the Universe and wreak havoc there."

  Uriel also suggested, "My Lord, even if there is a punishment for bad behavior, shouldn't there be some mercy available if needed or earned?"

  Jarahmael said, "There should be some set of instructions for them to live by, my Lord. It is extremely unfair to judge them by rules they do not know. And, as of now, they do not know of any of those rules. Wouldn't there be more justice if You give them instructions on what they can, and cannot do, and then make a consequence as a result of them failing to follow instructions or obey them?"

  "All valid points," stated the Almighty. "But at this stage I do not want to interfere any further. I want to give them a chance and see how things develop. I am glad to hear your concerns about these Humans and the Simians. As things
stand today, the Humans have not disobeyed Me and are pure as of now. And I want them to succeed. And I want all of you to assist them wherever you can!"

  "Of course, Lord. We shall do our best," Luciferael responded, bowing before Him as the rest of the Archangels followed his lead.

  "Good, I am pleased then. Jarahmael, let Me know when you have found Lillith and I will come speak to her. I may have additional things for her to do as well. She seemed to have an extra measure of independence which could be a wonderful thing in the on-going Creation."

  The Almighty brought himself up taller on the Throne of Heaven. "I wish all of you a blessed day." On cue, the Seraphim moved into position around the Almighty as the Throne Angels came beneath him, and they all rose slowly up through the skylight in the Throne Room, and then disappeared from view.

  Jarahmael was in a hurry to go find Lillith and get her to safety. He rose up from his seat quickly and said to the assembled Archangels, "I take my leave as I have a mission to accomplish. Have a good day all."

  Michael nodded in approval as Luciferael and Sammuael watched Jarahmael get up and leave.

  Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Raziel, Ariel, and Raphael then all took their respective leaves from the group and flew off out of the entrance doors to the Throne Room rather than through the skylight.

  Luciferael then said to the remaining Archangels, all of whom were part of his Auxilium, "Let's retire to my palace as we have things to discuss." He turned and grabbed Sammuael and Beelzebael by the arm and then whispered to them, "Jarahmael must not succeed in his mission. Go forth and find Lillith. Use whatever resources are necessary. Find that creature of mine, Serpentalia. Find out if he knows anything. Do not fail."

  Chapter 29

  JARAHMAEL SEARCHES FOR LILLITH

  Jarahmael flew to Eden, dropping quickly through the six lower Heavens. Finally, he would be allowed to look for her. He volunteered immediately for this task when he ascended with the Almighty after Eve was created. But he was not allowed to go look for her right away because the Almighty had agreed with Michael that they should first apprise the rest of the Archangels at the next morning ceremony, so all of the Angels were aware of the purposes and events in the Garden of Eden.

  Jarahmael had been frustrated that he could not go immediately to search for her, but was comforted by the Almighty when He whispered to him, that this was a necessary part in the plan for Lillith's development and that he must remain patient. Now that he was finally allowed to search for her, his excitement grew as he realized that Lillith would not be returning to Adam, and that she would be set free to choose her own fate. The Almighty had cut off her return to Adam when He gave Adam a new and different mate. There was something more to that story that must be missing, he thought to himself. But for now he had to think about where she could be. His mind did think back on the few brief exchanges that they had together when he was assigned to observe her and Adam in Eden. He had feelings for her that were unlike any that he had for his fellow Archangels or even his friends Cerebriel of the Cherubim or Annabael of the Principalities.

  As he descended out of the sky into Eden he saw that work on the pyramid was still in progress, as the other Orders of Angels were still arriving for the day's work. He thought to himself that he should ask Cerebriel if he had seen Lillith or anything for that matter that would indicate where she was hiding. But first he wanted to make a sweep of Eden to see if there were any clues as to where Lillith had gone. Adam had searched for her earlier but he was not the brightest creature that Jarahmael had met, and he strongly doubted his searching skills.

  Jarahmael proceeded to fly over the hut where Adam and Lillith had lived. As he looked around to make sure Adam was not in the area, he noticed Sammuael and Beelzebael flying to the caves off in the distance. What were they doing here? Perhaps they had come to assist him find the missing Human.

  He landed near the hut to look inside and saw that it had not been used since her disappearance. Apparently, that was the reason there was a second hut on the other side of the river. Adam must have moved himself and his new mate, Eve, out of this hut and into the new one. Looking over by the straw they had used to sleep on against the back wall of the hut, Jarahmael saw some leaves and a few branches. They seemed to be left as scraps from something else that had been worked on, but they were still fresh and alive. No indication that they were drying out or no longer growing as normally happened with such things. Jarahmael reached down and picked up the leaves and realized that the only leaves that maintained themselves like this were the ones from the Tree of Life. He looked at the branches and confirmed that they too had come from the Tree. Either Adam or Lillith must have used the leaves to make something!

  She could be anywhere in Eden, he thought. He reached down and put some pressure on the ground, but the ground was unfortunately too firm to allow any impressions or footprints to be left on its surface for him to follow. He again took to the air and flew slowly over the expanse of Eden, crisscrossing the area while looking down for any hint of the blond hair or her small frame walking about.

  He reminded himself that she could not have gotten far. As a Human she did not have wings, so she could not have flown to the Earth below or to the Heavens above, nor did she have access to the rest of the First Heaven, as they all required flying over a distance of empty sky. Even the rivers circled back and around upon themselves and would not have delivered her outside of the Garden of Eden.

  Could Adam have done something to her? Jarahmael thought. Would The Almighty have been able to see through the Human's mind? Jarahmael remembered that the Almighty had waited for Adam to be honest about how the two of them behaved together, so He had to have been able to know more than what Adam initially told Him. But Adam seemed to be honest about his pain after she had left, and it was consistent with Adam telling the truth that Lillith had just disappeared on her own.

  Jarahmael leaned against one of the trees and thought about his search. He had searched many places in the Garden of Eden and she was nowhere to be found -- not on the ground, not in the river, not in the hut. Where could she possibly be?

  He could not think of a reason why Lillith or Adam would build something from the Tree of Life. It was the main source of nourishment for them. The fruits of the other trees were for enjoyment and would be satisfying, but it was always the Tree of Life that kept their flesh in check and their bodies immortal. He knew that no one had tried to destroy a Human before, there were no weapons here, nor were there any creatures that could harm them. The dinosaurs were never allowed anywhere near this lofty area.

  Jarahmael thought further. If one wanted to travel away from the Garden of Eden, wouldn't they have to take parts of the Tree of Life with them? But how would they leave here?

  It was late, so Jarahmael took off heading upwards towards the Heavens. As he broke through tree top level he saw Sammuael and Beelzebael leaving one of the caves off in the distance, their black tipped and maroon tipped Archangel wings leaving streaks of color to anyone who would have been watching the western side of Eden. He would fly over there and find out what they had been doing all this time. Perhaps they had their own special assignment, not from the Almighty but from Luciferael himself.

  Chapter 30

  OBSERVATIONS OF A SERPENT

  Sammuael and Beelzebael landed softly on the firm ground, carefully avoiding making any sound. They knew that Jarahmael was down here searching for Lillith and did not want to have to deal with him. How could a Human have escaped the Garden of Eden? Or why one would want to leave Paradise? It all seemed bizarre to them, but this whole idea of Humans did not make a lot of sense to any Archangel within the Auxilium. Sammuael pointed towards the cave where Luciferael had told them to search. Serpentalia used the cave as his home, the place that Luciferael had seen when he had taken over his mind not long before. It was a deep cave that went under one of the mountains there, and a great place for Serpentalia to live, out of the sight of others. The cave was always pitch
dark so no other earthen creature would be able to follow him to his lair at the furthest depth. Luciferael had given Serpentalia the ability to see in the darkness and in the blackest night, perfect for a creature now commanded to spy.

  Sammuael and Beelzebael were Beings of Light and could see through any darkness, as light was the opposite of the dark, and one of the first things the Almighty made to begin the Creation. The two Archangels took off again after gaining their bearings, flying below tree top level and directly into the open mouth of the dark cave, using their own light radiation so that every corner in the cave was illuminated, bright and clear.

  "Serpentalia, where are you?" Sammuael called out aloud, relying on the depth of the cave to keep the sound of his voice from being heard outside.

  "We have a question for you," Beelzebael called out to the serpent.

  "Do not be afraid. We have been sent by your creator, Luciferael. Come forth!" commanded Sammuael.

  They landed about three quarters into the depth of the cave, their radiation brightening up the last area and furthermost points within it. Beelzebael was looking deep into the back recesses of the cave when Sammuael turned to see part of the wall moving next to Beelzebael.

  "There you are! Come out here!" commanded Sammuael again.

  Beelzebael finally caught a glimpse of the movement and stepped sideways so he could see the creature more clearly. The creature's skin color was exactly the same as the pattern on the wall of the cave.

  "Great camouflage!" said Sammuael. "Luciferael did well when he created you."

  "That could come in very handy!" said Beelzebael, a bit surprised that the creature was able to be that close to him without him sensing him. Beelzebael did pride himself on being aware of his surroundings.

  "Yes, it does come in handy," responded Serpentalia in his distinctive hissing voice. "And who exactly are you?"