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

by John J Higgins

  "It looked like some sort of mating ritual," Mammonael said with some disgust.

  "Between an Archangel and a Human?" asked Luciferael. "That's unbelievable!"

  "Yes, my lord," said Beelzebael

  "Things are well beyond getting out of control with these Humans!" added Luciferael indignantly.

  "Yes, my lord, they are," added Mammonael.

  "Why would the Almighty allow the two of them to engage in such acts? Is He allowing Humans to dilute our purity now? And why would He allow Jarahmael that ability? I am the First Born! And that should have been offered to me before anyone else!" exclaimed Luciferael.

  "Exactly what we were thinking, my lord," said Mammonael

  "Something has to be done!" said Beelzebael.

  Chapter 40

  A CHALLENGE WITH CONSEQUENCES

  Luciferael arrived the next day at the usual time to lead the procession of the Almighty into the Throne Room for the morning ceremony. He greeted the Almighty, the Seraphim, and the Thrones just above the skylight in the Throne Room as was customary. Despite what Luciferael had discovered the day before, he did not let on about his newfound knowledge, and made everything seem normal as he exchanged pleasantries before the ceremony was to begin."Good morning, my Lord!" said Luciferael, looking a bit to the side as he didn't want his gaze being placed under too deep scrutiny.

  "Good morning, Luciferael, how are you this morning?"

  "I am fine, my Lord," responded Luciferael, still trying to avoid the Almighty's gaze.

  "You appear a bit tense this morning, Luciferael," the Almighty said. "Is there something wrong?"

  "Not really, my Lord . . ." he said while looking up sideways at the Almighty. "Well, there is one thing that has been bothering me."

  "What is that?" asked the Almighty as He looked deeply at Luciferael.

  "It has to do with the Humans, Adam and his mate Eve."

  "What concerns you about them, Luciferael?"

  "I do not trust the Humans," he said.

  Luciferael could sense that the Almighty was annoyed at his comments, but he had to continue to put his plan in place.

  "I and most of my brethren Archangels of the Auxilium feel that the Humans are being placed above the Angels in the hierarchy of Universe. And we feel unappreciated for what we have all given of ourselves. Don't we at least deserve to make sure that these creatures will be obedient to You and Your commands and plans?"

  "What did you have in mind?" the Almighty asked.

  "I believe we should have a test, one that has real meaning and consequences for disobedience by these creatures. Before we exalt them anymore or allow them to take over parts of our Universe, they should be tested. As You had explained to us, the concept of free will allows the Humans to make choices. To do that though they have to have knowledge of various outcomes and for it to be meaningful there must be consequences, don't you agree, my Lord?"

  "Yes, those things are true, Luciferael."

  "This is what I propose, my Lord. You already have a Tree of Life within the Garden that provides them with nourishment and immortality. I propose that You place another fruit-bearing Tree within the Garden, this one a Tree of Knowledge. Fruit from this tree will allow the Humans to see their choices based upon acts that are "good" and acts that are against "good," which I would label as "evil." To test the Humans' level of obedience and love for You, my Lord, they should be instructed that they can enjoy everything in the Garden of Eden except one simple thing. That is, that they cannot eat any of the fruit from this Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It's a simple thing really, they don't need any of the fruit for surviving. It will only be there as a temptation and to see if they can follow a simple rule, and not disobey Your command."

  "They have not violated any of My rules," the Almighty responded.

  "Yes, but Adam and the first woman could not stay together, and the first woman decided, on her own, to leave Adam," Luciferael said with emphasis and then added, "What if they decide that they want to rule the Universe and not just Eden, my Lord? If they cannot keep this one commandment, why would they not make a decision like that?"

  "Why would they want to do that, Luciferael? They are living without problems in a paradise made specifically for them," the Almighty answered.

  "Lillith already made that decision, my Lord, and acted upon it!" Luciferael said. "Providing them with a Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil would control how and when they make such a decision. You did give them free will to let them make a good decision or a bad decision, didn't You, my Lord? Otherwise, they would just be like every other creature on the Earth driven by instincts and desires. Don't they need to prove that they can behave as superior Beings who demonstrate Your essence and use that love to overcome primitive behaviors? It is only fair that they do so before we exalt them as though they have already demonstrated that they are superior Beings."

  Luciferael continued, "Most of all, this should be a test of their loyalty to You and the Creation. Knowledge for its own sake without considering consequences is what I am concerned about, my Lord. Love and loyalty should always be a factor in exercising free will. This test is really very simple, all they have to do is ignore the Tree and not break Your commandment. We Angels follow Your orders without questions . . . don't we, my Lord? It's the Humans we are unsure of!" Luciferael emphasized almost tauntingly.

  "There is no good reason to break any of My commands, nor should there be!" the Almighty exclaimed in a tone of voice that was warning Luciferael he was treading on dangerous ground. "The Humans have been well taken care of in their Garden of Eden, and I am sure they will remain obedient to any command I would give them. But since you seem to doubt them, I will go along with your test. I will place another Tree in the Garden as you suggest, one that contains fruit that will open up their minds to the differences between Good and Evil. And I will inform them that they are not to eat of that fruit under any circumstances. Then you shall see how obedient they are."

  Luciferael then said, "But are You sure, my Lord, that will be enough of a test?"

  "Yes, I am, Luciferael," the Almighty explained, the annoyance in His voice now becoming more pronounced. "I will place the Tree of Knowledge in the middle of Eden and I will explain the Tree and its purpose. I will also make clear that they are forbidden from eating the fruit of that Tree. I believe that the Tree will serve not only as a temptation to the Humans, with the potential powers of its fruit, but will also serve as an example of their faith and obedience when they resist the temptation."

  "That is not what I meant, my Lord. The temptation should be great, but so should the punishment also be great. Please keep in mind that I fear not only the Humans gaining dangerous knowledge, but also that they do not possess the spiritual maturity to refrain from its use. Better to find out now, while the Humans are confined in the Garden of Eden rather than allow them the mobility and ability to attack us and take over the Seven Heavens," Luciferael said with a great deal of deference.

  The Almighty remained unreadable, which made Luciferael uncomfortable as he did not know what the Almighty wanted to do. Then the Almighty spoke, "What would you have the consequence be then, lord Luciferael? Permanent confinement in paradise?"

  "No, my Lord. Certainly not keep them in their paradise of the Garden of Eden! That would not be a consequence at all. I humbly suggest that if the Humans fail that they be considered another failed experiment of the Creation, and their fate be exactly the same as that of the dinosaurs I had created, my Lord, that the Humans be destroyed!"

  After a few moments thought, the Almighty nodded to Luciferael.

  "You have valid points, Luciferael. And you are My First Born. I know that position is important to you. In the event that the Humans do not obey My command, they will be punished as you suggest."

  Luciferael pressed his point further. "In light of the possibility that Humans revolt once they know the difference between Good and Evil and may need to be destroyed, may I have some of
my Angels standing by, in case the Humans do violate the rules and decide to act out on this knowledge of evil?"

  "I don't think any of that will be necessary, Luciferael. There are but two of them. But if you think that Heaven will be safer by having your Angels prepared to repel any evil that comes towards the upper Heavens from Eden, you are welcome to do so."

  Luciferael was feeling elated that all the pieces of his plan were being put in place without any objection by the Almighty.

  The Almighty then said, "If there is nothing else Luciferael, let's proceed to conduct the morning ceremony and not keep your brethren waiting."

  Luciferael then turned and led the procession. He took his position in the morning ceremony and descended gracefully. He landed before the Throne and moved to his seat as he watched the Almighty enter the Throne Room with the Seraphim and Thrones. It had been a while since the Almighty had joined them for the ceremony, since the days before Lillith had disappeared. Luciferael then scanned the Assembly of all the Orders of Angels and noticed that Jarahmael still was not present. He must still be with that Human woman, he thought to himself. Luciferael thought about how best to handle the Jarahmael issue and wondered whether the Almighty knew about the liaison between the Archangel and the Human. He decided to mention Jarahmael's absence once the Almighty was properly seated.

  "My Lord, we are all assembled before You. Except for one. The Archangel Jarahmael remains absent as he has been for numerous days. I am wondering whether we should have some of our Angels search for him. Last any of us knew, he was searching for the Human woman Lillith," Luciferael said in a concerned voice.

  Luciferael knew that his highlighting Jarahmael's absence would emphasize the Almighty's preferential treatment of anything involving the Humans. Here Jarahmael continued to be absent from the mandatory morning ceremonies to accommodate a search for the wayward Human female. Luciferael knew that this would further inflame those Angels who were unhappy that the Humans and Simians were even created, much less required a great deal of accommodation by the Angels. Luciferael could tell they were agitated, but still hoped that the Almighty would not have inkling that there was dissatisfaction among the ranks.

  The Almighty responded: "Yes, Luciferael, I see that Jarahmael is not present with us this morning as he has also not been in the Assembly of Angels for a while. He has been working on some things at My request. Those tasks remain unfinished and he will return once the tasks are completed."

  The Almighty then conducted His usual meeting, communicating with each of them simultaneously and going over whatever commands He had for the various Angels. There was no further mention about Adam and Eve in Eden. Nor was there any communication by the Almighty about Luciferael's concern about the safety of Heaven if the Humans chose a different, disobedient path.

  As Luciferael led the procession of the Almighty and His entourage out of the Throne Room at the end of the ceremonies, he was thinking about how well his plan was going and how clueless the Almighty had become. I must have charmed Him so well, he thought, that He never doubts me and allows me to do whatever I want. If events continue according to my plan, I will soon be ruling the Heavens and these Humans will be just a memory!

  Chapter 41

  NEW RULES

  The Almighty arrived with his group of Angels as Adam and Eve were walking through the Garden, having just finished eating their evening meal. As soon as they saw the Almighty, Adam and Eve bowed before Him and they greeted one another.

  "How was your day?" the Almighty asked, looking at both her and Adam.

  "Wonderful, my Lord," they both answered in response.

  "I see the two of you have been busy, experimenting with improving growing things. That is excellent! I love when you are creative!" the Almighty said, smiling warmly at the two of them.

  "Yes my Lord," Adam answered. "We both enjoy experimenting. Eve has been coming up with different combinations of food for us to eat. She really is very good at it."

  "Thank you!" Eve answered. "Adam is quite the explorer as well, my Lord, he showed me the pyramid the other day that Your Angels have been building."

  "My Lord, may I ask what the pyramid is for?" Adam inquired, his eyebrows up in curiosity.

  "All in due time, Adam. I will bring you to explore them once they are completed. You would not understand what I am talking about until after they are finished. There will be plenty of time for showing you the wonderful pyramids and the fine work that my Angels have done on them."

  "Yes, my Lord," Adam answered with a look that Eve recognized as disappointment.

  "I promise you will find out soon. For now, let's walk over to the Tree of Life. I want to show you two something," the Almighty said.

  When they arrived in the clearing that held the Tree of Life and the rumbling nearby creek, Eve saw a dazzling new Tree that was across a small stream that separated it from the Tree of Life. She did not recall ever seeing that Tree before, and certainly not earlier in the day.

  "What is this Tree, my Lord?" Eve asked as she approached the Tree to touch it.

  "Be careful Eve, the Tree is not all that it seems. It is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and I brought you here to tell you about it," the Almighty said.

  "Where did it come from, my Lord?" Adam blurted out, surprised to see this new addition to the Garden.

  "Listen, and I will explain," said the Almighty as He motioned for the two of them to stay near Him. "This is a very special Tree."

  "Yes, my Lord," Adam acknowledged for both of them.

  "The two of you have free will. Free will is the ability to do or not do a particular thing based on what you decide, using your mind, after weighing the issues and the consequences," the Almighty explained.

  Eve interjected, "Like deciding which fruit to pick and eat everyday, my Lord?"

  "Yes, Eve . . . exactly . . . red fruit rather than orange fruit. When to eat, what to eat, or when to go to sleep or not . . ."

  "Or to go north in Eden and explore, or not to go and to stay here?" Adam asked.

  "Yes, Adam, that too. The possibilities and choices you can make are endless. You two both know how special you are to Me? How much I cherish you?"

  "Yes, we do, my Lord," Eve answered on behalf of herself and Adam.

  "This Tree here of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is to help you demonstrate your loyalty to Me. It sits here, all dazzling and beautiful, but this Tree is not for your eating or for your pleasure. It sits near the Tree of Life to remind both of you that you need to be careful about this Tree."

  "Why is that?" asked Adam.

  "This Tree can be harmful to both you and Eve. You are not to eat of its fruit."

  "Never?" asked Eve.

  "Never!" responded the Almighty. "Eating of this Tree will cause whoever eats of it to die or cease to exist."

  "Die?" asked Adam. "What is it to die, my Lord?"

  "It means that whoever eats of the fruit of that Tree will no longer be alive, and can no longer enjoy paradise, nor see Me, nor please Me," the Almighty warned.

  "That sounds dreadful!" said Adam, now getting concerned that this Tree may be more of a terrible thing than a nice looking Tree with pretty fruit. "Why do we need to have that Tree placed here, my Lord?"

  "Yes, let's send it back to where it came from!" Eve exclaimed.

  "I need you to look after this Tree. The Tree must stay here," the Almighty said, looking both at Eve and then Adam. "All you have to do is to not eat the fruit from it. Both of you love Me, don't you?"

  "Yes, with all my heart!" said Eve.

  "And with all mine as well, my Lord," Adam repeated.

  "Have I not given you everything you could wish for and want?" asked the Almighty.

  "Yes! Yes, my Lord!" Adam answered while Eve nodded her head in agreement.

  "Then I am only asking for you to watch this Tree, make sure it grows properly, and to not eat of its fruit. You do have the Tree of Life to eat from as well as every other fruit that grows
on plants throughout Eden, don't you?"

  "Yes, my Lord," Eve answered this time while Adam nodded in agreement.

  "Then all I am asking of you is to exercise your ability to make choices, your 'free will,' and not eat of the forbidden fruit of this Tree. Do you promise Me?" the Almighty asked as He reached out and touched each of their shoulders.

  "I promise!" said Adam

  "As do I!" said Eve.

  "Good. Then it's settled. Now it's time for Me to leave. I have to be away for a while as I have other matters to attend to, but I will return soon. Until then, remember that I love you and do not eat of the fruit of this Tree!"

  Chapter 42

  POSSESSION

  The golden-tipped Archangel swept down through the clouds, leveled off at tree top level and headed for the shadowed cave sitting in the mountains on the eastern border of the Garden of Eden. He entered the cave as he finished his descent, flared his wings slightly and looked around as he landed on his feet. His brightness lit up the cave and two green eyes reflected back at him.

  The green eyed creature moved out of the shadows, and the scales coating its body shimmered in the light. The serpent stood up and said to the Archangel, "Good morning Master. What brings you here to my cave?"

  "I am looking for the Humans," Luciferael stated. "Where can I find them?"

  "The woman is usually by the river in the center of Eden around this time of day," the serpent responded. "And the man is often off to the north exploring, he has become fascinated with the cave system there."

  "Excellent," responded Luciferael. "Now show me!"

  "Certainly," responded Serpentalia and led the way out of the cave, undulating through the trees and fields of Eden. "Do you wish to go to see the man first or the woman first, my Lord?"

  "We will find the woman first," he responded. "Do you also know where the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge are located?"