In Rebellion (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book II)

by John J Higgins

  Michael turned to Cerebriel. “At least that is done. They will remain asleep until we wake them. This will give us time to determine what is going on. With the two Humans now buried deep within the pyramid they should be safe, especially with all the Cherubim who are loyal to you around to help guard them. Now we can turn our attention to other matters. Let's see if any of the other Archangels have returned.” Michael and Cerebriel then walked out of the pyramid.

  “Only a few more hours of daylight,” Cerebriel said to Michael.

  “True. The Angels on the Earth will then be making their way back up into the Heavens. And we still do not know what’s going on!” Michael exclaimed.

  Both Angels noticed something breaking through the clouds above. It first appeared as a slight reddish form that grew into one of the Angels as it came closer. Michael recognized it as Volac, one of the major Dominion Angels who usually remained behind in the Fourth Heaven when the others went to the Earth to work on the pyramids. He looked haggard and worried as he came closer, landing unsteadily near Michael and Cerebriel.

  Michael could see that there was fear in his eyes.

  “My lord Michael, there is an army of Angels invading the Fourth Heaven. From what I can tell they are being led by the Archangel Beelzebael. They have been rounding up all the Dominion Angels who remained in the Fourth Heaven during the day. We have been trying to resist but without any type of weapons they have been overrunning us. I have come down through the Heavens to see if I could find some help to push them out of the Fourth Heaven. I don't know how much longer the Dominion Angels can hold and I'm afraid that the rebel Angels will start attacking the Third Heaven soon.”

  Michael turned to Cerebriel and said, “We are sure now that these armed Angels under the control of Luciferael are rebelling against the Almighty and the rest of us Angels. We will need to find some way of defending ourselves. Lord Cerebriel, do you think any of the tools we use to build the pyramids would be of any help? Or do you think there is some way you can have your Cherubim create new weapons?”

  “It took us some time, lord Michael, to make all those weapons. We can use some of the stone cutting lasers and other cutting tools. But I don't know what defenses the tools can provide against the light source swords, spears and hammers that are now in the possession of the rebel Angels,” Cerebriel replied, his eyebrows contracted as he was still thinking.

  “The tools can at least be a start,” said Michael. “What we need to do right now is to warn the other Angels working on the pyramids around the Earth that they should remain here and not attempt to return to the Heavens. Otherwise the rebel Angels can capture them one by one. Would you send some of the Cherubim through the pyramid system to warn the others and prepare them to assemble to fight back the rebel Angel legions?”

  “Certainly lord Michael. I will assemble some of my most trusted Cherubim and send them to the other pyramids right away,” responded Cerebriel. He then turned and flew off to the other side of the pyramid where the majority of Cherubim were working.

  “What about the Fourth Heaven?” asked Volac, flustered and clearly agitated that Michael was not coming immediately to his aid.

  Michael gently put his hand on Volac's cheek and said, “Not to worry. I will be going there myself along with you and whatever Angels I can quickly assemble here.”

  Michael quickly looked around and summoned Baldago, a Cherubim with a cat-like face and two others of the Cherubim that were closest to him.

  “Baldago, take your brethren and go forth and bring the rest of the Angels in Aegyptus to me. I want all of the Orders of Angels to come assemble here. Tell them to bring whatever tools they have with them.”

  “Yes, my lord Michael!” Baldago acknowledged the command and flew off, followed by the other two Cherubim.

  “How many Angels would you say were in the rebel Angel army, Volac?”

  “There were thousands,” Volac said with beads of light rolling out of his eyes as tears. “We only had a small group of the Dominions left in the Fourth Heaven. There was little we could do to stop them from overrunning our beloved Fourth Heaven. Lord Beelzebael led the legion and they quickly swarmed over our main assembly Hall and began using it to confine our Angels. The ones who are left and still free have been trying to block the rebels from passing down to the Third Heaven with the Principalities.”

  Michael listened intently as Volac continued.

  “I went to find Annabael in the Third Heaven but she was down here on the Earth along with her entourage. I found Haniel of the Principalities who had remained in the Third Heaven in her stead and warned him of the rebel legions that were fighting in our Heaven. He, too, has been constructing defenses to hold them back. They have been solidifying the cloud structures in their Heaven and forming walls in the Heavens to prevent Beelzebael and the rest from getting through their skies. He sent me on to find you and gather the rest of the Angels on Earth to come to their aid and win back the Heavens. But they also do not have any weapons to work with.”

  “We shall find a way to beat the rebel Angels back,” Michael said reassuringly. “Did you see Luciferael or any of the other Archangels?”

  “Only lord Beelzebael as he was leading the masses of Angels as they came through our skies. He was followed by a large number of Cherubim and other Angels. They pushed right through us!” Volac answered.

  “No Luciferael? Sammuael? Mammonael?” Michael asked.

  “Not that I could see, lord Michael.”

  “That's strange, because they were at the head of the destruction of the dinosaurs,” Michael said, thinking aloud. “Luciferael would be leading the attack if he was there or surely the others would be competing with one another, if I know them at all, to take part in the attack.”

  “Wait, but I did see the Archangel Jarahmael and lord Suriel in the legions following behind Beelzebael's, my lord.”

  “Was lord Jarahmael a captive?” Michael said, concerned for his friend.

  “That I could not tell. He was armed though, as was the Archangel Suriel.”

  This news made Michael worry.

  In the meantime, the Angels around the pyramid of Aegyptus were beginning to assemble between the two sphinxes in front of the pyramid. Baldago came up to Michael as he was standing there and interrupted his thoughts.

  “My lord Michael. We have assembled the Angels as you requested. We are forming ranks by the Orders of the Angels. The Guardians are there towards the back, Cherubim in the front, Potentates hovering over to the left and on the right are the Dominions and Principalities. We have the Virtues forming a back-up legion over to the right as well.”

  “Good work Baldago, lord Cerebriel will be proud of your work, as am I,” Michael said, feeling a bit reassured that they were making progress. “As Cherubim I know you are well familiar with the weaponry we used to destroy the dinosaurs. Would you arrange the tools we have available so that each of the groups have an equal share of the laser cutters. They may be the only real weapons we have against the rebel legions.”

  Baldago nodded and said, “Yes, my lord. Consider it done!” Then Baldago motioned to the other two Cherubim around him and they all flew off to the various legions of assembled Angels.

  This may be the first line of real defense, Michael thought. He would take this group along with him to reinforce the Principalities and then try to regain the Dominion's Heaven. But where was Luciferael? This troubled him. And news that Jarahmael was in the rebel legions. Did he get back to the Seventh Heaven and consult with the Almighty? Was this the Almighty's plan and His doing? Or was Jarahmael captured or turned? Why would Jarahmael arm himself against the lesser Angels? It made no sense that Jarahmael would be part of a plan to destroy the Humans. He was in love with the first woman, Lillith, after all. Was she still in the Seventh Heaven in his mansion?

  Too many questions and not enough answers raced through Michael's mind. He wished that Cerebriel had returned already, but he knew he was rounding up the other C
herubim and Orders of Angels from the remaining pyramid sites on the Earth. No easy task. They were the only Angels that have any form of weapons to battle back against Beelzebael and his legions.

  Then there was the issue of the Principalities that resided in the Third Heaven, who were used to building, not destroying. They, too, had no weapons, nor even tools available in the Heavens as the tools were all being used by the Angels down here on Earth.

  Michael thought to himself. We could easily be kept out of the Heavens with no weapons. We would not have any means then of getting the weapons for ourselves from the Sixth Heaven and would be purely at Luciferael’s mercy, not even able to get a foothold in the First Heaven.

  And then a particularly frightening thought came to him. What if Luciferael and the other Archangels and their legions under their command had already split their forces? Beelzebael attacking and conquering all of the Heavens from the Fifth Heaven and below, and Luciferael with the rest of the rebel legions attacking the Sixth Heaven and above. They would then possess all of the weapons that had ever been made, and would be able to take over the Seventh Heaven unopposed, as it often remained empty when the Archangels were gone. Could Luciferael take over the Throne Room and remove the Almighty Himself? All would be lost and the Universe would be an unbearable place with Luciferael and his cohort of Archangels in charge.

  Chapter 14

  PREPARATIONS

  As the sun was waning in the sky behind him, Michael stood before the assembled Angels on the Aegyptian plains and began to speak.

  “My fellow Angels, something terrible has happened in the Heavens above us. A rebel army composed of legions of our brethren have formed together to take over our home. We are still not sure of everything that has happened, but we do know that legions of these rebel Angels have been led by the Archangel Beelzebael. They have assembled and emerged out of the Fifth Heaven, armed with the weapons we had used to destroy the dinosaurs. They have been battling through the Fourth Heaven, home of the Dominion Angels. The loyal Dominions are trying to hold the rebel Angels back, but they are far outnumbered and have no weapons. I understand that the Principalities have prepared defenses in the skies of their Heaven to prevent the rebel horde from getting into and through their Third Heaven. They do not have any weapons either but we all know they are particularly skilled in building structures. I anticipate that this may not stop Beelzebael and his companions, but it should slow them down.

  “You have been assembled at my request. I intend to lead you back up into the Heavens to reinforce the Principalities in their Third Heaven and attack and drive the rebels back into the Fourth Heaven. We do not have the weapons that the rebel Angels have, but we do have the tools we have been using here on Earth. The laser cutters will be the most handy, as they should be able to disrupt the bodies of the rebel Angels long enough to incapacitate and disarm them, wound them and possibly destroy them. The other stone forming and cutting tools, although more primitive, should be something of a defense against the swords and spears of our enemy.

  “This is much to ask of you. I have not been able to discuss this with the Almighty. With these circumstances we cannot even access the Seventh Heaven. But I am willing to take it on my own authority and responsibility to battle these rebel Angels back while we still can.

  “I know the hour is late and darkness is descending upon us. None of us have ever spent the night outside of our Heavens or our homes since the Almighty created this Universe. I recommend that we make the most of it, find a place to rest near where you are assembled and we shall begin the battle in the morning.

  “Are you with me?” Michael called out.

  “Yes, our lord Michael!” they all sang back to him.

  “All praises to the Almighty!” he called out to them.

  “All praises to the Almighty!” they all responded. The Angels soon began singing as they found places to rest for the night.

  Michael moved back to the pyramid and rested along the wall. It had been a long day with too much uncertainty. He saw some lights flicker across the sky as the dark curtain of night was replacing the grey veil of dusk. The four spots grew brighter as they approached and he recognized the shapes as brother Archangels.

  Raziel had found Raphael, Gabriel and Uriel and they were finally coming here. Michael's energy returned as he saw them land and approach him.

  “Greetings lord Michael!” said Gabriel. “Lord Raziel has told us that an army of Angels has formed in the Fifth Heaven and overtaken their Hall of the Virtues.”

  “Yes, this is shocking!” said Raphael.

  “Have you any more news?” Uriel asked Michael.

  “Yes, Volac of the Order of the Dominions was able to escape to here. Legions led by Beelzebael were overrunning the Fourth Heaven, Volac’s home. He also reports that the Principalities were putting up defenses at the entrance into the Third Heaven in order to keep Beelzebael and his legions from advancing,” Michael answered Uriel.

  Michael continued, “Beelzebael's army is larger than any of the remnants of loyal Angels left in any one of the Heavens in my estimation. I have been organizing an army here to take Beelzebael on tomorrow. I am concerned because the rebel Angels are all armed from the arsenal that was held by the Cherubim in the Sixth Heaven and we do not have any of those weapons. Nor will we be able to get to the Sixth Heaven without going through the rebel army and any defense they have in place in the Fifth and Sixth Heavens.”

  Looking around, Michael leaned in so only the other Archangels could hear. “I also have a major concern that the rebel army is at least twice the size of what we have thought. That means Luciferael may have split the rebel army and is using the other half to secure the Heavens above him. He may have in mind replacing the Almighty Himself and substituting himself onto the Throne.”

  “That would be terrible,” said Gabriel. “We would never be able to tolerate him if he gained that much power. His sense of himself is already much too huge and hard to bear.”

  “And we have seen the type of things he creates. Those monstrosities the dinosaurs, and then also the reptiles. All of them were trouble!” said Uriel.

  “Yes, we had to rid the Earth of those dinosaurs so the Almighty could make the Earth safe for any other creature. Just to update you, lord Michael, once lord Raziel found us and told us what was occurring, we spent the rest of the day gathering the Simians and placing them in caves and other sheltered areas in case the rebel Angel army breaks through and is intent on destroying them. Were you able to find Adam and Eve?” Uriel asked.

  “Yes. The two Humans are inside one of the chambers of the pyramid behind me. Lord Cerebriel and I found them back in one of the caves not far from here, we placed them into unconscious trances, and moved them here for their safety. It’s best to keep them this way until the danger passes. They would most likely be the first to be destroyed if Beelzebael's legions break through,” said Michael.

  “What about Lillith? Isn't she still with lord Jarahmael?” Raziel asked, concerned for his friend. “Lord Jarahmael left to go talk to the Almighty and make sure she was safe in his mansion in the Seventh Heaven, have you heard from him?”

  “No,” said Michael. “The only one from the occupied Heavens that I have heard was from the Dominion Angel Volac, who said he saw lord Jarahmael armed and traveling in the second wave of Beelzebael's army. I am not sure what that means, whether lord Jarahmael was cut-off from getting up to the Seventh Heaven, whether he did get there and spoke with the Almighty, whether the army was actually His Divine will, or even if lord Jarahmael has just changed sides. My bigger and more immediate concern is being able to get weapons. We don't have any real weapons down here on Earth and I don't see any way we can get to the Sixth Heaven where the Cherubim have the weapons stored. I have had the Angels working on the pyramids collect their stone cutting tools as potential weapons. The only things that may be of real help would be the laser lights that the Angels have been using to cut the stones for the pyramids.�
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  “Didn’t the Cherubim make the first weapons, the ones that are stored in Cherubim’s Sixth Heaven?” asked Uriel.

  “Yes, they did. But it took time and means that we don’t have here on Earth. So for now the tools that we have will have to suffice. I am hoping that we can stop the rebel Angel army up in the Third Heaven where the Principalities are, but we had best prepare for the worst here on Earth,” Michael answered and then continued, “In the morning I think we need to secure the Second Heaven on our way up to the Third Heaven. Hopefully the Principalities' defenses will hold long enough for us to get more Angels up to fight before Beelzebael can break through.”

  “Where is lord Cerebriel?” asked Raziel, seeing that he was not there with Michael.

  “He is traveling to the pyramids and organizing the groups of Angels assigned to each of the pyramid sites located around the Earth. I wanted to be sure that our Angels weren't returning back to their Heavens as is customary at the end of the day, thinking that it was all safe, and ending up captives. We will need all the Angels we can get. Lord Cerebriel is working on organizing those Angels into legions before he returns here with them. Then we will have our own proper army, one loyal to the Almighty,” Michael answered.

  As Michael finished talking, he began to look tired. “We have all had a long day. The day started out far from what any of us imagined. We should all get some rest. Tomorrow is another day and I am afraid it may be even longer than today.” The four Archangels agreed, turned and walked into the pyramid. Each found a place to rest, each and every one of them more exhausted than they had ever been before.