In Exile (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book III)

by John J Higgins

  “I must do something now! Luciferael cannot keep getting away with these things.”

  “What can you do right now, Jarahmael? They are gone so you can't attack them. Even if they were still here you don't have any weapons with you, while they were armed. I don't have any weapons on me either. You will just have to wait.”

  Jarahmael resigned himself that there was nothing meaningful he could do to attack Luciferael or find Lillith at the moment.

  Cerebriel and Jarahmael decided to stay in the area, just in case Luciferael returned and did something more to the two Humans. They watched as Adam and Eve spent the rest of the day waiting for the Angels to appear and return them to the Garden of Eden. Nothing happened all afternoon and at dusk Adam said to Eve. “It’s time for us to go back to the cave. Whatever Angel you spoke to today has not fulfilled what he told you he would.”

  “Perhaps he will do it tomorrow,” Eve responded.

  Adam looked at Eve with a growing disbelief. “Are you sure you saw these Angels and did not just fall asleep?”

  “I was standing in the river, with cool water running over me keeping me awake remember?” she responded testily.

  “It is possible that they will come back tomorrow to get us. Either that or you were lied to. Now let's go back to our cave, eat something and get some rest. Tomorrow is another day.”

  Jarahmael and Cerebriel watched over the two Humans as they made their way back to the Cave of Treasures. Jarahmael turned to Cerebriel and said. “We should tell them that this was just a trick by Luciferael to prevent them from earning the Almighty's forgiveness.”

  Cerebriel responded, “Come Jarahmael, it’s time for us to go back into the Heavens and get some rest. Remember the Almighty has forbidden us from dealing directly with the Humans without His express permission, my friend. Haven't we been through enough the past few weeks, fending off Luciferael’s rebellion?”

  Jarahmael fidgeted as he did not know what to do with his growing hatred of Luciferael and the fallen Angels. He was not a particular fan of Adam and Eve, but they grew more appealing as he realized how much Luciferael hated them. Luciferael's enemies are my friends ran through his mind. “We really should do something, Cerebriel.”

  “Perhaps, but not this evening. Let it go for now Jarahmael, we can see what tomorrow brings.”

  “I want to speak with the Almighty about this,” Jarahmael said, “but I know He is away again.”

  “Do you want to talk to Michael about it then?” asked Cerebriel.

  “No. Not yet. I don't think Michael can be of much help. I am sure he will not think for himself, but blindly follow the Almighty's orders. We will come back tomorrow and see what other evidence we can gather. Maybe then Michael and/or the Almighty may allow us to intervene before Luciferael causes more trouble.”

  Looking down as they prepared to fly in earnest, they noticed that the Humans made it safely back into their cave and settled in for the night. Now it was their turn to rest.

  Both Jarahmael and Cerebriel flew upwards, back into the Heavens. They would follow up on this in the morning.

  Chapter 10

  APPEAL FOR MERCY

  The next morning, Michael had led the procession into the Throne Room followed by the Almighty. All the Angels had heard the prayers of Adam and Eve from the day before and were surprised that the prayers were left unfinished. Adam and Eve had promised the Almighty that they would pray the entire day, but had stopped midday. As the topic was raised, Jarahmael moved forward to explain.

  “My Lord Almighty, Michael and my brother Archangels, Cerebriel and all of the rest of the Heavenly Host. I want to take this opportunity to explain what occurred yesterday on the Earth.

  “As all of you aware, Adam and Eve’s prayers were accessible to us through the course of the day. The two of them attempted to obtain forgiveness for eating of the fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil,” Jarahmael said as he hovered before the Almighty.

  “The two Humans agreed to pray all day to the Almighty, while standing in a river, to establish that they had a clean spirit and that they were willing to suffer to gain the Almighty’s grace and mercy. They made a great start at fulfilling their sacrifice, but failed before the day had passed, fulfilling only half of their planned sacrifices for the Almighty,” Jarahmael paused, trying to gauge the mood of the assembled Angels.

  “Cerebriel and I had checked on them early in the day, and were on our way back to the Heavens to urge that the two creatures be forgiven when they stopped praying. Cerebriel and I then returned to the Earth to see what had happened and why they had stopped praying.”

  There was some movement off to Jarahmael’s left as Uriel stepped forward, interrupting Jarahmael’s speech. “But my Lord, do we really care that these Humans were praying to begin with? Haven’t we spent enough time on the debate of these creatures? They violated Your commandment and are now paying the price for their behavior. Now that they want to repent and seek forgiveness, isn’t this all too late?” As Uriel finished there was a murmur of agreement through the ranks of the Angels in attendance in the Throne Room.

  Then Uriel added, “It was the Humans who started Luciferael’s rebellion. Can we not just be done with them all?”

  Michael jumped into the discussion and added, “I think I speak on behalf of most of the Heavenly Host, my Lord, when I say that we know that You are a compassionate and loving Almighty, but any forgiveness and redemption should be offered to the descendants of Adam and Eve and not directly to these two.”

  They all waited for the response from the Almighty and the Throne Room grew quiet once again.

  “Yes, My Angels, I do believe in forgiveness. Adam and Eve can be forgiven but it has to be on the terms they stated for themselves. If they say that they will pray all day to be granted forgiveness, then that is what it will take. It is part of the laws that apply when one has learned the difference between good and evil. If they make the choice through ‘free will’ to do a particular task and specify that they will be forgiven by doing that act, I can agree to it as well and provide them forgiveness. The problem can lie with their specifying that they be given something as an additional part of the forgiveness. They can be forgiven and yet not returned to the Garden of Eden. They can be given eternal life, but not necessarily in their Human forms. But for now they have not even complied with their own rule of praying for the entire day.”

  The Angels remained and the Almighty flooded the Throne Room with His love and compassion for other creatures as He spoke. His love quieted any question of strictly applying rules by the Angels in the Heavens and all of the Heavens felt compassion for the suffering of the two Humans. Now it was easier for Jarahmael to continue.

  “Michael and Uriel, please be seated and allow Jarahmael to continue his account of what happened yesterday,” the Almighty concluded.

  “Thank you, my Lord. When Cerebriel and I returned to the Earth, we discovered that Luciferael and one of his other rebel Angels had appeared before Eve and acted as though he had been sent by you, my Lord,” Jarahmael said, addressing the Almighty directly.

  “He called himself the ‘Morning Star’ and told Eve that she did not need to continue praying. That was what caused Eve and then later, Adam, to not fulfill the promise they made yesterday to you, my Lord,” Jarahmael said, and looked around to see the reaction of the other Angels.

  “So Luciferael interfered once again?” the Almighty asked.

  “Yes, my Lord.”

  “That explains the difficulty then,” the Almighty responded.

  “Can we not do something about Luciferael and his rebel Angels and their interference on the Earth?” Jarahmael asked, looking hopefully at the Almighty.

  “Yes, of course you can Jarahmael, as long as you don’t violate the rule of non-interference with the Humans. They must not know that you are interceding or trying to help them. I need them to learn faith and practice in fulfilling their promises. They need to learn to put their trust in Me an
d in you, as My Angels. Otherwise, they will just rely on themselves and whatever conclusions they reach.”

  “But Luciferael has tricked them once again,” Jarahmael continued.

  “Yes,” replied the Almighty, “just as they were deceived in eating the fruit of the Forbidden Tree. I have forgiven them already. I have not decided whether or not I will return them to the Garden of Eden, and will not do so until they fulfill their own self-proclaimed promise to pray for the entire day. I will even give them another chance to comply with their own rule. If they pray all day today, I will consider what they request.”

  “But what if Luciferael interferes with them yet again today?” Jarahmael asked.

  “Adam and Eve wanted the ability to choose good over evil when they ate of the forbidden fruit, whatever their reasons. They have been deceived twice before by Luciferael. They need to learn to not trust what he says to them under whatever guise he presents himself. Remember Jarahmael, it is not as though they have not met Me, or Michael, or you. They should know for themselves whom to trust.”

  Jarahmael shifted as he got ready to respond once again to the Almighty but the Almighty cut Him off with another wave of love.

  “Yes, Jarahmael, I understand your frustration in dealing with these deceptions. And I feel your pain over Luciferael having taken Lillith away from you. But all of you, My Angels, as well as the Human creatures, have to find your own way. You need to have patience and let the Heavenly Plan unfold.”

  Jarahmael knew that he was frustrated with dealing with Luciferael under these terms, trying to protect the Humans, and all the while wanting to save Lillith from the fate of being around the fallen rebel Angels. However, the love from the Almighty that radiated through the Archangel’s body and soul soothed away any discontent that Jarahmael felt.

  “As you wish, my Lord,” Jarahmael responded as he returned to his seat next to Cerebriel, who continued to occupy the seat of an Archangel. It appeared that he was gradually being accepted by the other loyal Archangels, as more than a Cherubim, into the closer circle to the Almighty where the Archangels sat during the morning ceremony.

  “Remember Jarahmael and Cerebriel, no interference with the Humans on the Earth. Now go see if they can comply,” the Almighty said as He concluded the morning ceremony and released the Heavenly Host to complete their individual tasks for the day.

  Chapter 11

  MEDDLING

  Cerebriel offered to bring a contingent of his Cherubim guards along to assist Jarahmael protect Adam and Eve from further interference from Luciferael and his rebel Angels. Jarahmael thought the better of it, and declined the offer. He was afraid that a large contingent of loyal Angels around Adam and Eve might stop Luciferael from exposing himself further. Jarahmael wanted to be able to intercept Luciferael and capture him or one of his rebel Angels if he could, or follow them back to find the entrance to the Underworld. He might be restricted from direct contact with the Humans, but there was no prohibition in capturing Luciferael or one of his rebels! He would then have some leverage over Luciferael to get Lillith released.

  All Jarahmael knew was that Luciferael and his fallen Angels had been placed in realms far below the surface of the Earth and none of the loyal Angels knew exactly how to get into the underground realms, much less conduct a battle within that area. Until they had that knowledge, Luciferael and his fallen Angels would have the advantage if any of the loyal Angels wanted to invade Hades or Hell. Knowing how Luciferael had conducted the rebellion, Jarahmael was sure that even though the fallen Angels had been underground but a short while, it was long enough for them to use the skills of the various Orders of the rebel Angels to build defenses and construct a living space. Nonetheless, Jarahmael still hoped that he would be able to seize or attack Luciferael once he and his fellow rebel Angels would come up to the surface to trick Adam and Eve yet once again.

  After the morning ceremony, Jarahmael and Cerebriel descended through the scattered clouds of the Heavens that broke up the bright blue sky. Once they finally broke through the First Heaven, they could see that the weather conditions on Earth this particular day were far more unpleasant than they were in the Heavens. Here, in the Earth's skies a large storm was moving over the area where Adam and Eve lived. The wind and rain made the area almost impenetrable by sight and Jarahmael was concerned that Adam and Eve may not even venture forth in this weather to continue their pleas to the Almighty to help them. Jarahmael hoped that they would brave the weather, as he did not want to lose his opportunity to seize Luciferael. Adam and Eve would be bait, at least for the day, and he would be there, just in case.

  Jarahmael and Cerebriel lodged themselves on the corner of one of the storm clouds sitting over Adam and Eve's cave. After a few moments they saw the two of them leave the cave and followed them from above as they went back to their places in the rivers from yesterday. Despite the storm and rising waters, Adam and Eve both entered the water of the rivers as they had the day before and continued their praying.

  Jarahmael turned to Cerebriel. “Hear that? Good. They have started to pray just as they had yesterday. They still have a chance at redemption.”

  “Yes, if they pray all day like they promised,” responded Cerebriel while keeping a sharp eye on the two of them from his spot next to Jarahmael. “The waters are rising. Not a great idea for them to remain in the river. It’s a shame we cannot explain to them the importance of continuing to pray all day.”

  “This is a difficult position to be in. We cannot warn them or communicate with them, even while there are not any restrictions on Luciferael or his rebels,” answered Jarahmael. “For now, let's see if Luciferael or his colleagues show up this morning. We can thwart them at least, and I hope follow them back so I can find where they have placed Lillith.”

  The storm raged on as Adam and Eve remained in the river saying prayers to the Almighty, entreating Him to forgive them and return them to the Garden of Eden.

  As Jarahmael and Cerebriel kept watch, some lower-flying storm clouds passed over and stalled over where Eve was standing. Jarahmael indicated to Cerebriel that he was going to drop down to see more clearly, concerned that Luciferael or his rebel Angels could be interacting with Adam and Eve without him seeing it.

  He could not see clearly even at the lower level, as the visibility had gotten worse. Deciding to drop to the Earth itself, he turned himself invisible so he could approach her more closely without being seen.

  However, once he dropped to the Earth he did not see Eve or Luciferael or any of the rebel Angels. Eve had disappeared!

  He did not hear her prayers any longer, although he could still hear Adam's. He flew back up to Cerebriel. “Eve has disappeared!” he exclaimed.

  “Disappeared? How did that happen?” Cerebriel asked.

  “I don’t know. I dropped down to find her, and when I got down to the level of the Earth, she was gone!”

  “Washed away down the river most likely,” Cerebriel said.

  “We better go find her!” exclaimed Jarahmael. “The Almighty told us to keep an eye on the two Humans.”

  “Yes. You are right,” said Cerebriel. The two of them dropped out of the cloud, through the storm and then to the river that Eve had been standing in. “No trace of her, see I told you,” Jarahmael said to Cerebriel.

  “Let me go check on Adam,” said Cerebriel as he flew off in that direction.

  Jarahmael began to fly along the river looking in the current and along the embankments. He could still hear Adam's prayers, so he must still be all right over in the other river.

  As Jarahmael flew along, Cerebriel caught up to him. “Any sign of her yet?” asked Cerebriel.

  “No, and I have been searching closely. There has been no sign of her. How's Adam?” Jarahmael asked.

  ”He is still in his river praying diligently.”

  “How is the current in the river over there?” Jarahmael asked, pointing off into the direction where Adam was standing.

  “The
current doesn’t seem to be affecting him much. He is standing in the shallows off on one of the sides of the river,” Cerebriel added.

  “The current here doesn’t seem terribly bad either, despite all the rain that has been falling,” said Jarahmael.

  “This is all very odd,” said Cerebriel.

  They flew off downstream still searching for Eve. After a distance of about ten miles, Jarahmael turned to Cerebriel and said, “I don’t see how she could have been carried this far downstream.”

  As he waited for Cerebriel's response, they both realized that Adam had stopped praying.

  “Oh no! Maybe Adam has been swallowed up, too,” said Cerebriel.

  “Quick! Let's go check that he is all right!” said Jarahmael, changing directions to fly upstream along the river that Adam had been standing in.

  Up the river they flew, observing the riverbanks and the water, looking for signs of Adam. They scanned and looked but to no avail. The visibility was still terrible as a gray fog hung over the river with rain still falling heavily.

  As they approached the area where Adam had been standing, they saw the two Human figures standing along the bank. Both Angels turned invisible, so neither could be seen by the Humans, and approached close enough to hear the conversation.

  “They took you where?” asked Adam.

  “Back to our cave, Adam. They reassured me that we would be restored to our rightful place. We just have to be patient,” Eve said happily.

  “How do you know that these Angels came from the Almighty?” Adam asked, concerned that this conversation was similar to what had happened the day before. “Did they explain why we weren't transported back to the Garden of Eden yesterday?” Frustration slipped into his voice.

  “The Angel, Morning Star, explained that we did not need to keep praying to the Almighty to get restored to our rightful place. He told me that we could pray directly to him and he would take care of us!”

  “But who is he?” asked Adam. “There was no Angel I remember meeting when the Almighty came to see us that had that name. Michael was the Angel I saw the most times, but never any named Morning Star.”