Chapter Four-- The Angels and Lucifer
Elijah Green was engaged on the phone. He was busy counseling an Ex-Satanist who had just become a Christian convert. Leviathan had enticed that Ex-Satanist to renounce Jesus and went back to Satanism. While that ex-Satanist was reluctant to renounce Jesus, he was troubled by the reactions of the other Satanists over his betrayal of Satan. His former friends had deserted him, and he felt a sudden pang of loneliness. He was also uncertain about whether he had made the right choice in deciding to choose to follow Jesus over his previous master Satan.
“The Lord never said that following Him will be a sweet and easy path, Joe. In fact, Jesus had claimed that we will be persecuted if we ever choose to follow Him.” Elijah spoke only the phone. A look of sorrow came over his face. “I had lost my only daughter to Satan, because of my love of the Lord.”
Archangel Michael was standing near the pastor, guarding Elijah as the pastor spoke to the Ex-Satanist. Elijah's wife, Amy, was praying at a corner. About five other angels were with Michael. The six angels that were guarding Elijah and his wife were all sent by God. Amy had prayed for the protection of her husband and herself and God had answered her prayers.
Earlier, Lucifer had petitioned to God for the lives of the pastor and his wife, but he had been unsuccessful. God had rejected his appeal.
“Satan, get away from me!” God had rebuked him. “Elijah and his wife are faithful servants of mine. Take your hands off them!”
Lucifer had left the throne of God, enraged. The angels who were with God when he presented his petition broke into happy smiles when they saw that God had not granted him his request.
Lucifer glared at the archangel Michael, with hatred in his eyes. Michael ignored him and continued to stand guard over the couple.
Stupid Michael, thought Lucifer to himself. If not for God, you would never be my match.
It would be futile to engage Michael in a battle. Alone, Michael would not be a match for him. But having God's permission to protect the couple, Michael was not himself, and thus, he was armed with the strength of God and Lucifer was no match for God.
Leviathan flew towards Lucifer.
“My Lord, the angels were surrounding Joe. I couldn't entice him to think badly about his new found faith.” Leviathan reported.
Lucifer replied, “ Get five of the demons in hell to accompany you. Stand watch over Joe. The angels would not be there forever. Amy couldn't be praying all the time. As soon as she stopped her prayers, the protection over Joe would disappear.”
“Yes, my Lord.” Leviathan replied and flew away.
Stupid, stupid angels! Lucifer thought in anger. They would never be a match for me, if not for Him.
Raphael flew towards Michael. Michael and the other five angels looked at Raphael in surprise.
“I just decide to drop by and say, 'hi' to all of you, since I just finished ministering healing to Miss Helen, next door.” Raphael said.
Michael and the five other angels smiled.
“We were on duty to keep watch over the couple,” one of the angels replied.
“Do your best,” Raphael smiled.
“We are always at our best,” Michael laughed.
“I will be returning to heaven to report to God for my successful accomplishment of my mission.” Raphael said.
“See you again.” An angel replied.
Raphael laughed and flew away.
None of the angels had spoken a word to Lucifer. Not a smile, not a laugh, not a joke. They had forgotten his existence, they had forgotten that he had once been their friend.
Lucifer smiled as he noticed Gabriel hiding under a table, engrossed in the reading of a book. The archangel Gabriel was not aware of the presence of Lucifer. He was too deeply engrossed in his reading.
Lucifer coughed, “Ahem.”
A look of dismay felt over the face of Gabriel as he put down his book. He came out from under the table.
“You are the fifth angel I had caught.” Lucifer laughed.
“It is not fun playing hide and seek with you.” Gabriel said. “You always managed to find us.”
Lucifer laughed.
It was such an easy thing to find Gabriel. Gabriel was known to be obsessed with books. He was always looking into some deep mysteries of God. Therefore, his hiding place would always be a place where his passion lied.
“Who is next on the list?” Gabriel asked.
“Michael.” Lucifer replied.
“And where would he be?” Gabriel was curious.
“That is for me to find out. You will join the other angels who had been caught at the garden where we first began playing this game.” Lucifer replied. Gabriel flew away.
Now, to find Michael, and the game would end. Lucifer thought to himself.
Where would Michael be? His passion was sword-fighting, and so he would be hiding himself near a place where he could practice his sword skills. There are more than a thousand such places in heaven.
Now, which of these places would he be in? No doubt a place where Michael thought Lucifer would not be looking into.
Lucifer pondered through his mind the most likely places where Michael might think to hide himself in. The list of places where Michael might hide himself in, was reduced to a hundred places.
Lucifer arranged the hundred places where Michael might be found, according to their probabilities. He flew to the first choice, which had a 80% chance of finding Michael. Michael wasn't there. He flew to the second and third choices in his list, but Michael wasn't in those places, either.
Lucifer flew to the fourth, fifth and sixth choices, and still, he could not find Michael.
Lucifer frowned. There was a limit to his intelligence. Even if he had been the most intelligent being that God had created, he could still make mistakes. Like he had done, now.
It was not like God. He never makes a mistake. That was why no angel ever wanted to play hide and seek with God. God always managed to find the angels in His first attempt. It was not fun to play hide and seek with an omniscient being. Even Lucifer, tried as he might, with all his intellect, to find a spot where God would struggle to find him, was caught by God in God's first attempt. The angels all gave up playing hide and seek with God, and chose to play among themselves instead.
Lucifer flew to his seventh choice. A smile filled his face, as he noticed Michael. Michael was playing with his sword on one of the trees.
“Michael.” Lucifer announced.
Michael groaned, “How did you manage to find me?”
Lucifer laughed, “That is my secret.”
“So, who will you find next?” Michael asked. He had sheathed his sword.
“You are the last. Let's get back to the garden.” Lucifer replied.
Michael groaned, “Yet another Win for you.”
Lucifer and Michael flew to the garden where they had first started the game of hide and seek. The other five angels who had been caught were there and they were talking to The Son.
The Son and the angels turned their attention to Michael and Lucifer when the two angels arrived in the garden.
“Oh, my Lord,” Michael began. “It is starting to become boring to play hide and seek with Lucifer.”
The Son laughed.
“He always found us in the end,” Gabriel added.
The Son continued in His laughter.
“It is not my fault for finding all of you,” Lucifer protested.
“I suppose, “ The Son smiled. “You are going to 'ban' him from playing hide and seek like you had done with Me?”
“Well... my Lord, none of us had a 90% Win rate like him. Heaven is so vast, and we often find ourselves not being able to find the other angels within the time limit.” Raphael said. “Lucifer might be good, but there are still times when he is unable to find all of us.”
The Son laughed, “So I will continue to be the Only being in heaven, who is on the 'ban' list for hide and seek?”
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The angels laughed.
Lucifer focused his thoughts back on Michael and the angels guarding Elijah.
Stop thinking about the past, Lucifer rebuked himself. They weren't your friends. Not anymore.
Lucifer resumed his hatred for Michael and the other holy angels.