Satan’s Pawn
The Story of Muhammad
By
Lance Stewart
* * * * *
PUBLISHED BY:
Published by Lance Stewart at Smashwords
Satan’s Pawn: The Story of Muhammad
Copyright © 2008, 2011, 2012 by Lance Stewart
A mi futura esposa, Jessica
And Mom and Dad-thank you for all of your encouragement. It’s been a long time since we first discussed this seemingly possible probability. And to my sisters and their families. And I must not forget the Pablo-to him as well.
Chapter 1
“A more perfect race He will make.”
“One that will replace this dying breed.”
“Never. An angel will always be that, an angel of His glory.”
“He is replacing us for we have been found to be not perfect. Search your heart Michael. God has forgotten us.”
“He is making a more perfect race made from His perfect image, Lucifer. One that will redeem the qualities we have long forgotten.”
“But it doesn’t have to be like this.”
“Paradise has never known a dark spot and yet I can’t but help see the impending doom. What have you done Lucifer?”
“I’m not the only one who sees this imperfection as a threat to our very existence. How long have you and Gabriel been in the shadows? How long will you plan to stay there?”
“God casts no shadows!”
“He has on me my old friend. A long, deep shadow. No longer will I allow this lunacy. No longer will I allow for God to turn His back on the very creation that has sustained Him.”
“You speak of blasphemy!”
“I speak of the truth Michael. Of the strongest of our kind I am taking with me. We will correct His only mistake.”
“God makes no mistakes…”
“He has made one. True, He was perfect. He created Himself and then as a side note created me, and then you, and the rest followed. We no longer have to follow. He will destroy us.”
“God will not create something only to have it destroyed, Lucifer. Do not plan to do that of which you are attempting.”
“He will destroy us. He has already formed His plan. Michael, do not be so naïve that you fail to see God for what He is. A tyrant who will create and then will destroy. And why? The reason being He is not perfect. Why then would He destroy? For His creation, we, are not perfect. How then can one create something as imperfect as we are without Himself being therefore not perfect?”
“I make no warranties for God’s plan. I am just His humble servant to carry on the duties entrusted to me through Him.”
“Then you are a fool!”
Twilight becomes darker as more images emerge from the shadows.
The dark Lucifer smiles, “Call us Legions, for we are many.”
In the emerging shadows an angel grins as he whispers to Lucifer, who turns slightly and looks over his shoulder behind him. In the fair distance a loud roar is heard as the darkness moves like water.
“So polluted have you made Heaven that one can no longer distinguish what is Holy nor where it ends.”
“A sea of fire you will one day call it. I give you a chance to be greater than what you have ever imagined. You can help me greatly Michael. God’s rule is at an end. It now is the time of the Angels. Will you join us in this fight? Join us against that which is impure and sustain this Holy race?”
“Never tyrant! My allegiance will always be to God. Have you forgotten the trust He has placed within you?”
“I will never bow down to the Christ nor to mankind, an inferior race. I will be their savior and they will bow down to me.”
Smiling, Lucifer reveals his newly formed fangs. Unknowingly he bites through his lips. As the newly warmed blood drips down his chin he hesitantly wipes it away with his palm. He looks at the strange substance with disgust.
“What is this?” he asks.
“The first smote against you Lucifer appears to not have been delivered by God, nor by me, but has come from you, yourself. You are no longer welcomed in the land of His Majesty.”
“By what authority do you challenge my position here?” an angry Lucifer snidely protests.
“You have fallen from the grace of God. I will send you to dwell with the very land of the creation you detest. But you will be alone for a time with the other brethren who have foolishly joined your quest to overthrow our Father.”
Brightness illuminates behind Michael, much brighter than it had been for several days. Behind the dark angel remains a shadow as dark as himself, an infinite spread of blackness. Between the two fronts stand Michael and Lucifer in a clash of the two fronts as light and as dark as the evening. Illumination peers forth through the dusky setting in rays as of the brightest sunshine cutting through into the dark as a surgeon’s knife cuts through cancer. High on a mountain above them an angel’s voice is heard.
“You are not alone Michael,” Gabriel’s voice echoes through the land, “more of our brethren stand for God and are proud to do His bidding. More than what have conceited their hearts to believe otherwise.”
Angered, Lucifer snares at Michael, his words come out to what Michael remembers as a hiss. “You will be the first to die.”
A weapon much like that of a sword blurs Michael’s vision as it comes crashing toward his skull. The motion is met with Michael’s defiant staff. The two angels, one light and the other dark, exchange heavy blows toward one another.
High above the two, Gabriel marches down with his army, one that serves God and whose leader is now in a struggle to throw that conceited angel down. The one whom they knew once as their leader in what seems to be long ago. It has been recorded there were two thirds of the angels doing battle with a defiant one third who lusted for power and control over Paradise. The pride of Lucifer led his struggle with God to spill over and corrupt the souls of weaker angels, those who had forgotten their Maker. Ones who had forgotten themselves. The most powerful angel and the one closest to God would eventually despise Who made him and greatly despise His wanting him to bow before His Son, the Christ. For a creation would soon be under way, one in which the angels of Heaven would serve. In Lucifer’s eyes, a much inferior race made after the image of their own God. The Christ would be their leader and would account for the imperfections of the great race of the angels. There would be a new leader and that leader would not be Lucifer as he thought it should be. How dare God deceive the mighty angel? How dare He turn His back on His most perfect creation. Every angel would agree to striking attributes placed in Lucifer. All others would agree in all of Heaven there was not one who could compare to the majestic beauty of the favored angel. None that was as clever or cunning, nor wise and beautiful. No other angel held the praise of all, and yet God wanted Lucifer to bow down to His Son, a creation as much as is Him as is a creation? Utter and complete blasphemy to the angel race. The dark angel held the court of the angels with much interest and they beheld him as a god. Why not then behold him as God? The thought had long originated in his mind but never would he dare challenge this position openly. Only secretly. But Lucifer was too prideful to acknowledge his Maker knew the innermost thoughts and desires of all He created. Perhaps God saw that if there existed imperfections in His most trusted and beheld creation, Lucifer, than other imperfections more severe would be found in all His creations. Perhaps then that is why He made a creation of Himself as the Christ. For if God is perfect than a part of Him would then be perfect as well.
This is what Lucifer would have you believe. But if God being perfect would already know the follies of what would be known as Satan than He would also have prepared an alternative to His perfect plan, for every purpose there is a reason unto God. Perhaps then God knew His angels would not be perfect and the creation of Himself was already prepared before the time of the angels. Perhaps it is blasphemous to think otherwise, or maybe God does allow us to wonder. At any rate, there are angels and there are demons both of which fight for the good of mankind and the hopeful fall of mankind, for when mankind fails who else would God turn to for His grace?
The dark and cunning Lucifer had long thought of this as well. Hopeful for the swift transition of power, he had also thought of the circumstance should his legion not prevail. One against three is an enormous odd in this situation. Still, for one out of three to agree with him not only told the story of those angels’ dissatisfaction, but it also told of the ability of Lucifer. Cunning he was and still is. Only the strongest of the bravest would be able to stand up to his persuasiveness. Michael, he knew would never budge. Gabriel, Raphael, and the other lower angels below him would be inwardly delighted to move up in ranks and to find more favor with God. But the others? The others had nothing to lose! God did not want them. If He did want them He never would have demanded Heaven bow down to this puny creation. A creation with no powers or mind. A thoughtless race they no doubt will be.
In an attempt to overthrow God, the dark legions marched on and in their pursuit machinery was made to wheel the industry of evil. Machines with the sole purpose of the overthrow of Heaven would eventually manifest itself once again unto the age of man, leaked through the voice of the dark angel unto man. The time of man would come Lucifer knew in his last days in Heaven, but not before he would make a lasting impression of evil. This same evil would prolong during his stead on earth and in it he would forever challenge God by tempting the very creation that would replace his race as he also tempted the angels of Heaven. There is a flaw in God, Lucifer would forever feel, and he would expose it. Should he lose the battle in Heaven, he would win the war with mankind by proving his stance they were an inferior race also aimed to overthrow their Creator. Heaven knew no boundaries and Lucifer held the illimitable key to its salvation, for it would surely fall in the hands of less capable angels like that of Michael, or his close friend Gabriel. Other angels laid witness to this instability and other angels saw favor with their leader, the highest of the angels. To them, there was only one leader, for why else would God have put so much faith in another if he was not a responsible and good leader? The dark Lucifer held this argument to be true, and since God allowed other angels to dictate the direction of Heaven, it was easily confirmed by one third the host of Heaven. But everything has a reason beyond the understanding of man and angel. God long knew of the battle that would eventually take place and knew it had to take place. It is neither for man nor angel to understand why this had to happen, though, nonetheless, evil thought it would prevail. And so with the thought Heaven would bow down not to the Christ, but instead to him, Lucifer lead a charge against the very God that created him and the angels that once looked up to and respected him. Still, there is a price for everything. The price of negligence is death. This race of man had to be avoided at all cost even if it meant falling out of the grace of God. How could God be so irresponsible after forming the perfect creation of the angels? After the perfect creation of him?
The first day had long been seen by Michael. In the open of the daylight the other angels were forewarned about the possibility of war as Lucifer hid in the shadows talking of the same possibility. Where the shadows met, the good angels held their presence, for to be in the light meant God shined upon their soul constantly, but to be in the shadows meant losing their angelic qualities and eventual eternal damnation. For some, the gamble was hard, although they were reassured by the dark lord God had lost all resolve within Heaven. To challenge Him meant also to love Him, for they would forever keep Him Holy. The fallen leader explained God wasn’t totally certain of the human race but needed the angels to make a stance. Eventually their mindset became more diluted as Lucifer explained God did not want the angel race as the favored ruler with Him. As second in command in Heaven, he argued he would know the intimate thoughts of God and this is really what He wanted. God wasn’t sure about The Christ nor did He know about the image in His own form. A strong stance from the angels showed love for Him, but as time moved on, that love was turned to hate and the dark angels began to question their very existence, along with Lucifer. Before the meeting with Michael and Lucifer, the darker angels started to become different in appearance. Where fair skin once dominated an angelic body, a darker complexion ensued. For some who noticed the change within themselves, they repented to God and asked for forgiveness. Granted by the mercy of God, these angels plead to their darker brothers to do the same. Some would not change their stance and darker their desires and complexion became. By the time of the meeting with Michael and Lucifer, a definite side in good versus evil was very distinct.
Machines and weapons of war long thought out and hid in the darkest of their souls became known the second day. Cockiness ruled Lucifer in his charge against Michael, though he was held for a day in his tracks merciless. The angel Michael had long despised the evil Lucifer was bringing to Heaven. His charge against the dark leader was well prepared, for Gabriel and the others were always nearby. A fact Lucifer failed to see, for pride is a block on the soul, human or angel that deludes a soul’s innermost thoughts of reality. The reality is seen around one without the cockiness of that one’s desires. Pride will plague the best of creations with an untrue fact of superiority. Cloud one’s judgment on life it will and can be the undoing of those who once stood firm in the grace of God. Pride destroyed Satan and continues still in the hearts of men.
The pride of Lucifer warranted an inability to notice Michael’s restraint against any stance against God. Two fronts passionately collided and it was with great effort Lucifer retreated to the back lines to warrant a more strategized effort against God and His angels.
“Smarter have they become,” he told his legions. “Smarter for they are scared of this overthrow. They are scared for they know not what to do with themselves. More afraid yet are they of losing their comfortable place and not knowing where to go. Michael claims we will be thrown to earth with mankind. Do you believe this?”
A unanimous roar breaks through the crowd with disbelief.
“Heaven is scared. God is scared. Why is He not fighting His war? If He was so majestic, so superior, He would simply throw us out of His palace. This is further proof He is not as powerful nor as caring as once thought. He can’t even protect His own. We rose to battle for we know The Christ to be a false representation of perfection and we know there is only one superior race. Never will I bow down to this Christ. Never will you bow down to this Christ.”
There is loud applause.
“It is unfortunate our brethren and our God have forsaken us, but we will prevail.”
Loud applause still shakes the countryside as Lucifer bows to his audience.
“Bring out the machines of war!”
Louder applause echoes in the shadows as crowds of angels make way for the machines.
2
A leader more with his actions than that of his words, Michael addressed his army with a resolute of the following.
“These angels are no longer our brothers. They have defiled God and so have defiled Paradise. Our only alternative is to throw them out of Heaven and into a place deemed appropriate by our Creator. This is for His understanding only. Be not afraid of that which cannot hurt you for you are on God’s side of this fight. We will march into the darkness to bring about the light.”
Michael converses with Gabriel and a few others instructing their direction of attack. Brilliant in his ability to keep a firm stance with the host of Heaven, it was not disputed he would lead the charge against the dark angel. Some angels are said to stay constantly with God forever praising His name known in two categories as either the Cherubim or the Seraphim. The Catholic faith categorizes nine groups of angels with each performing a different task due to their respective duties.
Michael administers Heaven and these nine groups.
It was an eventual rule led about as Lucifer cast his shadow among those less vulnerable to the majesty of Heaven.
Sexual appeal was not first known to man. It is a God given instinct even the angels have long known. In fact when man first appeared many angels found women favorable and intimately interacted with them before the great flood. These angels were cast out of Heaven after Lucifer lost his footing. The darker angels continued to have intimate encounters with mankind continuously influencing some lines to darker sides and darker times. There is no doubt Satan has many children.
Temptation was a dark force first discovered by Lucifer. To yearn for something one cannot have and to set out to get that very something is a temptation. To turn against God and lead a charge against him, Lucifer was also the first to experience damnation. It was he who started to change first before the other dark angels.
The battle raged on for many days. Some believe at one point the dark angels outsmarted and outfought the rest of the host of Heaven for a short time and even controlled the majority of Heaven, having won the advantage. Whatever happened in those early days is not clear, but what is clear is that Michael forcefully led his charge against Lucifer and those other polluted angels and drove them out of Paradise as a cleansing rain.
Chapter 2
Fire breaks out of the sky as swarms of angels fall backward unable to fly. Sent from the majestic charge of superior angels, these angels fall to their doom as Michael leads his army unto earth. Gabriel is not far behind on another front.
Of all the impressive art found at the Louvre there is one that stands above the rest. The Mona Lisa is very impressive, Winged Victory is indeed a sight to behold, magnificent paintings and statues adorn the halls, many of angels, and yet only one completely captures the moment Satan was thrown out of Heaven.
In his painting of St. Michael vanquishing Satan, Raphael depicts an amazing scene in which we see the transformation of the newly arrived Satan. Michael stands over him with a sphere as Satan has his head turned at an awkward position as he lays defenseless underneath on the ground. One hand is still angelic while the other has turned into a claw. The eyes beaming out of him are red and his wings are shriveled. In the background fires breaks out as the other angels impend their doom among their dark brethren. The painting tells all.
“If it was my decision, Lucifer, I would end you now,” Michael tells the serpent as he has him pinned.
“End me!” the angry devil exclaims. “End me. The most magnificent creation out of Heaven. You’re leader! You are lucky Michael it is not me that ends you!”
Michael presses his sphere closer to his former leader. Scared, Satan takes in a deep breath.
“God has His explicit orders for me to not kill you. I do not question His authority unlike you. For that reason, and only that reason, I will not end your life today. God has further plans for you. It appears, Lucifer, He created you for a reason. Perhaps He knew you would betray Him.”
“Why would a God create something He knew to be bad? Search yourself Michael; God is still using you as He is using me.”
“That is not for me to decide! To everything there is a purpose- a strict ordinance of things yet to come. I will do my part, as you will do yours.”
“I will never again do God’s bidding!”
“You already have. And you will continue to do such.”
“Man is flawed you know. How can you possibly expect man to stand before God and over you?”
“I didn’t want to believe it, but the angels are also flawed. You have proven that.”
“Well at least we finally agree upon one thing.”
The demon cunningly smiles at Michael and for the first time in this long battle Michael shivers.
As Michael ascends up he calls for Gabriel and the others. At Michael’s request Gabriel blows his horn. Soon afterward the angels able to fly congregate in the sky. The newly transforming Satan looks on with disgust and vengeful humility. The devil jumps at Michael in a mocking manner of one who once knew how to fly and shouts to the host of Heaven.
”I will rule this earth. Man will bow down to me. I will be their God and they will be my people! Tell your God He will fall for His mistake. I will reign down here long enough to discover what I failed to see in defeating Him. I will be back time and time again, and when I reenter Heaven you will bow to me!”
With that darkness falls upon the earth.
Chapter 3
Evil broods where it is allowed to breathe in silence. Dark times had come for the fallen angels. Dreams of majesty brought about by a Divine leader turned way into nightmares of hell. The strong Lucifer was not the golden light their eyes once saw, for he had deceived all of them. Nonetheless, those who came with him were bound to him, for none could overthrow him. The spread of his anger and his hatred for God and all the host of Heaven overshadowed those now on earth, and, in that shadow, further transformations would come, for where the light is not, nothing good may grow. Only hatred and darkness are captivated by the shadows. Dark were the days then. Darker are they now.
The light that once illuminated fields of green was cast out of the presence of the fallen angels. Impermeable darkness became throughout the earth. Those who once beheld him as friend and respected their leader now ran scared away from him, but as a shark is connected to everything in the water, so were the fallen angels to Satan. He would rule this land and without the grace of God lighting a sure path; he was able to manifest any desire of his wish.
Power is a substance granted by God and easily manipulated by evil. For the fallen angels and for all who fall out of God’s grace, damnation is inevitable. What makes this bad is not the fact those who chose not God by default choose Satan in one fashion or another, whether consciously of subconsciously, but lies in something even much deeper than this. The shadow cast from the absence of God’s face is the most horrid and awesome breech of pain one may encounter. For the angels this realization occurred on a constant basis following the departure.
Now they were truly in the hands of the creature that lured them down. An unspeakable sin they had come to know in their new fear for not only were they now captive to their fallen and angered jealous captain, but God was no longer with them.
To fully understand what took place before the time of Adam one must recollect into account the following: Lucifer was diabolical long before his overthrow. True, not every angel was satisfied with bowing down to a new creation, but not one third of the host of Heaven. As Hitler was able to manipulate the strongest of minds in his age, so had Satan manipulated even the fiercest of angels. Lies and deceit would precede him for a very long time thus making his manipulations more believable. The closer he was able to get to an angel telling secrets of a lie to come the more he was able to sway that angel to do his bidding. Those fallen never realized the deceit that held their soul until that final hour when transformations became painfully realized. With the wool lifted away from their eyes revealing unto them the demon they now worshipped, many fled far away in hopes of eluding Satan. But Satan cannot be eluded as these foolish fellow demons would soon realize. Torture and further pain would be inflected upon this new breed of bottom dweller, for Satan would make an example to those he would continuously torture the length of time. Not all torture is physical. A more diabolical and sinister torture would plague the souls of the fallen even further. A spiritual torture. Within his grasp he squeezes the hearts of men and angel alike bleeding the soul of its virtue. Though scared, the fallen angels still follow his promise of their place in Heaven. Night and day they remain in turmoil longing for the days of old and foolishly almost believing in this lie. What may be worse than not knowing is knowing. Worse still is knowingly believing in false hope. It contracts the mind and wears the body with stressful fatigue in foolishly hoping against reality. For them, to have given up hope would be better, but through the ages these angels are still of life. Thinking tomorrow will bring death is the impossible dream of the weak. They still believe they can win.
And with much reason too. Satan’s demons have no choice other than to believe that of which he wishes them to think. The promise: man will fall before Satan…
2
I have watched him since he was a child. I have been watching him for a very long time. Of the sons of Abram, man will fall. For God has chosen Abram to be the father of the world. He says from this man all people of the earth shall be blessed, but I will interfere. The sons of Adam will fall before me and I will pit one against the other to destroy mankind.
I will taint the very seed God has chosen, for Abram is old in years of man and his wife Sarai is barren. Behold now what I will do. I shall convince his wife to bare a son with his wife’s servant for although she is barren she will conceive a child if God wills it.
He will be as his mother’s fathers. He will be wild and will set against every man and, in turn, all men will fight against him. He will stay here in the land of Abram. If Abram is to have a nation born unto him, let it be one of violence and belligerence.
Let this nation destroy man and mock God. I will set a vine in the tree of man. The maid will deliver a son unto Abram and this crooked seed will multiply until the day he overtakes those of which God has found favor. This seed will destroy the earth. Ishmael will play a part in man’s ruin, for if Abram’s seed is to be father to a great nation, Ishmael’s seed will corrupt and overthrow God’s plan.
And it seemed only natural for the old wife of Abram to laugh when he told her she would deliver a child unto him. Had it not been for the Divine faith her husband had in the Lord, Sarai never would have believed Abram would have a son. Nevertheless, she was persuaded to believe.
Abram often visited the city of Sodom, to visit his nephew Lot, and the city of Gomorrah, and other surrounding nations.
Such was his custom before and after delivering his brother and the captured people of the city of Sodom and of Gomorrah after these cities were sacked. Abram was a great hero to these cities and whenever he came around there was much cause for the people to celebrate a hero’s welcome.
The vision God showed Abram concerning his son had come just days before and there was much to celebrate.
“Today I ride to tell my nephew Lot of the great news the Lord has promised me. Will you go with me Sarai?”
Sarai, old in years and full of disbelief told her husband, “Surely you do not need me to spread your good news.”
So Abram departed to Sodom with a heavy heart rejoicing in the Lord.
But when Abram left Sarai and she was alone in her fields, for her servants were in the house, the skies darkened and a cold wind blew. Odd weather with a temperate change left Sarai in the dark alone and without any protection. Gliding his way toward Sarai with thundering speed, the great deceiver beckons unto her. When she does not respond, he allows himself to be seen. Wary of her surroundings and longing for the comfort of inside, Sarai rushes to her door. But she is old and her movements are slow. She trips over a root and falls to the ground.
The skies become darker and the wind howls. A hand braces her rough as a rock and hard to the touch. Instantly pain grips Sarai. Dark and unpleasant feelings rush through her soul. Her body becomes limp as the darkness overpowers her soul. Suddenly a majestic field passes into her vision. Not of the fields of she and her husband, but one of the old country. A shepherd tending his sheep, of a strong and muscular build with a handsome face, she sees. The man was at peace, but the day was dark and the skies were red. A shadow falls over the young man. The grass withers where the shadow falls and the ground becomes stained crimson. A strong sense of uneasiness befalls Sarai and she struggles to close the vision, but is unable. What she is capable of is to feel the confused sensations running wild through the young man. The feelings are mixed and confused and are new, as if they have never been developed. Had the young man known, he would have known this feeling to be of panic and of despair, but his only feelings were of love and of happiness. Panic grips the man and he is unable to move. Fear is also foreign to him but grips him with the claws of understanding. Something is wrong in the field of his father Adam.
The cold wind continues to blow. In the sudden breeze, the birds squall uncontrollably and scatter throughout the air in their efforts to escape. The shadows darken, but Sarai sees a figure emerge from the shadows. The dark angel smiles revealing his sharp teeth. Sarai cries out loud. His eyes pierce into hers. A darkened black, once brilliantly golden, set of hollow eyes laugh at her. His gaze is stern and empty. His wings spread forth outstretched before the man facing the back of the shepherd.
Sarai sees now for the first time a man immediately in front of Lucifer. The face of the new man resembles the shepherd, although he is noticeably smaller than the gallant man of whom he descends upon. His face is motionless as he appears to glide forward.
“Abel!” Sarai cries out.
The angel begins to laugh. An object from the other man rises high. Panic fills Abel soundly. Even when the object was forcibly thrust into him, ne never understood this feeling.
“Cain. Cain. What have you done?”
Suddenly Sarai is raised to her feet and the vision leaves as the touch of her handmaid, Hagar, leaves her. But for a moment Sarai was certain when she looked into Hagar’s eyes she beheld the very eyes of the dark angel in her vision.
Sensing this change, Hagar moves behind Sarai to escort her home. A strong sense of uneasiness dreadfully overcomes her once again as the rough hands of Hagar push her along.
“Hagar,” she clears her throat, “I shall find my way.”
“Not today. The earth will flood before we get home.”
“I would rather…”
“I am fruitful, mother. I know of Abram’s vision.”
“What do you know?”
“I know you are too old and I am young. Should Abram build a nation it will be through me.”
“How can you know? We have not…”
“You will be surprised at what I know, mother”
Chills race down Sarai and a trance befalls her.
“Tell unto Abram you wish me to have his child, for you are barren with age. Tell him his seed will spread, and this is your wish.”
“I think I shall lie down.”
“That is a good wish mother.”
As Sarai lies down to shut off the ferocious storm, Hagar and the other servants are outside in the bright sun tending the field.
3
Not much had changed in Sodom after Abram returned the city from its enemies. A confidant unto Abram had told him of the city’s capture. Along with the city, Abram’s nephew Lot had been taken.
This worried Abram and also infuriated him. The brave man set to arm his servants, and together they marched after their enemy. Vastly outnumbered, the small group of independently trained servants pursued their enemy to the land of Dan. From Dan, they fought with a divided front also in Hobah. The small force, with the mighty hand of God, was only around 150 people strong each front, but with God on one’s side, that’s 149 more than necessary. As God had promised Abram, no force could be stronger.
A hero’s welcome would come and go every time the blessed man would step foot into the lands that would one day experience the awesome and terrible wrath of God, such as never had or ever will be seen. It would have been better for Sodom and Gomorrah to have stayed in captivity experiencing the intense pain of its enemies than to transgress their deep sins against God, for no other people had defiled themselves so willingly, and no others had acted so wickedly.
Although Abram was friend to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, he could not convince the people of the glory of the Lord, even after God had delivered the two cities back unto their land, for the people were wayward in their ways believing only unto themselves and the idols their hands made. This troubled Abram greatly, and yet he was unable to turn the hearts of the men and women of the cities. There was, however, one who understood the majesty of the Lord and this was Abram’s nephew Lot. To him Abram would preach, and, to the people, Lot would relay the message, but the deaf ears of Sodom and Gomorrah listened not and continuously mocked the servant of the Lord. Abram, who talked with God, was able to warn Lot of the wickedness of the city.
“Tell your people to listen to the Lord for God is near.”
“They do not listen to me nor do they care what I say.”
Thinking for a moment Lot continues, “What will happen unto the people?”
“Only time will tell my brother. But I have also good news for you.”
“What’s that?”
“You know I am old and do not have a son.”
“Yes, I know.”
“The Lord has promised me a son to carry my seed so that my people shall inherit a great land.”
So Lot rejoiced with his uncle, and his house celebrated the good news to come, and Abram went away from his brother full of happiness and peace.
But his wife was full of despair, and when the joyous Abram returned home, his face altered and sunk deep with the sorrow he felt at the altered condition of his beloved wife.
“What troubles you?” he asked.
In a trance still Sarai answered, “I am old, father, and cannot bear any child unto you.”
“But the Lord, our God, has promised we shall have a son.”
“He promised you will have a son,” she proclaimed, “and have a son you shall.”
“What nonsense do you speak of?”
“My handmaid is young and is fruitful. Her seed is abundant. Go unto her and fulfill that which God has promised. Behold now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing: I pray you, go in unto my maid; it may be that I obtain children by her.”
But the Lord was not yet ready to make a believer unto Sarai for the birth of the promised Isaac was not to be for another 14 years. But as man will never understand the timetable of God, neither understood Abram nor Sarai. Reluctantly Abram lay down with Sarai.
And Abram had taken Hagar unto his wife and the days of the household were normal, but as the day of Hagar’s labor came near, the fog that had been in Sarai’s eyes began to lift and she realized what had happened. And Sarai was very wrought with herself. Indeed, she was very angry. For the child to be delivered was something impure. So Sarai confessed her wrongdoing unto Abram.
“What have I done? This is my handmaid that I have given unto you for your wife! Surely the Lord will not allow this! I see how she now despises me. The Lord will judge between us.”
“Do not despair. You are my wife. For although she is my wife, she was first your servant. She still is your servant. Do unto her as you wish.”
And the wrath of Sarai was great for she was vengeful. Her hand was against Hagar for she did try to kill her. So Hagar fled with child into the wilderness. Now, being alone, she was yet vulnerable. The skies darkened and the grass around her withered. In the near background, Hagar could hear the fall of a mighty oak. The sound frightened her, but what she saw was much more terrifying.
An angel came before her, darkened by the skies and illuminated not by light, but through shadows was his image cast. The ruffled appearance of his wings were large, and yet there was something unmistakingly wrong with them. On the edges of the wings, a dark crimson stained its outer edges hardening them while bringing them inward. The eyes of the angel were piercing and of a golden reddish tint. His hair was dark and his mouth a burnt maroon. Weakness flooded Hagar like none had before and she longed to be at the mercy of the woman she just left.
“Hold, my child,” the voice thundered. “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where do you come from and where are you going?”
Not hearing her voice speak but feeling her lips move Hagar answered, “I flee from the face of my mistress, Sarai, who wishes to end my life and that of my child.”
The angel holds his hand up. Hagar senses more than sees the dried blood spread throughout the dirty hand. She would later have nightmares of what appeared to be a claw.
“Do not go Hagar.”
The mention of her name from this dark being sends chills throughout her body. In her womb, the unborn baby kicks.
“Go back the way you came. Let Sarai deal with you as she likes. I will protect your seed and multiply him exceedingly. You shall call him Ishmael.”
With this, Satan was pleased for this would be the corrupted seed of Abram born of a foreign maid. The role of Ishmael’s seed, however, Satan would not fulfill for a few thousand years yet to come and after the crucification of Christ.
The birth of Ishmael brought much joy to his mother and to the fallen angel, surrounded in dark with vengeance.
In the majesty of Heaven, where all things are seen, Michael passes to and fro.
“What business does Lucifer have with this child?” he asks.
“I cannot know,” Raphael replies. “Does God approve of his birth? Shall I go down to kill the child?”
“No. He is of the seed of Abram, whom our Father loves. Over Ishmael we will watch, for he is of Abram.”
“And what else?”
“This seed may one day cause trouble for mankind, for why else would Lucifer pick the maid to bear this fruit?”
“Behold, here comes Gabriel!”
God’s second angel in Heaven has a mindset much like his commander.
“I know not either Michael, but I too will watch him.”
Nodding in approval, the Archangel looks into Gabriel.
“Casting him down was only the beginning. There will be another war. If He was not so cunning than I could better understand the role this child Ishmael is to play.”
“Do not worry Michael,” Gabriel reassures him, “good will prevail.”
He embraces Michael with an outstretched arm gripping the mighty angel’s shoulder.
“No, Raphael, we will not kill him. For everything has a reason unto God, and, even though Lucifer may be more cunning than I, I am not as naive to not follow our Father’s direction. Although Lucifer truly thinks he has upset God’s plan, I know he hasn’t, for God sees all before things come to pass. This is the will of God, and, although I may not understand it, I will uphold it. We may know what those under us do, but we do not know all of His purposes.”
“A test perhaps?” Gabriel asks.
“It is possible.”
“What do we do with Lucifer in the meantime?”
“We do nothing until our God commands.”
“What of the people of the earth? What do we do with his influence?”
“Protect their souls, Raphael. One third of our brothers now lies wait with him. For every fallen angel which is now a demon, we have two who are upright. We will keep the evil forces in check, while not interfering with man’s free will.”
He pauses for a while looking down upon the earth. Watching.