I was there when it all began. From the ageless past to the count of time. I was there. From the fall of Lucifer – he even almost convinced me – to the creation of the first Adam. From the fall of God’s vice regent on earth to the coming of the second Adam. I saw it all. Though I sit not among the twenty-four elders nor stand with the cherubs or the seraphs, I still knew. Sometimes, too late, sometimes we were told a forehand. But we were always aware. When Adam fell, the grief in heaven could not be described. But as usual, the Holy One was unperturbed. In His infinite wisdom, He still had a plan. What it was, we really didn’t know. Time would tell. When the sins of men in the days of Noah had reached its peak, I was among those who opened the gates of the deep in the destruction of the earth in Noah’s time. It grieved God’s heart but it was necessary. Lest the earth be filled with the corrupt seed of fallen angels. So much happened–and still happens – in the realms unseen to man…more than is permitted to say now.
In the fullness of time, he came. The Lamb of God – whose blood had ensured victory over Lucifer – had put on flesh and was coming to earth. He was coming to take away the sins of the world. The express image of the father. Filled with grace and truth. Our joy couldn’t be contained the night he was born. How could he be hundred percent God and also hundred percent man? It was amazing. But God is God all by himself. We watched him grow. In infancy, we ensured his protection and his provision. We were at his command. He just had to whisper a wish and we would do it. But most times, when we believed he was in dire need of aid, he said nothing. Like on that night at Gethsemane.
We would never forget that night. It would stay with us for all eternity. The darkness and the evil and the wickedness and the malevolence. It was choking. I remembered seeing Satan in the skies far above the temple as the Sanhedrin conversed in secret. His handsome looks had not faded a bit. Only tainted by centuries of planning and executing evil. He had a sly smile on his face. Like when he stole the keys of the earth realm from Adam, the son of God. He was so sure of victory. Would he prevail again this night? was one of the many questions in our hearts as we watched from the heavens. But once again, time would tell. It was a difficult night.
That night, my captain, Olyrus, came to me. He had a worried look. He said to me in a solemn voice, “Be alert. I know we have instructions not to interfere with the proceedings of his death but if he but whispers for aid, never ever hesitate.”
I just nodded. It wasn’t easy for me to stand aside and watch as my master was assaulted by one far lesser than he. By someone he had created. The unrepentant rebel leader.
After a while in Gethsemane, it seemed as though he was about to die due to the vision of the cup he was to drink. Then, an archangel came and strengthened him. I am not permitted to say his name. The pain of the scourging and the nails driving through his hands was enough to kill him but that grace sustained him. The father had willed that he was to die on the cross. And nothing could stop that fact. Not even his physical frailty. He had to die on that cross.
Before the Gethsemane experience, I watched the devil enter Judas just as Jesus gave him the bread he had dipped in wine. That was after Peter had persuaded John to ask Jesus who was it that would betray him. Jesus simply and softly said, “To him that I would give this bread dipped in wine, the same would betray me.” Even as he left, the other disciples thought that he had been sent on an errand by Jesus. Only John and Peter knew. That was just before the Holy Communion was shared. But Judas was an important part of the plan. Neither the affectionate love of John nor the protective love of Peter was enough to bring the Christ to the cross. Alas, he needed the cold kiss of a calloused heart! And Judas provided that.
Then the battle at Gethsemane began. He had to accept the will of the father to die for the sins of men long dead, then for the hypocritical Jews and the self-seeking gentiles. So much to atone for.
While he prayed, the apostles slept. The more he wrestled in prayer, the deeper they plunged into slumber. We knew they didn’t understanding the battles going on in the spiritual realm. But we didn’t despise them for their ignorance. They were men after all. But their ignorance didn’t stop the roar of laughter that came from the camp of darkness as the apostles ran off when Jesus was taken. The pain in our hearts could not be imagined.
They were all there. The principalities. The powers. The princes of the darkness of this world. Even the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly places. They had convened in Jerusalem from every part of the world. This was the show-down, the crescendo. They looked so foul. So evil. So cruel. So mean. Only a few among them like Pride and Lust still had faces that looked human. Others had disgusting looks. We, the host of heaven, had also gathered in our numbers. But unlike our adversaries, we had a difficult order: DO NOT INTERFERE UNLESS…ONLY UNLESS HE CHANGED HIS MIND. But would he? Once again, only time would tell. And that time wasn’t far away. Immediately we saw the glory on his face after he had finished communing with the Father, we knew he had accepted God’s will. There was no going back!
Amongst us, we whispered, “Lord, just one word. Just breathe a command.” But it never came. And yet we waited in vain. We had to watch helplessly as they took him away.
The anguish in Judas’ heart over the betrayal of his teacher was so much. The combined spirits of suicide, murder and death hovered above and around him. They didn’t give him a second to repent. To Judas, it was better to be dead than alive. The sorrow was much.
As they interrogated Jesus, Satan’s lieutenants stood among the Sanhedrin, instilling thoughts into their minds. Our master did not answer any question but kept mute. The accusations were inconsistent and baseless. The hosts of darkness were agitated. They needed something. The council desperately needed something concrete to present to the Roman governor as our master’s crime.
Then the High Priest asked him, “Are you the son of God?”
Yet Jesus answered nothing.
Then a demonic principality whispered something in the ears of a priest. Immediately the demon was through, the man stood up and started walking in the direction of the High Priest. We paid no heed to him until he whispered in the ears of the High priest, “Adjure him by God. But him under oath by the Living God.” To the ears of mortal men, it was a whisper. To us, it was though someone just spoke plainly.
When he was through with the suggestion, many angels amongst us drew their swords. They wanted to strike the demon and the man he had used. Then came the sharp look from Jesus and every one of them sheathed their swords and looked apologetic. The demon just gave a throaty laugh. I wondered what was amusing him.
Clearing his throat, the Chief Priest declared, “I adjure you by the Most High, are you the son of God?”
Immediately there was absolute silence in the air. Everyone held their breath. Angels. Demons. Men. This was the climax.
As I stood there, Zenas, a fellow angelic warrior sorrowfully asked our captain, “Will he reply?”
Without waiting for the Captain to respond, I replied, “Yes. He has been adjured by God, the only one whose authority he truly submits to.”
Then in a clear voice our maker said, “You have said it already,” then looking up at the hosts of darkness, he continued, “yet I say to you, you yourself will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of God’s power, coming on the clouds of heaven.”
He wasn’t addressing the council only. He was speaking to the host of darkness also. To human ears, his voice sounded like a song. To angels and demons alike, it was like the roar of thunder, like the sound of many waters.
Olyrus, our captain whispered, “Lord, let it come quickly. I can hardly wait.”
The High Priest tore his garment and cried, “Blasphemy! What other evidence do we need?”
The ranks of demons cheered him for his hypocrisy and religiosity.
Then he was delivered to Pilate and the governor took him aside and asked him if he was a king. After a short pause he said, “My Kingdom is not of this word,” then he looked at us and continued, “If it were of this world, my subjects won’t stand and watch you treat me this way.”
When he was through with Pilate and the final sentence had been given, with Barabbas released, the lamb of God gave the one and only command of the day: WITHDRAW TO YOUR REALM! YOUR PART IN THIS IS OVER FOR NOW.
With heavy hearts, we obeyed.
Then came the crucifixion. And the pain. And the jeers from hostile faces. All these were all he had to bear. Just as He was about to die, He was approached by Death and as Death boasted, Jesus was silent.
When he was through, Jesus said, “Death you have boasted rightly. But let me ask you a question. Can you kill me if I have no sin?”
Now, Death fell quiet.
Jesus continued, “Death, you were not there in the beginning. You only came into existence as a result of sin. So much happened long before you were brought forth as a result of man’s fall.”
Now Death wasn’t so sure of himself.
Yet the revealed word continued, “Death, you are just a shadow…a form. Even you will be cast into the lake of fire. I am Life. But although you may not know, I also am the true death. He that is rejected by me is rejected forever.”
When he was through, the savior of mankind drank the cup and became sin. He didn’t sin, he took on the very nature of sin and became sin itself. Then, and only then could death wrap its tentacles around him. That was after he had judged everyone and everything that needed to be judged and had swallowed them up. It’s a mystery that would be revealed in its own time. After that, he descended into hell and the wait continued. Even the earth, the oceans and the sky could not bear. The sun in fear hid its face for three hours. The mountains quaked and grumbled as he gave up the ghost.
We rejoiced that the second Adam, the quickening spirit had humbled himself unto death and had won the first part battle in the war for man’s redemption. Now it was the Father’s own turn to keep His part of the agreement. Would he? Once again, time would tell.
The first day ended.
Then the second day came…and passed.
On the morning of the third day, there was a great turmoil. It shook the heavens and the earth. As we wondered what the problem was, someone approached us. His countenance was awesome. He was more brilliant in countenance than we were. It must be the Son of God in his glory. We hid ourselves. So the Son of God had prevailed.
But something was wrong. The newcomer was making inquiries. He was asking questions. What was the problem? Did the agony of his death deprive the Son of God of his mind?
The only thing the stranger could remember was been hung on a cross alongside a strange man who assured him that he was going to be in paradise with him. He was looking for that man. We were also confused. If he was not the son of man, then who was he? Even dead saints of old had not entered into this realm. As we wondered what to do, he kept muttering: the book…the book.
I asked him what book? He said that the man on the cross had promised him that his name was recorded in a kind of book. Something he called the book of Life. At last, we remembered. That book had never been open for as long as we could remember. We rushed back to where it was. Something was wrong. The book was open and the seal had been broken. Who dared do that? When we got there something had been written. It was a name. It was written in red ink…no, not red ink, it was blood. We wondered whose name was that.
Then the man (whom we later recognized to be the same that had been crucified with Jesus) exclaimed, “That’s my name! My sins have been forgiven and washed away. Hallelujah, praise God.”
He was the first among God’s new creation. The Holy ones. The church that had been pulled out of Christ’s side signified by the piercing with the spear which caused water and blood to gush out. That was another mystery. Just as Eve was Adam’s bride, so were these ones the bride of Christ.
We were jubilant. The enemy had lost once again. If only he knew…if only he knew the wisdom of God’s plan. So, Christ had risen! Not only had the Son of God prevailed, he had also led captivity captive.
With joy in our hearts, we rushed towards Jerusalem. We could not wait any longer. Our joy knew no bounds. But before befo, I turned to the sanctified and justified one and said, “Welcome home, brother”
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