I will always remember the screams, the untold billions of screams.
The cries of the damned reverberated off the canyon walls. The sound of their wails stretched over miles with each moaning breath mingled into a cacophony of pitiful, tortuous laments. I beheld in fascinated horror as billions upon emaciated billions of humans and Elohim languished in agony. Their rotted and burning flesh stank as the winds made the hellish perfume waft across the skies, causing the air to reek with putrefaction. Blistering heat sizzled from the white-hot lake of molten rock, and fire licked and bit at each captive’s smoldering flesh. Flesh forever burned but never consumed. Therefore, they screamed the residents of this canyon did –– it was a sickening sound.
Is this how Moses felt? I wondered. To behold a thing that burns but is not consumed?
They see me.
“Please make it stop,” said one.
“I am sorry, oh God! Please, God! Listen! Jesus, do you hear me,” said another.
“Aaarrrgghhhh!”
The voices melded and flowed, morphing into a singular pitiful cry for relief and anguish.
I watched as some fought to climb atop others in a futile struggle to escape the horrifying affliction. It was a fruitless skirmish from which none could expect release.
I suppose that it could be possible to flee. I saw neither bars nor chains to hold these souls captive. Straining and squinting, my angelic eyes viewed no doors that would prevent escape. Selfish preservation run amok, pain, and hopelessness prevented them. As one soul approached optimism and the border of freedom, another wretch dragged it back within the bowels of smoke and flames. The grotesque scene of twisted, writhing bodies, moved as the tide in this sea of fire and brimstone.
I observed them dance, the denizens of this canyon. Dance a relentless waltz of hope deferred. For there was no respite to soothe one’s pain, no aid to come to one’s side. None could leave, and salvation had forgotten this place.
The Lake of Fire consumed each incarcerated soul held captive by the insatiable passions of lust and self: a twofold punishment forever administered on these prisoners for all time. A memorial by El, forever to be remembered by us all.
The lake was an eternal smoldering monument of our war: a token of El’s wrath upon all those who had held back the truth in unrighteousness. My eyes were older than much of creation, and as they darted over the vastness of this everlasting torture, I remembered when I first saw the flames of the Kiln run amuck.
Yet even now, I found that I looked for him: my beloved, my brother, my friend, and my enemy, he whom my soul delighted.
I stood at the precipice of this jagged maw in the Earth’s crust of heat, smoke, and fire. I strained that I might see the Adversary. It has always been an easy thing for a creature such as I to find my own kind, and with Lucifer even more so –– quite easy actually. Knowing my brother, I needed only to look towards the heart of this mass grave of the spiritually dead.
Our eyes met.
He was still a creature of pride, and even here, even after all this time, Lucifer sought to be the center of all things. He smirked as he looked at me, but I am not deceived. I know that joy does not dwell in this place. The human Dante was prescient when he penned, “Hope had abandoned all those that entered here,” here in the Lake of Fire, even Hell herself could not flee.
Lucifer’s face I knew with intimate familiarity. The smirk on his lips masked an unspoken yet seething hatred from the inner knowing that he was “superior” to all in creation, elevated to stand in the very presence of God, yet cast down as rubble to be stared and looked upon, a creature to be pitied.
Oh how art thou fallen O Lucifer son of the morning. How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations.
It was this knowing, which I knew forever would gnaw at him the reason for his smirk. Our gaze was short as smoke enveloped him, yet through the veneer, yes, I saw it–– a tear.
Then he was gone; veiled in smolder and fire; and pummeled by the legions he once sought to rule. Forever crushed underfoot by those, he deemed chattel, forever humiliated.
Never in all my days did I believe my eyes would behold such a sight.
I turned away as I could behold such suffering for only so long. Even one such as I had limits.
I am relieved that the war is over.
The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.
But at what price?
This victory was not without loss, not without pain.
“Have you come to mock me, Michael?”
Lucifer’s voice could not be mimicked or masked. There was one being in creation that sounded thus. Only he could speak so that even from the Lake of Fire my attention could be garnered.
I am hesitant to reply. I do not wish to look upon this murderer.
We will not speak again after today: I know this; therefore, I turned to face him for the last time.
“What manner of conversation would I engage with the King of Lies?”
As I looked upon his face and body now disfigured, I steeled myself. There was a time when I shed tears for my brother, but that was millennia ago.
Too much blood had been spilled between us, too many wounds. Mercy no longer beat within my breast for him, yet even now, I could not help but ruminate on more pleasant times. I drifted into reflection, and daydreamed back to the beginning of it all––still questioning––still wondering.
How did it come to this?
If you want to read more check out Chapter One!
Your book trailer is remarkable! Good job! However, I have difficulty with the premise of your book.
You say, “The Bible makes it clear that Lucifer was perfect in all his ways until iniquity was found in him. Ezk 28:15.” Any time I hear “The Bible makes it clear…” I take notice because the point being made usually is not clear. Such is the case here I think.
The Lucifer passage in Ezekiel has nothing to do with Satan; it is about the king of Tyre. In fact, the entire myth of the fall of Satan the archangel is based on unrelated passages that refer to other things.
I think a story such as your could be an interesting read, but the problem is that some people think it relates somehow to reality, and that is unfortunate. The whole fascination with ‘spiritual warfare’ distracts us from the important message of Jesus.
This is an opinion and I do not mean it harshly; you asked for responses to your preface.
Thanks for the response! I do NOT take your comments as harsh at all and appreciate your dialogue! What’s the point of asking for comments and then get upset when they come?
I think we will have to agree to disagree on the ‘myth of the fall of Satan’. You are correct in your exegesis of that scripture. However, it is and has been a scripture used to talk about Lucifer. It’s been debated for centuries and if the Lord delays his coming, I’m sure it will be debated more. since this scripture is commonly used to reference him. Its mentioned.
The fictional novel is loosely based on the reality of the person whom we in Christendom call Lucifer/Satan. There are indeed some unstable people in the world but I doubt anyone who reads the novel will come away with an impression that the book somehow lifts Lucifer/Satan up at the expense of other truths. I.e. the gospel and the all-important message concerning Jesus’ Christ’s death on the cross and his resurrection. This is not a book about spiritual warfare. It might initially seem that way. But it’s not.
The point that “some people think it relates somehow to reality, and that is unfortunate.” That issue can be said about the whole of Christian Speculative Fiction. But I doubt the gospel has been harmed (it’s after all the power of God to salvation!) by this Present Darkness, The Left Behind Series, Angel Walk Series, the Fourth Millennium or a host of other works written by Christian fiction Authors. It’s survived and I would argue thrived with these fictional books, and I’m sure it will survive mine also.
We can agree on this point, it is an interesting read! I think readers will come away simply wanting to read their Bible more.
Besides when I have beta readers say it made then repent…well that’s a fruit you’re not going to find outside of a presentation of the Gospel. Wink wink!
Yes we can agree to disagree. I will say, though, that I think both “This Present Darkness” and the “Left Behind” series DID do great harm. They created an environment of fear and anxiety and distracted from the message of Jesus. I know that some are frightened into repenting’, but fear is not the proper instrument to introduce people to Jesus.
I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea of these being distractions from the message of Jesus. To me it implies to my ear that that we are limited in our discourse as Christians to that sole topic alone. And not just that, but somehow these other topics have trumped in some fashion that all important message of Jesus Christ. I’m just not sure how you can come to that conclusion, or by what measurement your using. In the test of time that message is timeless. These other works will be (no pun intended) Left behind.
I doubt either author of the series you mentioned would see their works as introductions to the person and work of Jesus. And I would wholeheartedly agree with you that fear is not the best mechanism to bring people to Christ. Words like, ‘with loving kindness have I drawn thee”, come to mind here. Yet there is something to be said for the preacher who can preach “sinners in the hands of an angry God”.
To me what you are really alluding to in implication is the utility of any Christian based fiction or entertainment. And let’s face it. That’s what these novels are: consumer entertainment primarily for a western, Christian audience. I mean are you suggesting that such works should not exist?
Because some people are impacted differently by certain pieces of culture does that mean the Christian should have no voice in the culture? To me these are the questions that your statement brings us too. There are countless individuals I know who pray more because of This Present Darkness. Who have a greater appreciation for the reality of an existence that supersedes what they see. There are more people who took an interest in the Bible due to Left Behind, and it did give people an open door to dialogue about where they see themselves in the future.
So although I can’t discount what you’re saying nor would I really try. I’m at a loss of what you would suggest as a resolution to address what you see.
I really value the dialogue its always great when Christians can come together and think through issues that impact us and how to live out our confession of faith.
You said, “To me what you are really alluding to in implication is the utility of any Christian based fiction or entertainment.” I am sorry I was unclear; I did not intend to disparage Christian fiction. In fact, I have a great appreciation for Christian fiction.
The issue I find problematic is this: many Christians today believe in the myth of the fall of Lucifer and his band of angels, and it impacts their lives as they deal with ‘Lucifer’ and ‘demons’, when the myth is not even taught in the Bible. The passages patched together to create this myth are not dealing with that at all.
The details of this myth that people believe today were developed primarily by the Book of Enoch and by John Milton. The result is unfortunate in that people are so involved with Lucifer and his demons, and they do not even exist–it is superstition. Books like “This Present Darkness” feed the superstition because people read them as though they correspond to reality in some way.
Now, I do not mean to argue or debate, nor do I wish to persuade you to change your opinion about the fall of Lucifer. I was simply responding to your original request for feedback, but perhaps this reply will clarify what my thoughts are on the subject.
I wish you well in your project and hope your book is successful.
Yes that is definitely helpful. If you are not a proponent to the existence of Lucifer/Satan and demons then your comments make much more sense having the greater context.
We are of differing views regarding the existence of demons and Lucifer/Satan. I affirm that they do indeed exist. (Of note: no pseudepigraphical books are referenced in my work.) Nor do i think such is needed to come to the conclusion of the event surrounding the fall of Lucifer or for the existence of that person and demons. We are definitely of different opinions in that regard.
Nevertheless, we are both proponents seemingly of the person and atoning work of Jesus Christ and on that note I’m glad to call you brother as that’s where our fellowship resides.
Thanks again for valuable input and dialogue, and for the well wishes! God Bless!
I don’t know what to say about that book. But I hope it goes good for you.
I found the Left Behind series to be good thriller fiction based on the Bible contained a lot of good examples of how we can all react to tribulation and temptation – and I am sure I will find this book as interesting and helpful a read.
Thanks for popping in Allison, I loved the Left Behind series, I thought it was a great contributor to the advancement of Christian Fiction, and provided a great opportunity to discuss Christianity with non-believers.