ChristChild
12-07-2007, 02:24 AM
Author's note: Please read the whole short story before judging it. It is a Christian work.
Headline: Jesus Dies in Heaven
Satan couldn't believe it. He had been trumped at the cross. Jesus had set the path for redemption to the Father for all the humans who would believe, but now something extraordinary had happened, and he just couldn't believe it!
“Phineas, tell me the news again!” Satan instructed his demonic messenger.
“Dark Lord, I have told you twice what has happened.”
“Make it three times or I'll demote you to resident demon of a pub in Amish country!”
“Okay, okay—Jesus was working on those mansions He promised His followers and He just clutched His holy chest and keeled over. All heaven has gone awry and the Father and Spirit have been thrown into a turmoil, as they were Three-In-One until recently.”
“This is impossible, Phineas!”
“I know that, but it is so... somehow. I don't understand it either.”
Satan stepped back from Phineas and began pacing. He finally snapped his fingers, pointed at Phineas, and then reasoned, “He took away the keys to death, hell, and the grave. Jesus took their sins on Himself! Now that He has truly died... are you sure, Phineas?”
“Yes, Dark Lord.”
“Okay then, shouldn't dominion over man fall back to me--legally? He can't give His followers eternal life, as He couldn't keep it for Himself. Jesus can't fulfill all the prophecies related to the church and Israel in the last days when the beast and the anti-Christ will be ascendant. He cannot return to the Earth again. He has lost His right to be the Advocate, Judge, and King, hasn't he, Phineas?”
Phineas looked bewildered, but then he thought a few moments and finally agreed, “I would think so. Since you still appear before the Godhead to bring accusations against men, maybe you should go there now and see what all this means.”
A dark, brooding look spread across Satan's face. He thought a moment more and came to a conclusion, causing the dark look to morph into a huge smile. He finally exclaimed, “I have won, Phineas! God's plan has failed! I have won! Do you hear me—I have won!”
Phineas had never seen his dark master this excited. He stood aside as Satan charged forward with purpose, headed to the throne of heaven, no doubt. The evil lord soon became a blur and was gone. The being who was once the highest cherub and leader of the angelic host of heaven, now sought the place he had always longed for—the very throne of God.
With mind-numbing speed Satan rose to the realm of God in the north, to heaven itself. He swept past the outer angelic guard, who milled about in confusion and wept openly. They did not challenge him. They only looked up as he passed by on his way to God's throne. Satan landed at the base of the huge dais that God's crystal throne rested upon. All he could see in the Father's place was a wavering cloud within which the Father and the Holy Spirit were intermixed. Two aspects of the Godhead, with the Third missing. Then Satan noticed the corpse of the physical body of the Son laying on the dais with one angel standing near Him. It was Michael, of course. Satan made his way up the steps and stood near to his heavenly counterpart in rank.
“Michael?” Satan asked, as the angel just stared down at Jesus' body. Michael hadn't bothered to look up as Satan approached.
Michael didn't look up now, but he responded with a question, “Satan, how could this happen?”
Satan didn't expect that. He expected the Archangel to suspect him of having something to do with this.
“I... I... don't know, Michael. I am as shocked as you.”
Michael looked up at Satan finally, with tears in his eyes. His faced gained a great intensity, but Satan could see that it wasn't directed at him. Michael finally grabbed Satan by the arms and looked directly in his eyes and asked with fervor, “Satan, how does God die!? Even just one aspect of His triune nature?”
Satan shook off Michael's grip and exclaimed, “I don't know! I don't know--but I have won! Don't you see, Michael? All Jesus accomplished is meaningless now! I have won back my rights and powers that He crushed!”
Michael looked at Satan, anger and pity at war on his face. He said nothing, turned, and looked back down at the lifeless body of the Lord. Other angels were milling about the throne in confusion. God's special creatures that tended His throne were flying about aimlessly.
Satan looked on the surreal scene for a few moments more and finally decided that it was time--time to make his claim to the throne of God! Satan ran near to the Father and Holy Spirit, who appeared in the midst of the roiling thundercloud of energy beyond the comprehension of mere men, and even beyond Satan and the angels' ability to totally understand.
“Hear me, my former God! You have failed in Your plan! Jesus is dead—dead I say! Everything is undone! You have lost!” Then a thought struck Satan. The last time Jesus died, He had arisen three days and nights afterward. Satan suddenly became very angry and asked God, “Is He going to rise again in three days? Is this some joke at my expense!?”
Michael looked over at Satan, and then rushed to his side.
Satan turned to see that his enemy stood near him, but Michael now looked up toward God with an expectant expression on his face. It seemed that the Archangel had not considered that Jesus may rise again and that this was some kind of joke on God's part.
The dark lord turned back to the Father and Holy Spirit and yelled, “Well!?”
A few moments more passed before an odd, slurred voice proceeded from God. “Not... a joke. Falling apart, I Am.”
Michael's face fell, and then he did—to his knees. His head soon rested on the dais, as he wept loudly.
“Me, me, me,” Satan said with glee, “Give me the throne and step aside! I am the greatest of Your creation and have great wisdom! I will rule, as You try to... uh... pull Yourself together... somehow.”
Lifting his head, Michael looked from God to Satan, and then back to God again, awaiting God's answer.
“It will... be as... you say, Satan. Take the... throne.” God decided.
“Noooooooooooooo!” Michael screamed, before falling on his face before the throne of God.
Satan was overjoyed. He approached the huge seat before him, as the roiling thundercloud that contained what was left of God, slowly shifted off the throne and to one side of the dais. Satan looked back at all the angels. They were all now prostrate on the ground, pulling at their hair. He found it a satisfying and amusing sight.
Satan spun his back to the Father's empty throne, and then sat down. Michael looked up at Satan, and then began beating his forehead on the hard dais, drawing angelic blood. Despite Satan's glee, he said, “Michael, Michael—don't be a spoilsport. You are so melodramatic.” Michael beat his head even more fiercely in response, causing Satan to laugh.
“I will rule now!” Satan shouted to all of heaven, causing all of the angels who were not focused on him, to finally look his way. “I will run all of creation and you shall worship me as you did God!” He heard the angels groaning and looking at him in anger, but they would do nothing, as God Himself had given Satan His throne. They would not disobey their former God, thus he would now take God's place. Satan laughed at the delicious thought of it all.
Suddenly God's condition changed—the roiling thundercloud began shrinking and changing colors. Satan and the others looked on in wonder.
“Satan... it is... almost time,” God said.
“Time for what?” Satan asked with hope in his voice, “Are you checking out—completely?”
All of heaven's denizens held their breath as the answer came.
“Yes.”
All of heaven groaned, as Satan laughed maniacally.
“It will be mine, all mine!” Satan exclaimed.
Michael went back to beating his head on the dais and many angels joined him.
Satan was still cackling when God spoke again. The roiling thundercloud was so small, Satan was taller than it was wide. What was left of God was in there somewhere. Satan heard as God said again, “Satan... it is... almost time.”
“You said that before. Go ahead and die already.”
“I will... soon, but you... must take it.”
“Take what, Your power?” Satan asked with desire in his voice.
“No... My power... is almost gone.”
Satan became angry, as he wanted whatever power it was that God held, since God did turn the throne over to him. He yelled in confusion, “If You don't have any power left, then what do You want me to take? You have already given me the throne!”
The cloud grew smaller until it was almost too small to see, as God told Satan, “You... must take... control... of everything.”
“I will!”
“You don't... understand. Now you... must hold it... all together.”
“What?”
“All of... My creation.” With those last words, God disappeared completely.
Satan looked back to Michael. A look of shock spread over both their faces. Satan knew he possessed no such power—the power to hold the universe and all of reality together. The power to keep each and every part of every atom in the universe in its proper place, and everything in its proper order.
Michael began looking about, which caused Satan to do the same. Satan could see the fabric of reality breaking down around him—literally. The fallen archangel and present dark lord reached out with every bit of his formidable power in an attempt to hold at least heaven together, but it was a vain attempt. It was like trying to extinguish the fire of the sun with a drop of water. He had no chance—none at all. Reality continued to come apart as Satan felt himself beginning to lose cohesion. He was literally melting and melding with nothingness, which was encroaching upon everyone and everything in the universe.
That was when Satan screamed, “Noooooooooooooo!”
Someone slapped him. Satan shot up into a seated position. He noticed that he had been lying on the floor of his own dwelling just before the slap. Phineas knelt next to him.
“Forgive me, Dark Lord, but you were screaming,” Phineas said.
Satan, incredibly disoriented, asked, “What? What is going on, Phineas?”
“You screamed out, so I slapped you across the face.”
“What?” Satan said with an extreme measure of confusion.
Phineas saw his dark lord's confused expression, so he explained, “You said you wanted to try this 'sleeping' that humans need to do, so you laid back on the floor here and used your considerable power to put yourself into that strange, human state. You must have also done that other thing the humans do.”
“You mean 'dreaming,' Phineas,” Satan said as he came back to reality.
“Yes, yes, Dark Lord! It appeared that you were doing something just inside of your mind.”
Satan arose and went over to the throne he had built for himself ages ago. He sat down in it, as he looked back to Phineas. He told him, “I fear God used my little experiment to tell me something. Remind me to never try this 'sleeping' again. It is very dangerous.”
“Yes, Dark Lord, but what did God tell you?”
At the question, Satan became incredibly angry. He yelled at Phineas, “That is none of your business! Now get out of my sight before I slap you much harder than you did me!”
Phineas left like a shot.
Satan sat alone on his self-made throne and answered Phineas' question in his own mind, “God showed me that if I could somehow win--I would still lose.” At that thought, Satan sat there brooding, in a dark mood, for a very long time.
Copyright(c)2007, D. Shane Burton
Headline: Jesus Dies in Heaven
Satan couldn't believe it. He had been trumped at the cross. Jesus had set the path for redemption to the Father for all the humans who would believe, but now something extraordinary had happened, and he just couldn't believe it!
“Phineas, tell me the news again!” Satan instructed his demonic messenger.
“Dark Lord, I have told you twice what has happened.”
“Make it three times or I'll demote you to resident demon of a pub in Amish country!”
“Okay, okay—Jesus was working on those mansions He promised His followers and He just clutched His holy chest and keeled over. All heaven has gone awry and the Father and Spirit have been thrown into a turmoil, as they were Three-In-One until recently.”
“This is impossible, Phineas!”
“I know that, but it is so... somehow. I don't understand it either.”
Satan stepped back from Phineas and began pacing. He finally snapped his fingers, pointed at Phineas, and then reasoned, “He took away the keys to death, hell, and the grave. Jesus took their sins on Himself! Now that He has truly died... are you sure, Phineas?”
“Yes, Dark Lord.”
“Okay then, shouldn't dominion over man fall back to me--legally? He can't give His followers eternal life, as He couldn't keep it for Himself. Jesus can't fulfill all the prophecies related to the church and Israel in the last days when the beast and the anti-Christ will be ascendant. He cannot return to the Earth again. He has lost His right to be the Advocate, Judge, and King, hasn't he, Phineas?”
Phineas looked bewildered, but then he thought a few moments and finally agreed, “I would think so. Since you still appear before the Godhead to bring accusations against men, maybe you should go there now and see what all this means.”
A dark, brooding look spread across Satan's face. He thought a moment more and came to a conclusion, causing the dark look to morph into a huge smile. He finally exclaimed, “I have won, Phineas! God's plan has failed! I have won! Do you hear me—I have won!”
Phineas had never seen his dark master this excited. He stood aside as Satan charged forward with purpose, headed to the throne of heaven, no doubt. The evil lord soon became a blur and was gone. The being who was once the highest cherub and leader of the angelic host of heaven, now sought the place he had always longed for—the very throne of God.
With mind-numbing speed Satan rose to the realm of God in the north, to heaven itself. He swept past the outer angelic guard, who milled about in confusion and wept openly. They did not challenge him. They only looked up as he passed by on his way to God's throne. Satan landed at the base of the huge dais that God's crystal throne rested upon. All he could see in the Father's place was a wavering cloud within which the Father and the Holy Spirit were intermixed. Two aspects of the Godhead, with the Third missing. Then Satan noticed the corpse of the physical body of the Son laying on the dais with one angel standing near Him. It was Michael, of course. Satan made his way up the steps and stood near to his heavenly counterpart in rank.
“Michael?” Satan asked, as the angel just stared down at Jesus' body. Michael hadn't bothered to look up as Satan approached.
Michael didn't look up now, but he responded with a question, “Satan, how could this happen?”
Satan didn't expect that. He expected the Archangel to suspect him of having something to do with this.
“I... I... don't know, Michael. I am as shocked as you.”
Michael looked up at Satan finally, with tears in his eyes. His faced gained a great intensity, but Satan could see that it wasn't directed at him. Michael finally grabbed Satan by the arms and looked directly in his eyes and asked with fervor, “Satan, how does God die!? Even just one aspect of His triune nature?”
Satan shook off Michael's grip and exclaimed, “I don't know! I don't know--but I have won! Don't you see, Michael? All Jesus accomplished is meaningless now! I have won back my rights and powers that He crushed!”
Michael looked at Satan, anger and pity at war on his face. He said nothing, turned, and looked back down at the lifeless body of the Lord. Other angels were milling about the throne in confusion. God's special creatures that tended His throne were flying about aimlessly.
Satan looked on the surreal scene for a few moments more and finally decided that it was time--time to make his claim to the throne of God! Satan ran near to the Father and Holy Spirit, who appeared in the midst of the roiling thundercloud of energy beyond the comprehension of mere men, and even beyond Satan and the angels' ability to totally understand.
“Hear me, my former God! You have failed in Your plan! Jesus is dead—dead I say! Everything is undone! You have lost!” Then a thought struck Satan. The last time Jesus died, He had arisen three days and nights afterward. Satan suddenly became very angry and asked God, “Is He going to rise again in three days? Is this some joke at my expense!?”
Michael looked over at Satan, and then rushed to his side.
Satan turned to see that his enemy stood near him, but Michael now looked up toward God with an expectant expression on his face. It seemed that the Archangel had not considered that Jesus may rise again and that this was some kind of joke on God's part.
The dark lord turned back to the Father and Holy Spirit and yelled, “Well!?”
A few moments more passed before an odd, slurred voice proceeded from God. “Not... a joke. Falling apart, I Am.”
Michael's face fell, and then he did—to his knees. His head soon rested on the dais, as he wept loudly.
“Me, me, me,” Satan said with glee, “Give me the throne and step aside! I am the greatest of Your creation and have great wisdom! I will rule, as You try to... uh... pull Yourself together... somehow.”
Lifting his head, Michael looked from God to Satan, and then back to God again, awaiting God's answer.
“It will... be as... you say, Satan. Take the... throne.” God decided.
“Noooooooooooooo!” Michael screamed, before falling on his face before the throne of God.
Satan was overjoyed. He approached the huge seat before him, as the roiling thundercloud that contained what was left of God, slowly shifted off the throne and to one side of the dais. Satan looked back at all the angels. They were all now prostrate on the ground, pulling at their hair. He found it a satisfying and amusing sight.
Satan spun his back to the Father's empty throne, and then sat down. Michael looked up at Satan, and then began beating his forehead on the hard dais, drawing angelic blood. Despite Satan's glee, he said, “Michael, Michael—don't be a spoilsport. You are so melodramatic.” Michael beat his head even more fiercely in response, causing Satan to laugh.
“I will rule now!” Satan shouted to all of heaven, causing all of the angels who were not focused on him, to finally look his way. “I will run all of creation and you shall worship me as you did God!” He heard the angels groaning and looking at him in anger, but they would do nothing, as God Himself had given Satan His throne. They would not disobey their former God, thus he would now take God's place. Satan laughed at the delicious thought of it all.
Suddenly God's condition changed—the roiling thundercloud began shrinking and changing colors. Satan and the others looked on in wonder.
“Satan... it is... almost time,” God said.
“Time for what?” Satan asked with hope in his voice, “Are you checking out—completely?”
All of heaven's denizens held their breath as the answer came.
“Yes.”
All of heaven groaned, as Satan laughed maniacally.
“It will be mine, all mine!” Satan exclaimed.
Michael went back to beating his head on the dais and many angels joined him.
Satan was still cackling when God spoke again. The roiling thundercloud was so small, Satan was taller than it was wide. What was left of God was in there somewhere. Satan heard as God said again, “Satan... it is... almost time.”
“You said that before. Go ahead and die already.”
“I will... soon, but you... must take it.”
“Take what, Your power?” Satan asked with desire in his voice.
“No... My power... is almost gone.”
Satan became angry, as he wanted whatever power it was that God held, since God did turn the throne over to him. He yelled in confusion, “If You don't have any power left, then what do You want me to take? You have already given me the throne!”
The cloud grew smaller until it was almost too small to see, as God told Satan, “You... must take... control... of everything.”
“I will!”
“You don't... understand. Now you... must hold it... all together.”
“What?”
“All of... My creation.” With those last words, God disappeared completely.
Satan looked back to Michael. A look of shock spread over both their faces. Satan knew he possessed no such power—the power to hold the universe and all of reality together. The power to keep each and every part of every atom in the universe in its proper place, and everything in its proper order.
Michael began looking about, which caused Satan to do the same. Satan could see the fabric of reality breaking down around him—literally. The fallen archangel and present dark lord reached out with every bit of his formidable power in an attempt to hold at least heaven together, but it was a vain attempt. It was like trying to extinguish the fire of the sun with a drop of water. He had no chance—none at all. Reality continued to come apart as Satan felt himself beginning to lose cohesion. He was literally melting and melding with nothingness, which was encroaching upon everyone and everything in the universe.
That was when Satan screamed, “Noooooooooooooo!”
Someone slapped him. Satan shot up into a seated position. He noticed that he had been lying on the floor of his own dwelling just before the slap. Phineas knelt next to him.
“Forgive me, Dark Lord, but you were screaming,” Phineas said.
Satan, incredibly disoriented, asked, “What? What is going on, Phineas?”
“You screamed out, so I slapped you across the face.”
“What?” Satan said with an extreme measure of confusion.
Phineas saw his dark lord's confused expression, so he explained, “You said you wanted to try this 'sleeping' that humans need to do, so you laid back on the floor here and used your considerable power to put yourself into that strange, human state. You must have also done that other thing the humans do.”
“You mean 'dreaming,' Phineas,” Satan said as he came back to reality.
“Yes, yes, Dark Lord! It appeared that you were doing something just inside of your mind.”
Satan arose and went over to the throne he had built for himself ages ago. He sat down in it, as he looked back to Phineas. He told him, “I fear God used my little experiment to tell me something. Remind me to never try this 'sleeping' again. It is very dangerous.”
“Yes, Dark Lord, but what did God tell you?”
At the question, Satan became incredibly angry. He yelled at Phineas, “That is none of your business! Now get out of my sight before I slap you much harder than you did me!”
Phineas left like a shot.
Satan sat alone on his self-made throne and answered Phineas' question in his own mind, “God showed me that if I could somehow win--I would still lose.” At that thought, Satan sat there brooding, in a dark mood, for a very long time.
Copyright(c)2007, D. Shane Burton