“What just happened?!” Gabriel asked Michael.
“It seems—”
“How?!”
“They—”
“Why?!”
“Becau—”
“I mean, of all the fruit in the entire Garden, they had to choose that one! What would possess them to do such a careless and rebellious act?” Gabriel, yet again, didn’t give Michael time to answer. “They walked daily with the Father, had uninterrupted communion with the Almighty and they threw it all away for a worthless apple?”
“Actually, it was not an apple—”
“I know, Michael, I was being facetious. But what got into them, that they would do this?”
“It was Lucif—”
“NO!” Gabriel drew his sword, folded his wings, and flew faster than the speed of light toward Earth. Michael followed closely.
“What are you doing, Gabriel?”
“I’m going to end that monster!” Gabriel growled. “He’s gone too far, for the last time!”
“You know you cannot do that.”
“Why not?!”
“First of all, there are more pressing matters at stake right now, and you have a new assignment effective immediately. Secondly, like you, he is eternal, and there is only one who can destroy him, and for the moment He has chosen not to do that.”
“I may not be able to kill him, but I can sure make him miserable!”
Gabriel tucked in his wings and dove toward the surface of Earth. As he approached the Garden, Michael yanked Gabriel’s left wing sending him spiraling, crashing to the ground, losing his sword in the process.
Gabriel painfully ascended from the crater his crash landing just created. Michael slowly descended with Gabriel’s sword in his hand. Like a father correcting a child, he spoke, “Now, if you can keep your cool, and keep your mouth shut, I will give your sword back and explain a few things.”
Gabriel nodded and held out his hand. Michael placed Gabriel’s sword in it. As Gabriel re-sheathed his weapon Michael explained what had happened.
“After the Great War, when Lucif—”
“Please! Don’t pollute my ears with his name.” Gabriel grimaced as if Michael were about to curse.
“Okay. How about we call him,” Michael paused for a moment, “the Adversary?”
“Fine. Although, I’ve got a few other names I’d like to call him.”
“And we probably will over time, but let us get on with what happened, shall we?” Gabriel nodded. “After the Great War, when the Adversary was cast down to Earth, it was only a matter of time before he would try to take out his rage on the Father’s prized creation, so, He devised a plan to redeem mankind for such a case as this. The Tree was part of it.”
“Wait, you mean the Father wanted the man and woman to eat from it?” Gabriel’s dizziness from his crash landing was compounded by his lack of understanding of the Father’s plan.
“More like he knew it would happen either way,” Michael said. “He knew if the Adversary could persuade a third of our ranks—who behold his face daily—to follow him, it would take little time or effort for him to persuade mankind to rebel against their Creator, as well. So, the Forbidden Tree was placed in the middle of the Garden.”
“I always thought that tree was an odd choice for the centerpiece of the Garden. But who am I to question the Creator?” Gabriel mused. “So, the Father placed it there, fully knowing that the humans would be tempted to eat it? It’s almost like he made it too easy for the Adversary to trick them.”
Michael nodded. “Like I said. He knew all along it would happen. So, he decided to orchestrate some of the outcomes.”
“Orchestrate? How so?” Gabriel prodded.
“For starters, by sealing the fate of the Adversary, once and for all. The Father placed him here on Earth out of grace after his rebellion, but this recent act of treason earned him an eternity in everlasting torment. He will pay, not only for his rebellion in Heaven, but for what he did here on Earth as well.”
“Really?” Gabriel smiled. “That’s exciting! I’d love to be a part of that!”
Michael placed a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “Do not worry, brother, you will.”
“That’s the best news I’ve heard since this ordeal began. How soon can we do this?”
“Not quite yet. First, we need to complete our assignments.”
“Oh yeah,” Gabriel said, “I recall you mentioning something about an assignment right before you hurled me to the Earth. What is it?”
“Actually, there will be several assignments, all with the end goal of mending the rift that was torn between humanity and the Father.”
“Will there be battles?” Gabriel’s eyes lit up as he asked.
“Some, but mostly setting the stage for important events and delivering many messages.”
“Fair enough,” Gabriel conceded. He had hoped for “many” battles, and delivering “some” messages, but he was willing to settle for some battles. “What’s our first assignment?”
“Ready your sword.” Michael said as he unsheathed his own.
“Time to battle some baddies, already?!” Gabriel smiled.
“Not quite. Let us go to the Garden.”
~~~~~~
“Why do the humans look…different?” Gabriel asked, tilting his head as he tried to figure out what had changed about them. “They look…weaker. And greener.”
“They are wearing fig leaves.” Michael answered.
“Ha! Why?” Gabriel thought maybe he had missed a joke, but Michael wasn’t laughing, or even smiling.
“Because they were naked.”
“Well, yes, they’ve always been naked—the way the Father created them.”
“True, but when they ate of the Forbidden Fruit they became aware of their nakedness.”
“They didn’t know they were naked that whole time?”
“Not really. I suppose you could say they were clothed in the Father’s presence, and needed nothing else. Being created in the image of the Almighty, they had everything they needed. They lived their lives freely under His provision and protection, but once they committed that act of disobedience, it all left them. And they quickly realized it.”
“Really?” Gabriel asked. “How so?”
“Their eyes were opened to the fact that they were subject to fear, pain, and even death. For instance, the woman stubbed her toe on a tree root, which she had done many times before without consequence or even noticing, but this time it severely pained her. And the man…he made the mistake of trying to pet a porcupine.”
“Ouch!”
“In that moment they knew something had changed. They knew their protection had vanished, so they tried to create their own form of protection.”
“The fig leaves?” Gabriel smirked. “Those wouldn’t protect them from a fly, and definitely not a porcupine! Where did they get such a harebrained idea.”
“I have a few theories,” Michael explained. “First, I believe they are trying to camouflage themselves.”
“Why would they want to do that?”
“To hide from the Father.” Michael explained. “Each day when the Father would come to visit them, they gladly enjoyed His presence. But after they fell, they were ashamed and felt the need to hide. Perhaps they thought the leaves would help them escape the Father’s notice.”
“Well, that’s ridiculous,” Gabriel sneered. “The Father can see an atom in a black hole!”
“Yes,” Michael agreed. “You and I are aware of that, but the man and woman were scared and confused, and may have resorted to ridiculous means to try to hide from the Father.”
“That’s a pretty good theory,” Gabriel complimented his mentor.
“I have another theory regarding their vegetative garb,” Michael continued.
“Do tell!”
“My other theory concerns the serpent.”
“The serpent?” Gabriel tried to recall which creature the serpent was. “Oh, you mean that green, scaly thing with the long tongue?”
“Yes, that one. You see the Adversary used a serpent to beguile them to eat the fruit. It is possible that after being fooled by this creature—who they deemed very wise—they concluded that if they made clothing which resembled the serpent’s protective skin they would gain similar protection.”
“Oh, I see it now. Their fig leaf dresses do look a bit like green scales,” Gabriel conceded Michael’s second theory. “But still, those outfits are flimsy replicas of the serpent’s armored skin.”
“True, but when you fall victim to the Adversary’s schemes, your efforts at protection are flimsy at best.” Michael observed.
“Well said.” Gabriel lifted his sword that was still unsheathed. “Remind me why we are holding our swords.”
“It is our job to help the Father prepare a less flimsy protection for these naked humans.” Michael said approaching two gazelle that were grazing peacefully in a nearby valley.
“Michael, please tell me this isn’t my big assignment in fixing this situation.”
“Baby steps, Gabriel,” Michael said “There is more to come. So, so much more.”
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