“That was one of the grizzliest things I’ve ever done,” Gabriel said wiping gazelle blood from his sword.
“I agree. The first deaths in Earth’s history came from our own hands. That is not something I will soon forget.” Michael observed. “But the Father was able to make adequate clothing for the humans, and perhaps give them a strong reminder of the severity and consequences of their disobedience.”
“Who knew eating one piece of fruit would affect so much of the Father’s creation? Please tell me the rest of our assignments will not be like this.”
“Take heart, brother. Most assignments given to us will be much more encouraging.”
“So, no more slaughtering?” Gabriel prodded.
Michael hesitated, then finally, “No guarantees.”
“Wonderful,” Gabriel sighed. “What’s next?”
“We must clear the Garden of all living creatures. Eden has two immensely powerful trees with the ability to alter history, so we must conceal the Garden from all creation.”
“Even the humans?”
“Especially the humans, but the Father is taking care of that at this moment.”
“He’s kicking them out?”
“I would not put it that way, but yes, he is removing them from the Garden, as an act of mercy to them.” Michael saw that Gabriel didn’t fully understand, so before he had a chance to ask, Michael explained. “Because of their act of rebellion, humans now have sin in their lives. This separates them from the Father and will always do so until the Father’s Redemption Plan is complete. But if the humans stay in the Garden and, perchance, eat of the fruit from the Tree of Life, they will live eternally in their sins and be forever separated from the Father, with no means for reconciliation.”
“I see. That would be a horrendous punishment,” Gabriel agreed. “It would be more merciful to remove them than to let them stay and risk that kind of consequence. Besides, didn’t I hear the Father give them instructions about being fruitful, multiplying, and subduing the Earth?”
“You did,” Michael answered.
“Well, I don’t think they’d ‘subdue’ much of the Earth if they stayed in the Garden. Who would ever willingly leave that place? It had everything they needed!”
“True,” Michael agreed, “but now they must. All of them.”
“So how do we do this? Do we fly around and collect them or chase them out herd by herd?”
“I believe I have a simpler solution.” Michael produced a golden trumpet from under his tunic, pressed the mouthpiece to his lips, and blew so loudly the Earth trembled. Gabriel soon heard hooves, paws, and claws stamping the ground, and wings flapping in the air—the sound of all the animals fleeing the Garden.
“Amazing! One blast of that trumpet and the entire Garden cleared out! Can I get one of those?”
“It is quite possible that there is a trumpet in your future, but not at this moment.”
“I had a feeling you’d say something like that. So now that the Garden is emptied, what’s to become of it? Will the Father destroy it, or uproot the two threatening trees?”
“For the time being, the Father wants us to secure it; to prevent anyone from being able to get into it.”
“Oh, I have just the guys for this job.” Gabriel grinned.
“Please tell me you are not thinking about the Quadruplets.” Michael groaned.
“The four and only!” Gabriel grinned as he took flight. As he ascended, he shouted back, “Trust me! They’ll be great at it! See you at the Garden’s entrance in an hour!”
Michael watched Gabriel disappear and sighed. “I pray he knows what he is doing.”
~~~~~~
Two hours later Gabriel landed at the entrance to the Garden accompanied by four cherubim. The first cherub, named Ish, most closely resembled the other two angels: two arms, two legs, two wings, one head. The other three cherub also had two arms, two legs, two wings and one head, but each cherubim’s heads were very different. One, named Nasr, had the head of an eagle. Another, named Shor had the head of an ox. The last one, named Ari, had the head of a lion.
Michael greeted each by name with a slight bow of respect. In response, Nasr pealed, Shor snorted, Ari roared, and Ish nodded.
“Sorry for the delay,” Gabriel apologized. “It took me a little while to rally the troops. They were in a heated conversation about who had the best head among them. I finally convinced them that they all had equally great heads, at which point they thought it would be brilliant if they could put their heads together…literally, like they each of them has all four heads, and maybe even add another pair of wings, just for fun! Is that even possible?
“All things are possible,” Michael said dryly. The cherubim all cheered at the possibility. Michael sighed and said, “Gabriel, may I have a word with you, alone?”
“Sure. Be right back guys.” Michael and Gabriel walked a stone’s throw away from the Quadruplets. “What’s up boss?”
“I have serious concerns about using these four for the task. They seem a bit…easily distracted.”
“Nonsense, Michael.” I mean sure they may be a bit different as far as cherubim go, but I’m confident they can pull it off. They’re the total package. You’ve got Eagle-eye Nasr who could see trouble from miles away. There’s Shor, who’s a bit stubborn, but that can be a good thing. He’s guaranteed not to leave his post. And of course there’s Ari, who is brave and fierce! And let’s not forget Ish, who is the glue that holds the team together. Honestly, he’s the only one among them that I can understand. So, we really need him to translate. But I am confident they are the ones for this job! Aren’t you?”
“No,” Michael sighed, “but the Father is.”
“Fantastic! Wait, how do you know that?”
“When you left to rally the Quadruplets, I paid a visit to the Father and explained my concerns. He thought your plan was brilliant. He even pointed out the same qualities about them that you did, reminding me that He created them that way. But He also understood my concerns and created somewhat of a failsafe in case the Quadruplets do get distracted.”
“A failsafe? That’s probably a good idea. What is it?”
Michael looked up to the sky. “Here it comes now.”
Gabriel looked up to see a massive flaming sword descending from Heaven resting above the four cherubim who seemed confused and anxious about this new arrival.
Michael and Gabriel quickly flew back to the Quadruplets and Michael explained how this added security feature would work.
“Gentlemen, thank you so much for your willingness to enlist in this task. You are under strict orders not to allow any creature to pass through the borders of this Garden. To assist you with your task the Father has graciously created this multi-directional flaming sword. Once Gabriel and I are clear of the entrance, it will activate, creating a flaming barricade to the entrance which, when coupled with each of your unique—ahem—talents, no creature should be able to penetrate your defenses. Any questions?”
“Um, yeah,” Ish raised his hand. “How long are we supposed to do this task?”
“It is uncertain at the moment.” Michael explained. “Our best estimate is at least a millennium, perhaps longer. Is that a problem?
“Nah, no problem at all,” Ish replied, “I once held my breath for an entire century, and a millennium is only about twice that long, so this job should be a breeze.”
“I am glad to hear that,” Michael said, “Again, thank you for your service to the Father. It means a great deal.”
With that, Michael and Gabriel departed into the sky and the flaming sword activated as expected.
“Let us report back to the Father,” Michael suggested, and off they flew.
As they approached Heaven’s gates, Gabriel asked, “Michael, something you said back at the Garden, made me wonder. You said it could be a millennium before the Quadruplets complete their tasks. Will it really take that long to complete the Father’s plan? That seems like a long time, even for angels.”
“Gabriel, the Father knows what he’s doing. He is planning every detail of each event in human history to ensure his plan succeeds. What may take a millennium to accomplish will take that long for a reason. The Father loves mankind so much and is patiently working everything out for their redemption. And we are so blessed to be a part of what he is doing. Every task we complete brings humanity another step closer to the Father.”
“You’re right, Michael. I suppose being a part of the greatest mission in all of Earth’s history is a privilege and if it takes a thousand years to complete, I’m all in!”
“I am pleased to hear that,” Michael grinned and placed a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “Because it will take several thousand years to complete this mission.”
“But you told the Quadruplets—”
“I told them that their task would probably take a millennium to complete. But that is just one piece in the mosaic of the Father’s masterpiece of redemption.”
“Oh! Well, either way, like I said, I’m all in. So, what’s our next mission?”
“What do you know about watercraft?” Michael asked as they entered Heaven’s Gates.