There are times when the mind gets troubled over little or nothing. And there are other times when the mind is really at peace even in a difficulty. Not because the difficulty is not real, but because there is this confidence that it will surely pass. Or that it is really not as difficult as it seems. Maybe it’s just a storm in a teacup. But in the mind of this archangel, what he faced was not a storm in a teacup. A teacup cannot handle this. Not even a bowl. It was more like an avalanche. A tsunami. Despite the trouble going on through his mind, the few moments he had spent in the presence of Elohim had given him such peace. Peace in the midst of troubled waters.
It was obvious to the other angels that Michael had been in the courts of the king. No one goes in there and come out the same. Every experience is unique. What makes it quite obvious was the glow on the archangel. His eyes were blazing with the brightness of a thousand stars. Michael who was oblivious to this wasn’t surprised
though when some of the other angels did not come near him because of the brightness – this wasn’t the first time. He wished that he could give this burden to someone else. As he glided through mid air, he felt like the whole universe was on his
shoulders.
“Peace be still”
Time was running out. He had to meet with the other angelic princes to fashion out a war plan. His concern was the fact that the enemies they were fighting were angels who knew and understood them. How do you beat a team that was once your team? How do you try to defeat a foe that was once your friend. Always been your friend. It was in times like this that he missed his friend and fellow prince Gabriel.
“Gabriel where are you”, he thought aloud as he swooped suddenly towards heaven’s Gate. Landing on the golden street entrance, he gave his orders to one of the younger angels on duty at the gate. “Send word to Norreus. Tell him to meet me at the sanctuary. Nobody leaves through this gate except on my orders and nobody enters through this gate except Gabriel. When he gets back, tell him to join us at the sanctuary as soon as he has delivered his report to the king”.
He wasn’t even concerned that the young angel who was trying to process all the information was saluting with one hand and trying to cover his face with the other. That was the least of Michael’s troubles. Besides, he can’t go blind. Whoever heard of a blind angel? Well, whoever heard of a fallen angel? Arrgghh, strange!
He didn’t wait for the angel to take off before he glided off in the direction of the sanctuaryl. Time was running out. He touched the sword by his side and he felt at peace. From a distance in the heavenly clouds, he saw a brilliant jet of white light
dashing towards the sanctuary in comet-like speed. Norreus.
The archangels were three in number. Norreus, a cherub, head of the cherubs and seraphs; Gabriel, Elohim’s personal messenger who stands in the Kings presence; and the leading warrior himself, Michael.
“I got your summon”, Norreus stated as he landed gracefully in front of the sanctuary. He folded his dual wings and walked side by side with his colleague.
“Do we wait for Gabriel? We will certainly need him” Michael looked at his counterpart and smiled. They both were obviously on the same page. It was crystal clear that the only way to defeat Lucifer was not by brute force or numbers. It was strategy. A scheme. A wise tactic. And that is where Gabriel comes in. If there was any angel who was renowned for his wisdom and deep insight, apart from Lucifer of course, it was
the archangel Gabriel. Word going around says that his wisdom came from the fact that he always stayed in the presence of the king. But that also goes for the seraphs. How come they aren’t as wise as he is?
As they walked in stride into the sanctuary, they gave each other update on what have been put in place in readiness for the war.
“A third of the angels rebelled alongside Lucifer. A lot of them were princes of different nations especially on earth. Lucifer had totally subdued the inhabitants and was rousing up his troops in preparation for war at Heaven’s Gate.”
Michael listened as Norreus continued, trying to put into perspective the scale of such a battle.
“We need to be fully ready and alert. How soon can we be fully ready?” asked Michael.
“What are our chances, Captain?” Michael stopped short at that question. But Norreus
was in full throttle and was ready to pour it out.
“You know we cannot go to battle with the entire two-thirds of the angels. Some of us are not even warriors, especially the ronks. And remember that he whom we fight against is stronger than you, Gabriel and I put together.”
The ronks were a different kind of angels known for their soft nature. It was already evident that they would be the ones tending to the wounds of the warriors once the war starts. Apart from their soft personality, they are easily attracted to the warrior
angels, especially Lucifer. Despite this, only few of them were eventually seduced by him. Probably because he knew he would need more warriors than nurses. And if he wins the battle at Heaven’s Gate, he could have as many ronks as he wanted.
“The battle is the King’s, Norreus. He will fight for us and we shall hold our peace. Elohim has already proclaimed victory and His words do not fall to the ground. We shall defeat him. “
“Do you know how?”
“By Light”
But it was not Michael who answered. The answer walked in through the door. They both turned in the direction of the answer. It was Gabriel himself.
“At last”, Michael sighed.
“I got your summon. I just delivered the latest on the earth and Lucifer’s terror on the nations to the King. Lucifer has unleashed great fear and trepidation upon the inhabitants of the earth. There is so much darkness and evil down there. He has
successfully seduced a third of the heavenly angels and is marshalling them for a confrontation at Heaven’s Gate. He is claiming to be king. He has vowed to depose and destroy Elohim himself”
“Treason” exclaimed Michael.
Gabriel continued, “What Lucifer doesn’t realise is that you cannot destroy or put an end to Him who has no beginning.”
At those words, Michael felt a powerful energy run through him from the sword at his side, giving him untold strength. He looked at the other two and discovered they felt the same way too. There was a strong presence in their midst.
The Spirit is here!
They unhurriedly spread their wings in an intimidating stance as power coursed through every part of their body. They began to glow in brightness and their eyes flashed like balls of fire. Their garments became shimmering white and their wings
sparkled with a flood of white light. They could feel the impression of the Spirit on their
hearts, telling them that victory is assured. It was as if Elohim himself was there. They could feel his presence, his strength, his glory, his peace. His glory was so strong that the three became as a huge radiance of dazzling light in the hall. His peace
calmed every uncertainty in their mind.
Peace, be still!
As sudden as it started, it ended. Norreus looked at his two archangels and smiled. There was nothing left to say but prepare for battle.
For victory.
To be continued...