Free Exile of Lucifer by D. Brian Shafer Page B

is,
Michael, that if Lucifer, or Pellecus or you or I ever decide to rebel
against the Lord's authority, the fact that we can rebel is not a sign
of His weakness. It is rather a sign of His strength and confidence
that He can handle such possibilities."
     "So what do we do?" asked Michael, whose head was buzzing
from the discussion.
     "Watch. Listen. Be cautious but not overly suspicious," said
Crispin. "These are in fact our brothers and perhaps there is hope
for their fellowship again one day."
     The sound of someone running down the hall loudly knock-
ing on doors, mixed with muffled voices, could be heard coming
from outside Crispin's room. "What is going on now?" Crispin
asked, heading to the door.
     He opened the door just as Grel, a teacher at the Academy,
was about to pound on it. Grel was trying to tell Crispin something,
but Crispin could not make any sense of it. He could see other
"Weren't you listening? It's the Creation!" 59

angels running about in the halls, all jabbering with similar excite-
ment. A long trumpet blast sounded, signaling to all of Heaven that
a major proclamation had just been made. Michael looked at the
two angels and asked urgently, "What is it?"
     "The Lord Most High," said Grel, "has just announced
through the archangel Gabriel the establishment of a new realm, to
be populated with an entirely different creature! A physical realm.
A world unlike any other. And we angels will be witnesses to this!
Think of it, Crispin! We always hoped for this possibility and now
it's happening! Come on!" Grel hurried out the door and disap-
peared into the throng of angels.
     "What is he talking about?" asked Michael to a teary-eyed
Crispin. "What is it?"
     "Weren't you listening? It's the Creation!" answered Crispin,
who hurried out of the room to join the rest of the angels who were
celebrating the news.
     ----------------

Chronicles of the Host
     The Creation
     The greatness of our Lord was never made more manifest to
     the angels than in His Creation of the Heavens and the earth.
     Long discussed in Heaven, the announcement of the Creation
     stunned the Host. God in His wisdom and love had deter-
     mined to design a physical world--a dimension of material
     substance with which He might interact, having populated it
     with physical beings.

     Thus did the Lord announce through the angel Gabriel this
     joyous news, which was received by the Host in great excite-
     ment and celebration. To all it seemed a time and place of
     tremendous future service to the Lord; to some it afforded more
     personal advantages...
61

     Chapter 5

"What are they searching for that
they must go to Lucifer to find?"
     The streets of the City were filled with angels celebrating the
wonderful news. There were buzzes of information everywhere as
angels excitedly exchanged views on the event: "I hear that angels
will be allowed to visit the new world." "It can't be as beautiful as
the Kingdom." "I wonder who will govern the planet--an angel
perhaps?" All sorts of information was flying about--all of it guess-
es, most of it completely wrong.
     Lucifer was hurrying home through the crowd of noisy
angels. Every few steps he stopped to agree with this or that angel
on how wonderful this was. "Lucifer!" a voice shouted. "Lord
Lucifer!" Lucifer turned to see Octrion running toward him.
     "So the Lord was going to announce another great ministry?"
asked Lucifer as Octrion came near. "Octrion, you couldn't have
been more incorrect."
     "Who would have thought this was to be the announcement?"
said Octrion, a little embarrassed. "But doesn't it make sense that
the Lord must at the very least name some more archangels to help
administer the new world?" He smiled at an angel who bumped
into him accidentally.
62 CHRONICLES of the Host: Exile of Lucifer

     "Octrion, you overestimate our importance," answered
Lucifer, who noted some angels gathered around them. "The Lord
will choose whomever He deems worthy of such a task. Archangel
or not,