Within the crowd there were well over a thousand spirits who had received a personal assurance from Lucifer that he would make them his second-in-command, should he obtain the leadership. Each of these rejoiced at the thought of the exclusive honour that would come to them, should Lucifer succeed.
These were not the only ones that had been promised a position of great authority. Many in attendance would become emperors. There would be an abnormally large proportion of princes and a great many prime ministers. There would be numerous presidents and numberless premiers. There would be an overabundance of generals, and a proliferation of colonels. There would be majors and to spare and far more captains than corporals.
If each within that gathering had known just who had been promised what, there would have been a revolt, but there was not and each spirit treasured up the position of authority that he or she had been promised. By alluding to the authority that he had promised to so many, he hooked the remainder of the crowd, with very few exceptions. He then moved onto his strategy.
‘My righteous and worthy spirits are you with me?’ he cried. In response there was a huge roar of affirmation from most everyone in the crowd. ‘Are we going to stand by and accept being short changed in this manner? Lucifer screamed. The crowd screeched back that they wouldn’t.
Suitably encouraged, Lucifer continued: ‘It is with some pride that I inform you that I have foreseen this day, and we are not unprepared for it. Secretly, many of our brave male spirits have been in training, preparing for the battle that I knew might come. I knew that Father and Mother, and those who support them, would seek to deprive us of our entitlement, so for some months I’ve been preparing a great army of two hundred million warriors.’
The fact that Lucifer had an army was a secret to virtually no one in that gathering, however a great roar of approval and excitement emanated from the crowd as few were aware of the magnitude of that force, which had multiplied exponentially over the past few weeks.
‘At this time, it is my great pleasure to introduce you to General Anas and General Silick, the commanders responsible for these troops,’ shouted Lucifer, motioning to his senior officers that they should come up onto the stage.
Both did so to delirious shouts and screams. Once this fervour had died down somewhat Lucifer was able to continue.
‘These two generals have assured me that if all of us, including our great army, attack the spirits who have robbed us of our entitlements, we can easily defeat them. Having done so, I will be anointed as the new God of this Kingdom and I will grant to each of you the glory to which you are entitled.’
A cheer to dwarf all that had come before it emanated from a crowd drunken with even the thought of quenching their thirst for power and glory. General Anas and General Silick smiled and waved as confidently as they could. Neither of them had given Lucifer any such assurances, but they were not about to say so. Nor was Lucifer about to give them the opportunity to speak so that they could.
In their excitement, the great gathering began shouting Lucifer’s name, calling him their Lord and their God. Oh how he loved this. In his mind he visualised that this gathering was greater still and consisted of all of the spirits within the Kingdom. He pictured Jehovah kneeling in reverence before him, together with his heavenly parents. Eventually the shouting died down, but Lucifer remained in a trance, not wanting to emerge from his daydream.
He was just up to the part where he refused to show mercy on Jehovah, and banished him from the Kingdom forever, when he was suddenly jolted from his reverie by a question; a question that he certainly did not expect to be asked. Although he had won over just about every spirit within that gathering, there were just a handful of doubters. These were tier two students, including Jerome, who had only just fallen on the side of Lucifer. They had tossed the coin and unfortunately, like Jerome, they had each thought with their tails and not with their heads. Suddenly, as a consequence, they found themselves in a situation that had spiralled out of control, and now they were expected to participate in an outright attack on the balance of the spirits within the Kingdom, including their heavenly parents. They, unlike the rest of the gathering, had not been adequately prepared for such insanity.
The rest of the crowd were tier-three students and above, and had been so hardened that they thought that attacking the rest of the spirits in the Kingdom, including three Gods, was a splendid idea. It must be remembered though, that tier-two students were prepared for tier three via a far milder training program. Indeed, there was only one class of tier two students remaining, being the class that Jerome attended whenever he could slip away from Madeleine unnoticed.
As the time of the vote approached, and following some of Lucifer and Jezebel’s tactical errors, the Kingdom had become far more polarised. Indeed, there was now a far greater divide between those who supported the original plan and those who supported the rebel plan. The middle ground of tier one had been lost entirely to Father and Mother, as had almost all of tier two.
Nevertheless, there was one solitary class, only about fifty strong, who had just finished tier two but had not yet commenced tier three. Consequently, their skull had only been thickened to the strength of pine, not to that of concrete, as would be required in order for them to feel entirely comfortable with the proposed course of action. Thankfully, when making their decision, most of that class had selected heads and had voted for their parents' plan, but unfortunately there were fifteen male students who had selected tails. Each of these spirits was now left wishing that he hadn’t.
The one that was most fearful was Bryce. He had enjoyed that which he had been taught in his tier two classes, but he still had a few friends on the other side. He was also cognisant that most of his classmates had made the opposing choice. This only fuelled his fear and uncertainty. Now, if Bryce had any idea what he was dealing with, he would have attempted to slink quietly away, back to the safety of the other end of the Kingdom, in much the same way that Ethan had. Unfortunately though, he made a fatal error by daring to question his leader.
‘Lucifer, don’t you think that we should just accept the will of the majority?’ he asked.
Lucifer, who was still enjoying his daydream, was shaken out of the fantasy by that comment in the same way that someone who is sleeping may be disturbed from a pleasant dream by the crashing of pots and pans.
‘What? What was that you said?’ he demanded in a menacing tone.
He thought that he had heard correctly but was hoping that he hadn’t.
Lucifer’s aggressive reaction immediately made Bryce, who had only ever been told that his leader was kindly and gentle, wish that he hadn’t asked the question, but now it was too late.
‘I err just w-wondered whether we should c-consider accepting the w-w-will of the m-majority,’ he said again, but far less confidently.
Lucifer had to think quickly. The last thing he wanted was for this cancer of disbelief to catch hold. He did think quickly and he acted speedily as well.
‘Traitor!’ he screamed with all of his might, followed by ‘all divisions attack him!’ as he pointed directly at Bryce who froze, not knowing precisely what an ‘attack’ would consist of, but suspecting that it would not be good.
Within seconds he realised that it was far worse than he ever could have imagined. His soul was ripped in two, then four, then eight, as more and more spirits piled into him. Eventually, every battalion was on his inside ripping and tearing, mincing and grating at a soul that already was no more. When they finished he knew no more, he felt no more, he all but was no more.
The only member of the armed forces who did not participate was Honorary Private Masias, who was saving himself. He didn’t bother with anybody who was not in some way connected to either Cindy or Kieran.
The broader crowd watched in stunned silence, many having never seen such an attack before.
They were very impressed. The males felt assured that, with such an awesome army, they would defeat any who would opp
ose them. The females, hardened brutes that they were, thought that the soldiers were incredibly courageous and, dare we say it, sexy. There was nothing that turned on such females as much as a senseless attack on an innocent victim, particularly when that victim was monumentally outnumbered. It was incredibly arousing.
Bryce’s fourteen tier-two classmates watched in stunned silence, relieved that it had not been them who had spoken. Jerome was one of ten who were persuaded by the attack that he had made the right decision, having a new confidence in the might of the new order. Three still had some reservations but would not dare to voice them. One had other plans.
After this extraordinary show of strength, Lucifer, who had been greatly energised by Bryce’s demise, shouted forcefully: ‘Come now my brothers and sisters, let us take what is rightfully ours!’ and he launched off in the direction of the lighter end of the Kingdom.
Being an insecure fellow he snuck a peak back after a few moments and was relieved to see that every spirit was following him, except for the hapless Bryce.
96 defence
After Lucifer and his third had left the scene of the vote, Father addressed those who had chosen his plan.
‘My children, I’m thankful that you have chosen wisely. If Lucifer, and those who have left with him, were to accept our will, and the will of the majority, then they could still participate in the mortal experience. Unfortunately though, they will not and when they return, it will be to attempt to impose their will upon us by force.’
Following this statement some felt fear, whilst others were firm in their belief that Lucifer would not prevail.
‘Due to their rebellion, they cannot be cleansed and must leave this place forever,’ continued the great patriarch. 'Your Mother and I will not attend to the task of expelling them, rather it will be your privilege to defend the outcome of your collective choice here today. Furthermore, we will not request any more of Jehovah at this time. In due course, he will overcome all things, but not yet. I therefore call upon those who are willing to undertake the responsibility of defending us to raise their hand.'
Many volunteered, both male and female.
Ethan thrust his arm skyward, in demonstration of the selflessness that he had developed already. Despite his courage, participating in the battle would have been fatal for him. He was not yet ready and would suffer immensely at the hands of the remaining members of fourth division. There were many others who bravely raised their hands despite the fact that they weren’t ready for such an immense challenge at that time.
Rachel, Tara, Cindy and Sarah each held their right hand high and there was little doubt that they had prepared themselves very well.
After surveying all who had volunteered, including his beloved Sarah, Samuel asked whether he might speak, to which his Father consented.
‘Brothers and sisters, I admire your courage but I would not that so many of you should endure this thing. Lucifer and his forces have been training diligently for this time. Already three of our number have suffered at the hands of his army. First Kieran and Johan suffered, and then Michael at the hands of three thousand.
‘Recently, we have learned that Lucifer has been training his forces to attack in far greater numbers than even three thousand, with devastating effect. When they were attacked Michael, Kieran and Johan each sensed that there was something more than hatred that their assailants were seeking to inflict upon them. It was something vile and loathsome, but thankfully the attempt was largely unsuccessful. Jehovah has recently addressed the Sons of the Morning and explained that the offenders were seeking to unload some of the vile filth that litters their minds.
‘Lucifer has hardened those who support him by exposing them to earthly material of the worst kind. Although our earthly journey will be a wonderful privilege, there are certainly some things that occur on each earth that are truly despicable. Lucifer and his supporters have studied the very worst of earthly depravity and have filled their minds with sordid images that are almost impossible to erase. If it were possible, Lucifer’s army would have injected Michael, Kieran and Johan with the very worst that all creation has to offer.
‘Jehovah has assured us that, within the bounds of this Kingdom, no spirit will be permitted to force such images upon an innocent victim, as it would compromise that victim’s agency. This Kingdom is a place in which our right to choose the manner of our preparation for life on earth is fiercely protected. Accordingly Michael, Kieran and Johan were only permitted to see a very small proportion of this material, so that they would know of the danger and could bring it to our attention.'
As Samuel spoke these words, Michael, Kieran and Johan each nodded, so as to verify that Samuel spoke the truth. Samuel continued his address: ‘In respect of this battle it is vital that we lead our enemies as far from this place as is possible. This will be crucial so as to protect those who will not be fighting from attack.'
As Samuel spoke he gestured upwards into the immensity of space, indicating that the battle should be held well away from the Kingdom. Michael, Samuel and others of the Sons had previously agreed that, in the event of a large scale conflict, it would be best to draw their enemy away from the Kingdom, so as to protect any bystanders.
‘My fear, beloved brothers and sisters, is that if this battle does rage outside of the bounds of this Kingdom, then we will not be afforded the same protections that exist here. Accordingly, those who fight will have to endure and overcome everything that is inflicted upon them. As a result of this grave danger, first and foremost, I beg each brave female to relinquish any desire to take part in this battle. On earth we will need your purity and your virtue more than we need anything else, so we must spare you from this.
‘Secondly, my fearless brothers, we also require you to be clean.
‘We have been taught that on earth we will live in families. That fathers and mothers will combine to raise and teach mortal children in love and righteousness, in much the same way that Father and Mother have raised us here. If Mother and Father were unclean, then we would be unclean also. So too it shall be on earth. We will need clean mothers and fathers that raise their children well. Therefore, I would not want to risk the strength and character of either our brothers or our sisters in a conflict against such evil.'
At this juncture, Samuel had many wondering who it was that was going to defend them? He moved to answer this question.
‘To date it has only been the Sons of the Morning who have had any experience in battle, and I propose that we keep it that way. From our previous battle experience, and from Father’s teachings, we have learnt strategies that will help us overcome this evil. Those of the Sons who have not already participated in battle have been tutored by those who have, so they too are prepared.
‘I fear for anyone who has to learn to defend themself whilst under the threat of such an attack. It is far better for those who already know how to shoulder this burden to do so, sparing the rest of you from the experience. I therefore ask that the Sons of the Morning be permitted to undertake this responsibility alone.’
Sarah wept as her love put forth this proposal. He saw her, and it hurt him deeply, but he was fixed in his determination. Before continuing he paused a moment so as to recover from seeing his true love in tears, and also to allow fresh intelligence to flow into his mind from the spirit of God. When he spoke he taught not only those that were listening, but also himself.
‘There is one more reason that I would put this proposal to you. I would have you understand that there is great power in sacrificing for others. There is something about sacrifice that causes us to draw most deeply upon our vital reserves. It is this very power that Jehovah will draw upon to extract the most from his perfect character, at the time when he must suffer for our sins.
'On earth we will all sacrifice for our families. We will be better people because we do not want to let down those we love the most.
‘So too in battle we, the Sons of the Morning, will draw upon our deepest res
erves of strength as we defend those that we love. Those who are relying upon us to be victorious. Lucifer and his armies will be surprised and delighted to find that they will be fighting so few, but they will be disappointed. While they are hardened and vicious there must be many that doubt the virtue of their cause. We do not. Our cause is pure, our love is pure, our hearts are pure and we will not fail. Our love and concern for each of you will drive out all fear and we will take victory, driving Lucifer and his supporters out forever.’
As Samuel spoke, tears streamed down his mother’s face. She had foreseen this day, but that didn’t make it any easier. She was so very proud, but already she felt what her brave sons must endure for the rest of her children. Samuel’s was the right approach. Lucifer and his band would have proven too strong for many of the spirits that had volunteered. Those who were overcome may never have made it back to the Kingdom to prepare for mortality. Mortality was now a right for all present who, by their choice, had earned it. For this reason such an outcome could not occur. Mother, drying her tears, stood to speak once Samuel had finished.
‘My beautiful children, please listen to Samuel. He has spoken truly and has comprehended much. The dangers that he has outlined are real and many of you would not be able to endure them. Some of you are far younger than Samuel, Michael and many of the Sons of the Morning. You need more time to prepare. Others of you have not been quite as diligent as you might. For this reason, it would not be wise for you to fight.
‘My daughters, many of you are very strong but your strength is of a different kind. You are delicate and fair. Your natures are gentle, charitable and kind. We would have you ever remain that way because of the grave responsibility that will be yours in mortality. On earth you will have the great privilege of bearing and raising our mortal sons and daughters. Eternal spirits will be clothed in flesh and will be born through you. Your gentleness, love and kindness are so very crucial to our plan. So much on earth depends on the character and qualities of its mothers. In those generations where the mothers of the earth are loving, kind, virtuous, modest, caring and charitable, the men and women of the earth will be able to reach their full potential.
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