13.
Jonathan took a drink of his water. His eyes were bright and fearfully eager to hear what Satan was to say next, even if he was still apprehensive he enthusiastically wanted to hear more from Satan reveling in the fact that soon he might have all the answers. A thought crossed his mind that once he had all of the answers to every question he would be so powerful. He could rule the world. A cynical grin pierced the corners of his mouth.
Satan looked at him sternly obviously knowing what he was thinking. ‘Careful there with those thoughts of yours.’
Jonathan shot him a wide-eyed glance, embarrassed to have been so exposed. He quickly told himself to be careful in future.
‘You do that.’ Satan commented, and Jonathan shook his head shaking out any thoughts.
Satan laughed at Jonathan’s discomfort. ‘God decided it was time to create a masterpiece – Earth. Watching Him create it was – well there are no words expressive enough to explain the magnitude of His brilliance fully. But before Earth, when He created light and made the planets move to establish day and night, even the angels in hell sighed in awe.’ Satan smiled to himself and Jonathan could clearly see the awe across Satan’s face.
‘Then He created Heaven, the sun, moon and stars. It was too spectacular. And of course, it was time for Him to fill the Earth with all creatures big and small and then, of course, the Garden of Eden. It was pure beauty and spectacular. Ah if you could only have seen that creation you would never have destroyed this planet. It was something to behold. Pure splendor it was.’
Jonathan sat fascinated in Satan’s recollection of the creation of time. He relaxed as he listened with so much admiration just as Satan had.
‘I presumed I would dwell amongst this creation for eternity and in time God would forgive me completely, and I would be re-joined with the other angels. Instead, God created man. His greatest masterpiece! When God picked up the dust from the earth, I presumed He was just creating another creature and instead there became a man. Can you imagine watching that? You could never conceive that concept. It was without a doubt the most marvelous thing I had ever seen.’
Satan had sighed before he continued. ‘God gave dominion over all living creatures and things to Adam and put him in the Garden of Eden. I watched in the background as Adam gave names to everything, my jealousy increased with at every name. And then God created Eve from Adam’s rib, can you even remotely identify with how that happened. I doubt it. While Adam slept (okay it was a very deep sleep God put him in), he took out his rib and from that rib created woman. Well, I heard that day the angels sing like never before. That is when my jealously compounded into revenge. It was not right for God to give all this power and authority to a creation that had hardly been with God for a few days. I was infuriated. The hatred burned in me until it consumed me. I had to find a way to destroy man and become God’s favourite angel again.’
Jonathan opened his mouth to say something, but Satan glared at him clearly indicating he did not want to be disturbed.
‘I overheard God instructing Adam and Eve not to eat from the two Trees of Life and Knowledge of good and evil. Just by the way, it was not an apple. Where man came up with that idea I cannot remember, but it was a fabulous tree so stunning and glorious, unlike all the others that I must tell you were magnificent in their right. I immediately struck up a plan to get them to disobey God.’
Satan scratched his head thinking about the turn of events, and it sounded like sandpaper against a rough wall. Jonathan shuddered Satan laughed.
‘I hounded Adam to take a bite of the fruit. He would not budge, he was so obedient and so I turned my plan onto Eve. She was much easier to convince, actually too easy. She ate of the fruit and then gave it to Adam to eat. They were under the impression just like the rest of us angels that if they ate the fruit, they would die immediately. Guess that joke was on us hey!’ Satan snickered; Jonathan just sat and stared at him blankly.
‘When Adam saw that Eve did not die immediately he convinced himself that I was telling the truth. He ate of the fruit and then knowledge filled both Adam and Eve and the look on their faces when they realized they were standing naked in front of each other was hilarious. Boy did I laugh at them.’ Satan burst out laughing in his loud, boisterous hallowing gruff cackle.
Jonathan closed his ears and his eyes.
Satan cleared his throat and resumed in his normal voice ‘I made for the bushes while
Adam and Eve found leaves to cover themselves, and I heard God wandering through the garden. I waited like a lion ready to pounce on her prey for when God discovered what had gone down. Of course, when Eve told Him I was the one who tricked her God was furious. He was beyond furious and made me less than all creatures; man and animals.
I remember he said “Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and
above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all
the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed; He shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.”
Satan remained silent for a few seconds, contemplating those words.
In these words, I immediately formulated a plan to make God a liar. For if the Great I AM would be unable to send Jesus “The one who bruised his head” the God would be made out to be a liar. And if God lies, all existence has to come to an end; earth, hell, space, etc. would have to cease which would free me from eternal death and torment.
‘I did not see that coming; boy I was not happy. God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, and the result was that man would now eventually die of old age or disease. That was when I formulated my plan to corrupt the world. I used my sidekick angels to bring fornication, bestiality, witchcraft, homosexuality, idolatry and all other immoral and sadistic uses to remove mankind as far away from God’s love as possible. God was sorry he had created man, I was sure I was winning.’