Echoes from Blasphemy

The two men sat silently in the garden, not speaking a word. The night air was crisp and refreshing; a welcomed relief from the hot days endured this time of year. It was a place of tranquility and fellowship enclosed by old trees, yet the two men remained silent, though much needed to be spoken. Grave matters of importance consumed their thoughts. So much was at stake, and they knew it. Still, they sat quietly pondering how to begin as every demon and angel listened with apprehension from concealed places amongst the trees and foliage.

The two men were so alike in appearance that many often mistook them for brothers. However, that is where the similarities ended. No two souls could have been more dissimilar from each other than these two men. The first man emitted a presence that commanded all who knew him. He enthralled crowds and held the passion of the people with merely the messages spoken from his lips and the gaze that burned in his eyes. While the first man illuminated his presence grandly, the second man lived a life of insignificance. He was the invisible face in the crowd, and the voice dismissed and unheard. Astounded was he, when the first man had come to him and beseeched him to follow him and give his life to God.

Finally, the first man rose and said, "Have you made your decision?"

The second man remained silent, nervously plucking the grass from out the ground.

The first man sighed and said, "When God blesses us with lands of milk and honey, we rejoice and resound praises to him. When we implore to the heavenly Father and He answers, we recognize in our heart the one true God watches over us like a good shepherd. So fear not when God summons you, for He will not forsake you. He has bestowed this great honor upon you. Your faith shall reap heavenly riches so vast even the angels gasp in awe in its presence. I have seen it. The Father has revealed such visions before me.

The second man looked up towards the sky and quietly said, "But I am so afraid."

The first man knelt next to the second man and put his arm on his shoulder. "Yes, amidst the calling of God, many trials and tribulations can be anticipated. Few receive such a holy calling, and fewer yet have the conviction to answer it. We answer such petitions because our faith is sound. You have the strength because God has you endowed you with His might."

"Doubt consumes me. It binds my limbs like chains and clouds my vision like smoke", said the second man.

The first man smiled, "That is the work of Satan. See, even the beasts from the darkest reaches of Hell know of this convergence and conspire against us! Doubt is his greatest weapon that he wields against the true believer. He tests our faith and tempts our flesh to turn us away from God. However, it is by our faith that gives us dominion over these foul creatures. Remember the story of Peter, with his faith strong and pure he walked upon the stormy waters of the sea. It was not until his faith faltered did he begin to sink beneath the surface towards a watery death. Still, was there still not a hand offered to him to lift him up to glory? So shall it be for you.

The first man stood up before the second man and spoke with a somber tone, "You know that I have only spoken the truth before you. God himself has bestowed this holy mission unto me, a mission that will change the very foundation of the world. Many great men have come before me, and few were deemed worthy and embraced into my flock. You were one of the selected few. However, there is no need to mince words and shy away from the truth that amongst those great men, you are the lesser of them all. Even still, I hold you close to my heart and defend your merit. Yes, you are the weak one among my disciples, but I hold fast onto something that the other cannot see. Tonight, God is summoning you. How will you answer?

The second man stood and faced the first man. "I have made my decision."

"Speak and let it be known."

The second man hesitated, his attention now focused on the distant shadows. He slowly leaned closer and whispered into the first man's ear. "There, just beyond the treeline. Other eyes look upon us? We are not alone."

"Yes, I know."

The second man nodded and bowed his head. "Very well, let thy will be done."

The first man smiled and said, "What you do this very day will resonate until the end of time. Blessed is the man who is persecuted for righteousness's sake: for he shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.

He then gently placed his hands on the sides of the second man's face and ever so softly blessed him with a single kiss to his forehead.

The signal had been given.

At that moment, a dozen men burst from the shadows of the foliage and charged towards the two men. With swords drawn, they quickly surrounded the second man. The first man quickly withdrew into the darkness under the cover of the Olive trees that surrounded him and watched as heels from boots, fists, and metal from the hilts of their weapons savagely beat the poor man without reprieve or mercy.

The first man remained hidden until the guards of Sanhedrin had taken custody of the second man and hauled his debilitated body out of the gardens into the night. Upon the first light of day, he would be brought before the council and charged with heresy against the laws of his people.

"In addition to our similarities in likeness, the harsh beatings, especially those upon his face will make him indistinguishable from me," thought the first man.

"It has almost all come to pass. So it is written. So it is done." he reflected and exited quietly from the opposite end of the Gardens of Gethsemane.

As the upright wooden beam dropped into the hole in the ground, it slammed hard into place with a loud thud. The jolt sent excruciating stabs of pain into the limbs of Judas Iscariot. Had it not been for the ropes that bound his body to the wooden crucifix, the force of pole falling into the Earth would have ripped his hands through the large spikes hammered in between the two bones of the forearm at his wrists.

Judas was quickly finding it harder to breathe. The weight of his body placed on his outstretched arms resulted in severe difficulty inhaling due to the intensive stretching of his chest muscles and lungs. To take in air, he would either have to draw himself up by his arms, pulling at his pierced flesh or put weight on feet impaled by a large spike driven from tops of his feet clean through the heel bone into the wooden wedge that supported his body. Soon, he would no longer be capable of lifting himself; asphyxiation would subdue him, and he would die within moments.

The blood continued to pour down his face from the large thorns stabbed into his forehead. They had called it his crown, which they had inserted into his scalp in honor of his "coronation" as King of the Jews. With great effort, he turned his head upwards to scan the crowd who had gathered to watch the spectacle. He looked upon the very people who had followed and sung their praises to his teacher only days ago. He then made eye contact with a man concealed in a cloak and shawl. They stared at one another intensely. The hope that the Romans had so viciously beat out him returned in a great surge of joy. Salvation had arrived! His deeds would be praised as promised and the Son of God would lift his servant upon high! He would smite his enemies and establish his kingdom here on Earth!

They continued to look at each other, but it was the cloaked man who broke eye contact as he turned to leave. As quickly as it had come, Judas's hope had been torn away from him. He watched as his Savior made his way through the crowd in the direction that would lead him out of the city. Despair now penetrated his soul as the nails had pierced his flesh.

One final time, Judas painfully placed his weight on his bloodied feet, lifted his chest as far as he could, and took a deep breath and bellowed with all his might, "Lord, why hath thou forsaken me!"

With a crack of thunder, Judas Iscariot gave up the ghost and felt no more pain.

Jesus walked down the path, deep in thought. Much still needed to be done which left no time to celebrate such a great triumph. He could sense his deification more intensely now than ever before. His godhood was becoming one with his physical form; a merging never thought possible.

His thoughts were disrupted by the slow clapping of hands from behind him. He stopped and turned to see a dark figure mockingly applauding him from underneath a tree that lined the dusty pathway. The creature was beautiful, but not in a way solely pleasing to the eye. His beauty was comparable to the awe of witnessing a destructive storm approaching from within the sky. Every move it made was like flowing honey, accentuated by the graceful sharpness of a menacing predator. Everything about the creature was both mesmerizing and terrifying.

Jesus narrowed his eyes, "Morning Star."

"Well played, Son of Man. I was not expecting that. You surprise me. That is quite an achievement and an unexpected gift you bestow upon this dark and jaded heart. I bow my head in deference to you."

With a broad grin, the creature performed an exaggerated bow, one hand upon his chest and the other raised high in the air.

"I must say, you navigate on this arena of games with such tact and strategy, one might say your skill as an opponent is equal to that of even a serpent in matters such as these. I foresee that they will be speaking of this day for countless generations. I would even go so far as to presume that the world has been forever altered today, never to be the same again. Am I right, Son of Man?"

"What do you want, Fallen One?"

"Oh, a little of this and a little that. Merely small matters of inconvenience, such as the collection of a debt still owed to me."

"What madness do you speaking of? No debt do you hold over me. You presume too much of yourself, Banished Angel!"

"I 'presume' too much? Do not forget whom you are speaking to, little God! It was I who waged war upon at the gates of Heaven and soaked the celestial battlefield with angelic blood! I was the one who interceded in God's divine purpose and exiled the primates from their undeserved paradise! I command the four corners of my kingdom while the heavenly Father locks himself in his throne room and hides from his creation."

Jesus took a step closer and said, "And it was I who took hold of you by your throat and flung your squirming body into the great abyss that separates the realm of Heaven from creation!"

The creature paused, and its jaw clenched at the words.

"Oh, how far have you fallen. How lessened your light is now. It is but a flicker to the once brilliant luminescence you once possessed. There was a time when you were the mightiest in all of creation, now look at you! A mere ruffian, posturing before all, wagging your tongue to and fro with tales of his self-proclaimed prominence. Your tricks and games leave much to be desired and quite frankly bore me. I take leave of you now to allow you to return to whatever it is that you do to pass the time."

Jesus turned to leave, and the entity seethed with rage. It quickly recomposed itself and allowed his previous grin to return to its face once again, "Your departure is premature! There is still the matter of reconciling what is still owed to me."

Jesus stopped and sighed. Without turning around, he said, "My patience is running thin, very thin, demon. Speak! What imaginary services have you conjured in your head that you now beg for compensation?"

"Levy. Tariff. Do you not accept it to be just to recompense the one who allowed you to reside freely in his abode? For thirty-three years, you dwelt in my lands and ate from my trees and drank from my rivers. I could have torn your still beating heart from your infantile body and devoured it even before your mother's cord could be separated from your newly birthed flesh. But I did not. You know as well as I do, for you to entirely free yourself from this plane of flesh and skin, no imbalance can remain. It is law."

"Do not quote the law to me, Viper!" Jesus turned quickly to face the beast once again, exhaling breath in exasperation. "What is your price?"

The creature's smile widened even further and slowly lifted his hand and pointed in the direction of the city Jesus had recently departed at the barely visible cross that stood in the distance.

"I want him."

Rage burned in Jesus' eyes.

"You have crossed the line, devil! I am the son of God, The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords! You tread on dangerous grounds in mocking me and desecrating my role as the shepherd of man! I am the Alpha and the Omega! I am the Beginning and the End! I am the Lamb of God, the Resurrection, the Truth, and the Light! I am the Word of God! I am the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. I am the mighty Sword of God's wrath!"

"Heh, heh, heh. Now who is it that presumes too much of themselves, oh divine Son of God whose list of titles are so numerous that it stretches past his feet. I am at a loss on how to offer you some friendly advice without it sounding ingenuous. But be careful of such things. They have a tendency to entangle the feet you walk upon, and you will fall."

The dark creature then approached Jesus. Its voice deepened and resonated powerfully. "Have you not ever wondered why the heavenly Father did not just blink me out of existence upon the first demonstrations of dissent? Have you not pondered why every act of blasphemy and desecration I perform goes unanswered? Why would not the Creator of everything great and small instantly obliterate this unclean spirit from his sight? The truth is He would have done so if it were within His power. I guarantee you, it is not!"

"For what reason do you desire to possess him??"

"It is no secret to you and I that war is coming. All celestial beings and rival gods know of it. The immovable objects and the unstoppable forces will clash on that day. Oh what a grand time that will be. Before that day, I require one to fulfill my prophecies as yours were fulfilled. Who better to be the one that will rise out of the sea to inflict the Woes of the End of Times? For who will carry more resentment for you than him?"

"As will be prophesized, he will have seven heads and ten horns, and I will bestow upon his horns ten crowns, each with a name of blasphemy upon them! Heh, heh, heh. With much gratitude, your interventions have already located the first crown for me...a crown of thorns. I am much appreciative of that, Son of Man."

"He will be a beast like unto a leopard, with feet as the foot of a bear, and a mouth as the mouth of a lion. I will grant him a throne of absolute authority with all the power of the Dragon upon him."

"My beast will captivate the world, and mankind will worship the dragon that gave dominion unto the beast: and they will worship the beast and proclaim, "Who is like unto the beast? Who can make war with him?" However, I will give him authority to make war with the saints of every god, and he will overcome them. He will possess limitless power over all nations and tongues. All that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him."

"To mankind, I promise this: the small and great, rich and poor, and the free will take my mark! A mark made of numbers, chosen to be equivalent to the number of lashes inflicted upon my back. Punishment for disobedience from my heavenly Father. For all who have wisdom, let it be understood, cut into the flesh of the right hand and upon the forehead will be that number-Six hundred, threescore, and six!"

Jesus stared into the deep eyes of the creature intently. He reflected on how such beauty could be found in such vast darkness. Whirlpools of deep blue and black swirled into infinity within those eyes. A pure manifestation of the eye of a destructive storm spun in those orbs of sight. For the second time that day, he was the first to break his gaze. He turned and resumed his journey in the opposite direction already contemplating the days yet to come. As he walked, he growled the final words to his adversary through clenched teeth.

"Let it be done, Lucifer."