and peace filled his heart, for it was there that he found what he needed. The gaze of Apollyon did indeed hold great power, but there was an absolute absence of that which Elohim was: love. The terrorizingscreams of humanity filled his mind in contrast to the unfaltering, gentle love of Elohim. In that Validus found his strength and his resolve.
“You are a liar, Apollyon! And I will not follow you, for your ways are the ways of destruction and death. I belong to the Great I Am!”
Apollyon cringed at the words, and his brilliant white eyes faded into the fiery red eyes of a serpent. The color of his white wings melted to black coal, and a visage of evil transformed his facade of glory. He scowled, then sneered.
“You fool!” His hand moved faster than Validus could respond. He grabbed Validus’s neck, squeezed, and lifted him into the air. “ I will ascend to the throne of God and be like the Most High! I will rule both heaven and earth and all that is in them!”
Validus clutched at the steely fingers around his throat, trying to loosen the grip enough to get a breath. The strength of it was frightening. A roar of curses and laughter rose up around him from the dark voices of the Fallen.
“You are nothing but a weak-minded follower … the least of the least!” Apollyon threw Validus to the ground and drew his grisly black sword.
Validus tried to rise up, but two of Apollyon’s demons were on him in an instant. They pinned him to the ground, finding an opportunity to blast a knee into his side. The pain churned his stomach. Why had he allowed his frustration to take him so far from Zion where no one would hear him call for help or come to his aid?
Apollyon stood over him, lording his power and might with an arrogant sneer. “Oh, how I love to extinguish each one of His miserable slaves.” He raised his sword.
Better to die at the hand of evil than to live under tyrannical rule
, Validus thought and prepared himself.
“My lord,” one of the demons called out and pointed upward.
Apollyon turned his gaze to the skies. His league of demons all drew their swords as an army of white-winged angels descended on them.
“Hold,” Apollyon commanded.
Michael touched down just a few feet from Validus, who felt the demons’ grip on his arms loosen and tremble. Three hundred angels followed the archangel.
Michael looked from right to left, and as his head turned, one of the nearbydemons lunged toward him with his blade extended. Michael’s sword flashed so quickly that the demon only had time to scream before he was dissolved to a green vapor that sank down to the depths of the Abyss.
“Venturing a little far from Zion, aren’t we, Michael?” Apollyon glared at his archenemy. “Surely you do not come for such a lowly creature as this, do you?” He pointed his sword at Validus, who still lay prone on the ground.
Michael stepped around Validus to face Apollyon eye to eye. Validus took the opportunity to stand and retreat. His heart was racing. Would his foolish flight be the catalyst for a war in heaven now too? He glanced quickly around him and saw Persimus just behind him. His friend didn’t look pleased.
“The outer lands have no claim, but come too close to Zion and we will end your days before your time.” Michael’s chest rose and fell with each angry breath. The defeat of Kish was still fresh on his face.
“Make no mistake, Michael, I am coming to Zion, but it will not be
my
days that end, but yours.” Apollyon lifted his chin. “Earth and all of His creation are mine. Soon so will heaven be!”
“You do not own all of earth.” Michael inched closer. He was anxious for a fight but seemed restrained by something higher. “The righteous are not all gone, and while one righteous soul remains, we will fight!”
Elohim’s holy angel stood brow to brow with the Prince of Darkness, both tightly gripping their swords.
“Then you fight in vain, foolish angel, for it is only a matter of
“You are a liar, Apollyon! And I will not follow you, for your ways are the ways of destruction and death. I belong to the Great I Am!”
Apollyon cringed at the words, and his brilliant white eyes faded into the fiery red eyes of a serpent. The color of his white wings melted to black coal, and a visage of evil transformed his facade of glory. He scowled, then sneered.
“You fool!” His hand moved faster than Validus could respond. He grabbed Validus’s neck, squeezed, and lifted him into the air. “ I will ascend to the throne of God and be like the Most High! I will rule both heaven and earth and all that is in them!”
Validus clutched at the steely fingers around his throat, trying to loosen the grip enough to get a breath. The strength of it was frightening. A roar of curses and laughter rose up around him from the dark voices of the Fallen.
“You are nothing but a weak-minded follower … the least of the least!” Apollyon threw Validus to the ground and drew his grisly black sword.
Validus tried to rise up, but two of Apollyon’s demons were on him in an instant. They pinned him to the ground, finding an opportunity to blast a knee into his side. The pain churned his stomach. Why had he allowed his frustration to take him so far from Zion where no one would hear him call for help or come to his aid?
Apollyon stood over him, lording his power and might with an arrogant sneer. “Oh, how I love to extinguish each one of His miserable slaves.” He raised his sword.
Better to die at the hand of evil than to live under tyrannical rule
, Validus thought and prepared himself.
“My lord,” one of the demons called out and pointed upward.
Apollyon turned his gaze to the skies. His league of demons all drew their swords as an army of white-winged angels descended on them.
“Hold,” Apollyon commanded.
Michael touched down just a few feet from Validus, who felt the demons’ grip on his arms loosen and tremble. Three hundred angels followed the archangel.
Michael looked from right to left, and as his head turned, one of the nearbydemons lunged toward him with his blade extended. Michael’s sword flashed so quickly that the demon only had time to scream before he was dissolved to a green vapor that sank down to the depths of the Abyss.
“Venturing a little far from Zion, aren’t we, Michael?” Apollyon glared at his archenemy. “Surely you do not come for such a lowly creature as this, do you?” He pointed his sword at Validus, who still lay prone on the ground.
Michael stepped around Validus to face Apollyon eye to eye. Validus took the opportunity to stand and retreat. His heart was racing. Would his foolish flight be the catalyst for a war in heaven now too? He glanced quickly around him and saw Persimus just behind him. His friend didn’t look pleased.
“The outer lands have no claim, but come too close to Zion and we will end your days before your time.” Michael’s chest rose and fell with each angry breath. The defeat of Kish was still fresh on his face.
“Make no mistake, Michael, I am coming to Zion, but it will not be
my
days that end, but yours.” Apollyon lifted his chin. “Earth and all of His creation are mine. Soon so will heaven be!”
“You do not own all of earth.” Michael inched closer. He was anxious for a fight but seemed restrained by something higher. “The righteous are not all gone, and while one righteous soul remains, we will fight!”
Elohim’s holy angel stood brow to brow with the Prince of Darkness, both tightly gripping their swords.
“Then you fight in vain, foolish angel, for it is only a matter of
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