Convocation of Flies

Isaiah 14:12-27  1 Peter 5:8  James 4:7  Ephesians 4:27
September 2024

Shielded within a sphere of light, tall, broad of shoulder, sun-bright in white robes, Mikha’el and Gavri’el watched the convocation below. A foul taste came to Mikha’el’s mouth. He had no doubt from where it had come. He wished he could spit. Alas, Adonai-Eloheinu had made no such provision for archággeloi.
Mikha’el spoke. “Gavri’el, I believe we are about to witness the fulfillment of Solomon’s words.”
“Mmm. A chattering fool comes to ruin?”
“Indeed.”
Gavri’el flexed his shoulders. They had been standing there for some time. “Interesting times we live in.”
“Indeed.”

Clouds of flies swarmed in their search for rotting flesh in which to lay their eggs. From the stench of the place, one would think there was an abundance here, yet there was none. Rather, the odor emanated from the legions gathered there. There was no flesh to be had.

Lucifer’s summons had gathered his tribes of fallen ones to the yeshimon wilderness where, with the Vale of Siddim to the north and the Yam Suph to the southern reach, there was little chance of intrusion. A snake or two, a handful of scorpions were the sole inhabitants of this vast salt desert where only the wind thrived.

They had come to this natural amphitheater, a bowl-shaped depression buttressed by steep cliffs to one side, scorched dunes bounding the rest.

Sullen, resentful, ill-at-ease, they stood, crouched, squatted and sprawled across the slopes of the basin, for it was now theirs to wait. And wait. And wait.

Distrust and envy flowed among them like water from a soured spring. At best, they tolerated one another’s presence; at worst, they lashed at one another with snarls of venom. Yet they had obeyed Lucifer’s command. This convocation was not to be denied.

The setting sun rippled gold across the sand, scattering shadows of vermilion and Tyrian blue from rock to rock. The subtle beauty of day’s end was lost on these souls of sorrow.

The air wavered. He appeared. His eyes, colorless wells of darkness, scanned his congregants. Centuries of exile had rendered his mouth into a lipless knifeslash. Shoulder-length blonde hair, shot with grey, wavered stiffly; broomstraws. White trousers bore marks of grime and some unknown fluid … blood, perhaps? His scarlet blouson was bound with a black belt. A cloak draped about his shoulders, it’s once Royal purple now more akin to soiled bedding; tatters of gold trim glittered in the waning light. Black boots, pristine those many years ago, were now etched by neglect. Oddly, he retained some small vestige of glory, lost those many eons ago. Before the banishment, Lucifer had been thought as handsome, even beautiful. No longer. The crosshatch of folds and seams that ravaged his face were a carving of bitterness and hate. A lifetime of malevolence will do that.

There was only one way to describe his countenance: Lucifer was the epitome of evil.
Standing to his full height of twenty hands, Lucifer paraded across the foot of the basin, taking in the sight of his gregoroi, his watchers. His minions. His legions. Short, tall, sleek, gigantic, twisted, diminutive, or malignant, theirs was an accretion of all that evil can produce.

Ah, yes, there they are, the Ancient Ones, the Utukkū, the Lemnutū, the Enkimmu, the Ninurta-asag, their arrogance as undeniable as the desert sand itself. Each displayed trappings of the cultures they inhabited: togas, robes, capes and cloaks; sandals, ornate or plain; helmets and crowns, jeweled necklaces, clasps, bracelets. And yes, daggers and swords.
Of the lesser gregoroi, some were clad with rags while others covered themselves with skins of animals; a few wore nothing at all. All had this in common: their soulless eyes were like polished coal, bottomless as night, endless as space.
Sauntering before this gathering of demons, Lucifer preened and postured. He raised his arms. The murmuring stilled. His voice cut with the edge of Arctic wind. “Inanna, Utu, Kaimanu, Enki, so pleased to see you, and you, Succoth-Benoth, Isimud. Dagon, your revered vileness, greetings. And the Bene Hamor, Sons of the Ass, hail to you. Nisroch, Kinqu, your journey has not been from afar, yet your presence pleases me. Tiamat, from the Great Sea, so pleased to see you here. Aruru and Sedeq, Lugal-Banda, how goes it in Canaan?”

Seeing Pazuzu and Angra-Mainyu, Lucifer’s lips were the parody of a smile. “So encouraging to see you. You have done well in Persia.” He gave their shoulders a touch.

They shuddered and whether from revulsion or fear, he could not say.
“Niq-Qina, Niq-Sisa, my exemplars of false justice and hollow righteousness.” His face twisted at the mock humor, his laugh, more of a bark, leapt from his mouth. “Hah!” He paused, “Splendid that you are here.”
Aulaq and his two daughters, the lamia of Arabia, preened as Lucifer strolled by. Expecting to be recognized; he disappointed them. Nearby, Lillith and Ninsun, Ingunna and Wurusem smirked.
“Good to see you dowagers, as always. And Ishtar, come to us from Babylon’s stones. Your consort, Tammuz, is he not here? Ah, ah, forgive me. There he is, standing aloof.”
Tammuz brayed, “We are not speaking. As usual.”

Lucifer covered his mouth to conceal his laugh. His eyes fell to an odious figure.
“Humbaba! You bring pleasure to my eyes. It has been many years.”
The dragon of Canaan hissed as Lucifer stroked his serpentine head.

“Mithras, and Shavsyant, come from the temples of Zoroaster. Your devotees now partake of your body and blood! Such wonderful mockery! Congratulations! Aha! The pantheon from Egypt! My applause to you all, Horus and Osiris, Ra, Ptah and Sekhmet. Hail, Thoth, Hathor. Anubis, excellent, excellent. The success of your duplicity elates us all!”
He turned to another group, dark adepts at charming the reveries of priests and priestesses. With a bow and an expansive sweep of his arm, he said, “Hail, all you of the Roman and Greek pantheon, for you have outdone yourselves! Gods upon gods, a god for all occasions, no Greek or Roman should be without a god! Zeus and Jupiter, Ares and Mars, superb! Diana and Artemis, Apollo, Cupid, kudos! Hail, Venus, Psyche, Perseus, all! So many, and so well done!
“You all have all excelled in your duties, keeping the pathetic humans from
seeking and finding Adonai-Eloheinu, the One God. Or, however he calls himself these days.”

They glanced at one another, exchanging dark, sardonic smiles.
“And here!” he crowed gleefully. The withered female skulking before him twisted her lips: her version of a smile. “My, my, my, the Witch of Endor! May she be an exemplar to us all. Let us hail her superlative results, fruit of her labors. How many souls have you perverted, my dear? Thousands?”
She tittered, “No, my lord … more.”

Lucifer strode back to the center of the amphitheater, glancing at the seqerim spread hither and thither among the throng. Numbering among his favorites, they were the insidious little liars who influenced philosophy and art, literature, drama, music, and dance, and oh, so very significantly, politics.

Scattered throughout, not unlike a spattering of warts, were the siyyim and the iyyim. Small, dull of mind, malignant nonetheless. They can be so effective in their single-mindedness, he mused. The hairy sairim, vicious little creatures who run side by side with animals, goading them to defile human habitations.
He was their liege-lord, their commandant, their god of all gods. Adonai-Eloheinu? Pish, tush. An afterthought. For the here and now, there was only Lucifer.

At his signal, his closest disciples, those angels who shared his fall from Heaven, stepped forward to stand at his side. Lucifer eyed them, one by one: loathsome Molech, stained with the blood of sacrificed Ammonite infants … odious Marduk, Babylon’s chief deity and plunderer of all towns and cities within his reach … alongside, stood his consort, the patron goddess,

Zarpanitum, whose lust for blood and gold surpassed that of her companion … Malcham, also of the Ammonite peoples, whom Solomon had worshipped in his declining years … now Azazel and Mastema, Semyaza and Queen Agrat-bat-Mahalat, the quartet that together ruled over hordes of lesser and greater demons. Standing slightly apart, his arrogance dripping like bloodsweat, was Chemosh of Moab, who competed viciously with Molech for the lives of innocents. Chemosh acknowledged no equal, no superior save Lucifer himself.

A select phalanx of demons stood apart, clad in armor of black iron, embellished with silver runes: the Ba’als: Saphon, Zibbul, Tamar, Hamon, Peor, Shaman, d’Baba, Berit, Gad, Mekart. Their nearly-identical faces conveyed only scorn.
Close to his left, enveloped in darkness, stood his lieutenant, Abaddon, who ruled the Abyss.
Lucifer spoke, his voice resonating to the highest rim of the basin. “You will recall our beginning on Earth, when I sang to Adonai-Eloheinu’s first woman, the foolish Hayy’ewa. How I encouraged her to covet the essence of Adonai-Eloheinu himself. Take upon yourself the role of godhood for yourself, I teased. Ah, my whispers, so compelling, bore so much fruit.
“Recall how she disdained the image and likeness of Adonai-Eloheinu in which she had been created. Hah! It was not enough! Not enough!’

With a clap of his hands, he crowed, “As I awakened her, she wanted more.”
The demonic chant of “More! More! More!” echoed against the cliffs. Lucifer looked upward and for a moment, wondered, was that a splinter of light I glimpsed? No. It could not be.

“Ah, yes, where was I. Yes. We are in her debt for devolving so easily to envy and pride, and for delivering temptation to her mate.

“So greatly did Ha’dam dread the loss of his beloved mate that he, too, was seduced by her plea. Hah! I remember the look on his face, filled with hopelessness and shame for having failed his Adonai-Eloheinu.
“At once, they hid themselves from Adonai-Eloheinu, striding through the
garden, come to mete justice. Thus did Adonai-Eloheinu cast his flawed and broken children from Eden, cloaked in their bright new garb of shame and sorrow.

Lucifer paused to make a small gesture to a demon skulking at his feet. “Thanks to our own Rabisu, here, for speaking the words of envy and shame into the first-born Qayyin’s heart.”
Rabisu fluttered his leathery wings; his grin revealed sharp fangs.

Lucifer continued: “When Qayy’in crushed the head of his brother, Hab’el, murder was born. Ah! It was to our glory, was it not?
“May I say, since then, many of you have so successfully planted those exquisite seeds of evil, envy and shame, to reap a grand and glorious harvest. Far across this earthly sphere, societies and cultures have forsaken Adonai-Eloheinu, the One God, in favor of the belief that they, too, can be like him.

“Of course, they can only fail in their efforts. How could they not, being so ill-equipped. Yet they persist in their denial, coveting that false faith, that delusion so deeply in their souls, they will do anything to keep their grim shadows of shame from the light.”
“Isn’t it grand how, when we give them the tools, they build the scaffolds of their own destruction!”
He laughed, boldly. Malformed glee spilled over the assembly to slip into hidden burrows. Lizards danced. Scorpions sang.
Lucifer was not finished. His raised hands brought quiet once again. “Recall, if you will, the time before time, when we stood in the presence of Adonai-Eloheinu, the day of our infamy. Recall his words: ‘You, Lucifer, were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You abided in Eden, the sacred Garden of God. On the day you were created, you were adorned with every precious stone: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl, all with settings and mountings of gold. You were anointed and ordained as Guardian Cherub. You stood on the Holy Mount of God, walked among the fiery stones and were blameless in your ways until wickedness found you. You filled your being with rebellion and violence, and therein you sinned.’

“Recall the thunder of his voice as he uttered the fatal words of our banishment: ’I now drive you in disgrace from the Mount of God! How you have fallen from heaven, O Morning Star, Son of the Dawn! I expel you, Guardian Cherub, for your heart has become proud on account of your beauty. You have corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. You have blasphemed, saying, ‘I will ascend to Heaven … I will raise my throne above the Stars of God … I will sit enthroned on the Mount of Assembly, on the utmost heights of the Sacred Mountain … I will ascend above the tops of the clouds … I will make myself like the Most High God!

“‘Lucifer! I cast you down to Earth! By your many sins and dishonest trade have you attempted to desecrate my rule and realm. You, I shall bring down to the grave, to the depths of the pit. I shall cause fire to consume you! I shall reduce you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who watch. The nations that have known you will be appalled at you, for you shall come to a horrible end and be no more!

“‘The angels who have followed you, who have believed you, who have put their faith and trust in you? They, too, have lost their place in Heaven. Know that I shall not spare angels when they sin but shall send them to the dismal Dungeons of Hell and keep them in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for Judgment on the Great Day! NOW! All you who are cursed – depart from me!’”

Lucifer rubbed his hands together, his calluses abrading like sandstone on wood. Those nearest to him could hear his breath.
“Well, my companions. My disciples. That occurred aeons ago, and yet, who of us abides in darkness? Who among us is bound in chains? Have any been reduced to ashes?”

Some of the wiser ones gave thought to their unfortunate kin banished to the Abyss by Adonai-Eloheinu’s edict but said nothing. One did not correct he who held the reins to their shriveled hearts.
“Cursed though we are!” roared Lucifer, “we continue to exert our free will here on Earth. Make no mistake! Adonai-Eloheinu has made clear the high regard he bears for free will, again and again, he demonstrates this by allowing these pitiable, weak humans to revere his words and deeds as truth. Yet do not we all know how he casts them aside as dross and dreck should they not believe?

“Have we not witnessed how easily they abandon their precious Adonai-Eloheinu for the pleasure of sin? Bah! What a sham they are! And they believe they are made in his image? Ludicrous!”
Lucifer lowered his voice. “Centuries ago, I shared with you my plan to employ that one thing which would do more to separate humans from Adonai-Eloheinu than any other, to immerse them, to drench them in that hungry, all-consuming bosheth, the shame of self.

“You know this, all of you, that it is this shame and shame alone that, carefully applied to whoever bears an uncertain spirit prepares the ground for our seeds of sin to take root, to grow and prosper in gardens of doubt and pride.
“Take note. This very day, the beloved ones of Adonai-Eloheinu, his precious ones that fill the Earth, now wallow and drown in their own shame. What a vast harvest of purposelessness and self-centeredness now grows from your gardens of sin. A job well done!

Like a freshet, Lucifer’s words stirred his audience. New enthusiasm burbled like spring water. The keenest among them quickened their senses: something of import was about to be revealed.
“For four hundred years, the Prophets have been silent. But the time the Prophets spoke of is upon us. The Day of the meshiach comes near!

“Long ago, the Prophet Isaiah wrote, A child will be born, a son will be given and the government will rest upon his shoulders. He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He will come from the line of David and the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, bringing wisdom and understanding, counsel and power, knowledge and of the fear of the Lord!

“Really? Do any of you believe that Adonai-Eloheinu will send an infant, a mere child to rescue the insignificant, worthless humans? Nonsense!”

Shrill, louder than before, Lucifer’s voice now beat the air. Spittle glistened on his cheek. Rocks loosened and clattered down the face of the cliff. Sand slipped down the face of the dunes, hissing as if a thousand snakes had joined their throng.
“Know this! I alone rule the Earth! Isaiah’s words are folly! Ashes in the wind! The prophecy is empty, without credence!
His defiant fist threatened the air. His voice became ragged, like the tearing of cloth. “Each of us have gained far too much power here on Earth to be lightly cast aside by a pretender! Our presence, our existence will not be denied!
“Do not falter in your vigilance, for we know not when this God-shadow, this babe, this messiah-charlatan will appear. It is said he shall come to set the Israelites free, but from what? From political rule? That field is ripe for harvest for we all know how the Maccabees, so recent in their triumph over Antiochus Epiphanes and Rome, have brought unrest throughout the land. But what could this babe-messiah possibly accomplish?

“Perhaps this little darling will appear as prophet. But consider what meager success the prophets have had! Hah! Have not most of them succumbed to the stones cast by the very people they attempted to save? Do not those acts of murder not bear witness to Adonai-Eloheinu’s impotence, to the corruption of his ridiculous humans who persist in believing they can be god-like? When you return to your realms, magnify this fault! Exaggerate it! Prod them, provoke them to believe that marvelous lie I first spoke in Eden is true!
“
I challenge you, regardless of your station, your abilities, to be newly alert, become watchful. Listen, observe, interpret that you may understand all that transpires throughout Israel and Judea for we know this one thing: should a messiah come, it will be here. As the humans are wont to say, ‘Do your damndest!’”

A sound resembling laughter rippled through the air.
Lucifer continued. “Attend to Judea and Idumaea, Samaria, Moabitis and Galaditis! Grant new authority, new powers to the magicians and necromancers. Let the astrologers hold sway! Enhance their spells and curses! Let their babble sound like truth! Soften your afflictions so people everywhere will believe magic has healed them!
“Confound the hearts of the priests that attend the temple in Jerusalem, for it is in that place of worship a messiah will surely appear.”

For a moment, it appeared that Lucifer’s rant had come to an end. He swiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His voice grated, a sound of stone against stone.

“Every morning upon awakening, speak worthlessness to their hearts! Let your whispers remind them how little they are valued, how they bear no more significance than a drop of spit. Break their spirits! Impoverish their hearts. In this way we shall prevail and own their souls!”

Lucifer waited for his words to steep into each demon’s heart. Softly, he said, “Remember this, all you who serve this cause: if you can control their shame, you can own their sin. Watch them carefully. When they are at their weakest, grasp their hearts! Capture their souls! Remind them, remind them, remind them that they are so irreparably broken, regardless of how they try to obey the Law, they can never please Adonai-Eloheinu, can never be acceptable in his sight!
“Like an insidious poison seeping into their blood, let their shame create an emptiness in their hearts … let them believe that their hunger and thirst for wholeness can be satisfied only by consuming enough wine or enough dust of Morpheus or having more partners in lust. Take their foolish Torah and turn against them, twist the Law against itself, make dark become light, change wrong to right, let evil become good! Exalt sin so thoroughly that when they have the merest inkling of thought of their need for a messiah, remind them with these words … you are your own savior!

“Let sin receive its glory!

“Lead them to wallow in their failure to become like God, mold their inadequacies to foster such shame that their only response will be to judge and criticize one another. Complaint and ridicule are such effective weapons of unrighteousness! Remind them of the rewards of lying and cheating and stealing! Tantalize them with sex and liquor and narcotics. Entice them with the mantra of sin – if it feels good, it must be good! Then laugh at them from behind your hands!
“If you cannot tempt the men, assault the women! If the women do not bend, attack their children! It is yours to afflict and oppress, to destroy and defile! Do so with impunity, for it is I who command you and I who will protect you!”
With a deep breath, he measured his concluding words: “In. My. Kingdom. There. Is. No. Mercy! Compassion and kindness are nowhere to be found! Be ruthless! Be cruel! Spread chaos and disunity wherever you go! Make your every effort, every intrusion, every gesture to stand against the word and work of Adonai-Eloheinu. Relentlessly pursue these pathetic, stupid, worthless creatures, these things he loves, for by doing so, you will break his heart. A messiah, should one come, will be powerless, a mere puffery.

“And then …” he paused … “and then … we shall ascend to our rightful place to dwell in the Heavens. At long last, I shall sit upon the throne.”

Lucifer bent his head, not from fatigue, but to hide his smile. Legions of demons roared, shouted, shuddered, clapped, and stamped their feet.

Miles away, the sound was heard by people in the city of Dumah, and they felt afraid.

With the darkness of night a haze seeped in, covering the basin below. Wisps lifted to probe cracks in the cliff as if seeking a place to dwell. Mikha’el noted, “Soon, the haze will fill this place and those … creatures, beings, whatever one might call them, will be lost to our eyes and ears. I don’t suppose it matters much. What we’ve witnessed is quite enough.”
Gavri’el said, “That one, Lucifer, he does not know, does he.”

Mikha’el replied, “No, he does not. His years in darkness have exacted their toll. Adonai-Eloheinu has blinded his eyes and hardened his heart. You know how Lucifer spoke of how a child will be born, a son given unto Israel? How he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father, Mighty God. Truly, Gavri’el, this is how Adonai-Eloheinu, the Lord our God, will save his chosen people on that day.”
“Witnessing Lucifer’s sound and fury has wearied me. This time you speak of, this is when all shall hear the Ha Mashiach pronounce the words, ‘I have overcome?’”

“This is so. Our hope is in the anointed one, the Ha Mashiach, the coming King.”
“The Son of Man.”
“The Son of God.”
As if to fly, Gavri’el spread his arms. “Aye, my brother, the time is near. Even now, I carry the words I shall bring to the young virgin called Miriam in my heart.”
“You go to Nazareth soon?”
“Indeed.”
“Pray, speak those words, Gavri’el, that I may hear the voice of Adonai-Eloheinu.”
“Since you ask.” Gavri’el bowed his head and clasped his hands. “Greetings, Miriam. The Lord is with you. Do not be afraid for you have found favor with Adonai-Eloheinu. The Spirit of the Most High will come upon you. You will conceive and give birth to a son. You are to call him Yeshua, for he will save his people from their sins. The holy child will be called Immanuel and the Son of God. Adonai-Eloheinu will render unto him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever. His kingdom will never end.”
“These words are a flame in my heart.”
“For me as well. With the coming of the Ha Mashiach, There will be much for us to do.”
“And much to learn.”
“Truly. But I do not like what I have heard in this place.”
“Nor do I. It brings the words of Moshe to mind, you know, from that day he regaled the Israelites as they were about to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land. Remember, he said, how Adonai-Eloheinu led you all the way in the wilderness those forty years, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your hearts. Whether or not you would keep his commands.”
“Indeed. As the time of the Ha Mashiach unfolds, surely the beloved of Adonai-Eloheinu shall once again hear those words anew.”
“Ah, but it will also be a time of great joy, for many will see the glory of Adonai-Eloheinu.”
“Aye. Rest assured, for in the Day of the Lord, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, that Yeshua, the Ha Mashiach is Lord of all.”
“Amen and amen.”