With a Rod of Iron: A Parable by Nettelhorst R.P

Author:Nettelhorst, R.P. [Nettelhorst, R.P.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Curious Arts Press
Published: 2013-01-08T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Suddenly, they were back in Jerusalem.

Loran gasped at the change of location. They were standing on the Temple mount, surrounded by Romanesque pillars; the blue sky glowed overhead without a cloud in sight. The air held the fragrant aromas of thousands of flowers which gave color to the otherwise dull limestone surroundings.

Before them stood a throne, and on the throne sat the familiar form of her Savior.

The urge to bow was nearly overwhelming, but somehow Loran stood her ground. Beside her, Harlequin remained defiant, for all the world like a rebellious teenager standing before the principal—and not for the first time.

“The Accuser is himself accused,” commented Jesus, looking down from his throne. He frowned.

“You don’t frighten me,” said Harlequin. “I’ve got it all under control. You think you’ve won, but you haven’t. You wait and see. Go on, lock me up for a thousand years. See if I care. I could use the vacation—it will let me build up my strength for the task ahead.”

“This is only a brief stop on your way to the pit,” said Jesus. “I am tired of you and your kind. Be gone.”

Without pyrotechnics, without fanfare, without spectacle, the Devil suddenly vanished from between them. Loran blinked, then looked back at the Son of God.

“Now He’s bound.”

“What’s that mean?”

“He’s been transferred—a thousand years into the future, and he is prevented from coming back—blocked from this time.”

“What?” Loran was uncomprehending.

Jesus sighed. “I sent the Devil, together with all his demons, a thousand years into the future—and I’ve allowed him no way back. It’s a one way trip, and all his gadgets have been confiscated. He has himself, he has his demon hoards, but he doesn’t have his fancy technology. He is no longer free to travel in time; he is trapped in one place and moment, where I will dispose of him once and for all in the Pit.”

“Hell.”

“That’s the word.”

Loran noticed Darlene smiling at her. “I have a question, Lord.”

“Then ask.”

“What exactly is Hell?”

“Do you need to know?”

Loran shook her head. “I know it won’t touch me, but...what is it really like—what will it be like for someone like...the Devil.”

“Hell was designed for Satan,” Jesus pointed out. “But it is a natural consequence of his sin, just as falling is a natural consequence of gravity. The design of this universe necessitated that consequence. Satan chose his own fate, and he led the human race to choose it, too. It will be a little different for each individual, because each individual goes to Hell alone. There are no friends, no family, and no companionship in Hell. Hell is very lonely—and it never ends.”

“Is it hot?”

“The inhabitants of Hell will burn forever—but it is a fire of their own making; they suffer the torment of their own regrets, their own passions, their own desires that they can never satisfy.” Jesus paused a moment. “I would that no one went to Hell; but I cannot overrule free will.”

“Cannot or will not?” asked Loran.

Jesus smiled; it was a bitter smile.

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