“Look Papa–Moses!” A small Jewish family stood reading the inscription on the ten foot figure with his hands raised high in prayer. Like all the statuary in heaven, it was solid gold and yet translucent, shining from within with a soft yellow light that grew brighter when people prayed or worshipped nearby. “And the LORD repented of the evil which He thought to do unto his people.” (Exodus 32:14)

“Yes, Ari. He is the founder of our people, the Jews and he led God’s people to Israel so Jesus could be born there.

“But, Papa, why did God want to bring evil on His people?”

“Because they decided to abandon God and worship a statue of a cow. They sinned greatly and God was forced to punish them even though He loved them dearly. But God changed His mind!

“Papa, why would our Great God change His mind? He can do anything He wants, right?

“Because Moses pleaded with God to not judge Israel. He stood in the gap before God and saved Israel. God allows people like you and me to change His mind sometimes. He loves us that much!”

Without warning, three young angels appeared, diving right at the statue, shouting and laughing “Look out below”. The speeding trio swooped so close that seven-year-old Ari fell down as both parents desperately ducked to avoid a collision. “What is heaven’s name…”, the father fumed. “They almost hit us!” But the trio of angels had disappeared as fast as they had burst upon them.
_____________________

Ten minutes later, those three angels showed up at Angel Academy for classes… late. Scion, the Headmaster was there to greet them at the door. He had seen it all.

“Well, boys. Nice to see that you had time to come to class today.” But the look on the Headmaster’s face told them that Scion was not at all pleased.

“You know what this means. This is your third time being late for class,” Scion scolded. They all hung their heads a little. “Yes, Master Scion.” they responded in unison.

“You were half-way through, but now You will all have to repeat the entire Academy. If you fail to graduate one more time, you will never be given an assignment to earth.” A pained look darkened each of their faces.

“But Master Scion…we were just having fun! Don’t you know what fun is? Give us a break!”

“I’m sorry boys. This is your third warning. You made your choices and I am compelled by Academy rules to dismiss you from the Academy. ” If you cannot keep the rules here in a school, what will you do when human lives depend on your obedience on earth. Clean out your desks and report back to your base to await further instructions. And by the way, before you leave the area, go apologize to that family. They have suffered enough on earth. They were all burned alive in their home by the Romans in Jerusalem in 70 AD.

As the three downcast angels trudged inside to retrieve their personal items, one angel named Nacham turned back. He ran to the the headmaster just as he was about to enter a classroom. Skidding on his knees before Scion, he looked up with tears in his eyes, “I know I don’t deserve it, Master Scion, but please forgive me. I will never do that again. I will never be late for class again. I will come early and stay late. I also repent for scaring that family. Please allow me to finish with this class. I want to serve the saints on earth! In fact, I want to serve the saints in Israel and protect them in every way!”

Scion looked at the young angel with compassion, but then said,” I’m sorry, Nacham. Rules are rules. Believe me, I know what happens when you break the rules. Rules guide you. They protect others. Rules protect you. Without rules, all kinds of things would happen that should not happen. When you get older, you will understand the need to do things by the book!”

Just then, the little Ari ran up to where SCion and Nacham were standing. “Sir Angel. My dad wanted me to tell you something.”

Bending down closer to the child, Scion smiled and said,” Sure, son. What is it”

“My dad says he forgives them and he wants you to forgive them if they say they are sorry.”

Scion looked at Ari’s dad who was waving to them and then to Nacham and them to Ari. Pulling the little boy close, he hugged him and told him,” Tell your dad that he just changed the life of an angel.”

“Yah!”, Ari yelled. Wait till I tell Dad!”

As little Ari scampered back to his family hear the Moses monument, Scion turned to the kneeling angel and lifted him upright. “Nacham, you are the first angel I have ever allowed to break the rules and avoid the penalty. But anyone who can repent like that can become a great angel. I want to help you be that angel! Welcome back, Nacham!”

“O, thank you sir! Thank you, sir,” Nacham cried out as he hugged the grinning headmaster. “That will do, Nacham. That will do. I am not accustomed ot public displays of affection. Now get back to your classes.”

___________________

“Good morning, Class. Please come to order. I am sorry to be late but some of your classmates needed some…let’s say, help. The class laughed. They heard it all.

As you were. Now, I am Master Scion, Headmaster of this academy and I am honored to instruct all of you new angels whom the Lord created last month. I hope you are enjoying your new life here in heaven and the other classes you have already taken here. My staff tells me that you are a very bright and promising class.

Let’s get right to work so that you can graduate on time for your earth assignment in five months. I know you are all eager to get to earth and get your first assignment. I just heard yesterday that many of the saints in Europe are falling into sin due to the terrible wars going on there. Those saints need you.

So, today, we will be discussing another of your Emergency Angel Tactics when the Christian begin to sin. See page 33 in your syllabus.

This is one of the most important tasks you will have on earth as you work with God the Holy Spirit to bring your assignment safely home to heaven one day.

As you know, sin is the most deadly enemy of humanity. Sin deceives, sin corrupts and, if not corrected, sin can kill forever. Your task as guardian angels is to enforce the promptings of the Spirit of God on each Christian so that they repentance for their sins as quickly as possible. Repentance can change the course of a person’s life…or even a nation’s life. God always honors repentance”

“Question, Master Scion!”, an eager angel asks. What exactly is repentance?”

“Good question, Angel Jonah.” In a word, repentance is changing your mind so that you agree with God’s mind. Read the scripture II Chronicles 7:14 at the top of page 34, Jonah.

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

“See–the power of repentance! That’s what you have to lead your saints to do. People who love God usually want to repent but sometimes they wait too long and sin captures their hearts and many blessings are lost.”

“Question, Master Scion!”, a muscular looking angel stood up to ask. He looked around to make sure everyone was listening.

“I know that is true about humans, but what about angels? If they disobey God, can they repent and be forgiven like the scripture says?”

“Good Question, Angel Tomas. Actually, that never happens. Angels may make innocent mistakes but they do not deliberately disobey God because …”

Rising to his feet again, the same angel interrupted, “Uh,..Master Scion, with all due respect. You know that isn’t true! What about the Great Rebellion of angels. I heard about it from Samos, an older angelI I met last week. He said no one likes to talk of it but everyone knows about it sooner or later. He said it was terrible–a war in heaven led by some angel called Lucifer who is now headed for hell.

Looking around now at the stunned faces of the class, Tomas seemed to enjoy the attention he was getting with his new fact about angelic history.
“So, Master Scion–what happened when all hell broke loose in heaven?”, the angel asked with a smirk as the class laughed. ” Those angels did not repent. If repentance is so important, why did they not repent?”

The powerful, twelve-foot Headmaster froze. The question hit Scion like a sucker-punch to the gut. He always dreaded having to answer. Every class of new angels always seemed to bring it up even before the class on the history of heaven–a class he always avoided teaching himself.

“Well, Angel Tomas… you are right. Lucifer,did lead what we call The Great Rebellion and 6000 angels followed him. Those 6000 are what we call Dark Angels today–the principalities, powers, dominion’s and authorities that rule large swaths of earth’s lands. Now they are banished from heaven forever.

“Eternal exile, “Tomas snickered! ” Why can’t the 6000 just repent and come back to heaven? I thought you said God always honors repentance?”

“Tomas, God is quick to forgive when angels make small mistakes and the angel repents. But the Great Rebellion was a premeditated, full-scale rejection of God’s authority over them. No angel who has seen the very face of God can do that and ever return to heaven. Like you, I grieve deeply for the 6000 who were once like us. They and Lucifer are banned forever and will one day enter of place of eternal torment.”

The classroom was suddenly very quiet for a long moment. Then,Tomas broke the stunned silence.

“But how could Lucifer deceive that many angels at one time? He must have had help. Who helped him?”

Another sucker-punch–only bigger. Scion’s heart began to beat faster, his palms started to sweat and and old-facial twitch returned.

Brilliant observation, Tomas,” Scion grinned to hide the pain in his eyes. Mola, the class assistant saw it.

“Tomas, that is a great question,” Mola interjected with a broad smile, “but we really need to let Master Scion complete his lecture. There’s a lot more material to cover, especially since earth was created and angels were assigned to serve humans who were following the Lord.”

“It’s OK, Mola,” Scion responded with a wave of his hand. I appreciate your assistance but I think I need to answer the question.

Yes…actually, Lucifer did have help…there were… 24 angels in the first class of archangels. They were completely devoted to Lucifer, as any disciple should be–or more so. The 24 were a band of brothers unlike any other in heaven at that time. The Spirit had also designed the 24 with extraordinary powers far above their peers. More importantly, a unique bond formed among them, a deep brotherly love that gave all of them great courage, wisdom and extreme loyalty to each other. Everywhere they went in heaven, angels were in awe of them. It seemed like every angel in heaven wanted to be like them.

So, when 23 of them sided with Lucifer, the first Master of Archangel Academy in the Great Rebellion,a third of the angels also followed them over to Lucifer’s side.” Another heavy silence came across the class.

“And the 24th…where is he?, an astonished Tomas finally blurted out.

There was, uh, well…the 24th…” Scion throat began to choke up now. He mind was beginning to spin with fear. “There was one student in that first class who did not rebel with Lucifer. He was on assignment in a very remote area of the cosmos where there was little need for communication with heaven at the time. When “all hell broke out in heaven” as you so aptly put it, no one had time to contact him until after it was all over.

“Well, that was convenient. I wonder why he was left behind?” Tomas snickered under his breath, but everyone heard it. The class looked at Tomas with disgust.

“Tomas–how dare you imply such things to another angel without proof,” Mola scolded.

Realizing his mouth had gotten him in trouble again, Tomas’ pink cheeks turned bright red. “Of course, Master Mola,” Tomas sheepishly conceded. “You are right. I was wrong to insinuate evil motives like that, he confessed with a hang-dog look.

But wanting to justify himself a bit, Tomas added: “It just seems so odd that out of that very tight-knit, deeply bonded class of 24, one of them did not leave with the other 23. Master Scion, you said it yourself–those 23 were his best friends! What kept him here? Why didn’t he follow them after he got back to heaven? And…who is he, anyway…and what role does he now have in heaven?

Mola shot a pained glance at the Scion who by now had recovered his composure.

“Tomas, you are obviously very gifted to ask such questions. I can only tell you that the lone survivor of the 24 has been serving the Lord i heaven faithfully and fruitfully for eons now in positions of great trust but he wishes to remain anonymous.

And with that, I think we will conclude today’s lesson. Come back tomorrow for the conclusion of History of Heaven, 1001. Be sure to study the documents you received from the Archives about the creation, fall and rescue of mankind via the Two Great Covenants. Please note the many different roles of angels throughout salvation history. I plan to….”

“Master Scion–Michael just arrived and is calling for you in the hallway,” Mola exclaimed with some concern.

“Uh…yes, …uh, tell him I will be right there, Mola.
Huh, I wonder what the Captain of the Lord’s Hosts wants with me, a Teacher,” Scion nervously mumbled to himself. His face twitched again.

“OK–class dismissed!”

A sudden tightness began to rise in Scion’s chest. He moved towards the classroom door but stumbled a little on the leg of a student’s chair as he reached for the door. Grim-faced Mola was right behind him. His face was ashen as he turned to gaze into Mola’s compassionate face. Something was wrong! Very wrong! General Michael had never come to Angel School before to see a teacher.

“What have I done, Mola? Why would he come here? Is there something you are not telling me? You are the one angel I trust more than any in heaven. You have always stood by me when others would not. Please tell me if I have made any mistake! I cannot afford any mistakes, you know that, ” Scion pleaded with tears in his bright, blue eyes.

“Peace, Master, peace! It must be a mistake. Everyone knows you are the best Headmaster that Angel Academy has ever had–the most competent, the most loyal, the most obedient, the most careful leader we have ever known. Surely, you are being summoned to receive an award of some kind in the Throne Room–or something like that, ” Mola cooed as earnestly as he could.

Yes–it must be something good. After all, I have spent eons here making sure I never would be criticized, never accused of making a mistake. I guess you are right. Let’s go out and see what Michael has to say.”