There was a time when I was new and free,
one of a host of spirits made to be
the emissaries¹ of the One Who now
restrains me in these chains. We learned somehow
that He designed to magnify His grace
and glory, and would make a special race
to be the centerpiece of His divine
proposal. I was happy to resign
myself to His intentions, as it seemed
appropriate He Who made us should be deemed
above all others worthy of the praise
of all He had created.² Those were days
of great anticipation, I recall,
as we observed Him slowly bringing all
the temporal realm into existence by
His mighty Word. What wonders filled the sky
and earth with each successive day!³ Great lights
of many shapes and sizes ruled the nights
and lit the days; the Spirit and the Word,
just like a potter’s hands, obeyed the Lord
and executed His design with such
abundant goodness, it was clear the touch
of the Almighty was upon the earth
in all its parts. It was a gem the worth
of which could not be told! Perhaps, I thought,
it is for us, for such a treasure ought
to be entrusted to the grandest of
the Lord’s creations. What is there above
the angels in this grand and wondrous scheme?
And, of that number, it had come to seem
to me and many others, none was quite
so grand as I.⁴ For I was brilliant, bright,
and beautiful above the rest. Did God
intend this paradise as my abode?
And would these lesser seraphs, as I saw
them – since I knew that they were all in awe
of me – be put at my disposal and
obey my wishes as I ruled the land
and seas as God’s appointed regent to
ensure that He received the glory due
to Him? The race of heavenly hosts, and I
their King! What better way to glorify
our great Creator? Who but I this task
could undertake? Oh, I could barely mask
my joy and glad anticipation!

But
as I was made to understand just what
the Lord had planned, my fondest dreams began
to fade and die. For God intended man,
not me, to rule His paradise,⁵ and I
would be his servant!⁶ I who called the sky
my footstool,⁷ who surpassed in radiance all
the other angels, at the beck and call
of man? What grandeur had this dust-drawn dolt
to match my own? An angel should revolt
at such absurdity!

And so it was
that I began to formulate my cause
and plot the steps that would correct this great
injustice. I remember then that hate
began to fill my heart – for man, of course,
that pale and puny creature; even worse
than this, however, I began to hate
the Lord Himself. My wrath did not abate
but grew with each successive stage of man’s
creation, from his dusty provenance⁸
to being placed within the Garden – my
sweet Garden, as I thought; the mandate by
the Lord’s command to name the other beasts;⁹
His granting man the right to taste and feast
on every plant, save one;¹⁰ and then, at last,
the woman for his helper.¹¹ I was fast
beginning to lose all control, and swore
that I would not abide, would not endure
this outrage, this injustice. Soon my thoughts
became apparent to a few, who sought
to urge me on in my ambition. They,
persuaded of my prowess, would obey
me in whatever course I chose. And so
an armed rebellion was conceived, to go
against the very throne of God and seize
it forcefully.