An Angel and A Devil Met Again

A year and a half ago I published a transcript of a conversation where  I introduced it with a cover paragraph that went:

"Through a  rare cosmic oddity, unfathomably irregular if not  weirdly improbable, an angel and a devil were sitting around a table having drinks. The devil had one unimaginably strong cocktail while the angel settled for a tall glass of cold lemonade.  The devil (D) looked haggard but still menacing while the angel (A) looked calm but uncomfortably intent.  They started talking with each other".

When they parted ways both were called to their respective head offices for their next missions. As it turned out each of them was given similar assignments.  They were going to engage in a competition which came with a significant prize for the winner.  Each was to win over as many minds and souls of high school students in diverse places around the world within seven months.

There were mixed results for both and neither won the prize.  The devil had a little bit of an overwhelming advantage of an enormous amount of advertising budget; however, the angel did put in some extraordinary efforts despite its meager amount of resources.

This time both were sent to Davos, Switzerland after their lackluster performances. No competition was involved except for each  to report or make an assessment of how the entire economic forum went. 

"The Davos conference, officially known as the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting, focuses on global economic issues, international cooperation, and social challenges".

Unbeknownst to the two there were other agents of good and evil that were there at work to influence the attendees.  The two were mere observers directed to submit written reports.

Transcript (01/22/26 1830 H):

D: What is that you're drinking?  Not lemonade again, is it?

A: It's Gruvi, Dry Secco, Non-Alcoholic Wine. It's a specialty here, if you must know.

D: Of course. Why did I even ask?

A: And I won't ask what you're drinking either. I'm sure it's suitable for starting a fire. Don't you already have enough of it at your head office?  Or, is that what you use to heat up the place?

D: Come on, let's not start being confrontational with each other, for once. So, what does your report say?

A: We're not supposed to discuss it, okay? Especially not between you and me.

D: Rules.  Who cares?  I'll tell you what mine is.

A: I won't listen.  Let's talk about something else. You didn't win the prize from the last contest.  I didn't either but you must be bitter.  You want to talk about that?

D: Just listen to me, okay?  What I'm about to tell you will affect the entire world. By the way, it will be according to how it was written by your own prophets centuries ago.  It  started here at the conference of many nations.  And you won't believe what the next generation of humanity will be faced with.

A: What, that your boss will be cast away forever? 

D: No, before that happens there is going to be one tragedy to befall humanity.

A: I know what you're talking about. But we really don't know when.  If at all.  We can't know.  Oh, wait you are the devil, so you're commanded to deceive many.  Starting now.

D: Listen.  Hear me out. It begins ironically enough at a very cold place. It is called Greenland.  Yes, that is how it will begin.

A: Really! Your imagination ran amok again?  Be serious for once.

D: I'm serious.  Hear me out, then tell me my thesis is correct, okay?

A: Okay, I might still save you from embarrassing yourself. Why did I just say that? You're a devil.  How will embarrassment really affect you?

D: Be serious now.  Hear me out.

A: Okay, go ahead.

D: So, Greenland.  This big hullabaloo about that icy island is where it all begins.  America wants it as a focal point for what it calls the golden dome. That dome is really some sort of umbrella shield to thwart missile attacks from Russia or China.  As always we, meaning me and my legion of deceivers, as you put it, managed to do it again - lead humanity to war or prepare for war as it had always been  throughout their history.  So, Greenland becomes the point of contention, if you will.

A: Wait, wait.  How does Greenland lead to war or become a humanity problem?

D: Don't be so naive.  You're better than that.  Let me finish and don't interrupt me again.  Then you can ask your questions.

A: Okay, okay.

D: Where was I? Okay, Greenland is where it begins.  You see, all the posturing and debating and threatening resulted in an unprecedented animosity between the European nations and America.  Even  Canada had become uncomfortable with the whole debate.  NATO, where America is a member, and England and Canada too, is showing some cracks. Well, guess what.  There is talk about the United States of Europe. That used to be far fetched and on the fringe but now it is being talked about rather seriously.  What is sparking it is Greenland.  My boss knows a lot more and all I'm doing is report that it is working.

A: What is working?

D: You interrupt again.  Listen to my whole thesis first.

A: Sorry.  Go ahead.

D: Just so you know, I read your Holy Scripture. There in clear language according to your writer of prophecy, named John of Patmos, is a reference to the rise of a dragon with "ten horns that are often interpreted as representing ten kings or kingdoms that will rise in the end times".  It's in your own Book of Revelation. Other references in the same book also mentions a beast with ten horns and seven heads - a powerful empire of some sort.  Based on today's environment, it can only mean an organization of several nations.  It is not NATO, clearly not the United Nations. Now, you may ask a question.

A: So, which nations will form what?

D: Look, earth is not that big in the entire scheme of the universe, okay. There are only so many nations in one fixed geography. Nations that had been fighting one another for centuries. Even after the last two world wars, nations in Europe will be forced to overcome their natural instincts against Germany. They need it despite their common apprehension that Germany will re-arm again.   It has the strongest economy by far over any other European nation, it has the technology, a people predisposed to obsessive loyalty and discipline. They will need Germany to lead the United States of Europe.  Go ahead, ask a question.

A: So, what you are saying is that because of an emerging  power that you describe, another war in Europe is inevitable?  This time Western Europe against the eastern part, primarily Russia and its eastern allies.  What about China?  And what will be the roles of America and England? And since when did you rely on the Holy Book?

D: I said you may ask a question, not several.  But I will answer them all. The next big war will not be in Europe.  It will, however, involve the new European empire.  The place will be Har Megiddo, Mount Megiddo, or in its Anglicized iteration, Armageddon. That is how it will become a bigger war. China and several middle eastern countries that will also include Turkey will be in the mix. Japan has no option but to also re-arm because of the China imperative in Asia. America, England and Australia will be drawn into it.  That is why this is going to be a much bigger war - one to end all wars. Now all of that are as predicted by your own prophets.  Here are a couple of quotes for you, "Revelation 16:16: "And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon." and "Revelation 19:19: "And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army."

A:  Again, since when did you take the Holy Word as your reference?

D: You have so much to learn, don't you? Why do you think we've been competing with you? Just because I'm the devil doesn't mean I don't believe in your existence or the existence of your boss.  You don't get it, do you? My true mission is to convince people that I do not exist. Consequently, they will also not believe in you once they're convinced of my non-existence.  Clever, isn't it?

A: I don't see the logic.

D: One more time. Once man and woman are convinced that there is nothing else out there, no belief in anything greater than them, no consequences no matter how they act, they will have convinced themselves that everything is in their power to do, to think and commit only to what pleases them. The self is what they will end up worshipping. I must emphasize that. But you know what, we digressed.  Let me get back to my thesis. Now, you just had my train of thought inextricably derailed by your silly questions.  Where was I?

A: You were talking about Mount Megiddo, Har Megiddo, whatever.

D: Yes. That mount is located in present day Israel.  First, where everybody is wrong is for another war to occur in Europe, Asia, or wherever. The next war will not be in Europe, I say that again.  It will be in the Middle East. Your own book unequivocally identifies the place as Har Megiddo. At the risk of repeating myself once more, Har Megiddo are two words fused in the English language as Armageddon.

A: Why there? I mean why will the next big conflict take place there?

D: It is a very long story.  Let me shorten it for your sake.

A: Please do.

D: Ancient humans believed in many gods. Then at the seat of civilization in Mesopotamia monotheism started. My boss did not like the idea of just one god. He was just like you but he took a good number of angels to take exception to the one-god rule. My boss took to chaos by splitting the population between Judaism and Islam from the  original Abrahamic faith. The Jews kept to the Bible while Islam had the Quran.  Both books have many things in common, starting with calling the father of their nation  Abraham or Ibrahim. Then came the promise of the Messiah that both concurred with. Centuries and centuries of evolving faiths, followers split. The Messianic faith, the promised savior predicted in both the Bible and the Quran gave rise to Christianity but you must know that all have common origins, generally speaking.

My boss saw an opportunity to cause more chaos.  Jerusalem is considered by both Islam and Judaism  as the seat of their faith, their Holy Land, which then  became a source of conflict.  Jerusalem changed hands several times between the two competing interests during centuries of fighting. Then when the Roman empire converted to Christianity as a result of Emperor Constantine's own personal conversion, Jerusalem became three times more contentious. My boss saw added opportunity to sow more chaos.  The three-way tug of war for control of Jerusalem caused so many deaths and human suffering. My boss was satisfied.

A: Apparently he was never satisfied because, according to you, your boss is still sowing chaos and anguish.

D: Well, humanity is mostly to blame. One thousand years after the birth of your Messiah began the crusades in the late 11th century (1095 A.D.) that lasted for another two centuries. Crusaders under the authority from the pope - the head of the Catholic church in Rome - did several campaigns to regain Jerusalem from the control of Islam which wrestled it from the Jews.  At that point in time the Jewish people were banished from their land through forced and voluntary exits from the region. Many of them were enslaved and taken to scattered parts in Europe. It was only after the second world war when from many corners of the world they were returned to a small place that became what is today the country of Israel.

A: And Megiddo happens to be in that country today, right?

D: Yes, but there is more to the history.  But first, let me quote from your own Holy Book. 

From the Book of Matthew  24:5-8 (from King James English), keeping in mind that the Christian Messiah came from the Jewish lineage, which many adherents usually forget that he was born in Bethlehem.

"5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.  6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass.."

That by the way, predicted the rise of many different versions of Christianity.  While there are also different sects in Islam and Judaism, your Bible only makes special mention in that quote which even human scholars admit that it means the many number of Christian faiths that arose from a single belief system that turned into many denominations, sects and subsets of denominations. 

A: Is that also one of the handiworks of your boss?

D: Well, again it was Christ's prophecy that many shall be deceived.  You believe that my boss and  I are deceivers. I will have you know that the true faith, religion if you will, is not represented by any of these churches.  And there lies the ultimate deception.

A:  What do you mean?

D:  My boss will make Jerusalem a bone of contention, once more. You see, when the current state of Israel was created, Jerusalem being part of it, was cause for torment among the Islamic countries in the Middle East. It had always been that way during all those many wars to settle ownership of it and it still is today.

A: One small city?

D: It is the very same location where temples were built, destroyed, and rebuilt time after time. The new European empire will venture into what will be one big geopolitical and economic move, a military campaign that shall be what it will describe as the final crusade to settle once and for all what previous actions failed  to fulfil - the final re-taking of Jerusalem. The failure of many crusades in the past will have been at last put to rest.  Along with it and this is important - control of the middle east and its oil. The final crusade will settle everything, or so it is believed, but it too will fail in the end. My boss conceived all of these to happen in about a generation from today.

A: Why that timeline?

D: Prophetic words from your Holy Book describe what humanity will later know as "future histories". Your God knows everything from today to all future days.  America today is still a very strong country - enough to inhibit all kinds of adventurism by other nations. But it is being stressed internally by overwhelming political, social and moral divisions and erosion in ethical behavior, as we speak. These conditions will seem unsustainable in the eyes of others looking in. It will cause nations or groups of nations to underestimate or misread America's conditions two decades from now. It will be perceived by others as irreversible decline of a world power past its prime. True or not, my boss will make sure to deceive and mis-direct all human resolve.

A: And ..

D: Then my boss will be granted to do what he wants. Legions like me will try to do my boss's bidding.  We will fail in the midst of the return of the real Messiah. Men and women who will steadfastly hold on to their faith in your God will in the end cause us to fail.  Only then will they have attained what your God had planned and we, my boss and its legion, will be cast away never to torment humanity again.

A: Why then do your boss, his legion of deceivers and you go through all of these for what in the end will mean you will fail and result in your banishment?

D: You are asking me?  Does it look like I know everything? Well, goodbye for now. We will see each other again before all will come to pass.

The devil left. Shortly after that another angel sat next to the other.

A2:  Well, you and that devil talked again, huh?

A: Oh, it thought it was a clever deceiver.  I let it talk and I pretended to be ignorant and in its words, "naive". It knows as much but it does not know everything.  However, the devil does know enough to describe humanity's future story.  Or, as it described it, "future's history".

A2:  Well, I came by to tell you that you have a new assignment.  Come by the office tomorrow.

P.S.  To my dear reader: If you have come this far means you have at least arrived at one or a few conclusions of your own.  I hope that describing this as one frivolous yarn is not one of them. You see, the woven dialogue, transcript if you will, is based mainly on history, current events,  and a few direct quotes from the Bible.  Conjectures I cited here, though uncommon, are not exactly just my own but were synthesized from different points of views from philosophical, religious scholars and social commentators on the various subjects.  However, limited to the contents of one blog, it is by no means complete or exhaustive.

I therefore leave it to the reader, if you are so inclined, to do a little more reading of your own.  If anything, you will find the richness of history, the spiritual message you may embrace, and perhaps some inspiration to explore the human spirit as beneficial and thought provoking.

(By the way, both angel and devil are genderless so each is described as "it" when speech or deed is ascribed to them).