The Angel, the
Apple, and the
Throne
ISABELLA BELLO MARTINEZ
This story is a fictional account of both Genesis 3: The Fall
of Man and the oral Catholic tradition of “Lucifer’s Fall from
Heaven.” When I was little and first learning about Heaven,
Hell, and the angels and demons that live in them, I equated
these things with each other—man’s Fall and Satan’s Fall
were one and the same. As a young adult, I continue to
believe that the two mirror each other. Although implicit in
this story, they both end with an important message: When
we remember Love, then we are able to overcome all evil.
“God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the
tree that is in the middle of the garden, and
you must not touch it, or you will die…’”
“You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For
God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be
opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good
for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for
gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave
some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it…
Then the LORD GOD said to the woman,
“What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
GENESIS 3, excerpts
“What are you doing?!”
Lucifer froze in place, his head bent in concentration and
his slender hands clenched on the arms of The Throne of the
LORD. The young angel’s voice had rang across the palace of
the LORD. It verged on panic, desperate to stop him from doing
something that he would later regret. Except that I will not regret
this, Lucifer thought. The thought made him almost giddy – or
was that the sheer power of this Throne that was an extension
of GOD’s own power and will?
“Lucifer…brother…please…”
Lucifer could hear the other angel walking slowly across
the room, approaching him cautiously, as he would a dangerous
animal. It hurt actually, what did Raphael think he was going to
do? Attack him?
“Don’t worry, little brother,” Lucifer said, finally raising his
head and smiling at the younger angel. “I am making everything
right.”
Raphael swallowed hard. He was in the guise of a young
man today, light brown hair falling in wisps into his bright green
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eyes. “Lucifer,” he begged. He was about halfway across the
room now. “Get up, please. You shouldn’t be on The Throne.”
“Oh, Raphael,” Lucifer said condescendingly. “This needs
to happen—I am fixing the first mistake the world has seen.”
And then he clenched his hands into fists and focused the
power of The Throne—the power of the LORD—into one very
specific animal.
“What are you doing? Stop!” Raphael shouted. Raphael
wasn’t a fighter—he was a healer, an explorer. It was Michael
and his Guardians who had devoted themselves to learning
about fighting—Raphael knew very little.
But he did know about right and wrong; he was the most
perceptive of the four archangels. He knew that whatever Lucifer
was doing was wrong. And he hated the look he had seen in his
eldest brother’s eyes. Gritting his teeth, Raphael took a running
leap to get high enough to flap his wings and flew into Lucifer,
tackling the older angel to the floor. Lucifer let out an angry cry
as they collapsed in a heap. Easily getting the better of Raphael,
Lucifer pinned him to the ground with an arm across his throat.
Raphael struggled uselessly, like a worm being dangled from
a hook. He’d forgotten that Lucifer had always been Michael’s
training partner.
“I was almost done!” Lucifer howled. “The snake got her
to eat it already! I just have to make sure that man eats it too!”
Raphael went very still. “What are you talking about?”
Raphael whispered.
“A test, little brother,” Lucifer said, his voice sounding
crazed.
“Lucifer?” Appolyon, another angel that was often seen in
Lucifer’s company, had approached.
“Hold him down!” Lucifer snapped at Appolyon. “Hurry!”
Without questioning it, Appolyon took Lucifer’s place, pinning
Raphael to the ground while Lucifer scrambled back to The
Throne. Lucifer’s hands were once again clutching the arms of
the throne before he was stopped by a golden arrow embedding
itself millimeters from his fingers. Lucifer recoiled his hand and
looked over his shoulder. Michael was standing by the door to
the throne, his white wings splayed open and creating a surface
for the light to refract into a million diamonds.
“Lucifer!” Michael thundered, his dark eyes blazing with
righteous fire, “Stop!”
Lucifer slowly got to his feet, his heart hammering in his
chest and rage beginning to cloud his vision like a red fog.
“Michael,” Lucifer said dangerously, “Let me be.”
“Release Raphael!” Michael thundered 8