Travels With Gabriel
With a nod to Dante
I had been hospitalized for two days when my blood sugar dropped unexpectedly. The doctors said I was to be sent home the next day, but I slipped into a coma in the night. I remember sinking, sinking, lower and lower, into a quiet and deep darkness. How peaceful it felt. The disassociation from my body brought no fear, only quietness. Suddenly, through the dim distance I saw a glowing light getting brighter and brighter and an outline of a figure dressed in white.
"Hello. I am the angel Gabriel," he said as I gaped at him in wide-eyed amazement. "I am sent to show you the world of the dead. There are nine levels of hell, of retribution, of which humanity must beware."
I drew in my breath sharply and stared at him. “Am I dead? Are you saying that I am going to hell?”
“No,” he said. He took my hand and led me forward, and I followed, unresisting. “I am going to take you through hell, the land of the dead. The living who have passed are in heaven, the dead are here. I am here to show you the consequences to sin.” He steered me through a dark, yawning gateway and down a grey corridor until we emerged into a wide, panoramic scene with many caves and caverns amidst tumbled rocks. "Beware ignorance," he said. "It is the glory of God to reveal a matter and the honor of men to seek it out."
As we passed, like disembodied spirits, past the front of many caves and caverns, I saw people within, watching television. "The heavens declare the glory of God," said Gabriel, "but these people never seek it, or even see it. They do not ponder the truths of their existence. They remain ignorant of anything deep or eternal. What right do they have to squander the gift of their life on shallow fare?"
I nodded mutely, glancing back at the faces glued towards the television screens in the dim rooms. I caught a glimpse of Beverly Hills 90201 before the angel's strong grip whisked me on. Gabriel's stride increased as we approached another open doorway leading deeper and lower in the darkened realm we had entered. We walked down a broad path until we reached another door. Above the entry was a sign with large letters that spelled out: THE FLESH. I heard groans and sighs as we emerged onto a road that stretched out in the distance. I glanced up.
"Yes," said Gabriel, answering my wordless inquiry. This level is beneath the previous one. Each level of hell descends deeper, all of which mankind must avoid or overcome."
Fearfully, I followed him, glancing left and right at the people, who took no notice of us. Each was absorbed with the pursuit of something in his or her own mind. Some were mumbling to themselves as they combed under rocks and along the side of the road, seeking food.
"I know I had a pizza here somewhere," I heard one say as he continued his search without looking around.
Another wept aloud as she moved piles of rocks: "Where is my sandwich?"
I saw men and women who looked as though they were trying to engage in sexual acts with one another, only to pull away, saying, “It doesn't feel like anything. I can't feel a thing. And there is no climax, no conclusion."
I saw women with mirrors applying makeup, only to wipe it off and cry aloud, "It makes me look worse!" Staring into the mirror, they started the same process again and again.
"Man does not live by bread alone," stated Gabriel quietly. "Beauty is not skin deep."
Umm," I said hesitantly. "Should I stop dyeing my hair?"
Gabriel looked over at me with the hint of a smile. "By no means. The body is a temple. Decorate it as you will. But never lose sight of eternal values."
The smile disappeared and his face darkened as we reached the next doorway. "Beware this level," he said sternly. "This door beckons even to young children. It seems innocent but it is a trap that can change one’s character completely."
A set of damp, moss-covered stone stairs led downwards in the gloom. "Be careful. This way is slippery," he warned. I saw a dark liquid seeping from the walls onto the steps. Gingerly, I followed. The sound of the sighs and groans receded as we followed the steps deeper and deeper. "It is a long, slippery slope," said Gabriel. Finally, I saw a wide doorway ahead and I squeezed my guide's hand tightly. Agitated voices reached us.
"I was going to do it but then I didn't have time," one exclaimed in a high, fast voice. "Buy this car. It is a really good one," gabbled another. "Give me your $10,000 and I will get that silver mine for you." "I will repay you next month." "Give me $200 and you will get $2000 back." The words spewed from the mouths of the people. I tried to peer through the jabbering crowd for a sight of the children.
"I don't see any children," I said to Gabriel.
"No, you have to reach a certain age before you are held accountable."
"I thought you said this level beckons to children."
"Yes," he said. "On earth above this slippery slope begins early. To replace the truth with lies is tempting even when humans are very young. If this is allowed to continue, and indulged in as adolescents and adults, it changes the character. Instead of being honest and true, one becomes corrupted and false. If the falseness cannot be overcome one risks permanent destruction." He turned and looked me full in the face. "Beware." The word seemed to echo through the cavern and I hung my head guiltily. "Liars!" He said tersely before pulling me on to the next gateway.
We entered the door only to fall, tumbling head over heels, spinning and spinning into a vortex of whirling air and thoughts. Voices echoed in my head but I could not make out the words. Louder and louder, they thundered in my head as I spun endlessly in a downward spiral. I couldn't feel Gabriel's hand, clasped in my own, or his strengthening presence. All I could feel were the sounds beating at me, striving with me, seeking to persuade me. I had been falling for a hundred years, no, a thousand! Time was gone, sanity was no longer an option. "Yes, that is true," I said sadly. "You are right. You are always right. Whatever you say, I believe." My tenth grade teacher passed before my eyes. I saw a group of Hollywood actors and actresses whispering together, then their images spun out of control as the whirling resumed and they burst apart. My mind fragmented and splintered into slivers.
My hand was wrenched sideways and I was pulled out of the swirling current. I looked at Gabriel, surprised. "What happened," I said.
“That is the level of Deceit of Others," he said. "Those who have lived by deceiving others are now deceived themselves. To deliberately unbalance a person's life by teaching them falsehood is inexcusable. For this sin, there is great and fearful recompense. The next level is similar but they have taken it into a realm the living God reserves for himself. It is the level of False Spirituality.
Gabriel sat down on the floor and gestured beside him. I sat down and pushed the hair out of my eyes. I felt abashed that I had so quickly been deceived. Gabriel bent forward and pointed down through the floor. I saw that we sat on a large sheet of thick, darkened glass. As I stared, I began to make out images. I saw people walking, people floating on clouds, people gathered together in groups. I concentrated and their words became clear.
"Any path is the path to God," one said. "It doesn't matter what you do. We are all gods and at any moment we will raise ourselves out of here. We are good and we create all good."
"No!" another protested. "We are not good. There is no good. We are beings who have all wisdom and we know that it is by chance we stand here. There is no good, there is no Creator, there is no holiness. There is only us, who evolved from specks floating in space. That is our religion and we are standing by it."
"God told me to come tell you that you are his favorites. You are the righteousness of God. You will reign forever with him because you are so wonderful. You are not like those other horrible people in hell. You are the most special ones of all."
"You are a liar! Finding God is a lifelong pursuit and you never can find him. You must float and contemplate and examine your navel while in the highest trance. This will enhance your true deep spirituality."
A bark of laughter burst from Gabriel. Smiling, he pulled me to my feet. "Let's leave them arguing piously," he said. We walked over the floor, which I now noticed was emitting enormous heat. Glancing around, I saw a valve resting on a small metal stub. To my amazement, I realized the whole realm below was entirely inside a giant pressure cooker. I wondered how much pressure it would take for their heads to clear enough to absorb the simple truth. I saw a flash of fire under the floor. "What is it? I asked. "Refiner's fire, “he replied.
As we left, Gabriel was still speaking: "Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. In quietness and confidence is our trust. Whatsoever things are lovely and true, think on these things. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him, who do not turn away from seeking to know him and his ways, and to do his good will. To those who rebel lies only disillusionment and piercing sorrow and no end to their churning rebellious thoughts. Trust and obey to be happy and peaceful in our God."
Suddenly a neon sign loomed before us. On it were written the words, "Rebellion and Pride". We rounded a corner and stepped onto a circular staircase. As we worked our way down the steps, I saw others rising, and we and they continued to climb down and around and up and around and down and around, until finally I saw that the staircase wove continuously around and around on itself. "It is a mobius staircase," said Gabriel. "There is no beginning or end but only an endless loop on itself."
I heard words being uttered as we continued the dizzying journey. "Illuminating all the motionless world of Time between, Peyote solidities of halls, backyard green tree cemetery dawns, wine drunkenness over the rooftops, storefront boroughs of teahead joyride neon blinking traffic light, sun and moon and tree vibrations in the roaring dusks of Brooklyn, ashcan rantings and kind king light of mind, who chained themselves to subways for the..."
"Why, it is Howl!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, a howl," my guide replied.
"No, I mean it is 'Howl' by Ginsberg. It is a poem. My friend read it to me recently. I thought its stream-of-consciousness was very clever."
Gabriel said, "It is a howl of rebellion and misery and loss. There is a way that seems right to a man but the end thereof is death. Consider him who suffered for your sakes, and be like him in humility and obedience, who suffered death, even death on a cross, scorning its shame." He looked at me. "Do you understand?"
"I think you are saying that humility and trust in God are the only way to please God," I said tentatively.
"God is love, and love always trusts," he said. "Making themselves wise in their own eyes, they become fools. The Ten Commandments were given through love. Rebellion to parents or righteous authority is not his loving will. Come now. I see these last levels have bewildered and pained you. We must go deeper and see the suffering there."
"The three lowest levels can only be reached by elevator," he said. We got into a room with buttons on one wall. Gabriel pushed the 7 and turned to me. He stepped closer and placed his large hand over my heart. He looked into my eyes. "Do you know you are loved?" he asked seriously. "Your Heavenly Father loves you, his Son loves you, the angels love you, and all true believers love you."
I looked back into his eyes and saw the truth. He was in earnest. I felt conviction flow into my heart through his touch and I saw that he truly cared, like an older brother who always had my good in mind, who would rejoice with me and mourn with me, according to what happened in my life.
"Yes," I said, humbled by the revelation. "I am loved."
"Good," he said. "This level is hard to witness and to feel the consequences they are facing for their actions. But know that love is deeper and more enduring than horror."
The door to the elevator clanged open. Shakily, I followed my guide. We stood at the edge of a vast plain. The air was darkened, like a gloomy, cloudy day above. I heard cursing and laughter and screaming. "Gang X versus Gang XZ," murmured Gabriel beside me. I looked ahead to see men with knives upraised, stabbing other men, who fought back. Blood flowed freely and each man slipped and slithered in circles as they sought to get the upper hand in the bloody fight. I saw entrails hanging from bodies, limbs hacked off, gutted corpses, and grievous wounds as the men strained to kill each other. Eventually, only three survivors cursed and struggled to inflict the killing blows. With a loud shriek, a demon burst onto the scene and beheaded the final three with vicious slashes of a machete.
I looked with horror at Gabriel. "What happens now?"
"They will reanimate and start a whole new murderous rampage again shortly. Violence begets violence. They are being repaid for their actions." He directed my gaze towards the left.
I saw huge, muscular, grotesquely-formed demons raping men. The men squirmed and swore and struggled to escape. The demons laughed as they turned the men into various positions, forcing them to perform any sexual act they desired. Bile rose in my throat and horror engulfed me. The demons were so distorted and monstrous. "Who are these men?" I asked, my voice sounding harsh.
"Rapists", replied Gabriel. "Their evil ways have brought them here."
Although I was horrified at their punishment, my mind flew to the millions upon millions of women who have been brutalized sexually over earth's lifespan. 'How just is hell,' I thought. 'How violent, how oppressive, how just. Rape has been used not only as a weapon in war, but by an endless parade of men seeking power and control over women, and sometimes children."
"Let us go on!" I shouted suddenly to Gabriel.
'Why have my deepest feelings erupted at the sight of rape?' I wondered. 'Hell is misery. What did you expect to see within these chambers?' Gabriel tightened his grip on mine, unfurled his wings, and flew backwards swiftly into the open doors of the elevator.
"You are loved," he said, spreading his wing around my shoulders. I leaned against him in relief, drinking in his loving concern.
"Life is hell," I said aloud.
"No," answered Gabriel. "Life is given for joy and love. Life is eternal. Love is real. It is sin that is hell. Walk in the good way."
"Can’t they ever escape?" I asked with the image in my mind of the hideous beasts assaulting the men.
"They can escape by ceasing to be what they have become. If they change - really change - who they are inside, they will lose their current substance and be able to slip out from under their oppressors and make their way to the Door of Restoration."
"The Door of Restoration!" I said, amazed. "Restoration from hell?"
"Yes," said Gabriel. "I will show you that door which is an exit from every level in hell. But first, let us observe the fruits of murder."
He pressed the 8 button on the wall. "Number 9 is for mass murderers where the deepest place is reserved for them. But murder - willful, deliberate murder - is taken very seriously in heaven. What right does anyone have to take the life of the innocent? It is a debt that can never be repaid. When you take someone's life from the earth, you take their future, their hopes and dreams and the good life from them. And perhaps their descendants as well. People in eternity look back at the earth and their families and descendants with pleasure and interest, knowing they will be reunited one day. Who is any mortal to take that away from the innocent?"
The door opened and my sage guide and I stepped out into a cavern as still and foul as a tomb. I saw a catacomb of cells stretching off into the darkness. Gabriel led me quietly past the rows of cells. I could see body parts inside each one. I slowed my pace to look through the bars of one room. I saw an arm hanging from a bloody hook, another arm on the floor. The legs were stuck upright in the corner in a grotesque imitation of a man's body. The torso lay on the floor, gutted open. The head sat on a table. As I looked, the eyes blinked, then opened to gaze into mine. I saw the mouth move but no sound came out. I hurried to match my pace with Gabriel’s.
"What is this silence?" I whispered.
“They can't speak. Their head is separated from their voice box. They took everything from their victims and everything has been taken from them."
Solemnly we retraced our steps to the elevator. I shuddered as we descended to the final, deepest level, that of mass murderers. A foul stench wafted up before our arrival. It smelled like a horrible mixture of feces, dead bodies, and blood. When the door opened, I stumbled out, clutching at my guide before standing upright. I saw no humans. Demonic faces leered at me from every angle, with blood on their lips, teeth sharpened like knives. Never had I imagined such cruel, horrific visages. Eyes bloodshot, fingers like claws, horns protruding from their bodies. Each clawed and gored anyone who approached. I saw some monsters lapping at the blood of one whose body they had rent asunder. Foul curses fell on our ears, as noxious as the stench.
"Where are the humans?" I asked.
"These are the humans," he replied.
Peering closer, I recognized a grotesque, distorted image of Saddam Hussein. As he turned in our direction with claws upraised towards a foul beast of like punishment, another gored him in the back. With a lightning thrust and a twist, the assailant who looked like Joseph Stalin pulled out the guts and thrust them into his mouth. I bent forward to vomit into the odorous mixture on the floor but Gabriel steadied me with his hands and backed away from the scene. His presence calmed me and the nausea left.
"Come," he said serenely, and I followed his quickening steps. Almost in a run, we reached the far end of the enormous, grisly crypt, where I saw a door that stretched up past the roof of the room. "This is the Door of Restoration," he said.
Swiftly Gabriel picked me up and somehow flew through and up and out where I could look back and see the door in its entirety. There was an opening at each level. The door was shaped like a cross and made of wood, like an old, rugged tree.
"The Door of Restoration?" I repeated.
"Yes. Look closely."
I looked at the word engraved in each level - the entrance back to hope and life and joy eternal. There was only one word, repeated on each floor: REPENTANCE.
"This door opens directly into Yahweh's throne room, "said Gabriel, with a deep smile. I smiled at him and suddenly I felt our bodies rushing upwards and I felt myself return to the hospital room. I opened my eyes, sat up, and said, "God be praised!" I heard a faint echo of my words, followed by a quiet, "God is love". I looked around the room in amazement. I reached for my pen and paper.
Coming soon: Travels with Gabriel, chapter 2: Angels' Hell
"Hello. I am the angel Gabriel," he said as I gaped at him in wide-eyed amazement. "I am sent to show you the world of the dead. There are nine levels of hell, of retribution, of which humanity must beware."
I drew in my breath sharply and stared at him. “Am I dead? Are you saying that I am going to hell?”
“No,” he said. He took my hand and led me forward, and I followed, unresisting. “I am going to take you through hell, the land of the dead. The living who have passed are in heaven, the dead are here. I am here to show you the consequences to sin.” He steered me through a dark, yawning gateway and down a grey corridor until we emerged into a wide, panoramic scene with many caves and caverns amidst tumbled rocks. "Beware ignorance," he said. "It is the glory of God to reveal a matter and the honor of men to seek it out."
As we passed, like disembodied spirits, past the front of many caves and caverns, I saw people within, watching television. "The heavens declare the glory of God," said Gabriel, "but these people never seek it, or even see it. They do not ponder the truths of their existence. They remain ignorant of anything deep or eternal. What right do they have to squander the gift of their life on shallow fare?"
I nodded mutely, glancing back at the faces glued towards the television screens in the dim rooms. I caught a glimpse of Beverly Hills 90201 before the angel's strong grip whisked me on. Gabriel's stride increased as we approached another open doorway leading deeper and lower in the darkened realm we had entered. We walked down a broad path until we reached another door. Above the entry was a sign with large letters that spelled out: THE FLESH. I heard groans and sighs as we emerged onto a road that stretched out in the distance. I glanced up.
"Yes," said Gabriel, answering my wordless inquiry. This level is beneath the previous one. Each level of hell descends deeper, all of which mankind must avoid or overcome."
Fearfully, I followed him, glancing left and right at the people, who took no notice of us. Each was absorbed with the pursuit of something in his or her own mind. Some were mumbling to themselves as they combed under rocks and along the side of the road, seeking food.
"I know I had a pizza here somewhere," I heard one say as he continued his search without looking around.
Another wept aloud as she moved piles of rocks: "Where is my sandwich?"
I saw men and women who looked as though they were trying to engage in sexual acts with one another, only to pull away, saying, “It doesn't feel like anything. I can't feel a thing. And there is no climax, no conclusion."
I saw women with mirrors applying makeup, only to wipe it off and cry aloud, "It makes me look worse!" Staring into the mirror, they started the same process again and again.
"Man does not live by bread alone," stated Gabriel quietly. "Beauty is not skin deep."
Umm," I said hesitantly. "Should I stop dyeing my hair?"
Gabriel looked over at me with the hint of a smile. "By no means. The body is a temple. Decorate it as you will. But never lose sight of eternal values."
The smile disappeared and his face darkened as we reached the next doorway. "Beware this level," he said sternly. "This door beckons even to young children. It seems innocent but it is a trap that can change one’s character completely."
A set of damp, moss-covered stone stairs led downwards in the gloom. "Be careful. This way is slippery," he warned. I saw a dark liquid seeping from the walls onto the steps. Gingerly, I followed. The sound of the sighs and groans receded as we followed the steps deeper and deeper. "It is a long, slippery slope," said Gabriel. Finally, I saw a wide doorway ahead and I squeezed my guide's hand tightly. Agitated voices reached us.
"I was going to do it but then I didn't have time," one exclaimed in a high, fast voice. "Buy this car. It is a really good one," gabbled another. "Give me your $10,000 and I will get that silver mine for you." "I will repay you next month." "Give me $200 and you will get $2000 back." The words spewed from the mouths of the people. I tried to peer through the jabbering crowd for a sight of the children.
"I don't see any children," I said to Gabriel.
"No, you have to reach a certain age before you are held accountable."
"I thought you said this level beckons to children."
"Yes," he said. "On earth above this slippery slope begins early. To replace the truth with lies is tempting even when humans are very young. If this is allowed to continue, and indulged in as adolescents and adults, it changes the character. Instead of being honest and true, one becomes corrupted and false. If the falseness cannot be overcome one risks permanent destruction." He turned and looked me full in the face. "Beware." The word seemed to echo through the cavern and I hung my head guiltily. "Liars!" He said tersely before pulling me on to the next gateway.
We entered the door only to fall, tumbling head over heels, spinning and spinning into a vortex of whirling air and thoughts. Voices echoed in my head but I could not make out the words. Louder and louder, they thundered in my head as I spun endlessly in a downward spiral. I couldn't feel Gabriel's hand, clasped in my own, or his strengthening presence. All I could feel were the sounds beating at me, striving with me, seeking to persuade me. I had been falling for a hundred years, no, a thousand! Time was gone, sanity was no longer an option. "Yes, that is true," I said sadly. "You are right. You are always right. Whatever you say, I believe." My tenth grade teacher passed before my eyes. I saw a group of Hollywood actors and actresses whispering together, then their images spun out of control as the whirling resumed and they burst apart. My mind fragmented and splintered into slivers.
My hand was wrenched sideways and I was pulled out of the swirling current. I looked at Gabriel, surprised. "What happened," I said.
“That is the level of Deceit of Others," he said. "Those who have lived by deceiving others are now deceived themselves. To deliberately unbalance a person's life by teaching them falsehood is inexcusable. For this sin, there is great and fearful recompense. The next level is similar but they have taken it into a realm the living God reserves for himself. It is the level of False Spirituality.
Gabriel sat down on the floor and gestured beside him. I sat down and pushed the hair out of my eyes. I felt abashed that I had so quickly been deceived. Gabriel bent forward and pointed down through the floor. I saw that we sat on a large sheet of thick, darkened glass. As I stared, I began to make out images. I saw people walking, people floating on clouds, people gathered together in groups. I concentrated and their words became clear.
"Any path is the path to God," one said. "It doesn't matter what you do. We are all gods and at any moment we will raise ourselves out of here. We are good and we create all good."
"No!" another protested. "We are not good. There is no good. We are beings who have all wisdom and we know that it is by chance we stand here. There is no good, there is no Creator, there is no holiness. There is only us, who evolved from specks floating in space. That is our religion and we are standing by it."
"God told me to come tell you that you are his favorites. You are the righteousness of God. You will reign forever with him because you are so wonderful. You are not like those other horrible people in hell. You are the most special ones of all."
"You are a liar! Finding God is a lifelong pursuit and you never can find him. You must float and contemplate and examine your navel while in the highest trance. This will enhance your true deep spirituality."
A bark of laughter burst from Gabriel. Smiling, he pulled me to my feet. "Let's leave them arguing piously," he said. We walked over the floor, which I now noticed was emitting enormous heat. Glancing around, I saw a valve resting on a small metal stub. To my amazement, I realized the whole realm below was entirely inside a giant pressure cooker. I wondered how much pressure it would take for their heads to clear enough to absorb the simple truth. I saw a flash of fire under the floor. "What is it? I asked. "Refiner's fire, “he replied.
As we left, Gabriel was still speaking: "Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. In quietness and confidence is our trust. Whatsoever things are lovely and true, think on these things. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him, who do not turn away from seeking to know him and his ways, and to do his good will. To those who rebel lies only disillusionment and piercing sorrow and no end to their churning rebellious thoughts. Trust and obey to be happy and peaceful in our God."
Suddenly a neon sign loomed before us. On it were written the words, "Rebellion and Pride". We rounded a corner and stepped onto a circular staircase. As we worked our way down the steps, I saw others rising, and we and they continued to climb down and around and up and around and down and around, until finally I saw that the staircase wove continuously around and around on itself. "It is a mobius staircase," said Gabriel. "There is no beginning or end but only an endless loop on itself."
I heard words being uttered as we continued the dizzying journey. "Illuminating all the motionless world of Time between, Peyote solidities of halls, backyard green tree cemetery dawns, wine drunkenness over the rooftops, storefront boroughs of teahead joyride neon blinking traffic light, sun and moon and tree vibrations in the roaring dusks of Brooklyn, ashcan rantings and kind king light of mind, who chained themselves to subways for the..."
"Why, it is Howl!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, a howl," my guide replied.
"No, I mean it is 'Howl' by Ginsberg. It is a poem. My friend read it to me recently. I thought its stream-of-consciousness was very clever."
Gabriel said, "It is a howl of rebellion and misery and loss. There is a way that seems right to a man but the end thereof is death. Consider him who suffered for your sakes, and be like him in humility and obedience, who suffered death, even death on a cross, scorning its shame." He looked at me. "Do you understand?"
"I think you are saying that humility and trust in God are the only way to please God," I said tentatively.
"God is love, and love always trusts," he said. "Making themselves wise in their own eyes, they become fools. The Ten Commandments were given through love. Rebellion to parents or righteous authority is not his loving will. Come now. I see these last levels have bewildered and pained you. We must go deeper and see the suffering there."
"The three lowest levels can only be reached by elevator," he said. We got into a room with buttons on one wall. Gabriel pushed the 7 and turned to me. He stepped closer and placed his large hand over my heart. He looked into my eyes. "Do you know you are loved?" he asked seriously. "Your Heavenly Father loves you, his Son loves you, the angels love you, and all true believers love you."
I looked back into his eyes and saw the truth. He was in earnest. I felt conviction flow into my heart through his touch and I saw that he truly cared, like an older brother who always had my good in mind, who would rejoice with me and mourn with me, according to what happened in my life.
"Yes," I said, humbled by the revelation. "I am loved."
"Good," he said. "This level is hard to witness and to feel the consequences they are facing for their actions. But know that love is deeper and more enduring than horror."
The door to the elevator clanged open. Shakily, I followed my guide. We stood at the edge of a vast plain. The air was darkened, like a gloomy, cloudy day above. I heard cursing and laughter and screaming. "Gang X versus Gang XZ," murmured Gabriel beside me. I looked ahead to see men with knives upraised, stabbing other men, who fought back. Blood flowed freely and each man slipped and slithered in circles as they sought to get the upper hand in the bloody fight. I saw entrails hanging from bodies, limbs hacked off, gutted corpses, and grievous wounds as the men strained to kill each other. Eventually, only three survivors cursed and struggled to inflict the killing blows. With a loud shriek, a demon burst onto the scene and beheaded the final three with vicious slashes of a machete.
I looked with horror at Gabriel. "What happens now?"
"They will reanimate and start a whole new murderous rampage again shortly. Violence begets violence. They are being repaid for their actions." He directed my gaze towards the left.
I saw huge, muscular, grotesquely-formed demons raping men. The men squirmed and swore and struggled to escape. The demons laughed as they turned the men into various positions, forcing them to perform any sexual act they desired. Bile rose in my throat and horror engulfed me. The demons were so distorted and monstrous. "Who are these men?" I asked, my voice sounding harsh.
"Rapists", replied Gabriel. "Their evil ways have brought them here."
Although I was horrified at their punishment, my mind flew to the millions upon millions of women who have been brutalized sexually over earth's lifespan. 'How just is hell,' I thought. 'How violent, how oppressive, how just. Rape has been used not only as a weapon in war, but by an endless parade of men seeking power and control over women, and sometimes children."
"Let us go on!" I shouted suddenly to Gabriel.
'Why have my deepest feelings erupted at the sight of rape?' I wondered. 'Hell is misery. What did you expect to see within these chambers?' Gabriel tightened his grip on mine, unfurled his wings, and flew backwards swiftly into the open doors of the elevator.
"You are loved," he said, spreading his wing around my shoulders. I leaned against him in relief, drinking in his loving concern.
"Life is hell," I said aloud.
"No," answered Gabriel. "Life is given for joy and love. Life is eternal. Love is real. It is sin that is hell. Walk in the good way."
"Can’t they ever escape?" I asked with the image in my mind of the hideous beasts assaulting the men.
"They can escape by ceasing to be what they have become. If they change - really change - who they are inside, they will lose their current substance and be able to slip out from under their oppressors and make their way to the Door of Restoration."
"The Door of Restoration!" I said, amazed. "Restoration from hell?"
"Yes," said Gabriel. "I will show you that door which is an exit from every level in hell. But first, let us observe the fruits of murder."
He pressed the 8 button on the wall. "Number 9 is for mass murderers where the deepest place is reserved for them. But murder - willful, deliberate murder - is taken very seriously in heaven. What right does anyone have to take the life of the innocent? It is a debt that can never be repaid. When you take someone's life from the earth, you take their future, their hopes and dreams and the good life from them. And perhaps their descendants as well. People in eternity look back at the earth and their families and descendants with pleasure and interest, knowing they will be reunited one day. Who is any mortal to take that away from the innocent?"
The door opened and my sage guide and I stepped out into a cavern as still and foul as a tomb. I saw a catacomb of cells stretching off into the darkness. Gabriel led me quietly past the rows of cells. I could see body parts inside each one. I slowed my pace to look through the bars of one room. I saw an arm hanging from a bloody hook, another arm on the floor. The legs were stuck upright in the corner in a grotesque imitation of a man's body. The torso lay on the floor, gutted open. The head sat on a table. As I looked, the eyes blinked, then opened to gaze into mine. I saw the mouth move but no sound came out. I hurried to match my pace with Gabriel’s.
"What is this silence?" I whispered.
“They can't speak. Their head is separated from their voice box. They took everything from their victims and everything has been taken from them."
Solemnly we retraced our steps to the elevator. I shuddered as we descended to the final, deepest level, that of mass murderers. A foul stench wafted up before our arrival. It smelled like a horrible mixture of feces, dead bodies, and blood. When the door opened, I stumbled out, clutching at my guide before standing upright. I saw no humans. Demonic faces leered at me from every angle, with blood on their lips, teeth sharpened like knives. Never had I imagined such cruel, horrific visages. Eyes bloodshot, fingers like claws, horns protruding from their bodies. Each clawed and gored anyone who approached. I saw some monsters lapping at the blood of one whose body they had rent asunder. Foul curses fell on our ears, as noxious as the stench.
"Where are the humans?" I asked.
"These are the humans," he replied.
Peering closer, I recognized a grotesque, distorted image of Saddam Hussein. As he turned in our direction with claws upraised towards a foul beast of like punishment, another gored him in the back. With a lightning thrust and a twist, the assailant who looked like Joseph Stalin pulled out the guts and thrust them into his mouth. I bent forward to vomit into the odorous mixture on the floor but Gabriel steadied me with his hands and backed away from the scene. His presence calmed me and the nausea left.
"Come," he said serenely, and I followed his quickening steps. Almost in a run, we reached the far end of the enormous, grisly crypt, where I saw a door that stretched up past the roof of the room. "This is the Door of Restoration," he said.
Swiftly Gabriel picked me up and somehow flew through and up and out where I could look back and see the door in its entirety. There was an opening at each level. The door was shaped like a cross and made of wood, like an old, rugged tree.
"The Door of Restoration?" I repeated.
"Yes. Look closely."
I looked at the word engraved in each level - the entrance back to hope and life and joy eternal. There was only one word, repeated on each floor: REPENTANCE.
"This door opens directly into Yahweh's throne room, "said Gabriel, with a deep smile. I smiled at him and suddenly I felt our bodies rushing upwards and I felt myself return to the hospital room. I opened my eyes, sat up, and said, "God be praised!" I heard a faint echo of my words, followed by a quiet, "God is love". I looked around the room in amazement. I reached for my pen and paper.
Coming soon: Travels with Gabriel, chapter 2: Angels' Hell