Paradise Lost

Raphael tells Adam the rest of the story of the civil war in Heaven. Abdiel informed God of Satan’s plan, and God assembled his army with the Archangel Michael as the leader. Satan led his army in a gold chariot much like God’s, which triggered Abdiel into an argument. Satan accused Abdiel of essentially being a slave, while Abdiel accused Satan of going against Nature. Abdiel shoved Satan, and so the war commenced. The war was violent and impressively fierce, but God limited the angels’ strength.

Eventually, Satan and Michael came face-to-face, and their duel heightened the tension of the war. The angels experienced pain for the first time, which made the rebel angels understand the detrimental scope of their actions, but angels cannot die, and so the war went on. The rebel angels built cannons and brought them to the battle with sarcastic proposals for peace. The war continued until the Son intervened. When the Son joined the war, the rebel angels chose to plunge themselves out of Heaven rather than face him.

Raphael’s story helps Adam realize that Satan is the one who is pursuing evil in Paradise.