The fallen angel

Interviewer: May I ask about the Devil?
God: He is not a particularly favorite topic, but if you must.
Interviewer: So who or what is he?
God: He is a fallen angel, formerly one of the top who raised a rebellion amongst the angels against Me. He and those who have followed him have been fighting against all I wish to do ever since.
Interviewer: Surely You could eliminate him if You wished?
God: I could, and it is not that I don’t want to be rid of him, but he serves a useful purpose, so I allow him to continue.
Interviewer: What use is he? Seems he is at best a nuisance and at worst a menace.
God: He indeed is the antithesis of all I stand for. He is opposite, but in no way equal. He represents the alternative. Everything I stand for he is against, and everything I am against he promotes.
Interviewer: So he is the competition.
God: That is one way to look at it, but it is really no contest between him and Me. He wages war for the souls of men. He tries by any and all means to catch as many as he can in his web of deceit and hate. I, on the other hand, offer truth and love.
Interviewer: Sounds like he is definitely hard sell compared to You.
God: His methods contrast entirely with Mine. I want people to come to Me by their own choice, while he uses every means he can to try to keep people from doing that.
Interviewer: Why do You let him get away with that?
God: I allow him to in order to test humanity. The Devil’s way or My way-which will they choose as individuals and collectively?
Interviewer: You say “collectively.” So far You have talked about individuals. Where does the collective aspect come in?
God: I control the universe, but for now I have let the Devil have his way somewhat on earth. Remember the account in the Bible where the Devil showed Jesus all the nations of the world and said he would give them to Jesus-for they were the Devil’s to give-if Jesus would bow down and worship him?5 Well, the Devil was right, in that the driving force behind most nations of the world is him, and not Me. If it were Me, you would be seeing Heaven on earth, but instead you can see there is only increased suffering. The time will come when I will change all that and set up Heaven on earth. But for now, because of man’s selfishness, the Devil is having a heyday on earth, and it will get worse before it gets better.
Interviewer: This brings up a lot of other subjects, such as Heaven on earth and things getting worse before they get better, but I would like to finish off the Devil first.
God: Be My guest.
Interviewer: I beg Your pardon?
God: Finish off the Devil.
Interviewer: Oh, I see.
God: Well, you won’t be able to, but I will at the right time.
Interviewer: I was meaning finish off the subject of the Devil.
God: I know. I was just using the pun to make a point. I do have a sense of humor, you know. Some people think I am stiff and formal. A stuffed shirt. But they will certainly find out differently when they finally get to see Me.
Interviewer: Yes, I am sure they will.
God: So you want to know more about the Devil?
Interviewer: Yes. I think most people have the impression that he sits on some sort of throne in the middle of Hell, similar, I imagine, to how You must have some sort of throne in Heaven.
God: Well, he fancies himself a king, but he is not reigning in Hell. Even Hell is controlled and organized by Me, and one day soon Satan will find himself the chief inmate.
Interviewer: Satan being another name for the Devil?
God: Right!
Interviewer: This is a very different concept than that which we are used to. The Devil does not reign in Hell?
God: No, definitely not. He and his dwell in the nether regions of the spirit world.
Interviewer: And that is an entirely different place?
God: Yes. He and his minions also wander the earth, doing what they can to cause mischief, mayhem, destruction, and death.
Interviewer: So do You run Hell then, as a sort of spiritual penitentiary?
God: Some think of it that way. That is in reality only one function of a part of it. Hell has many different functions-and institutions-for want of a better word. The word Hell is used, somewhat erroneously, as a catchall for these different locations or spiritual states we’ve just been talking about. The concept of “Hell” most people are familiar with is that of a realm of fire, sulfurous fumes, hideous creatures, and endless torment. That’s just a small part of Hell, reserved for the very worst. The main purpose of Hell is to get the inmates repentant and on the road to rehabilitation. It goes along with My overall purpose of helping all My creation become reconciled with Me so they can have the very best of all I have to give them.
Interviewer: So is this concept of the fire and brimstone correct?
God: In part, but that is certainly not the full picture. However, let it be said that people really don’t want to go to Hell when the alternative of Heaven is so much more appealing. Let’s leave it at that, as those going there will most assuredly regret it when they realize how easy it was to choose the alternative.