As Earth Churns…31b. The Throne Room

Looking at his Father directly, Jesus said, “Gabriel, you go first.”

“Thank you, Jesus,” Gabriel stood holding one of the large rolled pages they had brought to the Throne Room. “Well, we were basically charged with developing a plan to destroy mankind while at the same time saving Noah and his family. We decided to do all of that mostly using natural principles and phenomena.”

“How in the world did you manage that?” It was Allen who couldn’t keep quiet.

Gabriel continued, “At first it wasn’t easy. We agreed that since water covers almost 75% of the Earth’s surface, we should use that element as the main method of destruction. The springs and the depths could open via earthquakes and other geological events. Rain from the atmosphere would fall on all the land formations. This wouldn’t be just a light shower. The deluge would last, by our calculations, for about 40 days and nights. These forces from both within and over the Earth will be enough to flood the entire planet to above the highest mountaintops Everything living would eventually drown; all life would die, including plants, animals and mankind.”

Enoch spoke up accusingly, “What about my great-grandson Noah and his family?”

Gabriel grinned slyly, “We’re getting to that, Enoch. Jesus?”

With a nod and a knowing smile at Enoch, Jesus began, “Next we had to deal with the second major component of the task with which the Father commissioned us.”

Raphael queried hesitantly, “The salvation of some of mankind?”

Jesus nodded, “That’s right, Raphael. In particular Noah’s family. Enoch, we never forgot them for a minute once the news was out that Noah was a righteous man.”

Enoch sighed, “Thank God.”

God smiled, “You’re welcome, Enoch.”

There was laughter all around. With the spirit of those present  lightened somewhat, Jesus continued, “Since we planned to destroy the evil with water, we decided we could also save the good using that same element.”

Quiet until this point, Michael asked, “But how?”

Jesus didn’t hesitate, “We needed an absolutely safe refuge for Noah’s family. The solution was a boat – a very large boat. We wanted it to hold not only the eight members of Noah’s family but all they would need to replenish and repopulate the Earth. The plants would grow back once the floodwaters receded from the planet. The animals were another matter. We didn’t want God or even us to have to recreated all the animals. So Gabriel figured out the dimensions of a secure ship that would not only float in deep, rough seas, but also be big enough to hold eight people as well as a few of every kind of animal that we ever created.”

“Amazing!” responded Raphael. “You figured out a way to use water both to destroy and save mankind.”

[to be continued]