emmerich -4

Then, rising from below... 

I saw a dark disc, the future abode of the fallen spirits. I saw that they took possession of it, against their will. It was much smaller than the sphere from which they had fallen, and they appeared to me to be closely crowded together.

I saw the Fall of the angels in my childhood, and ever after - day and night - I dreaded [vreesde] their influence. I thought they must do great harm to the earth, for they are always around it. It is well they have no bodies, else they would obscure the light of the sun. We should see them, floating around us like shadows.

-

Immediately after the Fall... 

I saw the spirits in the shining circles, humbling themselves before God. They did homage to Him, and implored pardon for the fallen angels.

At that moment I saw a movement in the luminous sphere in which God dwelt. Until then it had been motionless, and - as I felt - awaiting that prayer.

-

After that action... 

on the part of the angelic choirs... 

I felt assured that they would remain steadfast, that they would never fall away. It was made known to me, that God in His judgment, in His eternal sentence against the rebel angels, decreed the reign of strife [strijd] until their vacant thrones are filled. 

But to fill those thrones, seemed to me almost impossible, for it would take so long. 

The strife will, however, be upon the earth. 

There will be no strife above... 

for God has so ordained.

-

After I had received this assurance... 

I could no longer sympathize with Lucifer... 

for I saw that he had cast himself down by his own free, wicked will. 

Neither could I feel such anger against Adam. 

On the contrary, I felt great sympathy for him... 

because I thought: It has been thus ordained.

~bron~