DeConick A.D

K
CHAPTER FOUR
Paul and Gnostic Dogma
Bethany Sloane
Bethany Sloane is lying at home in bed, fitfully staring at the ceiling. She
hears a creaking floorboard and grabs a baseball bat from under her pillow.
She peers into the darkness, fanning her bat. Without warning, a violent
explosion of flame bursts forth at the foot of her bed. Alarmed, she stares
into the flames, trying to make out what is going on. She is frightened
by the outlines of a humanlike figure immersed in the flame (figure 4.1).
A booming voice erupts from the flames: “Behold the Metatron, herald
of the Almighty and voice of the One True God!”
Bethany does the only thing she can think of at that moment: she
jumps out of bed and returns momentarily with a fire extinguisher. She
blasts the flames and figure with white retardant, wielding the nozzle
like a pro. Metatron sputters and coughs as he drops to the floor and the
flames disperse.
Bethany yells out, stunned by his presence, “Who the fuck are you and
what the fuck are you doing in my room?!”
Metatron tells her that he is God’s voice, an angel of the highest order.
He unfurls his wings as proof. In disbelief, Bethany wants to know why
God can’t speak for himself. Metatron explains, “Human beings have neither
the aural nor the psychological capacity to withstand the awesome
power of God’s true voice. Were you to hear it, your mind would cave in
and your heart would explode within your chest. We went through five
Adams before we figured that one out.”