# XXII explained — Festus

> Chapter companion for Festus by Philip James Bailey.

## What happens

Festus and Lucifer engage in a cosmic dialogue about space, eternity, and the nature of God. The Angel of Earth weeps and prophesies doom. Festus recounts a dream of universal judgment and destruction, while Lucifer asserts his role as the shadow of creation. They arrive at Hell.

## Themes in this chapter

### Divine and Human Relationship

Festus contemplates his kinship with God and the nature of divine perfection versus human imperfection.

### The Nature of Evil and Temptation

Lucifer defines himself as the imperfection of the whole and the shadow cast by creation from God's light.

## Character check-ins

### Festus

Questions the nature of space, time, and God; expresses love for earthly things; recounts a dream of judgment.

### Lucifer

Explains space as God's, time as eternal present; describes himself as the shadow of creation and the all of evil.

### Angel of Earth

Weeps and prophesies the death of the universe and the coming of the Lord.

## Key lines

> Space is God’s space: Eternity is His Eternity; His, Heaven. He only holds Perfections which are but the impossible To other beings.

Space and eternity belong to God alone; His perfections are unattainable by any other being.

_Lucifer explains the exclusivity of divine attributes._

> I am the shadow which Creation casts From God’s own light.

I am the darkness that results from God's creative light.

_Lucifer describes his origin as a necessary consequence of creation._

> God made all mind and motion cease; and, lo! The whole was death and peace.

God stopped all thought and movement, and everything became still and dead.

_Festus recounts the beginning of his dream of universal doom._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/festus_se/chapters/xxii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/festus_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/festus_se/chapters