The Testament of Abraham

Now the archistrategos, having received the Lord’s admonitions, descended to Abraham. And when the righteous man saw him, he fell on his face to the ground like a dead person.

But the archistrategos told him all that he had heard from the Most High. Then the holy and righteous Abraham arose with many tears, fell at the feet of the bodiless one, and implored him, saying,

“I beg you, archistrategos of the heavenly powers, since you have deemed it worthy to come yourself to me, your sinful and unworthy servant, day by day, I entreat you even now, archistrategos, to render service for me yet once more with a word to the Most High, and you shall say to him:

‘Thus says Abraham your servant: “Lord, Lord, in every deed and word that I asked of you, you heard me, and you fulfilled all my counsel.”

“And now, Lord, I do not resist your power, for I also know that I am not immortal but mortal. Since, therefore, everything yields to your command and shudders and trembles at the presence of your power, I also fear, but I ask one request from you.

And now, Master Lord, hear my supplication, for while I am still in this body, I wish to see all the inhabited world and all the creations that you established by a single word, Master. And when I see these things, then if I depart from life, I will be without grief.” ’ ”

So the archistrategos went again and stood before God and reported everything to him, saying, “Thus says your friend Abraham: ‘I wanted to gaze upon all the inhabited world in my life, before I die.’ ”

And when the Most High heard these things, he again commanded the archistrategos Michael and said to him, “Take a cloud of light, and angels who have authority over chariots, and descend and take the righteous Abraham on a cherubic chariot and lift him up into the ether of heaven, so that he may see all the inhabited world.”