¹And the angel took me and led me thence unto a fifth heaven. And the gate was closed. And I said, Lord, is not this gateway opened that we may enter? And the angel said unto me, We cannot enter until Michael cometh, who holdeth the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; but wait and thou shalt behold the glory of God. And there was a great sound, as thunder. And I said, Lord, what is this sound?

²And he said unto me, Even now Michael, the commander of the angels, cometh down to receive the prayers of men. And behold a voice came, Let the gates be opened. And they opened them, and there was a roar as of thunder. And Michael came, and the angel who was with me came face to face with him and said, Hail, my commander, and that of all our order. And the commander Michael said, Hail thou also, our brother, and the interpreter of the revelations unto those who pass through life virtuously. And having saluted one another thus, they stood still. And I beheld the commander Michael, holding an exceedingly great vessel; its depth was as great as the distance from heaven to earth, and its breadth as great as the distance from north to south. And I said, Lord, what is that which Michael the archangel holdeth? And he said unto me, This is whither the merits of the righteous enter, and such good works as they do, which are escorted before the heavenly God.