The Fifth Heaven

1 And the angel took me and led me from there to a fifth heaven.⁠a 2 And the gate was closed. And I said, Lord, will this gateway not open so that we can enter? And the angel said to me, We cannot enter until Michael comes, who holds the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; but wait and you will see the glory of God. 3 And there was a great sound, like thunder. And I said, Lord, what is this sound?

Michael Receives Human Prayers

4 And he said to me, Michael, the commander of the angels, is now coming down to receive the people's prayers. 5 And a voice called out, Let the gates be opened. And they opened them, and there was a roar like thunder. 6 And Michael came, and the angel who was with me went to meet him and bowed to him and said, Greetings, my commander and commander of our whole order. 7 And the commander Michael said, Greetings to you too, our brother, who explains revelations to those who live virtuously. 8 And after greeting each other in this way, they stood still. And I saw the commander Michael, holding an extremely large vessel; its depth was as great as the distance from heaven to earth, and its width as great as the distance from north to south. And I said, Lord, what is it that Michael the archangel is holding? 9 And he said to me, This is where the merits of the righteous enter, and the good works they do, which are brought into the presence of the heavenly God.