Timothy Discourse Michael

A Logos. It was proclaimed by the holy Timothy, the Archbishop of Rakote, concerning the honor of the holy Archangel Michael, which is the twelfth of this month of Paone. He also spoke concerning the torments in the punishments and the souls that are in them. He also spoke concerning the repentance of the Anabasis in the peace of God. Bless us. Amen. Amen. Great is the festival today, O my beloved ones. Let us gather together and rejoice and delight, for I see today the great holy Archangel Michael giving us spiritual nourishment, according to the word of the Psalmist David: "Judah, make your festivals, give your gifts." And also: "The angel of the Lord surrounds those who fear him, and he saves them." Now this angel of mercy surrounds those who fear him to save them. He stands and prays to God for them until he restores them to these aeons of light, not only...

the righteous, but also the others who sinned, they set their hearts upon him, until they offered a single offering, one offering, in the name of God and the Archangel Michael. He gave it to the poor, even a single loaf of bread and a single cup of water. He will not forget them forever, the compassionate Michael. If you wish to listen, I will tell you. It happened to me, the humble Timothy, your father. I went up to Jerusalem to worship the Cross of our Savior and the Tomb of the Resurrection, and the holy places where our Savior walked. After that, I went into the house of the mother of Proclus, the disciple of John the Evangelist. I stayed there. I found a book of parchment, which Proclus, the disciple of John, had written. The people in the house had left it as a phylactery. I read it. I found this great consolation, as the Evangelist testified concerning it. It happened to me, he said, I, John, that the angel walked with him... mystery... upon a lake, which was very terrible. That lake was in the midst of the lakes, and its depth and its breadth were greater than all the prisons. I heard many voices.

... in his heart, like the roar of many waters, I asked the angel who was walking with me, "My lord, what is the meaning of this fire? This one I saw, its smoke rising within me, a great smoke of fire, so that the flame of its smoke went up to a height of three hundred stadia. I saw lions of fire wrestling with dragons of fire.

with labors, and with torments, and with the flame of fire, and with the heat, which never sleep, which burn within him, the strength of the serpents' venom, and the millstone of fire, coals upon coals, and embers of fire, burning, and they descend into the abyss of Tartarus, blazing. The angel said to me, "What, O beloved of God, John, have you seen? This punishment, which is more terrible than all punishments, woe to all sinners who will be cast into this punishment, for it is evil. ... all that you have ... and I will tell you its meaning. The millstone of fire which you saw, its wheels descend downward, falling upon the sinners who are within it, consuming them, descending three hundred cubits a day, scarcely can a man turn downward within it, and afterwards they are turned upward again like a wheel in the third year. All the punishments are bound with him, their path is all downward to the pit that is there. I, however, wept greatly at that time over the destruction of the sinners. The angel said to me, 'Do not weep, O beloved of God, John, for behold, today you will see a great wonder through the archangel Michael and his great intercession. Then I will speak with him. Behold, Michael...'

The archangel came outside, sitting in the heavens upon the chariot of the cherubim. The angels were singing before him, and all the righteous were dwelling with him, together with the patriarchs and all the prophets, adorning themselves with great honor and great glory. They held branches in their hands and palm fronds, dancing and singing psalms before him. He came upon the torments of the fire, and the flame seized the soot.

All the wild beasts that were within them became unable to appear outside at that moment. The archangel Michael let down his right hand. A multitude of souls that had not received baptism since the time of the archangel's compassion until the end of his compassion came up. He brought them up into the punishments. He scattered them upon the earth. He filled twelve measures. Again, the mighty Michael let down his right hand. He took a multitude of souls, more than the first time. He brought them up. He said, "Afterwards, all the cherubim and seraphim and all the righteous who had come out prostrated themselves before him, dwelling near him. They entreated him to let down a third time. The compassionate one, Michael, brought up a multitude of souls, more than before. He saved them from the punishments that cannot be counted. At that moment, the angels and all the righteous who had come with Michael took hold of them. ... to Jerusalem ... Michael ... before the father of goodness. All the souls worshipped him. At that moment, the archangel Michael took them into the eternal rest. But I, John, marveled.

Blessed are you, for the mercy of God and the archangel Michael. I have given glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and I have received grace from God and the archangel Michael. The angel who walks with me said, "O John, beloved of God, pay attention to the day, which is the day of the feast of the archangel Michael, the first, which is the twelfth of Hathor.

The Father appointed him over the kingdom of the heavens because of the victory which he had won over her, for he bound the enemy who rebels against his master. The second, which is Saturday and Sunday of the week, he gave as this great gift, which is without end forever. [four lines wanting] When they saw the wickedness which the Jews had done to him, so that the heaven of the heavens could not bear his grief. When he arose, however, from among the dead, Michael was the one who suffered with him at the door of the tomb until he reached the underworld. Michael also was the one who bound Beliar by the command of his master, and all the captivity over which the devil tyrannized them. He brought them to the Savior. Because of this, our Savior went up to the Father with the captivity. After the resurrection, the Father rejoiced over his beloved son. He embraced him, granted him the authority to judge the living and the dead. His authority is the authority of the Godhead from these ages unto eternity. Then the son of the Good One, Jesus Christ, invested Michael with great glory, which cannot be spoken of, more than the first time when he appointed him archon over the kingdom of the heavens.

...of gifts, he gives a garment...over all the punishments. And each one of the angels clothes himself well in their places. But when the archangel Michael comes out from the outside of the Father's abode, all the ranks of the heavens gather to him, from Adam, his creation, dancing and singing before the archangel Michael, as you saw them, O theologian John, until he comes over all the punishments. At that hour, the path of all the punishments opens out to the great punishment, which is grievous, exceedingly terrible. All the souls that are in the punishments gather together into this one pit, once a year, according to the mercy of God the Father. And the commander-in-chief Michael comes over the punishments and lowers his right hand downward three times, and he brings up a multitude of souls, and he honors them on the earth. For each time he fills his hand with souls of this kind, their number amounts to a hundred and two hundred, three hundred and eight hundred, first... sins... and the poor, and those who kept the resurrection of our Lord, which is the Lord's Day.

...up to a single piece of bread and a cup of wine on the holy day of the Lord's day, the offering, he brings them up in the name of the archangel Michael, up to those who have shown mercy and to the poor, with a single piece of bread he gives to one of those who are in need in the name of God and the archangel Michael. And our Lord Jesus Christ calls that punishment there, so that they might obtain a rest, whether Christian, or pagan, or Jew, who have partaken of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. God will not abandon them, and immediately all the righteous and the powers in the heavens entreat the archangel Michael, as you have seen them now, so that he might intercede for any soul that has made remembrance of their name upon the earth. And after these things, a second time he does likewise in this manner, up to...

...he brings the likeness of the holy ones, and the mercy of God, and he does it in this way, the archangel Michael, from the resurrection of our Lord until today, and also he does not cease to do it according to the twelfth of the month until the end of this age, and after these things he takes them into the sanctuary, each one according to his worth. Again, also he goes into the sanctuary on the same day, Michael, he prostrates himself before the father, he worships him, not rising until the father receives his supplication from his hand. He administers the provision of men and beasts and the water of the river. For the angels who are over the authorities of the earth gather together all of them according to the twelfth of the month outside the sanctuary of the father until the archangel Michael comes out from the inner side of the sanctuary. Immediately they see his face, the angels of the same kind as the garment which the father placed upon him, the goodness, they know immediately, the angels who are over the works of the earth...the things that will happen on the earth through the same kind of garment which is upon Michael, the angels rejoice with great joy because of all the humanity which God the father...

...he brings the likeness of the holy ones, and the mercy of God, and he does it in this way, the archangel Michael, from the resurrection of our Lord until today, and also he does not cease to do it according to the twe He intercedes for them through the petitions of the merciful Michael. He administered their resurrection. He caused the ascension to take place for men and beasts. Now then, O John, blessed are those who will remember the poor in the name of the archangel Michael. I say to you, O John, that if a man takes care of this book of this commandment of this kind, and writes it, and gives it into the church in the name of

...the archangel Michael, or he makes an offering to the house of God, or he lights a lamp of oil in the church in the name of the archangel Michael, or he burns incense and sends it up for the sake of his name, simply, even a single loaf of bread, he gives it for his remembrance. If it is a greater sin than anyone else, or if it is negligence now, when he goes out from the body, he will be in the punishments, and he will not see the torments in the punishment that he is in, because of the mercy that he does in the name of the archangel Michael. But he is in the punishments like one who is in a house that is hidden, until God finds his inquiry and does mercy with him, and they bring him up from the punishments, and they take him to the place of rest through the intercessions of Michael. Now then, O beloved John of God, if a man takes care of this covenant that is under glory, and writes it and brings it into the church in the name of the archangel Michael, or writes it and places it under his hand so that no illness, plague, or evil beast may enter into the house that is within it forever, nor upon his cattle, nor in his field, nor in his trees, nor shall any locusts afflict them through any wild animal, nor the weevil, nor the rust.

...upon his field, nor will blight occur in his house, nor upon his children, nor upon his children's children, down to the fourth generation, because the name of Michael will be upon them like a strong weapon. If a man writes these glorious letters upon his house, which are these: Ω, Ν, Η, Α, Ι, Γ, Υ, Η, Γ, Χ, Η, Θ, Ρ, Η, Δ, Χ, Μ (or Χ, Ν)...

...nor will any of the pantikoinenos go upon that house, nor will the counsel of evil men have power against him. But let everyone who will write for himself the phylaktērion keep it, lest they leave it in a place where there is corruption within it, for the power of these names is great and wondrous. Now when the angel of the Lord sent these things, he brought them down upon the earth. I, John, stood upon the Mount of Olives, and he went up into the heavens. And I marveled greatly at the things that were revealed to me. I glorified God and his great archangel Michael. I found them in Jerusalem, in the house of the mother of the prochoros, the disciple of John the Evangelist. I, our father Timothy, turned them to my city of Rakote with great joy. Now therefore, O my beloved, as long as we have heard these great things from the mouth of the angel, as the evangelist testified to us, now therefore do not be negligent in showing mercy to the poor and those in need, each according to his ability, in the name of the archangel Michael, through intercession.

...Michael, we have this great boldness before our Lord. We are these wretched sinners. We seek the intercession of Michael in the water of this river, and in the desert, and in the evil death. We seek the intercession of Michael in the mixture of the air and

...of the fruits of the earth, we seek the intercession of Michael in the food that is pleasant, of the icon, we seek the intercession of Michael in the wine that is sweet, and the rest of the foods that are sweet, of the icon, and the rest of all those that are sweet, for the agape of God. If you wish that the name of Michael protect you in any temptation, you shall write the name of Michael upon the four corners of your house, within and without, and also upon the lintel of your door, so that he may guard you from any evil that may arise to fulfill the hidden and the revealed. You shall write the name of Michael upon the table from which you eat, upon the bread... you shall also write upon the plate from which you eat, so that he may give a blessing to your mouth, and you shall also write upon the cup from which you drink, so that he may become for you a joy and gladness, without measure, and without sorrow. It is not the time for wine that we sing psalms, that we chant hymns, according to the word of Paul: "Let him who is sober sing psalms." Who is the man of strength in his power and his wisdom? Is it not this one of whom the psalmist said: "The Lord has arisen like a sleeper, like a strong man who is weary"?

...of the wine. A righteous man was Noah; he planted the vine. According to the manner that the Scripture said, that he planted a vineyard, he ate its fruit, he planted. When a man drinks wine, he plants, he produces words of blasphemy and profanity, and moreover he commits fornication, or shamelessness and insolence, while he is drunk, in this street and in the marketplace and in the squares of the city. This is the planting indeed, which is full of shame, which our holy fathers know...

...of the wine. A righteous man was Noah; he planted the vine. According to the manner that the Scripture said, that he planted a vineyard, he ate its fruit, he planted. When a man drinks wine, he plants, he produces wor The rest. Of the wine. It is not possible for us to reach concerning it. O my beloved children of the holy church, this matter indeed... wine. The depth. Let us guard our feet at all times. Let us pray, our faces bowed to the ground, let us entreat, saying, "O Archangel Michael, bow down to the good father, that he may release for us our sins and our transgressions." We beseech you, Michael, intercede with the Lord concerning us, so that he may bless our days and our peaceful years. Our protector Michael entreats the one whose mercy abides in his will, God Almighty, so that the storm that is upon us may be calmed. The compassionate Archangel Michael, beseech the Lord concerning us, that he may bring down the water of the river, so that he may open for us his right hand, which is full of all good things. The merciful God, who gives grace to all flesh, according to what is written, "If you open your hand, they will receive your grace." The Archangel Michael, the commander-in-chief of the power of the Lord, entreats the merciful God, so that he may guard and increase the young children until they come to maturity. We beseech you, the compassionate Archangel Michael, intercede concerning us before the father, that he may release, so that...

...he will guard the name from every temptation of the pantik[eimen]os, and he will not give the opportunity for repentance for salvation, without completing the time in patience. I exhort you, O beloved brothers and the synhedrion of the faithful Christians, so that you may all abstain from every violence, slander, defilement, envy, hatred, pride, theft, hatred, murder, fornication, corruption, impurity, and...

...deceit. You will find, you will raise your hands and your souls, we will give our voice with boldness and purity and a good conscience, to the commander-in-chief of the power of the heavens, Michael. Let it be so for us as well, O brothers, just as we have gathered together into this holy place on this great day. Today he will gather them into his kingdom, and we are all worthy at once, that we may hear the voice of that blessed one there: "Come, you blessed ones of my father, that you may inherit the kingdom that has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world, through the grace and philanthropy of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whose hand there is honor and glory befitting him and his good father and the Holy Spirit, the life-giving and consubstantial one, now and forever." ✠ Through the zeal and diligence of the most pious deacon, whose name God knows, he took care of this book chapter through his own labors, he prepared it and donated it to the monastery of Apa Haron in the mountain of Tbo, so that God, the righteous and blessed Apa Haron, and the patriarch and apostolic Athanasius...

...the archbishop and the archangel Michael. They will bless our God-loving and love-filled people with every perfect blessing, to the spiritual benefit, just as he blessed our fathers the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These, from whom all the nations took their example, he will save and deliver from all the snares of the devil and the evil counsel of wicked men. He will bind him in his patience, and after the theosis, there is this until the holy ones. These, whose memory he brought forth as a gift from their king Christ, they will make him worthy to hear the voice full of every joy and gladness: "Come, blessed ones of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Amen, amen. So be it. Amen. Written in the month of Epiphi, day 20, from Diocletian year 608. From the least of the deacons, this humble one, the son of the blessed Joseph the archdeacon. Pray for me, a sinner. Remember me in love, my fathers and brothers. Here is my repentance. Pray to the Lord for me, that he may grant a small portion for me from my sins, for they are many, and that he may guide me straight to the path of his holy and blessed will. I, Socrates the least, the son...

...the blessed Joseph, the archdeacon of the city of Sne, the city of rest. Forgive him, and forgive me as well, all of you, for all my faults, because I am not thinking rightly, but I am learning at the feet of the teachers. Behold my repentance. Do me the kindness, forgive me. I have written this book in this year, this one, the seal of the sixty-first (?) and a great miracle occurred.

...in the river of death. In the hour of the sixth day, they prepared for us a place to rest, filling them with water. Afterwards, he submerged until he submerged twice, filling them with water by means of the vessels that make them for us. Our mother, the holy Mary, all of us, God found our request through his mercy within...of Mesore...