The Investiture of the Archangel Michael (AKA
The Enthronement of Michael) is a
Coptic text framed as a dialogue between Jesus and the apostles on the Mount of
Olives, where Jesus is said to speak openly without hiding anything from them,
and the earliest manuscript is dated to the ninth century AD. It contains some
rather interesting passages which present a high view of Adam and the archangel
Michael (note: the text distinguishes the persons of Michael and Adam, contra
LDS theology).
In chapter
3, we have a section where the angels worship Adam:
|
M593 (MICH.AW) |
M614 (MICH.AX) |
|
25 “After these things my Father
called upon Adam, saying, ‘Adam, ‘Adam.’ Adam replied saying, ‘Bless me, my
Lord.’ 26 Now, the first day (9) Adam worshipped there was not a
single angel who continued what they were doing in heaven and the earth, but
all of them came, and they all cried out, while standing upright, ‘Amen,
Amen!’ 27 My Father said to all the angels and archangels and the
cherubim and the seraphim and the twenty-four elders and the entire angelic
host, ‘Come and worship Adam, who is my likeness and my image.’ 28
They all replies and said, ‘We will worship him, our Lord and our King.’
Immediately the heavens rained fragrance upon the body of Adam. They
worshipped him, saying, ‘Blessed are we, for we have been worthy to see you,
O image of our King. Amen!’ |
25 “Afterwards my Father called
upon Adam, saying, ‘Adam, Adam.’ Adam replied, ‘Bless me, my Lord!’ 26
The first day when Adam spoke, not a single angel continued what they were
doing in heaven until they had all come and stood before God crying out, ‘Amen!’
27 My Father said to the angels and the archangels and the cherubim
and the seraphim and the twenty-four elders and the entire angelic host, ‘Come
and see, and worship my likeness and my image!’ 28 They replied, ‘We
will worship, O our Lord and our King.’ Immediately the heavens opened and a
great (7) fragrance came upon the body of Adam. They worshipped him, saying, ‘We
worship you. Blessed are we for we have been worthy to see you, O image of
our King!’ |
(Hugo
Lundhaug, “The Investiture of the Archangel Michael: A translation and
introduction,” in Tony Burke, ed. New
Testament Apocrypha, Volume 2: More Noncanonical Scriptures [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2020], 499-552, here,
pp. 512-13)
Elsewhere,
in chapter 6, we read of Michael’s intercession on behalf of humanity wherein
the Father’s wrath is propitiated thereby:
|
M593 (MICH.AW) |
M614 (MICH.AX) |
|
15 “Because every angel that I
made is appointed, each one, to his rank, those of the day and those of the
night, those of the dew and those of the air and those belonging to everything.
16 But we appointed Michael over this race, namely humans, in
order for him to pray for the entire image of God always. 17 And
Michael has no (17) other task than to pray for the souls of men always, for
he is an angel that is better than all the (other) angels that I have made, I
and my Father, for on that day the Father gazes down upon the earth and sees
these great abominations that humans do, and he is angry and brings wrath
upon the earth and he wipes them out, from man to beast. 18 And Michael makes haste and
takes his trumpet, which is thirty cubits long, and blows it, and the angels
in the heaven all gather together and spread fragrance, and Michael bows down
and prays and weeps for the humans who are sinning. 19 And the
Father sees Michael weeping and turns back his wrath because of him. Because
it never happens that Michael prays to the Father and he rejects his prayer,
for he is a good and gentle angel. For it is because of Michael that the sun,
this great minister, rises. 20 When the angels see a man who is a
sinner they become filled with fire, wanting to obliterate them. Michael sees
them and summons them, saying, 21 ‘O obedient angels, stop being
angry with the humans like this, (18) for this cruel devil has led them
astray. Do you not see that the Father of all things was not able to rise from
beneath him until he was thrown down upon the earth and he caused these great
wars to happen?’ 22 “Hearing these things they
calmed down and said, ‘It is because of you that all humans live, O Michael!
Michael is our pride, Michael is our chief.’ 23 Immediately
Michael replies, saying ‘O holy angels, may the one you worship together,
which is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, place mercy within you
towards the entire image of God, which he made according to his likeness and
his image.’ And thus they all reply, ‘Amen.’ 24 “Behold, then, I have revealed
everything to you, O my blessed disciples, because you are the sons of light.
The light has told you everything, which is I, the light.” 25 The apostles all replied,
saying, “May the hour when we were born into the world become blessed until
we hear the sweetness of your divinity.” |
15 “Because every angel that we
made we appointed each one to his rank, those of the day and those of the
night, those of the dew and those of the air, and those of the winds and
those of the fruits, simply to everything. 16 But it was Michael
whom we appointed over the race of humans, praying to God always for his
creation, that is our likeness and our image. 17 Michael has no
other task than to pray for the souls always, for he is an angel that is
better than all the (other) angels. I and my Father looked out upon the
earth. When we (13) see these great iniquities that humans do, my Father is
angry and wants to bring wrath upon the earth and wipe them all out, from man
to beast. 18 “Michael makes haste and takes
his trumpet and trumpets, and the angels that are in the aeons of light
gather and spread fragrance, and Michael bows down and prays for the children
of men. 19 My Father sees Michael weeping and turns back his anger
because of him. Because it never happens that Michael prays to my Father and
he rejects his prayer, for it is because of Michael that the sun, the great
minister, rises over the earth. 20 When the angels see one who is
sinning they fill him with fire waning to obliterate him. Michael says to
them, 21 ‘O obedient angels, why are you angry with the humans whom
the arrogant devil leads astray? Do you not understand that the Father of all
things was not able to rise from beneath him until he threw him down upon the
earth and he caused these great wars to happen?’ 22 “When they hear these things
they calm down, saying, ‘It is because of you that all humans live, O Michael
our commander-in-chief!’ 23 Michael answers, saying, ‘O holy
angels, may the one you worship together place his mercies within you towards
his image.’ They all reply, ‘Amen.’ 24 “Behold, O my blessed
disciples, I have revealed everything to you, for you are the sons (14) of
light.” 25 The apostles replied, “May the
hour when you were born into the world become blessed forever.” |
(Ibid.,
519-20)
Further Reading
Matthew Roper,
Adam
in Ancient Texts and the Restoration
