Monday, December 6, 2021

Richard Clarke (1609): Michael being the True High Priest of the Heavenly Altar

  

Myst. All Mysteries of the Kingdom of Christ will conclude in Blessings. But I wave this now—The Birth of this Son, and his immediate Assumption to the Throne of God, from his Mother's Womb, must be again illustrated by the Prophet Daniel. He was favoured with the Knowledge of one whom he calls like the Son of Man; and whom he saw conveyed in the Clouds of Heaven to the Ancient of Days. John reveals the Woman, from whom he was taken, where we find the Seed of the Woman in the first Promise after the Fall. He knew too, that this Son was immediately on his Exaltation to the Throne of God called Michael, that is, who is as God, and was placed over the Head of the Angels and ministering Spirits before the Throne of the Ancient of Days, as is shewn by Daniel.—Do not your Forefathers confess the Fall of Lucifer, and the Reservation of one chosen Seed, or Son; and that the Ancient of Days is the most high God, called the Elder of the Elders, who sits on the Throne of Glory as described by that Prophet?

 

Men. All these Points are confessed. We allow too, that Michael is the true High Priest who ministers at the Altar above: that he is the High Priest in Heaven who abounds in Mercy: and as there is an High Priest below, so there is Michael the great Prince above, answering to all that he below executes in his Office. Even in the Talmud grant as much, as may be seen by this Passage in Chagiga: In that Habitation, where Jerusalem and the House of the Sanctuary, and the Altar are built, Michael the great Prince stands, and offers the Oblation continually.—It is also expressed thus in our Book Sohar on the Words of Daniel. He cometh with the Clouds of Heaven as the Son of man: The King Messiah is here understood. And in another noted Place in the Talmud, Sanhedrim fol. 98. speaking of the Prophecy of Zechariah, Ch. ix. 9. and of Daniel Ch. vii. 13. it is said: "If the Israelites behave will or righteously, Messiah will come in the Clouds of Heaven; but if they make themselves unworthy, he will come in a humbler Form, and sitting on the Ass. (Richard Clarke, A Series of Dialogues, Addressed to the Jews In the 35th Jubilee of their Dispersion and Captivity [London: J. Wilkie, 1609], 3-5)

 

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