Then Michael said, “Hear me, righteous Abraham.  The sun which Isaac saw is you, his father; the moon likewise is Sarah, his mother; and the shining one who came down out of heaven and took them away is myself.  And now be it known to you that the time is come for you to leave this earthly life and go to God.”  But Abraham said, “Why, here is a marvel indeed!  And are you the one appointed to take my soul from me?” He answered, “I am Michael, the captain of the host of God, and I am sent to speak to you concerning your death.”  Then said Abraham, “I know that you are an angel of God, and that you are sent to take away my soul.  But I shall not follow you!”

When Michael heard that word he vanished away from them and went up to the heavens and stood before the Lord, and told Him what Abraham had said; and the Lord answered, “Return to Abraham My friend and speak yet again to him, Thus saith the Lord:  ’I brought thee out of thy father’s house into the land of promise:  I have blessed thee and increased thee more than the sands of the seashore and more than the stars of heaven.  Why dost thou resist My decree?  Knowest thou not that Adam and Eve died, and all their offspring; none of the forefathers escaped death; they are all of them gone unto the place of spirits, all of them have been gathered by the sickle of death.  And I have not suffered the angel of death to approach thee:  I have not permitted any evil disease to come upon thee, but instead I have sent mine own prince Michael to speak peaceably unto thee, that thou mayest set thine house in order and bless thy son Isaac and depart in peace; and now thou sayest, “I will in nowise follow him.”  Knowest thou not that if I send Death unto thee, thou must needs come whether thou wilt or no?’” So Michael returned to Abraham, and found him weeping, and told him all these words; and Abraham besought him, saying, “Speak yet once again to my Lord and say to Him, ’Thus saith Abraham Thy servant:  Lord, Thou hast been gracious to me all my life long, and now, behold, I do not resist Thy word, for I know that I am a mortal man; but this one thing I ask of Thee, that while I am yet in my body Thou wouldst suffer me to see Thy world and all the creatures that Thou hast made.  Then shall I depart out of this life without any trouble of mind.’” And Michael returned and spake all these words before the Lord, and the Lord said, “Take a cloud of light and angels that have power over the chariots, and bear Abraham in the chariot of the cherubim into the air of heaven and let him see all the world before he dies.”

And it was done; and Michael showed Abraham all the regions of the world.  He saw men ploughing and carting, keeping flocks, dancing, sporting, and playing the harp, wrestling, going to law, weeping, dying, and being carried out to burial:  even all the things that are done in the earth, both good and evil.  And in one place they saw men with swords in their hands, and Abraham asked Michael, “Who are these?”