Chapter 66

¹ It is necessary, then, to inquire: who was this angel who appeared in the furnace and, as his own children, kept the young men under his arms, and for those within turned the fire into the dew of water, but to those outside assigned his own judgment, as it is written, “With what measure you measure it shall be measured back to you”?

² He was no other—do not be deceived—but this very one who also judged the Egyptians in the water. For in return for their casting the male infants of the Hebrews into the river at that time, in the same manner those men too perished in the sea, justly drowned in the water, so that an equal recompense might be rendered to those who do evil.

³ This was he who received the authority of judgment from the Father; who also rained fire and brimstone upon Sodom and destroyed those men for their lawlessness and wicked impiety.

⁴ Him also Ezekiel confesses to have taken the fire in his hand and to hold it, awaiting the voice of the Father, when He shall command him to cast it upon the world.

⁵ Seeing him, the fire in the furnace shrank back, and seeing his exceedingly radiant light it trembled.

⁶ Concerning him Isaiah says: “And his name is called the Angel of great counsel.”

⁷ Him the Scripture confessed to be also the Angel of God; for he it was who announced to us the mysteries of the Father.

⁸ This one came down together with those around Azarias into the furnace.

⁹ Seeing this angel, the fire recognized its own Master and, taking fright, fled outside the furnace; and for this reason it rose to forty-nine cubits. For, driven from within, it gushed outward, and the midst of the furnace became a fine whistling dew, having within it no smell of fire at all.

¹⁰ For the angel, standing in the furnace, was driving the flame from within outward. And this, being driven, poured out in a circle of the furnace to forty-nine cubits.