The Testament of Abraham

And Abraham said, "My Lord Archistrategos, who is this judge, so wondrous? And who are the angels who are recording? And who is the sun-shaped angel holding the balance? And who is the fiery angel holding the fire?"

And the Archistrategos said, "Do you see, most holy Abraham, the terrible man sitting on the throne? This is the son of Adam, the first-formed, who is called Abel, whom the wicked Cain killed.

And he sits here to judge all creation and to convict the righteous and the sinners. For God said, 'I do not judge you, but every human will be judged by a human.'

For this reason, he has given him judgment, to judge the world until his great and glorious coming. And then, righteous Abraham, a perfect judgment and recompense occurs, eternal and unchangeable, which no one can overturn.

For every human being has been born from the first-formed, and therefore, here first they are judged by his son.

And at the second coming, they will be judged by the twelve tribes of Israel, and every breath and every creature.

And third, they will be judged by the Lord God of all, and then finally the end of that judgment is near, and the verdict is terrible, and no one can annul it.

And so, through three tribunals, the judgment of the world and the recompense occur. And for this reason, a word is not finally secured upon one or two witnesses; but upon three witnesses every word will be established.

The two angels, the one on the right and the one on the left, these are the ones who record sins and righteous deeds. The one on the right records righteous deeds, and the one on the left records sins.

And the sun-shaped angel, holding the balance in his hand, this is Doqiel the archangel, the righteous weigher, and he weighs righteous deeds and sins according to the righteousness of God.

And the fiery and merciless angel, holding the fire in his hand, this is Pyrouel the archangel, who has authority over the fire, and he tests the works of humankind by fire.

And if the fire burns up anyone's work, immediately the angel of judgment takes him and leads him away to the place of sinners, a most bitter punishment.

But if the fire tests anyone's work and does not touch it, this one is justified, and the angel of righteousness takes him and brings him up to be saved in the lot of the righteous.

And thus, most righteous Abraham, all things in all respects are tested by fire and by scale.