3 Enoch Chapter 48A: Modernized English & Source Wording

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Rabbi Ishmael the Right Hand of the Most High, now inactive behind Him, but in the future destined to work the deliverance of Israel Rabbi Ishmael said: Metatron said to me:

¹ Come, and I will show you the Right Hand of MAQOM, laid behind (Him) because of the destruction of the Holy Temple; from which all kinds of splendor and light shine forth and by which the 955 heavens were created; and whom not even the Seraphim and the 'Ophannim are permitted (to see), until the day of salvation will arrive.

² And I went by his side and he took me by his hand and showed me (the Right Hand of MAQOM), with all manner of praise, rejoicing and song: and no mouth can tell its praise, and no eye can see it, because of its greatness, dignity, majesty, glory and beauty.

³ And not only that, but all the souls of the righteous who are counted worthy to see the joy of Jerusalem, they are standing by it, praising and praying before it three times every day, saying (Is.li.9): "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord" according as it is written (Is. Ixiii. 12): "He caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses".

⁴ In that moment the Right Hand of MAQOM was weeping. And there went out from its five fingers five rivers of tears and fell down into the great sea and shook the whole world, according as it is written (Is. xxiv. 19, 20): "The earth is utterly broken

¹ , the earth is clean dissolved

² , the earth is moved extremely

³ , the earth will stagger like a drunken man

⁴ and will be moved back and forth like a hut

⁵ ", five times corresponding to the fingers of his Great Right Hand.

⁵ But when the Holy One, blessed be he, sees, that there is no righteous man in the generation, and no pious man (Chasid] on earth, and no justice in the hands of men; and (that there is) no man like to Moses, and no intercessor as Samuel who could pray before MAQOM for the salvation and for the deliverance, and for His Kingdom, that it be revealed in the whole world; and for His great Right Hand that He put it before Himself again to work great salvation by it for Israel,

⁶ then immediately will the Holy One, blessed be he, remember His own justice, favor, mercy and grace: and He will deliver His great Arm by himself, and His righteousness will support Him. According as it is written (Is. lix. 16): "And he saw, that there was no man" (that is:) like to Moses who prayed countless times for Israel in the desert and averted the (Divine) decrees from them" and he wondered, that there was no intercessor" like to Samuel who intreated the Holy One, blessed be he, and called to Him and he answered him and fulfilled his desire, even if it was not fit (in accordance with the Divine plan), according as it is written (i Sam. xii. 17): "Is it not wheat-harvest today? I will call to the Lord".

⁷ And not only that, but He joined fellowship with Moses in every place, as it is written (Ps.xcix.6): "Moses and Aaron among His priests." And again it is written (Jer. xv. i): "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me" (Is. Ixiii. 5): "My own arm brought salvation to me".

⁸ Said the Holy One, blessed be he in that hour: " How long will I wait for the human beings to work salvation according to their righteousness for my arm? For my own sake and for the sake of my merit and righteousness will I deliver my arm and by it redeem my children from among the nations of the world. As it is written (Is. xlviii. n): "For my own sake will I do it. For how should my name be profaned".

⁹ In that moment will the Holy One, blessed be he, reveal His Great Arm and show it to the nations of the world: for its length is as the length of the world and its breadth is as the width of the world. And the appearance of its splendor is like to the splendor of the sunshine in its might, in the summer solstice.

¹⁰ Immediately Israel will be saved from among the nations of the world. And Messiah will appear to them and He will bring them up to Jerusalem with great joy. And not only that but Israel will come from the four quarters of the World and eat with Messiah. But the nations of the world will not eat with them, as it is written (Is. Hi. 10): "The Lord has made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God". And again (Deut. xxxii. 12): "The Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him". (Zech. xiv. 9): "And the Lord will be king over all the earth".