The 8th Angel & The Testament of Levi

The 8th Angel & The Testament of Levi

"The Angelic Council" - Icon of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Seven Archangels surround "Christ - Immanuel" who is depicted here as "Youth" (Na'ar - 3 Enoch)

Disclaimer: President Nelson recently prophesied that in the coming days, "it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost." Now, more than ever, is the time to pray to recognize truth. Though, this article is not official doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please pray earnestly before reading that you may hear and recognize not only the power of the Holy Ghost but also the identity of the Holy Ghost.


Introduction

After writing the last article, The Son of Man, I sort of felt like, "OK I'm done." What else is there at this point? The Seven Levels of Mankind establish who we are, where we are on our eternal journey and who the Davidic Servant is, and where he is on his eternal journey. The articles I've written on the Davidic Servant establish him as the Lord's heir who is to be revealed in the end times who has been hidden from the foundation of the world. What now?

I've had several experiences over the last few years where I struggled at making a connection - the spirit was gently nudging in a direction, and due to traditional understanding and cognitive dissonance, I held on to beliefs of which I was being prompted to let go. The Lord who wears red is not Jesus Christ. The Son of Man in Matthew 24 and Luke 17 is not Jesus Christ. These are not beliefs easily cast aside. But the immense beauty of the truth - that the Lord Jesus Christ is shining the light of His Atonement - not upon Himself but upon His heir as symbolized by the young Colt Jesus led into Jerusalem.


Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.



This brought tears to my eyes as I read. So many give glory to the Lord, and rightly so, for the Atonement. Yet, the Lord gives glory to the Father and descends below all to elevate His most beloved Son. Indeed the term "My Holy Spirit" signifies a son of spiritual begetting - a man made holy by the Atonement of Jesus Christ - the spiritually begotten son. This is the pattern of Gods hiding in plain sight. "Behold thy King cometh unto to thee" is at the very least layered in meaning; however were one to ask Jesus who the King is ...

Well, let's see how He responded to this question:


John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.


The most intelligent of us all never admits to being the King here. A careful read will see he is in fact pointing back to "His" voice. The Angel of the Lord gave this key of understanding to Moses. 



Exodus 3:16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.


The Angel of the Lord, who is the "mouth of Jehovah" all across the New Testament and Book of Mormon, tells Moses that Aaron is to him a mouth; and, to Aaron, Moses is God. This is the heavenly pattern to which Jesus refers when he says, "Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." Who has been the voice of Jehovah all throughout the Old Testament and up through the Book of Revelation - the Angel of the Lord. The angel John worships twice at the end of Revelation, of which we only have a partial account.

What a seemingly random thing to say in response to "Art thou a King then?" Jesus doesn't concede by saying, "To this end was I born." That would be a concession if that's all He said. The end of the sentence is the end to which He is born "that I should bear witness unto the truth." And what truth is that? That "every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." And who is the voice of Jehovah? The King. The King that is represented by the young male colt that Jesus led into Jerusalem. The greatest product of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the Holy Ghost Himself. We know Jesus is the only perfect being to be born upon this Earth - of course the Holy Ghost - who the Lord calls "righteousness" is not perfection. His perfection purchases the right of rule for an imperfect being - a man who sits upon the throne of rule to become a God.


Zechariah 9:9 ¶ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.


If this English translation is correct, there are two Kings here - the one who rides upon a donkey and the one who rides upon the young colt. The rider of the young colt? Invisible. Neither does the invisible rider witness of himself nor does the Lord of Hosts witness of Himself. Jesus gives glory to the Father and exalts and witnesses of the Holy Ghost as He does in John 14 - 16. Behold, Daughter of Zion - they King cometh unto thee. For He is meek and glorifies and exalts not Himself but others.

While editing this article, I researched Zechariah 9:9 - there absolutely is a conjunction in Hebrew ( וְעַל־ ) that is almost always translated as "and." Yet the various Christian Bibles out there all get rid of the conjunction in an attempt to conflate the meaning to one rider. Plain and precious.


As with the article, Discourse on Abbaton, I will post text and commentary; and, though I will share large portions of The Testament of Levi, I will not be sharing the book in its entirety (which you can read here.) 

Before I introduce the text, I must point out again that the very first article on this site makes the claim that the Davidic Servant is the 8th being in authority below the seven principal archangels. The Testament of Levi is yet another apocryphon that underscores both the identity of the High Priest of Israel and the identity of the Davidic Servant and links them to the 8th after a series of seven holy individuals. The two olive trees of Zechariah 4, to which John refers regarding the two witnesses in Revelation 11, flank a seven-candled menorah - all of which receive oil from a golden bowl. I believe the two olive trees are the 8th and 9th angels in authority. The candlestick represents the seven, and the golden bowl is Jehovah Himself. Perhaps I'll write a breakdown of Zechariah 4 and Revelation itself some day on this site. However, suffice it to say for the purposes of this article, that the clues of there being an 8th angel in authority who is inheriting a crown is littered all over the scriptures, hiding in plain sight. These apocryphal works merely underscore this understanding.


Introduction to The Testament of Levi

Holland, circa 1590 Series: The Twelve Sons of Jacob

The Testament of Levi is one of the twelve testaments from the apocryphon: The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs that hails from the Oskan Armenian Orthodox Bible of 1666.

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs is a constituent of the apocryphal scriptures connected with the Bible. It is a pseudepigraphical work comprising the dying commands of the twelve sons of Jacob. It is part of the Oskan Armenian Orthodox Bible of 1666. Fragments of similar writings were found at Qumran, but opinions are divided as to whether these are the same texts. It is considered apocalyptic literature. ~ Wikipedia

Two of the twelve testaments are linked to discoveries among the Dead Sea Scrolls (see Wikipedia article linked above.) The Testament of Naphtali is rather intact, whereas The Testament of Levi is linked to a greatly-fragmented Aramaic Testament of Levi - you can see the whole text here.) Still, the fact these apocryphal testaments trace back to the era of the Dead Sea Scrolls - 200-300 BC - is very promising. Of course, scholars presume this is when these testaments must have been written and then go on to moronically attempt to assign the ideologies of these works squarely to the beliefs of the occupants of Qumran as though they wrote these works from scratch. Such is the case among the scholarly world where I don't believe I have ever seen any scholar even entertain the idea that sacred books ever predate the oldest-found manuscript. 

However, looking at The Testament of Levi from a spiritual, rather than scholarly, perspective is truly amazing. And, though we will take a closer look at these spiritual evidences (that culminate in yet another witness of the office of High Priest of Israel pointing to the Davidic Servant and yet another witness of the Davidic Servant being the 8th in authority below the 7 patriarchs,) I do suggest a read through at least the introduction of the Wikipedia article. Many apocryphal works have suffered due to whether the Jews felt they supported a Christian narrative or whether Chrisitians felt they supported their own narrative.

In the 13th century they [The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs] were introduced into the West through the agency of Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln, whose Latin translation of the work immediately became popular. He believed that it was a genuine work of the twelve sons of Jacob, and that the Christian interpolations were a genuine product of Jewish prophecy; he accused Jews of concealing the Testaments "on account of the prophecies of the Saviour contained in them." ~ Wikipedia

Given the above, reader beware that some believe Christian interpolations have been added to the text. Also, consider that others have believed The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs to be a genuine work. Please read by the Spirit. I will give my own witness at the end.

Chapter 2-8 involves Levi being taken to heaven and promised the priesthood forever, and then seven angels physically give him the insignia of the priesthood (as described in Exodus). This part parallels the beginning and end of a vision in the Aramaic Levi Document, whence the body of the vision is now lost; and is thought to preserve that part of the text.[10]

In chapters 14-18 Levi cites a "book of Enoch", describing the sins of his descendants, with the promise that at the end there will be a glorious priest who will restore the righteousness of his office. The tropes of Levi's "Book" match those of the "Apocalypse of Weeks" in 1 Enoch.[11] ~ Wikipedia

Incredibly, The Testament of Levi  parallels 1 Enoch in describing "a glorious priest who will restore the righteousness of his office." Righteousness is the key word of the Davidic Servant across the scriptures. Jesus is perfection. The touchiness by Jews who have rejected these prophecies out of fear of Christianity is deeply ironic for the "glorious priest" prophecies are not of Jesus Christ but of the Davidic Servant for whom the Jews continue to wait.

If you are current on your reading on this site, you may have noticed that the Wikipedia summary above has already pointed out that 7 angels promise the Priesthood to Levi and promise him there will be Priest of righteousness of his  office. Of course, the case has been many here that the office of High Priest of Israel points to the lesser God, the Holy Ghost, who is the Davidic Servant. Jesus is the Great High Priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood. This is common knowledge among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, ask any member, "To whom does the office of High Priest of Israel point?" You may get shaky answers about Jesus, or perhaps the living prophet. However, you will see quickly that few have even wondered at this mystery.


The Testament of Levi



CHAPTER 1 

1 The copy of the words of Levi, the things which he ordained unto his sons, according to all that they should do, and what things should befall them until the day of judgement. 

In the very first verse, we're given the apocalyptic nature of this scripture along with the scope of the context including the events right up until the day of judgement. Adam did the same with his posterity before his death. 

5 Then there fell upon me a sleep, and I beheld a high mountain, and I was upon it. 

6 And behold the heavens were opened, and an angel of God said to me, Levi, enter. 

7 And I entered from the first heaven, and I saw there a great sea hanging. 

8 And further, I saw a second heaven far brighter and more brilliant, for there was a boundless height also therein. 

9 And I said to the angel, Why is this so ? And the angel said to me, Marvel not at this, for thou shalt see another heaven more brilliant and incomparable. 

Doubtless, this is the Angel of the Lord - the Angel who bears the ineffable name (Exodus 23:21,) of whom we have modern revelation that confirms his solo mission as Israel's advocate (D&C 103:17-20.) This is yet another question that seemingly nobody even wonders at: Who is the angel of Exodus 23 and D&C 103 with whom the Lord entrusted the care of Israel's exodus and who bears the ineffable name? What does it mean to bear the ineffable name? Is that not what a son - what an inheritor - does?

Another interesting element above, is layered heavens as is evident in the Bible, 1 Enoch, 3 Enoch, the Ascension of Isaiah, and in modern scripture.

"Paul ascended into the third heavens, and he could understand the three principal rounds of Jacob's ladder—the telestial, the terrestrial, and the celestial glories or kingdoms, where Paul saw and heard things which were not lawful for him to utter. I could explain a hundred fold more than I ever have of the glories of the kingdoms manifested to me in the vision, were I permitted, and were the people prepared to receive them." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,  p.304)

10 And when thou hast ascended thither, Thou shalt stand near the Lord, And shalt be His minister, And shalt declare His mysteries to men, And shaft [sic] proclaim concerning Him that shall redeem Israel. 

11 And by thee and Judah shall the Lord appear among men, Saving every race of men. 

12 And from the Lord's portion shall be thy life, And He shall be thy field and vineyard, And fruits, gold, and silver. 

So, Levi will stand near the Lord and shall declare the mysteries to men. This is the role of the Angel of the Lord who is the "Mouth of Jehovah," who gave the key of this understanding to Moses and Aaron who are a clear symbol themselves of the relationship between Jehovah and His angel. Let's look at Exodus 4:16 again, where the Angel is speaking to Moses:

Exodus 4:16 And he (Aaron) shall be thy (Moses') spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

In verses 11 and 12, the Angel (very likely the same angel speaking to Moses) tells Levi that by Levi and Judah shall Jesus appear among men, saving all. This is the Greater work of Jehovah to the Lesser of the Davidic Servant. It seems that the Angel is saying Jesus will also have the lineage of Levi. There appears evidence that the Davidic Servant will also have the blood of Levi running through his veins.

Skipping the next few verses that suggest there are more heavens than the three mentioned so far, the Angel says this of the highest:



CHAPTER 3 

4 And in the highest of all dwelleth the Great Glory, far above all holiness. 

5 In the heaven next to it are the archangels, who minister and make propitiation to the Lord for all the sins of ignorance of the righteous; 

Though the heavens aren't numbered here, other apocryphal works such as 1 Enoch, 3 Enoch, and the Ascension of Isaiah name seven heavens. Assuming this highest heaven is the seventh, this is the abode of the Archangels of whom we know there are seven. This is the order of Kings. 

7 And in the heaven below this are the angels who bear answers to the angels of the presence of the Lord. 

Which order of angels are both just below the seventh heaven and below the seven archangels in authority? Why, the Seraphim of Isaiah six who have six wings and who occupy the sixth order of mankind. This is the first order of mankind who has eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand. When asked why the Lord speaks in parables, He tells His Apostles that only some are given to know the mysteries and quotes Isaiah six (Matthew 13.) He then aligns the Apostles to this order of mankind when He tells them they have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand. This is the order of priests to which we are ordained to become in the Holy Temple. Bearing answers aligns nicely to their ability to see, hear, and understand.

8 And in the heaven next to this are thrones and dominions, in which always they offer praise to God. 

In verse 8, we have the fifth heaven which aligns to the Israelites who were reserved until the end to preach the gospel to the world. This class of mankind is represented by Ephraim (and perhaps by Manasseh as well) who comprise the core of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. Offering praise aligns to the fifth chakra - the throat chakra - as well as to the fact that the "Law of the Gospel" is accomplished by our voices. Think of the temple and the second sign, token, covenant, and law. Who we are now aligns to the Law of the Gospel. However, seeing, hearing, and understanding is one step above - a gift exclusive to the Seraphim and Archangels. Only they are permitted to see, hear, and understand mysteries. Don't believe me? Just attend your church meetings every Sunday and listen to folks brave enough to speak into the unknown. The mysteries are simply not had among us now--at least not publicly.

At this point in the text, the angel ceases to describe the orders of heaven. I believe the fifth heaven or order of mankind is the first ruling class, and levels 5,6 and 7, along with Jehovah Himself, represent the ruling class of angels.



CHAPTER 4

2 Therefore, the Most High hath heard thy prayer, to separate thee from iniquity, and that thou shouldest become to Him a son, and a servant, and a minister of His presence. 

3 The light of knowledge shalt thou light up in Jacob, and as the sun shalt thou be to all the seed of Israel. 

4 And there shall be given to thee a blessing, and to all thy seed, until the Lord shall visit all the Gentiles in His tender mercies for ever. 

Receiving a remission of our sins is something that happens to us periodically along our eternal journey. The Angel tells Levi he is to become a son to Him. The light of knowledge aligns to the light of the gentiles of Isaiah who is the Davidic Servant.

Isaiah 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

5 And therefore there have been given to thee counsel and under- standing, that thou mightest instruct thy sons concerning this; 

The spirit of counsel and understanding are two of the seven qualities that are aligned to the Rod of Jesse in Isaiah 11:2. We know the Rod of Jesse is a servant in the hands of Christ of the tribes of Ephraim and Jesse on whom is laid much power (D&C 113:3-4.) The Rod of Jesse is the Davidic Servant who carries the blood and spiritual birthrights of Judah and Ephraim.

Simeon and Levi slay Hamor and Shechem -  collection of Revd. Philip De Vere

CHAPTER 5 

1 And thereupon the angel opened to me the gates of heaven, and I saw 
the holy temple, and upon a throne of glory the Most High. 

2 And He said to me: Levi, I have given thee the blessings of the priesthood until I come and sojourn in the midst of Israel. 

3 Then the angel brought me down to the earth, and gave me a shield and a sword, and said to me: Execute vengeance on Shechem because of Dinah, thy sister, and I will be with thee because the Lord hath sent me. 

4 And I destroyed at that time the sons of Hamor, as it is written in the heavenly tablets. 

5 And I said to him: I pray Thee, O lord, tell me Thy name, that I may call upon Thee in a day of tribulation. 

6 And he said: I am the angel who intercedeth for the nation of Israel that they may not be smitten utterly, for every evil spirit attacketh it.

Well, in case there was any doubt, the Angel who is speaking to Levi identifies himself as the angel who intercedes for Israel. And as with Samson's parents, he denies the request after his name (Judges 13:18.)

7 And after these things I awaked, and blessed the Most High, and the angel who intercedeth for the nation of Israel and for all the righteous. 

Notice how Levi blesses the Most High and then uses the identified role of the Angel to identify him in his prayer. Very, very interesting.

In CHAPTERS 6 & 7, Levi recounts his and his brothers trickery of those who raped their sister Dinah by convincing them to be circumcised. They were rebuked by Jacob for their actions, and by the end of the chapter Levi speaks of the wrath of God. This chapter seems random, but I believe he is realizing who the Angel of the Lord is and what his role is as protector of Israel.

CHAPTER 8 is extremely important. I must reiterate first the relationship between Jehovah and His Angel that is reflected in Moses and Aaron. Moses is to Aaron a God, and Aaron is to Moses his mouthpiece. Yet, it is Aaron who is dressed in the garb of the High Priest of Israel. Aaron, not Moses, is the one who approached the Mercy Seat once a year at the fall festival Yom Kippur. Aaron, not Moses, wore the crown of rule and bore the staff of power. Keep all this in mind as you read CHAPTER 8 (of all numbers.)


CHAPTER 8 

1 And there again I saw a vision even as the former, after we had spent there seventy days. 

2 And I saw seven men in white raiment saying unto me: Arise, put on the robe of the priesthood, and the crown of righteousness, and the breastplate of understanding, and the garment of truth, and the plate of faith, and the turban of the head, and the ephod of prophecy. 

3 And they severally carried (these things) and put (them) on me, and said unto me: From henceforth become a priest of the Lord, thou and thy seed for ever. 

4 And the first anointed me with holy oil, and gave to me the staff of judgement. 

5 The second washed me with pure water, and fed me with bread and wine (even) the most holy things, and clad me with a holy and glorious robe. 

6 The third clothed me with a linen vestment like an ephod. 

7 The fourth put round me a girdle like unto purple. 

8 The fifth gave me a branch of rich olive. 

9 The sixth placed a crown on my head. 

10 The seventh placed on my head a diadem of priesthood, and filled my hands with incense, that I might serve as priest to the Lord God. 

What an amazing confirmation this is of seven holy ones preparing an eighth - and the High Priest of Israel at that! What are they preparing the priest for? To be both King and Priest. Interestingly, the order seems to be reversed where the sixth holy one places the crown, and the seventh places the diadem of priesthood power. However, this inversion aligns with King David himself, who Joseph Smith said received the kingdom but never the fullness of the Priesthood:

Although David was a king, he never did obtain the spirit and power of Elijah and the fullness of the Priesthood; and the Priesthood that he received, and the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him and given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his lineage. ~ Joseph Smith, Elias, Elijah, Messiah March 10, 1844

So, David received the crown but not the diadem. Becoming both a Priest and a King is in fact central to the Davidic Covenant. 

Zechariah 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord:


13 Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

Building the temple of the Lord, and become an heir to the Lord of hosts, Jehovah, is central to the Davidic Covenant.

1 Chronicles 17:11 ¶ And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

12 He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.

13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:


14 But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.

The Lord is speaking to David here, and He tells David one of his posterity will have a throne established forever. Many believe this to be a prophecy of Jesus Christ - the High Priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood. However, this prophecy points to the High Priest of the Aaronic Priesthood. Why else would mercy be left in place as "I will not take my mercy away" suggests? This is not a perfect being but a lesser God to the greater God Jehovah. Moreover, are there any prophecies about Jesus building a temple? Of course not. 


CHAPTER 8 continued ...

11 And they said to me: Levi, thy seed shall be divided into three offices, for a sign of the glory of the Lord who is to come. 

12 And the first portion shall be great; yea, greater than it shall none be. 

13 The second shall be in the priesthood. 

14 And the third shall be called by a new name, because a king shall arise in Judah, and shall establish a new priesthood, after the fashion of the Gentiles to all the Gentiles. 

15 And his presence is beloved, as a prophet of the Most High, of the seed of Abraham our father. 

16 Therefore, every desirable thing in Israel shall be for thee and for thy seed, And ye shall eat everything fair to look upon, And the table of the Lord shall thy seed apportion. 

17 And some of them shall be high priests, and judges, and scribes; for by their mouth shall the holy place be guarded. 

18 And when I awoke, I understood that this (dream) was like the first dream. 

19 And I hid this also in my heart, and told it not to any man upon the earth. 

We know from D&C 113, that the Rod of Jesse is of the bloodline of Ephraim and Jesse; however, if true, the above passages imply that the Rod of Jesse is also of Levi. Since Moses and Aaron were of Levi, and since the Lord will raise up one like unto Moses, then could this latter-day Moses also have the blood of Levi running in his veins?

Verse 14 gives the "new name" aspect of the Davidic Servant.

Isaiah 63:10 ¶ But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.

11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?

12 That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?

Perhaps one reason the name of the Angel of the Lord is hidden is because he is in the process of securing an everlasting name by sitting upon the throne of Michael - a probationary rule. Once he overcomes, he will receive a new name - an everlasting name. A "new priesthood" is mentioned in verse 14 as well - could this be the fullness of the priesthood?

"If any in the church [have] the fullness of the Melchizedek Priesthood [I do] not know it. For any person to have the fullness of that priesthood, he must be a king and priest." ~ Brigham Young ~ 6 August 1843

So, in case there is any doubt, the word "beloved" (David in Hebrew) is ascribed to this third person of Levi's posterity in verse 15.


CHAPTER 9

6 And Isaac called me continually to put me in remembrance of the law of the Lord, even as the angel of the Lord showed unto me. 

After the vision ceases, Levi returns to his grandfather Isaac who keeps him in remembrance of the law of the Lord as the angel of the Lord showed Levi. The Angel of the Lord who gives the message is the same who is foreordained to receive the fullness of the priesthood as the Latter-day King David.

9 Beware of the spirit of fornication; for this shall continue and shall by thy seed pollute the holy place. 

10 Take, therefore, to thyself a wife without blemish or pollution, while yet thou art young, and not of the race of strange nations, 

11 And before entering into the holy place, bathe; and when thou offerest the sacrifice, wash; and again, when thou finishest the sacrifice, wash. 

Beware of the spirit of fornication. What led to King David's fall that he could not receive the fullness of the Priesthood? Does this warning also pertain to the Latter-day King David? Remember, the sixth order of mankind who are the seraphim of Isaiah 6, and the 144,000 high priests of Revelation 7 & 14 who are the same priests to which we are ordained in the Holy Temple - this sixth order aligns to the Law of Chastity. This was the test that King David ultimately failed. And, perhaps his failure is itself a demonstration of what's at stake for the end times King David to succeed.


CHAPTER 12

5 Eight years old was I when I went into the land of Canaan, and eighteen years when I slew Shechem, and at nineteen years I became priest, and at twenty-eight years I took a wife, and at forty-eight I went into Egypt. 

These ages and acts seem symbolic. In fact, I have wondered if Isaiah 51:9 is how the Davidic Servant became chosen, though I do believe he was selected before the event Isaiah 51:9 references:

Isaiah 51:9 ¶ Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?
10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

So, Isaiah 51:9-10 is a prophecy as to how the Lord awakens the Davidic Servant to his identity. The Lord reminding this mortal man who he was premortally - in verse 10 he is told that he was the Angel of the Lord who led Israel through the Red Sea. In verse 9, I believe strongly the Lord is reminding the Davidic Servant who he was by showing him how he slew Rahab, which means "large, proud." 

In The Testament of Levi chapter 8, verse 5, Levi enters the promised land at age 8. The number 8 and the symbols of covenant circumcision and covenant baptism need no explanation. Age 18 is the symbol - at least modernly - of becoming a man. So, Levi slays Shechem. In fact, back in Chapter 5, verse 3, the Angel of the Lord arms Levi with a sword and shield and commands Levi to slay Shechem. The Angel of the Lord who is the one who "cut" Rahab ("slew" in the Isaiah Institute Translation) is the one who arms Levi and commands him to slay Shechem. 

CHAPTER 5:3 Then the angel brought me down to the earth, and gave me a shield and a sword, and said to me: Execute vengeance on Shechem because of Dinah, thy sister, and I will be with thee because the Lord hath sent me. 

In chapters 13 through 16, Levi prophesies to his posterity all that will befall them in the ages to come, which must have been difficult to hear since the tribe of Levi's future sins and failings are given here. In chapter 17, Levi speaks of 7 "jubilees" where the "a priesthood is given."


CHAPTER 17

1 And whereas ye have heard concerning the seventy weeks, hear also concerning the priesthood. 

Levi proceeds to list seven "priesthoods" which may represent the seven dispensations and seven patriarchs--a big theme on this site, coincidentally of course. :)

2 For in each jubilee there shall be a priesthood. And in the first jubilee, the first who is anointed to the priesthood shall be great, and shall speak to God as to a father. And his priesthood shall be perfect with the Lord, and in the day of his gladness shall he arise for the salvation of the world. 

This sure sounds like Adam who walked and talked with God in Adam-Ondi-Aman. His priesthood is perfect because he already has a fullness of the Priesthood.

3 In the second jubilee, he that is anointed shall be conceived in the sorrow of beloved ones; and his priesthood shall be honoured and shall be glorified by all. 

I don't know if there is any information regarding Enoch's birth in the Apocrypha; in modern revelation we know that "Jared taught Enoch in all the ways of God" (Moses 6:21) However, when Enoch is called by the Lord, Enoch says he's "but a lad" and "all the people hate me;" (Moses 6:31) So, it's quite possible Enoch was conceived in sorrow. His priesthood being honored and glorified by all is evident in the fact that the Book of Enoch was certainly had in the days of Jesus Christ, before, and beyond. The City of Enoch's return may also be considered a fulfillment here to "shall be glorified by all.

4 And the third priest shall be taken hold of by sorrow. 

The third dispensation patriarch is Noah. Now, certainly witnessing the end of the world as you know it, and preaching to deaf ears for 120 years would classify as "sorrow."

5 And the fourth shall be in pain, because unrighteousness shall gather itself against him exceedingly, and all Israel shall hate each one his neighbour. 

Abraham was certainly surrounded by unrighteousness. From his idolatrous father, to Pharoah, to the Egyptians to the High Priest Elkenah, etc. Abraham was certainly encircled about by wickedness. In the Pearl of Great Price, Abraham is rescued from Elkenah by the Angel of the Lord. In the apocryphal Apocalypse of Abraham, Abraham's father's house is destroyed by ... the Angel of the Lord, you guessed it.

I'm not sure how "all Israel shall hate each one his neighbour" comes to pass in Abraham's day - perhaps the enmity with Joseph and his brothers or the circumcision and slaughter of Dinah's rapists. Yeah ... I guess there is some neighbor hating going on. The verse above just seems to suggest that Israel hates each other among themselves.

6 The fifth shall be taken hold of by darkness. 

7 Likewise also the sixth and the seventh. 

This is super interesting. The final three patriarchs are, imho, Moses, Peter, and Joseph Smith. I've noted before that Peter and Joseph Smith are the two patriarchs who align to the sub-Israel levels of mankind and are the only two patriarchs to be martyred. But, doesn't that make perfect sense? They govern orders of mankind who haven't joined the covenant people yet - rejection and martyrdom fits with such a mission. Yet, Moses is aligned to this being "taken hold of by darkness." Consider that Moses was unable to enter the promised land. Doesn't that seem rather harsh given all Moses did for Israel? Yet, I believe his being forbidden was more indicative of the third level of mankind over which he governs. Baptism comes between levels two and three. At three, obedience and enduring to the very end is the path to heaven. The promised land symbolizes the promises of God to enter a heavenly home after this mortality. So, Moses' being forbidden from entering the promised land may just be a symbol of this process of Faith (Joseph Smith,) Repentance (Peter,) Baptism, and Enduring to the End (Moses.) The 40 years' of wandering the wilderness is clearly a type of a mortal sojourn on Earth. 

Remember, the dispensations in reverse are a ladder back to God. If you put these seven priesthoods in reverse order, this becomes rather clear. Darkness, darkness, darkness, pain and opposition, sorrow, conceived in sorrow yet glorified, and a perfect priesthood with gladness and salvation. 

8 And in the seventh shall be such pollution as I cannot express before men, for they shall know it who do these things. 

Keeping this inverse order in mind, the seventh priesthood points to the first, or lowest order of mankind.

9 Therefore shall they be taken captive and become a prey, and their land and their substance shall be destroyed. 

10 And in the fifth week they shall return to their desolate country, and shall renew the house of the Lord. 

11 And in the seventh week shall come priests, (who are) idolaters, adulterers, lovers of money, proud, lawless, lascivious, abusers of children and beasts. 

These verses align with others about the end times, such as the Lord's prophecy that the end shall be as the days of Noah (Matthew 24.) The gathering of Israel is alluded to in verse 10.


CHAPTER 18 

1 And after their punishment shall have come from the Lord, the priesthood shall fail. 

Uh, what? What does this mean, the priesthood will fail? There are other indications of this in the scriptures, such as Isaiah 28. John the Baptist promised Joseph Smith the Priesthood of Aaron would never again be removed from the Earth until the Sons of Levi offer again an offering in righteousness (Malachi 3) which is super relevant to this apocryphon. Yet, do we have a promise that the Melchizedek Priesthood will never be taken? I have wondered if the woman of Revelation 12, who Joseph Smith taught also represented the church, who is taken into the wilderness - does that mean our church will one day be removed from the world before the restoration of all things, including the fullness of the Priesthood?


2 Then shall the Lord raise up a new priest. And to him all the words of the Lord shall be revealed; And he shall execute a righteous judgement upon the earth or a multitude of days. 

Whew! That's a relief. Execute "righteous judgement" aligns to both Isaiah 11's Rod of Jesse and the "Elect One" of 1 Enoch, and many, many other prophecies of the Davidic Servant. In fact, "righteousness" and "judgement" are the two most commonly used key words in association with the Davidic Servant. "To him all the words of the Lord shall be revealed." Joseph Smith taught of an Elias who would come to restore all things (see JST Gospel of John Chapter 1.) Will we lose some part of our church, our priesthood, or our leadership before this happens?


3 And his star shall arise in heaven as of a king, Lighting up the light of knowledge as the sun the day, And he shall be magnified in the world. 

This may be the star or planet to which Joseph Smith alluded that will be associated with the sign of the coming of the Son of Man (who is the Davidic Servant and not Jesus)

…then will appear one grand sign of the Son of Man in heaven. But what will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, etc. ~ Willard Richard's acocunt of Joseph Smith's address in Nauvoo on April 6th, 1843


4 He shall shine forth as the sun on the earth, And shall remove all darkness from under heaven, And there shall be peace in all the earth. 

The estrangement of Ephraim in verse 1 and the peace and dominion of verse 4 
are also addressed in Zechariah 9:10

Zechariah 9:10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

Zechariah 9:9 was covered earlier in this article regarding ZION's rejoicing - "Behold thy king cometh unto thee" There are two Kings - one upon a donkey, and the other upon the colt. Interestingly enough, there's a second transcription of Joseph Smith's prophecy regarding the sign of the coming of the Son of Man:

The dawning of the morning makes its appearance in the east and moves along gradually, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. It will be small at its first appearance and gradually becomes larger until every eye shall see it….the wicked…attribute it to a natural cause. They will probably suppose it is two great comets coming in contact with each other. ~ James Burgess account of Joseph Smith's address in Nauvoo on April 6, 1843

Interestingly, in neither James Burgess' account nor Willard Richard's account is the "son of man" equated to Jesus Christ. 

5 The heavens shall exult in his days, And the earth shall be glad, And the clouds shall rejoice ; And the knowledge of the Lord shall be poured forth upon the earth, as the water of the seas ; And the angels of the glory of the presence of the Lord shall be glad in him. 

6 The heavens shall be opened, And from the temple of glory shall come upon him sanctification, With the Father's voice as from Abraham to Isaac. 

Verse 6 aligns to Revelation 11, just after the two witnesses ascend at the end of the time between the sixth and seventh trumpets where Michael declares the kingdoms of this world to be the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ. Immediately thereafter, the heavens are opened, and the ark is seen within the temple of heaven. "The Father's voice" is a key element to understanding the promised reward that is being given to the Davidic Servant as part of his receiving the fullness of the Priesthood. He is in fact receiving the name of the Father and the new name of the Son - Revelation 3:12.

7 And the glory of the Most High shall be uttered over him, And the spirit of understanding and sanctification shall rest upon him in the water. 

The spirit of understanding is taken right from Isaiah 11 and the seven attributes associated with the Rod of Jesse. Sanctification is also an important element that is uniquely attributed to the Holy Ghost.

8 For he shall give the majesty of the Lord to His sons in truth for evermore; And there shall none succeed him for all generations for ever 

This is an everlasting throne as indicated in Ezekiel 37. Glory is given to the Lord by the Holy Ghost. The Son gives glory to the Father. The Fathers bless their sons. This is the pattern of how Gods are made.

9 And in his priesthood the Gentiles shall be multiplied in knowledge upon the earth, And enlightened through the grace of the Lord : In his priesthood shall sin come to an end, And the lawless shall cease to do evil. And the just shall rest in him. 

Verse 9 suggests the rest of the millennium comes as all these prophecies are fulfilled - the fulfillment of the fall festivals. The High Priest of Israel makes Atonement for Israel by the power of Jesus Christ who empowers the Holy Ghost to literally sanctify Israel.

10 And he shall open the gates of paradise, And shall remove the threatening sword against Adam. 

Wow! Along with the new understanding that comes from The Discourse on Abbaton, this verse is truly amazing. In The Discourse on Abbaton, Adam is enthroned after his physical creation, and the angels are commanded to worship him. An unnamed angel refuses and falls from heaven, becoming the serpent in the garden. With the fall of Adam, Adam's throne is vacated, and the angel Mouriel sits upon the throne Adam to become the Destroyer of Israel's enemies (just read the Old Testament for confirmation on that aspect of the Angel of the Lord.) Does Mouriel, a lesser being to Adam as suggested here again in The Testament of Levi, remove the sword against Adam? Does Mouriel also make Atonement for Adam? Truly interesting ...

11 And he shall give to the saints to eat from the tree of life, And the spirit of holiness shall be on them. 

The Iron Rod leads us to the tree of life. The Iron Rod is the Word of God. The Word of God is the Holy Ghost.

12 And Beliar shall be bound by him, And he shall give power to His children to tread upon the evil spirits. 

Beliar means "wicked one." I have to admit, I paused here a moment, thinking Michael is the one who binds Satan. After some digging, I found a great link here that contains scriptures and words of prophets - no mention of Michael or Adam. Again, we have a question nobody seems to think to ask, perhaps due to a spirit of deep sleep that has been poured out upon us: Who binds Satan? Though, an argument can be made that he is bound by the righteousness of those who dwell upon the earth in the millennium, the scriptures suggest that this is an actual binding by an angel who is not named - Revelation 20:1-3

13 And the Lord shall rejoice in His children, And be well pleased in His beloved ones for ever. 

Though this is secondhand information, I have heard that Avraham Gildeadi has suggested that "beloved" is a title or classification of man. I believe the Latter-day King David (Beloved) will be a revelation as to how men become gods. Is this step - this last step of man and first step of godhood what the order of "beloved ones" is all about?

14 Then shall Abraham and Isaac and Jacob exult, And I will be glad, And all the saints shall clothe them- 


Conclusion

Of course, the most exciting aspect to me of this apocryphon of The Testament of Levi is the confirmation of 7 holy ones dressing an 8th in the garb of the High Priest of Israel. This underscores the Discourse on Abbaton that speaks of this 8th angel sitting upon the throne of Adam as the lesser God of this world. The office of Holy Ghost, High Priest of Israel, Lesser God, Lesser Light, Angel of the Lord, Latter-day Davidic King - and the 8th angel, all align perfectly and point to this being who has been carefully hidden to be revealed at the end.

The Testament of Levi has several passages that affirm this Davidic King will stand up at the end, restore all knowledge, and introduce a "new priesthood" or the fullness of the Priesthood. In Joseph Smith's sermon, Elias, Elijah, and Messiah, he heavily implies that David's sins prevented him from receiving the fullness of the priesthood and that the end-times David will in fact succeed where David failed:

Although David was a king, he never did obtain the spirit and power of Elijah and the fullness of the Priesthood; and the Priesthood that he received, and the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him and given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his lineage. ~ Joseph Smith, Elias, Elijah, Messiah March 10, 1844

And yet David was the recipient of the Davidic Covenant that promises an heir to the Lord Jehovah who will build the temple and restore the kingdom of Israel. David was the 8th son of Jesse which aligns to the 8th angel. In Discourse on Abbaton, the devil apparently sat as presiding angel first and was meant to sit upon Adam's throne. This ties so very clearly to Saul's reign as first King of Israel.

Moreoever, The Testament of Levi addresses The Seven Levels of Mankind. Who the Davidic Servant is and where he is on his eternal journey cannot be understood without a basic understanding of these seven classes of mankind. Levi speaks of layers or levels of heavens as well as seven "priesthoods" which come upon mankind. These seven heavens and seven patriarchs align to the seven dispensations and seven spiritual orders of mankind. His descriptions of the highest heavens uncoincidentally matches what's been shared here on this site - that of the archangels aligning to the 7th, highest order or heaven and the seraphim aligning to the 6th.

Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power. ~ Joseph Smith King Follett Sermon