II Esdras 11:1 - 12:34
An analysis of prophetic scriptures in the Apocrypha.
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II Esdras 11:1 - 12:34 An analysis of prophetic scriptures in the Apocrypha.
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II Esdras 11 |
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:1 |
On the second night I had a dream, and behold, there came up from the sea an |
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eagle that had twelve feathered wings and three heads. And I looked, and behold, |
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he spread his wings over all the earth, and all the winds of heaven blew upon him, |
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and the clouds were gathered about him. And I looked, and out of his wings there |
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grew opposing wings: but they became little, puny wings. But his heads were at |
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rest; the middle head was larger than the other heads, but it also was at rest with |
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them. And I looked, and behold, the eagle flew with his wings, to reign over the |
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earth and over those who dwell in it. And I saw how all things under heaven were |
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subjected to him, and no one spoke against him, not even one creature that was on |
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the earth. And I looked, and behold, the eagle rose upon his talons, and uttered a |
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cry to his wings, saying, "Do not all watch at the same time; let each sleep in his |
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own place, and watch in his turn; but let the heads be reserved for the last." |
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:10 |
And I looked, and behold, the voice did not come from his heads, but from the |
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midst of his body. And I counted his opposing wings, and behold, there were eight |
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of them. And I looked, and behold, on the right side one wing arose, and it reigned |
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over all the earth. And while it was reigning it came to its end and disappeared, so |
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that its place was not seen. Then the next wing arose and reigned, and it continued |
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to reign a long time. And while it was reigning its end came also, so that it |
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disappeared like the first. And behold, a voice sounded, saying to it, "Hear me, you |
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who have ruled the earth all this time; I announce this to you before you disappear. |
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After you no one shall rule as long as you, or even half as long." |
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:18 |
Then the third wing raised itself up, and held the rule like the former ones, and it |
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also disappeared. And so it went with all the wings; they wielded power one after |
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another and then were never seen again. And I looked, and behold, in due course |
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the wings that followed also rose up on the right side, in order to rule. There were |
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some of them that ruled, yet disappeared suddenly; and others of them rose up, |
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but did not hold the rule. |
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:22 |
And after this I looked, and behold, the twelve wings and the two little wings |
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disappeared; and nothing remained on the eagle's body except the three heads that |
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were at rest and six little wings. And I looked, and behold, two little wings |
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separated from the six and remained under the head that was on the right side; but |
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four remained in their place. And I looked, and behold, these little wings planned |
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to set themselves up and hold the rule. And I looked, and behold, one was set up, |
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but suddenly disappeared; a second also, and this disappeared more quickly than |
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the first. And I looked, and behold, the two that remained were planning between |
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themselves to reign together; and while they were planning, behold, one of the |
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heads that were at rest (the one which was in the middle) awoke; for it was greater |
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than the other two heads. And I saw how it allied the two heads with itself, and |
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behold, the head turned with those that were with it, and it devoured the two little |
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wings which were planning to reign. Moreover this head gained control of the |
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whole earth, and with much oppression dominated its inhabitants; and it had |
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greater power over the world than all the wings that had gone before. |
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:33 |
And after this I looked, and behold, the middle head also suddenly disappeared, |
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just as the wings had done. But the two heads remained, which also ruled over the |
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earth, and its inhabitants. And I looked, and behold, the head on the right side |
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devoured the one on the left. |
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:36 |
Then I heard a voice saying to me, "Look before you and consider what you |
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see." And I looked, and behold, a creature like a lion was aroused out of the forest, |
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roaring; and I heard how he uttered a man's voice to the eagle, and spoke, saying, |
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"Listen and I will speak to you. The Most High says to you, 'Are you not the one |
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that remains of the four beasts which I had made to reign in my world, so that the |
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end of my times might come through them? You, the fourth that has come, have |
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conquered all the beasts that have gone before; and you have held sway over the |
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world with much terror, and over all the earth with grievous oppression; and for |
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so long you have dwelt on the earth with deceit. And you have judged the earth, |
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but not with truth; for you have afflicted the meek and injured the peaceable; you |
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have hated those who tell the truth, and have loved liars; you have destroyed the |
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dwellings of those who brought forth fruit, and have laid low the walls of those |
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who did you no harm. And so your insolence has come up before the Most High, |
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and your pride to the Mighty One. And the Most High has looked upon his times, |
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and behold, they are ended, and his ages are completed! Therefore you will surely |
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disappear, you eagle, and your terrifying wings, and your most evil little wings, |
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and your malicious heads, and your whole worthless body, so that the whole earth, |
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freed from your violence, may be refreshed and relieved, and may hope for the |
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judgment and mercy of him who made it.' " |
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II Esdras 12 |
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:1 |
While the lion was saying these words to the eagle, I looked, and behold, the |
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remaining head disappeared. And the two wings that had gone over to it arose |
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and set themselves up to reign, and their reign was brief and full of tumult. And I |
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looked, and behold, they also disappeared, and the whole body of the eagle was |
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burned, and the earth was exceedingly terrified. |
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Then I awoke in great perplexity of mind and great fear, and I said to my spirit, |
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"Behold, you have brought this upon me, because you search out the ways of the |
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Most High. Behold, I am still weary in mind and very weak in my spirit, and not |
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even a little strength is left in me, because of the great fear with which I have been |
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terrified this night. Therefore I will now beseech the Most High that he may |
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strengthen me to the end." |
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:7 |
And I said, "O sovereign Lord, if I have found favor in thy sight, and if I have |
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been accounted righteous before thee beyond many others, and if my prayer has |
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indeed come up before thy face, strengthen me and show me, thy servant, the |
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interpretation and meaning of this terrifying vision, that thou mayest fully comfort |
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my soul. For thou hast judged me worthy to be shown the end of the times and |
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the last events of the times." |
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:10 |
He said to me, "This is the interpretation of this vision which you have seen: The |
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eagle which you saw coming up from the sea is the fourth kingdom which |
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appeared in a vision to your brother Daniel. But it was not explained to him as I |
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now explain or have explained it to you. Behold, the days are coming when a |
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kingdom shall arise on earth, and it shall be more terrifying than all the kingdoms |
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that have been before it. And twelve kings shall reign in it, one after another. But |
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the second that is to reign shall hold sway for a longer time than any other of the |
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twelve. This is the interpretation of the twelve wings which you saw. As for your |
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hearing a voice that spoke, coming not from the eagle's heads, but from the midst |
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of his body, this is the interpretation: In the midst of the time of that kingdom |
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great struggles shall arise, and it shall be in danger of falling; nevertheless it shall |
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not fall then, but shall regain its former power. As for your seeing eight little wings |
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clinging to his wings, this is the interpretation: Eight kings shall arise in it, whose |
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time shall be short and their years swift; and two of them shall perish when the |
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middle of its time draws near; and four shall be kept for the time when its end |
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approaches; but two shall be kept until the end. As for your seeing three heads at |
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rest, this is the interpretation: In its last days the Most High will raise up three |
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kings, and they shall renew many things in it, and shall rule the earth and its |
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inhabitants more oppressively than all who were before them; therefore they are |
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called the heads of the eagle. For it is they who shall sum up his wickedness and |
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perform his last actions. As for your seeing that the large head disappeared, one of |
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the kings shall die in his bed, but in agonies. But as for the two who remained, the |
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sword shall devour them. For the sword of one shall devour him who was with |
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him; but he also shall fall by the sword in the last days. As for your seeing two little |
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wings passing over to the head which was on the right side, this is the |
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interpretation: It is these whom the Most High has kept for the eagle's end; this |
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was the reign which was brief and full of tumult, as you have seen. |
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:31 |
"And as for the lion whom you saw rousing up out of the forest and roaring and |
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speaking to the eagle and reproving him for his unrighteousness, and as for all his |
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words that you have heard, this is the Messiah whom the Most High has kept until |
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the end of days, who will arise from the posterity of David, and will come and |
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speak to them; he will denounce them for their ungodliness and for their |
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wickedness, and will cast up before them their contemptuous dealings. For first he |
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will set them living before his judgment seat, and when he has reproved them, |
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then he will destroy them. But he will deliver in mercy the remnant of my people, |
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those who have been saved throughout my borders, and he will make them joyful |
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until the end comes, the day of judgment, of which I spoke to you at the beginning. |
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Wow! Now that is a dream whose details will drown anyone. Let us keep our heads above |
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water and try to dog-paddle our way through only the most important details. |
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II Esdras 11:1 - 35 |
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:1 |
On the second night I had a dream, and behold, there came up from the sea an |
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eagle that had twelve feathered wings and three heads. And I looked, and behold, |
|||||||||
|
he spread his wings over all the earth, and all the winds of heaven blew upon him, |
|||||||||
|
and the clouds were gathered about him. And I looked, and out of his wings there |
|||||||||
|
grew opposing wings: but they became little, puny wings. But his heads were at |
|||||||||
|
rest; the middle head was larger than the other heads, but it also was at rest with |
|||||||||
|
them. And I looked, and behold, the eagle flew with his wings, to reign over the |
|||||||||
|
earth and over those who dwell in it. And I saw how all things under heaven were |
|||||||||
|
subjected to him, and no one spoke against him, not even one creature that was on |
|||||||||
|
the earth. And I looked, and behold, the eagle rose upon his talons, and uttered a |
|||||||||
|
cry to his wings, saying, "Do not all watch at the same time; let each sleep in his |
|||||||||
|
own place, and watch in his turn; but let the heads be reserved for the last." |
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|
:10 |
And I looked, and behold, the voice did not come from his heads, but from the |
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midst of his body. And I counted his opposing wings, and behold, there were eight |
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of them. And I looked, and behold, on the right side one wing arose, and it reigned |
|||||||||
|
over all the earth. And while it was reigning it came to its end and disappeared, so |
|||||||||
|
that its place was not seen. Then the next wing arose and reigned, and it continued |
|||||||||
|
to reign a long time. And while it was reigning its end came also, so that it |
|||||||||
|
disappeared like the first. And behold, a voice sounded, saying to it, "Hear me, you |
|||||||||
|
who have ruled the earth all this time; I announce this to you before you disappear. |
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After you no one shall rule as long as you, or even half as long." |
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|
:18 |
Then the third wing raised itself up, and held the rule like the former ones, and it |
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also disappeared. And so it went with all the wings; they wielded power one after |
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|
another and then were never seen again. And I looked, and behold, in due course |
|||||||||
|
the wings that followed also rose up on the right side, in order to rule. There were |
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some of them that ruled, yet disappeared suddenly; and others of them rose up, |
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|
but did not hold the rule. |
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:22 |
And after this I looked, and behold, the twelve wings and the two little wings |
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disappeared; and nothing remained on the eagle's body except the three heads that |
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were at rest and six little wings. And I looked, and behold, two little wings |
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|
separated from the six and remained under the head that was on the right side; but |
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|
four remained in their place. And I looked, and behold, these little wings planned |
|||||||||
|
to set themselves up and hold the rule. And I looked, and behold, one was set up, |
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|
but suddenly disappeared; a second also, and this disappeared more quickly than |
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|
the first. And I looked, and behold, the two that remained were planning between |
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|
themselves to reign together; and while they were planning, behold, one of the |
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|
heads that were at rest (the one which was in the middle) awoke; for it was greater |
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|
than the other two heads. And I saw how it allied the two heads with itself, and |
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|
behold, the head turned with those that were with it, and it devoured the two little |
|||||||||
|
wings which were planning to reign. Moreover this head gained control of the |
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|
whole earth, and with much oppression dominated its inhabitants; and it had |
|||||||||
|
greater power over the world than all the wings that had gone before. |
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|
:33 |
And after this I looked, and behold, the middle head also suddenly disappeared, |
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just as the wings had done. But the two heads remained, which also ruled over the |
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earth, and its inhabitants. And I looked, and behold, the head on the right side |
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devoured the one on the left. |
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This lengthy description of the eagle is a representation of the history of the Roman Empire. The |
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heads and wings are the various emperors and national leaders. The details are confusing and it is |
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difficult to apply to Roman history. A detailed elaboration of the successions of these sovereigns is |
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beyond the scope of this book so we will leave this task to those scholars who wish to delve into |
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such mysteries. |
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II Esdras 11:36 - 12:30 |
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:36 |
Then I heard a voice saying to me, "Look before you and consider what you |
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|
see." And I looked, and behold, a creature like a lion was aroused out of the forest, |
|||||||||
|
roaring; and I heard how he uttered a man's voice to the eagle, and spoke, saying, |
|||||||||
|
"Listen and I will speak to you. The Most High says to you, 'Are you not the one |
|||||||||
|
that remains of the four beasts which I had made to reign in my world, so that the |
|||||||||
|
end of my times might come through them? You, the fourth that has come, have |
|||||||||
|
conquered all the beasts that have gone before; and you have held sway over the |
|||||||||
|
world with much terror, and over all the earth with grievous oppression; and for |
|||||||||
|
so long you have dwelt on the earth with deceit. And you have judged the earth, |
|||||||||
|
but not with truth; for you have afflicted the meek and injured the peaceable; you |
|||||||||
|
have hated those who tell the truth, and have loved liars; you have destroyed the |
|||||||||
|
dwellings of those who brought forth fruit, and have laid low the walls of those |
|||||||||
|
who did you no harm. And so your insolence has come up before the Most High, |
|||||||||
|
and your pride to the Mighty One. And the Most High has looked upon his times, |
|||||||||
|
and behold, they are ended, and his ages are completed! Therefore you will surely |
|||||||||
|
disappear, you eagle, and your terrifying wings, and your most evil little wings, |
|||||||||
|
and your malicious heads, and your whole worthless body, so that the whole earth, |
|||||||||
|
freed from your violence, may be refreshed and relieved, and may hope for the |
|||||||||
|
judgment and mercy of him who made it.' " |
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|
II Esdras 12 |
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:1 |
While the lion was saying these words to the eagle, I looked, and behold, the |
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remaining head disappeared. And the two wings that had gone over to it arose |
|||||||||
|
and set themselves up to reign, and their reign was brief and full of tumult. And I |
|||||||||
|
looked, and behold, they also disappeared, and the whole body of the eagle was |
|||||||||
|
burned, and the earth was exceedingly terrified. |
|||||||||
|
Then I awoke in great perplexity of mind and great fear, and I said to my spirit, |
|||||||||
|
"Behold, you have brought this upon me, because you search out the ways of the |
|||||||||
|
Most High. Behold, I am still weary in mind and very weak in my spirit, and not |
|||||||||
|
even a little strength is left in me, because of the great fear with which I have been |
|||||||||
|
terrified this night. Therefore I will now beseech the Most High that he may |
|||||||||
|
strengthen me to the end." |
|||||||||
|
:7 |
And I said, "O sovereign Lord, if I have found favor in thy sight, and if I have |
||||||||
|
been accounted righteous before thee beyond many others, and if my prayer has |
|||||||||
|
indeed come up before thy face, strengthen me and show me, thy servant, the |
|||||||||
|
interpretation and meaning of this terrifying vision, that thou mayest fully comfort |
|||||||||
|
my soul. For thou hast judged me worthy to be shown the end of the times and |
|||||||||
|
the last events of the times." |
|||||||||
|
:10 |
He said to me, "This is the interpretation of this vision which you have seen: The |
||||||||
|
eagle which you saw coming up from the sea is the fourth kingdom which |
|||||||||
|
appeared in a vision to your brother Daniel. But it was not explained to him as I |
|||||||||
|
now explain or have explained it to you. Behold, the days are coming when a |
|||||||||
|
kingdom shall arise on earth, and it shall be more terrifying than all the kingdoms |
|||||||||
|
that have been before it. And twelve kings shall reign in it, one after another. But |
|||||||||
|
the second that is to reign shall hold sway for a longer time than any other of the |
|||||||||
|
twelve. This is the interpretation of the twelve wings which you saw. As for your |
|||||||||
|
hearing a voice that spoke, coming not from the eagle's heads, but from the midst |
|||||||||
|
of his body, this is the interpretation: In the midst of the time of that kingdom |
|||||||||
|
great struggles shall arise, and it shall be in danger of falling; nevertheless it shall |
|||||||||
|
not fall then, but shall regain its former power. As for your seeing eight little wings |
|||||||||
|
clinging to his wings, this is the interpretation: Eight kings shall arise in it, whose |
|||||||||
|
time shall be short and their years swift; and two of them shall perish when the |
|||||||||
|
middle of its time draws near; and four shall be kept for the time when its end |
|||||||||
|
approaches; but two shall be kept until the end. As for your seeing three heads at |
|||||||||
|
rest, this is the interpretation: In its last days the Most High will raise up three |
|||||||||
|
kings, and they shall renew many things in it, and shall rule the earth and its |
|||||||||
|
inhabitants more oppressively than all who were before them; therefore they are |
|||||||||
|
called the heads of the eagle. For it is they who shall sum up his wickedness and |
|||||||||
|
perform his last actions. As for your seeing that the large head disappeared, one of |
|||||||||
|
the kings shall die in his bed, but in agonies. But as for the two who remained, the |
|||||||||
|
sword shall devour them. For the sword of one shall devour him who was with |
|||||||||
|
him; but he also shall fall by the sword in the last days. As for your seeing two little |
|||||||||
|
wings passing over to the head which was on the right side, this is the |
|||||||||
|
interpretation: It is these whom the Most High has kept for the eagle's end; this |
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|
was the reign which was brief and full of tumult, as you have seen. |
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|
The eagle describes the Roman Empire. It was described by Daniel in chapter 7 as a terrifying |
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beast with large iron teeth. The details here are not pertinent to the study of the end times. |
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II Esdras 12:31 - 32 |
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:31 |
"And as for the lion whom you saw rousing up out of the forest and roaring and |
||||||||
|
speaking to the eagle and reproving him for his unrighteousness, and as for all his |
|||||||||
|
words that you have heard, this is the Messiah whom the Most High has kept until |
|||||||||
|
the end of days, who will arise from the posterity of David, and will come and |
|||||||||
|
speak to them; he will denounce them for their ungodliness and for their |
|||||||||
|
wickedness, and will cast up before them their contemptuous dealings. |
|||||||||
|
In the days of the Roman Empire, Jesus the Messiah was born. This passage parallels Daniel's |
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son of man in chapter 7. |
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Daniel 7:13 |
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:13 |
"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, |
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coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led |
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|
into his presence. |
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II Esdras 12:33 |
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:33 |
For first he will set them living before his judgment seat, and when he has |
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reproved them, then he will destroy them. |
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|
This verse parallels other passages in Daniel 7. |
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Daniel 7:9 - 10, 22, 26 |
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:9 |
"As I looked, |
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"thrones were set in place, |
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and the Ancient of Days took his seat. |
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His clothing was as white as snow; |
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the hair of his head was white like wool. |
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His throne was flaming with fire, |
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and its wheels were all ablaze. |
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:10 |
A river of fire was flowing, |
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coming out from before him. |
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Thousands upon thousands attended him; |
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ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. |
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The court was seated, |
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and the books were opened. |
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|
:22 |
until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of |
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|
the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. |
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|
:26 |
" 'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely |
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|
destroyed forever. |
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|
II Esdras 12:34 |
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|
:34 |
But he will deliver in mercy the remnant of my people, those who have been saved |
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|
throughout my borders, and he will make them joyful until the end comes, the day |
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|
of judgment, of which I spoke to you at the beginning. |
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|
The remnant of his people who remained in Palestine would hear the gospel. It is this which |
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|
would make them joyful throughout the centuries following the demise of the Roman Empire on |
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|
down through the time of the end when, after the Millennial Reign, the final day of judgment would |
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|
arrive. |
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|
* |
* |
* |
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