AncientWord

The History of Israel in Animal Imagery (Part 2)
From the Time of the Seventy Shepherds to the New Jerusalem

1. And I looked until the shepherds had pastured for twelve hours, and behold, three of those sheep returned and entered, and began to build up all that had fallen down of that house; but the wild boars tried to hinder them, though they could not.

2. And they began again to build as before, and they raised up that house, and a tower was built upon that house. And they called that tower "the high tower."

3. And those sheep were blind, and their shepherds likewise; and many were delivered to their shepherds for destruction, and they trampled the sheep with their feet and devoured them.

4. And the Lord of the sheep remained unmoved until all the sheep were scattered over the field, and they mingled with them and did not know their shepherd and did not believe that He was their Lord.

5. And I saw that they were all slaughtered and devoured, and the house was taken down by the beasts; and I was exceedingly grieved at the sight.

6. And I saw in the vision Him who wrote down how He carried off the book and read it before the Lord of the sheep. And He implored Him on behalf of those seventy shepherds who had fed the sheep, and He took the book and laid it beside Him and went out.

7. And I saw until the Lord of the sheep brought a new house, larger and loftier than the former, and set it upon the site of the first that had been taken down. All its pillars were new, and its walls were new and larger than the former. And the Lord of the sheep was in its midst.

8. And I saw all the sheep which had been left and all the beasts on the earth and all the birds of the heaven falling down and worshiping those sheep and supplicating them and obeying them in everything.

9. And afterward those three who were clothed in white and had seized me by my hand, who had brought me up before, took me up again.

10. And they took me up into a place where those were before me who were like the flaming fire, and they were glorious. And there stood a great throne in the midst, surrounded by those who were like fire, and the house was filled with them.

11. And I saw how a great sword was given to the sheep, and the sheep went forth against all the beasts of the field to slay them; and all the beasts and birds fled before their face.

12. And I saw that when they began to slay the beasts, the beasts and the birds cried out to the Lord of the sheep and lamented, because they were being devoured.

13. But He did not save them from the hand of the sheep, and He gave them over to the hands of the sheep to devour them utterly.

14. And He called seventy shepherds and cast those beasts into a fiery abyss, flaming and full of fire, and they were burned therein.

15. And that house became great and broad, and it was built for all the sheep, and a tower lofty and great was built on the house for the Lord of the sheep, and that house was low, but the tower was elevated and high.

16. And the Lord of the sheep stood on that tower, and they offered a full table before Him.

17. And I saw those sheep again, and they all became alike, white, and their wool was abundant and clean.

18. And all that had been destroyed and scattered and all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the heaven assembled in that house, and the Lord of the sheep rejoiced with great joy because all were good and had returned to His house.

19. And I saw that they laid down the sword which had been given to the sheep, and they brought it back to His house and sealed it before the presence of the Lord.

20. And all the sheep were enclosed in that house, and it did not become full. And the eyes of all were opened, and they saw the good, and there was not one among them who did not see.

21. And I saw that the house was great, broad, and full. And I saw that a white bull was born, and its horns were great; and all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air feared him and made petition to him continually.

22. And I saw till all their generations were transformed, and they all became white bulls; and the first among them became a lamb, and that lamb became a great beast and had great black horns on its head. And the Lord of the sheep rejoiced over it and over all the oxen.

23. And I slept in their midst, and I awoke and saw everything.

24. This is the vision I saw while I slept, and I awoke and blessed the Lord of righteousness and gave Him glory.

25. Then I wept with great weeping, and my tears stayed not, till I could no longer endure it. When I looked, they flowed on account of what I had seen; for everything shall come and be fulfilled, and all the deeds of men in their order were shown to me.

26. That night I remembered my former dream, and because of it I wept and was troubled—because I had seen that vision.