THE DREAM-VISIONS
- Third Period--from Alexander the Great to the Graeco-Syrian Domination.
Chapter 90
1 “And I saw that up to the time in such a manner, thirty-seven conducting shepherds inspected, and they all finished in their times as the first, and others then received them into their hands, that they might inspect them in their times, every shepherd in his time.
2 “And after that, I saw in the vision, that all the birds of heaven came, eagles, vultures, kites, and ravens, and the eagle taught them all. They began to devour the sheep, to pick out their eyes, and to devour their bodies.
3 And the sheep cried out, because their bodies were devoured by the birds. I also cried out, and groaned in my sleep against that shepherd which inspected the flock,
4 “And I looked till the sheep were eaten up by the dogs, by the eagles, and by the kites, and they left them neither body, nor skin, nor muscles, until their bones alone stood there, and their bones fell upon the earth, and the sheep were diminished.
5 “And I saw during one time that twenty-three conducting shepherds inspected, who completed in their times fifty-eight times.
- Fourth Period--from the Graeco-Syrian Domination to the Maccabæan Revolt.
6 “Then small lambs were born of those white sheep, and they began to open their eyes, and to see, and to cry out to the sheep.
7 But the sheep cried not out to them, and they heard not what they said, but were extremely deaf, and powerfully and strongly blinded their eyes.
8 I saw in the vision that ravens flew down upon these lambs, and that they took one of these lambs, and they tore the sheep in pieces and devoured them.
9 And I saw that horns grew forth upon these lambs, and that the searching ravens came down upon these horns. And I saw that a large horn sprouted forth on one of the sheep, and their eyes were opened.
10 “And he looked at them, and placed himself before their eyes, and he cried to the sheep. Then the ram saw him, and they all ran to him.
11 And contempt of these brought all the eagles, vultures, ravens, and kites, around the sheep, and they flew down upon them, and devoured them, and the sheep were silent, but the ram lamented and cried out.
12 Then the ravens fought and struggled with them. They wished among them to remove that horn, but they overcame him not.
- The Last Assault of the Gentiles on the Jews.
13 I looked at them until the shepherds, the eagles, the vultures, and the kites came, and they cried out to the ravens to break the horn of the ram, to contend with him, and to fight with him, but he struggled with them, and cried out that his help might come to him.
14 “Then I looked until the man came who had written down the names of the shepherds, and who ascended up before the Lord of the Sheep. He brought assistance and caused everyone to see him descend to the help of the ram.
15 “And I saw that the Lord of the Sheep came to them in his wrath, and all those who saw him fled away, and all fell down in his tabernacle before his face.
16 And all the eagles, vultures, ravens, and kites assembled together, and brought with them all the sheep of the field. And they all came assembled together, and strove to break the horn of the debela.
17 “Then I saw that the man who wrote the book at the word of the Lord, opened the book of destruction, of those who had been destroyed by the last twelve shepherds, and shewed before the Lord of the Sheep, that they had destroyed more than those who had been before them.
18 “And I also saw that to them came the Lord of the Sheep, and took in his hand the sceptre of his wrath, and smote the earth, which was rent asunder, and all the beasts and birds of heaven fell down from the sheep, and sunk into the earth, and there they were buried.
19 “And I also saw that a mighty sword was given to the sheep, who went forth against all the beasts of the field to destroy them. But all the beasts and birds of heaven fled from before their face.
- Judgement of the Fallen Angels, the Shepherds, and the Apostates.
20 “And I saw a throne erected in a delightful land. Upon this sat the Lord of the Sheep, and received all the sealed books. And these books were opened before the Lord of the Sheep.
21 “Then the Lord called the first seven white ones, and commanded them to bring before him the first of the stars, which went before the stars whose shame were like the shame of horses, and the first star which fell down first, and they brought them all before him.
22 “And he spake to that man who wrote before him who was one of the seven white ones, and said, ‘Take those seventy shepherds, to whom I delivered the sheep, and who received them, and killed more than those which I had commanded them.’
23 “And behold, I saw them all bound, and all stand before him.
24 And the judgment of the stars came on first, and they were all judged, and found guilty, and went to the place of punishment, and they thrust them into a deep full of burning fire, and full of pillars of fire.
25 Then the seventy shepherds were judged, and were found guilty, and were thrust into the flaming abyss.
26 And I saw at that time, that in the middle of the earth one deep was opened which was full of fire. And to this they brought the blind sheep, and they were judged, and found guilty, and were all thrust into the deep of fire on the earth, and burnt. And this deep was on the right side of that house.
27 And I saw the sheep burning, and their bones consuming.
- The New Jerusalem, the Conversion of the surviving Gentiles, the Resurrection of the Righteous, the Messiah.
28 “I stood and saw till he took down that ancient house, and they brought out its pillars, every plant, and the ivory of that house, with which it was overlaid, they brought it out and laid it on a place on the right side of the earth.
29 “And I beheld the Lord of the Sheep, until he produced a new house, greater and higher than the first. And he set it upon the place of the first, which was covered, and all its pillars were new, and its ivory new, and stronger than the first ivory, which he had brought out. And the Lord of the Sheep was in the middle.
30 “And I saw all the sheep which remained, and all the beasts of the earth, and fowls of heaven, fell down, and cast themselves before the sheep, and supplicated them, and heard them in every word.
31 “Then those three who were clothed in white, who before had caused me to ascend, they held me by my hand, and the hand of him who spake held me, and they raised me up, and set me in the middle of the sheep before the judgment began.
32 “And the sheep were all white, with their wool long and clean,
33 and all who had perished, and had been destroyed, and all the beasts of the field, and all the fowls of heaven, turned back to that house, and the Lord of the Sheep rejoiced with great joy, because they were all good, and had turned back again to his dwelling.
34 And I saw that they laid down the sword which had been given to the sheep, and brought it back to his house, and sealed it up in the presence of the Lord. All the sheep were enclosed in that house, but it did not contain them all at one time,
35 and the eyes of all were open, and they saw the good One, and there was none among them who did not behold him.
36 And I saw that this house was great and wide and very full.
37 “And I saw that a white being was born, whose horns were great, and that all the beasts of the field and the fowls of heaven feared him, and prayed to him at all times.
38 Then I saw that the nature of them all was changed, and that they all became white animals. And that the first who was in the midst of them became a Word, and that Word became a large being, and on his head were great horns. And the Lord of the Sheep rejoiced over them, and over all the animals.
39 “I reposed in the middle of them, I awoke and saw the whole.
40 “And this is the vision which I saw while I slept, and when I awaked, I praised the Lord of righteousness, and gave him glory.
41 Afterwards I wept a great weeping, and my tears ceased not, so that I was not able to bear it, and when I looked, they descended by reason of that which I had seen, for all was come and gone, for every particular part of the affairs of men was shewn to me.
42 “In that night I remembered my former dream, therefore I wept and was troubled, because I had seen that vision.”
THE END OF THE DREAM VISIONS