Fourth Ezra

And it came to pass, while the lion was speaking these words to the eagle, I looked,

and behold, the head that remained was suddenly destroyed; and then those two wings that went over to it arose to rule, and their rule was short and full of turmoil.

And I looked, and they too were destroyed, and the whole body of the eagle burned, and the earth was exceedingly terrified. But I awoke from great trembling and great fear, and I said to my spirit:

“You have brought all these things upon me, because you search out the ways of the Most High.

And behold, I am exhausted in my soul, and my spirit is very faint, and not even a little strength is left in me, because of the great fear with which I was terrified this night.

And now I will pray to the Most High, that he may strengthen me unto the end.”

And I said, “O Lord, my Lord, if I have found mercy in your sight, and if indeed I am blessed before you more than many, and if my prayer has truly ascended before the majesty of your presence,

strengthen me and make known to me, your servant, the interpretation and explanation of this vision that I saw, so that you may fully comfort my soul.

For you have judged me worthy, though I am not worthy, to reveal to me the end of times and the conclusion of the seasons.” And he answered and said to me:

“This is the interpretation of the vision that you saw:

The eagle that you saw coming up from the sea is the fourth kingdom that appeared in a vision to your brother Daniel.

But it was not explained to him as I now explain it to you, or as I have explained it to you.

Behold, the days are coming, and a kingdom shall arise on the earth, and it shall be more terrifying than all the kingdoms that were before it.

And twelve kings shall reign in it, one after another.

And the second, when he reigns, shall hold the time longer than any of the twelve.

This is the interpretation of the twelve wings that you saw.

And as for your seeing a voice speaking, and it did not come out from the heads of the eagle, but from the midst of its body,

this is the word: in the midst of the time of that kingdom there shall arise great divisions, and it shall be in danger of falling; yet it shall not fall then, but shall be established again in its former dominion.

And as for your seeing eight small wings growing under its wings,

this is the word: eight kings shall arise in it, whose times shall be short and their seasons swift; and two of them shall perish

when the middle time approaches; and four shall be kept for the time when its time approaches to end; but two shall be kept for the end.

And as for your seeing three heads resting on it,

this is the word: in the end of times the Most High will raise up three kings, and they shall renew many things in it, and crush the earth

and its inhabitants with great oppression, more than all those who were before them. Therefore, they are called the heads of the eagle,

for it is they who shall renew its wickedness and bring about its end.

And as for your seeing that one large head disappear, it means that one of them will die alone on his bed, and even he in torment.

But as for the two that remain, the sword shall devour them.

For the sword of the one shall devour

his fellow;

yet he also shall fall by the sword at the last.

And as for your seeing two wings going over to the head that is on the right side,

this is the word: these are they whom the Most High has kept for the end; and their kingdom shall be short and full of turmoil,

as you saw. And as for your seeing a lion roused from the forest, roaring and growling, and speaking to the eagle and rebuking it for its unrighteousness and all the words that you heard,

this is the Messiah whom the Most High has kept for the end of days, who shall arise from the seed of David; and he will come and speak to them, and rebuke them for their wickedness, and reprove them for their malice, and set their iniquity before them.

For he will set them alive before my judgment seat, and it will be that when he has rebuked them, then he will destroy them.

But he will deliver my remaining people with mercy, those who have remained within my borders, and he will gladden them until the end of the day of judgment comes, concerning which I spoke with you from the beginning.

This is the vision that you saw, and this is its interpretation.

And you alone were found worthy to know this secret of the Most High.

Write therefore in a book all these things that you have seen, and put them in a secret place;

and teach them to the wise among your people, whose hearts you know are able to hold and keep these secrets.

But as for you, wait here seven more days, so that whatever the Most High pleases to reveal to you may be revealed to you.”

And he departed from me. And it came to pass, when the people saw that seven days had passed and I had not returned to the city, all the people gathered together, from the least to the greatest, and they arose and came to me, and answered and said to me:

“How have we sinned against you, or how have we wronged you, that you have forsaken us and sat down in this place?

For of all the prophets you alone are left to us, like a cluster from the vintage, and like a lamp in a dark place, and like a haven of safety for a ship in a storm.

Are not the evils that have befallen us enough for us, that you also should forsake us?

For if you forsake us, it would have been better for us if we also had burned in the burning of Zion.

For we are not better than those who died there.” And they wept with a loud voice. And I answered and said to them:

“Take courage, O Israel, and do not grieve, O house of Jacob!

For your memorial is before the Most High, and the Mighty One has not forgotten you forever.

As for me, I have not forsaken you, nor will I forsake you; but I came to this place to pray over the desolation of Zion, and to ask for mercy over the humiliation of our sanctuary.

And now go, each of you to his house, and I will come to you after these days.

So the people went into the city, as I told them.

But I sat in the field for seven days, as he commanded me; and I ate only of the flowers of the field, and from its roots was my nourishment in those days.