1 While the lion was speaking in this way to the eagle, I looked 2 and saw that the last head of the eagle was gone. Then the two small wings that had moved over to that head rose up to govern, but their rule was short and full of trouble. 3 They disappeared before my eyes, and the whole body of the eagle burst into flames, and the world was terrified.
The Interpretation of the Vision
I was so disturbed and so afraid that I woke up. I said, 4 “I have brought this on myself, because I have tried to study the ways of God Most High. 5 I am mentally exhausted and completely worn out. The terrible fears I have experienced this night have taken my last bit of strength. 6 All I can do now is pray to God Most High to give me strength until the end.” 7 Then I prayed, “Master and Lord, if it is true that you consider me more righteous than many others and if you hear my prayers, then I beg you, 8 give me strength. Show me, O Lord, the full meaning of this terrifying vision, and set my mind at ease. 9 After all, you did consider me worthy to be shown the end of this age.”
10 God's angel said to me, “Here is the interpretation of the vision you saw. 11 The eagle you saw coming up out of the sea represents the fourth kingdom in the vision that your brother Daniel saw. 12 But he was not given the same interpretation of it that I am giving you. 13 The time is coming when an empire will be established on earth that is more terrible than any before it. 14 Twelve kings will rule over it, one after the other. 15 The second king will rule longer than any of the others. 16 That is the meaning of the twelve wings that you saw.
17 “You heard the voice speaking from the middle of the eagle's body, instead of from its heads. 18 That means that after the rule of the second king, a great struggle for power will take place, and the empire will be in danger of breaking up. But that will not happen, and the empire will regain its earlier power.
19 “You saw the eight small wings growing out of the eagle's big wings. That means 20 that eight kings will rise up in the empire, but their rule will be brief and unimportant. 21 Two of them will appear briefly near the middle of the period, four of them will not appear until near the end, and two will be left until the very end.
22 “You saw the three heads that were asleep. That means 23 that in the last days of the empire, God Most High will raise up three kings; they will restore much of the empire and rule over the world 24 and its people with more harshness than any before them. The reason they are called the eagle's heads 25 is that these three kings will bring to a head and complete the godless work of the eagle. 26 You saw the largest head disappear. This means that one of the kings will die in his bed, in great agony. 27 The other two will die in battle. 28 One of them will kill the other; then he also will be killed in battle at the end of time.
29 “You saw the two small wings moving under the head on the right side. 30 That means that God Most High has kept them until the end, but their rule was short and full of trouble, as you saw.
31 “You saw the angry lion come roaring out of the forest, and you heard it speak to the eagle and rebuke it for the evil that it had done and for all that it had said. 32 The lion represents the Messiah, whom God Most High has held back until the end. He will be a descendant of David and will come and speak to the rulers. He will rebuke them for their wickedness, their sinfulness, and their contempt for God's ways. 33 While they are still living, he will bring them to judgment, condemn them for their sin, and destroy them. 34 But he will have mercy on the rest of my people, those who are left in my land; he will set them free and make them happy until the end comes, the Judgment Day about which I told you at the beginning.
35 “That is the dream you had, and that is its interpretation. 36 But you are the only one that God Most High has considered worthy to reveal this secret to. 37 So write in a book everything you saw, and put it in a safe hiding place. 38 Then teach these secrets to those who are wise among your people, those who will be able to understand them and keep them secret. 39 But you must stay here seven more days, so that God Most High may reveal to you whatever he wishes.” Then the angel left me.
The People Come to Ezra
40 When the seven days had passed and all the people heard that I had not yet returned to the city, all of them, rich and poor, came and asked me, 41 “What wrong have we done to you? How have we mistreated you? Why have you abandoned us and settled down in this place? 42 You are the only one of all our prophets who is left. You are like the last bunch of grapes in a vineyard, like a lantern in a dark place, like a safe harbor for a ship in a storm. 43 Haven't we suffered enough already? 44 If you abandon us, it would have been better if we had died like the others in the fire that destroyed Jerusalem. 45 We are no better than those who died.” Then they all started crying loudly.
I answered, 46 “Be brave, Israel, put away your sorrow. 47 God Most High will keep you in mind; the Almighty One has not forgotten you in all your troubles. 48 And I haven't left you or abandoned you. I came here to pray for Jerusalem in her time of trouble and to ask mercy for her and for your Temple, now in disgrace. 49 Please return to your homes, all of you. I will come back to you in a few days.” 50 So they left me and went back to the city.
THE SIXTH VISION
The Vision
51 I stayed in the field for seven days, as the angel had commanded me. I ate nothing but wild flowers; I was a vegetarian in those days.
1 And it came to pass, whiles the lion spake these words unto the eagle, I saw,
2 And, behold, the head that remained and the four wings appeared no more, and the two went unto it and set themselves up to reign, and their kingdom was small, and full of uproar.
3 And I saw, and, behold, they appeared no more, and the whole body of the eagle was burnt so that the earth was in great fear: then awaked I out of the trouble and trance of my mind, and from great fear, and said unto my spirit,
4 Lo, this hast thou done unto me, in that thou searchest out the ways of the Highest.
5 Lo, yet am I weary in my mind, and very weak in my spirit; and little strength is there in me, for the great fear wherewith I was afflicted this night.
6 Therefore will I now beseech the Highest, that he will comfort me unto the end.
7 And I said, Lord that bearest rule, if I have found grace before thy sight, and if I am justified with thee before many others, and if my prayer indeed be come up before thy face;
8 Comfort me then, and shew me thy servant the interpretation and plain difference of this fearful vision, that thou mayest perfectly comfort my soul.
9 For thou hast judged me worthy to shew me the last times.
10 And he said unto me, This is the interpretation of the vision:
11 The eagle, whom thou sawest come up from the sea, is the kingdom which was seen in the vision of thy brother Daniel.
12 But it was not expounded unto him, therefore now I declare it unto thee.
13 Behold, the days will come, that there shall rise up a kingdom upon earth, and it shall be feared above all the kingdoms that were before it.
14 In the same shall twelve kings reign, one after another:
15 Whereof the second shall begin to reign, and shall have more time than any of the twelve.
16 And this do the twelve wings signify, which thou sawest.
17 As for the voice which thou heardest speak, and that thou sawest not to go out from the heads but from the midst of the body thereof, this is the interpretation:
18 That after the time of that kingdom there shall arise great strivings, and it shall stand in peril of failing: nevertheless it shall not then fall, but shall be restored again to his beginning.
19 And whereas thou sawest the eight small under feathers sticking to her wings, this is the interpretation:
20 That in him there shall arise eight kings, whose times shall be but small, and their years swift.
21 And two of them shall perish, the middle time approaching: four shall be kept until their end begin to approach: but two shall be kept unto the end.
22 And whereas thou sawest three heads resting, this is the interpretation:
23 In his last days shall the most High raise up three kingdoms, and renew many things therein, and they shall have the dominion of the earth,
24 And of those that dwell therein, with much oppression, above all those that were before them: therefore are they called the heads of the eagle.
25 For these are they that shall accomplish his wickedness, and that shall finish his last end.
26 And whereas thou sawest that the great head appeared no more, it signifieth that one of them shall die upon his bed, and yet with pain.
27 For the two that remain shall be slain with the sword.
28 For the sword of the one shall devour the other: but at the last shall he fall through the sword himself.
29 And whereas thou sawest two feathers under the wings passing over the head that is on the right side;
30 It signifieth that these are they, whom the Highest hath kept unto their end: this is the small kingdom and full of trouble, as thou sawest.
31 And the lion, whom thou sawest rising up out of the wood, and roaring, and speaking to the eagle, and rebuking her for her unrighteousness with all the words which thou hast heard;
32 This is the anointed, which the Highest hath kept for them and for their wickedness unto the end: he shall reprove them, and shall upbraid them with their cruelty.
33 For he shall set them before him alive in judgment, and shall rebuke them, and correct them.
34 For the rest of my people shall he deliver with mercy, those that have been pressed upon my borders, and he shall make them joyful until the coming of the day of judgment, whereof I have spoken unto thee from the beginning.
35 This is the dream that thou sawest, and these are the interpretations.
36 Thou only hast been meet to know this secret of the Highest.
37 Therefore write all these things that thou hast seen in a book, and hide them:
38 And teach them to the wise of the people, whose hearts thou knowest may comprehend and keep these secrets.
39 But wait thou here thyself yet seven days more, that it may be shewed thee, whatsoever it pleaseth the Highest to declare unto thee. And with that he went his way.
40 And it came to pass, when all the people saw that the seven days were past, and I not come again into the city, they gathered them all together, from the least unto the greatest, and came unto me, and said,
41 What have we offended thee? and what evil have we done against thee, that thou forsakest us, and sittest here in this place?
42 For of all the prophets thou only art left us, as a cluster of the vintage, and as a candle in a dark place, and as a haven or ship preserved from the tempest.
43 Are not the evils which are come to us sufficient?
44 If thou shalt forsake us, how much better had it been for us, if we also had been burned in the midst of Sion?
45 For we are not better than they that died there. And they wept with a loud voice. Then answered I them, and said,
46 Be of good comfort, O Israel; and be not heavy, thou house of Jacob:
47 For the Highest hath you in remembrance, and the Mighty hath not forgotten you in temptation.
48 As for me, I have not forsaken you, neither am I departed from you: but am come into this place, to pray for the desolation of Sion, and that I might seek mercy for the low estate of your sanctuary.
49 And now go your way home every man, and after these days will I come unto you.
50 So the people went their way into the city, like as I commanded them:
51 But I remained still in the field seven days, as the angel commanded me; and did eat only in those days of the flowers of the field, and had my meat of the herbs.