Seven days of fasting. Then, in the dead of night, Ezra dreamed.
A wind rose from the sea and churned all its waves. And from the heart of the sea — not its surface, not its shallows, but its very heart — something emerged. A figure like a man. He flew with the clouds of heaven. Wherever he turned his face, everything under his gaze trembled. Whenever his voice issued from his mouth, all who heard it melted like wax before fire.
Then an innumerable multitude gathered from the four winds of heaven. They came to make war against him. He carved out a great mountain and flew up upon it. Ezra tried to see where the mountain came from — he could not.
The armies rushed forward. The figure did not lift his hand. He held no spear, no weapon of war. Instead, from his mouth poured a stream of fire. From his lips, a flaming breath. From his tongue, a storm of sparks. Fire and breath and storm mingled together and fell on the attacking multitude, burning them all to nothing — until there was only dust and ashes and the smell of smoke.
Then the figure came down from the mountain and called to himself a different multitude. A peaceable one. Some were joyful, some sorrowful. Some were bound, and some brought others as offerings.
Ezra awoke in terror and begged the Most High for the interpretation.
The answer revealed a messianic vision of extraordinary power. The figure from the sea was the one whom God had been keeping for many ages — the one who would deliver creation itself. No one on earth could see him or those with him except in the appointed time.
When that time came, bewilderment would seize the world. Nations would plan war against one another — city against city, kingdom against kingdom. Then God's chosen one would be revealed, standing on the top of Mount Zion. And Zion itself would come and be made manifest to all people, prepared and built — the mountain carved out without hands.
The storm from his mouth was reproof. The flames were reproach. The fire was the Torah itself, destroying wickedness without effort.
And the peaceable multitude he gathered? Those were the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel — carried into captivity in the days of King Hoshea by Shalmaneser king of Assyria, taken across the river into another land. But they had made a plan: to leave the nations and travel to a distant region where no human had ever lived, so they could finally keep the statutes they had failed to keep in their own land. They traveled through the narrow passages of the Euphrates, where God stopped the river's channels to let them cross. A journey of a year and a half, to a country called Arzareth.
They had dwelt there ever since, hidden, waiting. And in the last days, God would stop the river again so they could return.
"Those who are left of your people, who are found within my holy borders, shall be saved," the angel declared. "And then he will show them very many wonders."
Ezra asked one more question. Why did the figure come up from the heart of the sea?
The answer was as deep as the image itself: "Just as no one can explore or know what is in the depths of the sea, so no one on earth can see my chosen one or those who are with him, except in the time of his day."
Ezra rose and walked in the field, giving glory and praise to the Most High. The vision had shown him something hidden since before the world began — a deliverer rising from unfathomable depths, armed with nothing but the fire of God's word, gathering the scattered children of Israel from the ends of the earth.
[1] After seven days I dreamed a dream in the night;
[2] and behold, a wind arose from the sea and stirred up all
its waves.
[3] And I looked, and behold, this wind made something like
the figure of a man come up out of the heart of the sea. And I looked,
and behold, that man flew with the clouds of heaven; and wherever he turned
his face to look, everything under his gaze trembled,
[4] and whenever his voice issued from his mouth, all who heard
his voice melted as wax melts when it feels the fire.
[5] After this I looked, and behold, an innumerable multitude
of men were gathered together from the four winds of heaven to make war
against the man who came up out of the sea.
[6] And I looked, and behold, he carved out for himself a great
mountain, and flew up upon it.
br>[7] And I tried to see the region or place from which the mountain
was carved, but I could not.
[8] After this I looked, and behold, all who had gathered together
against him, to wage war with him, were much afraid, yet dared to fight.
[9] And behold, when he saw the onrush of the approaching multitude,
he neither lifted his hand nor held a spear or any weapon of war;
[10] but I saw only how he sent forth from his mouth as it were
a stream of fire, and from his lips a flaming breath, and from his tongue
he shot forth a storm of sparks.
[11] All these were mingled together, the stream of fire and
the flaming breath and the great storm, and fell on the onrushing multitude
which was prepared to fight, and burned them all up, so that suddenly nothing
was seen of the innumerable multitude but only the dust of ashes and the
smell of smoke. When I saw it, I was amazed.
[12] After this I saw the same man come down from the mountain
and call to him another multitude which was peaceable.
[13] Then many people came to him, some of whom were joyful
and some sorrowful; some of them were bound, and some were bringing others
as offerings. Then in great fear I awoke; and I besought the Most High,
and said,
[14] "From the beginning thou hast shown thy servant these wonders,
and hast deemed me worthy to have my prayer heard by thee;
[15] now show me also the interpretation of this dream.
[16] For as I consider it in my mind, alas for those who will
be left in those days! And still more, alas for those who are not left!
[17] For those who are not left will be sad,
[18] because they understand what is reserved for the last days,
but cannot attain it.
[19] But alas for those also who are left, and for that very
reason! For they shall see great dangers and much distress, as these dreams
show.
[20] Yet it is better to come into these things, though incurring
peril, than to pass from the world like a cloud, and not to see what shall
happen in the last days." He answered me and said,
[21] "I will tell you the interpretation of the vision, and
I will also explain to you the things which you have mentioned.
[22] As for what you said about those who are left, this is
the interpretation:
[23] He who brings the peril at that time will himself protect
those who fall into peril, who have works and have faith in the Almighty.
[24] Understand therefore that those who are left are more blessed
than those who have died.
[25] This is the interpretation of the vision: As for your seeing
a man come up from the heart of the sea,
[26] this is he whom the Most High has been keeping for many
ages, who will himself deliver his creation; and he will direct those who
are left.
[27] And as for your seeing wind and fire and a storm coming
out of his mouth,
[28] and as for his not holding a spear or weapon of war, yet
destroying the onrushing multitude which came to conquer him, this is the
interpretation:
[29] Behold, the days are coming when the Most High will deliver
those who are on the earth.
[30] And bewilderment of mind shall come over those who dwell
on the earth.
[31] And they shall plan to make war against one another, city
against city, place against place, people against people, and kingdom against
kingdom.
[32] And when these things come to pass and the signs occur
which I showed you before, then my Son will be revealed, whom you saw as
a man coming up from the sea.
[33] And when all the nations hear his voice, every man shall
leave his own land and the warfare that they have against one another;
[34] and an innumerable multitude shall be gathered together,
as you saw, desiring to come and conquer him.
[35] But he shall stand on the top of Mount Zion.
[36] And Zion will come and be made manifest to all people,
prepared and built, as you saw the mountain carved out without hands.
[37] And he, my Son, will reprove the assembled nations for
their ungodliness (this was symbolized by the storm),
[38] and will reproach them to their face with their evil thoughts
and the torments with which they are to be tortured (which were symbolized
by the flames), and will destroy them without effort by the law (which
was symbolized by the fire).
[39] And as for your seeing him gather to himself another multitude
that was peaceable,
[40] these are the ten tribes which were led away from their
own land into captivity in the days of King Hoshea, whom Shalmaneser the
king of the Assyrians led captive; he took them across the river, and they
were taken into another land.
[41] But they formed this plan for themselves, that they would
leave the multitude of the nations and go to a more distant region, where
mankind had never lived,
[42] that there at least they might keep their statutes which
they had not kept in their own land.
[43] And they went in by the narrow passages of the Euphrates
river.
[44] For at that time the Most High performed signs for them,
and stopped the channels of the river until they had passed over.
[45] Through that region there was a long way to go, a journey
of a year and a half; and that country is called Arzareth.
[46] "Then they dwelt there until the last times; and now, when
they are about to come again,
[47] the Most High will stop the channels of the river again,
so that they may be able to pass over. Therefore you saw the multitude
gathered together in peace.
[48] But those who are left of your people, who are found within
my holy borders, shall be saved.
[49] Therefore when he destroys the multitude of the nations
that are gathered together, he will defend the people who remain.
[50] And then he will show them very many wonders."
[51] I said, "O sovereign Lord, explain this to me: Why did
I see the man coming up from the heart of the sea?"
[52] He said to me, "Just as no one can explore or know what
is in the depths of the sea, so no one on earth can see my Son or those
who are with him, except in the time of his day.
[53] This is the interpretation of the dream which you saw.
And you alone have been enlightened about this,
[54] because you have forsaken your own ways and have applied
yourself to mine, and have searched out my law;
[55] for you have devoted your life to wisdom, and called understanding
your mother.
[56] Therefore I have shown you this, for there is a reward
laid up with the Most High. And after three more days I will tell you other
things, and explain weighty and wondrous matters to you."
[57] Then I arose and walked in the field, giving great glory
and praise to the Most High because of his wonders, which he did from time
to time,
[58] and because he governs the times and whatever things come
to pass in their seasons. And I stayed there three days.
