Description of Great Tribulation in Shepherd of Hermas book
Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 6:19 pm
Rick Brannan translation.
Shepherd of Hermas (considered secondary scripture by the early church, see Muratorian Cannon)
Vision 4
4.1 Hermas and the Beast
22.1 What I saw, brothers, twenty days after the previous vision, was a type of the tribulation which was coming. 2 I was going into the country by the Campanian Way. It is ⌊just over a mile⌋ 2 from the public road and the place is easily reached. 3 Therefore, walking by myself I desired that the Lord complete the revelations and the visions which he made known to me through his holy church, that he might strengthen me and give repentance to his servants who had stumbled, that his great and glorious name might be glorified, because he considered me worthy to show to me his wonderful things. 4 And I was glorifying and giving thanks to him when the sound of a voice answered me, “Do not be of two minds, Hermas.” I began to reason with myself and say, “How can I be of two minds having been so firmly established by the Lord and having seen his glorious deeds?” 5 And I approached a little further, brothers, and behold, I saw dust like into heaven, and I began to say to myself, “Maybe cattle are coming and raising dust?” And it was about ⌊an eighth of a mile⌋ 4 from me. 6 As the dust grew greater and greater, I suspected it was something supernatural. The sun shone a little, and behold, I saw a large beast like some sea monster and fiery locusts were coming out of its mouth. And the beast was about one hundred feet in length and its head was like a ceramic jar. 7 And I began to weep and to ask the Lord that he rescue me from it, and I remembered the word which I had heard, “Do not be of two minds, Hermas.” 8 Therefore brothers, having put on the faith of the Lord and remembering what great things he taught me, taking courage I gave myself over to the beast. And thus the beast came with a whoosh as though it was able to destroy a city. 9 I came near it, and the enormous sea monster stretched itself out on the ground. And ⌊it only stuck out its tongue⌋, 7 and did not move at all until I had passed it by. 10 And the beast had four colors upon its head: black, then red as fire and blood, then gold, then white.
4.2 Hermas Tells of his Encounter
23.1 And after I passed the beast and went on ahead about thirty feet, behold, a young woman met me, adorned as if coming out from a bridal chamber, completely in white and white sandals, veiled to the forehead, and her head covering was with a turban, and her hair was white. 2 I knew from the previous visions that she was the church and I became more cheerful. She greeted me saying, “Greetings, my man!” and I greeted her in return, “Lady, greetings!” 3 Answering me she said, “Did nothing meet you?” I said to her, “Lady, an enormous beast able to destroy nations, but by the power of the Lord and his great compassion I escaped it!” 4 “You escaped well,” she said, “because you cast your anxiety upon God and opened your heart to the Lord, believing that you are able to be saved by nothing except by the great and glorious name. Because of this, the Lord sent his angel who is over the beasts, whose name is Thegri, and he shut its mouth that it might not destroy you. You have escaped great tribulation because of your faith, and because having seen such an enormous beast, you were not double-minded. 5 Therefore go and make known his great acts to the elect of the Lord, and tell them that this beast is a type of the great tribulation which is coming. Therefore if you prepare ahead of time and repent with your whole heart to the Lord, you will be able to escape it, if your heart becomes pure and blameless, and the remaining days of your life you serve the Lord blamelessly. Cast your anxieties upon the Lord, and he will set them straight. 6 Trust in the Lord, you double-minded ones, because he is able to do all things. He turns his wrath away from you and sends out torments to you who are double-minded. Woe to those who hear these words and who disobey! It would be more desirable for them to not have been born.”
4.3 About the Four Colors
24.1 I asked her about the four colors which the beast had on its head. And answering me she said, “Again you are meddlesome about such things?” “Yes,” I said, “Lady, explain to me what these things are.” 2 “Listen,” she said, “the black, this represents the world in which you dwell. 3 And the color of fire and blood means that it is necessary for this world to be destroyed by blood and fire. 4 And the gold part represents you, who have escaped this world, for just as the gold is tested by the fire and becomes useful, so also you who dwell among them are tested. Therefore those who stay and ⌊pass through the flames⌋ will be purified by the flames, just as the gold throws off its slag, so also you will throw off all sorrow and distress and you will be purified and will be made useful for the construction of the tower. 5 And the white part is the age which is coming, in which the elect of God will dwell because those chosen by God for eternal life are without fault and pure. 6 Therefore you do not stop speaking to the ears of the saints. You also have the example of the great tribulation which is coming, but if you so desire, nothing will happen. Remember what was written beforehand.” 7 Saying these things, she departed and I did not see to what place she departed, because a cloud came and I turned ⌊around in fear⌋, thinking that the beast was coming.