I started listening to the book 2 Esdras. I was driving back from Vernal, UT to Cedar Hills, UT which is about a 3 hour drive. Honestly, I wanted to hear the full Esdras Eagle Prophecy. But I thought I would know and understand more if I read the whole book. Sometimes I have a hard time reading a lot. So, listening is great. The narrator on the YouTube video I chose was awesome.
I found this book to be so fascinating that I had to talk about parts of the book that stood out.
In chapter 1 it talks about God taking the land from other nations and giving it to them [Israel]. Then due to iniquity, taking the land from Israel and giving it to other nations. It is so reminiscent of what God has done in other lands, like the promised land in the Book of Mormon. The period of time appears to be around 400 BC
2 Esdras 1:21-24
21- I divided fertile lands among you; I drove out the Canaanites, the Perizzites, and the Philistines before you. What more can I do for you? says the Lord.
22 -Thus says the Lord Almighty: When you were in the wilderness, at the bitter stream, thirsty and blaspheming my name,
23 – I did not send fire upon you for your blasphemies, but threw a tree into the water and made the stream sweet.
24 – “What shall I do to you, O Jacob? You would not obey me, O Judah. I will turn to other nations and will give them my name, that they may keep my statutes.
While listening to it, I was thinking what are these great sins the children of Israel were guilty of. It appears to be murder. As I thought about it, the children of Israel murdered the prophets. Around that time, they even tried to kill Lehi who was led to a promised land. [This next statement is my opinion] As I listened, I also wondered if the children of Israel were possibly guilty of murder by over applying the law of Moses. Using the law to murder period. They seemed to be overzealous to enforce the letter of the law with regards to the Law of Moses. I think of the woman taken in adultery and how quick they were to demand her execution [and not the man’s]
2 Esdras 1:25-26,32
25 – Because you have forsaken me, I also will forsake you. When you beg mercy of me, I will show you no mercy.
26 – When you call upon me, I will not listen to you; for you have defiled your hands with blood, and your feet are swift to commit murder.
32 – I sent to you my servants the prophets, but you have taken and slain them and torn their bodies in pieces; their blood I will require of you, says the Lord.
There were so many things that surprised me in this book. One was a section in Chapter 2 that felt a lot like the Sermon on the Mount. Clearly this preceded the time of Christ, but the messages within the Sermon on the Mount is eternal.
2 Esdras 2:20-25
20 – Guard the rights of the widow, secure justice for the fatherless, give to the needy, defend the orphan, clothe the naked,
21 – care for the injured and the weak, do not ridicule a lame man, protect the maimed, and let the blind man have a vision of my splendor.
22 – Protect the old and the young within your walls;
23 – When you find any who are dead, commit them to the grave and mark it, and I will give you the first place in my resurrection.
24 – Pause and be quiet, my people, because your rest will come.
25 – Good nurse, nourish your sons, and strengthen their feet.
There is this pretty amazing section that talks about Jesus Christ in chapter 3, then it specifically says Jesus in chapter 7. However, when I went to copy the text, I could not find Jesus or Christ mentioned in the text I was using. The video above uses these titles, but the text I am copying from uses “messiah” instead.
2 Esdras 2:43-47
43 – In their midst was a young man of great stature, taller than any of the others, and on the head of each of them he placed a crown, but he was more exalted than they. And I was held spellbound. 44 – Then I asked an angel, “Who are these, my lord?” 45 – He answered and said to me, “These are they who have put off mortal clothing and have put on the immortal, and they have confessed the name of God; now they are being crowned, and receive palms.” 46 – Then I said to the angel, “Who is that young man who places crowns on them and puts palms in their hands?” 47 – He answered and said to me, “He is the Son of God, whom they confessed in the world.” So I began to praise those who had stood valiantly for the name of the Lord.
2 Esdras 7:8-9
28 – For my son the Messiah shall be revealed with those who are with him, and those who remain shall rejoice four hundred years.
29 – And after these years my son the Messiah shall die, and all who draw human breath.
Hey, so this is really interesting so second Ezra chapter 5 about truth being hidden in the last days how old is came before him talking about the fire and smoke and the smoke remaining without the fire in the rain the rain the drops remaining even though the rain has passed Might be immersed in the time read through that a couple times and see if I can grasp exactly what he’s talking about there, but this chapter 5 is really interesting that I think is the beginning of this ego prophecy, where he is talking about the conditions of the earth prior to my specifically this country because I’m taking a country that doesn’t seem
[1] “Now concerning the signs: behold, the days are coming when those who dwell on earth shall be seized with great terror, and the way of truth shall be hidden, and the land shall be barren of faith. 2 Esdras 5:1
This was really interesting. In 2 Esdras 6:21 “and women with child shall give birth to premature children at three and four months, and these shall live and dance. ” I went and looked up the most preemie baby ever to survive. Curtis Means, was born at 20 weeks (19 weeks premature). That is still quite a bit off of 12 to 13 weeks. If this could one day happen, that will be truly miraculous.
So couple other interesting things as he keeps talking about fasting for seven days, seven days and then fasting again for seven days again for seven days would be quite a burden upon the soul body can physically do that setting you’re deaf. The other thing is interesting as he talked about why he was being revelation is Chester. He had been chased his entire life what song chased
This is just a comment on the dialog. Esdras basically had a question-and-answer series with an angel of God. It was so reminiscent of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. Each of those books have prophets having a question-and-answer series with angels or Jesus Christ. It was refreshing to listen to.
These dialogs piggybacked a series of fasting and personal revelation that went on for weeks. I think John Pontius probably liked these. Esdras was asked to fast for 7 days, then had this amazing interaction with an angel. Then fast another 7 days, followed by more interaction. Then 7 more, and the same thing. In the midst of this Esdras was recognized for living a chaste life.
One last part I really liked, was the part where the spirit told Esdras about prophets of the people who prayed for the people. In the Bible there was mass destruction or destruction of a people or a nation. It always was preceded by a prophet that was praying for the people.
2 Esdras
106 I answered and said, “How then do we find that first Abraham prayed for the people of Sodom, and Moses for our fathers who sinned in the desert,
107 and Joshua after him for Israel in the days of Achan,
108 and Samuel in the days of Saul, and David for the plague, and Solomon for those in the sanctuary,
109 and Elijah for those who received the rain, and for the one who was dead, that he might live,
110 and Hezekiah for the people in the days of Sennacherib, and many others prayed for many?
Chapters 11 and 12 cover Esdras Eagle, a vision that Esdras had about the last days. I will cover that in another post. Click Here