Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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1 The seven days passed, and
the following night I had a
dream.
2 In my dream I saw a wind
coming up out of the sea and stirring
up great waves.
3 As I watched, the
wind brought with it out of the sea
what looked like a man, note and he was
flying note on the clouds. When he
turned his face, everything he
looked at began to tremble, note
4 and
when he spoke, everyone who heard
his voice melted like wax in a fire.
5 I looked again and saw a crowd
too large to count. They were people
gathered together from all parts of
the world to fight against the man
who had come up out of the sea.
6 Then I watched the man carve out
a high mountain and fly up on it. note
7 I
tried to see the place or the region
from which the mountain was
carved, but I couldn't.
8 Then I saw
that all the people who had come together
to make war against him
were terrified, but they still prepared
to fight him.
9 When the man saw
the great crowd advancing to attack
him, he did not take up any weapons.
10 The only thing I saw was
what looked like a stream of fire
coming out of his mouth. He sent a
-- --
flaming wind from his lips and a
storm of sparks from his tongue. The
stream of fire, the flaming wind, and
the great storm combined
11 and
swept down on the crowd that was
coming to attack him, and burned
them all up. In a single moment, that
crowd too large to count vanished,
and there was nothing left but powdery
ashes and the smell of smoke. I
was shocked when I saw what had
happened.
12 Then I saw the man come down
from the mountain and call another
large crowd to come to him—this
was a peace-loving crowd.
13 All
sorts of people came: some were
happy, some were sad, some had
their hands and feet tied, and some
brought others as a gift to the Lord.
The Interpretation of the Vision
13 I was so frightened that I woke up.
I prayed to God Most High and said, note
14 “Lord, you have been showing me
all these marvelous things. You have
considered me worthy and have
heard my prayers.
15 Now please
show me the meaning of this dream
also.
16 I have been thinking how terrible
it will be for the people who
will be living in those days, but how
much worse for those who do not
survive.
17 They will be in great sorrow
18 because they will not enjoy
any of the pleasures reserved for the
last days.
19 But how terrible also for
those who do survive; they will have
to face great dangers and many
troubles, as these dreams have
shown.
20 Nevertheless, it is better to
pass through these dangers and
reach the end than to disappear like
a cloud from this world and never
see what takes place in the last
days.”
20 He answered,
21 “I will explain to
you the meaning of the vision and
answer the questions you have
asked.
22 You have raised questions
about those who will survive until
the end. The answer is that
23 the one
who brings the dangers in those
days will also protect from danger
the people who have stored up good
works and faithfulness with God the
Almighty One.
24 You may be certain
that those who survive are far more
fortunate than those who die.
25 “This is the meaning of the vision.
The man you saw coming up
out of the sea
26 represents the one
whom God Most High has kept
ready for many ages. He will free the
world he created and establish the
new order for those who survive.
27 You saw the wind, fire, and storm
going out of the man's mouth,
28 and
you saw that without the use of a
spear or any other weapon he destroyed
the great crowd that was advancing
to attack him. This means
that
29 the time is near when God
Most High will begin to free the people
on earth.
30 At that time everyone
will be close to panic.
31 They will begin
to make war against one another,
city against city, region
against region, nation against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom. note
-- --
32 When that happens, the signs I
told you about earlier will take
place, and then I will reveal my son,
whom you saw as a man coming out
of the sea.
33 When they hear his
voice, all the nations will leave their
own territory, forget their wars with
one another,
34 and come together in
one great crowd too large to count,
as you saw in your dream. The nations
will unite with the single purpose
of making war on my son.
35 He
will take his stand on the top of
Mount Zion,
36 and the new Jerusalem
will be seen by everyone. It will
be completed and fully built, just as
in your dream you saw the mountain
carved out, but not by human hands. note
37 Then my son will condemn the assembled
nations for their godlessness.
That is what the storm meant.
38 He will confront them with the
wicked plans they have made and
also with the torments they must endure.
That is what the flames meant.
Then he will easily destroy them by
means of note the Law. That is what the
fire meant.
39 “You saw him gather another
great crowd of peace-loving people.
40 These are the ten tribes of Israel
who were taken away into captivity
in the time of King Hoshea. King
Shalmaneser of Assyria captured
them and deported them to a foreign
land east of the Euphrates River. note
41 But the ten tribes decided not to
stay in that land among the many
Gentiles, so they moved farther east
to a country where no human beings
had ever lived before.
42 There they
hoped to keep their laws, which they
had failed to keep in their own country.
43 When they had to make the
difficult passage across the Euphrates,
44 God Most High performed
miracles for them and blocked the
channels of the river until they had
crossed over.
45 Their long journey
through that region, which is named
Arzareth, took a year and a half,
46 and they have lived there ever
since. Now in these last days they
are coming back home,
47 and once
again God Most High will block the
channels of the river, so that they
may cross over. That is the meaning
of the great crowd of peace-loving
people you saw.
48 But they will also
have with them all of your own people
who are left and who are found
within the borders of my holy land.
49 When the time comes for my son
to destroy the crowd that has gathered
from every nation, he will protect
his people who are left
50 and
perform many great miracles for
them.”
51 Then I said, “Lord and Master,
please tell me why the man came up
out of the sea.”
52 He answered, “No one can explore
the bottom of the sea to find
out what is there. In the same way,
no human being can see my son or
those who come with him until the
day that has been fixed.
53 That is the
meaning of your dream. You alone
have been given this information,
54 because you have given up your
own interests to devote yourself to
mine and to the study of my Law.
55 You have dedicated your life to
wisdom, and understanding has
been like a mother to you.
56 That is
why God Most High has rewarded
you by showing you these things.
After three days, I will come back
and tell you about other profound
wonders.”
THE SEVENTH VISION
The Voice from the Bush
57 I went for a walk in the field,
worshiping and praising God Most
High for the miracles he performs in
his own good time.
58 For he controls
the ages and what happens in them.
I remained there for three days.
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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