The Stream of Consciousness

Return to the stronghold, ​YOU​ prisoners of the hope. “Also, today [I am] telling [you], ‘I shall repay to you, [O woman,] a double portion. For I will tread as my [bow] Judah. The bow I will fill with E′phra‧im, and I will awaken your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and I will make you as the sword of a mighty man.’ And over them Jehovah himself will be seen, and his arrow will certainly go forth just like lightning. And on the horn the Sovereign Lord Jehovah himself will blow, and he will certainly go with the windstorms of the south.

Jehovah of armies himself will defend them, and they will actually devour and subdue the slingstones. And they will certainly drink—be boisterous—as if there were wine; and they will actually become filled like the bowl, like the corners of [the] altar. “And Jehovah their God will certainly save them in that day like the flock of his people; for they will be as the stones of a diadem glittering over his soil. For O how [great] his goodness is, and how [great] his handsomeness is! Grain is what will make the young men thrive, and new wine the virgins.”

Cry out loudly and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for here I am coming, and I will reside in the midst of you,” is the utterance of Jehovah. “And many nations will certainly become joined to Jehovah in that day, and they will actually become my people; and I will reside in the midst of you.” And you will have to know that Jehovah of armies himself has sent me to you.

And Jehovah will certainly take possession of Judah as his portion upon the holy ground, and he must yet choose Jerusalem. Keep silence, all flesh, before Jehovah, for he has aroused himself from his holy dwelling.

Now as for Joshua, he happened to be clothed in befouled garments and standing before the angel. Then he answered and said to those standing before him: “Remove the befouled garments from upon him.” And he went on to say to him: “See, I have caused your error to pass away from upon you, and there is a clothing of you with robes of state.”

At that I said: “Let them put a clean turban upon his head.” And they proceeded to put the clean turban upon his head and to clothe him with garments; and the angel of Jehovah was standing by. And the angel of Jehovah began to bear witness to Joshua, saying: “This is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘If it is in my ways that you will walk, and if it is my obligation that you will keep, then also it will be you that will judge my house and also keep my courtyards; and I shall certainly give you free access among these who are standing by.’

“‘Hear, please, O Joshua the high priest, you and your companions who are sitting before you, for they are men [serving] as portents; for here I am bringing in my servant Sprout! For, look! the stone that I have put before Joshua! Upon the one stone there are seven eyes. Here I am engraving its engraving,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies, ‘and I will take away the error of that land in one day.’

“‘In that day,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies, ‘YOU​ will call, each one to the other, while under [the] vine and while under [the] fig tree.’”

And the angel who was speaking with me proceeded to come back and wake me up, like a man that is awakened from his sleep. Then he said to me: “What are you seeing?” So I said: “I have seen, and, look! there is a lampstand, all of it of gold, with a bowl on top of it. And its seven lamps are upon it, even seven; and the lamps that are at the top of it have seven pipes. And there are two olive trees alongside it, one on the right side of the bowl and one on its left side.”

Then I answered and said to the angel who was speaking with me, saying: “What do these [things] mean, my lord?” So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me: “Do you not really know what these things mean?” In turn I said: “No, my lord.” Accordingly he answered and said to me: “This is the word of Jehovah to Ze‧rub′ba‧bel, saying, ‘“Not by a military force, nor by power, but by my spirit,” Jehovah of armies has said.

And the word of Jehovah continued to occur to me, saying: “The very hands of Ze‧rub′ba‧bel have laid the foundation of this house, and his own hands will finish [it]. And you will have to know that Jehovah of armies himself has sent me to ​YOU​ people. For who has despised the day of small things? And they will certainly rejoice and see the plummet in the hand of Ze‧rub′ba‧bel. These seven are the eyes of Jehovah. They are roving about in all the earth.”

And I proceeded to answer and say to him: “What do these two olive trees on the right side of the lampstand and on its left side mean?” Then I answered the second time and said to him: “What are the two bunches of twigs of the olive trees that, by means of the two golden tubes, are pouring forth from within themselves the golden [liquid]?” So he said to me: “Do you not really know what these [things] mean?” In turn I said: “No, my lord.” Accordingly he said: “These are the two anointed ones who are standing alongside the Lord of the whole earth.”