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FEATHER OF THE WING.

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cup is in the hand of the Lord*, to PASS over the earth, that the inhabitants of the world may "drink, and with them all the wicked of the earth, "to bring down all their horns, and to exalt the "horns of the righteoust.' The old man was yet

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speaking unto me, when there fell a feather of "the wing of the great living creature, and a storm "blew against it and drave it away; and there was "left on the other wing, like the plumage of ravens, "instead of the first which was of various colors. "And there was thunder and lightning as on a day of rain; and on the smaller fowl, there was no change nor movement. And the lightnings

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coming down from heaven separated between "us and between the beasts, and a great fear "and a great terror fell upon me; and I went

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near unto the old man who was with me, "and said, Surely, even the heavens are not "pure enough to know the will of their "Creator; and how can corrupt man, sullied "with all manner of abominations and evil works "like me? Verily, his mercies are great over all "his creatures, and he will not recompense them according to the works of their hands, for he is a long-suffering God, and is called the Lord of

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*Ps. lxxv. 8.
§ Jer. xxv. 14.

Job. xv. 15.

Ps. lxxv. 10.

Ps. lxxxvi. 15.

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DELUGE-EARTHQUAKE.

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mercies*. I pray thee, O my lord, tell thy servant what these great and fearful visions are, "for I know that there is nothing hid from the eyes of my lord, who has seen all written in the "book which was in the hand of the man who

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spake unto us upon the holy mountains. Let "the kindness of my lord, I pray thee, be great "toward me, to make good his mercy with me, "according as he hath done from the day of the covenant until now.' And he answered me, ❝ and said, Know, my son, that the great fowl "which thou hast seen is a vision of earthquake "and deluge; the deluge will be in this country, "and in another country, on the north side, on the "uttermost part of the earth; and the earthquake "in the land of thy kindredt. So far as the beast water be above the

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"is above the earth, will the

"houses, and the feathers of the beast which fell "from it are to confound the dwellers of this "world among themselves, and for the confusion "of them who flee from the earthquake and the

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deluge. And as for the smaller fowl which "rested above its fellow, it cometh to intercede for the inhabitants of the whole world, and to "establish the covenant which God hath sworn "when the waters of Noah were overpast§. And † Portugal. Gen. xii. 1. § Is. liv. 9.

Dan. ix. 9.

פלפול +

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TWO STARS WITH COLORED TAILS.

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"these wonders shall be for a sign unto thee. "And thou shalt not stay in this place; but it "shall come to pass, when the deluge shall be

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over, that thou shalt return thither. And in "those days, the earthquake will be in the king"dom of Portugal; and when the deluge shall be "at Rome, it shall also be in the north. And the lightnings which came down from heaven, which

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separated you from the birds, shew, that after "the flood [1], two great stars shall be seen,

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one upon the citadel on which were the fowls; "and the second upon the great place which is "situated high on the clefts* of the rock And "each star shall have a great tail of purple color†, " and they shall be in the sight of the inhabitants "of Rome for many days, and they shall all pro

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phesy concerning them. And the star which "shall be seen over the place, will show, that "there shall abide a great weeping over the place,

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and over all its cities, which are on the west of

Turkey, for they shall be the inheritances of their "enemies. And the second star sheweth that "this shall not be for ever; but that Israel will do valiantly¶, that singing may be in the morning. "And as for the fear thou fearedst before the

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EPHRON AND CHARUM.

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lightnings, it sheweth, that in the time, when "the two stars will be visible unto the eyes of the

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people, there shall a great fear befall thee; for "the wicked of thy people will seek to take thy "life. But fear not, for they shall not prevail against thee. And from that time until seven

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months, (for thirty years must be completed for thee, to receive* higher degrees†, two and one, "to put on the linen garment, because they have poured out thy soul unto death) then shalt thou "have leave to go to the place which thou knowest; "because, for this purpose, I have brought thee "over out of Turkey. And thou knowest also the earthquake of the kingdom of Portugal, and the deluge which shall be in the north, why they will

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come; and now I go to see the change of

Ephron and Charum§. For when in Ephron "the bird shall sing, there will be a present given "to them who dwell in the dust, to sing upon "the tree of life. Then shall the souls which

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are in the body be destroyed], and the wicked "shall no more exist to be contemptible round "about with the things which stand upon the

.לקבל דרגין צלאין תרי וחד *

מעלות Hebrew

+777, steps, Targum Onkelos. Exod. xx. 23. 26, the

Is. liii. 12.

חלוף עפרון וחרום 8

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height of the world, and the living and eternal king shall be living and exalted*, according "to the mystery of the vau (4) in the holy name Jehovah (17), which was the staff in the hand "of Jacob, to support by it the righteous of the

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people who are called man (7). And then

they shall say, Blessed be the Lord that day, "who hath given a wise son unto David. This day "is the day of joy known to the Lord. And on "the self-same day shall rest upon the king Mes"siah a holy spirit, a spirit of wisdom and under"standing, to make him rule over a great people, "and to be at eventide a light to shine through "the night. After this shall awake from the dust "the dead of the world, and he will renew them

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by a perfect resurrection. No satan and no evil

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spirit shall then be, and the Lord will give rest "to his people.' And it came to pass, when the "old man left off speaking according to these "words, that Solomont awoke, and stretched out "his hands toward heaven, and said, Lord God "of Israel, I acknowledge before thee, that thou “hast dealt kindly with me this day, for the sake "of thy great mercies, and not according to my righteousness; and for the sake of thy lovingkindness, and not for my innocency; for what

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* 0710, viz. in the hearts of his people. + Is. xi. 2. The writer of the letter.

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