Book 4

The fourth vision which I saw, brethren. twenty days after the former vision, was a type of the persecution which is to come.

I was going into the country by the Via Campana. The place is about ten furlongs from the public road, and is easily reached.

As I walked by myself I besought the Lord to complete the revelations and visions which he had shown me by his holy Church, to make me strong and give repentance to his servants who had been offended, to glorify his, great and glorious name, because he had thought me worthy to show me his wonders.

And while I was glorifying him and giving him thanks an answer came to me as an echo of my voice, Do not be double-minded, Hermas. I began to reason in myself, and to say, In what ways can I be double-minded after being given such a foundation by the Lord, and having seen his glorious deeds?

And I approached a little further, brethren, and behold, I saw dust reaching as it were up to heaven, and I began to say to myself. Are cattle coming and raising dust? and it was about a furlong away from me.

When the dust grew greater and greater I supposed that it was some portent. The sun shone out a little, and lo! I saw a great beast like some Leviathan, and fiery locusts were going out of his mouth. The beast was in size about a hundred feet and its head was like a piece of pottery.

And I began to weep and to pray the Lord to rescue me from it, and I remembered the word which I had heard, Do not be double-minded, Hermas.

Thus, brethren, being clothed in the faith of the Lord and remembering the great things which he had taught me, I took courage and faced the beast. And as the beast came on with a rush it was as though it could destroy a city.

I came near to it, and the Leviathan for all its size stretched itself out on the ground, and put forth nothing except its tongue, and did not move at all until I had passed it by.

And the beast had on its head four colours, black, then the colour of flame and blood, then golden, then white.

After I had passed the beast by and had gone about thirty feet further, lo! a maiden met me, adorned as if coming forth from the bridal chamber, all in white and with white sandals, veiled to the forehead, and a turban for a head-dress, but her hair was white.

I recognised from the former visions that it was the Church, and I rejoiced the more. She greeted me saying, Hail, O man, and I greeted her in return, Hail, Lady.

She answered me and said, Did nothing meet you? I said to her, Yes, Lady, such a beast as could destroy nations, but by the power of the Lord, and by his great mercy, I escaped it.

You did well to escape it, she said, because you cast your care upon God, and opened your heart to the Lord, believing that salvation can be found through nothing save through the great and glorious name. Therefore the Lord sent his angel, whose name is Thegri, who is over the beast, and shut his mouth that he should not hurt you. You have escaped great tribulation through your faith, and because you were not double-minded when you saw so great a beast.

Go then and tell the Lord’s elect ones of his great deeds, and tell them that this beast is a type of the great persecution which is to come. If then you are prepared beforehand, and repent with all your hearts towards the Lord, you will be able to escape it, if your heart be made pure and blameless, and you serve the Lord blamelessly for the rest of the days of your life. Cast your cares upon the Lord, and he will put them straight.

Believe on the Lord, you who are double-minded, that he can do all things, and turns his wrath away from you, and sends scourges on you who are double-minded. Woe to those who hear these words and disobey; it were better for them not to have been born.

I asked her concerning the four colours which the beast had on its head. She answered and said to me, Are you again curious about such matters? Yes, I said, Lady, let me know what they are.

Listen, she said, the black is this world, in which you are living;

the colour of fire and blood means that this world must be destroyed by blood and fire.

The golden part is you, who have fled from this world, for even as gold is tried in the fire, and becomes valuable, so also you who live among them, are being tried. Those then who remain and pass through the flames shall be purified by them. Even as the gold puts away its dross, so also you will put away all sorrow and tribulation, and will be made pure and become useful for the building of the tower.

But the white part is the world to come, in which the elect of God shall dwell, for those who have been chosen by God for eternal life will be without spot and pure.

Therefore do not cease to speak to the ears of the saints. You have also the type of the great persecution to come, but if you will it shall be nothing. Remember what was written before.

When she had said this she went away, and I did not see to what place she departed, for there was a cloud, and I turned backwards in fear, thinking that the beast was coming.