{"id":369,"date":"2026-03-31T14:48:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/manifestation.com.ua\/?page_id=369"},"modified":"2026-03-31T14:48:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:48:13","slug":"pastyr-germy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/manifestation.com.ua\/en\/pastyr-germy\/","title":{"rendered":"Shepherd of Hermas"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Content<\/h2><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u0430-\u0454\u0440\u043c\u0438-\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0440\">The Book of Jermas: The Shepherd<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0448\u0435\">The first vision<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456-\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043d\u0430-\u043d\u0435\u0431\u0456-\u0442\u0430-\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0443\u0432\u0430\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f\">I. Vision in Heaven and Accusations<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456\u0456-\u043f\u043e\u044f\u0432\u0430-\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0457-\u0436\u0456\u043d\u043a\u0438-\u0437-\u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u043e\u044e\">II. The Appearance of the Old Woman with the Book<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456\u0456\u0456-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0430-\u0434\u043e\u043c\u0443-\u0454\u0440\u043c\u0438-\u0442\u0430-\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u0438\">III. The Guilt of the House of Jermas and the Reading of the Book<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456v-\u0437\u0430\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0448\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f\">IV. The Completion of the Vision<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0434\u0440\u0443\u0433\u0435-\u043f\u043e\u043a\u043b\u0438\u043a\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0454\u0440\u043c\u0438-\u043d\u0430-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0456\u0434\u044c\">Vision Two: The Call of Hermas to Preach<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456-\u0437\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0456\u0447-\u0443-\u043a\u0443\u043c\u0430\u0445-\u0442\u0430-\u0442\u0430\u0454\u043c\u043d\u0438\u0447\u0430-\u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u0430\">I. The meeting in Kuma and the mysterious book<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456\u0456-\u0437\u043d\u0430\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043d\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0441\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e-\u0433\u0440\u0456\u0445\u0438-\u0442\u0430-\u043f\u043e\u043a\u0430\u044f\u043d\u043d\u044f\">II. The meaning of what is written: Sins and repentance<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456\u0456\u0456-\u043d\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0438-\u0454\u0440\u043c\u0456-\u0442\u0430-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0446\u0442\u0432\u043e-\u043f\u0440\u043e-\u0433\u043e\u043d\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f\">III. Jeremiah&#039;s Instructions and the Prophecy of Persecution<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456v-\u0440\u043e\u0437\u044f\u0441\u043d\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043f\u0440\u043e-\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0443-\u0436\u0456\u043d\u043a\u0443\">IV. Explanation of the Old Woman<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0442\u0440\u0435\u0442\u0454-\u0431\u0443\u0434\u0456\u0432\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0442\u0432\u043e-\u0432\u0435\u0436\u0456-\u0446\u0435\u0440\u043a\u0432\u0438\">Vision Three: Building the Tower (Church)<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456-\u043f\u0440\u0438\u0433\u043e\u0442\u0443\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0434\u043e-\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0442\u0430-\u0437\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0456\u0447-\u0437\u0456-\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0446\u0435\u044e\">I. Preparation for the vision and meeting with the Old Woman<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456\u0456-\u0431\u0443\u0434\u0456\u0432\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0442\u0432\u043e-\u0432\u0435\u0436\u0456-\u043d\u0430-\u0432\u043e\u0434\u0456\">II. Construction of a tower on the water<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456\u0456\u0456-\u043f\u043e\u044f\u0441\u043d\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0441\u0438\u043c\u0432\u043e\u043b\u0456\u043a\u0438-\u0432\u0435\u0436\u0456\">III. Explanation of the symbolism of the tower<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#iv-vi-\u0437\u043d\u0430\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043a\u0430\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0456\u0432\">IV-VI. The meaning of stones<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#vii-\u0434\u043e\u043b\u044f-\u0432\u0456\u0434\u043a\u0438\u043d\u0443\u0442\u0438\u0445-\u043a\u0430\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0456\u0432\">VII. The fate of the discarded stones<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#viii-ix-\u0441\u0456\u043c-\u0436\u0456\u043d\u043e\u043a-\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0442-\u0442\u0430-\u043d\u0430\u043f\u0443\u0447\u0443\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f\">VIII-IX. The Seven Virtuous Women and Exhortations<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#x-xiii-\u0442\u0440\u0438-\u0432\u0438\u0433\u043b\u044f\u0434\u0438-\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0446\u0456-\u0446\u0435\u0440\u043a\u0432\u0438\">X-XIII. Three Appearances of the Old Woman (Church)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0447\u0435\u0442\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0435-\u043f\u0440\u043e-\u043c\u0430\u0439\u0431\u0443\u0442\u043d\u0454-\u0433\u043e\u043d\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043d\u0430-\u0445\u0440\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0438\u044f\u043d\">Vision Four: About the Future Persecution of Christians<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456-\u0437\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0456\u0447-\u0437\u0456-\u0437\u0432\u0456\u0440\u043e\u043c-\u0443-\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0456\">I. Meeting with a beast in the field<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456\u0456-\u0437\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0456\u0447-\u0456\u0437-\u0446\u0435\u0440\u043a\u0432\u043e\u044e-\u043d\u0435\u0432\u0456\u0441\u0442\u043e\u044e\">II. Meeting with the Church-Bride<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0456\u0456\u0456-\u0442\u043b\u0443\u043c\u0430\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0447\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0440\u044c\u043e\u0445-\u043a\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043e\u0440\u0456\u0432\">III. Interpretation of the four colors<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u0430-\u0434\u0440\u0443\u0433\u0430-\u0437\u0430\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0456\u0434\u0456\">Book Two of the Commandments\u00ab<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u043f\u0440\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0433\">Prologue<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u043f\u043e\u044f\u0432\u0430-\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0440\u044f\">The Appearance of the Shepherd<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u0441\u0443\u043c\u043d\u0456\u0432-\u0442\u0430-\u0432\u043f\u0456\u0437\u043d\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f\">Doubt and recognition<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u043d\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430-\u0430\u043d\u0433\u0435\u043b\u0430-\u043f\u043e\u043a\u0430\u044f\u043d\u043d\u044f\">The Angel of Repentance&#039;s Instruction<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u043f\u0456\u0434\u0441\u0443\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u0437\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0441\u0443\">Recording summary<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--4\">The First Commandment: On Faith in One God<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--5\">The Second Commandment: To Avoid Slander and to Give Alms in Simplicity<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--6\">The Third Commandment: To Avoid Falsehood<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--7\">The Fourth Commandment: On Chastity and Divorce<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--8\">The Fifth Commandment. On Sorrow and Patience<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--9\">The Sixth Commandment. About the Two Spirits in Every Man and the Incantation of Each of Them<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--10\">The Seventh Commandment. That we must fear God, but not the devil.<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--11\">The Eighth Commandment. On Refraining from Evil and Doing Good<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--12\">Commandment Ninth. You must ask God constantly and without doubting.<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--13\">The Tenth Commandment. Concerning the Spirit of Despair, Which Darkens the Soul and Hinders the Success of Prayer<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--14\">The Eleventh Commandment: True and False Prophets Are Known by Their Works<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--15\">The Twelfth Commandment. On abstaining from evil desires and that the commandments of God can be fulfilled by those who believe.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#\u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u0430-\u0442\u0440\u0435\u0442\u044f-\u043f\u043e\u0434\u043e\u0431\u0438\">Book Three &quot;Resemblances&quot;\u00ab<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--16\">The first similarity. We, having no permanent city in this world, must seek a future<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--17\">The likeness of a friend. As a vine is supported by an elm, so the prayer of the poor helps the rich.<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--18\">The third similarity: Just as in winter one cannot distinguish trees full of life from withered ones, so in this present age one cannot separate the righteous from the wicked.<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--19\">The fourth similarity. Just as in summer fresh trees are distinguished from withered ones by their fruits and green leaves, so in the age to come the righteous are distinguished from the wicked by their blessedness.<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--20\">The fifth simile. On true fasting and on the purity of the body.<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--21\">The Sixth Kind: On the Two Kinds of Lustful People and Their Punishment<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--22\">The Seventh Virtue: That Those Who Repent Should Bear Fruits Meet the Need of Repentance<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--23\">The eighth likeness. There are many generations of the elect and those who repent of their sins, but all will have a reward according to the measure of their repentance and their good deeds.<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--24\">The ninth likeness. The building of the Church of God, militant and triumphant.<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#toc--25\">The Tenth Virtue. About Repentance and Almsgiving<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u0430-\u0454\u0440\u043c\u0438-\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0440\">The Book of Jermas: The Shepherd<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0448\u0435\">The first vision<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Exposing Hermas for his own weaknesses and negligence in raising his children.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456-\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043d\u0430-\u043d\u0435\u0431\u0456-\u0442\u0430-\u0437\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0443\u0432\u0430\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f\">I. Vision in Heaven and Accusations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The one who raised me sold a girl to Rome. After many years I saw her, recognized her and loved her as a sister. After a while, seeing her bathing in the Tiber River, I gave her my hand and led her out of the river. Looking at her beauty, I thought in my heart:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u00ab&quot;I would be happy if I had a wife with such a face and character.&quot;.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#039;s all I thought and nothing more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Later, I walked with such thoughts and praised God&#039;s creation, reflecting on how great and beautiful it is. While walking, I fell asleep, and the spirit picked me up and carried me somewhere through a place where no man could pass. It was rocky, steep, and impassable because of the waters. Having passed through it, I reached a plain and, kneeling down, began to pray to the Lord and confess my sins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And during my prayer, the sky opened, and I saw the woman I had desired. She greeted me from heaven: &quot;Greetings, Herma.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at her, I asked: \u201cLady, what are you doing here?\u201d \u201cI have been brought here to confess your sins to the Lord,\u201d she replied. \u201cLady, will you really accuse me?\u201d \u201cNo, but listen to the words I want to say to you. God, who is in heaven, who created all things out of nothing and multiplied them for the sake of His holy Church, is angry with you because you have sinned against me. \u201cLady, if I have sinned against you, how?\u201d I asked. \u201cWhere or when did I say any bad word to you? Have I not always respected you as a lady, have I not always honored you as a sister? Why do you slander me so badly?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then she, smiling, answered me: &quot;An impure desire has arisen in your heart. Don&#039;t you think that for a righteous person it is also wicked if an evil desire arises in his heart? This is a sin for him, and a grave one at that. For a person is righteous and thinks about righteousness. And when he thinks about righteousness and steadfastly strives for it, he has the Lord&#039;s favor in heaven in all his deeds.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Warning:<\/strong> But those who think wicked things in their hearts bring death and corruption upon themselves; especially those who love the present age, revel in their wealth, and do not look for the blessings of the future\u2014their souls perish. And this they do <strong>two-faced<\/strong>, who have no hope in the Lord, who do not care for their lives. But pray to the Lord, and he will heal your sins and those of your whole house and all the saints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456\u0456-\u043f\u043e\u044f\u0432\u0430-\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0457-\u0436\u0456\u043d\u043a\u0438-\u0437-\u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u043e\u044e\">II. The Appearance of the Old Woman with the Book<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After she had spoken these words, the heavens closed. And I was filled with sorrow and fear, and I said within myself: <em>\u00ab&quot;If this is considered a sin for me, how can I be saved or how can I plead with the Lord for my many sins? With what words can I ask the Lord to be merciful to me?&quot;\u00bb<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While I was thinking like this, I suddenly saw before me a large pulpit, as if created from a wave as white as snow. And an old woman in shining clothes came with a book in her hands, sat down and greeted me: &quot;Greetings, Ermo.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I, in sadness and tears, replied: &quot;Congratulations, madam.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She asked: \u201cWhy are you sad, Hermo, you who were patient, moderate, and always cheerful?\u201d \u201cMadam, a beautiful woman reproached me, as if I had sinned against her,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And she said to me: &quot;A sinful desire for her has arisen in your heart. This should be foreign to the servant of the Lord, for for the servants of God even such a thought becomes a sin. And a pure heart should not desire evil, especially yours, Hermas, you avoid every criminal desire and are full of simplicity and great love.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456\u0456\u0456-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0430-\u0434\u043e\u043c\u0443-\u0454\u0440\u043c\u0438-\u0442\u0430-\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u0438\">III. The Guilt of the House of Jermas and the Reading of the Book<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2014 However, it is not for you, actually, that the Lord is angry with you, but for <strong>your house<\/strong>, who has fallen into unrighteousness before the Lord and his parents. And you, loving your children, did not discipline your household, but allowed them to become very corrupt. For this the Lord is angry with you, but He will correct all the evil that has been done in your house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A word of comfort:<\/strong> Because of their sins and iniquities you are oppressed by worldly affairs. But the mercy of God has had mercy on you and your family and has preserved you in glory. Do not hesitate, but be cheerful and strengthen your family. As a blacksmith, diligently working with a hammer, completes his work, so the righteous word, which inspires daily, will overcome all evil. Therefore, do not cease to admonish your children, for the Lord knows that they will repent from the sincerity of their hearts and will be written in the Book of Life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having said this, she asked me: \u201cDo you want to listen to what I will read?\u201d \u201cI want to, madam,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&quot;So listen.&quot; Opening the book, she read great and strange words, which I could not retain in my memory, for they were so terrible that a man could not bear them. However, I remembered the very last words, because they were short and encouraging to us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u00ab&quot;Behold, the God of Powers, who by His invisible Power and great wisdom created the world and by His glorious counsel adorned the creation, and by His almighty word established the heavens and founded the earth upon the waters, and by His almighty power created His Holy Church, which He blessed. Behold, He has changed the heavens and the mountains, the hills and the seas, and all things will be made equal for His chosen ones, to fulfill the promise He has made with great glory and triumph, if they will keep the commandments of God, which they have received with great faith.&quot;.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456v-\u0437\u0430\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0448\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f\">IV. The Completion of the Vision<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When she had finished reading, she rose from the pulpit, and four young men came and carried the pulpit to the east. And she called me to her and, touching my chest, asked: \u201cDid you like my reading?\u201d \u201cMadam, I like the last words, but the previous ones are terrible and cruel.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And she said: \u201cThese last words concern the righteous, and the first ones concern the apostates and the pagans.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this time, two men appeared, lifted her onto their shoulders, and set off after the pulpit, to the east. She walked away cheerfully, saying goodbye: <strong>Be brave, Ermo!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0434\u0440\u0443\u0433\u0435-\u043f\u043e\u043a\u043b\u0438\u043a\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0454\u0440\u043c\u0438-\u043d\u0430-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0456\u0434\u044c\">Vision Two: The Call of Hermas to Preach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Topic:<\/strong> The repentance of the family of Hermas, terms for believers and pagans, the nature of the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456-\u0437\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0456\u0447-\u0443-\u043a\u0443\u043c\u0430\u0445-\u0442\u0430-\u0442\u0430\u0454\u043c\u043d\u0438\u0447\u0430-\u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u0430\">I. The meeting in Kuma and the mysterious book<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As I was walking in the vicinity of Kumski, about the same time as last year, I remembered the past vision, and the spirit again lifted me to the same place where the vision had been before. Having reached that place, I bowed my knees and began to pray to the Lord and glorify His name for having honored me and revealed to me my past sins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And when I got up from prayer, I saw in front of me the old woman I had seen before: she was walking and reading some book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCan you tell this to God\u2019s chosen ones?\u201d she asked me. I replied, \u201cLady, I cannot remember so much, but give me the book, and I will transcribe it.\u201d \u201cTake it,\u201d she said, \u201cand then return it to me.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking the book, I went out into the field and wrote everything down letter by letter, not understanding the meaning. And when I had finished copying the book, it was suddenly taken from my hands, but I did not see who it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456\u0456-\u0437\u043d\u0430\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043d\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0441\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e-\u0433\u0440\u0456\u0445\u0438-\u0442\u0430-\u043f\u043e\u043a\u0430\u044f\u043d\u043d\u044f\">II. The meaning of what is written: Sins and repentance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After fifteen days, during which I fasted and prayed much to the Lord, the meaning of what was written was revealed to me. It was written as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About children and wife:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Your children, Ermo<\/strong>, they turned away from the Lord, blasphemed Him, and betrayed their fathers in great unrighteousness; they did not correct themselves, but added to their sins fornication and impurity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Your wife<\/strong> She is not restrained in her words and thus sins. Hearing these words, she will curb her tongue and earn mercy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the terms of repentance:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For <strong>chosen ones<\/strong> (of believers): he who continues to sin on this predetermined day will not receive salvation. The repentance of the righteous is subject to deadlines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For <strong>pagans<\/strong>: they are allowed to repent until the last day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Appeal to the Primates:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u00ab&quot;Tell the leaders of the Church to conduct themselves in righteousness. And you who do what is right, stand firm and do not be double-minded.&quot;.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456\u0456\u0456-\u043d\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0438-\u0454\u0440\u043c\u0456-\u0442\u0430-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0446\u0442\u0432\u043e-\u043f\u0440\u043e-\u0433\u043e\u043d\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f\">III. Jeremiah&#039;s Instructions and the Prophecy of Persecution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>And you, Hermos, do not remember the wrongdoings of your children and do not leave your wife, but take care that they are freed from their previous sins. For the memory of evil leads to death, but the forgetting of evil leads to eternal life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The reason for the salvation of Hermas:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>That you have not turned away from the living God.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your simplicity and great restraint.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About upcoming tests:<\/strong> Blessed are all who do righteousness: they shall not perish for ever. But you will say, \u00abBehold, great persecution is coming.\u00bb If you think so, then deny it again. The Lord is near to those who repent, as it is written in the books of Eldath and Modad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456v-\u0440\u043e\u0437\u044f\u0441\u043d\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043f\u0440\u043e-\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0443-\u0436\u0456\u043d\u043a\u0443\">IV. Explanation of the Old Woman<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>During my sleep, brothers, a handsome young man appeared to me and asked: \u201cWho do you think is the old woman from whom you received the book?\u201d \u201cThe Sibyl,\u201d I answered. \u201cYou are mistaken,\u201d he said, \u201cshe is not the Sibyl.\u201d \u201cWho is she, master?\u201d \u201cShe is\u2014\u201d <strong>Church of God<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I asked him why she was old. \u201cBecause,\u201d he explained, \u201cshe was created before everything else, and the world was created for her.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Guidelines for distributing the book:<\/strong> After that, the old woman came and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You will write <strong>two books<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Give me one. <strong>Clement<\/strong> (he will send to foreign cities).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Another one \u2014 <strong>Grantee<\/strong> (she will teach widows and orphans).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You yourself will read it in this city together with the presbyters, the leaders of the Church.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0442\u0440\u0435\u0442\u0454-\u0431\u0443\u0434\u0456\u0432\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0442\u0432\u043e-\u0432\u0435\u0436\u0456-\u0446\u0435\u0440\u043a\u0432\u0438\">Vision Three: Building the Tower (Church)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Topic:<\/strong> The vision of building a tower on the water, the symbolism of stones and virtues that support the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456-\u043f\u0440\u0438\u0433\u043e\u0442\u0443\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0434\u043e-\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0442\u0430-\u0437\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0456\u0447-\u0437\u0456-\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0446\u0435\u044e\">I. Preparation for the vision and meeting with the Old Woman<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once, brothers, I had this vision. After I had fasted and prayed to the Lord many times for the revelation that was promised to me through that old woman, she appeared to me at night and said: \u201cSince you ask so much and want to know everything, come to the field about the sixth hour, and I will appear to you and show you what you need to see.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Venue:<\/strong> I chose a beautiful, secluded place. When I arrived there, I saw a bench set up, a linen cushion on it, and a canvas stretched over the bench. Horror gripped me, because I was alone, but remembering the glory of God, I began to pray. She came with six young men and said: \u201cStop praying only about your sins, pray also for the truth.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456\u0456-\u0431\u0443\u0434\u0456\u0432\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0442\u0432\u043e-\u0432\u0435\u0436\u0456-\u043d\u0430-\u0432\u043e\u0434\u0456\">II. Construction of a tower on the water<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking my hand, she led me to the bench and ordered the young men: &quot;Go and build.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vision of construction:<\/strong> I saw a great tower being built on the water from shining square stones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Construction:<\/strong> Six young men (primordial angels).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Assistants:<\/strong> Many thousands of other men carrying stones.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Basis:<\/strong> The tower was built on water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sorting stones:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Stones from the depths:<\/strong> Smooth and even, they immediately fit into the building so tightly that the tower seemed like a monolith.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stones from the earth:<\/strong> Some were put aside (rough, with cracks), some were split.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Discarded stones:<\/strong> They fell on the road, into the fire, or near the water (but couldn&#039;t get into it).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456\u0456\u0456-\u043f\u043e\u044f\u0441\u043d\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0441\u0438\u043c\u0432\u043e\u043b\u0456\u043a\u0438-\u0432\u0435\u0436\u0456\">III. Explanation of the symbolism of the tower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is a tower?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u00ab&quot;The tower you see being built is me, <strong>Church<\/strong>, &quot;, which has appeared to you now and was before.&quot;.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why on the water?<\/strong> \u2014 Listen, then, why the tower is built on the waters: your life is saved and will be saved through the water. And the tower is founded by the word of the almighty and glorious name and is held by the invisible power of the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"iv-vi-\u0437\u043d\u0430\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043a\u0430\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0456\u0432\">IV-VI. The meaning of stones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Square white stones:<\/strong> Apostles, bishops, teachers and deacons.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stones from the depths:<\/strong> Those who have already died and suffered for the name of the Lord.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Untreated stones at the base:<\/strong> People who lived righteously before the Lord.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>New converts:<\/strong> Stones brought and placed in the building later.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Delayed near the tower:<\/strong> Those who have sinned but wish to repent. They will be able to enter until the construction is completed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Split and rejected:<\/strong> Sons of lawlessness who pretended to believe.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rough stones:<\/strong> Those who have learned the truth but are not in communion with the saints.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stones with cracks:<\/strong> Those who hold enmity in their hearts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Round white stones:<\/strong> Rich people. Until their wealth is &quot;cut off,&quot; they will not become square for the tower.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"vii-\u0434\u043e\u043b\u044f-\u0432\u0456\u0434\u043a\u0438\u043d\u0443\u0442\u0438\u0445-\u043a\u0430\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0456\u0432\">VII. The fate of the discarded stones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For those who fell into the fire or rolled into the desert, there is still repentance, but they will not find a place in this tower. They will go to another, lower place, after they have suffered for their sins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"viii-ix-\u0441\u0456\u043c-\u0436\u0456\u043d\u043e\u043a-\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0442-\u0442\u0430-\u043d\u0430\u043f\u0443\u0447\u0443\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f\">VIII-IX. The Seven Virtuous Women and Exhortations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Around the tower stand seven women who support it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Faith<\/strong> (the first one holds the tower).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Restraint<\/strong> (daughter of faith).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Simplicity<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Innocence<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Modesty<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Knowledge<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Love<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Address to believers:<\/strong> \u2014 Children, listen to me. Live in the world, take care of each other. You who have wealth, seek the poor before the tower is finished. Primates of the Church \u2014 do not be like thieves, purify your hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"x-xiii-\u0442\u0440\u0438-\u0432\u0438\u0433\u043b\u044f\u0434\u0438-\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0446\u0456-\u0446\u0435\u0440\u043a\u0432\u0438\">X-XIII. Three Appearances of the Old Woman (Church)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yerma asked why the Old Woman was changing her appearance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>First vision (Very old, in the pulpit):<\/strong> Because your spirit has decayed from sins, you have become weak and carefree.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Second vision (Younger face, old body, standing):<\/strong> You heard about the revelation, and your spirit began to be renewed, like that of an old man who received an inheritance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Third vision (Young and beautiful, on a bench):<\/strong> Complete renewal of souls through the knowledge of blessings. A bench with four legs symbolizes solidity and a world resting on the four elements.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u00ab&quot;Now you have the full explanation. Don&#039;t ask for any more revelations.&quot;.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0432\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0447\u0435\u0442\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0442\u0435-\u043f\u0440\u043e-\u043c\u0430\u0439\u0431\u0443\u0442\u043d\u0454-\u0433\u043e\u043d\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u043d\u0430-\u0445\u0440\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0438\u044f\u043d\">Vision Four: About the Future Persecution of Christians<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Topic:<\/strong> An encounter with a huge beast and the symbolism of four colors on its head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456-\u0437\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0456\u0447-\u0437\u0456-\u0437\u0432\u0456\u0440\u043e\u043c-\u0443-\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0456\">I. Meeting with a beast in the field<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Twenty days later, brothers, I had a vision of the persecution that was to come. I was walking along a field along the Campanian road, about ten stadia from the main road to the field. The road through this place is rarely traveled. Walking alone, I prayed to the Lord that He would confirm the revelations that He had shown me through His holy Church, strengthen me and grant repentance to all His servants who had been tempted; that His great and glorious name might be glorified for having deigned to show me His miracles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while I was praising and thanking Him, a voice came to me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u00ab&quot;Don&#039;t doubt it, Ermo!&quot;\u00bb<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>I began to think: \u00abWhy should I doubt, when I am so strengthened by the Lord and have seen wonderful things?\u00bb Having gone a short distance, brothers, suddenly I saw dust rising to the sky, and I thought that it was cattle walking, raising the dust. Meanwhile, the dust rose thicker and thicker, so that it began to seem to me something supernatural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Description of the beast:<\/strong> The sun was shining a little, and I saw a huge beast like a whale, from whose mouth came fiery locusts. This animal was about a hundred feet long, and its head was like a clay jar. And I began to cry and beg the Lord to save me from it. Then I remembered the words I had heard: \u00abDo not doubt, Hermas.\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Victory over fear:<\/strong> Therefore, brothers, having put on faith in God and remembering the great deeds that He had shown me, I boldly went to the beast. The beast rushed with such fury and was so fierce and strong that it seemed that if it attacked it would destroy the city. I approached it, and this huge and terrifying animal peacefully stretched out on the ground, sticking out its tongue. I passed by it, and it did not move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Colors of the beast&#039;s head:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Black.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Red (bloody).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Golden.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>White.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456\u0456-\u0437\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0456\u0447-\u0456\u0437-\u0446\u0435\u0440\u043a\u0432\u043e\u044e-\u043d\u0435\u0432\u0456\u0441\u0442\u043e\u044e\">II. Meeting with the Church-Bride<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After I had passed the beast and had gone about thirty feet, I met a virgin adorned, as if coming out of a wedding hall, with white shoes, and a white garment covering her forehead; a mitre was her veil, and her hair was white. From my previous visions I guessed that this was the Church, and I rejoiced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She greeted me: &quot;Hello, human.&quot; And I returned her greeting in the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She asked: \u201cDid nothing happen to you, man?\u201d \u201cLady, I encountered an animal that could have destroyed nations, but by the power of God and His great mercy I was saved from it.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&quot;Fortunately you were saved,&quot; she said, &quot;because you cast your care upon the Lord and opened your heart to Him, believing that you could be saved by no other than His great and glorious name. For this the Lord sent His angel, set over the beasts, whose name was <strong>Egrin<\/strong>, and he closed its mouth so that it would not devour you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Instructions for the elect:<\/strong> You have escaped great calamity by your faith, because you did not doubt when you saw such a beast. Therefore, go and tell God&#039;s chosen ones about his mighty acts and tell them that this beast is a symbol of the coming great calamity. If you prepare yourself and repent from a sincere heart before the Lord, you can escape it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0456\u0456\u0456-\u0442\u043b\u0443\u043c\u0430\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f-\u0447\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0440\u044c\u043e\u0445-\u043a\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043e\u0440\u0456\u0432\">III. Interpretation of the four colors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I asked her about the four colors that the beast had on its head. She said to me, \u201cAgain you are curious, asking about such things.\u201d \u201cYes, my lady, explain to me what they mean.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cListen,\u201d she replied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Black<\/strong> \u2014 means the world in which you live.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fiery and bloody<\/strong> \u2014 that this world must perish in blood and flame.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The golden part<\/strong> \u2014 these are all of you who are avoiding this world. For as gold is tested by fire and becomes acceptable, so you also are being tested. Those who remain steadfast and are tempted by them will be purified.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>White part<\/strong> \u2014 means the future age in which God&#039;s chosen ones will live, because those who are chosen by God for eternal life will be blameless and pure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The final vision:<\/strong> Having said this, she moved away, and I did not see where she went. There was a noise, and I rushed back in fear, thinking that the beast was approaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u0430-\u0434\u0440\u0443\u0433\u0430-\u0437\u0430\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0456\u0434\u0456\">Book Two of the Commandments\u00ab<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u043f\u0440\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0433\">Prologue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u043f\u043e\u044f\u0432\u0430-\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0440\u044f\">The Appearance of the Shepherd<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When I had prayed at home and was sitting on the couch, a man of dignified appearance, dressed in shepherd&#039;s clothing, entered me: he had a white cloak on, a bag over his shoulders and a staff in his hand. He greeted me, and I returned his greeting. Immediately he sat down next to me and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2014 I am sent from an angel worthy of worship (in Russian translation: \u00abworshipable angel.\u00bb \u2014 ed.) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=https:\/\/parafia.org.ua\/biblioteka\/svyatoottsivski-tvory\/apostolski-muzhi\/knyha-ermy-pastyr\/%23footnote_17_11820\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">18<\/a>, to live with you the rest of your days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u0441\u0443\u043c\u043d\u0456\u0432-\u0442\u0430-\u0432\u043f\u0456\u0437\u043d\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f\">Doubt and recognition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I thought he was tempting me, and I said to him, \u201cWho are you? I know the one to whom I am entrusted.\u201d \u201cDon\u2019t you recognize me?\u201d \u201cNo.\u201d \u201cI am the same shepherd to whom you are entrusted.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As he spoke, his appearance changed, and I recognized him as the one to whom I was entrusted. I was immediately confused, terrified, and torn with grief for having answered him so cunningly and recklessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u043d\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430-\u0430\u043d\u0433\u0435\u043b\u0430-\u043f\u043e\u043a\u0430\u044f\u043d\u043d\u044f\">The Angel of Repentance&#039;s Instruction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>He said to me: &quot;Do not be troubled, but be strengthened by the commandments that you will hear from me. For I am sent to show you again everything that you have seen before, and especially what is useful for you. Therefore, I command you to first write down my commandments and parables, to reread them from time to time - so it will be more convenient for you to fulfill them.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u043f\u0456\u0434\u0441\u0443\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u0437\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0441\u0443\">Recording summary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore I wrote down the commandments and proverbs as he commanded me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Promise:<\/strong> If, after hearing them, you follow them and fulfill them with a pure heart, you will receive from the Lord what He has promised you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Warning:<\/strong> If, after hearing them, you do not repent, but return to your sins, you will receive punishment from the Lord.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This shepherd, the angel of repentance, commanded me to write all this down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--4\">The first commandment. <em>On belief in one God<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, believe that there is a God, who alone created and accomplished all things, who brought all things into being from nothing. He embraces all things, being Himself incomprehensible, and can neither be defined by word nor perceived by reason. Therefore believe in Him, fear Him, and in fear, observe temperance. Keep this, and you will cast off all lust and lawlessness, and will put on all virtue and righteousness, and will live with God, if you keep this commandment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--5\">The second commandment. <em>On avoiding bad language<br>and do alms in simplicity<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The pastor told me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2014 Be simple and unscrupulous, be like a child who does not know the deceit that destroys people&#039;s lives. Speak no evil of anyone and do not seek to listen to one who speaks evil. If you listen, you will be a participant in the sin of the one who speaks evil; believing him, you will be like him, because you believed the one who speaks evil of your brother. Pernicious backbiting is an evil, restless spirit that is never at peace, but always lives in discord. Refrain from it and always have peace with your brother. Put on decency, in which there is nothing offensive, but everything is equal and pleasant. Do good and from the fruit of your labor, which God gives you, give freely to all the poor, without any doubting to whom you give. Give to all, because God wants everyone to share in His gifts. Those who receive will give an account to God for what they received and for what purpose. Those who receive out of necessity will not be condemned, but those who receive under pretense will be judged. But he who gives will not be guilty: for he has fulfilled the ministry assigned by God, without discerning who to give to and who not to give to, and he has fulfilled it with praise before God. Therefore, keep this commandment, as I have told you, so that your repentance and that of your household may be in simplicity, and your heart may be pure and blameless before God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--6\">The third commandment. <em>On the need to avoid lies<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>He also told me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Love the truth, and let all truth come out of your mouth, so that the spirit that the Lord has placed in this body may appear true before all people, and so that the Lord who has given you the spirit may be glorified, because<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>God is true in every word, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. And those who deceive reject God and do not give back to Him the pledge they received; and they received from Him the Spirit of truth (in Russian translation \u00abunfalse.\u00bb \u2014 ed.). If they give it back to the unrighteous, they dishonor the commandment of the Lord and become robbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hearing this, I wept bitterly. Seeing my sorrow, he asked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;What are you crying about?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I don&#039;t know, master, if I can be saved.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Because, master, I have never spoken a word of truth in my life, but have always spoken deceitfully and betrayed you before everyone.&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have spoken falsehood for truth, and no one has contradicted me, because they have trusted my word. How then can I live when I have acted thus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He replied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 You reason well and correctly, for it was your duty as a servant of God to walk in the truth and not to combine an evil conscience with the spirit of truth, and not to offend the Spirit of God, the Holy and True.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I said to him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I have never heard such words, master.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Having heard this now, continue to observe them, and try to make the false words you spoke before become true from your next words, if they turn out to be true. For they too can become true if you speak the truth from now on; and if you observe the truth, you can gain life for yourself. And whoever only listens to this commandment, and does it, and turns away from unrighteousness, will live with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--7\">The fourth commandment. <em>On Chastity and Divorce<\/em><strong>\u0406<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I command you,&quot; said the shepherd, &quot;to observe chastity. And let not the thought of another&#039;s wife or of fornication, or of any such evil deed enter your heart, for all this is a great sin. And you shall remember the Lord at all hours, and you shall never sin. If any base thought enters your heart, you shall commit a great sin; and he who commits such a wicked deed condemns himself to death. Therefore, be careful to abstain from such thoughts. For where chastity dwells, there should never arise an evil thought in the heart of a righteous man.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I asked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Let me ask you a few questions, master.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cMaster,\u201d I said, \u201cif a man has a faithful wife in the Lord and catches her in adultery, will he sin by living with her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And he answered me: &quot;As long as a man does not know his wife&#039;s sin, he does not sin if he lives with her. But if a man learns of her sin and she does not repent of her adultery, then he sins by living with her and becomes a participant in her adultery.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cWhat should I do,\u201d I asked, \u201cif my wife remains in her vice?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Let the man send her away and remain alone. But if he sends his wife away and marries another, he commits adultery.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Well, master, if a divorced wife repents and wishes to return to her husband, should she be accepted by the husband?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0\u201cIf the husband does not receive her, he will commit a great sin,\u201d he answered me. \u201cIt is right to receive a sinner who repents, but not many times. For one repentance is prescribed for the servants of God. Therefore, for the sake of repentance, a man should not divorce his wife and marry another. The wife should do the same. But adultery is not limited to the defilement of the flesh: the one who acts like the pagans also commits adultery. Avoid association with anyone who does such things and does not repent, otherwise you will be a participant in his sin. Therefore I command you to remain single, both the husband and the wife, because in this case repentance can take place. But I do not give an excuse for doing so: let the one who has already sinned not sin again. As for his previous sins, there is God who is able to grant healing, for he has power over all.<strong>II<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I asked him again:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Since the Lord has granted me the privilege of having you always live with me, allow me to say a few more words, for I understand nothing and my heart is clouded by my past deeds. Understand me, for I understand absolutely nothing.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And he said to me in response:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 I am a teacher of repentance and I give understanding to all who repent. Or do you think that repentance itself is not great understanding? After all, the sinner who repents has understood that he has sinned before the Lord, he has condemned with all his heart the deeds he has committed and, having repented, no longer does evil, but does good and humbles the soul, and torments it for having sinned. Therefore, do you understand that repentance is great understanding?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;That is why, master, I ask you in detail about everything, because I am a sinner and I wish to know what I must do to live, because my sins are numerous and varied.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0\u201cYou will live,\u201d he said, \u201cif you keep my commandments and do them; and whoever hears them and does them will live with God.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I told him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0\u2014 Master, I have heard from some teachers that there is no other repentance than when we go into the water and receive forgiveness of our previous sins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 You have heard rightly. For it is not fitting for one who has received the remission of sins to sin any more, but to live in purity. And since you ask about everything, I will explain this to you, without giving a reason for error to those who are about to believe or who have just believed in the Lord. They do not have repentance for sins, but they have the remission of their past sins. But to those who were called before, the Lord has imposed repentance, because He is the knower of hearts, foreseeing everything, knows the weakness of people and the great cunning of the devil, who will sow harm and anger among the servants of God. Therefore, the merciful Lord has taken pity on His creation and imposed repentance, over which I have been given power. Therefore, I tell you after this great and holy calling, if anyone, being tempted by the devil, has sinned, he has one repentance. If he sins often and repents, repentance will not benefit him, because he will have difficulty living with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Master, I am refreshed when I hear this in such detail. For I know that I will be saved if I do not add anything to my sins.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;You will be saved,&quot; he replied, &quot;you and all who do the same.&quot;.<strong>IV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And again I asked him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cMaster, since you have listened to me patiently, explain to me this one more thing: If a husband or wife dies and one of them marries, does the one who marries sin?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 He will not sin, but if he remains alone, he will gain great glory from the Lord. Therefore, keep purity and chastity - and you will live with God. What I say and intend to tell you later, observe from this very day, from which you are entrusted to me and I live in your house. And your previous sins will be forgiven, if you keep my commandments; and everyone who keeps them and walks in purity will receive absolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--8\">The fifth commandment. <em>About sadness and patience<\/em><strong>\u0406<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cBe generous and patient,\u201d said the shepherd, \u201cand you will rule over all evil deeds and create all righteousness. If you are generous, then the Holy Spirit, If it dwells in you, will remain pure and will not be darkened by any evil spirit, but, triumphant, will expand and together with the vessel in which it dwells, will joyfully serve the Lord. If any anger comes, then the Holy Spirit, Which is in you, will at the same time be compressed and will try to move away, because it is oppressed by the evil spirit and offended by anger, and does not have the opportunity to serve the Lord as it wishes. Therefore, when both spirits are together, a person feels bad. So, if you take a little wormwood and put it in a vessel with honey, will not all the honey spoil? And so much honey disappears from a small amount of wormwood, loses its sweetness and is no longer pleasant to its owner, because it becomes bitter and unfit for consumption. But if you do not put wormwood in honey, it will remain sweet. You see for yourself: generosity is sweeter than honey, and it is pleasing to God, and the Lord dwells in it, while anger is bitter and unpleasant. Therefore, if anger is mixed with generosity, the spirit is indignant, and its prayer is displeasing to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I said to him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I would like to know, master, about the effects of anger, so that I can protect myself from it.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 If you and your household do not refrain from it, you will lose all hope of salvation. But refrain from anger, for I am with you; and all who repent with a sincere heart will refrain from it, for I will be with them and preserve them. All such are received by the most holy angel.&nbsp;<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/parafia.org.ua\/biblioteka\/svyatoottsivski-tvory\/apostolski-muzhi\/knyha-ermy-pastyr\/#footnote_20_11820\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">21<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;among the righteous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen now to the effect of anger, how harmful it is and how it destroys the servants of God and turns them away from the truth. It cannot harm people who are full of faith, because the Power of God dwells with them; but it tempts those who doubt and have no faith. As soon as it sees such people calm, it penetrates their hearts, and the husband or wife becomes angry with each other because of some worldly matter: either because of food, or because of an empty word, or because of some friend, or because of a debt, or because of similar trifles. All this is senseless, empty and indecent for the servants of God. But firm and courageous generosity has strong strength and dwells in a great breadth, joyfully and carefreely rejoicing, and glorifies the Lord at all times - alien to all bitterness, always peaceful and humble. This generosity lives with those who have unshakable faith. And anger is reckless, empty and frivolous. From recklessness comes grief (in Russian trans. \u00abogorchenie.\u00bb \u2014 ed.), from grief irritation, from irritation \u2014 anger, and from anger \u2014 frenzy (in Russian trans. \u00abestovstvo.\u00bb \u2014 ed.). Frenzy, which arose from so much evil, is a great and unpardonable sin. And when all this is in one vessel, where the Holy Spirit also dwells, then the vessel cannot contain them in itself and overflows: the good spirit cannot live together with the evil spirit, but moves away from such a person and seeks refuge in humility and silence. When it withdraws from the person in whom it was, then the person, filled with evil spirits, becomes a stranger to the Holy Spirit and closed to good thoughts. This is what happens to all angry people. Therefore, turn away from anger, but put on generosity and resist all sorrow, and you will be in purity and holiness, pleasing to God. Therefore, see that you are not in any way careless with this commandment, for if you keep this commandment, you can also fulfill my other commandments, which I want to give you. Therefore, now establish yourself in these commandments, so that you may live with God - and all who keep them will live with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--9\">The sixth commandment. <em>About the two spirits present in every person and the influence of each of them<\/em><strong>\u0406<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cI commanded you,\u201d said the shepherd, \u201cin the first commandment, that you should keep faith, fear, and temperance.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cYes, master,\u201d I confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 And now I want to explain to you the power of these virtues, so that you may know how each of them works and what power it has. Their actions are of two kinds, and they consist in the righteous and the unrighteous. You believe the righteous, and do not believe the unrighteous at all. For truth has a straight path, and unrighteousness has a crooked one. But you follow the straight path, and leave the crooked one. The crooked path is uneven, has many stumbling blocks, is rocky and thorny, and leads to the destruction of those who walk on it. But those who walk on the straight path walk evenly and without obstacles, because it is not rocky and thorny. Therefore you see that it is better to walk this path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 I like going this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 And you will go just as all those who turn to the Lord with all their hearts will go.<strong>II<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen now, he continued, about faith. Two angels with a man: one good, the other evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I asked him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;How, master, will I be able to recognize them if both angels live with me?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Listen and understand. A good angel is quiet and modest, humble and peaceful. Therefore, having entered your heart, he will constantly instill in you justice, chastity, purity, kindness, indulgence, love and piety. When all this has entered your heart, know that a good angel is with you: believe this angel and follow his works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen also to the action of the evil angel. First of all, he is malicious, angry, and reckless, and his actions are evil and corrupt the servants of God. Therefore, when he enters your heart, understand from his actions that this angel is evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cHow,\u201d I asked, \u201cwill I recognize him, master?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Listen. When anger or annoyance takes possession of you, know that it is in you; also when a desire arises in your heart for various and sumptuous foods and drinks, and strange wives, then pride, excessive boasting, arrogance and the like are instilled in it, then know that an evil angel is with you. Therefore, knowing his deeds, avoid him and do not believe him: his deeds are evil and not characteristic of the servants of God. Such are the actions of this and that angel. Understand them, believe the good angel and move away from the evil angel, because his persuasions in every matter are evil. Even if the thought of an evil angel enters the heart of a believing person, he will certainly sin. However, if evil people open their hearts to the deeds of a good angel, then he will certainly do something good. Therefore, you see that it is good to follow a good angel. If you obey him and do his works, you will live with God; just as all who follow his works will live with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--10\">The seventh commandment.  <em>About the need to fear God, but not the devil<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cFear the Lord,\u201d said the shepherd, \u201cand keep His commandments, for by keeping the commandments of God you will be steadfast in every work and will succeed in it. Fearing the Lord, you will do all that is good. This is the fear that must be experienced in order to be saved. Do not fear the devil: by fearing the Lord, you will rule over the devil, because there is no power in him. And whoever has no power, that is not to be feared. Whoever has greater power, that is to be feared. For whoever has power inspires fear; and whoever has no power, is despised by all. However, fear the works of the devil, because they are evil; fearing the Lord, you will not do the works of the devil, but will refrain from them. Fear is twofold. If you wanted to do evil, then fear God - and you will not do it. Likewise, if you want to do good, fear God again, and you will do it. Truly, the fear of God is great, strong, and glorious. Therefore fear God, and you will live. And all those who fear Him, keeping His commandments, will live with God; but those who do not keep His commandments will not live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--11\">The eighth commandment. <em>On abstaining from evil and creating good<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I told you,&quot; the shepherd continued his teaching, &quot;that God&#039;s creation is twofold, and restraint is twofold. Therefore, from some it is necessary to restrain oneself, and from others it is not necessary.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cTell me, master,\u201d I asked, \u201cwhat one should refrain from and what one should not do.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Abstain,&quot; he answered, &quot;from evil and do not do it, and do not withhold from good, but do it. For if you withhold from good and do not do it, you will sin. Therefore, abstain from all evil and do all good.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cWhat evil,\u201d I asked, \u201cshould one refrain from?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 From adultery, drunkenness and excessive feasting, from excessive consumption of food, from luxury and vanity, from pride, from falsehood and slander, from hypocrisy, malice and all kinds of insults to the honor of other people. Such are evil deeds from which a servant of God must abstain. He who does not abstain from them cannot live with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen now to the next deeds that follow them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Are there still any evil deeds, master?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Truly, there are many more things from which a servant of God must abstain. These are theft, false witness, coveting another&#039;s property, pride, and the like. Do you not consider all these evil? Truly, these are evils for the servants of God, and a servant of God must abstain from all these in order to live with God and be with those who abstain from evil deeds. And now listen to those good deeds that must be done in order to be saved. First of all, these are faith, fear of God, love, harmony, justice, truth, patience - there is nothing better in a person&#039;s life: whoever observes them and does not avoid them all the days, that person is blessed in his life. Then come good works, which consist in serving widows, caring for orphans and the poor, relieving the needs of God&#039;s servants, being hospitable, not arguing, being self-controlled, considering oneself inferior to all people, honoring the elderly, adhering to the truth, preserving brotherhood, enduring insults, being generous, not rejecting those who have fallen away from the faith, but converting and calming them, admonishing sinners, not oppressing debtors, and the like. Don&#039;t you think this is good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cThere is nothing better or more worthy than this!\u201d I exclaimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Do these things and you will live with God, just as all who keep this commandment will live with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--12\">The ninth commandment. <em>We must ask God constantly and without doubt.<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The shepherd then told me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Cast away doubts from yourself and do not hesitate at all to ask anything of the Lord, saying to yourself: How can I ask the Lord and receive, when I have sinned so much before Him? Do not think about it, but turn to the Lord with a sincere heart and ask without doubting, and you will know His great goodness, because He will not despise you, but will fulfill the request of your soul. For God is not like people who remember offenses, He does not remember evil and is merciful to His creation. Therefore, cleanse your heart from all the vain works of this age and first of all fulfill the commandments given to you from God, and you will receive all the good things you ask for, and all your requests will not be abandoned if you ask the Lord without doubting. Those who doubt will receive nothing at all of what they ask for. Those who are full of faith ask everything with hope and receive from the Lord, because they ask without doubting. Every man who hesitates will be saved with great difficulty, unless he repents. Therefore, cleanse your heart from doubt, put on faith, and, believing in the Lord, you will receive everything you ask for. But if sometimes, asking the Lord for something, you do not receive it for a long time, do not doubt, because the requests of your soul are not fulfilled immediately. After all, perhaps for a trial or because of your sin, which you do not know, you will later receive what you ask for. But do not stop expressing the desire of your soul, and you will receive a reward. If you become sad and stop asking, then complain about yourself, and not about God, that He does not give you. Therefore you see how destructive and terrible doubts are, and many, even strong in the faith, are completely rejected from the faith. For doubts are the children of the devil, and they strongly plan evil against the servants of God. Therefore, cast aside doubts and overcome them in all things, armed with a strong and powerful faith. For faith promises everything and accomplishes everything, but doubt does not trust itself in anything, and therefore does not succeed in its works. Therefore, you see that faith comes down from above from God and has great power. Doubt is an earthly spirit, from the devil and has no power. Therefore, serve faith, which has power, and distance yourself from doubt, which is powerless; and you will live with God, and all people who act in the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--13\">The tenth commandment. <em>About the spirit of despair that darkens the soul<br>and hinders the success of prayer<\/em><strong>\u0406<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2014 Keep all sadness away from you, for it is the sister of doubt and anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;How, master,&quot; I wondered, &quot;is she their sister? It seems to me that sadness is one thing, anger is another, and doubt is another.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And he answered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;You are foolish. Don&#039;t you understand that sadness is the most evil of all spirits and the most harmful to the servants of God? It destroys a person like nothing else, and drives out the Holy Spirit from him - and saves him again.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Master, I cannot understand the meaning of this parable and I do not understand how sorrow can destroy and then save again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cListen,\u201d he said, \u201cand understand. He who has never sought the truth and has not investigated the Divinity, but has only believed and then resorted to various pagan pursuits and other works of this world, does not understand the parables of the divine, because he is darkened by such works, is damaged and coarsened by the mind. Just as good vines, left without care, are choked and choked by various weeds and thorns, so people who have only believed and resorted to the works of this world lose the meaning of their lives and, thinking about riches, understand absolutely nothing, and their minds, occupied with worldly vanity, are deaf to the Lord. But those who live in the fear of God, zealously investigate the truth and the divine and whose hearts are turned to the Lord, they easily perceive and understand everything that is said to them. For where the Lord is, there is much wisdom. Therefore, cling to the Lord - and you will understand and comprehend everything.<strong>II<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen now, foolish one, how sorrow drives away the Holy Spirit and how it saves again. When you doubt because you will not succeed in any work because of your doubt, sorrow will enter your heart and grieve the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spirit and cast Him out. And when a person is seized by anger and strong irritation for some reason, then sorrow again enters the heart, he grieves for his deed, repents that he was angry. This sorrow is salvific, because it causes repentance. But in both cases, sorrow insults the Holy Spirit. Sorrow caused by doubt or by the fact that a person did not succeed in his work is unrighteous sorrow. Sorrow from annoyance over a bad deed is not bad sorrow, but it also offends the Holy Spirit. Therefore, put away sorrow from yourself and do not offend the Holy Spirit who lives in you, so that He does not cry out (in Russian translation \u00abgroan\u00bb \u2014 ed.) against you to the Lord and does not depart from you. For the Spirit of God, who dwells in this body, does not tolerate sorrow. Therefore, clothe yourself with joy, which always has grace before the Lord and is pleasing to Him, and rejoice in it. Every person who rejoices does good and thinks of good, despising sorrow. And a person who is in sorrow is always evil, firstly, because he offends the Holy Spirit, which is given to a joyful person; and, secondly, because he commits iniquity, not turning to the Lord and not confessing before Him. The prayer of a person who is in sorrow never reaches the throne of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I asked him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Why, master, does not the prayer of a person who is in sorrow ascend to the throne of the Lord?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Because,&quot; he answered, &quot;sorrow dwells in her heart. Sorrow mixed with prayer prevents pure prayer from ascending to the throne of God. Just as wine mixed with vinegar no longer has its former pleasantness, so sorrow mixed with the Holy Spirit does not have the same pure prayer. Therefore, cleanse yourself from evil sorrow, and you will live with God, and all will live with God, if only they will cast off sorrow and put on joy.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--14\">The eleventh commandment. <em>That true and false prophets are known<br>by their deeds<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The pastor showed me people sitting on benches and one person standing on the pulpit, and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Look at them. Those who sit on the benches are believers, and the one who stands on the pulpit is a false prophet who corrupts the minds of God\u2019s servants\u2014those who are double-minded and not truly believers. These double-minded people come to him as to a prophet and ask him what will happen to them, and he, not having the power of the Divine Spirit within him, answers them, saying what they want to hear, and fills their souls with false promises. Being vain, he answers vain people vainly. However, he also speaks some truth, because the devil puts his spirit into him to attract some of the righteous. But those who are strong in faith, who are clothed in the truth, do not join such spirits, but distance themselves from them. The hypocrites and those who often repent seek prophecies, like the pagans, and bring upon themselves great sin by their idolatry, because he who asks a false prophet is an idolater, a stranger to the truth and a fool. But every spirit given by God does not wait for questioning, but, having divine power, speaks all things of himself, because he is from heaven, by the power of the Spirit of God. The spirit that answers questions according to the desires of men is an earthly spirit, a frivolous one, and has no power: he does not speak at all unless he is asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 How can one recognize who is a true prophet and who is a false prophet?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Hear, \u2014 he says, \u2014 about both prophets; and from what I will tell you you will distinguish a prophet of God from a false prophet. By his works you will recognize a man who has the Spirit of God. First, he is calm, meek and humble, distances himself from all evil and the vain desires of this age, places himself below all people and does not answer questions from anyone, does not speak in private; the Spirit of God speaks not when a man wishes it, but when it pleases God. Therefore, when a man who has the Spirit of God comes to the church of the righteous who have faith, and there prayer is offered to the Lord, then the angel of the prophetic spirit, assigned to him, fills this man with the Holy Spirit, and he speaks to the assembly as it pleases God. Thus the Divine Spirit and His power are manifested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now listen also to the spirit of the earth, vain, foolish, and powerless. First of all, a man who appears to be filled with the spirit, glorifies himself, seeks power, is bold and talkative, lives in luxury and many pleasures, takes a reward for his prophecy; but if he does not receive it, then he does not prophesy. Can the Spirit of God take a reward and prophesy? It is not proper for a prophet of God to do so; and in those who do so, the spirit of the earth is at work. Then he does not enter the assembly of righteous men, but avoids them and, on the contrary, associates with double-minded and frivolous people, prophesying in secret places and fooling with speeches that they want to hear, and speaks vain things to vain people: so an empty vessel, when put together with another empty one, does not break, but they fit together well. And when he finds himself among righteous people, filled with the Divine Spirit, who offer prayer, then his emptiness is revealed: the earthly spirit leaves him out of fear, and he, completely defeated, cannot say anything. If you put wine or oil in a pantry and put an empty vessel there, and then take supplies from the pantry, then the vessel that was put empty will be found empty. And empty prophets: as they come to people who have the Holy Spirit, they remain so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is the image of a true and false prophet. Therefore, test the person who says he has the Holy Spirit by his deeds and life. Believe the Spirit that comes from God and has power, but do not believe the earthly and empty spirit, in which there is no power: for it comes from the devil. Think about the example that I will give you. If you take a stone and throw it into the sky, can you throw it there? Or if you take a pipe with water and direct a stream into the sky, can you pierce the sky?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;What are you doing, master?&quot; I exclaimed. &quot;All this is impossible!&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Here,&quot; he said, &quot;just as this cannot be, so the earthly spirit is powerless and ineffective. Now realize the power that comes down from heaven. Hail is a very small grain, but when it falls on a person&#039;s head, it causes pain? Or another example: a raindrop that rolls down from a roof and sharpens a stone. You see, even the smallest thing that falls from above to the ground has great power: so strong is the Divine Spirit that comes from above. Believe this Spirit, and stay away from the other.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--15\">The twelfth commandment.  <em>About distancing oneself from bad desires and about,<br>that the commandments of God can be kept by those who believe<\/em><strong>\u0406<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The pastor told me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Cast away from yourself every evil desire and put on a good and holy desire. For having put on a good desire, you will hate evil and control it as you wish. Lust is evil and fierce, and it is difficult to humble: it is terrible and destroys people with its ferocity; especially if a servant of God falls into it and is not prudent, he will suffer cruelly from it. But it crushes those people who do not have a good desire and are immersed in the works of this world: it is they whom it delivers to death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;What actions, master,&quot; I asked, &quot;doom people to death through evil desires? Explain them to me so that I may avoid them.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Listen, through what actions evil lust kills the servants of God.<strong>II<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Evil lust consists in desiring another&#039;s wife or in desiring another&#039;s husband for a wife, desiring great wealth, an abundance of luxurious food and drink, and other pleasures, for all pleasures are senseless and vain for the servants of God. Such desires are evil and kill the servants of God. Evil lust is the daughter of the devil. Therefore, one must distance oneself from evil lust in order to live with God. And those who succumb to evil lust and do not resist it will perish, because it is deadly. Therefore, strive for the truth and, armed with the fear of the Lord, resist evil lust. For the fear of God resides in good desires. And evil lust, seeing that you are armed with the fear of the Lord and resist it, will flee far from you and will not come to you, fearing your weapons; and, having gained victory, you will be crowned for it. Surrender to the desire of truth, and, giving thanks to Him for the victory you have gained, serve Him according to His will. And if you serve the good desire and obey it, you will be able to rule over the evil desire and control it as you please.<strong>III<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I would like to hear, master,&quot; I said, &quot;how one should serve a good wish?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Listen. Have the fear of God and faith in God, love the truth, do righteousness and good works like them. Doing this, you will be an acceptable servant of God and will live with God; and all who will serve a good desire will live with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, he finished the twelve commandments and said to me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Here are the commandments for you, follow them and also persuade people to listen to you, so that their repentance may be pure until the last days of their lives. And this service that I entrust to you, perform carefully, and you will receive a great reward, for you will find love in all who repent and obey your words. I will be with you and will persuade them to obey you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I said to him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Master, these commandments are great, beautiful, and capable of rejoicing the heart of the person who fulfills them. But I do not know, master, whether a person is capable of keeping these commandments, because they are very difficult.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He answered me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 These commandments are easy to keep, and they will not seem difficult if you are convinced that they can be kept; but if doubt has crept into your heart that it is not within the power of man to fulfill them, you will not keep them. Now I tell you: if you do not keep these commandments and neglect them, you will not be saved, your children and all your house will not be saved, because you have judged to yourself that these commandments cannot be kept by man.<strong>IV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He spoke this with great anger, and I was greatly embarrassed and frightened. His face changed so that his appearance became unbearable for a human being. But seeing that I was all embarrassed and frightened, he began to speak more moderately and kindly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Foolish and fickle, do you not see the glory of God, do you not understand how great and wise He is, Who created the world for man and subjected all creation to man, and gave him all power to rule over all things under heaven? If man is the master of God&#039;s creation and rules over everything, then can he not rule over these commandments as well? This is within the power of a man who has the Lord in his heart. But he who has the Lord only in his mouth has hardened his heart and is far from the Lord, for this reason these commandments are heavy and impossible to fulfill. Therefore, you who are weak and unstable in faith, put your Lord in your hearts and realize that there is nothing easier than these commandments, nothing more pleasant and accessible than them. Turn to the Lord, leave the devil, his pleasures, which are evil and bitter, and do not fear the devil, because he has no power over you. For I am with you, the angel of repentance, and I have dominion over him. The devil inspires fear, but his fear has no power. Therefore, do not fear him, and he will leave you.<strong>V<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I asked him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Master, listen to a few words from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Speak,&quot; he allowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Every person desires to keep God&#039;s commandments, and there is none who does not ask God for strength to keep His commandments; but the devil is persistent and with his power opposes the servants of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cThe devil,\u201d he objected, \u201ccannot overpower the servants of God who believe in the Lord with all their hearts. The devil can resist, but he cannot conquer. If you resist him, he will be defeated and leave you in disgrace. Those who are not firm in faith are afraid of the devil as one who seems to have power. The devil tempts the servants of God and, if he finds the weak, destroys them. When a man fills vessels with good wine and places several incomplete vessels among them, when he comes to taste the wine, he does not think about the full ones, because he knows that they are good, but tastes the incomplete ones to see if the wine has soured in them, because in incomplete vessels the wine sours more quickly and loses its taste. In the same way, the devil comes to the servants of God to tempt them. And all those who are full of faith courageously do not submit to him; and he withdraws from them, because he has nowhere to enter. Then he approaches those who are not full of faith, and, having the opportunity to enter, he dwells in them, does with them what he wants, and they become his slaves.<strong>VI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I say to you, the angel of repentance: do not be afraid of the devil, for I am sent to be with you who repent with a sincere heart, and to confirm you in the faith. Therefore, believe, you who have despaired of salvation because of your sins and, adding sins to sins, burden your lives; if you turn to the Lord with a sincere heart and do righteousness the rest of your days, and serve Him according to His will, He will forgive your past sins, and you will gain power over the works of the devil. Do not be afraid of the threats of the devil at all, because they are as powerless as the nerves of a dead man. Therefore, listen to me and fear the Lord, who is able to save and to destroy, keep His commandments, and you will live with God. And I said to him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Master, now I am established in all the commandments of the Lord, because you are with me; I know that you will crush all the power of the devil, and we will triumph over him; and I hope that with the help of God I will be able to keep the commandments that you have handed down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cYou will keep it,\u201d he said, \u201cif your heart is pure before the Lord, and all will keep it who will cleanse their hearts from the vain lust of this age and live with God.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"\u043a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u0430-\u0442\u0440\u0435\u0442\u044f-\u043f\u043e\u0434\u043e\u0431\u0438\">Book Three &quot;Resemblances&quot;\u00ab<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--16\">The first similarity. <em>We, having no permanent city in this world,<br>must look to the future<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The pastor told me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2014 Do you know that you, servants of God, are on a journey? Your city is far from here. If you know your homeland, in which you are supposed to live, why do you buy estates here, build beautiful buildings and unnecessary housing? For whoever is engaged in such preparations in this city does not think of returning to his homeland. You unwise, double-minded and miserable person, do you not understand that all this is foreign and under the rule of another? For the master of this city says: either follow my laws, or get out of my borders. What will you do after this, having your own law in your homeland? Will you really refuse the law of your homeland for the sake of fields or other possessions? If you refuse, and then wish to return to your homeland, you will not be accepted, but will be expelled from there. Therefore, look and live like a traveler in a foreign land, do not prepare for yourself anything more than what you need for life; and be prepared so that, if the ruler of this city wants to expel you because you do not obey his law, you can go to your own homeland and live according to your own law without sorrow and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, you who serve God and have Him in your hearts, see to it that you do the works of God, remembering His commandments and the promises He has given you, and believe in Him that He will fulfill them if His commandments are kept. Instead of fields, redeem souls from need, as much as you can, help widows and orphans; use your wealth and all your gains for similar works, for which you received them from God. For the Lord has enriched you so that you may perform such a service to Him. It is much better to do this than to buy houses and estates, for property is perishable, while what is done in the name of God you will find in your city and have joy without sorrow and fear. Therefore, do not covet the riches of the Gentiles, for they are not proper to the servants of God; but dispose of your surplus so that you may receive joy. And do not make counterfeit money, do not touch or covet what belongs to another. Do your own work and you will be saved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--17\">Friend&#039;s likeness. <em>As a grapevine is supported by an elm,<br>The prayer of the poor helps the rich so much<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once, while walking through the field, I saw an elm and a grape tree and was contemplating their fruits, a shepherd appeared to me and asked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 What do you think of this grape tree and elm?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I think they are suitable for each other.&quot; And he said to me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 These two trees represent a deep meaning to the servants of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I would like, master, to understand this meaning.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Look,&quot; he said, &quot;this vine bears fruit, and the elm is a barren tree; but the vine cannot bear much fruit unless it is supported by the elm. For lying on the ground it bears rotten fruit, but if the vine hangs on the elm, it bears fruit both for itself and for the elm. Therefore you see that the elm bears fruit not less, but much more than the vine, because the vine, supported by the elm, bears fruit both abundantly and well, while lying on the ground it bears fruit that is bad and small.&quot; This example serves as a parable for the servants of God, for the poor and the rich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Explain to me how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cListen,\u201d he says, \u201cthe rich man has many treasures, but he is poor before the Lord. Busy with his riches, he prays very little to the Lord, and if he has any prayer, it is poor and powerless. But when the rich man gives the poor man what he needs, then the poor man prays to the Lord for the rich man, and God gives the rich all the good things, because the poor man is rich in prayer, and his prayer has great power before the Lord. The rich man gives to the poor man, believing that the Lord hears him, and willingly and without doubt gives him everything, taking care that he does not lack anything. The poor man thanks the Lord for the rich man who gives to him. Thus, people, thinking that the elm does not bear fruit, do not understand that during a drought the elm, having moisture in itself, nourishes the vine, and the vine, thanks to this, gives double fruit - both for itself and for the elm. So the poor, when they pray to the Lord for the rich, are heard and their wealth increases, and the rich, when they help the poor, encourage their souls. Both participate in a good deed. Therefore, whoever acts in this way will not be abandoned by the Lord, but will be written in the Book of Life. Blessed are those who, having wealth, realize that they are enriched by the Lord, for whoever feels this, can do good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--18\">The third similarity. <em>Just as in winter you can&#039;t tell the trees apart, full of life,<br>from the withered ones, even in this age, it is impossible to separate<br>the righteous from the wicked<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The shepherd showed me many trees without leaves, which appeared to be withered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Do you see these trees?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cI see,\u201d I say. \u201cThey look alike and dry.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 These trees serve as an image of the people who live in this world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cWhy, master,\u201d I asked, \u201cdo they seem to have dried up and look alike?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Because,&quot; he answered, &quot;in this age neither the righteous nor the wicked are discernible: some are like others. For the present age is winter for the righteous, who, living with sinners, do not differ in appearance from them. Just as in winter all the trees with their leaves fallen are alike, and it is not visible which of them are truly withered and which are alive, so in the present age it is impossible to distinguish the righteous from the sinners, but all are like one another.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--19\">The fourth similarity. <em>How fresh trees differ from dried fruits in summer<br>and green leaves, so in the age to come the righteous<br>from the wicked are distinguished by bliss<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Again the shepherd showed me many trees, some of which were in bloom and others were withered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2014 Do you see these trees?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI see, master,\u201d I replied, \u201csome are withered, while others are covered with leaves.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese green trees,\u201d he said, \u201csignify the righteous who will live in the age to come. For the age to come is summer for the righteous and winter for the sinners. Therefore, when the goodness of the Lord shines, then those who served God will appear, and all will be visible. For as the fruit of every tree ripens in summer, and becomes clear what it is, so the fruit of the righteous will appear and be visible, and all will appear joyful in that age. The heathen and sinners, the dry trees that you saw, will appear in the age to come dry and fruitless and will be given to the fire like wood, and it will be seen that during their life their deeds were evil. Sinners will be given to the fire because they sinned and did not repent of their sins, and the heathen because they did not know God their Creator. Therefore, you bring forth good fruit, so that it may appear in that summer. Abstain from many worries, and you will never sin. For those who have many worries sin in many ways, because they are preoccupied with their own affairs and do not serve God. How then can a person who does not serve God ask and receive anything from Him? Those who serve God ask and receive what they ask for, but those who do not serve God do not receive it. He who is occupied with one work can also serve God, because his spirit is not alienated from the Lord, but serves God with a pure mind. Therefore, if you do these things, you will have fruit in the age to come; just as all who do these things will have good fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--20\">Similarity fifth. <em>On true fasting and bodily purity<\/em><strong>\u0406<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once during Lent, I was sitting on a mountain, thanking the Lord for what He had done for me, and suddenly I saw a shepherd next to me. And he asked me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Why did you come here so early?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Because, master, I am standing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 And what is &quot;standing&quot;?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cI mean, I\u2019m going to post, sir,\u201d I explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cIn what way,\u201d he asked, \u201cdo you fast?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 As I fasted according to custom, so I will fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cYou do not know how to fast for God,\u201d he said, \u201cand the fast you perform is not beneficial.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Why, master, do you say that?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 The way you wish to fast is not true fasting, but I will teach you what kind of fasting is perfect and pleasing to God. Listen. God does not want such a vain fast, because by fasting in this way you do not fulfill the truth. Fast to God in this way: do not be deceitful in your life, but serve God with a pure heart; keep His commandments, walk in His commandments and do not allow any evil desire in your heart. Believe in God, and if you fulfill this, and have the fear of God, and refrain from all evil deeds, you will live with God. And in this way you will perform a great and pleasing fast to God.<strong>II<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hear the parable of fasting, which I will tell you. A certain man had a possession and many servants; in one part of his land he planted a vineyard, and then, going on a long journey, he chose a servant, the most faithful and honest, and entrusted him with the vineyard, that he might set up supports for the vine, promising to grant him freedom in return for the fulfillment of this command. Only this (and nothing else. \u2014 Ed.) did the master command the servant to do in the vineyard, and he set out on a journey. The servant did diligently as the master commanded: he set up supports in the vineyard, but, noticing many weeds in it, he began to reason with himself: I have carried out the master&#039;s command, I will now dig up the vineyard, and it will be more beautiful; and if I weed out the weeds, it will not be choked by weeds and will bear more fruit. And he set to work: he dug up the vineyard and pulled out all the weeds in it, and the vineyard became beautiful and blooming, not littered with weeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After some time his master returned and came to the vineyard. When he saw that the vineyard was well furnished and, moreover, dug, weeded, and the vines were rich in fruit, he was very pleased with the deed of his servant. Therefore, he called his beloved son, his heir, and his friends, his counselors, and told them what he had ordered his servant to do and what he had done. They immediately congratulated the servant on having received such high praise from his master. The master said to them: \u00abI promised freedom to this servant if he would carry out this order, and he carried it out and, moreover, put in good work in the vineyard, which pleased me very much. Therefore, for his diligence, I want to make him a co-heir with my son, because, having thought of good, he did not leave him, but carried it out.\u00bb This intention of the master, that is, that the servant should be a co-heir with his son, was approved by both the son and his friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, after a few days, when the guests were summoned, the master sent the slave a lot of food from his banquet. When he received it, the slave took from it what was enough for him, and the rest he divided among his companions. They, delighted, began to wish him that he would find even greater love from his master for his kindness and generosity. When his master learned about all this, he was again very happy and again told his friends and son about the deed of his slave, and they approved even more of the master&#039;s idea that this slave should be a co-heirs with his son.<strong>III<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cMaster, I do not know these parables and will not be able to understand them unless you explain them to me.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cEverything,\u201d he promised, \u201cI will explain what I will only tell and show you. Keep the commandments of the Lord, and you will be pleasing to God and included among those who have kept His commandments. If you do something good beyond what the Lord has commanded, you will gain even greater dignity and be more glorious before the Lord than you could have been before. Therefore, if you keep the commandments of the Lord and add these standings to them, you will receive great joy, especially if you perform them according to my instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cMaster,\u201d I say, \u201cI will do whatever you command me, because I know you will be with me.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cI will,\u201d he said, \u201cbe with you, because you have such a good intention; I will also be with all who have such an intention. This fast,\u201d he continued, \u201cis very good in fulfilling the commandments of the Lord, and observe it in this way: first of all, abstain from every evil word and evil desire, and cleanse your heart from all the vain works of this age. If you observe this, your fast will be righteous. Do this: having done the above, on the day on which you fast, eat nothing but bread and water; and from the food that you thus save on that day, set aside and give to a widow, an orphan, or a poor person; in this way you will humble your soul, and he who has received from you will satisfy his soul and pray to the Lord for you. If you observe this fast as I have commanded you, your offering will be acceptable to the Lord, and this fast will be recorded, and the work that is done in this way will be beautiful, joyful, and pleasing to the Lord. If you observe this with your children and with all your household, you will be blessed; and all who only observe this will be blessed, and whatever they ask of the Lord they will receive.<strong>IV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I asked him to explain to me this parable of the estate and the owner, of the vineyard and the servant who put supports in it, of the weeds that were pulled up in the vineyard, of the son and the friends who were called for advice: for I understood that all this was a parable. He said to me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;You are very bold in asking questions. You need not ask anything; what needs to be explained will be explained to you.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Master, I will see in vain what you show me without explaining what it means; I will listen in vain to parables if you offer them to me without explaining them.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said to me again:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 He who is a servant of God and has the Lord in his heart asks Him for wisdom and receives it, and understands every parable, and understands the words of the Lord spoken in parables. But the careless and lazy in prayer hesitate to ask the Lord, while the Lord is abundant in mercy and unceasingly gives to all who ask Him. You are confirmed by that worshipable angel and have received from Him such a powerful prayer. Why, if you are not lazy, do you not ask for wisdom and receive it from the Lord?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;If you are with me,&quot; I said to him, &quot;it is my duty to ask you and question you about everything, because you show me everything and speak to me. If I had seen or heard this without you, then I would have asked the Lord to explain it to me.&quot;.<strong>V<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And he answered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0\u2014 I have told you before that you are resourceful and bold in asking the meaning of parables. Since you are persistent, I will explain to you the parable of the estate and other things, so that you may tell everyone. Listen and understand. The estate spoken of in the parable means the world. The owner of the estate is the Creator, Who created and established all things. The Son is the Holy Spirit. The servant is the Son of God. The vineyard means the people that the Lord has planted. The supports are the angels appointed by the Lord to preserve His people. The weeds destroyed in the vineyard are the crimes of the servants of God. The dishes that the master sent from the banquet to the servant are the commandments that the Lord gave to His people through His Son. The friends called to counsel are the holy angels, the first created. The absence of the master means the time that remains until His coming.<strong>VI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I said then:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Master, all that you have said is great, wonderful, and glorious, but could I, master, understand it? No man, however intelligent, can understand it. Now I will ask you this.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Ask what you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Why does the Son of God appear in the form of a servant in this parable?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cListen,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Son of God appears in a state of slavery, but has great power and authority.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;How can I not understand, master?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0\u2014 God planted a vineyard, that is, He created a people and entrusted them to His Son; the Son appointed angels to guard each person and Himself worked diligently and suffered greatly to cleanse their sins. For no vineyard can be cleansed without effort and struggle. Therefore, having cleansed the sins of His people, He showed them the way of life and gave them the law received by Him from the Father. You see that He is the Lord of the people with all the power received from the Father. This is why the Lord took counsel about the inheritance of His Son and the glorious angels? The Holy Spirit, Who is before all things, Who created all creation, God settled in the flesh that He desired. And this flesh, into which the Holy Spirit had dwelled, served the Spirit well, walking in purity and holiness, and did not defile the Spirit in anything. And since she lived blamelessly, and labored together with the Spirit, and courageously cooperated with Him in every work, God accepted her into communion, for it was pleasing to Him for the flesh to live undefiled on earth, having the Holy Spirit within it. And He called the Son and the good angels into the council, so that this flesh, which had served the Spirit blamelessly, might also find a place of rest (of glory and bliss in heaven. \u2014 Ed.), so that the blameless and pure flesh, in which the Holy Spirit dwelt, might not be left without reward. Here is the explanation of this parable for you.<strong>VII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I am glad, master,&quot; I say, &quot;to hear such an explanation.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Listen further. Keep this flesh undefiled and pure, that the spirit that dwells in it may be pleased with it, and your flesh may be saved. See also, never entertain the thought that this flesh will perish, and do not abuse it in any lust. For if you defile your flesh, you defile the Holy Spirit also, and if you defile the Holy Spirit, you shall not live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I asked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 So if someone, through ignorance, before hearing these words, has defiled his flesh, how will he receive salvation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Previous sins of ignorance,&quot; he said, &quot;can be healed only by God, for all power belongs to Him. But now beware; and the Almighty and Merciful Lord will grant repentance for past sins, if you do not defile your flesh and spirit any longer. For they are in communion, and one is not defiled without the other. Therefore, keep both pure, and you will live with God.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--21\">Like the sixth. <em>On the two kinds of lustful people and their punishment<\/em><strong>\u0406<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When I, sitting at home, glorified the Lord for all that I had seen, and pondered over the commandments, how beautiful, firm, honorable, and pleasant they are, and how they can save the soul of man, I said to myself: \u00abBlessed will I be if I follow these commandments; and blessed will be everyone who acts according to them!\u00bb While I was thinking thus, suddenly a shepherd appeared near me and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 What do you think about my commandments that I have given you? They are beautiful, do not doubt them at all; but put on faith in the Lord and keep them, for I will give you strength for this. These commandments are useful for those who want to repent; if they do not keep them, their repentance will be in vain. Therefore, you who repent, cast away from yourselves the wickedness of this age, which destroys you. Put on all virtue, so that you may keep these commandments, and add nothing to your sins. For if you do not sin again, you will atone for your past sins. Follow my commandments and you will live with God. All this I have told you. After these words he continued:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Let&#039;s go to the field and I&#039;ll show you the shepherds&#039; sheep.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Let&#039;s go, master,&quot; I agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We went and saw in the field a young shepherd, dressed in rich purple clothing; his flock was numerous, and the well-groomed sheep were happily walking in the grass. And the shepherd himself rejoiced over his flock, and with a contented face walked near the sheep.<strong>II<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The angel of repentance pointed to the shepherd and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 This is the angel of pleasure and falsehood, he destroys the souls of the servants of God, turning them away from the truth, tempting them with evil desires; and they forget the commandments of the living God and live in luxury and vain pleasures, and this evil angel destroys them - some to death, and some to corruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u00abMaster,\u00bb I asked, \u00abhow do we understand \u00bbuntil death\u201d and what does \u201cuntil corruption\u201d mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Listen. The sheep that you saw wandering are those who have forever renounced God and have resorted to the pleasures of this world. Therefore, they have no return to life through repentance, because they have added to their other crimes even more - they have impiously blasphemed the name of the Lord. The life of such people is like death. And the sheep that did not jump, but fed dully, mean those who, although they resorted to pleasure and pleasure, did not blaspheme against the Lord: they have not departed from the truth, and for them there is still repentance, by which they will save their lives. In corruption there is a certain hope of restoration; but death has an irrevocable destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had not gone far, and he showed me a large shepherd, wild in appearance, dressed in a white goatskin, with a bag on his shoulders, with a knotty and strong stick and a large whip in his hands; his face was stern and formidable, so that it became scary. He took from the young shepherd the sheep, which lived in luxury and pleasure, but did not jump; he drove them into rocky and thorny terrain, and the sheep, entangled in thorns, suffered greatly, and the shepherd showered them with blows, drove them here and there, did not give them peace and did not allow them to stop anywhere.<strong>III<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seeing that the sheep were being beaten, suffering such torment and finding no peace, I felt sorry for them and asked the shepherd who this ruthless and cruel shepherd was, who had no compassion for the sheep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;This,&quot; replied the shepherd, &quot;is the angel of punishment; he is one of the righteous angels, but appointed for punishment. To him are entrusted those who have turned away from God and have given themselves over to the lusts and pleasures of this world; and he punishes them, as they deserve, with various cruel torments.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cTell me, master,\u201d I asked, \u201cwhat kind of torment is this, what kind of torment is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Listen: these various punishments and torments are those that people endure in their daily lives. Some suffer losses, others poverty, others various illnesses, some inconstancy in life, others are subjected to insults from unworthy people and many other sorrows. Many with unstable intentions undertake various works, but they do not succeed in anything, and they complain that they do not succeed in their undertakings; it does not occur to them that they do bad deeds, but they complain about the Lord. After they have suffered all kinds of sorrows, they give themselves to me for good instruction, are strengthened in faith in the Lord and serve the Lord with a pure heart for the rest of their lives. And when they begin to repent of their crimes, then lawless deeds come into their hearts, and they give glory to the Lord, saying that He is a righteous Judge and that they have all received righteously according to their deeds. And in the remaining days they serve God with a pure heart and succeed in all their works, receiving from God everything they ask for; and then they thank the Lord that they have been entrusted to me, and from now on they do not give in to any harshness.<strong>IV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I wanted to know how long those who have abandoned the fear of God suffer, as much as they enjoy pleasures, and I asked the pastor about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;They suffer for so long,&quot; he replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 They suffer little, it is necessary that those who resorted to pleasures and forgot about God should suffer punishment seven times more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;You are foolish,&quot; he said, &quot;and you do not understand the power of punishment.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Master, if I understood, I wouldn&#039;t ask you to explain it to me.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cListen,\u201d he said, \u201cwhat is the power of both pleasure and punishment? One hour of pleasure is limited in its duration, and one hour of punishment has the power of thirty days. Whoever indulges in pleasure and satisfaction for one day will suffer for one day, but a day of torment will last a whole year. Therefore, whoever enjoys for as many days suffers for as many years. You see,\u201d he concluded, \u201cthat the time of worldly pleasure and temptations is very short, and the time of punishment and torment is great.\u201d.<strong>V<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I told him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 I don&#039;t quite understand about the time of pleasure and punishment, explain it to me better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He replied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Your foolishness persists with you, and you do not want to purify your heart and serve God. Watch out that you do not remain foolish when the time is fulfilled. And now listen, if you wish to understand. He who indulges in pleasures one day and does what his soul desires, is filled with great foolishness and in the morning is not aware of his previous actions, and does not remember what he did the day before, because pleasure and temptations have no memory due to the foolishness with which a person is filled. But when punishment and torment come to a person for one day, he suffers for a whole year, because punishment and torment have a great memory. He who suffers for a whole year remembers the vain pleasure and realizes that he suffers evil for it. This is how those who indulge in pleasure and are tempted are punished; because, having been endowed with life, they have given themselves over to death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I asked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Master, what pleasures are harmful?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cAny work,\u201d he replied, \u201cbrings pleasure to a person if he does it with pleasure. For both the angry man, doing his work, receives pleasure, and the adulterer, the drunkard, the slanderer, the liar, the money-lover, and everyone who does the like, satisfies his passion and enjoys his work. All this pleasure is harmful to the servants of God, and for it they suffer and endure punishment. But there are also pleasures that are salutary for people: many, doing good works, receive pleasure, finding sweetness in them for themselves. This pleasure is useful for the servants of God and prepares the future life for such people. And those who were mentioned earlier deserve punishment and torment, and those who will bear them and not repent of their crimes will condemn themselves to death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--22\">Likeness seven. <em>That those who repent should bear fruit,<br>worthy of repentance<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After a few days, I met a shepherd in the same field where I had seen shepherds before, and he asked me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 What are you looking for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I have come, master, to ask you to order the shepherd appointed for punishment to leave my house, because he greatly offends me.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said to me in response:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 You must endure troubles and sorrows, because that glorious angel, who wants to test you, has commanded you so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;What evil have I done, master, that I am devoted to this angel?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Listen,&quot; he said. &quot;You have many sins, but not so many that you should have been given to this angel; but your household has committed great sins and crimes, and that glorious angel was angry with their deeds and commanded you to suffer punishment for a certain time, that they too may repent of their sins and be cleansed from all the filth of this age. And when they repent and are cleansed, then the angel of punishment will depart from you.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I told him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Master, if they behaved in such a way as to anger a glorious angel, what is my fault?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He replied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;They cannot be punished unless you, the head of the whole house, are punished. For whatever you suffer, they will inevitably suffer, and with your well-being they will not be able to feel any torment.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cBut now, master,\u201d I said, \u201cthey have already repented from the sincerity of their hearts.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 I know that they repented from a sincere heart. But do you think that the sins of those who repent are immediately forgiven? No, the one who repents must torment his soul, humble himself in all his deeds and endure many different sufferings. And when he endures everything that is destined for him, then, of course, the One who created and established everything will come to him and with His mercy and generosity will give him a saving medicine, and only then will He see that his heart has repented and is pure from all evil deeds. And it is beneficial for you and your family to suffer now. You must suffer as the angel of the Lord who gave you to me commanded. And you should rather thank the Lord that He deigned to reveal the punishment to you in advance, so that, knowing about it in advance, you might endure it steadfastly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I asked him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Master, be with me, and I will easily endure any trouble.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 I will be with you and will even ask the angel of punishment to strike you more lightly; however, you will not endure trouble for long and will return to your well-being again, only remain in humility and obedience to the Lord from a pure heart. Let your children and all your household live according to the commandments that I have given you, and your repentance may become firm and pure. And if you and your household keep my commandments, then all trouble will be far from you; and from all those who keep these commandments, all trouble will be far from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--23\">The eighth similarity. <em>There are many generations of the elect and those who repent of their sins, but all<br>will have a reward according to the measure of their repentance and good deeds<\/em><strong>\u0406<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The shepherd showed me overgrown willows that covered the fields and mountains, into the shadow of which all those called in the name of the Lord are called. And next to this willow stood a glorious, very tall angel, he cut branches from the willow with a large sickle and distributed them to the people. After everyone had received the branches, the angel put down the sickle, but the tree remained as whole as I had seen it before. I was very surprised at this, but the shepherd said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Don&#039;t be surprised that the tree remained intact after so many branches were cut off. Wait until you see what happens next, and everything will become clear to you.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The angel who distributed the branches wanted to return them. He called the people, they came in the same order in which they had received them, and returned the branches. The angel of the Lord received them and examined them. From some he received dry branches, as if eaten by moths, and he ordered them to stand apart; those who returned the branches dry, but not affected by moths, also stood apart. Those who brought branches half-dry and cracked, and those whose branches were half dry, half green, stood apart. Some returned the branches two-thirds dry, and some - one-third green; and some - the opposite: two-thirds green and one-third dry. The angel also set them apart. Others presented branches completely green, and only a small part of them, the very top, was dry, and they were cracked. And in other branches there was very little green. And most of the people had the same green branches as they had received them; the angel was very happy with them. Others gave the branches green and with young shoots, and the angel also received them with great joy. Some had green branches with new shoots and fruit on them. The men who returned such branches came back very pleased, and the angel himself was very happy, and the shepherd was also happy.<strong>II<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then the angel of the Lord commanded that wreaths be brought. And wreaths were brought, as if woven from palm leaves, and the angel placed them on those men whose branches had shoots and fruit, and bade them go into the tower; and other men whose branches were green and with shoots, but without fruit, he sent there, giving them a seal. On all who entered the tower were garments as white as snow. To the same tower he sent also those who returned their branches as green as they had received them, giving them a seal and white garments. When he had finished this, he addressed the shepherd:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I will go, and you let them inside the walls, to the place each deserves, but first examine their branches carefully; see that no one passes you; if anyone passes you, I will expose them before the altar.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He moved away, after which the shepherd said to me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Let&#039;s take branches from them and plant them in the ground, maybe some of them will grow green again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was surprised:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Master, how can branches that have already withered become green again?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He answered me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;It is a willow, and it always loves life: so if these branches are planted and get a little moisture, a great many of them will turn green again. I will try to water them, and if any of them can come to life, I will be glad for it; if not, at least it will be seen that I have not been careless.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then the shepherd ordered me to call them in the same order in which they stood; they came up and handed over their branches. Having received them, the shepherd planted each one in order. And, having planted them, he watered them so continuously that the water completely covered them. Having watered, he said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Let us go, and in a few days we will come back and look at them. For He who created this tree wants all the branches that sprout from it to be alive. And I hope that after these branches have been filled with water, a great many of them will come to life.&quot;.<strong>III<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I asked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Master, explain to me what this tree means; I wonder why it remains whole, for so many branches have been cut off from it, and yet it does not appear to have diminished.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cListen,\u201d he said. This great tree, covering the fields and the mountains and the whole earth, signifies the law of God given to the whole world; this law is the Son of God, who is preached to all the ends of the earth. The people standing under its cover signify those who have heard the preaching and believed in Him. The great and strong angel is Michael, who has authority over this people and governs them: he plants the law in the hearts of believers and watches over those to whom he has given the law, whether they keep it. Each one has a branch: the branches also signify the law of the Lord. You see, many of them have become unfit, and you will recognize all those who have not kept the law, and you will see the place of each of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Why, master, did He send some to the tower, and leave the others here, with you?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Those who have broken the law received from Him are left in my power to repent of their crimes; and those who have pleased the law and kept it are under His own power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Who, master, are those who are crowned and have entered the tower?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He replied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 These are those who fought with the devil and conquered him; those who, observing the law, suffered for it; others who returned the branches green and with shoots, but without fruit, are those who, although they suffered torments for this law, did not die and did not renounce their law; those who returned the branches green, as they took them, are the humble and righteous, who lived with a pure heart and kept the commandments of God. You will learn the latter after you examine the branches that I planted in the ground and watered.<strong>IV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a few days we returned there, and the shepherd sat in the place of that angel, and I stood by him, and he bade me gird myself with a towel and help him. I girded myself with a clean cloth made of sackcloth. Seeing that I was ready to serve him, he said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 The call of those men whose branches are planted in the ground, in the order in which each one presented them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I went into the field and called everyone together, and they took their places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Let each one take out his branch and give it to me,&quot; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first to present were those whose branches were then dry and rotten. And since they were again rotten and dry, he ordered them to stand apart. Then those whose branches had previously been dry but not rotten presented their branches. Some of them presented green branches, and others dry and rotten, as if damaged by moths. Those who presented green branches he ordered to stand apart; and those who presented dry and rotten ones he ordered to stand together with the first. Then those whose branches were half-dried and cracked presented their branches; many of them brought green branches and without cracks; and some green and with sprouts, and even with fruits, like those who entered the tower crowned; others presented dry and damaged, others dry but not rotten, and some half-dried and cracked, as before. And the shepherd divided them all into groups, ordering each one to stand separately.<strong>V<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then those who had branches that were green but cracked brought them: they all presented them now green and stood in their places, and the shepherd rejoiced for them that they had all been restored and their cracks had healed. Those who had previously had branches that were half dry were also presented; the branches of some of them turned out to be green, some half dry, some dry and damaged, and some green and with sprouts. Then those who had branches that were two-thirds green and one-third dry were presented; many of them presented branches that were green, many half dry, and others dry and rotten. Next those who had branches that were two-thirds dry and one-third green before were presented; many of them presented branches that were half dry, some dry and rotten, some half dry and cracked, and others green. Then they presented those whose branches were green, but a little dry and cracked; some of them turned their branches green, others green and with sprouts; and they stood in their place. Finally, in those whose branches contained a little green, and the rest dried up, some of the branches turned out to be mostly green with sprouts, and even with fruit on them, and some became green, with these branches the shepherd was very pleased. And he sent each one to his place.<strong>VI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After examining all the branches, the shepherd said to me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I told you that this tree loves life. You see, many have repented and received salvation.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 I see, master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cKnow,\u201d he continued, \u201cthe great and glorious goodness and mercy of the Lord, who gave the spirit to those who are able to repent.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cWhy, master,\u201d I asked, \u201cdidn\u2019t everyone repent?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He replied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 The Lord granted repentance to those in whom He saw that their hearts would be pure and that they would serve Him zealously and righteously. But to those in whom He sensed deceit and falsehood, and a feigned appeal to Him, He did not grant repentance, so that they would not defile His name again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Now, master, explain to me what each of those who returned the branches means, and where is its place, so that the believers who received the seal, but broke it and did not keep it intact, may learn about this, and so that, knowing their deeds, they may repent and, having received the seal from you, may glorify the Lord for having had mercy on them and sent you to renew their souls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cListen,\u201d he said. Those whose branches were found dry and rotten, as if damaged by moths, are apostates and traitors to the Church, who in their sins blasphemed the Lord and were ashamed of His name, to which they were called: they all died for God. And you see that none of them repented, and they neglected the words of God, which I commanded you; life has departed from these people. In the same way, not far from them are those who turned the branches dry, although not rotten, for they were hypocrites, introducing strange teachings and tempting the servants of God, especially those who have sinned, not allowing them to return to repentance, but instilling in them evil thoughts. They have the hope of repentance; and you see that many of them have already repented after I announced my commandments to them, and will repent. Those who do not repent will lose their lives; Those who repent will become good, and their dwelling place will be the first walls, and some will even enter the inside of the tower. Therefore, you see, the repentance of sinners brings life, and the impenitence brings death.<strong>VII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&quot;Listen also to those who returned the branches half-dry and with cracks,&quot; the shepherd continued. &quot;Those whose branches were only half-dry are those who doubt: they are neither alive nor dead; and those who gave the branches half-dry and with cracks are those who doubt and at the same time are slanderers, who slander in secret, who never live in peace, but are constantly in discord. However, there is repentance for them too. You see, some of them also repented. Those of them who repented immediately will find a place for themselves in the tower, and those who repented later will live on the walls. Those who did not repent, but remained in their deeds, will find destruction.&quot; Those who gave green but cracked branches were always faithful and good, although they have envy and jealousy among themselves about the primacy and dignity: only foolish people argue among themselves about the primacy. However, they were good in another way - they obeyed my commandments, corrected themselves and soon repented, therefore their place is in the tower. If any of them returns to discord, he will be expelled from the tower and will lose his life. For the life of those called by God consists in keeping the commandments of the Lord; in this is life, and not in primacy or any dignity. Through patience and humility of spirit people will receive life from the Lord, but those who disregard the law will earn death for themselves.<strong>VIII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those whose branches were half dry and half green are those who are attached to worldly pursuits and alienated from communion with the saints, and therefore half of them are alive and half dead. And many of them, having listened to my commandments, repented and received a place in the tower; but some have completely fallen away. There is no repentance for them, because they blasphemed the Lord and, in the end, rejected Him, and for this impiety they have lost their lives. But many of them are double-minded: this is still repentance, and if they repent soon, they will have a refuge in the tower; if later, they will live on the walls; but if they do not repent at all, they will lose their lives. Those whose branches were two-thirds green and one-third dry, mean those who, being tempted in various ways, have denied the Lord; many of them have repented and have already received a place in the tower; and others have fallen away from God forever and have completely lost their lives. And some of them were double-minded and caused discord: they still have repentance if they repent soon and renounce their pleasures; but if they remain in their deeds, they will prepare death for themselves.<strong>IX<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those who gave their branches two-thirds dry and one-third green are faithful, but having become rich and having found glory among the Gentiles, they fell into great pride, became arrogant, left the truth and did not keep company with the righteous, but lived with the Gentiles, and this life seemed more pleasant to them; however, they did not fall away from God and kept the faith, only they did not do the works of faith. Many of them have already repented and began to live in the tower. Others, living with the Gentiles and gaining vanity from them, completely departed from God, resorting to the works of the Gentiles: such people will be counted among the Gentiles. Some of them began to waver, not hoping to be saved by their works; others began to doubt and began to do misunderstandings. For both there is still repentance, but their repentance must be immediate, so that there may be a place for them in the tower. And for those who do not repent, remaining in their pleasures, death will soon appear.<strong>X<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those who presented the branches green, except for their dry tops, and with cracks, were always good, faithful, and glorious before God, but they sinned several times due to small pleasures and petty disagreements that they had among themselves. Hearing my words, a great many immediately repented, and their place was in the tower. Some of them doubted, and some, moreover, caused great discord. For such there is hope of repentance, because they were always good, and it is unlikely that any of them will die. As for those who presented the dry branches with green tops, they only believed in God, but they committed iniquity; however, they never deviated from God, but always willingly bore His name and lovingly received the servants of God into their homes. Hearing about repentance, they immediately repented and do all virtue and truth. Some of them suffered death, while others willingly endured misfortune, remembering their deeds - all of them will have a place in the tower.<strong>XI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having finished explaining all the branches, he commanded me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Go and tell everyone to repent and live for God, because the Lord, out of His mercy, sent me to give repentance to everyone, even to those who do not deserve salvation in their works. But the patient Lord wants those called by His Son to be saved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I hope, master,&quot; I replied, &quot;that everyone who hears this will repent. For I am convinced that everyone will turn to repentance, knowing their own deeds and fearing God.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 All those who sincerely repent and cleanse themselves from all the unrighteous deeds that were mentioned before, and do not increase their crimes in any way, will receive from the Lord forgiveness of their past sins, if they do not doubt these commandments of mine and live with God. And you walk in these commandments - and you will live with God; and all who only faithfully fulfill them will live with God. Having shown me all this, he promised:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I&#039;ll show you the rest in a few days.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--24\">Likeness nine. <em>The building of the Church of God, militant and triumphant<\/em><strong>\u0406<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After I had written the commandments and parables of the shepherd, the angel of repentance, he came to me and said: \u00abI want to show you everything that the Holy Spirit showed you, who spoke to you in the image of the Church: that Spirit is the Son of God. And since you were weak in body, it was not revealed to you through the angel until you were strengthened in spirit and strengthened in strength so that you could see the angel. Then the Church showed you the magnificent construction of the tower; but you saw how all this was shown to you by the virgin. And now you will receive a revelation through the angel, but from the same Spirit. You must diligently learn everything from me, for for this reason I was sent by that worshipable angel to dwell in your house, so that you may consider everything well and not fear anything, as before.\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And he led me to Arcadia, to a mountain shaped like a breast, and we sat on its summit. And he showed me a large field surrounded by twelve mountains, not resembling one another. The first of them was black as soot. The second was bare, without plants. The third was overgrown with weeds and thorns. On the fourth were plants half-dried, with a green top and a dead stem, and some plants had completely withered from the heat of the sun. The fifth mountain was rocky, but plants grew green on it. The sixth mountain had gorges, in some places small, in others large. In these gorges were plants, but not flowering, but slightly wilted. On the seventh mountain plants bloomed, and it was fertile; all kinds of cattle and birds of the air gathered food there, and the more they ate on it, the more abundantly the plants grew. The eighth mountain was completely covered with springs, and from these springs the thirst of God&#039;s creatures was quenched. The ninth mountain had no water at all and was completely bare. Poisonous snakes, harmful to people, lived on it. The tenth mountain was completely shaded by the huge trees that grew on it, and in the shade cattle lay, resting and chewing gum. On the eleventh mountain, many trees also grew, and they abounded in various fruits, and whoever saw them wanted to taste these fruits. The twelfth mountain, all white, had the most pleasant appearance, everything on it was beautiful.<strong>II<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the middle of the field he showed me a huge white stone. This stone was square in shape and was higher than those mountains, so that it could hold the whole earth. It was ancient, but it had a carved door that seemed to be recently made. These doors shone brighter than the sun, so that I was amazed at their brilliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Around the door stood twelve virgins. The four of them, who stood at the corners of the door, seemed to me the most beautiful, but the last ones were also beautiful. Cheerful and joyful, these virgins were dressed in linen tunics and beautifully girded. Their right shoulders were bare, as if the virgins intended to carry some burden. I admired this majestic and beautiful spectacle, but at the same time I was surprised that the virgins, being so gentle, stood courageously, as if preparing to carry the whole sky on themselves. And while I was thus meditating, the shepherd said to me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Why do you ponder and wonder, and bring sorrow upon yourself? What you cannot understand, do not undertake, but ask the Lord to teach you to understand it. What is behind you, you cannot see; and you see only what is before you. What you cannot see, leave behind and do not torment yourself. Possess what you see, and do not worry about the rest. I will explain to you everything that I will show you, and now see what will happen next.<strong>III<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And behold, I saw six tall and dignified men come, and they all resembled one another. They called many other men who were also tall, handsome, and strong. And those six men ordered a tower to be built over the gate. Then the men who came to build the tower made a great noise and commotion at the gate. The maidens who were standing at the gate told them to hurry up with the building and themselves stretched out their hands, as if preparing to take something from them. Those six ordered stones to be taken from the bottom and carried to the tower. And ten white, square, and hewn stones were raised. Those six men called the maidens and ordered them to carry all the stones that were to go to the building, to pass through the gate and hand the stones over to the builders of the tower. And the maidens immediately began to lay the first stones that were taken from the bottom on top of each other, and to carry them together one stone at a time.<strong>IV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the virgins stood at the door, so they carried it: those who seemed stronger took hold of the corners of the stone, and the others held it by the sides. And in this way they all carried the stones, passed through the door, as was ordered, and handed them over to the builders of the tower; and they, taking them, erected it. The tower was built on a large stone, above the door. Those ten stones were laid in the foundation of the tower; the stone and the door held up the whole tower. Then twenty-five other stones were taken from the bottom, and they were brought by the virgins, and used to build the tower. After them, thirty-five other stones were lifted, which were laid in the tower in the same way. Then forty more stones were lifted, and all of them went to build this tower. Thus, four rows of stones were laid in the foundation of the tower. When all the stones taken from the bottom were finished, the builders rested a little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then those six men ordered the people to bring stones from twelve mountains for the tower. And the men began to bring hewn stones of various colors from all the mountains and gave them to the virgins, and they carried them through the door and gave them to the builders. And when these multicolored stones were laid in the building, they changed their previous colors and became uniform and white. But some stones were not handed over by the virgins and were not carried through the door, but were carried directly into the building by the men themselves and did not become light, but remained as they were laid. These stones looked ugly in the building of the tower. When those six men saw them, they ordered them to be taken out and put in the place from which they had been taken. And they said to those who brought these stones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Do not bring stones for the building at all, but place them near the tower, so that the maidens may carry them through the door and bring them, otherwise the stones will not be able to change their color; therefore do not labor in vain.&quot;.<strong>V<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the work was finished that day, but the tower was not yet finished; its construction must be resumed again, and only for a while a break has been made. Those six men ordered the builders to go away and rest a little; but the virgins were commanded not to leave the tower, to guard it. After everyone had gone, I asked the shepherd why the construction of the tower was not finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;It cannot be completed before the master of the tower comes and tests it, to replace any unsuitable stones, if any appear, for it is by his will that this tower is being built,&quot; he replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cMaster,\u201d I asked, \u201cI would like to know what the construction of the tower means, and also to learn about this stone, and about the door, and about the mountains, and about the virgins, and about the stones that were taken from the bottom and not hewn, but were immediately placed in the building; and why at first ten stones were laid in the foundation, then twenty-five, then thirty-five, and finally forty; also about those stones that were laid in the building, but then taken out and carried to their place; all this, master, explain to me and calm my soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And he said to me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;If you don&#039;t ask about nothing, you will learn everything and see what will happen to this tower, and you will learn all the parables in detail.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a few days we came to the same place where we had been sitting before, and he called to me: \u00abLet us go to the tower, for the master will come to test it.\u00bb And we came to the tower, and found no one else except the virgins. The shepherd asked them if the master of the tower had arrived. And they answered that he would soon come to inspect this building.<strong>VI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And after some time I saw a great multitude of men coming, and within was a man of such great stature that he was taller than the tower itself; he was surrounded by six men who were in charge of the construction, and all those who were building the tower, and besides them, a great many other glorious men. The maidens who guarded the tower hastened to meet him, kissed him, and began to walk around the tower together. And he examined the building so attentively that he tested every stone: he struck each stone three times with the reed that he held in his hand. Some stones after his blows became black as soot, some rough, others cracked, others became shorter, some were neither black nor white, others were uneven and did not fit the other stones, and some were covered with many spots. Such were the stones that were found unsuitable for the building. The master ordered them all to be removed from the tower and left near the tower, and other stones to be brought in their place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the builders asked him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 From which mountain will you order stones to be brought and placed in the place of the ones thrown out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He forbade bringing from the mountains, but ordered to bring from the nearest field. They plowed the field and found shiny and square stones, and some were even round. And all the stones, as many as there were in this field, were brought and carried by the maidens through the door; of them the square ones were hewn and put in the place of the thrown ones, but the round ones were not used for the building, because it was difficult and time-consuming to hew them. They were left near the tower, to be hewn later and used for the building, because they were very shiny.<strong>VII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having finished this, the great man, the owner of this tower, summoned the shepherd and entrusted him with the stones that were not allowed for construction and were placed near the tower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cClean these stones thoroughly,\u201d he commanded, \u201cand place those that can join with the others for the construction of the tower, and throw the unsuitable ones far to the side.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having given this order, he departed with all those with whom he had come to the tower. The virgins remained at the tower to guard it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I asked the shepherd:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 How can these stones be used again to build a tower when they have already proven unusable?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He replied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 I will cut most of these stones and use them for construction, and they will join the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cMaster,\u201d I said, \u201chow can the hewn stones occupy the same place?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Those that turn out to be small will go inside the building; and the large ones will lie outside and be held by them.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then he said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Let us go and return in two days, and having cleansed these stones, we will put them in the building. For everything that is near the tower must be cleansed, otherwise the owner will suddenly appear and see that the tower is unclean, and he will be angry; then these stones will not be used for building the tower, and he will consider me negligent.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two days later, when we arrived at the tower, he said to me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Let&#039;s look at all these stones and see which ones can go into the building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Let&#039;s take a look, master,&quot; I replied.<strong>VIII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First we examined the black stones. They were the same as those that had been removed from the building. He ordered them to be carried away from the tower and placed separately. Then he examined the rough stones and ordered many of them to be cut off, and the virgins to take them and place them in the building; and they, taking them, placed them inside the tower. The rest he ordered to be placed with the black stones, because they also turned out to be black. Then he examined the cracked stones and ordered many of them to be cut off, and ordered them to be carried by the virgins into the building: they were placed outside as stronger; the rest, because of the many cracks, could not be processed, and therefore were thrown away from the building of the tower. Next he examined the short stones; many of them were black, and some with large cracks, and he ordered them to be placed with those that had been thrown away; The rest, cleaned and worked, he ordered to be used, and the virgins, taking them, placed inside the building of the tower, because they were not so strong. Then he examined the stones that were half white and half black: many of them were black, and he ordered them to be transferred to the discarded ones. The rest of the stones that were white were taken by the virgins and placed outside, being strong, so that they could hold the stones placed inside, because they were not cut. Then he examined the uneven and strong stones. Some of them he rejected, because due to their hardness they could not be worked; the rest were cut and placed by the virgins inside the tower as weaker. Next he examined the stones with spots, and a few of them turned black and were thrown away with the others; the rest were white - they were completely used by the virgins for building and placed outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then he began to look at the white and round stones and asked me what to do with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I don&#039;t know, master,&quot; I replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;So you can&#039;t think of anything about them?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Master, I am not a stonemason and do not possess this art, but I cannot think of anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And he said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Can&#039;t you see that they are round? If I want to make them square, I have to cut off a lot of them, but some of them have to fit into the tower structure.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;If it&#039;s necessary,&quot; I said, &quot;then why don&#039;t you hesitate and choose the ones you want and fit them into this building?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And he chose large and shining stones and hewed them; and the virgins, taking them, laid them in the outer part of the building. And the others were carried into the same field, whence they were taken, but not cast away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Because,&quot; the shepherd explained, &quot;a few more are missing to complete the tower; the Lord is pleased that these stones be used to build the tower, since they are very white.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then twelve very beautiful maidens were called, dressed in black, with bare shoulders and flowing hair. They looked like village women. The shepherd ordered them to take the stones thrown away from the building and carry them to the mountains from where they had been brought, and they joyfully lifted and carried all the stones, and placed them where they had been taken. When not a single stone remained near the tower, he said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Let&#039;s go around the tower and see if there is any defect in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having gone around the tower, the shepherd saw that it was beautiful and perfectly built, and he was very happy. And everyone would have admired it, because not a single joint was visible and the tower seemed to be carved from a single stone.<strong>X<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I, walking with the shepherd, was very pleased with such a beautiful vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And he commanded me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Bring lime and small tiles so that I can correct the appearance of those stones that were once again taken out of the building, because everything around the tower must be even and smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I brought everything as he ordered me, and he added:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Do me a favor: this matter will be over quickly.&quot; He straightened the stones and ordered the tower to be put in order. Then the maidens, taking brooms, swept away all the dirt and sprinkled it with water - and the place near the tower became beautiful and cheerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The pastor told me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Everything is cleansed; if the Lord comes to look at this tower, he will find nothing to reproach us for,&quot; and he wanted to move away, but I grabbed him by the hem of his garment and begged him by the Lord to explain what had been shown to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cI need to rest a bit, then I\u2019ll explain everything to you,\u201d he promised. \u201cWait for me here.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Master, what am I going to do here alone?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;You are not alone,&quot; he replied, &quot;all the virgins are with you.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cMaster,\u201d I asked, \u201cdeliver me to them.\u201d And he called them and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I&#039;ll leave him with you until I return.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I was left alone with those maidens. They were cheerful and kind to me, especially four of them who were more beautiful.<strong>XI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The virgins said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 The shepherd won&#039;t come here today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;What will I do?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Wait until evening, maybe he&#039;ll come and talk to you, but if he doesn&#039;t, you&#039;ll stay with us until he does.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I&#039;ll wait for him until evening,&quot; I decided, &quot;and if he doesn&#039;t come, I&#039;ll go home and come back in the morning.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But they denied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;You are entrusted to us and cannot leave us.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I asked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Where will I stay?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;With us,&quot; they replied, &quot;you will sleep as a brother, not as a husband, because you are our brother, and we will live with you after that, because we love you very much.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was ashamed to stay with them. But the one who seemed to be the most important one embraced me and began to kiss me. But the others, seeing this, also began to kiss me as a brother, to lead me around the tower and play with me. Some of them sang psalms, and others led round dances. And I walked with them in silence near the tower, and it seemed to me that I had become younger. When evening came, I wanted to go home, but they held me back and did not allow me to leave. Therefore, I spent that night with them near the tower. They spread their linen tunics on the ground and laid me on them, and they themselves did nothing else but pray. And I prayed with them continuously and just as diligently, and the virgins rejoiced at my diligence. Thus I remained with the virgins until the next day. Then the shepherd came and asked them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Did you offend him in any way?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And they answered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Ask him himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cMaster,\u201d I said, \u201cI have had great pleasure in staying with them.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cWhat did you have for dinner?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I replied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cAll night long, master, I have been feeding on the words of the Lord.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Did they receive you well?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Okay, master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Now what do you want to hear about first?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;So that you, master, can explain to me everything you&#039;ve shown me before.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;As you wish,&quot; he said, &quot;I will explain it to you, and I will hide nothing from you.&quot;.<strong>XII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cFirst of all, master,\u201d I asked, \u201cexplain to me what the stone and the door mean.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cThe stone and the door,\u201d he said, \u201care the Son of God.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;How, master,&quot; I wondered, &quot;since the stone is ancient and the door is new?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Hearken, thou fool, and understand. The Son of God is more ancient than all creation, for he was present at the council of his Father concerning the creation of the world. And the new door, because he appeared in the last days, became a new door, that those who desire to be saved may enter through it into the kingdom of God. You saw that the stones were carried into the building of the tower through the door, and those that were not carried through them were returned to their place. Yes, \u2014 he continued, \u2014 no one will enter the kingdom of God unless he receives the name of the Son of God. For if you wanted to enter a city surrounded by a wall with only one gate, you would not be able to enter that city except by this gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&quot;It can&#039;t be otherwise, master,&quot; I agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, this city can only be entered through its gates, just as a person cannot enter the Kingdom of God except through the name of the beloved Son of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cHave you seen,\u201d he asked, \u201cthe multitude of those who are building the tower?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I saw it, master,&quot; I say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;They are all,&quot; he said, &quot;glorious angels. The Lord is surrounded by them as by a wall; the door is the Son of God, who is the only way to the Lord. No one can enter Him except through His Son.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cDid you see,\u201d he says, \u201cthose six men and within them the majestic and dignified man who walked near the tower and tested the stones in the building?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I saw it, master,&quot; I say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;That worthy man,&quot; he says, &quot;is the Son of God; and the six men are glorious angels standing by Him on His right and on His left. Of these glorious angels, none shall ascend to God without Him. Therefore, whoever does not receive His name shall not enter the Kingdom of God.&quot;.<strong>XIII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cWhat does the tower itself mean?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cThis,\u201d he says, \u201cis the Church.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;And who are these masters and maidens?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;These,&quot; he says, &quot;are holy spirits; a man cannot enter the kingdom of God unless they clothe him with their garments. For it will profit you nothing if you take the name of the Son of God, and with him you do not take garments from them. These virgins are the power of the Son of God; you will bear His name in vain if you do not bear His power.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Did you see,&quot; he says, &quot;those stones that were rejected? These are those who, although they bore the name of God, did not put on the garments of virgins.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cWhat are their clothes, master?\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Their very names,&quot; he says, &quot;signify their garments. Everyone who bears the name of the Son of God must also bear their names, because the Son of God Himself bears the names of these virgins. Those stones which, as you saw, were handed over by their hands and remained in the building, signify those who were clothed with their power. Therefore you see that the whole tower is made as if of one stone. So also those who have believed in the Lord through his Son and have been clothed with these spiritual powers will have one spirit and one body, and their garments will be of one color; these are the ones who will obtain a place in the tower who will bear the names of these virgins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cWhy, master,\u201d I asked, were those stones rejected, when they too were carried through the door and passed through the hands of the maidens to the tower?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cSince,\u201d he says, \u201cyou are diligent and examine everything carefully, listen also about those stones that were rejected. They all accepted the name of the Son of God and the power of these virgins. Having received these gifts of the Spirit, they were strengthened and were among the servants of God, and they became one spirit, one body and one garment, because they were of one mind and did the truth. But after a while they were fascinated by those beautiful women whom you saw dressed in black clothes, with bare shoulders and flowing hair; when they saw them, they desired them and clothed themselves with their power, and the power of the former virgins they rejected. Therefore they were taken out of the house of God and given to those women. And those who were not seduced by their beauty remained in the house of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cHere,\u201d he says, \u201cis the meaning of the discarded stones.\u201d.<strong>XIV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cAnd if, master,\u201d I continued to ask, \u201cthese men repent, reject the lust of those women, and, having turned again to the virgins, clothe themselves with their power, will they enter the house of God?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 They will enter if they reject the works of those women and regain the strength of virgins, and will do according to their works. For this reason the construction was stopped, that they might repent and enter the building of the tower: but if they repent not, others will take their place, and they will be rejected forever. For all this I thanked the Lord, that He is merciful to those who call on His name, and sent an angel of repentance to those who sinned against Him, and restored our souls, which were already weakened and had no hope of salvation, restored us to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cNow, master,\u201d I said, \u201cexplain to me why the tower is not built on the ground, but on stone and doors?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;You ask because you&#039;re stupid.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Master, I am forced to ask you about everything because I cannot understand anything at all, because all this is so grand and strange that it is difficult for people to comprehend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cListen,\u201d the shepherd told me, \u201cthe name of the Son of God is great and immeasurable, and it holds the whole world together.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cIf all creation is upheld by the Son of God,\u201d I asked, \u201cthen do you think He upholds those who are called by Him, bear His name, and live by His commandments?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 You see, He supports those who sincerely bear His name. He Himself serves as a new beginning for them and lovingly holds them because they are not ashamed to bear His name.<strong>XV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cReveal to me, master,\u201d I asked, \u201cthe names of the virgins and those women who are dressed in black.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Listen. These are the names of the virgins who are more powerful and stand at the corners of the door: the first is called Faith, the second - Temperance, the third - Fortitude, the fourth - Patience. The others who are inside have the following names: Simplicity, Innocence, Chastity, Joy, Truthfulness, Understanding, Concord, and Love. Whoever bears these names and the name of the Son of God can enter the Kingdom of God. Now listen to the names of the women dressed in black. The four most powerful: the first is called Perfidy, the second - Intemperance, the third - Infidelity, the fourth - Lust. The names of those who follow them: Sorrow, Deceit, Lust, Wrath, Falsehood, Ignorance, Slander, and Hatred. The servant of God who bears these names, although he will see the Kingdom of God, will not enter it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I decided to ask the shepherd what the stones raised from the bottom for the building meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cThe first ten,\u201d he replied, \u201cwhich are laid down as a foundation, signify the first age.\u201d&nbsp;<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/parafia.org.ua\/biblioteka\/svyatoottsivski-tvory\/apostolski-muzhi\/knyha-ermy-pastyr\/#footnote_26_11820\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">27<\/a><\/sup>, the next twenty-five are the second age of righteous men; thirty-five signify the prophets and servants of the Lord; and forty signify the apostles and teachers of the gospel of the Son of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Why, master, did the maidens also bring these stones into the tower building, carrying them through the door?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Because they were the first to have the powers of these virgins, and neither of them departed\u2014neither the spiritual powers from men, nor men from the powers; but these powers remained with them until the day of their rest; if they had not had these spiritual powers, they would not have been fit for the building of the tower.<strong>XVI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And again I asked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&quot;Also, master, explain to me why these stones were pulled from the depths and placed in the building of the tower, when they already had these spirits?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0\u2014 They had to pass through the water to be revived; they could not enter the Kingdom of God except by casting off the deadness of their former life. Therefore these dead received the seal of the Son of God and entered the Kingdom of God. For before a man receives the name of the Son of God, he is dead; but the sooner he receives this seal, the sooner he casts off death and receives life. This seal is water, into which men go dead, and come out alive; therefore this seal was preached to them, and they made use of it in order to enter the Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cWhy,\u201d I asked, \u201cwere those forty stones that already had this seal taken from the depths along with them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Because these apostles and teachers, who preached the name of the Son of God, having died with faith in Him and with power, preached Him to those who had died before, and themselves gave them this seal; they went down into the water with them and came up again with them. But they went down alive, and those who died before them went down dead, and came up alive; through the apostles they received life and knew the name of the Son of God, and therefore were taken with them and placed in the building of the tower; they were used in the building by the uncircumcised, because they died in righteousness and purity, but did not have this seal. Here is the explanation of these stones.<strong>XVII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cNow, master,\u201d I said, \u201cexplain to me the meaning of those mountains: why are they so different in appearance?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Listen. These twelve mountains that you see mean the twelve tribes that inhabit the whole world; among them the Son of God was preached through the apostles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Why are they different and have different looks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;These twelve tribes that inhabit the whole world are twelve nations; and as different as you have seen the mountains, so different are the opinions.&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and the inner mood of these peoples. I will explain to you the meaning of each of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;First, master, tell me this: if these mountains are so different, how did the stones from them, when placed in the building of the tower, become both one-colored and shiny, just like the stones raised from the bottom?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Because all the nations under heaven, having heard the preaching, believed and were called by the one name of the Son of God, and having received His seal, they all received one spirit, one mind, and had one faith, and one love, and together with His name they were clothed with the spiritual powers of virgins. Because of this, the building of the tower became of the same color and shone like the sun. But after they had come together and become one body, some of them defiled themselves and were cast out from the race of the righteous; they returned again to their former state and even became worse.<strong>XVIII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I asked, how did they become worse after knowing the Lord?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cIf someone who does not know the Lord,\u201d he said, \u201cdoes evil, he is subject to punishment for his unrighteousness. But whoever knows the Lord must already abstain from evil and do good. And if someone who should do good does evil instead, has he not committed a greater crime than someone who does not know God? Therefore, those who do not know God and do evil are doomed to death, but those who know the Lord and have seen His wonderful works, if they do evil, will be punished doubly and will die forever. Thus will the Church of God be purified. You saw that the rejected stones were thrown out of the tower and given to evil spirits, and the tower was purified in such a way that it seemed as if it had all been hewn from a single stone; so will the Church of God be when it is purified and the wicked, hypocrites, blasphemers, double-minded, and all who practice various kinds of unrighteousness are thrown out of it; it will be one body, one spirit, one mind, one faith, and one love, and then the Son of God will triumph among them and rejoice, having received His people pure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Master,&quot; I said, &quot;all this is great and glorious. Now explain to me the meaning and function of each of the mountains, so that every soul who trusts in the Lord, hearing this, may glorify His great, wonderful, and glorious name.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Listen also about these different mountains, that is, about the twelve nations.<strong>XIX<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 The first black mountain signifies believing apostates, blasphemers of the Lord and traitors of the servants of God; death is their lot and there is no repentance, and therefore they are black, because their race is lawless. The second bare mountain signifies believing hypocrites and teachers of falsehood; they are very close to the first and do not have the fruit of truth. For as their mountain is empty and barren, so also these people, although they have a name, have no faith and there is no fruit of truth in them. However, there is repentance for them, if they repent immediately; but if they delay, then death will be for them along with the first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Why, master, do the latter have access to repentance, and the former do not? After all, their deeds are almost the same.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 For them there is repentance because they did not blaspheme their Lord and were not traitors to the servants of God; but, desiring gain, they flattered people, and each taught according to the lusts of sinners; for these deeds they will suffer punishment, but for them there is repentance because they were not blasphemers of the Lord and traitors.<strong>XX<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The third mountain, the shepherd continued, is covered with thorns and weeds, and signifies believers, some of whom are rich, while others have resorted to many occupations, for weeds signify the rich, and thorns signify those who have resorted to many cares. Such do not have fellowship with the servants of God, but distance themselves from them, absorbed in their own affairs. And the rich enter into fellowship with the servants of God with difficulty, fearing that they will be asked for something. It is difficult for such people to enter the Kingdom of God. And just as it is difficult to walk on thorny plants with bare feet, so it is difficult for people of this kind to enter the Kingdom of God. But there is repentance for them too, only they must immediately turn to it, in order to make up for what they have missed earlier (in Russian translation \u00abreward\u00bb \u2014 ed.) in the remaining days and do good. Having repented and doing good deeds, they will live with God; If they remain in their work, they will be handed over to those women who will take their lives.<strong>XXI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2014 The fourth mountain, on which there are many plants, green in its upper part, but dry at the roots and even withered from the heat of the sun, means believers who doubt or have the Lord on their lips, but not in their hearts. Therefore, they are dry at the base and devoid of strength, and only their words are alive, but their deeds are dead, and they themselves are neither dead nor alive. In the same way, those who doubt are neither green nor dry, that is, neither alive nor dead. As those plants withered as soon as the sun appeared, so the two-minded, having heard of persecution, through their cowardice worship idols and are ashamed of the name of their Lord; such people are neither alive nor dead; but they too can live if they repent quickly; but if they do not repent, they will be given to those women who will take their lives.<strong>XXII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fifth mountain is rocky, but overgrown with green grass, it signifies those believers who, although they believe, but learn little, are presumptuous and self-satisfied, wishing to seem to know everything, but know nothing. Because of this presumptuousness, reason has departed from them, and vain folly has entered into them. They pretend to be wise, and being foolish, they wish to be teachers. Because of this high wisdom, many of them are humiliated, for the great madness is presumptuousness and vain self-confidence. Many of them are rejected, while others, realizing their error, repented and submitted to those who have reason. But there is repentance for others like them, because they were not so much wicked as foolish and unwise. Therefore, if they repent, they will live with God; If they do not repent, they will live with women who will take pleasure in them.<strong>XXIII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sixth mountain with large and small cracks and with dry plants in them means believers. Small cracks are those who had disagreements among themselves and their faith was dulled by mutual arguments; many of them repented, and others will do the same when they hear my commandments, because their disagreements are insignificant, and they will easily be converted to repentance. Large cracks are those who are incessant in disagreements, resentful and angry; they are cast out of the tower and are unsuitable for building, and it is difficult for them to live with God. If God and our Lord, who rules over all His creation, does not hold evil against those who confess their sins, but is propitiated, then how can a mortal and full of sins be incessantly angry with another, as if he could save or destroy him? I, the angel of repentance, persuade you who have such a tendency to think twice and turn to repentance - and the Lord will heal your previous sins if you cleanse yourself from this demonic evil, but if not, you will be given over to death.<strong>XXIV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The seventh mountain, the shepherd continued his explanations, on which were plants green, blooming and abundant, so that all the cattle and birds of the air feed on them, and even after being plucked they grow even better, means believers who are always simple and good, do not fight among themselves, but always rejoice for the servants of God, filled with the spirit of virgins, merciful to every person and immediately and without hesitation share their labors with everyone. Therefore, the Lord, seeing their simplicity and kindness, helped the work of their hands and granted success in every undertaking. I, the angel of repentance, persuade you to remain in such a state of spirit, and your seed will not perish forever. The Lord has praised you and inscribed you in our number, and all your seed will live with the Son of God, because you are from His Spirit.<strong>XXV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The eighth mountain with many springs, which quenched the thirst of all God&#039;s creation, signifies the apostles and teachers who preached throughout the world and taught the word of the Lord in a holy and pure way, and did not incline to evil desires, but constantly remained in truth and righteousness, having received the Holy Spirit. Therefore they are with the angels.<strong>XXVI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The stones with spots on the ninth mountain, deserted and inhabited by snakes harmful to people, signify those deacons who performed their ministry badly, robbing the good of widows and orphans and enriching themselves from their ministry. If they remain in their vice, they are dead, and have no hope of life; but if they convert and perform their ministry blamelessly, they can live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the rough stones signify those who have denied and have not turned to the Lord, who have become wild and like the desert, who do not commune with the servants of God, but, living alone, they lose their souls. As a vine, left without any care, perishes, is choked with weeds, and in time becomes wild and useless to the owner, so these people, having fallen into despair, have become wild and become useless to their Lord. Repentance is possible for them, if they have not denied from the heart; but if anyone has done this from the heart, I do not know whether such a one can have life. I do not speak of the present days, so that the one who has denied may repent; it is impossible to obtain salvation for those who intend to deny their Lord, but repentance is given to those who have denied in the past. Whoever intends to repent, let him do it immediately, before the tower is finished. If anyone does not hurry, they will be put to death by those women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The short stones signify men of deceit and slander: they are like the serpents which thou sawest on the ninth mountain. For as the venom of a serpent is deadly to man, so the words of such men are harmful to others. They are small in their faith because of their course of action. However, some of them repented and were saved. Likewise the rest of such will obtain salvation if they repent; but if they do not repent, they will perish by the women whose power and authority they possess.<strong>XXVII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The trees on the tenth mountain, which serve as a shelter for the cattle, signify bishops and faithful hospitable people who have always received the servants of God in their homes with unpretending and hospitable hospitality; bishops who have always helped the poor and widows and have always lived blamelessly. Such people are helped by the Lord Himself: they are honored by God and have a place among the angels, if they remain in the service of the Lord to the end.<strong>XXVIII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The eleventh mountain, the trees on which are abundant with various fruits, means believers who suffered for the name of the Son of God, suffered with love and gave their souls from the sincerity of their hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I asked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Why, master, do all trees have fruit, but some have less pleasant fruit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 And I will explain this to you. Those who suffered for the name of the Lord are honored by God, and all their sins are forgiven, because they suffered for the name of the Son of God. And why do their fruits differ, and some of them are better? Those who were brought before the authorities were tortured, but they did not deny the Lord, but willingly suffered, honored by God, and their fruit is more beautiful. And some were seized with fear and confusion and pondered in their hearts whether to acknowledge God or deny it, and suffered; but their fruits are worse, because in their hearts there was a wicked thought, that a servant should deny his Master. See also what you think so, so that this thought does not take root in your hearts and you do not die for God. And those who suffer for the name of God should glorify the Lord, who has made them worthy to bear His name, because all their sins will be healed. Do you not consider yourselves more blessed than others? Do you think that you have done a great deed if one of you has suffered? But the Lord gives you life, and you do not think about it. You were burdened by your sins, and if you had not suffered for the name of the Lord, you would have died to God because of your sins. I say this to you who are thinking whether to acknowledge God or deny Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Acknowledge that you have the Lord, and without denying it, submit yourselves to chains. If all nations punish slaves for disowning their masters, what do you think the Lord, who has power over all, will do to you? Therefore, remove such thoughts from your hearts, so that you may live with God forever.<strong>XXIX<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The twelfth mountain, white, signifies the believers who are like infants, who have no malice in their hearts, who do not know what wickedness is, but who have always been in simplicity. Such people will undoubtedly live in the Kingdom of God, because they have not violated the commandments of God in any deed, but have lived in simplicity all the days of their lives. Those who remain like infants, who have no malice, will be more honored than all, of whom it was said: All infants are glorious in the Lord and are honored first in Him. Therefore, blessed are you who have put away wickedness from yourselves and put on innocence, because you will be the first to live with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the shepherd explained to me the meaning of all the mountains, I said to him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Master, now tell me about the stones that were brought from the field and placed in the tower in place of those taken out, as well as about the round stones that went into the building of the tower, and about those that still remain round.<strong>XXX<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Listen to this too. The stones that were brought from the field and placed in the tower building instead of the rejected ones are the slopes of the white mountain. Since the believers from this mountain turned out to be innocent, the owner of the tower placed them in the tower building, because he knew that, having entered the building, they would remain white and not one of them would turn black. And if he had ordered stones from other mountains to be placed in the tower building, he would have had to inspect this tower again and purify it. These white stones are the new converts who have believed and will believe, because they believe from the heart. Blessed is this generation, because it is innocent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now listen to the round, shining stones. And they are all from the white mountain. They became round because wealth had somewhat darkened them, but they did not turn away from God, and no evil word of blasphemy came out of their mouths, but always truth, virtue, and honesty. Therefore, the Lord, knowing their souls and the fact that they were born and remain good, commanded to cut off their wealth, but not to take it away completely, but so that from what remained they could do good and live with God, because they were also of good lineage. Therefore, they were hewn a little and placed in the building of the tower.<strong>XXXI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the rest of the stones, which were round and unsuitable for building, have not yet received the seal and returned to their place, because they turned out to be very round. It is necessary to cut off from them the goods of this age and the vain riches - and then they will be suitable for the Kingdom of God. They must enter the Kingdom of God, for the Lord has blessed this generation, and none of it will perish; perhaps one of them, tempted by the evil devil, will sin in something, but will quickly turn again to his Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I, the angel of repentance, count you happy who are innocent like children, because your lot is good and honorable before God. And to all who have received the seal of the Son of God, I say: be simple, do not remember offenses, do not dwell in malice, let there be no bitterness of resentment in your soul; heal and remove evil quarrels from yourselves, so that the owner of the flock may come and rejoice, finding his sheep whole. If a sheep is lost by the shepherds or the owner finds the shepherds themselves to be bad, what answer will they give him? Will they say that they are tired of the flock? They will not believe them, because the shepherd cannot suffer from the sheep; he will be punished even more for his untruth. And I, the shepherd, must give an account to the Most High for you.<strong>XXXII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, take care of yourselves while the tower is being built. The Lord dwells in people who love peace, for He Himself loves peace and is far from quarrelsome and corrupt with malice. Return to Him the spirit whole, which you have received from Him. For if you give a garment to a tailor intact, you want to receive it back intact, but if the tailor returns it to you torn, will you not take it back? Will you not be angry and quarrel with him, saying, \u00abI gave you a garment whole, and you tore it, and now it has become useless because of the holes you made in it.\u00bb Will you not complain to the tailor and long for your garment? What do you think the Lord will do to you, who gave you a pure spirit, and you have damaged it so that it cannot serve the Lord for any use? And for this the Lord will give you to death. Thus will He punish all those whom He finds to be persistent in remembering offenses. Do not despise His mercy, but rather glorify Him because He, unlike you, is so patient with your crimes. Repent, for this is beneficial for you.<strong>XXXIII<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All that is described above, I, the shepherd, the angel of repentance, have shown, in order that you may repent. I have always said and now I say to the servants of God: if you believe and obey my words, follow them and correct your ways, you will be able to be saved. But if you are stubborn in wickedness and malice, then none of such sinners will live with God, for all this I have told you in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And after these words, the shepherd asked me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Did you ask me everything?&quot; I replied that it was everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Why didn&#039;t you ask me,&quot; he said then, &quot;about the stones placed in the building, the appearance of which we corrected?&quot;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 I forgot, master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Hear also about them. These are those to whom my commandments have reached, and they have repented with a sincere heart, and the Lord, seeing that their repentance is good and pure and that they will abide in Him, commanded to atone for their former sins. Thus their sins are atoned for, so that they will not be seen later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc--25\">The tenth similarity. <em>About repentance and almsgiving<\/em><strong>\u0406<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After I wrote this book, the angel who handed me over to the shepherd came to my house and sat on a couch, and the shepherd stood at his right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An angel called me and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I have entrusted you and your home to this shepherd under his protection.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cYes, master,\u201d I confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Therefore, if you want to be protected from all evil and misfortune, to succeed in every good deed and word and in every true virtue, then follow the commandments that he gave you, and you will rule over all unrighteousness. For if you keep these commandments, all the desires and pleasures of this age will be subject to you, and success will accompany you in every good deed. Honor his dignity and holiness and tell everyone that he is in great honor and glory with God and has great power and strength.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He alone in the whole universe has been given the power of repentance. Does he not seem powerful to you? But you disregard his dignity and the power he has over you.<strong>II<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Ask him himself, master, if I have done anything wrong or offended him in any way during the time he has been in my house.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I know that you have done nothing wrong and will do nothing wrong, and that is why I am telling you this so that you may always be like this. For he has testified well about you before me. Tell others this too, so that if they have repented or intend to repent, they may feel the same way you do - and he will testify well about them before me, and I before the Lord.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cMaster,\u201d I replied, \u201cI will proclaim the great works of God to every person, and I hope that all who have sinned before, upon hearing this, will repent and receive life.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Therefore, continue to perform this service with all diligence. Whoever keeps His commandments will have life and great honor from the Lord. But whoever does not keep His commandments flees from his life, whoever does not honor Him loses his honor from the Lord. Those who despise Him and do not keep His commandments condemn themselves to death, and each of them is guilty of his own blood. I command you to keep these commandments \u2014 and you will receive forgiveness of all your sins.<strong>III<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have also sent these virgins to you to live with you, because I saw that they were very kind to you. They will become your helpers, so that you can more diligently keep the commandments, because without these virgins it is impossible to keep the commandments. I see that they are pleased to be with you, and I will order that they do not leave your house at all. Only purify your house: in a clean house they live willingly. They themselves are clean, blameless and careful, and very pleasing to the Lord. Therefore, if your house is clean, they will remain with you. But if your house is defiled in any way, they will leave it altogether, because they do not like any impurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;I hope to please them, so that they will willingly and constantly live in my house. And as the one to whom you handed me over has no complaint against me, so they will have no complaint either.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The angel said to the shepherd:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 I see that the servant of God wants to keep these commandments and place virgins in a pure dwelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having said this, he again entrusted me to the shepherd and addressed the virgins:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&quot;Since I see that you are pleased to live in this house, I am entrusting you with Ermas and his family so that you may not leave this house.&quot;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And they listened to these words with pleasure.<strong>IV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then he said to me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u2014 Courageously carry out this service and tell everyone the greatness of God \u2014 and you will have grace in your service. Whoever fulfills these commandments will live and be blessed; but whoever neglects them will not live and will be unhappy in his life. Tell everyone not to stop doing good, whoever can, because good deeds are beneficial to them. I am talking about what should free every person from trouble. He who does not have in everyday life suffers great torment and sorrow. He who rescues the soul of such a person from need will find great joy, because he who suffers such a misfortune feels suffering similar to that of a prisoner in chains. Many, unable to endure a difficult situation, commit suicide. Therefore, whoever knows about the misfortune of such a person and does not deliver him, commits a great sin and accepts guilt for his blood. Therefore, do good, as much as anyone has received from the Lord. Do not delay until the tower is finished, for it has been suspended for your sake. If you do not hurry to make amends, the tower will be finished\u2014and you will not get into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After these words, he got up from the bed and, taking the shepherd and the maidens, departed, but promised me that he would let the shepherd and the maidens return to my house.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u041a\u043d\u0438\u0433\u0430 \u0404\u0440\u043c\u0438: \u041f\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0440 \u0412\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043d\u043d\u044f \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0448\u0435 \u0412\u0438\u043a\u0440\u0438\u0442\u0442\u044f \u0404\u0440\u043c\u0438 \u0437\u0430 \u0439\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0432\u043b\u0430\u0441\u043d\u0456 \u0441\u043b\u0430\u0431\u043a\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0456 \u0442\u0430 \u043d\u0435\u0434\u0431\u0430\u0439\u043b\u0438\u0432\u0456\u0441\u0442\u044c \u0443 \u0432\u0438\u0445\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u0456 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0457\u0445 \u0434\u0456\u0442\u0435\u0439. \u0406.&hellip;","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-369","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"cs-entry"},"_hostinger_reach_plugin_has_subscription_block":false,"_hostinger_reach_plugin_is_elementor":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/manifestation.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/manifestation.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/manifestation.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manifestation.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manifestation.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=369"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/manifestation.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":370,"href":"https:\/\/manifestation.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/369\/revisions\/370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/manifestation.com.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}