2ND Esdras Further Review: QUMRAN REFERENCES TO 2ND ESDRAS CONTENT

For more on 1st and 2nd Esdras, please see our extensive Torah Test published in 2nd Esdras: The Hidden Book of Prophecy With First Esdras available free in eBook at 2Esdras.org.

Just as 1st Esdras is found in so-termed “Proto” fragments in Qumran, so is 2nd Esdras being used in the prophetic interpretations by the local community there. In this case, 2nd Esdras is the only possible origin as in two fragments, Ezra’s Eagle Empire is definitively apparent. This is the Prophet Ezra’s continuation of Daniel’s fourth beast leading to the End Times and Daniel neither recognizes it as an Eagle, nor offers this detail being quoted in interpretation. 2nd Esdras is the origin.

100 B.C.: 1QpHab, Cave 1 [Vermes, 510-11]:

Their horses are swifter than leopards and fleeter than evening wolves. Their horses step forward proudly and spread their wings; they fly from afar like an eagle avid to devour. All of them come for violence; the look on their faces is like the east wind (i, 8~9a).

[Interpreted, this] concerns the Kittim who trample the earth with their horses and beasts. They come from afar, from the islands of the sea, to devour all the peoples like an eagle which cannot be satisfied, and they address [all the peoples] with anger and [wrath and fury] and indignation. For it is as He said, The look on their faces is like the east wind.

In his continuation of Daniel’s fourth beast, the Prophet Ezra defines this final Empire as one, long continuous rising of the Final Eagle Empire. There is no other passage which identifies this as an eagle including Daniel who merely refers to it as a “beast, dreadful and terrible (Dan. 7:7).” This Eagle is so well defined over 2,000 years by Ezra including smaller feathers, wings and even opposing feathers which are all still part of this same construct of governments. Then, the Eagle has three heads which sleep until the last days and rise culminating in a one-world empire. We interpret this in major detail in our full publishing of 2nd Esdras: The Hidden Book of Prophecy as well as in our 26-Week Video Teaching Series on YouTube, Rumble, Playeur, Odysee with podcast available on most major podservers. Ezra defines this Eagle Empire over Chapters 11 and 12 from the time of the Roman Empire to its continuation as the Holy Roman Empire with change noted even with matching criteria, to the time of the End including it’s doom. That is clearly what is being referenced here and in the next fragment, even more so.

2 Esdras 11:1-2 KJVA

Then I saw a dream, and behold, there came up from the Sea an Eagle, which had twelve feathered wings, and three heads. And I saw, and behold, she spread her wings over all the earth, and all the winds of the air blew on her, and were gathered together.

2 Esdras 12:3 KJVA

And I saw, and behold, they appeared no more, and the whole body of the Eagle was burnt, so that the earth was in great fear:

2 Esdras 12:24 KJVA

And of those that dwell therein with much oppression, above all those that were before them: therefore are they called the heads of the Eagle

In a far more substantial match to 2nd Esdras 11-13, we see direct confirmation of the role of the exiled Temple Priests in Qumran/Bethabara as those preparing the way in the wilderness for the coming Messiah. We find a prophecy of their leader, John the Baptist, as a son of Zadok blessing Yahusha, known throughout the Qumran Scrolls as the Prince of the Congregation. This occurred in Bethabara which is Qumran (see Introduction). This is definitive with multiple markers that fit.

The Blessing of the Prince of the Congregation (1QSb, 100 B.C.) [56]

“The Master (John the Baptist) shall bless the Prince of the Congregation (Yahusha) . . . and shall renew for him the Covenant of the Community that he may establish the kingdom of His people for ever, [that he may judge the poor with righteousness and] dispense justice with {equity to the oppressed} of the land, and that he may walk perfectly before Him in all the ways [of truth], and that he may establish His holy Covenant at the time of the affliction of those who seek God. May the Lord raise you up to everlasting heights, and as a fortified tower upon a high wall! [May you smite the peoples] with the might of your hand and ravage the earth with your sceptre; may you bring death to the ungodly with the breath of your lips! [May He shed upon you the spirit of counsel] and everlasting might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of God; may righteousness be the girdle [of your loins] and may your reins be girdled [with faithfulness]! May He make your horns of iron and your hooves of bronze; may you toss like a young bull [and trample the peoples] like the mire of the streets! For God has established you as the sceptre. The rulers ... [and all the kings of the] nations shall serve you. He shall strengthen you with His holy Name and you shall be as a [lion; and you shall not lie down until you have devoured the] prey which naught shall deliver” – Calendars, Liturgies and Prayers, p. 389-390.

John the Baptist, the son of Zadok through his mother’s bloodline, and priestly line of Abiyah through his father’s (Luke 1:5), lived and operated in Bethabara (see Introduction) as a leader or master. He baptized Messiah in the place where Yahusha launched His ministry in Bethabara, not in the Jerusalem Temple (Jn. 1:28-36). Only Messiah fits this Prince of the Congregation as he is judge of all (2Esd. 12:33, 8:18, 7:33, 7:44, 7:69, 8:18, 13:37, 11:46). He has a kingdom established forever (2Esd. 9:1-8) and He established His covenant which fits no prophet (2Esd. 13:38). Yahusha is the Scepter in prophecy (Gn. 49:10, Nm. 24:17, Hb. 1:18) who smites the ungodly peoples in the end (2Esd. 9:9-13) and all kings will only serve Messiah and no one else (Psalm 72:11, Is. 45:2225, Phil. 2:10, Rom. 14:11). Literally, He came in the name of Yahuah (Yahusha, Jn. 5:43) and no one can deliver those whom He judges and condemns to Hell (2Esd. 7:45, 13:38). Only Yahusha brings death spiritually and in finality to the ungodly (2Esd. 13:11, 49) and with His breath, or as 2nd Esdras is being represented there, with fire from His mouth (2Esd. 13:4, 10, 27, 38). Remember, Revelation is not written yet. This is quoting 2nd Esdras in large part with a clear understanding of prophecy in general. Even the Lion Messiah is mentioned prominently in 2nd Esdras (2Esd. 11:37, 12:31-32).

This is overwhelmingly 2nd Esdras content in whole being used by the Temple Priests to interpret prophecy. One of the most telling is the manner in which Yahusha consumes the wicked on the Day of Judgment which is very specific to 2nd Esdras though the whole passage coalesces with 2nd Esdras.

2 Esdras 13:9-11 KJVA

And lo, as he saw the violence of the multitude that came, he neither lift up his hand, nor held sword, nor any instrument of war. But only I saw that he sent out of his mouth, as it had been a blast of fire, and out of his lips a flaming breath, and out of his tongue he cast out sparks and tempests, And they were all mixed together; the blast of fire, the flaming breath, and the great tempest, and fell with violence upon the multitude, which was prepared to fight, and burnt them up every one, so that upon a sudden, of an innumerable multitude, nothing was to be perceived, but only dust and smell of smoke: when I saw this, I was afraid.

2 Esdras 13:38 KJVA

And shall lay before them their evil thoughts, and the torments wherewith they shall begin to be tormented, which are like unto a flame: and he shall destroy them without labor, by the law which is like unto fire

Though Yahusha is certainly denoted as the Lion of Judah or Yahudah in scripture. This prophecy of the Eagle includes the lion Messiah who comes out of the woods to condemn this terrible beast in the end. A perfect contextual match.

2

Esdras 11:37 KJVA

And I beheld, and lo, as it were a roaring Lion, chased out of the wood: and I saw that he sent out a man’s voice unto the Eagle, and said, Hear you, I will talk with you, and the Highest shall say unto you, Are you not it that remains of the four beasts, whom I made to reign in my world, that the end of their times might come through them?

This Eagle Empire continues to the very Day of Judgment in what will be a one world empire of sort as much prophecy affirms. This is the same Eagle consumed by the lion Messiah in the end.

2

Esdras 11:31-32 KJVA

And behold, the head was turned with them that were with it, and did eat up the two feathers under the wing that would have reigned. But this head put the whole earth in fear, and bare rule in it over all those that dwelt upon the earth, with much oppression, and it had the governance of the world more then all the wings that had been.

There is no doubt both of these fragments align with the content of 2nd Esdras 11-13 and nothing else could coalesce as perfectly. 2nd Esdras was indeed quoted and used in written interpretation around 100 B.C. in the Qumran community. This means it was written before that and used as inspired scripture in Qumran whether we have direct fragments or not. These are very direct interpretations using the Book of 2nd Esdras period. We also know historically, there was a practice among the very early church that included 2nd Esdras as the same book as 1st Esdras.

“Origen, in his Commentary on Ps. i, gives the second list that we know of, which belongs to a time not later than A.D. 231 ; he reckons as belonging to the Canon the twenty-two books of the Hebrew Old Testament But, strange to say, Origen includes in his list the First Book of Esdras (he treats 1, 2 Esdras as one book) and the Epistle of Jeremiah, neither of which had ever been regarded as canonical by the Jews. Origen’s list is adopted by Athanasius, Cyril, and Epiphanius, as well as in the Laodicean Canon, in each case with the addition of Baruch. Furthermore, as Dr. Swete goes on to say {op. cit., p. 222), ‘Amphilochius mentions two books of Esdras, and it is at least possible that the Esdras of Gregory of Nazianzus is intended to include both books, and that the Epistle, or Baruch and the Epistle, are to be understood as forming part of Jeremiah in the lists both of Gregory and Amphilochius.’ The point of importance which these facts reveal is that ‘an expansion of the Hebrew Canon, which involved no addition to the number of the books, was predominant in the East during the fourth century.’”

[81, Charles, p. 298] [91]

Scholars noting that some quote or kept 1st Esdras but not 2nd Esdras because they do not break it out in the ancient mindset, do not represent the ancients and do not understand the pattern associated with how they kept scripture. This also included the Book of Jeremiah which incorporated Baruch and Letter of Jeremiah (Baruch 6) as addendums as well as the Book of Daniel which attached Susanna as Chapter 13, Bel & The Dragon as Chapter 14, and Prayer of Azaryah inserted after 3:23 historically. Those scholars ignoring such are not Bible scholars especially in light of the Qumran scrolls they have marginalized and ignored in illiteracy. 1st and 2nd Esdras were used in 100 B.C. in Qumran. That makes them inspired Bible Canon and we further prove this in 2nd Esdras: The Hidden Book of Prophecy With 1st Esdras available free in eBook at 2Esdras.org.

Illustration of the three-headed eagle from Ezra’s vision of Daniel’s fourth beast. Head-piece to second book of Esdras, vignette with three headed eagle flying above a wave; letterpress in two columns below and on verso. 1812, published 1815. Inscriptions: Lettered below image with production detail: “J Landseer fecit/Crouch end 1812”, “P J de Loutherbourg delt”, and publication line: “Published 3 July 1815 Mess Cadell & Davies”. Print made by John Landseer. Dimensions: height: 490 millimetres (sheet); width: 393 millimetres (sheet). Public Domain.