He showed me a great willow tree, overshadowing plains and mountains, and under the shelter of the willow had come all who were called in the name of the Lord.
And there stood beside the willow an angel of the Lord, glorious and very tall, holding a great pruning-hook, and he was cutting branches from the willow and giving them to the people sheltered under the willow; and the little rods he gave them were about a cubit long.
And I marveled within myself, saying, "How is it that the tree is sound, when so many branches have been cut off?" The shepherd said to me, "Do not marvel that this tree remained sound when so many branches were cut off; but when you have seen everything," he said, "it will be made clear to you what it means."
The angel who had given the rods to the people demanded them back again; and as they had received them, so also they were called to him, and each one of them returned the rods. And the angel of the Lord received them and examined them closely.
Others handed in their rods very nearly all green, but the smallest part of their rods, the very tip, was dry; and they had cracks in them; and these too stood apart.
Others came bringing their rods green just as they had received them from the angel; and the greater part of the crowd handed in such rods. And the angel rejoiced greatly over these; and these too were made to stand apart.
Others handed in their rods green and having new shoots; and their shoots had, as it were, some kind of fruit; and those people whose rods were found to be like this were exceedingly glad. And the angel exulted over these, and the shepherd was very glad over them.
And the angel of the Lord commanded crowns to be brought. And crowns were brought, made as it were of palm leaves, and he crowned the men who had handed in the rods that had new shoots and some fruit, and sent them away into the tower.
And the others also he sent into the tower, those who had handed in the green rods that had new shoots but whose shoots had no fruit, giving them seals.
After the angel had finished these things, he said to the shepherd, "I am going away; but you shall send these away to the walls, according as each is worthy to dwell. Examine their rods carefully, and so send them away; examine them carefully. See that no one slips past you," he said; "but if anyone does slip past you, I will test them at the altar." Having said these things to the shepherd, he departed.
And after the angel had departed, the shepherd said to me, "Let us take the rods of all and plant them, to see if any of them can come to life." I said to him, "Sir, these dry ones, how can they live?"
He answered me and said, "This tree is a willow, and its kind clings to life: so if they are planted and the rods receive even a little moisture, many of them will live. After that let us try also to pour water on them. If any of them is able to live, I shall rejoice with them; but if it does not live, I at least shall not be found negligent."
And the shepherd commanded me to call them, according as each of them was standing. They came in companies, company by company, and handed in their rods to the shepherd; and the shepherd received the rods and planted them by companies, and after planting them poured much water upon them, so that the rods could not be seen for the water.
And after he had watered the rods he said to me, "Let us go, and after a few days let us return and inspect all the rods; for He who created this tree wishes all those who have received branches from this tree to live. And I too hope that, having received moisture and been watered, the greater part of these little rods will live."
I said to him, "Sir, make known to me what this tree is; for I am perplexed about it, that though so many branches have been cut off the tree is sound, and nothing appears to have been cut from it: in this, then, I am perplexed."
"Listen," he said: "this great tree that overshadows plains and mountains and all the earth is the law of God given to the whole world; and this law is the Son of God, proclaimed to the ends of the earth; and the peoples under the shelter are those who have heard the proclamation and believed in Him."
"And the great and glorious angel Michael is the one who has authority over this people and governs them; for he is the one who puts the law into the hearts of those who believe; he visits them, therefore—those to whom he gave it—to see whether they have indeed kept it."
"You see the rods of each one: for the rods are the law. You see, then, many rods that have become useless; you will recognize that they are all those who have not kept the law; and you will see the dwelling-place of each one."
I said to him, "Sir, why did he send some away into the tower, but leave others to you?" "As many as transgressed the law which they received from him," he said, "he left to my authority for repentance; but as many as have already been pleasing to the law and have kept it, these he keeps under his own authority."
"Who then, sir," I said, "are those who have been crowned and are going into the tower?" "As many as wrestled against the devil and overcame him," he said, "are crowned; these are those who suffered for the law."
"And the others, those who also handed in their rods green and having new shoots but no fruit, are those who were afflicted for the law, but did not suffer and did not deny their law."
"And those who handed in their rods green just as they received them are reverent and righteous, and walked exceedingly in a pure heart and kept the commandments of the Lord. As for the rest, you will know when I have examined these rods that have been planted and watered."
And after a few days we came to the place, and the shepherd sat down in the place of the angel, and I stood beside him. And he said to me, "Gird yourself with raw flax and minister to me." I girded myself with raw flax made of clean sackcloth.
And when he saw me girded and ready to minister to him, he said, "Call the men whose rods have been planted, according to the company, as each gave in the rods." And I went away into the plain and called them all; and they all stood, company by company.
Then those who had the dry but not decayed rods gave them in; some of them gave in their rods green, but some dry and decayed as if by a moth. Those who handed in green rods he commanded to stand apart, but those who handed in dry and decayed rods he commanded to stand with the first group.
Then those who had the half-dry rods with cracks gave them in; and many of them gave them in green and without cracks; but some gave them in green and having new shoots, with fruit on the shoots, such as those who went into the tower and were crowned had. But some gave them in dry and decayed, some dry but not decayed, and some just as they were, half-dry and having cracks. He commanded each one of them to stand apart, some with their own companies, and some by themselves.
Then those who had the rods green but with cracks gave them in; all these gave them in green and stood in their own company. And the shepherd rejoiced over these, because they had all been changed and had put away their cracks.
Those also who had them half green and half dry gave them in; and so some of them were found to have their rods wholly green, some half-dry, some dry and decayed, and some green and having new shoots. All these were sent away, each to his own company.
Then those who had two parts green and the third dry handed in their rods. Many of them handed in green rods, many half-withered, and others dry and worm-eaten; all of these took their places in their own rank.
Then those who had two parts dry and the third green handed in their rods. Many of them handed in half-withered ones, some dry and worm-eaten, others half-withered and cracked, and a few green; all of these took their places in their own rank.
Then those whose rods were green but with a very small dry and cracked part handed them in; of these, some handed in green rods, and some green rods with shoots. These too went away to their own rank.
Then those who had only a very small green part, the rest of the parts being dry, handed in their rods; the rods of these were found for the most part green, having shoots and fruit on the shoots, while others were entirely green. Over these rods the shepherd rejoiced very greatly, because they were found to be such. And these went away, each to his own rank.
After the shepherd had examined all the rods, he said to me: "I told you that this tree is full of life. Do you see," he said, "how many repented and were saved?" "I see it, lord," I said. "So that you may see," he said, "the great compassion of the Lord, that it is great and glorious, and that He gave the Spirit to those who are worthy of repentance."
"Why then, lord," I said, "did not all repent?" "To those," he said, "whose heart He saw was about to become pure and to serve Him with all the heart, to these He gave repentance; but those whose deceit and wickedness He saw, who were about to repent in hypocrisy, to those He did not give repentance, lest they should again profane His name."
I said to him: "Lord, now then show me concerning those who handed in the rods, what sort each of them is, and their dwelling-place, so that when those who have believed and received the seal, and have broken it and not kept it whole, hear of it, they may recognize their own deeds and repent, receiving the seal from you, and may glorify the Lord, because He had compassion on them and sent you to renew their spirits."
"Listen," he said: "those whose rods were found dry and worm-eaten by the moth, these are the apostates and traitors of the Church, who blasphemed the Lord in their sins and were moreover ashamed of the Lord's name that was invoked upon them. These therefore perished utterly to God. And you see that not one of them repented, although they heard the words which you spoke to them, which I commanded you; from such people life has departed."
"And those who handed in dry but not rotten rods, these too are near them; for they were hypocrites, bringing in strange teachings and perverting the servants of God, especially those who had sinned, not allowing them to repent, but persuading them with their foolish teachings. These therefore have hope of repenting."
"You see that many of them have indeed repented since the time I spoke my commandments to them, and they will yet repent. But as many as do not repent have lost their life. And as many of them as repented became good, and their dwelling came to be within the first walls; some even ascended into the tower. So you see," he said, "that repentance from sins brings life, but not to repent brings death."
"Now as for those who handed in half-withered rods that also had cracks in them, hear concerning them too. Those whose rods were half-withered are the double-minded; for they neither live nor are they dead."
"But those who had half-withered rods with cracks in them, these are both double-minded and slanderers, never at peace among themselves but always in dissension. Yet to these too," he said, "repentance is offered. You see," he said, "that some of them have repented. And there is still," he said, "hope of repentance in them."
"And as many of them," he said, "as have repented will have their dwelling in the tower; but as many of them as have repented more slowly will dwell within the walls; and as many as do not repent, but remain in their deeds, will die the death."
"And those who handed in their rods green but with cracks, these were always faithful and good, yet having a certain jealousy among one another over precedence and over some glory; but all these are foolish, having jealousy among one another over precedence."
"But these too, when they heard my commandments, being good, cleansed themselves and repented quickly. Their dwelling therefore came to be in the tower; but if anyone turns back again to dissension, he will be cast out of the tower and will lose his life."
"Life belongs to all who keep the Lord's commandments; but in the commandments there is nothing about precedence or about any glory, but about a man's long-suffering and humility. In such men, therefore, is the life of the Lord; but in the contentious and lawless is death."
"And those who handed in their rods half green and half dry, these are those who are entangled in business affairs and do not cleave to the saints; for this reason half of them lives, but half is dead."
"Many therefore, when they heard my commandments, repented. As many at least as repented have their dwelling in the tower; but some of them fell away utterly. These, then, have no repentance; for on account of their business affairs they blasphemed the Lord and denied Him. They therefore lost their life because of the wickedness they did."
"But many of them became double-minded. These still have repentance, if they repent quickly, and their dwelling will be in the tower; but if they repent more slowly, they will dwell within the walls; and if they do not repent, they too have lost their life."
"Many therefore of them repented and went away to dwell in the tower; but many fell away utterly from God: these have lost their life utterly. And some of them became double-minded and fell into dissension. To these therefore there is repentance, if they repent quickly and do not remain in their pleasures; but if they remain in their deeds, these too work death for themselves."
"And those who handed in their rods two parts dry and the third green, these are those who indeed became believers, but having grown rich and become honored among the Gentiles, clothed themselves with great pride and became high-minded, and forsook the truth and did not cleave to the righteous, but lived together with the Gentiles, and this way became more pleasant to them; yet they did not fall away from God, but remained in the faith, though not working the works of faith."
"But others, living to the end together with the Gentiles and corrupted by the empty conceits of the Gentiles, fell away from God and did the deeds of the Gentiles. These were reckoned together with the Gentiles."
"And others of them became double-minded, not hoping to be saved on account of the deeds they had done; and others became double-minded and made divisions among themselves. To these therefore who became double-minded on account of their deeds there is still repentance; but their repentance ought to be swift, so that their dwelling may come to be in the tower. But for those who do not repent, but remain in their pleasures, death is near."
"And those who handed in their rods green, but with the very tips dry and having cracks, these were always good and faithful and honored before God, but sinned to a very small degree through petty desires and having small grievances against one another; yet when they heard my words, the greater part of them repented quickly, and their dwelling came to be in the tower."
"But some of them became double-minded, and some, having become double-minded, caused a greater dissension. In these therefore there is hope of repentance, because they were always good; and hardly will any of them die."
"And those who handed in their rods dry but having a very small green part, these are those who only believed but worked the works of lawlessness; yet they never fell away from God, and gladly bore the Name, and gladly received the servants of God into their houses. Having therefore heard of this repentance, they repented without wavering, and they work every virtue and righteousness."
And after he had finished the explanations of all the rods, he said to me: "Go and tell everyone to repent, and they shall live to God; for the Lord, having had compassion, sent me to give repentance to all, even though some are not worthy on account of their deeds; but the Lord, being long-suffering, wills that the calling which came about through His Son should be saved."
I said to him: "Lord, I hope that all who hear these things will repent; for I am persuaded that each one, recognizing his own deeds and fearing God, will repent."
He answered and said to me: "As many," he said, "as repent with their whole heart and cleanse themselves from their aforesaid wickednesses and add nothing more to their sins, will receive healing from the Lord for their former sins, if they do not become double-minded concerning these commandments, and they shall live to God. But as many," he said, "as add to their sins and walk in the desires of this age, will condemn themselves to death."