The verse "And he said to me, These things came I to show you this night" from 2 Esdras 6:30 is part of a larger conversation between the prophet Ezra (Esdras) and the angel Uriel. The angel is revealing divine secrets to Ezra concerning the end times, the nature of the world, and the struggles of the righteous.
Here's a breakdown of its meaning:
"And he said to me": This refers to the angel Uriel addressing Ezra. Uriel is acting as a messenger from God, a divine revealer of mysteries.
"These things": This phrase encompasses the series of visions, revelations, and explanations Uriel has been providing to Ezra leading up to this point in the text. It refers to the information about the order of creation, the sins of humanity, the coming judgment, the role of Israel, and the nature of the Messianic age.
"Came I to show you": This highlights Uriel's purpose in this interaction. He was specifically sent by God to enlighten Ezra and, through Ezra, to impart this knowledge to others (or at least to preserve it for later generations).
"This night": This emphasizes the immediacy and importance of the revelation. The information is being delivered in a focused, concentrated period of time, suggesting a sense of urgency. It could also imply a special, divinely ordained opportunity for understanding.
In Essence:
The verse signifies that the angel Uriel's presence and explanations are not random. He has been divinely appointed to unveil specific and significant secrets about the end times and the workings of God's plan to Ezra during this particular night.
Context and Significance:
The book of 2 Esdras (also known as 4 Ezra in some traditions) is an apocalyptic text wrestling with profound questions about suffering, justice, and God's plan in a world filled with evil. This verse is pivotal because it assures Ezra (and the reader) that the difficult questions he is grappling with are being addressed by divine revelation. This verse and the dialogue in the entire book are trying to make sense of the destruction of the temple and the exile.
The book is considered apocryphal by most Protestants and is included in the Old Testament of the Latin Vulgate and the Slavonic Bible.
The verse "And he said to me, These things came I to show you this night" from 2 Esdras 6:30 is part of a larger conversation between the prophet Ezra (Esdras) and the angel Uriel. The angel is revealing divine secrets to Ezra concerning the end times, the nature of the world, and the struggles of the righteous.
Here's a breakdown of its meaning:
"And he said to me": This refers to the angel Uriel addressing Ezra. Uriel is acting as a messenger from God, a divine revealer of mysteries.
"These things": This phrase encompasses the series of visions, revelations, and explanations Uriel has been providing to Ezra leading up to this point in the text. It refers to the information about the order of creation, the sins of humanity, the coming judgment, the role of Israel, and the nature of the Messianic age.
"Came I to show you": This highlights Uriel's purpose in this interaction. He was specifically sent by God to enlighten Ezra and, through Ezra, to impart this knowledge to others (or at least to preserve it for later generations).
"This night": This emphasizes the immediacy and importance of the revelation. The information is being delivered in a focused, concentrated period of time, suggesting a sense of urgency. It could also imply a special, divinely ordained opportunity for understanding.
In Essence:
The verse signifies that the angel Uriel's presence and explanations are not random. He has been divinely appointed to unveil specific and significant secrets about the end times and the workings of God's plan to Ezra during this particular night.
Context and Significance:
The book of 2 Esdras (also known as 4 Ezra in some traditions) is an apocalyptic text wrestling with profound questions about suffering, justice, and God's plan in a world filled with evil. This verse is pivotal because it assures Ezra (and the reader) that the difficult questions he is grappling with are being addressed by divine revelation. This verse and the dialogue in the entire book are trying to make sense of the destruction of the temple and the exile.
The book is considered apocryphal by most Protestants and is included in the Old Testament of the Latin Vulgate and the Slavonic Bible.
