Vision 5

While I was praying in the house and sitting on the couch, a man entered whose appearance was glorious. He was dressed like a shepherd, wrapped in a white goatskin, with a bag on his shoulders and a staff in his hand. He greeted me, and I greeted him in return. He immediately sat beside me and said, “I was sent by the most venerable angel to live with you for the remaining days of your life.” I thought he had come to test me, and I said to him, “Who are you? I know the one to whom I was entrusted.” He said to me, “Do you not recognize me?” “No,” I said. “I,” he said, “am the shepherd to whom you were entrusted.” While he was still speaking, his appearance changed, and I recognized him as the one to whom I had been entrusted. Immediately I became confused, fear seized me, and I was completely overcome with sorrow because I had answered him so wickedly and foolishly. But he answered me, “Do not be confused. Instead, grow strong in my commandments, which I am about to command you. For I was sent,” he said, “to show you again everything you saw before—the main points that are beneficial to you. First of all, write down my commandments and parables. You will write the other things as I show them to you. This is why,” he said, “I command you to write the commandments and parables first: so that you may have them at hand to read and may be able to keep them.” So I wrote down the commandments and parables as he commanded me. If, then, after hearing them you keep them, walk in them, and do them with a pure heart, you will receive from the Lord everything He promised you. But if, after hearing them, you do not repent and instead continue adding to your sins, you will receive the opposite from the Lord. The shepherd, the angel of repentance, commanded me to write all these things in this way.