The Three-Headed Eagle of II Esdras 11 & 12, an Identity Interpretation
Introductory Notes



I will first quote the relevant passages from II Esdras 11, which gives the entire vision. Then, Chapter 12 gives an “interpretation,” although we must still correlate the interpretation with historical events. What is discussed hereinafter comes from two main sources: Dr. Eugene Scott and James Scott Trimm. I will refer primarily to a transcription of a lecture given by Dr. Scott, plus minimal discussion of Mr. Trimm’s viewpoint, which is similar, with the exception of the identification of the Three Heads.

For the reader’s reference, these are the online sources of their work on this subject:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/6674127/Three-Headed-Eagle

http://nazarenespace.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-three-headed-eagle-of-2nd



II Esdras 11 & 12




2 Esdras 11:1

Then saw I a dream, and, behold, there came up from the sea an eagle, which had twelve feathered wings, and three heads.


2 Esdras 11:2

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 11:3

And I beheld, and out of her feathers there grew other contrary feathers; and they became little feathers and small.


2 Esdras 11:4

But her heads were at rest: the head in the midst was greater than the other, yet rested it with the residue.


2 Esdras 11:5

Moreover I beheld, and, lo, the eagle flew with her feathers, and reigned upon earth, and over them that dwelt therein.


2 Esdras 11:6

And I saw that all things under heaven were subject unto her, and no man spake against her, no, not one creature upon earth.


2 Esdras 11:7

And I beheld, and, lo, the eagle rose upon her talons, and spake to her feathers, saying,


2 Esdras 11:8

Watch not all at once: sleep every one in his own place, and watch by course:


2 Esdras 11:9

But let the heads be preserved for the last.


2 Esdras 11:10

And I beheld, and, lo, the voice went not out of her heads, but from the midst of her body.


2 Esdras 11:11

And I numbered her contrary feathers, and, behold, there were eight of them.


2 Esdras 11:12

And I looked, and, behold, on the right side there arose one feather, and reigned over all the earth; [This is the first feather, counting from right to left. – Eli]


2 Esdras 11:13

And so it was, that when it reigned, the end of it came, and the place thereof appeared no more: so the next following stood up and reigned, and had a great time;


2 Esdras 11:14

And it happened, that when it reigned, the end of it came also, like as the first, so that it appeared no more.


2 Esdras 11:15

Then came there a voice unto it, and said,


2 Esdras 11:16

Hear thou that hast borne rule over the earth so long: this I say unto thee, before thou beginnest to appear no more,


2 Esdras 11:17

There shall none after thee attain unto thy time, neither unto the half thereof.

[This second “feather” shall reign longer than any of the other “feathers,” by twice the length of the next competitor. – Eli]


2 Esdras 11:18

Then arose the third, and reigned as the other before, and appeared no more also.


2 Esdras 11:19

So went it with all the residue one after another, as that every one reigned, and then appeared no more.


2 Esdras 11:20

Then I beheld, and, lo, in process of time the feathers that followed stood up upon the right side, that they might rule also; and some of them ruled, but within a while they appeared no more:


2 Esdras 11:21

For some of them were set up, but ruled not.


2 Esdras 11:22

After this I looked, and, behold, the twelve feathers appeared no more, nor the two little feathers:


2 Esdras 11:23

And there was no more upon the eagle's body, but three heads that rested, and six little wings.


2 Esdras 11:24

Then saw I also that two little feathers divided themselves from the six, and remained under the head that was upon the right side: for the four continued in their place.


2 Esdras 11:25

And I beheld, and, lo, the feathers that were under the wing thought to set up themselves and to have the rule.


2 Esdras 11:26

And I beheld, and, lo, there was one set up, but shortly it appeared no more.


2 Esdras 11:27

And the second was sooner away than the first.


2 Esdras 11:28

And I beheld, and, lo, the two that remained thought also in themselves to reign:


2 Esdras 11:29

And when they so thought, behold, there awaked one of the heads that were at rest, namely, it that was in the midst; for that was greater than the two other heads.


2 Esdras 11:30

And then I saw that the two other heads were joined with it.


2 Esdras 11:31

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.


2 Esdras 11:32

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 than all the wings that had been.


2 Esdras 11:33

And after this I beheld, and, lo, the head that was in the midst suddenly appeared no more, like as the wings.


2 Esdras 11:34

But there remained the two heads, which also in like sort ruled upon the earth, and over those that dwelt therein.


2 Esdras 11:35

And I beheld, and, lo, the head upon the right side devoured it that was upon the left side.


2 Esdras 11:36

Then I head a voice, which said unto me, Look before thee, and consider the thing that thou seest.


2 Esdras 11:37

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,


2 Esdras 11:38

Hear thou, I will talk with thee, and the Highest shall say unto thee,


2 Esdras 11:39

Art not thou it that remainest of the four beasts, whom I made to reign in my world, that the end of their times might come through them?


2 Esdras 11:40

And the fourth came, and overcame all the beasts that were past, and had power over the world with great fearfulness, and over the whole compass of the earth with much wicked oppression; and so long time dwelt he upon the earth with deceit.


2 Esdras 11:41

For the earth hast thou not judged with truth.


2 Esdras 11:42

For thou hast afflicted the meek, thou hast hurt the peaceable, thou hast loved liars, and destroyed the dwellings of them that brought forth fruit, and hast cast down the walls of such as did thee no harm.


2 Esdras 11:43

Therefore is thy wrongful dealing come up unto the Highest, and thy pride unto the Mighty.


2 Esdras 11:44

The Highest also hath looked upon the proud times, and, behold, they are ended, and his abominations are fulfilled.


2 Esdras 11:45

And therefore appear no more, thou eagle, nor thy horrible wings, nor thy wicked feathers nor thy malicious heads, nor thy hurtful claws, nor all thy vain body:


2 Esdras 11:46

That all the earth may be refreshed, and may return, being delivered from thy violence, and that she may hope for the judgment and mercy of him that made




II Esdras 12, The “Interpretation”




2 Esdras 12:1

And it came to pass, while the lion {The lion represents the Messiah at the Judgment Day.} spake these words unto the eagle, I saw,


2 Esdras 12:2

And, behold, the head that remained and the four wings appeared no more, and the two went unto it and set themselves up to reign, and their kingdom was small, and fill of uproar.

{Keep this verse in mind, because it is overlooked by both Dr. Scott and James Trimm.}


2 Esdras 12:3

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: then awaked I out of the trouble and trance of my mind, and from great fear, and said unto my spirit,


2 Esdras 12:4

Lo, this hast thou done unto me, in that thou searchest out the ways of the Highest.


2 Esdras 12:5

Lo, yet am I weary in my mind, and very weak in my spirit; and little strength is there in me, for the great fear wherewith I was afflicted this night.


2 Esdras 12:6

Therefore will I now beseech the Highest, that he will comfort me unto the end.


2 Esdras 12:7

And I said, Lord that bearest rule, if I have found grace before thy sight, and if I am justified with thee before many others, and if my prayer indeed be come up before thy face;


2 Esdras 12:8

Comfort me then, and shew me thy servant the interpretation and the plain difference of this fearful vision, that thou mayest perfectly comfort my soul.


2 Esdras 12:9

For thou hast judged me worthy to shew me the last times.

{This tells us that the fulfillment of this vision will take us very close to the Judgment Day.}


2 Esdras 12:10

And he said unto me, This is the interpretation of the vision:


2 Esdras 12:11

The eagle, whom thou sawest come up from the sea, is the kingdom which was seen in the vision of thy brother Daniel.

{For a good analysis of the relationship between Daniel’s vision versus Ezra’s, see this item:

http://preterism.ning.com/forum/topics/a-comparison-of-the-fourth . Essentially the ten horns of Daniel are the Ten Horns of Revelation. In both cases, these are the Ten Nation-States that formed the second half of the Sixth Beast. These ten nations or tribes were the 1. Franks, 2. Huns, 3. Vandals, 4. Visigoths, 5. Ostrogoths, 6. Alans (and Sueves), 7. Burgundians, 8. Odoacer’s Italian kingdom of several tribes, 9. Saxons, 10. Lombards. This is a reference to nations/tribes that would eventually become the Holy Roman Empire. The “Little Horn” is the Papacy, which came to rule over these ten provinces/horns. From 800 AD to about 1800, the Popes crowned Europe’s Emperors. This practiced ended with Napoleon.}


2 Esdras 12:12

But it was not expounded unto him, therefore now I declare it unto thee.

{Ezra is being given more details which were not given to Daniel.}


2 Esdras 12:13

Behold, the days will come, that there shall rise up a kingdom upon earth, and it shall be feared above all the kingdoms that were before it. {I believe this is talking about the Holy Roman Empire, from which the twelve in Verse 14 sprang.}


2 Esdras 12:14

In the same shall twelve kings reign, one after another:

{This is not necessarily talking about the whole HRE. It is merely talking about the last twelve kings, which were part of the continuing Empire.}


2 Esdras 12:15

Whereof the second shall begin to reign, and shall have more time than any of the twelve.


2 Esdras 12:16

And this do the twelve wings signify, which thou sawest.


2 Esdras 12:17

As for the voice which thou heardest speak, and that thou sawest not to go out from the heads but from the midst of the body thereof, this is the interpretation:


2 Esdras 12:18

That after the time of that kingdom there shall arise great strivings, and it shall stand in peril of failing: nevertheless it shall not then fall, but shall be restored again to his beginning.


2 Esdras 12:19

And whereas thou sawest the eight small under feathers sticking to her wings, this is the interpretation:


2 Esdras 12:20

That in him there shall arise eight kings, whose times shall be but small, and their years swift.


2 Esdras 12:21

And two of them shall perish, the middle time approaching: four shall be kept until their end begin to approach: but two shall be kept unto the end.


2 Esdras 12:22

And whereas thou sawest three heads resting, this is the interpretation:


2 Esdras 12:23

In his last days shall the most High raise up three kingdoms, and renew many things therein, and they shall have the dominion of the earth,

{These three kingdoms, together, shall rule over the earth.}


2 Esdras 12:24

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.


2 Esdras 12:25

For these are they that shall accomplish his wickedness, and that shall finish his last end.

{In other words, the succession of empires that began with Rome and its imitators will finally be brought to an end.}


2 Esdras 12:26

And whereas thou sawest that the great head appeared no more, it signifieth that one of them shall die upon his bed, and yet with pain.


2 Esdras 12:27

For the two that remain shall be slain with the sword.


2 Esdras 12:28

For the sword of the one shall devour the other: but at the last shall he fall through the sword himself.


2 Esdras 12:29

And whereas thou sawest two feathers under the wings passing over the head that is on the right side;


2 Esdras 12:30

It signifieth that these are they, whom the Highest hath kept unto their end: this is the small kingdom and full of trouble, as thou sawest.

{This small kingdom will be positively identified herein.}


2 Esdras 12:31

And the lion, whom thou sawest rising up out of the wood, and roaring, and speaking to the eagle, and rebuking her for her unrighteousness with all the words which thou hast heard;


2 Esdras 12:32

This is the anointed, which the Highest hath kept for them and for their wickedness unto the end: he shall reprove them, and shall upbraid them with their cruelty.


2 Esdras 12:33

For he shall set them before him alive in judgment, and shall rebuke them, and correct them.


2 Esdras 12:34

For the rest of my people shall he deliver with mercy, those that have been pressed upon my borders, and he shall make them joyful until the coming of the day of judgment, whereof I have spoken unto thee from the beginning.




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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJpIGj53ZLU&t=374s