Hermas, Shepherd, Parable 9

After I finished writing down the commands and parables of the Shepherd, the angel of repentance came to me. He said, "I want to show you everything the Holy Spirit revealed to you when he spoke with you in the form of the Church, because that Spirit is the Son of God. Since you were too weak in the flesh, the revelation did not come to you through an angel. But when the Spirit strengthened you and your power grew so that you were able to see an angel, the building of the tower was then revealed to you through the Church. You saw everything well and reverently, as if a virgin were showing it to you. Now, however, you see through an angel, though it is still by the same Spirit. You must learn everything more accurately from me, because the glorious angel gave me to you to live in your house. This was so that you could see all things powerfully, without fearing anything as you did before." Then he led me away to Arcadia, to a mountain shaped like a breast. He seated me on its summit and showed me a vast plain encircled by twelve mountains, each with a distinct appearance. The first mountain was black like soot. The second was bare, with no grass at all. The third was covered in thorns and thistles. The fourth had grass that was half-withered: the upper parts were green, but the parts near the roots were dry. Some of the grass withered completely when the sun scorched it. The fifth mountain had green grass and rough terrain. The sixth mountain was entirely split by cracks, both small and large. Grass grew in the cracks, but it was not thriving; rather, it looked withered. The seventh mountain had cheerful grass, and the whole mountain was flourishing. Every kind of animal and bird lived there, and the more they grazed, the more the grass flourished. The eighth mountain was full of springs, and every kind of the Lord's creation drank from them. The ninth mountain had no water at all and was completely desolate; it contained wild beasts and deadly serpents that destroy people. The tenth mountain had very large trees and was entirely shaded. Sheep lay resting and being sheared under the cover of the trees. The eleventh mountain was heavily wooded, and its trees were laden with fruit, adorned with various kinds, so that anyone who saw them would desire to eat from them. The twelfth mountain was completely white, with a cheerful appearance, and it was exceptionally beautiful in itself. In the middle of the plain he showed me a great white rock rising up from the ground. The rock stood higher than the mountains. It was four-sided, large enough to contain the whole world. The rock was ancient and had a gate cut into it, though the cutting of the gate looked recent to me. The gate shone brighter than the sun, and I marveled at its brilliance. Twelve virgins stood around the gate.