The Shepherd of Hermas

What is behind you you cannot see, but you see what is before you. Let go what you cannot see, and do not trouble yourself. But what you see, master that, and do not be curious about the rest, and I will explain everything to you, whatever I show you. Look then at the rest.And why ten stones were first laid for the foundation, then twenty, then thirty-five, then forty, and concerning the stones which went into the building, and were taken away again and put back in their own place. Give my soul rest concerning all these things, Sir, and let me know them.

If, said he, you are not found to be vainly zealous, you shall know all things. For after a few days we will come here, and you shall see the rest of what happens to this tower, and you will know all the parables accurately.

And after a few days we came to the place where we had sat, and he said to me: Let us go to the tower, for the master of the tower is coming to examine it. And we came to the tower, and there was nobody by it at all, except only the maidens.

And the shepherd asked the maidens if the Lord of the tower had come. And they said that he was about to come, to examine the building.

And lo, after a little time I saw an array of many men coming, and in the middle there was

And the six men, who had been in charge of the building, were walking with him on the right hand and on the left, and all who had worked at the building were with him, and there were many other glorious beings around him. And the maidens who kept the tower ran to him and kissed him, and began to walk near him round the tower.