A Night Vision

XIX
A Night Vision

AZARIAH received instructions in a night vision.
The Angel of the Lord told him: "Take four goats, each a yearling, for yourself, Elyas, Abis and Makri, and four pure sheep, yearlings also and an ox as a sacrifice on the east side of Zion and sheep and goats to the right and left thereof and at the west of it, which is close to the exit."
After that the entity in glowing white robes said, "And your lord, Ibna Hakim, should speak to Solomon and he must say to him, 'One thing I ask from you, O father, that I would offer up a sacrifice to the holy city Jerusalem and to my Lady Zion. And Solomon will say to him, 'Do so.' And Ibna Hakim must say to him, 'Let Zadok's son, Azariah, offer up a sacrifice on my behalf,' and he'll give you a command to offer up a sacrifice. And you must bring the Ark after you have offered up the sacrifice and I will again show you what you must do in respect to bringing it out, for this is from God; for Israel has provoked God to wrath and for this he'll make the Ark to leave."
The dream ended, but when Azariah woke up, he remembered everything the angel had said.
He went to his companions and told them of his vision and what the angel told him about Israel and how she was to be divided in the future.
"Rejoice with me," Azariah said, "because of what the angel said. So let's go to Ibna Hakim and tell him what to say to Solomon about the sacrifice in the Temple."
David II sent Benaiah to his father, Solomon, with the message: "Send me away, for I'll depart to my own country, together with everything that your goodness has given me. May your prayers accompany me always whithersoever I will go. But now there's one petition which I would make to you, peradventure I found grace with you and turn not away your face from me. For I your servant am going to depart and I wish to offer up a sacrifice of salvation for my sins in this your holy city of Jerusalem and of Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of God. And peace be with your majesty,"
After hearing the message, Solomon readied 100 bulls, 100 oxen, 10,000 sheep, 10,000 goats and 10 of every clean birds and 20 silver sahal of fine white flour and 40 baskets of bread, for the sacrifice.
Benaiah then remembered the last part of the message.
"Let Azariah offer up the sacrifice on my behalf ."
The king agreed.
Azariah then went to the Temple and mingled his own offerings just as the angel had ordered him in the dream.
Later, they went back to their houses and slept.