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In 4 Ezra, the Son of God crowns those who confessed God's name and gives them palms. In the Shepherd of Hermas, an angel gives crowns like palm branches to the most faithful believers, a similar picture of heavenly reward.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
4 Ezra 2:45
2 Esdras
Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
42 I, Ezra, saw upon Mount Zion a great multitude, whom I could not number, and they all praised the Lord with songs. 43 In the midst of them, there was a young man of a high stature, taller than all the rest, and upon every one of their heads he set crowns, and he was more exalted than they were. I marveled greatly at this. 44 So I asked the angel, and said, “What are these, my Lord?” 45 He answered and said to me, “These are those who have put off the mortal clothing, and put on the immortal, and have confessed the name of God. Now they are crowned, and receive palms.” 46 Then I said to the angel, “Who is the young man who sets crowns on them, and gives them palms in their hands?” 47 So he answered and said to me, “He is the Son of God, whom they have confessed in the world.” Then I began to praise those who stood so valiantly for the name of the Lord.
Shepherd of Hermas 68:1
Early Christian
1 The angel of the Lord ordered crowns to be brought, which were made like palm branches; and he crowned the people who had returned the rods that had shoots and some fruit, and sent them away into the tower. 2 And he also sent the others into the tower, those who had handed in the rods that were green and had shoots, though without fruit; and he set a seal on them. 3 And all who went into the tower had the same clothing, white as snow. 4 And those who had returned their rods green as they received them, he sent away, giving them a white robe and seals.
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Notes and References
“... The last three groups mentioned in 1.16-18, namely, the majority with their green sticks, are examined and sent into the tower [...]. Here, the best are rewarded first, so that those with buds and fruit on their green branches in 1.18 receive their reward of palm crowns in v. 1, a recognizable symbol of victory, based on athletic prizes. [...] the same snow-white garments that the others also received (v. 3). The white garments, like the crowns, are recognizable signs of heavenly triumph. [...] Likewise in 4 Ezra 2.42-48, adduced by Brox as a parallel, the Christ figure is a man surrounded by other people, identified by an angel as victorious confessors. ...”
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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