The book of Ezra 3, chapters 11–12

The continuity of the prophecies in the Book of Ezra to Daniel’s prophecy that he recorded in Dan.7 is defined in 3Ezr.12:11: “the eagle that you saw coming up from the sea is the kingdom that is shown in a vision to your brother Daniel”. 
But as soon as in 3Ezr.12:12 it is said that this vision is more complete: “but it was not explained to him as I now explain to you”.
We’ll begin with it, since it is in this revelation that the features of our time can be seen most clearly.
 
The wing is the system of transferring the supreme power, hereditary or elective (legitimation of power), since the feathers are the heads of states.
The head is a state or a group of states united by common interests (the center of power).
The horn is a hierarchical pyramidal governance system (the power vertical). 
The Beast is a world empire in the form of a state, or a group of states united by a single ideology and/or kinship.

3Ezr.11:1-2 describes a dream, where Ezra sees another world empire appearing in the form of an eagle: “And I had a dream: I saw rising from the sea an eagle that had twelve feathered wings and three heads. I saw it spread its wings over the whole earth, and all the winds of heaven blew upon it, and the clouds were gathered”.
Which of the four beasts, i.e., the world kingdoms described in Daniel is Ezra talking about? This beast has “twelve feathered wings and three heads” (3Ezr.11:1), so he could only speak about the last, the fourth beast, since the first two have one head and the third one has four heads. This also becomes evident from the lines in 3Ezr.11:39: “are you not the one that remains of the four beasts that I had made to reign in my age, so that the end of my times might come through them?”
These twelve wings fully correlate with the 11 horns described in Dan.7:7-8. These horns are: the USA, Germany, Italy, Japan, France, England, China, Russia, Turkey, most likely Saudi Arabia and Israel. The last wing without its state is the European Union, which has no clear political and military structure, but has a legitimation system of power electivity. The three heads are the USA, Russia, China, and their satellites. 

Note: there is a minor mismatch between the feathers and wings in the vision described in chapter 11 and explanation of the vision in chapter 12.
3Ezr.11:1 says about 12 wings: “an eagle that had twelve feathered wings and three heads”. 
In 3Ezr.11:7 the eagle talks to the feathers, not to the wings: “rises upon its talons, and it uttered a cry to its feathers”.
3Ezr.11:11 says about 8 little feathers: “I counted its little feathers, and there were eight of them”. 
In 3Ezr.11:12, a feather rose up to reign: “one wing on the right side rose up, and it reigned over all the earth”. 
3Ezr.11:22 says about 12 feathers: “And after this the twelve feathers and the two little feathers had disappeared”.
But in chapter 12 of Ezr.12:13-16 we read about 12 feathers: “The days are coming when a kingdom shall rise on earth, and it shall be more terrifying than all the kingdoms that have been before it. And twelve kings shall reign in it, one after another. But the second that is to reign shall hold sway for a longer time than any other one of the twelve. This is the interpretation of the twelve wings that you saw”.
So, it turns out that the kings are not the feathers, but the wings. 
But in 3Ezr.12:19-20 8 little feathers are immediately mentioned: “As for your seeing eight little underwing feathers clinging to its wings, this means that eight kings shall arise in the kingdom, whose times shall be short and their years swift, and two of them shall die”.
That is, the kings here are the feathers. 
This raises the question of whether the feathers and the wings are the same thing or not. To differentiate them, we shall either assume the translator’s mistake in 3Ezr.12:16, where kings are referred to 12 wings but not the feathers, or to assume that these words “this is the interpretation of the twelve wings” refer not to wings, but to “the kingdom”. Otherwise, there could have been the translation mistake in many places. 
In this regard, the version that the eagle has 12 wings with 12 large feathers and 8 little feathers on its right wing seems more logical. 
This version can be supported by one logical discrepancy. 3Ezr.11:14 says: “while it was reigning its end came also, so that it disappeared like the first”. If these 12 feathers were 12 wings, then the eagle could not have 8 little feathers left, since3Ezr.11:1 says: “that had twelve feathered wings”. That is, it could only have the feathers on the wings.
3Ezr.11:3 describes the system of election at various government levels, as well as what seems to be the hierarchy of heads of state: “I saw that out of its feathers there grew other little feathers; and from those even smaller and shorter”.
The hierarchy of feathers seems very important for a further interpretation. 
The “feathers” are the first level. To distinguish them from the rest, we may call them the “large feathers”. In the Church Slavonic version, which contains much more details on the position of each feather, they are called “пе́рiя” (“feathers”). From 3Ezr.11:22 we can see that there are 12 of them: “And after this the twelve feathers and the two little feathers had disappeared”. 
The second level is the “little feathers” (3Ezr.11:3) – in the Church Slavonic version they are called “сопроти́вная пе́рiя”, “проти́вная пе́рiя” (3Ezr.11:11), “пе́рiйца” (3Ezr.11:22-24), “подкри́лецъ” (3Ezr.12:19). There are at least eight of them: «I counted its little feathers, and there were eight of them» (3Ezr.11:11).
The third level is the “even smaller” feathers mentioned in the Church Slavic version as “пе́рiйцадро́бные” (3Ezr.11:3), or “подкри́лiя” (3Ezr.11:253Ezr.12:29). In 3Ezr.12:29 we can read that there are two of them: “As for your seeing two little underwing feathers passing over to the head which is on the right side are these whom the Most High has kept for the kingdom’s end, that is the reign which was brief and full of tumult”.
The fourth level is the “short feathers” or «пе́рiйцама́лые» in the Church Slavonic version (3Ezr.11:3). In the book of Ezra this level is not linked to any particular persons and is probably given just to show how lower the fifth level is that the first three levels.
The fifth level is the “underwing feathers” or «подкрыля́та» in the Church Slavonic version (3Ezr.11:31). The following words prove that there are two of them: “And the head turned with those that were connected with it and devoured the two underwing feathers that were planning to reign” (3Ezr.11:31).
 
 
3Ezr.11:4 refers to the USSR as the middle head, whose size is the largest: “But its heads were at rest; the middle head was larger than the other heads, but it too was at rest with them”. 
3Ezr.11:12 indicates the heads of which state will rul the beast: “As I watched, one feather on the right side rose up, and it reigned over all the earth”. This state is located on the right, and we see that it is the USA. Then, the head on the left is automatically China.
3Ezr.11:13-20 and 3Ezr.12:14-20 describe the reigns of 20 US presidents, whose 12 reigns (large feathers) will be hard and might be decisive for the USA’s power, while 8 (small feathers) will be “easy” and “fleeting”. 
Here, we also see two essential features of these kings: 
1. The second of the “large feathers” will “reign and hold sway for a longer time than any other one of the twelve”: “The second that is to reign shall hold sway for a longer time than any other one of the twelve”.(3Ezr.12:15). 
2. Two of the eight “little feathers” will “perish”: “eight kings shall arise in the kingdom, whose times shall be short and their years swift, two of them shall perish”. (3Ezr.12:20).
Franklin Roosevelt was the only US president elected for 4 terms (1933-1945). Before him, no US president had been elected for more than 2 terms. After Roosevelt’s death in 1951, the 22ndAmendment to the US Constitution was adopted, which stated that a person can be elected the president of the USA no more than twice (whether consecutively or intermittently). Probably, it is what 3Ezr11:17 says about: “after you no one shall rule as long as you have ruled, not even half as long”.
Four US presidents were assassinated: Lincoln (1865), Garfield (1881), McKinley (1901), and Kennedy (1963). 
So, if we count 20 US presidents from Barack Obama, the first one should be William McKinley. An interesting fact about his reign is that under him the US abandoned the Monroe Doctrine, which contributed to establishing the US as a world hegemon. Two of these 20 presidents (McKinley and Kennedy) were assassinated. Thus, the reign of the 20 described presidents ends with that of Barack Obama. Otherwise, we will have to assume that one of the soonest presidents will be assassinated and that McKinley’s contribution to the rise of the USA was insignificant. 
This is confirmed by the order of Ezra’s description of the feathers. After the eagle “rises upon its talons, and it uttered a cry to its feathers” (3Ezr.11:7), Ezra first counts the little feathers (called “проти́внаяпе́рiя” the Church Slavonic version): “I counted its little feathers, and there were eight of them” (3Ezr.11:11). The following lines of 3Ezr.11:12-19describe the appearance and disappearance of the large feathers; as we know, there were 12 of them. But in 3Ezr.11:22 the prophet speaks of the disappearance of 12 large and 2 little feathers: “And after this the twelve feathers and the two little feathers had disappeared”, although he should have said about 12 large and 8 little feathers. 
So, the narrative order seems to convey that 6 little feathers should come first, followed by 12 large feathers and two little one. If so, then Franklin Roosevelt – the second large feather – should be the 8th president on the list, which corresponds to the truth.
The argument that the “missing” 6 little feathers are described further is groundless: “and nothing remained on the eagle’s body except the two heads that were at rest and six little feathers. As I kept looking I saw that two little feathers separated from the six and remained under the head that was on the right side; but four remained in their place”. (3Ezr.11:23-24). Since the parallel place of 3Ezr.12:21 speaks of them as of the four feathes: “When the middle of its time draws near, and four shall be kept for the time when its end approaches, but two shall be kept until the end”.
 
The two little feathers that came after Franklin Roosevelt are John Kennedy (1961-1963) and Gerald Ford (1974-1977). Kennedy is explicitly mentioned in 3Ezr.12:20 as a little feather: “eight kings shall arise in the kingdom, whose times shall be short and their years swift, two of them shall perish”. From the same lines we can conclude that the little feathers’ second feature will be short reign. Gerald Ford held his position as the president for 895 days only – even less than assassinated John Kennedy (1,036 days). 
В 3Ezr.12:21 provides a secondary feature of the approaching end of the kingdom (the beast): “When the middle of its time draws near, and four shall be kept for the time when its end approaches, but two shall be kept until the end”. As of January 2016, four former American presidents are alive, and together with the currently ruling Barack Obama (the 20th one, according toour interpretation of the Book of Ezra 3), there are five of them. That is, one of them will die before the catastrophe begins, and two will see the fall of the Contemporary Empire. 
3Ezr.11:25-28 and 3Ezr.12:29-30 describe the last two US presidents: “As for your seeing two little underwing feathers passing over to the head which is on the right side are these whom the Most High has kept for the kingdom’s end, that is the reign which was brief and full of tumult” (3Ezr.12:29-30). Since this time isdescribed as the “reign which was brief and full of tumult”, the end of the kingdom must come before 2025 (the end of Barack Obama’s reign is — 20.01.2017 + 8 лет). 
Moreover, 3Ezr.11:25-28 says that the first of them will leave before his term ends and the second even sooner: “Then these little feathers planned to set themselves up and hold the rule; and one was set up, but suddenly disappeared; and the following disappeared more quickly than the first”. As the following interpretations of the prophetic books show, the Contemporary Empire will fall in 2023. Thus, we can conclude that the first of the remaining presidents will rule for about 3.5 years and the second one for 2.5-3 years. Probably, this is why Ezra called them “underwings” (подкри́лiя), classifying them as the third layer of feathers to show how weak they would be.
 
The words “and one was set up, but suddenly disappeared” may refer not to a preterm abdication of power, but to the only term of the first of the two presidents. This assumption makes sense given that each of the previous three presidents (Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Barack Obama) held office for two terms. This, the second one would hold it for about 2.5 years. (Note: this paragraph was added on 06.02.2020 – just after Trump was acquitted at the impeachment process in the US Senate). 
3Ezr.11:29-35 and 3Ezr.12:22-28 describe further sequence of events in our future.
3Ezr.11:29 describes the strengthening of Russia during the reign of the last two feathers from 3Ezr.11:28: “And while they were planning, one of the heads that were at rest, the one that was in the middle, suddenly awoke, and it was greater than the other two heads”.
3Ezr.11:30-31 describes the alliance of China and the USA against Russia and the fall of its two rulers (“underwing feathers”): “And I saw how it allied the two heads with itself, and how the head turned with those that were with it and devoured the two little feathers that were planning to reign”. The fact that these underwing feathers are not the last US presidents, but the Russian rulers, is clear because they are not referred to as little or large feathers (подкри́лiя), but as underwing feathers (подкрыля́та). In the case of the US presidents, they are called large feathers (“пéрiя”, or the first level), little feathers (“пéрiйца”, or the second level) or “подкри́лiя” (the third level). We can assume that these underwing feathers are Putin and Medvedev. However, if Putin won’t be elected for another term in 2018, it could be someone else instead of Medvedev. Given the rising oil prices, Putin is highly likely to be re-elected in 2018. Thus, we can assume that Russia will fall before the end of his last possible fourth term, that is in 2024.
3Ezr.12:26 states that by the days of the end, Russia will cease to be the centre of power: “As for your seeing that the large head disappeared, its interpretation is that one of the kings shall die in his bed, but in agonies”. Most likely that agonies refer to a civil war and partial breakup, but not a war. Nor should we dismiss the possibility of Putin’s “agonizing” death, after which disturbances within Russia are inevitable. But these words are more likely to refer to the collapse of the USSR and a succession of conflicts on the post-Soviet territory, which are not resolved up to now. 
The civil war option is indirectly confirmed by the following lines from 3Ezr.12:27-28, which cast light upon the future of the US and China: “but as for the two who remained, the sword shall devour them; the sword of one shall devour him who was with him; but he also shall fall by the sword in the last days”. These words most likely refer to mutual nuclear strikes of the two countries. Since nothing is said about the “sword” in Russia’s case, Russia’s fall won’t probably result from an external war. 
It should be mentioned that 3Ezr.11:35 specifies: “and the head on the right side devour the one on the left”. That is, the USA will be the first to attack China, which is quite reasonable given the superiority of the USA and its satellites over China.
3Ezr.12:32-34 reveals the lion’s nature: “this is the wind whom the Most High has kept until the end of days against them and their wickedness, that will reprove them and will display before them their contemptuous dealings, he will bring them alive before his judgment seat, and when he has reproved them, then he will punish them; but in mercy he will save the remnant of my people, those who have been saved throughout my borders, and he will make them joyful until the end comes, the day of judgment, of which I spoke to you at the beginning”. The Synodal translation calls the wind the “Messiah”, probably referring to the king or Jesus Christ. However, it is hard to agree with this point of view, because of the words “дóндеже прiи́детъконéцъ дéнь судá” (“until the end comes, the day of judgment”), that is until the coming of Jesus Christ.
 
You can find the key to understanding this “wind” in the Lord’s words addressed to the prophet Elijah in response to his lamentation for the children of Israel and probably anticipation of the God’s judgment in3Ki.19:9-12
“At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”
He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by”. Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence, [there was the Lord]”.

“A great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains” — are “winds of heaven” Dan.7:2-3, which describes the emergence of four world empires to replace the Babylonian Kingdom, as we will shown below: “the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another”. 
“An earthquake” — is a prediction from Rev.16:18, referring to World Wars I and II: “And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a violent earthquake, such as had not occurred since people were upon the earth, so violent was that earthquake”. 
“A fire” — is probably a nuclear war between the USA and China and maybe Russia from 3Ezr.11:35: “and the head on the right side devour the one on the left”.
And “a sound of sheer silence” — is probably the same as the wind as “вѣ́тръ” from 3Ezr.12:32-34, after which the Lord will come. 
 
The words “will bring them alive before his judgment seat” (3Ezr.12:33) can be understood as revealing God’s purpose to those who believe in Jesus Christ to strengthen their faith during these hardships: “but in mercy he will save the remnant of my people, those who have been saved throughout my borders, and he will make them joyful”. 
That is, the wind may be a living testimony of the fulfilled God’s word given through his prophets, and the joy of those faithful to the commandments who anticipate the imminent coming of Jesus Christ.
The same words we can read in the prophet Micah, where the “remnant of Jacob”, which should be understood as Christians, is expressly called “a lion”: “And among the nations the remnant of Jacob, surrounded by many peoples, shall be like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, with no one to deliver”. (Mic.5:8).

In the prophet Hosea, we can also find the words confirming that Christians will once again seek Jesus Christ in the “latter days”: “The Lord said to me again, “Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley and a measure of wine. And I said to her, “You must remain as mine for many days; you shall not play the whore, you shall not have intercourse with a man, nor I with you.” For the Israelites shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the Israelites shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; they shall come in awe to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.” (Hos.3). “A woman who has a lover and is an adulteress” — refers to the pagan peoples who feel like changing their pagan faith to the Christian one. Here, Hosea appears as a foreshadow of Jesus Christ, i.e. a bridegroom. “For the Israelites shall remain many days without king or prince” means that Jesus Christ – our true king – will not appear on earth in His Glory for a long time after His Ascension. And the words “shall return and seek” in the “latter days” can be interpreted as Christians’ desire to learn the Lord’s path at the latter days.

In 3Ezr.12:1-3, we find another confirmation that the lion is not Jesus Christ: «While the lion was saying these words to the eagle, I looked and saw that the head had disappeared, which remained with four wings, that moved to it and rose up to reign, but their reign was brief and full of tumult. And I saw that they had already dissapered, and whole body of the eagle was burining, and the earth was terrified.” 
That is, after the fall of the USA and China and denunciation of the beast by the lion, another four states will try to become a world empire but will fail. What are these four wings? Of the 12 wings, the USA, Russia, and China will leave the world stage. We can hardly assume that the Middle Eastern states – Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Israel – will be able to retain power in constant warfare and without the support from the USA. Japan – China’s main geopolitical rival – has no chance of maintaining the power either. That leaves Germany, Italy, France, England, and the European Union, which have a chance of staying in power given their obviously neutral status. If the “beast that rose out of the earth” from Rev.13:11 refers to the false prophet, which is Israel and the European Union, that leaves Germany, Italy, France and England. 
Nothing is said about duration of this period but for “but their reign was brief and full of tumult.” From which we can conclude that it will not last long. 
 
 
The book of Ezra 3, chapter 13
 
Chapter 12 ends with tne order to Ezra to stay there for seven more days, after which a new vision would be shownto him: “But as for you, wait here seven days more, so that you may be shown whatever it pleases the Most High to show you. Then he left me.” (3Ezr.12:39).
After these days, Ezra had a dream about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the Final Jadgement: “After seven days I dreamed a dream in the night: and lo, a wind arose from the sea and stirred up all its waves. As I kept looking, I saw the figure of a strong man come up out with a host of heaven, and wherever he turned his face to look, everything under his gaze trembled; and whenever his voice issued from his mouth, all who heard his voice burned as wax melts when it feels the fire”. (3Ezr.13:1-4)
As will be repeatedy shown further, in the prophetic books a day refers to a year, from which we can conclude that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will happen after seven years after the eagle mentioned in 3Ezr.12 falls or the nuclear war ends. 3Ezr.13:29-32 shows that these seven years will be one endless war: “The days are coming when the Most High will deliver those who are on the earth, and bewilderment of mind shall come over those who inhabit the earth. They shall make wars against one another, city against city, place against place, people against people, and kingdom against kingdom. When these things take place and the signs occur that I showed you before, then my Son will be revealed, whom you saw as a man coming up from the sea.”
3Ezr.13:5-11 describes the fate of those people who decided to challenge Jesus Christ: “After this I looked and saw that an innumerable multitude of people were gathered together from the four winds of heaven to make war against the man who came up out of the sea. And I looked and saw that he carved out for himself a great mountain, and flew up on to it. And I tried to see the country or place from which the mountain was carved, but I could not. After this I looked and saw that all who had gathered together to defeat him were filled with fear, and yet they dared to fight. When he saw the onrush of the approaching multitude, he neither lifted his hand nor held a spear or any weapon of war; but I saw only how he sent forth from his mouth something like a stream of fire, and from his lips a flaming breath, and from his tongue he shot forth sparks and storms, and all these were mingled together: the stream of fire and the flaming breath and the great storm. And swiftly he attacked the onrushing multitude that was prepared to fight, and burned up all of them, so that nothing was seen of the innumerable multitude but only the dust of ashes and the smell of smoke. When I saw it, I was scared.”
John the Evangelist also says about these people: “When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, in order to gather them for battle; they are as numerous as the sands of the sea. They marched up over the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from heaven and consumed them. And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Rev.20:7-10).
 
3Ezr.13:33-38 explains who these people are who decided to challenge God: “And when all the nations hear his voice, each of them shall leave the war in their own lands and the warfare that they have against one another. And an innumerable multitude shall be gathered together, as if wishing to come and conquer him. But he shall stand on the top of Mount Zion. And Zion shall come and be made manifest to all people, prepared and built, as you saw the mountain carved out without hands. Then he, my Son, will reprove these nations for their ungodliness, who with their evil thoughts had advanced the storm and the torments with which they are to be tortured and which are like the flames; and He will destroy them without effort by means of the law, which is like the fire.” 
First, these are people who had the “warfare against one another”; second, they “with their evil thoughts had advanced the storm and the torments.” Thus, these people are understood as those who will take advantage of the overall chaos of a power vacuum and try to profit from it, which will undoubtedly be condemned by God and will not even be subject to the Last Judgment that follows.
These seven years are the last chance for people to fulfil the commandment to love “their neighbour” preaching about the coming of the Kingdom of God and redeeming their souls for God: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Mat.22:36-40).
For what other ransom shall we give to God for our souls? “For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.” (Mat.16:26-27).
This very advice is given in Rev.3:18, which describes the last one, contemporary Laodiceanchurch: “Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire.” As it will be shown firther, the “gold” here refers to Christians who have accepted or are just thinking of accepting Christianity, who need to be purified from the imposed lies more than ever. 3Ezr.16:74 says about the same thing “Then there will be challenge of my elect ones, as the fire challenges the gold.”
Not only will they disregard this advice but will prefer to make “warfare against one another” instead of “loving their neighbour”, thus testifying to their opposition to God.
3Ezr.13:12-24 describes the Last Judgment: 
 
“After this I saw the same man come down from the mountain and call to himself another multitude that was peaceable. Then many people came to him, some of whom were joyful and some sorrowful; some of them were bound, and some were brought – then I woke up in great terror and said: From the beginning you have shown your servant these wonders, and have deemed me worthy to have my prayer heard by you; now show me the interpretation of this dream also, for as I consider it in my mind, alas for those who were left in those days, and still more, alas for those who were not left. For those who were not left were sad. Now I understand the things that were reserved for the last days will attain them, as well as those who were left. For they shall see great dangers and much distress, as these dreams show. Yet it is better to come into these things, though incurring peril, than to pass from the world like a cloud, and not to see what will happen in the last days. He answered me and said, I will tell you the interpretation of the vision, and I will also explain to you the things that you have mentioned. As for what you said about those who were left, this is the interpretation: those who withstands the peril at that time, those will protect themselves, and those who fall into peril, are those who have works and faith toward the Almighty. Understand therefore that those who are left are more blessed than those who have died.”
 
Rev.:20:11-13 similarly describes the Last Judgment: “Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and all were judged according to what they had done.”
We should not think that the Lord praises this attribute when calling this multitude “peaceable”. Rather the opposite. Indeed, they did not fight against God, but they also did not fight for Him to deserve the first resurrection: “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.” (Rev.12:10-11). “Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.” (Rev.7:13-15)
Both Ezra and John the Evangelist similarly describe those who deserved the first salvation. Both call them “host of heaven”: “I saw the figure of a strong man come up out with a host of heaven, and wherever he turned his face to look, everything under his gaze trembled” (3Ezr.13:3), “he is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.” (Rev.19:13-14).
Needless to say, the Last Judgment will not touch them: “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him a thousand years.” (Rev.20:6).
 
Now we must understand who those “left” and “not left” are. From the words “understand therefore that those who are left are more blessed than those who have died” and “alas for those who were left in those days” we understand that those left are people who survived to see the Last Judgment. They are said to be “more blessed than those who have died”. 
By those who died, or were not left, we understand all the people who have died before the Last Judgment and haven’t deserved the “first resurrection”: “Then I saw thrones, and those seated on them were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.” (Rev.20:4-5). That is why “those who were not left were sad.” 
So, “those who are left are more blessed than those who have died” because they will not “taste death” just like those who have deserved the “first resurrection”: “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Mat.16:28).
Although “those who are left are more blessed than those who have died”, they are strongly warned: “As for what you said about those who were left, this is the interpretation: those who withstands the peril at that time, those will protect themselves, and those who fall into peril, are those who have works and faith toward the Almighty” (3Ezr.13:22-23). Jesus Christ Himself says about the same thing in the Gospel by Matthew: “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.” (Mat.16:24-27). This means that the one, who will during these seven hardest years seek salvation only for himself and his relative, will be condemned, and the one who will deny himself for the sake of God and “his neighbour” will be forgiven.
By those who have been “bound” we should probably understand people who are especially tightly “choked by their sins”: “Woe to those who are choked by their sins and overwhelmed by their iniquities! They are like a field choked with underbrush and its path overwhelmed with thorns, so that no one can pass through: it is shut off and given up to be consumed by fire” (3Ezr.16:78-79). It may happen so that our prayers only can mitigate their fate, as we can see from the words “others were brought.”