.
The Era of Peace
"Then I saw an angel
come down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a heavy
chain. He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, which is the Devil or Satan,
and tied it up for a thousand years and threw it into the abyss, which he
locked over it and sealed, so that it could no longer lead the nations astray
until the thousand years are completed. After this, it is to be released for a
short time.
Then I saw thrones; those
who sat on them were entrusted with judgment. I also saw the souls of those who
had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, and who
had not worshiped the beast or its image nor had accepted its mark on their
foreheads or hands. They came to life and they reigned with Christ for a thousand
years. The rest of
the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over. This is the first
resurrection.
Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection. The second
death has no power over these; they will be priests of God and of Christ, and
they will reign with him for (the) thousand years." (Rv
20:1-6)
The first resurrection and
thousand year reign of Christ in the citation above has been called the Era of
Peace. Certain of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church have written
extensively on it. In 1917, it was predicted by Our Lady of Fatima to follow
the triumph of her Immaculate Heart. Recently, Heaven has provided additional
information about it through certain contemporary prophets, most notably
through Fr. Stefano Gobbi. Through Fr. Gobbi, Our Lady has deciphered certain passages of
the books of Daniel and Revelation.
The Fathers of the Church
teach that just as the earth was created by God in six days, and on the seventh
day He rested; man's presence on earth will last six thousand years, and the
seven thousandth year will represent the Era of Peace. At the end of the six
thousand years, Jesus will return a second time to cleanse the earth of evil
and the results of the era of Satan. Jesus will restore the earth to a pristine
state similar to that of the Garden of Eden. Why? Because that is what God
planned, and God will not be up-staged by mankind.
Through a number of contemporary
prophets, such as Fr. Gobbi, Heaven has informed us that at this time, Jesus
will not return in the flesh, but He will
return in spirit. He will not
reign in the flesh, but He will reign in the Holy Eucharist.
Certain of the Fathers
further state that the sun will shine continuously. Time as we know it will be
suspended. The Era of Peace will not
last exactly one thousand years. Time will be suspended (i.e. the "end of
time") hence it can not be measured. One thousand years was used in
Revelation 20 symbolically or metaphorically to convey the thought of a long
period.
At the end of the Era of
Peace, Satan will be loosed upon the world for a short period. Jesus will then
return a third time, and Satan will be confined in Hell for eternity. The
second resurrection and the Last Judgement are to follow.
The Millennium vs.
Millenarianism
Excerpts from "In
Defense of the Orthodoxy of The Marian Movement of
Priests, Our Lady's Messages and Fr. Gobbi" by Rev. Albert G. Roux,
U.S. National Director of the Marian Movement of Priests: (1)
The
Millennium
(also known as the temporal or millenary kingdom) will be established by Jesus
when He comes in glory in His spirit. Jesus will not be present in the flesh,
but will reign in our will and, in a most powerful way, by means of the Eucharist.
The duration of this kingdom cannot be interpreted as a literal 1000 years.
The doctrine of the
Millennium - an "age to come", an "era" of peace or
"some mighty triumph of Christianity before the end" - has been
accepted as sound doctrine.
Millenarianism (Latin, mille, 1000) is the condemned
position that Jesus Christ would come down to earth in the flesh (in His
glorified body) and reign as an earthly king with His saints for a literal one
thousand years before the end of time. Various offshoots of this heretical and
excessively literal interpretation of Revelation 20 also manifested itself in
the early Church, e.g. "carnal millenarianism", the added
Jewish-Christian error of carnal pleasures and excesses as part of the thousand
year reign; and "mitigated or spiritual millenarianism", which in
general retained the literal thousand year reign of Christ visibly in the
flesh, but rejected the aspect of immoderate carnal pleasures.
Any form of belief that
Jesus Christ will return in His resurrected body to the earth and rule visibly
on earth for a literal one thousand years (millenarianism) has been condemned
by the Church and must be categorically rejected. This anathema does not
include, however, the strong Patristic belief held by many Church Fathers and
Doctors of a "spiritual", "temporal", "second"
(but not final) or "middle" coming of Christ to take place before the
end of the world.
Church Fathers on the "Intermediate Coming" and "the
Millennium"
This coming of Christ in
the Spirit upon the earth for a significant period or "age" has been
taught in different degrees and expressions by the Church Fathers, among them Papias, St. Justin martyr, St. Irenaeus, Tertullian, St.
Hippolytus, Lactantius, St. Bernard of Clarivaux, St.
Augustine and others..
St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor:
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, in his "Sermo 5, Adventu Domini" clearly speaks of another coming of
Christ which he places between the first in the flesh (Christmas) and the final
coming in glory for the Last Judgment. He calls this middle coming the
"Intermediate Coming".
"We
know that there are three comings of the Lord. The third lies between the other two.
It is invisible, while the other two are visible. In the first coming, He was
seen on earth, dwelling among men…In the final coming, "all flesh will see
the salvation of our God, and they will look upon Him whom they have
pierced." The intermediate coming is a hidden one; in it only the elect will
see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved. In His first coming, our Lord came in
the flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming, He is our rest and
consolation. In case someone should think that this middle coming is sheer
invention, listen to what our Lord himself says: "If anyone loves me, he
will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We
will come to him."
.
St. Justin Martyr, Church Father:
"…St. Justin mentions
an era of peace when quoting the prophet Isaiah:
"For
Isaiah spake thus concerning this space of a thousand
years: "For behold, I create
new heavens and a new earth; and
the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and
rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold I create Jerusalem a
rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in My people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but
a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the child shall
die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and
inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not
build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the
days of My people be, and My chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be
the offspring of the blessed of the LORD and their children with them. Before
they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and
the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust
shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, says the LORD." (Is 65:17-25) (St. Justin
Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Chapters LXXXI)
Father Roux continues:
Does it seem rational that
our unceasing prayer would be: "Maranatha! Come,
Lord Jesus!" if all that we had to look forward to was the final judgment?
No - we are full of hope because we are anticipating a renewed kingdom of
holiness, of justice, of love and of peace.
.
Fr. Gobbi's Teaching on this
"Intermediate" or "Second" Coming:
Our Lady's message to Fr.
Gobbi #435 b-f - I Reveal My Secret - Anniversary of the Last Apparition
of Fatima, October 13, 1990:
"Today I announce to
you that there is about to be born the new Church of light, which my son Jesus
is forming for Himself in every part of the earth, so that it will be ready to
receive Him, with faith and with joy, in the proximate moment of His second
coming. The
glorious reign of Christ, which will be established in your midst, with the
second coming of Jesus in the world, is close at hand. This is His return in glory. This is
His glorious return, to establish His reign in your midst and to bring all
humanity, redeemed by His most precious blood, back to the state of His
new terrestrial paradise.
That which is being
prepared is so great that its equal has never existed since the creation of the
world. Prepare yourselves with humility, with faith, with intense prayer.
Prepare yourselves by gathering together, each and all, in the spiritual
cenacle of my Immaculate heart. Prepare yourselves in
silence and in expectation.
I reveal my secret only to
the hearts of the little, the simple and the poor, because it is being accepted
and believed by them. For this, Jesus is working powerfully in these times, to
prepare His coming in the lives of the simple, the poor, the pure, the little.
With a small number of
these children, the Lord will soon restore on earth His glorious reign of love, of
holiness and of peace."
In a talk which Fr. Gobbi
gave at a 1996 international clergy retreat, he shares his own understanding of
this second (intermediate) coming of Jesus:
"Traditionally, we
have always identified the return of Christ in glory with the
"Parousia", when He will come as Judge, since there has never been
any in-depth theological study on this topic. This is also the case for other
truths which are believed, but about which no in-depth studies have ever been
made. Of late, these messages which refer to Christ returning in glory to this
world have given rise to a more serious theological study on this subject.
…Sacred
Scripture and the Fathers of the Church speak clearly of a glorious coming of
the reign of Christ into this world, apart from the one at the end as Judge! …
Brother priests, I think
then, that on this theme as well we are in full accord with Sacred Scripture
and with the teaching of the Church. We must indeed open ourselves to this new
perspective. I was told that the following question was addressed to the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: "Is the return of Christ in
glory to be interpreted as his return for the Last Judgment, or rather on this
earth?" The answer was as
follows: "the Church has never taken an official stand on this subject,
therefore one can interpret either way.".
.
One Thousand Years - Literal or Symbolic?
St. Justin Martyr says:
"Now…we understand
that a period of one thousand years is indicated in symbolic language." (St. Justin Martyr,
Dialogue with Trypho)
.
What will this "Return of Christ" consist of?
In the following passages,
Fr. Gobbi explains that the Coming of Jesus will coincide with the union of
several elements:
"…Brothers, let us
try to understand: what does "return" mean? Christ is in heaven; He
is returning because, in His human nature, He has already come. He is returning
in a relative sense, since, with His divinity, Jesus is already present in the
Eucharist. He is returning insofar as He will manifest Himself to this world in
a glorious way and will bring His Kingdom to this world. Therefore, His Coming
will coincide with the union of several elements:
1. At last, the prayer of
the "Our Father" which Jesus taught us will be fulfilled; it will
have its perfect completion. The Divine Will will be
fulfilled in a perfect way by all creatures, thus bringing forth the Kingdom of
the Divine Will upon this earth…
…"Your
Kingdom come, Your Kingdom come…" that at the end, this Kingdom of
Christ will not come? It will come!… for the perfect
glorification of the Father."
2. It will coincide with
the Second Pentecost…
"The second (Pentecost) will take place on a worldwide scale; it will
descend upon the whole world, not only on the cenacle! it will transform the
hearts and the souls of all, and all will sing joyfully to the Lord, so much
so, that perhaps the angels of heaven will ask themselves: "Are they drunk
at nine in the morning?"
Excerpt of Our Lady's
message to Fr. Gobbi #546g entitled, Tongues of
Fire - June 4, 1995:
"…Tongues of fire
will come down upon you all, my poor children, so ensnared and seduced by Satan
and by all the evil spirits ;who, during these years,
have attained their greatest triumph. And thus, you will be illuminated by this
divine light, and you will see your own selves in the mirror of the truth and
the holiness of God. It will be like a judgment in miniature, which will open the door of your
heart to receive the great gift of divine mercy…"
(Fr. Roux: Jesus will
reign in His spirit in hearts, souls and wills. He will transform and sanctify
all things by means of His Holy Spirit.)
3. It will be
the greatest miracle of the divine mercy - the triumph of Jesus' merciful love -
which will open the world to a new era, a new civilization, to finally know at
last the civilization of love.
"And then the Holy
Spirit will work the new miracle of universal transformation in the heart and
the life of all: sinners will be converted; the weak will find support; the
sick will receive healing; those far away will return to the house of the
Father; those separated and divided will attain full unity.
In this way, the miracle
of the Second Pentecost will take place. It will come with the triumph of my
Immaculate Heart in the world…" (546 hi)
(…)
And so you understand now,
how once all have returned to salvation, they will breathe the air of the
Kingdom of God in our midst, and it will be a kingdom of holiness and of
justice, of purity, of love, of joy and of peace. Then, once the influence of
him who is a murderer by definition is removed - the one who, opposing God,
brings hatred, egoism, division, violence, war into the world - then once his
power is destroyed, with God being among us, a new civilization will finally
flourish: the civilization of the children of God who live in His kingdom - the
new civilization of love."
4. But, above all, the triumph
of the Immaculate Heart and the return of Christ in glory will coincide with
the advent of the Eucharistic Reign of Christ."
"…He will manifest
Himself in all His power; we will see Him beyond the species; we will feel Him
because He will work within us most powerfully as God, because in the Eucharist
Jesus is present with the fullness of His divinity in our midst!…Finally, after
so many years of division, and after so many (almost useless) efforts of
ecumenism, the unity of the Church will be achieved and we will truly have the
Eucharistic Reign of Christ within us.
Therefore, I would almost
like to say: Jesus who returns and manifests Himself in glory unites with Jesus
who is present in the Eucharist (Emphasis mine). … Christ will obtain His
greatest victory and His greatest triumph only when He brings His Kingdom into
this world and the adversary is defeated." (Cf. The Triumph, The Second Coming and The Eucharistic Reign, by
Fr. Gobbi)
Fr. Roux
continues: Now, then do the above excerpts from Fr. Gobbi's
talk sound like the doctrine of mitigated Millenarianism which teaches that
Jesus will come down to earth to reign in the flesh
with His saints for literally one thousand years? NOT AT ALL!
…He is not
speaking of a second coming where Jesus would come in His glorified body and
remain on earth for 1,000 years. The expression, "Second coming" used
by Fr. Gobbi is the equivalent of the "middle" or
"intermediate" coming spoken of by the Fathers of the Church, and not
the final coming for the Last Judgment…
The prayer of the
"Our Father" taught us by Jesus will finally be fulfilled…
The passages which
we have quoted from Fr. Gobbi's talk (the Triumph,
the Second coming and the Eucharistic Reign - 1996) are definitely not a
description of mitigated millenarianism, but rather of the
"Millennium" as taught by Our Lady in the messages, as found in Scripture
and the writings of the Church Fathers, and as taught by the Magisterium of the
Church.
It is important to note
that the Magisterium has not yet made a definitive pronouncement about the
"millennium" or "temporal kingdom.".
Especially significant are
the words of Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith, in this regard. Theologian Martino Penasa,
presented him with this question of Christ's spiritual millenary reign (not
millenarianism), and the Cardinal reassured him that the matter is still open
to discussion and that "the Holy See has not yet made any definite pronouncement
in this regard."
End of Fr. Roux's writing.
The Seven Days of Creation
"Thus the heavens and
the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God
finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all
his work which he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it,
because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation."
(Gn 21-3)
As mentioned above certain
of the Fathers taught that as the world was created in six days, and on the
seventh day God rested; similarly, the world as we know it will last six
thousand years to be followed by the Era of Peace i.e. the "seven
thousandth year". As the basis for this teaching they cite Genesis,
Catholic Tradition, Ps 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 which reads:
"But do not ignore this one fact,
beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand
years as one day." (2 Pt 3:8)
Using the dates and ages
of people provided in the Bible it can be proven that Adam was created about
6,000 years ago. Consider that the first approximate 2,000 years up until
Abraham represented man’s direct interaction with Our Heavenly Father. The next
2,000 years represented man’s awaiting the Messiah and man’s direct interaction
with Jesus. The next 2,000 years represent man’s direct interaction with the
Holy Spirit from Pentecost until the end of time (e.g. charisms).
The final period is the
Era of Peace, which corresponds to the day of Sabbath or rest taken by the
Father in creation. Furthermore, the Era of Peace is an antitype of the Garden
of Eden, and as such will be far superior to Eden. (2)
As we said before, 'You
do the math'.
.
St. Irenaeus
"For in as many days
as this world was made, in so many thousand years shall it be concluded. And for this reason the Scripture says:
"Thus the heaven and the earth were finished, and all their adornment. And
God brought to a conclusion upon the sixth day the works that He had made; and
God rested upon the seventh day from all His works." This is an account of
the things formerly created, as also it is a prophecy of what is to come. For
the day of the Lord is as a thousand years; and in six days created things were
completed: it is evident, therefore, that they will come to an end at the
sixth thousand year."
(Cf.
Adversus haereses, Book V,
Chap. XXVIII)
.
Lactantius
"God completed the world
and this admirable work of nature in the space of six days, as is contained in
the secrets of Holy Scripture, and consecrated the seventh day, on which He had
rested from His works. But this is the Sabbath-day, which in the language of
the Hebrews received its name from the number, whence the seventh is the
legitimate and complete number. For there are seven days, by the revolutions of
which in order the circles of years are made up; and there are seven stars
which do not set, and seven luminaries which are called planets, whose
differing and unequal movements are believed to cause the varieties of
circumstances and times.
Therefore, since all the
works of God were completed in six days, the world must continue in its present
state through six ages, that is, six thousand years. For the great day of God
is limited by a circle of a thousand years, as the prophet shows, who says
"In Thy sight, O Lord, a thousand years are as one day." And as God laboured during those six days in creating such great
works, so His religion and truth must labour during
these six thousand years, while wickedness prevails and bears rule. And again,
since God, having finished His works, rested the seventh day and blessed it, at
the end of the six thousandth year all wickedness must be abolished from the
earth, and
righteousness reign for a thousand years; and there must be tranquillity
and rest from the labours which the world now has
long endured. " (Lactantius, Divine Institutes, Book VII Of a
Happy Life - Ch 14)
Additional Citations From Holy Scripture in Respect of the Era of Peace
"Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and
said, "To
your descendants I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the
LORD, who had appeared to him." (Gn 12:7)
To the chief priests and
Pharisees, Jesus said: "Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken
away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit." (Mt 21:43)
"But
Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit. And behold, the
veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split,
tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were
raised." (Mt
27:50-52)
St. Peter said: "You are the sons
of the prophets and of the covenant which God gave to your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And
in your posterity shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'" ……. (Acts 3:25)
In his letter to the
Galatians, St. Paul stated: Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of the promise. (Gal 4:28) (n.b. As St. Irenaeus discusses at length below, the
Promised Land that was promised to the children of Abraham, has never
been realized.
Additionally, it is noteworthy that the Church teaches that it is the New
Israel - CCC 877 (3) ,1Pe 2:9-10, Gal 4:28-31,
Gal 6:14-16 and Mat 21:43)
"Thy dead
shall live, their bodies shall rise. O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For thy
dew is a dew of light, and on the land of the shades
thou wilt let it fall." (Is 26:19)
"Therefore prophesy,
and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise
you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the
LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And
I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in
your own land; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have
done it, says the LORD." (Ez 37:12-14)
"And in
the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up
a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It
shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall
stand for ever." (Dn 2:44)
"The wolf shall dwell
with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and
the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow
and the bear shall feed; their young shall lie down together; and the lion
shall eat straw like the ox. The sucking child shall play over the hole of the
asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not
hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth
shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." (Is 11:6-9)
"It shall come to pass in the latter
days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the
highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall
flow to it, and
many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of
the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and
that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge
between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat
their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall
not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O
house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD." (Is 2:2-5)
"My
servant David shall be king over them; and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall follow my ordinances and
be careful to observe my statutes. They shall dwell in the land where your fathers dwelt that I
gave to my servant Jacob; they and their children and their children's children
shall dwell there forever; and David my servant shall be their prince forever.
I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant
with them; and I
will bless them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of
them for evermore. My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their
God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD
sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is in the midst of them for evermore." (Ez
37:24-28)
"Blessed are the
meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Mt 5:5)
"Pray then like this:
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in
heaven…" (Mt 6:9-10)
"Who said to them:
Amen, I say to you, there is no man that hath left home or parents or brethren
or wife or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who
shall not receive much more in this present time, and in the world to come
life everlasting."
(Lk
18:29-30)
More From
the Fathers on the Era of Peace
St. Justin Martyr
"For
I choose to follow not men or men's doctrines, but God and the doctrines
[delivered] by Him.
For if you have fallen in with some who are called Christians, but who do not
admit this[truth], and venture to blaspheme the God of Abraham, and the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob; who say there is no resurrection of the dead, and
that their souls, when they die, are taken to heaven; do not imagine that they
are Christians, …But I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points,
are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand years
in Jerusalem, which will then be built, adorned, and enlarged, the prophets
Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare…" …..… (Cf. Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter LXXX)
.
Papias
"[As the elders who saw John the disciple of the Lord
remembered that they had heard from him how the Lord taught in regard to those times, and said]: "The days will come
in which vines shall grow, having each ten thousand branches, and in each
branch ten thousand twigs, and in each true twig ten thousand shoots, and in
every one of the shoots ten thousand clusters, and on every one of the clusters
ten thousand grapes, and every grape when pressed will give five-and-twenty metretes of wine. And when any one of the saints shall lay
hold of a cluster, another shall cry out, 'I am a better cluster, take me;
bless the Lord through me.'.In
like manner, [He said] that a grain of wheat would produce ten thousand ears,
and that every ear would have ten thousand grains, and every grain would yield
ten pounds of clear, pure, fine flour; and that apples, and seeds, and grass
would produce in similar proportions; and that all animals, feeding then only
on the productions of the earth, would become peaceable and harmonious, and be
in perfect subjection to man." .. [Testimony is borne to
these things in writing by Papias, an ancient man, who was a hearer of John and a friend of Polycarp, in the
fourth of his books; for five books were composed by him. And he added, saying,
"Now these things are credible to believers. And Judas the traitor,"
says he, "not believing, and asking, 'How shall such
growths be accomplished by the Lord?' the Lord said, 'They shall see who
shall come to them.' These, then, are the times mentioned by the prophet
Isaiah: 'And the wolf shall lie, down with the lamb,' etc." (Is xi. 6
ff.)."] (Cf. The Fragments of Papias,
IV)
.
St. Irenaeus (Adversus haereses, Book V)
Chapter 32
1. "Inasmuch,
therefore, as the opinions of certain [orthodox persons] are derived from
heretical discourses, they are both ignorant of God's dispensations, and of the
mystery of the resurrection of the just, and of the [earthly] kingdom
which is the commencement of incorruption, by
means of which kingdom those who shall be worthy are accustomed gradually to
partake of the divine nature (capere Deum ); and it
is necessary to tell them respecting those things, that it behoves the righteous first to receive the promise of the
inheritance which God promised to the fathers, and to reign in it, when they rise again to
behold God in this creation which is renovated, and that the judgment
should take place afterwards…
2. Thus, then, the promise
of God, which He gave to Abraham, remains stedfast. For thus He said: "Lift up thine
eyes, and look from this place where now thou art, towards the north and south,
and east and west. For all the earth which thou seest,
I will give to thee and to thy seed, even for ever." And again He says,
"Arise, and go through the length and breadth of the land, since I will
give it unto thee;" and [yet] he did not receive an inheritance in it, not even a footstep, but was always a
stranger and a pilgrim therein…
Thus did he await
patiently the promise of God, and was unwilling to appear to receive from men,
what God had promised to give him, when He said again to him as follows:
"I will give this land to thy seed, from the river of Egypt even unto the
great river Euphrates." If, then, God promised him the inheritance of the
land, yet he did not receive it during all the time of his sojourn there, it
must be, that together with his seed, that is, those who fear God and believe
in Him, he shall receive it at the resurrection of the just. For his seed is the
Church, which receives the adoption to God through the Lord, as John the Baptist said: "For
God is able from the stones to raise up children to
Abraham."
Thus also the apostle says in the Epistle to the Galatians: "But ye,
brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise." And again, in
the same Epistle, he plainly declares that they who have believed in Christ do
receive Christ, the promise to Abraham thus saying, "The promises were
spoken to Abraham, and to his seed.
Now He does not say, And of seeds, as if [He spake] of many, but as of one, And to thy seed, which is
Christ." And again, confirming his former words, he says, "Even as Abraham believed
God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye
therefore, that they which are of faith are the children of Abraham. But the Scripture, fore-seeing that
God would justify the heathen through faith, declared to Abraham beforehand,
That in thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which are of faith
shall be blessed with faithful Abraham." Thus, then, they who are of faith
shall be blessed with faithful Abraham, and these are the children of Abraham. Now God made promise of
the earth to Abraham and his seed; yet neither Abraham nor his seed, that is,
those who are justified by faith, do now receive any inheritance in it; but
they shall receive it at the resurrection of the just. For God is true and
faithful; and on this account He said, "Blessed are the meek, for they
shall inherit the earth."
.
Chapter 33
2. "…And again He
says, "Whosoever shall have left lands, or houses, or parents, or
brethren, or children because of Me, he shall receive in this world an
hundred-fold, and in that to come he shall inherit eternal life." For what
are the hundred-fold [rewards] in this world, the entertainments given to the
poor, and the suppers for which a return is made? These are [to take place]
in the times of the kingdom, that is, upon the seventh day, which has been sanctified, in which
God rested from all the works which He created, which is the true Sabbath of
the righteous, which they shall not be engaged in any earthly occupation; but
shall have a table at hand prepared for them by God, supplying them with all
sorts of dishes.
3. …The predicted blessing,
therefore, belongs unquestionably to the times of the kingdom, when the
righteous shall bear rule upon their rising from the dead; when also the creation, having been
renovated and set free, shall fructify with an abundance of all kinds of food,
from the dew of heaven, and from the fertility of the earth:. as the elders who saw John, the disciple of the
Lord, related that they had heard from him how the Lord used to teach in regard to these times, and say: The days will come, in
which vines shall grow, each having ten thousand branches, and in each branch
ten thousand twigs, and in each true twig ten thousand shoots, and in each one
of the shoots ten thousand dusters, and on every one of the clusters ten
thousand grapes, and every grape when pressed will give five and twenty metretes of wine. And when any one of the saints shall lay
hold of a cluster, another shall cry out, "I am a better cluster, take me;
bless the Lord through me.".In
like manner [the Lord declared] that a grain of wheat would produce ten
thousand ears, and that every ear should have ten thousand grains, and every
grain would yield ten pounds (quinque bilibres) of clear, pure, fine flour; and that all other
fruit-bearing trees, and seeds and grass, would produce in similar proportions
(secundum congruentiam iis consequentem); and that all
animals feeding [only] on the productions of the earth, should [in those days]
become peaceful and harmonious among each other, and be in perfect subjection
to man."
.
Chapter 34
1. "Then, too, Isaiah
himself has plainly declared that there shall be joy of this nature at the
resurrection of the just, when he says: "The dead shall rise again; those,
too, who are in the tombs shall arise, and those who
are in the earth shall rejoice. For the dew from Thee is health to them."
And this again Ezekiel also says: "Behold, I will open your tombs, and
will bring you forth out of your graves; when I will draw my people from the sepulchres, and I will put breath in you, and ye shall
live; and I will place you on your own land, and ye shall know that I am the
Lord." And again the same speaks thus: "These things saith the Lord, I will gather Israel from all nations
whither they have been driven, and I shall be sanctified in them in the sight
of the sons of the nations: and they shall dwell in their own land, which I gave to my servant
Jacob. And they shall dwell in it in peace; and they shall build houses, and
plant vineyards, and dwell in hope, when I shall cause judgment to fall among
all who have dishonoured them, among those who
encircle them round about; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God,
and the God of their fathers." Now I have shown a short time ago that the church is the
seed of Abraham;
and for this reason, that we may know that He who in the New Testament
"raises up from the stones children unto Abraham," is He who will
gather, according to the Old Testament, those that shall be saved from all the
nations… " (NB: The Church is the new Israel. Refer to par. 877 of
the Catechism of the Catholic Church (3),1Pe 2:9-10, Gal 4:28-31,
Gal 6:14-16 and Mat 21:43)
.
Chapter 35
1. …"For,
behold," says Isaiah, "the day of the Lord cometh past remedy, full
of fury and wrath, to lay waste the city of the earth,
and to root sinners out of it." And again he says, "Let him be taken
away, that he behold not the glory of God." And
when these things are done, he says, "God will remove men far away, and
those that are left shall multiply in the earth." "And they shall
build houses, and shall inhabit them themselves: and plant vineyards, and eat
of them themselves." For all these and other words were unquestionably spoken in
reference to the resurrection of the just, which takes place after the coming
of Antichrist, and
the destruction of all nations under his rule; in [the times of] which
[resurrection] the righteous shall reign in the earth…
2. …Now this is what has
been said by the apostle: "For the fashion of this world passeth away." To the same purpose did the Lord also
declare, "Heaven and earth shall pass away."
When these things, therefore, pass away above the earth, John, the Lord's
disciple, says that the new Jerusalem above shall
[then] descend, as a bride adorned for her husband; and that this is the
tabernacle of God, in which God will dwell with men. Of this Jerusalem the
former one is an image - that Jerusalem of the former earth in which the
righteous are disciplined beforehand for incorruption and prepared for
salvation. And of this tabernacle Moses received the pattern in the mount; and nothing is capable of being
allegorized, but all things are stedfast, and true, land substantial, having been made by God for righteous
men's enjoyment. For as it is God truly who raises up man, so also does man
truly rise from the dead, and not allegorically, as I have shown repeatedly. And as he rises actually,
so also shall he be actually disciplined beforehand for incorruption, and shall
go forward and flourish in the times of the kingdom, in order that he may be
capable of receiving the glory of the Father. Then, when all things are made new,
he shall truly dwell in the city of God. For it is said, "He that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And the Lord says, Write all this; for these words are
faithful and true. And He said to me, They are
done." And this is the truth of the matter."
.
Chapter 36
3. "John, therefore,
did distinctly foresee the first "resurrection of the just," and the
inheritance in the kingdom of the earth; and what the prophets have prophesied
concerning it harmonize [with his vision]…"
.
Lactantius
"We have said, a
little before, that it will come to pass at the commencement of the sacred reign, that the prince of the devils will be bound by God. But
he also, when the thousand years of the kingdom, that is, seven thousand of
the world, shall
begin to be ended, will be loosed afresh, and being sent forth from prison,
will go forth and assemble all the nations, which shall then be trader the
dominion of the righteous, that they may make war against the holy city; and
there shall be collected together from all the world an innumerable company of
the nations, and shall besiege and surround the city…" (Cf. Divine
Institutes, Book VII, Of a Happy Life, Chapter 26)
Our Lady of Fatima - Approved
.
"You have seen hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them God
wishes to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. If what I say
to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace."
"...The war [WWI ]is going to end, but if people do not cease offending
God, a worse one will break out during the reign of Pius XI. When you see a
night illumined by an unknown light [this occurred during the 1930's], know
that this is the great sign given to you by God that He is about to punish the
world for its crimes, by means of war, famine and persecutions of the Church
and of the Holy Father. To prevent this I shall come to ask for the
consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of reparation
of the First Saturdays. If my requests are heard, Russia will be converted and
there will be peace. If not, she will spread her errors throughout the world,
provoking wars and persecution of the Church. The good will suffer martyrdom;
the Holy Father will suffer much; different nations will be annihilated. But in the end my
Immaculate Heart will triumph.
The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, it will be converted, and some time of peace will be
granted to humanity…"
(Our
Lady of Fatima 1917.)
.
.Fr. Stefano Gobbi - Imprimaturs
Fr. Gobbi received
messages via inner locution from Our Lady from 1973 - 1997 (25 years). His
messages carry Imprimaturs from 3 Cardinals, several Archbishops, and several
Bishops of the Catholic Church. The three Cardinals in question are: the late
Cardinal Echeverria of Ecuador, Cardinal Vidal of the Philippines and Cardinal Mikai of Thailand.
.Although the Imprimatur is not a
declaration of authenticity of the mystical events, it does assure the reader
that the messages are free from doctrinal error - i.e. they do not contain anything,
which is contrary to the Catholic faith or morals.
Collectively, the
messages clearly speak of the rise of Antichrist very soon, and Jesus to return
soon thereafter to set up His Kingdom in the Era of Peace on Earth (i.e. the
new heavens and the new earth). This will be the first resurrection (Rv 20:4-5 Thy kingdom come on Earth, as it is in Heaven.).
He will return in spirit and reign during the Era of Peace in the Holy
Eucharist. The Era of Peace will not last 1,000 years, as time will then have
been suspended. After the end of the Era of Peace will come the second
resurrection of all humans, and Jesus will return a
3rd time for the Last Judgement.
The following are excerpts
of a few additional messages of Our Lady through Fr. Gobbi in respect of the
Era of Peace:
#453 - The
New Era - August 15, 1991 - Feast of the Assumption.
The Blessed Virgin Mary said: "Today, beloved sons, contemplate me in the splendor
of my glorified body, assumed into the glory of paradise. Live in joy and
confidence the last times of this, your second Advent,
by looking to me as to the sign of sure hope and of consolation.
The new era, which awaits you, corresponds to a particular encounter of
love, of light and of life between paradise, where I am in perfect blessedness
with the angels and the saints, and earth, where you, my children, live in the
midst of many dangers and innumerable tribulations. This is the heavenly
Jerusalem, which comes down from heaven upon earth, to transform it completely
and to thus shape the new heavens and the new earth.
The new era, toward which you are journeying, is bringing all creation
to the perfect glorification of the Most Holy Trinity. The Father receives his
greatest glory from every creature which reflects his light, his love and his
divine splendor. The Son restores his reign of grace and of holiness, setting free every creature from the
slavery of evil and of sin. The Holy Spirit pours out in fullness his holy
gifts, leads to the understanding of the whole truth, and renews the face of the
earth.
The new era, which I announce to you, coincides with the complete
fulfillment of the divine Will, so that at last there is coming about that
which Jesus taught you to ask for, from the Heavenly Father: 'Your Will be done, on
earth as it is in heaven.'
(Mt 6:10) This is the time when the divine Will of the Father, of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit is being accomplished by the creatures. From the perfect
fulfillment of the divine Will, the whole world is becoming renewed, because
God finds there, as it were, his new garden of Eden (2), where
He can dwell in loving companionship with his creatures.
The new era, which is just now beginning, brings you to a full communion
of life with those who have preceded you and who, here in paradise, enjoy
perfect happiness. You see the splendor of the heavenly hierarchy; you
communicate with the saints of paradise; you relieve the purifying sufferings
of the souls who are still in purgatory. You experience, in a strong and
visible way, the consoling truth of the communion of saints.
The new era, which I am preparing for you, coincides with the defeat of
Satan and of his universal reign. All his power is destroyed. He is bound, with
all the wicked spirits, and shut up in hell from which he will not be able to
get out to do harm in the world. Herein, Christ reigns in the
splendor of his glorified body (4), and the Immaculate Heart of your
heavenly Mother triumphs in the light of her body, assumed into the glory of
paradise.
This feast of mine, which bids you to look to your heavenly Mother, assumed
into heaven, thus becomes for you a reason for deep joy and great confidence.
In the midst of the innumerable sufferings of the times through which you are
living, you look upon me as a sign of sure hope and of consolation, because I
am the luminous door which opens upon the new era that has been prepared for
you by the Most Holy Trinity."
#236 - The
Great Trial - November 12, 1981
Our Lady said: "...By your prayer, your suffering
and your personal immolation, I will bring my plan to completion. I will hasten the time
of the triumph of my Immaculate Heart in the reign of Jesus, who will come to you
in glory. Thus a new era of peace will begin, and you will at last see new
heavens and a new earth..."
#324 - Jesus
Is Your Peace - March 30, 1986
Our lady said: "...To me has been entrusted the
task of preparing his glorious return. In these painful times of purification,
I say to you: "Do not doubt; have great hope!" Jesus has conquered
the world forever. Jesus alone is still today the true victor.
I am the mother who is calling you from all sides to bring you all to Jesus and
thus to prepare for you a new era of peace. I am the Queen of Peace who looks
upon you with the tenderness of a mother and blesses you in the name of the
glorified Father, of the risen Son, and of the Holy Spirit who is given to you
as a gift.".
#336 - The
Rosary Brings You To Peace - October 7, 1986
Our Lady said: "...And so your heavenly Mother is assuring you that even
this humanity forms a precious part of the people of God, won by Jesus at the
price of His blood, shed to the last drop for its salvation. God, especially
today, is alone the victor; and He loves all the poor sick humanity which has
been snatched from Him; and He is preparing the moment when, by the greatest
miracle of His merciful love, He will lead it along the road of return to
Himself, that at last it may be able to know a new era of peace of love, of
holiness and of joy. For this reason, I am inviting you always to make use of
the powerful weapon of trust, of filial abandonment, of a great and boundless,
charity, of a complete availability for all the spiritual and material needs of
your neighbor and of a motherly and unlimited mercy..."
#549 - A
Sign of Sure Hope - August 15, 1995
Our
Lady said: "...At the conclusive moment of the great trial, you will feel
my motherly presence, which assists you to cross the threshold of hope, in
order to enter into the new era of peace, which will come for the Church, for
humanity and for all of you, with the triumph of my Immaculate Heart in the
world."
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Prepared with the grace of God |
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By Ben J. Verdina, May 2003 (edited September, 2016) |
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abbacub2000@aol.com |
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An Act of Consecration to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary
I, (your name), a
faithless sinner-- renew and ratify today in thy hands, O Immaculate Mother, the
vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps
and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to
carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to
Him than I have ever been before.
In the presence
of all the heavenly court I choose thee this day, for my Mother and Mistress. I
deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, my body and soul, my goods, both
interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present
and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me, and
all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for
the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity. Amen.
An Act of Consecration to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus, Abyss of Mercy and Source of every grace and blessing, I
consecrate and unite myself to You without exception or reserve - all that I am
and all that I have, both temporal and spiritual, past present and future,
through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your Mother.
I leave myself entirely at Your disposal with complete
confidence in Your Mercy and Love and I beg You to look upon this offering of
my nothingness before You and to use me for Your own glory, for the honor of
Your Mother and for the salvation of souls. Help me to seek You
alone in all things. Hide me in the shelter of Your Most Sacred Heart and be my
only Consolation and Refuge.
Grant me the graces I need to joyfully accept Your Cross daily, to lead a holy
life and to die a holy death in Your service. Help me
to trust completely in Your Mercy and Love and never to fear to humbly throw
myself before the infinite Ocean of mercy which is Your Most Sacred Heart,
especially at those times when I may fail in my faithfulness in Your service. Through this weak and miserable instrument,
may Your Mercy, Love, glory and power shine forth.
Above all, set my poor heart on fire with the Flame of Love which burns in Your
Most Sacred Heart, and teach me how to return love for Love. Most Sacred Heart
of Jesus, have mercy on me - for I place all my trust in You.
How To
Save Your Children
During one of
the cenacles which Fr. Gobbi held in the United States, he was urged by many
concerned people to ask Our Lady specifically what could be done to save the
youth from the seductions of the world which were leading many of them astray
and causing them to leave the Church. Our Lady gave Fr. Gobbi this definite and
final solution to console the parents who are so concerned about the salvation
of their children:
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Pray the Rosary ! |
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Every time you pray the Rosary say: "With this Rosary I bind all my children to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.". |
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In doing so, Our Lady promised "to see to their souls.". |
The Memorare
Remember, O
most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your
protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession, was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To
you I come; before you I stand sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word
Incarnate! Despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
Footnotes
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1. |
The Marian Movement of Priests and Fr. Stefano Gobbi. |
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2. |
The Old Testament Garden
of Eden is a type; whereas the New Testament Era of Peace is an antitype.
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3. |
Paragraph 877 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes Ad Gentes and reads: "…In fact, from the beginning of his ministry, the Lord Jesus instituted the Twelve as "the seeds of the New Israel and the beginning of the sacred hierarchy.". (Ad Gentes V) |
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4. |
In several of her
messages to Fr. Gobbi, Our Lady clarified that "Christ reigns in the
splendor of his glorified body" means that He will not reign in
the flesh, but He will reign in the Holy Eucharist ('This is My Body'). Refer to her messages to Fr.
Gobbi as follows: #360v, 360w,
387m, 418e, 421m, 443u,
and 505 which follows for your convenience: |
We respectfully recognize and
accept the final authority regarding apparitions, locutions and prophecies
presently being reported around the world rests with the Holy See and the
Magisterium of Holy Mother Church to whose judgment we humbly and obediently
submit.
For Additional Information On This
and Related Topics Go To:
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/era-of-peace/info
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To subscribe to era-of-peace email group for updates, send an email to: |
This writing is available on the
Internet at
Also, read the following writings posted at the above mentioned
web site:
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Iniquity With
Divine Retribution at the Dawn of the Era of Peace – A Summary Guide to the
Tribulation |
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After The Warning |
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Tribulation Update |
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Thank You For Having Responded To My Call |
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Sky Signs |
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Ben's Calling |
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The Statues of Our Lady Are Crying For Our Help |
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Prayers of Consecration & Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
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Heaven and Earth Are Uniting – Fr. Gobbi |
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Ave Maria: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate |
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Supreme Authority of the Pope Until Death or Abdication |
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The Myth of the Pre-Tribulational Rapture |
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To Protect the Faith |
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Both Faith and Good Works Required |
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The Catechism and the "Term" Coredemptrix |
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Ecclesiastical Masonry: The Beast Like a Lamb |
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Tribulation Protection: The Blood of the Lamb |
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Scripture Alone? Is Half of the Story Sufficient? |
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Has Matthew 24:14 Been Realized? 'Definitely Yes' |
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To the Refuges on Wings of Eagles |
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Must the Reconstruction of the Temple of Jerusalem Precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? |
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The Abomination of Desolation |
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The Era of Peace |
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The Original
Prayer to St. Michael |
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Mary, Queen
and Queen Mother |
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How to
Identify the Antichrist |
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The Whore of
Babylon |
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The Mark of
the Beast |
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Upon This
Rock |
"Here we are happy when we have
peace, such little peace as can be had in a good life; but that happiness, in
comparison with our final happiness, is altogether misery."
St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church
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