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The Myth of the
Pre-Tribulational Rapture
Before proceeding, please
pause, and pray to the Holy Spirit for His gift of Divine discernment.
The Concept of Pre-Tribulational Rapture
The concept of
Pre-Tribulational "rapture" which was developed by, and popularized
by, the Protestants began only about 150-200 years ago. It holds that the Church
will be "raptured" away body and soul into Heaven by Jesus prior to
the onset of the Tribulation. The Catholic Church has condemned this notion as
a falsehood.
Holy Scripture states that
the Lord shortened the Tribulation for the sake of the elect. Why would this be
necessary if they had been raptured away? The prophetic texts (e.g. the book of
Revelation) state that during the Tribulation the Church will be persecuted to
a greater extent than at any other time in history. How could this be if the
Church had been raptured away?
Once again, the Apostolic
Fathers of the Church (who were trained by the Apostles while being scattered
over the then-known world and without modern methods of communication) and the
Doctors of the Church are unanimous in their writings that the Church
will experience part or all of the Tribulation. They make NO mention of any
Pre-Tribulational rapture.
Our Lady told Father Gobbi
that such Pre-Tribulational "rapture" is a myth.
Stated differently, in
order for there to be a Pre-Tribulational rapture, (1) Holy Scripture would
have to be erroneous, (2) the Fathers and Doctors of the Church would have to
be wrong, (3) all of the theologians for the last 2,000 years would have to be
mistaken, (4) all of the Ecumenical Councils would have to have missed it, (5)
all of the Popes would have had to erred, AND (6) all of the Marian apparitions
such as Fatima (where the miracle of the sun was witnessed by 70,000 Catholics,
Protestants, Atheists, etc.) would have to be farces.
The Faithful will be
called-up into the heavens to meet Jesus, but it will be at the END of the Tribulation.
St. Paul said:
"Indeed we tell you
this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive,
who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those
who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself, with a word of command, with the
voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven,
and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air." (I
Thes 4:15-16).
(n.b.
How could this possibly happen, if the Church had been raptured into Heaven
previously?)
Pay particular attention
to the fact that Jesus is to address only 2 classes
of people, i.e. those that are dead at
His return and those that are alive at His
return. If you believe that Holy Scripture is the inerrant word of God, how can
you believe that God simply forgot to mention those that had been
"raptured" body and soul into heaven? Furthermore, the word
"left" does not mean left after the "rapture", as the word
"rapture" not only does not appear in this passage, but it appears nowhere in the Bible. Clearly
and rationally, in this context "left" modifies "we who are
alive" in the previous phrase, and can only mean those who are left alive after the Tribulation.
What then does Holy
Scripture and Catholic Tradition and the Catechism of the Catholic Church
teach?
Taxes Were Not of God's Will Either
"Now the serpent was
the most cunning of all the animals that the Lord God had made. The serpent
asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees
in the garden?" The woman answered the serpent: "We may eat of the
fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the
middle of the garden that God said, 'You shall not eat it or even touch it,
lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman: "You certainly
will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will
be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is
bad." The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes,
and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and
she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the
eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so
they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves." (Gn
3:1-7)
As is delineated in the
citation from Genesis above, we see that death was part of the plan of Lucifer,
not part of the plan of God. The Catechism demonstrates that death is the
consequence of sin 571
. In paragraph 1018 it states:
"…Even though man's
nature is mortal God had destined him not to die. Death was therefore contrary
to the plans of God the Creator and entered the world as a consequence of sin. 572 "Bodily death, from which man
would have been immune had he not sinned" is thus "the last
enemy" of man left to be conquered…" 573
Through the sacrifice,
immolation and death of Jesus on the cross together with His subsequent
resurrection, mankind was redeemed and death was conquered. However, as we
shall see below, similarly all men are called to die and to be resurrected
subsequently, as well.
Coredemption
God's plan for our
salvation requires our active participation. As children of God, we are called
to coredemption. Indeed, according to Holy Scripture,
we can not enter the kingdom of Heaven unless we co-redeem ourselves. In no way
does this detract from the Redemptive Sacrifice of Jesus, but rather it serves
to compliment it.
It was St. Paul who said "For we are God’s co-workers…" (I Cor. 3:9)
The prefix "co"
is derived from the Latin word "cum", and means "WITH", as in "co-pilot",
"co-worker", "co-incidence", "co-insurance",
"co-llaborate", "co-operate",
"co-existence", "co-pay", etc. Consider that the word
"communion" is a Latin derivative meaning "with union" or
"in union with".
It is worthy of emphasis
that the prefix "co" indicates inferior
dependence. It does NOT mean that we are on an equal footing with Jesus
Christ. He is the one and only, Redeemer.
This means that we are
called by God to actively cooperate in His plan for our salvation, and thereby
obtain all of the graces that Jesus won through His passion and death on the
cross.
We do this by:
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Being baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, |
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Accepting Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Our Savior, |
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Keeping the Ten Commandments, and seeking forgiveness of our sins. |
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Living Holy Scripture, |
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Suffering daily for the sin of Adam, and |
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Experiencing death, and subsequently being resurrected by the Holy Trinity into our glorified bodies. |
With respect to man's
experiencing death the Catechism states the following in paragraph 1010:
"Because of Christ, Christian death has a positive meaning: "For to
me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." 576 "The saying is sure: if we have
died with him, we will also live with him. 577 What is essentially new about Christian
death is this: through Baptism, the Christian has already "died with
Christ" sacramentally, in order to live a new life; and if we die in
Christ's grace, physical death completes this "dying with Christ" and
so completes our incorporation into him in his redeeming act:
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It is better for me to die in (eis) Christ Jesus than to reign over the ends of the earth. Him it is I seek - who died for us. Him it is I desire - who rose for us. I am on the point of giving birth .... Let me receive pure light; when I shall have arrived there, then shall I be a man." 578 [emphasis mine] |
I Corinthians 15
1 "Now I am reminding
you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and
in which you also stand. 2 Through it you are also being saved, if you hold
fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I handed
on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our
sins in accordance with the scriptures; 4 that he was buried; that he was
raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; 5 that he appeared
to Kephas, then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he
appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still
living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 After that he appeared to James, then
to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to
me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I
am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder
than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God (that is) with me. 11
Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
12 But if Christ is
preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no
resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then
neither has Christ been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then
empty (too) is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. 15 Then we are also false
witnesses to God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom
he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not
raised, neither has Christ been raised, 17 and if Christ has not been raised,
your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those who have fallen
asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If for this life only we have hoped in
Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.
20 But now Christ has been
raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For
since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also
through a human being. 22 For just as in Adam all
die, 
.so too in Christ shall all be brought
to life, 23 but each one in proper order: Christ the first fruits; then, at his
coming, those who belong to Christ; 24 then comes the end, when he hands over
the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and
every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies
under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is
death, 27 for "he subjected everything under his feet." But
when it says that everything has been subjected, it is clear that it excludes
the one who subjected everything to him. 28 When everything is subjected to
him, then the Son himself will (also) be subjected to the one who subjected
everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise, what will
people accomplish by having themselves baptized for the dead? If the dead are
not raised at all, then why are they having themselves baptized for them?
30 Moreover, why are we
endangering ourselves all the time? 31 Every day I face death; I swear it by
the pride in you (brothers) that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If at
Ephesus I fought with beasts, so to speak, what benefit was it to me? If the
dead are not raised:
"Let us eat and
drink, for tomorrow we die."
33 Do not be led astray:
"Bad company corrupts
good morals."
34 Become sober as you
ought and stop sinning. For some have no knowledge of God; I say this to your
shame.
35
But someone may say, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will
they come back?"
36 You fool! What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies. .37 And what
you sow is not the body that is to be but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or
of some other kind; 38 but God gives it a body
as he chooses, and to each of the seeds its own body. 39 Not all flesh is
the same, but there is one kind for human beings, another kind of flesh for
animals, another kind of flesh for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are
both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the brightness of the heavenly is
one kind and that of the earthly another. 41 The brightness of the sun is one
kind, the brightness of the moon another, and the brightness of the stars
another. For star differs from star in brightness.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown corruptible; it is
raised incorruptible. 43 It is sown
dishonorable; it is raised glorious. It is sown weak; it is raised
powerful. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a
spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.
45 So, too, it is written,
"The first man, Adam, became a living being," the last Adam a
life-giving spirit. 46 But the spiritual was not first; rather the natural and
then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second
man, from heaven. 48 As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as is
the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image
of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.
50 This I declare, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
God, .nor does corruption inherit
incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We
shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For
the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed. 53 For that which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility,
and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality. 54 And when this
which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is
mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall
come about:
"Death is swallowed
up in victory. 55 Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your
sting?"
56 The sting of death is
sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God who gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved
brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord,
knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (I Cor 15)
Footnote to vs. 26: The
last enemy . . . is death: a parenthesis that specifies the final fulfillment
of the two Old Testament texts just referred to, Psalm 110:1 and Psalm 8:7.
Death is not just one cosmic power among many, but the ultimate effect of sin
in the universe (1
Cor 15:56; Rom 5:12). Christ defeats death where it
prevails, in our bodies. The destruction of the last enemy is concretely the
"coming to life" (1 Cor
15:22) of "those who belong to Christ" (1 Cor 15:23) . [emphasis mine]
In verse 22, St. Paul
states it clearly and succinctly in one line: "For
just as in Adam all die…" Had his statements at I Thessalonians
4:15-16 contemplated a "rapture" of the Church body and soul into
Heaven in advance of the Tribulation, we would see
evidence of it here. Guided by the Holy Spirit, surely he would have modified
his statement, "For just as in Adam all die…", to except those who
will be "raptured" body and soul. He did not --- He made no
exceptions. He states clearly that all men must die.
We see additional evidence
of the clear intent of St. Paul's words to the Thessalonians in I Corinthians
15:50 and in his letters to the Hebrews and Romans as follows:
"This I declare,
brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God…" (I Cor
15:50)
"Just as
it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the
judgment…" (Heb
9:27)
"Therefore, just as
through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned for up
to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when
there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did
not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one
who was to come." (Rom 5:12-14)
In
furtherance of this discussion, it must be noted that nowhere in Holy Scripture
does it state that the Church will be "raptured" body and soul into
Heaven prior to the Tribulation, AND then afterwards return body and soul to Earth to die. This
concept is nowhere to be found within Holy Scripture, the teachings of the
Fathers and Doctors of the Church, or the Catechism. [emphasis added].
Any
suggestion otherwise, is a fabrication.
We Believe In The Resurrection Of The Body
The Catechism states the
following in respect of the resurrection of our bodies on the last day:
989 "We firmly
believe, and hence we hope that, just as Christ is truly risen from the dead
and lives for ever, so after death the righteous will live for ever with the
risen Christ and he will raise them up on the last day. 534 Our resurrection, like his own, will
be the work of the Most Holy Trinity:
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If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you. 535 |
990 The term
"flesh" refers to man in his state of weakness and mortality. 536 The "resurrection of the
flesh" (the literal formulation of the Apostles' Creed) means not only
that the immortal soul will live on after death, but that even our "mortal
body" will come to life again…" 537
In I Corinthians 15:35,
St. Paul asks the following rhetorical question: "But someone may say,
"How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come
back?" He provides the answer to such question in verses 36-58. In such
verses he states that the dead are raised
incorruptible; raised glorious; and raised in spiritual bodies. In essence, our former natural bodies will be left behind
not "raptured" into heaven.
Once again, in verses 42-58
St. Paul addresses only 2 classes of people: those who are dead on the last day
and those who are alive. He makes no mention of any one having been
"raptured" body and soul into heaven already. Further, those who are
then left alive on the Earth are to die, but how will this happen?
St. Paul provides the
answer to this question in verses 51 and 52: "Behold, I tell you a
mystery. We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all
be changed, in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed."
It follows then, if we were able to determine
the timing of the last trumpet, we would know when those who are left, will be
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Consider the following:
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“Immediately after the tribulation |
Clearly, the last
trumpet is blown at the end of the Tribulation, and it announces the arrival of
Jesus in His glory at His second coming.
Previously, he told us
that all men must die as in verse 22, then in verses 51-52 he states that those
who are then alive will be changed? Is this a contradiction? The answer is
"No". He tells us in verse 52 that it is a "mystery". One
explanation would be that such "change" is an "unconventional
death" of our natural bodies; one that is beyond our human comprehension.
Hence, it remains a mystery.
The Catechism explains it
as follows in paragraph 1000: "This "how" exceeds our imagination
and understanding; it is accessible only to faith. Yet our participation in the
Eucharist already gives us a foretaste of Christ's transfiguration of our
bodies:
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Just as bread that comes from the earth, after God's blessing has been invoked upon it, is no longer ordinary bread, but Eucharist, formed of two things, the one earthly and the other heavenly: so too our bodies, which partake of the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, but possess the hope of resurrection. " 556 |
The following are certain
quotes from a few of the Church Fathers on our bodily resurrection:
St. Polycarp of Smyrna:
"…whosoever perverts
the sayings of the Lord for his own desires, and says that there is neither
resurrection nor judgment, such a one is the first-born of Satan…Let us,
therefore, leave the foolishness and the false-teaching of the crowd and turn
back to the word which was delivered to us in the beginning…" (Letter to the
Philippians 7:1-2 [A.D. 135]).
St. Irenaeus of Lyons
"For the Church,
although dispersed throughout the whole world even to the ends of the earth,
has received from the apostles and from their disciples the faith in . .
. the raising up again of all flesh of all humanity, in order that to Jesus
Christ our Lord and God and Savior and King, in accord with the approval of the
invisible Father, every knee shall bend of those in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, and that every tongue shall confess him, and that he may make
just judgment of them all…" (Against Heresies 1:10:1-4 [A.D.
189]). [emphasis mine].
St. Cyril of Jerusalem
"…This body shall be
raised, not remaining weak as it is now, but this same body shall be raised. By
putting on incorruption, it shall be altered, as iron blending with fire
becomes fire--or rather, in a manner the Lord who raises us knows. However it
will be, this body shall be raised, but it shall not remain such as it is.
Rather, it shall abide as an eternal body. It shall no longer require for its
life such nourishment as now, nor shall it require a ladder for its ascent; for
it shall be made a spiritual body, a marvelous thing, such as we have not the
ability to describe…" (Catechetical Lectures 18:18 [A.D. 350]).
The New Heaven and the New Earth
According to the
Catechism, immediately after death each person is to receive a Particular
Judgement from Jesus, and to be sent either to Heaven (either immediately or
after a purification) or to Hell. Further it defines Heaven as the ultimate end
and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive
happiness, beyond human comprehension.
The Catechism teaches that
on the last day Jesus will resurrect all men into their glorified bodies, and
will render a General Judgement. At such time He will separate those who will
spend eternity in Paradise in the presence of the Holy Trinity, and those who
will spend eternity in the fires of Hell, devoid of the presence of God. After
the General Judgement, the universe will be completely renewed. Holy Scripture
refers to this renewal as the New Heaven and the New Earth.
At this time,
Heaven and Earth will be uniting in an unprecedented way. It will be a new
existence, which is incomprehensible to our limited human minds, just as we are
unable to comprehend the three persons in one God. "What eye has not seen,
and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has
prepared for those who love him." (I Cor
2:9)
We will then be
called by God to this mysterious existence or "place". It is a
mystery how, but it will occur at the END of the Tribulation.
Further, the Catechism
states: 1021 "Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either
accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ. 592 The New Testament speaks of judgment
primarily in its aspect of the final encounter with Christ in his second
coming, but also repeatedly affirms that each will be rewarded immediately
after death in accordance with his works and faith…1022 Each man receives his
eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a
particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the
blessedness of heaven-through a purification 594 or immediately, 595-or immediate and everlasting
damnation." 596
1042 "At the end of
time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. After the universal
judgment, the righteous will reign forever with Christ, glorified in body and
soul. The universe itself will be renewed:
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The Church . . . will receive her perfection only in the glory of heaven, when will come the time of the renewal of all things. At that time, together with the human race, the universe itself, which is so closely related to man and which attains its destiny through him, will be perfectly re-established in Christ." 631 |
1043
"Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform
humanity and the world, "new heavens and a new earth." 632 It will be the definitive realization
of God's plan to bring under a single head "all things in [Christ], things
in heaven and things on earth." 633
1047 "The visible universe,
then, is itself destined to be transformed, "so that the world itself,
restored to its original state, facing no further obstacles, should be at the
service of the just," sharing their glorification in the risen Jesus
Christ. "640
1048 "We know neither the moment of the consummation of the
earth and of man, nor the way in which the universe will be transformed.
The form of this world, distorted by sin, is passing away, and we are taught
that God is preparing a new dwelling and a new earth in which righteousness
dwells, in which happiness will fill and surpass all the desires of peace
arising in the hearts of men." 641
No Slicing, Dicing and Blending
There are some adherents
to the concept of a Pre-Tribulational Rapture that profess an even stranger
twist to the concept. To get there, however, they have to extract an individual
phrase of Scripture ignoring the rest of its related text and thus its
contextual meaning; and blend it together with another such extracted phrase of
Scripture.
These Pre-Trib Rapturists do this by
extracting the following phrase from 1 Thess. 4:15-16: "…Then we who are
alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air." Also, they extract the following phrase from I Cor.
15: "…We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in and
instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet…". Then, they blend
them together to obtain the result that they seek.
Thus these adherents to
this unique twist in the concept of Pre-Tribulational Rapture, hold that prior
to the Tribulation, the good people will be changed into their spiritual or
glorious bodies and raptured into heaven, leaving all of the evil people behind
to suffer. They set the order of events as follows:
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The good people mysteriously die and are resurrected into their spiritual and glorious bodies; |
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and then, the good people are raptured into heaven; |
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and then, the evil people on Earth are persecuted during the Tribulation; |
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and then, Jesus will return to cleanse the world; |
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and then, Jesus will reign [in the Eucharist] for the symbolic 1,000 years; |
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and then, Satan will be unleashed from Hell; |
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and then, the armies will gather at, and be defeated at, Armagedon; |
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and then, the General Judgement. |
This is an abuse of Holy
Scripture, and a complete ignoring of the related text within the same passages
from which these extracted phrases are contained, and through which they are
provided their true meaning. Furthermore, this flies in the face of, and is in
direct contrast with, several other passages of Holy Scripture, and the
teachings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. (It is worthy of note that
these Pre-Trib Rapturists,
do not address how the people that survive the Tribulation "die".)
Compare this
strange reasoning above to the specific order provided by St. Paul. In I
Corinthians 15:26 he stated: "The last enemy to be destroyed is death.". In Hebrews 9:27 he stated : "Just as it is
appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment…". Thus St. Paul tells us clearly without
any slicing, dicing or blending of any extracted phrases that the order of
events will be:
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All humans are dead; |
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and then, the General judgement. |
Furthermore, in Revelation
20:4-5 St. John states:
"…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…"
In the above passage of
Holy Scripture, St. John clearly labels the resurrection of the dead who
suffered and died during the Tribulation as the
first resurrection. This
is in direct conflict with the above mentioned sliced, diced, and blended logic
of the Pre-Trib Rapturists,
which holds that the "first" resurrection is the Pre-Tribulational
Rapture.
Furthermore, St. John
states that those who were persecuted during the Tribulation will reign with
Jesus [in the Eucharist] for the symbolic 1,000 years. St. John makes no
mention of any one having been raptured; St. John makes no mention of any
raptured people returning for the above mentioned symbolic 1,000 years.
If the raising to life of
the people who were persecuted and died during the Tribulation is the first
resurrection, what is the second resurrection? The answer is the resurrection
that occurs on the last day, as discussed in the section above : "We Believe In the Resurrection of the Body".
The Gospel of St. Luke
As additional evidence of
the myth of the Pre-Tribulational Rapture, we turn to St Luke.
"…As it was in the
days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the
ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the
days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to
destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that
day, a person who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must
not go down to get them, and likewise a person in the field must not return to
what was left behind. Remember the wife of Lot. Whoever seeks to preserve his
life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. I tell you, on that night
there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And
there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other
left." They said to him in reply, "Where,
Lord?" He said to them, "Where the
body is, there also the vultures will gather." (Lk 17:26-34)
Your attention is directed
to the reply of Our Lord: "Where the body is, there also the vultures will
gather". There are no vultures in Heaven.
"Then they asked him,
"Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all
these things are about to happen?" He answered, "See that you not be
deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has
come.' Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be
terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be
the end." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and
plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from
the sky. "Before all this happens, however, they
will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to
prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my
name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare
your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that
all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You
will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they
will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but
not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure
your lives. "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its
desolation is at hand. Then those in Judea must flee
to the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it, and let those in
the countryside not enter the city, for these days are the time of
punishment when all the scriptures are fulfilled. Woe to pregnant women and
nursing mothers in those days, for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people. They will fall by the edge of the
sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles; and Jerusalem will be
trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are
fulfilled. "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and
on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the
waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of
what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be
shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and
great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your
heads because your redemption is at hand." (Lk 21: 7-28)
How is this to happen if
these people are to be "raptured" body and soul into Heaven in
advance of the Tribulation? Why would they be fleeing to the mountains if they
had been raptured; or why would they flee to the mountains if they are going to
be raptured?
At this point, the reader
should stop and reread the above mentioned passage of Jesus. In so doing,
recognize who it is that is speaking. Jesus is one with His Father…Our Father.
The Father so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son (in essence,
as they are one, Our Heavenly Father sacrificed Himself, also). Jesus came down
to Earth, became human (n.b. the word
"human" is a derivative of the Latin word "humus" which
means "dirt" --- just becoming human was a tremendous sacrifice.). He
suffered incredibly inhumane torture, and died an agonizing death, in order
that we would not have to, and in order to save our souls.
What human and imperfect
father or brother in the same position (if that were possible) of warning and
explaining to his children about the most terrible period in history, the
Tribulation, would do so and not tell them about the "rapture" if it
existed? How much
more would Jesus have mentioned the "Pre-Tribulational Rapture", if
it existed, as He is love and mercy in its perfection! He certainly would have at the very least stated
something similar to: "Whatever you do, make sure you get raptured, or
else this is what will happen…" Furthermore, it is worthy of emphasis that
since He did not speak of the rapture in the above mentioned passage (or
anywhere else in Holy Scripture), He is speaking to,
and about, His whole church, not just those left behind after the so-called
"rapture".
Read my following comment carefully and discern:
In
view of the fact that Jesus is love and mercy in its perfection, the
fact that He did not mention the "Pre-Tribulational Rapture" in the
above passage, is evidence prima facie of its non-existence. [emphasis added].
The Gospel of St. Matthew
"When you see the
desolating abomination spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the
holy place (let the reader understand), then those in
Judea must flee to the mountains a person on the housetop must not go
down to get things out of his house, a person in the field must not return to
get his cloak." (Mt
24:15-18)
In furtherance of our
earlier comments in respect of St. Luke's gospel, we see much of the same in
the gospel of St. Matthew. Once again, why would they be fleeing to the
mountains if they had been raptured; or why would they flee to the mountains if
they are going to be raptured? It is worthy of note that both St. Luke and St.
Matthew understood Jesus to say the same thing in this instance. Holy Scripture
is the inerrant word of God; there is no confusion.
"This is how you are
to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your
kingdom come, your will be done, on earth
as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we
forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us
from the evil one." (Mt 6:9-13)
If the Church has been
raptured body and soul into heaven, how is there going to be a kingdom on
earth? Will it be comprised only of those who were left behind? Are those who
are supposed to be raptured into heaven not to be a part of His kingdom on
Earth. Clearly, the answer is that there is no such "rapture".
"…Blessed
are the meek, for they will inherit the land…" (Mt 5:6)
Are the meek to be left
behind? If so, how would that be considered a blessing?
The Gospel of St. John
"For just as the
Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life
in himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son
of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the
resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection
of condemnation." (Jn 5:26-29)
In the passage above,
Jesus speaks about our resurrection exclusively as the dead coming to life.
Clearly, all will be dead at that time, and again there is no mention of any
rapture.
2 Peter 3:9-17
"…The Lord does not
delay his promise, as some regard "delay," but he is patient with
you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements
will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be
found out.
Since everything is to be
dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought (you) to be, conducting
yourselves in holiness and devotion, waiting for and hastening the coming of the
day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames and the
elements melted by fire. But according to his promise we
await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore,
beloved, since you await these things,
be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace. And consider
the patience of our Lord as salvation, as our beloved
brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, also wrote to you, speaking
of these things as he does in all his letters. In them there are some things
hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own
destruction, just as they do the other scriptures.
Therefore,
beloved, since you are forewarned, be on your guard not to be led into the
error of the unprincipled and to fall from your own stability…" [emphasis
mine]
Your attention is directed
to the phrase: "Therefore, beloved, since you
await these things". The word "these" is a relative
adjective referring to the context of the paragraphs appearing immediately
before that sentence in which the word "these" appears, and which
paragraphs are included in the above mentioned citation. A close inspection of
such paragraphs reveals without equivocation, that the following
"things" are delineated and discussed therein, exclusively:
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the arrival of the new heavens and the new Earth. |
It is worthy of emphasis
that such paragraphs above this phrase, "Therefore,
beloved, since you await these things", neither include anything
about a Pre-Tribulational Rapture, nor anything resembling such a
"rapture". Once again, this is another Apostle that is writing this
letter. As a matter of fact, this is Simon, whose name Jesus personally changed
to Peter, which means "rock". He was the Bishop of Rome, and as such
the first Pope; the "rock" upon which Jesus built His Church. You can
be assured that if there was a Pre-Tribulational Rapture, that St. Peter would
know about it. If there was such a rapture, and he knew about it, why didn't he
include it in this discourse? Surely, if a Pre-Tribulational Rapture was to
come, it would be momentous event. As such, it certainly would be awaited with
anxiety, and St. Peter would have included it within the "these things"
that he referred to.
St. Peter provides another
bit of valuable information in his next statement, specifically: "Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, also
wrote to you, speaking
of these things as
he does in all his letters. In them there are some things hard to understand
that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they
do the other scriptures."
Now, St. Peter may not
have known that about 1,800 years after the Ascension of Jesus, certain people
would concoct this mythical concept of Pre-Tribulational Rapture, but the Holy
Spirit certainly did.
St. Hippolytus - Father of the Church - circa 200 A.D.
"Now, concerning the
tribulation of the persecution which is to fall upon the Church from the
adversary, John also speaks thus: "And I saw a great and wondrous sign in
heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her
head a crown of twelve stars. And she, being with child, cries, travailing in
birth, and pained to be delivered. And the dragon stood before the woman which
was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And
she brought forth a man-child, who is to rule all the nations: and the child
was caught up unto God and to His throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness,
where she hath the place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a
thousand two hundred and threescore days. And then when the dragon saw it, he
persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child…"
"…And the
dragon," he says, "saw and persecuted the woman which brought forth
the man-child. And to the woman were given two wings of the great eagle, that
she might fly into the wilderness, where she is nourished for a time, and
times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent." That refers to the one thousand two hundred and threescore
days (the half of the week) during which the tyrant is to reign and persecute
the Church, which flees from city to city, and seeks concealment in the
wilderness among the mountains, possessed of no other defence
than the two wings of the great eagle, that is to say, the faith of
Jesus Christ, who, in stretching forth His holy hands on the holy tree,
unfolded two wings, the right and the left, and called to Him all who believed
upon Him, and covered them as a hen her chickens. For by the mouth of Malachi
also He speaks thus: "And unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of
righteousness arise with healing in His wings."
Lactantius - Father of the Church - 303 A.D.
"…Then he
[Antichrist] will attempt to destroy the temple of God, and persecute the righteous people; and there will be distress and
tribulation such as there never has been from the beginning of the world.
As many as shall believe
him and unite themselves to him, shall be marked by him as sheep; but they who shall refuse his mark will either flee to the
mountains, or, being seized, will be slain with studied tortures. He
will also enwrap righteous men with the books of the prophets, and thus burn
them; and power will be given him to desolate the whole earth for forty-two
months. That will be the time in which righteousness shall be cast out, and
innocence be hated; in which the wicked shall prey
upon the good as enemies; neither law, nor order, nor military
discipline shall be preserved; no one shall reverence hoary locks, nor recognise the duty of piety, nor pity sex or infancy; all
things shall be confounded and mixed together against right, and against the
laws of nature. Thus the earth shall be laid waste, as though by one common
robbery. When these things shall so happen, then the
righteous and the followers of truth shall separate themselves from the wicked,
and flee into solitudes…"
On the loosing of Satan
after the Eucharistic Reign of Jesus (the symbolic 1,000 years):
"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… The
mountains shall be filled with carcasses, and the plains shall be covered with
bones; but the people of God during those three days shall be concealed under
caves of the earth, until the anger of God against the nations and the last
judgment shall be ended.
Then the
righteous shall go forth from their hiding-places, and shall find all things
covered with carcasses and bones. But the whole race of the wicked shall utterly
perish; and there shall no longer be any nation in this world, but the nation
of God alone…"
It is clear that
Lactantius, neither taught, nor had been taught, anything about the people of
God being "raptured" body and soul into Heaven in advance of the
Tribulation.
The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail
"He said to them,
"But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You
are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply,
"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed
this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter (n.b. the word "peter" means "rock"),
and upon this rock I will build my church, and the
gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you
the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Mt 16:15-19)
"I will pour out My
spirit. And I will work wonders in the heavens, and on earth, blood, fire and
columns of smoke; the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, at
the coming of the day of the Lord, the great and terrible day. Then everyone shall be rescued who calls on the name of
the Lord; For on Mount Zion there shall be a remnant,
as the Lord has said, and in Jerusalem survivors whom the Lord shall
call." (Jl 3:2-5)
Through many
contemporary mystics we have been told by both Our Lord and Our Lady, that those
who make the Consecration to the Immaculate Heart
of Mary will be called into safe refuges before the worst of the
Tribulation. .Such mystics include without
limitation: Fr. Stefano Gobbi, John Leary, and Carol Ameche.
We have been told that it
will be as it was for the Israelites of the Old Testament:
"See, I am sending
an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have
prepared. Be attentive to him and heed his voice. Do not rebel against him, for
he will not forgive your sin. My authority resides in him. If you heed his
voice and carry out all I tell you, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a
foe to your foes. "
(Ex 23:20-22)
Through Carol Ameche, an
alleged visionary, Jesus stated, that food, supplies and clothing will be
miraculously multiplied when those consecrated
to the Immaculate Heart are called by their guardian angels to evacuate in
advance of the Great Chastisement (nuclear). A "nuclear
winter" resulting from the combined nuclear fallout blocking out
the sun is to follow, and all are encouraged to bring warm clothing to sustain
extremely cold weather. Jesus said that we are to prepare now, and set your clothes and supplies to the side
ready to leave at a moments notice. Your sacramentals will provide heat and
light. Note: Those that share their food, supplies and clothing will have it
multiplied; those who hoard it will have it consumed.
Food, supplies and
clothing will be miraculously provided when
those consecrated to the Immaculate Heart are called later by their guardian
angels into hiding at the time of the persecution of Christians within the
Tribulation.
Read the account in Acts
of the Apostles where St. Peter was freed by the angel without being detected
by guards that were present at the time. So it shall be when you are called
into hiding. Refer to Acts 12:1-19.
Psalm 91 describes God’s
COMPLETE protection of His Faithful Remnant in those days:
"You who
dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
Say to the
Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.".
For he will
rescue you from the snare of the fowler, from the destroying pestilence.
With His
pinions He will cover you, and under His wings you shall take refuge, His
faithfulness is a buckler and a shield.
You shall not
fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, not the
pestilence that roams in darkness nor the devastating plague at noon.
Though a
thousand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right side, near you it shall
not come.
Rather with
your eyes shall you behold and see the requital of the wicked.
Because you
have the Lord for your refuge you have made the Most High your stronghold.
No evil shall
befall you, nor shall affliction come near your tent.
For to His
angels He has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways.
Upon their
hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread
upon the asp and the viper; you shall trample down the lion and the
dragon.".
"Because
he clings to Me, I will deliver him. I will set him on high because he
acknowledges My name.
He shall call
upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in distress; I will deliver
him and glorify him; with length of days I will gratify him and will show him
My salvation.".
John Leary
The
following are two pertinent messages from Jesus via John Leary, which we direct
your attention to:
May 9, 2001 - Jesus said, "My people, for those,
who are led to caves for a refuge
during the tribulation, you will be hidden in the ground as I had to wait three
days in the tomb. Death had no hold on Me, but Scripture had to be fulfilled
that I would rise three days later. Again the days of the Antichrist
are foretold as less than the three and
one-half years for the sake of My elect. Even though
you will be tested, death will have no hold on My faithful who will not be
martyred. All men are appointed to die once, but My protection
will be there in My angels to guard you from the evil."
July 25, 2011, Jesus said, “My people, the false Christ, the beast, the Antichrist
will come before Me to try and impersonate Me. Do not be deceived by him and do not look at
his eyes because he will be possessed by a demon, and he will declare himself
which will start the tribulation time.
This will be the time when you will be protected at My
refuges. At the end of the
tribulation you will see Me come in gold on the
clouds. I will bring My Comet
of Chastisement which will kill two-thirds of humanity, and it will start
the three
days of darkness. Before the comet strikes
the earth, My angels will lift up My faithful into the
air so they will not be killed by the comet. The evil ones will suffer a living hell on
earth with My plagues before they will be cast into
hell. Then I will renew the face of the
earth, and I will lead My faithful back down to the
earth, and they will experience My Era of Peace. Rejoice, My people, that you have been
selected to live at this time of My victory.” (cf. Zec 12:1-9;
13:8-9)
<><
Recommended Reading
At the Call to Holiness website:
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Prayers of Consecration and the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
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"Fear comes from Satan. You have absolutely nothing to
fear.".
(stated
by both Jesus and Mary to several different mystics on several different
occasions.)
Prepare and rejoice for Our
Lord is coming soon !
Jesus, we trust in you.
NOTE: 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.
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
Merciful Jesus, I
consecrate myself today and always to Your most Sacred Heart. Most Sacred Heart
of Jesus I implore, that I may ever love You more and more. Most Sacred Heart
of Jesus, I trust in You! Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Sacred
Heart of Jesus, I believe in Your love for me. Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
make my heart like Your Heart.
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.
Prepared with the grace of God by
Ben J. Verdina, June 2001 (edited September, 2016)
abbacub2000@aol.com
For Additional Information On This and Related Topics Go To:
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/era-of-peace/info
To subscribe to era-of-peace
send an email to:
era-of-peace-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
This writing is listed 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 |
Footnotes:
Note: All references to
Holy Scripture are from the New American
Bible. Also refer to The Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 988-1065.
534 Cf. Jn 6:39-40.
535 Rom 8:11; cf. I Thess 4:14; I Cor 6:14; 2 Cor 4:14; Phil 3:10-11.
536 Cf. Gen 6:3; Ps 56:5;
Isa 40:6.
537 Rom 8:11.
556 St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 4, 18, 4-5: Patrologia Graeca (PG) 7/1, 1028-1029.
571 Cf. Gen 2:17; 3:3;
3:19; Wis 1:13; Rom 5:12; 6:23; DS 1511.
572 Cf. Wis 2:23-24.
573 Gaudium
et spes (GS) 18 § 2; cf. I Cor 15:26.
592 Cf. 2 Tim 1:9-10.
594 Cf. Council of Lyons
II (1274): Denzinger-Schonmetzer (DS) 857-858;
Council of Florence (1439): DS 1304- 1306; Council of Trent (1563): DS 1820.
595 Cf. Benedict XII,
Benedictus Deus (1336): DS 1000-1001; John XXII, Ne super his (1334): DS 990.
596 Cf. Benedict XII,
Benedictus Deus (1336): DS 1002.
631 Lumen Gentium (LG) 48; Cf. Acts 3:21; Eph 1:10; Col 1:20; 2 Pet
3:10-13.
632 2 Pet 3:13; Cf. Rev
21:1.
633 Eph 1:10.
640 St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 5, 32, 1 PG 7/2, 210.
641 GS 39 § 1.
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acknowledge the owner, or remove the graphic in question.