A blessed New Year to all

Jan. 1, 2019

We praise Thee and bless Thee dear Jesus, because by Thy coming and death on the Cross, Thou hast accomplished our redemption. How can we possibly repay Thee for the gift to us on ChristMass of Thyself? By praying and watching with Thee and refusing to be duped by the false christs and prophets now roaming the world, seeking whom they may devour. Time marches on, to eventually culminate in the coming grand finale to all we have experienced here on earth since we lost the visible Church.  There are signposts along the way, and we must keep track of them. Several have been brought to my attention recently that I need to share.

1. The darkening of the sun

In Matthew 24:21 “For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be….29: And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be moved.” Recent articles on the Internet describe the intent of scientists to actually darken the sun in order to lessen the effects of global warming, a global warming another Internet article indicates these same self-glorifying scientists have also created themselves (https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/techandscience/china-and-russia-are-working-on-a-controversial-heating-experiment-to-modify-the-earths-atmosphere/ar-BBR35EL?li=AA4Zor).

Notice Our Lord says, “The sun shall be darkened…” He doesn’t say the sun shall grow dark or become dark. The way this is put suggests something external actually shall be done to darken the sun.  Rev. Leo Haydock says this darkness of the sun refers to Jesus Christ, Light of the World, a light that will no longer be allowed to shine. The moon, he says, is the Church, which ceases to give Her light (teaching of Christ) and “will appear as involved in darkness.” The stars falling from heaven are interpreted elsewhere in Holy Scripture as bishops apostatizing from the faith, but Rev. Haydock says they will simply cease to shine.  Like the Church, they cannot give light they no longer possess. Rev. E. S. Berry interprets the darkening of the sun as the weakening of Catholic faith. It seems that the spiritual sense must first precede the literal, which has happened. The neo-Modernists have both darkened the sun that is the Church by the plot hatched to destroy Her and by their science have worked to also achieve the physical reality. The spiritual interpretation of Scripture is foremost. But it does not preclude the actual physical fulfillment of the prophecy as well. Both can occur, the physical mirroring the spiritual reality.

2. The sounding of trumpets

People from around the world have reported they are hearing the sound of trumpets and other strange, unearthly sounds, beginning in 2008. The sounds heard in Canada resemble faraway church bells. Those in Germany and other parts of Europe sound like the brass section of a mighty orchestra tuning up, as do those in Hawaii. Sounds heard in Slovakia and Japan are more fearsome, resembling the roar of a deadly predator stalking its prey. Apoc. 14:2: “And I heard a voice from heaven, as the noise of many waters, and as the voice of great thunder; and the voice which I heard, was as the voice of harpers, harping on their harps.” Some of the noises featured on videos could be described as the noise of many waters, the sounds of thunder and the music of harps. Signs were seen in the sky as described in Holy Scripture by the prophet Elias (the “little foot,” cloud 1 Kings 18:41). Carmelite writers interpret the small cloud as a figure of the Virgin Mary, and some believe that foot is the very one that will crush the head of Satan in the end times. Elias’ successor Elisha was shown an army of angels with fiery chariots, to protect him from his enemies, (2 Kings 6: 16-17).

Following the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 A.D., the Jewish historians Josephus Flavius and Tacitus described a vision they had seen in A.D. 75,  several years after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (70 A.D.) and a year or two following the Roman massacre of Jews at the Judaean fortress Masada. These Jews had fled to Masada following the Temple destruction and died there in 73 or 74 A.D. This vision was similar to that seen by Elisha, but minus the angels. The historians report armed battalions and chariots were seen racing through the clouds. Some also reported the vision was accompanied by a minor earthquake.

There is also this verse from Isaias: “And it shall come to pass, that in that day the Lord will strike from the channel of the river even to the torrent of Egypt, and you shall be gathered together one by one, O ye children of Israel. Isaias 27:13: And it shall come to pass, that in that day a noise shall be made with a great trumpet, and they that were lost, shall come from the land of the Assyrians, and they that were outcasts in the land of Egypt, and they shall adore the Lord in the holy mount in Jerusalem. Likewise the first pope, St. Peter, told those witnessing Pentecost (Acts 2: 14-21): “This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass, in the last days, saith the Lord, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. 

“And upon my servants indeed, and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will shew wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood and fire, and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.” Many have interpreted the signs they see and hear as warnings from heaven that God is greatly displeased with those on earth. Here also is yet another prediction that the sun will grow dark.

3. Earthquakes in Apocalypse

These trumpet sounds could coincide with the sounding of the trumpet in Apoc. 11:15. St. John the Evangelist speaks five separate times of earthquakes; three of them are great. The first reference occurs in Apoc. 6:12, where a great earthquake appears to inaugurate the chastisement. The second great earthquake occurs when the seven angels receive their trumpets. At this time, another angel casts a censor on earth filled with the prayers of the saints. The third and fourth mention of an earthquake occurs in chapter 11, verses 13 and 19. In verse 13 a “great” earthquake kills 7,000 and in verse 19 an earthquake accompanies an occurrence that could refer to the triumph of the Church.

The fifth earthquake mentioned can be found in Apoc. 16:18. There is an intermediate vision followed by the emptying of the seventh bowl. The intermediate vision describes the battle of Armageddon (which could have both a literal AND a spiritual meaning) but seems to relate to Chapter 19 and the defeat of the nations with their head, Antichrist. Apocalypse 16:16-21 provides us with a perfect description of the devastating results of an earthquake which is widespread and measures 10 or more on the Richter scale; also the phenomena preceding it.

Earthquakes in Apocalypse can be said to refer to all manner of upheavals in nature, the fall of governments, wars, persecutions, the eventual violent death of evil emperors/leaders etc. Because the Apocalypse is intended to be taken in a spiritual sense, the earthquakes are not interpreted literally by some commentators. Still, perhaps the great earthquakes, at least, are truly to be taken for earthquakes. Rev. Berry seems to interpret at least some of them in this manner.

Coverage of the 7.0 Alaska earthquake Nov. 30, 2018 was eclipsed by the death of former Pres. George H.W. Bush; broadcast media paid little attention and by the time Bush’s funeral finally took place it was old news. But according to National Geographic’s official site, a worldwide earthquake that no one felt — because it was mainly confined to the oceans — occurred three weeks prior to the 7.0 quake, on the morning of Nov. 11, 2018. The waves caused by this quake “didn’t just zip by; they rang for more than 20 minutes. And yet, it seems, no human felt them.” It was a “slow” earthquake scientists believe, of about 5.0 magnitude (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/11/strange-earthquake-waves-rippled-around-world-earth-geology/).  But perhaps it was a harbinger of the Alaska quake, the strongest in recent history. Alaska’s most devastating quake, a whopping 9.2, occurred on March 27, Good Friday, in 1964. It was no coincidence it happened during the middle of Vatican 2.

4. Paris is burning

This was foretold by Our Lady at La Salette in 1846: “At the first blow of His thundering sword, the mountains and all nature will tremble in terror, for the disorders and crimes of men have pierced the vault of the heavens. Paris will burn and Marseilles will be engulfed. Several cities will be shaken down and swallowed up by earthquakes. People will believe that all is lost. Nothing will be seen but murder, nothing will be heard but the clash of arms and blasphemy.”

St. John Bosco also predicted: “In the second visit the great Prostitute of Babylon, which makes decent people sigh and call it the Brothel of Europe, will be left without a leader and will be a victim of disorder. “Paris! Paris! Instead of arming yourself in the name of the Lord, you fortify yourself with Houses of Immorality. They will be destroyed by you yourself. Your idol, The Pantheon, will be burnt to ashes in order that this may come true: ‘violence uttereth lies against me.’ Your enemies will reduce you to want, to hunger, to fear, and will make you the abomination of the nations. Ah, woe to you, if you do not recognize the hand that strikes you! I want to punish immorality, the despising of and the contempt for My law, says the Lord. …

Marie Mattel of Tilly (d. 1899) She saw in a vision great darkness, accompanying thunder and the destruction of nearly all of Paris through fire as well as the destruction of Marseilles and other cities. (Prophets and Our Times, Gerald Culleton).

What are we to make of these prophetic indicators? It is true that they are happening with increasing frequency and seem to be sent as pointed reminders of the times in which we live. Is the final act of this terrifying performance we have been witnessing drawing any closer? Perhaps, but no one can be certain. Traditionalists and those in other non-Catholic sects seem to dismiss these signs as merely “preparatory visions,” not pertaining to the times in which we live. They refuse to believe we live in the times of Antichrist, but no one has dared challenge Pope Pius IX’s teaching that without the pope the Church cannot exist.

This being the case, Traditionalism as well as the church in Rome are both phantoms; the papacy and the Mass could scarcely be lost today when they don’t even exist. So how will Antichrist fulfill Scripture prophecy when he comes, and how can he be Antichrist if he is unable to fulfill them? In the end, will these people reject Holy Scripture as the Modernists before them? And this simply because it does not meet their expectations of the Abomination of Desolation, which Pope Paul IV infallibly taught would be exactly what it was and is?