Dave Griffey at Daffey Thoughts gives us some somber thoughts to ponder:
The time to choose is fast arriving
To side with the Lamb of God or the Beast of the Pit
Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed.
And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.
He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
Revelation 13.1-18
Don’t worry, I’m not going all premillennial dispensationalism on you. I took classes and seminars on the textual development of the Greek New Testament. It’s one of those little majors I spend little time harping on here at the blog. But it is an interest of mine.
Now I’m not looking for helicopters and The Beatles by reading between the lines of Revelation. But it was written and included in Sacred Scripture for a reason. Long reason and short, the church was by its writing routinely being targeted by the Roman Empire. Many believed a faith that hadn’t delivered in the ‘eternal life’ promise wasn’t worth dying for, and jumping ship wasn’t unheard of.
Using the imagery of apocryphal literature, John weaves a wild phantasmagoric ride through a very symbolic end of times, but with the same consistent messaging: keep hope. It will get worse before it gets better. But stay close to God. Many won’t. Many will curse God rather than repent, while others will abandon God. But don’t let that be you. No matter how many join Baal, Moloch or Ashtoreth, including apostacy, stay with the new covenant.
As we watch our society and our world lurch down the next step of the ladder, it’s worth brushing the dust off this last book of the Scriptures and pondering that message. It’s not going to be easy, but it is as simple as that.
Go here to read the comments. or to comment. A Christian martyr, when told by the Roman official about to sentence him to death that the whole world was against him, responded that then he was against the whole world. If Christ is with us it matters not how many are against us, during the End Times or Any Times.
perhaps slouching towards DC would be more appropriate
🙂
I don’t think of it as End Times; I think of it as The End of a Era, or the circle coming full around.
Amen DJH.
The Beginning Times.
Michael Jones, a Protestant apologist at the Inspiring Philosophy YouTube page, has an interesting (and non-dispensational) viewpoint on eschatology:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ8bDbromtc&t=325s
Donald:
The Beast Yeats alludes to is of course the Sphinx of Giza: an impressive body, but a tiny head. Sounds like modern liberalism, alright.
@P.N. You live in Michigan right? So you are very well aware of how windy, icy, cold and just plain miserable “The Beginning Times” (aka Spring in Michigan) is.
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My neighbor has crocuses in her yard already. She has a south facing front lawn. I have a north facing one and still have snow covering up my crocus bulbs.
I always felt like our political parties should be renamed “the best lack all conviction” and “the worst are full of passionate intensity”.
I don’t think of it as End Times;
Neither do I, though you never know. Someday someone will say that and they’ll be wrong. But I think the message is hold on tight, persevere and never lose faith – though it may get worse before better.
“I always felt like our political parties should be renamed “the best lack all conviction” and “the worst are full of passionate intensity”.”
Good one. Going to steal that. 🙂
The seven Sacraments are the seven pillars that uphold the Catholic Church. Without any one or them there is no Catholic Church; no church on earh to save mankind.
Jesus Christ gave us the seven Sacraments. Jesus Christ does not lie nor can He be deceived.
Jesus Christ would not be the Word of God if Christ lied, nor would Christ be infinite God. Man would all be lost forever with the gates of heaven locked to us.
Unborn children, the immortal innocent souls of the newly begotten sovereign persons enjoy worshipping God by their existence to which they must give consent or become a miscarriage. Therefore, the free will endowed by God, our Father in heaven becomes the image and likeness of God in man and man’s very freedom.
The unborn sovereign person enjoys implicit baptism of desire through the fruits of Jesus Christ’s baptism and redemption of mankind, all sovereign persons, because this is the will of our Father, (inclusion, non-discriminatory and hateless love of the infinite Supreme Sovereign Being in Whose image all human beings are created.) “their Creator” (Declaration of Independence) in heaven.
Our Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson, author of our Declaration of Independence, wrote that man’s conscience reigns supreme as “consent of the governed institutes government”, “of the people, by the people and for the people.” Abraham Lincoln
The Sacrament of Confirmation gives young adults the gift of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, grace, logic, clarity and the courage to share their acknowledgement of God’s love.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is just that. We all need repentance to return to our friendship with God and to gain the strength and grace of holiness.
The Sacrament of Holy Eucharist is the sharing in the divine life of Jesus.
The Sacrament of Holy Orders gives mankind men who act in persona Christi. These men are called and ordained to bring mankind the seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church.
The Sacrament of Matrimony receives the vows of office of man and woman to become husband and wife to help each other gain eternal life in heaven with their Maker.
The Sacrament of Extreme Unction is the blessing of the human body and its five senses and Holy Viaticum for the sick and dying in their passing from this earth bound life.
Any violation of the Seven Sacraments destroys the person’s soul who commits such violation. The person’s soul is the source of his life. Violation of natural law brings destruction of the human being too, in body and soul.
Homicide destroys the body of another immortal human soul.
Pornography destroys the freedom, free will, consent and the sovereignty of the addict.
Human souls addicted to the seven capital sins have no consent. These souls become the slaves of Satan. Satan tells these souls that they have life in hell.
God is life. Without God, man is not man. Man can only be man in the Beatific Vision in God.
@DJH
Yep. Northern Michigan.
Yesterday I spotted a pair of Sandhill Cranes in the backyard. They were twenty feet away from our Lady’s Statue. Signs of Spring/Second Coming. :^)
Crains were considered to be soul deliverers if I recall correctly. North America Indian lore. Either we’re going to have a baby, we’re going to die…or they are just scouting the area for possible nesting grounds.
In any of these scenarios it’s a win win.
Yesterday it was 20° heading into town. Ouch. Dont see the crocus’ yet…but their coming.
HOLD FAST
One more.
An observation from my mother’s side of the family. Ireland. I recall hearing that
before the Return of the King, Ireland would look like it did pre St. Patrick. Humm.
From SpiritDaily;
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“Greetings from Dublin, Ireland, home of the original St Patrick’s Day Parade,” wrote Pat Mullin. “As you know, it is well loved, well respected, and celebrated throughout the world as a fun day.
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“Likewise here in Ireland, it is celebrated throughout Ireland in towns and villages, with marching bands and colorful displays of various groups and of commercial interests.
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Ireland cancels St. Patrick’s Day parades over coronavirus fears | CNN
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“In 2019, precovid, I watched the parade on television and heard the commentator refer to the Celtic goddess ‘Eriu,’ as being the patron of the parade. Other than that, there was little Celtic spirituality in that parade, according to my recollection.
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“There was a similar reference to Eriu in last year’s parade, with a large number of L.G.B.T. people taking part and being interviewed at length.
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“In this year’s parade, there was a large float on which stood a woman dressed in flowing white robes who, the commentator said, was Eriu, while eight or nine women in flowing white robes, surrounded the float in a waltzing fashion.
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“This was followed by a series of Celtic icons on floats, with a woman interviewed about all the Celtic goddesses of pre-Christian times.
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“So St Patrick has been supplanted by pagan goddesses.
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“Interestingly, there were also numerous emblems of snakes, wriggling along on floats. Numerous floats in the parade displayed various kinds of demons in the shape of very large, ugly monsters.
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“Interestingly, this was a feature of parades that took place in cities and towns throughout Ireland, as shown on the news that night.
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“During ad breaks, the ‘rainbow’ was featured on our screens, along with a writhing snake that winked with one eye.
In any event, Catholic Ireland seems to be dead and in the grave with O’Leary (an Irish expression !) The island of saints scholars has been taken over by demons and witches.”
SMOD, come on down!
(Apologies to Johnny Olsen.)