Apr 23, 2009

Jesus will come

Only God the Father knows the Day or Time of the end of the Present World, but as Fr. Charles Arminjon explains in his book The End of the Present World, and the Mysteries of the Future Life there will be clear signs of the approach of the End.
1. The Word of God must be proclaimed throughout the whole world. Mt 24:14
2. The man of sin, the son of Perdition, the Anti-Christ will appear (2Thes2:2-4)
3. The conversion of the Jews (Rom 11:14-17)

As to point 1, Catholics do not believe in a Rapture per se, nor in a Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS) interpretation of Eternal Assurance, but in perseverance, as the preceding verse in Matthew 24 indicates, "13 But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations: and then shall the consummation come." And as St. John Chrysostom says in homily on Mt.24:16-18 "And let not any man suppose this to have been spoken hyperbolically; but let him study the writings of Josephus, and learn the truth of the sayings."

Of course Josephus is a primary extra-Scriptural Historical reference to Jesus Christ,"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, (9) those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; (10) as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day."

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