.
Has Matthew 24:14 Been Realized?
'Definitely Yes'
...
"Jesus left the
temple area and was going away, when his disciples approached him to point out
the temple buildings. He said to them in reply, "You see all these things,
do you not? Amen, I say to you, there will not be left here a stone upon
another stone that will not be thrown down." As he was sitting on the
Jesus said to them in
reply, "See that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name,
saying, 'I am the Messiah,' and they will deceive many. You will hear of wars
and reports of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for these things must
happen, but it will not yet be the end. Nation will rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines and earthquakes from place to
place.
.
All these are the beginning of the labor pains. Then they will hand you over to
persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because
of my name. And then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one
another. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many; and because of the
increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who
perseveres to the end will be saved. (Mt 24:4-13)
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached
throughout the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come." (Mt 24:14)
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The Rule of Measure
.
Matthew 24:14 is held by
the Church as one of the conditions precedent that must occur prior to the end
of the age of Satan, and the Second Coming of Jesus. (1) It is worthy of emphasis that
Matthew's verse calls for the Gospel 'to be preached
throughout the world'. This is the 'yardstick' or 'meterstick'
to be employed; and although it is clearly stated, many fail to understand it.
It does not state that the seeds of the Gospel must take root and blossom,
necessarily; but only that the Gospel be preached
throughout the world.
Also, key to understanding
the meaning of this verse is the sense in
which it was stated. In "Free From All Error:
Authorship, Inerrancy, Historicity of Scripture, Church Teaching, and Modern
Scripture Scholars Chapter 4: The Plural Senses of Scripture" (2), Fr. William G. Most discusses the
senses of Scripture. He teaches the following in respect of the 'literal
sense':
"First, we need to
clarify the expression 'literal sense'. It is not a crude, fundamentalistic
way of understanding that treats the ancient writer as if he were a twentieth
century American, as if one were to say: "Genesis speaks of six days. That
means six times twenty-four hours. "No, the
literal sense is what the ancient writer really meant to convey." (3)
Furthermore, in the text
of Matthew 24:14 the Greek word, oikoumene is
used and translated as world. Scholars hold that it is used in a literal
(historical) sense. They hold that it is used here to
mean the world of the old
It is also worthy of
emphasis that for purposes of the satisfaction of Matthew 24:14 only, at any
particular time it is irrelevant whether the Church is engaged in an ongoing
evangelization effort, or whether any significant part of the world is in the
state of non-belief. Once again, it is the cumulative effort of preaching
the Gospel throughout the "world" that is the measure.(4) The Catholic Church teaches that it
"exists in order to evangelize" (5), and that it is the primary
responsibility of the bishops to assure that the Gospel is preached throughout
the world. Furthermore, in 2 Thes. 2,
Please reread this section
once again for clarity before proceeding.
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Fidei Depositum
.
In October 1992, H.H. Pope John Paul II issued his Apostolic
Constitution FIDEI DEPOSITUM On the Publication of the Catechism
of the Catholic Church Prepared Following the Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council.
Therein he stated the
following under the heading: 'Doctrinal Value of the Text':
"The Catechism
of the Catholic Church, which I approved 25 June last and the publication
of which I today order by virtue of my Apostolic Authority, is a statement
of the Church's faith and of Catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by
Sacred Scripture, Apostolic Tradition and the Church's Magisterium. I
declare it to be a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion and
a sure norm for teaching the faith. May it serve the renewal to which the Holy
Spirit ceaselessly calls the
"…This catechism is
given to them that it may be a sure and authentic reference text for teaching
catholic doctrine…"
There can be no doubt from
the words of this order of the Pope, that the
Catechism of the Catholic Church is a true catechism of the Catholic Faith.
With that in mind, let us
take a look at what H.H. Pope John Paul II states in the Catechism with respect
to Sacred Scripture:
102 "Through all the words of Sacred Scripture, God speaks
only one single Word, his one Utterance in whom he expresses himself
completely:(64)
You recall that one and
the same Word of God extends throughout Scripture, that it is one and the same
Utterance that resounds in the mouths of all the sacred writers, since he who
was in the beginning God with God has no need of separate syllables; for he is
not subject to time."(65)
103 "For this reason, the Church has always venerated the
Scriptures as she venerates the Lord's Body. She never ceases to present
to the faithful the bread of life, taken from the one table of God's Word and
Christ's Body." (66)
104 "In Sacred Scripture,
the Church constantly finds her nourishment and her strength, for she welcomes it not as a human word, "but as what it
really is, the word of God".(67) "In the sacred books, the Father
who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with
them."(68)
105 "God
is the author of Sacred Scripture. "The
divinely revealed realities, which are contained and presented in the
text of Sacred Scripture, have been written down under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit."(69)
"For Holy Mother Church,
relying on the faith of the apostolic age, accepts as sacred and canonical the
books of the Old and the New Testaments, whole and
entire, with all their parts, on the grounds that, written under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author, and have been
handed on as such to the Church herself."(70)
106 "God inspired the
human authors of the sacred books. "To compose
the sacred books, God chose certain men who, all the while he employed them in
this task, made full use of their own faculties and powers so that, though he
acted in them and by them, it was as true authors that they consigned to
writing whatever he wanted written, and no more."(71)
107 "The
inspired books teach the truth. "Since therefore
all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as
affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture
firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake
of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures."(72)
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Sacred Scripture
.
Thus we have
seen by order of the Pope via Fidei Depositum, that which the Catholic Church has always
taught: that Sacred Scripture, in its entirety, is the inerrant Word of God.
With that in mind, let us
turn to Sacred Scripture and see what has been said by God with respect to the
satisfaction of Matthew 24:14.
All scripture is
inspired by God
and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for
every good work (2
Tm 3:16-17)
And we also thank God
constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard
from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as
what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. (1 Th 2:13)
"And he said to them,
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to
the whole creation…And they went forth and preached
everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by
the signs that attended it. Amen." (Mk 16:15-20)
"And you who once
were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds he has now reconciled
in his fleshly body through his death, to present you holy, without blemish,
and irreproachable before him, provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly
grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the
gospel that you heard, which has been preached
to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister." (Col 1:21-23)
"But they have not
all obeyed the gospel; for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he
has heard from us?". So faith comes from what is
heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed
they have; for "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words
to the ends of the world." (Rom 10:16-18)
It is worthy of
emphasis that the word oikoumene that
was used in Matthew 24:14 and translated as world; is the same word used
in Romans 10:18 and translated as world.
Consider the second Chapter
of Luke's gospel, which states: "In those days a decree went out from
Caesar Augustus that all the world should be
enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius
was governor of
The corresponding footnote
in the New American Bible For
Catholics reads: "Caesar Augustus: the reign of the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus is usually dated
from 27 B.C. to his death in A.D. 14. According to Greek inscriptions, Augustus
was regarded in the Roman Empire as "savior" and "god," and
he was credited with establishing a time of peace, the pax
Simple logic would dictate
that the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, could make a decree with respect to only
the world under his dominion at that time. Clearly, that would be the world of
the
It should be emphasized
that the Greek word used for 'world' in Luke 2:1-5 is oikoumene.
The very same word used in Matthew 24:14 and Romans 10:16-18, discussed above.
Again, we see the word oikoumene used to
refer to the Roman world during the trial of St. Paul in chapter 24 of the Acts
of the Apostles, which states: "For we have found this man a pestilent
fellow, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the
world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes." (Acts 24:5)
Thus, we have the requirement of Matthew 24:14 established by God;
and subsequently, we have the Word of God stating clearly that Matthew 24:14
has been realized.
..
To be sure, we
need not proceed any further in this matter, but let's consider additional
information with respect to this issue.
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Fathers and Doctors of the
Church
.
St. Irenaeus, Father of the Church (130-202 A.D.)
"For, after our Lord
rose from the dead, [the apostles] were invested with power from on high when
the Holy Spirit came down [upon them], were filled from all [His gifts], and
had perfect knowledge: they departed to the ends of
the earth, preaching the glad tidings of the good things [sent] from God
to us, and proclaiming the peace of heaven to men, who indeed do all equally
and individually possess the Gospel of God." (Adversus
Haereses, Book III Chapter 1)
"Even as Esaias saith, "The children of Jacob shall strike root, and
.
Tertullian, Father of the Church (circa 2nd and 3rd
centuries)
"Take care, however,
lest those whom you call the third race should obtain the first rank, since there is no nation indeed which is not Christian.
Whatever nation, therefore, was the first, is nevertheless Christian now."
(To
the Nations, Book I Chapter 8)
.
"Therefore He added
moreover, 'And this gospel shall be preached in the whole world for a witness
to all nations, and then shall the end come,' of the downfall of
For in proof
that He meant this, and that before the taking of Jerusalem the gospel was
preached, hear what Paul saith, 'Their sound went
into all the earth;' and again, 'The gospel which was preached to
every creature which is under Heaven.' And seest
thou him running from
But what meaneth, 'For a witness to all nations?' Forasmuch as though it was everywhere preached, yet it was
not everywhere believed. It was for a witness, He saith,
to them that were disbelieving, that is, for conviction, for accusation, for a
testimony; for they that believed will bear witness against them that believed
not, and will condemn them. And for this cause, after the gospel is preached in
every part of the world, Jerusalem is destroyed, that they may not have so much
as a shadow of an excuse for their perverseness. For they that saw His power
shine throughout every place, and in an instant take the world captive, what
excuse could they then have for continuing in the same perverseness? For in proof that it was everywhere preached at that time,
hear what Paul saith, 'of the gospel which was
preached to every creature which is under Heaven.'
Which also is a very great sign of Christ's power, that in twenty
or at most thirty years the word had reached the ends of the world. 'After this therefore,' saith He, 'shall come the end of
.
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Fr. William G. Most
.
The late
Father William G.
Most was one of the world's premier theologians of our time. Fr. Most minced no
words in stating that Matthew 24:14 has been realized.
In Chapter 5: "Multiple Fulfillment" of his writing
entitled: "Free From All Error: Authorship,
Inerrancy, Historicity of Scripture, Church Teaching, and Modern Scripture
Scholars" (6) Fr. Most even used the satisfaction of
Matthew 24:14 as an example of multiple fulfillment of prophecy. In it he
states:
"A remarkable
phenomenon appears in a number of places in Scripture. Oddly, it has been
little noticed by scholars. It seems that prophecies can have more than one
fulfillment…"
A specially
interesting probable case of multiple fulfillment comes in the mysterious
chapter 24 of St. Matthew. At the start, the disciples ask Jesus for the signs
of two things: the fall of
Matthew predicts that
"this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world,
as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come" (24:14). The language is well adapted to multiple fulfillment,
for the Gospel was indeed preached throughout most of the Mediterranean world
before the fall of
Fr. Most addresses the
satisfaction of Matthew 24:14 further in another of his writings entitled: Eschatology (7) . Paragraph 424 reads:
1. The Gospel must
be preached everywhere: This is clear from Matthew 24:14: "This Gospel of
the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, in testimony to all
peoples, and then will come the consummation." Has that been done today? It seems definitely yes."
As we can see, Fr. Most is
very clear on the matter. In one instance, he submitted the satisfaction of
Matthew 24:14 as an example of multiple fulfillment prophecy, and in another he
even used the adverb, 'definitely' for emphasis.
[Refer to the Biography of Fr. William G. Most at Footnote (8) below.]
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The Many Imprimaturs
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Fr. Stefano Gobbi received
messages from the Blessed Mother from 1973-1997 (25 years). Many of her messages speak of the first evangelization, the
world becoming pagan again, and of the second evangelization. His
messages carry several Imprimaturs including
Imprimaturs of three Cardinals, several Archbishops, and several Bishops. The
three Cardinals in question are: the late Cardinal Echeverria of
While the Imprimatur is
not a declaration of authenticity of the messages being received from Our Lady,
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.
A number of Our Lady's
messages to Fr. Gobbi speak of the first evangelization having occurred, and
the gospel having been preached throughout the world, already.
That is to say, that the
above mentioned cardinals, archbishops and bishops have issued their
Imprimaturs in respect of it being true that the first evangelization has
occurred; or stated differently, that Matthew 24:14 has been realized. We shall
visit a few of her messages to Fr. Gobbi later herein.
Thus far we have seen that
Matthew 24:14 has indeed been satisfied by examining Sacred Scripture; Sacred
Scripture together with Pope John Paul II's Fidei Depositum and the Catechism
of the Catholic Church; the teachings of the Fathers and Doctors, the words of
the internationally acclaimed theologian, Fr. William G. Most, and the
Imprimaturs of several Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops rendered in respect
of Fr. Stefano Gobbi's messages which speak
repeatedly of the first evangelization having occurred.
Now, let us address the
arguments of dissidents from a different approach.
.
.
The
.
There are some who would
suggest that Matthew 24:14 refers to the entire globe, and in St. Mark's Gospel
and St. Paul's Epistles the Holy Spirit was only referring to the world that
was known to the human writers at that time. Thus, these people contend,
contrary to Sacred Scripture and contrary to the teachings of the Church with
respect to Sacred Scripture, that Matthew 24:14 has not been realized.
Clearly, this notion
ignores the fact that Sacred Scripture is the inerrant Word of one author, the Creator
of the world. Stated differently, it was the Creator who established the
requirement of Matthew 24:14, and it was the Creator, acting through St. Paul
and St. Mark, who stated that such requirement had been realized to His
satisfaction.
Once again, the word, oikoumene, was used by God in establishing
Matthew 24:14 and the same word, oikoumene,
was used by God in Romans 10:18 declaring that the requirement had been
satisfied.
As we discussed
above, the sense in which words are used in Sacred Scripture is key to
their understanding and fulfillment. Proponents of this notion,
would do well to consider the words of certain of the Church Fathers who said:
"And if those also
who follow heresies venture to avail themselves of the prophetic Scriptures; in
the first place they will not make use of all the Scriptures, and then they
will not quote them entire, nor as the body and texture of prophecy prescribe.
But, selecting ambiguous expressions, they wrest them to their own opinions,
gathering a few expressions here and there; not looking
to the sense, but making use of the mere words. For in almost all the
quotations they make, you will find that they attend to the names alone, while
they alter the meanings; neither knowing, as they affirm, nor using the
quotations they adduce, according to their true nature.
But the truth is not found
by changing the meanings (for so people subvert all true teaching), but in the
consideration of what perfectly belongs to and becomes the Sovereign God, and
in establishing each one of the points demonstrated in the Scriptures again
from similar Scriptures…" (St. Clement of
"But here some one
perhaps will ask, Since the canon of Scripture is complete, and sufficient of
itself for everything, and more than sufficient, what need is there to join
with it the authority of the Church's interpretation? For this
reason,--because, owing to the depth of Holy Scripture, all do not accept it in one and the same sense, but one understands
its words in one way, another in another; so that it seems to be capable of as
many interpretations as there are interpreters…Therefore, it is very necessary,
on account of so great intricacies of such various error, that the rule for the right understanding of the prophets
and apostles should be framed in accordance with the standard of Ecclesiastical
and Catholic interpretation." (St. Vincent Lerins; Commonitory for
the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith, Ch. II).
"…Since the literal sense is that which the author intends,
and since the author of Holy Writ is God, Who by one act comprehends all things
by His intellect, it is not unfitting, as Augustine says (Confess. xii), if,
even according to the literal sense, one word in Holy Writ should have several
senses." (St.
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Prima Pars,
Sacred Doctrine, Article 10)
"…we are not entitled
to such license, I mean that of affirming what we please; we make the Holy Scriptures the rule and the measure of
every tenet; we necessarily fix our eyes upon that, and approve that
alone which may be made to harmonize with the intention of those
writings." (St.
Gregory of Nyssa; On Virginity,
"If you believe what
you like in the Gospel and reject what you do not like, it is not the Gospel
you believe, but yourself." (
For the sake of this
argument, let us turn to the pronouncements of Pope John Paul II in respect of
the preaching of the Gospel in the '
ECCLESIA IN
The following are only a few
of the relevant excerpts from Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Exhortation, ECCLESIA
IN OCEANIA
promulgated on November 22, 2001. There are several more of
the same nature which we have not listed here in the spirit of brevity.
H.H. Pope John Paul II states, therein:
"Missionaries
brought the Gospel to the original inhabitants of
That was the goal of the
Synod, and it is the goal of the new evangelization to which the Spirit is
summoning the whole Church…
The present generation of
Christians is called and sent now to accomplish a new evangelization among the
peoples of
He is for ever the Word
made flesh for all the world; he is the Gospel that
was brought to
They [the Bishops of
..The kerygma is God's word proclaimed in order to set
humanity right with God through faith in Christ. We see the power of the kerygma
at work in the first community in ..(Ps 19:5). As 'witnesses of divine and
Catholic truth', the missionaries in Oceania traveled over land and
sea, passed through deserts and floods, and faced great cultural difficulties
in accomplishing their remarkable work. Inspired by this story of the Church's
birth in
To conclude this Apostolic
Exhortation, I invite you to join me in turning to the Virgin Mary, Mother of
Jesus and Mother of the Church, who is so revered throughout
ECCLESIA IN
The following are only a
few of the relevant excerpts from Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Exhortation, ECCLESIA
IN AMERICA
promulgated on January 22, 1999 in
"Rejoicing in the
faith received and praising Christ for this immense gift, the Church in
The evangelization of
On October 12, 1992, the
very day marking the five hundredth anniversary of
the first evangelization of
I asked that the Special
Assembly of the Synod of Bishops reflect on America as a single entity, by
reason of all that is common to the peoples of the continent, including their
shared Christian identity and their genuine attempt to strengthen the bonds of
solidarity and communion between the different forms of the continent's rich
cultural heritage. The decision to speak of 'America'
in the singular was an attempt to express not only the unity which in
some way already exists, but also to point to that closer bond which the
peoples of the continent seek and which the Church wishes to foster as part of
her own mission, as she works to promote the communion of all in the Lord…
As the Church throughout
America prepared to commemorate the five hundredth anniversary of the first evangelization of the continent, when
speaking to the Council of Latin American Bishops in Port-au-Prince (Haiti), I
had said: 'The commemoration of the five hundred years of evangelization will
achieve its full meaning if it becomes a commitment by you the Bishops,
together with your priests and people, a commitment not to a re-evangelization
but to a new evangelization — new in ardor, methods and
expression'…
To the extent that these
goals are reached, there will emerge an ever increasing dedication to the new
evangelization of
Throughout the
continent, from the time of the first evangelization, the presence of the
Mother of God has
been strongly felt, thanks to the efforts of the missionaries. In their
preaching, 'the Gospel was proclaimed by presenting the Virgin Mary as its
highest realization. From the beginning — invoked as Our
Lady of Guadalupe — Mary, by her motherly and merciful figure, was a
great sign of the closeness of the Father and of Jesus Christ, with whom she
invites us to enter into communion'.
The appearance of Mary to
the native Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac in 1531
had a decisive effect on evangelization. Its influence greatly overflows the
boundaries of
With the passage of time,
pastors and faithful alike have grown increasingly conscious of the role of the
Virgin Mary in the evangelization of
The greatest gift which
The burning desire to
invite others to encounter the One whom we have encountered is the start of the
evangelizing mission to which the whole Church is called. This mission has
become particularly urgent today in
Let everyone join in the
prayer of the Successor of Peter, invoking Christ who is 'the way of
conversion, communion and solidarity in
We thank you, Lord Jesus,
because the Gospel of the Father's love,
with which you came to save the world,
has been proclaimed far and wide in America
as a gift of the Holy Spirit
that fills us with gladness…"
Note that in ECCLESIA IN
OCEANIA, the Pope spoke of the first community of Jerusalem and the "fruit
of the first evangelization [of the world]", and
with reference to Romans 10:15-18 Pope John Paul II stated clearly in his own
words: "and indeed Christ sent his Apostles
whose "voice went out through all the earth, and their words to the end of
the world".
Also significant is that
fact that the Pope spoke at length about Our Lady of Guadalupe in ECCLESIA IN
The citations
above indicate clearly that Pope John Paul II not only considers the New World as having received its
first evangelization; but in referring to Romans 10:15-18 and his statement
which followed, he stated clearly that the world has already received its
first evangelization, as well..…..That is to say, that the
Pope clearly and overtly stated in a written Apostolic
Exhortation that Matthew 24:14 has been realized. .
Certainly, the above
information is more than enough to demonstrate that Matthew 24:14 has been
realized, but there is even more. We have the word of the Mother of God on it.
This writing began with Our Lord providing the following message #533 to me to
write about:
.
Message #533 to Fr. Stefano
Gobbi (9)
Solemnity of the Immaculate
Conception
.
Apostles of the Last Times
.
.The Blessed Virgin Mary said:
"You find
yourself here, my little son, to hold a cenacle with the bishops, priests and
faithful of my Movement, on this day when the Church celebrates the solemnity
of my Immaculate Conception.
The Most Holy
Trinity has filled my entire being with this singular privilege, because I was
destined to be the Mother of the Word, become man in my most pure womb.
In view of my
divine maternity, I have been preserved from original sin and from every shadow
of personal sin, and I have been filled with grace and holiness.
Because I am
the Mother of Jesus, I have been intimately associated in the mystery of His
work of redemption, as Co-redemptrix, and have thus
become true Mediatrix of Grace between you and my Son
Jesus.
Beneath the
Cross, through the Will of my Son, I have become Mother of all of you, and in
the Cenacle with the Apostles I have participated as Mother in the birth of the
Church.
My motherly
task is that of leading the Church along the way of its evangelization. And so I have
always been at the side of each of my children who, through two thousand years,
have brought the announcement of the Gospel to every part of the world.
Precisely on
this day, you are celebrating here the five hundredth anniversary of the beginning
of the evangelization of all this great continent of
After nearly
two thousand years since the first announcing of the Gospel, humanity has again
become pagan. I am the Mother of the Second Evangelization. Mine is the
task of forming the apostles of the second evangelization. During these years, I have formed you with particular care
and through the gift of my words, to be the apostles of these last times.
Apostles of the last times, because you must announce
to all, to the very ends of the earth, the Gospel of Jesus, in these days of the
great apostasy. In the great darkness which has descended upon the world, spread
the light of Christ and of his divine truth.
Apostles of
the last times, because you must give to all the very life of God, by means of
grace which you communicate with the sacraments of which you are the ministers.
And thus you spread the fragrance of purity and of holiness in these times of
great perversion.
Apostles of
the last times, because you are being called to bring down the dew of the merciful
love of Jesus upon a world parched by the inability to love and menaced more
and more with hatred, violence and war.
Apostles of
the last times, because you must announce the closely approaching return of Jesus in
glory, who will lead humanity into the new times, when at last there will be seen new heavens and a new
earth.
Proclaim to all
His forthcoming return: 'Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!'" (Rv 22:20)
End of message.
Why does the Pope
repeatedly use the word, 'NEW' in referring to the current evangelization
needed i.e. the NEW Evangelization? (while he does
call for a new methodology and approach, it is clearly much more than that) The
answer lies in the words of Our Blessed Mother above:
"And so
I have always been at the side of each of my children who, through two thousand
years, have brought the announcement of the Gospel to every part of the world
--- After nearly two thousand years since the first announcing of the Gospel,
humanity has again become pagan. I am the Mother of the Second Evangelization.
Mine is the task of forming the apostles of the second evangelization."
Clearly, we see such NEW
or Second Evangelization contemplated in Our Lady's message above.
Additionally, in a number
of her messages through Fr. Gobbi, the Blessed Mother refers specifically to
Pope John Paul II calling for the second evangelization. Two such occurrences
are found in her messages #468 Go and Evangelize & #523 My
Immaculate Heart Will Triumph:
"Go as apostles of
the second evangelization, to which the first of my beloved sons, Pope John
Paul II, is urgently calling you. Go and evangelize." (#468)
"It is you who must
be the instruments of this general return. It is you who must be the apostles
of this second evangelization, so strongly requested by my Pope. Thus, by means
of you, my Immaculate Heart will triumph." (#523)
.
.
The Second Pentecost
.
With the initiation of the
second evangelization being made by Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II, how
might the second realization of Matthew 24:14 occur ultimately? Consider the
following words of the Blessed Mother of God through Fr. Gobbi (10) :
#383 - The Holy Spirit Will Come - May 22, 1998
"The Time of the Second
Pentecost has come."
#501 - A Cause of My Great Sorrow - Sept. 15, 1993;
"…I am the
Mother of all these pagans as well,
a Mother who is concerned and anxious for their salvation. I nurture seeds of
life and goodness in their hearts. I help them to observe that Law which the
Lord has engraved in the depths of each man. I stir up in their minds a desire
for the truth, and thus lead them gently to the encounter with my Son Jesus. Their full and total adhesion to the Gospel will be an extraordinary
work of my Immaculate Heart…"
#521 - Come, Holy Spirit - May 22, 1994
"…Come
Holy Spirit.
A new and universal effusion of the Holy Spirit is necessary to arrive at the
new times, so longed for. It is necessary that the second Pentecost come quickly.
It can come to pass only in the spiritual cenacle of my Immaculate Heart. For
this reason, I renew today the invitation to all the Church to enter into the
cenacle which the heavenly Mother has prepared for you for the final times. You are able to enter through the act of consecration to my Immaculate Heart.
I request that this consecration, asked by me with
such anxious insistence, be made by the bishops, the priests, the religious and
the faithful. And let it be made by all in order to
shorten the time of the great trial which has now arrived...
The Holy Spirit will then bring you to an understanding of the whole and entire
truth.
The Holy Spirit will cause you to understand the times through which you are
living.
The Holy Spirit will be light upon your way and will make you courageous
witnesses of the Gospel in the dreadful hour of the great apostasy.
The Holy Spirit will bring you to grasp that which I will make manifest to you
concerning what is contained in the still sealed Book.
The Holy Spirit will give His perfect witness to the Son, by preparing hearts
and souls to receive Jesus who will return to you in glory.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Come by means of the powerful intercession of my Immaculate Heart. My hour is
the hour of the Holy Spirit. The Triumph of my
Immaculate Heart will coincide with the great prodigy of the second Pentecost.
A new fire will come down from heaven and will purify all humanity, which has
again become pagan. It will be like a
judgement in miniature, and each one will see himself in the light
of the very truth of God…"
#546 - 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 judgement
in miniature, which will open the door of your heart to receive the great gift
of divine mercy.
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.
Only then will you see how the tongues of fire of the Spirit of Love
will renew the whole world, which will become completely transformed by the
greatest manifestation of divine mercy…".
#574 The Second Pentecost - May 26, 1996
"You too, gathered
today in prayer in the spiritual cenacle of my Immaculate Heart, prepare
yourselves to receive the prodigious gift of the second Pentecost.
--- The second
Pentecost will come to bring this humanity --- which has again become pagan and which is
living under the powerful influence of the Evil One --- back to its full
communion of life with its Lord who has created, redeemed and saved it.
Miraculous and
spiritual tongues of fire will purify the hearts and the souls of all, who will
see themselves in the light of God and will be pierced by the keen sword of His
divine truth."
"…The
second Pentecost will descend upon all the nations which are so divided by egoism and
particular interests, by antagonisms which often set them one against the
other…"
.
.
Summary
.
Therefore, we have the following indicating that Matthew 24:14 has
indeed been realized:
|
A. |
John Paul II's Apostolic Constitution, FIDEI DEPOSITUM and his order re: the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which confirms that Sacred Scripture is the inerrant Word of God. |
|
B. |
The Word of God in Sacred Scripture stating clearly that the requirement of Matthew 24:14 has been realized. Furthermore, in the case of Matthew 24:14 the word, oikoumene, was used to establish the requirement, and the same word, oikoumene, was used in Romans 10:18 indicating that such requirement has been satisfied. |
|
C. |
The teachings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church which state that Matthew 24:14 has been realized. |
|
D. |
The statements of Fr. William G. Most, internationally-acclaimed theologian and priest: 'It seems, Definitely Yes'. |
|
E. |
The Imprimaturs of several Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops in respect of Fr. Stefano Gobbi's messages from Our Lady, which speak of the first evangelization having been made, the world having become pagan again, and the second evangelization to come. |
|
F. |
In respect of the New
World, the words of Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation, ECCLEISIA IN OCEANIA, stating
that the Gospel has been preached throughout |
|
G. |
In respect of the New
World, the words of Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation, ECCLEISIA IN |
|
H. |
The words of Pope John Paul II : "…indeed Christ sent his Apostles whose voice went out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world". |
|
I. |
The words of the Blessed Virgin in her message #533 to Fr. Gobbi (Imprimaturs) in which she states: "And so I have always been at the side of each of my children who, through two thousand years, have brought the announcement of the Gospel to every part of the world." |
|
J. |
The words of the Blessed Virgin in the above messages in which she speaks of the forthcoming, Second Pentecost, when everyone on Earth will experience a judgement in miniature, and then even the Pagans will know her Son. |
Marana tha!
Come, Lord Jesus!
Prepared with the grace of God
By Ben J. Verdina, August 2003
(edited September, 2016)
abbacub2000@aol.com
.
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:
|
|
Pray the Rosary ! |
|
|
Every time you pray the Rosary say: "With this Rosary I bind all my children to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.". |
|
|
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
.
|
(1) |
We can not over emphasize that this is not referring to the end of the world, but the end of an evil age -- the age of Satan. Say the 'Glory Be' prayer slowly and concentrate on the words. |
|
(2) |
Free From All Error: Authorship, Inerrancy, Historicity of Scripture, Church Teaching, and Modern Scripture Scholars; Chapter4: The Plural Senses of Scripture by Fr. William G. Most |
|
(3) |
For additional information, refer to The Senses of Scripture by Bob Stanley, and Summa Theologica, by St. Thomas Aquinas. |
|
(4) |
An interesting question
arises with respect to the evangelization efforts of the certain Protestant
denominations during the last 500 years. While their teachings contain
significant errors, to the extent that their preaching the Good News
throughout the world contains the fundamental truths consistent with the
Catholic Faith, to what extent do such efforts count towards the satisfaction
of Matthew 24:14? Rather than attempt to address this difficult question,
this writing will not contemplate any such Protestant evangelization. The Catechism of the
Catholic Church states in paragraph 838: "The Church knows that she is
joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored
by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its
entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of
Peter. Those who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in
a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. With the Orthodox
Churches,
this communion is so profound that it lacks little to attain the fullness
that would permit a common celebration of the Lord's Eucharist." In Ad Gentes, the Second
Vatican Council stated: "Catholics should cooperate in a brotherly
spirit with their separated brethren, among to the norms of the Decree on
Ecumenism, making before the nations a common profession of faith, insofar as their beliefs are common, in God and in
Jesus Christ, and cooperating in social and in technical projects as well as
in cultural and religious ones." For additional information on the Catholic Church's position on ecumenism, refer to Dominus Iesus and To Protect the Faith. |
|
(5) |
Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia In |
|
(6) |
Free From All Error: Authorship, Inerrancy, Historicity of Scripture, Church Teaching, and Modern Scripture Scholars; Chapter 5 Multiple Fulfillment, by Fr. William G. Most; |
|
(7) |
Eschatology, by Fr. William G. Most; Par. 424 |
|
(8) |
Complete
Biography of Fr. William G. Most : Fr. Most held doctorates
in both classical languages and theology. For over 40 years, beginning in the
1940's, he taught undergraduates at He was the author of
twelve scholarly and popular books and a host of articles covering such
topics as grace, Scriptural interpretation, the role of Mary in the
redemption, and many other topics, Fr. Most was internationally recognized as
one of the premier faithful Catholic theologians of our time. His theological
breakthroughs on difficult questions regarding grace, free will and the
prerogatives of Mary are already legendary. Fr. Most died in January
of 1999 at the age of 84. He had spent well over sixty of those years in
direct, active and faithful service to the Church for the glory of God and
the salvation of souls. |
|
(9) |
Fr. Gobbi received
messages 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 While the Imprimatur is
not a declaration of authenticity of the messages being received from Our
Lady, 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 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. This will be the FIRST RESURRECTION (Rev. 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 (not in the flesh). 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 Final Judgement. |
|
(10) |
Additional information
on these topics can be found in the book: To the
Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons,
By Fr. Stefano Gobbi; The Marian Movement of Priests, National Headquarters USA, P.O. Box
8, St. Francis Maine, USA 04774-0008; Tel: 207-398-3375; IMPRIMATURS. The following is a word
concordance with respect to the two topics: The Second
Evangelization:
451 h, 454 f, 455 f, 467 h, 467 i, 468 c, 468 i, 468 o, 474 t, 487 h, 514 b, 522 i,
523 g, 525 f, 533 h, 557 l The Second Pentecost: 294 p, 302 e, 310 b, 310 g, 316 i, 330 B, 343 d, 355 b, 381 e, 383 a, 383 a, 404 c, 426 b, 426 l, 427 l, 427 l, 428 b, 428 c, 428 d, 428 f, 434 h, 448 e, 450 c, 496 e, 496 h, 496 p, 505 e, 521 d, 521 h, 521 o, 536 j, 546 c, 546 i, 546 k, 558 g, 562 k, 573 i, 573 k, 574 b, 574 c & d, 574 e, 574 f, 574 g, 574 h, 574 i, 584 k, 586 h & I |
|
(64) |
Heb 1:1-3. |
|
(65) |
|
|
(66) |
Cf. DV 21 (hereinafter, DV refers to the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation DEI VERBUM as promulgated by Pope Paul VI) |
|
(67) |
I Thess. 2:13; cf. DV 24. |
|
(68) |
DV 21. |
|
(69) |
DV 11. |
|
(70) |
DV 11; cf. Jn 20:31; 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pt 1:19-21; 3:15-16. |
|
(71) |
DV 11. |
|
(72) |
DV 11. |
|
|
|
.
Recommended
.
At the Yahoo Era Of Peace web site:
|
#70 |
Global Evangelization - The Warning - Fr.Gobbi |
|
#193 |
The New Pentecost - Fr. Gobbi |
|
#194 |
New Pentecost to Occur Soon - Fr. Doucette |
|
#95 |
Fr. Gobbi: Eucharistic Reign of Jesus & 2nd and 3rd Comings |
|
#100 |
More on the Eucharistic Reign of Jesus |
|
#196 |
New Era About to Begin - Fr. Doucette |
At the Call To
Holiness web site:
|
|
Iniquity With Divine Retribution at the Dawn of the Era of Peace – A Summary Guide to the Tribulation |
|
|
After the Warning |
|
|
The Era of Peace |
.
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
. .
|
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:
|
|
Iniquity With
Divine Retribution at the Dawn of the Era of Peace – A Summary Guide to the
Tribulation |
|
|
After The Warning |
|
|
Tribulation Update |
|
|
Thank You For Having Responded To My Call |
|
|
Sky Signs |
|
|
Ben's Calling |
|
|
The Statues of Our Lady Are Crying For Our Help |
|
|
Prayers of Consecration & Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
|
|
Heaven and Earth Are Uniting – Fr. Gobbi |
|
|
Ave Maria: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate |
|
|
Supreme Authority of the Pope Until Death or Abdication |
|
|
The Myth of the Pre-Tribulational Rapture |
|
|
To Protect the Faith |
|
|
Both Faith and Good Works Required |
|
|
The Catechism and the "Term" Coredemptrix |
|
|
Ecclesiastical Masonry: The Beast Like a Lamb |
|
|
Tribulation Protection: The Blood of the Lamb |
|
|
Scripture Alone? Is Half of the Story Sufficient? |
|
|
Has Matthew 24:14 Been Realized? 'Definitely Yes' |
|
|
To the Refuges on Wings of Eagles |
|
|
Must the
Reconstruction of the |
|
|
The Abomination of Desolation |
|
|
The Era of Peace |
|
|
The Original Prayer to St.
Michael |
|
|
Mary, Queen and Queen Mother |
|
|
How to Identify the
Antichrist |
|
|
The Whore of |
|
|
The Mark of the Beast |
|
|
Upon This Rock |
.
"When you find in Holy Scripture
anything you did not believe before, believe it without doubt."
.
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