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St. Luke XXI, 25-26: And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon,
and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;
the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for
looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers
of heaven shall be shaken. |
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This is that text from the Gospels with which the
ecclesiastical year usually commences. It is read to the believers at
church every year, explained in one way or another, so as to best serve
the preacher's purpose. Even if many of them do speak of signs and
miracles, only a few know what these signs actually consist in and in what
way they will announce the time to come. Most preachers choose their
explanations of this text from the political life thus endeavoring to
explain what is spiritual with worldly examples. This is quite as futile
an effort as if one would try to explain the spiritual world through the
material, whereas it should be the other way round, since the happenings
in the world are the result of spiritual endeavors.
Behold, My children, when in those times I spoke of
signs and predicted to the Jews the destruction of their temple, only few
of them believed My words because they did not know Me. Now, when I am
telling you the same, there are quite as many doubters and non-believers
expecting the signs from a different side than where they will actually be
coming from.
At that time I predicted the destruction of the temple
of Jerusalem and the end of the Jewish people as an independent nation. I
told them that the way in which they were observing their religious laws
was contrary to what Moses and the Prophets had wanted to give them, and
that an end must be made to this conception and practice by means of the
true interpretation for the sake of which I had come and sacrificed My
life.
They did not want to relinquish what through habit had
long since become their faith or religion. For them the temple in
Jerusalem represented the spiritual edifice of religion. However, since
things were so bad in that temple and religion was preached and practiced
to suit the interests of the priests and Pharisees, this material temple
had to be destroyed if mankind were not to rot in the muddy, stagnant
water of their lowest passions. Another, spiritual, everlasting temple,
for which I laid the foundation stone during My life on earth, could only
be built on the ruins of the former.
As from that time and since My ascension, signs have
been given, and still are being given, until My Second Coming, admonishing
people to convert, but it never seemed to be the right time to destroy the
present temple, namely Rome and its establishment. Even if a ray of light
heralding the future illumined the heart of many a person, in Rome it
stayed dark and kept getting darker instead of lighter.
What once happened in Jerusalem, where the armed Roman
power during a long time respected the religion and customs of the Jews
and gave them a free hand, has happened also with Rome until this day. The
mighty, with sword in hand, well aware of the nuisance in Rome, did not
want to make an end to it, but preferred to use it in their own interest.
However, just as once the Jews brought about the destruction of their
temple and their own downfall through their presumptions and rebellious
attitude, the edifice of the infallible (the Pope) on Peter's chair in
Rome will collapse through the presumption and blindness of his own
assistances and will have to make room for My teaching as once before. . .
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