There is no trace of chiliasm to be found in the Gospels or in the Epistles of St. Paul; everything moves in the spiritual and religious sphere; even the descriptions of the end of the world and of the last judgment bear this stamp. The victory over the symbolical beast (the enemy of God and of the saints) and over Antichrist, as well as the triumph of Christ and His saints, are described in the Apocalypse of St. John (Revelation 20-21), in pictures that resemble those of the Jєωιѕн apocalyptic writers, especially of Daniel and Henoch. Satan is chained in the abyss for a thousand years, the martyrs and the just rise from the dead and share in the priesthood and kingship of Christ. Though it is difficult to focus sharply the pictures used in the Apocalypse and the things expressed by them, yet there can be no doubt that the whole description refers to the spiritual combat between Christ and the Church on the one hand and the malignant powers of hell and the world on the other.
No trace of an era of peace to be found in the Gospels or in the Epistles of St. Paul.
Following St. Chrysostom (Op. Imperf. on Matt., homilies XLVIII and XLIX) the consummation of the age of the jews, of the old covenant culminates in the destruction of Jerusalem A.D. 70. The consummation of the age of the gentiles will start with the great apostacy or revolt (2 Thess 2), with the abomination desolating the holy place, the sacrifice abrogated, and it includes the destruction of the Church (the new Jerusalem). The former destruction is corporeal carnage, the latter destruction is spiritual carnage. In both cases, few 'survive' (a scattered handfull of holy people left, Dan 12,7). The abomination of desolation then was the hosts of Roman soldiers surrounding and then taking Jerusalem, the abomination of desolation at the end are hosts of heretics spiritually destroying the Church. (compare Lk 21,20 and Mt 24,15).
I believe we're witnessing the
consummatio saeculi. The generation which witnessed the solemn apostacy of the fathers of the robber council A.D. 1965 will not pass before Our Lord will return. In my opinion, the head of the hosts of antichrists was Montini (Paul VI), though all antipopes since Roncalli preached the adoration of man, or mankind, U.N., human rights, etc.
Topic: Era of peace (Read 758 times)