Huh I've never heard this before.
If the age of the Gentiles ended in 1962 how is it that the Church if Africa is still growing by leaps and bounds?
The 'fullness of the gentiles' wouldn't mean there won't be any more gentile conversions just that the fullness has entered and from that point on it would be a decline - overall.
Matt: 17:10,11; Luke 1:17; Malachi 4:5,6
Haydock's commentary explains clearly why Jesus says that John the Baptist was the coming of Elijah the prophet is "spirit" but also clearly shows that Elijah will literally appear in person during the last persecution of the Church under Anti-Christ. From reading the explanations for these verses, to me it seems that according to the common opinion of the Fathers is that the "fullness of the Gentiles" doesn't happen until the Jєωs are converted to the true faith by the preaching of Elijah the prophet during the last three and a half years of world history. I could be interpreting this wrong though, I'm just a layperson and not an expert by any means. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can correct me if I err.
Another thing that bothers me is that today so many people are of the opinion that the times we are living in is the "Great Apostasy" spoken of by St. Paul in 2 Thess. 2:3. I for one don't believe this to be true. We are definitely witnessing an apostasy but not the "Great Apostasy." From the reading I have done on this subject, the "Great Apostasy" doesn't happen until after the minor chastisement and final age of peace has come to an end. During the long promised age of peace man will be blessed with the knowledge of the fullness of revealed truth as well as the enjoyment of a super abundance material prosperity. Many prophecies say that the earth will be the most fecund during this time, more than has ever happened in the whole history of the world. That is what will make the "Apostasy" so grievous.
Matt: 17:10
10 And his disciples asked him, saying: Why then do the scribes say that Elias must come first?
Elias must come first. The prophet Elias will come again in person before my second coming to judgment, and will re-establish all things, by the conversion of the Jєωs to the Christian faith, according to the common opinion.
Luke i. 17. — But this prophet in person will be the precursor of the second coming of Christ. Whereby Malachy, predicting this coming of Christ, says: I will send to you Elias the Thesbite
. S. Chry. hom. lviii. — Jesus Christ here confirms the literal sense of the prophecy; (Malac. iv. 5,
Malachi 4:5 Behold I will send you Elias the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
Elias. Sept. add, "the Thesbite;" and S. Jerom (in Mat. xvii.) says, that Elias shall indeed come and restore all things. --- Dreadful. Christ's first coming was in all meekness; but he will judge in terror. Hence the prophet's meaning is not that S. John, but that Elias shall come before the great day of the Lord. W. --- Yet we may understand it of Christ coming into the world to preach, and again to judge. His first coming proved terrible to the perfidious Jєωs, whose ruin presently ensued. The destruction of Jerusalem was a figure of that which the world shall experience. C. --- This shall be preceded by the preaching of Elias. N. Alex. Diss.vi. --- This interpretation seems very striking and natural, though the prophet may have had the first coming of Christ and the ruin of the city chiefly in view. Our Saviour testifies that the Elias whom the Jєωs expected was already come. Mat. xi. 14. and xvii. 11. Lu. ix. 8. C.
Matt:17:11
11 But he answering, said to them: Elias indeed shall come, and restore all things.
Shall . . . restore all things. According to S. Chry. Theophylactus, and others, these words signify that Elias shall restore all the Jєωs to the one true faith towards the end of the world; or, according to S. Augustine, he shall strengthen those that shall be found wavering in the persecution of Antichrist.
Luke 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias; that he may turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just, to prepare unto the Lord a perfect people.
Turn the hearts of the fathers, &c. The angel applies these words (Malach. iv. 6.) to S. John the Baptist; telling his father, that he shall convert many of the children of Israel, &c. by bringing them to the knowledge of Christ. Secondly, that he shall go before him, or be his precursor and forerunner. — In the spirit and power of Elias; i.e. S. John shall be the forerunner of Christ's first coming to redeem mankind, as Elias shall be the forerunner of Christ's second coming to judge the world. Thirdly, that S. John, by converting the Jєωs, shall also turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, &c. The meaning of which obscure words seems to be, that whereas Moses, Abraham, and the prophets, (whose souls were in a place of rest) knew by a revelation from God, that their children, the Jєωs, lived in sin and disobedience to the laws of God; and on this account were offended and displeased at them: now when they shall know that they have been converted by the preaching of S. John, they shall rejoice, and be reconciled to their children, the Jєωs: for as our Saviour tells us, (Luke xv. 7.) there is joy in heaven upon any one sinner that doth penance. The angel, to explain the foregoing words, adds, and the incredulous to the wisdom and prudence of the just; i.e. S. John's preaching shall make them truly wise and just. Wi. — With reason is he said to precede Christ, who was his forerunner both in his birth and in his death. In the spirit of prophecy, and in the power of abstinence, and patience, and zeal, they resembled each other; Elias was in the desert, S. John was in the desert also. The one sought not the favour of king Achab, the other despised the favour of Herod. The one divided the Jordan, the other changed it into a laver of salvation. The one is to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ's second coming, as the other was of his first. S. Ambrose.
Malachi 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers: lest I come, and strike the earth with anathema.
Heart, &c. By bringing over the Jєωs to the faith of Christ, he shall reconcile them to their fathers, viz. the patriarchs and prophets, whose hearts for many ages have been turned away from them, because of their refusing to believe in Christ. C. --- The antipathy of Jєωs and Gentiles shall cease. Both shall enter the Church of Christ. Is. xi. 13. The Baptist strove to ameliorate the manners of the people, and to bring all to Christ, who reconciles all seeming contradictions in the Scriptures. He came to put an end to all dissensions. C. --- Yet the wicked will still have war. Mat. x. 35. H. --- Christ will convert those Jєωs at last, (Rom. xi. 26. C.) who have not yet opened their eyes. Their fathers, the apostles and first converts, have long ago shewn them the example. H. --- Anathema. In the Hebrew, cherem, that is, utter destruction. Ch. --- Sept. "entirely," (C.) or "suddenly;" αρδην. S. Jer. Deut. vii. 26. --- This passage intimates that the ruin of Jerusalem is threatened. If people should be converted, would that stop the general conflagration? C. --- Some of our crafty adversaries have inferred from the above explanation of anathema, that the Church means heretics to be destroyed: but her kingdom is not of this world: she speaks only of the soul, and exercises a spiritual power. H.
Topic: Tre Fontane Stopped Flowing in 1962? (Read 1438 times)