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beehumble
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Many experts on the passage in Matthew 24 (the Olivet Discourse) state that Jesus was asked two questions and answered both simultaneously, thus He was speaking of both the events of 70 AD and the events of the Second Coming. One such source is *The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life * by Father Charles Arminjon.
While no one will know the specific day and time, there will be signs given to us who are not in darkness. Scriptures say so. Jesus said there would be signs and to look up when we see them. Too many Catholics only quote this verse in a stand-alone (Proof-text) fashion and say we won’t know when He comes and stop there, and so they completely ignore the part about how He said there would be signs that serve to announce His return is near. This is a mistake.
From *The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life * by Father Charles Arminjon:
“Although Christ wanted to leave us ignorant of the exact time of the end of the world, He deemed it fitting to give us detailed information on the manner and circumstances of this great event.” (page 21)
“Accordingly, in order not to give rise to any misunderstanding or false interpretation, Christ tells us that the afflictions and prodigies of nature, which will mark the latter ages of mankind, are only the prelude and the beginning of still greater sorrows: ‘These are the early stages of the birth pangs.’” (page 12)
"It is important, though, to consider that Christ, in His prophecy, combines in a single scene the signs relating to the end of the world and those relating to the destruction of Jerusalem. He does so, first, because of the analogy between the two events…Secondly, because in God there is no distinction or succession in time. The impending events and those more remote are clearly present to His mind, and He sees them as if they had occurred at the same moment…Hence in His prophecy He shows [the Apostles], as it were, two perspectives and two horizons, having analogous features and alike in relief, pattern, and coloring. In St. Matthew and St. Mark, the two events - the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world - seem rather to be merged. In St. Luke, the two occurrences are very clearly distinguished: there are features that refer solely to the end of the world… " (page 13)
Jesus was using Typology when He answered the questions - the Old Covenant events in 70AD serve as a type for what will come at the fulfillment of the New Covenant (the time of the Second Coming). Typology is a very useful and important tool in Biblical exegesis; much of what is said in Revelation, Matthew 24 and other places refers to both the times of the Apostles in the 70 AD era and also to the end of the age, for example. Both Preterists and Futurists ignore or forget that to further their own arguments. Typology reveals the events to be both of the past and of the future - the past events serve as types for what is to come.
No doubt the 666 reference serves as a type meaning both Nero and things of the future, not even necessarily limited to a person of the future, but persons and or things that are anti-Gospel, anti-church, anti-Christ in nature, that will be prevalent at the end of the age.
For example, Nero persecuted the People of God, and that is a mark of the evil ones, the “beast”, so one mark of the “beast” at the end of the age could be persons who, like Nero, persecute the People of God during the end times.
God bless you.
While no one will know the specific day and time, there will be signs given to us who are not in darkness. Scriptures say so. Jesus said there would be signs and to look up when we see them. Too many Catholics only quote this verse in a stand-alone (Proof-text) fashion and say we won’t know when He comes and stop there, and so they completely ignore the part about how He said there would be signs that serve to announce His return is near. This is a mistake.
From *The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life * by Father Charles Arminjon:
“Although Christ wanted to leave us ignorant of the exact time of the end of the world, He deemed it fitting to give us detailed information on the manner and circumstances of this great event.” (page 21)
“Accordingly, in order not to give rise to any misunderstanding or false interpretation, Christ tells us that the afflictions and prodigies of nature, which will mark the latter ages of mankind, are only the prelude and the beginning of still greater sorrows: ‘These are the early stages of the birth pangs.’” (page 12)
"It is important, though, to consider that Christ, in His prophecy, combines in a single scene the signs relating to the end of the world and those relating to the destruction of Jerusalem. He does so, first, because of the analogy between the two events…Secondly, because in God there is no distinction or succession in time. The impending events and those more remote are clearly present to His mind, and He sees them as if they had occurred at the same moment…Hence in His prophecy He shows [the Apostles], as it were, two perspectives and two horizons, having analogous features and alike in relief, pattern, and coloring. In St. Matthew and St. Mark, the two events - the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world - seem rather to be merged. In St. Luke, the two occurrences are very clearly distinguished: there are features that refer solely to the end of the world… " (page 13)
Jesus was using Typology when He answered the questions - the Old Covenant events in 70AD serve as a type for what will come at the fulfillment of the New Covenant (the time of the Second Coming). Typology is a very useful and important tool in Biblical exegesis; much of what is said in Revelation, Matthew 24 and other places refers to both the times of the Apostles in the 70 AD era and also to the end of the age, for example. Both Preterists and Futurists ignore or forget that to further their own arguments. Typology reveals the events to be both of the past and of the future - the past events serve as types for what is to come.
No doubt the 666 reference serves as a type meaning both Nero and things of the future, not even necessarily limited to a person of the future, but persons and or things that are anti-Gospel, anti-church, anti-Christ in nature, that will be prevalent at the end of the age.
For example, Nero persecuted the People of God, and that is a mark of the evil ones, the “beast”, so one mark of the “beast” at the end of the age could be persons who, like Nero, persecute the People of God during the end times.
God bless you.