2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 And The Signing Of The Elect

(footnotes also as a separate page) 

 

In the second chapter of Thessalonians book two the 'man of sin', the antichrist, is the main subject matter, but we will focus particularly also on the 'operation of error' and the signing of the elect (Apoc. 7) which occurs at the time of the coming of the antichrist proper.

 

The "Man Of Sin" (2 Thessalonians Chapter 2)

St. John tells us that the man "who tells us that Jesus is not the Christ" is "Antichrist, disowning as he does both the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22 Knox); that he "must needs come, and even now...many Antichrists have appeared" (1 John 2:18 Knox); who are "false teachers", not admitting that Jesus Christ has come; and that "no spirit which would disunite Jesus comes from God. This is Antichrist...in the world already" (1 John 4:3 Knox). They do this by denying his humanity, or his divinity[1]; heretics also do this by denying that the Church has the fullness of truth from Christ, thereby separating the bride of Christ from the Word of God; and the faithful from the Church; in particular this is done by the devil's attack on the papacy.

The precursor to the antichrist proper is the antipapacy itself, in all seven heads (Apoc. 13:1). But the eighth, which is "of the seven" (Apoc. 17:11), and "shall come up out of the bottomless pit", is the 'man of sin' in particular, whereas the antipapacy as a whole is the 'man of sin' in a more general sense.

 

 

2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means, for unless there come a revolt first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition

 

K~  Do not let anyone find the means of leading you astray. The apostasy must come first; the champion of wickedness must appear first, destined to inherit perdition. 

 

The apostasy was held back as long as the papacy remained. The 'revolt' came about when a number of fallen cardinals manipulated the 1958 conclave so that Siri, who was elected, did not appear. This was engineered by the 'mystery of iniquity', represented by the tail of the dragon (Apoc. 12:4) who drew down "the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth".[2] This was not an apostasy of the faithful, at least not at that time. It could be argued that the faithful were imbued by liberalism to a great degree, but this is not yet a general 'falling away' leading to the establishment of the antipapacy; rather, it is the establishment of the antipapacy which leads to the 'falling away' of the faithful. Knox indicates that the 'man of sin' arrives as an immediate consequence of the revolt within the conclave which is in accord with chapter twelve.

By 'revealed' it is not necessarily meant that he is known as such, at the time, as the 'man of sin' (but to those who can see, whether immediately or in after years); but that he did appear in the world, or was manifest.

 

A different way to interpret the revolt would be to see it from the far end: It is possible that the apostasy may be interpreted as a  departure from the Vatican 2 church, and which is significant enough in number to garner attention to reveal the 'man of sin' to the world. In this instance, they also happen at the same time: "The apostasy must come first; the champion of wickedness must appear first" and it is the latter which is "destined to inherit perdition"[2B].

It is possible that both of these may be true. The first has already come to pass.

 

 

2:4  Who opposeth, and is lifted up above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself as if he were God.

 

K~  This is the rebel who is to lift up his head above every divine name, above all that men hold in reverence, till at last he enthrones himself in God’s temple, and proclaims himself as God.

 

In a more general sense, this applies to all seven antipopes, as they went about building a new church of the world and becoming increasingly bold in their heresies[3]. The first obvious sign was Roncalli's disobedience to Our Lady of Fatima by refusing the reveal the third secret in 1960. As they contradict defined dogma more and more, opposing the true Magisterium and Holy Spirit, they raise themselves above all dogma, the actual papacy, and the founder of that papacy and the Church.

In a more specific sense, this must be the 'eighth' spoken of: "The beast, which thou sawest, was, and is not, and shall come up out of the bottomless pit, and go into destruction" (Apoc. 17:8). This is the beast from the sea (Apoc. 13:1-8). Coming up "out of the bottomless pit", after the sixth seal event and the end of the term of the seventh antipope, he comes "according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders," (verse 9 below) and proclaims himself.[4]

 

 

2:6  And now you know what withholdeth, that he may be revealed in his time.

 

K~  At present there is a power (you know what I mean) which holds him in check, so that he may not shew himself before the time appointed to him;

 

2:7  For the mystery of iniquity already worketh; only that he who now holdeth, do hold, until he be taken out of the way.

 

K~  meanwhile, the conspiracy of revolt is already at work; only, he who checks it now will be able to check it, until he is removed from the enemy’s path.

 

The papacy holds his coming in check, until it is "taken out of the way". Knox translates this as "until he is removed from the enemy's path". This clarifies that he was not removed by the enemy so much as taken by God; when he "was taken up to God, and to his throne" (Apoc. 12:5). This means not that Siri was a 'hidden pope' for many years, but that when he was challenged, and gave way (within the conclave) the papacy was removed from the world.[5] 

 

The 'mystery of iniquity'[6], operating since the Resurrection, gained more power after the Protestant revolt, until it achieved the French Revolution under freemasonry, but it would not find its final expression until the militant atheism of Russian communism (1917) which Our Lady of Fatima came to oppose.[7]

Under freemasonry, the 'mystery of iniquity' might have succeeded in 1903 with the election of one Cardinal Rampolla, but for the efforts of Monsignor Jouin, who prevailed upon the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary to veto the election[8]. The time of the antichrist was not yet. This caused the enemy to redouble his efforts to spiritually isolate and weaken the Church by spreading vice and sin through the secular powers already under his control through freemasonry and then communism; and by 1958, conditions were ready, and there was no more any veto.[9] At any rate, this shows that the papacy could not be taken by the enemy and demonstrates Christ's promise that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18).[10]

 

2:8  And then that wicked one shall be revealed whom the Lord Jesus shall kill with the spirit of his mouth; and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming, him, 

 

K~  Then it is that the rebel will shew himself; and the Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth, overwhelming him with the brightness of his presence.

 

As opposed to the antipapacy, which prefigures him, this is the Antichrist specifically. He is spoken of in two different ways to include the seven 'heads' from which he came (Apoc. 17:11). He was 'revealed' in the first by the establishment of the antipapacy, visible though not known as such; then at the end the rebel shows himself, apparently risen from the dead[11], and is given all power, and the world is in wonder (Apoc. 13:2-8). Although he proclaims himself God (in what specific sense does not matter), St. John assures us that Our Lord can destroy him with a mere breath.[12]

 

 

2:9  Whose coming is according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders,

 

K~  He will come, when he comes, with all Satan’s influence to aid him; there will be no lack of power, of counterfeit signs and wonders; 

 

The dragon gives him "his own strength, and great power" (Apoc. 13:2) and the ten horns (Apoc. 13:1, 17:12-13) representing the connected powers of globalism, will also "give their power to the beast". This is aided by their control over technology and the emerging 'artificial intelligence'; added to that is the sixth seal event, which will be called "the Warning" of Garabandal, in which the devil utilizes a 'natural' event from space to effect the fulfillment of his own prophecy. There indeed "will be no lack of power, of counterfeit signs and wonders".[13]

 

 

2:10  And in all seduction of iniquity to them that perish; because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Therefore God shall send them the operation of error, to believe lying:

 

K~  and his wickedness will deceive the souls that are doomed, to punish them for refusing that fellowship in the truth which would have saved them. That is why God is letting loose among them a deceiving influence, so that they give credit to falsehood;

 

The "operation of error" is a term which may include a number of things and defies a simple explanation. At the minimum it must include, or begin with, the antipapacy. The "deceiving influence" is to teach error officially, which Knox calls giving "credit to falsehood". The first and foremost is the antipapacy which promulgated Vatican '2' and promotes ecumenism with false religions.

In a broader sense, since this 'deceiving influence' is 'let loose among them' (the peoples of the world in general)[14] it is the "errors of Russia" spoken of by Our Lady of Fatima which is this 'operation of error'. Not only was the Church infiltrated, but the institutions of the West in general. This includes, in the main, the establishment of error in the institutions, and the media; what this means is that, having established error at the top (wherever it might be), it becomes the new norm, and everything that follows from it is influenced.[15]

A recent example is found in the fifth seal event, which concerns the world-wide Covid-19 hoax: The medical establishment, the entire media and seemingly every government in the world was involved. The media promulgated the event, citing 'official' medical sources, and the governments enforced their edicts.

Another example is the rise of what is called 'woke' ideology in many places: It is concerned with what is called 'equality'[16] and is another error of Russia, in that what is deemed to be unequal is 'evil', similar to how the 'bourgeois' were considered to be oppressors of the proletariat, and therefore deserving to be inflicted with punitive measures.[17]

[Edit:] The World War II narrative is obviously another branch; so obvious it was not thought necessary to include it initially.

The operation of error has further pernicious effects in that it gives official credence to contradiction, not only of common sense, but also of what used to be common knowledge and even logic itself. This leads to a condition known as cognitive dissonance[18]. This leads into the next verse:

 

2:11  That all may be judged who have not believed the truth, but have consented to iniquity.

 

K~  he will single out for judgement all those who refused credence to the truth, and took their pleasure in wrong-doing.

 

Since the papacy was taken away to permit the arrival of the antichrist, on account of sins, the 'operation of error' has been loosed in the world; those who have the truth find it because they really want to find the truth. This does not concern the papacy, at least not directly. Since it was removed from the world, to believe in it (or not) for the world does not factor in their judgement before the seventh seal.[19] 

To accept obvious contradictions would lead one to "consent to iniquity"; for example regarding the number of sexes which comprise mankind. There are many other contradictions, as part of the deceiving influence, which lead to a general state of cognitive dissonance in which one becomes accustomed to error. This means that one may eventually become unable to see contradiction. This results in blindness when comparing the dogma of the Faith with the antipapacy and particularly with the Antichrist.[20]

The antipapacy is a contradiction in that it professes continuity with that which it contradicts. The Antichrist will profess continuity with the true popes and Our Lord even as he contradicts them; and he will profess the authority to do it (due to his apparent resurrection); but as his origin lies with the antipapacy, of which its members are identified as heretical by Catholic dogma, those who love the truth will discern, and if they see the antipopes as antipopes, then they implicitly accept the true papacy.[21]

The coming of the Antichrist seals the judgement of them who "receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved". This means the love of the truth in general, and of itself even if the papacy were no longer there for them to find. If the papacy were there, there would be no Antichrist, but they would be judged for rejecting it, for "refusing that fellowship in the truth which would have saved them" as Knox stated it.

Verse eleven must also be contrasted with those who overcome: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of the testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death" (Apoc. 12:11).

 

 

Time Is Stopped. The Elect Are Signed And Are To Bear Witness (Apoc. Chapter 7)

This should happen shortly after the sixth seal event, in which the devil's own false prophecy, Garabandal's 'Warning', appears to be fulfilled; and shortly before the seventh seal. When that is opened Garabandal's 'Miracle' is taking place; but Heaven is silent (Apoc. 8:1), indicating that the event is not of Heaven. The trumpets follow afterwards, which ought to represent 'the Punishment' of Garabandal.[22] The time of the Antichrist should begin shortly after the seventh seal, as the book of life appears to be unsealed in the thirteenth chapter: "And all that dwell upon the earth adored him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb, which was slain from the beginning of the world" (Apoc. 13:8).[23]

7:1  After these things, I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that they should not blow upon the earth, nor upon the sea, nor on any tree.

K~  And now I saw four angels, standing at the world’s four corners, and holding back the four winds of the world, so that no wind should blow on land or sea, or upon any of the trees.

 

These four angels[24] represent an influence which affects the whole world: "standing on the four corners of the earth". They hold the 'four winds' which means all of them, so that there is no movement of wind anywhere. This might be interpreted as some kind of sign, if the world were aware of it. If there were no movement of wind "on land or sea, or upon any of the trees", perhaps there is no movement at all.

It could be that time itself is stopped for this occasion, to 'confirm' the elect. This will ensure that it is done without interference.[25]

This is not entirely without precedent. When Our Lady of Fatima worked the great miracle of October 13, 1917, it was seen over a limited radius, but outside of this, no one saw anything unusual. The only way this could happen is if time was halted everywhere else. It prefigures this stoppage of time, and there is a kind of parallel between them: The Fatima miracle was the great seal which confirmed and guaranteed the message; and those who, at the last, sought the truth and kept the faith are spiritual children of Our Lady of Fatima. 

 

It is for certain that these are also not affected by the 'accusation' aspect of the sixth seal event, which Garabandal calls the "illumination of conscience". They will know, then, that Garabandal is not of Heaven. It is a kind of anti-Fatima which draws the world's attention to Rome and the antipapacy (and will appear to 'confirm' Vatican '2').[26]

 

 

7:2  And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the sign of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

 

K~  And I saw a second angel coming up from the east, with the seal of the living God. And he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels who were empowered to lay waste land and sea;

 

That these angels were "empowered to lay waste land and sea" does not mean they were to do it with the wind, and that it why it was being held. Rather, its meaning is closer to that the effects of the tribulation should not yet proceed (as it would not, if time were stopped). 

The angel "ascending from the rising of the sun" might be Gabriel, who with the Annunciation, was present at the Incarnation. The seal or 'sign of the living God' might be related to the mark 'Tau', with which God bid an angel to mark the foreheads of his servants "who should not be hurt by the judgments that were to fall upon Jerusalem".[27] But what exactly it will be is unclear; whether it will be visible or not; but it will be indelible (permanent). If it is not visible to the world, it might be visible to the elect amongst themselves.

 

7:3  Saying: Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads.

 

K~  Do not lay waste land or sea or wood, until we have put a seal on the foreheads of those who serve our God.

 

In plain terms, this is the same as saying, "do not let anything happen" until the signing is done.

 

In Sr. Lucia's third secret vision there is a 'bishop dressed in white' whom the seers took to be the Holy Father[28].  It is evident from this book of Thessalonians and Apocalypse chapter twelve that the papacy is "taken away", not simply suppressed. It has been suggested that Siri's papacy has been prorogued somehow (see 'Faith Undermined: (1958-1965)'). What is not known is how the 'bishop dressed in white' came to be the Holy Father. However, the angel 'from the rising of the sun' tells the four angels not to move until we sign 'the servants of our God, etc'. Who is we, if not the Holy Father being accompanied by the angel ?

 

 

7:4  And I heard the number of them that were signed, an hundred forty-four thousand were signed, of every tribe of the children of Israel.

 

K~  Then I heard the count of those who were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand of them, taken from every tribe of the sons of Israel.

 

Verses five through eight tell of twelve thousand being signed from each of the twelve tribes. Haydock writes that this number is meant to signify that there is a great number of elect and not necessarily an exact number.[29] But given that St. John takes his time to spell out the exact number for each tribe, it is possible. In the context of history since his time, it is possible that each tribe represents a nation of what is formerly Christendom, or their descendants in North America and elsewhere, according to lineage. Alternatively, they may also represent those who have particular devotions, such as Augustinians or to Ligouri; but this seems less likely, given the number of possible 'tribes' in that case. In any case, they are not divided in a way similar to the seven churches to which were addressed seven letters (Apoc. 2-3).

 

 

The remaining verses are listed for context but there is not much to add beyond which Haydock has already given.[30]

 

7:9  After this I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands:

 

K~  And then I saw a great multitude, past all counting, taken from all nations and tribes and peoples and languages. These stood before the throne in the Lamb’s presence, clothed in white robes, with palm-branches in their hands,

 

These are all the saved which are seen by St. John although most are not even born yet. God can show him this through His infinite vision of the future, being omniscient: "God knows all truths about future contingent events".[31] This vision was given in the context of the signing of the elect, after the sixth seal and before the seventh. Thus, it does not necessarily represent all whom are written in the book of life. This multitude are those saved through the Church, without reference yet to the book of life, though they are written therein.[32]

 

 

7:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying: Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb.
 
K~  and cried with a loud voice, To our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, all saving power belongs.
 
"...Our salvation is from God, to whom be praise for ever, Amen, benediction, or blessings, thanksgiving" (Witham-Haydock). Is this vision of those at the end of time, and into the 'new creation' described in the last three chapters of Apocalypse ? "Behold, I make all things new" (Apoc. 21:5). In chapter twenty one, St. John is told "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away" (Apoc. 21:4). In verse seventeen below, he is told "For the Lamb...shall lead them to the fountains of the waters of life, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes". Does this vision concern the multitudes who have lived before and up until the times of tribulation, or does it also include the elect and the new martyrs who are to endure those times ?

 

 

7:11  And all the angels stood round about the throne, and the ancients, and the four living creatures; and they fell down before the throne upon their faces, and adored God,

 

K~   And all the angels that were standing round the throne, round the elders and the living figures, fell prostrate before the throne and paid God worship;

 

The ancients (or elders) represent the "illustrious saints of both the Old and New Testament" (Haydock, Apoc. 4:4). The scene in Heaven, with the angels, ancients, and the four living creatures around the throne, appears several times (Apoc. 4:4, 5:6, 5:8, 7:11, 14:3, 19:4), but not identically.[33]

7:12  Saying: Amen. Benediction, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honour, and power, and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.

 

K~  Amen, they cried, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength belong to our God through endless ages, Amen.

 

7:13  And one of the ancients answered, and said to me: These that are clothed in white robes, who are they? and whence came they?

 

K~  And now one of the elders turned to me, and asked, Who are they, and whence do they come, these who are robed in white?

 

The ancient asks St. John not as though he needed to know, but almost rhetorically. The mission of the Church extends to the end of time, beginning from the Pentecost. But he did not know how long it would be, though it is nothing compared to eternity:

 

7:14  And I said to him: My Lord, thou knowest. And he said to me: These are they who are come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

 

K~  My Lord, said I, thou canst tell me. These, he said, have come here out of the great affliction; they have washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

 

"The whole of this verse must be understood in a mystical sense, for we are said to make our garments white in the blood of the Lamb, when we enter into his Church by baptism, or wash away our sins by penance or martyrdom (Calmet)" (Haydock commentary).
 
From St. John's perspective, when he was having this vision, not very much time had passed, comparatively, since the Resurrection. This does not concern yet the General Resurrection, where afterwards there is a "new heaven and a new earth" (Apoc. 21-22). Either this vision includes those who are to come through the current tribulation, or they are them who, having been saved, are awaiting those who are yet to come through the current tribulation. From the perspective of eternity, which is the 'sight' of St. John's vision, it probably means both, situated as it is in the current chapter.
 
The elect are to bear witness to the truth in the chapter thirteen timeline (the one being fulfilled), which is why there will be no "two witnesses", of the chapter eleven timeline. Instead, there are 144,000.[34] Those who believe the truth, following the elect, will join them among this multitude (as being also written in the book of life).

 

This is echoed in Apoc. 21:4: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes:", except that this part is added: "and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away". This implies that this part of the vision is of the multitudes who have been saved up to this point, pre-Apocalypse tribulation.

Verse sixteen seems to indicate the same thing in that the sufferings of this world do not affect this multitude any longer; though they will affect others for as long as this world lasts. It is a possibility that those things will not affect the elect either (though they yet live) after they are signed, as an aid to their mission. The miracle of the sun at Fatima, at the end of which the sun appeared to fall upon the world, but instead returned serenely to they sky, leaving everyone dry (they had been drenched) might be an indication of certain aids to come to the elect during the main tribulation: "neither shall the sun fall on them".

The elect, who are fated for martyrdom in the end, are also seen by Sr. Lucia in her third secret vision which also concerns Apocalypse chapter fourteen.[35]

 

Addendum

It is to be admitted that the 'stoppage of time' for the signing of the elect seems unlikely, even after the miracle of the sun, which by now is outside of living memory, and so distant as to be almost legend. If there is an alternative, then it may happen in one of two ways:

(1) There are several angels to sign the elect ("we" in verse three).

(2) The time accelerates for the signer and his angel but not the signees, or slows for the world except for the signers.

First let us look at the time constraints. There are at least 144,000 to sign, in many places in the world. According to the ordering of the verses, the seventh seal is opened shortly after the elect are signed. False Garabandal only says that it will come "after the promised miracle" but gives no further details.

If there were only one person to do this signing, presumably the Holy Father, then even accompanied by an angel he would have to do four hundred signings a day every day for one year, which amounts to thirty three an hour assuming he is doing it for twelve hours a day. This is assuming it is done under 'normal' conditions, and does not account for any delays.

It seems reasonable to assume that all of the elect are signed by the time the seventh seal is opened. The tribulations announced by the trumpets will not be happening while this is going on, as the angel indicated in verse three: "...Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads". Also, all of the elect will survive the tribulation announced by the trumpets, as their appearance upon Mt. Sion in chapter fourteen does not admit of any diminution of their number; so also all of them are confirmed before it begins.

Of the first alternative, it is not possible that it is only angels to sign the elect, for they can do it in an hour, and there would be no need for the four angels to hold the winds of the earth to give them time. It also is not possible because it is presumably the Holy Father who 'confirms' them as elect, each individually, and this role is not to be delegated.

Of the second alternative, it is more likely to slow for the world except for the signers, given the actions of the four angels who hold the winds; but it is less likely that those who are being signed would not be conscious of the fact; that time is slowed for everyone but for the Holy Father and his angel. This is why the given solution seems most likely.

 

Footnotes

 

1.  Challoner commentary for 1 John 4:3.

 

2.  This is done simply by Knox's use of the semi-colon to separate the first element (the apostasy) from the second (the champion of wickedness), while indicating that either must come "first".

 

2B.  The only outward indication at the time was the mix-up in smoke signals, on Oct. 26, which first indicate that a new pope had been elected, accepted, and chosen a name. See Whitesmoke1985.com and here. The enemies of the Church nearly succeeded in installing their antipope in 1903 but were thwarted. This is not something which can happen without much careful planning and patience.

3.  Information on the heresies of the new church can be found at Novus Ordo Watch and others.

4.  He proclaims himself, perhaps, as the Resurrection. He may not use this particular word. He may proclaim himself the Father. These are on the side of probability. But as he will "lift up his head above every divine name, above all that men hold in reverence", he might not use any particular name but something approximating to "all" since even the word "God" might seem to limit him.

5.  See Faith Undermined (1958-1965). The nature of the papacy is that it cannot be used against itself. This is because the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. The devil tried to cheat by having a true pope elected (Siri), then causing him to renounce his election (but a resignation under duress is not valid); and then presenting his substitute (Roncalli/John 23). This would have the effect of having a false mouthpiece for a valid pope who does exist. In response, Heaven removed the papacy from the world so that its presence was no longer required for validity of faith; i.e. it is a non-factor for the duration of the times. What this means is that those who see the antipope as the pope cannot have that held against them; except if they should follow him into heresy.

 

6.  'Mystery of iniquity' commentary by Haydock.

 

7.  Dr. Bella Dodd testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee that the communists put 1,300 men into the seminaries to infiltrate the church from within. One of them kept memoirs, which is told about in AA-1025 (Anti-Apostle 1025). This was the 'tail' of the dragon, which succeeded in 1958 what freemasonry could not in 1903.

 

8.  From Novus Ordo Watch. The veto was a centuries-unused option which was the right of the Holy Roman Emperor. As the heir legateé of the Holy Roman Empire, Franz Joseph had that right, although not everyone was convinced. Still, the veto was carried out; but afterwards, St. Pius X abrogated the veto from the possibility of any future use.

 

9.  The 'spiritual chastisement' spoken of by Sr. Lucia to Fr. Fuentes in 1957 consists, in part, by the removal of the shepherd, thereby " leaving the souls of the faithful abandoned by their leaders, thereby the more easily will he seize them".

 

10.   One can argue that the 'gates of hell' might have prevailed if Rampolla's election was not vetoed. But this question needs to be explored further. The veto still existed for this reason, that the gates of hell do not prevail until it was time for the papacy to be "taken out of the way".

 

11.  It is possible that, proclaiming himself God, he will say he was never really dead. The speculation is not to predict what will happen, but to connect him to false religions. For example, in Eastern religions God is believed not to be separate from creation, but that all are connected. Pantheists believe all creation is God, as well. His apparent 'resurrection' would appear to give credence to that, and to put himself above even Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The second possibility is that the description of chapter thirteen is that of someone connected to hospital machinery and robotics: "And the beast, which I saw, was like to a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion" (Apoc. 13:2). The world keeps giving to him: "And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies: and power was given to him to do two and forty months" (Apoc. 13:5). And further: "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. And power was given him over every tribe, and people, and tongue, and nation" (Apoc. 13:7). 

 

The reason this possibility is mentioned is that the seventh antipope has come, and "must remain a short time" (Apoc. 17:10); the beast has a "death's wound" which is 'healed' (Apoc. 13:3); he is given all things; and if the attempt on his life is linked to the sixth seal event, as 'the Warning' of Garabandal, then this giving of power makes sense on a certain level - after all, did not the world almost end ? But there is also the fact that robotics technology is highly developed and that even a digital link to the brain is possible (Neuralink). If that becomes truly viable, this possibility becomes greater.

Depending on the severity of his 'death's wound': There is a paradox in one dependent on these machines and yet becoming all-powerful, with 'signs and wonders', as though he were God.

 

12.  Haydock's commentary. 

13.  The second scenario outlined above (footnote 10) would be an example of a 'counterfeit wonder'. But if somehow one of the earlier antipopes were to return, then that in itself would be something separate from these 'counterfeit wonders'; the wording seems to say that he comes not as a result of these wonders, but that he will perform them, after his arrival. St. John himself is insistent on this point, that the beast "which was, and is not" would come "up from the abyss" (Apoc. 17:8). Knox puts it as "The beast thou sawest is that which lived once, and now is dead; soon it must rise from the abyss".

In this timeline (of Apoc. chapter thirteen), the 'natural event' which is to be called 'the Warning' (the sixth seal) will not be called the same thing in the other timeline (chapter eleven). In that sequence, the period of peace will have come first, following the Consecration of Russia, and everything will have happened differently. It is impossible to know exactly what might have happened; but the cosmic 'natural event' may be seen in older, pre-Fatima, Catholic prophecy; and might be gleaned from the Gospel accounts: "And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be moved" (Matt. 24:29).

14.  No distinction is made between the Church and the world in this sense.

15.  For example, in the sciences, when those who support the theory of evolution were in a position to do so, it was treated as de facto proven, as an 'official' belief of those who are experts in the sciences. From there, it was accepted as worthy of belief and promulgated through education, the media, and the like. Also 'climate change', the denial of 'chemical trails' from aeroplanes, and the alteration of history and characters in entertainment.

 

16.   Which may be called 'equalism', as a false religion. Marxists believe in marxism; equality believers believe in equalism. Someone unknown coined the term.

17.  The error of globalism (another error of Russia), in which the world is treated essentially as one nation, holds that those of European descent are oppressing the rest of the world and unfairly hold much of the world's wealth. Because of this, 'woke' ideology seeks to dispossess them in favour of less 'fortunate' peoples in the world. What is not mentioned is that the rest of the world has running water, electricity, and technology at all because the West developed it; but as with all the errors of Russia, it is the perception of injustice rather than the actual which matters. Also as in Russia, these things are meant to transfer power to those who believe in the ideology, regardless of what is just in every case. At bottom, what is perceived to be equality is placed above anything called justice, rather like how, in verse four, the 'man of sin' is "lifted up above all that is called God, etc".

Today's bourgeois and proletariat are, according to the narrative, based on racial disparity regardless of whether this came about due to inherent factors which have nothing to do with intention or actual justice.

 

Russia's first error was the denial of the papacy, resulting in the 'Orthodox' schism of 1054. It can be argued that the communism which took control of it in 1917 is its end-point.
 

18.  Defined as "holding two contradictory beliefs at the same time". The most obvious example would be the belief, common in many traditionalist circles, that the pope can be a pope and a heretic at the same time.

19.  It is the most important factor after the seventh seal when the 'eighth' has come as the Antichrist in particular: "And all that dwell upon the earth adored him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb, which was slain from the beginning of the world" (Apoc. 13:8).

20.  Anything understood as 'woke' falls under this category.

21.  The coming of the Antichrist seals the judgement of them who "receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved". This means the love of the truth in general, and of itself even if the papacy were no longer there for them to find. If the papacy were there, there would be no Antichrist, but they would be judged for rejecting it, for "refusing that fellowship in the truth which would have saved them" as Knox stated it (not only the truth of the Catholic faith, up until 1958, but truth in general, as opposed to the narrative up until today). Those who have no love for truth in principle, but only self-interest, will inevitably be impelled to see the Antichrist as their saviour. The sixth seal event, which is the false prophecy of Garabandal fulfilled in 'the Warning', will be the impetus.

 

22.  The time in which each of these come to pass should be measured in weeks or months, not years.

23.  The timing of those events with chapter thirteen is not to be ascertained with complete certainty. The prophet Daniel tells us that "a time shall come such as never was from the time that nations began even until that time. And at that time shall thy people be saved, every one that shall be found written in the book" (Dan. 12:1). The book of life, unsealed, is where they are to be found written. After Daniel asks how long this shall be, he is answered: "it should be unto a time, and times, and half a time. And when the scattering of the band of the holy people shall be accomplished, all these things shall be finished" (Dan. 12:7). Knox puts it thus: "it should last for a space of time, and for twice as long, and for half as long, no more. Strength of God’s holy people must be broken utterly; when that is over, all is over and done". This is due to the beast, fighting against the elect: "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them" (Apoc. 13:7). The martyrdom of the elect is described in Apocalypse chapter fourteen which is also Sr. Lucia's third secret vision.

 

24.  Haydock commentary: "Though some understand here evil spirits, whom God may make use of as instruments to punish the wicked, yet we may rather, with other interpreters, understand good angels sent from God to guard and protect his faithful servants both from evil spirits and wicked men. (Witham)"
 
25.  In Biblical terms, how better to say that time has stopped, and nothing is happening ? It is understood that in the world the wind must be blowing somewhere. To say that it is not moving anywhere is something else.
 
It will be stopped for the elect, the angel, and whomever accompanies the angel to sign them (the "we" of the third verse). Presumably the Holy Father, for whom else might it be ? How that is to be managed remains to be seen.
 
26.  An odd parallel: Prior to the miracle, it was raining at Fatima and all were wet; but afterwards, everyone was dry (see here or 'The Whole Truth About Fatima', Vol. I). Conversely, during what Garabandal calls the 'illumination of conscience' one can fathom the action of the Accuser and his allies: They 'accuse' everyone of their sins so as to drive them to Rome, to which they will go, if they have no love for the truth. The soaked condition of the witnesses at Fatima may be taken as metaphorical for sin, after which it is taken away; but not so with Garabandal's 'Warning'.

 

27.  Haydock commentary for Apoc. 7:2, concerning Ezekiel 9:4.

 

28.  Taken from 'The Secret Still Hidden', Ferrera, p.50.

29.  Haydock commentary Apoc. 7. The differences Ven. Bede pointed out (concerning the tribes of Dan and Joseph), at the least, tell us that these tribes are not representative of the old Israel so much as the new, which was Christendom.

The list makes no mention of Dan; St Irenaeus and other authors think that this was because Antichrist was expected to come from that tribe.

30.  All Haydock references from his commentary.

31.  How God knows the future perfectly despite the contingencies of future free will actions of men is discussed at length in 'Contending For The Faith---Part 38'.

32.  The significance of the Book of Life, which is not a factor until it is unsealed, will be the subject of 'Two Timelines Of Apocalypse (Part Three)'. There is a reference to it in Daniel 12:1 - "... and a time shall come such as never was from the time that nations began even until that time. And at that time shall thy people be saved, every one that shall be found written in the book". Also in Dan. 12:4.

33.  Whether or not this has significance will be explored at a future date.

34.  See "Two Timelines Of Apocalypse (Part Three)".

35.  See "Third Secret Martyrdom Vision And Apocalypse 14".