Two Timelines Of Apocalypse - Part Three (Section VII)
(Footnotes/Extended Details also on separate page)
VII. "That Time Shall Be No Longer": Apocalypse Chapter Ten
-Considering The Chronology
-First Timeline Summary And Book Of Life Thesis
The twelfth chapter of Apocalypse concerns the continuity* of the end-times according to the second
timeline. It is literally the difference between the two: the culmination of the
crisis of the Church and subsequently the appearance of the antichrist according to chapter eleven or chapter thirteen.
* The Apocalypse 'epoch' really began with Fatima in 1917, and chapter four is its spiritual parallel, but neither timeline was as yet ascendant. Chapter twelve is the turning point at which events proceeded definitely along the second timeline.
The tenth chapter of Apocalypse concerns the beginning of the end-times according to the first
timeline. It deletes (not just annuls) the second timeline, and its end-point is
the tribulation of the antichrist according to chapter eleven.
The point upon which the first or the second timeline is manifestly begun is the revelation, or not, of the third secret of Fatima. If it were revealed, the Apocalypse epoch continues, and begins anew, according to the events of chapter ten; if not, it continues with the events of chapter twelve. [66]
10:1
And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a
cloud, and a rainbow was on his head: and his face was as the sun, and
his feet as pillars of fire.
* K~
And now I saw a second angel of sovereign strength coming down from
heaven, with a cloud for his vesture, and a rainbow about his head; with
a face bright as the sun, and legs like pillars of fire.
* Knox~ translation
We
can identify this angel with the angelic first apparitions at Fatima.
Appearing to Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta in 1916, he introduced himself
as 'the Angel of Peace' (signified here by the rainbow). At the second
apparition, he identified himself as 'the Angel of Portugal'. He did not give his name, but Portugal's tradition held St. Michael to be its guardian angel. 'Clothed with a cloud' may mean
this very thing, that the angel of Fatima did not identify himself by
name. [66A]
His
feet were 'as pillars of fire'. There seems to be a similarity with the
apparition of chapter one, whose feet were "like unto fine brass, as in
a burning furnace" (Apoc. 1:15), but the similarity here is likely due
to the resurrected state of St. Joseph as opposed to the angelic nature
of St. Michael. [66B]
His face was 'bright as the sun', which is similar to
Lucia's description upon the first appearance of the angel: "a young man
of fourteen or fifteen, whiter than snow, which the sun rendered
transparent as if it were of crystal, and of great beauty". [67]
10:2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth.
K~ He carried in his hand an open book. Setting his right foot on the sea, and his left on the dry land,
We note that he placed his right foot on the sea, from where the first beast of chapter thirteen was to emerge, and his left foot upon the earth, from where the second beast of chapter thirteen was to emerge. There is in this action a very great deliberateness. It means that this action has some relation to two of the three beasts of chapter thirteen. [68]
The
little book, which is open, cannot be confused with the book of chapter
five, "written within and without, sealed with seven seals" (Apoc.
5:1). That is the Book of Life (Apoc. 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:12,15, 21:27,
22:19). As we will see, this is doubly important, lest one mistake this 'little book open'
for the book of life after it is unsealed, as is done by Apoc. 8:1. It represents something else. The thing is, we must understand that the book of life is unsealed in the second timeline only; and here we have an open book in a first timeline chapter. This is not meant to confuse us, or the seer, but to confuse him. What we want is the timeline in which the book of life in unsealed. Later on we will see what the little book probably represents.
Fr. Kramer notes that, of the open book, "the contents may be readily understood and explained because the scroll is open". [69] St. John did not see fit to describe it, and we may surmise that he did not need to, as it is what he himself was witnessing and later to write; or rather, he was inspired not to read its contents even during the vision. We may understand that to write a prophecy that can 'delete itself', so to speak, is not to be aware of the circumstances of its possible erasure (the eating of the book, as we will see).
10:3 And he cried with a loud voice as when a lion roareth. And when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
K~
he cried with a loud voice, like the roaring of a lion; and as he
cried, the seven thunders of heaven made their voices heard.
Here Knox hastens to add that these 'seven thunders' are of heaven.
It has been said elsewhere that these voices seem to sound as if they were in
opposition to the voice of the angel, and thus would not be of Heaven. Haydock wrote that they are "to signify the following
approaching evils" which St. John was not to write, everything else
notwithstanding.
Fr. Kramer writes that after the angel's cry, in which there were no words articulated, "there was an immediate answer". The seven thunders "are designated by the definite article" which means that these voices are well-known. We may surmise that St. John knows them. Further on we will speculate on whose voices they might represent.
10:4
And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to
write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying to me: Seal up the things
which the seven thunders have spoken; and write them not.
These
seven thunders might be seen as the voices of false prophets, which St.
John is not permitted to write, as they might, or would, contradict the
words intended by Heaven.
Fr.
Berry writes: "...It would be useless to comment on their exact meaning
since St. John was commanded to seal up their words. In like manner
Daniel was ordered to seal up the words of his prophecies until the time
appointed by God for their publication".
As this chapter represents not the path of chapter twelve,
it follows that it concerns the period of peace when it is instituted
according to the chronology of the first timeline. We may contrast what
actually happened with what might have happened: When Pius XII did not consecrate Russia with all of the bishops, and the papacy was subsequently 'taken out of the way', the
third secret of Fatima was not revealed as the antipopes would not
reveal something which told against them, or would contradict the 'New Springtime' announced by Roncalli (the 'New Springtime' may be defined as 'less Catholicism'). This 'little book', then,
might be the third secret of Fatima itself, revealed. Following the miraculous conversion of Russia (a definite sign of the period of peace) this secret would have been revealed,
as the true pope would be reigning. [70]
10:5 And the angel, whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven,
~K
Then that angel, whom I had already seen with his feet on the sea and
on the dry land, lifted up his right hand towards heaven,
10:6 And
he swore by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and
the things which are therein; and the earth, and the things which are in
it; and the sea, and the things which are therein: That time shall be
no longer.
~K and swore an oath by him who lives through endless ages, who made heaven and all that is in heaven, earth and all that is on earth, the sea and all that is in the sea. He swore that there should be no more waiting;*
*
(Knox translation note: 'No more waiting'; literally, 'no more time',
in which sense many commentators have understood the passage).
We
note that for the second time it is said that the angel stood 'upon the
sea and upon the earth'. We will return to this point.
Which
time 'shall be no longer' ? This might be understood in the sense of
the shortening of the tribulation: "And unless those days had been
shortened, no flesh should be saved, etc" (Matt. 24:22). If it were the
first timeline, it might be interpreted that way; because otherwise the tribulation might have continued without interruption to the point 'where no flesh should be saved'. Then, this being done, in verse seven it
is announced that upon the seventh sounding of the trumpet God's plan would be completed (as His prophets declared; but not the papacy ?). [70A]
If
it were the Fatima period of peace, the 'little book, open' might be
interpreted as the third secret of Fatima, announcing fearful things but which now 'shall be no longer'. However, this does not follow: If the victory (for example by the great monarch) had
come about before Fatima ever began (and thus Fatima would never begin),
then there would be no third secret to be thus represented. (But if it happened by way of the public consecration of Russia with the bishops, there would be a third secret. However, as it is not true both ways then it cannot in any case represent the third secret).
The pope of the period of peace (regardless of the manner in which it
is realized) would interpret
the meaning of the words of this angel, St. Michael, as it applies to
his own timeline situation. What the 'little book' represents is the rest of the
Apocalypse, the second timeline, which then 'shall be no longer'.
This
is the meaning of the absolute unambiguous oath taken by the angel, in
swearing by God and His entire creation, in declaring that this is so. This means that if the first timeline is fulfilled, Sacred Scripture is not wrong when the remainder of Apocalypse is not fulfilled, as it contains within itself this 'self-annulment'.
St.
John wrote at the end: "For I testify to every one that heareth the
words of the prophecy of this book: If any man shall add to these
things. God shall add unto him the plagues written in this book. And if
any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God
shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy
city, and from these things that are written in this book" (Apoc.
22:18-19). Knox put the latter verse thus: "...and if anyone cancels a
word in this book of prophecy, God will cancel his share in the book of
life, in the holy city, in all that this book promises".
The
pope would be able to declare with the angel that 'that time shall be
no longer' (the time that is represented by the 'little book, open',
which is the greater part of Apocalypse) because the angel hath already declared
it; so that would not constitute "(cancelling) a word in this book of prophecy". It already is self-modifying. [71] He would just be confirming that part.
That part could not be confirmed without taking the prophecy as a whole into account; and unless the whole prophecy were taken into account, its self-deletion of one of the two timelines could not be confirmed. It is a closed circle and a paradox Chesterton would find very interesting.
10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel,
when he shall begin to sound the trumpet, the mystery of God shall be
finished, as he hath declared by his servants the prophets.
~K when the time came for the seventh angel to make himself heard, as he
stood ready to sound his trumpet, God’s secret design, made known by his
servants the prophets, would be accomplished.
The
prophets in this case would be those of the period of peace, especially
at the time of the angelic pope and the great monarch when they had
acquired the victory. As they are referenced together with the trumpet of the seventh angel, their words would be tied to the fulfillment of the first timeline end-time, which might be considerably different whether the victory came about through the great monarch or the three days' darkness.
Of those who have prophesied about the end-times during the previous twenty centuries, whichever one(s) happened to be fulfilled had completed their purpose.
The
seventh angel sounds the trumpet in chapter eleven, but nowhere else in
Apocalypse. It might well be the same angel of the eschatological
discourse, who is sent very near the end: "And he shall send his angels
with a trumpet and a great voice: and they shall gather together his
elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the
utmost bounds of them" (Matt. 24:31). It is not said that this is the seventh
angel, but that angel is not numbered in the context of Apocalypse. The
eschatological discourse concerns the end without reference to
Apocalypse, but Apocalypse refers to it, albeit indirectly. In any case, they are both the last, and are the same.
In
Apocalypse, "the seventh angel sounded the trumpet: and there were
great voices in heaven, saying: The kingdom of this world is become our
Lord’s and his Christ’s, and he shall reign for ever and ever. Amen"
(Apoc. 11:15). Afterwards, the imminent end of time is announced; but in
the second timeline, the seventh angel would be among those sent to
'gather together' the elect 'from the four winds', wherever they may be
at the time (Matt. 24:31); but he is not called the seventh angel in the eschatology. However, they are both the last, and are the same.
If
one were to consider this chapter in the order it is given in
Apocalypse, it would seem to follow, chronologically, the events of the
opening of the seven seals, the signing of the elect, and the first six trumpets of chapters six
through nine. Would
this be the same regardless of the timeline, given that
these events are listed before the 'swing points' of chapters ten and
twelve ? We will attempt to answer this later. For now we continue with
chapter ten:
10:8 And I
heard a voice from heaven again speaking to me, and saying: Go, and
take the book that is open, from the hand of the angel who standeth upon
the sea, and upon the earth.
K~ Then once more I heard the voice speaking to me from heaven, thus: Go
and take the open book from the hand of that angel, whose feet are on
the sea and on the dry land.
As before (the angel's first actions and his declaration), these words are
very deliberate: Again that the book specified is open, and that the angel stands upon the sea and upon the earth.
And
for the third time, we note that the angel is standing 'upon the sea,
and upon the earth' (Apoc. 10:2,5,8). This deliberate repetition is not
accidental; in verse two, he is holding the 'little book open'; in verse
five, he lifts up his hand to Heaven to swear 'that time shall be no
longer'; in verse eight, St. John is told to take the book from the
angel. We have earlier noted that where the angel is standing
anticipates the arrival of the beasts of chapter thirteen:
first from the sea, then from the earth; thus, in this sequence, whilst the angel is thus standing, he is holding the
'little book' (representing the second timeline), then swearing 'that
time shall be no longer' (while holding the book and standing in the place
of where the beasts would appear in chapter thirteen), and then St. John
is told to take and eat the 'little book open', which represents the
second timeline and now its unfulfilled end.
This is as if spelling out for us, step by step, that there are two timelines, and one of them is not to be.
10:9 And I went to the angel, saying
unto him, that he should give me the book. And he said to me: Take the
book, and eat it up: and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy
mouth it shall be sweet as honey.
K~ So I went to the angel, bidding him give me the book. Take it, he said, and eat it; it will turn thy belly sour, though in thy mouth it be as sweet as honey.
Haydock,
quoting Witham, compares this with passages from Ezekiel: "And he said
to me: Son of man, eat all that thou shalt find: eat this book, and go
speak to the children of Israel. And I opened my mouth, and he caused me
to eat that book: And he said to me: Son of man, thy belly shall eat,
and thy bowels shall be filled with this book, which I give thee. And I
did eat it: and it was sweet as honey in my mouth" (Ezekiel 3:1-3). The
prophet Ezekiel's apparition was one "of the likeness of the glory of the
Lord", who had then given him "a book rolled up...written within and
without: and there were written in it lamentations, and canticles, and
woe" (Ezekiel 2:9).
Witham continues: "It was sweet in my mouth; I was delighted to read and hear the victories and glory of God's faithful servants; but it became bitter in my belly, when I considered the judgments of God upon so many sinners, who by their own wilful blindness were lost for eternity".
We
see that Ezekiel's book was 'written within and without' and within it were
written 'lamentations, and canticles, and woe'. However, this is not the
nature of the "book of life from the foundation of the world" (Apoc.
17:8) which was sealed in Ezekiel's time. It was
sealed also to the prophet Daniel, who at least knew something of its contents, being
told that 'at that time' (towards the end) 'shall thy people be saved,
every one that shall be found written in the book'.
And
the 'little book, open', as
it is of different size and not written 'within and without', ought to be distinguished from the other book. It was the Lamb Who, in the fifth chapter of Apocalypse, had taken the
book of life from "the right hand of him that sat on the throne" (Apoc.
5:7). But here this book is taken by St. John from the hand of the
angel:
10:10 And I took the book from the
hand of the angel, and ate it up: and it was in my mouth, sweet as
honey: and when I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
K~ So I took the book from the angel’s hand and ate it; it was sweet as
honey in my mouth, but my belly turned sour once I had eaten it.
In The Book Of Destiny,
Fr. Kramer writes: "The angel invites him to take it, adding that it
will be sweet to the taste but bitter to the stomach. This is rather a
strange metaphor, because the stomach has no sense of taste. The
metaphor is used in the Old Testament to signify the imparting of
secrets to the prophet".
We
consider its bitterness, or ache, to the stomach to mean rather that
its consumption or 'passing away' has significance which is not joyful.
Further,
he continues: "Ezechiel was handed a book (II. 9), which was written
within and without (Apoc. V. 1). He was ordered to eat it (III. 1-3).
When he ate the book, it was 'sweet as honey' to the taste. He says
nothing of its bitterness, though it contained the final judgment upon
Jerusalem and its utter destruction in 586 B. C".
Ezekiel's
encounter also was not preceded by a declaration by an angel to the effect that it 'shall be no longer'. We may understand that,
whatever is written in this 'little open book' is to pass away, and be
no longer; and that this is not joyful news in the end, although it
seems so at first (to taste, as it were); but afterwards comes the bitter
realization of what it portends. We will see why as we continue.
10:11 And he said to me: Thou must prophesy again to many nations, and peoples, and tongues, and kings.
K~
Then he said to me, Thou art to make a fresh prophecy, which concerns
many peoples, many races, many languages, and many kings. [72]
Immediately
after this is the 'fresh prophecy' in question: Apocalypse chapter
eleven. It follows logically, then, that what 'shall be no longer' is not
chapter eleven. If the phrase be interpreted as Knox does, that 'there
should be no more waiting' (and thus the time of tribulation is to be
shortened), it nevertheless means the same: That some things will not
come to pass, for the time is shortened.
Given the placement of this chapter within the arrangement as a whole, it might be understood as concerning the time after the opening of the seals, both ways; that is, in either timeline. This is assuming that the Apocalypse is generally in chronological order. It is, but not in any conventional way.
But
before consideration of that question, we ought to answer the earlier
question, that of the seven thunders which spoke after the cry of the
angel: "And he cried with a loud voice as when a lion roareth. And when
he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices" (Apoc. 10:3). We have already
considered and decided in the negative that the 'little book, open' is
the third secret of Fatima. Could it have been in the seven thunders ?
What are all of the Marian apparitions of more recent times ? Rue du Bac (1831), La Salette (1846), Lourdes (1858), Pontmain (1871), Knock, Ireland (1879), Fatima (1917). There is also Our Lady of Banneux
(1933) and of Beauraing (1932-33), both in Belgium. The last two were
approved in July and August, respectively, in 1949. [73] As Our Lady
never actually said anything at Knock, then the 'seven thunders' might be all
of the others listed above. In the last two approved apparitions, Our
Lady's last words were "Good-bye". [74] (** There is a better
explanation for the seven thunders in the section The Seven Thunders, The Nullification Of A Timeline, And A Paradox; here we were operating under the impression that there were, in fact, seven specific instances. **)
She
said it twice, and in the same country, and in the last two approved
apparitions before the papacy was 'taken away' in 1958.
We
should not look at these final words with dread and foreboding. They
announce the end of an era, perhaps; but the whole point of Apocalypse
is to find something unlooked-for. [75]
-Considering The Chronology
Back to the consideration of the chronology: If the time is to be shortened, then from where is it shortened ?
In the second timeline, where the period of peace does not come first (before the antichrist), we see the seals being opened, but in hindsight, as they were announced only in the Apocalyptic text itself (see here). The question is, would they also be opened in the first timeline, where the crisis is resolved and period of peace comes first (before the antichrist) ?
Verses six and seven tell us that 'there should be no more waiting', followed by the declaration that when the seventh angel is about to sound the trumpet,
God's plan will be complete: the 'secret design' made known by His
servants the prophets. Again, these prophets would be 'of the period of
peace', as there would be no occasion to speak of the ending of the
first timeline before it was actually selected. [75A]
Immediately
we see that, with the seventh angel announced at this point in Apocalypse (for chapter eleven), there is no question of the vials being poured out (Apoc. 16). The vials are subject to the second timeline only which involve the beast and
the false prophet; and in chapter eleven there is only one of the two, and it is not the one with seven 'heads'.
Chapter eleven ends with what is almost the end of the world, but not explicitly:
11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest render reward to thy servants the prophets and the saints, and to them that fear thy name, little and great, and shouldest destroy them who have corrupted the earth.
11:19
And the temple of God was opened in heaven: and the ark of his
testament was seen in his temple, and there were lightnings, and voices,
and an earthquake, and great hail.
The nations here are not said to fear the imminent end of the world, and the Second Coming.
This was after the period of peace, and after the return of sin and
corruption; until at last the antichrist was established and eventually
defeated. In His discourse, Our Lord had given a number of signs heralding His Second Coming; and the remaining people who are
faithful within the nations would be taking heed. But many in the world
would not; especially those who celebrated upon the death of the two
witnesses: "And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them,
and make merry: and shall send gifts one to another, because these two
prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the earth" (Apoc. 11:10).
But
it was already said that when the time of the seventh angel
arrived, 'the mystery of God shall be finished'. This means that there
is nothing more to be fulfilled. But the rest of the world does not
believe that. They did not heed God's servants the prophets.
From our perspective, it is difficult to see how so many can be swayed in so relatively a short time (our own perspective does not follow a period of peace during which the Church was triumphant through the world and without an unrelenting 'operation of error'). Would they not be able to see the very verses of Apocalypse chapter eleven being fulfilled ?
But we are here looking into both timelines while in the midst of the second one. In the first timeline, perhaps God's
servants the prophets would be looking across as it were and having the
answer to that question from there. [76] (But there is another possibility which we shall examine another time. See "Flipping The Script".)
There is a real 'break' in the succession of events with the
trumpets and the woes: "And I beheld, and heard the voice of one eagle
flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice: Woe, woe,
woe to the inhabitants of the earth: by reason of the rest of the voices
of the three angels, who are yet to sound the trumpet" (Apoc. 8:13).
After the fifth trumpet has sounded the first woe, there are two more:
"One woe is past, and behold there come yet two woes more hereafter"
(Apoc. 9:12). But the third woe does not come to pass in sequence until
near the end of chapter eleven: "The second woe is past: and behold the
third woe will come quickly".
This
would seem to imply that the chain of events is unbroken from the
opening of the first seal (Apoc. 6:1-2) until the end of chapter eleven.
This would be fine, if chapter ten were not there. [77] And there is
the whole problem with the chronology.
In
our second timeline, we have seen the seals (at least the first four) being opened in sequence
since 1941. That is without the period of peace coming first before the
antichrist. But what of the first timeline ? Would the seals be opened after the period of peace ? That is the question, and it seems impossible to answer definitely one way or the other, at least from a straight reading of the text. For if they will be opened either way, what difference does it make in the end ? And why should there be a most complex way to conceal yet reveal two timelines to that end ?
If
the 'mystery of God shall be finished' as the angel declared, then it
does not seem likely that the first timeline would continue with another
period of peace and conclude as described in chapter twenty. There is
no prior indication that there should be another period of peace (2,000 years of Catholic prophecy only ever pointed to the one). It happens before the antichrist, or afterwards; then the last generation
which saw the period of peace end (either timeline) would also see the Second Coming (Luke
21:32).
Besides, in chapter twenty the fate of the beast and the
false prophet - both of whom appear in chapter thirteen - is clearly stated, but there is only
the one beast in chapter eleven. [77A]
The most likely solution, then, is for the ending of chapter eleven to conclude together with the Gospel accounts concerning the Second Coming. But both timelines do not end in the same place.
They both end with the eschatological discourse, but only one of them
ends with the descriptions St. John gave in the last two chapters of
Revelation.
As
has been said, the Apocalypse is not needed to tell us what to
look for concerning the end of time. Our Lord already told us that.
The
only reason it would be necessary to establish two possible timelines,
and then to ensure that their solution is not obvious, would be if one was preferred to the other. The Knox translation used the words "God's secret design" (Apoc. 11:7) though not with the same meaning as intended here.
-First Timeline Summary And Thesis Introduction
Assuming
that the seals are opened in the first timeline, which must be after the period of
peace, their interpretation would be very different. The conventional
interpretation would seem to apply: That a conquerer goes forth (white
horse), another power also becomes a threat to peace (red horse), famine
and economic woes (black horse), and plague and pestilence (pale
horse). Then some little time passes (fifth seal), then a comet which
causes either signs or destruction (sixth seal); then the elect are
signed some time before the antichrist is established in Rome (Apoc.
11:1-2).
The two witnesses' appearance are not related to the chastisements of the trumpets; the trumpets are 'sounded' by angels without relation to the witnesses who "strike the earth with all plagues as often as they will" (Apoc. 11:6). Also, when the elect are signed, it is not clear when the 'beast' should appear afterward (in this first timeline scenario or even our own situation). And it appears that the two witnesses appear right after the beast begins his reign. [77B]
This
would mean that the fifth and sixth trumpets arrive during the time of the
two witnesses, which does not seem to make sense, as they already "have
power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy:
and they have power over waters to turn them into blood, and to strike
the earth with all plagues as often as they will" (Apoc. 11:6). It is
when the two witnesses are killed that "they that dwell upon the earth
shall rejoice over them, and make merry: and shall send gifts one to
another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the
earth (Apoc. 11:10). Again, the two witnesses do not have any connection to the trumpets.
Afterwards,
it is declared that 'the second woe is past: and behold the third woe
will come quickly'. As the first woe begins with the fifth angel
sounding the trumpet and a 'star from heaven' falling to earth and
unlocking the bottomless pit, it might be at this point that the beast
of chapter eleven 'ascendeth out of the abyss'; and the second woe (some
kind of army which apparently overruns the world) should be the point at
which the holy city is 'tread underfoot two and forty months' (if not that then what ?).
On the other hand, in
the first timeline these woes might be more metaphorical than literal,
but this we cannot know. In any case, the second woe is certainly past by
the time the third woe was to 'come quickly'. Alternatively, and this is less probable, the time when it is said the second woe 'is past' may
represent the time it would have passed during the equivalent point in the second timeline; whether or not it had actually happened. This can hardly be taken further as a speculation, except to conclude that, in the first timeline, the trumpets are all indefinite except for the last one, maybe two.
This
brings us to the other possibility regarding the first timeline: That
the seals are not opened at all therein. The text does not indicate
that; it seems to be constructed to indicate that they must be opened before anything else happens; but it was also constructed to conceal and yet reveal the two timelines at the same time. [77C]
We
have seen the angel declare 'that time shall be no longer', and St.
John be given the open book to eat which was 'sweet as honey' but when
he had eaten it, his 'belly was bitter'. It might be that if the period
of peace had come first, then it is indeed a great thing; sweet as
honey. But if it means that the seals are never opened, and consequently the Book of Life, that would indeed be a bitter result.
(Continue to Section VIII)
Footnotes / Extended Details
66. Paradoxically, the Apocalypse/end-times epoch begins anew
with chapters ten and eleven, but it is really a continuity with 2,000
years of Catholic prophecy. Chapter twelve represents a continuity with
the Apocalypse/end-times epoch (with all of the previous chapters and
Fatima in 1917), but it really begins anew without 2,000 years of Catholic prophecy. That is why it is called the second timeline.
66A.
Our Lady's little cloud at Fatima may have some relation to this, as he is
Her guardian as well. The little cloud was also seen by Elias in the shape of a foot at Mount Carmel, Palestine, where St. Simon Stock would later be given the Scapular of the Order (of Carmelites) in 1245.
"Angel of Peace" (The Whole Truth About Fatima, p.61).
"Angel of Portugal" (Ibid, p.65).
Guardian Angel of Portugal (Ibid, p.79).
66B.
His feet 'as pillars of fire' means to be incorporeal; or at least this
description is meant to convey this. In chapter one, the apparition's
feet were 'like unto fine brass, as in a burning furnace' which means
solid, and not incorporeal.
68. We said three
beasts because the third is the 'image of the beast' (given
life by the second beast which comes up from the earth). The 'image of the
beast' represents him who 'had the wound by the sword, and lived'
(Wojtyla/John Paul 2) and is not the same as the first beast,
whose 'death's wound was healed'. The latter is the same who comes "up
out of the bottomless pit" (Apoc. 17:8) and "must be reckoned as the
eighth" (Apoc. 17:11~Knox). The second beast, who 'comes up out of the
earth', is ??
69. The Book Of Destiny, Kramer, p.117. Henceforth, all references to Apocalypse chapter ten from Haydock is here. All such references in The Book of Destiny are from here. All such references in The Apocalypse Of St. John by Fr. Sylvester Berry are from here.
70.
Some people opine that the conversion of Russia did not mean a full
conversion to the Catholic Faith. But if that were true, the
period of peace would make little sense, as all the rest of Catholic
prophecy concerns the victory of the Church over the world whether
through the defeat
of her enemies, or their conversion, or even both. But in any case the
'little book' does not represent the third secret of Fatima (as we will
see).
70A.
This might really be a first timeline reference to prophecies already
given. Or, additional prophecies which come about after whichever
scenario is fulfilled (for instance Bl. Emmerich's vision). It stands to
reason that during the period of peace new prophets would speak of the
end with the approval of the pope.
71. To use a computer analogy, it is like a self-modifying program.
This programming practice is, or at least was, generally frowned upon,
as it might lead to unexpected consequences. However, it would be no
problem for Heaven to arrange such a thing.
It is not exactly a theological
analogy or a conventional one, but it is the one which comes to mind.
It so happens that computers began to be developed during the time the
Apocalypse began to be fulfilled. Perhaps knowing something about them,
particularly the early micros which anyone can program individually
using a manual, is key to understanding certain things about Apocalypse.
They are both logical.
Fr.
Kramer states that "'There shall be no more delay' in the execution of
God's judgments is the angel's oath". In a sense this is true, as the
time remaining until the end is definitely shortened.
72. Before
we continue, another point might be made: When the angel says to
prophesy again to 'many nations, and peoples, and tongues, and kings',
this may be an oblique reference to the internet, or at least to the
availability of world-wide communications. The phrase speaks to the
widespread and far-flung dissemination of this message. It seems not to be in an
organized manner, as an encyclical; neither is it seemingly disseminated in an
organized manner by the cooperation of governments for each nation at
the time. But
though it is given world-wide, and being received in a scattered
fashion, it is nonetheless disseminated. Similar phrasing is found
also in Apoc. 7:9, 11:9, 17:15. At the least it means 'throughout the
whole world' in so many words, which for us today means the same thing
with the internet.
73. As nothing was known by us of these last two apparitions (Banneux and (Beauraing)
and until now, we should note a few pertinent details: Beauraing took
place from Nov. 29, 1932 to Jan. 3, 1933. Five children saw Our Lady 33
times in the garden of the convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
It was approved July 1949. Banneux took place from Jan. 15 to Mar. 2,
1933. It was approved August 1949.
The details that stand out are the last words of Our Lady in both cases:
(Beauraing)
Finally, the Queen of Heaven added these last words: "Do you love my
Son? Do you love me? Then, sacrifice yourselves for me. Goodbye".
(Banneux)
"I am the Mother of the Saviour, Mother of God. Pray a lot". Before
leaving her, the Virgin laid Her hands on her, saying, "Goodbye".
74.
An alternative for the 'seven thunders' might be Quito,
Paray-le-Monial (Our Lord), Rue-du-Bac, La Salette, Lourdes, Pontmain,
Fatima; or if they are all Marian, Knock instead of Paray-le-Monial.
However, it is thought best to keep to a commonality: They are all
Marian, and they all occurred after the great monarch could no longer
intervene. We recall that Bl. Emmerich's prophecy was the last extremity
of the possibility of his arrival. Rue-du-Bac (1831) must represent the
Rubicon past that point. We did not include Bl. Emmerich's visions
because they are not quite the same thing: they do not represent
'apparitions' in the same sense that the above-mentioned do.
75. We
might consider those last two (Banneux and Beauraing) in sequence with Fatima: In 1929, at Tuy,
Spain, Our Lady said to Lucia: "The moment has come in which God asks
the Holy Father to make, in union with all the bishops of the world, the
consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by
this means". This request was ignored. Later, at Rianjo, Spain, in 1931,
Our Lady said: "Make it known to My ministers, given that they follow
the example of the King of France in delaying the execution of My
command, they will follow him into misfortune. It is never too late to
have recourse to Jesus and Mary".
Later,
Our Lord said to Lucia: "They did not wish to heed My request! …Like
the King of France they will repent of it, and they will do it, but it
will be late. Russia will have already spread its errors in the world,
provoking wars and persecutions against the Church. The Holy Father will
have much to suffer" (and afterwards was Banneux and Beauraing).
It
is perhaps at this point that the second timeline was locked in, but it
would not become official until 1958. The other apparitions related to
Fatima, such as Pontevedra, Tuy, and Rianjo are not considered each as
one of the 'seven thunders' because they are part of Fatima as a whole,
but not part of the sequence of apparitions of 1917. Fatima would
constitute one of the thunders.
As
for the Consecration of Russia to be done, but late, was Pius XII's
1952 action enough ?(On July 7, 1952, Pope Pius XII consecrated Russia
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in an Apostolic Letter To the Russian
People). The bishops were not involved. If Sr. Lucia's 1957 words to Fr.
Fuentes is any indication, it is in the negative. Our Lord's words do
not tell us how late it will be when it shall be done. They do indicate that,
when it is done, it would not prevent the consequences He listed,
because they were already happening or going to happen. If Russia's
errors were already spread in the world, that means it was not
prevented, which also means Russia's first error, the schism from the
papacy, was spread through the world when the events of 1958 came to
pass.
That
is however a convoluted solution to the problem. Also there are those
who think Russia's full conversion was never the intention. It could be
that, when 'it was late', it was too late to obtain this conversion. Or,
'late' could be 'right at the end, but not too late' (Apocalypse chapter fourteen). But the best answer might be: If the book of life is unsealed the souls saved, or at least not condemned, in Russia would amount to the same thing. So it is, perhaps, moot.
75A.
The difference in the translations gives a slightly different meaning:
"... the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared by his
servants the prophets" and "...God’s secret design, made known by his
servants the prophets, would be accomplished" (Apoc. 10:7, Challoner,
Knox). Does this mean that there was a secret design of God the existence of which was made known by the prophets which is then finished, or does it mean that God's secret design, whatever it may be, was made known by the prophets, and that it has now come to the end ?
76. The
Gospel accounts spoke of 'false Christs, and false prophets'. Perhaps
they deliberately misinterpreted this very chapter ten of Apocalypse as
the time 'that shall be no longer'. But we can go no further with this
line of thought.
77.
The sequence of events appears to flow naturally from the second woe
until St. John is told to measure the temple with 'a reed like unto a
rod'. Assuming that the army is of the beast which conquers the world,
then at that point the holy city, too, would be "tread under foot"
(Apoc. 11:2). The army moves for "an hour, and a day, and a month, and a
year" (Apoc. 9:15). Presumably it is finished prior to the beginning of
the beast's 'two and forty months'.
77A.
The second beast is not called the false prophet until Apoc. 16:13. His
presence in chapter eleven might thus be inferred as a false prophet
but not the beast 'coming up from the earth'. However, this point goes
nowhere. The thing is, a mistaken reading of Apocalypse might
lead from chapter eleven straight to the vials (as the third woe,
perhaps) if chapters 12-13 were understood to be the time that 'shall be
no longer'.
77B.
Indirectly, then, this tells us when the beast of chapter thirteen
should appear: Right before the trumpets begin to sound; and as the
seventh seal's opening is given at the beginning of that chapter, it probably
means he appears right before the seventh seal itself is opened; and as
the two witnesses' appearance parallel that of the beast, so also
should the 144,000 elect be signed right around the time the two beasts
of chapter thirteen appear. It may even be parallel with the seventh
seal. The overall point is that instead of the chastisements called down
by the two witnesses, there will be those specific ones 'announced' by
the trumpets of the angels of Heaven.
The
elect are not mentioned during the first four trumpets as they are
during the fifth (Apoc. 9:4). However, the last three trumpets do not
necessarily follow soon after the first four (see The Seven Thunders, The Nullification Of A Timeline, And A Paradox
and its footnotes in section X). And in any case, it would be
redundant, as they had just been 'signed' after the sixrth seal and
prior to the seventh. In fact it is more indicative that the last three
trumpets do not follow closely upon the first three.
As
we think the sixth and seventh seal events will be Garabandal's
'Warning' and 'Miracle' we think the first four trumpets will be the
'Punishment'. Again, we must emphasize that this is a false prophecy
(not of Heaven) being fulfilled; the devil announced it beforehand
because he intended to cause it to be fulfilled when the time came. See "Last Three Seals In Our Time".
What we do not know is what the antichrist will say about it, unless it
is that 'the Punishment' is inevitable unless everyone follows him.
Whereas the truth is it is inevitable in any case.
77C.
If that is so, then the altered sequence of events would have the
second woe happening for sure, even if the preceding five trumpets do
not sound. The wording of chapter ten seems to imply this: "But in the
days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound the
trumpet..." (Apoc. 10:7 - Challoner) and "when the time came for the
seventh angel to make himself heard, as he stood ready to sound his
trumpet..." (Knox). This is another way of saying: "Even though the
first four (or five) trumpets did not sound, when this angel sounds the
trumpet, he is, as it were, the seventh"; or perhaps "this is the
seventh angel in sequence if the first four (or five) had preceded him";
or even "this would be the seventh angel to sound in sequence, if seven
angels did in fact sound the trumpet".
It
is even possible the sixth angel never sounded the trumpet, but that
what is described as the second woe came to pass anyway, as an element
of the tribulation which must be common to both timelines. And the first
was never implied to have come to pass in chapter eleven. What this
means is that, in the first timeline, none of the trumpets are actually sounded
except the seventh, as that is integral to the final end (Matt. 24:31)
and so is common to both timelines. And as the final end is detailed in
the Gospel accounts, it was not necessary to include it in Apocalypse
chapter twenty.
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