"The Reign of Antichrist" by Fr. Culleton
#9
201a. Genesis On Henoch

     "And Jared lived a hundred and sixty-two years, and begot Henoch ... And Henoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Mathusala. And Henoch walked with God: and lived after he begot Mathusala, three hundred years, and begot sons  and daughters. And all the days of Henoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And he walked with God, and was seen no more: because God took him." (5: 18-24).

b. This text is used by those who say Antichrist will be from the Tribe of Dan.

     "Dan shall judge his people like another tribe in Israel. Let Dan be a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, that biteth the horse's heels that his rider may fall backward" (49: 16-17). Cf. also Gen. 3:1 ff; Deut. 13:1 ff; Job 4:8 ff. All of Genenis 49 is on the last days but not all on Anti-Christ.

202. Deuteronomy On False Prophets

     "If there rise in the midst of thee a prophet or one that saith he hath dreamed a dream, and he foretell a sign and a wonder, and that come to pass which he spoke, and he say to thee: Let us go and follow strange gods, which thou knowest not, and let us serve them: Thou shalt not hear the words of that prophet or dreamer: for the Lord your God trieth you, that it may appear whether you love him with all your heart, and with all your soul, or not" (13 :1-3).

203. III Kings

     Chapters 17 to 19 and Chapter 21: 17-29 recount at length the story of Elias the Prophet and his dealings with Achab King of Israel. While a reading of this part of the Bible is essential for a life of the prophet there is little or nothing to be found there concerning the role he is to play in the last days. Subsequent students, however, may have rememuered the following words when they dealt with the end of time.
     a. And the word of the Lord said to Elias, "go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord overthrowing the mountains, and breaking the rocks in pieces: the Lord is not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake: the Lord is not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire: the Lord is not in the fire, and after the fire a whistling of a gentle air. And when Elias heard it, he covered his face with his mantle, and coming forth stood in the entering in of the cave, and behold a voice unto him, saying: What dost thou here, Elias? And he answered: With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant: they have destroyed thy altars, they have slain thy prophets with the sword, and I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away. And the Lord said to him: Go, and return on thy way through the desert to Damascus: and when thou art come thither, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And thou shalt anoint Jehu the son of Namsi to be king over Israel: and Eliseus the son of Saphat, of Abelmuela, thou shalt anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall escape the sword of Hazael, shall be slain by Jehu: and whosoever shall escape the sword of Jehu shall be slain by Eliseus. And I will leave me seven thousand men in Israel, whose knees have not been bowed before Baal, and every mouth that hath not worshipped him ..." (19:9-18).
[size=medium]     b. "Because he hath humbled himself for my sake I will not bring evil in his days, but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house" (21: 29).


204. IV Kings

     Chapter 1 continues the life of Elias under the son and successor of Achab and does not enlighten us on the prophet's eschatological role, but the following is, of course, important.
     "And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elias into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elias and Eliseus were going from Galgal. And Elias said to Eliseus: Stay thou here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as Bethel. And Eliseus said to him: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.
     "And when they were come down to Bethel, the sons cf the prophets, that were at Bethel, came forth to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that this day the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he answered: I also know it: hold your peace. And Elias said to Eliseus:. Stay here because the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.
     "And when they were come to Jericho, The sons of the prophets that were at Jericho, came to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that this day the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he said: I also know it: hold your peace. And Elias said to him: Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as the Jordan. And he said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee; and they two went on together. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets followed them, and stood in sight at a distance: but they two stood by the Jordan.
[size=medium]     "And Elias took his mantle and folded it together, and struck the waters, and they \vere divided hither and thither, and they both passed over on dry ground. And when they were gone over, Elias said to Eliseus: Ask what thou wilt have me to do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Eliseus said: I beseech thee that in me may be thy double spirit. And he answered: Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt have what thou hast asked: but if thou see me not, thou shalt not have it.

     "And as they went on, walking and talking together behold a fiery chariot, and fiery horses part them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Eliseus saw him, and cried: My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the driver thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own garments, and rent them in two pieces.
     "And he took up the mantle of Elias, that fell from him: and going back, he stood upon the bank of the Jordan, And he struck the waters with the mantle of Elias, that had fallen from him, and they were not divided. And he said: Where is now the God of Elias? And he struck the waters and they were divided, hither and thither, and Eliseus passed over. And the sons of the prophets at Jericho, who were over against him, seeing it said: The spirit of Elias hath rested upon Eliseus: And coming to meet him, they worshipped him, falling to the ground" (2: 1-15).

205. II Paralipomenon

In this book is recorded the story of Elias and Joram King of Juda (21: 12-19). It is not to our purpose. Prophesy 3 in our first book (The Prophets and Our Times) describes the unsettled conditions that will prevail when Israel is refounded. It too is from this Sacred Book.


206. Psalms

In our former work prophesies 4a to c either refer to the latter times or inspired Christian prophets.

207. Wisdom

Prophesy 5 in the former book describes our modern world quite well and was meant for any age which turns it back on the Creator.

208. Ecclesiasticus or Ben Sirach

     This book written about 275 years before Christ is the first known to us which speaks of future roles assigned to the prophets Henoch and Elias. The author, however, is not and does not claim to be, a prophet. He merely sets down the commonly held Jewish teaching of his time.
     a. "Henoch pleased God, and was translated into paradise, that he may give repentance to the nations" (44: 16).
     b. "No man was born upon earth like Henoch: for he also was taken up from the earth" (49 :16) .
     c. "And Elias the prophet stood up, as a fire, and his sword burnt like a torch. He brought a famine upon then1, and they that provoked him in their envy, were reduced to a small number, for they could not endure the commandments of the Lord. By the word of the Lord he shut up the heaven, and brought down fire from heaven thrice. Thus was Elias magnified in his wondrous works. And who can glory like to thee? Who raisest up a dead man from below, from the lot of death, by the word of the Lord God. Who broughtest down kings to destruction, and brokest easily their power in pieces, and the glorious from their bed. Who heardest judgment in Sina, and in Horeb the judgments of vengeance. Who anointedst kings to penance, and madest prophets successors after thee. Who "vast taken up in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot of fiery horses. Who art registered in the judgments of times to appease the wrath of the Lord, to reconcile the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob. Blessed are they that saw thee, and were honoured with thy friendship. For we live only in our life, but after death our name shall not be such. Elias was indeed covered with the whirlwind, and his spirit was filled in Eliseus." (48: 1-13a).
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RE: "The Reign of Antichrist" by Fr. Culleton - by Elizabeth - 02-07-2021, 04:54 PM

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