My post from another message board:



The Senses of Scripture

The Church teaches that Holy Scripture was written in various senses. I would add that contrary to popular belief, the literal sense is not the manner in which a 21st century man would interpret it, but rather it is what the author intended when he wrote it. Surprisingly, far too many do not understand this. (I continue to see the title of the term: apocalyptic sense as a bit of an oxymoron, as it is far from revealing at times.)

My friend, Bob Stanley, does a good job of summarizing here:
www.thecatholictreasurechest.com/senses.htm

The foregoing is not to suggest that passages written predominately in one sense can not contain verbiage written in other senses. Some examples: Mt 24, Mk 13, Jn 16, Lk 21, et al.

Indeed, the Apocalypse of John was written in the apocalyptic sense; and clearly theologians hold that we are correct to consider allegories and symbolism in our analyses.


The Teaching of the Church

The Catholic Church says relatively little about future events leading up to Christ's Second Coming. Many of her teachings are rejections (either implicit or explicit), not affirmations, of particular beliefs such as the dispensational dichotomy between the Church and Israel, the Pre-Tribulational Rapture, and reigning of Jesus in the flesh upon the Earth for 1,000 years (Millenarianism). What she does teach is quite clear, as well as succinct: there will be a Second Coming, a time of trial which the Church must endure, an Antichrist, a conversion of Jews to Christ, a definitive judgment of all people, and the fulfillment of the Kingdom that has already begun in the Church. Within those parameters, Catholics may freely roam, search the Scriptures, and seek to better understand the Word of God.

Make no mistake about it: (a) never once in the Gospels did Jesus tell his disciples to write anything down. Rather, He told them to go out and preach (cf. Mt 10:5-16); (b) for most of the life of the Church, the Faith was, and continues to be taught orally; (c) Holy Scripture itself tells us this. It also tells us that Holy Scripture is incomplete; (d) it is the Catholic Church which is the ‘pillar and bulwark of truth’ (cf. 1 Ti 3:15), not any book (no matter how Holy that book may be); (d) the deposit of Faith is a 3-legged stool, which includes Tradition, Holy Scripture and the Teachings of the Catholic Church; (e) the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus, and Jesus told us to obey His Church; (f) and there is more, but that is enough for this exercise. For additional info, see:

Scripture Alone? Is Half of the Story Sufficient?
http://www.call2holiness.org/Scriptu...ptureAlone.htm

How We Know That Holy Scripture is Truly the Word of God
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/...s/messages/433

It should be noted that the Church has not taken a definitive position with respect to the Two Witnesses of the Apocalypse. Having said that, a number of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church have. I have included a few below.


Jesus said to obey His Church

Jesus not only founded the Catholic and Apostolic Church (cf. Mt 16:15-19), but He told us to obey His Church:

“But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Mt 18:16-1

It is worthy of note that in the eyes of the ancient Hebrew, the two lowest forms of life were Gentiles and tax collectors. Here Jesus tells us to treat those who disobey His Church as BOTH, a Gentile and tax collector.

Of particular note is the reference to two (or three) witnesses, discussed further below.


Catholic Tradition

As discussed in the referenced writing above, Scripture Alone, Is Half the Story Sufficient? The Holy Bible was not defined by Pope St. Damassus I until the end of the 3rd century A.D.; the original texts were not translated completely into the Holy Bible (Latin Vulgate) until early in the 4th century; and the printing press was not invented until the 15th century. Furthermore even while in print, very few people could afford copies of the Holy Bible until the last 150, or so years. During such time, the Faith was being transmitted orally. I hasten to reiterate that as discussed in the above mentioned writing, Holy Scripture itself tells us that it is incomplete.

I would add that a number of the Fathers of the Church were students of the Apostles, or students of the disciples of the Apostles, and so on. That is to say, that they were ‘closer to the fire’ than we are. Accordingly, for this reason and those stated above, Catholic Tradition has been declared as part of the Deposit of Faith by the Church. It should be noted, that the teachings of the Fathers are subject to the formal interpretation of the Catholic Church.


Enoch, One of the Two Witnesses

"A single witness shall not prevail against a man for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed; only on the evidence of two witnesses, or of three witnesses, shall a charge be sustained." (Dt 19:15)

"'And I will grant my two witnesses power to prophesy for one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.' These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth. And if any one would harm them, fire pours out from their mouth and consumes their foes; if any one would harm them, thus he is doomed to be killed. They have power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends from the bottomless pit will make war upon them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which is allegorically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three days and a half men from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'Come up hither!' And in the sight of their foes they went up to heaven in a cloud." (Rv 11:3-12)


For centuries Church Fathers, scholars and theologians taught that the citation above from the book of Revelation refers to two prophets that God will send upon the evil world of the End Times, in one of His last efforts to convert evil men. As is evident in the word, 'witnesses' the two personages appear to be more than simply prophets. They will be two witnesses who will testify to the evil of the age before God chastises it during the terrible Day of the Lord. (1)

Holy Scripture teaches that Enoch and Elijah did not die ordinary deaths, but were taken up into the sky by an extraordinary acts of God. Consider th e following:

"Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." (Gn 5:23-24) (2)

"When they had crossed, Eli'jah said to Eli'sha, 'Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.' And Eli'sha said, 'I pray you, let me inherit a double share of your spirit.' And he said, 'You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.' And as they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Eli'jah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." (2 Kgs 2:9-11) (2)

"For behold, the day comes, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. --- Behold, I will send you Eli'jah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse." (Mal 4:1-6)


Indeed, Tradition teaches that it is Enoch and Elijah who will return as the above mentioned two witnesses. As evidence of this fact, we submit the following citations from St. Augustine, St. John Damascene and St. Thomas Aquinas:

"After admonishing them to give heed to the law of Moses, as he foresaw that for a long time to come they would not understand it spiritually and rightly, he went on to say, And, behold, I will send to you Elias the Tishbite before the great and signal day of the Lord come: and he shall turn the heart of the father to the son, and the heart of a man to his next of kin, lest I come and utterly smite the earth. Malachi 4:5-6 It is a familiar theme in the conversation and heart of the faithful, that in the last days before the judgment the Jews shall believe in the true Christ, that is, our Christ, by means of this great and admirable prophet Elias who shall expound the law to them. For not without reason do we hope that before the coming of our Judge and Saviour Elias shall come, because we have good reason to believe that he is now alive; for, as Scripture most distinctly informs us, 2 Kings 2:11 he was taken up from this life in a chariot of fire. When, therefore, he has come, he shall give a spiritual explanation of the law which the Jews at present understand carnally, and shall thus turn the heart of the father to the son, that is, the heart of fathers to their children; for the Septuagint translators have frequently put the singular for the plural number. And the meaning is, that the sons, that is, the Jews, shall understand the law as the fathers, that is, the prophets, and among them Moses himself, understood it. For the heart of the fathers shall be turned to their children when the children understand the law as their fathers did; and the heart of the children shall be turned to their fathers when they have the same sentiments as the fathers. The Septuagint used the expression, and the heart of a man to his next of kin, because fathers and children are eminently neighbors to one another. Another and a preferable sense can be found in the words of the Septuagint translators, who have translated Scripture with an eye to prophecy, the sense, viz., that Elias shall turn the heart of God the Father to the Son, not certainly as if he should bring about this love of the Father for the Son, but meaning that he should make it known, and that the Jews also, who had previously hated, should then love the Son who is our Christ. For so far as regards the Jews, God has His heart turned away from our Christ, this being their conception about God and Christ. But in their case the heart of God shall be turned to the Son when they themselves shall turn in heart, and learn the love of the Father towards the Son. The words following, and the heart of a man to his next of kin, - that is, Elias shall also turn the heart of a man to his next of kin - how can we understand this better than as the heart of a man to the man Christ? For though in the form of God He is our God, yet, taking the form of a servant, He condescended to become also our next of kin. It is this, then, which Elias will do, lest, he says, I come and smite the earth utterly. For they who mind earthly things are the earth. Such are the carnal Jews until this day; and hence these murmurs of theirs against God, The wicked are pleasing to Him, and It is a vain thing to serve God." (3) St. Augustine of Hippo, The City of God, Book XX, Ch 29.

" --- But Enoch and Elias the Thesbite shall be sent and shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children , that is, the synagogue to our Lord Jesus Christ and the preaching of the apostles: and they will be destroyed by him. And the Lord shall come out of heaven, just as the holy apostles beheld Him going into heaven, perfect God and perfect man, with glory and power, and will destroy the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, with the breath of His mouth. Acts 1:11. ---" St. John of Damascus, An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book IV, Ch 29.

"Elias was taken up into the atmospheric heaven, but not in to the empyrean heaven, which is the abode of the saints: and likewise Enoch was translated into the earthly paradise, where he is believed to live with Elias until the coming of Antichrist." St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part III, Q 49, Art 5, Ob 2.


A number of contemporary prophets (yet-to-be-approved by the Church) indicate also that it is Enoch and Elijah who will return, as discussed above – and soon. Indeed, certain messages from one indicate that he is the prophesied Enoch.

Brother Enoch (4)

MY MARIAN ARMY, be ready and prepared, FOR THE DAYS OF THE GREAT BATTLE are APPROACHING!

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

APPEAL OF MARY HELP OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD

"Little children of my Heart, may the peace of my Lord be with you all and my help and protection always accompany you.

My Marian Army, be ready and prepared, FOR the days of the great battle are approaching. Enoch will guide you; he is the one chosen by my Father to instruct and prepare the people of God, in the spiritual battle. Listen to him and comply to the directives that we will send you through our Messenger.

Lend him all your collaboration so that he can carry out its mission; he comes on our behalf; make straight the way, do not expect another, he is already among you and the Glory of God is with him. Prepare yourselves, nations elect, to receive the Gift Messenger who brings the Good News for People of God. Rejoice, because the Almighty has sent a prophet among you.

Enoch, Enoc or Henoch, is the same messenger, so that you do not call into question his name and mission. The Spirit of my Lord is with him and together with Elijah, they will be the two candlesticks to light the way for the people of God in the approaching days of darkness. Elijah and Enoch will destroy the heresies and deceptions of the Antichrist in the time of his last reign. The flock of my Son will listen to them and follow them, because they see in them the presence of God who is coming to visit and to encourage His people.

My adversary and his flock will persecute and attack them, but he will not be able to hurt them, because the power of God will be with them. All those who try to harm them will die beforehand; only when they finish their mission will they be defeated by my adversary and give up their lives. My Father will be glorified by the testimony of His two witnesses. So, prepare yourselves, People of God, so that you may welcome Enoch and Elijah and remember that the Triumph is of our two Hearts.

Remain in the peace of my Lord.

Your Mother, Mary the Helper loves you.

Little children, make known my messages to all mankind."

[CONTINUED]