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Sunday, May 19, 2013

The prophecies of the Apocalypse show that Satan will imitate the Church of Christ to deceive mankind; he will set up a church of Satan in opposition to the Church of Christ

"The prophecies of the Apocalypse show that Satan will imitate the Church of Christ to deceive mankind; he will set up a church of Satan in opposition to the Church of Christ

"Antichrist will assume the role of Messias; his prophet will act the part of Pope, and there will be imitations of the Sacraments of the Church. There will also be lying wonders in imitation of the miracles wrought in the Church. (p.119)

    "And, there seems to be no reason why a false Church might not become universal, even more universal than the true one, at least for a time." (p.155)

Rev. E. Sylvester Berry, D.D.,
The Church of Christ, An Apologetic and Dogmatic Treatise.
Herder, St. Louis and London, 1927 & 1941.


"16.  The followers of Antichrist will be marked with a character in imitation of the sign that St. John saw upon the foreheads of the servants of God.  This indicates that Antichrist and his prophet will introduce ceremonies to imitate the Sacraments of the Church.  In fact there will be a complete organization ―― a church of Satan set up in opposition to the Church of Christ.  Satan will assume the part of God the Father; Antichrist will be honored as Saviour, and his prophet will usurp the role of Pope.  Their ceremonies will counterfeit the Sacraments and their works of magic be heralded as miracles.  A similar project was attempted in the fourth century when Julian the Apostate counterfeited Catholic worship with pagan ceremonies in honor of Mithras and Cybele.  He established a priesthood and instituted ceremonies in imitation of Baptism and Confirmation."

Rev. E. Sylvester Berry, D.D.
The Apocalypse of St. John
Discussion on Apoc: xiii, 16.
John W. Winterich, Columbus, Ohio, 1921



Rv:6:9:
9 ¶ And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. (DRV)

This is the below and in part would be the Palestinian Christian Martyrs.

For the beginning of the Palestinian Christian Martyrdom see:

http://www.fatherfeeney.org/point/55-apr.html


Father Feeney excerpt:

A communique from Brother Anthony Bruya, O. F. M., on the plight of the town of Rameh, bears vivid witness to the special hatred which has been shown to Catholics in the Holy Land. Israeli forces occupied Rameh, a two-thirds Christian community, and while permitting the Mohammedan Arabs to stay, ordered all Catholics to “leave within half an hour.” To back up the order, the Israeli commander reminded the Christian townspeople of what had happened to the residents of Deir Assin and Tireh — who were massacred in the streets for daring to question the authority of a Jewish army leader.

Similar atrocities have taken place in Haifa, Sheframr, Maslia, Tarshiha, and a hundred other places. But perhaps the most touching and tragic report is the one dated January 15, 1952, in which Archbishop George Hakim of Galilee protested in vain to the Israeli government over the mass destruction of the totally Catholic village of Ikret. Church, schools, rectory, homes — everything was in shambles. And what is more, wrote the Archbishop, the Jews perpetrated all this on Christmas Day itself.

The assault on Ikret, like all the rest of Israel’s anti-Catholic outrages, was in no sense an “unavoidable casualty” of the recent Jewish-Arab warfare. All of the first-hand Catholic observers are quick to make this point. Indeed, in his summary report on the Holy Land situation, the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Hughes, has very plainly charged that there is now in operation a “deliberate Jewish effort to decimate the Arabs and to destroy Christianity in Palestine.”

End of Father Feeney excerpt.

Rv:6:9:
9 ¶ And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. (DRV)



“At the breaking of the fifth seal St John sees the souls of the martyrs beneath the altar where they enjoy eternal happiness in union with Christ, yet they cry out for justice. They beseech God to manifest His Glory, His justice and His mercy by the resurrection of their bodies, the punishment of His enemies and the general judgement of all men. The imagery of this vision seems to refer to the altar of holocaust which stood in the inner court of the temple before the Holy Place. In the Jewish ritual the blood of the victim was poured out at the foot of the altar. The life of the victim was said to be in the blood: “the life of the flesh is in the blood” and again. “Beware of this that thou eat not of the blood, for the blood is for the soul and therefore thou must not eat the soul with the flesh”. Hence the life or the soul of the victim was conceived as being under the altar. In like manner the souls of the martyrs are seen beneath the altar because they too have become victims to God through martyrdom and the voice of their blood cries out to God for justice. “The voice of thy brothers blood crieth out to me from the earth”. The martyrs have received the white robes of eternal happiness and glory, but they must wait for the resurrection of the body until the number of their fellow martyrs has been filled up. They have but a short while to wait since the whole course of ages is as a few moments when compared with the eternity that follows: “For a thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday which is past and as a watch in the night” This verse clearly foretells that there shall be martyrs other than those of the first ages of the church. There shall be witnesses to God by their blood in every age especially in the days of Antichrist and at the end of the world. The resurrection and general judgement shall not take place until after this last persecution.


On opening of the sixth seal we catch a glimpse of the last persecution and the destruction of the world. This is to show that the prayers of the martyrs have already been heard in the designs of God and shall be answered in due time. These verses make it clear that there is no question of real locusts such as those that ravaged Egypt in the days of Moses. They are purely symbolic, and their ravages chiefly spiritual. Their sting burns and poisons the soul with false doctrines but has no power to injure those who remain faithful to the graces received in Baptism and Confirmation. For a short time these locusts are permitted to harass and persecute without killing, but they cannot destroy the church. In those days men shall seek death and find it not. The good would welcome death as an escape from the evils and miseries that surround them. Many who have been led astray by false doctrines would likewise welcome death as a relief from their doubts and remorse of conscience.  The locusts resemble horses accoutred for war. Heresy and schism are ever fruitful sources of religious wars and persecutions. The crowns indicate that rulers – emperors, kings, and princes will be arrayed against the Church as actually happened at the reformation of the 16th century. The crowns merely resembled gold, because there was but a mere semblance of real Christian charity in those days. The human faces prove that these locusts symbolize real persons. The hair of the woman probably signifies vanity and immorality; the teeth of a lions strength and cruelty. The breastplates of iron show preparedness for defense as well as for attack. The sound of their innumerable wings resembles the thunder of chariots rushing to battle. This indicates their great numbers and impetuousity. The scorpion like sting is a symbol of heresy that stings and poisons the soul. Its location in the tail signifies deceit and hypocrisy. The king of these symbolic locusts is called the destroyer (Exterminans). He is Lucifer, the angel of the abyss, the leader of the rebel angels. His minions on earth are the leaders of heresy, schism and persecution. The invasion of the locusts is the first woe predicted by the eagle. The two yet to come will fill up the mystery of iniquity with the appearance of Antichrist and his prophet. God sends a sixth angel to instruct and guide the church. This mission will still further reveal the thoughts of many hearts. The wicked continue to be separated from the just.


A voice from the golden altar commands the captive angels of the Euphrates to be released. As noted above the altar is Christ who makes trials and tribulations a means of sanctification for souls and an increase of fervour and holiness in the church. They also serve to spread the blessings of the Gospel for as Tertullian says “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Christians”. Christ Himself gives command to release the captive angels thus showing that the enemies of the Church have no power against her unless God Permits. The Church can say to her enemies as Christ said to Pilate “Thou shouldst not have any power against me unless it were given thee from above”  The captive angels are demons who will arouse new enemies and increased enmities against the Church. In a figurative sense they represent the new enemies thus aroused against the Church, whether they be nations, individuals or secret societies hostile to her. Four, the number of universality indicates how widespread will be their influence. With the prophets of old the region of the Euphrates was ever the country whence came the enemies of God’s people. Its mention here indicates that these new enemies will arise among nations already hostile to the church. In a secondary sense the term may be taken literally to represent peoples from that region who are hostile to the church. The Four angels of the Euphrates now ordered to be released may be the same as those whom Christ forbade to injure the earth until the Church should be formally established after the persecutions. Even the time for the manifestation of these evil spirits and their minions has been accurately fixed in the designs of Providence. The very day and hour has been determined. Great numbers will be done to death in the religious wars and revolutions stirred up by these angels from the Euphrates. The prophecy may also mean that large numbers will be lead into new errors and schisms. Both interpretations are fully justified by the history of the pretended Reformation and the wars that followed it.

These scourges shall be more terrible than any yet predicted. The first plagues were brought to earth by the four horsemen. Then we saw four charioteers, the four winds, ready to scourge mankind. Here we find a vast array of cavalry. The chastizements sent upon the world increase with the growth of iniquity and the approach of Antichrist. The description of horses and riders in this vision gives some idea of their boldness, strength and cunning ferocity. They inflict upon men the plagues of fire smoke and sulphur. The fire is persecution and war. Smoke symbolizes the obscuring of doctrine and the weakening of faith, sulphur the moral depravity which follows. The fire smoke and sulphur issue from the mouth of the horses. From the mouth should process words of wisdom instead there comes forth heresies and incitements to revolt and revolution. It should be noted that Luther openly preached revolt and revolution to the peasants of Germany but when they put his words into practice, he turned to the princes and urged them to stamp out the revolt with fire and sword. The horses of this vision inflict injuries with their tails which resemble serpents. Amongst all peoples the serpent is a symbol of lying and hypocrisy. These vices have ever characterized the enemies of the Church. There is no question here of real artillery as some have imagined. St. John is giving only the broad outlines of the Church’s history. He is not concerned with the material means employed by men to wage war against her. The vision of locusts and the vision of cavalry horses are not two representations of one and the same event. They foreshadow two distinct events that follow one another in the order of time. The one is the great revolt against the Church brought about by the fallen star. The other consists of wars and disturbances which follow in the wake of that revolt. After these plagues have passed there still remain many who worship idols and many guilty of robbery, murder and immorality. This is verified today. Although nineteen hundred years have elapsed since the first preaching of the Gospel, whole nations are still steeped in idolatry and Christendom seems hopelessly divided by heresy and schism.


An angel coming in clouds of grace and glory brings to St. John a book of further prophecies. The rainbow about his head symbolizes mercy while the brightness of his countenance expresses the power of his teachings to enlighten souls. The feet as of fire indicate that he shall lead the Church in the ways of truth and justice as the pillar of fire guided the Israelites in the wilderness. The book is open to signify that the prophecies therein revealed to St. John are intelligible and shall be understood in due time according to the needs of the Church. The angel places one foot upon the sea, the other upon the land to express God’s supreme dominion over all things. The voice like the roar of a lion is the voice of the Gospel which shall penetrate the very ends of the earth teaching divine truth, condemning error and threatening persecutors with the vengeance of God. Here as elsewhere the thunders may symbolize the anathemas of the church against all wickedness and error; but it would be useless to comment on their exact meaning since St. John was ordered to seal up the words of his prophecies until the time appointed by God for their publication. The words of the seven thunders may also have been such as St. Paul heard – “secret words which it is not granted to man to utter”. Lifting his hand to heaven the angel calls upon the God of all creation to witness the truth of his words that time shall be no more. This does not mean that the end of the world is at hand, but that the time for judgement against obstinate sinners and persecutors has arrived. This judgement shall be the greatest persecution of Antichrist and his attendant evils. Then shall be accomplished the “mystery of God” which has been announced (evangelized) by the prophets of old. To evangelize is to announce good tidings hence this mystery of God is probably the plenitude of the Redemption applied to all nations of the earth. After the destruction of Antichrist and his kingdom all peoples shall  accept the Gospels and the church of Christ shall reign peacefully over all nations. Eating the book symbolizes an intimate union with the Holy Ghost by which the mind of the Apostle is illuminated with the spirit of prophecy. St John finds the book sweet to the taste because it announces mercy to the elect and the final triumph of the church. It is bitter in so far as it predicts dire persecutions for the church and terrible punishments for the wicked.


The followers of antichrist have been warned of defeat and eternal punishment – the faithful have been encouraged by the promise of victory here and the eternal happiness hereafter. The time of judgement is at hand; the final conflict now begins. The separation of the good from the bad will be still further accomplished. As on the last day Christ sends forth His angels to gather the wheat in the barns while the cockle is being bound into bundles for the fire, The gathering in of the good through martyrdom is represented as a harvest. The destruction of the wicked is depicted as the vintage of God’s wrath. The realization of this judgement will be found in the complete destruction of the kingdom of Antichrist in subsequent chapters. The reaper sitting upon a bright cloud is an angel who comes in the name of Christ to execute His orders. Hence he bears the resemblance of Christ and is surrounded by a cloud of glory. He also wears a crown of gold, the emblem of royalty because as representative of Christ he exercises dominion over all peoples. The cloud of glory and the crown of royalty might lead one to accept the reaper as Christ Himself. Yet the context makes it plain that the reaper cannot be identified with Christ since he is commanded by an angel to thrust in his sickle. Furthermore Christ has told us in the Gospel that angels shall be commissioned to separate the wheat from the cockle. The voice from beneath the altar commanding the vintage to be gathered is the voice of a martyr whose blood cries to heaven for vengeance. The martyr who has “power over fire” is probably Elias who will destroy Antichrist by sending down fire from heaven. The prohet Joel also describes the judgement of God against unholy nations as a vintage and a treading of the wine press. The wine press of divine wrath shall be trodden outside the city of Jerusalem. Final victory over Antichrist will be won through great slaughter and bloodshed in a battle near the Holy city, perhaps in the valley of Josaphat. The prophecy of Joel may refer to this event instead of the last Judgement; “Let the nations come up into the valley of Josaphat: for there I will sit to judge all nations round about…in the valley of destruction: for the day of the Lord is near”


Rev. E. Sylvester Berry, D.D.
The Apocalypse of St. John

“In this passage there is an evident allusion to some particular son of the Church whose power and influence shall be such that Satan will seek his destruction at any cost.  This person can be none other than the Pope to be elected in those days.” Obviously this is Cardinal Siri elected at the 1958 conclave and who was Pope Gregory XVII, but reigned in exile. Now that he has died, truly the throne is vacant.


“forgoing chapter” is the 12th Chapter. “In this chapter” is the 13th Chapter.


“all errors which have afflicted the Church may be summed up in these seven: Judaism, paganism, Arianism, Mohammedanism, Protestantism, rationalism, and atheism.”

Today these are Diabolically called the Ecumenical church. The modern Libellus is Nostra Aetate and the Teserea (Mark of the Beast) is the Novus Ordo. The equivalent to the Roman judges persecuting Christians is the RCIA and even more ominously Opus Dei.


“In the forgoing chapter St. John outlines the history of the Church from the coming of Antichrist until the end of the world . . . In this chapter he shows us the true nature of the conflict.  It shall be a war unto death between the Church and the powers of darkness in a final effort to destroy the Church and thus prevent the universal reign of Christ on earth.

“Satan will first attempt to destroy the power of the Papacy and bring about the downfall of the Church through heresies, schisms and persecutions that must surely follow . . . he will raise up Antichrist and his prophet to lead the faithful into error and destroy those who remain steadfast . . . . . . The Church, the faithful spouse of Jesus Christ, is represented as a woman clothed in the glory of divine grace . . .


" . . . In this passage there is an evident allusion to some particular son of the Church whose power and influence shall be such that Satan will seek his destruction at any cost.  This person can be none other than the Pope to be elected in those days.  The Papacy will be attacked by all the powers of hell.  In consequence the Church will suffer great trials and afflictions in securing a successor upon the throne of Peter.


“The words of St. Paul to the Thessalonians may be a reference to the Papacy as the obstacle to the coming of Antichrist:  ‘You know what withholdeth, that he may be revealed in his time.  For the mystery of iniquity already worketh; only that he who now holdeth, do hold until he be taken out of the way.  And then that wicked one shall be revealed.’


“ . . . St. John  . . . sees in heaven a red dragon with seven heads and ten horns . . . The dragon is Satan red with the blood of martyrs, which he will cause to flow. The meaning of the seven heads and ten horns must be sought in the description of the beast that represents Antichrist where they symbolize kings or worldly powers. (II Thessalonians 2:6-7)  . . . Satan’s attacks against the Church will be organized and carried out by the governments and ruling powers of those days.


“With the beast of Antichrist only the horns have diadems as symbols of royalty or governing power.  The heads are branded with names of blasphemy. (Apocalypse, 13:1)  Hence they symbolize the sins and errors that will afflict the Church . . . in this final struggle to prevent the universal reign of Christ all forms of sin and error will be marshaled against the Church . . .  all errors which have afflicted the Church may be summed up in these seven: Judaism, paganism, Arianism, Mohammedanism, Protestantism, rationalism, and atheism.


“The dragon is seen in heaven which is here a symbol of the Church, the kingdom of heaven on earth.  This indicates that the first troubles of those days will be inaugurated within the Church by apostate bishops, priests, and peoples, — the stars dragged down by the tail of the dragon.


“ . . .  The dragon stands before the woman, ready to devour the child that is brought forth.  In other words, the powers of hell seek by all means to destroy the Pope elected in those days.

“. . . It is now the hour for the powers of darkness.  The new-born Son of the Church is taken ‘to God and to his throne.’  Scarcely has the newly elected Pope been enthroned when he is snatched away by martyrdom. The ‘mystery of iniquity’ gradually developing through the centuries, cannot be fully consummated while the power of the Papacy endures, but now he that ‘withholdeth is taken out of the way.’  During the interregnum ‘that wicked one shall be revealed’ in his fury against the Church.”  [In his interpretation of the Apocalypse, Fr. Berry suggests that it will the martyrdom of the Pope, immediately after his election, that will precipitate an extended interregnum, causing manifold tribulations to be visited upon the faithful.  However, the suppression of a true Pope, and the intense agony suffered by the rightful Pontiff, who watches helplessly as the Church is ravaged by demonic powers usurping his see for a generation, could certainly be compared to a type of prolonged martyrdom.]

“It is a matter of history that the most disastrous periods for the Church were times when the Papal throne was vacant, or when anti-popes contended with the legitimate head of the Church.  Thus also shall it be in those evil days to come.

“The Church deprived of her chief pastor must seek sanctuary in solitude there to be guided by God Himself during those trying days . . . In those days the Church shall . . . find refuge and consolation in faithful souls, especially in the seclusion of the religious life.

“ . . . Our Divine Savior has a representative on earth in the person of the Pope upon whom He has conferred full powers to teach and govern.  Likewise, Antichrist will have his representative in the false prophet who will be endowed with the plenitude of satanic powers to deceive the nations.

“ . . . As indicated by the resemblance to a lamb, the prophet will probably set himself up in Rome as a sort of antipope during the vacancy of the papal throne . . .

“ . . . The ‘abomination of desolation’ has been wrought in many Catholic churches by heretics and apostates who have broken altars, scattered relics of martyrs and desecrated the Blessed Sacrament.  At the time of the French Revolution a lewd woman was seated upon the altar of the cathedral in Paris and worshipped as the goddess of reason.  Such things but faintly foreshadow the abominations that will desecrate churches in those sorrowful days when Antichrist will seat himself at the altar to be adored as God.

“. . .Antichrist and his prophet will introduce ceremonies to imitate the Sacraments of the Church.  In fact there will be a complete organization - a church of Satan set up in opposition to the Church of Christ.  Satan will assume the part of God the Father; Antichrist will be honored as Savior, and his prophet will usurp the role of Pope.  Their ceremonies will counterfeit the Sacraments . . .”8

Rev. E. Sylvester Berry, D.D.
The Apocalypse of St. John

From the above: “Antichrist and his prophet will introduce ceremonies to imitate the Sacraments of the Church.” This is the Novus Ordo.



Rv:18:
1 ¶ And after these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power: and the earth was enlightened with his glory.
2  And he cried out with a strong voice, saying: Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen: and is become the habitation of devils and the hold of every unclean spirit and the hold of every unclean and hateful bird:
3  Because all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication: and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her; And the merchants of the earth have been made rich by the power of her delicacies.
4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying: Go out from her, my people; that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues.
5  For her sins have reached unto heaven: and the Lord hath remembered her iniquities.
6  Render to her as she also hath rendered to you: and double unto her double, according to her works. In the cup wherein she hath mingled, mingle ye double unto her.
7  As much as she hath glorified herself and lived in delicacies, so much torment and sorrow give ye to her. Because she saith in her heart: I sit a queen and am no widow: and sorrow I shall not see.
8  Therefore, shall her plagues come in one day, death and mourning and famine. And she shall be burnt with the fire: because God is strong, who shall judge her.
9 ¶ And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived in delicacies with her, shall weep and bewail themselves over her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning:
10  Standing afar off for fear of her torments, saying: Alas! alas! that great city, Babylon, that mighty city: for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11  And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her: for no man shall buy their merchandise any more.
12  Merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones: and of pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet: and all thyine wood: and all manner of vessels of ivory: and all manner of vessels of precious stone and of brass and of iron and of marble:
13  And cinnamon and odours and ointment and frankincense and wine and oil and fine flour and wheat and beasts and sheep and horses and chariots: and slaves and souls of men.
14  And the fruits of the desire of thy soul are departed from thee: and all fat and goodly things are perished from thee. And they shall find them no more at all.
15  The merchants of these things, who were made rich, shall stand afar off from her, for fear of her torments, weeping and mourning,
16  And saying: Alas! alas! that great city, which was clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet and was gilt with gold and precious stones and pearls.
17  For in one hour are so great riches come to nought. And every shipmaster and all that sail into the lake, and mariners, and as many as work in the sea, stood afar off,
18  And cried, seeing the place of her burning, saying: What city is like to this great city?
19  And they cast dust upon their heads and cried, weeping and mourning, saying: Alas! alas! that great city, wherein all were made rich, that had ships at sea, by reason of her prices. For, in one hour she is made desolate.
20  Rejoice over her, thou heaven and ye holy apostles and prophets. For God hath judged your judgment on her.
21  And a mighty angel took up a stone, as it were a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying: With such violence as this, shall Babylon, that great city, be thrown down and shall be found no more at all.
22  And the voice of harpers and of musicians and of them that play on the pipe and on the trumpet shall no more be heard at all in thee: and no craftsman of any art whatsoever shall be found any more at all in thee: and the sound of the mill shall be heard no more at all in thee:
23  And the light of the lamp shall shine no more at all in thee: and the voice of the bridegroom and the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee. For thy merchants were the great men of the earth: for all nations have been deceived by thy enchantments.
24  And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all that were slain upon the earth.
(DRV)

"The angel speaks of the fall of Rome as something already accomplished to show that it must surely come to pass. It shall be left so desolate that wild beasts will find it a fitting abode and unclean birds will hover about its ruins. Thus also did Isaias prophecy concerning ancient Babylon: 'Wild beasts shall rest there and their houses shall be filled with serpents. . . and owls shall answer one another there, in the house thereof, and sirens in the temples of pleasure.

"Some interpreters take the words of the angel to mean that the ruins of Rome shall become the lurking place of evil spirits according to the words of Christ: 'When an unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest.'

"The terrible destruction and desolation of Rome is a punishment for her many sins and for the sins into which she has led other nations. The kings and merchants of the earth have been led into the sins and vices of Rome, and with her they have upheld Antichrist in his efforts against the Church.

"Another voice from heaven - a voice of mercy - warns the faithful of the impending ruin and exhorts them to seek safety in flight. In like manner did our Lord warn His disciples to flee from Jerusalem upon the approach of the Roman army. Heeding these words of warning the faithful fled to Pella in Peraea and thus escaped the terrible sufferings of the siege.

"These verses are an apostrophe to the ministers of God's judgments, apparently the ten kings of the preceding chapter. They are to punish the wicked and unfaithful city for all the evils she has heaped upon them, presumably the evils resulting from apostacy and adherence to Antichrist. They shall punish her also for her own apostacy and worship of Antichrist: 'Double unto her double according to her works: in the cup wherein she hath mingled mingle ye double unto her.’

"The ruin and desolation of Rome shall be commensurate with her former glory, riches and power. The proud city that 'sits a queen' with neither fear nor anxiety, shall be humbled in the dust.

"The kings of earth who have shared her guilt shall lament the fate of the city, but they stand afar off fearing to come to her assistance. Such is usually the friendship between nations!"

Rev. E. Sylvester Berry, D.D.
The Apocalypse of St. John





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Lk:1:78:
78 Through the heart of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from on high hath visited us:


Posted Jun 28, 2007, 4:39 pm
Ignored by: 0

Mani and Manichaeism - blasphemous heresy


Mani and Manichaeism - blasphemous heresy, and the obvious source for Bab and the Bahai - both of them False Prophets and False Religions, just as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Prophesied would happen and commanded us to have nothing to do with them. The Illuminati: Bahai - The Illuminati - Masonic Colonialism of the Holy Land








Manichee - Buddhistic  Polytheism


Mani and Manichaeism

The "notorious" brand of eastern Gnosticism, known as Manichaeism, has been the subject of much interest to scholars past and present. The Manichaean religion (named after it's founder, the Persian sage Mani) spread rapidly through Asia after its birth in the third century, and by the end of the fourth century, had followers spanning from North Africa all the way to China.

Mani was born on the 14th April 216 AD in North Babylonia, which was then part of the province of Asuristan, which formed part of the Parthian empire. Mani was born to Persian parents and his father was a practicing member of a Jewish/Christian Baptist sect who called themselves "Elchasaites", therefore Mani was inducted to Gnostic belief systems at an early age.

The Babylonian ports of his homeland were "gates to India and other areas further east" and he was therefore also familiarized with the teachings of Buddha and Zoroaster and Jesus, whom Mani later cited as his forerunners. This knowledge, coupled with his Christian/Jewish roots was to later manifest itself in the classic Manichaean practice of reinterpreting local folklore or religious imagery of a culture to incorporate Manichaean beliefs.

At age twelve, Mani encountered his "heavenly self" called the "Twin" who revealed to him some "divine truths" on how to live his life. The Twin or "Higher Ego" (also called the "living paraclete") reappeared to him aged 24 and encouraged him to go forth and preach his word. Mani first preached to his father and then to the elders of his family and succeeded in converting them all.

The Manichaean doctrine of salvation is proselytising, meaning that its followers seek to convert others to their cause. As the state religion of the then current Sasanian Empire was Zoroastrianism, and permission was required to preach a new religion, Mani was forced to lead missionary journeys to Turan and Makran (modern day Baluchistan and Sind) where he converted the Turan king and members of his court.

Mani continued to travel around the region and was met with much hostility on his journeys, especially from the Zoroastrians, however he managed to convert many people and often appointed missionaries to carry on his work after he left. He also sent missionaries such as Mar Ammo, to carry out missionary work on his behalf.

In 242.AD, Mani returned to his homeland and managed to convert Peroz, the brother of the then reigning king, Shapur I. There existed a fond relationship between the two men and Peroz was able to procure an audience with the king. Mani even wrote a book, "Shapuragan" in which he translates his teachings for the king's benefit.

Accounts differ as to whether Sahpur I actually converted to Manichaeism, but it remains clear that he was sufficiently impressed by Mani to make him a member of his court and grant him permission to preach his doctrine within the state, much to the annoyance of the Zoroastrians. Mani's permission to preach was renewed under Hormizd, Shapur I's successor.

However, the next Sasanian king, Bahram, was influenced by the Zoroastrian Mobed (high priest) Kartir and he outlawed Manichaeism. Mani was summoned to Bahram's court where he was reportedly defeated in a theological debate and then imprisoned in heavy chains. He died 26 days later in 277.AD, still in chains.

It is interesting to note that his death is referred to as his crucifixion in Manichean literature in conscious imitation of Jesus' story, another example of the Manichean practice of utilizing or embellishing existing religious imagery and incorporating their own ideas within them.

After Mani's death the Manichaean church faced its bloodiest period of persecution, the communities moving around the region until the 8th century when the Uigur Turks conquered a vast area of central Asia referred to as Chinese Turkistan. Manichaeism was selected as their state religion in AD.762. The last traces of Manichaeism can be found in China up until the 14th century.

Mani's upbringing and knowledge of other religions was put to use when he began to lead his missions to convert the masses and it was a "custom among Manichaean missionaries (originating evidently with Mani himself) either to translate the Aramaic names of the divinities of his faith into the local language, or to identify these divinities with the divine beings of the dominant local religion" (M. Boyce 1975).

In modern terms Manichaeans employed a very good marketing strategy in terms of promoting their religion. It is interesting to note that that Mani recognized three separate entities under the name of Jesus in Manichaean myth. Mani saw himself as the successor to the prophet Jesus although he did not believe that Jesus was a human being, rather that he was in fact the son of God who had taken on the appearance of man and had only seemed to suffer death on the cross.

Manichaeism

To summarize the basic points of the creation story, there are several wars between the celestial forces of good (light, Spirit) and evil (dark, Matter) during which numerous gods' are "created" and "evoked" who make up the Manichaean pantheon. The numerous battles eventually result in the creation of the earth and mankind.

In Manichaean myth, everything was made up of light and dark including animals, plants and even mans soul. Salvation, according to Mani, could be obtained by liberating the imprisoned light in the world and avoiding any injury to it, applicable in both a physical and moral sense.

For example, the light of the soul could be increased through virtuous acts while eating plants helped the light of the body. Eating animals was wrong as they contained only a little light and the act of killing was a sin as it caused pain to the light within them. Almost every act contained sin, according to the Manichaean ethic; even eating plants was reported to be not free from wrongdoing.

For practical purposes the Manichaean community consisted of two classes, the Elect and the Hearers. It was the job of the Hearers to provide everything for the Elect so that they do not have to sin, for example the Hearers would commit "necessary sins" such as harvesting crops.

The Elect lived a life similar to Monks, they were celibate, they were not allowed personal possessions and they lived on alms given to them. Only the Elect could expect Paradise after death, the best a Hearer could hope for was to be reincarnated as an Elect member due to his diligent service in this life.

During its heyday, the Manichaean church and its followers were persecuted as "The doctrine of salvation established by the Persian Mani was considered from the beginning as directly dangerous to the existing religious communities" (J.P Asmussen, 1975), namely the Christians and Zoroastrians. Indeed, in his writings, Kartir (an influential Zoroastrian leader of the third century) takes a lot of satisfaction in the fact that the Manichaeans suffered heavy persecution during his lifetime.

Christian polemic writers such as St. Augustine, who was actually a practicing member of the Manichean community for nine years before his conversion to Christianity, also attacks the Manichaean doctrine harshly in many of his works, criticizing Manichaean beliefs and practices

There exists a slightly more objective view of Mani and his beliefs in the works of Islamic scholars such as Ibn al Nadim (who appears to have based his accounts on original Manichaean texts), although in many of these texts, Mani is mainly remembered as a skilled artist and painter (which he indeed was) and little reference is made to the detailed content of his belief system.

As it is plain to see, it would be increasingly difficult to conduct in-depth studies on any religious theology when there are little or no primary sources available. It would also not be wise to accept the information contained in the polemic writings of Christian theologians as pure fact, as their intent was to disrepute Manichaeism and they may have altered or even "demonised" the true ethic to suit their purposes.

An exception would be St. Augustine whose 9 years spent studying the Manichaean doctrine would make him both an extremely dangerous opponent to the Manichaeans, as well as an invaluable and reliable source of information on the subject. He left Manichaeism as he felt unsatisfied by what he saw as a hypocritical hierarchy in relation to the Elect and Hearers and he was not impressed by what he called their "pseudo-scientifical" claims of knowledge.

But it is clear when looking at the literature of the period, that there exists a lack of an unbiased view, maybe "An objective evaluation of Manichaeism was perhaps at that time a psychological impossibility. Manichaeism was too burning a question to be subjected to sober, impersonal description" (J.P Asmussen, 1975).

The late 1800's/ early 1900's proved to be an extremely fruitful time in terms of Manichaean research. Not only were previous studies being updated and revised, but new source material was also discovered and made accessible to scholars.

Four archaeological expeditions, lead by German archaeologists Albert Grunwedel and Albert von Le Coq, were undertaken to Chinese Turkistan between 1902 and 1914, commonly known as the Turfan expeditions in reference to the Turfan basin area that they explored. During the course of these expeditions, an extensive amount of Manichaean art and manuscripts were discovered among the sand buried, ruined monasteries.

Back in Germany, the texts were handed over to the famous Orientalist F.W.K Muller who began to translate and publish the texts. These discoveries, especially the literature contained in the texts, heralded a new age in Manichaean research, as scholars were now able to study primary source material and view the writing in its original context.

They also proved to be invaluable in terms of gaining a better understanding of the Manichaean community and how they operated. The texts contain Hymns, didactic texts, and historical writings along with prayers, poetry as well as Mani's canon, which was divided into seven parts.

It is believed that some of the texts were actually composed by Mani himself in his mother tongue, Aramaic, and later translated by his disciples.

We now have a much more reliable and clearer picture of Mani's life and doctrine, as well as inside information regarding the Manichaean church as these texts were written "by Manichaeans for Manichaeans and moreover are from areas where Manichaeism was the state protected religion" (J.P Asmussen, 1975).

The Turfan texts have provided us with an invaluable "insider" account of Manichaeism and allowed us to examine the subject from an objective viewpoint not previously accessible.



Bibliography
-- Asmussen, J.P, Manichaean Literature, Delmar 1975
-- BeDuhn, Jason D, The Manichaean Body, John Hopkins University Press 2000
-- Boyce, Mary, The Manichaean Hymn-cycles in Parthian, Oxford University Press 1954
-- Boyce, Mary, The Manichaean Literature in Middle Iranian, in Literatur (Handbuch der orientalistik) 1968
-- Boyce, Mary, A Reader in Manichaean Middle Persian and Parthian, E. J. Brill 1975
-- Bryder, Peter, Manichaean Studies, Lund plus ultra 1988
-- Eliade, Mircea (ed), Encyclopedia of Religions, MacMillan 1987
-- Klimkeit, H.J, Gnosis on the Silk Road, HarperSanFranscisco 1993
-- Le Coq, A.von, Buried Treasures of Chinese Turkestan, Unwin Brothers 1928
-- Whitfield, Susan, Life along the Silk Road, University of California Press, 2002
-- Wood, Frances, The Silk Road, British Library 2002

 source: http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Religions/iranian/Manichaeism/man_manichaeaism.htm

Bahai - The Illuminati - Masonic Colonialism of the Holy Land

Palestine Cry: Bahaism - Bahaism in the Shadow of Colonization | The Colonial Attack on Palestine

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Freemasons & Bahaism


Freemasons & Bahaism

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..... I will be stepping on a few people's toes here. Your Christians are really unaware of where their concept of the millenium came from. They think that it comes from the bible, but if they go back historically they will see that William Miller, who started the Adventist movement and started talking about millenium, was a high ranking Freemason. He predicted that Christ would return in 1844. The question is, did Christ return in 1844? Most people, because we have a limited perspective on things, would say no, he didn't.


But there was a man called Nabob (Bab) who appeared in Persia, and he said I am Christ, and he started the Baha'i religion. He fulfilled William Miller's prophecy. The Freemasons were the ones who introduced the Bahai religion to America, and they did it through the Chicago Masonic Temple around the turn of the century. The Bahai religion is committed to a one world government, a new world order, and a one world religion. There was this Masonic Oriental Order of the Magi and they were the hardcore group within the Chicago Masonic Temple who started the Bahai religion in this country.

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Shundamentalism


Shundamentalism

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One of the distinguishing doctrines of the Bahá'í Faith is its characterization of rebellion against religious authority, what it callscovenant breaking, as the most pernicious, contageous form of evil. Other religions have their outcasts and their devils, but there's nothing out there quite like a covenant breaker.Apostasy is the great spiritual crime of Islám. It was once considered a capital crime, and still is in some circles. The Bahá'í Faith uses its own definition for the term apostasy. The Bahá'í usage of the word implies that apostasy is equivalent to covenant breaking. It is not a capital crime, but is considered a highly contageous spiritual disease, and is therefore subject to severe shunning.
The doctrine of covenant breaking and the accompanying practice of shunning is traceable to Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá, but it was formalized by Shoghi Effendi:
Apostates, rebels, betrayers, heretics, had exerted their utmost endeavors, privily or openly, to sap the loyalty of the followers of that Faith, to split their ranks or assault their institutions.
God Passes By, page 408.
When a person declares his acceptance of Baha'u'llah as a Manifestation of God he becomes a party to the Covenant and accepts the totality of His Revelation. If he then turns around and attacks Baha'u'llah or the Central Institution of the Faith he violates the Covenant. If this happens every effort is made to help that person to see the illogicality and error of his actions, but if he persists he must, in accordance with the instructions of Baha'u'llah Himself, be shunned as a Covenant-breaker.
From a letter dated March 30, 1957 on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, "Messages to Canada," p. 64
Bahá'u'lláh and the Master in many places and very emphatically have told us to shun entirely all Covenant-breakers as they are afflicted with what we might try and define as a contagious spiritual disease ...
From a letter dated 30 November 1944 written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer
Shunning is typically done on an individual level, but Bahá'í authorities have also been seen exhibiting this practice. In a recentdispute between the United States National Spiritual Assembly (NSA) and the Second International Bahá'í Council, the WIPO panel that oversaw the dispute voiced some disapproval over the unwillingness of the conplainant (the NSA) to communicate with the other party:
Complainant did not send a copy of its request directly to Respondent, apparently believing Respondent had a “religious objection” to communicating with it. While the Panel appreciates Complainant’s sensitivity, it did not interpret the statement that Respondent had, consistent with Respondent’s religious beliefs, ignored Complainant’s cease and desist letter, to be an objection to receiving communications. Moreover, the Panel reminds Complainant of Rule 2(h): “Any communication by . . . a Party shall be copied to the other Party, the Panel and the Provider, as the case may be” (emphasis added).




The Century of Peace !!!


The Century of Peace !!!

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"One of the great events," affirms `Abdu'l-Bahá, "which is to occur in the Day of the manifestation of that incomparable Branch is the hoisting of the Standard of God among all nations. By this is meant that all nations and kindreds will be gathered together under the shadow of this Divine Banner, which is no other than the Lordly Branch itself, and will become a single nation. Religious and sectarian antagonism, the hostility of races and peoples, and differences among nations, will be eliminated. All men will adhere to one religion, will have one common faith, will be blended into one race and become a single people. All will dwell in one common fatherland, which is the planet itself." "Now, in the world of being," He has moreover explained, "the Hand of Divine power hath firmly laid the foundations of this all-highest bounty, and this wondrous gift. Whatsoever is latent in the innermost of this holy Cycle shall gradually appear and be made manifest, for now is but the beginning of its growth, and the dayspring of the revelation of its signs. Ere the close of this century and of this age, it shall be made clear and evident how wondrous was that spring-tide, and how heavenly was that gift."

The Unfoldment of World Civilization





Baha'i World Government


Baha'i World Government

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"... A single, organically-united, unshattered World Common wealth."
- Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America, p. 81
“... a stage which, in the fullness of time, will culminate in the establishment of the World Baha’i Commonwealth, functioning in the plenitude of its powers”
- Shoghi Effendi, Baha’i World. Vol. XIII, p. 138
"... the precautionary and defensive measures to be devised, coordinated, and carried out to counteract the full force of the inescapable attacks which the organized efforts of ecclesiastical organizations of various denominations will progressively launch and relentlessly pursue; and, last but not least, the multitudinous issues that must be faced, the obstacles that must be overcome, and the responsibilities that must be assumed, to enable a sore-tried Faith to pass through the successive stages of unmitigated obscurity, of active repression, and of complete emancipation, leading in turn to its being acknowledged as an independent Faith, enjoying the status of full equality with its sister religions, to be followed by its establishment and recognition as a State religion, which in turn must give way to its assumption of the rights and prerogatives associated with the Baha'i state, functioning in the plenitude of its powers, a stage which must ultimately culminate in the emergence of the world-wide Baha'i' Commonwealth, animated wholly by the spirit, and operating solely in direct conformity with the laws and principles of Baha’u’llah."
- Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 12
"It is the structure of His New World Order, now stirring in the womb of the administrative institutions He Himself has created, that will serve both as a pattern and a nucleus of the World Commonwealth which is the sure, the inevitable destiny of the peoples and nations of the earth."
- Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come, p. 122
"It is the superstructure of that self-same order, attaining its full stature through the emergence of the Baha'i World Commonwealth — the Kingdom of God on earth —which the Golden Age of the (Baha'i) Dispensation must, in the fullness of time, ultimately witness."
- Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 26
"As the authority with which Baha’u’llah has invested the future Baha'i Commonwealth becomes more and more apparent, the fiercer shall be the challenge which from every quarter will be thrown at the verities it enshrines."
- Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahaullah, p. 18
"And as the Baha'i Faith permeates the masses of the peoples of East and West, and its truth is embraced by the majority of the peoples of a number of the Sovereign States of the world, will the Universal House of Justice attain the plenitude of its power, and exercise, as the supreme organ of the Baha'i Commonwealth, all the rights, the duties, and responsibilities incumbent upon the worlds future super state."
- Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 7
"Haifa, Israel - 'permanent world Administrative Centre of the future Baha'i Commonwealth, destined never to be separated from, and to function in proximity of the Spiritual Centre of (the) Faith'... "
- Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 348
"... To us, the 'generation of the half-light', living at a time which maybe designated as the period of the incubation of the World Commonwealth envisaged by Baha’u’llah, has been assigned a task whose high privilege we can never sufficiently appreciate, and the arduousness of which we can as yet but dimly recognize."
- Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Baha’u’llah, p 168

"... the Faith of Baha’u’llah is now visibly succeeding in demonstrating its claim and title to be regarded as a World Religion destined to attain, in the fullness of time, the status of a world-embracing Commonwealth, which would be at once the instrument and the guardian of the Most Great Peace, announced by its Author."
- Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahaullah, p. 196

"The Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, stands in its final form as a worthy and faithful exposition of the constitutional basis of the Baha’i communities in every land, foreshadowing the final emergence of the World Baha’i Commonwealth of the future."
- Shoghi Effendi, Bahai Administration, p. 135
"This final and crowning stage (Commonwealth) in the evolution of the Plan wrought by God Himself for humanity will, in turn, prove to be the signal for the birth of a world civilization, incomparable in its range, its character and potency, in the history of mankind ... "
- Shoghi Effendi, Baha’i World, Vol. XI, p. 138