The Hour of the Sword

 

THE Great Storm I spoke of in Spiraling Toward the Eye has three essential components according to the Early Church Fathers, Scripture, and confirmed in credible prophetic revelations. The first part of the Storm is essentially man-made: humanity reaping what it has sown (cf. Seven Seals of Revolution). Then comes the Eye of the Storm followed by the last half of the Storm which will culminate in God Himself directly intervening through a Judgment of the Living.

A couple of days ago, an image suddenly entered my mind of the lives of the unborn that have been taken through abortion; they were like seeds sown into the earth to the tune of 125,000 every day on average over more than four decades. [1]cf. worldometers.com The sense was that these seeds have sprouted and are now fully grown—and that the harvest is ready.

When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind. (Hos 8:7)

Abortion is but one of the many grave injustices that our generation has almost single-handedly produced alongside genocides, wars, human trafficking, pornography, terrorism, and mass shootings.

With new acts of war taking place in the Middle East as I write, we can only wonder if these events are the match that will light the fuse that shatters what “peace” remains in the world—that unleashes the red horse of the apocalypse to begin his final gallop before the end of this era. I don’t know. But the following writing, penned nearly seven years ago, is forefront on my mind today. All I can say is that I am deeply, profoundly grateful to the Heavenly Father for having granted me and all of us the past seven years to repent and convert that much more.

Of course, there will always be those who will say that all these so-called prophecies have been announced for decades, and yet, here we are. They don’t understand. God does not speak through His prophets and then act the next day. He gives time for His word to spread, time for us to respond and repent, as much time as needed. Because, when He acts, it will be decisive… and the world will never be the same again.

The following was first published on April 5th, 2013.

 

 

IT has been a marvellous week so far here in California, preaching alongside the man who helped bring the message of Divine Mercy to the world as well as promoted the cause of St. Faustina’s canonization: Fr. Seraphim Michalenko.

At the same time that we are preaching about Divine Mercy, we have not forgotten the context in which Jesus Himself revealed these messages to St. Faustina:

Speak to the world about My mercy; let all mankind recognize My unfathomable mercy. It is a sign for the end times; after it will come the day of justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of My mercy; let them profit from the Blood and Water which gushed forth for them. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 848 

That is, the “time of mercy” [2]I have eternity for punishing [these], and so I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of [sinners]. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation.” —Divine Mercy in My Soul, Blessed Mother to St. Faustina, Diary, n. 1160 we are in has an end; it is not indefinite and depends upon our response to Heaven. And we must readily admit that we have not responded to the warnings and messages of Our Blessed Mother as we should have. We have not listened to nor recognized divine warnings, whether from the popes or the prophets, to bring the world back from the brink. And therefore, like the Prodigal Son, we must begin to reap what we have sown, now that the world is collectively broke—financially and most significantly, spiritually. But like the Prodigal Son, it will be precisely in chastisement that the world’s eyes will be opened, and we will be granted one last opportunity to either return home to the Father… or remain separated from Him for eternity.

…before I come as the just Judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy… before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice…Divine Mercy in My Soul, Jesus to St. Faustina, Diary, n. 83, 1146

In this context then, we must understand that what God is about to permit on earth is rooted in His love and mercy:

…whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges. (Heb 12:6)

What must take place now is not so much from the hand of God, but from man’s own hand. We must taste the bitterness of our own devices in order to see clearly that a world without God will necessarily become one with disorder, death, and chaos.

God will send two punishments: one will be in the form of wars, revolutions, and other evils; it shall originate on earth. The other will be sent from Heaven. —Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, Catholic Prophecy, P. 76

 

THE DEFINITIVE BREAKING OF THE SEALS

Since Easter Vigil, I have strongly sensed in prayer that we are to prepare now for the imminent and definitive breaking of the “seals” spoken of in Revelation—most especially the second:

When he broke open the second seal, I heard the second living creature cry out, “Come forward.” Another horse came out, a red one. Its rider was given power to take peace away from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And he was given a huge sword. (Rev 6:3-4)

As we look at the global signs of the times around us: the threat of war fomenting on the horizon, the imminent collapse of economies, the emergence of dangerous viruses and superbugs, the disintegration of Fukushima, and the persecution of the Church emerging from beneath the surface… we see a clear picture unfolding of a Great Storm: The Seven Seals of Revolution.

The last two nights here (I’m just an hour out of San Francisco), I have been praying about what the Lord may want me to write today. I felt led to go back and read The Seven Seals of Revolution. I had forgotten a word on my heart that I shared with you then while in Los Angeles, California:

There is no man, no principality, no power that will stand in the way as an obstacle to My divine plan. All is prepared. The sword is about to fall. Do not be afraid, for I will keep My people safe in the trials which are about to afflict the earth (see Rev 3:10).

I have in mind the salvation of souls, the good and evil. From this place, California— “the heart of the Beast” —you are to announce My judgments…

As I sit here in California now two years later, I sense that time is now.

 

THE SCALES HAVE TIPPED

We know that, over the course of the past century, chastisement has been avoided. At Fatima, the children saw an angel with a “flaming sword” about to strike the earth… but then our Blessed Mother appeared, and the light emanating from her (that is, her intercession) stopped the angel, who then cried out “Penance, penance, penance!”

The angel with the flaming sword on the left of the Mother of God recalls similar images in the Book of Revelation. This represents the threat of judgment which looms over the world. Today the prospect that the world might be reduced to ashes by a sea of fire no longer seems pure fantasy: man himself, with his inventions, has forged the flaming sword.The Message of Fatima, from the Vatican’s website

See, I have created the smith who blows on the burning coals and forges weapons as his work; it is I also who have created the destroyer to work havoc. (Isaiah 54:16)

Several years later, St. Faustina had a vision of Jesus appearing in a white garment holding a “terrible sword” in His hand during her order’s renewal of vows.

Then I saw a resplendence beyond compare and, in front of this brilliance, a white cloud in the shape of a scale. Then Jesus approached and put the sword on one side of the scale, and it fell heavily towards the ground until it was about to touch it. Just then, the sisters finished renewing their vows. Then I saw Angels who took something from each of the sisters and placed it in a golden vessel somewhat in the shape of a thurible. When they had collected it from all the sisters and placed the vessel on the other side of the scale, it immediately outweighed and raised up the side on which the sword had been laid. At that moment, a flame issued forth from the thurible, and it reached all the way to the brilliance. Then I heard a voice coming from the brilliance: Put the sword back in its place; the sacrifice is greater. —Divine Mercy in My Soul, Jesus to St. Faustina, Diary, n. 394

So why now? Why are we seemingly on the verge of the great tribulations that Scripture and Our Lady have foretold? Because the sacrifice is no longer greater than the sin. We are not observers in the Kingdom of God: we are participants. And with St. Paul, we have a role in holding back the tides of evil through our prayers, suffering, sacrifices and witness. [3]cf. Col 1:24

It is justly said that preaching restrains the kingdom of evil. Just as “God made a wind blow which dried the land and made the waters diminish” (Gen 8:1) after the deluge, so also did the Holy Spirit by the breath of the mouth of preachers diminish the floods of sin. —Blessed Humbert of Romans (1277), Magnificat, September 2013, p. 65

Jesus once told Faustina:

I also withhold My punishments only because of you. You restrain Me, and I cannot vindicate the claims of My justice. You bind My hands with your love. Divine Mercy in My Soul, Jesus to St. Faustina, Diary, n. 1193

God’s mercy is fluid; it has forestalled, through the preaching, sacrifice and prayers of chosen souls for nearly a century, the complete fulfillment of Our Lady’s words at Fatima:

[Russia] will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. —from the Third Secret of Fatima published on the Vatican website, The Message of Fatima, www.vatican.va

But now, through the Global Revolution that seeks to impose global Communism, [4]cf. When Communism Returns these words must come to pass so that the latter part of her prophecy may be realized:

In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.—Message of Fatima, www.vatican.va

 

THE FLAMING SWORD — UNSHEATHED

Now, the labour pains must give way to the birth. And oh! how Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had been warning us of this moment within his short pontificate!

…the threat of judgment also concerns us, the Church in Europe, Europe and the West in general… Light can also be taken away from us and we do well to let this warning ring out with its full seriousness in our hearts…Pope Benedict XVI, Opening Homily, Synod of Bishops,October 2nd, 2005, Rome.

Mankind has succeeded in unleashing a cycle of death and terror, but failed in bringing it to an end… —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Homily Esplanade of the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, May 13th, 2010

The darkness enshrouding God and obscuring values is the real threat to our existence and to the world in general. If God and moral values, the difference between good and evil, remain in darkness, then all other “lights”, that put such incredible technical feats within our reach, are not only progress but also dangers that put us and the world at risk. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Easter Vigil Homily, April 7th, 2012

Humanity today is unfortunately experiencing great division and sharp conflicts which cast dark shadows on its future… the danger of an increase in the number of countries possessing nuclear weapons causes well-founded apprehension in every responsible person. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, December 11th, 2007; USA Today

The very future of the world is at stake.—POPE BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Roman Curia, December 20th, 2010

On Easter Vigil, the words were impressed on my heart:

There is so little time left now before the explosions.

How strange it was, then, to read a few days later in the news:

North Korea dramatically escalated its warlike rhetoric on Thursday, warning that it had authorized plans for nuclear strikes on targets in the United States. “The moment of explosion is approaching fast,” the North Korean military said, warning that war could break out “today or tomorrow”. —April 3rd, 2013, AFP

We must really understand what lies behind such rhetoric, whether it is that of Iran, North Korea, China, etc. Many countries are threatened by a new and reckless concept that has emerged since the events of “911”: the theory of “pre-emptive strike” or “just war.”[5]In many ways, this is really just the spread of the tentacles of Mystery Babylon That is, if a country feels its interests are threatened, it can launch a pre-emptive strike. It would be akin to saying that you can shoot at your next door neighbour if you think he might someday shoot you. [6]However, as I explained in Mystery Babylon, there is another agenda afoot that is becoming more apparent by the hour: the concept of “regime change” to spread “democracy” is really preparing the way for the loss of sovereignty of all nations in a “new world order.”

Pope Benedict warned:

There were not sufficient reasons to unleash a war against Iraq. To say nothing of the fact that, given the new weapons that make possible destructions that go beyond the combatant groups, today we should be asking ourselves if it is still licit to admit the very existence of a “just war.” —Cardinal Jospeh Ratzinger, ZENIT, May 2, 2003

Now we see the very same scenario about to unfold at any moment, this time with Syria [or insert whatever country is deemed the greatest “threat” to “national interests’.] Once again, the concept of “just war” is being invoked to protect the “interests” of a particular nation. 

This kind of attack threatens our national security interests further threatening friends and allies like Israel and Turkey and Jordan, and it increases the risk that chemical weapons will be used in the future.  —President Barack Obama, August 30th, 2013, Politico

But again, the Holy Father is warning that dialogue “is the only option to put an end to the conflict and to the violence that every day causes the loss of so many human lives, especially amongst the helpless civilian population.” [7]joint statement of Pope Francis with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Washington Post, August 29th, 2013; washingtonpost.com

Weapons and violence do not lead to peace, war leads to more war. —POPE FRANCIS, September 1, 2013, france24.com

Russia has expressed its conviction that any forceful action against Syria that the U.S. could carry out in circumvention of the U.N. Security Council would be an act of aggression and a gross violation of international law. —Russian Foreign Ministry, Washington Post, August 31, 2013

What are the “explosions” that I seemed to hear referred to in prayer? I can’t say for certain, but my sense has always been that they refer to retaliations or terrorist attacks that will plummet the world into a crisis, if not a third world war—whether they come from nations, rogue individuals, or are the strategic manoeuvring of a shadow government to overthrow the present order. [8]cf. Global Revolution

Iran is vowing to back Bashar al-Assad’s regime to the hilt and threatening to unleash terrorism should the U.S. strike. —Daily CallerSeptember 6th, 2013

Perhaps such repercussions are why, in part, the Holy Father has called for September 7th, 2013 to be a day of fasting and prayer with him for world peace, and in particular, the Middle East situation. [9]cf. Catholic News Agency For war itself is never a solution:

Violence and arms can never resolve the problems of man. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Houston Catholic Worker, July – August 4th, 2003

There will be no peace on earth while the oppression of peoples, injustices, and economic imbalances, which still exist, endure. —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Ash Wednesday Mass, 2003

Hence, we can better understand now why we must pass through these trials: in order to recognize that the law of love, the message of the Gospel, is the only sure norm by which mankind can possibly exist. And yet, it is precisely this which we have lost sight of with incalculable consequences for the world:

In our days, when in vast areas of the world the faith is in danger of dying out like a flame which no longer has fuel, the overriding priority is to make God present in this world and to show men and women the way to God. Not just any god, but the God who spoke on Sinai; to that God whose face we recognize in a love which presses “to the end” (cf. Jn 13:1)—in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. The real problem at this moment of our history is that God is disappearing from the human horizon, and, with the dimming of the light which comes from God, humanity is losing its bearings, with increasingly evident destructive effects.Letter of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to All the Bishops of the World, March 10, 2009; Catholic Online

 

ECHOES IN PROPHECY

…And this from three Catholic mystics who all spoke of coming hardships, but also an “illumination” to correct the world. [10]cf. The Great Liberation Here again, we “do not despise prophecy” but “test everything and retain what is good” (1 These 5:20-21):

“The moment has arrived in which mankind must awaken… in which it must awaken to the love of God. In the coming years a new light from heaven will  illuminate hearts… but before it does there will be hardship.” [Maria Esperanza] foresaw AIDS and now sees other problems, including another disease [11]cf. “The big one is coming, and it’s going to be a flu pandemic”, cnn.com and a foreign threat to the U.S. (by two nations, one large, one smaller, who will conspire to provoke America). A “very serious moment” will arrive but humankind will survive and will be better for it and will live in the truth of God… this is “the hour of decision for humanity.” She sees war, societal problems, and natural disasters. But she also sees a cleansing that will restore humankind. “A great moment is approaching,” she said. “A great day of light!” —the late approved Venezuelan mystic, Maria Esperanza; “The Incredible Story of Maria Esperanza” by Michael H. Brown; freerepublic.com

I weep today My children but it is those who are failing to heed to My warnings that will weep tomorrow. The winds of spring will turn into the rising dust of summer as the world will begin to look more like a desert. Before mankind is able to change the calendar of this time you will have witnessed the financial collapse. It is only those who heed to My warnings that will be prepared. The North will attack the South as the two Koreas become at war with each other. Jerusalem will shake, America will fall and Russia will unite with China to become Dictators of the new world. I plead in warnings of love and mercy for I am Jesus and the hand of justice is soon to prevail. —Jennifer, May 22, 2012; wordsfromjesus.com

Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy.—Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 300

 

PREPARING

I know the words above will be alarming and even frightening to some readers. And so, by God’s grace in the days to come, I wish to write you more frequently, as my spiritual director has asked me to do. In them, with God’s help, I hope to ground your heart—not in fear—but in authentic hope that grants us a divine perspective of all things.

You are precious to me, reader… so precious to Jesus. I thank God that I have been able to share in the kind of love that St. Paul had for his readers. We will not be abandoned in these times! There is a great grace coming to the Church that will change everything. And so, turn your hearts toward Jesus, fix your eyes upon Him, join the hand of your Mother, and pray, pray, pray. For in prayer, God unites us to Himself, clothes us in armour, and grants us all the graces we need to remain faithful participants in the Kingdom.

Last, it is no coincidence that the words I am writing here fall before the Feast of Mercy on the first Sunday after Easter. On this day, God has promised to remove all sin and temporal punishmet for those who meet the following conditions:

I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners.  On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary of St. Faustina, n. 699

…a plenary indulgence [will be] granted under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the intentions of Supreme Pontiff) to the faithful who, on the Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday, in any church or chapel, in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin, take part in the prayers and devotions held in honour of Divine Mercy, or who, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!”)Apostolic Penitentiary Decree, Indulgences attached to devotions in honour of Divine Mercy; Archbishop Luigi De Magistris, Tit. Archbishop of Nova Major Pro-Penitentiary;

This is a wonderful opportunity, once again, for us to be immersed in the ocean of God’s mercy… and to be prepared to meet Him face to face when He calls us home.

 

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 cf. worldometers.com
2 I have eternity for punishing [these], and so I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of [sinners]. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation.” —Divine Mercy in My Soul, Blessed Mother to St. Faustina, Diary, n. 1160
3 cf. Col 1:24
4 cf. When Communism Returns
5 In many ways, this is really just the spread of the tentacles of Mystery Babylon
6 However, as I explained in Mystery Babylon, there is another agenda afoot that is becoming more apparent by the hour: the concept of “regime change” to spread “democracy” is really preparing the way for the loss of sovereignty of all nations in a “new world order.”
7 joint statement of Pope Francis with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Washington Post, August 29th, 2013; washingtonpost.com
8 cf. Global Revolution
9 cf. Catholic News Agency
10 cf. The Great Liberation
11 cf. “The big one is coming, and it’s going to be a flu pandemic”, cnn.com
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