{"id":25363,"date":"2016-12-04T14:59:07","date_gmt":"2016-12-04T20:59:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=25363"},"modified":"2017-11-20T12:36:04","modified_gmt":"2017-11-20T18:36:04","slug":"can-we-have-this-discussion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/can-we-have-this-discussion\/","title":{"rendered":"Can We Have This Discussion?","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"CENTER\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-25364\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/wontlisten.jpg\" alt=\"wontlisten\" width=\"470\" height=\"295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/wontlisten.jpg 542w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/wontlisten-300x188.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 470px) 100vw, 470px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>SEVERAL\u00a0<\/strong>weeks ago, I wrote\u00a0that it is time for me &#8216;to speak directly,\u00a0boldly, and without apology to the \u201cremnant\u201d who are listening. It is only a remnant of readers now, not because they are special, but chosen; it is a remnant, not because all are not\u00a0invited, but few respond.&#8217; <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_1');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_1');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_1\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-convergence-and-the-blessing\/#more-14719\">The Convergence and the Blessing<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>\u00a0That is, I have spent ten years writing about the times we live in, constantly referencing Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium so as to bring balance to a discussion that perhaps too frequently relies only on private revelation. Nonetheless, there are some who simply feel\u00a0<em>any\u00a0<\/em>discussion of the &#8220;end times&#8221; or the crises we face is too gloomy, negative, or fanatical\u2014and so they simply delete and unsubscribe. So be it.\u00a0Pope Benedict was pretty straightforward about\u00a0such souls:<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>It\u2019s our very sleepiness to the presence of God that renders us insensitive to evil: we don\u2019t hear God because we don\u2019t want to be disturbed, and so we remain indifferent to evil&#8230; those of us who do not want to see the full force of evil and do not want to enter into his Passion<\/strong>. \u2014POPE BENEDICT XVI, Catholic News Agency, Vatican City, Apr 20, 2011, General Audience<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">One of the most consistent things people tell me in their letters is that this writing apostolate gives them hope. But not a false hope. We cannot speak of the Coming\u00a0of Jesus Christ without acknowledging what He actually\u00a0said about it: that His return will be accompanied by great distress, persecution and upheaval, and most notably, <em>deception.\u00a0<\/em>Therefore<em>,\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0discussion of the &#8220;signs of the times&#8221; isn&#8217;t about curiosity, it&#8217;s about saving souls; it&#8217;s about our children and grandchildren who are being swept\u00a0away in a virtual\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-spiritual-tsunami\/\">Spiritual Tsunami<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>of deception in these times.\u00a0How often\u00a0have you heard homilists, speakers, and authors say\u00a0&#8220;We&#8217;re all going to die and meet Christ at any time, so it doesn&#8217;t really matter whether He&#8217;s coming in our lifetime or not&#8221;? Then why did Jesus command us to &#8220;watch and pray&#8221;? Because the deception would be so subtle and enticing that it would cause a mass apostasy of believers from the faith.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I was recently\u00a0included in an email discussion led by theologian Peter Bannister\u00a0who has studied both the early Church Fathers and some 15,000 pages of credible\u00a0private revelation since 1970. Noting that many theologians today reject the notion of an &#8220;era of peace&#8221; as described in Revelation 20:1-6\u00a0and instead prefer Augustine&#8217;s opinion\u00a0of the &#8220;thousand years&#8221; (which is\u00a0<em>amillennialism\u2014<\/em>the idea that the &#8220;thousand years&#8221;\u00a0refers to the period after Christ&#8217;s ascension until the end of time), he nonetheless states&#8230;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>&#8230;like Rev. Joseph Iannuzzi and Mark Mallett, I am now thoroughly convinced that <em>amillennialism<\/em> is not only\u00a0<i>not<\/i>\u00a0dogmatically binding but actually a huge mistake (like most attempts throughout history to sustain theological arguments, however sophisticated, that fly in the face of a plain reading of Scripture, in this case Revelation 19 and 20). Perhaps the question really didn&#8217;t matter all that much in previous centuries, but it certainly does now&#8230;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Referring to his vast research in prophecy, Bannister ads:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>I cannot point to a\u00a0<i>single\u00a0<\/i>credible source that upholds Augustine&#8217;s eschatology. Everywhere it is rather affirmed that what we are facing, sooner rather than later, is the Coming of the Lord (understood in the sense of a dramatic <em>manifestation<\/em> of Christ,\u00a0<i>not\u00a0<\/i>in the condemned millenarian sense of a physical return of Jesus to rule bodily over a temporal kingdom) for the world&#8217;s renewal\u2014<i>not<\/i>\u00a0for the Final Judgment\/end of the planet&#8230;.\u00a0The logical implication on the basis of Scripture of stating that the Coming of the Lord is &#8216;imminent&#8217; is that, so too, is the coming of the Son of Perdition.\u00a0I don&#8217;t see any way whatsoever around this. Again, this is confirmed in an impressive number of heavyweight prophetic sources&#8230;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>With that in mind, I want to present again a calm and balanced approach to the\u00a0subject in a writing below called: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/antichrist-in-our-times\/\">Antichrist in our Times<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>(which I have updated today)<em>.\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0I do so, not because I am interested in\u00a0the futility of calculating the timing of his manifestation. Rather again, because his coming is preceded and accompanied by a deception so great, that &#8220;even the elect&#8221; may\u00a0be deceived. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_2');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_2');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_2\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Mat 24:24<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> As you&#8217;ll see, many of the popes of the last century believe this deception is well underway&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>CAN WE HAVE THIS DISCUSSION?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-17545\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/blackcaptain_Fotor.jpg\" alt=\"blackcaptain_Fotor.jpg\" width=\"250\" height=\"176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/blackcaptain_Fotor.jpg 470w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/blackcaptain_Fotor-300x211.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-black-ship-part-i\/\">The\u00a0Black Ship is sailing<\/a>&#8230; <\/em><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Those are the words I heard rising in my heart before Advent began. I sensed the Lord urging me to write about this\u2014about <em>Revelation 13\u2014<\/em>and have been further encouraged by my spiritual director in this regard<em>. <\/em>And why not, for the text itself says:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">Whoever has ears ought to hear these words. (Rev 13:9)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">But here is the question to you and I: do we have ears to hear these words? Are we able to enter into a discussion of the Antichrist and the signs of the times, which are part of our Catholic Faith, part of our mandate given by Christ to &#8220;watch and pray&#8221;? <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_3');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_3');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[3]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_3\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Mark 14:38<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> Or do we immediately roll our eyes and dismiss any discussion as paranoia and fear-mongering? Are we able to set aside our pre-conceived notions and prejudices and listen to the voice of the Church, to what the Popes and Church Fathers have said and are saying? For they speak with the mind of Christ who said to His first bishops, and hence to their successors:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. (Luke 10:16)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Before I delve into any discussion of the Black Ship, that rising <em>false church<\/em><em>, <\/em>let&#8217;s first look at the nagging question of <em>when <\/em>the Antichrist is expected. It is an important question because Scripture tells us that his coming will be accompanied by tremendous deception. Arguably, this is already happening, especially in the Western world&#8230;<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">THE SON OF PERDITION<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Sacred Tradition affirms that, near the end of time, a certain man whom St. Paul calls &#8220;the lawless one&#8221; is expected to rise as a false Christ in the world, setting himself as an object of worship. His timing was revealed to Paul as before the &#8220;day of the Lord&#8221;:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition. (2 Thess 2:3)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">The early Church Fathers have unanimously confirmed that the &#8220;son of perdition&#8221; is a human being, a single person. However, Pope <span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/pope_benedict_xvi_christmas_12_25_11_Fotor.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"181\" height=\"223\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"5\" vspace=\"2\" \/><\/span>Emeritus Benedict XVI made the important point:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>As far as the antichrist is concerned, we have seen that in the New Testament he always assumes the lineaments of contemporary history. He cannot be restricted to any single individual. One and the same he wears many masks in each generation.<\/strong> \u2014Cardinal Ratzinger (POPE BENEDICT XVI),<em> Dogmatic Theology<\/em>, Eschatology 9, Johann Auer and Joseph Ratzinger, 1988, p. 199-200 <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">That is a viewpoint consonant with Sacred Scripture:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. Thus we know this is the last hour&#8230; Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. (1 John 2:18, 22)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">That is simply to say that there are many antichrists throughout human history. But Scripture points especially to one, chief among many, who accompanies a great rebellion or <em>apostasy<\/em> toward the end of time. The Church Fathers refer to him as the &#8220;son of perdition&#8221;, the &#8220;lawless one&#8221;, a &#8220;king&#8221;, an &#8220;apostate and robber&#8221; whose origin is likely from the Middle East, possibly of Jewish heritage.<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">But when will he arrive?<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">THE CHRONOLOGY\u00a0OF THE DECEIVER<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">There are essentially two camps on this, but as I will point out, they are not necessarily in opposition to one another.<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">The first camp, and the most prevalent one <em>today, <\/em>is that the Antichrist appears at the very end of time, immediately before the final return of Jesus in glory inaugurating the universal judgment and end of the world.<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">The other camp is the one that is most prevalent among the early Church Fathers, credible and approved private revelation, several modern popes, and which, notably, follows the straightforward chronology of St. John the Apostle in Revelation. And that is that the coming of the <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/lion_and_the_lamb_Fotor.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"227\" height=\"291\" align=\"right\" hspace=\"3\" \/>lawless one is followed by an &#8220;era of peace&#8221;, what the Church Fathers called a &#8220;sabbath rest&#8221;, the &#8220;seventh day&#8221;, &#8220;the times of the kingdom&#8221; or &#8220;the day of the Lord.&#8221; <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_4');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_4');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[4]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_4\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/two-more-days\/\">Two More Days<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> This would also be the most common viewpoint in modern prophetic revelations. I have taken the time to explain the theology of the Church Fathers in this regard in two writings: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/how-the-era-was-lost\/\">How the Era was Lost<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/millenarianism-what-it-is-and-is-not\/\"><em>Millenarianism: What it is, and is Not<\/em><\/a>. Summarizing the collective thought of the Magisterium, Fr. Charles Arminjon wrote:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>The most authoritative view, and the one that appears to be most in harmony with Holy Scripture, is that, after the fall of the Antichrist, the Catholic Church will once again enter upon a period of prosperity and triumph.<\/strong> \u2014<em>The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life<\/em>, Fr. Charles Arminjon (1824-1885), p. 56-57; Sophia Institute Press<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">This chronology is clear in the Book of Revelation where St. John writes of:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong>I<\/strong>. The rise of a dragon against the People of God (the &#8220;woman&#8221;) <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_5');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_5');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_5\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[5]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_5\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Rev 12:1-6<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong>II<\/strong>. The dragon gives his authority to a\u00a0&#8220;beast&#8221; who dominates the whole world for a brief time. Another beast, a &#8220;false prophet&#8221;, rises forcing all to worship the first beast and accept a uniform economy, which one participates in through the &#8220;mark of the beast&#8221;. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_6');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_6');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_6\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[6]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_6\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Rev 13<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_6').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_6', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong>III<\/strong>. Jesus manifests\u00a0His\u00a0power accompanied by a heavenly army, destroying Antichrist, casting the beast and the false prophet into hell. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_7');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_7');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_7\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[7]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_7\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Rev 19:20; 2 Thess 2:8<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_7').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_7', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> This is clearly not the end of the world in St. John&#8217;s chronology, nor the Second Coming at the end of time. Fr. Charles explains:<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>St. Thomas and St. John Chrysostom explain the words<em> quem Dominus Jesus destruet illustratione adventus sui<\/em> (\u201cwhom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the brightness of His coming\u201d) in the sense that Christ will strike the Antichrist by dazzling him with a brightness that will be like an omen and sign of His Second Coming\u2026 <\/strong>\u2014<em>The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life<\/em>, Fr. Charles Arminjon (1824-1885), p. 56-57; Sophia Institute Press<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong>IV<\/strong>. Satan is chained in the &#8220;abyss&#8221; as the Church reigns in peace for an extended period, symbolized by the number a &#8220;thousand years&#8221;. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_8');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_8');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_8\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[8]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_8\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Rev 20:12<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_8').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_8', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong>V<\/strong>. Afterward, there is a final uprising after Satan is released, what St. John calls &#8220;Gog and Magog.&#8221; But fire falls from heaven and consumes them as they surround the camp of the saints. Of note in St. John&#8217;s chronology is the fact that &#8220;The Devil who had led them astray was thrown into the pool of fire and sulfur, <em>where the beast and the false prophet were<\/em>.&#8221; <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_9');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_9');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_9\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[9]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_9\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Rev 20:10<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_9').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_9', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong>VI<\/strong>. Human history ends as the Final Judgment commences. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_10');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_10');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_10\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[10]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_10\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Rev 20:11-15<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_10').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_10', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong>VII<\/strong>. God creates a New Heavens and New Earth as the Church is united for eternity to her Divine Spouse. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_11');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_11');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_11\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[11]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_11\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. Rev 21:1-3<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_11').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_11', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">In this regard, following Benedict XVI&#8217;s teaching, the beast and false prophet compromise the coming of an antichrist, and Gog and Magog the coming of perhaps what Augustine calls the &#8220;<em>last<\/em> Antichrist.&#8221; And we find this delineation also in the writings of the early Church Fathers.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>But when The Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/third-jewish-temple-in-israel_Fotor.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"203\" height=\"255\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"5\" vspace=\"2\" \/>Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from Heaven in the clouds\u2026 sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom, that is, the rest, the hallowed seventh day\u2026 These are to take place in the times of the kingdom, that is, upon the seventh day\u2026 the true Sabbath of the righteous.<\/strong> \u2014St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Church Father (140\u2013202 A.D.); Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons, V.33.3.4, The Fathers of the Church, CIMA Publishing Co.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Tertullian outlines that the &#8220;times of the kingdom&#8221; are an intermediate stage before the end of the world:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>We do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven, only in another state of existence; inasmuch as it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years in the divinely-built city of Jerusalem\u2026 <\/strong>\u2014Tertullian (155\u2013240 A.D.),<em> Nicene Church Father; Adversus Marcion<\/em>, Ante-Nicene Fathers, Henrickson Publishers, 1995, Vol. 3, pp. 342-343)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">The author of the <em>Letter of Barnabas, <\/em>considered a voice among the Church Fathers, speaks of a time&#8230;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>\u2026when His Son will come and destroy the time of the<em> lawless one<\/em> and judge the godless, and change the sun and the moon and the stars\u2014then He shall indeed rest on the seventh day\u2026 after giving rest to all things, I will make the beginning of the eighth day, that is, the beginning of another world. <\/strong>\u2014<em>Letter of Barnabas<\/em> (70-79 A.D.), written by a second century Apostolic Father<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">But before the eighth day, St. Augustine writes:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>We shall indeed be able to interpret the words, \u201cThe priest of God and of Christ shall reign with Him a thousand years; and when the thousand years shall be finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison;\u201d for thus they signify that the reign of the saints and the bondage of the devil shall cease simultaneously\u2026 so in the end they shall go out who do not belong to Christ, but to that <em>last<\/em> Antichrist\u2026<\/strong> \u2014St. Augustine,<em> The Anti-Nicene Fathers, City of God<\/em>, Book XX, Chap. 13, 19<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">THE ANTICHRIST&#8230;TODAY?<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">This is all to say that there is indeed the possibility that the &#8220;lawless one&#8221; could be revealed in <em>our<\/em> times, before an &#8220;era of peace.&#8221; We will know his nearness by some key factors:<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">A. <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">There must be an apostasy. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>\u2026<em>worldliness<\/em> is the root of evil and it can lead us to abandon our traditions and negotiate our loyalty to God who is always faithful. This\u2026 is called apostasy, which\u2026 is a form of \u201cadultery\u201d which takes place when we negotiate the essence of our being: loyalty to the Lord.<\/strong> \u2014POPE FRANCIS from a homily, Vatican Radio, November 18th, 2013<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">The Popes have watched the Church in a steady decline of loyalty to the Lord now for over a century. <span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/leaving-church_Fotor.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"222\" height=\"209\" align=\"right\" hspace=\"2\" \/><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>Who can fail to see that society is at the present time, more than in any past age, suffering from a terrible and deep-rooted malady which, developing every day and eating into its inmost being, is dragging it to destruction? You understand, Venerable Brethren, what this disease is\u2014<em>apostasy<\/em> from God\u2026 When all this is considered there is good reason to fear lest this great perversity may be as it were a foretaste, and perhaps the beginning of those evils which are reserved for the last days; and that there may be already in the world the \u201cSon of Perdition\u201d of whom the Apostle speaks.<\/strong> \u2014POPE ST. PIUS X, <em>E Supremi<\/em>, Encyclical On the Restoration of All Things in Christ, n. 3, 5; October 4th, 1903<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Noting the outbreak of contempt toward Christianity throughout the world, Pope Pius XI wrote:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>&#8230;the whole Christian people, sadly disheartened and disrupted, are continually in danger of falling away from the faith, or of suffering the most cruel death. These things in truth are so sad that you might say that such events foreshadow and portend the &#8220;beginning of sorrows,&#8221; that is to say of those that shall be brought by the man of sin, &#8220;who is lifted up above all that is called God or is worshipped&#8221;<\/strong> (2 Thess 2:4). \u2014<em>Miserentissimus Redemptor,<\/em> Encyclical Letter on Reparation to the Sacred Heart, n. 15, May 8th, 1928;<a href=\"http:\/\/w2.vatican.va\/content\/pius-xi\/en\/encyclicals\/documents\/hf_p-xi_enc_08051928_miserentissimus-redemptor.html\"> www.vatican.va<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">While I could refer to several more pontiffs who speak along this same line of growing infidelity, let me quote once more Paul VI:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">There is a great uneasiness at this time in the world and in the Church, and that which is in question is the faith&#8230; I sometimes read the Gospel passage of the end times and I attest that, at this time, some signs of this end are emerging. <\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u2014POPE PAUL VI, <em>The Secret Paul VI<\/em>, Jean Guitton, p. 152-153, Reference (7), p. ix.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong><em>Apostasy<\/em>, the loss of the faith, is spreading throughout the world and into the highest levels within the Church. <\/strong>\u2014Address on the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Fatima Apparitions, October 13, 1977<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">B. <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Before the beast arrives, there must be evidence of the &#8220;great sign&#8221; of the &#8220;woman clothed in the sun&#8221; and the &#8220;sign&#8221; of the dragon appearing (cf. Rev 12:1-4). <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">I have treated this subject in great detail in my book <em><a href=\"http:\/\/store.markmallett.com\/the-final-confrontation-book\/\">The Final Confrontation<\/a>, <\/em> and published the section dealing with this Woman and the dragon <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/a-woman-and-a-dragon\/\">here<\/a><\/em>. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_12');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_12');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_12\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[12]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_12\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/a-woman-and-a-dragon\/\">The Woman and the Dragon<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_12').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_12', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> The identity of the Woman is explained by Benedict XVI:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>This Woman represents Mary, the Mother of the Redeemer, but she represents at the same time the whole Church, the People of God of all times, the Church that at all times, with great pain, again gives birth to Christ<\/strong>. \u2014Castel Gondolfo, Italy, Aug. 23, 2006; Zenit<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">The identity of the dragon is also fairly straightforward. He is:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world. (Rev 12:9)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Jesus calls Satan a &#8220;liar&#8221; and a &#8220;murderer&#8221;. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_13');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_13');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_13\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[13]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_13\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. John 8:44<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_13').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_13', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> The dragon lures souls into his lies in order to destroy them.<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Now the dragon, we are told, deceives &#8220;the whole world.&#8221; It would be fair to say that a program of global deception was begun in the 16th century when two things happened: the Protestant Reformation and the Enlightenment. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_14');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_14');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_14\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[14]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_14\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">see <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/mystery-babylon\/\">Mystery Babylon<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_14').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_14', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><em>\u00a0<\/em>In the ecclesiastically approved messages of Fr. Stefano Gobbi, an excellent explanation of this &#8220;sign&#8221; of the <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/famous-renaissance-drawing.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"244\" height=\"245\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"5\" vspace=\"2\" \/>dragon appearing, the <em>spirit of antichrist, <\/em>is given:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong><em>&#8230;the Antichrist is manifested through a radical attack on faith in the word of God. Through the philosophers who begin to give exclusive value to science and then to reason, there is a gradual tendency to constitute human intelligence alone as the sole criterion of truth. There come to birth the great philosophical errors which continue through the centuries down to your days&#8230; with the Protestant Reformation, Tradition is rejected as a source of divine revelation, and only Sacred Scripture is accepted. But even this must be interpreted by means of reason, and the authentic Magisterium of the hierarchical Church, to which Christ has entrusted the guardianship of the deposit of faith, is obstinately rejected. <\/em><\/strong>\u2014Our Lady allegedly to Fr. Stefano Gobbi, <em>To the Priests, Our Lady&#8217;s Beloved Priests<\/em>, n. 407, &#8220;The Number of the Beast: 666&#8221;, p. 612, 18th Edition; with Imprimatur<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Of course, in this same time period, were and are significant apparitions of Our Lady, &#8220;the woman clothed in the sun,&#8221; countering these philosophical errors.<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">C.<em> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Possibility for a uniform global economy<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Since the Antichrist imposes a single uniform economic system upon the whole world, the conditions for the emergence of a global economy would most certainly be a harbinger of some kind.\u00a0It is arguable that this was not even possible until this past century. Benedict XVI pointed out the&#8230;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u2026explosion of worldwide interdependence, commonly known as globalization. Paul VI had partially foreseen it, but the ferocious pace at which it has evolved could not have been anticipated.<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> \u2014POPE BENEDICT XVI, <em>Caritas in Veritate<\/em>, n. 33<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">But globalization, in and of itself, is not an evil. Rather, it is the underlying forces behind it that have raised papal alarms.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>\u2026without the guidance of charity in truth, this global force could cause unprecedented damage and create new divisions within the human family. <\/strong>\u2014ibid. n. 33<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Anyone can clearly see that nations are being tied into\u00a0a global banking system, inter-connected by technology, which is slowly eliminating hard currency (cash). The benefits are many, but so are the perils\u00a0and potential for centralized control. Pope Francis was blunt about these growing dangers\u00a0in his address to the European <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/FrancisEP_Fotor.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"224\" height=\"351\" align=\"right\" hspace=\"2\" \/>Parliament.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>The true strength of our democracies \u2013 understood as expressions of the political will of the people \u2013 must not be allowed to collapse under the pressure of multinational interests which are not universal, which weaken them and turn them into uniform systems of economic power at the service of unseen empires. <\/strong>\u2014POPE FRANCIS, Address to European Parliament, Strasbourg, France, Nov. 25th, 2014, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.zenit.org\/en\/articles\/pope-to-eu-parliament-man-s-forgetfulness-of-god-leads-to-violence?utm_campaign=dailyhtml&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=dispatch\">Zenit<\/a>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><em>&#8220;Unseen empires&#8230;&#8221;<\/em> Indeed, the first beast that rises in Revelation 13, who forces the entire world into a single, uniform economic system, is a beast of empires, namely &#8220;ten&#8221;:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">Then I saw a beast come out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads; on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads blasphemous names. (Rev 13:1)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>A new tyranny is thus born, invisible and often virtual, which unilaterally and relentlessly imposes its own laws and rules. Debt and the accumulation of interest also make it difficult for countries to realize the potential of their own economies and keep citizens from enjoying their real purchasing power&#8230;\u00a0In this system, which tends to\u00a0<em>devour <\/em>everything which stands in the way of increased profits, whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenceless before the interests of a <em>deified<\/em> market, which become the only rule<\/strong>. \u2014POPE FRANCIS,\u00a0<em>Evangelii Gaudium,\u00a0<\/em>n. 56<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">It is from the &#8220;beast&#8221;, from these &#8220;horns&#8221;, that an antichrist rises&#8230;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">I was considering the ten horns it had, when suddenly another, a little horn, sprang out of their midst, and three of the previous horns were torn away to make room for it. This horn had eyes like human eyes, and a mouth that spoke arrogantly&#8230; The beast was given a mouth uttering proud boasts and blasphemies. (Daniel 7:8; Rev 13:5)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">&#8230;and imposes a &#8220;mark&#8221; upon all without which they cannot\u00a0buy nor sell.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>The Apocalypse speaks about God\u2019s antagonist, the beast. This animal does not have a name, but a number. In [the horror of the concentration camps], they cancel faces and history, transforming man into a number, reducing him to a cog in an enormous machine. Man is no more than a function.\u00a0In our days, we should not forget that they prefigured the destiny of a world that runs the risk of adopting the same structure of the concentration camps, if the universal law of the machine is accepted.\u00a0<em>The machines that have been constructed impose the same law.\u00a0<\/em>According to this logic, man must be interpreted by a\u00a0<em>computer<\/em>\u00a0and this is only possible if translated into numbers.\u00a0<\/strong><strong>The beast is a number and transforms into numbers. God, however, has a name and calls by name. He is a person and looks for the person.<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014Cardinal Ratzinger, (POPE BENEDICT XVI) Palermo, March 15th, 2000 (italics added)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<p align=\"LEFT\">D. <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The &#8220;labour pains&#8221; of the Gospels and Rev Ch. 6<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">St. Paul, St. John, and Christ himself speak of great upheavals that precede and accompany the coming of Antichrist: war, economic collapse, wide-spread earthquakes, plagues, famine and persecution on what would appear to be a global scale. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_15');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_15');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_15\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[15]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_15\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-seven-seals-of-revolution\/\">The Seven Seals of Revolution<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_15').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_15', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>Certainly those days would seem to have come upon us of which Christ Our Lord foretold:<em> \u201cYou shall hear of wars and rumours of wars\u2014for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.&#8221;<\/em><\/strong> (Matt 24:6-7). \u2014POPE BENEDICT XV,<em> Ad Beatissimi Apostolorum<\/em>, Encyclical Letter, n. 3, November 1, 1914;\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/w2.vatican.va\/content\/benedict-xv\/en\/encyclicals\/documents\/hf_ben-xv_enc_01111914_ad-beatissimi-apostolorum.html\">www.vatican.va<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">The general outbreak of <em>lawlessness <\/em>leads to a hardening of hearts when Jesus points out, as another sign of the &#8220;end times&#8221;, that <em>&#8220;the love of many will grow cold.&#8221;<\/em> <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_16');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_25363_1('footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_16');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_16\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[16]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_16\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Matt 24:12; cf. 2 Tim 3:1-5<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_16').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_25363_1_16', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> The Popes have understood <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Vasari_The_Garden_of_Gethsemane.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"242\" height=\"271\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"5\" vspace=\"2\" \/>this as not only a loss of religious fervor but a general laxity toward evil itself.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>But all these evils as it were culminate in the cowardice and the sloth of those who, after the manner of the sleeping and fleeing disciples, wavering in their faith, miserably forsake Christ&#8230; who following the example of the traitor Judas, either partake of the holy table rashly and sacrilegiously, or go over to the camp of the enemy. And thus, even against our will, the thought rises in the mind that now those days draw near of which Our Lord prophesied:<em> &#8220;And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold&#8221;<\/em><\/strong> (Matt. 24:12). \u2014POPE PIUS XI,<em> Miserentissimus Redemptor, Encyclical on Reparation to the Sacred Heart<\/em>, n. 17,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/w2.vatican.va\/content\/pius-xi\/en\/encyclicals\/documents\/hf_p-xi_enc_08051928_miserentissimus-redemptor.html\">www.vatican.va<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>&#8230;\u2018the sleepiness\u2019 is ours, of those of us who do not want to see the full force of evil and do not want to enter into his Passion<\/strong>. \u2014POPE BENEDICT XVI, Catholic News Agency, Vatican City, Apr 20, 2011, General Audience<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">PREPARING FOR CHRIST<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">As I have said before, as Christians we are<em> preparing for Christ<\/em>, not Antichrist. Nonetheless, even Our Lord warned us to &#8220;watch and pray&#8221; lest we too fall asleep. In fact, in Luke&#8217;s Gospel, the &#8220;Our Father&#8221; ends with the petition:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">&#8230;and do not subject us to the final test. (Luke 11:4)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Brothers and sisters, while the timing of the appearance of the &#8220;lawless one&#8221; is unknown to us, I feel compelled to continue writing about some rapidly emerging signs that the times of Antichrist could also be\u00a0sooner than many think. Among them, the rise of aggressive Islamism, more and more obtrusive technologies, a rising false church, a global revolution underway, and the attack on human life and health.These I will address in future writings (see below under Related Reading).<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Let me conclude then with the words of Church Father Hippolytus who, echoing recent apparitions <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/936full-virgen-de-guadalupe.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"155\" height=\"255\" align=\"right\" hspace=\"2\" \/>and messages of Our Lady, gives us the keys on how to be prepared for and overcome the deceptions of Antichrist:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Blessed shall they be who overcome the tyrant then. For they shall be set forth as more illustrious and loftier than the first witnesses; for the former witnesses overcame his minions only, but these overthrow and conquer the <em>accuser<\/em> himself, the <em>son of perdition<\/em>. With what eulogies and crowns, therefore, will they not be adorned by our King, Jesus Christ!&#8230; You see in what manner of <em>fasting<\/em> and <em>prayer<\/em> the saints will exercise themselves at that time. <\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u2014St. Hippolytus, <em>On the End of the World,<\/em>n. 30, 33, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.newadvent.org\/fathers\/0504.htm\">newadvent.org<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">RELATED READING<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/dream-of-the-lawless-one\/\">Dream of the Lawless One<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-hour-of-lawlessness\/\"><em>The Hour of Lawlessness<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-beast-beyond-compare\/\">The Beast Beyond Compare<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-image-of-the-beast\/\"><em>The Image of the Beast<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-rising-beast\/\"><em>The Rising Beast<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/2014-and-the-rising-beast\/\"><em>2014 and the Rising Beast<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-spiritual-tsunami\/\"><em>The Spiritual Tsunami<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-black-ship-part-i\/\"><em>The Black Ship &#8211; Part I<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-black-ship-part-ii\/\">The Black Ship &#8211; Part II<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/is-jesus-really-coming\/\"><em>Is Jesus Really\u00a0Coming Soon?<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u2014 Watch the video \u2014<\/span><\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><object width=\"400\" height=\"225\"><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" \/><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" \/><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/vimeo.com\/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6643847&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=ffffff&amp;fullscreen=1\" \/><noembed><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p> <\/noembed><\/object><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Order at\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-final-confrontation-the-book\/\">markmallett.com<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p align=\"CENTER\"><em> Bless you for your support! <\/em><br \/>\n <em>Bless you and thank you!<\/em><i><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/donations\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Supportbtnbeige\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Supportbtnbeige.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"112\" height=\"48\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Click to: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/subscribe\/\"><strong>SUBSCRIBE<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"speaker-mute footnotes_reference_container\"> <div class=\"footnote_container_prepare\"><p><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_label pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_25363_1();\"><h5>Footnotes<\/h5><\/span><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button\" style=\"display: none;\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_25363_1();\">[<a id=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_25363_1\">+<\/a>]<\/span><\/p><\/div> <div id=\"footnote_references_container_25363_1\" style=\"\"><table class=\"footnotes_table footnote-reference-container\"><caption class=\"accessibility\"><h5>Footnotes<\/h5><\/caption> <tbody> \r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_1');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>1<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-convergence-and-the-blessing\/#more-14719\">The Convergence and the Blessing<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_2');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>2<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. Mat 24:24<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_3');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>3<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. Mark 14:38<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_4');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>4<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/two-more-days\/\">Two More Days<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_5\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_5');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>5<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. Rev 12:1-6<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_6\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_6');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>6<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. Rev 13<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_7\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_7');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>7<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. Rev 19:20; 2 Thess 2:8<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_8\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_8');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>8<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. Rev 20:12<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_9\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_9');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>9<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. Rev 20:10<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_10\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_10');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>10<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. Rev 20:11-15<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_11\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_11');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>11<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. Rev 21:1-3<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_12\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_12');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>12<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/a-woman-and-a-dragon\/\">The Woman and the Dragon<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_13\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_13');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>13<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. John 8:44<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_14\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_14');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>14<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">see <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/mystery-babylon\/\">Mystery Babylon<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_15\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_15');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>15<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-seven-seals-of-revolution\/\">The Seven Seals of Revolution<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_25363_1_16\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_25363_1_16');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>16<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Matt 24:12; cf. 2 Tim 3:1-5<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n <\/tbody> <\/table> <\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> function footnote_expand_reference_container_25363_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_25363_1').show(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_25363_1').text('\u2212'); } function footnote_collapse_reference_container_25363_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_25363_1').hide(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_25363_1').text('+'); } function footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_25363_1() { if (jQuery('#footnote_references_container_25363_1').is(':hidden')) { footnote_expand_reference_container_25363_1(); } else { footnote_collapse_reference_container_25363_1(); } } function footnote_moveToReference_25363_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_25363_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } } function footnote_moveToAnchor_25363_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_25363_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } }<\/script>","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; SEVERAL\u00a0weeks ago, I wrote\u00a0that it is time for me &#8216;to speak directly,\u00a0boldly, and without apology to the \u201cremnant\u201d who are listening. It is only a remnant of readers now, not because they are special, but chosen; it is a remnant, not because all are not\u00a0invited, but few respond.&#8217; [1]cf. The Convergence and the Blessing\u00a0That [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-journal","category-the-great-trial"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Can We Have This Discussion? - The Now Word<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/can-we-have-this-discussion\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can We Have This Discussion? - The Now Word\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&nbsp; SEVERAL\u00a0weeks ago, I wrote\u00a0that it is time for me &#8216;to speak directly,\u00a0boldly, and without apology to the \u201cremnant\u201d who are listening. 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