REVELATION
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LOURDES, FATIMA, AND MEDJUGORJE AS EXPLAINED IN SCRIPTURE
Twenty First Installment
Chapter 5: In the Evening and in the Spirit of Elijah - part five
There is a reason why the fulfillment of Malachi 3: 23,24 relative to the second coming of Jesus Christ, should be manifest by an apparition instead of a continuous physical presence (the life of an individual). The reason is that by fulfilling this prophecy by an apparition, the exact time of the second coming of Jesus Christ is more unknown or could span a greater number of years. This aspect is important and is shown in the account of the tribulation and the second coming of Jesus Christ in the 24th chapter of Matthew. Matthew 24: 29-44 says:
"Immediately after the stress of that period, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not shed her light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the hosts of Heaven will be shaken loose. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the clans of earth will strike their breasts as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory. He will dispatch His angels with a mighty trumpet blast, and they will assemle His chosen from the four winds, from one end of the Heavens to the other. From the fig tree learn a lesson. When its branch grows tender and sprouts leaves, you realize that summer is near. Likewise, when you see all these things happening, you will know that He is near, standing at your door. I assure you, the present generation will not pass away until all this takes place. The Heavens and the earth will pass away but My words will not pass away. As for the exact day or hour, no one knows it, neither the angels in Heaven nor the Son, but the Father only. The coming of the Son of Man will repeat what happened in Noah's time. In the days before the flood people were eating and drinking, marrying and being married, right up to the day Noah entered the ark. They were totally unconcerned until the flood came and destroyed them. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Stay awake, therefore! You cannot know the day the Lord is coming. Be sure of this: if the owner of the house knew when the thief was coming he would keep a watchful eye and not allow his house to be broken into. You must be prepared in the same way. The Son of Man is coming at the time you least expect."
Notice that in verse 36, it says that the exact time for the second coming of Jesus Christ is unknown, except to God the Father. Moreover, refer to 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 and 1 Thessalonians 5, for another account of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ on the clouds of Heaven. Notice 1 Thessalonians 5:2 which says that the coming of the Lord will be like a thief in the night.
Consequently, this fits in with Mary's apparitions as being a preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ. It is unknown when the exact time is: it could be very soon or it could not be for many years or some generations. Note that this reasoning is true, even if the two witnesses in Revelation chapter 11 are Enoch and Elijah. Furthermore, notice in verse 44 of Matthew 24, that it says to be prepared for Jesus' return. Mary, through the apparitions at Medjugorje, is preparing God's faithful servants for Jesus' return with the emphasis on daily conversion and prayer. Revelation 12: 17 says,"Then the dragon was enraged with the woman and went to make war on the rest of her children, that is, all who obey God's commandments and bear witness for Jesus."God's faithful servants are therefore the rest of her children or the remnant (see Romans 9: 29 and Isaiah 1: 9), who keep God's commandments and witness for Jesus Christ. These reason point towards Mary's daily apparitions at Medjugorje and to her messages.
NEXT WEEK: Chapter 5: In the Evening and in the Spirit of Elijah - part six
November 5, 1997 volume 8, no. 24 DAILY CATHOLIC -
The Significance of Lourdes, Fatima, and Medjugorje as explained in Scripture