January 7, 2011 – Catechism 673-677

674 makes it pretty clear that it is Catholic understanding that God is not finished with the Jewish people. Even though they rejected Christ in His first coming, they are still God’s chosen people and it appears that their conversion will be a part of Christ second coming in some way.

What do we think this final persecution will look like. Many point to the fact that more Christians were martyred in the 20th Century than all other centuries combined in their arguments that the end is near. Although the fact that there were those martyrs, I don’t think the two necessarily connect. First, there are just more people in general, so the numbers are inflated. Not they are not horrific numbers, just inflated. 10,000 people killed in the year 500 or 1000 or even 1500 would be much more staggering than that same number today. But really, I just think this persecution would be felt more worldwide. Although I feel shunned sometimes because of my faith, I wouldn’t call it persecution. I just think the persecution that will come before the end will be a bit more harsh. Although in thinking about that, I feel I am much more capable of withstanding persecution now, because of my increased knowledge of the Church and my increased faith, than I would have 4 + years ago. Not that I want it to start.

Because of the discussion about evolution and theology, I can’t help but have that on my mind when reading about the Anti-Christ and the idea that he will glorify himself and man in place of God. Some of the science and new age religions seem to be heading in that area and a person can see if an Anti-Christ is going to come in the form of a singular human leader (which is unclear that this is the form they will appear in) it would appear that something like those things are a foundation for him to appear.

It will not be the Church in some type of military victory over evil that will bring about the end of all things, but Christ coming alone in all His power. That should take away any motivation to be aggressive as far as trying to conquer lands of fight evil. We are called to be resistant of evil and persevere and evangelize, but it is a waiting game, a holding on until victory, which is already won, not an aggressive seeking towards achieving victory. I think that is something that is hard to realize and accept because waiting and not acting towards a goal is not in human nature.

A couple of words that I didn’t know or wanted to look up.

Millenarianism - the belief in a future millennium following the Second Coming of Christ during which he will reign on earth in peace: based on Revelation 20:1--5