After a thousand years in Hell, the Dragon, Satan, is released. If the Catholic Fundamentalism theory that the thousand years began about the time of Charlemagne’s crowning by the Pope (800 A.D.) and ended about a thousand years later with the French Revolution and Napoleon “offering physical violence” to the Pope, then we are in the “Post Thousand Year” phase. Satan walks among us.
It must be remembered that any number of people have considered the possibility that they, also, were in the “final ages”. And, if we look at the Book of Revelation as an allegory of how our own lives must be purged of sin if we are to be saved, we can see there were good reasons for them to have done so.
Right now, today, we see huge changes in the earth’s political structure. In just one year: Moslem governments are collapsing before our eyes all over the Middle East. Economic breakdowns are taking place in the once-Christian countries from Greece to Iceland. In America, funding structures that supported all manner of heretofore unshakable establishments are falling apart.
We also see that the humanistic structures, once so respected, have undergone a similar collapse. Most of what was once, for instance, the respected “Scientific Establishment” has become the whore of Babylon, spewing “truths” to the highest bidder. The Beast has swallowed Public Education. Law enforcement in many places will not admit that laws apply to it.
This is a time for us to be both careful and humble. As today’s Reading puts it:
Sir 5:1-8
Rely not on your wealth;
say not: “I have the power.”
Rely not on your strength
in following the desires of your heart.
Say not: “Who can prevail against me?”
or, “Who will subdue me for my deeds?”
for God will surely exact the punishment.
Say not: “I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?”
for the Most High bides his time.
Of forgiveness be not overconfident,
adding sin upon sin.
Say not: “Great is his mercy;
my many sins he will forgive.”
For mercy and anger alike are with him;
upon the wicked alights his wrath.
Delay not your conversion to the LORD,
put it not off from day to day.
For suddenly his wrath flames forth;
at the time of vengeance you will be destroyed.
Rely not upon deceitful wrath,
for it will be no help on the day of wrath.
The immense shudders we are seeing in the structure of Babylon indicate collapse. If this is the Great Wind-down (either for each of us as individuals or the Big One At The End), there are few better words of advice than found above: “Delay not your conversion to the LORD, put it not off from day to day. For suddenly His wrath flames forth; at the time of vengeance you will be destroyed.”
