Being as I'm forced to go off from my 'regularly scheduled posts' I'm throwing a few more varied thoughts out there. Just tonight someone suggested that the United States might not be around at the time of the end of the world (and we're talking of the Christian tradition here) since the U.S. is not mentioned in Biblical prophecy. Now, this person did not think that the U.S. would have been destroyed by the time the end comes (though anything is possible) but rather this person (a Canadian oddly enough) theorized that current politics would build a backlash that would put someone of the Ron Paul stripe into office who would take the USA out of the United Nations and such globalist organizations and thus America would sort of 'sit out' the chaos involving the end of the world.This was an interesting thought to me, which I had honestly never even thought of, for a couple of reasons. One is that, I had always thought America was in Biblical prophecy thanks to my original Bible teacher -my Dad (though we have pretty different views on the subject now). He has always held that the Biblical passage which refers to the "young lions" is speaking of the United States, and possibly nations like Canada and Australia, since these countries came from Britain and the British symbol (England and Scotland) is the lion. The other is that the U.S. is such a dominant power it would be hard for me to imagine America not being involved in some way. Of course this is dependent on just how close we are to the end as America will certainly not be such a big-shot forever as no power can be.
How close are we? I certainly cannot say -no one really can, but I do tend to think we are close. I think the only two real choices is that we are either very close or very, very far off because I definitely think we are building toward something that is going to happen very soon. People all over the world seem to just feel that, a subconscious cosmic alarm clock going off in the minds of people everywhere. We also have such signs as the birth of the State of Israel, unprecedented wild changes in weather, increasing internationalism and globalization and rising secularism and faith in government elites over traditional views of divinity. So, I think we are either getting close to the end (with no prediction on what "close" exactly means) which is what I tend to believe or we are approaching a middle point when everything falls apart and we start all over again with a civilizational collapse, another dark ages and so on.
Does anyone else have any thoughts on this proposal? Will the U.S. be involved and if so in what way? Any thoughts are welcome. Now, lest someone think I have strayed from the focus on monarchy for this blog, the subjects are related. One thing that many religions have in common is a prophecy concerning a great, benevolent monarch who will rise up just as the world seems to be coming apart. There is a very old tradition in certain parts of Buddhism of the hidden king who will emerge to set things right and put the world in order after a near total collapse. Catholic Christians also have the prophecy of the "Great Monarch" to look to (the Church takes no position on this of course) who will rise up and lead a grand restoration of Christendom before or generally around the time of the end of the world; one reason why any talk of "the end" makes me look more closely on the efforts to restore the French monarchy. Are we approaching that point? Why or why not?
I will leave it there for now, fully aware that I am breaking one of my own rules in doing this; asking a question of readers, as I've seen it done before and it can be a quick trip to nowhere if no one replies. Hopefully you won't be shy and will chime in with your thoughts on the subject.
While I certainly hope for a Restoration of the true Human Order and return to Traditional Values, I am not so fond of Prophecy scoping.
ReplyDeleteIt nearly always fails to accomplish its anticipations.
That said, I also have an odd view of the Biblical Prophecies. Not only will no one know when jesus will return, but I beleive Jesus will return principley as a Judge on Judgement day, rpeceeded b y no overt signs. He will come, and coudl come tomorrow, or even the Very Hour I write this, or his coming may be 1000 years off.
It matters little, for he will reutrn and judgement will be passed.
His Kingdom, of ocurse, is already here. Many Protestants, especially most Evangelicals, tend to Seperate the Churhc from the Kingdom, and beelive Jesus will set up his Kingdom in the future. I beelive, along with the Early Churhc, that the Church Herself i the Kingdom.
As to the feeling that oemthign is happening, I agree. Monetary collapse and the end of traiditonal culture is acucmumlatign and comign to a head,a nd we are ocmign to an end of an Era, much ike World War 2 was the end of an Era, and I beelive much uphavel lies even this year. It iwll eb interestign to see what happens when the ust settles.
Thank you, Mr. Monarchist, this is an interesting insight.
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, every single Church that calls itself Christian accepts, as divinely revealed truth, the New Testament's assurance that "you know not the day nor the hour" (when the Judgment of God will come). This would fit with Zarove's remark about the judgment not being preceded by particularly overt signs.
Before the year 1000 it was widely assumed in Europe that the earth would end in that year (there is, I think, a whole book devoted to the topic of late-10th-century apocalyptic belief) and similar, though less widespread, assumptions prevailed before the year 2000. Remember how we were all going to undergo societal breakdown with the "Y2K Bug"?
I have heard of people who got so wrapped up in things like the Catholic prophecies concerning Fatima, or various Christian-Zionist beliefs about how the State of Israel has got to triumph RIGHT NOW, that they let the problems of living go by the board. No doubt during the 1950s, when the talk in the U.S.A. was all of nuclear fallout shelters, lots of serious political and spiritual problems never got remedied because millions of people were spooked about the likelihood of WW3 starting in five minutes.
God does not demand of us that we do the impossible. As a Protestant hymn writer said in the 19th century, "the daily round, the common task / will furnish all we need to ask." I think it was Saint Francis de Sales who said that we need never go looking for penances. Perhaps these thoughts are relevant in the present world situation.
You write: "I think the only two real choices is that we are either very close or very, very far off because I definitely think we are building toward something that is going to happen very soon."
ReplyDeleteMany people are of that opinion, and I am tending that way myself. Two interesting references for your reading pleasure:
A talk given by author and artist Michael O'Brien at my parish a couple of years ago. He thinks we are approaching "an apocalypse" although he is not so sure it is "the apocalypse":
http://www.studiobrien.com/talks/are-we-living-in-apocalyptic-times-part-1.html
The blog of Mark Mallett, musician. He thinks we are approaching something, but is not too sure what it is. He cautions mostly that we should hold fast to Jesus and not worry about the storms swirling around:
http://www.markmallett.com/blog/
As for political arrangements and the exact borders of various countries---I don't think it matters particularly where the lines on the map are drawn when it comes to spiritual matters. Global superpowers come and go. Holland was the big mover and shaker at one point; then England; now the USA. Power and influence come and go, and borders get re-drawn regularly.
Of course I'd never presume to know when exactly "the end" is, I don't give any credence to those who do. However I also think we should be aware of the "signs of the times". My godfather listened to one so-called "visionary" in particular and it's made him quite the nervous nelly despite being proven wrong on almost every prediction except the blatantly obvious ones.
ReplyDeleteI try to take precautions but I don't worry about it because it's above my pay grade. That's partly why the whole Y2K thing didn't mean anything to me. I've got plenty of water wells, plenty of garden room and plenty of meat on the hoof to last quite a while if the rest of civilization falls apart without their computers -no sweat off my back!
I also try to remind myself of what one man of God told me once, warning against worrying over the end of the world -you could die at any moment and for *you* that is the end of the world, preceded by no signs, disasters or fanfare at all.
Again though, I don't know of any other period like the present when everything, in attitudes, technology, government and so on were coming together in such a way as to make the apocalypse as described possible.
Actually me and a friend often discuss this in depth, we both happen to think that the End Times themselves are, well, not near per se, but close in a cosmic sense, IE, more then a century or so away, or even a millennia, whichever comes first. But the idea of America sitting out did come across our discussion in a roundabout way. And the reason for its sitting out will have to do with Europe.
ReplyDeleteWe both think this brooding sense of doom, (The cosmic alarm clock that has everybody inexplicably worried about this) is in fact in relation to WWIII which will be an example of utterly unprecedented violence, evil and horror, Europe will be lit aflame with strife and internal conflict, civil wars, genocide, and provided whether or not the middle east is united either under islamofascism or something else entirely, possible invasion. Meaning America will have no idea who's side to take with regards to the third european war or who the 'Bad Guy' is in Europe and may withdraw isolationist style and look after itself, we largely imagine a collapse of china and a more isolationist Russia for similar reasons to America.
Although this has been predicted in many other sources on the internet, private military contractors and orders, (The difference being military orders will be basically individuals with guns, not neccesarily European, who are held together by more ideological causes then monetary gain)
Again this is under the assumption that America is still the 'United States' by this time, and even if it does break up, for whatever reasons, it will still likely not become too involved in the war, at least not directly, and especially not so if its dis-united.
If after the coming cataclysm the Great Monarch appears, maybe, but I am not sure it will be during it.
In truth I am ironically enough, basing most of this on feeling, it feels great, encroaching and terrible, but it doesn't have the unique sense of doom I think it'd have if it was the End Times itself.
Frankly, I don't usually give much thought to Revelations and those prophecies. I'm a scientist, and very much a believer in self-determination and the freedom of choice (not that He doesn't give us a hint and a nudge every now and then).
ReplyDeleteThe theory of infinite dimensions basically states that for every point in time, there are an infinite number of possible histories, whose departure from our own is based on how far back the divergence point is. For example, a world in which WWI never happened would be a lot closer to our world than if the French Revolution had never happened, and if you take it to its logical conclusion, ultimately, you could find a history in which Earth never existed.
Thus, one needs to consider the choices being made in order to appreciate the idea of the End Times, as our choices do influence this (for an entertaining version, try watching the anime series Noien).
My personal view on the Kingdom of God is that it will come around when people recognise and accept His will, choosing what He prefers, and basically, living up to the spirit of trust He has placed in us (if you trust someone to choose, you must accept that they may choose 'wrong', but even so, you must accept that choice, and maintain that trust).
Many people before have viewed their time as being near the end, and they've all been wrong. Frankly, I hardly give any thought to it. Will America be there at Armageddon? No clue. With the future, that's the only honest answer (unless you choose to be horrifyingly vague, as a certain Nostrodamus is).
I think it is important to have alternate histories in mind as I do believe in free will and that our actions have consequences. I also think that, just as there was a begining there will also be an end, and while I accept that no one can know the hour with exact certainty (and would flee from those who claim to) I do believe in watching for the signs of the times.
ReplyDeleteI've also read of the huge number of false dates for "the End" coming and going with nothing happening. However, I also know much has happened, which has been foretold, within the last hundred years that is unprecedented. There has been more technological advancement in the last century than in virtually all previous history combined; within the span of a few decades going from the horse and carriage to jet planes and space travel, cavalry armed with lances to ICBM's. Never before has there been the ability, the technology for real global government. Politics has never changed so much so fast, social changes have never come so quickly and dramatically and just in simple little ways like there never being a time like now when one could literally travel to every inhabited continent on the globe and see people wearing the same clothes, listening to the same music and eating the same food. It's enough taken altogether to make me think there are more days behind us than ahead. But of course I could be wrong.
"Sebastianism" is a form of portuguese mysticism wich relates to the times of D. Sebastian I, king of Portugal.
ReplyDeleteThis king died fighting for chrstianity in northern africa, Morocco, at Alcazer Qubir.
It is said that one he will return to his lost throne as king of Portugal, comming from the mist.
He will restore the 5th Empire over the world, one wich is said to be the last one.
He will rule over all religions, in his golden city of Constantinople.
The cult of the 5th Empire was readapted recently in Portugal (beggining XX century).
The last empire will be led by sthe small kingdom of Portugal, and it will be an empire of conscience.
The old values of the portuguese people will rise to rule the world to God.
As you can see, my american friends, we have our deal of prophecying as well.
We have survived for 800 years, fighting against the major political powers of the world.
I can assure we will learn to endure any type of world ending you might predict.
I'd be worried about yourselves, only.
Do not dare to think europeans will be the first to fall.
There are few americans that do understand the world they are living. That reflects on how your diplomats act: no respecting protocol, waving around their arrogance, etc., etc.
I think you will find that those of us here are not all Americans. That said, none I feel support American Arrogance. It is a well known and well admitted fact that most Americans can't see past the United States, but this Blog I feel diffrs and admits Americas Shortcomings, as well as her Strengths, without too much emphasis given to either. To that I have always enjoyed htis Blog, more than I have enjoyed most other internet sites.
ReplyDeleteObama's desire to repeal "Don't ask, don't tell" can actually help to fulfill the "days of Lot" (Luke 17, cf. Gen. 19), the fulfillment of which will hurry up the return of the Heavenly Commander-in-Chief who will make all things straight (pun intended)! Interesting Google articles include "Obama Supports Public Depravity," "Obama Avoids Bible Verses," "Separation of Raunch and State" and "David Letterman's Hate Etc." - required reading for the "Obama 101" course.
ReplyDeletePS - You're invited to use these new pro-life slogans: "Unborn babies should have the right to keep and bear arms - and legs and ears and eyes etc.!" and "Unborn babies should have the same right to be born alive that abortionists had!"
america is in afghanistan. america is in iraq. america seems to think it is her God-given right to police the entire planet - in fact, has a long history of poking her nose where it doesn't belong.
ReplyDeletethat said, there are conflicts going on all over the world (sudan, for instance) in which america is not involved and appears to have no interest in becoming involved.
it remains to be seen whether she will sit out the final conflict or be actively engaged in the final conflict ... it really is of no import if one sustains the belief that all is as God planned with everything unfolding in His time as as He desires and/or decrees.