Catholic Eschatology

[mindlight]

Though not a Catholic, as an Anglican I consider myself in continuity with the Catholic community, via apostolic succession and shared creeds and history. I am hoping this is the right place to ask my questions and get Catholic answers.

Is there a distinctive Catholic Eschatology and how can it be distinguished from Dispensationalism?

Clearly most Christians agree on the big ones like:

1) Second Coming - Jesus is coming back in glory.
2) Judgment - "he will judge the Living and the dead"
3) Christ will introduce an eternal kingdom when he comes back which will have no end

But what about the other things:

1. Are Catholics post tribulation on the rapture?
2. Who are the two witnesses?
3. Are the seven bowls, trumpets, seals literal judgments?
4. Is there a literal AntiChrist, False Prophet etc?
5. Are Catholics amillenial?
6. What is the Catholic position on the place of the Jews and Israel in end time prophecy?
7. What other distinctives are there to Catholic Eschatology?

 

[rocknanchor]

Clearly most Christians agree on the big ones like:

1) Second Coming - Jesus is coming back in glory.
2) Judgment - "he will judge the Living and the dead"
3) Christ will introduce an eternal kingdom when he comes back which will have no end

But what about the other things, ,

As a member of their own classification for me as ‘separated brethren’, and, in an attempt by them to speak for the Church as the ‘torch-bearers’ of accuracy of scriptural intercept due to their four-point preparedness,

According to an ancient tradition, one can distinguish between two senses of Scripture: the literal and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral and anagogical senses. The profound concordance of the four senses guarantees all its richness to the living reading of Scripture in the Church. The Catholic Catechism 115, 116, subdivision-117​

, , when that preparedness is summoned on reasoning out scriptural inconsistency, they become willingly blind and paralyzed incapable to respond due to their faith in the ‘infallible’ of their many councils and accepted dogmas.

But, there is little protecting them from mounting malice under that sordid division as ‘separated’. My vantage-point speaks nothing as separated, but enlargement towards them spoken from the mercies of brotherly affection.

Such refused vulnerability is nothing more than a formal ditch from which, for example we also can find the erroneous remains of Peter’s ‘keys to the kingdom’ he relinquished by Paul’s blaming (Revelation 3:11).

What a monumental waste, such talent within their ranks all for elitism’s naught.

 

[Bob Crowley]

1. Are Catholics post tribulation on the rapture?

We don't believe in the Rapture. There will only be ONE Second Coming, and no man knows the day or the hour. When it does happen, the show will be over and this universe will vanish back to the nothingness it adds up to now ("Sum zero energy universe" - look it up on the web).

2. Who are the two witnesses?

The jury's out on that one. Speaking for myself (note this is my personal opinion only), and assuming there are two witnesses, I think they'll be angels, supernatural beings. The sort of powers they will have would go to the heads of any human whereas for an angel, they'd just be doing a job

3. Are the seven bowls, trumpets, seals literal judgments?

Revelation is written in apocalyptic language. They certainly indicate there will be judgements visited on earth from time to time, and as the end of the age draws near, they will probably become more severe. But I don't think the Catholic Church would try to spell out the details. She's been around fro 2000 years, including other times when people thought the end was nigh

4. Is there a literal AntiChrist, False Prophet etc?

Again the jury is out, and the Church teaches an anti-Christ begins to take place anytime it is hoped salvation or peace will be found by political means.

Again I have my own opinions, and I think there will be a personal anti-Christ, and I think the false prophet has already been. But again that's only my opinion.

5. Catholics amillenial?

Yes. The Catholic Church does not believe in a literal millenial episode.

6. What is the Catholic position on the place of the Jews and Israel in end time prophecy?

We don't think about it much. Christ is the New Covenant, not Israel. While I think the Jews have made an enormous contribution to human culture and achievement, especially in light of all the persecution they've faced, the reality is that they've served their purpose. Christ has come, and these days the Church is all over the world, even if in many places it struggles against relentless opposition.

For my part I think God is going to drive us off the planet, and out into rather large universe He's put there. He's seems to have set history up so that at this time we are advancing very fast in technical skills, which would be absolutely necessary to go into space - space travel, artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum teleportation, space medicine, astronomical knowledge, etc. I wonder why?

To do that, He'd need to make it too uncomfortable for us to stay on earth, or we wouldn't go.

This would leave a lot of earth based hopes and dreams in the dust. But again that's just my opinion.

6. What other distinctives are there to Catholic Eschatology?

As an ex-Protestant, my observation is that Catholics don't talk much about eschatology. Protestants are far more active in speculating about the last days ("speculating" is the right word by the way).

I don't think there is a distinctive Catholic Eschatology. We accept the Second Coming, and leave it at that. History will roll on regardless of what we think.

I might also note that Catholics rarely spend much time criticising Protestants. Protestants are far more likely to criticise aspects of Catholicism for one reason or another, often in ignorance.

I'd suggest you look up the Catholic Catechism, and do your searches in it. It's online.

Catechism of the Catholic Church - Table of Contents

You'll probably find some answers to your questions in the section on "I believe in life everlasting".

Catechism of the Catholic Church - I believe in life everlasting

 

[rocknanchor]

According to an ancient tradition, one can distinguish between two senses of Scripture: the literal and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral and anagogical senses. The profound concordance of the four senses guarantees all its richness to the living reading of Scripture in the Church. The Catholic Catechism 115, 116, subdivision-117

Among this section of the Catechism Mr Crowley provided us the link to is under ‘Article 3 : Sacred Scripture’ > ‘IV The Canon of Scripture’ is also the sub-list #3. Herein lies one of the great disparities between those who still maintain this ‘Catholic/Protestant’ division, also includes many peoples discord of His “leading”.

Even under the confines of this Catechism methodology, again grants no liberty for the aforementioned ‘separated brethren’. To elaborate on that a bit farther, I would say that even under the guidance of all those skilled in the meat of God’s word: Catholic/Protestant alike, if allowed to hear position, should not be given ear once the day comes, they declare it has happened for themselves,

“Today, if you will hear His voice, ,”

(Hebrews 3:13)​

If I’m not mistaken, this loss of leading unfortunately is the greatest part of contention to serve that division!

 

[Rhamiel]

Good questions!

But what about the other things:

1. Are Catholics post tribulation on the rapture?
2. Who are the two witnesses?
3. Are the seven bowls, trumpets, seals literal judgments?
4. Is there a literal AntiChrist, False Prophet etc?
5. Are Catholics amillenial?
6. What is the Catholic position on the place of the Jews and Israel in end time prophecy?
7. What other distinctives are there to Catholic Eschatology?

1. we believe that the calling up of the living and the dead is part of the Last Judgment, there is not some separate event where God takes His people out of the world
2. This is open to debate, a popular view is the prophets Enoch and Elijah who were taken up into heaven will physically return, other views are that these will be two preachers who hold authority and saintliness like the prophets of the Old Testament with Enoch representing a preacher to the Gentiles (he was born before Abraham so he is not a Israelite) and Elijah as a preacher to the Jews, some even view it as more symbolic representing religious orders like the Dominicans and Franciscans.
3. Saint Bede has an interesting commentary on the Apocalypse, he views the chastisements as real but more focused on the spiritual rather then physical (the locust represent false teachers going all over the world, the Star Wormwood is a spirit of bitterness that hardens men’s hearts). We are given a fairly wide area to interpret these events.
4. Anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ takes part in the spirit of Antichrist, but before the end of history a individual man will rise to power who more fully confirms to this spirit then anyone else in history, worse then Nero, Julian the Apostate, the false prophet Mohamed
5. The millennium is the period of Christendom when Christ reigned through His Church, it’s high point was in the late Middle Ages, some saints have said that before the rise of the Antichrist there will be another period of peace when a good monarch and a “angelic” pope will bring peace but these are private revelations and can be believed or disbelieved
6. There will be an event near the end times where a number of Jews convert to the true faith. Many saints also say that the antichrist will be ethnically jewish and the Jewish community will accept him as prophecied by our Lord in John 5:43
“I am come in the name of my Father, and you receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive.”
7. If I think of more I will tell you

 

[Brian Mcnamee]

Hi a literal view of scripture gives a clear before and after picture of the earth before and after the tribulation and 2nd coming. It states many specific details and gives the same timeline in several books of the Bible. This room is not allowed to debate this topic but if anyone would like to have this conversation you can contact me. The cool thing is no matter what your view of how then end plays out the application is the same for all of us to be living for the LORD and apart from sin.