THE CHRISTIAN APOCALYPSE (THE SECOND COMING)

Rev. Fr. David Okolie

Dearest friends,

The CHRISTIAN APOCALYPSE is understood in the Church as the events prophesied in the Holy Scriptures about the ‘Second Coming‘ of Jesus Christ and the End of Life on earth. It has nothing to do with the rapture, doomsday and Armageddon, developed in some sects. This is because the ideas that characterize these terms are destruction, time frame, false-assumption of being redeemed, determined number. That is why you hear some of the sects say the time and year of the destruction of the world, the total number of those who will be saved, the place where the final battle between God and Satan will take place, etc.

👉🏼The Church’s understanding of APOCALYPSE is totally different. The Church sees a renewal of the universe and not its destruction. Hence, the Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms:

At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. After the universal judgement, the righteous will reign for ever with Christ, glorified in body and soul. The universe itself will be RENEWED (cf. CCC n. 1042).

The Church is also quick to admit that she doesn’t know the time for the Second Coming. Consequently, the Catechism teaches: “We know neither the moment of the consummation of the earth and of man, nor the way in which the universe will be transformed…” (cf. CCC, n. 1047). The Church simply understands the time for the ‘Second Coming’ to be ‘IMMINENT‘, meaning that it could be accomplished at any moment (cf. CCC, no. 673).

Also, this wrong understanding of Christian apocalypse propagated by some sects under the already identified terms (Armageddon, doomsday, rapture, etc) makes them to put up laissez-faire attitude towards the development of the society. The Church contrarily maintains thus:

Far from diminishing our concern to develop this earth, the expectancy of a new earth should spur us on, for it is here that the body of a new human family grows, foreshadowing in some way the age which is to come… (cf. CCC n. 1049).

Therefore, the Church, always conscious of the fact that the coming of the Lord is Imminent, encourages us, her children, to ever be VIGILANT; not allowing our hearts to be coarsened with SINFUL lifestyles and the cares of this life, such that that day comes to us suddenly like a trap (cf. Lk 21:34f). Hence, we must stay awake, making progress in our daily Christian commitments, persevering in HOLINESS and VIRTUE such that when the Lord comes, we may meet him with our heads high and our lamps still burning.W

We pray the Virgin Mary, the Help of Christians, to always support us with her powerful intercession. Amen.

I wish you all the best from this special month of DECEMBER!

Remain blessed!