THE STARS OF 2000
The Marian visions and the "Three Days of Darkness" prophesied by Catholic visionaries and the apparitions of Mary (?) at Fatima and Medjugorje are preparing the Catholic faithful for a great deception and also encouraging the idolatry which the Bible warns will be prevalent in the Tribulation period. Evangelicals are also being set up for this deception through the Latter Rain Movement's emphasis on signs and wonders, the Toronto Blessing, the ecumenical movement and the Celebration 2000 birthday party for Jesus.
The Catholic Church teaches that a worldwide vision of Mary will precede the coming of Christ. The replacement theology of Latter Rain Movement conveniently the woman "clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars" of Rev. 12:1 as the Church. The Catholic Church believes that she is Mary. However, I Cor. 2:13 indicates that Scripture is the only reliable interpreter of Scripture. In Genesis 37:9, Joseph dreamed that "the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me." His father, Jacob, understood the significance of the dream -- "Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee...?" This is a clear reference to the nation of Israel, Joseph being the twelfth star of Rev. 12:1.
Those who usurp the place of Israel in Scripture may be "them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie." (Rev. 3:9) There are other groups which believe that they have taken Israel's place in Scripture. The Christian Identity and British Israel movement believe that white Europeans are the descendants of the 10 lost tribes of Northern Israel. This is an English version of Nazi Aryanism and National Socialism which views the British people and America as the chosen people and saviors of the world. It is especially strong in the Patriot movement, which is nationalistic, well-armed and prepared for survival in the New World Order. Their literature, like Hitler's, vilifies the Jews as the source of the world's problems.
II Peter 2:20,21 states, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation, for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Thus, we are told that no one has the liberty to interpret Bible prophecy to advance a private agenda. German theologians misinterpreted the Scriptures to convey the message of Aryan Supremacy and the intellectual elite of that day prophesied a "new era" in which Germany would become a new Greece. Just as Nazism was the Germany's patriotic response to the threat of socialism, the appeal to conservatism and patriotism has reached groundswell proportions in American Christianity.
Many Christians, knowing the threat of impending world government and God's judgment, nevertheless seem convinced that God will favor America with a moral and spiritual revival. They prefer to believe their own personal prophecies instead of the Scriptures that warn of end-time judgments, spiritual deception and apostasy from the faith. As happened in Germany, their intensely nationalistic convictions could easily embrace a charismatic leader who promises a return to the American dream. The massive network of the ecumenical Religious Right are seeking to control the political system. When their projected "revival" occurs, Church and State will merge to form the Antichrist system. Any church or individual who stands in the way of their political/religious agenda will be disenfranchised.
Hitler's agreement with the Vatican provided the final component of theological justification for the Holocaust. The Catholic Church is often portrayed as a victim of the Holocaust, with no mention of its prior anti-Semitic persecutions, complicity with Hitler during the Holocaust and collaboration with the Nazis in the aftermath, i.e., the Vatican "Ratlines" smuggling war criminals to safety in South America. Evangelical leaders have also signed an historic agreement with the Catholic Church to achieve their agenda of moral and social reform -- the "Evangelicals and Catholics Together Document."
Jubilee 2000: The Rising Star Of The New Advent
Ed Tarkowski
Mary, The Morning Star That Precedes The Son
In his "Mirror Of The Blessed Virgin Mary," thirteenth century theologian St. Bonaventure wrote, "The Lord is with thee, O Lady most dear to the Lord, most intimate with the Lord! . . . as the sun is with the dawn which precedes it, as the flower is with the stem which produces it, as the king is with the queen entering into his palace."
Inherent in Bonaventure's words is the idea that when you see the dawn, you know the sun is rising, when you see the stem, a flower will soon blossom, when the Queen enters, the King is right behind. In other words, Mary first, followed by Jesus. These words are not happenstance. This idea is a part of the Marian tradition in Catholicism.
The belief that "the mother always precedes the son" can be traced back to the writings of another medieval mystic, St. Bridget. In his 22 volume work, The Glories of Mary, (1750) St. Alphonsus de Liguori says Bridget called Mary the "'Star preceding the sun,' giving thereby to understand that when devotion towards the divine Mother begins to manifest itself in a soul that is in a state of sin, it is a certain mark that before long God will enrich it with his grace."(1)
Mary, The Morning Star Of The First Advent
The present Pope, John Paul II, often reiterates this theme. In his 1987 encyclical, "Redemptoris Mater" (August 25, 1987), the Pope laid his foundation by applying Mary's precedence to the first Advent of Christ:
". . . . the Church has constantly been aware that Mary appeared on the horizon of salvation history before Christ. It is a fact that when 'the fullness of time' was definitively drawing near - the saving advent of Emmanuel - she who was from all eternity destined to be his Mother already existed on earth."(2)
John Paul then refers to Mary as the "dawn" and "Stella Matutina", or the "Morning Star", and the "Apokalypto" writer comments,
" . . . we find that he also links Her symbolically to the 'dawn' insofar as She precedes the rising of the 'Sun of Justice'. In the Song of Solomon, the Bride, who prefigures the Blessed Virgin, is also identified with the dawn: "'Who is this arising like the dawn, fair as the moon, resplendent as the sun, formidable as an army?' ( Song of Songs 6:10, New Jerusalem Bible).
Mary, The Star Of Evangelization
Recently, Mary is frequently being tied to Catholic missionary efforts, and a new title, "the Star of Evangelization", has apparently been bestowed upon her. For example, a news release concerning the city of Rome's mission for the Jubilee in 2000 stated that the Pope met with Cardinal Camillo Ruini and the Roman bishops, pastors and priests, and called them to "stir up the missionary energy of our laity." The meeting was "concluded by [the Pope's] entrusting to Mary, Queen of the Apostles and Star of Evangelization, this Roman mission."(3)
Again, in John Paul's message for Mission Sunday, 1996, the Pope set forth the "apostolic challenge of our times":
"On the threshold of the third millennium, the Lord Jesus challenges the whole Church to be witnesses 'even to the end of the earth'. . . .
"As a result of a greater sensitisation and animation, we hope to take up our role of a community of witnesses for mission ad gentes (to the nations). . . especially to our poorest brothers and sisters. This will enable us to prepare for the Great Jubilee Year 2000. 'As the third Millennium of the Redemption draws near, God is preparing a great springtime for Christianity, and we can already see its first signs.'(4)
". . . Invoking the protection of Mary, Star of Evangelization, I gladly impart to each of you my apostolic blessings." (5)
The Catholic Church is mobilizing her laity as missionaries as a necessary part of the preparation for Jubilee 2000. For what purpose? So that, through the intercession and protection of Mary, the "Star of Evangelization," non-Catholic churches across the globe will come into unity with Rome. John Paul sums up these thoughts in a few words in "Redemptoris Mater":
"In the faith which Mary professed at the Annunciation as the "handmaid of the Lord" and in which she constantly 'precedes' the pilgrim People of God throughout the earth, the church 'strives energetically and constantly to bring all humanity . . . back to Christ its Head in the unity of his Spirit' . . .
"Therefore, why should we not all together look to her as our common Mother, who prays for the unity of God's family and who 'precedes' us all at the head of the long line of witnesses of faith in the one Lord, the Son of God, who was conceived in her virginal womb by the power of the Holy Spirit?"(6)
In Part One of this series, we quoted a prayer from a letter written by Archbishop Gregory Yong of Singapore to his congregation. Again, Mary was given precedence: "May Mary, the mother of Jesus, intercede for us, asking God to bless us all as we journey with faith, hope and love towards the Year 2000." Here are more excerpts from that letter which show that the drive for unity by the year 2000 is being taken to the world through the Catholic laity, but lead by the intercession and protection of Mary:
"My Dear people of God,
". . . We are sent by Christ on a mission - to help as many people as possible to have this eternal life. "We are fast approaching the year 2000. Let us make it a very special year, a landmark in the history of the Church. Let it be the dawn of a new era. For years, our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has been referring to it in most of his letters and speeches. He calls it the Jubilee Year. The Jubilee Year is a Holy Year to celebrate the Blessings of God, a year of spiritual renewal for the whole Church.
". . . The Pope invites us to make this 2000th birthday of Jesus an occasion to create a new world, a new civilisation of peace and justice and love based on the life and teaching of Jesus himself.
"His invitation is found in a letter called 'The Coming of the Third Millennium' that he wrote to the whole Church.
"The Year 2000 has to be a celebration of our faith within the Church and with those outside the Church. It has to be a year when all Christians will strive to be united as much as we can to show the world our love for God and for one another and people in general. It has to be an occasion when with converted hearts we try to break every barrier that separates us from one another. It must be an event when as many as possible can experience the saving love of Jesus. It must be a time when the culture of death is replaced with the culture of life where everyone strives for what is beautiful, noble, excellent, good and true. The Pope dreams of this time as an age of universal peace and unity among mankind.
"The Holy Father appeals to all catholics and christians alike to prepare in a fitting manner for the Year 2000. He has given us guidelines to prepare for this historic moment.
" . . . My prayerful hope is that all of us (priests, religious and laity in Singapore) will unite in our efforts to prepare for the great Jubilee Year. . . . May the Year 2000 be a time of renewed vitality and abundant growth in the history of the Church in Singapore and all over the world.
"May Mary, the mother of Jesus, intercede for us, asking God to bless us all as we journey with faith, hope and love towards the Year 2000."(7)
In Pope John Paul's June 30 Angelus message, he spoke of the unity of the early Church and described the unity of other times in terms of the great saints from the East and West. Then he called for a re-establishment of such a unity, asking Mary, not the Holy Spirit, to work in the hearts of all peoples:
"The Spirit of God however will give us no respite until we have re-established full unity among us. . . .
"May the Mother of Christ and of the Church help us to walk in the footsteps of these great witnesses. May she make us docile to the Holy Spirit, so that, with respect for legitimate differences and traditions, we may learn to esteem one another and to draw closer together in ever deeper faith and charity. May she instill in our hearts a consuming desire for full communion, moving us to pursue it with firm, renewed intentions."(8)
The hoped-for result of this evangelization by the whole body of Catholic believers is the triumph of Mary in the unity of all of the churches. Before we get into the final outcome of all of the Pope's effort, let me recap what has been introduced so far:
The Woman Of The Apocalypse Also Precedes The Son
The Catholic tradition of the Mother preceding the Son not only has a history to it, but a prophesied future, currently being set in place by Rome's present agenda. In the "Apokalypso" newsletter, we read,
"As we shall have reason to discuss further in connection with the Third Secret [of Fatima], this same imagery of the Woman rising before the Sun figures prominently in the apocalyptic scenario of St. John's Revelation."(9)
This statement is based on the Catholic interpretation of the Woman in Revelation 12:1-2:
"1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered."
The orthodox interpretation of this figure is that the woman is Israel who brought forth Christ. But as indicated by an article in the December 1977 special issue of Immaculata magazine entitled "Fatima - Hope of the World," many in the Catholic tradition see the woman as Mary. In the article, Bishop Rudolph Graber enthuses about this woman as Mary, again preceding her Son:
"Thus, in conclusion, we greet Mary as the great sign in the heavens which precedes the coming of her Son, because the mother always precedes the son. We greet her as the one who at Fatima wanted to bring peace to the world if we fulfilled the demands of her maternal heart. . . . We greet her as the Victor in all the battles of God, and as the Mother of the Church who will bring the Good Friday of the Church to an end and give it a new Easter."(10)
Following is another example of the Lady of Fatima seen as the Woman of the Apocalypse, the "great sign in the heavens" that precedes the coming of the Son at the end of the age. Bishop Graber writes,
"The end, above all, is suggested by the miracle of the sun of October 13, 1917, where the words of Christ are confirmed: 'But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and powers of heaven will be shaken' (Mt. 24,29). When, on one occasion, someone wanted to dismiss this dance of the sun merely as childish absurdity, his companion briefly remarked, 'Think of the Apocalypse 12.1' There we read of a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. Naturally, these thoughts are not binding declarations of faith, but if our Lord at one time rebuked the Pharisees, saying, 'You hypocrites! You know how to judge the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it that you do not judge this time?' (Lk. 12,56), then this admonition also applies to us. . . ."(11)
For not having declared belief in the Fatima message a binding declaration of faith, the control John Paul II has given to this spirit called Mary, and the room it now has to operate within Jubilee 2000 preparations, is amazing. It is important for people in the Church to ask some vital questions, because the answers will affect the lives of many in the very near future. Is the Woman of the Apocalypse Mary? Is Mary the great sign which announces the end of the age by preceding the "sign of the Son of Man" (Matthew 24:30)? Does this idea conform to the gospel? This last question is especially necessary in light of this statement by Catholic theologian Reverend Andre Richard:
". . . as a theologian, what impresses me about Fatima is its reaffirmation of the entire Gospel and its emphasis on the source of mortal evil: offenses against God. . . . The unbelievable dimension and radical depth of this ultimate offense were underlined at Fatima on October 13, 1917, by the great sign of the miracle of the sun. How can any of us fail to be conscious of Our Lady appearing in the sky, reminding us of the great sign of Chapters 11 and 12 of Revelations? How can any of us consider Fatima to be less than the presentation of that Apocalyptic message of the Lady dressed with the sun, and announcing the triumph over the dragon?"(12)
Fatima - a "reaffirmation of the entire Gospel"? No, it is not. There is nothing in Scripture that refers to Mary being the "Star of Evangelization" who precedes the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. No doubt the Lady of Fatima proclaims HER message, but it is not God's gospel. The spirit who serves as a living introduction to the return of her alleged son is certainly carrying out HER plans, but God mentions no such thing in His Word. If what we have shared is not enough to show how reasonable our questions are, this next quote should give validity to them all. In his encyclical, "Redemptoris Mater," after Pope John Paul II recalls the first Advent when Mary preceded her Son, he proceeds to carry this idea forward into the "new Advent" manifest in his preparations for the Jubilee 2000 celebration of the birth of Christ:
"The fact that she 'preceded' the coming of Christ is reflected every year in the liturgy of Advent. Therefore, if to that ancient historical expectation of the Savior we compare these years which are bringing us closer to the end of the second Millennium after Christ and to the beginning of the third, it becomes fully comprehensible that in this present period we wish to turn in a special way to her, the one who in the 'night' of the Advent expectation began to shine like a true 'Morning Star' (Stella Matutina). For just as this star, together with the 'dawn,' precedes the rising of the sun, so Mary from the time of her Immaculate Conception preceded the coming of the Savior, the rising of the "Sun of Justice" in the history of the human race."
These words take us to the present preparations for the year 2000 during which, the Pope says, "we wish to turn in a special way to her [Mary]" as we look to our entrance into the Third Millennium as "a new Advent." John Paul has also said we should look to Mary as the Model on which this new Advent is based, and that by conforming ourselves to this Model we can bring forth the rebirth of humanity. If the actions of all who pursue Mary as a MODEL stopped there, our concern would lessen to a very great degree, but they do not. The "miracle of the sun" did not happen because Mary is a Model. Nor is the Pope's expectation of another such sign before the turn of the Third Millennium based on Mary as a Model. In his book, "The Keys Of This Blood", Dr. Malachi Martin writes in depth about this soon coming Marian Vision. The purpose of this prophesied supernatural vision, he says, is to validate the Roman Catholic Church as the only true Church and the Pope as God's ordained leader. An article from Cutting Edge Ministries, "Staged Appearance of the Antichrist," comments,
"Pope John Paul II is 'anxiously awaiting a potent world-wide Marian Vision. [World] chaos is to precede this vision. This vision will validate the global reign of Pope John Paul II, and will establish him as the ultimate spiritual Judge of the Planet...'
"How does the Pope know this world-wide apparition will occur? In 1981, as he was recovering from his attempted assassination, he was suddenly visited by the Virgin Mary, who transported him back to the Fatima Vision of October 13, 1917 [the "Miracle of the Sun"]. Pope John Paul II viewed the vision as though he had been there. However, this time, the message was different. Pope John Paul was told that he was to expect, and await, a super-natural Marian Vision, like Fatima."
Such expectations by the current Pope belie the idea that Mary is just a Model to him. Added to this is the fact that a similar prophesied event can be found in the prophetic annals of the Catholic Church. Presented on the "Welcome To THE END DAYS" Internet site is the prophecy of a future "Three Days of Darkness" promising "The Great Miracle," a term similar to that used for the Fatima event. This prophecy was originally delivered to Blessed Anna-Maria Taigi (Circa 1900, Italy), and in the ensuing years, a great number of other mystics have built on the original prophecy. Here is one example which concerns a pope:
"A Miracle similar to that at Fatima, a great wonder to convince many, [is] predicted to take place on the Feast Day of a young martyr of the Eucharist but not on a holy day of Our Lady. The miracle will last for about a quarter of an hour and will be visible from Garabandal, Spain, and the surrounding mountains. Our Holy Father will see it no matter where he is at the time. This miracle will take place on a date which will be announced eight days before. Afterwards, God will leave a sign in memory of it. It can be shown on TV for the whole world to see."(13)
The Pope's picture of Mary as a Model is presented to those in the churches and the world who look for "a new civilization of peace and justice." But John Paul has "set aside for Mary" himself, his papacy, his ministry, his Bishops, priests, dioceses, the laity and all the countries of the world. His words of consecration of all things to Mary are aimed, not at a Model, but at a person in the spiritual realm. Unless there is someone "there" to respond, his words become absolutely useless, and in the end, this brilliant man will have placed his future actions and his life in a bag with a hole in it. But the scary thing is that "someone" IS responding from the spiritual realm, and it is not the God of Scripture, nor the true Mary of Scripture, Jesus' mother.
The Reign of The Sacred Heart
There is something that's bothered me for a long time. Why is it that we've seen the Catholic Church's multi-faceted subtle penetration of the "revival," and haven't noticed that the main spirits of the global move to unity are coming from her and her ceremonies and prophecies? I believe an inquiry is in order, and hope you will agree with me after reading this last section on devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
First, some background on the unity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary: The Lady of Fatima spoke many times about her Immaculate Heart, and on one occasion "The Lord" himself appeared to Lucia the seer and told her, "I desire that devotion to the Immaculate Heart of My Mother be placed alongside devotion to My Own Sacred Heart." More insight into the linkage of Mary's Immaculate Heart with Jesus' Heart can be gleaned from the words of St. John Eudes who, centuries before Fatima, wrote,
"Be united to the Heart of Mary that thus you may the more intimately be united to the Heart of Jesus."
It is by this union, wrote Eudes, that adherents would thus "obtain the fulfillment of all Their promises." Concerning the vital connection between these two Hearts and their devotees, "Jesus" told St. John Eudes, "I have given you the admirable Heart of My most worthy Mother which is identified with My own Heart that it may be your true heart as well; that My children may possess only one Heart with their Mother and My members the same Heart as their Head. Thus you may serve, adore, and love God with a Heart worthy of His infinite goodness"(14)
Devotion to the Sacred Heart is based on the seventeenth century revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, but they were preceded by a single revelation given to St. Gertrude the Great in 1302. Here is an account of Gertrude's experience:
"On the Feast of St. John the Evangelist, the author of the Gospel of the same name, St. Gertrude had a vision of Our Lord, during which she was allowed to rest her head upon the Wound in His side. When she heard the beating of His Heart, she turned and asked St. John, who also was present, if he had heard the same on the night of the Last Supper, when he leaned upon the breast of Our Lord. And if so, why he never spoke of them in his Gospel. Remarkably, St. John replied that the revelation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was reserved for later times when the world, grown cold, would be in need of being rekindled in love."(15)
This is the equivalent of the "new" revelations of the current Latter Rain Revival now sweeping through the Church, and which I believe will prove to be the key to Mary leading a united Church to Jesus in the endtimes. I further believe the main spirits behind these new revelations are the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, sometimes called The Two Hearts. Some questions: "Are we seeing the words of "John" come true in these endtimes? Are we hearing the fulfillment of this Catholic prophecy in the words of the Immaculate Heart of Mary? Are we witnessing Mary's Triumph in the unification of all Christendom, to be followed by the reign of the Sacred Heart? Read the following and see what you think. I think that's exactly what we're seeing:
"We are called to unity now for the mission of the Triumph of her Immaculate Heart. Only her Triumph will usher in the reign of the Sacred Heart."(16)
In the end, says Catholic teaching and prophecy, Jesus will triumph through Mary, who will lead the Church into the time when the gathered elect find fulfillment in the reign of the Sacred Heart:
"Because she was, by the design of divine Providence, the mother who nourished the divine Redeemer, Mary . . .'cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the Savior's work of restoring supernatural life to souls.' And 'this maternity of Mary in the order of grace . . . will last without interruption until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect.'"
Is Mary's "burning charity" one with the "burning love" of the Sacred Heart? Is the restoration of "supernatural life to souls" the same spirit of restoration with which Toronto fills people in burning, fiery anointings? Look at the phrase, "maternity of Mary in the order of grace." Does this mean that Mary is once more preceding the son, as the mother of the Church, in order to prepare it for the final, "eternal fulfillment of all the elect"? Is this fulfillment the same as Toronto's? "John" said this revelation of the Sacred Heart "is reserved for later times when the world, grown cold, would be in need of being rekindled in love." Do you think that the Toronto experience of being filled with fire in an experience of the love of "Jesus," and resulting in passion for Him, fulfills this prophecy?
Has Toronto unknowingly come under the spirit of the Mary who fills people with the fire of the Sacred Heart through her oneness with his Heart? IS the fire of Toronto the fire of Catholicism's Sacred Heart of Jesus? All these questions, I believe, can be answered by reading the revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a nun of the Order of the Visitation of Our Lady. According to a follower of the Two Hearts, "a New Era of Grace and Mercy in the history of the Church and the world" was opened by these revelations:
"The First Apparition: December 27, 1673
"On the Feast of St. John the Evangelist Our Lord came to St. Margaret Mary . . .and granted her the same privilege as He had done to St. Gertrude. This is how St. Margaret Mary describes the event in her autobiography:
"'One day, . . . I was praying before the Blessed Sacrament, when I felt myself wholly penetrated with that Divine Presence, but to such a degree that I lost all thought of myself and of the place where I was, and abandoned myself to this Divine Spirit, yielding up my heart to the power of His Love. He made me repose for a long time upon His Sacred Breast, where He disclosed to me the marvels of His Love and the inexplicable secrets of His Sacred Heart, which so far He had concealed from me. Then it was that, for the first time, He opened to me His Divine Heart in a manner so real and sensible as to be beyond all doubt, by reason of the effects which this favor produced in me, fearful, as I always am, of deceiving myself in anything that I say of what passes in time. It seems to me that this is what took place:"(17)
Is this Toronto: "wholly penetrated with that Divine Presence . . .lost all thought of myself and of the place where I was . . . abandoned myself to this Divine Spirit, yielding up my heart to the power of His Love"? I believe it is. Rodney Howard-Browne, from whom Toronto came, described his own initial infilling as, "I was literally beside myself." As we will see, there are some very strong similarities in Browne's and St. Margaret Mary's experiences.
Margaret Mary continues with the words of The Sacred Heart:
"'My Divine Heart is so inflamed with love for men . . . that, being unable any longer to contain within Itself the flames of Its burning Charity, It must needs . . . manifest Itself to them (mankind) in order to enrich them with the precious graces of sanctification and salvation necessary to withdraw them from the abyss of perdition.' (parenthesis in the original).
". . . After this He asked me for my heart, which I begged Him to take. He did so and placed it in His own Adorable Heart where He showed it to me as a little atom which was being consumed in this great furnace, and withdrawing it thence as a burning flame in the form of a heart, He restored it to the place whence He had taken it saying to me:
"'See, My well-beloved, I give you a precious token of My love, having enclosed within your side a little spark of its glowing flames, that it may serve you for a heart and consume you to the last moment of your life; its ardor will never be exhausted, and you will be able to find some slight relief only by bleeding. Even this remedy I shall so mark with My Cross, that it will bring you more humiliation and suffering than alleviation. . . If before, you have taken only the name of My slave, I now give you that of the beloved disciple of My Sacred Heart.'"
It is important to note here that those who experience this fire become disciples not of the true Jesus, but of the Sacred Heart of the Catholic tradition. Now let's look at two paragraphs, the first from the testimony of St. Margaret Mary, followed by Rodney Howard-Browne's testimony of his first experience of the fire:
St. Margaret Mary:
"After such a signal favor which lasted for a long time, during which I knew not whether I was in heaven or on earth, I remained for several days, as it were, on fire and inebriated (with divine love) and so completely out of myself, that I had to do myself violence in order to utter a single word. The effort I had to make in order to join in recreation or to take food was so great that it was all I could do to overcome myself, which was a cause of considerable humiliation to me. I was not able to sleep, because of the pain of the wound, which is so precious to me; it produces such heat within me that it burns and consumes me alive. I also felt such a plentitude of God, that I could not explain myself to my Superioress, as I should have wished, regardless of any suffering and confusion which the recital of these favors might cause me. . . ." (parenthesis in the original).
Rodney Howard-Browne:
"Suddenly the fire fell on me. It started on my head and went right down to my feet. His power burned in my body and stayed like that for three whole days. I thought I was going to die. I thought, 'He has heard my prayer, 'Either you come down and touch me or I will come up and touch you,' and now He has come down here and touched me and He is going to kill me and take me home.
"I was really praying, 'Lord, I'm too young to die.' In the fourth day, I am not praying, O Lord, send your glory, I'm praying, please lift it off of me so that I can bear it. I was plugged into heaven's electric light supply and since then my desire has been to go and plug other people in.
"My whole body was on fire from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. Out of my belly began to flow a river of living water. I began to laugh uncontrollably and then I began to weep and then speak with other tongues.
"I was so intoxicated on the wine of the Holy Ghost that I was literally beside myself. The fire of God was coursing through my whole being and it didn't quit. . . . He did finally lift that intense anointing off me, but it stayed lightly on me, that I was aware of, for two weeks. Because of that encounter with the Lord, my life was radically changed from that day on.(18)
There is very little difference between these two manifestations. The biggest difference is that Browne came out of Kenneth Hagin's RHEMA, and St. Margaret Mary's fire came out of Catholic mysticism. One account may be more polished than the other, but both are basically the same manifestations of the same spirits. Look at the similarities between the saint's experience and the Toronto experience:
In the next section of Margaret Mary's testimony, "Our Lord makes known the Devotion of the First Fridays: June 1674," we see more similarities with the Toronto experience, as well as references to the Sacred Heart as "the Sun" which Mary, the Morning Star, precedes. The imagery in this vein is very strong here:
"On the First Friday of each month, the above-mentioned grace connected with the pain in my side was renewed in the following manner: the Sacred Heart was represented to me as a resplendent sun, the burning rays of which fell vertically upon my heart, which was inflamed with a fire so fervid that it seemed as if it would reduce me to ashes. It was at these times especially that my Divine Master taught me what He required of me and disclosed to me the secrets of His loving Heart. On one occasion, while the Blessed Sacrament was exposed, feeling wholly withdrawn within myself by an extraordinary recollection of all my senses and powers, Jesus Christ, my sweet Master, presented Himself to me, all resplendent with glory, His Five Wounds shining like so many suns. Flames issued from every part of His Sacred Humanity, especially from His Adorable Breast, which resembled an open furnace and disclosed to me His most loving and most amiable Heart, which was the living source of these flames. It was then that He made known to me the ineffable marvels of His pure love and showed me to what an excess He had loved men, from whom He received only ingratitude and contempt."
Here are more like-instances between Margaret Mary's and Toronto experiences:
1. Margaret Mary again mentions the fervid fire that felt like it would consume her.
2. The Sacred Heart told Margaret Mary secrets, or, as the Toronto revival would call them, "new" revelations.
3. She experienced an extraordinary loss of all her senses and powers, a common experience to today's "anointed."
4. Central to both experiences is "God's love" manifested as physical burning in the body.
On another occasion, Margaret Mary and the Sacred Heart had another encounter, of which she relates:
"On representing to Him my inability, He replied:"
"Behold, this will supply for all that is wanting to you."
"And at the same time His Divine Heart being opened, there issued from It a flame so ardent that I thought I should be consumed, for I was wholly penetrated with it, and being no longer able to bear it, I besought Him to have pity on my weakness."
This last quote from Margaret Mary had me checking to see if I was reading about Rodney Howard-Browne's experience or hers:
1. They both thought they would be consumed.
2. They were both totally penetrated by the fire.
3. They both could no longer bear it.
4. They asked God to remove it from them.
This next quote is also similar to Toronto and the Latter Rain because it has to do with the coming of "Jesus" to reign, with all interest centered on "the glory of God":
"Therefore, in imitation of Me you must act and suffer in silence without any other interest than the glory of God, in the establishment of the Reign of My Sacred Heart in the hearts of men, to whom I wish to manifest It by your means."
What is the point of all of this? Simply this: the Marian spirit of the Catholic Church is operating in this world, deceiving people in order to bring them to the antichrist, who, in this case, is represented by the Sacred Heart. Bluntly, all of this is nothing but demon possession. The devil changes his terms and alters his manifestations to get a hold on as many people as he can. He has a well laid plan, and it has been prepared well in advance for its varied manifestations in these times. In Margaret's case, it was set up 400 years ago. This is not a Catholic spirit, nor a Toronto spirit. It is a fallen spirit and his name is Lucifer and he is uniting and deceiving and manifesting and loving and giving out fiery, exciting experiences in order to receive the worship he promised to himself.
We should be concerned, very concerned, to prepare for some major manifestations in the next few years. Pope John Paul II is looking for another "miracle" similar to the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, and he's expecting it to be seen as confirmation that the Catholic Church is the one true church. Marian visions and apparitions accompanied by prophecies about the end times have increased dramatically. We must be ready spiritually for whatever spiritual manifestations are on the way. We must be ready for non-biblical prophecies, Catholic or not, to start being fulfilled at a dramatic rate. This last point is disturbing in the light of all we've shared, because centuries-old Catholic prophecies are presently being built on by new prophetic words concerning the coming reign of the Sacred Heart through consecration to the Heart of Mary. Here is an example from a booklet published in 1996 by the Shepherds of Christ (Catholic) entitled "Tell My People." In this publication, the Sacred Heart prophesies that the world is now entering the "Age of the Two Hearts":
"Jesus: '. . . . I desire that My people consecrate themselves to My Sacred Heart and to Mary's Immaculate Heart. My people are living in the beginnings of the age of the Two Hearts.
"After the time of the purification is completed, this new era of the Church and the world will become firmly established. This era will be characterized by the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. All those who consecrate themselves to My Heart and to My Mother's Heart will help to establish this glorious new age."
"Reflection: This is the Age of the Two Hearts! The surest road to sanctity in these our times is through consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. In making this consecration, and striving with God's grace to live it as best we can each day, we are contributing to the establishment of the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and to the arrival of the reign of the Sacred Heart."(19)
What is particularly of interest in these words is, "the time of the purification" that will usher in the reign of a "Christ." Did you recognize the Latter Rain time of purification leading to world peace? Or Barbara Marx Hubbard's "earth cleansing" to bring in the Aquarian Age? Remember, Mary is "the Dawn" that precedes the Sun, and we are now in the "Dawning of the Age of Aquarius."
My point again: Catholicism's prophecies are being confirmed outside of the boundaries of God's prophetic word. For the first time, the unbiblical mysticism, the devotions and adorations of old, and the consecrations accompanying them, are relevant at a global level. All of this activity, combined with the non-Catholic world's new unity with Rome, has released spirits into the "revival." Mary, triumphantly uniting the churches through the efforts of Pope John Paul II, is preceding her son's reign as the Sacred Heart. Fire is falling on Catholic and non-Catholic alike. Furthermore, Mary is leading a uniting Church toward a Jubilee 2000 Eucharistic celebration that will unite all with the Sacred Heart through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, because Mary always leads to the Eucharist.
It is there that the fire will be released to unite humanity. Are we prepared for what lies ahead? Are we prepared to see a new civilization come into existence under the reign of the Sacred Heart? Are we prepared to stand by and watch as the world celebrates "Christmas" in the year 2000 with the demons who took it over in the fourth century?
RECOMMENDED READING:
MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT: CATHOLIC OR JEWISH? ~ How the Babylonian mysteries found their way into the Church of Rome, thereby meriting God’s assessment as MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT.
HEEDING BIBLE PROPHECY ~ Understanding Satan's Plan to Counterfeit the Second Coming of Jesus Christ & The Restoration of All Things
THE FALSE GOSPEL IN THE STARS ~ Preparing the Way of the Antichrist & the False Prophet & the 10 Kings downsized to 7 and...
FOOTNOTES:
(1) De Liguori, pp.
121-122.
(2) Cf. Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, Vi/2 (1983) 225 f;
Pope Pius
IX, Apostolic Letter "Ineffabilis Deus" (8 December,
1854): Pii IX P.M. Acta, pars I, 597-599.
(3) "Rome's Citizens' Mission To Begin May 25", Vatican
Information Service, February 22, 1996."
(4) Redemptoris Missio, 86.
(5) The Catholic News, "Summary of the Holy Father's Message
for Mission Sunday, 1996."
(6) Pope John Paul II, "Redemptoris Mater," citing
Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the
Church, Lumen Gentium, 13.
(7) "Letter to the Archdiocese Of Singapore (25 February
1996) concerning the Jubilee Year 2000."
(8)Sunday Angelus message, "God's Spirit Impels Us to
Restore Full Unity," June 30, 1996.
(9) APOKALYPSO, Summer/Fall 1995, Internet URL
http://www.planet.net/ptgermine/fatima.htm
(10) "Fatima Advancing Rapidly Towards Final Fulfillment:
'The Three Dimensions of Fatima,'" trans., Marie Agnes Matt,
rev. ed. of Vol. 18, No. 3, p. 5-6.
(11) Ibid.
(12) Rev. Andre Richard, D.D., "Fatima Now!" Soul,
January-February 1976, p. 20.
(13) Internet URL: http://www.webcom.com/enddays/.
(14) Tract, "Promises of Our Lord to those who honor His
SACRED HEART," 1975.
(15) http://www.ici.net/mantle/alliance/2hearts/history1.html, The Revelations of the Two Hearts
in Modern Times The Apostolate Alliance of the Two Hearts &
Immaculate Mediatrix grant permission to the general public to
copy this document for the purpose of free distribution in this
or in any other media.
(16) United, Hnilica.
(17) http://www.ici.net/mantle/alliance/2hearts/history2.html, The Revelation of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus, Paral-le-Monial, France. The Apostolate Alliance of the
Two Hearts & Immaculate Mediatrix grant permission to the
general public to copy this document for the purpose of free
distribution in this or in any other media.
(18) The Touch of God by Rodney Howard-Browne, RHBEA
Publications, pp. 73-74.
(19) Copyright 1996 Shepherds of Christ, Rights for
non-commercial reproduction granted: May be copied in its
entirety, but neither re-typed nor edited. [God's Blue Book]
Revised: March 19, 1996 URL: http://www.Shepherds-of-Christ.org citing
http://www.shepherds-of-christ.org/TELLMY/tell11.htm [Tell My People]
