It is a book that somehow manages to be eminently readable and yet thorough in its scholarship.

We speak here of Heralds of the Second Coming, by Stephen Walford, for those interested in a very in-depth study of the Second Coming.

Our time?

“It is certain that while we live in a time of grace and mercy, a time of judgment is approaching: a time of sifting the wheat and weeds, a time of passing sentence on the world,” says Walford. “We have been the beneficiaries of two prophetic streams in recent times, one from Heaven in the form of private revelation, and another from the teaching authority of the Vicar of Christ on earth.”

Together, says the author, they “have warned us of the approaching storm, but more importantly, of the victory, that final triumph of God Himself which will see earth become Heaven. The entire history of salvation is culminating in our days.”

One could debate some points, but who can deny, by simply looking at the world around us, that something will precipitate?

Who could deny it with all the sexual perversity, gender dystopia, flagrant materialism (the U.S. now has 644,000 people “worth” more than twenty million dollars and 902 billionaires), public anger and profanity, sullying of God’s Creation, atheism-agnosticism, occultism, and pedantic Christianity, and meddling with the genetic aspects of life and now even attempts (see the new “special report”) at dispelling death via wayward, out-of-control technology?

The Church?

It faces, notes the author, “a final trial.”

And we certainly see its persecution: the scandals, the church vandalism, the attacks such as the Minneapolis Mass massacre.

But really the tale is told everywhere, in all aspects of life.

The only answer: focusing solely on Jesus.

Everything is shifting around us.

“In those days there will be many wise sayings and many sages,” the author quotes Saint Hildegard of Bingen as saying. “The riddles of the prophets and the writings of the sages will be completely explained in this way.

“Their sons and daughter will prophesy, as it was foretold long ago. And all these things will take place in such purity and truthfulness that the spirits of the air will no longer be able to ridicule the sons and daughters. They will prophesy, as the prophets of old announced God’s mysteries and as the apostles proclaimed their teaching, which succeeded all understanding.”

Notes Walford, “We may recall here the great mystics of our recent history who would have fulfilled this prophecy: Sister Lucia of Fatima, Blessed Elena Aiello, Saint Faustina Kowalska, Maria Esperanza, Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, Marthe Robin, Natuzza Evolo, Blessed Alexandrina da Costa, and so many more faithful souls full of zeal for the glory of God.

“In a more general sense, the post-Vatican II movements could also be seen as prophetic voices contributing to this fulfillment. However, immediately after Hildegard proclaims this seemingly wondrous state of peace and holiness, she adds:

“‘At this same time, so many false teachings and false deeds will arise along with other misdeeds—as a sign of the imminent arrival of the Antichrist—that people in these days will claim that never before have there been such crimes or such iniquities as then… The time of crisis has arrived, for purity and tranquility of faith will disappear and believers will fall away on a massive scale.’

“As has been documented throughout this book, our age displays the essential features of this epoch of the ‘black pig’ [part of Hildegard’s prophetic imagery], both good and evil.”

[resources and recommended: Heralds of the Second Coming]

+