Signs of the Times  

  THE DAY OF JUDGMENT IS UNKNOWN TO US, THOUGH CERTAIN SIGNS HAVE BEEN REVEALED WHICH ARE TO HERALD ITS APPROACH.

    Christ said: "Of that day and hour no one knoweth; no not the angels of heaven, but the Father alone. (Matt.24:36)  The knowledge of it would be of as little use as the knowledge of the hour of our death.  St. Augustine recommends us to do now as we should do if tomorrow were to be the Last Day: then we shall have no occasion to dread the coming of the Judge.  Christ gave some signs  the approach of the Last Day (Matt.24:3) so that Christians might remain steadfast and courageous.  The signs are:

1.  The Gospel shall be preached to the whole world. (Matt.24:14)
      Some 2/3 of the world are still pagans.

 2. The greater part of mankind will be without faith (Luke 23:8; 2 Thess. 2:3) and  immersed in things of the earth. (Luke 27:26)
       Mankind will be as much as they were in the days of Noah.

 3. Antichrist will appear.
      Antichrist is a man who will give himself out to be Christ, and by the help of the devil will perform many wonders (2 Thess.2:9).  He will be a terror by the persecution he will raise. (Rev.20:3-9).  It is probable that he will choose for his kingdom Jerusalem and those places where Christ lived.  Our Lord will kill him on the Last Day (2 Thess.2:8).  Types and foreunners of Antichrist have existed from time to time (1 John 2:18), "for the mystery of iniquity already worketh." (2 Thess. 2:7)

 4.  Enoch and Elias will return and preach penance.
       "Behold, I will send you Elias the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord.  And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers." (Mal. 4:5) ie., he will bring round the Jews to the sentiments of their forefathers, the patriarchs: Christ also foretold that Elias should come and restore all things. (Matt.27:11)  Of Enoch we know that  "Enoch pleased God and was translated into paradise that he may give repentance to the nations." (Eccl.44:16)  Enoch and Elias will each for three and a half years, and recover many souls from Antichrist, who in the end will kill them and their bodies will be left unburied.  After three days and a half, God will raise them to life again. (Rev. 11:3-11)

  5.  The Jews will be converted.
        The conversion of the Jews were foretold by Hosea: "The children of Israel shall sit many days without king, without prince and without sacrifice, and without altar, and without ephod, and without theraphim.  And after this, the children of Israel shall return and shall seek the Lord their God and David their king; and they shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the last days. (Hos. 3:4-5)

 6.  Dreadful signs will appear in the heavens and great tribulations will come upon mankind.
       "The sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be moved." (Matt. 24:7)  Men shall wither with fear and from expectation of the things that will come upon the earth." (Luke 21:25)