2023/12/11

121. The Fifth 'Blessedness'

As the 21st century is now a quarter of a century old, the Church grapples with the 'Babylon the Great' of Revelation 17-18. Revelation does not put a 'blessedness' in these verses, but instead puts the following words: "They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful" (Revelation 17:14). This statement coincides with the words in the fourth 'blessedness': "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war" (19:11) and "On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords" (19:16), and urges the Church towards the perfection of the liturgy of the Mass. 

That is because, in the prophecy of Revelation, the 'great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication' has already been judged, and the Mass Liturgy has been completed (cf. 19:1-10). In the prophecy, many believers who were purified at the 'great supper of God' (cf. blog № 99-№ 105) and have been guided as heirs of the Apostles (cf. blog № 106-№ 117) were led to discern the human accidental information compared to "the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan"(20:2) (cf. 20:4). 

The description goes on. "Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life, and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection" (20:4-5). 

Here, the statement "I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God" is paired with that in chapter 6: "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne" (6:9). These are the only two places where 'souls' appear in Revelation. 

Of the salvation of these 'souls', the fifth 'blessedness' states: "Blessed and holy is he who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they shall reign with him a thousand years" (20:6). Then, it mentions the accidental information (cf. 20:7-10) and the rest of the dead who 'did not come back to life until the end of the thousand years' (cf. 20:11-15), and the 'Prophecy of the Completion of the Liturgy of the Mass' completes. 

From the next issue on, I will change the angle of consideration and approach the fifth 'blessedness', which concerns the first resurrection and the second death, and the seventh prophecy, 'Prophecy of the Spirituality of the Holy Spirit' (see figure in blog № 120).

Maria K. M.