Episode Transcript  

One

Full Number of Gentiles  

In the Creed, we profess that Jesus will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. We don’t know when this will be, but Jesus did tell us what will lead up to it. These things are explained in the Catechism in paragraphs 673-682. 

The first thing that must take place before the end of the world is that the Good News of Jesus Christ must be proclaimed to the whole world, and the full number of Gentiles (non-Jews) will become Christians. (CCC 674) Jesus said, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations (Gentiles); and then the end will come.” Mt 24:14

What is the number? Only God knows. Jesus gives a clue to know when we are getting close. He said, “Jerusalem will be trodden down (that is, under the control) of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are finished.” Luke 21:24

Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jews were removed from Palestine in the year 70 AD and again in 132 AD. In 638, Palestine was conquered by and fell under the control of the Muslims until the end of WWI when it fell under the control of the British. Finally, in 1948, the State of Israel was established. And now the Jews have control of both Israel and the West Bank territories.

So, for the first time since 66 AD, Jerusalem is no longer under the control of the Gentiles, which Jesus said is the sign that step one is drawing to a completion. We don’t know how long this will take, but it should give us something to think about…

Two

The Full Inclusion of the Jews 

The second thing that will occur before the end of the world is that after the full number of Gentiles enter the covenant with God, the Jews will recognize Jesus as the Messiah and become Christian. CCC 674. The "full inclusion" of the Jews in the Messiah's salvation, in the wake of "the full number of the Gentiles", will enable the People of God to achieve "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ", in which "God may be all in all".

In Romans 11: 25-26 Paul writes, “One section of Israel has become blind, but this will last only until the whole Gentile world has entered, and then after this the rest of Israel will be saved as well.”

However, the conversion of the Jews is delayed because the full number of Gentiles has not entered the covenant. And why not? Because we are not living our primary mission to go and make disciples of all nations. At the end of every Mass, we are dismissed with the word “Go!” We are supposed to be the missionaries who go back to our homes and out into the world to spread the Gospel. But we have created a Catholic Welfare State. We have become passive recipients of benefits. There are too few workers in the vineyard.

But I think there is a simple way of life to correct this: Meditate on the Word of God in the Rosary and have a daily resolution seven days a week. Go to one extra daily Mass a week. Experience the healing and mercy of God once a month in Confession. Our Lady asked for First Saturdays. Build a bridge of friendship with your family and friends. Do this and you will be doing your part!

Three

The Antichrist and the Great Apostasy 

The third step before the end of the world is the rise of the Antichrist and the great apostasy. Jesus said, “Many will fall away; men will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise; they will deceive many, and with the increase of lawlessness, love in most men will grow cold.” “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?” (Matthew 24:12 and Luke 18:8)

The Catechism (675) tell us, “Before Christ’s second coming, the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.” The Antichrist will unleash the ultimate deception: a seductive promise to solve all our problems, offering peace, security, and happiness, on one condition: that we reject Christ and His Church. This deception is already at work. Every time we place our ultimate hope in science, technology, medicine, politics, or economics, in anything other than God, we take a step toward the lie. (cf. CCC 676)

But only Jesus Christ can satisfy the deepest hunger of the human heart. Only in Him do we find the perfect and lasting happiness we were made for. Everything else will pass away. So, we are called to a deep attachment to God and a proper detachment from everything else.

St. Teresa of Avila writes, “Let nothing trouble you. Let nothing frighten you. Everything passes. God never changes. Patience obtains all. Whoever has God wants for nothing. God alone is enough.”

Four

The Second Coming and the Resurrection from the Dead

After the appearance of the Antichrist and many people rejecting Christianity, Christ will come again in power and glory. All the dead will rise, and the Last Judgment will take place. On the day when Christ shall come in glory, all the souls who have died from Adam down to that time will be reunited with their bodies. Those of us who die before Christ comes will live like angels, a purely spiritual existence, for who knows how many centuries or millennia or more. 

But we do know we’re not destined to live like angels forever. We are destined to have our bodies restored to us, to be made whole once again. In this life, our bodies don’t reflect the state of our souls. But on the last day, the body and soul will correspond, so that the bodies of saints will shine in incandescent splendor. While the bodies of the twisted souls who have rejected God and love forever will be correspondingly corrupt. 

And there we will gather, that countless sea of holy demigods and horrifying monsters. And when we are all gathered together, every human being ever conceived, the final, universal judgment will take place.

Five

The Last Judgment

There are two judgments. At the Particular Judgment, which occurs at the moment of death, each soul stands before Christ and sees the full truth of their own life, every choice laid bare, and receives their eternal destiny. But this judgment does not yet reveal how each person’s life fits into the greater story of God’s plan.

That fuller vision awaits the Last Judgment, which takes place at the end of time. Then, the meaning of all history will be unveiled. Every person’s life will be shown in its relation to the whole. And for those who love God, this will be a moment of joy and awe. At the Last Judgment, we will not only see how our love and good choices contributed to God’s plan, but even how our sins and faults were, by His mercy, woven into a masterpiece of justice and redemption.

As the Catechism teaches, “We shall know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation and understand the marvelous ways by which his Providence led everything towards its final end. The Last Judgment will reveal that God’s justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by his creatures and that God’s love is stronger than death.” (CCC 1040)

After the universal judgment, the righteous will reign forever with Christ, glorified in body and soul, and the material universe itself will be transformed, restored to its original state. This is our future, this is amazing, this is what we look forward to!

Suggested Resolutions:

Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you. 

• Ask yourself how you can better spread the faith, whether it’s by inviting someone new to pray with you or setting a better example for those around you.

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