Ask a Question - or - Return to the Spiritual Warfare Forum Index

Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
end-times theology	stacey	Sunday, December 6, 2009
Question: I will be attending RCIA classes next year and come from a Baptist and Charismatic background. I've noticed that the Catholic Church is not as obsessed with end-times theology as much as Protestants and especially Charismatics. What is the Churches view on end-times theology and how does it differ from that of some of the Protestant denominations? Is alot of the literature like the Left Behind series possibly inspired by demons? I know Hal Lindsay's prophecies all turned out to be bogus. Alot of churches are presenting this material to children and pre-teens and I think it is entirely inappropriate. I used to have nightmares listening to all of that stuff as a kid.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Stacey: I praise God that you will be coming into the Catholic Church. Welcome. The "Left Behind" series is nonsense. It is based on the fundamentalists theory known as Dispensationalism. While there are some variations in thought, the general idea is that each dispensation is 2000 years and that we are now in the last dispensation known as the Church age. Since the Church age began around A.D. 33 the exact 2000 year dispensation would end around 2033. At the end of the age there will be a seven year period of "Tribulation" in which the anti-Christ is reveals a 3-1/2 years into the Tribulation. He will lead the nations astray leading up to the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation. The Second Coming takes place then. The Church, they believe is "raptured" out at the beginning of the Tribulation and thus is spared all the horrors of that period. The "rapture" is not a "taking out all Christians" at the beginning of the Tribulation. What the Protestants call the "rapture" is the Second Coming itself. For a more detail explanation of Catholic Teaching on end times see: Catholic Encyclopedia: General Judgment Catholic Answers pamphet: The Rapture (this one is probably easier to read and understand) God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

end-times theology

stacey

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Question:

I will be attending RCIA classes next year and come from a Baptist and Charismatic background. I've noticed that the Catholic Church is not as obsessed with end-times theology as much as Protestants and especially Charismatics.

What is the Churches view on end-times theology and how does it differ from that of some of the Protestant denominations?

Is alot of the literature like the Left Behind series possibly inspired by demons? I know Hal Lindsay's prophecies all turned out to be bogus. Alot of churches are presenting this material to children and pre-teens and I think it is entirely inappropriate. I used to have nightmares listening to all of that stuff as a kid.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Stacey:

I praise God that you will be coming into the Catholic Church. Welcome.

The "Left Behind" series is nonsense. It is based on the fundamentalists theory known as Dispensationalism. While there are some variations in thought, the general idea is that each dispensation is 2000 years and that we are now in the last dispensation known as the Church age. Since the Church age began around A.D. 33 the exact 2000 year dispensation would end around 2033.

At the end of the age there will be a seven year period of "Tribulation" in which the anti-Christ is reveals a 3-1/2 years into the Tribulation. He will lead the nations astray leading up to the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation. The Second Coming takes place then. The Church, they believe is "raptured" out at the beginning of the Tribulation and thus is spared all the horrors of that period.

The "rapture" is not a "taking out all Christians" at the beginning of the Tribulation. What the Protestants call the "rapture" is the Second Coming itself.

For a more detail explanation of Catholic Teaching on end times see:

Catholic Encyclopedia: General Judgment

Catholic Answers pamphet: The Rapture (this one is probably easier to read and understand)

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.