Elwood Sylvester Berry

“ It is for the glory of God that Christ has chosen some to be ministers of His Church, and to rule it upon earth. He has also made them priests to lay before the throne of God the prayers and praises of all His people. The faithful have some fellowship in these great privileges. They can unite with the priests of the Church in offering sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to God. Hence St. Peter says: "You are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation." ”

“ Shall those found living at the second coming of Christ undergo death before the judgment? The Church has decided nothing in the matter, but Sacred Scripture seems to indicate that they will not. St. Paul says: "We who are alive shall be taken up." Again he says: "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet . . . the dead shall arise again incorruptible; and we shall be changed." [38] He evidently makes a distinction between those who are dead and those who remain alive at the coming of Christ. ”

“ Then will the Church triumphant, the new Jerusalem, descend upon earth to be the tabernacle of God with men. They shall be his people and He will be their God. They shall be happy with Him forever; "death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away." ”

“ An angel, great saints or apostles raised up to the Church in those days, brings the Gospel to every nation. Despite the powers of hell it shall overcome all enemies and endure forever: it is an eternal Gospel. ”

“ Those whose names are not written in the book of life are condemned, body and soul, to eternal torments which is the second death. Hence death and hell (the wicked) are cast into the pool of fire to be tormented for ever with the beast and his prophet. ”

“ Death is given power to destroy by every sort of plague, the chief of which are war, famine, and pestilence. Such were the chastisements inflicted upon the pagan Empire of Rome for persecuting the Church. Such will be the punishment of every nation that follows in her footsteps. We have seen this prophecy fulfilled in our own day upon nations that sought to oppress and destroy the Church of Christ.
9, 10. At the breaking of the fifth seal St. John sees the souls of the martyrs beneath the altar where they enjoy eternal happiness in union with Christ, yet they cry out for justice. ”

“ The Church is called upon to rejoice over the defeat of the dragon and the glorious martyrdom of her children; but woe to the earth and the sea, all man kind. Realizing that the time of his power is short, Satan will now loose upon earth all his rage and fury in a last effort against the Church. His attempt to destroy her from within having failed, he will now seek to crush her by hatred and persecution from without. ”

“ And it is granted to her that she should clothe herself with fine linen, glittering and white. For the fine linen are the justifications of saints.
9. And he said to me: Write: Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith to me: These words of God are true.
10. And I fell down before his feet, to adore him. And he saith to me: See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren, who have the testimony of Jesus. Adore God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. ”

“ The seventh angel proclaims the triumph of Christ and His kingdom which shall endure until the end of time. The Church, the kingdom of Christ, shall be established upon the ruins of the empire of Antichrist far more gloriously than it had been upon the ruins of the old empire of pagan Rome. Heresies, schisms and religious wars shall be no more, and all nations shall be converted to Christianity. ”

“ As the two prophets are taken up to heaven Jerusalem is shaken with a mighty earthquake in which seven thousand people perish and a tenth part of the city is destroyed. At sight of these prodigies all who survive are converted and begin to praise and glorify God. Here is seen the great mercy of God who punishes not to destroy but to convert and save. ”

“ The Arian heresy and the Greek schism had deplorable results for the Church, but they cannot be compared to those of the religious upheaval of the sixteenth century. Most of the evils that afflict the Church and society in general can be traced directly to the so-called Reformation. To it must be ascribed the apostacy of nations, the weakening of faith, and the rapidly increasing impiety and unbelief of the present day. As a result of these evils great social disturbances appear on every side, and society is tottering to its very foundations. ”

“ And I saw the dead great and small, standing in the presence of the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books according to their works.
13. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up their dead that were in them; and they were judged every one according to their works. ”

“ The Apocalypse gives a prophetic history of the Church from the days of St. John to the final consummation of the world.
In its general purpose the Apocalypse does not differ from the other Scriptures. It is to teach men a knowledge of God, enlighten their faith, strengthen their hopes, and give them a rule of conduct by which they may obtain eternal salvation. It is also intended to fortify the faithful in time of trial and temptation, and to guide the Church in every age. In this respect the Apocalypse simply enlarges upon the warnings of Christ concerning persecution of His Church. ”

“ To those who persevere, our Lord will give the eternal glory of the Beatific Vision in heaven. Christ, the Morning Star, shall be the object of this vision be cause He is God, equal in all things to the Father. ”

“ Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine, and she shall be burned with fire; because God is strong, who shall judge her.
9. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication, and lived in delicacies with her, shall weep, and bewail themselves over her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning.
10. Standing afar off for fear of her torments, saying: Alas, alas! that great city Babylon, that mighty city: for in one hour is thy judgment come. ”

“ Hence it is Christ who brings persecution to an end that the Church may establish herself and spread the Gospel among Gentile peoples.
The office of this good angel is; fulfilled by all bishops and priests, who by their teaching and example avert many evils. So today the teachings of the Church are the only remedy for the many ills that threaten society throughout the world. The nations must return to the Faith or perish from the earth. ”

“ The harlot wears a mantle of purple and gold, an emblem of the imperial power possessed by Rome as capital of a vast empire. The gems and golden cup imply riches and material prosperity, but the cup is filled with every iniquity and immorality. [70] Riches and luxury have ever been the great demoralizers of nations as well as of individuals.
5. Through her power and riches Rome leads other nations to worship Antichrist and imitate her own immoralities. Hence the harlot bears upon her forehead the mystic title: "Babylon the Great, Mother of the Fornications and the Abominations of the Earth." ”

“ Gold signifies the charity of Christ which pervades and vivifies the Church.
14. The snow-white locks are a symbol of wisdom and eternity. The all-seeing eyes were as flames of fire - terrible to the wicked, but a symbol of all-consuming love for the faithful. Fire is one of God's great gifts to man, yet it is also man's most destructive enemy. ”

“ The Church, the faithful spouse of Jesus Christ, is represented as a woman clothed in the glory of divine grace. In the Canticle of Canticles the Church is likewise described as she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun." [27] The brightness of the sun is a fitting symbol for the enlightening power of the Church's teachings. ”

“ Myriads of meteors resembling stars will fall to earth, kindling the whole world into flames. The heavens shall be rolled up as the scroll of a book. In other words, the atmosphere will be so obscured that the sun and moon will become invisible as at the beginning of creation. The mountains and continents shall be overturned and the whole world shall return to chaos. ”

“ He that shall lead into captivity, shall go into captivity: he that shall kill by the sword, must be killed by the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
1. The beast from the sea is Antichrist who was foretold by Daniel, the prophet, in a vision quite similar to this of St. John. [1] Our study of the Apocalypse thus far makes it certain that the beast cannot be identified with the Roman Empire as many interpreters have done. Others, following the opinion of St. Augustine, [2] take the beast as a symbol of all the wicked and unfaithful. ”

“ The coming of Antichrist opens the decisive conflict between the Church and the powers of hell. It shall be the complete realization of the prophecy of Genesis: "I will put enmities between thee and the woman and thy seed and her seed." [5] The seed of the serpent is Anti-christ and his followers; the seed of Mary, the woman, is Jesus Christ and his faithful disciples.
The beast has seven heads and ten horns like those of the dragon. As the representative of Satan Anti-christ will be aided and abetted by the same kings and rulers symbolized in both instances by the horns and diadems. ”

“ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from these things that are written in this book. ”

“ And when the thousand years shall be finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go forth, and seduce the nations, which are over the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, and shall gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sands of the sea. ”

“ Some will hearken to the voice of Christ in the preaching of His Gospel. Others will harden their hearts and refuse to obey. These shall be chastised by fire from heaven to destroy their harvests. The fire is mingled with blood, a symbol of war and revolutions. Here is fulfilled the prophecy of the aged Simeon: "Be hold, this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted. " [96]
According to St. Irenaeus, plagues similar to those of Egypt in the days of Moses shall afflict all unfaithful nations in the days of Antichrist. ”

“ The voice, like the roar of mighty waters, proclaims mercy and love to the faithful, but threatens punishment to the wicked. Water, like fire, is a great good, or a terrible evil according to circumstances. ”

“ Then follows a prophetic account of his reign, the overthrow of his empire, and his final condemnation in hell. An angel from heaven now binds the dragon and casts him into the abyss which is closed and sealed that Satan may no longer seduce the nations as in the past. Thus all obstacles are removed and the Church begins her peaceful reign on earth. It should be noted, however, that not all evil spirits are thus sealed up in the abyss; there will still be sin and evil on earth. The individual must still struggle against temptation and seduction. ”

“ Christ has established the Church as His kingdom upon earth with the bishops and priests as its teachers and rulers. Hence St. John says to the bishops, his co-laborers in the Church: We have been made kings and co-heirs of His kingdom; we have been chosen priests to render glory to His eternal Father. To Christ also belongs equal honor through all ages because he is God, equal to the Father in all things.
Those to whom St. John writes are priests and rulers in the Church. This proves that St, John does not write directly to the different churches but to their bishops. ”

“ These who call themselves Jews are but rebels against the God of Israel and the prophets of old. They are the synagogue of Satan. Wherever the Gospel was preached the Jews were its first and most bitter enemies. Tertullian writes: "The Jewish synagogues are the source of persecutions." [13]
10. These Jewish enemies of the Gospel will succeed in bringing on a persecution, but it shall be of short duration. The Christians must suffer for their Faith, yet there is nothing to fear; he who perseveres will obtain the crown of eternal life. ”

“ These apostate nations shall be promptly overwhelmed with a deluge of fire and the Church will come forth again triumphant. The general judgment and the end of the world will then be near at hand. Men will be living in daily expectation until our Lord appears in the clouds with the suddenness of a lightning flash. [3] Then shall all people be gathered to gether unto judgment.
The establishment of the Church over all nations is foretold on almost every page of Holy Scripture. "He shall rule from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth. ”

“ After a time the beast and his allied kings (the ten horns) will make war upon Rome and lay it waste with fire and sword. The barbarian invasions of Rome in the fourth and fifth centuries give some idea of the manner in which Rome shall become the prey of a "scourge of God" [81] in punishment for revolt against the Church and for its worship of Antichrist. St. John gives no reason why Antichrist and his allies turn against Rome except that God puts it into their hearts to accomplish His purposes. ”

“ The first recognizes in the eagle a powerful nation which shall be an instrument of God's judgments upon the world. The other interpretation sees in the eagle a symbol of new preachers of the Gospel. God raises up new saints or religious orders to arouse the faithful to renewed faith and zeal in His service. Nevertheless, three great evils shall afflict the Church before her final victory over the world and the devil. ”

“ The many diadems signify that Christ, the King of kings, is master of all nations. The name which no man knoweth expresses some perfection or attribute of our Saviour not yet made known to the world. It probably has some connection with the universal reign of the Church after Antichrist.
13, 14. The blood-stained garment may mean that victory for the Church was won through the merits of Christ and His martyrs as stated in xii, 11: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb . . . and they loved not their lives unto death. ”