Do Catholics believe in the end times just as we do?

[onceblind]

From what I can gather, they believe in the second coming, a great tribulation period and the resurrection of the dead but a rapture of the living body of believers before or after a tribulation has never been discussed to my recollection. Revelation is read on occasion at masses but not discussed in any depth. Before communion they used to sing "Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again." They have recently changed the English mass and now they sing something else that relates to the resurrection but not the second coming.

[Verisimilitude]

Many catholics believe that there will be a post-trib rapture, straight up into the sky to meet Jesus and be changed, then straight back down. They don't account for any Bema seat judgment or wedding ceremony for the Lamb. The nuns all have wedding rings because they are taught that when they become nuns, they are married to God and therefore cannot marry a man. I imagine it would considered adultery to be a nun and married to a human being as God intended.

[lovePsalm40]

Just wanted to add that talking about end times has helped me reach my Catholic sister greatly. I am a former Catholic (first to defect in my family) and am thankful the church doesn't teach them much about what is to come (since it would be incorrect most likely). People see that things are very bad, and this has folks afraid. Teaching the truth about the Revelation is a great way to get a foothold with them.

As an aside, Please pray for my sister and her husband. There has been an opportunity for us to share how to be right with God and it has felt very much like a spiritual battle is waging, esp. for my BIL. I'd love to see their family come to the truth soon, but for the oldest in the family to leave 'the' church it is much harder than it was for me. Thanks!

[sparky]

I am also a former catholic and was always very frustrated with the church. Even at a young age, I believe God was "knocking" ateir my heart. I was in CCD (which is how they indoctrinate their people) and I asked why the thief on the cross wasnt going to purgatory, but would be with Jesus in heaven. I so frustrated the nun, she couldnt answer. I found that most of the time we were told that the bible was a book of nice stories, not anything that really happened.
I am not saying that all Catholic churches are like this, but mine was. I was petrified of the priests and nuns, they were mean!!!
As far as end times, I do not know their "official" take on it, but, I do know that they think everyone needs to be a good person to go to heaven and by being a catholic you have a head start

[lovePsalm40]

I am also a former catholic and was always very frustrated with the church. Even at a young age, I believe God was "knocking" ateir my heart. I was in CCD (which is how they indoctrinate their people) and I asked why the thief on the cross wasnt going to purgatory, but would be with Jesus in heaven. I so frustrated the nun, she couldnt answer. I found that most of the time we were told that the bible was a book of nice stories, not anything that really happened.
I am not saying that all Catholic churches are like this, but mine was. I was petrified of the priests and nuns, they were mean!!!
As far as end times, I do not know their "official" take on it, but, I do know that they think everyone needs to be a good person to go to heaven and by being a catholic you have a head start

Sparky, that is very interesting you had questions that couldn't be answered. I started questioning when the priest I went to for confession couldn't answer my questions about the pope and why we couldn't just pray to Jesus (though now I realize we should pray to God). Anyway, they often can't answer legitimate questions...sad.

[Jlutz]

Sparky, that is very interesting you had questions that couldn't be answered. I started questioning when the priest I went to for confession couldn't answer my questions about the pope and why we couldn't just pray to Jesus (though now I realize we should pray to God). Anyway, they often can't answer legitimate questions...sad.

Jesus is God. Your statement confuses me

[jjmundt]

We have a husband and wife coming to our Bible study. Both have been raised Catholic, but the husband clearly understands that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone and that Mary cannot save...he has stated it on numerous occasions. He still holds to some of the Marian doctrine (e.g., the Immaculate Conception and her role as intercessor), but much has changed in two years. He still attends Catholic mass, but is increasingly appalled at his priest's heretical statements and has taken to addressing them directly with the priest following mass and via email.

His oldest daughter also attends our study. She became a follower of Christ late in 2009 and has been working on her parents since. It's remarkable to see, when he occasionally brings up a Catholic doctrine, how quickly she shoots it down, pointing to Scripture. The Holy Spirit is incredibly powerful!!

Anyways...the Rapture...

We have referenced it numerous times and, at first, he looked at us rather strangely. Let's face it, the priest's perpetuation of Purgatory does a wonderful job of killing the Blessed Hope of the believer. But now even he has talked of the Rapture. There is still a ways to go, and his wife is still very quiet, but I know she's hearing the Gospel and realizes we believe the Last Days are upon us.

Sorry for being so wordy...

[lovePsalm40]

Jesus is God. Your statement confuses me

Jesus gives us an example of how to pray, Our Father is the start of it. In Jewish culture they used prayers such as the Lord's Prayer as a model of what to include. We pray to God through Christ--but God is who Jesus prayed to so I believe that is the biblical model. Without Christ, we have no access to the Father. They are 3 in the same, but with different functions. I also do not pray to the Holy Spirit, though He indwells me and convicts of sin, comforts etc. Col 3:17 is another example that we give thanks through Christ to God the Father.

Hope that makes sense.

[Chris]

Do Catholics believe in the end times just as we do?

No, the Catholics don't believe in prophecy like we do. The RCC long ago met and discussed what Revelation said, saw the resemblance between the whore of Revelation and the RCC, saw what Jesus thought of that, and thereby decided to teach that all prophecy has been fulfilled so they could blind the masses of the truth and keep them in spiritual and physical bondage. Today we can see prophecies being fulfilled in our lifetimes and many more in the making which shows that this teaching by the Catholic church is not biblical. It is nothing more than a cult and we here at RR pray that people leave the Catholic church and get into a good Bible following church.

[Chris]

We have a husband and wife coming to our Bible study. Both have been raised Catholic, but the husband clearly understands that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone and that Mary cannot save...he has stated it on numerous occasions. He still holds to some of the Marian doctrine (e.g., the Immaculate Conception and her role as intercessor), but much has changed in two years. He still attends Catholic mass, but is increasingly appalled at his priest's heretical statements and has taken to addressing them directly with the priest following mass and via email.

His oldest daughter also attends our study. She became a follower of Christ late in 2009 and has been working on her parents since. It's remarkable to see, when he occasionally brings up a Catholic doctrine, how quickly she shoots it down, pointing to Scripture. The Holy Spirit is incredibly powerful!!

Anyways...the Rapture...

We have referenced it numerous times and, at first, he looked at us rather strangely. Let's face it, the priest's perpetuation of Purgatory does a wonderful job of killing the Blessed Hope of the believer. But now even he has talked of the Rapture. There is still a ways to go, and his wife is still very quiet, but I know she's hearing the Gospel and realizes we believe the Last Days are upon us.

Sorry for being so wordy...

Purgatory is a "money generating teaching" by the Catholic church to steal money from those caught into the clutches of the Catholic church. Jesus rebuked the purgatory teaching when he told the thief on the Cross that he would be with Him in paradise that day. Purgatory is nothing but make believe and denies the Lord's own words when he said on the Cross that it is finished (paid in full). What blasphemy purgatory is.

[soccerrace4Him]

I am also a former catholic and was always very frustrated with the church. Even at a young age, I believe God was "knocking" ateir my heart. I was in CCD (which is how they indoctrinate their people) and I asked why the thief on the cross wasn't going to purgatory, but would be with Jesus in heaven. I so frustrated the nun, she couldnt answer. I found that most of the time we were told that the bible was a book of nice stories, not anything that really happened.
I am not saying that all Catholic churches are like this, but mine was. I was petrified of the priests and nuns, they were mean!!!
As far as end times, I do not know their "official" take on it, but, I do know that they think everyone needs to be a good person to go to heaven and by being a catholic you have a head start

I too am a former Catholic and was also very frustrated with the church. I was asked to leave a CCD class when I was 15 because I disagreed with a priest who said all unbaptized babies go to limbo and not heaven. By this young age I had already had it and verbally sparred with the priest. When he became aware that he would not change my mind that all babies go to heaven, he asked me to leave and called my parents and told them to never bring me to his parish again. I went to Catholic school for 8 years and never once was taught from the Bible. I remember reading from our "Catholic" Bible at home and there were very scary pictures in the Book of Revelation. Never was the end times discussed in school or catechism class. When my friend and I happen to mention it one day to our teacher, a nun, the issue was scrapped as being to terrifying too talk about.

I always new there was truth in God's Word. I was the first to leave the catholic church in my family back when I was 15 and now after 25 years three of us have. I still try to open my families eyes, but most just call my sister and I Bible thumpers and make fun of us. We both have our own families now and have taken a lot of criticism for not sending them to parochial school. When I ask my parents, aunts, uncles etc for sound Biblical reasoning for any Catholic doctrine no one can give it. Yet, my children can teach them why our belief in the Lord is the only way to heaven. We still pray for them, and it's hard for me to see many family members who go to church, recite their prayers, live good wholesome lives etc. and know in my heart that they are being mislead and therefore are lost. I pray that they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and are able to differentiate the "smoke and mirrors" of the Catholic church and receive the Lord into their hearts and souls. If they won't truly become saved now, I pray that the rapture will open their eyes and they will accept the Lord as their only true path to eternal life.

[Clouds]

Jesus gives us an example of how to pray, Our Father is the start of it. In Jewish culture they used prayers such as the Lord's Prayer as a model of what to include. We pray to God through Christ--but God is who Jesus prayed to so I believe that is the biblical model. Without Christ, we have no access to the Father. They are 3 in the same, but with different functions. I also do not pray to the Holy Spirit, though He indwells me and convicts of sin, comforts etc. Col 3:17 is another example that we give thanks through Christ to God the Father.

Hope that makes sense.

I believe you are correct in your biblical model of the proper way to pray.

Dr. Lewis Chafer describes it this way: "There is a divine order prescribed for prayer under grace. This is set forth by the words:"In that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you" (John 16:23). Also, judging from another Scripture, prayer is to be offered in the Holy Spirit (Jude 1:20)...........Praying to the Father in the name of the Son and in the power of the Holy Spirit is an order which has not been arbitrarily imposed. The reason for this order is quite obvious. To pray to Christ would mean to abandon His mediation; it would not be praying (through) Him but rather (to) Him, thereby sacrificing the most vital feature of prayer under grace---prayer in His name. It is equally out of order to pray to the Holy Spirit for by so doing Christians imply that they do not need His help; instead of proceeding by His help, they would be ignoring the need of Him." .......

[Buzzardhut]

I too am a former Catholic and was also very frustrated with the church. I was asked to leave a CCD class when I was 15 because I disagreed with a priest who said all unbaptized babies go to limbo and not heaven. By this young age I had already had it and verbally sparred with the priest. When he became aware that he would not change my mind that all babies go to heaven, he asked me to leave and called my parents and told them to never bring me to his parish again.

You should contact that priest/parish and tell them since their church closed down Limbo they owe you an apology.

[sparky]

Another thing I remember is that the nuns would tell me if I didnt behave my mother and father, God would throw fire balls at my bed!!! Can you imagine telling a young child that our loving God would do that???

Praying for all the nuns, priest and unsaved catholics out there

[HeIsEnough]

Another thing I remember is that the nuns would tell me if I didnt behave my mother and father, God would throw fire balls at my bed!!! Can you imagine telling a young child that our loving God would do that???

Thats just so wrong.

[IMSAVED]

Another thing I remember is that the nuns would tell me if I didnt behave my mother and father, God would throw fire balls at my bed!!! Can you imagine telling a young child that our loving God would do that???

Praying for all the nuns, priest and unsaved catholics out there

Yes,I can believe it.From hearing stories of co-workers who are as they put it "Recovering Catholics".These people have no Faith now.Catholicism has taken care of that.

[Buzzardhut]

Another thing I remember is that the nuns would tell me if I didnt behave my mother and father, God would throw fire balls at my bed!!! Can you imagine telling a young child that our loving God would do that???

Praying for all the nuns, priest and unsaved catholics out there

You don't get fireballs thrown at your bed?

[IMSAVED]

How in the heck did that happen? a double post

[Verisimilitude]

Another thing I remember is that the nuns would tell me if I didnt behave my mother and father, God would throw fire balls at my bed!!! Can you imagine telling a young child that our loving God would do that???

Praying for all the nuns, priest and unsaved catholics out there

Isn't that exactly how they get into Marian worship? They taught me God and Jesus were always angry at me because I was a sinner. They had turned Their backs to me and were looking for reasons to punish me, that's why I had to go to Mary. She is the compassionate one, that's what I was taught. Jesus would do whatever she asked because He, being perfect, would obey the commandment to honor His mother and do anything she asked Him. How I wish I could meet up with these same nuns today, who taught us what they were taught, and tell them that Jesus lives to make intercession for us!!! That He loves us with an everlasting love and His anger is reserved for the day He judges all who didn't trust in Him.

The roman catholic 'god' is a 'god' who is looking take vengeance on those who belong to him, but still display the human knack for falling into sin. The True and Living God, along with His Only Begotten Son love those that belong to Them, and are always on our side, slow to anger, quick to forgive. They are for us, who can be against us? The exact opposite of the 'god' the roman catholics worship. I am so grateful the True God, my God, would rather correct and uphold than condemn. I fear God with a fear inspired by awe, not with a fear inspired by vengeance.

[soccerrace4Him]

You should contact that priest/parish and tell them since their church closed down Limbo they owe you an apology.

Good to know. I didn't realize limbo was in "limbo" and now gone. Thanks Buzz!!