Pope Francis adds special day for Hildegard of Bingen: Any COG ramifications?
Hildegard Allegedly Receiving a Vision (Wikipedia)
Pope Francis decreed that “three Doctors of the Church” need to have a special day:
February 2, 2021
Doctors of Church
In a separate decree, Pope Francis inscribed three Optional Memorials in the Roman Calendar for three Doctors of the Church.
– Saint Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church, on 27 February;
– Saint John De Avila, Priest and Doctor of the Church, on 10 May;
– Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin and Doctor of the Church, on 17 September.
Roman Catholic “doctors of the universal church” are relatively rare, and there are about three dozen of them.
Historically, Roman Catholics tend to put a lot of emphasis on certain statements from many people they declare to have been “doctors of the universal church.”
By giving three of them special days, this looks to increase the influence of their writings.
The one that may have the most ramifications for the Church of God is Hildegard.
The mystic Hildegard, who died in 1179, clearly had visions that seem to be opposed to Bible prophecy.
Here is one from her:
Antichrist will make the earth move, level mountains, dry up rivers, produce thunder and lightning and hail … (Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, p. 129)
Yet, the Bible does not teach that Antichrist “make the earth move, level mountains, dry up rivers, produce thunder and lightnings and hail.” The Bible teaches that God will have this done during the Day of the Lord (Revelation 16:12, 17-21).
Furthermore, she also taught:
Antichrist … His doctrine of faith will be taken from the Jewish religion and seemingly will not differ much from the fundamental beliefs of Christianity, for he will teach that there is one God who created the world, who rewards the obeyers of his commands and trespassers he chastises, who will raise all from the dead in due time. (Culleton, p. 127)
Yet, because the Bible shows that God will resurrect everyone else after the millennium (Revelation 20:5,13), this is certainly something that we would expect Jesus to teach. This is not a doctrine or Antichrist. Jesus, of course, practiced the “Jewish” religion, but the way that God, not certain rabbis, intended for it to be practiced.
Roman Catholics need to understand that some of their prophets (such as Hildegard) are really warning against the returning Jesus Christ, and are referring to Him as Antichrist. Please do not be taken in by that.
Furthermore, Hildegard also claimed the following in another vision:
And fly from those who linger in caves and are cloistered supporters of the Devil. Woe to them, woe to them who remain thus! They are the Devil’s very viscera, and the advance guard of the son of perdition.
Therefore, O you My beloved children, avoid them with all devotion and with all the strength of your souls and bodies. For the ancient serpent feeds and clothes them by his arts, and they worship him as God and trust in his false deceptions…Because they are afraid of My people, they do not openly resist these institutions of Mine, but in their hearts and their deeds they hold them as nothing. By devilish illusion, they pretend to have sanctity; but they are deceived by the Devil, for if he were to show himself to them openly they would understand him and flee him…But because the Devil knows he has only a short time for his error, he is not hastening to perfect infidelity in his members; you, you evil deceivers, who labor to subvert the Catholic faith. (Hildegard of Bingen. Scivias. Paulist Press, Mahwah (NJ), pp. 301-302)
Hildegard’s teaching that the Christians in something that sounds like the biblical place of safety in the wilderness (Revelation 12:14-16; see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra), as well as those that support them, are tools of Satan is something that should concern all who believe Church of God doctrines. And the person who had this vision is getting exalted by the Vatican.
Notice what my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect (written in 2009) points out the following related to Hildegard’s prophecy:
It would appear that the mystic was demonically-influenced as she is actually warning against supporting the true Philadelphian pacifist Christians (something that may happen, as some might try to join them per Isaiah 56:8). It is the Philadelphians who will be protected, yet she seems to be claiming that they are the “supporters of the Devil” (probably because they will oppose the final revised ecumenical church and because that church will have persecuted them). Because she calls them “the advanced guard of the son of perdition,” she apparently refers to a group of people who will be protected in caves just before Christ returns.
Notice also that she specifically warns against religious people in caves who are miraculously fed.
Yet she must not have realized that the Bible indicates that those who receive God’s protection in the wilderness during the end time (Revelation 12:14–16), and are in caves (Jeremiah 48:28), are His people (Isaiah 16:1–4 in Sela/Petra), will be religious (Revelation 14:12), and will be miraculously fed (Isaiah 33:15-16). Hence, the above vision does indicate that even the demons have known about a place of protection where some people will be miraculously fed, for quite some time.
However, those associated with the King of the North will then turn their attention to the rest of her seed, the non-Philadelphian Christians (which will be a “secret sect,” but will try to remain hidden, most likely, to avoid this persecution).
Even a commentator’s note in the Rheims New Testament (a Roman Catholic translation) agrees that the Church goes to a wilderness location:
The Church shall flee as to a desert in Antichrist’s time, but not decay or be unknown, no not for
so short a time.
Early Catholic leaders such as Irenaeus, Hippolytus, and Cyril also believed this. Hence Hildegard is once again not even faithful to Catholic positions on prophetic matters.
Furthermore, notice:
Bishop St. Victorinus (2nd century): But the woman fled into the wilderness, and there were given to her two great eagle’s wings…to that…church…let them go to that place which they have ready, and let them be supported there for three years and six months from the presence of the devil.
Thus, the idea of true Christians fleeing, being supported, and being away from the devil for 3 ½ years is consistent with both biblical and certain Roman Catholic teachings. No one should rely on Hildegard’s false admonition. The Greek Orthodox also tend to believe that the faithful will flee to caves in the desert/wilderness for 3 ½ years.
Yet, Hildegard is being exalted again.
Perhaps I should point out that Hildegard herself wondered if her visions were of demonic source at times. I suspect that many were.
Hildegard professed positions that were apparently opposed to biblical and certain Greco-Roman understandings of end time events. Her promotion will likely increase the “value” of her visions. This is not a positive for those in the truly faithful church.
Some articles of possibly related interest may include:
Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future? Here are links to a two-part sermon series: What are Some of the Parts of Satan’s Plan? and Satan’s Plan is More Dramatic than Many Realize.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. [Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja do deus?]
Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Certain Catholic writings indicate this, while others take a different view, but what does the Bible show? A related sermon is Will Jesus Christ be called the Antichrist?
Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are? Here is a link to a related sermon: Eastern Orthodox 40+ Similar Beliefs to the CCOG.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety,’ Zephaniah 2 to ‘gather together,’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on fleeing to a place–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. Two sermon-length videos of related interest are available Physical Protection During the Great Tribulation and Might Petra be the Place of Safety? Here is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?
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