Book Of Destiny

B. Kramer Rev. Fr. Herman

Description

An in-depth analysis of the Apocalypse that really makes sense. Proves it is a prophetic history of the Catholic Church. Proceeds chapter by chapter and verse by verse, explaining everything in terms of the language and symbolic meaning of Scripture itself. Gives the keys to understanding the Apocalypse. Shows we are on the verge of dramatic events! A masterpiece! 526 Pp. . Impr.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Mysticism
• Catholic Church

Informations

• Publié par: TAN Books
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 1955
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781505103632
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Book of Destiny
An Open Statement of the Authentic and Inspired Prophecies of the Old and New Testament
Herman Bernard F. Leonard Kramer
        NIHIL OBSTAT:
        J. S. Considine, O.P. Censor Deputatus
  IMPRIMATUR:                                      ✠ 
  John M. Mueller, D.D. Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa January 26, 1956
Originally published in 1955 by Buechler Publishing Company, Belleville, Illinois. Reprinted in 1972 by Apostolate of Christian Action, Fresno, California using entirely new type set under the author's supervision, from which this printing has been made.
Copyright © 1955 by Herman Bernard F. Leonard Kramer.
All rights reserved: Movie, television, radio, and foreign language.
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 75-13556
Cover art by Peter Massari.
TAN Books Charlotte, North Carolina www.TANBooks.com
2012
DEDICATION
        This work is dedicated to the LITTLE LAMB, who is the ROOT OF DAVID, the HEAD of the Church, the MASTER and CENTRAL FIGURE OF HISTORY, the RULER over the kings of the earth, the KING of kings and the VICTOR over all evil powers, and who has been shaping the destiny of the world in His own Mysterious Manner since His Sacrificial Death on the Cross .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Father Herman B. Kramer was born in Petersburg, Iowa, March 24, 1884. He lived all his early life in Iowa, attending parish schools in the Diocese of Sioux City. He graduated from business college at the age of 21 with a degree in accounting. A year later, he entered St. Lawrence College (now Seminary) at Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin, completing a course in philosophy in five years. He studied theology at Innsbruck, Austria for one year. Ill health forced him to return to America, and he completed his studies at St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was ordained a priest in 1914.
        He served as a priest in the Diocese of Sioux City for 40 years in various capacities, including a two-year term as chancellor and 37 years as a pastor. He is presently retired (1975) and residing in Oakland, California. Father Kramer learned to read and write seven languages. He became interested in the Apocalypse after reading it as a student in the seminary, and it later became a life-time study. His world famous Book of Destiny took 30 years to complete and is the result of these years of study.
FOREWORD
        The title chosen for this book sets forth the contents of the inspired message revealed to St. John, the Apostle. It is a summing up of the prophetical work in the Bible by the Holy Spirit and a revelation of the Great Causes shaping future history which will constitute the destiny of mankind. This destiny will be created and developed by man's free will. It is the Book of Destiny , because it shows forth the destiny of the whole human race. It is building up now and will grow until the Day of Judgment. This building up began with the renewed persecution of the Christians by Trajan after the benign lull under the Emperor Nerva.
        The Apocalypse received its name from the first word of these revelations. Whether St. John gave it this name or not cannot be established. The secrets of the future written in this book have mystified and intrigued the minds of the most inquisitive for nineteen hundred years. St. Vincent Ferrer five hundred years ago and St. Bernardine of Siena a half a century later threatened their hearers with the judgments enumerated in the Apocalypse, but their words were not well heeded. Yet the FIRST WOE was averted from the countries which they envangelized. For a hundred years now the secrets have been quite openly expressed and written about, though with some uncertainty and misgivings, but have not been noticed by the world. In the meantime events have succeeded with increasing speed and growth towards a denouement of the secrets of the GREAT WORLD DRAMA so long wrapped up in mysterious visions. Any day may flash upon the consciousness of men the DESTINY towards which mankind is hastening.
T HE A UTHOR
I.
INTRODUCTION
THE APOCALYPSE A PROPHETICAL BOOK
The word PROPHET, derived from the Greek, orginally meant the same as the Hebrew word 'NABI', an interpreter or mouthpiece of God. (Exod. VII. 1-2). The prophet in the Old Testament was commonly called "a man of God", being His spokesman, the inspired deliverer of His revelations and the interpreter of His Will and His Designs with the people of Israel. When Samuel was the great leader about 1000 B.C., the prophets were a permanent institution and formed communities or schools, in which young men were educated and trained for their calling to praise God in psalms and hymns, especially when moved by the Holy Spirit (1 Kings X. 5-12). Throughout the history of His people, God chose by an extraordinary act those whom He desired for special manifestations of His Will and Power to Israel. Thus He chose Samuel, Elias, Eliseus, Isaias, Ezechiel and others.
The prophets are divided into two classes: The older prophets, who delivered God's message orally, many of whom were mighty in power and deed; the younger prophets, who appeared later in time and committed their message to writing, although they also preached to people and rulers. All the great prophets envisioned future events and evolutions of history. And therefore the word, PROPHET, eventually came to mean only one who foretells the future. St. Paul (1 Cor. XIV. 24-25) does not use the word exclusively for one who foretells the future but includes those who reveal present secrets. In the Apocalypse, prophecy denotes both a revelation of present secrets and of future facts.
In the Old Testament, the prophets wrote seventeen books during the course of about four hundred years, from 800 to 400 B.C. Thereafter the voice of prophecy became silent. All prophets were held in highest esteem by the Israelites. They exercised far-reaching authority both before and after the Babylonian Captivity. And later, when even the priesthood was in perplexity and doubt, deliberating what course to pursue, they waited "till there should come a prophet" (1 Macc. IV. 46). But the spirit of prophecy remained dormant in Israel up to the time of our Lord, who is the Prophet of prophets.
Then Mary and Zachary, Simeon and Anne prophesied (Lc. I. 46, 67; II. 29). And our Lord called John the Baptist the greatest of all the prophets, because he held the office of Precursor (Lc. VII. 28).
Jesus Christ was soon recognized as a "great prophet". He came into the world endowed with the prophetic dignity, and He exercised this office during His whole public ministry. Even before this, when but twelve years old, He manifested this prerogative (Lc. II. 46). When outlining His mission to the world, He promised His hearers prophets who should reveal new truths as well as interpret the old (Mt. XIII. 52; XXIII. 34). But He obviously had the apostles in mind not the charismatic prophets who appeared later among the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Not our Lord, but the Holy Spirit sent them. The Apostles had the gift of prophecy in a more eminent degree than those who were mere prophets; the prophetical office promised by our Lord was embodied in the apostolate, embracing the power to teach, rule and sanctify the Church, for He made those whom He appointed apostles His spokesmen and the bearers of His message. He conferred the OFFICE of the apostolate on His chosen and appointed ones; while the Holy Spirit, by the graces and charismata He infused into them, endowed them with the ability to carry out the threefold office of the apostolate. Our Lord called and ordained the original apostles for OFFICIAL positions in the Church, and these in turn appointed their successors, the college of bishops. But the GIFT of the apostolate was given by the Holy Spirit to other men not appointed official apostles by the Lord, to those who together with them were gifted to do apostolic work, to preach the Gospel and establish churches. These other apostles received the charismata of the Spirit. There is therefore a distinction to be made between this charismatic gift and the office of the apostolate.
There is likewise a distinction to be made between the gift of prophecy and the office of prophet. The gift of prophecy was a grace of the Spirit, in the light of which wonderful, secret and future things hidden even from the official apostles were revealed to the recipients (Acts XX. 22; XXI. 11). All the charismatic gifts were particular endowments of the Spirit for particular works in the Church. The charismatic prophets were gifted to edify, exhort and console the faithful, as the doctors were to instruct them in their faith. These prophets were not like the prophets of Israel, appointed to hold any jurisdiction in the Church. Such jurisdiction was reserved for the bishops appointed and ordained by the Apostles (Acts XX. 28; Titus 1. 5). In choosing bishops to rule the Church and to continue the work of the apostolate, the Apostles may have considered only those whom the Holy Spirit had endowed with the gift of prophecy, because the grace of prophecy was an efficacious help in the work of the apostolate and ranked next in order to the grace of the apostolate (I. Cor. XII. 28). But that the Apostles gave preference for the episcopate to those who were thus endowed cannot be proven from Scripture.
On Pentecost, St. Peter in his first sermon announced to the world the conferring of the gift of prophecy by the Holy Spirit. But neither his explanation nor our Lord's promise means that a hierarchical order of prophets would be instituted in the Church. St. Peter merely explained that the astounding miracle witnessed by the multitude manifested the presence of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul enumerates prophecy as one of the charismata of the Spirit (1 Cor. XII. 28; XIII. 2; XIV. 3; Eph. III. 5; IV. 11). Greater than the gift of prophecy is charity (1 Cor. XIII. 1 ff). Prophecy is not called an order; it gave no authority to rule