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Christianity,
by definition, is a faith centered on Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul warned the Church at Corinth to be
careful they would not be deceived. He was concerned
that they would leave the simple gospel and embrace
another gospel. History indicates that Satan's plan
to deceive man has always been very effective. Is it
possible that once more people are being seduced in
the name of Jesus?
For example, consider the following scenario. There
are some who say after Jesus ascended into Heaven,
His mother, Mary, became His spokesperson. Through
manifestations called apparitions, these people are
convinced this "Mary," often called the
Queen of Heaven, has appeared many times proclaiming
new and important revelation.
So what should one believe? Is there a way of
determining if this apparitional "Mary" is
really the mother of Jesus?
According to the International Marian Research
Institute at the University of Dayton, over eight
thousand legitimate apparitions of the Virgin Mary
have occurred in the past 2000 years. 1 There are
many people in the world who take these
"messages from heaven" seriously. They
believe that Jesus appointed His mother to show up
from time to time on planet earth and reveal truth
to mankind. They are convinced these apparitions
have happened in the past and that they are still
taking place today.
Although there is not a single mention of a Marian
apparition in the Bible, Catholic tradition claims
that "Mary" first appeared to the Apostle
James while he was on a missionary journey to
northern Spain. Michael H. Brown, in his book
"The Last Secret," gives an account of
this alleged event. According to Brown, James was
praying near the Ebo River, an area known for
witchcraft and occult activity, when he supposedly
encountered the first known manifestation of an
apparition of "Mary." 2
While James would have known Mary the mother of
Jesus of Nazareth, a sweet and humble woman
according to the Bible, the apparitional Mary that
Brown describes in his book reveals a very different
personality. This "Mary" was adorned in
splendor and was wearing a crown. She was seated on
a throne of light and accompanied by angels. The
angels suspended "Mary's throne" and then
the apparition spoke: "My son James, the Most
High and Mighty God of heaven has chosen this place
that you may consecrate and dedicate here a church
and a house of prayer where, under
the invocation of my name,
He wishes to be adored and served, and all
the faithful who seek my intercession
will receive the graces they ask and if they have
true faith and devotion, and in the name of my Son, I
promise them great favors and blessings." 3
While the message from the apparition mentions a
"Son," there is reason to be suspicious
whether or not the "Son" is Jesus, the Son
of God. Also, as you may be able to detect, there
seems to be a strong emphasis on the importance and
the power of the personality of the apparition. An
additional statement from the first Marian
apparitional message confirms this: "For this
will be my
chapel and my
house, my
own inheritance and possession, and in testimony of my
promise, this pillar will remain here, and on it my
own
image, which, in this place where you will build my
church, will last and endure with the holy faith
On this spot the Most High will work miracles
through my
intercession for those who implore my
protection." 4
This location according to Michael Brown was the
site of the first church built and dedicated to
"Mary." A statue was also placed there of
"Mary" holding "Jesus," the
first of many that have followed through the
centuries. Now in this location, a huge domed
basilica stands (the precise size of the famous
goddess temple in Ephesus). 5
The book of Isaiah provides some interesting insight
regarding a certain woman that seems to play a role
in deceiving the world. We read: "Come
down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of
Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O
daughter of the Chaldeans for thou shalt no more be
called tender and delicate. Sit thou silent, and get
thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for
thou shalt no more be called, The lady of
kingdoms." 6
Are the apparitions of "Mary," actually
Mary, the mother of Jesus? Or could this be the same
Queen of Heaven that we read about in the book of
Jeremiah - chapters 7 and 44? Jeremiah called this
personality an abomination unto God.
You decide!
1. Michael H. Brown, "The Last Secret,"
Servant Publications, Ann Arbor, MI, page 11
2. Ibid. page 15
3. Ibid. page 17
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Isaiah 47, verse 1 and verse 5
.
For
more information on this topic, Understand The Times
has published a book by Roger Oakland titled
"New Wine and the Babylonian Vine." This
350 page book examines the current global ecumenical
movement in light of Bible prophecy and endeavors to
answer the following questions:
- What
is the New Wine Movement and is it really new?
- Who
is the Queen of Heaven? What role will she play?
- Are
we approaching a Second Pentecost or the final
delusion?
- How
could the religions of the world unite in the
name of Christ?
- Will
signs and wonders validate the counterfeit church?
- What
role will the apparition of Mary play?
- How
can we escape the coming deception?
To order this book,
go online at www.understandthetimes.org or call
1-800-689-1888.
The book is available for $11.95 plus $3.50 for
mailing and handling.
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