“Nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.“

“Nor grumble, as some of them did

and were destroyed by the Destroyer.”

Concerning the sin of grumbling against God, the apostle Paul recalls an event that occurred after the Israelites miraculously crossed the Red Sea. Then they could immediately enter the land God had promised them. It was the land their fathers came out of when they descended into Egypt 430 years earlier. Now they were to return there. God promised to be with them and to overcome the pagan nations. Moses sent spies into the land to find out the details so that he could determine exactly how to proceed in taking the land. However, when the spies returned, they put a terrible fear into the people. Caleb and Joshua, on the other hand, reassured the people, “We will enter this land flowing with milk and honey. The Lord will give us this land, trust in Him.” But the Israelites were so strong in their spirit of fear that they even wanted to rebel against Moses and stone Joshua and Caleb. Moses therefore cried to the Lord in prayer, and God spoke to him, saying, “How long will this wicked community grumble against Me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.

“For the time will surely come when I will punish the idols of Babylon;

her whole land will be disgraced and her slain will all lie fallen within her.“

For the time will surely come when

I will punish the idols of Babylon;

her whole land will be disgraced

and her slain will all lie fallen within her.

This verse is preceded by the words: “I will punish Bel (Pachamama) in Babylon and make him spew out what he has swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him. And the wall of Babylon will fall.” And the prophet cries out: “Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the Lord. Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumours are heard in the land; one rumour comes this year, another the next, rumours of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler.” And now follows the verse we reflect on: “For the time will surely come when I will punish the idols of Babylon; her whole land will be disgraced and her slain will all lie fallen within her.”

What are the idols of Babylon? Bergoglio himself enthroned the Pachamama demon and dedicated himself to Satan under the guidance of a sorcerer in Canada as a precedent. This spirit of paganism has gradually turned the holy city into the harlot of the antichrist – pagan Babylon.

“The sea will rise over Babylon; its roaring waves will cover her.“

The sea will rise over Babylon; its roaring waves will cover her.

The prophet Jeremiah, especially in the last chapters, prophesies against Babylon. But there is also a historical Babylon mentioned in Genesis 1. It speaks of the pride of man wanting to build a great tower. The name Babel or Babylon means confusion. God confused the speech of these proud builders and scattered them throughout the earth.

In the 1st millennium BC, the nation of Israel was like between two millstones. One was the Babylonian Empire and the other was Egypt. The prophets, whether Isaiah, Jeremiah, or others, very often made pronouncements against Babylon. According to Gen 10:6-10, Nimrod, the grandson of Ham, founded the city of Babylon. The city grew greatly, but was completely destroyed in the revolt against Assyria in 683 BC. It was later rebuilt on both sides of the Euphrates. The name itself signified to the Old Testament prophets the anti-God power that controls the world. It is a demonic power that will rise up against God in the last days.

“For our sake He made Him who knew no sin to be sin,

that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

For our sake He made Him who knew no sin to be sin,

that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

This verse is preceded by related verses, beginning with verse 14: “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”

“Knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus

and bring us with you into his presence.”

“Knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus

will raise us also with Jesus

and bring us with you into his presence.”

This verse from Scripture is preceded by, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that it may be seen that this immense power is of God and not of ourselves. We are oppressed on every side, but we are not cornered; we are helpless, but we are not stranded; we are persecuted, but we are not abandoned; we are struck down, but we are not defeated. We still bear the mark of Jesus’ death on us, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed. For we, as long as we live, are still being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed on our mortal flesh. And so death works its work on us, but life on you. But we have the spirit of faith, of which it is written, ‘I believed, and therefore I also spoke’ – we also believe, and therefore we also speak.” (v.7-13) God’s Word emphasizes union with Christ crucified and our constant surrender to Christ’s death. It means renouncing our self-will even in small things before the face of God, that is, being aware that God sees me and that I do this small thing out of love for Him.

“But know this, that if the master of the house had known what

hour the thief would come, he would have watched

and not allowed his house to be broken into.”

“But know this, that if the master of the house had known

what hour the thief would come, he would have watched

and not allowed his house to be broken into.”

Before this word of life, Jesus said: “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the middle of the night or toward daybreak and find them so, blessed are those servants.” (v.35-38)

Jesus then emphasizes: “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (v.40)

“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will

all likewise perish.”

Before Jesus spoke these words, He said: “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?” Saying this, He responded to the report about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices, and He emphasized: “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” And He added: “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?” (v.1-4) And He said again: “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” These words apply to each of us.

Repentance is not a one-time thing. Perhaps it can be true of conversion, when you become open to God’s grace, and turn from the spirit of the world to God. But then the world keeps pulling you down and forcing you to submit to its system again. That is, to prioritize material and external things and not care about your soul and its salvation.

We are always delivered to Christ’s death (2Cor 4:10). Scripture says: “We were immersed through baptism into Christ’s death.” Interior prayer helps us experience this truth. Here we realize our inner union with Jesus, both on the cross and in us.

Some advice on how to contemplate the seven last words of Christ.

Commentary:

1) As for crying out in prayer, the Scripture emphasizes that we are to call on God, literally shout to Him. Jesus dying on the cross cried out with a loud voice: “Eloi, Eloi” and “Father (Abba), into Your hands…”

2) This prayer is completely silent. When we talk here about calling or crying out, it is about calling with our spirit and breath. We take a long breath and slowly and quietly breathe out the vowel aaa or any other vowel, just with our breath, not with our voice.

3) This way of breathing out the vowels helps combat distraction in interior prayer. It helps us focus on God’s word and God’s presence.

“And a sword will pierce through your own soul also,

so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”