VISIO DECIMA, cap. XXVII
The Storm of God's Judgment
The turbulent appearance of the wheel's outer part near the end of the middle section signifies that God's judgments will be stormy at the close of the present world's strength, when people abandon true faith and turn to the son of perdition, bringing great adversity upon the faithful.
But now, O human, what you see—that the outer part of the wheel already mentioned finally appears like a turbulent and stormy tempest, namely near the end of that same middle section where the line was fastened to the wheel—this shows that the judgments of God's power will be turbulent and stormy in those days, since people will find neither purity nor peace of the Catholic faith in the hearts of unbelieving people, around the end of that strength in which the world now flourishes; that is, where God's will is joined to his power in such a way that it rests within God's will, when the world and the things in the world come to an end through his power; because the people of that time will flee the sincerity and stability of true faith, and turning away from the true God they will turn to the son of perdition, who, throwing all church order into confusion, will bring the greatest storms of adversity upon the faithful who resist him.12
Heresies and Divisions After False Peace
After the invasions and divisions of empire had given way to an apparent peace, new heresies and rival factions within church authority will suddenly erupt.
For when, after many tribulations that people had endured in the invasions of foreign nations and among themselves with the division of empire, they had now settled as if into peace, suddenly once again many heresies and many rival factions of church authority will burst forth.3
The Secret Conception of the Antichrist
The Antichrist will be conceived and secretly raised from the beginning filled with a diabolical spirit, trained in sorcery, and his coming will bring great turmoil to both worldly affairs and the Church.
About the conception and birth of the Antichrist: from the very beginning he will be filled with a diabolical spirit, hidden and raised in secret places, and trained in every kind of sorcery until he reaches manhood; and how great will be the turmoil and uncertainty in those days — of affairs and times in the world, or in the Church — that is yet to come.456
Read the original Latin
Nunc autem, o homo, quod vides, quoniam praedicta exterior pars supradictae rotae tandem velut turbida et procellosa tempestas, scilicet prope finem ejusdem medietatis ubi praefata linea eidem rotae affixa est apparet, hoc demonstrat quod judicia potestatis Dei turbida et procellosa in diebus illis erunt, cum nec puritatem nec quietem catholicae fidei in cordibus incredulorum hominum circa finem fortitudinis illius in qua mundus modo viget inveniant, videlicet ubi voluntas Dei potestati ipsius ita conjungitur, quatenus in voluntate Dei sit, quando mundus et ea quae in mundo sunt per potentiam ejus finiantur, quia homines temporis illius sinceritatem atque stabilitatem verae fidei fugient, et a vero Deo recedent ad filium perditionis se convertentes, qui omnia ecclesiastica instituta conturbans, maximas procellas adversitatis fidelibus ipsi resistentibus inducet. Nam cum post multas tribulationes, quas homines in invasionibus alienarum gentium, et in semetipsis cum divisione imperii perpessi erant, jam velut in quiete resederint, iterum repente multae haereses, multaeque contrarietates ecclesiasticae dignitatis ebullient.
De conceptione et ortu Antichristi, et quod ab exordio diabolico spiritu repletus, et in abditis locis occultatus et nutritus, omnibus magicis artibus usque ad virilem aetatem imbuetur; et quanta in diebus illis rerum vel temporum in mundo, vel in Ecclesia perturbatio et incertitudo futura sit.
Notes
- 1 ↩The syntax of the central clause (ubicumque voluntas Dei...ita conjungitur, quatenus in voluntate Dei sit, quando mundus...finiantur) is compressed and difficult; the rendering follows the most plausible sense: God's will is so joined to his power that the world's ending rests within his will.
- 2 ↩'Son of perdition' echoes Johannine language (John 17:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:3); final source resolution deferred.
- 3 ↩'Contrarietates ecclesiasticae dignitatis' could denote rival claims to church office, doctrinal opposition within the hierarchy, or both; rendered broadly to preserve ambiguity.
- 4 ↩The clause introduced by quod ('that') is rendered as an appositive heading rather than a full subordinate clause, since the Latin functions here as a chapter-title announcement of the vision's topic rather than a straightforward statement.
- 5 ↩diabolico spiritu rendered 'a diabolical spirit' rather than 'the Devil's spirit' to stay close to the adjective's force; the precise theological claim (personal demonic spirit vs. demonic influence) is left open by the Latin phrasing.
- 6 ↩rerum vel temporum in mundo, vel in Ecclesia: the syntax is compressed; rendered as 'of affairs and times in the world, or in the Church' preserving the alternative (vel) between world and Church, though it could also mean 'of affairs or times in the world or in the Church' with both vel's functioning additively.
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