Three Days of Darkness and the Scriptures

By Charles Reed -

IN the booklet The Three Days Darkness, published by the Scapular Guild in Pennsylvania, it is stated: "After the three days of chastisement are over, there will be no ungodly persons left; the godless will be annihilated. 75% of humanity will be destroyed. Everyone left on earth will believe in God with all their hearts. The devastation will be astonishingly great, but the earth will be purified. The spiritual fervor of the early Christians will return, but there will be few men left on earth. When all seems lost, then, in a twinkling, all will be saved. The sun will shine again and it will be as springtime, all fair and beautiful. The Holy Angels will descend from Heaven and spread the spirit of peace over the earth, and the just will be able to start life anew.

Some nations will disappear entirely, and the face of the earth will be changed. There will be no more big business, huge factories and assembly lines. People will return to the land.

Our Holy Church will rise again, and religious communities will flower. A feeling of immeasurable gratitude will possess the hearts of those who survive this terrible ordeal and, upon the return of light, all should kneel down immediately and give thanks to the Holy Trinity for their protection and bless God. Then will follow the era of peace as promised by the Blessed Virgin at Fatima." (booklet, p. 8-9).

Be Prepared

SOME persons prefer not to pay attention to prophecies of humiliation and national punishment. "There are always some who say they would rather not hear these things, because they are frightening--these people are like a person who does not want to be told when their house is burning down! Surely it is better to make the endeavor to sanctify ourselves and be saved, than to scoff and risk the loss of eternal happiness......Our Lord pleads for generous souls to offer themselves as victims for the salvation of many. This victimhood can be accomplished in ordinary ways: to suffer a headache or pain without speaking of it, never to complain, to be silent when accused, to deny our senses and appetites, etc." (Booklet cited above, p. 10) If there had been ten just souls, Sodom would not have been destroyed. There were no reparatory souls: therefore the annihilation was total.

Scriptural References

IT is written: "The Lord God will do nothing, unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7). This prophecy has been fulfilled in modern times: events have been predicted before they happened. Future events were predicted by the Virgin Mary, when she told Estelle Faguette at Pellevoisin in 1876: "How much have I done for France. France will suffer!" The prediction was fulfilled in 1914-1918, when so many French were killed in the war: their wives were widowed and their children left orphans, plus all the material destruction. World War II was predicted at Fatima, on July 13, 1917. When Sister Lucia saw the "unknown light" in 1938 from her convent in Spain, she knew that it was the great sign that the war was about to begin. The three days of darkness have been predicted by canonized saints and other seers. There are also references in Scripture that can be applied to this striking punishment and humiliation. In the book of Isaiah it is written that the proud and high-minded will be humiliated. This prophecy has been fulfilled many times, for example, in the two destructions of Jerusalem, demolished for the sins of the people who in their pride refused to hear Christ or the prophets. In the book of Chronicles it is written that they mocked the prophets of God, (because they were proud and followed their own ideas); therefore they were eradicated, and the few who remained were exiled in Babylon, where they remained for 70 years. Christ said that Jerusalem did not know the time of its visitation (Luke 19:44) and for that reason it was liquidated in the year 70, when the Romans came and burned the temple, killing many and exiling the remainder. The exile lasted for more than a thousand years. They were humiliated because of their pride. Here are some references to the three days of darkness.

"For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee." (Isaiah 60:2)

"Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." (Isaiah 26:20-21)

"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God." (Zech. 13:7-9).

Use of Round Numbers in Scripture

WHEN it speaks of the third part of humanity in the book of Zechariah, it is not a reference to mathematics or exact numbers. When a mother says to her child, "I have told you a thousand times not to do that," she means: "many times." When Christ referred to seventy times seven, he was not speaking about calculations but about a perfect number of times; the number seven signifies perfection. A thousand years means many years or a long time; that is, a reference to round numbers.

A Remarkable Similarity

CHRIST revealed that those who remain indoors during the three days of darkness should not look outside: "Keep the doors and windows well covered, go and stay away from doors and windows. Do not look out, do not go outside for any reason, and do not talk to anyone outside. Anyone who looks out or goes out will die immediately! The wrath of God is holy, and He does not want us to see it." (booklet, p. 5) In the book of Genesis we read that Lot's wife was curious about the demolition of Sodom. She looked, and received a death sentence. In his preaching Christ made an explicit reference to her demise: "Remember Lot's wife." (Luke 17:32) He may have been speaking about the three days of darkness. He may also have referred to it when he declared: "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (Matt. 24:22)

Hubris Ante Nemesis

COUNTLESS are the verses that speak of the humiliation of the proud. A Latin proverb declares: Hubris ante nemesis. (Arrogance goes before punishment.) "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) One of the most well known passages about pride is the second chapter of Isaiah.

"The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon everyone that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth." (Isaiah 2: 11-19)

Another is Proverbs 6:13: "He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, and teacheth with his fingers; frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth
mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy."

"Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. She says in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine: and she shall be
utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judges her." (Rev. 18: 2, 5, 8).

"He hath put down the mighty from their thrones: and hath exalted the lowly." (Luke 1:52)

"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance
on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." (2 Thess. 1:7)

Fatima, Sodom, and the Three Days Darkness

ON JULY 13, 1917, Our Lady declared at Fatima, after having announced that the world would be punished: "Various nations will be annihilated." She did not give details about what nations, nor how this annihilation was going to be accomplished. There is a similarity between her prophecy and prophecies in the Old and New Testaments. God revealed to Abraham that Sodom was going to be annihilated. He disclosed to the prophet Jeremiah that Jerusalem would be demolished. Our Lord told the Jews that Jerusalem would be exterminated (when the Romans came to destroy the city and temple in the year 70). In 1917 Our Lady said in effect: "Various nations will be as Sodom and Gomorrah after they were punished: population zero." She did not give details, but it is probable that she was referring to the three days darkness, and in particular to areas where the total population would be destroyed. Such total destruction should not surprise us at all, when we consider that the mortal sins of the modern world in general, and in particular the sins of abortion, are crying to heaven for vengeance. Since so many are exalting themselves by pride and disobedience, it is not surprising that there will come a dreadful humiliation. Our Lord prophesied that everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. That prediction will be fulfilled to the letter.

The words of Our Lord in the gospel are especially relevant to the impending punishment that hangs over us: "The day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he that is in the field, let him not return back. Remember Lot's wife." (Luke 17:30-32). It was as if he said: "During the three days darkness, my justice, power and attributes will be revealed. Fire will rain from heaven and will destroy them all. Do not look out of the window. Remember Lot's wife." "Enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee:" (Is. 26:20, quoted above). These verses harmonize perfectly with the revelations about keeping the doors closed and not looking out of the window.

Promise of a Glorious Future

FATHER Nectou, who lived at the time of the French Revolution, said that after the three days darkness, the triumph of religion would be so great that no one had ever seen the equal. Our Lord revealed to Marie Lataste that there would come a period of great happiness, when Mary would reign as queen of hearts. On July 13, 1917, Our Lady said: "Russia will be converted. A certain period of peace will be given to the world." The peace she promised will not be merely a cessation of war, but a magnificent, triumphant peace, the reign of the Sacred Heart and of her Immaculate Heart upon earth. Her Immaculate Heart will triumph, entirely, wonderfully and gloriously. Our Lord declared to Josefa Menendez: “Truth will triumph, and my Kingdom will come!”

Triumphant Peace

REJOICE ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream..... And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb, and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies. For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire." (Isaiah 66).

"No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there: but the redeemed shall walk there: and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isaiah 35)

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. – Isaiah 9:6

I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto hispeople, and to his saints. – Psalm 84:8

The Lord will give strength unto his people: the Lord will bless his people with peace. – Psalm 28:11

Vocabulary

hu-bris, n. Wanton insolence or arrogance resulting from excessive pride or from passion.
Nem-e-sis 1 a) just punishment; retribution. b) one who imposes retribution. 2 anyone or anything which seems to be the inevitable cause of someone's downfall or defeat.

Humiliation of the Proud – Examples

For his pride and arrogance, Haman was humiliated, accused by Esther, and then hung on the gallows by order of Ahasuerus.

Sennacherib boasted that he could conquer Jerusalem. For his arrogance he was assassinated by his two sons, and 186,000 soldiers of his army died. “Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians 186,000; and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.” (Isaiah 37:36)

Herod lifted himself up with arrogance, and was cast down. “And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.” (Acts 12:23)

Lucifer bragged that he could ascend into heaven and put his throne above God; for his hubris he was humiliated: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!...thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Is. 14:12) “And the great dragon was cast out; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Rev. 12:9)

In the fifth chapter of Daniel is related the humiliation of Belshazzar, king of Babylon. Daniel rebuked him for his pride: Thou, o Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven..... In that night was Belshazzar the king of the
Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom.” (Dan. 5:30)

In Second Chronicles it is related how king Zedekiah and all the people did not humble themselves. They mocked Jeremiah and the prophets, and destruction came upon them.

Zedekiah was 21 years old when he began to reign, and reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet, speaking from the mouth of the Lord. Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the
Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling
place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people,
till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their
sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. And they burnt the
house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And
them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia. (2 Chronicles 36) – Later they became aware that they had been deceived by false prophets, but then it was too late. “Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.... The Lord hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries.” (Lamentations 2:14)

Examples from Recent Times. Napoleon boasted that he could conquer all of Europe. Later he was imprisoned, exiled, and died in misery. Hitler claimed that he would build a German empire that was to last a thousand years. All his plans were frustrated, and he died the death of the godless.

Downfall of the Arrogant – Further Quotations

The beginning of the pride of man, is to fall off from God: Because his heart is departed from him that made him: for pride is the beginning of all sin: he that holdeth it, shall be filled with maledictions, and it shall ruin him in the end. Therefore hath the Lord disgraced the assemblies of the wicked, and hath utterly destroyed them. God hath overturned the thrones of proud princes, and hath set up the meek in their stead. God hath made the roots of proud nations to wither, and hath planted the humble of these nations. The Lord hath overthrown the lands of the Gentiles, and hath destroyed them even to the foundation. He hath made some of them to wither away, and hath destroyed them, and hath made the memory of them to cease from the
earth. God hath abolished the memory of the proud, and hath preserved the memory of them that are humble in mind. (Ecclesiasticus 10:14-21)

There are spirits that are created for vengeance, and in their fury they lay on grievous torments. In the time of destruction they shall pour out their force: and they shall appease the wrath of him that made them. Fire, hail, famine, and death, all these were created for vengeance. (Ecclus. 39:33-35)

And the Lord will not be slack, but will judge for the just, and will do judgment: and the Almighty will not have patience with them, that he may crush their back: And he will repay vengeance to the Gentiles, till he have taken away the multitude of the proud, and broken the scepters of the unjust, Till he have rendered to men according to their deeds: and according to the works of Adam, and according to his presumption, Till he have judged the cause of his people, and he shall delight the just with his mercy. The mercy of God is beautiful in the time of affliction, as a cloud of rain in the time of drought. (Ecclus. 35: 22-26)

In his days Sennacherib came up, and sent Rabsaces, and lifted up his hand against them, and he stretched out his hand against Sion, and became proud through his power. Then their hearts and hands trembled, and they were in pain as women in travail. And they called upon the Lord who is merciful, and spreading their hands, they lifted them up to heaven: and the holy Lord God quickly heard their voice. He was not mindful of their sins, neither did he deliver them up to their enemies, but he purified them by the hand of Isaias, the holy prophet. He overthrew the army of the Assyrians, and the angel of the Lord destroyed them. (Ecclus. 48:20-24)

For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth: and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked
have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall
enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous. -- (Psalm 36:9-17)

And if they die quickly, they shall have no hope, nor speech of comfort in the day of trial. For dreadful are the ends of a wicked race. (Wisdom 3:18)

A Prayer for Triumph: Hasten the time, and remember the end, that they may declare thy wonderful works. Let him that escapeth be consumed by the rage of the fire: and let them perish that oppress thy people. Crush the head of the princes of the enemies that say: There is no other beside us. Gather together all the tribes of Jacob: that they may know that there no God besides thee, and may declare thy great works: and thou shalt inherit them as from the beginning. Reward them that patiently wait for thee, that thy prophets may be found faithful: and hear the prayers of thy servants, and let all know that dwell upon the earth, that thou art God the beholder of all ages. (Ecclesiasticus 36)

Three Days Darkness (booklet) may be ordered from: Scapular Guild,
P.O. Box 4651, Philadelphia, PA 19127

• Back to main page - • A Prophecy Fulfilled  • Three Days of Darkness Website . . Works by Charles Reed *

Ven. Mary of Agreda and other Catholics eminent for sanctity, have for centuries prophesied the dreadful coming chastisement of the Three Days of Darkness; where at least half to three quarters of the world's population will be killed by God's Just Wrath.

 

Writings of Charles Reed -

Essays in Reflections
Essays not in Reflections
Novel. Mount Zion Revisited.
Anthologies
Translations

Note about Mount Zion Revisited

The character named Little Bear in ch. 13, is based on three persons, in order to condense much informtion into a small space. The face of one of them bore no resemblance to the face of a bear. (He is now deceased, probably in Paradise with his mother). The other two, still living, have the face of a teddy bear. This is not an exaggeration.

Mt. Zion is a narration of a shipwreck that was not total. Just as Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday came of their shipwreck alive and kicking, so these precious little souls came out of the crucible of sorrow, shining like gold (Job 19), and at least two of them are now praising God forever, in the heavenly Zion.

And the redeemed of the Lord will come into Zion with praise.
Sorrow and mourning will flee away,
And everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.

Isaiah 35

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Similarity with other novels.

Brideshead Revisited, by E. Waugh.  The effects of grace, on a group of characters.

Robinson Crusoe, by Defoe.  What to do when a shipwreck happens, and everything disintegrates, falls apart, and you are faced with a chaotic situation.

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• Works by Charles Reed  • Reflections. A magazine for the latter times. 2001--2005. Charles Reed wrote the editorials.

 

Notice: Charles Reed is the pseudonym of John Henderson Stansberry, a former religious brother in the congregation of the Franciscan Minims in Mexico City. In the year 1978, (one year before the death of Maria Concepcion), a tragic incident happened in the congregation. Many years later John still felt guilty about it, and determined to write a report. Eventually the document turned into a short book, named "Mount Zion Revisited." The pseudonym Charles was used to protect the good reputation of the persons involved. Writings of Charles Reed also include translations and short anthologies, and editorials of the magazine "Reflections from the Franciscan Minims" published in English in Mexico City from 1990 to 2005. The magazine had a circulation of about 300, in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Africa.

"Mount Zion Revisited" was written as a roman a clef (novel with a key), in order to make known controversial topics, and to report inside information about scandal and abuse of power, without harming the good reputation of those involved, living and deceased.

 

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