Daughter of Zion, New Jerusalem, Marian Apparitions
by Ulrich Utiger

The New Jerusalem from the Cloister Apocalypse,
an early 14th century illustrated manuscript

Page description
The Bible implicitly predicts Marian apparitions, not particular ones as those in Fatima, Lourdes, Medjugorje, but as a whole.

Contents of this page
The final three phases: the new Jerusalem
The residence of God
The glory and joy of the daughter of Zion

Short summary of the previous pages
It was pointed out that the whole history of salvation – from the beginning with Adam and Eve up to the Millennium – follows cycles of four typical phases, which take place within four vast eras (see Summary of Salvation History). These phases are the phase of beginning, which is relatively peaceful, the phase of sin, the phase of judgment and the phase of revival, which returns to peace. Then was shown that since Jesus there are a phase of apparition and a phase of Spirit incorporated in the phase of beginning. For the first cycle (Jesus' earth life), these phases are the Annunciation and the virginal conception by the Spirit. For the second cycle (the primitive Church), it is Jesus' apparitions during forthy days and Pentecost. On this page, we try to spot explicit biblical references to apparitions of Saint Mary.

Next page
THE WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN

Previous page
TWO NEW PHASES

Page 15

4.4. SAINT MARY AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

4.4.4. THE DAUGHTER OF ZION

The final three phases: the new Jerusalem

Can we assert, after all these examinations, that the Scriptures predict Marian apparitions, which multiply in our days (see for instance Wikipedia: Marian apparitions or Marian Apparitions of the 20th Century)? Up to now we know the following: there will be the great descent of the Holy Spirit on the last Saints predicted by Joel (see The last Saints). This has to be preceded by apparitions preparing the last Saints to the event (see The sense of the phase of apparition). In fact, in The Annunciation and the virginal conception was stated, that the apparitions take place at the beginning of a new cycle. Presently, we are in the fourth cycle, which started centuries ago (see THE BEAST ASCENDING FROM THE ABYSS and Summary of Salvation History). So if we suppose that we live in end times, this phase should go towards its end and apparitions should have become rare. But we also saw that the fourth cycle is linked to the ascending beast, which has a double meaning regarding both the civilization and a person, namely the future Antichrist (see The future Antichrist). So at the end of the fourth cycle there will be a short cycle incorporated into the fourth cycle because it is only linked to a single generation, that is to the person of the Antichrist and, as counter pounds, to the last Saints. The abundance of contemporary Marian apparitions must be understood within the context of this short cycle, which is going on to take place in a near future.

The descent of the Holy Spirtit on the last Saints will be like a second birth, of which the apparitions will hold the maternal role and the arrival of the Spirit the paternal role (see The sense of the phase of apparition). We have seen several times that Saint Mary is the spiritual Mother of all children of God (see THE NEW EVE and THE FREE WOMAN). If we interrelate all these facts, we therefore truly must believe that the apparitions of Saint Mary are abundantly (but implicitly) predicted by the Scriptures.

There are even prophecies that seem to describe apparitions of Saint Mary, for Zion – originally the fortress of the king David – or the new Jerusalem, is often magnified to such a point that it receives a supernatural glory. Behind these cities are of course hidden the people of God, Israel, and so on, but especially Saint Mary, as we are going to see. In addition, this glory of Jerusalem is sometimes described in a precise historic context, which allows us to distinguish it as the phase of apparition. This I would like to explain at first with an example: the history of salvation comes to an end, after the Last Judgment, with the phase of revival, which consists of the creation of a new sky and a new earth (Rev 20:11-21:1). The continuation, that is to say the transition to eternity, must not be conceived as a prolongation of this revival, but as an eternal first phase similar to the one that normally inaugurates a new cycle.

And what is very important now is that this eternal phase is also inaugurated by a phase of apparition and a phase of arrival – not only of the Spirit but of all the Trinitarian Persons. The phase of apparition will be realized by the descent of the luminous and brilliant new Jerusalem designed as Bride of God (Rev 21:2+9-27). During the next phase, God the Spouse comes to settle in new Jerusalem (Rev 21:3). This is why there is no longer a temple as in ancient Jerusalem, for "its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb" (Rev 21:22). After that, all will be accomplished and God will reside in new Jerusalem forever. Only then will eternity begin.

The residence of God

This final residence in the middle of Jerusalem is often announced by the prophets (Is 12:6; 35:1-4; Ezek 37:26-28; 43:7; Hos 11:9; Joel 2:27; Mic 3:11; Zech 2:14; 8:3) and around which the Scriptures in principle revolve, since it is identical to the final salvation. These prophecies refer to analogous events in past history, particularly to the three temples that were built in Jerusalem, the temple having been the house of God, which was found in the middle of Jerusalem and thus reflected the final residence of God. Moreover, each construction of a temple formed part of a phase of beginning and its destruction a phase of judgment, through what can be distinguished the historic context.

Solomon built the first temple (1 Kgs 6) in the beginning of the second cycle of the Israelite era. It was destroyed by the army of Nebuchadnezzar during the same cycle (2 Kgs 25:8-9) and then reconstructed by the exiled (Ez 5-6), which brings us to the beginning phase of the fourth cycle (see The four phases of the seventy weeks). This second temple was profaned by Antiochus Epiphanes (1 Macc 1:54). The following and third temple was that build by Herod. It was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD during the siege of Jerusalem.

Before this however, there was another temple, the one of the body of Christ according to Jn 2, 18-22. It also was "built" during a phase of beginning. On the other hand, it was not "destroyed" during a phase of judgment but during a phase of sin, which indicates the realization of the prefiguration held by the temples built by stones, for these were destroyed because of the apostasy of the Jews. Jesus, on the other hand, accomplished the Jewish law. So there is a prefiguration to this achievement of the law in the sense that the Jews also tried to accomplish it, but without success. And if for this reason before Jesus the persecutors of the Jews were somewhat executors of the judgment too, compared to Jesus they are nothing more than persecutors (see The persecutions of Antiochus). This explains why the crucifixion does not form part of the phase of judgment but of the phase of sin.

This is why the first and only time that the arrival of God in the middle of Jerusalem was realized in a real and perfect manner was during the conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary, for the Son of God, who came to reside in her, is really God. In this sense, Saint Mary is inevitably the perfect Jerusalem with neither sin nor fault and is consequently found in the heart of the prophecies concerning the residence of God mentioned above.

Then, the residence of God of course realized with the Blessed Sacrament, who is in the heart of the churches. This residence is however not in the same degree perfect as the preceding, although the presence of God is real and perfect. It’s because of its surrounding, that is the churches, which are constructed of stones and thereby cannot rival Saint Mary’s pure being. Also the Church as people of God is imperfect because of its failing members, who all need salvation. This is why even the final residence of God among his people will not be as perfect as when God was in the womb of Mary, for his people at this moment will obviously be washed of all sin, but this was not always the case in the past.

So these prophecies of the residence of God have several references and indicate different realizations through history. Yet what mainly concerns us here are those residences that are arrivals of the Spirit, hence that of Pentecost and that of the last days, because these arrivals are associated with the cycles by forming a particular phase.

The glory and joy of the daughter of Zion

Sometimes, when this residence of God in the middle of the daughter of Zion is mentioned, certain signs equally signal the phase of apparition and the arrival of God. The sign for the apparition is precisely the glory of Zion. And what describes the arrival of God are the shouts of joy often attributed to Zion, as for example in this manner: "Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel" (Is 12:6; 30:19; 35:2; 44:23; 48:20; 49:13; 52:5-9; 54:1). For evident reasons, the most manifest realization of this shout of joy was the Magnificat, which Saint Mary said at the moment of the arrival of the Spirit, who caused the conception of Jesus (see The Magnificat).

Another shout of joy at the moment of an arrival of God is also pushed when Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem on a young donkey (Lk 19:28-40), which is announced by Zech 9:9: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king comes to you. Triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass". This time, Zion therefore equals to "the multitude of the disciples" whose shout of joy was: "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (Lk 19:37-38). There were some Pharisees in the crowd who were not as enthusiastic and wanted to hush the disciples. Yet Jesus answered them: "I tell you, if these are silent, the very stones will cry out" (Lk 19:39-40), which shows in a very impressive manner that prophecies exist in order to be realized. It may also be a hidden allusion to the double meaning of Jerusalem as living inhabitants and as city build of stone.

These three elements that are the glory, the joy and the residence of God in Zion cross more or less all prophecies, but especially those of Isaiah. And although these elements are not always closely linked together, it is nevertheless necessary to consider them in a coherent and inseparable manner. They are like three keys to put together in the lock to be able to open the truth. And as we know, they are multisignificant. So they do not refer only to a single period of the history of salvation, but to several times and cycles. Hence, one can admit that the elements that describe the glory of Zion also refer to Saint Mary’s apparitions of the last days, which will give birth to the last Saints.

Here is an example perceptibly illustrating this event:

"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples.
But the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Lift up your eyes round about, and see!
They all gather together, they come to you.
Your sons shall come from far,
and your daughters shall be carried in the arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant,
your heart shall thrill and rejoice..."
(Is 60:1-5).

And here another passage:

"Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: Your brethren who hate you and cast you out for my name’s sake have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy’. But it is they who shall be put to shame.

Hark, an uproar from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord, rendering recompense to his enemies! Before she was in labor she gave birth, before her pain came upon her she was delivered of a son. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her sons. Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth? says the Lord, shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb? says your God.

Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her, rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her, that you may suck and be satisfied with her consoling breasts, that you may drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her glory.

For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip, and dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you. You shall be comforted in Jerusalem. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass.

And it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies. For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the stormwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the Lord execute judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh, and those slain by the Lord shall be many" (Is 66:5-16).

The enemies of God therefore cynically request him to demonstrate his glory to be able to believe in him and to be in joy, without really expecting any manifestation. However, something will happen, which will compromise them. What will happen? A woman gives birth to a people in one day, which is an allusion to the supernatural birth of the last Saints following the principle of the apparition and the arrival of the Spirit, sustained by the mention of first the glory of the woman and then the joy of her children. Finally, the anger of the consecutive judgment is described, to what probably also makes an allusion: "...before her pain came upon her she was delivered of a son". For these ulterior pains probably refer to the Passion of Christ and thereby also to the persecutions against the last Saints and to the consecutive judgment, because of the analogy between the life of Jesus and that of the last Saints. We will treat this theme on the following page.