Catholic Foundation Library

Catholic Foundation Library #17

In this lecture we will look at the symbolic meaning of numbers: 1,  2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 24, 100, 1,000, 144,000, what do these numbers mean?

Does 144,000 mean exactly 144,000?

As with everything else, we need to realize that the ancients looked at numbers differently and ascribed different meanings to them. It is important for us to recover this meaning so that we may properly understand their usage in the Bible.

Highlights

• Why is 666 the number of the beast?
• Where in the bible is 666 mentioned first?
• If 666 is the number of the beast, what would 777 mean? Why?

Catholic Foundation Library #16

The three last feasts of the Temple liturgical year were no less important than the first three. The Feast of Tabernacles takes place 50 days after Yom Kippur and is the foreshadowing of the Feast of Pentecost in the Catholic Liturgy.

These three feasts have an eschatological dimension and play an important role in the Book of Revelation.

Highlights

• What are the 10 Days of Awe?
• What is the scapegoat and what role does it play?
• Why are trumpets important?

Catholic Foundation Library #15

We begin this lecture with an overview of the Jewish calendar and its importance. Next, we study the first three feasts of this calendar, namely Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First  Fruits.

These three feasts occurred during the week of Nissan 14  (specifically beginning with Nissan 14 and ending on the 21st of Nissan.  From an analogical point of view (see the four senses of scripture) it is clear that Passover is a type of the passion, Unleavened Bread of the  Eucharist, and First Fruits of the resurrection.

Highlights

• What does "no salvation outside the Catholic Church" mean?

Catholic Foundation Library #14

In this lecture, we will attempt to explain why God spent two chapters in Scripture talking about creation, and fifty chapters talking about the Tabernacle and the Temple.

God gave direct, specific instructions about the Temple; its architecture, its size, its decoration, the furniture that went in it. Everything was directed by  God.

Why?

Part of the answer is that the Temple is important in the eyes of God.

Why?

Because Heaven is important.

The Temple is the first glimpse of Heaven on Earth in a symbolic way. With the Church, it becomes a sacramental reality.

In this lecture, we will also begin to understand that the Temple is a  physical manifestation of Jesus Christ. "Destroy this Temple and I will  rebuild it in three days." The Temple is a prefiguration of Christ, and by studying the Temple we come to learn God's plan for the coming  Christ.

Highlights

• What is the relationship between the Tabernacle and the Temple?
• What is the relationship between nature and Christ?
• What are the 5 types of offerings?

Catholic Foundation Library #13

The Temple of Jerusalem, built during the reign of Solomon, was the only place on Earth God dwelt in a visible fashion. The Shekinah, the Presence of the Lord, was in the Holy of Holies until shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon in 587 A.D.

The  Temple was built with a system of concentric courts. The Court of the  Gentiles was open to everyone. It was the largest court and anyone, Jew or Gentile, could walk there. A dividing wall separated this court from that of the women where only the men and women of Israel could enter; a  law enforced under penalty of death. The beautiful gate separated the court of the women from the court of men and women were not allowed to go past that gate. A small wall separated the court of men from the court of the priests.

Inside this court stood the great altar of sacrifice and the bronze laver in which twelve priests could bathe themselves.

It was inside this court that the Temple proper stood. Known otherwise as the Holy, this building was inlaid with gold inside and out.

Inside and towards the back stood an impressive curtain that was twenty feet wide and thirteen feet high. Behind the curtain was the Holy of Holies, a  cube where the tabernacle was placed and where the Shekinah, the presence of the Lord dwelt.

Highlights

• Why all these courts? Why not have one external court and then the Temple proper?
• Why was the altar of sacrifice outside the Temple proper?
• What did the Holy contain and why?

Catholic Foundation Library #12

In this lecture, we study the blessings and curses in Leviticus 26 and  Deuteronomy 28, and their implications as they apply to us today. We study Psalm 91 and Wisdom 7 to understand the curses of God in light of his mercy so that we conform our consciences to a proper understanding of who God is and who we are in his sight. As the Book of Wisdom states,  "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom." We rely on the analogical sense to see how Wisdom 7 applies to the Lord, and on the anagogical sense to see how it applies to Our Lady. 

Highlights 

• Is the bible biased against the Egyptians? 
• The curses in Deuteronomy 28 and  Leviticus 26 are terrifying. Do they apply to us? 
• What do Deuteronomy and Leviticus have to say about the end of the world?

Catholic Foundation Library #11

The 10 plagues of Egypt are important for anyone who wishes to understand the Book of Revelation. Yet, in and of themselves, the plagues are dreadful and strange. Locusts, frogs, nights of darkness,  blood ... what is God up to? In this lecture, we study these plagues and deepen our understanding of Our Heavenly Father's plan of salvation and of his love for us. We also look at the role angels play during the old covenant and reflect on the power they have to influence us. 

Highlights

• Why did God harden the heart of Pharaoh? 
• Why did He kill every first-born son? How do angels and demons fight? 

Catholic Foundation Library #10

In this lecture, we build upon our study of the Covenant and the blessings and curses by considering the presence of Israel in Egypt,  their fall into slavery, and their call out of Egypt. We use the senses of Scripture to apply their plight to the present time in order to understand God's plan of salvation for us today.

Highlights

• Why did God let Israel stay in Egypt for 400 years before calling them out?
• Why did God make it so difficult for them to reach the Promised Land?  Jericho was a powerful city. Two chariots could run side-by-side atop its fortified walls.
• Why did God ask the Israelites to walk around it blowing trumpets?

Catholic Foundation Library #9

In this lecture, we explore a simple question: Why the Covenant? Why all the sacrifices? Why the blessings and the curses? Couldn't God find an easier way?

Highlights

• If dogs beget dogs and cats beget cats and humans beget humans, how could we be called children of God? Is this symbolic?
• Do unbaptized babies go to heaven?
• Can we get to heaven outside the Covenant?

Catholic Foundation Library #8

What do we mean when we say that God blesses? Likewise, what do we mean when we say that God curses? This talk defines these terms;  explains what they mean. In particular, we will clear a common misconception that cursing and swearing is the same thing. It is not.

Highlights

• When God blesses someone, is his family blessed as well?
• When God curses someone, is his family cursed as well?
• Do we have the power to bless?
• Do we have the power to curse?