Does the Slaughter of Innocents Bear a Witness?
I’ve noticed that before a colossal spiritual event in history, a slaughter of innocent children occurs. Satan seems to know something is about to happen and strikes out at the most innocent of God’s image bearers. Prior to the birth of Moses, Pharaoh ordered the mass murder of all baby boys (Exodus 1:15-22). At the time of Christ’s birth King Herod ordered the mass murder of all male children under two years of age in the Bethlehem area. (Matthew 2:16)
Saint Quadvultdeus, Bishop of Cathage (died c. 450) wrote about the witness in the slaughter of the innocents:
“Why are you afraid, Herod, when you hear of the birth of a king? He does not come to drive you out, but to conquer the devil. But because you no not understand this you are disturbed and in a rage, and to destroy one child whom you seek, you show cruelty in the death of many children.”
“… you destroy those who are tiny in body because fear is destroying your heart. You imagine that if you accomplish your desire you can prolong your own life, though you are seeking to destroy life Himself.”
” … the children die for Christ, though they do not know it. The parents mourn the deaths of martyrs. The child makes of those yet unable to speak fit witnesses to himself. See the kind of kingdom that is his, coming as he did in order to be this kind of king. See how the deliverer is already working deliverance, the savior already working salvation.”
“… How great a gift of grace is here! To what merits of their own do the children owe this kind of victory? They cannot speak, yet they bear witness to Christ. They cannot use their limbs to engage in battle, yet already they bear off the palm of victory.”[1]
The death of many children happened at the first coming of Christ. Does the rampant slaughter of millions upon millions babies by abortion signal another colossal spiritual event is about occur?
Many Biblical Scholars are saying that all the predictions that needed to happen prior to the rapture have occurred. Are we on the cusp of Christ’s Second coming?
If they are right then we must put our spiritual affairs in order through confession of sin, repentance and belief in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross..
As for the millions of children sacrificed on the altar of sexual licence and hedonism of our age, perhaps Saint Quodvultdeus supposition has an application now. I pray it does. Are their deaths a signal of Christ’s coming, though they did not know it? They bear a terrible witness of the consequences of living without Christ who is the author of life. (Now they are with Him in eternity.)
Just prior to Christ’s coming things get worse and worse, people’s hearts wax cold,[2] and each person will be a law unto themselves as chaos of personal autonomy replaces the order and form of interdependent community under God.
Jesus will come for those who are God’s children through faith in Christ. He will subdue all things to himself.[3] There will be no more pain or sorrow or tears.[4]
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[1]Taken from a sermon by Saint Quodvultdeus, Bishop of Cathage, (Sermo 2 de Symbolo, PL 40,655).
[2]Matthew 24.12.
[3] See John 1.12-13, John 14.1-3, Philippians 3.20-21.
[4] Revelation 21.3-4.
