by Père Emmanuel André
What makes this book stand out from the rest on this subject is that it is very concise and has just become available for the first time to English-language readers by only very recently being translated from the French!
Concise: Why is this desirable?
This is a desirable and crucial aspect of a book of this nature because its brevity is due to it almost exclusively sourcing authoritative texts, whilst avoiding speculative commentary and emphasis on private revelation, which is rare in larger books on eschatology (the theological study of the end times). Having read a few of these larger books, including Fr. E. Sylvester Berry's "The Apocalypse of St. John," the Dominican Fr. Feret's "The Apocalypse Explained" and Fr. Herman Bernard Kramer's "The Book of Destiny" and other shorter commentaries, which were all interesting and edifying to varying degrees, what struck me with this book is how the author, despite leaving out extensive explanations, managed to successfully present the essentials in just 88 pages!
What texts in particular?
As to be expected, the primary source is the Bible, and the knowledgeable author deftly extracts the relevant portions, from both the Old and New Testaments, presenting them to us in a manner that is clear and enlightening. He unfolds the history and future series of events by expanding on these Scriptural passages with what the Fathers and Doctors of the Church have taught about them. A sparing and judicious use of some additional sources further expands upon the core elements only insofar as they are totally consistent with the Church's understanding of the Scriptural account, and also provide truly worthwhile additional insights. One such source is an excerpt from "The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life" by Rev. Fr. Charles Arminjon, which is also available in the True Restoration online store. [See the First Conference, pg. 21 from the 2008 printing]. Originally published in 1881 in French under the title, Fin du Monde Présent et Mystères de la Vie Future. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux said of this book: “Reading this was one of the greatest graces of my life. I read it at the window of my study, and the impression I received from it is too intimate and too sweet for me to express…All the great truths of religion, the mysteries of eternity, plunged my soul into a happiness not of this earth…”
Another source-text is Cornelius a Lapide's commentary on the Apocalypse which isn't available in English as far as I can tell, so any quotes from this highly esteemed work are invaluable to us for that reason alone.
How this book came about?
This work is a collection of a series of 11 articles written by Père Emmanuel André, published from March 1885 through to February 1886. Chapter titles include, among others, "Warning Signs" - "The Man of Sin" - "The Empire of the Antichrist - The Vision of Prophet Daniel" - "Henoch and Elias" and "The Conversion of the Jews."
The Conclusion includes a biographical sketch of the author followed by many informative footnotes.
Overall, this is a truly fascinating overview of a perennially fascinating subject ... and once you start reading it you won't be able to stop until you've finished it!
The Drama of the End of Times is now available in the True Restoration store.
