Illumination of Conscience (the Warning): Will it Happen in 2024?

Have you noticed an increase in prophetic voices within the Catholic world? Many are asking if the long-foretold Illumination of Conscience could be near. In this post, we'll explore a growing consensus among trusted Catholic prophecies and highlight key events from the Book of Revelation that may unfold in our lifetime—perhaps even sooner than we expect.

With messages pouring in from across the globe, it can feel overwhelming to discern where to begin. Yet as Catholics, it's essential to stay informed about the future events God has revealed, so that we can remain prepared and maintain peace of soul when they come to pass.

"When you see a cloud rising from the west, presently you say: 'A shower is coming' and so it happeneth: And when ye see the south wind blow, you say: 'There will be heat' and it cometh to pass. You hypocrites, you know how to discern the face of the heaven and of the earth: but how is it that you do not discern this time?" (Luke 12:54-56)

God doesn't reveal these events to frighten us, but to guide and prepare us. His warnings are meant to help us know what to pray for and how to ready our hearts.

"For the Lord God does nothing without first revealing his secret to his servants, the prophets." (Amos 3:7)

This should bring us great comfort. God's revelations are always for our good, and His care for us is constant. With this assurance, we can remain peaceful and hopeful, no matter how unsettling the circumstances may appear. He knows what is best for us and will never abandon us.

So, what exactly is the Catholic prophecy regarding the global 'Illumination of Conscience,' also known as The Great Warning? In the following summary, we’ll explore what private revelation tells us about this pivotal event for mankind...

What is the Illumination of Conscience (According to Private Revelation)?

Both Jesus and Our Lady have foretold that before the Great Tribulation—marked by the reign of the Antichrist as described in the Book of Revelation—God will issue a global warning to humanity.

This Illumination of Conscience will be His final great act of Divine Mercy, intended to lead as many souls as possible back to Him before the Antichrist rises to deceive the world.

Based on the collective private revelations of Catholic mystics, here is an approximate description of this extraordinary event:

1. A Cosmic Event

When the Warning occurs, a cosmic phenomenon will darken the sky, turning day into night in all parts of the world. Then, a cross, shining with brilliant light, will appear in the sky, visible to all. At that moment, every person above the age of reason will see their soul as God sees it. (Children below the age of reason will be cared for by angels during the event.)

2. Vision of Jesus on the Cross

All of humanity will behold Jesus on the cross, and each person will witness the wounds they inflicted upon Him through their own sins.

3. Knowledge of the State of One's Soul

For a brief time—though it may feel like an eternity—each individual will experience where their soul would go if they were to die in that instant, whether Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory, depending on the state of their soul.

4. The World Stands Still

This profound experience will last approximately 15 minutes, during which the entire world will be ‘frozen.’ All activity will stop—cars, airplanes, and everything else—demonstrating God’s absolute control.

Who foretold the Illumination of Conscience?

The Warning has been foretold by numerous Catholic mystics, including canonized saints and several others who are on the path to sainthood. While there are too many prophecies to cover them all here, we'll highlight a few key ones. At the end of this post, you’ll also find links to recent visions and messages for further exploration.

In St. Faustina's Diary (n. 83), Jesus says to her:

“Before I come as a just judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy. Before the day of justice arrives, there will be given to people a sign in the heavens of this sort: All light in the heavens will be extinguished, and there will be great darkness over the whole earth. Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the sky, and from the openings where the hands of feet of the Savior were nailed will come forth great lights which will light up the earth for a period of time. This will take place shortly before the last day.” (Read St. Faustina's diary here.)

St. Faustina (1905-1938) also experienced her own personal illumination of conscience, which she described in this way:

"Suddenly I saw the complete condition of my soul as God sees it. I could clearly see all that is displeasing to God. I did not know that even the smallest transgressions will have to be accounted for. What a moment! Who can describe it? To stand before the Thrice-Holy-God!"

In the 1500s, St. Edmund Campion said:

"I pronounced a great day, not wherein any temporal potentate should minister, but wherein the terrible Judge should reveal all men's consciences and try every man of each kind of religion. This is the day of change, this is the Great Day which I threatened, comfortable to the well-being, and terrible to all heretics."

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi prophesied:

“A great purification will come upon the world preceded by an Illumination of Conscience in which everyone will see themselves as God sees them.”

Servant of God Maria Esperanza (1928-2004) said:

"The consciences of these beloved people must be violently shaken so that they may 'put their house in order'... A great moment is approaching, a great day of light... it is the hour of decision for mankind."

In 1945, a stigmatist from Heede, Germany named Grete Ganseforth (who's visions were confirmed by the Church to be of supernatural origin), received this message from Jesus:

"Humanity has not listened to My holy Mother, revealed at Fatima to exhort her to do penance. So I will warn the world myself... I am all ready. The terra will shake and be shaken. It will be terrible: a small judgment! But don't be afraid. I am with you. You will rejoice and thank Me. Those who are waiting for Me have My help, My grace, My love. But for those who are not in a state of grace, it will be frightening... I will make myself known to men. Every soul will recognize Me as its God. I come! I am at the door. The earth will shake and moan."

Forty-eight years later, also in Heede, Germany, Servant of God Stefano Gobbi received the following message from the Blessed Mother:

"The Holy Spirit will come to establish the glorious reign of Christ and it will be a reign of grace, of holiness, of love, of justice and of peace. With His divine love, He will open the doors of hearts and illuminate all consciences. Every person will see himself in the burning fire of divine truth. It will be like a judgment in miniature. And then Jesus Christ will bring His glorious reign in the world."

In 2003, Jennifer (a seer from America) had the following vision:

"The sky is dark and it seems as though it is night but my heart tells me it is sometime in the afternoon. I see the sky opening up and I can hear long, drawn out claps of thunder. When I look up I see Jesus bleeding on the cross and people are falling to their knees. Jesus then tells me, 'They will see their soul as I see it.' I can see the wounds so clearly on Jesus and Jesus then says, 'They will see each wound they have added to My Most Sacred Heart.'" (Read Jennifer's full visions about the Warning here.)

A mother from France, Francine Bériault, received the following message from Jesus, published in August 2002:

"My children, behold the time of the Warning is about to pierce your night. This word “warning” seems so unrealistic to the minds of certain of My children, that this prevents them from realizing that they must be in a state of alert so that they might take the means to prepare themselves to avoid suffering…. You will be within yourselves and God will show Himself to you, and before your Saviour, you will be before Him with all you are… It is you yourselves who will see the smallest details of your actions and the smallest of your thoughts: all will be shown to you."

In 2012, a mother named Sulema Gomez was told by Jesus:

"What will the Illumination of Conscience look like? It is a direct intervention of God, it is a purification, the first sign for all that your time is drawing to a close, that is to say the end of life as it is now. This event is a unique moment in the history of mankind. A deafening noise will be heard, and the luminous Cross will shine in the sky. It will extend from east to west to announce the proximity of the Illumination of Conscience. As soon as you see the sky darken, get down on your knees, rosary in hand, and pray, pray, pray, because everything will happen very quickly. The day will become night. As in Fatima, the sun will turn and it will go out for three hours; the moon will darken and there will be great phenomena all over the earth!

"The whole world will be turned upside down, people will believe that the end of the world has come. Fear will be dependent on the sins committed by each, the greatest destruction will be manifested in hearts. Each will live a mystical experience by which he will be able to see his state of mind in the light of divine justice, similar to the grace granted to Saul of Tarsus who was penetrated by this light. Paul obeyed the warning I gave him, he repented and became the right disciple, the apostle of the Gentiles.

"When it occurs, everything will stop, my children. It will be like fire, but it will not burn your flesh; however, you will feel it inside and out. The Holy Spirit will come as a heavenly dew of grace and fire which will renew the whole world; then your sins will be exposed to you, the good you neglected to do and the bad you have done. He will bring to light what is hidden in the darkness and he will reveal the secret intentions, for nothing will be hidden any more, not to make you suffer, but rather out of love and mercy; you will suffer because of your unconfessed sins.

"Do you understand My insistence on showing you why you have to go to the Sacrament of Penance to be ready? Otherwise, you will experience the pain of purgatory or hell. You will all see it whether you like it or not. It will be the greatest gesture of My mercy. I will give everyone one last chance.

"And, at this time, each one will be able to free himself from all his sins by going to the Sacrament of Pardon with a great repentance and the desire not to offend God any more, by rectifying his behavior, by changing his habits; or else, drag his sins with him to damnation by refusing to meet Me in the person of the priest. I will forgive everything, but you will have to repent; I will accept your return to My Sacred Heart, but you will have to come back to Me on your own.

"The outpouring of the Holy Spirit will be as strong and powerful, after the Warning, as it was at the time of the first Pentecost. What will manifest will be so great that there has never been anything like it since the world began! This event will increase your faith, it will help you draw closer to Me, it will prepare humanity to receive the messages of the Gospel."

But perhaps the most famous prophesy of the Warning was that of Our Lady of Garabandal in the 1960s. Jacinta, one of the seers at Garabandal, said:

"The warning is something that is first seen everywhere in the world and then is transmitted into the interior of our souls. It will last for a very little time but seem a very long time because of its affects within us. It will be for the good of our souls in order to see ourselves, our conscience, the good that we have failed to do and the bad we have done. Then we will feel a great love toward our Heavenly Father and ask forgiveness for all of our offenses. The warning is for us to draw closer to Him and to increase our faith. One should prepare for that day but not await it with fear. God does not send things for the sake of fear but rather with justice and love. He does it for the good of His children so that they might enjoy eternal happiness and not be lost."

Is the Illumination of Conscience in the Bible?

The prophecies of the Warning bear a striking resemblance to the opening of the Sixth Seal as described by the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation:

"And I saw, when he had opened the sixth seal, and behold there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair: and the whole moon became as blood: And the stars from heaven fell upon the earth, as the fig tree casteth its green figs when it is shaken by a great wind: And the heaven departed as a book folded up: and every mountain, and the islands were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and tribunes, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of mountains: And they say to the mountains and the rocks: Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of their wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?" (Rev 6:12-17)

The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 24 also speaks of this event:

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." (Matthew 24: 29-31)

When will the Illumination of Conscience happen?

No one knows the exact timing of the Illumination of Conscience, just as no one knows the day of Christ’s return. What we can do is imitate the wise virgins in the parable: keep the oil in our lamps by staying in a state of grace. Frequent sacramental confession is the most important preparation—not only for the Warning but, more importantly, for our own death and private judgment, which could come at any moment.

That being said, if the apparitions of Our Lady at Garabandal are true, then the Warning is almost certain to happen within our lifetime. Conchita, one of the visionaries of Garabandal, was given the date of a great miracle that Our Lady said would follow the Warning. Conchita will reveal this date only eight days before the miracle happens. Born on February 7, 1949, Conchita is now in her mid-70s. If she lives to be 100 years old, we have less than 25 years for the Warning to take place—meaning it could happen at any time between now and then.

What do I need to do to prepare for the Illumination of Conscience?

If you're Catholic, the first step is simple: get to confession as soon as possible.

This is an excellent time to consider making a general confession, especially if you haven’t done so before. A general confession involves prayerfully reviewing your entire life and confessing all mortal sins committed since your baptism.

As St. Francis de Sales explains in Introduction to the Devout Life:

“You see, my child, that I am now speaking of a general confession of your whole life, which, while I grant it is not always necessary, I yet believe will be found most helpful in the beginning of your pursuit after holiness, and therefore I earnestly advise you to make it. Not unfrequently the ordinary confessions of persons leading an everyday life are full of great faults, and that because they make little or no preparation, and have not the needful contrition. Owing to this deficiency such people go to confession with a tacit intention of returning to their old sins, inasmuch as they will not avoid the occasions of sin, or take the necessary measures for amendment of life, and in all such cases a general confession is required to steady and fix the soul. But, furthermore, a general confession forces us to a clearer selfknowledge, kindles a wholesome shame for our past life, and rouses gratitude for God’s Mercy, Which has so long waited patiently for us;–it comforts the heart, refreshes the spirit, excites good resolutions, affords opportunity to our spiritual Father for giving the most suitable advice, and opens our hearts so as to make future confessions more effectual. Therefore I cannot enter into the subject of a general change of life and entire turning to God, by means of a devout life, without urging upon you to begin with a general confession.”

After your confession, commit yourself to a life of holiness. As St. John Vianney urged:

“Let us live as the Blessed Virgin lived, loving God only, desiring God only, trying to please God only, in all that we do.”

If you stumble, return to confession! Catholics are encouraged to confess at least once a month, or more frequently if needed—especially if you're working to overcome habitual sins.

What happens after the Illumination of Conscience?

Immediately following the Warning, it is prophesied that there will be a period of approximately 40 days (or about six weeks) during which the devil will be chained and unable to act. This time will allow everyone the opportunity to make a clear choice for or against God.

During this period, we can expect mass conversions to the Catholic faith. Confession lines may be extraordinarily long, and priests may need to hear confessions without rest, probably requiring people to bring them food. Baptisms might even need to be performed en masse to accommodate the flood of souls returning to the Church.

Many who experience the Warning may be left anxious or shaken, especially if they have had little or no catechesis. They will need guidance and support, which means you may find yourself helping others understand the faith. Keep a Catechism handy, as priests will have little time to provide detailed instruction.

After these 40 days, some scientists may claim to have found a natural explanation, dismissing the Warning as a "collective illusion." Do not fall for the lie!

As mentioned earlier, Our Lady of Garabandal prophesied that within a year of the Warning, a Great Miracle will occur at the pines in Garabandal. This miracle will also be visible at other Marian apparition sites. There will be no scientific explanation for this event, serving as a confirmation of the Warning's authenticity.

Following the Miracle, the Antichrist will reign during the Great Tribulation, which is expected to last a few years. During this time, many of God's people may be hidden by angels in places of refuge, while many others will face martyrdom. God will provide strength and grace to all His people, enabling them to endure whatever trials come their way.

Prophecies also speak of the Antichrist's reign ending with a Great Chastisement known as the Three Days of Darkness. During this time, all demons and the wicked will be cast into Hell. However, God's faithful remnant will be protected. (For more on this, see my previous blog post about the dream I had of a great darkness covering the Earth.)

After the Three Days of Darkness, there will be a Period of Peace, during which Christ will reign in our hearts, and the words of the Our Father, "Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven," will be fulfilled. This time of peace is foretold in the Book of Revelation.

Finally, before the Second Coming of Christ and the End of the World, Satan will be unleashed once more.

Links to Further Reading

The Illumination of Conscience offers an unprecedented opportunity for conversion and renewal. As we prepare for this event, it is vital to deepen our faith, frequent the sacraments, and support one another in our spiritual journeys. The prophecies remind us of God's mercy and the call to live according to His will. While the future may hold uncertainties, we can take comfort in God's promise of guidance and strength. Let us remain vigilant in prayer and open to the grace that awaits us, proclaiming Christ’s love and light to a world in need.

Check out these links for further information about the Warning:

• Read The Warning by Father Philip Bebie here.
• Read The Warning: Testimonies and Prophecies of the Illumination of Conscience by Christine Watkins here.
• Watch Mother Angelica and Maria Saraco discuss Garabandal and the Warning here.
• Countdown to the Kingdom has a collection of recent messages from various seers on The Warning here.
• Watch Exorcist Fr. Dan Reehil and Christine Watkins discuss the Warning here.
• Watch Father Michel Rodrigue talk about the Warning here.
• Watch a video about the Warning as prophesied by Our Lady of Garabandal here.
• Watch Mark Mallett and Prof. Daniel O'Connor discuss the Sixth Seal of Revelation and the Warning here.