THE CHURCH FLEES INTO THE WILDERNESS FOR SAFETY

Memory Text: Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. Mic.2:10

     The Apostles Peter and Paul established the Judean model of Christianity: “For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews” I Thess.2:14. The Apostolic Church flourished for a time, and the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were present in blessing and uplifting their noble efforts of Christ’s work on the Earth. Many laid down their lives to preserve the liberty established by Christ: a liberty men too often take for granted today.

     But the Judean model for the church of Christ was eventually usurped as Paul warned in his day: “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work” (II Thess.2:7). The Gospel commission first begun under the power of the Holy Ghost was abandoned when the church united with state to enforce through tyranny her decrees. And the Spirit of GOD left the church to her "own devices" (Jer.18:12). Thus, the dark ages began.

     1,260 years was prophesied for the papal tyranny that ruled throughout Europe. Seven times did GOD give this prophecy in the books of Daniel and Revelation (Dan. 7:25, 11:33, 12:7; & Rev. 11:2, 12:6, 12:14, 13:5). The prophecy began when Justinian’s decree went into effect in the year 538 exalting the pope of Rome with civil authority. Through this decree of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century the pope was free to use military force to impose his sinful version of religious law on the nations of Asia Minor and Europe. This led to the dark ages in Europe where the intellect of the populous plummeted into the most abject ignorance and superstition. It was in this intellectual and spiritual poverty where many church doctrines were formed and stand to this day as the antithesis of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thus it was Satan’s purpose that through the ignorance and unholy temperament of the union of church and state that he could work effectively to destroy Christ’s faithful church who fled to the mountain regions to maintain "the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Ju.3). But GOD ordained that throughout the centuries of the pope’s ignominious rule, generations of Apostolic Christians preserved the Judean model until the Reformation and the fall of popery in 1798 when Berthier of France arrested the pope with a decree ending all civil authority of the Catholic church. Thus the 1,260 year prophecy was fulfilled.

     Although the commandment keeping church had many names throughout the remote mountain regions of Europe and elsewhere they held synods and were united in all essential doctrines, rejoicing through tears and song their mutual deliverance “in Christ.” Their Latin Vulgate Bible, the Itala (dating from the 2nd century), played a large role in producing the King James Version Bible. Here are a few names of these noble Christians that “the books” of heaven recorded: the Albigenses, the Arnoldists, the Berengarians, the Celts, the Claudians, the Henricians, the Insabbatati, the Jacobites, the Leonists, the Lollards, the Messiahans, the Nazarenes, the Passagians, the Paterines, the Paulicians, the Petrobusians, the Runerians, the Saint Thomas Christians, the Subalpini, the Vaudois, and the Waldenses.

     These Bible-obedient brethren lived in the mountain regions throughout Europe and the British Isles, extending even throughout Asia. It was their missionary work and sacrifice that preserved the Apostolic Gospel until the Reformation movement when the great Waldensian missionary, Lollard, a Sabbath keeper, enlightened John Wycliffe, who from that moment forward became “the Morning Star of the Reformation.” Lollard showed John from Scripture Rome’s religious arrogance against the LORD Jesus Christ and GOD’S Holy Law (Rev.12:14-17). Wycliffe’s followers were even known as "Lollards." Then, one hundred years later came John Huss, who was burned at the stake by command of the pope. But GOD would not allow John to suffer in the flames! His voice sang the Gospel testimony as His breath went away. His followers were the Hussites. Then a hundred years later came Luther and the Lutherites who became the Lutherans. There is a host of other great names who were unified in the faith of Jesus: unified that the Word of GOD must always reign supreme in the life of the believer. And step-by-step, progression was made restoring the doctrines of the Gospel to the common man, who had been so long trapped in ignorance, and denied access to the Bible. In 1229 Pope Gregory IX at the Council of Toulousse placed the Holy Bible on Rome’s list of forbidden books to the common man. But a century later came John Wycliffe who translated the first English Bible. And over time, GOD worked through His faithful children to begin both the Renaissance and the Reformation whose momentum became unstoppable and ultimately led to the liberty of the United States Constitution whose legislation stands as a bulwark against tyranny.

     The history of the Waldenses is a marvelous history. The great scholar, Theodore Beza (John Calvin’s associate) wrote that their church and evangelism began in 120 A.D. Their church was patterned after the Judean model that the Apostles Peter and Paul established (I Thess.2:14). Centuries later when the church of Rome came to power and began to flex her muscle over the other Christians, demanding subservience, the Apostolic Christians gave them a name: “The Newcomers.” This fact of Christian history has been overruled and replaced with a fabrication that Rome is the mother church and arbiter of the first Bible. This has no basis in historical fact but is a lie and disinformation fed to the Christian world today just like the lies in business, politics, and war. Since Rome has removed two of the Ten Commandments and substituted her own, it is no great thing for them to remove the true history of Christ's Church and substitute her own.

     Christians, more than any other people need to know how they’re being played the fool: to not only believe a fictitious history, but most importantly to be deceived to remain in sin against GOD'S Sacred Law: the Law Christ obeyed unto death to redeem us. His obedience is not a license for disobedience. Faith and sin are not partners in salvation. And while ignorant sins are covered by the righteousness of Christ (Nu.15:27-31) this does not excuse those who know of the sins in the church and refuse to repent and turn from those sins: "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Prov.28:13. The great salvation through the sacrifice of Christ pouring His Life's Blood unto death is not to be taken lightly. Jesus Christ has saved the whole of Creation from the spreading cancer of sin!

     According to the old historians the Waldensian Bible, the Itala was translated from the Apostle's original Greek manuscripts into Latin between the days of the Apostles to no later than 170 A.D.. Progressively, through the centuries, the Waldenses were forced into seclusion. This was due to the papal church employing tyranny to impose its will over the people. The first steps to church/state union were when there was a controversy over Jesus Christ between the different factions within the Roman church. The bishop of Rome turned to the heathen emperor Aurelian to rule in the matter. Turning to a carnal minded dictator to settle a dispute over the Divine Son of GOD was a most shameful act on the part of the Roman Church. Then, some time later, the Roman pontiff, Victor I, in lordly tone excommunicated the church of the East for not following Rome’s theological determination to merge the resurrection with the ancient heathen tradition of Easter.

     But then came the first demonic brutality under Roman Catholicism. The edict of the Roman emperor, Justinian, in the 6th century illustrates the brutality that would become the mantra of the Roman church throughout the Dark Ages. The Catholic historian, Bower, gives a review of this history:

"By an edict which he [Justinian] issued to unite all men in one faith, whether Jews, Gentiles, or Christians, such as did not, in the term of three months, embrace and profess the Catholic faith, were declared infamous, and, as such, excluded from all employments both civil and military, rendered incapable of leaving anything by will, and their estates confiscated, whether real or personal. These were convincing arguments of the truth [?] of the Catholic faith; but many, however, withstood them, and against such as did, the imperial edict was executed with utmost rigor. Great numbers were driven from their habitations with their wives and children, stripped and naked. Others betook themselves to flight, carrying with them what they could conceal, for their support and maintenance; but they were plundered of the little they had, and many of them inhumanely massacred by the Catholic peasants, or the soldiery, who guarded the passes." — Bower, The History of the Popes, Vol. 1, p. 334.

     Following the brutality then came the work to wipe from the face of the Earth the existence of Christ’s true Church. In 600 A.D. Pope Gregory I burned the two Palatine Libraries of the Waldenses to the ground removing 500 years of history, testimonials and missionary work of the Waldenses. From then on the church of Jesus Christ settled into remote regions of the European Alps.

     For centuries these people, WHO WOULDN'T FORCE THE WILL OF ANYONE, preserved for us today the "liberty which we have in Christ Jesus" (Gal.2:4, 5:1). They were diligent in education, craft and trade. Their children memorized large portions of the Bible (each given a section to remember) and would attend the missionaries on their journeys to learn the way of Christ’s evangelism. They were merchants who would enter villages to sell their wares. Always on the alert for anyone who showed a thirst for righteousness, they would eagerly share the Scripture promises of salvation through Jesus Christ and Christ alone! Troubadours would go into villages and play their skillful music before the common man. And in no time, word would spread to the lords and kings of their great skill in music. Playing before kings and nobles they would sing passages from the gospels and epistles. The king would ask, What words are these that you sing? Of life, hope, and peace? The troubadours would respond, These are the words of the LORD Jesus Christ recorded for us in the Bible. I have the words written here if your majesty would like to see them.

     Thus, the Word of GOD was spread throughout the lands of Europe. It’s power, attended by the Holy Spirit, drew from hearts the deep longings of the human soul throughout the long dark ages of Roman rule, thus, preserving until the Reformation the Gospel of the LORD Jesus Christ.

Addendum: There is an important principle to understand when studying the Bible’s time prophecies in the books of Daniel and Revelation. It’s called the one day=one year principle. GOD had established this principle of one prophetic day equals one literal year when the children of Israel refused to enter the Promised Land. For the number of days they spied out the land but refused to enter it they were to spend an equivalent number of years in the wilderness. This principle of Bible prophecy is symbolic of man’s inherent refusal to believe GOD’S Word. (This is why Jesus Christ taught many of heaven’s lessons in parables: to draw a deeper study, which in turn would lead to a saving faith in Him.) In conclusion, the time prophecies of Daniel and Revelation employ the one prophetic day equals one literal year principle, as it is written, “I have appointed thee each day for a year” (Nu.14:34; Eze.4:6).

Addendum 2: One must be on their guard when they read history. To this day, the history of Christ's true church has been both slandered and surgically removed by the counter-reformation agents of Rome: The Jesuit Order. This is the only reason this priesthood exists. They have no other purpose. These are the men who write all of our nation's legislation in Washington. So, who runs America? Daniel and Revelation declare Rome as the ruler until Christ comes to crush this regime masquerading in the guise of virtue. Although hard to find their writings, the old historians who lived through the tumultuous times and had firsthand knowledge of the bloodstained religion masquerading as Christ obedient provide ample evidence of the sabotage of church history that the scholars of the Reformation well understood: that Rome is the "beast" of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13:1-10, and that the pope is the great Antichrist of Bible prophecy as Paul so clearly ascertained from his studies of Daniel:

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the 2nd Advent] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work." II Thess.2:3-17.