The Two Seeds(pt 3a)-- The Church in the Wilderness

Part I -- Intro
Part II -- The Woman and the Dragon

If you haven't done so, please acquaint yourselves with part I and II before reading this post. I try to keep all the post short and to the point, so hopefully it won't be too lengthy of a read for you.

It has often been claimed by Papist (and believed by protestants) that the principals that Protestantism teaches can only trace its origins to Martin Luther in the 1400's, or if one is perhaps more honest they might even concede it beginning 100 years prior with John Wycliffe. Meanwhile the same critics will claim that the church of Rome finds its origins in apostolic times, claiming apostolic succession, designating St. Peter as the very first Pope. Apart from the dogma that Peter is the first Pope, I do not deny its claims in finding its origins in apostolic times (more in this in future post); however, was Protestantism and it's principles a new idea or do we find a succession of it's principals in every age? What saith the scripture?

In Part I we identified there are two seeds in God's church, that of the wicked one and that of the righteous. In Part II, we identified the Woman in Rev 12:1 as representative of God's true church, whose origins in that chapter began in apostolic times and whose foundation is the bible and the bible alone. That woman would be persecuted by the dragon, the devil working through Rome, for the first few centuries up until the time of Constantine. Shortly after Constantine united church and state, we see that the persecution did not stop for those who refused to compromise. Like Cain persecuted Abel, the seed of the wicked one would persecute the true church for "offering a more righteous sacrifice." Scripture says,

Rev 12:
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

Scripture shows us that the times, time and a half a time represents 1260 days, or 1260 years.

6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.



Who is this woman, or church that fled to the wilderness? The text should draw the mind to two stories in the OT. One, the Exodus, and the other, the story of Elijah being "nourished" by Ravens. Concerning the exodus out of Egypt:

Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Exo 19:4

Concerning this journey, Moses said to pharaoh, "The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God." Exo 3:18

Why did the Jews have to flee into the wilderness? To escape persecution.


In the account of Elijah, we see a similar story. After declaring to Ahab that the Lord will bring about a 7 year drought, the Lord said to Elijah: "3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there." 1 Kings 17:3, 4

From what was Elijah hiding from? From church/state persecution, instigated by the hand of Jezebel. There, in the wilderness, Elijah was to be nourished by God.

So it is that there was a church, who suffered fierce persecution at the hands of a spiritual Jezebel (Rev 17), who God sought to preserve in the wilderness.


What church organization fits this description? A church known as the Waldensian of the Piedmont valleys in Italy. In the next study, I will reveal the fascinating history of the Waldensian movement, a scarce history which the enemy of souls and his seed do not want you to know about.


Blessings,
--MoG















 
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