Christians hiding in the wilderness
In fact, they failed, and complained to their superiors that, ‘The heretics make a pope of their Bible’. Not knowing the Scriptures, the monks were unable to refute the Vaudois pastors, and left them in their mountain confines.
There is one episode that stands out in the lives of the Waldenses called the “great slaughter” It began at four o’clock on the morning of Saturday, April, 1655.
Remember, these people were Sabbath-keepers, so this was early on Sabbath morning, no doubt purposely chosen. It was to have been a day of worship, instead it was a day of horror upon horror. In this early hour, one thousand assassins began their work of death.
“Though the victims climbed the hills with what speed they could, the murderer was on their track. The torrents as they rolled down from the heights soon began to be tinged with blood. Gleams of lurid light burst out through the dark smoke that was rolling through the vales, for a priest and monk accompanied each party of soldiers, to set fire to the houses as soon as the inmates had been dispatched.
Alas! what sounds are those that repeatedly strike the ear? The cried and groans of the dying were echoed and re-echoed from rocks around, and it seemed as if the mountains had taken up a wailing for the slaughter of their children…. The earth resembled a furnace, and the air was filled with a darkness like that of Egypt, which might be felt, from the smoke of towns, villages, temples, mansions, granges, and buildings, all burning in the flames of the Vatican.” Historian Leger, quoted in History of the Waldenses. J.A. Wylie p140.141.
Wylie writes of how the historian Leger felt while writing this history. “My hand trembles so that I scarce can hold the pen, and my tears mingle in torrents with my ink, while I write the deeds of these children of darkness, blacker even than the Prince of Darkness himself.” Leger. Part 2 p11. Ibid p141.142.
Dear Reader, I too hate writing about these horrors. And I am sure you do not enjoy reading this type of narrative. Much more could be cited, for this is a mere sampling, but it is written for one reason alone – so you will understand without question -- that the power behind the persecuting of God’s people during the twelve hundred years of papal persecution was that “old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the world.” Revelation 12:9.
We will conclude this section on the persecutions of God’s people in their wilderness home with a well-known sonnet called ‘On the Late Massacres in Piedmont’ by John Milton. Although it was in honour of the ‘great slaughter’ of the Waldenses, it speaks for all the faithful who gave their lives for truth. (Milton obviously knew Bible prophecy, as he had a correct understanding of the perpetrator as the ‘triple tyrant’ and ‘the Babylonian woe’)
Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughtered saints, whose bones
Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold,
Ev’n them that kept thy truth so pure of old
When all our fathers worshipped stocks and stones.
Forget not: in Thy book record their groans
Who were Thy sheep and in their ancient fold
Slain by the bloody Piedmontese that rolled
Mother with infant down the rocks. Their moans
The vales redoubled to the hill, and they
To heaven. Their martyred blood and ashes sow
O’er all the Italian fields where still doth sway
The triple tyrant: that from these may grow
A hundredfold, who have learned Thy way,
Early may fly the Babylonian woe.
In the future there will be incredible miracles by this same power, for one purpose – to deceive you and me.
Jesus warned, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” Matthew 24:4.
Now to the last verse of chapter 12.
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17.
When the papal dominion came to an end, the “woman” was able to emerge from the wilderness. This means that the pure church was visible after 1798.
Persecution 1260 years persecution True church able to emerge
AD34__________AD538__________________1798 _______________________________________
The broad scope of Revelation 12 – from the apostles to the end
Although there were millions of Christians during the time of persecution, when it is time for the “woman” to emerge, there is only a “seed” remaining.
The devil knew Christians would be watching for the emerging church.
So what did he do?
He made certain many churches arose during the early 1800s to confuse. I am not going to mention them all, but each one has a doctrine specially designed to deceive those who are looking for the “seed” of the “woman”.
In 1859, Charles Darwin’s book ‘On the Origin of the Species’ was printed. It spoke against Biblical creation in favour of atheistic evolution. Although Darwin did not understand the prophecies, he was used of the devil to counter the Bible Sabbath. If there is no creation, there is no Sabbath day.
Today we are seeing the teachings of Evolution in a way that would amaze and perhaps shock Charles Darwin. He may be pleased, but if he saw all the scientific discoveries regarding Genetics, DNA, RNA, and so much more, he may even abandon his theory.
As these churches emerged during those early years, mainstream Christendom denounced them as completely false. How could anything so ‘young’ be a bearer of truth? In reality, the church was actually very old, for its doctrines went back to the apostles and beyond.
The Bible gives two identification marks for Christ’s church. The remnant “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17.
When the “woman” went into the wilderness, she obeyed the commandments of God. When she came out, she was still obeying them. This identification mark eliminates all contenders, except those who keep the Ten Commandments, including the fourth.
The second identification mark is that the true church will have “the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17. Every doctrine she holds will be found in the Bible, shown clearly and not by inference.
Another verse gives a further explanation. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10.
What is the “spirit of prophecy”?
It is a revelation of the future by the Spirit of God. John was told the little flock would “prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Revelation 10:11. They would be able to do this because there would be a prophet within their midst.
The last verse of the chapter speaks of the “remnant” of the woman’s seed. They will have been separated from the denominations because they believe and practise the teachings of the Bible.
At the end, this “remnant” will feel the wrath of Satan.
Do You want to know the Future?
No.18.
In this chapter we will take a very broad sweep of the whole Christian era, from beginning to end. And just for a brief moment, go back into eternity.
First of all, John sees a beautiful woman in heaven. She is “clothed with the sun”, has “the moon under her feet”, and on her head a “crown of twelve stars”. Revelation 12:1.
You will recall that a woman in Bible prophecy represents a church, either the true church or the false one.
This woman is beautiful because she represents the bride of Christ, His true church. During the Old Testament period, light had shone upon her prophets, but it was a veiled glory, as the moon is the reflected light of the ‘day star’.
Luke, the physician wrote of the birth of Christ, “whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:78.79.
This is the full glory of the sun shining upon the church.
In the same vein Malachi said, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings…” Malachi 4:2.
In the prophecy, the woman is standing on the moon, showing that the Old Testament era has ended, and the sun has risen upon the world in the imminent birth of the Christ child. The twelve stars that adorn her brow represent the twelve apostles of the Christian Church.
As you know, Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God and to his throne.” Revelation 12:5.
This is the second time we have heard of the “rod of iron”, and as said previously, it is not the method by which Christ will rule, but a picture of the justice of God. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord .” Romans 12:19. (We will mention this again, as it comes up in a later chapter)
You will notice that the verse said “her child was caught up unto God and to his throne”, making it clear that the Child is our Saviour. After His earthly ministry, Jesus ascended to heaven and “sat down on the right hand of God” to begin His heavenly ministry in the holy place of the sanctuary. Hebrews 10:12.
Now the chapter reveals another sign. “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.” Revelation 12:3.
Who is the dragon?
Further down it says, “the great dragon…. that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan.” Revelation 12:9.
The symbol portrays Satan as a red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns.
You will recall that the fourth beast of Daniel 7 had ten horns, and it represented Rome prior to the time of the breakup of the Empire.
Is there a relationship?
Yes.
In Daniel we learned that a beast represents a kingdom or a nation, so from this we understand that although the “red dragon” represents Satan, it also represents a kingdom.
What did the dragon do?
It “stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” Revelation 12:4.
Did anyone representing Rome attempt to kill the Christ child?
Yes.
Herod, the Edomite. Being of alien birth he was hated by the Jews; his only security was Rome. When the wise men failed to return from Bethlehem, Herod sent his soldiers to murder all the babies under two years. He hoped Jesus would be among them.
Praise God, Joseph was warned in a dream. “…Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” Matthew 2:13.
But the fourth beast of Daniel did not have seven heads and seven crowns.
Why has John’s beast these characteristics?
It is important to remember that Revelation takes the prophecies of Daniel and expands them. As we said at the very beginning, the book of Daniel must be studied before Revelation as it lays a foundation for the Apocalypse.
The “red dragon” combines the whole scope of Daniel’s prophetic history into one animal. In Daniel there were four beasts, but in Revelation 12, there is one. The “seven heads” are the progressive powers that have ruled over the time of all the prophecies together.
The “seven crowns” are on the heads, rather than the horns, to show that the prophecy begins prior to the breakup of the kingdoms into Europe. (You will recall in Daniel 7 that the “ten horns” represented the breakup of Western Rome into the “ten kingdoms” of Europe)
We all understand that Christ was born during the rulership of Imperial Rome. Daniel had predicted that Rome would “stand up against the Prince of princes”, and this was fulfilled at the beginning of His life and at the end. Daniel 8:25.
Come back to that “old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan.” Revelation 12:9.
The reason why the “red dragon” is identified as the devil in this chapter is because God is clearly identifying who is behind the persecution in this world. It certainly was pagan Rome. It certainly was papal Rome. But behind these powers was the devil – all the way through.
The first mention of the serpent in the Bible is in the Garden of Eden.
“Now the serpent was more subtil (subtle, clever) than any beast of the field…” Genesis 3:1. This is the reason for the words “old serpent” in John’s vision. Our minds are taken back to the entrance of sin.
As we have said before, the “serpent” in the Garden of Eden was not a venomous snake, but a beautiful winged creature. In punishment for its part in the devil’s scheme to entice and deceive Eve, its wings were plucked. Instead of flying through the air, it slithered along the ground.
But John’s prophecy goes even further back to a time in eternity, when the devil himself was cast out of heaven.
The question is asked by Isaiah, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground… For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high.” Isaiah 14:12-14 - a double prophecy of an earthly king and Lucifer.
You see, the devil’s name was once Lucifer, meaning ‘light bearer’ or ‘morning star’.
Ezekiel tells us he was the “cherub that covereth”. Ezekiel 28:14. This means he was next to the throne as God’s closest attendant.
Lucifer was not created an evil being, for the prophet says he was “perfect” from the day he was created “till iniquity was found in thee.” Ezekiel 28:15.
It is a mystery how a perfect angel, the leading angel over ten times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands of holy beings, became dissatisfied with his position. Why would he want God’s very throne?
There was no excuse.
The prophet continued, “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness…” Ezekiel 28:17.
Pride of appearance and position brought Lucifer down. (We will return to these verses later on in Revelation)
After his evil commitment, Lucifer subtlely suggested to other angels that perhaps God had not been fair in how he was being treated, or them, for that matter. Finally this evil surmising bred rebellion in one third of the heavenly host. The Bible puts it this way, “And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven.” Revelation 12:4.
Remember, this is symbology. The devil does not have a tail and a pitchfork as is often portrayed. He still is a powerful and beautiful angel, although his beauty is no doubt much tarnished by evil.
After a final heavenly council, “There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.” Revelation 12:7. (We have no idea how the war took place, but it would not have been like the wars on earth)
It was a sad experience for the heavenly host, but for the sake of the peace, happiness and stability of heavenly beings, this separation and banishment was necessary.
Where did these angels go?
On the surface, the words of Scripture can cause some confusion.
Chapter 12 says of Lucifer, “he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him”. Revelation 12:9. In fact, “the earth” is mentioned twice as the destination for these fallen angels.
Although the words are correct, we need to understand that the words “cast out” have a double application, but only once is this earth the destination.
After the devil had tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, and she had tempted her husband, they both automatically became subjects of Satan.
Adam had been head of the human race, but through sin, that right had been forfeited.
Now Satan claimed it as his own.
Some time later, and we have no idea how long it was, the new head of the human race, albeit still under the jurisdiction of the Creator, winged his way to heaven and demanded entrance.
When asked why he should be given that privilege, he replied, “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” Job 1:7; 2:2.
This was a council meeting of “the sons of God” who “came to present themselves before the Lord.” Job 1:6. 2:1.
Who are these sons of God?
They are created beings from other worlds.
Notice how Luke ends his genealogy of the head of this earth. “… which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.” Luke 3:38.
Yes, Adam, as head of the human race should have been earth’s representative.
The representatives of the other worlds were sinless, and of course, Adam was no longer without sin. Therefore he could not be present.
Instead, Satan represented this planet’s inhabitants.
You may be surprised there are people on other worlds, but this is the Bible picture. However, please do not think they are like ET or little green men. They are beautiful beings, similar to us, but having never fallen into sin, they retain their original splendour. (Isaiah 40:21.22 tell us the heavens are as “a tent to dwell in”, and v15 says the “nations” of this world are “as a drop of [in] a bucket” compared to the rest of the bucket’s water, or the nations of the universe)
Now back to Satan as the head of the human race. It was a usurped right, but God granted his claim.
For Adam and Eve to be forgiven their sins and reinstated as servants of God, the Son needed to be born into humanity, live a perfect life, and die the penalty of all sins that would ever be committed on earth. He was willing to do this, and praise God He achieved it.
By gaining the victory over sin in human flesh, and paying its penalty, Jesus Christ won the right to be the Head of the human race. He had succeeded where Adam failed. He had, by perfectly legal means, taken the headship from the hands of Satan.
This is why the angels exclaimed, “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:10.
No longer could Satan represent those who dwell on the earth, and he was cast out of heaven to this earth, the place he was claiming to have dominion.
This is the second application of the prophecy, and this is where “cast out into the earth” applies on both occasions in this chapter. Revelation 12:4.9.
Now back to the first application.
After Lucifer’s original rebellion, he and his angels were definitely cast out of heaven, but it was not to the earth. (It could possibly be a place called Tartaroo (or Tartarus), used only once in the Greek, translated ‘hell’ in English. 2 Peter 2:4. However, it is not ‘hell’ as this word is commonly understood, as a place of torment. Strong’s Concordance gives this meaning, but it is false. We will study this further on in Revelation. We do not know where Lucifer and his angels were cast, possibly a desolate, uninhabited planet, but certainly not the earth)
When Lucifer sinned, this earth had not been created. It is only 6000 years old. We do not know how long Adam and Eve lived without sin, but from their fall, it is almost 6000 years.
Knowing our wonderful God as we see Him revealed in Scripture, we can be absolutely certain that having created a beautiful world for our first parents, he would not have cast Satan and his evil host into this earth to harass and spoil their happiness. (Their happiness need never have been spoiled. It could have remained for all eternity -- if they had always been obedient to God’s commands)
When the earth was created, “the morning stars sang together, and all sons of God shouted for joy.” Job 38:7.
The universe rejoiced in the creation of this world.
Below is a photograph of the Spiral galaxy, not our own, but very similar.
The position of the earth in our galaxy is on the edge of an outer arm of the wheel. When we look at the stars at night, we see the Milky Way, which is the band of stars of which we are a part.
“The heavens declare the glory of God…. and night unto night sheweth knowledge.” Psalm 19:1.2.
Contents Revelation 12 Next Study
If our earth was in this galaxy, or any other, we could not even draw it in, for the ratio is too vast. If you multiply this galaxy by millions of millions, far more galaxies that we can imagine, you will have a vague sense of the vastness of creation. And within these galactic wheels are sinless beings who rejoiced at the creation of this world.
How wonderful to hear heavenly beings singing throughout the universe.
Satan and his evil host were not part of this rejoicing, and they probably felt very uncomfortable. All they could do was wait and see what God’s creative power accomplished. As angelic beings, they could watch from a distance, but not interfere.
Once the six days of creation were finished, and God had rested the seventh day, Adam was permitted to freely roam about Eden. After Eve had joined him, the happy pair were able to enjoy its beauties together as husband and wife.
In the “cool of the day”, the Son of God visited the Eden home. Genesis 3:8. Adam and Eve rejoiced to receive His visit. Together they worshiped their Creator and listened to His wonderful lessons of instruction.
After some time, Satan began to consider how he might bring these two human beings down. If he could entice them to sin, he would make the earth his headquarters. Quietly, and on his own, the devil went for a visit. He knew it was no good approaching Adam and Eve in person, as they had been warned of the fallen angel, so he went straight to the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Commandeering the flying serpent to remain in the tree, the devil waited invisibly in its branches.
Perhaps you may wonder why God allowed this fallen angel to enter earth’s boundaries and tempt the young couple.
It is simply because love must be tested. Without a test, human beings would be robots, and robots cannot love.
Adam and Eve were given one prohibition, a simple command that would cause no hardship in their sinless world. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16.17.
God permitted Satan at the tree of knowledge of good and evil. His temptations were only possible at this tree. He was not permitted to follow the sinless couple around Eden.
Sadly, Eve wandered in the direction of the forbidden tree, and you know the rest of the story.
The moment Adam, as head of the human race, succumbed to Eve’s temptation, and the punishment meted out, the devil was permitted, with all his host, to tempt Adam and Eve – and their descendants – every moment of every day and in every place.
We may not like it, but God must allow this to take place, as the stability of the universe is at stake. When He finally eradicates sin, no one will be able to question His dealings with it, from the side of good or the side of evil.
When Adam and Eve surrendered their hearts to the Lord and in penitence took part in the first sacrificial service, Satan realised his powers would be limited. But he also knew that if he persisted with his temptations, he would win some of God’s people to his side. Any who refused to surrender their pride would be at the mercy of Satan.
When Jesus conquered Satan on the cross of Calvary, the heavenly host cried out with joy, “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.” Revelation 12:12.
Why?
Satan could no longer meet with the representatives of other worlds in the heavenly meetings.
“Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Revelation 12:12.
Christ is now the rightful Head of the human race, and He represents His brothers and sisters on the earth.
When Satan and his evil host saw Christ rise from the tomb, they were furious, for they knew it meant their destruction. And they knew it would be in a “short time”.
Two thousand years is a long time to us, but to angels who have lived many millennia, even before the creation of the earth, it is not very long.
So the devil has “great wrath” at this time in earth’s history.
His anger has been building up since Christ’s resurrection, and with such a short time left, he is going to do as much as he can to destroy all who accept Christ as their Saviour. Sad to say, in many countries of the world, Christians are being slaughtered for their faith every day. Soon it will be our turn.
Now, let us go back to the “woman”, a pure woman who represents God’s true church. (The Catholic Church teaches that this woman is Mary. This is false)
When the woman’s Son was “caught up to God and to his throne”, Satan knew he could not touch Christ again. So he turned on the woman.
If you read through the book of Acts, you will find much of how Satan persecuted the early church. First he used the Jewish leaders in a great persecution at Jerusalem. Christians “were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria.” Acts 8:1.
Later a Pharisee by the name of Saul “made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.” Acts 8:3.
Persecution of the prophetic “woman” continued on throughout the lives of the apostles until all except John had died of martyrdom.
Then the devil began working among the newly formed churches.
“There were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them…” 2 Peter 2:1.
Especially did he work this way in Rome. (This was the beginning of the other “woman”, the false church)
“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.” Revelation 12:6.
This is the same period of persecution as revealed in Daniel 7, beginning in AD 538 and ending in 1798.
Notice how the length of time is confirmed. “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.” Revelation 12:14. (To rehearse this coded time period, go back to Booklet 3)
We are told in these verses that God’s pure and holy church fled into the wilderness with the speed of an eagle, and while there, was nourished and kept alive during those long, dark ages of persecution.
Daniel 7 gives us the history of the persecutor, and Revelation 12 gives us the history of the persecuted. The basic information is the same, but in Revelation 12 we are told that behind the papal persecutions is Satan, the angel who fell from heaven.
Let us talk of the ‘church in the wilderness’.
Over these long years, persecuted Christians rejected the teachings of Rome, and they were driven all over the world. These include the Waldenses, the Huguenots, the Moravians, the Albigenses, the Hussites, the Wycliffites, the Armenians, the Jacobites, the Taborites and many others.
The truth was planted in many lands.
“The Waldenses, as they were ancient, were also numerous. Vignier, from other historians, gives a high idea of their populousness. The Waldenses, says this author, multiplied wonderfully in France, as well as in other countries of Christendom. They had many patrons in Germany, France, Italy, and especially in Lombardy, notwithstanding the papal exertions for their extirpation.” The Variations of Popery. Samuel Edgar p51.
Catholic historians say they were “in nearly every country”, “through all the lands”, in “a thousand cities”, “spread their contagion through almost the whole Latin world”. “Scarcely any region”, said Gretzer “remained free and untainted from this pestilence.”
One historian said they had “spread, not only through France, but also through nearly all the European coasts, and appear in Gaul, Spain, England, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Bohemia, Saxony, Poland, Lithuania”. Another wrote that they were “spread through Bulgaria, Croatia, Dalmatia, Spain and Germany”, and still another said they were “prodigious in France, England, Piedmont, Sicily, Calabria, Poland, Bohemia, Saxony, Pomerania, German, Livonia, Sarmatia, Constantinople, Philadelphia and Bulgaria.” Ibid. Quoted in Truth Triumphant. Benjamin G. Wilkinson p252. (The Waldensians were also called the Vaudois)
These Christian men and women were Sabbath-keepers, also called the Insabbati, referring to the seventh-day Sabbath. Most of the other groups mentioned at the top of the page were also Sabbath-keepers.
When Augustine was sent to Ireland by the pope, he discovered a church already in existence. It was the Celtic Church, of which Patrick and Columba were members. (I am not saying Patrick and Columba were there when Augustine came, but that this was their church. Do not be deceived by Catholic propaganda that Patrick was a Roman Catholic. There is no evidence whatsoever. The Celtic Church was a Sabbath-keeping church that refused to come under the jurisdiction of Rome.)
In Ireland, Augustine “baptised ten thousand pagans in one day” by driving them en masse into the water. Then, relying on the support of the pope, he summoned the leaders of the ancient Celtic Church and demanded, “Acknowledge the authority of the Bishop of Rome”.
They meekly replied, “The only submission we can render him is that which we owe to every Christian”. History of the Reformation. D’Aubigne XVII, Ch 2. “But as far as further obedience, we know of none that he, whom you term the pope, or Bishop of Bishops, can claim or demand.” Variations of Popery. p180-183.
In AD 601, Augustine proudly threatened them with secular punishment. Edelfred, the king of Northumbria, at the instigation of Augustine, poured 50,000 men into the Vale Royal of Chester.
“Twelve hundred British priests of the University of Bangor having come out to view the battle, Edelfred directed his forces against them as they stood in their white vestments and totally unarmed, watching the progress of the battle – they were massacred to a man.
Advancing to the university itself, he put to death every priest and student therein, and destroyed by fire, halls, colleges, and church of the university itself; thereby fulfilling, according to the words of the great Saxon authority called the Pious Bede, the prediction, as he terms it, of the blessed Augustine. The ashes of this noble monastery were smoking; its libraries, the collection of ages, having been wholly consumed.” Early British History. G.H. Whalley Esq. MP. p18.
Thus was the fate of many a brave Christian during those evil years of persecution.
“The Papacy had adopted the policy that all remains of the pure, apostolic church, whether persons or books, should be carefully eradicated, so that no trace of them might betray the sad fact that the Roman church had fallen away from the apostolic purity.” Facts of Faith. Christian Edwardson p58.
“And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.” Revelation 12:15.16.
Although millions died during the years of persecution, others were protected by their very isolation, for “the earth helped the woman”.
At times God worked miracles of nature to preserve His people – a mist would descend just at the right time, or some other act of nature.
There are two translations for the “flood” that the devil “cast out of his mouth”. It can refer to the papal soldiers, water representing people in prophecy.
It can also refer to false doctrine cast out by the enemy. But again, “the earth helped the woman”, for believers were isolated from its influence. When Rome sent the Capuchin monks to convert the ‘heretics’, they soon discovered victory would not be easy.