A Pocket Pastor traces spiritual lineage from the Celtic Church through Luther, Calvin, and Tyndale, arguing theological truths were revealed progressively across centuries. The speaker places the end of a 1260-year persecution period in 1798 and anticipates a faithful remnant in the end times.
Our spiritual lineage is a rich one with many illustrious names stretching back to the earliest centuries. We start started this journey tracing our spiritual lineage with the Celtic Church. In Britain, we saw that as early as the 5th and 6th centuries and lasting to the 12th century, there were Christians who were trying to maintain a faith based on their understanding of God's word. The Waldensians of northern Italy were another such group who could trace their origins centuries back. The faith and belief of groups such as these stood in conflict with the claims from Rome that they were the mother Church. And so they sought to either convert or destroy them.
In an era of immense darkness, John Wycliffe arose the Morning Star. Whilst he did not start a new church by translating the Bible and through his teachings, he was able to peel back the layers of night that had descended during the Dark Ages. John Wycliffe was followed by Huss and Jerome, two brave men in Prague. A century later, Martin Luther arose in Germany, Zwingli in Switzerland, Farrell and Calvin in France and then Switzerland. All great men who went against the grain and remained true to their convictions.
In Britain, William Tyndale would produce a beautiful translation of the B, something that would cost him his life. It was not an easy time to be a believer, but slowly and surely the light was beginning to shine. Proverbs 4:18 says that the path of the just is as a shining light that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. Meaning that when God reveals truth to us, whether individually or collectively, he does it bit by bit. The sun does not just appear in the morning, but but it comes over the horizon gradually. And so God gives us truth in bite sized pieces. And so with the Church, each Reformer built on the steps of those who had come before them.
The truth of justification, sanctification, baptism, Christian charity, freedom and the second coming all came back gradually. Each of the Reformers did not always agree with each other, but God used each one. As the Dark ages ended in 1798 with the close of the 1260 year prophecy, and as the world entered a time period known as the time of the End, the prophecy said that knowledge would increase. This is not to be interpreted of knowledge of science or technology, but knowledge of the books of the Bible, in particular Daniel and Revelation would be unveiled as we neared the end.
Despite the huge gains that had taken place during the Reformation, Revelation 12 points out that after the woman or the Church would come out of persecution at the end of the 1260 years prior to that, God would have a remnant at the end of time. A remnant who as Revelation 12:17 points out would keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus. But who would this be? And how would God lead His people in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries? Join us next season as we continue this journey and explore our spiritual lineage through time.
Sam.
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