Original subtitles

HE ONLY TAUGHT FOR 3 1 /2 YEARS,

YET IN ONE GENERATION

WHAT HE SAID TRANSFORMED THE WORLD.

ALL THE ARMIES THAT EVER MARCHED,

ALL THE NAVIES THAT EVER SAILED;

AND ALL THE KINGS THAT EVER REIGNED, COMBINED,

HAVE NOT AFFECTED HISTORY

AS MUCH AS THIS ONE SOLITARY LIFE.

NOW, TWO THOUSAND YEARS LATER

HIS FOLLOWERS NUMBER IN THE BILLIONS

AND COVER THE EARTH,

YET THE PRACTICE OF MODERN CHRISTIANITY TODAY

SCARCELY RESEMBLES THE EARLY TEACHINGS OF JESUS

PROPHEC Y FORETOLD THIS WOULD HAPPEN...

CIRCA AD 91 PRISON ISLAND - PATMOS

A WOMAN, A CHILD AND A DRAGON.

AT FIRST GLANCE THIS MIGHT SOUND

LIKE THE INGREDIENTS FOR A FRIGHTENING FAIRY TALE.

IN FACT, THE TROUBLING SCENES THAT YOU JUST WITNESSED

ARE PART OF A TRUE AND POWERFUL PROPHEC Y

GIVEN TO THE APOSTLE JOHN NEARLY 2,000 YEARS AGO.

WHAT DOES THIS PROPHEC Y,

FOUND IN REVELATION 1 2, TELL US?

DOES IT POINT TO SOME EVENT

THAT HAPPENED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO

OR DOES IT DESCRIBE THINGS

THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE PLACE IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

AND WHO DO THE WOMAN,

THE DRAGON AND THE CHILD REPRESENT?

JOIN US NOW AS WE JOURNEY DEEP INTO A WORLD

THAT FEW HAVE EVER SEEN BUT ALL ARE A PART OF.

REVELATION: THE BRIDE, THE BEAST AND BABYLON.

REVELATION: THE BRIDE, THE BEAST AND BABYLON

IN THE LAST BOOK OF THE BIBLE, REVELATION,

THE APOSTLE JOHN WAS SHOWN A VISION

OF A GREAT STRUGGLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL,

A PROPHEC Y OF A BATTLE

THAT HAS BEEN RAGING BEHIND THE SCENES

SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME.

THE SECRETS BEHIND THIS PROPHEC Y

HAVE BEEN SHROUDED IN MYSTERY FOR CENTURIES...

UNTIL NOW.

FROM THE KINGDOMS AND THE RULERS

THAT HAVE FALLEN AROUND THE WORLD

TO THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT STOOD UP TO FIGHT

FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVED IN,

THIS IS THE STORY OF CHRISTIANITY,

THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH

AND THE FOUNDATION FOR THE FAITH OF BILLIONS.

''NOW A GREAT SIGN APPEARED IN HEAVEN:

''A WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN,

''WITH THE MOON UNDER HER FEET,

''AND ON HER HEAD A GARLAND OF TWELVE STARS...

''...THEN BEING WITH CHILD,

''SHE CRIED OUT IN LABOR AND IN PAIN TO GIVE BIRTH...

''AND THE DRAGON STOOD BEFORE THE WOMAN

''WHO WAS READY TO GIVE BIRTH,

TO DEVOUR HER CHILD AS SOON AS IT WAS BORN.''

MANY BIBLE SCHOLARS AND HISTORIANS

HAVE STUDIED THIS PROPHEC Y OVER THE YEARS

AND AGREED THAT THE PROPHEC Y OF REVELATION 1 2

POINTS TO AN EVENT

KNOWN AS ''THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS''

WHICH OCCURRED IN FIRST CENTURY JUDEA.

IN THE DECADES LEADING UP TO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST,

THE ROMAN EMPIRE

HAD CONQUERED THE WHOLE MEDITERRANEAN WORLD,

INCLUDING JUDEA.

AND AT VARIOUS POINTS IN THAT HISTORY

THEY HAD DIFFERENT PEOPLE RULING OVER IT.

TWENTY YEARS BEFORE JESUS WAS BORN YOU HAVE KING HEROD,

A CLIENT KING FOR ROME.

WE HAVE DOCUMENTS ABOUT HIM OUTSIDE THE BIBLE

THAT TELL US THAT HE WAS VERY CRUEL.

HE WAS CAPABLE OF KILLING HIS OWN SONS.

HE WAS RUTHLESS

AND YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO GET ON HIS BAD SIDE.

HEROD WAS VERY ANXIOUS

WHEN A SMALL DELEGATION OF WISE MEN FROM THE EAST

CAME TO JERUSALEM

ANNOUNCING THEIR SEARCH FOR THE NEWBORN KING OF THE JEWS.

WHY WOULD HEROD BE UPSET ABOUT THAT?

BECAUSE THAT WAS HEROD'S TITLE AS BESTOWED UPON HIM

BY THE ROMAN EMPIRE: KING OF THE JEWS.

AND HE ASKS HIS ASTROLOGERS,

''HOW LONG IS IT POSSIBLE

THIS CHILD COULD HAVE BEEN BORN AGO?''

AND THEY DETERMINE

IT'S PROBABLY BEEN MAYBE 2 YEARS AT MOST

SINCE THIS CHILD WAS BORN, MAYBE LESS.

HE FINDS OUT FROM THE PHARISEES AND THE SADDUCEES

EXACTLY WHERE THIS CHILD WAS TO BE BORN

AND HE FINDS OUT IT'S BETHLEHEM

AND HE WORRIED ABOUT LOSING HIS THRONE.

AND SO HE HAS SUCH ANGER AGAINST THIS CHILD

HE SENDS IN THE SOLDIERS TO TRY AND KILL JESUS.

THE BIBLE TELLS US THIS BARBARIC ACT

WAS INSPIRED BY MORE THAN JUST THE TYRANNICAL JEALOUSY

OF AN OLD KING.

MANY BIBLE SCHOLARS BELIEVE

THAT IT'S PART OF A MUCH BIGGER STRUGGLE

THAT HAS SPANNED THE AGES AND IS STILL HAPPENING TODAY.

TO UNCOVER THE SECRETS OF THIS PROPHEC Y

WE'RE GOING TO FIRST NEED TO IDENTIFY THE MAIN CHARACTERS:

THE WOMAN, THE CHILD AND THE DRAGON.

HE SAYS, ''THEN I SAW ANOTHER SIGN, A WOMAN,

''CLOTHED WITH THE SUN, WITH THE MOON UNDER HER FEET,

AND ON HER HEAD A CROWN OF TWELVE STARS.''

LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE WOMAN.

WE KNOW THAT SHE'S A SYMBOL OF SOMEONE OR SOMETHING.

DOES THE BIBLE TELL US WHAT THIS WOMAN REPRESENTS?

''HUSBANDS LOVE YOUR WIVES,

''JUST AS CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH

AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR HER.''

WE GATHER FROM THIS

THAT THE CHURCH IS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST.

NOT ONLY IS SHE THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

BUT IN A CERTAIN SENSE, SINCE NO MAN HATES HIS OWN FLESH,

THE CHURCH IS JESUS' BODY.

VERY CLEARLY A WOMAN, IN SCRIPTURE,

REPRESENTS THE CHURCH.

YOU HAVE A WOMAN AS REPRESENTATIVE OF GOD'S PEOPLE.

WE SEE THIS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

WE SEE IT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

JESUS COMES FROM THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL

AND THEN THE CHURCH GROWS UP

AS SOMETHING THAT JESUS DEVELOPS.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS WOMAN IS ABOUT TO GIVE BIRTH

TO A SPECIAL MALE CHILD.

WHO IS THE CHILD?

WE HAVE A COUPLE OF INDICATIONS:

ONE: HE RULES WITH A ROD OF IRON OVER THE NATIONS.

THAT'S A REFERENCE TO THE OLD TESTAMENT

WHERE CLEARLY GOD IS THE ONE

RULING OVER THE NATIONS WITH A ROD OF IRON.

AND THEN HE SAYS HE'S CAUGHT UP INTO HEAVEN

AND WHO IS CAUGHT UP INTO HEAVEN?

JESUS CHRIST, RIGHT?

HE'S THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

SO THESE TWO INDICATIONS PRETTY DEFINITIVELY TELL US

THAT THIS IS JESUS.

NOW LET'S CONSIDER THE ARCH VILLAIN

IN THIS IMPORTANT PROPHEC Y: THE DRAGON.

''AND ANOTHER SIGN APPEARED IN HEAVEN:

BEHOLD, A GREAT, FIERY RED DRAGON...''

I WISH I COULD JUST GIVE YOU A FANCIFUL THEORY HERE,

BUT THE BIBLE TELLS US WHO THE DRAGON IS.

THE DRAGON IS THE DEVIL.

BOTH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW TESTAMENT

WHO TRIES TO DESTROY?

THAT IS SATAN, THE ANGEL, THE DEVIL.

AND SO HE ATTACKS

AS SOON AS CHRIST COMES UPON THE FACE OF THE EARTH;

THE ATTACK IS THERE.

''SO THE GREAT DRAGON WAS CAST OUT,

''THAT SERPENT OF OLD, CALLED THE DEVIL AND SATAN.

''WHO DECEIVES THE WHOLE WORLD;

''HE WAS CAST TO THE EARTH,

AND HIS ANGELS WERE CAST OUT WITH HIM.''

WHAT WE SEE HERE IN THE FIRST PART OF REVELATION 1 2

IS A SYMBOLIC PORTRAYAL

OF THE AGE-OLD CONFLICT BETWEEN CHRIST AND SATAN.

AND WE FIND THIS DESCRIPTION

GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE GARDEN OF EDEN

WHERE YOU HAVE A SNAKE WITH WINGS.

WHAT'S A SNAKE WITH WINGS? IT'S A FORM OF A DRAGON.

AND WE HAVE THIS SERPENT, THIS DRAGON,

COMING ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH SCRIPTURES.

ALL THROUGH THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF CHRIST

SATAN TRIED TO DISRUPT JESUS' PLANS

TO PROVIDE SALVATION FOR HUMANITY.

''BUT HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS,

''HE WAS BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES;

''THE CHASTISEMENT FOR OUR PEACE WAS UPON HIM,

AND BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.''

AT VARIOUS POINTS THEY KICKED HIM OUT OF SYNAGOGUES

AND WANTED TO PUSH HIM OFF A CLIFF.

THEY TRIED TO SILENCE HIM.

THEY TORTURED HIM TO DEATH PUBLICLY.

BUT SATAN'S SCHEME TO DERAIL THE PLAN OF SALVATION

WAS UTTERLY SHATTERED WHEN JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD.

''AND HER CHILD WAS CAUGHT UP TO GOD AND HIS THRONE.''

WITH THE SON OF GOD NOW PHYSICALLY BEYOND HIS REACH,

THE DEVIL DIRECTED ALL OF HIS FURY AT THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS,

THE NEW CHRISTIANS.

HE DID MUCH OF THIS

THROUGH THE CRUEL POWER OF IMPERIAL ROME.

''NOW WHEN THE DRAGON SAW

''THAT HE HAD BEEN CAST TO THE EARTH,

''HE PERSECUTED THE WOMAN

WHO GAVE BIRTH TO THE MALE CHILD.''

CHRISTIANITY WAS A STRUGGLING, SMALL PERSECUTED MINORITY

THAT DIDN'T HAVE OFFICIAL STATUS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE

AND THERE WERE A SERIES OF PERSECUTIONS,

SOME OF WHICH WERE QUITE SEVERE.

ONE OF THE ROLES OF RELIGION IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE

WAS TO ENSURE THE WELL-BEING OF THE STATE.

THE IDEA WAS IF THE GODS WERE WORSHIPED PROPERLY

THEN THEY WOULD FAVOR THE EMPIRE

AND IF THEY WERE WORSHIPED IMPROPERLY

THEN BAD THINGS WOULD HAPPEN TO THE EMPIRE

AS A RESULT OF DIVINE WRATH.

THEY DO NOT WANT TO SACRIFICE TO THE GODS

AND THE GODS AT THAT POINT INCLUDE THE EMPEROR.

SO IT'S EASY TO CONSIDER THESE PEOPLE

RELIGIOUS SCAPEGOATS.

BASICALLY, IF SOMETHING'S GOING WRONG

PROBABLY IT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE CHRISTIANS AROUND

WHO ARE REFUSING TO GIVE THE GODS THEIR PROPER DUE.

OF COURSE YOU HAVE TO PUNISH THEM

AND PUNISHMENT MEANT, MOST OF THE TIME, DEATH.

WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT

WAS THAT CHRISTIANS GATHERED TOGETHER

ALSO SEEMED TO MAKE LOVE WITH THEIR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

BECAUSE THERE WERE RUMORS ABOUT THEM

THAT THEY COMMIT INCEST.

THE CHRISTIANS USED TO CALL THEMSELVES ''BROTHER'' AND ''SISTER''

AND THEY USED TO EAT THE FLESH OF CHRIST.

PEOPLE HEARD, APPARENTLY,

THAT CHRISTIANS WERE EATING CHILDREN.

SO WHEN PAGANS HEARD ABOUT THIS

THEY THOUGHT THE WORSE; THEY ASSUMED THE WORST.

CHRISTIANS ARE PROGRESSIVELY STRIPPED OF THEIR CIVIL OFFICES,

THEIR MILITARY OFFICES.

THEIR BOOKS ARE CONFISCATED. THEIR CHURCHES ARE DESTROYED.

THEY'RE FORBIDDEN TO MEET AND SO ON,

ALL BECAUSE THERE'S AN ANXIETY

THAT THIS IS REALLY UNDERMINING THE WELFARE OF THE EMPIRE.

AS THE EARLY CHURCH SUFFERED

UNDER THIS WITHERING PERSECUTION OF ROME,

THEIR LIVES BECAME A POWERFUL TESTIMONY FOR TRUTH.

WHILE THE PAGANS LIVED IN CONSTANT SUPERSTITIOUS FEAR,

THESE CHRISTIANS FACED TORTURE AND DEATH

WITH A SUPERNATURAL PEACE.

BASICALLY, WHAT NERO DID WAS HE FED THEM TO THE LIONS.

HE HAD THEM TIED TO PILLARS, PUT PITCH ON THEM,

AND THEN HE SET THEM ON FIRE AS HUMAN TORCHES

SO THEY COULD HAVE THE FESTIVITIES CONTINUE ON INTO THE NIGHT.

HE HAD THEM STRETCHED, PULLED INTO TWO,

BEING KILLED BY GLADIATORS.

JUST ABOUT EVERY CREATIVE WAY

THAT YOU CAN DISPOSE OF CHRISTIANS.

WHEN FACING THE PAINFUL END OF THEIR LIVES

THEY OFTEN SANG AND REJOICED.

AS THOUSANDS OF CHRISTIANS

PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE FOR THEIR FAITH,

THEIR DYING PRAYERS AND BLOOD

ESSENTIALLY BECAME SEED FOR THE NEW CHURCH.

PEOPLE ARE SO ENTHRALLED BY HOW THESE CHRISTIANS ARE DYING

THAT IMMEDIATELY THE REACTION IS, ''SIGN ME UP.''

AND SO THE CHRISTIANS SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE.

THE MORE YOU KILLED THEM

THE MORE THEY STOOD FOR THEIR FAITH.

IT IS TRUE AND I THINK IT HAS TO BE EMPHASIZED,

THAT THE EARLY CHURCH SPREADS

DESPITE THE VERY CONCERTED ATTEMPTS AT REPRESSION

OF EXTREMELY AUTOCRATIC AND POWERFUL EMPERORS

WHO SET THEMSELVES VERY FIRMLY AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS

AND YET THE EARLY CHURCH SURVIVES.

TERTULLIAN ARGUES, WHENEVER SOMETHING GOES WRONG,

WHENEVER THERE'S A FAMINE, OR WHENEVER THERE AN ILLNESS,

A PESTILENCE THAT SWEEPS THROUGH,

EVERYBODY SAYS, ''THE CHRISTIANS TO THE LION,''

AND THEN HE SAYS SNIDELY,

''AS IF SO MANY COULD BE FED TO SO FEW.''

AND HIS POINT IS THAT YOU CAN'T DESTROY US ALL.

DURING THIS TIME OF EXPONENTIAL GROWTH,

CHRISTIANS ALL ACROSS THE ROMAN EMPIRE

QUITE LITERALLY WENT UNDERGROUND.

THIS LABYRINTH OF TUNNELS AND CHAMBERS

BENEATH THE ROMAN CITIES

BECAME KNOWN AS ''THE CATACOMBS.''

NOW, THE CATACOMBS ARE IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.

FIRST, MANY PEOPLE IMAGINE

THAT THERE ARE CAVES NATURALLY UNDER ROME

AND THE CHRISTIANS SIMPLY WENT INTO THEM.

THE CATACOMBS, ALMOST WITHOUT EXCEPTION,

ARE NOT NATURAL CAVES.

THEY WERE EXCAVATED BY THE CHRISTIANS.

AND SO THE CHRISTIANS MADE A WHOLE LABYRINTH UNDERGROUND.

SOMETIMES SERVICES WOULD BE HELD THERE

IN THE VERY TOMBS OF THE MARTYRS.

THE SECOND POINT IS THE VERY ACT OF BURYING YOUR DEAD

IS HUGELY SIGNIFICANT.

CHRISTIANS BELIEVE IN A RESURRECTION OF THE BODY.

OF COURSE, THAT BELIEF HAS SHIFTED AND CHANGED

OVER THE CENTURIES, BUT FROM ALL WE UNDERSTAND,

EARLY CHRISTIANS BELIEVED THAT THEY WOULD BE RESURRECTED

IN THAT ACTUAL BODILY FORM, AND THEREFORE,

THEY CHOSE TO BURY THEIR DEAD, NOT TO CREMATE THEM.

THEREFORE, IF YOU ARE SEEN TO BE BURYING YOUR DEAD,

ESPECIALLY AT TIMES

WHEN THERE ARE INTENSE WAVES OF PERSECUTION,

YOU'RE MORE OR LESS SAYING TO THE POLICE,

''COME AND INVESTIGATE ME. I MAY WELL BE A CHRISTIAN.''

IN AD 306, A NEW ROMAN EMPEROR CAME INTO POWER

AND THINGS BEGAN TO RAPIDLY CHANGE.

CONSTANTINE THE GREAT WAS A CAPABLE MILITARY LEADER

AND A SHREWD POLITICIAN.

SO CONSTANTINE HAD TO FIGHT A SERIES OF CIVIL WARS

IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE

HIS POLITICAL AIM OF BECOMING EMPEROR

AND THAT'S HIS OWN PERSONAL AND POLITICAL AIM

THAT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH CHRISTIANITY.

HE GOES DOWN FROM GAUL- MODERN DAY FRANCE-

WHERE HIS POWER BASE WAS,

TO CONFRONT HIS RIVAL MAXENTIUS, IN ITALY.

CONSTANTINE MOVES DOWN FROM THE NORTH -

AND YOU THINK OF ITALY, THERE'S THIS LONG STRETCH -

AND HE WINS ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER.

AS HE WAS MARCHING WITH HIS ARMY

HE HAD A DREAM ONE NIGHT WHERE GOD CAME TO HIM

AND TOLD HIM ''YOU WILL BECOME A CHRISTIAN

AND PUT THIS SIGN ON YOUR SHIELD AND YOU WILL CONQUER.''

SHORTLY AFTER THAT HE ACTUALLY HAD A VISION,

WHICH HISTORY TELLS US WAS SEEN BY HIS ARMY

AS WELL AS BY CONSTANTINE, HIMSELF.

HE LOOKED UP TO THE SUN AND HE SAW A CROSS OF LIGHT ABOVE IT

AND THE GREEK WORKS ''EN TOUTU NIKA'': BY THIS, CONQUER.

THE STORY THAT HE HAD HAD THIS DREAM

DOES APPEAR AT A RELATIVELY EARLY STAGE.

IT'S DESCRIBED BY EUSEBIUS.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT SOURCES.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT VERSIONS,

BUT IT DOES SEEM THAT CONSTANTINE DOES SAY,

''I'VE HAD THIS DIVINE ENCOUNTER

''AND AN ANGEL HAS TOLD ME

THAT IN THE SIGN OF THE CROSS I WILL CONQUER.''

CONSTANTINE COMMANDED HIS TROOPS

TO ADORN THEIR SHIELDS WITH THE CHRISTIAN SYMBOL.

HIS OPPONENT THEN MOVES OUT OF THE CITY

TO FACE THE ONCOMING CONSTANTINE WITH HIS ARMY,

WHICH HAS NOW BEEN TRAINED QUITE A BIT

BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY WON SEVERAL VICTORIES

ON THE WAY DOWN FROM THE NORTH,

FROM MILAN DOWN.

HIS OPPONENT MOVES ACROSS THE RIVER AT THE MILVIAN BRIDGE,

HAS CONSTANTINE AND HIS ARMY IN FRONT OF HIM,

THE RIVER AND THE CITY BEHIND HIM;

NOT A GREAT SITUATION TO BE IN.

IF YOU DO NOT BEAT THE ONCOMING ARMY,

YOU HAVE NOWHERE TO RETREAT.

SO HE LOSES.

SO FOR CONSTANTINE, WHO IS CERTAINLY NOT YET A CHRISTIAN,

THIS IS A POWERFUL THING BECAUSE HE HIMSELF BELIEVES

''THE CHRISTIAN GOD HAS GIVEN ME VICTORY.''

THE CHRISTIAN GOD

IS MORE POWERFUL THAN THESE OTHER DEITIES.

IT IS CLEAR THAT CONSTANTINE MADE THE SYMBOL OF CHRISTIANITY

PART OF THE IMPERIAL STANDARDS

AND THAT HE FOUGHT UNDER THAT SYMBOL AND HE WON.

BEING A GOOD ROMAN EMPEROR, HE WOULD THEN THINK,

''YEAH, I GOT THE SIGN. I'M ON THE RIGHT PATH.''

SO IF YOU'RE A PAGAN

OR JUST SOMEBODY WHO'S CONFUSED ABOUT RELIGION,

YOU'VE HAD HERE THIS CLASH OF DEITIES

AND WHO'S EMERGED ON TOP?

THE CHRISTIAN GOD.

YOU CAN DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS.

GRADUALLY, THE NATIONAL SENTIMENT

AGAINST CHRISTIANITY BEGAN REVERSING.

DURING CONSTANTINE'S REIGN,

CHRISTIANS WENT FROM BEING A PERSECUTED SECT

TO OPENLY HOLDING POSITIONS OF INFLUENCE

IN THE COURTS AND PALACES OF KINGS AND GOVERNORS.

SO A LARGE PART OF THE ELITES, USED TO RUNNING THE SHOW,

AUTOMATICALLY THEN BECOME ALSO THE LOCAL BISHOPS, ETC.

YOU KNOW, BECOME CHRISTIAN.

IT WASN'T SUCH A BIG LEAP BECAUSE MOST OF THEM,

ANYWAY, BELIEVED IN ONE SUPREME DIVINE BEING

WHICH HAD DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIONS.

IF YOU WANT TO ADVANCE IN THE ARMY

OR IN THE IMPERIAL CIVIL SERVICE,

THERE'S EVERY INCENTIVE TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN

BECAUSE ALL THE PEOPLE AT THE TOP ARE CHRISTIANS.

SO, IF YOU WANT TO ADVANCE IN THE HIERARCHY,

WHETHER IT'S MILITARY, CIVIL SERVICE, OR JUST AT COURT,

PEOPLE BECOME CHRISTIANS.

IT BECOMES VERY ATTRACTIVE

BECAUSE CONSTANTINE'S EDICT OF TOLERATION MAKES IT SO.

''CONSTANTINE CAN RIGHTFULLY CLAIM THE TITLE OF GREAT,

''FOR HE TURNED THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD

''INTO A NEW COURSE AND MADE CHRISTIANITY,

''WHICH UNTIL THEN HAD SUFFERED BLOODY PERSECUTION,

THE RELIGION OF THE STATE.''

AND SO AS PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE ROMAN EMPIRE

AND SO AS PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE ROMAN EMPIRE

ENTERED THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH,

THEY BROUGHT WITH THEM

MANY OF THEIR FORMER PAGAN BELIEFS AND PRACTICES.

NOW THAT CHRISTIANITY HAS BEEN GIVEN THE STATUS

AS A FULL LEGAL RELIGION, THEN IT BECOMES ATTRACTIVE

SUBSEQUENTLY IN THE NEXT GENERATIONS,

FOR A BROAD NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THIS UPPER ELITE.

NOW THE PERCENTAGE OF CHRISTIANS IN THIS TOP 1 0% , 15% , 25%

INCREASES AND IT INCREASES DRAMATICALLY IN THE TOP 1 % -2% .

THAT'S THE REAL CHANGE.

THAT IS WHEN CHRISTIANITY

REALLY BECOMES THE CHRISTIANITY THAT IT IS TODAY,

BECAUSE NOW THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN RUNNING THE SHOW,

THEY ARE NOW CHRISTIAN.

OVER TIME, CHURCH LEADERS BEGAN TO EMBRACE

THE REGAL ROBES AND FLAMBOYANT CEREMONY

THAT WAS PART OF THE PAGAN RELIGIONS

AND IN PLACE OF THE SIMPLE COMMANDS OF GOD,

THEY BEGAN TO TEACH SUPERSTITIONS AND MAN-MADE TRADITIONS.

NOW, INSTEAD OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

CONVERTING THE HEATHEN WORLD,

THE PAGANS WERE CONVERTING THE CHURCH.

THERE IS A TRAIN COMING OUT OF THE FIRST CENTURY,

REPRESENTED BY THE DOCUMENTS WE HAVE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

THAT DEMONSTRATE, THE SHAPE OF THE CHURCH THERE,

GOING INTO THIS LONG DARK TUNNEL

OF THIS 2ND THROUGH 4TH CENTURIES

AND THEN COMING OUT IN THE 4TH CENTURY,

OF THIS LONG, DARK TUNNEL,

AND THE TRAIN OF THE CHURCH THAT COMES OUT

IS SO DIFFERENT THAN THE TRAIN OF THE CHURCH THAT GOES IN

THAT YOU SAY, ''WHAT HAPPENED?''

IN AD 391 , BY THE ORDER OF EMPEROR THEODOSIUS THE FIRST,

CHRISTIANITY BECAME THE OFFICIAL STATE RELIGION OF ROME.

WORSHIP AT PAGAN TEMPLES WAS OUTLAWED

AND ALL OTHER RELIGIOUS PRACTICES CEASED.

YOU'RE TRYING TO CHRISTIANIZE AN EMPIRE.

YOU'RE TRYING TO CHRISTIANIZE A PAGAN CULTURE.

THE OLD BASILICAS WERE BASICALLY PAGAN TEMPLES.

PUT A CROSS OVER IT.

PUT IN PAINTINGS OF BIBLICAL SCENES,

BIBLICAL HEROES AND SAINTS AND MARTYRS.

CHRISTIANS ARE VERY PURPOSEFUL AND INTENTIONAL

ABOUT TAKING OVER PAGAN TEMPLES

AND THERE'S A NOTABLE CHURCH LEADER

WHO ACTUALLY WRITES THIS IN A TREATISE THAT SURVIVES.

HE WRITES A REBUTTAL OF PAGAN ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANITY

AND PART OF HIS EVIDENCE IS HE SAYS,

''YOUR VERY OWN PLACES OF WORSHIP

''ARE NOW CHRISTIAN PLACES OF WORSHIP.

''WE HAVE TAKEN THEM OVER.

''WE HAVE CLEANSED OUT THE IDOLATRY.

''WE HAVE SANCTIFIED THEM AND WE HAVE MADE THEM PLACES

''WHERE THE ONE TRUE GOD IS WORSHIPED.

''WHAT CLEARER EVIDENCE COULD YOU WISH

''THAT YOUR WHOLE SYSTEM OF BELIEF IS FALSE?

''WHERE ARE YOUR GODS IF THEY'RE ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN?''

SO CHRISTIANS, ACTUALLY,

DELIBERATELY AT TIMES AND PURPOSEFULLY, AS A STRATEGY,

TAKE PAGAN, NOT ONLY PLACES BUT RITUALS OR IDEAS

AND, AS THEY THINK, SUBVERT THEM

TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF SPREADING CHRISTIANITY.

WHAT WE DON'T KNOW

IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY THINK THIS THROUGH

AND SAY, ''AT WHAT POINT IS IT LEGITIMATE TO DO THIS

AND AT WHAT POINT

DO WE PERHAPS BEGIN TO BE TAKING ON OTHER IDEAS?''

THE SPEED WITH WHICH THE EARLY CHURCH

TOBOGGANED INTO APOSTASY WILL TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY.

AS MILLIONS OF PAGANS HASTILY JOINED THE CHURCH,

THEY WERE NATURALLY RELUCTANT

TO DISPOSE OF THEIR IDOL TREASURES.

THE ROMANS AND THE GREEKS

WERE SO USED TO BEING SURROUNDED BY SYMBOLS OF THEIR DEITIES,

THEY BEGAN DOING THE SAME THING WITH CHRISTIANITY.

SO MANY OF THESE NEW CONVERTS

JUST RELABELED THEIR IDOLS WITH CHRISTIAN NAMES

LIKE PAUL, MARY AND PETER.

A STATUE OF JUPITER BECAME A STATUE OF PETER.

AND WE KNOW THAT

BECAUSE IT HAS A SUN DISC RIGHT OVER ITS HEAD

THAT INDICATES THAT THIS IS NOT PETER

BUT IT'S A PAGAN STATUE THAT'S BEEN RENAMED.

INSTEAD OF ROMULUS AND REMUS,

''HEY, WHY NOT THE MARTYRS,

THE GREAT MARTYRS COSMOS AND DAMIAN, RIGHT?''

THE REPRESENTATIONS OF ISIS,

WHICH IS ORIGINALLY AN EGYPTIAN GODDESS

BUT HAS BECOME VERY GREEK ALREADY BECOMES, ESSENTIALLY,

THE REPRESENTATION OF MARY CARRYING HER CHILD.

YOU HAVE A MOTHER AND CHILD TRADITION

ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH HISTORY.

YOU HAVE IT IN MITHRAISM, YOU HAVE IT IN BABYLON,

YOU HAVE IT ALL THE WAY BACK IN PERSIA.

IT APPEARS THAT MARY ACQUIRED SOME OF THE CHARACTERISTICS

THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH SOME OF THESE OTHER GODDESSES.

SHE WEARS A DARK BLUE COAT AND SHE STANDS ON THE HALF MOON.

SHE IS THE MOTHER OF ALL GODS, ISIS CARRYING HER SON HORUS,

THAT IS THE IMAGE THAT GETS A NEW NAME

AND NOW THE NAME IS MARY CARRYING THE CHILD JESUS.

OR A DEPICTION OF THE GOD HERMES,

HE IS SHOWN AS CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

ASCLEPIOS IS THE ICONOGRAPHIC MODEL

FOR A LOT OF THE DEPICTIONS OF JESUS, YES.

A YOUNG VIBRANT GOD WITH CURLY HAIR

DOWN TO ABOUT HERE AND A LITTLE BEARD.

SOON THE STATUES OF THE SAINTS AND EVEN JESUS

BEGAN ADORNING THE CHURCHES.

EVEN THOUGH GOD CLEARLY FORBIDS THIS PRACTICE

IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS,

PEOPLE CONTINUE TO REVERE

AND TO PRAY TO THESE RELABELED IDOLS.

''THOU SHALT NOT MAKE UNTO THEE ANY GRAVEN IMAGE

''OR ANY LIKENESS OF ANYTHING THAT IS IN HEAVEN ABOVE

''OR THAT IS IN THE EARTH BENEATH

''OR THAT IS IN THE WATER UNDER THE EARTH.

THOU SHALT NOT BOW DOWN THYSELF TO THEM, NOR SERVE THEM.''

RELATED TO THE LAST POINT

IS THE VENERATION OF MARY THE MOTHER OF JESUS.

WHILE IT IS TRUE MARY WAS A FAITHFUL WOMAN

AND GREATLY HONORED TO BE HIS MOTHER,

THE SCRIPTURES TEACH NOWHERE

THAT SHE IS TO BE DEIFIED OR WORSHIPED.

MARY HAD ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT IN ANCIENT CHRISTIAN HISTORY,

BUT OVER THE MIDDLE AGES

SHE BECOMES ELEVATED ALMOST TO A- LOOKING AT IT DETACHEDLY-

ALMOST TO THE RANK OF A SEMI-DEITY.

THE VIRGIN MARY WAS BELIEVED TO BE THE ONE

WHO WOULD SPEAK UP FOR GUILTY HUMAN BEINGS

TO HER SUPREMELY VIRTUOUS AND JUDGMENTAL

AND RATHER CENSORIUS SON.

VERY STRANGE IMAGE,

BUT THAT'S HOW THE RELIGIOUS ART OF THE PERIOD SHOWS IT.

THE BIBLE DOES NOT VENERATE MARY AS A SPECIAL SAINT.

IT LIFTS HER UP AS A PURE, WONDERFUL WOMAN

USED BY GOD TO GIVE BIRTH TO THE MESSIAH.

YET, AT THE COUNCIL OF NICEA IN 325,

THE CHURCH ELEVATED MARY TO THE STATURE OF A GODDESS

AND CO-MEDIATOR WITH CHRIST.

EVEN AS EARLY AS THE LATE 4TH CENTURY,

CHURCHES WERE BEING DEDICATED TO THE VIRGIN MARY.

BUT SADLY, THESE WERE NOT THE ONLY ERRORS

THAT SLIPPED IN DURING THIS TIME.

DURING THE APOSTOLIC AGE, BAPTISM WAS A SACRED CEREMONY

RESERVED ONLY FOR THOSE OLD ENOUGH

TO MAKE A RATIONAL DECISION FOR CHRIST.

IT WAS A PUBLIC TESTIMONY

OF ACCEPTING CHRIST AND HIS FORGIVENESS.

BAPTISM LITERALLY REPRESENTS BEING DEAD

AND BURIED TO OUR OLD LIFE

AND BEING RESURRECTED, OR BORN AGAIN,

TO A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.

IT COMES TO BE, IN THE COURSE OF THE CENTURIES,

SEEN MORE AS A RIGHT OF INITIATION INTO CHRISTIANITY

AND SO IT BEGINS HAPPENING AT EARLIER STAGES OF LIFE,

WHEN YOU'RE SORT OF IN LATE CHILDHOOD

OR EARLY ADOLESCENCE AND DEEMED READY,

TO MAKE THAT COMMITMENT TO YOUR FAITH.

THE BAPTISM CEREMONY WAS ALSO PERFORMED IN A LAKE OR A RIVER

WHERE A PERSON COULD BE FULLY SUBMERGED,

SIGNIFYING THEY WERE FULLY WASHED FROM THEIR SINS.

THE PRACTICE OF BAPTISM

WAS GRADUALLY ALTERED BY THE CHURCH.

HUNDREDS OF YEARS AFTER CHRIST,

SPRINKLING AND POURING WERE INTRODUCED

AS A MORE CONVENIENT MODE OF BAPTISM.

THIS ACTUALLY UNDERMINED

THE POWERFUL SYMBOLISM OF THE SERVICE

AND IT CONTRADICTS THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS,

WHO WAS BAPTIZED BY IMMERSION.

THAT CONTINUES TO BE THE CASE

UP UNTIL ABOUT THE 1 2TH CENTURY, ACTUALLY,

BECAUSE THE 1 2TH CENTURY IS A TIME

WHEN THEOLOGIANS ARE REALLY RE-EXAMINING CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE

AND THEY COME TO CONCLUDE THAT ORIGINAL SIN,

THE SIN THAT ALL OF HUMANITY HAS AS A RESULT OF THE FALL

IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN,

EXISTS IN THE SOUL FROM THE MOMENT OF BIRTH.

THERE WAS THIS UNBIBLICAL CONCEPT

THAT A CHILD COULD SIN RIGHT AWAY

AND SO, THEREFORE, IF HE SINNED,

HE WAS IN DANGER OF GOING TO HELL

AND BURNING FOREVER IN HELL.

THE ONLY WAY TO TAKE CARE OF HIM

WAS TO BAPTIZE HIM

AND HE HAD TO BE BAPTIZED INTO THE CHURCH.

IF YOU WEREN'T A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH,

IT WAS TICKETS FOR YOU.

SO THEOLOGIANS SAY, ''YOU KNOW WHAT?

''WE NEED TO START BAPTIZING BABIES IMMEDIATELY.

''AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THEY'RE BORN

SO THAT IN CASE THEY DIE- ''

OF COURSE, THIS IS A PERIOD

WHEN INFANT MORTALITY IS HIGH AND A LOT OF BABIES DO DIE-

''THEY CAN GET INTO HEAVEN.''

''THEY CAN GET INTO HEAVEN.''

ANOTHER CHRISTIAN TRUTH

THAT WAS ALTERED BY PAGAN INFLUENCE

WAS THE LORD'S SUPPER.

JESUS INSTITUTED THE COMMUNION SERVICE,

ALSO KNOW BY SOME AS THE EUCHARIST,

TO BE A BEAUTIFUL, YET SIMPLE CEREMONY

WHERE HIS FOLLOWERS WOULD DRINK UNFERMENTED WINE

AND EAT UNLEAVENED BREAD.

THESE SYMBOLS OF JESUS' SINLESS BODY AND BLOOD

ARE DESIGNED TO HELP BELIEVERS

REMEMBER THE SACRIFICE AND THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST.

BY FAR, THE MOST IMPORTANT RITE FOR LATE MEDIEVAL CHRISTIANS

WAS THE EUCHARIST OR COMMUNION,

OR AS THEY MOST COMMONLY CALLED IT, THE MASS.

MEN AND WOMEN ALL COME TOGETHER

AND TAKE THE SACRAMENT.

THEY CELEBRATE WHAT WE WOULD CALL COMMUNION,

TAKING THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.

BUT AGAIN, UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF HEATHEN RITUALS,

THE HOLY COMMUNION SERVICE

WAS GRADUALLY CHANGED BY CHURCH LEADERS

INTO A MYSTICAL CEREMONY.

IN THIS NEW RITUAL, FERMENTED WINE WAS USED AND THE PRIEST,

ALLEGEDLY HAD THE POWER TO TRANSFORM

THE BREAD AND THE WINE

INTO THE ACTUAL BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST.

THIS IS TRANSUBSTANTIATION,

THE NOTION THAT A PRIEST TRANSFORMS THE EUCHARIST

INTO THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST

THROUGH THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE FORMULA

''HOC EST ENIM CORPUS MEUM'': ''THIS IS MY BODY.''

THEY WERE POWERFUL WORDS

BELIEVED TO HAVE THE PROPERTY THAT WHEN THEY WERE UTTERED

GOD TRANSFORMED THE NATURE OF THE BREAD AND THE WINE

INTO THE BODY AND BLOOD OF A RISEN JESUS CHRIST.

EVEN TO THE POINT WHERE LATER ON THEY SAY,

''WE ARE CREATING GOD''

BY SPEAKING THE WORDS OF MYSTAGOGIA.

ESSENTIALLY, WHAT HAPPENED ON THE ALTAR

WAS THAT BREAD BECAME BODY, WINE BECAME BLOOD,

BUT THEY JUST STILL LOOKED LIKE BREAD AND WINE.

THIS OFFERING OF THE SACRIFICE IN THE EUCHARIST,

THIS SACRIFICE OF PRAISE, THIS COMMUNAL MEAL

NOW BECOMES NOT A REMEMBRANCE OF THE SACRIFICE

BUT A SACRIFICE IN AND OF ITSELF AND IS GIVING SALVATION.

THEY BELIEVED AND THEY TAUGHT THAT IN THE MASS

JESUS CHRIST, IN THE PERSON OF THE PRIEST,

SACRIFICES CHRIST TO GOD THE FATHER

AND, THEREBY WINS GOOD, WINS QUANTUM OF HOLINESS,

WHICH THE CHURCH CAN THEN ASSIGN

TO THE BENEFICIARIES OF THAT MASS.

BECAUSE PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT BY CELEBRATING A MASS

YOU WERE DOING SOMETHING GOOD WHICH WAS OFFERED UP TO GOD,

THERE WAS A THEOLOGICAL RATIONALE

FOR DOING IT LOTS AND LOTS OF TIMES.

BY 1 415 AD, AT THE COUNCIL OF CONSTANCE,

CHURCH LEADERS FURTHER DECREED

THAT ONLY THE PRIESTS COULD DRINK THE WINE

AND THE LAITY WOULD ONLY RECEIVE THE BREAD;

YET THE BIBLE CLEARLY SAYS

THAT WHEN JESUS ESTABLISHED THE COMMUNION SERVICE

THEY ALL DRANK FROM IT.

ABOUT 300 YEARS AFTER CHRIST THE CHURCH BEGAN TO DEVIATE

ABOUT 300 YEARS AFTER CHRIST THE CHURCH BEGAN TO DEVIATE

FROM ANOTHER OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS;

SPECIFICALLY THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT

THAT REQUIRES BELIEVERS

TO REMEMBER THE 7TH DAY AS THE SABBATH.

''REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY, TO KEEP IT HOLY.

''SIX DAYS YOU SHALL LABOR AND DO ALL YOUR WORK

''BUT THE SEVENTH DAY

IS THE SABBATH OF THE LORD YOUR GOD.''

IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE JEWS ARE AN OLD RELIGION

AND OLD RELIGIONS ARE RESPECTED.

WHEN THE JEWS KEPT FIGHTING AGAINST ROME

WHAT HAD BEEN AN UMBRELLA OF SAFETY UNDER JUDAISM

BECOMES A LIGHTNING ROD TO CHRISTIANITY

THE CHRISTIANS BECOME ALIENATED FROM THE JEWS

JEWS PERSECUTED THEM

AND SO THEY TRIED TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM THE JEWS.

CHURCH LEADERS BEGAN TO DEVALUE

THE SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

IN PREFERENCE FOR THE MORE POPULAR ROMAN SUNDAY.

SOME CHRISTIANS MISTAKENLY THOUGHT

THAT YOU SHOULD FAST ON THE SABBATH

BUT YOU COULD FEAST ON SUNDAY.

THAT'S WHAT THE PAGANS DID,

THEY FEASTED ON SUNDAY, FASTED ON SATURDAY.

NOT A JEWISH CONCEPT,

THE JEWS FASTED FRIDAY AND FEASTED SABBATH,

BUT THAT'S HOW SOME CHRISTIANS THOUGHT OF IT.

SO IF YOU'RE FASTING ON ONE DAY AND YOU'RE FEASTING ON THE NEXT,

YOU CAN GUESS WHICH DAY BECOMES THE MORE POPULAR DAY.

AND CHRIST IS RESURRECTED ON A SUNDAY

THERE'S A VERY NATURAL TENDENC Y, THEREFORE,

TO MARK THAT AND CELEBRATE THAT.

THERE'S A THIRD REASON

AND THAT IS THE INFLUENCE OF SUN WORSHIP

THAT CREEPS INTO THE CHURCH

AND WHEN SUN WORSHIP BEGINS TO CREEP INTO THE CHURCH,

CONSTANTINE CAN MAKE USE OF THAT

TO LEAD TO THE EXALTATION OF SUNDAY,

THE DAY OF THE SUN,

AS BEING THE DAY THAT PEOPLE SHOULD WORSHIP ON.

THIS GRADUAL DEPARTURE

FROM GOD'S LAW OVER THE CENTURIES

HAS BECOME SO WIDELY ACCEPTED

THAT MOST ARE SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT SUNDAY KEEPING

HAS NO FOUNDATION IN THE BIBLE.

IN AD 313 CONSTANTINE PUBLISHED THE EDICT OF MILAN,

ESTABLISHING SUNDAY AS A DAY OF REST.

THE EMPEROR'S SUNDAY LAW

HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH CHRISTIANITY,

IT WAS ACTUALLY TO HONOR THE MAIN GRECO-ROMAN SUN GOD

CALLED HELIOS, OR APOLLO.

THE EMPEROR CONSTANTINE BECAME A CONVERT TO CHRISTIANITY

AND ALSO, BECAUSE HE REMAINED PARTIAL TO THE SUN GOD,

THE EMPEROR CONSTANTINE

MOVED THE DAY OF WORSHIP FROM SATURDAY THE SABBATH,

AS HAD BEEN TRADITIONAL IN JUDAISM, OBVIOUSLY,

TO SUNDAY, THE DAY OF THE SUN GOD.

AND EVER SINCE CHRISTIAN FOLKS, AT LEAST FOR THE MOST PART,

OVERWHELMINGLY HAVE HELD THEIR DAY OF WORSHIP ON SUNDAY

RATHER THAN SATURDAY.

THIS IS CLEAR FROM ANOTHER EDICT OF CONSTANTINE,

GIVEN IN AD 321 , WHEN THE EMPEROR ORDERED:

''ON THE VENERABLE DAY OF THE SUN

''LET THE MAGISTRATES AND PEOPLE RESIDING IN CITIES REST,

AND LET ALL WORKSHOPS BE CLOSED.''

NOTICE, THE EDICT USES THE WORD ''SUN,'' S-U-N.

IT'S ALSO RECORDED THAT CONSTANTINE THE GREAT

MADE A LAW FOR THE WHOLE EMPIRE

THAT SUNDAY SHOULD BE KEPT AS A DAY OF REST.

OBVIOUSLY, THIS CHANGE DID NOT INFILTRATE THE CHURCH OVERNIGHT.

HISTORY TELLS US THAT FOR DECADES THE SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH,

TOGETHER WITH SUNDAY, WERE BOTH OBSERVED AS HOLY DAYS.

THE VERY, VERY EARLY CHURCH

CLEARLY IS STILL WORSHIPING ON THE JEWISH SATURDAY

IN THE TIMES OF THE APOSTLES,

BUT BY THE MID TO LATE 3RD CENTURY,

THAT HAS LARGELY BEEN ABANDONED

OR IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING ABANDONED.

BY THE EARLY FOURTH CENTURY, IN MANY PARTS OF THE ROMAN WORLD,

CHRISTIANS ARE GENERALLY WORSHIPING ON SUNDAY.

A LOT OF CHRISTIANS, DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME,

WOULD OBSERVE THE SABBATH

AND THEN ON SUNDAY THEY WOULD HAVE A SERVICE

REMEMBERING THE RESURRECTION

AND THEN THEY'D GO ABOUT THEIR REGULAR WORK.

IT'S DURING THE TIME OF CONSTANTINE

IN WHICH THE IDEA OF TRANSFERRING THE SOLEMNITY OF THE SABBATH

TO SUNDAY IS FIRST EXPRESSED.

CENTURIES EARLIER THE PROPHET DANIEL

HAD FORETOLD A RELIGIOUS POWER WOULD ARISE

THAT WOULD THINK TO CHANGE TIMES AND LAWS.

WITHIN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS THERE'S ONLY ONE LAW

THAT IS ALSO A TIME: THE SABBATH.

THE DOCTRINE OF HELLFIRE

WAS ALSO DISTORTED BY PAGAN MYTHOLOGY.

IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION

THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT FOLLOWING THE GREAT JUDGMENT DAY

THE LOST WILL BE CAST INTO A LAKE OF FIRE.

AT THAT TIME, EACH PERSON IS PUNISHED

ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY DESERVE

AND THEN THEY'RE TOTALLY CONSUMED AND ETERNALLY PERISH.

''AND DO NOT FEAR THOSE WHO KILL THE BODY

''BUT CANNOT KILL THE SOUL,

''BUT RATHER FEAR HIM WHO IS ABLE TO DESTROY

BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN HELL.''

''FOR THE LIVING KNOW THAT THEY WILL DIE,

BUT THE DEAD KNOW NOTHING.''

THE PRIESTS BEGAN TO TEACH THAT HELL

WAS A PLACE OF ETERNAL TORMENT RULED BY THE DEVIL

AND IT BEGAN AT THE MOMENT OF DEATH.

THE FALLEN CHURCH WAS ABLE TO USE

THIS FRIGHTFUL CONCEPT OF NEVER-ENDING TORTURE

TO TERRORIZE AND MANIPULATE BOTH THE KING AND THE COMMONER.

MOST TRAGIC OF ALL, THIS FALSE TEACHING

PORTRAYS JESUS AS SOME SORT OF SADISTIC FIEND.

IT'S ENCOURAGED SOME ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTICS

TO CHALLENGE CHRISTIANITY

AND CHRISTIANITY'S IDEA OF A LOVING GOD

IF HE DOES SOMETHING

THAT IS WORSE THAN EVEN WHAT HITLER DID.

NO MATTER WHAT SOMEBODY HAS DONE,

IS BILLIONS OF YEARS OF TORTURE,

FITTING THE CRIME?

SO THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE HATED GOD

AND HAVE LEARNED TO HATE GOD BECAUSE OF THIS.

ANOTHER PAGAN CONCEPT THAT INFILTRATED CHRISTIAN THINKING

WAS REGARDING THE AFTERLIFE.

PURGATORY IS THE IDEA THAT TEACHES THAT AT DEATH

SOME PEOPLE WILL ENTER A TEMPORARY HELLFIRE

WHERE THEY'RE PURIFIED FOR HEAVEN.

PURGATORY'S A HALFWAY HOUSE,

HALFWAY, KIND OF, BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL.

AND THE THING WITH PURGATORY IS YOU CAN ESCAPE FROM IT.

AS THE MASS SAYS, ''CONSIGNED TO FLAMES OF WOE,''

IT'S FILLED WITH VERMIN, IT'S FILLED WITH SULPHURIC SMELLS,

IT MAY BE QUITE A BIT BETTER THAN HELL,

BUT IT'S NO PICNIC EITHER.

THE CHURCH DEVELOPS GRADUALLY

AND, AGAIN, IT GROWS ON THE CHURCH BY SLOW DEGREES,

THE IDEA THAT ANYONE WHO DIES

WITH THEIR WORKS OF SATISFACTION INCOMPLETE

WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO PAY THEM OFF

IN SOME PLACE OF POST-MORTEM SUFFERING.

THEY ARE SUFFERING IN ORDER TO BE PURIFIED,

PURGED FROM THEIR SINS AND OFFENSES

WHICH THEY'VE COMMITTED IN LIFE.

MEDIEVAL PEOPLE BELIEVED

ALMOST EVERYONE WILL BE SAVED AND REDEEMED,

WHO IS A BAPTIZED MEMBER OF THE CHURCH.

BUT ALMOST EVERYONE WILL ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SATISFACTION

FOR THE SINS THAT THEY'VE COMMITTED

AND THAT THEY HAVEN'T CONFESSED

BY SPENDING SOME TIME IN PURGATORY.

SO THE REAL TASK THEN

IS TO REDUCE THE TIME IN PURGATORY.

MANY PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND PURGATORY AND HELL.

THERE'S AN IDEA YOU CAN GET OUT OF HELL; YOU CAN'T.

IF YOU GO TO HELL THAT'S IT. THERE'S NO RELEASE.

YOU'RE VERY, VERY WICKED AND YOU'RE JUST DOOMED.

BUT MOST PEOPLE,

WE HAVE A LOT OF BAD THINGS IN US

SO HOW CAN WE BE MADE GOOD FOR HEAVEN?

WE HAVE TO HAVE IT PURGED OUT OF US

AND THUS YOU GET THE WORD 'PURGATORY'.

THEREFORE, MOST CHRISTIANS BELIEVE

THAT THEIR RELATIVES ARE SUFFERING IN PURGATORY

AND PURGATORY IS NOT A NICE PLACE.

YOU'RE THERE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

THE IDEA OF PURGATORY

DATES BACK CENTURIES BEFORE JESUS' TIME.

WRITINGS FROM PLATO, AS EARLY AS 400 BC,

HELP SHED LIGHT ON WHERE THIS CONCEPT

OF PURIFICATION AND PUNISHMENT CAME FROM.

HOWEVER, PURGATORY DIDN'T BECOME REGARDED

AS AN ACTUAL PLACE UNTIL CENTURIES LATER.

BETWEEN 1 1 60 AND 1 180 AD,

THEOLOGIANS DEVELOPED THE DOCTRINE OF PURGATORY

LEADING TO THE FORMAL ACCEPTANCE OF IT

AT THE SECOND COUNCIL OF LYONS IN 1 27 4.

THE CHURCH THEN OFFERS TO SUPPORT THE DEAD IN PURGATORY

BY ITS PRAYERS AND BY ATTRIBUTING TO PEOPLE

THE BENEFITS OF THE SACRAMENTS, ESPECIALLY THE COMMUNION.

THIS IS ALL PERFECTLY ORTHODOX.

THE CHURCH BELIEVED THAT THIS IS DOING GOOD

AND LAYPEOPLE SEEMED TO BE WILLING

TO PUT LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY INTO IT

AND YOU HAVE

AN EXTRAORDINARY PROLIFERATION OF INSTITUTIONS

FOUNDED PRINCIPALLY FOR PRIESTS

TO SAY MASSES FOR THE SOULS OF THE DEPARTED,

PARTICULARLY IN THE 1 4TH AND 15TH CENTURIES.

THIS DOCTRINE WAS FABRICATED

TO MANIPULATE THE MASSES FOR FINANCIAL GAIN.

PEOPLE WERE WILLING TO PAY HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY

TO RELEASE A LOVED ONE

FROM THE TORTURES OF PURGATORY.

OF COURSE, BELIEVERS COULD NEVER REALLY BE SURE

WHEN SOMEONE LEFT PURGATORY,

SO THE MONEY KEPT FLOWING

INTO THE POCKETS OF CORRUPT PRIESTS.

THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH

WOULD HAVE PEOPLE GOING OUT TO RAISE MONEY

AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GIVE THEIR MONEY TO THE CHURCH,

BUY PEOPLE OUT OF PURGATORY,

SO THEY COULD FUND THESE ELABORATE BUILDINGS.

THIS BELIEF IN PURGATORY

IS ALSO BUILT ON THE DANGEROUS CONCEPT

THAT THE WORKS AND THE PRAYERS OF THE LIVING

CAN SOMEHOW ALTER THE DESTINY OF THE DEAD,

YET JESUS MADE IT VERY CLEAR THERE IS NO LIMBO OR PURGATORY.

AFTER DEATH, A PERSON'S NEXT CONSCIOUS THOUGHT

WAS THE RESURRECTION AND THEIR ETERNAL REWARD.

''DO NOT MARVEL AT THIS; FOR THE HOUR IS COMING

''IN WHICH ALL WHO ARE IN THE GRAVES

''WILL HEAR HIS VOICE AND COME FORTH;

''THOSE WHO HAVE DONE GOOD, TO THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE,

''AND THOSE WHO HAVE DONE EVIL

TO THE RESURRECTION OF CONDEMNATION.''

CENTRAL IN THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

CENTRAL IN THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

IS THE TEACHING OF HOW WE OBTAIN FORGIVENESS.

THIS WAS ANOTHER MAJOR BIBLE TRUTH

THAT SUFFERED DURING THIS AGE OF COMPROMISE.

IT WAS TAUGHT THAT IF A PERSON WISHED TO BE FORGIVEN,

HE OR SHE MUST FIRST CONFESS THEIR SINS THROUGH A PRIEST,

THROUGH A RITE CALLED THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE,

MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS ''CONFESSION.''

SO IN ORDER TO MAKE UP FOR OUR INSUFFICIENT GOODNESS

AND OUR ACTUAL WRONG ACTIONS,

WE MUST ALL- LAYPEOPLE AS WELL AS CLERGY-

WE MUST ALL CONFESS OUR SINS AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR,

AND PREFERABLY MORE OFTEN THAN THAT, TO A PRIEST.

THIS WAS A NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENT ON SEVERAL COUNTS.

FIRST OF ALL, IT'S TAUGHT NOWHERE IN THE BIBLE.

SECONDLY, IT PUTS A MORTAL MAN IN THE PLACE OF CHRIST

AND IT MADE GOD SEEM DETACHED FROM THE AVERAGE PERSON.

OF COURSE, AT THE TIME, IT ALSO PLACED THE PRIEST

IN AN AWKWARD POSITION

TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THE WICKED DEEDS

OF HIS PARISHIONERS.

WHEN ONE GOES TO A PRIEST IN THE MIDDLE AGES,

THERE ARE REALLY THREE THINGS THAT ARE ACCOMPLISHED

THROUGH CONFESSING ONE'S SIN.

FIRST OF ALL, YOU MAKE THE CONFESSION,

THE PRIEST GRANTS THE WORDS OF ASSURANCE

THAT THE SIN IS ABSOLVED- IT'S GONE-

BUT A PERSON, BECAUSE THEY HAVE VIOLATED

THE LAWS OF THE CHURCH AND THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST,

HAS TO PERFORM A WORK OF SATISFACTION

IN ORDER TO MAKE UP

FOR THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE SINNED.

THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT MANKIND IS HELPLESS TO SAVE HIMSELF.

THIS IS WHY JESUS CAME TO THIS WORLD.

THE SCRIPTURES TEACH THAT SALVATION DEPENDS ENTIRELY

UPON OUR TRUST IN GOD FOR MERC Y AND GRACE,

THAT WE DON'T DESERVE IT;

IT'S A MAGNIFICENT GIFT

THAT CAN NEVER BE EARNED BY OUR EFFORTS OR GOOD WORKS.

EVEN OBEDIENCE COMES THROUGH A GIFT OF GRACE.

THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCTRINE OF SALVATION BY FAITH

IS WIDELY TAUGHT AND UNDERSTOOD TODAY,

BUT DURING THE DARKNESS OF THE MIDDLE AGES

IT WAS EASIER TO CONVINCE THE ILLITERATE MASSES

THAT THEY NEEDED TO PERFORM GOOD DEEDS

IN ORDER TO EARN GOD'S FAVOR.

THE PEOPLE WERE TAUGHT THAT IF A SINNER

WAS TO HAVE ANY HOPE OF APPEASING GOD,

HE OR SHE WOULD NEED TO PAY HUGE SUMS OF MONEY,

PERFORM PAINFUL ACTS OF PENANCE,

OR MAKE SOME WEARY PILGRIMAGE.

THIS WOULD OFTEN INCLUDE

AN ASSIGNMENT TO RECITE CERTAIN PRAYERS OVER AND OVER

AS A REQUIREMENT TO OBTAIN FORGIVENESS.

FORTY ''HAIL MARYS'' AND TEN ''OUR FATHERS''

AND PUTTING A COIN IN THE COLLECTION BOX.

IN THE HEATHEN RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD

THE IDEA OF REPETITIVE PRAYERS OR CHANTS

WAS NOTHING NEW.

IT WAS BELIEVED THAT YOU COULD APPEASE OR INFLUENCE THE GODS

BY CONSTANT ECHOING OF PRAYERS

OR BY USING SPECIAL MAGICAL WORDS.

JESUS CLEARLY WARNED AGAINST THIS FORM OF PRAYER.

''AND WHEN YOU PRAY,

''DO NOT USE VAIN REPETITIONS AS THE HEATHEN DO.

''FOR THEY THINK

THAT THEY WILL BE HEARD FOR THEIR MANY WORDS.''

CORRUPT CHURCH LEADERS KNEW,

CORRUPT CHURCH LEADERS KNEW,

IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN ANY LASTING POWER OVER GOD'S PEOPLE,

THEY WOULD NEED TO SEPARATE THEM

FROM THE ONE THING

THAT THEY KNEW COULD EXPOSE THESE DECEPTIONS:

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

THE BIBLE WAS NOT INITIALLY WITHHELD FROM THE PEOPLE,

IT WAS ACCESSIBLE.

BUT, IN TIME, WHEN PEOPLE SAW DIFFERENCES,

THEY CHALLENGED THE CLERGY.

AND SO IT WAS IN THEIR INTEREST, OVER TIME,

NOT TO MAKE AVAILABLE THE BIBLE TO THE PEOPLE.

ONLY THE PRIESTS CAN INTERPRET SCRIPTURE

BECAUSE THEY COMBINED SCRIPTURE WITH TRADITION

AND SO TRADITION INTERPRETED SCRIPTURE

AND THE ONLY ONES

WHO UNDERSTOOD THIS LONG TRADITION WERE THE PRIESTS

AND THEY COULD READ THE SCRIPTURES

MANY OF THE COMMON PEOPLE COULDN'T EVEN READ THE SCRIPTURES

AND THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY INTERPRETED SCRIPTURE

IN A WAY THAT WOULD HARMONIZE WITH TRADITION.

SO FROM THE 5TH CENTURY TO THE 15TH CENTURY,

1 ,000 YEARS OF HISTORY,

IT WAS TAUGHT AND ACCEPTED THAT ONLY RELIGIOUS LEADERS

WERE QUALIFIED ENOUGH TO EXPLAIN THE SACRED TEXTS.

THE COMMON MAN WAS TOLD

HE COULD NEVER HOPE TO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES

WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE OF A PRIEST.

WITH THIS LETHAL DECEPTION,

THE CHURCH LAITY WAS KEPT IN DARKNESS.

MEANWHILE, THE VISIBLE CHURCH,

ONCE A BIBLICAL BASTION OF TRUTH,

HAD DEGRADED INTO A CORRUPT POLITICAL ORGANIZATION

TRIMMED WITH SPIRITUALISTIC CEREMONIES.

IT'S NO WONDER THAT THIS TIME PERIOD

OF CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND SPIRITUAL DETERIORATION

IS KNOWN AS ''THE DARK AGES.''

IT'S TRAGIC HOW, IN JUST A FEW SHORT CENTURIES,

THE WONDERFUL LIGHT THAT HAD BEEN BLAZING

FROM THE LUMINOUS BRIDE OF CHRIST

HAD BEEN ECLIPSED BY PAGAN TRADITIONS.

NOW A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF WOMAN

EMERGED TO TAKE HER PLACE.

''AND I SAW A WOMAN SITTING ON A SCARLET BEAST,

''WHICH WAS FULL OF NAMES OF BLASPHEMY,

''HAVING SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS.

''THE WOMAN WAS ARRAYED IN PURPLE AND SCARLET

''AND ADORNED WITH GOLD AND PRECIOUS STONES AND PEARLS,

''HAVING IN HER HAND A GOLDEN CUP FULL OF ABOMINATIONS

''AND THE FILTHINESS OF HER FORNICATION.

''AND ON HER FOREHEAD A NAME WAS WRITTEN,

'''MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS

''AND THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.'

''I SAW THE WOMAN DRUNK WITH THE BLOOD OF THE SAINTS

''AND WITH THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS OF JESUS.

AND WHEN I SAW HER I MARVELED WITH GREAT AMAZEMENT.''

IN REVELATION CHAPTER 1 7, JOHN SEES A WOMAN

WHO HE DESCRIBES AS STRIKINGLY DIFFERENT

FROM THE PURE WOMAN OF REVELATION 1 2.

WHO IS THIS NEW BLOODTHIRSTY HARLOT

AND WHAT ABOUT THE BIZARRE BEAST THAT SHE'S RIDING?

IF YOU'RE NOT SITTING DOWN, THIS MIGHT BE THE TIME TO DO SO.

YOU MAY FIND WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO HEAR A BIT SHOCKING.

THERE'S ONLY ONE EMPIRE, ONE CHURCH,

ONE INSTITUTION THAT MATCHES THE CRITERIA IN THIS PROPHEC Y:

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT ALL THE PEOPLE WITHIN THIS FAITH

ARE BAD, INSINCERE, OR LOST.

THE CATHOLIC PEOPLE ARE AMONG THE MOST KIND

AND HAVE ACCOMPLISHED A PHENOMENAL AMOUNT OF GOOD

THROUGHOUT HISTORY.

THIS IS REALLY ABOUT A BIGGER STRUGGLE

BETWEEN SPIRITUAL POWERS AND INSTITUTIONS

BATTLING OVER THE TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE.

BUT NOW WE NEED TO PULL BACK THE VEIL

AND REALLY TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE FACTS.

IN REVELATION 1 7:1 ,

WE OBSERVE THIS HARLOT WOMAN SITS ON ''MANY WATERS.''

FORTUNATELY THE ANGEL EXPLAINS

THE MEANING OF THIS SYMBOL FOR US IN VERSE 15.

''THEN HE SAID TO ME,

'''THE WATERS WHICH YOU SAW, WHERE THE HARLOT SITS,

ARE PEOPLES, MULTITUDES, NATIONS, AND TONGUES.'''

SO THE WOMAN REIGNS

OVER A DENSELY POPULATED CIVILIZATION.

YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THE EXPRESSION

''ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME.''

DURING THE ZENITH OF THEIR RULE,

THE ROMANS HAD BUILT A NETWORK WITH 50,000 MILES OF ROADS

CIRCULATING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE EMPIRE.

JUST AS IMPERIAL ROME BEGAN TO UNRAVEL,

THE CHURCH IN ROME WAS GAINING IN STRENGTH.

IN EFFECT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

KIND OF RUSHES IN TO FILL THE POWER VACUUM

THAT IS LEFT BY THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

AND YOU GET INTO SITUATIONS WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE,

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 5TH CENTURY, WHEN ATTILA THE HUN

IS ADVANCING ON THE CITY OF ROME WITH HIS ARMY,

THE EMPEROR IS NOT THE ONE WHO GOES OUT TO STOP HIM,

THE POPE IS, THE BISHOP OF ROME.

THIS KIND OF PROMINENCE,

POLITICAL PROMINENCE AS WELL AS RELIGIOUS PROMINENCE,

COMES TO REALLY DEFINE THE POPE'S ROLE.

THE PROPHEC Y ALSO INDICATES

THAT THE WOMAN IS RIDING A BEAST WITH SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS.

OBVIOUSLY THESE THINGS ARE SYMBOLS.

THIS CREATURE HERE CLEARLY REPRESENTS THE SAME MONSTER

WITH SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS THAT WE JUST SAW

WARRING WITH THE BRIDE OF CHRIST IN CHAPTER 1 2

AND IT'S THE SAME BEAST

THAT THE WORLD IS COMPELLED TO WORSHIP IN CHAPTER 13.

SO WHAT DO THESE SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS REPRESENT?

''THE SEVEN HEADS ARE SEVEN MOUNTAINS

ON WHICH THE WOMAN SITS.''

''THE TEN HORNS WHICH YOU SAW ARE TEN KINGS...''

THERE IS ONLY ONE CITY IN THE WORLD

THAT SITS ON SEVEN HILLS LIKE THIS,

ONE MAJOR CITY, AND THAT'S THE CITY OF ROME.

SO THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MOST EXPOSITOR'S MINDS

THAT WHEN JOHN IS TALKING ABOUT THIS WOMAN,

HE IS TALKING ABOUT ROME.

SO YOU SEE THE CONNECTION HERE, SEVEN HEADS, SEVEN MOUNTAINS.

YOU GO IN REVELATION 1 2: SEVEN HEADS.

REVELATION 13 DEALS WITH SEVEN HEADS.

THERE IS A CONTINUITY HERE.

''IT IS WITHIN THE CITY OF ROME, CALLED THE CITY OF SEVEN HILLS,

''THAT THE ENTIRE AREA OF VATICAN STATE PROPER

IS NOW CONFINED.''

THERE IS ONLY ONE CHURCH

THAT IS ALSO AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY

AND HAS POLITICAL WORLD POWER: THE VATICAN.

THIS COUNTRY, WITH THE WORLD'S SMALLEST POPULATION,

WAS ESTABLISHED AS AN INDEPENDENT STATE

WITH 1 09 ACRES WITHIN ROME.

BEHIND THE WALLS OF VATICAN CITY

THERE ARE LESS THAN 1 ,000 PEOPLE

LIVING WITHIN THIS SMALL COUNTRY THAT IS GOVERNED BY THE POPE

WHO HAS ABSOLUTE EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE, AND JUDICIAL POWERS.

AMBASSADORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

MEET WITH THE POPE AND HIS REPRESENTATIVES

SEEKING THE INFLUENCE AND GUIDANCE

OF THIS INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS POWER.

EVEN THE UNITED NATIONS

WILL ASSEMBLE TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE POPE.

WHEN THE WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE FELL,

THEIR TERRITORY FRAGMENTED INTO TEN PRIMARY DIVISIONS.

THE TEN HORNS REPRESENT THE TEN KINGS OR KINGDOMS

INTO WHICH IMPERIAL ROME WAS EVENTUALLY SPLIT.

THE TEN HORNS ARE A DESCRIPTION OF ROME

WHICH BREAKS UP INTO TEN SMALLER KINGDOMS.

THROUGHOUT HISTORY

CATHOLICISM HAS BEEN DOMINATING MANY KINGDOMS.

SO YOU HAVE THE CHURCH RIDING ON A POLITICAL POWER.

YOU SEE, BECAUSE THE WOMAN RIDES THE BEAST

AND SO FOR MANY CENTURIES SHE WAS IN CONTROL.

YOU HAVE A UNION OF CHURCH AND STATE.

THE NAMES OF BLASPHEMY

IS ANOTHER KEY ELEMENT TO THIS PROPHEC Y

THAT POINTS DIRECTLY AT THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

''WE HOLD UPON THIS EARTH THE PLACE OF GOD ALMIGHTY.''

THIS PUTS A MORTAL MAN IN THE POSITION OF GOD

AND IS ULTIMATELY THE VERY DEFINITION OF BLASPHEMY.

THIS IS NOT MEANT TO QUESTION THE SINCERITY

OF ANY SPECIFIC POPE,

BUT THE PROPHEC Y IS ADDRESSING THE OFFICE THAT HE HOLDS

AND THE INSTITUTION HE REPRESENTS.

THE WOMAN IS ALSO CLOTHED IN UNIQUE COLORS.

SHE HAS SPECIFIC COLORS THAT ARE MENTIONED HERE,

NOT THE COLOR OF WHITE ANYMORE,

BUT NOW WE HAVE COLORS THAT REPRESENT,

STRANGELY ENOUGH, TWO THINGS:

ROYALTY AND PROSTITUTION.

AND SPECIFIC COLORS THAT WE HAPPEN TO SEE

COMING OUT IN THE HISTORIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH LATER ON

IN THE COLORS OF THE PRIESTS

OF THE HISTORIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

NOT ONLY WERE THESE THE PRINCIPLE COLORS

OF THE ROMAN CAESARS,

BUT ACCORDING TO THE CATHOLIC ENC YCLOPEDIA,

PURPLE IS THE OFFICIAL COLOR OF BISHOPS

AND SCARLET FOR CARDINALS.

IN ADDITION TO THE SCARLET AND THE PURPLE,

WE SEE THAT THIS HARLOT, OR CORRUPT CHURCH,

POSSESSES VAST MINERAL RICHES.

WHEN ONE CONSIDERS ITS COUNTLESS ARTISTIC TREASURES OF GOLD,

SILVER AND PEARLS, THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

IS BY FAR THE WEALTHIEST RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION ON EARTH.

EVERY YEAR TOURISTS COME FROM AROUND THE WORLD

TO VIEW THE GLITTERING OPULENCE OF THE ROMAN CHURCH.

ANOTHER DISTURBING MARK OF THIS WOMAN

IS FOUND IN VERSE 6.

''I SAW THE WOMAN DRUNK WITH THE BLOOD OF THE SAINTS

AND WITH THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS OF JESUS.''

HISTORY REVEALS THAT THE ROMAN CHURCH

WAS THE WORST OPPRESSOR OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS

OVER THE CENTURIES.

IN FACT, HISTORIANS TELL US OVER 50 MILLION MARTYRS

FELL VICTIM TO THE TERRIBLE INQUISITIONS AND PERSECUTIONS

OF THE CHURCH OF ROME.

SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE

IS A PROPHEC Y SAYING THAT THE CHURCH

WOULD ENGAGE IN INCREDIBLE PERSECUTION

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT TOOK PLACE.

AND THE CHURCH STARTED A LEGAL PROCESS, A LEGAL SYSTEM,

KNOWN AS 'INQUISITION' TO INTERROGATE THESE PEOPLE,

TO FORCE AS MANY AS POSSIBLE TO RECANT

AND TO RETRACT THEIR IDEAS

AND TO GRAB HOLD OF THE LEADERS OF THE MOVEMENT

AND TO STOP THEM SPREADING ANY FURTHER.

THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF DEATHS EVER RECORDED

OCCURRED WHEN THE CHURCH

PERSECUTED THOSE WHO DISAGREED WITH THEM

AND THAT LEVEL OF REPRESSION

CONTINUES THROUGH THE MIDDLE AGES.

SO THIS WOMAN, OR CHURCH, IS A PERSECUTING POWER

THAT OPPRESSES CHRIST'S TRUE FOLLOWERS.

THAT OPPRESSES CHRIST'S TRUE FOLLOWERS.

WE'LL BE LOOKING AT SEVERAL BRAVE SOULS

THAT RISKED THEIR LIVES

TO SPEAK UP AGAINST THE CORROSIVE PAGAN INFLUENCES

AND TO SHARE GOD'S WORD

DURING THIS TIME OF SPIRITUAL DARKNESS.

''THE PEOPLE WHO WALKED IN DARKNESS

''HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT:

''THOSE WHO DWELT IN THE LAND OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH,

UPON THEM A LIGHT HAS SHINED.''

LIVING IN LYONS, FRANCE, THERE WAS ONE YOUNG MAN

WHO WOULD ALTER THE COURSE OF CHRISTIAN HISTORY.

PETER WALDO, ALSO KNOWN AS VALDES,

A VERY WEALTHY AND EDUCATED YOUNG MERCHANT

HAD A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE.

A YOUNG FRIEND OF WALDO'S DIED SUDDENLY.

REALIZING THE BREVITY OF LIFE

AND THE VANITY OF WORLDLY TREASURE,

WALDO MADE A FIRM DECISION TO FORSAKE ALL FOR CHRIST.

HE GAVE HIS WEALTH TO THE POOR

AND BECAME AN ITINERANT PREACHER.

WALDO TAUGHT THAT THE BIBLE SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD LITERALLY

AND FREELY PROCLAIMED TO THE PEOPLE

IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE.

HE ENCOURAGED BELIEVERS

TO LIVE LIVES OF SIMPLICITY AND POVERTY

AND AT THE SAME TIME,

HE BOLDLY DENOUNCED THE EXCESSES OF THE PRIESTS.

BY AD 1 1 70 PETER WALDO

HAD GATHERED A LARGE NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS

WHO WERE REFERRED TO

AS 'THE POOR OF LYONS' OR WALDENSIANS.

PETER WALDO, BY CONVENTIONAL SCHOLARSHIP,

IS THE FOUNDER OF THE WALDENSES,

A GROUP OF BIBLE-BELIEVING INDIVIDUALS

LIVING IN FRANCE AND ITALY.

HE WAS A CATHOLIC LAYMAN WHO BECAME INSPIRED

BY THE PREACHING REGARDING THE EARLY CHURCH

AND HE STARTED A GROUP OF TRAVELING PREACHERS

WHO WOULD TEACH THE GOSPEL.

HE SPOKE AGAINST TRANSUBSTANTIATION AND THE MASS,

ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME WALDENSES WHO SEEM TO GO TO MASS

AND THEN DO THEIR OWN WORSHIPS AS WELL.

ONCE OFFICIALLY-TRAINED INQUISITORS ARE OUT IN EUROPE,

THEY START FINDING PEOPLE WHOM THEY START CALLING 'WALDENSES'

OR FOLLOWERS OF VALDES ALL OVER THE PLACE.

SO SPRINKLED ACROSS EUROPE

YOU GET THESE LITTLE CELLS OF COMMUNITIES OF PEOPLE

WHERE LAYPEOPLE ARE MOSTLY,

LET'S BE HONEST, THEY'RE MOSTLY GOING TO CATHOLIC CHURCHES

MOST OF THE YEAR.

BUT ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR, MAYBE EVERY YEAR OR 2,

THEY WILL HAVE A TRAVELING TEAM OF WALDENSIAN PASTORS

WHO WILL ARRIVE AND TALK TO THEM.

EVERYWHERE HE WENT

PETER WALDO SAW PEOPLE HUNGERING FOR TRUTH.

HE BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE LAND

FOR THE WORD OF GOD, SO WALDO PAID A CLERIC

TO ASSIST HIM IN TRANSLATING THE NEW TESTAMENT

INTO THE FRANCO VERNACULAR.

THE STORY IS THAT VALDES COMMISSIONED TWO LEARNED,

RELIGIOUS PEOPLE IN LYONS

TO PREPARE A TRANSLATION OF PART OF THE BIBLE

AND SOME SAYINGS OF THE FATHERS

INTO THE VERNACULAR LANGUAGE.

SOMETHING BETWEEN FRENCH AND PROVENCAL-

IT'S REALLY KIND OF HARD TO DESCRIBE-

BUT IT SEEMS TO HAVE ESTABLISHED A TRADITION

THAT THE WALDENSIAN COMMUNITIES

WOULD TRY TO ACQUIRE COPIES OF SCRIPTURE

IN THE COMMON LANGUAGE OF THE PEOPLE.

AND THEY WOULD CARRY SCRIPTURES AROUND WITH THEM.

THEY WOULD ACT AS MERCHANTS AND TRADERS,

SHARE THE SCRIPTURES WITH THE PEOPLE WHERE THEY WENT.

THERE'S EVEN REFERENCES TO THEM SENDING THEIR YOUNG PEOPLE

TO THE GREAT UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES OF THE LAND

SO THEY COULD SHARE THEIR FAITH THERE

AND ALSO GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGY

AND USE IT TO REACH OUT TO THE LARGER COMMUNITY.

BUT THE ROMAN CHURCH COULD NOT LONG TOLERATE

THIS FREE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL BY PEASANTS.

DURING THE THIRD LATERAN COUNCIL IN 1 1 79,

WALDO'S IDEAS WERE OFFICIALLY CONDEMNED AS HERESY

AND SOON AFTER,

HE AND HIS FOLLOWERS WERE EXCOMMUNICATED.

DRIVEN AWAY FROM LYONS, THE WALDENSIANS SETTLED

IN THE HIGH VALLEYS OF PIEDMONT AND THE FRENCH ALPS.

HERE, AMONG THEIR FAMILIES, THE BIBLE WAS MADE THE CHIEF STUDY.

THE GOSPELS OF MATTHEW AND JOHN WERE COMMITTED TO MEMORY,

ALONG WITH MANY OF THE EPISTLES.

WITH NO PRINTING PRESS,

THE WALDENSIANS WERE FREQUENTLY EMPLOYED

IN HAND-COPYING THE SCRIPTURES.

KNOWN FOR THEIR STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE BIBLE,

THESE LAY PREACHERS SPREAD THEIR TEACHINGS ABROAD

WHILE TRAVELING AS PEDDLERS.

TO AVOID ARREST,

THEY'D SOMETIMES SEW HAND-COPIED PASSAGES OF THE BIBLE

INTO THE LINING OF THEIR GARMENTS

AND THEN THEY'D CAREFULLY SHARE THEM

WHEN THEY DETECTED AN OPEN HEART.

EVEN FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF PETER WALDO IN 1 218,

THE ROMAN CHURCH

CONTINUED TO FIERCELY PERSECUTE THE WALDENSIANS.

FOR CENTURIES, MANY WERE TRIED AND SENTENCED TO DEATH

IN VARIOUS EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.

THE HOLY SPIRIT STIRRED UPON MANY WITHIN THE CHURCH

WHO COURAGEOUSLY STOOD UP AND CALLED FOR REFORM.

ONE SUCH MAN WAS JOHN WYCLIFF,

AN ENGLISH THEOLOGIAN AND LAY PREACHER,

TRANSLATOR, AND TEACHER AT OXFORD.

HIS EDUCATION PROVED TO BE A GREAT ASSET TO HIM

AS HE BEGAN TO ADDRESS THE CANCEROUS ERRORS

THAT WERE SPREADING AMONG GOD'S PEOPLE.

WYCLIFF NEVER WANTED TO SET HIMSELF UP

AGAINST THE CHURCH'S LEADERS,

BUT AS HE SAW THE GLARING CONTRADICTIONS

BETWEEN WHAT THE BIBLE SAID AND WHAT THE CHURCH WAS DOING,

HE COULD NOT KEEP SILENT.

WELL, WYCLIFF IS REALLY A RATHER UNUSUAL PERSON

TO HAVE BECOME A HERETIC BECAUSE HE WAS AN OXFORD DON,

HE WAS VERY MUCH

BROUGHT UP WITHIN THE POWER STRUCTURE OF THE CHURCH

AND, YET, HE WAS DISTRESSED BY WHAT HE SAW AROUND HIM.

AS HE SAW ROME

SUBSTITUTING TRADITION FOR THE HOLY SCRIPTURE,

HE ACCUSED THE PRIESTHOOD

OF WITHHOLDING THE BREAD OF LIFE

FROM THE SPIRITUALLY STARVING PEOPLE.

HE BELIEVED THAT THE BIBLE WAS A SUPREME AUTHORITY

AND HE COMMISSIONED THE TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE.

HE HAD SOME FOLLOWERS CALLED LOLLARDS

THAT WENT AROUND DISTRIBUTING SCRIPTURE AND PREACHING.

THEY DID BELIEVE IN BIBLE READING.

THEY DID READ WYCLIFF'S BIBLE

AND THEY DID BELIEVE IN THE SAME KIND OF SIMPLER PIETY

THAT THE WALDENSIANS AND OTHERS HAD ADVOCATED

AS EARLY AS THE 1 2TH CENTURY.

THIS WAS THE GREATEST GIFT

HE COULD GIVE THE COMMON PEOPLE.

NO DOCUMENT HAS ALTERED THE COURSE OF HISTORY

MORE THAN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE.

HE BROUGHT FORWARD SOME OF THE TRUTHS

THAT PROTESTANTISM WOULD LATER BRING FORWARD

AND AS I JUST SUGGESTED,

HIS TEACHINGS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S CENTURIES BEFORE,

IS PREPARING THE WAY FOR MANY PEOPLE IN ENGLAND

TO ACCEPT THE REFORMATION WHEN IT COMES.

WYCLIFF HAD THE AUDACITY

TO DECLARE THAT THE UNIVERSAL AUTHORITY OF THE POPE

WAS UNBIBLICAL.

IT WAS UNDER THESE CONDITIONS THAT ON MAY 22, 1377

POPE GREGORY THE 1 1 TH

CONDEMNED THE WRITINGS OF JOHN WYCLIFF

STATING THAT HIS TEACHINGS

WERE DANGEROUS TO THE CHURCH AND THE STATE.

WYCLIFF CONTINUED TO TEACH SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST ALONE

AND THAT THE SCRIPTURES WERE INFALLIBLE

RATHER THAN THE ROMAN CHURCH.

OVER TIME, HIS WRITINGS AND WORK OF REFORM

SPREAD OUT LIKE SEISMIC WAVES

INFLUENCING MILLIONS OF GOD'S PEOPLE.

THEY CAN BE READ ANYWHERE WHERE THERE ARE SCHOOLMEN,

WHERE THERE ARE SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGIANS WHO CAN PICK THEM UP.

THEY DO TRAVEL AND THEY TRAVEL TO BOHEMIA

THEY DO TRAVEL AND THEY TRAVEL TO BOHEMIA

AND THEY INSPIRE JOHN HUSS AS WELL.

AND HUSS SHARES THE ATTACK ON TRANSUBSTANTIATION,

ON CLERICAL POWER AND ON, AS WITH WYCLIFF,

ON THE WEALTH OF THE CHURCH.

HUSS WAS ONLY A YOUNG BOY WHEN WYCLIFF PASSED AWAY,

BUT WYCLIFF'S WORKS HAD A POWERFUL INFLUENCE

ON HIS LIFE AND HIS FUTURE MISSION.

JOHN HUSS WAS A BOHEMIAN PREACHER,

ALSO A UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR

AND ALSO KING'S CHAPLAIN FOR AWHILE.

HE'S ENTRUSTED, EVENTUALLY WITH THE OFFICE OF PREACHING

AT A LITTLE CHAPEL THAT HAS JUST BEEN FOUNDED,

THE BETHLEHEM CHAPEL.

LIKE WYCLIFF, JOHN HUSS PREACHED THE SCRIPTURES

IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE PEOPLE

A PRACTICE THAT THE CHURCH HAD NOW FORBIDDEN

IN FAVOR OF THE LOST LANGUAGE OF LATIN.

HE DID PREACH IN THE VERNACULAR LANGUAGE

AND THE BOHEMIANS HAD HAD SCRIPTURE IN THEIR LANGUAGE

DESPITE CHURCH COUNCILS.

AND IT'S FROM THAT

THAT HE COMES INTO CONTACT WITH THE TEACHINGS OF WYCLIFF

AND HE ESPECIALLY IS DRAWN TO THE ATTACK ON TRANSUBSTANTIATION,

ON THE ATTACK ON THE WEALTH AND INFLUENCE OF THE CHURCH.

WALKING THROUGH TOWN ONE DAY, HUSS NOTICED A COUPLE OF PAINTINGS

THAT TWO MEN HAD DISPLAYED AS A SILENT PROTEST.

EACH OF THE CANVASES PORTRAYED A DIFFERENT SCENE.

ON ONE WAS THE IMAGE OF THE LOWLY JESUS

HUMBLY ENTERING JERUSALEM WITH HIS TRAVEL-WORN DISCIPLES.

ON THE OTHER CANVAS WAS AN IMAGE OF THE POPE

DRESSED IN RICH AND LUXURIOUS CLOTHING,

CARRIED ON A LITTER

AND FOLLOWED BY A REGAL PROCESSION.

THE PAINTINGS CERTAINLY PRESENTED A CONTRAST

BETWEEN JESUS,

WHO SAID THAT FOXES HAVE HOLES

AND THE BIRDS OF THE AIR HAVE NESTS

AND THE SON OF MAN HAS NOWHERE TO LAY HIS HEAD,

WITH THE MAGNIFICENT SPLENDOR

OF THE PAPAL PALACE AND THE PAPAL ENTOURAGE.

MOVED BY THIS KNOWLEDGE,

HE BEGAN TO PUBLICLY DENOUNCE THE PRIDE, AMBITION,

AND CORRUPTION OF THE CLERGY

AND HE FEARLESSLY CALLED FOR THE CHURCH TO REFORM.

IF YOU MUST INTERPRET SCRIPTURE ACCORDING TO TRUTH,

TRUTH IS DEFINED BY WHAT THE CHURCH BELIEVES.

HOW DO YOU CORRECT AN ERROR IN THE CHURCH?

YOU DON'T HAVE A CHECK ON MISTAKES.

THERE IS NO CORRECTING THE CHURCH.

AND THAT, I THINK, IS THE FUNDAMENTAL FLAW

OF WHAT ALLOWED THE CHURCH TO START GOING WRONG

AND KEEP GOING WRONG.

JOHN HUSS WAS INVITED TO COME TO CONSTANCE, GERMANY

TO DEFEND HIS CRITICISM OF THE CHURCH OF ROME.

SIGISMUND, KING OF HUNGARY, AND LATER, THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

GUARANTEED HIM A SAFE PASSAGE,

BUT IMMEDIATELY UPON HUSS' ARRIVAL IN THE CITY,

HE WAS ARRESTED AND PLACED IN THE DUNGEON

AT GOTTLIEBEN CASTLE.

KING SIGISMUND WAS GREATLY ANGERED

AT THE IMPRISONMENT OF HUSS

AND HE THREATENED THE CHURCH COUNCIL

BUT THE COUNCIL CONVINCED SIGISMUND

THAT PROMISES MADE TO A HERETIC WERE NOT BINDING.

ON JULY 6, 1 415, THE COUNCIL GATHERED

INTO THE CATHEDRAL AFTER MASS AND LITURGY

AND JOHN HUSS WAS THEN LED IN FOR HIS TRIAL.

HE WAS ASKED TO DEFEND HIS POSITIONS.

IN THE ACT OF DEFENDING THEM

HE WAS FOUND TO HAVE VOICED A HERESY

AND SO HE WAS SEIZED AND TRIED FOR HERESY.

GUARDS THEN LED HUSS AWAY TO BE EXECUTED.

AT THE PLACE OF HIS EXECUTION, HUSS STOOD FIRM.

AS THE FLAMES ROSE ABOUT HIM,

HE WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO LIFT HIS VOICE IN SONG.

AMONG HIS DYING WORDS, HUSS PREDICTED,

''IN A HUNDRED YEARS GOD WILL RAISE UP A MAN

WHOSE CALLS FOR REFORM CANNOT BE SUPPRESSED.''

RAISED IN A HUMBLE HOME IN MANSFIELD, GERMANY,

MARTIN LUTHER, THEOLOGIAN, AUTHOR, COMPOSER,

AND PRIEST WAS ARGUABLY

THE BEST KNOWN RELIGIOUS REFORMER

OF THE 1 6TH CENTURY.

LUTHER WAS BORN ON NOVEMBER 1 0, 1 483,

NEARLY 70 YEARS AFTER THE MARTYRDOM OF JOHN HUSS.

BORN INTO A HARDWORKING MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILY,

WITH SEVERAL BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

LUTHER DEVELOPED A FIRM CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY.

THE LUTHER FAMILY SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN,

TO SOME EXTENT, A FAMILY OF OVER-ACHIEVERS.

THEY WERE VERY STRICT,

ACCORDING TO LUTHER'S LATER STORIES.

THEY WERE VERY STRICT ON THE YOUNG MARTIN

AND THEY CERTAINLY SAW

THAT THE WAY FORWARD FOR THEIR SON WAS THROUGH EDUCATION.

BUT WHEN HE WAS YOUNG,

HE WAS INTENDED TO BECOME A LAWYER.

HOWEVER, A DRAMATIC EXPERIENCE

FOREVER ALTERED THE COURSE OF HIS LIFE.

LUTHER IS CAUGHT IN A THUNDERSTORM AND FEARS FOR HIS LIFE.

HE'S OUTSIDE AND HE FEARS HE'LL BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

LIGHTNING WAS STRIKING IN FRONT OF HIM AND BEHIND HIM

AND ON BOTH SIDES OF HIM AND SO IN TERROR HE CRIES OUT

AND PROMISES THAT IF A SAINT WILL SAVE HIM,

HE WILL BECOME A MONK.

HE CALLED OUT TO SAINT ANNE, THE SAINT OF HOPELESS CAUSES.

''SAINT ANNE, DELIVER ME AND I'LL BECOME A MONK!''

AND HE KEPT HIS WORD.

IN SPITE OF HIS FATHER'S ANGRY PROTESTS,

LUTHER DROPPED HIS LAW STUDIES, SOLD HIS BOOKS,

AND ENTERED A CLOSED AUGUSTINIAN MONASTERY AT ERFURT

AND FULLY DEDICATED HIS TIME TO THE MONASTIC LIFE.

FOLLOWING HIS DESPERATE LONGING FOR SALVATION,

HE PRACTICED FREQUENT FASTINGS, LONG HOURS OF PRAYER,

AUSTERE LIVING AND ENDLESS CONFESSION.

''IF ANYONE COULD HAVE GAINED HEAVEN AS A MONK

THEN I WOULD, INDEED, HAVE BEEN AMONG THEM.''

HE FOUND AN ELDER CONFESSOR THERE

WHO REALIZED THAT LUTHER HAD A PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE SOUL

AND THIS CONFESSOR REALIZED

THAT LUTHER NEEDED TO TEACH THE BIBLE.

SO HE BECOMES SIMULTANEOUSLY PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY,

PREACHER IN THE TOWN CHURCH,

AND A MEMBER OF THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY

IN THE AUGUSTINIAN HOUSE.

HE'S BASICALLY DOING THREE JOBS.

AT WITTENBERG HE LEARNED TO STUDY THE BIBLE

IN ITS ORIGINAL TONGUES.

SOON, HE BEGAN TO FREELY SHARE THE TRUTHS

THAT HE WAS LEARNING IN HIS LECTURES

AND HIS LISTENERS WERE DELIGHTED.

IN 151 0, LUTHER MADE A PILGRIMAGE

TO VISIT THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE CHURCH

IN THE HOLY CITY OF ROME.

HE WAS SICKENED TO WITNESS THE TERRIBLE GREED AND WICKEDNESS

THAT HE SAW AMONG ALL CLASSES OF THE CLERGY.

HIS GREAT EXPECTATION OF THE HOLY CITY

WAS CRUSHED AS HE BEHELD

THE DECADENT LIFESTYLES OF THE MONKS AND THE PRIESTS.

THIS WAS IN STARK CONTRAST

TO HIS VERY FRUGAL LIFE IN GERMANY.

BUT LUTHER'S MOST UNSETTLING REVELATION

WAS YET TO COME.

HE WENT TO ROME AND HE WAS CLIMBING UP THE STAIRS THERE

AND HEARS A VOICE-

NOT NECESSARILY A VERBAL ONE, BUT ONE IN HIS HEAD-

''THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.''

AND SO CLIMBING UP THESE, PILATE'S STAIRS, ON HIS KNEES,

WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO EARN YOU SOME KIND OF ASSURANCE

OF NOT BURNING IN PURGATORY FOR TOO LONG.

AND IT JUST DAWNED ON HIM AS HE LOOKED AROUND,

''WHAT ARE WE DOING?

THE BIBLE SAYS THIS COMES BY FAITH.''

AND HE GOT UP OFF HIS KNEES

AND THIS SEEMED TO BE A TURNING POINT.

LUTHER FINALLY UNDERSTOOD

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUSTING IN THE MERITS OF CHRIST

FOR FORGIVENESS.

AFTER RETURNING FROM ROME IN 151 2,

LUTHER WAS AWARDED THE DOCTORATE OF DIVINITY

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WITTENBERG

AND HE BEGAN TO BOLDLY PREACH TO THE PEOPLE

THAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT ACCEPT ANY DOCTRINE

UNLESS IT CAME FROM THE BIBLE

AND IT WAS THIS PRINCIPLE OF ''SOLA SCRIPTURA''

THAT WOULD BECOME THE BATTLE CRY OF THE REFORMATION.

IT'S IN A SERIES OF THREE TREATISES IN 1520

THAT HE PRESENTS THE NOTION THAT NOW,

SINCE THE TRADITION OF THE CHURCH

HAS BECOME SO CORRUPTED BY HUMAN INNOVATION,

THAT THE CHURCH SHOULD ONLY FOLLOW

THE TESTIMONY OF THE SCRIPTURES.

THIS IS THE COMMON THREAD

IN THE STORY THAT DESCRIBES THE DECLINE OF THE CHURCH.

IT'S WHEN PEOPLE LOST SCRIPTURE

AND THE ABILITY TO READ SCRIPTURE FOR THEMSELVES

AND THERE WAS A BARRIER

BETWEEN THEM AND SCRIPTURE AND THEM AND CHRIST.

AND THEN IT BEGAN TO RECOVER

WHEN MARTIN LUTHER AND HIS COLLEAGUES

DECIDED THAT SCRIPTURE REALLY WAS THE AUTHORITY,

''SOLA SCRIPTURA, TOTA SCRIPTURA, PRIMA SCRIPTURA''

AND THEY BEGAN TO CLIMB BACK OUT.

ABOUT THIS SAME TIME,

ROME WAS BREAKING GROUND FOR THE CONSTRUCTION

OF THE MAGNIFICENT NEW SAINT PETER'S BASILICA.

THE CHURCH SENT JOHN TETZEL, A DOMINICAN FRIAR,

TO GERMANY TO SELL INDULGENCES

IN ORDER TO RAISE THE FUNDS NECESSARY FOR THE CATHEDRAL.

THE CHURCH BELIEVES,

NOT ONLY THAT ITS SERVICES AND OFFERINGS

CAN HELP THE DEAD,

BUT ALSO THAT THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH IN THE WEST, THE POPE,

CAN, OUT OF THE SUPER ABUNDANCE OF SAVED UP GRACE,

WHICH IS IN THE POSSESSION OF THE CHURCH,

THE CHURCH CAN SIMPLY DECLARE

THAT SOMEONE'S PENALTIES OWED AFTER THEY DIED

ARE JUST WIPED OUT.

THAT'S WHAT'S CALLED AN INDULGENCE.

THE FULL PLENARY INDULGENCE

ABSOLVED A PERSON OF ALL THE SINS

THAT THEY HAD COMMITTED UP TO THAT TIME

AND THUS SPEEDED YOU, ACCORDING TO CHURCH TEACHING,

THROUGH PURGATORY DIRECTLY INTO HEAVEN.

BY VERY LATE IN THE MIDDLE AGES,

THE CHURCH HAS GOT INTO ITS HEAD

THAT IT CAN SAY TO PEOPLE,

''IF YOU ARE WILLING

''TO MAKE AN OFFERING TO THE CHURCH,

''THE CHURCH WILL GIVE AN INDULGENCE

''IN THE MANNER OF AN OFFERING,

''FOR YOUR DEPARTED FAMILY, FRIEND, RELATIVE, LOVED ONE

AND THAT LOVED ONE WILL ESCAPE THE PAINS OF PURGATORY,''

SUPPOSEDLY IMMEDIATELY.

THIS BECAME, BY THE 1 4TH AND 15TH CENTURY,

A VERY POPULAR BELIEF

AND PEOPLE CLAMORED FOR INDULGENCES.

WHEN LUTHER LEARNED

THAT HIS MEMBERS WERE PURCHASING INDULGENCES,

HE WAS OUTRAGED.

AS THE PEOPLE CAME TO HIM TO CASH IN THEIR INDULGENCES,

HE FLATLY REFUSED TO HONOR THEM.

LUTHER DECLARED THAT WHAT THEY REALLY NEEDED TO DO

WAS TO SINCERELY REPENT AND TURN FROM THEIR SINS.

THIS WAS THE FIRST ISSUE THAT FORCED LUTHER INTO BATTLE

WITH HIS OWN BELOVED CHURCH.

ON OCTOBER 31 , 151 7,

LUTHER NAILED HIS FAMOUS PROTEST

TO THE DOORS OF ALL THE SAINTS CHURCH IN WITTENBERG.

WHAT ARE THE 95 THESES THAT HE FAMOUSLY NAILS

TO THE DOOR OF WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH?

IT'S AN ACADEMIC INVITATION TO A DEBATE.

YOU WRITE DOWN 95 THESIS STATEMENTS

AND YOU'RE BASICALLY SAYING, ''HERE ARE MY PROPOSALS''

AND THEY'RE ALWAYS MORE STRONGLY WORDED

THAN YOU MAY THINK BECAUSE IT'S A DEBATING POINT;

IT'S WHAT'S CALLED A DISPUTATION.

THE 95 THESES IS JUST A SERIES OF 95 PROPOSITIONS

THAT HE INTENDS TO SPARK A UNIVERSITY DEBATE ON.

AND THIS IS STANDARD ISSUE LATE MEDIEVAL ACADEMIC PRACTICE.

SO LUTHER IS ENGAGING

IN A VERY NARROWLY ACADEMIC EXERCISE.

IT'S LIKE PUBLISHING A PAPER IN A SCHOLARLY JOURNAL TODAY.

AS A HISTORIAN MYSELF AT TIMES,

YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY EXPECTING VERY MANY PEOPLE TO READ THIS,

YOU'RE JUST GOING INTO A VERY NARROW CIRCLE.

SO HE TAKES IT AND HE NAILS IT TO THE DOOR

OF WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

BECAUSE THAT'S THE TRADITIONAL PLACE

YOU POST INVITATIONS FOR A DISPUTATION.

SO HE'S NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING, NECESSARILY, TO COME OF THIS.

AND THIS GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE'S ATTENTION,

INCLUDING THE POPE'S.

AS FAR AS LUTHER'S CONCERNED, HE'S NOT PROMOTING SOMETHING

THAT THE CHURCH WOULD BE HOSTILE TO,

HE BELIEVES HE'S PROMOTING THINGS THAT THE CHURCH WILL WELCOME.

AND, INDEED, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS,

INCLUDING AUGUSTINE,

YOU CAN FIND MANY THINGS IN THEIR WRITINGS

IN ACCORD WITH LUTHER'S IDEAS.

SO LUTHER ACTUALLY EXPECTS PEOPLE TO SORT OF SAY,

''OH, GREAT. THANKS FOR POINTING THAT OUT.''

WHICH WAS PERHAPS A TRIFLE NAÏVE

AND PERHAPS THAT'S WHAT COMES FROM HIM BEING AN ACADEMIC.

BUT LUTHER IS NOT TRYING TO SET UP ANOTHER MOVEMENT-

JUST THE OPPOSITE.

BUT THE REALITY, OF COURSE,

IS THAT THE CHURCH DOES NOT WELCOME

MUCH OF WHAT LUTHER HAS TO SAY.

AND A BULL WENT OUT-

A PAPAL BULL MEANING A KIND OF DECLARATION -

CONDEMNING LUTHER AND HIS WRITINGS

AND SAYING THEY SHOULD BE CONSIGNED TO THE FLAMES.

THE BULL WAS DELIVERED AT WITTENBERG

AND INSTEAD OF CONSIGNING THE WRITINGS TO THE FLAMES,

LUTHER HAD A BIG GATHERING IN WITTENBERG

AND CONSIGNED THE BULL TO THE FLAMES

AND THERE WAS A BURNING OF THIS PAPAL BULL

AND THIS, OF COURSE, WAS A ''THROW DOWN'' NOW, RIGHT?

THE CHALLENGE HAD BEEN SENT OUT

AND THE CHALLENGE HAD BEEN RESPONDED TO.

AND THAT'S WHEN LUTHER SAYS,

''RIGHT, IF YOU CONDEMN ME I WILL CONDEMN YOU,''

BECAUSE HE BELIEVES THIS IS A MATTER OF TRUTH.

AND SO, IF THE CHURCH IS CONDEMNING BIBLICAL TRUTH

THEN THE CHURCH MUST ACTUALLY BE ANTICHRIST

AND HE CALLS IT THAT AND, OF COURSE,

ONCE YOU CALL SOMEBODY ANTICHRIST,

IT'S RATHER HARD TO REACH CONSENSUS AND COMPROMISE.

SO THE GERMAN EMPEROR ORGANIZED A HEARING

AND ALL THE IMPORTANT PRINCES AND PRIESTS

WERE ASSEMBLED FOR AN HISTORIC MEETING

AT A PLACE CALLED WORMS.

SO THERE WERE REPRESENTATIVES HERE

OF ALL THE DIFFERENT PRINCES, NOBLES,

AND FREE CITIES OF THE EMPIRE

AND LUTHER GOES, BELIEVING HE'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO DEBATE.

THE CHURCH KNOWS THAT LUTHER'S A BRILLIANT DEBATER

AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE HIM ANY CHANCE.

HE WAS PULLED UP BEFORE THE GROUP.

HE WAS SHOWN A PILE OF HIS BOOKS.

HE WAS ASKED TWO QUESTIONS: ''ARE THESE BOOKS YOURS?''

AND ''WILL YOU RECANT?''

WILL YOU WITHDRAW THE TEACHINGS YOU'VE MADE IN THEM?

AND HE DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY REPLY.

HE SAID, ''WELL, YES THEY ARE MY BOOKS

BUT THERE'S MANY THINGS WRITTEN THERE

AND I NEED SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT.''

HE ALMOST LOSES HIS NERVE , BUT ULTIMATELY HE DOESN'T,

THE NEXT DAY HE COMES IN

AND HE STARTS TO PLAY WITH WORDS AND THEY SAY,

''ARE ALL THESE YOUR WORKS AND DO YOU RECANT THEM?''

HE SAYS, ''DO YOU ASK ME TO RECANT ALL MY WORKS

''BECAUSE SOME OF MY WORKS

''EVERYONE IN THE CHURCH WOULD AGREE WITH?

''I'VE WRITTEN AGAINST CERTAIN EVILS

THAT THE CHURCH GENERALLY AGREES ARE WRONG.''

HE'S TRYING TO GET INTO A DEBATE

AND THE AUTHORITIES AREN'T HAVING ANY OF THIS.

THEY SAY, ''NO, NO, NO.

YOU JUST HAVE TO SAY- ARE YOU GOING TO RETRACT THESE?

ARE YOU GOING TO RECANT?''

IT'S AN HEROIC MOMENT ESPECIALLY BECAUSE,

AS FAR AS LUTHER IS CONCERNED,

HE BELIEVES IT'S GOING TO LEAD TO HIS DEATH.

''UNLESS I AM CONVINCED BY THE TESTIMONY OF THE SCRIPTURES

''OR BY CLEAR REASON,

''FOR I DO NOT TRUST EITHER IN THE POPE

''OR IN COUNCILS ALONE,

''SINCE IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT THEY HAVE OFTEN ERRED

''AND CONTRADICTED THEMSELVES,

''I AM BOUND BY THE SCRIPTURES I HAVE QUOTED

''AND MY CONSCIENCE IS CAPTIVE TO THE WORD OF GOD.

''I CANNOT AND WILL NOT RECANT ANYTHING

''SINCE IT IS NEITHER SAFE NOR RIGHT TO GO AGAINST CONSCIENCE.

''HERE I STAND. I CAN DO NO OTHER.

MAY GOD HELP ME. AMEN.''

THE COUNCIL DID NOT HAVE MUCH IT COULD SAY IN REPLY.

LUTHER WAS DECLARED AN OUTLAW.

HIS LITERATURE WAS BANNED AND HIS ARREST ORDERED.

THE DOCUMENT SAID, ''WE WANT HIM TO BE APPREHENDED

AND TO BE PUNISHED AS A NOTORIOUS HERETIC.''

NOW LUTHER HAD BEEN GIVEN A SAFE CONDUCT

TO THE DIET OF WORMS,

JUST AS HUSS HAD BEEN GIVEN TO THE COUNCIL OF CONSTANCE

JUST OVER 1 00 YEARS EARLIER.

AND THERE WERE THOSE AUTHORITIES

WHO URGED THE HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR, CHARLES THE V,

TO IGNORE THE SAFE CONDUCT,

JUST AS THE EMPEROR SIGISMUND HAD WITH HUSS' SAFE CONDUCT.

CHARLES THE V DIDN'T WANT TO BE KNOWN

AS THE SECOND EMPEROR THAT HAD RENEGED

IN A GOOD-FAITH CONDUCT PASSAGE AND SO,

FOR WHATEVER REASON,

THIS REASON AND MAYBE SOME OTHERS,

HE ALLOWED LUTHER TO LEAVE TOWN AND START HOME.

THE THOUGHT WAS HE WOULD PROBABLY BE KILLED

BY SOMEONE ON THE WAY

BECAUSE THERE WAS AN OPEN PRICE ON HIS HEAD.

INSTEAD, OF COURSE, LUTHER IS KIDNAPPED

BY AN ARMED GROUP OF MEN

WHO WERE ACTUALLY WORKING FOR FREDERICK THE WISE

WHO DECIDES HE NEEDS TO TAKE LUTHER OUT OF CIRCULATION

FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

TO WARTBURG CASTLE,

WHICH THE ELECTOR FREDERICK KNEW ABOUT

BUT NOBODY KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO LUTHER.

MANY PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS DEAD.

FOR THE NEXT YEAR, FROM THIS LONELY EXILE,

WHICH LUTHER REFERRED TO AS 'MY PATMOS',

THE FORMER PRIEST CONTINUED HIS WORK OF PROLIFIC WRITING.

HE EVEN MANAGED TO TRANSLATE THE NEW TESTAMENT

FROM GREEK INTO THE GERMAN LANGUAGE.

NOW, ABOUT 72 YEARS

BEFORE LUTHER COMPLETED HIS NEW TESTAMENT TRANSLATION,

GUTENBERG CHANGED HISTORY

WITH THE INVENTION OF THE PRINTING PRESS.

WITH THIS WONDERFUL NEW TECHNOLOGY,

THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD BEGAN TO SPREAD

LIKE THE LEAVES OF AUTUMN ALL THROUGH EUROPE.

AND SO, IN THE MIDST OF THIS GREAT REFORMATION,

THE LORD ARMED HIS PEOPLE WITH THE SWORD OF HIS WORD.

AROUND THIS SAME TIME,

SEVERAL OTHER POWERFUL CHAMPIONS OF TRUTH ROSE UP

FROM WITHIN THE CHURCH OF ROME.

AMONG THESE BRAVE MEN CALLING FOR A RETURN TO THE SCRIPTURES

WERE PHILIPP MELANCTHON, WILLIAM TYNDALE, JOHN CALVIN,

AND JOHN KNOX, JUST TO NAME A FEW.

AS THE REFORMERS PREACHED AND THE PRINTING PRESS CLATTERED,

THE TEEMING MASSES STUDIED THE WORD OF GOD.

GRADUALLY THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

BEGAN TO DISSOLVE THE SHACKLES OF ERROR AND SUPERSTITION

THAT HAD BOUND THE PEOPLE FOR AGES.

LIKE A BREATH OF FRESH SPRING AIR,

EUROPE EXPERIENCED A RELIGIOUS RENAISSANCE.

''AND YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH

AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.''

THE BOOK OF REVELATION ALSO FORETELLS THAT IN THE FINAL DAYS

THE DRAGON, SATAN,

WILL ONCE AGAIN INTENSIFY HIS EFFORTS

TO PERSECUTE THE CHURCH OF GOD.

THEY ARE IDENTIFIED

AS THE ONES WHO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD

AND HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS.

REVELATION WARNS THAT IN THE LAST DAYS

THERE WILL BE A VERY CONVINCING COUNTERFEIT OF GOD'S REAL CHURCH

THAT COMPROMISES THE TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE.

JESUS WARNS IT WILL NEARLY DECEIVE THE WHOLE WORLD.

''FOR FALSE CHRISTS AND FALSE PROPHETS WILL RISE

''AND SHOW SIGNS AND WONDERS TO DECEIVE,

IF POSSIBLE, EVEN THE ELECT.''

SHORTLY AFTER THIS FINAL DECEPTION CHRIST WILL RETURN.

AND HE WILL COME FOR A CHURCH THAT HAS BEEN PURIFIED

FROM ALL THE FALSE TRADITIONS AND PAGANISM.

IT WILL BE A CHURCH

THAT REQUIRES A ''THUS SAYETH THE LORD''

FOR EVERY DOCTRINE THAT IT HOLDS.

JESUS ALSO SAID THAT WHEN HE RETURNS,

THE WORLD WILL BE ABSORBED

IN SELFISHNESS, VIOLENCE AND MUTINY.

''AND YOU WILL HEAR OF WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS.

''FOR NATION WILL RISE AGAINST NATION

''AND THERE WILL BE FAMINES, PESTILENCES AND EARTHQUAKES.

''THE LOVE OF MANY WILL GROW COLD

AND THEN THE END WILL COME.''

THIS SPIRITUAL WAR HAS BEEN RAGING DOWN THROUGH THE AGES

AND IT'S CLEAR THAT THIS PROPHEC Y IS FAST FULFILLING.

AS THE BATTLE INTENSIFIES, WE'RE ALL FACED WITH A CHOICE.

''CHOOSE FOR YOURSELVES THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE.''

FRIENDS, WE'VE JUST SEEN

HOW THE GLORIOUS LIGHT OF GOD'S CHURCH

WAS OVERSHADOWED AND DISTORTED

THROUGH THE INFLUENCE OF MYTHOLOGY.

WE'VE ALSO SEEN

HOW EARLY CHRISTIANS WERE GRADUALLY ENTICED

TO ADOPT PAGAN RITUALS AND TRADITIONS

IN PLACE OF BIBLICAL TRUTH.

BUT THEN GOD ROSE UP FAITHFUL MEN AND WOMEN

TO RESIST THE ERRORS OF AN ENTIRE EMPIRE.

HISTORY IS NOW REPEATING ITSELF.

SOON ALL WILL EITHER JOIN THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

OR FOLLOW THE BEAST OF BABYLON.

WHERE WILL YOU STAND?

THE BIBLE IS CLEAR.

THE EVIDENCE IS IRREFUTABLE.

THE DECISION IS ULTIMATELY YOURS.

''SURELY I AM COMING QUICKLY.'' REVELATION 22:20 NKJV