The First Was Against Christ Himself, and His Early Church — The Second Was the Conflict of the Dark Ages — The Third Is Yet Before Us
By C. S. LONGACRE
Editor of "Liberty"
This is the first of three articles by Mr. Longacre on the prospect of persecution breaking out again. Men are teaching that we are to have no more religious persecution. They were also teaching, a few months ago, that we would never have any more war. Are they likely to be as much mistaken on the question of religious persecution as they have been on the war?
Next week the article will show how both political and religious issues are shaping things for intolerance and persecution.
MORE than eighteen hundred years ago, the seer of Patmos saw, through the Spirit of revelation, the three distinct periods of great persecution that would come to God's people during the Christian dispensation. A prophecy covering the whole Christian era, beginning with the twelfth and ending with the fourteenth chapter of the book of Revelation, vividly portrays and announces the final outcome of each of these three conflicts between Christ and Satan, and between Christ's people and their enemies.
A GLIMPSE OF THE THREE
The twelfth chapter gives a brief survey of the whole field, where we catch a glimpse of the three conflicts; while the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters give a description of the parties and issues involved in these struggles.
The first conflict brought to view opens with a personal struggle between Christ and Satan. Of course Satan always uses human instrumentalities, through which he works to accomplish his designs. In the first conflict, he used Herod, a Roman ruler in Palestine, to carry out his persecuting schemes. Pagan Rome waged war upon Christ and His followers in this first struggle.
THE DRAGON SOUGHT TO DEVOUR HIM
We are told that as soon as Christ was born, the dragon stood ready to devour Him. Satan inspired Herod to enact and execute a law causing all the little children in Bethlehem under two years of age to be slain, thereby expecting to apprehend Christ, who had just been born. But God intervened in behalf of His Son, and through an angel directed His flight into Egypt. After the king was dead, it was revealed again that He should return to Palestine.
When the Son of God began His public work, Satan dogged His steps, and on many occasions tried to arrest and slay Him. Finally he did succeed in laying hold of Him, and condemning Him to death before the courts of the land. Satan succeeded in carrying out the death sentence, and locking Him up in his prison-house, the tomb, sealing it with the Roman seal, and guarding it with the bravest of Roman soldiers. Evidently Satan thought he had triumphed over Christ, and that He would remain in his power forever.
TRIUMPED OVER DEATH
But God again intervened in behalf of His Son, because of His perfect righteousness, and sent an angel from the courts of heaven, who broke the Roman seal, and called forth the Son of God to life. He arose a mighty Conqueror over Satan and the power of death.
Thus in the opening conflict, Christ Himself triumphed gloriously over Satan, and He is now seated as a Prince and Saviour at the right hand of the throne of God.
The Alps and Piedmont mountain fastnesses greatly aided the true church.
PERSECUTED THE EARLY CHURCH
We are next told, in this twelfth chapter of Revelation, that Satan immediately began to persecute the woman, the church, which had brought forth the man child, who was caught up to God and His throne.
Satan used pagan Rome and a false religion to persecute the true church for three centuries after Christ. Then a pagan emperor espoused the cause of Christianity for political reasons, and for a short time persecutions ceased, and the world was at peace. The first period of persecution closed, and Satan's schemes for wiping out the church were defeated.
THE SECOND CONFLICT A PERSECUTING FLOOD
A second conflict soon opened, worse than the first. Satan again aimed to drown the true church with a flood of persecution; and he would have succeeded, said Christ, if God had not intervened and shortened those days of persecution for the elect's sake.
The exact length of this second period of persecution is given in six different places in the Scriptures as "a time, and times, and half a time," "forty and two months," or as stated more definitely in Rev. 12:6, "a thousand two hundred and threescore days."
According to prophetic interpretation, this would mean one thousand two hundred sixty literal years. See Eze. 4:6. But God shortened those days of persecution. Mark 13:20. He caused the earth to help the woman. See Rev. 12:16. "The woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God." Verse 6.
The Alps and Piedmont mountain fastnesses greatly aided the true church in protecting herself from the onslaught of her papal enemies during the days of medieval persecutions. However, many millions were cruelly slain for their loyalty to the word of God.
THE NEW WORLD DISCOVERED, AND A HAVEN OF REST
In the midst of these terrible persecutions, the New World was discovered; and in a special way "the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood" of persecution. Christians fled from European oppression to America, the land of promise, where they could worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences.
Finally, through the Protestant princes of Europe, the Jesuits were banished from Protestant countries, and the work of persecution was stayed a second time. Satan's plan to blot out the truth and its adherents was again frustrated, and his work of persecution was brought to a standstill. The second great conflict was ended.
THE LAST CONFLICT YET TO COME
Rev. 12:17 introduces the third and last conflict, with the following significant language: "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."
The war "with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ," is very specific and analytic, in reference both to time and to the denominational faith of the parties involved in the conflict. "The remnant" must refer to the last generation. Nothing else could be the remnant. They must necessarily keep all of God's commandments; for in God's sight, if they break one of His commandments, they are guilty of all. See James 2:10.
THE PEOPLE AND THE ISSUES INVOLVED
The latter half of the thirteenth chapter of Revelation reveals the parties and the issues involved in this last conflict between God's people and their enemies. The fourteenth chapter reveals the outcome of this last crisis. We are not left in darkness as to the results. Thank God, His people obtain the final victory over the beast and his image and their apostate issues, and they are seen triumphantly marching up to Mount Zion, singing the song of deliverance and victory.
