 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
The Soon Coming Judgment Of God Upon America and How To Escape It 435
Armenian and Palestinian Syriac versions all contain these books of the Bible omitted by
Vaticanus.
Revelation 11:3-4 states that during a period of 1,260 days, which prophetically equals
1,260 years, two witnesses clothed in sackcloth would prophesy. I believe the Old and New
Testament of the Received Text fulfilled this prophecy during the Dark Ages of the Papacy. I
believe that this prophecy will also be fulfilled again for a period of 3 ½ years during the
tribulation in a very different way. God’s word is true and we can trust in it!
Spiritual Integrity of the Martyrs
Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and
by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” The martyrs of the
Dark Ages fulfilled this. They lived their lives as best they could in accordance with their
understanding of the word of God, as did the Apostles and other faithful that were martyred
before them.
These martyrs were labeled as heretics buy the Catholic Church but the truth is that they
would not accept the corruption that the Catholic Church brought into the Christian faith. The
Waldensians were a group of people that remained loyal to God and his truth through 1500 years
of persecution. The persecution of the Catholic Church eventually nearly wiped the Waldensians
off the face of the earth. The Inquisition of the Catholic Church was their last effort to
accomplish the eradication of the Waldensians and others; it ended in 1846.
1397
The Waldensians were labeled as heretics by the Catholic Church for no other reason
except that they placed God’s holy word above that of the authority and traditions of the Catholic
Church. These were good people and this can clearly be seen in the following quote from Rainer
Sacho, a Roman Catholic author (Note: Leonists was another name used for the Waldensians
1398
):
There is no sect so dangerous as Leonists (Waldensians), for three reasons:
first it is the most ancient; some say it is as old as Sylvester, others as the apostles
themselves. Secondly, it is very generally disseminated; there is no country where
it has not gained some footing. Third, while other sects are profane and
blasphemous, this retains the utmost show of piety; they live justly before
men, and believe nothing concerning God which is not good. (Emphasis
Added) (Dugger and Dodd, A History of the True Religion, 3rd ed. Jerusalem,
1972, p. 224 ff.)
1399
Fox's Book of Martyrs and Martyres Mirror are two well-known works that record for us
the fact that Christians were martyred for their faith rather than heresy. These Christians were
burned, tortured, starved, beheaded, and drowned yet they exhibited the very qualities of Christ
at his crucifixion. They prayed, they forgave their enemies and even sung hymns while being
burned alive.
In 1598 three men (Scoblant, Hues, and Coomans) were apprehended in Antwerp. Fox
says they “behaved with great fortitude and cheerfulness.” “In an epistle to some worthy
Protestants, they expressed themselves in the following words:”
 |