CHRISTIANITY UNDER SIEGE 600-1400 AD
Every few generations, every few hundred years – something comes up on the world scene that makes us think that this is the ‘end times’ or that the kingdom of God is not going to make it. However, the one common denominator in it all is that God is on the throne and the Kingdom of God marches on. It is unstoppable. Like I said before, we start with the will of God “in the beginning,” and we will end with the will of God “so that God may be all in all.”
Between these two book ends of God’s will we find many obstacles, hurdles, persecutions, doubts, discouragements and at times it seems that all is lost, but often at the last minute God raises up His men, His army and the kingdom of God continues on. This is the case between 600-1400 AD. The kingdom of God was up against not only the barbarians, but what we could now call bio-terrorism.
Up to this time in the history of the kingdom of God we see that dark kingdoms that had been dominated by pagan tyrants with human sacrifices are being liberated from misery to happiness.
During this period in the history of the church some dark clouds were gathering against the church and the powers of darkness were marshalling their forces. Several questions come to mind. During this period would the fledging kingdom of light survive an all out assault from the powers of darkness? Looking back we see that Satan threw everything that he had to stop the advance of the kingdom of God.
Savage armies would come up against God’s kingdom. Would they be able to fend them off? Armies were gathering, ideologies were being formulated to come against God’s kingdom. During this time three invading armies would come. Would the church be able to stand?
Islam, a new pervading religion was exploding on the scene and coming in to attack from the South. Vikings (the Norsemen of the North) were invading from the North and the Bubonic plague was coming in from the East. Was this the end? It certainly seemed so to those who were living at that time.
Another question to be asked during that time was whether the church would fall prey to the deception within its own movement? Not only do we have the enemies without, but also within. Right from the very start of the kingdom of God we see how deception throughout her history has dogged the advancement of the God’s kingdom. It became very acute during this period of time.
Along with the deception, another question arises: Would the church fall prey to the corruption of the very truths that set them free in the first place? I look at our own country, the USA, and see the Biblical truths that this country has been founded on, but today we find how corrupted our nation has become. Over twenty five hundred years ago Isaiah the prophet said: “So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.” Isaiah 59:14,15
A.W. Tozer said there are three types of faith: Faith that takes us over the mountain (problem), faith that takes us around the mountain, and faith that takes us through the mountain. Real Biblical faith takes us through the mountain. This is the question during this period: Will the faith of the church survive the biological pandemic to come?
In answering these questions (which we will do in the coming letters) it will shape the lives, faiths and future of generations to come.