Heretical Teaching of Origen-like Allegory? Parts 1 & 2

Allegory: “Allegory is a figure of speech in which abstract ideas and principles are described in terms of characters, figures and events. It can be employed in prose and poetry to tell a story with a purpose of teaching an idea and a principle or explaining an idea or a principle. The objective of its use is to preach some kind of a moral lesson.”

Examples of Allegory: Animal Farm; Pilgrim’s Progress; Faerie Queen.

http://literarydevices.net/allegory/

The above examples of allegory describe fictional narratives which contain underlying significant political, religious and/or moral themes which are obvious to those with sufficient intelligence/spiritual maturity.

Non-fiction: “Non-fiction is a story based on real facts and information. Non-fiction is a narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are believed by the author to be factual.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-fiction

History: “The branch of knowledge dealing with past events.”

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/history

When speaking of past events concerning factual, non-fiction Church history, Christian martyrdom, as well as the united testimony of the Saints, for DHK to cry ‘allegory’ is not only a logical fallacy on his part, it also reveals a desperate attempt to introduce an ad hominem attack accusing me of Origen-like heresy.

As Christians we should understand that all history is the outworking of God’s Providence which, in turn, is the outworking of God’s eternal decrees concerning the predestined destinies of all peoples, tribes and nations which, in turn, is the outworking of God’s perfect and holy will.

We are taught that the OT history of Israel has been written for our benefit and warning: Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

In like manner, NT Church history has equal value and meaning.

Without sufficient knowledge of our Christian past – invaluable information which has been preserved for any serious Christian to discover - the book of Revelation becomes a confusing and unintelligible jumble of symbols which, to the average reader, defies interpretation.

However, when one investigates past events and people, a pattern emerges which begins to correlate with the symbolism and events portrayed in the Revelation.

Futurists deny the relevance of Church history, positing the bulk of the Revelation in the by-and-by future, thereby negating any positive identification of its major character: The scarlet Beast, aka: the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition, the Antichrist.

Thus, when the Pope is brought to their attention as the only man in history who has fulfilled all the prophecies, Futurists dismiss the facts as irrelevant.

Their un-provable, un-testable and irrational theories and hypotheses are more beloved than prophetic, provable truth.

Therefore, I will present evidence which has scriptural authority....which Futurists cannot gainsay.

Evidence which the reader may not have considered.

 

Heretical Teaching of Origen-like Allegory? – Part 2

I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Angels have the spirit of prophecy.

John has the spirit of prophecy.

John’s Christian brethren also have the spirit of prophecy.

And they [Christians] overcame him [Satan and his false accusations] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

This verse speaks directly to the Christian martyrs who were killed due to their faith.

They testified for the truth of Christ as well as against the lies of their adversary, whoever that might be.

This testimony led to their deaths.

This fact is true whether studying the ancient Roman persecutions or the Papal Holy Roman persecutions, Crusades and Inquisitions.

In either case, their testimony was truthful.

We know this to be so because Satan, the father of lies, is overcome only by the truth, which sets free the one in bondage to him.

The Revelation is a prophecy, a revealing to Christ’s ‘servants’ of the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.

The prophecy consists of events current to John’s time frame as well as those future.

Those future events are not limited to a beginning of 2,000 + years in the future as the Futurists would have us believe.

Rather, they are declared to be things which must shortly come to pass.

Jesus was a Prophet. John was a prophet.

Those who have the spirit of prophecy, as did John, are prophets. They are brethren like him.

Prophets are important members of the Body of Christ:

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ

1st Cor. 12 confirms this truth.

The authors of the Bible were prophets whose writing was inspired by God.

Old Testament prophets spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

A note of caution is now due.

The Bible is comprised of God’s final Word to us.

Today there are legions of false prophets who claim a ‘Word from the Lord,’ a new revelation.

That fact does not negate the truth that the testimony of Jesus: the spirit of prophecy......is still alive and working.

In whom is the Spirit of Prophecy working?

In other words, who are God’s true prophets in the Church Age?

Answer: They are those who have been moved by God to speak His words.

You ask, Who are they?

The Bible is explicit as to who they are.

Incredibly, in the Gospels Jesus gives four separate accounts detailing to whom and by what means the spirit of prophecy is given to men.

Christians are well educated to the fact that when Jesus mentions something twice we are to take special heed…..anything with a ‘verily, verily’ attached is significant.

But when He states and re-states something four times, of how much more importance could it be?

Below I list the four scriptures in question:

But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. (Matt. 10:20)

But when they shall lead you and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. (Mark 13:11)

And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. (Luke 12:12)

They shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer. For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.. (Luke 21:12-15)

Unless you erroneously believe Christ’s words are addressed solely to those of His day, the unbiased Christian must give credence to Christ’s words as applying to all generations of Christians.

Otherwise, it is possible to eliminate Christ’ statement to Nicodemus, ‘Ye must be born again,’ as irrelevant to our generation.

To whom do these Scriptures apply?

They apply only to those Christians who are brought before religious Inquisitional councils because of their Christian faith.

They will be deemed heretics for their beliefs which are in opposition to that of their adversaries.

They will speak only as God has commanded; whether it be by the Father, Son or Holy Ghost.

These are they who have the spirit of prophecy.

These are they who speak divine truth.

These are they who have prophetic wisdom.

And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

The mind which has prophetic wisdom understands the identity of the woman, Mystery Babylon.

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

The mind which has prophetic wisdom understands the identity of the Beast, the Man of Sin.

Those who have such a mind have been given revelation knowledge of prophecy fulfilled.

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Next: Part 3: The United Holy Ghost Testimony of the Martyrs and Saints

 

Part 3 – Witnesses for the Truth Against Antichrist

The Book of Revelation, when analyzed of its core components, describes the life and death warfare, both physical and spiritual, between two professing Christian Churches.

These two Churches are described as two cities: Babylon versus New Jerusalem.

These two Churches are also described as two women: the Great Whore versus The Virgin Bride of Christ.

One of these Churches faithfully follows Christ in spirit and truth.

The other does not, following Christ’s enemy, Satan, instead.

The faithful Church is the true Church of Christ who seek to save souls which are lost.

The unfaithful Church is a satanic imposter, a false Church, the masterwork of Satan who seeks to destroy souls.

The true Church is that which has the truthful testimony of Jesus, whose innocent members love not their lives unto the death.

The false Church is that which has the lying testimony of Satan, whose sinful members steal, kill and destroy.

The true Church is that which loves not the world nor the things in the world.

The false Church is that which loves the world and the all the things in the world.

The true Church is humble, seeking to save souls according to the Gospel of the free grace of God through the faithful preaching of repentance and faith in Christ alone.

The false Church is prideful, seeking to destroy souls through a false Gospel of works, as well as mandating faith in the sacraments, the Church, the Virgin Mary, the saints, and her head, Antichrist.

As Cain murdered the innocent Abel, and as the Jews murdered the innocent Christ, in like manner do the false Christians murder the innocent true Christians.

The identity of Mystery Babylon and her Antichrist can only be solved by looking through the annals of Church history.

It is there one will find century after century of life and death struggles in which the central issue is focused upon the question as to who is the true member of Christ and who is the member of Antichrist.

Source: The classic Mennonite martyrology, Martyrs Mirror, originally published in 1660, pages 355-358.

NEXT: Part 4 - Witnesses for the Truth Against Antichrist

 

Part 4 – Witnesses for the Truth Against Antichrist

For centuries Western European history was written by Roman Catholic historians, both secular and religious.

The same holds true regarding the religious contests between the raging Roman Church hierarchy and her meek protesting Christian dissenters.

Not surprisingly, the writings of their theological enemies were destroyed whenever possible.

As a result only a relatively few rare manuscripts containing the doctrines of the alleged heretics have survived to this day.

What has survived are the eyewitness and hearsay accounts of biased, prejudiced, and highly devoted Roman Catholics.

It wasn’t until the Protestant Reformation began to gain momentum that the Church of Rome was forced to confront the question as to who held the legitimate position of the one, true, holy Christian Church founded by the Apostles and purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Roman Church could provide historical proof of her continuous existence since apostolic times, something they were certain the Protestants would fail to do.

In addition, she claimed Peter was the Rock upon whom the Christian Church was built.

He was allegedly the first Pope, the Holy Father and Supreme Shepherd over all the faithful.

The keys of his apostolic supremacy were then handed down to each successive Pope.

So claimed the Church of Rome.

The Reformers took issue and claimed otherwise.

The Reformers declared the Church of Rome Mystery Babylon and her papal head, Antichrist, thus placing her in the unfortunate position as the very false Church prophesied in the Revelation doomed to damnation.

Their conclusion was not drawn upon dreamy speculation, as are the wild prognostications of the deluded Futurists of our day.

Rather, their conclusions were based upon both the factual, historic dealings of the Roman Church as well as her admitted religious doctrine.

The Reformers judged Rome using Scriptural truth as their measuring rod.

They discovered Rome taught a false Gospel which was anti-Christ, their life style and morals anti-Christ, their murdering of multitudes of professing Christians was anti-Christ.

In short, there was no salvation in the Roman Catholic Church.

But in order to prove the Reformed Churches were part of a succession of true Christian Churches from apostolic times, the Protestants began an exhaustive search through European libraries and monasteries gleaning pertinent information as to the destructive anti-Christian nature of the Roman beast.

Included in their findings were the innumerable testimonies of trials condemning alleged heretical New Manichean sects who opposed the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings, life styles and morals.

Like the Protestant Reformers, they, too, held the exact same opinions as to the true nature of the Roman beast, calling her the prophesied Mystery Babylon, her papal head, Antichrist.

Furthermore, the Reformers were able to discern how, exactly the ‘heretics’ were falsely accused of being Manicheans.

I have given a prime example in my treatise, ‘The spirit of Antichrist.’

To deny transubstantiation was to deny Christ came in the flesh.

To deny the sacrifice of the Mass was to deny and vilify Christ’s atonement.

To deny image worship was to deny and vilify the reality and sainthood of the persons depicted.

To deny worship of Mary and the saints was to vilify them.

To deny the worship of the cross was to deny and vilify Christ’s atonement.

To deny regenerative infant baptism to was deny baptism.

And so on and so forth.

Although the ‘heretics’ were given many names while being accused of similar heresies, they were, in truth, distilled down to two harmonious, Bible-believing Christian Churches: Albigensian and Waldensian.

In concluding this part of my Treatise, I wish to leave the reader with the testimony of the Roman Catholic historian, Thuanus, concerning the hanging of alleged Manichean heretics in Goslar, Germany in A.D. 1052: