The Apostasy and Restoration

BY HAROLD L. FLEMINGS
OCTOBER 1992

THE APOSTASY FORETOLD

The Christian Greek Scriptures foretold that following the Apostolic

era the Early Christian Church would suffer an institutional apostasy
and that some time would pass before a restoration of the original
model would occur. This paper will follow each phase of this prophetic
and historical process.

Probably the best scriptural data on the Christian apostasy was

supplied by Jesus Christ at Matthew 13:24-30,36-43. Verses 24-30
read as follows:

"Jesus told them another parable: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a

man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was
sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and
went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the
weeds also appeared. The owner's servants came to him and said,
"Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the
weeds come from?" "An enemy did this", he replied. The servants
asked him, "Do you want us to go and pull them up?" "No", he
answered, "because while you are pulling the weeds, you root up the
wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that
time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in
bundles to be burned, then gather the wheat and bring it into my
barn." (New International Version)

Not leaving this parable/prophecy to a variety interpretations, Jesus

explained the symbols in verses 36-43:

"Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came
to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field".
He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.
The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the
Kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who
sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the
harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the
fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out
his angels, and they will weed out of his Kingdom everything that
causes sin, and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery
furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the
righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He
who has ears, let him hear."

Jesus' explanation tells us that while he was on earth he, the Son of
Man, spread a specific message, "the seed of wheat", that eventually
resulted in the formation of a body of followers, "the wheat".
However, when his co-workers, evidently his faithful apostles and
their principal associates died, or "went to sleep", an enemy, the
Devil, now oversowed the body of believers with others, "the weeds",
who were not really the same ilk as the original community. This
resulted in a contamination, a negative infusion that compromised
that which was established by Jesus and his first faithful followers.
Only during "the end of the age", the time of the end, would we see a
harvesting that would bring together once again the wheat, but
separate from the weeds.

The Greek word translated "weeds" is "zizanion" which according to

W. E. Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words,

"is a kind of darnel, the commonest of the four species, being the
bearded, growing in the grain fields, as tall as wheat and barley, and
resembling wheat in appearance. It was credited among the Jews
with being degenerate wheat".

A similar comment is found in A Greek-English Lexicon of The New

Testament by Bauer, Arndt and Gingrich:

"...a troublesome weed in the grainfields, resembling wheat".

The reason why Jesus selected this particular plant now becomes
obvious: The weed represented individuals "planted" by the Devil into
the Christian community and who would claim to be genuine
Christians, genuine "wheat". Pursuant to the parable, this poisoned
version of Christianity would be allowed to persist until the time of
the end at which time a separating would transpire, a restoration.

The Apostle Peter noted that just as Israel had been infected with
religious apostasy, the Christian Church could expect the same. He
wrote:

"However, there also came to be false prophets among the people, as

there will also be false teachers among you. These very ones will
quietly bring in destructive sects and will disown even the owner that
bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves.
Furthermore, many will follow their acts of loose conduct, and on
account of these the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively.
Also, with covetousness they will exploit you with counterfeit words.
But as for them, the judgment from of old is not moving slowly, and
the destruction of them is not slumbering." (2 Peter 2:1-3) (New
World Translation)

Peter not only predicted the general apostasy but its historical impact
on people at large, "on account of these the way of the truth will be
spoken of abusively". Failing to distinguish genuine Christianity from
apostate Christianity, many individuals looking at the less than
commendable record of "Christianity" would speak disparagingly of it.
This interim form of Christianity would leave a "bad taste in the
mouths" of many, not the least being Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul's last conference with the Christian elders at

Ephesus warned of the coming apostasy and added that it would
involve wayward elders:

"I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and
will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise
and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So
be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped
warning each of you night and days with tears." (Acts 20:29-31)
(New International Version)

In Paul's second epistle to the Thessalonian Christians he squashed

speculations about the imminence of Christ's second coming and
reminded them that a general apostasy would occur before Jesus
returned:

"But relative to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and
our gathering together to [meet] Him, we beg you, brethren, not to
allow your minds to be quickly unsettled or disturbed or kept excited
or alarmed, whether it be by some [pretended] revelation of [the]
Spirit or by word or by letter [alleged to be] from us, to the effect
that the day of the Lord has [already] arrived and is here. Let no one
deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except
the apostasy comes first - that is, unless the [predicted] great falling
away of those who have professed to be Christians has come - and
the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of
perdition)." (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3) (Amplified Bible)

This "son of doom" or perdition is shown not to be a person since it

was trying to express itself in Paul's day and would be eventually
destroyed by Jesus at his Second Coming - hundreds of years later.
It evidently is the administrative stratum of the apostate system, a
segment demanding submission and obedience, ostensibly
representing God but really behaving as a God. All of this is deduced
from the remainder of Paul's statement in 2 Thessalonians:

"He [the son of doom] opposes and exalts himself over everything
that is called God or is worshiped, and even sets himself up in God's
temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Don't you remember that
when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you
know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the
proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work;
but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is
taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed,
whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and
destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one
will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of
counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders..." (2 Thessalonians 2:4-9)
(New International Version)

Satan would empower the new form of Christianity through the "son
of doom" to mesmerize the masses with miraculous signs and
wonders, providing a kind of evidence that this indeed was genuine
Christianity, though it was not. If Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 provides
any clue as to the identity of the "he" who was a bulwark against the
apostasy until "he" was taken out of the way, it would have to be the
co-workers of Jesus Christ in "the field", the apostles and perhaps
others like Titus, Timothy, Barnabas and Silas. Recall that Satan
infiltrated the field after the men went "to sleep". Once they were out
of the picture, Satan forged ahead in his quest to transform
Christianity.1

The disciple Jude called for his fellow Christians to tighten up their
defenses as the apostasy encroached:

"Dear Friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the
salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for
the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men
whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly
slipped in among you. They are godless men who change the grace of
our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only
Sovereign and Lord... These men are blemishes at your love feasts,
eating with you without the slightest qualm -shepherds who feed only
themselves... These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow
their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others
for their own advantage. . ."

"But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus
Christ foretold. They said to you, "In the last times there will be
scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." These are the
men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not
have the Spirit." (Jude 3, 4, 12, 16-19) (New International Version)

A rather astounding prophecy regarding the Christian Apostasy is

found at 1 Timothy 4:1-5, where the Apostle Paul stated:

"The Spirit distinctly says that in later times some will turn away from
the faith and will heed deceitful spirits and things taught by demons
though plausible liars - men with seared consciences who forbid
marriage and require abstinence from foods which God created to be
received with thanksgiving by believers who know the truth.
Everything God created is good; nothing is to be rejected when it is
received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by God's word and by
prayer." (The New American Bible)

Once more the Divine Text identifies wicked spirits as the source of
the predicted falling away. These would integrate non-Christian
theology into Christianity. According to the Apostle Paul, two of the
non-Christian doctrines that would eventually infect Christianity
would be institutional celibacy and dietary restrictions not at all
introduced by Christ and the writers of the Christian Greek
Scriptures. What is clear from the Bible is that Christians, though
encouraged to singleness for the purpose of devoting more time to
God, were not forbidden to marry. Elders, or "bishops", and others
could marry if they wished; it was a personal matter. At 1 Corinthians
7:36, we read:

"But if anyone thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virginity if

that is past the bloom of youth, and this is the way it should take
place, let him do what he wants; he does not sin. Let them marry."
(New World Translation)

And again at 1 Timothy 3:1-4:

"The saying is sure; If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he

desires a noble task. Now a bishop must be above reproach, the
husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, and
apt teacher, no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome,
and no lover of money. He must manage his own household well,
keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way; for if a
man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he
care for God's church?" (Revised Standard Version)

The dietary code imposed upon Israel under the Mosaic Law was not
repeated upon Christians, for Paul stated,

"Everything God created is good; nothing is to be rejected when it is

received with thanksgiving." (See also Mark 7:18, 19; Acts 10:9-15).

Apostate Christianity, under the aegis of the Devil and the demons,
would introduce its own dietary restrictions. History confirms that
these modifications in time, made their way into the Church as
predicted.

With all of the other apostles dead, the aged Apostle John recorded
the Closing of the Christian era and the emergence of a Satanic
influenced, apostate Christianity. His words at 1 John 2:18-23 declare
the unmistakable infiltration of the "weeds", the non-Christian
Christians:

"Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is
coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that
it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us;
for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; and
they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us. But
you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all know. I write to
you not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it;
and know that no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies
that Jesus if the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the
Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. He
who confesses the Son has the Father also." (Revised Standard
Version)

Interestingly, during this period, Cerinthus, Simon Magus, Basilides

and others introduced corrupted views about Jesus and God and their
relationship to each other. The last hour had come; the Apostasy
formally commenced.

Before we move on into the period of the apostasy, let us consider a

few Observations regarding the Early Church:

"Membership in the church was not sectional, but universal.

Christians were not classed variously according to special views of
doctrine or church polity. There was nothing in the early church
comparable to modern denominational divisions... This resulted in
doctrinal harmony in the church. There were, it is true, certain
troublemakers who disturbed the church, but they were the exception
and in due time, they were rebuked. There was unity of effort among
Christians, for all were members of but one church." Christian
Theology, Vol. II, "The Apostasy of the Church", p. 168, by Albert F.
Gray, D.D.

"Religiously, Christianity suffered because it was exclusivistic, not

tolerant like other faiths of the (Roman] Empire. In fact, it was
aggressive in trying to win adherents from other faiths." Highlights of
Church History, p. 25, by Howard F. Vos.

"As a result, however, of its growing importance, the Christian

community began to draw upon itself the dislike not only of Jews but
also of Pagans. It was naturally difficult for them to understand the
exclusiveness of a monotheistic religion... The mutual relations of
married couples were often embittered when one of the partners was
converted. People whose trade suffered by the spread of the new
religion had a serious grudge against it. Social life was made very
difficult when one's neighbour could not conform with the most
ordinary convention on the ground that it implied the recognition of
pagan deities." A History of the Early Church - to A.D. 500, by
William Brisbane, p. 16.
"The office of the elder or presbyter ranked highest in the local
congregation... The New Testament.., is quite clear in its association
of these two names (elder and presbyter) with the same office. (Acts
20:17, 28; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:5,7) The growth of the office of
the monarchal bishop did not come until after the end of the apostolic
age in the second century... The early Christians did not think of a
church as a place of worship according to the common usage of the
word today. A church signified a body of people in personal
relationship with Christ. Such a group met in homes (Acts 12:12;
Romans 16:5, 23; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1-4), the temple (Acts
5:12), public auditoriums of schools (Acts 19:9), and in the
synagogues so long as they were permitted to do so (Acts -14:1,3;
17:1; 18:4). The place was not as important as the matter of
meeting for fellowship with one another and for worship of God... The
Christians, who had great appeal for "the lower classes and slaves,
were hated by the influential aristocratic leaders of society... The
Christians upheld the equality of all men... Christians separated
themselves from pagan gatherings at temples, theaters, and places
of recreation. This nonconformity to accepted social patterns, brought
down upon them the dislike that the nonconformist always faces in
any period of history." Christianity Through The Centuries, by Earle E.
Cairns, p. 88, 89, 97.

"A careful review of all the information available goes to show that,
until the time of Marcus Aurelius [Roman emperor from 161 to 180
C.E.], no Christian became a soldier; and no soldier, after becoming a
Christian, remained in military service." The Rise of Christianity, E.
W. Barnes, p. 333.

"They refused to take any active part in the civil administration or the
military defense of the empire.., it was impossible that the Christians,
without renouncing a more sacred duty, could assume the character
of soldiers, of magistrate, or of princes." History of Christianity,
Edward Gibbon, pp. 162, 163.

It would seem that during the restoration in the time of the end that
the latter day Christians would exhibit the same characteristics of
their First Century brethren.

THE APOSTASY THAT HAPPENED

Halley's Bible Handbook2 relates that in the 4th Century C.E.:

"The Church had changed its nature, had entered its Great Apostasy,
had become a political organization in the Spirit and pattern of
Imperial Rome, and took its nose-dive into the millennium of Papal
Abominations.., worship, at first very simple, was developed into
elaborate, stately, imposing ceremonies having all the outward
splendor that had belonged to heathen temples."

Another volume, Great Religions of the World3, reports that after the
Council of Nicea in 325 C.E.:

"Now church and state were wed... Emperors helped shape theology,
prelates dabbled in statecraft. Basilicas dazzled, their coffers bulged -
and deserts began to fill with "anchorites", "withdrawers", seeking
alone the purer faith of old", Beyond a shadow of doubt, a new brand
of "Christianity" had developed. We shall now look at some of the
heretical communities that emerged after the Apostolic period.
One variant group that developed was called the
Ebionites.4 Apparently, there were at least two branches of Ebionism.
The most numerous branch accepted Jesus as the foretold Messiah,
totally man. Contrary to the Christian Greek Scriptures, they also
believed that circumcision and observance of the rituals of the Mosaic
Law were absolutely required for salvation.5 Added to this, they
rejected the epistles of Paul. Some trace their origin to the mid-60's
C.E. and feel that by the 4th Century they were nonexistent.

Another group was the Montanists who came on the scene in the 2nd
Century C.E. They condemned second marriages, imposed fasts, and
taught that miracles in the church extended beyond the apostolic
period.6 Montanists also taught that the end of the world was near
and that Jesus was due to return in their time.

Perhaps one of the better known parties were the Gnostics. One
researcher wrote:

"Gnosticism, the greatest of the philosophical threats, was at its peak

of power about 150. Its roots reached back into New Testament
times. Paul seems to have been fighting an incipient form of
Gnosticism in his letter to the Colossians. Christian tradition related
the origin of Gnosticism to the Simon Magus whom Peter had to
rebuke so severely... It was also a logical or rational system that
illustrated the human tendency to seek answers to the great question
of the origin of man. It sought to do this by synthesizing Christianity
and Hellenistic philosophy... Dualism was one of the main tenets of
Gnosticism. The Gnostics insisted upon a clear separation between
the worlds of the material and the spiritual because to them matter
was always associated with evil and spirit with good. Hence God
could not have been the Creator of this material world... To explain
Christ they adopted a doctrine known as Docetism.

The name comes from a Greek word dokeo meaning "to seem".
Because matter was evil, Christ could not be associated with a
human body despite the Bible to the contrary. Christ as absolute
spiritual good could not unite with matter. The man Jesus was either
a phantom with the seeming appearance of a material body
(Docetism), or Christ came upon the human body of Jesus only for a
short time - between the baptism of the man Jesus and the beginning
of his suffering upon the Cross."7

One Protestant writer gave his view of this era this way:

The Apostasy is traceable back to apostolic times. Evidences of it

appeared in the seven churches of Asia and other glimpses of it are
seen in the Bible record. From that small beginning it expanded in
the centuries that followed... This apostasy changed the early
Catholic Church into the later Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern
Orthodox Churches... Among the many false doctrines and practices
introduced may be mentioned the following: ...infant baptism,
sprinkling or pouring for baptism, the sacrifice of the Mass, penance,
absolution, auricular confession, veneration of images, prayers to
saints, purgatory, the sale of indulgences and papal infallibility..." 8

Certainly, the dominant movement that arose to challenge all other

"Christian" groups was the Roman Catholic Church. Over time, this
entity became a very powerful religious, political and economic
presence. According to one authority:

"One of the leading features of the Roman Catholic system - the

absolute supremacy of the pope as vicar of Jesus Christ and head of
the Church in all ecclesiastical affairs - is largely due to the influences
proceeding from Gregory VII and his successors. The fundamental
idea of Gregory VII, however, was never fully carried out. He had
clearly conceived the plan of converting the Roman Catholic Church
into a universal theocracy, with the pope at its head as sole
sovereign in temporal affairs as well as spiritual. ...By the semi-
military organization of the religious orders, the popes had a well-
disciplined and trustworthy corps of officers at their disposal, who
frequently fought their battles even when bishops ceased to side with
them."9

History's Hildebrand The Monk became Pope Gregory in 1073 C.E. In

Dictatus PaDae Grecrorii VII, Pope Gregory VII formulated the policy
that helped secure papal authority. In part that document read:

"That the Roman Church was founded by the Lord alone...

That [the Pope] alone can depose or reestablish bishops...

That it is permitted to [the Pope] to depose emperors...

That his decision ought to be reviewed by no one, and that he alone

can review the decisions of everyone...

That he ought to be judged by no one..."10

There can be no doubt that there is a spirit in this document that

runs counter to that of the Christian Greek Scriptures. 11 But Roman
Catholicism had originated long before Pope Gregory VII. Some trace
that beginning to the 4th Century during the time of Roman Emperor
Constantine. Since no other system professing to be Christian can
authoritatively prove a longer continuous history, the Roman Catholic
Church can state without wavering that it is the oldest. Under its
leaders, numerous new doctrines and practices were introduced
among them, according to Roman Catholic Cardinal John Henry
Newman:

"The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and

ornamented on occasions with branches of trees; incense, lamps, and
candles; votive offerings on recovery from illness; holy water,
asylums; holy days and seasons, use of calendars, processions,
blessings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, the ring in
marriage.., are all of pagan or sanctified by their adoption into the
Church."12

In the late 4th Century, the seeds were sown for a split in the
relatively new Roman Catholic system. Over time, the churches in the
Roman Empire of the East drifted away from the hegemony of Rome
and the Western churches - the final split occurring in 1054 C.E.
Rome remained the seat of authority for Roman Catholicism; while in
the East, the Eastern Orthodox community evolved producing the
Syrian, Russian, Serbian Bulgarian, Romanian Albanian, Greek and
Georgian Orthodox Churches.13

Until the 16th Century and the Protestant Reformation, attempts by

others to secede from the Roman Catholic Church were met by stiff
unrelenting opposition, many times resulting in death. Indeed,

"An important part of the legal machinery of the church, and one of
its chief means of control over life was the Inquisition. This was the
church's organization for running down and punishing heresy, or
dissent from its teachings... Heresy was rebellion, and must be
crushed."14

Victims were tortured and killed. Victims of Catholic action included

the Albigenses of the 12th and 13th Centuries, the Waldenses who
originated in the 12th Century, and others.

One authority painted the picture this way:

"Thus the papacy became but another Italian court, characterized by

all the intrigue and bribery to be found elsewhere. The increased
centralization of the administration of the Church in Rome created a
bureaucracy where ecclesiastical offices could be bought by the
highest bidder, indeed, often by the two highest bidders, with
resulting lawsuits before ecclesiastical courts between the two men
involved and new income f or the papal treasury. In Rome, it was
said, everything could be bought from top to bottom. The Church at
large followed this example and at the eve of the Reformation
corruption was by no means limited to the top... A reaction was
inevitable. A great number of popular pamphlets scorned and
denounced Church and clergy - from Sebastian Brant’s The Ship of
Fools to the Letters of Obscure Men. The increasing financial burden
placed upon the people, the immorality and ignorance of the clergy,
the simony of church offices, the trade with indulgences and relics
became increasingly subject to biting attacks..." 15

On November 10, 1483, a baby boy was born to the family bf John
and Margaret Luther in the town of Eisleben in Saxony. The boy was
named Martin Luther. After a celebrated education at the University
of Erfurt, where he obtained Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy
degrees, he entered a Catholic monastery and became a monk. After
he was a monk for nearly two years, he was ordained a priest. Later,
a visit to Rome in 1510 profoundly soured him on his beloved Roman
Catholic Church. He saw such corruption and hypocrisy in this seat of
Catholicism that it initiated a chain of events in his life, resulting in
his severance from the Church and the birth of the Lutheran
community.

Writer Edith Simm offered this bit of history:

"In November (1520) came still another blow at the church. In the
Treatise on Christian Liberty, Luther declared that man was bound
only to the law of the Word of God, and the Word of God was
Scripture. From this it followed, in his view, that the clergy, though it
had legitimate functions in administration and teaching, was not to
be elevated above the rest of mankind, for all believers were priests.
Luther prefaced this work with a conciliatory letter to Pope Leo X,
making his last attempt to avoid a break with the church, hoping
instead it would reform itself. But in June the papacy had already
acted. From his hunting lodge in the countryside near Rome, the
Pope issued a bull condemning Luther's works and ordering them to
be burned. Luther was given 60 days to recant or be
excommunicated... Luther was no more daunted than the people. He
responded with a blast headed Against the Execrable Bull of
Antichrist in which he declaimed: "(This] bull... is the sum of all
impiety, blasphemy, ignorance, impudence, hypocrisy, lying - in a
word, it is Satan and his Antichrist... You, then Leo X, you cardinals
and the rest of you at Rome... I call upon you to renounce your
diabolical blasphemy and audacious impiety, and, if you will not, we
shall all hold your seat as possessed and oppressed by Satan, and
the damned seat of Antichrist"... Luther's excommunication
followed."16

Those who "protested" the authority of the Pope were called

"Protestants". Luther is credited with starting this religious
movement. Others took courage prom Martin Luther and they too
separated from Roman Catholicism.17

Was this the restoration predicted in the Christian Greek Scriptures?

Without a doubt, many viewed the Reformation as a significant step
in the right direction. Certainly some non-Christian doctrines and
practices were abandoned. But history demonstrates that the
restoration mentioned in the Bible did not occur. We shall consider
the Biblical evidence for this assertion in the following segments.

Before long, bloody fighting broke out between Catholics and

Protestants, evidence that the promised restoration was not in place.
Edith Simm noted:

"During the first half of the 16th Century, most of the conflicts
between Catholics and Protestants were purely verbal. But after
1550, blood was shed in religious battles all over Europe. In France
the tensions that had been developing between Catholics and
Calvinists (called Huguenots) were triggered by a political power play
and culminated in 1572 in the gory Massacre of St. Bartholomew...
The Protestant leader, Admiral Coligny, was decapitated and his head
was sent to Rome. There Pope Gregory XIII received it joyfully, and
struck a commemorative medal celebrating this latest Catholic
triumph."18

The 1500's saw the births of several major Protestant churches:

Lutheran, Baptist, the Church of England, Mennonites and
Presbyterian. What did not happen was the Restoration.

The Predicted Restoration

Jesus made it clear in Matthew 13:39 when the "harvest" and the
restoration would occur. Let us consider various translations of this
cite:

"...and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the
close of the age..." (Revised Standard Version)

"...and the enemy that sowed it is the devil; and the harvest is the
final time..." (Bible in Living English)

"The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of
the age..." (Revised Berkeley Version)

The harvesting and separating takes place during "the close of the
age", "the final time" but how are we to understand this?
In Jesus' great prophecy of the "time of the end" at Matthew 24, he
definitely indicates that the restored Christian community would be
present. This then defines the "close of the age" at Matthew 13:39.
The "close of the age" is the "time of the end". Let us look at the
passages mentioning the Christian Church during the "time of the
end" to see what we can find.

(1) Our first text is found at Matthew 24:9. There Jesus stated:

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death;
and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake". (Revised
Standard Version)

This verse not only establishes that a restored Christian organization

would be in existence during the "time of the end", but describes an
international attitude towards it. Every nation on the face of the
globe would find this relatively new group objectionable. Whether we
traveled to the United States, Ethiopia, India, Japan, etc., this
restored Christian assembly would not be liked.

This is one way of identifying the true Christian organization.

Obviously, members of the "weed" system would still claim to be
Christians but could be measured against Matthew 24:9.

(2) Another "end time" passage describing the restored congregation

is found at Matthew 24:14, where Jesus said:

"And this good news of the Kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached
throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and
then will come the end." (Amplified Bible)

This comment tells us the specific central message of the restored

church and informs us that it would be active in this activity
internationally, in "the whole world". Churches generally have a main
course message - it may be "personal salvation", "positive thinking",
exposing cults, sabbath observance, contemporary social issues, etc.
Notwithstanding the relative merits of these various themes, the re-
established Christian community would be principally promulgating
the gospel of "the kingdom". This also was the main theme of the
Early Church.19

(3) We discover another clue at Matthew 28:19, 20. There the

resurrected Jesus Christ imparted this command to his faithful
disciples:

"Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
holy spirit teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded
you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the
system of things." (New World Translation)

There is a process described here that is crucial to identifying the

restored church. Jesus instructed his disciples to go and make other
disciples; that, obviously involved a teaching and preaching activity.
Next, he told them to baptize those who accepted the message and
became disciples. Then, he directed that these new disciples do the
same thing that their instructors were told to do. This clearly meant
that they too would have to go and disciple others. Every baptized
Christian, therefore, would be a disciple-maker.
Jesus' words at verse 20 indicated that down until the "end" this
procedure would be applicable. During the "time of the end" every
baptized, loyal member of the restored Christian organization would
be active in spreading the message of "the Kingdom". 20

(4) At Acts 15:13-17 the Christian overseer. James in speaking to an

assembly of Christians said:

"... Brethren, listen to me, Symeon has related how God first looked
graciously on the nations to take from among them a people to be
called by His name. And this is in harmony with the language of the
Prophets, which says: "Afterwards I will return, and will rebuild
David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will set it up again;
that the rest of mankind may seek after the Lord - even all the
nations which are called by My Name, says the Lord, who has been
making these things known from ages long past". (Amos IX.11,l2)
The New Testament in Modern Speech by Richard Weymouth.

This unquestionably closely links the true Christian community to the

very name of God, which is Jehovah (Yahweh).21 All this signifies that
one would associate this group with God's holy name.

(5) Still another identifier is provided in Jesus’ words at John 13:34,

35:

"I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved
you, you must love one another. By this they will all know that you
are my disciples - by your love for one another." (An American
Translation)

When one surveys the Christian Greek Scriptures to get a feel for the
Early Church, although there are comments about congregations
having difficulties, the picture, as a whole, is that of a loving, caring
union of people.22 The restored Christian congregation would stand
out in its showing of love just as the First Century congregation.

Interestingly, Revelation 7:9-14 reveals that "end time" Christians

would come from "all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues", a
cross cultural, polyracial, multinational set of people. The challenge
to love one another with that wide range of differences would be met
by the restored Christian community.23

(6) The First Christians were not denominationalized they were a

single group with common beliefs as the following scriptures indicate:

"Now may the God who supplies endurance and comfort grant you to
have among yourselves the same mental attitude that Christ Jesus
had, that with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:5, 6) (New World
Translation)

"Now I exhort you, brothers, to keep your eye on those who cause
divisions and occasions f or stumbling contrary to the teaching that
you have learned and avoid them." (Romans 16:17) (New World
Translation)

"Now I exhort you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ that you should all speak in agreement and that there should
not be divisions among you, but that you may be fitly united in the
same mind and in the same line of thought." (1 Corinthians 1:10)
(New World Translation)

This unity of the First Christians meant that there was not a Petrine
Church, a Pauline Church, a Markan Church, a Johanine Church, etc.
There was just one undivided Christian body - until the apostasy.
Naturally, it would mean that the restored Christians would not be
segmented into differing Christian groups or "churches". 24

(7) It also makes sense to expect that the re-established body of

Christians would be doctrinally congruent with the First Christians.
We will consider just four doctrines and practices.

(A) Since God had turned from natural Israel to the Christianity
system, Early Christians believed that now all nations are under the
influence of Satan the Devil, a very unpopular stand that did not
enamor the Early Christians to political authorities. (Matthew 4:8,9;
Luke 4:5-8; 2 Cor. 4:3,4; Ephesians 6:10-13; 1 John 5:19; Rev.
12:9)

(B) The Early Christians rejected religious titles. No administrator in

the Early Church was called "Father", "Master", "Rabbi", or the like.
All Christians were brothers or sisters and addressed as such. (Matt.
23:1-13; Luke 22:25,26; Compare with Hebrew Scripture reference
Job 32:21, 22.)

(C) On the question of the nature of the human soul, the Early
Christian believed that the soul could die, that it was not immortal.
The view accepted by the other major religious communities, that the
soul could never die, was rejected. (Acts 3:23; James 5:20;
Revelation 16:3)

(D) In the Early Church, unrepentant offenders were

excommunicated, disfellowshipped. The spiritual integrity of the
community was esteemed above the numbers of people that could be
brought into the fold. Inveterate fornicators, practicing homosexuals,
murderers, robbers, persistent drunkards and the like, were not
permitted to remain a part of the church if after efforts to reform
them they continued such practices. Be that as it may, the "shunned"
one could be reinstated after sincere repentance. (1 Cor. 5:1-13; 2
Cor. 2:6-8; 1 Tim. 1:18-20; 2 John 9-11)

A survey of the present mainline churches will show that few

subscribe to the foregoing. This then becomes a means of identifying
the correct institution and dismissing others, notwithstanding their
meritorious characteristics like religious sincerity, work among the
disadvantaged, relief efforts and the like.25

SUMMARY OF THE "RESTORATION" DATA

The foregoing data relates to the restored Christian organization:

(1) It would be organized during the "time of the end".26 This would
clearly mean that it would not have a long history of existence.

(2) It would be "hated by all nations".

(3) Its principle message would be "the Kingdom of God by Christ".

(4) It would be active all over the world.

(5) All baptized members would be expected to disciple others.

(6) It would be closely associated with God's name which is Jehovah

(Yahweh).

(7) It would have an international profile of showing love within the

community.

(8) It would not be subdivided into denominations.

(9) Its doctrines and practices would be like those of the First
Christians.

CONCLUSION

If it is true that we are now in the Biblical time of "the end", it means
that the restored Christian church is present among us. This
discussion has attempted to establish from the Bible that the Early
Church suffered an apostasy and that a Restoration of the Church
was predicted to occur during the "time of the end". It is clear that
the Bible did not leave us without the tools to determine where the
real Christian community is found. It is equally clear that the "weed"
Christianity mentioned by Jesus is facing a catastrophic fate. 27 That
makes this issue very significant, one that cannot be brushed aside
without far-reaching consequences.

END NOTES

(1) The Disciples of Christ Church, on the question of the Restoration,

stated:

"Early in the movement (of the Disciples of Christ), Walter Scott

popularized the term "restoration", by which he meant the
restoration of the New Testament pattern and practice... Some hold
that belief in the Virgin Birth is definitely necessary to a Christian's
faith; others take a more liberal view, and do not consider it an
essential. Some take a literal view of heaven and hell; other believe
that reward and punishment should be left in the hands of a loving
God... But there are other areas of general agreement and
acceptance. The Disciples are firm in their belief in immortality but do
not accept the doctrine of original sin; they hold that all men are of a
sinful nature until redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ; they are
"trinitarian" but not "Trinitarian" and are not concerned with
speculation about the Trinity and the nature of a triune God." (Frank
S. Mead, Handbooks of Denominations in the United States, 6th
Edition, pp. 80, 81)

(2) The Worldwide Church of God, regarding the Restoration, stated:

"The Worldwide Church of God is the One True Church, and the
Gospel it preaches is the only true Gospel. The historic churches have
been false and apostate since A.D. 69, but the truth appears again in
the advent of Dr. (Herbert W. J Armstrong and the Worldwide
Church." (Frank S. Mead, Handbook of Denominations in the United
States, 6th Edition, pp. 95, 96
(3) The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, on
the Restoration, stated:

"In the philosophy of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter

Day Saints, there are two words that play a very important part -
"apostasy" and "restoration"... On April 6, 1830, the church of Jesus
Christ once again was organized by the power and authority of God,
according to the pattern reflected in the New Testament with
apostles, prophets, seventies, high priests, elders, teachers, deacons,
pastors and evangelists." (John W. Ruston, Apostasv and
Restoration; Herald House Publishers, 1957, pp. 1, 26)

FOOTNOTES

1. According to M'clintock & Strong's Cyclopedia, Tertullian,

Chrysostom, Hippolytus and Jerome felt that the Roman Empire was
the bulwark against the anti-Christian movement.

2. 24th edition, p. 760.

3. Published by the National Geographic Society, 1978, p. 319.

4. According to McClintock & Strong Cvcloiedia, Vol. II, under

"Ebionites", the term Ebionites was at one time applied to all
Christians and later to just Jewish Christians.

5. See Colossians 2:13-17; Galatians 3:19-25; 2 Corinthians 3:1-17

6. See 1 Corinthians 7:39-40; Mark 2:18-22; 1 Corinthians 13:8-13

7. Earle E. Cairns, Th . B., Ph.D., Christianity Through The Centuries,

p. 106

8. Albert F. Gray, D.D., Christian Theolocry, Vol. II, pp.172, 173

9. McCljntock & Strong CvcloDedia, Vol. IX, p. 72

10. Quoted in The Course of Civilization, Volume One, p. 292,

Strayer, Gatzke and Harbison

11. The Roman Church was not founded by Christ since his church
was replaced by apostate forms of Christianity. (Matthew 13:36-43)
Christian leaders do not depose emperors since they are not involved
with politics. (John 18:36; Luke 4:5-8) The decisions and actions of
all Christian leaders can be reviewed and judged. (Galatians 2:11-14;
Acts 15:1-6)

12. Cardinal John Henry Newman, Essay on the Development of

Christian Doctrine, p. 373

13. Eastern Orthodoxy rejects the dogma that the pope is the sole
vicar of Christ on earth. Also, the use of carved images is forbidden
and purgatory is denied. They are Trinitarian and rever the saints.

14. Robert Hastings Nichols, The Growth of The Christian Church, p.

132

15. The Reformation - A Narrative History Related by Contemporary

Observers and Participants by Hans J. Hillerbrand, pp.19, 20 (Harper
& Row, Publishers)

16. Edith Simm, The Reformation, pp. 41, 42 (Time-Life Books)

17. "The Reformation, as it broke in the year 1517, brought to the

fore several leading reformers, such as Martin Luther in Germany,
John Calvin in Geneva among the French, giving rise to the Huquenot
movement, Ulrich Zwingle founder of Protestantism in Switzerland,
John Knox in Scotland and the Protestant martyrs Thomas Crarimer,
Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer in England." Theocratic Aid to
Kingdom Publishers, p. 310 (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society)

18. Edith Simm, The Reformation, pp.116, 117

19. See Matthew 4:23; 6:10, 33: 9:35; Luke 4:43; 8:1; Acts 8:12;
19:8; 20:25; 28:23

20. See Daniel 11:32-35; 12:3,4 and Revelation 12:10,11.

21. The name noted in the Hebrew text at Amos 9:11, 12 is Jehovah
(Yahweh) - not Jesus (Joshua). These names are differentiated at
Proverbs 30:4 and Revelation 14:1.

22. Compare Acts 15:37-40; 1 Cor. 1:11; 4:18, 19; 5:1-12; 6:1-5; 1
Car. 11:17-19; with Acts 2:44,45; 4:32-37; 9:31; Romans 16:1-16;
1 Cor. 16:24; 2 Cor 13:11-14

23. Early Christians refused to participate in the military - a rule that

if violated, could have found them in a position of fighting from both
sides of a conflict and which would have made it difficult f or them to
"love one another". One source stated: "The first Christians thought it
was wrong to fight, and would not serve in the army even when the
Emperor needed soldiers." The New World's Foundation in the Old by
R. and W.M. West, 1929, p. 131

24. According to Frank Mead's Handbook of Denominations in the

United States (Sixth Edition), in 1978 in the United States there were
4 different Adventist bodies, 28 different Baptist groups, 8 different
Lutheran communities, 13 different Mennonite churches and 19
different Methodist organizations.

25. Although sincerity is crucial to a relationship with Jehovah and

Jesus, sincerity is not sufficient, as these passages demonstrate:
Romans 10:1-3; Proverbs 16:25. Note how evidently sincere religious
people would persecute true Christians: John 16:2-4

26. Bible prophecy shows that the actual beginning of the restored
congregation would occur shortly before the Parousia of Christ: "Who
really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed
over his domestics... Happy is that slave if his master on arriving
finds him doing so." (Matthew 24:45) (NWT)

27. See Matthew 13:40-42; 2 Peter 2:2-3; Matthew 7:21-23

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