Realization of Prophetic Visions
By Philip Mark Ames
Help From Earth
After centuries of such
floundering, the woman found help from a reasonable source. Sound, logical
thinking began to appear. Reasoning based on solid facts began to rise above blind
faith in mysteries and traditions. Theologists began to search the Scriptures
for bedrock foundations of faith. Astronomers began to search the heavens, and
they found facts which disproved dearly held Catholic dogma. True knowledge
about man and his environment began to be earned. Chemists and archaeologists
added their findings. The river of lies began to be swallowed up by the solid
ground of emotion-free reason. The Renaissance had begun.
Just as emotion-filled
thinking of man is seen spiritually as a turbulent sea; so, appropriately, is
the fact-based, step-by-step logic of analytical thinking viewed as dry ground,
earth. So, concerning this development, John wrote: "And the earth gave
aid to the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank down the river which
the dragon spewed out of its mouth."
One of the results of
logical thought is the utilization of natural materials for practical
accomplishments. Thus, imagination, research, and craft produce mechanical
inventions. With the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, and
the utilization of paper, the written Word of God became available to more and
more of the common people. They could now compare the teachings of Catholicism
with the writings of ancient holy men of God. This new availability of the
Bible was the single most important means by which the "earth" came
to the woman's aid and began drinking down the river of false teaching.
By the end of the 16th
century, those persons desiring to obey God were no longer obliged to accept
the Catholic Church's interpretation of Holy Scripture. They had ready access
to the Sacred Writings, themselves. Hence, as knowledge of Scriptural truths
and natural laws increased, God's woman escaped the river which the dragon had
produced.
Written by: Philip Mark Ames - - -
© 1975 Philip Mark Ames. All rights reserved.