The spiritual journey of Catholicism and Protestantism....

     The marriage between YHVH and his Covenant-people, the Israelites, began with the Lord‘s paschal in Egypt. They conquered and possessed the Promised Land, establishing the kingdom of priest and the holy nation (Exodus 19: 5-6). The Laws were made into effect through the angels of YHVH in the holy land, and the matters of interpretations of the Laws prescribed by the Levite high priests. “20 See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared (Promised Land). 21 Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion. Since my Name (means divine mission) is in him” (Exodus 23: 20-21). “53 you who received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it (Acts 7: 53).”

The kingdom of priest and the holy nation in Canaan was the manifestation of theocratic establishment of the twelve tribes of Israelites on earth prescribed by the Covenant. Later, God raised the Judges, so that they may save the Israelites from the raiders. The raiders were from the five-rulers of Philistines of the following remnant Canaanites: the Hittites; Amorites; Perizzites; Hivites, and the Jebusites (Judges 2: 16; 3: 2-5). The Israelites kept on the intermarriages with them and also prostituting themselves to the Canaanites’ gods. The “Kingdom of priest and holy nation”was frequently subjected to the raiders (Exodus 19: 5-6): nonetheless, the theocratic era was considered to have begun right from the Lord‘s paschal in Egypt in the year of Exodus, and by counting in their 40-years wandering in the desert that theocratic era had spanned for approximately 391 years. The Theocratic nation died out when all the elders of Israel rejected the “kingdom of priests”by asking Prophet Samuel to give them a king instead of his corrupt sons (1 Samuel 8:6-7; 1 Samuel 12:12, 19; 1 Samuel 10: 25).

YHVH explained unto Samuel that it was God whom the Israelites had rejected as their sovereign King. So the Theocratic era ended, and the monarchy’s era began with the anointment of Saul as the first monarch of Israel. “Samuel explained to the people the regulations of the kingship. He wrote them down on the scroll and deposited them before the Lord”(1 Samuel 10: 25). The monarchy had survived for approximately 511 years. It began in the first year of King Saul in 1098 BCE till to the last reigning year of king Zedekiah in 587 BCE. [1]  “Monarchy had become the things of the past”when the last kingdom of Judah was carried off into 70-years exile in Babylon.[2]

It seemed that God continued to grant them miraculous protections and blessings throughout the monarchy era, as long as the reigning king recognized God as his ultimate king above his earthly kingship. The establishment of the Monarchy era was, in fact, the manifestation of their rebellion against God, and yet YHVH continuously did many wondrous things due to His oath to King David in upholding the promised Messiah under his lineage. Those who walked in the ways of David would be upheld, and the evil kings were uprooted. As long as the ruling king was responsive and humble before the Lord then they would be upheld, by the miraculous divine interventions; delivering them from their enemies as according to the prophecies of the Prophets of God.

YHVH sent his servants in proclaiming the foundation of the future divine mission of the promised Messiah. The prophecies are the holy foundation upon which He fulfils his mission in redeeming mankind. The prophecies were one of the holy foundations of divine mission on earth, fulfilling the perfect Way of reconciliation. Later, the perfect atonement of mankind guaranteed true deliverance for all nations on earth from the slavery of sins. Jesus Christ, the redeemer of mankind fulfilled YHVH’s promise unto Abraham; that through his seed all people on earth shall be blessed. The promised blessings are the redemption in Christ and also the outpouring of the promised helper, the Holy Spirit. The Mosaic Laws prescribed that the glory of God among his people could not be manifested, unless there were sacrifices of sin offerings; atonement for the priest and the people. Jesus came to fulfill the Laws, so that the people of God may receive the fullness of life (John 10: 10). And through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, the people of the Way would show forth praises unto God.

The Church was born with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit; the seal of the New Covenant. The beginning of fulfilment came on the day of the Pentecost. The earliest persecuted Church was called the original Apostolic Church. The original apostolic church died out when all the apostles who had seen Jesus Christ alive left their earthen vessels. Later, the people of the Way were able to institutionalize themselves according to their political regions and affiliations, as more rulers embraced the Way, giving births to 23-Catholic rites including the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Latin Rites (Roman) and the Coptic Church. Protestantism splintered from Catholicism approximately more than 1,000 years later.

According to the New Advent Encylopedia, the reformation in England was choreographed by king Henry VIII, plunging the former Catholic-”defender of faith”-nation into new brand reformed Church of England, and later “the Act of Supreme Head was enacted in 1534 CE,” [3] prescribing the Monarch as “the Supreme Head of the Church”; this enactment defied the Papal supremacy, [4] and thus, legally cutting off any Roman influence on Henry’s accession on the throne. In the same year, Pollen wrote that “the Society of Jesus” pioneered by St. Ignatius Loyola took the vow together with his chosen colleagues in counter-reforming the protesting-movements or the reformation. [5] The Scripture clearly reveals that division of the body of Christ is caused by sins, but some reason out that to take apart is sense, as to sanction the break-ups history of the Church. Thus, the tangible institution of the Church was predestined to be divided. Some Christian scholars argue that since the soul of the Church i.e. The Holy Spirit is only one, and therefore spiritually speaking, the soul of the Church remains as one; they argue that uniformity does not necessarily equivalent to the unity in the Spirit.

In the conviction of  Christ,  Pilate found no proof in passing the verdict; he was stupefied by Jesus’ uncanny remarks concerning his preordained-mission, and the resumption of prosecution led Pilate‘s further unnecessary investigation, enquiring “what is truth?” This enquiry ceaselessly resonates in one’s vacuum of spiritual awakening. In our personal dialogue, the nature of our curiosity seeks the satisfying answer to that question “what is truth?”Truth is the holy foundation of God’s Creation i.e. the Word of God. Jesus had once disclosed unto his disciples that he came to fulfil all Laws, the Prophecies of the Prophets and the Psalms. Though each spiritual “a priori” [6] of holy foundation of divine mission is the Word of God, and yet all those three are distinguishable of their purposes.

The Word is the holy foundation of Creation and always be the sovereign efficacious-spiritual-“a priori”of every divine plan. Thus, St. John wrote “in the beginning was the Word.” Jesus testified concerning the tree of life, but the “wounded”descendants of Adam rejected his testimony due to the ingrained tree of knowledge in their souls. An atheist who does not believe in the hand of God the Creator would have to rely on one’s capacity in perceiving his surroundings as according to the tree of knowledge: in modern times, the digest could be mostly derived from scientific reasoning. One of the positive facets of seeing Catholicism vs. Protestantism is discerning it,  as the clear sign of the nearness of his new name. Transcending our souls into the presence of God’s Spirit would shed off the outer tangible perceptions of truth, and thus we see those differences as merely separating the uniformity, and yet mysteriously leading all whose names written in a book of life to be One in the Spirit.

After all, our understanding of the infinite divine Spirit is always insufficient and unrefined. Our consciousness and faith are mentally shaped up by the doctrinal adherences of one‘s religion. Not all people like changes; some choose to be faithfully honouring the traditions. As in the footstep of Moses, the regular practice of striking the sonorous lime stones in order to detect the presence of reservoired-water is much safer than “speaking unto the stone.” Those who preferred the traditional method were protested by those who claim to have heard the voice that commanding them “to speak unto the stone.” These conflicting paradigms and precepts have painted the governance of the Church, and thus they eventually divided the masses into their own respective flocks. The influential authorities split up the establishment of the Church institutions into strife and divisions; the former mainstreams of the divisions were called Catholicism which taught 23 rites, and later Protestantism was born. Since then the divisions keep on splintering the protestant mainstreams into mushrooming brand new churches. History is frequently exploited and misinterpreted. The authorship of history neither discontinues nor becomes absolute. Therefore, Scriptural “truth” is never to be validated by historical records.

Truth is always the Spirit of Truth i.e. Jesus Christ. The holy foundation of the Triune God‘s missions is always the Word.  For Noah, the Word was definable as simply the instructions of building the Ark. The Word of God also included those ceremonial regulations in performing the ancient rites of expiation. The Lyrics from God‘s heart were definable as the Word of God as well; such as the Lyrics in Genesis 8: 21-22. Jesus disclosed all those categories of Word in Luke 24: 44 as “everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalm (Lyrics).” Jesus’ disclosure of his identity could be simply rephrased as “everything about me must be fulfilled according to the spoken Word of the Divine” St. John saw the salvific missions by the Hand of God along with the chosen lineage, and thus he simply wrote “the Word became flesh.”The word manifested in the midst of mankind both as the Son of the Most High and also the Son of Man.

If we fly above into the sky, as if having bird’s-eye-view on those things below; we would see the journeys of his chosen; connected and elucidated with the prophesied destiny of God’s people. It is unwise to reunite all churches under one tangible umbrella because this endeavour would be likened as an upstream-rowing of a boat; such attempt discards the prophecies (Word) revealed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and also by the saints of the Church.

Unnecessary merges of Churches would be against the revelations of God. We must learn from the resonating message of Diaspora; thus, the dispersion must take place before His Second Coming. Jesus foretold that the birth pangs: “10 many will turn away from the faith and many will betray, and hate each another, 11 many false prophets will appear and deceived many people (Matthew 24: 10-11).”So it was clear that the mainstreams churches would go through further divisions, dispersions and apostasy. Dispersion fulfilled the prophesied-birth pangs: the paintings are apostasy, divisions, strife, sectarianism and deceptions. Therefore, any attempt to unify these dispersed churches would only manifest our pointless attempt to reverse the predicted deterioration of the tangible churches; It is simply against Jesus’ prophecies.

It is against the prophecies revealed by God who once dispersed the unified one-language inhabitants of the earth with “72 major languages in the ancient incident of the forbidden tower of Babel.” [7] Wikipedia the Free Encylopedia explained the origin of many languages on earth; “because a count of all the descendants of Noah listed by name in chapter 10 of Genesis provides 15 names for Japheth's descendants, 30 for Ham's, and 27 for Shem's, these figures became established as the 72 languages resulting from the confusion at Babel.” [8] Most of us are able to relate the dispersion of the one-language ancient Babylon to divine Judgment; paradoxically, such dispersion was necessary as to weaken the possibilities of easy diabolic conquest of humanity. Seeing through the same lenses; we should be able to see the break-ups history of the Church as filtered through the fingers of God, so that the subtlest diabolic conquest of the bride could be transcendently and creatively deferred and delayed by the most mysterious creativity of the Divine Spirit.

Complete unity and uniformity was only practical for the once theocratic governance of the ancient Hebrews in the Promised Land. It may not be necessary for the Church to remain in one tangible unity in order to express the spiritual marriage between the Jesus Christ and his followers. Though the witnessing strength of the “Truth” is undeniably marred by the divisions of many affiliations, it would be better to see the splintering as the clear “Sign” of the nearness of the new name of Jesus Christ. God has allowed these paintings for her bride, as manifestations of the shaken pillars on earth, so that God’s Word would be fulfilled. God is not agitated with the divisions of the tangible Church.

He is able to solve any problem with his transcendent creativity. Our God is perfect. Seeing the replay of history like in the days of the Judges’ era which had shifted into the Monarchy Kingdom through the collective force of the elders would be inspiring. History keeps on repeating though it does not appear to be exactly the same…like from the theocratic Kingdom of Priests replaced by the Monarchy Kingdom of Israel, then they were exiled into foreign nations: the Diaspora. It was somehow repeated by the break ups history of the Church; Protestantism splintered from Catholic rites. And then, Protestantism keeps on splintering into numerous unknown traditions and roots. Unless splintered phenomenon was fulfilled, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ on earth wouldn’t be near.

The birth of the Lamb of God had long been preceded by the Diaspora which eventually ushered the unified “one” Old Covenant people into fragmented sectarian flocks: the Zealots, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Samaritan Jews, and the Essenes, and several Rabbinical Talmud Lineages. Somehow, the divided Old Covenant people were just the right time for Jesus to manifest himself as the “Word” became “flesh,” bringing forth the establishment of the New Covenant. The dispersed phenomenon has to be continuously painting the tangible body of the Church before the 2nd Return of Christ. The Second Advent would be preceded by the phenomenon of break-ups of the Spiritual Israelites (Churches) ...into numerous tangible Churches...which would be adjudged by the rhyming verses of the fire of Chastisement: a time, times and half a time.

When the Church was born...the former Old Covenant people continued to observe the old way of expiation. In the near future, the present numerous tangible churches might continue their Churchianity even the then returned Christ might have sealed the elect as prophesied in Revelation 7. They may similarly emulate the same mistake done by the widow of Yahweh. The calloused hearts of those Old Covenant believers insisted in observing the ‘way’ as according to Mosaic Laws though Prophet Isaiah had clearly disclosed that God was no longer pleased with animal sacrifices (Isaiah 66: 3-4). Lamb of God had already perfected the foreshadowing Laws on the day of Lord‘s paschal on the Cross: the sacrifices which blasphemed the atoning Cross of Jesus led to “the destruction of the temple which according to Betchel had taken place in 70 AD.” [9] Thus, Jesus’ return on the unique day of the Lord would surely fulfil the prophecies spoken by Prophet Daniel “when the power of the holy people is broken.” “Broken”here points to the absence of divine favour which spans for a time, times, and half a time. It is Judgment’s era—“desert.”

The Revelation concerning Catholicism and Protestantism is...

But the Lord says through Prophet Isaiah, “ 8 Remember this and consider, (a) recall it to mind, you transgressors (increasing apostasy), 9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My purpose shall stand, and I will fulfill my intention”(Isaiah 46: 8-10). Divine intentions (Judgment i.e. without daytime and night time) or wills for Catholicism and Protestantism would stand. Human tendency manifests our judgmental attitude towards our brethren in different affiliations. God's purpose would stand ...He would winnow both of them according to the revealed rebukes in the book of revelation (Chapter 2 and 3) during the chastisement period of “a time.”Catholic calls that winnowing, as Chastisement which is actually referring to the first phase of a time, times, and half a time. Then He would return… (Revelation 6: 12-17; Matthew 24: 29-31).

The Apostles Creed “Jesus ascended into Heaven, seated at the right Hand of the Father,” signifying His Melchizedec Mediator ship in Heaven. ...but when He returns on earth there would be no One sitting on that “Mediatory seat” because Jesus' name had been pronounced “seven eyes, seven horns and seven spirits.”However, his heart remains the same forever. Though his mission is changing, He is forever immutable. His return means another Mission of the Triune God on earth...the Judgment. Either Catholics or Protestants; both of them are human spirits (the Divine vineyards) that would enter the prophesied desert for a time, times, and half a time. They would be judged by the dreadful Judge. Sins are like thorns and briers. They are like fuel that caught up the fire of God, and there would be billowing of smoke. There would be blood, fire and billowing smoke as the Signs on earth.

Defining true Christianity by merely referring to one’s membership of any established church institution would only lead us into endless debates because eventually one would be tempted to expose the history of wrongdoings, or the flesh of each another. Exposing the history of the flesh of each another means endless argument, as long as we are confined within this mortal flesh. Who would be blameless when we are adjudged via our flesh? Blessed be those who are redeemed; those who truly embrace the teaching of true Vine and true branches. However, Catholicism remained the Mother Church because Protestantism was born from Catholicism and not vice versa. Protestantism splintered from Catholicism. If Catholicism is the theology instituted by Christ, as according to Catholic apologetics then why God keeps on manifesting miracles and wondrous divine manifestations among the splintered Protestantism?

The answer lies in the Divine Creativity and ultimate Goodness of our Lord in reaching the world. The fact was that Protestantism did not reject the Way, but merely defying the papal supremacy. And neither did Catholicism side track from the Way, but merely upholding the traditions. Paradoxically, both remain the followers of the Way: and yet they subtly oppose each another. Yahweh was somehow still continuing his mission with the covenant people during the kings’ era though the kingdom was bureaucratically ruled by an earthly king. Monarchy system was, in fact, the Israelites’ square rejection of YHVH‘s Sovereignty: the Lord’s intention for the old covenant people was “6 you (a) will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation," Exodus 19: 5-6; see Israelites rejection of YHVH in 1Samuel 8: 1-22). The truth is Jesus Christ (John 14:6). In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” The Truth is the Reality of God’s Spirit. The Word became flesh is the reality of God in the midst of mankind. The reality of the presence of God is only accessible when one is in the presence of the Spirit of Truth.

Questioning true Christianity based on “comparative paradigms”would be rather a manifestation of one’s failure in seeing the ultimate reason of being a believer i.e. to be continuously reconciled to the Spirit of God. My soul is free from subtle historical prejudices dished out by the mortal historians, thus I see that Catholicism, and Protestantism are not guilty of anything. The lay Christians might be deceived by the fine sounding arguments opined by the historian-authors. Spiritual watchfulness would be helpful in differentiating between historical subjects and the Truth. History always presents the “facts,” but the “truth” is always communicated by the Spirit of Truth. Besides, the Serpent is very wise; he has endless deceptions in conquering the bride.

The bride must be choreographed and divided, so that the beasts, as the “mouths” of the Old Serpent, could easily conquer her imprints and missions on earth. The Adversary’s emissaries, the beasts of the earth,  are always seeking to splash acid on the wounds, so that the saints are conquered. The beasts as Satan‘s emissaries on earth had succeeded in conquering the holy people through wars, antichrist-ideologies, and through economic conquests (the slavery of fiat money). These three known classic manoeuvres of Conquest had enmeshed the Church, and even the Church’s break ups became the subtle loop holes for the church; making her to be easily infiltrated by “waters like river spewed out by the Serpent.”Now, the power of church has broken...it is the prophesied “desert”: ...a time, times, and half a time.

To be extremely tireless zealot with the supremacy of one‘s doctrinal belief would rather set the boundary of the infinite Spirit of God, thus manifesting our immature predisposition in discerning the truth. Our judgmental inclination only manifests our earthly precepts and unrefined understanding concerning the infinite and unfathomable mystery of the Spirit of God: the boundless Word.   Edifying apologetics belongs to those who are acquainted with the spirit of understanding and the spirit of wisdom; those who know how to handle the Word that sharper than any double-edged-sword, separating soul and spirit. Edifying apologetics is essentially the Spirit of Prophecy. There is no time to entertain lawyering because it merely displays our desperate desire in winning an argument. Time is running out for an argument. Considering the nearness of his name, his message is not subduing every argument into the power of Christ or “Go, my people win an argument.” But He said, “Go, my covenant people enter your own chamber.”It is within your own chamber that you would be strengthened by the presence of His Spirit; it is the fire of His presence that lights up the wicks of our spirits. 

Blessed those pure heart for they shall see the Face of God (Matthew 5:8). Jesus said that if your eyes are full of light then indeed your body are full of light, and if your eyes are dark and indeed your body be totally darkened.  Jesus in his dying breaths said, “Forgive them Father, for they do not know what they are doing.”  The descendants of the wounded men ought to face the truth that our intellectual capacities impede our understanding of the Most holy One. Unless we are continously renewing our minds with our daily Manna, our human precepts would not be transformed  into seeing the divine precepts. We continue our journey of faith as according to the precepts shaped up by the teachings of our Churches. And yet our dominant consciousness is undeniably remaining centred on our mortal grey matters within our cranial skulls. Unless we are truly endowed with the gift of the Spirit “the fear of the Lord,” then we may remain within the untransformed-cocooned-faith, dominated by our own mental-precepts. 

Thus, such cocoon is imprisoning us from having the right spirit of understanding and the right spirit of wisdom.  May the Lord who is merciful and enduring lovingkindness endow us the operations of the gifts of the Sevenfold Spirit; and may the spirit of the fear of the Lord descends at our wicks of our spirits,  so that even our flesh is weak, and yet our spirits may be transformed into what He transcendingly intends us to be, as according to the richness of His omniwisdom and omniknowledge. Blessed be those who hold the treasure of Sion; the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 33: 6).  The followers of Christ who are inclined to cultivate judgmental predisposition would be ending up uninterested in practicing the heart of Jesus, when it comes to forgiving their fellow brethren, they would find out as if pebbles along their throats of prayers.  There must have been subtle hatred that had seeped down the souls of the mortal men who claimed to be the followers of Christ.  Every mouth that confesses  to be the followers of Christ would be facing the Judgment Seat of Christ. Therefore, let Christ alone be the Judge who judges in equity.    Jesus said that if your eyes are full of light then indeed your body are full of light, and if your eyes are dark and indeed your body be totally darkened.  Following Christ is  more than the knowledge of apologetics.  It is likened by Christ as the true branches and the true Vine: dependency.  Does anyone  would be  just enough to  tell you that you are full of light or vice versa?  Solomon said “human spirit is the lamp of God, it searches the innermost being

By Joannes Simin 

End Notes

[1] Simin, Joannes. The Interpolated Chronologies in the Old Covenant Based on Prophecies. ms. 2014

[2] Bechtel, Florentine. "Judaizers." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 24 Apr. 2014 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08537a.htm>.

[3]Thurston, Herbert. "Henry VIII." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 23 Apr. 2014 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07222a.htm.

[4] ”Supreme Head of the Church of England.”Wikipedia, the Free Encylopedia. 23 Apr. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/upreme_Head_of_the_Church_of_England>.

[5] Pollen, John Hungerford. "St. Ignatius Loyola." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 24 Apr. 2014 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07639c.htm>.

 [6] "a priori." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 24 Apr. 2014. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/a priori>.

[7] “Tower of Babel: Enumeration of scattered languages.”Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 23 April 2014. <Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Babel>.

[8]  Ibid.

[9]  Bechtel, Florentine. "Judaizers." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 24 Apr. 2014 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08537a.htm>.

References (The Holy Bible)  

The Holy Bible, New Jerusalem Bible. 14 Apr.2014. <Catholic.org

http://www.catholic.org/bible .

The Holy Bible, New International Version. The NIV Study Bible. The Zondervan

Bible Publishers. Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1985.

The Holy Bible Knox Translation. Baronius Press Ltd. ed. 2012.

<newadvent.org http://www.newadvent.org/bible >.