THE SARDIS ERA

The time of Sardis is the fifth era of God's church. The period of 1,260 years, in which the true church of God took flight from persecution of the Roman Church, starts from AD 325, at the time of the Nicean Council till about AD 1585. Subsequently, in 1586-1587, England became free from the yoke of Catholicism with the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. Other Catholic monarchs appeared in later years, but they were unable to restore Catholic power in England.

In Revelation 3:4, we find Christ's commendation, 'You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.' An ex-Catholic priest, Francis David led a small flock that held on to the truth. He was imprisoned and died in AD 1579. Following on his work was a Hungarian nobleman named Andreas Eossi. He studied the Bible diligently, and led his group faithfully to live and practise the whole Bible - both the teachings of the Old as well as the New Testaments. They understood the Sabbath to be the seventh day of the week, typifying the seventh thousand years (since the creation of Adam and Eve) when they will rule and reign with Christ when He returns to set up His Government on earth.

This group also observed the annual Sabbaths or Holy Days. The Seven annual festivals were given to Old Testament Israel and were ordained forever. Their true meaning had long remained a hidden mystery. They pictured God's plan of redemption - the divine plan by which God is reproducing Himself! This is God's vision for mankind but tragically most within the church still don't get it. No wonder Proverbs 29:18 warns, 'Where there is no vision (of God's Family Government in the Kingdom of God), the people perish (some are eternally lost because of such ignorance); but he that keepeth the law (God's law for righteousness), happy is he (because they will be amply rewarded for eternity).' (KJV).

The Passover pictures the death of Christ in payment for the penalty of human sin repented of (overcome the penalty of sin - death). The seven days of the Festival of Unleavened Bread picture the Church coming out of sin (called out), even as Israel came out of Egypt (Exodus to the Promise Land). The Day of Pentecost, originally called Feast of Firstfruits, pictures the Church as the first to be begotten and born as children of God during the Church age (Firstfruits harvest called out of this evil world presently ruled by Satan). The Feast of Trumpets pictures the Second Coming of Christ to take over the earth's throne (currently held by Queen Elizabeth II of England) and to rule all nations (The Good News when Satan will be dethroned and Christ enthroned). The Day of Atonement pictures the putting away of Satan (bound for one thousand years). The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the thousand-year reign under the rule of Christ and the born children of God (born again resurrected saints who will inherit the Kingdom of God). The Final Great Day pictured the final judgment of all mankind who had ever lived (The Great White Throne).

These faithful followers understood that the pagan holidays such as Christmas and Easter were purely the inventions of popes! The Prophet Daniel in Daniel 7:25 rightly prophesied that the kings of the fourth kingdom (The Roman Empire, later known as the Holy Roman Empire because of the influence of the Roman Church), 'shall persecute the saints of the Most High and shall intend to change the times and law (God's law)'. History had proven these prophecies to be right on target. As there is often a duality in Bible prophecy, the worst persecutions for the people of God lie ahead, unless they repent of their unrighteousness before the time of the coming Great Tribulation!

God's Work was sometimes continued through certain families. One such family was the Stennett family who provided four generations of ministers to the Church of God in England. Then came the Bampfield brothers - Francis and Thomas - who wrote and published books on the Sabbath, creation and laws of God in AD 1675. Unfortunately, in spite of the preaching from the faithful men of God, the Sardis group compromised by 'showing love' for differing views and doctrines. Such practice eventually led the Sardis era spiritually dead.

The Church in England, eventually slipped from the truth of God and diminished in the late 1600s. Many wary Christians fled to the New World, to escape the persecution. Some of the remnants of the Church of God migrated to America by the late 1600s. The first record of these was a group led by Steven Mumford who began to preach among the Baptists in Newport, Rhode Island.

Around the time of 1818, most of the Sabbath-keeping congregations in the United States agreed to merge under the banner of the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference. Around this time in 1844, the defunct Adventist movement began to gather momentum and shown interest in the Sabbath. The majority began to follow a woman named Ellen G. White, whom most deemed to be their prophetess. By 1860, they chose to change their name to be called 'Seventh Day Adventists'. However, they are by no means the true Church of God.

There were political infighting among members of the Church of God leading to the split in 1933. Nonetheless, many European Christians enjoyed for over a hundred years of religious freedom in America granted by the charter of William Penn, which later extended to other colonies. As they continued to depend upon the laws of man rather the the laws of God, many drifted away from the truth they were once taught. God had to close the Sardis era to usher in another era that will transform the Church of God like never before.