General News
16 March, 2025
In Good Faith
Nearly everybody, at one time or another, has heard the term “Dark Ages” used, often in connection with movies or books.
But how many of us know what the Dark Ages really were, or why they were so named?
The Dark Ages mark the period from the end of the Roman Empire until somewhere between the 10th and the 19th centuries.
Its hallmark was in its being ruled by various theocracies but all under the direction of the Medieval Roman Catholic Church, which controlled its subjects with an iron fist.
The reason it is so named is because the knowledge of the gospel was actively withheld
from the people, being taught only via the interpretation of the priests.
This led to many major problems, including a distortion of the purity of the gospel, the absence of evangelism and a severe lack of cultural progression.
The beginning of the end of the Dark Ages came with the period which we know as the Renaissance, or “new learning”.
This period marked the beginning of many social changes, and it's often described as the transitional period between the Dark Ages and modernity.
The next period of significance in history was the Protestant Reformation.
Historically, this was a major theological movement that began in Europe around the mid-16th century.
It was in the year 1517 that a Catholic priest named Martin Luther initiated a protest movement by nailing to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, a list of 95 problems that he had with the teachings of the Roman Catholic church.
From there, the Reformation movement spread across Europe, inspiring many great preachers such as Calvin, Zwingli, Huss, Wycliffe and many others to whom we can be hugely thankful for the religious freedoms that we currently have today and should never take for granted.
However, this is not the first time that a “reformation” has taken place.
In the book of Second Kings, Chapters 22-23, we read the story of a young king by the name of Josiah.
Josiah became king at just eight years of age at a time when his nation had abandoned God and was deeply into idol worship.
At 18 years of age, he financed the reconstruction of the Jewish temple.
In the process of that reconstruction, the workman rediscovered the book of the law.
Josiah studied that book and realised how far his nation had departed from God.
His response was immediate.
He recognised the sin that his nation had committed and acknowledged that the Lord was hugely displeased.
Josiah responded with a public renewal of the Lord's covenant to Israel.
He actively removed all idols from their midst and had them burned.
He purified the priesthood by removing all the corrupted priests who had been appointed by previous kings and by prohibiting them from working as priests again.
He then removed the buildings used to accommodate those who committed immoral acts in the name of other gods and the altars that had been used in the worship of foreign gods.
As a result of his proactive works, the Lord promised him peace for the entire of his days.
Note the connection here.
Today, peace seems to be something that eludes much of this world.
Perhaps it is time for all to follow the reforming example of Josiah, and to seek peace and freedom through following God.