Throughout Europe millions of underground believers held on to the true faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ during the centuries of persecution.

Only heaven knows the total record of the courageous faith of the believers who stood against all the attacks of Satan.

The Waldenses focused on the larger issues dealing with Satan's attack on the true church and connected the biblical prophecies of the Antichrist and Babylon with the great evils they were facing during their struggle for religious freedom.

The Waldenses' interpretations were conditioned by their experiences of torture and murder under the Inquisition.

They thought the Antichrist and the Great Whore of Babylon from the Book of Revelation were identical, though now are understood to be two different things.

The group called the Waldenses had a manuscript called "A Treatise concerning Antichrist".

It contained their understanding of Bible prophecy.

Martin Luther declared the recovery of the first truths creating the Protestant Reformation.

He acknowledged that he was simply carrying on the true faith of earlier underground Christian groups such as the Waldenses.

The Waldenses and their fellow believers were pre-reformation Protestants long before Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the church door at Wittenberg.

The ancient "Waldenses" were Christians that had continued in the faith since separating from the corrupt official state church in the seventh century.

They lived in the high mountain valleys in inaccessible areas where they could worship Christ as the New Testament commanded.

Reading the Bible was illegal according to official church law.

It remained illegal for a layperson to have a Bible until 1870.

Many groups of Bible-believing Christians held to the faith despite centuries of trials, torture and death.

They secretly copied manuscripts of the Bible and smuggled them from city to city to share with the underground church.

The Western World was spiritually going through the Dark Ages.

Despite these centuries of satanic attacks on the truth, millions of Christians in Europe resisted the inquisition and religious corruption.

Laws were passed forbidding any Christian layperson to possess the Bible or to worship as the New Testament commanded.

The Western world spiritually entered the 'Dark Ages' for many centuries.

Evil church officials increased in political and financial power in an unholy alliance with secular leaders, including kings and other rulers.

Corruption and pagan practices entered the official state church at all levels during the Mediaeval Period.

Satan almost smothered the truth that survived from the early faith of the first century Christians.

The transformation of the state church was so significant that a believer from the first century wouldn't have recognized it as Christian.

Many believers who held to the true faith were forced to go underground.

Over the centuries the Roman state church adopted many Babylonian mystical religious features to appeal to the new pagan converts.

False pagan practices were introduced including worship of images, false miracles, lifting of clergy above the worshippers and corruption.

Under the previous persecution, only true believers joined the church.

Once it became a state church, thousands of unrepentant pagans joined for a potential social, financial and political advantage.

Satan then tried to bring down the Church from within by infiltrating it.

This subtle attack was a far greater threat than the former open attacks by the pagan emperors.

After the Emperor Constantine became a follower of Christ in A.D. 300, he transformed the church from an outlaw organization to the official state church.

The brave deaths of the martyrs forced the world to examine what inspired them to such profound faith.

As a result of their faithful witness almost half of the Roman Empire became followers of Jesus.

Satan used the emperors and his pagan followers in Rome to oppress and persecute the Christians.

Millions of Christians were tortured and killed for their faith.

The truth of Christ's resurrection is basic to God's plan to redeem man from the curse of sin and death.

The Church was transformed by the resurrection of Jesus.

It immediately began to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ.

On Good Friday it appeared that Satan had won.

Jesus was dead, His followers were scattered.

But Resurrection Sunday came.
The grave opened and all could see
Jesus' victory over death and sin.

The Lord used "the foolishness of the cross" to confound the wise and defeast Satan's plan to snare men's souls.

Satan thought he had defeated God's plan to redeem mankind when Christ was crucified.

The devil was unable to realize that the Cross which appeared to represent Christ's defeat, actually won salvation for all who would trust in Jesus.

John recorded in his vision in Revelation 12:10, "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."

In the New Testament we are told that the devil accuses us to God daily and will continue until he is cast out of heaven.

When that happens the angels will rejoice!

When Satan is cast out of heaven to the earth, he will totally possess the soul of the wicked dictator who will take over the Revived Roman Empire.

    At that point this man will become the Antichrist, Satan incarnate.

       He will force men to whorship him as god.

John prophecied that when "war broke out in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer"
Revelation 12:7

Satan's access to the heavenlies will end half-way throught the seven-year treaty when he and his angels are cast out of heaven by Michael, the archangel.

Since his fall, Satan has kept access to some parts of heaven and earth.

He doesn't rule in hell.

He will not descend to hell until Jesus casts him into the Lake of Fire after his final battle at the end of the Millennium [Jesus' 1000 year reign].